Chapter Four: Champion

A thud jolted Canada from sleep. He sat up, pushing his borrowed blanket off of him, and looked around warily. Out the window, the sun was rising, casting golden light and strange shadows across the sleeping passengers around him. The first he noticed were Pyrrha and Jaune, who curled around each other as they slept next to him. Carefully Canada slid away from them and got up, stretching out his muscles and grabbing Maple Frost.

His gaze roamed over the slumbering passengers laying wherever there was room and his heart grew heavy. This airship was not meant for overnight travel. It had a few rooms, but not as many as it could fit passengers. People were so desperate to get away from Vale that they did not care about the accommodations, changing in the public bathrooms and huddling close to their loved ones as blankets were passed around.

Those in charge of the ships did not mind the extended trip, either because they too wanted to get people out or simply wanted their money. Canada hoped it was the former but knew the latter was a likely reason. He tried not to let it bother him. Airships were the fastest way to travel on Remnant, and they needed to get to Mistral as soon as possible. The fact that said airship might be taking advantage of people's desperation was a bitter truth he had to accept.

Canada tiptoed cautiously over the still-sleeping passengers, heading down to the viewing gallery at the bottom of the airship. A flight attendant approached him, offering hot coffee, which he accepted with a smile and soft thanks. It was hardly past dawn. He should still be asleep or stumbling around like a zombie, not wide awake as he calmly sipped his drink.

Like America.

Canada made sure not to squeeze the fragile Styrofoam cup. Aura or not, coffee still burned when it was dumped on his skin and he did not want to explain to England what had happened. The country may act grouchy but he would fuss like the fussiest of mother hens when one of his former colonies was injured, insulting them for their stupidity all the while. Canada set the cup on the ledge under the window but kept his hands around it, knowing the slightest jostle would make it spill.

He heard footsteps behind him and looked at the newcomer. Jaune nodded to him and leaned on the railing beside him, nursing his own cup of steaming coffee. Canada turned back to the window, guiltily relieved. He did not feel like talking to any of his more exuberant friends at the moment and apparently the knight did not feel the need to start up a conversation. Together the two watched the sun rise, the sky turning from red, pink, and gold to a brilliant blue.

"I'm sorry." Jaune said quietly, not looking at him.

Canada blinked, caught off guard. "For what?"

Jaune stared down at his half-empty cup. "I lost your brother."

Oh. Oh.

"It wasn't your fault." Canada said instantly. "You were separated on accident and the city was huge and overrun by Grimm. There was nothing you could do."

He had never blamed the knight for America's disappearance. The thought of doing so had never even crossed his mind. Jaune disagreed.

"I could have done more." He said, voice strained and almost snappish. Canada knew that anger was not directed at him, but inward. "If I'd looked harder, or been stronger, or been a better fighter maybe I could have—"

Canada put his hand on Jaune's forearm, silencing him. "Don't. It's useless to wallow in the past. It cannot be changed. All that matters is that you tried your best. And Alfred won't be lost forever. We'll find him."

Remorseful blue eyes met his. "How can you be so sure?"

"I just know." Canada said, unable to explain it. He chuckled. "Maybe it's that 'twin telepathy' thing Ruby was talking about, but I know my brother is alive."

That got a small smile out of the knight. "Don't tell her. She'll never let us forget her 'theory' was right." Jaune sighed, slouching against the window. "Sorry for being a downer. I mean, with everything going on, I should be comforting you."

"That's not necessary." Canada assured him. "Of course I'm upset about Alfred but… I believe things will turn out okay." I have to believe that. Otherwise…

Jaune relaxed. "Yeah. You and Ruby are really competing for title of 'most optimistic' you know."

Canada chuckled. "Not really. She would win. She never lost hope."

And she isn't here to seek out her enemies…

Jaune shivered, clutching his coffee mug. "Brr. It sure got chilly in here."

"Sorry." Canada said.

Jaune waved off his apology. "Don't be. It's not like you can control the temperature."

Canada sipped his cold coffee and did not respond, secretly glad the knight had not noticed his cup was covered in a thin layer of ice. No one in their group except him knew about Mantle, not even England or France. The nations were already angry enough at Ozpin and his association, and telling them about the full extent of the experiments would only make things worse. If they noticed, Canada intended to pass of Mantle's powers as his own Semblance. It was for the best.

Unless America was not America anymore. Then all bets were off.

Canada drank the rest of his iced coffee and watched the land flow serenely by below them.

XXXXXXX

Consciousness came to Pyrrha slowly. Once the comfortable fog of sleep drifted from her mind, she stretched, sitting up, and noticed Jaune was no longer beside her. She was not surprised. The knight tended to wake up earlier than her lately, eager to get up and start a new day. Or to get up and train. The champion shook her head fondly, used to allowing her partner to practice on his own for a bit. She suspected that he was trying to perfect a new move and impress her with it later, a thought that made her lips quirk upward.

Pyrrha stood, tipping her head to crack her neck, and noticed the fabric of her hoodie was gathered behind her head. She hurriedly pulled the hood of her sweatshirt back over her hair, glancing around. Luckily no one had seen her, with only a few passengers up at the moment. That was good. The last thing Pyrrha wanted was for someone to see she was the Invincible Girl.

And it was not just a desire to stay out of the spotlight that motivated her to stay hidden. Being recognized might brighten fans' days except…

Penny.

Pyrrha's eyes stung and she wiped at them, forcing her eyelids back open so she did not see the girl's bisected body. She still did not know what had happened that day. She remembered seeing Penny menacing her with knives, more than a thousand— which in hindsight made absolutely no sense— but logic had been thrown out the window in favor of a panic-driven retaliation. Retaliation which caused her to accidentally murder her opponent.

Pyrrha blinked rapidly, eyes welling up with tears. Truthfully, she did not expect to survive the battle with Cinder. But she had. And everything she had done beforehand mattered.

She kissed Jaune and let him know she loved him.

She sent Alfred into the city and lost him.

She killed Penny and everyone in Remnant saw it.

Pyrrha was no psychologist, but she knew that only a very select few knew what really happened at Beacon, that the whole attack had been orchestrated by Cinder Fall and Penny's death had likely been an intentional catalyst to attack the Grimm. They did not know that the robot girl's death had been accidental, that Pyrrha had not meant to tear her apart. All they knew was that the star pupil of Beacon had murdered a student from Atlas.

Fame went both ways, and as a famous champion, it would not be difficult for people to place the blame of everything on her. Pyrrha had seen it happen before and was willing to go to great lengths to avoid it. Not for herself, but for her team and companions. Humans could be cruel creatures and her friends would be ostracized for associating with her. She could not let that happen. Thus, she wore the sweatshirt with its face-shadowing hood.

Pyrrha went to the bathroom and squinted in the mirror, grimacing at the redness rimming her eyes. She cleaned up her makeup and hair, hiding the signs of her distress. The door opened behind her as she worked and she quickly threw her hood back up. She relaxed when a small girl came in.

The child held her teddy bear tightly and walked up to the sink. She was far too short to reach the countertop, and after a moment of watching her hop in an attempt to grab the tap, Pyrrha approached, crouching so she was eye level with the child.

"Do you need help, little one?"

The girl clutched her bear tightly, looking at her with innocent blue eyes. "I'm not s'posed to talk to strangers." Her head tipped. "But I know you. You're Pyrrha Nikos."

The champion smiled kindly. "Yes, I am."

The girl backed up, clutching her teddy bear tightly. "You killed that girl with the pink bow." she whispered.

Pyrrha's smile froze on her face. The girl ran out the bathroom door before she could speak. Pyrrha went to the door, unsure if she was following or simply leaving, but the sound of voices made her pause.

"— thought you had to wash your hands, sweetie." A male voice said.

"I can't, Daddy!" the girl said with all the earnestness of a child. "There's a monster in there!"

A pit opened in Pyrrha's stomach and she put a hand to her mouth.

The girl's father sighed. "I'm sure there isn't a monster. But how about we go ask if there's a family bathroom? That way Daddy can protect you from any monsters."

"Okay." The girl said, voice muffled.

They must have left because Pyrrha did not hear anything else. She stood beside the closed door, staring at the wood with stinging eyes. The door nearly hit her in the face as it swung inward and she jumped back, reaching for Miló.

Nora froze in the doorway, blinking confusedly, and Pyrrha dropped her hand awkwardly. Her teammate did not smile or crack a joke, instead studying her solemnly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha said demurely. "You just startled me."

Nora stepped into the bathroom, reaching out and gently touching her cheek. "You're crying."

Pyrrha realized her face was wet. She brushed her fingertips on her cheek and stared at them blankly. "I am?" Her shoulders shook. "I'm s-sorry."

Nora's arms wrapped around her and Pyrrha accepted the embrace, sobbing quietly. Her friend did not ask what was wrong or if she needed to break someone's legs, instead staying silent and supportive as the champion broke down. Soon another pair of arms joined Nora's and Pyrrha recognized Jaune's firm hold. She gave a watery laugh.

"This is the girl's bathroom…"

"Well, apparently I scream like a girl so it's fine." Jaune said lightly. "But how about we go somewhere else, okay?"

They left the bathroom to find Ren, Ruby, and Matthew standing outside. The violet-eyed twin spoke quietly with the red-cloaked girl and ninja before the two left Team JNPR alone. Somehow they found an empty part of the airship and sat beside each other, with Pyrrha sandwiched between Jaune and Nora, with Ren on Nora's other side. After a period of silence except for a few sniffles, Jaune spoke.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not yet." Pyrrha admitted.

"Okay." He did not pressure her into answering, instead rubbing soothing circles on her back.

Pyrrha leaned into his warm embrace, laying her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. For once, she did not see Penny's sparking corpse. Instead she was back at Beacon, leaning against a wall beneath the sunny sky with cotton candy and Jaune. She wished she could turn back the clock to those wonderful days, before the fall of Beacon, before losing Alfred, before Penny's death. Such a wish was impossible, but with her team at her side, maybe this was a good enough substitute.

She wished they could stay like this forever.

But all good things must come to an end.

XXXXXXX

"I miss civilization." Roman said flatly.

"I miss silence." Mercury shot back.

Alfred rolled his eyes at the two, focusing on the path ahead of them. The further they got from Higanbana, the denser the forest became. The path was still clear but it was becoming thinner and rockier. Not to mention the bugs. They did not bite but they kept buzzing in their ears, making Roman curse and slap himself in the side of the head every few minutes. Neo found great amusement in his struggle, snickering silently behind her hand.

"We all know how much you hate nature." Mercury continued irritably. "You have told us this repeatedly in the past few days. Telling us again will not make us reach the next town faster so will you just shut up."

Alfred was beginning to prefer the buzzing of flies to the two's bickering. He considered covering his ears with his hands to block out the noise but did not want to risk occupying them. They were in the woods, and Grimm could pop out at any moment. He was honestly surprised they had not been attracted to Roman's pessimism and Mercury's snappishness yet.

Blackness caught Alfred's eye and he peered at the sky, squinting at the dark substance he could see drifting above the treetops.

"Is that smoke?"

Roman and Mercury stopped arguing, following his gaze.

"Goddamn it!" the orange-haired man spat. "That's our next stop!"

A chill went through Alfred and he burst into motion. "We should go help!"

He ran along the path, pulling Cobalt Striker from her sheath as he went. Behind him, Roman swore.

"Blue, no! Don't go running in, you idiot!"

Alfred ignored him, panting as he ran the rest of the way to the town. The gates came in sight and he noticed they were off their hinges, tipped uselessly and leaving the entrance wide open. He hopped over the metal grate and skidded to a halt inside the town. His heart leaped into his throat.

Bodies covered the streets. Some were burned, others were mangled, and absolutely none were alive. Alfred checked a few pulses anyway, stumbling from person to person as he choked on rancid air. Someone had to be alive, right? They could not all be dead. Surely someone was still breathing, needing help, waiting to be saved—

A hand landed on his shoulder and he met Roman's neutral gaze. The man sighed. "Don't bother, Blue. They're gone."

Alfred tore his arm away and turned in a circle, taking in the bodies, rubble, and smoking buildings again. Scanning for movement, for life, for anything to prove Roman wrong. There was nothing. He looked back to Roman, eyes childishly wide.

"What happened here?" he asked shakily.

Roman's eyes darkened. "If I had to guess, bandits and Grimm."

Alfred stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What?"

The orange-haired man crossed his arms, sneering. "There's more territory settled here than in Vale. Cities are further apart, so it gets harder to the prissy people in the capital to enforce their rules as you get further away from them. That means bandits can do what they want, and when they attack, the people's fear brings in the Grimm to finish what they started."

"That's terrible." Alfred whispered, disgusted.

"That's Mistral." Roman retorted. "The main city and Haven may be pretty and artsy, but a lot of the outlying towns are prime targets. The rich citizens of Mistral are fine with it because who cares about the little people out of their marvelous city, right?"

Alfred could not think of a response. He had not realized there was such a distinction between the classes of Mistral. Was it really so bad that the main city did not do anything when a town was wiped off the map? Did they not care enough to try to stop the murderers menacing the people of Anima?

Neo stepped close to him, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she looked at the damage. At first Alfred thought she was trying to comfort him but saw her face was pale and she looked… nervous.

"Are you okay?" Alfred asked, concerned.

Neo nodded, but the movement was jerky. Her eyes roamed the area constantly and her posture screamed that she wanted to leave. The quick message she typed on her Scroll reinforced that sentiment.

"We need to go."

Alfred's expression fell. "But shouldn't we bury—?"

Alfred yelped as Neo grabbed his arm, physically pulling him through the destroyed town. Her eyes never stopped moving, flashing from pink and brown to a silvery-white as she searched for an enemy. The nervousness became fear, and before Alfred realized what was happening the world blurred and they were elsewhere, the city in the distance behind them.

Neo did not stop, teleporting again, breathing harsh and panicked as she raced to get away. Alfred saw she was tiring and dragged his feet, trying to get her to stop.

"Neo, you're wearing yourself out! Quit it!"

She did not hear him, teleporting again, only to collapse five feet from where she reappeared. She knelt on the ground, eyes wide and filled with terror and her entire body shaking. Alfred crouched beside her, hands hovering but not touching her.

"Neo?"

Brown and pink eyes snapped to his face.

Alfred spoke softly and gently. "It's okay. We're okay."

Uncertainty flashed across her features before she covered it with a smirk. She stood up, brushing herself off, and leaned against a tree, looking back towards the ruined town. Alfred did not confront her about her bottling up her emotions, instead settling against another tree as they waited for Roman and Mercury to catch up to them. Questions buzzed around his mind like flies but he did not voice them. Neo would talk to him when she wanted to, and not a moment before.

Half an hour later, Roman and Mercury appeared with more bags slung over their shoulders than they entered the town with.

Alfred scowled disapprovingly. "Are you kidding me? You looted the place?"

"They weren't using it." Roman told him, unapologetic. He looked to Neo, expression softening with concern. "You better?"

She smirked at him mockingly.

Roman smiled. "Good. Now let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps."

Alfred followed them, seething internally at the man's apparent lack of empathy towards the citizens of the fallen town. He understood that they might need the supplies in the future but that did not mean they should steal it. He kept his anger to himself, however, instead thinking about Neo.

It was blatantly obvious she had experienced something like this before. Had her village been destroyed by bandits or Grimm? Or, more likely, both?

The thought made fire ignite in Alfred's veins and he glared, unaware of how a slight breeze picked up and rustled his hair. He doubted that his group would run into the bandits but if they did, he swore he would do what the rulers in Mistral refused to. He would stop them and bring them to justice, and make sure they were punished for taking and ruining so many innocent lives.

It was what a hero would do.

XXXXXXX

A/N: Before you ask, no that was not Shion. That was a different, unnamed village. As of the writing of this chapter, Volume 5 isn't out yet so I honestly don't know what Mistral is like. Based on the World of Remnant episodes… there's quite a class system, at the very least.

Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, favorited, etc.

To Pinky: Thanks for the comment! Yes, they definitely do. If I had enough spots, England and France would also be listed in the characters.

Please review! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.