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"This place is a mess…" Jaune muttered as he dropped off of the ruined pile of rubble at the end of their descent that had been a shop. Some place called 'Jim's Limbs', apparently, from the old metal sign laid out at the bottom of the heap. "I've seen mountain hiking routes with less twists and turns than this. And easier paths, too."
"Ruins delving is a whole other beast." Fiona called down from behind him, and he couldn't help but agree.
He slid down a bit of rubble and turned to watch Fiona do the same - but the agile Faunus just hopped from one hunk of concrete to another as if by some magic. She came to a stop by his side, smiled, and blew him a kiss. He rolled his eyes, sure that their faint glow would be something she could see in the dreadfully dim lighting, and she giggled at his expense.
Ignoring her for the moment, he paced to the edge of what appeared like the concrete roof of… Some kind of building whose front half or so had sheared away, collapsing twenty stories down in a mess of metal, concrete, wood and cars. The other buildings along the row they were descending had fared the same, flooding the wide roads all the way at the bottom in debris and detritus. The actual wall of Mountain Glenn's settlement was two blocks away, but he couldn't make out much in the intermittent light cast by dying lights all over the roads and buildings, which grew one on top of the other in mounds of rubble broken stretches of sheer, pockmarked concrete where walls still stood sturdy and strong. A few beams of sunlight reached down, too, but…
"Can you see anything…?"
"Taking advantage of my race, are we?"
"Yes. Yes I am." He chuckled, smiling behind his mask. "And how are you in such a good mood in this… Place?"
"I'm… Used to stuff like this." He gave her a look and she sighed, "Mantle isn't great. People die a lot, down there. Especially Faunus. You have no idea how many times we've been called on for a Wellness check, or brought Dust by some poor guy Atlas broke and threw out and… Yeah…"
"Damn…" He murmured, setting the base of his poleaxe against the floor and reaching out to rest his heavy, armored hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." She sighed, "You didn't do it. Or…" She shot him a sidelong smirk, "Did you?"
"Hush." He sighed, cocking his head at the sound of bricks falling above them and off to the side, maybe twenty feet or so. Quietly, he murmured, "Fiona…"
"Careful steps, so not a woodland Grimm… Ambush predator, probably. Coming up behind us…" She muttered, adjusting her grip on her Huntresses' crossbow lazily, as if she were playing dumb. Which he wasn't sure would matter to a Grimm, but followed her lead on, relaxing his shoulders even as anxiety played along his spine. Quietly, Fiona said, "Gotta be quiet."
"No magic boom?"
"No magic boom." She nodded, leaning forward, "When you're ready, big guy…"
He paused to take a breath and then grunted, "Now."
Turning, he stepped to the side and brought his axe around in a warding strike that managed to thwack a leaping Creep on the side of the head. The strike was awkward, though. Unaimed, obviously. So it just knocked it aside. Jaune ignored it, though, recovering from the hit and lunging forward to catch a second Creep that tried to skirt around his left. The axe's spiked top punched into the side of its neck and it staggered, before he forced it onto its side and planted a foot on its shoulder, pushing the blade down and twisting it to carve and lever its neck open to kill it.
He heard a meaty thwack and thud behind him and turned to watch Fiona step over to the downed monster and level her crossbow, punching two more rounds into its throat to keep it quiet while the small bolts killed it.
"See any more, Overlord?"
"Only one of us can see well in the dark, Fiona…"
"Oh, uh, right." She chuckled, kneeling to retrieve her bolts while her ears flicked and she looked around. "Don't see anything. Or hear anything… Must have just been a wandering pair. Creeps do that, sometimes. They don't usually need more than two or three to ambush people, you know?"
"I can imagine." He nodded, "One does the distracting, one flanks and rushes the side. Together they overwhelm their target. Yeah?"
"Yeah." She nodded, turning to ask, "Will you be able to well enough see to get down?"
"I can see alright. Just not great." He muttered, turning way from the dissolving corpses to kneel at the edge of the dilapidated roof.
The intermittent lights and scattered sunlight from the holes above made it so he could see, at least vaguely, but… The shadows they all cast were long. And uneven. Stretching up, down and sideways, and cutting across each other. This left stretches of the climb down the ragged side cast in twisting shadows that left shapes scattered across their path and covered whole stretches in darkness. But going in through the buildings had proven to be just as dark, or worse, and they'd had to double back five times before they found a way out of the apartment complex and onto the rubble heap they'd crossed to get this far.
"Jaune…?"
"It's too dark for me to get down safely." He sighed, shaking his head, "At least if I'm in the lead."
"Then I'll lead."
"But I'm…" Stronger, he wanted to say, turning to look at the smaller woman. She raised an eyebrow, daring him to finish, and he sighed. Standing, he said, "I just prefer to be in front of the people I care about. I have all the armor, after all. And, you know, magic."
"And I have Aura." She argued, stepping by him and frowning as she paced along the roof's edge. Finding a pile of rubble she found suitable that he could barely see, she said, "This way. I'll climb down like you have to-"
"How do you do that, by the way?"
"I'm a sheep, Jaune." She rolled her eyes, "Aside from the obvious - sheep have excellent climbing balance. It's why I'm usually our scout. And break in expert. Well, that plus my Semblance."
"Fair." He nodded, "Go on. I'm sorry I interrupted. Just…"
"Curious?"
"Yeah." He nodded, not adding that he felt more than a little embarrassed letting the tiny woman lead him along. It was prideful and vain, and he knew that. But it didn't stop him from feeling it… It did stop him from pushing it, and risking them both, though, and he nodded again and sighed. "Alright. You lead the way, I'll follow. Just… Don't let me fall, yeah?"
"Only for me." Fiona paused for a moment, the sighed, chuckled and added awkwardly. "Or, uh, I guess whoever the Heart is after?"
"Still weird?" He smiled.
"Still weird." She nodded, "But such is life…"
"Fair." He nodded, gesturing at the uneven slope, "Shall we?"
"Mhm." She took a step and turned, "Gimme your hand- I see a way down, but it's dark."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Oh, I could get used to that…"
Jaune just snorted.
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"Beowolf. I dealt with it, naturally." Weiss reported over the Scroll, sounding… Bored, almost, in spite of everything around them. Which made Ruby found.
She understood the boredom, though. They'd already been on patrol in her formation for three hours now and, aside from a handful of Grimm, they haven't found anything. Just broken down cars, half-collapsed buildings, and holes. A lot of holes. Ruby paced around the edge of the one Yang had called out and tested the edges of twenty minutes before. Peering down, she could barely make out the edges of buildings around a wide, open area just below the hole. Even with the sun directly overhead, the light just… Didn't seem to want to pierce the darkness below.
It made a chill shoot up her spine, and she shivered, shaking her head and asking, "Yang, how, uh, how copy?"
"These aren't radios, dolt."
"Ten-four, Little Red, I'm clear on the eighty all the way through twelve." Yang broke in across the group call, earning three groans. "How copy on eighty-sixing the Ice Queen before she thirty-twos us?"
"Isn't 'eighty-sixing' someone murder…?"
"Yes." Blake answered dryly, "Yes it is. Yang?"
"...How copy on eighty-fiving her?"
Ruby just rolled her eyes, pacing around the edge of the hole and keeping an eye on its depths while she said, "Yang, be serious. Do you see anything?"
"Still clear, so no." She sighed, sounding as bored and worn out by the endless, pointless seeming walking as Weiss had. "It's all quiet out here. I've run into a couple Ursa, one or two Creeps, and even a few Lesser Nevermore, but that's all. And none of 'em fared well against me, before anyone asks."
"We weren't going to." Weiss drawled lazily, "What I am going to ask is if anyone else thinks that this is… Too easy?"
"Blake…?"
"...It is." She said, sighing unhappily about them drawing on her experience, but offering it regardless. As she always was, when the issue came up and they had to press her. "If the Fang are here, and I believe they are, they should have lookouts on the surface. But I've kept an eye out for evidence of lookout camps, and seen nothing. There are two reasons that could be the case. Either they spotted us and determined we were too much of a force to take, or… They're not on the surface."
"Would they decide they can't fight us?" Ruby asked, turning to look over the windows for any of the things Blake had said they used to mark their lookout points - or anything even similar.
"Oobleck makes it possible, but…" Blake sighed, sending a wash of gentle static over the line. "Well, there's no world where they pass up taking a shot at Weiss. Even if they were sure they'd lose, they'd feel the need to try."
"They're quite welcome to." Weiss added haughtily, "I have plenty of Ice to spare."
"But they aren't…" Ruby murmured, anxiety creeping up her spine as they passed out of an old residential area, with wider-spaced apartments than even some parts of Vale had, into a shopping one with close-build buildings built tall. "Why aren't they? What could they be after?"
"Something else." Blake murmured, "I… I can't guess whaaa- skkkkrrrt."
Ruby flinched as Blake's words were cut off, suddenly ripped into static and shrieking reception failures. She closed the call quickly, then tried to rejoin the Scroll group. But all she got was an error message. But it wasn't a signal loss, like she'd expected. No, instead it read 'signal overload'.
"Overload…" She turned on instinct as motion caught in the corner of her eye, and watched a door swing open.
Four men stepped out, but she could only recognize three. At least by their white and grey uniforms, and the bright red emblem splashed across their fronts. They fanned out to either side, brandishing swords, while the last stepped forward and laid a hand on his sword-hilt. He wore a mask like the others, but… His was different. Special. Which told her he was someone important.
Which was great…
"Hey, guys." She muttered, backing up and sliding her Scroll into a pouch while she drew Crescent Rose and pursed her lips. "You, uh, haven't seen any Grimm around here, have you?"
"No." The man in black answered simply, "We haven't."
"Oh, cool, I can, uh… Just note this sector as nice and safe then." She smiled, backing up a few more steps while they surrounded her. Extending her scythe, she planted the blade in the ground and checked the magazine - it was an incendiary one, packed just in case she ran into something big and had to slow it down and wait.
But they were bright and loud…
"So I'll just be on my way!" She smiled, "If, uh, that's alright?"
"But we have information to report." The man smiled, turning and reaching across his waist to grip his sword, bending at the knees and smiling just that little bit wider. "There's a dangerous terrorist in the area, you see, and I think a Huntress like you should know."
"There is…?" She chuckled, bringing Crescent Rose around in front of herself protectively.
"Yes." He nodded, "Adam Taurus, here looking for someone worth trading for a filthy little traitor you happen to know."
She had only a moment to blink, to realise what he'd said and who he meant, before he moved-
And the world was awash in red.
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Blake ran as quickly as her legs could carry her, with Weiss and Oobleck in tow. They'd regrouped when communications failed, as per usual, and Yang had been quick to notice their fastest hadn't. And piece together why that might be. She'd shot off faster than anyone but Weiss could keep up with, propelled along by her gauntlets, stealth be damned. Whatever was happening, the two remaining women decided Oobleck would be needed and stayed with him, running.
Hoping…
Blake caught sight of the woman kneeling in the street and almost smiled, before she saw how her shoulders drooped and trembled. Running up to her, she called out, "Yang, what-"
Yang turned, holding the two halves of Crescent Rose and choking on air, and Blake felt her breath flee her. Staggering to her feet, she said, "I-I got here, and this was all that was left. What could have done this?!"
"I…" Blake blinked, heart racing so fast it hurt, and she took a step back, every instinct screaming at her to run. A small hand at the small of her back made her turn, and Weiss was there, supporting her and frowning deeply.
"You said you'd speak, next time…" She murmured, "No more secrets. Trust, right?"
"...It can't be him, he's supposed to be in Mistral for months." She murmured, turning to look over the windows and doors. One stuck out, with a large gouge carved into it and a simple rose left, pinned upside down to the door. "No…"
"What- No!" Yang shot forward, abandoning the ruined scythe as she rushed for the rose and sobbed. "Ruby!"
"No…" Blake shook her head, turning as Oobleck stepped to her other side. To everyone else here, the name might mean little. And the flower obviously pointed to Ruby. But to Blake, it pointed toward, "It's Adam… He's here."
"Indeed." The professor answered, face fixed in a scowl and hand gripping the handle of his thermos hard. "And if he is here… I am going to call for reinforcements. I should force you all to wait for them. But something tells me that isn't an option."
"Hell no!" Yang snarled, turning towards him with fire in her eyes and hair flicking embers behind her. "You just try and-"
"That being the case," Oobleck snapped loudly, all semblance of his normal cheer and energy gone as he fished out his Scroll and typed quickly, "we should not tarry." When his Scroll still wasn't working, the man threw open his coat and drew a small flaregun, holding it high and firing the bright yellow streak into the cloudy sky. As it screamed away, he said, "Lead the way, young Belladonna. You will know them best."
"But…" She shook her head, "I can't. Not him. I-I…"
"Blake…" She turned as Yang took a step towards her, anger and sorrow and so much else warping her face. Please, Blake…"
"Ruby wouldn't hesitate for you." Weiss argued quietly, "Nor would we."
Heart aching, she took a breath and reached behind her. Gambol Shroud's weight and grip in her hands as she drew it around were a comfort. One she desperately needed as she nodded and said, "Alright… If he's here, we need to head down. All the way to the center."
"Why there…?" Oobleck asked, "Why bring everyone there?"
"Ad- H-He prefers to consolidate before he moves. An attack, or-or just changing camps, it doesn't matter. He… Needs the control." She answered, turning and stalking towards the door. He wanted her to follow, so he was sure she'd find a path down in the old store.
Nerves ravaging her stomach, she stepped through the door with her team close behind.
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Ruby groaned as she woke up and rolled over on the dirty mat under her. It was cold in the tiny, empty room she was in, but… She realised her cloak was missing. As were her boots and belt of gear. A sigh from the corner stole her attention before she could do more than blink and sit up in the dim lighting, and she turned as a familiar white coat stepped into the uneven light of the hanging bulb overhead, gloved hands rolling a cigar between his fingers and drumming on his cane.
"Well, Red…" Roman Torchwick sighed, "You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"
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Genesishydraxx :
*evil cackling*
Jawsonyou :
*innocent tea sipping*
Lea :
Oh, he'll find the usual, I'm sure. Little goblins, various Grimm, rubble, wanted terrorists and weapon fanatics. You know, the usual. XD