S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and RWBY are not my property; the titles belong to Rooster Teeth and GSC Game World.

Chapter 3: The first raid

Very show me what you're capable of girl' Wolf said seeing Ruby with some bottles on a fence at a distance from her.

Ruby inspected the gun carefully seeing that it needed a little cleaning. 'It should weigh about 3.6 kg, and the recoil should be 3.2 due to the .32 bullet. A light bullet. unlike my .50 cal Crescent Rose which makes it harder recoil. but it depends on Dust's bullet...' He said to pull out a bullet and open it up to see the contents. 'It's not Dust.

When she was sure, she took the rifle and positioned it well and pointed the scope at one of the bottles to shoot down one and another until she finished them all with perfect accuracy until the cartridge ran out.

'It looks like we have an expert at this! How old are you, girl?' asked Wolf.

Ruby replied somewhat uncomfortably. 'Amm... I'm fifteen. Why?'

'Fifteen?! And you shoot like a special forces agent!' Wolf said in surprise.

'Were your parents military or weapons experts?' asked Marcado.

'No, actually...my parents were hunters and my uncle taught me how to use one' Marcado raised an eyebrow at that.

'I'll drink to that,' Wolf said with a smile, but then changed to a serious one as he watched the sun go down. 'Well, since you already have experience with weapons. Get ready, we're going out at once against those bandits.

Ruby followed them past the rookie camp and saw the military base in the distance. As they advanced she noticed in the distance some wild boars walking quietly. They would pass a tunnel and come to a group of four stalkers with sawed-off shotguns wearing leather coats similar to his own.

'Lights out' Wolf said and crouched down out of sight as they all followed suit.

'What do we know?' said Marcado pulling out a pair of binoculars to see the camp.

'There are fifteen in total, there are guards at the front and behind the car park. We have a theory that there are some renegades with them because of the better equipment they carry' Said a stalker pointing to the areas where several bandits were seen keeping watch.

'The worst part was that not too long ago they took from one of the army convoys a fucking car with a machine gun... In short we are fucked'.

'We need to destroy that car and inutulize the machine gun,' Wolf said, pulling out his binoculars and looking at the damn car in the middle of the courtyard.

'If we don't do that, they might take the town by force' Marcado said, finishing looking at the place. 'They're not stupid, but they're confident that with that car they're untouchable'.

Ruby was feeling insecure with the talk between the two stalkers about how to eradicate the car. She took out her binoculars like them to take a look at the vehicle and noticed that in the warehouse there were red tanks with faded signs of a flame of fire. 'In the warehouse there are red barrels. We can use them to make a distraction'.

Wolf and Marcado saw the area indicated by Ruby.

'Good job, Parka,' Marcado said. 'Do you think you can hit them from your position?

'Yes I can, but there's a problem. There are three bandits next door watching. I can hurt or kill them,' she said uncertainly.

'Does it matter?' Marcado asked. 'No one's going to cry over bandits.'

'Can't we just ask the army guard post for help?' I ask trying to avoid bloodshed.

'Sure, go tell them to fill our asses with bullets,' Marcado said, annoyed at her idealistic attitude. The comment didn't sit well with Ruby.

'But that's not right, they're people!' she whispered a little loudly trying to make Marcado see her point.

'People who steal, kill and in the case of women rape them just for their own personal enjoyment' Making a strong point. 'And the military will shoot you anyway for being an illegal intruder in the Zone. They won't take pity on you for being a child' He said to look at Ruby who was about to slap him, but Marcado stopped her. 'You're not cut out for the Zone, girl. Go back to the rookie camp and let the adults work.'

Ruby resented being called all that because of her age, she was a slayer, she drank milk! She stood up and put down the rifle Wolf gave her. 'I'm going to show them that I can settle this without blood!' She said annoyed to head towards the guard post.

'Twenty to get shot,' said a stalker to his partner who nodded.

Marked just watched her indifferently. To him she was a child, it was like putting a tame cat to fight a flesh. 'We need to get back to base and resupply, we're going to need plenty of ammo for an attack'.

'I agree with that,' Wolf said.

Ruby walked towards the lookout post where a light from it illuminated her and a megaphone sounded. 'Listen Stalker! Keep your hands where we can see them and stay where you are!'

Ruby did what they gave to see as some military men approached, these had their faces covered by a balaclava. 'You seem to be too young for the Zone girl. What are you coming here to do and you better give me a good reason or else I give the order to shoot, got it?'

I swallow, but try to stay calm. 'I'm Ruby Rose and I'm here to help me with a rescue.

'What kind of rescue?' the soldier asked.

'Some men were taken by bandits and I want to avoid bloodshed and you could help.

'Ah ya!' said the soldier as one of them stepped behind him to inspect that he had nothing hidden. 'And where are these bandits?'.

'In an old workshop near the bridge, they've commandeered a machine gun carriage.'

'That explains their increase...Well, child, you did the right thing to tell us. We'll go right away to finish them off. But we need something in return,' said the soldier.

'In what way?' she said nervously.

'Well, tell us everything you know about the rookie village and maybe we'll leave them alive' He said seriously.

'They won't think...' She said not believing her ears. 'But you guys follow the law.'

'They're illegals girl...just like you and a stalker's word is worthless' Before Ruby could say anything she felt a blow to her head knocking her unconscious, with what little vision she had left she would see them.

'What do we do with her, sir?' one of them asked.

'Take her to the renegades, remember the plan.' As they were about to take her, Ruby lost consciousness.

'Oh no,' said a lookout.

'What?' asked Marcado.

'Apparently the military is cooperating with the bandits and...they have the girl' Marcado took out his binoculars and looked in the direction of Ruby being taken by two military men to the bandit base.

Marcado was not surprised by this. He was going to leave her to face her consequences, but something inside him like an instinct stopped him.

'Are you coming back, brother?'

'I'll try.'

Marked paused and felt he knew those voices, but he didn't remember who they were. He looked back at Ruby through his binoculars.

'Damn it,' he said.

Ruby would open her eyes to see that she was being held by ropes to a metal pole attached to the ceiling.

'Look who's awake,' said a man who approached, wearing a grey hooded jacket and black trousers. 'What's a little girl doing in the area?

'W-who are you?' He said.

'Maxim, girl and you're fucked,' he said maliciously.

'You see, my men are anxious and I told them to do with you what they want. After all, morale is important.' Ruby tried to free herself, but her aura was somehow low.

'But I'll be the one to...release you' Ruby knew immediately what they would do and did the only thing she could think of.

She screamed for help and tried to get away as Maxim approached.

'Get away!' Ruby sobbed.

She just closed her eyes and felt an explosion.

'What the fuck?' Maxim said leaving her alone and then the shooting started.

'Stalker!' Said someone in the background.

She felt a hand holding her shoulder. She looked up in fright, but saw it was Wolf who pulled a knife to free her. 'Are you okay?'

Ruby nodded in fear. Wolf handed her his rifle. 'Follow me and cover me when I do.'

They would leave the room to watch the fight as they saw the car with the overturned machine gun and would see several bandits firing at a three Stalkers one of them had good aim killing several.

'Ready?' Ruby knew this was wrong, but remembering that moment filled her with an anger she couldn't control and she braced herself and fired at the first bandit she saw.

'We're surrounded!' shouted the leader firing at Wolf, but being a veteran he took cover and threw a grenade.

'Grenade!' shouted one only for it to explode.

Ruby fired at three on the roof until his rifle was empty and he loaded his weapon as other stalkers approached and gave supporting fire.

Gradually there were three left and it only took one more grenade to finish them off. When the battle was over he approached the bodies and saw Maxim wounded by the shrapnel. 'Ayu...give me'.

Ruby could only look at him with disgust and hatred. Forgive me Oum' "You have to keep up morale" she said only to shoot him in the face with her rifle'.

When the battle was over, everyone returned to the rookie village with Ruby crestfallen at what she had done. She may have been a monster, but she was a person. Was she better than them or worse?

She saw that in front of her a hand with paper money was held out and she saw Marcado with two bottles. 'This will repay your debt' He said to give her a bottle which Ruby took and drank it in one gulp, only to spit it out.

'First time drinking?' he asked as he drank.

'Tastes awful.'

'Vodka is strong, that's why you drink it slow,' he said as he drank. Seeing her not speak, he thought she didn't want to. He was going to leave, but Ruby held the fabric of his clothes.

'Stay, please,' she said, hiding her eyes.

Marked did as she said. Neither spoke for ten minutes as they drank their bottles.

'One...of them almost...'.

'I heard that from Wolf. I won't tell you he was right. But you get the point.'

'Are we better or worse than them?' He asked trying not to cry.

Marcado felt familiar with this. 'We don't know, but it was either them or us. Unlike them we don't seek to make the area worse. It's being human.

Ruby mulled over his words causing him to calm down. 'What are you going to do?'

'I'm going to do a few missions and head north when I'm ready. Are you going back to civilization?' she asked.

'No...I don't want to go back. I want those military people gone,' he said remembering that moment. 'There can't be those kind of people here.

'That's what we agree on' He said so that she clinked her bottle with his. 'We'll do this, I help you and you help me find Strelok'.

'Why are you being friendly all of a sudden?' Asked Marcado.

'You reminded me of someone,' he said. 'Shall we close the deal?'

'Yes' He said so they both clinked their bottles and drank.

They weren't both sure, but a hunter and a stalker would make a big change in the area.

What do you think? See you in the next chapter. :)