Emerald sighed to herself, sitting off to the side of the atrium as she watched her classmates dancing together.

As she had for the past hour or so now.

She kicked her legs, ruffling the hem of her green backless dress.

Knew it. Who would ever want to be with a girl like me? They can probably all spot it from a mile away...

She drained her punch and leaned back in her seat.

Suddenly a series of loud whirring noises issued from outside, echoing all around.

And then through the windows she saw hard light dust shields flaring to life outside. Every window, the balconies - all of it was suddenly blocked off.

Emerald rushed to a window and stuck her head out. It was a dome, a dome of a forcefield that surrounded the entire building. And beyond the shield, she saw several dozen dark shapes wielding weapons milling about, taking up positions!

Heavy footsteps issued from the entrance, the sound of those double doors creaking open.

She whirled furiously, reaching for weapons she didn't have.

Terror shot through her at the sight of the new arrival striding into the building.

The next immediate thing Emerald went for was her scroll. She tapped on Cinder in her contacts list; her scroll blinked red, reporting that she inexplicably had no signal!

Emerald's breath quickened, she threw her scroll down and backed away. Cinder will come for me; she has to see this, even from the dorms! She'll come for me, and she'll beat all of them, and she'll save me! She won't let me down!

After nearly an hour alone together, idly chatting and exchanging glances, Pyrrha finally stood.

Pyrrha tapped at her scroll to begin playing music, and then she set it down on edge of a desk and strode to the center of the room. She stood with her hands at her waist, smiling at Cinder, head tilted down just so.

"Would you like to dance now?" Pyrrha asked softly.

"Yes!" Cinder shot to her feet, striding up to Pyrrha. And, much like in their lessons the past few days, Pyrrha took her hands and guided them onto her body.

They danced, much like before, hand in hand, Cinder's stray hand on her lower back. Pyrrha, touching her shoulder. Only, after a few minutes, Pyrrha stepped in, and started stroking at her shoulder with gentle fingers. Pyrrha's emerald eyes blinked, a breath was exhaled. "Is this all right with you?"

"It is."

"Good."

They danced on, slow, swaying, rotating. Pyrrha carefully took them around the room, moving in circles within circles.

Then, Pyrrha moved even closer still, and hesitantly lowered her head to rest her chin on Cinder's other shoulder. "This is alright, as well...?" she spoke, in a breathy whisper - nervous.

Cinder considered. On one hand, it did feel nice; but on the other, she could feel herself tensing at the contact itself. She couldn't really recall anyone else ever being this physically close to her. Not like this, not pressing, not resting. But...it was Pyrrha.

"It's okay. I don't mind when it's you."

"I'm glad. Thank you." Relief flooding Pyrrha's voice.

"If- if you're doing this...can I do...this?" Cinder let her fingers drop a mere couple of inches.

Pyrrha let a breath go, her fingers gripping Cinder's arm a moment. Then, they relaxed. "It's okay for now - but only for right now. Just tonight. Understand?"

"I understand." Cinder smiled.

After a few minutes in this new position with each other, Cinder dared to begin curling her fingers - caressing, stroking softly.

Pyrrha didn't say anything, so Cinder thought it was safe enough to just keep doing it.

But nothing more. If Pyrrha didn't want more, then she wouldn't push it.

That was, apparently, important.

"T-that...feels very nice," Pyrrha's voice came, in a murmur. But she did sound pleased. Like she was smiling.

"G-good," Cinder responded, feeling a warmth in her chest. "I'm- happy...to make you feel nice."

"Oh, Cinder...that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard out of you."

"Thanks."

"Do you want me to- do the same for you?"

"If- if you want to..."

"I do." Pyrrha's hand slid down Cinder's arm, and then crossed around to her backside. It continued to travel down, there, until it reached her rear. She grasped Cinder there much more fully, cupping with her whole palm. Not just overlaying fingers. And soon enough, she took up caressing. And, even a bit of squeezing. Kneading.

Whole new sensations began to sweep through Cinder's insides. She pressed herself to Pyrrha more intensely, more firmly, arching her back. She shifted her legs together as she became aware of a very new new sensation. A physical feeling between thighs.

"Are you all right?" Pyrrha spoke, lifting her head and drawing away slightly. "You're doing quite a lot of moving around."

"Probably - just more annoying girl sensations," Cinder replied, in a mutter. She glanced down at herself quickly, then up again.

"What kind of sensations?" Pyrrha said, with a lightest smile on her lips.

"Everything is all wet down there," Cinder said flatly. "I hate my underwear right now."

"Oh my...that does sound like quite a problem."

Cinder's eyes narrowed. "You're teasing me."

Pyrrha giggled, her hand going to her mouth. "Only a little - I'm sorry! No, you know that this is perfectly normal - it's even meant to be welcomed. At least, if you want it to be!"

"I remember the books," Cinder nodded, looking down again. She bared her teeth, shifting her thighs some more. "But none of them said it was this uncomfortable."

"W-well, people typically r-remove their undergarments when things get to this stage..."

Cinder blinked. She flushed. "Are you asking me to take my underwear off?"

"Oh no, no! Not- I'm sorry, I meant- well...here, let's sit! Sit, come on, please."

Cinder let Pyrrha pull her over to her own bed, and they sat together. Sat fully on it, facing each other.

Pyrrha made herself comfortable, and waited for Cinder to do the same, just looking at her patiently.

"Have you ever done this before?" Cinder asked, blurting the words.

Pyrrha smiled. "No. I...I honestly never- could have had the confidence until now, with you."

"So I'm special."

"We all like to feel special, Cinder. It's part of making connections, forming relationships at all. Some are deeper than others, closer than others, and that can...manifest in a desire to feel like you're special. Like your relationship is...special."

Cinder looked down, clenching her fists on her thighs. You're not special, you're never going to be picked...Nobody wants you, nobody loves you...

"P-Pyrrha..." she started, her voice going high, and quavering.

"Yes?" Pyrrha sounded worried.

"I- I a-already- told you I'm from Mistral, remember?"

"I remember."

I'll make us special. "I- that wasn't entirely true. I...I did spend the f-first...ten years of my life in Mistral. It w-was...I was in an- an orphanage."

A gasp, and a long silence followed.

"Oh, Cinder...is that- your neck? Did they...at the orphanage...?"

"No - not that they treated me any better," Cinder replied, murmuring. "The...burns, come from after. At ten, I- a w-woman came to adopt me. Stepmother. Legal guardian. I w-was with her...until my seventeenth birthday. That's where they came from." Trembling, she moved for the side of her bed, bent low, and reached into the small space beneath her nightstand, fingers squeezing in against dirty, dusty floor unexplored. She found the cords, and pulled, and grasped. She flipped herself upright again, turning back to Pyrrha. She lifted her head and met Pyrrha's gaze, and she held the necklace up for her to see.

The dangling cords, the pendant. And the yellow Dust crystal set into it.

Pyrrha looked from her neck, to the necklace. Just once. And then her face was transformed with horror. Pyrrha was always smart like that. She moved for Cinder, grabbing her free hand and squeezing it in both of hers. She didn't seem to be able to say anything. Then, she pulled Cinder forward and took her into a gentle hug. Cinder dropped the necklace onto the bed in sheer surprise.

"I escaped a few days before I started at Beacon," Cinder spoke on into Pyrrha's shoulder. She was saying it now, and for some reason she didn't want to stop. She wanted to just say it all now - get it out there to Pyrrha. "I was in A-Atlas, those seven years. I was p-part of a family, but they didn't see me that way. I was...also under a- a contract, I guess - some legal thing I f-found out since coming to Beacon; I looked it up in books. I was just a tool, a servant. Slave. I had these two stepsisters, they liked to screw me over, m-make fun of me, get me punished more; I w-worked so hard, every day, just so that maybe my s-stepmother would be impressed with me, maybe she'd say I did a good enough job for once, and she'd skip punishing me...but she just punished me harder for expecting any praise, expecting her affection. B-because I never deserved it, I never deserved praise, or a-affection, or love...I was nothing..."

Pyrrha was stroking her hair, holding her tighter. Cinder didn't know why, but her doing that just made it all worse; she started to cry, and sob, and then she was bawling and burying her face in her shoulder with no reserves. After it all died down, and Cinder had exhausted herself...only then did Pyrrha speak.

"Is that...the reason you didn't want to go to the dance tonight? Because of Atlas? The soldiers there?" Soft. Caring.

"Yes..." Cinder whispered, ashamed.

"It's fine to be scared - especially if you have a very valid reason to be."

"No, it's not," Cinder retorted. "I'm not supposed to be afraid anymore. I'm supposed to be the one making others afraid now! A huntress - skilled, strong, powerful! But I'm too scared to go to a dance because of a bunch of armed soldiers with no Aura...because of a General..."

"Well, if you want to see it that way...General Ironwood is a very powerful, very skilled huntsman as well. So it has to be fine to be afraid of him?"

"No! I have to be better than him, better than anyone - I have to- I have to...I have to! I can't fail, I won't! Failure gets you punished!"

Pyrrha squeezed her again, letting out a sigh.

"I don't want you telling Blake or Emerald any of this," Cinder said firmly. "Not like you went and told them about my burns, or like you told Ozpin about me," she went on, accusatory, angry.

"I'm sorry I did that at all; it was wrong of me to break your trust like that. It was very wrong of me. I swear to you, I won't tell anyone anything that you've said tonight. But...you need to tell them sometime, yourself. Please?"

"I- okay," Cinder agreed, her anger bleeding away. "But...not yet. Just not yet. Just you for now."

"Just me for now. I promise."

Cinder nodded, and pulled away from Pyrrha. She turned away, staring at the wall. Then, she turned a smile on Pyrrha.

Pyrrha caught her eye, seeming very anxious. "C-Cinder..."

"What?" Cinder said simply.

"I'd like to ask you if I can...can I kiss you?"

"You want to kiss me now?" Cinder blinked. She shrugged. "Okay; go for it - it's supposed to feel nice, isn't it?"

"Y-yes. If...if that's all right? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, or- if you'd like to just- it's very important that people don't feel pressured, or coerced into things like this! I would never want you to feel as if I did that to you. Especially someone who has already had her...autonomy, her wants and needs, violated before. Ignored before. So I want you to know that this- if you say no, it isn't going to change a single thing between us. And if you want me to never bring this up again, never ask again, then I won't. And I am sorry."

"So...if you want to kiss me now, does that mean you want to be my girlfriend? You want to- date me?" Cinder sought to clarify, thinking hard. "Or do you just want to have sex?"

"I'd like to - ah, date you, that is! But if you don't, that's completely fine. I'm just happy to be able to help you explore this...this part of yourself - of your life. Whether it's dating, or just...physical pleasures."

"I don't know if I want to date you or not," Cinder said bluntly. "But, okay, kiss me and maybe I'll figure it out. That's how these things are supposed to go, right?"

"Supposedly..." Pyrrha agreed. She stepped in, putting her hands on Cinder's arms. Light as feathers, gentlest caresses of fingers. Almost not even touching. She moved her face closer to Cinder's, blinking at her, scrutinizing her the entire time. Then she closed the gap, and lips met lips.

Cinder stood awkwardly until Pyrrha stepped away, thrills shooting through her body. A sweeping sensation, a tingling!

"How did it feel?" Pyrrha asked, nervous.

Cinder smiled. "It felt nice. Can we do it again?"

"Of course!" Pyrrha's face lit up; she leaned in to do just that.

These feelings shot through Cinder, all expected of course (read about, in factual texts and supposed exaggerated texts from Blake), but feeling them for the first time...she was so flushed, she felt so wonderful, she felt-

Pyrrha's hands glided along her arms, her neck, cupping her face, stroking her hair...Pyrrha was pressing, kissing more firmly - no, almost urgently. Cinder responded in kind, doing her best to just mimic Pyrrha.

They broke apart again, heavy this time. Labored. Faces flushed. Smiling. "G-good, good, that was- wonderful," Pyrrha spoke, breathless.

"Is...that it?" Cinder said cautiously, trying not to sound disappointed. She'd read about so much more, in all those books. The factual ones, and the dramatic ones.

"If- if you don't want it to be, I'm willing to...go further," Pyrrha said quietly. "Whatever you're comfortable with. But we need to make sure we're doing things the right way! Safe, clean, healthy. If you really do want to go there."

"I'd like to."

"Alright. Then let's take a pause, take a break, and get ourselves ready. Clean, catch your breath - and we can talk a little before we start. We need to know what we're willing or not willing to do, what we're each comfortable with. That's the key to this kind of thing, Cinder: communication. Very clear communication. Even throughout the- experience. It's good for both of us."

"Okay." Cinder nodded, serious.

"Well, fortunately, you did just take a shower not two hours ago," Pyrrha said lightly, smiling. "But I need to clean myself up still - my last shower was this morning, and it's been a long day. So how about you sit here, think about how you might want things to go, exactly, and wait for me."

"I kind of...want to just try everything I can think of," Cinder mumbled out.

Pyrrha flushed. "I imagine you can think of quite a lot...We'll talk about it, alright? Just - relax."

"Sure."

Pyrrha disappeared into the bathroom, and the sound of the shower started up. When she returned, still drying off, a towel around her head, she was wearing nothing but undergarments. Pyrrha didn't speak until she had sat herself down across from Cinder again on the bed; she pulled the towel off and set it aside, put her hands together in her lap, then took in a shaking breath. Gave an equally shaky smile. "Alright now. Do you think you're ready?"

Cinder smiled. "I've been ready."

"Of course. Um, I think we should start with just- kissing again. Is that fine? We can...work our way up from there, as we feel comfortable."

"Kissing is nice," Cinder said excitedly. "Okay! Kiss me again, please! I was starting to feel really great."

"So was I," Pyrrha assured. She nodded, then she leaned forward and took Cinder's face in hands again, kissing softly.

They continued as they had been, more earnest now, more sure, on both sides of the interactions.

After a few minutes, Pyrrha pulled away again.

"What?" Cinder said.

"Would you like to...try something new? It's a little- a little extra flair, a way to feel even better while we...do this. If you don't want to, for any reason, just say no and I won't. A-and that goes for anything - ever. If you ever feel anxious, or afraid, or panicked...you can tell me at any point to stop, no matter when, no matter for how long, and I will. Okay?"

"All I'm feeling...are really good things," Cinder said with a smile. "But- okay. Thanks. So, what do you want to do?"

Pyrrha's eyes flickered down between them. "I- would you allow me to place my hand there?" She pointed very directly to Cinder's closed thighs, watching Cinder's face closely.

"That is where you're supposed to...isn't it?" Cinder answered, puzzled.

"It's a way to feel a lot of pleasure, yes. But if you don't want to feel it, then you can tell me not to."

"I do want you to," Cinder spoke clearly. If it doesn't hurt, why does it matter? And why in the hell would I say no to it?

"A-alright. I'm going to kiss you now, and I'm going to move my hand down."

"Okay, then." Cinder surprised Pyrrha by moving first, pressing lips and caressing her face with utmost focus.

Pyrrha drank into the kiss, and her hand found its destination. Very slowly, pulling up the front of Cinder's bunched up dress even further, and then very lightly touching. Grazing. Cinder parted her legs for her, gasping as even those lightest strokes of fingers sent jolts through her (but not the kind that hurt). Cinder's lips spread into a wide smile.

It definitely wasn't the explosive fireworks and body-wracking tingles that all of Blake's books talked about - but it was still very much a high, heady pleasure that the formal textbooks talked about. And either way, it was still a greater, more wonderful feeling than anything Cinder could ever remember her own body producing before in life. If she had known about this all those years ago, she would have been doing this on a daily basis! She was going to have to start doing it now, she told herself elatedly! Cinder did have hands of her own to work with.

Pyrrha's hand continued its motions, the rubbing and circles on a single point, and Cinder found herself unwillingly pressing into her hand, kissing her all the more intensely, and then gripping at her arms with both hands as her body seized and her back arched, jaw dropped...

And Cinder fell straight back onto her bed, utterly limp - and annoyingly drenched between her legs now more than ever.

"A-are you alright?" Pyrrha said, touching her shoulder. "I'm sorry if I-"

Cinder giggled. She giggled into fits, shrill and wracking, as much as the pleasure that had just taken over her a moment ago - at Pyrrha's expert hand! She rolled onto her side and hugged herself, drawing in her knees and transitioning into intense chortling! She slammed her eyes shut as tears leaked freely out of them.

"Cinder, you're actually starting to scare me now," Pyrrha spoke again.

Cinder opened her eyes, breathing ragged as the noises died away in her. She made to sit up, pushing with a single, absent - and still a bit shaky - arm.

And a light caught Cinder's eye from the window. A blue glow.

She turned to look properly, all joy and pleasure fading assuredly in face of puzzlement.

"C-Cinder-"

"Is that normal?" Cinder pointed to the window. "That's a forcefield. Why is there a forcefield around the dance building? Is it some kind of security system, or...?"

Pyrrha turned to look, too. A sharp frown overtook her face. "No, Beacon doesn't have that kind of advanced technology," she said slowly. "Atlas does, but I doubt General Ironwood and his security teams would have erected an entire Hard Light Dust shield around the building...at least, not unless there was some sort of major emergency."

"Whatever's going on, it's not normal, then," Cinder nodded. She rolled off the bed and stood on trembling legs, her dress falling down fully to cover them again. She took her weapons off her nightstand. Swords in hands, bow and arrows on her back. "We're going to figure out what's going on over there."

Pyrrha dressed in simple pajamas pulled off her nightstand (she was always so organized), and called her spear and shield to her from across the room, her expression fierce and determined. "Let's go."

Cinder took the lead and vaulted out the window, falling all the way to the ground.

Pyrrha dropped down next to her, and together they raced across the campus.

The black armored woman stepped further into the hall, her long scarlet hair flowing. Her dark cape rippling. Her face was a stony mask, her eyes were dead. In her hand, held in a reverse grip, was that long sword of hers. It dragged along the floor, grating and echoing.

And in her other hand, she was grasping the neck of a small, black haired, green eyed teenage girl wearing simple pants and shirt with cutesy cat logos on them. The girl looked terrified, her eyes wide and her mouth open. She had a black eye, and a large, freshly bleeding cut across her neck.

The woman's eyes scanned over the crowd, which had backed itself up to the far side of the room.

The teachers, two dozen soldiers on the ground, and Ironwood, had all moved to place themselves between her...and the students of Beacon.

"Everyone: hold!" Ironwood's voice rang out, his arm raising high. He scanned all the soldiers, including the ones up on the upper floor who were about to aim guns over the railing. "She has a hostage."

Ozpin stood out in front of the other teachers, his cane clutched tight in hand.

The woman locked her gaze with Ozpin's, and her head turned just so to the left. A thin smile came to her lips. "I wonder..."

"Kari..." Ozpin spoke, his voice hard, warning.

"Where was all of this for me?" the woman - Kari - continued, in a loud, clear voice that rang through the hall. "You were the one who sent me to her - the one who left me with her. I wonder now...how many of these children are you going to send to her? Leave with her?"

"Don't do this here - let that girl go! Let these students go! If you wish to air your grievances against me, against Glynda, against Ironwood, then I'll give you all the time in the world to do so. If you wish to hear a million apologies, I'll give you every last one, from the bottom of my soul. But the children have nothing to do with it!"

"They have everything to do with it," Kari replied. Utterly toneless, almost bored. "Because you designed it to be that way. Are you that two-faced? Create a system to turn the children of this world into weapons to throw at her, knowing they'll never win, then mourn them when they die? You knew from the start what you were doing - with all of them, and with me. You knew, and did it anyway." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "It must be nice to have the luxury of not worrying about death."

"Kari-"

"But that just makes you the greatest coward in this world," Kari continued. "The one person with the ability to never die, and he sits back drinking coffee, sending everyone else around him to die for him. You should be the one out there in that hell, against the grimm, against her - not sitting in a tower pretending to be a wise, noble man. You're anything but."

"Please."

Kari tilted her head. Her smile widened. A light chuckle emerged from depths of her throat. "Are you finally afraid? Afraid I'll expose all your closely kept secrets? Afraid of that...but still never of dying. I was afraid of dying." She stepped in, bringing her blade up and around, holding it loose at her side, pointing forward now. "When you left me to her, I was afraid every single second. I thought that every moment would be my last. It was only her mercy that saved me - not yours."

"Kari, please, we can talk about all of this - but you need to let the children go first!"

"You're so afraid - good. I want you to feel even more frightened."

"I'm begging you-"

"And I begged you, every day, in my own mind, to save me...and you never answered." Kari appraised the students, bringing her sword up across her body, held in one hand without effort. "Why should they be saved?"

"Don't do this."

"What is the worth you see in them...that you didn't see in me?" That long sword was held swiftly across the throat of the black haired girl. A tear rolled down the girl's face. "What is this girl worth that I wasn't, to you? Some nobody from Vale's suburbs?!" Kari was angry now, life flashing in those eyes. Her voice was hoarse, rising. "Me, my team, we were special, we were good, we were worthy of your secrets! But not worthy of keeping alive, apparently! Not worthy of saving!"

"Kari, just tell me what it is you want!" Ozpin said quickly, insistent. "Please, I'll do whatever it is you want - just tell me, and let her go!"

"You know, she let the grimm have them - but it wasn't quick," Kari went on, almost to herself now. "Three times over, I had to watch, hear, smell...my teammates being torn apart and eaten alive by monsters. Right in front of me."

"I'm s-sorry," Ozpin replied, his voice cracking. "But none of that justifies what you are doing right now. Let. Her. Go."

"Not yet," Kari spoke, her voice returning to its usual tones of near boredom. Toneless, uncaring. Her features went blank once more. "We're going to take a trip into a vault. If you try anything, she dies; don't test me, I don't bluff. And you know I'm fast enough to kill her before even you can stop me."

"I know." Ozpin looked down. "I believe you. I don't value the contents of the vault beyond the lives of innocent children."

"We'll see. Drop the cane and come forward."

Ozpin obeyed, slow and careful.

"Let's go," Kari ordered.

The three of them walked out of the building, to the edge of the shield. A section dematerialized, and they exited through it - it shimmered back into place behind them.

"They don't look like they belong here at all," Pyrrha whispered, pointing from their hiding place, crouched behind some bushes.

"What do they look like?" Cinder asked.

"Criminals - gang members. Heavily armed, at that." Pyrrha paused, and then pointed to a man standing out from the rest - a man with a long coat, a bowler hat, and a cane. "That one appears to be their leader; he's likely much more formidable than them."

"Gang members, huh..." Cinder's lips spread into a wide grin. "So, that means we need to stop them, and free all those poor trapped students and professors - and our own friends, of course?"

Pyrrha looked at her a long moment, her expression shifting rapidly between many different emotions. Finally, she looked down, and sighed. "Unfortunately so, yes. It seems that way. When lives are in danger, a huntress must be prepared to take lives in order to save others - if it's necessary to do so."

"And it's definitely necessary tonight?" Cinder pressed, eager.

"I...I wish you wouldn't sound so hopeful about that. Taking lives is not something we're meant to do lightly." Another sigh. "But, yes, it is. As your team leader, I am- giving you permission to...do whatever it takes to rescue our friends." Pyrrha's head came up, and she met Cinder's gaze. And then, she gave a wavering little attempt at a grin of her own. "Cinder: Go out there and fight like you've always wanted to."

"Pyrrha..." Cinder gasped, as her body tingled, and flushed through with a freshly familiar sweeping sensation that had her squeezing her thighs together under her dress.

"Yes?"

"I'm wet again."

Pyrrha closed her eyes, tilting her head skyward. "This is a very inappropriate time for that kind of talk."

"I think it's the perfect time..." Cinder quivered. She rose from behind the bushes, stepping out and stalking forward with twin blades at her sides.

The nearest goons noticed her, and pointed their guns at her, immediately opening fire!

Cinder twirled her blades furiously, blocking the bullets that came her way and breaking into a run. She descended on them with flashing blades and scorching flames, the biggest smile on her face.

Emerald startled as gunfire erupted outside, beyond the shield. Yelling voices, shouting - screaming and shrieking.

Several bodies, and body parts smacked up against the shield in front of the entrance with wet thwaps.

A stream of flames pounded against the shield, burning two goons as they got to their feet; they fell again, writhing, scorched messes of black charcoal.

High screeching, and then a series of explosions; lava splattered against the shield.

A brief lull, and then more explosions came, and more screams.

An armed man stumbled into Emerald's view outside, a black arrow with a burning tip in his chest; it exploded, a mess of superheated gore and guts spraying everywhere.

A dark shape passed back and forth, darting in and out of view, flames swirling and fireballs blasting out from them. Twin steel blades flashed, slicing off a leg and an arm of a thug - a shriek, a rifle clattering to the ground.

"Aghh - n-no, please-"

A blade flashed, piercing the man's chest. Digging in, further and further to hilt...and then it was ripped free, and the dark shape flitted away again.

Emerald beamed, racing to the window to get a much better view of it all.

Cinder seized up a man by the throat, lifting him with effortless, superhuman strength! She let him gurgle, let him pound at her arm, grinning at him in silence. Then she squeezed, and jerked her arm aside!

A loud crack split the air, and he went limp in her grasp.

Cinder lazily tossed him aside, and darted off toward where Pyrrha was engaged with three thugs of her own.

Pyrrha threw her shield into a goon, knocking the woman onto her backside and sending her weapon skittering away across the stone. She flipped forward and slammed her foot across her face, knocking her out cold. She turned and twirled her spear, blocking gunfire, while she reached with her free hand to call her shield up to her again. She lunged, blocking the bullets, and slashed her spear across a man's chest and kicked him backwards. Then she twirled and extended the spear with a button press, spearing another through the heart. She pulled free and rolled, coming up with her spear in rifle form, and fired at some more distant goons with expert marksmanship.

Feeling a little disappointed she had missed out on that bit of action, Cinder changed course and ran for the head goon of them all: the big boss with the cane and fancy hat. If Pyrrha thought she could kill more goons then her, like that mattered in the long run, she was mistaken! Cinder was going to kill the leader, which would put an end to all of this. And it would be a lot more impressive to their professors, surely!

The man was running away like a coward, full tilt.

Cinder leaped into the air and began raining fireballs down on his backside.

He suddenly leaped left, then right, and then he turned around and swiped his cane, actually blocking the last fireball completely - dissipating it!

Cinder growled, coming down on her feet and rushing to close the distance with a speed blitz, a burst of Aura.

He whipped around and aimed his cane out at her like a gun - and then it was a gun, and a large Dust round was rocketing out for her.

Cinder threw herself to side to avoid it. But he followed it up with another, and then a third, and a fourth. She weaved and twirled on her heels, avoiding them all - but some were close. Too close for her comfort! She snarled and lunged again, this time too close for him to fire. She slashed her blades viciously, throwing in kicks and knees.

He was faster than she would have thought, spinning and blocking with that cane of his. He was a defensive fighter - he was all blocks and redirects, she noted.

She'd fought people with his style before; she could take him.

Cinder flashed her palm out and threw a fireball, point blank, which caught him inside his guard and sent him skidding backwards. She leaped high and did a front flip, swapping out a sword for her bow, and manipulating the Dust in her dress to form three explosive arrows in an instant. She aimed, and fired them all off. A little nudge with her Semblance and they were redirected to different points around the man. One on his left, one on his right, and one behind him. He rolled forward with a panicked expression as they went off, flaring his Aura (orange, Cinder saw) even still. Most of it was fast, hot pieces of stone shrapnel that got him.

Cinder came down on him with a fourth arrow notched, and she let it loose just before she landed in front of him. He swung his cane and blocked the arrow, intent on redirecting it. As soon as his cane made contact with the arrow, Cinder flexed her fingers; the arrow dematerialized, and particles of burning glass and Fire Dust shards splattered against his chest. And then, they exploded. Cinder did a backwards handspring, evading the majority of her own blast.

The man yelled out as he was sent rolling across the stone, his Aura flaring again - much stronger this time.

Cinder's Aura sensory training told her his was very low now; he was almost there, almost down. Almost ready to die!

She grinned ferally and darted at the man once more.

Suddenly, a roaring noise filled the night, and a blinding light was cast onto Cinder.

She brought her arm up over her face, shocked and just completely thrown off.

There was a faint whirring noise, and then a massive gun barrel erupted at a point beyond the light.

Powerful, frenzied bullets came for Cinder - two pounded right into her body, and sent her flying backwards. They blasted into the stone, blowing chunks out of it, moving for Cinder again.

Cinder rolled, panicked. Then, she pushed herself up and crossed her blades in front of her, setting her jaw. I'm not losing! You think I'm scared of a ship?!

She bent her legs and ran right at the oncoming bullets, and she exploded her Aura under her feet and leaped for the airship!

She sailed high through the air and rammed both her blades into the side of the ship's hull. She lifted a hand free and aimed as best she could for the cockpit window, and let loose a blast of fire!

The airship lifted high and swerved to one side, then back the other way; they were trying to dislodge her! Her!

I'm not through with you yet!

Cinder drew her bow with her free hand, and using only her Semblance and expert Dust manipulation, she crafted an explosive arrow and let it loose with her mind, aiming for one of the airship's engine pods.

The arrow struck home; she replaced her bow on her back, and triggered the explosive with utter triumph!

Unfortunately, she'd neglected to take into account just how close she was to her own explosion.

It slammed against her Aura, and the force of it jarred her loose, sending her flipping and twisting into open air.

No! Goddamit, no!

Cinder righted herself as she fell, and managed to land on her feet - but she hit hard, and it flared her Aura again on impact.

She fell to her knees, gasping and snarling as she watched the airship fly off over the forest! She slammed her fist into the stone, cracking it.

Gunfire burst behind her, and the noises of Pyrrha's combat exertions.

Cinder stood, giving her blades a furious twirl, and spun on a heel.

So she'd failed at that - fine! She could still beat Pyrrha out on the number of goons killed!

Her frustration and anger faded, and a smile slowly returned to her face.

Yes, that would make up for it rather nicely.

It had been a good fifteen minutes now, and the sounds of battle had completely died down.

Emerald sat waiting eagerly, knowing in her heart that Cinder had to have won!

Suddenly, the shield sputtered, and disappeared.

Light footsteps, and Emerald saw a slender figure waltzing in through the doors. Bow in one hand, sword in the other.

Her hair was wild, her eyes were shining, and her lips...were smiling the biggest smile.

"Those people were oh so rude, interrupting this wonderful night of ours; but don't worry - I made sure they all realized just how much of a mistake it was!" Cinder called out, setting hand on hip.

"We made sure of that - very regrettably," Pyrrha spoke, coming up beside Cinder with her spear in hand. A spear coated in dripping blood.

"I killed more than you," Cinder retorted.

"It wasn't a competition," Pyrrha said sternly.

"It was for me," Cinder smirked.

"Of course it was," Pyrrha sighed, shaking her head.

"I knew you'd come for me, I knew you would!" Emerald cried, jumping to her feet and racing for Cinder. She slammed into her and wrapped her arms around her! And then, to her utter delight, Cinder hugged her back - and stroked her hair!

"I mean, of course I would...we're friends, right?" Cinder mumbled out. "Did you think I was just going to sit back and let a bunch of idiot thugs hold you captive? Or Blake? I happen to like both of you, you know..."

Emerald squeed and hugged Cinder tighter.

"Students!" Oobleck cried, rushing forward in a blur of speed. "While your heroic rescue of a show of heroism is greatly appreciated, and to be commended - no doubt we'll figure out some kind of reward for you both - I'm afraid we're not necessarily out of the woodworks yet, as it were!"

"We're not?" Cinder said, pulling an innocent face. She used a single hand to pry Emerald loose and shove her back. "It looked pretty clear out there to me, professor..."

"I'm afraid I refer not to the mere mooks you girls, ah, dealt with, but to the one orchestrating it all! Kari Silvers - she took Ozpin, took a civilian hostage. Something very important we teachers need to take care of now. You've done your part, very wonderfully I might add, but now you should remain here while we go and...take care of the rest."

"But, sir, we're the two best fighters in this school - we just proved it - and we could help-"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Aryle; highly capable though the pair of you may be, you are still no match for someone like Ms. Silvers. No, best that you remain here - comfort your teammates."

Cinder dropped her head, a breath escaping. "Yes, sir...understood."

"Be very proud of yourselves tonight - but you've done enough for one night," Oobleck said, patting her shoulder and rushing past her.

Kari stepped into the elevator of Beacon Tower, keeping her face as expressionless as she could. Willing her hand not to tremble.

Willing Ozpin not to see it.

But, here, in the dark confines of a box...

Kari couldn't help but be lost to the worst of memories that her mind contained.