"Is that it?" I asked as we huddled on the rocks above, looking down to the building below.
"I guess, don't see any other massive doors around do you?" Adam's sarcasm caused Neo a wicked grin, more amusement than anything.
We'd followed the pipes along and over the cliffs, keeping high above as to avoid any unnecessary fighting. The sight of what the pipes traced back to was somewhat odd though, at least for someone with so many machines.
Down below we were able to see the mountainous cliffs as they spread about, and down below on the cliffs we'd seen the pipes seemingly go into them. We were also able to see what looked to be a massive metal wall, just sitting in one of the faces of the rock.
From the looks of it, the man had built his base of operations into the cliffs, making it more of a cave than anything. Why would he not just have it out in the open? The island itself seemed to be barren of any other people, so there was no risk of being found if the goal was to stay hidden.
"No use waiting around up here, let's go." Adam said as he started his decent, Neo giving a shrug my way and jumping down as well.
I followed along shortly after, taking one last look around from above. I landed just behind the other two as Adam was already at the wall, observing it from what I could tell. I walked up beside him as he gave it a couple knocks.
"Finally, someone willing to knock first for once."
We were on guard again as we heard Merlot's voice echo around us.
"So you can see us." Adam spoke as a laugh filled the air.
"I've always been able to see you, I thought I made that clear last time. This is my island, there's nowhere you can hide that I won't be able to find. But enough about that, it's no fun keeping you locked outside the whole time. Come in."
With that we heard a massive rustle of clicking, backing up as we saw the wall extend upwards, revealing light from within. As my eyes adjusted I was able to see cold metal walls lining the interior just beyond the entrance.
"Fine then, let's play." Adam marched forwards, followed by Neo and I.
Honestly he sounded almost excited, as well as a bit sure of himself. I stayed silent however as we crossed the threshold, the door slamming behind us and trapping us within.
Adam and Neo only spared a glance, with the man himself choosing to scoff as he made his way in. Neo simply rolled her eyes, not even considering the possibility of anything being a potential threat.
For all my bravado I'd been feeling earlier I had to admit, I was worried. Unlike the other two who could go all out I was stuck without my armor. I'd not had my new powers very long, but I'd begun to rely more and more on them.
I shook myself slightly, brushing off my worries a little as I glanced over the two just slightly ahead of me. Even without my newer abilities I still had my magic along with both Neo and Adam, who'd shown they were more than they let on.
However that lead me with an interesting thought: What do I do when it's time to deal with Adam?
I'd only found myself heading to Vale because he posed a threat, he was a mission Sienna had asked for help with. What would I do when that mission came to an end? I'd try to head back home sure, but how would I go about doing that?
More importantly how would my mission end? Would Sienna deal with him, would he be lured into a trap? Perhaps She'd fight him herself, I just didn't know.
It didn't matter I guessed, however she chooses to end things was up to her. All I needed to do was pay attention and report.
Things had been quiet, unnervingly so. The hallways were completely empty, not a thing to be found. Even the droids that had patrolled the outside seemed to be missing, only adding to the tension shared between us.
Merlot said he could always see us, and I was sure he was watching at this very moment. Yet for some reason there were no defenses, we were free to pass along completely unhindered. And then it clicked for me.
He's leading us somewhere!
So far we had followed the open hallways, complacent in moving forwards as the walls stood at our sides. But what if they weren't walls? What if Merlot had all the potential doorways closed off to keep us moving where he wanted.
I felt my guard harden, this was nothing but a spectacle for him. We were toys in his play box, moved around the doll house in his little game, and there was nothing we could do about it.
We kept walking for another forty or so minutes, the scenery never really changing as I could see Adam starting to grow irritated. His deterministic march from before almost stuttering with every step as his feet touched down harder and harder.
Neo was no better, having taken to observing her blade over paying attention. In the end she just slid it back into the top of her parasol, flicking it open above her as she trailed along with lazy steps, not even trying to look presentable.
Adam was pretty much stamping along at this point, giving up on his false mask of calm and letting his rage begin to show. It would be funny if I weren't so bored myself, all my worries seeming to be for nothing.
We spent another twenty minutes slacking our way through before something managed to catch our attention. Off in the distance it seemed that our path was coming to an end, there looked to be a different room up ahead.
I heard Adam let out a loud breath, a bit of a whine mixed in before he took on a more proper posture. Neo noticed the end of our tedious walk as well, pepping herself up once again, yet she seemed to have a twitch at the edge of her lips.
Taking guard I followed the others through, glad at the small change in scenery. The room was huge, larger than the hallways before, although still a dull grey. The ground was actual dirt, which had caught me off guard as the rest of the building floors were metal like the walls.
"Tired, you should be, so why don't we have a little fun. Look, I even brought a playmate for you!" The voice called, a laugh echoing out as the wall before us seemed to split apart.
On instinct I leapt to the side, having grown used to things suddenly jumping at me. The others did the same as something slammed across the dirt, kicking up dust and gravel in all directions.
Just like always our foe had burst from the opening, and now the view was blocked. I squinted while trying to get a look at what had jumped for us, the air starting to clear.
There was nothing.
I felt confused, looking around the room to see if it had gone anywhere. I saw Neo in the distance as she shrugged her shoulders, Adam was quickly looking around while holding a guarded stance.
Hold on!
I ducked down, placing my ear to the ground and trying my hardest to listen. Everything was silent... no wait, there was something. The sound was faint, almost like a sort of crumbling, however it was muffled.
I could feel it though, whatever it was had taken to burrowing, just like back in Menagerie. I pointed to the ground as I stood and faced the others, communicating the message to them.
Adam grit his teeth, clearly not liking it as Neo held a frown and slipped her blade out. In the end it would seem I was caught dealing with another large Grimm, only this time there were no cliffs help.
I felt movement again, and whatever it was had been moving fast!
I leaped away as the dirt below burst apart, flying everywhere as the three of us finally got a good look at the creature.
Large pincers, long tail, stinger; yep, we're dealing with a Death Stalker.
The scorpion like Grimm let out a cry, it's screech echoing off the walls and amplifying.
"Dust, it's one of them!" I heard Adam call as I readied myself.
He was right, just like the others this one was also sporting the green markings. It's black exo-skeleton was left untouched, however the white bones that covered it's claws and upper face had the red markings that normal Grimm usually wore replaced with a toxic green.
Worst of all the stinger on the tail was practically glowing, I could only assume it was a type of poison. I drew Pale Bloom and readied myself, holding one final thought before battle.
Why does this keep happening?!
.
.
Why can shit never be easy?!
Adam charged ahead, opposite to V as they quickly closed the gap. The Death Stalker wasn't having any of it however as it flung it's tail forwards, a glowing goo shooting out at rapid speeds.
He chose to dodge away, leaping to the side as the Grimm rushed for him. Clearly it wanted him dead, and that wasn't exactly something he liked.
Damn it's fast!
Adam swung Wilt as he dodged, just barely seeming to redirect the tail stab aimed for his chest. The pressure on the blade knocking him away as the Grimm gave chase. He landed as it caught up and went for another stab, only to be redirected by Neo as she kicked and knocked it off course.
The stinger dug into the dirt around a meter to the side, Neo landed and gave a wave. It was short lived however as the tail tore free just as fast as it came. They both leaped back, running along it's side as they looked for any weaknesses.
The Grimm let out another cry, bits of it's body breaking off and hitting the ground. The watery chunks rippled and sloshed, piece by piece slapping themselves together. A second later they instantly gained some sense of color, with the all too familiar bone plating covering their faces and upper backs.
"Really!? It can make more of them now!?" Adam called out, exasperated as he ran faster.
The smaller Grimm had taken the shapes of little Ursa, who Neo had already set to exterminate. The Death stalker was still on him however and ignored the quickly woman. It seemed to have little regard for it's own creations too, downright plowing through several of them in it's charge.
It shot some more of it's poison as it ran, it's tail flinging about as it tried to hit him. Adam used it as an opportunity, having flung his blade behind him as he ran to catch some of the poison. His semblance did it's job, absorbing the impact force into his blade.
Not enough!
Still, some was better than none. He could use it, however the strike would be small and weak, downright useless really.
Quick on his feet he slammed his boot into the dirt, tearing up the ground as he skidded to a stop. Immediately he jumped at the creature, catching it off guard as he landed on it's mid-back.
Adam went to work slashing and stabbing at it, the blade let out several clinks against the tough hide as it struggled to get through.
Dust it's not working!
Adam felt his footing loosen, leaping off just as the Grimm threw itself onto it's back. He landed with a roll as it righted itself again, using the tail to flip itself off the dirt. Once back on it's legs, it wasted no time clawing into the earth, disappearing in a short few seconds.
He heard two sets of landings behind him, seeing both Neo and V at his back.
"It's in the dirt again, isn't it?" V asked as he gave a nod.
"And the smaller Grimm?"
"Gone."
Adam sighed, at least they wouldn't be an issue anymore. The trio were back to back, keeping both eyes and ears open for their hidden foe. They remained still for only a minute as they saw the Death Stalker emerge several feet away, and even more Grimm along with it.
"How many times is it going to keep doing that?" He asked himself, knowing full well that the answer was all the time.
So far they had done practically no damage, and with even more Grimm to fight it was beginning to look like they'd run out of energy first. They steeled themselves as they readied for the coming horde.
Then the wall exploded.
.
.
Wonderful, simply magnificent even!
The boy was doing better than he expected, the way he danced with his creations. The Death Stalker was the epitome of all his work, the closest thing to perfection he'd ever created... or so it once was.
Oh how foolish he had been, the Grimm were already perfect; his human mind was just too stupid to notice. But his eyes had been opened, the blindfold torn off as he lay witness to the truth.
To believe that pathetic little humans were able to achieve perfection such as that, oh what a mercy it was that he had seen it in his lifetime. And now, now he was able to learn to evolve!
The boy had been helping that other girl clear away some of the lesser Grimm, thinning the numbers as it were. It didn't matter, soon they would be torn to pieces, and he'd be able to collect the remains.
Soon, soon I'll know your secrets...
A pity that he'd need to end the life of such a beautiful creature, but all goals require sacrifice. He'd use every part of him from flesh to bone to make sure that the sacrifice wasn't wasted.
He felt himself shake with excitement, soon he'd have all he'd ever dreamed of.
Yet his attention was taken from the wonderous battle as a small beeping could be heard. Merlot looked over to his monitors, noticing that something had shown up on his radar.
The small blip flashing as it moved, coming closer and closer to the island. It was coming fast, too fast to be simple coincidence.
Not now!
Why did someone have to find them now of all times? He let out a scoff and turned to the keyboard as he began to type. A loud alarm filled his ears as he typed one last command, rising to grab the suitcase at his side.
Truly a shame, but I can't afford to be caught.
With that he took his leave.
.
.
I let out a few coughs, picking myself from the ground as I stared into the smoke.
What the dust just happened?
Why had the wall just exploded? Worst of all where were the Grimm? I was left with all the wrong questions, and no way to see.
I looked around, able to see the shadow of Adam and Neo as they stood up themselves. Both still had their weapons, managing to have held onto them. This was good, at least we were still armed.
I took back to the smoke, listening for any movement as the area was still shrouded. I was able to catch the sounds of clanking, followed by something else.
"Hello! Anybody out there?!"
Wait... that voice, it sounds familiar. I thought to myself as Adam stood in a rush, returning a shout back.
"Saw!?"
"Adam!?"
"Stay there, we'll come to you!" Adam called, waving Neo and I to follow before running off.
We trailed behind as we rushed through the clouds of dust, chasing the source of the call. In the distance I was able to make out a large shadow. I gripped my blade tighter as we got closer, ready in case the Grimm showed up again.
To my relief the shadow turned out to be one of those flying carriages, the side open and showing it's masked occupants. The thing was hovering just outside the massive hole in the wall, the dull light of dusk creeping around it.
"Sir, we-"
"Take us up!" Adam ordered as we jumped in behind him.
"You heard him!" Saw called as we started to move.
I felt the odd sensation of flying once more, the doors quickly shut behind us as we moved. It wasn't long before we stopped, Adam walking to the front and looking out the window.
"Explosives?" He asked as the commander nodded.
"Signal said you were in the mountain, and the fastest way was to blow a hole straight through it." He answered as Adam gave a hum.
"And if it collapsed on us?"
Saw rolled his eyes. "I know you well enough, you'd be fine." He answered as Adam returned a smirk.
"I guess. How long before the explosives are ready again?"
"Three minutes, why?" Saw asked as Adam turned back.
"There's a madman and his twisted creations down there. We weren't able to break through fast enough, and he needs to die. Once we're reloaded I want all targets lo-"
The whole place shook, several of the others falling down as I caught hold of the wall. I saw Adam look out the window as Neo and I rushed to his side.
Looking down we were greeted with nothing but the sight of smoke and flame, seeping from all the buildings and even the mountain itself.
Saw walked up, taking his own look. "I'm guessing we don't need to fire anymore." Adam nodded slightly.
"Guess not. Take us back to base." Saw gave a salute as we started moving again.
Personally I was just glad we got to leave.
.
.
Ozpin had seen many things in life, so many different things that would make ordinary men scream. As such he was under the belief that nothing could surprise him anymore, clearly that was wrong.
He felt his mind race as he stared at the picture Qrow sent him, trying his best to comprehend what he was seeing. He blinked several times, trying to clear away any dirt that may have been in his eyes. Yet each time he opened them the picture was still the same.
This has to be wrong, a trick maybe?!
He was lying to himself, he knew it yet he wanted it to be true. However no matter how much you deceive yourself, the truth remains the same.
Ozpin clutched his hands together, elbows resting on his desk as he stared at the image on the screen.
That sword...
There was no mistaking it, that was Pale Bloom; all but confirming his fears. That meant that the boy was indeed Vermillion Rose, and not just some look alike. At the top of the scabbard and just below the guard sat some stitching.
'Queens Knight' in the ancient texts, the crimson stitches seeming to blend with the rest of the décor to those who couldn't read it. How odd it was now that he thought about it: The written language had kept changing, while the original spoken language had somehow did a full circle and returned back to it's roots. He found it slightly funny how they spoke the same back then, back before Vermillion disappeared.
Ozpin shook himself, he was procrastinating. Then again who could blame him? What was he supposed to do with this information? Vermillion returning out of nowhere, now of all times, what did it mean?
Was he one of Salem's? No... she would have been more direct if that was the case. Then was this simply a fake? If so how did he get that sword? Ozpin shook his head again.
Too many questions.
He needed to confirm it himself, and so he gave Qrow his next order.
"Find him."
"Uh, what?"
"I said find him." He answered again, perhaps in too plain a tone, but this was important.
"Oz, something I should know." Qrow's voice was careful, worry sprinkled throughout.
Ozpin was about to dismiss him, only to stop as he thought about it. There was something he needed to clarify.
"Listen carefully Qrow: find him, but do not engage. When you see him I want you to put me on speaker, he needs to hear my voice."
"What's going on Oz?"
"That's what we're going to find out. If that is who I think it is, then he'll respond to my voice. Let me speak with him, that's the first thing that needs to happen. No fighting, just speaking, unless I say otherwise. Do you understand?" His tone was cold and he knew that, but this was the most important part.
Qrow was silent for a bit, so much so that he was able to hear the bar sounds in the background.
"Alright, fine. But I want to know what's going on afterwards." Qrow spoke in a careful tone.
"You will, we just need to take things carefully, more so now than ever before. If this works then we'll be able to avoid a fight. If it doesn't, just try to survive until I get there."
"Not liking those odds."
"It's the best we can do. It'll be a risk, but if it works then the payoff will be well worth it." He spoke as he heard Qrow sigh.
"Right, I'll call you when I've found him."
With that the call ended, and Ozpin was left staring at the picture. He didn't know where Vermillion had been, or how skilled he was. Had he gotten more skilled over the years? If so then there was nobody on the planet that would be able to stand against him, not with over a millennium of experience.
He shuddered to himself as he thought about it. The boy had always been a quick learner, increasing in skill rapidly compared to the other trainees. When it came to learning magic he had surprised even Salem with how fast he caught on.
'It feels warm.' He had always said, was it his Grimm physiology that had made it easier? He knew that the transformation had made him capable of magic as that was the whole reason for training him, but did it increase his learning capacity? Those were questions that he never got to answer, as his disappearance had caught them off guard.
But now he was back, but whether he had changed or not remained to be seen. Ozpin felt his worries creep along his back, he was taking a huge risk and he knew it. Yet he steeled himself for the time, risk or no he needed to check. Ozpin stood, walking to the window and gazing at the city in the distance.
Vermillion, do you remember your vow?
.
.
Ruby kept to the rooftops, sprinting along as she rushed to her destination.
Graveyard... graveyard... there!
She stopped, taking a look at the area below. There were no guards of the sort, the gate being the only thing blocking her entrance. Not much of an issue for her, then again who breaks into a graveyard... aside from grave robbers that is.
She leapt down, aura giving a tiny glow around her as she hit the ground. Heights like that were nothing, as most of the impact was absorbed instantly. It didn't even do a single percent of damage, now if she were hundreds of stories up; that would be a different story.
The gate stood firm, cement walls along side them as stone Grimm topped each of the pillars. Ruby would give them points for style, even if it was a little Grimm.
Dust, I'm turning into Yang.
It didn't matter right now, she had a job to do. She approached, gazing through the bars at the graves inside. Taking a peek around she confirmed she was alone, and an instant she was gone.
If one were to be watching they'd see a flurry of rose petals flow through the bars, all in a blinding speed as they converged on the other side.
In that state her vision was blinded. Instead she'd gained the ability to feel a short distance around her, helping her navigate as she rushed around. Ruby was also untouchable in that state, the rose petals being almost ethereal in a way. Back when she was younger her friends would often tell her that the petals seemed to mold around things, like a sort of goo.
She opened her eyes again, taking one last look to the gate before venturing deeper in.
There were so many graves spread about, all in neat and orderly lines. With the city being so large it was no wonder the place was so huge.
I wonder, just how many people die each day?
The place was probably just as active as any other part of the city. It was sad really, just how many were gathered at each time? All those people crowded around the dead, it would make the spread of disease more prominent, resulting in even more dead.
Such is the tragedy of death, contagious and ever growing. Some may even see it as the true way of the world. Life existing, so that death may occur. A bleak sentiment, although not without it's upsides.
Many would search for different answers, trying to give meaning to life itself, as if to justify themselves. But if life existed only for death, than did than not grant freedom? If there was no definitive reason for anything, then that meant you were free to pursue whatever your heart desired without it being wasted time.
People were able to make their own meanings, each just as valid as the last. The smaller frontier towns were rubbing off on her, just as the people in them. What did she expect really? After all, it was one of the most common beliefs throughout the smaller towns and tribes.
'Seek joy, so we may feel comfort in death.'
There were plenty of other beliefs and religions, but that particular saying had helped her through some tough times. Back when she wasn't so alone the idea of living her ideal life had been so appealing. Doing what you loved without anyone to tell you otherwise, it sounded so nice.
Pity that she could never fully see it, her mind had been honed over the years to question everything. Even with the truth she'd experienced only stress and worry as it was almost always bad.
But simple ideals and philosophy would often fall apart when questioned with specifics, most relying on metaphor and symbolism to hit with the people. Instead she decided to leave her mind open, as to be ready for anything.
All that truly mattered for her was the mission, she needed to get it done, everything counted on it. But worst of all: She was willing to do whatever it took.
Ruby walked past the silent graves, the breeze having faded moments ago. The grass was still and the animals quiet. Even the few trees that outlined the back wall stilled their branches, as if taking a moment of silence for the departed.
She could hear the silent pat of her boots pressing down in the grass, her own breathing seemed deafening by comparison.
And then, in the distance, she saw it.
The mausoleum, towering over the simple graves, holding the tombs of the wealthy and noble alike. A dull grey accented by the shadows squeezed between each brick, cracks running along the lower steps. Ruby stopped to take in the sight as a sense of pain bit at her sides.
She shook it off, steeling herself as she marched once more. Carefully she climbed the steps, the wind seemed to pick up once more as a small breeze crossed her face. The place felt almost welcoming in it's doom, as if begging for others to join.
Ruby gazed into the abyss, seeing a few torch lights within that kept the shadows at bay. Her steps were cautious, a soft click echoed off the walls as she walked across the cold hard stone.
The torches were new, as the flames were too bright to have been lit for more than a couple hours at best. She tensed at the thought of others being around, yet she knew they would be.
Alright mystery contact, let's finally get to know each other.
Ruby continued forwards, past the benches and all the way to the other side of the room where a set of stairs were accented by two torches. She took a breath as she delved downwards into the dark.
The walls seemed to shrink with each step and a single torch was hung around every five meters, granting her vision the whole way down. The air was still, and held a sort of dusty feeling as it crawled through her lungs.
She held her cough however, wanting to get a glance at the contact first before she revealed herself. At the bottom of the stairs she could make out a single metal door. She opened it up and stepped inside, looking around as she shut it behind her.
The room was huge, a dull light emanated from the torches along the walls. The walls themselves were filled with holes, and inside each hole was a coffin. Ruby felt her arms and legs numb, being surrounded by the dead was not a good feeling she supposed.
She forced herself along anyways, now was not the time to get nervous. Her pace was slow as she passed on by, able to make out something in the distance. Squinting a little she was able to see that the 'thing' was actually a person.
As Ruby got closer she was able to see that they were holding a candle in their hands. They looked to be garbed in white robes, a contrast to the darkened stone around them. However something was off, there was a weird sort of mask wrapped on their face.
As she got closer the realization dawned on her, and the reason for the mask made itself clear. Her legs collapsed underneath her, causing her to drop to the floor. She tried to reach forwards, only for her hands to stop as well.
N-no!
She was in deep, deep trouble! Aura allowed one to protect from physical injuries, however sickness or other... discrete methods of attack were still game. She could feel it as it numbed her body, poison.
It must have been in the air, that odd smell and the tired feeling from earlier should have alerted her, yet she was too focused on looking out for others.
Ruby lifted her head slightly, gazing into the eyes of the man above her. He slowly walked forwards as she felt her vision start to fade.
"W-why?" Was the only thing she could get out, the man simply crouching down as he gazed into her eyes.
"Shhhhhhh."
That was the last thing Ruby heard as she fell into darkness.
Author's note
...
Oh boy, we're back, and what an eventful chapter this is!
The gang gets off the island as it explodes, Ozpin finally learns what's going on (kind of) and starts his own plans, and future Ruby thinks about philosophy in a graveyard. I said it was eventful, not normal.
Anyhow, things are really picking up now, but how long will it keep up though? Who knows, but we're reaching something big!
Also no, this isn't the thing I talked about several chapters ago. That will be coming very soon though, so stay on the edge of your seat!
Let me know what you think, and see you soon.