Chapter Six.
Two day later.
Ruby spent most of her time with Neo that night and the next day, though they did little but enjoy each other's presence, but Ruby still had no idea if Neo would be sticking around this time or not.
Heading back to Beacon she ran into Glynda first, which was rather tense as the professor demanded where she had been the last two days.
"I was following up on some leads Professor. And organising another contract that I may be taking." Ruby replied, it wasn't far from the truth she had considered a new contract, but she was unsure if she would be taking it just yet and the leads were from her personal investigation.
"You need to inform us if you won't be returning to the school for days at a time. You can't just run off on your own." Glynda informed Ruby.
"Understood professor. Now I must go see my team." Ruby said, heading away from the teacher. She wouldn't heed what she had said, because she was just as likely to vanish without a trace again if that's the way the tide took her.
Heading through the school she made it to her dorm where she went straight in but froze in the doorway. "Winter." Ruby said, spotting her older sister in the room with her teammates, unconsciously her hands reached on her sword at her side.
"Hello Ruby, it's been a while." Winter said coolly, though she was nervous at seeing Ruby again. They hadn't left each other on the best of terms though that was unknown outside of herself, Ruby and Ironwood.
"I was expecting you to come here at some point, when did Weiss tell you?" Ruby asked as she took more steps into the room, keeping some distance between herself and Winter.
Winter was a tall young woman with the Schnee's fair complexion and white hair with blue eyes. Her hair was tied up in a bun at the rear, though it was not her usual hairstyle.
She wore a white coat with a red rose brooch at the top with exposed upper arms and black gloves while her trousers had grey garters incorporated into them.
Her rapier and dagger were at her side attached to her hip but there was also an additional sword that was strapped across her back, it was one that Ruby recognised immediately.
Spotting the sword Ruby's eyes grew colder somehow as she eyed Winter, waiting for her to answer her question.
"Since initiation. Where have you been the past day and a half?" Winter asked as she knew that Ruby hadn't returned with Weiss and her team.
"Busy. I was meeting someone and following up on something else." Ruby said, her eyes softening briefly as she thought of Neo before they hardened again.
But the slight break was enough for Winter to notice and realise just who Ruby had been seeing, "You're not still seeing her, are you?!" Winter exclaimed, earning the attention of Weiss, Blake and Yang who were all watching with keen interest.
"Who I see is my own decision. Not yours." Ruby stated in her defence.
"She's just using you! Can't you see that!" Winter shouted at Ruby, taking a step towards her.
"Don't you dare! You can't talk about things you don't understand." Ruby shouted back, though she took a step back from Winter as her hand moved to Crescent Rose instead of her sword, her hand gripping it lightly.
"I dare. You're blind to everything she's done and is doing. The entire time you were supposedly 'dating' she was cheating on you. I saw her with other students, caught her several times and you didn't listen to me then! I thought you would have more sense to continue seeing her now!" Winter said as she shouted again and advanced towards Ruby, not noticing how Ruby gripped her other weapon.
Ruby didn't answer verbally this time but took a step forward, her eyes starting to glow slightly as she advanced towards Winter. "You should stop talking. You understand nothing." Ruby said once more as her voice was growing colder and the room even began to feel colder.
"Winter." Weiss said, attempting to deter her sister from going any further as it looked like the two were about to come to blows.
"Ruby, you need to calm down otherwise you'll pass out again." Blake said, she noticed the similarities between what was happening now and what she had seen before when Ruby started to act like this in the forest on their mission.
Ruby stood there and closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths before opening her eyes again, which had returned to their normal dull silver.
"The decisions I make are my own, I won't let anyone else dictate my life to me again. My life is my own, and it's one I want to spend with Neo." Ruby stated coldly to her sister, turning away from them and leaving as quickly as she arrived.
"What the hell was that all about? She's never been that angry at someone before." Yang said and although her experience was limited since school started it was enough to tell that this was out of place with Ruby.
"While at Atlas Ruby had a…I use this term loosely, but she had a girlfriend and well…" Winter attempted to explain but she wasn't sure how far to go into it nor how to really explain it to them.
"The family didn't approve. I don't know why, but they made it rather known that they didn't approve of Ruby's choice. Mom, Summer she kept rather quiet on it for some reason but everyone else didn't." Weiss stated. She held no such hatred towards Ruby's choice in girlfriends though she never met the woman, but she knew that it was always an argument when Ruby came home after Winter told the family.
"Why though? Why didn't you like her?" Blake asked in confusion, why would the family who seemed the most open not approve of their daughter's choice in partners.
"The woman…Neo, she wasn't exactly the most faithful and it was well known to us that she wasn't, but Ruby didn't see that, or see the way she was." Winter began to explain, "I became more forceful as I didn't want to see Ruby get hurt but I only ended up pushing her away more." Winter said mournfully.
"Where do you think she went?" Blake asked them, wondering where Ruby would have gone after this.
"Training. She always trains when her emotions get too high." Weiss answered, thunder clapping outside their window as a storm moved in.
Emotions are powerful, they dictate actions and responses. As such the Maiden powers ran off emotions. At least when one was feeling extreme emotions.
So, when one was extremely angry, upset, happy, any emotion at the end of the spectrum could trigger the powers, though nothing bad or explosive, and not in a way that hurt people. Not really.
Each Maiden could control the weather, it was part of their power that they could control such things. It was one of the first things they're taught because in a fight the type of weather could determine the advantage one would get.
But, because this power was so related to their emotions, if they were upset or sad then they could unintentionally cause it to rain, or if they're happy make it a bright, sunny day. Anger was what led to storms and there were stories where angry Maiden's had caused ships to crash over the years.
Now, as the storm grew around the school it forced students inside quickly to avoid them getting caught out, but Ruby didn't care for this as she headed for the practise cages.
All academies had training areas for the students to practise and train. Whether it be in teams, on their own or against other teams. These areas were continuously monitored by the teachers to make sure the students were safe, or as safe as one could be when fighting.
In the private cages there were options to go through routines on your own or against android opponents. Much like the Atlasian Knights these androids had several weapons including rifles, swords and spears that they could use to fight against the students.
The sound of fighting, metal against metal rang out in the large practise area as Ruby entered, all the space was open and visible to everyone, so if one was practising on their own others could watch them if they wished.
The same was said for everyone in the room as it allowed the teachers to monitor everyone but also allowed students to perhaps learn from watching others fight.
Entering one of the private cages Ruby locked the door and activated the maximum number of androids, five and she had them all with swords or spears as they came out of their own cages and advanced on Ruby.
Drawing her sword, she held it out at arm's length in an en-garde position as she waited for the first one to swing at her.
Several hours later, that evening.
WBY with the addition of Winter spent the rest of their day together talking and eventually as dinner time rolled around they headed down to the cafeteria though there was still no sign of Ruby since she had walked out hours ago.
"It's rather quiet in here." Winter commented as she noted that it seemed devoid of most of the students. "Is it always like this?" Winter followed up upon getting her food.
"No, it's not. Normally it's rammed with students getting food." Yang answered but she spotted one of the other teams that they knew, "Hey, there's Velvet. Let's ask her what's going on." Yang said and so the four of them headed over to the rabbit Faunus.
"Hello Velvet, do you know where everyone's gone?" Blake asked as they approached.
"Hey. They're at the training cages. Didn't you hear?" Velvet replied.
"No, what's going on? Have we missed out on something?" Weiss asked next.
"Ruby, she's been in a private cage most of the day. She's set the knights to the hardest setting, everyone's down there watching her fight to see how long she lasts." Velvet informed them.
"She's been doing what? And no one's stepped in to stop her?" Winter exclaimed rather loudly, startling Velvet slightly.
"Uh…no, they haven't…Professor Goodwitch is there but she's allowing it to continue." Velvet informed the rather angry Winter.
"Come on, let's go get Ruby." Winter said as she marched out of the cafeteria and towards the training area. Fortunately, they didn't need to go outside as the storm hadn't eased up at all since Ruby left, something that no one noticed.
Entering the training cages, they saw the large crowd surrounding one of the cages, pushing their way to the front Winter led the rest of WBY there where she saw Glynda standing there watching.
The four women looked at Ruby, seeing that she had her sword out in one hand and a pistol in her other hand. In the air above, her read the number three hundred and twelve which indicated the number of kill hits she had made against the androids.
Winter looked at Ruby and the knights she was fighting. Ruby's sword was slightly dulled to avoid damaging the androids too much but after either a kill hit, or enough damage had been sustained resulted in them shutting down briefly and a kill being added and then ten seconds later they activated again and engaged.
That was when Winter noticed the glint, she took careful note of the blades of the knights and saw that they weren't dulled or blunted but were sharp, knowing this she looked at Ruby and spotted several cuts that were bleeding lightly on her body.
"The blades are sharp! Why the hell haven't you stopped this!?" Winter shouted, turning to face Glynda as she had the power to override the cage.
"Because we both know that we can't stop her, which is why I'm here. As soon as it gets too much I'll step in but to stop her now will result in her locking me out of the system." Glynda said quietly so the other students around them couldn't hear it as they all thought the teachers had the power to override the cages.
"Can she do that?" Weiss asked, surprised that Ruby could lock her out like that.
"She can. Anyone who is a full Huntress has the authority to control the cages, though it is against the rules to allow them sharp weapons and this many. She has also disabled the voice command and so she has to reach the controls to deactivate them." Glynda informed them all, she had seen the voice command disabled on her scroll when she first arrived but as she said there was nothing she could do. And she'd much rather have Ruby in a controlled situation then somewhere unmonitored.
"You can disable the voice override?" Yang asked, learning this for the first time as she didn't know that it could be done.
"Yes. Though again it's against the rules, even for experienced Huntresses." Glynda answered as she continued watching Ruby.
"Half an hour more or if she starts to flag I'll step in and stop her." Winter said as she focused on Ruby and the way she was fighting.
She was flagging. She knew she was, when she started she was being creative with her dodges and moves but now she was sticking to simple dodges, fakes, side steps to avoid being hit. All of this was simple and repetitive which was exactly what she was looking for. Something to lose herself in.
Block. Dodge. Duck. Thrust. Dodge. Slice. Duck. It was a dance as she fought the five knights. Giving them, different weapons made it a challenge and one that she had kept up with without using her powers at all.
When she saw the flash of white hair outside the cage then she knew exactly who was watching her now, she knew the students and even some teachers had been watching her for a while now but now with her watching as well she knew this session would be cut short.
Rushing forward she slid underneath two swords, her own sword slashing out in a wide arc which cut across both of their chests shutting them down.
As she continued moving forward she drew her pistol and emptied her cylinder into one of them though the bullets were training rounds that didn't destroy the knight.
As she reached the final two knights which wielded spears they stood ready near the button and she heard the three behind her powering back up and approaching her.
Charging forward she jumped up over the two knights as they thrusted out with their spears, following her as she went.
Cursing as she felt the sting of a blade against her cheek she landed on the ground by the button and she reached out, disabling the knights as they stopped their attacks and went back to their own cages.
Raising a hand to her cheek, her fingers came away bloody. Cursing once more she sheathed her sword and once she reloaded her pistol, with real bullets she holstered that as well and she left the training cage.
Walking out of the cage the students parted as she walked through, some staring in admiration while others looked on in fear, but Ruby simply walked though without a care, letting her blood drip freely down her cheek.
Ruby knew her team and sister was following behind her, but she ignored them as she headed for the armoury which was pretty much empty as all the students were in the training cages.
"Alright, shows over everyone. Clear out!" Glynda yelled out to the students, dispensing them.
Taking a seat in the armoury she grabbed a sharpening stone as she began to sharpen her blade, she had dulled it for training but now she wanted it back up to its regular sharpness.
Hearing footsteps behind her, she didn't turn to address her siblings or her team as she focused on the rhythmic sounds of her blade sharpening.
"Ruby…" Winter began to speak, intent on chastising her sister for the intense training but also the rule breaking but that was when she saw that Ruby's cut on her cheek hadn't healed yet, whereas her Aura should have healed it already.
"Why hasn't it healed yet?" Winter asked, turning Ruby's head so her cut cheek was facing her.
Ruby didn't bother to answer as she raised her hand and gently removed Winter's hand from her face as she carried on her work, but it revealed her wrist and Winter spotted what was there.
"Why are you using an Aura supressing bracelet?" Winter asked, realising why Ruby's Aura wasn't healing her.
"Train hard, fight easy." Ruby answered, which was enough for them to understand. At least the simple fact of it all.
"So, what are your plans now? Are you going to go after Roman?" Blake asked, wanting to know if Ruby would continue looking for Roman because she wanted to.
"Stay low. Focus on school for the moment, training. I'm not going to actively look for Roman and you shouldn't either. You shouldn't have even been at the docks, so I hope that you won't go after him either." Ruby replied, she was going to look for Roman and she knew that Blake would as well but if she could get ahead of her team then she could protect them better.
"Get that bracelet off." Weiss said, reaching over to Ruby's wrist to remove the bracelet.
Ruby lifted her arm to Weiss as she allowed her to remove the bracelet and immediately upon it being removed Ruby's Aura flashed silver and her wounds healed immediately.
"Ruby…I uh…I wanted to apologise for earlier…" Winter started to say but was interrupted.
"You remember what Neo's semblance is?" Ruby asked, testing the edge of her sword and finding it satisfactory she sheathed it once more.
"No." Winter said as she couldn't remember what the woman's semblance was, and she doubted that she ever knew.
"Illusions. She can make people see whatever she'd like them to. She was the first person I ever trusted, even now I trust her with everything. She knew what happened when I was young, how I was with the family. Did it ever cross your mind that for the first time in my life where I chose to do something, that maybe I'd want my family to support me regardless? Even if it was to be the wrong choice." Ruby explained to them.
Standing up as she finished and walking away. "My life is my own, so are my choices. I would love my family to support me, but I don't need them to." Ruby stated as she left, leaving them all to digest what they were just told.
Ruby, exhausted after training went back to her dorm to rest for the remainder of the day before classes the next day.
She didn't hear her team come back, nor their attempts to wake her but even if she did she wouldn't talk to them, she had said her piece now.
It may be cold, but it was true, she didn't care if her family supported her or not, she had long since come to terms that her family wouldn't support her own choices. She had no say over whether she wanted to become a Huntress or not, if she even wanted to fight but she was damned good at it and would continue this path.
The next morning, she woke up early and went to Ozpin's office, she had her eye on a contract that she was thinking about, but she wanted to talk to Ozpin about it first, to see if he had any further information.
"Miss Rose, what can I do for you this morning?" Ozpin asked as she entered his office at the top of Beacon tower.
"Roman Torchwick. I'm guessing you already know that he's working for her, though indirectly." Ruby stated.
"I am…aware of this prospect. Though I am not exactly sure who he is answering to exactly." Ozpin admitted, there was no point hiding this from Ruby as she knew just as much.
"I'm going to be investigating him. I want to find out more on what he's doing, why he's doing it." Ruby informed him.
"And you'd like my permission to do just that. How long do you think it'll take?" Ozpin asked, considering her idea.
"A couple weeks, a month tops. There's a couple long contracts in Vale that would take about that long as a cover." Ruby answered.
"Alright, but I want you to inform me of anything you find out." Ozpin said, knowing that he couldn't really stop Ruby if she wanted to look into this but this way he could discover what she knows.
"Of course. Thank you." Ruby said, taking her leave from his office. She had everything she needed already, so it was simply going to the docks and getting onto an airship into the city, not bothering to say goodbye to her team.