Perseus ( RWBY fanfiction)

Chapter 3: big sister

[Months Later]

"Schnee!" Ironwood angrily called out. He and Ruby had just walked up to Winter, and Qrow fighting in Beacon's courtyard. "What do you think you're doing?" The General asked.

"He started the altercation, sir." Winter stated, standing at attention.

"Actually," Qrow said. "She attacked first."

"I don't care who did what!" James stated firmly. "I could have just as easily had Perseus take care of it, and you don't want her to get involved."

Perseus was Ruby's code name, or at least that's what James told her, she knew that it was truly the name of the suit she wore.

At the mention of her, Ruby growled. It came out a lot more intimidating with the voice distorter. Qrow gave her an odd look. Ruby had found out early on, that her suit intimated people. She used this to her advantage whenever she spoke. She didn't speak very often, but when she didn't need to speak, she usually growled.

"Perseus?" Qrow asked. "That's your pet's name." He walked over and put his arm around Ruby's shoulders. He pulled down the black hood that she had added to her suit, expecting to see her face, but only saw her mask. She slowly turned her head to face him, growling as she did so. "I don't like to be touched." She told him.

"Scary." He sarcastically remarked, removing his arm from her shoulders. But Ruby didn't bother to put the hood back up.

"Judging me by my size, are you?" Ruby asked, not bothering to try and imitate the voice.

"No." Qrow said. "I judge you by the fact that you're trying to be scary. You're trying to scare your enemies and make them believe you're superior. I don't judge people by their size. My late niece was the smallest girl I'd ever seen, and still one of the the greatest fighters."

"Qrow." James said. "She's not dressed like that to scare people. She dresses like that to conceal her identity."

"Why should she have to? If she's all that you say she is?" Qrow asked.

"Because I have a past I'd rather forget." Ruby interjected. "And I'm not the prettiest under all this." She added a little humor partially to lighten the mood, partially because it was true. She had a few rather large scars that ran across her face. She didn't care about how she looked under the mask, but because it was a reminder of her past failures.

To be honest with herself, Ruby loved the armor she had been given. It made her feel like a character out of Star Wars. When she wore her hood up, she held it in place with a chain that went across her chest. She also used her cloak to hide her weapons, which she had quite a few of. She had a handgun strapped to her thigh, she had a blackened version of Crescent Rose on her back. She had to refrain from using it though, she was surrounded by people who knew her. She had two katanas on her belt. The blades folded up into the hilt, making it easier to transport.

When Ozpin approached the group, Ironwood turned to Ruby. "Perseus, you are dismissed. Take Polendina with you, if you plan on going anywhere."

Ruby began to walk off, and Penny came out of the crowd of students and followed. Ruby's mask gave her the ability to telepathically communicate with Penny and the Atlesian Military bots, so Penny always knew where Ruby was going. Ruby could also stop Penny from speaking. The function was added after a few... incidents. Ruby began to walk to Beacon, but was stopped by Weiss.

"Where do you think you're—" The heiress was cut off by a feral growl, much worse than what she had given Qrow.

"I don't care for Schnee's." Ruby growled.

"Who do you think you are?!" Weiss asked.

"Your worst nightmare." Ruby was getting angrier the more she looked at Weiss.

"Don't be a cliche with my teammate!" A familiar voice called to her. Ruby turned and saw her sister standing ten feet away, wearing the red cloak that was formerly Ruby's.

"What will you do, Xiao Long?" Ruby asked. "Cower behind all you have left of your sister?" Ruby had seen in Weiss' eyes that she suspected that Perseus was Ruby Rose. She was forced to throw those suspicions out the window.

"H-How do you know about Ruby?" Yang asked, her voice beginning to break.

"I work under General Ironwood. I know everything about everyone." She claimed, cracking her knuckles. It was another intimidation trick she had quickly picked up on, but it only worked when she said something intimidating. "I know that when you were young, you put your sister into a wagon and nearly got her, along with you, killed. I know that Qrow Branwen is the only reason you're still alive, and I know that it kills you that Ruby was the first of Taiyang's children to die."

Anticipating Yang's next action, Ruby ordered Penny away. Yang rushed towards Ruby's back at break-neck speed. Ruby turned around and pointed one of her katanas at Yang, who skidded to a stop, the blade mere centimeters from her throat.

"You blame yourself for your sister's death, thinking she died because you were weak. However, that is untrue. You were halfway across the forest. What could you have done? Cried over the body? Brought something back for them to bury? No matter what you could have done that day, she would have died." She told her.

"We could have not split up!" Yang yelled in anguish.

"And then what?" Ruby asked. "Sacrificed yourself for her? Grief is selfish. You are emotionally distressed because someone is gone. She is in a much better place, and she has moved on to a better life. One that you will not achieve wallowing in your own self-pity." Ruby retracted her blade and began to walk off.

If anyone could see her face, they would have seen that tears were going down her face. She muted the input for her distorter, and cried as she walked away.

She missed it all. She missed Beacon. She missed her team. She missed her sister. She missed her father. She missed her old life.

The life she could never have.

Ruby felt the ground leave her feet, and slam into her face plate. The glass cracked and her HUD glitched. She re-enabled the input and flipped onto her back, seeing a very angry Yang clearly trying to kill her. She dodged the blonde's punch, and kicked her in the back. "AttaCkING a mE-MeMber of the ATleSIAN militArY is tr-tr-treaSON.." Ruby told her, leaping to her feet, with her voice distorter glitching. "THis is youR only-LY warnING." In response, Yang decked her, or at least tried to. Ruby brought up her shield, and blocked the hit, swiping Yang's feet out from under her with her legs.

"Yang Xiao-Long!" Penny yelled, approaching the two. "Don't attack my superior officer!"

"Your superior officer?" Weiss asked, only now joining the altercation.

"Yes. Miss Perseus is in charge of everything I do. She's very nice." Penny said firmly.

"That bitch was talking shit about Ruby!" Yang growled. Penny just looked confused. "You're not using those words right." She claimed.

"ShE'S usING thEM rIGHT." Ruby told her.

"Oh!" Ruby had telepathically told Penny what Yang meant. "Yang said such mean things about you?! R—" Penny was about to continue, but it seemed as though something shut her up.

"LeT'S gO, PeNNy." Ruby said, parts of her real voice dripping through. Her former teammates didn't pick up on it. Ruby and Penny began to make their way back to the Bullhead so that they could go back to the command frigate.

"Looks like we have a new access point. Let's see what James is hiding." Cinder looked down at her scroll, opening it, she found the file for Project Perseus. "Ooh. Shiny."