Ruby Rose: Huntress of Fenrir
An: Another day, another chapter. The training arc took longer than I wanted, but now it's done! Hope everyone enjoys it!
Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or God Eater.
2-Whetstone [San]
Friar main lobby
"…can't believe that didn't work! I calculated the differences between my God Arc and Crescent Rose, accounted for the God Arc's weight, readjusted the calcs after my earlier training, even incorporated movements to help increase my speed and spin, just so I could execute a Recoil Slice perfectly! But I failed!" Ruby grumbled irately as she stomped off the elevator. Ever since Julius ended her training and asked her to return to Rachel's lab, the young Rose was mentally raving over how her favored and most effective move from her old style had failed her.
"The sniper recoil was about a tenth stronger than I anticipated for the move," she continued quietly, barely catching Fran congratulating her on completing her training. She gave her a quick wave and smile as she continued ranting. "The scythe blade is the perfect size, but the Control Unit and shield parts are far too bulky. I'll have to strip the Arc down to reduce the weight. But what? Shield's an obvious choice, but that will make the Arc too light. Can't touch the Control Unit without the Aragami Core growing unstable…"
"Hey! Ruby!" Nana's voice broke Ruby out of her mental tirade, making her turn to see her fellow Blood member standing in the sitting area, a giant grin plastered on her face. "You were awesome out there!" she told the scythe wielder.
Ruby sighed and shook her head of her thoughts. She'd have all night to debate her plans for her God Arc's modifications. Turning to Nana with a smile, she rubbed the back of her head and said, "Not really. I was super sloppy out there."
"Sloppy?!" Nana shouted, aghast. "You were literally dancing out there, and you're telling me you were sloppy?!"
"Yeah. Sloppy," Ruby explained. "My fighting style is not quite compatible with a God Arc, so I'm going to have to adjust it to fit my needs."
"Well, you totally rocked it out there!" Nana told her. "You were like 'BAM!' And then you were like, 'WOOSH!'" Nana acted out her shouts as she animatedly gushed about Ruby's training, making the Huntress giggle a bit.
"Well, I'm glad you liked the show, anyways!" Ruby told her. "Anyways-"
"Hm? Oh! I haven't seen you two around before!" a new voice interrupted her. Nana and Ruby turned to see a blonde-haired teen with blue eyes looking at them. He wore a black zip up shirt with stripped sleeves, blue jeans, an orange and white jacket, checkered sneakers, and a beanie.
"Oh! Hi there!" Nana greeted with a wave. "We're the new God Eaters assigned to the Blood Special Forces Unit!" The guy's eyes widened in realization.
"Oooh! That's right! Julius talked about you two!" he exclaimed. He pointed to himself. "Name's Romeo!" he said in a 'suave' tone. "I'm the second member of Blood! If there's ever anything you need, I'm your guy!" Ruby gave him a dull look.
"Ok then, what's this Blood Power Dr. Rachel and the captain talked about?" she asked him. She smirked a bit when his eyes widened in surprise.
Yep, like she suspected. He was similar to Jaune. That made her smile, thinking of her first friend from Beacon. If he really was anything like Jaune, then she would be glad to work with him.
"Uh…good question…" Romeo said carefully. "Basically…it's a special power…that gives you a special skill…and yeah!" He brightened a bit and said, "Dr. Rachel would probably be the best person to ask about it!"
Ruby chuckled. "Will do. I'm Ruby, by the way!" she told him.
"And I'm Nana Kouzuki! Nice to meet you sir, Romeo sir!" Nana said cheerfully.
"'Sir?'" Romeo repeated in shock before grinning. "Yeah! I like that!" Ruby rolled her eyes.
"So, Romeo," Ruby called out, "what's the good doc want with all of us? I just finished my training, and Captain Julius said she wanted to meet us."
"Hm? Oh, no idea, honestly," Romeo answered. "I'm not really told that kind of stuff. But knowing Dr. Rachel, it's likely she just wants to congratulate us and explain Blood's purpose."
"From what I've seen of her, that's sounds about reasonable," Ruby said with a shrug. "Wanna head up with us?"
Romeo shrugged. "Sure! I'd love the company!" Ruby then motioned for the elevator with her head.
"Then let's head up!" Her two fellow God Eaters nodded, and they turned to the elevator together. They entered and the door closed behind them.
Romeo turned to the girls and asked, "Sooo, uh, what were you two talking about when I was walking up?"
"Oh! Just how awesome Ruby was during her combat training, and how she said she was sloppy!" Nana explained, complaining at Ruby assessment of herself. Ruby simply huffed and crossed her arms.
"It was sloppy," she repeated. "The God Arc is different from what I'm used to, and I had to correct myself several times! Not to mention my last maneuver failed!"
"Well, yeah, but wasn't it because God Arc's aren't made to function like what you tried?" Nana asked.
"That's part of the reason, but another is my calculations to compensate for that were off slightly," Ruby answered.
"Huh? What did you do?" Romeo asked.
"She fired her sniper and quickly swapped to the scythe to try and cut the simulated Aragami," Nana explained. "It was super cool, too! Even though it missed!"
"Whoa! That sounds awesome!" Romeo said. "But why would you want to do that?" Ruby shrugged.
"It was how I was trained," she answered. "I knew God Arcs were different from my preferred weapons, so I tried to work around the differences to work with my old style, but it seems I'll have to change it more."
Before anyone could ask more, the elevator stopped, and the door opened to the Upper Level. The three stepped out and started walking towards Dr. Rachel's office. Romeo turned to Ruby and asked, "So, what did you do before becoming a God Eater? I mean, you said you were trained, but where did you learn what Nana was talking about?"
"A now destroyed splinter cell of Fenrir called Beacon," she lied smoothly. "The ones who formed it felt the higher ups of Fenrir weren't giving the God Eaters the proper assistance they needed to fight the Aragami, so they left to better discover ways to support them. Sadly, they…they didn't get far before the Golden Week Hell happened."
Romeo's face fell. "O-Oh…" He didn't say anything after that, just like Ruby knew he wouldn't. Splinter cells from Fenrir were not uncommon, neither was the fact that they rarely lasted long after splitting from Fenrir. And as a documented survivor of the Golden Week Hell, her cover story held a lot of weight.
Enough that most didn't question it.
They walked in relative silence after that until they reached Dr. Rachel's office. Standing outside next to balcony staring out to the massive interior of Friar was Julius. "Good," he said to them as they walked up. "You made it. Dr. Rachel is in her lab and waiting for you three." Ruby and the others nodded.
"Cool," Ruby replied as she walked up to the door.
"Also, Nana, Ruby, after your meeting with Dr. Rachel, come speak with me," Julius requested. "I have something I'd like to talk with you two about." The two looked to him and then themselves.
"Oh, that thing huh, Julius?" Romeo asked.
"Yes. That thing. And be ready afterwards, Romeo."
"Got it, Captain!"
Ruby looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "Ok," she said slowly before shaking her head. "Anyways, see you after the meeting, Captain."
"Yeah! Wish us luck!" Nana agreed with a big smile and a fist raised high. Julius nodded to them as the three entered the office.
"Oh! Excellent timing!" Rachel exclaimed and clapped her hands. She motioned for a couch on the opposite wall of her computer and said, "Please, sit."
The three did so without complaint. "First of all," Rachel started to say, "I'd like to welcome you new cadets to the Blood Unit. I had planned on hosting an official dinner, however…"
"Huh?" Nana spoke up, interrupting the doctor. "Romeo, you're just a cadet, too?!"
Romeo flushed. "Nana!" he hissed. "Shut up! Don't you know who this is?!" he whispered/shouted as he gestured to Rachel, who merely chuckled.
"I'm glad you all are getting along so well!" she told them, with a small smile. "Today, I'm going to share with you the mission and purpose of the elite Blood Unit." This caused Ruby to raise an eyebrow.
"Cool! We're all ears, ma'am!" Romeo said for all of them.
"As you know, Aragami brought mankind to the brink of ruin. Only the God Eaters had the power to turn back the tide," Rachel explained to them. "It is our aim to usher in a new era. That is where the Blood unit comes in. Blood are the best of the best. Superior to all other God Eaters."
"Yeah! We are! With Julius and our special powers, nothing can stop us!" Romeo boasted with a wide grin.
Ruby, however, wasn't so sure. Team STRQ, her parents' Huntsman team, was said to be the best of the best, and after Raven abandoned them, the team fell apart. The Ace Ops of Atlas were said to be the best of Atlas, but their mortality rate was off the charts. She herself thought her own Huntress team, RWBY, was on top of the world.
The battle at Beacon changed that.
The Golden Week Hell cemented it.
The problem with being 'the best,' was that the fall down was long and riddled with jagged rock faces that cut deep.
"Precisely!" Rachel agreed with Romeo. "You were chosen! Your strength of will lies dormant in your veins for now, but it can be awakened. When members of our unit undergo this awakening, they will uplift and inspire other God Eaters."
"Romeo…Nana," she said, looking at the two individually before turning to Ruby. "As well as you and Captain Julius, Ruby; as members of Blood, it is your duty to lead the God Eaters, to teach them of their true potential," she finished with a smile.
Ruby had to admit, Rachel had a way with words. Her goal wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was commendable. Ruby felt a swell of pride surge through her at the thought she could help others achieve great things and help all that she could.
"Right now, the Blood Power lies quiet inside you, but I know you all have the will to quicken it," Rachel concluded smiling. "I eagerly await that day!"
"You can count on me!" Romeo proclaimed proudly. "I won't let you down, Dr. Rachel!"
"Yeah! I know you'll do great, Romeo!" Nana told him with a wide smile.
"H-Hey!" Romeo exclaimed. "You're Blood too, you know?! You got to awaken your potential with us!" Ruby, Nana, and Rachel all shared a laugh, and Romeo was quick to join in, a sense of peace settling over the four.
After Rachel finished up her meeting with them, the three exited her lab, Julius was still in the same place as before. "All finished, then?" he asked, and they nodded. "Excellent. I'd like to inform you, Ruby, Nana, that we will be performing a field mission tomorrow. Well, I say mission, but it's really just your final training exercise. I'd like for the two of you to prepare yourselves for it."
"Sure thing!" Ruby said with a nod and excited grin. Finally! Live combat!
"Yes, sir, Captain Julius sir!" Nana agreed, saluting. "We won't fail you!" Julius nodded.
"I know you won't." He turned and walked towards Rachel's lab and stopped at the doors. "You have the rest of the day off. Please rest and prepare for tomorrow," he told them and knocked on the doors before swiftly entering. Nana and Ruby turned to each other, and Ruby grinned.
"Let's slay it tomorrow!" she said, holding out her fist.
"Yeah!" Nana returned the grin and fist bumped Ruby. Romeo chuckled.
"Well, good luck tomorrow, girls! You're gonna need it!" Romeo said as he started walking back to the elevator.
"Right! First order of business: Maintenance!" Ruby exclaimed as she started walking as well. Nana followed quickly after.
"Huh? Why are you going to Maintenance, Ruby?" she asked.
"Gotta fix my God Arc's sights! They're utter trash, and I refuse to let those blasphemous strips of metal these idiots call sights stay on it a second longer!" Ruby explained cheerfully.
"The sights? Can't you get someone else to do it?" Nana asked.
"I could! But the boys down there are all terrified to screw with my God Arc, knowing I'd kick their tails out of Friar if they messed up, and that I prefer to work on my own gear!" Ruby answered. Nana wasn't sure what to make of that, but she remembered something Julius told her Ruby had said about her own God Arc.
"Oh!" Nana ran up to Ruby's side and asked, "That reminds me: Julius mentioned you talking about how I might be damaging my God Arc. Could…Could I get you to look it over before the mission?" Ruby stopped cold and turned to Nana.
"Really? Can I?!" Ruby asked, suddenly excited. Nana was thrown for a loop at the sudden shift, but she quickly got over it and nodded, smiling.
"Sure! It seems like you know a lot about God Arcs, so why not trust you?" she asked.
Ruby barely contained her squeal. "This is great! Let's get going!"
Nana smiled. "Sure!"
The next day; Abandoned Academy
Captain Julius, I was not informed that you would be accompanying the new recruits, Fran accused over the radio.
"My apologies, Fran," Julius replied as he walked down the ruined highway. "It's just that I have a great deal of confidence in them. I wish to see their skills first hand."
Fran sighed. Understood, sir, she said. But, in the future, please endeavor to keep me informed…for their sake?
Julius let out a little laugh. "Yes, of course!" he agreed.
Well! I hope they live up to your expectations, Captain. Good luck! Fran told him as Ruby and Nana arrived behind him.
He turned to them. "Good. You're here," he addressed them. The two saluted him.
"Cadet Second Class Nana Kozuki, reporting for duty in the Blood Special Forces unit, sir!" Nana exclaimed before giggling a bit. "I'm so super proud to be here!"
"Cadet Second Class Ruby Rose here for duty!" Ruby followed up simply. Julius nodded to them.
"I'd like to welcome you two formally into Blood," he told them. He turned and continued, "Now then, let's begin your field training."
"Wait. What?" Nana asked, shocked. Julius ignored her and walked forward.
"Look out there," he told them. Ruby did so, and saw below them the ruins of an old courtyard centered in-between several buildings. Having researched the area the night before, she knew this area was once a very successful university back when the area was still called Japan. At the far end of the old courtyard, near the entrance to what was likely the school's library near the river, was the carcass of a lion-like Aragami, a Vajra, being feasted upon by two Ogretails.
"The Aragami, the beasts that threaten the very future of the human race," Julius continued. "How you slay them is of no concern, but do not halt until they stop breathing. Understood?" he asked as he turned to them.
Ruby nodded seriously. "Understood, sir!" she told him, her hand tightening around her God Arc in anticipation.
"Wait! Wait!" Nana interjected. "Y-You mean we're…" She gasped. "You mean we're fighting Aragami right now?! L-Like, for real?!" Ruby looked to her new friend and hid a grimace at the fear creeping into her new friend's voice.
She had forgotten that, unlike her, most God Eater recruits have never actually fought in live combat before. Even less had experience fighting Aragami, at that. She cursed herself for not remembering that; she could have helped Nana prepare for this.
Still, it was good to get that out of the way right now. Like ripping off a band-aid, and whatnot.
"Indeed, Cadet," Julius answered. He turned to her and elaborated, "You would learn little if you've never fought in a real battlefield." He gave them both a confident nod. "Do all that I know you can, and those monsters will pose no threat to you. All right?"
Just then, an Ogretail jumped up from the ground, maw open in a loud roar as it descended upon them. Nana froze for a second, terror gripping her joints as the Aragami closed in on her. Ruby, however, didn't freeze and was instantly in front of Nana, quickly wrapping her left arm around Nana and bringing her close as she spun her God Arc around behind her, scythe out across her shoulders and ready to catch the Ogretail as it landed on her.
However, its feet hit the ground as it roared in anger, just behind Ruby. Turning, she saw that Julius holding the beast back, his left arm lodged just under one of the ridges of the Ogretail's face just under its eyes, and above the Aragami's teeth. Ruby's eyes widened as she stared at Julius, amazed he was not only able to react to the Ogretail in time, but also that he was quick enough to get his arm in that position without getting it gnawed off.
Julius noted Ruby's position and quick action with pride, his God Arc switching from his assault rifle to sword form. "Hmph." With little effort, he pushed the Aragami's head up and swung his God Arc. "Hah!" The black and gold blade sliced the Ogretail's neck cleanly and threw the monster backwards. It flew for several minutes until it descended back to earth.
Ruby and Nana were in awe as Ruby released Nana, the later taking a moment before returning to her feet. "Humanity has faced enemies since ancient times," Julius said to them as he walked up to them. "Humanity has always prevailed. I know that we do not have sharp fangs or rending claws to face off against our foes, but we have gifts that they do not possess: strategy, unity, cooperation, and most of all, the strength of will that binds us together." He turned back to the courtyard and started walking.
"Willpower is the fiercest weapon-our fiercest weapon! Never forget that!" he told them. He stopped at the edge. "It's time. Forward!"
He jumped off the cliff, ready to fight. Ruby nodded and turned to Nana. "You gonna be ok?" she asked. Nana turned to her, surprised, but quickly nodded.
"Y-Yeah. Just a bit stunned was all," she explained. "Thanks for…for coming to my rescue…"
Ruby chuckled. "No worries! It's what friends do, after all!" she told her. She spun her scythe around and continued, "Now let's kick some Aragami tail!"
Nana brightened at Ruby's upbeat attitude and nodded. "Yeah!" she shouted as the two jumped off the cliff, landing just behind Julius, who was waiting for them. He nodded in approval.
"Good." He turned to the Ogretails and said, "This mission's Aragami are not usually prone to violence, but let's remain cautious."
"Wow. Real life Aragami!" Nana breathed. She tensed, readying herself for an actual fight against the bane of humanity. This time, she wouldn't freeze up. She won't need to be saved this time!
We're here to support you, Captain! Fran informed.
"Thank you. We're glad to have it," he told her. "Now, God Eaters, att-"
He was interrupted by Ruby suddenly jolting forward at blinding speeds. Within a few seconds, she was closing in on the Aragami. She spun her scythe around as she reached the first one and swung. The Kurogane blade sliced off the Ogretail's tail and continued onto its neck as it reared up and roared in pain. She decapitated the Aragami swiftly and spun the scythe around to cut another one in two. The third finally had a chance to react, but Ruby was still faster, spinning on the balls of her feet and slicing its face in half.
Julius blinked in surprise as he processed what just happened. When he did, though, he chuckled. "Impressive!"
"Wow!" Nana was again in awe at Ruby's prowess, but she was distracted by several somethings bursting out of the ground. They were smaller than Ogretails, but still bipedal, with shiny green bodies, and a large horn on the head. "Head's up!"
"Deadpikes! Arcs up!" Julius ordered as he swung his blade, locking it with a Deadpike's horn. Quickly, he swung up, exposing the Aragami's mandibles and stabbed its face. His blade sunk deep into the Deadpike's head, easily destroying its brain. The Aragami slumped to the ground, and Julius easily removed his sword from it. Nana felt herself freeze for a moment as a Deadpike gave a hiss-like roar and charge her. But she quickly recovered and hefted her hammer high. She screamed loudly as she brought her hammer down on its head and forcibly brought the Aragami off its feet.
At the loud CRUNCH of the Deadpike's head, Nana's confidence rose a bit. Lifting her hammer again, she swung at a charging Deadpike, hitting its horn mid charge. The horn broke under the force, and the Aragami's face caved in before it was sent flying into a wall. Another came at her side, but Julius was there to slice it in half. She turned and nodded to him, and they turned to the last one, but the report of a sniper resounded, and the back of the Deadpike was destroyed.
The two looked up to see Ruby behind it, sniper already being swapped back with the scythe. She smiled at them and nodded. Julius returned the nod as Fran announced all Aragami activity had ceased.
"Good work, both of you!" he said. "Mission accomplished!" Nana's eyes widened.
"You mean…?" At Julius's nod, she cheered. "WE DID IT!" she exclaimed happily and jumped in place and hummed a victory song. Ruby giggled and walked up to them.
"Piece of cake!" Julius nodded and smiled at them.
"This was a rather easy mission, but don't let yourself get complacent," he told them. "We still need to make it back to Friar safely."
The two nodded and started to make their way to the evacuation spot when Fran's voice came through the radio. We have an Aragami signature on our scanners. It's close. she told them.
"What breed?" Julius responded.
An Ogretail. Fran answered, making Julius nod.
"Very well." He turned to Ruby and Nana and said, "Arcs up! Prepare to defend yourselves!"
"Right!" Ruby and Nana fell into stances, eyes sharp as they searched for any threats. Soon, Ruby saw a small group of Ogretails exiting an archway to their right.
"Contact!" Ruby cried as she raced forward, with Nana right behind her. The two stopped just shy of the three Aragami and prepared for battle.
"Cadets, hold fast," Julius told them as he walked up. "This is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the abilities you are to awaken." With a quick flourish of his Arc, he spun massive sword around to land in a ready stance as ethereal red energy discharged from his Arc's Control Unit, making the air around them billow out.
Suddenly, Ruby felt…energized. That was the best way she could describe it. It was like all the cells in her body suddenly lit on fire, fueling her with an incredible amount of energy. Her body shook, not in fear, but in excitement. She gazed down at herself, focusing on the feeling of bulging veins on her right arm, right around her Armlet, as a light shine resonated around her, almost like how Aura would manifest.
Nana must have been feeling the same thing, because she gazed at herself in awe. "Whoa! So awesome!"
"I executed my Blood Power to awaken the Oracle cells in your bodies," Julius explained. "Now I'm about to demonstrate a Blood Art. Stand fast!"
"What's a Blood Art?/What's Blood Power?" Nana and Ruby asked at the same time.
"Blood Powers are talents that can shift the very tide of battle in your favor," Julius explained again. "Blood Arts are innate skills, forged from the fire in your veins."
'I get it. It's kind of like Aura, but physical instead of spiritual,' Ruby thought as she listened to Julius. Blood Power was the Aura, the power to fight; and Blood Art was the Semblance, the physical manifestation of that power.
Julius brought his God Arc down, preparing to attack as more red energy discharged from the Control Unit. Air whipped around him as he tensed and prepared to launch himself forward. With a yell, he shot forward, and Ruby's eyes widened in amazement as he swung his Arc forward, a blue energy streaming from his blade as the Aragami were immediately assaulted by several wind blades, lifting them into the air and causing geysers of blood to erupt from the beasts. Julius skidded to a stop and swung his Arc down, while the Ogretails fell back to the ground, dead.
Ruby and Nana stared in amazement as Julius turned back to them. "That was a Blood Art," he said simply. The Aragami began to break down as he walked towards them. "This power within us will constantly develop and strengthen as we do. With it, we can face any Aragami." He came to a stop in front of them. "Always remember that this is a part of you. Nothing can stand against it."
The two nodded as a Fenrir chopper finally arrived. Julius noticed and said, "Let's go."
"Right!"
The three walked towards the helicopter, unaware they were being watched. "So, that's where you were hiding…Ruby…" the watcher purred from her position atop the old library, hidden from the view of the chopper, as amber eyes glowed in the shade.
Later that night, Fenrir barracks
Inside her room, Ruby was in the process of completing her nightly routine, which consisted of some quick katas from the marital art styles she had learned the past two years. It had become therapeutic for her and helped her wind down from the events of the day.
Ruby reached out and grabbed her imaginary opponent's fist and spun him around before turning and sending a rising kick to another's head. With her momentum, she spun in the air and sent an axe kick to the shoulder of another then grabbed the fist of another opponent and twisted around him until she flipped him on his back.
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she finished her late-night training. With a nod, she went to grab a change of clothes for after her shower when she saw a picture sticking out of one of her drawers. She picked it up and saw it was a picture of her and her fellow students during her martial arts training. The group of fifteen people were in a semi-circle around a tall, elderly and bald Asian man with a long grey beard wearing a gi.
"I do not see a girl ready to fight; I see a girl hiding who she is!"
Shifu was a hard man, wanting nothing less than total commitment to the arts he taught, and had initially refused to teach Ruby anything until she 'decided to be honest with herself.'
It had been a bitter truth for her to finally admit.
Growing up, she had never been the best at anything. Heck, she was total garbage. Until Yang, who was simply amazing at everything she tried. Swords, math, hand-to-hand, socializing, the list went on. Ruby, on the other hand, had to try and be good at anything. Her early years of Huntress training were filled with roadblocks, hardships, and scathing remarks, telling her she'd never be a Huntress.
Eventually, when she wasn't sure when, she began emulating the people she saw as great Huntsmen and Huntresses. Her dad, uncle, sister, and mother being the biggest ones. She measured herself against them and would take upon herself the traits she believed made them great. Even long into her time at Beacon, she still did this, albeit less severely than she did in Signal.
Her Semblance reflected it: her desire to run past the hardships, to get to the goal at the end.
But Shifu didn't accept that. He wouldn't allow her to accept that, either. He pushed her to her lowest point, forcing her to acknowledge her weakness, so that she could rebuild herself.
"It is not weakness to be weak, nor is it weakness to adapt others' styles into your own," he told her. "It is weakness, however, to deny who you are."
Ruby sighed. "I promise, Shifu," she whispered to the darkness. "I won't forget who I am. I swear it."
An: Finally complete! Hope y'all enjoyed it! Especially the end with Ruby. It's me trying to showcase the issues she had, albeit briefly, and how she has overcome them. I'll go more into detail about it in later chapters, but this is me trying to justify her already having her V9 issues resolved so she can help be a better anchor for the other God Eater casts and their issues, since a lot of them share some or a lot of the issues Ruby faced herself.
My explanation might suck, but I hope my meaning got across. Next chapter will feature a mission with Romeo, bonding time for Blood, and the introduction of Yuno! 'Till next time!