Milk_Is_My_Drug
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Chapter 87: A Day With Ruby
🕑 Added 2025-07-04 08:00:02 +0000 UTCThe first rays of morning light spilled through the windows of Beacon Academy, catching the dew that clung to the glass. Most students were still half-asleep, dragging themselves toward the promise of breakfast. Not Amazo. As precise and punctual as ever, he made his way to meet Penny, eager for the start of their second day as partners.
Elsewhere, Ashborn, who found the morning dull and uneventful, decided to stir things up.
He stood before the door of Team RWBY’s dorm and gave a casual knock. It creaked open moments later to reveal Ruby, her silver eyes still adjusting to the morning glare.
“Good morning,” Ashborn greeted smoothly.
Ruby blinked, then blinked again. “Uh… good morning. How can we help you?”
Ashborn folded his arms behind his back. “I’m going to Vale and need a tour guide. You are the only one I know and it just so happens you’re free today.”
From inside, Yang’s voice rang out, sharp and immediate. “We’re busy.”
Ashborn didn’t miss a beat. With a mock frown and a slow shake of his head, he replied, “Your generation truly has no respect for the elderly. I am the father of your classmate, and I’m asking for your help, yet you act like that. I weep for the future of this kingdom.”
Ruby, flustered by the melodramatic guilt trip, turned to Yang. “It’s fine. I can help him.”
Yang scoffed. “No, it’s not.”
Weiss and Blake peeked from behind, both watching with silent confusion and quiet judgment. Neither said a word.
Ashborn, undeterred by the resistance, clapped his hands once. “Excellent! Then it’s decided. I and young Ruby shall go have fun in Vale.”
Before Ruby could react, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
Fwoosh.
The world around her blurred and shifted. In the blink of an eye, Ruby found herself standing in a narrow alley in Vale, wind tousling her cloak.
“What just happened?!” she exclaimed.
“We are in Vale,” Ashborn said simply. “I can teleport.”
“That’s… kinda cool…” Ruby admitted. Then her eyes widened. “Wait… you kidnapped me!!”
Ashborn looked genuinely offended. “Your accusation is truly perplexing. I merely shifted our physical location to a more convenient one so you may exercise your skill as a Vale guide without the interruptions of your sister.”
Ruby blinked. “That was… a very long way to say yes.”
Ashborn chuckled. “So. Where shall we go? Your choice… my treat.”
Ruby tilted her head, thinking. Then she smiled brightly. “Alright, I know just the place.”
Minutes later, they stepped into a warmly lit cookie shop known throughout Vale for its variety and its prices. Ruby was about to suggest just a couple of the more modestly priced options, but Ashborn went straight for the counter, scanning the display.
Behind them, a television aired the local news.
“The White Fang branch in Atlas was completely wiped out overnight. Investigators are baffled by the sudden collapse of the group's operations, and even more stunned by the total disappearance of their ill-gotten funds”
Ruby turned to the screen. “Who could possibly have done that?”
Ashborn, browsing through cookie types, said offhandedly, “Someone short on money who wanted some quick cash. Convenient. And technically legal.”
Ruby blinked. “Fighting terrorists for money isn’t something a sane person would do.”
Ashborn just smiled and said nothing, eyes twinkling with amusement.
Meanwhile, Ruby, intending to pick only a few cookies due to the outrageous prices, was stunned as Ashborn ordered one of everything. Her eyes sparkled like stars.
“Isn’t this a bit much?” she asked, half in awe, half in worry.
Ashborn shrugged. “It’s my treat. And it’s not like we come here every day.”
As the counter filled with box after box, Ruby nearly squealed in excitement.
___________
After finishing a stomach-full of cookies and still buzzing from the sugar, Ruby led Ashborn down one of Vale’s main streets. “Come on,” she said with excitement in her step. “I want to show you something really cool, this is the best weapon shop in all of Vale!”
Ashborn raised an eyebrow, amused, but followed without protest.
Inside, the walls gleamed with rows of expertly crafted weapons. Some shifted form with the press of a button, blades that transformed into guns, axes that folded into shields, and swords embedded with Dust chambers of varying elements.
Ashborn wandered slowly, admiring the craftsmanship. “Some of these are rather impressive,” he admitted, picking up a glaive with a foldable blade.
On the other side of the shop, Ruby was in full lecture mode, animatedly pointing out the designs and features. “That one has triple Dust storage! That one can change its blade type mid-fight! Oh, and this one has a recoil system that increases its power after each swing!”
She paused, turning to him. “So, what kind of weapon do you like?”
Ashborn tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I’ve always been fond of classic weapons. Swords are noble. But daggers… they’re practical. Efficient. Intimate.”
Ruby tilted her head. “You don’t carry any, though.”
Ashborn chuckled. “That’s because I’m a civilian, not a huntsman. And as for weapons…”
He held up a hand and his shadow rippled unnaturally. From the inky blackness emerged four distinct daggers, each floating above his palm. One glowed a fiery red, another shimmered blue like frost, a third emitted a vibrant green light, and the fourth pulsed with a strange purple energy.
Ruby gasped, eyes turning into literal stars as she picked up the red one. “These are amazing! Why are they glowing like this?”
“Unique materials,” Ashborn said, watching her with a smirk. “Each is forged through a different process by skilled hands.”
Ruby marveled at them for another moment until Ashborn added with a sly grin, “I could give you one… if you drop that oversized scythe of yours.”
Ruby held the dagger like it was sacred, but at those words, she quickly hugged Crescent Rose. “Crescent Rose is the greatest weapon ever made. I’d never abandon her.”
Ashborn shrugged. “Your loss.”
They walked a bit longer through the streets of Vale before Ruby turned to him with a more serious tone. “Why did you let Roman run away that day?”
“I already answered that,” Ashborn said casually. “Because I felt like it.”
“He could be committing another crime right now,” Ruby said, brows furrowing. “Maybe he’s already hurt someone.”
Ashborn looked at her, the smile returning to his lips. “Then let’s find out what he’s doing, shall we?”
Before Ruby could process that, the light around her shifted. Suddenly, she was no longer standing in the sunlit street but in a dimly lit room, a storage unit, judging by the walls. Only a single light bulb swayed gently above them.
“Wai, what just…” she began, but Ashborn’s voice rang out.
“Mr. Torchwick, apologies for the sudden visit, but we are concerned about your well-being after the events from two days ago.”
From a back room, Roman Torchwick and Neo emerged. They froze instantly upon seeing Ashborn’s smile. Ruby instinctively pulled out Crescent Rose.
Ashborn calmly placed a hand on her shoulder. “You were concerned for their well-being, were you not? Don’t start a fight now.”
Ruby blinked. “I was concerned about other people’s well-being because of him!”
“Details,” Ashborn said with a shrug. “We’re not here for violence. Please, put the weapon down.”
Roman and Neo exchanged terrified glances, more afraid of Ashborn’s casual tone than the scythe-wielding girl.
Ashborn stepped forward. From the shadows behind him, a pristine white box rose, warm and faintly fragrant. He handed it to Roman.
“A gift. Freshly baked. For our visit.”
Roman took it, eyeing it like it might explode. “What… is going on here?”
Ashborn placed a firm hand on Roman’s shoulder. “We’re simply checking on the health of a fine gentleman. And… hoping to hear your story, the tale of your rise to infamy in Vale’s underworld. I believe it would be… enlightening for young Miss Rose.”
Ruby tilted her head, stunned. “What?”
Ashborn gestured to her. “Look at this young, confused face. Would you really leave her ignorant of how the world works? Isn’t it better to hear the truth… in a safe controlled environment, away from flying Grimm that can eat you whole?”
Roman blinked. “Why do you keep bringing up the part about me getting eaten by Grimm?”
Ashborn simply gave him a slow, unsettling smile.
Roman instinctively took a step back. “Right. So, uh… cookies and storytime it is, then?”
___________
Hours passed in strange comfort inside the dimly lit storage unit. Ruby sat cross-legged on the floor, an empty cookie wrapper in her lap and an expression of wonder on her face. Next to her, Neo leaned back against a crate, savoring a scoop of strawberry ice cream, another miraculous treat drawn from Ashborn’s shadow, still perfectly chilled.
Roman Torchwick leaned on a broken chair, arms animated as he recounted one of his most notorious escapades: the great coffee heist.
Ruby hung onto every word, occasionally gasping, asking questions, or blinking in disbelief. She couldn’t help herself, despite knowing who Roman was and what he had done, hearing the world from his point of view was… captivating.
“So wait,” Ruby said, eyes wide, “that’s why the price of coffee spiked so badly that year? My dad was willing to pay triple just for a single bag of beans… but he couldn’t find any!”
Roman grinned smugly, leaning back with pride. “That’s right, Red. That was my greatest heist. A full month’s stock from every major distributor in Vale… vanished overnight.”
Ruby stared at him like he’d just recited an epic poem. “You really pulled that off… for coffee?”
“Caffeine is power,” Roman said dramatically, tapping the side of his nose. “Always remember that.”
Ashborn clapped his hands slowly from the back of the room, a smile tugging at his lips. “A fine storyteller you are, Mr. Torchwick. You paint criminality with the brush of an artist.”
He stood, his shadows dancing unnaturally in the dim light. “But as with all good things, our little visit must now come to an end. It’s already nightfall, and I need to escort Miss Rose back to her dorm.”
Roman nodded. “Right. About… this place?”
Ashborn waved a hand dismissively. “Worry not. I’m the only one who knows, and I have no intention of exposing you or your lovely companion here.”
Neo gave him a small nod while still licking her spoon, seemingly at peace.
Ashborn turned to Ruby, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Have a pleasant rest of your evening. Miss Rose.”
Ruby hesitated for just a second, then looked at Roman. “Thanks… for the story.”
And then the two vanished in an instant.
Roman and Neo stood in silence for a long moment.
“That was weird,” Roman finally muttered.
Neo nodded slowly.
Roman sighed. “Let’s get back to work.”
Despite the chaos of the visit, neither of them doubted Ashborn’s word. The man was a walking nightmare, a being who could find them any time he wanted. If he said he’d keep their secret, it wasn’t out of mercy, it was because lying would be pointless for someone like him.
___________
Back at Beacon, Ruby stumbled as her feet touched solid ground again. She barely had time to get her bearings before...
“RUBY!!”
Yang slammed into her with a bear hug, almost lifting her off the floor. “Where were you?! I was worried sick!”
Ruby laughed nervously. “Sorry, I was… uh… having fun? Lost track of time. If it wasn’t for Ashborn, I wouldn’t have come back at all.”
Yang held her at arm’s length, scanning her face with narrowed eyes. “That asshole. I’m breaking his face.”
Weiss raised an eyebrow, stepping into view. “What exactly did you two do while you were away?”
Ruby looked at her teammates, a small, stunned smile forming on her lips. “You’ll… find it hard to believe.”
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