Chapter 13 – Ruby's Life Lesson

"This is a bad idea," said Roman.

"Can't be worse than telling me no," Ruby shot back.

He took in a deep breath and sighed with a shake of his head. "Yeah, I do guess it can't. That's why I'm going through with it even though it's a bad idea."

She'd let him call the shots when they stole the Dust, as she had no experience on where she would even start on that front. Apparently, it was far easier to break into the storerooms in the back of a Dust shop compared to directly taking from the front and holding up the cashier. Roman had only done that the first night they met because Cinder ordered him to stir up terror. He'd protested, saying that she was giving him two irreconcilable tasks and asking him to complete both, but it had fallen on deaf ears. Cinder told him that theft was theft, and he would do her bidding or perish.

Cinder was Ruby's teacher, so she chose to learn from the woman's mistakes. Torchwick had run point on their Dust robbery, and it was a huge success so far. His grunts in the alleyway out back had made off with nearly an entire store's worth of Dust, more than Ruby could possibly use. Roman had entered by picking the back locks and having Ruby run past the security camera and disable it from below, and the grunts had been handed Dust to load into pre-readied bags that were labelled as Diner-Dash meal deliveries to deflect suspicion.

Roman had been surprisingly happy about how well it worked, even going as far as to compliment Ruby's willingness to defer to him. That raised alarm bells, and it stopped being so surprising when she'd realized that he got to use the stolen Dust for Cinder's original projects. Since Ruby had declared herself the boss of Cinder, that meant Torchwick could justify ignoring his orders to cause a scene and throw the blame at Ruby.

Well, that couldn't work. Thus, Ruby had ordered her and Roman to stay until one of the workers at the higher end Dust shop came back, at which point they would announce their shared villainy and take credit for their crimes. Now that she'd gotten both the Dust and the lesson from him on how to steal, it was time for her to have a little fun.

It was gonna be perfect! Ruby would be piggybacking off of Roman's notoriety, and it would also be a great chance to test her new skills if the Vale Police Department had any hunter level officers. Roman got his Dust, Cinder got her show, Ruby got to…to…to do whatever it was she wanted – a win-win.

What did suck was having to wait, though. There was no telling how long it would take until someone came into the back to check the Dust stores or restock the shelves or however shops worked. Roman didn't know either, so the pair of them were trapped in the back indefinitely. Since no one was supposed to be there, they had to wait in the dark, as the power to the lights was off. That was okay, though – Ruby was of the dark. It was her element, now.

"Do I have to say 'villainy,' though?" asked Torchwick. "The word 'villainy,' specifically?"

Ruby nodded. "You do. I meant, you're already one of the most flamboyant thieves in the city. Everyone knows your face, and you show up on the news committing crimes. You aren't exactly low profile."

"Kid, I only show up when I've planned it out for weeks in advance. Doing stupid shit on impul–"

"Shit!"

He bit his lip and waited for her to be finished. "Doing stupid shit on impulse is how you get caught."

"I can speed us away."

In fact, it would actually be better the more people saw them. No police officer would be able to outrun Ruby – she'd seen those guys, and they weren't built for jogging.

"Do you not get it?" he said, turning away. "They have radios, backup units, choppers – this isn't some videogame where you hide under a cardboard box and they stop seeing you as soon as your out of their frame of view. If you're spotted, the fuzz can put the entire district on lockdown. If we're spotted, it'll be the entire city. They outnumber us fifteen thousand to one, so you're still a child if you think that being tougher than me means you can fight your way out. Newsflash: there is no fighting your way out. They'll swamp you until you're worn down. Individual strength can't fix everything."

"I'm not a child," Ruby said, frowning. "Not anymore."

Roman sarcastically snorted. "Yeah, cuz saying fuck every other word doesn't make you sound immat–"

"Fuck!"

She refused to be out-eviled by this scoundrel, so every time profanity came up, Ruby one-upped Roman. As a darkened child of the night, her only true limits were the limits she had once placed on herself, and now that she'd shed such weaknesses, she was unstoppable.

That was what this was all about. The village…the village had taken a toll on her, and there was nothing like a little rule-breaking to cool down from things. Back in that apartment with Roman, she'd realized that a lot of what she'd taken for granted – laws, rules, manners, so on and so forth – were only followed because she had to fit into society. Now that she was a wanted woman either way, she could cut loose and have a bit of fun on the wrong side of the law.

This is really for the best. I nearly broke at Ovais. I need to get accustomed to being a bad girl, and stealing Dust is a good way to start without anybody having to get hurt. It's easy – we steal the Dust, leave our calling cards, outrun the obese police, and enjoy the fruits of our misdeeds.

"Kid, I'm trying to be reasonable here. I get what yer deal is – Neo had the same thing for a while. You think that because you don't have to follow all the stuffy adults' rules, you're now ascended, and you can do whatever you want. Let me learn you something real quick: some of those rules exist for a reason."

"You?" Ruby nearly laughed. "Are you telling me this?"

"I'm talking about punishments. If you had parents when you went through this rebellious phase, you'd test the waters, and they'd put you in a timeout, and you'd learn your lesson. Or whatever they do to fifteen-year-olds; I ain't no nanny." He lit up a cigar. "'Cept you don't got no folks. You got the system. And the system won't put the girl who offed a headmaster in a timeout."

"Don't bring him up," Ruby bit. "Or I'll snap your face!"

"Snap my…? Ugh, never mind. Look, you're being a lot like Cinder here – thinking might makes right, and that being strongest means you get whatever you want. Yeah, you're stronger'n me, but that doesn't mean you're straight up invincible. I'm trying to warn you here. It's not about ethics – you've clearly lost all sense on that front for some reason. It's boundaries."

"Boundaries?" Ruby asked.

He nodded, taking in a puff of the cigar. "See this? They outlawed 'em in Vale. Too much nicotine. Most people like me, hedonistic scumbags, we say fuck it and sm…don't you dare. We say fuck the law and smoke 'em anyways, 'cause why should some coppers tell us what to put into our bodies? But in the end, I'll get cancer from the tobacco…assuming I live long enough to, what with you 'n' Cindy putting me on these suicide missions every other day. I'm willing to accept that, but most of the rebels who try them out aren't and end up screwing themselves. Even if we wake up and choose violence, the laws exist for a reason, and you need to know just what your boundaries are or you'll be living the consequences. Cinder certainly doesn't want to look at her own limits."

Ruby tilted her head at the curious thief. "I somehow doubt the police would arrest you for your stogies when you steal all the –"

He threw the cigar down and stamped it out angrily. "Dammit, you're missing the point. The moral is that just because ya can do something doesn't mean ya should. Alright, I'll get literal with ya. Suppose the perfect crime dropped into my lap: robbing the Central Bank of Vale, the biggest money pot in town, for its six hundred billion lien account. The guards all take their coffee break at the same time when I'm in the neighborhood, and I can magically seize my chance and grab all that dough out with no risk. Tempting for a thief like yours truly, innit? Boy, I could salivate for days thinking of all that cash."

He smiled wistfully at the thought of it.

"So, would I do it? Hell no. Firstly, I'd never have the cops off my ass. Huntsmen and huntresses would hound me for the rest of my life. Secondly, if I robbed that much dough, it's not like I could live like a king. All of the billionaires in the world are public figures, so if I showed up flaunting my fat stacks, I'd draw too much attention to myself. Thirdly, if the bank fell, Vale would fall apart. The economy would flounder, and the stock market would be in shambles, and the recession that would follow would be big enough to seriously jeopardize the whole damn place's safety. You may think I'm a scoundrel, and by my own admission, I am, but this scoundrel can't risk bringing an entire kingdom to its knees. I need a bustling city, a functioning society, to live in. There are things that I might be able to do, but I'm wise enough to know that I'd lose more than I'd gain. It's not about right or wrong; it's about consequences. I know my boundaries." Torchwick slapped his chest for effect, then pointed at her. "Do you?"

Roman watched with curiosity as the tyke he'd once called a thorn in his side poured some of his milk into his bowl filled with his cereal and stirred it a few times. The news was ranting and raving about the largest Dust theft in the city having taken place in broad daylight, and Little Red was now sitting her ass down on his couch as she turned up the volume.

Cinder hadn't gotten the message, but Ruby had. Instead of breaking his fingers for the backtalk, she'd gotten over herself and ended her little power trip, choosing to defer to his thieving expertise. As a result, they were enjoying the luxuries of Roman's apartment rather than the hospitality of a prison cell.

She's smarter than Cinder. That bitch thinks that she could just bully her way through life. When I told her that I knew how the news worked and that she'd get her notoriety one way or another, she ignored me, because she didn't want the expert telling her how he knew better. Red actually listened, and now we have boatloads of Dust and our freedom.

Well, as free as a slave to two powerful women could ever be.

He didn't quite get Ruby Rose, and he was fairly certain she didn't get herself either. Uprooted from the life she'd known for so long, she had yet to determine her place in this new world of larceny, witchcraft, and smuggling. That little display earlier had been one attempt to find it. She had seen Cinder and imitated, but she'd somehow been smart enough to figure out that it wasn't for her and pull herself out of the quagmire before it swallowed her whole.

"Thanks for the cereal, Mr. Torchwick."

Roman made a vomiting sound quieter than she could hear. Mister. He despised that brat, allies or not.

Now that she'd gotten over her rebellious phase, she seemed to be more like her usual goody-two-shoes self. Red had realized that she didn't particularly like cursing like a Mantlean sailor and throwing her weight around by being a bully – she had only ever tried it in the first place because she thought it made her more adult-y.

Still, be she a polite little child or a rude alpha-wench, she had trounced him. She really was improving, and whatever control of the Grimm Cinder had shared with her only would make her more and more of a threat as she grew.

Red was a fifteen-year-old. That meant she was kind of weak, but it also meant she had all the room in the world to grow. Roman, at thirty-three, had basically peaked in terms of combat ability, though he had no intention of ever admitting it.

She still swore, every now and then, but when she wanted to – actually wanted to, not when she impulsively thought to. It seemed like the kid had taken his lesson to heart: it's fine to break the rules when it comes with a benefit, but breaking them for the sake of it is mindless.

I really shouldn't be giving her lessons, he thought, idly rubbing at his cheeks where the beetle had cut the inside of his mouth with its razor-sharp legs. She's gonna eclipse Cinder sooner or later, and I'd be a fool to nurture that kind of talent. It would've been better if I'd let her get herself taken in by the cops today…except I would've been caught right alongside her.

He adjusted his bowler hat and grabbed himself the bowl of cereal and milk that she'd poured for him. Red glanced his way with a smile as he sat next to her and did his best to tune out the advertisement playing on the TV.

"Why'dja do it?" he asked, digging his spoon into the sugary flakes. It was far too sweet for his tastes, but Emerald had stocked up on it when she and Cinder took the place over, and Roman refused to throw it away. He wanted to eat everything that belonged to that little brat just to spite her.

"Do…it?" Ruby asked. "You mean…Qrow?"

"Actually, I meant Ozpin, but I guess it's kind of the same question."

Little Red said nothing.

"Kid? You know I can't go blabbing – Cinder doesn't believe a word out of my mouth, unless those words are 'I have Dust' or 'Please torture me for your own amusement.' I mean, I've never actually said the second one, but if I did, she'd probably listen up real close."

Even if what Roman said was true, she couldn't tell him the truth, or a lie. He had seen right through her little display that afternoon, and he seemed like he might just be perceptive enough to figure out the truth from any excuse she gave. Even stuttering out her normal lie might not be enough.

"We need to get ready for the rally," she said.

"Again with this?" Torchwick sighed. "Kid, you gotta –"

"I've been ordered to do this."

"By Cinder? Yeah, I kinda figured you might not've been her boss."

Ruby shook her head. "One level up."

From the look on Roman's face, he must not have known the specifics of who was above Cinder, because he didn't blanch in fear of Salem's very mentions.

"So, this rally. What're your objectives? What's the win condition?"

Ruby took in another mouthful of Pumpkin Pete's, finishing swallowing before she spoke. She didn't need to, because there was no one to tell her it was a rule, but if she didn't, he just wouldn't understand the garbled mumblings that came out of a mouthful of mushed breakfast. Plus, it would just be gross. Her learned desire to not talk with her mouth full might not be strictly necessary, but she felt it just the same, so ignoring it and being gross just to be gross for the sake of it was stupid, especially when it offended her just as much.

Roman had been right. With no society to tell her what to do, she only had herself and the villains, and since the villains weren't really on her side, that left just her. No one was going to police her behavior except herself.

"I'm just supposed to inflame racial tensions and make the Faunus there believe humans are jerks. We're hoping it'll push more people Cinder's way."

"Fucking animals."

"Don't be a dick," Ruby said reflexively. "Don't tell me that with all your street-smart ways, you actually think Faunus are worse. There are some really smart Faunus and some cruddy humans – present company included in the latter."

"Oh, I'm sure there's good one and all that fluff, but I don't really care. Most of 'em are less educated, poorer, and just all-around stupid."

"That isn't the fault of the Faunus," said Ruby. "Most predominantly Faunus schools don't get half the funding that the ones with humans do – that's a real statistic. And its only because of the lasting effects of the Second Enforcement just after the Faunus Wars that Faunus are poor – most of them lost everything when the kingdoms seized their funds, and they still refused to pay the victims' families back 100 years later! There were serious lingering impacts on their people because of that, and poor parents didn't have as many opportunities to make better lives for their kids, perpetuating the cycle of –"

Roman nodded along, smiling a bit too wide to be sincere. "Yeah, yeah, uh-huh, yeah, 100% a-okay! Quite right, Red. It's not their fault. But that doesn't change the fact that most Faunus are useless pieces of street garbage. Fault doesn't matter in the real world. You're proving my points, anyways: they're being marginalized, which means they're on average stupider cuz their schools suck balls, which means they're the more worthless of the two species."

Ruby glared at him. Every time she thought she might've found someone with a lick of common sense in this evil villain world of hers, they always went and proved her wrong. Yeah, it was totes for the best that she didn't get comfortable or anything with the people that were going out and do bad things, but would it have killed the bad guys to hire one friendly villain who didn't also hate the Faunus or mass murder the innocent or go from wanting to kill Ruby to making out with her on the flip of a dime?!

Coming Soon – Ruby's Rally

And now, a tip from Ruby:

Ruby's Tip #339 – Neck deep in credit card debts? Here's what to do: start by considering a process known as debt snowballing, in which you start by paying off the smallest balances first to prevent them from accruing interest altogether. Be sure to budget enough funds to still cover your minimum payments on each account, though (seriously consider automated electronic transfer if applicable). Another method is to tackle high interest debt first, going above the minimum whenever possible on these accounts. Opinions vary on debt consolidation, as it may lower your interest rates when done successfully but also extends the overall lifespan of your debt. Filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is certainly an option to liquidate some debts, but it will seriously impact your credit score for up to ten years and requires specific conditions to be met. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, on the other hand, reorganizes debt under a 3-5 year covered repayment period, though this relief plan requires regular income. Neither option should be considered lightly – choose what's best for you depending on your circumstances.

Author's Notes

The pull towards Salem is strong. We're already seeing several signs of Ruby's state of mind declining, and it's only going to get worse.

But there are also going to be moments like this, where she actively resists the programming from Salem/Cinder and makes good choices. Ruby knows better than to grip the Idiot Ball too tightly; she's going to be fighting back. It isn't going to be an perfectly angled slide down the flat slope of a hill towards madness.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!