The sweet smell of food filled Ruby's nostrils, slowly pulling her away from her dreams. She had dreamt of her mother again. For the last three days ruby had sat in the cellar, she had eaten, slept, dreamt and mourned. Weiss had visited frequently, bringing her news and food, and slowly beginning the process of explaining. Ruby didn't know much, she had barley been able to process what she did know, but she was starting to understand why her Mother died.

She had been an Assassin, a member of a secret order thousands of years old. While this order did actively assassinate targets, its main purpose was to protect mankind. Its enemy, the Templar, were a similar order, yet instead of praising freedom and choice, they sought control and power. The Templar's had sent men after her Mother, for what reason, Ruby and Weiss did not know.

Ruby took the soup from Weiss, who offered pleasant greetings as well as food. The two found themselves sitting opposite each other beside the fireplace

"Ruby I know it's been a difficult few days, but we need to talk about what happened on that night". Weiss watched the younger girl intently as she dug into her soup, she had been quiet the last few days, but Weiss believed the crying had finally stopped. "What do you want to know?" Ruby's voice quiet and distant,

"Well, did you hear any names, did you hear what they were looking for?"

"Torchwick"

"Hmm?"

"The man you fought, the one who got away. His name was Torchwick."

"Torchwick, I will have to look into that name. Anything else, like why they were there."

"Letter, I was to deliver a letter to my Mother."

"I remember the letter, we found it tucked into your corset, my Father took it,"

"I need it, please get it back Weiss. I need to know what caused this!"

"The letter might contain nothing, or it might lead you to the answers. What will you do, if you find the answers?"

"I have to see my Sister and my Father, make sure they are okay. Then I need to kill Torchwick". The last part startled Weiss; she had not heard words so filled with malice, except from herself after Winter died. She had not expected such words from the little girl that had spent the last three days crying herself to sleep. She had looked so innocent; she had truly been that innocent. But that was gone now, Weiss could see the anger and unshaking resolve in her silver eyes. "I will get you that letter, and like I said, I will help you"

"Why?"

"Because not long ago I lost someone I loved, I understand the need for justice". Weiss left Ruby to eat, she now had things to see too. She dreaded this, and knew it would be met with fierce resistance. She approached her father's study; the double doors looming over her. She took a deep breath and burst through the doors, her father looked up from his desk. The room bore a similar fireplace to the one in the cellar, whereas down there the walls were grey stone, here they were lined with books. His desk was a mess of paper and his face a mask of annoyance. "Weiss, I remember specifically teaching you to knock."

"I'm sorry father, but there is a lot on my mind, I need to speak with you,"

"I'm listening"Weiss gulped, her nerves getting the better of her.

"Father I need your assistance in finding the man who killed Summer Rose."

"Torchwick is being dealt with; I have sent some people to find him,"

"You know his name then"

"We have for some time, I have been watching him" Weiss stood Confused for a moment,

"Why didn't you warn Ms Rose?"

"We tried, but were apparently too slow." Her father's indifference sparked anger within Weiss,

"Yes, you were. Where is Torchwick then, it is long past the time where he should have been dealt with"

"You will not go after him child. I am using him to get closer to the Templar leaders, they remain anonymous, but now they have made a direct move against us. They have begun to show their hand, and so we must start playing ours"

"You make it sound like Ms Rose's life was a fair trade"

"In a way it was, Summer Rose was a fine Assassin, but she left that life behind. In the end she was of little use to me". The coldness of her father's words further fanned the flame of Weiss' rage.

"How dare you! There is a girl down there who has just lost her mother and you sit here and insult her. Father she needs to be trained, she needs our help, she has a right to demand justice for what has been done to her." Her father's eyes darkened, he rose from his chair, discarding his papers.

"Silence yourself girl, you know nothing of this struggle. That girl has lost her mother, but I have lost a wife and a daughter. I have buried friends. I did not rise to head of this order without sacrifice, and I will not hear an insolent child belittle me. I don't have time or resources to spare in order to train her, she is weak, and she is too young. If you have not noticed the Templars are hunting us now, I don't have the energy to waste into helping your friend find vengeance. Sacrifices have to be made, and you have to live with them"

"You trained me when I asked to hunt for Winter's killer; I was not much older than her. She is stronger than you think, so why would you train me and not her?" Weiss' father furrowed his brow and pinched his temple. "Because you are a Schnee, you did not spend time mourning after your sister's death, you moved forward. You must move forward, without hesitation, that is what being an Assassin is about"

"Just because you didn't see my tears doesn't mean they weren't real. I spent months mourning her, I barley slept. I put everything I had into training, because if I didn't distract myself I would have broken down!" Weiss felt the familiar sting of tears at the corners of her eyes.

"Then you are weaker than I thought." The coldness of the words hurt more than any blow that Weiss had ever received.

"If you will not train her, then I will."

"Ha! You have barley finished your own training and here you are trying to teach others. Do whatever you wish, but do not let it get in the way of your work"

"It will not"

"Good, now leave me in peace". Weiss stormed out of the office, she could hear her father's words as she left, "When the girl dies because of your failures, let it be on your head."

"Come on Ruby it's time we got serious" Weiss stated as she entered the cellar. She threw Ruby a training sword, the heavy wooden weapon slipping in between her fingers. She quickly picked it up, "Are you sure? My wounds are still a little sore,"

"You have been recovering for a week now; we have done all the theoretical work we can for the time being. You need to test your muscles"

"If you say so." Ruby had in truth already stretched, checking to see how the healing had gone. She was stiff, but was now able to move freely without too much pain. "Alright then, let's start with the stances I showed you". Weiss watched carefully as Ruby made movements with the practice sword, watching her body move. She was shorter than Weiss, if only slightly, yet her body resembled that of a woman, more so than Weiss. Her movements were agile; she obviously had a high level of dexterity. "Weiss? Weiss? Hello?" Ruby's voice snapped Weiss out of her staring,

"Yes, ah, good, very well done. You seem to have a good grasp on the basic stances, now let's see if you can hold up in a real fight." Weiss held her wooden sword out, the two began circling each other and the duel began. Ruby was of course no match, Weiss had been training for years in the art of sword fighting, Ruby had barely had a week. Weiss went easy, allowing her to continue the fight, even when she saw several openings in her strikes. She was surprised at how quickly Ruby had adopted her lessons though, she was fast on her way to becoming a proper duellist. "Has there been any news from my father or sister?" Ruby's voice coming out in between lunges and parries.

"Not yet, I have sent your letters but there have been no response. I have talked to a few people as well; no one seems to be able to locate them," Weiss words came easier; she was not exerting as much effort as Ruby. "Do you think they are ok?" The sadness in her voice caught Weiss off guard, she hesitated to answer, not wanting to hurt the frightened girl's feelings. The wooden sword was slapped from Weiss's hands; she looked up to see a smiling Ruby. "You tricked me,"

"What?" Ruby appeared genuinely confused, maybe she had been sincere. A grin crept onto Ruby's face, it was a trick. "Very well done Ruby, catching ones opponent off guard is an easy way to defeat them" Weiss leant down to pick up her sword, "Again".

The two engaged again, Weiss now more aggressive. Ruby was forced into a defensive stance, and spent her time furiously blocking and parrying Weiss strikes. Weiss let her sword fall to the ground, the act surprising Ruby. She too lowered her sword, having thought the fight finished. Weiss lunged, with a flick of her wrist Weiss' hidden blade sprung forth. The blade rested as Ruby's throat, the girl's mouth slammed shut with shock. "Follow through; make sure your opponent is down. Oh, and don't get caught off guard." Weiss sheathed the blade and crossed the room to sit on the lounge, pouring herself a cup of tea. Ruby leant her practice sword against the wall, following Weiss to sit on the opposite lounge. "I was serious Weiss, do you think they are ok?" Weiss shut her eyes,

"I don't know Ruby, but they are in danger and if the Templars are set on finding whatever was in that letter, then no, I don't think they will be okay." Ruby looked downtrodden, her eyes cast away from Weiss, "thank you for being honest"

"Most people are not too fond of my honesty; they say I'm too blunt". Ruby shook her head, finally returning her eyes to Weiss,

"No, I need to hear the truth. Any luck with getting my letter back?"

"Sadly no, father is being very protective of it. Whatever it is, it's serious probab-"

"Weiss I need to go". Ruby's outburst cut Weiss off. She looked deeply into her eyes, they screamed of desperation, of need.

"You're not ready to fight Torchwick"

"I know, but I can't just sit here. My family needs me, and I need them". Ruby's gaze deepened, her puppy dog eyes finding a chink in Weiss armour.

"Fine. We will go find them, but not until you let Blake help train you"

"Blake?"

"Yes, she was there the night of the attack; she helped me carry you out. Blake happens to be a master of a particular set of skills that will likely prove invaluable. Go find her while I make preparations to leave,"

"Where do I find her?" Weiss scribbled down an address and handed the paper over to Ruby.

"We leave tomorrow at dawn, so make the most of the day". Ruby made strides to leave, but was halted by Weiss, "be careful Ruby"

"I will."

The Inn that Ruby had been directed too was bustling. The Black Cat was a large Inn near the docks; it attracted a multitude of customers, from sailors to smiths, politicians to scribes. The Inn had lavish rooms, which were rentable for a few hours, as it also served as a brothel.

Ruby had never been in such an establishment, she had long been protected by the careful eyes of her parents. She had moved quickly through the rough streets, she felt more confident now that she was being trained to fight, but she was still a novice. She entered the bar quickly and quietly, scanning the rowdy crowd for Blake. She found her eyes eventually drawn to a quiet booth in the corner of the bar. The woman matched the description, as well as the hazy memories Ruby had of her. She had dark hair, her eyes a relaxed gold as they scanned the pages of the book in front of her. No one approached her, except for the waiter who brought her more wine. Ruby approached, moving through the crowd. Blake took no notice as she approached, and continued to ignore her even when she stood before her. "Um, hi, Weiss told me you had something to teach me. Oh my name's Ruby." Blake finally looked up from her book, instead of the expected look of disinterest Ruby was greeted with a kind smile. "Yes I remember you, you're Summer Rose's child… I'm sorry for what happened, I wish we had been faster"

"I wish I had been able to help her, I wish for a lot of things. A lot of things I can't have, but I need help trying to defend the things I have left." The serous words made Blake soften, the girl reminded her of herself at a younger age. Desperate to right the wrongs, the wrongs she was still trying to right. "What do you need, I'm here to help," Blake looking determinately at Ruby. The younger girl beamed, "Weiss said you could show me a few things, like," Ruby leaned in close as to prevent others from hearing, "Assassin things". Blake chuckled,

"Indeed, Assassin things." Blake made no effort to quiet herself, causing Ruby to look around suspiciously. "Ruby your among friend's here I own the place. Think of it as a safe haven for 'our' kind. This is where I operate my network, thieves, pickpockets and the like. We keep a close eye on things; any Templar agent comes in here snooping is likely to find either nothing or a knife in the back." Blake led her out the back of the Inn, waving to various customers as she did.

Together they ended up in the back alleys of London. "So Ruby, I'm going to teach you how to get around London quickly and quietly. Have you had much practice climbing, I'm sure your family has prepared you somewhat for this." Blake eyed her questioningly, Ruby simply shrugged,

"Not really, I didn't even know my Mum was an Assassin until… Recently" she dare not say dead, the word proving too difficult. Blake nodded, she understood loss, most Assassins did. "Well let's start with the basics."

The two spent the afternoon as well as a few hours into the night running, jumping and climbing through the rooftops of London. Ruby once again picked up the skills quickly, it slowly dawned on her that perhaps her Mother had been training her offhandedly. She had been encouraged to climb trees as a child, to run and play were other children had been kept quiet and on a tight leash. She had been taught to question everything and to only respect the authority of those she thought worth it. To outward eyes she was a untamed child, who had no respect for authority, something that had put herself at odds with many teachers at school, and parents of other children as she was seen as a bad influence. It had become clear that in a way her Mother had begun her training, it was why she was so accepting of all that she had heard in the last few days, and all that she had learnt. If only you could have been here to see the rest of my training.

The two stopped their race on the roof of a large house, overlooking the dark streets that they called home. "So your parents never told you about all this, you lived a pretty normal life up until now"

"Yeah, I had never heard of Assassins and Templar's before this. I had never held a sword, never wanted to hurt someone so much. I wish they had told me, I wish I would have been able to do something."

"Don't put so little value in that life. While it is over, it was peaceful, filled with love and happiness. Most of us don't get to live that kind of life; I was raised by Templars for example."

Ruby tensed, causing Blake to chuckle for the second time that night. "Don't worry, I swear I'm not a Templar. As I was saying, my parents were Templar supporters, forced to turn to them after several incidents. People can be unkind, racist, when my family came here from the East they were prosecuted. The Templars offered them security, told them of a world where everyone was equal, a world they controlled. I ended up as part of a group that worked for the Templars, a bunch of murderers and criminals. I grew up surrounded by violence, forced to carry out things that haunt me to this day. I ran away after my parents died, and I found the Assassins. They preached that equality was not the absorption of everything into a single entity, but the celebration of each piece. That is why I fight."

Ruby relaxed, the corners of her lips slowly rising into a soft smile. "Mum told me similar things; I can see now where she got all her sayings, all her little lessons."

"Your mother was a good woman; she gave up her life as an Assassin to give you a better life. Never forget that". The two stood over the city, quietly reminiscing in the night. "Come on, you will need your rest if you are going travelling tomorrow," Blake turned to leave.

"Wait, there is something I need to do before I leave. I need to visit my house one last time"

"Are you sure? It will bring back a lot of bad memories, are you ready for that?"

"I don't know, but if I don't go now I don't think I will ever be able to go back."

"I will come with you, make sure it's safe,"

"Thanks Blake, it means a lot."

Together they made their way back to Ruby's old house. It took only a few minutes of running, the new found freedom of the rooftops granting fast and safe passage. Ruby looked upon her old home, where once there was light and warmth, there was only darkness. The bodies had been removed from the garden, likely by the constabulary. Together they crept back down to the streets and entered the house. The door was now sealed shut with a series of wooden planks; the remnants of the window were sealed in a similar fashion. Ruby slammed the door with her shoulder, the wood creaking slightly. Blake helped, adding her weight to the door, which helped break through. Ruby entered first, cautiously scanning the dark hallway. To Ruby's surprise, and thanks, the house had not been ransacked, the constables had down a good job of warding of looters.

Ruby walked the halls of her house, a flood of memories breaking through. It felt like years had passed since she had been there, yet it had only been a little more than a week. So much had changed, yet the house was the same. She had expected ruins, desolation, a sign that her old life had truly ended. Yet there she stood in what had once been her home, beckoning her to return to the past. She could stay, she could forget about Assassins and Templars, of girls in white and girls in black. The Templars wouldn't come back, would they? Ruby could run away, she could leave London, the city that had always been her home; she could go and find a new life. But that would mean leaving Yang and Dad, leaving all the questions unanswered, letting Torchwick go.

Ruby found herself drawn to the basement; aimlessly she wandered, but always found herself ending at the door that led down there. She pushed through her fear, and opened the door. The scene played out before her, only now she was in Torchwick's position. She saw herself lunge as she stepped down off the stairs. She remembered the blow to her stomach, she saw herself scrambling away. Helpless. She couldn't stand to see herself like that, so weak, so useless. She shut her eyes, hoping that the memories would go away. I won't be helpless again, I won't let people die, I won't let them get away with what they did. Ruby's eyes opened, her mind decided, her heart resolute. She could run away, never face the demons that would haunt her forever. Or she could fight them, avenge her Mother and find her Father and Sister. When she opened her eyes her vision blurred slightly, the world appeared colourless shadows outlining the room before her. In the blurred darkness there was but one golden light. Ruby strode towards it, hand outstretched. She grasped the golden light, it taking the form of a hidden switch as she drew closer. She pulled the switch and heard the slow grating of stone against stone, a small chest rising from now shifted stones. The chest was adorned with silver, the familiar symbol of the Assassins emblazoned upon its front.

Her vision returned to normal as she approached the chest. It opened easily, and Ruby eyed the contents. Ruby took the letter placed on the top of the contents, stuffing it into her baggy trousers. Next she drew out what appeared to be an elaborate set of clothes. A black undershirt, a red vest that also formed into a red hood. A single leather pauldron attached to short cape was also present, along with boots to match. The chest also contained an elaborate belt, once again having the Assassin's symbol at its centre, and a single vambrace. The vambrace was made of darkened leather, metal having been inlaid into this leather to form various patterns. A rose sat in the centre of the metalwork, the symbol of the Rose family in which Summer and Ruby belonged. Quick inspection proved Ruby's guess as to the vambraces purpose to be correct, a hidden blade. The last item in the chest was a sword, a sabre if Ruby remembered Weiss' lessons correctly. It was a beautiful weapon, polished silver hilt and guard, with red and black leather wrappings for the grip.

Ruby donned her newfound clothes, only proving to be slightly large for Ruby. She equipped her new weapons, and pulled up her hood. Ruby left her home, determined never to return. Her Mother had once told her that she would likely encounter problems and troubles in her life, hurdles that she would have to overcome. Ruby had never expected, never wished for this, but she held onto her Mother's words. Keep moving forward.