My Ruby Redfort One-shots

Ruby Needs Peace

"Hey, Hitch, can you help me with this thing?" Ruby calls across the office to Hitch.

"No, why don't you ask Blacker? You have legs," Hitch calls back from where he's working on paperwork.

"But it's so far away. And you took my watch so I can't call him," Ruby whines.

"And why did LB take Bradley Baker's watch back again?" Hitch asks, trying to remind her of everything she's done lately.

"Because apparently, I endanger my life a lot," Ruby fires back, frustration clear in her voice. She thought LB was crazy, and just being an annoying rule follower with how often she harps at Ruby to 'follow the rules' 'care about her life' 'not endanger others so much' and do many other boring things.

She'd been an idiot to voice these opinions to Blacker, with Froghorn in the room. Not twenty minutes later, LB had some in and confiscated her watch. Sure, it's technically Baker's, but he's dead. He had no use for it and gave it to her before he died. It's hers now, and LB shouldn't be able to just take it like that.

However, she's the boss. She benched Ruby, to where the only thing she could do was desk duty for the next month. Why would she not take one of Ruby's personal possessions?

"I think it went more along the lines of going behind our backs to endanger your life, and the saying that all actions have consequences. If you must know, I agree with what she did, so don't go looking to me for support when you try to form an anarchy."

"Who's trying to form an anarchy?" Blacker asks, coming in for the last part of Hitch's response.

Ruby and Hitch respond at the exact same time, saying "Ruby is," and "No one," respectively.

"Why would you form an anarchy?" Blacker asks.

"Because LB is being unfair," Ruby complains, and Blacker has to stiffen every muscle in his body to keep from laughing. It's not very often, but occasionally, very occasionally, Ruby does act her age. It's always amusing and cute when it happens, for everyone but Ruby, that is.

That's why they've delayed doing a very important part of field agent initiative. They all agreed to wait until she was officially a teenager. However, she's sixteen and a half now. They've had plenty of time to start it, as Froghorn brought to their attention.

Hitch and Blacker make eye contact. Hitch gives the slightest of nods, and Blacker sighs. It'll be nice not having to fetch coffee for the next month. And, he's sure Ruby will forgive him. It's not like this will be the worst hazing she gets during the month.

Even LB joins in on the hazing. Everyone does. It's a whole agency thing. She'll be having to fetch a lot of things. Froghorn has already planned some of his out, including making her pronounce his name correctly for the entire month. They aren't going overboard, since she's still a teenager, but they're not going to make it a cake walk for her either.

"Ruby, could you come with me? We need your help in the coding room," Blacker starts, and Hitch gives him an unimpressed look. "I have to talk about something with Hitch first, so run along."

"I thought it was starting?" Hitch says in a dead tone voice.

"Look, I'm not happy about it either. But it's tradition. Everyone went through it, and everyone survived." Blacker explains.

"It's a stupid tradition brought on by someone whom everyone hero worships and liked pranks a bit too much. And you're right, everyone survived. And then they took more risks in the field than what they needed to because they felt as if they needed to prove themselves." Hitch snaps back.

"If I'm remembering the lore correctly, you also participated in the hazing when Baker originally started it with LB. You're so mad now because it's Ruby that's going to be on the receiving end."