Title: Pole Disruption
Fandom: RWBY
Author: ice shredder
Disclaimer: not mine, all belong to RT
Spoilers/Warnings: Vol 3 Ep 9 sounds good. YOU HAVE BEEN DULY WARNED. If you don't want to be spoiled for the episode, now's the chance to turn back. But if not...READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Summary: She didn't mean to destroy Penny in front of the world. But it was too late. Darkness was here.
Horror.
Guilt.
Fear.
That was all Pyrrha Nikos felt when she saw Penny Poledina lying on her back in a twisted heap wires sparking. Her body cleaved in half, both arms sheared off at the shoulders, green eyes open in blind shock. Pyrrha was frozen, mouth an 'o' of disbelief as the horrifying truth of her opponent's robotic body was revealed to a reeling, shell-shocked global audience.
As if Yang attacking Mercury after her fight wasn't bad enough-even though she believed the blond bruiser would never do such a thing-this aftermath was twenty times worse.
She'd brutally murdered a girl.
On live television.
But Penny was a robot for God sakes...did robots even have a soul?
Oh God...please don't tell me I killed her...please I didn't mean it...oh God...
It was like attacking Jaune by mistake all over again. Tears welled in the red-head's bright green eyes at the memory of pinning her closest friend to a pillar and upon realizing what she'd done, released him with a cry of utter shock and remorse before running away.
Terrified of hurting him further with her wildly fluctuating emotions.
He tried to help me and I lost it. If sorrowful eyes could've lifted slowly and turned to their right, they would've seen a heartbroken Ruby Rose sprawled on her knees in one of the concourse entrances, silver eyes pinched with grief and horror at the sight of her android friend in pieces.
She would've seen tears running unchecked down the younger girl's devastated face wetting the ramp's smooth surface between her boots. The sight of Ruby Rose crying her eyes out under the harsh glare of the stadium's lights was a picture that would've haunt Pyrrha for the rest of her life had she bore witness to it. And if she'd peered a bit harder past the lights, she would've seen Mercury's tall cocky form and his smug, wolfish grin through the shadows before he made his escape.
Ruby...Jaune...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...everyone...please forgive me...I'm a monster...
Amber's heavily scarred face flashed through her mind-her duty as a Huntress calling-but Pyrrha shook it away.
No. I can't do this. I can't go through with the transfer. Not after what I've done. They'll have to find someone else. I refuse to put the people I love through any more pain.
She was unraveling ever since Ozpin and the Brotherhood had dropped the bombshell of the Maidens. This fight only made it worse.
Why? Why did they choose me? Why did I let myself get drawn into their mess? Why did Ironwood lie to me down in the vault? And why did he send in a war machine disguised as a little girl?
The heavy weight of her impending decision to accept her destiny of protecting the world from evil was smothering her. Throwing her Semblance out of whack. Already she'd struck two people down without meaning to do either harm.
She didn't mean to destroy Penny in front of the entire world.
Didn't mean to traumatize Ruby for life.
Didn't mean to hurt Jaune...that dear, sweetheart of a man she loved so much-unforgivable, I'm sorry-
...didn't mean to lose control over her Polarity...didn't mean to carve Penny up with her own wires...didn't mean it.
She didn't mean it.
I never meant for this to happen...I'm sorry...someone...anyone...
Help me.
Save me.
Stop me.
And the guilt was crippling.
But she didn't have time to drown in it.
A Nevermore's chilling screech echoed over the top of Amity Colosseum. Sirens blared. Spectators began screaming in terror at the dark creature's sudden appearance. Pyrrha's mouth went dry. If the monstrous bird was here then that could only mean-
It was too late.
The rest of the Grimm hordes wouldn't be too far behind. Attracted to the fresh outbreak of fear and the densely packed concentration of humans, they would rampage through the city and overrun Beacon-
...and nobody was ready for it.
Pyrrha's crumpled green eyes widened in horror as they darted frantically around the stands filled to capacity-emptying fast as panicked spectators ran for their lives, screaming in terror.
...and there were innocents...thousands of innocent civilians in attendance and there wouldn't be enough time to evacuate them all-
Darkness was here.
Now.
And it was hungry. So very-
-very
hungry.
And it was about to gorge itself on the flesh of men, women and children...
Vale's Achilles heel fell to her knees in the face of the rising storm.
This is all my fault.
-end
Welp that episode was a trainwreck-no pun intended-and I've got a feeling things are just gonna get worse. This volume isn't gonna have a happy ending folks. Miles and Co have officially taken the diapers off this show and put on the big kid pants. And it's about time. I'm done with the kiddie stuff. It's time to get nasty.
On a side note, Penny needs to stay dead. I know I'm gonna get a lot of heat for that, but it's vital that there isn't a magical reset button. This isn't a fairy tale and I've got a feeling the series won't end on a high note. I mean, it might happen, but it'll probably be a bittersweet ending instead of happily ever after.