Saying goodbye to her family and friends had sucked, but Taiyang was needed in Mistral. Qrow had stuff to set up for her, Yang and Weiss had classes so technically did Ruby but James was making good on giving her one more calm mission before they would go back to the cities and Blake had commitments to see too. Still, despite the loss of Coco and Velvet Ruby did feel much more stable. Her dad and Qrow really going a long way to help her level out again. Presently she was sitting on top of the entrance to a mine on a little outcropping with her rifle at the ready. Below her a small team of miners carried Dust out to be sent up to one of the many warships in the sky. Atlas was trying to get a better team out here but hadn't yet managed it, but a small team getting ready for a bigger one was better than no team at all.

Ruby heard a soft swear and looked over her shoulder Lisa Lavender was picking her way carefully up the little goat path. Her grey camera was floating along beside her. "What are you doing here?"

"I dare say Atlas command wanted me out of it's hair for a while. Plus I am promoting the reopening of this mine!" She made it over with a little huff and sat down beside Ruby. "And I dare say I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn't you be in Beacon?"

Ruby's shoulders drooped. "It was getting… a bit much for me. Call it my inexperience showing, but the last couple missions have been really hard and I'm going to go back to class soon. So I asked General Ironwood if I could have one last small quiet mission to end my field season on. Something to decompress too."

"Ah, yes that makes sense. Where is General Ironwood? He's never very far from you."

Ruby giggled. "Off catching us dinner, probably something birdy or rabbity to eat. Something about having the time to hunt so why on Remnant would we eat MREs."

Lisa joined in. "He sure likes to provide for you."

"He is very sweet like that."

They sat in silence for a minute listening to the wind blow before Lisa asked. "Can I ask you about the avatar of the Elder Brother you manifested?"

Ruby opted to assume she was being recorded now. "If you like."

"What do you know about it then?"

She shrugged. "Ozpin says that Silvered Eyed Warriors are descendants of the Elder Brother, you know before he abandoned us over one stupid woman." Ruby couldn't help snarl. "Beyond that I don't know anything about the avatar, if it is some piece of him or something of myself and his magic just guided it to that shape. I don't really care, the Elder Brother isn't worth our love. He didn't make me the way I am, my parents did. Silver Eyed Warrior lines are pretty rare but we are what we are on our own merit. He doesn't favour us, other then he fucked our ancestors."

Lisa cringed, that had not been what she expected from the usually quiet polite girl. "What do you mean abandoned us?"

Ruby shook her head. "Not my story to tell, I'll be a little surprised if it doesn't get told by it's owner to everyone eventually." Ruby remembered what Maria said but wanted people to stop seeing her as special. "The Brothers don't deserve our love and I am not special. I know people pray to me but I'd like them to stop. I'm just a normal girl, I can't help them, I'm not anything special."

"But you are special."

Ruby snorted. "Because I can clear a room of Grimm?" She pointed at Need's More Gravitas. "So can that, you don't see people praying to it."

"Yes well we made that, we didn't make you. You're magic, real live magic."

Ruby huffed. "I'm not going to convince you, am I?"

"Afraid not, it's nice to have something to believe in. You may just be a normal girl doing your best to be normal but you're still a Silver Eyed Warrior. Still a huntress that has already saved a lot of people, I can understand not wanting people to treat you like a saint but you're still worth believing in."

Ruby relaxed and smiled shyly. "Oh, uh thank you." She raised her rifle slightly. "I'll do my best not to let people down."

"Thank you too." Lisa shifted forward and dropped her legs over the ledge. "So what do you believe in?"

The silver eyed warrior looked out over the trees to the setting sun. "I don't really know. My parents were never big believers. At least from what I remember of my mother and my dad definitely not. I guess I believe in people, that we can always be better."

"A noble thing to believe in. I've seen a lot of the worst of humanity so I don't think I could believe in people like that."

Ruby shrugged. "I'm young and dumb, ask me again in a hundred years."

"Oh you planning to learn immortality then?"

"Yeah, my uncle and Maria already either are learning it or knowing it. Ozpin knows as well there are plenty of people around to ask. Like you said, I'm a Silver Eyed Warrior and we are rare as it is. I want as much time as I can get to make the world a better place."

"What about General Ironwood, I couldn't help but notice he's lost his grey. I doubt he'd bother to dye it after all this time, unless he's trying to impress someone." Lisa smirked at her.

Ruby couldn't completely stop the blush. "Err, well I sure don't know what the General has planned but I guess I can say he doesn't dye his hair. Jacques used some magic to save his life and a side effect was his hair going black again." She pouted. "Though I will miss the grey, it was… interesting to look at."

"Ruby!"

Ruby looked down and saw James there, he held up a grouse. "Could I tempt you into plucking him for me please? I have no doubt in my mind you know what to do better than I."

Lisa giggled, it was an adorable scene, their mighty general asking if his huntress could help make him dinner.

Ruby smiled warmly and she scabbard her rifle. "Of course James." She offered Lisa her hand. The reporter took and they floated down the cliff side in a gentle breeze of red and lavender petals. They reformed and James offered the bird to Ruby, she took it with a giggle. "We wouldn't want you to rip it's skin now would we."

"I'd hate to ruin it after how long it took to catch it." James walked with her, his body turned slightly to her.

"That would be a shame." Ruby tucked it under her arm and hummed. "Ooo still warm, it's much easier to pluck a warm bird."

James blushed slightly. "I may have rushed back, a bit proud that I managed to catch one without shooting it."

"Well you did very well and I appreciate it." Ruby looked up to him with a smile, aching to kiss him.

Lisa had hung back and recorded the whole exchange. "My gods, they are cute."

Ruby and James walked through the undergrowth to their own little camp. It had been nice to get away from everyone else, everyone. They both longed for peaceful times, where if they vanished for days on end it wouldn't cause a global panic. Ruby sat down on a tarp by their smoldering fire pit. She huffed as she began plucking. "It will be strange to throw the feathers away, but I've nothing to put them in and I don't know what I'd make."

James sat down beside her and put a few logs he had gathered into the fire. "I sure don't know, aside from field training and then it was rabbits not grouse I don't know what to do with a live thing. I can gut it when you're done though."

"Thank you, I do hate doing that. It was usually Qrow or Dad's job, I know how I just prefer not to."

James shifted in to kiss her, Ruby melted into it with a soft moan. This was nice too, being free to kiss him. James sat back down beside her. "I'm just happy to be useful."

"Maybe someday dad will find a new plot of land and I can teach you how to live on it."

He laid back and stroked a hand over her hip. "I'd like," he chuckled. "We could help your dad by making some more farmhands for him."

Ruby looked over her shoulder at him with quirked lips. "I think he'd need help faster than our farmhands would be ready."

"Hey I can be helpful! I'm large and strong, all I need is thorough instructions."

"See now I want to see you at the plow shirtless and sweaty. Yum yum." Ruby licked her lips. James sat up and kissed her again, then she said. "You'd smell like sweat, manure, horse and dirt in no time." She kissed him again, a slow thing. "The smells of my people."

James chuckled and cupped her head gently as they kissed more. "I'm sure I'd enjoy it… eventually."

"I'll make a country boy out of you yet." She kissed him once more. "Now you're distracting me. I can't kiss and pluck very well."

"That's just a sign you need more practice." He drew her in for another long kiss.

"The faster I pluck this the quicker we can eat it."

"Gaa you win!" James flopped back on the tarp. "Do you need me to get anything?"

"You could get the spit ready."

James hopped too. "Yes ma'am."

Ruby couldn't help but notice he was much more springy then he had been before the dunk in the lake. Like a lot less thought had to go into his movements. He was younger, that was clear but he seemed happier too. She smiled as she finished plucking the bird and grabbed a medium length stick from the fire. One that had only the end on fire, she skimmed the flame over the skin of the bird. Burning off those last little feathers she couldn't get with her fingers. She tossed the stick back onto the fire and held out the bird to James. "Alright oh great hunter, gut our dinner!"

"With pleasure!" James took the bird and headed off to do the messy work away from their camp.

Ruby watched him go with a smile, a quiet mission was doing him a world of good too. Her smile faltered as she remembered the Grimm, but then she remembered her dad and Qrow being so kick ass and the fear abated. She shifted the stands and skewer towards her, after all they didn't want their dinner to drip into the fire and cause flares.

James returned and she showed him how to move the neck out of the way and stab the bird through the middle without breaking the spine. Ruby cooked the bird with James beside her taking off his armour much more leisurely then usual and packing it away. Ruby giggled when he started doing the same for her as she turned the skewer. "I have a sneaking feeling you've got a plan."

"Who me? Never, wouldn't dream of it." James helped her out of her cuirass then kissed her neck. "I am totally planless."

"Oh I so believe you." Ruby said with ample sarcasm, but stood up and helped him get her out of the last of her armour. By the time they were finished it was growing dark. James snuggled around her, an arm resting over her middle as she cut the legs off the grouse. "My dad used to take us camping like this, usually when Qrow was around to help protect us. He thought it was important that we could make ourselves comfortable anywhere." She offered him one of the legs.

James sat up and took it, then had a careful bite of crispy flaky skin and moist bird meat. He moaned. "Oh gosh this is good."

"Happy meat, it always beats the commercial stuff." Ruby purred through her own bite, a little bit of fat dribbling down her chin.

"Now I see why you want a farm. It's all about the food." James had another bite with more gusto and a flutter of his eyes. "Oh my."

"It's also good for wee ones."

"Fine food and good environment…" James came out of his stupor. "I'm only teasing, I wouldn't wish city living for any children of mine."

Ruby tipped her head to rest it on his shoulders. "You were just very unlucky, it's not all bad… but yes I have learned from dad and you that the country is where I want to raise our children. I had a feeling it wouldn't take much to convince you of the idea."

"And not on Solitas."

Ruby giggled and straightened up. "Sounds like a plan, come on, we need to eat this before it burns."

So they did and James enjoyed every bite, then tossed the bones onto the fire. Before getting ready for bed, which in this case was a lean too with bug net. Sealed tents had been decided very early to be a bad idea. Mostly because of the rate at which people got trampled by Grimm within them when they had a nightmare and couldn't get through the zippers fast enough. Ruby snuggled down while James did one last sweep of their perimeter.

It was chilly but James returned before she really had a chance to get cold. He stripped out of his under suit and hung it up over the end of the lean too to dry. Ruby lifted up the edge of the large sleeping bag for him. James slipped in beside her and did the sleeping back up behind him. He reached for her and pulled her under him, Ruby giggled and moved with him letting him settle between her legs. She stroked up his chest. "And you said you didn't have a plan."

James dipped in to kiss her neck. "I may have been lying through my teeth."

"Mmm. I like this plan though." Ruby stroked through his hair and down his shoulders. The new metal was different from the old, no awkward dips around the steel, just smooth segments of metal. She liked tracing her fingers along the seams, it was strange to think that metal could give like skin but she didn't think she'd have any trouble getting used to it.

They stroked each other slowly, kissing often but being in no hurry to continue. The occasional owl hooted in the background and eventually accompanied by Ruby's soft keen and James moan.

Meanwhile Lisa Lavender was in her own lean too and frantically unscrewing screws out of her camera before it did it's usual upload to the CCT. She hadn't meant to catch them doing that sort of thing, just some more footage of them being cute together. It was so obvious that they were in love that she was doing everything in her power not to out them as such. A cute potential couple yes but it was much to early in the story to admit that they were having sexual relations. The public wasn't ready for that yet, it was all too early for anything like that! And she wasn't about to burn her bridges on the story of a lifetime by outing them before they were ready!

She yanked the paneling off her camera and ripped out the wireless adapter. She huffed as relief swept through her, sure her boss would be angry not to have the upload before bed but she needed to comb it first. Plus she'd have it ready within half an hour. Take out the sexual stuff and store it for later, when the world was ready for the love story of the Silver Eyed Warrior and The Immortal General.

James snapped awake, pushing himself up on an arm. Ruby whined under him as his warm chest moved away from her. The fire had dwindled to dark embers, casting only a soft light on them. The feeling that had awoken James, one of imminent danger did not abate. He whispered. "Get up."

Ruby lurched awake and grabbed Crescent Rose from above their heads. James silently opened the zipper of their sleeping bag and slid out of it sideways. Then quickly withdrew into the darkness. "Stay close to the fire. Pretend you're not awake."

She nodded and shifted over so she had her limbs curled under her ready to explode out of the lean too when the need arose. She listened with her heart pounding, she couldn't hear James but did hear the occasional crack of a twig. She had a feeling that wasn't James, not after what Jacques had said about his magic. Three figures appeared out of the darkness, Ruby recognized a tranquilizer gun. A chill went down her spine, how had bounty hunters found her here? She tightened her grip on Crescent Rose.

One of them raised a hand and the other raised his gun. Ruby exploded into motion, shooting out from the lean too and clicking Crescent Rose to sword form. One of the bandits fired but she blocked the tranquilizer way and came in swinging.

The bounty hunters yelled. "SHIT!"

"WHERE'S THE GENERAL?"

"WHERE IS THE REST OF OUR TEAM?!"

A bandit blocked her sword with a shield but she flanked him dancing in with both hands on Crescent Rose. The gun bandit opened fire and she exploded into rose petals and blasted around him reforming the air above him and kicking him in the head. He stumbled and swung out, Ruby curled behind the blade of Crescent Rose and let him knock her flying back. She landed easily and shot forward again. The third bandit cut in, this one had a claymore, their weapons clashed together. Ruby looked up into his masked face and giggled. "My uncle is the best swordsman on Remnant and you come at me with his favourite toy?"

"Rraa!" He flicked his weapon out but Ruby was already in motion, she dived under the swing and sliced along the back of his heels. His Aura flared and he swept around but she was around moving again and back flipped neatly over the predictable strike.

His sword and board friend had clued in that they couldn't turns with her and have any chance at winning. He swept in, his sword coming for her head. Ruby parried and was hard pressed to keep them both off of her, while also trying to keep track of the gunner. One on one she had done a lot but two on one? Not so much. Especially someone with a shield. She felt a sword scrap against her Aura and rose petal burst through the two hunters. She reformed above them only to get hit with a barrage of bullets.

Ruby fell to the ground and sprinted away, the gun was silenced so she expected no help from the mining camp. She dodged and wove through the trees switch Crescent Rose to glaive form. The two bounty hunters were quick on her heels. She spun shooting forward swinging her glaive in a forward thrust. The claymore hunter jumped back but was too slow to dodge as the blade cut his Aura from hip to shoulder.

His shield friend charged forward, blocking a couple quick jabs but missing yet more for his legs. Ruby grinned as he hissed, yup having a thrusting weapon was freaking badass. The claymore came down on her but she neatly sidestepped, sending a thrust for his face but overshooting, she clicked the lever and the blade snapped to scythe mode. She ripped him forward by the back of his head and straight into her knee. His Aura broke with a crackle and he went down.

Another barrage of bullets made her retreat before he could knock hers out. The shield bearer pressed the offensive, Ruby switched back to sword and blocked another attack. He was very good and without the extra reach of her glaive she was struggling to get through his guard. Another round of bullets peppered her but as she tried to retreat a claymore struck her in the middle from behind. She went flying into a tree with a crash and her Aura complained about the abuse. The gunner opened fire on her and she ducked behind the tree, trying to catch her breath. Her head ran like a bell and her back ached.

One of them laughed. "Nice teats on that one, when we've got her out we should all have some fun.

"No Tommy, the bounty says unharmed and besides I bet we'll get paid more if she is still a maiden."

Ruby considered her options, running for help seemed like a really good idea. Then again if they were giving her trouble they were just as likely to kill anyone by the mine. They were clearly huntsmen of some sort. They had also said there was more to their team, so where were they? Where was James? It seemed highly likely that he was busy with them. She switched to glaive form then shot out from behind the tree and sliced at the gunner. He was the one that kept messing up her defense.

Both his friends had predicted she'd do that; however the glaive helped but Ruby found herself being out maneuvered again. The claymore made her thankful for the extra reach of her glaive, but she yelped as the shield man raced in behind her and cut her back. She felt her Aura break and in desperation stabbed for the claymore wielder's heart. Who clearly hadn't been expecting that, he likely doubted a huntress would go for a kill move. Her eyes went wide as flesh and bone parted under the blade of her weapon. She could feel the difference in texture from when she killed a Grimm. Hot blood was quick to travel down her weapon, she could feel it on her fingers.

Without thinking she let Crescent Rose go, the large man toppled backwards before falling to the ground with a thud. Ruby looked at her hands, even in the dull light she could see the red sticky blood on them. It refused to compute in her mind, she had killed someone. Not a Grimm, a living person, who maybe had family, who had friends. She barely felt the tranquilizer round hit her belly, she looked down at the funny fuzzy thing and slowly touched it. Pulled it out and dropped it, she stumbled and swayed. As her vision started to blur.

"Catch her!" The gunner snapped.

The shield man did just that, picking her up as her legs failed.

"Grea-." The gunners head exploded into bits, there was no gun shot. One minute he had been fine the next bits of brain matter were raining to the forest floor. His friend barely had time to scream before a sword sliced his head in two, one half sliding to the forest floor after a pause. James came into the visual spectrum from the outside inward. He caught Ruby as the man fell and flicked the blood off his blade before he scabbard it. His scent penetrated her brain before anything else did. "Good timing," she slurred, then burst into tears. "I killed somebody!"

James sank down to the ground holding her tight. "Shh it will be alright." What little fight she had left faded as she dropped head on his chest as the tranquilizer took hold of her. James picked her up and carried her back to the lean too and set her down on the sleeping bag. He grabbed his helmet off the top of it and pulled it on before hitting the com. "Ironwood to Agamemnon."

There was a long pause then. "Agamemnon here, what is your status?"

"Miss Rose and I were just attacked by bounty hunters. Requesting immediate pick up and a clean up crew."

"Any survivors?"

"No, I was in a bit of a hurry." He grabbed a gauntlet and pigged their location.

"Yes Sir. ETA ten minutes."

"Thank you." James didn't bother washing his hands after he took off his helmet and set about getting dressed again. "What a way to ruin a perfectly good night." After he was dressed he got Ruby dressed in her leggings but left her top. Mostly because getting her arms through the right holes would have been difficult. He broke down their camp and moved her to the grass as he cleaned up after them. By the time he was done a manta flew in above them and hovered just over the trees. A clean up crew jumped down and James left the now tidy supplies and picked Ruby up. He jumped straight into the side of Manta and sat down.

The pilot didn't waste a second flying them back to the ship. James wondered how the bounty hunters had found them, it wasn't surprising they were in the region. Ruby had spent too much time in an easily identifiable location, but had they been lurking since she arrived? It seemed more than likely and would explain the relatively low Grimm numbers in the forest but they hadn't been there long. So how?

The manta docked and James strode out and almost straight into Aral. Who looked like someone had kicked him out of bed and tossed a housecoat at him. For that was all he was wearing. The bedraggled captain looked from James' bloodstained hands to Ruby. "Crap."

"In a nutshell." James turned and walked for an elevator and Aral fell into step beside him.

"I'm sorry General, I don't know how they found you. Is she alright?"

"Just a little battered and sleeping off a tranquilizer… She also killed one of the bounty hunters. I doubt she'll be alright about that for a long while."

"Do you need help? Cleaning her up?" Aral looked at Ruby's hands, bloodstained though not as much as James' and tucked against her chest. "I doubt you want her waking up with that on her hands."

"I'll manage. Just get Crescent Rose cleaned up for her, I don't think she could handle that right now. Send some scouts through the forest, I doubt that was the only team we've drawn to Vale."

"Yes General."

They stepped into the elevator and Aral was clearly tense, like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I'll go though everyone that knew where you were being deployed."

"Good." The doors opened again and Aral walked with him to his room. Then opened the door for him. "Goodnight sir."

"Goodnight Aral." James stepped in and Aral closed the door behind him. James walked over to the bed and carefully set Ruby down. The blood had dried on his hands but he opted to be careful anyway. He then set about the long and annoying process of getting blood off his hands and out from under his nails. He really should have remembered to put his gloves on. In total there had been eleven bounty hunters, set up in rings should the first three need back up. It had taken longer then he would have liked to stealthy dispatch them all but he had faith that Ruby would be able to handle herself. His faith had been rewarded up till she froze, thankfully he had already been setting up to take out the gunner when she did.

He scrubbed at a determined sticky spot as the hot water flowed. He was concerned as to what state she would be in when she awoke, one never forgets their first kill. Part of him hoped the tranquilizer would help her forget, that they could pretend it hadn't happened. He applied more soap and finally made some progress getting the last of it off. He unsheathed his sword and checked the edge over before giving it a quick clean. He pulled a small bowl and cloth out of the cupboard and filled it up with hot soapy water. Then turned it off and returned to Ruby, he set the bowl on the floor and soaked the cloth.

He did his best to scrub gently but thoroughly as the blood was sticky. It took several minutes and many more cleanings of the cloth. Eventually he had her hands cleaned, rinsed and dried. James removed his tunic and placed it in the hamper for cleaning. Then sat on the end of the bed with his arms draped between his knees. Maybe she would forget, he hadn't wanted her to kill anyone, he was trying to do the killing for her to the best of his abilities. If only he had been a little faster. Fatigued pulled at him but worry kept him awake. He didn't dare leave her though so he laid back and stared at the ceiling. Running possible courses for the conversation that was doomed to happen if she did remember.

In the early hours of the morning a runner arrived with their gear so he cleaned all of that as well and packed up for Atlas. Got dressed in his usual uniform with a great coat and waited. At dawn Ruby stirred, she hissed and pressed a hand to her head before looking around. Then she saw him at the end of the bed ready to go and tears welled up in her eyes. James scooted over and took her into his arms as she cried again. "Shh, shh you did what you had too. I'm sorry I wasn't faster, I was trying to spare you that feeling."

Ruby coughed and sniffed, she tried to get ahold of herself. "I-I didn't think I was just afraid."

"You defended yourself, sometimes you just have to do that. It's much harder to defeat someone and spare their life than it is to kill. I didn't spare any of the others… though I will admit that was mostly because I was angry." James stroked over her head.

Ruby sniffled. "First you almost die for me now you're killing for me."

"I would much rather defend you and keep you safe. Then force you to feel what it's like to take a life. You're the huntress after all, I'm the General. I'll do the dirty work when the need arises."

"I wish it didn't arise." She cried softly.

"There are many huntsmen in the world who have discarded their duty. Qrow would be able to give you a list probably, it's most likely you would have run into this situation shortly after graduating. I know you aren't taught about this sort of thing but it's very common." James kept petting. "I know it's traumatic but at least you were safe."

"Only because you were there." Ruby tried to calm down, she remembered the criminals Qrow had introduced her to in Mistral. Were there huntsmen among them?

"Hopefully you won't freeze in future."

Ruby rested her head on his chest. "You think it will happen again?"

"It's extremely likely, but your freedom is worth protecting. Don't hesitate to defend it." James kissed her head. "Feeling any better?"

"Not really, it was awful but I do understand why. Maybe I can get better in the future, good enough to take people out without killing them." She looked down at her pale hands but couldn't find a speck of blood.

"That's a very noble aspiration."

Ruby sniffed and rubbed her eyes before looking up to him. "We're leaving now?"

"Once you're ready and I found it likely you'd want breakfast first. Even if it's just something light."

"Yeah I'm hungry." She got out of bed and went to her bag. "Do you know what Qrow has planned?"

"Dress in your Atlas uniform. He'll be in one as well at the dock and come to collect you."

"Okay." Ruby got dressed then they went out for breakfast. Thankfully this time no one bowed to her, maybe they got the message now. On the way back from breakfast James' Scroll rang and he pulled it out of his pocket.

Aral's voice snapped. "Need you in command now!"

James and Ruby bolted through the halls, people snapping themselves to the walls to get out the way. It still took several minutes to get to command, which was a frantic rush of activity. James called out as he ran down the long bridge. "Aral what is going on?!"

"Menagerie just blew up in S.O.S signals then their CCT tower went down! We think something hit them but-."

"Everyone, literally everyone is tied up in Beacon. You want me to take a backup dreadnought."

Aral nodded sharply. "Please, there is no one else I can ask." Another alarm blared and the entire southern side of all the continents started to light up red. "Oh shit must be a tsunami!" He turned to a communications officer. "Warn Mantle now!"

James looked at Ruby and she unleashed her best puppy dog eyes. "Gaa! Get a runner to move our stuff to a dreadnought and tell Qrow Ruby will be missing her pick up!" He turned and set off running again.

"Yes sir! The ship will be ready for you!"

They charged to the docking bay, both of the dreadnoughts were warming up their engines with people piling onto them. A sergeant waved them over and Ruby had a hard time keeping pace with James. They came to the bridge James charged to the main console. "Are we ready for take off?"

"Yes Sir!" Was declared by the first officers.

"Clearance from the captain just came through, ready to depart!" Said the pilot.

"Get us out of here, full burn to Menagerie!"

Ruby grabbed James as the ship rose and then fell back sharply, she could see the sky above them as the dreadnought fell ass first out of the goliath ship. There was a boom under her feet, as the engines fired and they started to fly. She could feel the speed at which they were going and clung to James as her insides tried to move despite her outsides being stationary.

James grabbed her and pulled her in front of him. "Raise your heels and tap them together."

Ruby did as she was told and her boots magnetized to the floor. "Oh that's handy." She was still happy to cling to James, he wasn't making her move so she guessed she wasn't in the way.

"ETA?" He asked the pilot.

"Half an hour."

Ruby's eyes boggled, just how fast were they going? How many Gs was the ship under? It sure explained why she felt a bit ill.

"Prep ocean teams. Have mantas ready for patrol. If we heard the S.O.S pirates will have as well. Ready all cannons to fire."

"I want to help." Ruby said. "Can I go with one of the ocean teams? My Semblance could do a lot for pulling people out of the water." She felt James' hand bite tightly into her hip.

James pursed his lips but let out a deep breath. She needed to be able to do her job, especially after that night. "You're a huntress, of course you can go." He let her hip go. "Get your weapons and go to the hangar, team one."

"Thank you James." She glanced around but couldn't care that they were surrounded by people. She leaned on her toes and kissed his chin. Then raced away before either of them could do or say another thing. Before he lost his control and she lost her nerve. Fortunately for her she ran straight into the runner with her gear and grabbed her weapons with a thank you. She ran to the hanger bay, much harder to do then one would think under several Gs and found team one by the number on their life jackets. "I'm going with you!" She saluted the sergeant. "My Semblance allows for the flight of myself and one person!"

"We heard here, do you know how to put this on?" He offered her a life jacket.

"Yes!" Ruby grabbed it and put it on.

"I take it you don't want a parachute?"

"No thank you."

They piled into the carrier and Ruby strapped in. Her heart pounded, partly fighting gravity the rest was excitement and worry. Finally she'd get to help people. The sergeant sat across from her. "We'll handle getting the rafts setup. You focus on bringing people to us."

"Yes sir!"

The time passed with agonizing slowness but then the pilot's face came on over the speaker. "Departing in one!"

They felt the ship warm up under them and then they dropped. Ruby grabbed her harness and grinned, this bit would never get old to her.

"Multiple Grimm sightings! Pirates coming in hot from west and north! Drop in thirty!"

The light went green and Ruby stood up as the sergeant opened the door. Ruby was out of it in the next instant with her rifle at the ready. She scanned over the ocean as she fell. Menagerie… just wasn't there anymore. It was all ocean, faunus clinging to bits of house and tree as the Grimm circled. She opened fire blasting what Grimm she could see to bits, the recoil set her up into the air enough so that the rescue team fell faster than she did. She rose petal burst up into the sky again before reforming and opening fire on another round of Grimm. Twelve more drop teams were all hitting the water.

She flew again, going north where the people were most dense. Again she thinned the Grimm out, then flew towards them. Ruby landed on a piece of dock and grabbed the wrists of a faunus. "I got you!" She pulled them up and into her Semblance racing to the nearest raft. She dropped them out of her Semblance into the middle without stopping and raced away again.

Ruby managed this a dozen times, focusing on the old and children before the first shots were fired. She stumbled on a raft and looked up. Nine pirate ships had arrived all of which were firing on the dreadnought, which was giving as good as it got. Ruby's heart sank into her stomach, there was no way the ship was going to survive. She shook her head, getting civilians out of the water. Those were her orders.

She went back to bouncing between survivors and shooting the Grimm that came to eat them. An explosion knocked her out of the air and she landed in the ocean with a SLOOSH. She tread water and looked up to see the dreadnought burning as it swung around towards southern Amina. No doubt trying to get close so survivors would have a better chance. The pirate ships stopped firing and started to advance into the survivors tossing out lines and drawing rafts in.

Ruby swallowed hard, getting captured by pirates sounded like a really bad idea. She'd probably find out who had put a bounty up on her mighty fast and not in a way she liked. To be frank she had more than enough of being drugged. She looked forth and squinted, she could just make out Anima. The water was cold but she did have a life jacket and some Aura left. The pirates were advancing so she dissolved into rose petals and rode the ocean breeze northward.

She made it past one ship and the two before a pirate took a machine gun to her petals. She blasted forward, splitting around the kneel of another ship but when she flew out the back was barraged by a mini gun. The petite female came back to human form with a scream and crashed into the water. She coughed as she inhaled water and set off swimming only for a hook to pluck her out of the water.

"Look what I caught Cap! Our very own Silver Eyed Warrior!"

Ruby yanked her gun off her belt and thanked all of her lucky stars it was water proof as she shot the pirate in the head. Which exploded into giblets. She shot downward to toss herself into the air several times and found just enough Aura to turn herself into petals again. The southern wind gusted blowing her north again.

This sort of flying was pretty easy for her and she wasn't sure how far she had gotten when the wind died down. She turned to human again and splashed into the water again. Ruby spun around and could see the pirate ships maybe a few kilometers south of her. She blew water out of her nose and started to swim north but the ocean was very keen to toss her about. Before her she could see the dreadnought burning on a beach. She was just glad it had made it to land.

Ruby huffed and puffed as she swam north, the water was frigid and it never felt like she was getting anywhere. It felt like hours as fatigue pulled at her and eventually she didn't have any adrenaline left.

Ruby woke slowly and with a cough as a wave splashed her face. She opened her eyes to find herself face first in the sand, she turned herself over and sat up. Her clothing was soaked and already rubbing her skin raw. She patted herself down and found her weapons where they belonged. She yanked her Scroll out of a pocket only to find it in pieces and her hip hurt. She pulled her shirt up and a purple bruise almost as big as her head covered her right hip. "Oww." She hissed and reached for her Aura, only to find it completely out still. She must have been using it while unconscious to keep herself warm.

She staggered to her feet and looked around, she could see smoke from the ship in the sky but it was out of sight. The sky was also growing dark. "How long have I been out?" She looked around, the spit of land she found herself on was mostly beach with some long grass in the middle of it. Her geography lessons suggested that she was likely on one of the minor islands south of Mistral. Which would mean the ship had crashed almost directly south of Mistral and would be south east of the port city of Yagwani. Ruby huffed, thieves, murders, and every other form of bad person between her and Mistral and a pirate bay to the west. There was no use standing here to be spotted by one of the aforementioned pirates.

Ruby set off with a ragged walk, she had to find James. That was job maybe three after getting to the mainland and finding something to eat and drink. Her hip hurt with every step but she was just glad it was her hip and not her head or leg. A north breeze blew and she shivered violently. Yeah her Aura wouldn't be back anytime soon.

The sand made walking even slower, where would James go? He'd either try and find a safe place for his survivors, or if he was alone. Try and find her. So where would she go? She found it a safe guess that he'd guess that she'd end up on one of these islands if she wasn't captured. So he'd go east looking for her, unless he was captured. Which totally was a possibility, the pirates had probably opened fire on the ship in hopes of scavenging it. Fully knowing whoever the captain was would try and get them to land. Even then Ruby would be surprised if they couldn't do underwater salvage. So it was highly likely that the ship was already crawling with pirates.

Ruby reached the western shore and wanted to cry at the distance between her and the next spit of even smaller and more barren land. She couldn't go to the ship. It was way too dangerous, with a plodding walk she walked back into the ocean and shivered violently but she had to get to the mainland. She kicked off as the water got deep and started to swim again, endlessly grateful for her life jacket. The water was icy around her and she regretted her decision instantly but here the water wasn't as rough and she made good time to the tiny island she knew was there from her lessons. An hour later she crawled onto it's sandy beach and collapsed. Her arms felt like they were made of led. "Thank you Professor Oobleck." She mumbled into the sand, then crawled upright again. Her clothes were informing her very loudly that they were wet and that night was going to turn her into a popsicle so she had better get to the mainland and into shelter before night truly fell.

Ruby plodded over the much smaller island and was thankful that this last stretch of water was just a little bit shorter than the one before. She also discovered it was shallow and managed to walk most of the way to the mainland having to only swim for a few minutes in the middle of the channel. When she got to the other side it was dark in full and a storm was rolling in blocking out any star or moonlight. First she discarded her life jacket. It was heavy and she was tired. She went through her pockets to find them empty of usual things because of course she had forgotten to grab her arms belt. With all the useful things in a situation like this. She let herself have a soft cry before she pressed on hands out in front of her. The tsunami had flatted the forest closet to the beach so she ended up stumbling over downed trees into the forest.

She prayed that she didn't step into an ants nest or on a snake as she stumbled up into the thick jungle forest. Or get bitten by one of those spiders that were almost as big as her head. Really going into the jungle with no light or supplies was a catastrophically bad idea. But she didn't have a better one, she wanted to get far enough away from her life jacket that when the pirates found it. They wouldn't easily find her.

Her fingers skimmed over trees and vines as she guessed she went north. Eventually she found a rock, a large one she picked her way on top of it. As much as wearing white in a green forest was a bad idea. She really was worried about bugs so sitting on the ground was completely out of the cards. Ruby sat down and curled into a ball on her side, covering her ears with both hands. Her hip hurt but she was too far past exhausted to be able to stay awake.

Morning came early and was punctuated by rain, it woke her up stabbing into her eyes. She sat up and hung her head forward, her arms were itching and took her a moment to see she was covered in ants. She screamed and shot to her feet jumping away from the rock and trying to get them off of her. She reached for her Aura and managed enough to bring it up to protect her skin, she yanked her jacket off and used it to slap the bugs off of her.

Eventually she managed to get them all away, her Aura dying a fair bit before then. Her torso had red bite marks from her shoulders to her chest and down her middle. Thankfully the tight belt of her trousers which were still tucked into her boots had saved her lower half. Ruby sniffed and cried softly as she tried to shake her jacket out a few more times just to be sure the ants were gone. Then she pulled the stiff article of clothing back on and started walking again. Her lips were cracked and she stopped occasionally to lift her head back and drink water from the sky. While she gathered it in her hands.

Her jacket made the bites worse, rubbing her skin raw. She couldn't help but whimper softly, despite the season in the jungle it was hot and muggy. She pulled her jacket off again and tied it around her waist. Her hip did not forgive her for that idea. Ruby tried not to cry as she walked, everything hurt and she had no idea how she was going to find James. Without everyone else finding her as well. Maybe the pirates really were her best bet, at least for food and water. It was likely they had already set up a camp on the ship's corpse. Maybe she could steal some food.

The sun came out and Ruby hated it with a passion she had never known before. She came out into a large clearing with some forest elephants and was doing her best lobster impression by the time she got to the other side. It was then she heard voices.

"She can't have gotten far!"

"She's done pretty damn well so far boss."

Ruby bolted north and heard shouts of glee behind her. She ran as fast as she could north but didn't get far from the Aura enhanced pirates. She heard them on her heels and grabbed Crescent Rose, it whined against opening sand making it creak. She spun around to see two pirates following her, both looking like they were in much better condition than she was. One of them, a strapping tall lad with dirty blonde hair, raised his rifle at her. "Put it away huntress, you're out we can tell. Don't make me shoot you."

She rocked on the spot, torn between fight and get shot and run and get shot. The second pirate spoke, pointing a pistol at her. "Don't do it girl, you need help or you're gonna die of those bites. I know you don't wanna come with us but those bites are gonna start itching something fierce in an hour by the looks of them. Then you're gonna wish we had shot you."

Ruby didn't know if they were lying or not, but her arms were already burning. She lowered her weapon rather than abuse her poor baby by closing it again.

"That's it, good girl." The second pirate took a few cautious steps towards her, keeping his pistol trained on her as he took Crescent Rose away and set it on his own weapons belt. He carefully took the anti material rifle off of her back and offered it to his companion. "Can you use this?"

The dirty blonde man looked at it. "Na, that be heavy duty Atlas stuff. I'd probably shatter my shoulder, I aint no huntsman."

The pistol pirate a shorter man with black hair and a nice tunic huffed. "Damn, it will probably be a pain to sell it. Come on girl." He flicked his pistol at her. "Walk before us."

Ruby did as she was told, as much as she was punching them as soon as she had a cure for the bites. No one sold her babies. The walk was long and hot but sure enough they came to the dreadnought, no longer on fire but with bodies piled up to the side by the river. Ruby scanned them quickly but didn't see James among them. At least she had that.

The pirates took her to a tent, obviously a herbalists tent. The herbalist within was a dark skinned lean woman who took one look at Ruby and sighed. "So the Silver Eyed Warrior really was trying to get herself killed."

"Sure looks like Gaia, fix her up for us?"

"Sit girl."

Ruby did as she was told, plopping down on a soft cushion. At least it didn't have ants in it. Gaia was quick to start covering her skin with a thick green salve. "Shirt off." Ruby took her shirt off and hissed as more cream went over her tender breasts, most of the skin having been scrapped off by her salt filled clothing.

The two pirates leered. "Nice knockers. You always look like you've locking down some cleavage in the pictures but damn. They don't do you justice."

Ruby resisted the urge to growl at them, maybe she could get the jump on them if they were distracted. Gaia finished covering her torso in green cream a minute later. "Anything below the belt?"

"No bites." Ruby said.

"Should get those clothes off anyway, the salt will be murder on your lady bits if it's not already."

It was bothering her, so while glaring at the pirates she stripped the rest of the way. Her bottom was only slightly less red than her top. Gaia huffed and handed her a different salve. "Get to work."

"Can't I wash first?"

The look said no, so Ruby started to cover her salt encrusted skin with the cream. Hoping that if her skin healed at least some of her Aura would come back. Her stomach growled, then again that wasn't likely till she had food and rest. A new man shoved the door of the tent open. Ruby didn't like him instantly, he was as tall and broad as Professor Port but thick with muscle. He didn't wear a shirt, instead just brown leggings that looked like they'd burst if the muscles underneath moved. He was clean shaven with thick curly brown hair and black eyes. His jaw was like that of an axe and he had a large but empty gun belt over his hips. He took both Crescent Rose and her anti-material rifle from the other pirates. He looked them over then looked back at her. "Hot damn it really is her. Go get an extra ration boys you've earned it."

They ran off with a woop! The captain looked over to Gaia. "Have you checked her yet?"

She scowled at him and held up a cup before shoving it at Ruby. "A bit busy making sure she doesn't die."

Ruby took and drank the contents of the cup, assuming it was some sort of antivemon. Given how both of the other people in the tent breathed easier after she did, she guessed her guess was right.

"Now." The captain said.

Gaia turned to Ruby. "Are you a virgin girl?"

Ruby's jaw hit the ground but she remembered what the bounty hunters had said. "No I'm not."

"Perfect!" The captain declared and pulled a collar off his belt.

Ruby shot for the door but was caught by her hair and collar snapped in around her neck. She felt the gravity Dust activate and press in on her skin.

"At least give her a chance to heal!" Gaia snapped as the captain dragged Ruby from the tent.

"I'm sure such a sturdy huntress will be fine!" He waved at her from over his shoulder.

Rub stumbled as he pulled her again, she blushed hard as he paraded her nude through the camp. Hoots and jeers followed them. She saw survivors from the dreadnought look up at her in horror from where they were tied in small groups but no James. The captain took her all the way to his ship, a massive thing made out of Grimm bone and black wood. She seriously considered jumping into the water on the ride over but her skin was finally feeling soothed by the salve so she decided against risking it.

The captain dragged her straight to his quarters, rather nice ones not that Ruby was in any state to notice. He clipped the short leash to a ring that was mounted into the ceiling by his bed. There was another ring by the headboard and Ruby did her best to banish what that was likely for from her mind. He kicked a bucket towards her and then grabbed a plate of turkey, potato and purple carrots off of a table. He patted her head. "Now you be a good girl and eat up and heal." He strode out without looking back. "It's been so long since I had a redhead."

His meaning dawned on her and Ruby would have paled if she had been presently able to do so. The ship really had been a bad idea, but then getting caught had not been part of the plan. Still she needed her Aura back, Ruby attacked the turkey leg. Ripping off chunks of meat and stuffing them down her throat, her body now remembering that it was hungry with a vengeance. When she had licked the plate clean she thought it weird to have turkey for breakfast but couldn't care at that time. Instead she got up, the leash was just long enough for her to take a half step away from the bed. Everything in the room was too far to reach. The table had more food and what she guessed was wine on it, but no knife or fork or anything that she could turn into a weapon. So she turned her attention to the windows, presently open allowing a breeze into the otherwise stuffy cabin.

"Damn it." Ruby growled and sat back on the floor. She was thirsty again and didn't have any ideas for escape.

The door opened and three pirates walked in. Two with weapons trained on her, the other with a chalice of water, a bowl and a cloth. That pirate inched his way over to her and placed all the items where she could reach them. "The water you can drink and clean yourself with." He backed away, his eyes never leaving her. They left again and Ruby had a big drink of water and hoped it wasn't drugged. It didn't appear to be and when she eventually needed to use the bucket she learned what the cloth and bowl were for.

The rest of her day passed like this, eating, resting and watching the pirates come and give her things and take away her bucket and so on. Night was a welcome relief as the heat dwindled. Finally the captain returned, and smiled at her. A wide toothy thing. "Ah good, you already ate." He closed the door behind him and set another pitcher on the floor and poured water into a large bowl before setting a cloth in it. "Clean the salve off."

Ruby seriously considered disobeying but at her current state he could crush her head like a nut. So she soaked the cloth instead as the captain sat down at the table where he could watch her bathe. He set Crescent Rose and her rifle on the table with a heavy Thunk. Then slowly ate his own dinner, his eyes never leaving her.

Ruby was pleasantly surprised to find her skin healed as she washed. Even if the purple bruise on her hip was as purple and angry as ever. When the captain finished his dinner he leaned forward to watch her even more closely. "Huh, even red below the belt. Nice."

She bristled but didn't speak, provoking him was probably a very bad idea. She instead kept washing till all the salve was gone. Only then did the captain stand and unhook the leash from the ceiling. She yelled as he picked her up by her neck and tossed her onto the bed, he tied the leash to the ring there.

"Ain't you a pretty thing on white sheets." The captain's hands went to his belt as he kicked off his boots and dropped his trousers.

NO! Ruby wasn't letting that cock anywhere near her, it was thicker than James and not in a nice way with a thick carpet of curly brown hair all around. He climbed onto the bed and she kicked him as hard as she could in the cheek. He recoiled back moving with the force of the hit.

A laugh rumbled up his chest and made Ruby's blood go cold. "What fine legs you have!" He grabbed her ankles and Ruby didn't bother trying to hold the scream in. She twisted her torso and thrashed as best she could against him but he bent her legs up so they were by her head. "Nice try but I've done this a lot." He drew a thick finger through her dry folds. "I wonder who you've been letting pound this pretty little cunt. The General? Seems most likely, I think-" His eyes bulged as a large pair of invisible hands closed around his neck.

"Got it in one asshole!" James snarled as he dropped his cloaking and ripped the captain away from her. The large man fell to the floor with a thud as James jerked his hands and snapped his neck. His body made a satisfying thud as it hit the floor.

Ruby let out a soft cry of joy as James swept back to her and broke the collar around her neck. She tossed her arms around his neck and kissed him as hard as she could. James gathered her in tight and kissed her back with just as much vigor. He pulled back after a moment and checked her over again. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and kissed him again. "Thank you!"

"Shhh, people are sleeping." James got off the bed and pulled her to her feet. "I didn't find any clothes for you yet, sorry." He pulled her weapons belt out of a pocket and did it up around her hips. "Your old ones weren't where this was."

Ruby dashed for the table and had her weapons back where they belonged in no time. "What's the plan, I saw prisoners and-."

"Already way ahead of you. I've actually disabled most of the camp, I wasn't slacking off while he was in here with you." James growled and took her hand guiding her over to the window. He climbed out and helped her through it. They climbed carefully down the ship and eased themselves into water. Ruby followed James closly as they swam to shore then dodged from one shadow to another. As they rounded a corner James snapped his fingers twice, one of the prisoners slipped his cut bonds, stood up and snapped the guards neck. As quiet as mice, the rest of the prisoners got up and made for the jungle.

"What about all the people on the ships?" Ruby asked as she followed the silently wave of people into the jungle.

"Can't do anything for them when we can't help ourselves. The pirates will be out again in the morning and we don't have the numbers to fight back." He looked down at her feet, then knelt. "Get on."

Ruby did as she was told, climbing onto his back. "No more ants for me." Only then noticing he was already dressed like a pirate. He even had a tricorn hat. Loose linen tunic, light breeches that were tucked into brown leather boots. All he had from his uniform was his gun belt and guns.

"My thinking exactly." James sprinted forward but his feet were silent. They came to the clearing Ruby had passed through earlier and she found around thirty Atlas personnel there. All looking worse for wear. James dipped his head to them. "Split up in small groups if you wish, then make for wherever you think you've got the best shot at surviving. You know your skills better than I."

"Will anyone come for us?" A female asked.

"It's unlikely, the tsunami has probably hit every southern coastal city in the world. And we were stretched thin before this. We are on our own, trust in your training. Retire if it works out for you." James said with a smirk and cock of his head.

A soft laugh rippled through the group. A few saluted. "Thank sir."

"If you don't turn up in the future I'll make sure honorable discharge makes it onto your papers. Good luck everyone." James set off north as the few Atlasians left decided what they wanted to do.

Ruby hugged him tighter. "Was that really best?"

"Smaller groups and more of them are harder to track. Even if they don't all manage to get away, some of them will. The less they know about where we are going the better, in case they are captured. I don't like leaving them to their own devices like that but it's currently the best option."

"Where are we going then?"

"Kuchinashi." James said and picked up his pace. "From there we'll have to steal some Scrolls."

"Steal?" Ruby kept her voice down as much as she wanted to yelp at the idea.

"It is one of the crime centers of the world. What do you think would happen if anyone saw us?" James sprinted up a hill. "I'm good in a fight Ruby, but Kuchinashi is a den for every feasible unscrupulous person for thousands of kilometers around. But it's the less obvious target for us then Yagwani, which I suspect they will look for us there first."

"So… the less obvious evil place, rather than the obvious one." Ruby huffed and dropped her chin on his shoulder.

"It's the best we can do. I have an idea for when we are there but it's risky at best."

"Shoot."

"Alright, there is a bar called The Skillful there. It's huntsmen entry only, normally you need a license to get in but with our faces all over the news I think we might get a pass inside. I know Opal on paper and she seems like a reasonable woman. I wouldn't trust her not to out us but at least in The Skillful, foot traffic will be much lower than anywhere else. We are less likely to be seen till we can work out a better escape plan."

"Well I know pretty much nothing about Kuchinashi so I'll take your word for it. How can you see where you are going?" Ruby squinted into the darkness.

"I don't know… but I can, not as good as daylight but not far off. And I feel that this is the way to go." James slowed back down to a jog and hopped over a creek.

"Sounds like your magic."

"I think you're right and I am going to trust it. Try and rest, I know you had a long day and I had a nap after I found you."

"Okay." Ruby rested her face against his shoulder. She didn't sleep per say, but got control over some of the stress and rested her eyes. It was a far cry better then the rock from yesterday and James kept moving fast enough that no bugs could land on them. She purred softly, at least James had found her. She knew that so long as she was with him, it would turn out alright in the end.