Author's note: Vale again this week.
Ruby, Jaune and Glynda sat in Vale's train station, on one side of a repurposed terminal, with Arcene and Koray on the other side. The two military members looked somewhat uncomfortable, feeling as if they were being interrogated, due to Glynda's stern look. Ruby put her left hand on Glynda's shoulder, and Glynda looked at her.
"Can I talk to them?" Ruby asked and said, "That way, you can focus on writing it all down."
"Alright," Glynda answered and switched seats with Ruby, and Arcene and Koray relaxed noticeably.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Ruby asked, and Glynda got ready to write down the answers on her tablet, using the same program court transcribers use.
"Well, we were delivering supplies," Arcene answered, "We expected Grimm, so we were on the lookout for those. But then, these… things appeared." The duo shared a quick look, and Ruby felt a bit bad that she didn't have the same passive fear-quelling ability as Sirena.
"What kind of things?" Ruby asked.
"Giant robots," Koray answered, "Covered in corals. They jumped on board as if it was nothing, and shot bursts of water at everyone. Everyone had to run for it, or we would've died."
"Not to mention the crabs," Arcene added, "Or at least, I think those were crabs. They looked more like skeletons with crab armor."
"I see," Ruby said and asked, "Do you know anything about their abilities?"
"Well, they're pretty strong," Arcene answered, "And also, when you immobilize the robots, they create ethereal sea creatures."
"Thank you, that helps us a lot," Ruby said with a gentle smile, "You can go to the hotel now. I'll open a portal real quick." She got up, walked around the counter, drew her scythe and opened a dark red portal to Penny.
"Thank you," Arcene said, and she and Koray looked at each other, then at Ruby, before they walked through the portal. After the portal closed again, Ruby put her scythe away and looked at Jaune and Glynda.
"I think we all know what that means," Ruby said, speaking in a more serious tone, and Jaune and Glynda became more thoughtful.
"Salem is trying to cut off our dust supply," Glynda said, "This could become an issue really fast, if we don't stop those monsters. But I believe that you already have a solution for this dilemma."
"To be honest, I am… not sure," Ruby answered, "I mean, I do have some ideas, but there is no guarantee they will work. And if I'm wrong, and choose one that doesn't work, we'll end up wasting time and resources, while Salem just keeps hurting us."
"But we have to do something," Glynda said, "It's definitely better than doing nothing." Ruby burst into rose petals and manifested again in front of the terminal, across from Glynda.
"No it's not!" Ruby shouted, slamming her hands on the counter and startling both Jaune and Glynda, "If we do something just to do something, people will die, and I will not let that happen!"
"R- Ruby," Glynda said, both scared of Ruby, and surprised that she could be this scared of someone like Ruby. Ruby took a deep breath and backed off a little.
"Sorry, I just… remembered something," Ruby said, "When my friends and I got to Atlas, I saw something on my scroll. Footage from another timeline. James went over the edge, and decided to do something right away instead of coming up with a plan first. And… a lot of people died because of that. Salem wants us to act without thinking, and has definitely planned this entire thing for who knows how long now. If we act rashly, we will walk into a trap."
"So, what do we do?" Glynda asked, still a bit shaken from Ruby's outburst, and said, "We still need those supplies, after all." Ruby walked away a bit, putting her left hand to her mouth, and thought out loud.
"Yes, we need those supplies. And Salem knows this, too," Ruby said to herself, "So naturally, she would expect us to try and recapture them as fast as possible, and set a trap for us once we try to do that. Which means that, to counter her plan, we should ignore the supplies. But since she knows I'm here, she would expect us to do so. We also have to take into account that she doesn't have to worry about resources, and can create monsters out of things."
"So, the real issue is figuring out how good of a tactician she thinks you are, right?" Glynda asked.
"Exactly," Ruby said, "And like I said before, when we were in Atlas, I saw some stuff. Basically her entire plan for the kingdom. This allowed Sirena, Maria and me to thwart her plan."
"In other words, she thinks you're a master strategist," Jaune said, "That makes things a lot more complicated, because we have to come up with a plan to counter something she'd deploy to deal with someone far superior to us." While Ruby and Jaune were thinking, Glynda cleared her throat, drawing both of their attention to herself.
"That may not be entirely true," Glynda said.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, "Do you have a solution?"
"Maybe not, but I have an idea how we can approach the issue," Glynda answered, "A little anecdote from the age of the sword."
"Really? What is it?" Ruby asked, and both she and Jaune got visibly more confident that they could beat Salem's next plan.
"The greatest swordsman in the world does not fear the second-best," Glynda answered, "He fears the worst." Hearing that, both Ruby and Jaune tilted their heads in confusion.
"Why?" Jaune asked.
"Because all fighting relies, fundamentally, on different forms," Glynda answered, "A trained fighter has memorized all kinds of forms and stances, and knows how to counter them all. A fight between two skilled swordsmen is nothing more than a matter of who makes the first mistake."
"I think I've got it," Jaune said, "Someone who hasn't been trained in swordsmanship won't know those forms, and doesn't know the proper counters to them either, so both their actions and reactions are unpredictable. And if he doesn't know what to expect, even the best swordsman is left on his toes at all times."
"Exactly," Glynda said, "So, in order to beat the best tactician in the world, instead of going to the second best, we need to find the worst."
"Because that way, Salem won't know how to respond," Ruby said and asked, "So, what do you two think James would do?"
"He would ignore the ship," Glynda answered, "It would take too much effort to recover, and in his opinion wouldn't be worth it. And thanks to that semblance of his, there would be no point trying to convince him otherwise."
"That's the old James," Jaune said, "But Sirena and Ruby pulled some things, and helped him grow into his role as a leader."
"Wait, you two got him to actually listen to you?" Glynda asked, and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Well, not exactly," Ruby answered, "We… arranged for some things to happen, and he listened to the parts he liked to hear. He agreed to a deal, enforced by one of Sirena's semblances, and got the opposite of what he thought he'd get. Once he had no other choice, I told him what he needed to hear."
"I see," Glynda said and asked, "So, what's he like now?"
"Like I said, he grew into his role," Jaune answered, "Part of his growth was discarding his old semblance, and unlocking a new one. It makes it easier for members of the military to use their semblance, and even increases the likelihood of the people unlocking theirs. He now uses his position to help and support others. And about our current problem, I think he would do his best to recover those resources."
"That sounds… interesting," Glynda said, "I'm not too sure about him discarding his semblance, but at least he finally started taking his job seriously. And in this case, I do think we should try and recover the resources."
"Good, because Salem has already sent a bunch of Grimm there to keep us from doing that," Ruby said, "I'll have Ren head towards the ship and open a portal once he gets there. But since this could still be a diversion tactic, we need to prepare this place while we're gone. I'll send everyone their orders."
"Sounds good," Jaune said. Using Puppeteer, Ruby made her scroll send out several texts containing somewhat detailed instructions, then went to her workshop. She picked up numerous claymore mines and placed them in crucial locations, such as next to doorways.
"Let's see you get into this," Ruby said to herself, already imagining Grimm getting shot to shreds by the jagged shrapnel. Permafrost secured the roads leading to the train station, combining Landmine and Tower Defense to set up ice-dust turrets that sprung to life when enemies approached, with Ice Trap ensuring that the ice would shoot energy blasts at nearby enemies. Thanks to Ilia's ambush sense, the fusion quickly found the perfect spots for the plan.
"It's getting a bit breezy here," Permafrost said and rubbed her arms, only to flinch when she hit a spot where a large patch of her skin was missing. Arkos went around and used Guardian's Gambit, creating cobweb bats all over town, especially near Permafrost's mines, since their screeches disabled Grimm abilities and hopefully prevented any Elder Boarbatusk in the area from neutralizing the mines. Once everything was done, the fusions split up again, and everyone met back at the train station.
~o~
Ren swam through the ocean in his moray eel form, looking for the abandoned Kelpie II. He found a large chunk of ice holding up the ship, and made his way through the jagged spikes. His slime-covered ell body protected him from the sharp edges, and he eventually found an opening. He transformed back and used Flight to get out of the water, then focused on the surrounding area. A red portal opened next to him, and the rest of Ruby's Group walked out of it, along with some others, and it closed behind them.
"And, how does it look?" Ruby asked, drawing Ren's attention.
"There are monsters everywhere," Ren answered, "I also sense people, who seem to be controlling them."
"There are also Grimm coming our way," Ruby said, "Jaune, set up an Icy Terrain. Weiss, surround the ship with Combat Drones. Velvet, set up a Pursuer's Bane field. The rest splits up and looks for the equipment, but don't set out alone. If you encounter any people, try and talk to them. If fighting is inevitable, use non-lethal force to incapacitate them, then bring them here for safety."
"Got it," Jaune said and stabbed his great sword into the ice, releasing a wave of energy that covered the surrounding area in an icy mist, and tiny snowflakes started forming in the already cold air.
"No problem," Weiss said and created a Glyph, then released an ice blue Combat Drone from it. The large orb floated away, and once it was ten meters away, another one formed above the Glyph, following fifteen meters behind the first. Ruby could sense the Grimm approach, and even though she knew the monsters could likely handle them on their own, she wanted to play it safe, just in case the monsters were controlled by Salem's allies.
"On it," Velvet said and jumped to the edge of the field, where the ice met the ship. When she landed, she dropped into a crouching position, and released an ice blue energy from her hands that washed over the surrounding area.
"Alright, that should do it," Ruby said, "Stay safe, everyone. And remember, the monsters summon minions to defend them when they're immobilized. I'll keep an eye on all of you from here, and keep you safe."
"Alright," Yang said, and the rest of the group nodded before heading off to comb through the ship. Before leaving, Weiss set up a Healing Circle and Safezone near Ruby, both to increase her aura regeneration, and in case they find injured people in the ship, then left with Ren, Nora and Sky. Jaune stayed behind a little bit longer, then fused into Arkos, who followed Yang and Blake.
~o~
Glynda walked through the ship's lower deck, accompanied by Qrow and Khione, and all three were ready for combat, despite the narrow corridors being too cramped for the monsters to fit into them. They stopped in an intersection when they heard scuttling above them, and looked around, with Qrow and Glynda shining their flashlights into the dark. Khione looked around, but noticed the humans' struggle to make out anything, and made a mental note to add a flashlight attachment to her crossbow.
"There!" Khione called out and fired a bolt into the pipes, causing it to bounce around the corridor, and scare whatever was hiding there. The trio covered their heads, and Glynda put up a telekinetic barrier, surrounding the group with magical-looking circles. As soon as the bolt passed through one of the circles, Glynda dropped the rest and focused her Telekinesis to stop the projectile, right before it could hit Qrow.
"Thanks," Qrow said, turned to Khione and said, "And you, be more careful from now on. Who knows what could happen if a bolt goes flying like this at the wrong time."
"Alright," Khione said and shrunk a little bit, "Sorry." She picked her crossbow bolt out of the air and loaded it back into her weapon, and the trio continued trying to locate the source of the sound.
"Come on now, don't be so hard on her," Glynda said, "Sure, you could have gotten hurt, but a single stray bolt never killed anyone."
"There's a first time for everything," Qrow said, "Besides, her semblance is about supporting her allies by attacking her enemies." Before he could say anything more, a shadow jumped out from between the pipes, and Glynda caught it with her Telekinesis.
"Looks like this is our culprit," Glynda and shined her flashlight at the monkey, who wore a sash like you'd expect from a pirate captain, which came with a sheath for the curved dagger in its hand.
"Wait, didn't Ren say he sensed people?" Qrow asked, "Do you think they're pirates?" The monkey struggled against Glynda's invisible hold on its body, screaming as it tried to break free so it could attack the trio.
"It's definitely loud," Khione said, "Let's have Ruby deal with it." Just when she said that, a red portal opened next to the group, and Glynda gently tossed the monkey through it. The portal closed behind the monkey, and the group continued looking for the supplies.
~o~
Several men and women in pirate-like attired combed through a storage room, when they heard a knock on the door. They paused and readied their weapons, despite having locked the heavy steel door to keep intruders out while they went through their most recent haul. Suddenly, the door flew off the hinges and landed halfway across the large room. Yang stood in the opening she just made, feet firmly planted on the ground and her organic fist where the door had just been.
"Good job," Blake said with a smile, and Yang resumed a more casual stance and chuckled with a sheepish grin, both seemingly unaware of the weapons pointed at them.
"I thought you kept an eye out for people," a woman said, turning to a group of men.
"We did," one of the men responded, "Our monsters should destroy any boats coming our way."
"But these two are here, anyway," the woman said.
"I'd count again," Arkos said and walked up behind Blake and Yang, who entered the room. Blake dropped a smoke canister, which began giving off a thick white smoke, and blocked the portal Ruby had opened just outside the door.
"Don't get cocky, just because you have aura," one of the pirates said, "You're still outnumbered." Blake rolled her eyes and used Shooting Star, knocking the pirates' weapons out of their hands. As the swords and guns clattered to the ground, the men and women stepped back.
"You might want to consider running away now," Blake suggested, "Or we can enlist you for our cause, to keep the military off your backs." The pirates exchanged some questioning looks among each other, then decided to run, and pushed past the trio. As they ran into the smoke, they suddenly found themselves standing on a large chunk of ice. Ruby sat on a chair near the portal, with the captain's monkey holding on to her.
"Friends of yours?" Ruby asked the monkey, and he seemed to answer. The pirates looked around in confusion, and instinctively walked away from the portal. Before they knew what was happening, Yang and Blake began carrying crates through the portal. Then, the monkey hurried over to one of the pirates and jumped up at him.
"Hey, Chip, there you are," the man said and asked, "How's it going?"
"That guy lied to us about those monsters, it seems," a woman said, "I mean, look at all this. Those people just came in and started stealing our stuff." At that, Ruby got up and walked over to the pirates.
"These supplies were originally intended for us," Ruby explained, "We're not stealing your stuff, we're defending our stuff."
"Anyone can just say that, you know," the woman said. In response, Ruby pulled out her scroll, and secretly used Puppeteer on it before showing the woman an image.
"Here's proof, if you want," Ruby said, showing the fabricated mission statement, "General James Ironwood of the Atlas Military hired a group of huntsmen under my command to protect the people and supplies on this cargo ship." The woman leaned in to take a closer look, then stood up straight.
"Well, whatever," the woman said, and Ruby put her scroll away again, "We still have our monsters, and a few cards to make more of them. So, one way or another, we'll get the supplies on this ship."
"I'd like to avoid fighting, actually," Ruby said and asked, "My name is Ruby Rose. Is there anything you want from this?" The pirates looked a bit confused, and eventually, the one with Chip on his shoulder stepped forward.
"Hello, I'm first mate Scotch," the pirate said, "And this is the captain's pet, Chip. If you're really willing to negotiate, I believe that can be arranged. However, Captain Rum will have the final say."
"A pleasure to meet you, Scotch. Please, have a seat," Ruby said, motioned over to two folding chairs and asked, "So, what does your group want to accomplish here?" The two of them sat down to discuss the matter more properly, while the rest of the pirates just stood around and watched Yang and Blake, as well as Arkos' Kin Summon minions, carry cargo crates through the portal.
"Well, we're pirates," Scotch answered, "We steal stuff, and sell it for money, or use the resources to maintain our weapons and ship." Ruby looked around the pirates and saw that they didn't have any weapons on them, and used Telepathy to tell Arkos to have their Kin bring the weapons.
"Your ship?" Ruby asked, turned to the rest of the pirates and said, "Also, please feel free to take back your weapons." A small army of minions carried all sorts of swords through the portal and handed them to the pirates. She then turned back to Scotch, who had taken his own eyes off of her to observe what was happening, then returned to the conversation at hand much more positive.
"Yes, the Crimson Jewel," Scotch answered, "She's anchored at the starboard bow, though the ice made boarding a little bit difficult."
"I see," Ruby said and asked, "Are there currently any big issues with your ship?" Chip let out some screams, though not loud enough to be painful. Yang and Blake delivered the last cargo crate and walked back through the portal, and it closed behind them.
"Kind of, yes," Scotch answered, "But it's not something I'd just tell anyone, especially a huntress. One day, you might get hired to take us down, and then you'd know our weaknesses."
"Hold that thought," Ruby said and got up, then used Tranquility to hide the entire group from Grimm. She folded her hands, with only her thumbs, index- and pinky fingers sticking out, and before the pirates could ask what she was doing, she pulled all impurities from the surrounding air and made a rocket, using gunpowder instead of dust. She opened a cargo crate, pulled out a rocket launcher, and loaded the projectile. She took up position, kneeling down for extra stability, and anchored herself to the ice with Roots. Just when the pirates started to wonder what she was doing, a Leviathan rose from the waves.
"Grimm!" Scotch called out, and the pirates aimed their guns at the Grimm. Several robotic monsters came to their aid and attacked the Leviathan, but only drew its attention in the worst way. The Leviathan shot a stream of fire from its mouth, destroying several monsters in a single hit and melting part of the ice. The pirates kept firing at the massive Grimm, with their monsters doing most of the damage, while Ruby waited for the perfect moment. Just when the Leviathan prepared another fire breath, Ruby fired the rocket into its mouth. With the damage multiplying from Ambush, the attack blew its head to bits and killed the Grimm instantly.
"Don't worry, I don't need to know your weaknesses," Ruby said as she put the rocket launcher away again, then sat back down and asked, "So, what about your goals here?" The pirates all looked at each other, not sure what to make of what they just witnessed. They then looked at Scotch, who calmly sheathed his saber rifle and sat down on the other folding chair to resume the negotiations.
Author's note: One reason why Ruby waited was to make sure she could kill the Leviathan in one shot.