Standard Disclaimer: All rights belong to those whose rights they belong to, primarily the glorious minds at Rooster Teeth, though quite namely not me. Don't own a thing.

Beacon Academy

"Bad day," Ruby murmured to herself. "Started out bad, stayed that way."

"Beg pardon, Miss Rose?" the pilot asked politely from where he stood next to the loading ramp.

The veteran huntress sighed as she flicked her cigarette over the edge of the platform, the dying ember fading quickly out of sight. "Just something I read once," she replied softly. She attempted to smirk at her jest, but the tightening of her skin where it puckered over her facial scars served to remind her there was no humor left in her life anymore.

There was only the hunt.

She sighed again, irritably this time, wrapping her red cloak around herself to ward off the chill of the wind. She'd started to feel the cold more now that she was past her middle years, and even though her outfit had changed over the decades to her current utilitarian black jumpsuit, her cloak was always present and always a welcome warmth.

She ran her calloused fingers through her messily unkempt hair, still cut short and a dark red. Her face might wear her years, but her hair hadn't gotten the memo yet.

Why do I still feel the need to come when he calls for me?

Ruby had lost so much and gained so little. Certainly her unending war against the Grimm was seen by many as trying to hold back the flood with a plastic bucket, but it served its purpose. And that was, of course, to give her life purpose.

To give her rage and hate a focus.

But these occasional sojourns back inside civilization were a distraction. Ruby knew she wasn't fit to walk among those she served and protected any longer, no more than they could possibly understand her life. Even other hunters and huntresses regarded her as a legend, a fable.

The Red Huntress. The Death Flower. The Grim Reaper.

She shook her head as she restlessly paced the perimeter of the landing pad. They had no idea what it was like to live with this pain, this unending, agonizing pain that would consume her unless she kept doing what she was born to do.

Snorting softly, Ruby dug another cigarette and her lighter out of a pouch. This is a colossal waste of time.

The thought caused the cigarette to fall from nerveless fingers and roll over the edge, the breeze sending it on its way before she could even think of catching it. She remembered so well who once said those words, and the memories threatened to dig into her chest like the claws of a Beowolf.

Growling to herself, Ruby dug another cigarette out and almost violently snapped the lighter open. I don't have the time for memories, I don't have the time for the pain, and I damn well don't have the time to be wasting standing out here in the cold waiting for-

Her head ticked to the side as her gaze was drawn to the end of the platform. She waited, motionless as she blew out a cloud of smoke, almost a full minute before she finally saw him emerge, leading a train of four other individuals.

No. No he didn't… He wouldn't do that to me...

The group pulled to a stop at the edge of the platform, the man in the forefront with his usual air of confidence while the others, second-year students by the look of them, were almost visibly shaking in their nervousness.

"Oz," she rasped out, inhaling from her cigarette and blowing the exhale off to the side to be carried away by the wind.

"Ruby," the silver-haired man greeted her amicably. He hadn't changed at all from when he was the headmaster while Ruby was a student here at Beacon. It sometimes made her wonder just how old he really was.

She'd ask, but she knew by now she'd never get a straight answer out of him.

"So," she grunted, flicking her cigarette over the edge before crossing her arms irritably. "What's all this about?"

"I think you know," he replied gently.

"No, Oz," she stated flatly. "You need to tell me what this is, because I damn well know you wouldn't be saddling me with a bunch of kids. I need to get back out there."

"And I have a place for you to get to," he continued calmly. "As well as a few impressionable minds who could use your insight and experience."

Ruby bit back her snarled retort. Ozpin was many things, conniving and controlling and manipulating, but he would never put his students into more danger than they could handle. There was always a reason for his actions, even if the odds seemed impossible and the details murky.

She glanced over at the second year students, an all-female team.

This first girl was blonde and good-looking with piercing pale red eyes. The tanned rangy girl had a rather large sword strapped to her back and silver armor with red highlights. Next in line was a much shorter girl, dark-skinned and with a shock of unkempt silver hair that curtained a face containing light blue eyes. She stood clutching her staff like she knew how to use it and wore a light blue and white outfit, one that uncomfortably reminded her of another person she'd tried to banish from her memories due to their discomfort. Then there was the more flamboyant-looking of the bunch, bright blue hair cut chin-length and with tan eyes. She was short and skinny but had a decent-sized round shield strapped to her back and blue armor on top of a dark brown outfit.

Finally Ruby's eyes came to a stop on the last member of the team. This girl was a Faunus, her feline ears not the only indication of her race. A sinuous black tail trailed behind her, matching her luxurious mane of hair, and she had black skintight leggings and crop top with red straps encircling her upper arms. Her hands, encased in black fingerless gloves, twitched in tune with her ears and tail, signifying her nervousness. For a moment Ruby was expecting to see amber eyes peering out at her, but they were a sapphire blue instead.

Still, the sight of the feline Faunus sent a ripple of shock through the veteran huntress' system which she desperately clamped down on.

"You son of a bitch," Ruby murmured harshly.

"This is Team PERL," Ozpin stated. She was fairly certain he'd heard her utterance, but unsurprised he'd chosen to ignore it. "They need a capable huntress to look out for them and to lead by example while in the field. Of course, if you are too busy, I suppose they might be able to handle this mission on their own…"

Damn him. DAMN him. That manipulative, egotistic, cold-hearted… BASTARD!

"Ruby?" he prompted quietly as she stood stock-still, unable to tear her eyes off of the Faunus.

After another few heartbeats she slowly swiveled her gaze over to her old mentor. Lesser beings would quail at the fury contained within those flat grey eyes, but Ozpin simply returned the look calmly.

"When I get back," she growled softly, "we are going to talk."

"I look forward to the conversation," Ozpin nodded politely, the corner of his mouth barely quirking. "Now then, please board the transport, children. Time is precious to Miss Rose."

With a curt nod in return, Ruby turned on her heel and strode into the airship. She sat facing forward, staring out the side window as she felt the others silently file in. The ship was soon in the air and on its way.

As they travelled, Ruby knew she could have asked either the students or the pilot what their destination was, but instead she watched the terrain flow by, noting their direction and the landmarks they passed.

She needn't have bothered really, as their destination eventually resolved itself into a very familiar set of ruins.

"I'm going to murder that man," she whispered to herself wonderingly. Though she did have to give him credit, Ozpin was nothing if not arrogantly brash. Quite the set he has on him to bring me back here. I look forward to cutting them off. With Crescent Rose.

As the airship hovered close to the ground, Ruby grabbed her ever-present pack and slung it over her shoulder as she leapt down. Four rapid impacts told her the others had quickly followed her.

With a whine of engines the airship took off again, leaving them alone in the stillness.

Ruby sighed as she turned to face the four edgy students. It's not their fault they're in this situation.

"So," she began gruffly. "I'm assuming you know who I am."

"Y- Yes, ma'am," the blonde stammered. "You're Ruby Rose, the Red Huntress."

"Well, of all the titles they've decided to slap on me in the past, I like that one the best, so we're off on the right foot," Ruby commented, her flat grey eyes peering about their surroundings. "And you know where we are, and why we're here?"

"Ma'am, this is Mountain Glenn, the ancient failed expansion of Vale," the blonde reported, her voice becoming more confident. "And we are here to investigate reports of increased Grimm activity."

"History repeating itself, eh, Doctor Oobleck?" Ruby murmured to herself before raising her voice to a normal level. "It's not all that ancient, kid. And stop calling me 'ma'am'. Ruby is fine."

The blonde student nodded rapidly, while the others simply gazed at her in awe.

Ruby sighed again. I so do not need to be hero-worshipped.

"Okay, let's start moving, and while we do so you can introduce yourselves. Keep alert," she added.

"Um, okay, so, my name's Pippin Cerise," the blonde began as they moved between the crumbling structures of the ruined settlement. "Everyone calls me Pip."

"Team leader?" Ruby inquired.

"Yes, ma'am. Um, I mean, Ruby."

"Semblance?" the huntress asked sharply. This is going to take forever if I have to drag everything out of her.

"Oh, well, it's heat. That is, I can make my weapon, er, Odachi Dahlia, glow really hot and cut through a Grimm like butter."

"Useful," Ruby commented. She glanced at the tall and rangy girl. "Your armor too?"

Pippin looked down at her breastplate and matching arm and leg guards. "Er, no, ma'am. That is, it only works from my hands."

Ruby nodded, letting the formal address slide this time, and drifted over towards the blue-haired girl who was gripping her round shield and sword determinedly. "And how about you, Blue?"

"My name is Beryl. Radiance Beryl, but I usually just go by my last name," the short and skinny girl replied quietly. Like Pippin, she wore minimal but functional armor, though unlike her leader's red accents hers was a solid blue that matched both her hair and her shield. "My semblance is immobility."

"And how does that work?"

"Well, I plant my feet and I can't be moved. Most charging Grimm just bounce off me."

Ruby eyed the diminutive girl. "You're smaller than I am," she commented. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Not if I keep Dahl up. Um, that's my shield, Dahl."

"And your sword?" the huntress asked, her curiosity about weaponry getting the better of her despite herself.

"This is Shashka," Beryl said proudly, twirling her sword. With a deft movement it turned into a nicely-balanced carbine, and then back into a sword again.

"Hmm, nice actuator, very smooth," Ruby murmured appreciatively. She nodded and slowed her steps, not noticing the pleased blush that spread across the blue-haired student's face. "And how about you?" she asked the dark-skinned girl as she pulled next to her.

"Lustre Bijou, ma'am," she replied, running her fingers through her silver hair while her other hand propped her staff up against her shoulder. Her voice had a faint but soft accent to it that Ruby couldn't identify. "I have a speed semblance, though it's only for short durations. Er, nothing like yours, ma'am."

Ruby barked out a quiet laugh. "Well, don't go believing the legends," she replied with a shake of her head. "I'm sure my abilities have been somewhat exaggerated. Also, stop calling me 'ma'am'."

"Yes, ma'am."

The huntress glanced at the silver-haired girl before scanning their flank. "Impertinent, are we?"

"I've been told so, yes, ma'am."

"Yeah, reminds me of…" Ruby grunted irritably. "Never mind."

With a resigned sigh she drifted over to walk quietly next to the Faunus. "And what's your story?" she asked just above a whisper, almost dreading the sound of the girl's voice. Please, please don't sound like her, I don't think I could handle it…

"Evelyn Black," the feline Faunus replied curtly, tossing her black mane of hair as her bright sapphire eyes flashed in the sunlight. "Call me Evie."

Well, at least she doesn't sound similar. Got as much of an attitude as Lustre, but in an opposite fashion. Granted, it's likely well-earned, Faunus still don't have an easy time of it, though it finally seems to be getting better…

Ruby shook herself out of her reverie. "Semblance?" she asked sharply.

The lithe raven-haired girl stumbled slightly at the abrupt question. "Um, teleportation. Short distances only."

The huntress eyed the curved sword at Evelyn's side where she clutched it, one hand on the scabbard while the other gripped the guardless hilt. "Your weapon doesn't appear to be very versatile."

Evelyn seemed to wilt slightly under the criticism. "Dao can hold a dust chamber that allows me to project force. I can, well, blink in and hit a large group of Grimm before blinking back out."

Ruby grunted and nodded, moving off towards the front of the small group again.

The Faunus turned to her teammates incredulously. "What was that all about?" she whispered.

Pippin shook her head. "I dunno, Evie, just keep your head down and don't let her tweak your tail." The blonde smirked at her softly. "Might help if you weren't so abrasive."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!" Evelyn hissed, said tail twitching furiously. "Did you see how she looked at me back on the pad?"

"Maybe she has something against Faunus?" Beryl murmured.

Lustre shook her head, her short silver hair swaying gently in the breeze. "I do not think that is the case," she interjected in her softly-accented voice. "I saw her look, it was not one of hate or anger. More like… pain."

"Pain?" Pippin asked curiously.

"That is what I saw," Lustre shrugged.

The four girls halted their conversation as they noticed Ruby had pulled to a stop in front of them. She had her head tilted slightly to the side but otherwise remained motionless.

The blonde team leader cautiously crept forward. "Um, Ruby?"

"Grimm incoming," the redheaded huntress murmured. "Beowolf pack. Maybe twenty or thirty strong. Get your team ready."

Pippin nodded determinedly and turned to deploy her girls with quick hand motions. Finally, something she could handle. The blonde grinned to herself as she pulled her two-handed sword off of her back and twisted the handle to transform it into a sniper rifle, hoping to at least give the huntress a favorable impression of her skills.

It wasn't long before the howls and thundering feet were audible to the others. Beryl strode to the forefront, her weapon and shield at the ready, while Lustre deftly turned her staff, Winter Contus, into a rifle and took up position at her teammate's shoulder. Evelyn had her sword in hand, bouncing on her toes as she readied to throw herself into action.

The blonde girl took a long step back and shouldered her rifle, sighting down the barrel at the street from where the attack was likely to come. Pippin glanced at Ruby curiously, but the huntress hadn't moved a muscle from where she stood slightly to the right of where Beryl had taken position.

And then the leading edge of the pack was in view, letting out loud howls as they spotted their prey. With a snarl, Pippin began picking off Grimm as fast as she could, Lustre joining her fire in with her leader's. The ranks began to thin, and with an exultant shout Evelyn activated her semblance. She reappeared on the flank of the pack, swinging her sword in a wide arc in front of her. A wave of brilliant red energy spread out, igniting the Beowolves that it touched.

With another shout the Faunus teleported onto the other side of the pack, this time sending a concussive blast that bowled a few of the charging Grimm onto their sides and making them easy targets for the others.

Beryl yelled out a wordless challenge as she waded forward, intercepting the survivors as they headed into their position. Evelyn quickly appeared at her side, slashing with her sabre, and Lustre moved up as well. The silver-haired girl twirled her rifle, changing it back into a combat staff, and laid into the advancing Grimm.

As her teammates engaged with the creatures, Pippin changed her own weapon back into a giant sword and hefted it eagerly, preparing to charge. But then she glanced at Ruby again, the sight making her blood run cold.

The veteran huntress was no longer staring at the advancing Beowolves, but instead at another intersection of dilapidated streets on the other side of Pippin's team.

The blonde opened her mouth to ask what Ruby had noticed when a roar shook dust from the buildings. With a slither and a crash, the black head of an enormous King Taijitu emerged to tower over the impromptu battlefield. The white head followed soon thereafter, both of them giving another furious roar.

Pippin was momentarily frozen in fear, but quickly regained her equilibrium and gripped her sword determinedly. Before she could charge at the new threat, however, there was a loud bang, and suddenly Ruby was flying through the air at the two-headed Grimm.

The blonde watched in amazement as the small huntress, trailing rose petals as she went and wielding the legendary Crescent Rose, flew straight at the gaping maw of the black head. Before it could snap at her, Ruby swung her scythe upwards, ripping into the bottom of the chin and pinning the lower jaw against the roof of its mouth while piercing the brain.

The veteran huntress twisted her weapon, firing off another shot to rip the scythe out and fling herself back away again. The black head seemed to almost groan as it sagged to the side, crushing one of the ruined buildings.

Ruby bounced off of the side of another building, firing her weapon to speed her into a new trajectory to intercept the white head of the King Taijitu. It seemed stunned at the quick defeat of its other half, and barely had the time to react as Ruby brought her blade down on top of its head. Time seemed to freeze for a heartbeat before Ruby fired her gun again, flinging herself in a somersault backwards towards the girls once again as the other half collapsed to the ground.

Pippin blinked her light red eyes, stunned. The entire fight between Ruby and the King Taijitu took all of five seconds.

Ruby landed in a crouch next to the blonde and straightened, peering out at the few remaining Beowolves.

"Don't get distracted," she murmured, folding her scythe back up and tucking it behind her back. "That will kill you faster on a battlefield than mere incompetence."

"Oh! Sorry!" Pippin replied, chagrined, as she returned to her original course and headed in to help her teammates.

Cleaning up the remaining Beowolves took little effort on the part of Team PERL, and soon enough the group of five women were heading down the street once more.

"Um, Ruby," Pippen eventually began somewhat abashedly. "Listen, what happened back there…"

The huntress held up a calloused hand to interrupt her. "Evie, Beryl, Lustre," she instructed. "Scout out this building here. Pip and I will keep the exit open."

The three girls, to their credit, only glanced at their team leader briefly before nodding and entering their assigned building.

"Did you notice," Ruby began softly, "that I did not admonish you within earshot of your team?"

"Um, well… I did now."

The huntress nodded slowly. "You are team leader, and therefore have to be at your very best. I'm not saying you have to be perfect, nobody is, but you must always maintain the appearance of control and confidence. So when I do offer you, the team leader, criticism, I will do so where your team will not hear it."

"I… see." Pippin sighed dejectedly. She was a second-year student, and still it seemed she was learning how to lead. But, she supposed that was the whole point of being a student.

"You're thinking about how much you still have to learn, aren't you?" Ruby asked wryly.

Pippin nodded and glanced into the huntress' eyes. To her surprise, the flat grey color in her eyes had softened to a warm silver briefly before becoming like steel again.

The other three girls had returned by that point. "Nothing inside," Beryl reported. "No sign of Grimm."

"How secure was the inside perimeter of the building?" Ruby asked calmly.

"Um," Beryl replied hesitantly, glancing at her teammates. "We didn't really…"

"I looked at the ground level," Evelyn interjected. "Other exits were blocked, no basement. This was the only way in."

"Good," the huntress nodded, which caused the Faunus to smile slightly. "Note that I said scout, not what for. If given a broad directive, then assemble all the possible information. We can come back and use this location for lodging tonight."

"Yes, ma'am," Beryl said, her head downcast.

Ruby exhaled loudly out of her nose, her gaze taking on a faraway look. "I want to tell you something that someone else once relayed to me," she began. "He was far wiser than I ever knew, at least until it was too late to appreciate that fact about him." She cleared her throat, and this time all four of the girls were able to observe the huntress' eyes take on a silver shine. "Just remember that you've still got a long way to go. Don't think for a second that graduating means you're done, either. Every day out here in the field is worth a week inside Beacon."

The huntress paused and glanced around at the other four attentive girls, her gaze lingering on the feline Faunus. "You have the talent and skills to go far, but only if you keep on learning, if you never stop moving forward. Understand?"

The members of Team PERL nodded solemnly, their eyes shining.

Ruby sighed softly. Annnd there we go with the hero-worship again.

"Right," she barked, making the students jump. "Let's keep moving."

As nightfall approached, they found themselves back at the building they had scouted earlier. The five of them had cleaned out a Beowolf den, along with several more Beowolves, and eliminated a pair of Ursa. Otherwise the rest of their patrol had gone smoothly.

Ruby nodded to the blonde team leader as they piled their packs into the middle of the largest room on the still-intact second floor. "Pip, get a fire going. Should be sheltered from any Grimm on the street. I'm going up a level to get a better look. Post a watch on the stairs leading up here before you sleep."

Pippin nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I mean, Ruby."

The huntress just rolled her eyes and walked off into the gloom of the building.

Placing her hands on the timber they'd gathered, Pippin got the fire going in the center of the room.

"Ahhh, sweet warmth," Beryl sighed, scooting closer to the fire.

Lustre chuckled fondly. "You are always so cold," she commented to her partner.

"That's because I'm so small!" she replied archly. "I've got no insulation!"

"I don't think that's how it works," Evelyn murmured as she sat cross-legged on her sleeping mat and pulled out her rations to munch on, her tail lazily swishing behind her.

With a relieved huff Pippin plopped herself down next to her partner. "Evie, has Ruby been giving you any more, um… odd looks?"

The Faunus shrugged. "Not when I'm looking," she replied slowly.

"It's not an obvious thing," Lustre, the most observant of the four of them, stated. "She seems to just… linger on you when she glances around. Like her gaze can't help be drawn to you."

"But why?" Evelyn asked, her brows furrowed.

"And here's something else weird," Pippin added. "Anyone else notice how her eyes changed?"

"That's her normal color," Lustre answered. She glanced around at the inquisitive looks the others were directing her way. "Well, I know… a little bit about her. I did a paper on her for Oobleck's class."

"That old fossil," Beryl snorted. "I don't know why he hasn't retired yet."

"So what else do you know?" Pippin prompted the silver-haired girl. "And why do her eyes change like that?"

Lustre sighed as she settled back onto her elbows. "As I said, her normal eye color is as silver as my hair. But, as I understand it, she has had many difficulties and lost many friends. That can dull the eyes of any person."

"You don't know the half of it," a raspy voice drifted towards them from the shadows. There was a glimpse of red before Ruby emerged and slowly walked towards the fire, her cloak wrapped around her.

"Um, we're sorry," Pippin began hesitantly. "Really, we didn't mean anything by…"

The huntress held up her hand as she sat in between Beryl and Evelyn, cutting off the team leader's apology. She fished into her pouch for a few seconds before her hand emerged clutching a folded-up piece of paper. With gentle care, she unfolded it and carefully spread it out against her thigh.

"You are correct in that I have… lost much. Many friends. All of my family." Ruby's silver eyes were shining bright in the light of the fire. "My team…" she whispered.

The huntress slowly turned the paper over, revealing a photo of four girls. The others leaned in to peer at it.

"Is that you?" Pippin asked incredulously.

Ruby nodded with a soft smile that caused the scars running down the right side of her face to pull. "Yes," she murmured. "I was the leader of Team RWBY."

"You were admitted two years early," Lustre recalled, staring hard at the photo.

The huntress nodded again. "This one here," she said, pointing to a haughty-looking platinum-haired girl, "was my partner, Weiss. And then this was my sister, Yang." She indicated the vivacious blonde who was grinning widely at the camera. "And then this…"

Evelyn gasped lightly as she focused on the image of the fourth girl. "She looks so much like me," she murmured.

"Except not a Faunus," Beryl added.

"Oh, but she was a Faunus," Ruby explained. "The bow hid her ears, so that she might be known for who she was instead of what she was." The redhead looked at the photo, rubbing her finger gently against the image of the raven-haired girl. "Her name was Blake," she said with a slight tremor in her voice. "And… she was my world."

The four girls rapidly looked between the photo and the huntress. "You… and Blake… were…?" Pippin breathed.

"Very much so," Ruby smiled at the half-asked question. Her smile dropped, and the silver sheen to her eyes flattened to the accustomed steel grey. "And then I failed her when she needed me the most." She slowly folded the photo back up and gently tucked it back into her pouch.

Beryl cleared her throat. "Did she…?"

"Die? Yes," Ruby replied flatly. "They all did, eventually, but losing Blake hurt even more than losing my sister did. She was my future. And now…" She stood with a weary sigh. "Now my only future is the hunt."

The huntress turned back towards the way she had come. "I'll bunk upstairs," she said over her shoulder as she walked off.

The four teammates glanced at each other before staring somberly into the fire.

"Damn," Beryl breathed.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Pippin added. She glanced over at her partner. "Evie, you okay?"

"I suppose," the Faunus sighed. "I just… Back then, relationships between humans and Faunus were unheard of, and usually met with violence from both sides. They were incredibly brave to do what they did."

"Or very much in love," Lustre murmured.

Evelyn nodded somberly. "Yes, or very much in love."

The next morning Ruby was her usual brusque self again, curtly ordering the students about as they broke camp and made ready for the next day's patrol.

The veteran huntress paused next to Pippin as the girl tied her blond hair back in a ponytail.

"How long is your assignment?" she asked gruffly.

The team leader hesitated before finishing with her hair. "Um, only two days. We should get picked up before nightfall tonight. Didn't… Didn't Professor Ozpin tell you any of this?"

Ruby shrugged unconcernedly as she lit a cigarette and moved to head back towards the upper floor. "Oz tells me what he wants to tell me. I just take things as they come."

Beryl looked after the departing huntress as she strapped her blue armor on over her dark brown shirt. "I don't get her still," she murmured.

"She does tend to be… contradictory," Evelyn agreed, pulling on her black fingerless gloves and adjusting the crimson straps lining her arms. "Still…"

"Perhaps she has two sides to her," Lustre began softly in her accented voice. She was sitting cross-legged, already dressed in her usual outfit of white shorts, light blue tank top, and short white jacket. Her light blue leggings were tucked into her white combat boots, the entire outfit contrasting sharply with her dark skin. "It would seem she has a softer side, one that is truly who she is, and we were graced with a glimpse of that last night. But this person we see again this morning… It is her armor, how she survives still. The Red Huntress."

"Damn, Lustre," Pippin smirked. "Pretty deep for so early in the morning."

The silver-haired girl shrugged with an answering smile. "I do not require caffeine to get my brain working."

"Ugh, why did you have to mention that?" Evelyn moaned as she stomped her black boots to settle them into place. "I would kill for some coffee right now."

"I think I can oblige with the killing," Ruby commented as she strode into the room, flicking her cigarette to the floor before crushing it under her boot. "Not so much the coffee. There's an Ursa roaming about the entrance. Can your team handle that?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Pippin replied, jumping to her feet and strapping her beloved sword to her back. "We're on it!"

Ruby waved them off while she finished collecting up the camp. She kept an ear on the fighting below, noting from the sounds how the team organized themselves against a single opponent and efficiently brought it down.

Five minutes later the four girls returned, smiling exultantly.

"Nothing like a little exercise to get the blood flowing," Pippin laughed, stretching her arms over her head.

The huntress stood calmly in the middle of the packed bags. "Not bad," she commented. "That was a rather large Ursa as well. Anyone care to guess as to its age?"

"Um," Beryl hesitated. "Maybe twenty-five or so?"

"No, I believe older than that," Lustre disagreed politely. "By the size of the spikes, I'd estimate twice that, easily."

"Good instincts, Lustre," Ruby nodded. "That would be my guess as well. Can't always go by the size, but the bone projections on Grimm like Ursa, Beowolves, Creeps, and Boarbatusks are a good indicator. Now, let's grab our gear and move out."

"Teacher's pet," Beryl snorted to her partner as she shrugged her pack on.

"Oh, please," Lustre replied loftily but with a humorous glint in her pale blue eyes. "I'm just that good."

"Oum, the ego," Evelyn chortled. "I can't see past it! It's blocking out the sun!"

Pippin snickered as she lightly smacked the Faunus on the arm. "Come on, you guys. Let's not keep Ruby waiting."

Four hours later and they'd only come across a small pack of Creeps, the two-legged Grimm falling easily to the group. Eventually they paused in the middle of a ruined building overlooking the plains below them.

"So this is the edge of the settlement," Beryl commented, running her hand through her damp blue strands of hair.

"Used to be, yes," Ruby said quietly as she gazed out across the scrub and sparse trees. "Wasn't enough of a barrier to help them." She sighed quietly to herself. "We've covered all of the upper ruins. Time to head underground."

"Um… underground?" Evelyn squeaked, her ears and tail twitching furiously. "I thought they sealed all of that off back during the Great Breach?"

The huntress nodded slowly. "Most of it, yes, but they left the sentient-accessible portals merely secured. I have a feeling there are some more cracks we don't know about, allowing Grimm to emerge from the subterranean chambers."

"Ruby?" the silver-haired student began hesitantly. "Were you not a part of the Great Breach?"

"I was. My team and I attempted to stop the train. We failed." Ruby's words were clipped as her eyes took on a faraway look again, though they remained a hard grey color. "Thankfully, along with several other Beacon teams still available, we contained the outbreak inside Vale. But lives were lost, so it was still a failure." The redheaded huntress looked at Lustre sharply. "I didn't think of it as such at first, but I've come to realize any loss of innocent life is a failure on our parts as huntresses. We should have tried harder."

"What about the lives of hunters and huntresses?" Beryl asked quietly.

Ruby just shrugged. "We're expendable. It's part of the job." With that she turned on her heel, heading towards a large ruined building they had passed previously.

With wordless glances among themselves, Team PERL followed in her footsteps.

The veteran huntress halted at what seemed to be an ordinary door, though it lacked a handle and seemed to be of much stronger material than those they had come across so far. She ran her calloused fingers along the edge, probing firmly until she stopped at a point near the top on the right-hand side. With a grunt, she leaned up on her tiptoes and pushed in.

The portal popped open with an audible noise of pressurized air.

"It's likely to be dark in here," Ruby murmured, peering forward. "Any of you brought lights?"

The four girls glanced among themselves uncertainly. "Um, I can use my sword…" Pippin began.

Ruby sighed and reached back to dig into her pack. She pulled out a handful of glowsticks. "Always keep some of these in your field pack," she explained. "Even you, Evie, I know Faunus can see especially well in the dark but it won't help you underground." She passed the glowsticks out, demonstrating how to activate them and clip them onto their clothing or armor.

Pippin slipped her stick inside her pocket, resolving to rely on her semblance and her sword, while Beryl managed to fasten hers to the outside of her trusty shield Dahl. Both Evelyn and Lustre followed Ruby's lead in clipping the glowstick to their clothing.

The small group entered down the hallway, Ruby sealing the door back behind them again. They moved through several more portals and chambers before heading down a long staircase that emptied out into a sprawling underground chamber.

"This… this is…" Beryl breathed, looking about in wonderment.

"Huge," Pippin finished for her quietly.

"Oobleck called this the world's biggest grave," Ruby commented quietly. "I call it a monument to stupidity. This entire settlement never should have been attempted."

"They had good intentions," Lustre insisted as her eyes roamed about the ruined underground buildings, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. "Well-designed defenses, the underground transportation…"

"And it all failed," Ruby said flatly. "All those lives lost due to sheer stubbornness. I see it out in the wild as well, communities living outside of the major cities who think they can simply handle what's thrown at them."

"Have you come across many of them?" Pippin asked curiously. "Communities in the wilds, I mean."

The huntress gave her a hard glance with her grey eyes. "Never more than once," she replied softly. "They're always gone without a trace when I return that way again."

The four students resumed their trek without further comment, Pippin holding her glowing sword up high to provide wide ambient lighting.

Eventually they pulled to a halt once more as Ruby held her hand up, her head tilted slightly in a manner that immediately told Pippin she'd noticed something.

The team leader slowly inched towards the huntress, holding her sword slightly behind her as she tried to peer into the darkness where the red-cloaked woman was looking.

"Something out there?" she whispered worriedly.

Ruby nodded slowly. She raised her right hand, pointing a finger off to the side past some buildings.

"There's a breeze coming from that direction. It smells clean, so I'm guessing that's our breach."

Slowly her hand drifted to point straight forward.

"Big pack of Grimm heading this way. Trying to get a count now."

Pippin nodded, and wordlessly signalled for her team to ready themselves. After only a few seconds, Ruby whirled to face the girls.

"Pip, dim your sword. We need to move, there's entirely too many to handle here. Let's go."

Without further ado, the huntress was hurrying off towards where she sensed the breeze to be coming from, the four students trailing determinedly in her wake.

"Are we just going to leave all these Grimm?" Beryl asked breathlessly.

Ruby shook her head, not bothering to turn around. "No. We're gaining a more favorable ground, where we can hopefully bottleneck them. Perhaps gather enough of them into the breach and collapse it on them. Evie, is Dao able to handle that?"

The Faunus nodded, secretly pleased that the huntress remembered the name for her scimitar. "Yes, it can do that easily."

"Alright, then, we have a plan," Ruby ground out as she increased her pace. "Also, they've noticed us. Pick it up, please."

The five of them raced ahead, the sounds of pursuit resolving into howls and fierce growling over the pounding of many, many paws.

"How… many?" Pippin panted.

"Many," Ruby grunted. "And lots of different kinds."

"Don't look back, don't look back," Beryl muttered under her breath as she ran. She slipped her shield onto her back, dislodging her glowstick as she did so. She glanced over her shoulder to see it rolling down the incline, and saw as well hundreds of glowing red eyes coming increasingly closer.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" the blue-haired girl squealed as she willed her short legs to pump faster. "What did I just say? What did I just say?"

"Beryl?" her silver-haired partner asked.

"Nothing! Just keep running!"

Finally they spotted the crack ahead, allowing a sliver of late-afternoon sunlight to filter through. They emerged next to the ruins of a building near the northern area of the abandoned settlement, the deep crack barely visible from the street.

Ruby came to a skidding halt, pulling her scythe out and twirling it as it extended into its full and deadly size. She flipped it down and embedded the blade's tip into the concrete with a crunch.

"Catch your breath," she ordered, her grey eyes darkening and a slight eager grin creasing the scars on her face. "I'll handle the first wave."

With that she moved forward, her scythe whirling about her in a complex pattern. The first Beowolf out of the breach didn't even have the chance to howl as it was bisected, nor did the next three fare any better.

The four students watched in amazement as the huntress flipped her weapon under a small Ursa, triggering the gun to send her flying upward and slicing the Grimm from crotch to crown. The two halves began to dissolve immediately as she twirled, slicing into the next pair of monsters out of the crevice as she descended again.

"Wow," Beryl breathed. "I wanna be like her when I grow up."

Pippin snorted and smacked her lightly upside her head. "Stop goofing around. Everyone good? Alright, then, let's act like we were trained for this."

The four students smoothly moved into position to back the veteran huntress up. Beryl firmly planted her feet at the entrance, holding her shield in front of her. A soft blue glow began to surround her, the same color as her hair and armor and shield.

An Ursa came charging out, barrelling full-speed into the diminutive huntress-in-training, only to unexpectedly rebound off of her and sprawl backwards. Beryl wasted little time in sending a pair of shots from her carbine into its belly, causing it to roar in pain. Pippin strode up, her sword glowing a bright orange, and drove it into the Grimm's body, killing it.

The blonde quickly turned, swinging her sword around and decapitating the next Ursa through. Lustre was whirling about, a blur of white as she pounded her staff into the heads and torsos of the Grimm she faced, triggering the occasional shot from the end of her staff as a coup-de-gras.

Evelyn blinked back and forth, containing the few Grimm who threatened to break through and past their line with vicious slashes from her scimitar. She could quickly tell, however, that it wasn't going to be enough as they were being slowly driven back from the entrance to the breach.

Ruby had evidently come to the same conclusion. "Fall back!" she ordered. "Evie, bring the building down!"

While the Faunus watched the others of her team start to move back in good order, she teleported herself to the top of the building to examine the area. She quickly noted where she'd need to hit, and placed herself back on the ground where she was required to be.

She gasped lightly after getting into position. She'd been overextending herself, and all of the teleporting was beginning to take a toll on her, drawing deeply from her aura. Gritting her teeth against the dizziness, the raven-haired girl braced herself, black tail swishing determinedly behind her.

"Clear!" she heard her team leader shout.

The Faunus unhesitatingly whipped her scimitar across, channeling the remainder of her green dust in her chamber in a concussive blast that caused chunks of concrete to shoot outwards. Several Grimm were bowled over by the blast, and more were impacted from the rubble projectiles, but she'd done her job. The towering ruined building groaned before slowly toppling over and crashing in cloud of dust, sealing the breach and likely collapsing the tunnel on top of the Grimm still underground.

Evelyn let out a relieved sigh as she staggered slightly. Now all that was left was the cleanup of the few Grimm remaining…

And then Pippin's scream echoed across the ruins. "Evie!"

The Faunus spied her partner racing towards her desperately, pointing her sword at a point behind the raven-haired student. Feeling as if she were moving in slow motion, she turned to behold the terrifying sight of a looming Death Stalker bearing down on her, its golden stinger already descending.

Evelyn could only stare uncomprehendingly as she faced her certain death, but then she was flying to the side in an explosion of rose petals. Ruby was there, swinging her deadly scythe and impaling the Grimm with her blade right on its forehead.

The students watched in horror as the stinger completed its downward thrust, piercing the chest of the veteran huntress.

"Nooo!" Evelyn screamed, scrambling back to her feet as she saw the small redhead slowly topple backwards in a sprawl, her scythe falling to the ground at her side.

The Faunus pushed the last of her aura into her semblance to catch Ruby before her head could hit the ground. The Death Stalker's stinger had fallen backwards with the creature's death, but the damage had been done. The chest wound was horrific, gaping and oozing more blood than Evelyn thought any one person could contain.

"Oh, Oum," Pippin moaned as she skidded to a halt by their side. Her partner was gently cradling Ruby's head in her lap, weeping softly.

Both Beryl and Lustre arrived after dispatching the last of the Grimm, the blue-haired girl falling to her knees incredulously as she let her shield clatter to the ground. Lustre stood with her hand over her mouth, shaking her head wordlessly as she stared wide-eyed at the scene.

Ruby blinked her eyes open. They were silver again but seemed to be unable to focus.

"Wha… What happened?" she whispered brokenly.

"You're hurt," Pippin said gently as she crouched down. "It's… you're hurt bad, Ruby, I don't think…"

And then Ruby seemed to finally focus on the head hovering over her. "Blakey?" she whispered, reaching up with a trembling hand. "You're here?"

Evelyn sniffled and glanced at her teammates before nodding her head. "Yes, I am," she replied gently, clasping Ruby's hand in her own.

"Oh, Blakey... I missed you so much… Can we… go home now?"

"Yeah, Ruby," Evelyn sobbed. "We can go home now, just… just close your eyes and rest, okay?"

The redheaded woman let out a rattling sigh from her ruined lungs as her silver eyes drifted closed, tears of joy leaking from her eyes. "Love you… Blakey…"

And with a final hitched breath, the Red Huntress died.

Team PERL met their airship somberly while Pippin carefully held a very precious cargo wrapped in a red cloak. The ride back was uneventful though quiet as each student was lost in their own thoughts. Beryl gently cradled the collapsed Crescent Rose in her hands, tears blurring her vision.

When the airship set down, Ozpin was waiting for them, along with the entire faculty of Beacon as well as several curious students. The headmaster solemnly accepted the body of the fallen huntress, and the procession slowly made their way back into the academy.

Beacon Academy

One Month Later

The dark-cloaked figures moved through the foyer of the main building, pausing in the middle as students surged about, hurrying to get to their classes and only sparing the mysterious pair a curious glance. The taller of the two reached up with thin, elegant hands to pull his hood back, revealing the lined and weathered face of a man well into his middle years. His long hair was grey, though there was a shock of pink that ran through it.

He mournfully gazed up at the red scythe that was hung on the wall.

"I hope she's finally at peace," he murmured softly.

"I'm sure she is," the smaller figure replied calmly, removing her own hood. The woman looked to be of an age with her partner. Though her once-bright orange hair had faded somewhat and laugh lines creased her face, her turquoise eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

The man turned and resumed walking towards the elevator to take them up to the headmaster's office where they planned on paying their respects. He paused and turned his head. "Coming, Nora, my love?"

"Coming, Ren," she replied, adjusting Magnhild on her back. She glanced back up at the beloved weapon of her former classmate and very dear friend.

"I'm sorry you couldn't find tranquility in life, Ruby," she whispered. "But I hope you are with your Blake again and you are finally happy."

She caught up with her husband and wrapped her arm around his still-slender middle. Together they made their way forward, lost in memories both good and bad.

Nora gently reached up and touched Ren's nose.

"Boop," she murmured.

A/N: Couple of footnotes here. The beginning line might be recognized from the great Joss Whedon in some of his works. "Colossal waste of time" refers to Blake's words when they were trying to convince her to go to the dance. The quote from Ruby regarding always learning comes from Qrow in Season 3, Chapter 4. And then obviously the segment for Mountain Glenn is from the end of Season 2 leading up to Breach.

I've had this idea floating about in my head for some time. My first inclination was to title it Rage, but I think this might work better. Old hunters and huntresses never retire…

Hope you all enjoyed the story, and the implied Ladybug and Renora, as well as the members of Team Pearl that I came up with. Thanks for reading, and drop me a quick review to let me know what you thought.

For those who are curious, I'll include the details for Team PERL (Pearl, but yes also a joke on the computer scripting language) here as a reference:

Pippin (Pip) Cerise. Female Human. [Red]

Long blonde hair, light red eyes, tall and rangy, tanned skin. Two-handed sword (Odachi Dahlia) turns into sniper rifle. Heat semblance through hands, can make her sword glow and cut through opponent's defences like butter or merely set a campfire easily. Silver armor with red highlights, red boots. Partner of Evie.

Evelyn (Evie) Black. Female Faunus. [Black]

Long black hair, sapphire blue eyes, medium height and build, pale skin. Cat Faunus, has ears and a tail. Wields curved scimitar (Dao) with dust chamber that can trigger area of effect attacks. Teleportation semblance over short distances. Black skintight leggings and crop top, dark red straps and belt, black fingerless gloves. Black boots. Partner of Pip.

Radiance Beryl.Female Human. [Blue]

Chin-length bright blue hair, tan eyes, short and skinny, pale skin. Longsword (Shashka) that turns into carbine and a round shield (Dahl) that she uses with her semblance. Immovable semblance, can plant her feet and deflect charges. Blue armor over brown leggings and shirt. Dark brown ankle boots. Partner of Lustre.

Lustre Bijou. Female Human. [White]

Short and messy silver hair, light blue eyes, medium height and lithe, dark-skinned. Speaks with soft accent. Wields staff (Winter Contus) that turns into a rifle. Speed semblance, but only brief duration. White shorts and light blue tank top under a white short-sleeved jacket. Light blue leggings, tall white combat boots. Partner of Beryl.

Finally, the origins of some of the terms might be unfamiliar, so here's some definitions:

Cerise = a bright or deep red color

Odachi = Japanese greatsword

Dahlia = brightly-colored red flower

Dao = Chinese sword, also "Truth" or "The Way" (i.e. Tao)

Radiance = emitted light

Beryl = transparent pale green, blue, or yellow mineral used as a gemstone

Shashka = Russian sabre, single edged and handed with no guard

Dahl = type of round shield used by Romans

Lustre = gentle sheen or soft glow as in from a partially reflective surface

Bijou = a jewel or trinket

Contus = Roman gladiator's war staff

And that's all for this installment! Stay shiny!