Archive of Our Own

Maria sighed as she looked at her outfit for the day, and frowned. The jeans, and t-shirt were fairly normal. She’d dare say she looked fairly good in them, but they weren’t her robes, and mask, and she felt almost naked without her weapons.

Still, she’d grown tired of the life of a villain. Really there was only so much to do when you got to the top. 

No real friends, only allies of convenience who would sooner stab you in the back, than have a drink with you, and heroes who wanted nothing more than to make a name bringing you in. 

No one wanted to give her credit for actually improving things, oh no always about what she was doing wrong. 

She’d had the idea in her mind for a few years so rather than continuing her plans she’d stopped her expansion and power base as she slowly funneled her money through a myriad number of intermediaries giving her enough to live on for eons should she choose, and then?

She’d simply disappeared. 

Let them wonder what had happened to the Reaper. 

They were far too busy dealing with the uptick in villains who wanted to take what was hers, and felt emboldened by her vanishing act to try their hand at it. Idiotas, all of them. 

She was thankful though, because it gave her plenty of time to settle into her new civilian identity. 

Couple that with nobody having seen her face without her signature cloak, and mask? It was far easier for her to simply acclimate to being a civilian than it had any right to be. 

She wasn’t sure how long it would last, truly she wasn’t. She enjoyed fighting, but the idea of her becoming a superhero was laughable.

Of course, fate had its own sense of humor.

She’d seen them crumpled in a heap a short distance from her home. 

Her first instinct was to leave them there, but as a civilian she assumed she should ‘do her duty', and at least drag them back to her home. Hopefully it wouldn't bite her in the ass because moving would be a hassle.

Her gear, and anything tying her to her old life was under so much protection and was so well hidden in her home that she had no fear of them discovering it. 

She dumped them into her bed feeling it was the sort of a thing a concerned citizen might do, and went about fetching a first aid kit. Not that she’d be using it, but appearances were important after all. 

Making sure to lay them out properly, she went to work for a few minutes with wraps, and tweezers to pick out a few choice bits of glass stuck in them. 

As she did so she took note of them. Clearly they were heroes, but they weren’t any of the big hitters she recognized. 

They were pretty though. White hair framed a face that now bore a scar through her left eye, although that only appeared to be superficial, even if it would likely scar. 

She was short too, and her already white skin was paler than it ought to be. 

The other one had dark hair with red tips, which she assumed were dyed. Her skin had a bit of a healthy tan to it, and trying to check her eyes for a response had actually shocked her for the first time in a long while. 

Silver was not a common eye color after all. 

All in all, she deduced they were likely lower level heroines that had gotten caught by surprise, or pulled into a fight above their level that had spilled over. 

After depositing the medical supplies she’d used into a bin nearby to cover her bases she called upon her own abilities. 

As an aspect of death she had dominion over life, and death. True, the truly strong could resist some of her abilities, but that was neither here, nor there. 

With a bit of her abilities she laid her hands on them, and felt some of their wounds began to close. 

After a few moments she tapered off her abilities. No need to go overboard in case someone was nearby enough to sense her kind of skills, and no need to heal them entirely. That would be highly suspicious. 

She frowned. She should do something else, right? Dinner would make sense. 

Something simple. Soup maybe? That would be quick to make. 

Ruby groaned as she sat up. The last thing she could remember was trying to evacuate a group of terrified civilians before Metal Man had been knocked through the wall toward them. 

She, and Weiss were no match for Fire-starter, but when a group of civvies was on the line, and the big hitters were down for the count, they’d stepped up to buy time. 

She’d played with them, and casually batted them around, using their clear desire to protect the civilians to her advantage before almost negligently tossing them to the side once Metal Man had come back with reinforcements. 

She remembered…falling? Being hit through the air?

“I see you’re awake,” a woman’s voice said, drawing her attention. 

“W-where are we?” Ruby asked as she tried to get her dry throat to make noise. Thankfully, the woman appeared to understand her. 

She was tall. Taller than she was with dark skin, and had silver eyes like her. Her dark hair hung in curls that ended below the ear as she looked over Ruby for a moment before nodding. 

“Maria Calavera even though you didn’t ask. You’re in my home. Found you collapsed nearby, and figured you might prefer waking up in a bed to the street. I understand it’s a bit hard.”

Ruby giggled a bit feeling surprised she could do even that. 

“I did some basic first aid, but it’s not my specialty, so anything fancy will have to wait, but I don’t think you’re about to die. You can always go to a hospital to be sure.”

“Thank you,” Ruby said gratefully to the other woman who shook her head. 

“It’s what anyone would do right?” Maria countered. 

“No. It’s what people should do, helping others, but most people don’t. I can’t blame them, but thank you.”

Maria gave her a strange look for a few moments before she shrugged. “You can thank me after you eat. You might as well tell that one to stop faking being asleep too,” Maria ordered. 

“How’d you know that?” the white haired woman asked as she sat up with narrowed eyes. 

“Easy. You snore when you’re sleeping,” Maria teased as the woman growled. 

“I do not!” 

Ruby giggled. “You so do, Weiss.”

“Shut up, Ruby!” Weiss hissed as she slapped a hand over Ruby’s mouth. 

“I’ll go get your soup,” Maria remarked in an amused voice. “Just don’t get anything on my bed sheets before I get back.”

Weiss squealed in embarrassment as Ruby pinked, but smiled impishly. 

“What about after?” 

Maria merely shrugged with a wry grin as she left the room. 

That should have been it. She’d done her ‘duty’, and helped a pair of heroes avoid death, and even given them a good meal. 

Sure, it didn’t balance the scales, not that she overly cared about those, but it was a thing she supposed a civilian would do. 

At least she thought so. 

Of course, the two of them showing up, unannounced a week later to ‘pay her back’ with takeout, and in Ruby’s words ‘important entertainment’ made sense. 

Heroes, good ones, were usually all about fair play, and them wanting to pay her good deed back made enough sense that she allowed it. Truthfully the books Weiss brought, and the gaming console from Ruby were excellent time wasters so she couldn’t be mad about them, at least once she'd confirmed they were clean and had no tracking, or recording devices in them. 

Not that she thought they'd do so as they both seemed to be the honest sort, but you didn't become the best, and continue living by being complacent.

Still though, that should have been it, but sure enough she kept running into them when she did deign to go into the city nearby. Whether it be the park, a store, or even an ice skating rink she’d seen them. 

She wasn’t sure if she should call out their civilian attire, or if she wasn’t supposed to connect one to the other. Considering neither of their faces was covered, and she was smarter than a plank of wood it was easy to spot them out of costume. 

Then again she wasn’t sure if a civilian was supposed to do that sort of thing so she’d let it go. 

On a whim she’d stopped by for a treat at an ice cream parlor, and sure enough just as she was paying the super hero pair had come in, in costume this time. 

“Halt citizen!” Crescent Rose stated as Maria raised an eyebrow at her. 

“You know my name,” Maria prompted her with a grin. 

“I was trying to be all cool, though!” Crescent protested. 

Maria merely took another lick of her ice cream, and turned to see Myrtensaster out of the corner of her eye looking away, embarrassed for some reason. Strange. 

“What can I do for two such upstanding heroes?” Maria asked, her tone jovial. 

“You’re no fun,” Ruby complained as Maria signaled the man for two more cones from behind the counter, and pulled out enough to cover them. 

“Plain vanilla, and blueberry for this one, and as much sugar as you can pack into one legally for the loud one,” Maria asked. 

“You didn’t have to do that, but thank you,” Myrtenaster thanked her. 

“I’m sure you’ve been helping plenty of people so an ice cream is the least I can do. After all, what else could you want coming here?” 

Strangely enough, even Ruby, or rather Crescent Rose in uniform, fidgeted at that, which was unlike her from what Maria had noticed so far.

“We were…just you know, wondering if maybe…” 

“Oh gods. We wanted to know if you would be amenable to going on an outing with us,” Myrtenaster finished.  

“I’m afraid I’m not a hero like you. I’d only slow you down,” Maria deflected. 

“Not like that,” Ruby insisted as she stepped closer to whisper. “ Like a date with me, and Weiss. ”

Maria blinked at that, sure she’d heard wrong. She’d never actually been on a date before. Being a super villain didn’t exactly leave a lot of room for a relationship, and certainly not one based on love, that she could trust wouldn’t just be riding her coattails, or waiting for a chance to stab her in the back. 

Now though? Neither one of them had any inkling of her previous ‘job’ such as it was, and were just asking to get to know her. 

It was highly flattering. 

“Oh, are you sure? You both already seemed to be…” Maria trailed off as the other two grabbed their cones, and moved to a corner table for privacy. 

“We are, but…” Myrtenaster trailed off with a flush. 

“We can’t stop thinking about you. You’re just so cool! You could be a super awesome hero like us I’m sure!” Ruby gushed. 

Maria’s smile became slightly strained at that. She really doubted it, and even if she did her secret would be out within the year. 

“Not everyone wants to be a hero, Ruby,” Myrtenaster hissed, albeit soft enough no one could overhear them. 

“Aye, no interest in that personally. I’ll leave that to the professionals,” Maria said as she ‘toasted’ with her ice cream. 

“Worth the question, but I mean…dinner, or something?” Ruby offered. 

Maria sighed, and shook her head in amusement. These two were certainly the most amusing things she’d found in her life so far. No harm seeing if it went further. 

“Sure.”

“Awesome!” Ruby grinned at them. 

Maria could already tell they’d be a handful, but it would be fun. 

True to her predictions Ruby, and Weiss were definitely a handful. For a couple of low level heroes they were roughed up far more often than she felt was appropriate. 

Still, a bit of a light touch, and application of her skills once they’d fallen asleep, and they were mostly better by the next day. 

They’d lasted all of two months before Maria took pity on them, and invited them to live with her. 

Their overexcited faces had been one of the few highlights of her long life. 

Slowly her house became a home, little touches, and nicknacks decorated the once empty home, and made it feel more like a place to live, that she, and they could live, rather than simply a place she slept, and passed the time. 

It was constantly filled with the sounds of happy laughter as they pranked Weiss, read books together, or even played games, and cooked with, and for one another. 

All told? Maria had become exceptionally fond of them. Enough that she’d taken to following them on their hero work from time to time wanting to jealously, and greedily make sure they came back to her.

More than once she’d found herself needing to apply a bit of her abilities to them. Over exhausted under the rubble, pushing themselves too far trying to help just one more person, or even from a low level villain they could fight. 

She…didn’t like it, but she also knew they had their reasons.

Ruby had this idealized image of her mother she tried to live up, and Weiss a family name she sought to redeem. 

While she could in theory make them stop, it would also kill any relationship they had, and so she was forced to watch them time after time put their lives in danger. 

As much as she wished to cushion them, coddle, and protect them from harm, they wouldn’t be the ones she loved if they didn’t have such big hearts, and a desire to help.

Annoyingly enough she could even feel it rubbing off on her, and she’d find herself performing a ‘good deed, or volunteering if they were going to be out on missions where she couldn’t risk watching them without one of the few competent heroes watching them. 

Ruby’s giddy face, and Weiss’s soft smile when they’d come in to see her giving away meal bags at the homeless shelter convinced her the irritation was worth it. 

Her main source of joy was volunteering at the veterinary clinic. She didn’t really need to go to school, but it would be good cover, and both of her lovers did so enjoy pets. 

She was so lost in thought she’d hardly noticed when they’d went silent one evening almost a year to the date she’d ‘found’ them. 

“Sorry I was miles away,” Maria apologized as the other two shyly took each other's hand, and looked at her. 

“We were just…” 

“You know I don’t bite,” Maria joked before she added on a qualifier. “Unless you ask.”

“Shhh!” Weiss commanded as she looked around, as if someone would somehow materialize, and report her kinks back to the hero's league. 

Maria had learned that she absolutely needed to keep on top of, and be in charge of any flirting, or she’d fold like a house of cards. 

She’d spent her life fighting, not flirting, or at least not in any real way. It was nice in its own way though.

Having seen most of the rank, and file that passed for a hero recently she knew they had other problems to work on long before being upset Weiss liked it a bit rough on occasion. Not that it was any of their business really. If Maria marked them as hers, and any complained she’d have them direct it to herself. 

The first few times they’d invited another hero friend over Maria had been…not nervous, but terrified, not for herself, but more that someone would somehow figure out her secret, or who she used to be rather. 

Thankfully, none of the ones they’d invited had ever been any of the heavy hitters she would have clashed with so it had been a moot point.

“We just…you know we love you, right?” Ruby asked as she fidgeted. 

In fact, she, or they rather, were both so nervous she refrained from making a joke about it, and answered seriously. 

“Of course, Amor. You’re both vital to my life as well. I love you both,” Maria assured the nervous women. 

“That being the case would you, perhaps, consent to marrying us?” Weiss asked in a rush which brought a giggle to Ruby’s lips. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Weiss asked. 

“You had a whole presentation about the tax benefits you skipped over,” Ruby ‘helpfully’ reminded her. 

Weiss’s wince said Ruby was right, and Maria found it entirely charming, but did she deserve to get married? To them of all people?

Two people who lived, and breathed hero work, and being good people? Maria herself had done unspeakable things, killed, and all manner of other things. 

Granted she’d never gone out of her way to kill someone she didn’t have to, but blood was on her hands, and she’d made peace with it. 

She bit her lip nervously afraid that she’d taint them irrevocably somehow. Did she deserve this? Them? She was a monster, but maybe it would be kinder to reject them…

She looked into their nervous, but hopeful faces, and knew she’d lost. She’d be greedy again. It was in her nature. 

“Alright, let’s get married then. How can I pass up those tax benefits?” Maria joked as they cheered, and Weiss brought out a binder of plans. 

At least until Ruby reminded her they were all getting married, and not just Weiss. 

Of course explaining that Maria didn’t have anyone to invite was a bit awkward, but she’d long gotten used to explaining that to anyone who had asked, and within moments they were happily talking once more as Maria examined the tri-colored band on her finger. 

Her? Engaged? Who’d have thought. She rather liked the sound of it. 

“Do the dishes, Calavera,” Weiss ordered as she, and Ruby suited up for a ‘special assignment’ they couldn’t tell her about. 

Not that she was worried. At their level it would likely be helping clear an area where a fight might break out if the other heroes were planning on an assault later. 

“I always do the dishes,” Maria defended herself as she started running the water. 

“Including the silverware,” Weiss remarked as she bumped their hips together as she walked past her.

Maria flicked her soapy hands at Weiss’s face in retaliation as she made a rather humorous face in return as she tried to wipe some of the soap from her face. 

Ruby came in then, and hugged Weiss around the waist before she did the same to Maria who lifted her arm so Ruby could pass underneath to collect the dinner she’d made for them to eat later on shift. 

“Stay safe?” Maria asked as they nodded. 

“You know us!” Ruby assured her. 

Maria leveled a flat look at her in return. “Yes, I do. That’s why I asked.”

Ruby put a hand dramatically over her heart at that as Weiss sighed fondly as she finished fixing her outfit. 

“We’ll be safe,” Weiss promised as she, and Maria shared a kiss before Ruby took her turn. 

“Maria,” Weiss called out at the door. 

“Hm?” Maria asked. “Something wrong? Did you decide you wanted to let someone else go in, and ‘stay in’?” Maria said as she took a moment to pose for the two as Weiss’s face went beet red. 

“DO THE DISHES!” Weiss screamed with a red face as she dragged a cackling Ruby away with her. 

“Still got it,” Maria congratulated herself as she made sure to do the silverware first, for Weiss’s sake. 

She hummed to herself as she considered cracking some of the books open, although whether she’d read schoolbooks, or one of Ruby’s action adventure books she wasn’t sure. 

It was hours later, well into evening, when she finally put down her book to turn on the television. 

She’d catch a few minutes of the news to see if she could see what the actual big event the heroes must have been planning was before she played some random game, and went to bed. 

After a few moments Lisa Lavender’s face appeared on the screen. 

“ Coming to you live, it’s Lisa Lavender here at the Vale District Docks. What should have been a routine weapons smuggling bust has turned deadly.”

Maria sat up in her chair as her eyes narrowed at the screen. 

“ While engaging the Incredible Bulk, and Professor Goodwitch in combat, several members of this operation proved they had a trickier plan than most. 

Several mercenaries had been hidden around the city, and once the heroes engaged they sprang the trap, and captured most of the other heroes who were clearing the area. 

This has cost the heroes greatly as the Bulk is down in critical condition, leaving only Goodwitch standing on our side. 

The villains have threatened to start executing their hostages for every hour their demands aren’t met, and as of this broadcast the timer has started. It se-”

The television was off as Maria snarled. They would dare? To take what was hers? Didn’t they know? It didn’t matter. 

She’d seen them both on the brink of death before, sometimes on the wrong side, but a little nudge set them to right. 

It was one thing to see them over exhausted, but murdered? No, she didn’t want them to have those memories. 

Them thinking they were just tired, or pushed too hard was one thing, but the terror of being shot, of watching the other be shot, or killed in some other way? 

No, not while she drew breath. 

With nary a thought, her equipment was ready once more. The robes, kama, and mask still fit just right, like an old glove. 

She stared at the mirror just before putting her mask on. She frowned, and fixed it to her face. 

Silver eyes stared as she looked at her reflection. She…didn’t recognize herself anymore. 

She put the thought into the back of her head to examine later, and simply ‘left’. 

The docks weren’t far away, but she wasn’t taking chances, not with them. 

She rolled her eyes under her mask as she stealthily made her way into the area where the hostages were being held. 

One of the perks of being an aspect of death was the handy ability to track things.

These mercenaries were all second rate at best, but then again the likely competent ones were going to be fighting the heroes. 

She narrowed her eyes from on top of the roof’s skylight as she glared down. There they were. 

“Looks like your time is almost up,” the goon said mockingly to the heroes tied up. 

“There’s still twenty minutes!” one of the heroes, a blond, protested before he got a backhand across the face to silence him. 

“Hush. I was saying we should let them know we’re serious, and I think you just volunteered little boy.”

“I-I-” Jaune stammered. 

“Unless of course someone wants to take your place?” the man asked as he made a sweeping gesture to encompass the entire group. 

“No one? Are you sure?” the man asked before he turned back to Jaune to mocking him. “Well guess you aren’t very popular.”

Maria narrowed her eyes already seeing Ruby about to volunteer herself, the selfless little idiot. 

With barely a sound she descended and landed behind the man, prompting the captured heroes to gasp as several thugs pointed guns at her, although to her amusement they were shaking. 

“I’ll volunteer,” Maria said simply even as she held in the anger she felt at seeing the other two roughed up. 

“Whozat?” the man demanded as he turned around. 

“Tell me who’s in charge of this idiotic operation, and I’ll spare your miserable life.”

“Who the hell do you think you are lady?” the man questioned. 

“That’s the Reaper!” one of the gunmen managed to sputter out. 

“She’s gone! Dead, and dusted! The boss said so! She promised she took care of her!”

Maria tilted her head, and ran through the list of idiots she knew who would even try to lie about such a thing before she settled on a name. 

“Ah, so Tock has been lying has she?” 

“We gotta g-”

“No way. I’m not running from some pretender, and if it is her she’s been outta the game too long.”

“You appear to have lost your fear of me. Allow me to…rectify that,” Maria offered before she lifted her arms, and the souls of the damned began to wail as hands belonging to the dead broke through the floor, and slowly made their way towards the idiots holding her beloved hostage. 

“The hell is this?” the man asked as he tried to swipe away the hands only for more to grab onto him. 

“Your end,” Maria said simply as she twirled a kama with precision before stopping. 

This…she…it would be so easy. She could end him in so many ways, and yet. 

She frowned, and settled for merely slamming the kama into his head, and knocking him out before she turned her body the barest hint to dodge a bullet from a nearby henchmen as her kama was already piercing his hand before in the next moment she was next to him and brought his face down to meet her knee.

Once more she had to stop her ingrained habit, and merely let the man drop to the floor instead of snapping his neck, or stomping on his throat.

All around her the other, smarter henchmen were already fleeing so Maria turned back to the captured group and swiftly made work of their restraints. 

She could already tell that Ruby, and Weiss knew who she was under the mask.  

Her voice, her stance…everything. There was no sense hiding, or even trying to deny it. They knew her too well. All of her.

She tried to think of something, anything, to say, to encompass her feelings. 

Ruby looked like she was about to speak before the doors burst open, and several heroes ran in led by a furious brown haired woman in a green suit. 

With the moment ruined Maria made herself scarce turning into vapor even as the other two’s eyes widened. 

Maria sat in her chair at the table, a box next to it contained only the essentials after making sure the dishes, including the silverware were done, and Ruby's games were organized properly.

She’d drafted out a letter she’d leave with them absolving them of any guilt. She’d confess she’d tricked them, and they had no idea so their hero work would remain unaffected. 

She’d considered leaving before they got here, but…they deserved more than that. 

She’d apologize face to face, admit her wrongs, and take whatever bitter remonstrations they had for her before leaving. That was the least she could do. 

If they came with backup? Well she wouldn’t blame them, but she’d go quietly. It’s not like they could really hold her, but she’d deserve it anyway. 

It was almost two hours later that they arrived home. 

They almost jumped seeing her at the table, which brought a smirk to her face for one very brief moment before the seriousness of the situation came back.

Ruby locked the door behind her as they each approached the table, and stood near it. 

“Can we sit?” Weiss asked. 

“Of course.”

“Thank you,” Ruby said softly as she held out a chair for Weiss which prompted a set of soft smiles for a moment. 

“Can we…ask you some questions?” 

“Anything you want, and I’ll answer honestly,” Maria promised. 

“Alright, then I’ll start if no one else minds,” Weiss offered as the other two nodded. 

“Maria Calavera…did you…do the dishes?” Weiss asked, her tone turning from meek to joking. 

“Carino, what?” 

“Answer the question, Maria!” Ruby demanded as she brandished a finger at her. 

“Yes, I did the damn dishes, and organized your games! What is wrong with you both? I’m an insane, essentially immortal monster. One of the worst villains to ever exist, and you want to know if I did the dishes?” 

“Duh, we need to eat off those,” Ruby countered seeming to not be bothered at all about the revelations.

“How is this not an issue?” Maria asked as she gestured to herself. 

“Do you want it to be?” Weiss asked in return. 

“I feel like it should be. You’re both way too calm about this.”

“We love you,” Ruby said, simply stunning Maria with its simplicity. 

“It can’t be that simple,” Maria argued. 

“But it is,” Weiss stated. “We’ve spent years getting to know you…very well,” Weiss joked as Maria flushed. 

“NOT THE TIME!” Maria hissed as her cheeks were painted with color. 

“Maybe soon,” Ruby agreed, and continued. “We talked a bit on the way over. If you were Reaper then there’s no reason for you to stay with us. We’re heroes, but not highly ranked so it only draws scrutiny your way without any juicy intel.”

“You were at the top of the pyramid. There wasn’t any real way for anyone to dethrone you, if you were Reaper I mean. Reaper leaving for no reason? Becoming a random civilian?”

“Farfetched, right?” Ruby asked as Weiss nodded. “Plus you did the dishes.”

“What?” 

“There’s no reason for you to do those. Even if you were Reaper, and planned on leaving you’d have just left, but you cared enough about us to make sure the dishes were done, and to organize my video games. You didn’t get anything for it. It wouldn’t help your plan, but you know Weiss asked you to do it, and I like them organized so you did.

“Plus, it’s not like we saw you anyway. We saw Reaper, and as far as we know you’ve been here,” Ruby continued. 

“She’s right. We saw Reaper who wears a mask, and you-” Weiss was cut off as Maria very literally put her mask, kama, and robe on the table. 

“Anything else?” Maria asked. 

“I had no idea you were a fangirl of the Reaper,” Ruby tried before Maria growled, and bodily tackled Ruby out of her chair to the floor with a squeak. 

“Oh no, a villain has me pinned , whatever will I do?”

“Do you think she’d want to do some hero, and villain role play?” Weiss asked as she looked at the mask. “It would certainly be much more enjoyable than our last hostage situation."

Maria hated that she felt herself go red, and strongly considered it then shook her head. She was trying to convince herself to leave, not stay! 

Damn succubi! They were the real villains here. 

“You know Infinity already knows, right? He has to,” Weiss argued. 

That…was a fair point, and the fact that they weren’t breaking down her door did say a lot.

“They are correct,” a new voice spoke as ‘Infinity’ entered the room in the same flashy way he always did and yawned as he took a sip of his thermos of coffee. 

He took in the sight before him, and blinked. “I can come back if this is a bad time.”

“It’s fine. They were just getting frisky,” Weiss teased as Maria glowered at her, and got off Ruby. 

She had a reputation to maintain. 

“So it is true,” Ozpin stated looking at her effects on the table. “I have to admit you were one of the final suspects I was considering.”

“Considering?” 

“Of course. When a power vacuum like that happens there’s a reason. There was a chance you fell to another’s hand as Tock likes to claim, but more likely you had another reason for leaving. 

It is an arduous task looking through every person on the planet, and trying to find one in hiding, but you must understand as powerful as you were, it was imperative that I found you if only to keep an eye on you, or to give us some warning in case you were plotting something.”

Maria nodded. That made plenty of sense to her. 

“What now? I’m sure you can’t just let me go. Not after everything I’ve done.”

Infinity nodded his head. “You are correct.”

Maria sighed, and held up her hand to stop the other two from speaking. This was her burden, and one she’d had coming for a long time. 

“Do you have anything to say in your defense, before judgement is passed?” 

“They had no idea who I was. Don’t blame them,” Maria requested. 

He nodded. “That fits well into what I suspected. You have my word there will be no punishment for it.”

“Thank you.”

“After taking it to a vote it has been decided that you shall be remanded indefinitely into the custody of a hero of our choosing.”

Maria waited to hear who they’d saddle her with, and after a few moments he said nothing more. 

“Who is it?” 

“It’s been decided that the best heroes to look after you are Crescent Rose, and Myrtenaster, and since the budget hasn’t quite recovered yet I dare say we’ll have to keep you here,” he ordered with a smile as Ruby began clapping, and Weiss beamed. 

“You don’t have any problems with that, I take it?” 

“I…no. None at all.”

“Very good. I had to admit I had my doubts about your intentions, but having watched you all tonight especially?” Infinity asked as he shook his head like the drama queen he was.

“There can be no doubt they can do more for you, and are doing more for the world than any of the rest of us ever will. I do expect an invite to the wedding however. Ta-ta for now,” the man stated as he vanished into a column of light. 

“You get to stay!” Weiss cheered as she hugged Maria who hugged her back. 

“You heard him. You’re in our care. That means you’re expected to be submissive!” Ruby teased. 

“Is that what you think? Keep the costumes on, and hand me the mask. It’s time I show you exactly why I was the top of the pack!” Maria demanded as she headed towards the bedroom door, a spring in her step. Sure things weren't settled, but they did look better for her, better than they had in a long time. 

Ruby, and Weiss traded high-fives as they followed, eager to see where life took them.