RWBY||Defender of Remnant

Chapter 58: Menagerie

3rd Person POV

Beacon Airstrip

"Are you sure about this?" Ruby asked as she, Blake, Weiss, and Sincline headed down to the airstrip. Summer and Qrow had already departed to complete their part of the plan; Team JNPR was heading to the arena to keep an eye on the match, and Yang and Mercury were staying at Beacon to keep an eye on the Maiden.

Sincline nodded. "It's our only chance. And I'm the only one who could do this aside from Blake, but she would be found out immediately, right?" he asked, glancing at Blake for confirmation. Given that he had a tail, and the others didn't, there wasn't really that much of a debate as to who would go to Menagerie.

Blake nodded, her expression Grimm. "While you take care of that, Weiss and I will head to the fairgrounds to check for anything unusual."

"And after that, I'll go over to the stadium to meet up with the rest of Team JNPR," Ruby agreed. She hesitated. "Hey guys, can I talk with Sincline, please? Alone?"

Exchanging looks, Blake and Weiss nodded, and the two headed off, their heeled boots clicking against the smooth stone of Beacon.

"You know you're not gonna talk me out of this," Sincline said, turning to her.

"I... I know," Ruby admitted, looking down and shifting from side-to-side. "It's just... this is all happening so fast, and... well...."

"Well, who better to deal with it all than the two fastest members of the team," Sincline joked and gently took her hands in his. "Ruby, you know I have to do this," he said gently, cupping her cheek with his hand. "I'm the only one who can go." Well, Sun could... if we could find him, he mused as an afterthought. Even then, he wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to trust the Faunus to not get caught up in any... monkey business.

"I know," she said sadly and hesitated. "Just... be careful, alright?"

"You know I will," Sincline replied with a smile and gently kissed her, pressing his lips against hers as she wrapped her arms around him. For several long moments, they held still, warm wind gusting around them as the sun began to rise, casting an eerie glow across the platform.

"Be safe, okay?" Ruby asked, pulling away and looking up at him, her silver eyes catching the pre-dawn light.

Sincline nodded. "I will." Holding out a hand, he summoned his ship, its shadow casting over them as a low hum filled the air. Kissing her one last time, Sincline jumped into his vessel and, as it rose into the air, glanced back toward Ruby.

Her cape fluttering in the wind caused by the ship's Ion drives, Ruby gave him a farewell wave. Sincline waved back before entering his ship, the hatch closing behind him with a low hiss. Letting out a sigh, he went to his cockpit, sat down, and jerked the throttle. A burst of speed, and he took off, his ship blurring into the sky. I'll come back to you, Ruby, he promised silently as his ship tore through the air, heading southeast of Vale. Menagerie, here I come. His thoughts flashed back to what Blake had told him about the Faunus-occupied Island.

"After the Great War, Menagerie was given to the Faunus as a safe haven," Blake explained as she, Ruby, Sincline, and Weiss headed down to the airstrip. "It's a little cramped... but that's what happens when you take an entire species and put them on an island that's two-thirds desert."

"Why not have some people live in the desert if you have that much space?" Sincline asked curiously, tilting his head.

"It's not like the desert in Vacuo," Blake explained. "The wildlife is more dangerous than in most of the other regions'."