Sander Blanco's POV:
What in the name of both the Force and Monty Oum just happened?
Everything was normal, but then, before my eyes, I witness Mercury Black attack Yang and break her back. If I hadn't taken Jedi Training, I would have jumped out of my seat and beaten Mercury within an inch of his life. Maybe even torture him, make him beg for mercy before he would be allowed to die. That would be…
I stop my mental rant, shocked by the change in attitude and push those evil feelings aside. Yet I can tell it wasn't the Dark Side, but something else entirely. When I finish my mental battle, I watch the medics put Yang onto a stretcher and hauled her off for healing while 4 Atlesian Knights placed Mercury under arrest. The people are still shouting curses at the jerk as he's hauled off.
"I'm going to the medical wing and make sure she's OK." I tell team CFVY and the rest of my friends, then we get up, walk up to the top and make a mad dash to the bottom level of the Coliseum, where a temporary hospital room is located. I gently open the doors and look around the room that closely resembles Beacon's hospital wing.
Thankfully, the medics have finished doing their work and Yang is on one of the beds, alone. To my sadness, she is laying on her stomach and her back is in a brace. We walk over to the bed and sit down on her left side and place a hand on her shoulder. "Hey." I whisper to her.
Her purple eyes fluttered open and she just stared at me. "Hi." She said back. "So this is what irony feels like." I laugh a little at that comment, along with Ruby. Yup, she is definitely in pretty good shape. "Did they arrest Mercury?"
I could tell everyone was surprised by the question, so I inquired about it. "Yes, they did. Why do you ask? Also, how do you feel?"
Yang frowned a little. "Well, I feel pretty bad right now, but not all of my Aura was drained so I should be better soon. As for why I asked, well, when I had finished mopping the floor with Mercury, I felt someone try and break into my mind. Then when I decided to see Mercury's mind to see if he was affected, I found he wanted me to attack him. I got myself in this situation so I could ruin their plans."
To say I am shocked at what I heard would be an understatement. I could almost feel the shock from my teammates radiating from them. "That is not what I expected to hear tonight." Blake said, her usual monotone gone.
"That means we'll just have to avoid the entire bunch of them until we can figure out what's going on." Max suggested. Leave it to a former soldier to come up with a strategy like that.
"Why don't we just leave Yang be? You know, let her get rested until she can come back to the Academy." Ruby suggested, looking worried over her older sister.
Everyone agreed with that conclusion, and we left quickly, but I didn't leave before whispering to Yang, "Get well soon." We went back to the Bullheads, where people are filing onboard, talking among themselves over why Mercury would do what he did.
Little do they know I want to know why much more than they do. We all headed back to the dorms and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
The next morning, I got up, got dressed, and headed to the Beacon hospital wing. I have heard in tournaments past that when people get injured in the tournament, they get treated in the Coliseum and then get sent to the hospital wings of the local Huntsman training academy for more advanced medical procedures. When I step in, I am honestly surprised to find Yang already sitting up. She still has her brace on, but she seems a lot better.
"Good morning. You look a lot better." I comment coolly.
Yang smiled in gratitude. "Thanks. I just spoke with the doctors and they say that I will be out and about around lunch time."
"Great. See you at lunch before I take it." I say offhandedly. I walk out, despite Yang's protest against my previous comment, and head back to my dorm. Thankfully, the rest of my teammates are already awake and cleaned up.
"What do you say we have breakfast and help prepare Penny in case she fights tonight?" Alec suggested, looking well rested.
"I think that would be a good idea." Max agreed, resetting the defense mechanisms on his bed. Penny didn't say anything, but her expression said that she is grateful for our support.
We head down to breakfast, where we meet up with the remainder of Team RWBY and Team JNPR. We had breakfast together, then headed to the training rooms, where the rest of us supported Penny and Pyrrha while they trained in sword play and semblance use.
That happened all morning until lunch came along. As hoped, Yang came to join us and also wished Pyrrha and Penny good luck in the tournament. For the rest of the day, we just hung out together. Of course, in the middle of the afternoon, Pyrrha got called up to Ozpin's office for some reason. She didn't come down for a while. But when she did return, she looked rattled and using the Force to brush her mind, I knew Ozpin said something that really scared her. But what could he have said? Especially when she wouldn't even look at me. Jaune went to follow Pyrrha and find out what was wrong, since he is the most concerned for her.
But now, the 2nd round of the finals has arrived. Like the previous days in the tournament, we boarded the Bullheads and flew up to the Coliseum. Once we landed, we headed to the center and found good seats while Pyrrha and Penny went off to the locker rooms.
"Ladies and gentleman! Welcome back to the Vytal Festival Finals." Port shouted. The people cheered loudly in response, but noticed several Atlesian Knights in a circle around the stadium.
"Yes, and we hope this round goes off without a hitch. The kingdom of Atlas has lent the Tournament several of their Knights to make sure nothing gets out of hand again." Oobleck said. The people murmured in agreement when they heard that, but the Force told me that something is wrong and to be wary.
Soon, the holograms appeared and the contestants are about to be selected. Before me, I saw Ruby stiffen a little. She got up and walked past us. "Where are you going?" Yang asked.
"I just need the bathroom. I'll be back." She responded, but the suspicion lingered in her eyes, making me highly curious. I look around the stadium when I see her. It's Emerald, sitting among a large crowd to try and be in the crowd, but not be noticed. I point her out to Yang, who looks troubled.
"But I thought they were sentenced to house arrest by Ironwood." Yang said.
"Looks like they had a jail break." I respond. Then a warning from the Force flashed through my body.
"You felt that, right?" Yang asked. I nod, and look up. The maintenance door is open ajar. Looks like Ruby didn't need the bathroom after all.
Yang followed my gaze and understood immediately. Together, we get up and walk towards the maintenance door and subtly walk past it, closing it behind us. We turn around and notice Ruby trying to fight Mercury and losing because she doesn't have her weapon on her.
"How about you pick on someone your own size?" I ask, cracking my knuckles. The 2 look up, shock in their gaze. "Before we start, why do you want t do this?" I ask, using a Jedi Mind Trick.
Mercury wavered a little bit, but to my shock, a black cloud of pure darkness formed inside his head, killing my Jedi technique. I know what it is instantly. The Dark Side of the Force is possessing the guy. "Why should I?" he asked defiantly.
Me and Yang look at each other. Then back at Mercury. "Well, then. Looks like we'll have to beat it out of you." Yang said. Together, we charge.
Mercury ran at us and gave a kick at us. Unfortunately for him, we dodged the attack easily and gave him our best punches simultaneously. The guy who hasn't quite recovered from his fight with Yang the previous night, crashed into the concrete wall and got stuck there. Ruby just stared at us awestruck.
He pulled himself out of the wall rather quickly, but before he could retaliate, his Scroll buzzed. He picked it up and looked at it. When he looked up at us, he has a blank look is on his face. "Sorry, but our confrontation will have to wait. My job is done." He said and made a break for it.
But before we could make chase, I hear a loud slashing noise. Curious, Yang and I run out and witness a scene I wasn't expecting at all. Pyrrha and Penny are still on the arena floor but something was terribly wrong. Pyrrha is on her knees, horror written on her face. Before her is the dismembered corpse of Penny, now revealed to be a robot built by Atlas. As if that scene wasn't enough for today, a feminine voice rings out over the speakers.
"This is not a coincidence. This is what happens when you hand your trust, your security, your children, over to the academie's headmasters. They wield more power than entire armies, and one even controls both an army and huntsmen. They claim they bring peace, but are they really? You saw 1 nation's attempt at recreating a human being dismembered by another's star pupil. It really makes you wonder what Professor Ozpin teaches in his classes, doesn't it? Perhaps Headmaster Ozpin felt that defeating Atlas, a nation that has subtly taken over Vale, would make you all forget his failure to ensure Vale's security when the Grimm invaded, to forget another long-dead company who failed to prevent Mt. Glenn's people from being slaughtered by the Grimm. As someone who came from Mistral, I can ensure you that our predicament is equally undesirable. So I ask you, when the 1st shots in the upcoming war are fired, who can you trust?" Cinder Fall's voice rings out, calm yet sadistic as she speaks then everything goes silent.
Suddenly, the sound of loud engines rang out and a giant Nevermore landed on top of the barrier of the stadium and began pecking at it. People ran everywhere, screaming.
The 2 of us look at each other, then extend our senses with the Force to find out what's going on. What I find makes me gasp in shock and pull out. Yang also looks shell-shocked.
"Yang…we're being invaded again. Gods d*** it." I whisper.
AN: Ah, yes. The moment where Pyrrha learns of the Maidens.
For an explanation on why she's avoiding Sander, that will become clear later.
But anyway, thank you all for the support you have given me. I truly appreciate it.
I will be seeing you all next time in one of the most important chapters of this story.