16

"Wow!" Ruby exclaimed. "I forgot how big the transmit tower looks up close!"

"You should see the one in Atlas." Weiss boasted.

"That was the first one, right?"

"Correct," Weiss said. "Atlas developed the cross-continental transmit system to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the great war."

"Ooo, look at me, my name is Weiss, I know facts, I'm rich." Ruby mocked, doing her best impersonation of her frosty half.

Weiss turned to face Ruby as she snorted, hand on her hip. "Don't be a pest! Besides, the only reason we're here is because you like the tower so much. We could've just as easily made a call from the library."

"I know, but it's so cool!" Ruby gushed. "Oh! I'm gonna take a picture!" In her rush of excitement, she fumbled as she took out her scroll, resulting in the thin device clacking onto the cement, and landing at a pair of black boots.

"You dropped this." Said person happened to be a ginger haired friend Ruby hadn't seen since that night at the docks.

"Penny?!" Ruby said in disbelief.

"Uh…" Being the main focus, Penny became tied tongue.

"Where have you been? We haven't seen you since the night at the docks."

"S-Sorry, I think you have me confused." Penny hiccuped, launching Ruby's scroll back into her hands. "I've got to go." A hasty retreat followed soon after.

"What was that about?" Weiss asked Ruby as if she held the answer.

"I don't know, but I'm about to find out." Ruby was already on the move before she had even spoken. "You go make your call, I'll meet up with you later!" And, she was gone.

"H-Hey!" Weiss squawked, hand outstretched as she called after Ruby. Her outstretched hand fell limply to her side as she watched her hyperactive partner dash off. Weiss could only pinch her nose bridge, and sigh. 'I'm stuck with this dolt for Remnant knows how long.'

'Style points, let's go.' Ruby darted between the bodies of the people as they walked by. Reaching the rails, she performed a side flip, easily landing on the metal bar as she slid all the down to the bottom where she front flipped near the bottom, stumbling slightly on the landing. 'Style rank: D. One day I'll get that triple S rank.'

Ruby maneuvered through the sea of humans as smoothly as a teen running on adrenaline could, which happened to be not as smooth as she hoped. She found herself in situations where she had to make quick apologies to sighted pedestrians.

"Penny!" Ruby called out, shifting herself off a young boy before she was in the clear.

At the sound of her name, Penny made a half turn, grimacing a bit after seeing Ruby. Pretending as if she didn't hear, she kept on moving.

"Penny." Ruby tried again, but received no response, not even a glance. "Penny, don't ignore me, I thought we were friends."

Friend.

At the mention of the word, all joints in Penny's body seized up, locking her in place.

A… friend.

That's what Ruby was–is to her, right? That's right. Ruby is her friend. Her very first, actual friend.

"Penny, what happened?" Ruby's voice seemed to be the charm that released whatever spell held her body in place, her joints regaining motion as her friend stood before her. "I've been so worried ever since that night you left without a word. I hate it when I don't get to see my friends, let alone hear from them. It makes me… worry that something bad happened."

"I'm sorry, Ruby." Penny apologized.

"Where did you go? You could've at least said goodbye."

"I'm sorry." Another apology. "Father was leaving the kingdom to deal with diplomatic matters, and since I've never traveled to another kingdom, he thought it would be good exposure for me." Forgoing her escape, an amiable manner exuded from Penny as she invited Ruby to walk with her.

"Reminds me I should call mine sometime." Ruby muttered to herself. "When you left, why didn't you at least let us know you were okay? I was worried."

"I was told not to talk to you, or anyone really."

"By who? Your father?"

"No, it wasn't my father..."

The answer was as cryptic and vague as the night she vanished.

Rounding the corner, a mass of stagnant and buzzing bodies greeted them, all attention directed to the demonstration on the platform a few feet off. Portrayed on a hologram up on the stage, loomed the static image of one General Ironwood of the Atlesian Military.

"-With the cooperation of the Schnee Dust Company, I'm proud to introduce you to the Atlesian Paladin!" Just as Ironwood's hologram disappeared, an image of a giant robot appeared. And, the crowed roared with applause. Those who were still simple applauded, while those who buzzed with intrigue let out a few shouts.

Penny's attention diverted from the demonstration, scoping out the scene of many faces, both young and old. Suddenly, her roaming eyes stopped on two Atlesian soldiers, their gaze focused on her solely. 'Oh, no.' No longer were the soldiers standing across the street, they were now coming straight for Penny.

"Ruby, I think we should leave." One step back. Then, two, and finally, a full out dash.

"Penny! Wait, why?!" Queue the sound of clacking armour, and weaponry. Not always a good thing. "Oh, that's why..."

A wise man once told that when faced with the fuzz, always make a break for it. That wise man was her uncle, who happened to be all liquored at the time, completely plastered. Now, Ruby always believed in respecting authority, but when said authority was rushing at her with guns unholstered, her uncle's words rang true.

As she ran, Ruby could've sworn she saw a miniature version of Qrow with little horns, standing on her shoulder, goading her on to run faster. To her credit, she was making up good mileage by simply running without her semblance.

In the matter of her not using her semblance, put in the mildest terms, Ruby was a fledgling of sorts, still in the stages of learning how to control her semblance, despite her having skill that put most people to shame. A semblance like hers was a difficult thing to control, and demanded firm concentration. Possessing the ability to dart to one place, and then another in a split second without experiencing a case of vertigo remained a feat not many could claim, so Ruby was excused in that matter.

As she ran, Ruby cast a swift glance behind her, noting that the two men were still hot on her tail. 'Don't these guys tire?' She made a sharp turn to the right, her face just narrowly missing the rugged edge of the wall. 'I need to lose these two.'

Her answer came in the form of rusted poles, and splintered wood as old scaffolding haphazardly leaned against the back of a decrepit building.

'Tsk, tsk, what shoddy work ethics.'

Without warning, she delivered a swift kick to one of the rickety steel poles, and everything came toppling down right after. A dust cloud formed as the beams crashed to the ground, blocking the alleyway, and forcing the men to a halt. They swore as they lost the two girls beyond the steel and wooden barricade.

Now, that those nuisances were temporarily dealt with, Ruby could focus on catching Penny. Said girl happened to be a fair distance ahead of her as she ran. 'Okay, time to end this chase.' Running up an adjacent alley wall, Ruby tightened her calf muscles before using the explosive energy to push herself forward, and crashing straight into Penny where they tumbled out of the alley, and into the road.

'Ugh, that was like crashing into a steel wall...' Strength ebbing away, she fell into a swoon. 'Dust, that took more out of me than it should've.'

*Honk! Honk!*

"Oh, geez." Ruby lifted her head enough to see a mack truck driving up the road. "Is this some kind of omen? Am I supposed to die by vehicular manslaughter!? This is the second time!"

Before she could curse her awful luck anymore, she found herself eating concrete as Penny pushed her out of the way, hands pressing down on the bumper as the eighteen wheeler lifted off the ground slightly at the staggering impact. The driver of the truck opened the door, and toppled out of his seat, light-headed and confused.

Pedestrians ceased all personal business as they stood on the sidewalks, mouths agape, and some with scrolls out as they recorded the whole event.

Ruby recovered enough to stand on her own two feet, though she still felt as though she'd tumble right back down.

"What… happened..." Her question fell on deaf ears, everyone's focus on the girl who'd just single-handedly stopped a semi. Following the direction of their stares, Ruby looked to see Penny, standing in the middle of the street, eighteen wheeler left with a horribly bent bumper.

Penny's mind was in a frenzy. Everything had happened so fast. Ruby barrelling into her, the two falling in the road, and a truck almost scraping upRuby had she not stepped in. But, now… now, everyone stared at her. Everyone. All eyes on her. All scrolls on her. They'd seen her. They'd seen what she just did. She had to get away. She needed to run. She needed to hide from prying eyes. Penny pivoted on the spot, ginger curls bouncing as she scampered back into the alley.

'Penny!' Ruby didn't even bother to look both ways despite what happened a couple of minutes ago as she bolted across the street. Careless, she knew, but Penny needed her.

She found Penny in the alley, near a dumpster, hyperventilating. "Penny, Penny. Penny, talk to me. What happened?"

"Oh, no. This is bad, very bad." Penny whispered, voice trembling.

"What's bad, Penny? Is there something wrong?" Ruby edged over to the spooked ginger.

"No, nothing is wrong!" Penny cried, hiccuping as she did.

"Shh, shh, calm down, Penny." One step. Two steps. Ruby stood before Penny. "Whatever it is, I'm hear to listen."

"You said I was your friend. Was that the truth?" The freckled girl murmured.

"Nothing but the truth." Ruby's swift answer squashed some of the unease Penny felt.

Dubiously, Penny revealed her the palms of her hands to her friend. Ruby had braced herself for the sight of mangled flesh. The image of dull, gray metal was not what she expected at all. "I-I'm not a normal girl..."

Argent eyes stared, and stared, and stared, building back that uncertainty Penny held.

"Woah… that's so rad!" Ruby inspected the hands closer.

"Huh?" Penny mouthed, the reaction not what she was expecting.

"You said you weren't normal. What did you mean besides the whole metal hands parts?"

"I-I'm the first synthetic android capable of generating aura." Penny clarified as simply as possible.

"Oh, so that pretty much means you're human."

"What?"

"You may have metal parts instead of blood, and guts, and all that gross stuff, but you have a soul, I can feel it, and what makes a person human is that they have a soul. Without a soul, you're nothing but a cold hearted monster walking around in human skin."

"Oh, Ruby," Penny said with a smile on her face.

"Don't give me that scientific garbage. I don't want to hea-!" Ruby's face slid against the fabric of a grey top as Penny squeezed the very life out of her.

"Ruby, you're the bestest friend anyone could ask for!" Penny spared Ruby when she realized a peculiar factor. "You're taking this rather well. Why's that?"

Ruby stilled, attempts to escape the tight grip ceased. She remained quiet for a few heartbeats before she spoke. "Penny… you shared something really important, and personal with me, so I think it's fair I share something of equal importance with you."

Mood dour, Ruby reached up, and gently removed the strong yet lean arms from around her shoulders. Penny let her as she stepped back, and stood in the middle of the alley. Ruby's caped back was to the ginger, her shoulders inclining inward while her hands were full of tension, and anxiety.

Cognition, the mental action of understanding through thought, was the first element implemented into Penny's system upon her creation. Appearances were a troublesome thing, many would attest to this fact. Most took Penny for an unusual individual, what with her way of talking, and what not, but only knew few knew what she could truly do. A task such as observing, and reading the body language of another was a skill numerous people thought they could easily do, and they would, often or not, be wrong in almost all cases. Reading someone's body language, or facial expression happened to be a trait only a handful of people could claim title to.

However, those who rarely wore their hearts on their sleeves, and kept up a mask of indifference were another story.

All she could see was Ruby's red tipped hair swaying in the breeze, and the fluttering of her cape, but her body language screamed volumes. Slumped shoulders, tense muscles, and a slight quiver in her body as she breathed. Whatever Ruby was preparing to tell her, must've been something she spoke not often of.

"You see…" Penny heard her start, speech sounding forced. "I'm sorta like you."

"What do you mean?"

"I've never told anyone outside of those I consider close friends, and family to me about this. I've never told my team, my sister, nor my dad. And, that shows how much I'd rather keep this to myself. I don't want them to worry about me, and start fussing over. I hate that." Ruby clenched her right hand. "Only my uncle knows, and I plan on keeping it that way until push comes to shove, and I have no choice, but to tell them." Behind her, Penny tilted her in puzzlement. "I… lost my hand during a mission a long time ago. It was a stupid mistake on my part, honestly. I shouldn't have done what I did without thinking first. In the aftermath, I lost my hand, and something else I considered precious to me."

Ruby grinded her teeth together with enough force that a chipped tooth might've been the result. "But, besides that, I could've nearly lost my life. The realization made me so angry. Angry at the person who'd maimed me. Angry at my employers for sending me on such a mission. And, most of all, angry at myself for my carelessness. A little more, and my life would've been over with a quick slash." She sniffled, eyes stinging as salty liquid welled up.

"I didn't bother to inform my employers about the mission, my two accomplices would, so I hopped on the next airship to Atlas, since you know, Atlas is known for its top shot technology. On my way to the hospital, I ran into a nice couple. When they saw the condition of my hand, they felt sorry for me, so they offered to pay for the surgery needed to replace it." Penny listened, enraptured by Ruby's tale. "I can't begin to tell you how grateful I was to them when they offered to do that, still am actually. Guess there's still hope out there for humanity." Ruby allowed herself a half-hearted chuckle. "After the operation, it took me a few months to get accustomed to having a robotic hand, I even broke some things in the house because of it. I got use to it eventually, though, but it still acts up, malfunctions at times, and I lose mobility over it. My uncle says we'll work on fully controlling it when I get older." Ruby let the aforementioned hand relax, deep indentations in her palm.

"How did it happened?" Penny questioned softly.

"Like I said, carelessness. I had forgotten what the weapon could do, and then," Ruby mimicked a diagonal slash like a blade, "I'm a hand short."

Penny opened her mouth, ready to say something when someone yelled.

"I think they went this way!" And, they sounded pretty close, too.

'I have to hide Ruby.' Penny took two purposeful strides over to Ruby, and gently picked her up.

"P-Penny! What are you doing!?" Ruby flailed in the fireman's carry as she was brought over to the dumpster, which soon became her new spot as Penny dumped her into the container. "Why'd you do that?" Ruby asked, peeking out from under the lid.

"I'm sorry, Ruby, but I need you to stay hidden. I don't want you to get into any trouble, and also, please don't tell anyone about our secret." Penny pleaded.

"I promise." Ruby lowered the lid a few seconds before the footsteps stopped, the two soldiers from earlier finally catching up to them. Lifting the lid just a fraction, she watched as the men confronted Penny.

"Why were you running? And, what happened to the other girl?" An Atlas soldier asked.

"What girl? I've been by myself the whole time." Penny hiccuped.

"You shouldn't have caused such a scene." His partner piped in. "Are you okay?"

"It's just a scratch," Penny said, showing them the condition of her hands.

The taller soldier sighed before he spoke up again. "Your father's not going to be happy about this. Come on, let's go."

Inside the dumpster, Ruby bided her time until the tapping of boots faded completely in the distance before surfacing from inside the dumpster.

"Weiss is probably thinking off a dozen ways to kill me for ditching her." Opening her location, Ruby checked her location. It seemed she wasn't too far from the club she, and Yang visited a while back. "Might as well have one last round before I die of frostbite."

The Club

Two guards wearing their basic uniforms of a suit, a pair of red shades, and a fedora stood opposite of each. Being put on bouncer duty was such a drag. Instead of dancing in the crowds of bouncing bodies, and possibly shaking breasts, they had to stand at the door all night until it was time to close up. What a drag.

Soon, an opportunity for a little action presented itself when the double doors flapped open, and in came a small girl standing no more than 5ft.

"Hey, kid. I don't think this is the place for someone like you." The goatee sporting guard said.

"You need to leave." The other guard backed up his partner.

"Aw, come on! I came here the last time with my sister!" Ruby huffed.

"We said get out of here!" The guard with the goatee barked. "Now!" He raised his gun a smidgen as a threat.

Ruby snorted under her breath. As if something so small would scare her.

"Oi! What's all the fussing?" Two more guards joined the other men after overhearing the raised voices. A cold vice wrapped around their gut when they saw Ruby. "I-It's you!"

The others looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"She's that crazy, blonde chick's sister!"

"Hey! Yang isn't crazy! Excitable, but not crazy!" Ruby sighed. "Listen, fellas, I don't wanna hurt you, but if you don't move." Crescent Rose's gears slid into place as the weapon was unleashed in its true form. "I might just have to hurt you."

"Screw this! I didn't sign up for this!" Goatee Beard screamed, fleeing from sight. "No psycho kid is gonna kill me!" His companions followed his display of cowardice as they fled behind him.

"Some bodyguards they are." Sheathing Crescent Rose, Ruby stepped down the stairs. "And, I'm not a psycho. I'm just a bit… touched in the head?" She crossed one arm across her torso, the other folded in a fist under her chain. "Maybe I am a little unhinged at times, but that's normal, right?" She soon realized that she was fitting said criteria as she stood there, conversing with herself. "Ugh…"

"Ruby Rose, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." A moderately nasal voice intoned.

Ruby's head whipped up, a smile pressing her lips as Miltia sauntered over to her, coming to a stop slight ways off as she posed.

"Miltia!" A hop, skip, and a jump later, and Miltia had a bright-eyed Ruby standing in her face.

"I'm surprised to see you here so soon," Miltia peered around Ruby, looking for signs of golden hair, "and, alone at that. No sister this time?"

"Naw, I'm here on my own." Ruby did her own inspection, searching for a waterfall of ebony hair. "Melanie's not with you, is she?"

"No, Junior sent her out to get some supplies."

"Oh, thank Dust. I don't think I could take another confrontation with her."

"Not many people can." Miltia beckoned Ruby with her fingers as she turned. "Come join me on the balcony."

The 'balcony' as Miltia called it, appeared to be for VIP only as lavishly dressed patrons frequented the plush, red cushioned, leather booths, over indulging each other in the most expensive of wines. Big, fat diamonds rings hugged their fingers, while others squeezed the life out of sausage like digits. Shimmering gold chains as thick as rope weighed down the necks of men with pendants as big as Ruby's rose symbol. Why did the rich need to flaunt their wealth so? Ruby always wondered. She'd have to as Weiss when she got back.

"Wow, you've got some big wigs here." Ruby shivered and gagged when a greasy looking man sent her a wink.

"I suppose. Most are just lawyers, and doctors looking to blow some cash that's probably piled up in their bank accounts." Miltia ducked through a red curtain, holding it open for Ruby to enter. "We do get some troublemakers, however. Arms dealers, and drug lords. Junior sets me, and Melanie on them whenever they start to get antsy."

"Must be a nice way to relieve some stress."

"It is when you work in a place that's usually occupied by sleazeballs, and that alike." As Miltia led Ruby further through the passageway, a set of bulky men garbed in white suits, and a pair of violet sunglasses positioned themselves on either side of the double door to their rear. Their expression remained stoic and unconcerned as Miltia approached, and with a wave of her hand, they opened the doors for her. "Come on in."

The men paid her no mind as she nervously crept past them, watching as they closed the door once she was inside.

"How come they let me in without a fuss, and why are they wearing white suits?"

"Those are Junior's bodyguards for important affairs, like negotiations, or taking care of trash with loose lips. They're not supposed to worry about simple folk, that's what the other grunts are for." Miltia's heel clack as she climbed the few stairs leading her to a booth, which happened to be the only booth in the entire room. The booth was comprised of two long, black leather couches, one facing the other, and a red glass table in the middle; a bucket of ice with a bottle of champagne in the middle, and other paraphernalia you'd see in club. "Don't just stand there all night, have a seat."

"Oh, right, coming." Ruby jogged over to join the older girl in the booth. Once seated beside Miltia, she regarded the private room. It was a mini club, well, at least, that's what Ruby would call it. Bathed in a warm pink light, and smelling faintly of smoke. The illuminated floor flickered between varying shades of pink, and purple; the lights of floor catching the tiny mirrors of the disco ball hung from the ceiling, and reflecting little purple, and pink squares on the dark grey walls. In the background, she could hear the faint bass of speakers pulsing. "Woah, I could fit at least my dorm, and half of my friend's dorm in here. What's this room for?"

"This is a private section for those who don't like to mingle with the mob downstairs. Junior invested in it a year ago, but it hardly gets used since it's mainly for special holidays, and such." Miltia popped the cork of the alcohol, and poured herself a glass. 'Or, when she and her crowd are over.' Miltia tipped her glass slightly, the relatively sweet and dry liquid sliding down her throat. She brought it back down before speaking again. "Would you like anything?"

"Um… I don't see anything else, but that champagne, and I'm, you know, underage."

Miltia chuckled. "Things aren't always what they seem to the naked eye." Miltia turned to the side, and gripped the edge of the couch, revealing that it was actually adjustable as she lifted it; a silver container hidden beneath. Propping up the cushion, Miltia uncovered the container, and presented a wide assortment of wines, and wine coolers, chilling in a tub of ice. "These are all non-alcoholic. Mainly for those who don't like to get drunk in unfamiliar places, so take your pick."

"You guys never lack anything, do you." The question was rhetorical as Ruby reached across her, and took out a raspberry cooler.

"We aim to please." Miltia uncapped her bottle, watching as Ruby smelled it before taking a sip. "So, what brings you here?"

"I was in the area, and thought I'd stop by for a visit." Drops of water dripped off the bottle, dark splotches dotting her stockings. "By the way, what happened with your sister after I left."

"She jumped me the minute I entered our room. I wasn't surprised, though."

"So… who won?"

"I think it's fair to say it was a draw. Melanie's pretty efficient with her kicks, even though she doesn't look it. But, I got in my fair share of blows." Miltia inspected Ruby's new attire, eyes catching on the shiny necklace fastened around her neck. "Did you always have that?" She motioned to the black sapphire necklet.

"This?" Ruby grasped the gem. "I got it recently."

"I didn't take you for the jewelry type."

"I'm not, not usually, but I got this for emergencies."

"Emergencies?" Miltia asked.

"Yeah, this is a dual set I had crafted and gave the other to someone really important to me. There's a distress beacon inside the gem, so I'll know if the person is in trouble." The image of Blake's face when she received her necklace appeared in her mind. "I've been thinking I should get two more made. One for my partner, and my sister."

'Someone important to her, hm?' Miltia mulled, refilling her glass. "Say, Ruby?"

"Yeah?" Ruby shifted her attention away from the tart drink, and onto the older girl, a clear mustache on her top lip.

"Do you have someone special in your life?" Half lidded malachite eyes scrutinized the younger teen.

"Special?" Mouth pursed, Ruby pondered the question. She had a lot of people she considered special in her life. Yang was definitely someone special to her, and although Weiss acted like she didn't like their company sometimes, she would always see that tiny little smile she liked to hide whenever Yang said one of her terrible puns. Anyone who could find it in themselves to even crack a smile at those puns was considered special in her books. And, just recently, Blake became someone very special to her. Blake, her girlfriend. The same Blake who preferred books over socializing at times. It's no wonder they had some sort of connection, forgoing their past. They both loved a good book, and would rather keep to themselves at times. "Yeah… I do have someone special in my life."

Reverence laced the quiet mutter. It was quite apparent Ruby held a certain amount of admiration for this person given the goofy yet mute expression on her face, and her eyes seemed a bit brighter, too.

'I wonder if someone could look at me like that one day.' Miltia's brow creased as the thought entered her mindset. 'Weird.'

"Then, let me ask this question," she placed her empty glass on the table, her undivided attention on her small guest, "do you have a girlfriend, or boyfriend?" Miltia wasn't one to pry into someone's personal affairs, but seeing the girl just sit there with a glossy look in her eyes given the previous question made her wonder. Could someone as inexperienced as Ruby handle a relationship?

"H-Huh, w-what... w-why would you think I have a… girlfriend?" Good thing she put down her drink or not her whole attire would've been covered in sticky juice as she fervently shook her hands.

"No reason. Guess I was just being a bit nosey."

"Oh…"

"But," Miltia's pale green eyes twinkled with mirth, "you didn't say no, nor did you say anything about a boyfriend, and you neither denied being taken."

Ruby stared at her, brow a bit high, and eyes as innocent as a newborn babe, until she covered her face with her hands, sporting a healthy red glow on her pudgy cheeks. "Oooh…" She groaned.

"Hehe, she's a lucky girl." At Miltia's comment, the tiny teen sunk into the lush cushion, wanting to get away from the world.

Mercifully, she changed the topic to one that more suited Ruby's bashful nature, and mentioning weapons seemed to a subject Ruby loved to rant about the most. She spoke of her 'baby', which Miltia soon learned was an HCSS much bigger in stature to the miniature human who owned it. At Ruby's behest, she introduced the eccentric girl to her claws. Not many were allowed to touch her weapons, but she thought it only fair since she got to feel the gigantic scythe. Shiny, gold stars sat in the centre of silver eyes as she ran her fingers along the underside of the claws, shifting focus to the spikes atop the knuckle guard.

*Boom!*

An obnoxious explosion caught their attention, bringing their session to a standstill.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, but we're about to find out." Tucking away her weapons, Miltia moved to the armrest of the couch and dragged her fingers along its leather until her finger dipped slightly into the material, pressing a well-hidden button.

Suddenly, the formerly opaque wall to their left became transparent, allowing them a clear view of the club outside. Downstairs, by the entrance, a swarm of bodyguards surrounded a figure with blonde hair; a golden mane that Ruby knew all too well. Yang was in the middle of the swarm of black and red, subject to barrels of loaded guns pointed at her, yet she remained unperturbed with a cheesy smile on her face.

"It's my sister." The semi-circle of bodies parted as Junior arrived on the scene, walking up to her sister. "I wonder, why she's here."

"Please, tell me she isn't starting any fights, I'm not in the mood to be thrown into a glass tower again." Miltia groaned, twisting her neck as she recalled the sharp memory. She'd spent that night removing glass shards from her hair.

"It doesn't look that way." That's all Ruby could've guessed as the men lowered their guns per Junior's orders, and dispersed, leaving the owner to carry on whatever business Yang had with him. "She's just speaking with your boss." She double backed to the glass tower comment. "You're the girl Yang knocked around the last time I found her here?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. Crashing into the glass is, like, really painful." The elder girl sighed. "Your sister packs a mean punch."

"Don't I know it. It's practically what she lives for."

"Go figure. I feel sorry for all those Grimm that have to deal with her." Miltia jested.

"Pray, she never goes berserk on you. Not even your aura will protect you from those blows. It's like getting hit by two tons of steel." Ruby laughed.

Had they not been caught up in their laughter, the opening of the doors would've alerted them to the new presence of an annoyed Melanie Malachite as she strode in; a complaint ready on her lips replaced by a highly aggressive growl upon seeing Ruby's face. So, her approach and maddened snarl were mostly unexpected.

"Miltia, why the hell is she here!?" Lips tight, stance wide, and the clenching of her jaw, Melanie glared at Ruby with the utmost disdain.

"Oh, joy…" Miltia rolled her eyes, and sighed while Ruby yelped, and dove for cover behind the couch. She could feel the dull pain of headache coming on. Actually, come to think about it, she seemed to suffer from headaches a lot more these days since their confrontation. And, Melanie had been a lot more confrontational these days. The simplest of things brought about hostile reactions from her, and it was becoming a real pain to live with her. 'I've never seen her like this before. As much as I dislike being around her at the current standing, she's still my sister, and I'm worried.'

"Answer me!"

Miltia heaved another sigh, this one oozing fatigue. "If you must know, Ruby dropped by to say hello."

"Hello?! Are you serious right now!?"

"Quite."

Melanie's chest puffed up further, irritability rolling off her in waves. "I don't get you! Since when do we grace simple folk with our presence?! Especially, brats like her!" Pale green eyes blazed with righteous fury the longer she glared at the person she deemed the source of the contemporary struggle between Miltia and her.

"Ruby."

"What?"

"Her name is Ruby." Miltia repeating, surrendering her comfortable spot on the leather couch. "And, if you're head wasn't so far up that pompous ass of yours, then you would see that she's more than just a 'brat', as you've so proudly dubbed her." Red stilettos descended the flight of stairs as Miltia approached Melanie.

Melanie squared herself as her twin drew near. If she was being honest with herself, and for once, she was, she was by no means in any condition to go for another confrontation with her red half. Though, their last bout ended in a draw, she topped out as the one with the most bruises. At first, Miltia was wholly against fighting her, that docile nature of hers coming into play, but a few words spewed about the little runt and her probably swapping spit, and all Hell broke loose from there. 'What a load of shit.'

Ruby peeked out around the couch arm, cautiously observing the twins. 'A fight between siblings is never a good thing.' To make a comparison, she thought of herself and Yang ever having a fight. As expected, it was not something Ruby ever wished to happen. 'That'll never happen… right?'

"How blind can you be, Miltia!?" Melanie's shrill cry cut Ruby's musings. "Look at us! When have we ever fought! When have we ever had a fight as serious as this! This is all happened because she came pushing herself in an equation that was already perfect!"

"For fuck sakes, Melanie! Do you hear yourself?!" Part of Miltia just felt like jumping on her sister, and pinning her down until she saw reason, while the other half remained genuinely concerned about her well-being. "We're twins, I get that! You never let me go a day without forgetting! But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to meet new people! And, they are so much intriguing people out there to meet!" The subtle visage of argent eyes entered her mind's eye, but she swiftly erased the image with a shake of her head. "You've always had this mentality that if we stuck together, we wouldn't need anyone else in this world. That's where you're wrong, Melanie."

"Wrong? We know everything about each other; our dislikes, our likes, and the things we love!" Flawlessly straight hair fell askew as the eldest wildly shook her head in disbelief. "Yet you call it wrong?!"

"Because it's dull, boring, and overrated." Miltia said with ease. "It's no longer any fun when someone knows everything about you; your life and every move you make becomes predictable. There's no longer any suspense about the next action you're going to take. It's already been noted, and put away in recall for use." She chanced a glance over her shoulder. "That's where meeting new people comes in. It's a wonderful gift, Melanie, because you know they know nothing about you. They don't know your likes, your dislikes or the things you love. They go in blind, and eager to learn new things about you. And, you become equally as eager to show yourself off to them, until you come to a mutual understanding." Cautiously, Miltia touched Melanie's shoulder, gently squeezing as a sign of reassurance. "And, you repeat the process until you become contented with the people you've met."

To her credit, Melanie had remained passive for the duration of the speech, and Miltia actually thought she'd been able to get through to her.

A thought lost as her arm was violently slapped away.

"Something the matter, Miltie? You look a bit disappointed." Melanie viciously snarked. "Did you really think that little speech of yours would sway me, change my stance on the little brat?" Bruises be damned, she was not about to allow her younger sibling to talk down to her. She'd sooner suffer another beating than a belittling. "I'm afraid you'll have to try harder than that." An armoured sole dragged along the tiled floor in a half arc, the other firmly positioned on the ground. Fierce competitiveness burned in her eyes, arms out, and inviting.

A high pitched yelp escaped Ruby's lips as she watched in fear, and worry as Melanie provoked Miltia to fight. She couldn't understand why Melanie found her presence such a sin. Sure, she tended to ramble at times, but it couldn't be helped. She was excitable after all. But, for her to draw her weapons on her own sister for the use of an actual battle, and not a spar…

Was she truly a pest in her eyes?

A tightness squeezed her throat at the notion. Yang told her many times before that not everyone in the world will like you; be it for the most insignificant matter, and that there was nothing she could do to make someone like if they're already set in their ways. The best course of action would be to move on, and surround yourself with people who appreciated your company.

Despite Yang's sage-like wisdom, Ruby always strived to get on people's good side, to make them like her. It was… pitiful. She knew, but growing up as an antisocial teen who was now learning socialization skills made her particularly naive to ways of the world, and those in it.

Back with the feuding siblings, Miltia massaged her stinging hand, before letting it fall to her side. She acknowledged Melanie, and body language. Eyes wild, teeth bared, and metaphorical claws unsheathed. 'It's expected.'

"Honestly, I did hope to broaden your views, make you see a more vivid picture." Slowly, her hands rose inwards, fingers spread slightly. "I see I was foolish, and naive. It won't happen again." Then, a double streak of red flashed as twin talons greeted their persecutor. "After all, pride comes before the fall."

Melanie felt her heart rate spike at that infuriating smirk pulling on Miltia's pink lips. Like a lightning bolt, she whizzed forward, bladed heels clashing with claws as she attacked. "You'll be as red as your dress when we're through here!"

"Empty threats, Mel." Miltia's surprisingly sturdy forearms kept Melanie stagnant in the air as she held off the attempted aerial kick. "Try upping your intimidation tactics, yeah?" Using some upper body force, she dipped back slightly, before surging upward and flinging her sister away.

Muffled music became muted as Ruby watched the clash with bated breath. Animosity clung to Melanie like a parasite to a host as she righted herself upon her 360° landing, while in Miltia's case, poised grace was her constant companion.

'I shouldn't be seeing this. It's a family affair, and I've already done enough damage already.' Crisp leather crinkled under her grasp as the two sisters stared each other down; hands twitching, and bodies radiating built up energy that needed to be exerted. 'I don't need to see this, but how can I get out of here without Melanie jumping me at the first chance she gets?'

To make matters even more complicated, the pendant on her necklace vibrated, and flashed a bright red. A clear signal that Blake was in trouble. 'Now, I really need to get out of here!'

"It's about time you left, isn't it, Ruby? Things are about to get ugly, and I'd rather you not see this." Miltia spoke, head tipping over her shoulder, a know-it-all twinkle in her eyes. "Plus, I think your special somebody needs you." Focusing back on her ill-tempered kin, one clawed hand pointed to her right. "Door leads to a fire escape, stand in front the wall, and run your hand up the middle, it'll open."

Ruby remained rooted to her spot for an extended amount of time, tense as her eyes warily stared at Melanie. To her great surprise, and relief, the girl paid her no heed; all her attention directed at her sibling. Seeing that she was not the main priority here, Ruby nodded her head, and leaped up from behind the couch before dashing to the wall, and obeying the given instructions. As was said, a door did open, revealing a fire escape at the side of the building. Tossing one last look back to Miltia, she exited the room, and quickly descended the metal stairs.

Malachite orbs observed as the door closed after Ruby departed, leaving her alone with Melanie.

"Now, then." Suddenly, the room felt darker despite the strobe lights illuminating the place. Not only did it feel darker, Miltia's presence became far more noticeable, and her aura bordered on monstrous. "Round two begins."

Black and red boots tore up the dull, gray concrete sidewalks as Ruby raced down the streets. Thankfully, the streets were practically empty, meaning less traffic, and more space to maneuver. That wasn't her main concern, however. It was the fact her pendant's distress signal had been activated. That could only mean Blake was in trouble.

'I'm sure Blake is fine, she's with Sun right now.' Ruby thought as she shifted around a door that came flying open. She reached a crossing but made no effort to stop and wait as she ran straight across the road, hopping over a cyclist as if she were doing hurdles. 'Wait, can he even fight? Sure, he helped Blake against the White Fang, and Torchwick, but I didn't actually see him do any fighting-'

"Everyone! If you can hear this, we need bac-" Blake's voice interjected, halting all thought process.

"Help!" Sun so eloquently interrupted.

'Of course. Never let a boy do a girl's job.' Ruby kicked into third gear, surroundings blurring around her as she created an unintentional slipstream, all those around her blown back by the resounding wind force. To be honest, Ruby wasn't exactly aware of the current speed she was going. The only thing that mattered right now, was reaching Blake, and ensuring her safety.

As is such the duty of a team leader, and a caring girlfriend.

*Thump! Thump!*

Ruby skidded to a dead stop, discarded papers fluttering around her, but she paid no mind. 'What's that sound?'

She remained in place, listening as the muffled noise drew closer, when two shadows flashed above her before they jumped onto the freeway. Looking up, she was barely able to get a glimpse of a blonde tail. "Sun?" No sooner than she called the monkey faunus' name, did Blake appear quickly after. "Blake!"

Suddenly, the loud thumping was right next to her as the mecha suit from the demonstration blasted past her; it's attention focused clearly on the two faunus. And, hot on the tail of that mechanical beast was a blur of yellow and blue as Yang drove Bumblebee at full throttle; Neptune hanging on for dear life.

"A chase with a chase?" Lowering into a crouch, she placed a hand on the cement. "This is gonna be so rad!" Off she went with breakneck speed, hopping into traffic as she started a hot pursuit. 'Just gotta be watch my speed.'

The culprit in control of the mecha showed scant concern for human safety or life as they swatted any cars in its way to the side.

'Wait until I get my hands on that jerk.' Ruby vowed, decelerating to a standstill as she watched from the below freeway; Crescent Rose equipped in preparation for the incoming battle.

"Blake, I'm in position!" Weiss' static voice announced as she swooped in from above, touching down on the tarred road. Weiss assumed her position; knees slightly bent, rapier arm at optimum height, opposite arm at a forty-five degree angle. The person in command saw an opportunity to get rid of a member of the Schnee's; one of the most pompous families in Vale, and continued full steam ahead.

'Ignorant fool.' Weiss narrowed her eyes and waited until the robot was too close to pull the brakes before twirling and plunging the tip of Myrtenaster into the road. A ring of ice formed around her, causing the machine to slip, and fall through the holographic barrier to the freeway below.

Everything fell into order quickly after it landed on its feet in front of Ruby; Weiss, Blake, and Yang coming down to her side to resume the battle.

Winter sat against the plush white leather of her personal limo, tear drops of sapphire glimmering in her ears as the vehicle passed under the street lights. The half lowered window allowed the crisp breeze to blow through the limo, a few strands of her hair which were done in a simpleーby her standardsーupdo, swayed in the breeze. She was on her way back from a would be dinner with a suitor had she decided to linger any longer, but her hand chosen 'beloved' decided to arrive ten minutes late. She knew this because she kept a keen eye on the hands of her wrist watch. Winter applauded the man for he did better than other individuals who saw it fit to waste her time with their lax behaviours. Most would only be given five minutes extra of her time before she left them.

Father was going to berate her when the man's family called him about her less savory exit. Something that became tradition ever since her enlistment in the Atlesian Military. That was the one time she ever saw colour in their family's naturally alabaster skin. After that instance, his actions and speech towards her were visibly harsher. Not as though it bothered Winter. Her skin wasn't as thin as Weiss' who recoiled whenever she 'failed' to please him.

Upon successful completion of her training, Winter vacated Schnee Manor and took up residence in the barracks of the military. Of course, as a specialist, her quarters were far more luxurious compared to those of other officers.

As for her home, she'd rarely ever visit just exchange strained cordial talk with her father. But, if she did visit, it was to make certain of Weiss' safety. Both physically, and mentally.

"Where to next, Miss Schnee?" Reginald, her personal chauffeur, asked. He was in his mid-40's but still looked good for his age. In fact, one would mistake him for a young man in his late 20's with the combed over hairstyle and youthful eyes.

"The CCT, if you kindly would."

"Might I ask why you wish to go there?"

"I wish to inform father of another unsuccessful dinner." Winter's normally passive face danced with a look of pure spite that hid in her smile.

"Are you sure that is a wise idea, Miss?" Reginald's hushed yet amused eyes twinkled in the rear view mirror.

Winter chuckled. Reginald already knew her answer, he was only asking a matter of formality. "Quite."

"Very well, ma'am."

Winter closed her eyes, and reclined in her seat, the smooth hum of the limo engine was the only sound in the silence. Once she arrived at the CCT, and discussed tonight's events with her father, Winter added the plan of dropping by her sister's dormitory to check in on her. 'I do hope she's been complying with her sparring regime; mainly the days she's supposed to rest, and recover. Weiss works herself too hard at times.' Winter's brow creased as she finished the other part of her quiet fussing. 'All for him.'

Winter found her musings abruptly cut off as her body lurched forward, head crashing onto the opposing seat before slumping to the carpeted floor. Groaning at the unexpected lash, Winter's vision spun as she waited for everything to right itself.

Reginald coughed as smoke entered his lungs. The hood of the limousine was crumpled like a paper ball as another car's bumper buried itself deep in the hood, smoke escaping in thick, gray clouds. Reginald unbuckled his seatbelt, and pulled on the door handle, yet it refused to budge. The impact from the collision must've jammed it shut.

'Oh, bollocks.' Reginald, knowing he had little time to spare, used his elbow to shatter the already cracked door window. Cleaning away any jagged edges, he climbed through the window and fell into the broken glass on the tarred road. "Bugger, mother is going to kill me." He stressed when he saw the blood stains, and torn gaps in his suit. "Ah, I'll deal with her hissy-fit later. Miss Schnee is my main priority right now."

Reginald used the dented door as support to stand before further use as a figurative crutch to walk to the back of the stretch limousine.

Thankfully, the door wasn't jammed shut like his own as he opened it to see Winter slumped on the carpeted floor.

"Miss Schnee, are you alright?" His accent heightened as did his worry for his charge. Gently, he aided her in exiting the destroyed vehicle.

"Nothing my aura won't be able to heal," Winter confirmed as she accepted his help. "Report?"

"Airborne car crashed into the hood of the limousine. Fortunately, it was unmanned as no driver seemed to be inside."

"And, the cause of that?"

"My best guess would be that mechanical monstrosity over yonder, Miss." Reginald carried Winter over to the railing, pointing to moving mass of metal in the distance.

"That's one of our Atlesian Paladins..." Winter's eyes narrowed. "Fetch my binoculars."

"Will you be fine on your own?"

"Reginald, please, your fussing is not needed for mere scratches."

"I know, but it is my job to fuss." Reginald chuckled before going for the requested item.

"I... got nothing."

"Ruby!" Weiss yelled.

"I never thought we'd have to fight a giant robot! Don't worry, I'll come up with something!" Their attention focused back on the Atlesian Paladin, the hulking mass of nuts, and bolts approaching.

"Think faster!"

"Right, right, um…"

"Ruby!" Blake, Weiss, and Yang screamed.

"Freezerburn!" A codename for the combination of her sister, and Weiss. Rather cunning in her opinion if she did say so herself.

"Finally!" Yang exclaimed as she leapt into the air, Weiss having stabbed the ground with Myrtenaster, a large circle of ice layering the road. Role complete, Weiss jumped back as Yang came down, and let loose a shot onto the ice; a chilly smoke screen rising, and providing efficient cover.

Laser sensors on the Paladin activated as the fog impaired its vision. Hidden within the mist, the teens skated on the iced road around the mecha. It worked only for a few moments until its sensors captured the movements of Yang, and fired two blast as her and Weiss converged. All two blasts missed, but as Blake and Yang moved in together this time, the mech fired another blast. Blake had been successful in avoiding the bolt of energy, while Yang got knocked back by the blast radius.

Her sister's temporary incapacitated state did not hinder Ruby's progress as she exploded out of the dust created by the blast, and rushed straight at the Paladin, unloading a round into the machine's frame whilst in a rotation.

The attack caused the machine to stagger backward and provided Ruby with some time to discard her shell casings. "Checkmate!"

Weiss and Blake swooshed in as soon as the command was uttered. Timing was key to teamwork, even more so when working in a mixture. They attacked the mech with a variety of slices, and slashes, each attack accompanied by speed, and precision. Blake and Weiss finished up their turn and bounded back before the Paladin could retaliate.

Again, Blake made a clean escape, though the same didn't go for Weiss as the mecha landed a direct hit with its energy cannon while in she was in a backwards somersault.

Winter observed through the optical lenses of her binoculars as her sister beared the brunt of the attack, but before she slammed onto the concrete, she summoned a glyph beneath her dark haired friend.

Winter took note of the colour of the glyph in particular. 'Golden. Time dilation. Her training is paying off.'

Her speculation proved correct as Blake donned a golden aura. What should follow would be her lack of fatigue, and enhanced speed, and reaction time. Winter proved right again as Blake became visibly empowered by her sister's support glyph, easily disabling an incoming barrage of missle with projectile slashes of her weapon. 'Gambol Shroud. Quite a versatile weapon.'

"Miss, do you think they'll require your assistance?" Reginald was Winter's personal butler, but that didn't mean he cared any less for the younger Miss Schnee.

"No, this battle has already been decided." Winter found it amusing how far his worry could extend. Often, she would have to scold him about his excessive concern for them. Weiss wasn't a little girl anymore, she could protect herself, and teammates as shown previously.

"But, Miss, you're sister-"

"Will be just fine." Winter lowered her binoculars and turned to face her apprehensive guardian. "Weiss is a big girl, Reginald. She can take care of herself."

"I know that, but-"

"And, what she lacks, her teammates will provide her with. Enough with your badgering, lest I'll have to speed up your vacation days." Reginald kept quiet instantly, not even budging to say anything more. Winter exhaled good-naturedly. Another little quirk about Reginald; he hated his vacation days, because in his eyes that meant she was more sustainable to an incursion while she stayed in her villa. As much as Winter loved having him aroundㄧshe really didㄧit was mandatory that he got his vacation days, or the Union would have her neck. "Have you notified your brother?"

"Yes, madam. Radley shall be here momentarily."

"Excellent. We'll not bother going to the CCT. Father can be informed from the young man's family about my lack of appearance at dinner."

"Where shall you be going then, Miss?"

"Why, to congratulate my sister, of course."

A silver Rolls Royce pulled up to the blocked roadway shortly after Winter spoke. A door opened as a gentleman stepped out, bearing a striking similarity to Reginald. Except, where Reginald's combed over hair was navy blue, and his eyes sea foam green, his messily styled own was a silvery blond paired with hazel eyes. He straightened out the lapels of his suit before he waved over Winter, and Reginald.

"Radley seems all ready to go, shall we, Reginald?" Winter held forth her arm, waiting for it to be accepted.

Reginald's gaze flickered between his lady's arm, and to the fight taking place behind them. However, all it took was a raised brow for his decision to be made. "Yes, let's." He bent his arm at the elbow and placed Winter's hand in the crook as he escorted her over to his brother's car. "I do wish he would he comb his hair."

"I like his messy hairstyle. I think it gives him character."

"You, and mother both."

The battle of the four versus the machine progressed to a close end. Ruby teamed up with Blake to perform their combination dubbed 'Ladybug', leaving the Paladin an arm shorter. Pressing on the advantage, Yang boarded the back of the robot's frame and started a bombardment of kinetic energy rounds.

The odds were obviously not in her favour, because like earlier, she grew acquainted with the taste of concrete as she was thrown through several pillars before finally sticking to one.

Blake cried out to Yang, a sick churning in her stomach as Yang's body drew slack as she dropped to the road. Any degree of rashness from her was thwarted as Ruby's surprisingly knowledgeable voice cut in and explained Yang's disposition.

Ruby's words rang true as Yang slowly picked herself up, a dark shadow looming above her as the Atlesian Paladin's fist came down to hammer her, but its arm was forced to a still. Even though it possessed tremendous force, Yang's newly acquired strength put it to shame as she shattered its other arm with a single blow.

Frustration continued to build as the pilot's actions proved useless. As a sign of his disgruntlement, he input a command into the robot's mainframe, and the resulted output was a front kick to Yang's person.

"Bumblebee!"

Blake threw Gambol Shroud towards Yang, who grabbed onto its ribbon before she crashed into another column. Blake brought Yang around in a half circle with ease, and closer to the mecha. Close enough, Yang chanced a swipe at the Paladin, but a simple step back saved it from the blow.

"We need to slow it down," Ruby said.

"And, how do you propose we do that?" Weiss asked.

"What do you say, want to try out our combo?"Ruby wiggled her brows at Weiss.

"If it means ending this ordeal, I don't see why not." Ruby assumed a kneeling position after she, and Weiss performed some fanciful twirling. She positioned Crescent Rose behind a short series of glyphs, her aim locked onto the Paladin.

"Ready?"

"Do it." Ruby fired a barrage through Weiss' glyphs, her rounds becoming augmented with a freezing effect, thus immobilizing the Paladin on contact. "Blake!" In response to Weiss' voice, Blake swung Yang around once more, this time further propelled by rounds from Ember Celica. Yang released Gambol Shroud's ribbon, and delivered a colossal punch to the Atlesian Paladin, shattering it to finish the battle.

Roman rolled slightly before he emerged from the wreckage, and dusted off his coat. "Just got this thing cleaned…"

"Roman was in that?" Ruby asked.

Roman turned his attention to Yang, eyes burning red, and hair glowing. Yang spared no time in reloading Ember Celica and discharging a kinetic blast at Roman. Without warning, a strangely patterned girl appeared, and deflected her shot with a lace umbrella. the four girls glaring at him. "Ladies, Ice Queen." Roman greeted them nonchalantly. A distant 'hey!' could be heard from Weiss at her unofficial nickname. "Always a pleasure. Neo, if you would."

'Neo' bowed mockingly, smug smile in place.

'Cheeky…' Ruby thought while Yang charged ahead, letting out a yell as she delivered one last blow. Neo shielded both herself, and Roman one moment before the blonde mammoth's attack landed, and her illusionary wall cracked into pieces. Instead of being blown away, Roman together with his cohort shattered like glass.

Yang made a disgruntled noise and crossed her arms disappointed as the two escaped in an airship. "I guess he got a new henchman."

"Yeah, I guess she made our plans... fall apart." Weiss snickered.

"No, just... no." Yang deadpanned while Blake just walked away. Tonight was already a headache, she didn't need Weiss' terrible jokes making it even worse.

"What? But, you do it."

"There's a time, and place for jokes."

"Was this not it?"

"No, it just wasn't very good."

"Oh! You know it must be bad if Yang isn't laughing." Ruby jested.

"Hey!" Both Weiss and Yang yelled out.

On their way back to Beacon on an airship, Ruby warily eyed Weiss. It didn't look as though she was plotting to murder her, but then again, who plotted murder aloud. She showed no signs of outrage either, then again, her face naturally had that annoyed expression, so it was hard to tell.

Well, only one way to find out.

"Say, Weiss?"

"What, Ruby?"

"You're not mad at me for ditching you at the CCT, are you?"

"Honestly, I'd forgotten about that, but thank you for reminding me. I'll make sure you're punished for your misdeeds." Weiss smiled a smile so sweet that it nearly bordered on homicidal.

"Fudge…"