Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners and not me with some exceptions in the case of original character. I think.
Author AN : Hello this is my first multi-chapter fic and I hope to see a good response. Constructive criticism is always welcome and I won't bother to ask for zero flames because authors much more talented than I have gotten them so I'm sure it won't be too upsetting. If you see a spelling or grammar mistake tell me and I'd be happy to fix it, but hopefully that won't happen to often.
The first few chapters will be a sort of catch up and afterwards it should start during JLU Ep. 4-5 The Blackest Night when everyone is in space for GL's trial
As for Ruby Heart I just made everything up since we have zero back story besides French/generally sides with good guys/ and gathered together the heroes for Marvel vs Capcom 2. That's all there is on her. I couldn't make her French because I don't know it and have heard terrible things of Google translate. For those of you who have read AtumComa The City Hidden in the Nexus by Demonabyss who has the only other version of Ruby Heart I've read I Pm-ed him and he said he did pretty much the same thing with her. Please don't confuse my RH for his although her character in AtumComa is absolutely awesome he goes Chaotic/Neutral whereas I went Chaotic/Good.
I took the test while looking it up and apparently I'm Chaotic/Evil with a 14/11/1 Evil/Neutral/Good score. Here I thought I was a good person.
I got her attack names from the Marvel VS Capcom wiki. And the name of her ship from her finisher that uses it.
I hope you enjoy.
The Pirate's Justice
Chapter One
"In other news the elusive heroine Ruby Heart; The Suave, Swashbuckling, Super of the Skies has agreed to speak with our own intrepid reporter Jill Teague. Stay tuned at seven for the interview."
She wasn't quite sure why she was here, sitting in a booth in the back of a Denny's instead of back at her ship searching the skies for shenanigans.
That actually sounded silly but she adored alliteration.
Oh it had been explained to her by the peppy brunette across the table, Jill Teague one of the Weekly World's Senior Reporters (And wasn't that a big title for a woman who barely stood five feet), that she was too mysterious for the public, that pirates didn't have a good reputation, and that an interview would bolster the peoples opinion of her.
What she didn't get was when she started to care about the opinions of others.
She knew it would help as both the public and the Justice League still weren't quite sure what to make of her, but all she could think was that if someone had asked her to do this before The Quest she would have fired them out the port-side cannon.
Or at least made them walk the plank.
'It was definitely his fault,' she decided thinking of the person who made such an impact on her, when at this point in life her morals and lifestyle choices shouldn't be so malleable.
Strange how she couldn't find it in her to be angry for it.
'Ah t' reporter's startin' t' fidget, should probably start.' the woman thought noticing the tiny woman's antics.
"So how should we start Miss Teague?"
It was almost cute how the small scrivener suddenly blushed at the way of address. "Ah no, it's ah just Jill."
"Well then 'Just Jill' how do you want t' start?" An amused smirk graced the pirates face at the other woman's pout.
The reporter looked down at the list of questions she had brought and decided where to start. "Hmm how about a few basic facts first; Your name, age, any hobbies, and then we'll get to the harder questions, is that okay?"
"Seems fair enough."
She paused before taking a breath, "I be Captain Ruby Heart, thirty-six years old, and when I'm not fightin' crime or explorin' on me ship T' Partenaire I enjoy whittlin' figurines o' people met in me travels."
"Hmm that's interesting, is there any chance to get a picture of your work? I'm sure my readers would love it." Jill questioned.
"Maybe after t' interview."
"My first question should be where are you from, seeing how you've stated Ruby Heart is your actual name and nobody has ever heard of you, I'm sure that there's a story there somewhere."
"Well t' short of it be that I'm from a completely different Earth." Ruby nearly laughed at the wide eyed look she got for that.
"Erm could I get the long story? And maybe some sort of build up to any more surprises please."
At that she had to let a chuckle loose before continuing, "Aye, I'll remember that."
"Wait before you say how you got here could we get some background on your Earth?"
"Alright well t' big thin' be that me world be almost all ocean. T' only landmasses were three islands t' size o' Texas a few miles apart. T' make up for that thar were giant cities built out o' huge interconnectin' barges called city-ship collectives, but everythin' in me world revolved around t' ocean. Absolutely everythin'."
"T' governments o' me world didn't really believe in foreign policy, you see if you lived under them than they'd protect you but helpin' another collective or t' Triumvirate which were t' government o' t' islands was unthinkable. As you can imagine this led t' an incredible amount o' naval warfare and piratin' on all sides. There were actual pirates o' course but most were privateers sailin' under a collective."
"It was a situation not unlike t' cold war, t' greatest o' t' collectives had navies with ships numberin' in t' thousands and while t' number o' possible deaths that could result from a war inayed a sort o' peace, that kept none o' them from hirin' independents t' harass their neighbors."
Before Ruby could continue the reporter felt she needed to interrupt, "Wait a second are you saying you were really a pirate? Everyone thought it was just a costume, like how Batman isn't actually a bat. So you used to be a villain in your world?" Jill could almost see her shiny new Pulitzer.
Ruby disagreed, "No your hearin' but not listenin'. Compared t' me world this one be incredibly black and white. Aye t' ninety-five percent o' t' world I was t' villain but t' me home port I was t' greatest hero alive. It wasn't just me either remember I said every government used privateers, before me departure thar were almost two hundred and fifty thousand governmentally funded pirates at any time."
She felt she should make things clearer so as not to put herself in too good a light, "I may not have been a ravin' psychopath like you get around Gotham or a normal psychopath from t' rest o' this universe but that does not mean I was a good person. I captured ships from civilians and eneme collectives, I stole everythin' aboard, I kidnapped and held people for ransom, and I've sent more enemy ships t' Davy Jones than I can count."
"It doesn't matter if it was with good intentions, I was not a good person and until somethin' changed I had no regrets."
'The road to hell is paved with good intentions,' the reporter thought not knowing whether to be horrified at the womans tale or awed.
"I was incredibly luck though, you see it's standard for when you go out t' see t' be apprenticed t' an older more experience pirate and was chosen by Captain James Alday one o' t' greatest pirates o' me time. What made him stand out from t' thousands like him was that he was t' captain o' T' Partenaire one o' t' few airships."
Jill felt she needed some clarification, "Wait so your saying ships like yours aren't common? And that you received your ship from your previous captain?
"Aye unfortunately t' technology t' build them was lost in a hurricane that destroyed t' Collective that built them and may were destroyed fightin' each other. When I left not countin' T' Partenaire thar were maybe seven in t' world.""
"As for your other question aye Captain James gave it t' me after he retired t' start up a tradin' company."
Jill Teague was a bit unsure so she decided to ask, "What was so lucky about that if you don't mind?"
"Besides in a ship fight, what you need t' understand be that a female pirates didn't get treated very well, oh it didn't have t' do with any gender weakness but more t' do with t' time spent out away from port." She replied.
"You see when not at dock a ship and it's crew would spend months at sea and after a while bein' t' only beauty on a ship o' two hundred or more men can have unfortunate consequences. Not only did Captain James not tolerate that sort o' thin' at all, on an airship it was largely irrelevant."
"Irrelevant?" Jill parotted.
"Aye Irrelevant, with T' Partenaire you needn't take t' tides or reefs into account and with it's wind generator you wouldn't get stuck when t' wind quit so we could always afford t' make port once or twice a month."
Jill couldn't help but smile at the affection in Ruby's voice when she spoke of her vessel. "Well that's certainly convenient. Now moving on you said to your home port you were a hero can I ask how many people live there?"
The pirate nodded, "Yes let's see I think when I left some forty thousand people occupied it."
"My that is a lot, and how long were you at this?"
"Well I retired from it almost two years ago and joined T' Captain on me sixteenth birthday so almost eighteen years. It was a hard life but thar was nothin' like returnin' t' port and seein' t' faces on everyone as I unloaded t' haul, well except a few trinkets I kept o' course." Ruby grinned with just a hint of teeth as she spoke
"You don't call the collective you were employed home, is there a reason for that?"
"Since t' day I first stepped on it I could call no other place but T' Partenaire home. I've no desire t' live anywhere else, should I ever have sprogs they will be raised on it and should I die hopefully t' old lass will find a captain that's worthy o' her." The smile the pirate captain had while speaking of her ship took Jill's breath away in it's radiance.
The reporter decided to let up a bit to keep Ruby smiling.
"Okay, well let's take a step back and speak on something less heavy. I think we should talk about your powers. Miss Heart you have been seen using a wide variety of powers. You've been spotted; using enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, pulling items out of nowhere, summoning water, ghosts, what looks to be a spectral version of your ship, and a visible corona of power."
Jill raised an eyebrow, "That's quite a wide variety of powers, care to explain?"
"Hmm aye that's fine. As far as t' strength, speed, and reflexes those be actually inherent. T' gravity on me old world was a bit heavier. Not enough for super strength or anythin' like that just enough that I'm twice as quick with me weapon o' choice."
"As for t' pocket dimension, ghosts, and water those aren't actually me."
The reporter's eyes widened at that, "What do you mean Captain Ruby?"
"T' short o' it be that they're all t' abilities o' magical items. me coat contains a sort o' invisible, intangible vault that follows me around I can store thin's in. That's why it appears that me battle-anchor and six-pounder just appear."
With a nod she went on with,"T' water be from an old grimoire o' ocean magic. Since me ship can fly I really only use it in battle, but it was created t' tame t' seas. T' ghosts be bound t' a treasure chest I grabbed on a raid once."
Ruby continued with, "T' corona be really me only true power. It's t' crystallization o' me willpower and determination. It's only very useful if I'm completely set in me course, otherwise it wouldn't knock down a house o' cards."
Finally, "So now that we're done with t' soft questions brin' out t' hard hitters."
"Since you opened the can of worms would you get offended if I asked just how much of a villain you were to the rest of the world?" Jill wondered if that would be the question that would end the interview but Ruby accepted the question with grace knowing that she was the one to bring it up.
"Not at all. I was actually a bit more restrained in me actions than most but I had good reason t' be. With t' airship I was able t' transport prisoners for ransom which had t' advantages o' bein' very profitable, not involvin' murder, as well as havin' no one come after me for murderin' a loved one."
She continued, "As I mentioned earlier me crew always had one or two chances a month t' visit t' brothels o' whichever port we were in so I had no need t' set them loose on t' prisoners as a way o' keepin' them in line, which as you can imagine was a huge relief." Ruby finished with, "Because o' those factors and a few others I was one o' t' most humane pirate captains out thar. But even still I was not a good person or a captain you'd want t' pit ships against."
There was an uncomfortable pause as Jill considered the woman in front of her. She seemed genuinely remorseful, but by her own words she had been a pirate for nearly eighteen years. Captain Ruby Heart had said that before her turnaround she held no regret over her actions. If that was so and she was telling the truth then obviously something had happened. Something big.
Jill Teague had no idea what that was but she wanted to find out.