Alucard: A RWBY Story

Chapter One Hundred Thirty Six - Tea Amidst Terrible Trouble

After transpired at the Village of the Paper Pleasers, Hansel followed the trail left behind by Ruby. Eventually, he reached what appeared to be a mansion. Hansel hummed to himself as he entered the mansion. Meanwhile, Ruby had been locked in a deadly battle against Neo who began to mentally torture her by conjuring images of Ruby's friends. The battle reaches it's climax when she is faced by the "death" of Oscar. Neo-Oscar falls backwards and dies. Ruby drops Crescent Rose and collapses on her knees. Neo-Penny and Neo-Clover approach Neo-Oscar's corpse. Neo-Penny, covering her mouth in shock, then changes to Neo-Yang. Neo-Clover changes to Neo-, now horrified over Neo-Oscar's "death". Neo-Lionheart changes to Neo-Blake looking at Ruby in disbelief. Neo-Ironwood changes to Neo-Weiss looking down at Ruby.

Neo-Roman: Do you really think you can stand to watch more of your friends fall?

Ruby: Please... stop...

Neo-Roman: Or are you ready to admit the truth? That the world would just be better off without you?

???: Poor poor Ruby Rose. 

As the voice calls out to Ruby, she turns to see Hansel approaching her. Ruby was shocked to see Hansel approaching her. 

Ruby: H...Hansel?! How? You....

Hansel: Died? Not quite despite your....incompetence. Though I must admit, I'm quite surprised that you haven't figured it out by now. Were you that desperate to save a single life that you just ignored all the little hints I've been giving you? 

Ruby: I...I don't understand.

Hansel: Are you really that dense? Do I really need to spell it out for you, Ruby? It's almost as easy as being everywhere and nowhere.....

When Ruby blinked, she suddenly sees Schrödinger standing before her.

Ruby: S...Schrödinger?

Schrödinger: Guten tag, Ruby. 

Ruby: You....you've been Hansel this entire time?

Schrödinger: Ja, Ruby. At first, I was simply going to kill you and your friends. In the grand scheme of things, you and your friends are nothing more than pawns. Pawns to be discarded. But then I saw it...the fear and desperation. So I decided to play a little game. 

As Ruby came to the realization that Hansel was Schrödinger, she was in a state of shock. Schrödinger smiled as he approached Ruby with his gun in his hand. He then presses it into Ruby's head.

Schrödinger: It was all too easy, Ruby. After your magnificent failure in Atlas and Mantle, you wanted so desperately to save at least a single life. It was as if saving this single life would make up for all the lives you threw away with your reckless plan. 

Ruby: Shut up.....

Schrödinger: Seeing you slowly fall apart was certainly a sight to see! To see you lash out against your friends and loved ones was so delightful! And to think that all I needed to do was to play the part of a young and innocent boy separated from his parents. "Oh help me, Ruby!" My Mama and Papa are worried sick!" 

Ruby: Shut up....shut up!

Schrödinger: Perhaps I should put you out of your misery, Ruby. It would be so easy....

Ruby: SHUT UP!

Ruby then snatches the pistol from Schrödinger's hands and fires on him. She empties the click on Schrödinger's body. She keeps firing until she ran out of bullets. Ruby took several frantic breaths. When she blinked, she was faced with what appeared to be the lifeless body of Hansel. Seeing this sight shocked Ruby to the point of making her fall to the ground. When she blinked once more, Schrödinger got up. 

Schrödinger: Back in Remnant, it would have taken a lot out of me to pull that trick off! But here in the Ever After, it's as if this place was tailored to people like me! I'm sure the Doctor would be quite interested to hear about this!

It was at this point that the Curious Cat appeared and offered her a way out of all the turmoil she faced. They presented her with a teacup filled with a strange concoction. As Little tries to drag Ruby, Neo stomps on Little with her boot, apparently killing them ruthlessly. Neo sneers down on Ruby with Roman standing behind her. Ruby becomes utterly horrified after Little was killed in front of her, the light in her eyes is gone. The teacup is slided to Ruby.

Neo-Roman: Hmph. I think it's about time we all got what we deserve.

Ruby slowly moves her body. Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune and Juniper finally arrive only to see Neo and Schrödinger looking down on the wounded Ruby.

Neo-Roman: Are you ready to admit the truth? That the world would just be better off without you?

Schrödinger: It was fun while it lasted, Ruby Rose. 

Schrödinger then picks up his pistol and aims it at her friends. 

Schrödinger: It's time for tea, Ruby. 

Ruby stared before drinking the tea. She gives them one last look. Yang watches in shock as Ruby drinks the entire tea. Ruby drops the teacup and lies there. A hole appears below Ruby and she falls into it along with Little and Crescent Rose, engulfed in a bright light.

Yang: RUBY!

Schrödinger: Auf wiedersehen, Ruby Rose.

Before the group could react, Schrödinger was gone. A Neo-Roman Torchwick watches in amusement. Neo sits on her chair, seemingly giving a frown as the manor begins to slowly crumble. Neo opens her eyes before she is filled with mixed emotions of confusion. Weiss becomes shocked over Ruby's fall. Blake holds Yang over her shoulder, the latter seemingly catatonic. Jaune closes his eyes in silence.

Curious Cat: No, no, no, no!

Jaune looks to find the Cat running towards the vine-covered hole.

Curious Cat: I needed her!

The Cat attempts to scratch the vines that cover the entire hole pointlessly. They growl in anger. They hear the loud sound and look up to the Tree. The Cat looks away before slowly turning around, giving a sharp sneer.

Jaune: Take us to her, now!

Curious Cat: You still don't get it, do you? It's not a place you go. It's a place you know. But no matter... I actually found a much better solution to my problem.

The Cat gives a powerful roaring beam at everyone, blasting them away, crashing against the walls. Jaune lands onto Juniper, who catches him in time. The Cat's form begins to grow bigger with their colors changing to white with clear black square patterns. The Cat flies towards Neo.

Curious Cat: You've lost something most important, haven't you? And now you have nothing left. How delightful! An empty host, perfect for me to fill!

Neo widens her eyes in utter shock as the Cat forces her mouth open and dives inside of her. Jaune regains his posture before turns around to see the Cat attempting to take over Neo's body, to his shock. Neo opened her eyes, sharing the Cat's eyes.

NeoCat: The Rusted Knight. Goodness, am I tired of your little sob story. You can't even accept your own futility. This body will do.

With that, the rest of the group faced a bigger threat. All the while Ruby would face their own challenge.