Shifting through the darkness as her stubby little legs marched on left the spirit inhabiting the toy with nothing but the reverberating echoes of dull clumping beats. They were the only voice who's words confirmed the steps taken were still her own. Ruby hadn't felt such a fear of the dark since she'd been a child, hundreds of years ago, back when she could still truly call herself young.

Each shadow, though not physical, left nothing in the way of sight for the woman, and so all of her other senses burned blindingly in an attempt to restore sight within their own means. Every touch was, at best, tactile; every sound a sharp pierce of her eardrums non-existent on her current person: no matter the sense, via conscious use or no, they were active and alert with the will of a tragic soldier.

One who, despite their commitment to the cause, had something else on their mind, and who's motivation to trudge on was ultimately the distraction which damned them towards the fate of an early demise: never to see their beloved again.

Such a swell of emotion was strangely refreshing in its own right, and while Ruby knew she shouldn't be feeling this way, she was thankful her overactive focus and mind had seen fit to delude her emotions towards the point of enjoyment. Gaining something real, although also illusory, from her unwilling and unexpected slavery towards one she sought to deceive, it almost made the trick funny to her.

She'd faced destiny itself with the intent to break from its chains, and yet she reveled in the silliness these new, more mortal and comprehensible bonds provided.

This isn't normal, even for me.

Internally she sighed, now understanding that the comfort she'd been presented through ridiculous circumstances was most likely another deception to do her in. Although, it somewhat forced the spirited toy to dwell on a new question of sorts: just what did Merci gain from manipulating the mind of one already within her grasp?

But hey, at least she got to add 'mind probed' to the list of things she officially experienced now... or did this count as a spiritual lobotomy? It hadn't been the first time she'd been mentally assaulted - Dust, it was the entire strategy of the Dread Weepers - but it was the first time someone actually managed to manipulate her emotions on such a deep and personal level.

In the end, she supposed it didn't matter, as with every passing step the strange ease of which her falsified limbs moved increased. The 'skin' she bore now wasn't real, and neither were her own feelings. It was all so blatantly fake, to the point she began to speculate just what it would take to experience reality again.

Delving deeper into the dark, she began to question even the air itself, and the lack of light surrounding her did it no favors. Looking back, she should have been able to see that solitary cell, the one who held the man she sought to save, if only for herself. And yet, nothing but black was presented to her. Lifting up an arm, she found that even her body had vanished without a trace: realized only due to physical feedback... or, at least the illusion of such.

Letting the invisible limb drop, Ruby began to wonder if her 'eyes' had given way, and even tried to open the lids further, knowing well the eyes she looked through were mere dabs of paint.

"No... don't you heathens da-!"

.

.

Sound returned, painlessly of course, and yet her head was swirling. Ruby immediately wanted to know where the noise was coming from, only to realize that something was amiss.

Gone was the weightlessness barely coating her within its blanket, and a light breeze bit at her fingertips. There was cloth on her body again, and while it swished similar to what she'd imagined the whole time so far, this cloth bore a distinct difference towards its previous cousin...

She felt it.

Feeling was a basic function of skin: a reaction born from a series of signals to tell the brain that something was contacting the skin physically. This was useful in discerning whether such contact was dangerous in any way, such as a blade splitting the squishy shell of which said brain governs. A signal is sent, and through the use of panicked nerve-endings, it alerts not only of the presence of danger, but sends cells to repair any and all damage.

This was an important distinction for Ruby to focus on, because her time in the doll had presented no such intricacies, leaving her with only one conclusion as to why such a basic unnoticeable function had returned.

With what little strength she managed to pull out from who knows where, Ruby attempted once more to open her eyes, just as she had from within the doll. This time though, it worked, and while that alone wasn't a surprise, the scene before her was.

"See?" Monolith's smirk was Human, but not in an honest sense of the word: more so 'Human' in the way that it looked natural on her. The emotion displayed was genuine, proving that the creature masquerading as a woman found the current state of things satisfactory. "As I said, she's very much alive."

"Ruby." Thorn rested his hands on her face, feeling her as if the reactions and slight twitches of her skin were his only raft from a sinking ship. Quickly his hands fell to her restraints, and he himself strained as his words deepened to reflect the act. "Hold... on... while I get you... out!"

That last bit was followed up by the sudden departure of the pressurized web embracing her. Rather than leap out, she took the time to breath and take in her surroundings. Merci was within the arms of their 'leader', with her calm mask still in place, even as her two previous 'allies' laid torn apart in pieces littering the room, no different than discarded junk.

How both she and Thorn got in was a question she needed to press on, but right at the moment, Ruby just wanted to stand on her own again..

Attempting to get up was a no-go though, and she nearly fell from the makeshift torture rack. Thorn saw this however, and caught her the moment she began to dip.

"Easy, I've got you."

"How did you get here?" What would further accompany their party and rebellion could be discussed at a later date, she needed to know how they found her. Yes, she was grateful for their rescue, but it felt almost too coincidental for her liking, and Ruby suspected foul play; especially on Monolith's part. The woman was anything but Human, and even as a Grimm she went beyond the usual threat. She was something dark: an abyss with no bottom, and a threat that, by her own word, would need to be felled if Ruby was to continue with her work.

"There was a deviation in the delivery." The Grimm began, playing with the skin around Merci's neck. "What should have been a simple trade within an abandoned warehouse was soon reported to be moved off course."

"I..." Ruby had to stop, holding back a cough who for some reason tickled the back of her throat. Her mouth was dry, but that simply stalled the question: a question Monolith apparently knew already.

"Completed your part in the plan: yes, you did, and quite expertly might I add." A softer smile fell in place, Human again in the way her previous expression was. "But, as the leader of our little gauntlet, are you really so surprised I had extra eyes following your haunt?" With her free hand she gestured to herself in an almost flirtatious manner. "Oh, I knew you'd complete your part, but I had absolutely no faith in the other petty vagabonds sprinkled throughout the exchange. At any point there could have been a hole in the road: greedy thugs stealing from the crates; an unknown street-grabber looking for their next score; perhaps even a redirection along the route, or..." The Humanity on her face suddenly lost a portion of its believability. "A change of route altogether?"

"Bravo~" Merci went to clap, only to scream instead.

Ruby was no stranger to broken bones, so when both clapping wrists were split apart at near one-hundred and ninety degree angles away from one another, she could somewhat understand why that would provoke such an ill-fitting response from one who seemed to lust on pain. Apparently, Merci herself couldn't take what she gave.

"Apologies, but nobody gave you permission to speak." Monolith, finally showing how insignificant the woman in her hands was to her, walked back into her unfeeling tone. "So I suggest you learn some obedience."

Dropping to her knees, Merci whimpered partially as she glared upwards and back. Ruby wasn't sure why the beast let her go, but that was rectified immediately after by a loud crack. Monolith's boot fell hard, not on any individual arm or leg like Ruby expected, but against the back of the neck, who now held up the make-up smeared face no longer. There was still some slight breathing within the immobile body's chest, but the shattering of a neck - even more so in this era specifically - was a death sentence.

A slow, agonizing wait for either starvation, or windpipe collapse; with any luck, it would be the latter, as there was a chance some of the spine's vertebrae stabbed through the throat, allowing internal bleeding to do her off in a few hours. It was agony, but tame compared to suffering until the body gave in.

"There we are: nothing can interrupt us now." Monolith faced her again, but rather than sputter anything in relation to her current lack of energy, Ruby instead asked a fairly bland, albeit pointed, question.

"Were you really keeping her alive all this time just to kill her in front of me?"

"Unfortunately no. While I'd love to say it had a purpose..." The thing kicked hard at the struggling head, twisting it in a way that surely cut off Merci's airway; a quick, merciful death for her was coming after all. "You just happened to wake up from your nap right as I was getting to her."

Ruby said nothing to this, twisting her gaze towards Thorn, who'd been quiet through all of this. She saw the jumpiness in his eyes, clearly uncomfortable with something. The man was a well-worn warrior, and so she found it irregular that he appeared somewhat frightened: although, it was masked in a sturdy gaze of indifference. While intriguing, it was completely irrelevant for the current situation, and so she chose to stick her headspace firmly in the moment before her.

"You two broke me out alone?"

"The others are securing the rest of the property."

Ruby waited a little bit for more, but showing oddity once more, he never continued. That was all he had to say, and her suspicions of everything happening were doubled. He was genuine moments ago, so what changed? Sending her attention packaged back at Monolith, Ruby lightly pushed Thorn off of her side: having recovered enough strength to move on her own.

"You didn't go through all this trouble just to save me. What's really happening here?"

"To put it in simple terms: the plan has failed."

"What?" Ruby cocked a brow, falling back on a more stiffened defensive stance. The woman right in front of her just claimed that their efforts were in vain, and yet not a single ounce of frustration presented itself on any one part of her body.

"You heard me: our scheme is done for." Twirling around, Monolith took the time to step on the chest of the soon to be corpse at her feet, and Merci's body, in response, twitched a bit in an attempt to expand the intake of an already limited air source. "With your capture and the movement of the goods, the merchants we sought to deceive have fallen back on themselves, returning to the usual bickering that landed this kingdom in its current volatile state. The provider of our 'stolen' silks has opted to report the idea of robbery to the local guard, who merely stated they would look into it. Fed up, they've simply decided to remain put as the debates above continue to rage. To be quite blunt: I'm sick of it."

Sick of it?

That sounded weird, especially for not only a creature of darkness, but for the character of the woman herself. Monolith Chrome, the leader of the rebellion, did not strike as one for inaction or mild discontent. She acted and moved with the calculated determination of the very destructive monster Ruby herself was slowly morphing into; almost literally to an extent.

Case in point: Ruby didn't believe anything it just said.

"What's happening?" Ruby shot her question to Thorn. Of all people, he at the very least stuck out as consistent most of the time. He'd not only answer her, but he wouldn't be pulling any of the deception Monolith was trying so valiantly to pull. There was no reason for the merchant who's goods she robbed to simply abandon his merchandise's safety to the hands of the local defense. For people as rich as him, they'd usually hired personal investigators and soldiers all on their own to reclaim their stuff.

Thorn, at least appearing as honest as she believed, did not deliver any better news.

"We're moving through with a direct assault."

"What?!" And like that it all compounded for Ruby.

"All our current forces are on the move." He had this tense air surrounding him, which made his explanation all the more foreboding. "With all our soldiers combined and the suddenness of the attack: the local warriors, both noble guard and independent mercenary alike, won't have either the time nor coordination to properly mount a defense." His eyes locked with hers, almost pleadingly. "They stand no chance against our combined might."

"You impatient bitch!" Ruby whipped around with a resounding fury sparkling across her nerves. Most rebellions were set in motion via excessive planning and strategy: a series of events both manufactured and luck based. And yet, there was restraint within it all. Even the most excessively violent rebellions had at least some moral backing, no matter how twisted the logic was. Monolith though, she just started a war on the streets, endangering both innocent and guilty alike. She was a Grimm, so it was to be expected, but even so, Ruby had expected at least a little restraint; considering what type of Grimm stood before her.

But she herself, in the end, didn't really care for the lives of the innocent: it was more that her rage was directed and armed based on the worry regarding a single individual. For Ruby, all that came to mind amongst this news was Pebble: a young boy in a rich mansion, which was just waiting to be sacked.

"Impatient?" The skank chuckled aloud. "Why, I say I've been quite patient so far. I'm just taking the next necessary step: tell her, Thorn."

What?! Ruby whipped back, only to feel her heart sink as the man nodded. How the Dust could Thorn even agree with this? He was actively putting his wife and soon to be child at risk? Did he even care if they died?

"It'll be over quick." He said again, with a calmness that betrayed the jittery motions in his pupil, and only now did she pick up on this discrepancy; only after the rush of awakening had faded. "We'll take control of the castle, and burn the streets to embers: eliminating all threats, both Human and Faunus alike"

Those words... they weren't being spoken by Thorn, they were being spoken through him.

.

.

"More wine, madam?"

"No thank you: I've had more than my fair share already~"

Cinder wasn't sure what was easier: pretending to care for the foolishly ignorant upper-class she'd drenched herself in, or the trip to acquire a welcome to the 'ball' thrown by the far too complacent Jacques Schnee.

"You should take the offer." And then there was Watts, as headbuttingly annoying as always. "Perhaps a few shots will help keep your noggin on track."

"I'm capable enough as is, and I haven't lost sight of our true objective." Whispering low on her lip could be seen as suspicious, but with how entranced everyone else was at the ball - minus the staff who appeared to merely tolerate everything just enough to do their jobs - left none to witness her act.

"An objective that still hangs in the air. Dear, don't lose sight of that while enjoying the high life. As pleasant as the idiocies of wealth are, you can only drown back a few bottles before even the sting of alcohol begins to succumb to the noise."

"Well acquainted with their patterns, are we?" Cinder allowed herself to be swept with the crowds once more, mingling wordlessly from one small group to the next until she drew near the southern end of the lobby.

"I said I'd get you an invitation through untraceable means, did I not?" He hummed tauntingly afterwards, and as much as she wanted to, Cinder chose not to react. "Even for one such as I, merely hacking in would still leave your entrance unexplainable: hence why the methods I took to get that invite were more than mere coding could offer."

"Special friends, I presume?" She already knew the answer, even as she came to a standstill at the table nearest the hall.

"And wealthy ones, if you must know."

"Ahh~" A slimy smirk dripped unconsciously along her lips. "So I owe my thanks to them, as opposed to you." She could almost feel him stewing through the com stashed within the hair clip next to her ear. "Quite courteous of you to direct credit towards the proper recipient."

"With my accomplishments, I don't need to take what isn't mine; something you sadly aren't capable of, not in this situation at least."

And he still knew how to get on her nerves regardless. It didn't matter though, not when her next step of action was making her way towards the washrooms. Not bothering to speak a rebuttal, Cinder strolled up to the hallway containing the sought after cubical of nature's call. Her eyes remained locked on the armed guard as he stepped into the door, and wearing a devious grin she too slipped in.

"Hey there handsome~" After seeing they were the only ones in the washroom, which wasn't all that hard as it was a single room containing nothing but a dolled up toilet, sink, and bath; clearly this washroom was only meant to serve one person, opposite of the set down the hallway on the other end of the lobby.

"W-what?!" The guy had his pants halfway down, and was embarrassingly trying to cover up his exposed lower-half.

"Hush now~" She drew close, placing a hand before his lips and allowing the darkness coursing throughout her hand - that evolved portion of her being - to latch around his neck with its boney nails. "Make this easy for me and sleep~"

'Sleep' was putting it lightly, but seeing as he couldn't exactly move while his life was being sucked away through her arm, she imagined it was more fitting a word than 'die'. He dropped still, lifeless and motionless; not exactly like one would imagine a ragdoll falling, but dead nonetheless. His body - not quite dead yet, but very much close - could do nothing as she carefully removed the soldier's garb.

It was a little loose, but at least it looked the part. The helmet especially would shield her face from immediate recognition and allow her to walk right up to Mr. Schnee's precious office without so much as a second glance. It was far too simple to work, but seeing as everyone was so distracted with Jacques' stupid party, none of them would bat an eye as one of the guards took off to oversee yet another hallway.

Facing no obstructions, nor prominent interactions: what should have been a stressful motion for many became a casual stroll for her, right on up to Mr. Schnee's office. And thus, Cinder opened the door, stepping in for all of a second before a brief gasp overcame her. Silently, she allowed a tiny smirk to rise, and seeing the curiosity before her, she shut the door and slipped off the helmet.

She needed no privacy when it came to him.

"Fancy meeting you here." A tiny burst of excitement filled her to the brim. How and why fate had seen them cross paths once again was unimportant. For now, she just wanted to gauge his reaction. "What ever happened to death do us part?"

Oddly, he didn't look at her with disdain or hate. No, all she saw was a blank white canvas where a man's heart should be.

I see... you've changed.

As for whether it was to her advantage or not; well, that remained to be seen.

Author's note

...

Cinder had an easy time getting in, but as we've learned, Watts did most of the work. At least she had a simple enough time getting to the office, but as for what happens next... she may need more than a little luck.

Who knows, she might just get it.

The brute of this chapter falls around Future Ruby however, and as you've just witnessed: it ain't exactly good.

Sorry I don't have much to say, but finding the will to write is getting harder by the day. You'll still be getting regular uploads, but for now, you'll need to settle for these shorter chapters. But hey, at the very least I had a little fun near the start of this one, so that was a thing.

Until next time.