RWBY Through Worlds

116: Shaking and Pacing

"Hey, baby." Wally appeared in front of the cage. "Let me get this for you."

"Wait," Shine laughed and then winced. "This is trying to suck my Aura out..." She sank to the floor.

"Of course she has backup..." Wally said.

"Hon, I'm not sure I'm ready to escape yet," Shine said.

"What?" Wally said.

"I've been thinking--if we get out like last time, she'll only do this again and again, until she gets what she wants or it's too late," Shine said. "Perhaps there's something we can learn from being here."

"But...I kind of already escaped..." Wally said.

"This place is going to be on lockdown now that you did that," Shine said, "until she finds you... It's enough to know that you can escape at any time, but if you let her think it was just a fluke for now...we have a trap card--oh gosh, I sound like the kids."

"Huh...sneaky," Wally said. "But are you sure that's smart? She could be making progress."

"I think it's best for us all. You and I could get out of here, but we'll turn her focus back on them if we do," Shine said. "You know the drill--bait and switch. But when it's the right moment, you should escape."

"Okay...how will I know when it's the right moment?" Wally asked.

"I'm not sure," Shine said. "Just...feel for it, I guess. I knew you'd break out sooner or later, but I wasn't sure whether I should, and I don't think so. Just...go with me on this one."

"Okay, I trust you," Wally said uncertainly. "But maybe you could yell or something if she does anything creepy?"

"One thing you could do before you get caught again--could you see if Ruby is here?" Shine said. "If she is, she shouldn't be. And if you see Tyrian around, can you, like...take care of him? I think we can handle anyone else being down here, but being trapped with him is like locking yourself in a pen with an angry bull."

"Ruby? I hope not," Wally said. "Okay, I am on it--but that was pretty impressive, right? You knew I'd get out, because I'm just that good."

"Yes, you're incredible," Shine said. "But can you brag about it later? This is not really the time for me to list your good qualities off."

"All right, all right, but you will later," Wally winked. "I'll go pretend to be weaker than I am, I guess."

He ran away.

Cinder was released by the tank--now that she couldn't possibly have escaped.

She coughed and looked at Shine in disbelief.

"If you want to get out of here," Shine hissed, "you will not mention what just happened to Vic when she comes back. Selling us out just for petty revenge is not smart at this time. We can get out anyway, no doubt, but can you?"

"What is going on?" Victoria came out of a different section of the bunker, looking frantic. "One of my tanks broke?"

She rushed to it to find Wally pretending that he had been immobilized by it.

Luckily, the sensors couldn't prove he was lying.

"It's the worst thing," Wally said. "I was just doing my own thing, and it just blew up. Did you fry a circuit? Why can't I move?"

"The trap worked but the walls didn't?" Victoria bought it, because why would he still be here if he could have escaped? 

She checked her dials. "It's like it just shattered from the inside out... Strange... Perhaps some spike in the magical energy that I didn't predict."