The intelligence unit was created so this group of students could help with grimm and figure out what was going on with a crime syndicate, but no one could imagine this happening. Roman Torchwick being involved, Dexter Deshawn and his boys becoming partners with other criminals, and the White Fang did not seem to be letting up in their quest for equality. Then there was the fact that apparently a group of three were posing as students from Haven and were involved in schemes with Torchwick.
Ruby always got a weird vibe from the group, but she foolishly did not look into it, something that she regretted now. Mercury and Emerald didn't really talk to her or anyone else in that matter, nor were they very vocal in class. Not only that, but they also barely participated in activities that were outside of the classroom as Ruby barely saw them leave Beacon grounds. She also never saw Cinder; it was like the girl stayed in their room all the time.
Finding out that they were a part of Torchwick's group made a lot of sense, but she never thought that Cinder would be the mastermind. Admittedly, she did think that Cinder looked too old to be a student, but she never gave it much attention. Ruby was blaming herself because if she looked into this more or told Professor Ozpin her suspicions about the group, they could be in jail right now. The question that was going through her mind was what was the end goal? Why were they causing all this chaos and why work with Torchwick and the White Fang? Ruby hoped they found answers soon…
Little did Ruby know; General Ironwood was wondering the same thing, but he had a pretty good idea. These three so called Haven students were definitely members of Salem's little cult, why else would they be working with Torchwick and the White Fang? He really wanted to go yell at Ozpin and Glynda for not seeing the obvious and allowing those three to enter Beacon. Ironwood also needed to talk with Headmaster Lionhart in order to figure out who these three were. He didn't know what Salem was planning, but if he had to guess it involved Beacon Academy.
The rest of the unit could not believe what they had just witnessed and knew that they had to do something about it. This was just supposed to be a simple case, but it soon become anything but simple. Shauna and Seth had never seen those three before so they could not be students of Haven Academy, so who were they? Sindel and Litchi knew that answering that question was their next assignment for the week before the students went home.
They both hated putting such a responsibility on the kids, but they all took it seriously and produced extraordinary results in the past week. They proved that they took their roles as detectives and hunters in training very seriously, no egos among them. Plus, they both figured that if they tried taking them off the case then they would get upset or force them to get them back on. General Ironwood stood up and looked like he was about to speak so everyone turned their attention to him.
"Alright everyone, from what we just saw I say that your last assignment for this week is finding as much information you can about those three Haven imposters and that red-haired faunus from the White Fang. We need to figure out what exactly they are planning and put a stop to it immediately. I am going to call Headmaster Lionheart and figure out how exactly those three got Haven Uniforms." Ironwood commanded and he got up to leave but he was stopped by a voice.
"Forgive me General Ironwood, but I don't think it is the best idea to contact Headmaster Lionheart just yet." Shauna said seriously and everyone looked at her.
"Why is that Detective Vayne?" General Ironwood asked curiously.
"Think about it, neither I nor Seth have seen any of those three before and yet they clearly had identities that classified them as Haven students. They had to have someone on the inside that gave them that access, or maybe a really good computer hacker. That said, if you tried to make contact with Headmaster Lionheart, there is a chance that message could be intercepted, and the imposters could be notified." Shauna said with her thumb on her chin and Sindel picked up where she left off.
"She makes a very good point General; we have too little information right now and we can't rush into this. Before we make contact with anyone, we need to do what you said and find out everything there is to know about these people, and even then we may need to take the next step in secret. Not to mention that if we spook them they will disappear, and it will be hard to find them again. Please, before you make any calls can you let us get some info and we will get back to you at the end of the week?" Sindel asked and Ironwood was in deep thought.
He wanted to go arrest those three at Beacon right now but knew they would clamp up the moment they were in cuffs. They would not tell him of their plans or where Torchwick and the White Fang were, nor would they tell him anything about Salem. Ironwood thought back to when Ozpin and Glynda were scolding him about taking the military approach and not doing things the discreet way. Maybe this was the time to put that in effect, considering they still had so many questions.
Ironwood would never doubt Sindel or Litchi, especially because the two specialized in information gathering and figuring out cases a quick speed. Ironwood also believed in the students because they took their roles seriously and did not treat it like some sort of game. Not only that, but the group of students could also definitely handle themselves in a fight if something were to come up. He was starting to come to their side but there was one main question still in his mind.
"I understand where you are coming from, but what happens if we don't find any information before the students leave this week? What happens if something comes up and we are all in different places? Are you all positive you want to do this secretly knowing that things could go sideways?" Ironwood asked and everyone looked down in thought, but Ruby stood up.
"If we can't find anything this week then I will closely monitor that group when I go back to Beacon. That way, if something comes up or if I find something new about the group, I can let you guys know and then we can arrest them." Ruby said confidently and everyone looked at her.
"Ruby, are you sure that's the best idea? I mean it's only you that is going there." Seth said concerned but Ruby just smiled.
"Yeah don't worry about it, plus it's just me that knows about the case but if I need help then I have Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch. Not to mention my team and Team JNPR, they can handle themselves in a fight." Ruby assured and they took her word for it, but some like Seth and Sindel were not convinced.
"Ok then, if we really can't find any information by the end of this week then Shauna and I will have to snoop around Haven and see if we find anything. I can't imagine it will be easy though…" Seth said and Shauna nodded.
"Yeah, but we will still give it everything that we have." Shauna assured and the others nodded.
"Sigh…I really want to go to Beacon right now and put those three in cuffs, but I have to admit that you all make very convincing points. If we rush into things and screw it up, we may never find them again and you know that Torchwick is very good at disappearing. So, we will play it secretly for now, but know that means for everything, you can't tell your teams or friends at school about this case got it? Just tell them that you are practicing intelligence gathering and grimm hunting. The last thing we need is this going public, and our enemies turn to the shadows." Ironwood said seriously and the others nodded.
"Right then, Intelligence it seems that our upmost priority for this week is finding out everything we can about this group. I know it is technically still the weekend but the sooner we find out more information, the sooner Remnant can sleep better at night. So, let's head to the office and see what we can find, sound good?" Sindel asked her team and they all nodded.
General Ironwood smiled as he watched the Intelligence Unit leave and go to work, but a part of him could not help but feel worried. He never liked doing things the secret way, considering that he had an army at his disposal. Not only that, but he never really understood why Ozpin kept choosing the quiet way when going after Salem and her minions. That being said though, Sindel and her unit made very good points and he would just have to trust them for now.
It's not like they hadn't brought him good results before, and those results were thanks to their judgement on how to handle things. With that in mind, he would let them handle it and he himself would also keep things close to the chest. Ironwood was not going to tell Ozpin or Glynda about this until the Intelligence Unit brought him more information. The last thing he needed was Ozpin going to the council and having them disbanding the Intelligence Unit because he didn't want kids involved.
As they left the surveillance room and General Ironwood behind, the Intelligence Unit went to their office to try and find some new information. The students could not believe that their two-week venture away from their academies would turn into something like this, but that didn't mean they were just going to walk away. They had a duty to protect remnant no matter how worried they were and were going to do their best to bring these criminals to justice.
Little did the students know, they were not the only ones who couldn't believe the outcome of this unit's first two weeks. Sindel and Litchi didn't show it, but they were shocked at what their next assignment was and how their first two weeks with their unit had gotten so crazy. They had been thrilled when General Ironwood offered them to have a unit with students, they saw it as a way to climb up in ranks. They never imagined that their first two weeks of their unit would be involving something so critical to Atlas and Remnant's protection, but it is what it is.
As soon as they got to the office, the group started doing what they did for the last week. They hit the databases and searched for the three imposters from Haven. Some like Mira and Ruby started going over reports to see if there were any photos of the red-haired Faunus from the White Fang. Now that they knew his face, it could be easier to find out his identity. This would go on for the rest of the week and the group believed that they could find something useful. Unfortunately, it was harder than they thought…
Beacon Academy
Professor Ozpin was currently sitting at his desk enjoying a cup of coffee from his favorite mug, basking in the city of Vale. It was Friday at Beacon Academy and the students were taking this time to enjoy their free time from classes. Ozpin noted that today was officially two weeks since he had sent of Ruby Rose with General Ironwood to join that new unit. He was happy for the girl; he knew that she was a prodigy and would definitely help that new unit to the best of her ability.
Ozpin wondered what kinds of things Miss Rose was learning and how she could apply those lessons to becoming a better leader. He had to admit that things were a bit quiet around Beacon with Ruby being absent, but there were other questions on his mind. Ozpin would not forget the demeanor he saw from Ruby when she entered his office, and how it disturbed him a bit. The bubbly girl who liked weapons and cookies was replaced with someone more serious and a bit more confident if he was being honest.
It was almost like Ruby had a cold vibe about her but that should have been impossible considering she was one of the nicest students Ozpin had ever met. Ozpin also found it strange that Ruby accepted General Ironwood and Agent Diamond's offer so easily. He figured that she would go ask her team for their opinion, but she had accepted on the spot, a little too quick for Ozpin's liking. Glynda also seemed to be worried about Ruby's quick decision, if her taking Ruby to her office was anything to go by.
That was another thing that Ozpin just remembered, Glynda never came to talk to him about what she and Ruby discussed. Glynda usually told him everything so if she didn't tell him this either it was nothing to worry about or she didn't want him to know. The final thing that Ozpin had been paying attention to was the fact that the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR for that matter seemed really upset about something since Ruby left.
It couldn't be the fact that Ruby was chosen for the unit could it? Ruby did not really have an ego, nor did she brag about anything so Ozpin found it difficult to believe that those students could be angry at Ruby being chosen for the unit. That being said though, Weiss Schnee did seem to be the jealous type, considering all the criticism and complaints she has thrown at Ruby over this semester. Ozpin was brought out of his thoughts when his subordinate Glynda came in the room.
"Here are the reports you asked for Professor Ozpin." Glynda said as she gave him the files.
"Thank you Glynda, well I am not sure if you remember but today is the day that Miss Rose will be back among us." Ozpin said smiling and she smiled back.
"Oh, it is? Wow, the time really does fly, I can't wait to see what she has learned." Glynda said happily.
"Neither can I, but I wanted to ask you something Glynda. You seemed just as surprised as me when Ruby accepted the offer into the unit so quickly. You took her to your office, and you talked, but then you just let her go with no problems, despite your worries. And now I am noticing that the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR have been down in the dumps since she left. Glynda, did something happen between them? I can't imagine that all of them are mad at her getting this opportunity, especially since she is coming back." Ozpin said honestly as Glynda just sighed.
"My apologies sir, I promised Miss Rose that I would keep this on the down-low so to speak." Glynda said as Ozpin grew curious.
"She wanted you to keep a secret? What exactly happened?" Ozpin asked and Glynda responded.
"When I took Ruby to my office a couple of weeks ago, I asked her if anything was wrong with her and her team considering she accepted the Atlas offer so easily. It took some pushing, but I found out that her team and Team JNPR have been neglecting her for months, going to multiple events and leaving her behind, treating her like a child. Then I found out that the week before that, she had overheard her teammates and Team JNPR badmouthing her in Team JNPR's dorm." Glynda said a bit angrily and Ozpin looked shocked.
"They were saying things about her in a room that is across the hall from her dorm? What kind of things were they saying?" Ozpin asked confused and Glynda scoffed.
"Oh the usual things, Miss Schnee was calling her a child and was complaining about the faults that Ruby had. Miss Belladonna was complaining about Ruby wanting to spend time as a team because it would disturb her reading time. Finally, Miss Xiao Long expressed her frustrations about Ruby's problem with socialness and how she believed that you made a mistake in enrolling her early. Team JNPR focused on her faults and badmouthed her for that." Glynda said with disgust and Ozpin understood her anger.
Ozpin could not believe what he just heard, and yet it made so much sense. Ruby had been neglected by her so called 'friends' for months and hearing them badmouth her must have been the final straw. That is what made her accept the offer into the unit, she needed some time away and to get her self-esteem back, so she left. Ozpin had to admit that he was very disappointed in the other students, considering they all had faults, but Ruby didn't point them out.
"I see, that actually explains a lot. What did Ruby say after she told you what happened?" Ozpin asked and Glynda sighed.
"She said that when they started the team, she was so in it and wanted to do her best to make Team RWBY the best team in Beacon. She said now though things have changed, and that she has to focus on herself considering her team will never be happy with her. Ruby told me that she would not be discouraged though, as she came to Beacon to be the best huntress she can be and that has not changed. That's why she accepted the opportunity in Atlas so quickly, because she wanted to stay on her path to becoming a great huntress." Glynda said with praise.
"I see, it is good to know that even in the face of adversity Ruby will not back down or stray away from her dreams. This certainly does explain her cold behavior recently though, and I am assuming that the other students now know and that is why they have been acting so upset?" Ozpin asked and Glynda rolled her eyes.
"The rest of team RWBY came to my office later that day and demanded that I tell them why we let Ruby go to that unit. I then played them the recording that Ruby took of them badmouthing her and they all looked like deer in the headlights." Glynda said and Ozpin nodded.
"I see, what did you tell them?" Ozpin asked curiously.
"What they needed to hear Professor Ozpin, I told Miss Schnee that this superiority complex of hers needs to go and that she is a child just like Ruby is. Being older does not make her better and it certainly does not give her the right to chastise Ruby about everything. I then told Miss Belladonna that she needs to be more open with her team if she wants to succeed, and that considering she reads in my class she reads more than enough. Finally, I told Miss Xiao Long that her grades are worse than Ruby's despite being older and that she is being hypocritical considering her big sister mantra." Glynda said and Ozpin slowly nodded.
He would have done things a bit differently but maybe it was better that Glynda was the one that scolded them. Clearly they realized the error of their ways, considering that all seven of those teenagers had seemed down in the dumps since Ruby left. Though Ozpin had fears of how things would be in the future though, especially if Team RWBY was on bad terms. He didn't know that Ruby was going to forgive her teammates when they ultimately apologized, considering it was up to her.
"Glynda, don't you have concerns about this? What is going to happen to their team if they are at odds? Their teamwork will fall apart!" Ozpin exclaimed but Glynda didn't flinch.
"I have no concerns at all professor, this is Ruby we are talking about. The same girl that told us that she wanted to be a huntress more than anything. Just because she is at odds with her team does not mean that she will stop working with them or let their teamwork fail." Glynda assured and Ozpin nodded.
He knew that she was right, if there was anyone that was going work with people despite how much they didn't like them, it was Ruby Rose. Ozpin believed that the girl had more determination than her mother which was a feat in itself. He remembered Summer facing opposition with her team as well, but never over something like this and the opposition she faced went away rather quickly. Though Ozpin did wonder how she was going to handle things with her team after that incident.
"Well, I suppose we will see how things play out rather soon." Ozpin said and Glynda nodded.
"Yes, all we can do is wait and see what happens." Glynda said honestly as they both looked at the view of the city, waiting for an airship to bring them back their student.
Atlas Intelligence Office
It was the students last day in their first time being in the Intelligence Unit, and one would think that they had gained plenty of information during the week. The reality however was quite the opposite as none of them could find any information about the imposters from Haven. It was incredibly frustrating as it seemed that those three did not even exist, considering that they couldn't find anything in their system.
The unit had looked over files from every kingdom and there was nothing concerning Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, or Emerald Sustrai. No birth records, no family names, no prison reports, absolutely nothing. It had gotten so frustrating that Akali, Ruby, and Bakugo offered to help with killing grimm in the mountains because they needed to let off some steam. How was it possible that they had been working all week and they didn't get any information on the Haven impostors or that red haired faunus?
It was becoming more and more likely that the only thing they could do now was to have Ruby try and get some information at Beacon, the same with Seth and Shauna at Haven. It would be risky, considering that if they weren't careful those three imposters would figure out that they were onto them. Ruby, Seth and Shauna said they could handle it though so everyone else just decided to trust them.
What other options did they have anyway? If they arrested those three now then there was zero chance any of them would talk, and if they had other partners they would never know. God forbid another attack happens when they were in prison and the Atlas military was just wasting their time trying to get the Haven imposters to spill the beans. General Ironwood clearly saw this as an option which is why he even allowed them to try and gain information. Speaking of the man, he had just walked through the door and the rest of the unit stood up in attention.
"Greetings intelligence, have we made any progress?" Ironwood asked and Sindel sighed.
"Hello General, unfortunately I have to give you some bad news. We have not gotten any information on the three imposters, it's like they never existed. We have been searching through every database and there is no record of Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, or Mercury Black. No birth certificates, no family history, not even criminal records. We even looked at some orphanages that may have housed these people and nothing, I find it impossible to believe and yet here we are." Sindel said frustrated and Ironwood understood her frustration.
Secretly, he had a good feeling that this might happen. If these people really were minions of Salem, he doubted that it was going to be easy to get information on them. Ironwood figured that these were people that she picked up off the street, likely having no other family or place to go. Maybe he would have Sindel and Litchi try looking up reports of sightings of those three imposters, since they definitely were not going to find any background information on them.
Ironwood did want to talk to Lionheart about this but the more he thought about what Detective Vayne said, the more he agreed with her. He didn't know how but somehow that group had gotten Haven Academy uniforms and clearly got identification as students because Ozpin nor Glynda thought anything was strange about them. That told him that they clearly had someone on the inside, and he did not know who or how powerful that person was.
The more Ironwood thought about it, he also agreed with Sindel and her unit that they needed to get more information before arresting this group. Ironwood wanted nothing more than to go to Beacon and drag the group in chains but knew that if another attack happened while that group was in custody then the blame would be on him. For now, it seemed that the only logical conclusion was to have Sindel and Litchi reach out to the other kingdoms for information, and have Ruby, Seth and Shauna investigate back at their respective schools.
"I understand your frustration Agent Diamond, but do not blame yourself it is none of your fault. It is clear that these people did not have the best of upbringings, considering that there is basically no background information on them. If we can't find any information from the system, then I think what we need to do now is reach out to other kingdoms to see if anyone has sighted this group. Sindel, you and Litchi are going to have that assignment." Ironwood stated and both women nodded.
"Understood General." Sindel said seriously.
"As for you students, I thank you for all the hard work that you put in these past two weeks. Thanks to you all, we are one step closer to making Atlas and overall Remnant safe. Detective Vayne and Detective Dreyar, I want you to see if you can find anything at Haven that links to that group getting those uniforms and identification. Detective Rose, I need you to monitor that group while they are at Beacon but be discrete. The last thing that we need is them finding out that we are onto them. Understood?" Ironwood asks and they all nodded.
"We will not fail you General." Ruby said with conviction and Ironwood smiled.
"Ruby, I know that you said you would be fine going back on your own because your team and sister team would fight with you if something went wrong. I took the liberty of looking up some video footage of them and I must say that I have some concerns." Sindel said honestly as she took out her scroll and showed the video hologram to everyone.
The video did show the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR's fighting skills that were a bit impressive, but it also showed some other things. It showed Yang Xiao Long losing her temper when a grimm cut a strand of her and caused her to go crazy. It also showed Nora Valkyrie riding on a Ursa and then skipping around like a little kid. Finally, they saw Jaune Arc being pinned to a tree by Pyrrha Nikos after a pathetic launch sequence and then heard him scream like a girl. Jago rubbed his temples in frustration and everyone else looked weirded out but Ruby just sighed.
"Look Sindel, I understand your concerns but trust me everything will be fine. Yang is just very protective of her hair for some reason that I do not understand, but sometimes her rage is a good thing. And Jaune Arc is getting better even though he has a long way to go, and he is a decent strategist so if things go wrong he will be of use. And Nora…well Nora is always like that. Either way, if the time comes that I have to tell them about this operation and need their help, I know that they will be able to fight." Ruby said honestly and Sindel looked unsure but nodded, nonetheless.
"Well, if you really think so then I will trust you." Sindel said a bit reluctantly but the girls of the unit were just staring at Ruby.
They were honestly very impressed and surprised at the girl's words considering the fact that the group she was talking about talked shit about her. One would think that she would have nothing good to say about them and she just told Sindel the positive things about them. It really showed how committed she was to bring that group of criminals to justice, and how much she acted like a true huntress. The girls thought that they could learn something from her, to push away a grudge when things became serious. They all turned their attention to Sindel when she began speaking again.
"Well, let me say to you all that these past two weeks have been nothing short of incredible and satisfying. You students surpassed all the expectations that were presented in front of you on the first mission. I knew immediately that Litchi and I made the right choice recruiting you all and it is thanks to your hard work. I am really glad to have you all in my unit, and I know that the next time we meet you all will give your best once again." Sindel said happily and her unit smiled.
"Thank you, Sindel." The students said together, and she smiled.
"Of course, now let's talk about you all leaving today. Your detective identification will not go away, and you can involve yourself with the police if a serious crime occurs and you want to help. If you do though, please contact Litchi and I so we can be of assistance as well. All of you have been sent contacts to the Atlas military, which will be sent to myself, Litchi and even General Ironwood if something serious comes up. You will also receive a set of handcuffs that cut off people's aura when they are restrained. Anything you want to add Litchi?" Sindel asked her partner but she shook her head.
"Nope, you pretty much nailed everything on the head, thanks for all of your hard work this past two weeks everyone. Ruby, Seth, and Shauna make sure you are careful and the moment you find out anything let us know alright?" Litchi commanded and they all nodded.
"Now then, go on back to the hotel and pack your things, you will receive a message from a driver to take you to your respective airships. Since we do not have the time to put you all on one airship and make multiple trips, we have scheduled individual ones to take you to your respective schools. Once again, this has been a great two weeks and I am proud to call you all my unit. Until next time, take good care and stay in constant touch. Dismissed!" Sindel stated and all the students gave her and Litchi their thanks for the opportunity.
The group of students said their goodbyes to their superiors and went back to the hotel to gather their things. Ruby was in her room now and she reflected on these past two weeks and she was honestly very thankful to Sindel for giving her this chance. She went from being a girl that was neglected and badmouthed by her teammates to a Detective that contributed to a serious case. Not only that, in the past two weeks she had gained new friends and even a boyfriend, something that she didn't think was going to happen anytime soon.
Ruby would definitely miss Seth, but she would text him every day and try to meet up whenever they could. She wasn't going to worry about them being long distance or fear him cheating on her or anything like that. Hell, they only knew each other for two weeks and for Seth to take a chance on her like that really showed that he liked her a lot. The only thing that Ruby was not looking forward to was seeing her team again, mostly because she knew chaos would soon follow. Just then there was a knock on the door and Ruby opened to find Seth.
"Hey you." Ruby said with a smile as she kissed him.
"Hey beautiful, just wanted to hang out for a bit before we have to go back to school. You all packed?" Seth asked and Ruby nodded.
"Yep, what about you?" Ruby asked.
"All packed, didn't take me long at all you know cuz I'm a guy." Seth said with a smirk and Ruby hit him in the shoulder.
"Jerk." Ruby said pouting but Seth just laughed and hugged her.
"It really sucks that we are going to be apart but hey at least the Vytal Festival isn't that far away so it won't be long." Seth said honestly and Ruby smiled.
"Yeah, it will be before you know it and we will go out and I will kick your ass in the arcade again." Ruby said with a smirk and Seth scoffed.
"You got lucky that time, next time will be different. Anyway, on a serious note, are you going to be ok going back?" Seth asked concerned and Ruby looked confused.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Well, it's only going to be you going back and you said that you are pretty much done with your team, who you live with. So, I just wanna make sure you are good." Seth said and Ruby smiled.
"You're sweet, but I am going to deal with it the best that I can. I still have to be on the same team with them but that doesn't really mean I have to like them. I guess I never really told you what happened did I? I guess I was just enjoying spending time with you and the others." Ruby said sheepishly as she played with her hair.
"Hey, if you don't want to tell me then you don't have to no pressure." Seth assured but Ruby shook her head.
"No, I feel like I should tell you since I told the girls already. So basically, my team had been neglecting me for months and ditching me practically every weekend. I would understand if they did it occasionally because of the difference in age, but every week got irritating. Still, I thought that I could just deal with it for the good of the team. The week before Sindel arrived to offer me a position in the unit, I was walking to the library one night and heard this…" Ruby said as she got out her scroll and hit play on a recording.
Seth was confused until he heard what was on the recording and then his eyes widened. Suddenly, everything made sense and he felt bad for his girlfriend. Ruby was clearly putting her own emotions aside for the good of the team but after hearing that Seth didn't blame her for being done with them. He also thought that the reasons for her team hating on her were really stupid, considering those were the attributes that Seth liked about her. Plus, considering that earlier Sindel shared concerns about that group, they should really focus on their faults and not Ruby's.
"Damn…that explains a lot." Seth said honestly and Ruby just scratched her head.
"Yeah…" Ruby said sheepishly.
"So, what are you gonna do?" Seth asked curiously and Ruby just sighed.
"I'm just gonna tell them what it is Babe, they don't have to like me but I'm still the leader whether they like it or not. They are going to apologize but I'm not going to forgive them because they are only sorry because I found out. I just really hope I can keep my emotions in check…" Ruby said honestly but Seth looked confused.
"Wait, why?" Seth asked and Ruby looked confused.
"Why what?" Ruby asked.
"Why do you have to keep your emotions in check? They talked without a filter so why do you have to have one?" Seth asked and Ruby just sighed.
"Because Seth, I am the leader and if I go off on them then they will just call me insecure or some crap and nothing will change. Not to mention that I really just don't want to deal with them anymore." Ruby said with honesty, but Seth shook his head.
"Ruby, you can't go easy on them when they are the ones that did you wrong. Being angry at people badmouthing you does not make you insecure, the ones who say that are just manipulating you to make you feel bad. Plus, you can't just hold onto that anger and have it bubble up inside of you, it's not healthy at all. Not to mention that you telling them how it is will truly make them see the errors of their ways and lets them know that you aren't playing around." Seth stated and Ruby was deep in thought.
She knew that Seth was right, she couldn't just brush off this problem or go easy when it came to confronting her team. If she kept all of that anger inside her then it would truly destroy her in the long run, and she wanted to stay on her path to be a huntress. Therefore, Ruby was going to follow her plan of not forgiving them, and she was going to get all of the anger out. She had to let her team know how things were going to go from here on out, whether they liked it or not.
"You have a good point, thanks Seth." Ruby said smiling and Seth smiled back.
"No problem Babe." Seth said as he captured Ruby's lips and they started making out. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long as Ruby's scroll buzzed.
"Guess that's my ride." Ruby said and Seth groaned.
"Dammit, I didn't wanna stop." Seth wined but Ruby just laughed.
Ruby and Seth took their luggage down to the lobby where everyone in the unit was waiting for their drivers to pick them up. Ruby told everyone that her driver was here, and she hugged everyone and told them goodbye. The girls said that they would keep in touch with their group chat and Ruby told everyone that she would let them know if she found anything at Beacon. Seth walked Ruby to her taxi and put her luggage in the truck. They kissed one more time before Ruby got in and told him that she would text him when she made it back to Beacon.
The taxi got to the airship field and Ruby got on the one that was headed for Beacon. It wasn't as nice as the one she came to Atlas on, but it was still nice nonetheless. Ruby then noticed that there was a basket of chocolate chip cookies in the seat, with a note from Sindel and Litchi saying that this was an additional reward for doing a good job. It was at that moment that Ruby knew that she had the best bosses ever. She started munching on the cookies as the airship took flight and headed back to Beacon.
A couple of hours later, the airship finally made its way into Beacon's airspace and Ruby thanked God because she just wanted to go to her room, relax and eat a hot pocket or something. She knew that it wasn't going to be peaceful considering that her team was going to be there, and all hell would break loose but it is what it is. The airship landed and Ruby got her things then made her way back to the dorms. She was too tired to go see Ozpin or Goodwitch so she decided that she would do it tomorrow.
After a few minutes Ruby finally got back to the dorms and could not help but notice that she got a few weird looks when she was walking through the halls. She didn't really care though, considering that these people already made it aware what they thought of her. Ruby had texted Seth when she had gotten to the dorms and she was having a good conversation with him. She was laughing at something that he said when she opened the door to her room. When she put her scroll down she saw her team looking at her with wide eyes.
"What are you all looking at?" Ruby asked already annoyed and her teammates scowled.
"Hello to you to Ruby." Weiss said in annoyed fashion, but Ruby just rolled her eyes.
"Hi Weiss!" Ruby said in a fake excited tone as she went to put her bag down.
"Ruby?" Yang asked hesitantly.
"What?" Ruby asked turning around seeing her teammates look at her with sad eyes.
"Can we talk?" Yang asked hopefully and the other's looked hopeful too. Ruby knew that this was it…
Author Notes:
Hey y'all! Sorry that this is so long but there was a lot that I wanted to cover in this chapter. The Intelligence Unit somehow managed to get Ironwood to stay his hand and not go full on military when arresting Cinder and the gang. Ruby unfortunately had to go back to Beacon as the two weeks was up, and now it seems that the confrontation between her and her team will happen next chapter. What will happen next time? Will Ruby keep her emotions in check, or will it be a screaming match in Team RWBY's dorm room? Find out next time, oh and if you have a PS5 then buy Returnal because it is amazing! Like and Review, thanks!