Speed was the name of the game, and if there was anyone capable of matching the quickness needed to out-run even time itself, then Ruby was the woman you wanted. On a positive note: she managed to set in motion the mistrust needed to force a bit of an uproar using one of the few merchants docked in the kingdom. On a negative one: she needed to intercept the men moving the goods.
Dashing across the predicted path, Ruby raged a storm of scarlet flakes as her gust shot across the rooftops. Monolith had the entire encounter planned out, which somewhat proved that even a Grimm was able to recognise the predictability of Humans. Regardless, such worries were problems of another time, as she'd finally caught up with the men. Really, it wasn't all that hard, but seeing them only seconds away from crossing the threshold where her 'allies' were no doubt waiting left her with little time.
Rapidly swinging her sight around, she spotted what she was looking for, and rushing ahead she took the small pair of flowery bloomers and dropped them to the street below. Well, 'dropped' wasn't quite right, it was more like she tossed them towards the guys. Using her speed she then rushed in the open window below said undergarments, where an empty bedroom welcomed her. Going to work, she jumped on the creaky bed, making sure to bounce as hard as she could; this particular building was abandoned, so none were present to question the noise.
None, save for the men below.
Her efforts were rewarded with a series of slightly mumbled chuckles, or rather, full fledged laughter only dampened by the distance between her and the movers. Monolith, while straightforward and to the point, had made sure her plan carried with it what she'd dubbed a 'Human touch'. They needed a way for Ruby herself to signal to her allies below if she was around, and what better a sign than a pair of discarded crotch-protectors.
It was embarrassing, downright stupid even, but in a city of people there would be no mistaking the sign. The problem then, however, was to make it feel... perhaps the word she'd use was 'believable'. A random pair of undies falling on you in the middle of the night was more than a little bit odd, and alone it might have sparked some suspicion. This was why Monolith decided there should be a 'reason' said bloomers went out the window so to speak.
It wasn't uncommon for more rowdy couples to get a little wild in the heat of love-making, and the bed was damn squeaky enough to give the illusion - being audible from the second floor through an open window. Down on the streets below, ready to observe the whole scenario were a small few 'drunkards' lulling the night away. The minor commotion was their signal, and if Ruby had to guess, they were right now headed off to the location to await her 'liberation' of the delivery.
Once the noise had stopped she took to the roofs again, able to pick up the trail effortlessly, and followed them all the way. This ended up being a little bit of a problem when the men took an unpredicted turn, away from the delivery point. Ruby did not panic however: so far nothing tonight had gone wrong, meaning now was the time it most likely would. Tailing along this new path, she chased them for the better part of an hour before coming to a small secluded alleyway, where they placed the box down and gave a couple knocks on a rickety looking wooden door.
They were let inside almost instantly without a word, and hearing the slam, she proceeded to look around the rooftop for another entrance into the building. All she was greeted with was a small chimney. Not a single puff of hazy smoke dared to litter the air, and seeing as she wasn't about to just go skipping on in the front door, she took the plunge... cautiously.
Using her hands and feet she lowered herself down, dropping deeper and deeper into the darkness with every passing second. For a bit she began to question just how far the stupid thing delved went, until she came to the bottom. Fresh wood was piled below, and before she got a second to even think something was poured over it. It was a liquid, with a rather peculiar smell.
It was urine.
Resisting her internal reflex to gag and vomit, she bit her lips in a desperate attempt to keep quiet.
Who in their right mind pisses in the fireplace?!
As if to taunt her abhorrence, she heard boisterous laughter from below, before something clinked. Her eyes focused on the tiny gem far too slowly before it dawned on her that they were about to light it up. A small explosion came next, and the fire was therein roaring away just under her. One of them must have had some sort of projectile semblance, because she neither saw nor heard any signs of weapon use. The Dust Crystal used was small, yes, but it was just enough to light the wood and timber, allowing a steady burn to grow into a roaring fire; far too quickly for comfort. The scent shooting up through was still rancid, but at least the people in the room seemed to be done with their business, as she could hear what she assumed was the door to the room closing.
Hopefully everyone was gone now, and so with her semblance at the ready, she shot down and out, evading the flames entirely.
Dirty, moldy, and far too brown: Ruby saw how next to no effort was put in place to keep this particular area clean. This was strange as it was clearly a living room: a couch, two chairs, and a stool were all present, arranged around the fireplace with reckless abandon. Someone obviously didn't have a taste for internal decorating, but who was Ruby to judge; she'd never been all that good at it either. Zipping over to the door, she leaned against it to listen, and after hearing nothing, prepared to bust through.
This idea was put on the backburner when the door started to move, and as silently as she could, Ruby allowed herself to be pressed along with it, shifting in tune with the opening motion.
"I'm telling you, she's calling for a pardon."
"After what that little shit did, she should consider herself lucky she didn't share his sentence."
"She won't be pleased-"
The door closing cut off any and all following discussion, leaving Ruby stumbling around jittery in the hallway. With no time to think she gambled on slipping underneath the door, past the two walking in. Being so low to the floor meant they wouldn't have been able to see her petals, and they didn't, however it left her blind until she reformed. It was pure chance the hallway was empty, but not for long as the stairs ahead of her bore a light which was quickly being filled with shadow: the shadow of a person.
Backing up, she searched for any other rooms, finding only one on her right which she dashed inside without question.
"May I... help you?"
Ruby stiffened against the door, having shut it behind her but not having taken the time to fully observe the inside. From the tone of voice alone she knew it was a woman speaking, and after a silent swallow, Ruby sluggishly turned her head. The lady was loosely dressed, sitting at a desk with a book in hand. Another woman was over on the plainly furnished bed, only unlike the first, she was lacking any coverings whatsoever. Luckily for her dignity, she held a heavy blanket to her chest, shielding herself lazily, as if she didn't care about being exposed.
Neither appeared frightened, and Ruby assumed being barged in on was normal for them because of it.
"I-I'm sorry. It appears I have the wrong room."
"Yes... as you can see this one is occupied." The air stilled moments later as the speaker - the one at the desk - threw on a less accepting expression. Her brow was weighed down by irritation, as if she were stuck on an idea, and this was reflected in her next sentence. "Actually... that voice..." A fair hum followed before the finale. "Bleu, is that you?"
Ruby never made a sound, opting to try and formulate a somewhat shy expression. She wasn't sure how good it was, but it must have had an effect as the lady stood and approached. Cupping her face with a palm, Ruby felt the fingers pull at the wrinkles just a skip under her eyes. Ruby saw how the motionless spheres were directed her way. The shadows made it hard to see as there were only a few candles present to light up the room, leaving the face shrouded from sight. Internally, Ruby hoped that whatever excuse was budding from the woman's mind would click in place.
It did not, as she dropped her face afterwards with a slight shake and apology.
"No... I'm wrong. Your skin is too refined, whereas Bleu's silky features have this... rubbery touch to them."
"Excuse me?" Ruby found herself a little lost, only for the one in bed to giggle and give up the secret.
"Bleu's also a blonde: something our refined guest here is not." This, in turn, had the clothed one sway around with thorny vines creeping along her vocals.
"And just why, was it, did you fail to mention that detail?"
"I didn't think I'd need to." She fell to the side; elbow now digging into the fluff of the bedding as a hand propped up her head. "I assumed our guest would clear that up herself. When she didn't though..." The lids of her eyes fell, and a tongue layered her lips with moisture, followed along by a popping kiss. "I felt like having a little fun~"
"Surely she's not here for any of the fun you most certainly desire. Although-" Turning back, Ruby stiffened as the scowl grew. "Choosing not to correct an error so potent as that leads me to believe you're not exactly the most innocent of characters. Am I wrong?"
Not even close, but Ruby wasn't about to say that. Actually, if this 'Bleu' was a blonde, then how did the woman before her not notice that. With this question stirring for a little, Ruby had just enough time to observe the face deeper. It was now she saw how the eyes themselves looked slathered in a layer of thin gloss, reflective even, with the black points seemingly blurred a smidge along the edges. Not once did these pupils dilate, or even twitch for that matter.
"Again, I apologize." Ruby bounced her line of sight around, looking for any alternative exits, only to see the book being read just before now lying face up on the desk. Ruby didn't recognise the language as any written form she'd seen before, but the light bouncing off the print told her one thing.
That book wasn't meant to be read with eyes, but rather, it was to be explored through skin.
I see... Her vision flew back to the woman waiting patiently for more of an explanation. But you can't; no, you don't 'see' anything, do you?
"As you've stated previously." She grumbled, tensing the muscles in her face. "But that doesn't quite clear you of any wrongdoings. Perhaps you've a better reason for your lack of reaction."
"I-" Ruby never got a word out before the door behind her creaked open, and a voice bumbled out.
"Madam Merci, we've got-" The blunt, masculine voice ceased, and Ruby continued to just stand there, not bothering to turn as it suddenly sparked with emotion, and not the positive kind either. "Who are you?"
"She has yet to tell us, or even name herself for that matter." The blind bitch was on a roll, with the one behind choosing to adopt a sassy edge to his voice.
"Oh, she hasn't, has she?" The chilly blade of steel pressed just against the side of her neck, and thus the man followed up. "Well, what say you, madam?"
"Be gentle on her." The one from the bed continued to shower the show with lovestruck eyes, and her breathing picked up a visible notch. "I find it interesting how a woman her age can just barge in how she did; she might just be my type."
Your type? Ruby shuddered a little on the inside.
.
.
"I have lost again." Penny tilted her head, staring at the screen before her as little Inky patted her arm.
"It's okay. I'm not very good at this game either."
"Perhaps I am just observing it wrong?" The mechanical miracle pressed the middle button of the controller for what must have been the fourth time, starting up a new rematch. "I may need to update my strategy."
Clover sat behind in a chair, watching on in wonder as Penny switched it up. Both girls had started playing some sort of video game, and had been taking turns for quite a while. Why and when the doctor managed to set up a game system in the back room would forever remain a mystery; heck, he wasn't even sure if it was the doctor himself who used it, or maybe he did - Mr. Polendina was always a little bit on the goofy side, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary.
No, the real mystery was how Penny not only managed to grasp the controls and combos of the fighter, but also got herself into an online match against the world's top player: Stürmisches Eis. The fact she was holding her own for every single match made the young soldier question if Penny had somehow been cheating.
"We lose... again." Inky, to her credit, wasn't all that disappointed: by now she was just stating the facts.
"Strange... he failed to counter this strategy last tournament."
"Maybe he got better?"
"I'll need to try another string."
Yep, she's cheating.
Well... 'cheating' probably wasn't the correct term: in her case it was more along the lines of 'botting'. Clover knew for a fact Penny had never seen this game before now, and she certainly never watched random gameplay videos on her off time. He chalked this sudden accumulation of skill up to research. Research, mind you, that she was probably doing in real time. If Clover had to make a guess, he'd say she was actively downloading information related to the champion's previous appearances in online competitions: analyzing his performances and looking up counters to his moves.
It wasn't right to cheat, but Penny didn't know what she was doing, so was she even in the wrong? Learning about your opponent wasn't cheating, and neither was learning how to play well in a game. However, Penny wasn't Human: she was a machine designed to learn at speeds impossible for anyone else. People had to worry about muscle memory and reaction time, whereas Penny could just spit out the inputs with precision at speeds damn near criminal in comparison. Players sometimes whined about bots reading their inputs, but Penny here was pretty much doing the next best thing: instantaneous adaptation and pinpoint execution. Having just analyzed a video game with detective-level thoroughness, Clover shook his head free of those thoughts.
I've got to tell Marrow to ease up on his gaming talks at the lunch table.
"We're home!" Thankfully, Roman's cheer was enough to have Penny curtly lay the controller on the table ahead of her... before heaving the man up in a spine-crushing hug - having almost teleported to his location with the suddenness of her movement.
"My nemesis has returned, yay!"
"A-A-Agent P *Gasp* a-air..."
"Oops." She dropped him just like that, and with a small fit of coughing to straighten out his lungs again he stood. The man forced out a solid breath, slipping back on a smile as he dusted off his sleeves and checked his suit jacket.
"Loving the enthusiasm, really, but I'd like to survive our meetings, if you'll allow it."
"I apologize. It was not my intention to harm you."
"Apology accepted." Tipping his hat a little, he carried on with a smirk; lidded eyes presenting trouble if Clover ever saw it. "And to prove it: I have a little gift for you~"
"Gift?" Penny's confusion was followed up with over-exaggerated glee. "Goody! What is this gift of yours?"
"Neo's waiting with it. Thankfully I had her and our new friend hold onto it while I came to get you: imagine if I had it on me instead." Forcing a chuckle did not make him sound any less scheming, although it was clear to the onlooker that Penny couldn't tell the difference either way - Perhaps he should have asked the doctor to try and improve her ability to recognise subtle changes in speech and facial features.
Hold on... And perhaps Clover should be listening to his own advice, because Roman clearly said something about a 'new friend'.
"What's this you're saying about a new friend?" And now Roman seemed to recognise his slip-up… if it even was a slip-up in the first place.
"All will be explained, I promise." Rushing up and taking Penny by both arms, Roman threw on his childish look of excitement again. "But for now, let's go get you your present!"
Clover and Inky shared a look as Roman pulled the robotic girl along, with the little kid at his side just shrugging. She had no idea what was happening, and she certainly had no clue who Roman was either. Inky probably only knew the guy by name at best, so really, her view on things was probably that of 'some weirdo just took away my friend'.
"Do you think she'll like the present?"
Or he could be completely wrong.
"Why don't we go and see?"
Responding with a nod, the pair then wandered out to see Roman holding up a peculiar looking box, with Neo on his right wearing a graceful grin. That was probably the present, but Clover wasn't really looking at that: he was instead looking straight towards the wanted terrorist standing to Roman's left. He'd seen the man in briefings before, and knew he was Taurus's right hand commander. Seeing him in person confirmed one thing for sure: he was just as tall as the pictures made him out to be.
"Roman..." Clover wasn't exactly in the mood to start a miniature war in the middle of the examination room though, and so he chose to take what he hoped was the more uneventful approach. "Why is there a wanted criminal here with us?"
"Well, so much for easing you into the topic." Roman flicked on a straight face. "Look, he's not here to fight, if that's what you're worried about."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Okay, straight to the point it is: he's on our side now."
"Excuse me?"
"You're excused." This did not earn any brownie points for the ginger, but Roman didn't stop there. "But to put it bluntly: this man here is our 'in' for Robyn's little posse. Unlike yours truly, he isn't being captured on a near regular basis. Their solitary brain cell is starting to wake up to that by the way."
"That doesn't mean we can automatically trust him." Robyn was an issue for later mention, as for right now though: Clover wasn't sure what Roman was thinking, and this sentiment was tripled when the man brought up the next bit.
"No, but we kind of have to now."
"And why's that."
"Because he knows."
This, for a short span thereafter, had an unknown effect on Clover, who understandably sought more from his partner.
"Knows... what exactly?"
"Her." His everything locked up, and then Roman continued. "As in, about her. He hasn't met or seen her: just heard of her."
"How?"
"Because I told him."
"Because you-" The bewilderment running through his systems was staggering, and Clover could barely formulate a proper response. "You- why? What?" Taking a further few seconds to relax his ruptured thought-process and ease things through, he then began with an exhale before rolling along with his list of many, many questions. "First: why did you choose to tell him?"
"I needed help, and he wouldn't give it unless I started explaining why I was seen moseying up with an Atlas kid." Clover felt his breathing strain as Roman laid out the next part. "The room was bugged with a cam; the one where we found the little tot."
A camera. That was, obviously, quite bad.
"What does that have-"
"I'm getting to that now, sheesh; no patience whatsoever." Roman ruffled his collar. "To tell you the truth, I wouldn't have known if it wasn't for our friend here asking why his buddies were yapping about his betrayal or whatever. I called him up to help me track the Fang because... well: look at him."
Yes... using a member to track an organization wasn't all that out there, but Clover decided not to talk, and instead motioned for him to carry on.
"He showed up, and before I could really give him the rundown, his buddies called. Apparently, they watched not only us show up to save the girl, but they saw him wander in too. Needless to say, he wasn't very good at telling them otherwise; clever clowns. Cutting to the chase: I asked him to leave everyone else behind and join us, and gave him a reason as to why."
Clover turned his gaze to the man beside him.
"That's a simple way of putting it, but yes: I don't have much of a choice in this."
None of this was reassuring, but the man was already 'in' on the big secret, so really, what could Clover himself even do other than take it up with the general? Apparently, Roman was having the same thoughts - smug bastard probably planned for this to begin with.
"I know what you're thinking, and yeah, we'll have a little sit-down with Jim-bob later. Right now though..." He turned to Penny and held out the box. "Agent P needs to confiscate this present in the interests of the public."
Clover saw how she twisted her head, as if asking for permission to commence, and he sighed, rolling his wrist as he waved her to go ahead. Reaching out, she took the box, and pulled from within a sort of stick thing. It appeared to be a small circuit board, with a few bits and pieces attached here and there; Harriot would probably know what it was, but he never had to question that as Mr. Polendina went full inventor-mode at the sight of the 'gift'.
"Yes! You've recovered it!" He coughed out a joyous cry, followed by a couple claps. "To tell you the truth, I was worried the thieves might have rough handled it and broken something, but it looks to be perfectly intact."
"You can thank our buddy here." Roman thumbed to the still unnamed terrorist at his side, who simply let the man continue speaking without comment. "Honestly, I'm not really sure how he did it himself, or if the new Fang are just that stupid, but his quick wits had them leading us straight to it; they even let us scamper off too."
Clover chose then to intervene, eyeing up the subject of the conversation.
"Loyalty blinds the eyes of many good men, especially those willing to die for their beliefs." It was a saying general Ironwood used to preach from time to time when he was on camera giving interviews, particularly when he was first promoted into the position. Originally, it ended with 'and thus the leader must become the eyes of all of his followers'; that part wouldn't do any good to mention here though. Clover might have just been a boy back then, but that saying struck a chord in him, and even now it helped to forge the brute of his questioning. "So why then, if they see you in that regard, would you turn on them?"
"Here we go again." Roman could roll his eyes all he wanted, but Clover wasn't going to let up: he wanted answers, and he would get answers, supposing he had to get a little 'persuasive'. It wouldn't be anything violent, but you didn't need physical threats to squeeze someone dry when words alone would do the job.
"We've already lost." The curt voice traveled low across the ground, and the man never moved an inch as he spoke; nothing aside from the breaths he took shifted his stance. "We were splintered after the defeat at Haven, and the news of Menagerie discovering our true methods only made things crumble faster. Adam chose to set himself on a personal path, and I... I was left with a more personalized task, which I fulfilled. It didn't matter though: our group ended up splitting some time before I completed that goal, and we swore to inform one another if we chose to get together again. They never got a hold of me until their decision was made."
"Basically, they booted him." Roman tossed in, although the man didn't seem to mind, just nodding before he spoke on.
"Loyalty matters far more than most realize, and upon having mine discarded, I chose to retaliate. This is that retaliation, not only to spite their choice to abandon me, but also for the sake of survival. This 'enemy' Roman here speaks of, he says she'll be the end of everything: is this true?"
Gritting his teeth, Clover responded, and for the first time it was without immediate suspicion towards the killer.
"Yes." He didn't need to say anything more: the single word held so much weight even the murderer standing there, a man who'd killed not only innocents on mass but also hunters as well, could feel the severity.
"Then my decision is made." For some reason, the budding young leader of Atlas's newest protectors felt a swab of pity run across his skin. It wasn't pity for the man before him, but for their situation at large. Knowing that even a terrorist of Humanity seemed willing to cooperate when the world at large was dying… It made Clover wonder just how bad things had gotten to warrant changes so severe.
"So, are we all set?" Roman plucked the strings of attention back towards him as he clasped his hands together. "Because we need to get up to general hard-on and have our boy here indoctrinated before Robyn finally realizes one of her newest goons is missing. I'd prefer we not have the little missus asking why we're so late getting home."
That would be a little troublesome, and besides, if they had another 'in' for Robyn Hill's band of brigands then they wouldn't need to fret so hard if they lost Roman... not that it would help much if they did: they'd probably hold suspicions towards their new member anyways, but at least they wouldn't immediately write him off; Roman was one man, and this new guy was another. With the seed of thought planted firmly in his mind, Clover watered the idea for later growth as he turned to face the doctor.
"How long will it take to install her new upgrade?"
"An hour at best, and another half-hour to run a quick diagnostic on it." The man sounded confident, and so Clover looked back at Roman.
"The general will want all of us present for the news, and if we're fortunate, Penny receiving her upgrade may just be the act of goodwill needed to prove the honest intentions of our 'friend' here... who I am now just realizing we haven't gotten the name of."
"Saw." He stated: not overly hostile, but not super comfortingly either. It was plain, much like Clover somewhat expected. Everything was then interrupted as Roman barged into the conversation once more.
"Hold on, you just said 'all of us'..." His face seemed to twist a little. "You're not implying everyone will be there, right?"
"That's exactly what I'm implying." One of his brows twitched, and Clover was just the littlest bit confused. "Why?"
Roman's more open display of irritation was conveyed not only through his next complaint, but also the way his entire body slumped over, with Neo patting his back while giggling wordlessly.
"Because it means I have to deal with 'little red' again... whoopie."
Author's note
...
Oh boy, our barely lawful crew gets to meet up with our barely legal crew: ladies and gentlemen, it's happening! But that's entertainment for next time, so try to hold off on it for a little.
In other news, Ruby's much more refined variant has seemingly skidded into more trouble... as if that's new. Hopefully she can deal with the effects without blowing the plan to high hell.
A little announcement though: The next coming chapters are going to be on the shorter side - schedule changes and all that, so don't be worried if they're the length my other stories tend to spit out.
Until next time.