Chapter 7: Negotiations
BEFORE
In the days following the Breach on Vale, Blake kept to Beacon Academy's library. Mostly it was out of boredom- Yang and Ruby had returned to Patch Island for the week leading up to the Vytal Festival for some time with their dad- but also she wanted to look into the fall of Mountain Glenn.
Unsurprisingly, there was very little on the subject. When Grimm wiped out a town, there were rarely any survivors. And from the sound of things, those who managed to make it back to a kingdom couldn't say much about the subject. However, there was one article about a research firm that was promising a 'superior method of Grimm-control'. It included a picture of the lab's head, a man with a greying, neatly-trimmed beard.
NOW
The image Blake saw on the drone's hologram had only a passing resemblance to the picture she saw in Beacon. His hair, once neatly combed, was wild in spots, especially the beard. He also grew a mustache to go with it. One of his eyes was now an electronic prosthetic.
Weiss was reminded of the video game the SDC's software department had inserted Team RWBY and Team JNPR into, whose sales were supposed to help rebuild Vale after the Breach. The villain of that game looked civilized compared to the man talking to them now.
Leatherhead was the first to respond. He asked, "How did you find us, Dr. Merlot? I never told you the location of the Transmat device."
"This is a recorded message, so I can't answer any questions you have," Merlot's hologram said, "The device that was found at this location was discovered by The Spiders about a week ago. They have taken it to their largest warehouse, in Mistral's capital. I was only allowed to examine it briefly, but managed to find trace amounts of abnormal DNA…DNA which matched the sample I took from you, Leatherhead. I suspected you would return to this spot, so I sent this modified drone to wait for you."
As the hologram spoke, Leonardo whispered to Leatherhead, "You know this guy?"
The mutant crocodile nodded. "He works for the Spiders. We spoke a once or twice during my captivity."
Merlot's hologram continued to say, "I would like to help you reclaim the machine. If you are interested in cooperating, meet me here."
An image of a map replaced Merlot's face. There was a flashing red dot. Ruby quickly whipped out her scroll and took a picture.
Merlot's face returned and he said, "I hope you take me up on my offer. Oh, and one last thing…Team RWBY." At this, the Huntresses instantly straightened up. "Lil' Miss Malachite knows that you helped rescue Leatherhead and the other mutants from the hideout in Wind Path. I would be very careful, if I were you."
With that, the hologram turned off as the message ended. The drone then dropped out of the air and onto the ground. Michelangelo picked up a stick and poked the drone with it.
"It's, uh, not gonna explode, is it?" The mutant turtle asked.
"It's probably just ran out of power," Weiss assured him, then asked, "So what do we do now?"
"Good question," Leonardo remarked, and turned to Leatherhead. "So, you know this guy?"
"I met him during my captivity," Leatherhead said, "Apparently, he supplies the Spiders gang with advanced technology. The Grimm-Repeller that protected the Wind Path castle was his design."
"I thought his name sounded familiar," Yang spoke up, "Hey, Rubes, remember what dad told us about Mountain Glenn? He said the guy in charge of it was a man named Merlot."
"Yeah…and he was doing research on the Grimm," Ruby added, "But I thought he died, or something, when the city was overrun."
"I guess he survived then," April said, "But what I want to know is if we can trust him."
"Yeah, right," Raphael snorted, "If this guy wanted to help, why didn't he bust Leatherhead out before we got there? He's probably this world's version of Stockman!"
"Raph may have a point," Blake said, "I've heard some pretty unsettling things about Merlot. Mostly that he'll do anything for his research."
"So why did he warn us about Lil' Miss?" Ruby asked, "What does that get him?"
"Maybe he's trying to hedge his bets by playing both sides…" Leo pondered, "Hey, Leatherhead, he mentioned something about taking a sample. Did he hurt you?"
The mutant crocodile just shook his head. He pointed towards a bandage on his arm and said, "During one of his examinations of me, he took a sample of my blood. It was just a prick, though."
"And I suppose he gave you a lollypop afterwards?" Raph grumbled.
"That could be bad…" Donatello muttered. He had taken apart the drone and was inspecting its components. "Even our blood has mutagen in it. Depending on what he does with it, this world could be in trouble."
"Then maybe we should face Merlot," Weiss said, "And stop whatever he's planning with it."
"Hold it, I think we're losing track here," Yang said, "We're supposed to be getting Leatherhead's machine back, remember? And Merlot supposedly knows where it's being kept."
"But can we trust him?" Mike asked, "Raph's right, he's definitely got a Stockman-vibe."
"Do we have any other choice?" Blake responded.
And the discussion seemed to go in circles like that for five minutes. Until April O'Neil cleared her throat.
April said "Maybe we can go half way on this…"
The road trip to Merlot's meeting place only took about a day. Their destination was a lone, deserted house only a stone's throw from the road. Don even threw a rock onto the front yard to see if it would trigger a booby trap. Nothing happened.
"Is this the right place?" Leo asked.
Weiss looked at the picture Ruby took and sent to her scroll. The picture of Merlot's map seemed to correspond to the scroll's map GPS. She nodded, and turned on communicator.
"Is everyone else in position?" the white-haired huntress asked.
the idea April had was that while a portion of the group went to see Merlot, the rest could keep an eye out from a distance. That way, if it was a trap, the ones on the outside would be able to act as reinforcements. Weiss, Yang, Leo, Don and Leatherhead would confront Merlot, while the others were let out further back and surrounded the house. Ruby was with Raph and April scoping out the front, while Blake and Mike went around back. They hid in the forests surrounding the roads, keeping eyes on the house and ears out for any trouble.
"We're all set," Ruby replied as she situated in a tree, while Don and April hid behind some adjacent trunks. "Blake, how are you and Mike?"
"Ditto," Blake said from some bushes with Mike, "Everything looks good from our end."
"Okay, we'll keep our comms on so you can listen in." Yang said as her group approached the house's front door.
"Should we knock?" Leo asked.
Yang happily obliged, and the door immediately fell off its hinges as soon as she struck it.
"A bit much, don't you think? Don asked.
"I didn't hit it that hard," Yang protested, "This place must in serious disrepair."
The five of the entered, with Leo and Weiss having to help Leatherhead position himself to fit through the doorway. While they did that, Yang and Don checked the place out. It was a large, bare room, with minor cracks on the wall. There were a few tables and chairs scattered here, most of which were overturned. There were no windows or lamps, the only light coming in from the door.
"How's it look?" Ruby asked over Yang's earpiece.
"Kinda empty…" Yang replied, one arm out and ready to fire Ember Celica. "Maybe we should've brought Blake for the dark."
"No need for that." A familiar voice said.
The Huntresses and Turtles whirled about as a lamp in the corner turned on. Sitting in an unfolded beach chair was none other than Dr. Merlot. Far from a lab coat-wearing supervillain they were expecting, Merlot was wearing dirty cargo pants and a colorful shirt, looking more like a retired tourist. And behind Merlot was none other than the Beowolf Team RWBY spotted outside the Spider's Wind Path castle! In the light, it was easier to see that the Grimm was indeed wearing some sort of helmet.
"Dr. Merlot, I presume?" Leo asked, one sword held out in defense while the other was pointed at the Grimm.
"I am. And you must be the green warriors that have been raiding the Spiders' operations," Merlot replied, before nodding towards Yang and Weiss. "And members of the famous Team RWBY are here too, I see. Where are the rest of the you teams?"
"Elsewhere," Weiss said. She kept shifting Myrtenaster's point from the Grimm or Merlot himself. She wasn't sure which of the two were more dangerous. "Care to explain your friend?"
Merlot glanced at the Grimm, a boastful look on his face. He said, "This happens to be a prototype for a method of creating Grimm I developed."
Outside, the others were listening in via Yang's scroll.
"It sends a series of signals to the Beowolf that can direct its movements," Merlot said, "And while I can't make it follow any order that's too complex, I can at least point it wherever I want."
"Oh, yeah," Raph snorted, his arms crossed. "Bad guy who can control monsters. That's encouraging."
"No it's not!" Ruby hissed, "We've got enough problems from one Grimm-controlling villain!"
"Shhh!" April waved a finger for the two to be quiet.
Don stared apprehensively at the helmet. Every now and then the device emitted a muffled 'zap' that caused the Grimm to twitch.
"Uhh…by sending signals…do you mean electrical?" the brainy Turtle asked.
"It's still a work in progress," Merlot explained, "The Grimm do not have brains as normal animals, so I need to simulate a normal brain's electrical signals. I assure you, it's merely 10% less than a lethal voltage."
"So, ignoring how horrible those words were," Yang interjected, "You said you wanted to help us retake Leatherhead's machine from the Spiders. What did you mean by that?"
Merlot frowned, and reached into his shirt. He pulled out a sheet of papers and laid them on the floor for the others to see. It should a blueprint for a building, with a large red 'X' scrawled on one page.
"These are the floor plans for the hideout where your device is being kept," The scientist explained, reclaiming the papers. "I also know the schedule of the guards there. With that, it should be child's play for you to retrieve that machine."
"And what would you like in return for your help, doctor?" Leatherhead asked.
"Nothing much," Merlot rubbed his hands, "All I ask in return for my contribution are a few more samples for my research."
"'Samples'?" Weiss asked suspiciously.
Merlot's robotic eye shifted from Leatherhead to Leo and Don. It buzzed and whirred ominously as he said, "I mean blood samples. The findings from examining Leatherhead's blood were phenomenal. If you and the other two green warriors would to donate- a mere CC would do, -it would a true boon for science. Imagine the possibilities."
"He wants our blood?" Mike gasped, almost falling out of the tree he and Blake were hiding in. "That's creepy!"
Blake nodded. It was certainly an unsettling proposition. And while she would never claim to be a geneticist, the idea of the Turtles' blood in the hands of someone like Merlot did not sit well with her.
"So, you want our blood for your creepy experiments, and in return you'll help us get our machine back," Leo summarized, "Could you give us a moment?" The group quickly went outside and he asked in a hushed tone, "So, what do you think?"
"What do we think?" Ruby asked over the comms, "What about you? It's your blood."
"And he's a scientist of your world," Don reminded, "Do you think we can trust him with more ooze?"
"All I know about Merlot is that he was the bad guy in a video game once." Yang admitted.
"Was it a good game?" Mike asked.
"'S'alright," Yang shrugged, " Point is, we don't know squat about this guy."
"If you ask me, I say we just take his papers and figure the rest out for ourselves," Raph grumbled, "Just hearin' the guy's voice is given my the creeps."
"What about you, Leatherhead?" April asked, "You've spent some time with Merlot. Any thoughts?"
Leatherhead hummed. "Compared to the other Spiders, he was much more considerate. He was the first to realize that I was sapient, unlike the rest of them. He also seems to hold the gang no clear affection. However, I do agree that Merlot's demeanor is…unsettling."
"But if he knows where the Transmat is, it could cut our search time down to nothing," Blake pointed out, "And even if we turn him down, it still won't stop him from doing whatever he wants to with Leatherhead's blood."
Weiss looked back through the window. "How do we even know Merlot's information is reliable? We only have his word that what he's offering is legit. Or that he won't double-cross us anyway?"
"Then…maybe we should make sure he won't be able to." Ruby suggested.
The four gathered at the inn's door exchanged looks. An idea began to form, and they went back inside the building to face Merlot. The doctor had been examining his Grimm's apparatus, but stopped when he saw the group rejoin him.
"Well?" the doctor asked.
"You've got a deal," Leo said, holding out his arm. "Written in blood."
Merlot's smile was decidedly not encouraging. He taped his prosthetic hand and a compartment opened up on the back. Out came a small syringe with an elongated needle.
That's when Leo pulled back. "With a two small amendments." He said.
Merlot frowned. "And what are these 'amendments'?"
"First, you won't get samples from all four of us until after this caper is finished," Don said, reaching into his pouch and pulling out a more standard and hospital approved syringe. "You'll get two samples when we reach the hideout and confirmed the device's presence, and the other two after we've gotten it back."
Merlot retracted his own syringe and rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "And the second?"
Yang grinned, her smile equal parts mischief and ominous. "You're coming with us."
"What!?"
Although he grumbled a bit at being shanghaied into their raid, Merlot's scientific curiosity overcame his indignity. He was keen on learning the purpose for Leatherhead's machine, and the group's unwillingness to divulge only feed his desire. With Merlot's directions, the trip to Lil' Miss' main hideout was easy to find. It was one of several nondescript buildings in Mistral's warehouse district. And from the outside, there didn't seem anything that would differentiate it from the other structures, save the tall fence surrounding it. But its true purpose was betrayed by the fact that its power requirements were much higher than the other buildings.
"There must a lot of equipment inside," Weiss had said, "Either for security purposes, or to refine their stolen goods."
The real trick would be finding the Transmat. According to Merlot, it was being kept in the exact center room, away from the other goods. But removing it was another matter. Though Weiss had some gravity dust, it wouldn't be enough to help carry the device far, or fast enough to get away from pursuers.
"Hey, Master Splinter once said, 'Why walk when you can ride?'," Mike said, "We've got a truck, let's just use that!"
"The Transmat is too large to be carried in this truck, Michelangelo." Leatherhead reminded.
"So let's get a bigger one," Yang suggested, "If the Spiders took the machine, they probably have something that can lift it close by."
The scouting party, which consisted of the Weiss, Yang, Mike and Raph, spread out to see if there was anything they could use to re-take the Transmat. They managed to find a flatbed truck several buildings over. It was unclear if it was property of the Spiders (Or a shell company they used), but Don estimated that it was strong enough to carry the Transmat away. All that was required was a little hot-wiring.
"I gotta admit, this mission requires a lot more vehicle theft than our usual adventures." Yang commented.
All that was left was determining where exactly the Transmat was in the building. As they reviewed the floor plans, Merlot pointed to a spot in the center.
"I believe that's where your machine was when Lil' Miss had me examine it," the scientist said, "However, there are several security measures that protect it."
Blake and Leo went in to scout the warehouse, with Ruby and Don acting as lookouts With Merlot's direction and knowledge of the guards' patrol routes, the infiltrators were able to smoothly navigate the building. The numerous crates and packages of contraband created a maze that was hard to navigate. Eventually, the two found the central room Merlot pointed out. The door had several locks on it, three standard padlocks and one electronic with a keypad.
"So is the Transmat in there?" Blake asked.
"I guess, but I can't understand how they got it in there," Leo replied, "The door isn't big enough for the machine to fit through."
"Maybe there's an alternative entrance?" Blake suggested, "Like a secret passage, or…wait. Is it me, or is there something funny about those walls?"
"Maybe they were just set up recently," Leo wondered, and then realized. "They built a new room around the Transmat!"
The scout team returned to where the group had set up camp. There, they discussed their options- what little they had.
"Even with the truck, I'm not sure if we'll be able to move the Transmat fast enough," Leo confessed, "At least, not without taking the risk of damaging it again."
"The real problem is that when we do move in, someone will notify Lil' Miss Malachite about the raid," Merlot noted, "The more important something is to her, the closer an eye she'll keep on it. She'll probably have one of her more dangerous mercenaries standing by to secure your machine."
Raph snorted. "I say, bring 'em on. We've been swattin' every bunch of Spiders like the bugs they are."
"Spiders aren't bugs, Raphael," Don said, "They're arachnids."
"But what if the Transmat gets damaged in a fight?" Weiss asked, "Then this whole thing will be for nothing."
"So…we need to get the Spiders away from Transmat, so we can steal it," Ruby said, "Can we make that work?"
To be Continued_