Underneath The Shattered Moon [RWBY X OC]

Chapter 18 [End of VOLUME 1]

The air at the docks was thick with tension, punctuated only by the rhythmic hum of police sirens in the distance. Five figures sat huddled together on a stack of crates, their silence a stark contrast to the whirlwind of emotions swirling within them.

"Look Weiss," Ruby blurted, her voice a flurry of nervous energy, "it's not what you think. Aebelle explained everything. See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she has kitty ears, and they're actually kind of cute..."

Weiss barely glanced at Ruby, her gaze locked on Blake, her expression unreadable.

"Weiss," Blake said calmly, her voice a soothing balm against the storm brewing before them, "I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the—"

"Stop!" Weiss's voice cut through the air, sharp and cold. "Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you? Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided..."

Yang, Sun, and Ruby exchanged worried glances.

"I don't care."

Blake's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't care?"

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?" Weiss pressed, her gaze unwavering.

"No, I—I haven't been since I was younger—"

"Ah-bahp-bahp-bahp!" Weiss cut her off, her voice rising an octave. "I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up... you'll come to your teammates. And not some... (her eyes darted to Sun, catching herself before she finished the sentence) Someone else."

Blake smiled faintly, her eyes meeting Ruby and Yang's, who were both grinning at her. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Of course."

Weiss nodded, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. The tension eased for a moment, a fragile peace settling over the group. Then, Ruby erupted in a flurry of exclamations.

"Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!"

"Yay!" Aebelle chirped, a bright smile illuminating her face.

"I'm still not quite sure about how I feel about you!" Weiss declared, her finger pointed accusingly at Sun, who laughed nervously.

"Hey, wait a minute," Ruby said, looking around, "Where's Penny?"

From the darkened backseat of a limousine, Penny watched the reunited group, a shadow of sadness cloaking her features.

"You should know better than to go running around in a strange city," a voice said from the driver's seat.

Penny lowered her head, her voice a barely audible whisper. "I know, sir."

"Penny, your time will come..." the voice said as the limousine pulled away, leaving the docks behind.

Back at Beacon Academy, as the group walked towards their dorm, Blake turned to Aebelle, her concern evident.

"Aebelle, is your wound alright? It was so deep, almost fatal."

"Huh? Oh, right. It's gone," Aebelle said nonchalantly, brushing off Blake's concern.

"Gone?" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief, "But how? Who was that girl who attacked you?"

"I don't know," Aebelle replied, her brow furrowed in thought. "All I know is that she was the one who kidnapped me. She even mentioned something about my heirloom sending me to Remnant."

Aebelle reached up and touched the key necklace around her neck. "This is an heirloom?"

"I saw her use black dust," Blake interjected, her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Black dust? But that shouldn't exist!" Weiss exclaimed, her voice sharp with disbelief.

"I think she made it," Aebelle said, her tone serious, "To kill me."

Yang's jaw dropped. "You? What does a sweet summer child like you do to a creepy girl like her?"

"That's the thing," Aebelle said, shaking her head, "I don't know! She said I ruined her future, her life. But I never recall any of that!"

The air hung heavy with unanswered questions, the mystery of the black dust and the reason behind the attack looming over them, shrouded in a darkness that promised to be anything but easy to dispel.

The moon, a silver eye in the indigo sky, cast long shadows across the sprawling grounds of Beacon Academy. Inside a cavernous warehouse, bathed in a dim, almost sinister light, Roman Torchwick paced impatiently, a case of shimmering, ruby-red crystals clutched in his gloved hands.

"More, more, more!" he muttered, frustration edging into his voice. "Those damn White Fang are useless. I practically have to hold their paws to get them to do anything."

He threw the case onto a table with a resounding thud. The sound echoed through the silent warehouse, bouncing off the towering stacks of crates and barrels that lined the walls.

Just then, a chill swept through the room, a whisper of malice that slithered through the shadows. Roman froze, fear prickling his skin.

"How very disappointing, Roman," a silky voice, laced with venomous amusement, slithered from the darkness.

Roman's grin, usually as wide as a predator's, faltered. "Cinder," he managed to choke out, spinning around with a flourish, the fear in his eyes betraying his bravado. "Didn't expect to see you so soon."

A pair of eyes, blazing with yellow fire, materialized from the gloom, followed by a cascade of luxurious, raven-black hair. Cinder Fall, stepped into the light, a flicker of icy power radiating from her. Her two companions, a stoic, gray-haired man and a tanned, mint-haired woman, followed closely behind.

"We were expecting… more from you," Cinder purred, her voice a siren's call, promising both pleasure and pain.

Roman, trying to regain his composure, scoffed. "Hey, you were the ones who suggested working with those stupid mutts! The White Fang are nothing but a bunch of overzealous, idealistic-"

"And you will continue to do so," Cinder interrupted, dismissing his protests with a dismissive wave. A ball of fire, crackling with raw power, materialized in her hand, casting a dangerous glow upon her face.

"We have big plans for you, Roman. All we ask is… a little cooperation."

From the shadows, Charmaine stepped forward, a predatory smile curling her lips. With a swift, fluid motion, she pulled a handful of crimson crystals from her cloak and hurled them towards Cinder.

Cinder caught them with a graceful sweep of her hand, her eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating amusement.

The camera lingered on Cinder's cruel smile, a chilling promise of the darkness to come, before cutting to black.