An Alternate Alien Fantasy Adventure: RWBY ch.7 by S-P-O-D-E on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Chapter 7: Death of a Good Man

“Yang…” Ruby sat in her chair, poking at her sister’s cheek, “are you still mad at me?”

Yang responded by folding her arms, and turning her face away while sitting on her bed pouting. It was worth wondering whether she would’ve gotten into this mess in the first place if she hadn’t run into Ruby and her little girlfriend Weiss. The layers of bandages folding all over her forehead made it feel like there was an anvil placed on her neck. The soft pillow from behind did help cushion it, making it feel much more bearable.

“Come on, Yang, please talk to me… I have comics…”

“Ruby, I’m not going to let you sweet talk and bribe me again, not this time.”

“Aw…”

Yang paused briefly.

“What issue is that?”

“Oh? It’s the latest Yellow Jacket issue. They even have it in hardback, can you believe it?”

“Holy crap, really? Gimme, gimme!” Yang yanked it out of Ruby’s grasps, “I’ve been waiting for the final battle all month. How is she going to beat Dark Smoke? I bet by punching a bunch of times. HEYA!”

Ruby burst out laughing, facepalming herself:

“You have got to stop quoting these comics. You’re embarrassing me.”

“Shh! Quiet you two,” Weiss cried out, holding the remote for the hospital’s television, turning the volume up to max.

[… a shocking turn of events unfolded during the attack on Beacon Academy as renowned crime lord Godfather Roman Torchwick inexplicably turned himself into the authority without any prompting. Local police forces are doing their best to suppress the massive riots and protests being held outside the facility Torchwick is being held. It is expected the crime lord will be transported to a maximum-security prison for further questioning and interrogation in hopes of bringing down the Torchwick family’s current underground operation. Councilman Henry Marigold here to give us more details on the situation. Go ahead, Henry, thank you for coming onto our program…]

[… well, thank you for having me. And it’s true. It is a delicate situation with all the protests going on all around the police precinct. These are passionate cries from the people who were and are being wronged by these heinous criminal activities, these underground crime networks, the loan sharks, the territories. And make no mistake about it, we will do everything in our power to bring all of it to justice, as directly ordered by the President himself. You’ve seen how vigilant our President has been in response to the pirates coming from the southern sea…]

[And you’re saying that the President will take swift measures to ensure this criminal is to be brought to the court? And that a just sentence is to be handed out to the appropriate party?]

[… well, what I would suggest to you and all the viewers on your program is to tune into this afternoon when President Adamantine makes an appearance at Fort Ferro to give a speech concerning the current situation. These things will still take time, we still have a lengthy process we need to go through. Otherwise, this country would be in ruins.]

[And rightly so. Thank you so much, Councilman Marigold for being on the program…]

“So that’s it, huh?” Said Yang. “It’s over then? Just like that?”

“Yang…” Ruby reached out to her sister.

“Maybe… maybe this won’t be so bad after all,” said Yang. “At least all of his operation will be put to rest. I wanted to be the one to ask him about… her whereabouts. But I guess… I guess if the police are opening an investigation, then there’d be very few secrets Roman could hide. Including everything and everybody he knows.”

“Our work here isn’t done,” Weiss said decisively. “Roman has his lieutenants, there is a hierarchy and a system in place here that goes incredibly deep. This is far from over.”

“Aw, come on, cheer up, Weiss,” said Ruby. “And let’s celebrate these small victories, one day at a time.”

“You call this a victory, I say this is a scheme.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you find it suspicious?” Said Weiss. “That the man here just suddenly turns himself in out of the blue? Especially after how you of all people exposed him to the world just a mere few days ago.”

“Now that you mention it…” Ruby tapped her chin.

“We must entertain the possibility of this being a massive con,” said Weiss. “He’s playing something. I just know it.”

“Try switching to a different station,” Yang pointed her finger. “I think there might be a live broadcast right on the scene on channel six.”

Weiss nodded her head and pressed the button to change the channel. Unfortunately, they unexpectedly dove straight into a heated debate between a news anchor and his guest.

[… let me break it down for you, Melone. Because this is absolutely unprecedented that a model citizen of Vale is getting a national level threat priority in place of actual criminals and terrorists like that of the White Fang…]

[… I wouldn’t exactly call a mobster, head of one of the crime families, a model citizen.]

[… Fact of the matter is, Roman Torchwick has been an absolute boon to the economy and local communities. With his casinos on the side providing good jobs for good people, helping unemployment rate, while himself personally out there to help in relief efforts for victims decimated by Grimm attacks and other natural disasters. Compare that to the White Fangs, many of whom aren’t even citizens of this country, and yet are still terrorizing its people and their businesses. So I ask, where is the justice in that? Why are we going out of our way to condemn a man who has actively tried to help these communities defend themselves against terrorism? And another thing…]

[… well it seems like that’s all the time we have for today, thank you for coming onto our program and…]

“Can you believe these people?” Said Yang. “Defending a criminal? What has this world gone to?”

“I mean… to be fair, Roman did help out those people, did he not? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not defending him here, but… there are families out there who are probably thankful for their protection.”

“The mob protection business is a nasty one,” said Weiss. “Besides, he’s only doing so to help his own self-image, Ruby. The goal of these mobsters is to create this romanticized view of themselves, to make them seem like these noble lawless gunslingers. But they’re criminals. And that’s a fact.”

“I suppose… yeah…”

[… wait, hold on… I’m getting something…]

The news anchor unexpectedly pulled away, listening into his earpiece, which caught Weiss’s eyes.

[We have just got word from our reporter Viola Grey now on the scene of the protest, it looks like she’s managed to get some footage of the crime lord being escorted from his holding cell as we speak. Take it away, Viola…]

The news report immediately cut to a scene right in front of the police station, hundreds of people scrambling from behind the steel barricades and officers blocking them from overrunning the premise. And at the front there the reporter leaned forward over the chaos with a microphone in her hand – aiming it directly at the crime lord being hauled away in handcuffs from the facility.

[… Mister Torchwick, care to comment on the police investigation on your underground operations? Will you be taking full responsibility for your colleagues’ actions? Or would you like to start giving the people some names?]

[HEY! Get back!]

And to everyone’s surprise – Roman replied:

[I will not be answering any questions right now. But let it be known – there are families being held against their will, and they will continue to suffer unless you listen to my demands.]

[And what would those demands be?]

[Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to take a step back.]

And Roman responded with a smirk:

[Bring me the Red Rider girl, the one on the news. Bring me Ruby Rose.]

And thus, the very moment those words were uttered from his lips, Valean police forces vigorously barged into the hospital, armed to the teeth with rifles and armors. In the front leading them all was the man himself, standing there in his old olive uniform and silver medals pinned on his chest – General Ozpin.

“So much for retirement I suppose,” Ozpin joked. “I talked to the President, and he specifically asked me to open up this old war horse. I haven’t worn this since I fought pirates in the South all those years ago.”

Ruby and Ozpin sat there across each other within the armored vehicle, slowly making its way towards their destination, the maximum-security prison Fort Ferro. Accompanying them were two police officers, sitting in the front of the vehicle behind a wall of glass and some metal bars. Ruby suspected this truck to be used often to transport prisoners, or in some other cases, high priority government officials.

“I can’t believe the President went through with it just like that,” Ruby snapped her fingers. “Why would he allow me, some civilian girl, to be involved in this high-profile case?”

“It was mostly under my suggestion,” said Ozpin. “But Orry had considered the possibility ever since Roman turned himself in. He’s a very smart man, he knows you are a high value target for the Torchwicks. And it is a delicate situation, with Sumire being under great tension between southern pirates and Grimm attacks from Mt. Glenn, he figured that’s what Roman meant in that interview.”

“I don’t follow.”

“It’s likely Roman wasn’t actually referring to the Torchwicks literally holding these families as hostages,” Ozpin explained. “Roman has always cared about his own reputation, always positioning himself to take credit for these relief efforts. What he most likely meant was that if the President were to send troops down to Sumire to help the situation, these families will surely be put in danger by the Grimm or pirates. Not because the Torchwicks handed the families over to the monsters on purpose, but more because they nudged them there. Not fully throwing them under the bus, but just a light tap.”

“But then why would he make it seem like his crime family are the ones holding these families hostage?” Ruby asked. “Wouldn’t it help his reputation if he actually comes clean and cooperate with the President?”

“It’s a power move, Ruby. He wants the President and the people to know he’s in charge. And he technically never explicitly said the Torchwicks are the ones directly keeping these families in their grasps. I think that was on purpose, to have the media fight over itself on what he actually meant in his little interview.”

“But still, his reputation…”

“It seems like he’s perfectly content with his family getting mixed reactions. He doesn’t need to be a saint, but he doesn’t have to be a demon either.”

“Let me ask you this then, Professor. Why don’t you go in there instead of me? Why are we even complying to his demands?”

“You know this man, yes? You’ve been following him and tracking his movements for a long time. You know how he seemingly possesses certain… abilities shall we call it, despite being a seemingly normal human with little combat training. He’s a magician, and the Torchwick hierarchy goes deep. It’s possible he’s communicating with his goons right now as we speak, perhaps by coded messages through the news stations. Every appearance on television is worth something, and now that he has all of Vale’s eyes on him, he can definitely still communicate. Make no mistake, this whole stunt is no doubt calculated on his part – and Orry knows this. Orry won’t take unnecessary risks unless he has to, one of those risks is wasting efforts and resources sending troops down there anyway to go on a wild goose chase. Roman is slippery, and that goes for the rest of his goons, they can easily relocate themselves and the families if the need arises. To Orry there is no shame in complying with a criminal’s demands, especially when said criminal is already locked up somewhere.”

“You seem rather close to the President,” Ruby grinned.

“Ah, yes. Him and I, we go way back. I know Orry, and I know how he thinks.”

“I just hope he’s right about this. About letting me in there alone with him, with no camera, no escort.”

“The President knows all about your strengths and weaknesses, too. I told him all about it, after all. Just follow the plan, and you’ll do fine.”

Fort Ferro was one of the most powerful prisons in all of Vale, a towering building surrounded by two separate circles of walls, with each circle spanning one and half miles away from one another. Thus, in a hypothetical prison break, in order to escape, one must be able to run this entire length, passing two impenetrable concrete walls to reach the other side. It was often impossible to conduct business with the prison without the aid of transport vehicles of some kind. In addition to the absurd length of these grassy fields, there seemed to also be booby traps lying everywhere across the fields. Land minds perhaps, or just simple tripwires or bear traps.

The facility was a three-story building, famous for housing the most deprived and disgusting scum mother nature could spit out from the earth. Even the monsters and animals created by Spring would be horrified of how far these beasts would go. Some of them were literal beasts as well, as the facility was often in partnerships to science laboratories who aimed to study the creatures of Grimm. So, housing some of those monsters (the ones small enough to be contained) in this massive maximum security prison made sense.

Entering through into the front door alone gave Ruby an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia. But more alarming however was the map of the building’s layout smacking right into her eyes the moment she stepped through, being escorted by the other guards.

As it turned out, this wasn’t exactly a three-story building, but instead a five-story one, with two additional floors being built underground, making the facility much more intricate and complex. No doubt to discourage any prison break attempt.

But of course, Ruby wasn’t exactly here as a tourist, so she never really managed to get a good look at the place, never an opportunity to even meet the faces of the other prisoners there. The prison guards and police officers escorted her straight down towards the elevator, and they were descending straight to the bottom floor. No doubt the most secure place in the whole facility. Or perhaps that was just merely where their interrogation room was.

Just as Roman demanded, Ruby was to enter the interrogation room alone. As such Ozpin opted to stay behind in the armored vehicle outside the building.

Once the guards escorted her through multiple corridors and hallways, many of them began stepping back and away from the group the closer they were to the final destination. Ruby was soon to be by her lonesome self. She would’ve definitely felt more at ease if she had her Crescent Rose with her.

But it was all part of the plan, and she needed to stick to it.

Once they arrived at the final corridor, the last of the guard pointed her down to the metal door down the hall. It was instructed that she was to be in there for no more than twenty minutes, according to the agreement between Roman and the President himself. The room will be a square concrete soundproof room with no windows, no glass screens, no cameras of any kind. Only a single table and two chairs inside, and of course, the crime lord himself Godfather Torchwick.

Ruby nodded her head, and proceeded down the hall. Still not feeling entirely confident, she readjusted her gloves and tightened up her cloak to make herself feel more at ease. She knew for a fact she would be safe against this crime lord. He was unarmed, and she was trained extensively in combat for most of her life.

So why…

Why did the twinge of fear still linger within?

The answer to that question will have to wait, because the moment she flung the door wide open was the moment her eyes laid upon the most absurd sight she had ever seen. Her face turned red from the blushing, matching the color of her hood, and Roman Torchwick just sat there with this cavalier smile, unconcerned of the fact that he was buck naked.

“WHOA!” Ruby cried, covering her face. “What in Seasons’ names? What? Wh… why? How?”

“Apologies for the… inconvenience, little Red,” Roman smirked. “But as you can clearly see, I am not armed. You could say that I should be arrested for indecent exposure… but… eh, a little late for that I suppose. Not to worry, for there is a thin layer of tissue paper covering my privates. They say they do not trust me with even so much as a towel. And I don’t blame them.”

“I can’t believe I have to deal with this,” said Ruby, still partially covering her eyes. Only now seeing how he was handcuffed right down onto the surface of the table.

“Firstly, before anything else. Have you complied to my demands? How do I know we’re not being watched?”

Ruby stared into his devilish green eyes, knowing beforehand this was coming. So she reached beneath into her grey shirt and pulled out not just one, but two hidden recording devices that were expertly strapped onto her body. Pulling on the wires and tiny microphones, she yanked it out, slammed them onto the ground and stomped on them as thoroughly as she could.

“The second one is there as a courtesy of the President, in case you have questions after I pull out the first one,” Ruby explained. “Or so I was told. They spent five thousand Lien on the equipment just so I can smash them to bits. So rest assured, the President is being earnest.”

“Ah, good ol’ Orry,” Roman shrugged, “then I guess that’s good enough for me. Have a seat, Red. It’s been too long, too long I say.”

“We met just a few days ago,” Ruby said as she pulled back the chair.

“How’s your dad, Little Red?” Roman smirked. “I heard he had to bail you out of jail after the… incident.”

“He’s a smart man, Mister Torchwick. He knows what I’ve gotten myself involved in.”

“And he approves?”

“That’s none of your business. All you need to know is that he knows how to lay low from your goons and stay out of sight.”

“I am shocked you think so little of me, Red. I don’t want to hurt your father. The same goes with that sister of yours, too. Going after your father of all people would just put a massive dent in my organization. I know how strong he is.”

“Then… what do you want exactly? Why did you call me all the way out here?”

“I just want to talk is all. Can’t old friends meet up and chat once in a shattered blue moon? You did after all… heed my warning, last time we met, did you not?”

“I heard what you said, yes. You threatened me with your quote unquote invincibility. Whatever that means.”

“And I still mean every word I said. And that means we’re friends now, yeah? Friends must challenge each other, push one another to improve, to our limits. Do you have any friends, Red?”

Ruby was taken aback by this, but continued to answer earnestly:

“Not many at the moment. School hasn’t exactly started, yet.”

“That’s a shame. Because I had a lot of friends. Do you know Daiyamon? Mikado S. Daiyamon is his full name.”

Ruby shook her head.

“Oh? But I thought you would know him. You sure you don’t remember meeting him? After all… you shot him down like a dog on the street, without a care in the world.”

Ruby sat there widening her eyes, stunned as Roman’s cavalier smile disappeared entirely. Replaced with a dark sparkling resolve.

“Those men were good men,” he said. “And they were my friends.”

“You… you guys are a bunch of criminals.”

“Is that what you think is all we are? Do you think all we do is murder, steal, drug deal, and all sorts of other depravity the media often portrays in movies? I’ll have you know Daiyamon was an actual veteran who was unfairly discharged from Sumire with the highest dishonor.”

“Why? What did he do?”

“One simple reason – he disobeyed a direct order from a superior officer, because he did not want to bear arms. He joined the military as a combat medic, but it was common practice for medics to train in weaponry for self-defense purposes – I’m sure you’re well aware. He was a pacifist, a member of the Spring branch of the Church, who was taught that taking a life was immoral. And what was his reward for following his righteous teachings? A life full of debt, incapable of applying housings, for jobs, with his wife divorcing him, making him nearly want to kill himself out of grief.”

Ruby remained silent, listening on to Roman’s somber expression.

“He was in a bad place before we took him in,” he said. “We treated him like family and…” Roman sighed, “he treated me like a brother.”

“You say he was a good friend of yours, and yet you had no qualms in placing bombs inside his body?”

“You think I would’ve actually killed any of my men on purpose?” He leaned forward, almost insulted. “The bombs weren’t for my own sake, they were there to make sure the cops or the Huntsmen couldn’t trace their genes back to their families. I would never force them to work for… tch… they were my friends.”

“Justify it all you want, it doesn’t change a single thing.”

“You’re right… it doesn’t. Because those men were good people. They helped protect the cities from Grimm and pirate invasions. Something your friend the President doesn’t actually want you to know. Yeah, I said it, it was never just because of the military that Vale is able to prosper and be safe. Those councilmen in Orry’s office, those yes-men, they won’t admit it, but they’ve made their fair share of collaborations with the mobsters of this kingdom.”

“No…”

“That’s the truth.”

“Why… why would you or any of your goons want to protect this kingdom at all?”

“Because this is our home, too. These people have families here, friends and loved ones to protect. And fact of the matter is you murdered them all with that goddamn sniper rifle of yours.”

Ruby’s brain almost instinctively shut down from the numb sensation penetrating her mind. She had never paused on these kinds of things before. But now… to hear it coming from a crime lord of all people…

Roman shook his head, sighing:

“I’m not here to pin this all on you, Little Red. That’s not why I brought you here.”

“Then what’s the real reason?”

“I brought you here because that Ozpin friend of yours couldn’t help himself but recruit another young talent to mentor under his wing. It’s obvious that’s what he’s doing with you.”

“How did you…”

“I know a lot of things, Red. I have eyes and ears everywhere. And from here I can see your optimism clear as day. It’s the exact type that Professor Oz is always looking for. That’s what I want to warn you about, getting yourself involved with Oz. We’ve been playing this game for a long time now. I know his moves.”

“You think this is a game?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. So I am giving you my third and final warning. Step away now before it is too late.”

“I… I…”

“Don’t believe me? Go look outside. Our twenty minutes is up anyway, so go. Go outside and see what I am capable of.”

Alarm bells began to ring violently inside Ruby’s mind, flashing multiple red flags everywhere. But she could not understand the reason why. Why?

Why did it feel as if Roman was still as powerful as ever even with shackles and chains restraining him? What exactly made him so dangerous?

Ruby feared that once she stepped outside, she would find her answer.

And that was probably the worst part.

Regardless, she stood up and turned her back, violently swinging the heavy metal door open and sprinted outside. To her absolute shock, the guards who escorted her here were nowhere to be seen. Something was wrong.

She dashed forward to where she first entered, walking up a small flight of stairs before reaching the elevator. She noticed that it wasn’t just one or two guards who were gone – it was all of them.

She smashed the buttons on the elevator, anxious and restless at how slow the door was closing. But fortunately, the upward travel speed was fast enough to get there in time.

Dashing out into the front entrance, and she could see the soldiers and guards all in chaos around the armored vehicle. With Professor Ozpin popping his head out of the back of the truck, staring towards in the distant walls where they came from.

“Professor!” Ruby called out, running towards him.

“Ruby, thank Spring, you’re here, where were you?”

“What do you mean? I was only gone for twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes?” One of the soldiers cried out, “The prison guards have been trying to keep the crowds at the entrance in order since noon. It’s mayhem out there.”

“Ruby,” said Ozpin, “it’s the afternoon.”

“WHAT?”

“EVERYBODY! Check your scroll! Look up the Presidential speech.”

They all immediately complied and pulled up the news report, having it stream on their scrolls. And to their absolute horror was the blurry video footage of the President falling over to his knees behind the podium as he was giving his afternoon speech. With the headline of the news running beneath in massive bold letters:

WHO SHOT PRESIDENT ADAMANTINE?