“Hey!” A woman’s voice shouted over the loud rock music. “I know you can hear me! Over here! Listen to me!”
One blue eye opened as a white haired man sat up on the couch he was crashing on. He lazily glanced over at the entrance to the apartment he had been staying in, the wooden floor shaking from the speakers that refused to be silenced. Sometimes he hated his ability to listen to multiple things at once. Not even loud music could drown this woman out.
“No matter how many times you complain to me. I’m not intervening and changing fate.” Jeno said as he fully locked eyes with the other.
“Ruby Rose is meant to die today. That is an inevitable fact. And honestly, after over 10 years of keeping your distance, you all of a sudden want to talk? I thought you wanted nothing to do with me … Summer Rose.”
The woman known as Summer glared at him, her silver eyed glare making it quite obvious that she was related to the Ruby in question.
“This is my daughter we’re talking about!” She yelled, her voice cracking with anger. “The moment you showed up around here, I knew something was wrong! I knew that someone was going to die and when you started observing Ruby … “
“You have the power to save her. I know you do! I can’t do anything myself! I’m completely powerless!”
Jeno sighed. “You wouldn’t be if you had just listened to me all those years ago. But you’re right. I should get going. There’s only 12 minutes left. 12 minutes until she dies.”
And with that he was gone, leaving the spirit of Summer Rose fuming all by her lonesome.
After he was out of her sight, Jeno let out a large breath as he let his professional demeanor melt away.
“Saving her was my plan from the very start, dumbass. I’m just using a different method than usual.”
He took off running, knowing that if he had mentioned anything to Summer, he’d have gotten in his way. And he couldn’t allow that! Only he got in his way!
And with a hop, skip and a jump he was there. At Beacon Tower! Of course he wasn’t going to climb up it like any normal guy. No, he brought a spy helicopter that he was skydiving out of.
He rocketed toward the building at breakneck speeds before eventually landing on top of the Grimm Dragon that had decided to get in his way. “Nice to meet you, ugly. I’ll deal with you later.” He said before gracefully backflipping off the monstrosity and landing directly in front of Cinder.
“Your stepmother says to go fuck yourself.” He said casually as he froze the fire using woman to the nearest wall.
He then turned his attention to Pyrrha. The two locked eyes for a moment before Pyrrha’s eyes widened in fear as she realized what Jeno was about to do.
“No witnesses!” He said before kicking her off the tower, but not before making sure to make a slide of ice that would take her all the way to the bottom unharmed.
His expression hardened as he finally laid eyes on the young Ruby Rose. “We were the same age you know.” He said as he knelt down by her side and closed her eyes with his right hand. “The same age when we died that is. It isn’t fair right? Having everything taken from you all at once. Never getting to say goodbye. Never even getting to take a swing at the person who killed you.”
He ran a hand through her hair and for a brief moment, he was back there. His first moment as a Reaper, brushing the hair of his deceased sister. “What I would give to turn back time. To set things right.” He said softly as he stood up. “I promised myself that I’d save you. To spare your mother from the same pain that I underwent. But I was too late. Once again, I was unable to change fate. Unable to stop the inevitable.” He let out a broken laugh. “I’m glad I lied to your mother. I didn’t want to give her false hope. Heck. I didn’t want to give myself false hope. That’s why I didn’t let myself take it seriously. I acted like it was one big joke. Just to fool the optimist inside me. To comfort him when the cold harshness of reality sets in.”
It was almost time now. For her spirit to separate from her body.
“I hope you can forgive me. Because lord knows I won’t ever be able to forgive myself.”
“Hah. Look at me. Getting all emotional like this. I’ve really grown soft.” He laughed again, but this time it was clear he was on the verge of crying. “And here I thought … I had used up all my tears.”
What the hell? He shouldn’t be so invested in this. Yet he was. He couldn’t really put a finger on it. Was it because of Summer? The years he watched her hopelessly try to make contact with her family? The days she would break down in tears because her daughter was just outside of her reach? The moments where she would stare off out into space because she knew her situation was hopeless? Talk about a bad influence.
“This reassignment is the fucking worst.”
“Your stepmother says to go fuck yourself.”
Hmm... that’s a strange thing to hear... when you’re dying.
She had seen the witch turn to her as if in slow motion, releasing the arrow before Ruby could even react... It was the strangest feeling, knowing that there was nothing she could do. It was almost instantaneous, the arrow’s thwip through the air right into her chest, piercing straight through her aura and embedding itself just above her heart.
For one of Beacon’s fastest students, there was still no time to react.
I... wasn’t fast enough...
Eyelids fluttered open and shut, crimson blood staining her cloak’s silver emblem. Her vision blurred, and whether it was because of the tears that had filled her eyes, or the pain currently seizing through her body, she wasn’t sure. Black rings had started to form around her field of vision, growing wider and wider as she slipped slowly into the void.
But she could see something. A man. Standing over her. Cinder and Pyrrha... where were they? She didn’t... feel them anywhere. Then again, she could barely feel herself.
Funny thing about Aura. If one was to be mortally wounded while still possessing some energy, it would slowly leak away, attempting and failing to stabilize the person until they ran out... and died.
She could see it happening to her.
Red energy washing over her body. Trying to heal her. Trying to get her out of this mess alive.
At least it kept the pain at bay.
But even then... she could still feel it. The blood leaking from her wound, her breath turning more and more into rattle; each life giving breath harder and harder to take without further damaging her heart.
He kinda looks... like Weiss’ brother.
She had turned her failing gaze back to the man, focusing on him.
Anything to distract her from the inevitable.
It getting so hard to keep her eyes open. Each eyelid felt like she was Jaune trying to lift Crescent Rose... It was getting harder and harder to remain conscious. But her remaining Aura kept her going.
At least for a few minutes.
She felt him touch her, the small warmth a sign. It was okay. She could rest. She didn’t need to struggle to hold her eyes open anymore.
Her eyelids fell shut, and she heard that man’s voice again. No longer as crazy and wild as before, but a quiet, almost calming tone.
His words brought a question to her slow and fractured mind- How could he have died at her age if he was here? But he was right... perhaps the pain worse than the wound, the pain she was trying her hardest to block out...
Was the pain that her loved ones were going to feel.
Dad... losing his daughter like he lost his wife...
Yang... losing her sister like she lost her mom...
She couldn’t bare to dwell on it.
It stung her heart too much. More than the arrow ever could.
She felt his hand brush through her hair for but a second, her last breath turning into a slow, rumbling groan. So strange to feel that small bit of caring, that simple brush that her mother always used to do to her, right as she was about to die.
“Mom... I’m coming to visit... Please... prepare the tea...”
And with those words she took her last breath.
It was strange... even as she felt the last of her energy leak out... she could still hear him. Feel the pain in his words... He had come to save her. Come to save her because of her mom. But her mom was dead... like she was now... so how... how could he know her? It didn’t make any sense.
And why... why would he be asking her for forgiveness?
Before her was a strange scene. A man she had thought she saw before she died, leaning over the body of a young girl... with short, dark hair... a black top with a combat skirt... and a red cloak.
It was her. Her corpse. She was dead. But she here.
She collapsed to the ground. Body shaking, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t handle everything that was going on at once. His sorrowful words, the presence of her bleeding corpse...
“C-can somebody... please... just tell me what’s g-going ooon.”
