Chapter 50
Ruby had very rarely found herself alone during her stay. Yang, Sun and Blake rotated out daily and Coco would often drop in with some snacks. Weiss tried to visit at least once a day, though she understandably could not always make it. It was the most social ruby had been in years, and she was extremely bored of being bedridden. Thankfully, the day had finally come when she would be released from the hospital. She just had to wait a few agonizing hours.
"It was kinda' nice wearing a gown." Ruby shrugged. "At least I had an excuse not to wear underwear."
"How fortunate." Blake rolled her eyes.
"I need to get new underwear though." Ruby added. "I always put it off because it's expensive, but I'm down to like five pairs."
"The horror." Blake deadpanned.
"Do they make underwear for people like you?" Ruby asked.
"Not really." Blake replied.
"You know, Coco might be able to help with that." Ruby suggested. "Want me to ask her?"
"If you like." Blake allowed.
Ruby finally looked over at Blake, finding her borderline napping in her chair, head tilted back toward the ceiling. Ruby stretched to poke her in the nose. "Blaaaaake!" She whined as the Faunus smirked. She looked so much younger when she smiled. Ruby often forgot they were only a few years apart, Blake just seemed worn and tired a lot of the time.
"I'm listening Ruby." Blake insisted.
"Have you been getting enough sleep?" Ruby inquired. "Or even a little less than enough? Is Yang keeping you up?"
"I haven't gotten enough sleep in a decade." Blake answered. "And your sister has kept quiet enough, at least at night."
"Is she okay?" Ruby pressed. "She won't tell me if anything's wrong."
"Your sister is fine Ruby." Blake declared. "Loud and full of herself. She hasn't ditzed herself into a coma."
"Oh, she's making you mad." Ruby guessed.
"I'm not mad!" Blake exclaimed.
"When you're mad you get a little divot in your cheek." Ruby observed as the divot deepened. "Yang can be a little loud and proud sometimes, but she's not trying to make you mad."
"I know she isn't trying to make me mad Ruby." Blake sighed.
"Good, because I love you both and I know you'll be good friends eventually." Ruby smiled. "Even if there's some growing pains just...she's always done her best for me."
"I know Ruby, I don't doubt that." Blake nodded.
"It's like with me...she'll grow on you...like moss." Ruby joked.
"Or a parasite." Blake countered.
"Aw, I burrowed into your heart!" Ruby giggled.
"Now you're being insufferable." Blake complained.
"Well, I am a parasite." Ruby noted.
"One who cannot walk." Blake observed.
"I can roll!" Ruby cheered.
"Stairs." Blake warned.
"I will drag myself up them if I have to." Ruby said. "It's a good workout."
"Hmm...in the meantime, you will have us to carry you." Blake offered.
The tapping of heels drew attention to the door, just as Weiss poked her head in. "Is everyone awake?"
"No." Blake grumbled.
"I could be dreaming, but I'm still in the hospital...and everyone is wearing clothes." Ruby smirked.
"How horrid." Weiss rolled her eyes.
"But not for long!" Ruby interjected.
"Excited then?" Weiss asked.
"Insufferably so." Blake answered for Ruby.
"Blakey can't wait." Ruby added. "She was telling me how much she missed me." She reached over to pull Blake into a hug. Blake did not resist, nor did she reciprocate, staring down Weiss, daring her to comment as she swayed to and fro.
"So it seems." Weiss commented. "Unfortunately this is not entirely a social call. I have a favor to ask you."
"Well, I can't run away from it." Ruby joked.
"Subtle." Blake groaned.
"Thank you." Ruby grinned.
"You're in no way obligated to do this Ruby, but after a selection process I have found your...successor." Weiss explained.
"Oh, oh, does she know uh…" Ruby fumbled.
"She understands the risks, yes…" Weiss opened her mouth to continue, then let out a sigh, stepping closer. "I...would rather not place anyone else in that position, but there are some tasks Penny cannot complete."
"To my deep regret." Penny suddenly spoke. Blake jumped in her seat, scowling at the little projector that had flickered on, displaying Penny's holographic avatar, looking bashful atop the bedside table.
"Your assistance is greatly appreciated nonetheless Penny." Weiss praised.
"Is it listening to us at all times?" Blake asked.
"I passively monitor many departments and individuals in order to facilitate assistance at a moment's notice." Penny explained. "Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee among them."
"Ensure I am exempt from this monitoring." Blake demanded.
"I shall do my utmost!" Penny's avatar saluted.
"Yang will be taking Jaune's position, security as a whole has been overhauled." Weiss explained. "I...I'm doing everything in my power to keep you all safe."
"I believe you Weiss, I know this was…" Ruby paused. "Really out of the ordinary. Besides, if it didn't happen to me…"
"Yes...yes I know...even still." Weiss frowned. "I feel a more friendly face would help assuage some worry. Ilia is a lovely individual, I'd like her to feel welcome."
"Won't seeing me kinda' do the...opposite of that?" Ruby worried.
"It will be a shock at first, yes, but you're you Ruby, I have faith you'll do a better job than anyone to help settle her." Weiss responded.
"Well if you have so much faith in me I guess…" Ruby agreed. "When do you need me?"
"I'm going to pay Winter a small visit...fifteen minutes?" Weiss suggested.
"I'll be up on my feet by then." Ruby smirked.
Weiss laughed breathlessly. "Thank you Ruby."
"Anytime bestie." Ruby cheered. Weiss rolled her eyes, accepting a hug from Ruby, before straightening, giving Blake a nod and leaving. "Well, I guess I'm going back to the scene of the crime."
"Are you comfortable with that?" Blake asked.
"It'll be weird...I wonder if I have an outline there." Ruby thought aloud.
"That makes no sense Ruby." Blake noted.
"Let me dream Blakey." Ruby pouted.
"You dream enough for the both of us." Blake observed.
"I wish I didn't." Ruby sighed.
Blake blinked, Ruby paled, her silver eyes bulging for a moment before she swallowed and let her head fall back onto the pillow. "How long?"
"A...a week or so?" Ruby answered.
"Do you remember?" Blake inquired.
"No, just...I feel things, it's not really clear." Ruby tried to explain.
Blake stared at her for a moment before reaching for her hand. "Nothing you entrust me with leaves this room Ruby, I promise you."
Ruby sighed. "I don't want to worry people with 'what ifs'."
"Then forget everyone else, I'm here now." Blake insisted.
"I'm scared." Ruby admitted. "When I have them, I wake up scared, and my legs hurt. But I still don't remember, and I'm scared that when I do it'll change me."
"It might, almost certainly." Blake nodded.
"What if I don't ever recover?" Ruby asked.
"Then whoever you are...I will love you all the same." Blake promised. Ruby bit her lip, meeting Blake's golden gaze, intense and unblinking. "I'm going to find the people who did this Ruby...I'm...I'm working with Weiss. You can't talk to anyone about me anymore, to anyone we don't already know. It's not safe."
"What are you going to do?" Ruby inquired.
"Anything it takes." Blake replied. "Starting with security. It's pathetic it's…" She let out a soft snarl, taking a deep breath. "The less I tell you the better."
"Please don't keep me in the dark." Ruby implored. "What if something happens to you?"
"It will be long overdue." Blake declared.
Ruby sighed, planting a kiss on Blake's knuckle. "Just...come home, please."
Blake's hand clenched. "Technically, it's Weiss' home."
"Blake…" Ruby pleaded.
"I will find the people responsible for this." Blake bit.
"You don't have to put yourself in danger for me Blake." Ruby insisted.
Blake huffed, standing. "I wish that were true. Now come on, let's get you dressed.
"I need a shower first." Ruby flipped off the blankets, shuffling around.
"You smell fine." Blake countered.
"You're just saying that." Ruby accused.
"Ruby." Blake sighed, smiling, warmly this time. She leaned down to plant a kiss on Ruby's hair. "You smell like home."
Ruby breathed in the frigid Atlesian air, the slight scent of pollution almost welcome compared to the stale anesthetics of the hospital ward. Her arms burned as she pushed herself forward, reminding her of the journey ahead. Once upon a time, she could have done a handstand without breaking a sweat. Now a trip across the connecting bridge from the hospital to SDC headquarters was a challenge, even with the undoubtedly high end wheelchair bearings making her efforts as efficient as possible.
Weiss had not provided a motorized wheelchair, though she had offered to push. Ruby could not blame her for the lapse, not when her friend felt so responsible for her current situation. She was only trying to be respectful. She had asked for a favor, and Ruby could only guess how hard it was to manage.
The building loomed over Ruby as she entered for the first time in over a month, following Weiss through the metal detector and offering an apologetic smile when it inevitably went off. A quick look from Weiss saw them on their way. Security was definitely heavier, though not overtly oppressive. A few Knight drones were stationed in standby mode around the foyer, their sky blue faceplates cool and unassuming. For the first time Ruby noticed real sidearms in the security guards' holsters in addition to the usual tasers.
As casual as the SDC dress code could be, Ruby felt very out of place in her hoodie and jeans. It was common to see men and women in well pressed suits or modest dresses. Meanwhile she had barely done more than accept Blake's nails through her hair. Being in Weiss' company had already drawn many eyes, her brief stint on television had done much to spread awareness of her identity, and the news of her incident had only expanded her notoriety. At least her legs, or lack thereof, were hidden beneath the hospital blanket. Her anxiety could not handle more looks of pity.
After a brief elevator ride, the doors opened with a ding. As Ruby rolled out behind Weiss, the first thing that caught her attention was not the movement off to her side, but the newly repaired floor before her. A stylized rose mosaic marked the spot where the blast had occurred. At least she presumed that was the spot, as she still could not remember any of it. She felt a lump grow in her throat.
"Ms. Schnee." An unfamiliar voice spoke.
Ruby's attention snapped upward, first noting Yatsuhashi had taken Jaune's place at the security desk, his attention focused pointedly on his paperwork. A few meters away, Weiss was shaking the hand of a girl almost as short as she was. Olive skinned, with deep brown hair tied in a modest bun and a dusting of freckles across her cheeks, she was cute, Ruby thought. There was a nervous smile as the girl shook Weiss' hand, reminding Ruby of her own during their first meeting. It seemed so long ago now, but it had barely been a few months. Hopefully the new girl would have a smoother tenure.
"Ilia Niji, Ruby Rose, your predecessor." Weiss had turned back to Ruby, drawing Ilia's gaze to her for the first time. Ruby saw a flicker of surprise, quickly stifled as she offered her hand once more.
"It's good to meet you Ms. Rose." Ilia greeted. Ruby could not help but laugh as she accepted the handshake. Ilia's eyes were blue, paler than Weiss', and her hand was cool, almost clammy.
"Ruby, please, my mom's Ms. Rose." Ruby joked. She wondered if her smile was overly tight or jittery. Her mind felt like it was running on a lag since arriving, as if social interaction with a stranger was completely alien to her. She needed to be better than this.
"Of course, Ruby." Ilia nodded.
"And don't let everything intimidate you." Ruby added. "Weiss is only half as scary as people think."
"It's not too late to fire you." Weiss grumbled.
"Hmm, technically I was fired already, just in a more literal sense." Ruby grinned.
"Har har." Weiss mocked. To her credit she managed not to wince obviously. "You two enjoy yourselves. We will speak later, Ilia."
"Yes ma'am." Ilia agreed.
Weiss nodded, sending another grateful smile to Ruby before turning on her heel, greeting Yatsuhashi politely as her office door swung open, then shut behind her. There was a brief moment of silence, Ilia clasping her hands behind her back. Ruby realized she was in a position of authority. This was a recipe for disaster.
"Uh, well, I'm gonna' be honest, this is the first time I've ever one this, so it's gonna' be a little rough and not really professional, but I think that's kinda' par for the course in this position anyway so...welcome to the SDC!" Ruby rambled. "We have a very big employee guidebook and benefits, and everyone says you should read it, but I don't think anyone actually has...except maybe Weiss and Velvet, maybe Pyrrha and Ren...oh, you'll meet them at some point! They're close friends with Weiss, more like family really. This place is kinda' like a family, or at least this part of it." She laughed, not entirely from nerves but mostly so, as she pushed herself past Ilia. The new desk looked similar but bulkier, and was visibly anchored to the floor. There was no longer a gap beneath it. "This will be your home, mostly. Looks kinda' intimidating but honestly most of my time here was spent talking to Jaune and Penny, and buzzing people through. Oh, Jaune was the security guard before and Penny, hey Penny!" Ruby waved to the display screen featuring Penny's chibi model, waving back.
"Hello Ruby!" Penny cheered. "And hello Ms. Ilia! Welcome to the SDC!"
Ruby watched Ilia's wide blue eyes flicker between the screen, herself and Yatsuhashi, before she suddenly straightened her posture, expression shifting to a mask of pleasant amusement as she chuckled. "Sorry, uh, thanks Penny." Ilia managed. "This is all a little sudden. I'm honestly still trying to get a handle on things. A few weeks ago I was in Mistral, in the middle of a warzone. Now I'm standing in the SDC with Weiss Schnee shaking my hand."
"Oh, don't worry Ms. Ilia, I have it on good authority that the glamour wears off after a week." Penny encouraged. "Until then I hope to facilitate pleasant interactions. Please do not hesitate to call upon me if you ever have questions. I will be happy to help!"
"I appreciate the offer Penny." Ilia thanked her. "Perhaps we could talk in person at some point."
"Oh, I'm afraid that would be quite awkward, as what equates to my person is a server cluster in a high security vault in a sub-basement." Penny explained.
"Penny's good company." Ruby refocused the conversation. "Part of the company really. Treat her kindly and she'll treat you kindly, 'kay?"
To her credit, Ilia only looked surprised for a moment, smiling warmly, her freckles tinting a shade of pink. "Of course. Sorry, your speech is very realistic Penny."
"Thank you!" Penny exclaimed.
"Penny will handle the busy work." Ruby continued. "It's easy for her. We, well you, handle the physical element. That includes some paperwork, ferrying stuff, and making coffee...which is kinda' the most important thing to stay on top of. Weiss is really picky about it." She wheeled her chair past Ilia. "The whole floor was apparently a penthouse at some point, so we have a full kitchen-" The elevator chimed, the doors opening to reveal Velvet. "Hey Velvet!"
"Ruby, nice chair." Velvet complimented. "Is it new?"
"Oh, probably, knowing Weiss." Ruby chuckled. "Have you met Ilia? She's my replacement."
"I expected I would at some point." Velvet replied. "Velvet Scarlatina, head of the SFO." She offered a hand to Ilia, who took it smoothly.
"Ilia NIji, pleased to meet you." Ilia beamed.
"Most people are the first time." Velvet smirked. "We'll have to talk later, for now I have an argument to start. Ruby?"
"Oh, Ilia, good practice, little control pad on the left side." Ruby pointed to the desk. "The red button transmits to Weiss."
"No phone?" Ilia asked as she circled the desk.
"When you get your earpiece it'll hook into that, but as is, there's a little speaker." Ruby explained.
Ilia let out a silent ah, then pressed the button. "Ms. Schnee, a Ms. Scarlatina is here to see you."
"Thank you Ilia, send her right in." Weiss responded as her office door audibly unlocked with a clunk.
"You're a natural." Velvet smiled. "Oh, and here." She pulled a container from her pocket, rattling it toward Ruby. "Yang said you forgot these. How are your legs feeling?"
"Minor throbbing, I'll live." Ruby accepted the container, slipping it into her hoodie pocket. "Thanks Velvet."
"Take care." Velvet smiled, turning away. She nodded to Yatsuhashi before pushing her way into the office, the door shutting and locking behind her.
"I'm sorry if I'm keeping you from your recovery." Ilia apologized.
"Hah, please, I've been cooped up in the hospital for who knows how long." Ruby scoffed. "It's driving me nuts. I'm actually going home later today."
"Sounds like a relief." Ilia observed.
"It'll be nice to sleep in a real bed again." Ruby confirmed. "I was done with hospital mattresses long before this...but anyway, kitchen!"
Ilia followed and listened as Ruby took her through every cabinet and appliance, all freshly stocked and ready to use. Ruby explained that Ilia was free to use it to her heart's content, before demonstrating Weiss' particular expectation for her coffee. It was kind of cute, Ruby thought, seeing Ilia try to tamp down her nerves and focus. Her freckles had a tendency to pulse with little flashes of pink and red before fading back to their usual muted brown. It reminded her of Blake's ears, expressive, beautiful, and very much off limits for comment.
The tour moved on, the pair riding the elevator down the second floor. Ruby rolled forward, plastering on her brightest smile. "And here is where SDC employment really pays off!" She gestured to the dining hall, bustling with people still shaking off the morning dust. "You'll get a daily stipend here, and the food's great! Anything you could want at the swipe of your ID."
"Do they have Mistrali cuisine here?" Ilia inquired. "And takeout?"
"Yep, it's probably the most popular." Ruby answered. "They do these curry dumplings that are amazing. Maybe a bit strong on the nose though."
"I'll keep that in mind." Ilia nodded.
"You hungry?" Ruby asked. "I'll treat you!"
"I'm still quite full from breakfast, but thank you Ruby." Ilia declined.
"Well, that's kinda' it then I guess." Ruby noted. "The rest of the company you'll probably visit through your normal responsibilities. Weiss took me around a little and Penny gave me directions whenever I needed them...oh and there's the gift shop!" Ruby pointed across to the other side of the area, where what seemed to be a moderately sized storefront was operating, the SDC logo emblazoned across its glass front.
"Gift shop?" Ilia arched her brow, moving to approach the display as Ruby followed.
"I mean, it's kinda' a gift shop." Ruby shrugged. "And also an SDC vendor. We get great discounts on company stock." Ilia stopped before the front window, leaning down to inspect the snowflake-emblazoned drone vacuum cleaners stacked there. "I have one of those, well, a limited edition one. They're pretty silent."
"Limited edition vacuums?" Ilia asked.
"Yeah, there's all sorts of limited stuff." Ruby confirmed. "Come on, I'll show you." She rolled herself inside, Ilia just behind her. She had not visited this particular store before, but had passed it a few times during her lunch excursions. She figured it was mostly the same as other SDC outlets, though the decor was a bit darker, with the white granite of the dining hall giving way to black, all polished to a mirror sheen.
"You're kidding me." Ilia spoke from behind Ruby, who turned to see the Faunus staring at a shelf of plush toys. Plushies of Weiss.
"Oh yeah, those are super popular apparently." Ruby observed. "The grumpy ones sell like hotcakes. Ilia reached out, picking up just such a grumpy plushie Weiss, a look of amusement coloring her features as she examined its pouting form. It was cute.
"They're half off for employees!" Ruby cheered.
Ilia smiled. She looked cuter when she smiled.