Ruby: A Different Path

Chapter Eight

        Natalie looked back and forth between Ruby and Cardin. "You said she was young but.... jeez..."

        He shrugged. "Old enough to get the attention of the wrong people."

        "Yeah, I heard." She sighed and gave Ruby a pitying smile. "Once people like that become aware of you there really isn't a way out unless you get a whole new identity. Chances are you'll have a target painted on your back for the rest of your life and the least I can do is help make sure you're prepared to defend yourself."

        "Thanks." Ruby smiled. "I'm hoping they won't mess with me again. I could have handled just a few guys, I've done it before, but that time I kinda stumbled on some kind of base or something and there were just too many."

        "Well, there are some techniques for dealing with large numbers and a few other tricks I learned that the school doesn't really teach." She smiled. "Though I hope you will keep all this to yourselves until you learn it in class. I really can't afford to get in trouble for this... but I can't leave you two vulnerable to attacks from thugs like that."

        Three months later Ruby was more frustrated than ever. They had been training with Natalie three times a week and had made a lot of progress. They learned a lot of things that would have been picked up in later years at school but also some things that would be frowned on, they learned to fight dirty in the name of survival.

        Ruby didn't like it, a lot of it was really mean stuff that just seemed overboard... but if she had to, she was sure she could use it. With everything she had learned she had no doubt she could survive if not win in a fight just like the one that hospitalized her. That was both comforting and the greatest source of irritation she had.

        She could do it. She could take them on and win...

        "Don't."

        She sighed and let her head fall with a thump to the table. How did he do that? "I'm not going to!"

        "You're thinking pretty hard about it." Cardin said as he dropped into the chair across from her.

        "It's a really hard math problem." She muttered without looking up.

        "That's your history homework." He pointed out.

        "Fine. I was thinking about it. Happy?" She glared at the smug smile that contrasted sharply with the concern in his eyes. "I can daydream without following through."

        "That's how obsession and insanity start. You need to at least try to let it go or you'll end up doing something stupid."

        "Yeah, like you don't think about it." She grumbled. How could he not think about getting rid of the people who threaten his family if they even think he may betray them?

        "It's a fun thought once in a while but I know enough to know we can't handle them. Not either of us alone or even working together with Natalie and her team. Ruby, we've only seen the local branch of whatever is going on. That is an international crime syndicate... Even if we take out all of them here, more will come. This is the kind of group that would destroy Beacon completely to make a point. You have to let it go."

         "They threatened Yang, Cardin... If it was just me I could put up with it but I can't stand that they will kill her if they think I'm going to be a threat. What about when I graduate? A fully trained threat. You think they'll just shrug it off?" She pushed, getting more angry by the second as she always did when she thought about that threat. Ruby may not always get along with her sister but she was still the person she loved the most.

         "I know... That kind of threat usually works. They didn't understand the kind of person you are. Try not to worry, though. I've been giving it some thought and I may have figured out a way to deal with this."

         "Really?" She blinked. "What can we do?"

         "It's not something you can help with. Just keep doing what you're doing and get to graduation in one piece, alright?" He gave her another of those irritating smug smiles. "Leave it to me."

         She rolled her eyes and threw an eraser at him but even after he left she had an uneasy feeling.