Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Blake tightened her grip on the warm coffee mug, as if its heat could anchor her to the present moment. She met Sun's inquisitive gaze. "Are you familiar with the White Fang?" she asked, her voice a low murmur.
He nodded, a casual, relaxed gesture as he sipped his coffee. "Of course. They aren't all that popular with the humans, you know. Everyone sees them as chaotic and dangerous," he said, his voice reflecting the general public opinion. He then felt a sharp jab to his side from Ruby, and he winced, a brief look of confusion on his face. "What?"
"I... was once a member of the White Fang," Blake confessed, her voice barely a whisper.
Sun's eyes widened, and he nearly spit out his coffee in surprise. "What?! Really?" he exclaimed, but his tone held no judgment, only pure astonishment.
Ruby just rolled her eyes, staying silent as she continued to listen, her focus entirely on her friend.
Blake took another breath and looked directly at them, her gaze unwavering. "I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could say, I was born into it." She looked down into her nearly empty mug, seeing her past reflected in the dark liquid. "Back then, things were different, though. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity." She lifted her gaze, a hint of pride in her eyes. "A peaceful unity between humans and Faunus. That's all we were."
A frown creased her brow as she recalled the painful truth. "Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings, a symbol of our past lives as slaves, a joke."
Her voice rose slightly, a surge of old pride returning. "So, the White Fang rose up as a voice for our people. I was there, at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott, and for a while, I was actually making a difference." She sighed, the air escaping her lungs heavy with regret. "But I was just a naive, youthful teen who saw things with a naive, optimistic eye. I didn't see the bitterness brewing in the shadows."
Her eyes grew distant, a sad look settling over her features. "Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader with a new, radical way of thinking. And that's all it took." She ran a weary hand through her black hair. "Our peaceful protests were replaced with organized attacks. We committed crimes, setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus as slaves... you name it." She looked at them, a hint of sorrow and defeat in her voice. "Despite all that, in a twisted, sick way, it was working. We were finally being treated as equals."
She took one last sip from her mug, the coffee cold and bitter. She looked up and finished with a broken heart. "But not out of respect... Out of fear."
Putting down her coffee cup, the click of the mug against the saucer a final punctuation mark, Blake looked at them. Her eyes, filled with the weight of her past, held a newfound sense of purpose. "So I left," she said, her voice a quiet, resolute whisper. "I decided I no longer wanted my skills to be used for their violence. Instead, I would dedicate my life to something useful. Helping people, becoming a Huntress-it was the only way to do that." A small, bittersweet smile played on her lips.
"A criminal hiding in plain sight," she added, her voice laced with self-deprecating irony. She looked up, her gaze fixed on the black ribbon on her head. "All with the help of a little, black bow." As she spoke, her ears, hidden beneath the bow, twitched almost imperceptibly, a subconscious betrayal of her quiet anxiety.
Ruby and Sun's eyes were drawn upwards, watching the subtle movement of the bow.
"So, have you told the rest of your friends any of this?" Sun asked, his voice gentle and understanding.
A sudden, angry scoff escaped Ruby's lips. She pulled her hands from her pockets, her fists clenched. "Not like Weiss will listen," she said, the words a bitter confession of her frustration and pain. She knew it was mean to be angry at her friend, but she had to put her resentment somewhere, or she felt she was going to burst. She felt a weird sensation stirring in her chest at the thought of being mad at Weiss, a complicated mix of anger and hurt that, strangely, calmed her rage a bit.
Ruby took a deep breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was firm, resolute. "I'm with you," she said, looking Blake directly in the eyes. "Whenever you tell them, I'll be with you." She paused, her chin rising in an act of powerful conviction. "That's what a leader does."
Blake's face softened, a small, genuine smile forming on her lips. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "You're not just our leader, Ruby," she said, her voice filled with warmth. "You're also our friend."
Sun snickered and reached over to playfully pat Ruby on the shoulder. "Well, would you look at that! You made it into the friend zone!" he joked.
Ruby rolled her eyes and let out a small scoff, but soon, a wide, true smile played across her lips. The ache in her chest was still there, but now, a flicker of pure happiness had joined it. She was genuinely happy for the first time in her life.
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"Ruby! Blake!" Yang's voice echoed down the quiet street, a desperate call that held all the frustration and worry of the past week.
"Ruby, where are you, you dunce!" Weiss added, a tight frown on her lips as she helped Yang search, her usual composure replaced by a growing unease.
Yang sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Where could they be?" she muttered, more to herself than to Weiss.
"I'll say this again," Weiss said, her voice attempting to sound reassuring despite the unease in her own heart. "They're okay. They have to be."
"Weiss is indeed correct," a cheerful voice said suddenly, causing the two girls to jump, their bodies tensing at the unexpected sound.
It was Penny.
"Penny! Where did you come from?" Yang asked, her heart still pounding from the fright. Her eyes then went past Penny to a new face, a girl with her hands on her hips, a smirk playing on her lips. Alex.
Alex just shook her head as she looked at the two girls who looked at her with pure confusion. "I told you not to scare them so suddenly, Penny."
"I know," Penny simply said, her tone unrepentant.
Yang's gaze moved back and forth between the two. "How do you know Penny?" she asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"Dr. Merlot supplies Penny's father with equipment and tools for his projects," Alex explained, her voice calm and straightforward. "Unlike Ruby, who was more closed off and isolated from the world with the doctor, I was more of a freeloader, going around kingdoms on supply drops, attacking anyone who steals its cargo, that kind of thing."
Weiss's frown deepened, a look of grim understanding spreading across her features. "... How big of a range does this Doctor have?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Alex's smirk faltered, and she gave a small frown. "He has relationships all over the kingdoms, far more than any eye can see... that's how powerful he is," she answered, the weight of the words hanging in the air.
She quickly shook off the somber mood. "But anyway, enough about that. What are you guys up to?" Alex asked, her friendly tone returning as she looked between the two of them.
Yang and Weiss exchanged a look filled with a shared unease before looking back at Alex and Penny. "We're looking for Ruby and Blake," Yang said, the worry returning to her eyes.
"Oooh! You mean the Silver-eyed girl and the Faunus?" Penny said cheerfully.
A look of shock crossed Weiss's face. "Wait. How did you know she was a Faunus?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
Alex and Penny looked at each other, and Alex just gave a knowing smile. "The cat ears?" she said, pointing to her own Faunus ears. She then let her own cat tail wag playfully behind her. "I can also sense her smell, so it wasn't hard for me."
"... Cat ears? What cat ears? She wears a... bow," Weiss said, her voice filled with a stunned confusion. The wind seemed to pick up, blowing a few stray leaves in the sudden silence.
Yang's eyes widened in realization, a quiet memory flashing in her mind of all the times she had watched Blake enjoy a certain dish. "She does like tuna a lot," she whispered.
"So, where are they?" Alex said, worried for her friend.
"We don't know," Weiss admitted, the admission tasted like ash on her tongue. Her shoulders slumped with a heavy frustration. "They've been missing since Friday."
Penny's cheerful demeanor didn't waver. She took a step closer, her eyes earnest and determined. "That's terrible! But don't you worry, guys. I won't rest until we find your teammates!" she declared, her tone as bright and confident as if she had already located them.
A wave of profound relief washed over Yang. The weight on her shoulders, the worry that she and Weiss were alone in this, eased just a fraction. She gave Penny a small, grateful smile. "Thanks for the offer," she said, her voice laced with sincerity. "If it's not any trouble, we'll take that help."
Alex crossed her arms over her chest with a weary sigh. While she was relieved to have a lead on Ruby and Blake, she couldn't shake the premonition that Ruby had gotten herself into some kind of trouble, as she always did. Silently, she began to follow Yang and Weiss as they started walking again. Penny, a beacon of perpetual optimism, skipped happily along behind them, her presence a bizarre but welcome source of support. The four of them, a newly formed, unlikely search party, continued their hunt for their missing friends.
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The humid air of the coffee shop dissipated as Ruby, Blake, and Sun stepped out onto the bustling streets of Vale. The afternoon sun cast long shadows, and the city bustled with the sound of chatter and the distant rumble of traffic. For a few moments, they walked in a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Sun was the first to break it, his hands resting on his hips as he looked from one girl to the other. "So, what now?" he asked, his tone easy and casual.
Blake's brow was furrowed in thought. "I still don't believe the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before," she said, her voice filled with a conviction that bordered on emotional denial.
Ruby rubbed the back of her head, a familiar gesture of anxiety. Her voice was quiet, hesitant, as she voiced the question that had been gnawing at her. "I mean... what if they did?"
A pained, accusatory look flared in Blake's eyes, and she glared at Ruby as if her friend had just slapped her.
Sun, sensing the sudden tension, stepped between them, his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Look, the only way to prove that they didn't do it is to go to the place where they would most likely strike next and not find them there... right?" he said, his logic simple and direct.
Blake sighed, a long, weary sound of resignation. "The only thing is... I have no idea where that would be," she admitted, her shoulders slumping.
Sun took a step forward and slung an arm around Ruby's shoulders, a move that made her let out a low, warning growl. Ignoring the sound, he leaned in. "I've heard there's supposed to be a huge shipment of Dust from Atlas coming at the docks. Maybe that's where they're going to be next." His tail began to playfully swish, teasingly batting at the edge of Ruby's red cloak, an action that was just another irritation to her already frayed nerves.
Blake's posture stiffened. "How huge?" she asked, her voice filled with a sudden, serious doubt.
Sun's grin widened. "Huge enough to be on a Schnee Dust Company freighter ship," he answered.
Blake's skepticism was palpable. "Are you sure?" she said.
He gave her a cheeky grin. "Would I ever lie to you?" he said.
Ruby, unable to take it anymore, lifted her foot and brought the heel down with all her might on top of Sun's foot. He yelped in pain, hopping on one foot and wincing. "Yes!" he said, his voice a pained groan. "I'm sure!"
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Meanwhile
The chime of the shop door rang behind them as Yang, Weiss, Penny, and Alex stepped back onto the street. The light from the Dust shop spilled out onto the dark pavement, a small, fleeting beacon in a search filled with endless dead ends.
"Thanks anyways!" Yang called out to the unseen shopkeeper, her voice a polite but tired echo of their many fruitless stops.
Weiss threw her hands up in exasperation, a deep frown etched on her face. "This is hopeless!" she declared, the words a raw burst of frustration that had been building all afternoon.
Yang let out a weary sigh, her eyes distant. "I hope we find them," she said, her voice filled with a quiet, stubborn resolve. She looked over at her two new companions. Penny stood perfectly still, her expression one of quiet, almost robotic, contemplation. Beside her, Alex was a focused study in motion, her nose twitching as she subtly sniffed the air, her ears swiveling to and fro in an attempt to pick up a familiar scent.
The wolf Faunus's tail gave one last, frustrated swish before she let out a low sigh and shook her head, a silent signal of failure. There was no luck on this street, just as there had been on all the others. With the collective weight of their disappointment settled upon their shoulders, the four girls continued their slow, weary search for their friends.
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Later on that same day, as the sun began to set over the docks of Vale, casting long, dark shadows, Blake, Ruby, and Sun were hunkered down in a hiding spot on a small edge. They watched the massive Schnee Dust Company freighter from a distance, the air filled with the briny smell of the sea and the low rumble of machinery.
"Okay," Blake said, sighing quietly to herself. "They've offloaded all the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there, completely exposed." The relief in her voice was palpable; nothing had happened yet.
Ruby, however, was growing restless. She pulled her knees to her chest, her chin resting on them. "So we just wait now?" she said with a tired frown. "That's boring."
Sun, ever the picture of carefree patience, was lying on his back, his hands behind his head as he gazed up at the pale sky. "It's better than nothing," he said, before reaching into his bag and pulling out an apple, taking a loud, satisfying bite.
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind rushed through the docks, heralding a new arrival. The trio watched as a sleek, black ship descended from the sky, its thrusters whining as it prepared to land.
"Finally," Ruby muttered to herself, her youthful impatience giving way to a new sense of excitement.
The ship landed with a heavy, jarring thud that sent a shiver through the ground. The side doors slid open with a hiss, and a ramp lowered with a mechanical groan.
A man, his face hidden behind a bone-white mask shaped like a Grimm, walked down the ramp. He held a high-powered rifle against his chest, his posture cold and professional.
Blake's breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes widened, and a low whisper escaped her lips. "... Oh no."
"Is that them?" Ruby asked, the excitement from moments ago now replaced with a sudden, tense curiosity.
"Yes," Blake said, her voice heavy with a profound and painful resignation. "That's them."
As they looked on, more masked men, all wearing the same unsettling Grimm masks, exited the ship. The first man, a chillingly calm figure, stopped and pointed towards the crates. "Alright. Grab the tow cables," he ordered, his voice impersonal and cold.
Ruby's hand, almost instinctively, reached out and settled on Blake's shoulder in a gentle, comforting squeeze. "You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?" she asked, her voice soft and full of sorrow, a question that wasn't an accusation, but a simple acknowledgment of her friend's pain.
"No... No, I think deep down I knew," Blake whispered, her voice heavy with a profound sense of defeat. She shook her head, a single, sad motion. "I just didn't want to be right."
She, Ruby, and Sun watched in a tense, silent vigil as the masked figures went about their business. The sight was a final, painful confirmation that shattered Blake's last shred of hope. But the silence didn't last long. A new, impatient voice cut through the stillness of the docks.
"Hey! What's the hold up?"
The voice belonged to a man who strode from the ship with a swaggering confidence. He looked to be in his twenties, with a mop of bright red hair spilling out from beneath a sharp-looking top hat. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment," he said, a smirk on his face. "So why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?"
The worry on Blake's face deepened, but before she could act, a third voice spoke.
"Calm yourself, my boy."
Ruby's entire body went rigid. The sound of that voice was like a bucket of ice water down her spine. It was a voice she knew better than her own, a voice from a nightmare that had haunted her for years.
The next figure stepped out of the ship's shadow, revealing himself fully. It was Dr. Merlot.
"No..." Ruby's voice was a ragged whisper, her heart hammering against her ribs with a frantic, unending rhythm. She stared at the man, wide-eyed and terrified. He was different, though. His entire body was translucent, like a shimmering ghost, as if he wasn't really there at all.
Blake's disbelief finally broke through her terror. "This isn't right," she said, her voice filled with a desperate conviction. "The White Fang would never work with humans. Especially not ones like that." She stood up, pulling her weapon, Gambol Shroud, from its sheathe on her back with a sharp clang.
The sound seemed to snap Ruby out of her terrified trance. The familiar rhythm of her heartbeat returned, and her mind went blank, focusing on a single instinct: protecting her friend. She stood up, her blood already forming into her signature weapon, Crescent Rose, a wicked scythe.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Sun shouted, his voice a frantic mixture of confusion and fear.
"We need to stop this," Blake answered, her voice trembling with conviction. "To stop them."
Blake moved first, a blur of motion in the pale moonlight. She leaped from the top cliff edge of their hiding spot, her weapon, Gambol Shroud, already in her hand. Ruby, not wanting to let her friend face this alone, followed in a practiced, silent leap, her own weapon at the ready.
Sun groaned, a sound of profound exasperation. "Oh, come on--" he didn't even get to finish the thought before he, too, was vaulting over the ledge, a reluctant hero chasing after his impulsive friends.
On the ground below, the red-haired man, Roman Torchwick, barked orders at his masked subordinates. "No, you idiots! This isn't a leisure stroll! Pick up the pace!" he snapped.
A shimmering figure, the ghost-like form of Dr. Merlot, passed through Roman like a specter. "Calm yourself, my boy," he said, his voice a low, condescending hum. "The workers won't go faster if you yell at them."
Roman rolled his eyes but didn't back down. "Dear Doctor, this is just how I play the game. Let me do my own thing."
The Doctor's holographic shoulders rose in a shrug. "If you insist, but please do hurry back. These Dust crystals won't use themselves."
Roman sighed, a plume of vapor in the cool night air. "You will get it, don't worry," he said before turning back to the White Fang. He opened his mouth to shout another order, but a sudden, sharp pressure against his throat stopped him. He froze.
"What the--? Oh, for the love of-" Roman didn't get to finish as he felt the cold, hard steel of a blade pressed against his neck.
"Nobody move!" Blake's voice was sharp and commanding, her weapon, Gambol Shroud, held in a classic reverse grip against his jugular. The masked White Fang members instantly pulled their weapons, aiming at the sudden intruder. The ghostly form of Dr. Merlot narrowed his eyes, a deep frown etched on his transparent face.
"Hey! Take it easy there, little lady," Roman said, a smirk never leaving his face.
Reaching up with her free hand, Blake pulled on the black bow on her head, her ears, a symbol of her true self, revealing themselves. "Brothers of the White Fang," she said, her voice filled with a desperate conviction. "Why are you aiding these scums?"
The Faunus looked at each other, a fleeting look of conflict in their eyes, but their guns remained aimed and ready.
"Heh, oh, kid. Didn't you get the memo?" Roman said, his smirk widening. The Doctor's holographic form looked at the scene, a new, sinister grin appearing on his face.
Suddenly, Ruby appeared behind Blake, a ghostly blur of red and black. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.
Merlot's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise in their depths before his grin returned, a cold, predatory expression. Ruby's body tensed, and her eyes shifted, looking everywhere but at the man who had tormented her. The Doctor's gaze hardened, a dark scowl replacing his grin. She usually obeys me when she sees me. He thought to himself.
Before he could address her, Sun appeared, moving into place in front of Ruby, shielding her from the Doctor's hateful glare. What have they done to my pet? Merlot thought again, his mind reeling with rage. He snarled, a low, guttural sound that no one else could hear.
Oblivious to the silent tension, Roman continued talking. "The White Fang and us are going in on a joint business venture together."
Blake growled, pressing the blade deeper into his neck. "Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end to your little operation."
The wind suddenly picked up again, a violent gust of air that whipped their clothes and hair around them. Roman's smirk remained, unwavering. "I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation," he said, just as two more airships descended from the sky, their shadows swallowing the docks.
A smirk played on Roman's lips. His demeanor, once cool and collected, became an embodiment of pure, unadulterated chaos. With a flick of his wrist, he clicked a button on his cane, a subtle, metallic sound that was drowned out by the chaos around them. The end of his weapon-cane sprang open with a soft, mechanical hiss, revealing a sleek, dangerous-looking barrel. Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled the trigger, blasting the ground beneath his and Blake's feet with a deafening roar.
The sound was a concussive force that shattered the stillness of the docks, sending a shockwave through the air. Blake, reacting on pure instinct, had to let him go to avoid the blinding flash and the spray of shrapnel. The force of the blast sent her stumbling backward, temporarily disoriented, leaving Roman free to slip away into the chaos.
The blast was loud enough to catch the attention of the rest of Team RWBY, who were still tirelessly searching a few streets away. The deafening crack echoed off the surrounding buildings, and they all stopped dead in their tracks. They looked towards the sky, seeing a sudden pillar of smoke and the tell-tale flash of the blast.
Yang's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no," she whispered, her voice filled with a terrible, growing realization.
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"Blake!" Ruby's voice was a desperate, worried shout that cut through the lingering smoke of the blast. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burnt propellant and ozone, and she couldn't see her friend until the smoke began to dissipate, revealing Blake already in motion.
Meanwhile, Roman, a cruel smile on his face, began to fire his cane's blaster repeatedly at Blake's last known location. The air was filled with the sharp cracks of gunfire and the glowing orange flashes of his shots.
But Blake was too fast. She dodged the attacks with a fluid grace, using her Shadow Clone Semblance to create ephemeral copies of herself that drew Roman's fire, only to dissipate in a wisp of smoke as the bullets harmlessly passed through them. With a final, practiced movement, she reached up and put her bow back onto her head, covering her ears again, before rolling behind a stack of crates for cover.
Roman began to walk forward, his grin widening. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," he taunted, his voice dripping with condescension.
Dr. Merlot's holographic form scoffed, a look of cold impatience on his face. "Roman! Stop playing around and end this! They will not mess with my plans!" he commanded.
Roman growled, the playful act gone. "What do you think I'm trying to do?" he snapped back, his eyes narrowing in frustration.
Just then, a flash of yellow came from above. A lone banana peel landed with a gentle plop directly on top of Roman's top hat. He paused, his snarl turning into an indignant grimace as he reached up and picked it off with two fingers.
It was all the opening Sun needed. He appeared in a graceful flip, his foot connecting with a powerful kick to Roman's chest. Roman stumbled back, his shocked expression turning to a gasp as he fell to the ground. Sun landed back on his feet with an acrobatic flourish.
"Leave her alone," he said, his voice a low growl. Just as he finished, the doors of the airships in the sky opened, and five more people jumped down, some aiming their guns at Sun, while others held wicked-looking melee weapons.
Standing up, Roman brushed himself off, his grin now replaced by a smug sneer. "You are not the brightest banana in the bunch, are ya, kid?" he said, his hand resting on his cane.
The White Fang members began to run toward Sun, their weapons held high as they swung at him. But Sun was a whirlwind of motion. He dodged the blows with an agile grace, his body twisting and weaving through the onslaught. He landed a solid punch on one guy and a sharp kick on another, still outnumbered but refusing to be intimidated. Sun reached into his back pocket and pulled out a stick. With a loud snap, the stick grew into a full-sized staff, and he began to swing, a storm of precise, powerful blows that hit all the members until they fell to the ground, unconscious.
Infuriated by the lack of fighting skills from his subordinates, Roman Torchwick let out a frustrated growl. He was done with his "pets." He raised his cane, aiming the barrel at Sun, and fired a rapid volley of shots. Sun, however, was a whirlwind of motion, his staff a blur as he spun it in front of him, the metal deflecting and blocking every blast with a series of sharp clangs and sparks.
Suddenly, a blur of red shot past Sun. It was a swirling, crimson mist that seemed to defy the laws of physics as it zoomed forward. In the blink of an eye, a crescent shape descended from above, its gleaming blade inches away from Roman's face. He saw it just in time, bringing his cane up to block the blow with a final, desperate clash.
The red blur coalesced, fading to reveal Ruby, her eyes burning with a cold, determined fury. "He's mine!" she spat, pushing her massive scythe further against his cane.
A drop of something dark dripped from her scythe onto Roman's face, sizzling as it hit his skin. He recoiled in disgust and rage. "What the hell is that thing--?!" he snarled, shoving Ruby away with a powerful push and swinging his cane in a wide, sweeping arc.
Their fight became a violent dance of furious blows. Ruby dodged his counterattack with a graceful twist, before swinging her scythe again. Punch by punch, swing by swing, kick by kick, they fought, a relentless exchange of attacks that felt like an endless, spiraling battle.
Just as Roman was about to land a devastating blow, Sun leaped in, his staff a silver streak. The staff hit Roman in the stomach, the impact causing him to stumble back with a grunt. Sun then engaged Roman, a flurry of blows and strikes as they went back and forth, each a master of their craft.
But Ruby would not be denied. She broke past their fight, her mind focused on one thing: ending this. She channeled all her rage, all her pain, and all her trauma into her weapon. Her arm, once just flesh and bone, began to contort. The skin blackened, and the muscles swelled, forming into a black, claw-like Grimm limb. She swung it with all her might, the sound of her grunt a monstrous echo. Roman dodged, but he wasn't fast enough. The claw sliced through his suit, cutting three deep, jagged lines across his chest.
Not wanting to let him get away, Ruby spun on her heel, her roundhouse kick a powerful blur of motion that connected with Roman's head, sending him tumbling to the ground,
Roman, looking up from the ground, a cruel smirk playing on his lips, saw a shipping container hanging precariously overhead. A cold, calculated glint appeared in his eyes. He aimed his cane directly at the hanger and blasted it with a powerful shot. The metal groaned and snapped, and with a sickening shriek of tearing steel, the massive container began to fall, hurtling right toward Sun and Ruby.
"Get back!" Blake screamed, acting on pure instinct. She shoved Sun out of the way with all her might, the two of them just barely making it to the other side of the container as it crashed to the ground with a deafening bang. Ruby, seeing the container fall, dove to the side, landing on the ground with a grunt. She looked up just in time to see her sister standing nearby.
"Hey!" Yang's voice cut through the chaos.
Ruby's face lit up, a brilliant smile spreading across it even amidst the turmoil. "Yang!"
Roman, seeing the new arrivals, let out a frustrated growl. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
"Roman! End this silly game now!" Dr. Merlot's voice, now laced with a strained, static-filled worry, echoed from the airship.
"Tsk," Roman clicked his tongue in frustration.
Just then, a blur of motion appeared next to Ruby. It was Penny. "Ruby? Are these your friends?" she asked, her voice calm and innocent despite the explosions around them.
"Penny! Get back!" Ruby yelled, her voice frantic with fear for her new friend.
Taking advantage of Ruby's distraction, Roman aimed his cane once more. With a quiet click, the barrel changed, and the weapon began to glow with a sickly green, venomous light. He fired a single shot. The bullet hit Ruby square in the shoulder, a searing pain coursing through her body. The blast sent her flying backward, slamming her hard against a nearby building.
"Ruby!" she heard someone shout, a voice filled with horror that she couldn't quite place.
Roman laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed across the docks.
Penny's eyes narrowed, a cold, focused anger replacing her innocent demeanor. She started to walk forward, her fists clenched.
"...Roman, get on the airship, now," Dr. Merlot commanded, his voice laced with an even greater sense of urgency.
Roman looked at the Doctor, then at the girl who had just been shot, before giving a frustrated nod. He turned and began to head toward the one airship that remained largely intact.
"Penny! Wait! Stop!" Ruby yelled, or tried to, as a fit of painful coughing took over her body.
"Don't worry, Ruby. I'm combat ready!" Penny said, her voice filled with a fierce determination. All of a sudden, the panels on her back slid open with a hiss, and a hilt came out before it split into ten perfectly identical swords that floated in a halo around her.
Penny took off running, a green streak in the night. She launched three of her swords forward, piercing two of the masked men before they even had time to react. The three swords returned to their formation, floating behind her. She then attacked another masked man, then another, and another, her floating swords a deadly ballet as she took them all down.
"Whoa!" Sun said, his eyes wide in astonishment. He then grabbed Blake's hand, and they ran away from the fight, their own skirmishes paling in comparison to Penny's power.
Three of the ships flying overhead shot at Penny, but she used her floating swords to block the blasts. She then jumped back, all ten swords starting to spin, a powerful whirring sound filling the air. They then shot out a massive green beam that cut two of the ships cleanly in half.
The parts of the ships crumbled and fell into the murky water below.
"Whoa... How is she doing that?" Yang said, her own jaw dropping at the sight.
Alex, watching from the sidelines, simply smirked.
Penny launched six more swords, piercing another ship and pulling at it with all her strength. She grunted with the effort, her body tensing as she pulled with all her might. The ship groaned, before it too crashed down.
Roman finally made it to the only ship that wasn't destroyed. "These kids just keep getting weirder!" he said, a mixture of frustration and disbelief in his voice.
The ship with Roman and Dr. Merlot on board flew away, as well as the last remaining ship with the Dust cargo, leaving the heroes behind to deal with the aftermath.
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Sometime later, the docks were a cacophony of sirens, flashing lights, and the hurried chatter of police and emergency personnel. Exhausted and bruised, the members of Team RWBY and their allies were being questioned. Ruby, still reeling from the searing pain of the bullet wound in her shoulder, sat on a crate, her breathing shallow. Penny was sitting quietly beside her, while Alex knelt, her hands gently glowing as she manipulated her Aura, trying to heal Ruby's injury.
As the chaos began to settle, Blake looked up and saw Weiss walking toward their small group. A knot of fear and apprehension tightened in her stomach. She knew this was it. This was the moment she had to tell her everything. Blake took a deep breath, and stood, ready to face the music.
"Weiss. I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with-" she started, her voice barely a whisper.
"Stop," Weiss said, her voice sharp and decisive, holding up a hand to silence her. "Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you? Two days. That means I've had two days to think about this... And in those two days, I've decided."
Everyone held their breath, their eyes darting between Weiss and Blake, their faces painted with worry.
"I don't care!" Weiss said, her voice cutting through the tension.
Blake's brows furrowed in confusion. "... You... don't care?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"You said you're not part of the White Fang anymore, right?" Weiss asked, a determined look on her face.
"No, I... I haven't been since I was younger-" Blake started.
Weiss interrupted her again, a small, weary sigh escaping her lips. "Nope, nah-uh, I don't wanna hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up, you'll come to your teammates. And not..." she looked at Sun, a pointed glare in her eyes. "... Someone else."
"Hey! I was there too! Not just monkey boy!" Ruby said, a sudden burst of energy coming to her aid.
Weiss just rolled her eyes, but a playful smile touched her lips as she gently flicked Ruby on the forehead. "Yes, yes, I'm glad you were with her... you dunce," she said, her voice soft with affection.
A blush spread across Ruby's face, and she looked away, a shy smile on her lips.
Blake smiled, a tear of relief finally escaping her eye. She quickly wiped it away before anyone could see. "Of course," she finally answered Weiss, her voice full of a renewed sense of purpose.
"Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!" Yang yelled, laughing, her voice a joyful sound of pure relief.
Blake turned to Sun, a genuine smile on her face. "Thanks for the help, Sun."
Sun just smiled, his expression warm and sincere. "Of course, it was fun," he said.
"Hey. Wait a minute..." Ruby said, a sudden realization hitting her. She now just noticed that Alex wasn't healing her anymore, and the constant pain was now a faint, bearable ache. She looked up. "Where's Penny and Alex?" she asked, her eyes darting around the area.
But Penny and Alex were nowhere in sight.
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"You should know better than to go running off into a strange city, Penny," a man said, his voice cold and stern. He was impeccably dressed in a pristine black suit, and he sat in the driver's seat of a dark sedan, its interior sleek and closed-off.
Penny sat in the back, her body language stiff and dejected. "I know, sir," she answered, her voice a quiet murmur filled with a profound sense of shame, and a deep frown on her face.
He turned his head slightly, his gaze falling upon Alex through the tinted car window. "Thank you for watching her," he said, his tone still formal and unyielding.
Alex leaned against the car door, her expression relaxed and carefree. She gave him a nonchalant smile. "It's fine. No harm done," she said, her easygoing nature a stark contrast to his stern demeanor.
The man turned back to face the front and started the car's engine. The smooth hum of the machine filled the silence. "We'll be going now," he said, his voice a final dismissal.
Alex watched as the car began to pull away. She walked alongside it for a moment, looking at Penny in the backseat. "Don't worry, Penny. Your time will come," she said, her voice a soft, knowing promise.
The car drove away, its taillights a fading red dot in the distance. Alex ran a hand through her short, silver hair and let out a long, weary sigh. "Ah... what a mess," she muttered to herself, the chaos of the night finally settling over her.
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High atop Beacon Tower, in his secluded office, Ozpin sat in his large leather chair. The only light came from the glowing city of Vale stretched out below and the pale, distant moonlight. He was in a rare moment of peace, simply sipping his coffee, its warmth a comforting presence in the cool night air. His gaze was fixed on the star-strewn sky, lost in quiet thought.
A sudden, sharp chime from his scroll was a jarring intrusion into the silent calm. He lowered the coffee cup, a subtle shift in his posture, and took the device from his pocket. A message had appeared on the screen, a single, cryptic line from Qrow that carried with it the weight of a thousand unspoken words.
The Queen has Pawns.
That was all it said. Ozpin stared at the words, his unreadable gaze fixed on the screen, as the peace of the night was shattered by the chilling, silent weight of the message.
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Elsewhere
The airship shuddered as it descended into a hidden, underground hangar. The landing was rough, a testament to Roman's frayed nerves. The ramp hissed down, and he stomped out, followed by the shimmering, translucent form of Dr. Merlot.
"That's it?! That's all you've got to say?!" Roman yelled, throwing his arms up in frustration. "We lost an entire cargo of Schnee Dust because of those children! That kid with the staff, the girl with the cat ears, and that... that freak with the blood scythe and the Grimm arm!" He gestured wildly, reliving the fight. "This was supposed to be a simple, clean extraction! Now we've got a dozen cops on the payroll who are going to be asking questions."
Dr. Merlot's holographic form remained still, his expression a cold mask of indifference. "A momentary setback, Roman. The Dust was merely a bonus," he said, his voice as calm and sterile as a lab. "The true prize was the confirmation of my hypothesis. The specimen possesses unique properties. Her emotional state, her trauma... it acts as a catalyst for the Grimm essence within her."
Roman scoffed. "Oh, is that what we're calling her now? 'The specimen?' The 'specimen' just cost us a fortune!"
"The cost is insignificant compared to the knowledge gained," Merlot stated, his voice now filled with a sinister, professorial pride. "I designed her to be the perfect weapon, a conduit for power unlike anything the world has ever seen. The display at the docks, the transformation of her arm... It proves that my theories were correct. She is a living key to a new age....Even if she did disobey. But I'll see to that."
A silent elevator door opened behind them. They didn't hear it, but they felt a sudden drop in the temperature. A figure stepped out of the shadows, her footsteps silent. Her hair was a cascade of black, and her eyes burned with an icy, amber glow.
Roman's bluster immediately evaporated. He swallowed hard, his bravado gone. "Cinder," he said, his voice now a nervous whisper.
Cinder Fall didn't say a word. She simply walked past them, her gaze falling on the detailed schematics of a Grimm mutation project on a screen. A slow, chilling smile spread across her lips.
"The girl with the silver eyes," she said, her voice a low, dangerous purr. "She's not just a pawn in your little game anymore, Doctor. She's a variable." Cinder turned her head to face Merlot, her eyes gleaming with a terrible, patient amusement.
"And now," she said, her smile widening into a truly evil expression, "we simply teach her how to play."