Corruption (SalemxMaleReader)

Hello again!

A/N: Once more into the breach. Ready for another chapter?

"Oh."

Surprise and trepidation locked her limbs, keeping them still despite the cold feeling that encompassed her body that would have her shivering.

Though she may have pegged him friendly at first, that perception changed with her uncle Qrow's injury, and the culprit was the one right in front of her face.

"Hehe, did I make you speechless? We didn't exactly get to talk much thanks to mister Branwen who interrupted us. So, I gave him a little gift."

The gift he was referring to was, of course, stealing his flask so he'd stop drinking. But Weiss and Ruby knew better, he was talking about the leg injury he gave Qrow.

None of them spoke. Blake and Yang were ready to pounce this creepy stranger at a moment's notice, the only thing stopping them was how close he was to Ruby. Close enough that he'd possibly harm her the moment they so much as moved a muscle to help her.

Weiss was a fair distance away from her leader, but closer than Yang or Blake were. Her steeled eyes remained attached to the Herald standing on Crescent Rose. 

It would be folly to underestimate this individual, especially when even Qrow Branwen nearly didn't survive first contact with the Herald.

She slowly rotated the dust chamber on Myrtenaster, checking the remaining dust in it, as she contemplated on the possible ways she could get the Herald away from the team, from Ruby.

But for Ruby, who had talked with the Herald face to face in Emerald Forest and was warned several times of the severe danger that he alone posed, didn't know what to do now that he was this close to her.

That, and the fact that he was here means that the Grimm might not be so far behind to invade, ready at his beck and call. They could not take the chances. 

Ruby had to say something, anything to ease the tension, to get her body moving, and get away from him.

The police sirens in the long distance resounded through the battle-scarred street, the silence fueling the tension between team RWBY and the Herald.

He simply stood there in new clothes, head tilted slightly, which Weiss noticed. Ruby still continued to look at him, unable to look away but can somewhat move. 

No sudden movements.

"W-what do you want?" Ruby stuttered, trying to muster up as much courage as she could in this situation. 

"Finally, I was beginning to wonder when you'd speak up," the Herald clapped his hands together with a cheery voice.

"As for what I'm doing here," he hummed with his head tilted. "I simply wanted to get a closer look at you for a bit. And your team, too."