"It had emergency lights?!" Ruby screams through Weiss' earpiece.
Weiss cringes at hearing her leader's high pitched squeal through her earpiece. She glances up from the crowd of surprised and confused patrons as her teammate, Blake, was dangling from the ceiling and over the cipher they were meant to take. Weiss scoffs and presses her earpiece. "You didn't account for them having an emergency generator?!"
"No? I guess I didn't…" Ruby voices her shame. The plan was last minute and there was bound to be a few hiccups along the way. Regardless, they need to act quickly now; they know Blake's stealing the cipher, so doing this quietly is out of the question. Seeing no other way out, Blake grabs the cipher and pulls it off its pedestal. She stares awkwardly at the crowd when she warps the cipher closer in her arms. "I'm…gonna borrow this now."
"STOP HER!" Weiss looks to her left and sees Roman on his feet, pointing at Blake. "That girl's a Huntress, and she's here to ruin everything!"
After Roman calls Blake out, the guards on stage rush towards Blake in a fit of anger. Weiss uses her quick thinking; reaching into her coat pockets and taking two Dust crystals, one fire and one water. She smashes them, and a giant mist combusts in the room as a result, blinding everyone. The patrons rush out in a panic from the blinding mist. Blake takes this opportunity to unstrap herself from the ceiling; she falls and lands on her feet after unstrapping her ribbon and retracts her weapon that was tied above, reforming it into a sword. The mist Weiss created bought Blake time to get her footing, but it quickly evaporates, returning the guards' sights, the auction room clear of patrons except for Torchwick and his partner. Once they could see again, the guards continue their attack on the Faunus, except now she's ready. She has her weapon in her right hand, and the cipher in her left. The first guard attempts to tackle her; Blake ducks and the guard jumps over her, crashing behind Blake. The second guard charges with a right swing from his stun baton; Blake leans backward, dodging the baton and kicks the guard's leg. Painfully, the guard falls to one knee. Blake sheathes her weapon, jumps onto the injured guard's shoulders, leaping off him.
As Blake lands off the stage and dashes for the exit, dodging every guard that tries to grab her until one gets lucky and grabs Blake's arm holding the cipher. "Ha ha! I got her!"
"No, you don't." Weiss runs in and smacks the guard with the stun baton she took from the guard she knocked out. The hit from the baton sends the guard flying until he slams into the railings of the second floor balcony inside. Blake stares at the fallen guard, surprised by how he went flying from the impact, then turns to Weiss who has an equally surprised expression, glancing at the baton. "How much electricity dust did they put in this thing?"
"Nicholas Gele!" Weiss and Blake look to the voice in the crowd of guards and see Roman with his masked partner approaching them. The impatient expression on his face tells Weiss and Blake he's in no mood for games. "Hand over the cipher; I bought the thing, therefore it's my property!"
"Sorry, but we need it more than you do, Mr. Torchwick." Weiss says. Blake holds the item in question tighter with both her hands, standing beside her teammate.
Torchwick sighs, keeping his cool and says: "Look, We're both reasonable people. Perhaps we can strike a deal; whatever Jacques Schnee paid you to acquire it, I can double it."
"This is not about money." Blake speaks up. "This cipher is important to us, and we will NOT let you buy it off us!"
"Do you have any idea what thing is? What it can do? What it's meant for?" Neither Weiss or Blake respond to Roman's questions, only hostile glares; he scoffs at their stubborn and uncaring nature and picks up his cane. "Fine, I will have that cipher, even if I have to take it by force."
With a snap of Roman's fingers, the guards slowly get closer to Weiss and Blake. The two girls stand back to back, the heiress readying her baton while the Faunus grips the cipher.
"Right now, I'm wishing we had Yang with us!" Weiss says, scanning the guards with her eyes.
"Any ideas?" Blake asks, keeping her eyes on the approaching crowd.
"Obviously we fight our way out!" Weiss snaps, then looks at the baton in her hands. "This weapon is powerful, but I doubt it can take out everyone here!"
"I could use my semblance to escape, but I need an opening." Blake says. "Plus, I don't wanna leave you here."
"Ugh! Forget Yang, where's Ruby?!" On cue, the red huntress is seen petal bursting in and through the guards. She leaps into the air and lands next to Weiss and Blake, her scythe at the ready.
"Sorry I didn't make it sooner." Ruby pants. "I got caught by a few guards from the backdoor!"
"Great, that means more will be on their way!" Weiss complains. "What do they get out of this?!"
"It's their job, Weiss. We're stealing the cipher AND we're trespassing, they won't stop until we're dealt with." Blake explains.
"Then that's gonna be their biggest mistake…no need for this disguise anymore." Weiss takes off her hat and throws away her coat, revealing her combat gear underneath. The guards gasp to see it was a Schnee in disguise, the heiress herself rips off the fake mustache, looking at her leader. "Ruby, do you still have my weapon?"
The guards attempt an attack, but Ruby fires a warning shot at their feet, to keep them back. "Yeah, right here!"
Ruby unclips Myrtenaster from her belt and tosses it to Weiss, who catches it with her free hand. Now she wields both the stun baton and her rapier. She proudly smirks and glances at her leader. "Perfect, now do you have a backup plan? Preferably one that you made BEFORE everything went wrong?!"
"Not really…but I know what we have to do. We already have the cipher; we just need an opening and use the opportunity to escape."
"Easier said than done." Blake comments. Ruby takes a moment to think, she looks up to spot the emergency lights, then glances at her teammates. She could destroy the lights, but only Blake would be able to see without them. She examines the stun baton Weiss is holding, then looks at the guards in their way. There's no other option, they'll have to fight their way through.
"Blake, give me the cipher." Ruby orders. The Faunus does as she's told, handing the cipher to her leader, who straps it to her belt. "We're fighting our way through, you two ok with that?"
"If it's the only way." Blake equips her weapon, ready for combat.
"And this was supposed to end quietly…" Weiss sighs, powering the baton down and strapping it to her belt. She focuses all her skill with Myrtenaster.
"Ok, concussive rounds and focus on shattering their aura; only incapacitate. They're bad people, but they're not Grimm." Ruby advises.
"My thoughts exactly." Weiss nods. "Their lives should be left to the law."
"Understood." Blake acknowledges. She and Ruby quickly switch their weapon rounds from lethal to concussive while Weiss spins the chamber of her weapon to less lethal dust rounds. There are about 12 guards and who knows how many more on their way, the goal is to reach the door leading to the first floor hall; the entrance will be to their right, if Weiss recalls correctly. They can do this, they just need to rely on each other.
"Get them!" The first guard shouts, charging at the three girls. He swings his baton downward, Ruby petal bursts past him and fires a concussive round behind his head. The second guard attacks Ruby's right, but is intercepted by Weiss who parries his attack and saves her. Weiss follows up her interception by thrusting her rapier; a mini-tornado expands from her blade and knocks the guard far away. Third guard surprises Weiss with a swing from behind, knocking her down with a yelp.
"Weiss!" Ruby calls out. The fourth and fifth guard attack her from her left and right. The young Huntress spins her scythe, but the both of them duck and avoid her attack, so Ruby attempts a horizontal slash only to be tackled by the sixth guard.
"Got you, girl!" The guard growls. The fourth and fifth guards approach with batons at the ready. The six guard gets shot in the head by a concussive round from Blake's gun, knocking him to the floor. Ruby takes the chance and petal bursts away from the two other guards while Blake jumps in and attacks them. She shoots the fourth guard on her right, only for the fifth on her left to jump in and deflect the bullet with his baton. Blake equips her bladed sheathe, dual wielding her separate weapons and goes for the attack. Blake swings her blade at the fifth guard, but he blocks with his baton. The baton's electricity knocks Blake away by a couple steps; switching her strategy, she ducks from the fourth guard's attack and kicks his left leg. The fifth guard attempts an attack until he's knocked down by a concussive shot from Ruby, saving her teammate.
"Watch my back! I'll help Weiss!" A worried Blake nods at Ruby, until she notices the fourth guard getting up, so she quickly kicks the guard's face and kicks him back down. Weiss gets up after receiving that hit from the guard. She looks behind to notice the guard from earlier running towards her. She quickly picks up her weapon and jumps left from the guard's swing, she spins around and stabs the ground with her rapier, summoning ice spikes below the guards feet. The guard jumps out of the glyph before the spikes appear and goes for another attack, only to be rammed by Ruby, smashing him through the ice spikes and knocking him out. The leader dizzily approaches her partner, holding her head. "Ow...that hurt…"
After Blake sees Ruby saved Weiss, she decides to reach the door only to be attacked by the seventh guard who swings his baton vertically at her, but all the guard hit was a shadow clone. The real Blake appears and lands on the guard from above, knocking him down. She grabs the door's handle only to be knocked down by the tenth guard behind her, who she only noticed a second before getting hit and sent to the floor.
"Blake!" Weiss calls out. She and her partner run to help their teammate until they both get hit by a small explosion in front of them, sending them both flying and hitting the ground, their aura flashing from the impact. The two girls lift themselves up by their elbows, grunting in pain and see it was Roman, his cane aimed at them, he lowers his weapon and approaches Blake. The Faunus attempts to get up, only to be stomped down by the other guard, the last two that are standing approach Ruby and Weiss, ensuring they stay down.
"As fun as that was…I'm on a tight schedule." Roman says. The guard pulls his foot off Blake and grabs her arm, forcing her to her feet and throwing her near Ruby and Weiss. "Now give me the cipher."
Ruby looks to her teammates, seeing how much pain they're in. She can't let all of this be for nothing. In an act of defiance, Ruby forces herself to stand. The guards raise their batons only to be stopped by Roman raising his hand, seeing what the girl is up to. "No…!" Ruby says, gritting her teeth and glaring at the con man. "We don't know what you plan with that cipher, Torchwick, but with you, it can never be anything good! I don't care if this is beyond us; it's our job to stop people like you from hurting the world more than the Grimm already has! All you do is ruin people's lives for your own personal gain, and I won't just sit by and let that happen! I am a Huntress, and I will deliver you to justice!"
Roman and the guards take a moment to understand Ruby's words…they were almost impressed with how she put it. "….Nice words, red. You're annoying…..but I admire your spirit."
Suddenly, they hear a loud CRASH from outside the room, like something just rammed through the entrance. "What the hell was that?!" One of the guards ask.
That distraction gives Weiss an opening; she activates the baton on her belt, hitting the guard behind her and knocking him down. She quickly grabs the baton and hits the guard watching Ruby before she could react, freeing the young leader. Roman growls and fires his cane at Ruby and Weiss' feet, but they jump out of the way. Blake kicks the guard's leg, forcing him to keel over, allowing Blake to elbow his face. The three pick up their weapons and run to the door. They all stop to see the door get blasted off its hinges; they drop to the floor as the door flies over them and smacks Roman onto the floor. The three girls look up to see Yang walking in with one guard in a headlock.
"Hey guys! Sorry about my entrance, I didn't want to DOOR-sappoint, so I decided to CRASH the party instead!" Yang puns, dropping the guard who's now unconscious.
"Save us your puns and let's get out of here!" Weiss groans. She and the other girls quickly stand up and run past Yang, seeing she crashed the car she hijacked into the entrance. "You crashed it into the building?!"
"You guys were taking too long, I was getting worried!" Yang says. "It was for the best anyway, the owner's taste was WHEEL-y bad!"
"Hey!" One guard runs in the hall to stop them only to be knocked down by a shot from Yang's gauntlet.
"A lot of these guys have been trying to take me down, but they haven't got much luck. Guess he wanted to try a SHOT! Man, I'm on a roll tonight!" Yang laughs.
"Is the car still working?" Blake asks, jumping onto the driver's seat to check, along with the others climbing in.
"Lights are still on, so it should." Yang answers.
"Wait, do you know how to drive this thing, Blake?!" Weiss asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
"No time to question that now!" Blake puts the gear into reverse and backs up out of the building, crashing into a light pole. She quickly sets it to drive and turns on the road, speeding away from the scene. Roman's partner walks out of the open hole, watching the girls drive away. They narrow their bright orange eyes in interest. Hearing the pained groans from Roman, his partner looks behind to see him limping out with pained grunts. His partner looks down the road again, unbothered by the turn of events.
"And nobody saw you?" Crimson asks. The following morning after Team CJVR arrived at their dorm, the girls were waiting for them to arrive so they could tell Crimson everything that happened. The eight of them are inside the boys' room now, with Team RWBY on the left side, and Team CJVR on the right.
"Not really, everyone saw us leave." Yang answers, resting her arm on the desk to her right.
"I meant after you escaped!" Crimson clarifies. "What happened to the car you guys fled in?"
"We ditched it in the nearest alley." Blake replies, her back resting on the closed door to the kitchen. She cups her chin and thinks for a moment. "Actually…crashed is a better way to put it."
"We tried to be discreet about it; we only got discovered through bad luck." Weiss explains, sitting on an open chair from the study desk. "I just hope none of this will get to Beacon, otherwise we could get expelled for sure."
"Sorry guys, guess I shoulda counted the emergency lights." Ruby shamefully says, she hunches over from Crimson's bed, and lays her hands on her cheeks.
"Ah, don't stress over it, kiddo." Crimson dismissively waves, sitting on Fenrir's bed. "I'm glad you got the thing at all."
"Why DID you send the girls to retrieve that cipher, Crimson?" Jotaro asks, standing next to Crimson with his arms folded.
Crimson caves in from the question, but swallows his pride and decides to answer truthfully. "I got a tip from this info broker Yang knew; the cipher could help translate the archeac language written on my medallion."
The nomad pulls his medallion necklace from under his shirt to show the others. Jotaro gently grabs the medallion for a closer look. "Hm…I remember you were looking at this thing when we first met. Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?"
"The first time I actually found answers…was the same day I threw that fit about you guys helping me." Crimson sighs, he wasn't proud of himself for storming out like that. "That, and the moment I heard about the cipher, we were already prepping for our mission in Nightingale. I was gonna tell you guys about it, honest! I just couldn't find the right–,"
"It's alright, Crimson." Jotaro assures, raising his arms to calm his teammate. "I won't be mad at you…after Nightingale, I've learned to be more open minded when it comes to you boys and your personal secrets. Gods, I'm not any better for keeping my troubles of the past bottled up."
"Does that mean…whatever was bothering you has passed?" Weiss asks.
"No.." Jotaro answers, looking at the floor, a withdrawn feeling in his eyes. "But I'm not gonna let the pains of my past dictate my future. I'm a Huntsman, and I shouldn't let my personal thoughts taint my responsibility. We're a team, and I should've acted more professionally."
"Happens to the best of us, partner." Fenrir says, resting his shoulder on the corner of the room. "If you ever want to talk about it, we'll be here for you. If not…we'll still be there for you."
"This contraption is an intriguing build." River speaks up, lying on the same bed Crimson is on and tinkering with the cipher in his hand. "It's clearly ancient, but was built so complex, it would've been alien during its time."
"Yeah, the cipher is interesting." Fenrir nods, then looks at the girls. "But I'm more concerned with that board you mentioned, Ruby. You said it had details of the totems and their locations?"
Noticing the attention drawn to her, she quickly gets up and fishes her scroll from her pocket, approaching the boys as she skims through her photo gallery. "Right, I remember you guys mentioned the Beowulf and Wyvern totems that were stolen, but there were three more, and they seem to be connected to some kind of event fifty years ago."
"So these totems have been around longer than we thought?" Crimson asks standing up as he and Fenrir huddle close to Jotaro as Ruby shows them the photo of the board she saw. "Great, at least we know there are five of them in total!"
"And each of these totems holds a single rare Grimm." Jotaro adds, studying the image of the board. "Whatever this event was, it's linked to the center here…'Nightingale Church, Amalgam.'"
"An Amalgam?" Fenrir repeats. He looks at his friends to notice they picked up on his surprised tone, so he decides to elaborate. "The Amalgam was an incredibly rare type of Grimm, rarer than the Hollow, but tough as a Goliath. It's a fusion of every Grimm we know about but twice as volatile and destructive than a normal Grimm. Legends say it could destroy five Kingdoms with just its fire breath. My Grandmother always told me it was just a myth, but..."
"What about Nightingale Church, what does it have to do with this?" Blake asks.
"I noticed there was something off about the wall in the church…it felt more like a door." Crimson comments, folding his arms.
"Hm, the totems are connected somehow…and this Amalgam…could it be real?" Fenrir says, a hint of worry in his voice. "We should tell Ozpin about this, and maybe he can shed some light on what these totems really are
"What are we supposed to do next? We'll need another plan, won't we?" Weiss asks. Before they could figure out the answer to her question, they hear Glynda Goodwitch's voice through the dorm speakers
"WOULD TEAM CJVR PLEASE REPORT TO THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE. TEAM CJVR TO THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE"
"One thing at a time. We'll debrief our mission and more to Professor Ozpin." Fenrir says. River sets aside the cipher and stands up.
"Ok, we'll wait for you guys back at our dorm." Ruby says.
"No." Jotaro stops them and continues. "We need to know more about Nightingale village, and the involvement of these totems. Weiss, Blake, could you two search the records for an event fifty years ago?"
"We're still exhausted, but we could start tomorrow." Weiss answers.
"Tomorrow then, first thing if you can. We need more answers than questions, Torchwick wants these totems, and then he wanted the cipher, but what does he stand to gain?"
"We'll get back to you girls after we're done with the debrief." Crimson says, approaching the door with his teammates.
"Alright, be careful you guys." Yang waves goodbye to the boys, Fenrir turns around and smiles at them.
"Yeah, you too." The boys exit their room and walk to Ozpin's office, leaving Team RWBY to their own discussions.
The gears turn and click at Ozpin's office, the sun shining at the hour of noon. The Headmaster himself sits at his desk, speaking to the Monk of Light, Lian Oni. The Monk himself was alarmed by the presence of the Leviathan Totem which is resting on Ozpin's desk between them. The elevator dings its arrival, Team CJVR exits, approaching Ozpin and Lian. The four stop in the middle of the room-River bumping behind Crimson who yelps in surprise-standing at attention to their Headmaster.
"Team CJVR, thank you for answering my summons." Ozpin greets with a smile, then he motions his hand to the monk. "This is Lian Oni, he was sent by the Brotherhood of Light to investigate the totems, just like you."
"Yes, we ran into him in Violette Village." Jotaro nods followed by Crimson's comment.
"And he saved our asses from that Hollow in Nightingale. I'm still trying to figure out how the hell he did that! The Grimm just turned into dust-normal kind not the energy kind-and the totem just SUCKED it up like it was a vacuum cleaner! Do I sound like I'm freaking out? I'm sorry if I'm freaking out; the more I think about last night, the crazier it sounds and I don't know if my brain can-!"
"Mr. Vernados." Ozpin raises his hand to stop Crimson from rushing his words.
"Y-yeah?" Crimson says, clearing his throat as Fenrir puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"I understand the experience from last night wasn't what you expected…but please try to remain calm." Crimson closes his eyes, slowly breathing in and out.
"Truth is, Professor, we learned a lot while we were in Nightingale." Fenrir begins. He steps forward while River gives Crimson a paper bag, who notices and slaps it off River's hand in offense. "A Grimm that was supposed to be extinct not only resurfaced, but it also came from that Leviathan Totem. The suspect behind the disappearances, Amethyst Tanner, was somehow controlling that same Hollow to get what she wanted. Did you know about the Hollow, the Totem, and Tanner's ability to control the Grimm?"
"I knew of the totem's presence in Nightingale, and I was aware of the ability to control the Grimm." Ozpin answers, the boys behind Fenrir warily look at each other. Ozpin knew that the Grimm could be controlled.
"Why didn't you tell us the totem was there, Professor? More importantly, why didn't you tell us they were holding Grimm?" Fenrir asks
"Because I wanted to test your team, Mr. Calavera." Ozpin answers, grabbing his mug and standing up from his chair. He takes his cane with his other hand and walks to the front of his desk. "When you first came back from your mission in Violette, I went to discover the nature of the totem Torchwick had taken. I discovered they were related to Mr. Oni's brotherhood. Then, to my surprise…he came to me in search of help. The Totem he and the other Monks were keeping at their temple had also been taken, so he was sent to check and retrieve the other totems so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands."
Ozpin gives Lian the floor, to explain his side. He takes a slow inhale and clasps his hands and fingers together. "Our Totem, the Ravager, was taken away from our temple many weeks ago. We don't know how the thief broke in, nor how it got past our defenses. They were as quiet as the night and swift as the wind, it was our mission to guard the Ravager Totem with our lives and in its absence followed our failure. We never questioned why we were meant to guard the one totem, we only knew they were meant to be cages for very powerful and rare Grimm. Each of the Grimm were sealed away in these totems through a piece of our aura, meant to deflect the Grimm inside from attempting their own escape…but, it could still be broken from an outside source. Once the Ravager Totem was missing, I was sent from Mistral by my brotherhood as your headmaster said; we only knew the locations of a few totems, my first stop was at the Kurozaki Estate in Atlas to find the Wyvern Totem…it was missing. Then, I visited the mayor in Violette Village. I saw the Beowulf Totem but I couldn't bring it in my heart to take it from him, so I warned him dark forces would take it…and it was stolen anyway. I realized I couldn't find the totems alone…so I relied on the help of THE Huntsman…your Headmaster. He used his connections to find the Leviathan Totem…but discovered the village was in need of aid."
"That's where we came in." Jotaro deduces, earning a nod from Lian and Ozpin.
"Yes, your Headmaster was confident you could stop this threat and acquire the totem. While I handled the latter, you did splendidly well in the former. After I took the Totem, I was hearing the commotion in the woods, so I ran as fast as I could to offer my help and put the Hollow back in its cage."
"Ok, but how does that explain Tanner controlling the Grimm?" Crimson asks.
"I'm afraid that's beyond my knowledge." Lian sighs before he answers. "Most of the world believes it to be impossible…but that's only what my elders wanted the people to believe."
"Like the Amalgam?" Fenrir asks, folding his arms. Lian's eyebrows raise in familiarity, he may be aware of this Amalgam. "The world believed that it was a myth too…but that's not true either…is it?"
Lian hesitated for a moment, Fenrir could smell the sweat dragging down the monk's forehead. "Yes, the Amalgam is very dangerous. I don't know where it is but the threat of this Grimm is very real."
"We believe it is under Nightingale Village." Jotaro speaks up, earning Lian and Ozpin's attention. "We don't know how yet, but the Totems are related to it. Torchwick is stealing the totems, we don't know why but it can't be to release the Amalgam…it would just destroy everything."
"And what if it is, Mr. Kurozaki?" Ozpin asks, earning looks from the team. "Remember when you told me Tanner was able to control the Hollow? What if Torchwick is willing to do the same?"
"...Imagining what he could do with the Amalgam is bad enough." River says. "Mr. Oni, we know there are five totems out there, what are each of them called?"
"Well, there's the Ravager Totem, Beowulf Totem, Wyvern Totem, Leviathan Totem, and lastly the Nevermore Totem." Lian answers. "This Torchwick individual you mentioned, he seeks to control the Amalgam, then he may have taken the Wyvern and the Beowulf totems."
"Professor Ozpin, we need to find the Nevermore Totem before Torchwick does. If he plans to use them to somehow summon the Amalgam, Remnant is in danger." Fenrir says, an alarmed tone in his voice.
"Yes, I agree." Ozpin turns and paces behind his desk, opening his computer. "I will contact a few Huntsmen to locate the last totem, I will also get in touch with Atlas' Military Intelligence to help us find the other 3 Totems Roman Torchwick has taken. Lian will aid in both searches, but we must do this discreetly"
"Whoa whoa whoa, what about us?" Crimson asks, stepping forward. "We've completed two of your special missions already, and we figured out how many toitems there are in the first place! You're not gonna tell us to sit back and focus on our classes again, are ya?!"
"Of course not, Mr. Vernados." Ozpin stands straight after opening his computer and smiles at the boys. "Because I now have a new task for you. Miss Tanner found a way to control the Grimm, I would like to investigate this possibility. Grimm can't be controlled, but if someone found out there was a way…we need to ensure that possibility doesn't come to light. Once Lian or my sources find the next Totem…I will inform you of your next mission. You've proven yourselves capable in Nightingale."
"Thanks, Professor, this means a lot to us." Fenrir smiles. Ozpin smiles back to the team leader.
"You and your teammates take the rest of the day off, you've earned it." Ozpin returns to his computer, contacting Glynda as Lian approaches beside him. The boys turn and walk back in the elevator, taking their leave.
For Team RWBY, the girls returned to their dorm moments after Team CJVR left for their meeting with Ozpin. Weiss picks up her scroll and connects it to her computer on the desk to their left, the heiress pulls the chair and sits down, typing on the keyboard.
"I'll skim through Remnant's historical records, see if I can find anything related to the Totems. If Ruby says they relate to something fifty years ago, then perhaps I'll find an event that's in relation." Weiss rapidly types on the keyboard, her eyes intently scanning left to right on the screen.
"And I'll search the library for any books under the subject of Grimm." Blake crouches near their small bookshelf, pulling her Ninjas of Love book out and lifting her library card out from its closed pages. "Hopefully, they have records of the Hollow Grimm, they may give us and the boys an advantage on what the next totem holds, if we ever run into one again."
"Hey girls? Can I say something?" Ruby speaks up, standing in the middle of the room. Yang stops herself from approaching the kitchen for a snack, Weiss looks over her shoulder, still sitting, and Blake stands up to listen. "I know this is serious…and the fate of the world might be at stake…but can I just geek out about how COOL this is?! An ancient Grimm that SHOULD be extinct may be real, the mystery of why Torchwick wants these totems, and just the idea of a CRIMINAL SYNDICATE could be involved?! It feels like we're real Huntresses! On an adventure and saving the world!"
"Ruby, I applaud your enthusiasm, but try to take this seriously." Weiss advises, returning to her computer. "This is not another mission a veteran Huntsmen takes, this is an unknown threat that could consume Remnant if we're not careful; being students of Beacon only raises concern for us, because we're not trained for something this big."
"I know that, Weiss." Ruby pouts, folding her arms. "And I am taking this seriously, I'm just taking a look at the brighter side of things."
"Ruby has a point." Blake ponders, cupping her chin. "Sure, it's not something we trained for, but saving the world IS what Huntsmen and Huntresses do."
"Exactly! Thank you, Blake!" Ruby runs to Blake's side and pats her shoulder in thanks. "Plus, we're not saving the world alone, we got Fenrir and his team to back us up! He and Jotaro were able to patch things up, so that makes us plenty strong!"
"Oh yeah, because Fenrir can fill you with lots of confidence, eh sis?" Yang smirks, leaning against the bathroom door frame with her arms folded.
"Huh? I mean, yeah, the rest of his team do." Ruby nervously giggles after Yang singled Fenrir, which made the young reaper nervous. "Jotaro is smart, Crimson's super strong, River is silent and cool, but Fenrir is like the cool, mysterious, clever, good looking glue that holds them together."
"Now he's good looking, huh?" Yang teases. Hearing Ruby's own slip up made her face turn redder in embarrassment.
"Ah! No! I meant they're all good looking! Crimson, Jotaro, even River! I mean come on, nobody can look cute with glasses like he can!" Ruby rushed in her words, frantically waving her arms to stop herself from feeling more embarrassed.
"Come on, Rubes. There's no reason to deny it, I saw how you were talking to Fenrir back at the docks. I didn't hear anything…but I know what's been going on." Yang explains.
"Yang's right, but it didn't start at the docks." Blake replies. Ruby and her teammates look at the Faunus curiously as she speaks. "Ever since you and the other team leaders came back from your camping trip, I've noticed how you frequently look at Fenrir during class; sometimes you listen to class lectures or take notes of important lessons, but there's a 5 second interval where you look at Fenrir. Not Jotaro, not me or Yang…just Fenrir. Plus, you always try to get closer to him wherever we eat lunch with his team."
"And every time Fenrir would notice, you nervously shake or frantically cover yourself either by looking busy or simply trying to adjust yourself." Weiss adds, turning back to the team, still on her chair. "Plus, you're terrible at hiding it. Blake and I were the first to notice, and you never took into account what others around you might think you're feeling whenever you get close to Fenrir."
"Come on, Ruby." Yang pressed, smiling as Ruby faces her sister with a guilty expression. "It's clear you have a serious crush on the guy…no point in keeping it from us."
Ruby could feel the stares from her teammates, everything they pointed out was all true. She always considered an ambush from bandits or Grimm…but from her own teammates? With a defeated moan, she carries her guilty expression and says: "It's that obvious…? Ok, I admit…I…have…feelings for Fenrir."
Silence fills the room five seconds after Ruby's confession, the young girl felt so awkward having to say that, nearly in a panic for how they'll react, until Yang breaks the silence by pumping both her fists in the air and screams: "YES! MY SISTER HAS A CRUSH, YEAH HA!"
"Yang! These are thin walls!" Weiss scolds, followed by the brawler quickly covering her mouth with both hands. A few beats of silence pass as they carefully listen for any commotion in Team JNPR's room…but is only met with silence. Feeling they're in the clear, Weiss returns her attention to her team leader. "So, if you have a crush on him, why don't you ask him out?"
"Because I can't! I mean, I could, I would, but I don't know if I should! What if he finds me too weird? What if I ask him out and he says no, or he's too busy? Sure we have a lot in common, but I don't know if I could really handle it, plus should I really be in a relationship in the first place? I've got so much on my plate already, being a leader and a Huntress trainee at the age of 15, there's just so much stress and I don't know if I can handle any more…" Ruby rambles on and on, showing her teammates how stressed the young girl really is. Blake pockets her card and tosses her book away.
"Ruby, hey…" Blake approaches Ruby and puts her hand on the leader's shoulder, both stare into each other's eyes. "Worrying about what can or can't be will only make things worse for yourself, and if you bottle those feelings up, you'll never be able to develop and grow as a person. Sometimes it takes a leap of faith to achieve what really makes you happy. I had feelings for someone when I was in the White Fang, he wasn't a great guy…but he did his best…until he fell too far. From what I understand of Fenrir, he's a good guy who's passionate not just in what he does…but for the people he enjoys as company. Fenrir loves to have you around…and it wouldn't be like him to say no without reason. Just be yourself and ask him out…I believe he likes you just as you are."
"W-wow, Blake…that was…really insightful….thanks." That was all Ruby could say after nearly losing her words to say it. Blake lets go of Ruby and steps back for the young huntress to pull her scroll out of her pocket. "Ok, I'll ask him out! I'm gonna ask him out right now! Just gotta be myself….be myself, bemyselfbemyselfbemyselfbemyself….UGH, I DON'T LIKE MYSELF!"
Aggravated by herself, she throws her scroll on Weiss' bed and falls next to it, face first into the blankets, angrily groaning at how cowardly she feels right now. No matter how much she tries, she just can't muster the strength to text Fenrir.
"You were trained to kill monsters and you can't even text a boy to hang out?" Yang dumbfoundedly asks, her only response was another loud groan into the blankets from Ruby. With a sigh, the young brawler walks up to her sister. "Alright, time for some sisterly intervention. YOINK!"
Yang snatches Ruby's scroll off the bed and opens the text app. Ruby takes notice and jumps off Weiss' bed, trying to claim her scroll back from her sister, who continues turning her back so Ruby doesn't get it. "Wait, no, Yang, WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! Give me back my scroll!'
"Relax, I'm helping you out, sis!" Yang says, stretching her arms out of Ruby's reach as she begins texting Fenrir.
"Yang, I'm begging you! Have mercy!" Ruby begs, attempting to petal burst for her scroll only for Yang to easily dodge them.
"Hold on, I'm almost done!" Yang says, finishing up her text message. Ruby grabs Yang from behind and only gets a quick look of that text over her sister's shoulder. The text reads: 'Hey there, handsome. I wanted to say you are super cool and was wondering if you'd like to hang out at Marrone's Pizza in the Market district! We could share a pie for the both of us! Think about it, cutie!' left with a kissy face emoji.
"YANG WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!" Ruby squeals in embarrassment after seeing the text.
"Trust me, Ruby, you'll thank me for this later." With a smile, Yang hits the send button, and sends Ruby sinking to the floor, feeling her soul leaving her body out of embarrassment.
"Just figure out how Tanner could control the Grimm…yeah, easier said than done." Crimson scratches his head as the team exit the tower where Ozpin's Office was located.
"It will be difficult, but not impossible. I wonder if the school's restricted books have anything to say about this mystery…" Jotaro replies, cupping his chin in thought.
"For now, the books are where we-," Fenrir's phone dings after receiving a message, cutting him off. He picks up his scroll to see it's a text from Ruby. "Sorry guys, Ruby just texted me."
"Really? Did the girls find something already?" Crimson asks. When Fenrir opens the text to read it…he's left confused.
"What the…? This doesn't sound like Ruby…"
"What did she say?" Jotaro asks, he, Crimson and River look over Fenrir's shoulder to read the text…noticing how flirty it is, they're all left puzzled.
"Whoa…I expected a text like this from Yang…but Ruby?" Crimson observes. After examining the text more closely, he sees what Ruby is intending, and grins at Jotaro. The heir looks to Crimson with a similar knowing smirk. Crimson backs away and gives Fenrir a pat on the back. "Whelp, you go ahead and take the day off, Boss!"
"Huh, wait, guys, isn't this text a little suspicious?" Fenrir asks, pointing at his scroll.
"There's nothing suspicious about a lady asking for a man's company." Jotaro reasons, walking past Fenrir and ushering River to move along, who's as confused as Fenrir. "Plus it would be ungentlemanly to refuse such a request."
"Wha-GUYS! It's not what you think! Isn't she just asking to hang out?!" Fenrir protests, waving his arms desperately.
"Oh, totally, I've 'hung out' with a lotta girls, so you got nothing to worry about!" Crimson knowingly chuckles. He, Jotaro and River continue walking while the latter remains even more confused as to what they're both implying.
Now left alone, Fenrir examines the odd text from Ruby…this could very well be from Yang, as flirting is as much her style as it is Crimson's. Then again, if Yang really is behind this…perhaps she's just helping her sister get out more, plus…he's always happy when he's around Ruby…could that imply…? Noticing where his thoughts are going, he quickly shakes them out of his head. This is just an ordinary hang out, there's nothing wrong with two people spending time together and having fun…even if the two are a boy and a girl…agh! Fenrir's doing it again! What is wrong with him? He stares at the text message for a moment longer…and types: 'Sure thing, I'll swing by your team's dorm around 5:00, just gotta find something casual to wear.' This shouldn't mean anything, Ruby just wants to hang out with a friend, no bigger intentions than that. Taking one last breath to calm his thoughts, he hits the send button.
Fenrir's reply reaches Ruby's phone still in Yang's hand, who reads it and grins at her sister, who's laying on Blake's bed. "Ooh, 5:00? How romantic…"
"He replied?!" Ruby lifts her head off Blake's blanket and looks at Yang anxiously. Her sister tosses Ruby's scroll, who quickly catches it to examine the message for herself. "He said yes…he actually said yes…"
"You know what that means, time to get yourself prepped for your first date!" Yang asserts, pointing at Ruby with a smile.
"This is where I must step in." Weiss stands up from her chair and approaches Ruby, sitting beside her. "First thing to prepare for a date is looking fashionably presentable. You'll want an outfit that will stun your date; a shoulder strapless dress sweater would make you look gorgeous and it's the perfect outfit for the fall season!"
"B-but Weiss….it's December." Ruby points out, shattering Weiss' confidence in her outfit choice.
"Well there's no snow out there yet, is there? No snow means it's still Fall!" Weiss objects, crossing her arms with a scoff. "Fine, then how about a sweater with a cut out lantern? It keeps you warm and you can wear a hoodie to cover yourself from the cold, being presentable is a need for all first time dates, no matter what!"
"Weiss, you're overthinking this." Blake interjects, sitting near Ruby's other side. The leader looks to her sister's partner as she speaks. "Listen Ruby, Weiss is right about looking presentable, but if you overdo it, you might scare him away. So, you should wear something noticeable but not too flashy."
"But I don't know what works as presentable AND casual." Ruby mutters, her hands on her cheek. "Can't I just go with what I'm wearing?"
"No, Rubes! This is your first date and we want it to be perfect for you!" Yang protests. With a sigh, she cups her chin and tries to think of a good outfit for her sister. After furrowing her eyebrows, closing her eyes and thinking real hard for a few moments…..a lightbulb blinks on in Yang's head and runs to the dresser, recklessly tossing random clothes out. "Oh! I know the perfect outfit! Remember that T-shirt I got you for Solstice Day last year?! It should go perfectly with your new skirt!"
As Yang continues digging for Ruby's mentioned T-shirt, the young huntress is nearly in a panic. She's always been more comfortable with her weapon or just her normal friends…but she's NEVER had romantic feelings for anyone besides Fenrir, it's so new and unnatural she doesn't know how to handle it. All the while, she keeps worrying about how Fenrir must feel about her, does he like her as she likes him? Or will he see them as just friends? Either outcome scares her so much.
The time is now 4:50. Fenrir is wearing a dress shirt from Crimson's clothes-suggested by the owner-and is finishing his tie while examining himself from the closet mirror. "Ruby suggested we first go for pizza, but I figured we'd stop at the Market District's Jade Mall, spend some fun at the arcade."
"Ooh, that's perfect, get to have some fun after dinner! You're definitely thinking like a responsible boyfriend." Crimson teases, playing a video game with River through their scrolls.
"For the tenth time, this is not a date, we're just hanging out!" Fenrir protests.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Crimson comments, returning his attention to the game.
Fenrir turns to face the door as Jotaro exits the kitchen, he measures Fenrir's casual but presentable outfit from bottom to top with his eyes and takes notice of Fenrir's crooked tie. "Fenrir, your tie's crooked."
"So? I dress in my school uniform with a crooked tie, doesn't make a difference." Fenrir shrugs, uncaring of what he has.
"Tonight, it should, let me see it." Jotaro walks to his leader, undoing his tie and carefully tying it properly. "A gentleman must always look presentable to a lady. I imagine Ruby is trying to look her best, that means you should do the same. I also have some good advice for you: a lady is always self-conscious about their outfits because they're trying to impress whoever they like, that means you should compliment their looks. You should also consider how Ruby feels, pay close attention to her and listen to whatever subtle signs she's trying to give you."
"You keep giving me advice as if this is something it's not." Fenrir sighs. "We're just friends; there's nothing going on between us."
"Not yet!" Crimson comments.
"Honestly, I shoulda gone without the tie, because this all feels like I'm overdo-ACK!" Jotaro tightens the tie around Fenrir's neck, nearly choking him before he could finish his sentence. "What're you trying to do? Kill me?!"
"Just making sure it doesn't come undone…" Jotaro answers, brushing Fenrir's tie and his shoulders. "There, now you look ready to take a lady out."
"Oh, Fenrir! One more thing!" As Fenrir reaches the door, Crimson digs into his back pocket and throws a small packet to his leader, who catches it with ease. "Just in case you need it."
Jotaro facepalms at Crimson's insinuation, while Fenrir squints his eye, figuring out what it is…until his eye widens to realize what the item Crimson threw towards him was meant for. "Crimson, she's 15! And I'm 16!"
"And I'm 17, your point?"
"Why do you have this?"
"You really want him to answer that question?" Jotaro sighs, he approaches the door and opens it for Fenrir. "You certainly won't need it…but you should keep it. And don't overthink it so much…just be yourself."
"Alright…I'll see you guys before curfew." Fenrir exits the door, receiving goodbyes and goodlucks from his teammates until Jotaro closes the door behind Fenrir…he walks to Team RWBY's door, taking a few deep breaths to keep himself calm. Why is he overreacting like this? Friends normally spend time with other friends, right? With slight hesitation…he knocks on the door.
"Coming!" He hears Blake answer. After a few moments, she opens the door to see Fenrir who knocked. "Oh, hey Fenrir."
"Hey, Blake, is Ruby here?" Fenrir asks, a near crack in his voice.
"She's almost ready, I'm about to head to the library to do our little research." Blake steps out of the room and walks past Fenrir.
"Yeah, don't forget to let us in on what you've found." Fenrir suggests as Blake walks away.
"I will. Have fun on your date."
"It's not a date!"
"Whatever you say!" Blake waves goodbye at Fenrir without looking behind her as Fenrir sighs. Hardly anything has happened and he already feels exhausted.
"Hey, Fenrir!" Yang runs to the door frame, smiling at the boy. She looks over her shoulder, calling to her sister. "Ruby! Fenrir's here!"
"I'm not ready!" Ruby shouts from the bathroom.
"Ruby, you look fine, now get out here so Fenrir can see you!" Yang says. She and Fenrir stand in silence, waiting for Ruby to come out. After a few seconds of waiting, they hear the bathroom door slowly creak open. Ruby approaches behind Yang, who steps out of the way so Fenrir could get a good look at her.
"Wow…" Fenrir's eyebrows widen in amazement. He only came and wore a simple dress shirt and tie, but Ruby is wearing a two in one shoulder t-shirt with a red hoodie over it, plus her black orange and red plaid skirt and red sneakers. He even noticed the scent of perfume she's wearing is Red Roses, the same one she wore when they first met. The silence between the two was beginning to take notice, so he quickly clears his throat. "Ahem, you look great, I love your shirt."
"T-thanks…it was a gift from Yang." Ruby replies, her face getting hot and red. "I like your tie."
"Thanks…Jotaro helped me straighten it this time instead of leaving it crooked." Fenrir lightly chuckles, that awkward atmosphere hasn't gone away. Feeling the need to move along, he mentally shakes off his nerves and smiles at Ruby. "So, you ready to head out? I heard from River that Marrone serves the best pizza in the Kingdom."
"Yeah, hopefully the bullhead's are still open to drop us off at this hour!" Ruby says, approaching Fenrir's side as she and him head down the hall.
"Have fun you two!" Yang waves goodbye as the two leave. "Make sure you're both back before curfew, and don't do anything crazy with each other!"
The last comment from Yang causes Ruby to glare at her in flustered anger, making the blonde chuckle teasingly. The moment she closes the door inside…she lets out an exhausted breath. This will be the first time Ruby will be going on her own without Yang's guidance…and with a boy no less. Thinking back, she could hardly believe Ruby is the same girl who was too scared to approach people. Yang is proud of how much her sister has grown since her time at Beacon…but she's also a little scared about letting her go. There shouldn't be any reason to worry, she trusts Fenrir, and that's enough to believe they'll come back safely and on time.
At Marrone's Pizza, Ruby and Fenrir are sitting at a booth next to a window of the streets, watching bystanders and cars passing by. One of the waiters arrives at their table and places down the pizza they ordered. Fresh out of the oven is a pizza with different toppings on two halves, Fenrir's half was an all meat's pizza, and Ruby's half is covered with green and black olives, mushrooms pepperoni, onions and fresh garlic.
"Here's your pizza, sorry for the wait, kids." The waitress says with a smile. "I'll come back to see how y'all doing, hope you enjoy it!"
"Thanks a lot!" Fenrir says before picking up a slice of his all meats, followed with a grateful nod from Ruby and grabbing her slice. Fenrir takes a single bite, feeling the meat's juicy and hot flavor exploding in his mouth. "Oh, damn! When it comes to pizza, Marrone's really MEATS your expectations!"
That attempt at a pun from Fenrir nearly made Ruby choke after taking her bite, clearing her throat in recovery. "Oh, no!"
"Ok, I'm sorry, not my best material!"
"You're as bad as Yang!" Ruby laughs.
"I normally bring in better puns than that! This joke kinda came off the top of my head. My jokes are better than hers, I swear!" Fenrir reasons.
"Ha…so, uh…how did your meeting with Ozpin go? Did he know about our auction heist?" Ruby asks, taking another bite from her slice.
"If he did, he didn't say." Fenrir shakes his head. " We did learn more about the totems, apparently they're tiny prisons holding small Grimm."
"Really?" Ruby asks. "Why? What kind of Grimm were they holding?"
"As far as we know, the Leviathan Totem in Nightingale held a Hollow Grimm. There are five of them in total, and they were created by these monks from Mistral called the Brotherhood of Light. What's worse…is someone found a way to control the Grimm; Ozpin has us figuring out how that's possible…Torchwick wants the totems, I don't know why, but it can't be anything good…" After Fenrir finished explaining, he noticed a worried look on Ruby's face, the sense of doubt he could sense from her. "Ahem, you know what? Let's not make this all about work. I want to talk about you for a bit."
"Me?" Ruby sets her eyes on Fenrir, a little nervous about the topic change. "I mean, there's not much about me to tell…what do you want to know?"
"How did you get into Beacon two years early?" Fenrir asks. "I got in because Ozpin saw my skills in the tournament…what about you?"
"I…stopped Torchwick and his thugs from robbing a dust shop." Ruby says. She looks away from Fenrir in slight embarrassment. She looks at him again to see the interested look he's giving her, asking for more details. "It's a funny story, I was out late to buy more supplies for my Crescent Rose. I found this awesome magazine about weapons and wanted to read it. That's when Torchwick and his crooks stormed in, one of them approached me and told me to put my hands in the air. So, I kicked his butt first and decided to take the fight outside, that way, the shopkeeper wouldn't get hurt."
"Smart." Fenrir nods.
"Right? I was able to take down all of Torchwick's guys without any challenge. I would've caught Torchwick too if that Bullhead hadn't appeared out of nowhere. I'm still asking myself how a giant airship was able to fit in the narrow alleyway!" Ruby groans. "Turns out, Ozpin saw the whole fight on camera and knew I was one of the few people who can use a scythe."
"That's funny, when I first met Ozpin, he told me the only two scythe wielders he was aware of was an old friend of his and a young girl…shoulda known he was mentioning you!" Fenrir says, grabbing another slice. "So who taught you how to use a scythe?"
"My Uncle Qrow, he teaches at Signal Academy. What about you?"
"My grandmother taught me the basics, after that, I was self-taught."
"Wait, really?! You were able to teach yourself?! I could barely come up with a cool move without my Uncle!"
"Not that hard, you just swing it with style and make sure the blade doesn't impale you!" Ruby laughs at Fenrir's comment, finding it funny how he simplifies using a complicated weapon. The conversations continued with different topics but felt natural and fun to talk about, Fenrir truly feels happy for once…but he only feels this way whenever he's with Ruby, first it was the camping trip and now this, he sees where his thought process is going but doesn't want to continue it, and tries to focus on their conversation.
"AH, they're everywhere!" Ruby frantically moves a model gun in her hand, connected to an arcade game. Fenrir is standing next to the girl, holding a similar model gun as the two of them play the game. An hour passed after they finished their food at the diner and decided to spend the rest of their evening at an arcade store located in the Market Mall. The game they're both playing, First Contact, starts them off as two soldiers shooting as many aliens as they can see; Ruby is hyper-focused on the game, her eyes darting all over the screen to find more aliens while Fenrir is pretending to be in the game, he's having fun, he's just not so into the game as Ruby is.
"Come on, Rubes! There's more on your left!" Fenrir encourages, putting up the same level of enthusiasm Ruby has. She continues to fire her model gun at the aliens on her side while Fenrir focuses on his side. They clear out the final wave of aliens as a giant text appears on screen, saying 'MISSION COMPLETE', and about fifteen tickets come out as reward for their victory. "Awesome! We got enough coins for one more game and then we'll see what the tickets we earned will get us."
With an agreed nod from Ruby, the two explore the arcade to see if there's any new games they can try. They've already tried the fighting games, racing games, platform games, and the shooting game they just finished; Ruby suggested the crane game, but Fenrir never trusted them, saying they're likely rigged because they never give you the item you try and acquire.
"Hey, Fenrir, why did you want to become a Huntsman?" Ruby asks, earning the half-faunus' attention. The two continue walking past other games, some people their age and older already playing them. Fenrir was stunned by the question, so Ruby tries to clarify for him. "I wanted to become a Huntress because I only wanted to help people, to be a better person. I wanted to live in my own kind of story just like in the fairy tales. So, why did you want to become a Huntsman?"
"Honestly, I never gave it much thought." Fenrir answers. Though he told the truth for his future…he had much darker reasons he felt best if Ruby didn't hear. "Truth is, I've been a survivor ever since I've been on my own. My Granny and I travel between Mistral and Atlas; we were constantly on the move no matter what the reason was. I fought bandits and Grimm with very little care, it felt like fighting was the only thing I was good at. I didn't have anyone besides Granny and Penny. Competing in the tournament helped me in figuring out who I am…but the reason I want to be a Huntsman is to help find my purpose.
"Well…I hope you find your purpose one day, Fenrir." Ruby says, holding Fenrir's hand as the two stop walking. "You're very important to me, and I want to help you as much as I want to help everyone."
"Ruby…I…" Fenrir was stunned, he didn't deserve such reassuring words from a girl like her. It was like any personal problems he felt in the past just…disappeared, how is she so good at making him feel better when Penny tried her hardest to make him smile? The two stare into each other's eyes, the moment of quiet nearly sweeping them away…until Ruby glances to her right and notices another game.
"Wait, what's that?!" Ruby jogs to the game machine she spotted, leaving Fenrir a moment to collect his thoughts. He blinks a few times, the image of Ruby's kindness stuck in his head. He lightly slaps his face to keep him in reality and walks up to Ruby, curious of what she noticed. "It's a Karaoke machine, I didn't think an Arcade would have something like this! Dancing games maybe, but a game where you can actually sing?!"
Fenrir examines the machine, looking at the screen to notice it's playing 'I May Fall' as an example. He looks below the screen to see a coin and ticket slot, along with two wireless microphones connected to the machine. "Looks like it works for two players…interesting."
"We've got to try this one!" Ruby excitedly states, her arms curled to her chest.
"Oh, Ruby, I don't know, I ain't a great singer." Fenrir sighs, scratching his head. The young Huntress runs up to the boy, her eyes sparkling in a plead.
"Please, Fenrir?" Ruby begs. "We only have to play one more game, and I've always wanted to try one of these. Just one song? Please?"
Fenrir wanted to look away so badly, but no matter how much doubt he had, he couldn't resist the puppy dog eyes Ruby was giving him. He sighs again, flipping his last coin. "Alright, but don't blame me if my singing voice makes your ears bleed!"
With an excited cheer from Ruby, Fenrir inserts the coin into the machine, letting the music stop and allowing them to pick a song. He steps aside for Ruby to pick, which she scrolls down the list of songs like 'Red Like Roses, I Burn, From Shadows, Time to Say Goodbye', even Weiss' song 'Mirror Mirror' got into this machine.
"Ah ha! Found it, I love this song!" Ruby laughs, pointing at the song 'This Will Be The Day'. She picks up her microphone, and Fenrir picks up his. "I'll go first, I've always wanted to sing this song myself! I'll let you know when the second verse comes in!"
Fenrir gives a confirmed nod and smirks, looking forward to seeing how Ruby will start singing. The song starts off with an opening guitar solo. Ruby closes her eyes and lightly bobs her head up and down at the beat of the music. As the lyrics come up, she opens her eyes and raises the microphone up.
Ruby: They see you as small and helpless! They see you as just a child! Surprised when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild! Prepare for your greatest moment, prepare for your finest hour! The dream that you always dream is suddenly about to flower! WE! ARE! LIGHTNING! Straying from the thunder! Miracles of ancient wonder!
As Ruby continues singing, she's swaying her hips and shoulders side to side, even Fenrir couldn't deny how catchy this song is, tapping his foot and lightly nodding his head to the beat, smiling. Once the chorus comes up, Ruby raises her finger in excitement.
Ruby: This will be the day we waited for! This will be the day we open up the doooors! I don't wanna hear your absolution! Hope you're ready for a revolution! (Points at screen, still swaying her hips side to side) Welcome to the world of new solutions! Welcome to the world of bloody evolution! In time, your heart will open minds! Your story will be told! CAUSE VICTORY IS IN A SIMPLE SOUL!
With a sharp exhale, Ruby lowers her microphone and steps back, signaling Fenrir for his second verse while the instrumental continues playing. Seeing his cue, Fenrir approaches the machine with his microphone ready. He looks back at Ruby who gives a supportive thumbs up with a happy grin. He smiles back and looks at the screen, ready to sing the next lyrics.
Fenrir: Your world needs a great defender! Your world's in the way of harm! You want a romantic life, a fairy tale that's full of charm! (Backs up and outstretches right arm towards screen) Beware that the light is fading! Beware as the dark returns! This world's unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn! (Reaches the ceiling) LEGENDS SCATTER! Day and night will sever! HOPE AND PEACE ARE LOST FOREVER!
At the end of his verse, Fenrir decides to up the intensity by pretending he's playing the guitar, dropping to his knees and even wildly shaking his head. Ruby claps and laughs in excitement by Fenrir's performance. As the guitar solo ends, Fenrir stands back up and takes a moment to catch his breath while ruby stands beside Fenrir, ready for the final chorus to be a tag team. Fenrir looks at Ruby while the music continues, captivating her smile, her happiness…through her own passion, he begins to see how much he really feels for her, even if he tries to deny it. Feeling the final chorus about to come, he raises up his microphone, looks at the screen while Ruby readies her microphone, both take a deep breath…and sing with all their heart.
Ruby: This will be the day we waited for! This will be the day we open up the door!
Fenrir: I don't wanna hear your absolution! Hope you're ready for a revolution!
Ruby: Welcome to the world of new solutions! Welcome to the world of bloody evolution!
Fenrir: In time, your heart will open minds!
Ruby: The story will be told!
Fenrir/Ruby: CAUSE VICTORY IS IN A SIMPLE SOUL!
After the song finished, the two look at the results on screen, panting from exhaustion out of how intense the song made them both feel. The results show a triple S rank on their performance, giving them 50 tickets as a reward. Fenrir walks closer to the machine and grabs the tickets, looking at Ruby who excitedly claps.
"You were an amazing singer!" Ruby cheers.
"Ha, you weren't so bad yourself, Petals!" Fenrir chuckles, walking up to her. He didn't intend to call her that, but the name slipped out his tongue, which she caught.
"Petals?" Ruby tilts her head, confused by the nickname. Fenrir's cheeks turn red in embarrassment when he noticed his slip.
"Oh, uh…I was just calling you that because…your semblance leaves rose petals everywhere. Plus, your last name is Rose, so the nickname kinda popped in my head and I just called you that without thinking." Fenrir nervously scratches the back of his head, trying to make this conversation feel less awkward…but it's not working. Ruby smiles at Fenrir, she doesn't mind the nickname, and finds it sweet how he called her something besides Rubes, a nickname her sister normally calls her. After clearing his throat, Fenrir lightly shakes the tickets in his hands. "Uh, I'm gonna see what these can get us in the gift shop."
As Fenrir takes his leave, Ruby decides to check the time on her scroll. It's currently 8:30 PM, just a couple hours before curfew. She's almost surprised by how long they spent in the arcade, it only felt like minutes. Deciding she's had enough fun for tonight, she makes her way to the arcade's entrance. She passes by Fenrir, noticing her leave. Ruby gestures to herself waiting by the entrance and he nods in understanding. Turning his attention back to the gift shop, Fenrir looks around for an item that would be good for both of them…until he notices a big Ursa plushie fit for sleeping with.
"I'll take the Ursa plushie." Fenrir points at it. The clerk unhooks the plushie from the wall and gives it to Fenrir in exchange for the tickets.
"There ya go, son. It'll be a nice gift for your girlfriend!" The Clerk says, smiling.
"She's not my-...eh, forget it." Fenrir sighs, it feels like a waste of breath correcting people at this point. Despite his protests, he can't help but smile at the thought of people thinking Ruby's his girlfriend. He takes the plushie and walks to the entrance, feeling satisfied.
Fenrir and Ruby are both taking a late night stroll in the kingdom streets, the only light source are the lamp posts and the shattered moon illuminating the night sky. Both of them making their way back to Beacon on foot while Ruby is hugging the Ursa plushie Fenrir got with the tickets.
"Thanks for the plushie, Fenrir!" Ruby gives her mentioned item a tighter squeeze in glee. "It's so soft and squishy!"
"Ha! I'm really glad you like it." Fenrir replies, smiling. "Took all the tickets we had to buy the thing."
Ruby takes notice of Fenrir's words, frowning at the boy in concern. "You didn't get anything for yourself?"
"Meh, I don't care much for the prizes." Fenrir shrugs. "I'm in it for the fun."
Ruby couldn't help but smile at how selfless Fenrir is, it tells her how much this boy values others' company despite being half-Faunus and half-human. Ruby didn't care about what Fenrir is, she only cares about who he is…and that's enough to remind her why she has feelings for him in the first place. Fenrir stops walking for a moment, staring at the floor lost in thought. Ruby notices him lagging and stops to look at him.
"Ruby…what you said back at the arcade…about how I was important to you." Fenrir begins, nervously scratching his cheek. His eyes wander, trying to find the right words he wants to say. "Ahem…nobody's ever…treated me with as much kindness as you have, and I want to say thank you. The thing is…you matter to me as much as everyone else; my team, your team…even Team JNPR, I always felt like I finally found a place where I belong. I don't know what my purpose is yet…but I know as long as I have you and the others…I feel like I won't have to look far. So…thanks, Petals."
"Anytime, Fenrir." Ruby smiles. The time feels right, her heart is beating so fast she can hardly control it. She wants to tell him, he deserves to know after how much of a good time they had. She watches as Fenrir looks at the shattered moon on the horizon, she wants to tell him…she NEEDS to tell him. "Uh…F-Fenrir?"
"Yeah?" Fenrir curiously looks at Ruby, interested in what else she wants to say.
She could hardly hold her breath, her mind is all over the place while her feelings of anxiety and passion intertwined with each other. It's like they're both in a sword fight and neither of them are winning. Can Ruby do it…can she tell him how much she REALLY likes him? "...We should get back to Beacon quickly, the next Bullhead won't wait all night"
….Guess not
"Good idea, the moon is beautiful, but staying past curfew is not a good idea." Fenrir keeps up his pace while Ruby walks beside him, a disappointed sigh escaping her lips. She didn't have the courage to tell him and now she feels like a coward. Still, this night wasn't a complete disaster, they still enjoyed each other's company…and this could be an invitation for next time. Ruby will have to hold on to the hope…and maybe she'll get another chance to tell him when she's ready.
END OF CHAPTER 22