Auburn RWBY (RWBY x Male OC, Ruby x Male Reader)[On Hold]

Cordially Invited

Ruby: "But now we have a suspect. We can tell the people."

Clover: "That a long-lost serial killer is loose in Mantle and the military has no idea where he is - might make things worse before they get better."

Nora: "I am so sick of secrets! If we just told everyone about Amity, about Salem--"

Ironwood: "We can't!"

All of us turned to look at Ironwood.

Ironwood: "If we talk about Amity now, we risk Salem's forces, who we know are here, working to sabotage it. If we tell them about Salem now, we risk falling to the Grimm before we can reunite Remnant." He stands up, slamming his hands down onto his desk.

Ironwood: "We have to finish the tower. I want Robyn Hill in custody."

Ruby, Nora, and I look surprised at this.

Ironwood: "We can offer her a deal if she gets Mantle to cooperate."

Clover: "We'll figure it out."

Ironwood: "Anyone not assisting with Robyn needs to focus on Tyrian." He begins heading for the door, hands clasped behind his back.

Ironwood: "I want to know who he's working with, where he's hiding, what he's planning, and how exactly that video of Penny got all over my kingdom." He stopped in front of the door and turns to look at us.

Ironwood: (sternly) "Do I make myself clear?"

Clover and Winter: "Yes, sir."

Ren: "Yes, sir."

Me, Ruby and Nora give Ren a surprised look as he stared calmly ahead. What is he thinking?

*Timeskip*

Over in Pietro's laboratory, Penny is standing unconscious in a machine, with a thick blue cable hooked up to the bow on the back of her head.

Ruby: "How is she doing?"

Pietro: "She's confused, scared. We'll have her recorded visual data shortly. That should prove her innocence, but the damage has already been done."

Weiss, Ruby and I are looking at Penny. Pietro and Grandma are sitting behind the L-shaped counter, watching the news broadcast while it once again shows the video depicting Penny slaying Robyn's party guests.

Pietro: "The things people are saying about her..." He lets out a frustrated grunt.

Pietro: "If Penny hadn't been there, Robyn would be--" He begins coughing.

Ruby: "I don't think Robyn was their target. Salem's goal has always been to divide us."

Azure: "I believe Penny was exactly where they wanted her, just like at the Vytal Festival."

Pietro has turned off the TV. He turns his chair around to face us.

Pietro: "And just like back then, someone is using our own technology against us. This doctored footage of Penny came from her work all around Mantle, stolen straight from our surveillance network."

Maria: "Ugh, hacking, technology... Why can't people just do what they used to and fight to the death? A lot simpler if you ask me."

Azure: "It's... not as simple as you think, Grandma."

Pietro: "Well, if we're dealing with the same enemy from Beacon, hacking into Mantle's system would be easy. Fortunately, the rest of Atlas is running on an upgraded network."

Weiss: "And how would someone get access to that network?"

Pietro was now cleaning his glasses.

Pietro: "Well, only a few people have clearance. Ironwood, the Council, our cybersecurity and surveillance leads, and maybe a select few who oversee critical systems like sewage or the heating grid."