Chapter 14
After arriving at Sanus and finding a quiet spot to park, Team RWBY sat in silence, each member visibly worn down from the recent ambush. Yang was resting against the van's seat, using her Aura to help heal her injured hand, while Blake sat bundled in a blanket, still coughing from the saltwater. Weiss, her expression tense, scanned around the van's interior with a searching gaze.
Ruby broke the silence. "We need to figure out who that person was—and what they want."
Blake looked thoughtful for a moment. "I know a town nearby, a place called Somber. We could stay there tonight and regroup."
Yang nodded. "I need some time for this wound to heal—hopefully by tomorrow if I'm lucky."
Ruby agreed, grateful for any plan that gave them even a brief moment of peace. Just as she was about to relax, she noticed Weiss reaching under the van. "What'd you find, Weiss?"
Weiss pulled out a small device, taped to the bottom of the van. She held it up with a concerned look.
Blake's eyes widened. "That's a tracker." She studied it closely and found a strand of pink hair caught in the tape. "This must be how they tracked us."
Ruby's eyes darkened with understanding, but before she could say more, Yang snatched the device and crushed it under her boot. "We don't need this thing on us any longer," she said, frustration in her voice.
Ruby frowned. "Yang, maybe we could have used it to learn more about who's after us."
Yang shrugged. "Doesn't matter now. Blake, can you drive?"
Minutes later, they were on the road again, with Ruby sitting in the backseat, watching Yang with a mixture of anger and concern. She saw her sister gripping her wounded hand, turning slightly to keep the injury hidden. Blake glanced at Ruby from the driver's seat and offered a reassuring nod. "It'll be alright, Ruby."
Ruby turned to the window, looking out with a heavy heart. This road trip had been meant for fun, a break from the weight of their past. Now, the threat of danger was back, and the stakes felt higher than ever.
As the van pulled into Somber, a small coastal town with a calm atmosphere, the tension in the air lessened slightly. They found a modest motel on the main street and booked a room, finally able to rest. Inside, Yang sat on the bed, inspecting her wound, which was slowly healing. Blake went to shower, and Yang, too impatient to wait, joined her to wash off the salt and grime.
Weiss sat on the other bed, pulling on her headphones, trying to drown out the stress. Meanwhile, Ruby stepped outside, needing air and time to think about what their next step should be. She wandered through the streets, forming ideas and mentally preparing for a potential ambush.
As she turned a corner, a familiar voice called her name. She looked up and saw Velvet approaching with a warm smile.
"Velvet!" Ruby greeted her friend, her spirits lifting. "What brings you to Somber?"
Velvet smiled softly. "Needed a break, so I thought I'd check out some coastal towns. I figured you'd be far ahead of me by now."
They walked together through the quiet streets, and Ruby caught Velvet up on everything that had happened, including the mysterious offer they had received and the dangerous figure chasing them.
Velvet listened intently, then asked, "Imagine for a moment… if that offer was real. Even if it's a trap, what if it does have something that could help you and your team heal? Would you take that chance?"
Ruby hesitated, the question echoing her own doubts. "I… don't know. We decided not to go. But… I've thought about it. What if it could actually make a difference?"
Velvet stopped walking and looked at her. "If it's a trap, the consequences could be… well, devastating. But those scars you carry? They make you who you are. Take it from me. I've made plenty of mistakes, and I've learned that sometimes those scars are meant to stay with us. They remind us of what we've been through, and they shape who we become."
Ruby nodded, understanding the weight of Velvet's words but still feeling the burden of her own past. "Maybe my own tragedy made me who I am," Ruby murmured.
Velvet's expression softened. "But don't let that tragedy define you, Ruby. If you do, you'll always be living in your past. Don't let it hold you back from living your life."
Ruby saw a glimmer of sadness in Velvet's eyes, something unspoken yet deeply felt. "Velvet… why don't you come with us? Just for a little while."
Velvet gave a small smile and shook her head. "Not this time, Ruby. But maybe someday."
With a quick wave, Velvet walked toward her car and drove off, leaving Ruby alone with her thoughts. Velvet's words lingered, resonating with questions Ruby hadn't quite answered for herself.
When Ruby returned to the motel room, she found Blake, Yang, and Weiss waiting. They all looked at her with an unspoken question in their eyes, wondering what she'd decided.
Ruby took a deep breath, looking at each of them in turn. "Let's go home."
End of Chapter 14.