RWBY: Shadows of Light

by B.D. Skunkworks

"I want to be a Guardian..." Those are the words that Ruby Rose has lived her life by; to protect those that cannot protect themselves. After proving her mettle in an unforeseen battle, she is invited to The Tower by The Speaker himself to live her dream. It is here that she not only learns the secrets of the Light, but of a threat that could destroy all of humanity's Golden Age...

28. Legend 28- The Unknown Battleground

-Legend 28-

-The Unknown Battleground-

….

"And…" Ruby gripped the screwdriver in her hand and gave it a final twist. "...done!"

She handed off the tool to her Ghost, who tucked it away into his transmat beam. "Thanks, partner. Great work as always!"

"You got it!" Zwei chirped happily.

Ruby looked down on the table where her beloved Crescent Rose lie. Freshly tuned and oiled, The Red Death was at its absolute killing peak. Ruby turned her pulse rifle around to its other side. "Think you can get to work on that new inscription?" she said, tapping the barrel just behind the gun's mounted blade.

"Done in a snap, Ruby!"

As Zwei focused his narrowed beam upon the weapon, Ruby looked about the large locker room she was in.

The rookie Guardians had begun to file in now, several dozen of them scattered about the spacious room. They were all quite well-equipped, Ruby thought. Though no one here was above rank ten, there were some pretty powerful weapons on display. Ruby noted the more lethal among them. 'That Trax Mallus looks nasty…' she thought then.

Ruby's gaze then was met with a good number of her very future opponents looking right back at her. They huddled together and whispered among themselves. Said whispers carrying truly to Ruby's Hunter ears.

"Why would they let that thing in the tournament?"

"How the hell are we supposed to compete against The Red Death!?"

"This thing is fucking rigged…"

"I think they're afraid of you," Zwei said.

"Their problem," Ruby sneered.

Zwei then put the finishing touches on his work. "That should about do it."

Ruby ran a finger over the fresh silver-lettered engraving.

Red Like Death

"Thanks, Ozpin," Ruby smiled fondly to herself.

The room had begun to fill with the rookie contingent proper now as the noise level in the place rose significantly. Another look and Ruby finally found one of her persons of interest. "Yang!"

The blonde Titan made her way through the gathering crowd, turning the heads of many of the male contingent in her wake. "Hey Rubes…"

Ruby noticed not only her sister's somewhat listless tone, but also the fact that her eyes were red.

And not because she was angry.

"You alright?" Ruby asked. "I didn't hear you come in last night…"

"Yeah, I'm good."

Ruby frowned slightly. "You sure?"

Setting her hands on her hips, did Yang inhale deeply through her nose. Her eyes open again she said, "Yep, better than good!" She folded her arms. "So, you seem awfully chipper this morning, little sis!"

"Yup!" Ruby chirped. "No more of that awkward small talk and getting to know you stuff! Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking." She raised her pulse rifle, its barrel and blade pointing to the ceiling. Ruby rocked the action. "And she has a lot to say…"

Many of the scene's onlookers grimaced.

Just then, did another familiar face make itself apparent.

"Oh, hey Jaune!" Ruby called.

The Titan stopped in his tracks as he espied Ruby's familiar red and black hair. "Hey, Ruby," he said. He walked over, his eyes falling on Yang along the way.

"So Jaune, you ready to rumble?" Ruby said, throwing a flurry of friendly punches at him.

"More like ready to be rumbled!" he laughed. "I know what that weapon of yours can do."

"Don't worry, kid. I'll take her down before she gets to you," Yang said, hand cannon aimed comically.

Jaune nodded. His laughter then trailed off as a wave of realization washed over him. "Wait a second...Are you...Yang Xiao Long?"

"Nothin' but," she responded, hands on hips.

Juaune's eyes narrowed. "The Yang Xiao Long, who beat the hell out of those bouncers at that night club?"

Yang looked only slightly admonished. "That was a long time ago."

"Traveler…"

"What?"

Jaune looked uneasily down at his boots. "I just thought...um...that you were a guy…"

Yang smirked at this. "Most guys do."

Just then, did the room's PA system crackle to life:

"Good morning and attention rookies!" Shaxx's amplified voiced washed over the assembly. "The briefing for your upcoming event is due to start in twenty minutes! Please make your way to the cliff of the forest. Those tardy will be excluded from the battle royale! Now, off you trot!"

"Well, guess I'll see you girls around," Jaune said in parting. "Now where are Nora and Dove…"

Ruby and Yang began to make their way to the door, merging with the outgoing throng. And there along the way, did they meet the third of their unit.

"Ah, Guten Morgen, Team Rosenkreuz." Weiss offered a Warlock salute to the both of them.

"Looking dapper, as always, princess," Yang said.

Ruby nodded agreement, her smile beaming.

As the three of them joined the crush of their comrades and competitors, Yang, smiling all the while, said: "Guess I'll be the one to address the elephant in the room and say, that this thing is a free-for-all. So if I see either of you girls out there…"

Weiss, her own smile in place said: "Worry not. I will offer you no quarter, and ask for none in return."

Ruby giggled at this. "With all that money you have, Weiss, do you really need another quarter?"

Sharing a laugh at this, did they make for the forest cliff.

…..

And just a few minutes and a small hike from there, did the one hundred-and- nine Guardians of the rookie contingent find themselves on the cliff overlooking the Ishtar forest.

Ruby, along with many of her peers, took a cautious peek just over the edge of the cliff, seeing the great coagulation of the trees' foliage below them. Being spread horizontally along the cliff side as they were, Ruby could look to her left and right and see her opponents fanned out either side of her. Yang was just to her immediate left, her trusty Hoss Mk.51 already in hand. Weiss a ways down- maybe ten or so spaces- to her right. It was here that she indeed got an eyeful of the Gunslinger just next to her.

"Little Red Riding Death," did he say smoothly. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Again…"

"You're the leader of Fireteam Trinity, right?" Ruby said, eyeing the Renegade Mk.55 on his hip.

"That would be me," Vashyron said offhandedly. "Somethin' I gotta tell ya; those were some moves you and your sister put on my teammates back in Basic Training."

"My ears must be burning," Yang said, sashaying over to the scene. "Or am I mistaken?"

"And….Helloooooo, Dragon…." Vashyron crooned as he rubbed his chin.

"My eyes are up here, big boy," Yang purred, seeing the trajectory Vashyron's own eyes had taken. "But I don't blame you for looking."

Further flirtation was cut short by the transmat arrival of none other than the event's host, Lord Shaxx himself.

Every Guardian on the cliff jumped to attention.

Ruby noticed then that the man's image was but holographic, his doppelgangers spaced evenly along the cliff, affording everyone in attendance a clear look at him.

"Good afternoon, and welcome, rookies!" was the collective roar of his holograms.

"Good afternoon, Lord Shaxx!" was the concerted reply.

Hands set authoritatively on his hips, did Shaxx launch into his speech: "While I've no doubt the lot of you have read the rules and guidelines via the link you received on the CCN, I will again give you a condensed version of the finer and more important points."

A brief pause here as attentive quiet settled over the rookies.

"Firstly and foremost; this is a single elimination event! No revives; no second chances. If you're down, you're out! For the Sunsingers among you, know that your self-resurrection Supers are indeed off limits."

Nods of understanding from several of the rookies.

"Next, know that this is a free-for-all, battle royale! Meaning that there are no alliances. No truces! You see a Guardian, you engage, no questions asked. Timidity will be met with instant disqualification!"

More nods from the rookies.

"And lastly, my favorite bit! I'm sure many of you are wondering how you'll be entering the arena. To answer that question, just look behind you."

Ruby turned about and saw there on the ground, a rectangular metal plate emblazoned with the coat of arms of the CCN. Its purpose however, behooved her.

Shaxx filled them soon enough.

"Those," he said dramatically, "are launchpads!" Taking in the many questioning looks from the rookies, did he elaborate...somewhat.

"The lot of you will be making a grand aerial entrance into the Ishtar Forest. I hope your landing strategies are in order." The Crucible master looked over his charges. "Are there any questions?"

Jaune, three spaces down from Yang, raised his hand. "Yeah, um..sir-"

"-Good!" did Shaxx boom. "Now, everyone, take your positions!"

Ruby stepped back, settling her boots upon the steel plate beneath her. She then became aware of a swarm of Ghost cameras that puttered up from the cliff. They buzzed about the assembly, taking in their various personages. Next to her, Ruby saw Yang don her purple pilot shades and make heavy metal horns at a camera that hovered up to her face.

Ruby then found a rather fair number of the little Ghosts had converged upon her, mostly focused on the infamous weapon now in her hands.

And just then, with no warning, did Ruby see a Guardian flying through the air; and at some velocity.

All around her, combatants were launched at random, them sailing over the treetops of the forest. Ruby pulled her hood over her head and bent her knees, preparing for the launch that could come any second.

While her eyes were locked firmly on the sky she would soon be occupying, Juane's continued questions to Shaxx reached Ruby's ears.

"Uh...sir? I've got a...question…"

Shaxx looked to him.

"Uh, so this…. 'landing strategy' thing. What is it, exactly? You're like dropping us off or something?"

The air was then thick with flying Guardians.

"No," did Shaxx say simply. "You will be falling."

"Oh...I see. So...did you hand out parachutes for us?"

"No. You will be using your own landing strategy."

Ruby could hear the mechanisms in Yang's plate next to her engage, and then, with a final wink, was her sister sent sailing.

Ruby's own plate beneath her clicked into motion. And braced for the launch, was Ruby propelled into the forest that was to be their battleground.

…..

Weiss was flying.

Well technically, she was actually falling.

With style.

Her Void Glide activated at economic and strategic intervals, was she able to somewhat safely infiltrate the canopy of the forest's treetops. A final burst of propulsive energy saw her feet again contacting the ground as she looked about for her bearings.

"Windig, give me a reading. How may have made landfall thus far?"

"Roughly...forty-seven, and counting," did her Ghost beep.

"Can you ping any nearby Guardians?"

"Negative. My location ability has been restricted for this event."

"Of course…"

Weiss readied her primary weapon, The Arsenic Bite -4b, and made off into the forest at a trot.

The thing that immediately met her was...forest.

Fitting, given the environment.

A few roots and tree trunks later, is when she heard it.

GRUUWAHHH! GRUUWAHHH!

Weiss stopped in her tracks, her bow raised. "Windig, what was that?"

Said Windig after a contemplative silence: "I'm not sure. It kind of sounded like a...sloth?"

Weiss turned in a slow circle, her every sense on alert. And then-

"Watch it!"

She sprang backwards, just in time to avoid a trail of fire that bloomed just where she was standing.

"Thermite…" Weiss breathed.

And from the trees there came, "Aha! You activated my trap card!"

A Guardian fell from the branches above and landed just a few yards from Weiss. She righted herself and primed a level-purple grenade launcher that Weiss recognized as 'Bushwhacker'.

"Who is she?" Weiss said to her Ghost.

"Nora Valkyrie. Leader of Fireteam Mjollnir."

"She's Mercurian then…"

The red-haired girl cracked a wicked grin. "Never thought I'd see the day I get to fight a Schnee!"

"Then count yourself lucky," Weiss said, drawing back the string of her bow. She unleashed with no preamble, the Arc arrow on deadly course with Nora's smiling face.

Nora, using her powerful weapon as a means of defense, swatted aside the projectile as though it were a fly. ""You think your girly little arrows scare me?" Her body then came alight with Solar energy. "I'll show you a real weapon!"

Weiss notched another arrow, but it was her curiosity at the spectacle before her that prevented its release.

Nora peaked her bodily fire with a sonorous war cry, and a mighty weapon was born in her hands.

KDOON!

Weiss found herself facing down a Titan wielding an enormous hammer of pure fire. "What kind of…?!"

"Here comes the Boop, beotch!" With a leap, did Nora slam the hammer down, sending a column of fire at her opponent.

Weiss, cornered and panicked, attempted to Glide over the attack. The burning twister caught her feet in mid air, sending her hurtling backwards, her momentum only stopped by slamming into a nearby tree.

Sprawled on the ground, did Weiss grit her teeth. "I seriously need to learn how to Blink…" she growled.

"Weiss, move!"

She launched herself from her lowly position, just in time to avoid another column of fire that incinerated the tree that she had collided with.

Nora cackled. "C'mon! Show me somethin', Princess!"

Weiss then stowed her weaponry. She lit a spark of Void energy in each of her palms, the same energy that now danced in her eyes. Weiss levitated just foot off the ground as her Void power peaked.

This elicited a, "Oooooh," from the fiery Titan before her. "You look like fun!"

And she charged, flaming hammer held high.

Weiss collected the sparks in her hands, combining them into a single enormous bolt of energy. She unleashed her Nova Bomb at Nora, who raised her weapon, looking to swat the thing out of the air.

"Lance!"

At it's castor's word, did the Void projectile double in its velocity. Nora was too late to raise her defense, and was obliterated by the Nova Bomb. Several trees were also destroyed in the Void explosion.

"Excellent work, my Lady." did Windig say. "Bit of a shame that we shot our Super wad so early though…"

"No need to fret. I've more where that came from."Void Edge now in hand, did Weiss make off again into the forest.

…..

"Neo, mate, you're watching the wrong screen."

Cozy in their deluxe Venusian hotel suite, were Fireteam Lilysteel watching the events of the battle royale on their 70-inch monitor.

"Oho! She's not getting up from that one!" Velvet exclaimed at seeing a Warlock take a throwing knife to the face.

Velvet looked to her partner sat next to her.

Neo, in a somewhat private sense, had her knees tucked up to her chest, her scroll resting upon them as she tapped and swiped across the screen. She seemed completely unaware of Velvet's gaze upon her. Neo, with some semblance of apparent care, dragged her finger across the screen in a precise pattern, her smile growing all the time.

Velvet leaned over, looking at Neo's screen. "Juan Arc?" she said. "Why are you tuned into that tosser's feed?"
Neo hugged the scroll to her chest, eyes suddenly wide.

Yoko, who was leaning over the back of the love seat the two were sharing, deftly snatched the scroll from Neo's hands. "She's right, you could be watching much better fighters. Why this guy?"

Neo shot up, standing on the seat's cushion, and made a grab for her scroll, her face scarlet.

The agile Hunter she was, did Yoko dance out of reach. She swiped across the scroll's screen a few times. "What's with all the screenshots? They date back to the start of the tournament weekend..." Yoko's statement trailed off into mirthful realization. "Awwww! Lookie! She drew little hearts around him and everything!"

Neo hopped over the love seat, her face now searing crimson.

Yoko tossed the scroll over to Velvet. "She even wrote a poem!" she squealed.

Neo frantically grabbed for her scroll.

"My Jaune, my Arc

entranced me from the start.

My Jaune, my Arc

Champion of my heart…"

Neo slouched against the love seat now. Her legs slid out from under her as she planted her butt on the floor in defeat.

Yoko sat down next to her, slinging an arm around her teammate's shoulders. "Aw, c'mon, Trivia, we're just funnin' with ya," she said, nuzzling Neo's cheek. "Nothing wrong with having a crush at all!"

"I mean, sure," Velvet said, sitting on Neo's other side, "maybe he can't fight worth a damn, but he sure isn't hard to look at."

Neo smiled, though it exposed none of her teeth.

"Better shoot your shot quick though," Velvet followed. "After the tournament, he ships off back to Mercury with the rest of his team."

Neo wiped her eyes and then signed out, 'You both suck'.

"Too true," Yoko said, pecking Neo on the cheek.

They all rose as they situated themselves again on the love seat. "Velvet, tune into Ruby Rose's feed." Yoko rested her chin on her folded hands. "I wanna see what the niece of The Red Witch can do…"

…...

Yang was primed for a fight.

Hoss Mk.51 loaded.

Solar energy peaked.

And there wasn't a soul around for miles.

"Give me an update, Celica," She said to her Ghost. "What's the body count?"

"That's forty-check that-forty-one down already. They're dropping pretty fast."

"Weiss and Ruby?"

"Still in it."

"Cool."

Yang broke a treeline, walking into a bit of a clearing. "Helloooooo!" she called for anyone to hear. "Is anyone out there?" She came to a halt. "I'm getting bored here…."

As if in answer, was there suddenly a rustle from a nearby bush. Yang, hand cannon raised, investigated. She cautiously parted the foliage. "Ruby, is that you?" She then beheld who was waiting in that bush. "Noooo-pe!"

Her then assailant launched a surprise attack, springing knife-first at Yang's throat. Yang rolled to the side, her new Copperhead Mk.32 shotgun ready in her hands.

The attacker launched a follow-up attack. But a swift shotgun blast followed by a standing front kick saw them pushed back.

After this exchange, was Yang able to identify her opponent. "Riku, Team Celsius…"

The spunky Blade Dancer split into a Cheshire-wide smile. "You're Yang Xiao Long, right?"

"That's me."

"So you're like, half-Asian, right?"

"Name says it all." Yang pumped her shotgun. "This going somewhere?"

"Gosh, you're even prettier in person!"

Yang nodded sideways. "Thanks…"

"Your hair is super pretty," Riku said then. "Where do you buy your extensions?"

Yang's eyes narrowed. "This is my natural length…"

"Have you ever played Blitzball?"

Yang's head was spinning now. "Played what now?"

The young Hunter giggled. "A sport played underwater. You gotta hold your breath for a really long time. I don't think you'd be any good though."

"And why's that?"

She giggled again. "Because you're so…" she cupped her minimal chest, "Top-heavy."

Yang looked down at her own chest. "Top-heavy? Are you...making fun of my breasts?" Sparks of fire crackled from her body. "You wish you had a pair of bitties like these, you bird-chested bitch!"

Yang charged the girl outright, shotgun forgotten.

Riku, true to her subclass's namesake, danced around Yang's attacks, then launching one of her own. She unholstered dual sidearms, two Hawkwood-A's, and unloaded at close range.

Yang was forced back from the barrage. Although, given the strength of her armor, the assault from the two tiny firearms was more akin to being pelted with pebbles, which only served to annoy her.

Showing her lack of bother from the attack did Yang ask, "By the way, you wouldn't happened to have seen a girl wearing a red hood, have you?"

Riku again barraged her with her dual Hawkwoods.

"You could just say no!"

The two exchanged heated gunfire. Yang unloaded while on the move, but Riku danced around her bullets with apparent ease.

Yang slid behind a tree, using the cover to reload her hand cannon. "Celica, she's fast. Like...weird fast! What gives?"

"Check the footwear,"

Yang peeked around her chosen cover, zeroing in on the Blade Dancer's feet. "No way…" she breathed. "Are those Radiant Dance Machines!?"

Riku did a cocky little shuffle. "You like?"

Yang huffed a breath. "So Ruby isn't the only rookie with a level-gold…"

Just then, a throwing knife stuck into the ground just off to Yang's side.

"Nice shot!" Yang taunted.

"Uh, Yang…" Celica warned.

Yang suddenly became aware of the beeping that reached her ears. "Oh sh-"

The explosion blew her from her cover.

Tumbling into the open, Yang tossed a Flashbang grenade.

The explosion missed her opponent by some distance, but she only needed it to be a distraction.

One that Riku didn't fall for.

Before Yang could breathe, was Riku on her, launching a flurry of knife strikes.

But Yang was un-flustered.

The bitch was in her wheelhouse now.

Her shot gauntlets ready, Yang tucked into her puncher's stance. Her upper body swayed like a metronome as she weaved around her opponents attacks. She played dare as the knife whizzed by her face by mere inches.

Sensing an opening, Yang countered. A burst of Solar energy sent Riku back several meters.

Yang let out a triumphant laugh. "Haha! Geez, bitch!" she laughed. "You couldn't hit the broad side of a bar…"

And that's when she saw it.

A strand.

A singular strand.

Of her…

Meticulously brushed….

Perfectly conditioned…

Lustrously moisturized …

Long…

Golden…

Hair…

It fluttered to the ground, as if in slow motion.

Yang shuddered as her muscles quaked.

Celica popped out of her head, and said to the hapless Hunter, "Ya dun fucked up, bitch…"

"You...MONSTER!"

Yang went absolutely nuclear on the poor girl.

No defense in this world or any other would spare Riku of the Titan's wrath.

Her blows were lightning-quick; a flurry of fists and feet. And of elbows and knees. Yang pummeled every inch of the girl she could reach, her Solar energy scorching the skin on contact.

A final blow saw the girl disintegrated, her Ghost flying free from her body.

"Hey!"

Yang whirled around, her red eyes landing on her next opponent.

The black-clad Striker known as Paine eyed the shell of her teammate's Ghost. "I thought you could do this with you eyes closed…" she drawled.

Yang was in no mood. "What?! You want some, too!?"

This got Paine's attention. Her body coursed with Arc energy as she readied her sword, the level-blue Rest for the Wicked (Void Affinity). "Bring it, Punk!"

Yang turned, her assault imminent. But then at once…

Did her Solar Light go dead.

Her breath short, did she reach lamely, for something that had apparently hit her in the back. Her eyes rolled into her head and she toppled forward, Celica marking the place where she fell.

Paine watched as her team leader plucked her Solar throwing knife from the ground where Yang previously stood. She beheld Yuna's confident smirk then. "I could have taken her," Paine said deadpan.

Yuna now, knife in one hand, hand cannon in the other, cloaked herself in Solar Light. "Yeah, but can you take me?"

Paine, in answer, charged forward.

….

'You can only move…

as fast as…

who's in front of you…'

Zwei, at Ruby's request, played this song in her head as she trundled through the forest. She hopped over roots; weaved around trunks, all while never slowing her trot.

'And if you assume…

just like them…

what good will it do…?'

Crescent Rose was primed in her hands; throwing knives ready in their holster; grenades primed. All she needed was a target.

And she soon got several.

'So find out for yourself…

so your ignorance…

will stop bleeding through…'

In a clearing just ahead, did she see them. A group of four Guardians huddled around the space. Ruby crouched at the base of a nearby tree as she picked up their conversation.

"This alliance is against the rules, isn't it?" said the Titan among them.

"This isn't an alliance," said who Ruby recognized as Zephyr of Team Trinity. "No favorites here. Might I remind you there were six of us just a minute ago?"

"Your teammate being one of them," chided a Lady Warlock.

"Details," said Zephyr.

"Once we off the Queen bee, it's back to business, yea?" said the second Titan of the group, his vertebrae cracking as he flicked his head shoulder-to-shoulder.

"What do you think, Ruby?" Zwei said over the music he was playing. "Look like fun?"

'Youuuuu….

can breathe…..'

In answer, Ruby unsheathed her silver hunting knife. Then, conducting a small spark of Arc Light, did she activate her camo. She walked in a silent crouch, approaching the Warlock girl that had her back turned.

"The way I see this going-" The rest of Zephyr's statement was left hanging as his head snapped upwards, his Hunter senses fully engaged.

"Ah shit," The four Guardians readied their weapons. "Zephyr, what is it?"

"Cloaking. Probably a Blade Dancer."

"You think it's...her?" said the Warlock.

"Find out soon enough." Zephyr raised his Philippis-B Submachine gun. "Fan out."

They did so, spreading out in all directions. Luckily, Ruby's target hadn't moved an inch.

'...Todayyyyy!'

"Hey, if you're so sure about-" The Warlock never finished her statement.

Ruby had slit her throat by then.

The action dropped her cloaking and she was suddenly and blatantly visible to everyone, the Warlock's Ghost at her feet.

"Take her out!" was Zephyr's cry.

'Somebody-

lies waiting-

around you-

You're suffocating!'

The two Titans opened up with Auto Rifle fire. Ruby dashed horizontally to them, returning fire from Crescent Rose.

Zephyr cut off Ruby's path with a well-placed Swarm Grenade.

But she was ready.

VROON!

She Blinked through the swarm of explosives. Knife now in hand, and still in mid-air, did she deliver a deadly precision strike to the back of her target's neck.

The Titan crumbled.

'In the empty-

shape that you-

still sharpen-

You're suffocating!'

The second Titan timed her landing and charged Ruby outright.

TWULAT! TWULAT! TWULAT! The rounds from Crescent Rose glanced off the Titan's shield of lightning. At full speed now, did he put his momentum into a powerful shoulder charge. SHOOON!

Ruby flared her bodily Light to absorb what impact she could, but she was still sent back some number of meters. Her bones still rattling, did she grimace, "Traveler- dammit, that hurt!"

But she would have no time recover.

The Titan, seeing his quarry reeling, charged into his Fist of Havoc Super; his body traveling in a heavy parabola toward his target.

'Somebody-

lies waiting-

around you-'

Facing down the Titan's approach, Ruby held her nerve. She raised Crescent Rose, not to fire but…

His velocity now terminal, the Titan could not avoid the trap Ruby had set. Stock braced against the ground, Ruby rolled onto her back, angling the razor sharp bayonet of her Pulse Rifle upwards.

And the Titan impaled himself upon it.

'-You're suffocating!'

This action was not without blow-back, however. There was still discharged a great flare of Arc energy at the Super's epicenter. Ruby was able to conduct most of it into her bodily Light layer, but the rest set her skin buzzing.

Zephyr's grenade didn't help much either.

Galvanized into motion by this new attack, Ruby Blinked across the clearing, putting distance between her and her opponent.

'Big enough to fill the void

that's in front of you…'

Ruby loaded a fresh magazine into Crescent Rose and stepped out from behind her cover.

And Zephyr was there on the clearing's other side, his Gunslinger eyes bright and calculating. "I'm gonna blow you away!" did he say.

Ruby shouldered The Red Death. The two Hunters squared off, ready to engage at a moment's notice.

'It's just a breath away…'

Ruby moved first, loosing a throwing knife at her target's face.

Zephyr evaded this, bending his upper body forward. He unloaded a stream of bullets at Ruby, their impacts nipping at her heels as she ran.

'Somebody-

lies waiting-

around you-'

Ruby tossed a Skip Grenade.

Zephyr saw this and shot the thing out of the air, the munitions exploding well above him.

But he had taken his eyes off Ruby.

VROON!

Her Blink Strike hit only air as Zephyr rolled to the side. He fired his Roderic-C sidearm as Ruby was still off balance from her whiffed attack.

'You're suffocating!'

Ruby took two shots to her left leg, the pain causing her to cry out.

'BREEEEEAATTHEE!'

Zephyr closed in, Submachine gun and Sidearm cracking in tandem.

With a cry, did Ruby reach for her knife, activating her Arc Blade Super.

'BREEEEEAATTHEE!'

She swatted the torrent of bullets out of the air as she sprinted flat out at the charging Gunslinger.

'Somebody-

lies waiting!'

In range now, did Ruby launch into a flurry of electric fury, her knife crackling through the air.

'around you-

You're suffocating!'

Zephyr's weapons lie in pieces on the ground, and still Ruby did not relent.

'In the empty shape that youuu…'

Ruby peaked her Arc flow for her final attack. She unleashed her Vacuum Wave finisher, and her opponent was made no more.

'BREATHE TODAY!'

Silence falling around her, did Ruby stow her knife.

"Wow! Great going, Ruby! You showed them that you're more than just a fancy gun. These losers just can't compete with your raw talent!" said Zwei, his playing the song complete.

Ruby again armed Crescent Rose. "Yeah," she said, watching Ghost cameras hover over the former battlefield. "But we got a ways to go."

Hood over her head, Ruby made off into the forest again.

…..

-End of Legend 28-

…..

A/N:

Alright, a big author's note for a big chapter; bear with me a little longer.

Remember what I said about this being just on chapter…?
It's gonna be two parts. This chapter ran a lot longer that I thought, and it's running still with this A/N… Part two of the rookie battle royale will be up shortly.

Second, about the song that is Ruby's drive in this chapter:

FLYLEAF: Breathe Today- watch?v=Xc850MyAsZw

Now, I've been listening to this song since 2008 (I listened to it when I played Metroid Prime Hunters back in the day). I bought the CD secondhand without a booklet, which brings me to my point.

I've always heard the lyrics as:

"Somebody-Lies waiting-Around you

You're suffocating!

In the empty-shape that you- still sharpen

You're suffocating!"

Knowing I was going to use this song, I googled the lyrics for the absolute hell of, and learned, man was I way off!

"So many-Lies swirling-Around you

You're suffocating!

The empty-shape in you-steals your breath

You're suffocating!"

While I do feel a bit foolish, I decided to go with the misheard lyrics that have been burned into my head for the past Sixteen years. I actually think they fit Ruby as a character just a bit better, especially the situation she's in during it's course.

Anyway, thanks for bearing with me. And as always, if you liked what you read, a favorite or follow is greatly appreciated. If you didn't like what you read, I than you for reading this long. Will post again soon, all things permitting.

-B.D. Skunkworks