Back at the warehouse, Sun was emotionally distant from everyone else. He sat on the ground, knees to his face and looked back at his teammates as they got bowls of beefy vegetable soup for their dinner. Neptune carried his bowl in both hands, Scarlet held his with his right hand and Sage balanced two bowls on his left arm. Using his opposite hand, he set one down in front of Sun. His teammates sat down and began eating. Sun pushed the bowl away and stared into nothing, despondent. Neptune noticed, put his spoon down, and approached him. He knelt by him, trying to comfort his best bud by putting his hand on his right shoulder.
"Sun... I know it must be hard to see her go, but maybe it's for the better."
"Neptune... You can't even imagine how horrible it feels." He buried his face in his knees. "I love her, and I just let her slip through my fingers."
What kind of potential boyfriend am I? Oh wait... I'm not... I'm just a fool. A lovestruck, lovesick fool who has no chance with Blake Belladonna.
"Does she know that you love her?"
He turned his head up briefly before looking away, crestfallen. "I confessed my feelings for her on the rooftop, but considering that she ran away, it is highly unlikely that she feels the same."
Sage swallowed a spoonful of soup. "Yeah, I think it's safe to say that she has no feelings for you."
He put his right fist to his cheek. "No need to rub it in."
Scarlet scolded, "Don't be rude, Sage!"
What's a fool to do? What was he to do?
At this point, I've really got two choices. He looked at his teammates; Neptune Vasilias, the laid-back comedian who's scared of water, Sage Ayanna, the brains of the group and Scarlet David, the brawler. Go back home to Haven Academcy with my teammates, try to forget about her, and move on...
An image of a dark-haired beauty crossed his mind. He remembered her prom outfit, how beautiful she looked that evening, and the sorrow he felt when she left him.
Or... Abandon my teammates, go after a girl who I have no chance with, and try to aid and protect her any way I can.
Sun now had an important and difficult decision to make. How could he abandon his team? How could he leave them for the girl he loved so dearly? How could he not help Blake? How could possibly help her if he left? Sun looked at his teammates and noticed that while Neptune and Sage were still eating, Scarlet had already consumed his fill. Sun internally sighed. Because of his lack of appetite, he didn't eat. He laid his back against the concrete floor, staring at the ceiling, imaging Blake approaching him, extending her hand to help him up.
Oh Blake, my love. Where are you?
Meanwhile, in a deserted part of the city, Blake was asleep in an abandoned, partly destroyed building. She slept in a messy bed, with the cover sheets partially undone, on her left side with her right arm lapped across her stomach and her left arm pretending to reach something that wasn't even there. She then woke up from her nap. She slowly stood up, examining her surroundings.
I'm still in the same place. I wasn't kidnapped in my sleep. That's good.
She then noticed it was nighttime. Alas, the beautiful night sky could not be seen with the dark grey clouds that lingered in the city, refusing to leave. Then again, she could use the darkness of the night to her advantage. She sat down on the mattress and tried to recall everything that happened in the last 24 hours.
Okay, it's been roughly 24 hours since the Vytal Festival was disrupted. 24 hours since the Grimm, the White Fang, and Adam... were all here. When the Grimm started to get too dangerous, when the Grimm dragon appeared, the White Fang fled, and of course, Adam Taurus would have left along with his troops. Since I can presume every White Fang member fled in the attack, there is no way I can capture and interrogate one of their members to find Adam's location. But they do have allies. Unfortunately, there's only one man I know who isn't a Faunus, or part of the White Fang... Roman Torchwick.
Memories of that despicable burglar came to her mind. His orange colored hair concealing his right eye, the black bowler hat with a red trim, his grey scarf and white coat. Roman wielded a cane as a weapon and he was a cross between a gentleman and a complete crook. She then remembered him calling her 'kitty', during their first encounter. Ugh... She hated being called that by crooks and total strangers.
He had to be hiding somewhere. But where?
Where could he possibly be?
Blake stepped out of the building through the big hole in the wall. She slowly roamed around the city. As she saw the destruction, the possible lives that were taken in the chaos that happened the night before, she tried to recess those empathic emotions to the bottom of her soul. She had enough negative emotions to suppress, and she didn't need anymore. She also did not want to face another Grimm. It would only slow her down. She turned the other way, pretending not to care.
Then she saw a poster on a red-bricked wall. The poster showed an image of a wanted criminal in between the first and second lines of the paper, which read;
Wanted; Roman Torchwick
For thievery of dust, advanced technology, and money, breaking and entering, evading police, resisting arrest, armed assault, refusing to answer to proper authorities when interrogated, lying under oath, trespassing, aiding and abiding criminals, assisting the White Fang terrorists and high treason.
Wanted dead or alive
Armed and very dangerous, vicious robber who has a legion of men who can fight for him. Challenge at your own risk!
Reward- Ⱡ 100,000 Lien
Blake took the poster and reexamined it. In the photo, he held a plate in his hands with the number 274761453 on it. She folded the wanted poster into her pocket and mused to herself for a brief moment.
Hmm... Considering that this poster was printed two days ago, it is unlikely that they caught him. Since he's also dangerous, not many would hunt after him unless they're crazy or covet the cash reward.
But Blake didn't fall into either of these categories. She didn't want cash, to her it was just a secondary reason, a bonus. What she wanted was information. And she was going to get it, one way or another.
It was the end of the day in the JNPR apartment complex. Jaune and Pyrrha sat next to each other on top of the bed in the master bedroom.
"I can't believe we didn't tell them the entire truth." Jaune said.
"It's not like what they won't know won't hurt them, will it?" Pyrrha asked.
The two recalled what Pyrrha told Nora and Ren at the dinner table.
"It's a long story." Pyrrha answered.
"So what happened?" Ren asked.
Pyrrha set down her fork on her plate. "Well, a while ago, Ozpin had asked me to take hold of this secret special powerful weapon, hidden far from the common folk of Beacon Academy. I was unsure if I was ready to take the responsibility, so he gave me until the end of the Vytal Festival to make my decision. Eventually, after the Grimm attacked, I decided to take responsibility for the weapon, but unfortunately, it ended up in the wrong hands. A raven-haired thief took it and proceeded to wreck havoc. I knew I had to stop her, but unfortunately, I was no match for her power or her weapon and I was swiftly defeated. I was nearly killed until Ruby appeared, calling out the woman, named Cinder, for her previous crimes, including messing with the CCT, and trying to save her, I ended up impaled in the stomach with an arrow. Then there was the sound of the woman's laughter, Ruby calling my name and this blinding white light as everything faded away."
"White light. That is most unusual." Ren commented. "Wait a second. Wasn't Cinder one of the transfer students from Haven who arrived early?"
"Maybe she's a different Cinder?" Nora asked.
"I'm doubtful of that. Either way, she's gone now."
"Same here, Ren. Same here."
The dinner resumed as usual, shifting to a more happy and optimistic tone. After recalling what occurred, Pyrrha looked back at Jaune.
"I'm sure everything will be fine." Pyrrha said.
Jaune smiled. "I suppose you have a point there."
Pyrrha yawned. "So now then, where am I going to sleep?"
"I..." He hesitated. "I.. I did not think this through."
When Professor Oobleck assigned them an apartment, he had given them a space with only three beds since there were only three team members present at the time. Now this left them with a minor dilemma.
"I could just sleep on the couch, I suppose."
"No, Pyrrha. You've been injured. You deserve to sleep on a nice soft bed. I'll take the couch."
Ms. Nikos mused to herself for a moment. "Maybe we could sleep... together?"
Jaune felt his face burn. "Together?"
"Yeah. The bed should be big enough for both of us, right?"
Jaune meekly nodded. "Alright, now then, I suppose we best retire for the night and actually get into our night clothes."
As Pyrrha looked for her nightgown, Jaune got into his blue colored pajamas. Then Pyrrha realized... none of her stuff was here.
And my weapon is destroyed and my shield is lost.
"Oh man. I just realized. None of my stuff is here. And Milo and Akouo are gone. The former destroyed and the latter lost."
"That is a significant problem." Jaune noted. "We will have to fix that issue soon."
The young huntress proceeded to remove her heeled boots, next was her circlet, then her belt, followed by her red sash, then her jewelry and finally her armor. When she was done, she stood there in her black shorts with a taught red cloth covering her breasts. Jaune turned away, trying to be respectful. This was not the first time he had seen her like this, but for some reason, he felt even more embarrassed than usual.
"Uh, Jaune. It's ok to look. You don't have to avert your eyes."
He turned back to her, chuckling. "I.. If you say so."
She tucked herself under the covers, closing her eyelids and Jaune soon followed. He looked at Pyrrha, sleeping on her side. He wasn't sure why, but he gently wrapped his arms around her and pushed himself closer to her. Pyrrha briefly opened her eyes, surprised by his actions, but she liked his warm, comforting stalwart embrace, so she said nothing and closed her eyes again.
To the gods and goddesses of this realm... Thank you... For bringing Pyrrha back to me. I would especially like to thank Lady Luck, Lady Destiny, Lady Fate and Lady Karma. Pyrrha means everything to me. I will never take her for granted and I will love, cherish and protect her until the end of my days.
And so, after concluding his mental prayer, he soon fell asleep with the girl of his dreams in his arms.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the night, a plane landed in a forest. The landing site was in a dirt circle with trees surrounding the circle. When the plane landed, a middle-aged blond haired man stepped out and breathed in the smell of the wild.
"We're home." Taiyang said. He looked at Ruby, who was still unconscious, then at Yang, who hadn't even said a word since she got on. She got up and approached him, still not saying a word. "I know it's been a long day, and I can't find the right words to say, but it's alright. We're home now. It's safe here." She walked forward as Taiyang went back to the plane. When he exited, he was carrying an unconscious Ruby in his arms. "I hate to ask, but can you use your other arm?" Using her left arm, she opened the door and Taiyang entered the home. Yang followed behind him, taking in the sight of the wooden floor and the pictures of the landscape on the wall over nearby the stairs. He set Ruby down on the couch. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get Zwei and the rest of our luggage." He then left to get the dog and the remaining luggage from the cargo hold.
Yang walked over to the couch and looked at Ruby. While unconscious, she remained uninjured.
Ruby... You don't know just how lucky you are. She paused to herself for a moment, looking at her right arm that was no longer there. But was it bad luck that cost me my arm? Or was it my recklessness?
Before she could answer her question, her father reentered the house with Zwei in his dog cage and the rest of their bags. He shut the door and opened the dog cage. Zwei ran out of his cage happily wagged his tail upon being back home. He then saw Yang and tried to lick her, but she sadly walked away.
"No, Zwei. Nothing's alright." Yang spoke for the first time in several hours.
He whimpered and went to his bed, just lying there.
"So is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Taiyang asked.
"Can it wait until morning? I'm exhausted." Yang responded.
"Very well then. You deserve your rest. Goodnight my sunny little dragon."
She briefly smiled, but it faded away just as quickly. She went up the stairs and placed herself in the spare bedroom, wanting to isolate herself from the others. Using her left arm, she closed the pale blue curtains, threw the blanket off the mattress and collapsed on the bed on her left side. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep being free from the pain that was her new reality.
Taiyang set Ruby onto her room, now in her pajamas and tucked her in. Then he gently lifted her head and set a red pillow underneath it.
She may be unconscious, but she'll be alright. I want to believe she'll be okay. he thought to himself. But what about Yang?
After turning off the lights and exiting the room, he went to the spare bedroom to find Yang asleep, slightly shivering. He picked up the blanket and draped it over her.
"Goodnight Yang."
He closed the door, leaving her to her slumber.
Cinder woke up on the ground with black mist surrounding her. She got up, the left side of her skull exposed for all to see. A missing arm and an empty eye socket. She looked around her, trying to find her friends.
"Hello? Mercury?" No answer. "Emerald?"
Then saw a white light coming towards her. She ran away from it.
A voice screamed at her, "You will pay for what you've done!"
As she ran from the light, she tripped on a certain shield, Akouo, and fell on the ground. The light was closing in on her. She was soon engulfed in it.
"No, no! AHH!"
Emerald woke up, gasping and panting. After three breaths, she calmed down, but still felt agitated. She looked at her room. Like the walls of the palace, her walls and ceiling were dark purple. The purple floor was decorated with black carpets and her bedsheets were bright green, contrasting from the rest of the room. Next to her bed was a black wood nightstand with a Beowolf shaped lamp. Purple crystals arose from the ground up nearby the windows, but since they were located to the side, they didn't block Emerald's view of the sky. She got up and looked out the window, pushing aside the black curtains hanging on the rod.
This is nuts. I can't even tell apart day from night. If it weren't for the Grimm, I'd step out and get some fresh air.
She exited the room, only to find Mercury standing there in the hall with a smirk on his face.
"I can't sleep." Emerald answered. "I know Salem wanted us to rest, but I can't get Cinder's injury out of my mind."
"It's that bad?"
"Yeah, it is. I had a nightmare of her being destroyed by that light. Every time I close my eyes for three seconds, I see Cinder's injured body. What if she doesn't make it? What if she never wakes up? What if...?"
"Emerald!" Mercury grasped her shoulders. "I know you're scared. I'm scared too. But we have to move forward. And besides..." He lifted up his jeans, revealing his prosthetic legs. "if I can adapt to fake legs, then I'm sure Cinder can overcome these newfound injures."
She sighed as he rolled his jeans back down. "Part of me wishes we had something to do. Just to get my mind off the current situation." A paper airplane glided across the air in the hallway before landing at Emerald's feet. She picked up the note and read the words written in blank ink. "'To Emerald and Mercury, I have a new assignment for you. Report to the conference room at once. Salem.'"
"Hmm. It seems your wish has been granted. It's almost as if she's a genie."
Emerald rolled her eyes and started walking away. "Let's try not to insult our boss's boss and get moving."
Mercury ran to catch up with her. "I wasn't insulting her!"
And so, the two went off to the entrance of the conference room. The two walked through the halls, eventually making it to a big metal door. Emerald opened the door, which creaked loudly, and the two entered.
"Hello? Madame Salem?" Emerald asked.
She believed she was speaking to empty air as she and Mercury looked around to find no one else there. That is until a familiar voice spoke, "Hello, Emerald, Mercury."
The two turned around to find Salem standing there. They bowed their heads in respect before looking her in the eye.
"You have summoned us?" Emerald asked.
"Yes, I have a new assignment for you." Salem answered You'll want to bring your weapons with you for this one, as you will have to go back to Beacon Academy. Your task is to find files on the girl responsible for Cinder's condition and bring the information you acquire back to me. As you are well-aware, Grimm are surrounding the area. You don't want to fight them if it's not necessary, but you may not have a choice in the matter. Another factor you must bear in mind is that there are police officers, professional hunters and huntresses around the border of Beacon Academy. Exercise caution during this task."
"So what you're saying is that we not only have to watch out for Grimm, but avoid being caught by the authorities and hunters as well?" Mercury asked.
"Precisely."
Emerald nodded. "It will be done."
"Perfect..." The two left the room, leaving Salem to her thoughts. A Seer appeared, showing her the chaos occurring in Vale. She smirked maliciously. "One city has already crumbled. Soon, it will be the world that will crumble at my feet."