Chapter 2-

Ruby weaved through the people on the streets, though why so many were out this time of night was beyond her, but her destination was fixed in her mind.

Eventually she arrived at her destination, a warehouse on the edge of town in what looked like a rough area of the city.

Knocking on the door, one look from the bouncer inside who saw her red cloak and the door opened and she was let inside.

Walking in she noticed that several of the staff stepped aside or even hid from her, she smiled underneath her hood that she inspired such fear in people.

Taking a seat at the bar she waited several minutes for the own, Junior to come over to her after speaking with a few of his employees.

"I'd like to apologise Ruby, if I'd known my men would be doing that I would have stopped them and not allowed that man to hire them." Junior apologised.

"Be careful who you deal with Junior, but this is the first and only time I've heard of your men doing something like this. I know you're an information broker, stick with it." Ruby said, she wasn't annoyed at Junior. She couldn't be as she knew the man but a gentle warning would be enough for him.

"I will, don't worry Ruby. And thank you for giving my men a chance to leave. But I don't think that's all you've come here for." Junior replied.

"I'm looking for someone, a woman named Katakana. Any information you have, I'll pay your usual rate." Ruby requested.

"I'll put out some feelers. I know the name, but I don't know where she is currently, timeframe on this?" Junior asked, turning to business now.

"As soon as you can please." Ruby said, casting an eye around the club. There were several people that caught her eye as she looked around, though no one seemed to stand out to her.

"The room you rent out, is it available?" Ruby asked without looking to see if Junior was still there.

"It is, how long?" Junior asked, it was common for Ruby to rent the room for several days while she was in town.

"Two nights, here." Ruby said, taking out the Lien and handing it over. Junior handed over the key, which Ruby stashed into her pocket as she asked.

"I'll see you later." Ruby said, heading upstairs to the room. She didn't bother to stay in the club as no one had caught her eye enough to keep her there.

Beacon Academy.

Arriving a day early with most of other students, Ruby took the time to explore the courtyard. She had never been to Beacon though she knew of the world-famous school.

Ruby watched the incoming students, she could tell who were the new ones and who were the older years just by how they moved around the school.

"Weiss Schnee, your family had some rather questionable practises with Faunus workers until almost twenty years ago." Ruby heard the two talking. One she recognised immediately and though she didn't want to see Weiss, she wanted to see the other woman.

"Blake Belladonna, I see you got into Beacon in the end." Ruby said, approaching the two young women.

"Ruby, what are you doing here?" Blake asked, turning to face Ruby leaving a gaping Weiss behind her.

As Ruby approached she held her hand out to Blake who took it by the wrist firmly for a few seconds before both women let go.

"Well met Blake." Ruby greeted, "And I'm a student here." Ruby answered briefly, though gave no hint as to why she joined.

"A first year?" Blake asked in confusion, she knew Ruby's age but not her history.

"No space apparently." Ruby shrugged it off though as she didn't really care.

"Ruby, is that really you?" Weiss asked carefully, with Ruby's hood down she could see her face but she had changed since she last saw her.

"Hello Weiss, it's been a while. I thought you would be at Atlas." Ruby commented, having thought that Weiss would go to Atlas academy instead.

"I wanted to go to Beacon, prove myself away from home." Weiss stated almost smugly.

"I see. And how are our mothers?" Ruby asked.

"They…they're well and they miss you." Weiss said though she hesitated on saying anything.

"Hmm…I see. Well, I'll see you later." Ruby said, turning away from them as she headed towards the school to explore the building itself.

"Ruby! Wait up!" Blake called out, running to catch up with Ruby. "Could we uh, could we talk please?" Blake asked softly, worry etched in her features.

"Of course, what about?" Ruby asked acting naïve about the reason.

"The, uh…train…ahem, raid." Blake said quietly, not wanting to speak too loudly in case someone heard her.

"You mean when you left the White Fang?" Ruby asked, a little too loudly for Blake's liking.

"Shhhhh." Blake shushed immediately, pulling Ruby aside and away from several students walking past.

The White Fang, while not having as much support because of new waves of Faunus rights being spearheaded by the Schnee family but also the Belladonna family as Blake's father was the leader of the White Fang before they became more violent and militaristic but now served as the chief of Menagerie.

But they were still active and now stockpiling Dust for some unknown reason though Ruby wanted to find out why.

"I apologise, but there is nothing to be ashamed about. Our past shapes who we are, how we act now. What was it you wished to talk about?" Ruby asked in interest, curious to know why Blake wanted to speak to her about it.

"I...You're not going to tell anyone are you? About who I was before?" Blake asked, scared and worried that she'll be outed, especially since she was wearing a bow to hide her ears.

"Blake." Ruby began, her tone sounding slightly upset. "I would never, did you learn nothing while we were together?" Ruby asked the woman.

"I…I'm sorry it's just…I'm on edge, I'm finally here and it doesn't seem real." Blake admitted honestly.

"Oh Blake." Ruby said sadly.

"I'm sorry." Blake said, looking at Adam on the retreating train. She had just cut the passenger cars from the cargo areas and leaving Adam behind.

Turning around she stored her weapon and went to head inside. This was the first of the passenger carts, though she knew they were empty as they'd all gone forward. She only hoped she could blend in with the crowds as they got off.

As she entered the cart though she saw a someone standing in front of her, her red cloak hiding her body and face from Blake's view but what was in her view was a sword and pistol held at the person's side.

Scared, backed into a corner as she had nowhere to go. Blake struck first as she drew her katana and charged. Looking back on it she knew she should have talked first but the way that the woman, Ruby had stood there it looked like she wanted to fight, which was reinforced afterwards when Ruby said as much.

Bringing her blade down across Ruby's chest she found it blocked halfway, held in a strong grip she had to back away to break the lock.

Gaining some space by firing her pistol she found that none of her bullets made contact as Ruby dodged each shot.

Once more on the offensive, Blake used her ribbon to send her blade across the carriage and to Ruby's side while she charged forward with her scabbard to hit Ruby's other side.

Her blade hit Ruby's side but her scabbard was blocked by Ruby's sword, though she seemed to have staggered a little from the blade.

Getting her sword back Blake attacked again while keeping Ruby's sword away but the blow was absorbed by her pistol, and Ruby fired several shots to knock Blake back before going on the offensive herself.

Throwing a flurry of blows at Blake, who barely blocked and dodged them all the duo ended up at a stalemate as Ruby's was at Blake's neck, while Blake's sword was at Ruby's stomach.

"Ahem." Ruby coughed after a few seconds.

This caused Blake to look down and she saw what Ruby meant, her pistol was pointed at her thigh. Directly at her main artery.

This was what began their friendship. Ruby believed that to tell a person's honest intentions, at least that of a fighter was to fight them. So, when Ruby listened to Blake once they put their weapons away she believed her immediately.

For the following month, Blake travelled with Ruby. With Ruby's help, she got away from the White Fang and began pursuing her new choice of becoming a Huntress.

It was by no means an easy journey but with Ruby's help it was made easier as she helped with her contracts and she applied for Beacon, though she left Ruby's company before telling her of her acceptance but in there time together Ruby helped Blake with life outside the White Fang.

They were close, friends even. Though Ruby knew more about Blake, then Blake did about Ruby. She knew nothing of her family or what happened at Atlas that made her leave but she knew that Ruby was powerful and skilful.

"I know…it's just, I'm worried that Ozpin will find out and I'll be kicked out or arrested." Blake told Ruby.

"Sweetie, he already knows. He's kept you here regardless, because like me he believes that people can change. You're safe, and I'll be here to help you if you need it." Ruby explained, pulling Blake into a one-armed hug.

"Thank you." Blake said, hearing those words were comforting to her and gave her some ease. Though she was unsure with Weiss Schnee at the school and in her year because although the Schnee family no longer had the bad practises she still remembered the prejudices.

"Could I ask you something?" Blake asked after a minute.

"Of course." Ruby replied.

"You asked Weiss Schnee about 'our mothers' are you related to the Schnee's?" Blake asked, having picked up on the conversation.

"It's complicated, and it looks like we should be getting to the hall for the evening." Ruby redirected but she had spotted most of the students heading towards the hall.

"I'll get answers from you at some point." Blake stated at the blatant redirection.

"Perhaps. Now come on, I'd like to see what other students there are." Ruby said, leading them to the hall they'd be sleeping in.

While she didn't get the chance to explore the school as she'd have liked, she could easily do it another day when she was alone.

Entering the hall, Blake quickly left to sort out her sleeping arrangements for the night while Ruby decided to wander around.

She was curious to see the new students, what calibre the new intakes would be. She also noted the weapons they wore, some had them by their side or close by while others had clearly stored them away.

Eventually Ruby grew bored of people watching, though she had spotted one other famous person in the students. Pyrrha Nikos, one of the best tournament fighters in the world for her age.

Ruby knew the woman through reputation though she had met her briefly once before she'd left Atlas but she never had a long conversation with her so she didn't expect the woman to recognise her, much less remember her.

Fortunately, she didn't though Ruby had a suspicion that she was trying to work out who Ruby was but Ruby instead found a bed and laid down.

All she did was remove her weapons from her body and placed them on the bed next to her as she laid down. Deciding to sleep the night away.

A/N

So a short chapter before the action and stuff happens as we have initiation next, this isn't complete at all yet but people seem to be liking it so I'm going to post this randomly, it doesn't help that I'm actually re-writing a portion of it.

Anyway until next time, oh and anxiety fucking sucks.