Ruby at Atlas
By: FunahoMisaki
(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)
"The ship is running ten minutes behind schedule." A dark skinned and dark haired girl that wore a blue beret and was already in her uniform said from next to Ruby, frowning as she glanced at the watch on her wrist.
"It's probably the thrusters. It would explain the sound when it started up. Thankfully it won't effect the engines if we go slower than usual but if we speed up then it's likely something will catch fire or just explode. If I had to guess…" Ruby tilted her head as she listened closely to the sound of the ships thrusters.
"It sounds like there's a wire or a screw coming loose and trying to interfere with the gears and the propulsion." Ruby said after a few seconds of listening and making those around her stare at her confused and curious.
"And how would you know that for sure?" A dark skinned guy wearing shades asked staring at the reaper while Winter watched quietly in the background, going largely unnoticed by the others on the ship save for a few notable exceptions.
"I'm a weapon nut. I also had the highest scores possible in weapons crafting and am a fully certified and licensed weapons designer. By default I'm required to know when things, especially mechanical things, are beginning to malfunction based on the sound alone." Ruby said without care, as if it were nothing big at all, and making a few of the bulkier students scoff.
"Nerd." One blond guy sneered at the reaper who merely shrugged at this. It wasn't the worst thing she had ever been called after all.
"I think that it's sensational! That implies that you can notice as soon as your weapon begins to malfunction and can fix it immediately before you get hurt." An orange haired pale skinned girl said beaming at Ruby who smiled back while a few of the students paused to consider this. After all they had all had their weapons malfunction at least once or twice and it had either gotten them hurt or had embarrassed them in front of others. So perhaps the girl being so trained in crafting and mechanics that she can hear it when things start to go wrong before they do wasn't such a bad or nerdy thing after all?
"So what's a pale little shrimp doing going to Atlas? It's a military school you know, not kindergarten?" A cat faunus with orange-pink hair asked smirking at Ruby who merely shrugged.
"I got asked to attend. I accepted." Ruby said simply as she ignored the slight on her height. She is shorter than most of them after all.
"You don't look seventeen." One boy with green hair commented as he looked Ruby up and down, making Winter frown and begin to straighten up.
"I'm not. I'm fifteen. I was allowed to skip the last two years at Signal." Ruby said making a few of the kids scowl at her.
"Oh really and how come none of us were allowed to skip years when we were in school huh shrimp?" One big guy with a buzz cut asked glaring down at Ruby who merely raised an eyebrow up at him unafraid.
"Oh? Were you a fully licensed and certified mechanic and weapons designer when you were fifteen? Did you have a masters degree in mechanics and weapons designs? What about in welding and blacksmithing? Did you have degrees in those?" Ruby asked making the guy scowl harder and shake his head.
"I have four master degrees in the different arts of weapons crafting. I only went to combat school because it's my dream to be a huntsman and help people like my parents and uncle. Even though weapon crafting was naturally my best scores. I did not skimp on the others and as it was I was already being considered for skipping my third year and going straight to my final year early, as well as being valedictorian of my year if I had decided to stay with my year-mates." Ruby said making quite a few students raise their eyebrows or let out impressed whistles.
"I've already got contracts lined up to design and create weapons for different people and groups of military. Without boasting I can claim to be smarter than you in several areas and far ahead of you in maintaining my own weapons and crafting or designing others." Ruby said calmly. The boy snarled at her and swung a fist.
"No one mocks me!" The boy said sneering and waiting to see that pale pretty face bruise and break under his fist. Ruby calmly took one step back and watched as the boy staggered since he had overextended himself on the punch.
Without a lick of emotion showing on her face, Ruby pulled her sheathed tanto from off of her waist and slammed the hilt into the boys back, right on his spine with enough force to send him crashing to the ground with a grunt of pain.
"I wasn't mocking you, on purpose at least. If it seemed like I was then I apologize. I was merely stating the facts. I was asked to attend early because of my high scores in classes and my different degrees in weapon designing. Next time kindly don't try to attack me." Ruby said still not showing any emotion on her face before she put her tanto back on her waist belt and stepped away from the boy.
The boy got to his feet and snarled as he tried to hit her from behind but she burst into a storm of petals and appeared behind him, kicking the back of his right knee and making him kneel on the ground.
"Please quit while you are ahead. We are meant to be classmates and possibly teammates. Do not make me hurt you further." Ruby said politely as she appeared around in front of the boy again, making everyone gape at just how fast she was moving as it appeared as if the boy were kneeling in front of her. Like an old-fashioned knight to their liege.
"Besides we're going to dock in the next minute and unsanctioned or unsupervised fights on school grounds result in immediate severe punishment from the faculty and staff. I'd rather not get in trouble for defending myself before school even starts." Ruby said making Winter smirk from her position next to the bay doors.
"You wouldn't be in trouble at all. After all it's self-defense since he's attempting to attack you first. I'll have to make a note for the teachers on his apparent inability to pick his battles and realize when he will not win." Winter said making those who hadn't noticed her before jump just as the ship thudded lightly as it touched down.
"Good to know. Can I go tell the pilots about the issue in case they don't already know about it so that it can get fixed? It's a simple to fix issue that I can take care of now if you want." Ruby asked looking at Winter who chuckled a bit.
"They already know. They damaged the thruster on purpose as a bit of a test insisted on by one of the teachers. It's to see who would notice or figure out what was wrong with the transport and how they will react. After all there's no telling when your transportation will fail and you'll be left trying to find a new way to your destination or to complete your mission." Winter said making those who hadn't noticed anything wince at possibly failing a test already.
"Ah. Is that also why there are fully loaded automated gun turrets aimed at us through the windows and looking ready to fire?" Ruby asked making Winter smirk at her.
"Situational awareness and reaction to an unexpected attack. Try not to die." Winter said with a chuckle as the first turret began to fire through the window at the students.
That's when all hell began to break loose.