Part of me - Ruby Redfort Fanfic

Prologue ~ Tattoo

A/N: At first: Please don't panic, this isn't the last chapter I am writing, just because of the title. That being said... there are also other things I need to clarify for the following chapters.
1) All characters are a bit OOC
2) It touches sensitive topics (just implied but still). Such as violence, abuse, self injures. If that triggers you in some way, think twice about reading it.
3) We don't know how LB looks like (or her ethnicy or anything) because it was never really stated. So in this fic she is going to be half Japanese (I could picture her as that).
4) There will be things that aren't actually canon because we can't know.

We are going to look into LBs past and her way to Spectrum. All of that will more or less happen in flashbacks (from Hitch), you'll gonna see why.
It is taking place 6 years after BAYD (Ruby is 20 and married to Clancy, whos a Spectrum agent now ;))

The storry was first writen in "Remember me" so please check that out too if you don't know it yet! It's basically a one/two-shot collection

Music inspiration (also for chapters following)
Welcome to Wonderland - Anson Seabra
Million Men - Melanie Martinez
Part of me - Kurt Nilsen
Dark Paradise - Lana del Rey
Private Dancer - Tina Turner
P*rn star dancing - My darkest Days
A Team - Ed Sheeran
Courage to Change - Sia
Hurt - Christina Aguilera
Everthing I wanted - Billie Eilish
Unforgiven - Metallica

> dont judge ;)

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POV: Ruby (20)

Clancy and I are back at the Spectrum HQ after 2 weeks of Vacation (which is rare, LB doesn't like to give anybody off). It is a Sunday and the HQ is almost empty. Only few agents are walking around. I don't believe myself that I am here on a day thats actually considered "free", but anyway. We wanted to tell Hitch about our vacation right away, but couldn't find him at his apartement so the next place to look for him is here.

We walk down long corridors. He is nowhere to be found.
Next level, where our training rooms are.
We walk down the corridor and coming to a halt in front of a door. I can hear familiar voices, speaking very unfamiliar words.
Clancy opens the door carefully and I can't believe what I am seeing.

Hitch and LB, fighting (obviously for training purposes) with... swords? Unsure.
But I am more than fascinated.
We enter silently and continue to watch.
I think I've never seen LB in such a way.
Clothing much more informal than usual (wearing a top and some kind of sports pants), and her black hair open falling down to her waist.

While "fighting" she looks more like she is dancing than anything else. Why didn't I learn to fight that way too??
When they notice us, their (seemingly) playfull conversation stops and they sheat their "swords".

"Wow" I say "why wasn't sword fighting a part of MY training too?"

"Well Redfort.. first it's not a simple ''sword" as you put it. It's a Katana. And it takes years of endless practise to master it.. or at least come close to mastering it. You wouldn't have the patience" says LB in the usual stern tone.

I roll my eyes "I can have patience if I really want to... and I would have wanted to"
LB just ignores me.
"What are you doing here?" says Hitch, smiling.

"Oh we just wanted to tell you about our vacation" says Clancy "but we can wait when you two want to continue your training..."

"No we are done here" interupts LB. She is packing up her things, binding her hair back up in a bun, back turned on us.
Whats that??

"Is that... a tattoo?" I ask "wow LB never considered you the type for it!"
I can only see a bit of it on the back of her neck but it seems to continue further down her spine. Is it a snake? Or something alike? Not sure..

She tenses visibly and lets her hair fall back down immediately. "I didn't know my body art was of your concern Redfort" her tone is so cold even I am taken aback a moment.

"Well... yeah... I was just surprised" I say a bit confused.

"But at least you still notice details.... you're gonna make a good agent Ruby... eventually" she says

Even more confused now...

She turn to Hitch. Smiling slightly
"Then.. great of you to follow my call and coming here ... at a Sunday. 有り難うございます。私の友達...さようなら。" *

With that she is gone.
Clancy and I have to be looking totally bewildered. Hitch has a deep frown on his face.
"Why so sensitive about the tattoo? It's not liek she is the only person wearing such a thing. I didn't critizie her for it so..."

"Ruby" interupts Hitch "not every tattoo has to be of a good memory. Some are more like scars than anything else"

Well... LB can be a bit weird I guess.
We continue with our plan on showing Hitch our pics from the vacation even though he seems to be on edge.. for whatever reason.

POV: ???

"Bradley... I am coming home"

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* "Arigatou gozaimasu (Thank you). Watashi no tomodachi... (My friend...). Sayounara (Farewell)"

(Thats also the one of the reasons for Hitchs frowning: "Sayounara" isn't used in everday Japanese because it doesn't just mean "Bye/See you" but more like "Farewell")