Chapter Text
Faces turn from elation to horror as an Atlesian automaton flashed red — then detonated. Then another and another. Ruby’s face pales white as a sheet when the first beowulf smashes into a food cart that had been set up for the festival. It was cut down within seconds but the stain left behind would stay long after the grim was smoke.
From her team, to the smoke rising from vale, and back again, ruby made her choice.
***
Not that that choice mattered now. Sitting in this cell, away from all her friends, her family, her team and Weiss. The mental ‘Hey’ only drew a short laugh from her. Hardly a sound as she curls further into a ball.
They didn't even trust her.
***
Ruby’s scythe cuts through the third beowulf and second Boarbatusk. Her heart hammers her ribcage when she spots a shadow crossed over one roof and caught the hint of a white suit and black hat. It had to be Torchwick. Too convenient.
“Weiss, take over” ruby shouted before her speed carried her up the building to give chase.
“Where are you goi-” was all Ruby heard.
***
Zipping across rooftops, Ruby watches Torchwick and two other lackeys move across the roofs seemingly just outside her reach until they stop on a wide flat hospital roof. Far away from the breach and in the heavy rain she hides behind a duct.
“You are lucky I am paying you too much to let you die, torchwick.”
Ruby froze as she was about to take them by surprise. The one speaking was the leader of CRME. Her heart ran cold for a second as she realised she was also the lady from the Dust sho[
“And I spend it all on laundry Ma’am you get me to do all the dirty work”
A weight settled in her stomach as she thought of Yang's fist going through their teammate’s knee and it didn't sit right.
“Dirty work you are sloppy on Torchwick” the heavy voice echos from the rooftop. She could barely hear it above the rain.
“I was in prison. I’ve gotten rusty bull-boy”
Was the last word she heard before a huff of air blew past her face and the world went black.
***
“ruby?”
Her head rang as the blackness drilled at her vision.
“Ruby”
‘I'm right— Where?’
“Rubes?”
Ruby groaned quietly as she raised her head heavily looking up towards the rest of WBY.
“Ruby!”
And it came back to her. The explosions, the breach.
Torchwick.
Ruby heaved puke over the rooftop as she stood up, shaking from exhaustion with her head ringing up and down.
“Guys! Torchwich was up here with the one lady from CRME! She’s in charge, not him-”
“Ruby” Blake’s soft voice cut through her tangent and as she finally looked up towards her team she saw sympathetic looks. Distant gazes that looked right through her.
“Team?”
She searches Blake who just shook her head. Then Weiss who only averts her eyes. A hand clenching her other sleeve.
“Yang?”
“Look. you’re scared. I get it…” Yang’s voice trailed as her eyes drift down away from Ruby.
“I didnt…” Her chest caved under the weight.
“You guys don't think I” She couldn't finish the sentence. None of them would look at her.
***
“For an aspiring Huntress; The act of deserting people in need is an act unbefitting of a huntress.”
Ruby’s ears rang in the cold silence of the court. Though she saw the Judge adjust his posture the moment the camera left her face.
“Ten hunters-in-training and thirty nine Human and Faunus lives lost. Forty-Nine counts of manslaughter because you could have saved any one of them.”
She felt a crack in her soul. She was chasing the bad guy. They just wouldn't listen
“You will be tried for dereliction tantamount to treason.”
She was chasing the bad guy. They just wouldn't listen
“and restitution for property damage totaling eleven million lien.”
There was nary a cough through the benches as eyes bore down upon her
“You are, however, a child in the eyes of the law.”
“So the laws are lenient.”
“I hereby sentence you to Five thousand hours of community service”.
“Five years parole”
“and declaring you unfit for any and all forms of huntress training or associated programs.”
“Your weapon shall be decommissioned and returned to your family. It is
forbidden by law for you to sharpen or reconstruct it.”
***
The ride home to patch was quiet. The box on the ground by her feet like a miniature coffin held her weapon. She couldn't bear to see it as it was with the tip filed off and the edge dulled. Its barrel was stuffed and a hold was dug through the trigger mechanism. Her soul ached for her weapon. But it gave her a reason to stay silent — no matter what her father said. No matter the sympathetic looks from Qrow. Even Yang's jokes felt hollow, tired and clipped. It was a somber ride back home
Back home, Ruby couldn’t trust her own voice nor could she even think of words to say. Nothing felt like enough to quell the burning ache in her heart for the life she had to leave behind. Nothing could make up for the betrayal she would lie on her family’s lap. She couldn't bear the look on Yang’s face.
***
Night time and without even a single change of clothes, Ruby slips out of her window leaving behind her cloak and a bare letter filled with hollow platitudes. She couldn't even look back towards her old home as she readies herself up to start her run to the dockyard.
“Gunna hurt a lot of people, kiddo” Qrow’s voice echoes quietly from the clearing around them. “Trust me, I know there’s no way back from this. No way back to what it used to be”
It wasn't the first sob to break her voice as she looks up towards her teacher.
“I, I know.” She shook her head and raised her head further to meet his eyes. “But, there is only one path forward. There is only one chance.” The heavy weight of Ruby’s voice starts her. Nonetheless it was right. It was her only chance.
Qrow sighs in resignation. She hadn't realised how tired he looked before now. The deep lines in his face of years gone and weight growing ever heavier.
“Kid- No. Ruby.” he pauses as his eyes flick back then fourth searching for words then finally settling on a sigh.
“You remember that bar your sister tore up? There’s a man there named Junior.” Before Ruby could ask any questions, Qrow drops a coin and a data shard into her hand.
“He’ll get you a new ID. Tell him it's a rush order from his sister”. Qrow slowly leveled his eyes up to the stars with drink in hand and not a thought on how it got there.
“Your father will never forgive me for this. He won't know.”
“Kiddo, take one last look at this house. You may never see this again.”
“Don't forget your home. No matter how damaged you are. No matter what sins you commit.”
“We’ll be there for you kiddo”
***
Ruby stares out across the dockyard watching several late night workers load a final cargo ship and at the first sign of their distraction she darts into the hold, stealing herself deep within the bowels of cargo, Eventually landing back in vale, and in front of an old bar tucked in an industrial zone.