Posted on: 2023/01/28
In the dead of night, a lone figure in a hooded leather cloak marched through the woods of Vale's wilderness. In his arm, laid a body covered in its own bloodstained leather cloak, still occasionally dripping with the crimson liquid. Under the moonlight leaking through the leaves, the shine of the man's armor would attract a few Grimm every now and then, but the dark creatures would flee in fear from the power oozing from his mere presence. His sheathed weapon swayed as he ascended a hill while the gigantic sword strapped to his back forced him to lean slightly forward.
The sound of waves crashing could be heard once he neared to top before finally revealing a vast ocean below the cliff. The man took a deep breath of the salty air, ignoring the iron smell of the body he carried, then kneeled near the cliff. Laying the corpse down, he unwrapped the cloak, revealing the young woman with a sizable hole in her chest.
The wind forced the man's hood off his head, his hair rustled gently in the drift as he scratched his stubble beard.
"It is a wonderful view, young one." He muttered to the corpse. "I pray that your spirit enjoys this resting place."
His gaze wandered toward the young woman's face where two empty sockets could be observed where her eyes should have been. A saddened sigh escaped him while he unsheathed a ceremonial dagger from his side before cutting into the body's cloak, creating a makeshift ribbon that he wrapped around the corpse's eyes.
He then brought both of his hands together and closed his eyes in a silent prayer. When about a minute had passed, eyes still closed, he spoke out loud.
"Bring her home."
He remained in prayer for a few seconds, enjoying the soothing sound of the ocean and the breeze flowing around him before finally opening his eyes. Any trace of the woman's body had vanished, leaving the man truly alone, and yet despite this new development, he smirked, as if in the company of old friends.
"His highness will not be pleased." Chuckled the man, standing up to leave the cliffside.
Over the tree line, he could perceive the higher parts of ruined buildings near the mountainside. He spent a few seconds simply observing the abandoned constructs before the sea wind blew against his back. He released a chuckle while fixing his hair and remaking his ponytail.
"I've never been one to ignore the will of the wind." He voiced to no one in particular, tightening the straps holding onto the large sword on his back before casually walking down the hill.
A few hours earlier, two bullheads sped through the sky over the ruined city, passing over a billboard reading: "Welcome to Mountain Glenn!". The aircrafts clumsily landed near a tunnel opening, which could be found near the base of the mountain the city was built next to. The vehicle's doors had barely lowered before blood-covered White Fang members leaped off and sprinted inside the tunnel, closely followed by two slightly stained humans who seemed as frightened as the one they pursued.
Those whose condition was less critical called for medics once they reached what seemed to be an enormous underground city currently filled with large containers of dust.
Among those who came to assist, a young woman stood out from the rest as she clumsily caught one of the White Fang members who stumbled into her. They had been bleeding for a while from the unfathomable lacerations across their body.
"What the hell happened out there?" Asked the woman, her dark-red eyes darting towards the taller human man while attempting to hoist the faunus' arm over her shoulder only to realize that it had been missing.
She accidentally dropped the White Fang soldier out of shock, then knelt to pick them back up. Unfortunately, it would seem that they had drawn their last breath, their torn-up corpse slowly emptying itself of its remaining blood.
The man she had addressed removed his bowler hat and then hunched over to catch his breath.
"As if god damn Ruby Rose wasn't enough, some crazy invisible fucker tore through these animals in the blink of an eye!" He exclaimed in frustration before motioning toward his associate who seemed to be catching her breath as he had been. "Hell, even Neo couldn't do anything against either of them."
The tricolored-haired woman in question glared at him before releasing a frustrated huff.
The red-eyed woman brushed a lock of her mint-green hair away from her face while sending a shocked expression at the ginger-haired man. "Ruby Rose? She was there?"
"You deaf or something?" Insulted the man before shaking his head. "I wouldn't worry about her anymore. Whoever the psycho who did this is; they most likely butchered that bitch by now." He added, gesturing towards the wounded terrorists.
"For a crime lord, you sure don't keep yourself that informed." Taunted a new voice.
A gray-haired young man approached the group with a smirk on his lips. His gray eyes were focused on the taller man humorously which visibly irked him.
"Look kid, I don't have the time to deal with you right now. Where's your boss?"
The young man raised a curious eyebrow. "You're in a hurry to die or something? Seeing how badly you fucked up, I wouldn't be surprised if she reduced you to ashes on the spot."
Before the ginger-haired man could reply, he was interrupted by the mint-green-haired woman. "At least tell me you've managed to bring back something of value?"
"W-well..." He stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "We got at least two containers a-and-"
He was interrupted once more by Neo who tugged at his coat, bringing his attention to her. She then raised her scroll showing a picture of the celebrity holding onto the ginger-haired man. However, there was something rather unique about the picture.
"Did you seriously try to take a picture under her skirt while she was threatening my life?"
This made anyone who heard the man's remark stop and stare at the short woman who raised an eyebrow before swiping at her scroll, revealing more images.
"Mind sending me a couple of those?" Asked the gray-haired man only to receive a few questioning glances. "What? You can't deny that she's super hot."
The red-eyed woman groaned before walking away with the scroll in her hand, much to the two criminal's surprise. "Come on, we gotta report this to Cinder."
"You're such a buzzkill you know that, Emerald?"
The young woman rolled her eyes without stopping her march. "And you — Mercury — are more insufferable to deal with than those two, and yet you don't see me make a whole deal about it."
He groaned before facing the duo behind him. "Come on, Torchwick. Let's see if you get to keep your head today."
"Wha- Why am I getting singled out?!" He asked in outrage. Receiving no answer, he was about to follow when he noticed the crestfallen expression on his partner. "You know these things have cloud service nowadays, right? Your next phone will still have those pics."
Neo became slightly more hopeful, gaining a pep in her step before being suddenly stopped by Roman's hand on her shoulder.
"Speaking of buying stuff, if we live through this, we have a nice bonus to pay for it." He grinned, revealing a wallet in his hand which the short woman knew to be Emerald's.
Both chuckled, the tricolored-haired woman doing so inaudibly, before following the two young adults ahead of them.
"So you're trying to tell me that you failed miserably at the one thing we keep you around for, and on top of having the one woman we want to avoid potentially onto us, you bring me those... perverted pictures as if they had any value?" Coldly recapped a lustrous voice, weighing heavily onto the four individuals present in the room with its owner who waved Neopolitan's scroll between her fingers.
"W-well now Cinder. We still managed to bring back a few containers of dust." Defended Roman with a nervous smile on his face.
A woman sat at a desk in front of him. Since the room had been left with little light, most of her features were hidden in the darkness except from her nose to the middle of her torso which was Illuminated by the light of her laptop.
A singular amber eye glowed menacingly, the other being covered by her long black hair which made the crime boss silently shriek while the others tensed.
"This is the second time you've failed me. Tell me why I shouldn't end your insignificant life right here?"
Before the man could answer, a notification appeared on the woman's computer, stealing her attention for a moment. She typed a few words before chuckling to herself.
"Count your lucky stars, Roman. It would seem your services are still going to be needed for the foreseeable future after all." Ignoring his sigh of relief, she faced the two young adults who had remained silent until now and the tricolored-haired woman. "I just received confirmation from our... friends; all they need is the size for your uniforms."
Roman shared a curious glance with Neo before facing the imposing woman in front of him. "Uniforms?"
"You'll have to work without your little aid for a while, I'm afraid. During the day at least." She replied in an uncaring fashion. She then stood up, waving a hand dismissively while walking towards a door leading to an isolated room. "You three will send me your sizes through your scroll before noon. Now leave, I have matters to attend to."
The four individuals swiftly bowed to her and then marched out of the room. Only once certain that she was alone, Cinder entered the attached room, revealing a simple bedroom with barely any furniture. Oddly enough, a rather large briefcase could be found laying on the floor in the middle of the room.
She knelt in front of it, unclasping the hasps and opening it. Inside rested an odd black spherical ball, resembling a crystal ball filled with dark smoke, covered with bone-like plating and spikes. Six long, red tentacles were attached underneath, tangled lazily at the bottom of the briefcase.
Still kneeling, Cinder bowed her head to the strange creature. "Master, I have come for my report."
The spherical creature twitched; its tentacles lit up with life while a red hue swirled inside the globe as it began levitating.
"Cinder, I hope you bring good news." Said a womanly voice, coming from the creature. Its tone, while enchanting to listen to, possessed an edge that demanded submission from whoever heard it.
The amber-eyed woman gazed sideways nervously. "We've met a... small setback."
The spherical being's tentacles flexed menacingly, ready to dart toward the woman sitting in front of it.
"Oh? Which kind of small setback?"
"W-well, while it is unknown if any connections to us could be made; Torchwick's heist was interrupted by Ruby Rose tonight."
The room became quiet for a moment. The slight twitching and clicking of the jellyfish monster being the only distraction from the unnerving silence.
"M-master?" Dreadfully called Cinder, shivering while her breath hitched.
"Ruby Rose... you said?" Asked the voice back.
"Y-yes. Roman's right hand, Neopolitan, took a few pictures, h-however I don't-"
"Send them."
"B-but they are of a rather... inappropriate nature. I don't think-"
"You are correct, Cinder. You don't think; you obey. You will send those pictures to my or the good doctor's device. This is war, my dear. Any information on our enemy is pertinent in its own way."
"O-of course, master. It will be done." Replied the dark-haired woman, hoping that her master would let her live once she sees the pictures in question.
"Speaking of the doctor; he has been working hard to make a special prescription for Miss Rose. It will be delivered in the coming weeks. Unfortunately, it is the only sample we have so far. Do not lose it."
Still gazing at the ground, Cinder couldn't help raising a curious eyebrow at the news. "...Understood."
"Otherwise, how are things progressing?"
"The preparations for the Vytal festival are almost complete. I won't be able to contact you for a while."
"Yes, yes. I'm already aware of your 'plan'. I expect results, Cinder. Good ones. Dismissed."
The tentacle creature lost its red glow and then sank back into the briefcase, lifeless as it was before.
Cinder raised her head to observe the spherical being before approaching it to close the baggage. "I won't disappoint you."
Standing up, she took out her scroll as it rang while using Neo's to send the celebrity's pictures to herself.
"What is it?"
"The Fangs are getting a bit restless. They're asking what we're gonna do about Ruby Rose. Some of them are against doing anything at all while others want to hunt her down. What should I tell them?" Came Emerald's nervous voice, accompanied by the shouts of protest in the background.
Cinder remained silent for a while, glaring at one of the pictures on Neo's scroll. Even with its scandalous nature, she could still feel the absolute dominance radiated by the ravenette while she held onto Roman.
Her scowl turned into a smirk before she gripped the tricolored-haired woman's scroll. Her hand glowed along with the device which fizzled before slowly turning into ashes.
"Tell them not to worry. She's as good as dead."
The wind blew softly through red-tipped raven hair as their owner sat atop the dorm room's building. Leaning against a ventilation unit, Ruby gazed at the Moon, reveling in its serene beauty despite its shattered state.
She then lowered her gaze toward her opened scroll where the profiles of four students were displayed.
Cinder Fall
Emerald Sustrai
Mercury Black
Trivia Vanille
"And they are?" Asked the ravenette to the masked woman walking beside her.
"First-year students profiles from Haven academy's database." Replied Stargate, pointing at the insignia on top of the profiles.
"You guys hacked into the servers of a huntsman academy? I'm impressed."
"You wouldn't be if you knew how low their security is over there."
Ruby raised a warry eyebrow before shaking her head. "Matters for another time." She muttered before focusing back on her scroll. "Team Cement? That's a dull name and that one looks about my age. Why are you showing this to me?"
"These profiles were added a few days ago with administrative access."
"I mean, they could just be late entries? These academies aren't really known for being conventional after all." Suggested the celebrity with a shrug.
"The problem is this kid, Mercury Black. Some of our operatives knew of a highly acclaimed assassin with the same last name. When we did a background check on his team, they practically never existed except for one: Trivia Vanille."
"And she is?"
"Dead"
"Ah..." Ruby sighed, exasperated. "So? What are you expecting me to do with this? Can't you just give this to the police and have that one arrested for impersonation? That would most likely put a break to whatever they're planning. Can't say much about the assassin kid though. Without evidence of any crime, he's just a citizen without a past."
"We would rather know how such potentially dangerous individuals were able to infiltrate an academy or why."
"Didn't you say that their security was low? That's probably why."
Stargate shook her head dismissively. "No, even with direct access to the database, any modification we'd make wouldn't be marked as made by an administrator. That can only happen when using the headmaster's scroll."
Ruby stopped walking to think for a moment. "The headmaster...? No, it can't be them. They're known to be chosen for their exemplary behavior and ethics."
"We're trying to look into the matter, but while the school's security is concerningly low, the headmaster's office is practically inaccessible." The masked woman then played with her cloak nervously. "We... would be extremely grateful if you could keep an eye on those individuals while we're busy in Mistral."
"Seriously?" Asked the older woman, her voice lowering dangerously while her eyes gleamed menacingly. "You're asking me to put my students in potential danger just so you can learn what they're planning instead of just arresting and interrogating them?"
"And what you've done tonight isn't putting students in danger?" Argued the Black Rose agent.
A powerful gust of wind blew her hood away making her eyes widen once she noticed how close Ruby's nails were to piercing her eyes.
Both remained silent while the ravenette breathed heavily through her nose, eyes shining brightly, glaring into the other's.
She then suddenly lowered her arm before marching away from Stargate. "I'll talk to Ozpin about it. It's his school after all."
Unable to utter a single word through her drumming heart, the masked woman bowed then stared into the distance before vanishing.
Shaking the exchange from her mind, Ruby tapped on each profile, extending the information displayed. Gender, semblance, proficiency, grades; there were many things she could read from the database although she suspected that most were falsified. However, there was one line which made her frown in indignation.
Emerald Sustrai:
Age: 18
Mercury Black:
Age: 18
Closing her device, she released a frustrated sigh, resting her head back against the ventilation unit to gaze at the moon once more.
"Fuck."
Hey everyone. As the title suggests and as I mentioned in the previous chapter, this chapter was supposed to be at the end of the previous chapter. The problem was that I was unsure of exactly how much I would write and therefore I thought it more efficient to release it separately.
I hope you guys enjoy this short chapter nonetheless.
I also have a small unfortunate announcement. Seeing as we're at the end of book 1 of RWBY. I thought I could take a little break from writing this story to release some pilot chapters of other stories which sneaked their way into my mind these passed couple months. I'm very sorry if this displeases any of you and pray that you would continue to support my work as you've all been thus far.