Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or DC comics. Please support the official release of both.
A/N: And here we go with the final rewrite and then from here on out, It should be smooth sailing.
And side note I altered the geography of Remnant to include a few extra landmasses and make it larger. Though the main difference here is that Patch is more isolated by itself. An island of its own farther out in sea from Vale's continent.
A loud crying noise could be heard in a three-story log cabin. A tall blonde, burly man ran down a flight of stairs, this was Taiyang Xiaolong. The child crying was his daughter Yang. "Qrow what did you do?!" Taiyang looked at the living room where Yang was crying her head off while Qrow was passed out cold on the couch. Not that I'm ungrateful for him visiting me, but if he did that, the least he could do would be to stop fooling around. I don't want to think about Yang taking after him. Taiyang sighed as he picked up his crying daughter, calming her down immediately. Walking to the kitchen, he took the time to think about his life while preparing a meal for his little girl. He was a former huntsman, he had met Qrow at the same time as his ex-wife, Raven. All three went to Beacon Academy with another member, her name being Stella. She had been a good teammate but sadly lost her life during the fall of Mountain Glenn. The impact hit the team hard, though Raven would never admit it.
After that, Raven despite her aloof nature fell in love with Taiyang. But she left one day, coming back one last time in the dead of night without a word. Leaving only Yang behind, he knew her name was Yang based on the letter she left with him. The only word she left on it. I won't lie, part of me wasn't sure about raising Yang. But the moment she blinked those lilac eyes at me, she had my heart. Yang was easy enough to take care of, ironically it reminded him too much of taking care of his team, minus cleaning them up. Yang yawned when she was done with her meal, it seemed someone needed another nap. Taiyang smiled as he gently carried her back upstairs to her crib. Once she was tucked in, he took another stroll down the stairs. Qrow was waking up with a groggy moan. "What happened?" He asked, rubbing his forehead.
"Oh, you know the usual. I had to be the responsible one, pick up the mess, and make sure everyone was fed." Taiyang sarcastically replied, adjusting his button-up short-sleeve shirt, it was a little early in the morning. Still dark out, but as the old saying went, the early bird catches the worm. And if he wanted to make the most of farming, he needed to get used to his new sleeping schedule. Qrow shook his head with an eye roll.
"She didn't get into danger while I was here," Qrow replied back, taking out his flask. A glare from Taiyang made him put it away. "You know Tai. If you were still a huntsman, you could afford a babysitter to look after her." Qrow drawled.
"This again? No. I'm retired. Yang needs me to be there for her." Taiyang shook his head in annoyance. True the Farming job isn't paying as much as the Huntsman job, but that's because it's off to a slow start. Once it kicks in I will make enough to support us.
"Just saying." Qrow held up his hands in surrender, pocketing his flask. "Well if that's all. I will be headed out." Taiyang nodded, looking out to the darkened sky. The shattered moon of Remnant hung over the world, and the stars were bright and numerous. One of the advantages of living on Patch. It may have been a small farming island, but it had good people, and the air was nicer here. Then he grinned as he saw a shooting star. "Hey Qrow, a shooting star!" He couldn't help but be excited, as a kid he loved seeing shooting stars. Qrow blinked as he looked at said shooting star, and then his eyebrows rose.
"Hey Tai, I think it's getting way too close to Remnant to be a shooting star." He quickly took out Harbinger, his weapon that was a great sword as well as a Scythe. Taiyang noticed how close it was coming to his home, it was down by the pond. Taiyang quickly took out his gauntlets, no one was going to hurt his family.
The duo took off to the truck and began racing full speed towards where the bright light was falling. "Don't shoot first!" Taiyang hit Qrow upside his head when he tried to shoot at the falling object.
"It could be a Grimm!" Qrow said while rubbing the back of his head. Jeez, even after being retired, He still packs a wallop. They arrived at the lake to see a curious sight, the object stopped over the pond and then glided away from the center resting at an edge. The light dimmed showing a spaceship, it was like a rocket, mainly blue with red fins, and an opaque black cockpit that made it impossible to see inside. Qrow and Taiyang exchanged a look, and then looked back at the pod as it opened up with a hiss. And there inside was a baby that blinked open her silver eyes, before loudly bawling. "TAI!" Qrow shouted as Taiyang leaped out of the truck immediately and walked to the screaming babe. Picking her up gently, making shushing noises, and rocking her gently. Must be those fatherly instincts of his… Qrow sighed, putting away his weapon, and walked out of the truck, minding his cape. The baby was a cute little thing, with pale fair skin, some reddish-black hair, and metallic silver eyes, unlike anything Qrow, had seen in a person. She cooed as Taiyang continued to rock her. "We don't know where this thing came from." Qrow rasped out, getting a disapproving look from Taiyang.
"She's not a thing Qrow. She's a baby. She came from the stars. And…" Both men looked at the areas where the blue paint was scratched. "It wasn't likely a pretty flight." Taiyang knew all too well how mothers and fathers would risk everything to see their children make it out of harm's way even at the cost of their own life. Maybe that wasn't what happened, Taiyang knew that anything was possible. But his gut instinct told him that this child was an orphan.
"Alright well, Tai. Even if she is a baby, We have no idea what she can do. And Ozpin needs to know about her." Qrow went to grab his scroll, but Taiyang gripped his hand strongly. If Qrow had been low on aura, he knew his hand would be shattered and reduced to a pulp.
"No," Taiyang said strongly.
"Tai… she could be a danger. We know nothing about her!" Qrow protested, trying to free his arm but couldn't. He thought about kicking Taiyang, but that would likely hurt the baby, and that would just make Taiyang even angrier.
"And I know enough about Ozpin, that I wouldn't trust him with a kid!" Taiyang shot back.
"Ozpin isn't a bad guy Tai! Everything he does is to keep Remnant safe! And sometimes that means you can't be nice!" Qrow said, his face turning red. This argument was a familiar one, that the two had had many times in the years they knew each other while working under Ozpin. Taiyang had never made it into the inner circle like the Branwen Siblings, but he had been close. But Ozpin had deemed that Taiyang had too big a heart to be involved.
"We know she's a baby. And.." The argument was cut off as the babe reached out with her little hands. Qrow, having had his finger pointed at Taiyang, watched transfixed as the child grabbed his finger. She smiled widely and giggled, and Qrow felt an odd sensation in his chest. He had never been around kids, even disliked spending time with them. Yang was an exception because she was a cool baby, and didn't even put up much of a fuss. But at that moment, seeing such innocent eyes staring at him, and squeezing his finger. Qrow began having second thoughts about telling Ozpin about the child.
"What happens if she ends up being weird or is secretly part of that witch's scheme in some way?" Qrow's rational side was still struggling against the odd emotions.
"Then we will deal with it, but right now Qrow. She's just a baby, she has no home, no family. And I think she deserves a chance at a normal life. Besides, Yang could use a sister." Taiyang chuckled and Qrow chuckled, The babe chuckled and squeezed on Qrow's finger.
"Woah! Baby has grip!" Qrow winced at the sudden pressure on his finger, the baby cooed and relented on the pressure. Taiyang laughed at that, and shook his head, putting the baby in Qrow's arms. And lifted up the spaceship over his shoulder.
"I am thinking of a name," Taiyang said as he looked down at the roses, the spaceship had over. They were red like rubies. "Ruby," Taiyang said, testing the name out, and he looked over at the baby, she was still swaddled in the red blanket, that held a diamond-shaped crest with a curved s in it. The symbol was all silver, with floral engravings in it. It suited her, Taiyang decided. Qrow awkwardly held the baby as he got into the truck, and Taiyang deposited the spaceship into the bed of the truck. The truck was an old used vehicle he had bought, it was simply green, and while it didn't have fancy hovercraft like the vehicles in Atlas. He liked it, and much like all their technology, it was fueled by dust. That's how I know she is from space, none of our technology could ever go into space, Dust loses its powers as soon as it's too far from Remnant. But all those thoughts didn't matter right now, he had a new daughter. Then he heard barking, and turned around watching as what he had thought had been a blanket due to the dark knight, but as soon as he saw the floppy ears he let out a chuckle. "Seems I got two new members to my family." He couldn't make out the letters on the collar but figuring since the dog was the second new member, he would call him Zwei.
The dog growled at first until Taiyang pulled out some jerky, tail wagging. The dog got into the truck with them, calming down more seeing Ruby wasn't harmed.
"Why do I get the feeling things are only going to get weirder from here on out?" Qrow said sarcastically. Taiyang shrugged with a big grin, as they drove back to the farm.
Ten Years Later
It was a sunny day at the Xiaolong Residence. Out in the yard in front of the log cabin, Ruby and Yang were running around, while Zwei lounged lazily on the porch next to Taiyang. Qrow was out again on another hunting mission.
"Behold the might of Flex Mentallo!" Yang boldly declared making flexes with her child arms. Ruby gasped as Yang beamed widely. "The strongest man in all of Patch. Watch as he lifts the most adorable little sister in Patch." Yang gestured and Ruby giggled running to her sister, Yang lifted her sister up with one hand triumphantly. Flex Mentallo was an old-timey strongman, his recordings were often shown at the Smallville Carnival every year. And sometimes despite his protests, Taiyang would be requested to dress up as him in some scene recreations. It always annoyed Taiyang, when he called Trunks underwear that he wore over pants. But it was worth it to see his girls smile, Ruby in particular saw them as cool.
"Yeah well this little-" Ruby was cut off when she clutched her head, tears started pouring out. Taiyang immediately got up and Yang panicked putting her sister down on the ground gently. Zwei rushed over licking at her face, doing everything he could to comfort his master.
"Ruby it's okay. Just focus, breathe. It's going to be fine." Taiyang said, picking her up, holding her to his chest. Ruby panted as she could hear so many things, voices, monsters, machinery, and things she didn't understand. She gulped as her ear pressed against her father's chest, and she breathed in and out as she focused on his heartbeat and Yang's breathing. Eventually, the loud assaulting noises and things had quieted down again. Her eyes which had been glowing when she closed her eyes, dimmed down.
"Rubes?" Yang asked worriedly.
"I am fine. Just… I heard a lot again." She said her voice quietly. It's not the first time, everything is just always so weird for me. I have to go to school with contact lenses that make my eyes look blue. I am stronger than anyone I know, I can run really fast, hear all these things, and sometimes my eyes hurt, and whatever I look at burns. And then I can also see through things. Ruby felt like she was beyond weird. Yang always stuck up for her when those incidents happened, and Taiyang always brought her back down to earth. Uncle Qrow wasn't always around for these episodes of hers, but he always gave a good ear for listening.
"You haven't been practicing with them have you?" Taiyang asked her.
"No. I can't. Every time I do that, my clothes get torn up." Ruby pouted while Yang grinned in the background.
"What a shocking earful to hear," Yang said, trying to ease tension with a pun. Ruby and Taiyang laughed just a bit at the pun, Zwei continued to sit with his tail wagging.
"Well…" Taiyang sighed. "I was hoping to tell you when you were older. But these powers of yours, wouldn't call them a semblance. But they are getting more frequent. We do need to start training them." Taiyang carried her piggyback style to the large barn he had built next to their house. Yang hopped after them, carrying Zwei in her arms. "But I would rather you stay modest while practicing," Taiyang said as pushed the doors open with his kneecaps. Putting Ruby down he went over to what looked like a chain and began pulling. Yang and Ruby watched as the pulley system opened the door to the cellar that their dad had always told them to stay out of. He gestured for them to follow him, they each took a hand of his.
Walking down the cellar, it was lit by a single lightbulb, and a single object clothed in a tarp. "Girls. What I'm about to show and tell you. You can't tell anyone, it would be dangerous. Got it? Promise me you won't tell just anyone okay? Only those you trust." Taiyang insisted, and the girls nodded their heads, while Zwei chewed his own butt. Taiyang sighing took the tarp off in a clean motion, and the girls gasped seeing the spaceship that had carried Ruby to Remnant all these years ago. Though Ruby had no notion of this, she stared at it in wonder, as a kid she had always been fascinated by technology and weapons. And zipping around the device with excitement she could tell the spaceship was beyond advanced.
"Wow…" Ruby breathed in awe. "What is it?" She asked her dad with wide eyes filled with wonder. Yang looked puzzled at the spaceship, her mind thinking ahead. Dad never told us where he got Ruby, just that he adopted her. We're the same age… No, she couldn't be an alien… right? That sounds like a comic thing.
"It was the ship you came in so many years ago," Taiyang said gently, Ruby blinked and didn't believe it. Yang's jaw dropped as she heard that. "I know it sounds crazy, but this ship carried you here. I don't know where it came from except the sky. And it also had Zwei. But there's more." Taiyang pressed a button on the underside of one of the fins. And the cockpit opened with a hiss, and Taiyang took out a red blanket emblazoned with a symbol that felt familiar to Ruby for some reason. And a box with the same logo and Ruby gulped as she didn't want to admit what was being revealed to her. "Never could open the box, but maybe you could?" Taiyang handed the box to Ruby. But she didn't take it, instead, she ran.
"RUBY!" Yang screamed out as her sister ran away faster than she had ever seen her run. She was like a blur, gone in an instant. "WHY DID YOU KEEP THIS FROM US?!" Yang whiplashed back on her father, her eyes a blazing red color like her mother. "FIRST YOU DON'T TELL ME ABOUT MY MOM AND HOW SHE LEFT ME. NOW YOU KEPT THE FACT RUBY WAS FROM WHAT?! ANOTHER WORLD?! WHY?!" Yang yelled out. Taiyang gently placed the blanket and box down on a fin.
"You were both children. I wanted you to have a normal childhood. I was going to tell you both when you were fifteen. But Ruby's powers have only become more frequent. Do you think I wanted to lie? I had to, it protected you both." Taiyang stated. Yang opened her mouth to speak but Taiyang cut her off. "What would you have done if you were a toddler being told your sister was from another world? Do you think you could have kept a secret? If people knew about her, they would take her away. And do who knows what to her like those old vids you watch." Taiyang sat down on a metal chair, holding his face in his hands. "I am so sorry I had to lie to protect you. I am so sorry." He began crying into his hands, and the red from Yang's eyes vanished as she realized the pain her dad had gone through all these years. She walked forward holding his hands.
Everything was a blur to Ruby as she ran through Patch. Going through forests, she couldn't feel the branches as they hit her. Her mind was racing through everything, all her life she had felt like some kind of freak. Now she knew why, she screamed as she saw a canyon, she tried to stop herself. But instead due to the speed and momentum she had built up, she soared over the Canyon to the other side. Blinking she looked down, her shoes had been destroyed in the process leaving her barefoot. Ruby sniffled as she continued running, eventually stopping at a cave. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Why am I like this? Does that mean Dad isn't my dad? It's not fair. It's not- She looked down to see a familiar fuzzy head bumping her hand. It was Zwei, he looked up at her panting. Ruby's lip quivered as she picked her dog, hugging him to her chest. "Heh, so you're more like me than I thought." Ruby joked as she hugged Zwei, burying her face into his fur. "What do you think Zwei? Do you like being an alien dog?" She asked him. Zwei licked her face in response, and Ruby felt just a bit better. "I know dad didn't want to lie to me. But what am I supposed to do? I am an alien with these weird things happening to me? And I am not even a grown-up, this sucks." She laid back her ground on the dirty floor of the cave. Zwei snuggled up to her, laying on top of her. Ruby felt like she could stay there forever when her hearing acted up again. She gripped the temples of her head, but then before she could focus on shutting out the noise. A single word rang out amongst all the others.
"HELP! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP!" Ruby's silver eyes shot open wide. Looking around for the noise, she took Zwei off her. Then after a moment of pondering what she should do. Should I go to dad or… The voice cried out for help again, and there was pain in the voice. Ruby gulped and then straightening her little red shirt and black skirt, she took off running to the noise. As she focused on it, she found the other noises vanishing save for the cry of help. She kept running, willing herself to go faster and faster. She skid to a stop when she saw the cause for distress. A house was on fire, firefighters were on the outside doing their best. But the cry of help was coming from inside, staring really hard at the building to see where the cry was coming from, she began to see through the walls and saw a man trapped under rubble. Ruby knew she wasn't supposed to be noticed, but the man was in trouble. The firefighters couldn't get to him, and the house looked like it would collapse any moment. Breathing in and out, Ruby then ran, becoming a blur that the rescuers didn't notice as she rushed through the building. Gotta save him fast, gotta save him fast. Were the only thoughts going through her mind as she found the man and dug him out, the man's vision was blurry from the fumes and exhaustion, but he felt the rubble going away? Then before he knew it, he was outside on a stretcher. He had passed out at some point.
"Sir are you alright." One of the paramedics asked him while attaching an oxygen mask to him.
"I… I think so. I was trapped, but then I felt the rubble go away, and now I'm here?" He asked in confusion
"We found you next to the entrance, the firemen carried you here. Gotta say. You're one lucky person, sir." The man nodded and then went back to sleep.
Ruby heard all this from a distance back in the forests far away. The man muttered one last thing before he was out cold. "It was like being saved by an angel." Ruby blinked at that, and then she felt good. She had saved someone, helped someone. Looking down at her soot-covered hands, and the burned-up shirt and frayed skirt that had gotten a little torn by the windows she had rushed in through. She felt awesome like her powers weren't just something that meant she was a freak, they had let her help people. Ruby smiled and then felt a little guilty Dad's gonna be mad, he doesn't like me being noticed. Thinking even more about her dad, she felt scared and worried. She had run away so angry, did he hate her now? Zwei got her attention with a bark, and Ruby turned around looking worried.
"I guess I should go back huh?" She asked the corgi. He seemed to nod, and Ruby sighed. And began running, noticing that Zwei was not only keeping pace but was even faster than her. He led her back home with ease.
Once home, she noticed her sister and dad on the porch looking worried sick.
"Rubes!" They both cried out and ran over to her. Seeing the damage done to her clothes.
"I am sorry… I just wanted to help." She stammered out.
"It's okay," Taiyang said, picking her up, hugging her tightly. "I am just glad you're safe. That's all that matters." He said just happy to have her in his arms again.
"Did you get set on fire?" Yang asked, curious.
"I saved a man from a fire," Ruby admitted guiltily.
"That's awesome!" Yang said with a fist pump.
"Reckless and dangerous. But I am proud of you Ruby." Taiyang said with a smile. Ruby felt herself tearing up, they weren't afraid of her, they loved her.
"I am sorry I ran away." She hugged her dad back, burying her face into his shoulder.
"It's fine, you had every right to. I should have revealed it to you better. Now let's go get you changed, and then I will cook you and yang's favorite treats." Taiyang said carrying his little girl back to the house, Zwei and Yang followed after them.
It's like my sister is a huntress already. Yang couldn't be more proud of her sister than she was at that moment. Plus she was going to get her favorite sweet! Score!
After dinner was over. "So do you want to open the box now?" Ruby nodded a bit worried about what she might find inside. "Okay… well good luck I couldn't open it myself." Ruby reached for the box, and a glowing light glowed out of it as soon as she held it, the same symbol on her blanket and the box appearing on her forehead. Yang wanted to go help her sister, but her father held her back. "Just give her a moment Yang, she will be fine...She has to." They watched as Ruby seemed lost in another world.
Ruby looked around, it was like… she was on another planet. In a building with architecture unlike anything she had ever seen on Patch or on the shows that showed Atlas, she made a cooing noise when she saw Zwei back when he was a puppy. "Lin-El." Ruby turned around with whiplash seeing two adults, a woman that looked like her but taller and with longer hair, and a man with a strong jawline and firm but kind grey eyes.
"I am Ruby." She replied, feeling odd upon seeing the figures.
"Your name is Lin El. We are your parents. Sum El and Jor El. By the time this message reaches you if it does. We along with your home planet of Krypton will be long gone." Sum spoke and Ruby's throat felt like it was welling up. "The cause of our planet's demise was that it was never meant to last." Sum El smiled sadly.
"Your mother and I. We loved you so much. We wanted to be with you, but couldn't. And if this is still you, know this Lin. You carry the legacy of Krypton with you, but it doesn't have to be tragic or sad. Where there is life, there is always hope." Jor and Sum walked through Ruby when she reached for them to hug them, they weren't real. Her eyes followed them as they walked over to what looked like her pod, and held the box up.
"You and Zwei, and this ship and the blankets we put inside. Will be all that remains of Krypton. The people of the world known as Remnant. " Sum smiled as the hologram of her flickered. "Won't be much longer before we can't keep recording. So listen Lin. You will have great powers, some you may have discovered and others you may not have. The planet's yellow sun will make you one of the mightiest in the universe." Sum said with a chuckle. "They might be primitive and even violent people. But they have the capacity for good. We've seen it in them, so we sent them you. Our only child. My beautiful rose. They only lack a light to show them the way, you can be that light Lin El." Sum smiled at her.
"And no matter what happens. We will have always loved you." Jor El embraced his wife, and Ruby teared up, as the memory faded and she was back to reality. She was hugged by her sister and father and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"You okay?" Yang asked her sister with concern, Ruby nodded.
"I saw my homeworld and my parents…" Ruby admitted and they looked at her. "They weren't able to tell me much. Just that they loved me, and that I get my powers from the yellow sun." Ruby looked down at the blanket, picking it up. Her mind put together that this was her heritage. "Dad…" Ruby turned to Taiyang with a thoughtful expression. "I don't want to keep my powers locked up. I saved someone today, and the message they left me. I can help so many people, is it wrong that I want to keep helping people with everything I have?" Ruby looked up at her father.
"No, it's not wrong at all," Taiyang answered without hesitation. "I've only ever wanted you to be safe because I've been so grateful to have raised two amazing daughters. Ruby what you do with your powers and your life is your own. Not mine, and I've always wanted you to have the freedom to choose. I know you will make the choice you want." Taiyang smiled.
Ruby smiled back.
Yang felt a little odd that her sister was so special, but at the same time seeing that smile, honesty, and openness. Yang quashed those dark thoughts, and her dad had always treated her the same as Ruby. So she had nothing to complain about. "That's nice and all...but she really needs tougher clothes...don't want my little sister running around naked," Yang said joking and Ruby and Taiyang both glared at her. "What you know I am right." She said with a shrug.
"I actually have an idea for that." He looked at Yang. She nodded and raced off leaving Ruby confused, until Yang brought back the blanket, along with two other blankets, one was black and another was silver. "And Qrow laughed at me for taking home ec, but those sewing lessons are going to come in handy today. And Ruby I might need your help." He demonstrated this by taking a knife and stabbing hard at the red blanket with the s shield. Ruby watched in amazement as the knife shattered on the blanket. "They're as tough as you." He explained. Ruby nodded, but before Taiyang could get started Ruby held up a tiny hand. "Yes, rubes?" He asked.
"So this is something I will be wearing?" Ruby asked.
"Yes." Taiyang nodded.
"Can...I design it?" Ruby asked, putting her fingers together, with a small blush. Yang grinned with a teasing look at her sister, making Ruby pout and look away.
"Alright sure. Go ahead." Taiyang gestured to the notepad. Ruby dashed off and Yang got the crayons. Taiyang waited patiently as Ruby drew with assistance from Yang.
"This!" Ruby pointed proudly at her drawing. Taiyang raised an eyebrow as he looked it over. It was very simple in design. She wanted to use the red blanket as a cape, and he could make use of what he trimmed to make… "Ruby? What is this?" He said pointing to the drawing where there was red between the torso and legs, it was a child's drawing without much detail.
"Hehe wearing underwear over your pants?" Yang smirked like the cheeky big sister she was.
"They're trunks! Not underwear!" Ruby pouted and banged her tiny fists against Yang, but Yang laughed off the little impacts her sister was having. She knew Ruby wasn't angry and was holding back. It was still fun to tease her sister.
"Trunks? Why do you want Trunks?" Taiyang asked, confused.
"Well…" Ruby poked her fingers together. "The cape is cool because Uncle Qrow wears one all the time. But Trunks… You always look so cool when you have to play the part of a strong man dad." Ruby said with a beaming smile. And Taiyang felt his heart skip a beat from the praise, fatherly love welled up inside him and he nodded. And then looked at the other oddity on her drawing. The s drawn crudely on the upper part of the torso. It clicked in his mind when he looked at the red blanket. She wants that on her chest, hmm make it red with some inner silver filling the spaces. And keep the Diamond red as well. The boots and belt for the trunks could be made from the upholstery and seat belts from the spaceship. Another odd thing he did note about the materials was that they could stretch, so even if they ended up making a tiny suit, it could likely fit her later. After unraveling every blanket except the blanket, Taiyang began knitting a child-sized version of the drawing she had made, occasionally using Ruby's power to cut them with silvery beams of heat that emitted from her eyes, and using her immense strength with the boots and belt.
After several hours of working it to fit her small frame, Ruby was excited to try out the outfit. And when it finally fit, she beamed as she saw herself in the mirror. This was the start of something fantastic.
Two Years Later
Ruby was out in the woods of Patch running around in her suit, it had been retailored to fit her growing body, she likely wouldn't become as tall as Yang. But she was taller than she was when she was ten years old. Twelve years old, she had learned over the years that she had a few more abilities. Heat Vision was what she dubbed her power when she fired silvery beams of energy that could heat anything up and also cut through things. She learned to refine it by using reflective metals that could show her reflection from her spaceship, using them to cut her hair. She learned by accident that she had super-breath and if she tried hard enough, she could freeze things. When she learned how to see through things on purpose, she called it x-ray vision. Yang called her strong nature super strength and speedy nature super speed. The hardest part after learning how to trigger them was how to hold back. Right now Ruby was playing with Zwei. Her dog had the same powers she possessed, making a great sparring partner and just someone nice to hang out with. Yang used to help her out, but lately, she had become something of the cool girl at school.
"Oh hello, Qrow." Ruby paused as her super-hearing picked up her dad talking. She was about to cut out her super hearing to give her dad and uncle some privacy.
"We need to talk Tai. About Ruby." Qrow's voice was serious.
"What about her?" Her dad said defensively.
"I know what she's been doing around Patch. I've heard the stories about Patch's guardian angel." A sigh. "I thought we agreed she needed to keep a low profile, Tai." She could hear the familiar clinking of his flask.
"She has been. No one has really seen her, the most they ever see is a blur. Besides she is helping people, I am not going to punish her for doing something noble." Taiyang's fist could be heard slamming on wood.
"It couldn't wait until she decides if she wants to be a Huntress or something else?" Qrow asked.
"Ruby still has another year left before she decides what she wants to be. But what about you? You don't look like you've been sleeping well." Taiyang had worry in his voice.
"Honestly Tai. There are some days I want to quit like you did. Oh, sure the reputation gets me plenty of ladies. But the Grimm just don't quit coming. And people want Hunters to be everywhere. And Oz...well he says our job is to protect people by killing monsters. But everyone wants us to catch some criminal, stop a train from crashing. And if we're in the neighborhood then sure we will do it. But somedays it feels more like Oz and whoever else is in charge just tells us who to save and who not to save." Qrow sounded weary, and Ruby pondered that statement. She had thought of being a huntress for the longest time, and up until now the only thing really keeping her from deciding it was what she wanted for sure. Was the fact that she didn't have any materials strong enough to withstand her strength or abilities, She didn't even know how the rocket worked and didn't try to take it apart, having seen inside that the machinery would likely go haywire if she tried to do so. The upholstery and seat belts had been safe to tinker around with, but otherwise, the machine was unknown. But when she thought about not being able to save anyone whenever she could, only saving those that she was told to save. It just didn't sit right with her.
"Well at least you're no longer bringing strange girls home like that-" Ruby quickly shut off her super hearing, not wanting to hear about her Uncle's girlfriends. She then noticed it was starting to get late, the sun was setting, painting the sky a brilliant orange.
"Zwei let's go home." Ruby looked around for Zwei, but he was nowhere to be found. A barking noise came from him and she looked around. And her jaw dropped as she saw Zwei floating in the sky. He can fly?! Can I fly? Ruby looked around the forest, trying to think how she was going to get up there. She saw some cliffs and backed up a good distance. She ran as fast as she could and jumped as high as she could, and came close to touching Zwei who was so high in the sky. But she ended up falling. Grunting she tried again and again, but each time she failed ten different times. As the sky started to turn to night, blue creeping in. Ruby began running, her mind drifting to her parents of krypton, her family, and how she felt so driftless in life when she didn't know what she wanted to do. She closed her eyes as she jumped, clearing her mind, willing away all thoughts at that moment. Focusing on the sensation of free-falling, and then the falling stopped. Ruby opened her eyes seeing herself floating in the air. She let out a triumphant yell, as she flew towards Zwei, willing herself in his direction. Zwei barked and flew away, Ruby laughed as she chased after her dog, and they flew through the sky around the outskirts of Patch, around the coastline, as the day finally became night. And at that moment all Ruby knew was that she could fly. And it was the best thing in the world.
A few months later, Ruby knew time was fast approaching when she would either become a huntress or choose to go to regular school. The only problem I have is what do I want to be when I graduate from normal school? What will help me do the most good in the world? Ruby Xiaolong can't be the one to go around saving people with her powers, that would expose the people I love the most. I want to look at weapons, they're so cool. But most weapons shops are just limited to one kingdom, I need a way to keep up to date with the world, sure I can listen but the only time I can distinguish anything is by being familiar with their voices. I saved that one guy long ago because I lived on Patch for so long, I recognized it. Ruby sighed as she flicked on the tv. On the tv, the local news network of Smallville came on. "In other words. Beyond our little island, in Vale. Renowned Journalist Lisa Lavender has quit her job at the Central Vale Network. She has been quoted as saying. 'Truth should always be first and foremost. Truth illuminates the dark, it can hurt but can also save. And I will not be shackled by people that want to cover it up, and prevent it from reaching everyone who needs to hear it.' Only time will tell if her pet project, The Daily Planet will take off." Ruby blinked as the commercials cut in, that sounded neat but. Then a commercial came in for Atlas' Tomorrow Academy.
There standing was James Ironwood, he was clean-shaven, taller than even her father. Dressed in an all-white uniform, his hair was dark black with streaks of grey. "Here at Tomorrow Academy, bright minds can come from all over the world. We make leaps in technology, weapons, and understanding the world better. Come join us, and make the world a better place for tomorrow." There were stars in Ruby's eyes as she imagined all the possibilities, she knew what she wanted now. She leaped for joy at the thought of becoming a science-based girl, maybe she could even start to understand her rocket, or create cool tools or weapons. The possibilities were as limitless as her powers!
A/N: And that's the patch years. The next we see Ruby, it will be five years later. And the true debut of Superwoman.