A/N: A post on the r/RWBY subreddit got me thinking about an Assassin's Creed/RWBY crossover, and while a search here showed that yes, there are several already, none of them had the same focus that the original comment had asked for. The beauty of fan fiction is that essentially anyone can write it, at any time, so I decided to try my hand at it. This is my first posted (read: written many in my head but never put any on "paper" before) fan fiction, so any feedback, either in the form of a PM or a review, is greatly appreciated.

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Chapter One: The Blood of a Scribe

Dong. Dong. Dong.

Don't look down Ruby, the young assassin told herself. Whatever you don't do look down. It's a very long fall.

But I'm not scared of heights, she told herself. Why should I be?

The first voice responded immediately. Well, there was that time you tried to use your semblance to run up that cliff…how far had you gotten when you fell?

About a third of the way, the second voice in her head admitted begrudgingly. But I'm climbing safely here, not running wildly. I have a lot more experience now. Also, remember our trials? We had to dive off a cliff. How could we do that if we feared heights?

Humph. There aren't any conveniently placed hay bales under this tower. This is a clock tower you're climbing, not a farm silo.

Dong. Dong. Dong The clock continued to chime, its somber notes dying off slowly in the night. There was a flutter of wings as a raven flew off, woken from its sleep and disturbed from its nest by the chime of the clock.

Focus on the mission, her second voice said. We may already be too late.

It was that Schnee girl's fault if she was. Ruby had seen her at the docks, her military training evident in the way she stood perfectly straight, barking out orders to the soldiers unloading crates and luggage from the ships. She must have rushed here from Atlas as fast as Ruby herself had. Salem had warned Ruby that each mission would be harder than the one before as their enemies became aware of the danger.

Still, she hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected her. Shouldn't she be in Atlas, with her family? What remains of it, at least? As Ruby continued to climb she thought back to when she had first landed at the school's docks a few hours ago, shortly after the sun had set. White combat skirt. Long rapier at her side. She likely relies on speed and grace in combat. She probably can't take a lot of damage.

Fine white skin, her other voice noted. Piercing blue eyes. Long white hair. I wonder, is all her hair that color?

She had heels on. A fight on uneven ground would slow her. She wouldn't let herself give in to those thoughts. Not here, at least. Focus on the mission.

I'd rather see what she does without the boots on, the first voice said.

NO! Ruby's second voice shouted in her head. Focus on the mission…definitely focus on the mission.

Maybe later, then, the first voice pouted. It was really starting to get out of control.

Dong. Dong. Dong.

Is Crescent Rose still with us then? If you won't let yourself have any fun? the first voice asked.

Ruby pulled herself up to a small ledge made from an extruding brick and hugged the wall. She carefully reached behind her back with one hand and made sure her scythe was still attacked firmly. She wouldn't be weaponless without it- she even slept with the hidden blade on her left forearm, and she had several throwing knives strung along her waist. Even so, without her main weapon she would be at a disadvantage in a real fight. Also, if it fell it might alert the guards posted below her at the tower's entrance. Then all of the effort she had put into sneaking through the school would have been wasted.

Dong. Dong. Dong. The clock finished the twelfth chime and went silent.

Satisfied her weapons were all secure, she continued to climb. Midnight. There was a chance Ozpin was working late and still in the tower. It would be a waste if he wasn't. All she could do for now was hope. Hope, and continue to climb.

She couldn't afford to have another mistake in her record, especially not so soon after the last one. She had been sent with Team CRME to enlist the aid of the White Fang. They had failed, and then had failed in their attack on the Fall Maiden. Now she was being sent to try and clean up all the broken pieces of Salem's plan. Together they would bring freedom to the people of Remnant. Freedom from the fear that kept them as slaves.

Is that really her aim, though? asked her more independent voice. Remember what Mr. Schnee had said as he lay dying. You confronted him with his sins-

Yes. His sins were many, the second, the more loyal, voice cut in. Slavery of the faunus, murder of those who spoke out against him, driving any competitor out of business by whatever means were necessary, even if it meant breaking the laws that had been enacted to help others.

And what was his response? He posted guards to protect them from the Grimm, not to intimidate them into subservience. He gave them a home and food, educated their children. He didn't withhold payment, even if it might not seem a fair wage.

Ruby sighed. She was allowing herself to be distracted from her mission again. Just keep climbing. That was something that she could do. One hand after another, one handhold to the next.

It didn't take her long to reach to top of the tower. She snuggled up to the wall and made sure she had good footing on the rough brick. Satisfied she wouldn't fall, she unhooked her scythe and it unfolded quickly in her hand, rapidly expanding many times until it was longer than she was tall. Holding onto the wall tightly with her left hand, she leaned out and swung the scythe with her right arm up, hooking the blade on the floor of the small balcony that circled the top floor. Giving it a hard tug, she decided it would hold her weight. Taking a deep breath, she kicked off from the wall and used her scythe as a pendulum to swing herself up and over the railing on the balcony. Dropping into a quick roll, she smashed through one of the windows and leapt to her feet, weapon at the ready, eyes scanning the room for her target.

"You…have silver eyes," a calm voice said from behind her.

Ruby turned quickly and looked at the speaker. It was the man she had been sent to kill, sitting calmly behind a desk, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. Behind him, several screens were frozen with different images of Ruby throughout the day, including several that showed her since her infiltration of the schoolgrounds.

"You have me at a disadvantage, young one. You know who I am. And yet…I do not know your name." It was a statement, but invited an answer.

Ruby was cautious. Her two voices were shouting at each other, one urging her to action, to remember the mission, to kill; the other urging caution and patience. Humph. Since when had her independent voice been the one to take things slow? She could always count on it to rush into judgements before.

"Ruby. Ruby Rose." She finally decided to answer. Ozpin had known she was coming, she reasoned. He would be prepared for her. She might as well hear what he has to say while looking for her opening. And his knowing her name didn't give him any power of her.

"And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing here?"

A test, then, Ruby thought. "I want to slay monsters."

"And that is what you think of me? I'm hurt. We've only just met." He took a sip of his coffee. "No, why are you really here?"

Ruby paused. "I want to help people." There. That was an honest answer.

"And that is what you are doing now?" he asked. The screens behind him changed, no longer showing Ruby. Instead, they showed the victims of her recent attacks in Haven and Atlas. One screen had that Schnee girl, the one she had seen barking out orders at the docks, crying as she cradled her dead father in her arms. A girl who was barely older than Ruby herself.

"Yes?" Ruby wasn't so sure, and the tone of her voice highlighted that. Salem wouldn't lie to her, right? And Cinder, and Emerald, and Merc? Her friends wanted to help people too, right? That's what they were doing.

"You seek to promote peace. Yet you commit murder. You seek to open the minds of men, but require obedience to rules. You seek to reveal the dangers of blind faith, but practice it yourself." Again the images on the screens changed, showing the many guards that had fallen prey to Ruby. "Are not the children innocent of the crimes of the fathers? Tell me, Miss. Rose, what crime had they committed?"

Ruby was at a loss now. This man was so calm, so certain he was in the right. Just as Schnee had been when she killed him. Just like they all had been.

The door behind Ruby smashed open, and the white-haired girl ran in. "Professor Ozpin, I heard a window smash," she shouted. "Professor Ozpin?"

"Calm yourself, Weiss. I am in no danger at the moment. Stay your sword." He turned his attention back to Ruby. "We want nothing more than peace and safety for all men, for all Faunus. Are not the Grimm the enemy? I offer you a choice, Miss Rose. Stay, and listen to what I offer you. Or attempt to finish your mission, to fight through her," he pointed at Weiss, "and through that," pointing at a floating large silver arm grasping a sword, "before even having a chance to go against me." He took a sip from his coffee and grabbed his cane. "The choice is yours."

Ruby cautiously lowered her weapon. "Well then. Hello."

Professor Ozpin smiled. "Nice to meet you."