Ruby looked between her ginger friend and the metal hands the girl was showing her as the sky continued to darken. Penny's words ran around in her head like a train before Ruby finally found her voice. "You… What…?"
"I'm not a real girl." Penny repeated, looking down at her hands before she began rolling her fingers. She and Ruby observed how the components moved, bent, and shifted into each other with each motion. "Girls like you are born. I wasn't. I was made by Atlas's government. I'm the first synthetic being capable of generating Aura. So I'm… Not a real person."
"… Of course, you are." Ruby said, taking the girl's hands before rolling them closed. "If you have an Aura, that means you have a Soul. You can't have one without the other. Just because you're made of nuts and bolts instead of flesh and blood doesn't make you any less real than I am."
"You… Really think that?" Penny asked.
"Of course." Ruby said, beaming a smile towards her. "I don't think I could make friends with one of those Atlassian Knights. But you? You have a Soul and a heart. I can tell."
A smile crept its way across Penny's face before the ginger pulled the red-haired girl into a tight hug. Ruby's feet came off the ground as Penny lifted her up. "Thank you for saying that, Ruby. You have no idea how much that means to me."
"No problem, pal." Ruby said, forcing a smile as Penny's grip on her continued to tighten. "Now can you stop… Crushing me?" With that, Ruby suddenly fell back to her feet, stumbling to maintain her balance before reaching behind her as she straightened her back, making sure all the vertebra were in place. In spite of the painful sensation in her back, Ruby couldn't help but smile at her friend. "Man, this is so cool!" Ruby gushed, finally giving in to her excitement. "I thought people like you only existed in comic books and stuff. I can't wait to tell the others-"
"No, Ruby, you can't tell anyone." Penny said, causing Ruby's excitement to die out.
"Why not?"
"Ironwood and my father say the world isn't ready." Penny said. "Something about finding my creation 'abhorrent.' But they need me to save the world anyway. That's why I'm competing in the Vytal Tournament. I want to see the rest of the world and see if I'm ready."
"'Save the world?'" Ruby repeated. "From what? We're in a time of peace?"
"That's not what General Ironwoo-" Penny suddenly froze up as she spoke, opening her hand to look at the components again as her eyes widened. "Oh no…" Penny muttered to herself as she pulled out her Scroll, panic intensifying as she read over the messages again. "Oh no."
"What?" Ruby asked.
"I called in a team of Atlas Soldiers for repairs!" Penny yelled, holding up her Scroll to show Ruby the messages. "They'll be here any minute, and when they find out I've revealed what I am to you, they'll… You need to leave, fast!"
"Uh, okay!" Ruby nodded, turning away from the girl as she prepared to shoot off. "I'll see you later, Penny." With that, Ruby disappeared in a blur and a cloud of rose petals, leaving Penny alone in the alleyway before the girl heard footsteps approaching her.
"What's with all the flower petals?" One of the soldiers asked as the pair approached the ginger.
In response, Penny gave the two a silent shrug. "Vale is such a strange place." She said, allowing a smile to grow across her face as she realized she narrowly avoided a hiccup.
"Hey Yang, I Just Realized Something." Scythle called out over the wind blowing past her and Yang's hair and the roar of Bumblebee's engine. "Shouldn't I Also Be Wearing A Helmet Right Now?"
"Yeah, probably." Yang answered.
A moment of silence passed between the two as they continued to ride down the darkening street, with the sun's glow replaced by the glare of street lamps and the occasional headlight, with the faintest hint of stars in the night sky surrounding the moons. "Okay, Just Checking." Scythle said with a nod.
Silence returned to the pair as they continued through the streets, before finally coming to their destination. To anyone else, the streets would look desolate. The wind carried plastic bags, wrappers, and discarded papers. Lights flickered as the two passed them. There was not a soul around them, leaving the street with a lifeless feeling. Yet as Yang brought her motorcycle to a park outside one of the buildings, the two could hear the faint pounding of music through its walls.
From the sound of things, Junior had a full house.
"Okay, Once We're In, Just Let Me Do All The Talking." Scythle said as the two hopped off the bike. "Try Not To Say Anything Too Stupid. Last Thing We Need Is You Acting Like A Newbie And Ruining This."
"This isn't my first time here, you know." Yang said as she pulled her helmet off.
"Yeah, But I Worked With People Like Him For A Living." Scythle said. "I'm The Expert Here."
"Why would anyone want to do business with you?" Yang asked as the two approached the entrance.
"Because I Get Shit Done And I'm The Best In The Biz." Scythle answered, before holding crossed fingers up to the blonde. "And Me And Lil J, We're Like This."
"Didn't you murder like half his gang when we met?" Yang asked.
"Every Friendship Has Its Hiccups." Scythle said. "But He's Totally Cool With It. Even Gave Me A Gig Robbing Th-"
As Scythle's voice came to a halt, so did the purple-haired girl. Her right hand was dragged forward as Yang kept going, before looking back at the frozen girl, whose silver eyes had gone wide. "What?" Yang asked as she cocked an eyebrow at her partner for the night.
"I Just Remembered Why He Hired Me To Rob That Bank…" Scythle said, before letting out a sigh as she resumed her pace.
Blake ran her fingers along the wall, tracing the fresh chalk marks that indicated the White Fang's recruitment drive. Confirming she was in the right place, Blake reached into her pocket and pulled out a white mask, before yanking her bow off of her ears. She wrapped the ribbon around her wrist before turning down the alley, watching a pair of horned Faunus get greeted by a bearded man as they entered the warehouse. As Blake approached him, her hand went over the emblem on her side, and she momentarily regretted her choice of clothing as she realized it would be a dead giveaway if anyone saw it.
She pulled in deep breaths as she approached the entrance, keeping her left arm tucked at her side as she passed the man. Upon entering the building, Blake's eyes widened behind her mask when she saw the large group ahead of her. Dozens of rows of black hoods and white vests stood in front of her, mixed with multiple hues from the new recruits. Blake attempted to swallow the nervous sensation building up in her as her eyes ran across the room, realizing how many people filled the large warehouse.
'Maybe we should have let Sun tag along.' Blake thought.
"New recruits, keep to the right!" A man yelled, and Blake found herself moving with the crowd of people dawning their own masks.
As the group around her filtered into their positions, Blake pushed her way closer to the stage. She stopped a few rows short of the very front of the crowd, wary that she would be recognized. She took another look around the room at the men and women wearing White Fang uniforms. Perhaps it was just the distance between them, but she didn't recognize any of them. A sense of relief filled her as she realized it would probably be the same for them.
"Thank you all for coming!" Blake heard a man call out from the stage and turned her attention forward to see a man wearing a full-face mask bearing resemblance to a snake's face. A black tattoo curled and knotted its way around his left forearm, and his silver gauntlets shined in the light cast down on him. "For those joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce one of our most prominent figures! I assure you, he is the key to obtaining what we have fought so long to achieve!"
With that, a projector's light was cast onto the wall. Blake's eyes widened behind her mask once again as the figure came into focus. His black suit was unmistakable, the way his hand rested on his sheath terrifyingly familiar, and the red markings on his mask almost glowed.
"Welcome, new recruits!" Adam called out through the loud-speakers, his voice as intimidating as his size, causing Blake's blood to run cold.
"Hey, boss!" One of Junior's henchmen yelled to the man at the bar from the entrance, barely heard over the booming music. "We have some people here to see you!"
"For what?" Junior called back, not even bothering to look up from the glass he was polishing in his hand.
"They won't say!" The man responded. "But one of them owes you big time!"
The rag in Junior's hand came to a stop, and his eyes briefly widened before hardening into a scowl as he realized what his henchman was talking about. "Let her in!"
"You sure?" The henchman asked. "Because she's with her!"
"Define your pronouns!"
Before the henchman could say anything further, the door behind him was blasted open, throwing him down the flight of glass stairs. Everyone in the club jumped as the explosion erupted, sending all of their attention towards the cloud of smoke pouring out of the door. As the dust settled, a silhouette walked through the opened doors, before the flashing lights of the club finally illuminated her familiar blonde hair.
"Yo, Junior!" Yang called out. "We have business to talk about!" Yang's call was met by a group of suited men pulling out their weapons, training them onto the blonde brawler. After a moment, Yang sent a scowl towards the record stand, before the DJ reached up from his hiding position to pull the needle off the record.
"You Didn't Need To Do That!" Scythle yelled out as she emerged from behind the blonde. "I Would Have Gotten 'Em To Open Up Eventually!"
"Yeah, but this is faster." Yang said. "And who are you to complain about violence?"
"Blondie." Junior growled as he approached the pair. "And Scythle. You're here together. Why?"
"Well, you still owe me a drink." Yang said with a wink.
"Actually, you owe me a drink." Junior stated. "And about five-hundred-thousand in property damages. And speaking of damages-"
"Look, Junior, I Haven't Forgotten About Your Compensation." Scythle said, raising her hands as she stepped towards the man. "Stuff's Just Been Happening Lately."
"Compensation?" Yang asked, looking between the former and current criminals.
"You have a lot of nerve coming back here after what you did." Junior growled. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have my men pump you and your new gal-pal full of lead."
Before Scythle could say anything, Yang stepped between the two, pumping her right weapon as she glared up at the criminal. "Because if you try to, we'll total this place and off the rest of your goons." Yang snarled.
"Yang!" Scythle cried.
Yang and Junior continued to glare at each other, tightening their fists as they looked the other up and down, waiting to see which would crack first. After a moment, Junior raised his arm. "Men!" He called out, glancing around at all his men. "Hold your fire!" With that, every gun in the club was lowered before Junior growled. "At least until they try anything."
Scythle let out a relieved sigh as the man guided her and the blonde to the bar table, with all of the suited men parting to let them through. As they walked across the dancefloor, Scythle caught sight of a familiar red and white pair, and the nervous expression on her face was quickly replaced by a smile as she called out to them. "Oh, Hey! Mel, Mili!"
The two girls eyed up the pair approaching them, giving Scythle a slight scowl before they swung their heads the other way. Scythle's smile faltered a bit as she walked up to the two, and Melanie and Militia crossed their arms as they continued to ignore her.
"Come On, Guys," Scythle said. "I've Really Missed You Two." Militia opened her eye a crack to look at Scythle, continuing to glare at the purple girl as Scythle leaned towards the sisters. "You Know You Can't Stay Mad At Me.~" Scythle said, letting a smirk cross her lips before she gave the two a wink.
After a moment, Melanie opened an eye as well, and she and Militia continued to eye Scythle before letting out sighs, allowing their arms to unfold. "We've missed you two, Amy." Militia said as she and her sister came up to Scythle. Scythle's smile grew brighter before the trio wrapped their arms around each other's waists. As Scythle planted a kiss on Militia's cheek, Melanie gave Scythle a kiss of her own before Scythle returned the gesture, kissing Melanie's cheek as Militia kissed hers.
Yang, meanwhile, watched the display with surprised eyes before finding her voice. "Does Emerald know you-"
"Totally." Scythle answered as she continued to the bar. "Gotta Say, It's Great To Know Some People Still Like Me Here."
"Why are you chained to this bimbo, Amethyst?" Melanie asked.
"That's Twenty-Four Chapters Worth Of Story, And The First Five Probably Need A Rewrite." Scythle said. "Long Story Short, Beacon Captured Me And I Can't Leave School Grounds Without Someone Watching Over Me."
"That sounds horrible." Militia gasped.
"Hey, Beacon's not all bad." Yang said, planting herself on one of the stools at the bar.
"Yeah, well no one asked you." Melanie said as Scythle let go of the two, before jumping up into her own seat.
"So why are you two here?" Junior asked, stepping behind the bar to return to polishing his glass.
"You Sold Your Men's Service To Roman And Cinder." Scythle began explaining. "We Want To Know What They Were Up To."
"How about you go ask those two yourself?" Junior asked. "I'd imagine they don't see many people during visiting hours."
"Getting Info From You Is Way Easier." Scythle answered. "And I'd Imagine We're The Most Business You've Seen Since I Put Them Behind Bars."
"… Fair point." Junior said. "How's about another question: Why should I help you?"
"Because it's the easy way or the easy painful way." Yang said, once again holding up her fists as she suddenly stood up.
"Yang, Cool Your Jets!" Scythle called out, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Junior's My Best Connection In This City, And I'd Like To Keep It That Way." Pushing Yang away from the counter, Scythle turned back to the bearded man standing behind it. "Junior, Please, A Friend Of Mine Is Really Worried About What They Were Up To. You Help Me With This, And I'll Owe You One. How's That Sound?"
"… Never thought I'd see you playing good cop." Junior remarked.
"The Hell's A Good Cop?" Scythle asked, causing the three criminals around her to chuckle.
"No idea." Junior said with a shake of his head. With a sigh, Junior reclaimed a straight face and began scowling at the two once again. "However, you've long since failed to deliver on our last deal." With that, Junior raised his fist, and all of the suited men around them lifted their guns back up. Each weapon let out a click as rounds entered their chambers. Yang tightened her own fists at the display as Scythle jumped up, unfolded her Scythleg's blade.
"Boss, I get why you're mad at her," Melanie said, hopping up onto the counter to get closer to the man on the other side. "But that wasn't her fault, and she's one of our best customers."
"And she has a really cute butt." Militia added.
"Damn Right, Babe." Scythle said, giving her rear a quick slap.
"Surely you can give her another chance." Melanie said.
"… You said you were captured by Beacon, right?" Junior asked, getting a nod from the purple-haired girl. After a moment, Junior lowered his fist, placing it back on the counter before all of his men lowered their guns. "This might work out, actually." Junior commented. "Fine, one more chance, one more job."
"If It Can Get You To Help Us." Scythle said as she closed her weapon. "So Where Am I Hitting?"
"Beacon." Junior answered, causing Yang and Scythle's eyes to widen as he pulled out a black Scroll. "I've heard talk of a particular painting somewhere in the academy,"
Scythle's Scroll buzzed in her pocket, and the girl pulled it out to flick it open. Displaying the message Junior sent her, Scythle was greeted by a painting of a house by a lake in the Forever Fall forest. The sky was a vibrant orange, matching the color of the house's windows, and the light made a nearby bridge look to have been built over a river of gold. In the background, a mountain reached up into the sky, piercing into the clouds above.
"And I just so happen to know a buyer who's willing to pay top dollar to get their hands on it." Junior continued. "Me and my men can't get inside of Beacon for obvious reasons, but students like you two?"
"Students Like Us Have Free Reign Over The Entire Campus." Scythle said.
"You get me that painting, and I'll tell you everything I know." Junior stated.
"That… Sounds risky." Yang pointed out.
"Yeah. If I Get Caught, I Could Get The Death Sentence!" Scythle said.
"Then don't get caught." Junior stated. "Now, get out of my club."
"Before we begin, I would like to remind you all of the common enemy we share." Adam's voice boomed over the crowd. "The humans in charge. The people controlling our governments, militaries, and schools. The people who created and perpetuated the racist systems that discriminate against us every day! They must be dealt with, they must be destroyed! Once their gone, we can create our own systems. One that subjects them to everything they've dealt us."
Blake wasn't sure what she found more terrifying; The way Adam stood on the stage, effortlessly commanding the room, or how everyone around her seemed to join in with the White Fang's applaud of his words. "In order to create this world, we've allied ourselves with powerful individuals." Adam continued. "It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you: They are humans. But rest assured, should they stand to oppose our vision, they shall become but a means to our end. Case in point:" Adam snapped his fingers, and the curtain on stage fell to the floor, revealing a large robotic machine standing on two wide legs, while pair of arms held up a set of cannons.
The entire crowd was left to gasp upon sight of it. While most gasped in amazement, Blake gasped in horror.
"This is a prototype what the Atlesian government calls the Paladin-290." Adam yelled. "Their newest weapon of destruction against the Grimm. Thanks to our new allies, we were able to make away with a line of prototypes like this one. However, its destructive power is still unmatched. Thanks to these weapons and a new drafty, progress here in the southeast is ready to begin. Most of you shall be sent here to directly help the operation. The rest shall remain in Vale, helping to collect the Dust we need for our plan. Have we any volunteers?"
With roaring cheers and almost thunderous applaud, the group around Blake began moving forwards, hands reaching out of the crowd as Blake found herself being pushed forwards. Panic swelled up inside of her as she was moved closer and closer to the stage. Her eyes darted about the warehouse, trying to find a means by which she could escape. Her eyes fell on a junction box, and her eyes lit up before she reached into her pocket.
Unsheathing her blade, Black folded the weapon into its pistol form before locking the clip marked with a lightning bolt in place. Quickly aiming at the metal box, Blake squeezed her eyes shut before shooting. Electricity arced around the bullet's path as it broke into the metal box before all the lights in the warehouse became brighter. In an instant, the light became blinding, before each bulb popped and the projector died, casting darkness over the room.
Throwing off her mask, Blake turn and ran back for the exit, quickly adjusting to the darkness while the people around her were still disoriented by the blinding light. Once she made it to the exit, the Lieutenant was able to blink the pain away, allowing him to make out the figure leaving the warehouse with the familiar shape of a gun in their hand. He then glanced to his side and ran his eyes up the mech beside him.
"Everyone, clear the room!" The Lieutenant yelled as he began towards the robot. "We have a spy!"
"You Have Got To Be Kidding Me!" Scythle ranted as she and Yang left the club. "We Came All This Way Just To Get A Side Quest!"
"Well, if you had just paid him when you had the chance." Yang pointed out. "Why did you even need to rob that bank? Aren't you loaded?"
"I Wasn't Giving Him Any Of My Money, It's Mine!" Scythle said.
"Well, can't you just pay him now?" Yang asked as she pulled on her helmet.
"Glynda Froze My Account, Remember?" Scythle pointed out before letting out an annoyed sigh. "Now What Are We Supposed To Do?"
"Let's just meet back up with the others for now." Yang said before she hopped on her bike. "I'm sure Ruby will understand once we-"
*I burn!/Can't hold me down!*
Yang reached into her pocket to pull out her Scroll, flicking it open to see Blake attempting to start a group call. Cocking an eyebrow, Yang put the device on speaker. "Yo, what's ha-"
"Intruder's been compromised! I repeat: Intruder's been compromised!" Blake yelled from the device.
"Wow, Intruder, Calm Down." Scythle said. "It Can't Be Tha-"
"I am being chased by a giant robot!" Blake yelled.
"Woah, Your Mission Sounds Way More Fun Than Ours!" Scythle said. "Wanna Trade?"
"I don't think I can shake them. Send back up!"
"Where are you?" Yang asked as the ground around her and Scythle began to shake.
Looking down the street, Yang and Scythle witnessed their black-haired friend jumping from one building to another, followed quickly by a robot two stories tall. Realizing what they were looking at, Yang quickly jumped onto her bike as Scythle picked up her Scroll.
"Yeah, Intruder, Me And Hunter Need To Go." Scythle said calmly as she got on the bike. "There's A Giant Robot We Need To Deal With." With that, Scythle flicked the Scroll shut before Yang revved the engine, causing her bike to shoot down the road.
Blake glanced behind her to see the Paladin still chasing her, and her eyes widened as she saw the panels on its shoulders opening. In streams of flame, rockets leaped out of the machine, before arching through the air as they flew down at her. Blake tried to pour more adrenalin into her run, and just as she jumped off of the building, the rockets struck the roofing behind her. The blast sent her flying through the air before she fell to the streets below, landing on the roof of a car with a loud thump.
Looking back behind her, Blake saw the robot drawing closer before she looked into the driver's window. "Step on it!" Blake called out, and upon seeing the threat approaching, the driver immediately complied, quickly getting onto the on-ramp for one of the overhead highways. With the screeching of tires, the car slid into the high-speed road, and Blake looked behind her to see the Paladin coming up as well. With wide eyes, Blake looked around for an escape route, before seeing a large truck up ahead. With a slight nod, Blake began jumping from car to car, attempting to get to the wider area that truck could provide.
Yang and Scythle, meanwhile, pulled up behind the Paladin as it knocked cars out of its way, and the bike weaved out of the way of vehicles as the two got closer. Flicking her wrists, Scythle unfolded her pistols before she began shooting at the robot. The trails of light leaving her gun ricocheted off of its arm, showing no sign of any damage before Scythle ran out of ammo. "Grrr. No Good, I'm Too Low Caliber."
"Well, I can't shoot. I need to drive." Yang said.
"Wait, Yang, I Have An Idea!" Scythle blurted out.
"You are not driving my bike!"
"Okay, Then I Have Another Idea." Scythle said, and in a blur of purple petals, the bracelets around Yang's wrists were removed before Scythle clicked them onto her own wrists. Pumping her new weapons, Scythle threw a punch in the direction of the robot, releasing a trail of red that struck the armored plating. As the blast caused the robot to stumble, Scythle was almost thrown off of the bike, and barely managed to pull herself back up. "Okay, This Will Work!" Scythle yelled before pulling her feet up to her seat.
With a kick, Scythle threw herself off the bike, throwing another set of punches and kicking out a shot at the robot before grabbing at her cloak. Scythle pulled the red fabric out as she fell before her eyes widened as she kept falling. Scythle tumbled along the asphalt, continuously dragged on by Yang as she attempted to climb to her feet.
"Right, Different Cape!" Scythle noted before she returned to throwing punches at the robot, almost throwing herself over with each shot. The robot continued to stumble with each strike on its hull, before it swung an arm back, aiming a gun in the pair's direction. With wide eyes, Yang pulled to the side before the robot began firing off at them. As the two drove and ran around the bullet, Blake climbed on top of the truck before turning to face the robot. Looking down at her weapon, Blake realized she still had some electric bullets left before she began firing at the machine again. Each bullet sparked across the metal before the robot swung its other arm at her, firing off in her direction before she jumped out of the way.
As Blake began jumping over cars again, a figure leaped off from an overpass, stabbing her sword into the ground before the street became covered in a thick layer of ice. The robot ran onto the frozen road and quickly lost all traction before tumbling towards a curve in the highway. Breaking through the hard-light barrier, the robot fell off the highway before crashing through the edge of a lower level, creating a large creator in the ground below.
As Weiss stood up and pulled her sword out of the ground, Ruby landed beside her. "Sorry if we kept you guys waiting." Ruby said as Blake jumped off her car.
"Bit of a travel from Beacon to Vale even with time dilation glyphs." Weiss said, watching as her black-haired teammate ran over to the ledge the robot fell off. "So what happened? I don't remember prototype Paladins being a part of the plan."
"I'll explain later." Blake said as she saw the robot begin attempting to pull itself out of the wreckage. "Right now, we need to take care of that thing."
The team around her nodded before they each leaped off to meet the machine down below. Landing in front of the mech, the team pulled out their weapons as they faced the robot, lifting itself up with jerks and shutters, dents and broken panels lining its haul as the Lieutenant looked at the five through the cracked glass.
Glancing at Yang to see the blonde locking her weapons back around her wrists, Ruby smirked before jumping back, shouting out to her team, "Freezer Burn!"
With a nod, Black jumped back with her before Weiss pulled up her weapon, stabbing it into the ground to create another sheet of ice. Yang and Scythle jumped into the air, and the blonde pulled back her fist before slamming it into the ice. With a red flash, the ice quickly vaporized, creating a large area of mist around them.
Gritting his teeth, the Lieutenant flicked a switch on the controls, and beams of red light left various points on the robot, waving around the area in search of the students. The robot began stomping forward as the Lieutenant looked for the girls, unaware of the way they were circling him. After a few steps, another set of red bolts struck the machine, and it quickly turned to face Yang and Scythle as the two ran by, pulling up its guns in an attempt to fire at them. Each shot missed their targets, leaving large craters in the ground before Ruby jumped out at it, slicing at it with her scythe and causing it to stumble back.
Upon landing, Ruby grinned at the machine before shouting out, "Checkmate!" With that, Weiss and Blake ran passed her, getting in close to slash at the machine's legs. The clanging of metal was punctuated with sparks as the two attempted to do some damage. The robot lifted its arm in an attempt to smash the two, only for Scythle to quickly kick a shot at it, causing it to stumble back. Leaping up, Weiss jabbed her rapier into one of the laser projectors before sending a surge of electricity into it, hoping to do damage to the systems. Pulling her blade out, Weiss cast a set of glyphs at her and Blake's feet, throwing the two back before the robot attempted to step on the black-haired girl.
As they fell back, the robot's missile silos opened again, before streams of fire leaped out. Weiss and Blake came to a stop and pulled up their weapons, the former casting a glyph at her feet before the missiles started exploding in the air. Glancing behind them, the two saw Scythle holding up her pistols, quickly shooting all the missiles before they could get close.
Through the resulting clouds of smoke, Ruby jumped at the robot, attempting to slash at the legs before swinging under them with her scythe, shouting out to her teammate, "Lady Bug!" Landing behind the robot, Ruby shot towards the machine as Blake charged it as well, and the two quickly began slashing at its legs as they passed back and forth. Spinning around, the robot attempted to shot at the red-haired girl, only for her and Blake to jump up over the machine. Coming back down, Ruby and Blake sliced at the machine's shoulders, and the red-haired girl severed the machine's left arm before she and her teammate made a retreat.
Attempting to lock onto the targets, the robot shuttered again as Yang and Scythle jumped onto its back, firing shots into it before the machine jumped backward. As Scythle was almost thrown off, the robot slammed the blonde into a pillar, causing it to crack before the robot stepped forward and spun around, slamming its gun into the blonde, pushing her through it. Scythle was dragged along with the girl as she slammed into the next pillar, falling to the ground as Yang's hair lit up.
"Yang, Are You Okay?" Scythle asked, quickly pulling out her pistols as the robot began approaching.
"Just fine." Yang said, cracking her neck as she got up, eyes glowing red. "He's in for it now!"
Looking up at the stuttering robot, Yang saw it pull its cannon back to deliver another punch, and quickly swung her arm out to punch it as well. As her fist collided with the cannon, the metal warped and cracked before bursting apart, leaving the robot without its primary weapons. Stumbling back a step, the robot quickly charged the two, kicking at Yang, sending her and Scythle flying.
As Scythle skidded to a halt on the ground, she quickly spun around on her heel, swinging the girl with glowing hair back at the machine. As she flew through the air, Yang swung her arm back, firing a shot to increase her momentum before swinging towards the robot, landing a hard punch into it that sent it flying as it burst into pieces.
As the remains hit the ground, Scythle looked to the girl she was tied to with wide eyes. "Where Did That Come From?"
"Him, actually." Yang said with a smirk. "My Semblance allows me to take all the damage I take and throw it back at 'em."
"… Why Am I Only Now Learning This?" Scythle asked.
"Because you've only been here, like, a month." Yang pointed out.
Hearing the clanging of metal, the group looked back to the remains to see the Lieutenant standing up, mask cracked to reveal his mouth. The group looked between each other as the realization quickly dawned on them. "Think we can get anything out of him?" Ruby asked.
"Only one way to find out." Yang said as she and the rest of the group prepared to charge the man. Before they could take a step, however, a figure dropped down in front of him, bowing under her pink and white parasol as she looked up at the students with pink and brown eyes.
"Who's she?" Weiss asked.
"She Looks… Familiar..." Scythle stated.
"You can explain later!" Yang said as she ran forward, dragging the purple-haired girl with her as she prepared to punch the girl in white. Swinging her parasol around, the girl held it up like a shield before Yang punched it. A series of cracks spread across her and the Lieutenant, and Yang and Scythle's eyes widened as they watched the two shatter like glass.
Looking around the area, Yang and Scythle attempted to find the criminal and his helper before Scythle saw a shimmer in the distance. As shards of the area fell away from it, the two watched as a Bullhead lifted off the ground, the Lieutenant and the girl standing in the ship as the jets turned to fly off. Yang and Scythle quickly began shooting at it, only for their shots to meet more shards or get shot down by the girl herself. The ship's engines roared to life before it blasted off into the sky.
Gritting her teeth, Scythle kicked her Scythleg off the ground, firing a shot to send herself into the air before spreading her cloak. As Yang was dragged behind her, the two fell back down to the ground with a loud thump, causing the two to wince in pain.
"Right, Still The Wrong Cape." Scythle grumbled.
"Who was that girl?" Ruby asked as she and the rest of her team approached the two from behind.
"Well, whoever she was…" Yang began. "She really shattered our expectations for the night." As Yang and Scythle climbed to their feet, Weiss brought a hand up to her mouth as the two dusted themselves off, before Yang set a smirk to the white-haired girl. "Are you laughing?"
"Of course not." Weiss lied through soft laughter.
"Come on, let's just head back and compare what we figured out." Ruby said, gesturing for her team to follow her as she turned to head back to Beacon.
As the group began leaving, Scythle and Yang looked between each other before giving their teammates an apologetic look. "About That." Scythle began.
Boy, it is really awkward writing the White Fang given the current political climate and current events. Admittedly, this shouldn't be too surprising. Intentionally or not, Miles wound up saying the best way to fight against oppression is to not fight against oppression. The White Fang are poorly handled at best, written from the perspective of a privileged man who has never needed to face the realities of racial discrimination, especially systematic ones.
And before anyone says anything: Yes, I had Scythle take a dig at them in the fourth chapter. I was young and stupid when I wrote that. I have grown and I have grown smarter. The White Fang's actions are more than a little justified, in-universe and out. But Miles Luna and by extension Rooster Teeth are adamant on portraying them as unambiguously evil. And since I'm following RWBY's plotline, I'm forced to do the same.
Anyway, while writing this chapter, I toyed with the idea of the fall causing the robot to fall apart when RWBYS went to confront it. But I decided to keep the fight from the show. And yes, I just copied the fight from the show almost detail for detail. If I didn't, this chapter would be almost twice as long or divided into two. I also considered an alternate heist, but I think I'll talk more about that later.
I also considered leaving Adam out of this chapter completely, since it could be a bit unreasonable to believe he could get from Mount Glenn to Vale in about a day to attend the rally. I decided that Blake's emotional state in later chapters would work better if she saw him directly. I eventually settled on a middle ground where Adam would talk to the crowd through a projector.
Also, for anyone wondering, the painting Junior wants is based on The Mountain Chapel by Thomas Kinkade.