Chapter 15: The Darkling Thrush-The Fall of Vale
Back to the fall again, another round of sad depression for the team. Sorry, but I feel like these types of things are necessary for the cast watching to learn a bit of something. This was beta read by Nacoma23.
"Now then everybody, this next world will feature four special people from Beacon." The Keeper told everyone. "I bet you all know who I'm talking about."
A cacophony of cheers and groans erupt from the audience. Four people from Beacon, that was so obvious. The girls of Team RWBY smirked, with Yang and Ruby cheering, as the sisters were unable to hold back their excitement. To think they would see a world centered on their team.
"This is going to be awesome." Yang said. "Ooh, I wonder what versions of ourselves we'll see. Maybe, space cowboys?"
"Why would you even think such a thing?" Weiss asked her blonde friend, whom only grinned at her.
"Hey, with infinite realms, there are infinite possibilities, right." Ruby just as excited about the world they're about to see, wondering what type of realm will be shown. She started listing off different ideas,
"Will it have super giant robots? Transforming alien machines or heroes with cool guns?" Then her face lit up with another thought, "Oh, oh, or maybe a world where people can download their minds into giant mecha, all while battling some evil, uh, Union or something." Ruby took a second to re-think that last one. "Nah, as if there's such a world..."
Blake didn't say anything, but she had a smile on her face as she wondered what world she and her friends might see. These worlds have all been interesting. Sure, some worlds were bad, others amazing, but overall most of the worlds they have seen have been... interesting.
'Except for that one 'magical' world,' Blake thought with a shudder.
"Oh, great, just great," Roman drawled out loudly, not caring at all what others might think. "Just what we all need, watching little Red and her friends doing blah, blah, blah..."
"Man, this stinks." Mercury agreed.
"Boo." Even Emerald decided to vocalize her disappointment in seeing this.
This was the general consensus among those on the 'Bad Side' that didn't like this bit of news. Though there were some who were seated on the 'good side', specifically Cardin and Whitley, were also quite displeased. With Cardin, it was more annoyance than displeasure at seeing Team RWBY being the center of attention again. Whitley was just preparing himself for another of his sister's ego trips.
"I wonder how your students will act." Ironwood asked Glynda, expecting to see RWBY in a combat situation.
"Hopefully, it won't be too devastating." Glynda didn't wish to see her students harmed. Qrow himself also agreed, though he was more lax in showing it.
"I'm sure Rubes and her friends will deal with it. Right, Ice Queen?" Qrow mockingly asked Winter, who simply turned her head in disgust at the drunk's words. She knew Weiss can take care of herself.
"This should be interesting, right, Ozpin?" Oscar asked the immortal being in his mind.
"Indeed, my young friend." Now everyone was wondering just what scenario they will see of Team RWBY. Then they heard Mayden making an announcement.
"That's right, everyone. We will be seeing, wait a minute... DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!"
The audience jumped at the sudden command. Seconds passed as they sat in silence, expecting a spectral drum roll to sound off. When no drums were heard, their spectral host called on Roman to perform one. Despite his protests, the resurrected thief obliged and began to rhythmically tap his hands against the back of a seat.
"Alright, the team we will be watching is none other than..." Mayden paused for effect and then excitedly shouted, "TEAM CRDL!"
For a brief second, silence reigned as everyone processed what they heard. Then they all shouted in one single, united voice.
"WHAT!" Even Cardin had joined, surprised to hear that his team shall be the latest feature on screen. He was not the only surprise, for everyone in the audience; even the likes of Adam and Tock were surprised. Most were shocked and somewhat outraged that the Beacon's resident troublemakers will be shown on screen. Others were confused that a team of relative nobodies were the newest focus of the big screen.
"My team!?" Cardin finally said.
"Yeah, Cardin, your team," Mayden said not sure as why everyone was so upset. Then it hit him, "Ooohhh, wait a second, did you all thought I meant Team RWBY?"
"YES!" Everyone yelled back, even the villains.
The Keeper let out a bellowing laugh. He could understand their confusion. It was hilarious that they thought Team RWBY would be the main characters. Though he did concede that technically, yes, they are back in their own universe, but that is beside the point. The point being that the universes shown in his theater were not exclusive to just Team RWBY. Anybody of possible interest, whether they are bad or good, would be shown on screen.
"No, seriously," Weiss said with a shocked tone, "CRDL?"
"Even I have to admit, it is rather...surprising." Glynda admitted.
"I'm right here." Cardin angrily reminded them, offended by their words. It stung a bit hearing these people saying such disrespectful thing. What was wrong with others seeing him, huh? What was it; did they see a universe where he did more than just blackmail Jaune? Did an alternate version try to extort Ozpin or Belladonna?
Then again, he didn't care in the slightest what they say about him. But his team, that was another matter. Say anything bad about his teammates to his face and he'll grind the person into the ground.
"Neo," Roman whispered to Neo. "Who in the hell is Team CRDL?"
Neo just shrugged, having no answer to that question. Excluding the teachers and former Beacon students, nobody actually knew or cared much about Team CRDL. Sure they saw a world featuring Cardin, but that was it.
Even Cinder and her group weren't that impressed. They may have seen their match during the tournament, but the skills they showed, which were lackluster in their opinion, didn't warrant much attention. Why would they? They weren't even considered an actual threat to their plan. If anything, Team CRDL was nothing but collateral damage to them.
"Well, this stinks." Yang said, earning a glare from Cardin.
"Yeah, this world is probably going to suck, huh Ren?" Nora also didn't seem to mind the glare of the Winchester. Ren just sighed and mouthed an apology to Cardin.
"This will be weird." Jaune himself didn't know how to feel about seeing his former bully on the big screen again. Though, he didn't know if this was going to be good or bad. He'll just wait and see.
"Oh, don't sulk." The Keeper told them, "What you'll see will be very interesting. In fact, this world is one of the very rare ones out here."
"What do you mean rare?" Tock asked, wondering what the phantom voice meant.
"Simple. Most worlds usually follow your timeline but then diverge into something else while others are just plain different." The Keeper explained to them all. "This world however follows your timeline to the exact letter. The only difference being who it's focused on. Not everything is about you."
Many in the audience felt rather irritated by that comment, the main cast especially. FYI Team RWBY and Jaune. Those like Cardin, Whitley, and Ironwood who simply didn't care. They were fine with whatever.
"Whatever the case, enjoy." With that said, the screen turned on. Everyone realized they could do nothing about it, so they may as well try to enjoy it. Out of everyone, it was Cardin who was the most interested. He was glad that he'll be able to see his teammates, his brothers.
"This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men." Cinder's voice carried throughout the stadium, reaching the ears of horrified audience members, and the students hailing from the four kingdom's premier Huntsmen academies. "Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both."
"You've gotta be kidding me?" Qrow muttered darkly, with many sharing the sentiment. They were watching the Fall of Beacon all over again and on the big screen, no less.
"Are we actually seeing this?" Winter asked the entity. She had not been present for the fall, so this is his her chance to see what happened.
"Pretty much," The Keeper replied. "Just remember, this isn't just about the fall, but also CRDL."
That didn't make anybody feel better. But then again, they didn't have any other choice but to watch. Though Cardin couldn't help but ask, what were he and his old team doing in this world?
Any attempts to cut the world wide video feed proved futile. Up above in the commentator's box, Oobleck and Port shared sullen looks while they were taunted by their failure to prevent tragedy. The great General Ironwood himself stood horrified in the booth, having bagged in moments ago to lend his assistance in any way he could, only to find he was completely powerless.
"They cling to this power in the name of peace," Cinder continued her speech, from a lone rooftop in Vale. She sat cross legged on an AC unit, staring up at Amity Colosseum floating up in the sky, a prideful smirk on her face. "and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference."
Down below in the arena, stood a devastated Pyrrha, her eyes glued to the body of the robot girl she'd just murdered. She raised her hands to cover her mouth, to halt any scream. But the flow of tears raining down her cheeks were left unattended all while Cinder's voice danced around her. "And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither."
Many from the 'Good Side' glared at the one who caused this. Cinder just shook their hateful glares off like dirt on a boot, for that was all that while those like Mercury and Tock enjoyed the scene they were watching.
"You did this?" Tock said. "Impressive."
"I try my best." Cinder said, accepting the compliment. After some guessing, Cinder finally realized who Tock is, an old member of Salem's order. Tock was her senior when it came to serving Salem, so any praise that came from here was as good as any from the Mother of Grimm.
"Hey, I played a good role too." Roman said in a desperate attempt to inflate his ego.
"Yeah, you did, and then you died." Emerald mockingly reminded him, shutting the man up.
His ego bruised, Roman quietly insulted her, "Lousy brat."
Neo patted him on the back.
"Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets." The spectators reeled back as the fresh memories of the recent Breach were forced to the forefront of their minds.
"Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces." Cinder said as the recently freed Roman Torchwick commandeered the Atlassian fleet's Flagship. Aided by his mute assassin, Torchwick turned the ships guns on the rest of fleet and proceeded to blast them out of the air. "Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves."
"As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our Kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?" Cinder said, before ending the transmission. She'd said all she needed to say. Now all she really had to do was wait for the dominos to fall. Her subordinates would return to her in time, she told herself. The White Fang and their Grimm will cause panic and that will attract a larger Grimm force. And no doubt these so called 'protectors' such as Ozpin will go running to swiftly secure the true prize, the maiden.
And then the maiden would be hers.
'And it did.' Cinder purred softly. Contrary to what these fools thought, destroying Beacon was far from an easy task. There is an old saying from a Mistralian philosopher, which said "Creation was more difficult than destruction", and there was some truth to that. Did these fools ever realize how much work went into her plan? The months spent gathering information, the necessary tools, and convincing people like ADAM TAURUS to aid her? No, they never did.
'It took close to a year before my plan was set in motion... And it took only a day for me to earn my prize. In short, it was totally worth it.' They say those who worked hardest often get the most rewards. Well, she certainly got hers.
Then she frowned as she rubbed her grimmified arm. 'Though to be honest, I really miss my left arm and eye.'
The cold and alluring voice of a mad woman fell on deaf ears to one lone Thrush. Too caught up in the horror he faced, Russell stared into a blood red abyss. Just as he did nine years ago back in the forests of Oakwood. And The Ursa who'd plagued him then, who plagued him now, stared back with deadly intent.
"Wait, Russell hates Ursa?" Jaune asked, genuinely surprised by the fact.
"Pretty much, though it was more fear than hate," Cardin explained. "It seems this world has some similarities to ours after all. Though, I never thought that the same Ursa from his childhood would find him like this. I would say this is a cruel, sick twist of fate."
'Indeed, Mr. Winchester, a cruel fate, indeed.' Ozpin couldn't help but agree. Watching Mr. Thrush facing a Grimm he recognized reminded Ozpin of the Grimm Dragon. He remembered it from many lifetimes ago, but he had thought it perished during their last battle. Never did he imagine it was actually 'asleep' inside Mount Glenn, of all places, only to awaken at the worst possible time. He wondered how many lives were lost to that monster.
It seemed young Russel was facing the same ordeal, though on a scale much smaller compared to the dragon, but it was still deadly encounter in its own way.
The beastly creature let out another one of its bone chilling roars. It charged forward, the metal chain surgically grafted to its neck during its imprisonment clattered against the metal flooring. And the pair were back there again, Russel and The Ursa, back in Oakwood. A young child with his back against a tree, a monster running full speed to devour him.
And there would be no timely rescue like before, his Father was long dead, buried beneath a shattered pale marker at Saint Jack's cemetery. All those who could step in to save Russel stood or sat idly by while Cinder carried on with her monologue. Those he trusted were too far away and unaware of dire situation.
Russell had frozen up entirely and was snared by the charging Ursa's powerful jaws. He let out a pained howl as the Grimm lifted him into the air by his side, its teeth puncturing through his aura and breaking his skin. The Ursa flailed about, tearing at Russel like a ragdoll before releasing him, flinging him across the landing pad.
"Ouch." Nora winced, feeling pity for the CRDL member. Many shared that sentiment, watching the scene with mixed horror and sympathy.
The Thrush came to a screeching halt, his spiked shoulder pad scraping against the floor like fingernails to a chalkboard. A lazy hand fell to rest itself upon his damp wound, the shock of pain, stirring Russell alive. He winced as he applied pressure to the fresh wound. He rose his hand, inspecting the blood.
A little aura could go a long way, Russell had recovered from enough scrapes and burning clubs to know this to be true. But that involved unadulterated concentration, something he couldn't spare at the moment. Snapping to attention, Russel found The Ursa charging towards him once more. His mind was racing, adrenaline pumping, blood flowing. He was a dead man if he continued to lie on the floor, so Russel pulled himself off the ground, biting his lip against the pain in his left side.
He applied his hand to cover wound and readied himself for The Ursa, its thunderous footsteps like earthquakes shook the very metal floor Russel stood on. Thoughts and realizations occurred to the CRDL boy as his brain reached its final conclusions. All of Russell's victories against Grimm had been claimed due to an advantage. The starved and erratic pack of Creeps he'd encountered in Oakwood, he'd killed with the help of his team. And the Grimm The White Fang were plundering from Oakwood Academy, he'd killed in their cages.
"Oakwood, Is that where they got the Grimm?" Glynda wondered.
"It does make sense." Qrow said agreeing, having heard of Oakwood before. "Nobody knew where the Fang even got those Grimm at all. Had to be somewhere, and I heard Oakwood had quite a bit."
"What, how?" Blake asked. Oddly though, it was Cardin that answered.
"According to Russell, Oakwood had a bunch of those Grimm underneath their school. They were kept there for training." That caused a few surprised brows to rise, unbelieved this Oakwood school had such a thing.
"That seems... rather irresponsible." Ironwood truthfully commented
"Please," Cardin snorted, none too impressed by the general's opinion. "But not as irresponsible as Ozpin chucking students off a cliff with no parachutes."
Whitley chose to interject, "or a certain Atlesian General who, in all of his infinite wisdom, chose to have all of his fleet's Paladins connected to one central computer on a single ship, despite having been warned against doing so by literally every programmer and engineer in the army."
Cardin looked to the youngest Schnee and asked, "Let me guess, he thought it would save money?"
"Yup," Whitley said, popping the p. He had his sources regarding the attack. A good businessman must always stay informed.
The Atlesian General and Valean Headmaster scowled, though only Ironwood could express his umbrage at the comment, 'Touché.'
Russell had never once truly bested a Grimm by his own merit. And he knew he wouldn't be doing so today, not against this Ursa. The tables had been turned and he was at a disadvantage. But that was alright with him, The Thrush smirked as he reached up from his wound to the clasp of his shoulder pad strap, unhooking it and removing it from his person.
"Come on you bastard." Russell taunted the Grimm as it charged at him with those blood red eyes. He raised the spiked shoulder pad and aimed it liked a gun. "Come on." He squinted, staring back at The Ursa. "Come on." He muttered, starring past The Ursa and catching sight of its chain leash.
"Come on Russell. You can do it." Cardin whispered.
The Ursa roared, it was right on top of him now. Russell could practically see his blood dripping from its teeth. The Ursa reeled back a limb, aiming to swipe the CRDL boy's head clean from his shoulders. It struck, but Russel's head was not removed. The Thrush ducked, avoiding the fatal blow and turned the shoulder pad vertical, aiming the jagged mental spikes at the Grimm's exposed belly.
With all his might, Russell rammed the spikes upward, gutting the Grimm. He then ran it along The Ursa, tearing into it with three ragged streaks. If Grimm could bleed, The Ursa would be pooling at the feet. It let out a pained roar and lashed outward, striking Russell and sending him flying once more.
'I really must teach my students better.' Glynda thought, realizing that she needed to rework her teaching methods. Still, at least Mr. Thrush was trying his best. He was doing quite well despite the panic.
Russell collided with one of The White Fang's parked bullheads, bouncing off the metal hull with a hard smack. He fell forward, landing face down on the cold metal surface of the landing platform. The Ursa's pained wails and natural fight or flight instinct forced the Thrush back to his feet, fighting against the pain. He reclaimed his shoulder pad, his only means of defense. Russell eyed The Ursa, sizing it up, noting the wounds he'd inflicted.
He was halfway tempted to pat himself on the back when suddenly, the wounds on The Ursa began to dissipate, rapidly healing. Russell watched, eyes wide as the beast recovered, looking as if he'd never struck it. The Ursa let out a healthy roar and readied itself to pursue Russel once more.
"Wait, Grimm can heal?" Yang said. He never heard of that before, Weiss just sitting beside her.
"Yes Yang, they can. You'd know this if you had been paying attention in class." Yang just whistled not caring anymore. Honestly, that girl.
The reality of Russell's situation began to set it, his bout with The Ursa would only end in his death. The Grimm had the edge where it counted, it healed while all he could do was bleed on himself. So faced with this, the Thrush turned on his heal and began to run, determined to prolong the inevitable. Seeing the Thrush take off further down the rim of the colosseum landing zone, The Ursa took off after him, willing to pursue Russell to end of the world if it came to it.
At Beacon Tower, Ozpin stood facing his glass window, watching as the kingdom of Vale fell all around him. From where he stood, Ozpin could see the Grimm practically marching to his doorstep, slaughtering every innocent in sight. But the Grimm weren't the only danger to the kingdom, as by Main Avenue, the old Headmaster could spot the familiar Grimm masks worn by the radical White Fang.
"I can't raise any of our border teams." Goodwitch announced as she entered the office.
"We'll have to assume the worst." Ozpin muttered somberly. "Those poor fourth years…" It was a well-known fact between the pair of Beacon faculty, that students in their fourth year attending their fair academy would be assigned active field work to better prepare them for their future as Huntsmen. Such tasks they'd be handed would consist of technical support here at Beacon as well as border patrol to discourage the curious Grimm from entering their Kingdom.
Hearing Good Witch's foreboding tone, Ozpin couldn't help but assume the worst. One look outside and his worst fears were all but confirmed. An entire generation of Remnant's protectors, wiped out in an instant. And all the Headmaster could do was stand and stare. Never before in all his years had he felt so powerless.
Both headmaster and Glynda remembered this. To have so many students, especially the fourth years who were so close to graduating, die during the fall was nothing short of a tragedy. The former first years felt the same, realizing how luckier they were than their upperclassmen. What they suffered was minimal compared to what the fourth years suffered.
To think that so many had been killed off.
Yang and Ruby hugged each other in comfort. Qrow muttered a curse, swearing vengeance upon Salem and her little pack of monsters, and he wasn't talking about the Grimm. Ironwood was silent as he observed the scene, regretful that his lack of foresight played a role in the deaths of so many promising young people.
"Orders, Oz?" Qrow asked from where his stood in the shadow of a support column off to the side.
"Go, get down there." Ozpin said, turning to face his colleagues. "Save everyone you can." He said, finding the resolve within himself. Both Qrow and Goodwitch exchanged a knowing nod and set off for the door, followed by the fourth individual present in the office, one Sky Lark, the most recent addition to their inner circle.
"Huh?" Many said not believing Sky of all people was actually part of Ozpin's group. Even Cinder felt some shock enter her not believing this.
"Ozpin... did you," Glynda began but the elder human in Oscar's body quickly rebutted that fact.
"No." Clearly this dimension had some differences all right. It made Ozpin wonder just how Sky became part of his group.
But before Sky could step out the door, the young man found himself being called out to by the Ozpin. "Not you, Sky."
"But, Headmaster, I can help." Sky said, removing his scroll from his pocket and showing Ozpin he'd already pulled up the weapon requisition prompt. With the press of his thumb, Sky could have his halberd in hand in an instant via rocket locker.
"Believe me when I say any one Huntsman can turn the tide of any battle, of any war." Ozpin said as reached down, claiming his cane. "But your mission is too important."
"Vale is under siege!" Sky protested.
"And we will deal with it." Ozpin said, reassuring the CRDL boy. "But as you can see, time is of the essence." The Headmaster gestured to the chaos ensuing outside. "You need to go, now. Get out of the city by any means necessary and get to Venezia."
"Venezia?" Whitley wondered aloud. Why would Ozpin send this boy so far away, and to Venezia, of all places?
Note to self: Investigate Venezia, pending escape from strange alternate dimension.
"But, Headmaster-" He attempted to protest further.
"No 'buts', Mr. Lark." Ozpin said in a scolding manner. "Go." He pointed to the door. Sky nodded, conceding and turned to the door and ran, leaving Ozpin alone.
The Beacon Headmaster reached out to his desk, claiming his mug. He eyed the contents and stirred. With a final sigh, he downed what remained and slammed the mug onto his desk. The Headmaster then took off for the door, intent to join the fray. He reached out and hit the lights of his office before shutting the door behind him.
"Come on everyone, this way!" Nero White of Team DNCE shouted to a group of spectators as he gestured to the nearest exit. "It isn't safe here people, we need to go!"
Dove looked out over the sea of civilians and students, watching as they all attempted to run for the exit. He shot a glance over his shoulder, up at the giant Nevermore attempting to break into the arena. He watched as the cracks in the barrier dramatically became more prevalent. It wouldn't take much longer for it the Grimm to break in. And with so many innocents present and the lack of equipped Huntsmen, the CRDL boy could practically see the potential slaughter.
"I'll say." Mercury remarked before sipping on his soda.
"Dove!" A familiar voice called out to Dove, snapping him out of his train thoughts. He glanced up, catching sight of Nero. Beside the DNCE member stood two of Team WILL, Iliad Marble and Lambert Blind.
"Huh, I remember those guys." Yang said, recognizing the two students, "Hung out with them a few times."
"Really?" Ruby asked her sister, whom nodded.
"Yep, wonder how they're doing now."
"Come on man, we gotta get the hell out of here!" Lambert shouted, beckoning for Dove to join them in fleeing. Dove glanced back to the sea of civilians, all making their way for the exits and then to the Nevermore overhead. "What about the Nevermore?!" Dove shouted over the frightened screams of the masses.
"Does it look like we're armed?" Iliad barked anxiously. "Evacuation Is the priority, not fighting to the death with that!" She pointed to the Nevermore as it continued to bash its beak against the barrier.
"Now come on Dove!" Nero motioned for the boy to join them.
Conceding to his fellow students, Dove pulled himself out of his row and ran to join them. The four Beacon students then made a beeline for one of the father, less crowded exits. The quartet pushed themselves through civilians, even jumping over those poor few who'd tripped. Dove looked back momentarily, debating whether to run back and help the fallen, but he kept his pace, not wanting to be separated from his fellow students, not like how he was separated from his team.
Dove silently cursed to himself, unable to stop those fearful thoughts from creeping into his head. If the colosseum was under attack, who knows what else was happening around Vale. Anyone of his teammates could be in trouble and he was none the wiser. They could be dead or dying and he was nowhere near to help them.
As the quartet ventured down the hallway, they were welcomed by an eerie silence. They'd seen others take this very exit, but they saw no one other than themselves. There were no footsteps signaling the company of others, only an empty hallway shared between them. But they paid it no real mind, chalking it up to way the masses poured for one lone exit while they, believing themselves to be smarter for taking the less traveled path, continued to run for the airships and buses parked on the landing pads.
And then they heard the yelling. The four Beacon students placed at the sounds of pained wails and that of inhuman growls. They continued cautiously, with Nero at the lead and Dove at the back. Turning a corner, they were greeted with the sight of a Beowulf tearing into a young man their age wearing Haven attire.
Many students in the cinema had to resist the urge to vomit. They have battled Grimm before, but they have never actually seen what the beasts can do to people. Those like Whitley looked away, unable to handle the brutality of the scene. Even Emerald looked away, having never become accustomed to such monstrous brutality as this.
The Haven student continued to yell as the Beowulf continued its onslaught, using its sharp claws to slice through the man's aura and tear into his guts. Blood pooled around the young man as his screams began to fall silent.
"Oh shit." Lambert muttered.
'Ya think!' Roman also had the urge to vomit. He may have killed before, but he preferred a clean kill for his victims, excepting those who have wronged him. He had long since become accustomed to seeing blood. But he never got used to seeing Grimm slicing people apart. Neo may have liked to slice and dice chumps, but not the extent he was seeing on the screen.
"Run!" Iliad screamed. The quartet of Huntsmen then took off running down an opposite corridor. The Beowulf remained where it squatted. It wasn't in any rush.
Down the hall they went, fueled by the fear of meeting a grizzly death like that poor Haven student. But up ahead, something caught their eye, the sight of more bodies. The students slowed their pace as they cautiously investigated. Amongst the dead were students hailing from Haven and also from Vale.
Dove took a moment to inspect the dead, as if to satisfy some morbid curiosity. The others on the other hand continued on. Dove moved to rejoin, but his thoughts couldn't help but linger to the dead. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn it looked like they'd been shot to death. They hurried along, not liking the stench of death.
But Nero stopped, catching sight of something up ahead. "Yo Serin!" Nero called out up ahead to the approaching Team STAG. "You're going the wrong way! We have Grimm back there." He jotted a thumb over his shoulder down the path they'd come.
"Them." Blake said recognizing those students as well. The all-faunus team she knew a bit about. Those who stood up for other faunus. Granted they did act a bit rough to other people, but it wasn't too bad. Hopefully they got away as well.
"..." Adam just narrowed his eyes. Already knowing what was about to happen.
"We know." Serin muttered coldly. The STAG leader then reached around to the back of her pants, drawing a concealed handgun. She raised the weapon, letting the sigil on the side gleam against the overhead lights. The rest of Team STAG.
"Oh, cool, you guys brought your weapons!" Nero gave the quartet a jolly thumbs up.
Before the DNCE member even knew it, the sound of a gunshot rang out throughout the hallway. A red mist exploded backward, covering Dove and the two WILL members. Iliad let out a horrified scream while all Lambert could do was watch as their fellow huntsman in training toppled over, a large hole in his head.
This time, Ruby, Weiss, and many in the audience couldn't hold it in. The sound of sloshing regurgitated food matter echoed throughout the cinema, with nearly everyone, the 'bad side' included, cringing at and being disgusted by the sound. It was good thing that this dimension let them summon bucket and barf-bags.
"What the hell!" Yang said not believing what she was seeing.
"They-they just-just... BLURGH!" Whitley tried to speak through puke-stained lips, only to vomit again. As he threw up, Winter rubbed his back, hoping that'll calm him down. She knew her brother didn't have the stomach for such gruesome scenery. She did the same for Weiss, knowing that her little sister was just as unprepared. She, on the other hand, had become numb toward sights such as this.
"Well, that makes sense." Tock said, earning her a glare from Qrow.
"And what does that mean?" Tock smirked at the question and then she elaborated, "Simple. Those guys were traitors. Ain't that right, Taurus? Takes one to know one, eh?"
All eyes, sans those still glued to the stained floors, turned to the bull Faunus. Adam sighed, knowing that there was no way he can deny what they saw.
"Yes. They are traitors, but only to the school. I assume you can realize to whom they truly swore their allegiance." They knew, indeed.
Without a word, Serin and the rest of her team began to engage the trio. Angela Revear ran forward with her katana weapon, running Iliad through the abdomen. Iliad's horrified scream turned to a shrill high pitched cry. The sound of which snapped Dove to attention. The CRDL boy turned to see the rest of Team STAG converge, murderous intent in their eyes.
Angela withdrew her weapon the moment Iliad's screams turned silent. The WILL girl just fell over, joining Nero on the ground. Both Dove and Lambert turned to run, quickly establishing a substantial amount of distance between themselves and their attackers. But Serin wouldn't have it. She raised her gun and took aim. Pulling the trigger of her handgun, a number of gunshots rang out.
Cardin gripped the armrest of his chair in controlled anger. He just couldn't believe this happened. Tch⁓ I guess those White Fang freaks really are animals.
Blake just stared in horror at the actions of her faunus brothers and sisters. She didn't want to believe that Faunus could possess the capacity for such cruelty, but now she knew better. What scared her most was that deep down, she could understood.
Dove winced, feeling a sharp pain in his shoulder. But he kept running, unable to allow himself to stop. He just kept running, moving as fast as he could and as far as his legs could take him. Dove made it around a bend and then the gunshots grew silent. He kept going, his mind a blank. The adrenaline was pumping and the world beyond was blocked out. All that mattered right now was getting away and getting help. He didn't even notice he'd been running alone.
Lambert lay on the floor, never even making it around the bend. The WILL boy crawled, dragging himself along the floor, a trio of fresh bullet wounds in his back. Serin and the rest of her team closed in on Lambert, taking their time. She walked up to the wounded boy and pressed her foot on his back, causing him to shout in pain while at the same time, holding him in place. She then aimed downward and steadied herself. Another pair of gunshots rang loudly.
Yang gritted her teeth in outrage. She had hung out with those guys every so often, back at Beacon. Not as much as her team, but sometimes she goofed around with them. She had a suspicion that the boys from her universe suffered the same fate as their alternate counterparts.
Ozpin felt shame in himself. To think White Fang had sent sleeper agents into his school. That traitors had actually infiltrated his school and he was none the wiser. How could he not see this? No, the same thing had happened with Cinder and her team.
It made sense that other spies would be able to enter using forged documents, much like the young Arc had. As loathe as he was to admit this, but Ozpin knew that he wasn't all knowing. Even he could overlook certain things; he had several lifetimes of failures to back that up. It was a shame that his inability to learn from his past had cost the lives of so many students. He can only hope that this version of Dove can survive, considering the one from his universe had died during the fall.
"This is where we split up." Serin announced to her team, her eyes trailing the path Dove had taken. "Michael, Angela, hunt him down. Finish the kill." She signaled down the hall. The STAG members then nodded, heading their leader's orders they set off after Dove.
Serin then turned to her one remaining subordinate, Tobias Stillwater and cocked her head towards the direction of the landing pad. "They'll be mobbing up outside." She said as she loaded a fresh magazine into her weapon. Tobias acknowledged with a nod. With that said, the pair walked off, intent on joining their fellow students.
"Pyrrha! Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted from where he stood beside the Ren and Nora in the front row of the bleachers.
"Pyrrha..." Jaune breathed, recalling this scene, as did Ren and Nora. All three prepared themselves for what was to come.
Down below in the center of the ring was Pyrrha. On her knees and staring in disbelief of her actions. Scattered on the floor in front of her was what remained of Penny Polendina. Entire chunks of her with exposed cybernetics and sparking wires.
Ironwood looked upon Penny's corpse with sorrow. Even now, he was still saddened by Penny's death. He promised her father that he would keep her safe and he had failed. Ruby stared in sadness at the sight of her bifurcated friend, unable to keep the tears freely flowing from her face.
"Warning: Safety Barriers Failing." A monotone computerized voice announced over the loudspeakers. Up above the Nevermore continued its assault, all in hopes of breaking in.
"Pyrrha! That things going to bust in!" Jaune shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping to call his partner to her sense. "Please, snap out of it!" He exclaimed.
But Pyrrha didn't respond, she was too lost in her head. She'd just murdered a peer, unintentional or not, she'd just killed someone. It didn't even matter if Penny was a robot, she was a Huntress like herself. For goodness sake, it went deeper than that. Penny wasn't just some other peer, she was a colleague, a friend of a friend even. And Pyrrha had allowed herself to take her life.
"Stupid girl," Roman muttered softly, "Kids, always so damn dramatic."
Neo nodded at her partners words. Honestly, this Pyrrha chick sounded way too self-sacrificial, getting upset, despite knowing it wasn't her fault. She honestly can't believe a person can be so stupidly selfless.
Tears ran down the sides of her cheeks as Pyrrha replayed the moment in her head. She'd seen a thousand swords appear out of thin air, all of which came crashing down on her. The stress of her monumental decision looming over her, she reacted in a panic. She used her semblance to push back Penny's onslaught. And then the next thing she knew, Penny's lifeless body was there on the ground. There were no thousand swords by her side, only ten. Ten flimsy sheets of metal that she could have simply bended and rendered useless. Instead, she'd forced them back, ripping Penny apart in the process.
"Ugh, it's still focusing on her," Mercury hated this emotional crap. What was his opinion on the subject? Just move on and get it over with. He didn't care what he felt.
Jaune leapt down from the bleachers, much to his team's reservation. All of those in attendance had already fled, leaving an empty arena and themselves alone with the giant Grimm up above. Nora anxiously jumped, glancing over her shoulder to the exit while Ren stood calm by her side, watching their friends with concern.
"Pyrrha, you need to get up!" Jaune shouted as he climbed up onto the arena and raced to Pyrrha's side. The blonde knight reached out and grabbed onto her shoulder and shook the young woman in an attempt to snap her out of her daze. "We need to go, now!" He shouted.
But it was too late. As soon as the words escaped Jaune's lips, the barrier up above gave way. Sirens blared loudly as the Nevermore came swooping in. With the flap of its wings, the massive Grimm sent a huge gust of wind smacking into the pair of partners and sending them flying.
For a moment, Pyrrha thought that this was it, this was what she deserved. She'd killed an innocent and the universe had sent some indomitable Grimm to set things right, to clean the slate by killing her. And she'd be lying if she said she wouldn't stand for it. On the contrary, Pyrrha would have laid herself out to die that very moment. Because she felt in her heart that she deserved it.
"No, you don't" Jaune muttered a bit angrily. Pyrrha didn't deserve death, not at all. That selflessness of hers, it was what he hated and loved about her. Why did she have to keep thinking she was to blame for the fall? It was Cinder that caused this, not Pyrrha.
Ren shared his friend's thoughts.
'Yet, it makes sense.' Ren thought, understanding why Pyrrha would think that. She did technically destroy Penny, despite having been influenced by Emerald's illusions.
Nora, however, recalled the sparse interactions she had with Pyrrha before they were separated during the fall. Her fellow Mistralian was focused, uncompromising, and unflinching as they faced the Grimm and Paladins together. But she knew better. Pyrrha was focused, but only because she didn't want to dwell on Penny's death. She was uncompromising, but it seemed as though it was because she knew this was her last act as a warrior. She was unflinching solely because she knew what she had to do.
Nora shed a tear as she realized why Pyrrha chose to fight Cinder. Pyrrha fought Cinder knowing she was going to lose. She knew she was going to die. The guilt of Penny's death was too much for her bear, so she chose suicide by Cinder.
She looked to Jaune, who was struggling to reconcile his thoughts regarding her death. She decided it was better not to tell him what she figured out. The last thing she wanted was to ruin the image Jaune had built around Pyrrha, especially now, since he was finally starting to move on from her death.
She thought back to a few days ago, right after Team RWBY's match with some of her peers from Mistral. She'd mentioned her thankfulness for the rules and regulations of the tournament in contrast to the lawless fights they'd rage against kingpins of crime and terrorists. The irony was not lost to her, she'd broken every rule in the book.
The Nevermore let out a glass shattering screech. It turned its gaze towards Pyrrha, blocking out the rest of JNPR and honed in on the girl. It let out another screech and then launched forward, intent on devouring her whole.
Jaune's cries fell on deaf ears as Pyrrha prepared herself. She'd never felt so small in her life. She'd never felt so guilty and ashamed of herself before. She just wanted it to be over, this feeling of the weight of the world Ozpin and the others had thrusted into her shoulders. She just wanted everything to just stop for a moment, to let her think if only for a moment. And maybe it finally would, now that the Nevermore was here.
"If I remember right, this is when…" Ruby said remembering this moment. The screen then showing what happened next. A scene she recognized all too well.
But suddenly, The Nevermore was knocked back with a thunderous crack. It let out a pained screech as it staggered backwards, rose petals raining onto the ground. Pyrrha looked up, snapped out of her thoughts to see Ruby standing there armed with one of Penny's swords.
"…Ruby?" Pyrrha asked quietly.
"Leave her alone!" Ruby shouted, sweat running down her forehead from the exertion from an earlier confrontation.
"Heh, nice one, Ruby," Yang said in an attempt to cheer her little sister up.
Ruby smiled as she wiped away some stray tears, "Thank you, Yang.
The Nevermore let out another high pitched screech and poised itself to engage Ruby in combat. But then out of the sky, numerous rocket lockers rained down, crashing into the Nevermore's body. With a loud 'thud', the Nevermore collapsed dead. And Pyrrha looked on in confusion.
Out from the bleachers, students from the four kingdoms emerged. There were some Pyrrha recognized, like Team SSSN and Team CFVY. There were Team FNKY and Team DORK from Atlas. There was Team ABRN, the team from Mistral that fought Team RWBY on the opening day of the tournament. And then there was Team BRNZ, the team Pyrrha had fought. They were standing beside an all-female team that she recalled, Team NDGO. And there were many more, others from Vale like Danny Matchstick and Marie-Anne Cherri as well as several other faces she didn't recognize.
One by one they all dropped down from the bleachers and walked to center of the arena to claim their weapons off the now dead Grimm. Its body dissipated, evaporating into darkness and then into nothingness. Pyrrha just watched as more rocket lockers landing, those of Jaune's and Ruby's and also that of hers. The locker door opened, revealing Miló and Akoúo̱, both ready for use.
She looked to see Ruby claim her weapons, taking them and then turning to hand them to Pyrrha. But she just stared, tears still running down her rosy cheeks. "Ruby…" Pyrrha gasped. "I am so, so sorry."
"Me too." Ruby shared Pyrrha's saddened expression. "But it wasn't your fault." The fifteen year old said as she presented her weapons to her. Pyrrha then reached out and claimed them.
Jaune also remembered this moment as well. Recognizing the next words his counterpart was going to say.
"She's right you know." Jaune chimed in. "Whoever was on that microphone... they're the ones that did this. And we have to make sure they don't take anyone else." He said, earning a several voices of agreement from those present.
Pyrrha wiped away her tears. She turned to find no looks of judgement from those else present, but rather looks of determination. Everyone present was dead set on turning the night around and saving Vale. And Pyrrha couldn't help but share in their resolve. A slight smile formed on her face. "Alright." She said. "What next?"
"Griffons!" Ren shouted as he pointed upward. All the students looked up and found several of the Grimm flying in through the opening the Nevermore made.
"Game on!" Brawnz shouted, eagerly raising his claw weapons. The Huntsmen all then drew their weapons, ready for the fight. "Let's do this!"
But before any of the Huntsmen in-training could engage the Griffons, the voice of one of their teachers caught their ear. "Students!" The students all just stared in awe as Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck too to the field, armed with their own weapons. "I think it would be best for you to leave."
"Port and Oobleck, They handled themselves quite well." Glynda said with a smile, recounting their feat in defeating so many Griffons. It seemed like a grand battle they had against the creatures of Grimm.
Pyrrha and Ruby exchanged the odd glance. "But we can help." Pyrrha said.
"This day will surely go down in Remnant's history." Port said as he took aim with his axe-rifle at the nearest Griffon. "I'd prefer it if my students could live to tell about it."
"Uh…cool." Reese Chloris shrugged, seeing no reason to object.
"Okay everybody, let's go!" Jaune shouted to the force of gathered students. Together the mass of Huntsmen in-training ran off for the nearest exit, with Pyrrha trailing at the end.
Pyrrha spared one last look over her shoulder to the pair of teachers, uncertain if she'd ever see them again. And then to the fallen body of Penny that had been scattered by the Nevermore. She fought the dark self-loathing thoughts that creeped into her head, turning her gaze back to the rest of her fellow Huntsmen. With any luck they might just be able to save the day.
In the city of Vale, Cinder's speech had given rise to anarchy. The citizens of the fare kingdom ran amok while The White Fang airdropped Grimm onto the streets. Looters smashed into markets, hoping to make off with provisions while the world burned around them, all the while local police scrambled to respond.
Atlesian war robots marched through the streets while their battle ships floating in the air were gunned down by a rogue flagship, taken over by a crime kingpin and his mute assistant. Nevermores and Griffons poured out of the sky, raining down hell and snatching unsuspecting, taking them high up into the air, only to release them and send them plummeting to their deaths.
Everyone felt very grim at this part. To see their city turned to rubble like this.
Roman and Neo frowned, knowing their fun had ended with his death and her lost in an alley.
Ironwood felt shame as he watched his loyal machines get hacked, turning on those they were programmed to protect.
Glynda and Qrow felt guilt, remembering the countless people that they couldn't protect.
Team JNR kept quiet as they remembered their dear friend lost to the one who had orchestrated this event.
Adam now felt bad as he finally realized that by participating, he had contributed to plan that had caused several Faunus to suffer and even killed. He wondered why he thought that was a good idea. Then he remembered he had no choice in the matter, as Cinder had the power to wipe the floor with him and his troops.
Team RWBY lamenting at the failure of their team and how because of this event, their team was split up for a long time.
Ozpin acknowledged that even he could not protect everyone forever.
Other thoughts ranged from sorrow to indifference. Then a familiar face showed up on screen, one that Cardin recognized quite well.
It was his own.
Cardin found himself racing through the merchant district. He'd been waiting to catch a cab back to Beacon when Cinder's voice filled the airwaves. On nearby television sets in store windows, the Winchester could see the horrific climax of the Vytal Festival played on a loop by some outside force. And civilians not partaking in the end of the world were cowering in fear in nearby homes, in stores and in alleyways, all waiting for the Huntsmen to come and save the day just as they were always told.
But all anyone had to do was look over yonder to the far off Beacon academy, up to the skies over head. Nevermore and many other flight capable Grimm tore through the air while Atlesian vessels, or rather what was left of them, rained down, crashing into the city, exploding on impact and shooting debris into the surrounding area. Explosions rocked the surface and the deafening sound of collapsing architecture soon followed.
Cardin's heart skipped a beat as he could see the dust clouds sweeping through the streets, consuming all those in its path while the shockwave tossed parked cars and tossed whole sides of collapsed building into the air. People ran, that was all they could do in the face of a danger they could not comprehend.
Through the blinding dust cloud Cardin ran doing all he could to keep the world together just seconds longer. Vale wasn't just a kingdom, it was his home. He grew up here in the Merchant district, he'd ran around and often stared up in awe at those buildings that now shattered against the ground like glass. The city of Vale was his home, and these people who'd only wished to live the life they best could, he'd sworn to protect them the moment he got on that airship to Beacon.
"You really felt that way, Cardin?" Ruby asked the Winchester, Winchester nodding.
"Yeah... I know I've done stupid things, and I took a lot of things for granted. But... it wasn't until after the fall did I realize what I'd lost." It was a cruel statement, how one doesn't appreciate how good they had it until it's lost. Cardin had always hated that expression, never once finding any validity in its message. The fall changed his opinion. He looked enviously at his former classmates.
Team RWBY was back together. Even JNR was doing alright. Sure, Jaune's team had lost Nikos, but at least they still had each other.
Cardin had lost everybody. Dove was dead, Sky missing, and Russel refused to even talk to him.
'But maybe...I can change that.' He thought with hope.
So in the face of danger, with the world crashing down all around him, Cardin raced into the unknown.
The sounds of gatling guns and dispensed bullet casings clashing against pavement echoed off in the distance as Atlesian Knights met their Grimm opposites. The deathly screeches of overhead birds of prey and inhuman monsters cut through the night. Far off death machines built in porcelain factories on a far off continent whizzed by, propelled by their screaming engines. And yet none of these sounds caught Cardin's ears, he was too focused on the cries of the innocent.
Through the desolation Cardin raced, leaping over toppled over debris and racing through glass covered road. He passed by people running the opposite way and allowed himself a moment to glance over his shoulder, just to ensure they were alright, that they could carry on without his aid.
Cardin followed the shouts and cries, finding a pair of civilians in their late twenties desperately attempting to free a plethora of others trapped behind the remains of a supermarket. The pair of civilians, average working class fellows, turned to see Cardin, a look of relief finding its way to their downtrodden faces.
"It's a Huntsman!" Cardin could hear a child's voice shout from somewhere behind the debris. "We're gonna be alright!"
"Can you help them?" One of the pair of civilians asked, a younger looking fellow with black hair wearing a supermarket employee uniform.
Cardin remembered this moment. Of course, the location and people were different, but that didn't matter. He could already tell what was going to happen next next.
"One moment." Cardin said as he reached into his back pocket for his scroll. Quickly, he dialed up the prompt to call in his weapon and hit the confirm button. In less than a minute, a rocket locker found its way crashing nearby. Cardin then ran to the locker and pried it open, retrieving his mace.
"Get clear!" Cardin shouted, gesturing for everyone trapped behind the rubble to take a step back. The CRDL leader then raised his mace, the magma dust crystal centerpiece flaring to life. He then slammed it down on the ground, sending a streak of explosive energy to detonate at the face of the rubble, blowing it clear and freeing the trapped civilians.
"You actually blew that up, what if you had hurt someone?!" Weiss admonished Cardin, whom simply responded with a raised middle finger.
"Can it, princess! If anything, what would you have done?" Weiss's silence was the only answer he received. He would've smirked, if it weren't for the fact he was still worried about his teammates.
The pair of average looking civilians then got to work helping those trapped safely exit the collapsed building. Cardin then raced over, joining them. "Is that everyone?" He asked as he peered into the darkness, finding no signs of anyone else.
"That's it, we're good!" One of the civilians shouted.
"Now what?" Another asked, a woman in her late thirties. She then looked around, gesturing to the ruined dust covered street and over yonder to the battle raging near Beacon. "Where do we go now?"
"Yeah, where did the citizens go?" Blake asked aloud. Glynda gave her the answer.
"We sent them to special protective buildings and shelters. We were also able to relocated thousands to the outlying villages." Not that it was easy as the Grimm had infiltrated the whole city. Many people died in the attack. The population of Vale had been greatly reduced, leaving the city practically a ghost town.
And just like that, all the people looked to Cardin for answers. But the truth of the matter was, Cardin didn't have a plan, all he did was run into danger without thinking. There was no step two, there was no superior he could raise, not with the communication blackout anyways. But this wasn't the time for him clamor up, this was the time to get his shit in order. Because now there were people who depended on him.
He was three years away from being a full blown Huntsman. But it seemed graduation came early. So Cardin turned his head northern east coast, right on the outskirts of town. From what he could tell, it seemed to be the only part of the city not on fire. If anything it most certainly would be their best option to set up a safe zone, not to mention it gave them water access to evacuate people to Patch if need be.
"That's right," Ruby realized. "Now that I recall, a whole bunch of people did come to Patch."
Yang nodded recalling all the new faces she had seen back home. Not a whole lot, as Patch Island could only take in so many. She wondered what other towns and villages took in refugees.
But before Cardin could relay his direction to the civilians, a nearby growl caught his ear. Emerging out of a ruined building, Cardin caught sight of a pack of blood soaked Creeps. Their appearance was startling to say the least. The Winchester watched for a moment, waiting to see what the Creeps would do while the civilians he'd rescued cowered behind him.
There was something off about the Grimm, something odd yet familiar. Cardin watched as they sauntered out into the open, watching each individual member of the pack. It was their movements, he pinpointed, something about the way they moved, it was too sluggish. If Cardin didn't know any better, he'd probably say these were the same pack from…
"Oakwood..." Cardin scowled as his counterpart did the same.
"…Oakwood." Cardin gritted his teeth, realizing the origin of The White Fang's supply of ravenous Grimm.
"Oakwood?" One of the civilians asked disbelievingly. "That's pretty far away, Mr. Huntsman."
"Shoreline, move, now!" Cardin barked, pointing off to the distance as the pack of blood covered Creeps turned their attention their way.
Seeing the approaching Grimm, the civilians eagerly nodded and followed Cardin's command. The numerous civilians took off, leaving Cardin to deal with the Grimm. But that was alright with him, it was his job.
One of The Creeps attempted to break off from the pack and lunge after one of the civilians, but Cardin smashed his mace down onto the ground, causing a magma blast to streak through the pavement and explode under the Creep's feet, sending it flying. The pack turned their attention to Cardin and flared their teeth and charged in unison.
Cardin roared, deciding to meet the Grimm halfway and charged.
The screen then ended.
"Well," The Keeper finally said. "I hope you all found that enlightening. After all, you weren't the only ones who were essentially up creek without a paddle. No matter what you could have done, people were still going to die."
Some in the audience looked down at the floor in shame and sadness. Nobody felt well after what they had seen, save for a certain few from the 'Bad Side'.
"That sure sucked." Nora said not liking this one bit.
"Agreed..." Whitley pitifully said, holding his head in his hands. He heard the stories about the fall, but he didn't think things were that bad. Was he really that naïve?
Weiss just stared at her brother. She didn't know what to feel as she looked, feeling a strange emotion that combined confusion, sympathy, and vindication. The fact it was toward her own brother, a boy she thought lacked any empathy, left her more conflicted.
"Pretty boring, seeing something that's already happened." Mercury said, once more earning glares.
"Indeed," Mayden said, actually agreeing with Mercury. "Which is why we'll be seeing something else happening in Vale, in the next world that is, it's something that you may or may not like, depending on who you are."
The cast wasn't sure how to feel about this.
"Please tell us it won't have... anything like that." Jaune asked, unsure if he can take another round of these morbid showings.
"No war." The Keeper said relieving many of the students. They didn't like viewing such bloody things full of gore. They were to slay Grimm, not humans after all. At least with Grimm they didn't actually bleed and their corpses disappeared.
"Though this next one might be a little... strange," That statement piqued some interest.
The Screen shut off, warming up for the next showing.
Alright, up next is something not depressing at all. And after that, a suggestion a certain reviewer asked that my beta-reader is working on. Until next time, bye.