Hey guys, a big warm welcome from us (Tyler and Olivia for anyone who hasn't read our collabs before). This is our first RWBY collab and we're looking forward to sharing it with you. Without further ado, enjoy.

Prologue: Captive

Jaune sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the sheathed sword resting against the opposite wall. It was something he found himself doing a lot in the quiet hours. The feeling he got from it was bittersweet but necessary in his mind. Without these moments of contemplation and recollection, he would start to forget. He never wanted to forget a single thing. After some time had passed, he stood up and left the room. There were things he needed to do.

"Jaune, we've spotted a hoard of Grimm on the way. Heading right for us," a familiar gruff voice demanded his attention. He stopped in the hallway and turned around to see a man with dark hair and deep red eyes staring back at him. A simple, crooked cross necklace came to rest just at his sternum.

The blonde sighed tiredly, nodding in acknowledgment. "Go find Yang," he ordered to the nearest huntress he could find before withdrawing back to his quarters to prepare. "Let's be ready this time."

He stood, rolling his shoulders and grabbing Arco Mors before heading over to his armor. Each time he donned it felt heavier than the last. Maybe part of that was because he was exhausted. They all were and had been for a long time. This wasn't their first Grimm hoard fight and it certainly wouldn't be their last. They were lucky to go a couple of days without incident these days. As ready as he'd ever be, he followed Qrow out of his room. The two remained silent as they walked the halls, passing by others preparing themselves for battle. A dark, ominous aura loomed over them all as they moved towards the outside.

A young boy poked his head out of one of the rooms along the corridor, realizing immediately what was going on. They were going out to fight… again. These are dark times, a voice in his head commented solemnly. Darker than I had ever anticipated... or feared. He had grown used to the voice by now, for the most part. As he had been instructed to do at times like this, he retreated to the relative safety of his room. There was little he could do to help the way he was now.

Meanwhile, Jaune, Qrow and the other remaining huntsmen and huntresses reached the final door, leading outside. Every precaution had been taken to ensure security, but it would never be enough. The only thing it would do was stall for time, something they were desperately running out of. Grimm would always be attracted to places like this, where negative emotions such as despair and loss thrived. Hope was in very short supply right now.

They all convened just outside their hideout, waiting for the order to move out. Qrow glanced around at his fellow huntresses and huntsmen, taking in their haggard appearances. By this point, they had lost nearly half their numbers and the ones left were only at half strength at best. That was being very generous in his estimation. Something had to change and soon. His eyes lingered over one person longer than the rest. A woman with flowing golden hair and lilac eyes. The most distinguishable feature about her was the yellow, bionic right arm she sported. She noticed him looking and gave a nod, before loading the gauntlets on her wrists with a click that sounded very loud in the quiet of the forest.

He allowed himself a fleeting smile before focusing back on the task at hand, "Alright everyone, you know the drill. In and out as quickly as possible." Qrow had never expected to be taking on a leadership role. He was more a background support kind of guy, covert. Ozpin was better fitted for this but in his current state that wasn't possible. So, that particular mantle had been passed down to him.

They all nodded slowly, hands gripping their various weapons tight. Despite their fear and trepidation, their training helped them to get focused. Some of these people had been fully trained for years now and seen their fair share of fights. Not that any amount of talent or skill would help them if they got overwhelmed. Silently and swiftly, they headed further into the wilderness. Being this deep in the forest had both its pros and cons but they had little choice. If they were too open, Salem and her minions would crush them within seconds. As tough as Grimm were, they could be defeated with enough perseverance. Salem had proven a much more dangerous and persistent foe.

Hidden in the undergrowth as far away from their hideout as they could afford, the group waited. Nobody dared to even breathe, tensions high as they staked out the area. After what seemed like an eternity, they spotted their enemy. It was difficult to gauge just how many Grimm were here, but they must easily be outnumbered three to one. A surprisingly hopeful situation compared to some they had encountered. Without even a single word, they all moved into position. They had fought enough together to work out their combined strengths and weaknesses, as well as being able to compensate. Their weapon masteries and semblances were varied enough to allow for that. Nevermores circled overhead, cawing loud enough to rattle Jaune's teeth.

"They're coming," he whispered, readying his shield and sword, his grip tightened in consternation. As usual before a battle, words resounded in his mind. Words spoken to him by a friend long gone. For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee. He found strength in those words. It had almost become a mantra for him. She would always be with him through these words, lending him her seemingly limitless strength. Just like his other teammates… Pushing those complicated thoughts aside, he cleared his mind. Now was the time to focus. His eyes met with Yang's for just a second, both filled with determination and resolve. For the people they had lost and the ones they had left to protect, they had to survive.

As the hoard neared, they waited with bated breath for them to move into close enough range. Qrow held up his hand, signaling for them to wait… wait, until… he saw an opening and brought his hand down in one swift motion. It was time.

Everything happened very quickly after that.

A large Beowolf lumbered towards him, teeth bared and snarling. Red eyes glowed ominously but Jaune swatted the lunge aside with his shield, before following with a slash into its neck. The beast let out a blood-curdling howl of fury before dissolving into black smoke. Jaune only had a second to catch his breath before he was engaged with again. A Nevermore swooped low overhead, talons grazing his head as he rolled out of the way right into another enemy's line of fire. The Taijitu that had risen behind him wound up catching his shield between its jaws. His aura charged up in the blade, and as he pushed against the snake, he slashed and watched as the result damaged the Grimm's scaled hide.

Around him, his fellow huntsmen and huntresses fought as if their life depended on it… which it did. Yang and Qrow found themselves back to back, surrounded. Between them, they managed to dispatch the group with a well-timed slash from Qrow's scythe and a powerful, semblance charged punching blow from Yang. This cleared out a crowd of Beowolves and Ursa, the shockwave rippling across the forest. Jaune took the chance to brace his shield beneath him and used it to slide underneath a massive punch from a Beringel, after which he allowed himself a smirk as he heard the whirring of a familiar mini-gun.

"Coco," he said, holding up his sword in thanks.

She acknowledged him with a thumbs up before diving back into the action, regrouping on her teammates. At least someone had managed to stay together this long without casualty. Between them all, they must have plowed through around half of the Grimm hoard now. This fact didn't mean they could relax. Everyone was still fighting hard for their lives. Gunshots, ringing clashes of metal from melee weapon strikes, the occasional boom of a controlled explosion, terrifying shrieks from the Grimm and rallying shouts intermingled in the otherwise silent forest. Some of the huntresses and huntsmen had sustained injuries from the skirmish, yet still fought on with all their might where possible.

After what seemed like an eternity, the last few Grimm were dispersed and cut down, vanishing in ominous mists of black smoke on death. The group remained on guard, not wanting to be ambushed by reinforcement… a lesson they had learned the hard way. Eventually, Qrow cautiously signaled to them that the battle was over, for now.

Jaune sheathed his blade and placed his shield on his back as he fell into step beside Yang and Qrow. "Well, that went rather well all things considered," he remarked casually.

The older huntsman took a long swig from his flask. "Nobody died," he agreed. Their last battle had gone pretty poorly so this would serve as a good morale booster. Proof that they could still fight and, most importantly, they could win. As hollow as that victory was in the grand scheme of things. Still, they had to be thankful for small mercies.

Yang shook her head at the rather bleak outlook. "Inspirational victory quotes from Uncle Qrow… never gets old."

A smirk tugged at Qrow's lips at the sarcastic comment. "Maybe you should start writing them down. I see a market to be exploited. Mugs, hats, shirts, motivational videos. Endless possibilities."

"Who says I haven't been already?" she replied, enjoying this moment of silly speculation.

"Well, in that case, I expect my fair share of profits when these things fly off the shelves. Or I'll sue," he looked around at his fellow huntsmen and huntresses, watching them sheath or retract their weapons and help those who had been knocked down during the last few seconds of the fight. They all were battered and bruised but still kicking. All eyes turned back to him, waiting for instruction. "Let's head back. I think we've all deserved deserve a drink."

"If there's any left after you got your hands on it," Yang added cheekily as they headed back to base.

"Well, now you've gone and hurt my feelings," Qrow chuckled quietly.

Jaune remained silent, watching the pair taunt and tease one another. Briefly, he glanced back over his shoulder, seeing the other huntresses and huntsmen talking amongst themselves. He knew that some of them had come with a full team. Others, like himself and Yang, were not so fortunate. His fists clenched, the metal and leather creaking slightly as he breathed through his nose. Being the last remaining member of team JNPR hurt. After what happened to Pyrrha, him, Nora and Ren had become very close and protective of one another. They hadn't wanted to lose anyone else. And here he was, alone now. His story wasn't all that uncommon anymore among the huntsmen and huntresses. So many had lost at least one friend along the way. As for team RWBY, that situation was complicated. The only active members left were Yang and Blake, with Ruby MIA and Weiss… he swallowed hard, not wanting to think about Weiss' cruel fate now. Instead, he turned his thoughts to Blake. She had traveled back to Menagerie soon after shit hit the fan to lead one of two splintered factions of the White Fang. The other was headed by none other than Adam Taurus, the same man who had nearly killed Yang during the fall of Beacon. Her bionic arm replacement had not been through choice. That event seemed like a lifetime ago and had been the first sign of the dismal future they currently found themselves in.

Eventually, they made it back to their HQ, not that it was much of one. Still, it was better than nothing. They piled inside, shutting the door tight. One huntsman hung back from the main group, muttering to himself and crafting various protective wards using his semblance. Wisps of smoke lingered, showing the movements of his fingertip as he traced them from memory. When the first one was in place, it glowed a ghostly white before vanishing into thin air and he swiftly began to work on the next. Leaving him to it, the rest splintered off the hallway to their various rooms to get patched up and prepare themselves for the next inevitable fight.

Before Yang could run back to her own room, Jaune reached out and took hold of her shoulder to get her attention. She turned around, slightly confused at the interruption. His expression was solemn, not unusual nowadays. From that expression, she knew exactly what he was about to ask her. The same thing he asked her at least once a day.

"Any sign of…" he faltered, finding the name difficult to say after everything that had happened. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed. "Ruby."

The mention of her sister's name was always painful, especially after what they had witnessed her do with their own eyes. What she had done to Weiss. Everything was so complicated now. So many questions and no answers. "As usual, nothing. Less than nothing."

Jaune nodded stiffly, a little disappointed but not surprised. "I see."

About a year and a half ago, Ruby had gone missing. Soon after, things started taking a turn for the worst as Salem reared her head. A few months back, Ruby had made a sudden appearance but something had felt very wrong. That particular feeling had proven correct when she had started fighting them. It was like she had been possessed, stripped of her personality and turned into a mindless killing machine. The resulting loss of that battle had been Weiss' life. What had made it much worse was that whatever had a hold on Ruby seemed to relinquish control during the killing blow. Too late to stop it but enough time for her to watch. The way Ruby had looked then was something none of them would ever be able to forget. Shock, denial, fear, utter despair… she simply ran, unable to face the reality of what she had just done. None of them had stopped, they couldn't. None of them were able to match Ruby's speed. That was the last time they had seen her. Ever since then, they had been searching and found… nothing. She had just disappeared off the face of Remnant again. Qrow had a theory that Salem was involved somehow, not an unlikely possibility that would explain a few things. If that was the case, finding Ruby was even more crucial.

Jaune frowned at the unpleasant memory, doing his best to push it to the back of his mind, "We'll find her somehow. We have to." If only it was as easy as just stating what needed to be done.

"If I hear anything, I'll let you know." Not wanting to discuss Ruby anymore, she continued on down the hallway to her room. All she wanted now was to see her sister again.

Ruby stared down at the cracked stone floor blankly with her back pressed against the wall, head bowed and hair covering her silver eyes. They were part of the reason she was in this mess in the first place. The days had quickly blurred into one, leaving her with no idea how much time had passed since her initial capture. Not that it really mattered anymore. The damage had been done. Her own thoughts and memories were hazy at best, often overwhelmed by Salem's relentless conditioning. Every now and then, images and whispers from the past broke through. Only specific ones showing destruction, death, and despair. To break her further.

At first, she had tried to escape, spent her day searching for a way out of this prison. Quickly, she had realized that it was futile. That hadn't stopped her, though. She'd been punished more times than she could count for trying to leave. This had only strengthened her resolve at the time. Salem must have realized that. No matter what she did, there was something Ruby had left to fight for. A reason to escape her clutches. So, she endeavored to take away that motivation. That was why Weiss had died. In reality, it could have been any of her teammates, it hadn't mattered who. So long as someone had died by Ruby's hand, making the outside world almost impossible to return to. That was what had broken her in the end.

After that day, she had stopped trying to leave. Witnessing the deaths of her friends, Penny and Pyrrha - she was beginning to forget what they looked and sounded like despite her best efforts - had been hard enough to deal with. Actually causing the death of another… that was more than she could handle. She closed herself off completely, withdrawing. Even if she escaped, she would only end up hurting more people she cared about. Salem was in her head, manipulating and twisting. She might escape physically, but mentally… that was a whole different story. Until Salem was dead, she would never be free. She knew that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. All she could do was keep resisting, stop herself from being driven completely insane. If she held on long enough, maybe Salem would get bored and end it. For all their sakes, it would be better. That probably wasn't going to happen. She had spent a lot of time and energy shaping Ruby into the perfect mind slave and weapon. In that regard, she was close to achieving her goal.

Ruby lifted her head, looking up at the high ceiling. Torchlight flickered dimly in the otherwise dark room, illuminating very little. If only she was strong like Yang, she could punch through these walls. If only she was stealthy like Blake, she could trick her enemies with shadows. If only she was able to summon great beasts to her side like Weiss… At the thought of Weiss, she curled in on herself, burying her head in her arms. Had anyone been watching as Ruby drifted off into slumber, they would've seen the glow filter through her eyelids as the room flashed briefly with luminescent silver.

Ruby… it was the faintest of voices, a whisper of wind that could not truly be heard. But it was there, Ruby…

Hopefully you enjoyed the prologue. Since we don't know much about Salem as of now, we'll flesh her out with our own interpretation for the purpose of the fic. Have a great day and see you next time.