RWBY: Batman Begins

Chapter XIV

Ruby Rose was in the cafeteria with her teammates.

Ever since Weiss had discovered the news of Bruce Wayne's return, she had been talking about old memories with him. Ruby enjoyed those stories. Of course she remembered Bruce. She'd learned a while ago that he was the one she'd met years ago as a kid. She had practically given him her cape in an attempt to comfort him. She'd missed it for a while, but she hoped it made him happy now.

There was one thing that distracted her from the food she was eating was Cardin Winchester at the other table, pulling Velvet Scarlatina's rabbit ears.

Cardin always disgusted her. He was the school bully, and he was the perfect example of why she was starting to hate the career she'd chosen.

Ruby had chosen to be a Huntress to protect people, faunus or human. But coming to this academy showed her what she was getting herself into. The people here were corrupt, outside of a few, and she felt ashamed associating herself with them. She just wanted to make the world a better place.

Thoughts like that stuck with her all day, all the way up to night. She was unable to sleep that night, even while her friends had drifted off.

Keeping these thoughts away from them was painful, but she didn't want to bring them down. Especially with their side investigation on Torchwick, and the whole situation with Blake.

Ruby climbed from her bed, heading for the bathroom to get herself a drink, leaving the door open behind her.

She filled up a cup she left at the sink in case any of them got thirsty. She reached to the faucet to turn on the water, but stopped as she felt a hand cup over her mouth, and something metal push against the back of her head, which she didn't doubt to be a gun.

"Don't turn around," a dark voice said, "or your friends will be punished. Do you understand?"

Ruby nodded. She didn't want this man to do anything to her, but she wasn't going to let him hurt her friends.

"You're a good Huntress," he said, removing his hand from her mouth, and grabbing her shoulder. His grip was oddly gentle. "One of the few."

"What do you want?" Ruby asked, hoping speaking wouldn't lead to "punishment" for her friends. But the man didn't seem to care.

"Roman Torchwick brings in shipments of drugs every week," he said. "Nobody takes him down. Why?"

Ruby felt slightly calm, getting the impression he was here to help, not hurt. Now she was much more willing to cooperate.

"I don't know," she said. "I think he's paying people."

"What will it take to bring him down?" the man asked.

"Well, I don't know," Ruby said. "Weiss says you'd need proof that Judge Faden is working with him, and then you'd need Huntresses brave enough to take him into custody."

"So you guys."

Ruby wasn't scared anymore, knowing for sure this man was on her side. "Who are you? Are you a friend or something?"

"Watch for my sign."

She felt the weapon remove from behind her head, and the grip release from her shoulder. "You're just one man?"

"Now we're two."

"'We'?"

Silence.

Ruby turned around, and saw that the man was gone, and on the ground was the weapon he had used: a stapler. She was never in any danger.

Ruby activated her semblance, Petal Burst, which allowed her to run at extreme speeds, leaving behind a trail of rose petals. She dashed to the window, and stared to the roof, where she could see a costumed man climbing up.