Welcome back to another chapter, few things to note:
One of my Beta Readers, MegaDumbo, just posted his first fic. It's a JJK x Fate crossover featuring Megumi.
It's called FateShadows, and I hope all of you give it a read. He's a massive part of this project and deserves all the attention in the world.
I also wanna wish one of my readers and discord members, Grimsley, a Happy Birthday. This one's for you, buddy.
Let's get into this.
Beta Readers: Chris72637, Luxutor, MegaDumbo, and Tupjunk
...
Streets passed by in a blur, but it was all more or less the same, with destruction running rampant. The only safe havens in Vale were the sections of town actually guarded by police and the handful of Huntsmen out and about, but it wasn't nearly enough.
Yuji and Ruby did what they could, but it was bordering on video game logic at this point. They'd pummel a crowd, move on to the next area, and do it again, over and over, blindly hoping they'd run into a robot girl to give them a fetch quest to go find Blake.
This was, like...the most poorly thought-out plan ever, and it had been going on for a few hours.
The hooded girl mumbled, "Sooooo-"
The sorcerer glanced her way, "Hm?"
"...No...nothing...sorry."
Yuji sighed as Ruby continued to make what he aptly coined, Ruby Noises, an anxiety-fueled babble of words and sputters, but at this point, Itadori had a decent read on his friend.
"...You wanna ask about the eyes?"
"Iwannaaskabouttheeyes."
"Okay, shoot."
Hot ash billowed through her dark hair as she hummed, "Are you...you know... embarrassed about 'em?"
He was, but for very different reasons than she was asking about.
Yuji pretended to think about it for a moment but soon shrugged, "Eh, not really. They're sorta just there, ya know?"
"Then why didn't you tell us? I wouldn't judge!"
He made a face, "You judged my blood stuff."
"That's 'cause it's gross!"
"And the extra eyes aren't?"
"That's different!"
"Is it?"
"It is! Faunus have animal parts and stuff, but none of them can shoot blood like a pew-pew beam!"
Itadori hummed, "But what if one was, like, a spider and they shot web outa their butt, would you-"
"EWWWW! STOOOOP! I'M A GIRL YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT THAT STUFF!"
"You were the one askin' about my eyes!"
"And you still haven't answered!"
The sorcerer blew a raspberry, and she responded in kind, only for him to wave a hand in dismissal, "Whaddya want me to say? Like...how the heck would I even bring it up? Like, 'Oh, hey, I'm Yuji. Wanna see my freaky extra set of eyes?'"
"They're not freaky!"
"Then what are they?"
"I dunno! They're just...part of you, I guess!"
He briefly looked away for reasons she couldn't understand, "No...they're not."
Ruby pouted, feeling like she had just offended him without meaning it, and so she did what she did best-
Make more Ruby noises.
...
...
"So...sososososo...Uhhhh...what's it like"?
Yuji idly cracked his neck, keeping his stare ahead, "What's what like?"
"Having...the...thethetheeyes?"
"You mean like...what's it like seeing with four insteada two?"
Ruby rapidly nodded, and so the vessel scratched at his chin, "I don't really have control over 'em. They just sorta open when they feel like it, I guess? It's like, ah crap, how do I even-"
...
...
He snapped a finger, "It's like seein' with four-player split screen, like when we played that racing game?"
Ruby made a face, "Ohhhhh, that was fun, but, that kinda sounds like a-"
"Massive headache?"
"Yeah, that."
Yuji blew air out his nose, "You have no idea, sister. I used to hurl like crazy whenever they opened."
"I get headaches too! I just told you my eyes are doodoo too!"
He stuck out his tongue, and she did the same.
The Huntress slammed her scythe into the ground, using it to vault over a piled-up mess of burning cars as Yuji lazily leaped over it, keeping their pace with ease.
Yuji clicked his tongue, "Kay-kay, my turn to ask you somethin'...so, why'd ya become a Huntress?"
"Uh, me?... Why do you wanna know?"
Itadori just smiled, "I dunno, I just like knowin' more about my buddies. Is that bad?"
Her face got red as she looked away, embarrassed, "Nooo, it's just...my reason is kinda lame."
"Rube you've known me like...a few weeks? A month? I dunno dates at this point, but do you really think I'm gonna laugh at you?"
The hooded girl looked down, "I don't know if I know you that well anymore."
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just...I know I said we'd talk about it later, but-"
Her silver eyes flashed to him and back the other way, "I didn't think you'd...hurt those people that way, and...you did."
Itadori blankly stared ahead, "Yeah, I did."
...
...
Things got a little too quiet for a few moments.
Ruby's face scrunched up, "Sorry, I...I didn't mean to go there."
"It's fine. I'd be way more worried if you weren't upset about it."
The Scythe user silently rubbed a hand along her arm, "It's just...I wanna be like my mom when I grow up and...I dunno, I don't think she ever had to do stuff like that."
Yuji tilted his head, "Was she a Huntress?"
"Yeah, picture me, but taller, and that's her."
Yuji silently wondered if both of them were just copy-pasted from their parents.
He looked just like his dad but without the nerd stuff-
And she apparently looked the same as her mom-
Genes are freaky...well, his probably more so, but the vessel didn't like thinking about that.
Ruby gave a tiny smile as memories came back to her, "She used to read me these goofy fairy tales growing up...well, I thought they were, but Dad kinda spilled the beans that those stories were just stuff she did on missions, and I thought that was so cool."
The Huntress bobbed her head back and forth, "Stoppin' bad guys, helping people, getting to be the cool hero everyone looks up to. I wanted that for me, you know? Like maybe...if I could do it, maybe...I could understand my mom a little better 'cause she's-"
Ruby's smile faded, "She's been gone for a long time...and I guess, oh, this is gonna sound dumb, but...I kinda...think you're like her."
Yuji stared at her for a second and soon pointed a finger at himself, "I-huh? Me?"
"Yeah, you. Who else?"
"I dunno, I just...kinda suck."
"Stop saying you suck, or Ima hit you! 'Cause if you suck, my mom sucks, and no one talks bad about my mama without a punch!"
He deadpanned, "Rube? Gettin' a little off track here."
Her eyes went white, "Oh, uh, too much energy? Sorry...what I mean is...EUGH, this is so awkward to say out loud!"
"You don't gotta. It's not a big deal."
"It IS a big deal! I don't want you to think I'm just hating on you or something!"
"I don't think of you like that!"
"Well, I think you do!"
"...what?"
"JUSTLEMMETAAAAAALK!"
After Ruby had finished squawking like a bird, she awkwardly cleared her throat, "Jeez...I was saying, you know, it's kinda like a story if you think about it-"
He opened his mouth to ask what was, but she sent him a Ruby glare, which more or less looked like she was about to cry if he did, "I was sad. You popped out of nowhere, cheered me up, and then we went on an adventure...I get how kiddish that sounds, but...I dunno, Yuj. You got the cool powers, and people like you and-"
She pouted, "Stuff is just a lot easier when you're around. I even spent the first week moping 'cause you weren't on my team, so I guess I just...thought you were kind of a hero...like my mom, and then-"
Yuji bit his cheek, "And then I killed those people."
"...Yeah."
The vessel's expression shifted as he shook his head, "Let's just stop for a second, alright?"
As their sprint ground to a halt, Itadori looked up at a flickering traffic light as it blipped between colors in the dark night, and he let off a sad chuckle, "It's kinda funny. You look up to me, but this whole time, I was doin' the same to you."
It was Ruby's turn to be surprised, "Me?"
"Yeah...remember the other day, I said that someday it'll be your turn? I did that because I used to be a lot like you, Ruby. I went into bein' a sorcerer thinking I could make a difference and that I could help people, but...that's just not how it works-"
He looked down at his uniform, once a mark of pride but now a symbol of his many failures, "Sorcerers aren't Huntsmen...people look up to you guys like protectors...they like you because you're good people. You might have scumbags like Cardin, but it's nothing like us. Sorcerers like me, we aren't good, not even close-"
Yuji's hands shook just a bit, "We're nothin' but a bunch of the most selfish, narrow-minded, morally bankrupt murderers you'll ever meet. Some do it for money, others do it for power, and then there's the ones who just wanna keep fighting until they drop dead. That's the life I signed up for, and it's something I can't walk back from, so-"
The vessel turned, looking down at the hooded girl with a look one could only call absolute despair, "When I look at you and hear the things you say, it's like I'm lookin' at a mirror of how I used to be, and I can't help but hope that you don't end up a screw-up like I did...so I'm sorry if I ruined the image of what you thought I was, and I wish more than anything, that I could've been that person for you and everyone else, but I'm not."
Ruby took a sharp breath before taking a step toward him, "I don't-I don't want you to be anything! I just...want you and everyone else to be happy, Yuj, but...whenever you talk about this stuff, you just-"
She reached out, taking his hand in a gentle squeeze, "You always look so sad, like you're about to fall apart."
All Itadori could do was force a smile as he ran a thumb along her hand, "...I don't deserve to be happy at this point, Rube, 'cause if you told the old me that someday, I wouldn't regret killing so many people at once, even if they were the worst kind imaginable...that kid would've punched me in the face, and I'd deserve it, but that's just how it is."
The vessel closed his eyes, unable to even look at her anymore, "There's no curses for me to fight here, and I've already done what I needed to in life, but I just keep selfishly stickin' around because I'm just that awful."
Ruby's lip quivered as she tried to tug on his arm, not budging him an inch, "It's not selfish if I want you here...everyone wants you here! Why can't you just accept that!?"
The vessel clenched his stomach with a free hand, knowing just what was lurking inside of his soul, "If you knew what was at stake, you'd know why I shouldn't be here."
"Then why don't you tell us? I can handle the truth, just...-"
The sorcerer pulled back, starting to walk down the path they were heading, "Because I'm afraid, Ruby...afraid that if I start talking, and people find out the truth, and I get left alone, that someday, I'll lose my marbles, and then HE could...HE could..."
Itadori hissed, stomping off down the road, "I can't risk him getting out, not ever."
She briefly watched the sorcerer walk, mouthing the words, "...Him?"
...
...
Ruby ran after him, coming up to his side, seeing he was clearly agitated about something, "Let's...let's just talk about something else. Okay?...whaddya plan to say to Blake?"
Yuji squinted a bit, "I don't think there's anything I can say to salvage this."
"Sure there is! I can put a word for you!"
"I don't think that's gonna help much, Rube."
"I get our team doesn't work too good, but she'll at least talk to me 'cause I'm the leader."
"That's not what I'm getting at...Blake definitely knew that Adam guy somehow, so she panicked, shot me, and then I ripped her freakin' bow off like the idiot I am."
The hooded girl awkwardly patted him on the back, "Yeahhhh, that was...rough...I'm kinda skirting around it, but I don't even know how to handle the whole 'friends with Mr. Evil' thing...like, if Blake was White Fang, would I need to report that to the police or?"
"That's up to you. I'm not tryna get her to forgive me. I just wanna make sure she's alright and then...go from there."
Ruby kicked a rock down the road, "...Tonight sucks."
"Yeah, it kinda does."
...
A bit later
The pair had followed the destruction, coming upon a strange sight at one of the intersections in downtown Vale, where a group of rioting Faunus with various animal parts across a broad spectrum were confronting an armored group of law enforcement.
An officer briefly tapped his earpiece, giving a nod before blowing a whistle hanging along his neck, "Clear the road, NOW!"
The crowd didn't show any signs of dispersing, even as the government agents began pushing them back bit by bit.
Ruby watched the scene unfold, not really sure what to do, "Should we...help with this, or?-"
Yuji shrugged, "I dunno, won't we get arrested if cops see us out after curfew?"
"I mean, aren't we already in big trouble for stealing a bullhead?"
The vessel gave a lazy thumbs up, "Oh yeah, we're screwed, like big time."
The Huntress pouted, "Awww, I hate detention..."
"Detention? We're probably gettin' expelled."
"WHAT!?"
Yuji blankly stared at her without a thought behind his eyes, "I mean, whaddya think would happen if we stole somethin' worth like a bajillion bucks and did all this crap without licenses?"
She threw her hands in the air, "I don't know! Professor Ozpin was cool about it last time! I just thought that...you know?"
"Know what?"
"You couuuuuld-"
"Could what?"
"...Tell him to go easy on us?"
"I can do that?"
"Well...he's your grandpa, so...maybe pretend you're about to cry?"
The sorcerer deadpanned, "That's only cute when you do it. If I did it, he'd be all, 'ewww, why's this kid snotting on my desk?'"
She puffed out her chest in pride, "It's a gift."
"...That's not a brag, Rube."
Ruby's face went blank as a processing symbol burned in her brain, "Oh Well..."
She unfurled her scythe, putting on a tough face, "If I'm losing my chance at being a Huntress, I might as well enjoy it while I can."
"...You're not gonna pick a fight with civilians, are you?"
"No...just-"
The tiny girl sadly bobbed back and forth on her heels, "...people don't take me seriously if I don't have Crescent Rose out."
Yuji silently wondered how anyone could take Huntsmen and Huntresses seriously when they dressed like generic shonen characters.
Nothing screamed main character like a crazy hairstyle and colorful clothes and maybe a cool transformation...did that make him a side character?
Could he beat those allegations?
*HOOOOOOOOOOONK
A sudden noise broke their dialogue, with the officers seeming to panic as their fight got more frantic, "CLEAR THE WAY!"
The honking got louder by the moment, and with a silent nod, the pair took off into the crowd.
While Ruby expertly glided through gaps between them, Yuji opted to just bulldoze his way through, including the riot shield line, knocking more than a few officers to the ground in the process-
One glared up at him, "Who the hell are-"
...
...
A strange silence overcame the area as the man began to shake, with it only worsening as the vessel glanced at him from the corner of his eye, "...i-i...it's you."
Voices rang out at once-
"Who is that?"
"Holy shit is that the kid that-"
"All those people-"
"Why's he here? Who's side is he on?-"
It started with a woman screaming, taking off running, followed by a panicked stampede as the crowd dispersed at once, terrified of an existence few could explain.
Ruby stood dumbfounded, watching the mob flee in terror as Itadori blankly watched them, unable to even tell what he was feeling-
She tried reaching out a hand, "Yuji, are you alr-"
*HOOOOOOOOOOONK-HOOOOOOOOOOONK
The pair turned as a glaring pair of headlights came bearing down on them, realizing a massive military transport truck was barreling toward them, followed by more than a few escort vehicles, each marked with the Atlas logo as their mounted turrets fired back at some unseen enemy.
Time seemed to slow as Itadori's calculating mind ran into overdrive-
Atlas markings...meaning they were more than likely working for Ironwood, and if he messed with them at all, the vessel could end up in deep trouble, but-
The way things were going, more than a few people in that fleeing crowd would end up a pancake if he didn't do something.
Those vehicles would barrel straight through them and turn 'em to paste...
...
...
There wasn't a choice.
The sorcerer's hands slammed into the ground as Cursed Energy billowed through him, followed by a massive tremble as the ground around them began to shake, with red liquid boiling to the surface between the cracks in the roadway.
*BOOM-BOOM-BOOM
The earth gave way as a tower of solid rock shot up like a makeshift wall in an explosion of blood, sending a shockwave in every direction as windows shattered for blocks on end.
The vessel didn't wait for an impact, instinctively running back on his heels as Ruby looked on in disbelief, tapping the structure with a pale knuckle, "What are you doing!?"
"No time! GET BEHIND ME!"
Ruby flinched a bit at how serious Yuji seemed to get on a dime but soon dispersed into a storm of rose petals, reappearing behind him, "Okay, okay! Sheesh!"
The vessel could feel the ground trembling as the vehicles surged ahead, even as their drivers slammed on the brakes, there wasn't enough time to slow their momentum, and so, a timer started in his head.
3
2
1
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
The leading armored vehicle slammed into the structure before its companions crashed into it from behind, sending the thing straight through the wall as rubble and dust exploded in every direction, but before the thing could tumble out of control-
Itadori simply held out his mutated arms, letting the carrier impact against his palms as they dented the surface in, the sheer force behind the collision dragging his shoes along the roadway as rubber burned along the surface-
It hardly took more than a moment for the vessel to bring the thing to a halt, even as it was flipped on its side, using a level of strength expected from Kenjaku's greatest success.
The glass shattered, and metal fragments rained down around them as silence briefly followed suit, waiting for some sign of life from the broken hull before-
*Creak-creak-creak-creak-creak- BANG
The side panels dented outward as something inside began to slam its way forward, eventually breaking through as a glimmering array of swords flashed toward the sorcerer's face, seeing his own reflection along their shimmering surfaces-
He simply raised a few fingers-
*FWIP
There was a slash before the weapons were shredded into fragments, scattering along the asphalt with an audible clang.
...
...
*Click
A door popped open on top of the vehicle, and through the smoke, a figure slowly hovered out, a glimmering array of weapons floating around them, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
Ruby braced herself, holding her beloved scythe in a defensive stance, her silver eyes flashing in every direction as twin green lights pierced through the veil, making her tremble in fea-
Yuji casually waved a hand, "Hey, Penny."
The figure stopped at once as a pale face popped out of the void, "Recognized audio input, user: Yuji Itadori, designation: Friend [formerly acquaintance/ally]."
The ginger dropped to the ground and, despite only falling a mere few feet, made a crater on impact, her weapons retracting into herself as she happily raised her arms, "Hello, Yuji! I apologize for the attack, but at the time, I believed you were a combatant. As a way to make amends, I humbly request what humans refer to as a hug to show my excitement for meeting once more!"
The sorcerer just chuckled, opening up, "Bring it in, Pen!"
The bubbly android tackled him, giving off a boom on impact, with him gently ruffling her hair, "Cool power, by the way."
She nodded, "Compliment of my electromagnetic hardware acknowledged and...appreciated, though I am obligated to question your decision to interfere with official Atlas operational procedures."
Ruby zipped around the pair, still holding her scythe, "Soooo, are we not fighting?"
Yuji shook his head, unable to turn as the android had him in a death grip, "Nah, Penny's my buddy. She's a-"
He paused, looking down at the girl, "Are you cool with me saying...ya know?"
The automaton gave a quick nod, hopping to her feet, "Although officially, I am required to keep information surrounding my existence to a minimum, our previous discussion was...enlightening, and so I decided to make a choice of my own, as it were."
The sorcerer happily smiled, patting her on the shoulder, "Aww, good for you! So what did you pick for yourself?"
"In regards to that question, I have one of my own. Do you place what you call 'trust' in the girl beside you?"
Yuji tilted his head, "Oh, Rube? Yeah, she's cool, whyddya ask?"
Penny tapped a finger along her chin, sending out a light clicking noise as her metallic digits bent, "While I do not understand the notion of 'trust,' I am programmed to understand that 'setting an example' is a means to prove one's worthiness for future interaction. Therefore, if you place value upon-"
The robotic girl looked at the Huntress, her green eyes glowing, making Ruby sweat, as she tried to back away, "uh-uh-uh...what is she doing"?
"Scanning... Identification found...Ruby Rose, known criminal incidents...one."
"Hey!"
The ginger raised a pale hand, quickly giving the hooded girl a smile, "I am Penny Polendina, official Atlas Android and Artificial Intelligence; pleased to meet your acquaintance!"
"...What?"
Yuji shrugged, "Oh yeah, Penny's a robot."
"Ohhhh she's a...wait-"
Ruby's face got stern, "Are you serious?"
The android gave a clunky thumbs up, trying to mimic the sorcerer, "As long as my honesty censors remain intact, I am one hundred percent certain that I am what you call a 'robot.'"
"That's so-so"
Ruby's silver eyes went wide, "COOOOOOL! You'relikeagiantlivingweapon,ohbutyou'renotgiant!you'resotiny!whatweaponsdoyouhave?canIseethempleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!"
As the Huntress zipped around the android, Yuji awkwardly scratched his head at Penny's confusion, "Yeah, Ruby can get a little...weird around guns and stuff, and you're like...a living gun, kinda, right?"
The android slumped forward, "I had requested my fingers be made into projectile launchers, but my father informed me that a 'real girl does not have pistols for hands.'"
Ruby stuck out her tongue, "Boo!"
"I am inclined to agree. Though, in regards to combat, I am required to ask once more, why did you attack Atlas property?"
Itadori pointed a thumb backward, "I just didn't want those people to get run over, is all. How come you're even here anyway, Pen? The rest of your group isn't in town, so why are you?"
"Insufficient authorization."
"Oh, alright...so, think you can help us with something? We're kinda looking for someone and were hoping you could-"
"Prediction: Initiate tracking software?"
"Oh, so you can do that?"
"This unit is capable, although, at the moment, processing power remains focused on defensive measures."
"Defense? For me? I'm not gonna hit ya."
Penny paused, her artificial mind blurring through data, "If you wish to proceed with this dialogue, according to emergency article 742, government agents are allowed to temporarily deputize non-military personnel for the sake of preserving operational objectives, however, were you to accept, you would be legally obligated to assist until I release you."
She blankly smiled at the pair, "Do you accept these terms?"
Ruby hummed, "Sooo...we work for you, and you do us a favor?"
"Indeed."
The partners briefly shared a look, then a nod before Yuji gave the android a thumbs up, "We're game."
Penny happily clapped, soon reaching into one of the pockets on her dress, "Perfect, now hold still as I administer your official agent markings-"
In the blink of an eye, her pale finger pushed something against Yuji's cheek, and as he looked at his reflection on the truck-
It was literally just a sticker of a tiny cartoon Penny giving a thumbs up.
...
...
Nice.
Itadori awkwardly tugged on his red hood with a finger, "Alrighty, what's the issue? Besides us breaking your car and whatever-"
He made a face, realizing how often he caused property damage, but the moment didn't last long.
Penny's head jolted up as she raised a finger, "Ah, yes. We were being pursued by heavily armored assailants utilizing stolen Atlas-"
*BANG-BANG-BANG-BOOOOOOOOOM
Heavy rounds impacted the wall of asphalt before an immense force slammed into it, sending rubble careening over the skyline, blasting through buildings as makeshift boulders tore the surrounding area to shreds, with a massive chunk heading straight for the trio.
Yuji blankly stared up at the looming shadow overhead, raising a hand, his fingers locked in like a makeshift pistol, "Dismantle."
*SCHWING
The night sky loomed overhead as the projectile was bisected by an unseen force, and yet again-
Ruby winced, looking away as she pinched between her closed eyes.
*BOOOOOM
Dust shot into the air as the pieces slammed down on either side of the teens, with particles flowing around them as massive thuds reverberated across the ground as something approached them from the shattered barrier, a voice ringing out over an intercom with a haze of static-
*CRRR
"You know, I thought we'd have this great little game of cat and mouse. You run away, I come after you until you run out of road, and I come out with a cozy little profit, but with what you did to your little cars?"
A chuckle rang out as they observed the flipped, unmoving vehicles, "You really turned the plot on its side, didn't you?...Oh well, it makes our job that much easier."
Ruby squinted through the haze, staring up at the beams of light shining through, "Wait...I know that voice!"
The sounds of many footsteps running through the haze, followed by the leveling of rifles, sent the group on edge as heavy thuds rang out, followed by a massive metallic hand swiping through the atmosphere, blasting the synthetic fog aside, revealing a-
Well...it was something Yuji could see Mechamaru making if he was a lot less creative and...had no paint.
It was a two-legged machine with two giant cannons for arms, covered in more rocket launchers and Gatling guns than the sorcerer could count, with looming fists that could crush boulders into dust, standing tall above them, dwarfing even the downed carriers surrounding the metallic beast.
Itadori looked at the mech and then at Penny, silently wondering if she really was a Gundam character.
Or maybe Gurren Lagann... Yuji would have to teach her some cool speeches about being a man or...a girl...girl robot...girlbot.
Ruby shook, exposing her white teeth as she stared up at the mobile weapon, "That's you in there, isn't it, Torchwick!?"
The mech tilted downward ever so slightly, with a digital screen appearing on the front as a man came into view-
His orange hair remained hidden behind a large bowler hat, and he was wearing a white suit with an inner red lining, giving off a sense of both suave and danger with his uncaring glare, the rest of his form remaining unseen from the camera angle.
Yuji felt like he was getting more confused by the day. Why were they about to fight a 1920s mobster from those mafia movies?"
Torchwick briefly smiled, giving a light bow inside of his suit, "Ah, Red. It's been quite some time, hasn't it? I can never quite tell, what with how hectic life can get for a businessman like myself. You can't blame me if I forget every little natt I run across, could you?"
The Huntress flashed her scythe around in her hand, pointing it at the massive construct, "Got yourself a new toy?"
The mech waved a giant hand, "Hm? This old thing? Why, I got it during a Fire Sale."
"Fire sale?"
He happily hummed, "Quite so. During all that hubbub with those nutcases going after the big men of the kingdoms themselves, it was all too easy to sneak our way into an Atlas base or two and make our escape with as many goodies as our arms could carry...and with all this extra help, I'm thinking of going on a spending spree...right, Neo?"
As the White Fang operatives surrounding the group raised their stolen rifles, each wearing a mismatch of Atlesian armor, the sounds of shattering glass rang out, revealing a young woman perched along the mech's shoulder, her legs crossed, holding a giant pink umbrella over her head-
Well, everything about her was pink and brown, like some kind of weird ice cream theme.
She was a young woman, looking around the age of an average Beacon student with hair and eyes the vessel could only assume were dyed or using contacts, with the same mismatch of pink and brown, wearing a suit similar to her mentor, yet a style all her own, with the same white exterior using a pink inner lining inside and around the cuffs of her sleeves, with a corset beneath and a set of dark leather pants to finish the ensemble.
Neo didn't utter a word, staring down at the Huntress, but the moment her gaze shifted to the side, she tapped a knuckle along the mech's exterior-
*tap-tap
Torchwick's hologram raised a brow, "What, Neo?"
She pointed toward the sorcerer, and the moment the sorcerer looked back at them, things got oddly silent for a few moments, "...No."
"Out of...out of all the morons we could've run into in this rats nest of a city we run into...oh, this is just my luck."
Roman raised a giant metal hand, "You know what, Red? I...I'm starting to think this job wasn't worth it, so I think we'll be taking our leave, right Neo?"
She crossed her arms, shaking her head.
"Why're you making that face!? Can't you see I'm trying to not get us killed right now!?"
She fluttered through a series of motions with a free hand, earning a huff from the thief, "Oh my God, you are NOT doing this right now!"
More hand motions, with an added pout.
"I don't care who you want to talk to! We need to get the hell out of here before that brat cuts us in half!"
The interaction was brought to a halt as Yuji took a step forward, blankly staring up at the looming metal giant, "I don't really get what this is, but you're not goin' anywhere."
The vessel glanced at Ruby, "So...this is like...the guy you told me about, right? The one at the Dust store?"
The Huntress firmly nodded, her hold over Crescent Rose tightening, "Yeah, it's him...Roman Torchwick, a no good piece of work that ruined my magazine time!...And robbed a store!"
Penny's green eyes glowed a bit as she gave an indifferent smile, "Aside from his extensive criminal history, he also seems to have stolen an Atlesian Paladin, Prototype Model 290-"
She raised a finger, "Trademark...I would recommend swift and decisive action to bring unnecessary damage to a minimum, as per standard protocol."
Itadori took it in stride but soon scratched his cheek, looking at Ruby, "So...do you wanna get this, or should I just do it?"
The Huntress went from an angry face to colorless in the blink of an eye, "Aren't we gonna coop this?"
"Well, if I'm bein' honest, I could just one shot this guy and cut the robot in half, but he's sorta...your bad guy, and the whole, 'wanna do Huntress stuff while I still can' thing you said was cool and I don't wanna ruin that for ya-"
Ruby deadpanned, "...Are you being serious?"
Yuji was starting to realize how Gojo Sensei felt dealing with almost any threat.
What was a problem to them was hardly even worth thinking about to him, and it made things all sorts of confusing to handle.
Yuji tilted his head, "Well, you wanna get stronger and stuff, right? I don't wanna just steal the show from ya...and it's not like this dude's much of a real threat."
Torchwick felt like he was being left out of this conversation, but despite how dumb the pink-haired teen sounded, the mastermind knew just how dangerous the kid was when he took someone seriously.
Ruby hummed, thinking it over, soon glancing around the area before snapping a finger, "Well...could you at least take care of the White Fang so it's just me and him?"
The vessel blankly nodded and, with a casual raise of a hand, flicked his wrist toward the street-
*SCHWING
*CRRRRRRRR
Ruby winced again, feeling a pulse of pain in her head.
Three jagged claw marks tore their way clean across the roadway, leaving veritable trenches in their wake right in front of the armed escort, and as they recoiled in terror, Yuji blankly stared at them, pointing a single finger their way-
"Take one shot at her, and the next one's going for your heads."
...
...
It was such a mood change it was almost insane-
This sort of situation would be dangerous for even a veteran Huntsman, leaving anyone to guess how they could get out of such awful circumstances, but-
To someone so above everyone around him like Yuji, it just destroyed the sense of urgency, or rather...turned it on its head, because they didn't have him cornered, no-
They were standing in front of a living monster.
*Clack...Clack-Clack
One by one, guns dropped, and for a brief moment, honed killers shook in terror at the mere teenager before them, all having seen the rampage he had gone on mere hours ago and with one simple threat-
One masked man let off a scream, taking off running into the night as the others followed suit, scattering in every direction, leaving Torchwick by his lonesome, beside his colorful ally, who seemed all too excited to see the effects of the sorcerer's technique for herself, even raising her scroll to take a picture.
Ruby angrily glared at the sorcerer, who just raised a hand, "I wasn't gonna. It's just a threat."
"You still shouldn't say stuff like that!"
The vessel shrugged, "Just sayin', if you wanna be a good leader, you gotta know how to make people do what you want, and fear's a real good motivator."
Penny rapidly nodded, "Indeed, most great leaders in history utilized a mixture of subtlety and coercion to achieve their ends, and were he to have cut off their heads, those men would have had painless deaths according to several peer-reviewed studies, so by all accounts, Yuji has made a tactically sound decision, although I believe letting them live was an error in logic."
Yuji turned to look at the android, who was still smiling while saying that, "Okay...we really gotta work on your people skills."
Penny smiled more, "I will create an appointment...does 2:45 pm on Wednesday of next week fit your schedule?"
...
...
"What?"
Ruby stamped a foot, holding out Crescent Rose toward the sorcerer, with its edge sitting mere inches from his face, "Oh, enough of this! Yuji, enchant me!"
...
...
"What?"
She turned pale, as if she hated mouthing these unholy words, "En-chant-meeeeeeeeeeee."
"Enchant? Like...in Minecraft?"
"I dunno what that is, just...EUGH! I hate people messing with Crescent Rose, but can you like, maybe put the blood stuff on it and make it better?"
"Why would ya want that?"
"'Cause it made the cord stronger, so it should do the same for my precious baby girl!"
It took a second for Itadori to register what the Huntress was going for, but-
Why was she more creative about his powers than he was?
Ruby was a lot smarter than he thought she was.
The vessel tossed his hands in the air in surrender before grabbing her scythe by its jagged edge, watching as his blood pooled and hardened along its surface, "Alright-alright, just don't cut yourself, or you'll probably die."
Ruby shivered at how blunt he was being about that.
"I'll try not to, Yuj...why did you have to say that!? Now I'm scared!"
The hooded girl made more Ruby noises before beginning her long march across the street, stopping at the center of the intersection, looking up at the metallic monstrosity-
Her heart was thumping-
Part of her really wanted to ask Yuji to just deal with it himself, but what kind of Huntress or even person would she be if the girl just let him handle all her issues for her?
A bad Hero.
A bad Leader.
And a bad Friend.
There was a tense feeling in the air as two combatants faced off, one piloting a pilfered piece of advanced tech, the other unknowingly using an ancient means of combat, and with how saturated Itadori's blood was in Cursed Energy, both his own and from the King of Curses himself-
One could argue that Ruby Rose was the first Huntress to ever make or use a Cursed Tool of her own...but what would she do with such a-
Torchwick raised a giant finger, pointing it at the sorcerer, "So, let me be clear. You're not getting involved?"
Yuji blankly stared back, "I will if she starts losing."
"...I'm just a punching bag then? The Great Roman Torchwick reduced to a training dummy?"
The vessel nodded, "Either you're fightin' her, or you're fightin' me."
"...You can't be serious."
"Oh, I'm for real-real."
There was silence for a few moments before the conman let off an annoyed groan, "Okay then...Neo, if you don't mind, hey! Where are you going!?"
The ice cream-themed thief had casually hopped off the mech's shoulder, landing on the pavement before beginning a casual stride toward the sidelines, standing right next to the sorcerer and his robot companion.
As Penny braced herself, mentally pulling her swords out of their hidden sheathes, Neo snapped a finger, materializing an imaginary scoreboard over her head and a referee outfit to boot.
Although the mechanical suit could show no emotion, they could feel the man's disappointment within, "Oh, you're really doing this?"
Neo gave a happy little smile and nodded, and with another snap, a countdown began on her little screen.
5
4
3
2
1
Go!
*WHIRRRRRRR
Torchwick's Gatling guns blurred to life as the metal barrels let off a spray of multicolored dust rounds, scorching and freezing the ground as they trailed toward the Huntress.
Ruby took off running, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake as precise fire rained down behind her. Taking a dive, she rolled behind the burned-out wreckage of an Atlas escort vehicle, wincing as dust peppered against its hull.
It lasted for a few moments as she panted, instinctively flicking a switch along the side of her beloved weapon, letting it morph into its rifle form. She waited for a gap between his volleys, peaking out the side as she lined up her scope, scanning the construct for any weaknesses before-
"At least someone wants to play hide and seek, but you know the problem, Red?"
"H-Huh!?"
There was a mechanical click as something emerged along the mech's giant forearms, "I never play fair."
*FWOOSH
"IS THAT A ROCKET!?"
Ruby dispersed into a storm of rosepetals, flying off as the projectile tore through the armored vehicle like paper before blasting it apart, sending metal shrapnel in every direction as an inferno raged around them, igniting the craft's dust stores ablaze as plumes of smoke billowed around them.
The thief waved a metallic hand through the smog, his sensor arrays glowing red through the clouds, "Come out, come out wherever you are...even if I'm screwed here, the least I can do is pay you back for the headaches you've caused me, and this is a long time coming, Red."
Ruby hopped between the flying chunks of metal with a grace unknown to most of the world, tumbling onto a rooftop as she rolled into a metal duct, soon hopping over to use it as cover, holding her rifle against her chest, lowering it to take aim, "I fought you once!"
She really needed to learn when to keep her mouth shut.
He whirled around on his giant heels, firing another rocket into an apartment complex, blasting an upper portion of the building to smithereens, "One time too many."
There was a burst of movement as a shadow blitzed across the broken structure. Ruby flashed across the skies, landing on the mech's outstretched arm, her boots tapping along its surface as she charged in.
Torchwick raised a giant arm, letting off a hailstorm of precision machine gun fire into the surrounding atmosphere, peppering his own craft with dust rounds before slamming a fist onto the hooded girl-
Ruby's run didn't stop. Instead, the trained marksman fell into a slide, drifting just below the mech's giant fingers as they came crashing down, and using her momentum, the student lept into the air above, her form rotating with elegance as she flipped a switch along the underside of her rifle, allowing Crescent Rose to unfurl into its scythe form with an audible click-
As rose petals rained around her, the moonlight glowed overhead as her serrated blade came crashing down, slicing clean through one of the machine gun arrays, setting off a storm of electric sparks-
*SCHWING
Torchwick growled, intentionally sending the Paladin into an uncontrollable spin toward one of the burning buildings, "GAH! You miserable BRAT!"
The Huntress wasted no time, slamming her elongated weapon down along the craft's chassis and, using it as a makeshift pole vault, launched off, narrowly missing a side swipe from one of the mech's hulking limbs as it exploded against solid concrete, sending a plume of smoke out into its sensors.
As she flew, Ruby twisted her form mid-air, allowing her weapon to shift back into its gun form, and uncaring for how fast she was falling, the young fighter braced the butt of her rifle against her slim shoulder-
The marksman aimed down her sights, focusing her aim on the many sensor arrays strewn across the front of the spinning craft -
Even if it wasn't moving, it was an easy target, and if she could take out his sight, then maybe she could get somewhere.
She pulled the trigger and-
Torchwick suddenly stopped in place-
"It would be a shame if you missed."
*CLANG
An ice round harmlessly froze against an armored section of his hull, making her pause in disbelief, even as she fell toward the ground, "I-...missed?"
But she almost never missed, how could-
She landed in a roll, hopping to her feet, taking off in a sprint before-
"Your shoe's untied."
She shook her head, trying to sprint across the burning roadway once more, "No, they're not! I just bought th-WAHH!"
The Huntress tumbled across the ground, clutching Crescent Rose to her chest, and for a brief second, looked down at her boots, and they were-
Completely fine, laced up with a cute knot and everything.
"What!? But they're not-"
She gasped as a shadow loomed overhead, diving out of the way as the mech's massive leg came crashing down where she once was, and using her momentum, the hooded girl took off into a running leap, aiming to dive behind the nearest piece of cover but-
"You're gonna fall."
Her silver eyes widened as her dive fell too soon, crashing into the ground as she rolled to a stop on the road, the world briefly turning into a blur as red lasers lined up a shot on her head as she helplessly lay there.
Torchwick's face smiled in glee as the mechanical beast's giant fist peeled back, revealing a massive canon as a fire-dust-charged laser began to pulsate, sending waves of energy out in all directions-
*BIR-BIR-BIRBIRBIRBIRBIR
He aimed down, his barrels giving off a burning glow in the darkness, mere feet from the Huntress, "I win."
*FWING
In the blink of an eye, something slammed into the mech's fist from below, knocking its blast off course as it burned a hole through row after row of buildings, igniting a firey explosion that lit up the evening sky.
Torchwick looked down, only to see nothing, "WHE-!?"
Yuji reappeared through the smoke, landing along the mechanical beast's arms, using a single palm as balance, shifting his entire body to the side. The vessel's heel crashed against the mech's metallic skull with so much force it visibly dented inward-
*CRUNCH
The thief roared, throwing the teen away with the swing of a giant limb before charging in, rolling across the battered roadway as the mech lined up a massive fist to come crashing down on the sorcerer's small form-
Yuji flicked a wrist-
*SCHWING-SCHWING-SCHWING
A row of perfect slices blasted the mech's arm off, sending metal pieces scattering like flying chunks of meat, and as the sorcerer landed, he simply waited for the thief to raise a giant foot once more, bringing it down on his skull, only to meet a single raised palm as a shockwave rocked the surrounding area, shattering windows for streets on end.
Yuji had caught the multiton war machine as if it were nothing, and using his leverage, the vessel grabbed hold, spinning along his heels, melting the rubber off his soles as he and the construct turned into a veritable whirlwind as they uncontrollably spun, and with a simple release-
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Torchwick slammed through a storefront as a mountain of rubble buried the man in debris.
Itadori wasted no time, turning to look down at Ruby with that blank stare he always had during any violent encounter, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
The Huntress squinted, pushing herself to her feet, "What? I thought I was doing pretty good until...you know?"
Yuji let off an annoyed huff, raising a hand toward the hooded girl and-
*CRACK
"OWWWW!"
Yuji flicked Ruby on the forehead, leaving a mark. She pouted and tried to pat it with her hands, "WHY!?"
"That guy's messing with your head, and you don't even notice it."
"I did notice it! I just don't know how he does it!"
The vessel pinched between his eyes, wondering if this was what it was like for Nanami when he was teaching him to do stuff, "If you don't understand what someone's doing, then you pull back, figure it out, then make a plan, you don't just keep throwing yourself at him and hope it works."
Yuji pointed a finger at the Huntress, "He's gaslighting you into thinking stuff's gonna happen, even if you know it's not true, so that must mean it's-"
The hooded girl paused, thinking about it for a moment, "A...a semblance?"
"There you go...honestly, Rube, you're smarter than that. You gotta stop panicking with this stuff and think for a second."
The rubble started to shift as a hand broke through the wreckage, with Torchwick slowly pulling himself free.
Itadori turned to face the mechanical beast, "It's up to you. I can either handle this for you or-"
"No!"
Ruby rapidly shook her head, "I can do this! Just...gimme some tips, maybe?"
Itadori sighed, walking back to the sidelines, "You're not gonna improve if I keep helping you all the time. Just think it through, and you can do it."
"So wait...do you know what he's doing?"
"I got a good guess, but I'm not tellin'."
"You're a mean teacher!"
What would Gojo say as motivation?
...On second thought, no. Showing off and saying how easy it was would be a horrible idea...well, maybe he could-
Yuji dropped his shoulders, "Alright-alright...what if I take you out for some snacks as a reward if you do it on your own? After this whole thing is over."
"...Any snacks?"
What is she, Scooby Doo?
...This entire situation felt so much less serious with him around, and Yuji was very aware of it.
He gave a thumbs up as he walked away, "I'll buy you all the cookies you want. We can even go to that one pink bakery place you like."
She hummed, acting as if she had any bargaining power besides making him feel bad, "...can I bring Blake?"
"Does she even like cookies?"
"I dunno...I just...wanna hang out with her more after this...and show her I care, you know?"
"I mean, I don't mind, but...she's probably not gonna wanna talk to me after this. You know that, right?"
Ruby only gave a confident thumbs up of her own, "I'll convince her! Trust the plan!"
That meant she was going to make Blake feel bad until she agreed out of pity.
This girl was an expert manipulator with puppy eyes.
Returning to the nonexistent spectator area, Yuji blankly stared at Penny, still glowing in green energy with an array of hovering swords pointing at the weirdly quiet girl who was too busy blowing an imaginary whistle to pay the threat any mind.
He crossed his arms, "You can put those away, Pen. She's not gonna do anything."
The android remained motionless, "Query...how can you be certain of her intentions? What if she were to...' stab us in the back' as they say?"
Neo pointed a gloved hand toward her heart as if she were offended by the mere idea of such a thing, but Itadori seemed utterly indifferent, "She knows I'll kill her if she tries."
The teen only smiled, quietly making hand gestures toward the sorcerer-
Yuji blankly stared back, "'Cause you're easy to read."
Her expression lightened a bit, making more gestures, only for the vessel to shake his head in denial, "I dunno sign language, lady. I'm just good at figuring out what makes people tick."
Neo pretended to hum in thought but didn't make a sound, soon snapping a finger, and with the sound of shattering glass, a glowing neon sign appeared above her head with brightly colored letters spelling out-
What's Neo thinking about?
What is this, some kinda game show?
Itadori leaned forward, looking her over, only for the silent thief to twirl her umbrella, adjusting her stance as if she were a model, but he ignored the act-
To Yuji, she looked like one of those 'Hello Kitty girls' Todo kept telling him in his ramblings about going on a 'brothers excursion' to America to find tall women for both of them...
His relationship with that country was very love-hate, now that he thought about it.
"...You're either thinkin' about cartoons or trying to stab me."
Neo jumped in place, happily clapping her hands, the sign briefly changing to the word, 'both.'
"Is that right?"
The sorcerer lazily stretched his arms back, "Well, that's refreshing for once."
The sign changed to a question mark as she tilted her head-
He made a face, not really sure how to explain it, "I dunno, I feel like all I do is beef with adults that don't got anything better to do than fight with kids...like...how old is that dude in the robot suit?"
Penny's eyes glowed for a moment, "Identification found: Roman Torchwick wanted across each of the kingdoms for various crimes including but not limited to Petty Theft Grand Theft, Robbery, Burglary, Forgery, Identity Fraud, Embezzlement, Receiving Stolen Property, alongside multiple charges of manslaughter and murder."
Yuji saw stars on that list, wondering how many he's committed at this point, "And he's got beef with Ruby? I feel like I already know the answer to this, but-"
He dully stared at Neo, "How old is he?"
She happily smiled, waving her hands to the sky as sparkles rained down around her, the sign changing-
31.
The mute girl knowingly smiled, making a few hand gestures-
Yuji nodded, "You think it's sad too?"
The ice cream-themed girl waved a hand as if she weren't sure.
"Kinda? Yeah, I get that."
...
...
She made more gestures-
"Is it sad that you're parta this?...I dunno."
Neo tapped her chin, turning to Penny as she snapped a finger, the sign changing once more-
My record?
The android blankly responded, "Identification not found, alias utilized in place: Neopolitan, with a criminal history nearly identical to that of Roman Torchwick, as you are his known 'accomplice' according to several government databases."
Age?
"Seventeen."
The mute teen idly pointed at the sorcerer and then at the sign, mouthing the word, 'sad?'
Yuji shrugged, "No clue, I'm just sayin' it's weird when grown ass adults got issues with high schoolers...like get a job or do taxes or something."
She silently giggled at that, pointing down at her fist as she threw a fake punch-
"Why aren't we fightin'?"
She nodded.
Itadori let out a huff, "I'm not big on that stuff unless I gotta, so if you wanna just stand here and not have an issue, I'm cool with that."
Neo tilted her head, her bi-colored hair shifting as she pointed her umbrella at the slash marks embedded into the ground, the sign changing once more-
You ≠ Huntsman?
"Huh? I mean...I guess I'm goin' to school to be one, but I'm a sorcerer before anything else, so-"
Yuji put his hands behind his head, leaning back indifferently, "I don't really care if Huntsmen rules say I gotta beat you guys up. I do my own thing...do you wanna fight or something?"
Neo shook her head, opening and closing her mouth while pointing a finger between the two-
"You just wanted to talk? About what?"
She pointed at the slash marks on the ground, the sign above her changing once more with the sound of shattering glass-
Saw u on TV
You = cool :D
"What?"
Neo looked up at the sky, tapping a boot on the ground before snapping a finger, materializing-
A giant foam finger over her hand, raising it up and down, with a giant number one across the front.
"What?"
Penny walked toward the vessel, pointing a finger toward him, denting his cheek inward as she got way too close for comfort, "One often sees a novelty oversized phalanx. In this case, the finger is often a sign of support or recognition for past achievements and offering continued support for more in the future."
"...What?"
Penny blankly stared back, "Simplifying statement...to put it in your words, she is a fan."
...
...
Yuji stared at her-
And stared at her-
And stared at her.
Neo seemed either oblivious or uncaring for the face he was making, likely a mix of both. Fishing something out of her jacket, the thief held out a sheet of paper and a pen-
Itadori blankly looked at her, "I'm not signing that."
She tapped a foot-
"Not happening."
The icecream-themed girl pouted, putting her hands together to plead-
"No."
She took a sharp breath, giving him a questioning stare-
Yuji angrily looked off to the side, "'Cause what I did isn't something to be proud of, you nutcase."
Neo only seemed happy hearing the insult but didn't put the paper down. Instead, a lightbulb seemed to go off over the quiet girl's head, and she began scribbling-
A few moments passed, and there was an audible tear before she started folding her scraps of paper like origami, soon handing over-
A makeshift letter covered in crudely drawn flowers covered in slash marks.
Yuji deadpanned as she mouthed the words, 'open later' before turning back to the chaos going on between Ruby and her-
31-year-old nemesis...that just sounded sad to think about.
...
Meanwhile
Ruby had wracked her brain, trying to find a solution in the few precious moments she had as Torchwick struggled to get his unwieldy droid-suit thing to its feet.
She was really glad this thing was a prototype. The Huntress could see a billion issues with the giant thing at a glance, and she could use that to her advantage, but...Roman's semblance-
...
...
Ruby ran her hands through her hair, "EURGH, I dunno! IdunnoIdunnoIdunnoIdunno!"
He's messing with your head.
The hooded girl paused, those brief words Yuji had given her. Were they a hint, or was she imagining things?...Okay-
Think...think...what did she know so far?
Every time that Torchwick said something, it was like it actually happened...but no...her shoes weren't untied...so why did she fall?
But more importantly-
...
...
Why didn't he try it on Yuji?
What was he doing differently?
...
...
Oh...that was an idea, but-
Was that it?
*BOOOOOOOM
The rubble exploded outward, raining down along the surrounding area, smashing through wrecked cars as alarms blared in every direction, the resounding shockwave blasting through the girl's flowing cloak, the motion drawing her eyes to the side-
Ruby focused in on the destroyed Atlesian carriers-
Well...Yuji did say to change things up...and those guys wouldn't need that stuff anymore-
With a burst of rose petals, the scythe-user took off, raising her bladed weapon high, and with a horizontal swing, the sounds of tearing metal reverberated outward as she came rushing inside, seeing an array of broken Atlesian androids-
She looked around in a rush, her weapon-obsessed mind digging through mere guesses at where a certain something would be, "Notyounotyounotyou...there!"
There were a few more slashes as she tore her way through, rushing out soon after, and with an audible shout, the student tossed a massive armful of dark cartridges into the air, letting them bounce along their makeshift arena-
Just one more thing.
Ruby's eyes flashed to the side, spotting a fire hydrant resting mere feet behind her, and with a gentle slash from crescent rose-
*BWOOOOOOOSH
Water sprayed along the roadway as Torchwick rose to his feet once more, letting off an annoyed hiss at the sparks coming off his mech's missing limb, "I'm getting very tired of dealing with you runts."
The dark-haired teen bobbed back and forth on her heels, sticking out her tongue, "Well, you are pretty old. Maybe it's naptime?"
"Haha..."
*FWING
*BWOOOSH
In the blink of an eye, the mech raised an arm, firing off another rocket at the Huntress, who, with the elegance expected of a student of Qrow Branwen, leaped backward in a flip, landing along the rooftop as the floors below exploded into shrapnel.
Ruby rapidly took a knee along the crumbling rooftop, lining up her sights, reaching for the trigger as-
"You're going to mi-"
"LALALALAICANTHEARYOU!"
*BANG
A precise round of electricity dust smashed against one of his sensors, letting off a voltage-fueled blast as the camera went dead.
"What!?"
The Huntress cockily smirked, raising crescent rose to rest along her shoulder, "HAHA YESSSS! I knew you would- Oh, fudge!"
*THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD
Torchwick threw caution to the wind, charging shoulder first into the building, sending the entire flaming mess exploding onto the sidestreets below-
"Damn thing...stupid inverted controls...-"
His red sensors flashed around, trying to detect any sign of life from the fledgling student, "Come out, Red, even if that kid destroys this thing, at least I can get the satisfaction of crushing you with it first!"
...
...
"Where are-"
*CLANG
"HEREIAMHEREIAMHEREIAMHEREIAMHEREIAMHEREIAMHEREIAMHEREIAM!"
The thief sputtered as Ruby dropped onto the mech's head like a monkey, yelling at the top of her lungs as she wrapped her legs around its metallic neck, hanging down its back as she pulled her beloved blade close-
"The hell!? You're going to fall!"
"NOPE!NOPE!NOPE!NOPE!NOPE!NOPE!NOPE!NOPE!NOPE!"
A panel audibly hissed as Ruby sliced it open, reaching her hands into the wiring, "If I was a control panel, I'd be hereherehereherehere!"
*CLACK-CLANG-FIZZLE
"You're going to slip! You're going to get electrocuted! God damnit, why isn't she falling!?"
"Ohhhhhhhhhthereitis!"
The hooded girl reached an arm in, grabbing hold of something before ripping out a massive chunk of electronics coated in wire, sending off alarms inside the craft as Torchwick lost control."
"This makes no sense, why isn't she-"
A camera along the mech's back blipped online, zooming in on the girl's face, with the thief's eyes widening, "...are those earplugs?"
Ruby blankly stared at the camera, "WHAT!?"
It had been an educated guess at best, but Ruby had come to one conclusion on how Torchwick's semblance worked-
He would put a suggestion in your head, and whether or not it was true, your body would treat it like a fact, letting him convince anyone to do what he wanted, and in the scythe user's case...making her trip...faceplant...miss...and everything else-
She had no idea why he didn't use it on Yuji, but the Huntress came to one answer for herself-
Just stop hearing...and after many lonely years of reading weapons magazines, she knew earplugs were standard issue in any heavy-duty Atlas military vehicle-
Blown-out eardrums are listed as casualties, too, you know?
Torchwick let off a furious yell, slamming his hands down on the controls, making the mech jump into the air, aiming to crush the girl beneath its massive form, only for Ruby to disperse into a storm of rose petals moments before impact, her body vanishing from sight-
*BWOOSH
The mech let out a series of electric sputters as its exposed circuits made contact with the waters, still blasting out of the hydrant.
The thief's voice escaped as a glitched mess as his systems malfunctioned, trying to awkwardly turtle shell his way back onto his feet, "R-R-Redddd...when I get...y-youuuu."
The Huntress reappeared, standing on top of one of the crackling street lights, holding one of the dark cartridges she had 'borrowed' from the Atlas truck-
The label read, 'ice dust.'
Ruby held crescent rose high with one hand, letting it morph back into its rifle form, staring down at the small container of ammunition, "You know...with how much dust you've stolen, I used to wonder if you ever read the warning labels on these things."
The mech reached out an arm, unfurling to reveal a glowing beam of dust light coalescing to form another laser, "L...l...like I care."
The hooded girl sighed, turning it around in her hand, "Well, if you bothered, you'd know to keep them in a cool-dry area at all times...'cause if ya dooooon't-"
She gave an all too happy smile, even as the glow from Torchwick's blaster threatened to melt her into nothing in a mere few seconds, "...This happens."
She tossed the cartridge toward him and took aim-
"Ha! One!? R-Reddd, I thouuuught you were bettttter thannnn-"
He looked down around him, his cameras displaying dozens upon dozens of the same stolen cartridges along the street, each bouncing around as unstable electric currents from his stolen craft made them gleam with energy-
"...Well...shi-"
*BANG
*FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH
The world briefly became a winter wonderland as an unholy amount of frost exploded outward, freezing the entire street over in a glacier of ice.
Where Ruby once stood high above the streets, she only needed to step down onto the freezing surface, her expression shifting as she watched the mech losing power below-
She was really glad these things weren't temperature resistant yet...prototypes always suck.
The Huntress looked around, soon spotting her friends and...the extra girl, standing to the side, a clear line of slash marks having destroyed the glacier before it could reach them.
She came to a stop, meeting Yuji's stare, awkwardly shifting in place waiting for a response, awkwardly pulling out her earplugs in the meantime-
She did kinda destroy the whole block...soooo-
The sorcerer just flashed a thumbs up, "Nice one, Rube."
She pouted, rubbing a hand along her arm, "Yeah...I know I coulda-wait...nice one?"
"Yeah? What else am I supposed to say?"
"But-but-but...the street!?"
"So? Not like anyone died."
"So...I did good?"
"Yeah? Why're you bein' so weird about this?"
The word bounced around in her head-
Good.
It started with a smile, but soon, the scythe user was tapping her feet, making a huge jump, and throwing her arms in the air, "WOOHOO-WAHHHHH!"
She slipped on the ice and ate it big time in front of everyone.
...
A bit later
Neo was busy ice skating on top of Torchwick's frozen form, not even trying to dig her mentor out.
Ruby's eye twitched as the girl did a scratching spin, followed up by a waltz jump, "Are we like...gonna arrest them or something?"
Yuji opened his mouth but paused, "...Are we allowed to arrest people?"
"Isn't that what we've been doing?"
"Not really, I mean...we sorta just beat a bunch of people up, tied them up and left...isn't that just assault if you don't got a license?"
Ruby tried to argue back, but a horrible realization set in, making the Huntress turn into paper, "...Oh crap-baskets, I think it is...are we going to jail?"
Itadori gave her a reassuring smile, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Trust me, I got a plan to keep you safe, buddy."
A glimmer of hope shined in her silver eyes, "What is it?"
"I'm gonna dress like a girl so we can go to girl jail together."
...
...
Yuji had a heart of gold, but he was dumber than a brick.
Ruby forced a smile, "Yayyyyyy..."
Penny got between them, putting both hands on their shoulders, making an awkward triangle between a Huntress, a robot, and a sorcerer, "There will be no need for arrest warrants today, I assure you! Your actions reflect on the Atlesian agent who deputized you in the first place."
Ruby went pale, "Wait, so you'll go to jail!? That's not fair!"
The android shook her head, "You are mistaken, friend-Ruby. I am not legally a person but official Atlas property with specified political rights. This condition allowed me to operate in Vale despite the general order for all personnel to withdraw. Therefore, when it comes to the issue of accountability, technically speaking, no one is liable because I, as an object, cannot stand trial."
Years of Japanese Cop dramas flooded Yuji's mind.
The vessel snapped a finger, "Ahhhh, you're a livin' legal loophole, aren't you, Pen?"
The ginger smiled brightly, "Precisely."
While an average person would shutter at such blatant disregard for the rule of law, Itadori gently raised a hand, rubbing the robotic girl's head as she smiled in glee.
"Smart-smart-smart."
She puffed up a bit, putting her hands on her hips, "I am aware of this condition, but your compliments are most enjoyable. I therefore request you continue to praise me."
Ruby seemed a lot more disturbed about this, "So...we're just being corrupt now?"
Yuji smiled, "Yep."
"And you're cool with that?"
"Yep."
"...Really?"
"Do you wanna go to jail for breaking like every Huntress law?"
Ruby slumped over, "I guess not...but-"
She glanced over her shoulder at Neo, who was still...just skating, "So what are we gonna do with her and Torchwick?"
Penny bit her cheek, "While I would normally entrust their arrest to my Atlesian Knight escorts, most of them seem to have been destroyed, and I require the remainder to complete my primary objective."
She blankly stared at the two of them, "Which you lack the authorization to request additional information for...therefore, I suggest the most efficient course of action."
Penny blankly raised a finger, "In exchange for your protection, I will initiate tracking protocols for one, Blake Belladonna, and afterward, I intend to request an expedited return of Atlesian forces to restore order to the city. However, this may take some time, and Torchwick and his accomplice will likely have made their escape by then."
Neo did a spinning jump, raising her arms as a text bubble appeared over her head, 'We will!'
Ruby shook her head like crazy, "Nonononono! We can't just let those crooks go! We have them!"
Penny indifferently stared back, "Unless you wish to 'waste time' as it were, guarding these individuals instead of searching for your friend, there is no other logical choice involved in the matter."
The Huntress kicked a rock, "I hate when people use logic..."
The android smiled as her components blipped online, "Excellent, now if you give me a moment...tracking individual...several destinations recorded in the past few hours...data received."
Penny put a finger to her chin, "Have either of you heard of a 'Tukson's Book Trade?'"
Both teens turned green, but Yuji spoke up, "Eugh...that's where she made us buy the creepy book about the ninjas..."
Ruby swatted him on the arm, "Stop talking about it! I'm gonna puuuke!"
Penny completely ignored their suffering, "It seems she made a brief stop there and has roamed the city on a path familiar to the one Yuji Itadori and Adam Taurus took during their encounter...she is currently at the Banquet Hall we attended earlier today."
Both of them went quiet at that but gave one another a silent nod.
The robotic girl looked over her flipped vehicle, "Might I request your assistance in one...-"
She looked back at Yuji, "Correction...two matters."
Moments later, her truck was upright, and Itadori was rubbing her head again, "Nice-nice-nice."
Penny soon hopped in place, giving a happy peace sign, "My enjoyment protocol is now maxed out! You have my thanks alongside a request for further friendship-related activities in the future."
The sorcerer just smiled down at her, "Anytime, Penny. We're buddies, right?"
"Indeed!"
The ginger turned to Ruby, giving a gentle wave, "And I hope to become your 'buddy' as well, someday."
Before the Huntress could even respond, the android had already gotten back in, closing the door with so much speed it gave an audible slam, with the vehicle taking off into the night once more-
Ruby could only wonder what was so important in that truck that Penny had to keep it hidden...but Yuji didn't seem to care about it at all so-
It probably wasn't a big deal?
Right?
Yuji lazily cracked his back, looking up at the night sky, "Guess we gotta go talk this out with Blake, huh?"
Ruby nodded, "We got this! Ima make you two talk it out if I have to-"
Yuji made a face, silently wondering if Ruby still didn't understand how unlikely it was that they'd ever be on speaking terms again, but-
As the two walked off-
There was a snap, and an imaginary stop sign appeared in front of them.
The vessel raised a brow, turning around to see Neo standing in the middle of the ice patch, a sign appearing above her head-
'Open letter.'
He paused for a second before remembering the scrap of paper, and with all the lack of care expected from him, Yuji tore it open, and he stared-
and stared
and stared
It was a scroll number, and the second he looked up, the multicolored girl flashed him a wink, the sign above changing-
'Text me (づ ◕‿◕ )づ'
...
...
It would be nice if he met one person that wasn't completely out of their mind.
Really nice.
...
And that's a wrap for today.
No Chibi this time; I feel like there's enough brain rot as it is, and making Mahoraga-Chan nearly put me in a coma.
With all that said and done, take it easy, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter for the conclusion of this arc; cheers.
Discord:
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