"Talking."
"Thinking."
"Sound Effects."
(Location Change)
"Non-human Talking."
"Non-human Thinking."
"Team Attack Names."
(Background Music)
Author's Note (AN)- This is a prologue chapter. I plan to drastically change (Except for a few key parts of the story) a hefty number of story elements that the original story gave us, including the first episode of RWBY that this chapter is suppose to mirror.
My one and only disclaimer: I own nothing of the RWBY Universe except for the OC's (If any) and new ideas I bring to this fanfiction. All rights go to the late creator and creative team behind RWBY itself, Monty Oum and RoosterTeeth.
(?)
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.
"They see you as small and helpless, they see you as just a child~!" A young girl began to recite a song to herself merrily as she skipped down the crowded street to the dust store ahead of her.
The girl wore a black long-sleeved blouse with a high collar and red trim on the sleeves, over which was a black waist cincher with red lacing up the front, and a matching skirt with red lining. She also wore a pair of thick black stockings and black combat boots with red laces, red trims around the top, and red soles.
But the most peculiar thing about her outfit, was that it was topped by a red hooded cloak fastened to her shoulders by cross-shaped pins, with a metal rose emblem on a large silver buckle on her wide black belt, which is slung around her hips at an angle. Attached to her belt are a pocket and a row of sniper bullets.
Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful. But he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness, creatures of destruction… The creatures of Grimm set their sights on man and all of his creations.
"Kling!"
"Good Evening!" The hooded girl greeted the old man behind the counter of the dust store enthusiastically as she opened the door. The shop keeper was an elderly, balding, gray-haired man with wrinkles under his eyes and over his brow. He wore a green shirt with a red apron and gray pants. The old man greeted her back, or at least that's what the young girl liked to think, as the only thing that she could hear were unintelligible mumbling.
Giggling at the weird reply, the hooded girl continued, "I heard that the new issue of "Weapons" was released yesterday. Could you point me towards the magazine rack please?" The shop keeper nodded and pointed towards a corner at the back of the store. The young woman gave her thanks and went about her merry way.
The forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void. However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change. And in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named, Dust.
"Out of the way! Come any closer and I will put a bullet between your eyes!" The crowded street parted ways at the threat to allow a man and his entourage through, their destination, the same dust store at the end of the street that the hooded girl entered. Hushed whispers began to arise from the disgruntled public, but the leading man walked through the displeased glares with a confidence and swagger only seen in someone who couldn't care less.
The leading man had slanted dark-green eyes and bright orange hair, with long bangs covering his right eye and black eyeliner tracing his visible left eye. He wore a red-lined white suit with long black pants and black shoes. His accessories included a small gray scarf, black gloves with buckled sleeves, and a black bowler hat with a small feather tucked into its red band. In his left hand was a black cane, and in his mouth laid a lit cigar.
The henchmen behind him were all dressed in black suits with matching hats and shoes, red sunglasses, and red ties, with very little variation. All of them seemed to have had white skin and black hair, with some, a black mustache. To the naked eye, these men were unimportant goons that made it day by day following the orders of others bigger than them. The only thing even remotely interesting about the crooks were the swords, guns, and silver cylinders connected to the belts at their waist.
Nature's wrath 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.
"Sweet! Coming here was definitely worth it! The weapons showcased in this issue are the best I've seen yet!" The hooded girl practically hopped up and down in joy as she flipped through a few pages of the article. "Oh, I definitely have to check this out of the store, ASAP!" And with a bounce in her step, she swung right around-
"Oh…" And stopped when she saw the mass of thugs enter the dust store, "Well, this can't be good." Putting the magazine back on its rack, the hooded girl began to slowly shuffle behind the bookshelves to get a read on what was happening before taking any action.
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.
"Good evening sir. I was doing a bit of window shopping, and I must say, this is quite the store you have here." The leading man of the mob greeted with a slight dip of his bowler hat.
"The register is yours! Please, don't kill me!" The old man for the first time since the young girl came in today, spoke in clear English.
"Calm down, don't worry, I'm not here for your money." The leading man gave a warm and welcoming smile to the terrified shop keeper in order to ease his fears. That same smile turned cold and sinister when the shop keeper had let out a sigh of relief. "I'm here for the dust."
The old man's expression morphed into one filled with terror, something the criminals seemed to enjoy mind you, at the prospect of his entire store being pillaged of its goods. "Alright boys! I paid your boss a pretty penny, and I intend to make every use of it! Grab all of the dust in sight!" The leading man spoke briskly as his hired muscle began to separate into different sections of the store to do what they do best.
The henchmen began to line up at various large cylinder-like tubes that were connected to the walls of the shop. Every cylinder was, for the most part, made of clear glass that showed the color of the gaseous dust within. The top half of the cylinders disappeared into the upper half of the wall near the ceiling, whereas the bottom of the cylinders bent outward at the waist of the henchmen.
"Kshk!"
The henchmen connected the cylinders they wore at their waist into the bottom of the cylinders that were connected to the walls, and watched in satisfaction as their cylinders began to fill up from the dust in the tubes.
The old man himself was even ordered to take out all of the crystalized dust from the display case under the counter and place them in the briefcase that one of the henchmen was holding. The rest of the henchmen began to stalk around the store, checking for any other valuables to steal.
"Hm?" Grunted one of the henchmen as he heard the sound of footsteps coming from a row of bookshelves further down the store. With a grunt, the henchmen drew his crimson sword and creeped towards the origin point of the sound- "Huh!?" Only for his clothes to get ruffled by a powerful breeze, the only thing he saw before he lost consciousness, was a red hood.
"But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul."
The leading man grabbed a crystalized dust shard and held it up high, allowing the light of the store to reflect off of its blood red surface. "With this dust, I can finally end the life of 'some wandering criminal', and really make it big." The leading man sighed contently with a small smirk as he placed the shard of dust into the briefcase one of his henchmen was holding for him. "This dust is going to make a lot of people happy, and get a lot more off of my ass."
The leading man then reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a card. "I feel terrible robbing you of your business, honest, so I'll be leaving you this card for your troubles." He then placed the item onto the counter in front of the old man. "I think I still have a few lien saved up on the thing, so don't say I never did anything for you." And with a laugh, the leading man had tossed his cane from his left hand to his right-
And aimed it towards the entrance of the store.
"You know, if you plan to take someone by surprise, make sure you can't be seen by the reflective surfaces on a dust shard." The leading man turned his head to face whoever the hell it was that had the titanium balls to try and halt his robbery, but could only blink at the presumably young face that wasn't completely covered by her red cloak. "Isn't it past your bedtime brat? You shouldn't be out in the city this late at night, it can get pretty dangerous you know." He said as he fingered the trigger of his cane.
"I'm right where I need to be, Roman Torchwick." The hooded girl said in response, much to the man's surprise.
"Ah, to think that even a kid would know my name." The leading man, now named Roman said with a smirk plastered on his face. "If I knew that I was this famous I would have dressed better. Think about it kid, rows of cameras lining up to catch my magnificence as I rob every store in Vale with the grace and elegance found only in a criminal such as myself? I'll be rolling in nothing but cash and infamy!" Roman's smirk became a full-blown smile as he made small talk with whoever the hell this hero thought she was.
"Everyone in Vale already knows who you are. You show up on the news every other day for committing crimes." The hooded girl said as she moved her hand towards something located underneath her cloak on the back of her belt.
"Well, I am a very busy man, but don't worry brat, I still give out autographs to loyal fans. I just need your name and I will get right on it, a special deal just for you." Roman said as his words took on a teasing tone.
"My name… is Ruby Rose! You should know the name of the girl that's about to kick your butt back into a cell where you belong!" The now named Ruby had let down her hood with her left hand, and grabbed ahold of the handle of some sort of object fastened to her belt with her right!
"Tsk-tsk. Not very smart are you kid? Actually giving out your name to a bad guy like me when they ask? Not the ideal move for business." The aura around Roman became dangerous as his smile became cold and sinister. "As you can see, I have twenty men armed to the teeth with standard Vale weaponry, ready to come to the aid of yours truly." Roman said as multiple footsteps could be heard making their way to the two's location. Soon enough, Ruby was surrounded, with the barrel end of only nineteen out of those twenty guns pointed at her.
"And you…" Roman then pointed the end of his cane at the old man behind the counter, causing Ruby to flinch. "You have a hostage to worry about." The old man's face scrunched up in fear as he began to shake uncontrollably!
"Leave him alone! He has nothing to do with this!" Ruby shouted in surprise at the sudden flip of the situation!
"I beg your pardon?" Roman replied in mock surprise. "If I were to do that, then one of my many advantages would just disappear." He then tilted his head. "Why in the hell would I give you any space to retaliate?"
Ruby had to take a deep breath in order to calm herself down. Roman was antagonizing her, and she was letting him. "He has nothing to do with this." Ruby repeated. Roman could only give a quiet chuckle at the naivety of the girl he was facing. Did she not hear a word he said?
"You know what? You raise a good point kid." Roman said in response, "Since that's the case, why don't you take his place and die like the hero you are!" With a speed that Ruby could barely follow, Roman took the initiative to surprise his enemy by pointing the butt end of his cane, Melodic Cudgel, back at her and-
"BANG!"
(P5S OST - Strikers)
-Pulled the trigger, firing a high-speed explosive round!
"Woah?!" In response, with a tone of surprise in her voice, Ruby vanished! Missing its target, the bullet instead crashed through the entrance of the store, and into the building across the street with a thundering boom!
"What the fuck!?"
"She disappeared!"
"Did she teleport!?"
"Where in the hell did she go!?" The henchmen were in disarray, the sudden loss of their target caused them to hastily point their weapons every which way in a vain attempt to find her!
"I'm right here!" Ruby shouted as she seemingly teleported above one of the henchmen in front of Roman and slammed her boots into his face, using it as a springboard to propel herself to the wall above the entrance of the store! Roman had to duck as the henchmen was sent flying to the back of the building!
"Don't just stand there, shoot!" Roman commanded the group of thugs to do what they were paid to do, and in a split second, a hail of bullets began to blitz towards Ruby's location!
"Hehe, nope!" Seeing the incoming hail of bullets, Ruby had once again vanished from the naked eye of the thugs there, dodging the bullets completely!
"Damnit!"
"She did it again!"
"What is going on!?"
"Find her!" One of the thugs shouted to keep his panicking entourage focused. Ruby's phenomenal capabilities hidden by her tiny frame were throwing the henchmen into panic and confusion!
"Over here!" Everyone in the store pointed the barrel of their guns towards the counter where they heard the voice of the girl taunting them. What they found was Ruby, with her right hand on the shoulder of the frightened and confused shopkeeper. "This hostage will be coming with me!"
And with that, Ruby and the shopkeeper had disappeared-
"BANG!"
"What the hell!" Roman had shouted as the door to the shop was blown off of its hinges as soon as Ruby had disappeared with the hostage! The two people in question were flying away from the door they just destroyed using pure speed onto the street below!
"Hng!" With a grunt, Ruby had slammed her feet into the concrete of the road in order to curb her speed to an immediate halt, creating two small trails of destroyed concrete at the points of impact! "Are you alright?" Ruby asked the shopkeeper as she glared at the dust shop filled with panicking criminals.
The old man in question had landed on his ass when Ruby had let him go after slamming her feet into the ground. He was a shaking mess, but he was still able to give her a nod. "I-I'm okay."
Without looking away from the dust store, Ruby had once again grabbed the handle of the mysterious object beneath her cloak and nodded. "Good, then get out of here and call the police. I'll handle these guys!" The shopkeeper could only nod as he scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as his old body would allow him as he knew he would only be a burden to the girl that saved his life.
"Aim at the shopkeeper, if he gets away, we may have a huntsman on our asses!" The henchmen raised their guns and aimed their sights on the old man as soon as Roman gave the command! Without another second passing by-
"BANG!"
The first bullet, followed by many more, began to chase after the old man that decided to run towards the alleyway opposite of the dust store.
"As if!" Ruby screamed as she gripped the handle of the object even tighter and pulled it out for the world to see!
"SHNK!"
Everyone present watched as the tiny girl cut the leading bullet in half vertically with a scythe! The force from the downward swing was so great that the blade of the scythe had crashed into the ground and gotten stuck into the concrete! Without wasting what precious milliseconds she had left, Ruby had let go of her weapon, readjusted the placement of her hands on the handle, and spun with so much force that the weapon was yanked out of the ground!
"That's not all!" Ruby shouted as she used the force of her spin to cut through several more bullets! Both Roman and the old man could only stare in awe as what they saw next should have been impossible for a girl that size.
"Alright Ruby Rose, you got this!" With a sigh to calm her nerves and a smile to display her confidence, Ruby's arms began to move so fast that they became a blur! Her scythe was nearly invisible as she maneuvered it to cut down the hail of bullets before they could even rush past her! Sparks began to fly, and the only thing that could be heard was the clanging of metal as every bullet was repelled! The bullets that were cut in half were redirected away from the alley and began to imbed themselves in the buildings near Ruby!
Ruby then whipped her scythe around one last time to cut down the remaining bullets as the gunfire came to a pause! The Henchmen tensed up as they witnessed what was basically a miracle! And in this moment of silence, Ruby whipped her head around and-
"Hurry up and go!" Ruby screamed at the old man to move along. "I don't want you to get hurt!" The old man nodded and once again began to take his path down the alleyway, hearing only the sound of bullets being deflected and neatly cut into two once more by the girl providing cover. The old man then pulled out his scroll, dialing the Vale Police Department's phone number as he turned a corner and escaped the hell behind him.
(Background Music – End)
"… Alright, that's enough." Roman said as he took out his own scroll and dialed a number. "The old man got away, so focus on the kid so we can get out of here." Roman then placed the scroll to his ear and waited for the person on the other side of the line to pick up. "If guns don't work, use your swords. She's pretty good, so if I need to fight her, I'm gonna need some info to work with… Test her out a bit." Roman ordered as if the prior events wouldn't cause him too much trouble, something that made Ruby frown.
One by one the henchmen collectively dropped their guns per Roman's orders, and pulled out their crimson-colored swords from their sheaths. Ruby stayed silent and watched as the mob of criminals began to stalk towards her with caution. Worse yet, Roman was now talking with someone on his scroll, their conversation nearly inaudible.
"I got a question." The henchmen collectively froze up with wary looks as Ruby began to speak with only the slightest hint of urgency in her voice. "I was told to ask if anyone I'm fighting has any… aura?" The henchmen looked at the girl in visible confusion, causing Ruby to frown a bit, maybe they didn't understand? "Aura? The active force field that keeps you alive from attacks that would normally kill you? Anyone?" Ruby asked innocently.
But that wasn't why the henchmen froze.
The random question was simple, but loaded. Ruby was essentially asking the group of nobodies if their bodies would be able to handle her fighting at full strength. In a situation such as this, the smart thing to do would be to lie and tell someone of superior skill that you don't, but that would be wounding to the pride of the henchman.
"Of course we have-!" In the split second that one of the henchmen walked forward to answer, Ruby had swung her scythe, Crescent Rose, downward the moment that she heard a favorable response!
"CRACK!"
(FFVII Remake OST – Smash 'Em, Rip 'Em by Calorie Game Music)
Ruby's scythe was once again wedged into the concrete, its handle parallel to the ground below! Instead of letting go of the handle, Ruby lifted her body above the weapon via the handle, and began to spin as if she was break dancing!
"CRUNCH!"
The henchman that had walked forward to answer previously was sent flying away as Ruby's boots had slammed into his face!
"Including the two I took down in the store, that's three!"
Ruby continued to spin atop Crescent Rose for a bit longer before lying flat on its handle as another henchmen swung his crimson sword horizontally, the blade missing her prone body by a couple of inches! Ruby then placed her hand on the trigger of her weapon located on its handle and-
"BANG!"
Sent herself and Crescent Rose flying away from the group of thugs from the force of the bullet that exited from the tip of her weapon's handle! Ruby landed on the wall of the building behind her and used it as a springboard to jump to her left! Ruby had let out another sigh as she landed down the street, and placed Crescent Rose behind her, with its handle touching her back as the henchmen began to sprint after her!
"BANG!"
Another bullet exited from the tip of her scythe! With the force and position of her weapon causing the girl to spin rapidly in place, Ruby used this new found momentum to slam the handle of Crescent Rose into the face of another henchman, sending him flying through the window of the dust store!
"That's four!"
Ruby then continued to twirl the scythe around her body before jumping in the air, and with a flip to gain momentum, slammed down the butt end of her scythe into the henchman below her!
"That's five!"
Ruby then fired another shot from Crescent Rose! The force of the bullet sending the flattened henchman and her flying in opposite directions as another enemy swung their crimson sword down on her previous position! But as soon as she landed-
"Eh!?"
Ruby had to tilt her whole body left in order to dodge a bullet that was inches away from her body! Ruby whipped her head around to see that out of the fifteen henchmen that were left conscious, five of them had picked up their guns and was about to continue firing! "Th-That's not fair! You weren't supposed to use guns remember!" Ignoring her cries of indignation, the henchmen took aim and once again began firing! "Fine then." Ruby replied to their actions by once again placing her scythe behind her as a hail of bullet sped her way!
"BANG!"
As soon as Ruby pulled the trigger, the force of the bullet blasting out of the end of her scythe pushed her body in the complete opposite direction, allowing her to dodge the bullets completely! As soon as Ruby landed on the sidewalk, she placed Crimson Rose on her shoulder and ran towards the group of henchmen before jumping and once again pulling the trigger!
"Eh!?"
The henchman could only look up in surprise as Ruby sailed over them from the force of her gunshot! Ruby smiled at them as she blasted past the group of henchmen at high speeds, and with a grunt of effort, began to twist her body midair so that she could face her enemies! With the henchmen in her sights, she once again placed Crescent Rose on her shoulder and fired a shot that sent her speeding towards the group of malicious thieves! The speed from her weapon coupled with her outstretched foot-
"CRACK!"
Nearly twisted the head of one of the henchmen into an unnatural angle when Ruby's boot collided with his face!
"That's six!"
As soon as Ruby's feet met the ground, she jumped forward to keep her momentum going and slammed her scythe into the ground once more! The added momentum from her jump would have sent her sailing past her weapon, but because of the tight hold she has on her handle, the lodged weapon itself was forced to rotate in place which in turn sent Ruby sailing in an arc!
Once Ruby spun from her initial position into a semicircle, she pulled her weapon from the ground, and while in the air swung her weapon once more! The henchmen could only watch as the girl pulled the trigger which caused her swing to gain momentum, and cringe as three of their colleagues had the blunt end of the scythe slam into their heads!
"KACHINK!"
Ruby's concentrated face quickly gave way into a smile as her scythe morphed into a more compact gun like form. Ruby then used the additional momentum from her previous attack to twist her body until the barrel end of her weapon was aimed at an enemy, and pulled the trigger.
"BANG!"
(Background Music- End)
"And that's ten." Ruby landed on her feet as another goon fell off of his, unconscious from the gunshot. The remaining ten henchmen could only take a collective step back as this… tiny girl took out half of their forces within the span of a minute. Ruby adjusted Crescent Rose within her hands and took a step forward to finish off the rest of the henchmen when-
"vvvvvrrrrrRRRRROOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!"
The sound of racing cars forced her to halt her step. At first, Ruby thought that they might be the police coming in to arrest the criminals she was holding off, but when she didn't hear any sirens, she turned her head to look-
"Eep!"
Only to pull the trigger of her weapon to propel herself off of the street to the sidewalk behind her when a black van had almost run her over!
"It's about time you guys got here! By the gods are you slow!" Roman took the cigar out of his mouth as he began to exhale a cloud of smoke. "I paid a pretty penny for your help, the least you can do is competently do your jobs!" Roman began to cut into his hired help for their 'lackluster' services before placing his cigar back into his mouth for another smoke.
At the man's words, more henchmen began to pour out of the parked vans with weapons attached to their hips. Ruby narrowed her eyes as the opposition began to refill their ranks, putting her back at square one. The redhead could only grip Crescent Rose even tighter as she prepared to face off against the ever-growing horde of enemies!
"Don't worry kid, they're not here for you." …And just like that Ruby's grim look turned into one of confusion as Roman waved off her fears. "They are here to clean up the mess you made, that's all." Roman then blew out another cloud of smoke as the henchmen got to work carrying the unconscious henchmen into the vans. "Oh, and don't forget the case of dust that is on the store counter while you're at it." A few henchmen nodded as they walked into the dust store to recover any of their unconscious comrades that were left behind.
Ruby could only feel bemusement as the group of criminals moved about as if she wasn't there. "Do you think I will just let them go!?" Ruby raised her voice in indignation as she aimed her weapon at Roman!
Roman, for his part, seemed pretty calm. After the man blew out his last cloud of smoke, he dropped his cigarette without any care in the world, and stepped on its tip to snuff it out. "No, but that's why I'm here." Roman took a few steps forward with confidence that Ruby couldn't replicate at the moment. "If you are somehow able to defeat me, the police could get a lot of useful information that these grunts simply wouldn't be able to provide." Roman spoke while the rest of the henchmen began to load up their vans with stolen dust!
"If you try to stop them now, I would be able to escape without you even noticing. A young lady such as yourself should know the importance of priorities, right? Don't you want to be the hero that took down the infamous Roman Torchwick?" Roman could only smirk as he saw the young girl flinch from his comment, but that smirk turned into a smile as he saw her lower her gun.
"Fine." Ruby conceded, "The police can find the henchmen when they get answers out of you anyway." Roman began to clap his hands at the sheer… naivety of his opponent. Recovering the stolen dust was much less important than taking him down, but that was only assuming that she could take him down.
"Wise choice kid." It seems as though he was able to read into her character perfectly from the few interactions that they had in the dust store, which worked against Ruby as Roman was able to use that information to concoct a speech that would manipulate her into doing what he wanted.
"VVVVVVVVVVVVVRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOoooooooooooooooo!"
The vans filled with criminals and stolen goods began to drive away from the crime scene, leaving nothing that would implicate Roman's involvement with the crime except for Roman himself. Ruby as well as the old man that ran off earlier could implicate him, but that was unlikely because police needed to go through mountains of regulations before they would even think about attacking the most likely of offenders on their own terms. Even if they were granted permission, they still couldn't catch him.
Why do people pay taxes for such a useless bunch again?
"Ruby, was it?" Roman asked as he rested his cane on his shoulder, "Shall we begin?"
"KACHINK!"
Ruby for her part had widened her stance and transformed Crescent Rose back into its scythe form. "Ha! Don't blink!"
And with that she was off.
The world began to slow, and sound began to distort as Ruby began to sprint towards her enemy! The sheer speed in which the girl was running caused her perception to pick up Roman's movement as slow as if time itself nearly came to a standstill! In less than a second, the girl had closed the distance between her and her target!
"CRACK!"
Ruby had taken an earth-shattering step as soon as Roman was in front of her! With the grip on Crescent Rose tightened, and her body exercising the full extent of its muscle, Ruby yelled as she swung Crescent Rose at near blinding speeds towards Roman's hea-
"CRUNCH!"
"Huh?"
Ruby's world began to spin rapidly. One minute she was in front of her target, and the next, she could feel pain course through her body as it began to limply fly down the street!
"Did… Did I just get hit?"
Ruby had pushed her confusion to the side and forcefully righted her body upward before she could slam into the ground! "Keh!" With a grunt of exertion, the redhead had slammed Crescent Rose onto the concrete bellow to slow down her flight before she could potentially crash into another building, with a destroyed trailed of concrete following her flight via the blade of her weapon.
Ruby had pulled her scythe out of the ground, made it stand straight up, and leaned on it for support. "Hah… Hah… W-What just… happened?" Ruby began to gasp for air as her brain finally caught up to her body. The hit that she took earlier had left her body feeling weak, causing the girl to be frustrated as she couldn't stop her legs from shaking.
"Your semblance… allows you to travel at high speeds, yeah?" Ruby was forced out of her thoughts as she heard Roman walk closer with a small smirk on his face. "I kind of figured it out when you were zipping around in the dust store earlier." Roman then rested his cane on his shoulder once more as his face gained an inquisitive look. "You while using your semblance was a lot faster than when you were using your weapon to propel yourself, so I'm guessing that you can move a few times faster than a speeding bullet with that little superpower of yours... Right?" Roman asked with a tilt of his head.
"So, what if I can!?" Ruby countered, before flinching…
As Roman's expression had morphed into a cruel, bloodthirsty smile.
"That would mean that even with your semblance, you aren't quite as fast as the pros out there that have been attempting to catch me for years." Roman's expression had then immediately darkened as an aura of a murderer began to weigh on his body. "I am one of the most wanted men on the continent. Why? Because rookies like you that think they are invincible because of their semblance gets killed by yours truly every day of the week!"
And with a burst of speed that Ruby wasn't expecting, Roman had already closed the distance between them! "An untrained semblance like yours doesn't even compare to that of a huntsman! I'll make sure to beat that fact into you properly!"
And with that he went on the attack!
(?)
Citizens could only cover their ears as a group of Valean Police Department cars numbered in the tens were blaring their sirens and speeding down the streets of Vale as if there was a crisis taking place. The formation of vehicles was a mix of the standard police cars and one Valean SWAT truck that were meant to safely transport "special" officers to the scene of an extremely gruesome crime scene.
And in said truck, a briefing was being held.
"We got a call from an elderly man that works at the resident dust store that a robbery was taking place." A police officer with a clipboard was standing near the front of the cargo bay of the truck as he was informing his seated colleagues of the crime taking place just a few blocks away. "We were told from the emergency call that the perpetrator of this crime is… Roman Torchwick."
At this, the police became restless, their attention hyper focused on every new detail. "We were also informed that Roman isn't working alone, as for this particular robbery, he has a squad of criminals armed to the teeth to deal with any unprecedented threats to his mission." The police immediately knew that the hired thugs were meant to deal with them if they were to ever show up, only putting them into a bigger disadvantage.
"Armed criminals are one thing, but how are we supposed to deal with Roman Torchwick?" A seated SWAT officer asked as he stopped loading up his shotgun with ammo. "Not only is that man a professional escape artist, but he has consistently taken out swarms of armed policeman in Vale with that small partner of his. We won't be enough to stop him, especially if that woman is there." The truck became deadly silent as the other policemen silently agreed that they knew, some from experience, that they were no match for such a dangerous criminal.
There was a reason he was wanted all over Vale.
The standing officer lowered his clipboard, and spoke with a tone of confidence that the other men were not expecting. The next words the leading officer spoke would bring a ray of hope to any citizen on this planet facing a crisis. All it took to lift the spirits of everyone in the truck was one simple sentence. "We have a huntress."
The officers began to chatter amongst themselves until one, presumably a new recruit based on his mannerisms, raised his hand. "Uhm, sir? Where is she? The huntress I mean. These trucks are used to transport huntsmen, but I don't see her here." At that, the car once again fell into silence as the leading officer pointed up.
"She was on the roof of the truck, but she went ahead a while ago."
(In front of the Dust Store)
(Hunter X Hunter OST – Ikkiuchi)
"BANG!"
Ruby had to immediately roll to her right to dodge an explosive round from Melodic Cudgel that was aimed for her head! Without wasting a single second, Ruby activated her semblance and began to sprint down the empty street towards Roman at a speed that was considered superhuman!
"Hmph." But Roman simply grunted as he released more than a few shots from his cane, causing Ruby to run in a zig zag pattern in order to dodge them all until she was face to face with him!
"I got you now!" Ruby screamed as she jumped up into the air and slashed her scythe downward with as much force as possible, but Roman simply side stepped the attack and spun to gain momentum before slamming his cane into the back of her head! The force of the blow had forced Ruby into a crouching position in order to stop herself from slamming into the ground!
"That looked like it hurt red, you wanna call it quits?" Ruby growled at the taunt and quickly recovered, spun around, and used that additional momentum to swing her scythe upwards! But Roman simply leaned back a bit to dodge!
"How about this?!" Ruby immediately followed up that attack by expertly maneuvering Crescent Rose around her body to slash at Roman! The speed and force of each subsequent swing from her weapon would easily be enough to slice through any human that didn't have aura! But-
"Meh. Too predictable." Roman announced unimpressed as he narrowly dodged all of Ruby's swings by tilting his body before-
"Eh!?" Ruby had to lean her body backwards in order to dodge a lightning-fast swing from Roman! But as soon as Ruby righted herself upward-
"CRUNCH!"
"KAH!" Ruby felt the air leave her lungs as Roman had thrusted his cane into her solar plexus! Roman then followed that attack with a swift kick to Ruby's cheek that had sent her flying to his left! Ruby grunted in pain as she felt her cheek flare up in pain from the attack before twisting her body mid-flight to right herself to land on her feet!
"Ha… Ha…" Ruby took some time to regain her breath, but that time didn't take long as the world once again began to slow down around her!
"SHU!"
"Oh?" Roman raised a brow in interest as Ruby's body became a blur! The redhead began to run circles around Roman at supersonic speeds! The suave criminal had to place a hand on his hat in order to keep it from flying off from the sheer force of the wind that the redhead was kicking up!
"Take this!" Ruby shouted as she seemingly teleported in front of her foe! Roman, in a split-second decision, had to bend his body backwards in order to dodge a monstrous swing from the girl that narrowly passed over his body!
"Heh." Roman could only chuckle as he righted himself faster than he needed to in order headbutt Ruby! The redhead's vision began to go out of focus from the blow, but before she could gain anytime to recover-
"GAH!" Ruby could only scream as Roman had slammed his palm into her abdomen, sending her flying away! But Ruby at that very instant had slammed her feet into the concrete below in order to stop her flight before immediately charging in again, unleashing a flurry of swings that were faster than they were before!
"We're not doing that again~" Roman said mid dodge as he slammed his elbow into Ruby's nose! Ruby had stumbled back from the pain, but slammed her right foot behind her to keep her balance. The girl adjusted her stance in order to take another swing, and with a scream, unleashed her most powerful attack yet!
"KLING!"
But Roman was a single step ahead of her, using his cane to block Crescent Rose head on! Roman had moved his free hand for another attack, but seeing this, Ruby had jumped back to gain some distance between the two!
"KACHINK!"
Ruby began to catch her breath as her weapon had transformed into its gun form, before springing right back into action!
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
Ruby began to shoot bullets out of Crescent Rose as she quickly closed the distance between her and Roman! Roman, for his part, began to expertly block every bullet with Melodic Cudgel! As soon as Ruby got close enough to her target she shifted around her compacted rifle in her hands as if she was holding a baseball bat, spun around, and swung her crude weapon at Roman's head! Roman tilted the upper half of his body backwards to dodge the attack, and then retaliated with a kick towards Ruby's gut!
"Not this time!" Ruby shouted as she shifted her rifle around in order to take the brunt of Roman's kick! But the force of the kick, even though it was blocked, had sent the redhead flying backwards! The girl could only tumble and roll across the street for a bit before flipping back onto her feet.
"KACHINK!"
Crescent Rose was once again transformed into its scythe form as its wielder took another stance to jump back into the fight without rest! But before Ruby could make a move-
"wwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Both her and Roman heard the approach of multiple vehicles speeding in the distance, but more importantly, they heard police sirens!
The sound of the approaching cars caused Ruby to give Roman a victorious smirk. "When the police get here, you're done for!" Ruby said with absolute conviction as the tension in her body began to relax somewhat. "I win!" The frown that was etched onto Roman's face had only served to widen girl's smile…
But that didn't last long.
"You sure did red." In response, Roman had reached into his coat pocket to pull out three items: A cigar, a lighter, and a… glowing red dust shard. The criminal had placed the cigar into his mouth, lit it up with a smirk, and placed the lighter back into his coat pocket. "But if you really think that I'm gonna get caught now of all times, then you're underestimating me."
Ruby had simply lowered her stance at the words, ready to attack when need be. "Then all I have to do is hold you here until the police arrive." Roman narrowed his eyes at the smirk that was still plastered on the girl, but began to chuckle softly not long afterwards.
"You can try." That was all Ruby needed to hear in order to go on the offensive! The world began to slow down around her from the sheer speed of her movement, but when she had closed more than half of the distance between herself and her opponent-
"What!?" Ruby could only widen her eyes as the glowing red dust shard that was previously in Roman's hand was thrown at her, and right behind the dust shard was an explosive round from Melodic Cudg-
"BOOM!"
When the explosive round had crashed into the dust shard, a ginormous flame had nearly engulfed the entire street! The explosion was so massive that citizens halfway across the city could see smoke and embers rising! The police who were closing in on the scene had to stop their cars in shock as the blast expanded!
Roman, who wasn't at the epicenter of the blast, began to cough as he waved away the smoke. "If I didn't have aura, I would be done for." Roman had opened his eyes to see the entire street, buildings and all, covered in fire. "That dust shard was a bit too powerful. Didn't know I'd be blasting a portion of the city half way to hell. But what can I do, accidents are bound to happen." And so, with a simple shrug, the man exhaled a cloud of smoke and began to walk away from the scene of the crime. He did not want to be here when the police arrived, and the fire would provide good cover.
"This is why criminals like you should stay behind bars."
This had caused Roman to pause.
"VWOOSH!"
The uncontrollable raging flames that had spread throughout the area just a second ago, became fiery streams that began to converge above the area that Ruby was when the explosion went off. Both the street and the buildings on it looked as if someone had doused the flames with water as the fire had simply… flew away from them.
"You gotta be shitting me." Roman, who had turned around at the sound of a third party's voice, couldn't help but laugh as below the center point of the fire's convergence, stood a powerful woman that he honestly hoped he wouldn't be meeting in Vale any time soon.
The middle-aged woman had very light-blonde hair tied back in a bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face. She had bright green eyes covered by a pair of thin ovular glasses and dangling teal earrings that matched the hanging pendant on her collar.
Her clothes consisted of a white long-sleeved pleated top that has a wide keyhole neckline and gauntlet cuffs that flare in pleats at the wrist, and a black high-waisted pencil skirt with bronze buttons and black stockings that faded into brown.
She wore black boots with bronze 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 the line of beads, an emblem of a tiara, her personal symbol, was etched. But most importantly, in her right hand, she held a simple black crop.
A crop that she was pointing upwards towards the converging point of the flames.
"Are you okay?" The woman had asked, directing her question to the trembling girl behind her.
"W-What?" Ruby, whose limbs were shielding her face, cracked open a single eye between the gaps of her arms when she realized that she was in fact, still alive. Crescent Rose laid on the ground, forgotten, when it's owner had attempted to poorly shield herself from death. There were many emotions that one could feel after nearly being burnt alive, but Ruby could only feel two things.
Shock and Awe.
"Whoa…" Ruby's arms fell limply to her sides as she could only look up as the woman effortlessly controlled the various streams of fire to converge upon one another to create what could only be classified as a miniature star. But Ruby, in fact, wasn't the only one that was amazed.
"So that's a magic class semblance from an S-class Huntress…" Roman could only speak to himself as he stood face to face with a testament of strength that far outclassed his own. For a moment, the future began to look bleak for the criminal, but-
"BZZT!"
The scroll within his pocket began to buzz in a certain rhythm. Roman had set his scroll to vibrate in a certain pattern for one purpose, and one purpose only.
His partner was here.
This caused the man to clap his hands in applause, much to Ruby's shock, as Roman's bravado began to return in full force. "Well as I live and breathe, if it isn't the great Glynda Goodwitch herself! It's truly an honor to have someone of your… Prestige attempt to capture me today!"
The woman, Glynda, could only narrow her eyes in bemusement as Roman tipped his hat to her. "Roman Torchwick, your recent thefts on various dust stores in Vale has put the citizens into a state of panic." Roman beamed at this as if he had accomplished something. "What are you planning to use all of that dust for?"
In response, Roman had spread his arms wide. "What else is dust used for? I'm going to trade it in for money, power up machines you haven't even seen yet, and cause elemental destruction on a wide scale! It's about time I moved up in life and created a force of my own to stand side by side with powerful people as their equals. And with this final robbery, I can finally set my plans into motion!" Ruby was visibly alarmed at Roman's claim to gaining power in the future, but Glynda was far from losing her composure.
"That seems grand and all Mr. Torchwick, but your lofty ambitions will have to end here. I'm taking you in." Glynda had pushed up her glasses as the streams of fire had finished converging into one entity. The sheer heat of the fireball under Glynda's command had caused Ruby to sweat. But to the girl's fear…
Roman began to laugh.
"See, normally you would be right if you were capturing any other criminal, but this man still has many tricks up his sleeve. After all, you aren't the only one with a magic class semblance." And with that, Roman clapped his hands together.
"KSH!"
As if on cue, the space in front of Roman had distorted, cracked, and broken apart as if it was made of glass!
"What the?" Ruby could only rub one of her eyes in confusion as a small, smiling woman around her height had simply appeared before Roman when the cracks in the air had disappeared.
The woman had slightly curvy and stringy waist length long hair, with the slightly thicker bangs on the right half of her face being parted away. But what really caught Ruby's attention, was how the right half of her hair was pink with white streaks, while the other was brown.
Another interesting detail about the woman revolved around her heterochromia, with one iris being pink like her hair, and the other once again being brown. Her features alone reminded Ruby of Neapolitan ice cream, but her clothes only helped to accentuate that point.
The mysterious woman wore a white cropped wide broad tailed jacket with a pink interior, collar, and a single pink button and large pink cuffs. Her pants were brown with a dark belt that had a gray buckle and an additional narrow belt under it. Under her jacket was a brown corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her hips. She also wore a multitude of black beaded necklaces, which hang haphazardly around her neck. The woman completed the outfit with black and white spat styled knee-high boots alongside black gloves.
But what really caught Ruby's attention was the similarly colored black, pink, and white parasol that the small woman was resting on her shoulder.
"Neo, do it." All Roman did was say a name and give a command for the situation to delve into chaos. The small woman, Neo, simply raised her hand, and pointed her index finger towards Glynda.
"C-C-CRACK!"
Ruby flinched as the space in front of Neo's finger began to crack, as if she was once again breaking the air itself! "Oh! I almost forgot!" Roman said as if he suddenly remembered something important. "My new business partner, the queen, sends her regards." Glynda had widened her eyes as if she was slapped in the face, but quickly snapped out of it as she heard the space in front of Neo crack again.
"As if I'd let you get away!" Glynda had screamed as she swung her crop downward, causing the ball of flame to sail towards the two criminals faster than Ruby could run towards them! But Roman and Neo looked unphased at the star of death that was heading their way!
"BOOM!"
Ruby had to once again cover her face as a ginormous explosion of similar scale to the one that almost killed her rocked the city. "Khk!" Ruby could only grit her teeth as the force of the explosion began to blow her away.
"I got you." But was caught in the nick of time by Glynda who protectively wrapped her arm around the young girl's back! But when Ruby looked at the epicenter of the spreading flames…
There was no damage.
"Woah…" Instead, there was a rising, swirling pillar of flame! The same explosion that had did a number on the street prior was being controlled completely to keep it from destroying its surroundings! Ruby couldn't help but to idolize the older woman next to her as her power, grace, and quick thinking inspired the younger girl to be as strong as she was!
Glynda, for her part, could only sigh in disappointment as the flames raged on. "They escaped." Ruby's face of adoration became one of shock, as she found it hard to believe that anyone could escape a concentrated blast like the one in front of her. Without missing a beat, Glynda had gracefully raised a hand-
"SNAP!"
-To snap her fingers. But this small, simple, and inconsequential action, had caused the pillar of fire to disappear completely in an instant! Glynda could only narrow her eyes at Roman's final message, but that didn't last long as the redhead next to her began to hop up and down in excitement!
"You really are a huntress!" Ruby couldn't help but shout as she watched the pillar of fire dissipate as if it wasn't there to begin with. "Can I have your autograph?!" Glynda could only stare at the girl who, without her intervention, would have died, bounce back as if nothing had gone wrong today. This alone had caused Glynda to sigh, after all, in order to pick up the profession of becoming a huntsman…
You couldn't have a normal mindset.
"Pick up your weapon." Glynda shot down Ruby's question with what was an equivalent to a no. "We're leaving."
"KACHINK!"
Ruby had scrambled for her fallen weapon at the older woman's command, and transformed it into its compacted mobile form. "Where are we going?" Ruby couldn't help but ask as she placed her weapon back into its holster. Glynda simply pushed up her glasses again as she left the scene of the crime with Ruby.
"We are going to be having a meeting with Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy."
(?)
In a barren wasteland, hidden from the eyes of many that would try to find it, laid a plethora of ginormous purple dust crystals as far as the eye could see. But, littered across this wasteland of dust and rock, were various monsters of grimm that protected it. This land was a dangerous untapped well of resources waiting to be scavenged by the kingdoms of Remnant. But the most peculiar thing about this location wasn't the resources, or even the black and red colored sky, but the castle that was placed at the highest peak of the location.
Within the castle was a throne room of bleak design. The only light that entered the throne room came from the purple dust embedded into the room's walls and ceiling in the forms of lanterns and chandeliers, as well as the giant cathedral window located behind the throne. The light revealed the mix of black and purple that colored the rooms walls, as well as the thin strip of red carpet that led to the throne.
"You summoned me, mistress?" Someone, a woman based on the voice, kneeled on the carpet covered bedrock floor in front of the throne.
"Yes, I have. My child, how goes the preparations to infiltrate Beacon Academy?" The voice of the older woman upon the throne room asked, her voice both melodic and oppressive.
Due to the darkness of the room, the kneeling woman was covered in shadow, but lifted her head slightly to reveal a single glowing amber eye. "Due to our connections in Haven Academy, preparations are running quite smoothly."
The older woman on the throne, who was also cloaked in shadow, rested her arm on one of the throne's armrest. The peculiar thing about the woman on the throne however, was that the skin on her arm was deathly pale, with purple veins running across its surface. "That is pleasing to hear. I do not doubt your skill child, I only ask as I believe it is time to enact plans of my own."
The head of the kneeling woman snapped up completely in visible surprise at the words of her queen. "If it is not rude to do so, may I inquire as to what your plan may be?" The woman on the throne softly chuckled to herself as her subject talked as if she was walking on thin ice with her.
"Beacon Academy will soon be holding their initiation exam to welcome in potential students. I will be sending in a certain… Ah… let's say experiment, to attack the candidates of the exam. If I can use bold moves to keep the enemy attention on me, then our various other plans under your supervision will be able to fly under their radar that much easier."
The kneeling woman paused to allow the information to sink in a bit, before bowing her head once more. "I understand mistress-"
"-Child, what have I told you to call me?" The woman had cut her subject off, but her words were far from harsh. The kneeling woman's body had stiffened up, but it wasn't from fear, it was from lack of comfortability.
"I understand… Mother" The woman on the throne nodded, obviously pleased.
"That is all. You may go." And with that, the kneeling woman stood up, turned around, and walked out of the throne room without another word.
The queen, now alone in silence, had gotten up from her throne. "After all of these years, I will be the one to make the first move this time." The woman had walked around her throne to gaze out of the window behind it. "I wonder what your next move to counter mine will be, Ozpin. I simply cannot wait to reunite with you again, my love. After I have dealt with the plague that is humanity, you will once again be mine."
Authors Note (AN)- The first chapter was quite a bit different from the first episode wasn't it? I believe that the first episode had okay set up for certain plot points, but the overall foundation of Ruby's story is terrible, and needs to be addressed.
Question of the Day- Do you think that season 1 and season 2 of RWBY (nostalgia aside) did a good job laying the foundation of Ruby's plot?
If you liked the chapter then comment (If you really wanna)! If you hate the chapter then criticize (If you really-really wanna)! Just remember to have a good day and stay safe out there!