Been a couple of days since I uploaded a new chapter, huh? Sorry about that. Incorporating "the stray" and "black and white" into the story in a way that acknowledges the unique aspects of it has been a lot harder than planned.
Hopefully I did good enough of a job. Enjoy!
Ruby sat on a couch in the teacher's lounge with a conflicted look on her face as she browsed her scroll. She had been following the news on various robberies of dust shops around Vale where the criminals would only steal the dust without a single casualty, civilian or not. A good amount of these reports mentioned a certain Roman Torchwick which the ravenette remembered hearing about when her sister was arrested. While the existence of a crime boss was nothing concerning to her, she did notice a strange detail in the eye witness reports as time went on. The description of the henchmen surrounding the ginger criminal had changed from something that reassembled Junior's men, to masked and hooded men wearing clothings with the symbol of the White Fang.
"Is something on your mind?" Questioned Glynda as she sat next to the celebrity who closed her scroll.
"Nothing important right now." She replied while taking a sip from her coffee.
The blond teacher looked around to make sure no one was listening as she whispered. "Still nothing from those silver-eyed people?"
Ruby shook her head. "No and I'm not sure how to feel about it."
Goodwitch leaned on her arms as she gazed at her couch neighbor. "Because of the man you believe to be with them?"
"Precisely because I don't know if he really is here. It would explain why nothing happened weeks after our last encounter. However, it could also mean that they received an order out of the ordinary if he's not and that could mean that a countless amount of lives could have been taken while I stayed here, teaching." Ruby rambled as she finished her drink.
Glynda stared at her for a moment before adopting a concerned expression as she laid a hand on her colleague's lap. "That's not the only thing on your mind, is it?"
The drape wearer remained silent for a while before turning to her side towards the blond teacher. "The girls want to help me fight them and I know that I couldn't change their mind no matter what I would've tried... within reason, so I decided to train them harder than before. But I know that it's impossible to get them to that level in such a short amount of time. Not this year, nor the next. All of this and I know that when the time comes, I will have to shove them away to fight alone." She shook her head with a faint smile. "I know these girls Glynda, they'll try to help anyway and I'm afraid that I won't be able to protect them when they do."
Goodwitch let her colleague's words sink in for a moment before pushing herself closer. "Were you aware that miss Nikos is ranked first of the first year students this semester? It may not be surprising considering her history, but I think you'll be more interested in the three that follow her on the leaderboard."
A chuckled escaped Ruby as she rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. Blake, Yang and Weiss?"
The blond woman raised an eyebrow. "You believe miss Schnee to rank the lowest of the three?"
"Weiss is a great fighter, but as much as she wishes to be like her sister, she excels the most when fighting in numbers. It's not for nothing that her family is renowned for their summoning ability." Another chuckled escaped the silver-eyed woman. "Ironic considering the fact that she uses a duelist weapon, isn't it?"
Glynda let a stifled laugh escape her before answering. "You were almost correct. Your sister has claimed the second place a few weeks ago, miss Belladonna is third and miss Schnee is fourth as you have guessed."
Ruby snapped her fingers as she feigned irritation. "Ah, so close. I guess Yang has really taken her training seriously recently, but so has the other two so I wouldn't have been surprised of any order that they could have had."
They both chuckled before staring at each other in silence until the older woman sighed. "I'll get straight to the point, why are you in the teacher's lounge on a Friday afternoon? It's rare to see you away from your teammates for a long period of time, much less here of all places." She placed a comforting hand on the ravenette's upper arm. "Is something else going on? My offer still stands if you wish to talk in private."
Ruby thought about her recent research along with the conversation about her eyes she had with the students a few weeks earlier. She debated on confiding to her colleague before shaking her head. "Nothing that'd like to share here, but I wouldn't mind passing by your office later on tonight."
Glynda held back from smiling at the opportunity to be alone with the silver-eyed woman, opting to clear her throat while giving her seat neighbor a curious expression. "Tonight? My schedule is free for most of the afternoon if that's what you are worried about."
The drape wearer chuckled as she stood up, much to her conversation partner's disappointment, before heading towards the exit at a slow pace. "The town is preparing for the Vytal festival this weekend and I bet a certain teammate of mine is very eager to take a look around."
"Is that wise? While they may not have done anything on school ground, it doesn't mean that they won't try anything if you leave yourself exposed in town." Warned Goodwitch in concern.
Ruby looked over her shoulder with a smirk as she struck a confident pose while moving aside her drape. She then wiggled her hips while motioning towards Crimson Harvest, not realizing that she had brought more attention to her hindquarters which caught the attention of every teacher in the room. "They caught me by surprise last time and I had five girls to look after. This time, it'll be at most three, so I'm fairly confident that I can at least hold them off."
Flustered in a mix of embarrassment and titillation, Glynda used her semblance to cover the ravenette's rear once more while glaring at the other teachers, who immediately diverted their eyes under her gaze. "I won't stop you. You're the most knowledgable out of all of us when it comes to these people, but your teammates are still my students. I will hold you responsible even if they only come back with light bruises." She warned while shifting her glare towards the silver-eyed woman.
"It won't come to that. Besides, we'll most likely be back before diner or sometime near it if we decide to eat out." Ruby replied while turning towards her interlocutor. "I'll even come straight to your office once we're back. Then we'll have as much time as we want to talk."
The blond teacher stood and followed after the celebrity while inspecting her schedule on her scroll. "T-then would it be alright with you if we met at my lodging instead? It would allow me to avoid waiting in my office, should I finish earlier than expected."
The drape wearer shrugged while opening the lounge's door and letting her colleague through first. "Sure, you can just text me where it is and I'll manage the rest."
Once the door had been closed behind them, the history teacher, Bartholomew Oobleck, inspected his coffee before gazing at his colleagues. "We all saw that, correct?"
"You mean the greatest ass I've ever seen, or the fact that Glynda is clearly crushing on her?" Said the stealth and security teacher, Ann Greene, as she stirred her own brew with a smirk on her face.
Oobleck rolled his eyes. "I was referencing the second part and will refrain from commenting on the first one."
The plant sciences teacher, Thumbelina Peach, scoffed as she took a sip from her drink. "I say good for her, maybe that'll loosen that stick she has up her ass all the time."
Professor Port hummed. "Didn't expect her to go for someone half her age though."
A mocking chuckle escaped the weapon crafting and upkeep teacher, Harold Mulberry, as he tinkered with some kind of small device. "Like you're one to talk, old man."
Peter groaned as he rested his forehead into his palm. "I was trying to be like one of those easy to approach teachers. I didn't think that it seemed like I was flirting with her."
Ann pat his back with a chuckle of her own. "You're lucky she didn't think much of it. Imagine what would have happened if she took any kind of offense to that."
The grimm studies teacher's shoulders sagged as he starred into his cup. "I'd rather not know." He replied as his colleagues laughed at his expense.
"Remind me why we're going to be visiting the docks on a friday afternoon?" Groaned Yang, brushing her hair while looking back at her teammates through their bathroom's mirror.
Ruby sighed as she took the brush from her sister's hand to continue her work, much to the younger sibling's protest. "Because, Weiss is very interested in seeing the preparations for the Vytal Festival and I thought it would be a great little outing for us as a team. You know, considering how poorly the last one ended."
The three younger women fell silent at the last comment until Weiss decided to speak. "Well, there is also the fact that some of the students from Vacuo are going to arrive. It would be quite the missed opportunity if we didn't greet them as students of the Academy hosting the festival."
"Are you sure you don't just want to spy on them for the upcoming tournament?" Jested Blake with an eyebrow raised in amusement as she closed the book she was reading.
The heiress scoffed while glaring at her ashen-haired teammate. "You can't prove anything."
A chuckled escaped Ruby as she raised an eyebrow towards the Schnee. "Seriously, Weiss? The first semester is not even over yet and you're already thinking about the tournament? It happens near the end of the second semester."
"There's nothing wrong with being prepared." Defended the blue-eyed woman before she seemed to realize something. "S-say, miss Rose, what will you be doing during your end of semester vacations?"
While the younger members were very interested in the older woman's answer, the way she had stopped brushing Yang's hair made the blond worry. The ravenette remained silent for a few seconds before resuming her task. "I... have some business to take care off."
Her teammates flinched as they remembered the words she had mumbled on their way back from the Forever Fall forest. "To my usual business, huh...?"
Once satisfied with the brawler's hair, Ruby turned towards the monochrome duo with a smile. "You girls could follow Yang back to Patch and stay at our dad's place though. I'm sure he'd be delighted to receive you both for a while."
The younger women exchanged a few glances before gaining an awkward smile. "That sounds... lovely." Weiss replied while Blake nodded.
"Now that I think about it, it's going to be the first time you've ever went to a friends place, isn't it Weiss?" Pondered the silver-eyed woman before leaning towards her sister. "Tell dad to go all out."
The heiress became flustered under the sad glances she received before shaking her head. "A-anyway, shall we go now?"
There wasn't much for them to see when they arrived at the docks. A few colorful streamers and balloons along with a couple of signs had been setup as the citizens continued decorating. Nonetheless, the four women walked down the streets while enjoying the moment they spent together.
"Isn't this all wonderful?" Exclaimed Weiss as she walked ahead of the group.
Yang and Blake gave her a curious look while following behind. "Well, something definitely has you excited." Commented the blond with a grin which Blake mirrored.
The white-haired woman turned towards them. "How can you not be? It's a festival dedicated to the culture of every kingdom! There will be-"
Rose petals flew through the air before the heiress felt a finger press against her lips. "Alright, princess. You don't want to dig that hole, trust me." Chuckled Ruby before lovingly poking Weiss' nose. Blake noticed that Yang had winced at some point during the silver-eyed woman's sentence, but she couldn't figure out why.
The Schnee tried to answer but quickly noticed that the older woman's attention was attracted by something else besides them. Following her gaze, she noticed a dust shop who's windows had been broken and was now void of merchandise. The younger members were confused when the ravenette approached the crime scene. There were two detectives discussing the case. Something about this being the second robbery this week in which only the dust had been stolen.
"Any eye witnesses this time?" Asked Ruby which caught the men by surprise.
Instantly recognizing her, they glanced at each other before one of them answered. "Unfortunately no, m'am. The hit seemed to have occurred sometimes after the shop had closed for the night."
"Considering the similarities with the previous robberies that happened these past few months, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the White Fang again." Added the other while looking through his notes.
The monochrome duo stared at the detective in surprise, yet only Weiss spoke. "The White Fang? In Vale?"
The men became confused as they glanced at each other before turning back towards the heiress. "Have none of you read the news lately? Tons of dust shops have been robbed by the White Fang."
As if on cue, Ruby pulled out her scroll and handed it to her sister. On it, were the multitude of news articles from the last few months about every single dust shop robberies which had taken place. They were even separated by identified groups: Junior's men and the White Fang, both mentioning Roman Torchwick at least once.
"That's a lot of dust..." Said Yang with a worried glanced towards her older sister. Meanwhile, the other two gave the ravenette a perplexed stare.
"How long has she been looking into this?" They both thought as they read the various headlines.
Ruby held her chin as she scanned the crime scene. "It sure is..."
"This doesn't make any sense. Why would they need that much dust? Why would they partner up with Roman Torchwick, a human, out of all people?" Rationalized Blake with an irritated expression. "Someone must be trying to shift the blame on them, or something."
The amber-eyed woman's sudden burst of emotion took her two younger teammates by surprise until Weiss waved a hand dismissively. "They are criminals, Blake, terrorists. Who knows what goes through their deranged mind at this point?"
A chill went down the spine of those present as Ruby glared at the heiress. "We've talked about this, Weiss. A vocal minority does not represent a whole. Most times, they're even detrimental to the quiet majority."
"R-right." Stuttered the Schnee, looking downwards in fear, yet upon taking a closer look, her two teammates could see a faint blush on her cheeks which she tried to hide with her hair.
Ignoring the matter for now, Yang shrugged her shoulders with a wondering expression. "I mean, they might be working with that Torchwick guy for now, but it doesn't mean it's gonna last. Maybe they'll stab him in the back once their little partnership is done. That's usually how it goes in movies and stuff."
They all gave the blond a blank expression which made her chuckled awkwardly as she scratched the back of her head. Their attention was stolen when they heard someone shout in the distance. "Hey! Stop that faunus!"
As they turned towards the sound, they could see a golden tailed monkey faunus jump off a boat while taunting the sailors before running up to hang on a lamppost near the four women. The younger members were astonished by the sudden development while the ravenette sighed in disappointment. She then tapped Blake on the shoulder before gesturing towards her weapon. "May I?" Confused, the hidden faunus gave Gambol Shroud to the older woman who threw the weapon at the blond faunus while holding onto the ribbon.
It expertly wrapped around the man which made him unwrap his tail from the lamp in apprehension. "Aww, crap!" He shouted before being pulled towards the celebrity who held him by the collar.
"You've always been one for trouble but considering the fact that the students from Vacuo were supposed to come today, I fail to see why you couldn't just go with them." Ruby reprimanded with another sigh as she turned the faunus to face her while setting him down.
"M-miss Rose! What a coincidence! It's been what? Almost four years?" He replied, attempting to change the subject.
When a few sailors had caught up to them and the detectives approached, Ruby glared at the blond man, silently telling him not to move, before turning towards the newcomers. "Would it be possible to overlook this issue for today? As a teacher from Beacon academy, I will make it my responsibility to make sure this... child is properly punished." She then gave them a pleasant smile while joining her hands together as if performing a prayer which pushed her breast together. "Please? It would be very much appreciated."
A blush adorned their faces as they turned around to leave while mumbling to themselves. The ravenette bowed gratefully before turning towards the tailed faunus with narrowed eyes. "I'm still waiting for an answer, Sun."
He shrunk under her gaze while taking a few steps back. "W-well, you see, I'm actually studying at Haven Academy. S-so, y'know? Kinda had to take a boat if I wanted to get here since we wouldn't even be leaving before the end of the semester break."
Ruby groaned while holding her forehead with one hand while the other rested underneath her breast. "What about your tests? I don't know how Haven works, but next week is the exam period for Beacon."
He scoffed playfully while waving the question off. "Oh please, I may look dumb, but I still took that into account. I'll just do them here!"
Another sigh escaped the silver-eyed woman. "I'll see what I can do."
"Uh, sis? Wanna present us to your friend?" Interjected Yang finally breaking the silence that had settle on the three younger women.
Ruby gestured towards the man. "Sun Wukong. We met in Vacuo and I stayed with his clan for a while. Sun, these are my teammates and my students."
They all presented themselves in their own unique ways. However, the monkey faunus had stared at Blake's bow after her introduction before grinning as he shook her hand. He then turned towards the older woman while eyeing the crime scene nearby. "So what's all this about?"
They explained the situation which had him gain a surprised expression. "The Fang's here too? These freaks are all over Mistral, making a mess of things wherever they go."
"You don't support them?" Asked Weiss with a perplexed expression.
"Why would I? Yeah it sucks that some stores don't want to allow me inside, but I still have my teammates to rely on and I can just go to another store." He shrugged. "Besides, the problem is mainly the older generations. The new ones are a lot more open minded. Hell, you have a better chance at finding someone who likes the faunus than the opposite at this point."
Yang nodded while crossing her arms. "I can see that. Doesn't stop them from doing stuff like this apparently." She said before pointing her thumb towards the robbed shop.
"Why are you all so sure that it's really the White Fang?" Chastised Blake with a glare. "They could be humans in disguises!"
"What an ironic statement." Said a new voice from behind the group which made the younger members jump in fright while the older woman gained an overjoyed expression.
"Penny?!" She exclaimed while taking a orange haired, green eyed girl in her arms before twirling around. "What are you doing here?! I thought Atlas was going to arrive next semester?" She then looked around curiously. "Did you sneak out again?"
Penny wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck and hugged the woman with a pleased smile on her face. "I was brought here to acclimate myself to the new environment. We were simply taking a walk around town when I saw pictures of you here on the internet. I asked if we could join you, but they refused almost immediately, so I left while they were distracted!" She then gained a defeated expression as she refused to meet the ravenette's gaze. "Was I not supposed to?"
Ruby chuckled before rubbing her nose against Penny's affectionately. "If you ask them, yeah most likely, but I'm glad that you're making these little decisions on your own now." She then poked said nose as she turned towards the four students whom amongst them, three were internally fuming at the attention Ruby was giving to this strange woman. "These three are my teammates and this here is Sun, a student from Haven."
Penny dropped down from the drape wearer's grasp as she saluted them. "Salutations! My name is Penny. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Weiss."
"Blake."
"What's up with you and my sister?" The blond received a raised eyebrow from the older sibling. "I mean, I'm Yang."
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Repeated the orange-haired woman with a beaming smile.
The silver-eyed woman leaned next to the her with a soft laugh. "You already said that, Penny."
The newcomer seemed to freeze for a moment before replying. "So I did!" She then looked at Yang. "Miss Rose was my caretaker while she was in Atlas. She would always have the best activities planned."
"Board games and playground activities is hardly what I would call the best." Chuckled the ravenette while patting the younger woman's head which had Blake glaring at the action.
"Anyways, I don't remember hearing anything about you from miss Rose back in Atlas, and she was my tutor." Inquired Weiss while crossing her arms.
"Weiss, I hardly believe that you would have actually been interested in retellings of looking after someone." Replied Ruby with a straight face.
Penny looked over her shoulder towards the celebrity. "Say, miss Rose. Why were you talking about humans in disguises? Is this about the White Fang robberies I saw on the news?"
The older woman nodded. "We were discussing the possibility of the usage of disguises to shift the blame on the White Fang, since some of us are not completely sure as to why they would need so much dust."
Sun's eyes widened as he remembered something. "Oh, yeah! That's what I wanted to say before she appeared." Once every pair of eyes were on him, he continued. "While I was on that boat, I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of dust from Atlas. We could check it out. If they show up, then we'll be able to see who was right."
"An ambush? That could work in our favor if we do this right." Weiss thought outloud. "Although, this could also be interpreted as vigilantism which isn't well received in bigger cities like this one. Especially with huntsmen around."
They turned towards Ruby, seeking her approval considering her position as the eldest present along with the fact that she has years of experience on the field. The ravenette remained silent for a while, lost in her own thoughts. She started mumbling to herself which made her words lost to anyone but Blake and Penny. "A heist like that, no one would ask questions if a fight of similar scale would happen. Problem is, it's never that light of a fight with them, but he would surely plan for me to show up one way or another."
"Miss Rose? What are you talking about? Who's the 'he' you mentioned?" Asked Penny curiously. Ruby stopped as she realized that she had been speaking outloud before shaking her head.
"If you all spend the rest of the weekend studying for your exams, then I will allow it. Under one condition." Her eyes narrowed as a serious expression appeared on her face. "If I tell you to leave, to run or anything similar, you WILL obey that order, understood?" They were about to protest when a sudden pressure had them all kneeling on the ground, Penny included. "Am I understood?"
"Yes... m'am!" They struggled to respond as she released the pressure with a satisfied nod.
"Good, now I was planning on taking us out for diner before it got too late." She looked at both Sun and Penny. "You guys want to join?"
The green-eyed woman was confused for a moment until she noticed the subtle wink Ruby had sent her way. "I apologize, but I won't be able to accept the offer. I think it would be best if I return to my current caretakers before they get too frustrated." She said with a smile before taking her leave.
Sun, however, was quick to step closer to the group. "I'll never say no to a free meal. Count me in!"
A laugh escaped the drape wearer as she began marching down the street. "Come on then. I found this seafood place that has a lot of good reviews online. They have other dishes if you don't feel like it, Yang."
An offended expression took hold of the brawler's face as she stomped in embarrassment. "Why did you single me out?! What about them?" She was met with a few laughs as they followed Ruby to their destination.
"You're going where?!" Exclaimed the three young adults as they stared at their dorm's entrance, where Ruby stood, ready to leave.
"To Glynda's room. We agreed to meet there so we could talk since it was more convenient for her." Replied the ravenette, unable to understand why her teammates would react this way. "Besides, you three agreed to study until sunday night, so get to it." The door closed behind her as she used her semblance to traverse the halls to her destination, surprising the few who were caught in the storm of rose petals.
Once in front of the blond teacher's door, she took out her scroll to send a text, alerting the occupant that she had arrived. It didn't take long before the door swung open, revealing Glynda Goodwitch with her hair down while still wearing her work outfit. "Come in." She said while stepping aside.
Ruby did as instructed while looking around to familiarize herself with her surroundings. She was slightly surprised that the rooms offered to the teachers seemed to actually be small apartments with at most three rooms, one of them being a personal kitchen. Nevertheless, she thought that Glynda had done a splendid job at making this place look like a proper comfortable home. "What a nice place." She said, turning towards her colleague who had brushed a strand of hair behind her ear with flushed cheeks.
"T-thank you. It involved an unfortunate amount of paperwork to have most of what you see approved." Replied the blond while glancing around. She had been searching for a place where they could both sit down and talk, but was quickly overcome with anxiety when she found nothing but her office chair. "How come am I not equipped for guests? Have I never invited anyone over before?" She paused as she pondered her question before feeling her shoulders sag momentarily at the answer. "I haven't..."
"So, uh, do we sit down anywhere? I'm fine with standing, by the way. If there's one thing I've done a lot these past five years is stand." Ruby said while awkwardly rubbing her neck. For all of the enthusiasm she has shown while interacting with other people, she had never been invited to someone else's place. She had been too busy taking care of Yang during her youth for that.
Glynda's anxiety turned into panic as her eyes darted to every surface where they could potentially sit together, before settling on the only available choice. "I can't just invite her to sit on my bed! What if she thinks I'm trying to bed her! Well, it might not be completely false, but nevertheless, not the right time." She tried to suppress her blush while motioning towards her cot. "W-we could sit down on my bed? I-I don't seem to have anywhere else for two people."
The silver-eyed woman was hesitant as she traced a finger on the covers. "Are you sure? You made it so neatly, It would be shame to ruin it."
"I-It's fine." She replied sitting down to emphasize her point. "Besides, it's not like I wasn't going to ruin them afterwards anyway."
The ravenette's unsure expression changed to amusement as she turned around. "I guess that's true."
Glynda's breath was taken away as she admired the grace displayed by Ruby as she did the simplest of actions. The way she had slightly adjusted her drape, the way she perfectly turned her head to look behind her with half lidded, beautiful eyes and parted, supple lips as she delicately shuffled her slender, yet powerful legs before taking her place beside the blond. Of course, of all the people she had to fall in love with, it was the woman who could most likely be given whatever she desired simply by smiling. Her reverie was swiftly broken when Ruby turned towards her with a serious expression, reminding the blond of why she had invited her in the first place.
"I told them, about my eyes." Stated the ravenette abruptly, staring straight into Glynda's eyes.
The blond woman blinked a few times in stupor. "Y-you what?! Who's them? What exactly did you say!?" She exclaimed as she immediately stood up and started pacing in front of the bed.
Ruby motioned with a hand to calm down as she leaned back slightly. "My team, JNPR and two second years, Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina. Relax, I didn't tell them everything. Just enough that they'll understand the danger they might be facing if one of them attempts an attack on me again."
Still standing, Glynda crossed her arms while glaring at her colleague. "Considering their involvement in the previous incident, I can understand why you would involve the two women of team CFVY, but what exactly, does that entail?"
"They only know what I can do with them." A painful expression settled in her eyes as she gazed downwards. "Nothing else..." Raising her head back up, she motioned towards the location the blond had previously sat on. "Now, could you sit back down, please? I still have more to say."
Green eyes narrowed as silence filled the room for a moment, both women simply observing the other. A sigh escaped the older woman as she sat back down. "If that was the first thing you decided to tell me, I'm almost afraid of what might come next." Ruby gazed at her hands in uncertainty as she played with her fingers which didn't go unnoticed by Goodwitch as she grabbed her object of affection's appendages and stared into her eyes. "What's wrong?"
Her expression unchanging, the drape wearer met her colleague's stare as she replied. "I've... been keeping up with the series of robberies happening around Vale these past few months. At first, it was because I saw the name of Roman Torchwick. I remembered that he was the man Yang had tried to apprehend when I came back, but then I found the robberies themselves strange. That much dust is hard to resell without bringing attention to yourself, so why is that the only thing they are stealing? Then this whole thing with the White Fang started, or people disguised as Fang members according to Blake."
"Miss Belladonna is involved in this?" Cut in Glynda with a disapproving look in her eyes.
"I'm getting there." Replied Ruby as she began retelling the events that happened this afternoon, making sure to keep Penny's involvement a secret. The last thing the poor girl needed, were complications.
The older woman closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. "I will see with Ozpin what I can do if any complications arise with mister Wukong's situation. However,-" She then glared once more at the silver-eyed woman with restrained fury. "-I cannot believe that you would agree to bring the students where a crime involving dangerous people is most likely to happen!"
"Trust me, if it was just about the heist, I wouldn't even have bothered coming with them since they would have went with or without me." Somberly replied Ruby unflinching from her colleague's gaze. This took the older woman by surprise who's anger immediately dissipated and was replaced by worry. However, she kept quiet, opting to motion the ravenette to continue. "I have reasons to believe that they will use the heist as a cover to lure me out."
"And you're bringing the students anyway?! This is the most irresponsible decision I have heard coming from you yet!" Reprimanded Goodwitch before being suddenly pushed back against her bed as Ruby suddenly straddled her waist, holding her by the shoulders while leaning over her.
"Look, the last few weeks have shown that assassination is not on the table even with the semblance or mutation they were using! That means that they are planning on fighting me. I have no doubts about that and after so long without them attempting anything, I'm convinced that he is here too, meaning that as long as I keep the other focused on me, I know that the students will be safe!" She argued keeping her hold on her colleague.
Stunned by the sudden change of position, Glynda could only question with a low voice. "How can you be so sure? Who is this man to convince you that all of this is true?"
A bitter expression appeared on the silver-eyed woman's face as her grip loosened slightly. "Don't get me wrong. At the end of the day, he is and will always be on their side, but he also sees that not everything they believe in is good. I know that the students will be safe because they have no interest in anyone else but me. Because I know that he wouldn't use them against me." Tears fell from her eyes onto the blond woman who remained silent at the sight. "I am terrified of him, Glynda, precisely because I know him. I know how strong he is and that if he planned on killing me, I wouldn't be here right now to tell you all of this." She lowered herself until her face was buried in the older woman's neck. "It shouldn't have been like this... why did I come back..."
Glynda had remained motionless for a while as the ravenette's words registered in her mind. She had many questions, worries and, to be perfectly honest with herself, fears that needed to be addressed. However, a passing glance at the sobbing woman on top of her had pushed those aside as she hesitantly wrapped her arms around the shivering form. "I... I'm sure that everything will be okay. If what you've told us in the headmaster's office is entirely true; You've done the impossible once, I have a pretty good feeling that you can do it again." She reassured, softly whispering those words next to the drape wearer's ear. "You came back because that's what you needed to do. Not for the world, but for yourself and sometimes, that's all the reason you need." Shifting so they could lay on their side, green eyes stared compassionately into puffy, red tinted, silver ones as the blond woman wiped away her guest's tears before laying a hand on her cheek. "You said that it all happens on Sunday, correct? Why don't you rest here for tonight? I doubt you would want to go back to your dorm looking like this." They both sat up as Glynda motioned towards the bathroom. "You can use my shower if you'd like."
Ruby nodded as she stood up and headed towards the bathroom in silence. Once inside, she was about to close the door before leaving it slightly opened. "Glynda?" Her colleague gazed at her from the bed she sat on. "...thanks." She said before fully closing the door. She took out her scroll to text her teammates not to wait for her to come back before turning the shower on, ignorant to the chaos she had unleashed in her team's dorm.
"Is something the matter? You have barely touched your share of the meal." Said the silver-eyed man to the dagger user in genuine concern. They were both dressed in casual clothings they had stolen a few weeks ago to blend in the crowd.
The woman glared at him in irritation. "It's been weeks since the last time we've seen her. I've been patient, so why are we still wasting our time with these inferior beings' hobbies and food when we could have just went to that academy she's staying in and kill her already?"
The man glared back in disapproval which made her shrink under his gaze. The memories of her few failed attempts to overthrow him kept her from going too far out of line these past few days. "The Witch cannot know of our return while we still haven't found a way to defeat her. We reduce the risks if our fight takes place at the location of an ambitious heist."
An uncomfortable expression appeared on the dagger user's face as she played with her plate. "Isn't she supposed to be the one to do it?"
The man chuckled before pointing at her with a smirk. "Yes, but you're supposed to kill her, no? That will take us back to square one."
"Then why have I been ordered to do it!" She exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table while standing up.
"Now, now. You're causing a scene." He replied while gesturing towards the people looking at them. She sat back down while grumbling to herself. "I understand. These last few weeks have been very confusing for you. One moment you believe all hope to be lost, only to be told that you've been ordered to kill the only hope we have left. Then, instead of following that order, we've been exploring all of which this new age has to offer us. Although, you have to admit that this... 'laser tag' activity was rather entertaining for a non-lethal combat."
She huffed, yet did not protest his claim while crossing her arms and leaning back into her chair. "The food we bought afterwards was disgusting."
He smiled in agreement as he propped his elbows on the table and linked his hands together. "Would you play pretend with me for a few minutes?" She gave him a confused stare as he continued. "After everything that has happened these past few weeks, what would you do if you were to come face to face with her without having been given an order?"
The dagger user blinked as her confusion deepen. "I don't-"
"Don't think about it too hard. Just answer the question." He interrupted while waving a hand dismissively.
She remained silent for a while, unable to come up with an answer when her head throbbed in pain momentarily. "I... would... kill her." She groaned as her eyes had a menacing glow to them.
Surprisingly, the odachi user shook his head. "No, no, no. You're still thinking about this like it was going to happen. We're just pretending here, like a play at the theater, or one of those 'movies' we have watched. We're talking about the you from a life that doesn't exist, no need to be serious about the answer."
The pain had slowly dissipated as she listened to his words before attempting to find an answer once more. "I... would ask her why she chose these insects over her people. Why she is not trying to accomplish the task she was given by the gods. I would try to bring her to her side because I don't-" She winced while holding her head with one hand before continuing. "I wouldn't want to kill one of our own if I could, even if she's a devourer."
The man leaned back while smiling in satisfaction before rubbing the stubble on his chin. "And in another life that doesn't exist. One where you were given the order to kill her, but were also given the opportunity to be transported into the other life. Would you take that opportunity?"
The dagger user barely had the time to think about the question before the pain she felt earlier came back tenfold in intensity which made her leaned forward while holding her head between her heads. "I... will never... disobey the king." She groaned in an attempt to keep her self from letting out loud grunts.
Her companion shook his head with a saddened expression before taking a hold of her chin, forcing her head upwards. "Ok, ok. That's enough. You're making a mess." He said with a soft voice while wiping her nose with a napkin, revealing that she had been bleeding. "Thank you for answering so honestly. Now, why don't you help me finish this... 'pizza', so we can leave? It's bound to be cold if we do not hurry."
The silver-eyed woman took a deep breath before prodding the slice on her plate in disgust. "How can something with so much grease be considered food?"
"Because it tastes quite delicious, wouldn't you agree?" He laughed, bitting into his own slice before pushing their meal towards her. "Go on, eat. I was thinking we could see that one movie you were eyeing last time we went there."
An intense glare was sent his way as she growled at him with flushed cheeks. "I have no recollections of that ever happening!"
"Of course. Then, let's say that I want to watch it." Chuckled the sword user while cutting a rather large slice for himself.
Is it just me, or has the quality of my writing decreased with every chapter I've been posting?