Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any characters depicted.

This is a slight AU story. Events will not fully match up with canon.

Cover Art: Official commissioned art for this story done by the amazing Noxypep

Ruby's eyes wandered to the file in Weiss's hands after Ironwood's question. Ruby narrowed her eyes skeptically at the general. "What exactly are you implying?"

Ironwood held his hands out toward Weiss, motioning for the light brown folder she was currently combing through. Clearing his throat to get the woman's attention after he didn't receive the documents for several seconds.

Weiss quickly closed the folder and handed it to the general, muttering apologies as he extended the folder to Ruby. "Simply put Ruby, time travel." he motioned for her to take the papers from his hands. "I know it sounds hard to believe, but take a look for yourself."

Ruby eyed the folder curiously, she grabbed it quickly and opened it, her eyes quickly scanning over the pages of the document, still making sure to accurately read every word.

...As of the past few months tests have shown that we currently have a working prototype that can send people back in time, with certain restrictions. As of now the project is still in early alpha stages and is not fully complete, but given a month, two at the most we should be able to fully send someone back in time…

Ruby read the report a good two or three times, going over all the words, looking at the photos contained within the file that showed pictures of a large metal pod-like machine with many scientist working on it from many different angles. Her mind was running through all the options this new information opened up. This was almost too good to be true.

Once she was done she looked at Ironwood sitting idly in his desk, his hands laced together as he looked at her waiting for her response no doubt.

"You're serious about this," A simple nod of his head was her only answer.

She turned around as she felt a tap of her shoulder. Looking behind her she noticed Ren reaching out for the file contained in her hands. "May I?" he gestured. She handed Ren the documents, who walked over to Jaune as they both began looking at the contents.

"Have you even gone and seen a test of this for yourself?" She turned back toward the General as she spoke.

"No, all I have to go off of are these documents. I plan on leaving soon to head to the R&D facility in Atlas to do just that. Thought I want to know right now, that if this is real and everything works out would you four be opposed to going back and trying your best to fix everything?"

"I am not gonna lie to you Ironwood this just seems like a bunch of made up garbage, and something that is too far outside of the realm of possibility." Ruby turned her attention to Jaune as he spoke up from behind her.

Ren looked up from the file as well, "Yes you will have to forgive us if we don't believe this all from just these files. Personally I would like to see this device in person before I believe any of this." Jaune nodded in agreement next to him.

Ironwood leaned back in his chair, "I know that it is hard to believe, which is why I want all of you to come to the research lab in Atlas along with me, so that you may see for yourself how this thing work." He slowly began looking through a pile of similar brown folders, stopping once he found a particular one near the middle of the pile.

He set the folder in front of him before gesturing to Ruby. "So what do you say? Will you and your friends be joining me in Atlas."

Ruby was staring off into space, a million thoughts flying through her head at once.

'Is this real?'

Grabbing the file back from Jaune she began once again to pout over the contents, trying to wrap her head around how this was all possible.

...Research has shown that once unlocked within a person, aura leaves a unique 'trail' throughout their lives. We have found a way to lock onto this trail and send person back using their aura as an 'anchor' so to speak. We are still working out the issues, but preliminary test have shown promise.

'If it is, that means I could see everyone again.'

Her eyes wandered to the black ribbon that was tied around her arm, a smile worked its way onto her face. Her bright side showing itself for once, something that didn't go unnoticed by other occupants of the room.

I could see her again.

I could taste the soft brush of her lips, hear the beautiful sound of her purring, feel the warmth of her touch.

"-by, RUBY!" The yelling shook her out of her thoughts. She looked at Weiss who was waving a hand in her face. "The general was talking to you."

Ruby blinked a couple time, gathering her thoughts before she turned to look at the general. "What was that?" The general pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed at her lack of attention. "Are you going to come to Atlas and see all of this for yourself?" The general sat up and locked eyes with Ruby. "Or are you going to just try charging head long into a fight and get yourself killed?"

Ruby pondered the question. This was crazy, absolutely crazy to her. Up until a few minutes ago she was ready to just go all out in an attack on Cinder and try to take as many people with her as she could, now another option had presented itself before her. As far fetched as it may seem, she couldn't help but wanting to give it a chance. Even as skeptical of the whole thing as she was. The memories of everyone she had lost flooding back to her mind.

For the first time in years, Ruby felt a spark ignite within her chest, relighting a sense of hope that had long been dormant. The feeling grew the more she thought about the possibilities that could be discovered. It was small, and she had to resist letting the feeling overwhelm her, as she still had too many questions, but it was there.

She looked over her shoulder at Ren and Jaune with a questioning look on her face.

Both men looked at each other and nodded. "If you are up for this crazy idea then I'll be right behind you." Ren walked up and put his hands on Ruby's shoulder as he spoke.

"Might as well give this a shot, not much else we can really do." Jaune shrugged as he walked up behind Ren.

Ruby did her best to stop the smile she felt from reaching her face. She turned to face Weiss. Icy blue eyes met dark storm cloud silver as the two girls glared at each other. Neither said a word, but Ruby could tell just from the determined look of Weiss's eyes that she was putting as much faith into this plan as she was.

"Just tell us where to go and we will be there." Ruby loved this small determination, it was something she hadn't felt in nearly a year. "This seems far fetched, but if there is a chance to save everyone we will go for it."

"Well that is great to hear, I will be heading out in about a week's time as I have a few things to take care of here before then." Ironwood picked up the folder currently resting in front of him and handed it to Weiss. "Now there is one more thing I would like to discuss with the four of you before you go."

"And that would be…" Weiss questioned as she grabbed the file from Ironwood. Quickly opening it up and glancing at the papers that were clipped inside.

"I have a mission that I would like you to go on, and seeing as how Ruby has the most experience with the mission subject, I will be putting her in charge. " Reaching down Ironwood grabbed a bottle of a dark brown liquid and began to fill his glass with it. Quickly resealing the bottle once be poured himself a substantial amount of whiskey.

He pointed a metal finger in Ruby's direction. "Do not make me regret that decision, I am giving you another chance here, don't blow it."

Ruby sighed in annoyance, quickly shaking her head. I knew there was going to be something about this. I do not want to go on another fucking mission this soon, it has been less than three days since the last one. "Come on Ironwood this is stupid."

"Now I know you don't want to hear about this, as you just got back from a mission not long ago, and today is one of your few days off but…"

"We are not gonna take it." Weiss closed the folder and tossed it back onto the general's desk.

The general began asking Weiss about why she didn't want the mission, but Ruby couldn't hear them, she had drowned out their conversation, her eyes narrowed on Weiss.

Something about this isn't right.

Weiss was acting weird, she was never one to turn down a mission, even if it was given to her when she was supposed to be taking time off, hell Ruby and her had gotten into plenty of fights over the subject whenever their two groups were put together for a mission.

"Let me see the file." Ruby held out her hand toward the general, who gave her curious look. "You said I was to lead the mission right? Therefore I should have a say on if we will be taking it or not."

"There is no need, it is just a recon mission to check out a potential White Fang work camp on the outskirts of Vale, something lower ranking resistance members are perfectly capable of handling." Weiss rattled off as she grabbed the folder once again, making sure it was well out of Ruby's grasp.

"Hand me the file Ice Queen." Ruby growled. Her anger slowly starting to rise as she once again locked eyes with the former heiress.

Weiss opened her mouth to protest but was quickly silenced by the general. "Schnee, give her the mission details." Rubbing his temples the general took a gulp of his drink.

Weiss reluctantly handed the folder to the waiting brunette, a sigh escaped her lips as she did.

Ruby snatched the folder and quickly looked over its contents.

...Sighting of a previously unknown White Fang camp, could be a labor camp, could just be a bunch of faunus living outdoors, or trying to establish a new base location in the area. Send troops to verify...

The report continued on to a detailed description of the location. Providing both common landmarks of the area, as well as precise coordinates. Standard stuff that almost made Ruby agree with Weiss to pass off the mission. Maybe I was reading her wrong.

Then she came to one of the footnotes of the document. Possible sighting of Adam Taurus.

Ruby stopped reading the file immediately. "We are going." She placed the folder back onto Ironwoods desk and get out of her chair, spinning on her heels she began walking toward the door. "Ren, Jaune, Weiss have your things packed immediately, we leave tomorrow."

As Ruby was reaching for the door a hand quickly grabbed her wrist, halting her progress. Turning around she meet Weiss' eyes, "Let go Weiss." she growled, her hand clenching into a fist.

"Now hold on Ruby you can't just accept this mission, there is no point to it, and it isn't worth it. You are just rushing into this for no good reason."

Ruby quickly argued back. "There is a reason, this is to help keep people out of danger, as well as putting a stop to Cinders forces in the White Fang. Is that not our job?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes at the brunette. "You and I both know that is a load of crap, you almost never want to go on these missions because they have little to no fighting involved, no matter how much they might help people. Hell you were probably complaining about the possibility of getting another mission before we even came in here."

Ruby sighed, annoyed at how easy it was for Weiss to read her. 'I guess that goes both ways, she can read me just as well as I can read her, after so many years this shouldn't be surprising.'

"You and I both know the only reason you are so damn interested in this mission is because of Adam." Weiss let go of Ruby's wrist and took a step in front of the door.

It was quickly getting on Ruby's nerves how easily she was being read even after trying to hide her intentions. She took a deep breath doing her best to keep herself calm.

"Ruby, she is right, it doesn't even say he is anywhere near the location anymore, just that the single scout though he saw someone who they think is Adam. This is not something that is worth our time." Jaune pitched in.

"We are going." She kept her voice low but serious, "That is final."

"That isn't something you can decide for…"

"She is gonna go regardless." Ruby turned to look at Ren who had interrupted Weiss in the middle of her rant. His face was currently buried in the mission file. He looked up and turned his attention to Weiss.

"Weather we go or not doesn't matter to her, and you should know that. She is going go no matter what." Closing the file he handed it back to Ironwood who tucked it away back into the large pile of folders on his desk. "We might as well make this official and go with her to make sure nothing goes wrong, and that no one gets hurt."

You know me too well Ren.

Ruby couldn't help but smirk at the annoyed look on Weiss's face. She knew what Ren said was true, and she hated it.

"You do make a good point." Jaune sighed

"Then it is settled, move princess" Ruby pushed past Weiss with her shoulder as she opened the door to leave.

"Blake would be so disappointed in you."

Ruby's hand stopped on the doorknob, she felt a rage slowly building inside her chest, her grip on the door handle tightened to the point that she could hear the metal handle start the bend slightly from the pressure. "What was that?" The question was dripping with venom

"Constantly going after this stupid quest for revenge, all you want to do is kill that man, and it has only hurt other people, as well as yourself." Weiss threw her hands in the air as she spoke. "Your drive to kill him has turned you into a monster so similar to him that Blake would be disgu…"

Ruby felt her anger snap, she punched Weiss in the gut faster than the other woman could blink. The force of the blow sending all the air out of Weiss' lungs.

Pulling her fist back she quickly delivered a punch to Weiss' face before she had a chance to recover, sending the woman into the wall behind her.

Ruby stalked up to a coughing Weiss, who was trying to catch her breath, her hand covering her face and wiping away the blood that was slowly dripping out of her nose. Ruby wrapped her hand around her throat and lifted Weiss off the ground, pushing her against the wall.

"Don't you patronize me, Princess. You have no right to talk about her or how she would feel," Ruby's grip on Weiss' throat tightened as she talked. Weiss began to claw at Ruby's hands, trying to get air into her lungs. "Especially since you are part of the reason she died." her last words dripping with malice. Ruby's eyes had seemed to turn a dark grey color. The anger they held was enough to send a shiver of fear up Weiss' spine.

After a few moments Weiss could see black at the edges of her vision as her brain was starting to lose consciousness at the lack of air, she tried to think of a way out of this.

She tried to summon a glyph below Ruby's feet to push her off, only for Ruby to squeeze even tighter on her throat, the pain breaking her concentration.

"Ahh ahh, none of that now." Ruby teased, a sadistic smile making it's way to her face.

"Enough!" Ruby's grip released as soon as the words left Ironwood's mouth, Weiss fell to the ground, gasping for air as her vision slowly started to come back.

Ruby looked back and noticed Jaune, obviously ready to step in and stop the altercation that had lasted only a few seconds. Jaune was looking back and forth between her and Weiss shaking his head in disappointment as the glow around his eyes died down.

Ironwood was now standing behind his desk, both arms planted firmly on the metal surface, his chair laid on its side along the floor. "The constant bickering you two exhibit is more than enough to deal with, if you want this to come to physical blows we have a sparing area for that, but it will not happen in my office, am I understood?"

'Tsk' Ruby turned away from the general and began making her exit of the room, not even bothering to check on Weiss. "Whatever," She paused in the door frame and looked back at Jaune who was now kneeling down next to Weiss, making sure she was ok. "Make sure you guys have everything prepared, we are leaving first thing in the morning."

Ruby left the room, threw her hood back up and walked back toward the elevator. Doing her best to take deep even breaths in order to calm herself down. Throwing open the cage to the elevator that brought her down she quickly hit the button to ascend back to the top. I need to go visit them.

Ironwood sighed as he sat back down in his chair. 'These kids are gonna make me drink myself into an early grave.'

Weiss was still against the wall to his left, coughing up a lung it seemed. Jaune was helping her up, trying to get her to take steady breaths to get the air back in her lungs. Her nose was still dripping blood at a consistent pace, possibly signifying a broken nose.

"Jaune," the man's attention turned to the general as his name was called, a confused look on his face. "Take her to the infirmary, her aura should have absorbed most of the damage, but it is never bad to make sure she isn't hurt."

The man nodded as he slung one of Weiss' arms around his shoulder and helped walk her out of the room.

As they were exiting, Ironwood could hear Jaune talking to Weiss.

"I can't believe you were dumb enough to pull the Blake card like that Weiss, you are supposed the be the smart one."

Ironwood looked at the empty glass of alcohol in front of him, resisting the urge to pour more. 'I've already had too much to drink this morning, there is not enough alcohol in the world to deal with these people anyway.'

Looking over he spotted Ren leaning against the other wall of his office, staring at the open metal door.

"Ren," The general called with exhaustion, the dark haired man slowly turning his attention back toward him. "Please go after Ruby and make sure she doesn't kill anyone."

With a small nod the man silently left the room, closing the door behind him.

Now that they are gone there is just one more thing to take care of, It has been over a month since we heard from our informant in Vale, I need to send someone out to go meet him.

Just at the moment in walked a commander of one of the many divisions that made up the resistance brandishing more folders.

Ironwood had to suppress the annoyed sigh he felt coming.

"Sir I have this mornings training reports," Placing the reports in the table he offered a quick salute and began to leave.

"Commander." The soldier was quick to stop and turn on his heels.

"Yes sir?" the sharp disciplined response came.

"I need one of your troops, do you have anyone that you can spare for a mission to Vale?"

The soldier thought for a moment before nodding his head. "Yes sir, I have someone that can be prepared to leave immediately."

"Perfect send him down. Tell them to pack for a three day trip at least. Just in case."

"Will do sir." With a final salute the soldier marched out of the room.

Ironwood rubbed his temples with his metal hand the cold steel causing a shiver to run down his spine. "It is gonna be a long next few weeks."

Alright well there is the next chapter. I was debating about how Ruby would react to hearing news of the time machine, because of how cynical and dark she is supposed to be, giving her a sense of hope seemed weird at first. I hope giving her a sense of hope isnt too out of character. Even dark heartless people would get a small sense of hope when you realise you have a chance to get loved ones back right?

Anyway we have some more conflict with Weiss woo. We should be getting to the meat of the story (The past) soon, I am just still getting a few things out of the way.

Next chapter we get an introduction to some characters that have not yet appeared, and probably a switch back to a more POV style of writing.

Please leave a review and let me know what yall think :D

Till next time

Redwing.