Lost In The Storm: A RWBY AU!

Chapter 11 : The Recording

IM SO BAD AT UPLOADING ON TIME

Horus, off screen, fired a bolt of lightning at Marss' vulnerable body. He had been stripped of everything but his pants. thankfully. His bare chest was struck by the lightning, Marss' tortured scream suddenly erupting. 

"No!" Yang shouted, as if she could stop it from happening. Horus suddenly ended the lightning blast before reappearing on the screen. He laughed slyly before smiling towards the camera. 

"Now,  the Red Lightning Clan would like to strike a deal with the kingdom of Vale. This striking young man," Horus said as he pointed his finger back at Marss, firing another small spark of lightning  at him. The spark made contact, earning another painful scream from Marss. 

"For twenty thousand pounds of food. These are to be left inside the church on fifty-fourth and Blake's street. Once we ensure the food is not poisoned and is safely in our hands, the young man will be released from our captivity. Think fast. He doesn't have long." Horus said as he laughed maniacally. He then fired another spark of lightning at Marss, earning another pained scream. 

The last thing the video recorded was Marss' scream. 

Yang's eyes had tuned red, her hair lighting on fire. 

"We have to find him." Yang seethed. Raven placed her hand on her sword's hilt. 

"For once, we agree on something." She said. 

"We can't. This recording came in yesterday, Yang. It's all we have to go off of." Tai responded. 

"How did you get the recording?" Yang asked. Tai sighed once more. 

"It was delivered by a young man." Raven replied. Yang gave her a questioning look. 

"Then question him." She curtly stated.

"He's dead, Yang. The young man killed himself after delivering the tape." Tai responded. Yang took two steps back, as if she had just been hit in the face. 

"What..." 

"Now you know why we're considering the deal." 

"You're actually considering it?" Yang asked, flabbergasted. 

"You saw the recording. They'll kill him if we don't, Yang." 

"Do we even know if it's real, Dad?" At this, Orias stepped forward. 

"It is. You can't copy the look of pain he had. I've seen it many times, during sparring sessions." Orias replied. 

"Play it again." Yang demanded. 

"Yang, I don't think that's the best-" Tai said before Yang slammed her fist on the table, visibly cracking it. 

"Play. It." She seethed. Tai sighed before pressing the play button on the remote again. The recording replayed, Horus firing a blast of electricity at Marss' vulnerable body. He screamed in agony, but it was then that Yang noticed something. 

His hands were in view of the camera. She hadn't noticed it before, because of the torture going on, but now that she was viewing it again... 

"Pause it!" Yang shouted, so abruptly that Tai jumped in his seat. He then quickly paused the video, turning to look at the screen behind him once more. He was wondering why his daughter had suddenly shouted. 

Yang's eyes widened as her eyes stared at his hands. He was folding his fingers, allowing a different number of fingers to be shown every time. It was a secret code they had come up with when they were smaller. The number of fingers they held up indicated what letter came next. A simple yet effective method of cheating on tests and spelling quizzes the castle's tutors gave out. 

"R..." Yang said as the secret code between the two continued. 

"Yang, what's-" Raven asked before Yang cut her off. 

"Play it!" She shouted, more desperately than her last demand. Tai played the video once more after giving her a slightly annoyed look. 

"G...R...A...C...E." Yang breathed to herself. 

"Rgrace? That doesn't make any sense." Yang said. 

"Yang. What on Remnant are you talking about?" Raven demanded. 

"When we were growing up, Marss and I made a secret code. The fingers he has up amount to the corresponding letter. If he holds up five in his left hand and two in his right, then the letter would be Y." Yang explained. 

"I see. But how do you distinguish the difference between 25 and 8? They would be holding up the same number of fingers." Marss asked. 

"It's all in the fingers he holds up. If there's a space, he won't use his pinky." Yang replied. 

"Perhaps he is trying to tell us where he is." Tai replied. He then looked back at Yang.

"What were the letters once more?" 

"R G R A C E." Yang repeated. Tai placed a hand on his chin, deep in thought. His eyes suddenly widened, a light bulb being lit in his head.  

"Orias. Fetch me the son of Anton Grace." Tai ordered. Orias bowed before leaving the room, closing the door upon his exist. 

"Anton Grace? Isn't he the new board member?" 

"Of course. His  son's name is Raphael Grace. He was the last suitor I arranged for you before your time at Beacon began." 

"Raphael Grace... R Grace." Raven said, repeating the information. 

"Exactly. It was my understanding that Raphael attended the last sparring session between Marss and Orias. Orias had informed me of this, but I thought nothing of it. Until now at least." 

"The only question remains, what was he doing at the sparring session? Analyzing Orias' fighting techniques?" Raven asked. Tai shook his head.

"No. He was analyzing Marss'. He knew who Marss was despite never meeting him or being given any information about him." Tai said. 

"Then the attack at Vale Castle, Marss was the target? Not me or Ruby?" Yang asked. 

"And the Beringel that attacked Vale Mall... that was also likely a plot to snatch Marss." 

"But why? If they were just going to ransom him off, why Marss?" Raven asked. 

"There are multiple reasons for that. He was high up on our information chain, his relationship to Yang, relationship to us..." Tai then sighed tiredly. 

"Dad?" Yang asked, finding that the sigh was odd. 

"It can't be possible." Tai said as he suddenly stood up from the chair and began pacing back and forth. 

"Dad? What's-" Yang asked before Tai held a finger up to her direction, indicating that he was thinking and not ti interrupt his mind. Tai then shook his head before sighing in defeat. 

"There is more to Marss than you know of, Yang." Tai stated blatantly.