RWBY Through Worlds

115: Back in the Casing

She shook her head. "I'm going to need some help, that's for sure. All right, you run back and keep an eye on Weiss. Maybe you can help. Don't let on that you're a talking mouse, though. I've got work to do. I'll catch up to those rogues."

Libby took off in hot pursuit of The Lost Kids.

She dogged their steps halfway across Vacuo, till they reached the district that was supposed to be haunted.

She was smart enough to guess the rest from there. Whitley had been short on details, but Libby had got that it was bad.

Well, time to let them know that. 

And then she'd better get a move on for phase two of her plan.

 * * *

"Libby is on the call," Whitley interrupted the others debating how to go about this. "She says that she knows where Ruby is."

"She does?" Qrow stood up.

"But what about Weiss?" Willow had joined them by now, though she wasn't helping much.

Whitley sighed. "Well, just listen. All right, go on."

"They took your little, red-hooded friend to that same place you rescued the blonde one from before," Libby said. "I assume you know how to get there. I don't go in that area."

"They really took her there?" Yang said. 

"Yes, but they had her somewhere else first--they moved her. My guess is they got new orders," Libby said. "And if this mad scientist shtick is true, I don't like to ask what the reason for that might be, but you fill in the blank. As for Weiss, she's still held somewhere else. Classic bait and switch, leverage, arm twisting tactic. Normally I'd say they'd hold her for ransom, but I really doubt it this time."

"Where is she, then?" Blake asked.

"Don't you worry about it," Libby said. "I will have it taken care of."

"What?" Whitley said. "Now wait a moment, you can't hope to take this on alone."

"Oh, relax, Governor, I know these reprobates," Libby said, "a pack of mangy street dogs, who've never been able to cut it in the big times, so they pick on people who can't fight back. Skirting under the radar of any huntsman, usually, unless they get cocky. They bust up my neighborhood often enough. The point is, I can handle them. I got a lucky tip off from a small friend of yours already. I'll have your precious sister back in a few hours. With the proper staging. But don't be alarmed, all right?"

"Staging? You aren't actually going to do this alone, are you?" Yang cried. "Are you crazy?!"

"You're one to talk," Libby said sassily. "I've done the odd job like this here and there--not with human cargo, mind you, but the principle of the thing is the same. I'll be just fine. You can bet that fancy arm of yours on it. But in the meantime, you all need to get that other girl. This won't work if they've more leverage, I'll wager. If you can handle that, I can handle Weiss. Cheerio!"

She hung up.

"Wait a minute!" Whitley said. "Hey!... Oh, she did not!"

"That chick is crazy," Qrow said. "Everyone here, they're just out of their minds."

"Well, are you much better?" Vara said dryly. "She's got spunk. I like her."

"Street urchins can be pretty resourceful in Vacuo," Theo said. "I wouldn't underestimate her. If she's right about this being a street gang, any one of us could take them on. It's Vic's weapons that I'm worried about. But if that's the case, they're going to expect us to come, not someone like them. Maybe she's got a point... Anyway you can't bust in there--you'll be suckered the same way your friends were."