Disclaimer: RWBY and all related characters belong to Rooster Teeth, and I'm not trying to claim differently.
Chapter 1: Crescent Rose
Two teenage girls stood at the magazine rack at the back of a small Dust shop, browsing. One was dressed in a black blouse and skirt with red trimmings, black stockings and combat boots, and, most conspicuously, wore a red hooded cape. The other, a striking redhead, wore a loose black blouse, a short skirt, and cute calf boots.
"Come on, Ruby, you know I don't like it when you look at the weapon mags," Crescent Rose said.
"Oh, Cress, you know you're the only one for me. I just like to look, that's all." A suggestive smile appeared on Ruby's youthful, innocent-looking face. "Besides, they give me all sorts of ideas on what we might try, later." Crescent blushed and looked away.
"Hey, you two!" a deeper voice called out from behind them, causing the two girls to look up. "Put your hands up where I can see them."
A large man in a cheap dark suit loomed over them, brandishing a business-like pistol. The girls looked at each other, then back at the man.
"Are you robbing us?" The innocent confusion in Ruby's voice almost masked her rising excitement.
"Yes! Now put your hands up."
A small smirk formed on Ruby's face. "What do you think, Cress?"
"I think it's fun to see who I'm going to cut in half, for once." Crescent was starting to smile, too.
"What are you... last chance, hands up now, or I will shoot."
"Go ahead." Ruby stepped in front of Crescent, and Crescent's smile turned fond at the protective action.
"What?"
"Go ahead, shoot me." Crescent could imagine Ruby giving him that sweet, yet somehow still wicked grin she loved so much. "Better make it count, though, because once you've had your shot, I will take mine."
The man suddenly looked uncertain, glancing from one girl to the other. Ruby's stance didn't waver, and Crescent bit her lip in excited anticipation. He visibly swallowed. "Oh, shit..." He pulled the trigger.
Ruby's hand flashed forward faster than eye could follow, and sparks exploded where the Dust-propelled bullet didn't quite touch her hand. Then she stepped forward and brought her other hand up in a blurring punch that sent the man flying across the room, out cold.
Another man, similarly attired, stepped out from behind a shelf and aimed a pistol at them. Ruby grabbed Crescent by the hand and streaked forward accompanied by the latter's excited squeal, bowled the man over, and propelled all three through the shop's front window. The two girls got up, none worse for wear; the man didn't.
More dark-suited men appeared in the window at the disturbance, flanking a tall man in a much more distinctive attire. He was dressed in a white suit, somewhat more dressy than those of the thugs surrounding him, and wore a black bowler hat. Long orange bangs hung from under the hat, obscuring his right eye. He held a cane in his hand.
"Well, hello there, Red... and Red. This is my robbery you're interrupting."
"I really don't think you have the moral high-ground here."
"I don't suppose we can agree to part ways amicably? There could be free candy in it for you."
Ruby didn't respond in words. She was still holding Crescent by the hand, and she gave it a tug. Crescent knew her cue, and she let Ruby bring her into her arms with a twirl. Ruby bent her into a dip like a dancer, her large silver eyes so close to hers, and then Crescent's consciousness dissolved in a red all-consuming flash. The only sensation that remained for her was the gentle touch of Ruby's soul.
"So what do you have to say for yourselves?" asked the severe looking blonde in a long-sleeved white top and black pencil skirt who had introduced herself as Glynda Goodwitch.
"We got to foil a robbery and fight bad guys with a Huntress and it was so cool!" Crescent would have smiled at Ruby's exuberance if she hadn't been so nervous about the situation. She wasn't quite clear on what Ruby had done to get them in trouble, this time.
"That is not the response I was looking for, Miss Rose. Your fight caused tens of thousands of Lien worth of property damage, put bystanders in danger, and, had I not been there, might have resulted in your death." Crescent experienced a painful shock at the words. She looked at Ruby in panic.
"Hey, you can't hold me responsible for what those thugs did. I was totally in my right to stop them. And I made sure they didn't get any shots off I couldn't handle." Crescent calmed herself down. Clearly Ruby didn't feel she'd been in too much danger. Perhaps it was just more adult exaggeration.
"Apart from Torchwick, you mean."
"Was that the ginger guy, or the lady with the great legs?" Goodwitch's eyebrow lifted briefly. Crescent gave Ruby an annoyed glance. "Uh, I didn't mean to imply your legs aren't great, too... I mean... I'll be quiet now." Crescent looked away and huffed.
"Roman Torchwick was the man at the store."
"Ohh. I totally had him."
"Indeed." Goodwitch took a deep breath. "I can understand your youthful enthusiasm, but you bit off more than you could chew. If things were up to me, I'd just give you a stern talking-to, and send you home." Crescent had been under the impression that they in fact were receiving a stern talking-to, but she was not going to contradict the scary Huntress. "But there is someone who wants to talk to you."
The door to the interrogation room opened and a gray-haired man entered, followed shortly by a youthful-looking man carrying a tray of cookies. He set the tray in front of Ruby and Crescent, then stepped back to lean against the wall.
Ruby reached for a cookie, and, at a subtle nod from the older man, grabbed one and wolfed it down. Crescent recognized the man as the headmaster of what Ruby maintained was the most prestigious combat academy in all of Remnant. She didn't feel like eating under the circumstances, but Ruby had most likely burned off a lot of energy. Plus, of course, she liked cookies rather more than most girls. She reached for another as Ozpin bent over the desk to look at them.
"You... have silver eyes."
Ruby cocked her head at Ozpin. Crescent was surprised, too; those weren't what she'd expected to be his first words. He sounded startled, which Crescent could understand; it wasn't exactly a common color. She didn't recall ever hearing of anyone else with silver eyes, apart from Ruby's mother. Still, it was a pretty creepy opening, and she was getting more nervous again. Ruby must have sensed it, as she laid a hand on her arm. The reassuring touch helped calm her down.
"Now, tell me, Ruby Rose, how an adorable young girl such as you learned to do something like this." He gestured towards a scroll held by the quiet man, showing footage from their fight earlier.
Crescent leaned forward to get a better view. She hadn't realized there had been a camera present, but she was happy for it. She didn't really get to see their fights outside the recorded sessions at the training halls at Signal Academy. Ruby looked pretty good in the footage, and sexily confident as she gripped her firmly. Crescent looked down and hoped nobody noticed her reddening cheeks. Ruby was so hot when she kicked ass.
"I study at Signal Academy."
"Well, you are certainly doing your part to hold up Signal's reputation. But tell me, how did you two end up settling on a scythe, and a sniper scythe at that? It is an uncommon and difficult form, and not easy to use effectively."
"Oh, that was on account of my uncle Qrow—and Morrigan, of course. He's a teacher at signal. I was useless before he took me under his wing, but now I'm like..." Ruby proceeded to mime martial art moves, complete with sound effects. "Anyway, the scythe just seemed natural."
"Morrigan helped us a lot," Crescent said. "She is sooo cool."
"I have heard Morrigan called many things, but 'cool' isn't usually one of them." Ozpin's eyes went distant for a while. "So, dusty old Qrow taught you to fight with a scythe. And why do you study at Signal?"
"Well, I want to be a Huntress. I have two years left at Signal, and then I'm going to apply to Beacon. My sister is starting there this year."
"Do you know who I am?"
"Yes."
"And you want to study at my school."
"More than anything."
Ozpin glanced at Goodwitch, who huffed. "Well, okay, then."
"Do you mean..?"
"Welcome to Beacon, Ruby Rose and Crescent."
Crescent didn't think she'd ever seen Ruby happier.
