So, I've spent a semester working on this idea. And by that I mean developing a brainstorm document of idea's and solidified plans to put this through motion. This is to be my project over the summer, and I aim to see how it goes before next semester. So, that being said, this story is taking several liberties with influences from other reputable sources such as The Witcher series, Naruto, Berserk, and other mythological sources.

This story will be delving into a dark fantasy, so if you're easily sickened or offended, than I suggest you leave now.

Also, getting this out now, Jaune will be very strong, but not without reason.

((((January 25, 2018 EDIT: Gone back to fix a couple of grammar mistakes.))))

DISCLAIMER: I don't own RWBY as it belongs to Monty Oum (bless his soul) and Rooster Teeth. Nor do I own the other references used in this story as it is only for entertainment purposes.

That said, Enjoy.

"Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, or middling...makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary. The definitions blurred. If I'm to choose between one evil and another, than I'd rather not choose at all."~?

Marshal

By: Tsurugi-sensei

"Is this information accurate?"

The words spoken in the office of the Headmaster of Beacon Academy were clear cut and dry. There was no sense of amusement, frustration, nor faux concern. Only a straight to the point tone that brook no argument.

Two men stood in the office, one was a middle-aged man, standing at a good 6,6 stature he imposed a rather intimidating figure for a man who was usually comfortable to be around. He was garbed in a green suit with tousled silver hair. His brown eyes appearing over the rim of his shaded glass spectacles. His stare was strong and daunting. His brown orbs appearing sharper than any sort of bladed weapon and more lethal than a Monster Parade. His hands were held behind him whilst his cane was clutched in his grip, which only seemed to tighten at the sight of the other one in the room.

The other occupant was another man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties. His dark spiky hair was graying out in areas and his red eyes stared out the window of the office alongside the other man, but unlike the other this mans expression was all that needed to be seen to tell what he was feeling at the moment. His mouth set into a grim line, his eyes narrowed in emotions ranging from apprehension, confusion, and frustration. The black haired male was garbed in a tattered red cloak, grey dress shirt, black pants and black dress shoes, but strapped horizontally to his back was a weapon of lethal potential.

The silence between the two was thick with tension which was no surprise given the current situation going on between them. Of all the people in their inner circle, information between these two concerning a certain subject was kept a closely guarded secret, and for good reason. If the information they held was ever let loose than it alone would incite political strife and ramifications all across the Kingdoms. Bringing about all sorts of conflict over what they knew, but both knew how to keep a secret; better than anyone else.

And such secrecy was needed, especially for such a sore subject as this.

The black haired man simply glanced at the other man with a nary raised eyebrow. "...This is a first. You usually never question my reports Oz. Is what I've told you as of now too crazy to be true?" he couldn't help, but ask. Yet the man called Oz simply kept staring out at the window.

"No, I know you too well Qrow. You wouldn't, no, can't, lie to me, especially over something like this. What I find hard to believe is what you've bore witness to." here he looked to Qrow for a moment. His stare tearing down every mental block the other man with the simplest of ease and peering straight into his soul.

In Qrow's honest opinion, at this moment, Oz was incredibly terrifying at this moment.

Still he swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and spoke. "It's as I've said Oz. I finally found the one you've been searching for, but...his actions...his deeds...they all fall in line with the one whose been such a pain to the other Kingdoms. I don't know who this person is Oz, but from the way he's been hunting not just the grimm and monsters, but human and faunus alike I'd say he's the one the Council has been trying to hunt down." Qrow said missing the slightest twitch from Ozpin who simply turned his gaze back to his window.

"You feel they are one and the same then? The rampant killings. The assassinations of the political figures of late. The butchering of faunus through the world. You feel it's the same person?" Ozpin spoke to which Qrow sighed, but gave the slightest nod nonetheless.

"Yes, his description matches perfectly to what you've told me and in further correlation to what Amber told me just before falling into her coma. He's the same person who protected her from those who attacked her those few years ago. Yet his actions also fall in line with the one whose been marked as the biggest unofficial enemy of the Council of Remnant." he said making Ozpin grip his cane even further.

"...What is it your trying say, Qrow?"

At this point Qrow knew he was pushing his luck; he knew that much all too well. However, he was in so deep in whatever Ozpin was looking for that he felt his boss at least owed it to him to give a bit more detail into who it is he was searching for.

"What I'm saying is that the guy you're looking for is more than likely the biggest vigilante known in all of Remnants history. You are having me hunt down a man who not only has been slaughtering entire packs of Grimm and Monsters alike, but has presumably butchered entire groups of men and women, human and faunus, all for the sake of a reason completely unknown to me. It's for certain you know who it is, but right now I'm stumbling in the dark with little to no idea as to who this guy is, but he has to be something unique for you to personally put so much effort into finding." he said before taking a breathe.

This was it, all his amounted frustration had come to bursting and it needed release!

"So yeah, if it wasn't obvious before now. I'd like to know who the hell it is I'm looking for!" his words echoing within the confines of the office they stood in. But as soon as they did a calm silence soon engulfed the office, and that alone sent a shiver of apprehension up Qrow's spine. Especially when the Headmaster hadn't uttered a single word, made a movement or even let out a momentary breath. He was akin to a statue, a guardian that stood to protect some dark evil secret from escaping the world.

'But then, this is Ozpin we're talking about. If there is anyone who knows about deep dark forbidden secrets, it's this old man.'

For a moment Qrow was almost certain Ozpin would remain silent on the matter, like he always had when it came to this subject, but then the old man surprised him when he let out a sigh. Then the esteemed Headmaster raised his hand and place it on the window of his office, overlooking all of his beloved academy.

"...The man you're looking for Qrow. Not only does he hold vital information on who it is that attacked Amber, but he is also the liaison between me and someone I truly respect. On the matter of what he has done. You presume he is senselessly murdering these people just because he can, but have you ever wondered his true motives? Have you ever looked into the profiles of those he's killed? The Council knows all too well which is why they've kept such a tight lip on the matter." here he walked toward his desk and opened a drawer. Pulling out a thick folder he stood and reached out to Qrow who looked at the folder and then to Ozpin with a look of confusion.

"What's this?"

Ozpin simply smiled.

''Before I can tell you more; I think it best you get a better understanding of the man you are looking for. He is not the devil the Council paints him out to be. Far be it in fact, he's probably to most righteous being I've known my whole life despite his own claims to the contrary." he said as he went back to gazing out the window as Qrow took his time to look into the documents inside.

And what he saw shocked him, but in total honesty, he was more than little disturbed now with the prospect of hunting down this person.

"Assassinations on Political figures with concrete evidence of self-embellishment, the death of the Vacuo Viceroy Ventra Bonder for inciting riots among the masses against the faunus living within certain remote settlements. The murder of the 5th Prince Bjorn von Roya of the Mistral Kingdom whose involvement in the Anima Purge Crisis proved to be entirely direct. The death of certain Council members who were later found to have been channeling funds from their respective kingdoms to further their own unsavory agenda's. Multi-national Slave Rings, Death battles, and burning's. And even bringing about recent evidence about Jacques Schnee's questionable laboring policies regarding his faunus workers" the more Qrow read the more he became sick with disgust for the very people he thought were to be the representative whole of Remnants equilibrium.

Then he reached into more files, certain sights of the man he'd been searching for, and of the other things he'd been doing.

"Slaying Grimm infestations of remote settlements long since abandoned. Obliterating Monster nests and caves to drive out the main hordes within remote regions. Hunting down remote White Fang cells that were responsible for the death of innocent lives in the "Vacuo Festival Purge", "The Solitas Bomb Run", and even the "Burning of Innocence in Sanus". He hunted them down and wiped every single cell involved in these incidents with no remorse. Putting them all to the sword, down to every man and woman..."

Then through the papers he found a piece of paper with an image of the man coming out of the slaughter of one of the cells.

Gulp

'….Big sis...you can eat your heart out...I think you've met your match in the terrifying department.'

What he saw in the picture, which was fuzzy at best, was a satellite image of the man garbed plate armor that was stained crimson. His tattered cape billowing in the raging wind as he dragged out the leader of this White Fang cell. His eyes were hidden behind his helmet, but walking atop the brutalized corpses of the dead and dying was not something you could easily forget.

"That was the last image I was able to get of him before he dropped off the radar. But the way he fought in battle, how he fought his foes, it was akin to something like that of a Marshal, a driving force of dauntless martial power, no?" he said in a small amused smile to which made Qrow's eyes widen at the hidden meaning in the headmasters words. He looked up, flabbergasted at the amused glint in the old mans eyes and choked out a response.

"You don't mean to say he's..."

"Flip to the first few documents of the folder...this was our first sightings of him, but back then he went by a different moniker."

Hesitating for, but a moment. Qrow did as he was told and got to the first few pages detailing the individual he was supposed to hunt down. What he saw was a series of corresponding reports detailing the Mistral Regional Tournament a couple of years ago. The reports came from different sources with varying reports of what happened on the first few days of the tournament, but each report held one striking similarity.

They spoke of a rising star, the dark horse, the traveling swordsman.

Or in terms those in his circle knew of him.

"Marshal."

The sigh that left Qrow at that moment was long and suffering as he finally learned of who he was hunting down.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me Oz. You are having me hunt down the same guy who dominated the Mistral Tournament 4 years ago? And now that same person is now going around wiping out Grimm, Monsters, corrupted politicians and White Fang terrorist cells throughout the world! Back then he wiped the floor with all those kids in the tournament, but now? Now there's no telling how strong he is." he said before casting a gaze to Ozpin.

"And suppose I do find him, what's stopping him from going along with your proposal, as crazy as it sounds now mind you, what's stopping him from rejecting and vanishing again, or better yet attacking me?" he said only to get a chuckle from the older man. Qrow brow perked up as Ozpin's chuckle grew in fervor before it turned into the slightest laugh from the man.

Which was just terrifying.

Because Ozpin chuckled.

He never laughed.

"If I know him, he'll more than likely greet you with some form of caution, but once he learns of me asking for him he'll be more amiable. As for my offer...he can't pass it up. It's the next step in what he's aspired to become for so long." he said much to the confusion of Qrow.

"Oh? And what's that? Does this guy have some grandiose dream of becoming a Hero like in the Legends or something like that?" he questioned, but was met with only a shake of the head from Ozpin.

"Oh no Qrow. The blood of Heroes and Legends already runs through his very veins. He wishes for something much more simpler, yet at the core of it lays the very foundations of which all Legends and Fairy Tales were based upon." for a moment he stopped and closed his eyes. As if recollecting on a moment in his long life of where he first encountered such a person.

"Don't be such a stick in the mud, boy! There's more to life then magic! Quit being so damned depressed all the time and come with me!"

"...And what would that be Oz?"

Ozpin simply opened his eyes and turned his gaze to Qrow who turned stone still at the sight of his brown orbs.

"The Will. The Will to do what is right regardless of what stands in your way. He is a man that strives to hunt down the malevolent of this world. He'll storm through the Gates of Atlas and rip through their whole Kingdoms Military if it was just for the sake of protecting a girl from experimentation. He'd set the whole of Mistral ablaze if the city as a whole were to sentence an innocent boy to death by burning just for the simple fact he was a faunus. He cares not for political redtape, nor for the standing of the upper echelons of society. He only cares about doing what's right, but what is often considered right can be often misconstrued as a form of barbarism. Much as you thought before I showed you these, did you not?" he said to which Qrow looked away, unable to hold a stare with Ozpin over such a matter.

"...Look...I get it...I was wrong. But...why do you seek to bring him into the fold now? You've had ample time to do so before judging by the way you talk you seem to have known this guy for much longer. So why have you chosen to do so now?" he asked to which Ozpin simply clutched his cane and offered a simple amused smile to his subordinate.

"...You're right I've had plenty of time to bring him into the fold. However, when he was just starting out he made me promise to not come after him until he experienced the true reality of our world. The experience of gaining the realism that most students that come to Beacon Academy severely lack." he stopped for a moment and walked toward his coffee machine and about pouring himself a cup,

All this talking was really taking it out of him.

"The...experience of the real world? What, you mean like learning that everything isn't sunshine and daisies? That's kinda of a weak argument Oz; kids will eventually grow up to understand this fact." he said to which made Oz chuckle before taking a sip from his mug.

"Qrow, you should have paid more attention in your classes when attending Beacon Academy. You should never assume the reasons for someone will be so frivolous as that. What he sought was something far more complicated and dangerous." going to his desk he sat down and opened his drawer and pulled out what looked like a simple white book.

Just by looking at the book brought back memories, both good and bad, but the experience in witnessing them had been astounding.

Qrow was just more confused than before at this point.

"...Now you've lost me."

Ozpin, the ever enigmatic bastard that he was, offered a simple chuckle. Oh the delight he found in confusing and frustrating people with his words never got old.

Sigh~

But alas the truth needed to be said.

"...He once pledged to me that he would become a Hunter; a slayer of monsters. When he was only a child, he had a dream, a goal to strive for. He dreamed to get rid of the Monsters and Grimm. But to truly realize his goal, he needed to experience the cruelty of the world and learn what the terms Good and Evil meant. Of how widely the term "Monster" can be described. This book right here is what inspired him as a child, and it is from this that he set off to become what he is now."

'Against the wishes of his family of course.' although he'd keep that bit to himself.

Qrow simply gave the book a cursory glance and spoke. "The Story of Geralt, The White Wolf"? I've heard some fairy tales Oz, but I can't recall remembering that one."

"That's because this one was never spread to the public. This story was far too dark in a sense to be seen as a true fairy tale, and was ultimately disregarded as such. It soon faded away in the ballads and annals of history. This book is the only thing that remained of the fairy tale...and it is his keepsake, something he wouldn't part with under any circumstance." he said as a smile spread across his face. A gleam entered his eyes which Qrow noticed and could only sigh.

"Let me guess, this guy will accept your offer, purely because he wants this book back? It can't be that simple."

A chuckle.

"You'd be a surprised."

The book didn't appear in anyway special. It was a simple white book cover that bound the pages together. The book was pretty thick, overly so with an abundance of content that no other fairy tale or story would usually have. The front only had the inscription of a white wolf howling to a shattered moon with the title inscribed above. For all intents and purposes, it was a normal book.

But it was the content on the inside that was the true worth, and that was the bait which would draw him back from the depths of his journey.

Qrow lost count at the times he sighed today, but he knew it wouldn't be the last. Still he ran his palm of his face before he looked to Ozpin who met his gaze equally. "Ok fine, whatever you say Oz, but one thing still bugs me. The way you talk says that you seem to know this guy all too well; someone whose seen as a Hero by some and a ruthless vigilante by others. Yet you seem to know him on a much deeper level, and if you are gonna be bringing him into the fold then I just want to know. Who is he really? What connection do you hold to him that bounds such trust between the two of you?"

Ozpin merely gave him a look, closed his eyes and took a sip of his coffee. Then as he placed the mug back down he opened his eyes once more to look right into Qrow's red orbs.

Then he uttered just a few words that floored the young Branwen.

"It's because that young man is my Godson."

Tell me, what is the difference between Good and Evil?

The sound of steel cutting through the wind gave off a haunting tune. In the dark, just beneath the light of Remnants shattered moon, the flash of sharpened weaponry pierced the air and punctured into the flesh of another. Yet in moments that steel would clash with that of another causing clangs of metal to reverberate throughout the outskirts of Vale. Natures inhabitants listened, watched, and took in what was happening before them with all the collective calmness of the world around them.

You think distinguishing both makes you understand? No...no it does not. It only shows how very little you know. You don't believe me? Then let me tell you a little story.

The melody of battle echoed throughout the trees and the bubbling brook of a nearby stream. Steel met steel, steel punctured flesh. Blood had been shed upon the soil., Life had been taken. Death had come. Blood splattered against the trees, limbs and torsos went flying, bodies fell as heads of the dead rolled among the blood soaked ground around them. What occurred in this area of the forests could only be described as a slaughter. Like that of a beast having been unleashed upon these unsuspecting men and women.

Once, there was a young woman who was born with the exceptional gift of being granted visions by the Almighty Father. This young woman was born in a time of strife and chaos, where wars were fought in religious belief. She fought to make her visions come true. To cleanse her land of the monsters that surged from the depths of the abyss. She fought, she bled, and when all hope was lost she still held onto her belief and loyalty in the face of the adversities and prejudice she faced from both sides. But in the end, when she cleansed her land and saved the people from certain doom, do you know what happened to her?

Those still clinging to life in this field of carnage desperately grasped to live on. Clinging onto whatever they could to delay the inevitable. Many tried to breathe, but blood pooled into their lungs causing bubbling blood to curdle and escape from their mouths. Many tried to crawl, but either died from the shock, blood loss, or the one who caused all this killed them in swift strokes. There was no sympathy to be had, no mercy to be given, and no amount of pity to be spared for any of these souls. For as much as they fought to cling onto their lives, they had been marked for death. Their sins had caught up to them.

And their death had come..

The ruling monarch of the land, a King whom this young woman loved ever so dearly, had her arrested, trialed and tied to a stake as punishment. Her crime? For being accused as a witch. A blasphemous heathen in the face of the Almighty Father. Many that accused her, either jealous of her deeds, or gift, corralled the public view into seeing her as a Witch. And for this crime of which she was not, the people she fought to protect. Her friends, allies, comrades, watched, cried out in joy and laughed as they issued her punishment. Do you know what it is they did to her?

Boots of plated alloy stepped forward unto the crimson soil, blood seeping upward with each step he took. Plated armor and chain-mail clunk together in tangent as the warrior moved among the dead and dying. The moon's light lit up the area, gifting its white rays unto the world, upon this clearing to give vibrant truth to what would have otherwise be left to sink into the dark.

Among the dead, among the butchered bodies of the fallen stood a lone man who seemed to take in the bloodbath with naught a single notice. There wasn't a single twinge of emotion in his expression as he looked upon those dead around him. Blood ran thick over his suit of armor, staining it crimson, yet as the moon lit up the clearing the light reflected off him giving light to the beast within.

T'was a figure garbed in a suit of armor from head to toe. The blood of those around him stained his armor which mixed with the reflective black and gold sheen of his plated suit. Peering through the openings of his helmet two eyes of the sharpest cobalt gazed upon the world with no regard to the lives taken this night. Blood trailed down the lengths of his armor, his sword, a modest creation of weaponry fell swift, piercing through the crawling body of the last man alive. With precise accuracy the sword rupture through the mans foramen magnum and straight into his brain in a single stroke.

The death had been quick.

A Mercy.

Something none of these men or women deserved.

They burned her. They built a pyre beneath her cross and lit it aflame. They burned her like the accused witch they saw her as. They watched her burn with no remorse, laughed and jeered on as she screamed till her throat tore. They stood as she burned, listening in twisted glee as her screams tore throughout the land. Bathing the nation she once protected in her projected sorrow and anger. And at the morn, they defecated her burnt corpse and left it to hang upon the Lords castle as an example to all.

The armored man surveyed the area around him as he wretched his sword from the corpse before him. Blade slick with the crimson life of his foes, he gave it a swing causing the blood to splatter against the grass and soil. Upon sheathing his weapon he took one last look at the corpses before him until he finally found what he'd been searching for. Among the masked men and women he came upon one in particular wearing a grimm mask that seemed to liken itself as a hyena. It was a man with a lanky yet muscled physique.

But appearances mattered not as the armored figure knelt down and pulled out a knife from his right leg pocket. Twirling it downward he brought it down, severing the skull from the spinal cord and cutting it off completely from the rest of the body. The deed was bloody, but none more so than the full scale slaughter around him. For any that would have bore witness to such savagery they would have likened such an act as barbaric, monstrous even.

To him? It was ridding the world of another monster.

That had been one of mankind's greatest betrayals to one of it's own heroes...and just one of the many that's happened in the annals of history. Now you must be wondering why I'm telling you this story; well it's because the woman they burned was blessed by the almighty father, but she was accused as a witch by others because of her abilities. The people she saved scorned her. Her allies, confidants left her to the wolves. She believed in justice and freedom of her people and land, but in return for her efforts she received hatred.

She bore witness to the cruelty of this world in her last moments. That there was no true Good or Evil. There was only evil in this world; and to be made to choose between the evils is what led to her downfall.

You see, as much as we wish it, there is no definitive form of Good in this world. It's the actions you take that will define the "Good" you wish to bring. Until then you must deal with the often misconstrued notion of the world being black and white. Because let me tell you...it's not.

As the armored man grasped the severed head by the hair he stopped to once again survey the area. The forest clearing resembled that of a war-torn graveyard. Bodies of White Fang terrorists lay strewn about the area in multiple ways, but all ending in the same way.

Dead.

Dismembered limbs. Decapitated heads. Severed torso's. Bodies crushed by immense force. Bodies impaled upon tree's and some thrown into the tree so hard they were left stuck into the tree's trunk.

This...

This was life.

His life.

As he began to walk out of the clearing though he turned his head to gaze out somewhere, in the darkness of the forests and behind the helmet. Sharp glowing cobalts peered into a shadowed body of a black bird. It's red gleaming gems staring straight back at him with no small amount of curiosity in it's orbs.

"Stare. Gaze. Look upon me, little bird. Look. Watch. Scout. Do whatever it is you wish, but remember this. You are not exempt from the actions of depravity. Give me a reason...and I shall hunt you down as well, druid."

His voice was akin to a forge hammer striking hot iron. It was deep, resounding, and was carried in a tone that gave nothing away, but the purest form of intimidation. Looking back he walked away and back onto the path to his contractor.

The little Raven tilted its head to one side before it flew off.

And the field of butchery was left in the waking shadow of the Knight's dauntless resolve.

Hm? You ask who this woman was? Well, it's supposedly a secret in my family, but I never cared for such things. She was my ancestor, Joan D'Arc and the woman of whom I inherited my name. But that's unimportant; what is important is for you to have learned something from that story. Because to survive in this world...you must know how to act in the face of this obscurity.

Ruby Rose didn't consider herself to be anything special. In fact, she only ever wanted to be a normal girl with normal knees with a dream to be a Huntress. To become a protector of the innocent and to hunt and kill any Grimm she ever came across. Her whole family had been Huntsmen and Huntresses alike, and she was determined to follow in their footsteps. It was her dream, to become a Huntress and fight alongside her big sister Yang and protect those that were in need of saving.

And that dream was coming closer one step at time with her only have 2 more years left of Signal Academy. Afterwards she would be able to attend the prestigious Beacon Academy. A school for aspiring huntsmen and huntresses alike that could learn and grow under the tutelage of Remnants greatest professors.

She had only two years and she'd be able to attend, but until then she had to slave away in Signal.

But her time would come!

And it will be glorious!

…..

Well it did come, but not in anyway she expected, nor for it to be so soon.

She had been visiting a Dust shop in town, eager to see the latest issues on weapon parts and dust cartridges for her weapon of choice. The Dust shop was a humble rinky dink type of place, but it allowed for her to come in, listen to music and just read to her hearts content. Today had been especially stressing with Signal due to some matters of "Disturbingly High Rates of Grimm and Monsters in the area". There was field test after field test as more of these alerts came in by the week which all in all left her feeling more stressed than she'd had ever been before.

Which was why she had come to the shop, to rest and relax in her own little home away home.

But then some guy in a white suit and a bunch of guys dressed in black start raiding the place. One of which threatening to hurt her if she didn't hand over her valuables.

Now, let it not be said Ruby wasn't exactly as ill-tempered as her big sis, but when push came to shove, Ruby would bare her fangs.

And it showed...

She was a blur, akin to a wraith of black and red. Her weapon, a monster of a scythe, twirled and spun expertly in her deceptively small fingers as she dispatched the armed men Roman, the man who orchestrated the robbery, brought with him. She made quick work of them without so much as breaking a sweat. The training she'd received from her Uncle coupled with her unnatural talent in wielding a scythe made her incredibly dangerous among those of her generations.

However, with such talent and skill in one so young also brought about a problem in becoming ill-aware of other things.

Such as what was going on around her.

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings, red!" she heard Roman's voice, and as she spun to meet him in combat she saw only one thing.

The end of his cane.

Wait was that a barrel-

Bang!

Pain.

So much pain!

That was all Ruby felt as the blast from Roman's cane/gun weapon shot her toward another building causing her to crash into it. The wall crumbled on impact and fell atop her form. Thankfully her aura had taken the full brunt of the blast, but now it was teetering on the edge. As she stood up shaking the debris off she gave Roman and his weapon a wary glance.

"I don't think I can take another one of those."

That said she grabbed her baby, Crescent Rose, and unfurled the weapon. The scythe end reflecting off the sun as it carved up the cement before she twirled it behind her. Taking a step, Ruby burst into a speed of motion, red rose petals trailing her as she attacked Roman who met her attacks with mocking amusement.

"Aw c'mon now little red, you've gotta try harder than that." he jeered much to the young girls frustration, but her attacks sped up in precision and ferocity. Roman's mocking expression soon began to fleck away, bleeding into one of annoyance as he put more effort to defend against the speedy red reaper that was on him.

'Okay so annoying red wasn't the best of ideas.' he thought to himself. And to make matters worse he could already hear the sirens wailing meaning the police would be showing up soon. However, he wasn't an international criminal for nothing and he showed as much as he broke Ruby's onslaught.

"Well red seems my time has just ran out, and its been fun let me tell ya, but I got other places to be. Plans to make, things to steal, ya know that kinda thing. So cheerio!" he said and threw down a smoke bomb between himself and Ruby.

"W-wait!" the young girl said, but she had to cover her face from the smoke bomb.

Roman smirked, but didn't stop as he ran to meet with his pick up. The plan may have been a bust, but at least he still found a little bit of enjoyment.

As he turned another corner he didn't see the shadow come around the corner until it was too late. The velocity of his running impeded his movement and he couldn't stop himself.

'Oh shit!'

Now Roman expected a lot of thing to happen when he ran into the idiot that got in his way. He expected himself to topple whoever it may have been. He expected him and the person who turned the corner to get fall into a tussle of arms and legs. He half expected the one who got in his way to be an officer, or worse a Huntress.

Or Monty forbid, it was his troublesome mute subordinate, Neo. If she saw him in this predicament he knew she'd never let him live it down.

Literally.

However, such thinking was dissolved as his body, and face, crashed into what could only be described as a mountain of pure steel.

Clang!

The pain only registered after his body fell like a sack of potatoes.

"Ooohh what just hit me..." the orange haired criminal groaned out as he lifted himself up from where he stood, but as he opened his eyes he looked up only to see a giant shadow looming over him. As soon as his eyes began to register his surroundings; he felt his skin crawl once he beheld who or what he just ran into.

It was a man, a giant of a man from his point of view. His stature loomed over Roman's frail frame like that of a mountain over an ant hill. He had the appearance of a teenager with his moderately long blond hair falling over his head in a mess. He was a bit tanned, and showed a physique fit for true battle. He wore normal clothing at the least consisting of black sneakers, blue jeans with a bit of wear and tear at the knees. On up he wore a simple black hoodie which had a black gold chest piece that covered his chest and upper abdomen. He also wore black and gold bracers with black gloves that were covered by black and gold trimmed gauntlets. He had a pauldron on his left shoulder that was in the shape of what appeared to be a bow or crescent.

Then he noticed the guys weapon, it was sticking over his shoulder in the form of a sword it seemed judging by the hilt and crossguard, but beyond that was beyond Roman as the rest of the guy was covered in a crimson tattered cape.

Getting his second to balance himself Roman was just about to let out a snarky response and let loose his cane on this bugger before he saw the man looking at him. Through the wild fringes of his unruly blond hair, a pair of eyes stared down at him.

And then it came down on him.

"You reek of depravity...it comes off you like that of a rotting corpse." the man spoke to him, but his words struck a chord in Roman as they were not a saying, but a statement based on fact.

….

At that moment, Roman forgot to breathe.

Terror.

Pure raw terror rushed throughout every part of Roman's body, paralyzing him on the spot. It was the equivalent of jumping into an ice cold lake in the winter time. He tried to do something, anything, but the fear stopped from doing a single thing. Every primal instinct of survival kept him from doing anything that would risk his health; because while he personally didn't find the man so terrifying, his body simply refused to do as he wished.

Cobalt.

Sharp cobalt eyes stared back at him through the fringes of his blond hair. The eyes were in the most basic terms, unnatural. They seemed to glow behind the fringes of his hair; peering straight at him and into his very soul. Gazing upon him as if he were laid bare to the world. As if every lie, crime or incident he had ever been apart of was laid out before this man.

Exposed.

Vulnerable.

Weak.

Then it was over.

Roman blinked as the young man turned his gaze from him and to the alleyway where a sound soon started to make it's way closer to him.

And in a blur of black and red, the girl from before spun on her heel and ran towards him with her scythe at the ready.

"AHA! I found you!" her cry of joy would have been amusing if Roman wasn't so damned intent on leaving while he still had control over his body. His gaze fell on the young blond before him before he quickly stood up to leave, but before he could make so much as a step.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Roman stopped cold before letting out a pained grunt as a hand lashed out and grabbed hold of his shirt, and with a tug he was sent flying against the wall.

Hard.

The wall of the building crumbled like glass, but before he could much as let out a noise he saw a black gloved fist heading his way.

'Ohh Cinder is so gonna kick my ass for this.'

Then he only knew pain.

Then darkness.

Ruby Rose has seen many feats of strength in her relatively short life. Her big sister Yang and dad Taiyang Xiao Long were living examples of that. She'd seen her sister as a child lift a boulder thrice her size when she first unlocked her aura. Yang was akin to a volcano ready to explode at the slightest moment, and when she did her strength shot up so much she could destroy entire city blocks if she so desired.

Then her dad...

The last time she'd seen him fight seriously he'd destroyed half of Signal Academy hunting down her Uncle Qrow for his drunk behavior around the students. And Signal Academy was nearly as big as a city within itself.

But what she saw now was in a whole other form of using incredible strength. It wasn't as mind boggling as she'd seen from her sister and dad, but was more...uhm.

Comical?

Yeah that was it.

"...Pft"

A snort escaped her.

Ruby had a hard time stopping herself from laughing as she saw the blond guy grab hold of the orange haired criminal and toss him around like a ragdoll. Throwing him through one buildings wall as if it were made of glass. Yet he hadn't stopped there because as soon as Roman dropped to the ground the guy merely brought down his fist on the criminals head.

And plowed his head straight into the ground...

The criminal was still alive judging by the twitching of his body, but beyond that he was a crumpled mess. Ruby at this point couldn't contain herself and it exploded from her gut in a delightful peal of laughter that echoed off the walls of the buildings. What happened to the guy that tricked her and tried to rob the store was no less than what he deserved, but in the way he was stopped was just far too comical for her to handle.

"Oh..oh-oh my ribs!" she gasped out before letting out another laugh.

Then she felt movement to her side and she stopped abruptly to look and suddenly she got nervous before the presence of the stranger before her. Once her silver eyes adjusted to the darkness she got a clearer picture of the guy that stopped Roman. A second showed he was around her age; maybe a few years older if anything. His clothing was casual, but his armor was pretty eye-catching as it almost resembled a knights. Then she saw his cape and her inner-self did a dance while proclaiming.

'Red capes rule!'

After that she noted his appearance, his hair was unruly at best; unlike her sister who took care of her long blond hair this guy simply let it grow out naturally; letting it be untamed causing it to cover most of his head and his eyes.

But then she jumped a little bit when the guy looked toward her and his firm stone expression seemed to soften at the sight of her. His grim line turned upwards slightly before he moved his hand to move his hair aside.

Woah...

People usually say she had unique eyes, and at times she'd be embarrassed about it, but in her honest opinion the eyes she saw nothing couldn't compare to her own. His eyes were a warm inviting cobalt that seemed to twinkle with a bit of unabashed sincerity. It was honestly like staring into the ocean.

"Pretty..."

If he heard her he didn't say as much as his smile turned into a small grin as reached out with his hand.

"Well we sure showed him huh? My names Jaune. Jaune Arc, it's short, sweet, rolls off the tongue and the ladies love it!"

Bzzt!

Poor little Ruby's brain went on fritz as she tried to take in what she was seeing and what was said to her, but in the back of her mind multiple subconscious thoughts of her persona bickered.

"Does it really?" spoke the monotone Ruby wearing a monochrome colored version of her clothes.

"I'm sure he likes to think so, but I won't deny he's pretty hot." spoke another Ruby, this one in a garb of pure black with bat-like wings coming out of her back. However her garb was much more...suggestive than the others.

"Hehehehe I think it's cute, and those eyes and that smile and that hair you could just run your hands through~! Mmmmm OHMYGAWSH!" and lastly was the energetic Ruby persona with a full on garb of white with angelic wings and a halo to top it off.

In spite of what was going on in her the depths of her soul though, Ruby on the outside could only respond in kind.

"...uh..."

Smooth Rubes, reaaal smooth.

Oh she could just hear her sister Yang right now! Taunting her for acting like this!

Getting some form of control over herself Ruby clapped her flushed cheeks and looked to the guy. Her silver orbs meeting vibrant cobalt.

Her cheeks flushed darker as she coughed a bit. Getting a better grasp on herself she went out and grabbed his hand. It was like David and Goliath in terms of size. His hands completely overtook her small dainty one, but the calluses on his hands told her of how hard he worked. It was honestly a bit endearing as most boys she knew didn't like to get their hands dirty, and she should know. She was a weapons nerd who built her own weapon from scratch!

So yeah it was something she personally quite liked in people.

"Nice to meet you Jaune! M-my names Ruby. Ruby Roshe-"

...

Oh Monty that didn't just happen.

'Ow my tongue!' the little reaper cried internally.

Jaune however didn't seem to mind her nervous state as he chuckled at her antics before he turned toward Roman's still form.

"Now let's take this guy to the police I'm sure he's amounted quite the track record." he said as he yanked Roman out of the cement, but as he turned to Ruby who was covering her face in shame he eyed someone at the end of the alleyway. Upon closer inspection it was an older woman with blond hair and green eyes.

And it was then Jaune realized who it was and internally he could only smile.

'If Glynda's here then that means the old man is as well. Eh it was about time I met up with him anyways.'

"It would seem you two have the criminal. Good, now would you two please follow me to the station? There is much for us to discuss." it was clear that she wasn't asking by the tone of her voice.

Glynda Goodwitch ordered.

And they followed.

Well Jaune did while Ruby trailed behind him still embarrassed over the whole biting her own tongue while introducing herself debacle.

Still her eyes stuck to his back, and couldn't help but find his broad shoulders and muscled physique to be quite inviting.

Then her inner consciousness decided to rear it's head with a saucy smirk.

"Mmm he certainly does have a very nice ass."

A tomato would turn green with envy in comparison to Ruby as her neck, ears, and cheeks flushed red. Who would have thought her day out in the city would have resulted in her being threatened by a criminal who tried to rob her favorite store, then combating that same international criminal, and then coming to meet up with a super cool blond guy who buried Roman, literally, headfirst into the ground; and now Jaune and her were going to the Police station to be interrogated.

…

Her dad was gonna be sooooo mad.

'This is so not happening.'

Jaune Arc found himself and his new friend Ruby Rose seated in the interrogation room with Glynda Goodwitch to keep them company. Seated side by side, he remained entirely calm about the whole thing, and much to his amusement he saw Ruby glance at him every so often and try to copy his posture and expression. Trying to mimic him so she wouldn't show how nervous she was in regards to the situation.

It was honestly adorable.

But then Glynda started speaking, but for the most part he muted her out. He'd heard it all before when he was younger. Stern and firm, but a big old softy on the inside. That was the Glynda he knew and loved.

Thwack!

He opened his eyes as Ruby jumped in surprise. His eyes landing on the riding crop on the table before his gaze moved up to Glynda's teal orbs that seemed to glare right through his skull. Her face set into a grim expression that warranted caution for those on the receiving end; but as Ruby hid under her hood and peaked between Glynda and Jaune you could't help but feel the tension rising in the room between the two blonds.

Then Glynda broke the stare off between the two.

"Are you listening to me young man?!" she said and much to the surprise and awe of Ruby, Jaune merely blinked at Glynda before closing his eyes once more.

"To be honest? I stopped at the structural damage. Ruby fought a criminal and I helped her take him down. Yet instead of congratulating her for her service you're admonishing her, and me by extent for breaking a couple building walls." he said before letting out a tired sigh.

"As far as I'm concerned, buildings can be rebuilt, valuables such as dust and other objects can be replaced, but the lives of innocent bystanders? Those are irreplaceable. Roman Torchwick threatened the safety of the old man and the lives in the area. For that reason, he alone was priority; so I'd really like it if you dropped the whole act already. We did our job, and he's behind bars; end of story." he said before opening his eyes fully to stare into Glynda's teal orbs. A look of surprise dawning her orbs as she met his empathetic cobalt.

"Now can we go? I'm hungry."

Glynda's grip on her riding crop tightened as she stared into the eyes of the young Arc, but in their contest Ruby watched with silver eyes shining like two stars. Her mouth wide open in awe as she saw Jaune verbally talk back to the scary blond woman. He was so calm, collected, and-and-and!

"So cooool!" she uttered under her breath while gazing at the Arc as if she had found her new role model. Luckily neither of the blondes heard her though; too busy staring at one another to really notice.

And just as the tension in the room grew to the breaking point there was a knock on the door before it opened.

"That's quite enough Glynda. Besides that would you mind going out and tending to the chief while I talk to the two?" spoke an older man walking into the room. His tousled silver hair and brown eyes glinting in small amusement as Glynda stiffened before turning to him. Pushing up her spectacles she met the eyes of her boss with a pensive look. But as soon as she saw what was in his hands she could only sigh.

"...As you wish Headmaster."

And with another look to Ruby, and a scathing glare to Jaune she walked out, leaving only the two youngsters and Ozpin who simply smiled at the two. Held in one hand was a platter of cookies and brownies respectively and in the other was a cold pitcher of milk. His eyes, glimmering in mirth stared at the two whose eyes both looked at the platter in his hands, but unlike Ruby who couldn't tear her predatory gaze from the delicious cookie heaven before her; Jaune was more controlled as he tore his gaze from the brownies and gave a stone cold glare at the ever so slight smug expression coming from Ozpin.

Then the first words he'd spoken to his godfather after so many years spilled forth; with all the love and respect he had for the man.

"Oh now this is just playing dirty, you crotchety old man..."

And thus ends the pilot chapter to this story. As I've said I've been planning out this story over the semester in college, and with the semester over with and the summer to look forward to I can now work on this to my hearts content!

….At least until the next semester starts; or my muse drops.

EITHER WAY, let me know what you thought. More explanations concerning Monsters and the like will be further explained in the coming chapters.

Now goodnight ya'll!