Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Up. She had to go up.
Faster. Faster. Before something bad happens.
She can feel something bad will happen if she doesn't make it in time.
Time seemed to slow for her as she reached the top of the tower, and the action on top of the tall tower of Beacon was revealed to her. Ruby's heart sunk as she landed and saw the arrow pierce through Pyrrha's heart. There was an emotion that surged forward that Ruby couldn't place through the shock of Pyrrha dying.
Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl, was just killed and Ruby couldn't do anything about it. It was a bitter thought that had more rage attached to it then she had ever experienced in her life. It was overwhelming for Ruby as she felt more than saw the dragon-esque Grimm begin to freeze along with being accompanied by a giant flash of white before she blacked out.
Ruby found herself standing on the edge of the school with the rest of team RWBY, as they prepared for a 'team bonding' session that Weiss and Yang prepared. Of course, she knew that just meant they were going shopping for clothes, again. She could vaguely remember participating in those in the past, though the good memories don't seem to stick as well. She knew there was some sort of psychobabble that explain why that was but she couldn't bring herself to care too much.
She knew that her team was trying to understand things and that nothing was making much sense since the Breach happened. It was also a lot harder to slip back into the role of a teenaged student that was the leader of her own team. It didn't help that she never saw Blake in those 10 years after the Fall, and Weiss lost most of her autonomy due to her father's interference. It so made it more difficult to trust them when her team consisted of the remnants of Team JNPR and not her original team.
It honestly hurt to realize that RWBY never really had the chance to grow into the team they could have been. She was also plagued with the question of trying again, and there was no simple answer to come her way. It wasn't like she could just ask someone since the only 3 people she could ask would have mixed answers anyway.
Jeremie never had a team like this so his advice could easily vary to the point of being worthless to being profound in a way that no one would even think.
Ozpin was her headmaster and would, of course, tell her to try again but she still couldn't exactly find it in her to actually trust him again.
That just left Qrow, and honestly, she was even more unsure how he would answer her question than even Jeremie. Her uncle wasn't the leader of Team STRQ but he did have to deal with the loss of teammates, and it did make her question if he would try to connect with his lost teammates if they were to suddenly appear again.
Though she had to shake her heads of her thoughts when she saw Yang trying to get her attention again.
"C'mon Rubes, we've been trying to get your attention for the past 5 minutes."
Ruby just smiled at Yang. "Sorry, what were you saying?"
Weiss snorted from the side. "The bullhead is here. Seriously Ruby, what has had your head in the clouds? You've been like this ever since the Breach."
Ruby just looks away as she gets on the bullhead contemplating how to answer. Once again the question of trying to trust them again at the forefront, before she frowns and looks at each of the other 3 in the face. All she found she could mumble was, "It's complicated."
She saw the rest of Team RWBY give each other significant looks before all looking back at her. She already knew that one of them would ask the next question. "Complicated how?"
She stared at Blake, the one who asked the question, for a few moments before just shaking her head and looking out the window. What more was there for her to say? She knew that she was expected to answer, but she just knew at that moment that she couldn't bring herself to answer the question, especially not in the way that they want.
She heard them all sigh as they felt the jostle of the bullhead they were in, and it was all she needed to know that they were going to drop the conversation for now, but she was under no misconceptions that this was only temporary.
She slowly got up to follow the other 3 as they began to exit the bullhead, and couldn't help but close her eyes as some of her memories flash through her mind. "It just is…"
Though due to her closed eyes, she would miss the concerned look that Blake would shoot her way as they enter the city.
Qrow was extremely amused at the horrified looks on the council members' faces at the statement made by his fellow instructor. It was like the idea of the death penalty was too much for them to handle.
Though, Qrow mused, with Ozpin's normally passive actions it made complete sense as this would be the first criminal execution in probably over 300 years. He remembered looking up the information with his sister after they entered Beacon, and he had been shocked to learn the man that was executed, was considered a terrorist in a similar vein to the White Fang. The man had, from what Qrow had read, nearly destroyed Vacuo with his anti-Grimm experiments.
It was ironic to Qrow that the man was doing inhumane experiments on humans in the hopes of creating a weapon to defeat the Grimm. He had later learned from Qrow that the experiments were based on creating something stronger than the Silver-Eyed Warriors by injecting people with the blood of the warriors and fusing it with salvaged Grimm carapaces. Though how he managed to get any of these Grimm parts used for the experiments, and frankly, Qrow found he didn't want to know.
So he knew that the old men and Ironwood didn't take to kindly to the idea of just killing off a criminal, even if said criminal lead Grimm into the city through an old tunnel that was sealed. In all honesty, Qrow knew that they would cave and that Torchwick would be executed with much prejudice.
The only way that Torchwick wouldn't meet his maker would be if he made a deal with Ironwood, which may have been likely at this point, but Qrow wouldn't bet on it. Not when they were no closer to being able to take out Cinder from the game to deal a heavy blow to Salem. Well, a legal way to deal a heavy blow, which is the best way to deal with her since she is masquerading as a student in public.
Qrow sighs as Ozpin decided to speak up to end the reigning silence. "You believe that this is the best course of action for us? To execute the Master Thief?"
He saw how everyone except Jeremie stare dumbly at Beacon's Headmaster. They were definitely confused at Ozpin's nonchalance at the situation.
"Tell me, Ozpin. What kind of recourse would you give people deranged or desperate enough to survive that try to destroy humanity itself?"
One of the councilmen finally managed to find his words, as he proceeded to interject himself into the conversation. "Ozpin, you cannot be seriously contemplating this man's words."
Qrow frowned as he looked at the serenely amused looking face on Ozpin, who was leaning back in his chair like a mastermind. "How would you say that Torchwick knowingly tried to destroy humanity?"
He just observed the anger on the councils' faces as they realized that they were being ignored and he silently sighed as Jeremie answered. "Oh, I just read some of the mission reports that are, by the way, all on the public listings. Huntsman Bartholomew Oobleck confirmed the presence of stolen military technology, the presence of the White Fang working with Torchwick and bombs used with the intent of setting loose the Grimm inside the city of Vale. This, of course, means that Torchwick knowingly and willingly let Humanity's enemy into the city, with the intent of destroying this city."
Qrow saw Ironwood finally get into gear as he cut into the conversation. "And how would that equate to trying to destroy humanity? Or give you the right to even suggest that we execute one of MY prisoners."
He almost laughed at how narrow-minded Ironwood's thought was, but he held it in at the clapping. It took him a second to even realized that Jeremie was indeed clapping at Ironwood, though it felt heavily sarcastic to him.
"Yes because a Master Thief, who is clearly not the head honcho, only had plans for Vale seeing as they stole both enough dust for an army and high-end Atlus military equipment. Clearly Vale is only the beginning, and Atlus would take the fall for it leading to their demise."
The confusion was back on the faces of the councilmen and Qrow felt he had to speak up. "Honestly gentlemen, don't you think the man, who has been giving our law enforcement the slip for the past year, gave himself up to easily? From what I can gather, he accelerated the plan because they were found out and that led to him allowing himself to be captured, most likely knowing that Ironwood was in the city with his tin army."
Jeremie smiled with all the whites of his teeth showing. "Ah yes, the fact he clearly gave himself up is interesting, especially as the public would easily misconstrue it into him losing, but if it were all according to plan? A plan that would lead to the end of humanity? I'd say that is worth execution. Then again I believe that it wouldn't be unreasonable to declare the White Fang, enemies of the world and for a notice for them to be put down on sight…"
Everyone in the room rose their eyebrows at Jeremie with that one. A kill on sight order? Why would anyone implement that kind of situation? Qrow felt a chill up his spine as a thought occurred to him, just what kind of game was Jeremie playing?
His thought wandered as things began to heat up over the life and death of Roman Torchwick.
