Ruby hated waking up.

It wasn't that Ruby hated starting a new day or anything, it was just the process of going from half asleep to completely awake that bothered her. She hated bumping into things early in the morning and having no coordination. She lost count of the times she knocked her alarm clock off her bedside table because she was so tired.

Luckily, the radioactive spider that bit her gave her enhanced stamina, so she could work harder for even longer, and her energy regenerated much quicker, but the latter was probably only due to her metabolism being enhanced as well.

Ruby reached over and silenced her loud alarm, being extra careful not to smash it to pieces with her super strength again. She was running low on funds as it was, she didn't need to buy 30 alarm clocks to add to her struggles.

Ruby rolled to the side of her bed and prepared to start her day, only to get wrapped up in her blanket by mistake. With no escape and no way to slow down, Ruby became one with the carpet as she crashed into a heap of blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals.

Now she knew what it was like when she webbed up criminals, completely trapped in a cocoon of webbing with no way to escape. Now, a prison of blankets wasn't nearly as scary, but it still served to simulate the experience of being trapped in webbing.

"Mmmnnngg," Ruby groaned with her face pressed against the carpet. She somehow slinked her way to her dresser like a caterpillar before unwrapping herself from her blanket cocoon.

Ruby sorted through a bunch of clothes before eventually picking out an outfit that she thought looked cute on her. Ruby usually wore her standard combat attire regardless of what she would be doing, but since she became Spider-Woman, she just brings her costume with her and changes into it if the need arises.

It was only when Ruby became Spider-Woman did she realize how stupid the concept of a combat skirt was. It was just a skirt that wouldn't tear very easily. There were zero practical applications with such a skirt. For one, it moved like crazy when she was fighting it easily caught onto things.

It was also still just a skirt, it swayed in the wind easily and could leave her...Ahem...Exposed... If she was moving around a lot while fighting.

But once she started wearing her skin-tight Spider-Suit she realized that wearing actual pants while fighting was much easier and safer. Ruby promptly chucked her combat skirts in the back of her closet for her to deal with later. She still had a few normal skirts in her dresser that she would wear if she was just going out for a while. She thought she looked cute in them.

Ruby didn't plan on doing any fighting today so she went with a skirt she thought would look good on her. If she needed to fight for whatever reason, then it would be Spider-Woman doing the fighting anyway so she would just change into her spider gear.

After getting dressed and brushing her teeth, Ruby slapped her web shooters on her wrists in case she needed them. The web shooters compressed into little bracelets that looked very inconspicuous so she didn't need to hide them from anybody.

Ruby made sure to buy a special backpack that held all of her spider equipment when she was out on patrol. She would find a quiet rooftop or alleyway to change and then find a hidden spot to web up her backpack so no one would find it. She made sure that the backpack was a plain black one so it wouldn't be suspicious if someone saw Spider-Woman with it.

Oh! Ruby still needed to call Yang! She totally forgot that Yang took the Beacon entrance exam yesterday. Yang was probably exhausted after taking the test, so that was likely why she didn't call immediately after. Ruby knew that Yang got in, it was guaranteed at this point, with how hard she was working it would be surprising if she didn't make it in.

It was still pretty early though, Yang must still be resting after yesterday, so Ruby would have to call later. Besides, Ruby would be busy today too. She needed to test out her new functional camera and take pictures of herself doing her Spider-Woman duties. Hopefully, the Daily Bugle would buy her pictures so she could make some money.

The camera was fully charged and ready for action. Ruby shoved her camera into her backpack and headed out the door.


Spider-Woman was used to the awed looks of pedestrians when she swung through the city, it always brought a smile to her face to know that everyone was excited to see her. Of course, some people didn't like her as much as others, but the good more than outweighed the bad.

"Good morning pedestrians!"

Spider-Woman swung close to the sidewalk and waved hello to a few civilians as she passed by, she even gave one of them a high five. She then proceeded to pull hard on a strand of webbing and launch herself high into the air. Taking advantage of her altitude, Spider-Woman executed many midair tricks while soaring through the air. She surprisingly didn't get dizzy while doing this.

Instead of firing another web-line at the next building, Spider-Woman instead landed on the busy street and started running along with the traffic. She can outrun most cars and even some trains, so keeping up with everyday traffic was no trouble. It was a weird feeling being faster than a speeding motor vehicle.

Her feet pounded on the asphalt as she ran, arms pumping to keep her balance. Looking to her left, Spider-Woman noticed a pair of siblings staring at her through an open window. She offered a simple wave before jumping in the air to begin swinging again.

She needed to take some high-quality pictures of herself doing her thing so she could sell those pictures to the Daily Bugle. She would've preferred to take pictures of her stopping a bank robbery or something but just getting some nice close-up photos should do for now. Besides, major crimes didn't happen every day, and no one reported minor ones like car-jacking.

Just taking pictures of her swinging and climbing up walls should be enough for now.

After webbing her camera to a building and setting it on a timer, Spider-Woman stuck to the side of the building and struck a pose.

Flash

The picture wasn't bad, it was no masterpiece but that had never been the intent. The pictures just needed to be good enough to sell for profit. Maybe she could do some research on how to be a good photographer, or maybe it would be best to just save money to buy a much better camera.

I lucked out getting this camera, there's no way I'll find a really good one that still works just sitting in a dumpster. If I really want to make good money taking pictures then I'll need a much better camera.

After spending around an hour taking photos of herself, Spider-Woman quickly got the photos printed and headed to the Daily Bugle.

Almost all news was delivered to the public via the internet these days. It wasn't exactly common for someone to be subscribed to a newspaper outlet anymore. It was just so much faster, easier, and cheaper to get your daily news from your scroll instead.

That said, there was something about a newspaper that seemed to appeal to a lot of people. Her dad had a newspaper subscription too, he said it's just because he prefers a newspaper to a scroll. Ruby could see the appeal in newspapers even if she preferred using her scroll instead.

It was just fun flipping through a newspaper and seeing what the fine print had to offer. Ruby especially loved the comic strips because of course she did. She would spend hours when she was little reading the same ten comic strips over and over again. Ruby also loved to see what was up with the hunters in Vale as well.

But Ruby much preferred to flip through a weapons catalog instead. Seeing all the complicated ways that weapons were created only gave her more ideas when it came to designing Crescent Rose. It was also just cool to see the way that other hunters chose to design their weapons. Ruby had even seen a Clarinet used as a weapon once.

Ruby was pleasantly surprised when she entered the interior of the Daily Bugle. The building was maintained very well despite its old age, and all the equipment seemed to be up to date. It was also much more crowded than she was expecting.

She approached the front desk. "U-Umm, hello?" The woman behind the counter looked up from her computer to address the secret spider.

"Welcome to the Daily Bugle, how may I help you?" That line had clearly been said more than a hundred times a day with how perfect and practiced it was.

"Umm...I saw this ad on the front page." Ruby pulled out a cutout from the newspaper with the ad that requested pictures of Spider-Woman. "I have some pictures. I-If the offer is still open of course."

Dammit, stop being so nervous Ruby!

The nice lady took the page from her hand before typing at her computer for a solid minute. Ruby was beginning to worry that she had forgotten about her before she reached inside of the printer and pulled something out.

"Here, this is a visitors pass, it'll allow you to walk around without any trouble, just make sure you don't go into any restricted areas." She pressed a button to her left and the elevator to Ruby's right opened up. "Go to the third floor and speak to Betty, I'll let her know you're on your way up."

Ruby made to leave. "Ok, thank you!"

Ruby entered the elevator and pressed the button that would take her to the third floor. She felt the floor shift beneath her as the elevator began to ascend. She clutched her pictures tightly to her chest and prayed that this would work.

The doors slid open as the elevator reached its destination. The room she was greeted to was one packed with people all going about their jobs. Most were sitting at desks filling out paperwork or carrying things from one place to another. While some others were taking important phone calls. Ruby didn't think that a failing industry would have so many employees considering that not many people used newspapers.

She almost bumped into someone as she exited the elevator but her Spider-Sense saved her at the last second.

OK, I need to find Betty.

"Excuse me." Ruby caught the attention of a man holding a stack of papers in both arms. "Do you know where Betty is?" Ruby half expected the man to ignore her because of her young age but was relieved when the man shot her a friendly smile.

"Of course, walk down this path here. She's the woman at the end with short brown hair. Can't miss her."

"Oh, thank you, mister!" Ruby made to leave when the nice man called out to her.

"Please call me Eddie. Mister makes me feel old." He laughed softly to himself before he walked around a corner.

She used her enhanced reflexes to duck and weave past busy workers, being extra careful not to disturb anyone. She was glad she didn't bring Crescent Rose with her today, otherwise, she might've knocked a few people over. Also, she was pretty sure that these people would want someone bringing the greatest weapon ever created into their building.

She halted at a large desk packed with paperwork and various folders. The woman sitting at the desk talking on the phone matched the description that Eddie had given her. She waited until the lady finished with her phone call before approaching.

"Umm, excuse me." The woman directed her attention away from the paperwork when Ruby addressed her. "Are you Betty?"

"Yes, I am. How can I help you?" Betty seemed friendly enough, which eased Ruby's nerves quite a bit.

"Umm, I saw an ad in the paper requesting photos of Spider-Woman. I have some here if the bugle still wants them." Ruby handed her a folder with the pictures she printed earlier, but the woman simply pushed the folder back to Ruby.

"You're gonna want to show those to Jonah, he's been dying to get a half-decent photo for weeks now. You're not the first to show up with photos. Just enter the room behind me, he should be available right now."

"Thank you!" Ruby approached the glass door behind Betty and entered the small room. The first thing she noticed was the smell of tobacco. Her enhanced senses made the smell even more powerful than it would've been normally. Ruby forced her face to not show any discomfort at the unpleasant aroma.

The man behind the desk appeared to be in his late 40s. He had short spiky black hair and a large looked up from his desk as soon as the door closed behind Ruby. "Hey kid, what do you want?" He got straight to the point, either very busy or not wanting to deal with Ruby right now.

"Umm, I have some photos of Spider-Woman I thought you'd like. I saw the ad you posted." Ruby approached the desk and handed Jonah the folder she brought.

"Alright, take a seat, let's see what you've got," Jonah said as he took the folder from Ruby's hands. Ruby sat down in a comfortable chair as Jonah opened the folder. His expression upon looking at the photos was one of mild surprise. He clearly hadn't been expecting her photos to be as good as they were. Ruby made sure to take photos of her doing various things, like climbing a wall and performing a trick while swinging. She hadn't run into any crimes on her way here, so there weren't any photos of her fighting, but that could be fixed with time.

"I'll be dammed kid, these aren't half bad. Not great but not bad either." Ruby beamed with pride while Jonah flipped through the photos for a few more minutes. "Alright, I'll take them off your hands." Jonah closed the folder and tossed it on his desk.

"T-Thank you, sir!" Ruby smiled as Jonah took out a check from his desk.

"The standard freelance fee is 150 lien but because you're the first person to give me a half-decent photo in two weeks and because no half-decent photo has been published before, I'll double it just this once. I'll give you 300 for all of them. Will that work?"

Will that work? Of course, it would! Ruby had only spent an hour taking photos, 300 was more than enough for that. "Yes sir! Thank you so much!"

Jonah scribbled some information on the check and Ruby waited patiently while he did so. "What's your name kid?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry! My name is Ruby Rose, it's nice to meet you." Jonah finished scribbling on the check and handed it to the short girl.

"Here, just give this to Betty to sign, after that, you're good to go." Ruby took the check from his grasp. This was much easier than she was expecting. 300 lien for an hour of work was more than she was expecting, not that she was complaining. But there was still the problem of her name being associated with the pictures. If her father or sister found out that she was taking photos of Spider-Woman then they would flip out. It also brought on the possibility of someone trying to use her to get to Spider-Woman if they wanted.

"Umm, Mr. Jameson? Is it possible to not have my name associated with the photos? Maybe you can use a fake name or something?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"Sure, no problem," Jonah said simply. Ruby's shocked expression made him chuckle. "It's not that hard kid, some photographers prefer to not have their name on some of their work. It happens when they take a picture of something they shouldn't have. We can do the same here if you want."

Ruby recovered from her shock after a second. "Y-Yes, please."

"Ok then, these photos will have no mention of the name Ruby Rose. Come back if you ever get more."

"Thank you, sir!" Ruby exited the room without another word and made her way to Betty. "Hey Betty, Jonah told me to give this to you." Ruby handed her the check that Jonah had written. She took the check from Ruby. "I see." She turned to Ruby and smiled. "Welcome to the Daily Bugle."

Ruby smiled back. "Thank you," she said.

Ruby exited the Daily Bugle with the biggest smile on her face. I think I have a new job.

It was quite a milestone in her life. Ruby had never had a job before other than getting paid by her father for doing chores around the house and helping her neighbors around Patch. But this was a more stable form of income, and all she had to do was take pictures of herself and sell them.

I can't wait to see the newspaper tomorrow.

Ruby changed into her spider suit on a random rooftop and launched herself away.

I guess I should call Yang now. She should be awake and I really want to meet her new team. Ruby pulled her scroll out of her pocket and thumbed through her apps while trusting her Spider-Sense to not let her crash into anything. She dialed Yang's contact and brought the scroll to her ear.

"Yo!" Called out a cheerful voice from the other end.

"Morning Yang! How'd it go yesterday?"

"Hmm? How'd what go?"

"Yang! Don't play dumb! You know what I mean!"

Yang's laughter made Ruby puff her cheeks and pout. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I am now officially enrolled as a first year at Beacon academy."

"That's great Yang! I knew you could-WOAH!" Ruby had gotten distracted and almost swung into a large truck. Her Spider-Sense saved her at the last second and she managed to flip over it and catch her scroll before it smashed into the ground.

"You good sis?" Yang asked.

"Uhh, yeah, I'm just jogging and I almost tripped. Don't worry about it. Anyway, congratulations Yang! I'm so proud of you." Ruby could feel Yang blushing on the other end of the scroll.

"Heh, thanks, sis. I'm still getting used to things right now. Lessons start in a few days, they're giving us some time to get used to our new rooms and unpack. Speaking of which, I need to stop by home and grab a few things. OH!" Yang sounded like she had just remembered something. "You've gotta stop by and meet my new team! They're all super cool! Well...except for Ice Queen over there."

Ruby could hear a muffled "Hey!" from who was presumably the Ice Queen.

"I'd love to meet your team. I'm free right now if you want me to stop by. I'm not too far from Beacon actually."

"Hmm? What are you doing so far away from home at this hour?" Yang asked.

"Oh, I needed to run some errands. Nothing too special." Ruby lied. "Anyway, can I meet your team now?"

"Of course! We'll meet you outside. See ya soon."

"See you soon. Love you, Yang."

"Love ya, sis." Ruby ended her call and made her way to Beacon she heard police sirens coming from the road below. "Jeez, I can't catch a break can I?"

Spider-Woman followed the police cars to their destination. It was only a few minutes before the police arrived at a bank. There were many police officers that were already at the scene of the crime along with some ambulances parked outside. Ruby had no idea what was going on but she really didn't want to ask the cops for information. She knew that they would immediately start shooting at her if she asked them anything.

Luckily for Spider-Woman, the cops couldn't really stop her from entering the building and finding out for herself. Spider-Woman leaped onto the top of the bank and, after searching for a moment, entered the air vents.

I hate air vents, why can't criminals just leave the door unlocked for once?

After crawling around for a few minutes, Spider-Woman made her way to the central area of the bank and immediately began taking in her surroundings. There were multiple men all armed with guns, along with several briefcases all presumably filled with money. The most concerning thing was the many hostages tied up and gagged with guns pointed at them.

If they spot me, the hostages are dead. I need to be sneaky as a spider.

Spider-Woman stealthily exited the air vent and crawled along the ceiling. She would need to take out each criminal without alerting the others. That was much easier said than done. One mistake would mean all the difference.

Maybe I can lure away a few of them so I can take them out without anyone spotting me.

Spider-Woman took careful aim at a nearby crate that was isolated from all of the criminals and fired a single ball of sticky webbing at it.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

Perfect.

The criminal aimed his pistol ahead of him and walked with caution over to the source of the noise. Just when he was out of sight, Spider-Woman webbed his mouth shut so he couldn't scream, yanked him up to the ceiling, and knocked him out with a swift punch to the head.

"You're so cute when you're incapacitated."

After webbing him to the ceiling. Spider-Woman approached her next target over by the various stacks of cash. He was filling briefcases and duffle bags with lots of lien. Spider-Woman landed behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

The very second he turned around, Spider-Woman shot a web line at his face and pulled it straight into her other closed fist. She webbed him to the ceiling a moment later.

I gotta get that one away from the hostages.

His finger was already on the trigger, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Spider-Woman had plenty of experience with guns. All she needed to do was ruin the weapon before it could be fired. Luckily, Spider-Woman had just the tool to do that.

She quietly used her voice-activated Web-Shooters to load them with the dust type that was required. She also tightened the nozzle diameter so the line would be much thinner than normal. After taking careful aim, she let loose a single small thread of spider silk.

Her aim was absolutely perfect. That small thread made its way into the barrel of the gun without the wielder even noticing. The effect was immediate. Stone started to rapidly spread throughout the metal, rendering the gun useless and unable to fire.

"What the he-" He didn't get any further on account of the pair of feet that impacted his stomach. Spider-Woman's swing carried him all the way to the ceiling where he was promptly trapped in a prison of webbing.

"Shhhh..."

Many of the hostages had taken notice of Spider-Woman but wisely decided to stay quiet on account of their lives being in danger.

I really gotta make a black suit to blend in with the shadows, that'll make this much easier.

Another criminal was looking out the window while talking on his radio. He was probably demanding that the police leave or else they'll hurt the hostages. Spider-Woman crawled closer to the man so she could listen more clearly.

"You have ten minutes to get the hell out of here or we'll start shooting! Don't test me!" He yelled. Spider-Woman couldn't make out what the person on the other end was saying due to the distance but that wasn't the most pressing concern.

Spider-Woman only had ten minutes to finish up here before either she would have to get loud or someone would die. The criminal on the radio was alone and out of sight from the rest so Spider-Woman took advantage. She webbed his mouth shut and hoisted him up to the ceiling by his legs. One kick to the skull knocked him out immediately.

"Ok, we're all leaving now. Just don't hurt anyone please," spoke a panicked voice from the radio that Spider-Woman had caught.

"That's unnecessary officer, I've got this covered," Spider-Woman spoke into the radio.

"W-What? Who is this? Identify yourself immediately!" The officer demanded.

"Who me?" She said sarcastically. "I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Woman." Spider-Woman quite liked that catchphrase.

"Spider-Woman? What are you doing here? Your assistance is not necessary!"

"Ptttfff, yeah right. You guys are hopeless without me. While I'm in here doing your job, you're just sitting around trying to negotiate with criminals who won't listen to reason." They didn't even try to send in a huntsman who excelled at stealth, they were just sitting around waiting for something to happen.

"Listen, stay close by, I can't tell if anyone has been injured or not so we might need some paramedics ready. I'm almost finished here. But for the love of god, just don't get in my way. I don't care if you don't like me, but right now you don't have a choice but to trust me."

Spider-Woman didn't wait for a response, she just webbed the radio to the ceiling and continued her stealth mission.

There were a pair of criminals conversing behind a pillar with rifles in their hands. They were both dealt with swiftly when Spider-Woman kicked them both in the back of their heads knocking them out instantly. She webbed them to the ceiling to keep them out of sight.

One criminal was stuffing his wallet with the stolen lien. Spider-Woman changed her dust cartridges to her electric dust and shot a ball of electricity-infused dust at the criminal's neck. His entire body locked up when the web made contact. His nervous system refused to work properly on account of the electricity coursing through all of his neurons. He wasn't even capable of screaming.

An axe kick to his skull prevented any further pain for the man. Spider-Woman approached her next target after webbing up the previous to the ceiling.

I'm getting good at this.

The next thug wasn't even paying attention a little. Spider-Woman swept his legs out from under him and delivered a devastating punch to his face. His skull would've smashed into the ground had Spider-Woman not caught him at the last second.

The ceiling was beginning to look like a massive spider's nest with all the criminals that had been trapped.

One left.

Spider-Woman didn't even try being sneaky for this one. She simply walked up to the man who had his back turned. He was standing in front of the main entrance making sure no one would attempt to rescue the hostages. She brought her face close to the man's ear before speaking.

"Boo!"

"Ahh!" The man's scream was glorious. He tried bringing his gun around to shoot at her, but Spider-Woman grabbed his wrist and twisted it painfully, causing the man to drop his weapon.

"Strike one."

He then attempted to use his not twisted hand to throw a punch at Spider-Woman's face. She didn't even bother dodging. His fist impacted her face and his knuckles promptly broke under the force of her aura. "ARRGGHH!" He yelled in pain.

"Strike two."

His last futile attempt at defeating Spider-Woman had been administered as a kick. The criminal threw his foot forward at Spider-Woman's abdomen. His flexibility was more than she had been expecting for a man of his size. But of course, it couldn't hope to compare to hers.

Spider-Woman caught his foot with absolutely no effort. She gripped it painfully just to make sure the criminal knew that he screwed up.

"Strike three."

Spider-Woman spun around the man and wrapped her arms tightly around him. With one mighty heave, she flipped the man over her and delivered a devastating suplex that knocked him out instantly. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Spider-Woman dusted herself off and admired her handiwork "You're out."

She jumped over to the hostages with one mighty leap. "You guys okay? Oh, sorry." She hadn't noticed that the hostages had been tied up. She walked over to a man that looked the most calm and began to untie him and take the gag out of his mouth. "Think you can help me untie everyone?" The man took a deep breath once the gag had been removed.

"Ahhh hah. Y-yes, thank you so much for saving us."

Luckily, no one had been injured apart from a few minor bruises from being too forceful. Untying everyone took about two minutes. As soon as everyone was freed, they all dashed to the door, all too eager for their freedom.

Spider-Woman followed them outside and watched them all reunite with their families. Pride welled through her heart when she saw the relieved faces of worried families that had been fortunate enough to not be in the bank at the time.

For once, the police weren't pointing their guns at her. They appeared to be using their heads for once and rightfully decided that the hostages were more important than she was right now.

"Guess my work here is done." Spider-Woman bent her legs and prepared to jump away from the scene.

"Spider-Woman!"

She paused when she heard someone scream her name. She zeroed her eyes on a woman and another man with a massive camera that were closing in on her location.

It's the press. Always so persistent.

Spider-Woman made to leave before a thought occurred to her.

Maybe I should answer some questions. Is not like I can avoid it forever, and maybe giving the people some answers will be for the best.

Spider-Woman extended to her full height and allowed the woman to approach.

"Spider-Woman! Can you please answer a few questions for us?"

Spider-Woman placed her fingers under her chin as if she was considering her request. "Sure, I've got time."

The woman briefly looked surprised before regaining her composure and bringing her microphone to her lips. "Can you tell us anything about the situation that was resolved here mere moments ago?"

The woman held the microphone up to Spider-Woman's mask before she replied. "Oh, it was just a bunch of criminals that got into a sticky situation and decided to try getting out of it by taking hostages. No one was injured thankfully, I made sure everyone was okay," Spider-Woman answered in a cheerful voice.

"What do you have to say about the many dust thefts that have been happening all across Vale these past few months? We've heard that you were responsible for preventing lots of dust from being stolen and even engaged in battle with Roman Torchwick before he managed to escape."

Spider-Woman thought carefully for a moment before responding. "I am actively investigating the thefts as well as Roman Torchwick. I do have a few leads that I'm currently following but I don't have anything substantial yet. It's also not my place to reveal anything without being sure my information is correct, you'll have to wait for the proper authorities to reveal more information. But what I do know for sure is that Roman Torchwick is currently working with the White Fang to procure the dust."

The woman's eyes widened with shock. "The White Fang?! But they're a terrorist group that hates humans. Why would they be working with a human like Torchwick?"

Spider-Woman shrugged. "I have no idea. All I know is that I've busted a White Fang base that was absolutely packed with dust. So they either got a terrorist's discount or they're working with Torchwick for some unknown reason. As I said, I am currently investigating the problem."

Spider-Woman turned toward the camera. "Please report any suspicious activity to the proper authorities. We're all doing our part to make Vale a safer place."

Spider-Woman really hoped that everyone would listen to her requests and call the police if they saw something suspicious.

Maybe I can add something in my mask that allows me to tune into the police radio so I know where crimes are taking place and I can help easier.

The reporter interrupted her thoughts when she spoke up. "Why do you choose to put on a mask and fight crime instead of becoming a professional huntress?"

Spider-Woman couldn't reveal that her powers were unnatural so she had to lie a little bit to answer this question. "Simply put, I'm already good enough to be considered a professional huntress. I'm still only a teenager and it will take a long time to get a huntress license. But more than that, I refuse to stand by when innocent people are in danger. I believe that If you have the power to do good things for other people then you also have a moral obligation to do those things."

She continued. "But that doesn't mean anyone should follow in my footsteps and do what I'm doing. I'm only doing this because I have lots of abilities that make it possible for me. Besides, not everyone is meant to make a difference, but for me, the choice to lead an ordinary life is no longer an option."

Spider-Woman didn't regret her choice to become a vigilante. She only wished that she didn't have to hide behind a mask to protect her family from the dangers of her double life.

Spider-Woman noticed that all of the hostages had been taken care of and the police directed their attention to her with guns drawn. Some things will never change, the police being one of them.

"Gotta run! Nice talking to ya!" Spider-Woman leaped away from the scene while news crews and civilians took pictures of her swinging away.


One quick costume change later and Spider-Woman had transformed into Ruby Rose once more. She had never dealt with a hostage situation before but she thought she did a pretty good job for her first time.

She saw Beacon in the distance in all its glory. She had been to Beacon a few times when she was younger because her mother, father, and uncle were good friends with the headmaster. But that was many years ago and she doubted she would remember a thing about the school.

Upon approaching the school, Ruby was left slack-jawed in awe at the sheer beauty of the building. The courtyard was absolutely massive with a perfect view of the beautiful tower with the most stunning green light bursting from the top.

There stood a perfectly sculpted statue and fountain in the center of the courtyard that depicted a man holding a sword and a woman holding a battle axe standing above a Beowolf. It wasn't the most complicated statue in the world but it fit perfectly.

Each individual stone had been crafted to such perfection that it was a wonder how the school could afford to keep it all maintained.

The center of the courtyard was surrounded by a large circular pond and a garden of red trees. Ruby was sure that her enhanced vision made the scene even more stunning than it would've been otherwise. Ruby still had a ways to go before she would enroll as a student here, but at least she had a lot to look forward to.

Ruby spotted four figures standing around the fountain, one of those figures was someone she could never forget. No one had hair quite like her sister.

"Yaaaang!" Rose petals fluttered in the wind as a Semblance-enhanced Ruby collided with Yang's torso. It was a testament to how strong Yang was that she managed to stay standing.

"Ruby!" Yang trapped Ruby in a headlock and rubbed her scalp with her knuckles in an attempt to ruffle her hair.

Ruby's strength proved superior when she managed to force her way out of Yang's arm. "You did it!" Ruby cheered for her sister. "I'm so happy for you!"

Yang adopted a very cocky smirk and threw her hair back before responding. "Of course I did. I'm only the greatest huntress in signal and certified coolest sister in the world. Not to mention I have a PHD in being awesome.

"Now all we have to do is get you to tell some half-decent jokes." Ruby snickered.

Yang clutched her heart as if Ruby's insult physically hurt her. "Ugh, your words strike my soul in the most lethal of ways."

"Ahem."

Ruby directed her attention to the three girls who were most likely part of Yang's team. More specifically the white-haired girl who had interrupted her reunion with Yang. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" She asked irritated. "You dragged us all the way out here because you wanted us to meet your sister."

Yang appeared annoyed at the girl's uncaring attitude. "Of course. Ruby, I'd like you to meet my friends and Weiss."

The white-haired girl who was apparently named Weiss looked more annoyed than offended at Yang's comment.

"This is my partner Blake." Yang introduced Ruby to a black-haired girl with amber eyes and a large bow on the crown of her head. Ruby held out her hand to greet her.

"Nice to meetcha!" Ruby gripped Blake's hand firmly but not tightly.

"The pleasure is all mine," she greeted. The bow on her head seemed to wiggle a little bit. "I must say, you seem much more tolerable than your sister. It hasn't even been 24 hours and I swear she's trying to kill me with puns."

Ruby laughed. "Yep, that sounds like my sister. Luckily I've developed an immunity to her bad jokes. She's your problem now."

"Oi! Stop Yanging up on me!" Yang chuckled at her own pun while Blake just groaned in displeasure.

Yang then directed Ruby's attention to a smiling orange-haired girl "This is our team leader Penny."

Penny blurred in front of Ruby and trapped her in a tight hug before Ruby could react. "Salutations Ruby! My name is Penny Polendina! It is a pleasure to meet you."

At least she's friendly. Wow, she's strong! She would be stronger than me many times over if I didn't have super strength.

"Y-Yeah, nice to meetcha Penny." Penny let Ruby go after she introduced herself.

"I must say," Penny began. "You are very muscular for someone so small. Your muscles are also much more dense and heavy considering your build."

Ruby rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Um...I-I drink milk."

Penny's expression changed into one of someone thinking really hard. "Milk is very high in vitamins, minerals, and calcium. It is the ideal beverage for one who seeks to improve bone health. Milk consumption also increases muscle protein synthesis, leading to an improved net muscle protein balance."

This girl is crazy.

"Yep! I gotta drink a lot of milk if I wanna grow up big and strong like my sister," Ruby said with a smile.

Yang pulled her sister into a hug. Ruby immediately turned into a flailing cat when Yang pulled her close. Her grip refused to falter. "Aww, I love you too sis. I didn't realize you looked up to me so much."

Ruby was finally allowed to breathe when Yang relaxed her grip which allowed Ruby to pull herself free from the suffocating hug.

"Last and certainly least is the Ice Queen over there. Though she insists you call her Weiss." Ruby was positive that if she looked up the word "hardass" in the dictionary, then it would just show a picture of this girl's face. She was the very definition of uncompromising.

But still, Ruby tried to be friendly with her. She held out her hand politely. "Hello, I'm Ruby. It's nice to meet you."

To Weiss's credit, she at least was polite enough to shake Ruby's hand when she offered it. "I'm Weiss Schnee," she said. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

Ruby was sure she felt the temperature in her hand drop significantly once her skin made contact with Weiss's. Maybe calling her the Ice Queen wasn't exaggerating as much as she initially thought. Weiss was actually shorter than Ruby by a few inches, it made her feel a little better about her short stature to know that there was at least one person shorter than her.

"Oh! You've gotta check out the school, It's even bigger on the inside! You've gotta see our dorm too, it's a little small but it's enough for the four of us."

Ruby smiled brightly. "Lead the way."

"Wait, hold on," Weiss said, stopping Ruby. "How did you get here? I didn't see any bullheads land."\

Ruby looked confused. "Bullhead? I just walked here."

Weiss' eyes widened slightly. "You just walked here? This school is surrounded by a massive grimm infested forest."

"Oh, that," Ruby understood. She reached behind her and grabbed her sweetheart from it's resting spot on her back. She brought it forth with a graceful twirl and slammed the tip into the concrete. "This is Crescent Rose, my baby. I just ran through the forest and dealt with grimm as they came. They were no match for Ruby Rose, Huntress extraordinaire."

Weiss jumped back a little, in awe of the massive weapon the tiny girl was wielding. "I-I see. Well then. Shall we be off?"

Ruby spun Crescent Rose around and clipped it back into it's spot before heading inside.


The interior of Beacon academy wasn't as stunning as the exterior. She couldn't view everything at once like she could from the outside, instead, she had to take in each individual area before moving on to the next.

The classrooms were massive but looked incredibly dull compared to the rest of the school. There were no colors anywhere to be seen. The only noteworthy thing about them would have to be the giant sparring ring located in the center of one of them.

Likely a combat classroom.

The cafeteria was larger than she was expecting, but it just looked like a normal cafeteria to her. It's nice to know some things remain the same regardless of school.

The library wasn't as large as the Vale City Library but it was still much more impressive than the one in Signal. There were a few students already there, likely trying to get the best study material before the other students could take them for themselves.

"We should head back to the dorm now. I'd also like to introduce you to another team that helped us pass the initiation. Though you should watch out for Nora, I swear she's always on a sugar high."

Speaking of teams, Yang would be stuck with these three for at least four years. Although it's highly probable that this team will be together the rest of their lives assuming that they always stick together. Friendships forged through blood, sweat, and tears had a way of becoming something truly special. It was the same way when her mother joined Beacon. She would hear stories about her mother's team sticking together through anything, she just hoped that Yang found some loyal comrades that wouldn't hesitate to help one another.

"I'm surprised that you can navigate this place despite living here for less than a day," Ruby said. "Half the time you can't even remember what you had for breakfast."

"Yeah, Uncle Qrow showed me around here a while back. The layout of the school hasn't changed much so it was pretty easy to recall."

That made sense. Uncle Qrow knew that Yang wanted to go to Beacon, he must've wanted her to get familiar with the school before she enrolled. Ruby was still a ways off so she didn't have to worry about memorizing the layout just yet. Besides, being Spider-Woman was taking up enough of her time and energy as it was. She did not need anything else to worry about right now.

Ruby's Spider-Sense buzzed faintly as she rounded a corner, allowing her to stop in time to avoid bumping into another student.

"Oh!" Exclaimed Yang, clearly recognizing the student. "Sup Ren?" She greeted.

"Good morning Yang," the boy said politely. "We were just going to grab breakfast. Care to join us?"

Ruby was surprised that she didn't notice the two other students standing behind the quiet boy. One of them had bright orange hair and appeared to be vibrating where she stood. The other had a polite smile and hair the most magnificent shade of red she had ever seen.

"We'll meet you there, I was just finishing showing my sister around the school." Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on the young Huntress. She felt a little self-conscious due to the attention she was getting. Fortunately for her, the students seemed friendly enough.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lie Ren, but please call me Ren." Ren held out his hand which Ruby promptly shook. "These are my teammates, this is Nor-"

Ren's words halted in his throat when the orange-haired girl somehow appeared in front of Ruby.

"Oh my GOSH! You're Yang's sister? You're so cute!" She wrapped her arms around Ruby and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm Nora, let's be friends!" Ruby would've responded if it weren't for her face being smushed directly into Nora's considerably sized cleavage. Come to think of it, it was getting quite hard to breathe too.

Ruby used her super strength to remove her face from Nora's breasts. She took several deep breaths once she was granted sweet oxygen once again.

"Oh, sorry bout that!" Nora released Ruby with a wide smile. "I get a little carried away sometimes."

That's an understatement.

"Y-Yeah, nice to meet you," Ruby said with fear. "I hope we can be friends."

The girl with beautiful red hair seemed a little shy, so Ruby decided to take the initiative for once and approach the girl first.

"Hello! I'm Ruby, it's nice to meet you." Ruby held out her hand for the girl to shake. "What's your name?"

The girl's eyes widened in apparent shock. As if she couldn't believe what she had just said. "Y-You don't know who I am?"

"Um..." Ruby couldn't help but feel like she made a mistake. "No. I'm sorry. Should I?" Ruby didn't recognize this girl from anywhere, but she was very pretty.

"No! A-Ahem." She calmed down after her outburst. "No. My name is Pyrrha Nikos. It's a pleasure to meet you." Pyrrha gently shook Ruby's hand, although Ruby could tell that there was some serious strength in her arms."

Wait, Pyrrha Nikos? Actually, that does sound familiar. Is she a celebrity or something?

"Hey," Yang spoke up, gathering everyone's attention. "Ren, where's your partner? I haven't seen Vomit Boy since yesterday."

Vomit boy? Pttfff! I wonder what loser got stuck with that unfortunate nickname.

"Oh, he left his scroll in our dorm, he just went to grab it," Ren replied.

"Vomit boy?" Ruby questioned.

"Oh," Yang laughed. "He threw up on my shoes when he first met me and I'm never going to let him live that down."

Poor guy. It's bad enough that he got sick, but now having to deal with Yang's teasing made it ten times worse.

"I'm here!" Called a fatigued-sounding voice from behind Ren and his team. A figure stumbled into view clutching a scroll in his hand.

A figure that Ruby knew all too well.

"Jaune?"

"Huh?" Jaune looked past his partner to see who had addressed him. Silver met Blue as they stared into each other's eyes. "Ruby?"

All was silent for the better part of seven seconds as both Ruby and Jaune took a moment to gather their thoughts and address their situation.

"Jaune!" It was Ruby who broke the silence when she yelled Jaune's name in excitement and exploded into a cloud of rose petals. She impacted Jaune's torso hard enough to send them both flying twenty feet down the hall. Jaune also lost his grip on his scroll due to the impact.

Ruby's arms wrapped around Jaune tightly as they both collapsed on the ground. Ruby buried her face in Jaune's chest as she hugged him.

"You did it!" Ruby yelled. "I knew you would!" That was a lie and they both knew it, but it didn't make her any less proud of him. He somehow managed to defy all the odds and secure himself a place in Beacon Academy.

Jaune managed to gather some air into his lungs and responded. "Y-Yeah, I did. It was tough but I managed to not die somehow. I'm sorry I didn't call, I kinda passed out as soon as I got to my new dorm."

Ruby pushed herself up to get a better view of Jaune's face and started to unintentionally straddle him in the process. "Good work Jaune, I'm proud of you."

Jaune flushed in embarrassment at the silver-eyed huntress's sincere words of praise. "Heh, thanks, Ruby. It's all thanks to you though. There's no way I would've made it without your help. I owe you big time."

Ruby just shrugged off his praise. "Don't worry about it. What are friends for? But enough about that, you've gotta tell me how the exam went. I want to know every detail."

"Sure," Jaune agreed. "I'll tell you about it over breakfast. I'm starving."

Ruby was quite hungry too, her enhanced metabolism was crucial in maintaining her healing factor. That was an ability she had that she did not want to fail because she was too hungry. But at the same time, eating a lot of food before swinging through the city as Spider-Woman was a mistake that she only made once.

Ruby removed herself from Jaune's abdomen and offered him her hand which he gratefully accepted. Ruby's enhanced strength made lifting him off the ground no trouble at all. She had long since learned how to control her strength enough to not kill someone accidentally. The same applied here when she didn't crush Jaune's hand with her grip.

Jaune retrieved his scroll that had been ejected from his hand before walking back to his friends with Ruby.

"Let's eat!" Ruby said. "I'm starving." She expected everyone to agree with her and make their way to the cafeteria, but instead, she was met with seven different expressions.

Weiss just looked completely uninterested, which was probably just her natural expression if her attitude was anything to go by. Blake looked mildly amused at what just happened, with her bow still wiggling a little. Penny's infectious smile never once left her face. Ren had a small smile spread over his face while a soft chuckle escaped his lips. Nora looked like she had just received the greatest birthday present ever. Pyrrha looked jealous for some reason, Ruby couldn't figure out why.

And Yang?

Yang...

Oh dear god no.

Ruby knew that expression all too well. Living with Yang her entire life, she had gotten pretty good at reading her expressions and knowing what she was thinking. It wasn't a skill she was particularly proud of, but it came in handy sometimes.

Ruby knew exactly what Yang was thinking when she looked at her expression. Her smile was soft but her eyes gave away what she was truly thinking.

Yang was going to tease her relentlessly and they both knew it.

"So Ruby," Yang began with a voice that Ruby knew all too well. "You going to introduce us to your boyfriend?"

Ruby's face flushed red and she immediately went on the defensive. "H-He's not my b-boyfriend! We're just friends, I swear!"

Yang's grin never faltered. "Just friends huh? Is this that same friend that you had that ice cream date with?"

"W-Well...y-yes. B-But that wasn't a d-d-date!"

"Hmm?" Yang placed her fingers under her chin and appeared to be deep in thought. "You've been coming home later than usual lately. I bet it was because you two lovebirds just wanted to spend some time together."

Ruby flushed an even deeper shade of red while Jaune blushed a little from behind Ruby.

"NO!" Ruby pleaded. "We were just training, that's it, I swear!" Ruby desperately tried to convince her sister that there was nothing going on between her and Jaune.

"Don't worry Ruby," Yang reassured her sister while she wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I know exactly what it means when a guy and a girl go training. Wink."

"Yaaang! Quit it! You know that didn't happen! Also, you're not supposed to say wink." Ruby was burning hotter and hotter.

Yang just stepped passed Ruby and wrapped her arm over Jaunes shoulders. "So Vomit Boy, should we start calling you Lover Boy now?" The tips of Jaune's ears started to turn red as he desperately tried to form a coherent sentence.

"Umm...I-It's not...I don't...W-We're not." Jaune was trying to force 12 different thoughts out of his mouth at once and the result was everything being jumbled together. "I-It's not like that. S-She was just helping me train, t-that's all."

Yang's shit-eating grin only got wider. "Training you say?" Yang looked in Ruby's direction. "I bet you were trying to train his stamina weren't you?"

Ruby and Jaune both adopted mortified expressions at Yang's comment. If Ruby had been red before, now her cheeks blended in perfectly with her red cloak. Jaune was no better, he looked like he might pass out at any moment.

"YANG!" Ruby tackled her sister to the ground in an attempt to get her to stop talking. Yang only proceeded to laugh her ass off at her sister's embarrassment. "Stop it! We didn't do anything like that!"

Ruby could've easily held her sister on the ground with her super strength, but a sudden and unexplained drastic increase in strength would draw attention to her that she didn't want. Yang pushed Ruby off of her and got to her feet, still laughing.

"Okay, I'll spare you from my teasing." Yang stuck her tongue out at Ruby who was still blushing madly. "But in return, you'll have to bring me some stuff from home that I still need. Deal?"

Ruby accepted immediately. "Deal! Just stop...please." Yang ruffled her sister's hair, much to her annoyance.

Yang rubbed her rumbling stomach. "I'm starving, let's eat." Yang walked up to rejoin her team while Ruby and Jaune scrambled to follow. Ruby wanted to forget this ever happened.

Yang wasn't so merciful, however. She turned back to Ruby and Jaune and asked one more question. "Did you at least use protection?"

Both their faces exploded in red once more.

"YANG!"


Ruby was pleasantly surprised at the options that were provided in the cafeteria. The school clearly had a large budget and didn't try to cut corners when it came to the food selection. A good diet was absolutely crucial if you wanted to become a hunter. The right balance of vitamins and minerals are essential for muscle growth.

Ruby piled her plate high with all of her favorite breakfast foods and a fresh carton of milk. She sat down with her new friends and dug into her meal. The bacon was crispy and a little fatty at the same time. The sausage had a nice bite to it and was very juicy. The eggs were creamy and a little salty. The toast was perfectly golden brown and had a nice square of butter on top.

Ruby also got a fruit bowl that had a wide assortment of fruits piled high. Grapes, Bananas, Apples, Watermelon, Oranges, various berries, and of course, Strawberries.

Many people would assume, due to Ruby's love of sweets, that her favorite food would be chocolate chip cookies or something. But actually, she loved strawberries more than anything. Though cookies held a special place in her heart too.

Ruby was so invested in her meal that she failed to notice the shocked expressions of the Beacon students staring at her in awe at how she managed to eat half of her massive breakfast in three minutes. It was only when she went to grab a drink of milk that she finally noticed the stares.

Ruby flushed red and stuttered out apologies. "I-I'm s-sorry! I kinda skipped dinner last night, so I'm a little hungry." That was a lie of course. Ruby had eaten last night, but her enhanced metabolism made her hungry very quickly to keep up with her healing factor and enhanced stamina.

Most of the table just ignored her and went back to their meals. Ruby proceeded to slow down and eat at a more reasonable pace.

Jaune was flipping through his scroll while shoving some bacon into his mouth before his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh!" He exclaimed. "There was a hostage situation in uptown Vale this morning."

Oh.

"But Spider-Woman was there and managed to get everyone out in time." Ruby knew that would make the news, but for it to happen so quickly was impressive. The police didn't like her too much, but the media loved her because whenever she was around there was sure to be something interesting to talk about and that meant they made a lot of money.

"Spider-Woman?!" Blake yelled in surprise before she reached over and tried to take Jaune's scroll from his grip. Jaune pulled away before she could reach.

"Yep," Jaune replied. "It says that several armed men attempted to rob the Vale Central Bank, but the police arrived sooner than they expected. They tried to take some hostages in an attempt to get the cops to leave. Luckily Spider-Woman was there when it was looking bad."

"Ugh," Weiss groaned. "Can we not talk about her like she's a hero? Not only does she show a blatant disregard for the law, but she also puts herself and others in danger while doing it. She should just let the hunters do their job."

"Common Weiss, you have to admit that this kingdom has gotten a lot more interesting with Spider-Woman swinging around," Yang commented. "You also have to admit that she's doing a lot of good for this kingdom."

Weiss just scoffed and returned to her meal.

When it came to the public's opinion of Spider-Woman, the civilians had a much better view of her, with many of them posting supporting words online. They were just talking about how cool she was and all the good she did for the kingdom.

Ruby only wanted to be a hero, she didn't care if the public appreciated what she did or not as long as she got to keep her promise to her mother and fulfill her dream of being a hero. But it was also really cool that the public loved her so much.

The authorities however hated her. They felt like Spider-Woman was using her abilities to interfere where she wasn't needed. In some cases this was true, she would assist a police officer in apprehending a criminal or something similar. Vigilantism was also very illegal so they were just doing their jobs when trying to arrest her.

Hunters disliked her as well. Most of them disliked her for making the public think that she was doing a better job than them. This was absolutely not true, while she could do some things that most hunters couldn't, she couldn't be everywhere at once. The world needed hunters who could fight Grimm and save people.

That was part of the reason Ruby admired her mother so much. She saw the good in every single soul and she only wanted to do the right thing. She was more than just a mother to Ruby, she was her hero. She only wanted to make her mother proud of her.

"She's so strong!" Nora yelled in excitement while clutching her hammer tightly. "I wanna fight her! Ren! Let's go on a bounty hunt for Spider-Woman."

Ren just sipped his tea quietly, clearly used to Nora's antics. "Sure, all the hunters in Vale haven't been able to catch her but I'm sure everything will change once they get two first-year Beacon students on the case." Ren chuckled to himself as he joked with his childhood friend.

"I think she's wonderful," Pyrrha began. "It's admirable that she can perform the way she does and cause so little property damage. She also hasn't let any innocents get injured while saving them. I just think it's a shame that she didn't choose to become a Huntress instead."

"What about you Ruby?" Yang asked the short huntress. "Do you have an opinion on Spider-Woman?"

"She's so cool!" Ruby exclaimed. "Have you seen her fight? She can dodge rapid gunfire and use her webs to trap her enemies." Ruby figured that acting like a huge Spider-Woman fan was better than having no opinion at all. She also grew up reading comic books so it was only natural for her to be very interested in the idea of a real-life superhero. "I r-really like her costume too," she said sheepishly.

"Hey, she actually accepted an interview after she got all the hostages out," Jaune said while eyeing his scroll intently.

It was Blake who showed the largest reaction. "Really!?" Her bow somehow stood up straight as she said that. "What did she say?"

"Probably trying to fill our heads with lies in order to get us to support her, I'm not buying it." Weiss was really cynical toward just about everything.

Jaune began to read the interview. "She said the reason why she doesn't become a huntress is because she's already strong enough to be considered one, and she won't stand by while someone is in trouble."

"Admirable," Pyrrha said.

Jaune continued. "She also said that she is investigating the dust thefts and Roman Torchwick. She says that Roman Torchwick is working with the White Fang to acquire the dust."

"WHAT?!" Blake yelled, drawing the attention of a few students that were eating their breakfast nearby. "No way, that's impossible! There's no way the White Fang would resort to working with a human, especially someone like Roman Torchwick."

Weiss scoffed. "That sounds exactly like something they'd do. They're just a bunch of thieves and murderers, why wouldn't they work with a human if they gained something from it?"

"You've got a problem?" Blake snarled.

"Not with you," Weiss said. "But I do have a problem with terrorists murdering innocent people and causing grief for hundreds of families, not to mention the millions in property damage and all the stolen Lien."

Blake grit her teeth but stayed silent.

Jaune continued to read. "She said that she discovered a warehouse that was filled with White Fang and millions of lien in stolen dust. She's pretty sure that Roman Torchwick is connected because of all the dust he's been stealing."

Ruby was positive that they were working together. Unless the White Fang somehow managed to steal all that dust without anyone noticing.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Blake growled, returning to her meal.

They continued their meal in silence before a new voice spoke up from behind Ruby.

"Good morning students, I hope the food is up to your standards."

Ruby turned around to address the voice. Her eyes lay on a man with glasses and silver hair. In his left hand was a mug of some warm steaming liquid that Ruby couldn't identify. His right hand held a long cane, but Ruby knew just by looking at it that it was much more than just an ordinary cane.

"Ozpin?"

Ozpin smiled at the young huntress. "Indeed, I am Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rose."

Ruby's eyes widened at the fact that Ozpin knew her name. "You know who I am?"

Ozpin took a sip of his beverage before responding. "I do, I was well acquainted with your mother while she was enrolled here as a student. I was even at the hospital the day you were born if you can believe that."

Now Ruby was very surprised. Her father and uncle had never mentioned this to her before. Ruby had never even met Ozpin before in her life, or at least she was too young to remember.

Ozpin chuckled at the girl's shocked expression. "I'm surprised your father never mentioned anything, although your uncle always liked to stay quiet so there's no surprise there."

Ozpin directed his attention to Yang's team. "Team PWBY, I'm glad to see you're settling in nicely, I hope you are getting along with each other well.

Yang gave a glare at Weiss before responding. "It's a work in progress. Some of us are more willing to get along than others." Weiss refused to meet Yang's eyes.

"I am making lots of friends!" Penny spoke up with that infectious smile. "I'm thankful that Father Pietro allowed me to journey here to attend this academy. I will have to send him an electronic letter expressing my gratitude."

Blake took a sip of orange juice to wash down her food. "We're settling in quite nicely. I look forward to the next four years."

Weiss said nothing, she only shoveled more food in her mouth while refusing to look at anyone.

"And of course team JNPR. I am glad to see that you are all getting along splendidly. I look forward to seeing you all develop into capable warriors in the near future." His eyes traveled to Jaune. "Especially you Mr. Arc."

Jaune's eyes widened in surprise. "Me? Umm...why me specifically?"

Ozpin laughed. "Your performance during the initiation was one of the more interesting ones that I've seen. While your combat skills could be improved drastically, your capability to come up with a strategy to deal with an unknown variable was nothing short of amazing."

Jaune blushed at Ozpin's words of praise while Ruby only felt pride for her blond friend. "R-Really?" Jaune asked all flustered. "I didn't even do much, I just told everyone else what to do and they listened for some reason. I only came up with the plan."

Ozpin continued. "It was that very plan that allowed you all to deal with that troublesome Nevermore. Not only that, but you managed to command a level of respect rarely seen by those your age, so much so that everyone listened to your advice without a second thought, and that's not even mentioning the fact that you saved your partner from that King Taijitu. I know you'll be a great leader, Mr. Arc."

Jaune only got redder and scratched the back of his head all embarrassed.

Ruby on the other hand...

"Wait wait wait wait!" Ruby interrupted. "You're team leader?!" She asked with wide eyes.

"W-Well...yeah, I am," Jaune confirmed. "I wasn't expecting it but it happened. I really don't know if I'm cut out to be a leader." Jaune's eyes met the floor as he started to doubt himself again. That was a problem that Ruby was still working on. His potential was massive so she thought he would start to get more confident as he got stronger. It was working so far but he wasn't strong enough yet for it to have any meaningful impact on his self-confidence.

Jaune felt a hand on his back and glanced to his right to see Ren trying to comfort him. "Don't say that Jaune. You might've just saved my life from that King Taiijtu," Ren reassured his friend. "Also that plan to take down that nevermore was pretty smart."

Jaune didn't look too convinced. "But I'm still easily the weakest fighter on the team. I'm afraid that I'll just end up being useless baggage on a mission."

The table rattled when Pyrrha slapped her hands on it and stood up. The look in her eyes was a mix of desperation and conviction. "T-Then I'll help you get stronger Jaune." Jaune looked like he wanted to argue but Pyrrha continued before he could get his words out. "I'm a championship fighter a-and I use a sword and shield too. If we train after lessons for an hour every night then you'll get stronger in no time."

Jaune made sure that Pyrrha was finished before talking. "I appreciate it Pyrrha, but I'm already getting training from Ruby, there's no reason for you to waste your time trying to help me."

"Actually," Ozpin cut in. "Ms. Rose is currently attending Signal Academy and might not be available at all hours of the day. Also, visiting hours are only until 7 PM. I think it would be wise to take Ms. Nikos up on her offer." Ozpin sipped at his beverage.

Jaune looked to Ruby for her input. "He's right Jaune, I'll help you train when I can but I won't be here every day." Ruby really wished she could though. Apart from the training, she just really liked hanging out with Jaune.

Pyrrha was waiting patiently for a response from Jaune. She hadn't once taken her eyes off of him.

Jaune smiled warmly at Pyrrha. "Thanks, Pyrrha, you're a good friend," he said to the warrior. "I'd love to train with you."

Her smile was like a beam of light that illuminated the dark corners of the room. Her cheeks dusted a light pink when she heard Jaune's answer. "O-Of course! Y-You won't regret this, I swear."

Ruby couldn't help but feel like Pyrrha had some ulterior motive for wanting to help Jaune train. Mainly because of the way Pyrrha was starring daggers at her, but also because of the faint buzzing of her Spider-Sense in the back of her skull.

"Oh! Oh!" Nora jumped up bursting with the energy that a child might have after she ate too much sugar. "I can help you with strength training!" Nora flexed her bicep as she spoke. Ruby had to admit that her physique was incredible. "I can bench press five of me with one arm."

Jaune looked terrified at the thought of Nora training him. Like Jaune was a plastic toy and Nora was an overeager child that liked to break things. He looked at Ren with eyes begging for assistance, Ren simply chuckled and betrayed his partner. "I think that's a great idea." Jaune's face went white. "Make sure to not go easy on him Nora."

Jaune looked like a ghost.

"Oh don't worry Renny." Nora's eyes turned sinister. "I don't intend to."

Ren held out the palm of his hand to Jaune before it started to glow with a bright pink light. "I'm a master at aura control. I'll assist in making sure that you can make good use of it. I've been told that yours is exceptionally large."

Ruby was mildly amused at Jaune's panicking, she brought her hand up to her mouth to hide her laughter. She knew Jaune would be alright, he was too damn stubborn to give up this easily, he was just like her in that regard.

A faint ringing interrupted Ruby's thoughts. She was sure that she wouldn't have been able to hear it if it wasn't for her enhanced senses. Her eyes roamed over to Ozpin who pulled out his scroll from his pocket. He frowned after a quick glance before returning to his usual demeanor.

"Sorry students, duty calls." His attention focused on Ruby. "I look forward to seeing you here in the future Ms. Rose. Until then, keep up the good work, your uncle has nothing but good things to say about you." Ozpin's cane tapped gently on the ground as his feet carried him out of the cafeteria.

Ruby didn't question him about the phone call as it was none of her business, she just quietly returned to her meal.


"It was nice meeting everyone!" Ruby said to her new friends. "I'll come and visit sometime, I promise."

Penny waved over enthusiastically despite being less than ten feet away from the silver-eyed spider. She was an odd one for sure, but at least she was friendly.

Yang wrapped Ruby in another tight hug. "I'll miss you, Ruby. You're sure you'll be alright without me?"

Ruby brushed off Yang's concerns without a second thought. "Of course, after all, I've got Xiao Long genes in me, right?" Ruby smiled as she returned the hug.

"You've got that right!" Yang didn't say a word for about 30 seconds. "I love you, Ruby," she said softly.

Ruby felt her eyes mist over but forced herself to keep her composure. "I love you too, Yang." She hugged her sister even tighter.

The rest of the group allowed the sisters to have their moment before they separated. "I'll miss you, Yang. Make sure to become a kickass huntress while I'm gone."

Yang adopted a cocky grin before returning to her usual demeanor. "Of course, I will. After all, you're not the only one that wants to make Mom proud."

Ruby was immensely grateful that Yang had so much determination to achieve her dreams. Yang's greatest quality wasn't her strength, her skill, or her intelligence, it was her unparalleled motivation. When Yang desperately wanted something, she would work harder than anyone to get it.

"I'm glad to hear it. But I won't be behind forever, I'll be attending Beacon as well," Ruby said with an arrogant smirk. "If you slack off then I might just pull ahead." Ruby stuck her tongue out at Yang.

"Hahaha! Ruby, nothing would make me happier than to see you surpass me, and I know without a doubt that you can do it too." There was no sign of deceit in Yang's words.

Ruby loved her sister to death but hearing her say that with such confidence only made Ruby love her even more. She gave Yang another large hug, burying her face in Yang's shirt to hide her tears. "I'll make you proud Yang, I swear it."

Yang returned the hug and gently ran her fingers through Ruby's hair. "Oh Ruby, I'm already proud of you, so so proud." The sisters hugged for another minute before separating, they said all they needed to say. Nothing else was necessary.

Ruby ran up to Jaune and gave him a quick hug which he returned. "I'm proud of you Jaune," she began. "Make sure you work hard! I expect great things out of you."

Jaune chuckled nervously. "I'm only here because of your help, I owe you everything Ruby and I swear I'll do my best." Jaune clenched his fist tight enough to cause his aura to spark.

Ruby gently wrapped both of her hand's around Jaune's enclosed fist. "You are much stronger than you think you are, trust me." Jaune's grip on his own hand went slack at Ruby's words. "Where there is no struggle, there is no strength."

Ruby's smile was brighter than the sun at that moment. Jaune was sure his heart was audible with how loudly it was threatening to explode when he stared deep into her shimmering silver orbs. He had to clutch his chest to calm himself down.

Yang appeared out of nowhere and slung her arm around Jaune's shoulders. "Don't worry Ruby, I'll make sure your boy-toy isn't hurt too bad."

Ruby and Jaune both flushed a deep red at Yang's teasing. "Umm...I-I-I gotta g-go! BYE!" Ruby exploded away leaving a hail of rose petals in her wake.

Jaune clutched his chest tighter, trying to figure out why his heart was beating so hard.


"Norman this is much too risky! The serum is untested and we don't even have the proper medical staff on hand! If you can just give me two weeks then I ca-"

"Two weeks?" Norman interrupted. "In two weeks we'll lose our funding and Oscorp will be dead. We don't have time to do this the right way. Believe me, I wish it was different." Norman began to undress as he prepared to undergo a very dangerous and experimental procedure.

"But the performance enhancers aren't ready. The data that we have just doesn't justify this test. Your aura is strong but that won't be enough to stop the vapor from permanently damaging your body. Now I'm asking you for the last time, please don't do this," Dr. Stromm pleaded.

Norman completely brushed off his concerns. "We don't have a choice. It's either this works or we all lose our jobs. Now, hand me that small vial there."

Dr. Stromm obeyed and retrieved a small glass bottle for Norman. "Why?" He asked, curious."

"The primer will allow the vapor to enter my bloodstream without my aura attempting to block it. In fact, It'll only make my aura help the process." Norman popped off the cap of the primer and brought the bottle to his lips. "40,000 years of evolution and we've barely even tapped the vastness of human potential." Norman tilted his head back and downed the entire bottle in just a few seconds before promptly smashing the glass on the once clean floor.

"No time like the present." Norman laid down on the metal table while Dr. Stromm strapped him down tightly.

"Good luck Norman." Dr. Stromm tapped a few keys on his computer that activated the table Norman was laying on. The table began to retract into the large glass case that would soon be filled with the experimental vapor.

Dr. Stromm looked to Norman for confirmation before pressing the final button. Norman nodded to him and Dr. Stromm released the vapor.

The glass tube that held the serum began to rapidly drain out of its glass prison. A few seconds later, a thick green vapor started to rise out of the metal grates and fill the glass chamber. It only took a few seconds for Dr. Stromm's view of Norman to be completely obstructed by the thick mist.

Glancing at the computer screen revealed that the serum was doing its job and making Norman many times stronger. His muscle mass was increasing dramatically the longer he was inside.

Then his heart rate began to go out of control.

"Norman?"

It was quiet for a few seconds before Dr. Stromm heard sounds of struggling coming from Norman's pod.

"Norman!" Not wasting a second, he pressed a button to filter out all of the vapor from the room and grant Norman some oxygen.

The vapor had cleared enough to allow him to see Norman thrashing in his restraints clearly in much pain. His eyes were rolled into the back of his head and he was sweating way too much.

And then.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

Norman's heart rate monitor flatlined.

"Oh my god, Norman!" Dr. Stromm ran over to the glass chamber and threw open the door. "Norman!" He pressed his hands over Norman's left breast and began chest compressions in a desperate attempt to restart his heart.

"Common Norman, wake up!" Dr. Stromm was on the verge of panicking. His boss might've just killed himself just because he wanted to save his company. "Norman Please!"

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Norman's heart rate monitor illuminated and rang out a familiar sound of a working heart. Dr. Stromm left out a breath of relief.

Or he would have, if not for the hand that had a vice-like grip on his throat. Norman opened his eyes, all Dr. Stromm saw was pure terror.

"Back to formula," Norman whispered.

"RAAGGHHH!" Norman thrust his hand outward and rocketed Dr. Stromm through the reinforced glass with little effort. The Doctor crashed into a computer and collapsed onto the floor, either unconscious or dead.

"HAHAHA!" Norman cackled in a sinister voice before leaping away.


I feel like I'm trying to stay true to the movies more so than writing my own origional story, but at the same time, the Rami Trilogy was my childhood and that's the Spider-Man I know best. Is it so bad to use those movies as a basis for my story? I'm not sure.

Don't worry, there will be much more original content in the future.

Anyway, stay tuned for more

Review if you want.

Or don't.

I don't really care.