In Plain Sight

“You were gone longer than I thought. Did you find anything?” Willow asked as Ruby came back down the hall. 

“Yeah there’s nothing there to stop anyone it doesn’t seem like,” Ruby admitted. “Except a padlock and some, uh, chanting or maybe praying behind it.”

“We’re underneath a monastery in southern Solitas on a beach actually,” Willow admitted. 

“Ok, that’s neat I guess, but is there a way to get the padlock off? Do you have the key?” Ruby asked as Willow shook her head. 

“I don’t, but I could rip the lock off easily if I could get to it, but with the way the hallway is?” Willow trailed off as she looked down the corridor as if it were no man's land. 

“Are you sure there’s anything there? I didn’t feel anything,” Ruby admitted. 

“I’m very sure after I had the warding and countermeasures installed. Before that…well I had gone for a bowl of noodles once a long time ago and when I came to, found myself in the shower. 

I saw blood around the drain. It’s no great secret to me that I must have fed when I went out. After that I wasted no expenses or time adding even more counter measures to this place. Even as they slowly began to hurt me. I knew I deserved it, that I didn’t want to harm anyone else,” Willow said passionately. 

“How did you get by without drinking any blood for so long though?” Ruby asked. 

“I did tell you that I had a few associates who could enter. When they do I lock myself up, they leave the blood and supplies I ration. Thankfully I had a large amount of money in a secret account known only to me that I’ve been using for supplies and to keep the power on down here.”

Ruby’s eyes widened. “You pay for the monastery utilities!”

“I bought the monastery and the land it sits on,” Willow corrected her with a smile. “My family is exceptionally wealthy. I bought it and pay for the utilities which include this bunker and the generators that are run up there that feed power down here. 

In return I have assurances from those above that none will ever enter this space and that my family can seek sanctuary here with no questions asked. So far they’ve kept their word.”

“So the red eyes, and a strange feeling are something they all have in common?” Winter asked as the others nodded. 

“Every time it’s been Ruby or Velvet with the red eyes in my dreams. They’re not bad dreams, or things I am opposed to for the most part, but they are off somehow. This was the first time the thing in the dreams acknowledged that it wasn’t the person I was talking to,” Weiss admitted. 

“Same for me. Usually Ruby and Weiss, but sometimes it’s my mom or someone else,” Velvet told the rest. 

“My dad and Pyrrha once,” Yang said as she crossed her arms across her chest. 

“Weiss, or my parents,” Winter said simply.

“Nothing for me,” Pyrrha said, informing the others as they looked at her.  

“I sleep in a consecrated area. I doubt much would bother me.”

“Now that you mention it I don’t have any dreams when I’m at the apartment except that one night I had reaaaaaally good dreams a bit ago,” Yang said. 

“I haven’t had any since I started sleeping at Cinder’s,” Winter admitted with only a touch of pink on her cheeks. 

“So it’s only when we fall asleep somewhere that’s not blessed, warded, or protected in some way?” Velvet asked as the others nodded. 

“That appears to be the case,” Pyrrha concluded as she put her head in her hand and crossed her legs to get more comfortable. 

“But why? What or who does it benefit?” Winter asked. 

“I…do not know. There appears to be no rhyme or reason for it. The first time I just assumed it was my instincts going wild since I had come to the blood bank hunting a vampire so when I fell asleep I dreamed she was a vampire about to turn me,” Weiss admitted. 

“In our shared dream. She asked that question. The one she asked me to ask you about earlier,” Weiss mused. 

“What question do you mean?” Velvet asked as the others looked at Weiss for clarification. 

“The dish. She wanted to know if we enjoyed the dish at the restaurant,” Weiss said. 

“Yeah she asked in the dream too. After serving it to us!” Velvet said making the connection. 

“What was the dish called?” Yang asked. 

“Considering you ate most of it I was hoping you’d know,” Weiss admitted. 

“It had pomegranates in it, but that’s all I can recall,” Pyrrha put in with a frown as she brought out her phone. 

“Describe it to me,” Winter demanded as she began searching on her phone. 

“Pomegranates can mean a few things,” Pyrrha said as she looked up from her own phone.

“Love, fertility and death being the main ones with tie-ins to various folklore or fairy tales,” Pyrrha read off her phone. 

“On the restaurant's website it’s called Life and Death. How interesting,” Winter said in a tone that suggested she had nothing else to really say on the matter.  

“It also says it’s a popular and well liked dish favored by the many patrons,” Velvet said. 

“Do you want to ask Cinder if it means anything?” Weiss asked as Winter started to do just that. 

“I mean she’s just kinda always liked pomegranates as long as I can remember. As kids she called them ‘pommies’ cause she couldn’t say the whole name and thought they tasted like candy,” Yang chuckled. 

“ Its sweet and tart taste hides the deeper feelings inside. Perfect to symbolize either a long lasting love and commitment to last until the end of time or a good luck dessert to share with the intended at the start of a relationship as a blessing ’,” Pyrrha read from the description. 

“Guess that explains the name,” Yang said before her face took on a sly look. “So not content with just taking my sister out you let her propose to you with a dessert and didn’t tell her anything back?” 

“We had slightly more pressing matters at hand,” Weiss defended herself and Velvet even as her cheeks pinked at having missed Ruby’s subtle flirting.

It’s not like it was her fault she didn’t know anything about what desserts from Mistral meant! 

“We’ll tell her the next time we see her though! Promise!” Velvet gave her oath appearing entirely serious. 

“You guys are too easy,” Yang joked as she sat back in her chair. 

“Do we know what to expect when we even find this place? Or do we have a plan?”

“Wait, so it’s full of vampire hunters who live up there?” Ruby asked as she blinked at Willow’s explanation while she pointed up. 

“We…my family are vampire hunters, or at least we thought so, so other hunters had no qualms with us seeking sanctuary here. If anything they’d be honored by it. It was yet another layer of defense to keep myself from getting out.”

“But I mean they have to suspect something right? People keep coming in and out delivering you stuff. Even if they’re discreet, someone has to notice right?” Ruby asked. 

“I think you’ll find that like most others they’re prone to hypocrisy when it suits them. They don’t know anything for sure, and it’s a large well paid for stronghold for them. 

As long as I never set foot outside and confirm it they won’t care, at least for now. Once I’ve lived past a normal human lifespan I’m sure they’ll start changing their mind.”

“How do they explain it all away though?” 

“They do most of their training at night, and do have a few normal workers who are caretakers who take care of maintaining the building and most tourists book a time slot ahead of time so they’re not usually caught off guard. I believe most of them actually live inland a bit within a mile or so of the monastery at some sort of camp, or so my friend told me once,” Willow admitted. 

“Alright if you can’t get to the padlock do you have a chisel, or bolt cutters, or something I can do?” 

“I had no intention of leaving so I didn’t bring any of that. I wanted to be as cut off as possible. I have a large library of books, and a small television set that gets some local channels with the odd broadcast from further away but that is all as far as outside information is concerned.”

“Yeah. Kinda wish I had my phone though. I could have sent a message that way,” Ruby complained with a huff. 

“I, am sorry. I, my visions are powerful. They control my mind as do the voices sometimes. It’s so hard not to listen to them that I didn’t think much beyond getting you here. My mind said it was important and so here you are,” Willow fretted. 

“No, it’s fine, but just I mean if we can’t get out of here how can we reunite you with your family? They miss you and you deserve to see each other!” Ruby said. 

Willow gave her a strange look before a soft smile broke out on her face. “You are a strange one. A human trapped with a vampire with no way out and you’re concerned with my well being.”

“I mean your prophecy thing could mean you gotta get out of here right? I just want to help, and I bet your family would love to see you again!” Ruby said before she paused. 

“Wait…if your friend got in and out. How’d she leave the padlock on the other side?” Ruby asked as Willow looked away from the young woman.

“I…did it myself. It’s not pleasant but I can go through the hallway if I’m truly determined, but then there’s all the hunters above who’d likely take issue with me,” Willow admitted. 

Ruby frowned. “Uh what if I invited you into or out of  the bunker? Could you get through that way without getting hurt?”

“If you owned the bunker then…oh you are a clever thing aren’t you?” Willow complimented the young doctor who beamed. 

“I have the paperwork with me, or a copy of it I suppose,” Willow said, turning back toward the study with Ruby following. 

“Uh, so when we leave did you want to take anything with you, or are you just ready to go?” Ruby asked. 

“I’ll come back at some point most likely so we can merely lock the metal door you saw from the outside.”

“Should we wait until after dark so the normal people aren’t gonna be around?” Ruby asked as Willow paused and blinked. 

“Yes, I suppose that would be best. That’s only in a few hours although I have to warn you,” Willow said as she turned to Ruby who was patiently waiting. 

“The voices in my head are already starting to come back. In a few hours it’ll be even worse. I will make much less sense as it goes on. I…when I see Weiss and Winter again I do not know how sane I will still be,” Willow said delicately. 

“We can keep doing the exercises if you think that’ll help!” Ruby said earnestly. 

“You truly are a strange one. Let’s get this bunker transferred to you before anything else.”

“I always thought a cool underground bunker would be awesome growing up,” Ruby admitted. 

“Well now that you’re the owner, or will be you can keep digging to your heart's content,” Willow jested as Ruby giggled from behind her. 

Winter settled in and buckled up as the plane began its descent. 

While they couldn’t land directly at the monastery they could land nearby. 

Soon they’d discover what happened to Miss Rose. She could only hope nothing horrible had happened. 

Both for her sake, and for Weiss and Miss Scarletina’s own. She could tell that something happening to her would be utterly devastating to them both. That didn’t get into the fact that doctors that were in the know and didn’t care overmuch about the supernatural were hard to come by. 

Ren was stretched thin as it was, and Ruby certainly didn’t deserve to have anything untoward happen to her. Although Winter could admit that thought was a bit mercenary.

She ignored Mercury being thrown out of his seat since no one could wake him as the plane descended. 

Miss Xiao-Long however openly began snorting at the sight as she ignored his glare. 

Watts frowned as she looked over his reports. Two families left. At least this last one hadn’t broken in through his windows so he’d granted them quick death’s in thanks. Much less clean up that way for his staff. 

Tyrian’s plan was well thought out, at least for Tyrian at any rate, and setting up a potential fight between them? Very interesting. 

He sent a return message asking him to be mindful of Russel. He wanted to see if some of the rumors he’d heard about diablerie with a less strong willed vampire were true. 

It clearly wouldn’t affect him, but a depressed individual such as Russel? Very interesting potential. 

If only the Tremere weren’t so stingy with their secrets he could get the answer. He made a minor note for Tyrian to recover or at least not destroy any interesting books that could be of use for potentially bringing the dark mother back. That would stay his hand from destroying more than he needed. 

He ignored it and focused back on the task at hand. Soon he would have the power he sought and he could finally learn everything, or at least have the power to do so. 

They might have mocked him when his generation had been the thirteenth when he was sired even so long ago. His line embracing and siring to shore up numbers for some war he wanted no part in. 

He’d been born weak. His blood thin, and barely above a mortals. In a time where it wasn’t uncommon to see even a fourth generation from time to time he was of the thirteenth. How disgraceful! But he wasn’t going to let that stop him. 

He hid. His knowledge made him useful, and he struck when all the cards were in his favor and drained the target of their much more powerful blood. He then retreated until his aura cleared, and repeated the process. 

Over time, nearly a thousand years, he’d grown strong, and soon despite how weak he’d began he would show the world his might! He would be able to find out the secrets of vampirism! Of the affliction. None would stop him. He would know everything !

He was cut off from his daydreaming as another notification came in. 

Tock. Of course. She was nothing if not professional about things as long as she was paid. 

The manor was already abandoned by the twins? The servants slaughtered to a man save one. Neo and a Tzimisce outside the clan protection? Very interesting. Those were so hard to come by. 

He sent off his orders. Catch if possible or return home if it took too long. He had other uses for them, or would soon enough. He’d send an emissary to the Branwen’s with a peace offering to sit on the sidelines for the upcoming fight. 

She cared about the clan more than anything which made her predictable and useful. He’d make his offer and have a few of his men on hand to make sure they kept to their word. If they did he’d keep his own. 

What use would they be to him once he knew everything anyway?

He estimated he’d have guests within the next few days, or perhaps a week at most. 

Finally, his planning had all lead to this. The final confrontation was so very close. He could hardly wait. 

He took a deep breath and got back to work while updating the various files he had so he could see which pieces were still in the game. 

He wasn’t foolish enough to think the other party wasn’t at least aware that someone was working against them. 

It was like the two were playing a game of chess against each other while only aware of a few pieces on either side of the board. 

He would make sure he was the winner of this game however. He’d spent far too long stacking his side of the board in his favor for it to end any other way. 

Neo carefully maneuvered Penny so as to avoid injuring her as they proceeded down toward the hidden back entrance. They’d fortunately only had to deal with one other annoyance but the light or sun gun had made quick work of them.

Thankfully he appeared to have been one of the ones who’d lost their weapon to Penny’s earlier surprise attack, and turning to ash meant that unless they were looking for him specifically they’d be hard pressed to find anything. No radio or anything left meant nothing to really track him by.  

Penny herself was doing much better now that she’d taken a few parts that she claimed were ‘fascinating’ and had used them to replace some of her lost biomass. She didn’t look any different to Neo but she was walking easier and her skin was starting to lose the angry red it had had before so she took the taller woman at her word. 

Penny began signing as Neo thought about it and moved a thumb and forefinger close to each other so they were nearly touching. 

Penny nodded with a smile Neo returned. Only a little further to go. 

“Well congratulations you now own a bunker under a monastery,” Willow joked with a smile as Ruby signed. 

“Awesome!” Ruby cheered before she turned her head to the side toward the hall. 

“What’s the matter?” Willow asked before she too frowned. 

“Yeah you hear that?” 

“It sounds like someone is coming into the bunker, but who could possibly?”

The sound of several pairs of boots, perhaps even dozens, echoed down the hall as the two looked at each other as the steps came closer.

“What are we expecting?” Mercury asked, his tone all business as they trekked toward the Monastery. 

“I am unsure. We’ve all seen the pictures posted online. We’re merely going to look for information so I’m hopeful it won’t turn into any sort of battle,” Winter admitted.

“Well at least in less than an hour we’ll know for sure,” Weiss said as she made sure her supplies were ready, and her handgun loaded before taking one of Velvet’s hands in her own. 

“Hazel,” Cinder said as he entered the office and closed the door. 

“Ma’am?” 

“Start closing everything down. I want everyone out before the sun sets. No exceptions except for the supernatural guards. Send the rest home, and offer the chance for any of the supernaturals that want to leave to do so.”

“You’re expecting an attack?” Hazel asked if only to confirm his own suspicions as Cinder nodded. 

“Yes. Likely shortly after nightfall so as to make the most of the darkness. I expect they’ll wait no more than an hour after dark so I want this place and the restaurant cleared entirely before then. No more reservations. Tell any we had we’ll reschedule at no cost later, or whatever has to be done and then come back in here so we can discuss who’s staying and what we can likely plan for,” Cinder dismissed the man who nodded and went to carry out his orders. 

Cinder sighed as she picked up her phone and reread her master's message. She had memorized all the numbers she might need in the future so she factory reset her phone before taking out the battery and sliding the phone into a small bin of magnets to scramble everything. 

It wouldn’t work on a more modern phone but with a flip phone a sufficiently strong enough magnet could wreak havoc on it. Yet another advantage of flip phones, besides looking cool anyway.

She’d smash it to bits after a few minutes to hopefully make any data unrecoverable. That still left her Ruby’s phone however, and she didn’t feel like she should do that to hers. 

She looked at the clock. She had enough time to make a quick delivery to Emerald with instructions to guard it with her life before she came back, or…would her master watch over it for her? 

She went back into her room and the portrait before she bowed low and placed the phone under it. 

It was the best she could manage for the time being. None but her and those she invited were able to access this room anyway. 

Not that they wouldn’t burn the building down anyway out of spite but at least it wouldn’t get into their hands but at least this way she wasn’t involving the two younger vampires in whatever would be happening soon. 

“Ma’am,” Hazel greeted as he re-entered the room. 

“Here’s the most likely entrance points, and the areas they can’t enter thanks to various wards on the property,” Cinder said as she tapped the blueprint, or rather the fire escape plan which served the same purpose. 

“We’ve scarcely a dozen remaining counting the two of us,” Hazel informed her gruffly. 

“Shit. That’s bad,” Cinder exclaimed worriedly. While she could probably deal with whatever was coming their way she’d have to reveal herself as a vampire rather than a human in the know. 

She’s spent decades carefully creating the illusion and paper trail. It was much more costly and difficult in these nights to set up a new identity that would stand up to any scrutiny anyone could throw at it. 

Then her master would have to find someone else to run the club, and then they’d assume she was a vampire as well which would mean it couldn’t operate the same as it always had. 

What a mess. 

“Be honest with me. What do you think our chances are?” Cinder ordered her main enforcer. 

“Without you revealing yourself? Slim. I can’t say for certain who or what or even how many we’ll be facing but with how everything feels as though it’s balancing on a razor’s edge?” Hazel shrugged, communicating his thoughts on the matter. 

“I have no desire for you all to die for nothing,” Cinder said, rubbing her eyes as she leaned back in her chair. 

“Do you have a plan?” Hazel asked. 

“It’s a stupid one, but yes,” Cinder admitted. 

At Hazel’s raised eye she waved him off. “Give me a few minutes to finish finalizing things and come back then.”

Hazel looked about to argue before he went to speak with the others and left as ordered. 

Cinder sighed and took out a pack of cigarettes before she took out a sheet of paper and began to write. 

Tyrian giggled as he looked at the club from a few rooftops away. Oh what fun he’d have soon. He could hardly wait! 

He narrowed his eyes as that human came onto the roof. What was she doing here? Was she mocking him? 

Wait, no. She was smoking one of those cigarettes. Ugh, so disgusting. And was that? It was! How hilarious. Humans were so amusing. 

He leapt over to the roof as she took another drag from her cigarette and put down the white flag made of a pillowcase. 

Cinder offered the pack of sticks to the man who wrinkled his nose and declined as she shrugged and took another drag. 

“Parley?” Tyrian asked amused. 

“I’m not a super vampire but even I can tell when something is gonna go down. Figured I’d get this out of the way so the club doesn’t get destroyed or whatever,” Cinder said grumpily. 

“So what are you offering?” Tyrian asked amusedly. “Because as I see it you have precious little to offer in return for your little club’s survival.”

“You might be right normally, but if you’re even entertaining this then you probably want me, or your boss or whoever does need me alive and unharmed to draw out my boss,” Cinder concluded as Tyrian merely raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her. 

“There’s also a dead man’s switch on a ward connected to me. If I die, or am seriously injured the ward triggers and destroys a room in the club containing all my masters prized books and research. You can’t get in if I’m dead. 

Maybe your boss can figure out a way around it, but you can’t so you need me in good health until then,” Cinder said smugly as Tyrian growled and gnashed his teeth. 

“Fine. I’ll have the fodder do something else and your little club will be spared the full might of my wrath,” Tyrian said, sounding deeply unhappy about things. 

“Lovely. We’d best get going then. I’m taking these with me by the way,” Cinder said with the cigarettes in her hand. 

“Ugh, disgusting,” Tyrian said before throwing her over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes and leaping off the roof. 

He had plans to change. After all, just because he’d promised the full might of the attack wouldn’t happen here didn’t mean there wouldn’t be an attack at all. 

No one would ever say Tyrian wasn’t a vampire of his word!

“Get back abomination!” One of a myriad number of unnamed hunters pointed his crossbow at Willow who glared at him. 

“Excuse you? I own this building, and land. I am Willow Schnee. My family have been hunters for generations and were promised sanctuary here when we need it!”

“Aye, and that’s the only reason you’re not dead. We hold our word in high regard. We just never thought one of your line would be a monster, or that if you did you’d have the good sense to end yourself honorably,” the man spat in her direction as Willow flinched. 

“Um, why are you here then?” Ruby asked from behind Willow. 

“For you child. We couldn’t let a human be in prolonged contact with a horrid creature of the night. Not to mention, we have orders to transfer you. Up the chain of command as it were.”

“You can’t have her,” Willow snarled, which caused several of them to aim their crossbows and guns right at her while several others brought out crosses and holy water. 

“It’s ok, Willow. I don’t want you to get hurt!” Ruby said as she stepped around the vampire stopping only to whisper in her ear for a moment as she put up her hands. 

“I, uh give up?” Ruby said as the apparent spokesman actually chuckled at that. 

“Come child we have no quarrel with you,” the man said with surprising gentleness before he turned back to Willow. “As for you, monster , stay down in your bunker and don’t even think to step a foot outside of it.”

Having said his piece they all withdrew making sure to keep their weapons trained on Willow until they were out of her line of sight. 

Once she heard the door shut Willow snarled and smashed her hand into the table cracking it in half with little effort before she slid down to her knees. 

She’d failed her daughter once more. 

Hazel took the envelope off the table with his name on it and read the letter within with a frown. 

Of course. He rubbed the bridge of his face in exasperation. 

Well there was no reason to stick around or keep things as they were then. 

He’d head home for the night after sending everyone else out first. 

“Strange,” Pyrrha said as they heard another plane take off from nearby. “I wasn’t aware there were other planes or runways out here.”

“There shouldn’t be,” Winter said as a sinking feeling in her stomach started to form as the monastery came into view. 

“There should be people here right?” Mercury asked as he looked at the seemingly deserted building.

“There should be,” Weiss agreed with a growl as she broke out into a light jog with Velvet outpacing the rest of them as she sprinted ahead of the group only to stop as she pushed open the large doors at the entrance. 

“There’s no one here,” Velvet said despondently before she snarled and marched in the building, Weiss beside her. 

“There’s a trail out back that looks well traveled,” Mercury said as he looked out the window. 

“I see,” Winter responded as she examined what appeared to be sleeping quarters albeit designed for utility with almost no personality to them. 

Mercury dropped down to the floor and began looking under the bed for a moment before he straightened back up. 

“Don’t see any trap doors or anything here,” the man said with a frown. 

“Let’s continue looking. Hopefully one of the others will have more luck.”

Yang and Pyrrha walked in and headed toward the main area full of pews and a pulpit. 

“Getting any weird feelings from your senses?” Yang asked as she trailed her hand over the pews noting the lack of dust. 

“Not really,” Pyrrha admitted as she flipped through the bible and a few other books left behind and frowned when nothing out of the ordinary appeared. 

“Do you think that Beckett guy was wrong?” Yang asked. 

“He certainly seemed to think he was correct, and I have no doubt that Cinder or her master would know if he was lying or trying to mislead them.”

“He seemed more interested in books so I doubt he’d lie and risk losing access to them,” Yang put in as she began tapping at the walls as if looking for a false wall or something of the sort.

Seeing her girlfriend and thinking it a good idea Pyrrha tapped at the floor and paused when a metallic thunk rang out rather than the sound of carpet. 

Yang’s eyes grew wide as she came over and the two saw a small metal handle that blended into the floor in such a way that it almost appeared to be part of the carpet albeit now that they were looking more closely they could see signs it had recently been used and some wear and tear on the handle as if a great amount of effort was expended pulling on it. 

With a quick look between them Yang pulled. The door resisted but a moment before it was wrenched free.

All they could see was a set of stairs that led to a metal door and a broken padlock on the ground. 

“Let’s get the others over here before we head down.”

Penny was looking much more normal and was even walking on her own as they slipped out the back exit. 

Thankfully their pursuers didn’t seem to be aware of it, but still it was important to cover their bases. 

Penny signed and Neo nodded. They needed to get back and report this, but they’d heard precious little about where they were headed or even who or what they were, aside from enemies of course. 

Neo signed back as she pointed to a set of parked vans, and cars the opposite way they’d come in earlier which is why they’d not seen them. 

Penny bit her lip before signing back slowly. 

She was right. It was a risk, but information would be invaluable. Still there was no reason for Penny to risk herself so recently recovered. 

She turned to sign as much to Penny who merely frowned at her with her arms crossed as she tapped a foot obviously having anticipated what Neo would be about to try. 

Neo faltered before she sighed and gestured for them both to go. Penny happily agreed and so they set off, carefully for the vehicles. There was no guarantee but at least if they were fast, and lucky they might find something.

Hazel sighed as he took a purposefully wrong turn down to an abandoned dock near the pier that they’d used from time to time for some less than reputable or supernatural business. 

He sat in the dark after closing the doors and waited for the ones who were trying and failing to be sneaky about tailing him. 

Any minute now…

“There could be some sort of trap,” Mercury said as Velvet snarled and leapt down the hole bypassing the stairs entirely.

“Or not. Cool or whatever,” Mercury said as he followed the irate wererabbit.

The door didn’t stop her for long either as she grabbed the handle and nearly ripped the door off its hinges pausing only to wait for Weiss to join her. 

She did however flinch in pain as she stepped foot into the hallway. Weiss’s keen eyes picked out a few talismans easily enough and she expertly flipped them off the wall before she blinked at seeing photos of herself and her family here. . 

She wrinkled her nose as the smell of a vampire invaded her nostrils and shared a look with Pyrrha and Winter who were making the same face. 

What in the world was going on?

Velvet didn’t appear to care as she kept walking down the hall with the others following afterwards. 

They’d find out what this was hiding, and get Ruby back no matter what!

Honestly Cinder was surprised the ride was as comfortable as it was. Tyrian must have really wanted her in one piece to avoid losing the potential treasure trove in her room. 

Not that she thought he or his partners could ever beat her bosses' protections on it. Still she could at least enjoy the soft seats for now as she lit up another cigarette. 

Tyrian’s distaste for them was so intense he refused to sit anywhere near her, although his expression said as soon as he could he’d try to kill her for her irritation. 

She smirked inwardly at that. Good old cigarettes, useful for so many things.

“That’s all I know I promise,” Melanie said to the terrifying figure across from her who was casually sipping on a glass of wine, of the absurdly expensive variety. 

“I believe you,” the figure said and Melanie nearly sagged with relief until they spoke again. 

“There is however one more, most minor thing I require from you before I take my leave and grant you the sanctuary you crave.”

When all Melanie did was whimper the figure chuckled. “You will be expected to be respectful of my subordinates and any of their families, as well as defend your new home…with more vigor than you did your own,” the figure said with a chuckle. 

“I…yes of course,” Melanie said as she shot another look at her sister who had at least stopped convulsing. 

“I shall take my leave. Make sure your sister shows the appropriate respect to the others when she arrives, or I won’t be nearly as lenient as I was today.”

With an almost mocking nod of their head the figure vanished leaving Melanie shivering from the intensity of simply being near them. 

She only hoped the tremors passed quickly, and that Miltia woke up soon. 

If nothing else at least the figure was clearly powerful enough to grant them sanctuary.

Thankfully getting to the vehicles had actually been rather anticlimactic. They’d even been fortunate enough to find a manila folder on the passenger seat they’d taken before retreating. 

Penny had suggested, and Neo had agreed that it wasn’t safe to wait anywhere close to nearby when they could have someone experienced tracking them. 

After all they’d certainly notice their missing fellows before too long. 

Penny was able to read as they ran. Her eyes absorbing the information at a breathtaking speed Neo found quite attractive as they sped through the nearby woods. 

“You are in this file friend,” Penny announced, handing over the documents for Neo to peruse.

Neo’s eyes flicked over the file which contained herself, the twins, and nearly every servant in the household of note. 

It listed many facts, and a large amount of speculation. Also noted was the reason for their destruction. Apparently sending the letter had been a betrayal to their former alliance.

Well at least Neo knew where they operated from.  

A small sticky note in handwritten words rather than typed was affixed at the bottom. 

“Destroy this when you’re done reading it idiot.” -Tock

Neo deadpanned and looked at Penny who was barely holding in her own laughter. Clearly she’d seen the note as well.  

She scanned through the next few pages before seeing something that made her eyes widen as she tapped Penny on the shoulder to hand over the file. 

Penny nodded. “I do not have much in the way of currency. Just what I received from the vampire I was forced to slay in self defense earlier,” Penny said as she put a hand into her pocket and pulled out several thick rolls of bills. 

“Do you think this will be enough?” Penny asked so innocently Neo was forced to merely give her a thumbs up in response as she shook her head. 

“Then we shall do our best to assist! I have not been able to get a hold of Miss Fall recently though,” Penny said with a frown before she shook her head. “Still if this is important to you, and they attacked your home my questions can wait. I shall assist you in tracking them down!” Penny declared. 

Ruby woke from her nap as they hit a slight bit of turbulence. Another day and she was kidnapped once more. 

Well at least she was awake this time when they took her. 

She looked out the window and wondered where everyone was. What would happen to them? She only hoped things turned out all right. She missed Weiss and Velvet terribly.

“An empty bunker?” Weiss asked, her hands ready to spring into action and withdraw her weapons at a moments notice. 

“Not…quite,” said a woman’s voice as Weiss felt her breath hitch and heard Winter’s do the same from behind her as they came upon what appeared to be a study or living room with a broken table. 

“It’s been…a rather long time since I’ve seen you both,” Willow admitted, her eyes soft as she gazed at her daughters. 

“Mother?”