Ruby felt, well... to say she felt uneasy with how Gold was sending professor Oobleck constant death glares every few moments would be a bit 'light'. Pyrrha had gotten him to agree to come with them after Merlot, but despite the apparent alliance it seemed as though the guy was ready to strike any second.

Ruby sighed; she missed the simple days.

Back at Beacon the only thing they needed to worry about was homework, and making it to Ms. Goodwitch's class on time; if only to avoid the following lecture should they arrive late. Now it was all 'stop the White Fang' and 'secret missions' or the like. Worst of all they had learned several disturbing facts about their late friend, some of which hit a little too close to home for her own comfort.

V shared a last name with her, which while a little weird wasn't the worst thing. It was the fact that he was the supposed 'sort-of' son to Salem; the queen of Grimm, and if her uncle Qrow wasn't fibbing the one responsible for all major Grimm attacks throughout history. She could control Grimm, and was the one who caused the attack on Beacon with the help of her goons.

Ruby shook her head, doing her best to push the confusing - and disturbing - thoughts away for the time being. They were slowing down, and came to a complete stop just along the hallway. Gold held up his hand, signaling them to stop which they had. His head tilted, and Ruby in that moment felt as though the walls were closing in.

It was just her paranoia, but even so with the eerie silence she couldn't stop her mind from wandering.

The halls themselves should have given off a 'homelike' air with how the smooth wooden floor complimented the plain wallpaper. Several small lights were suspended from the roof, and as they glowed Ruby could tell how in should have made her feel at easy with their familiarity. The hallway reminded the girl of her own house with how 'antique' it presented itself, but with the knowledge that a madman awaited somewhere within the place was more akin to that of a horror movie.

A group of teenage girls and boys all alone in a dark abandoned school, and Merlot was the monster waiting to get them.

"Hear that?" Gold whispered as he lowered his hand. "Just up ahead. The low clack." He turned back, a predatory grin across his lips. "He stumbled, and if I heard correctly dropped something." Gold chucked as he faced forwards again. "Fucker knows he's backed into a corner."

"Easy now." Pyrrha placed a hand on his shoulder. "Cornered animals always fight the hardest, and if his whole thing has been about his experiments we can't guarantee he hasn't got something waiting for us ahead."

Gold pulled his shoulder away. "I know that." His fists clenched. "Quiet now, and follow my lead. Don't want him to run away now, do we?"

Ruby did her best to soften her footsteps as they creeped up the hall. In the movies and games mad scientists always had elaborate traps set up, and despite how much she knew the others would ridicule her for it she was wary of any that might be in hiding. They had already escaped one crazy trap, and Ruby knew for sure she didn't want to be stuck in another one.

Just don't step on any loose boards!

Much to her relief - and admittedly a small speck of disappointment - they did not trigger any hidden buzz-saws or crusher walls; no toxic fumes either. They made it to the end of the hall, and Gold peeked around the corner, only he released a deep low growl.

"Damn, he's not there."

Ren eased his breathing as he stepped forward and checked the other corner of the hall. "Nothing this way either."

Gold let out another grumble, and Pyrrha conversed with him again.

"Easy, we'll get him." She tried, only for his face to sour further.

"I know that, but we have a problem. Which way do we take." He crossed his arms. "We guess right and we corner him again, but if we guess wrong he might use that chance to escape."

"True." Pyrrha admitted. "He's been here for who knows long. He must have some sort of plan in place... but I don't think he'll run."

"What makes you so sure?" Gold was skeptical, but the disturbed look on Pyrrha's face said it all.

"The way he spoke to us, to me. There was this... how do I put it... 'perverse' curiosity in his voice. He looked at me like a creep, only rather than wanting me for my body, he wanted me because of my body." Pyrrha sounded a bit upset, and Ruby couldn't blame her with how Merlot demonstrated his Grimm obsession to them.

Merlot had sounded just like the creeps Yang would brag about beating up from time to time; Ruby didn't like it.

Why do the creepy guys always have a crazy evil secret?

"So what?" Gold humored. "He's gonna leave a trail for us?"

"No." Pyrrha said. "He'll be waiting for us. No matter how many wrong turns we take he'll be waiting patiently to spring his next experiment into action, and he'll do it right when we're all in place."

"Good." There was a palpable satisfaction in his tone as the words were spat out. "He's waiting for death. Let's go give it to him."

Gold marched off down the right hallway, right past Ren who sent an unsure look back to them. Her eyes flew to Pyrrha and Ruby saw how she silently sighed, visually admitting defeat as she started off for their explosive, albeit temporary, ally. Ruby felt weird as she followed along, and wondered if they were doing the right thing.

Merlot was evil, that much wasn't being debated, but to kill him? The zippy goth wasn't quite so sure she was ready to do something like that just yet. Ruby knew being a huntress would require her to fight against other people, but even if she knew that the difference between 'knowing' and 'doing' was now clear as day. They were off to kill someone, and for some reason even while knowing the man they were hunting was a monster Ruby still felt bile rest at the pit of her stomach. She knew killing was evil, that it was wrong, but did killing evil make her good, or did it just make her evil like them; and perhaps even worse?

The fact that she didn't know scared her.

Ruby didn't have long to dwell on the question, as soon enough they passed out into what looked like the courtyard, only it wasn't. Rather than the large entrance of the courtyard it appeared as though they had walked into a garden, and an ill-kept one at that. The flowers were wilted, and any sense of color they may have once held was erased; in it's place an earthy rot ate at the shrivelled displays.

There stood Merlot, right at the back. He leaned against the wall, smirk on his face, and a manic pleasure hidden deep within. Ruby certainly didn't like the look he gave, and Gold shared in that camp as he shouted out.

"Finally done running?" He took a step forward, which drove Merlot's smirk into a more vile territory.

"Use your eyes boy, does it look like I'm trying to flee?" He chuckled. "At least you're not late this time. Improvement earned; you should enjoy it while you can."

"Enough talk!" Gold dashed before anyone could even blink, however for Ruby it was different.

With a semblance as potent as hers she was accustomed to reactionary decisions, after all she'd picked herself from many 'splats' as it were back when she had just begun using it. Ruby's reaction time was honed for stuff like this, and in her not-so-humble opinion she was one of the best when it came to dodging at near bullet speeds. So when it came that Merlot made no moves to dodge as Gold shot forward she knew something was up.

But she never expected the air itself to throw her back.

It burned, but then again what else was to be expected when the space ahead of you suddenly exploded. Ruby picked herself up, and before her eyes could adjust to the smoke filled air Merlot's oh so infuriating laughs pounded against her ears.

"Ah, I do love the sweet taste of irony." His tone - though a bit hoarse - calmed. Through the burning fog of gray she saw his silhouette approach, with the clacks of his boots piercing the air with each step. "Shame none of you will last long enough to truly enjoy it to the fullest. Such 'scholarly pleasures' require years of experience to fully grasp, especially to slow minds such as yourselves."

Ruby did not appreciate that statement, however with her aura near totaled and rearing on empty from the blast she wasn't exactly in a position to argue. The view cleared as the dust settled, and she could see him stood over Gold, who looked to take the worst of it. His clothing was in tatters, and patches of burnt skin adorned his arms and torso, however they weren't too severe. His aura looked to have protect him from the worst of it, but not enough to keep him in fighting condition.

"Seriously." Yang started from behind, and Ruby sent a quick look back to see her sister kneeling up. "Why does everyone have a collection of traps at their disposal?"

"Intelligent minds plan ahead." Merlot quipped as he raised a rather plain looking sword above Gold's unconscious neck. "And I despise unnecessary risk."

The blade fell... and twisted, and strangely enough flung ahead to land at Ruby's feet - or rather face in this matter.

"What nonsense is-" Merlot stumbled and apparently tripped. His face landed with a hard crack, and the source of his fall - as well as Gold's rescue - stood brazenly behind.

"Rule number one..." Their blond tailed savior started. "Always keep the back door secure."

"Sun?" Ren asked, and received a quick nod from the boy.

"Sup."

Ruby let out a sigh; she was glad he was there, even if she didn't know how or why he was at Haven of all places. What she did know however was that the monkey Faunus had seen better days.

"Woah. What happened to you?" Yang had asked the very question on all their minds. Sun looked the same as ever, open shirt and all, however his skin was slathered in what looked like burns. Upon closer inspection however Ruby could see that they were more than just burns; they were brandings.

"Heh." Sun let out a small chuckle. "Probably not the easiest on the eyes right now I know."

"What happened to you?" Jaune repeated the question from her left; he had managed to get back on his feet by now and looked to have been helping Nora up.

"Let's just say Menagerie wasn't exactly all that accommodating on our arrival." His face soured. "The White Fang were at war with themselves; we, along with many other passengers, were caught in the middle." Sun crossed his arms, and Ruby saw him lift Merlot by the head with his tail. "We can talk later. Right now we need to figure out what we're doing with this weirdo."

"I beg your pardo-"

Merlot never got to finish his sentence, as apparently Pyrrha had made their decision herself by ramming her blade through his chest; right through the heart.

"Look at that." The dark champion pursed her lips. "Seems I do have a grasp on the 'scholarly pleasures' as you call them." She ripped her blade free, and Merlot delivered several choked and bloody coughs. "Most scientists in dangerous fields tend to unlock their aura for safety, although it's said that in certain works aura may interfere with experiments." The calm in her voice chilled Ruby to the bone. "I guess you didn't want to risk anything; how brilliant of you."

For a few seconds Sun stood there, as if he'd just been slapped in the face, before seemingly realizing he was carrying a corpse and subsequently letting it drop.

"Uhh..." He started. "Okay..." He stepped back a bit, his face uneasy as he looked past Pyrrha and towards them. "Did I... miss anything while I was gone."

Jaune sighed. "Yeah, it's... complicated."

.

.

"So this must be it." Cinder's pleasure was in full display, along with her cocky attitude. Raven kept her cool, even if she was a little bit nervous at the risk.

They had entered through the main lobby, said entrance having revealed itself from the statue underneath the rising stairwells, smack-dab in the center of the two angular staircases. The floor itself had cut a perfect circle as the statue descended with them on the large disk it held. Whoever designed the elevator to the vault was clearly a moron in Raven's personal opinion, but that mattered little.

At the bottom they had been greeted with the massive space itself, and once more Raven was assured of the insanity of the architect. It was a long platform hovering over an endless void, with what looked to be...

That's a fucking tree!

Raven said nothing, but her mind was racing. Why a tree? How was it still alive with no sunlight? Why was the large iron door before it so tall? These were questions Raven knew she'd never get answered, nor did she want them answered. Rather than question the scenery she followed silently behind the woman who held her supposed leash, although with recent development it was now more of an optional relationship.

The boy had revealed himself, and if the stories were true then the end of the black queen was on the horizon.

"My my, it seems Ozpin did have a taste of elegance." Cinder crossed her arms. "Though I could do without this horrid obstruction." She glared at the door before turning back. "Now then, our maiden, if you will?

Raven nodded, and sent a look to her partner. The smaller woman returned the nod, and with a stark indifference marched ahead.

Just a little more. The woman lay a hand on the door. Hold steady. The woman's aura seeped from her body, just as they had planned beforehand. Cinder looked to be buying the charade as a smirk stretched over her lips. Just a little more-

Unfortunately it looked like Cinder had had enough.

"Ah ah ah," Her arm was stretched, similar to that of the Grimm themselves, and just as black. "I didn't say you could open the vault yourself."

Raven couldn't deny the small bit of shame that filled her mind as the life left her partner's eyes. It would seem the plan of a surprise strike was now out of the question.

I'm sorry Vernal.

"Now then my little spring maiden, let's see just how it feels to wield the power of two maidens." Cinder waited for a moment, only to very quickly become frustrated. "Wait, what's going on?" Her voice lowered as gravel filled her words. "Where is it? I feel nothing!"

"You're a fool Cinder." Raven stated as she stepped forward and rested her hand atop the hilt of her sword.

"Excuse me?!"

"Haven't you figured it out?" Raven had foregone her mask of calm, and instead allowed her hate for the bitch to shine with full force. "She's not the maiden." Raven tore off her mask, and with it her restraint. "I am!"

It felt good to let the power flow freely, so good in fact that she made no attempts to hold back. Her blade dropped down heavily, and Cinder just barely managed to block it in time.

"YOU!" Cinder cried.

"ME!" Raven replied.

Every slice of her blade shot sparks of lighting through the air, enough so that even Cinder looked to be having a hard time ignoring it. That mattered little however as Raven zipped away, and then forward again, and then away again, and then forward again. She was bouncing around rapidly as she ricocheted between the floor and pillars of stone adorning the walkway.

At some point Raven used the power of the spring maiden itself to halt her flight and change direction.

Either way she bombarded Cinder from every possible angle, with each trip affording another visit from her blade. To the woman's credit credit Cinder managed to block a few of them, but not all, and the bitch was very quickly running out of stamina and had become slower as a result.

"Typical." Raven started as she crossed blades with the greedy maiden. "All that power, and so little discipline."

Cinder never got the chance to rebuttal as she was thrown back again. Raven had been wielding the spring maiden's powers for years now, having killed the previous owner after the girl had proven too weak to properly control said powers, and it showed. Cinder herself relied on the raw force of the magic she commanded, but what good was force without the ability and skill to direct it?

Be it marble or stone a statue is only as beautiful as the artist's skill with the chisel.

"YOU DARE-" Cinder was quickly silenced as Raven forced the butt of her blade into her gut, which knocked the wind from her lungs and words from her lips.

"I dare."

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Cinder's made to fight back, and the winds thrashed around her in fury.

Raven however was done with this nonsense.

"No girl." Cinder dashed, and yet it was for naught. In a moment's notice her body was encased in a frosted prison, and with a swift kick the vile fall maiden went tumbling into the abyss. Raven wandered over and peered into the darkness below. "I've killed you."

Her eyes changed direction and settled onto the vault. Slowly Raven wandered over and placed a hand over the protective metal. The doors gained a sort of glow along the edges, and soon enough it opened to the sight of a vast desert. Several feet away sat her prize.

The lamp of knowledge.

Author's note

...

Here we are, a bit late this evening, but on time at least. Holidays are coming, and I've had little time and desire to write; not that I didn't want to.

Honestly this arc has taken far too long, but at least it's almost over. We've just a bit more to go before heading into new territory.

Hope you've liked it so far.

Catch you later.