Things haven't been going as smoothly as Ruby would have wanted. Her prosthetic arm would freeze in place from time to time or overheat making her artificial skin melt like wax. It got to the point to where Ruby herself ordered for her synthetic arm skin to be replaced with stainless steel, painted in crimson red and black.

The glitching of the arm though, could not be fixed due to the cause not being found and Dr. Polendina's excuse was that "It is a prototype!"

Ruby wasn't sure whose fault it was anymore. Hers for accepting so quickly or them for being incompetent with their jobs.

She sighed heavily, opening her flask and chugging on it as if it were her last.

"Is this why Qrow drinks so much?" Ruby pondered, letting the burning liquid settle in her stomach.

"That is unhealthy for you, Ruby friend."

Ruby's grip on her flask tightened as she heard her best friend's voice.

You're not real.

"I assure you I am!" Penny grinned in glee.

"No you're not." Ruby murmured through gritted teeth. Tears and mucus mixed together as they fell to the ground.

'Master, Your heart rate is rising at an alarming speed.' Warned Hades, who was promptly ignored by Ruby.

"Why haven't you talked to me since-"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, LEAVE ME ALONE!" She finally screeched at the fading delusion.

Heavy footsteps could be heard approaching Ruby's door.

"Ruby! What's wrong?!" Winter asked between gasps of air, holding on to the door.

When Winter didn't receive an answer , she looked up and froze. She saw someone completely different from the confident, intelligent, and sometimes childish Ruby. She instead saw a sweating, trembling Ruby who was pale as Weiss's platinum hair.

Walking quietly towards Ruby, she could hear faint "you're not real" and "leave me alone"s in her murmuring. Looking down onto Ruby's face, she could see the fear, regret and distress. Winter slowly reached her hand to touch Ruby's cheek, said girl's eyes went from terrified to pure hatred and bloody murder.

"IM GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Ruby leapt at Winter, wrapping her robotic arm under Winter's chin and her right arm keeping Winter's head in place.

"Ack- Ru-Ruby, I-it's m-" Winter tried to choke out.

"You murderous bitch, you killed Penny!" The enraged red head sneered at the innocent Winter.

Winter tried pulling her arm away from her throat but, Ruby's prosthetic arm was way too strong for her.

Winter couldn't help but to think that she was going to die here, in the arms of one of her loved ones. Maybe it won't be so bad dying by Ruby's hands.

"RUBY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Weiss's voice was louder than Winter's gagging and Ruby's growls.

Seeming to hear Weiss's banshee screaming, Ruby immediately snapped out of whatever PTSD shit she was having and started panicking.

"I-I can't move my arm! Help me!" Ruby cried, tugging at her arm.

Weiss quickly summoned a glyph around Ruby's arm and pulled, freeing Winter.

"Th-thank you." Coughed Winter, gasping for air on the ground.

"I'm s-sorry please forgive me.." Ruby stuttered.

"What's going on here?!" Jacques's voice boomed through the room, Ruby's room.

"This crazy-" Weiss pointed at Ruby, "Just tried to kill my sister!"

Jacques strode over to Winter and did a quick look over, then proceeded to walk over to Ruby.

"Ruby, dear, are you alright? Are you unhurt?" His sickly sweet voice reached Ruby's ears.

"I-I'm fine." Lied Ruby, curling further into herself.

Sliding his white glove off his hand, letting air breeze over it. Jacques kneeled, extending his ungloved hand to Ruby.

"Let's go, child."

Ruby hesitantly took ahold of his hand letting him carry her bridal style.

"It's alright, I'll take you to Dr. Polendina."

Jacques walked past two disbelieving blood related daughters with ease and into the hallway, striding past a smug looking Whitely.

Ruby was lulled to sleep by the older Schnee's breathing and steps.

"Servants! Cleanse me." Jacques snapped his thumb and forefinger.

Butlers and maids all together, washed Jacques's body.

"Don't leave that peasant's stench anywhere on me."

Can't believe the things I do for the good of Atlas.

"You think she's alright?" Winter asked worriedly.

Weiss's eyes were stuck on the nasty dark, purple bruise around Winter's neck.

"How can you worry about her?!" Weiss really couldn't understand how her sister could worry about someone who just tried to kill her. It was preposterous.

"Weiss we already spoke of this." Winter said calmly.

"Wha- that was when she didn't try to KILL YOU!"

"I love Ruby more than I do myself, Weiss!"

"What exactly is wrong with your prosthetic, dear?" Polendina asked Ruby, who was staring mindlessly into the nothingness.

"It stops all motor movements, freezing it in place." Ruby answered stoically.

"Anything else?" He said stroking his beard.

"Can you fix it?" She asked in clear distress.

"Sadly no, not at the time, although this is great for my thesis on how to improve it!"

Ruby shook in anger, her hair covering her eyes. "Is that all I am to you?" She looked back up with tears in her eyes, "Am I just a fucking weapon?!" Rubbing her tears roughly with her real arm, sniffling she got up. "Jacques treats me better then you people!" She shouted, stomping out of the lab, slamming the door shit on her way.

Ruby went straight to the one person who she hadn't messed up with yet.

Jacques.

Knocking on his study room was so strange for her, knowing that before she would never do such a thing.

"Come in." Came Jacques's authoritarian voice. Doing just what he said, Ruby gently closed the door behind her.

"What is it, dear?" He asked in a mildly surprised tone.

"I, um, just wanted-"

"Company?" He finished for Ruby, "Of course, take a seat." He motioned for her to sit in the sit across from him.

"Thank you." Ruby smiled gratefully.

"So what's bothering you, Ruby?" Him using her name was still a rare moment but, Ruby appreciated it at the moment.

"I-I hurt Winter, and I'm afraid." She confessed.

"Afraid of what exactly?"

"Getting kicked from the Atlastian military or going mad, or not being able to pay for these advanced upgrades." Ruby extended her metallic arm.

"Hmm," Jacques fell back into his chair as he went into deep thought,"How about we make you mine?"

What?!

"Excuse me, sir, you not bad looking but-"

"Not like that you imbecile! I meant making you mine as in daughter!" Jacques huffed, clearly embarrassed by the horrible insinuation Ruby made.

"I-I don't know," Ruby stated truthfully,"would that mean losing my real family?" Ruby voiced her fears.

"Oh, heavens no, you'd just get extra privileges with the Schnee name."

More strings for me to pull rather than privileges. He thought maliciously.

"Sir, I couldn't possibly acce-"

Jacques stopped Ruby from rambling any further.

"I told you before, call me Jacques," placing his hand onto his desk, making a tent of sorts with his hands, "We already think of you as family, so why not just put the name to it."

Ruby pondered for what seemed to be eternity, but was only minutes, before slowly nodding.

"Great, you are now my daughter, Ruby Rose-Schnee!" He exclaimed gleefully.

This idiot is really easy to manipulate.

"You'll meet us tomorrow for breakfast at six AM sharp, it's a Schnee routine." He tasked.

"Alright, Jacques." Ruby smiled.

"Oh drop the name, it's father now!"

"Okay, fa-father."