Currently I'm struggling with the other RWBY story I'm writing so I figure I'd step away for a bit and write something a bit more self indulgent. Not sure if I'll continue, but if you have opinions let me know.

Chapter 1

"Sorry I'm late Weiss!" Ruby rushed up to her friend rose petals floating around her for a moment.

The silver hair woman glanced at her watch, "You are 1 minute early. I did order your coffee for you, the way I remember you liking it."

Ruby grinned taking a sip, then taking a sugar packet to pour it in.

Weiss looked sick, "You mean a decade later you like your coffee even sweeter."

Ruby chirped, "I love my tastebuds."

"You have a problem." She shook her head, "Anyways how was the mission?"

"I think their ranking system is off, the hardest one was a breeze for me and my sweetie." Ruby cradled her folded up scythe.

Weiss lazily gestured around, "This town is small, and we might be the only licensed huntsmen here. I do appreciate you trekking all this way."

Ruby flapped her hand, "I'm happy to. Besides, who are you going to ask? Yang and Blake are expecting."

Weiss squealed, "Which is exciting! We're going to be aunts!"

Ruby cleared her throat, tried to make a serious face "Excuse me! I'm going to be an aunt." she started giggling.

"Please I'll be an aunt like Qrow is your uncle."

"Except you'll smell better."

"Duh."

"Maybe meaner." Ruby threw her an falsely innocent look

"Hey!"

Ruby scratched the back of her head, "So you know I'm glad to slaughter random Grimm." Pointing at a tumbleweed rolling by, "This place doesn't really seem like you."

Weiss sighed, "Whitney controls all the Schnee property. When Winter, myself, and Whitney were born, our mother put a dust mine specifically in our names."

Ruby, "Seems reasonable. If something happens to the company, you'd still have something."

"My father then my brother kept it from us. I only found out about it several months ago."

Ruby's face went red, "That-That jerkface!"

Weiss chuckled, "My language was more...violent, but yes. Since it belongs to me, I've temporarily moved here. I had threatened a public spectacle, so my brother transferred a consultant to me."

Ruby, "Does one consultant make up for the secret?"

"I don't know, but he is well recommended for preventing dust robberies, exceptional really. I'll be paying the government for his services-"

Ruby spat out her coffee, "He's a convict?"

Weiss glanced down making sure none of the splatter hit her. "Really Ruby, you're a celebrated huntress. You've had informants you think none were serving time with labor? Like all other convicts, I assume he is on a tight leash."

"Have you not met him?"

"No, when I moved here. He was out gathering intel on Grimm attacking my dust trucks. We usually can send a 2nd team to recover and finish delivery.

Ruby grinning, "But that's expensive. So you hire me!" Ruby squealed, "And we get to catch up."

Weiss gripped her friend's hand, "It is so good to see you."

XXX

Ruby followed Weiss through the offices to the meeting room. They passed by a large sign with bright pictures about the 'History of Dust.' There was also a picture of Whitney Schnee that had a thin slices through it. She bumped into her friend's back when Weiss suddenly stopped. Peering around Weiss's shoulder she saw a man sitting with his legs kicked up on a table, long fingers absentmindedly combing back his red bangs as he was reading a file. It took her moment to register who the cute guy was.

[click]

"Ah yes thank you Fred, send that photo to Whitney."

Weiss glowered, "Why are you sending anything to my brother?"

Tossing the file on the table, putting his bowler hat back on. "Your brother wanted a photo of your face when you saw me. Simple request, sizable fee."

Ruby cracking her knuckles, "Torchwick didn't we leave you dead in a shack."

He rolled his green eyes, "I was eaten by a griffon, and Red here left me almost dead in an explosion."

Weiss drew her sword, "Well, I can finish that."

Ruby zoomed in between, "Whoa Weiss, hold on. I am all for punching that dumb hat off of him."

Torchwick flipped it in the air, "This hat has done nothing wrong to you." it landed perfectly back on his head.

Ruby ignored him and talked to Weiss, "You lease him for his services."

Torchwick raised a devilish smirk, "You make me sound like an escort, an expensive one for sure."

She continued to ignore Torchwick and pointed at the scroll Fred, the guard, was carrying. "That's Torchwick's scroll; if memory serves you can prevent him from reaching out to Whitney."

Fred shook his head, "this actually is mine."

"huh?' Ruby made a distracted noise and then grabbed Roman's wrist, "Also house arrest bracelet. He can't even go out on Sundays"

Torchwick drawled, "It pains me greatly to miss the Sunday tumbleweeds roll by."

Still ignoring him and seeing Weiss's grip tighten. She pulled his shirt collar a bit, "See you already stabbed him in the neck." Pointing at his wrist again, "I think that's Blake's weapon that left this scar."

Torchwick slowly spun his cane, "I even have a perfect imprint of Yang's fist on my back, it's practically a tramp stamp."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, "Ruby, you're being surprisingly handsy."

Ruby flushed and jumped away, "Ewe no no. I just meant we already tried killing him, it didn't take."

Torchwick, "Also you're not in charge of a criminal network. Killing your employees is usually frowned upon."

Weiss sighed, "You would know. At least I know why my brother was letting a good consultant go. Shall we?"

Roman moved over to a projector fitted his scroll into the port. A map showed up on the screen. With a red square, "Here is where the Grimm attack. Sometimes they knock over a truck, occasionally kill the driver and/or guard. 60% chance that this is solely due to Grimm."

Weiss, "60?"

Roman nodded, "A few days after you officially took over, these attacks began. It has been three months and 70% of your shipments have been attacked and only 10% of the general traffic have suffered Grimm attacks."

Ruby, "How vicious were those 10%?"

Roman, "Same scale as the Dust trucks."

Weiss, "Trucks make more noise, and we know Grimm are more likely to attack louder targets."

The man nodded, "Slightly more likely that this is only Grimm being Grimm. It is possible that this is human induced"

Weiss turned to Ruby, "I say you and I take an empty truck, and hopefully we get attacked."

Ruby wiggled excitedly in her seat, "YAS team first half of RWBY weedwacking Grimm!"

Weiss giggled, "Team Best half."

Ruby dramatically shook Weiss, "How dare you insult my sister and sister-in-law?" Something clicked in Ruby's brain when she turned to Torchwick. "Given the timing, what if Weiss is being targeted."

Torchwick clicked his tongue, "I wondered if I'd have to spoon feed you. I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that this is a ruse to draw out Weiss. I recommend you hire an unofficial huntsmen to help Ruby out."

Ruby glared, "You're coming with me."

Roman genuinely shocked, "I don't have much experience fighting Grimm."

Ruby's, "Humans are more dangerous, and you certainly can fight them. Also you will see things I would miss. Mainly though, I don't trust you."

Weiss, "I don't know if you'll be safe with him Ruby. The truck can only hold two, and if we have an extra car trailing you that would be suspicious."

"Better alone with me, than able to target you without me to help you."

Roman sighed, "As your consultant, and putting aside the fact I know my personal thoughts. Red's logic is sound, I am technically a gift from someone who doesn't want Ice Queen to own this property."

Ruby put her finger on her chin. "Does that make us team R&R?"

Roman, "Rage and Riot?"

Weiss buried her face into her palms, sighing loudly.