Chapter 3
A Tainted Dream
A column of luminous moonlight spilled between half-parted curtains into the semi-darkened suite.
Dustmote-speckled, it pooled defiant upon shadowed carpet, flowing across a polished coffee table to grace the occupied couch beyond.
Sleepless silver eyes caught and reflected its soft splendour; troubled and unblinking.
The balcony door stood ajar, left so by an insomniac pajama-clad girl disdainful of stuffy hotel rooms.
Cool midnight air graciously accepted her invitation.
Teal drapes billowed lethargically.
A rejuvenating breeze kissed the girl's soporific features.
The distant sounds of traffic seven floors below drifted in, accompanied by faint, pleasantly monotonous music from a nightclub nearby.
This cocktail of conditions, long having since coalesced into a subdued ambient repose, soothed her chaotic, clamorous thoughts into a lackadaisical murmur.
Even so: After a wild, action-packed evening, her callow brain should have retired to dreamland.
The introspective worries of a restless conscience however are their own implacable compulsion, a process mental fatigue only exacerbates.
Persistent nattering, niggling, unfading, unrelenting upheavals; their causal issues hounding her, demanding attention, commanding resolution, forbidding forbearance.
Why?
She knows why.
Truly, she does know.
She'd made choices.
Living with them, though...
Rolling onto her side, knees drawing up to her chest, Ruby hugged them as she stared vacantly back at that maimed, melancholic moon, lips shaping an irresolute whisper to no one
"But: I got what I wanted... didn't I?"
(::The Interview::)
If the police interrogation room's spotlight snapping on with startling volume was an inbuilt intimidation feature, it'd worked.
"I hope you realise that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady. You put yourself and others in great danger." Professor Goodwitch lectured, pacing behind a seated, fidgeting Ruby.
"They started...!" Ruby bit back her reflexive, petulant retort, breathed in and bowed her head, ashamed. Torchwick's crew committed the robbery, but she'd started the fight "...I'm sorry. I-I just..."
"If it were up to me you'd be sent home, with a pat on the back... And a slap on the wrist."
Thwack:The riding crop dropped.
Ruby squeaked in surprise rather than pain, cradling her wrist as her aura chuckled its amusement "Stupid aura."
Miss Goodwitch had paused, then conceded"...You're willingness to admit your misjudgements however speaks well of your character. But putting that aside..." A short, suffering, weary sigh escaped her "There is someone here who would like to meet you."
Relaxed footsteps from beyond the darkened doorway heralded into the spotlight a most surprising and confounding visitor. That white hair, the green suit and delicate shaded spectacles; Recognition struck like lightning "No way."
Huntsmen Royalty approached her, one hand expertly holding a coffee mug and the other a plate of extremely yummy looking choc-chip cookies. Ruby saw no weapon but would bet her allowance he carried concealed an armament worthy of Beacon Academy's Headmaster.
She'd been starstruck with Miss Goodwitch, but confronted with this man her fangirl heart was risking overload, not least because this esteemed individual was very specifically name-dropped by a certain notorious douchebag she met in a park.
"Ruby Rose." That sagely voice she'd only ever heard in holonet vids spoke, to her.
Ozpin leaned closer, slowly, meaningfully, deliberately looking her straight in the eyes, surely seeing through her dishonesties with his super-secret wise old huntsman mind reading powers.
Struggling to act natural, Ruby internally whimpered "Craaap. He-Knows-He-Knows-He-Knows-He-KnowsHeKnowsHeKnowsHeKnowsHEKNOOOOWS!..." ARGGH-I'm so screwed! Should I confess!? ShouldIConfess!?"
"You; have silver eyes."
"...Eh?" Ruby blinked, all anxieties forgotten at that confusingly random observation. Sure her eye colour is a bit unusual, but barring polite, occasionally complimentary remarks in passing, nobody before Ozpin specially mentioned it... Baffling, yet flattering: Bafflatering???... "U-uhm..."
"So..." He gestured and Miss Goodwitch upheld a scroll. On its screen Ruby saw high quality footage of herself fighting Torchwick's henchmen and Torchwick himself. The poor camera struggled to capture the latter duel's speed. It was surreal how insanely fast her battle against Torchwick played out; she could've sworn it was longer "Where did you learn to do this."
"S-S-Signal Academy."
"They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" His eyebrows lifted but he appeared more impressed than sceptical.
"Well, one teacher in particular."
"...I see." And indeed he sounded as if he did see.
Torchwick's claim that putting on a flashy show might draw this very man's interest had seemed like utter lunacy. Yet. Here he is, Headmaster Ozpin, taking an undue interest, in her. Coincidence? Probably. But still, this is crazy; mind-blowingly, nerve-wrackingly, pants-peeingly crazy.
Craving comfort food, Ruby eyed the cookies. Observing this, Ozpin deposited the plate on the cold metal table. Ruby's manners were apparently on vacation as she began devouring the confections with gluttonous efficiency that visibly bewildered Professor Goodwitch,
Amusedly unfazed, Ozpin ventured "Its just that I've only seen one other scythe wielder of that skill before; a dusty old Qrow."
"Hmm-thts-mmu-nnclee..." Flushing, Ruby swallowed her mouthful, one hand catching crumbs. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow; he's a teacher at signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing, oops, pardon the pun, hehe." She blushed, scratching her head "Anyway, now I'm all like whooo-chyaaa-fooowaa" An unholy presentation combining martial arts poses and ninja hand-gestures ensued, compelled by pride in her Uncle and her own skills.
"So I've noticed. You even held your own against Vale's most dangerous criminal. Quite the impressive feat." He placed down his coffee mug, continuing "Yet one wonders what an adorable girl such as yourself is doing at a school designed to train warriors."
Ruby met his eye and with all her heart answered "I want to be a huntress."
"You want to slay monsters?"
"Yeah, I only have two more years of training back at Signal, then I'm going to apply to Beacon. See my sister's starting there this year and she's trying to become a huntress and I'm trying to become a huntress cause I want to help people and my parents always taught us to help others and make the world safer so I thought, why, not..." Her rambling excitement choked off as the contrasting realities of her words and choices hit home. Gutt-churning guilt taarnishing the magical moment.
Ozpin, perhaps not unreasonably mistaking her trailing off as self-consciousness or post-babble asphyxiation, ignored it, instead asking "Do you know who I am?"
"Y-your Headmaster Ozpin." She stammered, the reality of it actually slapping her in the face. "...The Headmaster of Beacon." Someone she idolises; someone she is deceiving.
Ozpin chuckled at her sudden awkwardness, as if she'd just realised who he actually was "Haa." He chortled kindly "Hello."
"Hi." Ruby reciprocated meekly, holding her breath, heart dead still in her chest, her morals waging a war against hopeful self-interest, one half commanding she do the right thing, the huntress thing, while the other urged secrecy in fear of ruining... what? An impossibility?
"No... I will be a huntress."
Deciding to come clean, Ruby shakily inhaled and "I..."
"You want to come to my school?"
Ruby's roaring heart triple somersaulted into her throat. He'd asked it... the very question she'd yearned to hear "He couldn't be offering t-that?... N-Nonononono. No way. H-He's just curious; that's all..." Regardless. Ruby had only one answer to give...
"More, than, anything." She croaked emphatically, hope swelling, eyes welling, heart near to bursting.
The Legendary Huntsman glanced at Miss Goodwitch who just rolled her eyes, grunted and shrugged like a weary soul resignedly accepting one of life's many futilities. Looking back to Ruby, Ozpin blandly, like someone tossing an extra can of beans into their shopping basket on a whim, said "Well okay."
Yes. Ruby Rose got what she wanted; but not how she wanted.
All throughout that meeting Ruby, who rated herself a tiptop deceiver, had felt like Ozpin was seeing right through her omissions. Conversely her better nature had almost won out, she'd almost divulged everything. Almost...
Why had she omitted meeting Torchwick in the park pre-robbery? She'd been ignorant of his identity. Why she hadn't tried harder to expose his deception of her around those cameras?
Shame?...Guilt?...Anxiety?...Bruised pride?...Feelings of inadequacy?
Yes to all, and... and the simple ugly truth that a pathetic, detestable part of her sub-conscious, the part that wanted into Beacon no matter what, had held out hope Torchwick's perfidious, dishonourable scheme would work.
Only it had worked, sort of. Indeed Beacon's Headmaster himself had offered up her heart's desire on a silver platter, and the terror of losing it impelled her own dishonesty thenceforth, making thoughts of bean-spilling nigh-unbearable.
So, selfishness won and Ruby kept her peace...
After all. Beacon is just a steppingstone, a big, meaningful steppingstone toward a greater dream.
But... Does realising one's dreams through tainted means not make them tainted dreams?
How can she become an exemplar whom inspires everyone around her when this is the example she sets.
"I'm a fraud. A stupid, lying, selfish cowardly jelly-bellied fraud... acting like I'm some moral paragon among aspiring hunters... Mom would be so disappointed."
Ruby felt like human garbage. A true huntress takes responsibility for her actions. No. Actually a true huntress would never dishonour herself by cheating or taking shortcuts to become what they are. The education process exists for good reason, and in her impatience to join the ranks of those extraordinary people whom she revered, she'd brazenly disrespected the very institution that helped forge those great hunters, hunters like her Mom, Dad and Uncle.
Bamboozled and well-intentioned as she'd been, the choice to heed a shady stranger's council; she made it. Yet. Since she couldn't come clean...Well. Shattered eggs unto omelettes, coal unto gold. Her only recourse is to redeem herself through wholehearted dedication to her studies; because what's done is done.
She must persevere. She must, keep, moving, forward;
And never, ever, EVER again compromise her principles.
She would do better
She WILL, be, better
Yes.
Ruby Rose would live her dream... her tainted, tarnished dream.
Besides, its not like she's unhappy. Quite the contrary, Ruby was elated to be walking the road to huntressdom alongside Yang, even if her performance during the robbery itself had her questioning her worthiness...
As outwardly impressive as her feats tonight appeared to untrained eyes, even her most charitable self-assessments only illuminated how woefully unprepared and under-qualified she really is to skip two grades.
(::Following Torchwick's Gettaway::)
Ruby fan-girled over the pure epicness she'd just witnessed until its purveyor turned frosty eyes her way. Damn could this woman exude stonecold disapproval, That steely scowl conveyed an almanac's weight and worth of scoldings; beneath it Ruby's giddiness shrivelled into nervousness. Verbal censure would assuredly come later.
Clipped interrogatory introductions were made and Ruby was embarrassed not to have recognised Beacon Academy's esteemed combat instructor and Vice Principle sooner, having seen her prominently featured on huntsmen fan sites. Indeed, Glynda Goodwitch in the flesh looming most intimidatingly. Ruby's inner-fangirl stirred but sensibly abstained.
Professor Goodwitch permitted Ruby to retrieve her discarded mag before levitating them both down off the building.
The slow arm of the law had arrived. But the combat-ravaged road had forced them to park further afield. Ruby winced at all the damage the kerfuffle she initiated had wrought; cracked or broken windows, damaged walls, gutted bitumen, scattered debris. nevermind how much worse things could've ended. Just one flare flown astray, one bullet... the myriad morbid what-ifs twisted her insides with unease
Officers congregated around From Dust Till Dawn, some cordoning off the area while colleagues questioned rattled witnesses, some of whom saw Ruby's return and gibbered animatedly, their pointing fingers making her feel self-conscious.
Noticing her charge's discomfort, Miss Goodwitch shepherded Ruby into the dust shop's relative privacy wherein the huntress spent a minute briefing the lead detective and another exchanging info with the leader of a special taskforce, Mister Caltor. Said taskforce comprised tough, disciplined well-kitted individuals two of whom visibly carried make-shift armaments, one wore spiny elbow-high black gauntlets while another toted a glowing drill-like urumi.
Ordinarily Ruby would've buried them beneath an avalanche of enthusiastic questions, but between fearing to annoy the scary blonde, coming off an emotion-furled adrenaline high and conscience pangs, she settled for demurely ogling the weapons while listening in. Amusingly these taskforce guys hated Torchwick's guts, along with some mysterious, nameless partner of his, presumably Lady Legs. Ruby could relate, kinda, but the subdued viciousness in their professional, no-nonsense faces whenever his name was spoken... Man. What had Roman done to warrant such grudges? they'd probably spit-roast him alive given the chance.
Where the officers had scolded Ruby's reckless vigilante shenanigans, these guys gave her stoically approving nods. Seems anyone who, to quote the man himself, pisses in Torchwick's porridge is alright in their book, which got them scolded by Miss Goodwitch for encouraging her... Stonecold disapproval indeed; those tough men looked like misbehaving schoolboys admonished as they in turn, at the blonde's non-verbal cue, administered the most insincere scolding Ruby ever received; one even winked conspiratorially.
Looking about her though, at the mess, specifically the shop's rear where things quite literally kicked off, Ruby began questioning her own judgement. Those auraless goons for example...
Jerking to attention, memory jogged, Ruby had indicated the third floor window she'd catapulted that one goon through. Miss Goodwitch floated up, peeked in and found nothing bar a small smear of blood. Either he escaped or got retrieved by his buddies. Hopefully he wasn't too injured; bad guy or not Ruby didn't want any accidental deaths on her conscience, or her record.
Apparently Miss Goodwitch was well-acquainted with this special unit, well that or Beacon brass had clout with the authorities because one taskforce member, a tall, gangly, laconic fellow sporting a hairdo that weirdly reminded Ruby of Zwei's tail offered to drive them to the station to clear things up, an offer Miss Goodwitch gratefully accepted.
Noting their imminent departure the elderly shopkeeper tottered over, baring gifts. Her first discarded magazine filled with ten fresh 50-Cal rounds, three boxes of Super Boomer casings and, to Ruby's elation, a box of Electro-Grav MK-4 Rounds, all Crescent Rose-compatible types, were pressed into her hands with mumbled gratitude. Evidently he'd paid attention to her gunshots during the fight. Ruby's elation became embarrassment at realising he'd noticed her drooling on the display case containing these very gifts. Awkwardly she'd apologised but the old timer simply scoffed good-spiritedly and shooed them out.
Ruby honestly felt undeserving of such gifts, after all his life and livelihood were imperilled thanks to her. Hopefully the damages didn't exceed the losses she'd prevented. Furthermore she couldn't shake the niggling notion that she'd forgotten to tell the shopkeeper something, something important; yet her bowl of spaghetti brain recalled nothing. Perhaps she'd remember later.
Ruby also wondered why the emergency security systems mandatory to all dust shops, hardlight display shields, armoured shutters etc, hadn't activated. Perhaps Torchwick preemptively disabled them somehow. Or maybe this shop has less safeguards because they don't sell over-the-counter weapons, only ammo...
"Guess its a moot point now." In Ruby's mind, tonight was a colossal failure. Not only had Torchwick and his henchmen escaped, the crook had also completely outclassed her in combat, nevermind the perfidious catalyst to it all, their prior meeting... Bench Buddies indeed "I'm Such a screwup..."
After pausing briefly while Miss Goodwitch repaired the road using her epic semblance, the trio moved to borrow one of the squad cars from a reluctant but outranked and thoroughly browbeaten junior officer. As keys changed hands Ruby spared him a sympathetic smile; getting browbeaten always sucks.
And so Ruby ducked into the cop car's backseat, resigned to the fact she was now in deep poopy "Yep. Dad's gonna be pissed."
"Iron Grandpa-sensei was right. Good decisions do not always good intentions make... heh. Who'd have thunk it? Nooooot me."
Miss Goodwitch's reprimand was on point and Ruby fully accepted her share of blame; the lion's share though belongs to Torchwick. Yes, she'd been naïve, overly-trusting and selfish; but he took advantage, he mislead her and he orchestrated everything.
Yet. Ruby wondered...
"If I'd been at the dust shop, without meeting Torchwick beforehand... would I have started that fight?" Shakily she exhaled "Ye. Alternate Ruby would've, and without questioning her choices afterwards, because she fought for righteousness... and so did I; the dumb way."
Regardless, overall she'd sparked a needlessly dangerous battle
("There's a time and place for everything. You can't always pick your battles. But the ones you can, pick them carefully.") Her Dad once counselled in class. Ruby assumed he meant knowing when to retreat. That seemingly innocuous advice hit differently now though. She'd been impulsive and just started throwing legs.
Indiscriminate violence would've warranted immediate intervention. But robbery? She should've raised her hands when commanded, awaited their departure then shadowed them until a safe place to confront … But the bullhead, and Lady Legs... Besides, Torchwick might've attacked her anyway to kickstart his twisted stage-play.
"Ugh; my head... Forget hypotheticals. Focuuuuuussssss. Starting with..."
Her uncle and sister would say those goons earned their bruises, only Ruby, in her inexperience, hadn't just bruised them, she'd brutalised them, which, conscience pangs aside, landed her in a legal grey area regarding registered aura adepts harming non-aura adepts without a huntsmen, government or police licence; legal acumen Ruby would've possessed if she didn't typically sleep throughSocietal Studies classes. The auraless party being criminals helped, as did her age and basic self-defence rights. But property damage, civilian-endangerment, on-camera vigilante action , etc; Headmaster Ozpin's intercession was what really extracted her from legal poopy.
"Objective acquired: Improve aura control"
Frankly though, Ruby hoped she wouldn't have to fight squishy non-aura adepts ever again. Licensed or not it isn't fun, safe or fair for either side. The idea of accidentally killing anyone threatened to sour the quart of milk in her tummy.
Then there's Torchwick... Much more dangerous. Its lucky his flares hit no buildings. Granted she hadn't known his cane's true capabilities, but that didn't excuse her folly...
("Important as intel-gathering is, you won't always have all the facts, especially in a pinch;") Signal's youngest teacher, the cold-yet-caring Professor Silvia, once lectured.
("A factual argument for and against any course of action.") Signal's oldest professor whom the students affectionately dubbed Iron Grandpa-sensei had jokingly added.
Against grimm Ruby had no issue fact gathering. Tonight though, she hadn't even tried...
The breeze dropped; mugginess subsumed.
Groggily Ruby pondered myriad ways she might've countered Torchwick. A tall order given how thoroughly he'd outclassed her. Ironically the shopkeeper's gifts could've helped. Electro-grav MK-4 rounds would've debuffed his broken-ass defence stats while Super Boomer casing' shrapnel inflicts minor but cumulative aura damage even if deflected; excluding his awesome bullet reversal trick. Nah, she'd still lose. Besides, her ammo expenditure on evasion and manoeuvrability made cheaper conventional rounds a less wasteful choice.
...Trivialities.
…She was stalling; avoiding reexamination of tonight's greatest shame.
She'd heard the responsibility of protecting civilian lives weighs heavy. She'd handled it well enough initially, but her overconfidence had buckled beneath escalating pressures.
("Eventually you will err. I repeat. You, will, err. What counts is what you learn from it afterwards; assuming you survive hahaha.") Kori'addi, Signals sometimes-janitor sometimes-combat instructor imparted.
Err? She'd more than erred. She should've reacted faster. Shouldn't have needed Torchwick's warning...
That moment on the rooftop, blinded by the bullhead's floodlight, Torchwick's dust crystal... Bone deep dread that she could freeze up like that under stress, and could do so again in future... Ruby shivered, curling up tighter "People could've died... What is wrong with me?" A half-sob half-sigh escaped her, one lone tear migrating south.
Breathe...
Breathe...
...Had Torchwick spotted the window-peeping scrollers beforehand? Had he improvised that stunt to reinforce the heroic huntress-in-training narrative? Girl saves building from kaboomy-doomy? Ruby dearly hope so, needing to believe he isn't a total monster, needing to believe those flickers of complex emotion were real, if diluted streaks of human decency.
...Had... Had she done anything right tonight?
Anything?
...One more tear travelled the desolate road.
Ruby sniffled.
("Under the pomp-n-titles we're just people, kiddo; humans, faunus, doin the best we can. Don mean we always get it right, but we try."(Glug-glug-glug) ) Right after saying that, her uncle had apologised for being a gloomy-guts.
…...The breeze returned
Taking deep, calming breaths, Ruby uncurled, legs outstretching, tension ebbing, pajama sleeves drying cheeks.
...Seconds passed.
…...Minutes passed.
("Hindsight is a capricious teacher. Heed it humbly. Heed it sceptically.) Another Iron Grandpa-sensei adage.
...She's trying.
...She's failing.
"...Crud. this reflection stuff is tough... Ugh, c'mon brain. Start making sense or let me sleep; please" trying to order her chaotic mishmash of thoughts, Ruby stretched out on the couch even more, wiggling fingers and toes, then waited...
And waited...
Still no sensible thoughts...
She twiddled her fingers...
Still nothing...
One bare foot began tracing lazy circles in the air...
And still nothing...
Too fatigued, Ruby lumped reexaminations onto a more clear-headed well-rested future Ruby.
((("You suck past-Ruby!")))
Her resolve to become her best self hadn't waned, She just needs time to improve from this, and really, terrifying hypotheticals aside, with all that could've gone horribly wrong tonight but didn't, Torchwick's machinations unearthed a goldmine of valuable learning experiences and a much needed reality check. Now, if only she were attending some prestigious academy where she could learn to effectively apply those lessons...
Oh, wait...
Yep. If nothing else, Ozpin clearly saw potential in her, despite her shortcomings. That has to count for something. Right?
No. rather she'd make it count for something. To honour the Headmaster's generosity. Henceforth Ruby swore to respect the process and work her butt off until she deserves her place in Beacon; no shortcuts, no paths of least resistance and no more accidental criminal dealings.
A mutual problem she and Yang can tackle together!
After all, Ruby wasn't the only problem-child their Dad had to collect from police custody thisevening.
(::Ride To The Copshop::)
Strangely Miss Goodwitch waved frontseat privileges to sit with Ruby. Misreading her guilt-ridden pensiveness the professor had, with surprising softness squeezed her shoulder; a small, comforting, undeserved gesture Ruby accepted with a weak, grateful smile while her gut churned with self-loathing for doing so.
Vale's vibrant nightlife passing the window still enraptured Ruby despite the chaotic past... wow, it'd barely been twenty-odd minutes since she'd entered From Dust Till Dawn, and only four of so were combat-stricken minutes, Torchwick monologues included "Didn't let me monologue. Jerk."
Seeking distraction, Ruby had asked about the group their volunteer chauffeur belonged to. Succinctly Miss Goodwitch explained that they're a special unit comprised of retired hunters, academy dropouts and specialist non-aura adepts dedicated to combating criminals with auras and semblances and even, to Ruby's shock, renegade hunters. Still, the taskforce sounded super cool. Maybe... if huntressing doesn't work out "No! Don't think like that, dumb-dumb!"
Their drive got suddenly sidetracked when the police radio sparked up, crackling reports of an extremely violent disturbance at a nightclub two blocks away. Seemingly recognising the location, Miss Goodwitch had pocketed the scroll she'd been texting on and instructed the driver to detour there, saying it sounded like another situation, pointed look Ruby's way, potentially requiring hunter-level intervention,
Zwei Hairdo Guy Parked across from a large corner building covered in luminous signs and fancy lights. Miss Goodwitch however got only halfway into her "Stay in the car" command when muffled but acutely familiar sounding shotgun-ish weapon reports had Ruby unthinkingly drown said car's occupants in a tsunami of rose petals caused by her abrupt exit.
Crossing the street, Ruby had scarcely registered Bumblebee parked nearby when two figures came crashing at high speed out through a second floor window, sparkling glass shards serenading their journey. They arched a good ten meters, grappling the entire way down to land in the middle of the road, which of course cracked under the impact. Unfazed, the pair stood to their full height and instantly began pommeling the hell out of eachother.
One was an unusually large, bearded, dark haired man dressed like a bartender wielding a really cool looking make-shift bazooka-club hybrid which he was currently slamming into his much smaller opponent's side after tanking a full-on punch to the jaw.
"Maybe if you'd just paid the damn broker fee to begin with..." The big man shouted after they'd knocked eachother staggering back, as if picking up his end of a verbal exchange from before they'd taken it outside.
"I wouldn't pay your stupid fee even if I could afford it! It was a simple question! Just answer it already! Do you know where she is or not!?"
"I'm not telling you squat blondey!"
"Then I'll just have to make you!"
"You'll try and you'll fail because I'm done playing around." Turned out the big man wasn't kidding. With startling speed, ferocity and brute force not previously shown, he drove his female foe onto full defense.
The pit of dread in Ruby's tummy tripled in size however when her mind finally accepted that the second combatant, who actually currently seemed to be slowly losing ground to her larger foe despite the red eyes and flames of her semblance already being in full effect, was indeed...
"Y-Yang?"
The pair froze, both looked over, the tall man frowning in confusion, but her sister's angry sneer instantly vanished, replace with a chirpy, if forced carefree greeting of "Oh. Hey Sis." Acting as if all was right with the world and she wasn't brawling with some club wielding giant in the middle of the road. But Ruby heard it in her voice, the faint hint of the same stress and uncertainty Ruby herself had felt when fighting Torchwick; that creeping, sobering realization she might've picked a fight above her metaphorical weight class.
"W-what are you doing!?" Ruby asked, trying to make sense of the situation as well as discretely positioning herself to backup her sister if needs be.
"Negotiating." She grimaced at the big man "Its a work in progress."
"Oh crap." The big man muttered, half in resignation half in relief, looking past Ruby to see...
"Miss Xiao Long. We meet again." Miss Goodwitch and Zwei Hairdo Guy, presently brushing rose petals off themselves, had caught up "And Mr Xiong too."
"Oh crap." Yang squeaked, echoing her enemy. Her sudden pallor suggested she'd met Miss Goodwitch before, likely during her application interview at Beacon. The older blonde must've made a lasting impression, especially to intimidate somebody like Yang.
"Yup. No way I'm provoking this woman's ire again, no sir-re-Bob... whoever Bob is. The Avatar Of Absolute Wisdom probably."
Miss Goodwitch looked between Yang and Ruby, cryptically muttering "Birds of a feather indeed. Following your uncle's example no doubt; his particular brand of recalcitrance is echoed in both of your behaviour."
"Oh Ruby. What did you do?"
Ruby scowled "Oh no don't you Oh Ruby me Miss I tackled A Giant Guy Through A Nightclub Window."
"It's My nightclub." Said giant man corrected gruffly.
"Oops, Sorry. Through His Own window."
"Thank you. Nice to see someone in your family has manners, Sweetheart." Junior sniped.
Yang gave Mr Xiong the old stink eye, then to Ruby "T-that's different. Junior here started it."
"I did not!" Junior, presumably a nickname, grumbled.
"Did too!"
Crack, "Quiet, both of you." The riding crop had spoken.
"Yes M'am!" The squabbling pair shouted in unison, drawing to attention like soldiers before a commanding officer, then glared at eachother.
More politely, Junior added "Its just that crazy blonde assaulted me and my bouncers, trashed my club, endangered innocent patrons and worst of all, she grabbed me by the-b-b-ba..."
"By the what?" Yang encouraged, hand raised to her ear "You're mumbling big guy. Speak up."
Ruby facepalmed.
Junior's face reddened, pointing "S-she's a menace to society. Arrest her!"
"I will be escorting her to the station personally." Miss Goodwitch stated
"Goo..."
"And you're coming too, Mr Xiong." The huntress stated, tone brooking no nonsense as she disarmed both him and Yang who wisely let their weapons get confiscated without fuss.
Ruby wondered why Crescent Rose wasn't similarly confiscated from her. Different circumstances, maybe.
"But I'm the victim here! I have rights!" Junior protested
"Silence being one of them." Pointed look "And victim or not. Your official statement will be required for the authorities to appropriately resolve this matter."
"Aww, poor JuJu. Big baby gonna cwyyyy?"
"Shut it Blondy!"
Yang snickered "Don't you mean, Sir?"
Junior grunted unhappily and looked away as if Yang no longer existed to him.
Miss Goodwitch looked ready to chew them out again when her gaze rose to the broken window , Ruby's own eyes following, to observe twin girls in similar but different colored outfits, one red, one white, both glowering haughtily down at them, though mainly at Yang "They're coming too." Your, bouncers, I take it." The huntress asked, putting weird emphasis on the word. Junior just nodded "The other officers will deal with them."
"They'll cooperate." Junior grumbled, giving the girls a look; they nodded in unison and vanished from sight.
Chatter ceased as the sound of distant blaring sirens grew nearer.
"...Boss?" A pained, confused voice croaked behind them. Turning, they saw the six battered, suited men who'd abetted Torchwick. They in turn instantly recognised Ruby "Aw crap. Leg it!"
An overly optimistic take on a getaway strategy in their condition; more like limping it, especially since four were supporting two more severely injured cohorts.
"Stop, thieves!" Ruby cried, zipping around to cut off their very, very slow escape "Miss Goodwitch, these guys were helping Torchwick."
"Nonono, we weren't. We were just out buying ice dust for the bar since the club was packed and Rocko forgot to restock, then some guy asks us to carry some suitcases and being nice guys we-woaaahh!"
"Tell it to the police." Miss Goodwitch indicated the squealing squad cars parking nearby, accompanied by ambulances "After getting medical attention."
While Yang charmed promises from a detective to take extra care moving her motorcycle to the station, Ruby had sidled up to the one, no longer telekinetically suspended but guarded, thug she'd punted through a third floor window "Pssst, Hey, Mister Goon. I'm Sorry, about the window I mean." She fidgeted "Uhm, you okay? I Was worried I'd, ya'know..."
Surprisingly he'd just shrugged and grinned reassuringly "Don't sweat it kid. Them's the breaks of the biz. B'sides, we're tougher than we look, plus our suits are armoured with..."
"Shud-uuup. Before she breaks more of our ribs." A fellow shushed him.
Blanching, Ruby retreated. Sneaking back to Yang's side, her sister quietly murmured "Dad's gonna be piiiiiissssed; like sober Uncle Qrow two thousand miles from the nearest bar without a flask pissed."
"Mhm." Agreed Ruby.
Miss Goodwitch glared warningly. Message received, Everyone clammed up tight.
Another short wait, another quick round of sitreps from Miss Goodwitch and Zwei-haircut guy to ranking attending detectives, then departure. Only this time Ruby found herself sharing a backseat with Yang and Junior on the remaining drive to the station.
Yang, having forcefully claimed middle seat, was currently elbowing them both mischievously, albeit elbowing Junior a fair bit harder. They'd spend the last two minutes passive-aggressively sniping at eachother, but Yang was changing tac; Ruby recognized that smile her sister now wore and her worst fears were confirmed. It was starting...
"Look at us all snug and cosy back here, we're like three peas in a, podd-y wagon."
"Yaaaaaaang." Ruby whined, pleadingly...futilely.
Yang's usual joviality was present, but a mean-spiritedness tainted it as her focus lay mainly on Junior, testing his reaction "In fact you might say we've been, In-Car-cerated."
"Oh No." Junior groaned "She's one of those." He'd reacted wrong. By complaining, he'd just made a big mistake because now Yang knew it annoyed him, thus she'd keep doing it for no other reason than she hadn't got what she wanted from the guy earlier; whatever it was they were fighting over.
"You think you've got it bad, Mister. I have to live with this." Ruby jabbed a finger at their remorseless tormentor "Times TWO! And now you just invited more of it on us by complaining about it."
Looking horrified and sympathetic at the same time, Junior winced, "...I am so, SO sorry." he solemnly intoned, and the look of pure remorse he spared her over Yang's head, well, dammit but, if only for that moment, Ruby couldn't help pitying the big lug a little... but mostly herself.
"Me too." Ruby lamented.
"Aww c'mon Rubes. Its like me and Dad always say about the law of fun. Twice the laughs, double the... pun."
Frantically, Junior looked to Miss Goodwitch who now occupied the front passenger seat she'd previously declined, demanding "You can't let this continue! We have rights! And she's..." Indicating Ruby "A minor."
"T-that's right. Minor's get special protections, right?! I'm a minor!"
"We're both minors. This cruel and unusual punishment will have serious legal ramific-HEY!"
A bulletproof, soundproof screen raised between the car's front and back sections.
"...Minors, huh?" Yang grinned evilly "Guess they weren't, digg'n it."
Ruby and Junior began beating on the screen in protest: Ignored.
Yang kicked it up a notch.
Frenzied, the pair tried the doors next... LOCKED.
So they pulled harder until
Snap
Snap
"Wow. You guys really got a, handle, on yourselves."
Ruby and Junior looked down at the broken off doorhandles they held crushed in their deathgrips then hopelessly to eachother.
"Aww poor babies." Yang cooed "They tried to jump out to no, A-Vale."
As the barrage of increasingly objectively terrible puns intensified, the traumatised pair again hammered the soundproof screen, harder, screaming, begging, pleading; in futility.
"I will not murder my sister. I will not murder my sister. I will not murder my sister and frame Junior for it. IWon'tIWon'tIWon'tIWilllll-on't..."
The wayward huntress-in-training and the not-so-legitimate businessman almost resigned themselves to their shared purgatory, which neither dubbed allowed, terrified Yang would redub it as something stupid like, PunGatory. But it wasn't in their nature.
Thus when the car stopped, Miss Goodwitch opened Ruby's door to find a massive tangle of seatbelts and bodies with Ruby wrapped around Yang's arms and legs like a boa-constrictor in a desperate bid to pin her limbs while Junior, like his life depended on it, bear-hugged Yang from behind with one arm while his free hand struggled to keep the thrashing, laughing, twinkly-eyed blonde from spitting out the wadded up dishcloth they'd somehow stuffed inside her noisy weapon of mass frustration. She gave them a heck of a ride but Ruby and Junior's hastily formed Anti-Pun Coalition were just barely containing the menace.
"Can't hold her. Miss Goodwitch; HELP!"
"Hmhmhmhmhm!" Chortling, Yang bucked harder.
"Dammit Blondie, STOOOOOP! Aw-shit!"
"Noooo!" Ruby whaled as Yang slipped loose, expelled the rag and...
"I'm Freeeeeee, Muahahahahaha!"
"Grr-ugh. Geez kid, pin her arms already-oof!" A blonde headbutt cut him off.
"I'm trying! She keeps kicking me!"
"No sister of mine's disrespecting leg day!"
"Oouch, Yang! Fine, you leave me no choice! TickleTickleTickle!"
"AHHH! RuRubyyyyy! St-haha-!stopit!"
"Only when you agree to stop punning!"
"AHHhahaha-NEVER-rrrraaa-I'd rather die-hi-hiiih-hey JuJu! w-watch those wondering ha-ha-hands!"
"If you'd stop squirming, Sweetheart, and settle down this wouldn't be a problem."
"Th-that's Sir t-tto youhohoho! Ah-NOM!"
"ARRGHH! Did you see that, Goodwitch! This crazy blonde just bit my arm!"
"Yang! Don't bite people! What if he has some kind of rare disease or something." Ruby scolded, tickle-attack ceasing.
"Grrrr!" Yang defiantly growled, biting harder and shaking her head like a rabid dog, laughter clear in her eyes.
"Uggh! Somebody get me outta this dust-damned zoo! I'm a human being, not a baboon!" Junior screeched.
Glynda Goodwitch lifted her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose as a vein pulsed murderously at her temple. The Huntress looked absolutely done with this whole wretched evening, Junior's crew and probably Ruby's entire family "Tonight couldn't possibly get any worse..." She huffed.
Pissed indeed, their father was.
He'd cut Ruby some slack for unwittinglystumbling into a situation she wasn't trained to handle. Yang by contrast expressed enthusiastic pride in Ruby for, sticken it to those bums, insisting Ruby did nothing wrong, an attitude that exasperated their dad who was already furious with Yang for her violent actions at Junior's Nightclub.
Ruby loves Yang more than life itself, but it rankled that the beloved sister she'd lied and cheated to attend Beacon with had almost forfeited her own ticket there for something so, so... Why?
When their dad baited out Yang's purpose for approaching Junior, Ruby's irritation mutated into quiet, seething anger; anger she kept bottled and stoppered for fear of damaging their relationship by expressing it, nor could she muster the requisite hypocrisy to levy criticisms. But still. Why?
"Why is Yang trying to find that woman? I don't understand. Wasn't Mum enough for her... No, that's unfair. Mom's gone, I'm bias and Yang... Yang just wants closure, and maybe reconnect with a mother who's still alive... even if that mother left her first." Mood souring further, Ruby throttled the subject "Just stay out of it. Yang supports you're choices even when she disapproves; do her the same courtesy. Dad's giving her enough well-intentioned grief about it anyway without you piling on."
So they'd resurrected the same old, stale argument on the police station's doorstep. Usually they'd keep this feud away from Ruby; usually. Thus Ruby had quietly waited it out, her own opinion wilfully withheld, taking no sides.
Thankfully their Dad didn't similarly oppose them becoming huntresses, despite his complicated feelings about it. The unspoken cause of his reluctance was obvious and understandable, yet he'd always respected their right to live their own lives. Except, Yang's shenanigans aside, he'd been behaving, oddly; specifically when encountering Ozpin. An extremely uncharacteristic cold politeness overtook his habitually warm, friendly demeanour; respect too, but bitterness-tinged; a reservedness that preceded the revelation of Ruby's invitation to Beacon, a place where they'd be outside his supervision and also, the birthplace of Team STRQ...
"...Maybe; Ozpin had a role in organising mum's, last mission... Maybe that's why Ozpin stuck his neck out for me and Yang today. Maybe he feels..." Ruby massaged her temples "...I, shouldn't make assumptions; not about, that."
Gone over a decade and still her echos linger; Summer Rose. The loving mother Ruby scarcely knew, yet to who's legacy she is infinitely faithful: perhaps excessively...
Flinching, Ruby refocused.
Like Yang, their pops wasn't great at hiding his feelings. He tries, but Ruby's a better people-reader than people realise. Recent developments obviously trouble him, deeply, and although his approval didn't always factor into her choices, Ruby wished she could ease his worries somehow.
("Having people who worry about you just means you have people who cherish you; so cherish them back.") -GrimmNoire Vol.2
So it went, a tense mutual silence had overhung their late dinner before showers were had and goodnights were uttered, they to Ruby but not to eachother and vanishing into their rooms. Their family bond is strong but not without its fragilities. Still, they'd makeup; they always do.
Thus here Ruby lay, an insomniac Beacon initiate bathed in moonlight, sorting through the mental driftwood and emotional flotsam bobbing upon the murcky waters of her reeling mind, marvelling at how weirdly this parade of successively bewildering happenings had concluded.
Since Yang supposedly has the back of an old crone, Ruby took pity on her big sis and claimed the springy couch for the second night running, but only after leaving their dad a wide window to play the gentleman...
He did not.
Ruby couldn't object, being a last minute tagalong after they'd pre-ordered a two-room suite, the couch was a fair trade that cosily accommodated Ruby's small frame far better than Yang's bulk and bouncy bits anyway.
"Enough depressing stuff. Gloomies begone! Positivity Time, Commenceth! I'm going to Beacon!...Wow, I actually am..." A silly grin split Ruby's lips "Hahaha. Torchwick's wacko scheme actually worked."
Yeah... Roman Douchebag Of The Millennium Torchwick. To say she was piqued with that duplicitous, crooked peacock would be her short life's crowning understatement.
She'd heard his name in passing, but since she rarely consumed news media, finding it boring, Ruby, lacking any visual reference, naturally hadn't recognised Torchwick in the park; no way she'd forget somebody that flamboyant. Looking back, her ignorance had mildly surprised him.
Yet. He'd repurposed a, probably, pre-planned robbery to provide the armed thugs, witnesses, cameras and even a confrontation with Vale's Most Wanted, thereby allowing her to garner notoriety by resolving the situation... without, knowingly, cheating...
Ruby facepalmed.
"That sneaky, smug, walking-talking-chimney!... Its weird, though. How'd he know Headmaster Ozpin might take interest? And even weirder, he risked capture, forfeited spoils and damaged his rep; all to help a random sulking teenager achieve her dream. Why? What's his major malfunction? Altruism? Haha, yeah right. Nope. Guy like that's gotta have an angle?... blackmail? How, and with what?...Such a weirdo."
Then again, in those flashes of emotion after she chased him onto the roof she'd observed a, reluctance; almost as if he, a career criminal, hadn't wanted to... what exactly? Ruby couldn't interpret it, and that bothered her for some reason. Its like Torchwick was...
Ruby's mighty machine of a brain had an epiphany so hard and so suddenly that she sprung off the couch to stand gaping in awe at her own unparalleled genius.
"It was a cry for help!" Ruby excitedly began half-pacing half-dancing circles around the furniture "It makes complete sense! That was him in the park, just a, not nice exactly, but concerned guy checking on someone he mistook for a lost eleven year old, which was really silly since I look way maturererer but since he's not well I'll forgive him, anyway when I mentioned training to become a huntress and name-dropped Uncle Qrow he must've sensed my righteous nature and-and saw his chance to thwart his evil self and thereby, in his dysfunctional mind, getting me into Beacon by tricking me into capturing Vale's Biggest Baddie without Evil Torchwick catching onto his plan by disguising it as a prank on a cute naïve teenage girl. After all only an insane person would think foiling a robbery would be someone's ticket into Beacon! Further proving that Roman Torchwick has that multiple personality disorder thingy! It didn't excuse him endangering lives one bit, but Good Torchwick really was begging for my help in atoning for Evil Torchwick's crimes and-and I failed him. Evil Torchwick was too strong even with good Torchwick holding him back and shouting warnings and stuff. Evil Torchwick might even be somehow forcing Lady Legs and Junior's employees to do evil stuff and Good Roman wanted to save her too! I-I think...I need sleep."
Ruby flopped back down on the couch, head hitting the pillow. Her eyes had barely shut however when...
(Beep)
Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin at the subdued chime of her scroll announcing an incoming message. She looked over. The scroll cast a faint blue glow across the coffeetable it rested upon. Grimacing, Ruby palmed and opened it. Squinting as her eyes adjusted to the screen's light. The interface's background was a photo of herself and Yang grappling atop a large squished strawberry cake and collapsed table on her fifteenth birthday, both covered in cream and icing while Uncle Qrow and Dad stood in the background, the former laughing his butt off while the latter was mid meltdown over all the cleaning he'd have to do.
Smiling at the ridiculous memory, Ruby thumbed open her inbox, finding one unread message from an unknown, unlisted sender. Ruby's smile melted into aprehention as she read the message's subject header.
– Rubies are Red. Roses are too. But what kind of huntress, does that make you?
...
...
...
"...What?"
(Edit) Edited out some minor, glaringly OOC stuff, like Glynda's unprofessional conduct with Junior after a reviewer made some good points. Tried to tidy up some other minor not so good things, like rewriting Ruby to not hate Raven who she never met. Too lazy to correct the larger OOC problems though, or the thematic looping bloating the chapter length. I also reworked the Junior-Yang confrontation to be a little less one-sided. For Vale's lead info Broker he and the twins were a bit of a pushover in canon; figured I'd make Junior a bit tougher and show tough as Yang is, she overestimates herself a bit.
Second last Chapter done. I'm very unhappy with this chapter. Its my worst yet. It doesn't flow well, its too long and feels like filler since Ruby resolved nothing, but skipping to Roman's call made Ruby seem unaffected by events, but I made her so OOC, ugggh. Oh well, failure was inevitable since I suck at writing emotional stuff, and puns. Silverlinings though, like Ruby, I lack problemsolving skills and usually hide from or brush problems under the rug, so I got that part right at least. I Thought about complicating Ruby's meeting with Ozpin, but it felt too forced. The complication-free version feels forced too, but meh, I got lazy. Besides, Ruby's overdramatic teenage brain overestimates the trouble she'd be in if she confessed everything.
Clarifications : How Roman got Ruby's number will, sort of, be explained, but not really. Since its vague, I'll just say he owns a scanner he covertly uses to read people's personal info on scrolls, credit cards, etc, unless their scroll security is really good. He used it in the park, but Ruby's scroll has solid security, so he really only got her name, number and some mundane details on her; which is all he needs here.
In the Yellow Trailer, Torchwick spoke to Junior before Yang blonde bombshelled the joint. Here, Roman left before Yang arrived. Also though Yang would be in legal shit for her actions, hence Ozpin had a harder time getting Yang a lighter punishment, community service probably.
Ozpin might suspect something deeper, though its doubtful even he'd guess that Ruby met Torchwick before the robbery. Still, Ozpin being Ozpin, he takes a gamble on Ruby just to see how things develop. Oz and Torchwick are both gamblers, just in different ways, and right now, neither man knows they're betting with the same game chip, AKA Ruby.
I headcanon that Ruby is mildly foulmouthed in her own thoughts, but seldom externally. I dunno, I just find both these ideas hilarious. XD