Volume I: Episode 10: Conversations with Killers
Cyclone
Robotech Nerd
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
(V1E9: Confrontations | V1E10: Conversations with Killers | V1E11: Compatibility)
Episode 10: Conversations with Killers
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Episode 10: Conversations with Killers
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"Excellent work, Team Rainbow," Ozpin said, looking over at the seven students. Team RRANNBW was a bit unorthodox -- teams of seven were rare, even for temporary assignments -- but its members worked together well enough. He wasn't entirely certain of their decision to leave Miss Xiao Long out of the loop, but… it wasn't his place.
"Thank you, sir," replied Jaune and Ruby in unison. They were becoming quite good at that.
The energon cube sat between them then, faintly glowing with pink light. Glynda was there as well. The combat instructor's looked sadly upon her students, who despite their various expressions, all shared a certain hard edge in their eyes.
No, they are definitely not children anymore, lamented Glynda.
"Students," Ozpin said, "in bringing us this energon cube, you've done us a great service, but it will take time to analyze, and we don't have any further leads to follow up on at the moment. Take some time to focus on your studies, and if you need anyone to talk to -- about anything at all -- my door, and Glynda's, are always open."
"Sir," Blake spoke up, her voice uncertain, "is that an order?"
"Do you want me to make it an order, Miss Belladonna?" asked Ozpin.
Blake's amber orbs quickly glanced at the rest of her team, and then refocused on Ozpin as she answered, "No, Headmaster."
"Very well. Have a good night, Team Rainbow."
Ozpin watched as the seven students departed his office. As the door clicked shut behind them, Glynda asked, "Will they be all right?"
"I don't know," Opzin admitted. His gaze shifted to the energon cube. "What they've stumbled- no, what they've tracked down... this is big. Maybe bigger than all of us."
As the elevator began to descend, the seven students began to relax slightly. They had much to discuss, and not a lot of time to discuss it in.
"Well, that was tense," Nora said conversationally.
"Why wouldn't it be?" asked Weiss pointedly. "I… we… people are dead, Nora."
"Yeah, people who didn't even introduce themselves before shooting at us," the ginger-haired girl pointed out.
"And that makes it okay to kill them?" Pyrrha asked quietly..
Ren and Nora looked at each other meaningfully, but it was Jaune who answered, "Yes."
Pyrrha started, looking at her team leader in surprise, and Jaune pulled her into a comforting hug.
"I don't- I just-" Weiss stammered.
"Hey," Nora said with a pointing finger. "Me and Ren warned all of you what it would be like back on the Ocean Swan. This isn't like on your idyllic island," she looked at Ruby, "or your safe little cities," she looked at the rest. "This is the way things are handled outside the kingdoms, between villages: with gun and blade. Sometimes, words work if you meet someone willing to talk, but these guys weren't, and they died. End of story."
The car was silent for a moment before Ruby spoke. "This isn't like you, Nora."
Nora glanced down. "Sorry. I guess I'm not immune either."
"Hey, there's one thing I want to know, Ren," Jaune asked, changing the topic. "Do you always need to go to the bathroom after you do this?"
Ren brought his hand up to Nora's shoulder as he replied, "No, you'll need to go before too."
Pyrrha shook her head. "I think I might have preferred vomiting like in the movies."
The elevator came to a stop then.
"Sorry," Blake said with a catty smile as the doors opened. "It doesn't work that way."
"We have much to discuss."
"Oh, do we now?" asked the Grimm-faced human.
"Of course we do," Starscream assured her. "After all, you would not have revealed yourself to me if you were not interested in more thoroughly exploiting ground bridge technology, would you?"
"That depends. Define 'ground bridge,'" she said with a curious cock of her mask.
Starscream emitted a sound of discontent, but nevertheless gave his explanation. "A ground bridge is the precursor of space bridge technology. It is a localized spatial distortion that tunnels through transwarp space to superimpose two locations within a planetary gravity well."
"'Space bridge'?"
Starscream rolled his optics with bored impatience. "An extension of the same technology, allowing for transport between planets."
"So, a ground bridge is a portal," she summarized.
With an exasperated sigh, he confirmed, grinding his teeth together, "Yes. It. Is. A. Portal."
"And a space bridge is a portal between planets."
"I just said that, didn't I?"
"Just checking terms," the human confirmed. "Clever as you clearly are, you've already figured it out, but yes, I am interested in what you call 'bridges.'"
"Ah," Starscream said, preening a bit. "I do have certain perceptive abilities. Such attention to detail is crucial in a scientist."
"Indeed," the human said softly, as if she was in the presence of a giant. "Though I do wonder why you would help me in the first place. What do you gain out of this?"
"A way home," Starscream replied bluntly. "Do you think I like living on this wretched planet of yours?"
"I don't know, does your homeworld have monsters crawling out of every crevice?"
"Not since we got the scraplet population under control," Starscream muttered, a hundred horrifying memories leaping to mind.
"Hmm, sounds like a paradise," the human considered. "Very well, I guess I could use a second opinion on this. The biggest issue we've run into is targeting a position for the destination to be anchored to. Have you managed to solve that issue?"
Starscream scoffed. "Have I solved that issue? Little human, I have personally repaired many a ground bridge that had just such a problem. I could do it with my optics turned off."
"Good," the human said, and it was clear that even behind her faceplate, she was smiling. Instead of continuing the conversation though, she drew forth her sword. "I'll be in touch."
At that, she slashed her blade through the air, and in its passing, it left a swirling black and red tear in reality. She sheathed her sword once more and walked on through. When she was gone, the portal disappeared.
Starscream stood there with his mouth gaping open, his optics wide in shock. His arms hung limp on his side. The bird still on his shoulder cawed.
"Whaaaaaaat?!"
"Adjust the tilt on the engine nacelles now," Blake said with a calm and steady voice. "Not much, just ease the controls."
They were in one of the Bullhead simulators now, her and Pyrrha, trying to make the best of their allotted time.
"Okay, doing it gently," said Pyrrha in a voice that she hoped was free of nervousness.
Around them, the simulator showed the terrain moving horizontally, with a gradual ascent noticeable. Not exactly a textbook take-off, but at least it was smooth. It was something to build on.
When they were up in the virtual air, Blake took a moment from her instruction to ask Pyrrha a question. "Sooo, how are… things?"
Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, but kept her eyes and hands on the task at hand. "What do you mean?"
"I mean… you know," Blake said, grasping for language. "How are you holding up with… what happened?"
"I'm… trying very hard not to think about it, to be honest."
"I… don't think that's a healthy way to look at it," Blake said hesitantly. "Not based on my experience."
"You have a lot of experience with… that?"
"More than you know."
"Oh," Pyrrha said in realization. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not particularly," Blake admitted. "Besides, I'm trying to help you."
"I see," Pyrrha said. After a long minute, she noted, "You know, one of us is going to have to start talking."
"I know, it's just…" Blake trailed off. "Pyrrha, can I ask you an awkward question?"
"I think just about any question would be awkward now, so yes," the redhead replied, focusing on the simulation of the Emerald Forest stretching out in front of them.
"Encouraging," Blake muttered.
After a long moment of silence, Pyrrha asked, "Well, what is it?"
Blake had to force the words from her mouth. "You didn't… enjoy it, did you?"
The simulated terrain jerked suddenly around them. "Not… exactly," the redhead's replied in a small voice. Blake's eyes widened slightly. "Let- let me explain," Pyrrha continued hurriedly. "I spent years honing my skills, becoming the best fighter I can be. Fighting Grimm… it's different from fighting other people. And in the tournaments, there were always restrictions, regulations, things to keep things reasonably safe. I can't deny that it felt… good to put those skills fully to use, to cut loose. It made me feel… alive and… and powerful, even if- even if..." she choked off, hands trembling on the simulator's controls.
"I'm sorry," Blake murmured, placing a hand on Pyrrha's. "I just- too many people I've known did, and not like that. I mean, really enjoyed it, not the fighting but the… you know."
"I-I've heard it gets easier. Does it?" she asked delicately.
"Too easy, for some people."
"For you?"
And there was the question Blake was afraid to ask herself.
"I don't know. I don't intend to ever find out."
Pyrrha's eyes widened momentarily in realization. "That's why you went after the Knights."
Blake shifted slightly. "Yes. I don't want to kill anyone."
The word "anymore" went unspoken, and whether it was even needed at the end of that sentence was a question that went unasked and unanswered.
After a bit of silence, Blake continued, "But… I'm used to not getting what I want."
Pyrrha twisted her hand around and clasped Blake's hand in her own. They shared a soft grip between them and a gentle expression of comfort. Though how that was different from the redhead's normal expression was hard for the black-haired girl to tell.
"That was the past. We must look to the future, and come what may, you won't face it alone. We'll make sure you get out of this okay; I'll make sure you get out of this okay."
Blake smiled, and it was a pale mirror of her fellow's. "Thanks, Pyrrha. That really means a lot to- tree!"
"What?"
Pyrrha's focus jumped back to the simulated screen in front of them, and she realized they were indeed about to crash into a tree. Blake tried to move the controls back on course, but the two systems were linked, and the Invincible Girl's panicked strength was overpowering. In a spiral of colors, the simulator soon sent them about in the tumble of a virtual crash. Bright red letters flashed on the screen, promptly declaring that they were dead.
"I'm sorry!"
Blake sighed heavily. "Take her 'round again, pilot."
Ruby hesitated for a moment as her hand hovered over the door to Professor Goodwitch's office. Did she really want to bother her teacher with this? If not her though, who would she talk to? Ozpin? No, he was in Vale meeting with the rest of the council. Uncle Qrow? No, she had no idea where he was and nowhere near enough time to search all the bars. Her dad? No, he was back on Patch. Yang?
The tiny fist of Ruby came hammering down on the door like the bill of a woodpecker.
The door opened on its own, leaving her fist swinging through the air.
"Miss Rose," Glynda said, still sitting at her desk. "I was wondering if you would show up. Please, come in."
"Oh, okay," Ruby said shiftily before walking to the seat in front of Glynda's desk.
She jumped slightly when the door closed of its own accord. No, not of its own accord. Glynda was using her telekinesis semblance.
Spooky, Ruby mused as she sat down.
"Now, why are you here?" Glynda in a manner both gentle and curious.
"I think you already know why," Ruby said hesitantly.
"Maybe," Glynda acknowledged with a smile. "But why don't you tell me all the same so mistakes are not made with assumptions?"
"I…" Ruby paused, gathering her strength. She faintly noted that if this had been a combat situation, she would have no need to. Rather than voicing that thought, she pressed on. "I've come to talk to you about… what happened during the train job. I… I killed someone out there, and yes, I know that it was a battle and these things happen, but I just… is this something I'm going to have to deal with all the time? Should I feel angry? Happy? Sad?"
"Miss Rose, I want to tell you first that seeking help at all is a very brave and mature act, one that even some professional Huntsmen have trouble with," the professor said, and Ruby felt herself bolstering just a little bit at those words. "As to your question, I'll answer it with a question of my own: Why do you need to ask me what emotion to feel?"
"Because… because I feel fine," she whispered.
"And what's wrong with that?"
"I killed someone!" Ruby screeched. "I shouldn't feel fine with that! Someone died, and it was my fault. It wasn't an accident. And I- I'm okay with it. How can I be okay with that? I'm supposed to be a hero. I'm supposed to save people, not- not-"
"Kill them?" Glynda's voice -- tender and comforting -- contrasted sharply with the content of her words.
"YES!" Energy spent, Ruby slumped down dejectedly.
"Tell me something, Miss Rose," the teacher said gently. "If you were to do it over again, would you have done things differently?"
"Yes," Ruby said quietly. "I- I would have shot him sooner." She looked up at Glynda, eyes wet with tears. "What is wrong with me?"
"There is nothing wrong with you, Miss Rose."
"How? How can there be nothing wrong me? I killed a man, and I feel nothing! I'm a monster."
"No, Miss Rose -- Ruby -- you are not a monster; you are a Huntress."
The words seemed to offer no comfort to the teenager.
"Ruby, I doubt this comes as any great revelation, given your personal experience, but not all threats Huntsmen and Huntresses face are Grimm in nature," Glynda said after a moment. "Almost every Huntsman and Huntress has been or will be where you are now: facing the realization of what it means to take a life."
"'Almost'?" Ruby asked, curiosity piqued.
"The ones who live long enough," the professor clarified. "I'm telling you this because while you have personal experience with this, you may not realize how common it is. You are not unique, Ruby, save possibly by age. So, you told me if you did it again, you would shoot him sooner. Why?"
"Because- because he'd be dead either way, and if I shot him sooner, we might have been able to get more than the one cube, more clues to stop the SDC, maybe even stop whoever those guys are from getting away with any of it!"
"Why?" the professor gently probed further.
"Because they were trying to kill my friends!" Ruby blurted out. She took a moment to gather herself. "And- and if they're willing to do that, what are they planning to do with that much power?"
Glynda nodded. "Then what you're feeling, Ruby, or not feeling… all that means is that you've accepted what every living Huntsman and Huntress must one day accept: That in the end, no matter how much we value life, we must choose between the life in front of us and the lives they threaten."
Ruby was silent for a moment, chewing on those words. "Do you have any idea who they are?"
"No," Glynda answered. "The equipment you reported has narrowed down the list of suspects, but there are still a number of clandestine and illegal organizations who would find uses for a potent alternative to dust and the resources to acquire Atlesian hardware."
The fifteen year old girl frowned. "Then we've got to get out there and find out who they are."
Glynda raised an eyebrow. "Miss Rose, you and the other members of Team Rainbow have just finished a major operation, and there is nothing else planned. Certainly nothing that could justify a scouting mission."
"Okay, I get it, it's time for us to rest up," Ruby relented. "Could we... do this again sometime, though? Talk, I mean? I've just got... one of those feelings."
"Of course," Glynda replied softly. "My door is always open to you. However, it may be prudent to talk to your teammates who went on the mission with you; you trust them, and they trust you. Each of them now has to face the same difficulties you are regarding their actions on the mission."
"How I can talk to them?" Ruby exclaimed. "I don't even know how to tell them that I don't feel anything."
Glynda leaned back in her chair, steepling her fingers. "Miss Rose, no one could have predicted that your mission would turn out the way it did. You performed as well as could be expected, given the circumstances, but I feel I must point out that your efforts were likely hampered due to your team being... incomplete."
How Miss Xiao Long's presence could have helped, she wasn't sure, but her isolation by the team was not healthy, and she'd take whatever tack she could on that subject.
At her words, though, something angry entered into Ruby's eyes, and they narrowed noticeably. "Don't you dare bring Yang into this. I'm doing this specifically to keep her safe and uninvolved."
The teacher's eyebrow went up again. "You're trying to keep your older sister, a Huntress in training, safe from the dangers of the world?"
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know, it's weird, but our family's... special. And… and I don't want Yang feeling like this. I don't want her to feel the way I feel right now."
The eyebrows went down, and Glynda's smile became profoundly sad. "I know your family, Ruby. I know this profession you have both signed up for. I know that there is no way you'll be able to shield her from this forever."
"I… I know," Ruby admitted with a heavy sigh. "But Yang's protected me all my life. Can I do less for her?"
"Love isn't a transaction, Ruby," Glynda reminded her gently.
"Maybe, but Yang is special to me," Ruby said quietly. "You know what she's like, and I… don't want to lose that, not yet."
"Very well," Glynda relented. "But this is a dangerous game you're playing, Ruby. How do you think she is going to react when she does find out what you've been doing behind her back?"
"Oh, she'll be furious," Ruby said with a note of dark humor. "But I'd rather her be furious later than involved in this now."
Yang rolled along the ground as she landed upon the roof of the Schnee Dust Company's Vale regional headquarters, cloaked the darkness of an overcast night save for the lights of the city. To her side, she could hear Adam doing the same. They stopped, and together, they got up to wave the all clear to the invisible form of Air Raid hovering just a short distance away.
"Textbook landing," Yang said with a smile, though it was hidden by the black fabric of her balaclava.
"What language are the textbooks you're reading written in?" asked Adam, his voice hostile and yet strangely curious.
Yang paused, considering her answer. "Iaconian? I think? I wear the translator so much, it's a little hard to tell. I'm pretty sure they were in Iaconian because I actually recognized the alphabet before the translator got to work, and after, the cadence of the writing felt familiar."
"Of course," Adam scoffed as he turned to walk to the access door. "Let's just get this crazy scheme over with."
"Hey, as I recall, you're the one who insisted on coming on this mission personality instead of sending one of your intrusion experts," Yang countered as she followed.
"You want to do WHAT?!" Adam bellowed harshly through the White Fang's warehouse. "Have you all gone insane?!"
"Hey, man, be cool," said Jazz as Bumblebee and Yang watched on. "This is the best plan we got for getting that data."
"Cool?" Adam asked sarcastically. "I'm plenty cool, because that is not a plan. It's barely even a concept. There's a reason the White Fang never attacked a regional headquarters."
"Good thing we're not talking about an attack," Yang shot back. "If you don't want the White Fang involved, then that's fine by us. We'll do it ourselves."
"Hey, man, be cool," said Jazz as Bumblebee and Yang watched on. "This is the best plan we got for getting that data."
"Cool?" Adam asked sarcastically. "I'm plenty cool, because that is not a plan. It's barely even a concept. There's a reason the White Fang never attacked a regional headquarters."
"Good thing we're not talking about an attack," Yang shot back. "If you don't want the White Fang involved, then that's fine by us. We'll do it ourselves."
"Under duress," Adam retorted. "There was just no way I was going to let a human like you traipse around this place like a bull in a china shop and get us all killed when they catch you and probe your mind."
"Hey, bulls are actually exceedingly polite in china shops," Yang argued, looking Adam up and down. "Unlike you."
"Puh-lease," the faunus said sarcastically. "You didn't even know the importance of matching outfits."
"All right, we're here," Yang said cheerily as she walked up to the White Fang leader. "Been training to get past their systems for weeks."
Adam frowned as he turned to face her. "Good. I'm ready to go too, personally."
Yang looked him up and down. "Then what the scrap are you wearing?"
Behind Adam, the giant form of Air Raid shifted as he looked down at the device strapped to his wrist. "A cloaking device? It turns me invisible. That's how we're going to get past their air defenses, remember?"
"Not you," Yang said with an exaggerated roll of her concealed eyes. "Him!"
"Me?" asked Adam. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"It's what you always wear! Do the words 'security cameras' mean anything to you?"
"I always wear this while infiltrating," Adam answered somewhat pridefully.
"That explains why you're a known career criminal. Here, put these on." At that, she tossed him a black bundle of clothes, and he caught it in his hands.
"Is this a ninja outfit?" Adam asked incredulously.
"It's a sneak suit!" defended Yang. "Ratchet designed it so that it will absorb our heat signatures and the sound of our footsteps."
"Much like what a ninja's suit does," pointed out Adam. "Besides, I've been thinking, and I think it's important that I be recognized."
"Adam, the whole point of this is that we're trying not to be seen," Yang said through clenched teeth.
"But if we do get seen, then I want the SDC to know fear," Adam said with a sneer that somehow managed to sound eager.
"That is so stupid," Yang exclaimed. "Best case scenario they up the security so we can't get back in again. Worst case they launch retaliatory strikes, and we do not need that right now."
"Oh, well, excuse me, Miss Janey Come Lately," Adam said hotly. "Which one of us has been leading a revolution for the last five years? Oh, that's right, it's me!"
"And what a fantastic job you've been doing. Why, between disrupting peaceful protests and stealing dust, it's a wonder they haven't handed over the keys to the city already," Yang shot back sarcastically.
"So, uh, how long are they going to be at this?" Air Raid asked Bumblebee.
"Oh, they'll be at this all night," replied the little yellow Autobot casually.
"My eyes are too distinctive anyway," Adam retorted after a long back and forth, "and your fancy suit's mask will do nothing to hide them. I need the Grimm mask, and since I'll be wearing one, so should you, or that'll raise questions, questions we don't want asked." He held up one of the masks in question.
"Urg," Yang grumbled. "Fine." She snatched the mask from his hands.
"And that mask is a loaner, I expect it back."
Adam frowned as he turned to face her. "Good. I'm ready to go too, personally."
Yang looked him up and down. "Then what the scrap are you wearing?"
Behind Adam, the giant form of Air Raid shifted as he looked down at the device strapped to his wrist. "A cloaking device? It turns me invisible. That's how we're going to get past their air defenses, remember?"
"Not you," Yang said with an exaggerated roll of her concealed eyes. "Him!"
"Me?" asked Adam. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"It's what you always wear! Do the words 'security cameras' mean anything to you?"
"I always wear this while infiltrating," Adam answered somewhat pridefully.
"That explains why you're a known career criminal. Here, put these on." At that, she tossed him a black bundle of clothes, and he caught it in his hands.
"Is this a ninja outfit?" Adam asked incredulously.
"It's a sneak suit!" defended Yang. "Ratchet designed it so that it will absorb our heat signatures and the sound of our footsteps."
"Much like what a ninja's suit does," pointed out Adam. "Besides, I've been thinking, and I think it's important that I be recognized."
"Adam, the whole point of this is that we're trying not to be seen," Yang said through clenched teeth.
"But if we do get seen, then I want the SDC to know fear," Adam said with a sneer that somehow managed to sound eager.
"That is so stupid," Yang exclaimed. "Best case scenario they up the security so we can't get back in again. Worst case they launch retaliatory strikes, and we do not need that right now."
"Oh, well, excuse me, Miss Janey Come Lately," Adam said hotly. "Which one of us has been leading a revolution for the last five years? Oh, that's right, it's me!"
"And what a fantastic job you've been doing. Why, between disrupting peaceful protests and stealing dust, it's a wonder they haven't handed over the keys to the city already," Yang shot back sarcastically.
"So, uh, how long are they going to be at this?" Air Raid asked Bumblebee.
"Oh, they'll be at this all night," replied the little yellow Autobot casually.
"My eyes are too distinctive anyway," Adam retorted after a long back and forth, "and your fancy suit's mask will do nothing to hide them. I need the Grimm mask, and since I'll be wearing one, so should you, or that'll raise questions, questions we don't want asked." He held up one of the masks in question.
"Urg," Yang grumbled. "Fine." She snatched the mask from his hands.
"And that mask is a loaner, I expect it back."
"You're just lucky this thing fits over my glasses. There's no way I would wear it otherwise," Yang said as she gently touched the Grimm mask. "Though I have to admit that this is quite comfortable."
"Please don't get used to it," Adam said in exasperation. "The last thing I need is you wearing one of those all the time."
Yang scoffed. "The only way you'll see me one of these all the time is if I plan to actually join the White Fang full time."
"Yes, I know," said Adam. "That's why I told you not to get used to it.
"Are you two done arguing so the mission can actually begin?" Jazz asked into both their earpieces.
"Yes," the pair relented in unison.
"Good," the Autobot said with finality. "Like an old married couple, I swear."
Adam opened the door and stood aside for Yang. "After you, dear."
Yang put a hand up to her bosom in mock shock. "Why, Mister Taurus, I do declare that you are quite the gentleman."
"Ha ha, very funny," Jazz replied to their mockery. "Guess you two don't need any overwatch, since you'll be setting up your own comedy club on the roof."
"I don't know, Jazz. I think they have what it takes to go pro," Air Raid chimed in.
"Oh, don't you encourage them now."
By now, the pair had in fact made it inside the building and were headed down. Remarkably, there was little in the way of security, and Yang would muse that she felt it was because they weren't expecting anyone to slip past their roof defenses. They would come across security cameras, but with skill and technology, they were able to slip past. She didn't know where Adam had gotten his training from, but she was definitely thankful for all the work that Jazz and Bumblebee had done getting her up to snuff for this op.
In due time, they were able to find the office of the regional operations executive, their objective. Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, they found the door guarded by a single person in the uniform of building security. Fortunately, they had a solution.
"Regional Operations checking in. All quiet here," the guard said into his radio.
"Confirm, Regional Operations. See you in ten," the radio replied.
"See you later," the guard said before releasing his comms.
Thwip!
Thud!
Yang collapsed Ember Celica into its bracelet alt-mode as she and Adam emerged from the shadows. With ease, they dragged the guard over to a chair and propped him up as if he had been having a nap. The disguised blonde took out the dart in his neck and pocketed it as they entered the office.
"And just like that, we're in like Flynn," Yang said with good cheer even as she moved to access the computer on the desk, inserting a flash drive as she arrived.
"Indeed," Adam agreed as he went about making sure the blinds were closed so that no-one could look in from the night skyline and see a single computer on in this building.
"Now, if my dosage on the tranquilizer dart was right, he should wake up in eight minutes. That gives us plenty of time to download the files, and… hmm, that's interesting," Yang hummed as she looked over the computer.
"What?" asked Adam. "Is there a problem with the download?"
"No, the download is going fine. Copying and pasting like a charm," Yang explained with a curious tone. "The problem is that someone set up a backdoor to access this computer's files."
"A backdoor? Let me take a look. I have some experience with that."
Yang got up from the chair and allowed Adam to take his look.
"This is… this is impossible," the faunus said in realization. "This is my old partner's style. I'd recognize it anywhere."
"Your old partner's?" Yang said in confusion. "What's it doing here then?"
"I don't know," said Adam, a note of joy and curiosity seeping into his voice.
Yang was silent for a moment, contemplating what to say, and when she did finally speak, it was with worry. "What if she's defected?"
Adam looked away from the computer to stare at her, aghast. "What? Sunfire, do you have any idea what you're saying?"
"Yes," Yang said, and then at length she explained herself. "I'm saying that the girl who broke up with you by leaving you for dead in the middle of an important operation might have extended her betrayal just that little bit further by joining up with the guys with deep pockets. But she didn't trust them fully, so when she was here setting up the specifics of her new sweetheart deal, she also set up this backdoor so that she could lay the groundwork for betraying them later."
"That's insane," Adam retorted.
"Is it? Tell me, what do you think happened then?"
Adam paused momentarily, thinking, and then gave his own theory. "She found out about what the SDC was doing, their alliance with the Decepticons, and she broke in here to find information that can be used to take them down. She set up this backdoor because -- well, frankly, that's what she always does -- but also because she needed to get the most up to date information on potential targets."
"Adam," Yang said with grim seriousness. "That is completely insane for one simple reason: how would she know? We only found out about this because I just so happened to be driving past where Brock and the others were run off the road a few seconds before, and no one from the White Fang has seen hide nor hair of her for months. So how did she find out? Who told her? And what on Remnant can she be expecting to do all on her own?"
"It makes more sense than her joining up with the SDC," Adam retorted hotly. "It would be a betrayal of everything she ever stood for."
"Adam, she betrayed you," Yang said in a more even tone. "Now, you've been pretty cagey about it, but it's pretty obvious to me you were close. Is it really that big of a stretch that if she was willing to leave her partner for dead, she's willing to betray her ideals?"
"Yes!" Adam said in anger, but now there was a note of desperation in it too.
Yang's mouth took on a sad twinge to it, one visible even through covering over it. "Adam, that target you were going after the day she left, was it an SDC facility?"
Adam was about to make another hot retort, but then he suddenly shifted and a small note of fear entered into him. "Yes. It was an SDC train carrying dust."
"Did she do much that mission, or were you the one carrying the team?"
"I… I don't know. I think I was doing most of the work?"
"Adam, I don't know how to tell you this, but I think she might have already been bought out by the SDC and planning to betray you from the start that day."
The brief silence that followed was broken by Jazz. "So, am I hearing this right? You think that Adam's old ladyfriend was a tiny version of Starscream?"
"Jazz, that is exactly what I'm saying," Yang said before looking at the computer. "Download's done. Let's get out of here."
The blonde disconnected the flash drive and set about removing any indication they were ever there. Adam did so as well. However, there seemed to be something less sure about him now.
"If she's really gone over to the SDC, then every code and base location that she could have possibly known needs to be changed," Yang said suddenly.
"I'll get started on a plan for that; you two just get out of there. I'm getting heat sigs moving around on the stairs," Jazz informed them.
"Stairs? Who would use the stairs in a building like this?" asked Adam absentmindedly. "Nevermind that, what business do you have interfering in White Fang logistics?"
"You're our ally, and allies help each other out," Yang replied as if it was obvious.
"If you want to help, get us enough dust that Cinder doesn't kill us all when she gets back," Adam retorted.
"Better idea, how about you stop kissing up to bad girls and find someone who isn't going to backstab you," Yang argued back, her voice rising.
"Like who?" he snorted. "You?""
"Ha! As if! It'll be a hot day in Mantle before something like that happens."
"Good! I'm glad we're still on the same page, now get your friends to stop taking over my organization."
Yang paused in thought. "The Autobots or the Vacuans?"
"The very fact that you have to ask should tell you all you need to know about your overreach."
"Uh, guys? You got one right on top of you!" Jazz said in a desperate tone.
Yang ignored the warning though and turned back to continue focusing on Adam as she opened the next door out. "Overreach? Overreach? You really think we're overreaching?"
She turned, and came face to face with a guard, his hand on his radio and his eyes wide. The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, but which was in reality just a second and a half. The short silence was interrupted by the voice over the radio.
"So, anyways, like I was telling the missus, the kids will be fine."
"Ninjas!" the guard shouted.
Yang was already off, diving for his radio with fingers outstretched like talons. She hit him with the strength of a peregrine falcon in full dive, and he went down hard. With superhuman strength, she gripped the guard's primary wrist in one hand, while with the other, she wrenched the radio from his hand. A tranquilizer dart from Ember Celica silenced his struggles quickly.
She plucked the dart from the unconscious guard and rose to her feet. She was five steps away when she noticed Adam wasn't following her. She turned. His blade was drawn, and it was raised over the guard.
POW!
Adam reeled back from the blow and stared. Yang was in a classic boxer pose, fist outstretched. They both stood like that for but a moment.
"You… hit me," Adam finally broke the tense silence.
"You did what?! And we missed it?" Jazz asked over the radio.
"You were going to murder him," Yang pointed out, ignoring the comment.
"My last partner never hit me," Adam complained.
Yang snorted. "Sounds more and more to me like your last partner didn't do much of anything before betraying you."
They looked up as the building's alarm klaxons began to blare, red emergency lights flashing.
"If she were here instead of you, she wouldn't have triggered a security lockdown," Adam argued.
"Again," Yang countered, "you keep telling me what your old partner didn't or wouldn't do."
"As amusing as it is to have you two taking up the whole channel with your bickering, I'm really going to have to insist you get out of there!" Jazz reminded them.
And with that, they were off. They ran through the building as fast as they could, feet silently flashing across the floor. They were barely twenty-five feet from the stairs to the roof when they stopped.
Rounding the corner, they found themselves facing down an entire squad of SDC security personnel. They all had guns of unusual size, and were aiming them at the pair of infiltrators. None of them looked ready to negotiate.
"Freeze! Down on the ground!" their leader shouted. "There's nowhere to run," he added confidently.
Adam grabbed for his sword, but was stopped by Yang's hand on his arm. He turned to glare at her.
"Seriously? Right now?! You haven't let me get it out all night!" the faunus complained.
"We have our orders," the human reminded him.
"We have an advisement, and the situation has clearly changed," he argued.
"Not that clearly!" she shot back.
"Come on," he snarled. "Don't you get tired of holding back? Doesn't what they've done piss you off?"
Yes. The answer came unbidden to Yang's mind, along with a flash of the mass grave they'd found at Site 13 and the image of her fist wiping that smug look off the lead guard's face. She clenched her fist and mentally shook it off.
Before she could reply, though, she was interrupted by a cough.
They turned back and saw the leader of the security guards staring at them with a very vexed expression; well, at least that smug look was gone. "Excuse me, but are we interrupting something?" he asked sarcastically. "I said, 'freeze, down on the ground.' That means stop moving and lay down on the ground so we can cuff you. Did they not teach you animals manners in the mines?"
The woman looked like she was about to blow a gasket at that, and murderous intent seemed to start to overtake the man, but then the two froze. Like a pair of arrows loosed from bows, the two black clad individuals with the Grimm masks ran. After but a moment's hesitation, the squad of security guards followed.
There was a blast of concussive force, and the sound of a window shattering. Through the now open window, the two figures leapt. The security team ran up to the window, but there was... nothing.
Somehow, someway, the intruders had completely disappeared into thin air.
"Blast it," the leader of the guards cursed. "I hate ninjas. And now the White Fang's got them. Great, just… great."
He'd been watching them. The team, that is. Well, teams, technically, but somewhere along the line, he started seeing Team RWBY as part of his responsibility, almost as much as the rest of Team JNPR. It was probably around the time Professor Ozpin started calling them Team RRANNBW; that was a nice dramatic moment for his memory to latch onto.
After Oobleck's class dismissed, Ren and Nora were off to do Ren and Nora things, and Blake and Pyrrha were off to the simulators. Ruby's trajectory was toward the faculty offices, and Yang was off to the garage again. He wondered if he should talk to her -- that was an unhealthy amount of time to spend on one's car -- but maybe that was better left to her team leader and sister.
And that was totally not because he was afraid of getting his face punched in.
Weiss, though…
He followed the heiress and called out, "Weiss!" She paused, and he jogged a little to catch up to her. "Where are you going?" he asked, already suspecting the answer. The hallway they were in was otherwise empty, leading to other classrooms and the public restrooms. This late in the day, most people just went back to their dorms or down to the cafeteria instead if they needed to use the facilities.
"To the bathroom to wash my hands," she said. "They're… dirty."
Jaune reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"Hey!" she snapped. "Let go!"
"No, Weiss. Your hands are fine," he said, concerned. Then, he amended, "Well, not fine. You've been washing them raw." He brought their hands up in front of her face, and with his other hand, gently pried her fingers open. The palms of her hands were red. "See?"
"I don't need your help, Arc," she hissed, trying to yank her hand free. "See to your own team."
Jaune shook his head. "Ren and Nora don't need my help -- I think we all can figure out why -- and Blake and Pyrrha are helping each other. That leaves you and Ruby, and she's been talking to Ms. Goodwitch."
"And what about you, you dolt?" she fired back.
"I've... been polishing Crocea Mors a lot lately," he admitted.
Weiss's face softened. "Oh." Suddenly at a loss, she leaned into him, and Jaune wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, she just listened to his heartbeat. It was… comforting, and the feeling of his chest rising and falling against her as he breathed was oddly reassuring. Like a rock in a storm. He'd filled out a bit since the beginning of the semester, probably from all that training with Pyrrha. "How do you deal with it?" she asked quietly after a long moment.
"I just remember they tried to hurt the people I care about," he answered honestly. "Like you."
"And... that's enough?"
"It is for me," he said. "Dunno if it'll be enough for you; I've long ago given up trying to figure out how your mind works."
Weiss thumped her small fist into his chest. "Jerk," she muttered, though there was no heat in her voice.
"Listen," Jaune said, "I think, maybe, just trying to get back into the normal swing of things isn't working."
"Maybe not," Weiss agreed. "But what else can we do?"
"Why don't we do something different, go into town, have some fun?" he suggested. After a moment, his face flushed, and he hurriedly added, "I-I mean, not like a date or anything; with our teams, obviously; that totally came out wro-"
Weiss pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "No, actually…" she said hesitantly, "I think- I think a date might be just what I need. We're aiming for not normal, right?"
"I… I suppose so," he said. He looked down at her, concerned, then brought his right hand up to her chin, tilting her head up to look at him.
Weiss felt heat rising in her cheeks as she suddenly realized just how close their faces were; all he'd have to do is lean down and... "Jaune, wh-what are you-?" she stammered as he brushed his knuckles gently up her cheek. It sent shivers down her spine. Wait, why was he holding the back of his hand against her forehead? It was almost like he was checking for a fev- Her eyes widened. She wrenched out of his arms and glared at him furiously. "I am not sick, Jaune Arc!"
"Okay, okay, just checking!" he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "So, uh, I guess no date then, huh?"
"Oh, no, Arc," she said coldly. "You are not getting out of it that easily. Friday, seven sharp, my team's dorm."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"And at least try not to dress like a dope."
That was too much for him. "No promises!" he laughed.
"Ugh." She rolled her eyes, then whirled and stalked off.
"Well," he said to the empty hallway, "at least she seems to be feeling better. This is not how I expected to get a date with her."
Starscream had been having a wonderful time as he walked back in from his little talk with the little bird. The human had been interesting as well. The fact that she could create a ground bridge with… well, that was classified.
Still, properly hidden as this was, it could be very useful to him. It would be a way to finally get off world, and when the rest of the Decepticons saw that it was him, not Megatron, that rescued them, then they would declare him their new leader! Or, failing that, he would at least get a way to increase his standing to the point where he could use that as a jumping off point in his grand overarching plan to usurp Megatron. The other side project he'd started would certainly help if it came to that.
After all, it always paid to have backups, and for things to be set up so that you always won. It wasn't something that always could be accomplished, but they were definitely well sought after. He wouldn't let this opportunity slip through his fingers like so many others had before. It would all perfect this time.
These were the thoughts that slipped through his mind before Skywarp opened his big trap.
"Sir, something's come up."
"Of course it did," Starscream lamented sarcastically. "Let me guess, Superion has appeared and is heading straight for us?"
"Uh, no, there's been no reported sightings of any of the Aerialbots since before we left Cybertron," Skywarp said in confusion. "We've just got two issues to deal with at the moment. The first is that one of our energon trains has been stolen."
Starscream paused at that. "What? What do you mean one of our energon trains has been stolen from? How much energon did these thieves get away with?!"
"Oh, sorry, sir. I was unclear. They didn't steal the energon; they stole the train. Everything but the engine and one car."
Starscream felt his jaw go slack for the second time that day, but this time, he controlled it. It wouldn't do to look weak in front of the troops. "Do you know who did this?"
"Not exactly, sir. We did get footage, though."
At that, Skywarp hit a control for a nearby screen, and a video flashed on, showing the trailing end of a massive firefight between the drones that were supposed to be protecting the train, a bunch of green and grey suited humans, and some other third party that was out of view. Unsurprisingly, that chassis-kissing fool Lugnut had been unable to provide proper security.. The performance of his so called defensive measures was so bad that he was almost unsurprised when one of the Skygraspers carried the energon car away.
"Let me guess, you went back along the rail afterward and found that the rest of the train had been stolen too, right?" asked Starscream rhetorically.
"Uh, that's right, sir," Skywarp said. "How'd you guess? Was it because I said we still had the engine and one car?"
"Fool! I figured it out because I am a genius!" the Decepticon air commander declared. "It is clear that more work is needed to secure Sanus than previously thought. Thankfully, I already have a plan to prevent this from happening again."
"That's great to hear, sir," Skywarp said in relatively good cheer. "Oh, before I forget, Soundwave sent us a message about a break in at the SDC's Vale HQ. He said that since it's in our theater, it's our problem."
"Of course he did," Starscream scoffed. "Did he give any additional information?"
"The security report and a helmet camera picture of the intruders."
At Skywarp's command, the screen changed to show a pair of humans, a male and a female, dressed entirely in black concealing bodysuits save for the white Grimm masks that covered their eyes. There was not a single piece of skin to be seen.
"The White Fang, obviously," Starscream reasoned. "Anything else notable?"
"According to the report, the intruders were overheard saying that they had orders not to kill anyone. Oh, and they disappeared into thin air after jumping off the top of the building," Skywarp read off. "Which is, if I may say so, sir, pretty darn strange."
"It is, unless…" Cold dread overtook Starscream's spark along with the realization. "The Atlesians have betrayed us."
"Sir?" asked Skywarp.
"Think, you fool!" said Starscream. "Those were Atlesian Skygraspers stealing our train, and those weren't just any old pair of White Fang thugs raiding the SDC HQ; those were ninja!"
"Ninja?"
"Yes, ninja," said Starscream patronizingly. "And tell me, Skywarp, who has both Skygraspers and ninja in abundance?"
"The Atlesian military," Skywarp realized, optics widening.
"Ye-e-es. They must be seeking to undermine us somehow, but with two false flag attacks so close together, they are clearly working swiftly and with a great deal of planning. This will require a great deal of tact and a subtle touch to unravel this plot. I trust you can be discreet about this information?"
"Of course, sir!" Skywarp confirmed.
"Good," Starscream said with a smile. "Now, I'm going to need a little bit more of that discretion while you're helping me with a little science project I have planned with a guest."
"A guest, sir?" asked Skywarp. "Who? If you don't mind me asking?"
"Why, our ticket to fame and glory, of course!"
(V1E9: Confrontations | V1E10: Conversations with Killers | V1E11: Compatibility)
A/N1 (Cyclone): So, Team RRANNBW has a name (and trauma), the Autobots and White Fang have some intel, Jaune has a date, and Starscream has a theory (and a plan or three).
Poor Blake. We keep ragging on her here, and Yang doesn't even realize it.
Completely unrelated to any of this, certain people *glares* insist I share the misery of the punniest ship name I randomly came up with: "Xiao Long and Thanks for All the Fish," which naturally leads to "Dolphin."
A/N2 (Cody MacArthur Fett): Sorry to anyone who suffered neck damage from the mood whiplash this chapter. I regret to inform you that we have no means of compensating you for the inconvenience. We can only promise that such issues will continue in the future.
This chapter was a bit odd. It was done fairly quickly compared to other chapters, yes. However, due to the content we felt it was best to take some time to get some second opinions on how things worked out, especially with Ruby. Luckily, I happen to know someone who's been in combat a lot, and worked in the medical system after, so he knows death, and he was able to say that things looked pretty well done here. So there's a least one vote of confidence… yay for realistic reactions to death?
Next chapter will be a bit of an odd one as it will be mostly from the Decepticon side. I hope you like Starscream, because you're about to get more than your recommended daily dose.
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