97 Chapter 97: Influence

~Third POV~

"AHHHH!!!"

*Bang*

Screaming and firing a round with each syllable Yang tries to fight back against the Nevermore as she continues to attack as she looks behind her and jumps back from its mouth onto a ruin, causing the creature to crash into the cliffs, "I! Hope! You're! Hung-! ...-gry!"

Despite Yang's attempts, the Nevermore recovers quickly, and Yang smiles as she spots Ruby and Blake on the broken columns with Weiss rushing to the battle.

Yang passes her while the Nevermore starts to fly back up, but Weiss hops over to the ruin it's lifting off of and freezes the tip of its feathery tail to the ground, leaving it stuck in the same spot despite its flapping. Weiss back-flips into a snowflake-circle jump and lands on the other side, running to the group.

Blake fires the pistol portion of Gambol Shroud over to Yang, and the two tighten it between the columns so Ruby can jump on the center with Crescent Rose and bend it back into Weiss' black sigil, right next to the caster.

Weiss began to talk to Ruby about her idea to deal with Nevermore with some sarcasm about her plan, "Of course, you would come up with this idea."

Ruby glances back at Weiss and thinks of the moments leading to this as originally planned and followed to perfection to play her role. She followed the exact steps as she keeps her patience with Weiss.

In the beginning, she could tolerate her thanks to the influence of the other members and knowing how to work as a team with some experience. But Ruby also knew she had to be the mature one here as she followed the other member's example.

Ruby merely smirked at her as she replied to her future teammate with some of her sarcasm at her, "Think you can make the shot here ice queen?"

Weiss's confidence smirked at this ignoring the sarcasm with Ruby as she nods her head along with a response, "Hmm! Can I!"

Ruby merely nods her head giving Weiss the go as she fully believed her capabilities since Tatsumi did the same with her giving her the task of defeating Lady Nagant. So, Ruby will place the same level of trust in her members.

*CRACK*

*SWOOSH*

*Bang*

Ruby looks forward and pumps Crescent Rose as Weiss turns the circle from black to red and releases Ruby at such a speed that the ground behind her launch cracks, rose petals flying from her ascent.

With each new shot, she gets closer and closer to the trapped Grimm until her scythe catches the Nevermore's neck in its blade and causes them both to fall to the cliff wall. Weiss raises her sword and creates a series of white circles up the wall, which Ruby dashes through by firing the entire way up.

As the more, she reached her way to the top to the Nevermore Ruby began to look at her hand as she used her Devil Fruit power of the Hard-Hard Fruit to make herself hard solid as she grinned at her hand as she thinks to herself, 'Let's see since Tatsumi told me that my Semblance is more on the lines of Molecular Manipulation and Saeko explaining to me how it works. I wonder if I can mimic his way… one way to find out…'

"ARRGGHH!!!"

Just as Ruby began to get closer to the Nevermore she began to accelerate her hand molecules as this was the current limit as she was capable of as Ruby managed to get closer to the Nevermore as she instead of using her [Crescent Rose] she used her Semblance [Petal Burst].

Ever since she received news about the future Ruby tried to plan some ways against them but she also tried to find some ways to improve as well. That was when Tatsumi began to teach her semblance is more on the lines of Molecular Manipulation.

Once she heard that she was confused but when he mentions he compares it to the [Overhaul] quirk her tune changed in that instant to know more. Unfortunately, though Tatsumi didn't explain much about the subject as he was still new to the idea and method himself Ruby asked another member.

Saeko as she explained some methods to use molecular manipulation as Ruby absorbed everything like a sponge and remembered the part in the future when Tatsumi mentions she's bound to do it to people in the future.

Knowing about this once she got back home Ruby began to train her semblance again but in a different way instead of speed…

*Bang*

Getting closer to the Nevermore her burst of petals ended as she was now above the head of the Nevermore as her hand was brightly shaking petals from it as she managed to connect one touch to the Grimm as the Nevermore began to destabilize.

It was something Ruby practiced once she learn from the members that she always breaks herself apart and reforms herself that she can also learn that she can break others apart with her semblance. That was when Ruby decided to train her semblance from scratch to see what the limits of her power outside of just speed were.

What Ruby doing to the Nevermore as it began to shake more unstably into rose petals reforming as it stopped mid-way leaving it to explode to dust as Ruby lands on the ground with amazement.

Yang, Blake, and an exhausted Weiss watch her climb up with the bird in her grasp until, they heard a monster crying out, Ruby reaches the top of the cliff as the Grimm in question began to deform of black molecules and red petals destroying it apart making the scene look rosier with petals flying around as the wind sends them away.

Ruby seeing her handy work and others feeling amazement still sighs inside her mind as she needs to practice more as she thought, 'Sigh… guess using the Hard-Hard fruit kept me whole during the whole process. I still need work on [Welting Petals] to completely deform them like how Tatsumi uses his [Overhaul] quirk. I have some ways to go before I reach that level…'

She lands beside the disintegrated Nevermore turning into Rose Petals to the ruins and crevice below while the girls and, farther away, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren watch in amazement of the beauty.

Jaune looked on in amazement at how he met Ruby as he thought she was a cute girl and nervous about her body but seeing how she completely took down the Nevermore with one-touch tells him how much the gap between her and him was…

Ruby, her cape and petals flowing with the wind, looks down to her friends as they peer up as Yang began to comment about it, "Well... That was a thing! Didn't know you could even do those rubes! When did you get to learn something like that?"

Ruby continues to smile at her sister twirling her finger at them and her teammates in her usual childish manner, "Sorry Yang… but… that's a… secret~"

Yang sighs at this but does smile that Ruby is getting better with people as she first thought worriedly in the beginning especially with how Ruby developed faster than ever but also has a sense of maturity… she never knew her little sister has…

But times like these make her happy that Ruby was still Ruby in her eyes as the rest of the teens began to head to the stage back at Beacon Academy.

…

*Clap**Clap**Clap*

The faint sounds of an audience clapping are heard, growing louder and louder as a familiar voice is heard. That was when Ozpin began to announce the teams as the screen of the auditorium shows each of their profiles as the boys are lined up for the applauding audience to see as Ozpin continues, "Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!"

*Clap**Clap**Clap*

The audience gives one more wave of ovation, while four students walk up to the stage to take their places in front of the headmaster as their faces fill the screen. With that, the next group with Jaune, Ren, Pyrrha, and Nora entered the stage next.

At that moment Ozpin began to announce the next team for the ones who completed the trials they had gone through in a happy tone, "Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR. Led by... Jaune Arc! Congratulations, young man."

The newly formed team of JNPR was happy about their new arrangement as they already got the hang of each after the fight with the Death Stalker. A grinning Pyrrha offers a friendly shoulder bump to Jaune, but her fine leader is knocked over and falls to his butt in front of the laughing audience.

The final team to be formed was Ruby's team as she felt nervous about the whole thing as Ozpin kindly finishes the announcement of teams being formed as he motions over the four as they stand before him, "And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!"

Weiss looks to her right surprised, where Ruby is obviously in shock as Yang goes over to hug her sister. Ruby for her part looks at her newly formed team and allies for the upcoming troubles they'll face in the future.

For her part, Ruby grins happily at the three as she thinks to herself calmly at the scene in front of her, 'So these three are going to help me save Remnant in the future huh? I have at least a few months before the fall of Beacon happens. What I need to do for them now is be a good leader for now but first…'

Ruby begins to ask her teammates her faults as to know what to expect showing humility to them as she responds to them kindly, "Thank you for having you three as my teammates and being your leader. But do know I may not be perfect or such, but I'll try to be the best leader I can be to have you follow me I hope you take care of me."

At this Yang just rubs Ruby's head with no need for that. Blake simply nods her head knowing that Ruby is still 15 years old so she would need guidance along the lines…

Weiss on the other hand had a difficult expression written on her face but couldn't say anything at the moment considering the crowd of people in front of her. So, she had to bite her pride for her public image for now.

However, Weiss did feel that Ruby was unfit considering she was asking for help at this moment unaware she gained Blake and Yang's trust already doing this as she copied how Tatsumi openly showed his concerns and life from the logs being blunt.

Ozpin on the other hand seems amused with Ruby's growth and maturity amid the last round of cheers as he says to himself quite curious voice, "It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year. I wonder how miss Rose will deal with being a leader but seems my worries are unfounded seeing her act like one."

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A/N: Here's today's chapter thought a brief break from the quest to see what one of the members is doing would be good to show. And this will help you guys know where exactly the Ruby storylines are as well show her experience with the members who changed her personality growing up to show the difference so enjoy.

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