Chapter Forty Four

The Butterfly Effect

Jaune's chest heaved as he threw himself up flights upon flights of stairs.

He cursed everything under the sun. Cursed Cinder for pushing Ruby and Pyrrha to their limits. Cursed Pyrrha for being too damn selfless for her own good. Cursed Ozpin for his idiotic decision to give Beacon Tower only one fucking elevator.

Fifty floors. This tower had fifty floors and he just made it to the halfway point. Sweat poured down his face in waves, but his tight grip on Crocea Mors stayed firm. He burst through another set of doors, desperation rising in his chest.

Floor twenty six. Jaune kept running.

Mercury gaped in incredulity at the scene before him. "Stop the thing, Weiss!"

"I-I-I'm trying!" Weiss stabbed at her summon with her rapier. Blake had stumbled up from her spot by Yang and ran over to wedge herself under the armored hand.

Blake hissed as the armor dug into her unprotected, auraless shoulder. "Pry it's fingers open!"

Sun's Via Sun clones joined the fray and grabbed at the hand's thumb. Sage ran to the side and wedged his sword between Penny's body and the Gigas's pinky.

"Can't you make this thing go away?!" Sage yelled.

"I don't know how!"

Mercury felt someone pull up on his arm, and a quick glance showed Scarlet as his helper. His gaze was locked on the armored summon, but he kept his grip firm on Mercury until he was solid with his footing.

With a final groan from Sage and the combined effort of Sun's clones, Blake, and Weiss, the summon released its death grip and Penny fell to the ground with a weak groan.

Mercury walked with uncertainty toward the android as Weiss immediately went into a panic. Sun's clones dissipated, and Blake backed away before finally collapsing in exhaustion on the ground. Weiss's rapier clattered to the ground as her hands sprung forward to grip at Penny's stationary form and drag her further away from the ledge to safety. Green fluid dripped to the ground beside her through some cracks in her metal frame, and after Sage and Mercury shared a look, Sage moved past the group to check on the destroyed ship.

"Hey… Weiss, we stopped the worst of it." Weiss didn't respond to his half-assed reassurance, not that he blamed her.

Penny wasn't without injury though. While the gang stopped her from being cleaved in half and any further pounding, she was barely conscious. Her chest hiccuped as Weiss tore off her jacket, shooed the arm away, and covered Penny's marred back with her jacket. Blake crawled over and carefully looked over Penny's wounds through her delirium while a squeaky, panicked cry strangled its way out of Weiss's throat.

Mercury heaved a sigh and approached Weiss, who neared the point of hyperventilating as her hands pressed down on Penny's back through the jacket. He almost didn't want to see the severity of Penny's injuries. A part of him felt guilt, but it was a distant feeling. He didn't know Penny, didn't interact with her much at all, and because of that he didn't think much of anything when he saw her lying there, and that itself bred guilt. Shouldn't he feel sadness? Something? This was Ruby's friend, and he worried more for Ruby's reaction and how she would take the news than he did if Penny didn't survive. It was the first time he asked himself this, but why the hell didn't he feel?

Despite the numbness that went through him, he approached Weiss and kneeled down beside her. He may not be overly fond of the Ice Queen, but she was a part of Ruby's… of his circle. So, he would help.

"How is she?"

"She…" Weiss sniffled. "I think it got her spine. Or, um, her equivalent. There's a lot of, um…"

Mercury reached out and lifted Weiss's hands away from Penny. The green fluid bled through the jacket, and Mercury hissed. He peeled it back to see a dented frame with some of Penny's panels bent up for the fluid to leak through. With a firm frown, he pressed the jacket down and wrestled it around Penny so he could tie it tight.

Hesitantly, he asked, "Penny, you with us?"

"Y… Y-Yes. And, ah, that was… nearly enough force to knock me out."

Weiss lunged around Mercury and placed her hand on Penny's cheek. "P-Penny, I'm- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean- I mean, I didn't want-"

"Weiss," Blake said through deep breaths. "Deep breaths."

"Penny, do you have, uh, any idea how you're doing?" Mercury gave Weiss a long look. "Do you know how your body is handling?"

"I'm… I'm sorry, I cannot fight with you." Penny forced down the red in her eyes. "I feel… dizzy? I think that's the equivalent feeling. My optics cannot focus on - ah, much."

Weiss tentatively reached out a hand. "But… will you be alright?"

"I… don't know. Father… he needs my memory chip. If he has that, I should be okay."

"You… think?" Weiss frowned. "So - So you'll be okay?"

Blindly, Penny reached out a hand from her place stomach down between them. Weiss took it without question. "I… there's a chance. But even if I'm not - I'm happy to have met you." Penny's eyes flickered red, but she pushed it down with a groan. "I… won't let…I will not let this virus make me hurt you!"

Weiss winced as Penny crushed her hand in her grip as she fought against the commands fed to her. She grit her teeth.

"I-I need to shut down, I can't- ah. Tell Ruby I… Tell her, thank you."

Penny's optics dimmed and widened as her body powered down. Weiss's hopeful look turned to horror. "Penny? P-Penny?!"

Weiss shook at Penny's body. Blake tried to reach out but Mercury, acting quick, pushed to his feet and pulled Weiss up and away to stop her from doing any more damage. A strangled cry escaped from her, and suddenly Weiss whirled around and face planted into his chest. His arms, which were held in front of him, tentatively circled around the heiress. Her breathing became worse.

"Weiss." It felt odd to call her by her name and not a nickname. The way her shoulders bunched up told him she thought it was odd too. "Calm your breathing. C'mon, she said she was going to shut down."

"But - I-I… Penny might die!"

"Well. Might is better than definitely." Dear God, where was his filter, he needed it back stat.

"And what about the virus?! What if it- what if it-"

This wasn't something Mercury could just apologize for, like with Ruby. He genuinely had no clue what to say. The summon beside them hovered beside them, completely unaware that what it just did was the reason its master was stricken, but all the same, it raised its free hand to pat Weiss's head.

Weiss snarled and threw her arm out towards the summon. Her glacier eyes glittered with tears. "Get out. Desummon? Just- I don't want to look at you! Get out!"

The summon disappeared in a flurry of white sparks.

"Now you listen?! I… urgh!"

Aaaand Weiss went back to crying into Mercury's chest again. Helplessly, Mercury looked around the airstrip. Many of the students that had a good chunk of aura left didn't take notice as they fended off the Grimm trying to approach, but Blake stared from her spot on the floor with unsure eyes and hands still pressed gently to Penny's wounds. Scarlet gaped at the sparking body that clung to life in unconsciousness as they supported each other enough to stand, and Neptune, who ran from the defensive line when he heard Weiss's cries, ran a hand down his face as he stared at the scene.

"What… what happened?"

Mercury shook his head. "Penny is an android. With a soul." With a startled grunt, he caught Weiss as her knees buckled. "Woah, easy Weiss."

Neptune glanced back at the battlefield, considered his options, and finally, placed his weapon on his back. He stepped forward and reached forward to place his hands on Weiss's back. "Weiss…"

Both of the boys exchanged a shocked glance as Weiss jolted away from Neptune. Mercury could feel her shaking her head against his chest.

Neptune broached, "Weiss?"

Mercury narrowed his eyes at the top of Weiss's head. Weiss may have given him a second chance, but he doubted she would try to find comfort in him. No, she wasn't hugging him, she was hiding, and he had a feeling he knew why. "Did you smile?"

After a long pause, Weiss lifted her head to peer up with saddened, confused eyes. "W-What?"

"When you did this to her did you smile?"

"Dude!" Neptune looked mortified.

"Wha-wh- n-n-n-no, nono I didn't I-I-"

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Of c-course not I-"

Did you hurt her with malicious intent?"

"Mercury, what the hell—" Sun began to step in.

"No!"

"Then." Mercury placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back farther so he could look at her properly. "You aren't like me."

He could've heard a pin drop. Weiss's eyes were wide and unblinking. He raised a brow.

Mercury stepped away from her. "What you just did was out of defense, not malice. Not like what I used to do."

"...O-Oh." She suddenly gained a hopeful look. "Do, uh, do you think she'll be okay?"

Mercury, with an awkward grimace, replied, "I… don't know. It's, ah, kind of out of my area of expertise."

The light dimmed in her eyes, but didn't completely snuff out. Weiss's eyes eased over Penny's form. Weiss's jacket stemmed the… bleeding? But if Penny didn't get help soon, she really would be dead. Tentatively, Weiss crouched down by her and took her hand. Mercury furrowed his brows as Penny's hand actually moved to properly join hands with Weiss. Penny did stifle her aura… maybe it worked differently as an android? The heiress visibly recoiled, but kept her hold on Penny's hand. "P-Penny? Can… can you hear me? Just… just hang on. We'll get you to Atlas, I-I promise."

"Uh. Okay." Neptune leaned conspiratorially towards Mercury and Sun. Mercury noted that they naturally gravitated into a small circle. "Let's make sure Weiss gets on one of the first Bullheads, yeah?"

"Blake and Yang too," Sun murmured. "And Scar and Sage are near collapse. Nora and Ren too. Damn, CFVY and us three are the only ones semi-okay, huh? Gods, at least four other people are dead."

Mercury raised a brow in question.

"Nolan's the only one left of BRNZ. Reese from ABRN, she, ah… a Paladin snapped her hoverboard in half. Saved Bolin and Nadir." Sun shuffled on his feet, his normally cheery demeanor downtrodden and crushed.

"Yeah." Neptune's voice was hoarse. He eyed Penny. "Android, huh?"

Mercury shrugged. "Yep."

"Android or not… jeez." Sun shook his head. His sharp grey eyes lifted to Mercury. "So uh, how dark of a past are you carrying? 'Cause… sheesh. The way you talked Weiss down…"

Mercury crossed his arms. "Later."

"Uh. Yeah. Sure thing, man."

Neptune, very pointedly, kept his eyes on Mercury as Weiss continued to murmur at Penny. "Almost everyone is here… I don't see Jaune, Pyrrha, or Rubes though."

"Jaune and Pyrrha ran off with Ozpin," Mercury said. "Ruby… she, ah. Apparently she rode a damn locker to Ironwood's flagship. Sage saw her go."

Sun ran a stressed hand through his hair. "Alone?!"

Mercury pursed his lips and nodded. He tried, very desperately, to not let his growing panic be expressed in rampant pacing and impulsive statements, like it did last time when Ruby's call failed when she was at Mountain Glenn. Neptune clapped Mercury's shoulder.

"Little Sis is a tough cookie. She… she should be okay."

With an unamused expression, he scowled at Neptune. His tone of voice didn't inspire confidence.

Whatever snarky retort Mercury was about to hurl back at Neptune died on his tongue as, through the hordes of Grimm, the steady clunk of two Paladins barreled through them with intent set on the students.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sun screamed. "Nep, with me. Merc, try to get hold of Ruby!"

Sun and Neptune dashed off with the able fighters of ABRN, the lone BRNZ member Nolan, and a few others dashed forward. Velvet reached for her box and ran forward as blue hardlight morphed into a myriad of familiar weapons. He eyed the wreckage of one of the airships. Sage had Ren slung over his back and Nora hobbled alongside him.

"He good?" Mercury called over.

Sage shook his head. "Concussion and some burn marks. We need to start evacuating, man."

"Right… you take them, I'll try and get some others on board."

Sage nodded and carted Nora and Ren away. Mercury grit his teeth, pulled out his scroll, and after a moment of indecision, paced over to crouch beside Weiss and Blake. He touched Blake's shoulder to get her attention.

"Blake, why don't you move Yang to the airship farthest from the fight." He pointed behind him, where Sage was directing the NR of JNPR. "You should… probably stay there too."

Blake's eyes immediately narrowed. "I'm not leaving you here, any of you."

Mercury glared at her. "You really think you're going to help like this? I'm not babysitting your ass."

They locked eyes for a long moment, but Blake eventually looked away. "Fine. I'm staying back at the Vale checkpoint and waiting for you all to show up though. I'll keep it clear."

Mercury rolled his eyes but let her go get Yang. Weiss was still trying to talk to Penny, who remained motionless. He thumbed Ruby's contact and nudged Weiss's shoulder. "C'mon, Ice, talk to Ruby with me."

Weiss sniffled, but shifted so she could watch the outgoing call symbol shake. They waited for what felt like ages, and his heart sunk as he was met with Ruby's voicemail.

"Hey, ah, Ruby here! Sorry I-"

Mercury hit the end call with a little more force than necessary. Weiss was still and silent next to him. He heard shuffled feet and Blake's protests as something hit his back. Curtains of blonde hair brushed along his shoulders, and he twisted around to take Yang's weight.

"Yang-"

"Where's Ruby?" Her lilac eyes were half-open and her words were slurred. Her skin was sickly pale and she swayed from side to side. Blake crammed herself underneath Yang's left arm and pulled her so she wasn't completely leaning on Mercury.

"She's fine, Yang," Blake lied with a silver tongue. "Come on, let's get you on the ship."

"No, where's… I heard her." Yang blinked hard, and despite Blake's insistent nudges towards the airship Yang was able to dig her heels in and stay planted in front of Mercury. Her bandaged stump was soaked with her own blood. "Where is she? Where's my sis?"

Mercury shared a look with Blake. Her amber eyes were filled with apprehension. A woozy Yang was an unknown.

"She's… helping some other friends." The fact he just referred to Torchwick as a friend made him want to throw up. "She'll be back."

"Ssssshe… she should be here." Yang's breathing shortened. "What… what other friends? Where's my sister? Where's my… where's my baby sister?! Where?!"

Scarlet rushed over with a limp and carefully grabbed at the remainder of Yang's right arm. "She'll be back soon, love. Come on, lets-"

"Where's my- where's my arm?!" Her eyes were locked onto the stump Scarlet unwittingly drew attention to. "Where did- I, I need my sister! Where's my sister?!"

Mercury acted without thinking. He wrapped his arms around her waist and crab-walked her all the way to the airship as Scarlet and Blake trailed after. Yang thrashed in his grip, but the blood loss did a number on her strength. He swallowed down the sudden clog in his throat as Yang's sobs rang straight into his ear and ignored the burn in his eyes. He strongarmed her into the airship, walked past Sage, Nora and Ren, and set her down on one of the cots set up along the wall. She tried to immediately get up, but he pushed her back to sit. Blake scampered around to sit beside her and wrap her arms around Yang to stop her from moving.

"Hey, hey, look at me, okay?" Mercury pulled back and gestured between her eyes and his with two fingers. "I'll find her. Neptune and I, we're staying back, and once all of you are out we'll find Ruby and bring her back. Yeah? You trust Neptune and I, right?"

"She's my sister," Yang said with fire. "I should be the one to get her, I should- I should be there for her-"

Mercury shook her. "Yang, you're missing a damn arm. All you'll do is be a liability out there like this."

She grit her teeth and more tears built in her eyes. "Dammit. Dammit!"

The world outside the ship was muted to him. He had a sudden desire to tear everything Cinder built down with his bare hands, stronger than ever before. Every drop of blood, every shed tear, every open wound was a personal offense, and the normally boisterous and confident Yang Xiao Long battered and in tears before him made rage curdle in his gut.

Blake bumped her head into Yang's from the side. "You know Merc and Nep wouldn't let anything happen to her, Yang."

"I-I know." Yang managed to say in a high-pitched squeak. She reached out with her left arm and hooked her hand onto the back of Mercury's neck. "You bring her back. You bring her back, and you come to Patch."

"I will."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

Yang sighed, and released her grip on his neck. Her arm flopped to his side and she tiredly slouched into Blake. "Okay… just don't die, alright?"

Mercury managed a weak smirk, then impulsively leant forward and pressed a kiss to Yang's forehead. Yang hardly noticed it as her eyes slipped closed, but he felt embarrassed regardless the moment he did it, and hurried to stand and nod to a wide-eyed Blake. He pivoted on his heel, avoided Scarlet's stare, and bee-lined it to the open hatch.

Scarlet caught his arm.

"Hey, Merc…" Scarlet darted his eyes every which way. "Watch out for Neo too, yeah?"

Mercury waited until Scarlet met his eyes. He nodded once, pat his shoulder, and walked forward once more as Scarlet released his arm. He stepped back out into the chaos and edged to the side as Coco helped an exhausted Velvet into the ship. In the distance, the Paladins lay dormant in front of the large group of students.

He sighed. He could only hope that meant Ruby was safe on the battleship. With a hesitant frown, he pulled out his scroll and looked through the aura levels of everyone. Her aura was still going strong.

It was better than nothing.

Emerald hurried up to the window and brought her scroll out with shaking hands before she pointed the camera towards the courtyard below her. She barricaded the door to the stairwell behind her so no unwanted visitors would pop in for a visit.

She tried desperately to pretend the chaos before her wasn't real. Pretend that, in the distance, she didn't see Mercury fighting alongside the Schnee heiress and the Faunus girl she just framed for murder, and didn't see the Paladins as they closed in on the group of students.

"Try to focus on the students at the strip more."

With a low growl, Emerald spit back at Adam Taurus, who was speaking to her through the scroll, "You're not my boss."

"Whatever. I just figure the world seeing Blake all chummy with the other students is bound to cause an uproar." Adam sighed, and she thought heard him slice a Grimm. "Hey, who is this kid?"

Emerald blinked. On her other scroll (Cinder ensured her recording wouldn't be interrupted by providing a separate one just for the occasion) the bloodied face of a blonde haired student popped up in her messages with Adam. "Uh… that looks like Dove Bronzewing?"

"He special to Blake?"

"His team used to bully Jaune and Ruby, so… not really."

"Oh." Another slice met her ears.

Emerald pushed down the disgust that rose in her chest. "Did you just kill him?"

"Uh. Yeah?"

She didn't care. She didn't care. She didn't care. "Anyone else around?"

"Most are grouped up at the evac point now." Adam huffed. "Why hasn't that bomb gone off yet?"

A cold sweat broke across her palms, and her fingers shook. "You tell me. Your agents planted it."

Emerald didn't know why she reached out to Ruby. She didn't know why she exposed her actual scroll's number compared to her fake, student scroll. All she knew was the moment Adam told her to steer clear of the airstrip, she felt a tightness in her chest and her fingers flew to her scroll the moment Adam turned away.

"Whatever. What's Cinder's status?"

"She should be on top of the tower by now. I know she got to the Vault just when Ozpin tried to start the transfer."

She startled as a loud thump sounded from the other side of the door she blocked off. She grit her teeth and went to pivot around on her heel, but the screech of a large Grimm had her turning back around. Her crimson eyes widened at the sight of a Wyvern as it approached Beacon Tower, and she choked on her own tongue as in the seconds it took for the Wyvern to approach the tower, it sunk its claws into the sides of the tower and blocked her view with its body. The thick ribbed underbelly scraped against the window and caused scratches along the glass. Emerald winced as it screeched and clawed its way up the tower.

"Emerald?"

Emerald couldn't muster a snarky quip about him remembering her name. "W-Wyvern! There's a Wyvern!"

"Oh? Oh. Wow. I've… I've never seen one before. And wait… what's-"

A blast of fire and water fell before Emerald's view, and Pyrrha and Cinder flew into view with blades clashed and fire under their feet. Pyrrha's fire was a bright green that matched her eyes while Cinder's was her regular color of flame. Cinder's obsidian swords shattered against Pyrrha's xiphos only to reform and slash at Pyrrha's unprotected side. The warrior veered to the left, towards Emerald, and with a grunt she hit the glass and cracked it. A swirl of water curved around her, and as Pyrrha pushed off the glass she spun and let the waves of water slam into Cinder and propel her backwards and waterlog the Fire Queen. Emerald scrambled to check Cinder's aura on her scroll, and seethed at her status.

"Pyrrha Nikos has some of the Maiden power!" Emerald shouted into the scroll as she backed up in a panic. "Get Tempest and Rama, Cinder needs backup!"

And with that, Emerald pocketed both scrolls and pulled her pistols from their holsters. She hated this. She hated every second as she watched Beacon fall around her, but this was for Cinder. Cinder, who had treated her almost like a daughter for the short week that Mercury and Neo weren't at her side. Cinder, who took her from the streets and gave her purpose. Emerald's wants didn't matter, this was for Cinder and she deserved the Fall Maiden power.

CRASH.

Before she could fire, the barricade behind her exploded into fragments. She whirled around to see…

"...Jaune?"

"Emerald!"

Emerald narrowed her eyes. Jaune charged blindly toward her. In response, she went to shift her pistols into kusarigamas and step to the side-

And she was falling.

Pyrrha gripped at her collar and, before she could retaliate, threw her from Beacon Tower. Emerald shrieked as glass sliced at her aura, but aimed her pistols at Pyrrha, who seconds after launching her from the tower, darted from it and gripped Jaune's armor with her semblance to fly up and away from Cinder. Seconds later, Emerald felt the wind be knocked from her as Cinder slammed into her side and threw her onto her back as she doggedly pursued the Amazonian Warrior.

"Emerald, use your semblance!" Cinder ordered. Emerald desperately wrapped her arms around Cinder's shoulders to try and hold on as she zig-zagged side to side to avoid the numerous ice shards Pyrrha summoned and rained down towards them.

"But Cinder, your aura-"

"Do it!"

Emerald squinted up at the would-be Maiden. Pyrrha yanked Jaune to her, wrapped an arm around him, and spiked the spear form of Miló into the Wyvern's back. It screeched, pushed off the tower, and flapped its leathery wings.

She pushed down the guilt and let her semblance chime.

"Jaune, what are you doing here?!"

"I was running up the fortieth floor of Beacon Tower so I could stop you from killing yourself!"

Pyrrha growled low in her throat, but she pulled Jaune closer to her as the Wyvern screeched and rolled in the air to try and shake them off. "This battle is a bit beyond you, Jaune."

"I don't care!" Jaune shouted. He kept his shield in its sheath form, but the sword of Crocea Mors was clutched tight in his hand that wasn't clutching Pyrrha's waist for dear life. "You don't get to decide what battles I fight."

The Wyvern changed direction last minute and slammed through the top of Beacon Tower. Pyrrha and Jaune ducked down close to the Wyvern's tough hide as glass, rubble and gears rained around them, but eventually a large gear knocked into them, tore Pyrrha's spear from its skin, and sent them tumbling onto Beacon Tower. The inertia rolled them straight off the edge, and with another blast of Maiden energy at her feet, she managed to keep them afloat and avoid a long drop.

That girl can cause hallucinations! Be careful!

"Just one more thing…" Pyrrha muttered as she pulled Jaune through one of the windows and pressed her back to the wall. She peeked around the corner and surveyed the area. They'd fallen on the side opposite of the airstrip, and overlooked the academic buildings that framed the secluded courtyard. The large Grimm flew in a large arc to come back towards the tower.

She thought to Amber, how is Amethyst?

The connection is taking a toll. She's trying to clear the skies to help your friend Ruby evacuate Roman Torchwick.

"What?!" Pyrrha barked out loud. Jaune looked at her with furrowed brows. "I left Ruby with Mercury!"

Well, she's not with him now. She rode in on a weapon's locker.

Not good. Not good. Ruby wouldn't just leave Mercury, not after all she's gone through with him. Something must have happened to cause her to run off, something she couldn't ignore. Pyrrha didn't see much on the airstrip before the Wyvern blew them off course, but she saw enough to see more than a few people laying motionless as the standing students fiercely held the line, and Vale would need every able body to regroup and push back the Grimm. Ruby wouldn't leave with the students in that state, not if it wasn't important.

"Pyrrha, what's-"

"You need to get out of here," Pyrrha muttered breathlessly to him. "You need to get to the air strip and help Mercury and the others."

Her emerald eyes stayed locked on the Wyvern, fear buried in her heart. She thought hard. If she could get Jaune to the airstrip so he could tend to the wounded, they would stand a chance. But if Emerald used her semblance, then Cinder could attack her from any angle and she wouldn't be prepared. If Jaune died because she was tricked…

She forced the thought from her mind. There was enough negativity churning through Beacon already, and so much more in Vale. She needed to buy her friends more time, and getting Jaune to them would give them time. "The others need you."

"So do you," Jaune replied just as quick, and a blooming gold crept off his hands and onto her shoulders. Her red aura flared at the boost, and where before her aura felt at half power, she suddenly felt full and untarnished again.

"Jaune, I'm one person!" Pyrrha tried to shrug off his hand. "You need to get to the others and help them."

"You're my partner, and I'm not going to leave you. Besides, I have a lot of aura. You said so yourself." Jaune said with a smirk. "So let's use it, and figure out just what you can do with that semblance of yours."

She looked at her hands. She could feel the polarity within her palms strengthen. She could sense every bit of metal that was pulled towards her from the top of the tower, and the metal within the tower's very structure hummed. She pressed her lips together in a tight frown.

"If either of us sees Cinder or Emerald, we need to call it out. Emerald can trick minds."

"Done." Jaune nodded. With his free hand, he pulled out his scroll. "I'll check on everyone and keep boosting you until my aura runs out if need be."

Wordlessly, Pyrrha turned and let a decently sized gear float to the window. She and Jaune stepped on the gear and Pyrrha moved it so all the metal slabs, differently sized gears, and even Ozpin's desk circled around them at a pace that wasn't too fast but was enough to create a good enough defense.

Pyrrha, you there?

What's wrong, Amethyst?

I'm about to let off a huge burst of magic. Just fair warning, if the connection gets weak for a sec.

Do what you need to.

She felt the magic coursing through her weaken, but she let the amplification of Jaune's semblance keep her confidence high. She could feel Amber compensating for the shift in power, and she was certain Amethyst would gather her bearings and lend her strength once more soon. The Wyvern screeched and began to barrel toward her. Jaune tapped her shoulder and pointed up and she saw nothing but air. She narrowed her eyes and spread the gears further apart and made them circle around her faster both horizontally and vertically.

"There's White Fang on the ground," Jaune noted.

Her voice was level. "All I see is the Wyvern coming towards us."

"It… it's not there. It flew over the tower to the other side." Jaune's tone was noticeably disturbed. "You don't hear the White Fang firing at us? You didn't hear Cinder and Emerald be hit by the gears?"

"No…"

"Well. I hate Emerald's semblance," Jaune declared with false cheer. "Okay, just keep the gears underneath us, it doesn't look like any of the White Fang have gear that can get them up to us. As for Cinder and Emerald… You're going to have to follow my directions to keep them back."

Pyrrha eyed the tower, felt the metal within. She raised her hand and carried the gears farther from it. "If worst comes to worst, I… might have an idea."

Jaune's not out for the count yet, folks. Pyrrha wasn't able to launch him from a locker this time around.

Three chapters left of the Fall, everyone! Like Servos mentioned in the reviews, place your bets! How do you think everyone left in the game will fair?

Astray-Tech: It may be dark, but they're fighting hard! Glad you enjoyed!

Dragon Lord Draco: If there's one thing that's certain, Ruby will likely cause a couple heart attacks on Mercury's account lol. Fingers crossed for Pyrrha!

The Night Whisperer: Lol! I'll admit I giggled when I wrote that bit! Expect more platonic interaction in the future ;)

The Baz: Gotta love Torchwick! When he died in V3 I was so sad.

Servos New Head: Blake definitely gets a spotlight in later chapters, so you'll get some explanation on that! Well, if you see this response before you get there that is, lol. As for the title, I'll be honest, I created the title on the fly before I put much thought into story/chapter titles. It's a twist on anther one of Mercury and Ruby's ship names that's not nearly as popular, Poisonous Rose. Give a rose something poisonous to it? It wilts.

Next chapter: On A Roman Holiday

Lonessa out.