"Y'know, a car isn't exactly the most comfortable place to sleep." Ice complained, shifting in his sleeping bag. My name is Taro. Taro Hibiki. Or...that's what most people think. My actual name in Orka. My brother was the real Taro Hibiki before he passed. Killed defending me and my best pal Ice Cluz from a new type of Grimm, a race of monsters that threaten our existence. Shortly after killing the Grimm, Ice and I took his car and drove away from my house, never to return. Over the years, I've adopted my brother's identity as a way of honoring him. Right after my sixth birthday, Ice and I found a baby of a new type of Grimm. It was a worm with a beaked mouth that flowered outwards. Since he loved to latch onto everything he saw, I named him Grabby. Unfortunately, he was getting too big, so we had to release him. Right now, we're laying in our home/car to sleep. It was an orange muscle car my brother built from scratch.

"Shut up, you big baby. We've slept in this car every day for the past twelve years. Surely another night won't kill you." I grumbled. We sat outside a Dust shop called "From Dust till Dawn." Honestly, not the best name for a place like this. I check Doom, my custom built sword and shotgun combo. Over the years, Ice and I built our weapons from scratch from pieces of junk metal and scrap parts we came across. For being made of parts nobody wanted, Dee and Ice's weapon "Emerald Death" have held up really well. His weapon is a sword that splits and converts into two automatic pistols outfitted with explosive ammo. I opened the door and walked across the street into the dust shop. It was mostly empty, save for the shopkeeper and a girl with a red cloak covering her head. I looked at some of the bags of Dust on the shelves. "20 Lien for red Dust? That's what I call a bargain!" I said to myself, grabbing the bag. That's when I heard the door open. I looked to see a man in white leading a bunch of goons to the shopkeeper. I hid behind the shelf and watched. One of the goons aimed a gun at the shopkeeper.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" The guy in white asked. I got a better look at him.

"Geez, guy. Giant combover covered by a bowler hat? Somebody call the fashion police." I whispered to myself. The shopkeeper put his hands up.

"Please! Just take my Lien and leave!" He pleaded. Bowler hat shushed him.

"Calm down, we're not here for your money." He turned to one of his associates. "Grab the Dust." Two of them took black tubes and hooked them up to the Dust tanks at the other side of the store. The Dust slowly drained into the tubes as one of the goons approached us. I hid as he confronted the girl in red.

"Alright kid, put your hands where I can see 'em." He said, pulling out a red sword. She just stood there, not moving at all. "Hey, I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something?" He repeated, a little annoyed. He grabbed her shoulder, getting her attention. She dropped her hood and looked at him, allowing me to get a good look at her. She had pale skin with hair that started as black but slowly faded to red at the tips. She also had on red headphones, impairing her hearing. The bad guy motioned for her to take off her headphones, which she did.

"Yes?" She asked, confused.

"I said put your hands in the air, now!" He repeated. Red looked at him, even more confused, asking him if he was robbing her. The grunt answered yes as Red smiled. While I don't doubt she can handle this herself, I'm itching for action. I stepped in front of her.

"Hey! Who are you?" The grunt asked.

"That doesn't matter. Bad guy, meet foot. Foot, meet Bad Guy!" I said, kicking him into a wall. Another ran at us, telling us to freeze. At that moment, he was frozen solid in a block of ice. We looked to see Ice standing behind him. That's Ice's semblance, an ability we all have. He can create ice instantly. As of now, I'm clueless as to what mine is. Ice and I smiled.

"Well, he did say freeze." Ice said. Suddenly, Red ran past us both and crashed out the window. The others looked on as she pulled out a red object, which quickly unfolded into a gigantic red scythe. She smiled and twirled it over her shoulder, planting it in the ground. I grabbed Ice and ran, knocking out two more goons in the process. We jumped out the window and stood next to Red.

"I don't need help, you know." She said, looking at me. I chuckled.

"Who said we were helping? We just don't like seeing bad guys win." I replied.

"Actually, I'm just here so I can sleep in peace." Ice said groggily. The goons rushed at us, swinging their swords. Red used her giant blade as a vault, swinging around and kicking one dude in the face. Another ran at me, but I launched myself into the air and over him. I landed behind him.

"Boop." I said, pinching his neck. He was out within seconds. Red took out the rest of the goons as Bowler hat walked out.

"Dude, you need to fire your barber! Nobody will take you seriously with that haircut!" I said, bursting out laughing.

"You were worth every cent. Truly, you were. Well, Red and company, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening." He stomped his cane on the cigar he had before pointing it at us. "...and as much as I'd love to stick around, I'm afraid this is where we part ways." He said as the end of his cane flipped up, revealing a crosshair. He fired a flare at Red, only for her to dodge. By the time she landed, he was gone. She turned to us.

"Thanks for the assist." She then turned to the shopkeeper. "You okay if I go after him?" She asked. He nodded and she was off. Ice waved at her as she left.

"Okay, bye! Have a great time! Finally, we can get some sleep!" He said, stretching his back. We walked back to the car, getting into our sleeping bags again. I stared up at the ceiling, half bored and half curious about that girl. Ice noticed this. "You're thinking about little red riding hood, aren't you?" I nodded. "Ah, don't worry. I'm sure we'll meet her again. Then you can try to be her friend." I scoffed.

"What would you know about friends? Besides me, the only friends you have are the snowmen you used to build!" I retorted. Ice sneered.

"Hey, Snowy, Frosty and Frosty Jr. were good people! Besides, she made us look like chumps!" He said. I looked over my brother's bag and pulled out a pamphlet. It was for Beacon Academy. A lightbulb appeared above my head. "Oh no. No no no no no no no no no. You are not thinking what I think you're thinking!"

(Next morning)

"You were totally thinking what I thought you were thinking!" Ice grumbled on the transport to Beacon. Somehow, I managed to get both of us enrolled in one night using my brother's name and status to get in.

"Oh, be quiet! This could be good for us! If we do good, Red won't be handing our butts to us on a silver platter. Besides, how many times have you said something about wanting a girlfriend by now?" I asked. Ice pouted.

"Hey! I've never said..." I gave him a look of sarcasm. "Okay. Point taken." He said, defeated. I pulled out a cookie I made last night as Ice pointed to my left. "Umm... Remnant to Taro, three o clock." He said. I looked to my left and lo and behold, Red was sitting down the seat further from us. I smiled.

"I'm gonna say hi to her." I said.

"Please don't do that." Ice replied.

"Im'ma do it." I said again, getting up.

"Please don't do i- Ay carumba." Ice said as I slid next to Red.

"Hey! Remember us, from last night?" I asked. She looked at us and smiled.

"Oh hey, it's you guys! Thanks again for last night!" She said, smiling.

"No problem. Hey, want a cooki-" before I finished my sentence, she has snatched my whole bag and began to eat all of my cookies one by one. "Ohkay. I'll take that as a yes. By the way, we never got your name." I said. She looked at us with cookies still in her mouth.

"Rwby rwose." She said.

"Maybe try saying it without a full mouth." Ice said, earning him a punch in the face.

"Oh. Sowwy." She said, swallowing her cookies. "It's Ruby. Ruby Rose." She said again. Ruby... explains all the red.

"Ruby... cute name, just like the girl who owns it. A diamond in the rough, if what I saw last night is anything to go by." I said. Ruby began to blush. I think I embarrassed the poor girl. "Well Ruby, my name is Taro Hibiki and my friend there is Ice "Iceman" Cluz. You've just made your first two friends at Beacon." I said. Ruby smiled sweetly. I know I just met her, but I can tell there's more to Ruby that meets the eye, and I intend to find what. She's a sweet girl with tons of potential, and with the proper guidance, she could be extraordinary.