Prologue
This is an AU where the following happened.
Jaune and Pyrrha stood in the shell of the Elevator. Pyrrha focused and soon had the metal box flying up the shaft after Cinder. They arrived to see Cinder standing before the Grimm Dragon.
"Oh?" She asked amused at their appearance.
Pyrrha launched herself at Cinder and the Fiery maiden blasted her back with a jet of fire. She was surprised to find Jaune appear in front of her swinging his sword at her neck. She avoided the blow and sent him sprawling with a kick. As soon as she had landed the blow Pyrrha was coming at her. She grabbed Cinder from behind and put Milo against her neck.
"Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled.
Jaune was back on his feet and charged at Cinder as she prepared to deliver the final blow when the Grimm Dragon rammed the tower knocking its roof off and sending the three of them reeling. Jaune was caught off guard as Cinder tried to stab him with her knives but they bounced off his breastplate. He flew a few feet and landed with a crack.
Pyrrha lashed out at Cinder. Using her semblance to launch the ruins of Ozpin's office at Cinder to keep her off guard. Cinder retaliated by blowing all of Pyrrha's metal pieces away with a blast of fire. Then she sent a massive blast of fire flying towards the young woman. Pyrrha stood behind her shield facing the blast.
On the ground…
Ruby and Weiss saw the tower get rammed and the blasts of fire.
"Do you think that's them?" She asked Weiss.
"I think so. They could probably use help." Weiss said as she made a line of Glyphs up the side of the tower.
Ruby hugged her teammate.
"Your the best." She said before launching herself up the tower.
On the roof…
Ruby arrived swiftly on the roof and found herself staring at a scene that she couldn't have predicted. Jaune was lying unmoving on the ground and Pyrrha was shielding herself from a blast of Cinder's fire.
Jaune blinked his eyes open and saw Cinder blasting Pyrrha with fire. He tried moving his arm but it was broken. He grunted as he stood up grabbed his sword and threw it.
Cinder was becoming annoyed with these kids. She felt the blade of Jaune's sword slice her back and lost all of her patience. She sent a column of fire blasting at all three teenagers.
Jaune was blasted out over the edge of the Tower and his vision was fuzzy as he fell. He remembered how Pyrrha had kissed him and smirked.
"I'm such an idiot."
Pyrrha broke down as she saw Jaune go over the edge and she was blasted against a piece of the wall that was still intact. It dug into her back and she gasped as it hit her. Her head lolled forward and everything went black.
Ruby saw Jaune go over the edge and Pyrrha go unconscious but her arm and face were in so much pain. She looked down to see how bad she hurt and gasped. Her left arm was gone, even part of the shoulder. She brought up her remaining hand to her face and felt only hard bone on the left side. The right side of her face felt like it had been pressed into a camp fire. She was about to break down when she saw Cinder standing triumphantly.
"No… You aren't going to win here. I'll stop you." Ruby said as she got to her feet.
"Miss Ruby Rose is going to stop me? You were pathetic even before now. Now you're just a scared little girl who is making claims she can't own up to." Cinder said.
"No. I will stop you. I'll avenge Jaune. I WILL!" Ruby yelled as her vision went white.
An hour later…
Jaune woke to see Weiss shaking him.
"Hey Weiss. Wait. Weiss? Shouldn't I… PYRRHA! RUBY!" Jaune yelled as he sat up quickly.
"They're alright. Qrow got them." Weiss said.
"So you stayed behind to get me?" Jaune said with a chuckle.
"Yeah. Jaune are you okay? You just fell from the top of the tower!" Weiss yelled.
"Well didn't you save me? With one of your Glyphs?" Jaune asked.
"No. You were here when I found you." Weiss said as she helped him to his feet.
"Well something must've broken my fall." Jaune said.
"I guess. We should go. The Grimm are all headed here." Weiss said as they headed to the docks.
Day after the battle for Beacon, streets of Vale
Neo dug her way through the wreckage. He had to be here. He had to be. The massive ship was still mostly in one piece so he had to have survived. As she moved a final Boulder she found him. Bleeding and unconscious but alive. She dug him out and they disappeared together.
Patch
Ruby groaned as she woke up. It was comfy. She looked around and saw that it was her room back home. She saw Jaune snoring in a chair near the door. There was another bed where Pyrrha was lying with an oxygen mask. Pyrrha had burns on her face and arms. Ruby tried to sit up but fell to the side where her arm was missing. She looked in the mirror across from her bed and saw that the left side of her head was wrapped in white bandages as was her shoulder. The other half of her face was mostly normal if a little redder than usual. She awkwardly climbed out of her bed and stood up. Her legs were sore but they didn't hurt to bad to walk. She shuffled over to Jaune and tapped him on the shoulder. He woke up with a start and looked at her blankly for a second.
"Ruby? Ruby!" He cried happily as he wrapped her in a hug.
Her shoulder flared with pain but she gave him a forced smile before he put her down.
"Sorry. Kinda forgot about the whole… injury." He said.
"It's fine. Is Pyrrha okay? And are you okay? You fell off the tower." Ruby asked concerned.
"I'm fine something broke my fall. Pyrrha… she hasn't woken up yet. When Cinder blasted us she got a rock through her chest. It hit her spine and one of her lungs. The doctor said that she should recover but she might have hurt her head… we don't know." He said looking at his partner sadly.
"She'll be okay. She's tough. Just give her time. I'm just glad you're okay." Ruby said giving him her best smile.
"Thanks. Come on, the others will want to see you to." Jaune said.
She followed him downstairs where the rest of JNPR, Weiss and team SSSN were gathered, either in the kitchen or in the living room.
"Ruby!" Sun said happily.
"Hey guys." Ruby said as she walked down the stairs.
"It's about time you woke up. We were getting so worried!" Nora said happily.
"Sorry. How long has it been?" Ruby asked.
"Four days. You've partially woken up a few times but nothing to drastic." Weiss explained.
"It feels like a few minutes ago… do I smell pancakes?" Ruby asked sniffing the air.
"Ren's speciality. Your dad and uncle left this morning to go check on Beacon. They said they'd be back by tonight." Jaune said.
"That's good. Where are Blake and Yang?" Ruby asked as she sat down next to Weiss on the couch.
"Yang's upstairs. She's not talking to us very much. Maybe she will since you're awake. Blake…" Weiss trailed off as she looked at Sun.
"Blake ran off. She was there when we got to Vale but she left saying that she's leaving. I tried to stop her but she just… disappeared." Sun said sadly.
There was silence as that sank in. But Weiss clapped her hands.
"Are you okay Ruby? Does your arm hurt?" Weiss asked.
"No actually. But what do you mean arm? It's just a stump." Ruby said running her hand over the bandaged shoulder.
"Good. We got you some painkillers. Your dad said you'd definitely want some." Weiss said.
"Yeah. Thanks. But about that… I can get a replacement right? A robotic arm?" Ruby asked.
The room went silent and no one would look at her.
"What?" Ruby asked.
"Ruby… the bones in your shoulder that they need to mount an arm are gone. You can't get a robotic arm." Weiss said.
Ruby looked around at everyone but they were all looking down and depressed.
"I better go check on Pyrrha." Jaune said as he went back upstairs.
Ruby put on her best smile and looked over at Ren.
"Are the pancakes ready?" She asked.
"Almost." He said without looking.
Everyone was still sitting uncomfortably until Ruby sighed.
"Guys… its okay. My arms gone. And I guess my eye. I'll deal with it." Ruby said.
"Sorry it happened to you Ruby." Neptune said.
"Thanks. Is Vale okay?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, they've got most of the town cleared out of Grimm but there are still parts that they're cleaning up. Beacon isn't doing so well." Scarlet said.
"What happened to that Big Grimm? The dragon?" Ruby asked.
"It's stuck on top of the tower. It hasn't moved since your uncle Qrow got you and Pyrrha." Weiss said.
"What?" Ruby asked.
"All I saw was a flash of light and then it just stopped moving. Did you do something?" Weiss asked.
"I don't remember. I just saw everything go white… then nothing." Ruby said.
"Huh. Maybe Qrow knows what's up. He seemed like he knows what happened." Weiss said.
"All I know is that those pancakes smell really good." Ruby said.
"Done. Everyone grab a plate." Ren said.
They spent the next hour eating and chatting. Everything seemed almost normal until Yang came downstairs.
She had bags under her eyes and she looked angry. She grabbed Ruby by the arm and threw her out the front door. Ruby landed off balance on her feet but remained standing. Yang launched a kinetic blast at her but Ruby easily avoided it.
"How! Could! You! Be! So! Stupid!" Yang yelled launching blasts at her sister with each furious yell.
"Yang Stop!" Ruby cried.
"You had to try and play the Hero! You almost got yourself killed!" Yang Screamed.
Ruby kept sidestepping Yang's blasts until she was right in front of her sister. Yang was staring at her with tearful red eyes.
"You idiot." She said wrapping her little sister in a one armed hug.
"I'm fine. I'm just glad your okay." Ruby said.
They went back inside and Ren made Yang some tea. They say down and started talking about what lay ahead.
"Well it looks like we're stuck in Vale for now. They don't want us going to back to Haven until they know it's safe. Besides Vale's pretty nice. Right guys?" Syn asked looking at his teammates.
"Yeah, though Mistral is a bit warmer." Sage said sadly.
"Ha! Try Atlas. It's freezing their all the time." Weiss said.
"Is that why you're such an ICE queen?" Ruby asked with a grin.
Weiss gave her an annoyed look and pushed her away with a smirk.
"I just hope we can get the CCT working again sometime soon. I want to tell my parents that I'm okay." Scarlet said.
"It'll be okay man. Once we get that huge Grimm off the tower it'll be easy to fix the tower." Neptune said.
"It seems like it's what's drawing the other Grimm to the academy. If we get rid of it we might get rid of them to." Yang said.
"Well you two aren't gonna be here for it. You're headed to Atlas in a few days right?" Sun asked.
"That's the plan. Now that Ruby is awake. General Ironwood needs to go back to. But he's leaving the fleet here to try and keep the Grimm from infesting the outskirts of Vale."
"What about you guys?" Ruby asked JNPR and SSSN.
"Your dads letting us stay here at least until Beacon is safe again. He's a really nice guy." Nora said holding an empty syrup jar.
"NORA!" Ren yelled from the kitchen.
"What? Breakfast is over." Nora said.
Ren gave her a look but sighed as he and Scarlet cleaned the plates.
"Yeah dads always been a good guy. But he and Uncle Qrow don't get along well." Ruby said.
"Well dad did date his Sister. Probably didn't help things." Yang said.
"Wait your parents weren't ever married yang?" Sun asked.
"Nope. Qrow never really liked dad after that." Yang said.
"Yang Xiao long. You hot bastard." Syn said with a laugh.
Yang rolled her eyes in response.
They spent the next few hours joking around and talking and life felt almost back to normal. Just as the sky started turning golden orange the front door opened and Taiyang and Qrow walked in. Tai saw Ruby and immediately ran up to her and gently wrapped her in a hug.
"I'm so glad you're okay." He said getting teary eyed.
Ruby patted his back and smiled in his embrace. Until Qrow came and picked her up and carried her upstairs.
"I've gotta chat with her." Qrow said as he carried Ruby under his arm.
He carried her up to her room where Jaune was sitting next to Pyrrha's bed. The red haired girl was still unconscious and Jaune was gripping her hand. He looked up as Qrow entered carrying Ruby. He sat Ruby on her bed and pulled up a chair.
"Alright I'm just gonna get to the point. But let me make one thing clear, everything I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room got it? Ironwood and Glynda would you kill me for telling you this." Qrow said.
The two teenagers nodded and Qrow gave them the explanation of the Four Maidens and Pyrrha's selection. He also told them about the legend about Silver eyed warriors. When he finished the three of them say in silence.
"So all of this… everything that happened was just so Cinder could get the Maiden's powers?" Ruby asked clenching her fist.
"Part of it. There's something even bigger going on here. Waking up the huge Grimm served some kind of purpose." Qrow said.
"We could have stopped her. If we had just-" Jaune said angrily.
"Kid, she beat Ozpin. If you three had beaten her then I would retire and leave the world in your hands. She wasn't using her whole power, she was to worried about messing with that giant Grimm." Qrow said.
"So what do we do now?" Ruby asked.
"We? Ruby you'll be lucky to ever fight again in your condition." Qrow said.
"But I can help! My eyes-" Ruby cried before Qrow smacked her wounded shoulder.
Ruby collapsed in pain gripping the stump.
"You are in no condition to fight. You'd just get yourself killed. Leave it to us. You just focus on healing." Qrow said as he left.
Jaune comforted Ruby as she cried on the floor for her future.
1 month later, Atlas
Ruby followed Ironwood through the city. Yang was still out from her surgery so she figured this was the best time to do it. Two Atlesian Knights carried a metal cylinder behind them.
"Now, Miss Rose, show Doctor Polendina your respect." Ironwood repeated.
"Yes sir." She said for the fiftieth time.
They arrived at a building that looked like the failed combination of an Apartment and a Lab. Ironwood rang the doorbell and they waited until it slowly opened. They were greeted by an elderly man who looked tired and defeated.
"James. Come to take more of my life away?" The man asked bitterly.
"Actually I was just escorting Miss Rose here. And delivering this." Ironwood said as the Knights placed the cylinder in front of the door.
"Then you can leave." The old man growled.
Ironwood bowed and he left with the robots. Doctor Polendina looked at Ruby and then shuffled back inside.
"Bring the container." He called.
She struggled to pull the container into the house and follow him. It was filthy inside, obviously it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Ruby followed him into the lab where machines sat idle and a thin layer of dust had settled over everything.
"Bring it here. I know you had contact with her before the tournament. Did you know?" He asked.
"I only found out by accident. But we were friends. That was the only reason she told me." Ruby said as she lugged the container next to an operating table.
"Hmm, it's good to know she had made at least one. Now what happened to you?" He asked looking her over.
"Oh these? A bad fight with the one who led the attack. Too bad to. Can't pass the final tests at beacon without my arm." Ruby said
"I'm sorry. It must be hard." He said.
"Yeah. Weiss said that they can't even get me a prosthetic like Yang because there isn't enough left of my shoulder to attach it. They'd have to replace most of my chest and no one in Atlas is willing to do it." Ruby sighed.
"Ha. Nonsense. It would only be difficult because you are a growing child. It could be done with a few rather easy modifications to the cybernetic design I used for the General." He said.
"Really? Then why won't they do it?" Ruby asked.
"Because they don't trust themselves to do it right. Why, when I was a younger man, you would have been only a child, I had a young woman much like you you come seeking help." He said.
"Really?" Ruby asked.
"Yes. She wore a cloak similar to your own. Only hers was white." He said as he began arranging the pieces of Penny on an operating table.
"A-a white… hood?" Ruby asked nearly choking on the words.
"Yes. I believe she referred to herself as Summer? Why is she a relative of yours?" He asked looking up at her.
"She… she was my mother. Who died when I was just a little girl. When exactly did she come in?" Ruby asked anxiously.
He gave Ruby the approximate time and she collapsed to her knees.
"That was the day we were at her funeral…" Ruby said on the verge of tears.
"She was very badly injured when she came to me. She had to have both an arm and a leg replaced. She had a woman with her, long black hair with red eyes." The doctor said.
"That sounds like Yang's mom. I've never actually met her." Ruby said.
"She was quite terrifying. I helped them and that was when I developed the process that made Ironwoods Cybernetic conversion possible. She was a wonderful patient and very patient." He said fondly remembering Summer.
He put the last piece of Penny into place and looked down sadly.
"No one should have to see their child like this." He said.
Ruby put her hand on his shoulder and looked down at Penny.
"Just tell me one thing. Was the girl who did this… did she truly regret this?" He asked.
"She does. Pyrrha would be here herself if she could. But she hasn't woken up yet." Ruby said.
"Then I can forgive her. Now, let's get Penny out of there so I can get started." He said as he stuck a cable into the back of Penny's neck.
A green neon light shot through the cable and he attached the other end to a much more basic android, still very humanoid but metallic and with no features. After a few minutes the android frame hummed to life. It opened its eyes and stepped forward.
"Wher- Father!" Penny cried as she embraced the Doctor.
He hugged her and smiled.
"Oh my dear it is good to hear your voice again." He said as tears of joy ran down his face.
They continued their hug for a moment before Penny saw Ruby. She gasped when she saw her injuries.
"Ruby?! Are you okay?!" Penny asked in alarm.
"I'm fine Penny. You've been out for awhile." Ruby said as she hugged the robot.
"What happened? I just remember Miss Nikos launching my swords back then being here." Penny asked in confusion.
Ruby explained everything that had happened after Penny had been destroyed and the android listened while her father inspected the damage to her real body.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. And I could have helped you. Sorry." Penny said nearly crushing Ruby in a hug.
"Urgh… it's fine. Penny. Can't. Breathe." Ruby said as she waved her arm.
Penny released her hold on Ruby and they walked over to look at her body. The Doctor was scanning it and a 3d model was appearing on monitors behind him.
"The damage does not seem to bad actually. The cuts are clean enough. Only a few key components will need to be replaced. I believe it will only take a few days to repair the damage."
"That's good. At least Penny will be okay." Ruby said.
"And I'll need you to stand over here Miss Rose." The doctor said gesturing to a strange machine.
Ruby stepped inside questioningly and he turned it on. Two bars circled her a few times and she stood very still. After a moment they stopped spinning and he smiled as he pulled up a picture of her on a computer.
"The damage to the bone is severe. If you wished a mount for a new arm to be installed it would require a specially designed metallic body at least this large. We could replace this." He said dragging a stylus across the screen.
When he was done a large piece of Ruby's torso was missing and replaced with a metal frame.
"Of course we would leave the bones at least until you finish growing. At that point it would be a simple matter to replace your covered skeleton for a lighter frame and more comfortable fit." He said.
"You're serious? But I don't have the mone-" Ruby said.
"Please I am wealthy enough. And you are one of the few truly honest people I have ever met. Besides the only cybernetics that you could have right now will merely be a weaker frame that can adapt as you grow." He said.
"A-anything is better than this." Ruby said.
"It will not be a painless process. Until the final augmentations are installed it will most likely cause soreness and mild bleeding." The Doctor said.
"I can deal with that much." She said.
"Very well then. I will need a few days to obtain the necessary materials. You are welcome to stay here if you wish. I'm sure Penny would be delighted." He said.
"I'd love to. Weiss' house is a bit to… formal." Ruby said.
Ruby called Weiss and let her know about the plan for her to see at Penny's.
Schnee Estate
Weiss hung up on Ruby as she entered her father's office. He was inspecting reports as she stood patiently waiting for him to address her. After a moment he gestured for her to sit down.
"It has been quite a long time since we've sat like this my dear." He said.
"Yes sir." Weiss agreed.
"Please Weiss. I could do with a little less formal." He said.
Weiss looked at him in surprise. Her father hadn't spoken to her like that since she had been a child. He ran his hands through his hair before looking at his daughter.
"Weiss, I'm dying." He said.
Weiss stared at him in stunned silence.
"I've tried contacting you but that seems to be quite unreliable. I know that you and your Sister value your independence." He said.
"Y-your dying?" Weiss asked in stunned silence.
"I'm afraid so. My mind is wearing thin. The brightest estimate is six months before I am incapable of taking care of myself. Do you understand what I'm saying?" He asked.
"I-I-I…" Weiss was still stuck on the fact that her father was dying.
"Weiss, I have been happy with my life in all but one regard, I could have been a better father but I have failed both you and Winter in that. Now I must ask you to give up your freedom to assume control of the company." He said.
Weiss stared at him. He had a sad look in his eyes. His face was that of someone who was exhausted and running out of options.
"I-I will. Father." She said as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Thank you my dear. I know how much this pains you. I cannot tell Winter yet… she has been contracted by many of the board members, if they found out about this… they may attempt to remove you. Before you can name an heir." He said.
Weiss looked at her father in shock. He was a calm calculating man but he trusted his daughters more than anyone in the world. Winter was his right hand. For him to think she would betray him… was wrong.
"Father are you…" Weiss stopped as her father grabbed a pen from his desk and threw it at her.
"Get away Assassin! Give me back my daughter!" He raved.
Weiss backed away as her father started yelling incoherently. She called in his bodyguards and had him escorted to the medical center.
Icy Sword Bar in Atlas, three hours later
Qrow was drinking alone in a bar watching a broadcast of the reconstruction in Vale when Winter stumbled in. She walked up to the bar and sat down next to him.
"Hey Ice Queen. What brings you here?" Qrow asked.
She looked at him in annoyance and ordered a drink. Qrow shrugged and went back to watching the news. He kept an eye on Winter as she downed another five drinks. After her tenth he looked over at her with great interest.
"What's the occasion? Get fired?" Qrow asked.
"Father is dying. He told Weiss before me. He said he couldn't trust me." Winter said.
Qrow perked up at that.
"That's rough. Even for an Ice Queen." He said.
She continued ordering drinks and making drunken small talk with Qrow until she was so plastered she couldn't walk herself out the door. Qrow sighed as he picked her up and carried her back to the Schnee estate. When they arrived she was already asleep and he dropped her onto her bed. He collapsed into a chair in the room outside of hers and quickly fell asleep. He awoke the next morning to an angry hungover winter shaking him.
"What did you do?!" She growled as her eye twinged from her headache.
"Oh I'm sorry. Would you rather I left you in a bar with a bunch of drunk bastards?" Qrow asked sarcastically.
"What did you do?" She hissed.
"I carried you back that's it." Qrow said smugly. "Why what did you expect?"
"I- you-" Winter stuttered as her face grew red.
"Please don't flatter yourself." Qrow said.
Winter gripped the hilt of her sword before gagging slightly. She ran off to the nearest bathroom while Qrow laughed hysterically.
"Not so special now eh?" He called after her.
Somewhere…
Raven sat staring at her campfire. She looked up as a stick snapped. Summer walked up munching on an apple with a dozen more in her arm.
"I will never understand how you can eat so much and stay so thin." Raven said shaking her head.
"Lots of walking. What'd you call me here for?" Summer asked.
"Have you been in touch with the CCT at all?" Raven asked.
"Not for almost a year. Why?" Summer asked munching on another Apple.
Raven tossed her scroll at Summer who caught it with ease in a mechanical hand. She scrolled through the images and stopped on one in particular.
"Ruby…" Summer said covering her mouth.
"It happened when the CCT tower in Vale went down. A woman by the name of Cinder Fall got Amber." Raven said.
"She has the Fall maiden's powers?" Summer asked.
"Yeah. A blast of fire did that. Yang lost an arm to. But that was different." Raven said grabbing one of Summers apples.
"Where are they now?" Summer asked.
"Ruby and the others? In Atlas. Can't say for how long though." Raven said.
"Can you get me there? I need to make sure that she is okay." Summer said.
"Planning on making a return?" Raven asked.
"Not yet. But I know a man who can help her. You don't seem to upset about you're daughter being maimed." Summer said with a frown.
"I told Qrow to tell her not to expect me to come to her rescue every time." Raven said.
"You are heartless. Summer said eating her last Apple."
"I am strict. She needs to learn to defend herself." Raven said.
"Can you get me there or do I need to walk?" Summer asked in annoyance.
Raven didn't answer but drew her sword and sliced open a portal. Summer hugged her then stepped through.
Atlas, Doctor Polendina's lab
It was midnight when Summer arrived at the Doctor's doorstep. She rapped her metallic hand on the door and waited patiently as he shuffled down the stairs. When he opened the door she darted inside and he was oblivious for a moment before she cleared her throat.
"Hello Doctor." She said.
"Ah Miss Summer Rose. It has been quite a while." He said.
"Indeed it has. Do you mind if I sit?" She asked.
"Come to the lab. I want to inspect your replacements." He said leading the way.
She followed him into the lab and removed her hood. He inspected her arm and side and clucked his tongue.
"You haven't been keeping up on maintenance. There is rust here. A few more months and it would have broken." He said.
"I… may have gotten a bit lax." She admitted.
"Here I have some spare covers here." He said.
They made small talk as he repaired her arm. It was only too late that Summer heard the soft fast footsteps. She was left staring at her daughter only feet away.
"M-mom?" Ruby asked.
Summer said nothing but grabbed her hood and shot past Ruby. The young girl followed her. The two rushed out into the empty streets and eventually Summer was cornered on the docks. She looked around for a way to escape but there was none. She turned back to face Ruby.
"Mom… why are you running?" Ruby asked with tears in her eyes.
Summer stared at the ground like a child being scolded.
"I-I-I don't have any excuse. None that wasn't selfish." Summer said.
"But why? Why did you hide? Why didn't you come home?" Ruby asked as tears ran down her cheeks.
"At first I had a reason but then… I just felt I couldn't. Everyone thought I was dead. I thought you would hate m-" She stopped as Ruby wrapped her in a tearful one armed hug.
"I could never hate you." Ruby said through her tears.
They stood on the docks for a few moments before Ruby looked up at her mother.
"Can you please tell me what happened?" Ruby asked.
They walked back to Doctor Polendina's as Summer recomposed herself. When they arrived Penny made some coffee and they sat down together.
"I was on a mission for Ozpin. There was a certain person he wanted me to investigate but she got away from me. I chased after her and that's when everyone thought I had died. Including my target. She was caught unaware and I was able to catch her off guard… but she managed this." Summer said flexing her mechanical arm and leg.
"Who was it?" Ruby asked.
"A woman named Salem. She is a sort of… hmm… Grimm leader." Summer said.
"But is she human? Why would Grimm follow her?" Ruby asked in confusion.
"She is an oddity in the world. A soulless person. And according to Qrow and Raven she is the one pulling the strings of the one who led the sabotage of Vale. Cinder Fall I believe her name was." Summer said.
"She did this. So she wasn't the boss?" Ruby asked looking at her missing arm.
"No. Salem has been playing us all. And team STRQ is going to end it." Summer said.
"Your going after her?" Ruby asked.
"Yes. I… I've left your father alone far too long." Summer said sadly.
"Dad wasn't the same after you left. He worried about us all the time and he just shut down for awhile. Uncle Qrow watched us whenever he wasn't on missions." Ruby said.
"I'm so sorry Ruby." Summer said sadly as she wrapped her daughter in a gentle hug.
Ruby was silent as she enjoyed the warmth of her mothers embrace.
"I promise after this I'll come home." Summer said.
She released Ruby as a red and black vortex appeared in front of them.
"Oh and Doctor, if you would help her, I will forever be in your debt." Summer said.
"Already on it." The old man grumbled.
Summer disappeared through the portal and Ruby wiped tears away as she left.
Atlas three days later
Weiss stopped in front of Doctor Polendina's laboratory. Ruby had been staying here the past few days. Yang had gone back to Vale the previous morning so Ruby was the only person Weiss could talk to. She knocked on the door and waited until Penny opened the door.
"Penny?" Weiss asked.
"Ice Queen!" Penny said wrapping Weiss in a death hold hug.
"P-penny… ugh." Weiss gasped as she was unable to breathe.
Penny set Weiss down and allowed her to catch her breath.
"You're just in time. Ruby should still be awake. Come on." Penny said practically dragging Weiss through the house to the lab.
When they arrived in the lab they found Ruby snoring on an operating table while Doctor Polendina, dressed in a full surgical outfit positioned a metallic arm and a parts of a Torso next to Ruby.
"R-Ruby! What are you doing?!" Weiss yelled drawing her sword.
The doctor held up his arms in surrender.
"She asked for this. I can give her back her ability to fight." The Doctor said.
Weiss looked down at the table and then over at Penny.
"Did Ruby agree to this?" Weiss asked her.
"Yep." Penny said without the faintest trace of a hiccup.
Weiss slipped off her coat and looked at the doctor.
"How can I help?" She asked.
The doctor laughed.
"The Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company wants to get her hands dirty?" He asked.
"That's President. I'm being sworn in tomorrow." Weiss said as Penny got her some gloves and a face mask.
Weiss assisted the Doctor along with Penny as he cut open Ruby's shoulder and side and began installing the base augments. Weiss had to look away more than once as he pulled out and replace the left half of her ribcage. Everything was going fine until they started installing the attachments in her shoulder. It started off with her groaning before she woke up screaming in pain. Weiss gripped her right hand and held her head in place.
"Ruby." Weiss said firmly.
"Weiss? Argh!" Ruby cried as the Doctor installed more of the structure.
"Keep her calm. This is a very sensitive operation. Miss Rose please remain as still as possible." He said.
Ruby groaned in response but squeezed Weiss' hand and remained still. After an hour the operation was complete and Ruby sat up flexing her new cybernetic arm. It had blood splattered on much of it and she noted that it looked more like a skeletal arm more than anything.
"I will install the coverings after Penny has shown you how to effectively clean and maintain it. Penny." He said looking to his daughter.
"Come on Ruby." Penny said leading her out of the lab.
He looked over at Weiss as she washed the blood off of her hands.
"How does a minor become the President of the largest company in the world?" He asked.
"By being the only heir and the current president having multiple mental breakdowns. I just don't know how I'm going to explain it to Ruby." She said.
"This better be the last surprise for that girl. I doubt she can handle much more of this." He said.
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.
He explained the situation with Summer and Weiss was shocked.
"Her mother has been alive this entire time?" Weiss asked.
"Yes. And she's been practically radiating happiness since." He said.
"She does that." Weiss said with a smile.
When Ruby and Penny came back Weiss hugged her teammate and Ruby looked at Penny and her Father.
"Uh... Weiss you're kinda freaking me out." Ruby said.
"I'm just happy about your mom." Weiss said.
"Oh? He told you? Yeah it's great." Ruby said.
They talked for a few hours before Weiss managed to get around to the true subject of her visit.
"Ruby. I have something I need to talk to you about." Weiss said.
"What is it?" Ruby asked.
"My Father has been forced to step down as President of the company. I'm taking his place tomorrow." Weiss said.
Ruby blinked her eye for a few seconds before realizing what Weiss was saying.
"S-so you won't be coming back to Beacon then?" Ruby asked.
"I can't. I wish I could." Weiss said unable to look Ruby in the eye.
"I-it's fine. We're teammates right? I support you all the way." Ruby said.
Weiss looked up at Ruby and saw her smiling if a bit forced. Weiss gave her a small grin.
"Now kiss." Penny said as she pressed their heads together.
Their lips met and they both have looks of surprise. They quickly jerked away and Weiss looked down out of embarrassment as Ruby leaped onto Penny's back and began playfully punching her.
The Doctor laughed from the kitchen.
"Sorry about that. I believe the two of them have been watching old romance movies the past few days between operations." He said.
"I… uh…" Weiss said somewhat dumbfounded.
"Weiss help me get back at Penny!" Ruby called.
Weiss shook off her embarrassment and chased after them. She stayed overnight and awoke the next morning to find Ruby missing. She got dressed and found her Teammate downstairs putting a cover on her arm.
"Oh hey Weiss. Just getting ready." Ruby said and Weiss stared.
Ruby wasn't wearing her combat skirt. Instead she was wearing a black dress that Weiss had gotten her back in Vale. She also had her other eye back instead of an eyepatch.
"Ruby what's gotten into you?" Weiss asked.
"Well I thought I should look nice. Am I not dressed up enough?" Ruby asked.
"No. No not at all. But uh… the eye." Weiss asked.
"Oh this? The Doctor installed the base for me a few days ago. He just got the right fit this morning. Does it look normal?" She asked.
"Positively." Weiss said admiring the excellent job the doctors had done repairing the damage to Ruby's face.
Her injuries were hardly visible, save for a few marks on her neck. She looked almost completely normal. Well Ruby normal. They left a short time later for Schnee company headquarters where Weiss got ready for her ceremony. Winter was waiting for them recovered from her… earlier episode. The three of them entered the Office room and Ruby and Winter stood at either side as Weiss addressed the board. When she had finished her speech the board gave her applause that even Ruby could tell was fake. After a very long boring meeting they left and Weiss looked to Winter.
"They don't think this is serious." She said somewhat crushed.
"Give it a while. They don't have any reason to respect you yet." Winter said.
"Show them how well you can fight! That might teach them a thing or two." Ruby said.
"Ruby that's not how things work here." Weiss said sadly.
"Actually she may have a point. Part of Fathers main respect factor was his combat skill." Winter said.
"So you think that might help me?" Weiss asked.
"It couldn't hurt. I could set up a duel for you." Winter said.
"Really?" Weiss asked.
"Yes. I'll have a report on your desk later this afternoon." Winter said leaving with a bow.
"That was… weird." Ruby said.
"What?" Weiss asked.
"I've met Winter once. Last time she was kind of… Cold." Ruby said.
"She took some time off from her service to help me manage the company." Weiss said.
"Oh so she's nice?" Ruby asked.
"Of course she's nice! She just has a hard time showing it…" Weiss said defensively.
"Well want to get some lunch, Miss President Schnee?" Ruby asked.
"I'd love to."
Vale
Yang sat in Juniors bar. Her metallic fingers drumming on the table. She sipped her strawberry sunrise as Junior himself watched her from behind the bar. She glanced over as Blake entered the Bar followed by Sun and Neptune. The three of them sat down at her table and she glanced across the table at Blake.
"You don't seem to have any problem running away." Yang growled.
"I was protecting you." Blake said quietly.
"Bullshit." Yang said pounding her fist on the table.
"You don't know Adam!" Blake cried.
"No I don't! I just know he chopped my arm off! But I plan on taking him out." Yang said.
"What?!" Blake said fearfully.
"He's the reason you ran away, right? He said something didn't he?" Sun asked.
"Yes. He said he'd destroy everything I cared about. So I ran. Ran to protect you all." Blake said.
Yang was still angry but Sun and Neptune were looking at Blake.
"He can't take all four of us. The only reason he was able to hurt you two was because you were exhausted." Sun said.
"He has the most elite members of the White Fang! He'll kill you!" Blake cried.
"Then we take them out to. We've fought the White Fang before and won. You've got to know how to find them. We can bring them down." Yang said.
"Listen to yourself. They will kill you Yang." Blake said coldly.
"I'm serious Blake. If we take out their leader then they could give up on the fighting." Yang said.
"You aren't listening! Adam is stronger than anyone I know! There's a reason he is the leader of the white Fang!" Blake said angrily.
"He can't take us all." Yang said stubbornly.
Blake gave her best angry glare to Yang but found Yang's red eyes matched any fury she had.
"You're going to do this no matter what aren't you?" Blake asked.
"With or without you." Yang said.
"Then I'm coming. Just to make sure you're safe." Blake said.
Vale, one week later
Yang looked up at Blake, Sun and Neptune. The streets of Vale were empty and quiet as the shadow of Beacon loomed over them.
"You guys ready for this?" Sun asked.
"Yeah. There isn't anything left." Yang said as she fitted Scarlet Selica on her mechanical arm.
"Then let's get going. The longer we wait the more time he has to hide." Blake said.
"Always sunshine and rainbows with you." Sun said as he started walking out of the city.