A/N: This chapter take place during 'Destiny'.
Team RWBY's Dorm:
"I'm sorry, but you've left us with no choice." Said Ironwood pacing in the girls room with Weiss, Blake, and Eddy sitting on one bed while Ruby and Yang were sitting on the other bed.
"But he attacked me! And Ed and Double D would never do anything like that!" Argued Yang.
"Video footage and millions of viewers say otherwise. Not to mention the damages caused to the city, several soldiers in the hospital, and nineteen dead bodies." Said Ironwood still pacing.
"But Yang would never do that! Neither would Ed go on a rampage or Double D kill nineteen people!" Argued Weiss.
"Yeah!" Said Ruby standing up.
"You all seem like good students, and the staff here at Beacon are fully aware that you would never lash out the way you did... under normal circumstances. What I believe and hope this to be is nothing more than the result of stress and adrenaline. When you're out on the battlefield, your judgment can become clouded in an instant. Sometimes you see things that simply aren't there. Even after the fight is past..." Said Ironwood as RWBY listened and Eddy just remained silent as he was fuming with absolute anger.
"But it-"
"That's ENOUGH!" Yelled Ironwood silencing Yang as she sat back down.
"Arresting Double D and Ed like that?... Using the stupid excuse of stress... What's wrong with you?" Asked Eddy, not yelling but talking in an incredibly threatening tone.
"Should I remind you of the crimes your friends commi-"
"NO!" Yelled Eddy as he got up on his feet and pointed at Ironwood. "MY FRIENDS WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT! SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG! NEITHER ED OR DOUBLE D WOULD HURT A SOUL! DID YOU EVEN PUT DOUBLE D OR ED THROUGH A LIE DITECTOR TEST TO SEE IF THEY WERE LYING LIKE YOU SAID THEY WERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!?" Yelled Eddy.
"We already have enough evidence to detain the both of them... Yang only broke a students leg, your friends are responsible for a sea of felonies that are much worse..." Said Ironwood.
"SO THAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO LOCK THEM UP LIKE ANIMALS AND JUST THROW AWAY THE KEY!? IS THIS TO MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A HERO AFTER THE GRIMM BREACH AND MARS!? THEY ARE JUST KIDS! YOU CAN'T JUST-"
"STOP NOW! AND SIT DOWN! OR ELSE!" Yelled Ironwood as he and Eddy glared at one another spanning for around ten seconds before Eddy sat back on the bed still absolutely furious as Weiss placed her hand on Eddy's, trying to calm him down. But it was ineffective. Ironwood sighed as he spoke again.
"The sad truth is, whether it was an accident or an assault, it doesn't matter. Or under their own control... The world saw what all of them did. They've already drawn their own conclusions. And it's my job to inform you that... you are disqualified." Yang's shock turns into miserable understanding when she looks to the ground. "And your friends will be locked up until we can schedule a court date for them." Said Ironwood as Eddy glared at him and Yang's expression of sadness increased. Ironwood then leaves the room.
"You guys believe me, right?" Asked Yang.
"Any you guys... Don't think that Double D and Ed really did those bad things? At least not with their free will." Said Eddy.
"Duh!" Said Ruby.
"You're hotheaded, but not ruthless. And Ed might not be, the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he never lost control and became feral. And Double D wouldn't even hurt a fly." Said Weiss as they all turned to Blake who remained silent.
"Blake?..." Asked Yang as she started to become sad and Eddy started to become frustrated.
"Well!? Say something!" Yelled Eddy.
"I want to believe you..." Admitted Blake.
"Huh!?" Asked Ruby.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Asked Weiss as Eddy became even angrier and Yang started to sob.
"Blake? You really think we're all guilty?..."
"So you think Double D and Ed should rot in jail? Or better yet, toss Yang in there too?!" Asked Eddy as he got up and stood over Blake who faced away from him and remained silent.
"Eddy-" Weiss tried to reach her hand out but Eddy slapped it away.
"No! I want you to tell me right now why you think my friends and Yang should rot in prison for the rest of their lives! Tell me!" Yelled Eddy as he shoved Blake catching the rest of Team RWBY's attention.
"Tell me now! I want to know!" Yelled Eddy as Ruby and Weiss got up and managed to sit Eddy back down. Blake remained silent a little while longer before she turned her head to Eddy and spoke.
"You want to know?... Fine. I had someone very dear to me change. It wasn't in an instant, it was gradual - little choices that began to pile up. He told me not to worry. At first they were accidents, then it was self-defense. Before long, even I began to think he was right... This is all just... very familiar." As Yang looks up, tears now falling down her face. As Eddy looked at her, he started to turn crimson with fury.
"But none of you are him. And none of you never done anything like this before. So... I want to trust you guys. I will trust you guys. But first, Yang, I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me that he attacked you. I need you to promise me that you regret having to do what you did." Said Blake as she looked over as Yang wipes her eyes of tears, then says as calmly as possible.
"I saw him attack me, so I attacked back." Admitted Yang as she lets out a deep breath as she closes her eyes and smiles, then looking back up at her partner.
"Okay. Thank you." Said Blake as Eddy still sat there fuming.
"So, I guess since Double D and Ed are locked up you automatically think they're guilty, huh?"
"No, I never said anything like that."
"So then what do you think BLAKE?" Asked Eddy as he got back up again.
"You think Ed and Double D should STAY in the slammer!?" Asked Eddy as Blake remained silent.
"I said ANSWER ME!" Yelled Eddy as the room shook a bit.
"... With them... People are dead and-... I don't know what to think..." Said Blake as Eddy just stood there and stared at Blake emotionless.
"Wow... After EVERYTHING Double D has done for you... How he helped you, hung out with you, and even made a super suit for you... You just stab him in the back like that?"
"I never said I thought Double D was-" Blake was interrupted.
"Shut up... My friends are in JAIL! Yang is lucky! She was only banned from the Tournament! Let me ask you something, if you were called to their trial and asked if you think they should go to jail for life for everything they're accused of, what would you say?" Everyone remained silent.
"Fine..." Said Eddy as he turned to the door. "Why would I hang out with a so called 'friend' if she thinks my friend should be put in jail for the rest of their lives..." Said Eddy opening the door.
"Eddy, please wait-!" Yelled Weiss.
"Just leave me alone!" Yelled Eddy as he slammed the door. Everyone looked down saddened.
"Is, Is Eddy going to be okay?" Asked Ruby.
"*Sigh*... I think he just needs time to digest this... All of us should..." Said Weiss.
"I don't want to make right now just about me but... Can I just have some time to rest?" Asked Yang.
"We'll get out of your hair." Said Blake as all three of the girls get up and leave the room as Ruby is closing the door, pausing only for a second to see Yang slump forward before shutting it completely. She joins Weiss and Blake in the middle of the hallway.
"This is a mess..." Said Weiss shaking her head and sighing. Following the sound of an opening door as Jaune peeks out of Team JNPR's room, with his team peering around the edge in concern.
"She doing okay?" Asked Jaune.
"I heard Mercury and his team rushed back to Haven to be with his family. So, until they land, no one can really question him about what happened." Said Ruby.
"Yes... And Eddy stormed out..." Said Weiss as Blake looked down guilty.
"We all heard the screaming... And, the Ed's... Did you... Hear any more news about them?..." Asked Jaune.
"... They were sent to Tartarus Maximum Security Prison... And they're not letting any visitors in to talk to Ed or Double D... And Eddy, he was hit pretty hard by this..." Said Ruby.
"Rolf can see why." Everyone looked over to see KRJ standing there.
"Is your teammate and Eddy doing alright?..." Asked Kevin.
"She just needs time to sort everything out... Same with Eddy..." Said Blake.
"Yang isn't guilty! I tried to tell Mister Ironwood a thousand times Yang didn't do it but-" Jonny was cut off.
"No one believes you..." Said Ruby.
"Yeah... Nobody believes me..." Said Jonny.
"We believe you Jonny, we know that Yang wouldn't do something so heartless..." Said Weiss.
"Yeah." Said Kevin as he placed his hand on Jonny's shoulder. "We believe you pal. It was a little hard at first, but. We all believe you." Said Kevin as Jonny looked around him to see everyone nodding, even Blake.
"Thanks guys..." Said Jonny looking at everyone and nodding his head.
"If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask." Said Ren from inside the room.
"All right then. If that's the case..." Said Ruby as she turns her gaze up again. "Pyrrha?" Pyrrha looks to the younger girl as she gets herself seated on a bed. "Hm?"
"You be sure to win one for Beacon, okay?" Asked Ruby grinning.
"It's what Yang would want." Said Weiss.
"And the Ed's." Said Kevin.
"I'll... do my best." Said Pyrrha faking a smile.
"I'll be sure to watch tonight in case you're picked!" Said Ruby as Pyrrha's smile dips down into worry as she looks away.
"Sorry but, I think I've had enough fighting for one year." Said Blake.
"Ditto." Said Weiss nodding as the two girls look at one another.
"Coffee?" Asked Weiss.
"Tea." Said Blake as the three members of RWBY walk down the hall. KRJ stood there a little longer as Kevin said.
"I guess we'll catch you guys some other time. Later dudes." Said Kevin as him and the rest of his Team walked off as Jaune closes the door. Pyrrha continues to look forlorn, until... Nora suddenly gets up in Pyrrha's surprised face, grinning madly.
"You heard the lady! No more moping around!" Nora backs away to the other side of the room, now clad in pink workout clothes and sweatbands, as she points to Pyrrha. "We gotta get your butt in shape for the big fight!" Said Nora as she starts doing random exercises - running in place, pushups, jumping jacks - while she speaks.
"It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be the most important fight of your entire life!" Said Nora as she culminates this demonstration by lifting a barbell tipped with 1000 pound weights on each end, holding it in the air and sweating profusely before falling backwards.
"Um..." Said Pyrrha unsure of what to say.
"Nora's right." Said Ren from another side of the room as Pyrrha looks at him in his pink apron reading "PLEASE DO NOTHING TO THE COOK"
"You can't let your concern for Yang hold you back. You need to focus. You'll be defending the honor of Beacon Academy." Said Ren.
"Of course. I-" But Ren cuts her off as he holds a glass filled with a green liquid making bubbling noises in front of her face. "This blend of herbs and vegetables is filled with nutrients vital to your body's well-being."
"Oh, that's-"
"Please, there's no need to thank me." Said Ren.
"'Thank you?' Ugh, that looks like slime from a lakebed!" Yelled Nora.
"Algae contains numerous spectacular properties. See for yourself." Said Ren as he lifts the green glass towards her mouth. Nora sips it down and immediately regrets it, face turning the same sickly green as the healthy sludge.
"BLEGH!" She goes straight over to the waste basket and dunks her head in, getting all of the liquid out while continuing to make disgusted noises until she turns back around to Ren.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!? Ugh..." Yelled Nora.
"Me? You're the one that wasted perfectly good juice." Said Ren.
"We're supposed to help Pyrrha, not poison her!" Yelled Nora.
"There was absolutely nothing wrong with that." Said Ren.
"If it looks the same coming up as it does going down, then there's something wrong!" Argued Nora.
"Hey, how about we all get some fresh air?" Asked Jaune coming over and placing a hand on their shoulders. Pyrrha looks up at Jaune, who grins at his troubled friend.
Team RWBY's Dorm:
Yang, still in the dorm sitting on Blake's bed, looks out the window at the members of JNPR walking in the courtyard outside, Nora marching alongside Ren with Jaune and Pyrrha in the back, all of them looking happy to be with each other.
"Hey there, firecracker." Said Qrow suddenly revealed to be leaning against the door, arms crossed and a small smile on his face.
"Hey, Qrow." Said Yang sadly as she gazes down.
"So, why'd you do it?" Asked Qrow after he snorts like her response was funny before becoming serious.
"...You know why."
"All I know is that you attacked a helpless kid. So either you're lying or you're crazy. And the brainy kid and your boyfriend... Made a real mess out of the city." Said Qrow.
"I'm not lying. And I know Double D was framed and Ed was manipulated. Ed would never do anything like that!" Yelled Yang.
"Okay, so your not lying, your crazy. And with your boyfriend, I though I was overprotective of you..."
"So you think Double D and Ed are guilty too?"
"How should I know? I just met them." Said Qrow.
"And now they're in prison... Ed's in prison..." Said Yang as she was about to shed a tear, but hid it to not look weak in front of her uncle.
"And here I thought your dark-haired friend was the emo one." Said Qrow.
"I saw my mom." Yang looks at Qrow's sudden stop and shocked reaction from the corner of her eye.
"I-I was in a lot of trouble. Took a pretty hard hit. But when I came to, the person attacking me was gone. And I thought I saw... her. Her sword, like the one in you and dad's old picture." Said Yang.
"He... You're not crazy, Yang." Said Qrow as he turns and nods, smiling sadly. "That was your mom, all right. Let me guess - she didn't say a word, did she?" Asked Qrow.
"How did you know that?" Asked Yang as she looks up as he walks up to her between the bunk beds.
"I don't see my sister very often, but she does try to keep in touch... whenever it suits her."
"Wait. You mean you talk to her? That was real?" Asked Yang after shaking her head at the revelation.
"Yeah, she found me. Had a tip from my most recent assignment and wanted me to give you a message." Said Qrow.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" Yelled Yang as Qrow lets out a sigh as he goes over to the window, not looking at his niece.
"I was tryin' to wait for the right time, and this sure ain't it. But I guess you deserve to know." He looks back at Yang, gravely solemn. "She wanted me to tell you that she saved you once, but you shouldn't expect that kindness again. Raven's got an interesting way of looking at the world that I don't particularly agree with. And she's dangerous." Qrow points at her, back to smirking again.
"But you're a tough egg, kiddo. Shouldn't let this tournament thing get'cha down. Or how your friends are in jail. You had a slip-up, same as them, sometimes bad things just happen. I say it's time you move on." Said Qrow.
"Move on to what?" Asked Yang as Qrow was leaning down on the dresser under the window.
"Well... Raven let some info slip before she took off. If you ever wanna track her down, I think I might be able to help." Said Qrow as he glances back at Yang, who looks at him with her full attention.
Tartarus Maximum Security Prison: Cellblock B
It has already been several hours since Double D was thrown into a cell and locked up. He told his lawyer would come for him in the morning. Double D didn't know where Ed was put, but he did know for someone of his strength and power he would be put in a much bigger and stronger cell then the other inmates. All that Double D could do, for hours was sit in his cell silently and think... Just, try and piece together what exactly happened. Did somebody hack one of his suits? Did his suit develop a sentient mind of its own to kill those people and cause that destruction? Or was he just crazy? And what about Ed? Why did he attack everyone like that? Mind control? And what about Yang? Some sort of an illusion or something like what Jonny said? None of this makes any sense. Double D still just sat there silently, unsure of what to think. Until a voice interrupted his thoughts...
"You've been really quiet in there. Usually when some poor scumbag is dragged in here they cry and sob for hours or scream in anger as they scream the nastiest curse words anyone can imagine... But you just remained silent..." Said the voice. Double D was originally going to ignore the voice of his neighboring prisoner, but that was until he recognize the voice.
"Mars?! Mars Polemarchos?"
"Yeah... What about it?"
"I'm Double D, and I-"
"Locked me up in here... I know, I heard about what happened." Said Mars as Double D had a shocked and surprised look on his face.
"How did you-?"
"Being an ex-captain for the Atlas military, I get a couple of accommodations like TV and I'm even allowed to use the internet form time to time... But because of my, 'aggressive' behavior towards other prisoners. The prison staff are keeping a super special eye on me." Said Mars.
"Killing them?"
"Like being locked up in a concrete box for a few year will automatically cleanse them of the sins they've committed..." Said Mars.
"...Does that mean your going to kill me when you get your hands on me?..." Asked Double D blankly and hopelessly.
"Actually... No." Said Mars as this surprised Double D.
"What?" Asked Double D turning his head to the concrete wall that Mars was behind.
"I saw the massacre that metal suit has committed, I saw the video. I also saw the video of you fighting your big friend there. A little blurry and shaky since it was filmed by a random civilian and all... But I could still make everything out." Said Mars as he continued.
"First of all, I have fought in so many battles so many times that I can tell remember the movements of an opponent of how they fight. To see if their afraid, brave, angry, or whatever... When you fought me, all you really did was try to tackle and blast me, like you were never in a real fight in your life." Said Mars.
"Thank you..." Said Double D sarcastically.
"Of course... When I looked at the video of that robot suit of yours when it shot randomly into the crowd, it was much more robotic when it moved. Like it was calculating every step it took as it assessed its surroundings, whatever that was... It wasn't you kid." Double D started to look a bit hopeful as Mars spoke again.
"And your big monster friend, the one who I punched in the nuts. I know that monster was him, and he moved around like he was a cornered animal fighting back, like a mad dog. When I last fought him he was strong, slow, and clumsy... But he was never afraid or fought like a cornered animal... Something was wrong."
"And the blond haired girl you fought? What do you think about what happened with her?"
"It looked like she injured a helpless kid to me... But by how confused she looked afterwards, I think I believe her..." Said Mars.
"Why are you talking to me like we're on the same side? You tried to kill us!" Yelled Double D.
"I never wanted to kill you or your friends... I only wanted to kill any piece of scum I could find and butcher them. I'm not crazy... I'm not crazy, okay? I know what I did to them, those worthless pieces of scum who decide to hurt others... I'd do it all again, because It's what needs to be done." Said Mars.
"On the bright side, at least I have someone who believes me... Even though that 'someone' is a psychopath..." Said Double D out loud.
"Get used to it kid... Were gonna have a lot of time to start gettin' to know each other." Said Mars as Double D looked depressingly at the floor once more.
Outside the Dining Hall: Later...
In the twilight, Pyrrha sits alone outside the dining hall, head bowed as the wind rises. She sees the air blow a single orange leaf onto the cobblestones at her feet, and she looks at the fall colors with a face of total fright, remembering the sight of Amber in her comatose state and the choice weighing her down.
"Hey" She turns her head up to see her smiling friend with a large cone of cotton candy. "I-It's no green goop, but I think it still might do some good." Offered Jaune.
"Um, right. Thank you, Jaune." Said Pyrrha after stares at the offered treat while she comes back to the real world before hesitantly taking it. Jaune's beam fades as he sees her still-tormented face, and looks to the far end of the building as Nora and Ren come around, the latter carrying a cotton candy, a tub of popcorn, and a drink to sip on. Nora knowing what's happening right as she sees it and gesturing to her distracted friend.
"Uh... come on, Ren. Let's go back to the fairgrounds. I'll win you another stuffed animal." Said Nora she drags him away from Jaune and Pyrrha's private scene. looks back to Pyrrha and takes a seat next to her.
"You were the first person to ever believe in me, you know that?" Said Jaune as he manages to get her to look at him as he laughs in sadness to himself.
"Even when I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I ended up having to move back home. How depressing is that?" "
"I'm sure they didn't mean-" Said Pyrrha as her sorrow becomes surprise, eyes widening and dropping the pink fluffy snack as she realizes Jaune's hand is placed upon hers.
"I guess... I'm just trying to say that... you've always been there for me... even when I didn't deserve it. And I can tell there's something on your mind, so... I don't know. How can I help?" Asked Jaune as Pyrrha's astonishment melts away into contentment, she leans over and places her head in a startled Jaune's shoulder, closing her eyes. "You're already doing it." Said Pyrrha as Jaune quickly matches Pyrrha's smile with his own, and the two stay there for a long moment, but as an additional autumn leaf joins the first, Pyrrha's expression darkens once more.
"Jaune..." Said Pyrrha as she gets up from her nestling.
"Hmm?" Asked Jaune as Pyrrha suddenly takes her hand out from his, looking away.
"I don't know what to do." Admitted Pyrrha.
"W-What do you mean?" Asked Jaune as Pyrrha glances up as she wonders what to say.
"Do you believe in destiny?"
"Um... I-I don't know. I guess that depends on how you view it." Said Jaune taken aback as Pyrrha explains her opinion as the wind blows the two leaves away.
"When I think of destiny, I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather... some sort of final goal, something you work towards your entire life." Said Pyrrha.
"Okay. Uh, yeah. I can see that, sure." Said Jaune as he was struggling to find the right words as she glances at him.
"Well... what would you do if something came along that you... never expected? Something that had the potential to stand between you and your destiny?"
"Like what?" Asked Jaune.
"Or what if you could suddenly fulfill your destiny in an instant, but at the cost of who you were?" Asked Pyrrha as Jaune was leaning over and attempting to place his hand on her shoulder.
"Pyrrha, you're not making any sense." Said Jaune as Pyrrha stood up away from his touch, holding herself as if on the verge of tears.
"None of it makes sense! This isn't how things were supposed to happen!" Yelled Pyrrha as Jaune gets up as well, spreading his arms in confusion.
"I'm sorry! Please, I-I'm just trying to understand what's wrong." Said Jaune.
"I've always felt as though I was destined to become a Huntress - to protect the world... *Sighs* and it's become increasingly clear to me that my feelings were right. But... I don't know if I can do it." Said Pyrrha.
"Of course you can. The Pyrrha Nikos I know would never back down from a challenge. And if you really believe it's your destiny to save the world..." Said Jaune as he moves towards her, confident in his answer. "You can't let anything stand in your way." Despite Jaune's intentions, this doesn't bring relief. Instead, Pyrrha looks absolutely shattered, covering her mouth as she begins to sob.
"Pyrrha?" Asked Jaune realizing his mistake.
"Stop..."
"Did I say something?"
"STOP!" Yelled Pyrrha as she holds her hand out, a black energy surrounding it as she unintentionally uses her Semblance to push Jaune's armor and its wearer into the dining hall column. He weakly watches her from his spot above until she opens her eyes and realizes what she's done.
"Jaune!" Said Pyrrha as she lowers her hand and lets him fall to the ground, finally letting the tears come as he looks up. "I'm... I'm sorry..."
"Pyrrha, wait!" Yelled Jaune but his outstretched arm does nothing to stop her from running away, and he faces the ground, cotton candy still discarded beside him. "What did I say?"
Docking Bay:
At the cliffside docking bays down the main alleyway and under the floating Amity Colosseum, Ruby and Rolf who decided to accompany her to get another look around at the docking bay, walks up to the end of the line waiting to get in the transport up to the arena. Ruby turns her head to see Brawnz and Nolan talking outside the line, and beyond that, Sun walking away, Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang over his shoulder, with a familiar rabbit Faunus snapping photos of him. Ruby tells Rolf as they step out of line and approaches her from behind as she continues taking pictures with her camera until she notices who's behind her.
"Ruby, how you going?" Asked Velvet.
"Hi, Velvet!" Said Ruby happily.
"Oh, and you brought your friend who helped out with Fox and me a few days ago." Said Velvet as she looked at Rolf.
"Yes! Of course my bunny eared friend! Rolf is happy to beat up whatever son of a gun decides to hurt others!" Said Rolf as Velvet giggled.
"What're you up to?" Asked Ruby.
"Oh, you know. Just working on my photography. Do you wanna see?" Said Velvet as she offers her camera to Ruby and Rolf, looking extremely delighted. Both immediately notices that Velvet didn't even get all of Sun in her picture, cutting out his head and feet.
"That's... better." Said Ruby as she steps away as she grins in forced approval.
"Still far better then the pictures Rolfs nano and papa takes when they get a new soul taker..." Said Rolf as he looked at Velvet but tried to change his answer. "Umm... Rolf means even better then what news paper soul takers come up with!" Said Rolf as Velvet just giggled as him again before putting her camera away.
"I'm... sorry about your sister. And your other two friends. Is she doing okay?" Asked Velvet concerned.
"Yeah, she's fine, heh. Thanks." Said Ruby.
"They are tough nuts to crack! It will turn out good for the two Ed-boys and Yang with hair that glows like the sun girl." Guaranteed Rolf optimistically.
"I think it's just awful what people are saying about them. Yang's such a nice person, Ed is one of the nicest people I've ever met, same goes for Double D." Said Velvet as Ruby laughs and rubs the back of her head.
"Well, I'm glad someone thinks so." Said Ruby.
"Most people don't know what it's like on the battlefield. I mean, even experienced fighters can get scared and start seeing things. If it happened to Coco, it can happen to anyone." Said Velvet as this caught Ruby and Rolf's attention.
"Come again?" Asked Rolf.
"Coco?" Asked Ruby tilting her head to the side.
"Yeah. She swore she saw Yatsu with her in the forest during the fight with Emerald and Mercury, but he never even made it out of the geyser fields. Stress-induced hallucinations, apparently." Said Velvet.
"Yeah..." Ruby turns her head away in thought, only to look back at Velvet after a quick flash startles her.
"Oh! Sorry." Said Velvet apologetically as she lowers her camera then turns to Rolf. As Rolf quickly puts a sack over his face with a crude drawing of a face on it.
"Rolf is ready to have his soul drained form his very eyes, yes?" Said Rolf politely.
Amity Colosseum: Later...
Back in the Colosseum, people are back in the stands cheering and ready for entertainment as Ruby descends down the steps to an open seat. But as she sits down, she realizes that she is sitting next to Eddy who is sitting there still angry.
"Eddy?"
"Hey Ruby..."
"Where have you been?"
"I've just been walking... Look. I'm just trying to get my mind off of what just happened anyway I can. I just want to sit here and enjoy the fight as best as I can..." Said Eddy.
"I'm sorry Eddy..." Apologized Ruby as Eddy sighed.
"It's not your fault... Look, were both trying to adjust to what happened with my friends, and your sister... I'm sorry, I'm sorry about what I did in the room and-" Eddy was cut off.
"No, don't be. You had every right to be angry there... I'll sit somewhere else if you want." Offered Ruby.
"Actually, I wouldn't mind a little company. So, how about this? For tonight we try and forget about what just happened and try to enjoy the fight? What do you say?" Asked Eddy trying to smile as Ruby just nodded and sat down next to him. Despite everything that's happened, she's smiling widely, looking around at the assembled crowds... until her stupefied eyes see a familiar, glaring face on the other side of the arena.
"Emerald's... here?" Asked Ruby caching Eddy's attention as he looked across the arena as well.
"What? Isn't she supposed to be with Mercury?" Asked Eddy looking across the arena.
As if sensing she's being watched, Emerald leans forward to glare at Ruby. Eddy surprised at this glares back at her, as Ruby suddenly gets up with a worried expression and runs towards the exit tunnel. Eddy looks over and yelled.
"Hey, where are ya goin'?" Eddy didn't get a response as Ruby kept running. Eddy rolled his eyes as he got up and followed her. Checking to see if no one's around, she enters a door labeled with a yellow maintenance sign and finds herself inside of the Colosseum. She walks forward with determination as the announcers' voices are heard, muffled behind the brick walls.
"All right, it's now time to begin the randomization process for our next fight!" Announced Oobleck as the sound of the roulette is heard faintly, but what makes Ruby stop in her tracks is the sight of another unexpected "friend" stepping out from a nearby tunnel, completely unharmed and definitely not going home.
"Mercury?" Asked Ruby confused as Eddy burst through the door.
"Ruby! What are you-... Murc? Is that you?" Asked Eddy as he stopped in his tracks standing next to Ruby as he was surprised to see Mercury standing there.
"It looks like our first contender is... Penny Polendina from Atlas..." Announced Port from back outside.
"What are you doing?" Asked Ruby as Eddy started putting the pieces together getting angrier and angrier as he was looking at Mercury.
"And her opponent will be... Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon!" Announced Port.
"No... " Said Ruby, realizing what was going to happen.
"Ooh, polarity versus metal. That could be bad." Said Mercury as he placed his hand to his chin.
"Oh, you sick piece of trash! I knew it was you all along!" Yelled Eddy as Ruby glares at their new opponent, reaching back to grab Crescent Rose, only to remember she doesn't have it on her. Eddy tries to reach for the Swordfish, but remembered he left his weapon behind as well. Mercury simply grins maliciously and sets himself up in a fighting pose.
"You worthless piece of scum! When I get my hands on you I'm gonna rip your legs off and shove them up your nose!" Yelled Eddy furiously as Mercury just smirked at this.
Outside, the arena's center is lifting back into the air, and an oblivious Penny is grinning wildly, with her fellow redhead Nora cheering excitedly from the stands, even getting Ren to let out a reluctant "Yaaay..." Pyrrha, face and body still filled with depression, looks to the ground while the stage finishes being set up.