Chapter Text
Team RWBY
An assembly of colours flew swiftly across the dark forest, determined in their pursuit of Mono's kidnapper.
Rot and inertness decorated their way - Mutilated bodies, impending traps, grotesque yet decaying trees, the hideous and obscene creatures lurking in shadows, mutated and twisted vegetation that seemed to twitch and writhe.
They ignored their surroundings, not allowing such foul sights to get the better of them. Steeling nerves and emotions, they pressed on, determined in saving Mono - their friend and ally in this twisted estrange world.
Their unperturbed endeavour had brought them to a rundown cottage within a small opening. Dishevelled piles of rubbish and rotten flesh littered the front yard. Rumbling swarms of flies hovered over them. A single dim light flickered through an open window, the curtains blowing out of the window at certain times.
“So this is where Mono was taken,” said Ruby. Silver eyes scanned the front yard, cringing when they spotted a gaping head amidst a flesh pile surrounded by many flies.
"I…wasn't expecting something so… vile," Weiss muttered. Beside her, Blake was covering her nose to be rid of the foul smell.
"I don't think anyone was expecting this, Weiss."
"We tracked Mono here," Blake indicated. "And seeing that he's in… there, means that our perpetrator is someone."
"Or something." Yang reminded them.
"He's got to be," Ruby affirmed, standing up. "We won't know unless we find out for ourselves."
"Ruby's right." Weiss concurred. "Just being here will get us nowhere."
“Alright team, let’s go.”
Emerging from behind cover, Team RWBY slowly advanced towards the rundown cottage. Weapons were drawn and eyes afront they scanned their surroundings for any signs of danger. After some careful navigation around the premises, they arrived in front of the open window. The dim glow enticed them to enter the devil’s den.
Cautiously, Blake peeked through the window, scanning for potential dangers. Though, not even a second later she recoiled in disgust.
"Ugh, something reeks in there." the Faunus groused.
"Not exactly visitor-friendly huh?" Yang commented with a small chuckle.
"Let's quickly find Mono and get out of here. That thing may still be around here." Ruby said.
With that, they slowly climbed into the small dishevelled kitchen. As they entered their senses were assaulted by the revolting smell of whatever had died in here.
Weiss nearly gagged and Blake hissed repulsively when they glanced at the pot on the table. The mouldy vegetables and the abhorrent green sludge made their stomachs churn inside out.
They definitely could use a shower.
A long, warm one.
Stealthily, Team RWBY crept through the house, eyes scanning every corner for possible dangers. Even as they left the kitchen, the horrid smell seemed to stubbornly linger in the air, albeit not as badly as in the kitchen.
They would at times try to open some doors but to no avail. They nearly entered the kitchen only to recoil at the assembled family who sat at the kitchen table. They decided not to go there. Preserving their mind of any more horrors would be best.
“There’s definitely nothing here,” Weiss muttered, closing the door to the dining room.
“There’s another door here,” Blake reported. “It seems to go down to the basement.”
“Think Mono is down there?”
“Only one way to find out…” Ruby said. She unfolded Crescent Rose into its gun form. Her teammates followed suit; unravelling their own weapons. Now armed, they slowly descended into the dimly lit darkness below. Yang was the first to descend down followed by Ruby, Weiss and Blake. They crept down the stairs, silently reaching the bottom of the stairs without any issues.
“Mono…?” Yang whispered, looking around. “You here?”
“Yang! Keep your voice down!” Weiss muttered harshly. “Do you want us to be found!?”
“Well, how can we know if Mono is down here? Like, we could be walking into a trap.”
A deadpan look from Weiss was her only answer. “Yeah, and casually calling out his name wouldn’t spring said trap?”
Yang shrugged in response. “It was an idea.”
“A very terrible idea.”
“There’s nothing inside this room,” Blake announced after having a look inside the door on the left.
“See? We’re fine, Weiss.” Yang assured her. “Nothing to worry about.”
“Nothing to worry about!? How about-!”
“Guys!” Ruby immediately shushed them. “Did you hear that?”
Everyone immediately stopped and listened. Obstructing all but their hearing, what Ruby had heard became clearer and louder to them.
“Is that…music?” Weiss queried.
"It sounds eerie..." Ruby commented
“But resplendent, though you’re not wrong. It sounds almost as if…”
"It's coming from behind this door," Blake stated, pointing towards the other door.
Team RWBY quickly rushed towards the door.
"Mono!?" Ruby called out. "Mono is that you?"
The haunting music immediately stopped. Tiny thudding resonated from the other side and was followed by a meek response.
"R-ruby?"
"Mono!" Team Rwby happily exclaimed. They rushed towards the door.
“Are you ok!?” Ruby asked him.
“Fine…I’m fine.”
"Hang on Mono!" Ruby pulled on the door and despite its decrepit appearance, it didn't seem to budge. "It's stuck."
"I got this," Yang declared. Ruby quickly stepped aside and allowed her sister to stand in front of the door. She instructed Mono to step back, to which he immediately did as Yang threw a heavy blow at the door, shattering it into wooden fragments and splinters. Luckily no one was hurt.
"Mono!"
They instantly scurried into the dusty room and upon spotting Mono behind a desk they were immediately at his side.
"You're ok!" Ruby’s exclamation was of happiness and relief. She attempted to hug the child but Mono quickly stepped back.
“Oh, right, sorry about that, Mono.” the young reaper apologised. She took a step back, allowing Mono to come out from behind the table's leg.
"As Ruby said, are you ok?" Weiss resumed speaking for Ruby. The heiress’ face was of concern for Mono. "That… thing didn't do anything to you?"
Mono shook his head. “No…I'm ok.”
Yang knelt down to Mono. "He didn't hurt you or anything?" she asked him.
He shook his head once more. "No… it left me here...and left"
Team RWBY was left baffled by Mono’s answer. They were expecting Mono to be left here hurt or something.
"That's it? He just…left you here?"
Mono nodded.
“Why would he leave you here, just like that?” Weiss wondered confused.
“Or why Mono wasn’t even eaten,” Yang added. “Like I’m surprised he still has a leg-” She was immediately elbowed by her sister, who gave her a stern look.
“Yang…”
“Just saying…unless there’s something that the thing wanted from Mono? I’m just raising some questions here.”
“But did you really have to say that-?”
“Guys,” Blake interrupted. “I don’t want to interrupt but that thing isn't here. This is a perfect chance to get out of here while we can.”
“Wait, how do we know if that thing isn’t lurking around?” questioned Weiss. “All we know, it could be waiting for us.”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to stick around to find out.”
“Blake’s right,” Ruby spoke up. “We should take our chance while we can. The sooner we get out of here the better.”
“I don’t suppose we’re going out through the front door?” Yang asked to which her teammates shook their heads.
“I think I saw a backdoor in the kitchen,” Weiss revealed to the others. “Just past the…family.”
“Then thats where we’ll need to go,” Ruby stated.
"I'll head back upstairs, see if everything is clear."
Weiss twirled and ascended up the stairs, followed closely by Yang, who lagged a few steps behind her. Watching her friends go upstairs, Ruby focused back on Mono, who stared up at her with a bit of uncertainty.
"Hey… just stay close to us this time, alright?”
Mono nodded, allowing a small smile to form on Ruby’s face. Carefully she led the young child out of the room, passing by Blake who watched them with a small smile of her own. As she turned to leave she paused in her movements to view the scratched lines and scribbled drawings on the wall. Though the illustrations looked…capricious, something at the back of her mind nagged her that these sketches and scratches were much more than what they seemed.
Casting one last look at the drawings, the Faunus exited the room, quickly joining with the others already upstairs and as she left unbeknownst to her or anyone else, something stirred tucked tight in the dark corner of the room stirred. A bundle of wool and flesh shifted in place and then its head twisted to gaze at where the occupants once were. Dishevelled maggots of various sizes spilt from where a right eye once - their grotesque bodies writhe on the floor - was whilst its single left eye glowed red and within a familiar hut near the cabin, the Hunter stirred. It received the alarm from its puppet. The prisoner is escaping. The child must be contained.
Its body twitched and quivered, a thick fog emitted from the hole in its bag as it groaned. It pulled its body from a rusty hook, skin, wool and thread pulled from its corpse. Its stitched boots planted themselves hard onto the wooden floor. Growling, it reached into itself, digging deep into its abdomen before pulling out its rustic shotgun, loaded it and then flipped it shut.
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