RWBY: Siblings Three (Malereader)

Destiny

"Chris Jarson, nicknamed Black Badger. I hate the name Jarson and Chris sucks just as much." Y/n muttered, flipping through the file. He sat with his back to a rusted metal wall somewhere in the depths of the airship's underbelly, the stolen file spread out in front of him and illuminated only by the soft glow of his scroll. His fingers flipped through page after page, each one more damning than the last.

"Black Badger, huh?" He muttered again, squinting at a faded photo clipped to one page. A man in his mid-thirties, dark hair, hardened features, and eyes that seemed far too familiar. The resemblance was unmistakable.

The documents detailed a long list of crimes. Smuggling, espionage, and association with the White Fang and...

"Disgusting bastard." Y/n scowled, clenching the page tighter as his jaw tensed his fist tightening around the paper. "So this is the guy Ironwood says is my real dad? No wonder he thinks I'm some kind of walking red flag."

Y/n tossed the file aside, irritation flooding through him as he leaned back against the cold wall, letting the moment sink in. The reality of his parentage was a slap in the face, someone with a history steeped in crime, smuggling, and shady dealings. "Whatever, I have better things to do."

"This has gone to hell, Ironwood pretty much confirmed Salem is real and Ozpin is Ozma. Valerie's the one that brought up the name, Roman probably doesn't even know anything...I'm such an idiot."

Y/n buried his face in his hands, the weight of everything crashing down at once. Salem was real. Ozpin was hiding the truth. Ironwood had nearly executed him for knowing too much. And now, on top of it all, his biological father was a notorious criminal the military still had flagged as an ongoing threat.

"Oh God, how do I make up for breaking into Atlas's military files?" Y/n sat there for a long moment, hands gripping his hair, as his mind raced through the implications of everything he'd learned. He had broken into Atlas's files and stolen classified intelligence no small feat, and now he was tangled up in a web of lies, conspiracy, and blood ties that made everything feel ten times worse.

His life was a mess, and the more he dug into it, the more he realized there might be no way to fix it.

"Maybe I should run away." Y/n muttered, leaning back against the cold, rusted wall. "Ugh, that doesn't even sound right in my voice."

He rubbed his temples, trying to think straight. "You need a plan," he muttered to himself. "A real one, not just some desperate escape I don't want Ruby seeing me locked up, I don't want to see me locked up."

A low hum buzzed through the walls of the airship, the kind of ever-present background noise you stop noticing until everything else is silent. Y/n's eyes stayed on the file lying open on the floor, the photo of Black Badger staring up at him like a ghost. He couldn't deny the resemblance. He hated that he couldn't deny it.

Y/n let his head fall back against the wall with a dull thunk, his thoughts spiraling as fast as the panic building in his chest. The shadows in the cramped room seemed to close in around him, like the weight of everything was finally catching up.

"Okay, okay... think, dammit," He muttered, tapping his temple. "You're not gonna rot in a cell, you're not gonna be some tragic family legacy repeat. You've been surviving this long, figure it out."

"Maybe catching Valerie could buy me some years out of prison. How long would I go to prison for military documents? Yeah, right go bounty hunter." Y/n muttered, slamming his fist onto the bright red button, sounding an alarm and red lights as the cargo bay door open up in front of him. "I have to find her first."

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"Big Sis! Big Sis!" A young boy with short white hair wearing a black suit jumped into Valerie's arms.

Valerie caught the boy with ease, setting him down with a smirk. "If you're here your twin can't be far, where is she?" Valerie's eyes gleamed as she tilted her head causing a bullet to whiz past her and ignite the wall with a spark. "You'll have to do better than that, Ashley."

A young girl with short black hair wearing a white suit, stood behind the two her gun still in hand. "Shut up. Ashton you were supposed to distract her."

Ashton pouted, looking up at his twin. "I did distract her! You missed!"

Valerie chuckled, a low, almost melodic sound that echoed in the narrow hallway. "You both have a long way to go if you think that's going to work on me." She stepped forward, keeping one eye on the girl, Ashley, whose finger was still hovering near the trigger. "Why are you too here anyway."

"Father sent us, since you failed to convince our brother to come home, twice." Ashley smirked, hiding her pistol in her suit.

"Yeah, he's slippery. I didn't expect he'd refuse the initial offer, not like he has much here." Valerie sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Still, I figured he'd come around quickly."

Ashton tilted his head, eyes flickering with curiosity. "So... what now? Do we grab him by force? Or are we still trying the whole 'guilt-trip big bro into joining the family' strategy?"

"No, I have a plan."

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Back in the Colosseum, people are back in the stands cheering and ready for entertainment as Ruby descends down the steps to an open seat. Despite everything that's happened, she's smiling widely, looking around at the assembled crowds until her wide eyes see a familiar, face on the other side of the arena.

"Emerald's... here?" Ruby frowned.

As if sensing she's being watched, Emerald leans forward to glare at Ruby, who suddenly gets up with a worried expression and runs towards the exit tunnel. Checking to see if no one's around, she enters a door labeled with a yellow maintenance sign and finds herself inside of the Colosseum.

She walks forward with determination as the announcers' voices are heard, muffled behind the brick walls.

"All right, it's now time to begin the randomization process for our next fight!"

The sound of the roulette is heard faintly, but what makes Ruby stop in her tracks is the sight of another unexpected 'friend' stepping out from a nearby tunnel, completely unharmed and definitely not going home. "Mercury?" Ruby squinted, seeing if she had the right person.

"Polarity versus metal. That could be bad.

Ruby glares at her Mercury, reaching back to grab Crescent Rose, only to remember she doesn't have it on her. Mercury simply grins maliciously and sets himself up in a fighting pose.

Outside, the arena's center is lifting into the air, and an oblivious Penny is grinning wildly, with her fellow redhead Nora cheering excitedly from the stands, even getting Ren to let out a reluctant "Yaaay..."

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