A dark void, an empty canvas, is how the universe truly began. Eventually, life was created. A grey orb appeared, a woman's voice echoing.
"Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past."
Eventually, the orb took the shape of an adult human male, with creatures of darkness surrounding the poor soul, just barely being held back by warriors.
"Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful. But he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness, creatures of destruction. The creatures of Grimm set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void."
The orb reshaped itself into a crystal that seemed to glow.
"However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds.
This power was appropriately named, "Dust"."
The orb went back to the shape of a human. This time, the warriors carried heavier weaponry, some even shooting out lightning from their survival tools.
"Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness and in the shadow's absence, came strength, civilization and most importantly, life."
Buildings were constructed, walls were erected, and soon, life began to spread.
"But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone...darkness will return."
The orb took its original shape, this time being fully black instead of grey.
"So, you may prepare your guardians… build your monuments to a so-called free world but take heed… there will be no victory in strength."
Besides the dark orb, a bright white light flashed, and an orb of Light appeared. A man's voice was heard coming from the light.
"But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul."
As the two orbs circled one another like apex predators sizing each other up, a third grey orb appeared some distance away between the two warring parties. This orb was different: unlike the orb of darkness and the orb of light, this one was purely neutral, with no allegiance to either.
An elderly man's voice was heard, sounding like a wise old grandpa giving life advice. "Of course, sometimes… things aren't always that easy. Most often, there are heroes and villains on both sides of the conflict, neither side is fully innocent. That… is where we come in. We don't bow to the King nor the Queen, the Wizard or the Witch, the Light or the Dark. We operate in the shadows, so you may live a peaceful existence, ignorant of the true conflict that's being fought underneath your own nose."
The grey orb watched in amusement as the two superpowers constantly pushed the other, trying to goad them into attacking. The grey orb dissipated like mist. Slowly, it started to reform.
"Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent…" the orb stretched itself lengthwise, making an almost A shape. "Hide in plain sight…" The shape started curving. "Never compromise the Brotherhood…" Eventually, the orb took the shape of the lower part of an Eagle's skull.
"These are the tenets we live by, the tenets every man and woman who enter our ranks must swear to live by, and if needed, die by. Who are we you may ask?"
The grey orb dissipated again and before it can reform-
SHHHK
The sound of a blade piercing human flesh echoed in the void. The elderly man's voice fades to a mere whisper that sounds miles away, yet it's clear as day.
"We are Assassins."
Roman Torchwick was one of the most notorious Valean criminals, with a record high five-hundred thousand Lien bounty. His face was constantly on the evening and morning news, on posters, on billboards, heck, even a toy company once reached out to him, asking for permission to use his likeness as a plushie. Roman absolutely LOVED the attention it gave him, it made him feel accomplished, successful even.
Right now, he was on the job: he was hired by a certain fire chick to steal a wack load of Dust. The reason? He does not know, but Roman Torchwick was no amateur, he could get that much Dust with his eyes closed and his hands tied! However, he liked having the advantage, the ace in the hole so to speak. His arrangement with Cinder made him no more than a dog on a leash, and he loathed it.
His five hired goons: muscle employed by Junior Xiong walked behind him. Their job is to scare their marks into submission, a classic armed robbery strategy. Civilians backed away in fear, one woman even pulled her son closer to her. Roman smirked and flashed the woman a wink, scaring the poor lady. She held her son's hand and pulled him further away, leaving the scene.
'Never gets old.' Roman thought with a chuckle. Soon, the posse came across their destination: From Dust Till Dawn, a little mom-and-pop dust shop run by an old man that should've been put in a home a few years ago, a piss easy target in Roman's opinion.
The six entered the shop, soft music playing overhead. Almost no one in the shop, bar one little girl reading a magazine. 'This should be a friggen breeze.' Roman thought with a smirk.
He walked up to the counter. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" Roman said to the old man, flicking his cigar. One of the goons pointed his gun.
The old man was frightened. "P-Please! Just take my Lien and leave!"
'Oh, you poor thing…' Roman shook his head. "Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh, calm down, we're not here for your money. Grab the Dust." Roman ordered his hired help.
The goons soon start looting the store, most grabbing cylinder containers to take Dust in its powder form from the tubes on the walls. One plopped a case on the counter. "Crystals. Burn. Uncut." He gestured to the crystals on display, the old man fearfully complying, filling the case up with crystals.
A goon saw the little girl reading a magazine, her hood up. The man frowned and put on his best intimidating look and approached the girl. "Alright kid, put your hands where I can see 'em." Seeing he got no response, he grew frustrated. "Hey, I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something?!"
He turned the girl around, and her hood dropped, revealing a youthful face wearing headphones. The goon gestured for the girl to lower them.
The girl lowered her headphones. "Yes?" she asked in a polite tone.
"I said, put your hands in the air, now!" He raised his sword.
The girl looked confused at first, but soon, her face grew mischievous. "Are you… robbing me?" She asked in mock surprise.
'Is she really this stupid?!' The goon angrily thought. "Yes!" He snapped.
"Oooohhh…" The girl's smirk grew.
She jumped in the air "Hey!" The goon tried speaking up, but he was kicked across the store.
"Hyah!" The girl sounded out.
Roman rolled his eyes and calmly motioned for another to handle her. Another goon raised his gun. "Freeze!" He ordered.
But it was for naught. Soon, the henchman and the girl flew out of the window. The other goons watch the girl stand up and to their horror, unfolded a giant gardening tool she called a weapon. She smiled and twirled her weapon, striking it into the ground and turning off her headphones.
"Okayyy…" Roman was a bit intimidated but he didn't let it show. "Get her!" he ordered the goons.
The goons charged the little girl, but this was child play for the daughter of Summer Rose the Huntress. The girl spun around on top of her scythe, kicking the first criminal in the face. She lifted her weapon and shot, using the recoil to weapon-butt another, sending him flying. She fired again, using the recoil to burst herself forward, scoring a hit on the final goon, and sending him away to Roman's feet.
Roman honestly wanted to laugh and applaud little Red but he was a busy man. "You were worth every cent. Truly, you were. Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around…" Roman crushed his cigar with his cane and raised it, opening the bottom to reveal a firing mechanism. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways."
Roman fired a red blast, the girl managed to leap over it. When she lands, she looks up to see Roman fleeing up a nearby ladder. She turned to the shopkeep. "You okay if I got after him?" The shopkeep gave a short 'Uh huh' and a nod. The girl sets off.
She shot herself up and with a little help from her semblance, she made it up the building just as Roman made it to the top. "Hey!" The girl called out. Roman stopped at the edge of the building.
"Persistent…" Roman said under his breath before a Bullhead rises up from the other end of the building. The hatch opened, allowing Roman to enter. He turned around and held up a red Dust crystal. "End of the line, Red!" He yelled out, throwing it at her feet and firing, the resulting explosion was music to his ears. "Whoa-ho-ho-ho!" Roman laughed but stopped when he saw something on the roof. "Huh?"
A woman in a purple cape was now in front of the girl, casting a protective ward over them. The huntress waves her weapon and summons several streaks of purple energy over the craft. Roman is thrown around and hurries over to the cockpit, where a woman in a red dress is seen struggling to keep the bullhead in the sky. "We got a Huntress!" Roman called out. The woman swapped places with the Thief. As Roman sat down, the Huntress summoned a dark storm cloud over the jet. "The hell?" Roman questioned, just as jagged hail pierces the hull, one nearly making a Torchwick kabob!
The Huntress continues her assault on the Bullhead, in an attempt to bring it down and apprehend the criminals. She trades purple energy with her opponent's flame attacks, neither gaining an advantage.
The little girl, finally acting, reverts her scythe into its rifle form and fires at the woman, who blocks each shot and creates a circle of magic. The Huntress senses this impending attack and manages to push herself and the girl out of range. With this distraction, the bullhead closes its hatch and flies away to safety.
The Huntress curses to herself. The little girl, who looks impressed, turns to speak. "You're a Huntress! Can I have your autograph?!" The little girl says in excitement.
The woman rolled her eyes. "No, and you will be coming with me." She grabbed the girl's hand and the girl yelped, accepting her punishment.
The Huntress turned to the rooftop across the street and saw a grey blur disappear down the back wall. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. 'They're here.' She said in her head.
The Huntress lead the girl to the VPD station.
Unbeknownst to Torchwick, he was tailed the moment he left his safe house. He was followed to Juniors, followed to the Dust shop, and he was watched the entire time he was in the store.
Master Assassin Marcus Silver, known publicly as a Vale Banker, was assigned to monitor Roman Torchwick. He rarely got involved, seeing as Roman hardly ever slipped. Recently, Roman's been meeting with an agent of Salem at a Warehouse in the Vale Port. Agent Cinder Fall to be precise, the new False Maiden of Fall. Seeing as how he has become a new pawn of the Queen, Torchwick was placed on the round-the-clock monitoring list, and Marcus Silver was the one assigned.
He watched as a girl flung out of the window with a Junior Xiong goon in tow. She stood up and made a flashy display with her weapon, it nearly made Marcus wish he chose to pursue a Huntsman career. Nearly…
Upon looking at the girl more, memories of a time long passed flashed. She has an uncanny resemblance to- that's when it clicked. 'The Daughter, Ruby.' Marcus thought with surprise. He was looking at the Daughter of Summer Rose, the Assassin's champion and one of the youngest to reach the rank of Master Assassin. He himself was 45 when he attained the rank of Master, Summer was merely 28.
Marcus watched the fight with nostalgia, almost like an uncle watching his niece grow up. He watched Ruby beat down Junior's goons without a sweat being broken, as Ruby dodged Torchwick's shot. It hurt his heart not to help her out, but he had a duty first and foremost: Tenet #2 and #3: Hide in Plain Sight and Never Compromise the Brotherhood.
Soon, Torchwick dashed up the ladder and met a bullhead, being piloted by none other than Cinder Fall. It's quite unfortunate he doesn't have the authorization to pursue Miss Fall, but she will get her time. He may not be the one to pierce her throat, but her time will come.
After all, Cinder killed one of their assets in the field, a Huntsman by the name of Rhodes, who was a close friend of Marcus.
Then, one of Ozpin's agents entered the field: Glynda Goodwitch. Ozpin's public deputy headmistress and head of combat instruction for Beacon Academy, secretly his right-hand woman and one of the most dangerous agents under Ozpin's command.
Glynda and Cinder traded attacks and from a bystander perspective, was almost therapeutic for some. Eventually, Cinder cast an explosion spell underneath Ruby and Glynda, causing the two women to briefly halt their attack to save themselves. With them distracted, Torchwick now piloting, they flew off into the distance. 'Unfortunately, he has escaped and will most likely lie low for a few days. Well, that gives me a few days' vacation.' Marcus thought with a chuckle, but he knew he had to report this to the Mentor. Especially if Ozpin's seeking to recruit the Daughter.
He quickly descended the building to make his report, just barely being missed by Glynda.
Marcus ran around the city for a little bit, in an effort to shake off any potential tails. Once he confirmed he was secure, he made his way down into the sewers.
He navigated the sewers, using the rats as a guide, and eventually came across a loose tile in the wall. He pulled on the tile, revealing a mechanism that can only be unlocked with the precise shape of an Assassin's Hidden Blade.
He extended his blade, which is strong as bullhead metal and sharper than any huntsman weapon in the record. He stabbed in the mechanism, twisting the various locks and eventually, opening the secret passageway to the Vale Brotherhood Sanctuary.
Marcus once entered this sanctuary, a man fresh out of a civilian education institute for finance. That man has been dead for the past twenty-five years, replaced by a man who knows the truth, and knows it's in his hands.
The sanctuary, despite being in the sewer, looks nicer than the Vale Council chambers AND the Mayor's residence combined. The rugs are neatly cleaned, banners with the Assassin symbol are hanging on the wall, and statues commemorating heroes of the Vale Branch. He passes by a Disciple on their way to training. "Master." The disciple bows in respect.
"Disciple, do well in your studies and training, you're gonna need it, son." Marcus lectures the disciple, who nods and politely bows again, this time he is walking away. Marcus always liked training the apprentices, they all remind him so much of Summer: fresh-faced and eager to join the fight, not knowing of the risks associated with being an Assassin.
He passed a training hall for freerunning, seeing an apprentice tumble off and land on a mat. He winced at the reverb of the impact. 'Yup, don't miss those.' He thought as he saw the apprentice get back up and try again. Marcus smiles for the future generation: they have grit and determination, good qualities to see in recruits.
Marcus reached the Mentor's chambers. He steeled himself and entered. Master Assassins are able to enter without knocking. "Mentor" Marcus got to one knee and saluted.
The elderly man, who looked frail at first glance, stood up and with movements like he was young, swiftly stood in front of his Assassin. "You may rise, Marcus. Please, have a seat." The Mentor motioned for the Master Assassin to sit with the old man at his table, where a piping hot tea kettle was steaming.
Seeing as how it is unwise to decline the Mentor's tea offering, he sat down and pulled his hood back, his black hair with licks of silver from age revealed. "I thank you for your generous offering, Mentor." Marcus took a hot mug from his Mentor's outstretched hand and took a sip. He always loved tea with his Mentor, he always made it just right.
"You are most certainly welcome, my boy." The old man said with a smile gracing his wrinkled lips. "Now, I know this is not a mere social call, so what's the latest?" The Mentor took a sip before putting his cup down to listen.
"Torchwick was on the move tonight. He hit the From Dust Till Dawn shop, stealing several thousand Lien worth of Dust. Fortunately, he was forced to abandon most of the stolen goods when a Huntress-in-Training intervened, and Mentor… this was no ordinary student."
The Mentor's eyebrows rose into his silvery white hair, not saying a word.
"The Daughter intervened. She was there, Mentor. I saw little Ruby…" Marcus finished with a smile, which grew bigger as surprise washed over the old man's face.
"Continue." The Mentor urged, placing his hands under his chin, his attention fully on Marcus.
"She defended herself and knocked out three of Junior Xiong's men, which Torchwick was using as hired muscle. She confronted Torchwick on the rooftop of a nearby building and attempted an exfil, only they were stopped by an Agent of Ozpin, Glynda Goodwitch.
The Mentor pictured Glynda's dossier: Level 5: Do not Approach. Considered the Wizard's most powerful and loyal ally, she was a danger both on and off the field.
"The fight truly began once the pilot was revealed to be Agent Cinder Fall," Marcus revealed.
"Ah, the False Maiden. Unfortunately, we were unable to prevent the attack on Agent Amber, but what's done is done. Continue." The Assassins have a good hold on both Ozpin and Salem, but sometimes, things slip through their grasp.
"The two traded attacks with neither gaining ground. By this point, Miss Rose recovered and took shots at Miss Fall, who used the powers of the Fall Maiden to block her bullets. Miss Fall cast an explosion spell under Miss Rose and Miss Goodwitch, resulting in the latter getting both herself and the Daughter to safety. Using this distraction, Torchwick and Fall escaped the area. Their location is unknown at this time. Currently, Miss Goodwitch has taken Miss Rose to an unknown location, most likely a Vale PD station." Marcus took a breath and took a sip of tea.
The Mentor mulled over his trusted Assassin's report. 'It seems the Wizard is attempting to recruit Miss Ruby to his side. She deserves to make her own choice.' The Mentor thought to himself. Marcus is quiet as a church mouse while the Mentor is silently thinking.
Neither man says anything until the Mentor speaks. "I will have Charles listen in to any interrogations, perhaps we may find out what the Wizard's plan is."
Charles Nightingale is one of the Assassins' most talented Hackers. He has a backdoor into every major database in the Kingdom of Vale, excluding Ozpin himself.
"Excellent plan, Mentor, What shall I do in the meantime?" Marcus asked while taking another sip of his tea.
"You will remain here for the time being. There are whispers that the apprentices in Master Tony's class wish to see a duel between Master Tony and the fabled Master Silver." The Mentor finished with a smirk, knowing that Marcus Silver has a competitive streak when it comes to duels and wagers.
Marcus took the bait. "Oh ho, do they now? Are they aware Master Tony lost to Master Silver the last time they fought?" Marcus let his ego shine a little, needing the fun and stress relief.
"Perhaps they need a refresher, old friend." The Mentor said, his voice dripping with mischief.
Marcus laughed. "Maybe I will. I thank you for your time, Mentor." The Assassin bowed, picking up his cup and rinsing it in the sink.
"I thank you, Marcus. You took the time for this old man and his tea time." The Mentor laughed.
"Nonsense, as long as you keep making it the same way, I will always have a cup with you." Marcus smiled at his Mentor.
Marcus left the chambers, the door closing with a click. The Mentor let out a sigh he was holding in for the longest time since Marcus revealed Ruby was on the scene.
He dashed to his desk and fished out a small key the size of a toenail from his pocket. Such a tiny thing… yet it means the world to the aging Mentor. He unlocked a drawer on his desk.
Memorabilia from past Assassins who perished while in their careers filled the locked drawer. From photos to letters, heck, even an unfinished wooden carving was in there. But it wasn't what he was looking for.
No, THIS is what he was looking for. A picture, weathered from age, was held up by the Mentor. In the picture, a younger Summer Rose, before she was fully inducted into the Brotherhood, was hugging a slightly younger Mentor. It reminded him too much of a little girl hugging her grandfather, it warmed his aging heart.
"Summer Rose, you will always remain my greatest failure as Mentor… and my biggest regret. I promise you, your daughter will not become a member of Ozpin's games. She will be protected by the Brotherhood." The Mentor called out to no one, but a soft gust of wind was all the Mentor needed.
Ruby Rose had better days.
First off, it's now past her curfew, meaning her dad wouldn't be too impressed when she got home, never mind him finding out she was arrested! Well, detained is the word, but to the young Rose, she may as well be in handcuffs from her perspective.
The Huntress from earlier was pacing the room, lecturing the girl. It reminded her too much of her dad or sister scolding her.
"I hope that you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady. You put yourself and others in great danger." Glynda reprimanded Ruby.
"They started it!" Ruby used her best excuse 'It wasn't my fault'.
"If it were up to me, you'd be sent home… with a pat on the back, and a slap on the wrist." She demonstrates this by slapping her riding crop on the desk, which Ruby barely avoids. "But… there is someone here who would like to meet you."
Glynda moves aside to reveal a man in green entering, with a mug and a plate of cookies.
"Ruby Rose… you… have silver eyes." Ozpin leans in to look at Ruby's face up close.
Ruby was a little uncomfortable but she didn't say anything other than an "Uh, um…"
The man quickly changed subjects. "So! Where did you learn to do this?" Ozpin gestures to a tablet in Glynda's hands, showing Ruby's fight.
"S-Signal Academy," Ruby answers with hesitation.
He was impressed but he knew the real story. "They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" The man faked ignorance.
Ruby blushed and answered more confidently. "Well, one teacher in particular"
"I see…" The man left the plate of cookies on the table, only for Ruby to start scarfing them down in seconds. "It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A dusty, old crow…" The smell of whiskey invaded the man's nose, reminding him a lot of his top field scout.
Ruby mumbles something, but it comes out as gibberish to the two huntsmen. She wipes her mouth, embarrassed. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. And now, I'm all like-" Ruby starts making some weird noses and poses, like the dork she is.
"So I've noticed. And what is an adorable girl such as yourself at a school designed to train warriors?" The man continued his questioning, unknowingly they are being watched. Although, the man has his suspicions as the VPD Station isn't as secure as the Headmaster's Office.
Ruby fidgeted in excitement before laying out her goal. "Well… I want to be a Huntress." Ruby imagined herself as a total badass: killing Grimm and saving people.
"You want to slay monsters?" The man asked, despite knowing the answer.
"Yeah! I only have two more years of training left at Signal, and then I'm going to apply to Beacon! You see, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress 'cause I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, Hey, I might as well make a career out of it! I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool and really, gosh, you know!" Ruby finished while smiling like a lunatic.
Glynda and the man look at the girl.
"Do you know who I am?" The man finally asked.
"You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon." Ruby answered with confidence.
Ozpin smiled. "Hello."
"Nice to meet you," Ruby said with a polite smile.
"You want to come to my school?" Ozpin asked Ruby the big question.
"More than anything," Ruby said with her smile growing larger by the second.
Ozpin and Glynda glanced at each other, Glynda disapproving, but she will follow Ozpin's wishes. "Well, okay. Welcome to Beacon Academy, Miss Rose." Ozpin reach over to shake Ruby's hand, who shook back with excitement.
"Thank you so much, sir! I'll see you at school, yay!" Ruby ran out of the room, happier than when she entered.
Ozpin smiled and shook his head. He grew dead serious and looked at the camera in the room like he was looking back at any eavesdroppers. He grabbed a paper and wrote something, and handed it to Glynda.
Glynda read the note which said, "I KNOW YOU HAVE MORE INFO FOR ME." Glynda nodded and showed Ozpin a screenshot their drone managed to take: it was of an Assassin watching the fight between Torchwick and Ruby. He was just… crouched, observing the scene.
Ozpin cursed to himself and wrote one final message: "THEY ARE MAKING MOVES."
"Well, okay. Welcome to Beacon Academy, Miss Rose."
"Thank you so much, sir! I'll see you at school, yay!"
For Charles Nightingale, seeing a descendant of a Brotherhood hero filled their resident tech expert with a sense of pride like he was looking at the Brotherhood's future.
Seeing Ruby accept Ozpin's invitation, however, nearly made him growl in anger. 'Damn you, Ozpin. The Daughter belongs to the Creed and the Brotherhood, it's her true lineage.' Charles' anger toward the Headmaster was palpable, but he managed to reign in his emotions.
His rambling was cut short when he turned back to the monitor to see Ozpin staring back at the camera like he knew he was being watched. The hacker shrugged it off as paranoia but he is prepared to sever the connection at a moment's notice.
Ozpin wrote something on a piece of paper and gave it to Glynda, who nodded and showed Ozpin something on her tablet. He was facing away from the camera but he could guess it was either a picture or video of Master Silver, who was out on patrol for Torchwick when he physically witnessed the fight.
But all that mattered was the Wizard managed to recruit the Daughter to his dead-end cause.
He immediately downloaded a file of Ruby accepting the invitation and uploaded it to a thumb drive. "Hey, Mason. Bring this by the Mentor" Charles' called out to his fellow hacker, Mason Lilac.
Mason took the drive and left for the Mentor's chambers, maybe they weren't too late for Ruby…
When the Mentor watched the clip of Ruby accepting Ozpin's offer, his heart broke.
She was making the same mistakes her mother made. 'No more.' The Mentor thought.
Right now, he would have to plan ahead.
That's a wrap! Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a good day/night!
I should also note, there won't be any Templars in this story, it's purely the Assassin Brotherhood, and the two factions (Oz and Salem).
Written: April 29, 2023