Original concept by Korra
Written by MechaG11
Part Two: Remnant Divided Arc
-Chapter 17: Good Plan, Bad Plan
Regime HQ: Personal Quarters...
"Ruby, you don't have to go through this alone." Weiss says, voicing her concern as she stands in the doorway with Yang.
"I'm sorry, Weiss," Ruby says solemnly. "But that's what I want right now. I just...need some rest." She pulls a blanket over herself as she shifts in her bed, turned to face away from the door.
Weiss and Yang exchange an uneasy look, but Weiss ultimately closes the door to respect Ruby's wishes. "What now?" Yang says in a hushed voice as she shrugs.
"That's the million lien question, isn't it?" Weiss says, gesturing for Yang to follow her.
"Where are we going?" Yang asks curiously.
"Just follow me." Weiss replies, yielding no explanation yet.
The two walk for a bit before reaching another hallway along the same wing of the building. Yang stops and sees the number over the door. "Jaune's room?" she asks.
"What?" Weiss says. "He's not going to need it." she says before reaching for the doorknob. She jiggles it, trying to turn it open to no avail. "A little help?" she says as she turns to Yang.
Yang approaches the door after Weiss makes way, rolling her eyes at the heiress. With a grab of the handle and an effortless bump of her shoulder, the door is forced open a few inches. "Hope that wasn't too loud." she worries, considering how late it was.
Weiss closes the door after the two enter, making sure they're alone and away from prying eyes. She then turns to sit on the edge of Jaune's bed, only to see Yang being nosy and inspecting some of his belongings in the room. She eyes up various objects, and even picks up a nick-knack or two. "Yang, come on." Weiss complains.
Yang suddenly places it back on a side desk and turns to Weiss with a grin, feigning innocence.
Weiss sighs and then composes herself. "We need to talk about that night now that I've had some time to mule it over."
Yang's expression shifts, recalling the events three days ago. "I remember. You two ran into Blake."
"If by 'ran into' you mean she fought us and knocked me out cold, yeah." she says, rubbing her head as she recalls the head trauma. "It's just...something's been bothering me ever since then. Blake said she wanted us to wait until the time was right. Something about how 'everything would make sense by then.'"
"Maybe she was just trying to distract you. They were there to kill Cyborg after all." Yang proposes.
"I don't know." Weiss says. "If that's the case, why only him? And why did they take his head with them?"
Yang thinks over that detail with her hand on her chin. "Cyborg's a robot, right? He probably has a lot of Regime data. It's what I'd steal if I was on the other side."
"But then why not hack the CCT, or some other database? Headquarters is the most guarded place in Vale, and they didn't just strike on a whim. Their attack, their timing…it's too precise." she posits. Yang lingers, unsure of what to say after pondering Weiss' points. "I just feel like...we're missing something here. There's something we don't know." Weiss says.
"I know what you mean." Yang says. "I didn't mention this yet, but that night...I ran into my mom."
Weiss tilts her head curiously. "I thought your mom passed away when you were both little?"
"Not Summer Rose. Raven, my birth-mom." Yang informs her. Weiss is taken aback by her words. After knowing Ruby and Yang for a few years now, it was surprising to think this was the first time she'd heard of this. Yang continues: "She's working with the Regime now, apparently. I saw her once before here before the invasion, but I...well, never mind that." she drifts off with a shrug.
Weiss comes to a realization. "Wait, she's not the woman in red armor with the long black hair, is she?"
"Yeah…" Yang confirms.
"I thought she looked familiar." Weiss says. "I've only seen a glimpse of her once or twice around here."
"Yeah, well, that's kind of her thing." Yang says with a hint of disappointment. "My mom's never been around for our family. Now suddenly she just turns up here out of the blue working on our side."
A pang of familiarity washes over Weiss. Feeling unseen or ignored by her family was something she knew all too well, as was her parents "being there" out of obligation or convenience. She wondered if Raven's sudden reemergence was similar.
"My mom said some strange things during the battle too." Yang mentions. "I don't understand why she'd suddenly care to fight with us now. She made it sound like she didn't have a choice, but she wouldn't give me a straight answer when I asked why. It's like she was avoiding the question." Silence hangs for a moment. "I can't shake the feeling that something's up, but we don't have any answers."
Weiss is deep in thought, but then glances around the room and casts eyes on Jaune's desk. A bittersweet expression falls over her when she sees a framed photo of team JNPR back when they first attended Beacon. Her gaze then zeroes in on Nora and Ren. "Maybe we know someone who does…" Weiss replies, hatching an idea in her mind. "Nora, Ren, maybe even your dad might know something."
Yang contemplates Weiss' suggestion. "If we're gonna ask them, we better book a trip to Atlas. Regime wanted to move everyone out of the prison here after that last break-in." she says while throwing her thumb over her shoulder in a 'get out' gesture. "Jaune, Nora, Ren, my dad...everyone they arrested that night are being transported to Atlas tomorrow."
"Then that's where we're going." Weiss asserts.
"A little late to visit the airport…" Yang remarks.
"Who said anything about the airport?" Weiss quips with a devious smile. Yang looks back at Weiss, a smug smile playing on her lips. The two leave the room and split off, Weiss heading to grab their gear from their lockers while Yang heads back to gather Ruby for their stowaway plan.
Ruby stirs in her sleep, a deep pit forming in her stomach consuming every thought. No matter how many lights she turns off, or how much she covers her body under the sheets, she seemingly can't escape the looming pressure forming within. No matter how much she wanted rest, some part of her nagged at herself. Ruby tries to cease all thought, clearing her head in an attempt to escape her wandering mind. In an uncharacteristically obedient manner, her mind obeys. It's just her, alone, in a quiet and dark space. Finally, peace...
Footsteps break the silence, echoing through the space as if tapping across water. Ruby turns to see Emerald, bearing her green weapons, Thief's Respite. Emerald smirks as she encroaches upon Ruby. "What're you afraid of, Ruby Rose?"
Springing out of bed with haste, Ruby brings herself to a stand. Her determined eyes betray her anxiety, but she remains ready to fight if necessary. Emerald grins and lunges at Ruby, her weapons cutting across air as Ruby ducks and dodges the initial swings. There is a gap in Emerald's movements, but contrary to Ruby's training with Wonder Woman, she doesn't exploit it. She suddenly feels a hand on her shoulder, somewhat warm, but ultimately conspicuous in its attempt at comforting familiarity. A distorted whisper echoes in her ear. "Her swings leave her wide open. Why not attack?" Ruby shrugs off the suggestion and hand, then dodges Emerald's weapon slinging out in its chain mode.
Emerald retracts her weapon, the metallic sound of chains retracting as she casually reels the blade back into position. "What? Can't fight me without your weapon? Here, have mine." she says with a sarcastic friendliness, tossing one of hers to Ruby.
"No!" Ruby yells, batting the weapon away with her hand.
The disembodied voice seeps in again, this time closer to Ruby's ear. "If you don't fight, you'll die." Ruby opts to ignore its warning, eyes focusing on Emerald picking up the rejected weapon.
Emerald dusts off her recovered weapon. "Afraid using this will make you a monster like us?" she says with a sarcastically pitiable expression and tone. She readies her blades once more and smirks maliciously. "You've already crossed that threshold, kid."
"I- I couldn't just sit there and let you take his life!" Ruby protests. "It's not wrong to protect someone!"
The two continue the same song and dance, Ruby committing all of her effort into dodging every strike that Emerald dishes out. At some point Emerald manages to snag Ruby with the chain of her weapon, only for the girl to burst into rose petals and escape ensnarement. Minutes of this exchange felt like an eternity until that last move connected, and even then Emerald could see the futility in her efforts. She sighs heavily, storing her weapons upon her back and calmly walking towards a confused Ruby Rose. The shorter girl raises her fists, and silence fills the air as Emerald continues her leisurely pace to close the gap. Emerald stops just before Ruby, only studying the girl as if making an assessment. "I bet you'd never live with yourself if you couldn't save someone you had the chance to," Emerald asserts. "But look at you now. You can't even live with yourself for taking one to protect someone else." Ruby's guard weakens, a subtle acknowledgment of Emerald's words. Emerald slowly reaches up and lightly pushes Ruby's braced arms down. "Let me make it easier for you." She lays one hand on Ruby's shoulder in a comforting gesture, and then reaches back to draw one of her weapons. "I'll make it quick. You don't have to think anymore."
Ruby watches awestruck as she allows Emerald to raise the blade within striking distance of her head, just allowing this to happen. Every instinct told her to protect herself, but the temptation of having peace from her own thoughts beckoned her. She thought about the silence, relief without the discomfort of being inside her own skin. The endless hole that was forming in her chest would finally be gone. It would just be…
The sound of glass shattering, followed by the thud born from a unity of body and metal, flashes into her mind. Uncle...
Ruby loudly grunts in a thrust of desperation, her eyes closed shut as she rejects Emerald's offering. The sound of her uneasy sniffling are all that occupies the space around them. Not a word from her, nor from Emerald. Just her silent answer.
"I finally understand now." the disembodied voice utters. Gnarled ghostly hands settle on both of her shoulders, both firm and disquieting. His tone changes as if recalling a fairy tale. "Ruby Rose believed heroes were fated to die for others. So, she bravely fought without ever living in fear of the end, prepared to meet death's blade knowing it was destined to be. Yet, the young girl would never conceive of one possibility…"
A warmth emerges in Ruby's hands, contrasting the suddenly cooling air around herself. She slowly opens one eye, then the other, peeking at the source of the glow beneath her face. In her hands was luminescent yellow scythe, the blade end wedged deep inside of Emerald's torso. The voice concludes the tale. "...that, one day, she would be the one holding it."
Gasping, Ruby immediately releases the weapon from her grasp, watching as a wide-eyed Emerald once again liberates her last breath before collapsing backwards. Ruby pants, trying to fight the shock of what she'd done. Strange creeping hands curl around her face from behind her and grasp her head. "You've painted a wonderful picture for me, Ruby Rose." he says, the girl unable to see the glowing yellow eyes and unnaturally crooked smile that lurk beyond her.
Ruby twists around suddenly, not a soul around her. She finds herself outdoors in the middle of the night, trees quietly rustling in the cool night air. "How did I-" Ruby utters, glancing at the surrounding grass, trees, and stone. It was Patch, the home where she grew up. The moon is high, Ruby resting on her knees before turning to face in front of her. Before her was the lone grave of Qrow Branwen, buried where her family laid him to rest. Ruby slouches back, her arm wrapped around her lower torso. "Uncle Qrow...I did the right thing, right?" she asks.
Mere silence, no words returned to affirm or console her. The cold, unfeeling headstone before her only emphasized her loneliness. Ruby grips herself tighter, beginning to sniffle again. "I protected someone. I did what I was supposed to do." she says, her voice breaking as tears roll down her face. She sinks down to the ground, one hand in her face and strenuously grasping her bangs. "So why does it hurt?" she questions. "Why do I hate myself?"
Weiss gathers what she can from her locker, stowing away enough supplies to fit into her shoulder-strap bag. With her uniform on and sword at her hip, she takes a bag of supplies for the other two and leaves. She starts towards their room, turning the corner into another hall and-
Bump!
Weiss falls to the floor, her bag spilling over somewhat with a few Dust vials and ammo clips. The sudden fall luckily didn't agitate the Dust, averting a messy situation. Weiss looks up to who she collided with: General Ironwood. The impact merely bumped him, the General still standing tall as Weiss hastily gathers the surplus of Dust items on the ground.
"Miss Schnee, getting some late night training in, are you?" he says with a surprised expression on his face.
"Y-yes! Sorry about that General, I've just been absorbed in thought and needed to put my energy somewhere else." she says, trying to be less conspicuous.
"A lot has happened, so I understand." the General replies, his eyes glancing over to her bag. "Well, I'm glad to see you so proactive after that last battle. With effort like this, I really start to see why Professor Ozpin placed so much faith in Team RWBY." he says with a smile.
"Thank you, General." Weiss says, brushing off her combat skirt before starting towards her team's room again. "Apologies, the other two are waiting for me. If you'll excuse me." she says, leaning a bit too safely on formality.
"Let's not keep them waiting then," the General says. He begins to walk, but suddenly stops partway to turn back towards her "Oh, it seems you dropped this." he says, holding up a Dust magazine.
"Oh! Thank you." Weiss says, accepting the magazine from his hand and turning to place it in her bag. She stops for a moment, noticing something strange about the Dust cartridge. Hard-light element Dust, though the casing is a slightly different make from her usual stock of SDC ammunition. Definitely not something she recognizes. "Sir, I think there's been some kind of-" she says as she turns around with the magazine in hand. The General was nowhere to be found. After some confusion, Weiss eyes the magazine again. Having no time to look for Ironwood, Weiss simply stows it amidst her other items before departing.
Reconvening with Yang, Weiss is surprised to find the blonde alone. "Where's Ruby?" Weiss asks in a hushed tone.
"I don't know." Yang says quietly. "She wasn't in her bed, and I've looked everywhere else."
"We don't have much time!" Weiss whispers.
"Well we've got to find her! I'm not just gonna leave my sister to deal with her issues by herself. Not like this." Yang whispers back in frustration.
"Isn't that what she wanted? Look we shouldn't be gone for long. We'll come right back once we get answers." Weiss proposes quietly.
Yang wears a look of uncertainty, answering with heavy hesitation. "Fine." she whispers. Before they start off, Yang peeps the bag Weiss is carrying. "What is all of that?!" Yang asks, her whispers now more concerned.
Weiss gestures at her bag. "Well I thought, just in case, you know?!"
"We're stowing away! Not fighting the army!" Yang whisper-yells.
"Maybe a Grimm attack will happen or something! You never know!" Weiss quietly argues in defense.
"Ugh, let's just go." Yang whispers, turning around and walking.
"The dock is this way." Weiss whispers, pointing the opposite direction with her thumb. Yang twists around and starts striding in that direction, wearing a disgruntled frown to mask her embarrassment.
The two find their way to the docks used for Regime air transport. It took some time, but they manage to find some open crates to take cover and duck behind. Security around the intended prisoner transport stood tall, the two girls unable to see much in the way of openings in their patrols and posts. "Well, what now?" Yang whispers.
"I don't know, let me think. There's gotta be a blind spot somewhere." Weiss quietly replies.
Yang fiddles with one of the open crates, pulling out a gray tarp of some kind. "I could always throw this on and knock out the guards before anyone sees us." she proposes quietly.
"That's a terrible idea!" Weiss whispers.
"You say that about every plan we have that isn't yours." Yang counters.
"Because it's true." Weiss replies.
"Okay, Miss Armory." Yang retorts, gesturing at Weiss' bag.
"Weiss? Yang? Watcha guys doing?" asks a nearby voice.
Weiss and Yang's heads snap towards the source, turning to see Coco Adel and the rest of Team CFVY who happened to be passing by.
In a moment of improvisation, Yang snaps her hands up and makes finger guns towards the group. "Coco, how's it going?" Weiss shoots Yang an unimpressed look.
"The General decided this transport needed a little more muscle. So we're playing escort." Coco shrugs. "What about you guys?"
Weiss looks over towards the prison transport, then back at Coco. Maybe it was time to do some improv of her own. She offers half the truth. "We kinda got our butts kicked during the invasion. I guess the General felt sorry for us and gave us an 'easier' job stocking these crates." she says, feigning an unenthusiastic tone.
"Well, that sounds kind of him, I guess." Coco says.
"More like boring." Weiss says, playing up her dissatisfaction. "At least your guys' job sounds more exciting. We're more than capable of handling something like that."
"I don't know, guard detail can be a lot more drab than you think." Coco replies. Her lips curve into a pondering expression before smiling. "What the heck, how about you two come along with us?"
"You'd do that?!" Weiss says, playing up her gratitude.
"Sure, why not? Heck with the prison breaks and stuff going on, it wouldn't hurt to have a few more hands. Not that they'd get past us." Coco says, smirking in a boastful manner. She turns her head to her team. "You guys cool with that?"
Yatsuhashi crosses his arms. "I've no objections."
Velvet switches her glance from Yatsuhashi to Coco. "I wouldn't mind. It's been a while since I've hung out with either of you two!" she says happily. Fox simply shrugs, already voicing his approval to Coco telepathically.
"Well, you heard the lady, Weiss." Yang says, springing up with a pep in her step. "Time to blow this joint."
Weiss ignores Yang, turning to Coco with a pleasant smile. "You're the best, Coco."
"Now you're just gonna make me blush." Coco says, swishing her bangs across her face in an effortlessly cool manner. "Come on, everyone, we've got a ride to catch."
The six of them approach the airship, security anticipating their arrival. "Team CFVY." one of the soldiers acknowledges. He peers over at Weiss and Yang. "Isn't there only four of you?"
Coco throws her thumb over her shoulder. "They're with us. I'm sure you wouldn't mind having two more Regime-registered Huntresses on escort?"
The guard ponders for but a moment, but then nods. "They're not on the list, but I'm sure our boys on board would feel a lot safer with 'em after everything that's happened." He smiles and gestures towards the ship, allowing them all to pass.
As the group passes the guards, Yang winks and says "Appreciate it." The guard is flustered for a second, but then clears his throat and restores his composure. Stepping into the ship, Weiss turns to Yang, smiling smugly knowing her plan just went off without a hitch. Yang pouts for a second, before rolling her eyes. They were on board, and now all they had to do is find the right moment to get the answers they need.
At the new Insurgency hideout, Batman's fingers tap across his gauntlet's portable computer display. Wires snake from his wrist onto a nearby table with several mechanical devices resting upon it. Sun, Blake, Ilia, and Oscar linger in the room nearby him. They're soon joined by Glynda Goodwitch entering the room. With a few more clicks, Batman taps one last button before the devices on the table all beep with a single blink of a green light. He turns with one of the devices in hand, directing it towards Blake for her to take.
"So this is it?" Blake asks, her voice carrying an air of finality.
"Why so many?" Oscar questions.
"It'll improve our chances," Glynda answers. "It's harder to suppress information when there's too many sources to censor."
"And if we can slip even one of these into a CCT..." Ilia adds. "Well, we've all seen the footage now. It'll be game over for Superman."
Batman gathers the remaining devices and begins passing them around. "Any one of the towers might be too guarded for any of us, but even a smaller database can accelerate the plan if you upload this." He hands one device to Glynda, another to Sun, and keeps the final device for himself. "We'll split into teams. Oscar and Glynda, you two will execute the plan in Haven. Winter Schnee is stationed there, and accounting for Ozpin, you two are the most familiar with her." He turns to Sun. "I'm sending you and our other fighters to Vaccuo. As Faunus you'll draw less attention, and you'll have the Chieftain of Menagerie to support you." Blake's ears perk up slightly to the indirect mention of her father, but then rest once Batman turns to her and Ilia. "You two will carry out the mission here in Vale, while I head to Atlas."
Oscar stares confused. "Wait, you're sending the two of them on their own? Here with Superman?"
"The two of them are more than capable of stealth operations," Batman explains. "And besides, I'll be drawing Superman to Atlas."
The others exchange glances before Sun speaks up. "Atlas is the most guarded Regime base without Superman around. Wouldn't fighting him there be like...suicide?!"
"Being the most guarded is exactly why I'm heading there." Batman explains. "I'm the most suited to infiltrating it, and a stronger military presence means we can better contest Superman once the truth is out."
"The rest of Team RWBY are also here," Blake adds. "We might not be on the best terms, but this whole situation is bigger than us."
"You think we can trust them?" Ilia asks, her curiosity sincere.
Blake turns to her. "I'll have to." she resigns.
"Not just them." Glynda adds. "We're trusting the entire world to do the right thing."
Oscar stares down for a moment, before gazing up at everyone else. "We do this, and hope." he concludes.
A hand suddenly juts out into the center between all of them, waiting there in anticipation that the others will join too. To much of their surprise, Ilia was the one to initiate it. "Let's all make it through this then." she says. Sun smirks, knowing Nora would have been happy to see Ilia now. He's the first to join her, followed shortly by a nervous but optimistic Oscar. Glynda and Blake smile, following suit and leaving only Batman left as they all gaze in his direction.
Batman's eyes glance across the group before stepping forward. "In my universe there were no shortage of world-ending threats around every corner, and with every threat, a hero was there to stop it. You all have shown me time and time again, through thick and thin, that even this world has heroes." he declares. "Superman once took my world. I won't let him take yours." He determinedly joins his hand with the others. "Good luck, all of you." Several nods of approval are exchanged before the group retracts their arms. They disperse to prepare for and begin their missions.
Before Oscar leaves the room with the others, he stops to question Batman. "I'm still not sure about you taking on Superman. Even with help, will you stand a chance against him?" he asks.
"Speaking honestly, it's a gamble." Batman explains. "I've made contact with someone on the inside. Someone who claims to be a friend."
"You're trusting some stranger?" Oscar questions. "But, what if it's a trap?"
"Entirely possible, but I'm prepared to face that if it comes." Batman assures him. "Besides, there's only one possible person among them that I can think of who could procure this." Batman raises his arm, accessing his gauntlet's portable computer. A digital display lights up, and Oscar squints at the screen to get a better look. Laid upon a white surface, characteristic of Atlesian make, was an open metallic suitcase. Inside the case, black foam material mold filling the interior to better secure its contents, lay three red solar grenades.
End of Chapter 17