Team REMY's First Adventure

On the trail of Gulch and Salem, Ruby's ragtag group finds danger as well as friendship

[Author's note: This story follows Team REMY, which in turn follows Ruby's Date Story.]

The four of them had arranged to meet outside the cafe. Ruby could have easily walked there from the guesthouse where she was staying but when Yatsuhashi offered to pick her up on his bike she agreed immediately. She was trying to ignore how she felt whenever she was around him – but, damn, it was hard. And after seeing him holding Coco's baby, so gentle and calm, well, that just made everything worse. Of maybe better, it depended on how you looked at it.

She had not forgotten what Coco had said, that he had covertly organised to spend time with her, on the trip to visit Coco and Fox. That was a good sign, a very good sign, she thought. The trouble was that she didn't know what to do now. But at the moment she was delighted to be on the back of the bike, arms around him, head on his shoulder, feeling ... oh my.

They reached the cafe and, rather reluctantly, she jumped off. Edward came up to them. Aside from his backpack he was carrying an armful of books.

"I thought these might come in handy," he said. "I've looked through them a bit and there are several mentions of Almira Gulch."

"Are they from the Beacon Academy library?" said Ruby.

"No, they're ... sort of from a private collection."

"Do I want to know whose collection?"

"Probably not."

Ruby sighed. "Well, I guess someone with a talent for procurement is a team asset," she said.

Melanie arrived. Except that her car wasn't a car. It was more like some sort of modified military vehicle, armoured and with a hatch in the roof.

"What the hell is this?" said Edward.

"It sort of hums, so I call it Hummer," said Melanie.

"Should call it Clanker," muttered Yatsuhashi. He lifted the bike onto a rack at the back of the vehicle.

They loaded their supplies and climbed in. Yatsuhashi was too big to fit in the front so he sat in the back, with Ruby.

"Where to?" said Melanie.

"The castle where Gulch took Coco," said Ruby. "We searched it before but it was pretty quick. With more time, we might find some clues as to where she has gone. With her pet."

Before long, they were zooming through the countryside. If Melanie had ever heard of safe driving she gave little sign of it. Rather than watch the series of near-misses Ruby looked through the books Edward had brought. Yes, there were numerous mentions of Gulch, and stories of the conflict between her and Salem. Salem was, it appeared, the more powerful of the two but Gulch was tough, cunning, and patient. And now she had her enemy on a leash, with the aim of somehow joining her power to her own.

No way that can be good, thought Ruby.

Even Melanie accepted that driving through the wilderness at night was a poor idea, so they stopped to make camp. Edward, using only a few basic ingredients and a campfire, produced a large and wonderful meal.

"This is great," said Ruby.

"It's ... alright, I guess," said Melanie.

"I will have yours, then," said Yatsuhashi, reaching for her plate.

She slapped his hand away. "I didn't say I wouldn't eat it," she said. "Girl's got to have something to sustain her, after all."

"Are you always such a bitch?" said Edward to Melanie.

"Consistently."

"How did you make something so good?" said Ruby to Edward. "Magic?"

"Practice," he said.

Melanie grimaced. "You Hunters and your magic stuff," she said. "You guys think you're so great with all your fancy weapons and your Semblances and things. The rest of us have to work for a living, you know. Pay the bills, get through the day, and avoid the crossfire from you idiots."

Ruby stared at her. "Wh ... what?" she said. "I ... always thought that people liked the Hunters. We fight against evil, after all."

Melanie shrugged. "More likely, you attract it," she said. "Maybe you just like the glamour and the funny clothes and the applause you get from each other. Well, I didn't see any of you guys putting it on the line when Mil and I got cornered in an alley by a bunch of Salem's wolf things, in Vale that night."

"We ... were busy," said Ruby, knowing that it sounded ... lame. She looked at Yatsuhashi. "Is ... is she right?" she said. "Do ordinary people not like us?"

He grunted. "Some do, some don't," he said. "But being a Hunter is not a choice. It is a destiny, whether you want it or not."

"Humph," said Melanie. "Then I guess it must have been my destiny to be a bouncer, and after that a waitress."

"Could have been worse," put in Edward. "Try life in a kitchen."

"Speaking of weapons," said Ruby, "what do you have, Melanie?"

"Armoured boots with extendable blades," she said. "Made them myself. Here, take a look." She took one off and handed it to Ruby, who examined it.

"Wow," said Ruby, handing the boot back. "That is really great. Meeting a new weapon is better than meeting a new person. But Hunters aren't just their weapons. Glynda, for example, has a riding crop, but it isn't really a weapon. It just helps her to focus and direct the power she has inside her."

"Oh," said Edward. "So that's what that thing is."

"Magic shmagic," said Melanie. "Aside from the boots, I've also got this." She held up a massive pump-action shotgun, military in style. "I used to have a boyfriend in the Atlas army," she said. "That's how I got the car, too. And this, for close encounters." She took a hatchet from a holster at her waist. "What have you got?"

Ruby took out Crescent Rose and extended it into its full, remarkable length.

"Whoa," said Melanie. "That's ... interesting." Ruby retracted the weapon into its carry-case.

"You?" said Yatsuhashi to Edward.

"This," said Edward. He held up his cast-iron frypan, twirled it. The others sighed.

"Well, I guess now we sleep," said Melanie. "I'm taking the front seat of the car. I don't care what you guys do."

"I'll take the back seat," said Edward.

"I have a sleeping bag," said Yatsuhashi. "But only one."

"We ... can share again," said Ruby. "If ... you don't mind."

"I do not," said Yatsuhashi.

So they all settled themselves down, with Yatsuhashi and Ruby squeezed together.

Ruby gulped. "We ... we might be more comfortable," she said, "if you put your arm around me."

He grunted. Then he put his arm around her. "Like that?" he said.

"Oh yeah," she said. "Just like that. Yatsu, what you said before, about destiny. Did you want to become a Hunter?"

"I did not," he said. "What I wanted to do, when I was young, was work on my father's farm, with my brothers and sisters. Grow things. Eventually meet someone and start a family of my own, perhaps. But then it became clear that I had the Aura. So I was sent to train."

"Oh," said Ruby. "I ... I'm sorry. I didn't know that ... it had been like that for you."

"I am not sorry," he said. "For the path has led me here. To you. I would not wish to be anywhere else."

She smiled her secret smile. "Me too," she said. She snuggled against his massive body and fell asleep, dreaming pleasant dreams.

The castle seemed to be deserted. They inspected the chamber that Coco had shot to pieces and eventually located the hidden catch that opened the door through which Gulch had escaped. It led to a flight of stone steps that took them into a courtyard. On the other side of the courtyard was a small stone building, like a crypt.

"If I was an evil witch, that would appeal to me," said Melanie.

But then they heard a noise – like scraping hooves. Coming into the courtyard.

"Oh no," muttered Ruby. "I certainly hope that that isn't – "

It was. It shook itself, as if waking from a slumber. It stopped in front of the crypt.

"What the hell is that?" said Edward.

"Nucklelavee," said Yatsuhashi, drawing his sword. "Very dangerous, very tough. Even by Grimm standards."

"Watch out for its arms, they stretch and have claws," said Ruby, as she extended her scythe. "And it can spin around very quickly."

"Right, stretchy arms, claws, spin, got it," said Edward, taking out his frypan.

"It will probably attack by using its arms like lances," said Ruby. "When it does, Edward and I go right, Yatsu and Melanie go left. We close in from both sides at once. Clear?" She glanced at Melanie. "Clear?" she repeated.

But Melanie was merely staring at the Nucklelavee. "I – I – I – I couldn't ... " she stammered.

And then the Nucklelavee's arms shot out.

"Move!" shouted Ruby. She leaped, as did Yatsuhashi. But Melanie remained frozen. A claw was zooming towards her.

There was a thunk! The claw whacked into Edward's frypan, and bounced off. He had jumped in the way with it.

The other arm speared towards him. He wielded the frypan again, blocking it.

Ruby and Yatsuhashi were running, charging, on either side, taking advantage of the Grimm's distraction.

Once more, the Nucklelavee tried to hit Melanie. And again Edward blocked it. He raised his arm – and a blast of energy shot from his elbow. It whacked into the Nucklelavee, and through it. The Grimm screamed in pain. But then the wound healed. It retracted its arms and turned to face Yatsuhashi.

One arm whipped towards him. He swung his sword, slicing into the arm. But the wound fused immediately, and the clawed hand punched out. Yatsuhashi went down, sliding backwards along the ground.

Ruby was in the air, swinging Crescent Rose. But the Nucklelavee was moving, out of the path of the blade. Its arm caught her, and flung her. She landed with a painful thump next to Yatsuhashi.

"This is going well, I think," she said, as they struggled to their feet. "In the sense that we are not dead yet."

Yatsuhashi grunted. "Do you know how we kill it?" he said.

"The last one, we pinned its arms and cut its head off," she said. "Not exactly easy, though. Hmm, it seems to be staying in front of the crypt. As if it's protecting it. Not letting us in."

"Instructions from Gulch, perhaps."

"And all the more reason for us to take a look."

The Nucklelavee's arms came swinging towards them, one on each side. Ruby and Yatsuhashi parried, slicing into the black flesh – but with little lasting effect. The Nucklelavee fell back a few steps, as if it was wary of their weapons.

"I have an idea," she said. She told him what she had in mind.

"That is very dangerous," said Yatsuhashi.

"I am open to other suggestions."

Yatsuhashi grunted.

Ruby called to Edward: "When I signal, give it one of your energy shots."

"The last one wasn't effective," he called back. "But I will." He was still standing in front of Melanie, frypan up.

Yatsuhashi started to run, as if he was going to attack the horse-head of the Nucklelavee. At the same moment, Ruby began to run up the wall, pivoting on the scythe, aiming to get behind and above the creature.

The Nucklelavee swung an arm towards each of them.

Yatsuhashi threw his sword, just as Ruby threw the scythe. But the Nucklelavee flipped backwards, avoiding both.

"Now!" shouted Ruby.

Edward fired, the energy bolt hitting the Grimm in the face. For a moment, it was distracted.

And then Ruby caught Yatsuhashi's sword. In mid-air, she swivelled and slashed out. She landed on the ground, crouched.

For a long moment, there was only silence. And then the head of the Nucklelavee slowly toppled from its body. The Grimm began to evaporate into ashes.

Yatsuhashi helped Ruby up. She handed him his sword, and he picked up Crescent Rose and handed it to her. "Good," he said. "Very good."

She smiled. They went over to Edward and Melanie. "Nice shot at the right time," said Ruby to Edward.

"Elbow," said Yatsuhashi. For a moment, it almost seemed that he might laugh ... but he didn't.

Ruby turned to Melanie. She was white, and shaking. "I ... I ... " she said.

"It's alright," said Ruby. "Nucklelavees are pretty scary."

"You don't understand!" cried Melanie. "I couldn't save her! I fought and I fought and I couldn't save her! We fought as hard as we could and it wasn't enough! It just wasn't enough! And now I've lost her! She's dead!"

Ruby took her in her arms. "I know," she said softly. "I know."

Melanie wept. And wept. There was nothing the others could do except let her cry.

The crypt was like a workshop for dark magic, with books and talismans lying about in disarray. Gulch had obviously left quickly.

And there was a map. They studied it.

"I would say that this is Gulch's usual base," said Ruby, pointing to a castle marked with a large insignia. "In Winkie County."

"And where is Winkie County?" said Melanie.

"It's mentioned in one of Edward's books," said Ruby. "On the other side of the Borderlands, and then some. Long way, dangerous territory."

"You think that Salem would be there?"

"Most likely."

"Then let's go."

"Wait," said Yatsuhashi. "Our mission was to find out where Gulch and Salem are. With this material, we have done that."

"So you think that we should report back to Glynda, receive a pat on the back, and then go home?" said Edward.

"Not what I said," said Yatsuhashi.

"As far as I'm concerned, Salem has to pay for ... Militia," said Melanie.

"I have a debt to collect as well," said Yatsuhashi.

"Me too," said Ruby. "And I would like to have a serious talk with Gulch about threatening babies."

"So ... I'm the only one not on a revenge binge, eh?" said Edward.

"You don't have to come any further," said Ruby. "You've done your part, and done it well."

"Not what I said," said Edward. "Anyway, you might need a cook."

Ruby was collecting maps and books to add to their stock. "Yes," she said. "No doubt we will."

END