Chapter 16
Once we meet up again, Weiss moves to her computer to go over the footage of our fight in more detailed depth.
Yang: “What the hell was that!? Since when did he go all octopus!?”
Blake: “Yang. Calm down. I think we should worry about Ruby first.”
Ruby: “Ngh! I’m fine. Just a little banged up. And maybe a little hurt in my pride as well.”
Weiss: “Seriously. These arms were ridiculous. Where did he even get those? He shouldn’t have had any resources to make anything. And he clearly couldn’t have stolen them since they are what he’s been using to make his current thefts easier for himself.”
Ruby: “I’m not sure. But that’s not important right now. What is important is what he’s stealing now.”
Blake: “A case of plutonium and a crate of energy Dust.”
Weiss: “The basis for Father firing him was because of his fusion reactor project. One that utilizes both energy Dust and nuclear energy.”
Yang: “We should’ve known this the moment we saw him. He IS the one who stole the plutonium and we were right that he did it to make the reactor himself.”
Blake: “So far, he’s only taken the required components for the reactors power source. There haven’t been any reports about robberies for machine parts or materials yet. He'll likely be after those next. We just need to keep an eye out.”
Yang: “That’s all well and good and all, but I’m honestly still stuck on the name he gave at the end. I know it’s not really that important, but I feel like I can’t focus enough if I don’t figure it out.”
Weiss: *sigh*”If you really want to know, it seems to be reference to a creature in Remnants mythology, just like we did when naming Dr. Merlot’s monstrous form. A Centinel is a creature resembling a centipede. From what we see of Watts’ new arms, ignoring the colors as a clear reference, the tentacles resemble the creatures wriggling body and the claws are similar in shape to a Centinels legs.”
Yang: “So the guy named himself after... a bug?”
Blake: “You do realize Ruby did the same, right?”
Ruby: “Arachnid, technically, but she’s right.”
Yang: “Ah. Right.”
Weiss: *sigh*”Anyway. Looking at this footage, I can’t help but keep noticing something shining down the back of his shirt in the few instances you managed to get behind him. Possibly a part of whatever it is that connects him to the arms.”
Blake: “Still doesn’t make bypassing them all the easier.”
Weiss: “Maybe not at the moment. But if I can upgrade the scanner in Ruby lenses, we can get a detailed scan on his arms and the components under his clothes the next time you fight him. From there, we can determine a potential weakness.”
Ruby: “Then let’s get to it quick.” As I place my mask on the desk next to her. “He could strike again at any moment.”
Weiss: “Right! With Penny’s help, it shouldn’t take too long.” As she hooks up the mask to her computer and gets straight to work. Meanwhile, Jacques now speaks with his board representative and Glass in his office.
Representative: “This is completely unacceptable Jacques! This now makes the third member of this lab that has turned out to be a dangerous criminal!”
Jacques: “And how is ANY of this MY fault!? As far as I am concerned, all three of these cretins acted on their own! The only thing I can admit to having fault is Watts’ potential motives for firing him, but that is IT!”
Representative: “But it supposed to be either yours OR Mr. Glass’ jobs to keep a particularly close eye on the scientist in this building to ensure something like this DOESN’T happen! You both are on thin ice as it is after that stuff with Dr. Fall. But now with Merlot and Watts on top of that, that ice is bound to break if you don’t do something quick to keep this from furthering ruining this company!” He doesn’t even give Jacques another moment to speak as he walks out.
Jacques: “Tch. Vale is proving to be quite the joke in the name of this company.”
Glass: “At this point, we’d best make the head scientist someone with less ambitions and more... gullible.”
Jacques: *sigh*”Perhaps. But I suggest we wait a bit until after this whole conundrum with Watts to decide that.”
Glass: “If he can be stopped that is. I’ve heard the Spider struggled against him already.”
Jacques: “She struggled all the same against Fall and Merlot in their first encounters, didn’t she? As sure as I am that she is nothing but a magnet for trouble, she does at least seem capable of cleaning up her own messes, so long as I don’t get directly involved in her shenanigans, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.”
Glass: “That sounds awfully generous coming from you.”
Jacques: “Didn’t I just say ‘so long as I don’t get directly involved’? Regardless of her supposed good deeds, she is still more trouble than she’s worth! Many of these problems have only started after she started appearing. That’s too convenient to be a coincidence.”
Glass: “There's the Jacques I know.”
Jacques: “Regardless, it gives me time to go through this building's scientist registry and pick out our next candidate.”
Glass: “I suppose so.”
Jacques: “Then that’s all we’ll need to discuss for now. You are dismissed, Glass.” After they depart, we cut back to us a few hours later, where I had been resting myself while waiting for Weiss to finish the upgrade. As we waited, the police radio went off again.
Officer: “All units be advised! We have another SDC break in. This time on at a storage depot by the docks.”
Yang: “Sheesh! That was fast.”
Weiss: “He’s definitely the type to believe that science waits for no one. Regardless, we’re just in time. The upgrade is ready. However, I will have to stay and watch from here. In order for the upgrade to work, I needed a direct link my labs systems.” As she hands me my mask.
Ruby: “We don’t have time to find a suitable rooftop to setup on anyway, you all should stay here while I get going.”
Blake: “Good idea.”
Yang: “Okay. Just be careful. He did kick your ass last time.”
Ruby: “Maybe so, but this time is less about stopping him directly, and more about discovering his weakness. The only direct conflict will be about stopping him from taking what it is he’s after this time.”
Blake: “The you’d better get going now.”
Ruby: “Right!” I make my way up to the roof before launching in a slingshot fashion and swing towards the docks. “So, Weiss. Any idea what’s in that depot? It must have something he’s after for his reactor.”
Weiss: “Hm... the dock depot is a storage facility for our building materials. Various large portions of various types of metals in many different shapes, as well as others part such as computer circuits, internal wiring, and various machine parts like special servos. I think we can hazard what he’d want stuff like that for.”
Blake: “The actual machine for the reactor. The energy would be useless without a vessel to channel and control it.”
Yang: “Which means he must be close to having everything he needs.”
Ruby: “Let’s just hope we can stop him before he can finish.” As I eventually make it to the docks and find the place I was looking for... with the massive shutter door completely ripped out and tossed aside.
Weiss: “I’ll make to activate the scanner as soon as he’s in view, but make sure to keep your eyes on him for a whole five to ten minutes at best. The scan won’t work otherwise.”
Ruby: “Okay. I’ve got it.” On que, Watts comes out with a couple of crates of materials. “Stop right there, Watts!” As I jump in his path. He puts the crates down as he shows signs of disapproval.
Watts: *sigh*”You just don’t seem to learn your lesson, do you?”
Ruby: “Neither do you, from the looks of it!” He goes straight for the offensive as he swipes at me, to which I have to jump over without flipping to keep my eyes on him. His attacks keep me back at best, but it's all I can do to keep him in view as I avoid his attacks in what looks like a sloppy circus act. Especially with a lot of close calls, up until he manages to grab and pin me to the ground.
Watts: “You're getting quite sloppy already Spiderling.”
Weiss: “Keep him talking. The scan is almost done.”
Ruby: “Ngh! Maybe so. But I don’t intend to let you get away with this that easily!”
Watts: “Oh your naiveté is quite humorous. But I’m afraid your stubbornness will not help you here. And I will finally accomplish my goal!” And that’s when my UI in my mask flashed green.
Weiss: “Yes! We’ve got plenty of data now. You can go all out now while I analyze this for a weakness.”
Ruby: “With pleasure!”
Watts: “Hm?” I web him in the face and get his claw off of me as he’s staggering, and then I zip forward and give him a good few punches to the face before his claws get me off of him and toss me aside as he finally gets the webbing out of his face. “Tch! Cheeky little vixen!” I now take extra caution in avoiding his arms in a more skilled manner as I get closer to him. My charge this time leads to a tackle to the ground, where we tussle for a minute before he eventually grabs me again, and slams me against the side of a nearby ship. “Hmph! Not even you can handle this much force against hard steel like this. You’ve put up an admirable fight, but I think it’s about time that you sleep with the fishes, Spiderling. Literally!” As he then chucks me into the water, before moving back to pick up his stolen crates and making a break for it as he heard sirens incoming. Just as the cops start arriving on the scene, I manage to emerge from the water, and use the nearby cranes to web onto and get out of the water, and from there escape the scene via the rooftops.
Ruby: “Ragh! He got away again.”
Weiss: “Maybe so. But now we have ample information to figure out a way to stop him. Although, it will take a bit to fully analyze. We should reconvene tomorrow once that’s all said and done.”
Blake: “Plus, it’ll give Ruby a little time to rest after that fight.”
Ruby: “B-but he’s still out there with all he needs to-”
Weiss: “Ruby! We know how you feel, but this’ll all be for naught if you're in no condition to fight him at all. We need every advantage we can get right now, as we may only have one shot at this. Okay?”
Ruby: *sigh*”Okay.”
Yang: “Okay. Then go ahead and head home. I’ll meet you there shortly after I take Blake home.”
Weiss: “I’ll keep working on analyzing the data with PENNY. Catch you all tomorrow.” After we end that call, I head straight home, wait for Yang after patching up, and hit the hay after a quick dinner since Uncle Qrow is still out working.
Ruby: “I sure hope things work out well.” And with that thought, I finally rest my eyes for the night.