Hope you guys enjoy, please R&R and leave likes, observations, and questions. Let me know what you thought of the fight and dialogue, those are the big areas in which I'm trying to improve.
Oh, and I made some changes to the fights in Chapter 1 feel free to check those out if you like.
Spiderplant765: Yeah, I hate those fics too. I believe 90% of RWBY's characters and plot are fine conceptually, and this fic and RWBY: 20-20 are just me identifying the issues in execution, deciding that MOST of them are worth fixing, and fixing them rather than simply throwing the babies out with the bathwater and replacing them with my completely unnecessary OC's. And in the case of Jaune (and JNPR in general), I think the solution is actually to embrace him as the 5th main character, or at least deuteragonist. Hence why I showcased his backstory alongside Team RWBY's.
Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.
Man was born into an unforgiving world. Creatures of destruction — the creatures of Grimm - set their sights on Man from the moment of his creation, and so the Gods gave man four gifts to survive. Creation, Destruction, Knowledge, and Choice, were the tools that gave man the ability to survive and eventually flourish.
In time, man discovered additional means to even the odds, Aura, Semblance, and Dust. With these powers in hand, Man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life.
But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return. So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength.
But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul.
Roman Torchwick approached the Dust Shop with his 12 men trailing behind. Well, Junior's men. Roman would have rather had Neo by his side rather than these… to call them bouncers would've been giving them too much credit. Roman had hoped to recruit the Malachites and maybe four of these mooks, but Junior had refused, saying the twins were too recognizable, so Roman decided a dozen men would be an acceptable trade. If only Neo wasn't in Mistral running errands for his employer.
Roman shook off the concerns. All he needed was for these men to look intimidating and carry the dust for him. There shouldn't be any reason for the men to fight.
He left two men with semi-automatics at the entrance to the dust shop, while he and the other ten spread around the shop.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open at this time of night?"
The old man's hands were in the air before a tugs gun was even in his face "Please! Just take my lien and leave."
Roman shushed the man gently "Settle down, we're not here for your money."
He then quickly turned to his men "Grab the dust."
Roman went over to examine some crystals while the men began ransacking the shop.
Ruby Rose. Was. Bored.
Her uncle was on a mission so training had grown stale, she'd already finished her homework from Signal and even had Yang and her dad proofread it. Nobody wanted to spar with her, Crescent Rose didn't need any repairs or polishing. Even though she could now legally hunt in Zone 3, that too had grown too easy for her. She was bored of Beowolves, Ursa, and even the occasional Boarbatusks.
Desperate for something to do, Ruby had wandered into Vale, and entered the only dust shop she knew to be open at this time, hoping to find some manner of inspiration for her weapon. Unfortunately, even that had yet to yield results, much to Ruby's frustration as she rifled through the last magazine the shop had, her headphones drowning out any noise.
Ruby was suddenly pulled from her thoughts when a hand seized her shoulder and forced her to face a man in red sunglasses.
"Yes?"
"I said, put your hands in the air, now!"
"Waaaiit, are you the ones who've been robbing all the dust stores lately?"
"Yes!"
"Ooohhh…"
Despite her cool demeanor, Ruby was screaming for joy on the inside.
Ruby delivered a quick kick to the man's gut, sending him sprawling across the floor.
"You jerks are the reason I can barely afford a magazine of gravity dust!" the small girl griped with righteous fury.
The man rose to his feet, brandishing his sword. A gunshot rang out and struck Ruby's aura, but she dodged a second with her semblance and a flurry of petals charged the man with the sword, driving him through the window, breaking his aura.
The two men at the door jumped as the girl emerged, drawing Crescent Rose's scythe form. The two men emptied their magazines at the girl, who dodged most of the bullets with her semblance and natural speed. When the magazines were spent, 4 more men emerged from the shop and rushed the girl, while two more gunmen joined the two at the door, looking for their shots.
Roman Torchwick emerged from the shop, flanked by the remaining three men carrying axes. Ruby quickly dispatched the last man with a sword, before taking a blow from a club. Ruby created some distance before two more bullets struck her. Deciding the gunmen were the primary threat, Ruby used her semblance to rush them, only taking one more bullet before she dispatched the four men.
She quickly glanced at her enemies. She now had three men with clubs approaching, three men with axes guarding the boss, and the boss himself. She'd taken 11 hits total, and her aura was in the red. She could maybe take three more blows if she didn't use her semblance again.
She bounced in both nervousness and exhilaration.
The three clubmen rushed her as Roman turned to the three men surrounding him.
"Get her."
Ruby dispatched one of the clubmen before he could close on her, then tripped another, bringing the blunt end of crescent rose down on him, knocking the wind out of him and breaking his aura. A club struck her and she danced away. She fired gravity dust behind her, launching herself into the approaching ax men spinning dramatically, scattering them like bowling pins. The last man struck her one more time before she sent him flying to his boss's feet, his aura breaking as he fell.
"You were worth every cent, truly you were."
Roman observed the girl with a look of annoyance. "Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around... I'm afraid this is where we part ways."
He fired an explosive blast at the girl's feet, and then used his warp semblance to be at the rendezvous building and halfway up the ladder in an instant. As he rushed towards the edge of the building he heard the sound of a gunshot on the street below, and the sound of boots hitting the roof.
"HEY!"
Torchwick couldn't help but smirk and mutter "persistent" as the bullhead piloted by his employer arrived.
As the ship ascended, Roman decided to send the girl a parting gift in the form of a dust crystal.
"End of the line, Red!"
Ruby could barely register the dust crystal at her feet before hearing a shot fire at the object. The girl winced, bracing for the flames.
Looking up, the girl saw a blonde-haired woman holding back the explosion. She briefly glanced at Ruby, then waved her riding crop, gently sending Ruby to cover behind one of the roof's skylights.
Ruby looked on in awe as a woman in red with a shadowed face stepped out to the deck of the bullhead and threw fire at the blonde woman. The blonde waved her crop again and rubble lifted from the ground to meet the wave of fire, dispersing it. The rubble continued to move, towards the ship, but the Woman in Red pointed and lightning shot at the blonde woman, breaking her concentration and dropping the debris.
Ruby emerged from her cover and began firing at the woman with crescent Rose. The woman held her hand out and blocked each shot before another burst of flame shot at the girl. The blonde woman once again tossed the girl aside, dodging herself as the bullhead retreated.
The blonde woman scowled after the ship.
"You're a huntress!" The woman looked down at the wide-eyed girl next to her. "Can I have your autograph!"
Glynda Goodwitch glared furiously at the sheepish girl on the other side of the glass
"I had her Ozpin! I had the False Maiden until that girl got in the way!"
The figure in the back responded calmly "She was only trying to help. And had it not been for her we'd have never known that the False Maiden was linked to the Dust robberies."
"She still shouldn't have gotten involved! She's only 15! Still studying at Signal! She's not cleared for that kind of action! Or that weapon!"
"True" The man conceded "it seems that she's caused quite a few disturbances around Signal. Never anything this serious before, usually just a disregard for her own safety. She's been warned multiple times against hunting outside of areas designated for her clearance. And apparently, she constructed that weapon as a side project with the promise never to use it."
"Well, clearly those warnings fell on deaf ears! And you want to reward that behavior?!"
"She's bored, Glynda." Ozpin chuckled "She's ahead of her class, and she needs an outlet."
Glynda looked at the child on the other side of the glass, and her eyes softened "It's true she's talented… But she's not ready for Beacon. Emotionally, academically, or physically."
Ozpin frowned at that "No one's ready for what may be coming. Accelerating her learning is the best chance of ensuring her survival."
"Ruby Rose!"
Ruby looked up anxiously as the woman from earlier entered, trailed by a grey-haired he approached he leaned in and looked directly into her eyes.
"You… have Silver Eyes."
Ruby had no clue how to respond to that observation.
"So! Where did you learn to do this?" He gestured to scroll footage of Ruby battling the robbers.
"S-Signal Academy."
"They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?"
Ruby began to panic "Well, one teacher in particular."
"I see…" Ozpin decided a carrot was necessary and slid a plate of cookies to the girl and it wasn't long before half of the plate was empty.
"It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A dusty, old crow…"
"Oh! That's my uncle!" Ruby mumbled through her full mouth. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. And now, I'm all like— Hooowaaah! Witchaaaa!" The girl waved her arms about in a cheery display.
Ozpin smiled "So I've noticed."
Glynda meanwhile rolled her eyes at the news "Of course it was Qrow" she muttered.
Ozpin ignored her and continued "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"
Ruby continued to beam "Well... I want to be a Huntress."
Ozpin raised his brow "You want to slay monsters?"
"Yeah! I only have two more years of training left at Signal!" Ruby said, growing more excited by the second. "And then I'm going to apply to Beacon! You see, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress 'cause I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, Hey, I might as well make a career out of it! I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and coolandreallygosh, you know!"
Glynda groaned in frustration, "Is this all a game or a fairytale to you?! Do you even understand what it is that huntsmen and huntresses do?"
"They defend and temper humanity and the four gifts of creation, destruction, knowledge, and choice." Ruby recited as if she'd heard it a million times.
Ozpin gave an amused chuckle "I take it your uncle has hammered that into your head over the years."
Ruby nodded, "Basically they protect and help people against Grimm and criminals however they can. Some of them work for kingdoms in militaries, some of them work outside of kingdoms as law enforcement and some just work freelance."
Ozpin continued to smile. "Do you know who I am?"
Ruby nodded, "You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon."
Ozpin smiled "Hello."
"Nice to meet you."
"You want to come to my school?"
Ruby's eyes widened at this thought "Right now?"
Ozpin nodded and slid a paper across the desk to her. An acceptance letter to Beacon, waiting for Ruby's signature.
"Think carefully about this decision." Glynda interjected "You may be talented, but you will be surrounded by students that have two more years of physical and emotional preparation over you. Nobody will slow down for you. You will have to learn fast, or get left behind."
Ruby hesitated only for a moment before she picked up the pen and signed it.
No sooner had she finished when the door banged open and Taiyang Xiao Long rushed in "Ruby! I heard what happened! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine dad." Ruby groaned as her dad examined her for injuries.
"She handled herself very well Tai, even if she needed some help from Glynda near the end."
Tai looked at the other two people in the room, then noticed the paper in front of Ruby. He stood between his daughter and the headmaster.
"What are you doing here Oz?"
"I was discussing an opportunity with your daughter here."
Ruby grabbed her father's arm excitedly "They're going to let me come to Beacon this year dad!"
The girl flinched as her father looked down at her and the acceptance papers in horror, and then rounded on Ozpin.
"Outside."
"Tai…"
Tai seized the man's arm and dragged him into the hall, Goodwitch hurrying after the two.
"I don't know what you're up to, but you are not getting Ruby involved!"
"We're just trying to make sure all of that talent doesn't go to wast-"
"Bullshit!" Tai interrupted Ozpin furiously, "I admit she's ahead of the curve, but not by two years! Something big is coming, and you need another weapon."
Tai paused for a moment before leaning in "She's on the move, isn't She?"
Ozpin looked around the hall quickly to make sure nobody else was around "Fall was attacked. And thanks to your daughter, we know that her attacker is involved in these dust robberies."
Tai Yang turned back into the room, ignoring the rose petals that still fell from the floor between the door and her chair. "Ruby, I'm sorry, but you're not going to Beacon."
"What?!" The girl looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"I'll see about letting you skip to the fourth year or getting you an apprenticeship, but you are not ready for Beacon."
"Professor Ozpin says I am!"
"Well, I say you're not."
"Excuse me, sir, are you Taiyang Xiao Long?"
Tai turned to the nervous officer behind him "Yes?"
"We have your daughter in holding." He noticed Tai's confused look back at Ruby "Y-you're other daughter."
Yang looked sheepishly at her father as the officers opened her cell and began working at her cuffs while another officer explained the situation with him.
"Fortunately the owner of the club she trashed isn't pressing any charges. Probably trying to avoid unwanted attention."
Tai continued to glare at his oldest daughter and the officer made a feeble attempt at placating him. "For what it's worth if anyone had it coming-"
Tai turned his glare on the officer, who wisely shut his mouth and left along with the other officer, before turning back to Yang.
"What were you thinking?"
Yang's sheepishness turned to a glare. "I was looking for mom."
"And how was assault, destruction of property, and drinking supposed to help you find her?!"
"I wasn't drinking! The owner was getting handsy so I defended myself!"
"Oh really, you walked into the shadiest club in Vale and someone got handsy? You shouldn't have been there at all!"
"Dad I'm gonna be a huntress soon, I can handle a few creeps."
Tai began to fume at that and Yang glanced behind him to see her little sister quietly watching the exchange.
"What are you doing here sis?"
"I helped stop a robbery and Professor Ozpin wanted me to come to Beacon early but…"
"She's not going." Tai turned to his daughters firmly "Neither of you are."
"WHAT?!" Yang tried hard to keep the red out of her eyes.
"You heard me. Ruby is too young, and you are too irresponsible."
"You can't do that!"
"Of course I can. I'm your father."
"Actually, you can't." Ozpin had arrived to hear that last part. "Both of your daughters have received letters of acceptance from Beacon, which makes them legal adults. Whether or not they come to Beacon or not is officially up to them."
Tai rounded on the man "That's ridiculous!"
Ozpin shrugged "It's the law. They've been determined mature enough to carry firearms and fight for the kingdoms, so they're mature enough to sign their own legally binding documents."
"Are you going to reward this behavior? Vigilantism, assault, destruction of property."
"Love you too dad." Yang glared at her father.
"Miss Rose showed initiative and courage protecting others. Those are valuable qualities in a huntress."
"Although she and Miss Xiao Long will both have to learn some discipline while they are under our roof." Glynda Goodwitch fixed both girls with a withering glare from behind Ozpin.
Tai felt his anger melt away into mortal terror. He turned to his daughters desperately "Girls, listen to me. Ozpin just wants to use you. He only sees you as weapons in his idiotic wa-"
"Tai." Ozpin's voice remained even but had taken on a dangerous edge. "I understand your concern, but be very careful what you say, or I'll have to charge you with treason."
The desperate father had finally had enough and launched himself at the headmaster. A quick wave of Glynda's crop was the only thing that kept Tai's hands from reaching Ozpin's throat.
The struggling man's aura began to rise off him like flames and his muscles began to strain. Glynda began to sweat as she struggled to hold her struggling target.
"YOU WON'T DRAG MY DAUGHTERS INTO THIS YOU BASTARD! YOU WON'T USE THEM LIKE YOU USED ME!"
"Stop it!"
Tai froze as Ruby's voice rang out. He turned to see Yang shielding Ruby from him, while both girls looked at him in fear.
"Girls…"
"No one's dragging us into anything. This is what we've been training for." Ruby spoke firmly despite the fear in her eyes "We're going, and you can't stop us."
Tai felt his heart break as his daughters glared at him.
"Is everything okay over here?" Several officers were approaching, looking ready to break up a fight.
"It's fine." Tai sighed resignedly "I was just leaving."
"Dad…" Ruby reached out to her father but he didn't even slow down.
Ozpin approached the girls calmly "If you like we can get the two of you a hotel for the night."
"Thanks." Yang nodded to the man.
"What was the war he was talking about?" Ruby looked to Ozpin with growing suspicion.
"The war with the Grimm." Ozpin answered simply "Some feel it isn't a war worth fighting, but that only makes those who fight it all the more essential."
He smiled gently at Ruby "Your mother believed that."
Ruby and Yang both lay awake in their hotel room.
"We're gonna have to wake up early so we can grab some things from home before we head to Beacon. We probably won't get there until late afternoon." Yang groaned.
"Dad's gonna be upset."
"Hey, we've been planning to be huntresses for years now. Dad's the one who taught me how to fight. He knew this day was coming."
"But he didn't know it was coming two years early." Yang conceded that point to her.
"Maybe I'm not ready."
"Ozpin wouldn't have invited you if you weren't."
"Maybe…" Ruby thought about her father's words "But dad doesn't trust him."
"He and Ozpin don't get along." Yang said, "He encouraged me to go to Shade because he doesn't like Ozpin."
"Why not?"
"I don't know, bad history or something. Look, dad's just worried about us. And yeah, Beacon probably won't be easy for you. You're gonna have some catching up to do. But we're not little girls anymore. Things will be fine."
Ruby lay awake pondering that as her sister drifted off to sleep. "But I am 15."
Taiyang groaned as he sat up from his spot on the bench. He'd arrived at the airship station too late to catch a ship back to Patch, and hadn't wanted to go to a hotel for fear of running into his daughters, so he'd made the stubborn decision to sleep on the uncomfortable benches at the station.
"Hey." Tai suddenly found a five lien bill being offered to him by a blonde boy in a hoody.
"Oh." Tai groaned when he realized how he must look to the well-meaning boy "That's okay, I don't need any, I just couldn't get a flight on time."
"Why didn't you get a hotel?"
"I have my reasons, okay?"
"You're sure?"
"Yes. Thank you, but I'm good."
The boy shrugged and took a seat next to the man. Tai took a moment to observe the boy further. He wore a sword on his waist and plate armor covered his chest and shoulders.
"You heading to Beacon? You're a little early."
The boy shrugged "I was always told to show up early because checking bags takes awhile."
"Four hours?"
"And I wanted to avoid an awkward situation with my dad."
Tai raised a brow at that. "He doesn't approve?"
"He never said I couldn't, but he did everything he could to keep me away and discourage me."
"He was probably trying to protect you."
"I know."
"Huntsmen lead dangerous lives."
"I know."
"Even in peaceful times like this one in every five never live to retirement."
"I know. My dad likes to read casualty reports out loud every morning."
"You know those only cover half of the deaths-"
"Only the heroic sounding ones. They don't tell you about the really disturbing ones, or the ones that happened while the huntsman was doing something actually important."
The youth was now looking at Tai with a look of irritation. It was clear that he'd heard all of this before.
"Even if you survive it takes a toll."
"Post-Traumatic Stress, night-terrors, injuries and worse."
"Worse." Tai fixed the boy with a glare. "You try to settle down and start a family, but they keep asking for more. You give it because you've convinced yourself that the fight is worth fighting, even though you don't know what the fight is actually about. Then one day you hurt the person who means the most to you beyond repair and they leave. And you keep doing your best, until you think you can finally be happy with someone else, only for them to be taken from you. You get low. Life loses all joy for you. You forget to eat and sleep. Until one day your best friend comes by to tell you that you're daughters were nearly eaten by Grimm while you were wallowing in self-pity. So you pull yourself together and you try to be the father you're supposed to be for the last two people who matter to you, even though you know you'll lose them too one day, leaving you with nothing."
The boy met Tai's gaze "Or maybe I'll retire and start a family, trying to get back to a normal life, despite the nightmares that won't let me forget the horrors I witnessed. Then one night my seven-year-old son hears me cry out and runs in to wake me because my wife left the bedroom door unlocked while checking the baby. He tries to shake me awake, and next thing he knows my hands are around his neck because I'm back in the war fighting for my life, fighting to get back to the person I'm currently killing. My two eldest daughters run in to stop me, the oldest trying to pry my fingers away while the second oldest starts hitting me in the face with my alarm clock. And just when his eyes are about to pop from their sockets my wife runs in and finally slaps me awake. Then he wakes up in the hospital to see his pregnant mother at his hospital bed crying because her son nearly died in her arms and her husband's checked himself into rehab for at least a year."
Tai looked away from the boy's glare. "What if I told you it's about to get worse?"
The boy looked at him in concern. "Like what? War?"
"Maybe. Maybe just disaster. Maybe monster's worse than Grimm will begin destroying everything around them for their perverse objectives. Maybe the kingdoms will be shaken to their very core. Maybe the world you knew will become completely unfamiliar to you. Maybe the death toll will rise. Maybe every day will be a struggle for survival."
"Or maybe we'll all just be wiped off the face of the planet."
The boy looked down and began thinking. The two sat in silence for several minutes and Tai began to think he'd saved the boy's life until he spoke.
"Then I have to go."
The boy turned back to him looking more determined than ever. "I have a family to protect. If something like that's going to happen, then someone needs to stop it or at least keep it from hurting them. And if that person isn't me, then who's it going to be?"
He then chuckled slightly "Besides, if it got that bad, I'd probably already be involved, so I might as well prepare for it."
Tai looked at the boy. "Nothing's gonna stop you is it?"
The boy smiled "Nope."
Tai stood as the next flight to Patch was announced and shook the young man's hand "Thank you."
The boy took the hand, then leaned in "All that stuff you said. Is it really gonna get worse?"
Tai hesitated for a moment "I don't know. But I believe in preparing for the worst and hoping for the best."
Ruby and Yang were both shocked to see Taiyang waiting for them at the airship station. He was trying his hardest not to cry.
"I packed some of your things and checked them for you. I'll send the rest to Beacon when you get the chance."
Ruby swallowed a lump in her throat and approached her father. "Dad, if you don't want me to go, I won't. I can wait two more years if you think that's what's best."
Tai hugged her tightly; forcing back sobs "I really don't want you to go. But I think you have to. I'll tell you why someday."
"Why do you hate Ozpin? Is he a bad person?"
Taiyang thought for a moment. "He means well and does what he thinks is best for Remnant. But I don't think he's as effective as he thinks he is and he keeps a lot of secrets. And he tends to believe that the ends justify the means."
He smiled gently at Ruby's confused look "Just… think for yourself and don't take his word as law. Do what you think is right, even if he disagrees."
The girl nodded and hugged him tightly. As the two separated Yang approached and hugged him.
"I'm sorry for trashing that club. But they did have it coming."
"I'm sure they did." He chuckled then pulled away slightly "I'm sorry for not telling you more about your mom."
"I know it's a painful subject for you."
"But you deserve to know. So I'll make you a deal. Take care of Ruby, help her get through this first year in one piece, and I'll tell you about her."
"I may not be on her team."
"That's fine she needs to break out of her shell. But help her get a good team. One that has her back."
Yang nodded "I promise. She'll be great."
They hugged one more time and he continued to wave as they headed onto the ship.
"So those are your daughters, huh?" Tai turned to see the boy in the hoody behind him and nodded.
"Ruby's only 15."
The boy nodded "This must be really hard for you."
Tai nodded sadly. "Keep an eye on them for me, will ya."
The boy smiled and nodded as he headed towards the ship.
"But not too close. I know your folks Jaune Arc!"
The boy was so surprised to hear his name he missed the door of the ship and collided with the side, drawing several snickers from observers.
"Look! You can even see Patch from up here!" Ruby looked out excitedly at the landscape beneath them as they approached Beacon Academy. "Guess home isn't too far after all."
Yang put an arm around her shoulder "We'll visit dad whenever we get the chance. That's why I chose Beacon instead of Shade."
The two turned as they heard a gagging sound behind them and saw a blonde boy in a hoody turning ever greener and tightening his lips.
"Guess the view isn't for everyone." Yang chuckled.
"Hope Vomit Boy can make it until we land."
Yang stifled a laugh but nudged her "Be nice. That might be your future partner."