I do not own RWBY
Neptune was vaguely sure that Headmaster Lionheart had gone insane. His father never stopped complaining about the man and by this point he expected the council barely cared if the faunus lived or died. He'd chosen Haven simply because it was the closest Academy to his family. Of course, that would do nothing if the school never opened for classes. At the time, he had two choices: private study or leaving to another Kingdom. Now Ruby was sitting in front of him giving him a third option.
He placed the stack of papers back on the table before taking a sip of his tea. Here in his home was proof of Headmaster Lionheart sending Hunter to die, being complicit in the abduction of children, and an accessory in the Beacon disaster. All of this could bury the Headmaster if not get him executed for treason. He placed down his cup with a sigh. Lionheart had betrayed the very students he'd sworn to protect; however, the man would be difficult to take down politically. Not only was his son one of the best Huntsman in Mistral, but Lionheart himself had his hands in a lot of pockets.
"So, killing Lionheart isn't your goal," he asked. He knew better than anyone that Ruby wouldn't have much difficulty killing the faunus.
Ruby smiled swirling the tea in her cup. The floral scent filling the air contrasted with the sharp glint in her gaze. He liked to think they were close enough to call each other friends. It was obvious that she was plotting something that she had no problem obtaining dangerous information for.
His father would like her.
"I want to make a deal with the council," Ruby said. She took a sip of her tea with a bright smile.
"Oh... what makes you think I can help you," he asked. He carefully moved the papers she'd brought him back into the folder.
"The Vasilias family holds one of the seven positions of the council controlling the sea trade from your ancestral home in Argus," she said. She placed down her teacup before leaning toward him, she said, "I have a lot more to offer than that little bit of info."
He grinned; things were finally starting to get exciting. The only issue was that he couldn't make a deal like this on his own. After all, he was neither the heir to his family nor had any say in his father's council duties. Before the CCT went down he would have contacted his father, now it'd take days to send a message to his father.
"This isn't something I can decide," he said. Even if he left now, it'd take days to get to Argus then back to the city.
"How about a test? I'll deal with the child abductions in the city while you take this evidence to your father," she offered. She leaned back when he laughed.
Neptune was losing his mind. There was no other explanation for the hysterical laughter that left his lips. Both the council and city police had been hunting down the child thieves for months, yet she knew where they were. It wasn't that he didn't believe her. Ruby was a lot of things, but she wasn't a liar. No, he didn't think she was lying.
The folder on the table was more than enough evidence that she had her own sources in the city. Just who was the reaper working with to give her such an advantage? He'd always known the lower levels were ruled by criminals, he was willing to bet that she'd thrown her cards in with them. His heart pounded at the thought. This was the woman who slaughtered countless grimm and people at Beacon, and the youngest Huntress in history. In his humble opinion she was destined for greatness. Her allies would share in that future.
He could leave today and get to Argus before the end of the week. Or... he could stay. It'd been almost a year since he got to see active combat. As much as he loved his teammates, he hated the idea of just sitting in this house waiting for Sun to return. It was boring. However, Ruby was never boring. Sure, the Huntress was insane, but she at least managed to be interesting. Neptune was tempted to join her in the little hunt he knew she had prepared. He wasn't the leader; he didn't have the right to tie his team's fate in with her.
But he could throw in the lot of Neptune Vasilias.
"Count me in," he said. He picked up the folder, passing it back to her. The moment her fingers touched the folder, he grabbed her wrist. He met her eyes saying, "I'll bet my future on you Ruby Rose."
Neptune let her go before standing. He straightened his jacket with a sigh; the idea of working with criminals should've put him off a little more than it did. Instead of worrying about the future, he held out his hand. Betting on the newest warrior in the arena wasn't something his brothers would agree with nor his father. He'd rather bet on Ruby than be left out in the cold when she robbed everyone blind.
She took his hand allowing him to pull her out of the chair. It seemed that Neptune did have fangs after all. She'd love to see what he was truly capable of. He'd be a valuable ally; as long as he got along with the others.
(Adam)
Alice was a name that he kept turning over in his head. His lover had reincarnated just like that boy she insisted on calling her brother. Knowing that she didn't remember her drunken admission was fine with him. He eyed Oscar as the boy taught Jay how to use the gaming console that Roman had finally brought to the hideout. Apparently, Oscar threatening to gouge out the man's eyes with a spoon had gotten him exactly what he wanted. The boy was already picking up violent tendencies. At least it kept Jay entertained.
He leaned back on the couch watching Nix be tugged down to sit beside the farm boy. Oscar was Ozpin's vessel. Every instinct was telling him the boy couldn't be trusted; however, Ruby had claimed him as her own. He supposed that killing the boy wouldn't actually help in getting rid of the eternal headmaster. As long as Oscar remained by Ruby's side, Adam could keep his eyes on the boy. He chuckled when Oscar snatched the controller from Jay to complete the platforming level himself.
His lips formed a smile as he watched the three actually act like kids for once. It wasn't so bad being the one to stay home and watch the brats. He tilted his head back when a cold bottle pressed against his cheek. The grin on Qrow's face was a bit alarming but he still took the water the man offered. He shifted as the Huntsman moved to sit beside him on the couch.
"Is this the dreaded shovel talk," he asked. He took a sip of the water. His eyes never drifted from the kids as Jay threatened Oscar with his claws.
Qrow scoffed. As if his daughter needed him to threaten her partner. He'd rather dip his head in acid than deal with whatever bloodshed fueled love life these two had going for each other. Sadly, he was also a Branwen not just Ruby's father. This might be a boy that his sister had raised but he'd never have the instincts that were hidden in their tribe's blood since the moment of its founding. At least Yang didn't have the violent tendencies that haunted their family.
"More like a bit of advice," Qrow said. He waited for the man to turn toward him before saying, "I'd suggest you two go somewhere quiet and figure out who's the strongest."
Adam raised an eyebrow before his grip tightened on the bottle in his hand. This man was a Branwen, Ruby was a Branwen. From what he knew, the tribe could only be led by the strongest. He tilted his head with a tight frown.
"Are you telling me to fight Ruby for real," he asked. What was the point in fighting Ruby? The woman was his lover, he'd never actually hurt her.
Qrow chuckled. He reached into his pocket pulling out a paper that he handed to the younger man. Branwen's were a lot like wolves. Adam would have to fight Ruby for dominance eventually or his daughter would keep trying to pull away. The only way their instincts ever settled was to shed blood. Which of the two would win was the only question. Adam didn't have the need to win that Ruby would be consumed with nor would he desire to shed his partner's blood the way she was going to. Bloodshed and attraction walked hand in hand with their tribe. It'd always been this way.
"This is a mercenary application, I suggest you register the Tribe before doing anything insane," Qrow said. He stood before heading over to sit with the kids. It was easy to fall into the act of parenting the three who instantly challenged him to video games.
Fight Ruby? They'd already sparred more than once. Adam set down the bottle of water before leaning back and covering his eyes with his arm. He'd be lying if he denied that fighting her brought a certain rush. Her eyes sparkled when she fought resembling glittering starlight more than the steel-colored silver they usually were. The tips of his ears took on a red hue.
He wanted all of her.
What would she look like with his blade against her neck? How heated would her face become if he lost control when fighting her? He'd already seen how helpless she became when he won their little spars. Neither of them had really been trying during those matches. What would happen if they both fought without limiting their abilities. He could already envision the red that'd paint her cheeks and the scent of gunpower and copper that would fill the air. His blood heated at the thought of seeing her lose control again. Now he wanted to fight her.
He snapped out of his thoughts when the front door snapped open.
"I'm Home!"
Adam hid his face under his arm as Ruby's voice filled the air. This woman was dangerous. He barely opened his eyes as she moved to look down at him. She leaned over him on the couch filling the air with a scent of floral tea. Her eyes met his own as he moved his arm to lay his hand against her neck. He kept his touch gentle as he ran his finger over her skin. The heated blush that decorated her cheeks matched the way her pulse increased under his fingertips.
Did she want to draw his blood as much as he wanted to draw her own?
"Queenie," Viper shouted causing her to squeak.
Ruby twisted to face the blonde. She willed her heart to stop pounding; since when had Adam's gaze been that heated. Even below the mask, his eyes had burned into her skin. What would it take for him to take control? How far did she need to push him before he pinned her to the ground? She barely noticed Viper pulling her from the room as she pressed a shaking hand to her neck. His touch had been different. She swallowed thickly; her mind seemed to be trapped in a ball of cotton.
The room Viper led her to was filled with clothes. From ballroom dresses to leather jackets. Her eyes ran over the assembled armada of fabric landing on Cinder who tapped her foot. The faunus shoved her into the room before slamming the door behind her. Her head was spinning as the sound of a lock turning got her attention.
What the hell?
Her spine straightened. She took a step back when Cinder moved toward her. There was a fire in the woman's gaze that caused her stomach to flip. The lava color of her gaze was enough to make Ruby dizzy. Why was she surrounded by attractive people?
"During your adventure today, we formed a plan," Cinder said. Her hand reached out to twirl a lock of Ruby's hair around her finger. The flush that colored the reaper's face caused her to smirk. She'd been confused why Ruby had been named team leader by Ozpin. The woman might be strong, but she couldn't resist a pretty face.
"P-plan," Ruby asked. The scent of mint seemed to cling to Cinder's skin making it hard to focus.
"You get to play the bait," Cinder said.
"What," Ruby asked. She didn't dare move as Cinder began to study her body.
"We needed someone who looked young enough to fit the part and dangerous enough to take care of themself," Cinder explained. Gently she maneuvered Ruby to stand in front of the racks of clothing. She patted Ruby's back saying, "go ahead and strip. I'll find an outfit for you."
Ruby short circuited. She pressed her hands against her burning face with a whine as the woman moved away from her. From the chuckle that filled the air, Cinder had known exactly what she was doing. The logical part of her mind was complimenting their plan, but every other part of her longed to sink into the floor or run away. Her tendency to run was probably why Viper locked the door. She shoved back her hair that had fallen into her face.
It was a good plan. That didn't mean her body wasn't an inferno right now. Her hands fumbled as she moved to follow Cinder's order. Why did Cinder have to be a temptress? If this was a few months ago she'd be jelly on the floor right now. She laid her jacket on the couch before tugging off her shirt. She left on the mesh armor underneath. There was no telling how much security was going to be waiting for her. She'd never go into battle without at least a little armor.
Her embarrassed flush didn't vanish as she tugged off her boots. If only it was Adam instead of Cinder seeing her like this. Oh... how would he react to her lack of clothing? She shuddered as she ran her hands over her arms. Her body was almost buzzing at the idea of him finding her like this. Maybe she should start changing her clothes in his room at times when he might walk in. She covered her face with her hands. Gods she was an idiot. He'd probably just be mad at her for wasting his time.
"Seriously," Cinder asked. A scoff left her lips when the redhead jolted. She reached out lightly, hitting the girl's head with a hairbrush.
"Oops," Ruby offered. She peaked out from behind her fingers noting the bundle of white in the woman's arms.
She stumbled when Cinder tugged her away from the couch. It was a struggle not to fidget as the woman tested a light blue shirt against her skin tone. She zoned out as the woman ordered her to try on the outfit that was shoved into her arms. This was going to be her whole day wasn't it. Her shoulders dropped as she moved to follow the order.
The next hour was a whirlwind of fabric and colors. By the time she was seated on the stool with Viper brushing her hair, she was terrified of going shopping with Cinder. The man behind her was humming as if it was perfectly normal to have enough clothing in her sizes to fill a clothing store. She honestly didn't want to know why someone in Adam's team had gone on a shopping spree for her. It kind of became creepy when she realized that all of the clothing was in the style that she'd wear.
She knew Viper was the reason for the clothing. His happiness was a clear giveaway. Apparently, the man had decided that she and Adam were a good match. Her eyes slid closed as he gently pulled her hair into a simple braid.
Hi guys, let me know what you think about this chapter. I'm going to be fitting the entirety of dealing with the child abductors in the next chapter.
l hope your all having a good day
Shyla