Specialist Rose

25) What To Fight With

Everyone stepped into the elevator and immediately wanted to step out again. Winter and Qrow were still charged up with the urge to spar each other. General Ironwood was angry at the immaturity that Winter displayed. Meanwhile Winter could feel the temperature rising and it hit her that Ruby was probably in emotional distress just from being here and now being so close to her uncle probably meant that Ruby's powers would be reacting to her distress. Ozpin was just about chocking on the tension and decided to seperate Qrow and Winter. 
"General the lift is a bit crammed would you winter and glynda go in the other one?"
"Of course." 
Said people left the lift with only Winter hesitating about leaving Ruby alone. The lift closed and Ruby held her breath.
Outside while they were walking over to the other lift and Winter was radiating agitation. 
"Speak freely Winter." Glynda sighed. The poor blonde had too much to put up with in Ozpin in the first place let alone Winter and Qrow's flirting match. 
"Ruby and Qrow are more likely to kill each other than he and I are. We shouldn't have left her with him, why didn't we take her with us?"
"Winter relax. It is a short trip in an elevator. They will be fine."

In the elevator neither people were fine. Not at all. Ozpin was oblivious to the turmoil the 2 people behind him were  going through so wasn't of much help. Ruby was fighting to keep the temperature level and not simultaneously burst into flames. Qrow was just in shock at his niece being so close to him. He knew that she would likely be coming for the vytal festival but he didn't think that he would see her. She had grown up so very much. Ruby was certainly the little girl he had taken care of when Tai went into depression.

Qrow POV

My hand flinched as Ruby's hand brushed against my own. It was a fluke I knew as Ruby jerked her hand away as I had burned her. Even though I knew it was a mistake I held my hand open anyways. If she wanted a little comfort or even just wanted to hold my hand after so many years it was there. I held back a small gasp and fought down tears of joy when I felt Ruby's smaller hand lightly close around 3 of my fingers. She was just barely holding my hand but it meant the world to me after so long being shut out. I gently squeezed her hand and we just stood there in the lift. Old Oz oblivious to what was happening and my soul practically singing. The elevator dinged and Ruby once again ripped her hand away. I had to quickly regain my smug smirk and winked at Winter when the door opened.

Ruby subtly as she could rushed over to Winter who put a hand on her shoulder and held her away from me like I was going to hurt her. I got my head out of the clouds just in time to make a snarky comment to Jimmy.
"If I was one of your men I would shoot myself. God knows how many gunshot wounds Ruby's got."

3rd POV

"Whilst I wouldn't condone his behaviour; retaliating like you did certainly didn't help the situation."
"He was drunk!"
"He is always drunk!"
At which point everyone turns to see Qrow doing just that- drinking. Not really surprising but nobody was very happy with it either way. 
"Qrow why are you here?"
"You sent me to get intel on our enemy, I'm telling you our enemy is here!"
"We know."
"What!"
"You've been out of contact for weeks! You can't just go dark like that in the field!"
"Yeah well I'm not one of your special operatives Jimmy, that's what you poached Ruby for."
"I really don't want to have that argument again Branwen."Ruby spoke directly to him for the first time. He ignored her to continue having it at Ironwood.
"Communication is a two-way street buddy. You see that? That's the send button!"
"They had reason to assume you had been compromised Qrow."
"And I have reason to assume you don't need to be here. Seriously who invited her?"
"Winter we will discuss this incident back on my ship."
"But, sir!"
"Schnee you are dismissed."
Winter sighed, saluted and left. Simultaneously leaving Ruby alone with her uncle who she hated, the headmaster she didn't trust, a blonde stranger and the general who didn't know of her situation. It could not get much worse for the young socially awkward soldier. Ruby held her breath and stared at the ground through her helmet hoping silently that Ironwood would let her go too. 
"Ruby all exchange students proceed to the great hall, a map has been sent to your scroll. Get going."
"Yes sir!" Ruby calmly said saluting to her commander before as subtly as she could practically sprinting to the elevator. Once the doors closed Ruby breathed a deep sigh of relief and removed her helmet. Until the lift doors opened again Ruby had to put her helmet back on and hurried to catch up with her friends at the great hall. Everyone greeted her and they went up to the table to receive their room cards and Ruby her key to the garage.

Though Ruby quickly came to wish that she hadn't made it on time. 
"You're kidding me right? This is just a prank?"
"Apologies Miss Rose but we have no more space in the Atlas exchange student dormitories and they only available space is in your sister's room. Here is the key to it and the key to your garage. Have a nice day."
"Have they been informed of this at least?"
"Yes we sent them emails a few minutes ago."
Ciel had to drag her away from the desk in the end. Luckily Arslan, Neon and Flynt were always ready to cheer her up and insisted on coming with her to help her settle in and cushion the blow. So Neon hauled Ruby over to the dorm where Arslan drew the short straw and went in first.
"Hello miss Belladonna."
"Hello Arslan, can we help?"
"As I understand it you 3 have received emails about the fact that the exchange student dormitories ran out of space?"
"Yes we did and we are aware that we will be housing an Atlas student. I am presuming it is you?"
"No, we are just here to help her unpack and get settled if that is ok with you?"
"Of course."
The 3 Beacon students looked at each other confused as Arslan left to grab bags and heard some sort of commotion out in the hall. But their confused looks were replaced with shock and realization when they heard Ruby's voice say, 
"I would rather melt down my scythe than sleep in there!"
"Ruby Rose you are a soldier you get in that room and unpack your stuff or so help me I will get Flynt and Neon to drag you in there!"
"Fine!" 

Ruby adjusted her helmet properly and put her hood up over her head and went in. Blake decided that as she was the least hated or conflicted in the room she would help out. 
"The bottom 2 drawers are yours, and this sectioned off part of the closet is yours too. You share the desk with Weiss and she is a neat freak so try not to breathe on it wrong. The bed on the end is yours, the one next to it is Weiss's and you have got a bedside table with a couple of small draws underneath it. Final light turn off is at midnight, I'll let you get settled."
"Thank you Belladonna."
Ruby grabbed her bag of personals to unpack into her bedside table and the 4 guests continued as if the 3 Beacon students weren't there.
"How do you want these organized Gem?"
"Bottom draw and closet for clothes, the other drawer for school clothes one one side and the other side for my work. My work is all in the red and white bag. My personals and laptop is over hereon the bedside table. If there is anything you think I'll need immediately at morning or night put it over here."
"What about your military uniform?"
"Closet, but don't take the clothing cover off of it."
With all 3 of them working all of Ruby's things were unpacked in record time and her empty bags went under her bed. Without so much as a goodbye to her dormmates the 4 Atlesian students left.

Ruby went up to the roof to call Marrow while everyone else went to get settles in their rooms. Up on the roof Ruby was alone save for a Crow sitting on a TV satellite. After only one ring Marrow answered his scroll,
"Hey Love! How did the first day go?"
"It was awful. I already want to go home. The very first thing that happened was Qrow and Winter had a fight and tore up the courtyard. But somehow that's not even the worst of it."
"Gem what happened?"
"Winter, Ironwood and some blonde lady took the other elevator so I was stuck riding in an elevator with Qrow who I hate and Oz who I don't trust after what happened last time! But something happened in the elevator."
"What's wrong?"
"I accidentally brushed my hand against Qrow's. It was a small elevator give me a break. But he held his hand open. He didn't grab my hand or anything of the sort he just held his hand open so it was there if I wanted it. And for some reason I did."
"Come again?"
"It's been years since I've seen them and obviously for good reason. But yet I still took his hand. I don't know why I did but I did. Mistake I will not be making again. I just hope I can find a forge before my next fight."
"Did something happen to your scythe??"
"That's just it. It's a scythe, based off of Branwen's and he was even the one who taught me to wield it. I can't fight in the tournament and use it I just can't."
"You have 4 days until your first fight you think you can make and master a new weapon in that time?"
"I'm going to have to. You've got work in 15 minutes, get up. I'll talk to you soon Marrow."
"See you in a bit Ruby, I love you."
"I love you too."
The crow flew off and Ruby went back inside to get some sleep.

Ooh, Ruby doesn't want to use her scythe! It's a 4 day race against the clock now. That will be interesting.
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See you later, love Lizzi