Rwby: A Thorn in My Heart

by PhantomBlaster1

After the end Dust2Dust17 story Rwby Stolen innocence, Ruby's is a young mother to her newborn son Thorn, but she struggles with to raise him while dealing with depression, ptsd, and the dangers Cinder and a bigoted community attack her with. Blake, sensing a kindred spirit in Ruby, takes drastic steps to comfort her which leads to awakenings, but the reapers is a deadly one.

7. Chapter 7: victory or death?

Rwby: A Thorn in my Heart

Chapter 7: Victory or Death?

Ruby laid on the muddy ground, clenching her bloody stomach with her one good hand. Her left was broken awkwardly and ached. But all these injuries were meaningless to Ruby; she only cared about getting her son back. She mustered up as much strength as she could to get on her knees to fight her son's kidnapper, only to have her eyes widen as she saw the scorpion man who stabbed her carry him through a portal that closed robbing her of that chance and her son.

"Thorn!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as her silver eyes iris's faded into pure white.

10 minutes earlier…

A group of faunus gathered outside the gates of the Belladonna mansion while dressed in black. They used binoculars to examine the amount of guards near the electric gates, counting 8 total. Llia was among them, not dressing in their garb, as she remained invisible with her powers.

"Remember, we subdue them quietly then you make for the power grid." She quietly reminded her team, not wanting any screw-ups to end their mission in failure. Cold sweat at the thought of failure ran down her face for she knew it would be her head from Cinder. She gritted her teeth at the image of that black hair witch; she hated working for a human too, but knew she was too powerful to oppose for now. As she pondered these feelings of fear and contempt, one of the group's fighters suddenly broke away with blinding speed, shocking her.

"What are you…" before she could even finish this her jaw dropped at the sight of the man swiftly stabbing with his tail some guards and slicing the rest with an axe without making a sound. This man was Tyrian Callows, a scorpion faunus that Cinder had hired and teleported to the Menagerie as part of the plan. Llia was told that this man was a powerful assassin raised by Salem, but admitted to herself she underestimated his skills.

"You done gawking lady, or can I finally get some more killing done?" he said with a creepy grin. Llia did a double take, the gory bodies she saw as she walked up to him horrified her. Despite having spewed so much blood and guts from 8 men, Tyrian still wanted more blood. Fighting back her nausea, Llia remembered the purpose of this mission was to kill the Belladonna's so it didn't matter if the people who protected them got killed. "That's right, their traitors too." She thought to herself.

"Okay, just remember your first part" she reminded him as she took out a photo of Thorn Rose given to her by Cinder. "You are to capture this infant with silver eyes alive or your master will be very "displeased", then you can kill as many of them you want." She said with a satisfied smirk.

Tyrian returned that smile with an even bigger grin, "It will be my pleasure" as he headed towards the window Llia had scouted to do just that.

He hid in the shadows of the wall, still keeping an eye out for guard. After seeing no one was around, he crawled up the mansion and looked back at Llia's position. He saw she was just about to have her men cut the power line and smirked. He gently opened the window to the infant's room, having learned from the briefing the windows weren't alarmed. As he gently creped into the dark room, the infants sudden crying, as well as a stench that infected his sensitive nose that made him realize the baby needed a change startled him. He then realized the baby monitor by the crib and knew someone was going to come in, so he quickly grabbed the squealing infant and made for the window. Suddenly the lights flicked on as Ruby entered the room.

"Okay sweetie, *yawn* lets get you chan.." a tired Ruby began to say before she was startled by a jolt of pain to her stomach, instantly waking her up. She looked down to see a scorpion tail embedded in her lower abdomen, blood beginning to spill slightly on the floor. Her screams delighted Tyrian, causing an evil smile that soon turned to a frown as he knew he couldn't finish her then and there as people came to the scene.

Llia saw tyrian from her binoculars as he bolted out the window into the jungle and signaled her team to cut the power as a distraction. After her men did just that,

"I'll go provide him backup, you guys get in their, but leave some fun for me!" she ordered her men, but warning them to leave some alive for her to enjoy killing as she made for the forest. She wanted to make sure savor her revenge on the Belladonna's and their "pets" tonight.

Present time

Ruby screamed with sadness and rage. Tears flowed down her blank eyes as thorns continued to shoot out of her body like missiles and vines with rose petals whipped around crushing anything they touched. Her body was losing blood fast as her stomach wound remained opened. Worse, poison from the scorpions attack had also infected her body, turning her neck purple. But all this physical torment was nothing compared to the anguish she felt inside her mind at the loss of her son. Her mind drowned out all other things, focusing only on the image of her son being taken through that portal. She wanted to reach out with her broken hand and grab him, but couldn't reach him no matter how much strength she tried to use.

She was not the only one whose mind was in turmoil, Blake looked on in total shock at the sight of her crush rampaging from the other side of the river. She too had drowned out any other voice, even that of Yang's as she screamed at her partner to move as a vine with thorns threatened to crush them. Not reacting at all, Blake was quickly picked up by the blond brawler as she jumped and landed roughly with her cat partner to the right, barely avoiding the deadly attack.

Yang's mind and heart raced, she was confused as to how things were getting so bad. First her sister was stabbed and poisoned, then her nephew was kidnapped, and now Blake is basically catatonic while Ruby is on the warpath completely losing her mind. But she didn't know what to do now to snap them out of this. She felt fear and rage at her helplessness,

"I'm so useless!" were the words stabbing her brain right now as she bitterly remembered this same feeling for when she failed to save her sister from her rape last year, getting kidnapped by the White Fang again, or when Ruby was screaming in misery from childbirth. Each and every time she should have saved her sister she failed. Tears began to roll down her eyes at these thoughts before she was startled by a stinging sensation to her face.

*Slap*

This attack to her face came from Weiss. Yang did a double take and plopped to the ground, gasping for air from the shock.

"What the hell are you doing you dunce!?" the young heiress screamed at her friend with a disappointed glare on her face.

"Ruby needs you right now and you're just moping again!" she said admonishing Yang. She then looked at her other teammate Blake still watching Ruby and ignoring the scene unfolding before her. She raised her arm and slapped Blake as well. Though the slap failed to wake the cat Faunus from her trance.

"Blake, wake up already! If we don't snap Ruby out of this *ducks to avoid a barrage of thorns* she's gonna die!" she screamed, but she knew it wasn't just Ruby at risk, if those thorns touch them theirs a chance they all could meet their end tonight. Realizing this reality just now, Weiss quickly grabbed her blade and Gambral Shroud and shoved it into Blake's arms.

The touch of her weapon began to trigger a shock down Blake's spine. She began to process something as shocking as Ruby's screams. She remembered he childhood friend Llia smirking at her after betraying her by knocking her blade gun away before she could save Thorn.

"How? H-How could she do that?" Blake quietly said to herself. Confusion infecting her mind as she couldn't understand how her friend could betray her after all they went through. She then finally heard a screech to her ears,

"Blake duck!" Yang and Weiss yelled. She looked up to see a vine with thorns reaching towards her face as she created a shadow clone to block the attack and rolled to the left to dodge the strike.

Blake panted as she once again took a look at Ruby, the source of the attack. Soon a new feeling of rage overtook Blake as she grabbed her blades hilt and charged towards Ruby, slashing the vines to chunks with a death glare and frown of anger marked on her face.

"Whoa, and I thought I was the hot-head." Yang said in shock, not expecting her partner to have reacted so violently.

"Ruby's really ticked he off now." Weiss said sheepishly, covering her mouth with her hand.

But little did they know; Ruby nearly killing her wasn't the cause of Blake's rage, it was Llia. She remembered, not just that cocky smirk the chameleon girl had when betraying her, but that white fang mask on her and realized her friend had joined the organization. No, she thought as she shook her head, her "friend" had just stolen away a chance Blake had to help Ruby. She had stolen a chance to save Ruby's baby from being stolen. Worse, Llia was the reason Ruby was on a rampage and dying right now. Llia had possibly stolen Ruby from her; these thoughts in Blake's head angered her like never before, but left her with a simple question to all of them,

"Why Llia?"

As she pondered this question, Llia was jumping on trees the jungle at break-neck speed. Her smirk from earlier still remained on her reptilian face, satisfied to have scored a personal blow to that "traitor" as she thought to herself. She then saw the Belladonna mansion ahead of her and grinned. Now that her masters goal of capturing the baby was complete, she was finally free to enact her revenge on Blake, by killing her friends and family.

Belladonna Mansion

Jaune's blade created sparks as it clashed with a turtle faunuses sword. He struggled to avoid being overpowered by the weight of this man and his sword from cutting him and Mars in two. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approach his back rapidly as he turned around to see a goat faunus man run towards him with a dagger in his hands. Jaune winced as he prepared for this strike to hurt.

"No way!" Nora screamed as Pyrrah launched her with her polarity semblance towards the faunus at blinding speed, raising her hammer. She charged weapon with her lightning semblance as she smashed it against the goat man's back, shattering his aura as well as his spine as he collapsed in the crater beneath him unconscious and bloody. The impact of this shocked the Turtle man, dropping his guard and weight. Seeing this, Jaune found his second wind and side swiped the mans arms with mars, knocking out his blade and his aura as Jaune delivered a kick to his head, also knocking him out. The others fights were going well too, with Sun covering Ren as he used his semblance to cover the fighting grounds fighters. He didn't want the negativity of their fight to draw grimm towards the mansion, that was the last thing they needed right now. Sun was a perfect guard for the job as his avatars and monkey agility quickly made work of several intruders.

Ghira removed his shirt to charge his semblance, his being one to send energy to his claws and chest to enhance his already mighty strength. While charging, sun covered him with an avatar as well, but his energy began to waver as the clone began to evaporate. Seeing this, two intruders began shooting towards Ghira. The sight of his cooks and servants taking the blow in his place shocked everyone present, except the shooters who snarled at their failed chance.

Ghira looked on in sadness as they reloaded. He gently closed the eyes of his dead servants to respect their bodies for their sacrifice. He glared at Sun, he was panting with exhaustion and looking on with tears forming in his eyes for his failure.

"Kid, I really don't like you… But I think I hate them more now." He bitterly growled after looking at the intruders. This was no lie, he knew Sun was beating himself up for this, and while he didn't like the boy for being so familiar with his daughter, Ghira knew who was truly to blame for his servant's deaths. Ghira felt shame invade his heart as he actually blamed himself for leaving an opening in the first place. He then gritted his teeth with anger, he felt a charge to his spirit at the sight of the intruders he wanted to rip to shreds. He sharpened his claws with dark electric energy from his semblance as he gave a mighty roar and charged towards them.

"Dieeeeeeeeee!" he bellowed. His soon to be victim's eyes widen with fear at the realization their lives were about to end. Nora looked on in awe as Ghira sent the flying upward before catching them both by the neck with his claws penetrating them, spewing blood all over the floor and his body. Pyrrah was very tempted to avert her eyes as nausea from the gruesome sight began to overwhelm her. However, she bit her tongue to use the pain and keep her focus on the remaining intruders. She knew it was the reality of Huntresses to see kill and see gore if needed in battle.

"If I falter here, not only will I fall but everyone else will too." She thought to herself, invigorating her spirit to continue the bloody battle.

Meanwhile, more faunus assassins kept coming through the windows, ready to finish what their slain brethren started. Ghira continued his charge towards them as he slashed their necks or crushed their heads like clay. But as he slayed each assailant he faced with his terrifying power, and his teen companions tied up any that passed out, a new danger approached.

Llia entered the estate camouflaged and smirking, she always prided herself on her stealth skills. Now she was prepared to enact the final phase of her plan. She could just imagine the look of terror Blake would have when seeing her beloved father dead as she prepared her sword to strike.

Jungle

Blake somersaulted over a vine as she charged towards Ruby. She knew she had to stop this rampage, so she decided to knock Ruby out and get her medical treatment later. Raven and Qrow drew their blades as they joined her in slicing up thorns and vines while Weiss used her semblance to summon a knight glyph to shield herself and Yang from the thorn barrage.

"Yang get a grip!" she screamed to her crying teammate. She was frustrated Yang was doubting herself now of all times. For once they needed a hot head like her to burn these vines with Ember, but she was moping around like Blake was.

"Look, if you don't help us knock Ruby out she's either gonna kill us or the poison's gonna kill her!" she once again exclaimed to Yang, bitting her lip. As much as she didn't want to risk injuring her partner, Weiss knew she was beyond reasoning with during her mental breakdowns, and this one was by far her worst. She especially kept an eye on her leaders neck, keeping track of the poison still infecting her body and making its way to her face.

Raven paid attention to this as well and reached into her jacket for a vile. It contained anti-toxin for this sort of situation. Having lived years in the wild and amongst bandits taught her to be prepared for opponents who used poison to kill. However, she never thought she would have to use it against her own stepdaughter. This bitter feeling caused her to briefly pause and look at the vile with contempt at the situation, only to widen her eyes in terror as Ruby's vines knocked them out of her hand and shattered on the ground.

"Oh god no." she softly stated as her brother blocked a second strike from the vines with his blades and pushed her to the ground.

"Please tell me that wasn't your only supply of antidote." He grunted while keeping the vines back. His heart sank as he looked back at his sister. Not only did she nod in confirmation, thus meaning they lost any chance to save his niece from the poison, but poison stated to ooze from her hand wound. Raven took notice of this before beginning to breath hazily. Qrow back up after slicing the vine and provided cover for his sister. He grunted in frustration, things were going from bad to worse. Now his nieces thorns had toxin in them and would put them in greater danger.

"Damn this stupid semblance" he thought to himself, cursing the curse that has plagued him for years.

But as he took note of Raven's poison, he looked up in shock as he heard a cough from someone else. It was Ruby, and she began to cease her screaming and entered a coughing fit, spewing up blood as her lips turned purple. Qrow knew she had lost a lot of blood and the poison was putting even more strain on her. Despite the grim sight, he soon saw a ray of hope for the situation. Ruby's vines began to cover her stomach wound to stop the bleeding, and the thorns from them began to suck the poison from her body. He suddenly realized the toxin affecting his sister came from tyrian's poison, not Ruby and she could use her newly evolved semblance to absorb toxins. Seeing a torn up vine with thorns near him, he suddenly got an idea in his head. He grabbed the vine and stabbed it into Raven's hand, causing her to scream. Yang finally snapped out of her depression at the gruesome sight of this.

"What the hell are you doing to mom!" she snapped at her Uncle.

"Saving her just bear with me you too." He countered, as he hoped to himself his reassurances to his niece and sister would be true. True to his word and theory, the vine began to absorb the toxin in Raven's hand as she gasped with relief once all of it was out, before passing out from the strain.

Qrow and Yang gave a sigh of relief before hearing a crash. They look to see Blake continuing to dodge vine attacks, which was made easier as Ruby's body instinctually began covering her open wounds. Blake used her clones to distract the remaining vines thrashing to finally get close to Ruby.

"Sorry for this Ruby!" she yelled as she clenched her fist and delivered it to her leaders face. Her stomach knotted at this act, as much as she wanted to avoid this, she had to end this rampage to save her so she struck with all her might.

"P-Please forgive me for this." She tearfully stated as she saw her crush collapse to the ground unconscious. As Ruby closed her eyes, her body's vines went limp and the thorns on them and her skin receded into her body. Everyone sighed with relief as the battle finally ended; now they could take her back to the estate and get her treatment. Suddenly the vines began to detach from her body, including the ones covering her stomach wound, which began to ooze blood again.

Blake, tears still stinging her eyes, began putting pressure on the wound as she screamed for everyone to help her. Weiss instantly formed a glyph and summoned a giant white eagle to carry them all to the estate. Yang carried her mother on her back as they flew to avoid her falling off.

"Just hang on Ruby, Raven, where gonna get you both a doctor." Weiss stated confidently, but Yang saw the uncertainty in her eyes. She knew she was terrified but was putting on a strong front for everyone's sake. She was more worried for Blake who wasn't hiding her panic as she force fed Ruby water to keep her hydrated and performed CPR while Qrow covered the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Please be strong baby sis, please." She said tearfully clasping her hands in prayer. Feeling so useless lately, Yang felt God could help Ruby much better than she had; if at all.

Betrayal

Back at the mansion, Team JNPR and Sun panted with exhaustion while tying up the fallen assassins. The battle obviously took a toll on them as their aura guard finally went down from stress.

Ghira remained vigilant in their stead, wanting to make sure they were truly finished. His body exuded energy as he sensed something amiss in the air, as if another presence was around, but he could only see the teenagers. It wasn't his wife either, as he knew she was safe and hiding in the kitchen. As he pondered these thoughts, Llia approached him from behind while invisible. She gave a wicked smile as she realized she was inches away from obtaining her sweet revenge against Blake and her family. After all the years of hearing humans ridicule faunus, having to hide her chameleon traits to pass off as one of them to avoid stigma, she could finally kill the father of the "traitor" who left the group that wanted to change all that. As she reached for her blade to end Ghira, a lazer bolt flew by her face as she instantly uncloaked herself out of pure shock, revealing to Ghira her presence as she gasped.

Ghira jolted at the sight of the girl behind him, but didn't have time to process this as he sensed where the energy bullet was headed. He made an instant leap towards the direction of the bullets target, Pyrrah. He pushed her out of the way in time, but received the blast to his right shoulder blade in return. As blood erupted from his shoulder, he grasped it and groaned in pain. Everyone looked in shock at this event as Sun ran towards the injured man.

"Mr. B, are you okay who did this to you!?" Sun yelled at the top of his lung. Ghira groaned even more as his ears ran from the excessive volume of this kid. He definitely wasn't okay and being made deaf would make things worse were the thoughts going through the older faunuses head.

"Who did that? Was it you!?" Pyrrah asked Llia in anger, she wasn't happy someone got injured saving her and was looking for some payback as she prepared her spear for battle, despite her aura being gone.

"That wasn't me, I don't even have a gun!" Llia quickly objected, she was just as shocked as the others though. She pondered who else shot Ghira if not her or her cohorts. Suddenly a groan from the kitchen answered this question.

"Honestly honey, you just couldn't let me kill these vermin could you?"

Shelena Khan said with disdain as she exited the kitchen with a pistol in her hand. She had a death glare in her eyes pointed directly at team JNPR as they looked on confused along with her husband and Sun.

"Shelena? W-What are you doing!?" Ghira asked his wife in panic. He didn't understand why his wife had betrayed him. Suddenly he remembered what she said, "vermin" and the bullets original target.

"Why? why did you want to kill these kids!?" he exclaimed still confused.

Rage filled Khan's heart as she heard, what was for her, a ridiculous question to ask.

"You left the White Fang, our brethren's one salvation from this worlds parasites *glares at team JNPR* and brought that filth into our home and you have the nerve to ask why I'd shoot them." She yelled with bitterness.

"Well, if you weren't willing to help our brothers and sisters kill these mongrels, I guess I had to pick up the slack, so I gave that witch Cinder the blueprints to our mansion." She coldly stated. Llia and Ghira's eyes widen at this revelation. Llia hadn't known where Cinder got the plans from and hadn't cared, but she nor Ghira could possibly thought his wife would turn on him.

"How could you do that to your husband?! You're a terrible wife, I-I mean, damn it you just shot him!" Sun exclaimed in anger. He couldn't fathom why someone would want to hurt their spouse, their family just out of pride for their race. Shelena didn't even bother responding verbally as she raised her blaster towards Sun annoyed. She hated how a fellow faunus like him stooped so low as to side with humans. He was nothing but another traitor in her eyes.

As she fired again, Ghira once more took another blast for the teens, this time to his gut. As he clenched his stomach in pain, he gave one last look to his wife with sadness rather then contempt before losing consciousness and collapsing on the floor. Shelena looked down towards him, but not in contempt either, she almost seemed like she was about to form a sad frown. She didn't get much chance to ponder this as Team JNPR and Sun had enough and advanced towards her with their weapons. As she raised her gun to once more shoot them, suddenly they stopped dead in their tracks in shock. She smirked as she thought she had them cornered like rats, but it was not her that stopped them. The sight of Llia, as she appeared behind Khan, was the cause.

"You took out Ghira so I'll settle for you instead." Llia said with a grin as she passed her blade through Shelena's back. The chameleon faunus grinning with joy as she heard the cheetah woman gasp for air in futility. Llia had stabbed her heart, and in a few short seconds Khan collapsed dead, blood drenched Llia's blade as Khan slid off her weapon to the floor. As she saw Team JNPR and sun eyeing her with surprise after the murder of her own ally, she gave them a smirk.

"Tell Blake were even now." She arrogantly stated, as she turned invisible and left. She felt these turn of event were perfect as she knew Blake would be devastated by the news of losing her father or her adoptive mother was a traitor that shot him. Outside the mansion, she let out a sigh of stress relief and ecstasy as she felt tingly at the thought of a teary eyed Blake. Nothing aroused her more at this point.

Meanwhile, Weiss had just arrived at the mansion with her team and busted through the doors with her bird glyph.

"Is the doctor here? Ruby needs one ASAP!" she screamed with urgency, before her eyes widen at the gory scene of before her. Blood spewed all over as crushed Faunus men laid dead and team JNPR and Sun tending to an injured Ghira. She didn't have time to process this as Blake instantly pushed her aside to check on her father.

"Daddy?! Daddy?!, wake up!" she screamed in terror as she received no response from her fallen father. She began hyperventilating and crying rapidly as a surge of fear crashed into her like a tidal wave.

"Help! Help!" she repeatedly screamed to her friends who stood by in shock as the doctor arrived from hiding. Despite his assurances he could do whatever possible to save Ghira and Ruby, Blake only stood on with tears flooding her face as she saw their pale bodies being examined.

"Are they going to die?" she weakly asked as everything went black and she drifted off.

Scars of War

Taiyang sat on the couch at his house, breathing heavily. He was very nervous being away from his daughters for so long after just reuniting with them. To him, what was hours felt like years being separated from them after all that's happened this year. He looked at the clock in front of him, eyeing the time impatiently as he couldn't wait for tomorrow to arrive already. He wanted his turn to switch with Qrow so he could check on his daughter and grandson. He was tempted to call and check but soon realized the Menagerie had no communication signals for civilians in Remnant, as Ozpin had stated before, since they had a bad relationship with the kingdom. As he sat in agony waiting for what felt like forever for his turn, he was jolted off the couch by a red portal forming behind him. It was Raven's semblance at work again.

"Honey? But its not even morning yet." He said to himself, as he knew something was off.

Rather then his wife enter from the portal, Qrow had with blood spattered on his face still.

"Whoa, Qrow your hurt! Let me get the first aid kit!" Tai exclaimed as he began to head for the kit, before stopping dead in his tracks with a hand raised by Qrow.

"Easy Tai, its not mine, but your gonna want to sit down for this." Qrow somberly stated. He was fighting the urge to cry after what he just went through, but knew his brother in-law was going to take the news hard.

"Something bads happened to Ruby and Thorn." He said, spitting out the sour words reluctantly.

Taiyang formed a look of horror as he ran towards his brother and teammate. It wasn't to ask Qrow what happened, it was to punch him in the face after realizing the blood on his face was Ruby's. He knew Qrow couldn't be trusted with her with his semblance and now his daughter paid the price. The thought of this infuriated him.

"What happened to my daughter you bastard!?" he screeched at the top of his lungs after the punch, but got no reply as Qrow merely rubbed his aching jaw. Taiyang didn't pay this any mind as he grabbed his shirt collar and shook him violently. Qrow grabbed his friends arms and threw him into the portal so he could end this madness and make him see for himself what happened. Tai plopped on the ground in the hall at the Mansion and saw Ruby's friends and Raven with shocked faces that soon grew somber once they knew it was him.

"Where's Ruby?!" he yelled. But his only response was silence as Raven approached him.

"She's getting a blood transfusion from Yang." She started explaining softly while urging him to calm down to no avail. She soon had to wrestle him as he tried to head for the door in front of them. "Honey! she got stabbed by an assassin and lost a lot of blood, you can't.." Raven couldn't finish telling him she wasn't in the condition for visitors as he pushed her to the ground and tackled the door, breaking it open.

"Ruby!" he screamed.

"Whoa! Dad?" Yang replied in shock, an IV hooked up to her arm as she gave blood to Ruby. Taiyang instantly grew pale at the sight before him. His youngest daughter laying on a bed, her skin pale with her lips purple due to blood loss, her broken hand covered with a brace and her stomach, neck and face with bandages. Next to her bed was a bandaged Ghira unconscious as well, with a recovered Blake sitting on a chair in between their beds, crying her eyes out, but he paid them no mind. All he could think of was his daughter on death's door.

Taiyang collapsed on his knees near Ruby's bed and asked Yang what happened. Yang saw Blake was in no condition to speak; So as much as it pained her to recount her uselessness, she told her father about Ruby's attack, Thorn's kidnapping, and her violent breakdown. Tai's heart sank from all three revelations, but he chose to focus on his grandsons well-being first.

"Do we know where he went?" he asked fearfully. But Yang and Raven denied it. With a portal like hers, Tyrian could be anywhere on the planet by now. Tears stung his eyes at this revelation, before drenching his face by the doctor's report that Ruby was in a coma and her blood loss and injuries made her situation touch and go. He couldn't ponder why things kept getting worse for his daughter, she deserved a break after all her torment but it kept piling up on her. He was snapped out of his turmoil by a surprise cry.

"Im sorry, It's because Llia hates me, its all my fault Ruby and dad suffered!" Blake cried. She learned how her childhood friend wanted revenge and how Khan helped her do it. She blamed herself for thorns kidnapping, and worse her father and Ruby's battle for survival now. No amount of reassurance from her partner or the others could remedy this situation, so everyone stood on in silence, moping over their loss. Weiss began to watch TV in the living room, not out of boredom or insensitivity. She paid no mind to the smell of blood still on the walls nor the body bags from the assault. All she could think of was Ruby's body failing as she held her head and cried. Things were just getting too crazy for her now and she just wanted to watch something and needed to get her mind off these horrible events. Her eyes soon widen as all channels turned to an image of Cinder.

"Guy's come quick it's Cinder and she's on TV!" she screamed. Everyone but Yang, still giving blood, and a despondent Blake left the room to check on what Weiss saw. Their eyes widen at the sight of the witch holding Thorn in her hand. To their surprise, they saw a new black arm on her to replace the one Ruby sliced off and it was pointing a knife directly at a crying Thorn.

"I'm sure this will be recorded in the news, so let me just say this once." She began with a sadistic smile. "This little brat is your hero Ruby Rose's son." She said with contempt. "If you want her son back alive and well, General Ironwood is going accept my demands. First he is going to provide the White fang with paladin mechs." she began. "Second, he is going to release all white Fang soldiers in prison to us along with Mercury and Emerald." Everyone looked on worried, not only were these dangerous demands, ones that would undo all their work as huntsman, they knew Cinder would ask for more being the greedy witch she is.

"Finally, hand over to me Ruby Rose." She said with fire spewing from her eyes. The group stood aghast. There was no way they could accept that deal, they knew Cinder aimed to kill Ruby for her past defeat. Their hearts sank as Cinder did one more thing knowing their reactions. She took the knife and cut a piece off Thorn's left puppy ear, causing the infant to scream in pain. Pyrrah and Weiss averted their eyes at the horrible act of child cruelty, while Taiyang's eyes grew red with rage at the sight of his grandchild hurt.

"If you don't comply, worse will happen to the brat, you have 24 hours to comply. My associates with be outside Atlas prison by then." She coldly stated before the transmission ended. Everyone stood on in shock, if they didn't act soon either Ruby or Thorn was going to be executed. But what could they to do with such an impossible choice?

Glad to hear some people have enjoyed this experimental series enough to follow it. Well despite this being chapter 7, things aren't quite lucky for our heroes that's for sure. Ruby has been through an emotional wringer this series and before. First she loses her innocence, then her son, and now she lost control of her semblance and may lose her life. Will she survive her injuries and be reunited with her son? It's not likely for Ironwood to accept these outrages demands, so will our heroes think of something else or will Blake lose the girl she just fell in love with? And will Yang finally move on from her feelings of inadequacy? Find out next time in Chapter 8: Impossible Choices