10: Gloomy Sunday

Ruby could only watch helplessly as Torchwick and Neo stopped before the half-living colossus embedded into the cavern wall. The Sobek made no move to crush or release her; it seemed to have no mind of its own, content to wait for Neo's next order.

"Well, I can't say I think much of the decor here," Torchwick said, eying the pulsing sack with a look of distaste. "What is this thing?"

Neo smiled mysteriously, then stretched out a hand and touched the fleshy sac. Her eyes turned white. A glowing pink ring of shining light slowly travelled up her body, removing the illusion of her human form - and replacing it with that of a much taller, voluptuous woman.

Ruby stared in shock. It was the woman in the wall - but now, her body was fully formed, her hair was held up in an elaborate updo, and she was clad in sweeping black robes. A network of black veins traversed the entirety of her stark white skin, and her eyes were the same unsettling shade of black and red as the Grimm. It was especially disconcerting to see the woman stand tall and fully aware directly next to her incomplete torso still embedded in the sac.

Torchwick took a step back from the illusion, his tone unpleasant. "What exactly are you trying to pull now?"

The woman smiled and deftly caught Torchwick's chin before he could get away. "Come now. Is that the way to treat an old friend?" Her voice was rich and deep.

Torchwick's reaction was instantaneous. He struck the woman's arm away and spun out of her reach, pointing Crescent Rose's business end at her. Then he narrowed his eyes and shifted his target to the creature in the sac behind her. "You have one minute to explain yourself. Who are you and what did you do with Neo?"

"Roman, oh Roman," she laughed. "Your precious Neopolitan stands right here before you. Use your Semblance, my dear, if you doubt my words."

The green blaze that lit his eyes was so bright even Ruby could see it. Then he cocked the rifle.

"50 seconds. Neo isn't mute by choice. What did you do to her?"

"Neopolitan is still with us, Roman. She's simply allowing me to communicate, if you will. Assisting me for the time being as I find myself… indisposed." She smiled slightly. "Your partner has generously donated a portion of her soul for the sake of my well-being. Repairing the damage to her vocal cords was the least I could do in return, don't you think?"

"30 seconds," he replied, unmoved. "Who are you?"

The woman laughed again, tinkling and melodious. "Shouldn't the question be what am I? But you know the answer, my dear boy, oh I'm quite sure you know." She smirked, her red eyes glowing with malice. "Now then, shall we keep up appearances for that fragile human mind of yours? You may call me Salem."

Torchwick's voice was lit with barely contained fury. "You're controlling her like a puppet! I'm warning you, let her go."

Salem's demeanor changed instantly; blinking, her eyes shifted to Neo's familiar pink and brown. Something about the way she waved her hand through the air and smirked was undeniably unique to the illusionist, despite her height and appearance. Even stranger was the voice that continued to spill from her mouth, though.

"Coercion? Hardly, Roman. As you can see, my precious Neopolitan is assisting me of her own volition. She's just as much a willing partner to me as she is to you. Isn't that right my dear?"

Salem's body shrugged one shoulder and winked, Neo's twisted smirk playing across her mouth.

"That's enough," Salem said, and her body straightened, regaining its original regal posture. "After all, our time is up, isn't it, Roman?" Her smile was challenging, daring Torchwick to shoot at her physical body.

"Do it!" Ruby kicked her legs out in anger. She swung the toes of her boots up, connecting with the hard scales of the Sobek and extending her heel blades. Then she bent her knees and grunted, hacking away at the monster's tail. "Come on, we can still fight her!"

Salem glanced at her, unimpressed, then raised her hand. Her outstretched fingers compressed into a fist, and Ruby wheezed in pain as the Sobek shifted its grip, squeezing her tightly enough to suck the power out of her kicks.

Torchwick lowered his gun, regarding Salem with interest. "So you really healed Neo, huh?"

"Torchwick!" Ruby shouted.

He growled at her. "Can it, will you? The adults in the room are trying to have a conversation."

"I really must thank you, Roman," Salem said, not bothering to glance in Ruby's direction. "You've done us a great service. We weren't certain you had joined our fold… you've been jealously guarding that soul of yours, after all. Your lovely Neopolitan insisted you could still be of use to us, that you would come around. And so you did, bearing such a gift."

"What can I say? I'm the best at what I do." His smile turned predatory. "But I don't work for free. Why don't you release Neo and take her soul instead?" he offered, pointing a thumb at Ruby.

That hurt a little. No, it hurt a lot, if Ruby was honest with herself. It hurt more than the Sobek's spikes trying to dig through her aura and pierce actual skin, because Torchwick's attack came from the inside, that place where she thought he actually started to like her rather than just tolerate her. She tried not to show anything on her face, but it didn't matter… he wasn't even looking.

Salem, on the other hand, watched in delight while she wrestled with her emotions. "Oh dear! I think you almost made her cry! Remarkable, how thoroughly you lured her in. You've truly exceeded all of my expectations."

"Glad to see you people are finally realizing my value," he said. "But tell me, what's so special about the kid? Why's she worth so much to you?"

The amusement fell off of Salem's face, replaced by a frightening intensity. "That girl is one of the Silver-Eyed Warriors, nemesis to all Grimm. Surely you must have felt it, having spent so much time close to her?"

"She seems pretty clueless to me," Torchwick drawled, shrugging. "If she's got some kind of hidden power, she sure as hell doesn't know how to use it."

Ruby could only hang her head at that; he was right, after all. She couldn't help Neo at all. She couldn't even find her voice to say as much, shutting her eyes in shame. If I'd managed to bring out my power… If I'd been able to stop Neo, then maybe…

"I don't see why you're getting so worked up," Torchwick said and Ruby's head shot up, but to her disappointment he was still addressing Salem. "She's just a girl. Sure, she's annoying, but a warrior? You've gotta be kidding me. That kid can barely keep up in a brawl." He looked her in the eye and sneered. "Even Neo could tell you that much. Look at the way she fought just now. All that speed, but no practical technique to back it up."

Ruby's mouth dropped open. What is he- Then her brow scrunched in anger. I spent three years doing nothing but training my ass off! I'm good, damn it! "That's a total lie!"

Torchwick pointed Crescent Rose at her before she could continue. "Seriously? You can be annoying with this little toy of yours, I'll give you that. But without it? You're nothing. Stop boasting, kid. We all know it's just wishful thinking on your part."

I killed that Goliath alone! Me! she wanted to spit, but Torchwick's hard look made her bite her tongue.

Salem, however, had narrowed her eyes. "What's this Roman? My my, it seems you've upset Neopolitan. She knows you a little too well, my dear. You didn't happen to get friendly with that abomination, did you?"

Torchwick's face went cold. "Neo knows exactly how I feel about making friends."

Salem turned, facing her own partially-formed body. "Neopolitan would like you to prove your sincerity. After all, there's no point in drawing out that pathetic girl's misery, is there?"

The Sobek's tail tightened around Ruby even more and she squeaked in pain.

"I have another task for you, Roman."

"Not so fast," Torchwick interrupted her. "I've been dancing to other peoples' tunes for three long years. In case you've forgotten, it was Cinder Fall who left me to deal with the fallout from her shitshow. I'm not gonna step right back in and get my shoes dirty again without some kind of explanation."

Salem looked over her shoulder and gave Torchwick a very Neo-like frown, but the voice that came from her lips was cool and confident. "Oh Roman, you of little faith."

"Religion is for suckers. Show me some cold, hard proof that working with you will benefit me. And don't even think about threatening me with death. You already played that card back on the tower and lost."

Salem turned and laughed lightly. "Such confidence! You speak as though you actually have a choice. Nonetheless, after the service you've provided, it's only fitting that you should know of our plans." She sauntered towards the edge of the lava pit; Torchwick trailed after her.

Ruby had to crane her neck to see where they were standing. Salem made some kind of motion, and something bubbled and oozed its way out of the pool of lava. Another Grimm? Whatever it was displaced the Sobek, which clumsily stepped aside — allowing Ruby to gain view of what it was that Salem had summoned.

"No way," she breathed.

It was Cinder. She was covered by a layer of bubbling black ooze that was slowly dripping off, but the pose she remained trapped in was unmistakable - Cinder Fall, still frozen in the exact same position she'd had on top of Beacon's tower, one hand outstretched to hold a long-since shattered glass bow.

I did that. Ruby stared, fascinated and horrified at the same time. She couldn't look away, battling with the spike of hatred that rose on seeing the girl who'd killed Pyrrha. If only I could get loose… It'd be my chance to take revenge for everything she did to us! Everything she did to JNPR! The anger that roared through her was unexpected and ferocious. She's the real culprit who deserves to die here!

Salem regarded her with interest. "Well well well," she mused. "Not such an innocent flower after all, are you?"

Her words broke through the red haze that had been clouding Ruby's thoughts, washing it all away with a sick feeling of remorse and chagrin.

What was I thinking? This isn't me! She took a deep breath, forcing herself to release the twisted fantasy of revenge that felt so foreign and unwelcome to her. I can't let the Grimm win by falling to their level.

"It might be human to feel hatred, but it's still wrong," she said, sure Salem could read her emotions clearly. "Even if it's Cinder. Killing her would make me just like her."

She'd felt the same way about Torchwick… and though she wasn't sure if her gamble on his humanity had paid off, she didn't regret her choice. If he wasn't the black and white caricature of evil that people desperately wanted to paint him as, then how could she have the authority to judge anyone else's motivations? "I don't want to win by murdering people, not even if they deserve it. Two wrongs don't make a right!"

Salem only laughed. "Silly little girl. That naive idealism isn't something you can hold onto in this world of corruption and decay. It's no wonder your kind are a dying breed. Tell me… how is your mother doing, little Rose?"

She would have recoiled from the jab if the Sobek had allowed it. Then she growled, struggling against her captor. "Leave my mother out of this! If she died fighting an evil like you, then I'm proud to be her daughter!"

The amusement dropped off of Salem's expression. "Your mother is the reason I needed to harvest human souls in the first place," she hissed, her eyes blazing red. "She was a thorn in my side, one that I ultimately plucked. You're but a pale shadow of her, whelp. A disgrace to your race and your line."

Despite her situation, Ruby couldn't help feeling a rush of surprised relief at those words. Though it may have come from an enemy, it was the first piece of solid information she'd ever heard about her mother's disappearance. Everyone but Yang had refused to speak to her about it. She'd eventually given up and resigned herself to being unable to quench her desperate thirst for information, unable face the sadness of not knowing every single day.

Mother… this is what you gave your life doing? I'm sorry that I didn't understand before. She dipped her head, feeling a tear run down her cheek. But when she looked up, it was with a firm smile on her face.

"The only thing you want is to see people suffer. It doesn't matter who, it doesn't matter how…" Her eyes fell on Torchwick, who was looking at her. "It doesn't even matter if it's your own allies. That's what you really feed on… pain and misery. Was that why you let me see Cinder?" She glared at Salem. "To test if I could become something for you to feast on? Sorry, but I refuse."

"That's not the only reason you're here, girl." Salem regained her composure, her face no longer twisted into an ugly snarl. She turned her head. "Roman. Do you know where the Grimm come from?"

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you," he answered carefully.

"Technically, you may be correct," Salem told him with a smile. "I am not omnipotent, however. The power I draw to create the Grimm stems from humanity itself. Such a feast, how could I refuse it?" She laughed, and the flesh sac containing her real body shuddered. "Grimm are drawn to mankind's negative emotions - the ugly stains on all of your souls. You, Roman, are especially beautiful to us. A masterpiece."

"What a compliment," he said dryly.

"When the humans of long ago learned to physically crystallize their souls using Dust, they created more than the mere auras and Semblances. They created us."

Ruby stilled, surprise washing over her. "No way… humanity evolved into Huntsmen to fight the Grimm! You guys were the threat!"

Salem's smile was cruel. "You should ask Ozpin about that sometime, dear. I'm sure he'd be quite eager to support the histories recorded in your human records. He helped craft them, after all." She turned her attention back to Torchwick. "We are the collective result of man's hatred, greed, jealousy, and despair. We were given shape and power through the perversion of this world's Dust resources. And I am the pinnacle of that evolution: Remnant's first sentient Grimm, though I will not be its last."

She bowed mockingly to Torchwick. "You have my deepest gratitude. We, however, have evolved beyond humanity. We no longer rely on mankind to survive and procreate." Lifting her hand, she allowed various shapes of half-formed Grimm, both familiar and strange, to rise and fall from the pool of lava. "I have the power to mold this world's hatred into my children. And as we multiply, we become self-sustaining. We are no longer crude imitations of the native life in this world - we are Remnant's next evolutionary step forward, Roman. Our race was meant to survive as the fittest. And you are one of the few of humanity I've deemed worthy of saving. You should embrace the gift which you were given."

"She's lying!" Ruby struggled against her bonds. "She said she took Neo's soul, didn't she? She just wants to use you to rebuild her own body! It's not a gift, she's turning you into food!"

"Hush, child," Salem snapped. "Foolish humans continue to exploit Dust for their own selfish purposes, destroying the very soul of Remnant to satiate the greed of the few. Roman and Neopolitan are among those who know this best." She smiled, looking out over the lava at Cinder's body. "You nearsighted humans may disagree with our methods, but we Grimm are working to preserve what is left of our world. Perhaps even save it. If that requires the destruction of human civilization, then so be it."

She looked at Roman once more. "I may take your souls, but I value each and every one of you, even more than my own creations. You are my human children, so warped by their own race that they have transcended it. As for the rest of the cattle…" Her tone dropped into disdain. "Their greed has created their downfall. The only thing standing in the way of our triumph is Ozpin and his silver-eyed pawns." She looked up at Ruby. "But we shall put him in check for the last time."

A chill ran down her spine. "What is capturing me going to do to Ozpin? I'm not his pawn! I don't even know where he is!"

"Ignorant fool. Does the pawn need to know what it is, or how it is used? It's the lot of your kind to serve and die blindly for your king." She laughed. "And who said anything about capturing you, my dear? Oh no, we're going to kill you. It's the only certain way to release the spell you've put upon my precious children. Your demise will free Cinder and my dragon."

No, she thought, doing her best to struggle against the suffocating grasp of the Sobek. "You can't do this!" I'm not going to die here! She stared at Torchwick, who had remained silent throughout the exchange.

"Your life will end by my hands, just as your mother's did," Salem said, drawing her attention. Her form rippled and blurred, transforming back into the familiar human figure of Neo. She opened her parasol and twirled it over one shoulder. "My Neopolitan hungers for it. Say your final farewells, girl."

Ruby swallowed; she wanted to beg Torchwick to stop acting and do something. That everything he'd told her until that point had been real, that they were becoming friends despite his allergy to the term. She sought him out with her eyes, silently pleading.

Neo noticed of course, though it was Salem's voice which emerged from her throat. "Are you still hoping a knight in shining armor will come and save you?" She giggled. "You should know by now that Roman is no knight."

Torchwick drew closer to Neo. "Well, what do you think Red? It was a pretty convincing argument. For a moment there, I thought we had something, but…" He sighed and shrugged emphatically, a careless pout on his face. "In the end, I prefer to come out on top of things. Like I said before... I can't afford to lose."

She bit her lip. What he told me in the forest… that had to be real. It had to be. I saw his pain. I know how he felt. "I believe in you," she said to Torchwick.

He groaned and rolled his eyes. "Kid, you must have a room temperature IQ."

Neo smirked at the exchange. "My Neopolitan would like to offer you a gift, and I think it's a wonderful idea to complete your initiation into our family. Your partner believes you know the right thing to do, Roman. Please, show us all."

Ruby held her breath. Despite Salem's friendly invitation, she knew better than to think Torchwick was being offered a boon. This is a test. Torchwick's test. He was being granted the choice between becoming cannon fodder… or being the cannon this time around. The choice was a no-brainer for someone like him; she saw how Neo had stepped slightly behind Torchwick, her hand on the parasol. If he failed this test, she was certain his punishment would be swift and absolute - and as cruel as possible.

Torchwick raised Crescent Rose to his shoulder, his Semblance activating as he aimed at her. She couldn't help but feel the irony of being killed by a gun she had built and named after herself. But as she waited, she could also see he was conflicted, despite his seemingly self-assured attitude.

He was too good of a sharpshooter. He could end everything before she finished her current thought… but he hadn't pulled the trigger yet. She shut her eyes, not wanting to watch his struggle and witness the result.

"Roman." Salem's voice had an edge to it. "Don't tell me you've grown fond of that thing?"

If only I could get my eyes to work, we wouldn't be in this mess. He wouldn't have to choose. He and Neo could finally have their happy ending.

The seconds ticked by. What's he doing? He's going to lose everything like this!

Pushing her fear away, Ruby exhaled deeply. I promised, didn't I? I promised I'd protect him. I can still do that, even like this. She opened her eyes.

"Hey, Torchwick." He started, tilting his head away from the gun and looking at her. "No, I'm gonna call you Roman. I think you need that right now."

"Why's that?" he asked her, sounding hoarse.

"You might not believe in friendship, but I do. And if I'm gonna go, I'd rather have a friend do it than a Grimm. Besides, calling you my friend will make it easier for you to shoot me, won't it?" She forced a smirk.

He shook his head slightly at her, eyes wide as the barrel of the rifle drooped.

"I just want you to do what you've always done best: lie, steal, cheat… and survive." She drew out the last word, thinking of her promise. If there was anything Torchwick - no, Roman - had proved himself a master of, it was making a getaway. He was a pretty smart guy; she knew he'd understand. I saved you enough times that you better not throw this chance away! Get out of here and live your life this time, stupid!

"Why Roman, you lady-killer!" Salem's tittering voice was at odds with the ugly look on Neo's face. "I didn't realize you liked them so young. She's completely fallen for you, hasn't she?"

Ruby almost gagged. Something stubborn inside of her didn't want the last expression on her face to be one of disgust, though. Instead, she rolled her eyes. It was pretty hard maintaining her resolve to sacrifice herself when everyone seemed to want to draw out her murder. Losing her patience, she glared at Roman. "Whatever! Just get it over with already, this is driving me nuts!"

"For the record, we're not dating," Roman sighed. Then, eyes glowing, he lifted Crescent Rose and fired.

The rifle's retort thundered through the cavern, and Ruby's heart leapt into her throat. It took her a split second to register that she hadn't been shot. Then she stared in disbelief at the red spot that had appeared between Cinder's eyes and the accompanying spray of red behind her head.

Ruby's thoughts stalled. Torchwick shot Cinder Fall. Roman killed Cinder.

Neo - or was it Salem? - let out an inhuman wail. "You fool! Do you know what you've done?"

"Something I've been dying to do to that bitch for three years," he spat, leaping away from Neo as he switched weapons, activating Ruby Tuesday's heavy-fire mode. He began shooting at the Sobek, which thrashed angrily and turned to face him.

"Ahh!" The tail's grip around her became crushing, waking her from her shock with a painful jolt.

"Forget that fool and kill her before it happens!" she heard Salem roar, and Ruby gasped, her breath squeezed out as something inside of her popped. Aura could keep her skin from bruising, but a marshmallow sandwiched between two steel crackers would still squish under enough pressure. She tried not to think of squished marshmallows as the Sobek continued to crush her ribs, tasting the coppery blood rising up in her throat.

Despite the pain, she felt strands of her hair tickling her face and floating free as something whizzed past her cheek. The Sobek's grip loosened, and though her senses were muzzy she realized bullets were flying past her - Roman was open-firing with his automatic on her. Except she wasn't being hit; he was aiming around her with surgical precision, carving her out of the Sobek's tail under a continuous spray of bullets despite the Grimm's tossing and writhing. His attack bought her enough room to breathe again, but she could tell it wasn't working; the Sobek, like the Goliath, was simply too big and too tough to kill with bullets alone.

"Just go!" she managed to cough out. "Get out of here!"

"No!" he growled as the Sobek flung her away - and directly towards the pool of tainted lava, where Cinder's ravaged body was slowly sinking away.

Ruby didn't understand what was happening as she flew towards her death. She activated her Semblance automatically in the hopes of being able to heal her ribs and do something to prevent her splashdown into the pool of corruption. But instead feeling herself speed up, the world slowed to a crawl.

She watched a sphere of burning white light rise out of Cinder's body; watched as it rolled aimlessly over the corpse, which was disintegrating into pools of black ichor. Is that the power Jaune said Cinder stole from the Fall Maiden? But Roman killed Cinder this time. Does that mean he's gonna become the Fall Bachelor? She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all but her ribs were still on fire.

What she wasn't prepared for was the light to stop spinning and shoot towards her, smashing into her chest. She jerked backwards, both in pain and to get away from the lava, which was still approaching all too quickly despite her slowed sense of time.

It took her a few moments to notice she wasn't falling anymore.

Something bright and warm enveloped her, filling her with a buzzing energy from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Flashes of light blinded her, and after a moment she realized they were bolts of pure energy circling around her body. As if from far away, she heard Salem's keening cry.

She looked up from her outstretched hands and saw Roman yelling at her, a look of disbelief on his face. Then she realized he was trying to warn her about something and spun around, panicking.

The Sobek was rushing towards her, rearing up on its hind legs with its maw wide open to swallow her whole. Gasping, she reached down to try to slap it away with her bare hands, as if it would do any good.

A blast of wind followed the motion, doing exactly that. It was so powerful it flattened the Sobek against the cavern floor, breaking off several of its bony plates from the pressure and creating a small crater around its body.

Did I just do that?

Somewhere inside of herself, Ruby knew she had; she could feel a strange new power moving within her. It was warm and wild, rushing through her veins like sparkling river rapids. As she considered her newfound strength, lightning began to crackle over her entire body. Her awe was coupled with a sense of extreme frustration, though; just like her silver eyes, she had no idea how to tap into or activate the power she could so clearly feel.

"No!" Neo's eyes were wild as she raised both of her hands, causing a myriad of shapes to rise from the black lava. They were rapidly twisting and forming into Grimm, their eyes glowing with a spark of life.

Damn it… if only I could shoot fireballs out of my fingertips the way Cinder did!

Her mouth went dry as the thought stopped her cold.

"No," she whispered to herself, feeling the power buck and strain under her skin, begging to be released. "I take that back… I never want to be anything like Cinder."

The Grimm were wriggling their way out of the lava now; she was safe for the moment, suspended in mid-air by circling winds. Roman, however, wasn't. He was backed against the wall, looking a little wild-eyed as he switched between targets, shooting at everything that moved. He still had Crescent Rose tucked under one arm, and she felt a sense of despair.

I have to do something! But without my weapon -

She looked down at her hands, the winds still whistling around her.

No. I killed a Goliath. I'm not helpless.

Doing her best to ignore the powers she didn't understand, she focused her energy into activating the one she did. Rose petals exploded around her as she threw herself towards the sea of Grimm, trying to clear a path for him to escape.

The howling winds following her didn't abate as she rushed forward. She twisted, whirling her arms around, imagining they were weapons on their own. With enough speed, she knew they could be. Before she could attain that velocity, however, the wind accompanying her accommodated her wishes, becoming invisible, razor-sharp blades that followed the motions of her hands, cutting through the Grimm just as her scythe would have. There was no time to consider how strange it felt or how it had happened; she just knew she had to reach Roman before Neo did.

She caught glimpses of him as she fought her way through the half-formed but ferocious Grimm; his eyes were bright, and no matter how good he was at shooting things, there were just too many-

It was almost like watching in slow-motion again when Neo cartwheeled towards Roman, rapier in hand. Roman saw her coming - of course he did, with those eyes. She saw Neo's fury, saw the despair in his eyes as he made his split second decision. She saw the exact moment when he lowered his gun - and his aura.

No! Not when he's come so far!

Something inside of her shook, a dam inside of her breaking.

I won't watch another friend die!

The Grimm surrounding her evaporated into mist; silver light was pouring out of her eyes, destroying every corrupted creature within her reach. Even Neo was caught by the attack, frozen in place with her eyes wide and mouth open. Her rapier had already pressed into Roman's throat, drawing a tiny trickle of blood.

Even though she'd frozen Roman in shock and Neo by force, Ruby herself was still moving, flying towards them in a burst of speed that bled color and light away from her vision.

In that instant of darkness, she knew her mind clearly; she could hear every thought in her head, soft as a whisper and sharp as a razor's edge.

He'd never stop reaching for his goal, running after the Neo that existed in his mind. He'd never be able to see what he was really chasing was nothing more than a memory. The woman he'd loved died three years ago, and Roman would tear himself to pieces to join her.

I'll protect you… even from yourself.

Her scythe of air was even sharper than Crescent Rose, and weightless. She hadn't realized how deeply she'd driven it through Neo's torso until the paralysis spell broke.

Neo's illusion shattered, revealing her ravaged skin and Grimm-like features. Black tears began to gather and drip from her eyes as she trembled. A thin, reedy voice emerged from her lips, sounding nothing at all like Salem.

"Ro… man?"

Neo's body toppled over, sliding away in two halves when the air blade dissipated. Ruby watched, feeling numb as Neo's corpse melted away, just as Cinder's had.

I killed her. She could still use her Semblance right until the end. She wasn't completely Grimm yet. I... killed another human being.

She felt like vomiting.

Roman's mouth opened and closed. He looked like he was going to scream. She thought she might join him. Someone else beat them to it, though. The inhuman screech that turned both of their heads came from womb of the creature in the wall. It, too, had been ravaged by her silver-eyed attack, its flesh shredded and broken. The flesh sac was still intact, though, and Salem's eyes were open. She was looking straight towards them, furious, her loose hair writhing around her head like snakes.

Ruby didn't hesitate. Even with the newfound power coursing through her veins, she knew better than to challenge the pure evil radiating the creature who'd killed her mother. Stretching her arm out, she hooked Roman by his waist and pulled, speeding them both towards the pool of lava.

"No!" he shouted, but she ignored him, pushing them towards the edge of the ledge.

We can make this jump! The strong gust of wind that followed her thought made it a reality, blasting them straight across the lava and through the crumbled remains of the entrance to the staircase.

As she picked herself up, coughing, she noted with relief that Roman must have reactivated his aura, seeing as he wasn't injured. He was still completely dazed, though - barely able to stand, let alone lead them out of the maze of tunnels.

I want that, Ruby thought enviously as she approached him. I want to have the time to deal with all of this crap, too. But the cavern behind them rumbled, and she knew she didn't have that luxury. She'd always been pretty good at separating her worries from her duties. Neo's black tears flashed through her mind briefly, and she shook her head to clear it. My humanity can wait. We need a Huntress right now.

"We're moving," she said as an apology. Then, grabbing Roman by his arm, she ducked and slid her own between his legs, pulling him over her shoulder and standing up straight.

Dangling him off of her back certainly got his attention. "What the hell! Put me down!"

"Shut up and hold on," she snapped back, hooking her elbow around his leg and racing up the stairs. He couldn't have been too comfortable, considering the speed at which she was running, but he did stop struggling and plant his hand in the small of her back to stabilize himself.

There was no time to ask him for directions; the cave was still shaking and the only thing Ruby knew was that they needed to go up. Too many walls, she thought, sweating as she tried to find a path through. Her temper broke, and her eyes blazed with fury.

"Get out of my way!" she screamed, and a blast of wind followed her command, creating a deafening shockwave that tunneled through the solid rock walls. She was already racing through the path before the wave finished traveling, pushing with her Semblance to keep up with the destruction.

She heard Roman hiss in pain as electricity began to crackle around her again, but paid him no mind. He could withstand a little electrocution since she was doing all the work here; maybe he'd even snap out of his funk and help with their escape.

They burst out of the side of the mountain in a shower of lightning, raining dust and pebbles everywhere, and shot straight up into the air. They'd been underground so long that morning had dawned, giving them a clear view of the wilderness… and just how far below them it was. Ruby managed to stop their ascent as soon as she realized what was happening. Roman's additional weight, however, made her wobbly, and they began to sink towards the ground as she lost control.

"Shit! Don't put us down that quickly!" His hand clenched around her arm as they started to fall.

"It's not like I have a choice!" she wailed as they picked up speed, plummeting towards the ground. She tried her best to direct them to a forested area, where the impact might not hurt so much.

"Join the flight program, they said! You''ll love flying, they said! Fucking bastards!"

Roman's panicked expletives did get Ruby's mind to start churning, though. She aimed her feet towards the ground, trying to figure out how to slow them down. Like the Bullhead's jet engines, she thought, kicking her feet towards the ground. After a few tries, it worked; flames spluttered to life under her boots. She kept cycling her feet, and soon a steady roaring blast burst out from both of her heels. It worked to slow their descent somewhat, but it was already too late.

"Grimm!" Roman yelled just before they hit the ground. They broke apart on impact, and Ruby rolled to her feet, coming up fighting.

The wind scythes were easier to call this time as she dodged to the side of a charging Death Stalker and swung her arm around, separating its jointed tail. She dropped to her knees, cutting the legs out from under a leaping Ursa, then shot up and severed the arms off of a pair of Beowolves as she slid backwards from her momentum.

Gunfire sounded to her left; she spun to face it and heard Roman's yell.

"Catch!" Crescent Rose sailed through the air. Joy flooded through her as she leapt up to grab it, unfolding the scythe in mid-air. She spun around, swinging the weapon as she landed and slicing apart the Grimm unfortunate enough to be in her path.

Clearing her way through the Grimm with broad sweeping attacks, she forged a path towards Roman, who was doing his best to get to higher ground. It was easier than before, she noticed as she swung the scythe around, as if the wind was carrying the weight of the blade for her. She didn't even have to pull the trigger to gain momentum on most of her swings, even able to augment her attacks with short, powerful blasts of wind. She'd heard rumors of what the Maiden powers could do, but so far controlling air seemed to be easier to get the hang of than anything else.

"About time," Roman said when she reached his side. He was breathing heavily and his white jacket, already in a sad state before, was now ripped and torn in several places. Despite everything, he'd somehow managed to keep ahold of his bowler hat. "It feels like Salem sicced every Grimm on this island after us."

"She probably did," Ruby answered, eying the sky overhead. Lancers, Griffons, and Nevermores were circling around them, out of the range of their rifles but threatening nonetheless. "Take care of the ones on the ground. I'm going to buy us some time." Collapsing her scythe, she put Crescent Rose away and shook out her arms. "Let's hope this works," she muttered.

"A little help here?" Roman was too busy shooting to keep an eye on her.

Ignoring him, she lifted her arms into a boxer's stance. Yang, help me out, she prayed, taking a deep breath. Then, cringing, she started punching towards the sky, punctuating each hit with a yell.

"For fuck's sake!" she heard Roman groan as her first few punches produced nothing but embarrassment. Just like before, though, she felt the power building behind her knuckles with each hit. A gentle gust of wind followed her next punch; a stronger breeze after that.

Maybe Yang's technique isn't right for me, Ruby thought, releasing her fists as she continued to push weak streams of air into the sky. She thought about the wind blades she'd created underground, how they'd felt like natural extensions of her arms.

Maybe throwing knives? Really, really giant knives? A Griffon was taking aim at them; she was going to have to figure this one out quickly or their high ground would soon turn into a disadvantage.

"Fine, I get it, you've completely lost your mind, so I'll stop asking!" Roman grunted as he spun around her, though he didn't stop defending their position.

Concentrating, Ruby stopped trying to send straight punches into the sky and tried spinning instead while throwing her arms to the side, imagining she was hurling her scythe into the air. The long sweeping motions she made with her arms were more effective; thin jets of air turned into the arcing blades she'd used before. Only this time, they flew forward - conveniently intercepting the Griffon that had decided to dive-bomb them. It separated into two halves in a shower of black blood, crushing a few of the land-bound Grimm surrounding them as it crashed.

"Yes," she breathed, a predatory smile stealing over her face. Then, using her Semblance to boost her speed, she started swinging in earnest.

"Holy shit," she heard Roman say as the blades of wind multiplied rapidly, cutting a hole through the morass of Grimm directly above them. "Hey, down here too!" he yelled, throwing himself to the ground and covering his head.

Ruby didn't stop swinging her arms but changed directions, aiming lower and continuing to force the slashing winds out in every direction. It wasn't long before the charging Grimm were either dead or making a hasty retreat, trying to avoid the hurricane of blades she fired after them. Her attack also had the inadvertent effect of mowing down the forest; when she finally stopped, they were standing in the middle of a wreckage of splintered wood and torn earth.

Roman sat up with a low whistle. "That's… something," he said into the unnatural silence, surveying their surroundings. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "So… I don't suppose you have an escape plan? Because while all of this is amazing, you know they're coming back."

Ruby sank to her knees, panting. Her arms ached, and she hadn't managed to completely heal her ribs yet. "I want to fall over and sleep for about a million years," she groaned, dropping her head forward. Her eyes widened when a cloud of hair that hadn't been there before followed the motion. She grabbed it, panicking, then looked up at Roman. "Did I…?"

He smiled wearily, tipping his hat back on. "Yep. I'd say… around 30ish this time?"

She took a moment to try and process that. "Maybe it was when I healed my ribs?" she said softly, hating the tremor in her voice. "Or using my Semblance together with this… whatever it is," she mumbled, holding up her arms for inspection. Her fingers were bonier than she remembered them being, and the veins under the skin of her hands more prominent.

"Hey, don't take it so hard," he tried, nudging her arm. "You still look better than Goodwitch."

She dropped her hands and blinked back her tears. "Thanks, I guess." Part of her wanted to ask how he was doing, but she knew it was a stupid question, coming from her. She snuck a glance at him anyway and realized how tired he looked. It was more than just shell-shock; he was on the cusp of aura fatigue. "Hey, Roman, your aura…"

He laughed hollowly. "Are those really going to be your last words? Worrying about my lack of aura?" He nodded at the edge of the wreckage she'd created, where even now the first few pinpricks of red were beginning to glow from between the trees. "All that effort for nothing. Sorry, Ruby."

She gathered her panic, insecurity, and sorrow and stuffed them firmly into the drawer in her mind labeled LATER. "We're not dying here," she said, pulling herself to her feet. "So I think I'll spare you the heroic monologue. Come on, stand up."

He struggled to his feet. "Smart. The last time I stopped to give a monologue, it didn't work out too well for me." Then he smirked. "That didn't work out so well for Salem either, huh."

His amusement was fleeting as the Neopolitan-colored elephant between them reared its head. "I guess I should thank you for saving me again." He didn't sound very grateful, but didn't seem angry either. He just looked tired.

Ruby rolled her shoulders, preparing herself. "Hey, where are we parked?" she asked casually.

He turned to look at her for a long moment. Then, sighing, he pointed at something in the distance. "See there? Between where the hill slopes down that way…" His finger traced a path along the horizon. "And that rock formation on the other side."

Ruby tracked the path of his finger until she was reasonably sure she knew where to go. "Thanks," she said. Then she smiled at him. "You know, whoever coined that phrase about damsels in distress never met you."

He chuckled a little at that, and she felt pleased at her small success. "Cheer up. I really won't let you die here."

"I really don't think that's up to you," Roman replied, preparing his rifle.

"Put that away, you won't need it," she said. "Now hold still, I'm going to lift you again."

"Wait a minute." He looked suspicious. "What are you planning this time?"

She growled at him, eying the advancing Grimm. "We don't have time for this!" Grabbing his arm, she slipped under his guard again and hefted him into another fireman's carry.

Roman yelped in surprise. "You know I'm about a foot taller than you!" he sputtered.

"And you're not fast enough to get away from them. We don't have a choice here!"

"Get another idea! This one is terrible!" he said, struggling. She pinched him behind his knee and he howled in pain. "Getting rescued by you is a habit I need to quit," he snarled, and she grinned in reply.

The Grimm were blocking their way forward. Behind her, something roared as it burst out of the ruined mountainside.

"Get used to it," she retorted, bending her knees. Rose petals puffed around her once, twice…

"Oh shit..."

"Now," she said, and launched them forward.

Notes

Can Ruby really carry Torchwick anywhere, being a foot shorter than him, even without any special powers? Why yes, yes she can. Almost anyone reasonably fit can carry another human being using the fireman's carry technique. You can google a million and a half entertaining YouTube videos on this, including ones featuring tiny girls carrying larger men.