Chapter 24

POV: Rocket

Ruby and I were still chatting next to the punchbowl. I noticed Neptune walk over to Weiss, and he started talking with her. That was a risky move. Almost everyone at the had heard Weiss after he denied her a few days back. Suddenly, there was a commotion near the front door./

Dancer 1: What are you doing?!

Dancer 2: Ahahahah!

Dancer 3: Is that against the rules?

I looked up and saw something I hope to never see again. Jaune was in a white dress and walking through the crowd as if he was looking for someone. Pyrrha finally turned around and saw him.

Pyrrha: Oh, Jaune! You didn't have to!

Jaune: An Arc never goes back on his word. Now, are you going to stand there, or are you going to dance?

Pyrrha: I'd love to!

Nora: This... is... happening!

Ren: Uh, what?

Team JNPR then took over the dance floor, Ren taken by force, and somehow broke into a synchronized dance. I leaned over and whispered to Ruby.

Rocket: I think I figured out how to make our team work more coherently. Dance lessons!

That earned a giggle. Ruby had stopped focusing for a second, though, and lost her balance. She quickly focused all of her energy into staying upright and recovered.

Ozpin: Not really enjoying yourself, eh Ms. Rose?

Weird, I hadn't heard him walk up. That was probably due to the 30-foot tall speakers behind us, bu-

Ruby: No, I'm fine, I'm just not really one of those, fancy, pantsy, dancy girls.

Ozpin: Well, we can't spend our entire life on the battlefield you know.

Ruby: That lesson has kind of been around a lot nowadays...

Ozpin: Well, if you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't very different. Two partners, interlocked... Well, a mistake on the dance floor will only lead to a swollen foot.

Ruby: Or a twisted ankle…

Rocket: What kinda danc-

Ozpin: Please do at least try to have fun today. It isn't everyday friends get to come together like this.

Ruby: Yah, I guess…

As they were talking, I gazed out the window. There was someone running across the rooftops. I started walking towards the door, making sure people didn't notice me. Someone did. I had made it outside, and I was about to summon my locker.

Ruby: Hey, Rocket! Where are you going?

Rocket: I saw someone that looked like they're going to cause trouble, so I'm going to stop them. Care to join me?

Ruby: Sure, let me call my scythe.

We both called our lockers, and they landed at the same time. We grabbed our scythes and ran around the building in the general direction the person was heading.

Rocket: I would suggest taking off the heels. They might get in the way if there's a figh-

We stepped into the open area in front of the CCT tower. The guards were unconscious. Apparently, the attacker wasn't very good at hiding the bodies.

Rocket: We need to get in there!

Ruby: Isn't it off limits at this time, though?

Rocket: What it is, is under attack.

We ran inside, to see all of those guards also knocked out.

"Rocket: This person has to be a skilled fighter to knock out all of these guards...

We opened the elevators, more guards were unconscious. Stepping over them, we got in the elevator. There was only 1 other floor. The communications room. What they want with that, who knows. The person was standing in the center of the room when we arrived. There were more guards knocked out around them. They turned around to face us. They had been doing something at the upload terminal… They said nothing, only sprayed some sort of substance into the air, that formed into three crystal that began flying at us. I slashed through all three. Ruby was startled and trip over her heels.

Rocket: I told you those were a bad idea. Gah...!

A slight pain stung around my diaphragm, but I couldn't stop to check what happened. The entire time, I had to keep my eyes on the woman. Suddenly, the elevator dinged. I glanced at the elevator, surprised that someone else was out here this late. When I looked back, she had disappeared. Ironwood stepped out of the elevator. I suddenly fell onto my knees. One of the dust crystal shards had broken off and hit me in the stomach. Luckily, my aura repaired the surface of the injury relatively quickly.

Ironwood: Who was here?

Ruby: That is a long story...