Chapter 13
We all split off after hearing about Creep’s latest attack. Yang is taking Weiss to eh shelter on her motorcycle, Bumblebee, Blake stayed behind with our setup to see through my lenses, and I make my way to the fish market for the final confrontation. Luckily, I manage to get there while he’s still there. He’s got his attention on the crates right by the warehouse. I grab a bundle of fish from a nearby delivery truck and get on top of it before using my webs to throw a piece of rubble at him to get his attention... And I definitely got it!
Ruby: “Hey, Creep! You’re hungry, right? I’ve got a nice batch of fish for ya right here!” As I lift the fish up for him to see. He slowly approaches, looking as vicious as always. Then he tries to jump me, but I jump to the side and avoid him. “You want it? Then come and get it!” Then I jump and swing away, and was successful in getting him to chase me. Thankfully, Weiss already sent me the sheltered location so I know where I’m going. I get a call from Weiss after a few blocks.
Weiss: “Okay. I’m in the control room and have got the temperature in the main room dropping. Yang is on standby at the entrance ready to close it behind you guys.”
Blake: “Nice going.”
Yang: “Ruby, how are we doing?”
Ruby: “I think my plan worked a little too well!” He tries to jump to reach me, but his jump is just short of my height. “Yipe! At he’s still going!”
Blake: “Don’t worry, Ruby. You’re almost there.” After a few more close calls, I get outside of the city can see the shelter entrance in the woods. Once close enough, I chuck the fish through door, swing into a nearby tree. I made sure the Creep saw me throw it and he fell for it as he followed after it into the shelter. I follow after him and Yang comes from behind the same tree and closes the door behind.
Ruby: “Now Weiss!” She initiates the door’s lock. Now all that’s left is to wear him down, since a beast of his size won’t be affected by the cold instantly. I’ll have to hold him off until then. There's no turning back now. Not until I can cure him. But then the Creep turns towards me once he realizes I’m here. “Alright Merlot. Let’s try this one last time!”
Creep: *ROOOOAR!* His attacks are just as vicious as always. I even get smacked a few times against the walls. There’s not much I can do but keep web zipping around the room and getting in some counterattacks. But after a while, he starts showing signs of slowing down. I get on his back and start steering him around the room and crashing him into the walls, up until he musters enough strength to throw me off him and pin me to the ground with his large claws. He moves his other claw up, ready to strike. But then he starts shaking his head, as if trying to focus himself. He stumbling! Time to finish this! I knock his claw off of me and knock him on his back before pin him down with a surplus of webs. He can’t get up now.
Ruby: “Time for your medicine!” As I force his mouth open and jam the needle into his gums. The antidote is administered and he starts shrinking. His scaly skin starts flaking off, revealing more human like skin underneath. His body shape starts reverting back to normal, including his hair coming back, and his right arm disintegrating, leaving behind his stump like before. “Weiss? Turn the temp back up. Our job is done.”
Weiss: “Already on it.” I can hear the door unlock behind too. It'll take a second for the heat to rise, so I remove my cape and use it to cover him as he wakes up.
Merlot: *grooooan*”What happened?”
Ruby: “Are you okay?”
Merlot: “Scarlet Spider? What happened? Where am I?”
Ruby: “You’re experiment turned you into this.” As I show him the news report on him showing the footage of the Creep’s rampage. “And have been rampaging for the past two days.” As I put my scroll. We had to lure you out here to an SDC fallout shelter and weaken you with freezing temperatures.”
Merlot: “No... Damnit! This is all Jacques fault!” That’s when Weiss shows up.
Weiss: “No surprise there. Fathers insatiable greed for fame and fortune honestly knows no bounds. No doubt he also plans to fire you because of this incident.”
Merlot: *sigh*”That’s the least of my concerns. If I really caused so much damage, then I’ll have to atone for this. Turn myself in and accept punishment.”
Ruby: “Good to know you still know right from wrong at least.”
Merlot: “Ugh. My head.”
Weiss: “The police may need to consult some SDC affiliated doctors during his sentence to ensure he’s fully stable. But first, let's get out of here... and get you some clothes.” Back in town, we first stop by a shop to get him some clothes, and finally get my cape back. And once we see Merlot to the police station, I swing off back to Weiss’ place as Yang and Weiss ride back on Bumblebee. Meanwhile, Qrow and Vernal are driving through the path of our earlier chase.
Qrow: “Two encounters between those two in one day. Not a good sign.”
Vernal: “At least this time, it looked she was leading him somewhere. And witnesses did confirm they saw them leaving the city and into the woods.”
Qrow: “At least there’s something good.” The police radio goes.
Officer: “Attention all units. Dr. Grey Merlot has just turned up and has turned himself in. If Captain Tomo or Detective Branwen is hearing this, then we need you here now. Over and out.”
Qrow: “What the hell?”
Vernal: “And now a whole other something. We better check it out.” She floors it all the to the station. Once there, they have their own interrogation over him, him explaining how I cured him and how he ended up like that to begin with, before returning to Vernal’s office.
Qrow: “Well what do you know...”
Vernal: “What was that you were saying about the Spider not knowing what she was doing?”
Qrow: *sigh*”Okay. Maybe I did underestimate her a bit. But this alone won’t get the press or the public off her back regarding the damage.”
Vernal: “Maybe. But somehow, I doubt that will stop her from fighting.”
Qrow: “Heh. Probably not.” Back at Weiss’ place. The four of us have dinner together going over the facts of this case one last time before archiving it in the spidey servers. Though, throughout dinner, I couldn't stop thinking about what Weiss did today... and that made me think about my feeling for her again. After everything that’s happened today, maybe it’s time that I finally say something.
Ruby: “Hey Yang? You can go on ahead. I think I’m gonna swing around for a bit before going home.” I give her a quick signal towards Weiss, and she quickly understands. And judging by Blake’s expression, I think she may have caught on too.
Blake: “I think I’m gonna head home myself. This has been one stressful day.”
Yang: “Oh. Uh, then how about I drive you? It’ll be quicker than waiting on the train.”
Blake: “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Yang: “See ya later, Sis!” As she and Blake head down the elevator, leaving me and Weiss alone. But this time... I actually feel more confident in myself to do it.
Ruby: “Hey Weiss?”
Weiss: “Hm?”
Ruby: “I just wanted to say thanks for what you did back there. And for everything else, really. I would’ve never been able to do any of this if it wasn’t for you.”
Weiss: “W-well, you know... What are friends for, right?” Clearly a bit flustered.
Ruby: “And I’m really glad you didn’t get hurt either. I just... I don’t know what I would’ve done with myself if you had.”
Weiss: “Hey. It’s okay. There was no other way around it.”
Ruby: “But still. I can’t stand the thought of something bad happening to you. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself! And It’s all because I...” My nerves are getting to me again! But this time I’m gonna let them control me! I have to fight this!
Weiss: “Ruby?”
Ruby: “I...*inhale exhale* It’s because I love you.” Now were both blushing. But I try to keep a straight face as to not ruin this.
Weiss: “HUH!?”
Ruby: “I’ve... been in love with you for a while now. I just never said anything because I thought I’d never stand a chance with someone so... high profile, I guess. I understand if you don’t feel the same way, I just needed to-”
Weiss: “Are you kidding me!? Of course I feel the same way! For almost a year now, actually.”
Ruby: “Wait what!?”
Weiss: “I never said anything because I was worried about scaring you off with my reputation as heiress.”
Ruby: “Wha-? But Weiss! You should already know that I don’t care about that stuff! I like you for you. Not for your status.”
Weiss: “Ugh! I know! I know! I just... I just couldn’t help but worry...” She sits on her couch and puts her face in her hands. “Before you came around, I always acted cold and distant with everyone. All because of the way Father raised me. You three are only true I’ve ever made and I just didn’t want to end up ruining that. And It’s also why I was so worried about letting you go through with this hero thing. Just like you, I just didn’t want to see you get hurt... or worse.” At this point, I sit down next to her and give her a hug for reassurance.
Ruby: “I told you. I’m not going anywhere. I already knew how dangerous this choice would be. And this is why I worked so hard to get as good as I possibly could. Because I knew I had friends and family like you around to come back to. I don’t care what kind of challenges I end up facing. As long as I have you by my side, I know that we’ll be able to get through them all. Together.” Weiss just starts tearing up as she hugs me back, before we let go, look each other in the eyes... and share our first kiss. Afterwards, I make my way home and after school the next day, we all take some time to ourselves to rest. And as the news of Merlot’s arrest makes itself known, I can only imagine the SDC, and more especially Jacques himself, is in quite the uproar. Meanwhile, we see a dark conference room with five people at the table discussing something, all of them with name cards by their seats. At the head of the table is a man in a dark blue suit with slicked back black hair ending in a bun knot, his name card reading ‘Jax Asturius’. Next is a woman in a red suit with bright orange hair sticking up, almost resembling fire, her name card reading ‘Abigail Pyre’. Next is a kind of tanned skinned man in a dark red leather jacket with just as dark red long hair down to his mind back and a scar over his right eye, his name card reading ‘Vermillion Raddock’. Next is a dark-skinned man in a dark green suit and sea foam green hair in a sort of mullet, his name card reading ‘Paul Parrot’. And finally, probably the most intimidating of them all, is a buffer looking man in a black suit vest with black hair and a full beard, with several scars in his forehead, his name card reading ‘Hei Xiong Junior’.
Jax: “It seems the Queenpin wasn’t kidding about this Spider nonsense.”
Pyre: “This is the second time something big has come up and was stopped by this new ‘hero’.”
Vermillion: “And now the Queenpin has asked for our cooperation in keeping an eye out on this girl.”
Parrot: “I don’t know. I never trusted Lil Miss Malachite to begin with. Why should we start helping her now?”
Jax: “Hm... What do you think, Junior?”
Junior: “I think we give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, whether it came from the Queenpin or not is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that the Spider exists. And because of that, she could pose a threat to our operations just the Reaper is. This is something we can’t just ignore.”
Jax: “I agree. We can worry about Queenpin’s offer later. For now, let’s just focus on observing this ‘Scarlet Spider’ and if we can’t learn anything useful. Afterall, Malachite may have one organization... but we have five of them. Just as the Maggia always has.”