D-RWBY: Volume 2

No Brakes

A blinding yellow light erupted in the darkness, illuminating the face of a sleeping Daniel. Within the light, a vision unfolded—a fragmented memory of a time yet to come. Daniel stood transformed into a terrifying new form, his aura crackling with raw power. Beside him, Dark recoiled in horror, his usual confidence replaced by primal fear.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGHHHHH...!!!!!" Daniel's roar echoed through the vision, followed by a cataclysmic explosion that shattered the dream.

Daniel jolted awake, his heart pounding against his ribs. The remnants of the nightmare clung to him like cold sweat. He took a moment to steady his breathing, the underground silence of Mountain Glenn pressing in around him.

"Ruby?" he called softly, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of their makeshift camp.

He scanned the room, but Ruby and Zwei were nowhere to be seen. His first instinct was to wake his teammates, but he hesitated, not wanting to disturb their much-needed rest. Instead, he quietly slipped outside, ascending into the night sky with practiced ease.

The moon cast an eerie glow over the ruined city as Daniel soared above the crumbling structures. He closed his eyes, extending his senses to locate Ruby's energy signature. Before he could pinpoint her, a sharp bark drew his attention downward.

There, in a narrow alley between two collapsed buildings, Ruby crouched with Zwei pressed against her side. Two White Fang members in distinctive masks were scanning the area, their rifles held at the ready. Daniel descended silently, landing just behind Ruby and clamping a hand over her mouth before she could cry out.

Ruby tensed, ready to fight, until she recognized Daniel's touch. She relaxed immediately as he removed his hand.

"Daniel? How did you find me?" she whispered.

"No, the question is why are you here instead of at camp?" Daniel replied, his voice low and urgent. "Come on, we need to tell the others about th—"

"Wait," Ruby interrupted, her eyes fixed on the White Fang members. "We can handle this ourselves! Now that you're with me, I'm sure we'll do fine."

The guards began moving away, their footsteps echoing in the deserted street.

"Come on!" Ruby urged, already creeping after them.

"Ruby, wait!" Daniel hissed, but she was already moving. "Goddamnit."

With a frustrated sigh, Daniel followed Ruby and Zwei as they shadowed the White Fang members through the ruins. The guards eventually reached a massive ruined building with reinforced metal doors. Ruby and Daniel ducked behind a crumbling corner, Ruby holding Zwei up to peer around the edge.

"Did they go in yet? One bark means yes," Ruby instructed.

The heavy clang of doors closing echoed through the night.

" Bark!" Zwei responded softly.

Ruby's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh! This is it! This is it!"

She pulled out her Scroll, fingers flying across the screen. Her face fell when the display flashed "Low Signal."

"Oh no!" she muttered.

"Ruby, you stay here and keep watch while I get the others," Daniel instructed.

"Okay, Daniel," she agreed.

Daniel turned to fly back to camp, but before he could launch into the air, the ground trembled violently. He spun around just in time to see the asphalt beneath Ruby and Zwei crumble away, opening into a dark abyss.