Chapter 15
After my patrol yesterday, I spent most of the night thinking about my dilemma. Come morning, I have a slight idea on where I might want to take her, I just need to think more on when... and how to manage it.
Yang: “Hmm... Well, a simple dinner is better than nothing.”
Ruby: *grooooan*”I know, I know. But it’s the best I can do for now. Now I just need a way to pay for it...”
Yang: “Why would you when Weiss is supposed to be super loaded?”
Ruby: “She is, but I don’t want to her to think I’m taking advantage of that! Especially since she’s basically already funded our little ‘side project’.”
Qrow: “What’s this about paying for something?”
Ruby: “AH!” I almost forgot Uncle Qrow was here!
Yang: “Oh, Ruby’s just freaking out about her first date with the Ice Queen.” She says with a cheeky grin.
Ruby: “Yang!”
Qrow: “The Schnee girl? Oh, right, you did have a little crush on her, didn’t you?”
Ruby: *groan*”Stop it...”
Qrow: “Hahaha. Relax kiddo. We’re just teasing. So when are taking her out?”
Ruby: “We wanna wait at least another week before actually going on dates. I was actually thinking at some point next weekend.”
Qrow: “Hmm... Okay, I’ll cut you deal. We have a new case again, so I’ll be busy again for a while. So I’ll be counting on you guys to take care of the house like always. Just keep the place in shape like always, and I’ll give you a good cut of my pay Friday. I’m not likely to be using much for a while because of it.”
Yang: “Another case? What is it this time?”
Qrow: “Hmm. It should be on by now. Take a look.” He turns on the news. Typical.
Lisa: “Reports are coming in about a mysterious theft that occurred last night at an SDC storage facility for dangerous materials. The thief somehow managed to break down the whole front wall and made off with a case of plutonium rods. The investigation has left the police stumped as to who could’ve committed such a crime. The damage especially since there are no evident signs of an explosive being used.”
Ruby: “Pl-plutonium?”
Yang: “Isn’t that like, super dangerous?”
Qrow: “When used improperly, yes. We can’t take any chances with this one. We have to double down of our efforts to catch this one, or we’ll all be in trouble.” Great. Not long after the Creep stuff and we already have something serious happening. “Which is why I need you two to be extra careful if you plan on going out. Okay?”
Yang: “Don’t worry. We got it. Right, Ruby?”
Ruby: “Right.”
Qrow: “Good. Then I’m off.” Once we know we’re completely in the clear, we meet up with Weiss and Blake to discuss this.
Yang: “Once again, we have a crisis sparked from drama with the SDC...”
Blake: “You guys are thinking what I’m thinking, right?”
Yang: “You mean that Watts guys?”
Weiss: “Seriously? Just because he was let go doesn’t mean he did this.”
Blake: “Even though the theft was of plutonium, a nuclear substance that could work for a nuclear fusion reactor? The very reason he was let go?”
Ruby: “The logic makes sense, but I’m still with Weiss. I don’t want to say it’s him without any evidence or before I see it for myself.”
Blake: “Then we know what we need to do.”
Weiss: “I have the gear ready. Let’s get to the crime scene.” Once I suit, we make our way to the warehouse in question. The gang set up on a rooftop a couple of blocks away, while I perch on a rooftop overseeing the warehouse. Giving me a full view of the police investigating the area, and the large hole in the buildings front wall.
Ruby: “Geez. If this isn’t evident enough of literal breaking and entering, then I don’t what is.”
Weiss: “The scan through your lenses confirms what the police have found. There are no signs of any sort of explosive being used. No blast marks, powder burns or anything. The marks make it seem like the wall was torn out by force.”
Blake: “We need a closer look inside.”
Weiss: “There should be a skylight in roof, and a bunch of rafters in the ceiling the perch from. Just stay up above and they shouldn’t notice you.” I quietly zip across the street onto the warehouse roof. I open the skylight enough the slip through and crawl onto the ceiling, before dropping onto a rafter beam. The floor has several strangely shaped holes. Kind of like triangles with a strange spike coming from each side.
Ruby: “You guys seeing the marks on the floor?”
Yang: “The way their positioned kind of seem like footprints.”
Weiss: “But what on Remnant could possibly have made prints like that?”
Blake: “And in the form of holes in solid concrete, no less.” Aside from a few crates that had been pushed a bit, nothing else really stood out. Not without getting up close, anyway.
Yang: “Aren’t there any security cameras in this place?”
Weiss: “Unfortunately, no. This warehouse was originally made way back in the day by my grandfather during the Great War. It was used as a base for the Atlas Military when they lent Vale their aid. When grandfather founded the company, the place was left mostly unused up until they gained enough success to branch out to other kingdoms. Because this place was made as a war base, that was why it was decided to use it to store dangerous materials. Though, for some reason, no one has thought to add in any cameras since then.” I can hear the police radio over my commlink.
Officer: “Attention all units. We’re getting reports of another SDC break in. This time at the warehouse on 3rd street.”
Officer 2: “Copy that. Officers enroute.” I make my way back onto the roof.
Yang: “That sounds like your que! It could be our guy!”
Ruby: “On my way!” I pull a slingshot maneuver to gain some speed as a swing toward my destination. At said destination, the police pull up in front of the warehouse, with the same large hole as the other one, but this time, a lot of noise can be heard inside. The officers outside have their guns pointed at the hole, with Vernal leading the charge.
Vernal: “This is the police! We have you surrounded! Just give up and come out with your hands up!” There is only a brief silence before a black tentacle emerged from the hole and went straight for Vernal. “Oh shit!” She jumped out of the way just in time before the tentacle retracted enough to take a step just outside the warehouse, followed by another stepping forward, and then... Watts himself emerging, with his shirt and jacket back on after having a hole cut out for the arms to slip through.
Watts: “Hmph! Mere riff raff trying to stand in my way.”
Vernal: “Wh-What in the-!?”
Watts: “But no matter. You are all insignificant to my genius!” His top two arms grab a nearby police car and raise it over himself, aiming to throw it. But then I show up and fire a web in his face. He reacts by grabbing at his face and dropping the car behind him as I land on another police car in front of him.
Ruby: “News flash, buddy! The freak show is over at the carnival across town!” He then ripped off the webbing and glared at me.
Watts: “Tch! You for one are the one hindrance I absolutely must eliminate!”
Ruby: “D-Dr. Watts!? What happened to you!?”
Watts: “Nothing that concerns you!” He tries to swipe at me, to which I flip around to avoid. Afterwards, I try to hold back a claw that I intercepted.
Ruby: “Grgh! Officers! Stand back and help the people!”
Officer: ‘You seriously expect us to listen to-!”
Vernal: “Don’t just stand there! We need to attend to the citizens!”
Officer 2: “But Captain-!”
Vernal: “That is an order! I don’t care who does it as long as he IS stopped! I KNOW she can handle this! Now let’s go!”
Officers: “Yes Ma’am!” They all run away to aid the public, while I’m still holding back the claw trying to push me back. With them gone, I pushed the arm aside and went to charge at him, whilst avoiding his top two arms as they continue to swing at me. A successful tackle to the ground was short lived when his claws grabbed hold of me to get me off of him and toss me aside into the wall of a nearby building.
Ruby: “Oowww...” Then my spider sense alerts me to an incoming claw, to which I dodge to the side and the claw just smacks into the wall, and I webbed his claw in place. His arms are considerably the main problem here, as while I can at least avoid their attacks, they move too quick for me to land my own attacks on Watts himself. The claw I webbed earlier even managed to break free and attack as well. I really only managed to get in one good punch to his face before he grabbed me again and slammed me into the ground. Hard!
Weiss: “Ruby! Are you okay!?”
Yang: “Damn! What the hell is up with him!?”
Watts: “Hmph! Not even worth my time.”
Ruby: “Ngh! I can’t think about that right now!” I struggle to stand for a moment as Watts walks away back into the building. After a moment of recovery, I make way towards the large hole, but am smacked aside again when Watts comes out with a crate of energy Dust. Being carried by one of him arms. “Oh no you don’t!” I follow after him to the roofs as he got away. I try to get close to land hits on him, but it was harder in this instance since he was carrying the Dust. Unless it had been processed right, it would’ve been incredibly unstable outside of proper storage if suddenly dropped from any height around his arms reach. And with as smart as he is, he knows this, so he often made threatening gestures to drop the crate as we fought, until he smacked me away and he got closer to the further ledge on the other side.
Watts: “You have met your match, Spiderling! Let it be known the day you were bested by I, Dr. Centinel!” As he launched himself towards some other buildings a slight distance away. The next thing I know, he’s too far away for me to catch up too when I recover.
Ruby: “Gah! Blasted Watts, he played me like a piano!”
Blake: “What on Remnant happened to him though?”
Yang: “And did seriously name himself ‘Dr. Centinel’? What does that even mean?”
Weiss: *sigh*”Yang. I believe there are more important questions to ask instead.”
Blake: “You mean regarding stuff like the Dust he stole?”
Ruby: “Probably. Let's regroup at Weiss’ place and talk it over.” As I move to start swinging away from the scene, while the others pack up and get moving. Meanwhile, Watts arrived back at the abandoned warehouse where he met the Tinkerer and carefully placed the dust in a separate corner from the case of plutonium.
Watts: “Best to keep them apart until all the preparations have been made. Now all that's left if to gather all of the necessary parts for the actual device. I may need to it up a few places to account for everything. No doubt the Spiderling will continue to try and stop me. But I have proven today that I can contend with her. She can try she’d like. It is now clear that she cannot stand up to me. I will most surely have the last laugh. No matter what!”