【ȍ_ȍ】The time this took to write… (And it would have taken more without the wonderful Pedro Alonso Buby Huayanay Zam!). Part of the wait was because I went back to Issues I & II of this story and gave them quality of life updates. There's no plot difference, but if you've re-read them —first off, "THANK YOU"— you may have noticed they read different (Better?). I've learned alot from writing this story, as well as classes from skillshare, and reading literature in general (both the good and bad). Turns out writing, "Suddenly…" can kill all the surprise I'm trying to give my readers (You WONDERFUL People). It accounts as a stadium sized 'heads up'. I hope to do the same updates for Issue III while I write the next part.
Speaking of which: I am, hesitantly, optimistic, I can finish the next part within a month and a half. More info, and response to all your wonderful reviews, at the end of this issue.
Please, if you like the story ➔ Follow and Favorite! Were one story away from breaking onto the front page of the most Favorited RWBY x Spiderman Stories. Help us get to the top! ୧⍢⃝୨
Enjoy…
THE BLACK SUIT ARC
Last Time on:
What if Ruby was VENOM
Grimm claws stab her flesh
She falls on the kitchen floor
The Klyntar must eat
Patch - Xiao Long-Rose House
The fridge came crashing down from the ceiling, spilling its health food insides everywhere. Dozens of drawers were ripped from their hinges and entire cabinets flung across the kitchen by the angry scavenging tentacles.
Where Is It? Where Is It? Where Is IT?!
They tore apart the cupboards, flinging tofu chips, nutrient bars, bottles and bottles of pills & supplements, all clattering around a yipping Zwei.
WHERE'S THE FOOD!?
Dark strands puppeteered a half-dead Ruby down and shoved her face first into the cabinets. She slowly blinked to, nose deep in a Jack-n-Jill's 'Meat' bag, and croaked, puffing out bits of her throat. "h-here…" They tore open the bag, stuffing the entire thing down her gullet—Two kilograms of raw protein dropped in and was beset upon by voracious black worms devouring everything, before tasting the cellulose…!
Ruby keeled over, retching as rotting tentacles exploded from her mouth and flung away all the Jill 'Meat'.
'What is this Rotten Nonsense!' they shook.
"fuwoo-odD?" she choked between wriggling tubulars. 'NO!' Ruby flinched.
'You said you had a feast!' Venom screamed from inside her head, pulling back inside their blistering, pus filled tentacles.
"ALL WE COULD EAT!" you said?… Y-You Promised!
"i-i know I did—Then Where Is It?—right there!..." she pointed a shaky finger at the pile of vomit. "..-and there, and there, and there, and there!" The entire room was filled with Doktor approved, nutritious protein goodies. Why couldn't they eat that?
You wanted to feed us this *Hippie-green* sharing circle Grimmshit?
They slammed her hands, cracking the countertops. It's PLANTS!
*PLANTS!* *PLANTS!* *PLANTS!* *PLANTS!*
They emerged oily and serpentine, giving their host a most livid *huf* before storming off—dragging Ruby across the built in furniture. More pill bottles and useless green glop cascaded down from the cabinets above, while the Symbiote's flesh continued to disintegrate away in white powderflakes. Already, the ligaments needed to keep their head high fell to short supply.
'This is FUBAR! I'm basically spare parts and adrenaline. And you-
She dropped, head cracking off the hardwood floor.
Are Napping?…Unbelievable.'
"s-sorry…"
*Ow*
Rubys' mind swam through rough seas between fading motes of consciousness. From the corner of her right eye, the one not pooled over in blood, she saw a mountain of 'something'. The dehydrated fruit-puke pile, millimeters from her face.
Over her life (post Grimm mauling) she'd become quite familiar with all kinds of barf, doing it only on days ending in 'Y'. Every combination her stomach made was an intimately familiar one. But this disgusting belfry was distinct in a way none before had been.
It'd come back dry as a bone.
Ruby pressed the fingers she still had lightly against her stomach. They sank down to their third knuckle.
*Heh?*
This is no time for jokes you dunc- Ruby? What are you doing?
Her mitt was now fist deep into her torso. Vertigo gripped her in its thrall as she watched her arm become a stump, cut off by her stomach wall. Rising over this feeling though, was a tactile, bumpy sensation flowing between her fingertips. She was holding her spine, feeling its individual vertebrae slide over her digits.
'Fuk—-_'
A-Are You OK…?
'…'
Right, stupid question. Hold on!
They flipped her over, feelers scouring her now very cold body for any tangible vital signs; first and foremost, a pulse: \/\—\/\/\—- Dead silence. Her one silver eye grayed, she wouldn't respond to their slapping, and somewhere inside her brain the Symbiote felt a mote of red light begin to untangle itself from flesh.
'No, no, no, NO!' They warped out two tentacles and began frantic compressions on her chest.
Oh Shit-
*PRESS!*
Oh Shit-
*PRESS!*
Oh Shit-
*PRESS!*
Shit—*PRESS!*—Shit!
Ruby flopped like a fish. 'You are NOT Leaving Me Alone!'
*PRESS!*
Why? Won't. You. Beat. Your big, meaty, delicious tasting heart-
*Oh-!*
The tendril morphed again, becoming a crude, third grader's anatomy project, throbbing in their helicoid. They shoved it down the trachea, careful to avoid her brittle forest of 'breathing-blood-tube-bag-*things*', and snapped it in place like a space Lego.
*Ba-Bum*…
The Symbiote looked down at her with their large running eyes.
*Ba-Bum*…
Come on Ruby…
*Ba-Bum!*
*Ba-Bum!*
*BA-BUM!*
Ruby shot up, head smacking Venom. "What's going on?! Where am I?! What happened?!". She karate chopped the blurry dark spots in her vision, getting cries of *Ow* and *Stop That*.
"What, Venni?".
'Yes-yes, it's me,' they trapped her hands inside their meshwork of slime. 'Please stop punching me in the face'.
"Oh my Gods, I'm so sorry. Are you ok? What happened?"
'No-nothing. What matters is you're OK now'. They tried to smile as their iridescent meshwork became brittle and flaked away. Ruby took it in, floating all around her, and snapped back to meet her friend's eyes.
"What? You-" More lifeless white spread across their form. They had been overburdened again… By her.
"Did I die… Again?"
The Symbiote pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Ruby *eeked* out all the air from her chest, before returning the hug, tentatively patting her friend's crumbling back.
I've got you now, so don't worry.
"Uh-huh" Ruby nodded aimlessly.
'Listen to me. You're tough,'. Ruby's head shot up. 'The strongest on the planet. A… — "A Hero?" — A SuperHero! It'll take more than a 'missing heart' to bring us down'.
Her lips began to shake up, becoming a mad ear splitting grin.
"Y-Yah, you're right! –[You know it!]– "And I'm not gonna let anything happen to you too -(Awww)- We've got this; and I don't care if my heart is miss–"
'Wait!'.
"–MISSING?! What do you mean my heart's missing? I still had 3/5 of it this morning!".
'Ok-Ok, soooooo.. don't get mad-' Ruby's eyes widened.
— ◎⃝⃘ —
"You Ate my Heart! WHY?! Why would you do that!?" Ruby screamed across the room, throwing non-edible nonsense over her shoulder. A metal frying pan smacked off the Alien's head with a satisfying *THWACK* as they scoured the pantry away in their half of the kitchen.
'Well I'm sORy,' they huffed, snout deep in Fruit Loops, 'But unliquefying your body required burning some spare parts'.
"The 'Heart' isn't a spare part! It is the exact opposite of a spare part," she hissed, eye twitching. Her hand gripped her chest and felt the new lopsided beat vibrate through her fingertips. A sloshy, mismatched tempo that seemed to wheeze blood through her veins with a splutter.
"And You Didn't Ask…"
Yes I Did!
–No you didn't!"
–Yes I DID!
"WHEN!?"
You said "(Don't eat my pancreas)", so OK, I ate around it-
"Oh my Gods…"
-Then you flip-flopped and served me it on a silver platter. Begging me to dig in.
"I thought you needed it to help fight off the Grimm!".
"Needed" is a strong word, but it's insulting in Klyntar culture to turn down free food, so I had to gobble it down whole. Hands were tied.
Ruby screamed into her fist, blinking back tears.
I won't apologize for saving your life—"Co-saving Our Lives! You said we're a team, remember?"—Yes, yes, ofcourse, but I did all the legwork.
"Oh You MotherF—" she gulped down her rage. 'Keep it cool, Rubes. Just find the food, feed the *Wonderful* alien, and keep it cool.
'How is this box of ground bread and insect bits the best you've got?'. They threw away the fruit loops (showering Ruby with tacky colours) and flew to the end of the closet, jerking her back and forth, forcing her to claw down into the countertop with what remained of her hands to stop from flying back into them.
Keeping it cool! Cool as ice!..
'I will not eat your Lice! —*What?!*—And it wouldn't be enough. You promised us a feast, and without one you won't survive…'
"W-what?"
The alien snake looked back at her over their winding ridge, but wouldn't meet her eyes.
'With meat I could remake what I was forced to take. Build you back better than before! But I needed what you promised–And you, Ruby Rose, are a liar' they spat!
"I'm NOT!" She whirled around, and felt things—not organs—slosh around inside her torso. They moved without consent, playing a game of operation through charades. Some were…crawling around on what felt like hundreds & hundreds of insect legs.
Her lips trembled "How was I supposed to know you can't handle your veggies?!" She pointed a finger at the snake.
'Look at my Teeth!' They shoved their face into hers and barred their giant miss-match fangs. 'Do they look like they belong to some Soy-Boy Betacuck?'
"WTF… are you talking about?!" she hissed.
'I am a predator,' they rose to the ceiling, dwarfing her in the shadows. 'Born to hunt prey and tear it apart with my Fangs!'
*Plop!*
*Plop!* *Plop!* *Plop!*
Said fangs fell out as the muscles in their face rotted, impaling the ground inches from her toes. The two looked at the fangs and then back at each other, then back at the fangs.
"I. Told. You. We Had Protein-
—Yes! Meat
"Not Meat. Never said meat!".
Ofcourse it had to be meat. —"Why!?–"And you were gonna give me your most premium cuts!
"NOoOOo!"
'YEeSsSSS!'
You wanted to pamper me with the finest cuisine. Tasty delights that could only belong in the fanciest brasseries of Space France.
"What. The Fuck. Is 'France!'" she screamed.
Ruby collapsed, struggling to breathe on *whatever* bits still remained of her lungs. The Symbiote hovered over her, but snaked away as soon as Ruby glared at them. They rechecked the cupboards for what was now the third time, tearing them from their sockets and smashing them against the opposing wall. They glanced back at her before snapping away their head.
"Venni I-"
'Your communication skills are dog water,' they interrupted.
*Bark-Bark*
'See, Zwei agrees'. Ruby grit her teeth, shrugging off the intense pounding that kept suckerpunching her, and dragged herself up using the empty island in the kitchen center.
"Well, I'm sorry," she coughed.
You Should Be!
"But I'm not a flipping Mind Reader! How was I supposed to—…! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Say that again".
Say what?
"—Anything!" Her manic grin stretched dark shadows across her face. "You're speaking Valeish, aren't you?" she pointed at a now skittish Symbiote. "Not Vacouain, not Mantlesian, not whatever the Hel you speak in Space!—'English'—"You chose a language I know! How did you know that?". She tapped her foot, awaiting any response.
'Well, uh— "And you're not even using real sounds! Your teeth *just* dance… You're. In. My. Head! Why didn't you know about this!?". She swung wide, toppling the peaks of their health-food mountain ranges. The Symbiote tried to meet her gaze, but the looks she leveled, one burning silver eye and its bleeding nightmare cousin, threatened to stuff them in a blender and flip the switch..
'I-it's not my fault' they winced as pure hot rage leaked from the little girl.
Look, I've been through alot tonight!. Got pimp-slapped by a planet, set on fire, and almost eaten!
"That last one sounds real awful," Ruby drawled.
-My PoiNT, is I really didn't have time to immerse myself in your life's story. And it was a verrrrrry difficult read. Nothing happens everyday, yet it somehow always gets worse. I didn't need that kind of negativity in my life rn!
"Oh You-" C#ckDieselFlipping-F#ckingShittydrivingDockterButcherC*mdrivel!
'What was that?– "Read→My→Mind."
Venom stormed off in a huff and busied themselves by checking underneath the sink.
"Hey Venom…" her voice came out soft and sickly sweet as events from the night clicked. "Did you earlier give me a big *proud* speech about how 'everyone thinks I'm a living cancer' based on a SparkNotes of My Life?!"
The symbiote froze.
…OK, but was I wrong?'.
"What you-
—Was. I. Wrong?
"…"
"There has to be meat in here, somewhere". Ruby spun away as the Symbiote's gums crinkled up into the smuggest expression. They bopped around her head so Ruby would be forced to see it no matter where she turned.
"Just- help me find food please".
'Ofcourse!' they said with a twinkle in their dissolving eyes.
'I mean, there's no reason your family would eat the same algae paste as you do.'
Ruby's new heart *stopped*. Memories of every single breakfast, lunch, and dinner ran through her head; each day eating her medical vegan food while looking across the table to Yang and Dad, watching them grab her same food, and with repressed grimaces munch down on it too.
She'd told them that they didn't have to, but always: 'They'd look at her, nod along, and continue to eat her food…'
"GODS DAMMIT!" She screamed!
The kitchen island smashed through the window, tumbling out in pieces that flew through the air before getting impaled in a nearby tree. Enraged, desperate tentacles tore across the house's bones looking for anything that might hide food. Two emptied refrigerators, the pantry shelves, couches and cushions all came flying out with the kitchen sink. They ransacked dresser drawers, clothes pockets, and under all their beds, finding suggestive photos of Mom she never needed to see.
-Nothing-
Ruby fell and watched in horror as her legs shriveled to the limp 'T-Rex arms' she grew up on. The *thump* of her friend hitting the floor grabbed her attention. White, festering patches had almost overtaken all their dark blue, whittling them down to the shriveled up worm she'd found them as.
All this, and nothing's changed.
"Venom I-I'm sorry". She cupped the tiny being in her hands. "You can still make it if you get meat right? Well, I'm meat" she quaked.
'Absolutely NOT!' they roared in spite of their state.
"We'll both die if you don't-"
—I Am Not A Parasyte! Get that idea out of your head and help me look.
They struggled to pull themselves up, falling twice for every inch they rose. Ruby lifted them up, but her hands shook. Soon even this would be beyond her.
"If…when I die, you can still use that?
It won't come to that!
"But when it does, I'm ok. Really, I got to run and fight Grimm! Plus, I'd save your life…"
*Bark BARK*
"See, Zwei agrees".
'You don't speak Do-'… they blinked, '-dawg…'. Two pairs of eyes swiveled to Zwei. He gave them a friendly yap and Venom's tongue rolled from their mouth.
"No! Nonononono!"
'He's perfect! Just enough to keep us alive'. Sharp, needle-like teeth strained themselves through their putrid gums, inching closer to the happy corgi.
"But, I can't," she stated, pushing Zwei away, only for him to run back and lick her all over.
'It's him or you, Ruby, but go ahead. If you think your family could survive finding you here, bones picked for every bit of meat?' they chuckled, shrugging with her shoulders while guiding her hands towards Zwei. She shook her head, trying to find a way out, but-...she couldn't do that to Dad. He'd be the one who found her, and what it did to him the first time- No, she couldn't!
'Dew It!'
Zwei looked up at her, radiating joy. His chonky little paws drooped over her hands as she held him closer.
"I'msosorryZwei!" Her mouth mutated into a horrid nightmare. Enamel knives spinning in a blender, splitting wide enough to send her dog down in one bite. Bulbous eyes whites spring from her snout, dripping down to get a better view of their meal.
Zwei gave the front fang a quick puppy kiss; his adorable big eyes looking into theirs without a hint of fear. Ruby prepared herself a sickening wet crunch and final scream from Zwei.
"I'm sorry".
Venom yanked the dog away for her razor teeth, 'What the Hel are you doing, you Monster!?'.
"Wha~
'How could you eat something so cute and innocent?' Zwei happily barked as Venom put him down, immediately catching sight of, and chasing their tail.
I thought I knew you, Ruby Rose, but you are a monster.
"But it was your pla–'
A MONSTER!
"I- I'mma just gonna let you…you deal with… *Fuuuuu—" She fell into blissful unconsciousness, prompting Zwei to snuggle up beside her.
Her partner gave her a passing glance. 'Yes, sleep on what you almost did. I'll get us out of this mess'. They rose up, following their nose and stretching themselves to the limit.
'I know there's meat, I can smell it! But where…'. They struggled further up, tasting the scent of fresh blood on their lips.
It's here! Hidden in the ceiling?
Ruby's body shot up, sticking to the ceiling and startling the dog. Sorry Zwei.
*Bark* (All's cool).
Now where are you? They punched through the plaster and found the source stuck in a trap and still twitching.
*Bing-Pot!*
Ruby felt herself floating past on clouds that could sail past the atmosphere, taking her to strange stars and frightening galaxies. Down on Remnant, something warm and delicious drops itself inside her mouth. She chewed, savoring juices and flavors she's never tasted before. It was pure, melting in her mouth, in a word:
"Savory…" she smiled and opened her eyes.
Before her was a squirming rat tail wiggling from inside her mouth. She could feel the pitter-patter of tiny feet try and force their way out before her jaw clenched down, popping it like a meat ballon. She tried to scream, wide eyes darting left and right at piles and piles of bloody rat traps.
'Oh, you're awake? Great! One more should do it'. They came at her, looking livelier than ever, and brought a fat hairy rat to her face. She freaked, squatting and punching and trying to crawl away, but the sleek glistening blue tentacles weaved around her efforts and stuffed it down her throat. She felt it drop inside and be remade into fresh new organs.
*Hmmmmm* Maybe one more, just to be sure'. In a blink another tail stuck out of her mouth.
Annnnnd that was her limit! She conked out for the final time. The last things she heard was the earsplitting screech of tires and a human voice screaming out:
"RUBY!?"
*KaPANG!*
The 8 gauge buckshot's bang cracked off the dark walls, bouncing every which way, off overturned tables and rattling down giant soot stained windows. Blake's cat ears instinctively tracked its echoing through the great hall, twitching involuntarily as soot flakes snuck past her bow's thin fabric. The room was drenched full of it, snuffing out the colour and caking up her throat. Bright, wide amber eyes glanced everywhere, exhausting the hall's details. Pillars cracked apart, dropping their rafters to the floor; the tables lined along the east wall kept in a neat row, cutlery meticulously laid out with every napkin folded into little white flowers… The floorboards pulled up and splintered by jagged bedrock bursting out like black warships breaching the seas. Ornate large cathedral windows were polished clean from the inside, with faint unnoticeable purple sparklets zapping the soot flakes that flew too close. A spiderweb of cracks ran down the walls, revealing the skeleton structure underneath; and above it all, an ornate glass chandelier hung dainty…
'What-.. is… this Semblance!?' She backed away, forgetting to breathe.
Yang screamed and she snapped her head back towards the blonde. She was fighting through the metal girders, trying to drive her fist through something colossal before her. They groaned, tightening themselves around, their enormous weight scraping across the wood floor as they dragged her back. Yang fought against every centimeter, stretching her fist out, even as metal coils wound themselves into her weapon's fine machinery.
Her smoking muzzle dragged back and out of its tip came a tiny fiery-red ember. Its glow washed over what little it could, revealing a monster's face inches away. Green. Livid. Eyes. Glared at the 4-dozen volatile pellets fighting against their power. They flashed and jittered, mixing their light together with the violet fist imprint left on their right cheek. White knuckles clenched a riding crop in hand as the firelight continued to mask the attacker's face, digging deep shadows which stretched a white lipped scowl into a look of pure unadulterated fury.
With a flick of a riding crop Yang was sent flying.
She choked, legs kicking 50ft high in the air, while the ratsnest of twisting steel beams twisted around her neck. Blake screamed her name, but she couldn't hear, couldn't speak, too busy blasting away with her free one hand. Down below a lunch table splintered apart besides Blake. Shaking of its sawdust, the glowing metal frame heeled up, shooting past her and at Yang. It dodged her erratic fire, snaking around the arm before snapping it behind her back. Her teeth cracked aura while more metal unwound itself to jam between her hammers. Her guns clicked and she screamed.
"Put Her Down!".
Those green terrible eyes flicked towards Blake -catching her mid reach for her weapon, both arms trembling.
"Please…". She dropped her hands. The glare shot back to Yang, deepening to a glower as the flood of curses continued to rain down…
"You're-" she raised her riding crop at the floating girl, "Yang Xiao Long. And you—". Her crop swung back as she recalled with absolute clarity the Student Directory, "-are Blake Belladonna".
Blake took an involuntary step back, darting her eyes towards the exit.
"Cowards."
Professor Glynda Goodwitch hissed the word. Pure, thick venom dribbling out between clenched teeth.
"The both of you… Feckless. Disgraceful… Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" She tightened the noose around Yang's neck.
"You're choking h-!"
"You abandoned us. Spat on your Duty and our Laws. And for what? ". The giant marched past the little-light, shaking the earth with every step she took. Thunderclaps of Howitzers rolled in from outside, mixing with her footfalls, to the point where Blake's panic couldn't tell them apart. She towered over her rail frame by a full meter, the second greatest combat potential on Remnant, leveling her weapon at her throat!
"Assault & Accessory to a Senior Huntress during a national crysis. That offense… is unforgivable; especially for a promising Huntress-in-Training like you.. two". Her face shifted into a sneer as she spat out the title. Yang kicked and choked, her Semblance blinking faint yellow underneath the Huntress' own.
"Stopp it-t! NOW!" Wide amber eyes shot from Yang to the Professor, narrowing down to slits.
"She stops resisting and I stop applying force, it's that simple". The condescension was tipped off by a quick eye roll only Blake could see. She sent a dismissive flick up at Yang and the thick metal beams groaned, ringing together the dry tones of crunching bones.
Yang writhed against her confines in desperate, caged beast ferocity; but as yellow eyes met manic red, Blake swore they were pleading.
"Well? I'm. Still. Waiting."
Yang thrashed, spinning the cage, for which the girders further constricted. Blake's eyes darted back and forth—a mile-a-minute—racing down any possible solutions. Escape was impossible, the Huntress knew their names. But— She could just get a new name. Start over in a different kingdom, again!
Yang couldn't.
'But what could she do?' Possibilities, problems and pointers all zipped across her mind, searching for the saving excuse that had to exist! "You-Y…".
"YOU Didn't Identify Yourself!"
"…What?!"
The entire room dropped past ice into the fifth state of matter. Quantum uncertainty became mute as arrested atoms stretched down in waves of terror gripping their hearts. Goodwitch froze, caught between a death stare and surprised; and Blake, shell shocked by the words which jumbled from her lips.
Yang stopped kicking and listened in, while the thundering fire outside ebbed to soft pops in the backs of their minds.
"You ~ehm~ heard me!". She stood up before the giant, swallowing every instinct that said 'Run'. "Please, put yourself in our– No, *Anyone who comes through that door's* shoes. A large… Menacing… figure, painted pitch black by all this!-". She waved a hand in front of her eyes and coincidently stumbled in a way she hoped seemed natural.
"This giant black shape *Creeps* towards us, incapable of speech (apparently); and all this during a Grimm invasion. What's a rational person supposed to think?!"
"Yang?"
*Choking Noises*
"Exactly. You acted like a Grimm and Yang responded accordingly".
"Are y—Are you being Serious?! – I did not *Creep*!"
"As serious as the law is regarding these situations. It's all spelled out in our Hunter's By-Laws.
"Oh you're versed in Vale law?" She guffawed.
Blake crossed her arms. "Vale, among other Kingdoms. I like to sometimes research interesting cases to pass time between novel releases".
"Is. That. So?"
Blake hummed, "Well… it may not be as innately gripping as classic literature, but if you pay attention, the law can be just as fascinating".
Purple violent waves rippled off Goodwitch, sending the rubble river between her and Blake scurrying. In three short steps she was upon her. Blake stood tall and firm.
"Section 1-" Blake slowly dropped a finger in the Huntress' face. "-Paragraph VI, Schedule 四: All field-active Hunters must clearly and audibly ID themselves to anyone they reasonably believe might be nearby –be they Civilians, Hunters, and/or any official Militias– so long as it is possible and safe to do so". She spoke in a level-legalees tone, confident the shadows kept her smirk a secret.
"Failure to do so may result in a license hearing to discuss suspension or expulsion, among other disciplinary actions—".
*CRACK!*
"Are you saying this is my fault?". Goodwitch demanded, smacking the crop against her palm. Above, Yang choked out a laugh.
"Not me" -she deflected- "But established legal precedent does:
People of Rosas v. Asha, a friendly fire tragedy that killed one hundred in 2279; Gascoigne v. Yharnam Hunters in 1837, with even more tragic loss of life; but if you want more recent, in the year 3095, the Mount Glenn Militia v. Alucardo" she thumbed each case off with a new finger. "Etc. etc…. The same dilemma, the same rulings passed down. I could go on, but wouldn't have enough fingers to scratch the surface. Maybe all of Beacon could lend their hands if you want to do a full case coun-".
Professor Goodwitch walked past Blake, forcing the Dustshot to follow her in lock step. She absentmindedly waved her crop at a broken pillar, making it stand at attention and support its rafters once more. Purple wisps leapt from her crop, some filling in the cracks in the pillar, others traveling through the castle wall, wherever they were needed.
"I gather the law is dear to you? I… can respect that".
"It's more that I appreciate justice, Professor".
"Quite". Goodwitch stopped and glanced back, giving her a smile which never reached her eyes, before raising them up at Yang. "You're accomplice, however, does she share your appreciation?". Yang rattled her cage and Glynda chuckled. Her eyes narrowed.
"Explain that".
The imprint of Yang's fist still hovered above her cheek, shedding fresh flakes of aura. They twisted up in a haphazard dance, corroding the mark into a sickle-skeletal grin carved up to the Professor's eye.
"I d-don't"—
"You can't say? Isn't that convenient…"
Blake grit her teeth. "So, I guess trainees are held to the same standards as a fully fledged Huntress?".
"…"
"Thought so" Blake twisted the knife, "Wonder what a judge would think too, if you were to bring this infront of them?".
She glared at the Professor and the Professor glowered back, their leather crop screaming beneath her fingers.
…
…
…
"It… seems you're right, Blake Belladonna. I have made a grievous error".
Blake's jaw slacked open!?
"First free moment tomorrow, I will submit an unabridged report of tonight's incident. And I will accept whatever reprimands the Dept. of Internal Affairs deems appropriate".
Air rushed out of Blake's growing smile as GW killed her weapon's light. A second later Yang crashed face first, along with her cage.
"GODSDAMNMOTHERFUCKER!"
She rushed to check on her, still smiling ear to ear in the dark and almost pulling her into a hug, before shifting to help dislodge the still cussing blonde's head from the metal mesh. Goodwitch gave the display a terse 'tut' with her crop.
"Ms. Xiao Long, if you would kindly take a moment to refrain from vulgar language, I believe you owe your friend a debt of great gratitude…".
Yang, with clumps of her hair still entangled in the wreckage, looked at Blake, tracing her soft smile.
"She's quite the smooth talker, managing to drag you out from underneath your Least. Serious. Offense."
She crushed their firelight and drowned the room in darkness. Yang whipped around, disoriented. Blake froze as the world bled out all colour before her eyes.
"You left everyone behind to die. What's your excuse for that?".
She marched towards them, wraithlike through the pitch black, brandishing her whip. *Click-Clock* The heels came for them. Weak denials choked in Blake's throat. Yang stepped in front of her, hair forgotten, and gauntlets cocked.
Purple phosphorescent flames burst from her riding crop, incinerating the darkness. She jabbed the terrible light an inch away from their eyes. Yang winced, but Blake's eyes screamed, Aura bubbling over into amethyst winking blisters. She fell to the ground, caught at the last second by a big, powerful pair of muscular arms.
"You deserters— have committed the Capital offense". The light screamed at them.
"Vale Deserves an Explanation!"
End of RODAN Part 1!
To be ◎⃝⃘ Continued
If you liked what you've read, please Follow & Favorite❤️!
Author's Note: Wind blows, rain falls, and my updates take forever. Knocking on all the wood I can find, I think I can get the next update out within a month and a half. My writing process is as such: I create a plot outline, then a screenplay, then drafting. The screenplay is, as it sounds; my story in script format. This lets me figure out the moment to moment story beats and plan out visual storytelling. RWBY is a dynamic visual masterpiece, and just because I don't have the avenue of motion pictures, doesn't mean I should discard such a key part of its soul. Same for comic books, their visual, kinetic marvels, and visualizing and planning everything as I would a movie helps give that soul a new form. Still, when making the jump from script to draft, the former doesn't fully guide me on what prose, dialogue, and descriptive vernacular I should use.
Why am I bringing this up? Because the script to the Entire Issue of Rodan is written. I just need to key in the proper prose, dialouge, and descriptors and *BOOM!* new update.
Speaking of Updates, I will be leaving a progress update in my Bio for my stories. I should have done this from the start, and as always, my door is open for your correspondence. I will also feature progress updates for my side project Korra: Destiny's BIZARRE Child. It's a pulpy crossover between Legend of Korra and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure & it will not take time away from What if Ruby was Venom. Working on it helps with the burn out with my prioritized story and allows me to experiment and learn techniques I can incorporate back into "What if…" The idea of the Avatar "master of all supposed spiritual powers" trying to reign balance over STANDS, which are as numerous and individualized as snowflakes in a blizzard, is a fun concept that I'm surprised no one else is trying. 乁༼ ‿ ✿༽ㄏ
🎧 Elbphilharmonie-MixTape🎧 : No official tracks for this update, but I did listen to "Comical World" from Bleach while writing the frantic kitchen search. Goodwitch's theme, aesthetic, and vibe for her scene, and the scense to come, is "Pontiff Sulyvahn's theme" from Dark Souls III. So yah, Yang and Blake are *F#CKED*
Reviews: Every response I get (positive, critical, and beyond) lets me know I'm not shouting into the void. I can't understate how much I appreciate each and every review!
OCansino: The student characters who have personalities that would have helped Yang in her desire to rescue Ruby are Jaune and Pyrrha (and Ruby herself, but she is the one being rescued).
I wish the story had focused more on Ruby and Venom, the main characters, and less on the others.
Also, the idea of Yang falling in love with Blake felt too rushed. Unless they don't end up together, just like Sun and Blake.
Thank you for your review and I'm super jazzed that the Ruby and Venom parts of the story are your favorite. They're mine too. Its kinda wild that the story has shifted so much focus away from the titular characters, but I guess that's just me adhering to the example of the source material 😅. All kidding aside, Yang was fucked up by what happened to her and Ruby when they were kids, potentially more so than Ruby (Yang would trade places with her in a nanosecond). Ruby's got her legs back, so isn't it fair if Yang has a chance to get her life back as well. Plus, whether Yang's arc resolves positively, negativity, or a mix of the two, the resolution will let us put a pin 📌 in her story and then focus fully in Ruby and Venom.
I do believe, from the bottom of my heart, that Blake would help a stranger in need, especially a legless little girl. She may be cagey about herself and her past, but none of that is a factor here. It's just a black and white scenario of saving an innocent child from the Grimm. That's what she signed up for when she snuck into Beacon. Sure, it's not the best career move, but what is she, a Schnee? People matter more than status and position.
I agree, it definitely would have been more logical and efficient for Yang to tell her plight to as many Hunters-in-training as possible, but Yang doesn't have the best, or any experience for that matter, with strangers helping her. That scene in the monocolored room [see Issue 3] with the boy who was afraid of peacocks and his mother… Take that moment and multiply it by the entire population of Patch. The island Hates her. She's not going to make herself vulnerable to outsiders, especially when every second matters and she needs to go. She needs to go Now!
Strangers were not her friends, no matter how much she wanted them to be. The only reason Blake is there is because she accidentally vented to her in a moment of fear and weakness and now Blake won't leave her alone.
Kolomte'49: You take notes on my story for your reviews, that's INCREDIBLE! Take as much time as you need to write and review, I'll always be ecstatic to receive them :)
Yah, Yang's PTSD episode was Fucking Dark! If you struggled to read through it, just imagine writing it. It felt like stabbing my heart and then twisting the hilt, jiggling it around for months unabated. But it had to be that way. Yang's one of the bravest people in fiction. What shocks her has to terrify us. Otherwise it's not authentic to the character nor to the medical condition.
But speaking of dark moments, Lasher being an absolute dick to dogs was another part that was Not fun to write. I hoped to juxtapose Lasher against the Venom Symbiote with how they treat their hosts, and if your review speaks for everyone, we all agree: Lasher is an evil sick little fuck!
If the dog torture was too much, I have a link below where you can find the best dog charities in the United States. Real life "Lashers" exist, but with your help, you can save their victims and give them a loving home ❤️
( impactful .ninja/best-charities-for-dogs/) Just delete the spaces and add the usual link headder. PM me if it doesn't work
I'm so happy you love the Venom Symbi's and Ruby's interactions. Venom has brought a much needed light into Ruby's life. Plus, the pair make for a great cuttaway whenever things get too dark on Yang's side.
abusealexc123: I'm thrilled that you like it. Sorry my updates take awhile. This Issue had a hectic: "do-or-die cranked at 11", prose, which took some time getting right.
EdoShadow: Please, continue to flatter me. My Therapist alone cannot overcome my Imposter Syndrome :)
abuseskyway920: YES! Just, yes! Down to discuss more in PM.
abuseMobian: Thanks for your help regarding Aura lore specifics. I'll reach out if i have more questions
Monster King: Thank you so much. Super glad to see you at each new chapter drop. BTW Mr. King of the Monsters, I loved your most recent film. Godzilla Minus One is a theatrical triumph and you should wear your name with pride ❤️
Simp Shout-Out: Godzilla Minus One. Go see it in theatres, go see it in IMAX. It is astounding, devastating, heart wrenching and Godzilla.
