Chapter 4: Deliberation
Ruby was at a park, green eye contacts were in and her long hair that reached mid-way down her back was in a ponytail. Drei lay next to her with his head on her lap as they sat against a tree.
She was staring at her Scroll, pondering as her finger hovered over the newest addition to her contacts. A whine drew the criminal's attention and Drei placed a paw on her leg. Looking at Drei, Ruby closed her Scroll and set it down next to her. After a moment, her hand went back to it, only for a paw to slam down onto it. Golden eyes bore into green, and Drei whined again.
"I know, its pointless..." Ruby sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping. Drei removed his paw and Ruby let her hand drop. A few seconds passed before she grabbed it and opened it up. Suddenly Drei's snout was centimeters away from her face and he barked. "I get it." She muttered and shoved his face away. Ruby ignored his affronted look and let her hand continue to hover indecisivly over her contacts.
Drei's head turned and Ruby lifted her own to see Neo walk up to her. 'Why did I just know I'd find you here?' The mute asked by way of greeting. Ruby shrugged, closing her Scroll and pocketing it.
"I don't know." She replied. Neo rolled her eyes.
'Just text Yang already. Not that hard.' She informed Ruby, making the younger girl do a double take.
"Wha...tever do you mean by that, Neo?" Ruby recovered. Neo's eyes narrowed and she gave her a look of "Nice going you utter fool".
'Don't play dumb kid. I've seen you stare at your Scroll for hours and days on end.' Ruby's face burned.
"I'm sorry..." Ruby muttered on a reflex, trying to deflect Neo's critism. The mute frowned and walked in front of Ruby to flick her forehead. "Ow!" She hissed, rubbing her forehead. Neo smirked. "Oh shut up already!" She spat, standing up.
'Congrats. I just pickpocketed you.' Neo smirked and when Ruby reached to grab her, the mute shattered and her eyes widened.
"Neo!" Ruby shouted and looked wildly around. Her eyes landed on Drei. "Drei, boy. Find Neo!" She told him. The doberman yawned and laid down, flashing a grin at Ruby with a lolling tongue. The girl threw her arms in the air "Aaugh! You're no help today!" She told him and activated her semblance to search for Neo. "Drei, go home." She told the dog, switching out his collars to one that had an informational tag that read "I'm not lost, I know my way home."
She was halfway across town when she realized the obvious: If Neo wasn't at the ice cream parlor or one of the warehouses (she already checked all those places), than that ment she was at home.
"I'm going to eat all your ice cream when I find you and burn your DVD of Love More Than Likely." She spat and let the petals trail behind her while she practiaclly flew to the apartment. "NEO!" She roared, slamming the door open. Looking around, Hush was leaning against a wall next to Melodic Cudgel.
"Red, what in the hell is going on?" Roman demanded, walking from the bathroom in his robe and toweling off his hair. "Did Neo burn your smut?" He asked. Ruby gaped at the criminal like a fish. Roman waved a hand "You're not exactly inconspicuous about having the covers swapped. Not to mention you always throw that book away from you like its on fire every time I walk in." He stated. Ruby's face burned as she covered it with her hands.
"No. She took my damn Scroll!" She snapped, marching to the duo's bedroom. Ruby practically splintered the wood as she hammered on it. "NEO! Open up, damn you!" She snarled.
"Language!" Roman chided, "And if you break the door, you buy and install a new one!" He added.
Ruby didn't heed this warning, instead walking away from the door as Roman's eyes widened - practically sensing her intent as rose petals started forming around her. "I'm not kidding about the-" he started, saying but Ruby activated her semblance before hurtling like a bullet at the door. The poor thing never stood a chance as wood shattered on impact, pieces flying into the room like shrapnel. She found Neo smiling in a chair as she waved Ruby's Scroll in the air. "Door..." Roman finished belatedly.
"Give. It. To. Me!" Ruby roared savagely, stalking forward with a hand outreached. Neo raised her other hand to flip her off while sticking her tongue out. "NEO!" She screamed, flying forward. Neo shattered before her and she continued through the illusion before slamming into the wall face first. "SONVABITCH!" She yelled in reaction, falling back and pressing a hand to her nose. She was stupid for not putting her aura up at that time. Thus now her nose hurt like a cannonball had just been hurled it.
"Language!" Roman called. Ruby glowered at the broken door, where Neo was just beyond as she leaned on Hush - which had seemed to magically appear in her hands in the span of a few seconds.
"Oh for the love of..." Ruby hissed, still holding her nose. "Drei! Get my Scroll!" She ordered. Drei looked at Ruby, then to Neo, and yawned before flashing his doggy grin at the two girls. Ruby sighed, "Forget I asked..." she muttered.
Neo smirked and twirled Hush, eliciting another sigh from Ruby. "Fine! You win!" She declared, slumping a bit. She could sometimes take Neo unarmed. But the moment Hush came into play and Ruby didn't have Dark Glory, it became a whole different ballpark.
Neo smirked, resting Hush now across her shoulders. Ruby shook head. "Can I please have my Scroll back?" She asked. Neo removed a hand from Hush to put to her chin in an exaggerated display of being in deliberation. "Sometime today would be nice." Ruby added. Neo's eye color swapped, and the silver-eyed theif rolled her eyes.
Neo made her decision, and shook her head, flipping Ruby off again as she pocketed the girl's Scroll.
Ruby was fuming, to say the least. Roman noticed, fortunatly. Or else things may have ended much differently.
"Alright, Neo. You had your fun - give Red her Scroll back or her calling card may be found in your cadaver next." He told the mute, who pouted.
Ruby gave a quiet breath of releif when Neo handed her the Scroll back.
"Did you do anything?" Ruby growled, holding the technology to her chest. Neo put a finger on her chin, looking up. Ruby growled. "Neo..." the mute covered her mouth as her shoulders moved when she silently giggled. Finally she looked at Ruby and shook her head.
"Alright, care to explain what on Remnant that was about?" Roman asked. Neo raised her hands to sign, Ruby all but hurled herself at Neo and grabbed the mute's hands.
"Nothing! Nothing of importance!" Ruby declared. "Right, Neo?" She growled. Neo hesistated but nodded. "See? She just pulled a prank and took my Scroll. Drei, back up my story!"
Drei barked, head picking up from his paws as he was laying on the kitchen floor. Looking between Ruby and Neo, he sighed and put his head back down.
"See?" Ruby asked. Roman rolled his eyes. "Fine. I won't question you two." He agreed.
Ruby nodded and walked to her room before hurling herself on her bed. Neo... she thought, and gave a groan. That hadn't been fun.
"Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren and Nora Valkerie. You four have retreived the white rook pieces and will be known now as Team Juniper, led by. Jaune Arc." Ozpin said.
"H-huh? Led by?" Jaune asked.
"Congratulations, young man." Ozpin told Jaune. After that, Yang was up.
"Ilia Amitola, Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long. You four have recovered the white knight pieces, and will be known now as team Basil, led by, Blake Belladonna." Ozpin told the four.
The newly-made leader of Team BSIL blinked, slight shock covering her face. Ilia smiled gently up at her, reassuring her partner and friend silently.
Yang smiled at her new leader, shooting finger guns Blake's way. The team leader rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go." Blake muttered, walking down from the platform.
Yang was suddenly aware of her own partner staring knives at the back of Blake's head. "Whoa there, Ice Queen. No need to be so uptight about this." She reassured Weiss.
Now that glare was directed at her. Great. But at least Blake was spared.
Ruby sighed. Drei sat at the warehouse door and barked. "Is it 'Fang?" She asked the dog. Drei sniffed the air and barked again. "Come in." She called. A White Fang grunt wheeled a crate in.
Ruby commanded Drei to walk next to the grunt, and started leading the Fang member to where Roman and Neo were waiting.
She saw Roman slam his Scroll down, and lit up his cigar.
"Roman." Ruby spoke, grabbing his attention. He waved his hand.
"Thanks, Red, Drei." He told the two. Ruby nodded and walked off when Roman commanded Drei to stay behind to watch the transaction.
A few mintues later they were walking out of the warehouse to where Neo waited in the car.
"Ruby. I want to talk to you when we get home." Neo signed. Ruby sighed and nodded reluctantly. It was obvious as to what the matter at heart was.
Getting home seemed to take seconds, and now Ruby was cornered in her own room by Neo.
Ruby blinked, and Yang took Neo's place. Neo tilted her head and held her hands in the air in a "well?" gesture. Knowing what Neo was implying, Ruby sighed.
"No. I haven't contacted Yang." She told Neo, who frowned. Than Roman was standing in Yang's place. "Yeah. You already know that's why." She replied to the silent question. Neo transformed back to herself, and Ruby sighed. "Neo, its a stupid idea. I should just delete the number..." She muttered. Neo narrowed her eyes as they swapped colors.
"Just do it. She won't know its you." Neo told her. Ruby looked at her Scroll, and opened it. Neo nodded encouragingly.
She closed the Scroll again and put it away.
"No. I can't, Neo..." She murmured. Neo frowned.
"I'll remind you everyday until you do it." Neo told her. Ruby nodded sadly.
"I know you will." She mumbled, looking at the floor.
When she looked up, Neo had left her room. Glancing at her Scroll, a bark drew her attention away from the string of numbers that shone on the screen.
Drei's golden eyes stared at her. Ruby closed the Scroll again and tossed it on her bed.
"I know. I won't, Drei." She told him softly. The golden eyes blinked and he gave a soft grunt before walking to her with the tapping of claws. He leapt on Ruby's bed and laid on it. Ruby pet him softly. "I doubt I ever will..."
A/N: Yes, Drei wants Ruby to not contact Yang. I'd like to say that due to a story I read called "Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew" it gave me the idea of dogs having aura and semblances. Yes. Drei has his aura and semblanve unlocked. His semblance is non-combative. Basically he can understand people - on a deeper level than a dog should. An example is that he understands human speech perfectly, and can understand what the problem is. He sided with Roman, knowing the danger that it could pose. This is heightened by the fact that he watched Yang fight Roman and the henchman. He doesn't want anything to happen to his family.