Meanwhile, Blake and Yang had finally made it to the village and Chief Scarlattu was busy dishing them up.
"What would you two like to eat?" He asked, "Scorpion stew? Snake sausages?"
"Bleaugh…" Muttered Yang under her breath.
"Do you have fish soup?" Asked Blake.
"I'm afraid not," Said Scarlattu, "Unless you want to hike to the river."
"... Nah I'm a bit tired anyway, I'll have some snake sausages. We'll make do."
Chief Scarlattu prepared their dishes and they began to eat.
"By the way…" Said Blake, "I think I killed two of your men in our fight, I wanted to apologize since I'm sure-"
Scarlattu simply raised his hand up, "They shouldn't have attacked you anyway."
Before they could say any more, they heard a voice.
"YANG?! BLAKE?! Is that you?!"
The girls looked ahead in the distance. They quickly realized that the voice belonged to Ruby! She, Weiss, and Neela were approaching in their hoverbike. Chief Scarlattu's mouth gaped. Once they parked their hoverbike by a tent, he ran over to Neela and hugged her tightly. Some of the other Tribalists were also cheering in joy too.
"Are you okay sweetie?!" He said in tears, and hugged her tight.
"Yes papa…" Said Neela, "I'm sorry for worrying you."
The chief then turned to Ruby and Weiss, and bowed to them.
"I cannot thank you two enough for saving my daughter." He said.
"Don't mention it!" Chuckled Ruby.
Soon, Ruby and Weiss were served a "Mohawk meal" as well. Ruby actually liked it a lot! Some of the Tribalists even came up with a song to sing to them as a token of gratitude. After dinner, most of the Tribalists, including Chief Scarlattu, hit the hay, but Neela stayed up with Team RWBY. Given Ruby and Weiss had seen her with Petra, they knew she'd be a good source of information about the strange girl.
"Why did Petra take you to Never Never?" Asked Weiss.
"She said she wanted to give me freedom." Explained Neela, "She believed that I was under too much pressure as the princess of our tribe and said that if I stayed with her at Never Never I'd, in her words, 'Never have to worry about growing up'."
Ruby then remembered what James had said to them the other night that resulted in her quizzing Neela further.
"Did you say anything recently that might have… Persuaded her to take you there?"
"Hmmmm…" Neela had to collect her thoughts, "Well… Papa and I had been arguing about the fact that I was 'Next in line' to be the chief of the Tribe. I didn't want to take on that responsibility, but he's been insistent on it ever since my older brother Chuvappu ran away last year." She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a scratched up picture. She pointed at a boy standing next to her in it, who wore a collar with a pattern of diamonds with circles in the centers illustrated on it. "You see him? That's Chuvappu."
"... Did you by chance 'Call' Petra?" Asked Blake, remembering what James had said.
"Yes actually, I hiked to the river last night, and called her name three times. That's what the word around here is, at least. Why?"
Team RWBY all gave each other looks. They all knew what they were thinking. Soon, Neela went to bed as well, but the team stayed up. They were trying to think of a plan.
"I think it's clear that we now know how we can get Petra to come to us…" Said Weiss, "One of us has to say her name three times in front of a mirror. James did mention that, and Neela basically confirmed it, even if she bent the rules."
"And if we find Petra… We find Oscar." Added Yang.
"Don't forget James' kids too." Pitched in Ruby, "But who's going to call her?"
Weiss turned her head towards Ruby, then Blake and Yang put two and two together and did the same.
"ME?!" Squeaked Ruby, "I can't!"
"Rubbish, Ruby." Said Weiss, "It's easy."
"But it doesn't make sense, my 18th Birthday isn't that far away!"
"Exactly!" Said Weiss, "You're younger than the rest of us, we're all 20 now, and it's clear that Petra only targets kids… So it's up to you now."
"But… You're basically telling me that you want to use me as bait!" She protested, "I don't want to be kidnapped too!"
"We'll be right behind you!" Said Blake, reassuringly.
"I know, but…" Ruby gulped, "I'm scared… We don't know what she's capable of…"
Yang put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, "As long as I'm there, I'll make sure she doesn't lay a finger on you when we make our escape."
"You promise?"
"Of course I promise."
Ruby took a few deep breaths to prepare herself, "Alright… Well, does anyone actually have a mirror that I can use?"
"I do!" Said Weiss. She reached into her purse and pulled out a travel-sized mirror for makeup, "This should do the trick."
Ruby took it, opened it, and let out a deep breath. But she stopped herself since she thought of something, "... Maybe I should do it alone, what if you three spook her off?"
"Not a bad idea…" Admitted Blake, the three of them went into one tent while Ruby went into one next to them.
The three of them kept their ears open while they were in the tent, it was hard to hear Ruby from the other one, but she had done the deed.
"I wonder how long it'll actually take this Petra girl to get here…" Pondered Blake, but they didn't have to wait long. Yang noticed that she could see her breath.
"Now's not the time to use your semblance!" She said to Weiss, teasingly.
"It's not me!-" Said Weiss, but she stopped herself once she and the others realized something else… It was cold, really cold. To top it all off, they could hear footsteps outside. They looked out to see a shadow going right past the door to their tent, and into Ruby's. And that was when they heard the voice… Petra Barrie's voice. They listened closely.
"Hello there!" She greeted Ruby, "I do beg your pardon, you're Ruby, right?"
"Yes… Ruby Rose."
"Ruby's fine."
"Ah... Are you Petra Barrie?"
"That's me! Though…" She looked Ruby over, "No offense, but… I usually take kids to Never Never, how old are you again?"
"I'm 17, though I'll be 18 in two and a half months."
"Ah… I understand now." Petra had to think for a moment, "But even then, why did you call me?"
Ruby almost teared up, although she hadn't thought of this when they discussed the plan, it wasn't hard for her to basically tell Petra about everything that had happened to her and her friends ever since the fall of Beacon. Petra listened carefully.
"Man…" She sighed, "No wonder your mental health is where it is, but don't worry! You're still welcome to come to Never Never with me, I'm certain that the place will be the best therapy you can possibly get."
While Ruby remembered that she was only doing this to help get the team to Never Never… She seemed almost enlightened by the thought of this. What if it wasn't such a bad place after all?
"Come on then!" Said Petra, "We will fly there."
"Uhhh… I don't know how to fly." Said Ruby.
"You don't know?- Oh, of course you don't know! Not to worry sweetie, it's easy! Let me do one quick thing…"
Then, just like she did with Oscar, Petra stuck her right hand out and placed her fingers on Ruby's forehead, waited a few seconds, then let go and stepped back.
"There we are! Now all you have to do is think of a happy thought!"
"Think of a happy thought?!" Said Yang in the other tent. "That's seriously all there is to it?-"
"-Shh-sh-shsh!" Hushed Weiss and Blake, they listened further.
"A happy thought…" Thought Ruby to herself. It was hard for her just like it was for Oscar due to her mental health, but she did have a few. She thought about how fun it was during the old days when she would eat every single cookie in the house and her father would get mad at her, she thought about playing with Zwei, she thought about all the fun she and her friends used to have at Beacon, and she thought about all the support her team had given her despite all the hardships. This was enough to get her to eventually float.
"There you go!" Said Petra warmly, "Off we go to Never Never!"
Soon, they flew out of the tent and were on their way. But not without the other three quickly darting out of their own tent and to their hoverbikes. Weiss took one alone while Yang and Blake hopped on the other. They were soon giving chase.
"Blake?!" Called Weiss.
"Yeah?" She replied.
Weiss reached into the bag and found her binoculars, "Catch!" And she threw them towards Blake.
"What do you want me to use this for?!" She asked.
"Keep an eye on Ruby and Petra!" Explained Weiss, since Yang was driving the other hoverbike the responsibility lied on Blake alone to do this task.
"Okay!" Called Blake, and looked up into the air. She was able to see Ruby and Petra, but they had to be as quiet as possible so that Petra wouldn't notice them.
"Are you enjoying this, Ruby?!" Called Petra.
"Yes! I've never been able to fly like this before, it's fun!" Said Ruby.
"Great! Don't worry, we're almost there!"
And they were! Thankfully, Petra didn't notice that Weiss, Blake, and Yang were following them, but they could finally see it… "Never Never". But it was not entirely what they were expecting. It was a giant mansion on the top of a mountain, with a big patio sticking over the cliffside, and there were trees and all sorts of trails surrounding it. Several questions brewed in their heads. Why would a girl who had the ability to fly need those? Maybe it was for the lost boys and girls? Or did Petra enjoy hiking? Whatever mysteries lied within this place, they were going to uncover them one way or another.
Ruby and Petra landed near the patio. Weiss, still not wanting them to be seen by Petra, suggested that they park their hoverbikes near the back of the mansion. Weiss and Yang didn't notice though that as soon as they got off their bikes… Blake's hair began to frizzle and she started looking around nervously.
"Alright, what's the plan?" Asked Yang.
"Well, we know where Ruby is…" Said Weiss, "I'll keep an eye on her though. You two, go find Oscar." She then finally noticed that Blake was looking over her shoulder. "Blake? Blake?" She snapped her fingers at her several times, "Blake, you listening?!"
"O-O-O-Oh yes yes I was listening, sorry Weiss!" She said, shaking slightly.
"Are… You okay, Blake?" Asked Weiss, noticing her strange behavior.
"Ye-Yeah, I'm fine."
"Honey, are you sure? You look like you've seen a ghost." Added Yang, with Weiss nodding in agreement.
"I-I… Sorry, I think a scary book I read the other day is getting to me." Sighed Blake, and without another word, she and Yang entered the mansion.
Weiss headed towards the patio, taking care not to be noticed. She hid behind a corner and watched as Petra got Ruby settled in.
"So this is where we often hang out for meals when the weather's nice, just so the kids and I can get some fresh air, you know what I mean?" Explained Petra.
"Ah that's nice…" Said Ruby thoughtfully, "What else do you do for fun?"
"Well we've got a TV, some toys, there's even a pool in the basement if you like swimming, do you?"
Ruby nodded.
"Great! And as for the trails, some of the kids do enjoy hiking if that's your cup of tea. Some of the trails are a bit… Ehhhh, 'Dangerous', let's just say. Even I wouldn't want to go on them, despite my semblance! Ha!"
Ruby just raised an eyebrow, though she did have a few more questions.
"Is your sword for fighting off Grimm?"
"My swo-" Petra paused for a moment, then she curled her lips back, looked away from Ruby briefly, and then said "Eeeerrr-Yes, yes it is. The kids need to be safe, after all."
"Agreed…" Said Ruby, though due to Petra's body language and the way she delivered her words, Ruby had a feeling that she wasn't telling the truth. Ruby didn't want to start a confrontation right this instant, though, so she decided to change the subject.
"I like your necklace…" She said, and reached her hand out to feel it, "Is that a… Glass crocodile?"
Petra suddenly grabbed Ruby's wrist and pulled it away from her necklace, "-Yes, but I'd rather you didn't touch it."
"Oh… Okay…" Said Ruby, a bit startled by Petra's reaction.
"Alright, if those are all your questions, do you want me to show you to your room? I imagine you're tired." Said Petra.
"Yes, I am… That'd be great." Said Ruby, and pretended to yawn.
"Right this way!" Said Petra, leading Ruby into the mansion.
When Petra opened the main door and led Ruby inside, she noticed that there were rooms everywhere, Ruby quickly figured that these must be where the lost boys and girls slept. She led Ruby into one of them, it was empty. Ruby propped Crescent Rose on the wall and slipped under the covers.
"This is actually pretty cozy…" She said to Petra.
"You're welcome…" Chuckled Petra, "Alright, be sure to get some rest, the other kids want to go for a long hike tomorrow if you're down for joining. Good night, Ruby!"
Then Petra shut the door, and made her way down the hallway. Ruby wasn't tired in the slightest, she leaped out of her bed, walked to the door, and listened closely for Petra's footsteps to fade away. Once they did, she grabbed Crescent Rose, and quietly creaked her door open. She looked to her left, then to her right. Petra was nowhere to be seen. This was Ruby's cue to quietly tiptoe into the hallway and begin her hunt. Her main priority was finding Oscar, but couldn't think of any other way to find him besides looking in each and every room. She had to stay quiet about it though, so she opened each door, checked, but Oscar wasn't in any of them. At one point, she saw a cupboard and read what it said.
"... 'Shame Shed'?" She asked in confusion, "Maybe Oscar's in here."
But he wasn't. When she opened the cupboard, a lifeless Chloe fell on the floor, causing Ruby to recoil in horror!
"OH MY GOD!-... You poor thing, you must have suffocated… What did you do to deserve that?..." She quietly tip-toed over the body and proceeded with her hunt. She checked another door and was about to walk out when suddenly… She recognized the kids that were in it. She still had the photos that James Kokkino had given her the other day, so she pulled it out and she inspected the kids in them closely. There were three kids that James had, there were three in this room. One was a girl and the other two were boys, there was one girl and two boys in this room. Ruby was now convinced. She crept into the room, quietly closing the door behind her, and soon woke the oldest, the girl, up.
"Hu-huh what?! Is i-it morning already?" She asked, stirring.
"No…" Ruby said ashamedly, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to ask you a question."
"Uhhh sure go right ahead?"
"... What's your name?"
"... Winona?…"
Ruby beamed with pride, "And are these your brothers?"
"Yeah, they're Jalen and Miles, why?"
Ruby nearly squeed in joy, but couldn't in order to avoid waking anyone else up. "I've found them! Yes! James is going to be so happy!"
"J-James?..." Asked Winona. Then she got nervous, "You don't mean my dad, do you?!"
"Of course I mean your dad!" Said Ruby happily, "He's been looking for you three, he told my friends and I that he's missed you lots!"
But Winona wasn't sure, "He was mad at us before we left… I'm not sure if I could face whatever it is he's going to say to us if we go back."
Ruby had to stay determined, "Do you see these photos?" She handed them over to Winona to take a look.
"Yeah, that's… Us?"
"Your dad gave this to me, he said he's been asking huntresses and officers all over Vacuo of your whereabouts ever since you left, but now that I've found you, you can go home! You do want to see him and your mom again, do you?..."
Winona thought about it, but admittedly… She did. Winona had long ago changed her mind about not wanting to grow up, she was starting to find Never Never miserable, but Petra had refused to let them leave.
"Well… If I can see my parents again, I don't see why not." She said at last.
Ruby got her out of bed, and she soon shook Jalen and Miles awake, filling them in on the jailbreak. They tiptoed out of the room and soon continued the search for Oscar.
Oscar was laying miserably in his own bed that Petra had given him. Given he was still having "Episodes", he was also beginning to think that Petra had lied about her promise when he heard the door to his room opening behind him.
"Petra, if that's you, I'm sorry, but I've had a change of heart. I want to go ho-"
But it wasn't Petra! It was Blake and Yang. Oscar's face lit up in joy and he rushed over to hug both of them.
"Oscar!" The two girls said, and hugged back.
"I'm sorry for running away…" He said, hugging them tighter.
"It's okay…" Said Blake, "We're just so glad to see you're safe."
"How did you find me?" He asked.
"... It's a long story." Admitted Yang.
"Well… I'm glad you did, I hate it here." Began Oscar. "She assigns the rooms to us to sleep in, she won't let us choose them. We only eat when she says we can, if… I can even call it 'Eating'..."
"What do you mean by that?" Asked Blake.
"I mean there's no real food here!" Explained Oscar, "I saw at dinner, all of the dishes are empty, the other kids say it's 'Imaginary food', but what do you even mean 'Imaginary'? I watched as they all put their hands into the bowls and made chomping motions like they were eating, but they weren't really eating!"
"... I'm surprised these kids haven't starved to death…" Said Blake, in shock.
"They're so rude too…" He said, explaining what had happened at the pool earlier.
"All the more reason for us to get you out of here…" Said Yang, "Come on, let's go."
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Said Oscar, he quickly grabbed his staff and followed them out the door.
The trio were heading down the hallway, quietly in fear that Petra was right around the corner. They suddenly noticed a shadow coming their way.
"Quick, we'd better hide!" Said Blake.
They walked to the nearest room, opened it quietly, snuck in as quickly as they could while Yang shut it… Not all the way, just enough so she could get a good peek outside. But to their amazement, the shadow wasn't Petra… It was Ruby! With three kids too!
"Oscar?..." She called, "Oscar, where are you?..."
Suddenly, Yang burst the door open and came rushing out to hug her sister.
"YANG!" She said in surprise, "What were you doing in there?..."
"Hiding from a potential threat…" Sighed Blake, then Ruby noticed Oscar and gave him a hug too.
"Uhhh, Ruby?" Asked Yang, "Who are these three kids?"
"Don't you recognize them?" She asked, then handed Yang the photos.
Yang carefully surveyed the photos, then looked at the three kids.
"My word…" She said, "This means…"
"That our hooked friend was telling the truth about everything." Said Ruby and Blake.
"Yes indeed…" Sighed Yang, "Weiss and I definitely owe him an apology."
"It's not so bad…" Chuckled Ruby, "We found James' kids! I'm sure that'll be more than enough for him to forgive us. And we found Oscar too!"
"Good to see you too Ruby…" He smiled.
"Alright, we got Oscar, we got James's kids… Okay, let's find Weiss and get the hell out of here." Said Blake.
They all nodded in agreement and started their descent to the exit, but as they were about to head down a flight of stairs… They suddenly felt a huge rumbling. It sounded like large footsteps. Coming up the stairs was a giant man with long blonde hair, he seemed to be about 6 and a half feet tall. But what was really frightening was that his hands were as big as their heads, and he was… Ripped, all he was wearing was a white tank top and blue jeans. The Kokkino kids screamed and ran away.
"Wait!" Ruby called, "Come back!" But she was interrupted by the man grabbing her, Oscar, Blake, AND Yang all at the same time and squeezing them in his arms! Then he descended down the stairs, taking them who knew where.
To be continued...