Author's Preamble:
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Perfect is the enemy of Complete!
THE BLACK SUIT ARC
Last Time On:
What if Ruby was VENOM…
GOODWITCH: "Congratulations… both of you, on ducking your Least. Serious. Offense".
In the great hall before the skydocks, Deputy-Headmistress Goodwitch has stopped Yang And Blake from saving Ruby Rose. What reasons could The Huntress have for throwing an innocent invalid to the BeoWolves?
Find out NOW!
Hunter By-Laws
1 Kingdom of Vale Code § 1 - Art. 1 DESERTION
(a) Any Hunter-Class member who—
(1) without authority goes or remains absent from their unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away therefrom permanently; or (2) quits their unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service;
is guilty of desertion.
(b) Any person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished, if the offense is committed during wartime and/or high level Grimm activity, by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.
At Beacon: Date irrelevant.
Glynda Goodwitch didn't need an alarm to wake up, and with a flick of her crop, she made her bed before her toes touched the ground. Violet strands pulled the curtains back and greeted her with the brand new day: Pitch black skies and dead silence. It would be three hours before anyone else stirred. The Deputy Headmistress smiled. Not a moment to waste!
Click-clock—click-clock: Her heels danced across the Kaltaminor floors. Racing to keep pace were mops, buckets, dusters and polish wipes, flinging themselves at her crop's command.
"-flourishing flower pots… Good. Both my gardenias and dahlias have complemented this hall's mosaics nicely".
Click-clock—click-clock
"One night and so much dust?!… No, it must be immaculate".
Click-clock—Sweep-sweep: Her broom army barged into each classroom, turning it upside down until it shined. GW smirked. "1,479 surfaces polished — 190,521 to go… Good time so far".
She looked down and frowned. "But there are crushed tiles, dirty foot marks… Students running through the halls again!". She gripped her crop. "They're supposed to be the next guardians of the world and they can't even demonstrate basic indoor decorum?!".
She sighed, and arranged the molecules back in their proper order.
Click-clock—Polish-polish—SCRUB.
She scraped the gum off the bleachers. It clung to everything, collecting hair clumps and trapped bugs -some with legs still wriggling! Her semblance forced her to feel every slimy fold, how the pink-gray taffy had molded around teeth, sloshing in divots with student drool. She gagged as it touched her skin. Well, skin would have been preferable, she could've worn gloves but her power fed directly into her nerves. Without that, no control.
Clumps of phantom gum caked her nails & no amount of hand washing would fix that! She sighed: Her class always seemed to have the most of it.
Click-clock—Click-clock. "Testing testing… 1-2-3," she chimed off the center stage. Her voice rang out to the bleachers where floating microphones picked it up and reported the decibel. They were all at head heights, to the exact centimeters of each student. She waved her crop, reorganizing the seating arrangement, and ran the test again, noting the minute change in decimal volumes: Subpar levels for the tallest and shortest.
With a flex of her power, the walls warped and the rooms had new acoustics.
"Testing testing… 1-2-3. Testing testing…".
It would be worth it. Always was. Beacon students deserved nothing less: Because out there, they'd need everything to save our world…
Beacon Cafeteria : 40 Minutes Before Ruby is Found
Her weapon hissed— Pale thin wisps tightly twisted through the room, flashing off the soot windows and shattered ashlar. Burning green eyes locked on the deserter's backs bumping against the wall, kicking their debris hill.
Her heels *clicked* towards them. "You—!" she hissed, venom dribbling down in thick globules, spraying as she spoke. "You…Two…". Her voice broke - she lost her grip & the crop bucked violet flames, shearing the two's shadows into frantic fleeing streaks tumbling up the hall walls into a jittering mess.
"You Abandoned Us!" She clenched her weapon! "You're classmates, your school: EVERYTHING!"
Dark plumes scorched the rubble, shaking the room with a beastial roar. Windows cracked and the flames snapped at the girls, licking the shadows clean off their faces. Belladonna jumped, bumping into Xiao Long, sending her tumbling off the rubble pile. She looked back up with bloodshot eyes, sliding - then snapping over the room.
The flames ballooned, blasting out!— Until white knuckles strangled them back down to their finest possible point. A singularity thrashed in GW's grasp: bright, beating, and screaming at horrible pitches no human could comprehend.
Blake's bow crumpled! "Profes—".
"You… TWO DESERTED Us". She felt her control slip. "You Broke Our Most PARAMOUNT Law!"
"N-no. Wait!".
Her heels clicked across the floor, slowly… deliberately.
"You've got it wrong!"
*Click-clock—Click-clock
Click-clock—Click-clock*
"If you'd just lis—!" GW rested her crop on Belladonna's throat and felt the girl go absolutely still. All except for her pulse, which punched hard against the weapon. GW pushed it in deeper. Beside her temple the burning beating bead banged against the inside of her crop loop, smoking off melted leather fumes.
Xiao Long gagged.
GW gave Belladonna a weak smile and clicked in a sing-song voice poorly hiding unadulterated hate. "You Know What Happens Now, don't you, Bel-La-Do-Na?!".
What if…
🎼 Torimo (Birds)… Sakanamo (Fish)… Dokoheitano (Where have you gone?)…
Tonbo mo chō mo doko e itta no 🎼
🎵Mercury(Hg), Co, Ca
Pb, H2SO4, oxidants
CN2, Mn, V,
Cr, K, Sr 🎶
🎵Filthy polluted oceans, filthy polluted air🎵
-Give Back The Sun (Hedorah)
Ruby was VENOM
Issue 7. RODAN
Part II
Almost inaudible, in the quietest mouse whisper: "but… no? w-we're just students".
"You. Are. Huntresses-in-training. With all the rights and responsibilities of the real deal". She hissed. "Do you understand what that means? What You Two've Done?! You do, don't you? Ofcourse, you quoted our By-Laws like they're your favorite fairy tale". The bead sparked!
"WELL - What happens Now!" It wasn't a question, and glaring at terror crawling up Belladona's face, the girl knew she did as well.
"You both are under arrest: You two have the right to remain silent; anything either of you say or do can -and will- be used against you in Vale court. You both are allowed attorneys (for all the good they'll do) and if one cannot be afforded on such short notice, they will be supplied to either of-"
"Shut up!"
Yang hissed.
"I… Beg your pardon".
Blake's heart squirmed under the weapon.
Pure red eyes bore down GW's greens, burning like a Grimm's.
"Blake. Did. Nothing. Wrong.". She smirked!? "It was all me". She scrambled up on the debris and rushed at GW, slipping, sliding and finally sprawling face first at her feet.
GW snatched the grime mid air before it could touch her Kaltaminor floors. The room was just cleaned, save for the corner the wretches stood on. It would stay that way! "Xiao Long — You've joined us". She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out over clenched teeth. "You… know what you're confessing too?".
Yang sprung up. "Sure. Whatever. I ran : she chased. That's what you saw, right, Blake trying to enforce your rules. Otherwise, why'd she come in chasing me down?!". She swung her arm wide at the refitted oak doors, swinging her weapons bag as she did.
*Keka-Ke*
"Is this true, Belladonna?". Her white knuckles squeezed the leather, making it cry. Blake's eyes shot from it to Yang.
"Don't look at her, look at me. Is it True?"
Her eyes widened, a mistake, the bright wand light burned her Faunus retinas. She- she needed time, a second to think! Words were forming too quickly, jumbling up in her throat.
"ANSWER ME!"
"yes…" she squeaked and Yang gave her arm a soft squeeze.
"Oh, I see?" she gave a start, "Well, we'll review what our surviving security tapes say, as well as eye witness accounts".
(Blake\Yang: 'Port!/Mustache Fuck!')
"If they confirm your story, you'd have acted adequately". Then, in a dragged out drawl, "But perhaps, obstruction of justice will be added to your charges". Her eyes shot back into Yang's and the girl flinched. GW lips curved. "As for y-".
"Don't you want to know what she was running to?".
She froze and the glowing bead grew louder. "Everything will come out in the trial".
"Trial? We don't have time for a trial! My SISTER Needs ME!" She grabbed GW's weapon.
"Take. Your. Hand. Off.".
Yang let go, but kept her hand hovering there. "Please… My Sister is on Patch," she growled. "Leggless, with half a dozen critical medical complications, in the middle of a Grimm stampede!"
"And this gives you leave to abandon us?"
Leather cried in pain again, but it was Yang's fingers now, squeezing the life out of the crop. "You're a Hunteress, she's in Danger!".
"EVERYONE'S IN DANGER!
Both girls jumped, but Blake found her voice first, "M-maybe, professor, we should-" and stepped a dirty toe on the Kaltaminor floor.
The room exploded in hellish dirty Violet, blasting the girls against the wall. Yang grabbed and shielded her as a lazer screamed! It burst through the tip of GW's crop, slicing through both brick and tungsten. She struck at them before they could defend, ripping everything away! Blake and her clutched eachother, lighting up their Auras as they teetered off the new sheer drop! And absolute Hel rushed in.
Black, toxic hedoro sank the hall under vapor sludges. Yang wretched, gasping on the floor, as Blake's eyes burned, bubbling over with Aura blisters burning bright. She screamed!
And the world screamed back.
They heard screams, terrified wet shrieks cut short by horrific jackaling . Animalistic, wet and sloppy; smackering hairy lips over raw warm meat. Messy eaters.
Then synthetic screams joined the festival. Siren alarms and the automatic gunfire of big barreled guns shook the earth. Yang's mouth hung open filling with soot. Embers crashed against her wide bare eyes, but she felt nothing. It was happening to someone else, because it couldn't be happening to her, this couldn't be- Bright orange & pitch black, those palettes split the world in half, splitting her face in half: black above and orange below. The whole 2 toned world spilled in unobstructed… Unobstructed. Unobstructed! WHERE IS IT?!
WHERE IS IT?!
WHERE IS IT?!
WHERE IS IT?!
Lilac dots bounced off their eyeball walls, head snapping every which way searching. She lunged off the ledge (Blake grabbed her) and clung on by her fingertips, craning to see it, because 'It was gone! The Cross Continental Transit System was gone!'
She'd walked by, under it just 2 hours ago. A gargantuan colossal rock splitting clouds at the halfwaypoint. It smothered the courtyard in a shadow so deep she could see her own breath!
*Keka-Ke. …Keka-Ke.* Her bag smacked against the wall. Yang jerked back, she had to get it, she had t—! She'd found the CCTS. It was far further down than where she'd been looking; 'small', broken rocks at the bottom. Sparks struck the smoke from split wires. Her face went slack. The Grimm were crawling over every stone, giggling as they jumped about, some even playing tug-of-war with…with… Gods!
"What… What's going on?"
- ◎⃝⃘ -
- ◎⃝⃘ -
- ◎⃝⃘ -
Velvet promised her team she'd find Coco. Their leader was MIA at the rendezvous point and none of the team's scrolls work. Nobody's scrolls worked! What did that mean? She crawled under the collapsed Armory E, along with a gaggle of students all trying to get their weapons. Coco had to be here. Something was holding her up!
Her rabbit ears twisted at every sound: The running, stumbling of dark-blind students —Twist : The sharp rock ceiling, ten thousand tons groaning and slipping —Twist : Sparks crackling into puddles, churning the waters —Twist : Many "somethings" slithering between the sharp rocks above. Her teeth snapped shut as blood moved through her like glacier ice. Bare skin crawled. She felt watched!
"CoCo?!". Stalactite fangs constantly chomped on her ears. Everything higher than a meter up was crushed in their jaws. She had to keep carefully scooting around bone-white faced students, who'd had the unfortunate assignment of top shelf lockers. They dumbly picked at the scrap metal which was their weapons…
"CoCo!" she yelled.
"One second Velv, I've almost got my gun!".
Thank Oum! "Get it and we should—" She saw CoCo tug at the butt of her weapon, half still inside a top shelf loker. "I almost got it, Velv…"
Velvet's stomach dropped. I-i-it miss-transformed: stuck between a RMS and carpet bag.
"CoCo… it's been crushed. We should—" The room rumbled! "We need to leave, now!".
"I'm not ready yet!"
"Co-!
"You GO! Find Fox and Yaz & tell 'em I'll be there soon"
"…"
"That's an order Vel!". CoCo screamed and metal screeched under the boulder, popping out with a *twang* in CoCo's hands. She grinned, and ran her fingers down the gun, until they fell off. Velvet saw the drop clearly: nothing but springs and shrapnel beyond the rotating carousel.
"No… . ". The room rumbled again. She didn't hear, too busy jamming the split ends at eachother, clicking off every time…
"We Need To Go!"
"No… No… –I Can't Help you like this!".
The room rumbled and then roared, its toothy maw had enough of only tasting and chomped down with the bite force of a deca-thousand tons!
→Velvet yanked CoCo and slung her at the exit!
→CoCo held on and pulled Velvet, tumbling together!
→Velvet pushed herself on top. The spikes rushed towards her. CoCo grabbed her close and pulled for the top. Aura crackled!
And the rocks glowed violet…
The ceiling was pulled back, shaking the room as it dragged up along the walls. Two small bodies lay beneath, clutching each other as the last of the stalactite sky flew away. They gazed slack-jawed through pinpricks in their Aura: coronas of scarlet and gold, an inch close.
Organized rumbles rose from all corners of the armory. Busted lockers became fixed with their contents spilling out polished and presented for battle. The students rose from the ground and collectively reached with trembling hands. When their fingers touched, raucous cheer erupted in the room! They clutched their weapons, praising the spotless ceiling. CoCo *Whooped* and spun her barrels. Velvet grinned and looked up with them, only to spot a security camera watching her.
She gave it a short bow. The camera glowed violet and bowed back.
Professor Goodwitch smiled and closed that window on her glasses; 5 more immediately took its place. People were clambering for everything, demanding reasons why the power wasn't fully on, and rightfully so! Beacon couldn't survive the night on emergency power alone. She had to fix that, protect the school, patch a hole, and deal with them!
She turned, and realized she couldn't control her breathing. Her chest seized, gasping up air pulled through bared teeth. Another window popped up. She dealt with it. Wires coloured violet slithered through the room, snapping at the substation transformer and subtransmission customers in different configurations.
Still nothing after 382 different combinations.
Xiao Long was touching the iridescent-purple mesh covering the hole to the outside. She felt the sounds caught in the mesh: screaming gunfire unloaded into giggling mouths, mouths that asked for more, multiplying, first a hundred, then a thousand, then…
"Over 10,000 Grimm inhabit the Emerald Forest, though that estimate has been proven conservative" she glared at Yang. "Don't touch that" GW commanded. "It's complicated enough to regrow a sound dampening film without your fingers poking holes in it".
Her hand jumped back and clawed into itself. "W-What's going on?".
"You don't know? No… you don't, do you?". She flicked her wrists and sent radiator sized cubes dragging past the girls, flicking and snapping up into the stone wall. One-by-one the hole shrank.
"Something hit us. Something Big! And we don't know what, but now there's panic with no modern precedent, the entire forest is on fire, and every Grimm is locked in a stampede. Can you guess where they're heading?"
Yang suddenly couldn't breathe.
"She didn't know!" Blake growled, clutching her eyes. They were squeezed shut, leaking purple light.
"You both left us before we could tell you anything" GW spat as another window opened in front of her eyes.
Blake ground her teeth and she tried to choke back her screams. Yang spun her around and in horror, saw bright boils bulging out from under her eyelids. Her Aura was blistering over!
"You HURT H-!" GW leveled her weapon between her eyes. It glowed bright, knitting itself together. "You didn't know. That's the only thing saving you!"
"!"
…"Belladonna, pulse your Aura''.
The girl made a perplexed whimper. "Your Aura lit up to protect you. I, apologize. It's now stuck protecting you from its own light. The brighter it shines, the more energy it needs to hold your eyes together. You're trapped in a loop. Break it". She put her hand on her shoulder and Blake recoiled, but she held her firm. "Pulse your Aura as fast as you can; don't interrupt. I'm trying to open you a window between light's absolute speed and the milliseconds an Aura's protective grace lingers once you cut its power. …Good, like that, but faster."
"Grrghgar!"
"Now, slowly push open the window. Add greater space between your pulses.
"You just said—! "Don't distract her" GW hissed. "One mistimed pulse and her pain won't remain phantom".
Yang's voice stalled and she was reduced to clutching at the air. Blake did as she was told and struggled to make the whole thing look like a novel concept for her…
"There, the light is just about gone, well done. I did not realize your eyes were so sensitive. Can you see again? Yes?". She slashed her arm at the closing wall hole! "Then grab your cowardly charge and GO — JOIN — YOUR — CLASSMATES!" She pointed out with sweat drenched shaking fingers. "They are out there dying, some have died! And you left them?".
"I didn't know," Yang whispered so quietly, it was lost beneath the sounds of her hand clawing inwards.
"I Don't Care" she barked. "The evidence will speak for itself, and it is overwhelming. I have both seen and studied many desertion cases, and with your right to a speedy trial …you have until the end of the month". The last part came out in a whisper; uncharacteristically tepid. 'The law… It was the law'.
"No!" Blake cried.
"What do you- what does she mean by that?"
"It's a capital offense, Xiao Long. I'm sorry you made this choice".
Silence shook the hall. Sounds Yang ignored her entire life came into clear focus: The hair on her arm vibrating against the draft. Her feet scratching against the floor and knuckles popping as her hands clenched and unclenched. The way a tongue would smack against teeth before someone spoke, it roared inside Yang's head. Her arm shook. The bag was making that awful Ke-Ka rattle sound. She needed, she needed more dos- The frozen grass crunched underneath her feet.
"…provided a lawyer. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"
"…"
"Xiao Long? You need to answer me".
"I-I don't care. Just please, let me save my sister".
"Not an option". She turned away. One flick, and the rubble under Yang's feet flew away to the holes it belonged to. GW watched the last piece slot into her breach of the outerwall, snuffing out the orange light. "You and Belladonna will follow me once I have completed my tasks here, and you join your classmates. It's your only hope".
"Wait-
"There's no time to wait!" she ululated, "Go out there with your classmates and do exceptional work and pray it works in your favor. Your lives as Hunteresses are over, as is any respectable career, but you could still have lives.
Don't waste this chance". She flicked her crop, trying one more wiring configuration. The lights flashed on bright as day all over the castle. She smiled, closing that tab on her glasses and did a cute little wiggle. Then, back to business as usual. "Belladonna, grab your charge. We're leaving. Now".
Blake scrambled up and over to Yang and reached a hand out. The other girl was staring where the hole had been, Aura sparking haphazardly along her body. She could probably hear the screams. Blake did, they played on loop in her mind. She'd promised Yang… Her bow drooped.
"Yang we- I, I didn't know they," she muttered. "All those people".
"Our people, Miss Belladonna. Move along".
Her hand stalled a hair above Yang's shoulder. The screams wouldn't stop. How wet they sounded. How young…
"I, Yang, I have to go. I'm so sorry". She raced past GW who was still glaring at the other. Yang's hand clenched the strap of her bag.
"Xiao Lon-!
""I-I can't… Ruby needs me".
"Vale needs you now! By tomorrow our kingdom might be a mountain of broken glass".
"But Patch is in the same boat". She whirled around.
"Patch has its defenders, we have you".
"You don't need me! I'll fuck everything up".
"You made Valedictorian, your loss would be— Has already been catastrophic".
The screams grew louder.
"One chink in the chain, that's all it takes for the Grimm to get past us".
"I know, I know," Yang whimpered. "But-
"But what!? Can't protect people you don't know?"
"No-
"You're a Huntress-in-training now, not a flatfoot! You have a legal obligation to protect everyone".
"Except my sister!?"
"There are exceptions and yours deviates too much from the greater goo–
"Greater good? She's a baby with half her organs missing!".
"And that can't blind you to everyone else! You know the situation. How can you still be here?" She slams Yang's bag into her chest.
"I-" Yang clutched her bag.
"There are thousands like your sister in Vale. For gods' sake, we can't even evacuate the hospitals!
"I know- but I can't. I Can't let Ruby get ripped apart by a Grimm again!" Her eyes flashed red, then widened in panic.
"Xiao Long, I- I empathize with your position".
"No! I trained to be a Huntress to protect her, so that never happens again. And you're telling me to just let her die!?
No, Fuck You!".
"Yang Xiao Long, this profession has to be above personal connections. If I were in your shoes, I would make the same sacrifice".
"But you're not," Blake cut in. "You're an only child, like me".
Goodwitch froze mid sentence. Then… her neck twisted like a tree trunk, creaking a millimeter at a time, until green eyes came to drill through Blake's skull.
She shrugged. "You wrote a biography. Flat read by the way".
"Why - Are You - Still Here?"
"Keeping you honest, I guess?"
"I didn't lie, I gave an educated hypothetical. As Huntresses, we are expected to make great personal sacrifices, regardless of our circumstances- "THEN I'M NOT A HUNTRESS!"
Both necks snapped back at Yang who was shaking off embers. Her fists clenched and unclenched, glaring at them both with blood red eyes as tears sizzled and popped within. "I'm not a Huntress! I'm not even a trainee. My [Signal•X•Weapons] license expired after graduation, right? I won't— I couldn't see my [Huntress•X•Trainee] certification without passing initiation?".
She looked at Blake. "Right?".
"Are you betting your life on a layperson's law interpretation?!"
"I. Don't. Care". She turned and marched for the purple-rimmed doors leading out!
*Clunk*
*Clunk*
*CLUNK*
*CLUNK!*
Each foot crashed down with unnatural weight, reverberating back up through her. Harsh short breaths escaped through her teeth. Her right hand curled. 5 steps away. The screams were deafening. So many screams!
GW watched her come to a stop and relaxed then her grip on her crop.
The bag shook in her hand, so Yang had to give it to her left. The voices, all different ages, different genders, overlapping one another; it was all too much! How could she focus if her chest hurt this much!? Was she breathing? Why wasn't she breathing!?
They were changing as they met, each voice thinning out in pitch until a younger scream met her ears. It gurgled blood. She touched her face and felt wet splatters cake it. Tears! It had to be tears!
"I, I'm so sorry" she sniffed.
"Xiao Long, think about what you're doing".
"Blake, kick ass for me". She struck her arm out with a thumbs up and didn't look back. Blake was stunned and before she could call out, Yang was already crossing the threshold.
*Sizzle… Pop*
'Yang…'. Blake swallowed and nodded.
"Get back here!" Violet light lit up Yang's chin before the bag strap yanked her back into the room.
"What are you doing?!" Blake screamed at Goodwitch and took several steps back in fear.
"I am confiscating Hunter•X•Class weaponry from someone unlicensed to carry it". She dug her heels into the floor cracking the pretty tiles.
"NO YOU CAN'T!". Yang's semblance exploded, sending tables crashing against the wall. The chandelier fell into a billion pieces, making her the brightest light in the hall.
"I NEED THIS!".
"You need to stay here as a Huntress. If you won't, then leave as a civilian".
"You can't do that to her!"
"I can, and I will".
Blake's hand shot to her weapon and GW's eyes widened.
"Xiao Long, what is your plan to get to Patch?".
"The Skydock—!
"Are grounded! We were hit by a megaton blast and no one knows by what or who. Vale could be at War for all we know!"
"What? No, no that's-
"If you hijack a flight, it will be shot down. There will be no exceptions!"
Yang's flames sputtered and GW caught Belladonna lowering her hand, mouthing the word 'War'. GW allowed a molecule of her lip to move up.
The bag wrung towards her, slipping out of Yang's grasp.
"Then I'll swim!" Yang stomped through floorboards and clutched the wriggling shash by her fingertips and tried to smile. "It's only 60 kilometers, I can make it!".
"Do you hear yourself?!" GW pulled harder as the strap began to tear.
"No, let me Go! I'm strong enough". Her muscles roared with accord, ripping through fabric as they bulged to overpower Professor Goodwitch.
"What about the currents!?"
"The what?".
"You didn't—? You didn't even think about Currents? It's pitch black Xiao Long. Which way is Patch when all you can see is water?".
"Wait, no no no!"
You - Can't - Make - It! Face facts: You'd be lucky if the ocean spit you out in this Kingdom, and even then, it'll probably just be your corpse.
"No, shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She kicked against the ground.
"And if you do -one in a trillion- make it to Patch, what happens then. A washed up fighter too exhausted to lift a finger. How many Hunters might die saving your unfortunate neck?"
"I-…"
The floor beneath GW flashed purple, fixing itself. She strode towards Yang who still fought for the bag.
"WAIT!" she clutched it to her chest. "I can't— We had a fight, the last time we spoke I yelled at her. That can't be it. I won't, I Won't Let It!". Her fingers curled into the fabric, grabbing on with everything she had! Her eyes rose above its rim like binary stars: those Grimm-like eyes bore down GW.
*Hisssss*
Teardrops evaporated before they touched the ground. "You want me to Kill my sister".
"There are some who would…" She searched for the right words. "Look the other way, if you could reach Patch. But you couldn't even satisfy those fools".
She sighed and unzipped the bag.
Hundreds of shells flew out past Yang! She lunged after them, grabbing as many as she could while the rest burst apart like confetti. They floated there, dismantled down to their tiniest screw. The shells she caught pushed and twisted their shapes until they felt alien to her. She slowly opened her left hand and saw glittering yellow dust puff up into the air.
Goodwitch twirled her wand, looking quite pleased with herself.
The scream was inhuman! A wail ripped from an abomination chained in hell tearing its flesh free to escape. No words for the living!
"Yang, wait, listen". Blake got between them and found herself on the ground!
"I'll kill you. I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!". She cocked her hands. 2 bullets!
GW raised her wand and from its tip the tiny shrapnel danced, beautiful movements overlayed in perfect synchronicity.
*BONK!* Yang stumbled as a factory fresh shell bounced off her head.
All around her shrapnel danced between trash and the most valuable thing on Remnant; but whenever she reached for it, it was already dust in her fingers.
"Custom made… Outstanding craftsmanship. Shells as powerful as these… You would waste them on a suicide mission?".
Yang whirled, dust trailing her fists. "It's not-
"Do you even know if Ruby is in trouble? How? You saw the CCTS, we're blind!"
"I…I Know!"
"Show me your Scroll! I want to see the message."
"I didn't get one from her- "You?!" GW actually staggered back as the sheer incredulity smacked her in the face. She twisted to leer at Blake, "Did you know… it was all based on a hunch?!"
The girl wouldn't meet her eyes.
"You t—?! She's likely safe in a Grimm bunker!"
"But what if she's NOT!" Yang yelled. "I know where she is, I drove her there!" She screamed. Then in a whimper, "I yelled at her… my little sister. I told you that already! And when Ruby gets sad : She visits Mom's grave. Like clockwork, everytime!".
GW's lips thinned to a knife's edge. She could taste blood. Then, to herself more than anyone, "A gods damn hunch?". With a curt flick she stopped the dance of shells and let them rain on Yang as scrap.
"It's enough!" Then quieter, "It's enough… -No, you listen! I won't gamble my sister's life away! So even if it's just a one percent chance she needs me, I have to take it: I'm Her Big Sister!"
…
Goodwitch looked at the girl covered in shavings and could only sigh. "I thought you would've grown up by now, but here we are again…".
"Wh-?" She started -but then- realization drained the color from her face. "No no no no! Wait, Stop!"
GW looked sideways at Blake. "She didn't mention she's pulled this stunt before? With her own sister".
"No! Shut up shut up! This is different".
"Xiao Long once took her able-bodied sister into the forest looking for family, and now she wants to do the same with you".
"No I didn't- I tried to ditch her. Blake! I tried to ditch you!" She pleaded as lilac leaked back into her eyes.
Blake's own darted as they made the connections and her mouth opened.
Yang whirled back on GW. "It was me! It was always me, just me! And no one else has to- has to…So just gimme my shells!". She smiled and thrust out her shaking hand. "Give them to me!"
GW's fingers wrapped tight around her wand as Yang stalked forward.
"I need to go, gimme them. Gimme them Now!" She stumbled, hand smashing into GW's chest, gnashing teeth flinging sparks. Her right locked itself into a fist and crashed down overhead. GW thrust her weapon at Yang's temple. Someone screamed!
The crook of a cane caught Yang's wrist, stopping it dead. "Let's… wind back our tempers, shall we?".
Blake's weapon clattered to the floor.
Yang froze. She knew that cane. Everyone did! Her eyes ran down the shaft, up the hand and into the smiling face of the most powerful warrior on Remnant.
"Hello," Ozpin said with a smile.
"H-Hi". Yang gave a nervous "something" back.
Ozpin's eyes crinkled. "You probably shouldn't gesture wildly with guns attached to your fist. Gives people the wrong idea". His pink was deftly jammed in her trigger mechanism.
Yang swallowed.
Behind him, GW growled. "Headmaster Ozpin… What a fine example of discipline this will set. gods d—" she growled and stormed off into the doorway. "Everytime".
Both Blake and Yang wordlessly watched her go, Yang still frozen, even though Ozpin let go of his grip.
"So, you two want to save little Ruby?".
Yang dumbly nodded.
"Hmm. Alright then".
"What?"
"Really?!"
"Everytime".
"But-but…?" Blake began.
"How are we getting there?" Yang finally moved, crashing her fist together.
"Even our fastest Bullhead would be too slow. We'll have to send word instead. You said you knew where to find her?".
"Ya-ah, but-"
"But Headmaster," Blake interjected. "The CCTS is… Gone".
"I am gravely aware all comms running through it are lost. Fortunately, there's this breakthrough new technology called the radio". He held out a worn pair of transistors.
"Perks of being a Huntress: access to our comms net". He yanked them back from Yang's clambering fingers.
"Perks of the job, Xiao Long"
"But!" Her fingers closed on nothing. "I need to be there".
"Professor Goodwitch is right— "Someone has to be" –Ozpin quickly coughed. "Well, er… yes. Patch really can't have any well-meaning curveballs thrown at them".
"But Rub-
"And most importantly, do you think she'll need a hospital?
Yang's jaw dropped. "YES?!"
Ozpin gave his cane a twirl. "It's been almost a year since I've been to Patch… have they built one yet?". He hit its ferrule against the floor and the sound flexed the purple film within the exit's wall, cracking its plaster. Such a thin thing. Barely anything between… Yang's lips trembled.
Ozpin puts his hand on her shoulder. "Yang Xiao Long, I want to save everyone with you, including Ruby. To do this, we need to work together with Patch, acting where the other can't, as a team. It's the most important Beacon teaches". He smiled again.
Yang wasn't meeting his eyes. Her whole body trembled as the seconds passed on like eternity. Ozpin patiently waited.
"Just please…" she sniffed. "You promise this will work. You swear!".
"I can't promise absolution, especially now. But it's a far better chance than the 1% you tried to bet everything on".
She stiffened.
"And, when they find her, I promise you'll be the first to know".
Yang Xiao Long's fingers clenched. She took a shaky breath and rubbed away the last of her tears.
Ozpin brought the mug up to his lips and splashed hot cocoa over his gas mask.
"Oh…".
He watched the driblets fall until he lost them in the grass; then, hurriedly he dabbled himself with a soot-black turtleneck before anyone could see—
Click-clock—click-clock. GW glanced at him and sighed out of her tuba-tube mask. "I separated the two. They were nothing but trouble".
"Hmmm…" *Dab ^ Dab* "I thought they worked rather well together".
"You would". She crossed her arms at the pandemonium below: Students and staff arms linked, blindly fumbling through the black soup. Her crop hand twitched, but she controlled the impulse. She'd need every drop.
Ozpin squinted. A dirty-blonde swatch bobbed in and out of the currents. He raised his empty mug at her. "They showed quick teamwork which even you struggled against".
"I'm still filing my report. It will be up to the Council to decide how much leniency they deserve".
"..."
They watched the yellow blob in silence. It'd just run from the tent with a red light on top {fire supplies} before hastily cutting back and causing shouts of indignation from the murk.
'Forgot something, did you?' Oz thought, bringing the cup up to his lips. Glynda stopped him.
They shared a look and the next little pause felt lighter.
Oz pressed his luck. "You know, I can't help but think how much time we could have saved if you'd just told them about our radios from the start. Glynda…" he drawled as his mask bounced up above a growing grin. "We really must be more efficient–
"You lied to them — To their faces".
Headmaster Ozpin swirled his empty cup. "...you think so? Every word was true. Patch's operators received her message. You heard them loud and clear. And Miss Xiao Long was so elated! By now, they'll have dutifully notified their Hunters and—".
"And nothing will happen".
"…We don't know that. The Hunters could-
"Hold their positions, guarding the population centers. You filled their heads with false hope when they deserved the Truth!"
…
"What Hunter worth a damn is going to risk all for one based on a young girl's hunch!?".
*VRrrOoOMMM!* A dirty-yellow jeep swung up the mountain road, swerving to strike only the Beowolf's hairs! It raced past them, down the slope with its elongated tongue trailing a twisted grin. Bloodshot (human) eyes watched it disappear towards town. The radio blared next to him, panicked screams bouncing off the car walls:
"Help! We need Help! They're overrunning the left flank! Who's Guarding that?!
"Taiyang! It's Taiyang's corner!"
"Where is he?! Where is—
Taiyang shut it off.
…
He caught himself in the rearview mirror, more beard than face. Unwashed now for… It didn't matter. Ruby Mattered!
He floored it!
When Yang's voice crackled on the radio, a Creep almost opened his throat! He'd froze, his fingers couldn't even *click* on his mic, as her words ran over the operator. Over and over things that couldn't make sense. Words that had no business being together!
Ruby…The Forest..!
He punched it before he knew he was in his car.
"She'd be at home".
"She'd be at home".
"She'd be at home!".
"She'd be at-". Their home was destroyed.
*SCREEEEEEEECH!*
Tires smoked and Tai flew, cracking his face off the windshield. He'd never strapped in…
Shaky steps threw him to the ground! His head swam, treading water through broken shapes painted a single colour. Black warm snow clogged his throat, puffing out with tear brimming wretches. They lazily drifted till their last Grimm flakes fell.
So Much… Blotting out all his green.
He staggered forward along a metal mass, cursing his Fucking vision to clear!
The first thing he made out was the fridge door he leaned on. The rest was the tree above— It crashed down, smacking him as he rolled.
Crazed eyes darted everywhere, trying to find home. The kitchen sink was strewn apart at his feet, next to a broken dishwasher. On his left, something had speared his cooking island through a branch. Appliances sparked and the stuffed doll Ruby'd never admit to playing with, was thrown around in pieces.
No… Nonononono!
Medical monitors, med cabinets and test kits were torn through closer to home. He leaped past them.
No No No No No!
His baby girl's room was in the driveway.
"RUBY!?"
Tai sprung down his hallway, nearly tripping on the legs of his perimeter turret. He gaped goldfishlike at the still spinning barrel lodged in the wall.
"Where are you?!" Feet pounded floorboards, snapping a couple in two. He crushed the sea of strewn foodstuffs in his way.
"RU—!" His hands jumped to his mouth. Ruby's body was sprawled face down on his kitchen floor.
His chest wouldn't move, no matter how much his lungs screamed for air.
…
She's outside the safe room… The Grimm had been inside.
…
not again…
…
'Guack!'. Ruby coughed and flopped over. Something wriggled in her mouth. Her dad was on her in an instant, shining a scroll light down her throat. Nothing- just leaping shadows. He hugged her and her heartbeat felt strong. Stronger than ever.
He looked up at his destroyed home. "What happened?".
…
Tap-rap-tap-rap-tap-Tap! Tai's feet hit the floor with Ruby in his arms. She was so cold. He grabbed a blanket and opened the car with his foot, placing Ruby in the back and throwing the blanket in the passenger seat. Twisting the ignition, he shot off and—
"DAMMIT!"
The tires screeched again. He threw the blanket back over Ruby and gunned it. A tendril pulled it tight and snug.
They flew down the mountain. Ruby was strapped flat by three belts, barely keeping her bouncing free over every bump. Tai's eyes flicked from her and the road as the world whipped passed.
"She's alive — She coughed. Dead don't cough!".
They can spasm… You've seen it before…
"She's alive… She's Alive… she's alive… she's alive".
Her hand dropped.
He smashed his petal, shooting into their hometown.
◎⃝⃘
…You don't have to look.
Screams battered his car frame. Grotesque growls paired against sharp outbursts of gunfire, while the howling of fires came from both sides.
You need to focus on the road!
Orange leaked through the windows and saturated his interior. His fingers became trapped in its glow, fusing with flesh until the bones underneath showed. 10 & 2: They ferried him through.
—Ruby, Ruby and the road.
Dark misshapen shapes flickered past his windows to tear apart the smaller ones.
Ruby!
Ruby!…Ru-
His grip shattered the wheel as he shot past their exit. Bare knuckle grips on the steering shaft swung the car down the harbor lane.
"STOOOOOP!" someone screamed!
He crashed into the ferry gate with the wheels still spinning! Tai screamed, "OPEN THE GATE!" at the terrified teen poking a gray shotgun out of the booth. It went off, blasting his face. Gold splintered into the air.
"Oh Gods!".
Tai ripped the gun from him and his eyes flicked to the back seat: Safe.
"YOU IDIOT!"
"I-I'm I'm sorry, but t-t-the harbor's closed!". He whimpered, then ducked beneath the counter when the Grimm howled in the not-to-far distance. "I'm supposed to p-p-protect this evacuation point. H-Has one been ordered?! Oh Gods… Oh Gods no…".
"Gate. Open. Now!".
"Yes yes, G-Gods please…!" He dropped his gate keys. The Grimm howls closed. He snatched & dropped them again — Tai screamed; he cried, slamming the key against the lock until it finally slid in.
Yes! Ruby, we're gonna make it.
"Wait, where's everyone else?".
Tai froze in the lone car on the road. The attendant gripped his shotgun.
"I'm… doing a supply run to Vale. Yes…yes… That's why - That's Why You Need To Open The Gate!".
"Ok… No, wait! Sir sir, we need the codes- Clearance codes! Vale's bombing everything blipping their radar".
SHIT!
"I'm a HUNTSMAN!" He shoved his ID in the kid's face. "Radio on Vale's frequency that I'm coming. Give them my ID code and I'll stick to the course they outline".
"you're… leaving us?".
"I-" Tai paused, swallowed, and forced his lie free. "I'm coming back. With guns, ammo, and medical supplies. Enough to fill my entire jeep!"
"Your jeep…". The attendant's eyes shot to the covered up back seat.
Tai Froze.
…
…
…
"G-Got it. Yah, that could fit a bunch back for us. Please hurry!".
'What—?', Tai snuffed the urge to look back. "Yes… I'll be back. I'll be right back…". He clenched the shaft and left finger dents in its metal.
"So take my card, call Vale's frequently, and give them my number! Clear My Path! NOW!"
"Yes yes! I just need to call Patch command first. Coordinate with the—
"NO! I NEED TO LEAVE NOW!".
"But-but".
"OPEN THE GATE!" He gunned it again and the barrier bent, scraping against the tire spikes behind it.
"No WAIT-
"OPEN IT NOW! OPEN IT!".
"But they know, RIGHT?!"
*VRRROOOOOOOOM!* The barrier began to break.
"No sir plea-
Tai cocked his OSS Pistol Glove and punched at the attendant, splattering the head of a Nevermore lunging for the kids throat! They screamed, black blood and guts dripping off their lips.
"OPEN THE GATE!"
"Yes! Yes yes yes yes!". They cranked the key and the heavy roadblock hissed slowly down into the earth. Tai was already kissing pedal and metal, shooting up over it and across the wood docks, squeezing the wheel shaft to keep on the narrow decking. He gleans a small white ferry boat and swerves up its ramp, the Bluetooth in his scroll already shaking hands with the onboard computer. In a quick, but agonizing few seconds, his Hunter credentials overrode the e-lock and started the motor.
Tai looked back at Ruby, still snug under the blankets, and took a heavy step on the boat's floor.
*Step!* Yang's boot hits the Bullhead deck.
Everyone probably stared at her. She cranked her head left - then right, squinting through her mask. Black smog almost erased the tight compartment, but she could still make out a couple faces:
A princess, who cared more about keeping her clothes white than saving her Aura, and—
"SALUTATIONS!"
Author's Note: You don't know how long this issue took.
You might think you do -just look at the last issue's update date and do the math- but no. This confrontation between Goodwitch and Yang has been outlined, drafted, reworked & rewritten into more outlines and drafts, then scripts, mood boards, a Shin Godzilla reference, then drafts again for 3 YEARS.
Ever since Issue 1 dropped I have been working on this! And now, it's free for you wonderful people to read.
🎧 Elbphilharmonie-MixTape🎧 : I disagree with sourcing a character's entire character from the source text. Their original authors, when they speak on their creations, go in depth to the countless different strange inspirations which have guided their pens along every beat. And the process is not just "one & done". New sources of life, years beyond their creation date (sometimes decades and more) get added to their soul. What we see in the story is the tip of the iceberg, and as the story's waters shift: More of the iceberg is revealed, more of that iceberg is made. That is my goal, to discover what could be under the water. Because, if I adapt using only the tip for reference, the character wouldn't survive in even a puddle.
So with Professor Goodwitch, thrust into a clusterfuck her canon counterpart has never had to face, what outside text could I use for inspiration to breathe life and conviction into her actions? In half a dozen drafts I borrowed from Ben 10's Vilgax, of all things. White hot hate bottled so tight that steam escapes with every syllable hissed. She was a bomb, held back only by her control, and she would control exactly when her trigger was pulled at the girls.
It worked well, but too well… All in one direction. I couldn't demonstrate her side's value when it was represented by a monster. So I went the opposite route and sought a reference which was authentically human, brimming with integrity and endless love & reverence for what they cherished above all. The profession of Huntress. …And when she saw two "deserting cowards" wipe their asses with its core tenet: Bottomless hate.
But where could I find pure hatred for people who stood on nothing (And could it be downright petty too)?
…
"eurt si em tuoba yas yeht gnihtyrevE". 🎤 Euphoria 🎵
⋆⭒˚｡⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . {True Believers Q } ⋆⭒˚｡⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .
Rakaia (Issue 4): "Wow! A great issue full of aftermath chaos; Venom's arrival (loved the description of the tentacles, glop, smells etc.; a great contrast with the raging fire to how the issue opens with mile upon mile of forest) and his attitude to the roots XD.
Then there's Blake and Yang sneaking through disaster while Yang is simultaneously copping angsty guilt and anxiety for Ruby's well-being as well as romantic feelings for Blake XD what a lovely bit of excitement! Well done on the descriptions and the scene setting; it totally put me there!".
✿◠‿◠) : Making the forest breathe was personally important for me. A green place which thrived from the bottom up, creating systems and relationships spanning beyond what our most advanced computers could calculate. This place, where even the Grimm found home — Murdered in an instant!
There'll be a scene in Issue 8, with Oz and a pine, which already hurts my heart to think of. Can't wait to write! And I hope you stick around for the rest 💞
Chronicler of Unseen Stars (Issue 3): "Ooof. I'm surprised Yang is getting the flack for Ruby's condition and not their father. Then again, it's easier to target and badmouth a kid than it is a full-fledged Huntsman. Wonder if Taiyang ever had any strong words with those folk.
It's also surprising to see Blake come out of her shell like that for Yang, but given the situation, I can't blame her for dropping it. Then again, she wouldn't be at Beacon away if she was just an ice queen. Speaking of which, are we gonna see Weiss down the line, or is her father gonna use the crisis as an opportunity to add more shackles to her?".
(Issue 2): "This issue really hammers in on this Ruby's reality. Seeing their banter as they build bridges with each other did give me a dark chuckle (especially when Venom poked at her literal insides).
Hmm, would Silver Eyes have any effects on symbiotes, I wonder. Mr. Negative in the PS5 Spider-Man game can affect them with his powers, and in the main comics, the species was crafted by Knull".
(Issue 1): "There are some typos and missing commas for dialogue, but they didn't detract from the messages too much. This is an interesting setup. A Ruby mangled and clinging onto life and dreams for over a decade, the impact it had on her family, and how her future's changed. And speaking of impacts, it sounds like the Symbiotes are gonna have a much wider one on Remnant. I can't wait to see what chaos follows".
✿◠‿◠) : I'm sure Tai's tried having those strong words, but they haven't had success. Who knows if they ever will? Regarding Blake's antisocial behavior, I imagine her wearing a T-shirt saying " Don't bother me unless it's an emergency". It's now an EMERGENCY!
As for Weis: Debuted 🎉
I appreciate you binge reading my story. I hope you keep sticking around. The Symbiote's impact on everything Remnants has just begun! I'm so happy you love Ruby and Venom. If I couldn't make them funny, this story would be doomed.
Sorry about any typos in Issue 1, I hope I've gotten better. If you want to help catch them, I could send you early drafts? Let me know.
Guest (Issue 1): "This was an amazing starting issue and I hope to see you update this story for a long time. I actually started to become a little emotional when you show this ruby's struggle and her good nature despite all the garbage she has had to endure. Please keep up the great work".
✿◠‿◠) : Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! 💞💞💞 I'm so happy with how well it's connected with you. I hope I could bring you to feel again, even if the emotions in this issue were ugly.
Totallynotaduck (Issue 6): "Yay! Update! Ruby is gonna have fun explaining her new permanent roommate to her sister Blake and her dad huh. RUBY HOW DARE U THINK ABOUT EATING ZWEI! Shame on you ruby shame on you! Also yang did u really believe ruby wasn't filled with rage at everything? I mean we see it here ruby ain't no innocent bean she's got a temper lmao".
✿◠‿◠) : SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! 🔔
Yes, Ruby's hidden rage. Vol 9 vindicated my interpretation that Ruby repressed it all behind a toxic smile, just like their world at large is forced to do because of the Grimm. Dragging those emotions out with a burst of violence is, I admit, quite fun 😁
Guest (Issue 6): "Hope you continue to make more. This is a quality story I haven't seen in a long time".
✿◠‿◠) : I wish you had an account so I could've instantly told you how much this means to me 💟
AnonymousX21 (Issue 6): "I love this story, I love it so much".
✿◠‿◠) : I love your review, I love it so much! 🙏 Please keep commenting!
Yang34 (Issue 6): "So Venom ate Ruby's Organs and is fixing Them and Yang and Blake are arrested by Goodwitch?".
✿◠‿◠) : Yup, Yup, Yup
Monster King (Issue 6): "Your welcome and please continue"
✿◠‿◠) : I have been working almost nonstop to bring out this issue and I intend to continue on into the next 👊💥
SIMP Shout-Out: X-Men 97
That show (minus the showrunner's penchant for sending unsolicited nudes to his employees) was nothing short of PERFECT! Set the bar high for any and all civil rights stories - A bar I now have to jump for, if I even so much as mention the White Fang 😭
So to share the love, here files from another timeline where Ruby's an X-Men!
◎⃝⃘
◎⃝⃘
◎⃝⃘
X ◎⃝⃘ X
MUTANT RESPONSE DIVISION (MRD)
Mutant ID #V10-wtx-987
‣ Name: Ruby Rose (Medusa) -Currently being sued for copyright infringement by M. Amaquelin. The resulting litigations haven't helped Mutant-Inhuman relations.
‣ Physical Characteristics: Hair: Black / Eyes: Silver / Skin: Dark
‣ Gender: Cis-Female
‣ Age: 14 (10/31/XX83)
‣ Handedness: Ambidextrous (previously Left)
‣ Threat Level: Beta (potentially reaching Alpha)
POWER(S) : Her Glare Halts Entropy
In Grimm (entropic creatures) it's lethal, but with other living & non-living subjects, the results are much more esoteric… The [Medusa] has frozen high caliber rounds, lobotomized destructive thoughts, and chipped the [Silver Samurai]'s adamantium katana with a rose petal.
Her power's effects are (thankfully) only temporary & any attempts to extend its effects comes with intense strain. Overuse of her mutation has resulted in bouts of pain, temporary blindness, and organ failure [one recorded event – 5/28/XX96].
Unlike most Mutants whose traits express themselves uncontrollably, hers act almost recessive. They would be nothing more than odd coloured eyes, if left alone. Dr. Sybil Zane has theorized this is due to its source, the Power [REDACTED] & that the other ocular mutations exist to keep it locked away [hypothesis backed up by her experiments – 1/14 to 4/5/XX97]. Should [Medusa]'s full powers become unleashed, initiate G-protocol immediately.
Weapon(s):
Touching Thorns: Two wrist mounted retractable whips with serrated edges. Individual pieces (thorns) have a reflective side. Magnetically locked together with ️ Dust, they can separate and fly at the wielder's pre-programed direction: forming projectiles, small cover, and reflection points. Weapon built using [Whiplash]'s cybernetic whips as a base, recovered from I. Vanko's corpse post his second death [7/5/XX96].
Additionally, she carries small arms with tactical gear with her person. Unlike most Mutants, she's gained proficient with Human weaponry, claiming to be able to "Master Chief it" with whatever she finds [Tumbler: RoseBud - 10/30/XX96]
Her secondary weapons are two double barreled shotguns found within the heels of her rollerblade shoes.
Combat Mutant Visor: Vintage sci-fi styled goggles with grayish lenses, offset by subtle rainbow sparkles. The curved lenses increase her visual field to 180 degrees while an unverified liquid fills its cavity (doesn't blink while wearing). Crystals, surmised mystic properties, are affixed to her skin around her sockets & temples. Radiation is then fed into these, refracting its frequencies to force unique reactions from her Mutant eyes. This is how she manipulates her power.
OS command tower located under her hair easily noticeable by the antennae sticking out - Static discharge causes her hair to wriggle like snakes. Commands are given through a neural lace collar, where also the radiation bank lies. It has been confirmed: Radiation signature matches mutant inhibitor collars (unclear how many, if any, X-Men know this)
‣ Prolonged exposure effects are unknown - Dr. Sybil Zane has requested we reacquire subject for testing
Combat Rating: Threat Level Beta
‣ Weapons (A)
‣ Melee-weaponry (A)
‣ Marksmanship (S)
‣ Mutant powers (B)
‣ Hand to Hand (C) -Notes: [Wolverine] has allegedly locked her in the Danger Room over summer break & claims he would do so again [MRD facility blackbox - 9/1/XX96].
‣ Leadership (D) -Notes: Lacks enthusiasm for the role.
Costume: Couldn't decide between colorful classic or black leather
‣ Skintight dark clothes – Ammo/Gadgets held on yellow chest "X"
‣ Red translucent shawl cape with hood – Tiny gems sewn in (reflect powers)
‣ Rollerblades: black with red wheels (Used to be all yellow)
Affiliations
X-Men: Member
Biological Family: No Contact
Please 🙏 Follow ➤ Favorite ➤ and Comment!💞 You all are the ⋆⭒˚｡⋆True Believers⋆⭒˚｡⋆ "~Nuff said"
Well, one last thing: Check Out "BLACK STARS" by Aria of Ashes! It's also a "What if Ruby was Venom" but goes in a different direction. Give it a read and drop 'em a Follows, ➤ Favorite ➤ and Comment!💞