Explosions sounded as the two teams of teenagers ran to cover dodging the explosion. One of them looked back seeing a black and red mass sat laying on the ground. She turned wide eye before she tried to run forward to get to the mass only for her friend to stop
"RUBY!" the girl Yang shouted as she fought her friend to try and get to Ruby "LET ME GO BLAKE I HAVE TO GET TO HER!"
"NO you can't!" Blake said restraining Yang "She's gone" Blake said
"That's BULLSHIT! She's still alive and I can sense her aura" Yang said
"Even if she is your emotional state is not the right one to go and get her" Weiss said ducking an explosion
"I'll go and get her" Pyrrha said "Ren cover me!"
"Got it" Ren said using his weapons Storm Flower to cover Pyrrha as she dodged the explosions to get over to a heavily injured Ruby
"Ruby, are you okay?" the Amazon asked checking Ruby
"Pyrrha, I feel cold" Ruby whimpered before being picked up by her friend gently
"I'll get you back to Beacon's infirmary" Pyrrha said running with Ruby in her arms
"She's got her!" Ren said moving out of his position to cover her "Now RUN!" he shouted as a beam of red energy nearly hit them.
"I suggest Double time!" Blake ordered as the teams picked up their speed
"Pyrrha won't make it!" Yang said
"There's two transporter on the cliff face to get up there" Weiss said as they reached the cliff.
"Go!" Jaune said deflecting a second beam while Ren and Nora opened fire as they ascending.
"Hang on Ruby" Pyrrha said as the door on the second elevation pod.
"Pyrrha" Ruby whispered as Pyrrha had Ruby's head in her lap
"What is it?" the second in command of Team JNPR asked softly as she stroked Ruby's hair
"Say goodbye to Yang for me" Ruby said
"Don't say that, we're going to get you better" Pyrrha said looking at the position on the screen "Just hold on" she added before noting silence. Pyrrha looked down to see a peaceful looking Ruby, one would assume that she was asleep. Pyrrha was just in disbelief before holding Ruby to her chest crying at what she just witnessed
"Hold on Ruby, just hold on" she said as the door opened revealing a medical team and Goodwitch.
"Ms Nikos, what happened?" Goodwitch asked as Ruby was placed on the stretcher to be taken to the Infirmary
"She's...she's gone. Ruby Rose has died; mission status failure" Pyrrha said
"I'm sorry Pyrrha" Goodwitch said walking off.
"Ma'am, can I. Can I tell Yang?" Pyrrha asked as her question was answered with a nod.
Several days later most students of Beacon were in the great hall dressed in a black version of their uniform with a black cape positioned over their shoulders as a coffin was transported down the aisle. Inside the coffin was a peaceful looking Ruby surrounded by white roses while a red rose was in her hands over her chest. At the end of the aisle stood her teammates and Professor Ozpin, on this day there was no smiles, no laughter no joy. Only tears and sorrow. Yang didn't dare look up as her sister's coffin was placed on the ground in front of them, Ozpin cleared his throat before walking up to the podium behind the coffin.
"Dear students we are here to honour Ruby Scarlet Rose" he started looking out at his school's current student body. "Who died valiantly in battle defending her teammates" he said barely containing his tears.
Friends gave their speeches about how the young redhead gave them enjoyment. from her infectious laughter to her unbounding and limitless courage Ruby was well remembered and like. Finally Yang took the spotlight barely holding it together as she looked over her school and then down to see her sister's body
"I'm sorry Ruby, I failed you" was all she said before breaking down "I just wish that I could have been a better sister than what I was to her. Every time she was scared and came to me for comfort. I did but not as much as I could; she was the best thing to happen to me and now she's...she's gone and I find myself asking for a second chance to save her. One I will not get because she's gone; risking her life for mine not the other way around" Yang said as much as she could before being led off by Blake and Weiss.
Jaune and Ren looked out from the cliff where they just buried Ruby's body. It was her favourite spot where she would just come and look out over Vale and smile.
"I'm going to miss her" Jaune said sniffling
"Your right. It's not going to the same" Ren said. Suddenly an boom was heard by the two boys. Who turned to look only to see flames and smoke rising from Vale. The city was under attack. Jaune stood there petrified in shock and horror was they heard explosions and scream
"It's those things again" Ren said running off. Leaving Jaune behind just watching the destruction of the local city.
FIVE YEARS LATER
Jaune stood there on the cliff the same position where he first saw the extinction of humanity. He was a different person back then. Suddenly he looked to his left arm, an arm that was currently a silvery replica of his original one he lost during the war. This war was a major event; and it was a world changing one. Vytal was now in lockdown sealed off from the rest of Remnant, the major academies for the Hunters were now major refuges from their enemies. He was also the major commanding officer of Beacon; Yang was constantly drunk in hopes of drowning her remorse and sorrows, Blake had disappeared and Weiss was a researcher for new defences.
"I hate this war" Jaune said rubbing the area where machine met flesh. It was on a mission where a cargo plane had dropped something in the Emerald Forest close to Beacon so Team JNPR now being the elite force among the students were sent in. It ended in another failure and Jaune's arm missing. Jaune snorted Two years after they lost Ruby he lost his arm.
"Hey Jaune. the Supply group just got, only problem is that we're low on food, so if we try and feed everyone, there won't be enough" a voice said
"Okay, here's what we're going to do Ren, Give the normal amount to the children keep their strength up while give the older people a smaller portion of food" Jaune said leaving his observation point to look at his second in command since Pyrrha had become the caretaker of children. And Nora, well Nora had become a shadow of sorrow and anger just doing nothing expect staying in the one place she was hidden from the world. Ren was her husband during the five years against this new enemy, and the only one who she would communicate with.
"How's Nora any change?" Jaune asked
"NO sir, anyway there have been rumours of that lost cargo seen in the forest" Ren said looking over the valley.
"I'll go out and have a look" Jaune said pulling out his sword before walking over to a mobile armoury and pulling out a black and red weapon
"Crimson Thorn?" Ren asked looking at the modified version of Crescent Rose; it was remade into two weapons: the scythe blade became a sword called Rose Cutter while the sniper rifle became Crimson Thorn. It was decided Yang would get Rose Cutter while Jaune asked for Crimson Thorn.
"Are you sure, I can help you with the aid of my new Storm Dragons" Ren said pulling out a pair of menacing looking blasters.
"No I need you to replace Russel on lookout" Jaune said walking off while shouldering his rifle.
"Yes sir" Ren said saluting his friend
"I thought I told you to stop doing that" Jaune said walking off.
IN the Emerald Forest Jaune pulled out his rifle as he approached the spot which everyone now called the Ruby Hollow in honour of where their friend Ruby Rose died. It was a foreboding place with red and black roses growing where Ruby was struck down by their new enemy
"Hey Ruby the war for survival is going on and we're of course losing, I'm hoping you'll be able to guide me to an area where an advantage lies" Jaune said as a gust of wind came along and made several petals fly towards where Jaune was going
"Coincidence is all that is" Jaune said following the path before intercepting the cargo.
"There we are, but it look like they got to it first" Jaune said examining the crates, only finding a crystal that was a light violet colour and glowing. It felt warm in Jaune's hand
"So this is all that is left" he said before hearing a rustling behind him. He slowly turn seeing what appeared to be a Beowulf, only for it to look mechanical. This was one unit of the new enemy that threatened to annihilate humanity: The Cyber-Grimm. This particular Cyber Beowulf was the one who both killed Ruby and took Jaune's arm. In other words this was target Number One. The bastard machine that created the Hades on Remnant that life had become for Vytal.
"So I see your out here as well by yourself Bastard; it's a shame that Yang is still in the refuge's bar and not here with me because she has a gear or two to pick with you" Jaune said as he pulled out his high tech mass vibration sword which he called Edgequaker.
"Eat it!" Jaune said jumping on the beast's neck and swung his sword down slicing into the neck about half way before pulling the sword out and smirking.
"Buh-Bye!" Jaune taunted as he smashed it with his cyber arm ripping the head off. Jaune looked at the machine that had killed one of his friend
"You have been avenged Ruby, you have been avenged" Jaune said picking up the head in his cybernetic hand. Walking back he felt like the world had been brightened a bit by the bastard's defeat. In Ruby's Hollow a rosebud opened up revealing a red and yellow bicoloured flower.
"There you are!" a voice said as Jaune walked into Beacon's hall. That voice belong to Weiss who had probably changed the least with her hair now down instead of up all the time and her old huntress dress she wore before the war replace with a top and pants combo in white, black and blue styles. Topping it off was a uniform brown leather duster. Weiss waltzed up to him and stopped putting her fists on her hip
"Where have you been! I've been calling you for ten minutes!" Weiss said
"Taking care of something personal" Jaune said dumping Bastard's head on the ground.
"Is that?" Weiss asked shocked
"When you see her tell her I'm sorry I took her vengeance" Jaune said walking off to the hunter's dorms.
"I will, you know she's not going to be happy about this" Weiss said.
"Either I took him down or we waited for her to become sober enough to do it and you know that wasn't going to happen anytime soon" Jaune said "At least I saved her the head" he chuckled.
That night Jaune looked at the dust crystal he found amongst the cargo. It troubled him that it was the only thing left from a ton of dust crystals soon he found himself falling asleep. He started to enjoy his dreamless sleep he felt something
"Jaune, Jaune wake up" a voice in the distance said as Jaune was waking up to see a pair of silver eyes
"Ruby?" Jaune asked confused 'But...but she's dead isn't she?' he thought confused.