"FROM ASHES AND CINDER' (A RWBY Fanfic)

Chapter 4: "Scarlet"

Chapter 4: "Scarlet"

As Scarlet sat down on her chair in front of the large computer screen before her, she couldn't help but feel anxious about the whereabouts of her partner... Pissed off, even.

"Oh, come on! Where the heck is he?! It's been an hour since he went radio silent! Come on, Rev. Where are you--."

"BOO!"

Scarlet jumped and screamed at the top of her lungs as she turned around and pointed a gun at whoever's behind her and open fired, only to discover it was her partner. The shot missed its mark and simply dented a nearby wall.

"Screw you! Could you please not do THAT?!" Scarlet exclaimed.

"Come on... You love jumpscares, don't you?" The Revenant replied with a chuckle.

"Not when it's on me, you know! Geez, I could've shot you, ya know?!" Scarlet exclaimed in annoyance.

"Yet, you missed. Thankfully."

"Whatever."

Scarlet simply flashed her middle finger at her partner, which only made him chuckle.

"Happy to see me?" The Revenant asked.

"I'm just glad you're back in one piece, that's all," Scarlet said as she smiled and welcomed The Revenant with a hug, which the vigilante reciprocated.

"Thanks. Glad I've got you to watch my back."

"Heh. You wouldn't even last in a warzone for a day without me!"

"Heh. I guess so," The Revenant replied to Scarlet. "So, have you pulled up any info on where the source of the faunus trafficking comes from?"

"Yup. Got a few contacts from here and there to spill some beans to me. They all pointed towards one man... I'm pretty sure you know who."

Scarlet then pulled up an image of the primary suspect...

He had a formally styled white mane with ice blue eyes and a white mustache. His skin was pale, and he wore a white trench coat with an inner white suit. He held himself in a manner that just screamed "high class," with a touch of pride to boot.

"Jacques Schnee; current owner of the Schnee Dust Company, and king of the rich assholes. He's our guy, alright," Scarlet replied.

"Well, the SDC freights I found those faunus from last time don't lie. Thankfully, I was able to take out the assholes in charge of the operation. They were working for a bigger asshole after all," The Revenant replied.

"Those guys you took out earlier tonight were paid by JS himself, after all. Here's some footage," Scarlet said as she pulled up some video footage of the "transaction."

It showed the various thugs and their bosses conversing with Jacques Schnee and his personal armed guards. Although not that noticeable, some cages containing various faunus could be seen in the far upper right corner of the screen. This made The Revenant's fists clench as he tried to contain his rage at the sight of the corrupt businessman as he stood and made his deals with the armed thugs.

"Hey, Rev..." Scarlet said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "We'll get him, okay?"

"...Thanks," The Revenant replied. "Well, now that we've got more than enough info and proof about this son of a bitch's dealings, we can basically cut away at him like cake. Hmm... Now that reminds me, is the cake from the bakery still in the fridge?"

"Yup! Told ya I'm not a Glutton!" Scarlet replied to her partner.

"Thanks, Scarlet. Go get some rest, partner. You're gonna need it for tomorrow."

"What about you?" Scarlet asked The Revenant. "You'll need that too, ya know."

"I'm a revenant, remember? I don't need sleep," he replied to Scarlet. "Besides, at least one of us needs to be up to look after this place."

"Ya sure? You've been going all out these past few days. Don't you at least need a break?"

"Nah. I'm good. Besides, you're the one who's purely human between the two of us. You're the one who'll really need it."

"Okay... Well, just... Just don't mess up anything while I'm asleep. Okay?" Scarlet said.

"I'll be sure to take note of that, partner. Anyhow, I'm gonna go grab a slice of cake for now," The Revenant said as he went to the kitchen.
"Okay... Good night, Rev."

As Scarlet went into her room to sleep, she couldn't help but think about her partner's well-being. Sure, he's a revenant, but he's still a human being nonetheless.

Scarlet knows it's natural for her partner to always be this hardcore when it comes to his cause to "rid the streets of crime," but a part of her is always worried about him.

So far, the only thing she knows about her partner is that he lost his parents to assassins. This caused him to develop a strong hatred against crime. Although his face is hidden behind a black and white skull helmet, and he always jokes around (sadistically even) about killing crooks...

Scarlet knows that deep down, he's just a man who lost his family...

A man who just wants justice for the wrongs done against his family...

As scarlet lay down on her bed and began to turn on her night light to sleep, she muttered a few words as a promise...

"Don't worry, Rev. I'll help you complete your mission. I've got your back."