Sorry about yesterday's update. To put things in picture, the company I manage is now having to be dissolved. This will be a messy and long process. I'll do a free update on my p a treon later with details but I'll cover the basics here so you don't really need to check it.

I'll be worse off but mostly fine, so no need to worry.

I'll continue writing and fully intend to commit myself to being a full-time author and doing original works once this is all over and done with.

There may be further disruption in the short term because the insolvency process will be messy, demand me at odd hours, and require a lot of meetings outside work. As a result, updates may become spotty for a while. Maybe even a month or two. Weekends should be the least effected.

Sorry for dragging you all into the drama, lol, but I always try and get something written if only not feel bad.

I actually think my life and stress levels will improve once this is all over, but there will be more drama before it's over.

Cover Art: Mystery White Flame

Chapter 14

Learning that the Vytal Festival was to be held in a sports arena was equal parts amusing and aggravating. On the one hand he got to bask in having forced such a change on the event, but on the other they were practically working with Cinder to make this disaster happen. He'd stolen Amity, he'd been involved with the Whtie Fang, take a hint already.

But no.

Politics. Roman hated it.

It hardly helped that Cinder had learned from her last mistake and made it abundantly clear that he was to "stay the fuck away" from this place. He wasn't to so much as steal a single piece of popcorn or blade of grass from the stadium.

Which sucked because he'd have totally destroyed the sports field and turned it into a 2D rendition of his face, but now that'd end up with him coming down with an unfortunate case of "murdered".

That was fine, though. He was in the swing of it now. In the driver's seat. Back in his groove.

Not that he'd ever lost his groove, but... no, he was groovier. That was it. Groovier than ever before. Something like that. It didn't much matter, because while people might have been speaking with in awe right now, that'd soon change when Cinder blew the stadium sky-high and caused untold deaths that'd be dumped on his shoulders.

"Okay, fine. You won't cancel the festival when I steal it. I guess I'll have to do something more drastic!"

The empty room regarded him silently.

"Man, I miss Neo..."

A thought struck him. Could he steal Neo back and frame it as an accident? No. No, of course not. It'd be a laughable attempt on his part and Cinder would see right through it. As amusing as that would have been, he'd be caught in an instant and killed. Targeting Cinder or her team was out the question unless he could frame it as someone else doing it.

Hmm...

"Someone else doing it..." Roman drummed his gloved fingers against his chin. "It has been a little ridiculous that no one has been able to find anything about her in their investigations. Almost too good to be true, really."

His smile grew.

"It'd be a shame if someone were to stumble upon some..."

Roman threw back his head and laughed.

There was no silent laughter to echo him, no sarcastic applause, nor the boot to the fact he would typically expect. Sighing, he let his arms fall. The sooner Cinder was over and done with, the sooner he could have Neo back to fill that empty, ice-cream-shaped hole in his life. Maybe he could steal her away after Cinder was isolated and about to be hunted down.

But, first of all, she needed to be isolated and hunted down.

This would require careful and meticulous preparation.

/-/

"Shocking news develops as wanted criminal, Roman Torchwick, has decided to announce his next heist ahead of time," reported Lisa Lavender. The common room in Beacon was packed, mostly because everyone had been waiting for new on the Vytal Festival. Ruby nibbled on a cookie, self-consciously aware of how every crunch made people around her flinch.

Poor Cinder's teeth were grating, too. Ruby gulped and set the cookie down on her knee.

"Speaking out online, Roman Torchwick has threatened to steal the largest gemstone in Vale. At the time of reporting, this would be the Vacuan Diamond – an ancient relic taken from ruins in Vacuo dating back thousands of years. While the diamond, weighing two kilograms, remains a controversial matter in relations between Vale and Vacuo, the museum of Vale and the Council of Vale have long maintained that the diamond is `safer` in Vale than in its homeland. The matter remains hotly contested, especially after representatives from Vacuo responded to the threat by offering to pay Roman Torchwick a bounty should he return it to them. The ambassador of Vacuo has been summoned to speak with the Council of Vale about the quote and had the following to say."

A dark-skinned man appeared on screen in a crisp suit. He stared at the camera, then raised both hands, middle fingers extended. The camera flicked back to Lisa Lavender.

"Riveting stuff. The museum of Vale has, of course, assured patrons and guests that it is confident in its ability to apprehend Roman Torchwick, but this reporter might remind you of an instance not two weeks ago where the same museum was assaulted and Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon was forced to surrender his weapon. Similarly, after stealing Amity Colosseum away, the museum's response has been panned by many as arrogant."

"We have to stop him," said Blake.

"Do we?" asked Ruby, eyeing her cookie longingly. "Do we...?"

"He's going to steal that diamond, who knows what evil purposes he'll use it for!"

"Blake, he's not going to steal a big diamond and use it to bash people over the head," said Yang. Ruby nodded. "It's just a big thing for him to feel proud about stealing. You know, like a status symbol." Yang chuckled. "Though I'd have thought stealing Amity would have done a good enough job on that end."

"Are you laughing about the theft of Amity!?" Weiss hissed.

"I mean, what else am I supposed to do? Cry? It sucks, I know, but you've got to admit it's funny." Apparently, neither Blake nor Weiss "had to admit" anything at all, and fixed Yang with harsh gazes. "Yikes. Tough crowd."

"We're going to stop him," Blake decided for the whole team.

"But why...?" Yang groaned. "We made fools of ourselves last time."

"Things have changed. We're different not."

"It's been, like, two weeks..."

"I was able to beat him on the train."

"And I still maintain that was suspicious," said Yang.

"If you won't help me, I'm going alone." And there it was. Blake's preferred method to winning arguments. Yang threw her hands up in the air.

"And I'll go too," said Weiss.

It was Ruby's turn to throw her hands up.

Zwei darted in and stole her peanut butter cookie while she did.

Truly, this was the worst of days.

A short distance away, Emerald leaned in to whisper to Cinder. "Should we worry?"

"No." Cinder let out a long breath, trying in vain to dispel even a tenth of the stress she felt. "No, this is fine. This must be Roman's way of giving me time to step in and stop him if he steps on our toes again. Some silly diamond on a museum is about as safe a heist as I could ask for."

"It does seem random..."

"He's a showman, and perhaps he thinks this is a way to make amends for having gotten in my way." It wouldn't be, but she could act like it was for Neo's sake. The girl was always listening in. "We'll let Roman do this and congratulate him if he succeeds. He can keep the diamond for all I care."

All that mattered was that, for once, Roman wasn't tripping her up.

Thank goodness for that.

/-/

Ruby Rose sighed and thought to herself how she'd visited the museum twice now this month, which was two times more than she'd ever wanted to visit a dusty old museum in her whole life. Maybe if it was a museum of engineering or weapons, sure, but this was just the old fossils and history museum, with a wide range of very valuable artefacts.

"We're grateful again for any help we can have in stopping Roman Torchwick," said their guide, some middle-manager for the hotel. He seemed to take their offer as more of a PR thing than that they'd be any real help, but the fact they had Weiss Schnee here cinched it. The man was walking alongside and talking to Weiss more than he was to the rest of them. "We house some of the most priceless antiques and artefacts from across the world."

"I'm aware," said Weiss. "I'm also aware of how those other parts of the world aren't always so thrilled about that."

"I can't comment on their thoughts and feelings, Miss Schnee, but we here at the museum believe that these objects should be on display to the public, available for people who wish to learn more about our history."

"Can't they be just as available in their own kingdoms?" asked Ruby.

"No." The man didn't elaborate. "They cannot. They are more available here."

Yang snorted, finding some small amusement in an otherwise boring evening. Ruby wished she could find the casual theft of property so funny, but it was late, she was tired, the Vytal Festival was soon, and there was just a whole lot of stuff she'd rather be doing. Like training, or working on Crescent Rose, or eating cookies, or playing videogames with Jaune, or trying to pretend she didn't feel Pyrrha's jealous eyes on the back of her head whenever she was playing videogame with Jaune.

Normal stuff.

Eventually, they reached the diamond, where Lisa Lavender already had a camera set up to film the action. The museum staff seemed rather put off about that, seeing it as a rather casual belief that they'd fail to protect it. A belief she and her team happened to share since Torchwick had up and stolen a million-tonne floating island in one night.

But she had a feeling something was up.

Why else would he announce his heist? He could have just stolen this in the night. Blake and Weiss were of the opinion he wanted to mock everyone in Vale, but she suspected he'd be elsewhere tonight, using this as a cute little distraction while he went and did something else.

Which was part of the reason she was so bored about it, to be honest. He wasn't going to be here and they'd be stuck standing around looking at a shiny stone all night. Sure enough, Yang was already gawking at the big thing and practically drooling. Her sister had always had a love for shiny stones, be they expensive diamonds or just cheap costume jewellery. If it was bright and it glinted, Yang wanted.

And heck, Ruby could appreciate a big bright green or red gem as well, or a blue sapphire, but diamonds always felt like the most boring stone to her. They were just white or clear, shiny, but not particularly colourful. If it were amethyst, a rich purple, she might think it was a whole lot cooler.

The team took up spots on the outside of the security already deployed, which included several armed men, a security barrier, and a cage hanging above the diamond that felt a little too much like it came from a children's cartoon show for her liking. Obviously, it was meant to slam down and stop Roman getting near it rather than capture him, but it still reminded her off bait left out by a Beowolf in a kid's show to catch the plucky huntress. Bait that would, inevitably, backfire and end with the Beowolf trapped and raging inside the cage.

While the others decided to do patrols and keep themselves occupied looking at exhibits, Ruby brought out her scroll, knelt in the corner, and started to watch a podcast on how to incorporate electrical dust charges into a weapon without shorting the devices already inside it. Crescent Rose didn't necessarily need a tazer function, but it'd be cooler for having one.

Let's see Yang laugh off that in our next spar. Heh, heh, heh...

Time passed. While the others grew increasingly bored, Ruby grew increasingly intrigued at the things she could try when she was next in one of Beacon's workshops. Several podcast episodes and a few videos of working examples later, Ruby blinked as all the power in the museum went off at once with a mighty noise.

KA-CHUNK!

Wait, was Torchwick really coming here...?

Why?

"Do not panic!" shouted the museum's manager, being quite literally the only person to panic. Team RWBY were relaxed, the security teams weren't fussed at a bit of dark, and Lisa Lavender was excited. "Do not panic! The museum has a backup generator that will come on any moment now!"

Vrooooom—

"See! There it is—"

"KA-CHUNK!"

The lights went dark again.

"Not for nothing," Yang said, calling out with a wry smirk. "But you didn't keep the backup generator in the same place as the main generator, did you? Or on the same computer system, maybe?"

The lack of an answer was telling. In their defence, the backup generator was probably meant to only ward of unexpected power cuts caused by storms or faulty electrics, not to withstand dedicated attack by a hacker or a man with access to explosives. This was just a museum, after all. It wasn't like they were powering a hospital filled with lifesaving equipment they had to keep running twenty-four-seven.

A spotlight crackled on, shining down on the Vacuan diamond.

Instantly, everyone was on edge.

Aside from Lisa, who was desperately in front of her camera reporting on the new development like her life depended on it. Rising, Ruby clutched Crescent Rose loosely before her. Roman would make a play on the diamond first, and then she would react. It was better for her to be on the outskirts so she could track his movements and react in time, rather than up close where there was already a lot of people huddling around the pedestal.

Yang, Blake and Weiss could handle close range. She was better off supporting from a distance and not getting taken hostage like the last time. That embarrassing experience was something she was never going to live down. Which was when a weight settled behind her and a pair of arms wrapped around her stomach and chest from behind.

"Yoink."

Something metallic whizzed and retracted, yanking Ruby up off the ground with a startled cry. She and her captor shot up into the air, quickly vanishing through an open skylight. On the roof, Ruby whirled around only to find her wrists slapped in handcuffs before she could even fumble her weapon before her. Crescent Rose was good at close range and long range, but not "in someone's arms" range. The best she could do was shove the haft against the man, but he was bigger and stronger than her and she wasn't about to push him off like that. Before she could stop him, he had her against his chest with an arm around her neck.

"Nobody make a move!"

Everyone down below froze.

Except the manager, who pushed the button to drop the cage with a CLANG.

Yang glared at him. "Nice priorities, asshole."

"TORCHWICK!" roared Blake. "Give Ruby back!"

"Oh hey," Ruby droned, eye twitching. "At least she remembered to blame you for something other than the White Fang for once."

She was a little surprised when he replied.

"Tell me about it. How do you put up with her, Red?"

"I think my metabolism converts sugar into patience."

"Cute. Ahem." He raised his voice, addressing those below once more. "Here I am, come to steal Vale's heaviest gemstone, and I find the Vacuo Diamond all hidden behind bars. How sad. Luckily, I've come away with a much heavier gemstone here."

Ruby kicked his ankles. "I'm not fat!" she hissed.

"You're fatter than a four-kilo rock," he hissed back.

Ruby kicked him again.

"Here's the deal!" he shouted back down. "Twenty-four hours from now, on the docks, you will deliver to me the Vacuo Diamond and, in return, I'll trade back this lovely little ruby for it, hmmm?"

Oh hey, he remembered her name.

That was nice.

"GIVE HER BACK!" roared Blake.

"Sheesh. Repetitive much?" Roman picked Ruby up and tossed her over his shoulder. "Remember, kiddos. Twenty-four hours or your leader will be recording an unexpected absence from the Vytal Festival!"

He raced away across the rooftop and into a waiting Bullhead.

/-/

Emerald blinked as she watched the tv.

Slowly, she turned to Cinder. "Are we...? Is this bad...?"

Cinder blinked, tilted her head, and tried to figure out what she'd just seen. Roman had kidnapped a student of Beacon. It was ridiculous, sure, but it was a troublesome student who'd gotten in her way more than once, and it didn't incriminate her, the White Fang or the upcoming festival in any way.

In all truth, he'd just been so good at annoying her lately that she took a few minutes to consider it fully and ask herself if there wasn't some small way this bothered her, just to make sure.

"No," she eventually said, sitting back. "I'm... I think I'm okay with this one..."

/-/

Ruby eyed the dishevelled apartment she'd been taken to. It had the feel of a "safehouse" about it, if only because of the various supplies like dust and weapons laid out on a table, and the lack of any furniture that looked to be lived in. There was a pinboard on the wall with notes on it, almost like he'd gone and tracked out his own robberies.

Which, knowing him, was entirely possible.

"Sooo..." said Ruby, idling by where he'd left her, just sort of stood in the corner and still with her weapon. Sure, she was cuffed, but this didn't feel very captive-y. "What now? Are you going to kill me if they don't give you the diamond?"

"I sure am!"

"Hmm. But you said killing was bad optics before."

Roman paused. "Maybe I've changed my mind."

"I mean... maybe..." Ruby looked down at her cuffs. There was a pin sticking out the lock. Roman was facing the other way, his back to her. "I... uh... don't actually know how to pick locks."

He turned, face flat. "You serious?"

"It's not like it's come up in lessons!" she argued, a little defensively. "What, do you think we get taught history one second and thievery the next!?"

"It's a lock, though. You never broke into a cookie jar?"

"Well yeah, obviously."

"And it was never locked?"

"I smashed it." Ruby smiled proudly.

"Truly, you're the world's finest nemesis." Roman sighed. "Just, twizzle it around a bit."

Ruby touched it and blinked as her cuffs unlocked. "I didn't do anything. Did you not even put these on properly?"

"YOU'VE ESCAPED!" he roared, reaching for his – or Ozpin's – cane. "SURRENDER!"

Ruby raised her hands.

Roman lowered his cane. "Seriously...?"

"Oh. Uh..." Ruby brought her hands back down and reached for her scythe. Roman smiled. She took her hand away and he frowned. Then she reached for it again and he smiled once more. "I... really don't know what's going on here."

Roman sighed, pinched his nose and crossed his arms. "You're escaping and I'm going to stop you."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Are you, though...?"

"What?" he laughed. "You think I'd take you to my super-secret hideout with my super-secret plans for the potential conquest of Vale and/or destruction of Beacon, and then let you escape?"

"The what-now of Beacon?"

"Conquest and/or destruction," he said. "Keep up now."

"Why is it and/or? Don't you know what the objective of your secret plan is?"

Roman scowled at her. "Shut up."

"You don't know, do you?"

"Of course I know! It'd my dastardly plan, after all."

"Hypothetically."

"Hypothetically," he agreed, twirling Ozpin's cane. "Point is, there's too much incriminating evidence here for me to let you escape alive."

"You could burn it once I escape."

"I don't have a lighter."

"YOU SMOKE!"

"And you're short," he fired back. "There's no reason to bring our vices into this."

"Being short isn't a vice—" Ruby groaned and pinched her own nose. "No. I don't get this. You make no sense!"

Roman swung for her with his cane. "RARGH!"

Ruby was used to dodging quickly, and reacting even quicker, which was why she didn't bother to react as the swing missed her by a good few hands' width. One eyebrow rose as Roman lunged a second time, brushing some hair above her shoulder.

The next attack actually went for her, forcing her to block with Crescent Rose. Roman locked the length of his cane with the haft of her weapon and forced her back. He leered over her, pushing down with two hands.

And moving a girl half his size and weight not one inch.

"Can't you just explain what this is?" she asked. "This feels really weird." Ruby took a shot in the dark. "Is this... Is this flirting?"

It was the first critical hit she'd struck. Roman staggered back like she'd taken Crescent Rose and slammed its blade through his back and out his chest, taking his heart with it. He choked, a cigar and bits of spittle falling out his mouth as he reeled from the sheer force of the blow.

Ruby pouted. "What!? It's not unrealistic!"

Roman made the worst gagging and retching noises she'd ever heard, which didn't do a lot for a fifteen year old girl's self-esteem. Ruby kicked her feet around the floor while he went on talking about accusations and how horrific they were. More out of embarrassment than anything, she let her eyes wander to the top-secret information on the blackboard. Roman looked to have marked down several places he like to store stolen goods at, with a few notes on where all that dust from before had gone.

Not all of it had been on the train, it turned out.

Sensing that Roman wasn't about to recover soon, she wandered over and started leafing through the papers on the desk. There were two piles, one helpfully marked "incriminating texts" with a post-it note. Either Roman really like printing out his own texts to an unknown third party, or he wanted her to see this. And he wanted her to escape, and he wanted her to bring the police or Beacon or other people here.

"Why can't you just tell us this like a normal person?" she asked.

"You—" Roman heaved and wiped a hand over his mouth as if to wipe off blood. "You're worse than I imagined."

"All I said was—"

"Don't repeat it! Never! Do you have any idea how often someone is paired with their nemesis? It always happens. People start to wonder just why it is they're always stopping one another, and then asking if there isn't something more to it."

"Um..."

"I won't allow it! You may be my nemesis, but that's more by circumstance than choice!"

"H... Hey..."

"But you have a certain responsibility as my nemesis," he lectured. "Which is why you can't keep losing to me all the time. People will think you're weak. Ergo, they'll think I'm weak. You get me...?"

"Is that why I had to be the one to escape from the handcuffs and now I have to be the one to fight you off?"

"No. You're escaping and fighting me off because you're a capable huntress."

Ruby sighed. "Of course. Fine. So, do we, like, tear this place up to make it look like there was a huge fight...?"

Roman grinned. "Hell yeah, we do. Just mind the table of conspicuous evidence."

/-/

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Yang babbled, holding Ruby tight against her chest. A whole older team had come from Beacon to her distress signal, along with Miss Goodwitch, Doctor Oobleck and a host of police officers who were wrapping up the very, very destroyed crime scene.

Apart from the evidence, of course.

Lisa Lavender was there too recording this. Roman would probably be upset at Yang holding her like this and making her look small and weak. Ruby smiled and awkwardly rubbed her sister's back. "I'm okay. I'm fine."

"Miss Rose! Miss Rose!" Lisa Lavender shoved the camera and a microphone into her face. "Can I get a comment on the battle that took place here? You're battered and clearly exhausted, and the safehouse is almost entirely destroyed. How violent was this?"

"It was... It was a battle for the ages..." Ruby bit back an odd smile. "I was lucky to escape, and our fight is one I probably won't forget anytime soon. He's strong, Torchwick is. Really, really strong."

"Do you believe there's any reason you've run into him multiple times now!?"

Ruby balked, then blushed. "W—What!?" she stammered, suddenly remembering Roman's words. "It's – It's not like we like one another or anything! It's not like this is us flirting with one another!"

Lisa Lavender paused to blink.

Yang froze.

Myrtenaster fell from Weiss' fingers.

Far, far away, Roman Torchwick fumbled his cigar as a cold chill overtook him.

Somehow, somewhere, he had a feeling Red had mucked it all up.

Next Chapter: 4th June

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