DMI: When Worlds Collide Chapter 9: Vagrant, a rwby fanfic

Just a quick reminder that I did say updates would be few and far between. I also wanted to point out that while there is a kinda-sorta timeframe involved with this story, I have no plans on sticking to any sort of set order of events. This is just a chill fanfiction. Aside from a few plot beats I know are coming (such as WeebCon and the eventual ending), I'm just gonna take it easy from here on.

…

_/_/_/_/

BOOM!
BANG!
BOOM BOOM!

I skidded to a halt on the sand and almost collapsed from exhaustion. All of my targets were hit dead-center and still rolling, but I was paying the price for my effort; stupid nose was already starting to bleed. Why was this so hard to get used to, dammit?

"Oh come on, Twinkletoes!" said that ever-present and royally annoying voice from just above me. "That all you got?"

I snarled back, "Some of us are only HUMAN, you bitch!"

"Yeah? Let me know if you see any."

I looked up and found my fellow test subject and Royal Pain In The Ass™ standing on nothing. Literally. The woman held a platform of solidified air beneath her feet by the same means that I propelled invisible energy from my limbs. Blonde mohawk shining in the fluorescent light and grinning for all the world like the cat playing with the canary, Harriet Bree pointed to the scoreboard. She'd pulled ahead by 2 seconds today.

Dammit. Of all the times to find myself slipping up. That woman did NOT need any more cause to annoy me.

["Ladies, do I really need to remind you this isn't a competition?"] said an older man over the intercom. ["These are merely time trials we use to test your grasp of the unique abilities you were born with. There are no prizes for making the best time."]

"Maybe not to you," I muttered.

"Hey, don't sweat it kid," Harriet jeered from her platform. "You're just not ready to take on a real adult."

Yeah right. I sniffed as I stood back up, "I'll remember that when they actually FIND one I can compete against."

Even without looking up, I knew Harriet was bristling at that. Good; I let myself grin as I took a ready stance at the starting line once again, waiting for those dumb targets to reorient themselves for the next round. At least I was getting faster at catching my breath, even if that was it. Small victories.

The intercom buzzed once again as the man said, ["Begin."]

_/_/_/_/

…

She blinked at the feel of the leathery couch cushions beneath her head, vastly different to the cots they'd supplied her with back at the Cage. Even compared to the old, beat up mattresses they could scrounge up in the different safe houses they could find, this was luxury. There was a little sunlight coming in through the living room windows, but even that was a shock – Ruby was used to waking up long before the sun.

No, she went by R2 now. Way too many other Rubys around to keep that name, annoying as that was.

She slowly sat up and stretched her arms over her head, wincing as both shoulders popped. Nobody else was in the living room right now, which left her alone in the space. Another thing she was not used to. Back home, having even a closet to yourself would have rightly been considered selfish… unless you were Pyrrha, in which case you got all the nice things. Yeah the poor girl kinda deserved it, but still…

R2 spared a thought for her other friends, even if most of them didn't consider her as such. The shared trauma of living at the Cage had brought them together, and only their mutual desire to not get captured again kept them that way. Blake was okay to hang out with, Weiss was a bit too touchy-feely for her tastes, and that Yang was too much of a hot head for any of them to handle; their last safe house burned to the ground cuz someone said her hair was getting split ends. Not that she was gonna name any names coughWEISScough.

But yeah, them. One of the reasons R2 didn't recognize her friends in this alternate universe was the stark difference in their attitudes. Yeah they all had the same names and faces, but that was it; these were totally different people.

Moving quietly so she didn't wake anybody up, R2 went to the bathroom to do her Morning Business™. When she came back out, that cyberpunk bitch Rube was awake and staring dumbly at the microwave.

"…"

"…" Neither girl said a word, though there were plenty of things R2 wanted to say. But it was too early. And neither of them felt like incurring the wrath of the native Ruby of this world again. Even remembering the fork scratching against glass noise was making her skin crawl all over again.

R2 grabbed a pop-tart and scarfed it down, then took a seat back at the couch where she could keep one eye on the outside world. Gradually the other residents of the house woke up and staggered out, each one making their way either to the kitchen or onto one of the various seats in the living room to complete the waking up process.

Yang joined R2 on the couch. "Mornin. You sleep alright out here?"

"Yep," said R2. "Believe me, I've had worse."

"I thought you said you lived in a 'swanky uptown apartment'?" Rube said from the kitchen where she was waiting on Weiss to fry up some eggs. Apparently she'd had her first sip of coffee and was now cognizant. Oh joy. "What, did your adjustable bed short circuit?"

Oh yeah, that nonsense.

Rather than feed her story with any more bullshit, R2 turned to face out the window and ignore the question entirely. Rube exhaled loudly through her nose and resumed the breaking of the fast.

Not long after that came the sense that someone was staring; R2 glanced over and found the normal Ruby looking at her in a similar way to Weiss from back home, like she was trying to figure out the mysteries of the universe hanging just over her head. There was a sense of accusation in her stare that R2 did not like, so she turned once again to stare out the window. Gradually the feeling of being studied wore off and she was left alone.

Nobody spoke to her again, so R2 just tuned them all out. They weren't discussing any important topics anyway. ZoomZoom needed to stop by a few places in town to form a few more of their little Rune thingys, Weiss mentioned something about making a run to the store, and they all went from there deciding who would go with whom and who would stay behind.

R2 only listened in as far as Rube was concerned; when the Ruby in black volunteered to go with Weiss, R2 immediately offered to stay at the house. Anything was better than sharing the same oxygen as that little shit.

Over the next hour or so, everyone else got ready for the day. A few showers were taken, clothes were borrowed and/or washed, and most of the residents of the house got ready for a nice, normal day in a nice, normal town.

R2 did none of those things. She stayed right where she was, eyeing each and every vehicle that drove down the street. Taking note of any and all possible hiding places within sight of the window. Studying the layouts of the neighborhood fences for possible escape routes.

There was one moment of panic as a very familiar black cargo van pulled up in front of the house across the street – R2 had her Pushes ready to fire at a moment's notice – but the driver simply got out, dropped off a box at the front door, then got back in and drove away. She let out a heavy breath as the vehicle disappeared.

"So which is it?" said a sudden, quiet voice from nearby. "Swanky apartment or always on the run?"

R2 turned to find the normal Ruby sitting next to her on the couch. Where and how she appeared was a bit of a mystery, but what mattered was that she clearly noticed how tense R2 had been just now. And she was the only one who got even a hint of the actual truth before their big pow-wow yesterday, so it made sense that she would have her doubts now.

"I…" R2 looked away, then scratched the back of her head and coughed, "I just didn't want that Daft Punk Bitch to have anything to hold over my head."

Ruby's gaze did not waver. "So you lied?"

"Yeah… but in my defense, I've done that a lot in the last few months. Kinda become a habit."

Ruby said nothing for a moment, and R2 blinked as she finally noticed they were alone in the house. "Everyone else went out for a bit," said Ruby. "Now's your chance to come clean."

"I said-"

"You haven't said anything yet," Ruby cut her off. "All you've given any of us is excuses and stories. Just tell me the truth. We're all on the same team here, Ruby."

R2 blinked at hearing her own name. She smirked, "Why does that name sound weird coming from you…?"

Ruby shrugged, but her stern face was also starting to slip. "Made ya smile, though."

"Not a common feat, I assure you."

"Then tell me," said Ruby. She leaned further back, making herself comfy on the couch without breaking eye contact. It was still weird to see so many other silver eyes besides her own, and having one set staring at her like this didn't help. "Tell me more about yourself. And not something you made up just to impress me."

R2 finally sighed and pulled her attention away from the window, deflating into the couch. "Sorry. I… I've had a lot of trust issues… over the years."

"I want you to trust me. To trust all of us. While I can't speak for each of the lookalikes on their own-"

"I'd sooner Push that cyber-bitch off a cliff than tell her any of my secrets."

"Yeah, I noticed," Ruby giggled. "But like it or not, we're all in this together until somebody finds a way to get you guys home."

"…"

"Though I can speak for Weiss when I say that if you two start fighting in the house, you'll likely end up either hog-tied and tossed in the garage… or made to share the same bed."

"Et tu, Brutus?"

"If it works, it works."

"Fine," R2 chuffed, then stood up and started pacing a little. "But just so we're clear, my trust issues are well-founded. None of those other guys get to hear this… just you. Is that good enough?"

"It is. We've got about an hour before Weiss gets home from the store with the others – I'm guessing – but I don't know how long Zoom might need to take…"

"I think she said… er, they said… they needed to hit several points all over town. If Zoom was on her own, she'd probably be done by now."

Ruby glanced out the window, "Garnet and Foxy wanted to go with them as well. Something about getting to know the town a bit better. Even with their insane speeds-"

"Which I have yet to see for myself," R2 pointed out.

"-they'd still be out for most of the day." Ruby crossed her legs and smiled in a way that reminded R2 of Pyrrha, from back home. That girl was one of the few who could actually get Yang the Hothead to chill out without using literal ice. Ruby gestured to R2's seat and said, very kindly, "Take your time. I'll listen."

…

*brrrrring* "Yello?"

["…"]

"Weiss, I don't speak Angry Bear. If you need to tell me something, use English."

["If I knew… or had any idea… that these people would had the same fashion sense as your sister…"]

"Pfft… That bad, huh?"

["You have no idea. No goddamn idea. I thought you were bad, but now I'm dealing with… with…"]

"Which one tried to buy the shirt with the hot dog patterns?"

["ALL OF THEM DID! ! !"]

"Oh lawd…"

["And don't even get me started on shoes! How someone like Garnet can leave the house without a bucket over his head is a total mystery to me!"]

"Weiss come on, just… *snicker* …just hold it together. All they need is the basics, right?"

["I'm glad you find enjoyment in my suffering."]

"It does brighten my day a little.~"

["Whatever. I gotta go redirect everybody before we get too close to the pet shop."]

"Smart move. Later!"

["…"] *click*

…

"So, uhh…" R2 tried not to stand up and pace, but it was a tough battle. "You remember what I can do, right? My… 'Pushes'?"

"Mmhmm," said Ruby.

"Well it might surprise you to learn that not everyone is born with an ability like that. At least not where I'm from," R2 shook her head as she tried to organize her thoughts. "I don't remember much of my early childhood, but I do recall giving my dad a good scare when I accidentally Pushed him off his feet without being anywhere near him."

"That would do it," said Ruby with a chuckle. She was obviously picturing it.

"From that point on, I just remember the Cage."

"…cage?"

"We called it the Birdcage, but it's full name is the… uh… the Baker Institute of Research and Development, a Center for the study of Abnormal Gestation and Evolution-"

"Gud gawd that's a mouthful."

"Tell me about it. The point is it's a big laboratory where they gathered up a bunch of kids with powers like me for 'testing.'" R2 made air quotes at the last word. "We were all pretty much guinea pigs, and for all I could tell they were trying to turn us into their own personal army of super soldiers. It was hell in the beginning, but somehow most of us made it to our teenage years."

"…" Ruby looked like she wanted to ask what she meant by 'most' but held herself back. Good. That was a part of her memory R2 didn't want to dig up.

She took a breath and continued. "A few months ago we all found the opportunity to slip out – there was a, I think, gap in the security systems, I don't remember the details – and we got outta there fast, let me tell ya. Fortunately Weiss… I mean, my Weiss… has a good eye for abandoned places we could hide in, although my Yang is almost impossible to live with."

Ruby snorted a laugh. "And that's different from me how?"

R2 gave her a deadpan stare. "Does your Yang blow up a building just for getting pissed off?"

Ruby's laughing died quick.

"She has what the Cage techs called Pyromancy; her emotions can produce actual fire out of nothing. Trouble is she's got a real short temper, so we all gotta tread carefully around her. Weiss has a weaker form of telepathy, mind reading, but she has to make skin contact to make it work. My Blake can, like, phase through walls."

There was a beat of silence, neither redhead speaking, before Ruby suddenly said, "So… you guys are the X-Men?"

R2 burst out laughing, almost rolling onto the floor. "HA! Ahahaha, oh God that is too funny! I fucking WISH we were that cool!"

"So no one with…snrk…laser eyes, then? Or metal claws?" Ruby held back her own laughter with an effort.

"Nope," R2 popped the 'p' as she sat back up, wiping her eyes. "Just a bunch of scared kids who don't wanna get caught and brought back… to our prison…"

Nobody laughed again. In fact, the mood of the entire room seemed to deflate.

"Sorry," said Ruby. She sighed and looked away. "I'm sure it's not fun to have to dig up all of that stuff again."

"Well you did ask." R2 stood up and stretched again, eyeing the fridge. "And I kinda owed you the truth as an apology for lying to everyone. You've done nothing but put up with my bullshit this whole time, you and your sister."

"Oh yeah," Ruby also stood up and followed her into the kitchen. "You said your Yang wasn't actually related to you, right?"

"Ah, so you were paying attention," R2 leaned into the fridge and grabbed two Mountain Dews, handed one to Ruby and sauntered back over to the couch. "Yeah, we're basically strangers. As long as she's in a good mood we get along fine, but if something rubs her the wrong way…"

"…Boom?"

"Boom."

"Duly noted," Ruby popped her can open and they took a long glug, both girls giving near identical belches when done. The unified noises made them giggle again.

After a moment, R2 said, "So…"

"So…" parroted Ruby.

"You mentioned the X-Men… I take it you're a comic book fan of sorts?"

A twinkle appeared in Ruby's silver eye. "You might say thaaaaaat.~"

"Mayhap you might possess a small… collection?"

"Enough to fill one box to the point that even Yang can't pick it up easily."

"OooOOooh… And would it be a safe bet that this world probably has entirely different issues than mine?"

Ruby put a finger to her chin, still grinning, "Well… considering the fact that you assumed all internet was still dial-up, I'd say it is indeed a safe bet."

Rube's comment about dinosaurs came to mind, causing R2 to drop her smile. "Yeeeeeeah… you're gonna have to bring me up to speed on all that. I've practically been living in a cave for most of my life."

"I mean, fair enough." Ruby put up one finger, "But comics first."

"Naturally." R2's grin came back in full force as she followed Ruby back to her bedroom. You know… maybe this world ain't so bad after all.

…

"This world SUUUUUUCKS!" Ruby lamented as she rode to work. On her day off.

Stupid Cardin calling in sick when he definitely didn't mean it… stupid Mr Ebi calling her in to help train the new guy… stupid deep fryer… stupid hamburgers… stupid- no, Ilia wasn't stupid. She was an angel. If not for her Ruby would've likely burned the place to the ground by now, accident or not.

She pedaled at a reasonable speed – they weren't desperate for her help just yet – and tried not to let herself get too angry at the unfairness of it all. She and R2 were finally connecting on something other than their shared faces, and now this happens? No fair. Granted they did get to dig into her collection, and Ruby got to experience the immense satisfaction of seeing a total newbie get immersed into a new and magical world of imagination, and even got to chat for almost a full two hours before that stupid text came in.

R2 assured her she would take care not to damage any of the picture books while Ruby was gone. And for once, Ruby believed her. In fact, she believed everything they'd talked about. That annoying sense of distrust had faded to a point where she couldn't really see it anymore. And that was enough to make her smile.

Eventually Ruby reached the Whataburger and parked her bike, locking it up on the rack before heading inside. The sun hadn't fully gone past the horizon, so thankfully it wasn't too cold yet. Quite a few cars sat in the parking lot, more than usual, a dreary indicator of how tonight was looking to play out. Lots of cars meant lots of hungry customers. And lots of shouts and general panic in the kitchen. Oh goody.

After getting her stuff put away in a locker and clocking in for the night, Mr Ebi called out to her, "Ah there you are Ruby. This is Michael. You and Ilia will be training him on the fryer tonight."

Ruby had heard about this new hire a few times by now, so she'd had plenty of time to form an image of what he might look like in her mind; she expected to either find a short, dumpy guy with broken glasses and acne or an older man who just needed a side job to afford his car insurance payments but was otherwise too stiff to function in a fact-paced kitchen like this one. Either or.

What she found instead was… was…

"Hey there," said the most gorgeous boy Ruby had ever seen. The fluorescent lights overhead almost seemed to be sparkling in his presence. "Nice to meet you."

"Murgle," said Ruby eloquently. She shook her head hard and tried again, "I mean, uh… hi. Welcome to Whataburger… I guess…"

He stood almost a foot taller than Ruby, dark skin indicating he was likely bi-racial, with the most beautiful pale-blue eyes that shone like a midday sky. A mop of black hair sat on his head, already tied back and covered with a hair net as per regulations. Michael extended a hand and Ruby accepted, a quaint gesture but still familiar enough to a kid like her. He smiled, "You can just call me Marrow. All my friends do."

Ruby raised one eyebrow, "I hope there's a good story behind that name."

"Nothing special I'm afraid. I needed some bone marrow treatments after a surgery back in my freshman year, and when they found out, well, everyone just started calling me Marrow. And it kinda stuck."

"I see." Ruby could already feel her heart pounding in her chest when Michael… Marrow… gave her a big, toothy smile.

Hmm… this will either be the best night of my life… or the worst.

…

Author's Note: I'll mainly be adding to this story whenever I need to untangle my thoughts around other projects or generally just unwind – in this case, I'm still coming off the high of bringing Imu to a close, and I need a cooldown. Again, I have no intention of following a strict timetable after this point, as that's more work than I wanna put into it. This one's just for fun.

(Insert R2 bio here, now that we finally get the truth)

Right now my plan is to work on at least one more chapter here before going back to my other stuff, two if I get into the mood again. I also plan to finally add a cover image if I can knock the rust out of my drawing hand (maybe some WD-40 will help?). Anywho, see you in the next one!

=^..^=