A Bar at the End of the World, a rwby fanfic

Sitting at the end of the bar with a whiskey glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other was a petite woman who only gave him a dead eyed stare when she noticed you. Huh? So, I guess you're not all dead, the girl said callously before knocking back another swig of her drink.

It was the end of the world. Salem, the evil queen of the grimm had won, and humanity was all but extinct at this point.

An equally dead eyed warrior sat down next to her, his arms covered in layered platemail gauntlets that went all the way up to his shoulders and a long leather jacket with a highly fluffy collar, as if he had simply ripped the skin off the beast himself and started to wear it. Taking the whiskey from her hand as he looked at her from his scarred visage, he began to drink her whiskey right in front of her, "It isn't nice to hog the good booze, even at the end of the world."

Ruby let out an annoyed grunt as the man took her whiskey, though she didn't move to stop him. Her gaze remained locked on his scars, curiosity piqued. Who the hell are you then, mister?

He laughed hollowly, "I'm not surprised you don't remember. But I've heard the rumors. When we were kids we both went to Beacon... I guess it was the starting gun to all of this in a way... My name is Kaen."

Ruby's blood ran cold as soon he mentioned Beacon, her heart clenching painfully in her chest. That name awakened all manner of negative memories, both fresh and old. She looked away, not able to bear the sight of him any longer ...Kaen, right. I... I remember now. I wish I didn't.

He nodded, "That's about the right reaction, isn't it?"

Ruby just nodded, her gaze firmly fixated on the wall in front of her. After a moment of tense silence she said, You've gotten all scarred up. What happened?

He sighed, "Usual crap from trying to stave off the Grimm. After... the Fall... I just kinda went around claiming to be a Huntsman. Nobody to tell anyone I was wrong... eventually there were enough people who could vouch for my talents that..." He stared into the whiskey as if it had broken his line of thought, "Your taste in whiskey is shit."

Despite herself, she couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter at his attempt to change the subject. Yeah, well you don't need top-shelf stuff when you're just drinking to forget, she muttered, though she took the bottle from him and took a swig for herself.

He continued his story. "Anyway, I got my license on reputation alone... I heard about you and your friends and thought it was a bunch of conflicting rumors and bullshit... and now... boom... end of the world... At first I tried to fight it off... Short version is I could spend all day telling you the story of each one, but I got these fighting the inevitable... and I think... I think I'm alright stopping."

Ruby chuckled dryly at Kaen's tale. His story sounded far too familiar to her own. Well, I guess we're both in the same boat, buddy. Trying to hold back the flood with a broken bucket. At least we've got good booze to drown our sorrows in. She takes another swig from the bottle, wincing as the alcohol burned her throat.

Kaen nodded, taking it back for a swig of his own, "That said, if I ever come face to face with the bitch that started this, I'm going to go down swinging for what it's worth. I'm just not going out of my way looking for it."

Ruby couldn't help the scoff that came out of her mouth. You wouldn't survive five minutes against her, she said in a sardonic tone. Though, she was not entirely certain about that either, he'd certainly changed a lot from the boy she remembered. She'd snap you in half like a twig.

He nodded, and laughed, "Yeah... probably... I would still rather give her something to remember me by though."

Ruby glanced at him, something in his confident tone caught her attention. How could he be so sure that he had even a sliver of a chance of laying a scratch on Salem? You don't have a chance in hell. Why risk it just to die as a footnote in that witch's history?

Kaen seemed to grow dark in his tone, "Because my friends aren't even that. So even being a footnote of 'Kaen made an effort' is better than most people in this hellscape."

A flash of guilt crossed her face when he brought up his friends. There was so much that she wanted to say, but in the end, she couldn't find the words. Taking another swig of the whiskey she quietly asked Your friends... what happened to them?

Kaen motioned to her as if asking for a cigarette as he responded, "Same thing that happened to all the lucky ones. The Grimm got them."

Without thinking Ruby pulls out her pack and hands him a cigarette before taking one herself and flicking on her lighter, she takes a deep drag to calm her now shaking hands before passing the lighter And the unlucky ones?

Kaen laughed, "That would be you and me."

Ruby lets out a humorless chuckle as she lights Kaen's cigarette. A bitter taste lingering in her mouth Yeah. That would be us. The last of a long line of failed heroes.

Kaen laughed a little more genuinely, "Hey, we had to lose sometime... I just wish it wasn't on our watch."

Ruby's expression darkens at his flippant words. Was he making light of this all? You're making jokes now? You think it's funny that we lost?

Kaen shook his head, "No... but since I don't have the fight I used to, what's the harm in some Gallows humor?"

Anger, guilt and despair all warred within Ruby at his words. He was just as broken down as the rest of the world, and yet the fact that he had given up made her irrationally angry. Her hands clenching into tight fists There's plenty of harm, don't you get it? You've given up. You're not even going to try and make a difference.

Kaen pointed to his scars, "I tried... and the fact that I'm still here says that I am not feeding myself to a Grimm... but I'm one guy. Not much I can do to save the world."

Ruby's gaze shifted from his scars to his face, a mixture of irritation and melancholy swirling within her. It's because of that attitude that we will all die. You're not the only one, and you may as well be if you keep that "I won't do any good anyway" attitude. She spat bitterly

Kaen seemed to smile, a bit of his old spark coming back, "Really? And what were you doing just a minute ago when I came in?" It was nice to see her come to life like this.

Ruby's temper flared at his words, the nerve of him to try and turn this around on her. She took a menacing step towards him, her face flushing with anger I... I wasn't…

She fell into a stunned silence. He was right. She was just doing the exact same thing he was, just in a different way

He sighed, "You remind me of this one Huntsman I used to look up to. His name was Qrow. I admired him as a kid because he seemed like he had seen it all and done it all, but there was always this kindness in his eyes..."

At the mention of Qrow, Ruby's eyes went wide. She hadn't heard that name in years, and just hearing it brought a wave of memories that made her heart ache. Closing her eyes she leaned on the counter for support, the alcohol starting to get to her more than she realized Qrow…

Kaen narrowed his eyes, as though trying to peer through a thick fog. "Yeah... your drinking... your smoking... and above all that fire you showed despite everything... just because you heard I was ready to call it good."

Ruby slowly opens her eyes, fixing him with a piercing gaze. She hated to admit it, but he had figured her out. The fact that he could see through her so easily made her feel raw and exposed, vulnerable. It was as if he had pulled back the layers and laid bare the wounded and hopeless woman underneath.

Swallowing hard, she responded in a low voice What of it?

He leaned back in his chair, "Just remind me of him. That's all..." He took a deep drag off his cigarette, trying to piece her together, but an undeniable fire in his eyes...almost as if they were actually glowing.

Ruby let out a dry chuckle, taking another drag of her cigarette. The smoke leaving her lips in thick, billowing whisps as she exhaled. She leaned back against the counter, her eyes remaining fixated on his. There was something about his gaze, it almost seemed like he was trying to get underneath her skin.

She watched him intently, her voice tinged with both curiosity and resignation. You look like you want to ask me something.

Kaen responded, "You aren't done yet... are you?" Even though it was phrased as a question, his tone made it seem like a statement of truth.

His blunt question caught her off guard, the alcohol making her feel unbalanced and emotional. She took another swallow to give herself time to compose herself. When she spoke, her voice trembled with a mixture of anger and resignation.

She looked away, unable to meet his gaze. No, I'm not done yet. She paused and then added quietly I'll never be done, no matter how hard I try.

He paused for a moment before he asked, "Did you ever hear about my semblance back before The Fall?"

Ruby's brow furrows as she tries to remember anything about his semblance. With a vague sense of recollection she nodded slowly Some kind of fire, right? You could control it with your mind or something…

He sighed, "That was the rumor... but it was a lot less offensive than that. It was the lightshow that gave that impression." He took a deep puff on his cigarette and a swig of his drink before he said, "It is actually a quirk that speeds up my healing. The glow off my back and in my eyes is just the heat being released from that process..."

Ruby looks at him with surprise, her eyes wide. That was not at all what she had expected. Healing? Like, as in the power to regenerate lost limbs or something?

Kaen laughed a little more genuinely, "Hey, we had to lose sometime... I just wish it wasn't on our watch."

Ruby's expression darkens at his flippant words. Was he making light of this all? You're making jokes now? You think it's funny that we lost?

Kaen shook his head, "No... but since I don't have the fight I used to, what's the harm in some Gallows humor?"

Kaen pointed to his scars, "I tried... and the fact that I'm still here says that I am not feeding myself to a Grimm... but I'm one guy. Not much I can do to save the world."

Kaen seemed to smile, a bit of his old spark coming back, "Really? And what were you doing just a minute ago when I came in?" It was nice to see her come to life like this.

Ruby's temper flared at his words, the nerve of him to try and turn this around on her. She took a menacing step towards him, her face flushing with anger I... I wasn't…

She fell into a stunned silence. He was right. She was just doing the exact same thing he was, just in a different way

Swallowing hard, she responded in a low voice What of it?

She watched him intently, her voice tinged with both curiosity and resignation. You look like you want to ask me something.

Kaen responded, "You aren't done yet... are you?" Even though it was phrased as a question, his tone made it seem like a statement of truth.

She looked away, unable to meet his gaze. No, I'm not done yet. She paused and then added quietly I'll never be done, no matter how hard I try.

He paused for a moment before he asked, "Did you ever hear about my semblance back before The Fall?"

Ruby looks at him with surprise, her eyes wide. That was not at all what she had expected. Healing? Like, as in the power to regenerate lost limbs or something?

He laughed bitterly before he removed one of the gauntlets, revealing it to have been a prosthetic. "No... Just normal kind of healing. I can make the body do what it would have done but in seconds. Turns out, that semblances reflect your spirit... and since I refuse to die, it keeps me motoring along..."

Ruby lets out a humorless laugh, shaking her head Refusing to die, huh? I know the feeling. Seems like we're more alike than I originally thought.

Kaen nodded, "I had just about talked myself into spending the rest of my miserable life in this building and finally letting my body finish breaking down, whether it was old wounds or old age... And I think you were trying to have that conversation with yourself too."

Ruby let out a huff, not quite able to deny it, but also not quite wanting to admit it. The alcohol was slowly numbing the edges of her mind, making it easier to talk more honestly than usual.

She took another drag from her cigarette, the smoke curling around her face as she exhaled. And what exactly are you saying? She finally asked

Kaen laughed, "Well, you getting pissed at my Gallows humor shows that you have fight left... and if you have fight left and I have fight left... suddenly it's not just one guy against the world anymore..."

Ruby's face softened slightly, her irritation at Kaen giving way to reluctant understanding. You're an idiot, you know that? She said, though her tone lacked any real venom and was actually closer to teasing

He nodded, "I've been called that a lot. And it is always followed with, 'but you are right'." He stood up, the glow in his eyes in the dark and the haze a literal reflection of his inner fire and will to fight.

Ruby stared at him for a second, almost entranced by the glow. A small pang in her chest at the sight, the dull pain of hope. Pushing that feeling aside she downed the rest of her whiskey before speaking So we're teaming up now, partner?

Kaen laughed, "I guess we are. Got a problem with it, Red? Or were you just waiting for a dashing hero to come in and save you from your misery?"

Ruby couldn't help but roll her eyes at his words. He was just as insufferable as she remembered him being, cocky and overconfident. Please, don't get carried away, you're not my knight in shining armor. She retorted, her arms crossing over her chest defiantly.

He laughed, "Nah. More like your bandit in dingy leather armor. But I think..." He put his prosthetic back on with some thought, "I think we all need to have something as stupid as that to believe in when everything 'normal' has been pretty much torn down by some immortal witch."

Ruby let out a snort of laughter at his remark A bandit in leather armor... I suppose I could do worse than that. She leaned forward on the bar, her expression a strange mixture of resignation and determination So what now, partner? Since you're so full of ideas.

He sighed, "Well... we can't be the only ones... but we also can't get too big a group or Salem will just make an example of us like every other time a group tried to oppose her..." His tone got distant. "Like what happened to our teams... so do you want to find her on our own or do you want to gather an army and roll those dice a third time?"

Ruby's expression darkens as soon as Kaen mentions the teams. An unwanted image of Yang and Weiss' lifeless corpses flashes through her mind, it was painful to even think about them sometimes… With a deep breath she pushed the memory aside and returned the subject

She was silent for a moment, contemplating the question. An army would be a big risk...

She finally says But I don't think the two of us have much of a chance of beating her on our own.

He smirked tapping his temple, "Much of a chance... so you think we have at least some chance?"

Ruby rolls her eyes, realizing he was twisting her words... You're lucky I'm buzzed, I would deck you normally.

She took a swig of whiskey before responding

Yeah, yeah, I wouldn't say we have a 'zero' chance if it's just the two of us. Happy?

He nodded, "Very. It's probably the best news I've heard all week. Then again when the alternative is usually 'we haven't heard from Grayvale in a week' I will take every bit of chance I can take."

Yeah, well, don't get too excited. We'll still be lucky to get out of this alive. Ruby took another drag from her cigarette, before speaking again You got any kind of plan in that head of yours? Or do you just expect me to come up with the plan?

He thought for a moment before asking, "How much of a Sadist do you think Salem is?" It would have seemed like a non-sequitur if not for the look of deep thought in his eyes.

Ruby's brows furrowed in surprise at the strange question. She takes another drag off her cigarette as she considers it. Salem… sadistic?

She lets out a bitter laugh as she answers You're talking about the literal Grimm Queen here. Sadistic doesn't even come close to describing her. Why?

He nodded, "Then that's something I can manage..." He explained, "Imagine you love to torture and punish something... or someone... until they break. Their suffering a personal joy of yours... And then you find a toy that doesn't break so easy... One that repairs itself..." He trailed off, implying that if Salem knew about his Semblance then he could keep her occupied as her personal little voodoo doll for a bit.

Ruby stared at him for a moment as she took in his words. A shiver of unease ran up her spine at the thought. Using his healing ability like that… it was almost a form of torture of its own

Gulping down her anxiety, she hesitantly replied. You want to be a distraction.

She stated, her voice tinged with both amazement and trepidation

"You are insane, you know that, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah... but... I've lost everything... even before Beacon... and I'm still here. So if I can play possum to save the world... I don't mind it." His eyes grew a little more annoyed as he said, "But the trick at that point is do you know a way to kill her?" He was unaware of Ruby's Silver Eyes.

Ruby took another gulp of her drink as her mind worked over the question. Killing Salem. It felt almost impossible to do, almost like a pipe dream. And even if there was a way, could she manage it? Part of her wasn't even sure she wanted the answer

Yeah, there might be a way... but I'll need your help to make it work. Ruby admitted, choosing to keep her 'Silver Eyes' secret for a little while longer.

He laughed, "Well, I'll be doing my best pin cushion impression during this plan, but what can I do before that?"

Ruby smiled faintly. Despite his reckless demeanor, she was beginning to see where it came from. The only way to survive in a situation like this was to refuse to give an inch, to throw yourself headfirst into the fight no matter how dangerous it was

I think we get some sleep first. I'm too drunk to make a sound plan.

She said

We can talk details in the morning.

He nodded, falling back into the seat he was in before, sleeping anywhere clearly a practiced skill in the world Salem had created... but a sad one, especially alone.

Ruby observed him, the familiar pang of melancholy in her chest. She knew better than anyone the burden of sleeping alone. The cold silence that seemed to swallow you whole when you laid down to sleep. She pushed back the familiar sense of loneliness and spoke up

"Hey, are sleeping on the floor? Seems uncomfortable."

He sighed, "It is..." The air hung with his melancholy, as if wondering why she was drawing attention to it.

Ruby looked at the floor, shifting uncomfortably for a moment before speaking again You know… the bed upstairs is big enough for both of us. It wouldn't hurt to get a half decent night's sleep for once.

Kaen laughed, the darkness of the situation clearly tainting his humor some, "Alright... but hands to yourself, Red." It was clear that he felt much like her. That it wasn't about anything perverse but rather just to dispel the sensation of isolation and loneliness that Salem had intentionally forced on the world.

Ruby gave out a humorless laugh, her own loneliness reflected in his words. It wasn't about anything sexual, but just to have someone to hold, some physical contact and warmth to fight the chill of solitude.

Please… you're not my type. She teased

He leapt to his feet in one fluid and seemingly effortless motion, not an overly impressive feat for a Huntsman, "Oh? And what is your type? Cause we are sifting for scraps in the apocalypse."

Ruby couldn't help the small giggle that bubbled up out of her at the speed he had managed to stand with

Hmm… well, the bar isn't super high, but being somewhat attractive would be a start.

She said in answer to his question, a smirk on her face

Playing along, seemingly relieved to have someone to joke with again, he teased, "Is it the scars? It's the scars isn't it? Or maybe the missing arms?"

This time Ruby let a wider smile slide across her face. It was nice, to have something to laugh about, even if it was macabre

Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, everyone loves a handsome face with a side of gruesome wounds and missing limbs.

She said, jokingly

The laugh that left his lips as the most genuine and happy either of them must have heard in months. It was nice.

Ruby was pleasantly surprised by the sound of his laugh, taken aback by just how… human and normal it sounded. It felt like it had been so long since she heard someone laugh like that. With a smile she spoke up once again, eager to hear the sound again

Now seriously though, no hands. It's just for sleeping. Nothing else. Got it?

He chuckled, his humor fading as he took a coldly serious tone, "Given everything, if you find yourself needing a hug in the middle of the night... when the nightmares kick in... I won't push you off... but I was literally about to say the same thing." He got more distant for a moment. "Friends are a rare thing these days and treasure enough."

He knew all too well that after everything they had seen, nightmares and night terrors were an almost certainty.

Ruby nodded silently, understanding what he was saying. She knew better than most just how prevalent the nightmares were, how they seemed to find you every night without fail. The memories of the past and the horrors they witnessed playing on repeat in their minds, tormenting them while they were at their most vulnerable.

She took in a shaky breath, her voice wavering as she spoke

Alright. The same goes for you too. Friends… we're all we have.