Enter exhausted College student: Guy's I am so sorry it's taken me over 3 months (I think?) to publish. Turns out they couldn't fix my laptop and I had to get a new one then had trouble with the external hard drive. BUT! I got it done today so I hope you enjoy this chapter! Also, I'm aware that my storyline is waaay veering off, so it appears my characters(and story) are going to be out of Character.

When I first started this story, Cinder's name hadn't come out yet, nor had Mercury and Emerald appeared. But for the sake of my story, I will be adding them :) also We're going to assume that everyone knows Penny is a robot and that Junior is still a jerk for my story, hope that's alright with everyone!

I love you all!

Torafire

Roman was looking through some papers when Mercury and Emerald walked into his "Office". Well, he was pretending to look through some papers. In reality, he couldn't get his mind off of a certain dark-haired Huntress-in-training.

Mercury made himself at home by sitting on the desk. "Whatcha doing, old man?"

"I am only three years older than you; don't call me "old man"." He said, straining to keep his temper. These two rubbed him the wrong way, and Cinder always seemed to have him babysitting them.

Mercury scoffed. "Whatever. What are you doing?"

Roman looked down. What was he doing again? "I'm, uh, looking at dust prices." He said, glancing at the document in front of him. "With our 'operation', they've gone through the roof."

Emerald smirked. "Riiight. Like you totally weren't zoning out." He glared at the girl. She was older than Ruby but she held none of the beauty that Ruby ha- wait. What was he thinking?

She leaned in close. "Girl problems?" She asked knowingly.

Roman blinked. "Girl problems? Are you hearing yourself?"

Mercury laughed. "Yeah, Emerald, like Torchwick here would ever have a girlfriend."

"I don't see why he shouldn't have a little fun." The three looked towards the door to see the Faunus Adam resting on the frame. He grinned at Roman. "For instance, that girl from Beacon you had me snatch. She's pretty cute. For a Human, that is."

Roman had to stop himself from bolting out of his chair; instead he rose carefully, making sure not to look too eager. "What girl?" Mercury asked, looking beyond confused. Emerald looked just as confused as he.

"So you got her, then?" Tochwick asked, taking a cigar from a hidden pocket in his jacket. His hands were slightly trembling; from excitement or nervousness, he couldn't tell. But why would he be nervous?

Adam nodded slightly. "Yeah. She wasn't as easy to snatch as I had thought, though."

"WHO are we talking about?" Emerald finally asked. She stood with her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed a bit.

Roman smirked. "Oh, just a Girl Problem." He said sarcastically.

20 minutes earlier

When they arrived at the base, Adam picked up Ruby by the back of her collar and dragged her into the building. Ruby could feel glass in her clothes start to cut her skin, but she wasn't going to complain. She was more preoccupied in trying to remember her surroundings in case she had the opportunity to escape. It looked like a warehouse, maybe outside of a major city. She had been unconscious, so she didn't know how far they were from Beacon.

Adam took her into a small room with a table and a chair on either side. He pushed her towards the chair facing the far wall. "Sit." He commanded.

Ruby remained standing and looked at Adam. "Why should I listen to you?" She asked, her brow furrowed.

Adam stepped close to her and looked down, their noses almost touching. "Because if you don't, I don't see why I shouldn't go straight back to Beacon and bring back your sister. Yang Xiao Long, right?"

Ruby's silver eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare."

"There are a lot of things I wouldn't dare to do, Ruby. Kidnapping your sister isn't on that list." Ruby could feel Adams glare through his mask. She could tell he wasn't joking. "Such pretty blonde hair: is it natural?"

Ruby took a step back and sat in the chair. "I'm glad we understand each other." Adam said, tying her wrists together behind the chair.

"When I get out of here," Ruby said, a touch of venom in her voice. "I'm going to get every Hunter and Huntress to hunt you down."

Adam tied her ankles to the chair legs, Ruby hissing in pain when he tied her left ankle. "You wouldn't be the first to say that. Probably not the last, either." He ruffled Ruby's black and red hair. "I'll be back shortly with Torchwick. Sit tight." He added, a grin on his face.

Now

Roman walked down the hall towards the room where Adam had put Ruby.

"Hey, Old Man! Wait up!"

Roman sighed in annoyance. "I told you, I'm THREE years older than you. I'm not 'old'." He didn't slow his pace as Mercury and Emerald caught up to him.

"Who is she?" Emerald asked, slightly out of breath.

Roman gripped Melodic Cudgel tighter. "A thorn in my side since From Dust Till Dawn."

"What's her name?" Mercury asked, a slight smile dancing upon his lips.

Torchwick glanced at the teen. "Her name is Ruby. Ruby Rose. She's a Huntress-in-training at Beacon."

"She hot?"

Roman stopped and gave Mercury a hard look. "That is irrelevant. She's our enemy and will be eliminated." He began walking again.

"That a yes?" Mercury asked.

Roman gritted his teeth. "Don't you have something else to do?"

Mercury grinned. "Not really." They arrived at the holding cell. "This it?"

Roman glared at the grey-eyed male. "I'm going in alone. Do you understand?"

Mercury just smiled and Emerald rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She said. "I'm leaving."

The girl walked away, leaving Roman and Mercury standing before the cell. Mercury opened the door and gestured for Roman to go in. "After you."

Roman took a drag from his cigar and walked inside.

When he first walked in, Roman could only see dark hair and a red cape. Ruby.

He walked to the opposite end of the room, not turning around to glance at her, but feeling the Teen's gaze on his white coat. When he did turn, he had to stop himself from widening his green eyes in surprise. Ruby was covered in glass fragments; it was in her hair and on her clothes and she had cuts on her face. She looked tired, but she still had on her 'fighting' face: eyes narrowed slightly and lips pulled into a small frown.

But, despite all that, she was still a thing of beauty. Maybe her fighting spirit made her more so. Torchwick shook his head slightly to rid those treacherous thoughts from his mind. "Red! So happy to see you. How've you been?" He asked mockingly.

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise and anger before she pulled it in. "Well, you know, just preparing for finals and all that." She spat.

He loved and hated that voice. "Good to hear you're doing well in class. Education is important, you know." He replied, keeping up the civil charade for a moment before dropping it completely. "You're going to answer a few questions for me, Miss Rose. And that will help decide how I should deal with you from there."

Ruby refused to look away from his green gaze. She was not going to show weakness. Roman admired that about her. "Let me guess, you want to know about Beacon, right?"

Well, she wasn't wrong, but she also wasn't right. "And a few more minor things." He sat down in the chair opposite from Ruby. He saw Mercury saunter into the room and lounge against the wall adjacent to Ruby. Roman did not like the way Mercury was looking at HIS Ruby. HIS prey.

Ruby looked away from Roman to glance at the Teen. "I see you have some new henchmen." She noted. "Junior's men not good enough anymore?" She sent him a small grin and he was forced to remember that fateful night at the dust shop when Ruby had taken down about half a dozen thugs.

Before he could reply, Mercury spoke. "Actually, Hunny, Roman works for my boss." He leaned in. "Ruby, was it? How old are you?"

Roman wanted to throw his cigar at the boy, or hey-maybe shoot him. He could see Ruby having similar thoughts as she instinctively moved her arms to grab the scythe that normally graced her back. "Mercury, I think you can save those remarks for a later time." Roman hissed.

Mercury held his hands up in a defensive position. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."

Roman turned his eyes back to Ruby who looked like she couldn't decide to look nonchalant or angry. "As I was saying," He continued after a brief puff on his cigar. "I'm more interested in your little friends and Ozpin."

Ruby chose anger. "Like I would tell you anything about my friends."

"What about Ozpin?" Mercury asked snidely.

She gave him a glare. "He's my Headmaster and a good man. I wouldn't betray him either."

Roman sighed and began to stand. "Guess we'll have to go ask that Robot girl." He bluffed, doing his best to not look concerned.

Ruby's eyes widened. "You have Penny?!" She blurted out.

Roman smirked and let out a chuckle. "Well, I didn't. But now that I know her name, it's only a matter of time." Ruby looked heartbroken and upset. "Oh, don't feel bad, Red," He chided. "We all make mistakes."

He blew out a string of smoke. "But now, I think yours are going to end." Roman pointed the end of Melodic Cudgel right between Ruby's eyes.

Her silver eyes went as wide as he had ever seen them. He kept the barrel between those silver orbs and looked into them as they lost their shock and became strong. He wanted nothing more than to kill her right then and there. But Roman found himself lost in a sea of silver determination.

He fought between killing the pest and letting her live and found he couldn't decide. After a moment's hesitation, he lowered his weapon and stared at Ruby. She looked at him, confused, as he said, "I don't think you're worth killing right now, actually." He took a deep drag from his cigar and walked around her chair towards the door. "Later, Red."