"...You've got to be kidding me."

Those were not the first words Ruby had expected to hear from the girl she had just saved... but no matter! The girl must have still been in shock from the attempted kidnapping. After Ruby had stepped in - quite heroically if she might add- and stopped those two thugs, she had quickly carried her to safety.

Speaking of which... the girl was now glaring a hole through her head. While still being cradled in her arms.

Ruby flinched.

How did superheroes make saving people look easy? She hadn't realized her social awkwardness would also extend through her vigilante activities.

"Don't worry! I took down those two baddies- er, thugs so now I just have to take you somewhere safe. A-And um... Oh! I'm the Crimson Rose! Your resident, friendly neighborhood- wait... I think I got that wrong..." Ruby suddenly stopped running, the dark alley they were in barely having enough light to show the embarrassed look on her face.

"Let me try that again," she muttered before clearing her throat. "I'm the Crimson Rose, your friendly neighborhood... Rose vigilante!"

The girl crossed her arms. Ruby could barely see the arched eyebrow and nonplussed expression. "Seriously?"

Ruby shrugged, the red cloak shifting atop her shoulders. "It's a work in progress," she admitted. That would be the last time she asked Yang for help on her superhero lines. While the red cloak and mask her sister had made were really cool, the blonde's lines were a bit too... cheesy. And that was saying something, coming from her.

"Right. Well then," The girl, whose face was starting to look somewhat familiar to Ruby despite the lack of light, gestured to the area they were in with a slender hand. "Do you have any idea where you're going, or am I going to be hauled around the backwater allies of downtown Vale like some form of luggage?"

Ruby blinked.

The crimson wearing superhero looked around. The dark brick walls of the alley were completely unfamiliar. It seemed that when she had carried the girl off to lose any would be pursuers... well..

She might have gotten lost herself.

"...Uhh..."

"Of course." The girl sighed before gently tugging on Ruby's hood. "Well? Are you going to let me down now, or are you going to get us further lost?"

Ruby flushed, having not expected the tug on her hood. "R-Right," she carefully released her protective hold on the girl, shifting awkwardly. What was the proper amount of time you're allowed to carry the person you're rescuing, anyways?

"Sorry about that, miss...?" She was just full of mistakes tonight. She hadn't even asked the girl's name until now. Although her voice did sound pretty familiar... and there was something about her hair...? The lack of light made it look like the girl had gray hair.

The girl stared at her. Ruby squirmed. Somehow, she could just tell her question had somewhat annoyed her. The crimson vigilante swore she heard the girl mutter something like 'dunce' under her breath.

"Weiss. My name is Weiss Schnee." She finally responded.

Oh.

Weiss.

Ruby blinked.

That made sense.

No wonder she sounded so familiar. It was her science lab partner-

"Ahh?!" Ruby cried out, eyes widening comically.

The girl she had just rescued was Weiss?! Richer-than-thou, you-better-not-blow-us-up-again-Ruby-Rose, if-you-get-cookie-crumbs-on-me-one-more-time-you-dunce-I-swear-I'll- Weiss Schnee?! The girl she sort-of-maybe-really had a huge crush on?! That Weiss Schnee?

Ruby gaped at Weiss as she tried to process the situation. She couldn't let Weiss know her true identity! Did the heiress already figure it out? Or did her hood and mask do an alright job of keeping her secret?

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Ah?"

Ruby wondered if Weiss could hear her heart beating rapidly as it tried to slam out of her chest.

"A-Ah! A-As in... you're the h-heiress! To the SDC Corporations," Ruby said, her voice squeaking before lowering into something deeper than her usual voice.

Would it be suspicious? Probably. But she couldn't let Weiss know she was the Crimson Rose! Didn't one of those superhero guys that Yang had showed her a few nights ago lower his voice into something really gruff sounding? Granted, she couldn't understand a single word he said... but it worked for him in the movie! Hopefully it'd work for her?

"I'm just surprised I rescued someone so... famous..?" She tried to cover up for her previous shout of shock. Her throat itched. This technique felt pretty dumb.

"I see...," Weiss eyed her for a moment, probably thinking the worst about Ruby and how weird she looked and sounded and maybe she should really just give up on this whole vigilante gig and make a living by selling somewhat questionable machine parts and save up enough bail money for Yang in the future and-

A bright light shined through the opening of the alley, momentarily blinding them both.

Ruby blinked away the dark spots from her vision, her thoughts suddenly clearing and her body tensing, preparing for a fight if the thugs had come back.

"It seems my ride is finally here." Weiss said, Ruby finally spotting the white limousine with the Schnee Dust Company logo on its side.

Ruby tilted her head, relaxing somewhat now that she knew the new arrival wasn't an enemy. "How did they..?" She hadn't seen Weiss pick up her phone to call them at all, so how would they know where to find them?

"GPS tracker. It's pretty convenient when you have as many kidnapping attempts as me," Weiss responded dryly.

"Ah." That made sense.

Wait...

How often were these attempts?!

"Miss Schnee!" An elderly man's voice cried out. Suddenly he stepped out of the limo and pulled out a gun, pointing it at Ruby with unsteady hands. "Miss Schnee are you alright? Did that strange person kidnap you?" His eyes squinted, as if trying to see the crimson vigilante better. "You dare lay a hand on our most precious heiress, fiend?!" The gun in his hands shook unsteadily.

"A-Ah! Wait wait wait-" Ruby cried out, eyes wide at the shaking gun now trained at her. She waved her hands madly in front of her to try and somehow not get gunned down by Weiss' old, senile driver. "You've got it all wrong! I-"

"She saved me from those who tried, so you can put the gun down, Fredrick." Weiss interrupted, stepping in front of her calmly while offering the older man a soft smile. "Thank you for getting here so fast. Remind me to never shop in that awful outlet again. Their clothing selection was positively atrocious."

Ruby practically slumped into Weiss' back from relief as Fredrick lowered his gun. So she wouldn't be shot down by the elderly tonight. She could still count this night as a win, then.

Fredrick smiled widely. "I'm truly glad you're safe, Miss Schnee. And thank you for saving our precious heiress, young lady." He bowed at Ruby before stashing the gun back in the limo. "Oh dear," he murmured, squinting at his watch soon after. "It seems your singing recital will be held soon. It would be best to leave now in order to make it on time, Miss Schnee." He moved to the side of the limo and held the door open for her.

"Oh. I almost forgot about that," Weiss sighed before turning around to face the crimson cloaked girl. "Now then."

Ruby blinked, her posture straightening under Weiss' stern look. "Y-Yes?"

"You need to work on your lines and delivery. Not to mention getting lost while carrying the person you're rescuing."

Ruby's shoulder slumped. Ah. This was familiar too. She felt as if she were back in their science lab, the heiress correcting her on her less than adequate performance.

"I also don't see any type of material that can stop a bullet, so unless you're immune to bullets-"

"I'm actually really really fast and-"

"-unless you're immune to bullets, which I'm sure you're not, you better find a bullet proof vest. And also have some form of medic or doctor close at hand."

"...W-Well my friend is pretty good at wrapping bandages and uh-"

"Since you clearly haven't thought this through, I'll make sure to set you up with at least that-"

"You… you really don't have to do that-"

A sharp glare silenced her weak protests.

"If you're going to be doing this... 'vigilante' business, then you need to do it properly and safely. Am I understood?" Weiss crossed her arms, looking at Ruby pointedly.

Ruby weakly nodded, ducking under her hood as if to protect herself. "Yes ma'am."

"Drop the ma'am."

"O-Okay, Weiss."

Weiss looked at her as they stood in silence, the vigilante shifting nervously.

"...Honestly," Weiss murmured under her breath before reaching out to gently tug down on Ruby's hood for a second time that night. "Thanks for saving me, you dunce. Now go get home and rest before you carry off some other poor girl through Vale's shadier districts. As far as first dates go, you certainly could have done better."

Weiss turned and began to walk towards her limo, an amused smile on her lips as she heard Ruby's flustered sputtering behind her.

"Oh, before I forget," She neared the limo, almost inside as Fredrick held the door open for her. "Don't forget to start on that essay that's due on Wednesday. I refuse to get a bad grade just because of your vigilante work, Ruby Rose."

"What? But that's like five days from now, Weiss!" Ruby whined, her cheeks still red from the heiress' earlier words.

"No excuses, Rose." Weiss called out before the door shut close and the limo drove away.

Ruby groaned and tugged down on her hood, pouting as she moodily kicked the ground. "It's a simple partner essay! Why does she have to always be so intent on getting the highest grade in class, anyways? Especially now that she knows I-"

Ruby stopped.

A stray cat nearby pawed at a torn trash bag, mewing happily when it found some left over pizza rolls.

As it moved to feast on the offerings, a sharp cry that came from the nearby alley spooked it off.

"She knew? She knew?! How did she know it was me?!"

A moment of silence.

"….Yang's going to kill me."