Exactly as expected, the highway incident from last night was the talk of the kingdom when Ruby woke up the next morning. Footage from the whole ordeal quickly spread around the kingdom and probably even beyond.
Blame was being thrown in all directions. Most people were blaming Torchwick for piloting the mech through the kingdom in the first place, which wasn't exactly unfounded. The entire thing was mostly his fault. Some were blaming team PWBY for leading the mech through the city, which also wasn't unfounded. Even if Torchwick was at fault for piloting the mech, it wasn't a smart idea to lead it into the city.
Some were even blaming Atlas, which again, wasn't exactly unfounded. The greatest technological superpower on Remnant somehow managed to get the paladin stolen by the White Fang. The press were having a field day bashing Atlas for that one, stating how incompetent they were, and that Vale would never let something like that happen.
Not only that, but the way Torchwick spoke to the White Fang last night made it seem like he actually had more than one paladin in reserve, and Ruby was willing to bet that there were a fair few members of the Fang that knew how to pilot them, or at least were learning.
Of course, the Bugle was blaming her for the entire thing, stating that Spider-Woman probably provoked Torchwick into going on a rampage in the first place and got some innocent Huntresses-in-training involved in her mess. However, no one believed that article thankfully.
Jameson wasn't exactly thrilled that she hadn't gotten any pictures of Spider-Woman in action that night. However, he let it go because there were pictures all over the entire internet of the mess Torchwick made, so it wasn't like he was left without any content.
Also, she was a freelance photographer anyway, not like she was an actual employee that was required to meet a quota or else risk losing her job. Still, the pay would've been nice.
Not all was doom and gloom, however. Ruby had successfully managed to hit Torchwick with one of her brand-new spider tracers that she could use to track him when the time was right. But that would come later.
Ruby slipped out of bed and jumped into her spider suit before throwing some plain clothes over them to protect her identity. Using a pulse of her Semblance, she rushed downstairs to the kitchen.
Her father was fuming downstairs by the television, watching the events that took place last night and no doubt seeing Yang caught up in the whole thing. She would be getting an earful from him later, that's for sure.
Luckily, Ruby was nowhere near the chaos. She was being a good daughter and staying out of trouble like a sweet, innocent, adorable, law-abiding citizen should. It was the friendly neighborhood Spider-Woman that was involved. Not her.
Hehe.
Ruby chucked some bread in the toaster and poured herself a tall glass of milk. She would go with a light breakfast today.
Ruby walked over to her father and spoke to gather his attention. "I guess you already know then?" She asked. It wasn't really a question, more like a statement of fact.
"How could I not? It's on the front page of every major news outlet in Vale. I'm surprised I didn't hear about it in my sleep!" He complained loudly. "I need to go make sure she's okay," he said, standing up.
Ruby pushed him back onto the couch with her super strength. "I'm sure she's fine, she's probably beating herself up over what happened too. She doesn't need to be lectured right now, I bet she got plenty of that from the Headmaster last night."
Taiyang forced himself to stand up against Ruby's strength. "That doesn't mean I shouldn't check on her. She's still my daughter."
Ruby once again used her far superior strength to force her father back onto the couch. "Tell ya what. I'll go get her to come here instead. I know you haven't even started grading those tests from Friday. This way, you can make sure she's okay while not wasting any of your time."
Taiyang raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure that she'll listen to you?"
Ruby cupped her chin with her fingers. "Oh jeez, I dunno. Maybe the threat of her father storming the school to embarrass her in front of all her friends will be enough incentive to get her ass in gear."
Taiyang's eyes narrowed. "The threat of public humiliation to get your sister to do your bidding?" He smirked. "That's my girl."
"I learned it from Uncle Qrow!" She cheered happily. Ruby went back to the kitchen to collect her breakfast.
Her father rubbed his shoulders with a wince. "Damn, Ruby. When did you get so strong?" He said standing up. "It was like trying to push back a Goliath."
Damn! Too much power! Ruby thought, panicking.
Ruby held her glass of milk high in the air. "Simple. I drink milk." She downed the entire glass in three seconds. "Ahh…"
Taiyang either accepted that answer or didn't care enough to delve further into the issue.
I do hope they're okay though. Ruby thought as she buttered her toast. I know they messed up but they shouldn't be expelled considering no one died. But that was all because of me… wait… not me, Spider-Woman. Yep… Spider-Woman.
After grabbing Crescent Rose, Ruby plopped the piece of toast between her teeth as she headed out into the world. Patch was always so peaceful this early in the morning. With the only sounds being the chirping birds and her own footsteps.
It wasn't until she reached the main city of Vale did things start to get more lively. People were going about their jobs or just stopping at their favorite shop for a morning coffee. The sounds of the Kingdom of Vale would always be familiar to her.
Her Spider-Sense buzzed in time for her to hold her foot out in the path of a man who had just stolen a handbag from a lady. His foot caught her leg and sent him tumbling to the ground, scraping his face in the process.
Ruby twisted the man's wrist and forced him to let go of the handbag before turning to the lady and handing it to her.
"Thank you, young lady," The woman thanked her. "This scoundrel came out of nowhere."
Ruby's smile shone under the morning sun. "It's no problem at all miss. Glad I could help," Ruby replied while stomping her foot on the hand of the man who tried to crawl to safety. He cried in pain when she nearly crushed his fingers.
After waiting for the police to arrive, Ruby resumed her journey.
Where am I going again? Uhh… OH! Beacon! Duh!
"I am not paying for a bullhead to take me to this damn school," Ruby complained out loud as she sliced the head off an Ursa Major that tried to slice her to ribbons. A quick spin of her sweetheart sliced multiple baby Nevermore in half before they could damage her aura.
Her Spider-Sense warned her in time to step to the right as a Creep leaped from the ground in an attempt to kill her. The monster died before it even knew what happened.
"Stupid… dumb Grimm… making me get Crescent Rose all dirty. Mmnngh!"
She didn't even turn around as she fired a dust-infused bullet into the skull of a Beowolf. Rendering it to a fine black mist. Its body hit the ground with an audible thump.
Crescent Rose arched downward, slicing into the wing of a decent-sized Nevermore that tried to eat her alive. The Grimm screeched in agony as its wing was rendered useless and Black blood spilled from the open wound.
Ruby approached the flailing Grimm and shot her arm forward toward its neck, grasping it beneath her mighty digits. The Grimm could no longer scream as its airway was being compressed. The creaking of its bones could be heard by anyone nearby. It all ended when a loud snap resounded from the creature. Its head fell to the side and started dissolving a second later.
Ruby tossed the Grimm aside and continued to Beacon.
What genius thought it was a good idea to put a school here anyway. There have to be better ways to let the students fight Grimm than putting the school right in the middle of a Grimm-infested forest.
Her fist plunged into the skull of a Beowolf right before she threw its dissolving carcass at a small group of Creeps, crushing them.
I mean, it's not like I can't handle the Grimm, but I would really rather only fight Grimm when I actually want to. She crushed the head of an Ursa with the blunt end of Crescent Rose.
I bet it's a pain for bullheads to fly over the forest as well. With the Nevermore here, it's sure to be problematic for the pilots. She fired an electric dust-infused bullet into a small murder of Nevermore, paralyzing their muscles and causing them to plummet to their deaths.
Her Spider-Sense buzzed a little ways ahead. Using her enhanced vision, she was able to spot a camera mounted onto a tree. Most likely used to monitor students during training and the entrance exam. She would have to be careful not to use too much strength going forward.
She could use her Semblance to disguise her super speed, but her strength would be more problematic. She would need to hold back.
She grunted in fake exertion as she pierced a Beowolf's skull with Crescent Rose and flipped over a Creep that almost took a bite out of her foot. A fire dust-infused bullet silenced it quickly.
This continued for a few more minutes, Ruby running through the forest and taking out every Grimm that came her way. There were a lot of them, much more than last time.
This forest is actually quite beautiful, Ruby thought to herself. If only it wasn't packed with various species of hell monsters trying to render me to a fine red paste.
The sound of the wind rushing through the trees as well as the leaves crunching beneath her shoes was very soothing. The cool breeze on her cheeks made her feel at peace and the sun shining on her face only served to enhance the beauty of her shimmering silver eyes.
The sounds of screaming dying Grimm put a damper on the serenity of the forest a tiny bit but she couldn't complain.
The tip of Crescent Rose pierced the stomach of an Ursa, causing the Grimm to roar in pain. A bullet fired from the barrel of the weapon, causing the recoil to push Crescent Rose upward, slicing the Grimm in two.
Ruby caught the beak of a small Nevermore and crushed it in her powerful hands before backhanding the tiny avian into oblivion.
If nothing else, crushing these monsters was quite cathartic for the young warrior.
Ruby ran her hand through her hair to free it of chunks of Grimm bone when she realized that her hair had gotten significantly longer in the last few months.
Ruby always preferred having her hair shorter, mainly due to seeing Yang curse out the lord himself whenever she had to do maintenance on that hurricane on her head. But also because it was just more practical in a fight. She never once needed to tie it up to get it out of the way.
Maybe it's time for a trim. I don't want it getting in my way when I'm fighting. Though… now that I think about it, Yang never ties up her hair when fighting and she's never had a problem. Actually, Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Pyrrha all have long hair. Hell, even Jaune has quite long hair for a guy and he's never had a problem.
"M-Maybe I should let it grow out this time."
Ruby pulled out her scroll and opened her camera app before holding the device out to get a better look at her. A few months ago, her hair was long enough to just barely reach her neck. Not too long, not too short, she liked it.
Now though, her hair had grown long enough to just barely tickle her shoulders. Not only that, but it had grown slightly wavy as well. The red highlights had grown larger too.
Everyone thought that Ruby dyed her hair to add the red-tipped highlights but that was simply the way her hair naturally grew. Her mother was the same way and even her grandmother. It was just a dumb Rose thing to have black hair with red-tipped highlights.
Ruby angled her scroll to get a better look around her head. Ruby was never one to compliment her appearance. Not because she thought she was ugly or anything. It was simply because her sister was always so drop-dead gorgeous that she could never hope to compare.
But now, looking at her longer hair and the way the sun reflected its light off it, coupled with her shining silver eyes, Ruby couldn't help but stare in awe.
W-Wow… I… I actually look really pretty, Ruby thought as her cheeks tinted pink.
M-Maybe… Maybe Jaune will like it…
Ruby's face exploded in a blush as she shoved that particular thought from her head. She pushed her scroll into her pocket and continued to Beacon.
W-W-What the h-hell am I even thinking!? Jaune's my best friend! My dorky best friend! No way he would think of shy, nerdy, Ruby Rose like that…
I don't think of him like that either! Just because he's always nice to me, always listens to me, likes the same things I like, he's funny, determined… cute… h-handsome. NO! Shut up stupid brain! Thoughts begone! Ruby's face burned hotter and hotter with every thought.
Ruby used way too much force when swinging Crescent Rose into the skull of a Beowolf, causing its head to explode like a watermelon, sending gray matter everywhere.
She stomped ahead, forcing those treacherous thoughts out of her mind as Beacon came into view. Ruby fanned the heat from her face and pushed her way inside.
Ruby made her way to the dorm halls and located team PWBY's dorm rather quickly. She rapped her knuckles on the door and waited for a few seconds.
She heard someone muffle something about ungrateful lazy teammates before the door slowly swung open to reveal Weiss' tired face. Well...maybe 'tired' wasn't the word to use. Her expression was more like a weird mix of shame and annoyance. Though, that annoyance wasn't directed at her, so that was a good thing.
Ruby could only assume the shame came from the catastrophe the night before. It wasn't like the shame was undeserved. They had almost killed multiple people last night. It was only thanks to Spider-Woman that no one died.
"Oh," Weiss' eyes widened slightly at seeing the small silver-eyed girl. "Hey Ruby," she greeted, politely. Ruby could tell that she was putting on an act for her sake and didn't comment on it.
Weiss stepped to the side and allowed Ruby to enter the dorm. Ruby had been in their dorm room once before and felt like she was entering some kind of elaborate death trap. Even her Spider-Sense was scared. Miraculously, the bed suspended by a few ropes hadn't collapsed on Weiss in the middle of the night. She wasn't sure if it was human ingenuity or just plain luck that the bed hadn't moved.
Why Weiss had agreed to that terrible design, she would never know. She had a feeling that finding out would only pose more questions.
Her webs would've worked twenty times better if it wasn't for the fact that they dissolved in one week.
Yang's bed was being held above Blake's bed by multiple books. Some of which were definitely not for the eyes of a young impressionable superhero such as herself. She could feel her cheeks heating up just by looking at the titles.
"Steamy Stirrings in Saunus"
"Between the Sheets and the Spreadsheets"
"Wooing with Wifi: A Tech Romance"
...okay, the titles were more funny than explicit. But knowing the contents still made her cheeks warm.
Looking up, Ruby saw Penny tapping away at her scroll, fingers effortlessly gliding across the screen. It was quite impressive how fast her fingers could move.
Blake was nowhere to be seen but Ruby could hear the shower running. It didn't take a genius to figure she was in there.
A brilliant waterfall of blond hair was flowing off of Yang's bed. It gleamed from the sunlight leaking through the open window and swayed as the wind found it's way in.
Ruby walked over and gently pulled on Yang's hair to get her attention. "Hm?" She dangled her head upside down off the bed to get a better look. Her eyes widened when she saw her adorable baby sister.
Yang spun right side up and leaped off the bed gracefully. Before Ruby could say anything, Yang swept her up into a great big hug. Ruby was about to start squirming to free herself before she noticed that the hug felt desperate. Yang wasn't trying to embarrass her, she just wanted comfort.
Ruby happily obliged and wrapped her much more powerful arms around Yang. Despite the massive strength in those arms, the hug couldn't have been more gentle and loving. Ruby pulled Yang closer and gently traced circles on her back with her hand. It was a trick her own mother used to use on her to soothe her. Best mom in the world.
Yang placed a kiss on the crown of Ruby's head and gently pulled away from her. She ruffled Ruby's hair with her fingers and smiled at her silver-eyed sister.
"I like the new look," Yang complimented. "Longer hair suits you surprisingly well." Yang gently pulled her hand away from Ruby's hair, allowing it to lightly glide along her fingers as she pulled away. "You're so beautiful."
Ruby flushed prettily and kicked at the floor with the tips of her boots, not meeting Yang's eyes. "T-Thanks Yang. It's nothing compared to your hair though," she said modestly.
It was true. Despite how much Ruby liked to make fun of Yang for spending hours in the bathroom maintaining that head of hair, it was easily the most beautiful hair she had ever seen. It was like a waterfall of golden thread finely spun by King Midas. Like the very sun itself decided to become the very hair on her sister's head.
Yang smiled confidently at her sister. "I know you know I don't wake up like this Ruby. You've known me for 15 years. It takes a lot of time and effort to get my hair to look like this."
Yang stepped closer to her sister and started twirling her hair in her fingers again. "How about we style your hair for a change? You were always against it because your hair was so short, but now I think I can make something of this. What do you say? I promise you'll look adorable."
Ruby was about to refuse once again before taking a look at Yang's beautifully styled hair. If Yang could make Ruby's hair even a fraction as beautiful as her own then she would look absolutely stunning.
"You know what? What the heck?" Ruby sighed. "Let's do it."
Yang looked like she had just received the greatest birthday present ever. Her smile threatened to split her face in half as she shook with excitement.
Yang dashed into the bathroom, ignoring Blake's embarrassed squeak as she walked in on her getting dressed. "Sorry Blakey, but I've been waiting for this moment for years!" The blond brawler dug through the cabinets and drawers, snatching various bottles of her hair care products. Ruby had the sneaking suspicion that not all of them belonged to Yang.
There were a couple of brushes, a fine comb, various bottles that Ruby had recognized from home, and some bonding oil. Yang even grabbed a small amount of makeup for some reason.
Ruby's worried eyes locked onto Blake's, she looked about as scared as Ruby felt, even if the effect was diminished somewhat by Blake being completely naked and trying to cover herself up to protect her modesty. Ruby flushed and looked away from the faunus. She wasn't into girls in the slightest but she could admit when a girl was pretty. Blake was an easy ten out of ten.
Yang eventually seemed satisfied with the frankly absurd amount of crap she grabbed and walked out of the bathroom with a satisfied smile.
Of course, Yang being Yang, she couldn't just let it end there. She turned to Blake and shot her a thumbs up. "You, my feline friend, have a fantastic ass!" She said without a care in the world.
Blake's blush increased dramatically as she shoved Yang away from the door and slammed it shut. Leaving Yang cackling like a madwoman.
Ruby knew without a doubt that Yang wasn't into women, she just really liked to embarrass everyone at every opportunity. It was one of her most charming features, as Yang liked to say. Ruby didn't.
Yang unceremoniously dumped everything onto Weiss' bed, much to her agitation. Of course, Yang ignored Weiss' protests and began shifting through everything.
When it came to hair, Yang was the most serious woman in Vale. She would rather lose an arm than make even the smallest mistake. Despite that, Ruby's instincts were still telling her to jump out the window and never look back.
Ruby pushed those instincts down and waited for Yang to pick out a few select items to get her started. Ruby only knew the names of like three of those products, even then, she had no idea what they were used for.
Don't make me regret this Yang!
Yang eventually seemed happy with her selection and placed each item on the desk under the window. She grabbed Ruby by the shoulders, guided her to a chair, and pushed her down.
Yang spun the chair around so Ruby was facing away from her. "You ready Ruby?" Yang asked in an oddly anxious voice.
No, Ruby thought.
"Yes," Ruby said, betraying her thoughts.
Yang grabbed a brush and started clearing out the knots in Ruby's hair. She thought her hair was wavy earlier in the Emerald Forest, but now that Yang was brushing it, she realized that it only looked wavy because she had bedhead that she hadn't taken care of. Her hair was still as straight as it's always been.
The bathroom door opened and Blake – finally dressed – walked out. Her cheeks were still flush and a towel was wrapped around her head. Ruby ignored her in favor of watching Yang work.
Ruby didn't realize how good it felt to have someone brush her hair. Maybe it was because Yang was a professional or because she loved her sister's gentle touch. It felt like all the tension in her scalp was being washed away.
It only took about two minutes for Yang to finish brushing her hair. After she was done, she grabbed a random bottle filled with moisturizer and emptied a small amount onto her palm.
Yang briefly rubbed her hands together before massaging the product into Ruby's scalp. Her fingers were firm yet gentle. Her technique was practiced but not rushed. Yang enjoyed taking her time when it came to hair.
"Mmmh. This is nice," Ruby smiled and closed her eyes, content on feeling Yang's fingers rub her scalp. "Why did I never let you do this before?"
"Because you're stubborn as a damn mule," Yang said simply. "How many times have I tried to style your hair now?"
Ruby pouted and glared at Yang. "Well, I don't need to style my hair because I have so little of it. You on the other hand need at least 30 minutes in the bathroom for hair maintenance alone."
Yang shook her head, causing her magnificent hair to sway back and forth. "What can I say? Having hair this beautiful comes with sacrifices."
Ruby wouldn't know, her hair was only average after all. The only outstanding characteristic of her hair was the natural red highlights that everyone assumed were dyed.
It continued like that for a while, with Yang grabbing various bottles and rubbing them through Ruby's hair. Sometimes she would grab a spray bottle and spray her hair with a little water though.
Ruby had zero clue what to do when it came to maintaining perfect hair like Yang. The extent of her knowledge was that a brush was used to clear knots out. That was about it.
She could talk about one small specific component on Crescent Rose for hours but fumble and fail when it came to actual feminine things like makeup and hair maintenance.
Her hair looked an absolute mess, with strands sticking out wildly in every direction, glistening with whatever products Yang had used.
Ruby knew better than to assume that the final product would be a disaster simply because it looked like crap when it wasn't done. Yang was probably just filling her hair with various products that made it easier to work with or to keep her hair healthy.
Yang plugged in a hair styler to warm up before grabbing one final bottle from the desk and scooped up a good amount of whatever was inside.
Weiss shot up from her spot in her bed. "Hey! That's my bonding oi-Ouch!" Weiss recoiled and rubbed the spot on her forehead where Yang had just beamed the bottle. Her aim was impeccable, especially since she didn't even look where she threw it.
As soon as Yang rubbed the oil into Ruby's hair, it instantly looked fuller and shinier. It even made Yang's fingers glide through her hair much smoother, leading her to believe that the oil even made her hair softer.
Yang grabbed the hair styler and got to work on the finishing touches. A small puff of steam wafted into the air as it clamped down onto her hair. The styler seamlessly glided along her black locks as Yang twisted the device to add detail to the finer points of her hair.
The styler wasn't being used in a very obvious way, rather, it was used to subtly change the shape and position of her hair by working in conjunction with the other products that had already been massaged in.
"Hey," Yang began. "What did you come over for anyway?"
Oh, right, she completely forgot about the entire reason she came over in the first place. She had been too lost in the moment.
"Right, Dad saw the news last night," Ruby began. She felt Yang's hands flinch and stiffen through her hair. "You really need to go home and see him before he storms the school to get to you."
She felt Yang start to shake in fear. One could only imagine the embarrassment that was sure to follow when their overprotective father stormed through the entire school screaming Yang's name.
"Why didn't he storm the school today?" Yang asked. "Sounds like something he'd do."
"I managed to convince him to hold back," Ruby said. "I bought you a few hours at most."
Yang relaxed. "Thanks Rubes, I owe ya one." She continued her work on Ruby's hair.
"Nah," Ruby replied with a wave of her hand. "Just make me look pretty and we'll call it even."
Yang chuckled. "Ruby, I couldn't make you look ugly if I tried."
Ruby's cheeks flushed and an embarrassingly happy smile wormed onto her lips. The heat of the iron that warmed her head and the humming of her sister was enough to lull her into a sense of calm. She sighed happily and closed her eyes, she could easily fall asleep right now if she wanted.
The hair styler tapped lightly on the desk. Yang grabbed a small spray bottle and spritzed her hair a few times. The scent of strawberry reached her nose. Yang exhaled loud and satisfied while rubbing a small amount of sweat from her forehead. "There. All done," she exclaimed proudly. "Common, you gotta see!"
Yang grabbed Ruby's arm and pulled her along with her toward the bathroom. Ruby stumbled over various items that no doubt belonged to Yang as she was pulled along.
Yang slid her hands over Ruby's eyes and placed her in front of the mirror. "You ready?" Yang asked, teasingly.
The anticipation was killing Ruby. "Yes! Lemme see!" She squeaked in excitement. Her body was vibrating from the anticipation.
"Tada!" Yang pulled her hands away from Ruby's eyes and allowed her to get a good look at her brand new hairstyle.
Ruby's heart jumped in her chest. Her eyes start to mist over.
The woman in the mirror was not the same Ruby Rose as before. Yang clearly knew what she was doing. Ruby's hair had completely transformed. It wasn't flat and boring anymore. Yang had given love and life to her locks that it had never seen before.
Ruby's hair was fuller than before. It was now sleek and polished. It shone brightly and reflected the sun's rays beautifully. Yang had styled her hair to be slightly curly...or maybe fluffy? Fluffy seemed like the more accurate adjective, though her hair also curled very slightly.
Whatever products Yang had used had made her hair much brighter and shinier. Gently running her fingers through it, she noticed it to be much smoother too. Her hair parted so naturally to make way for her fingers only to seamlessly merge back together when she removed her hand.
Her once boring black hair had transformed into a lush cascade of ebony waves. The addition of vibrant red highlights interspersed within the dark strands illuminated the depth of her tresses, catching the light with a mesmerizing allure.
For the first time in her life, Ruby Rose thought she was beautiful.
"You like?" Yang asked from behind her sister.
Ruby had to calm down her heart before responding. "Y-Yang… I-It's…" Ruby started to stutter. "I-It's… perfect," she whispered loudly enough for Yang to hear.
Yang wrapped her arms around her sister and made eye contact through the mirror. "Hehe. I'm glad you like it," Yang chuckled. "But… It only looks so good because it compliments your own natural beauty. I could've never done this if you weren't so beautiful already."
Ruby's cheeks flushed a deep red. She would've brought up her hood to hide her face if she was positive it wouldn't mess up her hair.
That beautiful smile never once left her face.
"OH!" Yang exclaimed, dropping her fist into her awaiting palm. "One more thing!" Yang exited the bathroom and slid along the floor. She reached under Blake's bed before pulling out a medium-sized box labeled, 'Yang's stuff.'
Ruby didn't see what she pulled out because Yang hid it behind her back before she could get a good look. She kicked the box back under the bed before running back to Ruby. "Close your eyes," she said, excited. "I've got one more thing for ya."
Ruby did as asked and closed her eyes. Yang's fingers fiddled with her hair for a few seconds while an extra small weight was added. "Okay, open up."
Ruby did. Her eyes opened to catch sight of what Yang had done only to widen further in horror.
"Y-Yang!" Ruby choked. "Yo-You… You can't!" She could feel herself getting teary-eyed. She reached up to unclip the accessory from her hair only to halt when Yang's fingers wrapped around her own.
"Oh yes I can," Yang said with a casual smile. "Consider it a gift from me to you." Yang adjusted the small accessory slightly. "Besides, red was never my color anyway."
"B-But… Yang…" Ruby's voice grew soft and shaky as the tears started leaking. "I… I can't accept this. It's not right."
"Hm? Why not?" Yang looked genuinely curious, ignoring the obvious reason why Ruby was so hesitant to accept.
Ruby turned around to face Yang, no longer through the mirror.
"M-Mom gave this to you." Ruby choked.
Yang sighed and nodded. "Yes," she whispered with a light smile. "And now I'm giving it to you."
Ruby opened her mouth to protest but Yang just kept talking. "Ruby, I'm not just giving it to you because I think it looks cute on you. I'm giving this to you because I know how much she meant to you." Yang clasped both of Ruby's hands in her own. "Please… please take it."
Ruby was crying freely now. She couldn't hold back the tears if she tried. Ruby pulled Yang into a hug and sobbed into her shoulder. Ruby's body shook with every breath. Yang gently rubbed circles onto her back, the soothing motion calming down the silver-eyed girl.
Ruby lightly pushed away from her elder sister. She rubbed the tears from her eyes and cheeks before looking up at her sister. "T-Thank you, Yang. I love you."
Yang ruffled her sister's newly styled hair. "I love you most."
It wasn't very big, only about two inches across. The color had faded slightly with time. It wasn't real obviously. Otherwise, it would've died within a few days. Though it fits in perfectly with her beautiful hair and served to compliment her own natural beauty.
Yang had clipped a small red rose into Ruby's hair. It was something that her mother had given Yang a few days before she died. Yang wore it everywhere in her grief. She said it was like a part of Summer was still with her. She didn't wear it much anymore, mostly because her lifestyle as a Huntress would undoubtedly end up getting the rose damaged.
Ruby delicately ran her fingers along the artificial petals. Adjusting the piece so it was firmly in place while also being visible to everyone. She would wear this rose proudly. This wasn't just a fake rose, it was a small piece of her mother that she left behind. A piece that Yang had entrusted to her. A piece that she would protect no matter what.
The large Rose removed her fingers from the smaller one and smiled brighter than a thousand suns into the mirror. A smile more full of life than any she had given in the past few years. Bright silver eyes sparkled like stars and lit up any room better than any sun.
The older blonde gently rubbed a small towel across the young Rose's cheeks to free them of damp tears. Silver eyes content feeling her sister's gentle touch.
The soft knocking on the door pulled them from their moment. They shared a knowing look at each other before exiting the bathroom. Weiss was already grumbling over to the door, clearly annoyed that no one else volunteered to answer it.
The heiress pulled the door open. "Oh, hey guys," she answered. "Can I help you?"
"Good morning Weiss, sorry for the intrusion," came the calm and collected voice of Ren.
Ren became silent for a few seconds before another voice spoke up. "We saw the news," Pyrrha continued for him.
"Ah… yeah." Weiss rubbed the back of her head in shame. "I'd be surprised if the entire school hadn't seen it at this point." Weiss opened the door and stood aside to allow the team in.
"So it's true then?" Jaune asked from behind Ren. "You really fought Roman Torchwick in a giant mecha death robot thing?" Jaune's inner nerd started to rear its head.
"I… wouldn't word it like that," Blake chuckled. "But… yes. We did battle Roman Torchwick in a giant mech." Blake rubbed her shoulders as she started to tremble. "But… that fight was not a victory. At least not for us."
Penny hopped down from her spot on her bed with a loud thump. Like… really loud. Either Penny was a lot heavier than she looked or she deliberately landed like that. "We made a catastrophic error when attempting to subdue Torchwick," she said with a rare frown. "We failed to account for the lives of the civilians on the highway and put many lives in danger that night."
All of team PWBY went slack at Penny's proclamation. "We must strive to be better to make sure something like that never happens again."
Yang pushed her hand through her hair, looking like she might start tugging on it. "We damn near got innocent people killed last night," Yang looked like she might cry. "We would've killed people and gotten expelled if Spider-Woman wasn't there."
Oh?
Nora pushed her way past Pyrrha and Jaune, ignoring the way Jaune stumbled for purchase at being thrown off balance. "We saw Spider-Woman on the news. Did Ozpin say you would've gotten expelled if she didn't save everyone?"
Their silence was telling. Team PWBY refused to meet anyone's eyes, finding the carpet much more interesting at that moment. Yang kicked the floor lightly with the tips of her toes while Weiss fiddled with the hem of her skirt, inspecting it for damage she knew wasn't there.
I get it now. If I wasn't there then they would've been expelled. I doubt Ozpin would willingly expel them so I bet he'll be pressured by the council to do so. Even now he's probably getting messages from those in higher power. He should be able to hold them back because no one died, but it was a close thing.
Catching that bus and holding the highway together was no small feat. If she had made one small error then there would've been casualties.
She got lucky.
Really lucky.
Jaune finally seemed to notice the silver-eyed Rose in the corner. His eyes lit up with happiness and a smile found its way onto his face. "Hey, Ruby!" He said with a little too much enthusiasm. "How's it… h… h-how," Jaune stuttered, eyes going wide and bouncing across Ruby's face like he was examining every inch of her. "...oh wo-wow."
His cheeks grew beet red the longer he looked at the silver-eyed girl. Wide blue eyes growing wider and more erratic and darting around like a lizard.
Hmm? Why is Jaune acting like that? Hold on...I can hear his heartbeat getting faster thanks to my super hearing. His legs are shaking a little bit and his face is all red.
"Jaune?" Ruby started with a warm smile and a tilt of her head. "Are you okay?"
Jaune's lips flapped uselessly and his hands started shaking. Despite his best efforts, no intelligible noises came forth. It was as if someone hit his mute button.
Ok...now I'm a little concerned.
Ruby spared a look toward her sister only to see a shit-eating grin on her face. Yang wiggled her eyebrows toward her sister for some reason. Ruby didn't know why.
Ruby quirked an eyebrow toward the cocky blonde only for her to chuckle uselessly and shake her head.
Thanks, Yang, always so helpful.
Jaune slapped his cheeks a few times and shook his head to wake himself up. "I-I'm sorry about that!" He managed to force out in between slaps. "Got lost in my own head there."
His heart rate was calming down and his limbs stopped shaking, but his face was still red, maybe he had just come from training.
Ruby chuckled. "Lost in the empty void in your skull? Yep, makes sense," she teased her best friend.
"Like you're one to talk, I bet the only thoughts bouncing around in your skull are about weapons and cookies."
"Hey! Not true," the spider protested. "I also think about comic books. Get it right next time you philistine."
Jaune exhaled with a smile. "Of course, how silly of me. How could I forget your obsession with X-Ray and Vav?"
"I'll have you know that X-Ray and Vav are the greatest superheroes in the world. You better respect their names."
The two friends stared at each other for a few seconds before erupting into giggles. The sheer silliness of their fake argument caused pure joy to slip past their lips.
"Ah, my sweet baby sister, already flirting with boys." Yang cooed playfully, her voice tinged with affectionate teasing. "Seems like just yesterday you were practicing combat moves with Crescent Rose." With a feigned nostalgic sigh, she wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye, grinning mischievously as Ruby's cheeks flushed crimson, mirroring Jaune's evident embarrassment. "Time really flies, doesn't it?"
Ruby grabbed a nearby pillow and hurled it at Yang's face, which didn't do nearly enough for her embarrassment. Why did her dumb sister get so much enjoyment out of teasing her?! Dummy!
"A-Anyway!" Pyrrha cut in a little quickly. Almost like she wanted to steer the conversation back on track. "We just wanted to make sure you were okay. A-And that you didn't get expelled."
Why is she glaring at me?
A loud growling caused everyone's eyes to shoot up and dart around. Yang even clenched her fists, preparing to splinter the skull of a Grimm.
Ruby's already red face got even redder when every single set of eyes bored into her skull. Ruby looked down at her tummy and cursed whatever god existed for enhancing her metabolism.
Maybe a single slice of toast wasn't the best idea for breakfast.
"Sounds like the Grimm in my sister's stomach requires sustenance," Yang teased her sweet baby sister. "Let's eat!"
Ruby refrained from gorging herself on food with reckless abandon and tried to slow her pace so she didn't look like a pig. Her dining mannerisms took a hit when her metabolism was buffed. It took a little bit of training to not look disgusting when she ate. Maybe it was her new predatory blood or maybe it was just her new levels of hunger.
"So," Yang began. Fork clinking down on the table. "Enough talking about depressing things." She smiled.
Ruby looked up from her meal to regard her sister. There was a glint in her eye that she knew well. Yang was super excited about something.
Weiss elegantly wiped her mouth with a small napkin. "Indeed. We needn't let the events of last night get us down." Weiss' pale blue eyes shone brightly. "There is something much more important about to unfold."
Ruby's eyes narrowed. Now she was curious. Weiss never got excited about anything, so this event would hopefully pique her interest. That was unless it was something boring that only a prim and proper girl like Weiss would enjoy.
Yang's lilac eyes snapped open, briefly flickering between red and purple before settling on purple.
"The Beacon dance is coming up!"
Ruby sagged in her seat. Dammit, she thought it would be something cool. Maybe their first missions or something. Nope, just some stupid dance that she couldn't care less about.
Well, doesn't concern me anyway. I'm not even enrolled here. Ruby thought as she returned to her meal.
Yang continued. "As part of our punishment, we are required to organize the entire dance ourselves. Along with detention every night for the next few months." Team PWBY groaned.
Yang organizing the dance? I hope everyone steers clear of the punch bowl. Unless they want to wake up with a killer hangover.
Ruby popped a strawberry into her mouth while Yang kept talking. "There's so much we need to do! We need to get the decorations, prepare the ballroom, pick out the music, get snacks, and maybe get a DJ too! OH! We gotta get a fog machine!"
"No fog machine!" Weiss shot down Yang's idea. "This is an elegant school dance Yang, not a rave! Also, let's not forget that we still need dates for the event."
I wonder if I can weasel my way out of the dance when I enroll in Beacon.
Yang scoffed and swiped her beautiful golden hair behind her. "Oh puh-lease, I'll be turning heads on dance night. Getting a date will be no problem," she said will all the pride of a hundred lions.
Ruby shoveled a few slices of bacon into her mouth while Yang turned to the ice queen. "What about you Weissicle? Has a special someone managed to thaw that icy heart of yours?"
Heat crept its way up the ice queen's neck. She suddenly found her meal a lot more interesting than their current conversation.
"I-I will not dignify that comment with a response!"
"So there is someone!" Yang cackled, much to the heiress' embarrassment.
Pyrrha's eyes were flickering between her meal and Jaune's face. She looked anxious. Ruby couldn't figure out why.
"Friend Blake? Do you have a date for the dance?" Penny questioned with no meal in sight. Did that girl ever eat?
Blake flipped a page in her totally-not-smut book. "I do not. I think Sun is going to ask me though. I'm not dumb enough to be oblivious to his feelings."
Sun? I wonder how he's doing after last night. Where did he even go?
Yang bobbled her eyebrows toward the feline faunus. "Sun chasing cat tail? Can't say I'm surprised." Yang leaned back in her chair. "So? You fancy going with him?"
Blake shrugged. "He's a nice guy. Maybe a little too eccentric but that's not a bad thing. He's good-looking and funny. Plus, he did help me out last night. So… yeah, If he asks me then I'll definitely say yes."
Yang, Weiss, and Penny all just stared at the faunus in shock. It was enough to get Blake to look up from her book with narrowed eyes. "What? Is the idea of me accepting a date so unbelievable?"
Their silent stares were telling.
"I can have fun too!"
They all returned to their meals in silence. Ruby assembled a breakfast sandwich with hash browns, eggs, bacon, sausage, and cheese. The beautiful tower of delicacies made her mouth water. She had to wipe a small amount of drool away with a napkin.
Her sister groaned into her arms. "I just remembered. I gotta go home before Dad comes rushing through the school to get to me." She leaned back and looked to the ceiling. "I haven't been home in a while. I miss Zwei."
There were no classes today so taking the chance to visit home should be no problem. Ruby would have to go on patrol as Spider-Woman so she couldn't join her sister.
Ruby opened her mouth to take another bite before her Spider-Sense lightly buzzed in her skull. Her eyes darted around to find the danger. It found her first.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" A condescending masculine voice spoke down to her. "I don't think they allow toddlers in here pipsqueak."
Ruby eyed the incredibly tall boy with burnt-orange hair combed back with a slight peak. His silver-gray armor with a gold-trim breastplate sported a bird with its wings outstretched.
Jaune seemed to know him if the way he clenched his fists was anything to go by. She saw his muscles tense up from beside her and he refused to meet anyone's eyes.
"Cardin," He grunted under his breath. Ruby was likely the only one who heard him.
"Oh, hey Jauney Boy didn't see you there," Cardin smirked while slamming his palm on Jaune's back. She saw Jaune's aura spark.
Her fingers twitched, begging to be clenched into a fist to knock this guy out.
Cardin eyed the young Rose once again. "You better run along little girl. Wouldn't want you getting hurt now would we?"
Yang looked like she might tear the guy a new asshole, but a quick glance from her younger sister calmed her down just enough to prevent that. But her hands were still clenched into fists.
"I'm stronger than I look. I can take care of myself," the secret vigilante growled to the tall teen.
Jaune looked up from his food and focused his steely eyes on the bully. They appeared to have a history. "You better fuck off Cardin. She's much stronger than you are. She'll drop you in a second."
Cardin raised his eyebrows and quirked his lips. "About time you grew a little backbone Jauney. You're little girlfriend there doesn't look all that tough." His cocky smirk only got cockier.
Ruby's eyes sharpened. "Care to test it? I'd be more than happy to put you and your team into the nearest wall."
Cardin laughed. "Ooo, a feisty one! I love it!" Cardin strutted around the table. "Tell ya what. I'll go easy on you."
Her Spider-Sense buzzed louder.
"Who knows, maybe you'll learn a few things."
Cardin rested his large hands on her shoulders, which would prove to be a big mistake.
Yang stood up ready to fire Ember Celica straight down his throat. Ruby clenched her fist, preparing to bury the boy into the nearest wall.
They needn't have done a thing.
Cardin's head slammed to the side, spittle flying from his lips and fresh blood trickling down his nose. Soaring through the air, he landed with a loud crash as his armor worked to absorb the impact. He slid a few feet before coming to a complete stop with a low groan.
Ruby looked up, eyes wide.
Jaune's powerful fist was smeared with blood.
Oh wow…
Jaune's ocean-blue eyes swirled with rage. "Don't ever touch her again."
Ruby's cheeks flushed a light pink.
Just about the entire cafeteria had seen that given how silent everyone was. Everyone turned to see the carnage unfold or to record.
Cardin used his sleeve to wipe the blood away from his nose. The ground rumbled when his massive body stood at attention. "Big fucking mistake Jauney."
Spider-Sense!
Ruby jumped into action immediately. Hand snapping in front of Jaune's face to catch a dagger that nearly slammed into his aura.
Ruby brought the dagger to her chest and sighed. "For what it's worth Cardin, Jaune wasn't lying." She tossed the dagger to the side, allowing it to skitter along the ground uselessly.
"I'm much stronger than you." Her voice was more menacing than a Goliath.
Team PWBY and JNPR had their weapons at the ready. More than willing to bash some skulls together.
Cardin's team stood behind him, weapons pointed straight at her and ready to fire at a moments notice. One of them only had a single dagger. Likely because she already tossed his other weapon away.
Ruby hated bullies like nothing else. She was bullied a lot in Signal for always hiding behind her sister's strength. The bullying got worse when Yang left for Beacon but her superpowers made handling them easier.
Ruby would relish the opportunity to put these bullies in their place.
Her Semblance hummed in her veins, causing her atoms to vibrate with incredible speed. She could already feel her body breaking down into rose petals before she fully activated it. There was no Semblance more perfect for Ruby Rose.
Team CRDL moved first.
Ruby Rose was faster.
Much much much faster.
The blunt end of Crescent Rose bashed Cardin's face in before he even knew what happened. She pushed down with extra force, shattering the floor with his skull.
Her Spider-Sense pulled her head back as a dagger barely missed her neck. Her tiny fist brought down a crushing grip on the boy's wrist and twisted violently to the side, dislocating his wrist and sending him to the floor in agony.
Crescent Rose blocked the blade of a sword in time for her to whip her arm around and slam the boy who slashed it in the face with his partner. The two boys tumbled down in a mess of tangled limbs.
She didn't need her Spider-Sense to see the strangely shaped halberd-axe hybrid slash down toward her. She sidestepped the weapon and trusted her Spider-Sense to do the rest.
The blows were surprisingly powerful and aimed with arms that displayed a lot of skill. The bullies might be assholes but they were still Beacon students. They each had skill.
She allowed each blow to come within an inch of striking before narrowly dodging. She ducked under the next blow only to be forced to roll backward to avoid the next.
The blows got faster and more wild with each passing second. The blue-haired boy behind the weapon was getting more frustrated with each missed strike. Ruby's uninterested expression never faltered.
Ruby stuck her leg out in the path of the boy. His foot caught her leg and his face crashed into the floor.
"Yawn! Common, at least pretend that you know what you're doing."
Cardin pulled himself from his own personal crater before stumbling to his feet. Eyes burning with unbridled fury. "You bitch!" He brandished his massive mace toward the hero. "I'm gonna bury you!"
Ruby tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for Cardin to make his next move. He twirled his mace into position before charging at the young Rose. Ruby bent her knees and prepared to jump.
Ruby leaped into the air just in time and landed right on top of Cardin's mace as he swung it. Just as Ruby predicted, the force of Cardin's swing was far superior to the force of her fall. When Ruby's feet made contact with the swinging mace, she kicked off the weapon and launched into the air.
Ruby flipped in midair to right herself before landing on one of the light fixtures far above the floor.
Cardin brought his mace into position and shook his fist at the secret spider. "What are you doing up there?!"
Ruby looked down at the angry boy. "Staying away from you." A devious smirk sneakily crept its way onto Ruby's face. "That's a cute outfit, did your husband give it to you?"
It was as if someone detonated a bomb. The entire cafeteria exploded into euphoria. Students doubled over in laughter, hugging their stomachs and slapping their knees. Yang looked like she might pass out.
Cardin on the other hand, had steam coming out of his ears as pure fucking rage dripped from his pores.
Spider-Sense warned her just in time to activate her Semblance to avoid a bullet that nearly bounced off her aura. A cloud of rose petals fell to the ground and fanned out in every direction before converging into a human shape.
Crescent Rose unfolded and caught multiple bullets on its body before Ruby was forced to duck to avoid a slash from the green-haired boy with a mohawk. She was about to slash her sweetheart at him before she was forced to disengage to avoid a stab from the blonde boy.
They worked well together, despite not being individually strong. Teamwork was so very important.
In the middle of her dodging, she caught sight of a rabbit faunus that looked a little too excited to be seeing the team get their asses kicked.
She kicked her leg out into the leg of the blue-haired boy, causing him to drop to his knee before the blunt end of Crescent Rose bashed him across the cafeteria, almost hitting a few students in the process.
Spider-Sense!
Ruby performed a perfect backflip to dodge a dagger that almost got lodged into her back. While airborne, she delivered a devastating axe kick to his head, sending him to the ground before landing on her feet.
The blonde boy brought his sword down at her only for her to catch his wrist and blast her foot into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to the ground.
Ruby brought Crescent Rose above her head to catch the massive two-handed mace Cardin had swung down at her. The power behind the blow was massive. Cardin was easily physically stronger than Yang, at least when she wasn't using her Semblance.
Of course, Ruby was many times stronger than him. She could crush his weapon with her bare hands if she really wanted to. Still, she didn't want to look too strong, so she made a show of dropping to her knee under his blow.
If Cardin were smart, he would have tried to kick her while she was down on the ground and within range of his foot. Instead, he wasted precious time and brought his mace back above his head and swung down. Ruby had plenty of time to roll out of the way and allow the mace to crash into the ground.
Crescent Rose's sharp blade hooked around Cardin's wrist, digging into his aura and causing his eyes to widen with surprise and pain. She twisted on her heel and swung her beloved weapon, taking the large boy with it.
Ruby used the centrifugal force of her spin to build up speed with the added assistance of her Semblance. A tornado of rose petals swirled around the girl before she abruptly shut off her Semblance and released Cardin from her scythe.
Cardin soared through the air for about half a second before smashing through a wall, sending masonry in every direction. He skipped along the ground a few times before smashing into a pillar.
He silently slid to the ground before toppling sideways. Unconscious.
Ruby rested Crescent Rose on her shoulder.
"I win."
Ruby folded her weapon and holstered it onto her back. She admired the unconscious bodies strewn about the cafeteria in satisfaction before turning to her friends.
It was at that exact moment that the doors to the cafeteria burst open with a loud bang. Glynda Goodwitch stormed in with her riding crop clenched between her shaking marble-white knuckles.
Her stern green eyes slowly scanned the cafeteria, widening with each passing second. The unconscious bodies, the massive hole in the wall, cracks in the masonry, and of course, Ruby Rose standing in the center of it all.
"Ms. Rose," she spoke in a terrifyingly calm voice. "What is the meaning of this?" Her eyebrow was twitching.
Ruby felt herself shrinking under her intense gaze. Ms. Goodwitch's heels tapped impatiently, echoing in the silent cafeteria.
To make things worse, the light fixture that she had landed on earlier must've been damaged by the bullet she dodged. The wire snapped and came crashing down. Broken glass littered the floor, wires sparked, and an angry teacher got angrier.
Ruby turned to the irate deputy. "Umm...I plead the fifth?"
Yang snickered.
Good job Ruby. You're not even enrolled yet and you're already in the headmaster's office, Ruby berated herself in her head. Stupid Stupid Stupid.
Team CRDL was in the headmaster's office as well. They only had light injuries that could be healed in a few hours with their aura. Their pride however would take much longer to heal and it would leave a permanent scar. Four Beacon students getting their asses kicked by one 15-year-old girl wasn't a good look for them.
Ozpin adjusted his glasses before speaking. "Well, I hope we learned something today. Team CRDL, you best not underestimate an opponent simply due to her age, size, gender, and experience."
Did he just insult me?
"I know it's ironic to say we don't encourage violence in a school that teaches you how to be violent. But I will kindly ask you to direct that violence toward the creatures of Grimm in the future," Ozpin suggested.
"You are training to be the protectors of humanity CRDL. I think it's time you all act like it."
CRDL all collectively growled at themselves for losing what appeared to be an easy battle. Could she have beaten them without her powers? Maybe. It would've been harder for sure, but she was confident she could do it.
Honestly, she only fought the way she did because she wanted to teach them a lesson. Maybe they would think twice about bullying someone who appeared to be weaker than them.
The way Jaune broke Cardin's nose was so cool though! A real knight in shining armor.
"You are dismissed team CRDL. Take this experience to heart and learn from it. You are not invincible. Ms. Goodwitch shall inform you of your punishment at a later time."
Ms. Goodwitch ushered the beaten boys into the elevator. She caught one final glimpse of Cardin's rage-fueled expression before the doors closed.
Heh…
"Ms. Rose," Ozpin began.
Oh great, my turn.
"We technically can't punish you considering you are not enrolled in the academy and I wouldn't dream of putting your future career as a Huntress in danger because of one fight."
Ruby stroked Crescent Rose. She always found the cool metal soothing in her arms.
"I will say however that I would appreciate it if you would refrain from damaging the school next time you get in a fight. That hole in the cafeteria for example."
Ruby flushed red and looked down at her shoes.
Ozpin chuckled behind his mug. "Don't look so down. I will say I am extremely impressed that you were able to handle team CRDL all by yourself. They lack individual skill but they work well together."
Ruby rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Ahh...well...They were too slow, also they only worked well together on a surface level. As soon as a single one of them went down, the entire team collapsed. Fighting by themselves is important too. It would've been more difficult if they were smarter."
"A common issue among our first years. I dare say their damaged ego will help with improving their skill." Ozpin leaned back into his chair. "I know it's not appropriate for the headmaster to say, but I thank you for putting them in their place."
Ruby raised a single eyebrow in surprise.
Ozpin smiled and leaned forward to clarify. "Team CRDL are bullies, not that you didn't know that already. But they are particularly hateful to our faunus students. It's a mentality that we try to teach them out of but sometimes a good old fashioned beat down is the greatest instructor of them all."
Ozpin clasped his hands together. "This won't quell their racist tendencies at all but getting put in their place by someone two years their junior will be the wake-up call they needed to show they're not invincible."
That made sense. Sometimes violence really is the answer.
"Umm… You're welcome?" She hesitated, not entirely sure how to respond when Ozpin had just thanked her for beating up an entire team of his students.
Ozpin hid his smile behind his mug, not that Ruby couldn't see it. "You are dismissed, Ms. Rose. Enjoy the rest of your day."
The elevator shifted beneath her feet as it took her to the ground level. She was immediately greeted by teams PWBY and JNPR when she stepped out.
"Well well well, look who it is," Yang crooned. "My bouncing badass baby sister."
Ruby had the urge to perform a great sweeping bow but decided against it. She flushed and scratched her cheek instead. "A-hah…" She stuttered, embarrassed.
"I believe team CRDL will think twice before messing with you again," Weiss said with a satisfied smile. "Who knew you had such skill?"
"I did!" Jaune cheered. "I always knew Ruby was secretly a badass!"
"Now we really gotta spar!" Nora was practically vibrating where she stood.
Ruby blushed bright crimson under all the attention she was getting. She had the urge to bring her hood up to hide her face.
"I imagine that team CRDL won't live this down," Blake cackled. "You should've seen them exit the elevator. Trying to look smaller and avoid eye contact. It was glorious!"
It must've been beyond satisfying for a faunus like Blake to see a bunch of racist bullies get the crap beaten out of them. Karma's a bitch as they say. Ruby was more than happy to serve a steaming plate of karma….okay, that didn't sound as cool as she thought.
Yang placed her hands on her own cheeks. "And to think, my baby sister is picking up my incredible sense of humor. I couldn't be prouder!" She cooed, completely disregarding the very clear difference that Ruby's joke was actually funny.
"G-Guys!" Ruby squeaked adorably. "I-It wasn't all that special…I just...they weren't that strong anyway...o-or smart."
"Ahhh…" Yang sighed. "I really wish I took a video of you kicking ass. So elegant, so deadly, so beautiful."
"Y-Yang! Stop it!"
Ruby pouted as her 'friends' were having a laugh at her expense. She almost stormed away right then and there just to avoid the embarrassment.
It was Yang who came to her rescue. "Alright. That's enough teasing for one day." Yang petted her head. Ruby just grumbled with flaming red cheeks.
The group filtered out of the building and into the courtyard. "Okay," Yang began, looking a little anxious. "I guess it's time I stop by home. Dad must still be worried about me. You coming Rubes?"
Ruby shook off the embarrassment before responding. "I have some errands to run. I'll be back later though."
"Oh!" Yang exclaimed. "I almost forgot." She grabbed Jaune's arm and pulled him close. Ruby felt a brief surge of anger before stomping it into oblivion. "I need to talk with you quickly!"
Jaune's eyes widened in alarm. It was like he was fearing for his life. "M-Me? Why?"
"Mm...It's a secret. Don't worry Ruby," Yang said when she saw Ruby's expression. "I won't seduce your boyfriend. Promise."
Ruby blushed. "H-He's not…! Oh, forget it. I'll see you later." Ruby began to storm away before stopping and turning around. "Oh… Jaune. Um… Thanks for the help back there," she said with a smile. "Punching Cardin I mean. I appreciate it." She waved at Jaune before dashing away with the aid of her Semblance.
Jaune's 'I'm about to die right now' senses started tingling. He allowed himself to be pulled away by Yang. More out of fear he wouldn't be able to resist if he tried then anything.
It was a good life, he thought.
Yang dragged Jaune to the rooftop he normally trained on with Pyrrha. He didn't know if Yang knew this was the location and brought him here because of that or if she just wanted to find somewhere private. Either way, Jaune was in danger.
Yang's sickeningly sweet smile was filled with enough sugar to make his teeth rot just by looking at her.
Yang finally took mercy on Jaune's arm and released it, allowing the blood to continue flowing through the limb. He massaged it for a few seconds to get his feeling back.
"So, Vomit Boy," Yang began with his insulting nickname that she was sure to use for the rest of her life. "I've got a few questions for you."
Knowing that his options were either 'answer' or 'die,' Jaune decided to take the former. "S-Sure, Yang. Whatever you want. Eheh..eh…"
Yang leaned against the door, blocking off his only escape route. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you first meet my sister." Oh..ok. An innocent enough question. The truth wouldn't get him killed. "She mentioned you were performing some community service."
Jaune gathered as much air as possible before replying. "Uhh...yeah. Um...r-remember that apartment building that burned down a few months back? Spider-Woman was there. It was actually her very first appearance." Yang nodded. Jaune took that as his cue to continue. "Well, the day after it burned down I was in the neighborhood and decided to help with recovery efforts. Y'know, moving rubble, recovering belongings, stuff like that."
"I met here there. Saw her lifting rubble and helping everyone. I approached her when we were taking a break and started a conversation. Long story short, we became friends."
There, a safe answer that was sure to keep his rib cage in one piece.
Yang smiled. "That sounds like my sister. Always trying to be helpful. She's really amazing."
"Yeah, she is," Jaune mumbled, blushing slightly.
Yang took a step toward Jaune. "Tell me more." Jaune took a step back. "You said she helped train you? You never tried to hide it."
Ok..another simple question with a safe answer. "Y-Yeah. It's no secret that I'm not the strongest fighter. You should've seen me before I met Ruby. I would've been killed by a single Beowolf."
Yang's eyes narrowed. "You were that weak? How the hell did you even get past the acceptance phase?"
Jaune stiffened and started to shiver. "I...I can't say," Jaune said firmly. "But Ruby knows why, she decided to help me out."
Surprisingly, Yang accepted that answer without prodding. She wasn't that intrusive. "Alright, I'll let that one go. Though, I do find it surprising that Ruby decided to help you out just like that."
Jaune smiled. "Yeah, I was surprised too. She even unlocked my aura for me."
"She did what?!" Yang said, very alarmed. "She just unlocked your aura for you? Just like that?"
Jaune took a step back. "Y-Yeah. I didn't even know aura existed before that day."
Yang placed a hand on her hip. "Ok, now I know you didn't get into Beacon the correct way. There's no way someone who didn't know about aura would get accepted into the best Hunter school in Vale."
Yang held her hand up to ward off Jaune's protests. "I won't tell anyone. I'm not a snitch and Ruby obviously thought it was important enough to keep it hidden."
Yang looked to the sky. "I didn't even know she knew how to unlock someone's aura. She's getting much stronger."
She looked back down, smirking mischievously. "What was training like?"
Jaune paled and shivered, remembering his first few training sessions. "Absolutely brutal," he said, much to Yang's amusement. "She beat the crap out of me. I got my ass handed to me every single time we exchanged blows. My arm feels numb just thinking about it." He rubbed his shield arm, remembering the vibrations that were sent through it every time she struck his shield. "She wasn't even trying."
"I got a few hits in, though now that I think about it, she definitely let me hit her. She's way too fast for me."
Yang chuckled. "Sounds fun, wish I could've seen you get your ass beat by a little girl." Jaune pouted.
Yang approached the terrified blonde. Jaune receded until his feet reached the edge of the roof. Yang continued until she was right up in Jaune's face. "Last question, Lover Boy."
Jaune gulped as he stared death in the face. Those beautiful lilac eyes flickered dangerously red a few times. Jaune started to sweat, trying to keep his cool in the face of the blonde brawler.
Jaune stared deeply into her eyes as he prepared for the worst.
Yang's voice pierced his soul.
"Are you in love with my sister?"
…
…
…
"...eh?"
One second passed, nothing happened. Two seconds passed, Jaune's ocean-blue eyes widened and his lips parted, no words came forth though. Three seconds passed, his entire face – up to the tips of his ears – flooded with the deepest red Yang had ever seen. Four seconds passed, and a desperate high-pitched whine squeaked out of Jaune's throat.
Five seconds passed, and Jaune finally spoke.
"WHAT?!" He squeaked "W-What are you saying!?"
Yang took it slow so the boy would understand. "Are you," she pointed to Jaune, "in love," she made a heart shape with her hands, "with my sister?"
Jaune would've toppled off the roof if Yang hadn't grabbed his collar and pulled him back to safety.
"O-Of c-course n-not!" Jaune stammered, cheeks still flaming red. "Is this you just teasing me again?"
"Nope," Yang said, popping the P. "I'm asking because I think you're in love with my sister."
Jaune looked to the door, debating if he should make a break for it. One look from Yang shut down that thought. "Y-Yang...I swear, I'm not in love with Ruby. She's my best friend in the world and I treasure that more than anything."
Yang didn't look convinced. "Mmm?" Her eyes traced every inch of Jaune's face. "Really?"
"Really," Jaune said firmly.
Yang linked her hands behind her head. "Ok then, how about you describe my sister for me." It wasn't really a question, more like a command.
"D-Describe her?"
"Yep," Yang said, popping the P once again. "Just describe her. Do this last thing and I'll let you go with your balls firmly attached."
Jaune covered his groin as Yang said that. "O-Ok...just… Describe Ruby. I can do that...yeah."
Jaune took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts to make sure he wouldn't say anything that would make Yang kill him. He took a seat on the edge of the rooftop, overlooking the courtyard. "Ruby Rose is easily the kindest soul I've ever met."
He didn't dare look at Yang. More afraid that looking at her would shatter his nerves. "She never looks at me like I'm inferior to her, never looks down on me due to my lack of skill. She always looks at me with kind eyes."
Jaune fiddled with his fingers. "Despite not knowing each other for long, I can tell that we're very similar. We both have a love for comic books and nerdy stuff like that. The way her eyes light up when we talk makes me happy."
Yang started smirking, not that Jaune noticed. "She's an incredible Huntress, one of the strongest I've ever seen. Besides my own father. She's so strong and smart that I feel inferior just watching her fight. But...like I said, she never looks down on me."
Jaune's cheeks darkened again. "J-Just being around her makes me happy. Her laugh makes my day better every time I hear it."
Jaune's gaze drifted to his knees. He started swinging his legs subconsciously. "She's awkward at times, but I think that adds to her charm. Watching her stammer is really cute."
Yang stayed silent but her smirk got wider and wider.
Jaune chuckled. "The way you can yell her name and she won't hear you because she's reading a comic book or a weapons magazine is funny. The way she sticks out her tongue slightly when she's focused is… adorable…"
"She's so wonderful to everyone. She always looks for the best in people and always tries to do what's right."
Just like her mother, Yang thought.
"S-She's really beautiful too," Jaune blushed harder. "Her cute round face, her dark hair, her smile. I get lost in her beautiful silver eyes way too easily."
Jaune fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "Everything about her is amazing. "She's smart, funny, kind, gentle, strong, nerdy, beautiful, a...adorable. She's just...she's...j-just…" Jaune started stuttering, eyes going wide as he came to a realization in a single instant. "O-Oh… Oh no…"
"Finally noticed have you?" Yang asked, causing Jaune to nearly jump out of his skin. He clearly forgot she was there. The devilish smirk on her face did little to comfort him.
Jaune ran his hands through his hair and started tugging on his golden locks. "This isn't real...I'm dreaming, right? Why? Why? Why?"
Yang scooted closer to Jaune and wrapped her arm around him. It was surprisingly comforting. She started rubbing circles on his back. "There there...It's gonna be okay. Why don't you tell big sister Yang what's wrong."
"I'm older than you."
"Not the point."
Jaune rubbed his eyes furiously. "Y-You already know what's wrong."
Yang wiggled her eyebrows and leaned in closer to Jaune. "I know, buuut… I wanna hear you say it," she teased the blonde boy.
Jaune's cheeks flushed red, then pink, then red again. He squeezed his eyes closed, hoping that if he stayed perfectly still then everything would just resolve itself. Yang prodding his side pulled him from his own head.
He knew there was no way out of this, save for maybe jumping off the roof. He would survive thanks to his aura but that wouldn't really do much for solving his current predicament.
How could he let this happen? He let his guard down and now he's paying the price. His heart hurt with every beat, his palms became sweaty, his eyes watered slightly, skin flushed red.
Jaune clenched his fists tighter than ever before. "I...I'm…" Aura sparked in his palms.
Gathering all of his nerve, forcing the words to come out evenly, Jaune spoke.
"I'm in love with Ruby Rose."
It was as if a hundred tons had been lifted from his shoulders. His body felt lighter, his head felt less foggy, but his heart still hurt.
"Mmhm," Yang hummed. "Took you long enough."
Jaune – suddenly fearing for his life – turned to Yang. "You… You're not… gonna kill me, are you?"
Yang placed a finger on her chin and hummed in thought. "Mmmm… that depends. Do you intend to break my sister's heart?"
Jaune immediately stiffened and spun his entire body toward the blonde brawler. "What! O-Of course not! Why would you even ask that?"
"Ouch...I'm right here. No need to yell," Yang scolded, twisting a finger in her ear. "I'm asking because she's my baby sister, and I love her more than life itself."
Yang pulled Jaune closer. "For the record, I don't think you'd ever want to break her heart. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty decent at reading people. If I even suspected that you wanted to hurt my sister then I'd kill you where you stood."
Jaune shivered and paled.
"You're not like that. You genuinely care about her. You'd rather die than hurt her."
Yang sighed. "I know I can't always protect her. She's growing up faster than I thought. She's still the innocent little girl that I grew up with but...she won't always be that way."
Yang looked like she might cry. "I love my sister," she choked. "I love her so much. I want her to be happy, I want her to live, to grow old, to love, to laugh, and finally, to die with pride."
Yang's lips quirked into a smile. "So, no. I won't kill you. But enough about that. Are you gonna ask her to the dance?!"
It was a mystery how Jaune hadn't passed out from all the blood rushing to his face. "Umm… I dunno. What if she says no? What if she doesn't feel the same way?"
Yang flicked Jaune's forehead. "Foolish boy. Asking her to the dance doesn't mean asking her to be your girlfriend." Jaune rubbed his forehead. "Just ask her as a friend. Just don't make the 'I couldn't get a date so I'm asking you' excuse. That'll make her feel like an afterthought."
Perhaps asking Yang for advice wasn't the smartest idea, but at the same time, Yang knew Ruby better than anyone. There was no one better to ask. All he had to deal with was the relentless teasing.
"W-What do you think? Does she… do you think she likes me?"
Yang shrugged. "No idea. Sorry Lover Boy," Yang said, much to Jaune's surprise. "Don't look so surprised. Ruby has never had a significant crush on anyone in her entire life. I tease her about being your girlfriend a lot but there's a difference between being embarrassed by my teasing and being embarrassed because she likes you. I have never seen her fall for someone so I have no idea what it looks like."
That wasn't the answer he wanted. Looks like he would be running in blind. Maybe that was for the best. It wasn't like Jaune was expecting Ruby to be a professional at this sort of thing. They were both young and inexperienced. It was better to fumble through this now rather than when he turned 30 or something. Even if it never worked, he could still learn something.
Or maybe Ruby was a professional. Maybe she had 20 boyfriends on the side that she kept hidden from Yang and her dad.
Yeah… that sounded ridiculous. Ruby wasn't the type of person to lead a double life. Ruby Rose leading a double life as two entirely different people was infeasible.
Right?
"Look," Yang began. "What I can tell you is that Ruby will say yes if you ask her to the dance. Call it sisterly instincts or whatever you want."
Asking Ruby Rose to the dance. Such a thought already sent his heart into overdrive. Jaune began thinking about a million different ways it could go wrong. Though, realistically, the worst thing she could say was no. There was no way Ruby would laugh at him for asking. She wouldn't tell the entire school that he asked her out just to humiliate him.
If she said no then he could just play it off as him wanting to go as friends and never try anything like that ever again. If she said yes then he would get a date with a cute girl to the dance.
Jaune clenched his fist over his heart. "O-Okay… I'll do it."
Yang smiled. "Good." She stood up and stretched her arms and legs. "Let's head back. I need to head home so my father doesn't storm the school to look for me." She turned toward Jaune. "If anyone asks then you can just tell them we were making out."
Jaune nodded. "Ok, I'll do-" he paused, realizing what Yang just said. "Wait, What!"
Yang smiled and pinched his cheek. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed." Yang hummed a merry tune before skipping to the door.
Jaune sat there in silence for a minute. Pondering the conversation he just had.
He couldn't stop thinking about Ruby Rose.
AN: Poor Jaune falls in love.
I actually based Ruby's hairstyle on a tweet I saw a few years back. Someone edited Ruby's hair to look a lot cuter and I loved it.
If you care enough to see the image then just shoot me a PM. I'll be glad to send it to you. This site doesn't do links well so I can't post it here.
I should stop staying up late to finish these.
Review if you want.
Or don't.
I don't really care.