A short chapter, but like the prior one it is meant to be more of an introduction than anything else. I do want to note that don't expect this story to be very long...as it is, I expect maybe 10 chapter at most. But we'll have fun the whole way I hope! And now...for our Red Queen to make her appearance.


A soft clicking noise kept the three men unloading the truck on edge. Normally, their would be celebration, insults flung about, grunts of labor or even good-natured joking at this haul. Not this time. Not while they were watched. Billy took a moment to glance back, eyes just flickering in the direction of her. She didn't seem to be paying attention to them, but Billy had worked for the Red Queen enough to know that was a lie. She had this air of inattentiveness that would throw you off if you didn't know her. Almost flighty, or distracted, she always seemed not quite there, not quite on the same plane of existence. But it was all an act. Nothing escaped the Red Queen's notice. Which is when he realized his mistake.

"'Sup Billy? Need something?" the smooth, almost overly cheery voice asked.

Billy gulped, quickly lifting up another large box and began hauling it towards the back. "N-no ma'am-" he silently cursed to himself when the clicking stopped.

"Ma'am? Billy, you wound me. I thought we were friends! And friends call each other by their name, don't they? Come on Billy...what's my name?"

Billy's shoulders slumped. He'd already trapped himself. He could see it in the other two men's sudden frenzy of activity, as they distanced themselves from him in the hopes she'd focus more on Billy and less on them. The most he could do was silently pray she wasn't in one of her more...difficult...moods. "R-Ruby! Ruby, that's your name."

"You should look at someone when talking to them. It's only polite, and we try to be polite here don't we? All just one big happy family, right?"

'Shit!' Billy thought to himself. He steeled his spine, standing straight as he turned to face her, knowing she preferred people not act afraid around her. It was like she could smell fear sometimes...and he was pretty sure fear just turned her on. As he lifted his eyes from the ground, arms aching as the heavy box was still in his grip, his eyes came to rest upon the slouched figure of the woman known as the Red Queen.

Short, dark hair with tips of red, rumored that it was the blood of her enemies that stained those locks. A pressed suit, with the top button unbuttoned and the jacket open to reveal her collarbone. Silver eyes, liquid pools of mercury that seemed to swirl with an ever increasing madness, a dark glint in her eyes. She straddled a chair, arms folded on the back of it as she slouched, watching the unloading of her latest take. It'd be natural, if it weren't for that smile; the slightly upturned lips, the ever-present hint of a smile. No one had ever seen her smile disappear. The smile told you everything about how she was feeling...the wider the smile, the more dangerous. The more terrifying. The more likely you were to die, at her hands...or by her side...and her smile was wide.

"Billy, buddy, why dontcha set that box down?" Ruby drawled, leaning further forward in the chair.

"I, I should really finish unloading-" Billy began, though he knew it was hopeless he needed to try.

"Nonsense! We're friends, Billy! You were looking over, so you must've noticed I was feeling...bored," Ruby stood up with a smooth, practiced grace at odds with the way she had slouched into the chair and strode over to Billy with a soft step. Her smile grew on her face, silver eyes darkening as she leaned in. "Come now Billy...let's have some fun."


Though the water was well over a hundred feet below them, the raging torrents could be heard from the ledge of the bridge the group stood on. Snow fell gently, the bridge covered in a light dusting of it, the old iron creaking and groaning in the nighttime wind. Ruby, casually seated on the edge of the railing, legs dangling into empty space, took in a deep breath through her nose. Eyes closed, she grinned widely. "Aaaahh, nothing like the smell of fresh water, eh Billy?"

"I, I don't know how fresh it is. It is the cities water," Billy replied. He'd concluded his only chance of making it out was playing along with her game...low chance, but those who didn't had an even lower survival chance; that being zero.

"Blah, where's your sense of adventure?! What a dive! Imagine it! A lovely swan dive at night...the feeling of the air kissing your skin...what a rush. Let's do it, Billy. Come on. You can swim, right?"

"I, I uh...I mean, I can swim, but…"

"Perfect. Let's do this," Ruby remarked, rolling backwards off the railing. Doing a complete 180, she released it just at the right time to land on her feet. Dropping to a knee, she began undoing her boot. The other three guards standing by the vehicle shared concerned looks, but knew better than to speak up. If there was one thing you did not do to the Red Queen, it was interfere in her 'fun'. Only one person could get away with it...and they'd prefer it if they never saw her.

Ruby glanced over to see Billy frozen in place. Still smiling as she pulled off her second boot, she stepped over to him, seemingly not noticing the snow. Small droplets of red followed her footsteps, indications that she'd cut the bottom of her foot on something left on the old bridge, be it broken glass or a screw, but not once did her eyes leave Billy's. She leaned over into his personal space, face only a few inches away, her voice barely audible over the night wind. "What's wrong Billy? It's just a bit of fun."

Billy gulped, squaring up his shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I won't do this! I won't! It'll kill me! And you! We've no idea what's in that water, or how cold it'll be, and jumping from here? It's a death sentence! Ruby, we-"

Ruby's smile had yet to move, but something flashed in her eyes when Billy refused. She lifted a hand, cutting Billy off. "Red Queen, Billy. I'm afraid we must not be friends then. That's okay. You just stay here."

Ruby walked back to where her boots lay, and began unbuttoning her suit jacket. Shrugging it off, she methodically stepped through each piece of clothing, revealing more tanned, scarred, pockmarked skin the further she went. Massive sweeping marks across her body, small dotted scars on her inner arm. A single red line across her throat, normally covered by a red choker, the spot where her prior rival to control over their group had slit before she carved his heart out of his chest. She seemed to have no mind for either the cold or modesty, standing there on the freezing bridge, eyes closed and arms akimbo for a brief moment, naked to all who could view her.

Without a word of warning, she bolted for the railing, leaping over it gracefully. In perfect form, she twisted herself into a swan dive, her guards and Billy rushing to the edge just in time to see her disappear into the water, vanishing beneath the turbulent, dark waves. They waited anxiously for her to reappear...two minutes, stretched into four, into ten, into twenty. Billy glanced over, meeting the eyes of one of the other guards as they began to step back from the ledge. If she found out that Ruby was gone, they were all going to be kil-

"That was so much fun! Billy, you're missing out!" came the cheery voice of the Red Queen as she strolled back up the side of the bridge, surprising all four men standing by the ledge. Small ice crystals had already formed in her hair, little spots of blue and white sparkling in the streetlights. Her skin was pale, nearly blue at this point, her entire body looking as if it had already frozen over, yet not a single shudder was seen. She cocked her hip to the side, holding a hand out imperiously. "Blanket if you would, boys. I should dry up a bit before putting my clothes back on."

The guards hurried to do as she said, diving into her car for some dry clothing and blankets. The Red Queen always insisted all the cars carry extra clothing, blankets, and medical supplies along with weaponry, just in case. Ruby grinned as she wrapped the blanket around herself. "Let me dry up a bit, then we'll head home."


After a few minutes, wherein Ruby had dried off and reclothed herself, the guards began to gather up anything remaining showing they had been on the bridge. Billy stood to the side, trying not to be noticed, but shuddering slightly as Ruby stepped up next to him. She gazed out over the bridge, smile still present.

"Ah Billy, I guess you were wrong about me dying, huh? But that's okay. I'm glad you were looking out for me. It's such a shame though," Ruby remarked in a casual tone.

"What is?" Billy asked, relaxing slightly as she seemed calm.

"That you won't get to look after me any longer. With our friendship coming to an end, I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go. It's okay Billy, I'm sure you'll find more work though."

Billy gulped, internally breathing a sigh of relief. Being fired was much easier to handle than-

Ruby turned to glance at Billy, the wattage of her brilliant smile dropping slightly. "Have you ever considered a job in...water management?" Ruby's fist slammed into Billy's face, stunning him as his nose flared in pain. A quick kick between his legs took all strength from him to defend himself, able to glance up just in time to see the knife palmed in her hand. With a violent thrust, it slammed into his neck, cutting off his cries of pain as she lifted him up by his throat with one hand, berserk strength seeming to fuel her.

With an almost contemptuous toss, she flung him over the railing, watching as his body, mangled, bleeding out, broken, fell into the waves below, disappearing into the river. Casually shaking her hand, she pulled out a pristine handkerchief and wiped the few blood droplets off her hand. "Shoulda stayed my friend, Billy. Let's go home, boys." Ruby strode back to her car, slipping into the backseat as the engine revved, her smile returning to its normal state.