Author's Note: WARNING! WARNING! We're still in Filler Town, as I unexpectedly lost quite a bit of work... Well, at least it gives me a chance to tighten up the storytelling a bit. Bright side, and all that.
Please enjoy this SUPER-DUPER sized B-Side thing. Seriously, here's all the filler left! Over 11,000 words! I'm not kidding, I'll explain later.
Thank you for your patience.
Disclaimer: RWBY is the property of Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not claim ownership of anything pertaining to RWBY or any related properties. This is a work that began before Volume Two's release, and some details are subject to debunking. Any other references to non-related things are also not owned by me. This is a nonprofit fan work.
Rated T for: Language, suggestive themes, and... wait, what is this lunacy?!
Original Post Date: 11/22/14
"This quickly went from bad to worse...!"
Jaune Arc struggled to maintain his guard up against a relentless rush of attacks, courtesy of a mysterious mob of knights that seemed dead set on advancing past him! Along with his partner, Pyrrha Nikos, they kept them at bay, albeit with plenty of difficulty on Jaune's part.
"Ugh..., I think I need to work out a bit more...!"
"Keep holding the line, Jaune," yelled Pyrrha, embroiled in her own stand-off with some cheeky androids as she brought her shield up with every strike. With a deft swipe, she manipulated a magnetized Miló in its xiphos form into spearing a few knights through the chest, giving her some much-needed breathing room.
Her combat-inept leader managed to roll out of the way, meeting up with her as the crowd began to converge on them both...
"I think I got an idea, Pyrrha...!"
"Do tell. Make it quick."
His quirky mind working, Jaune lifted up one of the downed androids with some difficulty.
"Quickly, launch me!"
Nodding, the red-headed girl focused her Semblance of magnetism on the body Jaune weakly held, aiming and propelling it in short order, causing it to crash into the densest concentration of foes.
While it didn't do much in terms of damage, the JNPR leader used the chaos to his advantage as he struck his sword down into hacking a few of them up into malfunction. He didn't so much as cut them to pieces, but rather he exposed the circuitry and sensitive metals inside.
"Now! More ammo! Pyrrha!"
Fortunately for him, his partner got the hint, bringing her magnetism back into play, only now with more firepower. Mangled robots rained down on the few who were still operational, making short work of them all as they broke and detonated into shrapnel.
The blonde knight-in-training slumped down onto his knees, exhausted.
"Oh man, I was not expecting to be involved in a battle for our lives today..."
Pyrrha walked up to him, concerned yet relieved as she placed a hand on his right shoulder.
"I know it feels like we've been swept up in something pretty big, but remember what it is all for."
"Right, well, funny thing about that..." Jaune rubbed the back of his neck. "As nice a gesture it is to make sure Ruby and her team are well protected, I can't make heads or tails out of ANY of this! Why's Weiss' dad being such a pain for, can't he just leave us alone...?"
The oft-described Spartan girl opened her mouth to answer, though none came to mind, though not at first as her leader took the time to stretch out a few kinks incurred during the skirmish. She would look over him for a bit, before she finally responded.
"Well, what reason do we need to help a friend, Jaune? You wouldn't turn your back on someone whose lives would be turned upside-down if either Ruby or... Weiss would end up leaving us, would you?"
Not noticing his partner's hesitation at the mention of the Schnee heiress, the subject of many a failed wooing in the past, Jaune looked like the obvious had just hit him.
"Yeah... You're right, Pyrrha, I'm just concerned that I may be in over my head with these robots of all things..." He kicked a disembodied torso, almost recoiling with how hard and heavy it was. "On top of that, why the robots? Are they trying to take over the school or something? Why are they even here?!"
"Well, maybe we'll get an answer for that very soon. Quick, hide!"
Without much warning, Jaune found himself thrown into a nearby bush, Pyrrha following soon after. When they peeked out, they saw a group of simplistic-looking robots approach the mechanical carnage, and it couldn't get any more simplistic than a bunch of floating metallic spheres.
"Check out those balls...!"
A simplistic remark for a simplistic robot from a simplistic young man. Pyrrha somehow found it in her not to put a damning palm up to her face.
"Pay attention," she whispered, beckoning him to duck even further despite already being shrouded well enough.
The spherical robots merely floated around, surveying the damage and making all sorts of boops and blips. Without warning, it hummed at a low key, glowing a faint blue as it started up some sort of process...
"Wait...! What are they...?"
Jaune's questioning came to fruition when every last piece of the androids came floating up and around the orb robots, orbiting and being suspended by a familiar force...
"Magnetism...," Pyrrha pondered out loud, the low humming growing in intensity as more and more pieces rose, "But... why? Why is it...?"
The star student only grew more perplexed when as soon as no more metal was on the floor, the orbs just started going back the way it came, leaving no trace of any invaders.
"Should we do something, Pyrrha," asked a conflicted Jaune.
"I... I'm not sure."
"This is why you need to pay attention in class, Mister Arc."
Both of the students shot up to attention to the sudden voice, right before a rigid bolt of lightning struck each and every robot orb through their centers, instantly downing them and dropping every bit of robot they were going to take. The scrutinizing Glynda Goodwitch stepped on the remains of one of the spherical cleaners, casually crushing it as she made her way to Jaune and Pyrrha, sitting dumbfounded in a bush.
"And Miss Nikos, you need to be more attentive when it comes to unknown elements during battle. You never know when a foe will surprise you, after all."
Looking down and adjusting her glasses, she kicked a robot to its side, revealing the Schnee family crest on one of its circuitboards.
She scoffed in disgust.
"Does that man truly believe he could clean up his tracks just like that...? Though I suppose given the events that unfolded tonight, things aren't going as planned for him."
Pyrrha walked up to the professional Professor, asking "Do you mean Lord Schnee, Professor Goodwitch?" as she looked down, taking care not to step into anything sharp or protruding.
Glynda nodded, right as both students approached her and stopped just short of arm's reach. "Perhaps he intended to be stealthy, but clearly things have gone awry. As far as I can tell, Glassen Schnee isn't receiving the best of reception here at Beacon." She looked up to the building's roof and frowned. "Damn foolish Headmaster, this isn't the time to be showing off...!"
Jaune and Pyrrha looked off where she was looking, the JNPR leader sounding off in shock, "You mean THAT was HIM...?!"
"Yes," responded a firm Goodwitch. "The Headmaster was the one responsible for that pillar of light many of us have witnessed... Please focus on the task at hand!"
She held out her wand behind her and produced a barrier, protecting them all an instant before a small hail of rifle bullets would have perforated them. Jaune was predictably taken by surprise, and so was his accomplished partner, despite having already crouched down with her shield up.
"Quit standing around," exclaimed the good witch, readying a small array of dark clouds around her person. "You may not be full-fledged warriors yet, but that doesn't mean you two aren't capable of surmounting adversity like this!"
With one stroke, Glynda fired her own hail of spearing icicles, each and every one hitting a mark out in the distance. Although what they hit went unseen by everyone there, one snap of Goodwitch's fingers and the wounded marksmen all lit up in a brilliant explosion. Unfortunately, as soon as the kills were confirmed, more knights came barreling out of the woodworks, more numerous than before.
Jaune held a shaky sword up to his center. "That's a whole lot of dudes! I'm not very good with them, I'm afraid...!"
"Jaune, don't sell yourself short. I'm... sure their are many girls out there who'd..." Pyrrha trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence due to both not wanting her leader to actually get good with the girls, and her wanting to be the only girl he succeeds with.
Meanwhile, the knights all came in without warning, barraging the three with coordinated charges and swipes with their various weapons, forcing the group into a more defensive position. The forces were pushing the leader away, while Pyrrha and Glynda were able to fight back with success, but Jaune was forced to his knees, unable to cope with their strength...
"Gah!"
"Jaune!"
He could barely hold up his own shield with no less than four weapons being brought down on him. Pyrrha had to quickly disengage from her own standoff, bashing Akouó into a few soldiers' bodies and kicking aside some more foes in order to have her back cover Jaune's own.
"Just st-stay there...! I'll protect you! Ngh...!"
Her words weren't enough reassurance. Having compromised her own offensive, a small group of knights began pressuring Pyrrha's defense as well, bearing down on her shield. The both of them were going to be swarmed at this rate.
"What are you two doing?!" yelled their teacher, who was faring a lot better with repelling and even destroying her enemies with blasts of fire and concussive magic, "You can't stay on the defensive, you need to break through!" Delivering a crippling heel through another android's helmet, Glynda rushed on over to the surrounded students. Since the soldiers were hell-bent in keeping them both pinned, they realized too late when a sharp wind cut into their armor, themselves convulsing in a facsimile of pain before they all were dispatched.
Despite being saved, both Jaune and Pyrrha then had to deal with a disapproving look from their teacher, Goodwitch's arms crossed with impatience as she tapped her crop on her forearm.
"Your position may have been dire, but I couldn't help but notice an absolute lack of capability from you, Mister Arc..."
Stepping forward, her steps now carried a weight of incoming judgment for Jaune, as he took a silent gulp when she was right in front of him, no less impressed.
"Being a Hunter, or even training to become one, involves heightening one's ability to think quickly under pressure, along with maintaining your reflexes to match it. You just held up your shield and prayed, didn't you?"
Her words held an edge to them, cutting into Jaune's composure.
"U-Um, I was kind of overwhelmed...! I wasn't expecting a bunch of guys in armor to just—"
"Proving my point, while saving someone in danger is admirable, the fact that it put your comrade in danger is unacceptable. One must be be able to pay them back in kind, in this case, being able to watch yourself in the heat of battle so it doesn't happen again."
Pyrrha was off to the side, realization turning her blood cold...
'W-Wait, could she be alluding to Jaune's...? Oh no, I didn't expect this so soon!'
Glynda then produced a large binder from... somewhere. It baffled them both all the same. From there, she turned the pages very quickly, jabbing a finger on a certain page...
"Jaune Arc, age: 17, sex: male, date of— Do you see where I am going with this?" She further inspected the page, narrowing her eyes at the text before her. "Your grades hover just around the C-average range, almost dangerously so, as if in the event that they did, you would be sent to me for counseling. Beacon is not a place where we take such lack of effort lightly."
"B-But, Miss Goodwitch, there's a perfectly good reason for—"
"Furthermore, any grades that break the mold are the results of tests attached with reading books, whereas your grades under Combat and Survival are the lowest, off-setting any bump you may have received. This leads me to believe you are merely coasting by with your tests, Mister Arc."
Now Jaune had an idea where this conversation was going, and he couldn't find it in him to express his nervousness. He merely stood there as Glynda Goodwitch listed off his discrepancies with a professional tone.
"P-Please," pleaded Pyrrha, too quiet to be heard, "Please stop, I can't...!"
"Finally, as you have been appointed the leader of your team by none other than the Headmaster himself, you should always strive to be an example for others, yet all I have gleamed from your time here at this school can be reasonably deemed as sub-par...! Lack of attention in class, a preference for hitting on various female students, and an utter lack of general knowledge that a Hunter would find necessary for doing even the simplest of tasks!"
She snapped the binder shut, letting it drop to the floor.
"In short, nothing you have shown reflects your credentials, and quite frankly, I will have none of it. I don't know what you think you are doing at this school, but I am going to raise the issue as soon as I—"
"That's ENOUGH!"
Both teacher and student turned to a now simmering Pyrrha Nikos, stowing away her blade and shield before gritting her fists tightly. She calmed her voice to a more reasonable tone...
"Professor Goodwitch, what you say and what I see are two vastly different things. Please, allow me to explain before you pass judgment on Jaune...!"
"P-Pyrrha?! Wh-What are you...?"
Staring down her own teacher, Goodwitch did not show a reaction at all. Her silence was taken as a sign to continue.
"You don't know how rough Jaune has it... He has indeed been struggling for the past semester, but he's really trying hard to improve! I can attest to his growth myself!"
Goodwitch stood silent, still unfazed.
"Over the course of the semester, he was... lacking, to say the least. He didn't even know what Aura was..." The redhead shook her head, having said the wrong thing. "Still, he has heart. A courageousness that not many people have. He has led us through a few perilous situations out on the field, and his leadership has made a profound effect on our team, Professor Goodwitch...!"
"If I recall from the various reports, most of those involved him being very ineffectual while Nora Valkyrie did the heavy lifting... I believe the last mission that JNPR was involved in, Mr. Arc was found with his trousers ridden high, hanging on a high branch by his waistband."
"THAT MAY BE...!"
Pyrrha's exuberant yell acknowledged that truth, much to Jaune's dismay.
"But I have full confidence in him! He's more than a diamond in the rough to me!"
"Pyrrha...!" Jaune was now blushing brightly, unused to such praise.
"That's why I cannot accept it if you remove him before he's had a chance to prove himself! I—"
Her speech was then interrupted by a subtle ringing, coming from Goodwitch's Scroll. The witch decided it was important enough to prioritize over Pyrrha's speech, irritating her.
"What is it? I'm a little occupied here...
...
What?! Did Port really...?! Ugh, that man will be the death of me! And what do you do—"
The call had been cut short, enraging Glynda to the point of stomping away from the duo, leaving them confused.
"I...! Uh..."
"Professor? What is going on?"
The bespectacled beauty turned to look at them, no less furious.
"That pudgy professor is not only waist-deep in trouble, he had the nerve to bail out some more troublemakers to do some of the work! Also, your friends are in trouble."
Her casual tone with that last part got the most reaction out of the two.
"Huh?!" "Wh-What?!"
Before they could get any answers, Glynda floated a bit off the ground, saying, "You have your orders, you two. Don't disappoint me now..." before she sped off, leaving them behind.
...
"Should we be worried...?"
"I'd say it's natural to do so, Jaune, but I believe that Ren and Nora can handle themselves."
Jaune took his head in his hands and sighed.
"This is it... I'm finished! Goodwitch knows, and I'm in the crosshairs!"
Pyrrha looked towards him, feeling distraught as well.
"Don't worry, Jaune, I'm sure there's a way we can... Um..."
At a loss for words, she settled for a light hug.
"P-Pyrrha...?"
"It'll be all right...! You won't leave either, everyone is staying...! I don't want to lose you...!"
She lightly sobbed into his shoulder, her embrace getting more and more tight with every passing second. The inexperienced leader was unsure of how to handle this change in behavior, from Pyrrha no less! He steeled himself to at least hug back.
"Jaune?!"
"Don't worry, I've got you! No lady is going to cry on my watch!" 'Was that cool? I don't know, I'm no good with the ladies, apparently...'
When the response he got was her burying her face closer, Jaune felt like he did good. Eventually, Pyrrha's sniffling subsided, prompting the JNPR leader to disengage their hug.
"Feeling better," he asked. The athletic girl nodded, and Jaune couldn't help but smile. "Like I said, don't worry about a thing, Pyrrha! There's n-no chance I'm leaving, and neither is Weiss! I've yet to win her over, after all!"
...
Pyrrha's radiant smile took on a sinister tone as shadows seemingly framed her face, not that Jaune noticed outside of the pregnant pause that she was giving off.
"Uh, Pyrrha? You okay there?"
"We should call Ren and Nora now, Jaune."
"Okay!"
...
"Oh, and Pyrrha?"
"Yes Jaune?"
"Thanks..."
She merely closed her eyes in a show of acceptance.
"You're welcome."
"HYAH!"
Taking another swing at a Knight, Nora proudly detonated another grenade point-blank into the robotic armor, scattering it to the winds. Magnhild was now more akin to living lightning in her hands, an engine of destruction. She got physical every now and then, mixing up her wild hammer swings with literal disarming and a random suplex here and there. Meanwhile, Ren looked on with a very straight face, like he often did. Even when he shot down plenty of metal foes without much effort, thanks to his ability to shoot where he needed to.
"Remind me to disable pay-per-view after this whole clusterf—AAHHH! Whew! When it's all over."
Of course, it didn't mean he had some sort of precognition, as he almost got blindsided by a halberd before he stuck a deadly palm through the offending android.
"But where's the fun in that," asked Nora, who had just grenade-propelled herself forward while swinging her electrified hammer up and obliterating enemies into a fine, rusty mist. "I wanna try out that one move that the tag team did! Come on Ren, live a little!"
"I can live a lot more if you didn't, seeing as if you did go through with it, you might cave in my chest cavity!"
As he said that, he did the same thing to two more soldiers to his sides, halting their tandem strike as well as giving him two brief shields against an incoming round of gunfire. The quiet, young man girded himself as he swung the bodies away while shooting two rounds in seemingly random directions, before two robot gunners stumbled out of their hidden nooks with a hole blasted in their heads.
"This isn't getting any easier...! Assistance please!"
Then his Scroll rang in his pocket, with a ringtone that sounded like one of those before-Saturday morning cartoons meant for younger kids.
"Great! Jaune needs help, I take it! Well I need it first!"
With that, his energetic partner did an unnecessary combat roll that closed the distance between them, swiping the Scroll with one hand and swinging Magnhild through some more baddies with the other.
"Moshi-moshi? This is Nora, how may I direct your call~?"
The casual way she was talking on the phone while destroying her enemies could make any warrior jealous.
"N-Nora?" It was Jaune. "I thought you guys were in trouble! Where's Ren?"
"He's not available to speak right now! Do you want to leave a message at the boop? BOOOOP~."
Ren couldn't look any more fed-up if he tried. And boy, has he tried before.
Jaune spoke up, believing that Ren was close by. "Just tell him we're on our way! And by the sound of things, maybe help is already on the way...?"
And that made the imperiled teenager quirk a brow.
"Already? Where?!"
"I think I see 'em! Clear the way!"
Nora gave an outright headbutt to an incoming knight, staggering back a bit as it fell over. Briefly shaking her head, she loaded up another heart-printed grenade into her hammer and stood atop it...
"RIDE THE LIGHTNING!"
The grenade detonated behind her, sending both wielder and weapon sliding forward on a torrent of lightning! The effects were immediate and devastating, Nora's lightning shredding the concrete of the roof as well as any unfortunate robotic souls that stood in her way...!
Ren had already been hiding behind a workbench, away from the brilliant charge.
"I thought I told you NOT TO CUT LOOSE, NORA!"
"I DIDN'T HEAR YOU~!"
Her own hearing was being muffled by the constant crackling of electricity she was giving off, much to the consternation of her best pal. Of course, he also couldn't tell if Nora was just ignoring him to begin with.
As soon as the lightning subsided, Ren was quick to return to Nora's side, no less plain as he said, "Great. That's another school building we have to fix... Why?"
All he got in response was a touch of his nose.
"Boop!"
...
...
"Heh, of course."
He smiled, understanding perfectly what his partner's words conveyed, or lack thereof.
Unfortunately for the two, any cause for celebration was cut short with the sudden entrance of another android, seemingly forgotten in the chaos. The axe-wielding Knight Captain crashed onto the roof, apparently having avoided the melee by jumping high up into the air, and busting through the surface, causing more and more cracks to form along the entire surface.
"Whoa! Nora, watch out!"
"I've always wanted to do this again~!"
Both teenagers felt the ground crumble beneath them as they dropped down to the next floor. They barely missed falling into a rusty and jagged pile of refuse as Ren landed gracefully on his feet, and Nora...
CRASH!
...fell through to the next floor.
"..."
The green-garbed gunner facepalmed, beside himself as Nora ran back up the stairs like it was no thing.
"What did I tell you about crashing through the building again...?"
"You said not to break through all the floors. I just broke through one!"
"There was only one! This place only had a basement left!"
"Well so it seems~."
The bouncy girl just stuck her tongue out.
"Subjects have shown extreme lack of subtlety to their actions."
The penchant for random asides... aside, both of them turned to face the one Captain that evaded the destruction, readying its throwable axe as it droned, "Requesting further back-up. Sub-lethal force is still authorized."
"You just don't know when to give up, do you?"
Ren aimed down the sights of both guns, ready to do some damage. Nora was holding Magnhild behind her and acting all innocent. DANGEROUSLY innocent.
They were all ready to face off, when another wall was busted down off to the side.
"...What?"
"Huh?"
"Unidentified intruder detected...!"
Another decked-out Knight Android in violet trims had flown in and hit the floor, seemingly forced through the wall by what looked like a flickering flame. A man with opaque glasses, green hair, and a disjointed walk cycle was visible for one second through the new hole...
"What's all this then? Is this an assault or a tea party?"
...and then he was in front of the new foe, kicking it in the head as it slid to the other side of the room. The man's clothes looked to be not ironed at all, wrinkled and disheveled compared to his straightened posture. He was untidy as a whole! He pulled out a thermos from nowhere and just sipped...
"Because let me tell you something about tea. Disgusting! One-note! You will never see me drinking it, despite being brewed like my sweet coffee! No, no!"
"... Professor Oobleck?"
"That's Doctor Oobleck," corrected the Beacon history buff, "I didn't go to two years of medical school to be called— What am I even going on about...?"
Taking another sip, he walked over to— Sorry, he just appeared in front of his students, very unaffected by what was happening.
"So I heard you needed help! Well I have arrived, fear no more as I stick it to these fiendish androids! You know, this reminds me of a trip I once took, off in the cavern systems beneath the western sea...!"
His speech frenzied and sped up, Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck wasn't... the most focused of teachers, as the N and R of JNPR know very well.
"Pr-Profe— Doctor Oobleck," started Ren, "we kind of need to deal with the problem at hand before we can... listen to your story about... things."
"True, very true."
He finished off the last of his coffee, before swinging the container to his side and conjuring up his weapon from its base, transforming into a decently-sized flamethrower pole that was spouting flames off from the tip. It's... quite something to see!
"Don't worry, you have friends and allies in high places, my students! We at Beacon aren't going to sit on our duffs with everything that is happening, don't be foolish! Now, what say you two prepare for an all-out charbroil with me?"
Oobleck pointed his weapon at the two adversaries, Nora joining in earnestly with her own. Ren just pointed one gun in the same fashion.
"I feel a little inadequate here..."
"HEAVEN OR HELL," shouted Nora, in an oddly echoing and cheesy voice, "Duel One, LET'S ROCK!"
She sprinted forward, ignoring Ren's complaints as she then planted a foot on the ground and swung Magnhild in a wide arc...! Her crushing blow was interrupted by a large blockade deflecting the hammer swing away, the culprit being the Violet Captain holding up a segmented and rather plain, cerulean greatshield.
Backing off, Nora, was quick to leap back to her partner's side...
"Scatter!"
Dr. Oobleck was swift to parry an incoming attack in the form of the Violet Captain's charge, the shield greatly expanded outwards from its segments by means of beam emitters and technology, effectively doubling it in size while looking deceptively like the shield was fragmented.
"Subject identified as current staff employed at Beacon Academy...," it droned in a similar tone to that of the Slate Captain's assessment of the students the doctor was now overseeing. "Bartholomew Oobleck, doctorate acknowledged, employed as history teacher... Confirmation of Beacon officials received...! Relaying new orders..."
A small stream of gunfire was shot at the purple knight's head: Ren smirking in a show of confidence despite his attack's ineffectiveness.
"And just what are those orders supposed to be, anyway? Doesn't matter, we're not letting you out of here in one piece...!"
As he began focusing his Aura into a straightened palm, Nora merrily skipped up to the deadlocked professor and android, smiling without a care.
"Er..., Nora? What are you— WATCH OUT!"
Simply hopping up, the young lady evaded a thrown axe meant to strike her down, continuing on her merry way.
The Slate Captain put its weight into its stride, sliding as it picked up the axe by the handle. Ren leaped into action, bringing a forceful chop down on the mechanical foe only to have it roll out of the way.
"Hey! Get back here!"
Meanwhile, Nora was playfully inspecting the standoff between flamethrower and shield, much to the concern of Dr. Oobleck.
"Miss Valkyrie, if you have nothing better to do than stare, then may I suggest a bit of help? Though not for this precise moment, thank you, as I am currently forming a countermeasure that will surely win the day for—"
Nora dropped a lovingly imprinted grenade behind the Violet Captain's shield, nestled on top of its fist.
"Boop~!"
Touching its face guard with a mirthful finger, Nora skipped away, leaving them both dumbfounded.
...
...
"WARNING! WARNING! DISASTER IMMINENT!"
"You could have WARNED ME you were about to do—!"
The history teacher broke the clash and disappeared in a streak of his hair color, right when the grenade blew up in the Knight Captain's face! Jittering in an almost defective way, it shut down for all of a second before rebooting and returning to an offensive stance.
"Danger levels increased. Subject Nora Valkyrie displaying an abnormal amou—"
"Can it, tin can," yelled the hammer wielder, before firing a small volley of grenades in the tin can's direction. Despite its best efforts to block, the small shower landed all around the higher android, made apparent by its movements stuttering.
As it tried to regain its composure, however, Nora found it an appropriate time to rush in and give another harsh swing to its defenses, causing the knight to be flung across the room and through the opposite wall. She looked proud of what she had done...
"Ah~, isn't this the good life? Bashing in the faces of one's enemies feels so good during a long day's work! Doesn't it, Ren?"
Looking over expecting a response, her mood soured when she saw that the young man was currently embroiled in a two-on-one with the other Knight Captain.
Tagging in from under a burst of flames from Dr. Oobleck's staff, Ren slid underneath the android's legs, opting to use the blades at the end of his StormFlower to stab consecutively as he sprung back to his feet. The robot took notice immediately, despite none of the stabs registering so much as scratches, and tried to slam its shield down on him!
While Ren managed to get hit in the lower leg, what he didn't expect was an immediate follow-up in the form of the Violet Captain propping its foot on the shield and forcing movement on it, causing both foe and weapon to swing high and quick into the air, bashing into the side of his head!
"ACK!" He was flung into a short spiral before hitting the ground, clutching where he was hit. "Grrr...! Didn't expect that from it!"
"REEEEN!"
Shrugging off a quick slug to her face, Nora promptly grabbed and threw her own opponent over her shoulder, enraged that her best buddy was hurt...!
"W-Wait...! I'm not THAT hurt! NORA!"
"O-Oh dear...!"
Loading a bunch of grenades at once, she paid no heed to Ren's fevered pleas as she placed both hands on Magnhild's handle, swinging it well behind her back as it started giving off a mighty charge...!
"YOU MONSTER! You will pay for hurting my friend, he need his face to live, dammit!"
With that, she took one mighty swing, letting loose her volley of grenades as her Semblance kicked in, detonating them all into a destructive burst of lightning that crackled with ferocity, extending well and beyond its intended target!
For Ren, he was quickly carried off thanks to their history teacher, just before the arcs of lightning would have caused more harm than help.
... Though that may still be the case, as Nora's barrage may have struck the purple knight clean into its body, but the residual arcs of energy caused by the rampant nature of her lightning were taking its toll on the scrapyard building, causing deep cracks and crumbling throughout its entirety.
"Whuh-oh! Did what I wasn't supposed to...! I better go!"
Just as she took a step in leaving, a gray gauntlet shot out and grabbed her by the ankle! The Slate Captain looked roughed up, but not beaten.
"H-Hey! Who said you could touch, huh?"
Before she could wind up and drop the hammer, another pair of robotic arms grabbed her own from behind, the Violet Captain succeeding in restraining her, in spite of a chunk missing from its abdomen.
"Wh-What is this...? Let go of me, you jerks! I did nothing wrong! Maybe...?"
"Subject Nora Valkyrie," droned the one in gray, letting go and standing up as its comrade lifted Nora up and let her legs dangle, "It is illogical to deflect any blame, this building's collapse is proof enough of your ability. Requesting confirmation of orders..."
"Request acknowledged," uttered the one in purple, tightening its grip as Nora continued to struggle. "The operation has been jeopardized, in part due to unexpected opposition and the involvement of Beacon Acadamy official staff. Orders are extended to authorizing lethal force, if and when the opportunity is presented.
Subject Nora Valkyrie is to be terminated, along with any who present a threat to the operation."
On cue, the Slate Captain hefted its axe up to its torso, lifting it higher and higher...
"Wait, you can't be serious! Why would you want to kill little old me...?"
Nora's query fell on deaf ears, along with her composure as the passive electrical charge she emitted was being completely ignored by both of the battle androids. The building still collapsing around them, it almost went unnoticed when the ground shook with even more force...
As the axe went down, Nora clenched her eyes shut as a small, but constant bolt of lightning shot forth from her upper body, halting the incoming weapon. Even as the knight behind her lowered her down and tried to stifle the bolt with its hand, Nora kept trying.
"Rrrrrrrrrrr...!"
"Subject is still resisting, odds of interruption have elevated accordingly."
"Running scenarios... Running... Unfavorable probability detected, only large-scale trauma can incapacitate Subject any further... Disengag—"
It was then that the tremors from before started to greatly intensify, shaking even more debris down as everyone started taking notice.
"What is going on...?"
"Large presence detected, no Aura measured... Grimm."
"Multiple Aura readings detected, congregated around—"
What was left of the far wall was then decimated with the thundering stampede of a large, shadowy creature, sounding a deafening bellow as it charged effortlessly through the rubble.
"Make way! We are on a rampage," yelled out the pudgier Professor, Peter Port, from atop his mighty steed Ellie. Swinging its (her?) head down, Ellie the mighty elephant Grimm pushed the three down to the ground, freeing Nora in spite of some further scuffing up, and flinging the androids to the side.
"YAY~! It's a party now!"
Nora jumped up onto the creature's back, joining Port as they all stomped out into the sweet feeling of freedom.
Outside, Ren and Dr. Oobleck had a bit of a disagreement...
"Professor, I HAVE to get back in there! Nora's facing those androids alone, and they're craftier than I anticipated! Please let me go!"
The doctor indeed was holding him back from running into the crumbling building.
"As much as I would have to agree that Miss Valkyrie needs to be assisted, her unruly attacks were the cause of this to begin with! We need to approach this carefully..."
"No, we need to go now! There's no time!"
"Yes there is, Mister Ren, one just needs to be patient. Being a coffee aficionado, I know very well how to maximize said patience into a vital skill..."
Right there and then, the side of the building they were facing burst out, a familiar pair of happy faces reveling in the destruction.
"Ah, there he is now! What did I tell you, patience is valuable!"
"... WHAT!"
Ren stood there, frozen at the sight of the great beast stomping down and slowing to a stop before them.
"Hi~! Meet Peanuts, my new best friend!"
"Miss Valkyrie, her name is Ellie, not Peanuts! Learn some manners!"
...
"WHAT?! Nora, get down from there!"
Nora looked down to Ren, impetuously shouting, "Nope! I don't wanna!"
The young man gruffly scoffed, his patience wearing thin.
"Listen, stop playing around! I don't know what is that THING you're riding on, or why it's being calm..." The Great Tantor just exhaled through its trunk, right onto Ren... "At this rate, you're going to cause more damage than any of those robots! Speaking of which..."
"GANGWAY! GET THE FUCK OUT, EVERYBODY! RU-U-U-U-U-UN!"
The sight of a blonde, open-shirted monkey man was enough to silence Ren, as Sun ran past them in a panic. Then, some sort of cow creature came barreling out of the building with one of the Captain Knights in its mouth, and the frightened bunch of Team CRDL all clinging for dear life on Edgar's back.
Then a certain other Faunus girl came by, yelling out at the stationary group...
"What are you all doing?! Get the lead out!"
Velvet just continued running past them, frantically lobbing spell after spell out in the opposite direction as she ran in Sun's direction.
And then another took a courteous stop to pleasantly inform them...
"Salutations, everybody! May I suggest retreating in my direction posthaste? It would really help you~!"
Penny hovered off with a cheerful smile on, the Slate Knight firmly planted onto one of her floating swords.
All in all, Ren had the blankest look in all of history. He didn't even register getting lifted up in Ellie's trunk and getting sat down inside Port's harness.
"..."
He just looked so lost...!
"Come on, Ren, snipe with me!" exclaimed the hammer-wielder, lifting up her weapon in grenade-launcher form and holding it rather awkwardly in imitating an actual rifle.
"..."
Professor Port gave a hearty laugh at the two, prepping his own Blunderaxe as he willed Ellie into briskly running forward. It should be said that trees were no object that can stand in its way.
"Ha-hah! You two remind me of my days on the preserve... Hunting all sorts of Grimm with my old friends, and betting which of us could bag the grandest trophy~! Of course, yours truly had a knack for it! I remember bagging quite the catch in the form of a rare, gargoyle-like creature, whose head now sits proudly on my mantle! Hohoho~!"
"..."
Of course, the last of the impromptu trio also managed to hitch a ride, Dr. Oobleck now sporting his adventure'rs hat in a show of spirit.
"Peter, as much as I had a feeling you would save our bacon, was that really necessary?!"
"Of course it is! There's nothing like the feeling of superiority on the field of battle!"
"But all the costs are going to come out of OUR pockets...!"
"..."
"Hey, what's that over there~?!"
Nora gleefully pointed out into some far-off trees behind them, where one could barely see some shuffling amongst the foliage. Of course, she never hesitated to just aim and launch a bunch of grenades in that general direction, grinning in an ever so deranged fashion.
"Killstreak!"
"... Huh?"
Apparently, Nora was on the money, as through the smoke came out a large mob of damaged androids, stumbling with maybe a few limbs lost and some damaged armor...
That was until a whole line of them got crushed under a large, scaly body, a King Taijitu swiping them all up with ease and beckoning a horde of Grimm to come skulking out of the woodworks and trampled whatever opposition remained. More than a few took notice of the humans running away, and eventually the Grimm all gave chase.
"Well, it looks like you got your wish, Port old friend. Joy..."
Dr. Oobleck sighed as he readied his flamethrower as well.
"Never have I expected Hunting Season to be opened here this close to the school!" he joyfully replied, already firing off into the chest of an Ursa Major and downing it. "I daresay the stakes have been raised even higher!"
"... Swell..."
Ren wanted to curl up then and there, but to no avail. Duty called as he readied his line of sight and his pistols at the horde chasing them.
"Just... swell."
"Shitshitshitshitshit...! FASTER BUNNY-BUNS!"
"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH! I'm running as fast as I can!"
Velvet managed to catch up to her comrade and Faunus-in-arms, Sun still making tracks like a bat out of hell.
"I hear something big still behind us! Damn it, we can't take on that many of those robots at once!"
Sun slowed down just a bit, putting his ear up to try and parse what was coming... It was then that a certain bovine crashed into him, sending him careening into a nearby canopy.
"WHAAAA...! Ooof!"
As he hung up on the tree in pain, the faint cries of a whole team crying out for salvation went off, making his ears ring.
"Ugh..., of course everything's going wrong. Why should I have expected any better?"
With a dull, flat stare, Velvet shot a small blast of magic, breaking off the branch that held him and sent him plummeting to the snowy earth below.
"Ow!"
"... Why is this happening...," moped the mage, nursing her freezing ears despite being covered up. "Let's save Ruby and Weiss, they say... Stop the knights and stay together, they say... Well who's going to save us?!"
Kicking the ground and getting snow on the monkey man, Velvet turned back with a burning hatred in her chocolaty eyes...
"If you're quite done being ineffectual, then perhaps we can make our final stand for everyone to finally notice us...?"
Whimpering, it took a few seconds for Sun to comprehend what she was saying... and promptly freaked out.
"Whoa, listen Velvet...! I ain't going out in a blaze of glory, you're doing that just fine on your own..." His spirits fell as he went on, taking a more somber and reflecting tone. "Secondly, all I seem to be good for right now is just eye-candy, yet no one cares. They really don't. I could just peace out, and no one would miss me. No one."
Sulking, he turned away from the rabbit girl and didn't notice the twinge of guilt that she had on her face... He also didn't notice when the girl walked up to him, until she forcefully turned him around.
"Wh-Wha...? What are you doing...?"
Velvet Scarlatina still kept the fire in her eyes, yet now she had a tender smile stretch across her face as she proudly proclaimed, "You are not useless, Sun. You have been a valuable partner and friend throughout our entire tenure this day, and for that, you deserve quite a bit, I'd say~! In fact..." she blushed, looking away for one second before she resumed... "Don't sell yourself short... There's one person out there who'd miss you... I...!"
"V-Velvet, I don't know what to say...!" 'G-Gee..., I never knew this rather crazy bunny broad could look so... cute~.'
For once, Sun's heart was warm and fluttering with some sort of strange feeling...! It was like his heart grew three sizes in that brief moment...
"Yes...! I'm very sure that... Neptune would miss you...!"
...and his heart would sink about a foot from where it stood, nestling beside his kidneys and almost getting crushed by his intestines. Anatomy.
Sun... did not feel as loved, especially with the way Velvet looked so so genuine with her sparkly happiness that made him almost want to hurl.
"..."
"Sun? Is everything all right?"
"..."
"Are you thinking about Neptune then? Well, don't mind me~. I'll leave you to your thoughts. But be quick, because we've got an intruder in our midst...!"
Leaving him to what she thought were his thoughts, Velvet perked an ear up to get a good reading on what was approaching...
'Uh... Whatever it is sounds light... Almost flying in mid-air... Definitely taller than me... Speed is definitely quick...!'
"Hey, I wanna know something," groaned a dismissive-sounding Sun, "Why is it you're assuming I like dudes...? Seriously, you haven't even met the guy! Neptune's totally looking into chicks all the time! He's kind of a nerd, but he's a bro."
"Shhhh! Don't bother me right now..."
Placing a muffling hand to the monkey man's mouth, Velvet silenced Sun and beckoned him to listen for whatever it was she was listening in on.
"... I don't hear anything."
"Shh-shh-shh! It stopped... What could this me—"
"A-A-A-AHHH! So persistent!"
Bolting from a nearby bunch of trees, a certain witchy woman sped out with branches and other natural accents all over her body, swinging her wand upwards and literally cutting an android in half with ease.
"Damn it...! They just keep coming! Gah!"
Another three of the rank and file robots sprang out of the canopy, Glynda Goodwitch making quick work of them by thrusting her arm up to meet them with a large ball of plasma that shot forth and shredded them. Debris and pieces of armor littered the ground around her feet.
Planting her hands down by her knees, she took a short breather, much to the concern and befuddlement of the Faunus Two close by.
"Uh, Professor Goodwitch?" began a hesitant Velvet, inching forward and stopping when the professor took notice of their presences and straightened her posture. "Why are you so far out here in the Forest? Are you here to help us~?"
When she nodded in replying to her, Velvet was beside herself, taking to hugging the curvy combat instructor with anticipated relief.
"G-Get off of me, Miss Scarla— You're pinching me in places my clothes aren't meant to be pinched...!"
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou~! Oh, my nightmare is over! I just want to return to my normal, non-aggressive, non-stressful life...! Ahhh-ha-hah-hahh~...!"
As she sobbed thankfully into Glynda's shoulder, Sun was looking at them, thinking this event was very out of place for the situation they were in!
"Uh, ladies, if you don't mind not macking on one another for just a moment..."
That snappy comment drew ire from both of the females present, making the simian guy take a step back in reflex.
"Ch-Chill out there...! I'm just saying we're not out of the woods yet! Literally, we must have spent the better part of an hour out here! I don't think I can feel my tail anymore, I'm freezing my ass off!"
Despite being reasonably clothed in a coat and earmuffs, he shook his free tail of any frost that had accumulated, to his dismay that it even happened.
"Can we just get out of here before things get even wo—"
All of a sudden, interrupting Sun was a bunch of trees falling over yet again, the caravan of carnage consisting of many familiar faces heading on a collision course with the three on the ground!
"Holy SHIT!"
"Hit the deck!"
"What the...?!"
Sun tried to escape into the trees with his superior climbing ability, only for a net to shoot towards him and hitting its mark, dragging him into the cab.
Velvet scampered off in the other direction, and she was quickly intercepted by a blur of a man, both disappearing an instant later.
As for Glynda...
"Unhand me, you wretched beast!"
...she was wrapped up in the long trunk of Ellie, the elephant that never forgets. Never breaking its stride, it focused on the human it held in its grasp, contemplating crushing it in a bestial rage, before it decided to calm down and soften its grip.
"PORT! However in all of the kingdoms you managed to put this together is wracking on every one of my nerves! Set me down this instant!"
When all the rotund Hunter did was chortle with no ill intentions, Goodwitch yelled out several profanities in unbridled, unprofessional rage.
"Calm yourself, Glynda~," Port said in good spirits, "I can assure you that I only had a hand in assisting my students, as planned by the Headmaster! Things just snowballed from there, and as you can see, I have amassed quite the hunting party!"
The behemoth elephant then lifted Glynda up to see that there was indeed a collection of people inside!
Dr. Oobleck stood precariously on the railing, unfazed with the constant rocking with a pair of binoculars looking off behind their trail.
"No sign of the enemy as of yet... Ensign Nora, your report?"
Nora was enthusiastically scouting as well, looking through her hands rather than a device.
"From the look of it, I can unequivocally say that I can't see jack, sir!"
Ren sat in a corner with his eyes clenched shut, as if he were trying to ignore his very surroundings. Although with StormFlower comfortably in his lap, perhaps he was actually meditating.
"Just find your zen... So long as you have attained inner peace, one can stay sane throughout this nightmarish circus...!"
Velvet was no longer distressed, now fiddling around with a strange box that she wasn't seen carrying around before...
"Come on, come on, work...! Ugh, if only Coco were here, so I could unleash the final limiter and escape this frozen hell... But then again, if she were here, I'd just run away with her and be in blissful paradiso~..."
And finally, Sun was still trying to get the net off of his backside.
"This sucks...! Can't anybody stop and give me a hand?! No one likes a monkey in captivity, right? RIGHT? ... Screw you guys..."
"... Well, it is a relief to see you all here," started the good witch, looking over everybody present and returning to a professional demeanor, "For the time being, I require everyone to present an account of their activities this evening. If you require more time, do not hesitate to request for—"
"Bogey at fifteen o'clock!" Nora shouted as she shot some grenades over at a small bunch of Boarbatusks intent on charging in, hitting her mark with a controlled detonation. "I got 'em, Boss!"
Having finally been set down inside the crowded cab, Glynda slouched into a tired seating position in the corner, sighing into her hands.
"I know that feel, Professor," uttered a calm Lie Ren, just before he lifted one of his guns up and shot at the sky, hitting a Nevermore in the face and causing it to crash to the ground, where Nora promptly assailed it. "I know that feeling very well..."
"Stay very..., very calm, Jaune..."
"I-I know...! I just didn't think we'd have a n-n-ninja staring us down like this...!"
Despite their best efforts, both swordsman and spearmaiden found themselves with their backs to the wall, courtesy of several throwing knives jutting from the ground around them. A lone figure clad in sleeker, blackened armor, with a noticeable lack of fancy adornments save for an actual cloth draped around the legs, much pointer pauldrons around the shoulder, and a much thinner slit for its visor...
The Shadow Knight was stalking over to Jaune and Pyrrha like a panther had cornered its prey, holding its pair of twin daggers in both hands. As if it needed anything else.
It then sped forward into a very quick dash, prompting the redhead to bring her shield to the forefront.
"Rgh, we can't... let it through here...! Jaune, what are you doing?! Get out and do something!"
Unfortunately for her, said young man had cowered behind her in a moment of cowardice. To be fair to him, the knives were pinned all around them, and he might slip on one and get a few pommels to his entire body.
"I-I-I know, just let me think of something..."
The ninja android was a lot more pragmatic about letting Jaune think on it, ducking under Akouó and flinging both of the daggers at their feet, a solid beam forming between their handles and wrapping around their ankles like a bolo. As they both fell over, the Captain Knight made a very flexible reach for one of the stuck knives, bringing it down on thee hapless pair!
CLANG!
The knife managed to get stuck into Crocea Mors' shield, Jaune putting it up in an adrenaline-fueled rush to defend.
"I've got this...!"
No sooner than he said that, the ninja robot swung another arm to the ground, pivoting very tightly as it drove another knife... into Jaune's shield.
"Like I've said, I seem to have a knack for just being in the way."
"Whoa...! J-Jaune, you...!"
As he was still bound, how he managed to defend was beyond anyone, much to Pyrrha's pleasant surprise. If the Shadow Knight could feel any emotion, it would have been baffled by the teenager's sudden spike in competency, but it didn't, so it instead bent its back over very sharply and grabbed another pair of knives and—
"Nope, can't let you do that," exclaimed Jaune as he stumbled forward and bashed his shield into the legs of the shifty android. He then drove his blade into the beam string, severing their ties and allowing the two of them the freedom to move a fair distance from their foe.
"Phew~! Glad to get out of there!"
"Stay sharp, Jaune, it isn't over yet!"
The Shadow Knight was quick to back to its feet, holding up its fists in front and stretching out a few more beam ties between its fingers, all burning brighter than the casual tie and causing the gauntlets to smoke. Clearly, this meant business.
"Agh, great...," groaned Jaune, readying a more resolute sword at his side. "Into the fire from the frying pan, I be—"
"GET US OFF THIS CRAZY THI-I-I-ING!"
Out of the shaded woods came a savior in brown and black... and white. And a cross-eyed stare that could send one into deep madness if you stared into them for too long. In fact, it would be impossible to stare for too long, as Edgar came rushing out with Team CRDL still clinging on, startling everyone.
"Wh-What the heck?!"
"Uh..."
The Knight itself had no words to drone as it seamlessly shifted to the side, narrowly avoiding Edgar's wanton charge...
"ACK!"
...and into CRDL's subsequent path as they were bucked off of the cow Grimm, sending the Shadow Knight to the floor beneath them.
"Ugh..., I can't feel my stomach," groaned Cardin Winchester, as he and his cronies got up to their feet with a wobbly shake.
"C-Cardin...? What are you all doing here?"
The resident bully took one listen and tried to look the part of the confident guy, only to teeter forward, almost falling as he caught himself on his knees.
He gasped out, "Well... It wasn't a ride full of fun and games, I can tell you that much...! I just wanna go home..."
Pyrrha looked him over with a discerning eye, and felt bad for him. "Just don't make anybody uncomfortable, and I think we can help you out with that, Cardin."
The lot of them stood a lot more rigidly, reluctantly accepting the terms.
"Yeah, I guess... Though now I gotta ask, what are you two doing out here?"
Cardin didn't expect them both to just point downwards at his feet, the meaning lost in him and the rest until he started to feel something move underneath.
"Whoa!"
CRDL all were flung off a short distance as the Shadow Knight rose back up. Perhaps due to a servo glitch, now it had something that could be mistaken as rage as it produced a whole array of knives along the lengths of its arms, sending those who noticed into alarm as it poised itself to strike...!
"Moo..."
Edgar ran into the ninja android from out of nowhere again, sending it spiraling high into the air before landing very ignobly into the snow.
"..."
"..."
"Did anyone just see that...? No? Was it just me?"
"I saw it, Jaune, though I'm not sure if I want to acknowledge it..."
It was then a massive foot crushed the Captain Knight under it, bringing everyone into even higher alarm as it went on its merry way...
The sight was... very odd, to say the least. It looked like everyone was having a good time atop the massive creature of Grimm, paying no heed to the people they just passed. Especially in the case of one Sky Lark, who was directly underneath the beast as it stomped by, miraculously unfazed.
"I think I may have had my heart stop for a second...! I saw my life flash before me...!"
Everyone shook their heads or clutched their own hearts, relieved...
"H-Hey, what is that?!"
Jaune's fevered yell brought them all to the attention of a mass rustling of nature before them, as a pack of Beowolves leaped out of the brush and howled out at them. Snarling, they began converging on them all, with the odd Ursa and medium-sized Death Stalker among their ranks. Team CRDL were quick to get back on their feet as they, along with Jaune and Pyrrha, braced themselves for a fierce fight!
"Wasn't expecting THAT! Pyrrha!"
"I know...! Don't worry, we'll make it through!"
Both held up their shields just as the Beowolves held out their rending claws for their throats, Russel Thrush quick to capitalize by flipping up onto the defenders' shoulders and thrusting both his swords into the shadowy wolves' skulls. Meanwhile, Pyrrha broke off and held both sword and shield at the tips of her fingers, concentrating her Semblance of polarity into blasting forward into an incoming Ursa's stomach, sending it reeling backwards until a bullet landed through its heart, courtesy of a smug Dove Bronzewing and his revolver/sword.
"This... feels weird, teaming up like this..."
"I know, tell me about it," muttered an indignant Sky, as he and Cardin teamed up to slash and bash another wave of Beowolves apart.
"Cardin, look out!"
The mohawked Russel's warning came a little too late for his leader, as the Death Stalker was rushing in past all of the other Grimm in order to bring its pincer down on Cardin, himself only realizing when he was inside its grip, and the only thing saving him was his mace.
"What?! Damn it, why didn't we just run away...?!"
The other pincer was now being lifted up, ready to crush him, as Jaune reached out for him in a last-ditch effort!
"No! I have to make it, come on, come on...!"
It was then that Jaune felt a strange feeling surge across his entire being, welling up and bursting forth, thanks to his innermost resolve and desire...
'W-Wait...! Is this my S-S-Sembla—'
"Mobile Platform Nora 2.0, FIRE!"
...and in the span of a split-second, he lost it.
Just... lost it. He LOST his Semblance as soon as he finally...! Oh my god...
Stumbling over himself, Jaune laid on the ground as he witnessed an utter bombardment where both Cardin and the Death Stalker stood, the semi-massive scorpion conveniently taking the brunt of every grenade and lightning bolt to its back and tail. With a sickening crunch, the tail actually managed to break off, along with the rest of its carapace, roasting the Stalker into oblivion and relinquishing its hold on Cardin. He was quick to turn tail to the safety of company, right as a storm of bullets, fire spouts, and spells rained down on every last Grimm present; a massacre if there ever was one!
...
"What the HELL WAS THAT?!" he screamed, just before he noticed that yet another large creature was staring him down..., before it blew a rush of hot air from its trunk.
"Did someone call for a savior~?!" chirped an all-too cheerful voice.
"What...?! AHHH!" From Cardin's point of view, he fell back a bit in surprise, thinking it was the voice of the elephant itself, until he heard giggling.
"...It's one of your pals, Arc—"
"You all better get on this crazed beast, before you regret it, Mister Arc! That goes for you too, Mister Winchester! Ugh, how many of you are here?!"
Everyone took notice of Professor Goodwitch's panicked tone, beckoning them to at least run in their direction.
"Uh..., what are you doing, Professor Good—"
"Damn it all! MOVE!"
That was all the warning she gave, before she stretched out her hands and formed many sigils in the air, quickly calling forth a swell of magical bolts just as the King Taijitu slithered into sight!
"OH CRAP!" "SHIT! Everyone MOVE!"
As Glynda unleashed hell, both leaders hurried their feet over to the Tantor, Port chortling like it was no thing as he continued to blast into the Taijitu's scaly hide. The portly professor lowered rope ladders on both sides of the cab, enabling them all to hitch a ride...
"Uh, Pyrrha, I'm kind of... under you on the ladder...?"
Jaune blushed. Guess what he was looking at from below his partner's position...
"Oh! S-Sorry, let me just—"
"NO TIME! Sorry, Jaune, but we've gotta do something first! HYAH!"
Ren slapped the beast on its hindquarters, spurring it into action and back into a stride... only for it to turn around! Ellie showed no compunction about beating down whatever decides to be in the path of its rampage, and that included the giant twin-headed snake in front of it...! Unfazed as it narrowed both sets of eyes at them all.
With a deafening roar, Ellie stomped forth, ready to do battle with the Taijitu!
"Oh crap...!"
"Yeah, ram 'em, Peanuts!"
"EVERYBODY BAIL!"
"Wha...?! Oh no, not again!"
"I say, this was quite the ride, Peter! So sorry to bail!"
Thanks to its bestial rage taking hold, everyone bailed from the cab in a hurry, with the exception of...
"I told you before, Miss Valkyrie, her name is 'Ellie'! Not Peanuts!"
"That's no fun! Come on, live a little!"
Nora and Peter Port, who were both anxious for a good old-fashioned Giant Monster fight!
"FOR DUST'S SAKE, NORA, this is dragging out for FAR too long! Get off the elephant!"
Ren's outburst could have been its own subject, as he delved into the mysteries of this absurd adventure and its absolute animosity against all acts of sanity, but as it stands, Ellie crashed into the waiting maws of the serpent, flinging Nora off in the process anyway as the snake tried to bite into the leathery skin and armor!
Port almost looked like he was swallowed by the Taijitu, its fangs obscuring him, but he stood tall, blasting rounds from his Blunderaxe into its sensitive tissue. The reptilian foe felt revulsion at the gunfire in its throat, swinging its alabaster head wildly in response and loosing the hold it had on Ellie. It swung so wildly, that the darker head had to swing into the other one to get it to stop, hitting it into the building and causing its weakened walls and exposing the inside for all to see...
"What the...? Is that—?"
"RUBY! WEISS!"
"Whoa, is that her dad...!?"
The scene before them was a battle-torn arena, stalagmites of ice jutting out from underneath the floor, one half of RWBY downed and off to the side, and finally, Ruby and Weiss furiously standing off with a man who shared traits with the heiress and glowed with power...! They paid the melee outside no heed as more and more peered inside...
"Assistance please! I have assailants pursuing me!"
To everyone's surprise, Penny flew on past, blasting a beam from her sword array as a Nevermore attempted to viciously peck at her. Being so close to the ground, this forced the alternate lot to scatter as the giant raven started to take notice of its surroundings...
SCREE-E-E-E-E!
The Nevermore let a piercing scream fly as it stood leering at all the humans, Faunus, and android before it, all of them ready to take the fight to the feathered foe if need be.
"...I should have just ran when I got the chance..."
Somehow, four people said that at once...
"Shut up, Ren." "Shut up, Cardin." "Shut up, Sun." "Be quiet, Bartholomew..."
Everything was crumbling around them; their peace of mind, their sanity, their stamina, and their patience... Despite this, the end looked to be so close as their comrades were fighting with everything they had, and the rest had to respond in turn.
Everything could be lost, nothing could be gained...
No one could stand to fail now. Least of all, the girls who wanted to stay together no matter who opposed them...!
"Seriously, we're doing this just for them?! What the hell, man?!"
"SHUT UP, SUN!"
A/N: ...
Yes. I regret absolutely nothing about this.
Okay, maybe a little.
Filler. Is. Over! The reason I packed so much into this chapter, is that the final chapters are indeed filled with EVEN MORE! I want to be finished by next Christmas, dammit! While this wasn't a rush job (On the contrary, I plugged away at this over the last few weeks, concurrently with the past few chapters), I want to keep everything in its proper place. Also, I lost a bit of progress concerning the last stretch, so there's that too.
I know I'm parroting this again, but I thank you all for your patience! This goes out to you, Guest from November 4! Main story back on track next time!
The end... is... near...!
Stay tuned for the final battle for everyone's souls! Oh, I'm so exhausted after all that...