Destinies. Every person has one. But a simple change in several lives can change their fate entirely.
How pretty Vale is in the evening, Ruby Rose thought. What a fine hour to be mopping the floor.
The young woman ended up here after a little incident regarding a basketball and a window. The old man who worked at the bestowed Dust shop was not happy, and long story short, here she was.
The shattered moon hung low in the sky, illuminating the dark alleyways otherwise untouched by the streetlights. The light was just enough that the silhouettes of people could be made out-not, of course, that there were many. Winter had gone, and with it the general optimism. Civil and well-meaning folk had long since retired to the safety and comfort of their homes. Shops were closed, doors locked and barred. Only a single store remained open.
The shopkeeper ran his bony finger over the smooth counter with mindless repetition. It had been a long day, but it wasn't quite late enough yet to justify his counting the cash or locking the door. The hours of commercial business were over, but Dust was enough of a necessity that shops selling it remained open late into the night.
The shopkeeper paid no attention to her as she perused the weapons magazines in silence.
A jingling bell announced the entrance of new customers: a tall man and several shady men. The man brushed his flaming orange hair back and straightened his loose white coat. He carried a cane, but reached the shopkeeper without using it. He finished his cigar and grounded it into the wooden counter, eliciting a frown from the man behind it.
"You still open?" the man asked.
"Of course, sir," said the shopkeeper. "What exactly is it you would like to purchase?"
The man smiled a slow, crooked grin. "Who said anything about paying?"
"You're Roman Torchwick, aren't you?" said the shopkeeper. "I got suspicious when I saw the red hair."
"I guess you weren't suspicious enough."
As if on cue, Roman's henchmen rushed forward, flanking the shopkeeper on both sides as they drew their pistols. The shopkeeper glanced desperately at the back of the store, but the girl in red seemed oblivious to the commotion.
"I don't want any trouble," the shopkeeper conceded. "Please, just take my money and leave!"
Roman scoffed. "There's no need to scream. Do I look like a grimy, destitute thief? Do I look like I need whatever petty cash you keep in your register? Calm down, we're not here for your money… although that's not a half bad idea." He thought for a moment. "Oh, well," he said, shrugging. "Grab the Dust and the money." At his direction, two of the henchmen split off and began draining Dust from the canisters on the wall, while the other two kept their weapons levelled at the distressed shopkeeper.
The orange haired man placed a briefcase on the counter and opened it. "Only your finest crystals, sir."
"Hands in the air," a man said from behind her.
"Sorry?" Ruby replied.
"Don't sorry me, you clueless girl," the man snapped. He drew a gleaming red machete and leveled it at her. "Stick your hands up, and go to the front of the store."
Her frown deepened. "Are you... robbing me?"
The thug smiled, extending his palm. "Yes, now put your hands in the air. Hand over what you've got and consider it a lesson against staying out this late, a little girl like you."
Ruby looked at him for a few seconds, before grinning widely. "Yay!" she cheered, much to the thug's confusion.
Had he been paying better attention, he would have noticed a change in Ruby as he said "little girl": a slight tightening of her jaw, a clenching of her fists, a shifting of her feet. But he didn't notice.
Ruby nodded her head in understanding before kicking the man between the legs. He let out a squeak as he crumpled to the floor. Ruby kicked him in the face and he fell into an aisle, knocking it over.
Roman leaped up, his eyes sweeping the room for threats and brandishing his cane. He looked around further, finally meeting Ruby's defiant gaze at the back of the store. At the snap of his fingers, the remaining henchmen warily advanced.
Ruby dashed forward, gaining speed rapidly even in the confined space of the shop. Taking a small hop, she staggered the thug with an explosive kick to his chest, their momentum sending them both tumbling through the front window. He looked out, and saw that a red cloaked figure had gone outside with them.
"Get her!" Roman hissed, snapping his briefcase closed. He had what he wanted, and knew he shouldn't draw attention to the heist by starting a violent brawl in the middle of the street. He kicked the door open, unscrewing the base of his cane.
"Hey!" the red head shouted. "Who are you?!"
"They call me Ruby, but you can call me Red." She unclipped a large object from her belt. She clicked a button. It emitted a mechanical whirr, expanding laterally. The weapon disassembled, forming a vicious crimson scythe larger than she was. Torchwick's remaining thugs skidded in their tracks.
Ruby felt more confident with her weapon, Crescent Rose, in her hands. It had been too cramped inside the store to expand it, and hand-to-hand combat wasn't her specialty.
Ruby was grinning widely as she faced the criminals, twirling her beloved weapon a few times before slamming the blade onto the ground. Now I can teach these crooks. This is my chance to be a hero.
"Okay…" Roman said. "I'd be lying if I said I expected this." Looking at his henchmen-who were just standing there, staring at the girl-Roman sighed in exasperation. "I shouldn't even need to say this, but… Get her!" They rushed towards her while Roman casually walked out of store behind them. He had a feeling he would have to intervene personally.
Ruby grinned in glee before rushing at the men and spinning her scythe in her hands.
The men tried to block her swing only for their blades to be sliced in half. After that, Ruby laughed in joy as she swung her scythe and smashed the butt of the hilt into the face of one of the men. He crumpled to the ground, blood dripping from his nose. Another man charged at her with an axe and she raised her scythe to catch the blow. She twirled, wrenching the axe from the man's hands. She spun her scythe and slammed the flat end against his chest. He was hurled a few meters away and lay there, groaning in pain. She felt a bullet graze her shoulder and she turned around, glad that her Aura hadn't broken from the shot. The man that shot her was aiming at her when she charged at him, moving so fast that she was but a blur to the man; her Semblance was enhanced speed after all. She slammed her scythe into the man, hurling him into the wall of the building and knocking him out cold.
Funny, she seems to remind me of someone. Roman thought for a second before the answer came to him: Neo. The girl reminded him of Neo. Well, not quite; Neo would have slaughtered them. He remembered the last time he'd been in prison. Neo had busted him out, killing the guards, and many of Roman's fellow prisoners, on the way.
Roman was brought out of these happy memories when he realized that the girl was charging towards him. He quickly brought his cane up, blocking the swing of the huge scythe. Ruby looked surprised at this before grinning again. "Oh good," she said, "Somebody that can put up a fight!" She then swung Crescent Rose again, and again, and again, all to no avail; Roman blocked each time. She was then knocked back with a kick to the gut.
The fight became more complicated when Roman aimed his cane at her, the bottom opening up. Roman fired a hissing firework-like projectile from the end of his cane. Ruby leaped backward too late but managed to deflect the bullet with the edge of her weapon. She activated her Semblance. Roman couldn't react fast enough this time, although his Aura managed to absorb the damage from Crescent Rose.
She gritted her teeth and quickly glanced around. No one had noticed the gunshot. Calling for help on her scroll would be too slow. She was tired of being gentle with these clowns.
The self-styled criminal mastermind quickly aimed his cane at the ground firing a round before immediately letting go. The recoil from the shot sent the cane flying up, connecting with Ruby's chin and sending her flying. She fired up her Semblance again, while folding up Crescent Rose into its gun form. Ruby actually seemed to fly for a bit as she rushed forward in mid-air, aiming down at her opponent and firing as she did so. He just barely managed to block it. Using her Semblance, Ruby bounced off several nearby street lights and buildings like a human pinball, shooting at Roman all the while, who only managed to block about half of the shots.
Roman pointed his cane at the red reaper again, only this time with the hook-shaped handle. It fired out, attached to a long cord like a grappling hook. The handle snagged Ruby, stopping her mid-air bouncing, before Roman swung downwards, slamming the girl on the ground, before retracting the hook back into his cane, yanking Ruby-who was still snagged-back towards him. This proved to be a mistake, as she swung both her feet, connecting with Roman's face and sending him stumbling back. After yanking the handle of Roman's cane off of her, Ruby charged ahead once again, turning Crescent Rose back into scythe form. Roman dodged to the side, scooping his cane up before turning around to face his younger opponent once more.
Roman whistled, "Well, Red, things were a bit more eventful than I anticipated. As much as I would love to stay and play I really have to dash. I don't get on well with police folk. They are such a bore. So ta-ta for now."
Roman hefted his stuffed briefcase in one hand, pointing his cane with the other. A bullet flew out of the end. Ruby spun her scythe to deflect it but it exploded before it reached her, sending billowing smoke cascading into the air. Diving out of the growing cloud, she quickly glanced around, trying to find the man.
She looked over at store and saw the old man standing in the doorway. "Hey!" she called to the shopkeeper, making him flinch. "Call an ambulance before these guys bleed out." She walked away before noticing her quarry nearing the top of a nearby ladder. "Oh goody, the fun keeps going."
"I'm finished here," Roman whispered into an earpiece. "It was messy but we've got the Dust. I'm being tailed and you'll need to grab me from a new spot. I'm sending you coordinates." He paced to the far edge of the roof, rapidly keying commands into his electronic scroll.
Ashen and Neo are supposed to be my escape, Roman thought. I just hope they are picking up my location and that their stupid Bullhead won't attract attention. That blasted girl, despite being far too young to be a Huntress, single-handedly took out four men. Luckily the bomb seems to have disoriented her long enough for me to get away, and I still made out with plenty of Dust.
Ruby dashed up the ladder, firing Crescent Rose once to propel her over the edge of the roof. Her feet hit the rooftop with a thud that could hardly be called subtle.
Roman turned to face her just as a sleek silver aircraft swooped into position, hovering over the edge of the roof behind him. As the door on the side opened, Roman aimed the cane's handle upwards, using it as grappling hook to bring himself up to the safety of the airborne vehicle.
"Going somewhere?" Ruby asked. "We still haven't finished our game."
"You're persistent, Red," he shouted over the sputtering engine. "But this is the end of the road. Let's see how you handle this little present."
Roman stepped onto the open deck of the Bullhead, tossing a blinking object at Ruby's feet.
Not another bomb! Ruby scrambled backward, knowing she was probably too late.
Her eyes widened as the explosion went off.
A figure dropped to the roof, holding out its arm to summon a purple ward. It sent another boom echoing through the alleyways, but any force it had was sucked into the glowing shield.
The man laughed hysterically as he watched the explosion; he always enjoyed putting young heroes in their place. He stopped laughing when he saw that instead of being a charred, broken corpse the girl was fine and encased in a protective purple bubble.
The ward faded, revealing the figure more clearly: a middle-aged woman that had very light-blonde hair tied back in a bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face. Her eyes were bright green and she wore thin ovular glasses. She had dangling teal earrings that match the hanging pendant on her collar. She extended one arm toward the Bullhead and shooed Ruby away with the other.
The purple bubble around the girl dissipate and a multitude of purple stones began to float in the air. The woman glared at the man, then flicked a wrist; they were sent flying toward Roman's escape craft.
Roman's eyes widened as rocks battered the hull of the Bullhead. He ran to the cockpit and threw open the door.
"Girl trouble Torchwick?" a woman at the controls asked.
"Huntress!" he shouted.
The woman piloting the ship stood up, pressing a finger to his lips. "Oh Roman," she sneered, "you overestimate our plight."
"Neo, try and fly us out of here." Roman ordered.
Ruby watched in awe as the Huntress rained onto the ship. A cloud appeared above the ship, and purple icicles rained and stabbed at the ship. Ruby saw someone walk into the bay area. She couldn't make out much but she saw glowing orange eyes peering out. Ruby couldn't see what the orange eyed woman did but she dissipated the latest shower of rocks with a haze of fire.
Ruby's mysterious protector wasted no time. With a complex gesture, she split the array of rocks into three columns and began weaving them into a spear. Ruby switched back to her gun and began firing at the woman. She saw an orange glow as the woman effortlessly deflected the shots.
"You... you're Glynda Goodwitch!" Ruby said.
"Yes, child," Goodwitch said. "But now is really not the time." She completed her spear and launched it toward the Bullhead with another flick of her hand.
The mysterious woman struck the spear with concentrated surges of flame, slicing it to bits but failing to stop its momentum. She then summoned an orange glyph, which appeared beneath both Ruby and Goodwitch. They leapt out of the glyph's range as the floor they were standing on melted and fire sprang up. The searing heat was almost too much for Ruby to stand. She saw the Huntress flick her wrist and a purple barrier formed around the fire, subdue the flames. A moment before impact, the Bullhead sputtered to life, swerving out of the spear's path and flew away into the night.
Ruby groaned as she watch the airship fly away before turning to the woman who had just arrived. She wore a white long-sleeved, pleated top that had a wide keyhole neckline and gauntlet cuffs that flare in pleats at the wrist. Her lower body was covered by a black high-waisted pencil skirt with bronze buttons and black-brown stockings. She wore black boots with brown heels, and a cape that was purple inside and black on the outside. The cut of the cape was stylized to end in flames and arrows, with a row of diamond-shaped bronze beads on the back. Above this line of beads appeared a tiara.
Ruby asked, "Are you really Glynda Goodwitch? The one that works at Beacon? I really, really want to go there! Can you put in a good word for me on account of me, uhm… meeting you! Here. And stuff. And… Can I have your autograph?" Her squealing ported off at the sight of Glynda's expression.
"No."
"What? Why not?"
The Huntress grabbed Ruby's wrist and marched her over to the ladder. Police and ambulances had arrived and were at the shop, talking to the old man and the men she had beaten up. "You're in a lot of trouble young lady. Go down and talk to those officers while I fix this mess you made."
Ruby groaned and climbed down the ladder. She dragged her feet as she made her way to the police. The men she beaten up were leaving in the ambulance and one of the police officer's pointed their gun at her. "Put your hands in the air!"
Ruby did as she was told but was confused. One of the officers walked over and took her scythe before cuffing her. "What?! You've gotta be kidding me!"
"I don't kid around, kid." The officer said as he forced Ruby into the back of the vehicle. Ruby watched as the two officers talked to the old man before entering the car. They rode in silence as they made their way to the police station. They took her to a room and sat her down at a table. They were in what looked like a stereotypical interrogation room, dark gray and the only light came from a dingy ceiling light that barely illuminated the table she sat at. The officers sat opposite of her.
"Care to explain why you were out this late, kid?" The one who cuffed her asked.
"Is it illegal for a teen to be out at night now?" she spat back.
"It is when they go out looking for fights and nearly kill five individuals."
"But they started it!"
"We don't care who started it!" Ruby flinched. The officer who cuffed her sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. He took a breath before returning his attention to her. "Where did you learn to fight like that? Some gang?"
The door to the room opened and the Huntress from earlier entered. The two police officers stood up. The one who cuffed her tried to protest but was shushed by his partner and they left the room.
"Your actions will not be not be taken lightly, young lady," Glynda Goodwitch said sternly. "You put yourself and others in great danger!"
"Well, what was I supposed to do, just let them steal what they wanted?!" Ruby demanded angrily. Glynda brought her riding crop down on the table Ruby was sitting at, prompting an "eek!" from the girl.
"No," Glynda conceded, "but you should have exercised a bit more caution. Miss Rose, I don't want to give the impression that you are being rewarded for your vigilante justice, but there is someone here who who has an opportunity they would like to share with you."
"Thank you, Glynda," a voice said. "I'll take it from here." The owner of the voice walked into the light. She straightened in her chair as a middle-aged man with tousled silver hair and thin brown eyes entered. He wore shaded glass spectacles and a small, purple, cross-shaped pin on the cowl around his neck. His outfit mainly consisted of an unzipped black suit over a buttoned vest and green shirt. He also wore black trouser shoes and long, dark-green pants. One hand carried his steampunk-styled cane, while the other frequented a mug bearing the Beacon Academy emblem.
Ruby's eyes widened. It's Professor Diggs! Oh my, I hope I didn't just blow my chance to go to Beacon!
"Ruby Rose," he said. "Silver eyes, mhmm?"
"And you have glasses." Ruby said, waving her hands around in his face.
"No matter. Well. Why did you start that fight in the shop? There was a robbery, but that doesn't explain why you attacked them."
"They started it. I was browsing the store and one of them tried to rob me!"
"That's not in dispute. However, you could have handled the situation more... diplomatically."
"You mean I should have just given them my money?"
"Well, it's a tough call," he said. "You weighed the risks-or at least I hope you did-and in this case it paid off. Or did it? You failed to stop the robbery, and you caused extensive property damage."
"The window was an accident! And they were the ones who set off bombs, not me."
"Perhaps. But had you not engaged, they wouldn't have needed to."
Ruby squirmed in her seat.
"You are not in trouble, Miss Rose. I just want to be sure you understand the limits of your abilities and the consequences of your actions."
He pulled out a tablet and showed a video of her fights. "You have quite the reputation Ruby."
"Why am I here?"
"Of course. You are here because, despite your mental records, you managed to impress me. That's not an everyday occurrence."
"Thanks, I guess."
"May I ask where you learned to wield such a dangerous weapon?"
"S-signal academy," Ruby replied, uncharacteristically nervous. The man nooded his head.
"They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?"
"Well, one teacher in particular."
"I see," Diggs said, "I've only seen one other sword wielder of that skill before. A dusty old crow."
"That's my uncle Qrow!" Ruby explained, making a mental note to call her uncle a "dusty old crow" next time she saw him. "He told me the best way to break bones. How do you know him?"
"I was his teacher. I see quite a lot of him in you."
"That means," said Ruby, "you're Professor Diggs."
"Please, Miss Goud, call me Ozpin. My last name is much too formal."
"You're the headmaster of Beacon, but I guess you used to teach. Uncle Qrow mentioned you."
"He did, did he?" Ozpin said. "It's gratifying to hear he holds such... fond memories of his time in my class."
"They weren't exactly fond memories."
"I'm not surprised. Qrow and I had our differences, but he was very talented. He trained you to use your sword, did he not? I can't think of anyone else qualified enough."
"Yeah, he did. I was terrible before he took me under his wing. He taught me everything I know… well, everything about wielding a scythe, anyway."
"He has taught you well. So what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a combat school? You surely don't plan on joining the police, do you?"
Ruby shook her head. "I want to be a Huntress."
"You want to dedicate your life to the protection of Remnant and combating the Creatures of Grimm?" he asked.
Ruby nodded. "I have about two years left at Signal. Once I'm done there I plan on applying to Beacon Academy. My parents were Huntsmen and they taught me to help others. And I like helping people. I mean, police are okay, but dealing with criminals all day is boring. And Huntresses get to go on daring adventures! They're just so amazing!"
Ruby was smiling as she looked at the two. The Huntress scowled at her uncouth manners but the man just chuckled.
"So, you want to be a Huntress, then?" Ozpin said.
"No, I carry around a big sniper scythe for fun," Ruby replied sarcastically, before remembering who she was talking to. "I mean, yes. Yes I do."
Smiling, Ozpin decided to cut to the chase. "Would you like to come to my school?"
"Oh, yes! I, I mean yes. My sister Yang's starting there this year, and in two years I'm gonna apply there."
Ozpin looked faintly amused. "Two more years at Signal Academy. Are you looking forward to them?" he asked.
"Sure. It's what I need in order to apply to your school, right? And Beacon is the best way for me to become a Huntress."
"How would you like to start now?"
"Say what?"
Ozpin smiled. "I appreciate your your kind words, but I feel you are qualified to attend already. Few students your age, or older, could do what you did back there. I also see you listed at the top of all your current classes at Signal."
"So you're telling me to move ahead two years to start at Beacon? But I'd leave all of my friends behind!"
"I'm asking you. I thought you'd be excited about it."
"I want to, it's just that I wouldn't know… wait, did you say two years? So I'd be in the same year as Yang! Yes!"
Ozpin nodded. "I will ensure that you share some classes with your sister to help ease the transition. That was a factor in my decision."
"What are we waiting for then? Call my dad! Can I sign up now?"
"Tomorrow, Miss Rose. You must rest, even if you don't feel like you need it. I believe I can pull some strings and get you out of this predicament. We'll take you home and deal with the paper work then."
Ruby smiled as Ozpin led her out of the police station and into a car. She found her scythe waiting for her inside the car.