RWBY: The Resonant Rōnin (Discontinued)

Chapter 52: Uncovered

Charugna P.O.V.

Flashback

I drifted in the dark water on my back.

My eyes opened as I woke up, twitching as I looked up and realized Haven is not destroyed and I activated my Maiden Powers.

I started crawling out of the pool of water onto the shore of the cave. I looked up to see light pouring through the crack as well as the sound of howling wind. I then looked up to notice the Vault under Haven Academy, where I fought Raven.

I staggered out of the cave and into the rain. I struggled to walk for a bit before collapsing to the ground, dragging myself through the mud. I heard a woman approach.

"Gods, are you okay?" The woman, holding a basket of food, looked down at me in concern. "Where did you...?"

I crawl forward and activate my Maiden Powers as the woman drops the basket and screams.

Flashback end

Dressed in the cloak of the woman I encountered weeks ago, I step out of an alleyway.

I look to my left and notice a holographic screen showing portraits of my allies and I. A subtitle below says 'LAST KNOWN LOCATION: HAVEN ACADEMY, APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH AGO'.

"The perpetrators, Charugna Hyacinth, Hazel Rainart, Emerald Sustrai, and Mercury Black have still not been seen since the attack and are presumed to have fled the city. The Mistral police department is offering a reward to any citizen..."

Realizing I'm a wanted criminal, I put my hood up to conceal my identity.

"I have to get back to Salem before bounty hunters come after me."

I walk out into the rainy streets of Mistral, among crowds of people with their umbrellas up. People still carry out their businesses as usual, both legally and illegally. As I continue walking, I notice a symbol - a spiderweb with a spider in it - etched into the wall.

I walk into a restaurant, with some of the customers bearing tattoos similar to the symbol on the wall. I walk up to a lady, who I presume is leader of the gang. The lady notices me just as she was about to have her meal.

"That's far enough." Her two bodyguards walk up to me, blocking my way. I drop a sack full of Lien on the table. "Okay."

The bodyguards step back and I take a seat across from her.

"You're Lil' Miss Malachite?" Lil' Miss takes out her hand fan.

"I'm Lil' Miss Gon'-Skin-You-Alive if you ever take that tone with me again. Looks like your life's savings."

"It was somebody's." Lil' Miss laughs.

"Cute. What do you want for it?"

I pull out my Scroll, showing portraits of Y/N, Team RWBY, Pyrrha, Nora, Coco, Velvet, M/N, Qrow, and Oscar.

"I'm looking for these travelers." Lil' Miss's eyes widen as she sees Y/N's picture, then she smirks.

"Well, sweetheart, you came to the right place." I look behind me, noticing a man entering and being greeted by his group of friends sitting around a table. Lil' Miss chuckles. "You know, I used to be afraid of spiders. Want to know what I did about it?"

"Well, the world needs spiders, doesn't it?" Lil' Miss smirks.

"That's right. I just made the spiders work for me." I look around, noticing all of the customers have the tattoo of spiderweb, insinuating that they all work for Lil' Miss. "Give us a week, we'll find your travelers."