And we get back into the Bastion. This is going to have repercussions for later on, but let's take this one step at a time. Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, the Persona series, Five Nights at Freddy's, or Devil May Cry.

Volume 2-8: Force to Protect

The next day say the students heading for the Forest of Forever Fall. Susie placed a hand on her hips as she overlooked the place. "What's up?," Ruby asked. "I'm just reminded of an old friend of ours," Susie explained, "I don't know if Gabe or the others told you this, but the four of us aren't siblings by blood. We were found together and raised as siblings, until we were adopted by Merlock Holmes, whose wife was unable to have kids of her own." "I was wondering about the different traits," Ruby admitted, "So who was this friend?"

"Her name was Cinder," Susie said, "She was a big sister to all of us. But one day she got adopted by a noble family called the Falls. She promised to call us every day. And she did... For a few months. But eventually the calls stopped. The last thing she called about was her adoptive mother dying and her father remarrying." Ruby grimaced. "I've read enough fairy tales to know where this is going... Anyway, let's collect those samples for Professor Peach." "I've always thought she was rather short to be a Huntress," Susie noted, "I mean, her name is Thumbelina, after all."

I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast awakened to a new vow

It shall become the wings of hope
That lead thou to a shining future

With the birth of the Sun Arcana
Thou hast obtained the key to balancing light and shadow

Sun (Susie Holmes) Rank 1: A Huntress in training and member of Team FJGS. She confides to Ruby about the history of her and her brothers, as well as a missing friend...

The trip was mostly uneventful, at least until Cardin nearly got attacked by an Ursa when he spilled sap all over himself. He had been trying to hit Pyrrha with the jar, at which point his friends would have released some rapier wasps. Jeremy had seen the jar incoming and used a quick sonic wave to bounce it back. Luckily for Cardin, Jaune was able to defeat the monster, which he greatly appreciated. "That should teach him some humility," Jeremy noted. "You think he'll change?," Ruby asked. "Not overnight," Jeremy said, "But this should remind him of a Huntsman's duty. We're meant to protect each other, not start fights." Ruby nodded in agreement.

Devil (Jeremy Holmes) Rank 2: He protects one of his friends from an attempted prank, then remarks on what he feels is the true duty of all Huntsmen and Huntresses.

After everyone was back, the group headed back to Vale, Pyrrha along with them. Susie was nearby, having followed them on her own. "This is going to get wild," Jaune said, "So you'd better be prepared." Pyrrha nodded. Then she gasped as the void emerged, turning Vale into a large bank. "What is this?" "This is Vale as Roman Torchwick sees it," Weiss explains, "One large bank that he can steal from at his leisure." They noticed Skull nearby, his Jolly Roger, a club that could collapse into a shotgun, slung over his shoulder. He noticed Pyrrha. "So now we're actively recruiting?" "I guess," Jaune said, "Oh, that's right. We need knew codenames."

Yang thought for a moment. "Well, since I'm so straightforward in my fighting, I guess I'll call myself Rook. What about you?" She looked at Fritz. "There were tales long ago of a pirate who protected any who sailed the seas," Fritz said, "I'll name myself after his vessel, the Jackdaw." Jaune looked to Pyrrha. "You might as well pick one for yourself." "How about Ace?," Ruby suggested. Pyrrha thought about it. "I think that sounds perfect." "Then I'll be Celeste!," came Susie's voice. "Susie!?," Gabriel said in shock, "How did you get in here?"

"I dunno," Susie said, "I was just watching you guys to see if you'd go anywhere, then here we all are." Wolf approached the group. "Anyone who is near the Meta-Nav can get drawn into it." He adjusted his Javert, a longsword that could split in two with the blade folding in to reveal twin pistols. "We have two more joining us soon," he said, "And we've already identified the Riot Point." He lead the group there. The group took their stances, Ruby at the front. "Ready... GO!" Pyrrha watched as the group started tearing through the Shadows, Wolf having summoned Valjean, a giant man clapped in irons and dressed in prison garb.

"We should help," Susie said. "But what can we do?," Pyrrha said, "It's not like we have the same power." "We have to do something," Susie noted, "Even if it's just stalling them, we have to help our friends." 'Sounds like there's not much for me to discuss,' came a voice that sounded just like Susie's. Susie gasped. "This is..." 'I know you can feel me. And you know what must be done. We cannot let this tale end prematurely...' Susie eyes briefly turned yellow before a white opera mask appeared over her face. 'Your will is strong, so let's make it even stronger. I am thou, thou am I.'

Susie nodded. "That we are. We are one and the same. I feel you, and your power. So let's fight together... SCHEHERAZADE!" She ripped off the mask, and Pyrrha guarded herself as Susie erupted into flames. When they subsided, Susie was now dressed in an elegant white blouse, with a torn dress of the same color that revealed her leggings, her arms covered in fingerless gloves. Behind her was a woman in Arabian garb that sat in a kneeling position. "New ally identified," came Cyber's voice as she dropped down. With her was a woman in a black two piece with matching gloves and boots, with a box over her head and another forming a collar over around neck.

"Who are you?," Susie asked. "My codename is Cyber," Cyber replied, "And this is Pandora. One moment while I assist the others." She got out Epimetheus, a Dust blaster that could fold into an attack yo-yo. Susie nodded. "I'll help too!" Scheherazade seemed to focus on psychic skills, attacking opponents mentally. Once the Riot Zone was broken, Ruby found herself in front of a creature with the body of a plucked chicken and a head that looked like an onion. After some talking, she found herself with the Persona Onmoraki.

The group continued on. As they did, Ruby managed to get two more Personas. One was a serpentine hound named Inugami, the other an origami wolf named Makami. However, as they approached the Room of Origin, they got ambushed by a guard Captain. "This is the secret haven of Roman. None may trespass here!" He revealed his true form, a large monkey with a lion's mane and a snake for a tail. Powerful as it was, Jaune was able to down quite easily. "Wait, please! If anyone were to learn of Roman's past, it could ruin him."

"He's already a wanted criminal," Ruby pointed out, "Pretty sure his reputation is already in shambles." "Maybe so, but not all of his past is so violent or evil. He has been developing his current image for months." "Sometimes it's better to let your real self be known," Ruby pointed out, "No one likes to be hated, after all." The Shadow seemed to contemplate this. "What you say makes sense. I feel as though we are one and the same. My name is Nue. I shall join you as a mask from now on." Ruby smiled as she collected the formed mask.

During the following scene I will be referring to the effigies by name, but keep in mind they are only Cognitive effigies, and not the characters themselves.

Inside the Room of Origin was a curious setup. A Poker table with four people at it. An effigy of Roman sat at one end, with the other three facing him. Susie blinked. "Hey, that effigy looks like Cinder. But why?" "No idea," Gabriel said. The other figures were the local police chief and Adam Taurus. There was room for one more player. Fritz took the table right away. "Is this alright?," Weiss asked. "Not to worry," Gabriel said, "No one's ever beaten Fritz at Poker." 20,000 lien was put up by each player, with Adam putting up 400 lien for the small blind and the chief 800 for the large blind.

Fritz looked at his first two cards. It was Texas Hold 'Em Poker, hence why there were only two. 'Two of Spades and Jack of Hearts...' "Call," he said, placing another 800 lien into the pot. The Roman effigy did the same, as did Cinder. Adam placed in 400, while the chief checked. The Flop, the first three community cards, were dealt out. Ten of Spades, Three of Diamonds, and Ten of Hearts. "Oh, that's an easy Two of a Kind!," Ruby said excitedly. "Yeah, for everyone," Yang pointed out.

Adam checked, as did the chief. Fritz considered his options. "Check." Roman did his own check. Cinder then increased the bet with 6,200 lien. "She's either confidant or bluffing," Susie noted. The table was designed so none of them could move around the table to help the designated player, meaning they couldn't tell Fritz what cards the effigies had. Adam immediately folded after seeing the bet. The chief, however, decided to raise by another 6,200. Fritz looked at his cards, then shook his head. "Fold." Roman then really raised the bar by going all in, a total of 19,200 lien. Cinder decided to call, as did the chief.

Roman's cards were a Three of Clubs and Queen of Clubs, Cinder's a Jack of Spades and Three of Spades, and the chief's a Five of Spades and Three of Hearts. The Turn revealed a Nine of Hearts, and the River a Seven of Spades. That gave Cinder a Two Pair with Tens and Threes with a Jack Kicker, the chief an identical Two Pair with a Nine Kicker, and Roman another identical Two Pair with a Queen Kicker, winning Roman the Hand and knocking out Cinder and the chief. Literally, as the two effigies ceased to function.

The next round started up with Fritz paying the small blind and Roman the large blind. Fritz found himself with a Five of Diamonds and Ace of Clubs. Adam raised by 4,200 lien. "Call," Fritz said, laying down 4,600. Roman also called with 4,200. The Flop was a King of Spades, King of Clubs, and Three of Clubs. "Check," Fritz said. Roman checked as well, while Adam threw in 3,000 lien. Fritz smirked. "Call." Roman decided to fold, and the Turn revealed a Ten of Hearts. Fritz nodded. "All In." He threw in his last 11,200 lien. "That's a big gamble," Jaune noted. "It is Poker," Gabriel pointed out. Adam must have been way too intimidated, since he decided to fold, leaving Fritz to walk away with the pot.

Now Roman paid the small blind and Adam the large blind. Fritz had a Queen of Hearts and Ten of Spades. "Call." He threw in 800 lien. Roman threw in 400, while Adam checked. The Flop came up with an Ace of Clubs, Two of Diamonds, and Ace of Diamonds. Roman checked, and Adam threw in 2,800. "Raise," Fritz said, throwing in another 2,800. Roman folded right there, as did Adam. Fritz took the pot, and the next hand came up. Fritz now had a Three of Diamonds and a Nine of Diamonds. Adam paid for the small blind while Fritz had the large blind.

Roman called with 800 lien, Adam answering with 400. "Check," Fritz said. The Flop was revealed, with a Seven of Diamonds, Two of Spades, and Eight of Hearts. Adam bet with 3,400 lien. "Call," Fritz said, throwing in another 3,400. Roman Raised with 6,400. Adam went all in with his remaining 3,400. "Call," Fritz said. He threw in 6,400 lien, plus a side pot against Roman for 6,000. The Turn revealed a Queen of Clubs. "Check," Fritz said. Roman bet 1,000 lien, with another 1,000 in the side pot. "Call," Fritz said. That was another 1,000 in both pots. The River was then revealed, Five of Hearts.

"Check," Fritz said. Roman also checked. Fritz only had a Queen High. Adam's cards were a King of Hearts and an Eight of Clubs, giving him a Pair of Eights. Roman's cards were an Ace of Diamonds and a Seven of Hearts, giving Adam the hand with the higher Pair, whilst Roman grabbed the side pot. The next hand gave Fritz a Nine of Diamonds and a Jack of Diamonds. He was paying for the small blind while Roman had the large blind. Adam made a call with 800 lien. "Raise," Fritz said, adding 800. Roman called, as did Adam.

The Flop was a Queen of Spades, King of Diamonds, and King of Hearts. "Bet," Fritz said, tossing in 800. Roman raised to 3,800. Adam decided to fold. "Raise," Fritz said. He added another 3,800. Roman decided to fold, leaving Fritz with the pot. Now the blinds increased to 600 and 1200 lien. Roman paid for the small blind while Adam paid for the large blind. Fritz's cards were a Six of Hearts and Four of Clubs. "Call," he said, laying 1,200 on the pot. Roman added 600, while Adam checked. The Flop was a Four of Hearts, Three of Clubs, and Eight of Hearts.

Roman bet with 4,000 lien, causing Adam to fold. Fritz considered his options. "Call." He laid out another 4,000. The Turn was revealed as a King of Clubs. Both Roman and Fritz checked, and the River revealed a Jack of Clubs. Roman Bet with 1,200. Fritz shook his head. "Fold." The next hand was dealt with Adam paying the small blind and Fritz the large blind. Fritz had an Ace of Diamonds and Five of Hearts. Roman called with 1,200, and Adam answered with 600. "Raise," Fritz said, laying out another 1,200. Roman answered with a call. Adam called as well.

The Flop was laid out, a King of Spades, Jack of Clubs, and Ace of Spades. "This could turn out well," Susie noted. Adam made a check. Fritz also checked, while Roman throw in 4,800. Adam immediately folded. "Call," Fritz said. The Turn was revealed, a Three of Diamonds. Fritz rubbed his chin. "Check." Roman bet with 7,000 lien. "Raise," Fritz said, betting 7,000. Roman answered with a call, and the River revealed a Seven of Spades. "Bet," Fritz said, tossing in 1,200. Roman called. Fritz came out with a Pair of Aces. Roman had a King of Clubs and a Four of Hearts, giving him a Pair of Kings. Fritz had the higher pair, giving him the pot.

He was now paying for the small blind while Roman had the big blind. Fritz smirked when he saw his cards. A Four of Clubs and a Four of Hearts, a guaranteed Pair. Adam immediately went all in. "Raise," Fritz said, throwing in 16,400. Roman then went all in himself, with a side pot against Fritz. Roman revealed a Ten of Clubs, and King of Hearts, while Adam had a King of Clubs, and Ace of Hearts. The Flop was revealed, a Four of Spades, Five of Diamonds, and Nine of Spades. The Turn was a Nine of Diamonds, and the River was a Six of Clubs.

Yang cheered. "That gives Fritz a Full House with Fours and Nines, while Adam only has a Pair of Nines and Roman another Pair of Nines. Fritz wins!" Both the Roman and Adam effigies shut down, causing the door to open. The pictures inside were a little different than what one would expect from the violent sociopath Roman was painted as. In fact, they showed him actually working with a certain police officer to catch more dangerous crooks. "It looks like there was a time when Roman wasn't so different than us," Ruby noted, "And he was apparently quite the nice guy."

She pointed to a picture of Roman helping a young girl maybe a few years younger than him, with dark brown hair and gray eyes. "Think that's his partner Neopolitan?," Yang asked. "Maybe," Weiss said, "But this picture is far more important to us." She showed a picture of Roman at a funeral for the officer he had been working with, the bowler hat in his hands. Ruby then noticed something. In all the pictures of Roman from his time with the officer, Roman hadn't been wearing his trademark hat, but the officer was. "The hat was the officer's... Roman must have chosen to wear it in his honor."

"That was during a time when the police force was corrupt," Jaune noted, "Only Burnie Gordan still held true to the ideals of justice, and worked with Roman because he felt the same. I remember my dad telling me stories. When a bust gone wrong resulted in Burnie's death, Ozpin cracked down and worked with the Council to remove the corruption. Unfortunately, Roman must not have realized it." "That explains the effigies," Ruby realized, "He's under the thumb of two bigger criminals, wanted by the police, and being tracked down by Huntsmen and Huntresses. He's feeling overwhelmed."

They took the picture to the Door of Origin, only to get ambushed by a sudden explosion. Another guard captain approached. "Time for your end, Phantom Thieves." Pyrrha gasped. 'What do I do...? I should be able to help but... What if they think less of me? I've been trying to move away from the so-called "invincible girl".''You'll never protect anyone like that!' Pyrrha gasped at the voice as pain wracked through her head. 'Being a Huntress and being a champion are two very different things! Did you not want to use your strength to help others? To be a beacon of hope and guide others to a brighter tomorrow?'

Pyrrha's eyes had turned yellow as a metal helm mask appeared over her face. "You're right. I can't protect anyone just trying to be normal. If I wish to help others, I need to be at my best." 'Then you are ready for our contract. I am thou, thou art I. Bring forth your might, and leave your enemies broken before you!' Pyrrha grabbed the mask and started to tear it off her face. "And so I shall... HIPPOLYTA!" As the flames that erupted around her subsided, the group saw her dressed in more covering armor, a shawl draped around the bronze coverings. Behind her was a mechanical statue of an armored woman carrying a spear and shield.

"It's about time," Panther said as she leapt down, "You've been trying to make up your mind forever." She smirked at the captain. "Let's dance, Carmen!" She summoned a violet-skinned female in a gypsy gown with two tiny men chained to her hands. Getting out her SMG, known as Gypsy, she gave a flick of her wrist and part of the gun unfolded into a metal whip. Ruby managed to get up and pulled the captain's mask off, revealing a paper giant in humanoid form. The Shadow proved vulnerable to the nuclear skills Hippolyta had. Ruby was then able to speak to it, getting her the Persona Shiki-Ouji.

The group then entered the room with the Treasure. Susie was a little confused. "A blob of rainbow stuff?" "We still need to send the calling card to make it manifest," Joker explained. "But Roman could be anywhere in the city," Ruby pointed out. "I'm sure he'll notice if we send a city-wide calling card," Cyber pointed out, "Oracle is currently getting us a bullhead with a jumbotron attachment. That will get Roman's attention for sure." "Looks like everything settled then," Gabriel said, "Let's head back to reality." The group nodded and returned to the entrance.

Cyber and Panther introduced themselves as Ann Takamaki and Sophia Ichinose before leaving. As the team returned to Beacon, Ruby noticed Pyrrha looking a little relieved. "You doing okay?" "That was the first time I ever let myself run wild like that," Pyrrha admitted, "It's also the first time I've ever made any real friends. All the friends I made during my sports career were only interested in my fame. Or maybe the money it was bringing in. But I've always wanted to use my talents to help others. Now I have the chance to do just that." Ruby smiled. "Well, you're in good company with us."

I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast awakened to a new vow

It shall become the wings of hope
That lead thou to a shining future

With the birth of the Lovers Arcana
Thou hast obtained the key to balancing light and shadow

Lovers (Pyrrha Nikos) Rank 1: A Huntress in training and member of Team JNPR. Now ready to use her talents to their full potential, she joins the Phantom Thieves...

Here's Ruby's current Persona lineup:

Medusa Lv27/Berith Lv13/Koropokguru Lv14/Mokoi Lv14/Hua Po Lv15/Koppa Tengu Lv15
Apsaras Lv16/Kodama Lv17/Kushi Mitama Lv18/Archangel Lv21/Nue Lv26/Shiki-Ouji Lv27

For those who don't know, Scheherazade was a young woman who told the stories found in the anthology A Thousand and One Arabian Nights. She was basically the daughter of a rich family who had been married to a king who had a habit of killing his wives after the wedding. Knowing this, Scheherazade made sure she'd be too entertaining and valuable to kill by telling stories that deliberately ended on a cliffhanger for the next night, or teasing that the next story would be even better. And in the meantime she made sure to fully ensconce herself in the government. The gambit paid off, and her husband even fell in love with her.

Hippolyta was the queen of the Amazon tribe in Greek mythology. Said to be the daughter of the war god Ares, she was gifted with a magical girdle and featured in the myths of both Heracles and Theseus. In fact, it's speculated that there may have been several women with the name. And for those of you concerned that a character based off a tragic hero killed in battle was given a Persona based off another Greek figure that is frequently killed in legend... Keep in mind that Shakespeare can give almost anyone a happy ending if he so chooses. (I'm referring to the comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream in case you didn't know, which takes place in Athens and has both Hippolyta and Theseus as minor characters.) Anyway, stay safe out there. Read and review.