Chapter 7 — Open Your Eyes

A spider scurried across the room, kicking up dust in its wake.

To Weiss, that was the perfect mood setter for what would be ahead.

Merlot Industries must have been open to the public when it was in operation. The room Weiss and Ilia entered had a receptionist desk that reminded Weiss of the one at the Schnee Dust Company. There were also chairs against the wall, but Weiss wouldn't sit in one unless she wanted a collision with the floor.

No Grimm, though. The White Fang must have moved them upstairs.

Weiss glanced at Ilia, and the two nodded. No communication between them was needed, not after all they had been through together.

Ilia took the lead, creeping toward the stairs. Weiss trailed close behind, her hand on Myrtenaster. The caution proved to be unnecessary, because the second floor was as empty as the first.

This is getting creepy. Where is everybody?

They got to the third floor, and realized why there were no White Fang nearby.

An Alpha Beowolf prowled the floor on two feet, snorting with seemingly no care. When Weiss and Ilia reached the floor, those sniffs increased in intensity. The creature slowly turned its head, until its green eyes locked onto Weiss and Ilia.

Green. The same color of every Grimm Merlot had infected. The spikes on the Beowolf were the same color, and when it opened its mouth to lick its teeth, Weiss saw the inside of the mouth emitted a green glow.

Weiss and Ilia sprung forward, weapons out. Thanks to a glyph, Weiss was the first to reach the Beowolf. She leaped over it, hitting its back with a barrage of spikes. Those green spikes absorbed every hit, making Myrtenaster feel like a toothpick.

Weiss felt even more useless when the Beowolf ignored her, choosing to slash its claws at Ilia. Ilia was too fast for it, jumping back—

Weiss' eyes widened. The Beowolf sprung forward, seemingly gliding across the ground. That swipe had only been the first, and each one propelled it forward, straight at Ilia. Three of its attacks hit Ilia, causing her to gasp in pain. Those claws would have torn her apart in an instant without aura.

"Ilia!" Weiss shouted. Fire touched Myrtenaster, then launched from it in an arc. The Beowolf growled when the blast struck it, more annoyed than hurt. It turned Weiss' way.

That's right. Stay on me. Ignore her.

Weiss formed four glyphs around the Beowolf, then jumped to the first one. The Beowolf tried to catch her with its claws, but missed when she spun midair, contracting her body. When she reached the glyph, she immediately jumped off it, using the extra force to propel herself at the Beowolf.

She lurched, eyes widening. Before she could figure out what had happened, the world spun around her, and she hit the ground on her back. Her breath was driven out of her.

It was seeing Myrtenaster stuck on the Beowolf's paw that clued her in. It had caught her sword.

Ilia's whip flew past Weiss' face, curling around Myrtenaster's hilt. Ilia yanked it back, making the blade fly through the air.

"Thanks," Weiss said, jumping forward and catching the blade midair. She landed at Ilia's side.

"This thing is tougher than it looks," Ilia murmured.

Weiss smiled.

"Then let's hit it with everything we got."

The Beowolf roared, and they sprung forward.

"Go left!" Weiss shouted. When Ilia did so, Weiss moved right. The dust cartridge in Myrtenaster spun, then clicked into place. The instant it did, Weiss sent a wave of ice along the ground, catching the Beowolf's feet. It stumbled, leaving it unprepared for Ilia's whip, which wrapped around the same spot Weiss had targeted. The Beowolf stumbled, falling onto its back hard enough to make the building shake.

Weiss summoned a gravity glyph behind her, then used it to launch herself forward. Her blade sunk into the Beowolf's stomach, finally drawing a pained howl from it.

Rather than stay close, Weiss pulled her sword out, then leaped back. It was just in time for Ilia to strike the same spot with her electrified whip, drawing yet another howl. This time, it stood up following the attack, leaping at Ilia with a snarl.

"Get away from her!" Weiss ordered. With the use of time dilation, she was on top of the Beowolf in an instant. She stabbed Myrtenaster toward its eye.

The Beowolf dipped its head down, causing Weiss' sword to bounce off its armor. Knowing what had happened, Weiss leaped back to avoid a claw swipe, then had a gravity glyph launch her into the air. The Beowolf's follow-up attacks all missed its target.

I can't keep time dilation up anymore. I'm out of the dust I need.

She had known she was running out of dust, but she couldn't just stop using it. Her entire fighting style revolved around dust.

Weiss forced herself not to use a blast of fire on the Beowolf's exposed hide. Instead, she flipped mid-air, falling headfirst with her sword in front of her. Ilia saw what she was doing, and wrapped her whip around the Beowolf's center. It only kept it still for a second, but that was all Weiss needed. Myrtenaster dug into the Beowolf's back, between two of the spikes.

Ilia lashed forward with her whip, one, two, three, four times. While she did this, Weiss put all her weight on Myrtenaster, forcing it further into the Beowolf.

Two different assaults, from two different directions. Its howl came out more like a scream.

Something gave, and Weiss almost stumbled when Myrtenaster lurched the rest of the way through the Beowolf. The sudden movement prepared her, and she steadied her feet as the Beowolf evaporated below her.

Ilia smirked at the sight, yanking her whip back. Stood like that, radiating confidence and power, she looked like a princess. Weiss' heart fluttered.

Some might have thought it ridiculous that, as a child, Weiss had made a list of physical attributes she looked for in a partner. She'd wanted a charming smile, hair that showed personality without being too outlandish, a healthy form and skin, and more.

Neptune had fit all those attributes. When she'd seen Neptune, she'd seen her list come to life. That, and him flirting with her like he was on her level drew her to him. He'd been great physically, and he hadn't acted weird around her due to her name.

He paled in comparison to Ilia. If Weiss had thought to as a kid, she would have put spots like those on Ilia's skin on her list. More than that, Ilia had a passion in her eyes Neptune had been lacking. Her hair, even when full of dirt and grit, was perfect.

Weiss wasn't afraid to admit she had a physical attraction to Ilia. Her father would disown her the instant he learned she had an interest in a member of the White Fang, former or not. In any other situation, Weiss would have stayed far away from Ilia.

By now, Whitley owned the SDC. Did it matter what Weiss' father thought?

Weiss shook her head, dispelling the thoughts. Attraction or not, Weiss' feelings didn't matter. Not when Beacon was at stake. Weiss hadn't been afraid to jump into a relationship with Neptune, but the circumstances had been different.

That, and Neptune had made his feelings toward Weiss clear. Then again, he had done that for everyone. Ilia, on the other hand, was still a mystery. A mystery Weiss wanted to explore, perhaps, but Weiss was barely beyond talking terms with the girl.

Are we? After all that's happened?

A ring, like a mall's speakers coming to life, brought Weiss out of her thoughts.

"What an interesting development this is," a male voice said. The speaker sounded close to Ozpin's age, but his tone was much deeper.

"Who's there?" Weiss demanded. Her eyes scanned for the source of the voice, and she found a camera in the corner of the room.

Her eyes narrowed. "Merlot."

"That's me," Merlot said. "I'm honored that you've heard of me."

Ilia rolled her eyes beside Weiss. "Did you just want to taunt us? If you couldn't tell, we're here to take down your lab."

Merlot chuckled, making Weiss bristle. "That lab was taken down years ago. I thought I would never recover its resources, but with help from a mutual friends of ours, I got everything I need."

"The White Fang are not my friends," Ilia spat. Quieter, she said, "Not anymore."

Merlot made a curious hum. "Regardless, you will not be able to make a dent in our plans. Although, I will admit, I would have preferred if you let me collect the rest of the Grimm at that location. They are such fine specimen, and I would hate to lose them."

A fireball hit the camera a moment later, making it explode into pieces.

"Weiss?" Ilia asked, looking at Weiss' still flaming blade.

"We don't have time to listen to a villain monologue," Weiss said. "You heard what he said, the White Fang was only here to collect resources. But they're still here. You know what that means, don't you?"

Ilia's eyes widened. "Someone will be sending a Bullhead to pick them up."

Weiss nodded. "And if they have resources, that Bullhead will be heading to Merlot. We can still stop him."

Ilia bit her lip, then nodded, taking a step forward. "Then let's do it."

Dr. Merlot watched through the cameras as the two huntresses ran through the building. They rose floor to floor, disposing of any Grimm in their way. The Alpha Beowolf they had faced had been among the best of the work he'd left behind, so it was only logical it would be their toughest opponent.

He sighed. Such optimism. He remembered a time when he was the same way. A budding scientist, destined for greater things. He'd believed he could utilize the most powerful force known to man: the creatures of Grimm. Humanity could have risen to heights never before seen, if only the fools in charge had listened to him.

It seemed the cycle was repeating itself once more. The two young ladies defiling his work had no interest in hearing what he had to say. They, like so many others, didn't see the potential in Grimm.

Oh, but Merlot was not alone in his endeavors. What a brilliant young mind Cinder Fall was, to believe in the Grimm's power. And she was letting him display his work. Vale would be his stage, and the entire world his audience.

Yes, his re-emergence would be spectacular. His pets would make quite the splash.

He turned to his latest experiment. It huffed, thrashing at the chemicals being injected into it from a machine twice its size. Even then, its resistance was weak, Merlot's work already taking effect. It couldn't even open its eyes, for how drained it was.

"You want to come to my island, then?" Merlot questioned, sparing a glance for the two girls on screen. They sprinted up the stairs, making their way to the roof. "Allow me to prepare a welcoming party."

The machine died down, no longer supplying the Grimm. It twitched, coming to life with new energy. Energy he could control.

"I have given you life," he said. "Life for me to control."

He smiled. "Now, open your eyes."

Ilia's body had taken control long ago. She let it carry her up the stairs in a sprint, Weiss close behind her. No Grimm got in her way for too long, not when she had a goal to reach. She could hear a Bullhead in the distance, perhaps two minutes away from landing. Where else could it land but the highest level of the abandoned settlement? If there had been any more White Fang below, Weiss and Ilia would have seen them.

The roof. That was where the White Fang would make their escape. Weiss and Ilia had a small window, between the White Fang entering the Bullhead, and the Bullhead leaving them behind. They would get on board then.

Ilia ran through the plan over and over, until it was drilled through her skull. Nothing else mattered, not now.

I have to stop the White Fang from becoming the monsters everyone sees us as. Even if that means standing against them.

It was with that thought that Ilia pushed her way to the roof. Clouds had covered the sky, and the first drops of rain were starting to fall.

There were also the last of the White Fang, pulling themselves into the Bullhead. One glanced back at Ilia and Weiss, his hand twitching and moving toward his gun. His friend snapped something at him, and they entered the Bullhead, pulling the door shut behind them.

Not a moment passed before the Bullhead lifted itself off the ground, preparing to leave Mountain Glenn, and Weiss and Ilia, behind.

Ilia's feet took her across the roof in an instant. She threw her whip out catching it onto a latch at the bottom of the Bullhead. This was a storage Bullhead, meaning it had a bottom floor where valuable supplies were kept. None of the White Fang would be down there.

Getting in would be the problem, especially with the Bullhead moving. Ilia's feet were lifted off the ground as the Bullhead continued to rise. In another few moment, it would be moving very, very fast, from lethal heights.

A thump came from next to her. Ilia looked that way to see Weiss had launched herself onto the Bullhead with a glyph, digging her weapon into the metal. Ilia opened her mouth to ask how Weiss had forced the blade through the Bullhead, only to see smoke rising from the hole she clung to.

She used fire dust to give herself a handhold. On a moving Bullhead. This girl is incredible.

Incredible wouldn't get either of them in the Bullhead, but teamwork would. Ilia held her hand out, extending it as far to Weiss as possible. Weiss nodded, resolve set on her face. Then, she jumped, pulling her weapon from the Bullhead. With her left hand, Ilia clasped onto Weiss' right, the girl swinging like a pendulum beneath her.

Ilia grunted, heaving Weiss up to hold onto her whip's hilt alongside Ilia. Ilia jolted when their hands touched, tingles running through her body. Her eyes widened. She hadn't felt anything like that since . . .

Since Blake.

No time to focus on that. Weiss thrust her blade forward, using gravity dust on the door. The glyph forced the door open, and they were both moving the instant the door lurched. They flipped over the extending door, and into the Bullhead. When they landed, they rolled beside a crate, using it as support.

The wind tugged on Ilia, drawing her back into the open air. With a flick of her head to flip her hair back, she used her whip one more time, attaching it onto the door latch and pulling. Weiss grabbed her arm, sending more tingles down her body while also making the effort far easier. The two of them planted their feet, and yanked.

They caught themself on the dust crate when the door closed, sighing in relief.

"We made it," Weiss whispered. Ilia nodded alongside her.

They'd made it. They were on a one-way trip to a villain's lair. Stuck down below like they were, they would have no idea where their destination was. No information, no way to plan ahead.

They would have to rely on faith.

A/N: If you've been enjoying this story and want more of my writing, I would love it if you supported my first published novel. It went through months of editing, and is finally out on www . amazon dp/B07DH4D6PC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527992544&sr=8-1&keywords=brian+krewson