Yu-gi-oh/RWBY Chapter 2
Conspiracy
The morning after her fun little escapade, Ruby waited in a lobby with a similar anticipation to a child expecting a lecture from their parent. As Roman Torchwick entered the room, with a long white overcoat and a black top hat to cover his ginger hair, his stern gaze of disapproval showed that her fears were not unfounded. "Little red, little red, you know I don't impose these rule just to be a spoilsport. I wholeheartedly encourage you practicing your dueling skills, but I want you to do it here, at Arcadia, where it's safe. Who knows what could have happened to you out there, especially in the slums like the Daimon district." Roman lectured as he sat down on the couch opposite Ruby.
Ruby turned her head to face away from Roman, not wanting to show that his words were making a lot of sense. Roman, however, could read her like a book, and pressed his advantage. "Look, I get it. You hate being cooped up in here with no-one to visit but your sister." Roman began before Ruby interjected. "She gets to go out and have a social life." "Things are much different for her." Roman continued. "For one thing, Yang is a world-famous celebrity, the queen of Turbo Duels. And for another, she's not a psychic duelist, so she doesn't face as much fear and distrust as we do." Ruby wanted to say that people didn't seem to hate her as much, but she knew what he'd say. They haven't seen what she could do. If they did, they'd react just like her father did. How long has it been since she last spoke with him?
Deciding to change the subject, Ruby asked "Do you know who that was I dueled? That Blake Belladonna?" Roman, determining that their previous conversation would have to wait for another time. "Yes," Roman answered, "And it's quite the interesting tale." He reached out to the terminal in the center of the table to reveal several files on Ruby's opponent. "She comes from Satellite, and apparently, according to my sources in Sector Security, managed to escape from there using the garbage chute. That's a show I would have loved to see."
As he continued to tell what else he could find about Blake, a girl with long, curly blonde hair, a brown jacket, and combat boots entered the room. "Guess who?" Ruby looked up and got a big smile on her face. "Yang!" She exclaimed as she got up to hug her sister, who returned the embrace. "How's my little sis doing?" Yang asked. "I'm just fine." Ruby said with a giggle. As Yang turned to face Roman, Ruby's smile lowered a little, hoping things would go better than their last meeting. Or at the very least, fewer things would be thrown across the room. "Roman." Yang coldly spat out. "Ms. Xiao Long." Roman returned with an equally cold stare. "How are you brainwashing my sister today?" Yang prodded, which signaled to Ruby to let go of her sister and move to the other side of the room, already knowing how this was gonna turn out. "I was just trying to explain to her that she needs to be more careful. We both value her safety, don't we?" Roman said in his usual cool way.
Yang's scowl worsened. "The difference is, I care about her because I love her. You care about her because she's your weapon in your creepy little army." Oh boy, Ruby thought. This isn't gonna end well. "The Arcadia movement isn't an army. We are a movement that will forever change the way this city and the world treats psychics." For this speech, Roman made sure to get up throw the most into his theatrics. "Oh, sure you are." Yang postured with fake sincerity. "And of course, it just so happens that you happen to be living in luxury from your little movement." "If my followers happen to give me some generous donations, who am I to refuse them? And you are one to talk about living in luxury. How's that mansion of yours?"
"Hey!" Yang let that one out a little louder than she meant, Ruby was sure. "I earned my place at the top with my skill and my cards. You fleece your people with big speeches and misdirecting-" Yang was about to finish that sentence, but she happened to turn her head to see what the display was showing. Upon seeing Blake's face, Yang's eyes widened and she took a half-step forward. "Y-Yang?" Ruby asked, concerned since this wasn't like her sister. She'd never seen Yang like this. It was like she'd seen a ghost. "Who is that?" Yang demanded, her voice soft but shaking, like the words had to be forced out. "Blake Belladonna" Roman explained. "Ruby met her last night and wanted to know more. Why?" Roman leaned forward, with a look like a hunter who's prey finally came into view. "Do you know her? She seems to know you."
Yang turned and took both of Ruby's arms, pulling her in close. "What did she say? What did you tell her?" If Yang's words seemed sluggish before, now they were rushing out the door. Ruby was scared. This definitely wasn't her Yang. "She wanted to know about you and the marks on our arms. I told her that we're sisters. Who is she?" Yang refused to answer, instead letting go of Ruby and turning to Roman. "Where is she now?" Yang asked, this time a little calmer. Roman looked at the files, then back to Yang. "She should be in the Facility now." Yang then turned around and walked out, with Ruby left to wonder what it was about Blake that spooked Yang so much.
Cinder Fall knew that she wasn't busy. All her work affairs as Director were done for the day, and she didn't have any appointments today. But nonetheless, she thought her time was valuable and didn't think it needed to be filled with Yang Xiao Long storming in.
"Did you know?" Yang yelled, wanting to make sure Cinder heard her so as not to waste her breath. "Did you know Blake was here?" Yang walked closer to the dining room, knowing that Cinder would be there, reading a newspaper. Cinder was nothing if not a creature of habit. She put her paper down with a long, exasperated sigh and rose from the table. "Yes. I knew that she was here."
"And you didn't tell me? Why?" Yang let out, fuming that Cinder withheld something so crucial from her. Cinder walked slowly, purposefully towards Yang. "Because," Cinder left a pause to defuse the situation. "It didn't matter. You were never going to get to her in time." "Why didn't you stop her? We both get burned if she tells the truth." Yang inquired.
"Simple. The pros outweighed the cons in that decision." Cinder explained, putting her arms up in a shrugging gesture. "What pros?" Yang prodded. That made no sense to her. What could possibly be worth this much risk? A smile seemed to sneak its way onto Cinder's face. "Come with me."
Yang, as unsure as she realized she left Ruby earlier, followed. As she followed Cinder through the house, she though about how her sister must be feeling about all of this. How would Yang even explain all of this to her? Cinder finally stopped in front of a painting of a mountain, one Yang never gave much thought to in any of her previous visits. Cinder moved her hands below the bottom of the painting, pressing a button Yang would never have noticed before. The wall adjacent suddenly shifted, dust settling off as the wall receded and slid away, revealing a dark tunnel. Cinder turned to face Yang. "You have no idea how much it cost to keep the architect quiet about that part."
If that was meant to be a joke, Yang didn't find it funny, but followed Cinder down the hidden path regardless. It led down a few stairs into a hallway with many stone carvings adorning the walls. Noticing something on the carvings, Yang stopped to wonder about the apparent anachronism before her. On one of the carvings was Ruby's Crescent Rose Dragon, another held Blake's Gambol Shroud Dragon. But on the one Yang was looking at was her very own Celica Burst Dragon. "What is this, Cinder? Some weird prank you set up?"
Cinder turned back and looked, realizing what Yang was looking at. After passing this way so many times, all these had simply retreated into the back of her mind. "No trick," Cinder began. "What you're looking at are genuine stone carvings from Meso-America depicting an ancient prophecy that you, your sister, and yes, even Blake is a part of." She lifted her finger, instructing Yang to resume following.
They continued their journey down the hallway. At the end of the hallway, past the large imposing door, was a large room Yang couldn't believe was in Cinder's house. Not only because it was so big, but the ceiling seemed to have the night sky on it. The room itself was empty, save for a large stone shrine with a knee-high wall surrounding it. Cinder stopped near the wall entrance and turned to Yang. "Tell me, Yang. Have you ever wondered what that mark on your arm is for?" Yang looked at her arm, pulling up her sleeve to reveal the mark that resembled a claw underneath. "It's just a birthmark. Ruby has one just like it." Cinder shook her head.
"Those are no mere birthmarks. Blake has recently acquired one as well. The signer mark of the tail." Yang got even more confused. "Signer mark?" "Yes. You three, as well as two others, are what are known as the Legendary Signers, destined to save the world from certain destruction." Yang stepped closer, hardly believing what she was hearing. "But if Blake is so important, why did you let her get thrown in prison?" Cinder let out a chuckle. "Oh, Yang. Did you forget who owns that prison? Right now, she's right where I want her, so I can keep the closest watch on her." Somehow, that didn't give Yang the comfort she thought it was supposed to.
"I activate Rubble King's special ability!" Blake proudly declared. "If I have 30 or more cards in my hand, I can activate 1 trap from my hand without having to set it." Mr. Armstrong, the fat, cruel master of the Facility stepped back a little, realizing what that meant. Blake allowed herself a smirk. "I should probably thank you. If you hadn't gone to so much effort to destroy all my 'worthless' cards, this wouldn't have been so easy. With Rubble King's ability, I activate Blasting the Ruins, which also can only be activated if I have 30 or more cards in my graveyard. It deals 3000 damage to you." Slowly, all the cards in Blake's makeshift graveyard appeared behind the Rubble King, who turned them all into rocks and fired them at the Warden. As his life points dropped to 0, the death trap that Armstrong had previously rigged to only affect Blake sprang to life, shocking him with so much force that his nose hairs were fried. The prisoners cheered Blake on, but the celebration was short lived as Armstrong got back up.
"Enjoy your victory, Belladonna. Hope it's worth the time you've earned in solitary." He said as he struggled back up. This earned a round of boos and jeers from the prisoners. "What about your deal?" one complained. "I don't remember making any deal with a filthy Satellite scum." Armstrong boasted. "But I will remember your face as I make your life a living hell!"
"That's quite enough, Mr Armstrong." Cinder said, with everyone suddenly looking up to see her in the walkway overhead. "That shameful display has proven that my trust in you to run this facility was misguided. You are fired. It is only your years of faithful service that your fate is not worse." The other officers, once loyal to the warden, picked him up, disconnected him from the death trap, and carried him away, despite his protests.
Cinder turned her gaze away from him towards Blake, and her expression improved to match. "As for you, Ms Belladonna, perhaps these arrangements aren't quite as favorable as I had thought. I would like to invite you to stay at my home. Of course, your friends are invited as well, to make up for the terrible treatment they received." Yanagi, an old, somewhat unhinged man stepped up behind Blake and put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.
"Don't do it. I don't trust her." He advised. Blake agreed with his assessment. Everything about this woman just screamed EVIL. However… "Be that as it may, I don't think I have a choice." Blake explained. She turned to Cinder. "I accept your invitation." Cinder was very happy about this. Everything was coming into place.