A cool, crisp night settled over the city, its endless lights a stark constellation against the darkness. General James Ironwood stood alone on a high balcony, his gaze fixed on the sprawling metropolis below. The weight of his responsibilities seemed to press down on him, and he let out a low, weary sigh.
"Trouble sleeping?" a voice asked, and he turned to see Glynda walking toward him, her silhouette a familiar comfort.
He shifted his weight, his right hand unconsciously grabbing his left forearm, a nervous habit. "Arm was acting up," he said, the excuse a well-worn lie that barely held.
Glynda raised an eyebrow, a knowing look on her face. "Ah, of course. So, logically, you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely, and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance?" She came to a stop beside him, her own gaze sweeping over the city. "What's wrong, James?"
His posture seemed to slump, the guarded persona he wore in front of his troops falling away. "I've trusted him for years. We both have. I just... I can't help but feel... like he's keeping us in the dark."
Glynda's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. "Don't be ridiculous. You know very well that we are not the ones in the dark. We are on the precipice of a war the rest of the world doesn't even know exists. If anything, we are the only ones with the proper context."
Ironwood turned back to the city, the lights blurring in his frustration. "That's what makes it worse. I refuse to believe that the man I've trusted for so long would act so... passively. While the rest of us are preparing for an attack, he's just... waiting for it."
Glynda's expression softened, a note of quiet empathy entering her voice. "You're a good person, James. You've always done what you think is best for the people, even against strong protest. It's admirable." She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But it's high time you stopped talking about trust and started showing it. Ozpin has experience that the rest of us lack. And I think that's something worth remembering."
She gave his shoulder a final, reassuring squeeze before she looked at him once more, a silent plea for him to see reason. Then she turned and walked away, leaving Ironwood alone once again with the city and his growing doubts.
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The cold air of the abandoned building was filled with the rhythmic crackle of a small fire. In the distance, Ruby let out a soft sigh, her boredom a quiet counterpoint to the tense silence. From her vantage point on watch, she pointed her blood-red sniper rifle at a Grimm Beowulf skulking in the darkness, the beast's glowing red eyes a perfect target. But she didn't fire. She simply held her position, her vigilance a habit even in her exhaustion.
Back inside, Yang slowly opened her eyes and turned over to face Blake. "Blake? Are you awake?"
"Yeah," Blake replied calmly, her own eyes open, staring at the ceiling.
"Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress? Like... what was he trying to get at?" Yang frowned, her brow furrowed in genuine confusion.
"Maybe he was just curious," Blake said softly.
"You think?" Yang pressed.
"No," Blake admitted, her voice flat. She sat up, her eyes seeking out Yang's. "He's always trying to find a deeper purpose in everything. This was no different."
Yang sighed and rolled onto her back, a new thought dawning on her. "Weiss? Are you awake?"
Weiss answered from her position near the fire, her voice sharp and clear. "Of course, I'm awake. You two are talking. And... I think he was trying to say that our answers weren't enough. When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it. But... it's not what you think. I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral gray area."
Blake's voice was a low murmur from the darkness. "That's putting it lightly."
Weiss suddenly sat up, the firelight catching the defiant glint in her eyes. "Which is precisely why I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it."
Blake then looked away, hugging her arms around herself. Her voice was quiet, filled with a deep, private sadness. "All my life, I thought I was fighting for what was right. I had a partner... a mentor, actually. His name was Adam. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be... not perfect for everyone. I jumped to this academy because I knew Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. When I leave the academy... what will I do? How can I undo so many years of hate?"
Yang reached out and took Blake's hand. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're not one to back down from a challenge."
Blake looked at their joined hands, her grip tightening slightly. "But I am. When you learned that I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do so I ran. When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran. Even my Semblance... I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself. An empty copy that takes the hit while I run away."
The room became silent, the weight of Blake's admission hanging in the air.
Yang laid on her back once more, staring up at the ceiling, her voice a low, heavy murmur. "My whole life, I thought being a Huntress was about being a hero. About fighting monsters and saving people. But what good is that when the person you're supposed to protect is right there, and you can't do anything to stop it?"
Her gaze drifted over to Ruby's distant form, her sister's vigilance a stark, painful reminder. "When Ruby was taken," she whispered, the words catching in her throat, "I felt so useless. I wasn't strong enough to save her... to keep her safe. And when I finally found her... I was so happy... so overjoyed. That's why I've trained so hard to get where I am today. Never again will I let anyone take her from me." Yang paused for a moment, letting the full weight of her vow sink in.
"I need to be strong enough that no one, not some mad scientist or some twisted villain, ever gets close enough to hurt her again," Yang said, her voice filled with an unbreakable resolve. "And I will be."
"And we will be with you," Blake said, her voice a low, steady promise. She looked at Yang, her golden eyes filled with a fierce loyalty. "We're a team, Yang. That's what we do. We fight together."
Weiss nodded in agreement, her gaze drifting over to where Ruby stood watch. Her posture was tense, but her expression was firm. "You won't have to face this alone. We won't let anyone hurt her or take her from us again."
The quiet in the abandoned building settled back in, a peaceful stillness in the wake of the girls' confessions. The only sounds were the soft crackling of the fire and the distant, almost imperceptible breathing of the sleeping. Blake's eyes, still glistening slightly from her admission, were fixed on the dancing flames. She drew a slow, deliberate breath, the weight of her past seemingly a little lighter now.
"After all," Blake said, her voice a low, steady murmur, filled with a new and resolute conviction. "It's the life we chose."
Weiss, who had been listening intently from her spot, nodded in solemn agreement. Her aristocratic posture was still rigid, but the coldness in her expression had softened. She looked from Yang to Blake, a flicker of genuine warmth in her eyes. The old, haughty Weiss would have scoffed at a purpose so broad, so undefined. But this was a different Weiss, one who had seen her own carefully constructed world crumble and had to find a new foundation for herself.
"And it's not just a life," Weiss added, her voice calm and firm. "It's a job. A job to protect the people... And not just Ruby."
Unbeknownst to all three girls, a few feet away in the deepest shadows of the room, Dr. Oobleck sat perched on a crate. The faint glow of a small digital screen on his laptop illuminated his face, showing the corners of his mouth turning upward into a slow, satisfied smirk. The answers he had been seeking from them all day had finally come, not in a classroom or a combat arena, but in this quiet, unguarded moment of their vulnerability. The girls were beginning to understand the true purpose of their calling.
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The fire had long since faded to embers, and the abandoned building was consumed by a quiet, impenetrable darkness. Ruby was curled on the cold floor, her blood scythe, a weapon of pure crimson energy, having long since deformed and sunk back into her skin, leaving only the faint, familiar warmth of her aura. Her exhaustion had gotten the better of her, and she had fallen into a light, restless sleep.
It was the quiet rustle of cloth and the low, muffled barks of Zwei that finally jolted her awake. She let out a low groan. "Shut it... stupid dog," she growled under her breath, a faint hint of her earlier rage returning. "It's too late for your shit, so go back to bed." She yawned, trying to close her eyes once more, but the small dog was relentless.
Suddenly, Zwei shot up and scampered away into the night. Ruby's eyes snapped open. "H-hey! Where do you think you're going!?" she whispered furiously, scrambling to her feet and trying not to wake her teammates. She crept out into the night, her senses on high alert. "Damn dog, where are you? Zwei!" she called out in a desperate, hushed whisper.
After a few tense moments, she finally spotted him. Across the broken street, Zwei was squatting, calmly doing his business. Ruby put a hand through her hair in a gesture of pure, exasperated frustration. "Tsk. This is a damn wasteland. You literally could've done that anywhere."
Zwei finished his business, shook himself off, and trotted happily back to her side. Ruby let out a long, weary sigh. She leaned down, rubbing his head. "You are such a pain," she said, her voice a mix of exasperation and affection.
Just then, a voice spoke from the darkness nearby. "What was that?"
Ruby snapped her head toward the sound, a cold dread seizing her. She scooped Zwei up into her arms and dove behind a crumbling ruin, her heart pounding. She peeked her head out, and her breath hitched. Two figures in familiar, sinister white masks were standing on the other side of the street.
"What was what?" one of them asked, his voice calm.
"I thought I heard a Beowulf or something," the other member said, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.
The first member just shrugged. "Let's just finish our patrol and get back to base."
The White Fang members walked off in the other direction. "This place gives me the creeps," the first one said, his voice carrying in the silent night.
A strange, cold feeling settled in Ruby's stomach. Without thinking, a predatory impulse seizing her, she began to move, quietly following them. She stalked them through the ruins, a new focus in her eyes, her mind completely consumed by the hunt. The two members finally came to a stop in front of a seemingly solid wall, but then they simply stepped through it, revealing a hidden, secret passage.
"Huh... So this is where they're hiding?" Ruby whispered. A slow, terrifyingly sinister smile spread across her face, and her eyes shined a burning red. She was just about to step forward and follow them, her body coiled with a primal energy, but she stopped herself at the last second, a jolt of horror snapping her out of her dark trance.
Her face was a mask of confusion and fear. "What... was I going to do?" she whispered, her smile vanishing. She lifted up her hands and saw her nails, normally clipped and clean, had grown into sharp, black claws. She quickly shoved her hands back into her pockets, a feeling of disgust and terror washing over her. "What... is happening to me?" she stammered, using her other hand to grab her scroll. "I... I should call the others."
Her scroll screen blinked with an error message. No Signal.
"Damn it!" she cursed, looking at Zwei. "Come on, we've got to get the others!"
Ruby turned back, her mind racing to find a way back to her team. But the ground beneath her feet started to crack, A large chunk of the ground gave way, and she scrambled back, barely grabbing onto the ledge with one hand. Zwei slipped, but she grabbed him in the nick of time with her other. "Damn it..." she grunted, her teeth gritted as she held on.
Using every bit of her strength, Ruby threw Zwei over the ledge, and he landed back on solid ground. She then grabbed the ledge with both hands, her muscles screaming with effort as she tried to pull herself up. But at that moment, the rest of the ledge fell away, and Ruby fell with it.
Zwei peered over the edge and let out a series of frantic barks, his eyes wide with fear as he watched his partner disappear into the blackness below. After a moment of free-falling, Ruby finally hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud.
"Ow... that hurt..." she said with a frown, her head spinning. She sat up and looked around, her eyes widening. She was in a massive cavern, an entire ruined city underground, its crumbling buildings stretching into the darkness.
Suddenly, a door opened nearby, and two White Fang members walked out. Ruby spun around to see them aiming their weapons directly at her.
The fall had been disorienting, and Ruby's head swam as she sat up, a wave of pain shooting through her body. The air was cold and damp, and the only light came from the flashlight beams of the two figures who had just emerged from the doorway. They stood silhouetted against the light, their white masks making them look like silent, skeletal specters.
"Freeze!" one of them commanded, his voice muffled by the mask.
The other member took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over Ruby before resting on the massive hole in the ceiling above. "Where did she come from?" he said, his tone a mix of confusion and irritation.
Ruby instinctively scrambled back, her footing unsure on the broken ledge of a building roof she'd landed on.
The first White Fang member ignored her stumble. "Forget where she came from. Doesn't she look familiar to you?"
His partner's flashlight beam intensified on Ruby, and he narrowed his eyes. "You're right," he said, his voice dropping to a low, chilling whisper. "She does look familiar."
Ruby's mind was a panicked mess. She tried to concentrate, to channel the energy that would form her weapon, but she couldn't. Her hands trembled, a faint red glow appearing and just as quickly dissipating. She felt more lost and helpless than she had in a long time.
"You're a long way from home, little girl," the first member said, his voice laced with a predatory undertone as he took a step toward her. He crouched down, his masked face inches from hers. "Wait a second… I remember now." He let out a low, victorious chuckle. "It's that little girl Dr. Merlot was talking about."
The blood drained from Ruby's face. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic, desperate rhythm. This wasn't good. This was the worst thing that could possibly happen.
The second member grinned, his voice filled with a sickening delight. "You're right. The bosses will definitely want to see her." He raised the butt of his rifle and, without a moment's hesitation, slammed it into the side of Ruby's face, a jarring, concussive blow that sent her reeling.
The world tilted, and she fell back against the cold floor, stars exploding behind her eyes. The first White Fang member let out a short, cold laugh. "That indeed," he said, before raising his boot and bringing it down with a sickening finality against the side of her head.
Everything went black.
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The deep shadows of the abandoned building were her only companions. For what felt like hours, Yang had stood watch, her eyes fixed on the darkness outside, every sound a potential threat. Her muscles were stiff and weary from the long, silent hours. She let out a long, slow sigh, the small cloud of her breath dissipating into the cold air.
Stretching her arms high above her head, she felt the satisfying pop of her joints before letting them fall back to her sides. The moment for vigilance was over, at least for now. With quiet, deliberate steps, she started to go over to the small, huddled forms of her teammates, who were sleeping soundly near the dying embers of the campfire. Her watch was over; it was time for someone else to take over the responsibility of guarding their temporary sanctuary.
"Hey, Weiss, it's your—Ruby?" Yang's voice, which had started out as a sleepy murmur, was now a sharp, questioning whisper. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and stared at the empty space. Ruby's sleeping bag was still there, but it was crumpled and cold, but her sister was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, where's Ruby?" Yang asked, her voice laced with growing concern.
The question was enough to rouse the others. Blake and Weiss sat up in their sleeping bags, their eyes scanning the room, the same question on their faces.
"What?" Dr. Oobleck said, his head snapping up from his notebook. He looked over at the three girls, his expression one of calm inquiry, but his eyes were sharp.
Just then, a small, furry shape darted into the building. It was Zwei, his fur matted and dusty, his small body heaving with exertion. He ran to Yang, a series of low, frantic whimpers escaping him.
Yang immediately knelt down, her concern for Ruby momentarily replaced by worry for the little dog. "Zwei, where have you been?" she murmured, reaching out to pet him.
Blake stood up, her hand instinctively going to her weapon. "What's going on?" she said, her voice a low, tense whisper.
"That's not good," he said, his voice quiet but firm. He turned to the girls, his eyes hard. "Grab your weapons. Your leader may be in trouble."
Zwei let out one sharp, insistent bark and then ran off again, disappearing back into the morning light. The message was clear. The team didn't hesitate. They grabbed their weapons and ran after him, their hearts pounding with a new, terrifying dread.
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A sharp, grating pain pulled Ruby from the depths of unconsciousness. Her head throbbed, and a rough scraping sensation against her back and legs was what finally startled her awake. She let out a low groan, her eyes fluttering open to a disorienting haze. The world was a blur of grays and shadows, the air thick with the scent of rust and damp earth. As her vision slowly cleared, she realized she was being dragged against the cold, concrete floor.
She blinked, and her surroundings came into focus. Massive industrial machinery loomed in the cavernous space. The humming of power generators and the clank of metal on metal echoed all around her. Her gaze fell on a colossal, giant robotic suit, its chassis gleaming under the weak lights as it lifted a massive crate with surprising ease. Nearby, two White Fang members were carefully maneuvering a new, strange form of battery, a cylindrical object crackling with a faint blue energy.
The two members who were dragging her stopped abruptly. Ruby's body slumped to a halt against the floor, and she winced at the renewed ache in her head.
One of the members, a large male with broad shoulders, called out toward a train car converted into a makeshift office. "Hey, boss! We found something you might want to see!"
A weary, cynical voice responded from inside. "Is it good or bad, Perry, because let me tell ya, I have had a day."
"It's a girl," Perry said, his voice holding a hint of excitement.
A head poked out from the train car, a bowler hat resting on a shock of orange hair. Roman Torchwick, a lit cigar on his lips, squinted at the girl on the floor. His expression, which had been one of tired annoyance, slowly shifted into one of pure, unadulterated surprise. His eyes widened slightly as he took in her red cape and her unconscious form. A slow, chilling grin began to spread across his face, and he took the cigar from his mouth, a puff of smoke trailing after it.
"That would be both," he said, the words a low, dangerous purr.
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Over with the rest of the team, as they followed Zwei through the silent, crumbling streets, their footsteps echoing off the broken buildings. The small corgi trotted ahead with a determined waddle, his nose to the ground, until he came to a sudden halt. In front of them, the ground had given way. A massive, jagged fissure in the earth stretched before them, a gaping maw of darkness. The edges were fresh, with pieces of shattered concrete and earth still scattered around the rim.
Dr. Oobleck, ever the intellectual, walked to the edge and peered into the darkness below. His expression, which had remained so composed throughout their journey, now held a deep, foreboding grimness.
"Oh no," Blake said, her voice a hushed whisper, a profound sense of dread settling over her.
Weiss walked to the ledge and looked down into the inky blackness. "Do you guys think she fell?" she asked, a tremor of concern in her voice.
Dr. Oobleck, still peering into the hole, looked up. "Huh?" he asked, not quite registering her words.
"Down there," Weiss said, pointing into the massive fissure.
A look of dawning horror spread across Dr. Oobleck's face. "Oh my... Of course... of course, of course, of course!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch.
"What is it?" Blake asked, surprised by his sudden outburst.
"How could I be so stupid!" Dr. Oobleck said, walking past Blake and Yang, a manic energy now radiating from him.
"Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong?" Yang asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
Dr. Oobleck suddenly appeared in front of Yang and Blake, grabbing their shoulders, his eyes wide. "Mountain Glenn! Yes! An expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! Previously home to thousands of people! Working people, commuting to the city, the main city. Developed a subway system to the inner city. Grimm attacks increase! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! City evacuates into metro tunnels and what do they find!? The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!" Dr. Oobleck rambled, a torrent of information pouring from his lips.
"Doc, what are you saying?" Yang said, her eyes wide as she tried to make sense of his words.
"My dear, we're not just looking for an underground crime network! We're looking for an underground crime network!" Dr. Oobleck emphasized, shaking her shoulders for emphasis.
"They've been working in caves?" Blake asked, a new understanding dawning on her.
"No, no. Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion. It worked for a short period of time thanks to an aggressive perimeter defense and unique transportation. The city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main kingdom. Sadly, without many natural barriers to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start. As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival. They took up shelter beneath the city, in massive caves that they had cleared out for the subway. And they had cut themselves off from the surface," Dr. Oobleck stated, the words pouring from him at an astonishing speed.
The three girls all gathered around the hole in the ground, peering into the dark abyss.
"An... an underground village?" Yang said, her voice barely a whisper.
Dr. Oobleck nodded sadly. "In a manner of speaking, yes. A…a safe haven... until... an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern... filled with subterranean Grimm. After that... the kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb. If Ruby is down there..." Dr. Oobleck said, his voice trailing off. He then pulled his coffee thermos out, and it transformed into a battle staff.
Everyone looked at him in awe.
Dr. Oobleck looked at the three girls, his expression now one of grim determination. "We must find her."