At first, Ruby could have sworn that the previous night had all been a dream. That was her initial thought as she awoke to feel soft sheets beneath her. She creaked open her eyes and the dream theory was immediately thrown out the window once she deduced the color of the ceiling didn't match the one in her own apartment.

She rubbed her eyes as she sat up in the bed, and that's when she noticed that she was practically naked, dressed in only the pair of boxers she was wearing the night before and her bra. She instinctually covered her chest as she squeaked. However, as her hands contacted the skin on her chest, she became aware that something was enveloping them. Ruby held them in front of her face and saw that they had bandages wrapped around them, and the same could be said for her knees now that she looked.

Her mind went blank as she couldn't recall why she would need the wrappings until it all came flooding back to her.

That's right…I tripped and scraped my hands and knees…

But the only ones around when she had fallen were…

Ruby's heartrate quickened as she realized that those two…people…had probably taken her somewhere and patched her up after the white-haired one did…something to her. She was terrified of the possibility of meeting them again. After seeing what they did to people, every instinct in her body told her to leave this place as soon as possible.

Resolving to do just that, Ruby swung her legs over the bed and stood, perhaps too quickly as a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her. She stuck her hands out to her sides to steady herself before trying to walk. She took in her surroundings.

The room was modest in it's furnishing, with little more than the bed, nightstand, and a dresser up against the wall. Ruby opted to check all the drawers on the off chance that her clothes might be stashed away in one of them. No such luck. She sighed in frustration before turning to the only door in the room. After approaching it, she placed her hand on the doorknob.

She hesitated before saying a silent prayer that those two women weren't on the other side.

Ruby gradually pushed the door open and was surprised to see an apartment not so different from hers. A kitchen connected to a living room furnished with a couch and a couple of chairs. A bookshelf inhabited one of the walls. A hallway directly ahead of her led to what she assumed was a bathroom and another bedroom.

Ruby wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.

Despite this, she determined rather obviously that it wasn't worth dwelling on as she scoured for a possible exit. Once again, her eyes landed on the only door in the room, next to the kitchen. She would have preferred to find her clothes first, but whatever embarrassment she might experience by walking out into the hallway with only a bra and boxers was certainly preferable to whatever fate could meet her here. Last night had made that very clear.

Thankful that the floor was carpet, she tip-toed towards the door, her eyes flicking towards the hallway every so often to determine that it was still vacant.

Her hand brushed the doorknob.

"I sure hope you don't plan on walking out dressed like that." A smooth, velvety voice pierced her ears.

Ruby shrieked, her feet actually leaving the floor as she jumped in fear. She whirled around, once again using her arms to cover her chest.

Standing in the hallway was the black-haired woman, Blake. She had a hand on her hip as she tossed a smirk Ruby's way.

Strangely enough, the first thing Ruby noticed was that Blake's hands were no longer covered by gloves, exposing marred and wrinkled flesh. It was like they had been stuck in a fire. It was a stark contrast to the paleness of the rest of her skin.

Blake stepped out from the hallway and stretched out her other hand, revealing that she was gripping Ruby's clothes, which were neatly folded.

Ruby stared at her for what felt like an eternity. Was she…giving Ruby her clothes back? Was she tricking her?

But she didn't move as she waited patiently for Ruby to take them. Her eyes never left Ruby's.

The redhead decided to take the chance and shakily began making her way over to the woman, who only raised an eyebrow at the girl's hesitance. It rose higher as Ruby snatched the clothes as fast she could and dashed out of the room towards the bedroom she woke up in. Blake silently sat in one of the chairs as she waited for Ruby to get dressed. She couldn't stop a small chuckle escaping her lips when she heard a yelp and a loud thump emanating from the bedroom.

Soon enough, Ruby emerged dressed in the red t-shirt and jeans she had been wearing the night before. The only difference was the bandages covering her hands.

"Um…" She started, pressing her forefingers together. "Did…did you bandage me up?"

Blake nodded.

"Um…t-thank you…"

Ruby didn't know what she was doing trying to start a conversation with this person. As far as she was aware, Blake had, quite literally, tried to eat her last night. She couldn't help but think of the young boy she saw die, his neck and face covered in his own blood. That would have been her if the other woman hadn't stopped Blake.

That was something that she still didn't quite understand. Weiss had mentioned something about her eyes. Ruby knew her eyes were a unique color, but her mother's eyes had been silver too. They all just assumed it was some special gene or something. None of them had really questioned it.

"You can sit down if you want."

Blake's voice cut through Ruby's thoughts like a knife and again she yelped. After a moment, Ruby plodded to the seat across from Blake and sat down. She was coiled like a spring, ready to bolt at even the slightest stimuli.

"Are you scared?" Blake asked, her voice as monotone as monotone could get.

"A-Am I allowed t-to say yes? I mean…y-you did try to e-eat me l-last night…" Ruby couldn't stop herself from stammering. She was terrified of saying something that might offend Blake and make her want to try again.

"I'd call you stupid if you weren't. I know I would be." Blake said, a small amount of amusement sparkling in her eyes. "After all, it's not every day you're sitting in a seat across from a vampire."

Ruby flinched at the word. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been thinking it.

I mean…what else do you call a person that drinks blood…?

But the rational, logical part of her told her that it wasn't possible. Vampires weren't real/ Fiction, stories, legends!

But she knew there was no mistaking what she saw last night.

Ruby tried to become one with the chair when Blake suddenly stood and began sauntering across the room towards her. She pulled her feet onto the cushions of the chair and tried to become as small as possible.

The smirk on the vampire's face only grew as she towered over Ruby, grabbing the armrests to lean closer to her. She grinned, teeth and all, exposing the two fangs inhabiting her mouth. Ruby whined as she fruitlessly tried to push herself deeper into the chair.

"You say you're scared, but y'know…" Blake leaned so close that her nose and Ruby's were almost touching. "I saw the way you shivered when I touched you last night. Got close to you like this."

Ruby found herself hypnotized by eyes of molten gold, eyes that never flickered or flinched.

"Did it excite you?" Blake chuckled at the horrified look that came across Ruby's face.

The redhead forcefully shook her head. Of course she hadn't been excited, she'd been terrified!

Suddenly, Blake leaned past her face and blew a puff of air into Ruby's ear, making the girl tremble against her will.

"Liar." Blake purred.

"Blake, I'd awfully appreciate it if you didn't give the girl a heart attack."

Ruby's head snapped to the door, where none other than Blake's companion, Weiss, stood with perhaps the most unimpressed expression on her face. Eyes half-lidded, lips curled in a frown. Ruby hadn't even heard the door open!

"Buzzkill." Blake said, retreating from Ruby and returning to the chair she had previously been sitting in, never taking her eyes off of Ruby.

Weiss rolled her eyes as she dropped some plastic bags onto the kitchen counter before making her own way into the living room. Ruby observed how she carried herself almost regally, back straight, chin up, and gait purposeful. She walked like royalty. Dropping onto the couch, Weiss's eyes flickered up and down over Ruby's form as she twisted her mouth, as if she were figuring out what to say. Finally, she sat up straight and placed her hands on her knees.

"I am sure that you have a number of questions for us. However, I am going to give you an explanation before you ask." She said coldly, not leaving any room for argument.

Ruby silently consented, really not wanted to piss this lady off.

"Firstly, let's get the painfully obvious out of the way. We're- "

"I already told her." Blake cut her off with a shit-eating grin on her face.

Weiss scowled without looking at Blake. "Okay, then. Moving on, you're probably wondering why you're even alive right now." Weiss waited as Ruby nodded. "It's both simple and…not so simple. Put plainly, you have a gift. A very powerful, dangerous gift that prevented us from killing you last night."

Ruby blinked, confused. "A…a gift?"

Weiss nodded curtly. "Yes. You're eyes. They're color alerted us to the fact that you possess this gift."

"Wait, wait…what is this "gift"?"

Weiss shrugged. "Honestly, it depends. Every person who has had eyes like yours have had a different ability. But in one way, they're all the same: with it, it's very hazardous for any vampire to try and kill you or do anything with you, really. The only reason we were able to is because it was clear to me at least that you didn't know you had this power and therefore did not know how to use it."

"But…if you did something to me…why didn't you just kill me?"

"There wouldn't have been much point. If the current holder of the power dies, it is transferred to a random newborn child. The power would remain on this earth."

"O-Okay…"

Ruby really couldn't believe what she was hearing. An ability? Like a superpower? This was unreal, too unreal. She had never felt like a special girl. She was average. Normal.

"A-Alright, so…so let's say I b-believe this…"

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"W-What does this p-power mean? Like…why do you care?"

The white-haired woman sighed as Blake side-eyed her.

"Because there exist vampires that would very much like to have your power. That is…they want to use it for themselves. If they got hold of you, it wouldn't just be vampires in danger. Everyone on this planet could be put at risk."

It wasn't the implication of the enormity of this power that caught Ruby's attention.

"Who's…who's 'they'?"

Weiss's response was instantaneous. "The Collective."

Even Blake, who had been still and quiet up until this point, shifted uncomfortably in her seat, pursing her lips.

"A group of vampires that are powerful. Very powerful. Not even Blake and I, powerful vampires in our own right, would stand a chance one-on-one."

It was hard for Ruby to comprehend that. She had seen small demonstrations of what Blake and Weiss could do last night. Incredible speed and strength, enough to hold a full-grown young man a few inches off of the ground. Ruby had experienced that raw power personally, pinned to the ground with both of her wrists trapped in one hand.

And Weiss was telling her there were those even more powerful?

"If you discover how to tap into your power, and they get a hold of you, there's no telling the destruction that could be wrought."

Weiss let that hang in the air for Ruby to absorb. Ruby could tell looking into those blue eyes that she was deadly serious. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and, in the midst of her explanation, she had leaned forward and clasped her hands with her elbows sitting atop her knees. Something told Ruby that she wasn't lying. This was real.

"Alright…I believe you…I guess. So…what do we do?"

Weiss seemed to actually perk up for the first time since she had entered the apartment, evidently pleased that Ruby believed her.

"There is a vampire even older than Blake or me, much older. I've heard talk that he may be the oldest vampire on the planet. If anybody knows how to help you harness your power or, even better in my view, take it away from you so nobody can use it, it would be him."

"Okay, do you know where he is?"

Weiss's expression changed and made clear that, if she had blood in her, she would have blushed in embarrassment. "Well…no, no we don't. But I do believe I know someone who does."

If the situation hadn't been so evidently serious, Ruby might've laughed in disbelief. But it was, and she didn't. instead she rubbed her forehead.

"And I guess we have to go to him, huh?"

Weiss nodded.

Ruby sighed. "Okay…just…just let me call my sister, and- "

"Bad idea". Blake seemed to have a habit of interrupting people. "If The Collective finds out about you, they'll be able to figure out everything else about you. Where you work, where you live, who your friends and family are. If they even suspect they know that you have this power, there aren't many lines they won't cross to find you."

Ruby felt a surge of anger in her, and for the first time since this whole ordeal, she glared at her captors.

"Are you serious?! You're dropping all of this on me and now you tell me that I have to leave my sister in the dark about this?"

Blake met Ruby's glare with a flat expression. "If you want to keep her safe."

"…can't I at least leave a text for her…or a letter?"

Weiss and Blake shared a glance before Blake turned back to Ruby and nodded. "A letter would be better. The Collective has just about every resource in the world. They could probably get into your phone if you text your sister."

Ruby obviously wasn't happy about this, but it was better than nothing at all. Another question popped into her mind.

"Are we just driving to this guy you know?"

Weiss and Blake looked at her with blank looks on their faces.

"Do you even have a car?"

They both looked away from Ruby at that one, Weiss examining her nails while Blake pointedly stared at the wall behind Ruby.

"Can you two even drive?"

Her only response was Blake whistling.

Ruby groaned and ran a hand through her unkempt hair. For some of the most intimidating people she had met in her entire life, it was a little hard for her to believe that they didn't know something as basic as driving a car.

She finally sighed. "Alright. I know some friends who would probably let me borrow their car. But I need to stop by my apartment to get clothes and stuff…depending on how long this takes."

"I'm surprised at how you're taking all of this. You seem…rather calm." Weiss remarked.

Ruby just shrugged. "I saw what I saw last night. I don't have a reason to not believe you. And if doing this means I can go back to my normal life with my sister, I'm ready to do whatever it takes."

As Ruby packed the last of her clothes into the small suitcase, she took a moment to look at her home one more time. She had a hunch that it would be a long time before she was back, and that hunch was enough to make her heart feel heavy. Her gaze landed on the small picture that sat on her nightstand.

Her father stood tall in the photo, his blonde hair, peach fuzz, and blue eyes bringing back memories of better times. He had his arm wrapped around her markedly shorter mother, her dark hair and silver eyes making her an almost exact copy of Ruby. Or rather, Ruby was an exact copy of her. Both of her parents had their common friendly and loving smiles. The other side of the frame was much more chaotic. Yang had a playful, full-toothed smile on her face as she had partly curled her arm around Ruby's neck, her wild blonde main partially concealing her lilac eyes. Ruby had a tuft of her older sister's hair in hand, pulling as hard as she could.

But now it was just her and Yang, and they would be apart for a while.

She made her way through the small apartment, passing by the note she had left on the kitchen counter for Yang.

Yang,

It's Ruby. I tell you a lot right now, and I'm really sorry. I wish I could, but if I did you could get hurt, and I can't let that happen. You'll just have to trust me.

I'm going to be gone for a while. I promise you that I'll be safe, and I'll be home as quick as I can. I have people with me who are going to help me get back to you.

I love you so much and I can't wait to be back home with you.

From your favorite little sister,

Ruby

Ruby stepped out of the apartment complex and approached the SUV that was idling on the street, with her two new companions inside. Blake occupied the front seat, gloves back on her hands that were curled around a book. Weiss sat in the back, staring out the window. It was obvious that there were a lot of thoughts going through her mind.

Ruby took one last look at the building before throwing her suitcase in the backseat and climbing into the driver's side. Blake looked up from her book.

"Alright." Ruby said firmly. "Let's go."