By the time Ruby had reached Beacon's inner courtyard, the itch was gone again, and the anger all but disappeared. Ruby was just upset now, with a few tears threatening to burst free as she leaned back against a wall, staring at the top of Beacon Tower. What had possessed her to say those things; to Weiss, of all people? Sure, Ruby was upset that Weiss and the others hadn't come back for her, but she also understood that Weiss had taken charge of the situation and made sure everyone else had gotten away safe. So why had Ruby said all of those things? She hadn't meant any of it; and she had NOT meant to make Weiss cry like she had.
'Sorry doesn't fix what you did. Ruby is gone, and I hope it haunts you for the rest of your life.'
Ruby squeezed her eye shut, and grit her teeth together as the words played back in her head. She hadn't wanted to say it; but she had been so angry. Like seeing Weiss had flipped a switch in her head and turned off any filter that she had.
"DAMN IT!" She said as she opened her eye again, slamming her closed fist against the wall.
She stood there for several minutes, not wanting to move, not wanting to do anything except stare up at the faintly glowing green lights that adorned Beacon Tower. But after a few minutes, the tears went away, and she was able to focus on what she was supposed to be doing. Shaking her head, Ruby's gaze rested on the door of the tower, and she let out a short huff before she casually strolled across the courtyard. Again, there wasn't anyone around, and as she reached the door, she narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the old-fashioned lock. Ozpin had always insisted on keeping older, more traditional locks on the building, liking to be able to keep the keys to the door on his person at all times. Something that seemed to be in his favor for this occasion.
Ruby grumbled to herself, a bit annoyed by the situation, then pulled Crescent Rose off her back before she smashed the door off its hinges, sending broken glass and twisted metal flying into the lobby of the CCT Tower.
"Keep me out, will you..." Ruby muttered before she made her way inside.
The lobby was pretty dark, with most of the lights being off at this time of night, there were only a few things on that gave the place any semblance of having any power at all; but as Ruby silently made her way to the elevator banks and called one of them, she couldn't help but crack a smile as she stepped into the quickly arriving elevator. A sense of irony came over her. As Ruby rode the elevator to the top of the tower, she quickly realized how only a few years ago she had been riding up the very same elevator after Cinder had broken in, in an attempt to steal several secrets that Ozpin and Ironwood had hidden in the CCT Network. Back then, Ruby was still unaware of all of the things she knew now and was severely inexperienced. But now? Ruby was on the opposite side, doing almost exactly the same thing Cinder had once done. Here she was, breaking into the academy, intent on stealing information about the Maidens and Relics, only this time, there wasn't anyone who was going to stop her.
As the elevator dinged and reached the top floor, Ruby pushed herself off of the wall and cracked her knuckles as she prepared to meet with the man she was now siding against. The elevator doors slid open, revealing the massive office that Ozpin had at the top of the tower, and Ruby narrowed her eyes as she stepped out, her feet feeling the massive vibrations of the huge, intricately designed clock that was both built into the ceiling and floor of the office. The large desk on the other side of the office was practically clean, with only a few nick-knacks littering the surface, and as Ruby looked at the large, black, leather chair behind it, she felt her blood heat up in anger as she saw Ozpin hunched over, reading a few papers.
"Glynda, what is it now? Is something the matter?" Ozpin asked without looking up from what he was doing.
Ruby stepped out of the elevator silently, with her boots quietly thumping against the glass floor as she folded her hands behind her, eye glowing a faint mixture of orange and white. She couldn't help but crack a smirk under her mask as she approached the desk. Ozpin didn't seem to notice the fact that Ruby wasn't who he thought she was at first, at least, not until Ruby stopped walking and clenched her fists, her leather gloves tightening and squeaking quietly. The man looked up from his papers, then blinked several times before he looked at Ruby with a look of confusion.
"You're not Glynda. Who are you, how did you get in here?" Ozpin asked, a hint of anger in his tone.
Ruby let out a muffled chuckle, looking at the back of her hand a bit before she shook her head. "You know, you really need to invest in better security. It's so easy for someone to just waltz in here."
Ozpin sat up straight, his hand reaching for the cane that leaned against his desk as he narrowed his eyes at Ruby. "You did not answer my question. Who are you?"
"Who are the other Maidens?" Ruby asked simply, eye shining brightly in the faint green light that bathed the room. "Tell me who they are, now, and nobody gets hurt."
Ozpin blinked several times, taken aback by the bluntness of the question, before he raised an eyebrow, a bit curious as this stranger's voice started to seem familiar. "Straight to the point then? I see..." Ozpin said before he pushed his chair back and stood up. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Leave now, before I do something that neither of us will like."
Ruby let out a low growl as she tightened her fists again, then slammed one of her fists onto the glass desk, causing it to crack. "Don't play games with me Ozpin! You know exactly what I'm talking about; tell me what I want to know, or I swear to the Gods, you will wish I were dead!"
Ozpin's eyes widened significantly at that, the color draining from his face for a moment before he tightened his grip on his cane. "Ruby? We were told you were dead. I'm glad to see that is-"
"Don't patronize me old man!" Ruby snarled before she ripped her mask off, showing the scarred side of her face to the man. "I didn't come here to play your damn games. Who are the other Maidens? Winter, Spring, Summer; who are they and where can I find them?"
"Miss Rose, please... calm down. You need to relax. I'm sure once you calm down, we can talk about this peacefully," Ozpin said, taking a few steps around the desk so that he was standing in front of Ruby. "Your teammates will no doubt be glad to know you are safe; now please..."
Ruby's muscles tightened a bit before she sped towards Ozpin and slammed him into the large glass window that encased the office. "Shut up! If you think that smooth talking your way out of this will keep me from kicking your ass, then you have another thing coming. I am done playing along with you. You lied to me! For three years! Everything I've ever done for you, all of it, was a lie! You lied to me, my team, my friends... my mother! She died because of you; because you were too much of a coward to tell her the truth about Salem! About how she couldn't be killed..." Ruby was practically screaming at this point, her fist tightening its grip on Ozpins jacket. "I trusted you, and you lied to me the entire time! I hate you, you lying son of a bitch! The only reason I don't kill you is because I know you'll just come back. And I want you alive to watch as everything you've built is burned to the ground."
Ozpin was quiet the entire time Ruby yelled at him, his calm demeanor not fading at all, despite the fact that he was deeply concerned about what had happened to Ruby in the last week. She wasn't one to outwardly show anger in such a way, and yet, she seemed to be absolutely enraged.
"Ruby... please, what happened to you? Please, calm down. This isn't you; this isn't the young woman I have known for the last three years. Who has told you all of this?"
Ruby narrowed her eye and glared at Ozpin for several seconds before she let a smirk form on her lips. "Take a guess, Ozma. Who do you think could have told me about the Maidens and the Relics?"
Once again, Ozpin felt himself go pale before he slowly shook his head. "Ruby... Listen to me. Whatever she has told you... whatever she promised you-"
"She told me everything; while all you've ever told me was a damned lie. She told me that if I get her the Relics, she'd help me get revenge for everything and everyone you've ever hurt. Including the death of my mother. Now, I'm only going to ask you one more time," Ruby said before she raised a hand, a large flame floating in her palm as she threatened the man. "Who. Are. The Maidens?"
"You have the power of Fall..."
"Bingo... Now tell me what I want to know, or I'll raze the entire academy to the ground." Ruby growled, the itch pulling at her again as she got more annoyed.
"Ruby... please, don't do this. This is not a path you want to take. She is just going to use you until she gets what she wants. And when she has the Relics, she will toss you aside," Ozpin pleaded.
"Don't you dare talk about her that way," Ruby sneered. "My Queen has already promised me anything I could ever want, all I need to do is this simple task in return."
Ozpin sighed and hung his head, hearing Ruby address Salem in that way clearly showing how wrapped around Salem's finger she was now. "I see... In that case, I am truly sorry about everything. I only hid the truth from you because I wanted to give you some sense of hope. I did not want to see such a pure and innocent soul be subjected to such pain."
"You lied, plain and simple, to save your own ass."
Ozpin sighed, then lifted his head to look Ruby in the eye, a sad look on his face before he closed them again. "Raven Branwen, a woman in Atlas named Fria, and... I do not know who the Summer Maiden is. Now go... Do what it is your 'Queen' has tasked you with," Ozpin said with venom in his voice.
Ruby stared at Ozpin for several seconds, studying him as if he was hiding something, then let him go with a shove. "You're lucky, Oz. If I didn't want you to watch everything crumble around you, you would be a dead man."
Ruby turned and pulled her mask back on before she started walking away, heading towards the elevator with heavy footsteps. As she pressed the call button, she looked over her shoulder and glared at the man for a moment.
"Goodbye Ozpin... I hope it was worth it; lying to everyone. Because when I'm done, there won't be anything left to hide any of your damned secrets," Ruby stated before entering the elevator, the doors closing behind her.
Ozpin let out a sigh as he walked over to his desk and leaned against it on his arms, his gaze resting on the courtyard beyond the large window. "What have I done..?"
When Ruby finally made her way back inside the school from walking across the courtyard, she had thought that the hardest part of her evening was done and over with. After dealing with Ozpin and getting the names of the Spring and Winter Maidens, it was supposed to be a cakewalk. Just ride the elevator down to the vault under the school, grab the Relic, and get out again. But what she found when the elevator door opened up made her have to drastically change plans.
When the elevator doors slid open to show the long, darkened hallway that led to the door of the vault, Ruby was greeted by all three of the other members of Team RWBY. They all had their weapons drawn and ready, and they all looked determined to stop whoever was supposed to come out of the elevator. Ruby let out a sigh as she stepped out, her hands at her sides despite the fact that she was more than likely about to have a fight on her hands. Seeing as she was betting on them NOT knowing who she was quite yet, she decided to play the role of someone who the three Huntresses did not know. Smirking under her mask, Ruby clapped her hands slowly several times and let out a loud laugh.
"Well, well, well... Team RWBY; Beacon's best and brightest, here to stop me themselves, huh?" Ruby paused and watched the three for a moment. "I must say, I am impressed. And a bit touched that Ozma would send you three of all people to try and stop me."
Yang was the first one to do anything as Ruby kept on advancing, her careful and slow steps echoing throughout the hall. The blonde made a show of intent as she primed both gauntlets of Ember Celica, shotgun shells sliding into place loudly as she balled her fists and brought them up to her face.
"That's as far as you go Ruby... Ozpin already told us everything. You're not getting the Relic, not while we're still standing."
Ruby stopped walking and hung her head, letting out a sigh as her cocky demeanor faded into one of regret. So much for that plan... She shook her head as she reached up and pulled her mask off, dropping it to the floor wordlessly as she looked at her team. Her lone silver eye looked over the three of them for several moments before she decided to break the silence.
"I guess that's it then, isn't it? I can't convince you to just let me through, can I?" Ruby asked as she looked past the three to the large golden door at the other end of the chamber.
"Ruby, enough. This is stupid, why on Remnant would you choose to work for Salem? After everything she's done? She's the enemy!" Weiss said, her eyes still a bit red from having cried earlier. "Stop this, come home with us, please."
"And why would I do that, Weiss? Salem has promised me the world! Anything and everything I want, and I can have it. Even now, I have power that makes me practically unstoppable. And with My Queen, I can have so much more... siding with Salem is one of the best decisions I've ever made," Ruby explained with a wide grin.
"Your Queen? Ruby, listen to yourself; this is crazy! Nothing good can come from this, she's using you. Can't you see that?" Weiss pleaded, lowering her rapier to the floor with a scowl on her face. "Just listen to yourself; you sound like Cinder."
Ruby's grin quickly turned to a glare as she let out a loud growl. "I am NOTHING like that bitch! Cinder was weak, a poor petulant child who constantly failed and wallowed in self pity because she thought she deserved the power she had. The only thing she 'deserved' was getting her ass handed to her when I stole the power of the Fall Maiden from her. A power that I intend to put to use to fulfill the task I have been given. And I'll be damned if I let you three stand in my way," Ruby said as she pulled Crescent Rose from behind her and unfolded it to its full form.
Yang and Blake looked to each other for a moment, frowning before they readied their weapons. But before any of the three made a move, Yang had one more thing she wanted to try, to try and get her little sister to see just how insane she was acting.
"Ruby... look at yourself. Look at what you're doing, seriously. You're ready and willing to hurt your best friends, your own sister to work for Salem and do what she wants," Yang paused then took a couple of steps forward, being careful not to make any sudden moves. "If you really are wanting to do this, to fight us, just ask yourself one thing. What would Summer say if she saw what her daughter was doing right now?"
Ruby's calm and cool demeanor to the situation all but vanished at that; with the young Huntress/Maiden snapping her attention to Yang like a rabid animal eyeing a target. Her singular working eye narrowed significantly as her anger welled up, and she tightened her grip on Crescent Rose before she forcefully slammed the blade into the floor. The action was enough to make the three teammates get tense as Ruby's gaze swept over the three of them, and as Ruby cracked her knuckles, they couldn't help but get the feeling that something had snapped.
"What would Summer think...?" Ruby repeatedly softly, in a tone that sounded almost devoid of any emotion but rage. "You don't have the right to say her name. She wasn't your mother, Yang," Ruby said as a large fireball formed in the palm of her hand. "You still have your mother! Your mother wasn't sent to her death by that lying bastard! Don't you ever say her name, Yang!" Ruby yelled as she hurled the flaming orb towards her team.
Both Blake and Yang ducked quickly as the scorching ball flew over their heads and slammed into the floor a few meters behind them, then looked back to Ruby as she sped towards the three of them, kicking at Blake before she enveloped her fist in a thin coating of heat and swung for her sister. A shadow clone lost its upper half as Blake opened fire with Gambol Shroud a few feet away, and as Yang grabbed Ruby's fist, she gritted her teeth and groaned.
"Ruby! Stop it! I don't want to hurt you!"
All Yang got for a response was another fireball sent towards her as Ruby ripped her hand free and punched her older sister in the thigh, making Yang flinch quite a bit as she doubled over briefly. The other two members of the team noticed, and Weiss couldn't help but feel a terrible feeling in her gut as she realized that Ruby was somehow strong enough to make Yang, of all people, flinch from how hard the red-head could hit now.
"Monochrome!" Weiss yelled out loud as she started summoning up a glyph, the massive hand of her Gigas Knight soon reaching out as it pulled itself into the world. Arm and torso followed quickly after, and soon, the towering figure brandished its sword and took a swing at Ruby, the flat side of the massive blade striking her and sending her flying several feet as she had been too busy grappling with Yang to notice.
By now, Blake had had enough time to enact her side of the cooperative attack, having set up a few shadow clones to be where Ruby would land. The clones softened Ruby's landing quite a bit, but before Ruby had a chance to get up, the four clones exploded into a large plume of fire and smoke, dealing a massive blow to Ruby's Aura as she lay on the floor. When the smoke cleared, she was still laying on her stomach, eyes closed and looking like she had been knocked out. The three teammates all looked at each other several times, unsure if they had beaten their team leader, and as Weiss readied another glyph, Yang held up a hand and took a few steps towards Ruby, her face plastered with a look of concern.
"Ruby..? Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"
Getting no answer, Yang felt a knot form in her stomach as she bit her lip, concerned that they might have overdone it. The blonde stared in silence for several seconds, then leaned down as she stopped next to the unmoving form of her sister, placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder to gently roll her onto her side. But Ruby made no signs of movement, whatsoever; something that severely started to scare Yang, who looked to the others as panic started to set in.
"Guys, I think something's-"
Yang was cut off as her throat was suddenly grabbed, Ruby's eyes snapping open as she growled and held her sister by the throat. When Yang turned her head back to look at Ruby, her hands clawing at the one holding her throat, she was shocked to see that Ruby's good eye wasn't silver. It was a deep, blood red in color and Ruby had a look on her face that resembled that of a killer.
"You shouldn't have done that..." Ruby growled as she climbed to her feet, holding Yang the entire time. "That really hurt me."
"R-Ruby, stop... please. Don't do this," Yang begged.
"Save your breath. I'm done playing games, Yang," Ruby snarled before she threw Yang at Blake, the blonde colliding with the Faunus in a heap as Weiss was left to watch the scene.
Ruby brushed herself off as she rolled her shoulders, looking over her teammates before she turned towards Crescent Rose and started walking. Her hand yanked the scythe out of the floor as she walked by, and within a few moments, she was standing in front of the large door to the vault as it started to open.
"I'm taking the Relic now... If you want to live, stay the hell out of my way."
Weiss could only stand in shock as Ruby entered the door and retrieved the golden crown that rested upon a simple glass pedestal. As Ruby came back out, Weiss was tempted to try and stop her, but as she looked over towards Blake and Yang, she shook her head and dropped her rapier to go help them; which left Ruby to leave unhindered as she left her teammates in the dark hallway.
"Goodbye... Team RWBY..." Ruby muttered as she re-entered the elevator.