"Damnit!" Roman was fuming now, even if Saw wasn't so much in that same state of mind. "I leave her for five minutes, just five!"
"Complaints won't do us any good." Saw's even tone served only to irritate the man further, who rolled his hand in a waving motion.
"What an astute observation~ Care to add anything else, captain obvious?"
"Her palm is glowing."
"Oh, and her palm-" Roman paused there, swinging right back around. "Say that again?"
Saw did not, but he did raise the currently unconscious girl's hand, and true to his word, there was a deep purple glow along the palm. It was shaped like a line, and Roman found himself sighing at the sight.
"Great, more of this nonsense." His enthusiasm was, if it wasn't obvious enough, fake.
Neo and him had searched for as much info as they could, at least in the consoles and such they managed to get working. As was expected though, the pair ended up with squat, and rather than spend all night on something they could reasonably ignore - really, Jacques Schnee's big mouth would do more damage to his reputation than anything they themselves could find - the two chose to rendezvous with the others in the hopes that they at least managed to complete their task of chipping a piece off the creepy rock.
Seeing his once upon a time rival laying down on the floor with their new ex-terrorist friend overlooking her did not make Roman's morning.
"Perhaps she shared more similarities with V than we thought." Saw was, of course, referring to the whole last name thing. Iron-douche, while filling the guy in, had brought up the fact they both shared a last name, which the man was quick to question.
Saw didn't sound all that surprised by it though, which had Roman wondering if he'd learned the truth at some point beforehand.
And yet, the most surprising thing to learn from that meeting was Adam's journal, and the fact that it contained another Ruby Rose - an ancestor of the modern day annoying one. His first thought was that they were multiplying, but rather than dwell long, James used the journal as a crux to delve into what he knew of Salem so far; apparently mister big-shot headmaster Ozpin had been keeping more secrets than anyone knew.
They got the whole rundown, and despite Roman already knowing most of it, he cringed every time he thought about it. Just how were they supposed to tackle an immortal enemy? That thought had haunted him for a while, but with her seeking to kill everyone anyway, he didn't really have a choice other than to throw his hopes into the lunacy the 'heroes' drudged up.
He was interrupted from his musings by Saw, who'd taken Ruby in his arms bridal style.
"We need to leave." Saw started, sounding just as collected as ever. "I don't know what's going on with her, but V might; he was the first to react, and he might know what's happened to her."
"Fine." Roman huffed, stepping up beside the guy as they began their escape. "Did you at least get the stupid rock?"
"No. Whatever that thing is made of, it was enough to chip the tools provided to us."
"Wow, we get to tell the guys up top we failed both missions." He spat, pulling out his cigar, before slipping it away again; he wasn't in the mood. "Lovely."
They kept up their trek, eventually making it out, and unfortunately taking the long way out of the base due to Ruby's incapacitation. Waiting in the back of a truck for it to leave, and hopping out into the merciless snowy air wasn't so bad; Roman loved knowing he was risking a sighting from Robyn's idiot crew.
"I need to ask you something." Saw's tone was muted.
"Hmm?" Creeping down the streets was an odd time to start up a conversation. Even so, Roman obliged. "Yeah?"
"V's current state isn't 'normal', correct?"
"If you're talking about his whole 'emotionless' bit, then yes: he's still a weirdo as far as I can gather, but this whole 'can't feel' thing is weird."
"And it happened just after he interacted with the obelisk, yes?"
Roman tossed up a queer face this time.
"Yes..."
Saw then looked down to Ruby.
"Do you believe the same will happen to her?"
That... that actually wasn't something Roman considered, and he swore internally upon realizing just what that would do for them. Her emotions meant nothing to Roman, but it meant everything to the rest of the kindergarten crew he was forced to work with, meaning if she did develop a careless attitude, then they themselves would take the fall for it.
As if they needed more problems to deal with.
"Okay, change of plans." Roman took the lead, and Saw fell in behind. "We take her to Polendina for a checkup."
If she did come down with something, then there was a chance the doctor might be able to do something about it. Yeah, he was more of a roboticist, but he had to have some medical experience... maybe. Roman knew the guy could scan auras, so with any luck that might be used to pinpoint problems in the body. Aura rushed to heal afflicted areas of the individual, so if there was a problem, it might just show.
Plus, Dr. Polendina was less likely to throw a fit, and should he be the one to tell old Jimmy about the little rascal's condition, it might just be enough to save their hides.
.
.
"Papa, why are all those people sad?"
A little girl should never have to ask such a question in a place like this, but seeing as she was here to see family, Ruby chose not to feel too bad.
"They're sad because they did too many bad things." It was a softer tone of voice, and while most of the prisoners were growling, the threatening appearances of the two armed guards beside the father and daughter pair seemed to keep them in line.
"Oh... how many did they do?"
"Too many."
"Oh no..."
The mind of a child, simple and curious. Ruby had spent many of her recent years caring for children, or rather, a single child. Special as he was, Vermillion had been a quiet boy as he grew up, never acting up when he made mistakes or got into trouble. And yet, when standing up for something he believed in, a small swell of courage boiled within his heart.
Salem's later hatred twisted that, and the general hardships of life he'd witnessed as her favored knight emptied the pot of innocence he'd once embellished.
"Pay them no mind, dear." He leaned down a little with a small joyful grin. "Why don't you tell your new doll who she's going to meet tonight."
The little girl looked confused.
"Why?"
"Because she doesn't know; mommy only gave you the maiden this week, remember? She hasn't seen your brother yet." For just a split second, a screwy twist twitched at the end of his smile, right as he mentioned 'mommy'.
Suddenly it hit Ruby why, and the implications were... not great.
The 'boy' she was sent to break out of prison was Merci's son, and the little girl of the warden was the guy's sister. The little girl was then Merci's daughter, and the warden of the prison was - as anyone could guess by this point - the girl's father, also making him the father of Merci's currently arrested kid.
Meaning, mother Merci gave her little girl the doll she now inhabited.
All of a sudden Ruby began to understand just how and why she was locked within this specific doll; she'd seen weirder semblances, sure, but switching someone's soul between containers was by far one of the worst. A breach of privacy along the level of stealing someone's secrets through their memories; violating sanctity beyond the mere physical plane, and something Ruby had done time and time again.
Worst of all was the question as to why Merci couldn't just get her husband to release his son, and what the man had done to even get locked up by his own father anyway? Ruby soon came face to face with the potential holder of those answers, and as she looked from the unmoving doll's eyes, she saw the spindly man twist from his position on the slab of stone acting as a bed.
"Hello." The little girl sounded so cheery, and yet, the look on the man's face was less than amused.
"What?"
"I came to see you!"
"Did you now?" His crooked brow perked, losing its footing to fall lower than before. "Why?"
"Because I love you!"
He seemed to scoff at that, tossing a side-eye which made Ruby's missing stomach churn. He very clearly didn't feel as excited about the reunion as his younger sibling, but nevertheless, he stood and made his way over. Stopping just at the bars, he reached down towards her, as if to hold her hand, when he suddenly recoiled.
"Hands stay inside the cell." The father pulled back his club, and while it may have been small, the imprisoned son glared with a growl while holding his struck hand.
"Daddy! Don't be mean!"
"I'm sorry." He spoke softly, leaning down once more, but still sending a secretive glare to his son. "But you know the rules."
The little girl just pouted, crossing her arms.
"Fine." She made to walk towards the bars, and yet her father held her back.
"What are you doing?"
The little girl tossed her head away from him.
"Giving him his gift."
"Gift?" The warden's eyes hardened to steel, and Ruby knew something bad was about to happen. "And just what is this gift?"
Ruby's own prison was held aloft. The man overlooking her bore a suspicious eye, and introspective as his expression was, his voice was disturbingly tame.
"Before you do so, may I inspect her?"
"Why?" The little girl pulled her back down, covering her up within a gentle grasp. "She has done no wrong."
"Of course not, but as a guard it is my duty to make sure she is well." His voice eased up a little more, and so too did the girl's grip as her father continued on. "I only wish to make sure she isn't dirty."
"Will you promise not to hurt her?"
"Of course." He looked to pat his chest, right above his heart. "By my hand, no harm will come to your fine companion, you have my word on that.
Slowly but surely, Ruby was handed over, and as he said, the warden carried her within his hands via a gentle touch. He patted her over lightly, pressing firm in places his daughter's eyes could not reach from her low angle. He was most certainly checking for foul play, and so Ruby couldn't fully accuse him of more; nor did she really feel the need too. The mother had sent Ruby here to rescue her boy, and seeing as it was the father overlooking everything, she reasoned he held suspicions towards the legitimacy and innocence of the toy.
His intuition was good, but it seemed for naught as a semblance of Merci's specific qualities was surely impossible to detect; at least for this time period.
And so, she was handed back down to the girl, and he spoke easily once more.
"There, she's now ready to meet him."
The little girl quickly swept back her dolly, and Ruby was instead carried past the bars. The scraggly guy stared cautiously for a bit, before sending a look beyond her towards the father, who's expression must have appeared approving as he creeped over and gently picked her up.
"Isn't she pretty?" The girl questioned, face full of excitement and wonder. The guy just nodded, and that was good enough it seemed. "Take good care of her, okay? She's shy."
"I-"
"Honey." The father cut him off, and Ruby felt the grip around her tighten as the man continued on. "It's time to go."
"But we just got here."
"Remember the rules."
The kid sighed and grumbled.
"Only short visits."
"Good. Come now."
He took off with his daughter again, and Ruby felt conflicted. That was, even by prison standards of the time, a ludicrously short visit, more akin to a delivery. Speaking of which, she realized that they were now alone in the lowly cell of the ground floor. Ruby hadn't been counting their descents, but seeing as there were a few plants and such creeping from the mud between the bricks below, she had a pretty good idea they were at least near ground level.
If anything, the darkness around them was alleviated only by a single shard of Ize above, acting like a permanent light.
The hand on her tightened, and she saw how he stared hatefully at her.
"A gift from mother..." He restrained a growl. "Another bribe?" His eyes sharpened. "Tell me, who's the poor wench she's sent me now?"
"You… you know I'm not an ordinary doll?" Ruby hadn't been expecting him to assume such, but this was Merci's kid, so it made sense he'd know his mother's semblance.
"You're not the first she's sent my way, and you won't be the last either." He paced over to the corner, leaning his back against the wall and slumping to the floor. "Let me guess, she promised to give your body back."
"Is it a lie?" Ruby wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, but she found herself intrigued by the answer he gave.
"No: she's honest to her word."
"I see." Ruby moved faintly, and he loosened his grip. With a bit of effort, she made to stand on him, crawling along his leg and setting herself upon the floor. She took a few steps out before turning back around. "So what is it you aren't telling me?"
"Father knows of this game as well."
Okay… so this is a family issue. He didn't react like he knew, aside from when he inspected her. Strange then, that he'd hand her over anyhow.
"Then why did he allow you to take me?"
"Mother's games are never so simple, and she's got him under the belief that should he kill you himself she'd move on to more drastic measures."
"Like?"
"Putting her connections to use." He rotated his wrist, spreading and twisting the five fingers of that hand in all sorts of mechanical ways. "She wants her 'baby boy' to be saved by a doll, one of her own fashion."
"About that..." Ruby looked back towards the bars. "Why are you locked up here anyway?"
"Would blaming my mother, the woman who made you like this, come as a surprise?"
"No." Ruby looked back. "But then again, that doesn't explain the crime you're serving time for... or do you imply there was no crime to begin with, and that Merci merely fabricated a scenario to place you here?"
"No... the crime is all too real."
"Then what?" Ruby saw it then, the way his hand crushed the air at its center, and the fist shook faintly in its violence.
"Do you know who my mother is, the woman who's dubbed herself 'Merci'?"
"No... but let me pull the bow strings this time: that's not even her real name."
"Mirage." He spat, letting his arm collapse onto the dirt between his legs, spreading the dust a little and allowing the flesh to slam painfully on the stone bricks. "Named for her birth being a mere accident, and going unknown by all but her mother for years. It's a perfect title for her, considering her path to power; she's no better than an illusion of nobility, holding all of the power and yet none of the responsibility."
"And she named herself 'Merci' because?" In modern Remnant, merci was the Valen word for thanks, although there was a common variant known as mercy, which stood for compassionate forgiveness. Either way, neither naming convention seemed to fit the woman they both knew.
"It's slave slang: it means 'salvation'." He spat the 'slave' part out just as angrily as he did his mother's names, giving off the air of your usual noble prick. Still though, despite his now apparent dislike of the Faunus cattle strewed about so haphazardly among the rich, he still appeared to keep most of his ire towards Merci, or in this case, Mirage.
"And how would you know this?" Ruby nevertheless found herself curious as to how he came upon such a belief.
"I've denied many of their ilk long before mother took her place as head of the family. Had I inherited the title, I would have never even looked their way. Only the weak rely on the brittle bones of slaves for anything."
"Is your mother not a Faunus?" Ruby recalled Merci's jaw extending similar to that of a snake's gullet, and unless the noblewomen of Veilroot regularly practiced contortions of the mouth, Ruby was almost certain she was a Faunus.
"What of it?"
"Most of her kind are slaves here."
"Most of our kind are weak, and deserve such a fate." Kind of harsh, but apparently he wasn't done there; it seemed she struck a nerve. "They had their chance for success, and yet so many of the other settlers wished for fair treatment and simple lives; none had even tried to take advantage of the inherited ignorance of which Humans adorn from birth."
He was racist too; Ruby was starting to realize she had quite the prize on her hands.
"Our family spent so long securing its position, and here she came in, wanting to 'bridge the gap' for the rest of our kind, as if she was convincing anyone she saw them as more than playthings; no different than you are now." He curled up his fists. "Nothing but a waste of resources and a stain on our name."
All of a sudden, Ruby wasn't sure who was worse: the mother, or the son. Either way, she needed to get things rolling.
"Waste or not, you're the one trapped here in the cell." He growled, and yet ultimately silenced himself, and so Ruby carried on. "Tell me then, how do I get you out?"
The sooner she could get her body back, the sooner she could be done with both parties.
"That's where you will fail; the game is nothing more than a drawn out execution."
"Humor me anyways: what do I need to do?" Ruby was more than willing to do whatever it took to escape, and held no worries about what could possibly be waiting for her.
"See that cell over there?" He pointed ahead... and Ruby saw nothing.
"No."
"Exactly." He dropped his arm. "Somewhere in this room I've been told by her there is a hole, one just big enough for your current body to slip into. I've seen plenty of her 'toys' drift off into the darkness, and yet none of them return. Whatever is in that cell very well may set me free, but none have returned to confirm such a myth."
"You... I don't suppose you can offer me anything more?" Ruby already knew the answer.
"No."
Figures. Even so, she didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
"Should I be looking for anything inside this 'hole'?"
"All I've been told is to tell you about the hole: mother likes her prey stripped of all potential preparation."
"So I'm blind?"
"Just as she likes it."
Ruby grumbled internally, not only hating there was nothing to go off of, but also the fact that this was indeed just a game to Merci. It didn't matter, she needed to go in anyway. With a small bit of caution, she started off, ignoring the grumbles behind her.
His well being didn't really matter to her, only her own body's integrity, or whatever was left of it by the time she got back.
.
.
Gentle with her every move, the woman kneeling beside purred as her head was softly patted.
Salem, had she been younger, would have found such a reaction creepy coming from a grown woman, but being as ancient and timeless as she was, instead looked upon the broken slave mother with fondness. Steele was loyal, nearly as fanatical as Tyrian himself, and yet she had a softness to her. Emotionally broken, and caring deeply for her 'baby', Steele was a pawn of hers not easily forgotten.
Something about the girl's method of coping with her own continued existence earned a small bit of sympathy from the queen of Grimm, although as to why it had was more of a personal reason. These feelings of pity and care were more related to that of an owner looking after their pet, and at this point, Steele was merely that: an adorable house companion.
However, these fleeting instances of relaxation were soon to come to an end, and Salem stood from her throne. Steele, notably confused, picked herself up as well, and the bits of black edging along her arms, a second skin who's make-up were like that of a film, wriggled as well.
"My goddess, where are we headed?"
"Shh..." Salem kept her voice smooth. "You'll see soon. For now, you are merely to follow."
The pair wandered down the darkened halls, twists and turns of fleshy muck making up the various corridors, almost as if one were walking the innards of a massive creature. This was, ironically enough, completely the case, as by the dark queen's design. The Whale, as Watts had dubbed it upon first sight, soared not the oceans of Remnant, but the skies above. Its very darkness alone acted as propulsion, and its lack of needed sustenance and will made it no different than a horrendous battleship.
The fear such a sight would cause was intentional, and would act as the perfect fuel for her army when the time came to spill them onto the land.
The walk slowed soon, and coming across a familiar and grand door, Salem paused to take in the sight. Allowing content to fill her features, she hummed lightly and turned her eyes towards the corrupted woman at her side, who was twitching periodically. A look of 'something' overcame the girl, and thus Salem inquired to her thoughts.
"You shudder before it. Tell me, does the secret trapped within frighten you?"
"I get a weird twitch when I am near, but I do not know why." Steele's innocently vile eyes sought refuge within Salem's own. "May you tell me what about the mysteries beyond makes my baby afraid?"
Salem chuckled, letting her pale lips twist at the corners.
"I see your baby is just as sensitive to power as Tyrian himself." She turned her head back to face the door fully, lifting her gaze to take in the imposing presence of its stature. "Prey, naturally, fears their predators, and none hold dominion over the creature dwelling within this ancient prison."
Steele looked upon the door again, feeling a primal vice clamp over her lungs and somewhat stilt her breathing. This reaction was automatic, instinctual in a sense. She felt no fear at the sight, and yet her inner darkness scurried away. Salem, in turn, merely reached a hand over to one of the orbs alongside the door, held in skeletal claws and glowing with a bright twisted fire within.
And yet, not all the orbs were illuminated in this heat, as a single orb high above at the very peak lacked that oh so crucial flame of its other siblings. Salem's voice fell a tiny bit, almost hollowing as it broke past her lips.
"My knight has done well with his task, and yet..." Her hand fell from the sphere, and her shoulders somewhat slumped; the royal goddess seemed to lose a single hair of her spirit. "He knows not how he's already lost. Even still, he carries on, ignorant of the cards stacked against him."
"Are the fires not a good thing?" Steele recalled the changes in the door being appreciated by the goddess, and yet she seemed almost sad at the sight.
"I am emboldened by his will and perseverance, his results and actions, but I cannot say the same for what has become of it." Salem faced her again. "Tell me, child: when given a chance to twist beyond the greedy reach of destiny, only to see such an outcome fall more and more into impossibility every passing hour: what would a mortal do?"
"Give up." Steele had no issues saying the answer, for it was true; she'd experienced such a problem long ago. Tyrian had saved her, yes, but that was a miracle spun up by the divine being questioning her, and not one of her own mortal drive. "We'd accept our fates and die. Those who would not... they die anyway, succumbing to the terrors opposing them."
"Both hopeless and realistic; a perfectly reasonable response." Salem faced the door once more, but this time with a small smile on her face. "But for a divine such as myself, the question is not quite the same, and neither is the answer. Eternal as I am, failure is a foe who'll never face me: I am, as I'll be beyond every single second of time itself, present. And as such, with nothing in the way, even the signs of failure mean nothing: I am merely to do it all again, and see if such an attempt were to yield the different results."
Steele would never understand, and how could she? Salem knew what the first emboldening of the fire meant: defeat. Soon, all the fires would be lit, and the beast beyond the doors would have its recollection of capture erased, and it would be set free: ignorant of its imprisonment. At that point she'd move on to her own back up plan and summon the brother gods, both of which would then arrive to slay all that Remnant held. She recalled the warning well, that should Vermillion light the first fire before all of them died, then all was lost, and she was free to do as she pleased.
Although, that was a secret even her co-conspirator herself didn't know: one granted by their shared judge during that crucial ensnarement over a thousand years ago. For just a brief moment, Salem looked far into the past, and her eyes hollowed slightly as she acknowledged the one who constructed said seal, and who sacrificed herself for such.
I'm sorry... our coup has been toppled.
Salem decided to cease her dwelling on the lost cause at that point, taking to the walkway again. Steele's footsteps behind ensured the girl was still trailing along, which was exactly what Salem wished for. Stopping, she pulled into a particular room and soon enough she was before her collection again. Prized memorabilia of her own nostalgia sat on display...
And then she reached forth.
"Here." Salem placed the pouch back in its spot, sealed once more so the world would not rob her of it. In her own hand sat a solid gold coin, minted from the time of her own kingdom, back when her children still lived. Softly, she took Steele's hands, and placed the coin upon them.
"My goddess?"
Such a question was answered by Salem curling the woman's fingers into a protective shield over the gold, followed by a hushed voice.
"Let your child consume the essence this ancient relic carries, and like a hound your young one will sniff my champion out. Find him, and bring him back to me; do whatever it takes to stand him before me."
Even if they were lost, and Vermillion's future purpose was forever shrouded in mystery, at the very least she could help him see his purpose through. He may not have known it, but he was destined to complete the seal, and not only that, she needed him to do so for the summoning of the brothers to even work. It would take both gods to eviscerate the world and cure her of the diseased immortality that was hoisted upon her. His completion of the goal was paramount, and she would see him to it…
But most of all, she wished to see one of her children again, even if they shared no blood.
The thought of her children had her eyes twist towards a lone little bracelet, special in a right none but her and one other knew of. That woman was long gone though, and her soul was no doubt off in the beyond enjoying the rewards of death, along with the boy who'd given her such a precious gift; even if her body was not.
That look of determination in Steele's eyes thereafter... it had Salem questioning if she still had children present even today. And one thought consumed her, even as she watched Steel chart off to begin her search...
Her little knight would stand before her again.
Author's note
…
And here we are again.
You all have no idea how hard it was to write this chapter: I don't know why, but I've been tired lately. Maybe I'm getting a bit burned out, but seeing as one of the stories is almost done - not this one - I'm inclined to continue.
Most of this chapter probably seemed a bit boring for many, I'm sure, but at least we get some things moving.
Ruby is out of it, with Roman and Saw taking her to Dr. Polendina for help; we'll see how that goes later. Future Ruby is off in the darkness now, a doll against whatever lies in wake, all to set free the absolute gem of a man that is Merci's son… yeah. All this, and Salem sends Steele off to collect V: For those of you keeping track, you'll recall where he's off to, along with where a certain fire-wielding prick is set to go too - should be a fun time.
Anyway, that's it for now. Until next time.