Author's note: And now, we get to see how Ruby adjusts to rebuilding a city.
Ruby flicked her finger against another ice-dust grenade and listened to the ring. Satisfied with her work, she attached it to the belt she had prepared, and wanted to make another one, when her scroll rang. She checked the number and picked up.
"Hey dad," Ruby said and asked, "How's it going?"
"Hey Ruby," Taiyang said and answered, "Great. We just arrived in Vale, and your friends were a really nice welcoming committee. We'll be at the train station in a few minutes."
"Great, I'm waiting," Ruby said.
"Alright," Taiyang said, and both hung up. Ruby had her scroll open a map of the city and used Puppeteer to make her scroll pinpoint the location that had caught her attention a while back, and it marked her team's old dorm room in Beacon.
"Of course," Ruby thought, smiled and made the map disappear again, "Good job, guys." She then pocketed her scroll and left the workshop, which was really just a small portion of the main terminal that was separated from the rest by room separators, and went to meet with Sophie Weber, who just arrived in front of the train station.
"Apostle of light," Sophie said, kneeling in front of Ruby, "I have come, as you requested."
"Rise," Ruby said and asked, "What have you been working on so far?" Sophie stood up and looked much more composed than the others have ever seen her before. She looked over to the others, and Ruby nodded, commanding her to answer.
"My swarm has rebuilt the wall," Sophie answered, "Our mound draws in air from this city's underground systems, allowing us to move organic waste to feed our swarm. This also generates electricity. Additionally, we have begun producing honey from the pollen of the Manuka tree to sell to other kingdoms, and then use the money to expedite the repairs of this city."
"Alright," Ruby said, "Stay on standby, I may need your help later."
"Of course," Sophie said, and Ruby turned around to see Team CRDL come back, leading her father, Zwei, and Khione to the group's base of operations.
"Ruby!" Khione called out happily and began running towards Ruby.
"Kiki!" Ruby responded equally elated, and ran towards her friend. Khione lowered her head and kept running, headbutting Ruby in the gut before stopping and standing back up. Ruby jumped and made a front flip over Khione, and the two stood back to back after Ruby landed. They turned around and hugged each other, laughing like they hadn't seen each other in ages, rather than having parted ways earlier that day.
"So, here I am," Khione said after they broke the hug, but her smile slowly faded and she started to freak out a bit, "I'm here. In Vale. With a bunch of huntsmen and huntresses. Fighting Grimm. Gods, what am I even doing?"
"Right now, you're attracting Grimm," Ruby answered nonchalantly, pulled one Thief's Respite, held it over her shoulder and shot a Beowolf coming out of a street behind her with an incendiary-dust round, then put the weapon away again.
"So cool," Cardin said under his breath, when the rest of the pack arrived.
"Pathetic," Ruby said coldly, and simply made the glass shards explode, killing the entire pack, stunning the group with how ruthlessly she disposed of the Grimm.
"Hello Glynda," Taiyang said, pulling the group out of their mild shock, "Where's Amy?"
"Oh, hello Taiyang," Glynda said and answered, "She's on a supply run, looking for more dust. But she should be back soon."
"I'm back," Professor Amanita Peach said as she walked up to the group from the other side of the town square. She had mocha skin, peach-colored hair and reddish pink eyes protected by safety goggles. She wore steel-toed thigh-high latex boots over stockings, a form-fitted, double-breasted white lab coat with peach-colored buttons, and long latex gloves that covered the end of her coat's sleeves. Her hair was kept in a bun by a pin, and she carried a duffel bag with her, which sported the logo of a popular sporting goods store.
"Hello," Glynda said and asked, "And, did you find the dust we need?"
"Yep, sure did," Professor Peach answered and set the bag down.
"Anyway, Kiki, I'd like you to- Kiki?" Ruby asked, noticing her friend spacing out a bit.
"Is she alright?" Velvet asked.
"Probably," Ruby answered, "I mean, she's suddenly in a Grimm-infested city, surrounded by a bunch of huntsmen and huntresses, as well as students, so I can see how she'd be shaken up a bit. I'd probably react the same."
"Well, you did ask for my autograph when we first met," Glynda said with a little smile, and Khione chuckled.
"Yeah, sounds about right," Khione said with a laughing tone.
"See? Everything's fine," Ruby said and asked, "You're fine, right?"
"Yes, I think so," Khione answered, "But it's just a bit much to take in. Besides, I'm not sure I'm as good of a fighter as the others here."
"Don't worry about that," Ruby said and put her hand on Khione's shoulder, "With Raven's semblance, I can be by your side in an instant, and then whoever made me come over will be sorry."
"Did I miss something?" Amanita asked.
"Oh, right," Ruby answered, and briefly summarized what she had already told the others.
"Wow, that is interesting," Amanita said after the explanation, and asked, "Can I have your semblance?"
"Of course," Ruby answered, "And also, now that I think of it, your Strings would probably make for some really cool moves."
"Probably, yeah," Amanita said.
"But we'll have to postpone this," Ruby said, "Kiki, I'd like you to let Sky use your semblance."
"But… neither of us has silver eyes," Sky said.
"Oh, right, totally forgot," Ruby said and explained, "There is also an aura technique that lets someone leave an imprint of their soul on someone else's, like when you look into the light of my silver eyes, but it only works in one direction."
"Well, alright," Sky said.
"Alright, here goes," Khione said and held her hand in front of Sky's face. Her aura manifested over her hand and the glow slowly increased in intensity, until it left an imprint of her soul on Sky's soul.
"Anyway, there's something I need to tell you about the backup from Atlas," Ruby said, "As you may suspect, they're all my friends, of course. But not just the people you already know. We also met a farmhand from Mistral, who joined us on our journey. Turns out, Headmaster Ozpin got into quite a bind about a decade ago, and that kid, Oscar Pine, helped him out a lot. So, since Ozpin had no living relatives, he left his cane to the boy. Just, you know, so you don't wonder why he has it."
"I see," Glynda said, "Thanks for letting us know."
"So, how do I use this semblance now?" Sky asked, "And can you teach me to do that, too? I feel like it could come in handy."
"Sure, here you go," Ruby answered and used Mentor to teach everyone how to enter their soul cores and share their semblance with others.
"Anyway, Ruby, we have something to tell you," Cardin said, "In private, if that's ok with you."
"Sure," Ruby said and gave Sophie a nod to actually leave them alone, then she and Team CRDL walked away a bit, and stopped behind a corner.
"So, here's the thing," Cardin said, "This may sound crazy, but we can turn into birds."
"I see," Ruby said, "Yeah, that's useful."
"No, really, we can- wait, what?" Cardin asked, "I mean, I know you told us some weird stuff, but us turning into birds isn't weird to you?"
"Not at all, no," Ruby answered, "But anyway, I'd like to use Kindred Link and bond with you all, to improve our effectiveness as a group, and so I can come to help you whenever you need me."
"Of course," Cardin said. Ruby put her right hand on the boys' shoulders one by one and bonded with them, then they went back to the others.
"There was also that one time, when-" Taiyang said, but stopped when he noticed Ruby coming back.
"And, everything taken care of?" Glynda asked.
"Yep, everything taken care of," Ruby answered, "Is there anything else you need done, though?"
"Well, there are some problems in almost every district," Glynda answered, "For example, the shopping strip is almost cleared out, but still sees some Grimm activity. There is also bandit activity in the industrial area, which we need access to for building materials. However, they're led by a somewhat powerful rogue huntsman, so it's not exactly easy to take care of them." Taking in all the information, Ruby gave it some thought and weighed her options.
"Alright, here's my plan," Ruby said, "Russel, Dove, you two go and gather information on the bandits. Khione, dad, Zwei you three come with me and take care of the Grimm. Any objections?"
"No," Glynda answered, and the others also sided with Ruby.
"Good, then let's do this," Ruby said, "And also, Kiki, I've got something for you." She went and got the ice-dust grenades, which would send a flurry of ice shards upon detonation, allowing Khione to take out larger numbers of enemies in one hit.
"Thanks," Khione said and put on the belt with the grenades. The teams got going, and as soon as they were out of sight, Russel and Dove turned into their respective bird forms, allowing them to approach and observe the bandits unhindered, just as Ruby had planned.
~o~
Walking through Vale's shopping district, the group led by Ruby kept their weapons ready and senses sharp, in case any Grimm attacked them. Ruby knew not to underestimate them, and she knew how to sense them, but the others couldn't.
"Kiki," Ruby said and used Prism Chain and grappled a Beowolf atop a shoe store, and threw it on the ground for Khione to kill with an ice-dust bolt. The bolt exploded into a large chunk of ice, and the rest of the Grimm jumped down from the roof.
"I'll handle those," Taiyang said and rushed the Grimm, augmenting his semblance with ice-dust. He delivered a series of punches and kicks, killing them and making more ice. A Big Ursa broke through a wall and came onto the street, rising to its hind legs.
"Ruby," Khione said and shakily backed away from the Grimm, and ended up using Petal Burst to dash away from the Grimm. However, instead of being safe, a pack of Creeps popped up around her. She dropped a grenade and used Petal Burst to get out of range. The Big Ursa charged at Ruby, who jumped aside and hooked her scythe into its eye, throwing it around and to the ground.
"You will not hurt my friends," Ruby said in a cold voice, then shot the Big Ursa with an ice-dust round. Khione switched her crossbow into its axe form and quickly killed the Creeps before they could recover from the icicle barrage.
~o~
After the group fixed the damaged barricades, they returned to the train station and waited for the others to return. Russel and Dove returned about an hour after Ruby and her little team, and gave their report on the bandits.
"So, what did you find?" Glynda asked, but before the boys could answer, it started to snow, so everyone went inside the train station and blocked off the windows to keep the weather out, then they gathered in the main hall to share their findings. Glynda leaned over a map of Vale, and the rest gathered around the table it was on, weighted down with staplers and similar items.
"There are about twenty," Russel explained, "They have poorly made weapons, and don't look like fighters, but the area has signs of intense combat."
"What kind of signs?" Taiyang asked.
"It looks like some kind of energy beams hit the stone," Dove answered, "Maybe a semblance, or dust, but no projectiles or solid weapons." Hearing that, Ruby thought for a moment.
"Alright, I have a plan," Ruby said.
"Already?" Glynda asked and said, "That was fast."
"What is it?" Cardin asked.
"We give them better weapons," Ruby answered, earning confused looks from everyone.
"Why?" Glynda eventually asked.
"So they join us," Ruby answered, "We need as much manpower as we can get, and if we fight them, it'll just waste resources. I'm going to prepare some simple weapons for them to use, and deliver them tomorrow as a peace offering."
"And if it goes wrong and they don't accept?" Taiyang asked.
"Then I'll give them a reason to reconsider that decision," Ruby answered and clenched her right fist.
"So, you're just gonna beat them into submission?" Velvet asked.
"Not quite," Ruby answered, "I'll offer them a peaceful solution first, and when they insist on fighting, I'll fight. Once I've won, I'll offer them the same deal again."
"But what if they pretend to accept, and then turn on us?" Glynda asked.
"That's a risk I'm aware of," Ruby answered, "But I still believe that we should trust them."
"Trust them?" Taiyang asked, "Sorry, but they're bandits. I don't think we should trust them."
"So is Raven, and she saved me," Ruby answered, "I know you're still hurting, but she changed, even if just a little. I think it's the right choice."
"I still don't know," Glynda said, "There is no telling what will happen."
"But we can't just leave them to fend for themselves," Ruby said.
"Why not?" Cardin asked, "Why are you so focused on teaming up with them in the first place?"
"Because they control a large area of the city," Ruby answered, "If we can gain their support, they can keep that area safe from Grimm for us."
"But they'll ask for something in return," Khione said, "I mean, that's obvious, right? Sorry."
"No, you're right, they will ask for something," Ruby said.
"And it may be something we can't afford," Glynda said. Ruby took a deep breath and sighed.
"I get it. No really, I do," Ruby said, now more calmly, "Trusting strangers, especially bandits, is a huge risk, and one you don't want to take, especially now. You're scared and without guidance, and it looks like trusting others isn't safe. But that's what our enemies, the ones behind the fall of Beacon, want you to think. I- I've talked to Raven while I was in Mistral. She was every bit as hopeless as I was the night Beacon fell, and several nights after that. She was consumed by guilt and sorrow, and had known about our enemies' plan long ago, but didn't have the strength to stand up. So, I helped her. I reached out, talked to her, and in the end, she helped me. And I think this can work again here."
"I still think it's too big a risk," Coco said, "This could really blow up in our faces."
"I know," Ruby said, "I know that this plan hinges on the reactions of people I've never met, and while I've been lucky so far, I know that that luck has to run out eventually. But I'm determined to try this anyway."
"You're really determined to help them, aren't you?" Bartholomew asked and said, "That has always been one of your better qualities, if I may say so."
"You may," Ruby chipped in.
"But in the end, there is no telling what can happen," Bartholomew continued, "Throughout history, many a ruler was felled by those he believed to be his allies. Nations succumbed to war more through internal betrayal than outside attacks. So, I'm not too sure."
"We both know I don't know enough to dispute that," Ruby said, "But I know from personal experience that Mistral has a turret network that doubles as communication relays, allowing for people to communicate like before while also keeping roads safe from Grimm, and there are only three Grimm on the entire continent of Solitas. All because my friends and I trusted people, and it paid off. Sure, you don't know for sure what I've done, and so far, all you have is my word. But please, let me do this one thing."
"I'm still not sure this is a good idea," Peter said, "They could steal the guns for themselves." Hearing that, Ruby turned thoughtful for a moment.
"There is… one thing I can do," Ruby said, "If that is what it takes for you to let me do this."
"What is it?" Glynda asked, and everyone visibly unnerved just from Ruby's change in tone from determined optimism to guilt.
"A semblance," Ruby answered, "Thief's Bane."
"Sounds… dark," Cardin said and asked, "What's it do?"
"I can… use it on an item I own," Ruby answered, "If someone takes that item from me without my permission, they fall under my control for as long as they have the item. I can use it on the guns, and if the bandits turn on us and steal them, I'll have full control over them." Hearing that, the group fell dead silent.
"That… that is dark," Velvet said after a few seconds.
"I know," Ruby said, "I've never used it before, but as a contingency, if that is what it takes to let me do this, then I'll do it." The others looked around among each other.
"There really is no talking you out of this, is there?" Glynda asked.
"There is," Ruby answered, "This is all I can do to convince you, and if you still don't agree, I'll drop it. I just wanted to make it clear how much I'm willing to do to convince you." The others looked at each other again and nodded, and Ruby sighed in relief that she finally convinced them to let her help the bandits. Soon after, they started making very simple revolvers with under-barrel blade, and prepared them for transport once the weather cleared up again.
~o~
In Atlas, Ruby's friends were just done with two new fusion experiments, namely Weiss and Nora, so the former could fuse with the last of her friends, and Weiss and Elm. The former's semblance, Electric Terrain, would make lightning-dust more potent for those standing on the ground, while the latter's, Grassy Terrain, increased aura regeneration. The semblances were promptly shared with various people, to help them in future battles. Also, Permafrost allowed Ivori of Team FNKI to copy her semblance, since he wields a whip as well.
"So, how's Winter doing with her new assignment?" Blake asked.
"Well, she should be in Argus by sunset," Weiss answered, "She'll summon a Seer then, and let Whitley know."
"And you're sure it's a good idea?" Ilia asked.
"No, I just hope it'll work out," Weiss answered, "Besides, Winter can take care of herself, and she knows the plan. Plus, she has much more self control now." The group then continued experimenting with the new semblances, mostly realizing they also automatically augment any semblance within the area of effect with the respective dust type, regardless of what the semblance's user wants. After a while, they received a warning that creatures had appeared at the artificial lake under Amity and went to see what was happening.
Author's note: Long story short, Blake used Deathzone on some steam-dust and built it into proximity mines, which Yang then sent into their dorm room after Ilia used Emphatic Beacon on them. The result is a room full of smoke that harms Grimm on contact.
Khione is a bit nervous, now that she's among genuine huntsmen and huntresses. But it'll also earn her some bonus points for when she applies to Beacon, so it's worth it.
Ruby makes up a story to keep Ozpin's immortality a secret. Not the most believable, but she has a talking dog, so anything goes.
Professor Peach's design and semblance are borrowed from RainshadowArtist on DeviantArt. With permission, of course.