Ruby: A Different Path

Chapter Five

        "You again, Red?" She spun around to face the owner of that voice.

        "You again, Torchwick?" He grinned and motioned for his followers to attack. Shouldn't have run off without the guys.. She berated herself as Crescent Rose appeared in her hands. Let's split up! Great idea, Ruby....

        "We really have to stop meeting like this." Torchwick said casually as he leaned against a lamppost and watched her take in her situation. She was badly outnumbered and surrounded. "Of course if you stayed in school like a good little girl and didn't sneak around in the middle of the night this sort of thing probably wouldn't happen

        Stupid Cardin... She spun Crescent Rose and fired a shot in the air before wading into the crowd of thugs with her weapon flashing in the moonlight. Cardin hadn't returned to the dorm after she hit him. Or the next day. They sent messages to his scroll but there was no response. Ruby was sure he would answer if she apologized but she had no intention of doing that. She wasn't sorry and had no reason to be. While all the other students were getting ready for bed, the remaining members of Team RWBS had been planning a strategic search.

        When the coast was clear they headed in to town and split up to check all the most likely places.... then the less likely. She stumbled across these guys loading crates from a van into a warehouse and well, now all she could do was hope someone in her team heard the shot and came running. They had a lot more people around than usual and probably wouldn't want her telling anyone about this location. For every person she knocked out of the fight there seemed to be four more to step up!

        Eventually her luck ran out and she felt a white hot line of pain across her back. She stumbled in that moment of distraction... then she was moving fast though her legs were still.

        "What were you thinking?!" Cardin demanded as he ran. She watched the receding crowd of enemies over his shoulder, all of them falling away as a piercing whistle cut through the air. They turned a corner and he slowed a little bit. "Were you seriously alone on this side of town this late at night? Do you have a death wish?"

        "Had to find you." She gasped, the adrenaline wearing off enough for her to start feeling pain. A lot of pain.

        He didn't say anything else or stop running, just paced himself until they reached the hospital. The rest of the night was a blur, though she did remember hearing the word 'stitches' a few times. She woke on her stomach, her head clouded with painkillers and Cardin asleep in the chair next to her. She tried to sit up but the sudden agony in her back made her gasp and drop back. Craning her head, she was able to see Dove and Sky in chairs next to Cardin and on the other side of the bed...

        "That will be quite a scar."

        "Hi, Professor Ozpin." She squeaked.

        "While I am glad you care enough for your team to seek out one who has gone off to pout over a black eye, I do wish you had thought to request help from the other teams if not the teachers." He said with a small smile that stood in stark contrast to his disappointed tone.

        "I... didn't think anyone else would want to get involved." She sighed and dropped back on her pillow. "It was our problem... my fault. I lost my temper."

        "Everyone loses their temper sometimes and I doubt you would strike a teammate for something trivial... If it will make you feel better I can arrange for you to speak to a counselor about anger management."  He offered.

        "No, I provoked her." Cardin said quietly. "She didn't overreact or hit me for no reason. Don't hold her responsible for this."

        "She is the team leader," Professor Ozpin pointed out. "The safety of her team is her responsibility. She injured you and endangered the others by bringing them alone to the city after dark."