(The following is a hypothetical reboot/reimagining of the Rooster Teeth series "RWBY." It takes place in a separate continuity, using characters, places, events, and elements from the original series in different ways. Enjoy!)
RWBY Ultimate
Season One - Episode One
"Red Hood"
Establishing shot: We are shown a broken moon; a quarter of its surface scattered in pieces, floating not too far from where they originally snapped off. Pan down to show the planet this moon orbits. Narration begins.
RUBY: (narration) This is Remnant. It's not perfect. Or quiet. And it can be pretty dangerous most of the time. But… it's home.
Push in on the planet. The shot fades into a map of the world, showing the various kingdoms and the different landscapes that accompany them, giving the viewer an idea of the climates common to those areas (mountain ranges, snowy areas, etc).
RUBY: I mean, sure… Remnant is no paradise. We've definitely seen our fair share of wars and tragedies and... general suffering. But it wasn't always like that!
Illustrations appear on screen. They show lush landscapes, images of nature (rainforests, waterfalls, mountains, etc), and prosperous, idyllic kingdoms. Each illustration selling the viewer on how amazing Remnant is. We also see depictions of the people that live there; the humans, animals, and faunus. The narration continues as the images are presented.
RUBY: Apparently, Remnant used to be a pretty chill place. A place where humans, animals, and… everything in between… could live in peace together. No war, no pain... It was pretty much as close to paradise as you can get! But then… the Grimm happened.
The illustrations transition to far darker images. They depict the peaceful-looking world being overrun by large, darkly colored animals. Giant wolves, snakes, birds, spiders, scorpions, and bears make up the depictions of the demon looking creatures as they lay waste to the once beautiful landscapes and attack humans.
RUBY: No one knows where they came from, but these terrifying monsters began laying waste to Remnant. They stalked the night, destroying everything in their path; literally feeding on human despair and suffering. And to make things worse, their appearance led to in-fighting among all the people! Wars broke out. People died. Everything sucked. For a second there, it seemed like the human race was officially doomed. But then…
The screen goes dark. We are then greeted by the image of fierce warriors, bathed in light, carrying large weapons (swords, shields, axes, knives, etc). They are shown fighting off the grim and protecting the people being attacked. Some of them are also depicted using superpowers (shooting fire, freezing the Grimm, etc).
RUBY: We fought back! Suddenly, humans and faunus from all over the world rose up to fight the Grimm. Each one born with incredible powers that they used to hunt the monsters and take 'em down for good! These special powers were named 'Semblences,' and the warriors were called... 'The Huntsmen!' Using their amazing powers to protect the innocent… and keeping Remnant safe from the looming threat of the evil Grimm! Because that's what you do when your home is under attack… you defend it!
The last illustration shows a picture of a wooded area late at night. This drawing fades into a real location, a forest with extremely tall trees, bushes all over, and a muddy ground. The night sky shows the cracked moon and a million stars.
RUBY: And so, the tradition of the Huntsmen carries on to this very day, with each new generation of warriors trained to keep the monsters at bay and the people of Remnant safe and sound. (pause) Though, I'll admit, they're not always on the ball. For example, you'd think a girl would be able to just go on a stroll through the woods without having to run for her life from a pack of ten-foot wolves, right?
Suddenly, intense 'chase music' starts playing and a young girl in a red hood falls out from a bush. Aside from the hooded cape, she is dressed in all black. Her eyes are a bright silver. She has short black hair that is dyed red at the tips her bangs. She stumbles for a moment before running full speed in one direction.
RUBY: But nope.
A pack of ten-foot wolves burst into the scene, coming from the same direction the girl did. We get a good look at the snarling monsters (dark spiked fur, huge fangs, demonic masks covering their foreheads and eyes, red claws) before they continue their pursuit of the girl. The chase cuts between the girl and her pursuers. She jumps over bushes and leaps from tree branches, but the wolves relentlessly rush towards her, smashing through anything in their path. Finally, the girl comes to a dead end; a cliff leading to a hundred-foot drop. She stops just before going over the edge and then faces the forest, nowhere else to go. The wolves emerge from the foliage, licking at their teeth as they slowly encroach on their cornered prey. The narration continues.
RUBY: You know, if this were a different kind of story, this would be the part where the small, helpless girl is ripped apart and devoured by the wolves.
The girl smiles, reaching for a weapon that is behind her back, clipped to her belt. One of the wolves pounces, claws extended to slash at the girl. The wolf is then cut in half at an incredible speed. Its form is split right down the middle, each half flying off in different directions past the girl. We get a good view of the girl's weapon, a huge scythe that she holds out in front of her. She casually spins it in her hands, a cocky expression on her face. The pieces of the slain wolf lay on both sides of her, before fading away into a black mist. The rest of the pack growls and snarls at her, before leaping forward. The girl jumps high into the air, turning around in mid-air to stare down at her attackers with a confident look. The scene goes slow-motion, the girl's form backlit by the broken moon. On this shot, the narration reaches its last line.
Ruby: Lucky for me, this is not that kind of story!
(TITLE CARD / THEME SONG / OPENING CREDITS)
We open back on fight, now moving at a normal speed as the girl flips the scythe in her hand and it suddenly resembles an assault rifle, which she uses to barrage the wolves with bullets. Ruby then descends on the wolves and uses her scythe/gun hybrid weapon to quickly dispatch every single one. Although, she does not go unscathed. She takes damage from the fight; getting scratched in some places, leaving claw marks and holes on her clothes and on the cape that hangs from her red hood. But for the most part, she effectively slices through every Grimm that had previously been stalking her, leaving them all to fade away into black mist. When she is done, she lets out a short breath, folding her scythe and placing it back onto the holster on the back of her belt.
RUBY: (not narration) Heh, not a bad workout. Now, better get home before dad kills me.
Ruby begins to walk away, only for the shot to change perspective. We are now seeing through the eyes of a wolf that is currently stalking Ruby. It lurches towards her and we hear its growls and heavy breaths. Finally, it leaps toward her and we are shown her face as her eyes go wide and her mouth drops open. She reaches for her weapon, but it is too late. The shot changes back to a third person perspective. The Grimm's claws are inches from her face when… BOOM! The Grimm is shot in mid-air, thrown backwards off the cliff that Ruby was standing by. We see its lifeless body bang against the cliff's rocks on its way down, before also fading into a black smoke. Ruby looks down to watch this, then her eyes dart back up to see where that shot came from. Close up on a golden glove that is smoking from a small hole; indicating where the shot was fired from. Standing there is a blonde, blue-eyed girl, wearing a pair of golden gauntlets on her hands. She looks a bit older than Ruby and is dressed in orange and brown. The blonde girl brings the glove to her face, blowing on the barrel of her weapon with a confident expression. She then raises an eyebrow at Ruby.
RUBY: Oh, hey, Yang! Nice night, huh? (laughs nervously) Very breezy.
YANG: Mhm. Is that what you really wanna talk about, Roob? And not the fact that you almost got gutted by a Grimm? You're welcome for saving you, by the way.
RUBY: Pfft, as if! I totally had it under control! I just took out an entire pack of 'em!
YANG: Yeah, I saw that.
RUBY: And? (pause) What'd you think?
YANG: You missed one.
RUBY: (groans) How did you find me?
YANG: I saw you leaving the library. I was going to follow you onto the bus and surprise you, but I guess you decided it'd be more fun to take a walk through a foggy, wet, monster-infested forest, huh?
RUBY: You're not gonna tell dad, are you?
YANG: Ruby, you know I have to.
RUBY: (upset) Oh, come on! Please don't! We can make a deal! You cover for me this time and I promise to cover for you the next time you scratch the motorcycle! Or sneak a new pet into the house!
YANG: Ruby, as much as I love to lie for you; and as much as I extra love having you lie for me, I'm with dad on this one. I promised that I'd always report back to him if you ever almost got yourself killed. It's out of my hands!
RUBY: But I-
Ruby sputters for a moment, then resigns herself with a sigh. She crosses her arms and begins walking with Yang back into the forest, the two headed for home.
RUBY: He's gonna kill me.
YANG: Oh, don't worry so much, Ruby. I'm sure dad isn't going to be nearly as mad as you'd expect
We cut to a close-up of Taiyang Xiao Long, looking incredibly frustrated.
TAIYANG: (yelling) What were you thinking!?
YANG: Oh, never mind. He is way angrier than I expected!
Third person view of three characters in a kitchen. Yang is sitting against the kitchen counter, Ruby is sitting at the kitchen table, and Taiyang is standing over Ruby. Taiyang resembles his daughter Yang; blonde and blue eyed, dressed in tan colors.
TAIYANG: Walking through Grimm infested woods!? Fighting an entire PACK of them by yourself!? Are you insane!? You could have gotten hurt! Or worse! Plus, you lied about where you were going! Which makes this extra bad! What happened to 'I'm going to the library?!'
RUBY: I didn't lie, Dad! I did go to the library tonight! I even took the bus into town to be safe. I just… decided to take a little… shortcut through the woods on my way back.
TAIYANG: A shortcut? Really? Cause from where I'm standing, it seems like you were looking for a fight! Why else would you have brought your scythe with you to the library?!
RUBY: For… general protection. There are- uhh- muggers and pickpockets in the city! I needed something to defend myself! I am a very small girl, dad!
TAIYANG: So, you had no intention of trying out your new toy on some Grimm?! None at all?!
RUBY: Crescent Rose is NOT a toy, Dad!
TAIYANG: Ruby, you-!
YANG: (interrupting) Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up. Crescent Rose? Is that the name you decided on?
Ruby nods at Yang, sheepishly.
YANG: That is a badass name! You high five me right now!
Ruby's eyes light up and she extends her hand out to high five her sister. Taiyang blocks it.
TAIYANG: (to Yang) Not now! (he turns back to Ruby) Ruby, how many times have I told you? If you see a Grimm, you run the other way! You do not engage. You don't fight! You are not a huntress, you are fifteen!
RUBY: (angry, whining) So? So what? When I'm Yang's age I'll be going off to Beacon or Haven or Atlas- and I'll be fighting Grimm all the time! What's the difference if I get a head start a little while earlier?!
TAIYANG: Ruby, that's not how it works! You're still very much a kid and there is a lot you don't understand! Now, you may very well get into one of those schools and I know you'll see your fair share of action... But that is still a long way away. You have three years until you can even qualify for the entrance exams!
RUBY: That's why I'm making sure I get some real field experience under my belt! Imagine how much of an advantage I'll have if I'm the only kid applying who has actually fought a Grimm!
TAIYANG: Ruby, you don't become a huntress by just throwing yourself at monsters! That's why I enrolled you at Signal!
RUBY: Ugh! I'm not learning anything at Signal anymore! I'm better than everyone in my class... including the teacher! I need something that's really gonna hone my skills!
TAIYANG: Ruby, if you want to 'hone your skills,' you can just spend some more time in the gym. Or spend more time sparring with Yang! Hell, spar with me! I may be getting older, but I still have some tricks I can teach you!
YANG: It's true. Yesterday he taught me how to whistle through my nose.
TAIYANG: Yang, you are NOT helping.
RUBY: Dad, you are underestimating me, okay?! I beat those Grimm today and I didn't-!
TAIYANG: (cuts her off) What about the one your sister had to take down?
RUBY: (looks to Yang) You told him!
Yang gives Ruby a remorseful nod. Ruby looks down, steaming with rage. Taiyang lets out a sigh, kneeling down to put his hand on Ruby's shoulder.
TAIYANG: Ruby, I'm sorry. I get it. You want to get out there. You want to be a part of the fight. But you're just… not ready, kiddo. Someday. But not now.
Taiyang stands, grabbing Crescent Rose from the table and holding it under his armpit.
TAIYANG: Now, I'm taking this for a while.
RUBY: But Dad-! I'm the one who built it! You can't just-!
TAIYANG: (interrupting) It's not forever. I'll give it back to you when I feel you're ready for it. Now, you should get some rest, okay?
Ruby is clearly upset, crossing her arms, and leaving the kitchen without saying another word. Taiyang leans against the kitchen counter beside Yang, looking emotionally drained from the conversation.
TAIYANG: (sighs) What am I gonna do with that kid?
YANG: (nods) Yeah. It must be tough when one of your kids is a wild child.
There is a pause.
YANG: By the way, I crashed the motorcycle.
TAIYANG: (turning to her, shocked) You what?!
Cut to Ruby in her room, laying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. Her face carries a sullen expression. There is a dog (a grey Welsh Corgi) on the bed with her, sleeping on the pillow beside her head. She turns to her left, petting the dog and smiling as he stirs in his sleep. She then turns to her right and sees the picture on her nightstand. It is a framed photo of Ruby (at age seven) standing next to her mother. She grabs the picture and pulls it towards her; a first person shot indicates that she is focusing on her mother's happy expression in the photo.
RUBY: I don't know what he's mad about, Mom. I technically did what he said! I ran away! I didn't want to fight but they cornered me, you know?
The shots alternate between Ruby's expression and the photo of her mom. Ruby sighs.
RUBY: Okay, fine. Maybe I didn't actually try that hard to get away. Maybe I was looking for a fight. I just wanted to try out my new weapon! That's all. You would have done the same thing!
There is a pause, Ruby's expression droops a bit more.
RUBY: No. No, you wouldn't have. You only fought when people needed your help. Unlike me. You had nothing to prove. It's why you're my hero.
Ruby places the photo back down on the nightstand, turning to lay on her back once again.
RUBY: Okay, fine. No more playing huntress. For dad's sake. And mine, I guess. I did almost get gutted today.
Ruby glances over at the photo one final time
RUBY: Night, Mom.
She turns off her desk light and the whole screen goes black. The next scene starts on the same exact shot of Ruby in bed, only it's morning and she has spread out on the mattress in a strange way, showing she stirred a lot during the night. She is snoring VERY loudly. We see Zwei is not there and we can hear him barking in the background. Suddenly, we see a hand come in from off screen and flick her on the nose. Ruby suddenly wakes up, startled. She lets out a little 'ouch,' before the shot switches to Yang staring down at her with a bright smile.
YANG: Rise and shine, Roob! Let's get going. You promised that you would go shopping with me today! Remember?
RUBY: (groans) Nooo… That wasn't me. That was 'awake Ruby.' She's always making promises I can't keep.
YANG: Come on, lazy butt! A promise is a promise... is a promise! Get up!
RUBY: (rubs her eyes, sits up on the bed) Okay, okay. I'm up! You're worse than Zwei.
We then see Zwei (the dog) leap onto the bed and start licking at Ruby's face. Ruby laughs, trying to push him off. The scene cuts to Ruby opening her closet and picking out an outfit. We see that most of her apparel is defined by the colors black and red. She completes her ensemble with her hooded cape; the fabric still having holes in it from her battle the night before. Cut to Yang crossing the living room towards the front door of the house.
YANG: Heading into town! Borrowing your wheels! Love you, Dad!
TAIYANG: Try not to crash this bike too please.
YANG: (yelling back as she leaves) I'll do my best!
Ruby steps up toward the door, then turns back to face her father. They share simultaneous apologetic looks with one another.
TAIYANG: Kiddo, before you go. I'm… sorry for yelling at you last night.
RUBY: No, don't apologize. I get it. You were worried about me.
TAIYANG: I was. That's kind of my job. Though… I bet that you laid out those Grimm no problem, huh?
Ruby smiles, glancing at the floor.
TAIYANG: Make no mistake, I am proud of what you can do. But… you can't use your skills to justify unnecessarily running into danger. Okay?
RUBY: Okay.
TAIYANG: Okay. Have a fun day with your sister!
Ruby offers him a smile and leaves, the characters exchanging 'I love you's' with each other. The next shot is Ruby climbing up on an orange motorcycle with Yang in front at the controls. The two are then seen speeding down the road towards a small town far off in the distance. The shot transitions to a view of Yang parking her bike just outside the city gates. The two enter through an arch with the words "Welcome to Cliffside" posted on it. It is a quiet little town that houses a library, town hall, and multiple 'mom and pop businesses' all crammed together in a small space. The pair walk through the town square. Yang is wearing a backpack and glancing down at a piece of paper in her hand.
YANG: Okay, so the first thing on the supplies list is 'school uniform.' Not thrilled about having to wear one of those, but I'm sure I'll make it work.
RUBY: Uh huh.
YANG: Wow, there is a lot of stuff on here. This is probably gonna take us all day. Maybe we should have some breakfast first. Split a jumbo waffle?
RUBY: Sure, yeah. That's fine.
Yang steps in front of Ruby, blocking her from walking any further.
YANG: Okay. What's up with you? Are you still upset about that fight with Dad? Or are you sad that your favorite sister is leaving in a few weeks?
RUBY: (chuckles) Yang, you're my only sister.
YANG: Come on. What's bugging you? Are you still mad that I told dad everything? Look, I'm sorry. I just-
RUBY: (interrupting) No, no. It isn't that. I'm not mad at you. Or Dad. I guess, I just wish I were going with you. I mean, Signal is great and all but… I want to move on to the next part. You know? I want to start making a difference.
YANG: So, you're jealous, huh?
RUBY: Maybe a little. But… also happy for you. And… I am really gonna miss you.
Yang reaches forward and messes up Ruby's hair.
YANG: Don't be so glum, Roob. I'm still gonna come home for the holidays. And I'll call you EVERY night. Let you in on all the hot Beacon gossip.
RUBY: Thanks, Yang. (smiles, fixes her hair) And I guess I'm also a little bummed that dad took my scythe. Ever since I built it, I just feel naked when I don't have it with me.
YANG: Well then, it's a good thing I'm such a good friend.
Ruby gives Yang a curious look. Yang then slips the backpack off her shoulder and opens it, revealing that she has taken the scythe with her.
RUBY: Crescent Rose! You stole it back from Dad?
Yang shrugs, handing the weapon to Ruby.
YANG: It's not really stealing when he does such a crap job at hiding it. I mean, he left it sitting in the garage in a lockbox. He should know better than to pick such an obvious place with me as his daughter.
Ruby is smiling ear to ear, she hugs Yang.
RUBY: Thanks, Yang. You really are my favorite sister.
YANG: My pleasure, Ruby. We wouldn't want you defenseless against all those 'muggers' and 'pickpockets' you're so worried about. Now, come on… let's buy some school junk!
Yang then looks to her left to see a store with a sign that says, 'From Dust till Dawn.' Looking through the window, we see that the business sells what appears to be vials of multi-colored powder. The shopkeeper appears to be a very old man working the front desk.
YANG: Let's start with the cool stuff!
Yang walks off, towards the shop. Ruby stays back, happily clipping her weapon to her belt. As she moves to rejoin Yang, she accidentally bumps into a man. He is tall; wearing a white suit and white bowler hat. He has fiery red hair and wields a cane. Ruby looks up at the man apologetically.
RUBY: Oh! Sorry, sir!
TORCHWICK: No trouble, Red. Just look before you step, alright?
We can tell that Ruby is getting a strange vibe from the smiling man. She notices that he seems to have an entourage around him, a group of similarly well-dressed men. She narrows her eyes at this sight, before turning to leave.
RUBY: Uh, yeah. Will do.
Ruby runs off, the shot panning back to the man (Torchwick) and his followers. We see that the men have set their sights on the 'From Dust till Dawn' store. One of them steps up to whisper in Torchwick's ear as they watch the establishment.
HENCHMAN: Should we hit the place now?
TORCHWICK: No. Too many people. We'll come back at night.
The camera pushes in on Torchwick's confident smirk, before cutting to Yang and Ruby in the dust store. Yang excitedly picks out vials of dust in the shapes of bullets for her gauntlets. Ruby similarly eyes the weaponry on the wall and looks through all the different kinds of dust, all with a corresponding colors (red for fire, blue for snow, yellow for lightning, etc). We pan over the the man at the front desk. He is currently instructing some young people on how to use the dust. He holds up a small vial of green dust and cracks it. He then pours the dust into a flower pot on his desk. Once released from the vial and exposed to the air, the magical qualities of the dust are unlocked. Almost instantly, a very large flower springs from the pot. The old man then picks up the plant and hands it to one of the onlookers. She smiles at him before leaving the screen, happy to have the plant. We cut back to Ruby, who has watched the display with a smile. The scene fades out and we transition into a short montage of Ruby and Yang spending the day together in the town. We see them shopping in various stores, trying on clothes, stopping for food breaks to eat large amounts of sweets (ice cream, fudge, donuts, etc.) and generally goofing around and having a good time. The montage ends with them walking the streets at night, each holding at least six bags in each hand.
RUBY: Well, I'd say you're pretty well prepared for school. Really gonna start off the semester with a bang.
YANG: Or, you could say, I'll start it off... with a Yang.
RUBY: Nope. I would not say that. No one but you would say that.
YANG: Hey, my back kinda hurts from all this shopping. You know what I could really go for?
The girls turn the corner and arrive right in front of a store called 'Comfort Inc.' We see Yang's perspective as she stares through the window of the store, her eyes landing on a massage chair. It is bathed in light as angelic-sounding music plays to accentuate its majesty.
YANG: (dreamily) MASSAGE CHAIR.
Cut to Yang sitting on the chair, clicking a button to make the entire thing vibrate. Her voice gets a vibrating effect to it as she talks.
YANG: Oh… yeeeeaaaah…
RUBY: Yang, you're in here all the time. Why don't you just buy one and bring it home?
YANG: The second you buy a chair like this it stops feeling special. Everyone knows that, Ruby.
Yang sinks into the seat, closing her eyes. Ruby rolls her eyes at her sister.
RUBY: Well, while you relax, I'm gonna go see if I can get one more donut from the shop before it closes. Have fun with your special chair.
YANG: Thaaaaank yooooou…
RUBY steps outside. She heads to the donut shop, only to find that the 'closed' sign has been placed out front.
RUBY: Aw, dangit.
Ruby then moves to rejoin Yang in the store. However, she stops in her tracks when she notices that, across the street, the same men from earlier are entering the dust shop. Their redheaded leader opens the door for them. The men enter and then they are shown throwing out other customers from the establishment. The man then closes the door, flips the 'open' sign to 'closed,' turns off all the lights inside, and lowers the blinds on the windows, cutting off Ruby's view. Before they lower the last blind, Ruby sees the old man at the checkout being grabbed by one of the suited henchmen. We cut to Ruby's nervous expression. She makes her way to the store and tries to peek through the gaps in the blinds. She can't see anything, but she hears yelling and the sound of a struggle. She reaches to open the door, only to find that it is locked. She thinks for a moment, then smiles. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a bobby pin. She slips it into the lock and begins messing around with it until she hears a click. The door is unlocked.
RUBY: (whispering to herself) I'll have to thank Yang later for teaching me that.
She cautiously opens the door, creeping in slowly. She finds that the store is a mess, but completely devoid of people. She then hears noise coming from the back room. She sneaks back there, finding a staircase leading to the store's basement. She makes her way down, following the muffled voices. As she makes her way farther down, the voices become clearer.
TORCHWICK: You're not giving us what we want, old man. I promise that if you keep holding out on us, it is not gonna end well for you.
OLD MAN: Please! I don't know what you're talking about! I swear!
TORCHWICK: Uh huh. I bet. Search the place!
Ruby finally makes it to the basement, ducking behind a corner as she stares into the next room. She sees the men ripping the place apart, knocking over shelves, kicking over boxes, etc. They appear to be looking for something. Unperturbed, Torchwick lights up a cigarette as he waits for results.
RUBY: (whispering to herself) Who are these guys?
HENCHMAN: Boss! We got something!
Torchwick makes his way over to investigate. He stands in front of a brick wall. His goon starts knocking on the wall's surface.
HENCHMAN: Ya hear that?
TORCHWICK: It's hollow.
Torchwick starts slowly running his hand against the wall. Eventually, he finds a loose brick towards the top. He turns back, smiling at the old man before pushing the brick inward. Suddenly, a secret door opens beside Torchwick. Ruby's eyes go wide as she watches the wall open up into a large metal room. The room houses wall to wall vials of dark red dust.
TORCHWICK: Well, I do think we hit the jackpot, boys!
Torchwick grabs one of the vials. His men take out a large briefcase and start loading it up with the dust. Torchwick kneels down on the floor where the old man is laying in pain.
TORCHWICK: (sarcastic) Shame on you, sir! Don't you know that selling crimson dust is illegal? You ignite just a few vials of this stuff and it can take out an entire city block. Shame on you!
OLD MAN: (frightened) I have no choice! I can't compete with the large dust corporations! The only way I break even is by occasionally selling people stuff they can't get anywhere else! I did it for my livelihood! I-I-
TORCHWICK: (interrupting) Oh, relax! I don't care. We're not the police! In fact, we're here to do you a favor. We're gonna take all of this dangerous contraband off your hands. Isn't that nice of us?
Torchwick stands up, turning back to the vials of dust. The old man lurches forward, grabbing Torchwick's pant leg.
OLD MAN: Please, no! This shop is all I have! I- OOF!
Mid-sentence, the old man is kicked in the ribs by Torchwick. He is sent flying a few feet back, cringing in pain on the floor. Ruby covers her mouth in shock. Torchwick takes a puff from his cigarette, shaking his head. He turns back to his men, taking the briefcase from one of them.
TORCHWICK: (to his henchman) Would you please put this windbag out of his misery?
HENCHMAN: Pfft, why do I always get cleanup?
The henchman moves forward, pulling out something from his pocket. It appears to be the hilt of a sword. He clicks a button on the device and a glowing blade suddenly pops out from the hilt. He encroaches on the hurt old man.
OLD MAN: Please, no! I have a family.
HENCHMAN: (nonchalant) Yeah. Big deal. Everyone does. You're gonna die now.
The henchman moves to stab the old man, but then a loud bang rings out and the sword is suddenly thrown from the goon's hand. Everyone looks to see where the shot came from, only to see Ruby standing in the doorway, her weapon currently in its rifle form. She cocks the gun.
RUBY: Really? It's one thing to steal from the guy! Why do you also have to do a murder about it?
HENCHMAN: (angry) You little creep!
The man pulls a gun from his suit. Before he can fire, Ruby flips her weapon in her hand, turning it back into a scythe. She then uses the weapon to pole vault over the old man and give the henchman a kick that sends him flying backward. He lands right in front of Torchwick. Torchwick scoffs, tossing his cigarette to the floor and stomping it out.
TORCHWICK: This doesn't concern you, Red.
RUBY: I'll decide that for myself. (she looks over her back at the old man) Run! Call the police!
The old man runs off, leaving up the stairs. Torchwick sneers, snapping his fingers. His group of henchmen all take out their weapons at once, all various colors of glowing blades.
HENCHMAN: This isn't what we came here to do. Should we really be-?
TORCHWICK: (interrupting) Yes! You should absolutely kill that kid.
RUBY: (smiling) You can try.
The fight breaks out. Ruby does even better in this fight than she did against the Grimm. The men swipe at her, but always miss her by just a few inches. She blocks their attacks with Crescent Rose and does quite a bit of damage without ever taking any herself. Her scythe slashes through their guns and disarms them of their swords. The men are sent flying in all directions, knocked out on impact. Before long, the group of five killers are all laid out on the floor, moaning as they lay there unconscious. Unfortunately, the entire time Torchwick is focusing on escaping with the briefcase full of dust. In the excitement of the fight, he slips away, running up the stairs. Ruby notices this and quickly zooms up the stairs and into the main storeroom. She steps through the door to find that Torchwick is standing by the front entrance, her path to him blocked by ten brand new henchmen, each with shining weapons.
RUBY: (pauses, looks to Torchwick) I see you've brought in some new customers. Can I help you boys find anything or… are you all just browsing?
The men charge Ruby. Torchwick chortles, leaving the store as the next fight breaks out. This time, Ruby is shown using her environment to her advantage. For example, using her scythe as a bat, hitting the cash register directly into someone's chest, sending them flying through the window. She also smashes a full keg of yellow (lightning) dust all over the floor, igniting it and shocking three of her attackers. The fight soon ends up outside, where Ruby kicks her last attacker into a fire hydrant, cracking it and sending water off in every direction. Ruby then looks upward to see that Torchwick has escaped to the roof. She narrows her eyes. We cut to Torchwick running on the rooftops of the town, leaping from building to building with his cane in one hand and the briefcase in another. Suddenly, he is perplexed to see a red streak zoom past him, before stopping right in front of his face. It is Ruby, who has just used her special ability to catch up. She is gifted with the ability to move at incredible speeds, leaving behind rose petals as she zooms forward as a red blur. He backs away, sneering as he shoos away the rose petals that are drifting gently through the air near his face. He then places his briefcase down beside him.
TORCHWICK: You're very aggressive for a preteen. You know that?
RUBY: I'm not a preteen. I'm a full teen!
Torchwick clicks a button on his cane, detaching the top of it to reveal a long, thin blade hidden beneath the innocent looking staff. He holds it out in front of him as Ruby prepares herself again for battle. They clash, and this is when Ruby seems the least in control of a fight. She is keeping pace with Torchwick's quick slashes and erratic movements, but just barely. The two fight for a while before Ruby is taken off guard. Torchwick lifts up the other side of his cane, which originally looked to be a holster for the blade. However, we can tell from the hole at the very bottom of the cane that this holster is actually a gun. Torchwick fires at Ruby, landing direct hits on her chest. Notably, the bullets only seem to knock her backward: clearly hurting her but showing no signs of inflicting fatal wounds. However, it is clear that when she is hit by the bullets, there is some sort of energy keeping her from taking too much damage. There is a forcefield around her that manifests in a subtle red glow covering her body. This is 'Aura' and it is present in most fights as a a character's one defense from taking major damage. Ruby then falls onto her back, Torchwick smiling down at her before checking his watch. He reconnects his cane and moves backward, picking up the briefcase once again. Ruby slowly stands back up.
TORCHWICK: Wow. Look at that! You took those shots like a champ. I'm almost impressed.
RUBY: (grunting as she rises to her feet) I can take anything you throw at me!
TORCHWICK: Well, as much as I'd love to stick around and test that theory... I've gotta run.
RUBY: You are not getting away. You've got nowhere to-
Suddenly, an airship rises from under the building. It is similar in appearance to a jet, yet hovers in the air like a helicopter. The vehicle shines a bright light on Ruby and Torchwick.
RUBY: (in disbelief, half-heartedly finishing her sentence) …go.
The airship turns and shows the passengers inside. Specifically, another well-dressed man holding a bazooka; the barrel aimed right at Ruby. A ladder is lowered from the aircraft and Torchwick jumps onto it.
TORCHWICK: Playtime is over.
The gunman presses down the trigger on the bazooka, firing a missile directly at Ruby.
RUBY: That's a missile! That's a missile!
Ruby runs and jumps off the roof at the last possible second. It explodes and the building becomes a mess of crumbling rubble. Ruby lands on the ground below and looks to the aircraft. She then notices that the rubble from the smoking building is about to fall and crush some nearby civilians. Her eyes go wide, and she leaps into action, slicing the rubble in half with her scythe before it can reach the people. They are saved but she still looks worried for their safety.
RUBY: Are you okay? Everyone okay? Was anyone in that building?!
CITIZEN: No! We'd already closed up!
Ruby breathes a sigh of relief, then looks up to see the aircraft getting away. Torchwick stares at her with a smug expression, showing off the briefcase. She stares back in anger.
RUBY: They are NOT getting away with this.
Ruby leaps onto a nearby bench, flipping her scythe into its rifle form. She pulls out a red dust vial and loads it into the gun. She looks through the crosshairs at the briefcase. She pulls back, taking a deep breath.
RUBY: (mumbling to herself, eyes closed) Don't hit the briefcase. Hit the briefcase and there's a big boom. We don't want the big boom! You got this. You got this! You got this!
Ruby opens her eyes and aims once again. She pulls the trigger, and we start to follow the trajectory of the flaming bullet that has been fired from the gun. Eventually, it finds its target, connecting with Torchwick's shoulder. Upon impact, Torchwick is knocked backward and his shoulder bursts into flames. He shouts in pain, losing his grip on the briefcase. The case begins falling down towards the city streets.
TORCHWICK: NO!
RUBY: YES! (she pauses) Wait, will they explode if they hit the ground too hard?
Cut to a shot of the briefcase falling fast towards the ground.
RUBY: Oh, jeez!
Ruby leaps into action, using her semblance to propel herself forward super-fast, rose petals flying off her form once again. She then uses her scythe to launch herself in the air once again via pole-vault; this time reaching much farther heights. She meets the briefcase mid-fall, catching it before it can hit the ground. She starts falling, the briefcase held tightly to her chest; she attempts to cushion the impact.
RUBY: Don't explode, don't explode, don't explode, don't explode!
She lands on one knee, her eyes shut tight and her teeth clenched. There is a pause, then she opens her eyes. She looks down at the case, letting out a sigh of relief.
RUBY: Okay, cool. Didn't die.
Ruby takes another deep breath. Then celebrates, jumping in the air excitedly.
RUBY: Woohoo! I didn't die! YEAH, BABY!
Ruby smiles to herself, feeling accomplished. She then stares up at the aircraft, giving it a little wave with a cocky grin on her face. Torchwick looks back with a fury in his eyes, holding his damaged, scorched shoulder. He makes his way slowly up the ladder. The henchman flying the aircraft looks back at him.
HENCHMAN: Do you want me to turn back around?
TORCHWICK: No. The authorities will be waiting for us by then. We lost today. (he glares in the direction of the town) But next time will be much different.
Ruby dusts herself off, holding the briefcase in her hands. She looks down at it.
RUBY: Okay! Time to give this to the authorities!
She turns around, only to see herself surrounded by police vehicles, multiple officers, weapons aimed at her, and several spotlights shining on her (including one coming from a police aircraft). They are all shouting orders at her to 'freeze,' 'get on the ground,' 'drop her weapon,' and 'drop the container!' She places both items on the floor in front of her and lifts her hands over her head, she laughs awkwardly.
RUBY: What a coincidence… I was just looking for you guys. Heh, heh.
A crowd of locals gather around the circus of police vehicles and officers. One of which being Yang. Her eyes go wide as she watches the scene in total confusion.
YANG: What did I miss?!
The next scene starts with Ruby sitting in what appears to be the interrogation room of a police precinct. She taps the table with her fingers as she nervously sits in the dark room, questioned by two gruff sounding police officers.
OFFICER 1: So, you shot the bad guy's arm… and then the building blew up?
RUBY: No, I shot the guy's arm after the building blew up. Which, by the way, really was not my fault! They had rocket launchers and-!
OFFICER 2: (interrupting) We know! We know. You didn't blow up the building. Nobody died. And most of the nearby surveillance footage backs up your claims of how things went down.
RUBY: Oh, good. I-
OFFICER 1: (also interrupting) HOWEVER, you did engage dangerous criminals despite being a minor with ZERO authority to take such rash and destructive actions!
RUBY: But- they were-!
OFFICER 2: (interrupting again) We know! You were just trying to help. But, young lady, the way to help would have been to leave the shop, take out your scroll, and call the police.
RUBY: But if I had waited for you, that man would be dead!
OFFICER 1: That man is probably going to get a life sentence for selling illegal dust. Doesn't sound too much better to me.
Ruby stares at her hands, looking disappointed.
RUBY: What about me? Am I getting punished?
OFFICER 1: Well, normally you'd be thrown in a juvenile detention facility and your family would be fined for the damages.
Ruby stares up in horror. The officer quickly holds his hand up, stopping her from despairing out loud.
OFFICER 1: But, lucky for you, someone with deep pockets has taken an interest in your situation. He preemptively paid your fine and sweet talked all the charges against you out of existence.
RUBY: (confused) Wha- Who did all that?
The officer is about to answer when the door opens behind him. He moves to the door and whispers with someone standing in the doorway. He nods. The entire time, Ruby is looking confused and anxious. The officer steps back, letting out a long breath.
OFFICER 1: Speak of the devil. He's here to see you now. (he collects his papers from the desk, turns to the other officer) Let's go.
The officers clear out and Ruby watches as they are replaced with a well-dressed, grey haired man with rounded sunglasses. He is smiling, offering Ruby a much calmer temperament than her last visitors.
OZPIN: Ruby Rose. It's an honor to finally, formally meet you. Although, this isn't quite how I expected to do this. You're just full of surprises.
RUBY: I'm sorry. Do I know you?
OZPIN: I apologize. My name is Professor Ozpin. You can call me Oz if you'd like.
RUBY: (excited) Professor Ozpin? Like… 'the Headmaster of Beacon' Professor Ozpin?
Ozpin nods, taking a seat across from Ruby. She perks up in her seat, smiling.
RUBY: Oh, wow! It's an honor to meet you, sir! My sister is going to your school this semester! My parents went there too! Do you remember a Summer Rose and a Taiyang Xiao Long?
OZPIN: Of course I do. Summer... was a model student. A very caring and talented individual. (pauses) It was a pleasure teaching her.
RUBY: (smiling) Wow. That's nice to hear. What about my dad?
OZPIN: (thinking for a moment) He was a nightmare.
RUBY: He was? Oh, I bet him and my Uncle Qrow caused a LOT of trouble, didn't they? What's the worst thing they ever did?!
OZPIN: Ruby, that's not really what I came here to talk about.
RUBY: Oh, right. Sorry, I- Wait, were you the one who bailed me out of trouble?
Ozpin nods, still smirking. Ruby's expression shifts back to confusion
RUBY: But why?
OZPIN: It's quite simple, Ruby. I've had my eye on you for quite some time.
RUBY: You have?
OZPIN: Oh, yes. I like to visit the academies in secret every once in a while. I look for upcoming talent that might be suitable for admission at my school. And, I must say, your skill and work ethic has really impressed me.
RUBY: Really? Thank you, sir!
OZPIN: It is also absolutely terrifying.
RUBY: Thank- you-? What?
OZPIN: Don't take offense. All I mean to say is that… natural talent like yours needs to be nurtured, and properly developed. You're not feeling challenged at Signal anymore, are you?
RUBY: No. I'm not. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm just in such a rush to move on.
OZPIN: Well, your semblance is speed, is it not? You seem to be exercising that trait in all aspects of your life. (he takes a breath, tilting his head as he stares at her) Plus, you've got those silver eyes. A very rare trait. It's said that children born with silver eyes are destined to become mighty warriors. Your mother had them too.
RUBY: Really? Cool. And to think, all this time I've been jealous that I didn't inherit my dad's 'baby blues' like Yang did.
Ozpin chuckles, standing up from his chair and placing one hand on the table.
OZPIN: To get to the point, Ruby… I think you could be doing more. So, I'd like to offer you a spot at Beacon.
RUBY: A- A spot at Beacon! That's great! Does that mean I won't even have to take the exam in three years? Is this like a guaranteed full-ride?
OZPIN: Ruby, I think you misunderstand my intention here. I want you to start this upcoming semester. I'm offering to grant you early admission.
RUBY: (shocked) Err- Early admission?!
OZPIN: Yes. I think we can make room in the curriculum for talent like yours. If that's what you want. What do you say?
There is a pause, Ruby's face freezes in an open mouth smile. She squeals; her body suddenly going limp as she falls out of the chair and onto the floor. Ozpin glances down at her, an eyebrow raised.
OZPIN: I'll take that as a yes. (clears his throat) Now. I just need one thing from you. Since you are still below the required age for admission, I will need your parent's permission before I can enroll you.
Cut to Ruby on the floor, her wide smile transitioning into a nervous expression. She sits up.
RUBY: Wait, what was that last part?
The next scene shows an exterior shot of Torchwick's aircraft flying over the sea. We cut to him sitting in the vehicle, bandaging his arm as he speaks with someone over a video call. The video is distorted so we cannot see who it is. However, the voice is unmistakably female, possibly someone middle-aged. The woman on the phone has a soft, yet authoritative tone.
WOMAN: So, all of that destruction… all of that fighting and chasing out in the open… all of that trouble… and you're coming back empty handed?
TORCHWICK: I have no excuse. Girl got the drop on us. I underestimated her.
WOMAN: Clearly. (she sighs) Oh, Roman. Normally, if a subordinate failed me to the degree in which you just did... I'd take great pleasure in punishing them. But, seeing as how this is the very first time you couldn't deliver in the ten years I've known you… I'm going to give you a pass. However, you only get so many strikes, Roman. Consider this your first.
A close shot on Torchwick's face. He looks broken, steaming with rage at his own failure.
TORCHWICK: Understood. I won't fail you again.
We cut back to the Xiao Long household. We join Ruby, Yang, Taiyang, and Zwei in the living room. Yang has her arms around Ruby and is shaking her as they hug. Zwei is happily barking at the two from the couch, while Taiyang is sitting in a nearby chair, looking at the girls.
YANG: This is great! We're both gonna be freshmen! We're gonna graduate at the same time! (gasp) We could be on the same team! We could be in the same dorm! This is great!
RUBY: (struggling to talk) Okay- Yes- Great… Yang… you're crushing my windpipe!
YANG: (lets go of Ruby) Oh, sorry! But it's just SO exciting, right?
Yang looks between her sister and her father. They both look conflicted about the coming conversation. The only one who looks happy in the room is Zwei.
YANG: I mean, right? This is a good thing! Ruby's not in trouble and now she can come to school with me.
TAIYANG: Yang, can you give me a minute with your sister?
Yang nods, picking up Zwei and heading out of the room. Ruby takes a few steps forward and sits on the couch beside Taiyang. He leans forward in the chair.
RUBY: Before you start... Ozpin already said he's fine covering the cost of my… mistake... even if I don't go to his school. So, there's no pressure there. (she pauses) Look, you're my dad. So, what you say goes. And if you don't think I'm ready for Beacon, then I won't go to Beacon. But—I just think-"
TAIYANG: (interrupts) You should go.
RUBY: What?
TAIYANG: Ruby… Yesterday, I told you that your skills didn't justify you running into danger. Remember that? Well, last night… You snuck into that shop because you thought someone was in trouble. You saved those people from that because you didn't want to see anyone get hurt. And you stopped the bad guys because you didn't want them to get their hands on something so dangerous. (he pauses) Ruby, it's clear to me that you are so desperate to help people that you do it without really thinking. And although I love that about you, it can also lead you to making some bad choices. Especially when you're so cavalier with throwing yourself headfirst into bad situations. I mean, jeez, kid! You're scaring the hell out of me! (pauses once more, sighs) But I can't say helping people isn't a good justification… So, you might as well learn how to help people the right way. You know? Without the horrifying property damage. And I don't think you'll learn that here.
RUBY: (hopeful) So, wait! Are you saying what I think you're saying?
TAIYANG: (nods) Go to Beacon. Hone your skills. Become the BEST huntress in the world! And then, keep helping people. It's what you do best. And that's why I'm so damn proud of you. (pauses) Your mom would be too.
RUBY: (smiling, tearful) Oh, Dad… Thank you!
The two hug, embracing for a few moments. Then, sniffles and cries are heard off screen. Both of them pull back, opening their eyes in confusion as to where that crying is coming from. Then Taiyang smirks.
TAIYANG: Yang. You were listening the entire time, huh?
YANG: (from behind a corner) Maybe…
TAIYANG: You can come out and celebrate now.
Yang jumps back into the room with a loud "Woo!"; both her fists up in the air. She then moves to give Ruby and her Dad a big group hug. Zwei even joins in, jumping on Ruby's lap and licking at her face. We fade out from this nice family moment to show Ruby in her room. She is packing up her stuff. As she does, she picks up the photo of her and Summer Rose (her mother), staring down at it with a smile. Yang appears in her doorway.
YANG: Hey! Our flight's in a few minutes. Ready to go?
Ruby gives the picture one last glance, a warm expression on her face as she places it back down on her nightstand. She turns to Yang. We get a close up on just her face. She gives us a confident look, nodding.
RUBY: Yeah, I'm ready.
To be continued…
(Credits roll.)