Ruby relaxed as she felt the splash of warm water on her body. She stood inside a shower that encased her with translucent glass and was shielded by a curtain, but one of the more interesting features of the bathroom was the fact that it sat on the opposite side of the wall of the living room, allowing her to hear the conversation between Jet and Dennis. She listened as she lathered up her arm.

"So what goes on at this school o' yours, Jet?" Dennis asked.

"A lot." Jet replied, putting emphasis on the last word. "Studying history, combat, perfecting combat. They weren't kidding when they said that I would be one of the strongest of the world when I finished."

"Eh, I can get behind that." Dennis commented, and Ruby heard the clink of a glass. "Forgive me for bein' a typical guy, but your Ruby's somethin' else. Good on ya mate." Ruby felt herself blush even as she began to wash her hair.

"She's one of the most beautiful girls I think I've laid eyes on." Jet answered softly, and Ruby felt an even harder blush come on. "She's got the personality I like too, playful, but with a little maturity too. You can always count on her too." At this, Ruby felt a new surge of affection for Jet.

"Isn't she a little fragile?" Dennis asked.

"Nope." Jet replied, and Ruby noticed a small hint of her own voice in that single word, the popped 'p' being a good indicator. "She's better than me in many things. Speed, grace, her skill with her weapon." Ruby could imagine him counting on his fingers, and although she had, at this point, finished with her shower, she stayed, wanting to hear the rest. A bit of water got in her ear, and she shook her head to clear it, although she missed part of the conversation.

"So how you think she'll hold up at Meta Brawl?" Dennis asked.

"Let her learn, at least." Jet said insistently.

"Sure, sure. You still trying for top?"

"Of course, but now I think I can actually do it."

"For real? That's a big say around here. Can you back that up?"

"I'll start by finally beating you."

"Hahah! That's what I like to hear!"

"I will warn you, I am far more powerful than I was previously."

"Dang, don't scare me! I'll see that big mouth on the battlefield!"

Ruby decided now was the moment to emerge, and she quickly towelled off and slipped into her hood and jeans before she wandered back into the living room.

"Finished!" she called, and both guys looked up, Dennis looking like he'd been laughing his heart out and Jet having a knowing look in his eyes as he glanced at Ruby, almost like he'd known about her eavesdropping. Ruby's subsided blush rose again, and Jet chuckled lightly in response. Just how hard was it to slip past her lover? "So what's your plan Dennis?"

"Get ready to roll." Dennis almost commanded in a tough, grizzly voice. "We're movin'."

Outside the apartment block, they descended into a dusty parking lot with rows upon rows of cars crippled by age. On and on they walked through the dimly lit gloom, until Dennis stopped and shouted into the darkness.

"Hraesvelgr!" he called.

There was a motorised growl in the distance, then a light illuminated at the far reaches of the car park. What trundled out of the darkness had Ruby at a loss for words.

A massive four-by-four, painted black with silver highlights trundled over. A throaty growl could be heard as the beast pulled up next to Dennis, who patted it like an obedient dog, though to Ruby it felt like a hellhound ready to pounce, and the immense size did nothing to help calm her down, though she felt a reassuring warm presence in the form of an arm from Jet that was curling around her as she shuddered.

"Come." he commanded, but with a reassuring air. He lead Ruby to the front seat of the immense jeep, and opened the door for her. Ruby sat upon a tough leathery seat and strapped her seatbelt on, hearing the rough growl of the engine. She turned to Dennis as he inserted a key into its slot.

"Isn't he coming with us?" the big man asked as Jet stood on standby, not entering the car himself. Almost as if he'd heard over the engine and through the steel plate doors, he nodded to her and pointed with a thumb behind to the exit, before he started running towards it.

"You'll see." Ruby said with a grin as Jet disappeared into the light, wondering why Dennis didn't know about Jet's wings, but there again, Jet had probably been keeping it a secret. She wouldn't put it past him.

Dennis drove his beast of a car out through the same exit and out onto a big road that didn't look out of place on a motorway. Jet stood in the middle of the road, and as Dennis swerved to the side, they watched as he folded his arms, a grin on his face. His wings suddenly extended from behind him, and Ruby heard the 'holy crap' from Dennis as he took flight from that spot, hovering in place.

"I'll be damned! He can fly now?!" Dennis yelled in surprise.

"Just wait until you see what else he can do." Ruby deadpanned, watching as Jet made a pointing gesture to their left, then pointing at them. "He wants us to lead the way." she said, breaking Dennis out of his surprise.

"Oh, yeah yeah I got ya." Dennis said lightly, before he started driving, Ruby turning around to watch as Jet soared happily behind her. "Just how much more surprises has he got?" she heard him mutter under his breath.

After a solid fifteen minutes of driving, they finally stopped outside a restaurant named "Slick Steel". The place was bathed in neon blue light, and judging from the stony exterior and red carpet, coupled with a pair of bouncers outside, Ruby could only assume that they were at a pub.

She walked across the red carpet with Dennis, and it was only a couple of moments before Jet landed beside her, quickly tucking his wings behind his clothes as he started to walk beside them.

"You didn't tell me you could fly." Dennis muttered at Jet as he produced an I.D for the bouncers, who nodded and allowed them inside. "Or that you had wings."

"What can I say?" Jet gloated over the relatively loud music as they made their way between glowing tables and chairs towards the dimly lit bar. "I kept my promise."

They ventured closer to the bar, and as they did so, Ruby began to hear a telepathic message from Jet over the music, and Ruby felt something slip into her clenched fist.

'Crush this if you need me. There's some untrustworthy people around here.'

"I will." Ruby said aloud, but only enough so that Jet could hear her. Normally she would have accused him of being overprotective, but here, in this unfamiliar environment, she knew that Jet was anything but unreasonable, so a warning like that could only mean that his protectiveness was justified. She stole a glance at the object as they neared another set of tables, where raucous laughter could be heard.

It looked akin to a small glass marble, and she slipped it in the back pocket of her jeans behind her cloak, as they walked to the only occupied table, where a scrawny, red-haired teenager drinking some sort of soda and a blonde haired man with a similar build to Yang sat. They looked up as Dennis neared them, having pulled ahead of the couple.

"Yo, big D!" the red-haired one called out, standing up and extending his hand, which Dennis took and shook enthusiastically. "Whas'sup my man?"

"Ain't much." Dennis replied as Ruby and Jet approached. Ruby stuck close to him, feeling a comfort that was dispelling her nervousness. She never was great at meeting new people. "'Cept fer this. Look who's back."

He stood aside, allowing the two to gaze upon them. A big grin cracked upon the blond man's face even as red-hair practically jumped over the table before smashing into her lover, bowling him over.

"Good ter see ya J! Whassup?" he yelled over the metal.

"Fine… thanks… Dean." Jet grunted as he practically lifted the teen off himself and stood up, putting him down and watching as his friend backed up a little. He then cracked knuckles with the blonde one, who Dennis introduced to her as Tom.

"My old rival's back. Still kickin'?" Tom asked, almost threateningly, but Ruby didn't see a reaction from Jet.

"Of course." Jet growled in reply. "Where's disco girl?"

Ruby felt taken aback. Disco girl?

"She's callin' in sick today." Tom replied. "Who's your bird?" Only one thought resonated within Ruby.

BIRD?!

"I'll thank you to not refer to her as that, for your sake." Jet hissed in response, as if he knew Ruby was angry. "Ruby Rose, and she'll probably kill you if you call her that again."

"Meant no offense." Tom replied lightly, extending a fist for Ruby to bump, which she did quickly, mimicking Jet.

"He's right about that." Ruby said with what she hoped was a strong glare at Tom. She felt Jet put an arm around her, and leant into the embrace, showing firmly who she was aligned to here.

"Oo!" Dean yelled upon seeing this, having been talking to Dennis. "Are you two an item? Congrats J! But hey now. You sound a bit different." His face adopted a pout which Ruby didn't think possible.

"I don't believe I do." Jet replied, guiding Ruby to a chair and seating her upon it, before he turned to Tom. "Now, I challenge you, Tom, to a Meta Brawl!" He pointed at Tom, making a gun shape with his hand.

"Never thought I'd hear that. I invite Dean and Dennis to participate!" Tom responded.