"I'm heading out!" Ruby declared opening the door to leave the dorm room. Weiss paid her no mind as normal preferring to organize her dust vials. Yang looked up from her handheld console and a smug smile grew on her face.
"Okay tell your secret boyfriend I say 'Hi.'" She teased.
"I do not have a boyfriend!" Ruby protested.
"Fine girlfriend." Yang fired back.
Ruby put her hands in her pockets and turned around leaving, "I'll see you when I get back." She huffed closing the door behind her.
Yang returned to her game looking amused and Weiss was still completely tuned out, but Blake had her gaze fixed on them like a tiger stalking it's prey. Ruby had been leaving to meet someone late at night very often as of late.
Yang had been very vocal with her theory of Ruby having a boyfriend or girlfriend off campus somewhere, to the point that it was a popular rumor being passed around. Weiss was just happy that her 'dolt of a partner' was out of the dorm for a few hours. Blake had a theory of her own that most people would describe as insane.
Ruby could have been working for Torchwick.
The evidence seemed to match up in her head, 'Red' as Torchwick called her dressed IDENTICAL to Ruby and had a speed type semblance. When they fought Torchwick's giant robot under the bridge Red took the time to put up a wall of red smoke so no one could see her, and the other girl with pink and brown hair could make illusions to some degree. Ruby even foiled a robbery by Torchwick gaining the attention of the Headmaster, what if that robber was stagged so Ruby could gain access to Beacon.
The only thing Blake couldn't explain was Ruby's sudden change of clothes and personality swap while at the mall a week ago.
The thought of Ruby being evil and working with Torchwick under the name 'Red' hurt her to the core. There was no way that the Ruby she knew attacked her own sister and broke Blake's leg. In some way Blake viewed Ruby like the sister she never had so, if possible, she wanted to disprove her own theory. Hopefully, Yang was right, and it was just a new boyfriend.
Ruby left nearly ten minutes ago, and Blake pulled out her scroll opening an app to a tracking device she snuck into Ruby's wallet, she was nearly in the city. Blake putting down the book she was pretending to read getting up and walked out of the room not saying a word.
Before long Blake found herself walking down a completely normal street. "This is a good sign." Blake mumbled to herself. She continued walking passing by restaurants, stores, and bakery's until she arrived in front of an apartment building.
Taking out her scroll and checking to see if this was where Ruby had gone. The red dot representing Ruby was directly in front of Blake clearly on one of the higher floors. Tapping the red dot, a small box appeared next to it showing how high the tracker was compared to the scroll.
"Fourth floor, street view." Blake estimated. She looked around at the nearby buildings spotting a building of similar height across the road. Climbing up the fire-escape as silently as possible using her semblance to make her way onto the roof.
Crouching down in a particularly shady spot, the faunas girl pulled a small spyglass out of her pocket. After a few minutes of trying to find what she believed to be the apartment that her leader was paying a visit to.
It was extremely easy to spot her leader through an open window. She was leaning against the windowsill facing back into the apartment talking to someone just out of view. Ruby looked very happy a bright smile spread across her face. A small black and white cat jumped onto the window and then onto her shoulder. Ruby turned around taking the cat off her shoulder cradling it in her arms. Through her spyglass Blake could make out a gold chain around her neck.
Ruby let the cat go and it jumped back down into the apartment, and she then started looking out the window down at the street down below. Shortly after she motioned for whoever was in the apartment with her to join her at the window.
Blake adjusted her small telescope zooming out a little letting her see the whole of the window. She was watched closely her curiosity growing at the shadow of the person grew on the floor, and then they stepped into Blakes view, and her curiosity turned to shock in an instant.
Standing next to Ruby was…Ruby. There were two of her leader in the apartment. Zooming in on the new Ruby in a panic Blake saw that she had a silver necklace with a red and black rose on the end.
"Wait… if Ruby's necklace is silver then…" She pondered out loud connecting the dots in her head. "When we met Ruby at the mall, it was actually Red pretending to be her."
Blake went into a daze as a dam of thoughts and theories flooded her mind. She leaned against the wall behind her running her hand through her hair trying to make sense of what she had just seen. "I need to confront her about this." She firmly stated to herself.
"Anyway, we should go eat there sometime." Scarlet suggested pointing down at an Italian place across the street.
"Yeah, it sounds like they have good food." Ruby nodded. The musical ring tone from Ruby's scroll filled the room. "I'll be right back." Ruby said picking up and walking into her twin's kitchen.
"Hey Blake! What's up?" She asked excitedly.
"We need to talk." Blake stated flatly.
"Uh can that wait I'm with a friend right now." She tried to explain.
"It's important." Blake countered.
Ruby sighed, "Fine, I can be back at the dorm in half an hour." She stated glumly.
"No meet me in the courtyard."
"Okay see you then." Hanging up a voice spoke up from behind the huntress in training.
"Something the matter?" Scarlet asked walking up behind her sister.
"Yeah, Blake needs me. I have to go." Ruby explained glumly.
"Well then get going. If your friend needs you, I won't try to argue." Scarlet proclaimed.
"I'll try to make up for it later though, okay." Ruby stated heading for the door.
"Sure. See you later Ruby." Scarlet said holding the door open.
"Later, Scarlet!"
Ruby left the building not seeing the shadow looming high above her head as she walked down the street. Blake rushed ahead to beat Ruby to her target location. Arriving a little ahead of Ruby she sat down on a bench next to a large statue.
Ruby arrived shortly after and stretching her arms she looked around for Blake seeing her on the nearby bench. "Hey Blake! What did you want to talk about?" She asked walking up to her.
Blake still had a distant look about her, starring off into nothing. "Blake are you okay?" Ruby asked softly sitting next to her sounding worried.
"Who… who were you meeting?" Blake asked not looking up.
"I already told you. I was meeting a friend." Ruby answered her soft worried tone not leaving.
"Ruby, I followed you. I saw who you were meeting." Blake confessed.
Ruby stood up taking a few steps away from the faunas. "You…you followed me?" She asked in shock.
Blake stood up quickly. "I'm sorry, but I had to know if you were…" She stopped herself from finishing that sentence.
"If I was what…!?" Ruby asked furious.
"If you were working for Torchwick." Blake admitted.
"Wh-what…?" Ruby stuttered baffled at how her friend came to that conclusion. "How could you think that?"
Blake quickly explained al of the evidence that she had come up with so far and how it led her to believe that Ruby had indeed been working for the crime lord. By the end of her explanation Blake looked the most emotional Ruby had ever seen her, on the verge of tears.
Ruby ran up and gripped her teammate in a hug. "Blake I'm sorry that I made you think that." She said breaking the hug. "I'll explain everything just sit down okay."
Blake complying sat back down on the bench looking up at her leader. "So, who was that girl?" She asked.
Ruby took a deep breath and started, "My twin sister. Her name's Scarlet Rose, and we were separated a few months after we were born. I met her for the first time when Yang got drunk at the club and we had to stay at a hotel."
"How does that even happen?" Blake asked bewildered.
"We have no idea. Scarlet thinks that a Grimm was involved somehow." She took a short pause to collect her thoughts. "After that she was found by Torchwick and he took her in, but from the stories that she's told me she practically raised herself."
Blake was obviously in shock, "So, she's Red." Ruby nodded in response. "And you trust her?"
"Of course, I rust her. She's my sister, my twin no less." Ruby stated offended.
Blake apologized and remained silent waiting for Ruby to continue. "Torchwick forced her into being 'Red'." Ruby explained. "Blake trust me when I say that Scarlet wants nothing more the not leave that life behind." Ruby pleaded.
Blake paused for a moment and stared into Ruby's eyes. "… I believe you."
Ruby's face lit up and she grabbed Blake in a hug. "Thank you, Blake."
Blake returned the hug for a moment and when Ruby backed off, she started asking questions, "How many people know about her? I assume that you've told Yang."
"Uhhh…" Ruby trailed off rubbing the back of her head.
Blake sighed. "Yang deserves to know Ruby."
"Hey, it's not my idea. She just wants to meet her family with a clear conscious is all." Ruby defended.
"I guess that makes sense. I still don't know if I can look my parents in the eye after the things I did in the White Fang." Blake stated flatly.
"But other than you and me, I've told Penny, and Ozpin and he told Ms. Goodwitch." Ruby explained.
"Professor Ozpin knows about that Scarlet works for Torchwick?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, she's kind of working as a confidential informant. That's how we know that Torchwick is working out of an abandoned city in the southeast." She explained further as she sat down next to Blake.
"Interesting." Blake thought out loud. "Anything else I need to know?" She asked.
Ruby thought for a moment, "She has a cat." She stated not knowing what to say.
Blake chuckled lightly, "Anything ese I need to know."
"OH! If you see me with a gold necklace it's actually Scarlet."
"I'll keep that in mind." Blake stated with a smile not telling Ruby that she had already figured that out.
"Perfect!" Ruby happily stated jumping off the bench. "I'll let Scarlet know that I told you tomorrow, but until then we should probably get to bed." Ruby suggested.
"Yeah." Blake agreed standing up to follow Ruby.
A week had passed sense Ruby had told Blake about her secret twin, and the Beacon Dance was later that day. Blake had agreed to go to the dance sense Ruby had told her about Scarlet and Scarlet herself had bought an identical dress to Ruby's so they could swap halfway through.
Yang and Weiss had already left to finish up dance preparation leaving Ruby and Blake to get ready for said dance.
"How do people walk in these?" Ruby asked looking down at the heels Weiss made her wear.
"Practice." Blake said walking out of the bathroom in a purple dress that stopped at knees and transparent fabric covering her shoulder.
"Shoes shouldn't require 'Practice'." Ruby groaned sitting down on Weiss' bed. Ruby was wearing a short sleeveless red dress with transparent fabric covering the area around her shoulders and black stockings. Her silver rose necklace on full display as usual.
Blake giggled as she tied a teal bow over her ears. "Scarlet will be there, right?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, when she gets there, she's gonna text me so we can swap." She explained.
"And your necklace?" Blake asked attaching a black belt to her dress.
Ruby looked over at Blake confused. Blake sighed seeing her expression, "Your necklace is silver, hers is gold. You really don't think people are going to notice?" She asked surprised she had to explain this.
"Ohhhh…" Ruby said just realizing this. "I can just give her mine!" She stated quickly.
Blake sighed. "Well, that works." Taking a glance at her scroll to check the time. "We should get going."
Ruby nodded with vigor as she shot up and tripped falling onto her face. "You, okay?" Blake asked helping her up.
"How does Weiss fight in these." Ruby groaned.
The two walked into the building they were greeted by Yang in a white dress. "You two look beautiful!" She cheered.
They giggled as they walked by into the ballroom. Before long Ruby got a text on her scroll, "Scarlets here!" She said clearly excited.
"A little early don't you think?" Blake said looking over Ruby's shoulder.
"No, I told her to come at this time." Ruby stated replying to her twins text, earning another next saying to fix her grammar.
Blake quickly connecting the dots looked Ruby in the eyes, "You're skipping the dance and having Scarlet take your place." She accused.
"Yep, that's the plan in a nutshell." Ruby confirmed.
Blake sighed heavily, there was no point trying to convince her to stay. The dance had already started. She did smile a little seeing how full proof Ruby's plan was to skip the dance in its entirety.
Ruby took off her necklace and handed it to Blake. "Hold this." She turned and started, or rather attempted, to walk to a nearby balcony. "Be back soon." She joked.
Blake laughed softly at Ruby's joke and waited for Scarlet's arrival. After a few minutes 'Ruby' came back into the ballroom looking very happy and weirdly having no trouble walking in the heels.
She approached Blake holding out a hand for the necklace which the faunas quickly handed over.
"Thanks for that." She said putting the silver chain around her neck.
"Scarlet?" Blake asked quietly.
Scarlet nodded in response, "I'm uh… sorry about your leg." She apologized.
"Yeah, if you're on our side then why did you attack us?" Blake interrogated.
"I was trying to gain the respect and trust of my 'dad's' boss Cinder." She explained putting air quotes around the word 'dad'.
"Did it work?" Blake asked keeping the shock of Torchwick taking orders from someone hidden.
"I think, she seemed impressed when Roman told her, and she's been asking me to help her with more things now." Scarlet answered.
"Then it's water under the bridge." Blake said with a smile putting her hand on Scarlet's shoulder.
Scarlet smiled, "Doesn't change the fact that I broke your leg." Scarlet stated and after thinking for a moment she held out her open hand, "Apology dance?" She half joked.
Blake chuckled and accepted Scarlet's open hand.
They danced around the ball room for a short while and when their dance ended, Sun walked up with an open hand. Blake looked over at Scarlet who gave her a thumbs up and she accepted Sun's offer.
Scarlet walked off the dance floor not looking where she was going. "I still have no idea how you managed to convince to come to the dance." A loud voice said.
Looking up she saw her half-sister Yang standing next to Ruby's partner Weiss. "What can I say, I'm good." 'Ruby' joked.
"Either way, mission accomplished." Weiss bragged.
"So now what!" Scarlet asked excited.
"Have fun!" Yang said walking away, Weiss following her example. Scarlet shrugging headed over to the punch bowl grabbing a drink and waited for Blake to finish her dance with Sun.
"Glad to see you could join us Ms. Rose." A voice said to her right.
"Oh, hey Oz, I mean Professor Ozpin." She greeted quickly correcting herself.
"It's fine as you are not a student here you may call me whatever you like." He stated.
"Already know I'm Scarlet, huh. No fooling you I guess." She joked.
"When your as old as I am, few details go unmissed." He stated.
"Okay then." Scarlet said drawing out the 'O'.
"I am disappointed that your sister decided to leave so soon though. Time has a way of testing our bonds and nights like these that keep them stronger then ever." He said in his normal tone.
"Is everything you say supposed to be some cryptic life advice or something?" Scarlet said not thinking.
He chuckled at her joke, "Have a nice night Ms. Rose and be carful people in your position tend to burn the candle at both ends." He said walking away.
"See you're doing it again!" Scarlet yelled back.
Blake had ended her dance with Sun a while ago and was now talking with Ruby's twin by the edge of the room.
"Does Weiss have a partner?" Scarlet asked looking at her sister's partner.
"No, she asked Neptune, but he turned her down." Blake explained.
"Well, I'm fixing that." Scarlet declared standing up. Blake surprised at her sudden decision didn't try to stop her.
Scarlet walked over to the table Weiss was standing at, opening her mouth to speak, 'Was that Mercury?' she thought her head jerking to where she thought she saw the tall grey-haired boy. There he stood in a suit and tie dancing with Emerald.
Panicked at there presence at the dance she rushed back to Blake making Weiss a little confused when she turned around.
"Did you chicken out." Blake tried to joke being cut off by Scarlet.
"Some of Cinder's goons are here I think that means Cinder is to!" She whispered yelled.
"Wait who's Cinder?" Blake asked.
"She's Roman's boss!" Scarlet explained.
Blake looked shocked and at a loss for words. Just then Scarlet's scroll let out a hearty ring. Looking at the caller I.D it read out in a plain text.
'Cinder'
Panicked Scarlet answered the call. "Hey Cinder." She greeted holding up her free hand to tell Blake to be quite and then covered her other ear to drown out the sounds of the dance.
"How fast can you get to Beacon Academy?" She asked blankly.
"Uh, I don't know I'm pretty close now." She lied. "Maybe less than twenty minutes." She gave a random time.
"Good, bring your mask and weapon. I have a mission for you." She stated.
"Then it might take a little longer, my sword is at a repair shop." Scarlet lied to buy herself some time.
"Make it quick. Meet me at the transit tower." Cinder hung up after that.
"Well, what did she say?" Blake asked unable to hear anything.
"Tell Ruby to grab her weapon and head to the transit tower. I have to go." She ordered running out of the ball room.
When she was a safe distance from the dance, she activated her semblance speeding off Beacon's campus and to her apartment in Vale. Quickly opening her door and ignoring her cat Fia, she got changed into her battle uniform and grabbing her mask and Slicer Thorn she ran out of her apartment being stopped by someone in the hallway.
"Something wrong Scarlet?" They asked.
Looking up she saw that it was her neighbor. "Everything's fine Kevin." She quickly handed handed him her spare key, "You wouldn't mind giving Fia some food? I'm kind of in a big rush.
"Sure." The man said a little confused taking the key.
"Thanks!" Scarlet said putting her mask on and speeding off again with the help of her semblance.
Arriving outside of the Beacon Transit Tower she skidded to a stop, out of breath. "Twenty-two minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Impressive." Cinder's voice said from behind her.
Scarlet turned around to face the woman, "Well, you said make it quick." She joked.
A small amount of air left Cinder's nose. She was wearing a black sleeveless jacket zipped up halfway with nothing underneath. She had long gloves that reached her upper bicep, and knee-high stiletto boots with skintight pants. Her belt had several vials of dust around it. Completing the look was a black masquerade mask.
The sight caught Scarlet off guard making her face turn as red as her name sake. Being thankful that Cinder couldn't see her expression under the mask she cleared her throat. "So why did you want me here."
"I will be sneaking into the tower. You will be acting as my guard, consider this a test." She vaguely explained.
Seeing this as an opportunity to get in her good graces Scarlet nodded, "Keep you safe from guards, I can do that."
"Well then you can start by taking out the guard at the entrance." She stated pointing at the signal guard at the door.
As Cinder lowered her hand Scarlet vanished from where she was standing and appeared behind the guard a trail of black rose petals showing the path she took. She knocked him out him a single punch to the back of the head.
"Impressive." Cinder congratulated walking up. "But that was just the first guard." She finished walking through the door. Scarlet left the mans body where it was and followed Cinder into the tower.
The next room then entered had a few guards in it. Cinder stopped before she entered and motioned for Scarlet to take care of them. Scarlet sped into the room tackling the first guard down knocking him out quickly. The other three looked over and drew their weapons In a panic.
One charged at her with a baton. Scarlet activated Slicer Thorn's sword mode and cut the small sick in half and with a sift and powerful kick sent the man flying. The other two charged at her with swords. She parried the first and threw him at the second man knocking them both back. Getting their balance back they readied themselves to charge again only for both to be knocked unconscious by a powerful upwards slash courtesy of Slicer Thorn.
Cinder smiled as she walked up the stairs and called an elevator. The door opened with two guards standing inside. Cinder casually walked inside followed by Scarlet. When the doors closed, they knocked both out with a punch.
"So, mind telling me why we're here?" Scarlet asked watching the dots light up as they quickly ascended.
"That's need to know, and you don't need to know. Yet." Cinder responded.
Scarlet groaned, "Why are you always so cryptic."
The door opened and they stepped out into a room filled with rows of computers, "Watch the elevator." Cinder ordered. Scarlet obeyed and stood directly in front of the elevator. Cinder sat down at the main computer and started typing away.
A few moments of pure silence went by until, "We're done here." Cinder stated suddenly.
"Really, that's it?" Scarlet asked confused.
"Yes, that's all." Cinder replied.
A sudden chime from the elevator rang out, and Cinder took up a battle stance her black clothes glowing orange. Knowing who might be in the elevator Scarlet spoke up, "You go I can handle whoever this is."
Cinder looked at Scarlet for a second and then nodded quickly escaping out the window. The door opened and there stood Ruby and Blake weapons drawn.
"She's gone." Scarlet stated as the two walked out of the elevator.
"Dang it." Ruby exclaimed.
"What did Cinder do?" Blake asked.
"I have no idea, she didn't tell me said it's, 'Need to know.'." She explained.
Another chime from the elevator made Scarlet activate her sword again. When the door opened General Ironwood stood in the center and after analyzing the room he reached for his gun.
"WAIT SHE'S GOOD!" Ruby pleaded.
"DON'T SHOOT!" Blake yelled.
"She's a criminal!" Ironwood countered pointing his gun at Scarlet.
"I work for Ozpin!" Scarlet shouted by instinct.
Ironwood a little surprised lowered his gun. "Explain. Now" He ordered sternly.
Scarlet took a deep breath. "Here we go again." She mumbled to herself.
Next Chapter; Informant Identity