Chapter 6 – Ruby's Job Interview

Salem…er, Cinder was glaring at Ruby. Like, a lot.

Specifically, she seemed to be staring Ruby right in the face and studying her eyes.

She seemed to get so angry at me when I confirmed that my eyes were silver. She also seemed pretty angry that she has to take me to Salem. Is it because she's jealous of Salem's interest in me, or just miffed that she has to take time out of her busy schedule in Vale to act as a chauffeur?

Well, the momentary insanity appeared to have worn off by now, so Ruby decided to take the plunge and ask. It couldn't make Cinder any angrier, could it?

"S-Sorry for…being such a bother, ma'am."

Cinder's jaw hardened. "You should be."

Okay. That was a rocket-powered jetpack that immediately took Ruby to nowhere, and fast. Her intended follow-up of asking if it was because of her eyes when Cinder inevitably raced to reassure her that it wasn't her fault died an agonizing death on her lips.

Time to try a different angle, then. "Is there anything I should know to avoid causing you trouble?"

Cinder had explicitly said that Ruby would be representing her in Salem's eyes, so approaching this from the goal of trying to minimize her own embarrassment was sure to get something out of her. Ruby knew from interactions with some of the ruder girls and boys at Signal that pandering to self-interests were a surefire way to talk to those with a mean temper or an even meaner disposition.

"Shut your damn mouth."

The two of them flew the rest of the six-hour flight in silence.

Back when Ruby had mistaken Cinder as Salem running with an alias, it hadn't seemed all that odd to her that the immortal Grimm Witch-Queen had operated out of a high-end apartment in uptown Vale with two teenaged underlings as roommates. That struck her as odd in hindsight, though it may have been influenced by the castle that came into view as the airship began its final descent.

The entire castle was a single central spire with minor offshoot branches sprouting out here and there. The only way Ruby could identify it as a castle and not a natural Dust formation was because a queen supposedly resided within; otherwise, it was indistinguishable from a big old rock that just happened to have a geometric pattern. As she got closer, she began to make out distinct architectural features like broad windows running along the sides of the lower walls and protruding docking platforms, one of which their airship landed on.

Everything about this place was purple. The sky was burgundy, the ground was maroon, the castle itself was dark fuchsia – whoever designed this place (probably Salem) had really like the royal hue's foreboding theming.

All in all, Ruby thought it looked super epic!

"Woah!" she cried. She scrambled over Cinder's lap to get a better view, forgetting herself in her genuine awe of the awesome fortress that looked like it probably had a billion knights and horses within. "What is this place? Is this where Salem lives? Does she have trebuchets or ballistae for defense? Is there a moat? I don't see one – c-can I build the moat?"

"Silence!" screeched Cinder, pushing Ruby back into her seat. "There is no moat, and you will not be in charge of its construction. Now sit down, shut up, and do not even dream of getting out of that seat again!"

Ruby sat down.

The airship landed.

"Alright, get out of the seat."

Ruby had to hold back her snickers by biting into her lips. Cinder was clearly off her guard, and she was slipping up from the absolutely steady persona that had come out when Ruby had been recruited. That woman, the Cinder who 'convinced' Ruby to join the very organization she'd set out to infiltrate, was perfectly articulate and never missed a beat. Now, her silver tongue was gone, and in its place was a tied one.

"For the love of Dust, do not even think of addressing Salem. Only speak when spoken to."

More giggles threatened to sneak out. They'd had the whole flight over to plan their moves, but Cinder had spent the entire time stewing, and now she was desperately trying to get in some last-minute instructions before they exited the airship and entered the castle.

"Do not lie. Salem has an interest in your silver eyes, but as for what that means or why it is so, I cannot say. Ignore Watts – he will jape at you relentlessly in a petty attempt to rile you up and humiliate me in front of the Queen. Tyrian…ignore him too. Ignore any Grimm you see; rather, do not provoke them, and they shall not impede your way. I doubt Hazel will engage you…"

"So, I'll just ignore him too?" Ruby asked sweetly.

"Cut that out."

"What?"

"Being you. Act your age."

"I'm –"

"A child." Cinder put her palm to her face as though she had forgotten that little fact when she opened the door and ushered Ruby out with a rough pat on the back. "Act mature. If you ruin my standing with the queen, I will not hesitate to peel the skin from your bones and roast it over an open flame."

That wouldn't be an issue for Ruby; her bones didn't have skin. She, of course, refrained from pointing this out. Needlessly antagonizing Cinder might've gotten a funny reaction from the unpleasant huntress, but Ruby was here to ingratiate herself with Salem and her minions, not push them away.

She needed to play nice, but not too nice that it gave her away as someone wanting to gain their trust, which was why she hadn't simply obeyed Cinder without question or pretended to be too eager to obey her. This entire thing was a grand balancing act. This was the Grimmlands, after all, and any regular fifteen-year-old would be peeing their pants at the mere thought of it. Ruby, as a huntress, would be afforded some expectation of bravery, but too little of a reaction could give her away.

"Holy shit!" Ruby exclaimed upon seeing Salem – the actual Salem, this time. There was no doubt about it this time.

Cinder let out a high pitched noise that sounded an awful lot like distilled rage, but Salem herself merely drank in Ruby's astonished disgust with relish.

This was the kind of Grimm Queen that Ruby could've only imagined in her wildest dreams. It was a horrifying fusion of humanoid characteristics mixed seamlessly with the wretched motifs of Grimm bone and ichor. Her eyes were red as the sky of her domain, her skin looked like it was formed from tightly pressed chalk, and you already know what she looks like since you watched the show, so I won't drag it out any longer.

"Ruby Rose," Salem stated. Her temperament was far more rigid, sort of like how Cinder had initially been when she'd needed to convince Ruby to be her underling. "The last silver eyed warrior."

Ruby blinked. "What's – er…."

She shut her lips. Don't speak unless spoken to, you idiot!

Salem smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Please, ignore whatever frantic coaching Cinder gave you aboard the airship and speak plainly, child. I shan't bite."

Ruby looked Cinder's way exactly once, decided she never wanted to see a look of such hatred again, and turned back to Salem and the two men who stood behind her.

"Why is everyone so interested in my silver eyes?"

"Everyone?"

"You, Cinder, Ozpin…before he died, that is."

The Grimm-human's smile only grew wider. "Oh, perfect. Deliciously perfect. Ozma was interested in you for your eyes?"

Ozma wasn't his name, but Ruby felt fairly confident Ozma was being used to refer to the headmaster, so she answered affirmatively.

"Just as I thought. Young Rose, you are exactly what I've needed all along." Salem spread out her arms with an open gesture.

Ruby, not sure if she was reading the signal right but too afraid of offending Salem by not reacting, ran into her arms and accepted the hug. Her arms had been out, and it looked like that was what she'd been asking for.

"Oh?" Salem asked curiously, looking down and raising a brow as the tiny girl unsurely embraced her.

Salem's skin looked like it would be as cold as the pale snow it resembled in color, but she was actually warm. She didn't feel like a Grimm. Honestly, if she didn't look weird, Ruby wouldn't have been able to tell her apart from a normal woman by touch alone.

"She's exactly what you've needed all along, my queen…and also a complete idiot," Cinder explained, a scowl on her face as she looked at Ruby. "Forgive her stupidity."

'Forgive her stupidity' was what Cinder said. 'Don't blame me for it' was what she obviously meant.

Ruby blushed and disentangled herself, averting her eyes as her cheeks reddened. Salem had just been gesturing to her with her arms spaced apart. That much was obvious in hindsight, based on all their reactions. "I-I-I thought you wanted me to…y-you know. I'm sorry."

"Exactly what I would've expected from you, Young Rose." Salem turned away and walked to the end of the empty hall in which they all stood. It was probably the main hall, but it looked like it had been cleared of all furniture prior to Ruby's arrival. "An innocent, sheltered, precious darling, just as my foreign eyes made you out to be. Unversed in the harsh truths of the world."

Ruby could've passed out from the relief she'd felt. Salem somehow had known who she was, meaning that her decision to be herself as best she could with Cinder was the right call. Had she tried to act like someone else, someone more mature, in an attempt to appear more appealing to them as a recruitable minion, it would've blown up in her face.

"And when Ozma's hallowed angel has been corrupted into the very instrument of his demise," Salem declared hungrily, "my victory shall be all that much sweeter."

Ruby stared blankly for a second.

Get it together, girl. You aren't supposed to know what you don't know.

"You mean O-Ozpin? That dick? I hate to be the one to break it to you, Miss Grimm lady, but I killed him."

She had, but he would come back.

Salem knew that.

Ruby knew that.

Salem didn't know that Ruby knew that.

Ruby needed Salem to continue to not know that Ruby knew that Salem knew that, until she told Ruby herself.

I think I had one extra 'knew that' in there by mistake.

Salem nodded. "You did, true, but know that I tell you no lies when I say that he shall return. Death cannot be permanent for that parasite."

Now for the rage.

Think of that feeling, that memory of losing Beacon because of a stupid sickness. Be angry, Ruby! Show it!

"He's what?" she nearly shouted, throwing her hands down in outrage. "But I killed him!"

"There is more to Ozma than you know, Rose."

Ruby snarled. "I don't care. I'll just kill him again. He should stay dead, that jerk!" She folded her arms. "Stole my life from me…jerk…"

"No matter how many times you destroy his mortal form, his spirit endures." Salem's fists tightened briefly. "Believe me, I've tried." She released her clutched fingers. "But if you side with me, little girl, I can promise you true vengeance against those who have wronged you. I can grant you power beyond your wildest dreams. Bind yourself to my will, and there shall be no enemy who dares stand in our way. What say you, silver eyes?"

"I…I…"

One more stutter to perfect it. Whenever she was flustered, Ruby knew that she always stuttered too much.

"I…okay. I'll do it."

"Excellent," Salem said. "However…"

Ruby's face fell as the enemy woman's grin enlarged and a door behind her opened.

"…we shall need to test your resolve."

The Faunus brought out before Ruby was a pitiful sight. On his knees, he could do little but struggle within the confides of the rope with which he had been tied, desperately screaming into the gag that was contained in his mouth. Every instinct inside Ruby told Ruby to help the poor man get free, or at least do something to comfort him.

"This is Professor Callows. You may not know him, but he was an instructor at Shade, specializing in the field of Geopolitics and Interkingdom Law. A genuine expert in his field, Mr. Callows has been described as. The best of his generation."

Salem placed her hands on his shoulders from behind.

"Kill him."

So.

So, this.

This was what the teachers back at Beacon had meant when they'd said what they'd said. Ruby was told she'd have to do evil things in the name of the greater good, but it hadn't really sunk in until now. Qrow was dead by accident, and Ozpin had been in on the joke when he passed. Being told that the worst was yet to come had sounded like something Ruby could handle, but with the weight of Crescent felt far greater in her hands now than it had in Beacon.

I'm Ruby Rose, a killer. My goal is to aid Salem in bringing down the academies and sowing chaos within the kingdoms.

Ruby held Crescent Rose in one hand, pointing the barrel downwards to meet up with the man's forehead.

You need to take the shot, Ruby. If Mr. Callows knew what you knew, he'd lay down his life for this mission. He's a huntsman.

There was pleading in his eyes, the pleading of an innocent man who wasn't ready to die yet.

But what would I be able to do to save him? Even if I chose to spare this teacher guy, there's no way I could get him to safety. I'm surrounded by enemies on all sides! All I'd accomplish is getting us both killed.

Her finger itched to pull the trigger, even as every instinct in her body screamed at her to stop. No, to turn around and run in the other direction.

One life can't compare. If I can't do this, what chance will I have to keep up the ruse as we go? Salem needs to see me as a bad guy. I need to show her and the others that I can kill people, just like I did to Ozpin.

As a wetness spread down the pitiable man's pants, Ruby thumbed the trigger and prepared to pull it.

Wait.

Wait!

Ruby held off on the shot for even longer as Salem's smile turned into a frown.

"You need to make your choice, Ruby," said Salem.

She…no matter what, she could not save him. If Ruby gave in to her better nature and tried to free Prof. Callows, she wouldn't be able to.

So, what kind of test was this?

There was no choice here: killing him was the only rational option. Even a good guy in a bad spot – a secret spy double agent person – would kill him, because he was already as good as dead. If Salem's people wanted to see if she was loyal, they weren't going to find out anything from this.

Ruby glanced Cinder's way. Cinder, who was desperate for Ruby not to embarrass her in front of Salem, would surely be egging Ruby on to take the shot with her eyes…

…if Ruby truly was supposed to take the shot.

Cinder was just watching the scene intently, but not nervously. She made eye contact with Ruby but didn't do anything. No subtle but frantic nods forward for Ruby to proceed, no anxiously mouthing 'do it,' no fear in her eyes that Ruby would be too weak to make the tough call and have it reflect poorly on her recruiter. Ruby had no idea what she wanted to see from this, but she imagined that if this test were exactly what it seemed, Cinder would be desperate to ensure Ruby went all the way and passed.

She wasn't. Cinder was just curiously observing.

Salem doesn't expect a ruthless killer. She doesn't even want one. She wants to corrupt a soft, fluffy little girl into a murderer…which means I'm not supposed to be the latter yet.

Lowering Crescent with hands that were genuinely trembling from stress, she let out the breath she'd been holding in.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I can't do it."

Salem's face drew into a scowl. "He's with the hunters, Rose. He trains the selfsame children who stole your future from you."

"I know," Ruby said. "But I'm not strong enough to…to…l-look, I get that he's a part of what I'm opposed to. But I'm just too scared. C-Couldn't we just keep him prisoner? I'm willing to let him die, but I can't do it myself."

"I can't say I'm pleased with you, Ruby. I thought you had the strength to do what was necessary." Salem tsked her lips. "This disappoints me, Ruby."

It didn't.

Ruby couldn't be sure what Salem's intended reaction from her was, but she hadn't wanted Ruby to do it.

"Y-You're going to kill me, then, aren't you?" Ruby asked. It didn't take much acting skill to stutter. It came naturally, in equal parts due to the Grimm-filled setting and due to who Ruby was as a person. "I-I-I can be loyal. Please, give me another chance." She fell to her knees, down on the floor next to the equally weepy scorpion Faunus. "Anything, I beg of you!"

Salem watched Ruby for a few seconds with narrow eyes, studying her reactions.

She clutched at Salem's dress and gasped in air as her voice cracked. "P-Please."

And then, Salem smiled from ear to ear.

"Oh, just perfect."

Ruby Rose was led off by Seers to the bathroom to clean herself off, likely having shit herself in fear. A huntress though she may have been, a natural killer she was not.

"I don't understand," Cinder asked, when the five of them were truly alone. "She killed Ozpin and Branwen. Why did you have a test in which she was meant to not kill someone?"

"That was less a test and more a formality. I merely wished to see her in action with my own two eyes."

"I don't follow. Why didn't she kill Tyrian? She'd already killed twice. I don't understand."

"You wouldn't," growled Hazel, disdain on his face. Cinder matched it with her own.

"Ruby isn't a murderer, Cinder," explained Salem. "She may have killed twice in a fit of passion, but passion wears off. I don't doubt she longs for her precious academies and the huntress life once more, to go back in time and have it all back, but that path is closed to her now, and her only option is us. We shall feed her, cloth her, protect her, and keep her off the streets, but every second spent in Evernight shall be a second bringing her closer to her destiny."

Watts nodded. "To be a weapon."

"No!" Salem said instantly, cutting Watts off not with anger but with certainty. "No, doctor, Ruby shall not become our monster. Her destiny is to become our dark hero."

"Provided she has the stomach," said Hazel.

"And the talent," Cinder added.

"Worry not for the specifics," said Salem. "No mere fool of a human could slay Ozma, whatever crippled form he took."

Cinder's mouth curled at that. She'd been willing to take on Rose as a disciple at the level of Emerald or Mercury (and keep her equally disposable), but only once she'd proven herself time and time again. To see a child…a huntress-in-training, of all things, so easily accepted to Salem's own table? It was not only an insult to everything Cinder herself had sacrificed to earn her own, but a security risk.

"How sure are we that she won't simply run back to our enemies when her resolve fails her next?" she asked Salem, careful to keep her tone as that of a concerned subordinate and not an insolent one. "On that matter, how certain are we that she isn't a spy? Ozpin's life is not exactly irreplaceable currency, your grace."

Hazel snorted. "More fool you."

"Had it just been Ozma himself, I might've suspected a trap," Salem said airily, as though such a thought was an oddity to be ridiculed. "But to kill his own prized war hound, Qrow Birdman?"

"Branwen," corrected Watts.

Salem's eyes fell upon him.

"Qrow Birdman it is," he said, touching his moustache in a fidget movement to hide his fear.

"Ozma loves his humans, more than he did our own children. It was for them that he turned on me. Even a single life would be too high a price for him, and this particular life was one of particular value to him."

Cinder nodded, now partially seeing the logic enough to understand why Rose wasn't under observation for treachery. She couldn't truly comprehend the whole human-loving portion – Cinder never was fully up to date on the concept of love and how it was supposed to be felt – but Ruby's uncle was an irreplaceable minion for Ozpin. There was no way Ozpin would discard him on the mere chance that Ruby piqued Salem's interest. Even were it guaranteed to buy some loyalty and a seat at Salem's table, it was still too high a price. Branwen had been trained for upwards of forty years as a huntsman, and his name was not spoken lightly in hunter circles. To lose that kind of investment was –

"Wait a second, how the hell did she even kill them?" Cinder said, momentarily forgetting herself in her shock and nearly shouting her question at Salem. "If Branw– if Birdman was so good, how could Rose have slain him? And Ozpin, too, on the same day?"

"He's her uncle," said Hazel. He paused, apparently realizing that Cinder wasn't going to comprehend that simple sentence for an explanation. "He trusted her implicitly, as I did my own sister. Rose would have had ample opportunity to stab him in the back when it was turned."

"A brief fleeting moment, and her life as she knows it ends," Salem said, glee in her tone. Cinder might've mistaken her for Ruby herself, given how childishly giddy her voice sounded. "And in the same stroke, her first juvenile foray into darkness, proving that it can have a place in her heart. All we must do is extend that place." She shook herself out of her bizarre state and placed her hands at her waist. "Ahem. As for Ozma, he could not rightly use magic in front of crowds. The body he last resided in, Headmaster Ozpenis, was crippled on the right leg by a now-fallen servant of mine, Rhodalion. It cost her her life, but she dealt a devastating blow, one worse than death for the reincarnating parasite called Ozma."

Cinder nodded. "I see. And Rose?"

"She's eager to earn her place among us. Her descent shall be gradual. We mustn't rush the poor thing, not so soon after she just lost her uncle. Training for her shall begin tomorrow."

Salem dismissed the four hunters under her command with a wave of her hand. Cinder, Watts, Hazel, and Tyrian turned to return to the halls leading to their respective rooms until they reconvene to dine.

"Oh, and Cinder?"

Cinder felt the pain of her Scarab gnawing against her insides before her queen even needed to lay out the threat. She had known that indebting herself to a new mistress following the death of her stepmother was a risky maneuver, but never had she anticipated that the rewards Salem offered of raw power came with such great risk. Still, she bore the agony with a neutral face and turned back to Salem, her head lowered respectfully.

"Do not raise your voice to me again. You are no longer irreplaceable."

Coming Soon – Ruby's New Home

And now, a tip from Ruby:

Ruby's Tip #766 – Having trouble losing weight? Try gaining weight instead – it's a lot easier!

Author's Notes

That's an example of a non-Ruby POV. It's not her but someone nearby her, close enough that Ruby is barely out of frame when they reflect on her. That means there's no secondary story happening at Beacon, sadly, which has been my most asked question so far. That's not to say Beacon won't be involved, or the characters there won't matter, but just that we won't be switching between two stories - one on Ruby, one on Yang and Weiss.

Salem is fun to write as a villain for this one, but not because she's show-level pure evil or a redemption fanfic woobie (like certain other fics of mine that shan't be named). Origin Salem is going to be both humanized and villainized.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!