Disclaimer: Everything is Rooster Teeth's.
Reviews:
Guest 1: F for the gals.
CykaBlyatintensifies: Thanks for the like.
Guest 2: Chiiiill dude.
Guest 3: Time to find out.
Knight of the Thorn Crown: We'll see. I do have one pairing in mind though.
Guest: Four months late, but here it is.
TheNineNerdGhouls: Yeah, that tick me off too. Time to face the music.
Hellfire and Brimstone: I'll do what I can.
JagermeisterSki: Thank you.
Guest 4: Interesting theories. We shall see.
Guest 5: The long wait is over. Let's get on with it.
Felix couldn't be any happier even if he received a pile of money falling from the sky… Okay, he lied, he would be happier if that happened, but this was a close second. This was the first step on a personal plan of his, and a big damn satisfaction he felt after hearing those holier-than-thou bitches try to get in the way of his job.
The Bullhead the beautiful Neo brought to get them out of that highway landed on a warehouse on the outskirts of the city, with the Paladin getting detached from it before the ship touched the floor and setting it to the side.
Roman hopped off the cockpit and brushed his suit. "Thank goodness this thing is still clear," He said as he took out a cigarette and lit it up, taking a long drag from it. "Ah, gentlemen, thank you for your cooperation tonight."
"You're kidding? Best night I had in ages… but it could be better, right Neo?" He said, looking at the mute girl with a sly look behind his helmet.
She put a hand to her mouth, pretending to be scandalized. Then she extended her hand and used her Semblance to materialize a sign that said: 'Keep trying, pretty boy.'
"Or better yet, give it up," Roman said with a glare and Felix had to roll his eyes behind his helmet. Seems the guy has a protective complex on the multi colored girl. "I was going to invite you for a drink, but now I'm rethinking my options…"
Neo made a pouty face behind her while Felix just scoffed, his suspicions confirmed over what posture the orange haired thief had for the Ice-cream Goddess. Locus remained silent, standing behind Felix with his arms crossed behind his chest.
"Whatever," Felix told the man. "My Ice cream Goddess and I have to go back to Beacon from our 'date' so if you aren't going to treat us to that drink then start talking to our boss so she gets our first payment."
"Tell her yourself, ass. She's your 'classmate'," The told him with a glare, walking away with his staff before going to Neo and whispering something on her ear. Whatever he said caused the girl to roll her eyes in a way a teenager would do to an overprotective father.
And considering what he's seen so far, the comparison wasn't that detached from reality.
"Felix," Locus said from behind him, his cold tone cutting through any victorious thoughts Felix had over the night. "We have to talk. In private"
"… Can't it wai—"
"No," His tone, firm as stone left no room for arguments and Felix felt his body stiffen.
He wasn't the only one to notice; behind him both Neo and Roman grew tense. The silent soldier barely said a thing in the time they've known him, but hearing him speak sent shivers down their spines, they were quite sure that out of the two assassins he was the most dangerous of the pair.
"I, uh… have to make a few calls," Roman said, taking out his scroll. "Gotta make sure the new animals know our meeting spot after that whole spectacle…" He said with an awkward chuckle as he walked away.
Neo got off the Bullhead and skipped behind the thief. She passed by Felix and gave him a pat on the shoulder. The mercenary didn't know what to make out of that…
"… Alright, lead the way," He said with a sigh, gesturing the man to take the lead.
Locus turned around and walked inside one of the warehouses they were using as a base. The room was dark and filled with crates, probably one of the many places where Roman sent the Dust he's been stealing this past months.
Then Locus activated his camouflage and Felix immediately went for the hilt of his sword, only for him to receive a hit to the cheek and then one to the gut. His sword hilt got removed from his hip and a tight grip grabbed his throat, and he gripped the invisible arm holding him.
Locus became visible again and Felix glared at him behind the helmet. "What the fuck… Locus?!" He asked in a wheeze.
"That girl from the highway," Locus said in a calm yet accusatory tone. "You've injured her gravely, you were aiming to kill her."
Felix looked at his partner with eyes full of disbelief. All of this was because of what he did to that blonde bimbo?! She got what she deserved for snooping into their business, and Felix wasn't shy to tell that to Locus, "Just… doing our job!"
"Our job was to get away from them," Locus said, gripping Felix's throat tighter. "I know you Felix, you enjoyed hurting her."
"S-So what?!" Felix spat, his hand trying to reach for his magnum. "It got us away!"
"I spared your life Felix because I believed there was some good on you," Locus told him, making Felix tense. "But if you are going to use this mission as an excuse to continue on your ways then I won't doubt it. Regardless of who you were in the past, I will make sure you are not a threat to anyone else."
Felix glared at him with hate filled eyes. Who the hell did he thought he was? Telling him how was he supposed to act, how he was supposed to do his job, who he was supposed to be?!
If only he realized how ironic those words were.
Locus released him from his grip, Felix staggering back and coughing while massaging his throat. "Don't even try to tell Cinder about this," Locus warned him. "Even if she decides to hunt me for treason, I'll make sure to hunt you and drag you to hell with me and this," he gestured to the sword hilt he just grabbed, "Will stay with me."
Felix could have started foaming from the mouth after that declaration. He knew exactly what keeping the hilt was: a failsafe, if he turned on him then he won't have a way to beat him easily by cutting through his aura. And if Locus killed him, then the sword will belong to him.
The silent mercenary walked out of the storage room, using his camouflage to not be seen, leaving an enraged Felix behind.
The man clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, before howling with rage and firing with his magnum at a wall. Even on his enraged state he knew not to attack the crates in case they exploded. He fired until his gun clicked and then he threw it at the wall, still fueled by rage, humiliation and a hint of fear, he started pounding the nearest wall until his knuckles started feeling numb, his armor being the only reason they didn't bleed.
Once he calmed down, he took off his armor and walked out of the warehouse where Neo was waiting for him with a curious look, but a glare from him caused her to look away.
Now they had to go back to Beacon and act as if nothing ever happened at all.
He started on the top and fell down, and hard because of Locus.
'I have to find a way to get rid of him…' He thought, as he followed Neo to their transport. 'And it has to be sooner rather than later!'
"Do you have, any idea what you've caused!?"
Ruby wanted to shrink under the glare of Miss Goodwitch, but more so under the gazes of Ozpin and General Ironwood. She could basically feel the disappointment and disproval on them. On the headmaster's screen was a video of what happened, recorded from an aerial perspective, how Roman wrecked cars on the paladin while chasing Blake and Sun and how Weiss froze part of the highway… causing more crashes… and then a recording of their fight with the bad guys up to when Yang is stabbed through the stomach.
"Over more than sixty persons in the hospital, with grave wounds that range from trauma, deep cuts on their bodies, burns. YOU ARE ALL LUCKY NOBODY DIED!" She yelled as she slammed her riding crop on the headmaster's desk, which didn't even flinch under such action. After a moment of silence she added, "And for the sake of Miss Xiao-Long that luck should not run out."
The reminder of her sister's situation caused Ruby 's eyes to fill with tears, though she didn't let them fall. She remembers how the police had surrounded them, taken her away from her form as they called an ambulance, her pale complexion and her eyes barely open.
She didn't even want to imagine what their father would say, or Uncle Qrow. If Miss Goodwitch was reacting like this by only being their professor, then she didn't want to think what they'll say.
At her side she saw Weiss holding her left arm awkwardly and Blake looking at the floor with a lost look on her face. Both of them affected for their failure just as much as her. They were supposed to go out there and be heroes by busting Torchwick's operations not get beaten and get arrested and get scolded…
Miss Goodwitch huffed and fixed her hair and glasses; she crossed her arms and gave them a glare that caused even Weiss felt a shiver running down her spine. "What possessed you to do something this foolish?!"
"… The White Fang had to be stopped… they are planning something big and someone had to do something," Blake said, raising her head from the floor and giving them a stare with wavering determination.
"And you think of the police department of this city, of their Huntsman, of us to be so incompetent that you couldn't go to them, to us with this?!" Glynda asked, her tone raising with each question.
"T-The police didn't showed care before!" Blake tried to say, remembering the day when they met Sun and her discussion with Weiss.
"Oh, so going out by yourselves and putting others in danger is a proof that you care Miss Belladona?!" Glynda asked rhetorically.
Blake flinched and looked down. Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but for once she seemed to be out of words to say. Ruby just continued to look at a wall, feeling miserable with each ticking second.
"Glynda, if I may?" General Ironwood asked, giving the woman a look. She huffed and looked aside, which he took as his cue to speak. "Ladies, as said before you're actions here were irrational, moved by nothing but arrogance for your skills and distrust on us, authority figures, professors, that had led to property damage that will have to be paid by Beacon as those who respond for you and to one of your teammates. Tell me, did you at least do something that made any of this worthy? Learned anything that could possibly make this something to be proud of?"
And wasn't that the worst thing? They didn't achieve anything, Roman escaped, they didn't learned anything from those mercenary guys, and they even took the Paladin with them.
"No…" Ruby said, not able to meet his eyes.
The general sighed and walked away, standing to the left of Ozpin's desk. The headmaster stood up and the three members of Team RWBY tensed.
"Team RWBY, as you know I have expelled students for less," Ozpin said as he walked in front of them. "Over things that are not as grave as the crimes you have committed today. Because yes!" He said, not giving them the chance to speak as they wanted to protest over the word 'crime', "Crimes is what you have done today. Vigilantism, property damage, and breaking curfew, those are the crimes you have committed tonight and that have caused my authority as headmaster to be put to doubt!"
He didn't raise his voice, but the way he spoke make it seem as if he was using a megaphone on them.
"And I'm sure that by my decision tonight, it will be questioned further…" He said with a sigh. "We cannot change the selected teams for the tournament, even if Miss Xiao-Long is currently out of commission there's still a long time for the tournament to happen, enough for her to recover. So be thankful, team RWB Y you will remain here at Beacon."
The news eased a bit the knot Ruby felt in her stomach, but not by much.
"However, that doesn't mean you won't go unpunished. You will be in detention for the rest of the semester, you will be kept under vigilance at all moments, you are forbidden to go out on the city, and you will not attend the upcoming dance," Ozpin firmly listened their punishments, and when Weiss wanted to protest over this a simple gaze from Ozpin—Not even a glare, just a gaze—caused her to close her mouth and keep quiet. "Fail to keep in line, and then there will be no other choice but to expell you. Understood?"
"… Yes, professor," The three said in a defeated tone.
"Dismissed," He said with a wave.
The three left the room, heads down and feeling as if their world had crumbled down.
"You are too lenient with them, Ozpin," Glynda said after the girls left the room. "This is not a behavior fitting for future Huntresses and one that can't only be punished by a slap on the wrist!"
Ozpin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was not so proud to admit that if it wasn't for that video leaking, he would have tried to brush the thing under wraps and covers. To even praise Team RWBY for their task on uncovering the plans of Torchwick and the White Fang, but with his position as headmaster in question he had to act accordingly.
"Glynda," Ozpin started. "You and James know the reason why I just can't let go of Miss Rose. She is quite possibly the last Silver Eyed warrior alive; her potential has to be groomed if we want an advantage over Salem's forces, as well as keeping her safe. Huntress or not, Salem will not allow someone that involves a risk to her plans to live. Keeping her in Beacon and train her powers are the only way to avoid her sharing the same fate as Maria… or her mother."
Glynda crossed her arms and gave a sigh. "It's playing favorites."
"It is," Ozpin said with a shrug. "But it's for her sake. And keeping her team with hers is too, Summer didn't have any back-up on that last mission. A mistake that I won't repeat on Ruby, her team will stay with her no matter what," He said. 'Or at least I hope so.' He added on his mind.
James cleared his throat. "I think this is an issue that can be discussed later, but for now, we have to review this video. If the White Fang and Torchwick are somehow involved with Salem as Qrow's message state, then there are some things that we have to investigate. Especially the participation of those armored men."
"Are you sure it isn't Atlas armament?" Glynda asked. "Roman obtained a Paladin, what is to say he didn't give these men a prototype of sorts?"
"I can assure you Glynda that nothing we have comes close to what these people achieved," James said as he asked Ozpin silent permission to use his computer. The man nodded and the general opened the video showing the fight between Team RWBY and those men, "The ability to turn invisible and to keep track of a Semblance like Miss Belladona's, a shield made of what I can assume is Hard-light Dust, and most worrying of all, a sword capable of cutting through aura like butter."
Glynda grimaced as the footage of Yang getting rammed by the sword was shown; Ozpin kept a stony face and kept watching. "No one in Atlas had achieved that kind of technology yet, not even Pietro," James told them. "If Salem can achieve this kind of technology, then it means bad news for all of us."
Ozpin nodded gravely, yet something didn't fit right with all of this evidence. He has fought Salem for a long time, and known her for even longer, and she had never relied on technology to gain an edge on them. Why bother when she has an endless at her disposal, one that grows and evolves with the passing of the centuries. Sure she might be changing tactics, deciding to try new ways to defeat him and get the relics, but then how could she have obtain such technology and why not give it to her more loyal agents instead of an unknown man.
Or maybe those two were new agents Salem sent to test new weaponry and keep an eye on Roman for whatever he was planning to do with so much Dust.
But then there's the issue on how this is related to Autumn's condition.
And then there was something else he noticed. Something of a much smaller scale, but that a part of him noted as important.
"In any case," Ozpin said, giving a sigh. "If we start to look for them, panic will start rising, questions will be made, and that's the last thing we need during the time of the festival with so many representatives of the others kingdoms present."
"But Oz—" Ironwood started.
"We will find them, James," Ozpin interrupted on a firm tone. "But right now there's not much to go after they vanished, and the few Faunus that were captured know next to nothing according to the police, heck most of them are just youngsters who joined out of impulse, not because of believing in their cause."
He could tell James wanted to roll his eyes at the word 'cause' he didn't had anything against Faunus in general, Ozpin met his Ace-Ops and some of them were Faunus, like young Marrow or the impulsive Harriet or the calm Tortuga, but the White Fang has definitely being a torn for Atlas and therefore for James.
"I think this reunion is over," Ozpin told them. "I will inform Qrow of these developments, both about his nieces and about these new elements."
James regarded him with a hard look before exhaling and nodding. "Very well then, I'll leave it in your hands Oz."
The two adults left, leaving Ozpin alone on his office. The man took his chance to rewind the video that was leaked, he advanced to the part where Team RWBY fought the criminals and zoomed in on the fight of Miss Belladona, pausing on a moment where her weapon clashed with her opponent's.
The shield had a different painting as well as the hilt, but the blade couldn't be confused. He helped Jonathan Arc forge it after all, a long, long time ago.
His eyes narrowed even further. That man possessed Crocea Moirs, which meant he might know what happened to young Arc.
'Nicholas will have to know of this…' He thought, remembering that the man will arrive this weekend to have a… 'chat' with him.
He sighed. A bad feeling forming on his gut as he leaned back on his chair, things on the underworld were starting to grow out of his control and he will have to find a way to fix them.
She didn't look like herself.
Blake is aware that she hasn't known Yang for that long, but that didn't matter to her. She knew her partner was a fiery spirit, someone lively and expressive not afraid to tell what was on her mind. The times where Blake woke up early and caught a glimpse of her partner sleeping form told her that even then she couldn't stand still, always tossing and turning and adopting the strangest positions to continue her slumber.
To see her completely still, with barely any color on her face caused Blake to feel sick.
Because it was all her fault…
She wanted to go after the White Fang, she's the one who told them of her worries, and she didn't put up a fight to keep them back. The White Fang was hers to deal with; they were her past coming to haunt her for allowing the once peaceful organization from turning into a terrorist cell, for not stopping Adam from going down a path not of justice but of vengeance.
And it was her responsibility because it was the legacy of her father, tainted by her immature ideas on what they should be. She had to be the one to stop them, to make them see the wrong of what they were doing, to remind them for what they were fighting for. Not for terror and violence, but for equality and peace.
It was not responsibility of her team. They shouldn't have gotten involved, she shouldn't have let them.
"Blake?" She looked up to see Ruby, who was coming out of the bathroom. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her scroll tightly clutched on her hand, possibly the aftermath she received from her father's call. "I… have to go back to our dorm. Weiss is still outside?"
"Yeah…" Their teammate had told them she was getting them something to drink the moment Ruby received her call.
Just when they said that, Weiss entered the room with bottles of water. "Here," She said as she gave one to Ruby and one to Blake.
"Thanks…" Ruby said as she grabbed hers, with Blake mouthing a thank you to her. Ruby didn't uncap the bottle, just fidgeted with it as she looked at Yang's unconscious form. "What do we do now…?"
"Nothing," Weiss said sharply. Then giving a sigh and massaging her temples. "Look, Ozpin was very clear. For now we have to play by his rules, if we want to continue to be in Beacon. That means to not get involved with Torchwick anymore."
"But—"
"She's right."
"Blake?!" Ruby turned to her and Blake sighed.
"Ruby, Weiss is right. And even if we weren't under Ozpin's eye look at Yang!" She said, gesturing to her partner. "Weiss is right… and was right before that. We are just students… we shouldn't have done this."
Ruby visibly deflated, but it was something she had to hear, even if it broke Blake's heart to destroy her leader's fantasy even further, the more cynical part of her told her that it would help her to see the world wasn't always fair and the good guys don't win all the time.
"… I'll be going back to our room now…" Ruby said, head lowered.
Weiss sighed. "I'll go with you," She turned to Blake. "You're coming too?"
"I'll stay for a bit…" Blake told them. "I'll go back before bed time…"
The two nodded and left the room. Blake sighed and dropped her head into her hands.
She lied to them. She told them they should stop looking into the White Fang and Torchwick's activities, but she lied.
She wasn't going to stop, but they will never know about it. It didn't concern them, it shouldn't concern them. She shouldn't burden them with what was her responsibility. Not Ruby, who had a bright future ahead of her with her talent, not Weiss who has opened her mind to the good in Faunus, and certainly not Yang who didn't deserved to be on a hospital bed because of her impatient and imprudence.
If she was going to stop the White Fang, she will start by doing it alone. Gathering information and then following Miss Goodwitch's advice to trust a little more on authority figures. No matter how biased the police department might be, or how busy other, more capable Hunstmen might be.
She gripped Yang's hand and gave a weak smile. "Don't worry Yang," she whispered. "I will make things right, and I'll do anything to make it up to you."
Her eyes narrowed then when she remembered something crucial. There was one person that could give possibly give them answers about this what she wanted to know.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Ugh…" He was going to kill somebody. He had a night that started on a ten, went down to a zero, and now with this annoying sound was on a minus ten. "It's freaking Sunday, who is it!?"
"Renny, make it stop!" Nora whined, tossing her covers over his head.
The calm teen didn't hear her; he was wearing a pair of plugs to sleep as well as a mask. If that's how he kept his female-ish looks then he wasn't one to judge.
"Coming… coming…" Pyrrha yawned as she walked to the door, wearing a red pajama and her hair loose. Felix hated to admit, she looked cute. She opened the door. "Who—"
"Hi, is Felix here?" That voice made Felix tense, but he continued to pretend to be resting.
"Blake? What is th-?"
"Is he?" She asked again, more forcefully than before.
'This oughtta be good…' He thought as he got out of bed, wearing only a pair of boxers and a white shirt as he walked out of bed. He stepped next to Pyrrha and gave the kitty a half-lid look, "Yeah?"
"I want to ask you some things…" She said seriously.
Felix wanted to frown, but he only scrubbed his eyes with his fingers. Before he could speak, Pyrrha crossed her arms and gave the girl an unimpressed look. "Whatever you have to ask our teammate, you can do it with us present."
Blake gave the girl a side-eyed look, before exhaling harshly. "Where were you last night, Felix?" She asked sharply.
Felix held back a snort. So she finally had the guts to confront him, due to Locus' slip she had her eyes set on her, didn't help he made it painfully obvious that he was the same guy as the one she seemed to despise so much. She wasn't as subtle as she thought she was, he noticed her glares that threatened to burn a hole on his skull.
And why make it so obvious? Well, because what proof does she have? That he uses knives? One of Cardin's ball of idiots did as well as he wasn't half as badass as he was.
Oh that reminds him maybe he should do something against the three stooges that expelled Arc. Either a thank you dinner, or a gift basket, if it wasn't for them he wouldn't be here right now, like Ruby did!
But first, to deal with the kitty kat.
"I was in a date with Noire, from team CMEN," He told her without missing a bit. "You can go ask her, although she's not much for words."
He wasn't completely sure about that one though, maybe she could talk or maybe not. She was sexy anyways.
Blake continued to glare at him, before huffing. "Then I'll do that," She said.
Nah, she won't walk away that easily.
"What is this all about anyways?" He asked while crossing his arms. "What is it to you where I was anyways?"
"… It doesn't matter," She said, trying to brush it off.
"I think it does," Pyrrha said. "You come here, bang to our door and ask Felix about what he last night for no reason?"
Jeez, where was this Pyrrha when Arc was expelled? Instead of the girl that avoided him for over a week without something useful to say.
"Look, I'm sorry for the trouble but it doesn't matter—"
"Is it because of last night's news?" He went straight for the kill, taking no amount of satisfaction at how she paled.
"What news?" Pyrrha asked.
"Noire and I saw it on the club where we went last night," He said, walking to his bed and taking out his scroll from his nightstand. Nora had woken Ren up for this show, he noticed as he passed by. "This girl and her team caused a show last night."
The two other members of NPR walked to the door, where Felix showed a feed of the events of last night. He leaned on the doorframe and gave Blake a look when she tried to slip away, and found funny how the faces of the girls of his 'team' grew with outrage at what they saw, while a barely noticeable frown formed on Ren's face.
Pyrrha closed the video and glared at Blake. "What were you thinking?!"
"Listen I—" She tried to say.
"How many people got hurt because of you!?" Nora asked accusingly.
"It was Torchwick, he—"
"You guided him to the highway," Ren said with an edge to his voice. "He was chasing you, and of all places you went to a highway."
"Guys just, listen to me!" She pleaded, and Felix thought he deserved an Oscar for keeping a straight face through it and he decided to add fuel to the fire.
"I wonder how you are even in Beacon." He said, adding disconcert to his voice. "I mean, their teammate, Jaune got expelled from something that wasn't as bad as this, yet she's still here."
"That's different-!"
"Yes it is," Pyrrha said, handing the scroll back to Felix. "Jaune wanted to help people, and if I had been a better partner I could've helped him in growing stronger to make his papers a reality. You? You and your teams put innocents in danger, when Weiss is always talking bad about Jaune for what he did?!"
Blake stayed quiet, lowering her gaze and looking like a wounded pup.
"Why did you come here?" He asked her. "Why did you wanted to know my night, when you were clearly busier than me."
"I… He… One of the men we fought was named Felix, and used knives just like him!" She accused, regaining a bit of her bravado.
Felix huffed. "Right, because if I'm criminal infiltrating in Beacon I would make it super obvious, not using an alias or other weapons? And in case you forgot, I had a date last night and Noire can attest to it!" He fired back, taking pleasure on how Blake flinched back due to his alibi.
Everything was quite, Blake had run out of things to accuse him and NPR's patience has run out.
"Don't come close to our team again," Pyrrha told her cool as ice, entering the dorm and closing the door behind them.
Felix sighed and ran a hand through his face, fighting the urge to smirk as all attention was drawn away from him and the animosity between his team and those bitches had grown. Now if kitty-kat tried to bother him again, he'll have them to back her up.
Nora shuffled to Ren and he gave her a hug as she buried her face on his chest, while Pyrrha buried her face on her hands.
Welp time to play the good teammate part.
"Guys… I'm sorry about all of this…" He said, scratching the back of his neck.
"You… you have nothing to apologize for, Felix," Pyrrha said as she wiped some tears gathering on her eyes. "I just… I can't believe they could actually do something like that! I thought they were better than that…"
Felix sighed and gave her a friendly pat on her shoulder. "Maybe they did have good intentions… I can't condone what they did however; actions do speak louder than words."
"Neither do I…" Pyrrha said as she turned to him with a frown. "I'm sorry about that, Felix."
"If I don't have a reason to apologize, neither do you, any of you," He told them, before giving them a smile, "How about we go for breakfast, dibs on the shower first!"
"That… sounds grand," Pyrrha said, smiling a bit, with Nora and Ren's spirits lifting a bit as well.
"Okay, I'll be out in a bit," He told them as he walked to his bed to grab his clothes and entering the bathroom.
Once the door closed he allowed his smile to stretch further and further. The ties between his team and RWBY's have been severed thanks to the cat and Team NPR now had his back covered. It seems like what happened to Arc made them more protective of their little team. He could use this on his favor…
His scroll dinged and he pulls it out.
Cinder: I've seen the news and the consequences for Team RWBY. Good job, here's the accorded.
He smiled as he saw a screenshot and the many zeroes from the bank account Roman set for him and Locus. He already has half of the money, and soon he'll have the other half once the lady gives the order.
The day started on a zero and was progressing to becoming a ten again.
Now, there was only one last person he had to cut away from those bitches. One person that he didn't wanted roaming on his plans anymore.
Ruby sighed as she tightened a screw on Crescent Roses, her mood still dampened by last night's events, something that not even working on the forgery of the school helped on easing.
The call she received from her dad was not exactly what she expected. She expected him yelling, grounding and threats to get Crescent Rose away from her and banning cookies and strawberries from the house.
Instead he asked calmly what happened and she almost broke in sobs when she explained. Then he sighed tiredly and said… he expected better from her and that they would talk soon when he comes to check on Yang.
Yes, she didn't received anger, but disappointment. And that was ten times worst.
The same thoughts ran across her head. She only wanted to help, to do good ; to be a hero, to be like her mom… now she thought that even Summer Rose would be disappointed by this events.
She wondered if any of this would be happening if they had succeeded at least on something. On stopping Torchwick, on getting the Paladin from him, or arresting those guys she thought were good but turns out their bad and there's now no way one of them is Jaune because nothing makes sense anymore!
She settled the screwdriver to the side and sighed for the umpteenth time. She was a failure as a leader, and a as a sister for letting Yang get hurt that way, and as a friend for not doing more in helping Blake. Ironically the only one she felt she didn't let down was Weiss, who thought at the start of the year that she was not fit for a leader, but maybe this all confirmed what she told her at the start of the year.
"Hello?"
The voice made her jump, that voice that was so familiar yet belonged to someone else. She turned around to see Felix poking his head into the forgery. "Oh… H-hi?"
"You're the leader of team RWBY, right?" He asked as he entered. "Ruby… heh, that's a bit confusing."
"Yeah, we've been told that," She said awkwardly rubbing her arm, "So… what'cha doing here?"
He looked around. "I was looking to make myself a weapon, a Mecha-shift," He explained. "My knives and gun are great but I want to have something even better."
Ooooh, weapons! She will admit that when Felix fought Weiss she was disappointed that he didn't have a Mecha-shift, but this was something she could…
…no, better not to screw this up either.
"W-well, good luck then," She said, repressing any wish she had to think of ideas.
"Can you help me?" Felix asked out of the blue. "I'd ask my teammates, but they're busy at the moment and that weapon… a scythe that turns into a high compress rifle? It's amazing."
Ruby's eyes almost turned to stars when he recognized the grandiose of Crescent Rose. She smiled bashfully and played with her fingers. "Ah, well it's not that big of a deal…but I did make Crescent Rose by myself… and my uncle's help."
Felix whistled as he approached her weapon and ran a finger through it. "If you're able to do something like this then you might be my best choice. No offense to Pyrrha and the others don't tell them I said that."
"Not a word out of me!" She said, and then tilted her head in curiosity. "But why didn't you have one already? Prep schools always made a student have a Mecha-shift."
Felix seemed to tense for a moment, before giving a sheepish smile. "Well… Mine got busted beyond repair into an accident in Haven… And I thought my knives and guns would be enough."
Ruby gasp at the thought of a weapon being destroyed like that, "That's terrible!"
"Yeah, it sucked… so after fighting your teammate I realized they might not be enough," He said. "So… do you mind lending me a hand?"
"Ummm…" Her, helping in crafting a weapon? She will always be up to that… but with her recent streak she wasn't so sure. "I don't know…"
"Please, I know it's kind of stupid since the tournament is coming and your my rival, but think of it as you knowing the ins and outs of my weapon," Felix said, giving her a pleading look.
When he puts it that way… Weiss might even agree to it! Aaand it will help her get away from all the stuff happening. And, well, Yang always said she had to open up a bit more to people, and what better way to do it than weapons?!
"Oh what the heck, I'm in!" She said, smiling brightly.
"Sweet!" He said with a grin. "So… Where do we start?"
"Do you have an idea of where to start?" She asked.
"I was thinking of something simple, that might be ready for the festival," He told her. "And I thought of using my magnum as a base," He said, pulling out the gun he used to fight with Weiss.
Ruby looked the gun over. Seemed pretty standard, but then again any weapon compared to Mecha-shifts were standard. Different designs ran through her head, as she thought what other weapon should be used to combine with it.
"Hmmm, if we use this then there's not much space to work since the muzzle is too big," She said looking it over. "But… we could do something similar to Ren's Stormflower! We could ask him!"
Felix winced. "I… don't think it's a good idea to ask him."
Ruby blinked, "Why not?"
Felix scratched the back of his head with a sigh. "I was hoping you heard it from your teammate first but… the girl in black, Blake, came knocking into our dorm room last night. Asking me where I was last night… She thought I was some criminal you guys fought."
Ruby froze and sputtered, "W-what?!"
"Yeah… the guy's named like me and fight with knives like me so… she thought it was me," He told her. "But I have an alibi! I swear, I was on a date with my friend Noire!" He sighed. "Pyrrha and the others got really mad and… she told her to not come close to our team again…"
"Blake wouldn't do that!" She protested. "… At least without telling us."
Felix raised his hands on a defensive way. "Hey, like I said I wanted you to hear it from your teammate! I'm just the random guy she got mixed with a crook!" He told her. "You don't have to believe me, but if you go to the others to ask Ren for advice then they might chew you off for what she did… and me for asking your help I guess…" He added as an afterthought.
Ruby's head swirled at the revelation. Blake wouldn't do something like that, would she?! NPR were friends… were, past. And Felix, this Felix, isn't like the guy who rammed a sword through her sister! Why would she do something like this?
Felix sighed again. "I'm sorry for you to having to learn of it this way, and I'm sorry if I upset you, but you can always ask your teammate about it, or mine. You clearly didn't know of this so I'll put in a good word for you so they don't get mad," He reassured her, but clearly feeling forced to do it. "I… guess the plans for weapon crafting is cancelled, I'll see ya around." He said, grabbing his gun and leaving the forge.
Ruby stood there as she processed the information. She didn't want to believe Blake would accuse someone like that, much less someone who belonged to a team that they knew well. She knew last knight didn't go as they expected, but that was no reason for her to act that way with others. Besides, she was Blake! Her friend, her teammate, her sister's partner!
And yet Felix didn't seem to be making it up, and even said he had Pyrrha and the others as witness. And Blake wasn't in bed when she woke up…
She had to get to get to the bottom of this. She dashed out of the forge and head to her dorm room hoping that this was just a misunderstanding.
Felix watched as Ruby dashed from the forge, almost using her Semblance, possibly going to speak with the cat.
Everything went so smoothly he could barely believe it. He asked around for crater face and finally found her on the forge, two birds with one stone since he needed to make himself a new weapon after Locus took his sword.
He had planted doubt on the girl's mind, doubt that once they're confirmed will push her away from the cat. And then he'll find a way to do the same with the ice-bitch, and with her sister in a hospital bed then there will be only one person to turn to: Him.
Ruby was his catalyst, thanks to her advice he didn't let anyone step on him ever again, he rose ranks and used others as stepping stones to be who he is now. And he will return her the favor, she doesn't need people that will get her in problems that might risk her life or her future, she needed someone who will groom her potential, to make her see that the only way to triumph on life was to be better than others.
As long as you're faster than your opponent, stronger than them, smarter than them, you will win!
Felix will teach her that, he owned that to her.
Locus might have damped his night of success, but he will rise from it. And with NPR covering his back, and crater face soon to do so as well he might actually have a chance to get rid of him once and for all.
He walked to one of the bathrooms close to the campus of the school and allowed himself to smirk and cackle a bit. "That'll teach them what happens when you cross me. First those bitches and then Locus…"
He will continue to rise. He will be powerful… and if necessary, he will be feared.
He will fulfill whatever mission Cinder wanted, fuck Locus' plan.
He will get rid of Locus; if his former partner wanted to be a hero then he'll die like all the others.
He will teach crater face the truth of what it means to be strong.
This world better be ready, because he's just getting started.
A/N: This story ain't dead yet!