Halo, it's time for the next chapter. Enjoy the reading.
The ball started, it was evening, the lights were on, the gymnasium was fully decorated with balloons and ribbons, music was playing, most of the students were dancing, the tables at the edges of the hall were full of food and drinks. The elegantly dressed students had a good time, the boys mostly in black suits while the girls appeared in evening dresses of different colors and had a lot of fun.
In the end, Blake came to the ball as a result of Yang's persuasion and danced with her teammate, Yang and then with Sun as well. Her teammates were happy to finally see their always quiet and withdrawn friend smile and hear them laugh.
- See? - Yang was proud of herself. - I said he would come.
- Mission accomplished. - Weiss also acknowledged Yang's performance.
- Then… - Ruby, feeling very uncomfortable in her red evening dress and high heels, looked around in confusion. - what now?
- Let's just have fun! – Yang replied before she and Weiss left their team captain, who confusedly turned around after her sister and her teammate.
- So, does that mean I can finally take off this stupid outfit and change into my normal outfit?! - She didn't get any answers, even though she clearly knew the answer. - Stupid high heels.
- It looks good on you. - Lance addressed her who's like most of the boys was wearing a black suit, white shirt, a bit sloppy as his shirt was hanging out here and there, his suit was unbuttoned and his red tie was tied wrongly. But despite all that the red knight looked good.
- I'm just praying that I don't break my ankle, my neck and that I don't have to bend down. - Ruby could feel that she would most like to tear off the flimsy clothes that would suffocate her.
- I'm not a fan of the monkey outfit either, - Lance unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, making him look even more sleazy. – but it's obligatory.
- Aren't you having a good time, Ms. Rose and Mr. Monroe? - Ozpin appeared behind them and Ruby flinched but Lance just stared at the Headmaster.
- Oh no! - She laughed nervously. - Everything's fine, just... - It was clear that dancing and prom were not Ruby's table at all. – I'm just not really a girly-fancy-dancy girl.
- I hate wearing suits. - Lance added.
- Well, you can't spend your whole life on the battlefield, even if you wanted to.
- Yet, - Ruby crossed her arms offended. – that sounds a lot easier than it is.
- Ditto. - Lance joined her which Ozpin found a little cute how similar the two captains were in that.
- Come to think of it, - Ozpin looked over at the dancing couples in the hall as they danced in slow motion with each other. - dancing and fighting are not very different from each other. – He was lost in his memories and was able to focus on a happy one. - Two partners, locked in, counting on and trusting each other... however, one wrong move and you could easily get a pulled muscle.
- Or your ankle could go out. - Ruby looked nervously at her high heels.
- It's not every day that friends can get together like this. – Ozpin could still feel the negative energies emanating from the two young people. – Time can really test bonds but occasions like this can help strengthen them. We don't forget such evenings like this.
Ozpin left them with that. Ruby and Lance brightened a bit, seeing how much fun most of the dancing students were having.
- Maybe there is something in what he's saying. - Lance held out his arm to ask Ruby to a dance.
- C'mon, seriously? - Ruby just laughed.
- What? - Lance just smiled and shrugged. – We could compete either my muscle twitch or your ankle gives out first?
- If that happens, - Ruby accepted Lance's invitation. - you carry me to the infirmary.
- And if with me, then you carry me. – They both laughed, considering the size difference, it's impossible that Ruby could lift Lance who's 3 times her size.
Ruby clumsily balanced herself trying not to fall in her stilettos while Lance, who was moving like a chimpanzee on the dance floor trying not to trip awkwardly or bump into others, once caught Ruby so she wouldn't fall. The pair just had a good laugh at their own clumsiness.
Most of the participants in the ball just laughed at the two red leaders for their inability to dance.
Although, even the teachers had a good time, Oobleck and Professor Port were drinking in a corner and Port had a good laugh at one of Oobleck's jokes. General Ironwood, seeing Ruby and Lance's clumsy but still coordinated dance mustered up the courage to ask Goodwitch who after a weary roll of her eyes gave in and accepted the general's request.
It was funny to see how the always grumpy and strict Professor Goodwitch was slow dance with the general.
- Nice couple! - Lance laughed after they finished dancing with Ruby and sat down on the bench at the edge of the room with a glass of punch in their hands.
- I didn't think Professor Goodwitch has feelings. - Ruby giggled.
- The Witch and the Tin Man! - Lance immediately said what came to mind.
- The Witch and… the Tin man? - Ruby repeated, slightly confused.
- That was the first thing that came to my mind after seeing them.
The conversation between the two was interrupted by Jaune also holding a punch.
- Can I join the cool club?
- Why not?
- Yes.
- For the socially outcasted. - Jaune raised his glass and the other two toasted him. - I saw your dance.
And we immediately regretted trying. - Ruby snapped.
- It was fun though. - Lance shrugged. - I hope no one recorded it up with their Scroll.
- Keep dreaming. - Ruby added.
- So, - Jaune asked the awkward question. - are you two together? - Ruby and Lance just looked at each other and thought. Lance liked Ruby, found her cute and somewhat admired her but she was younger than him, a bit childish and he didn't really feel that way about her. The reverse was also true. Ruby also liked Lance, he was handsome, funny and responsible enough but he was older, too stiff and serious at times. It wouldn't have worked out between them.
- No. - Lance shook his head. - It wouldn't work.
- I don't think so either. - Ruby just spread her arms. - Let's just be friends.
- According to my father, it's easier that way.
- I think you would have made a nice couple. - Jaune shrugged
- I don't think we should complicate the things. Anyway, - Ruby changed the subject instead. – I'm sorry that you didn't get along with Weiss either.
- Um, - Jaune just took a sip of his drink. - I'm not angry. Neptune seems like a good guy. I hope they will be happy.
- What are you talking about? - Ruby and Lance just looked at him in confusion.
- Come on, not many people have blue hair. - Jaune just laughed.
- But Weiss came to the ball alone. - Ruby gave the straightening answer.
- What?! - Jaune even swallowed his drink.
- There she's. - Lance poked his head at Weiss who was trying to arrange the flowers in a vase. - Alone.
- She said she doesn't have time to boys and is more concerned with preparations for the prom.
Jaune looked in shock at Weiss, the girl he had begged for weeks to choose him as his partner and then at Neptune, who was obliviously having fun with Sun and Blake on the dance floor. The boy who was chosen by the girl she had been crushing on since the first day rejected her and didn't even look at her she doesn't think that maybe he hurt her.
- Hold. My. Punch. - He angrily pushed his glass into Ruby's hand and started towards Neptune.
- You're going to drink it, aren't you? - Lance asked after Jaune left them but by the time he looked over Ruby already drank Jaune's punch.
- I hope they won't fight. - Ruby hoped for that.
- Should I stop him? - Lance offered.
- I don't think it will be necessary. - Ruby calmed him down.
- Why?
Ruby pointed out as Jaune, as he furiously stampeded through the crowd to beat the blue haired boy into some good manners, Pyrrha walked in front of him in her matching red evening gown and sadly went upstairs. Jaune lost all anger and went after her instead.
- We better split up before someone else jumps to the wrong conclusion. - Lance saw his teammate, Mike who was helping his breathing with his asthma inhaler.
- Ah, yes. - Ruby headed towards her sister who was watching the ball from upstairs.
Lance walked through the crowd to talk to his fat teammate.
- How's the party so far? - Lance asked as Mike let out a sigh of relief but his eyes were red.
- Not good! The smoke machine makes me have to use my inhaler every 5 minutes and it stings my eyes as if hot peppers were rubbed into them!
- Oh, allergies?
- Not just a little!
- Where are the girls? – Lance looked around but he couldn't find the other half of the team LLMM anywhere.
- Mandy said she went to get her clothes but I don't know about Lynda.
- So, Mandy is really coming? - Lance was happy to hear the news.
- Yes, Lynda nagged her until she gave in.
- Is there any girl that you looked like to yourself?
- Not really. The fact that I came to the ball is already a big step. Dance is a much higher category. - Mike looked hopefully at Lance. - Do you think there will be a girl willing to dance with me?
- I'm sure it will.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden burst of laughter from the entire ballroom.
- What the… - Lance could hardly believe his eyes.
- Is that Jaune?! - Mike couldn't understand what he saw either. Jaune came into the ballroom wearing a white, feminine evening dress that left his shoulders exposed. Everyone burst out laughing, especially after he asked Pyrrha to dance.
- I think it won't be my dance with Ruby that everyone will be discussing. - Lance just laughed.
- What? Did you dance with Ruby?! Why didn't you mention it?!
- Because I thought you saw it and nothing serious happened.
- But are you together now?! – Lance just slouched down tiredly, since it was being asked for the second time.
- No! We're not together, we just danced as friends! - Lance cleared things up.
- Oh. - Mike asked the question reluctantly. - Would you dance with me too, as a friend?
Before he could say anything, Team JNPR did an amazing team dance in the middle of the room with perfect choreography and teamwork. After they were done with the group dance Ren continued dancing with Nora and Jaune Pyrrha. No one laughed at Jaune's dinner anymore.
Team CMEE, Mercury, Emerald, and Neo watched the ball from upstairs, Mercury wearing a smart black suit, Emerald wearing a dark green evening gown, and Neo wearing a black and white evening gown that matched his disguise.
- Looks like all the dancers have partners. – Emerald reported smiling into her ear-set after seeing Mike and Lance dancing with each other.
- How much time do I have? - Cinder asked from the other side of the radio.
- You must be home by midnight so that everything is in order. - Mercury said.
- I'll watch the clock.
Neo noticed that one of the students left the ballroom and instead of telling Emerald and Mercury, she followed without a word. She pressed a few buttons on her Scroll to alert someone while she tried to hold Ruby up.
- Oh, hey! – Ruby stopped after Neo jumped out of nowhere in front of her. - Are you Ella from the CMEE team? – Neo just nodded and typed something on her Scroll knowing that Ruby doesn't know sign language.
"What are you doing out here? The party is inside."
- I saw someone jumping from rooftops and sneaking. I think she's up to something bad. – Neo recognized immediately, Ruby noticed Cinder and if she doesn't stop her, she could cause serious trouble.
"I think you're just hallucinating."
- I would look into it, Ella. – Ruby went next to the younger girl, Neo just clenched her fists and followed.
- What are you girls doing here? - A familiar voice, which only made Neo angrier, called them.
- I saw someone sneaking and lurking around here. - Ruby replied. - Ella and I wanted to look into it.
- Really? – Lance looked at Ruby with interest but Neo just waved her hands and tried to make the two young one to turn back. - Hey, if you're too scared, - Lance just ruffled her hair, which only made Neo angrier but she couldn't hold them back with force because that would ruin her disguise. - just stay here. Ruby and I will look into it.
Neo wanted to stab Hush through this big dum-dum's chest again but she got a new message on her Scroll.
"I'll take care of them. Go back to the ball."
She clicked a like on the message then turned around and left the two kids who wouldn't have guessed that she was older than both of them.
- What about her? - Lance asked.
- I don't think she likes you making fun of her height. - Answered Ruby who knew very well how bad it is to be short.
- I didn't mean to insult her.
The two captains continued their investigation until Ruby saw something that scared her.
- Look!
It was a soldier lying in a bush. Lance quickly ran to him to check his vital signs and placed two fingers on his neck.
- He's alive, just passed out.
- This is serious! – Ruby started tapping on her Scroll and Lance did the same.
A few seconds later, two lockers with rocket drives crashed into the courtyard, containing Ruby's scythe, Crescent Rose and Lance's sword, Golden Sting, his shield, Scarlett Rook and his pistol. There was no time to put on his armor and Ruby couldn't change either and they entered the CCT-tower building.
Inside, they saw several passed out guards, clearly knocked out by someone and Lance and Ruby only more carefully pointed their weapons forward. They thought they discovered a moving shadow that jumped in front of the elevator to block their path.
She was one of the female members of the White Fang, judging by her well-known black outfit, mask and white vest, and the Grimm's mask was also revealing.
- Did you attack the guards? - Ruby pointed at Crescent Rose. - What does the White Fang want? – The girl didn't answer, she just picked up the pistol of one of the guards and opened fire.
Lance pulled Ruby behind him and blocked the shots with his shield.
- She's not very talkative!
Ruby used her Semblance to attack the woman but she quickly dodged and attacked Lance but he transformed his sword into a spear to stab her. She just pulled out the tri-blades from her wrist straps to ward off the blow. Lance was startled to recognize the style of the weapon.
- Ruby, - Lance's voice hardened. – use the elevator and stop her partner!
- What?!
- She just came to hold us up!
Ruby looked at the elevator that was on a higher floor. She pressed the call button and the elevator came. The White Fang woman didn't leave it at that and attacked Ruby who defended the attack with her scythe but Lance attacked her in the back with his shield and successfully pushed her up.
The elevator has arrived.
- Go! - Lance instructed and Ruby just nodded and jumped into the elevator. She pressed the button that took her to the floor it came from.
Lance was alone with the White Fang soldier but her style was eerily familiar.
- Is that you, Lynda? - Lance asked but she still didn't answer and he couldn't see her face at all. She just raised her blades and attacked Lance again.
Lance knew Lynda's fighting style well, so he didn't have much trouble fending off her attacks. However, something was different. This attacker wasn't as aggressive and reckless as Lynda. She was fast but nowhere near as wild and reckless as his fellow faunus.
Holding his shield in front of him, Lance blocked the blows and forced his opponent to retreat with his spear.
The other thing that struck Lance was that his attacker didn't want to seriously harm him. She just wants to keep him here so he can't go after Ruby.
- What's going on?! - A stern male voice ended the battle. It was General Ironwood.
As soon as the girl saw the general she was running away. Lance and the general followed but as soon as they got out of the building the girl had disappeared and was nowhere to be found.
- What happened here, son?! - Ironwood demanded an answer from Lance.
- General, Ruby is upstairs following a suspicious person! We have to help her!
Ironwood neither doubted nor hesitated. He immediately started pressing the elevator call button and immediately got in with Lance and they directed the elevator to the same floor where they would hopefully find Ruby and her attacker.
As soon as they arrived they heard a few gunshots and explosions, Lance immediately jumped out of the elevator when he saw Ruby who turned towards him and after seeing him and the general she smiled confidently and looked back at her attacker.
But it was nowhere to be found. No one was in the room but there was clearly a scuffle and a fight in the control room full of computers.
Mandy had a very bad feeling in her stomach as she fought Lance. Ruby managed to slip past her but she couldn't let Lance follow to hinder Cinder's plan. She had to stop her friend but she didn't want to kill him either.
She hesitated until Ironwood appeared and she had to flee. She ran out of the building and as soon as her pursuers lost sight of her, she used the Semblance to teleport away as quickly as possible, as far as possible.
As quickly as she could she took off her White Fang uniform and put on her prepared black evening gown with a hole in the back for her fox tail and joined the revelers at the ball.
She approached the members of the CMEE team who only indicated that Cinder had texted that the action was successful.
- Good. It worked. - Mandy didn't look too happy but she wasn't disappointed either.
- To avoid attention how about we dance too? - Mercury suggested.
- Keep your hands on the right places. - Emerald warned, placing her hands on her hips, signaling Mercury to put his arms around her.
- You wish. - Mercury did anyway.
- I... I'll stay here, if it's okay. - She looked towards Neo. - Ella and I had a lot of fun. - She was careful not to use her real name.
Mandy became more and more confused about whether she was doing the right thing. In the White Fang she is taught to never look at herself through the eyes of her victims but ever since she befriended the members of the team LLMM she continues to do so.
She considers herself a monster who has come to destroy everything. She looked to the side at Neo who was just staring at the dancers in a little sad way.
- Everything is alright? – She asked and Neo just looked at him with contempt. - Um… I know we're not really friends but… are you okay with what we're doing? - Neo's face didn't move she just stared. – I know what we are doing is wrong but it's necessary to establish a new order. – Neo was just showing something in sign language. - Yeah, I know. But that doesn't make it any easier.
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