{1.} In the RWBY manga {and yes, there is a RWBY manga, if you haven't heard}, it is shown that Ruby has a fear of large crowds for a period of time. Specifically, it's shown in the chapter where she is in a sparring match against Cardin Winchester and lots of people are watching them. In fact, I'm fairly certain she almost has a panic attack because of it. Anyway, I think it's safe to say that Ruby may have some degree of social anxiety, and so, for the purpose of accuracy, she will show signs of it in this story.
{2.} In this chapter there will be dialogue not only through speaking, but through writing letters on the backs of hands, specifically with Ruby and Weiss. I'm sorry if there is anyone reading this that has problems reading it, but I wanted to include a silent and a bit sneaky way of communication, which was inspired by a book I read almost a year ago called Lady Midnight, where two of the characters (I can't remember the characters' names, forgive me) write on each other's skin as a special and just-between-them way of speaking.
Pyrrha Nikos
Once the sun began to set, they made their move on Torchwick and the White Fang.
Dusk was an opportune time of day for the attack, agreed by all members of Team JNPR for them to carry out their – or rather, Professor Ozpin's – plan. It wouldn't be too dark for the group to see, nor would it be too bright for them to be spotted easily.
Team JNPR had used the previous day to pack large backpacks with essentials that Team RWBY would need, as well as everything they would want from their dorm. Inside each backpack were many of the cylindrical packages used to send almost anything in the mail, which had really came in handy when Pyrrha and her team thoroughly scavenged through Team RWBY's dorm room and packed almost everything aside from the carpet, the posters, the beds (Yang and Blake's bunk beds had had to be taken down because it was decided that they would pack all of Blake's books into a large chest, somehow also stored in one of the packages inside the bag Ren was carrying), the curtains, and the now empty shelf under the window. It also didn't help any of them when Glynda had packed who knows how many books – mostly textbooks and workbooks and basically everything the four girls needed for studying for all of their lessons – into another set of boxes for each member of Team RWBY, as well as Team JNPR just in case, and had stuffed each personalised study box into a few mailing packages that they carried in the backpacks.
It had been Jaune whom had advised that Team JNPR should take most of their own belongings too, as they could very well need supplies as well. They were thankful that they had the mail packages as they needed all they could get into the backpacks. It was also a good thing that there were so many of the mailing packages around, and that there was an almost endless supply of them. Pyrrha was never going to take the packages for granted again.
It's not as if they were planning on using the devices to find Team RWBY, but if history repeated itself and one, two, three, or all of Team JNPR ended up in the same place as Team RWBY – and, by extension, the villagers that had disappeared much earlier – then they would want to have supplies to give to them. After all, the four huntresses-in-training could be suffering from a shortage of fresh clothes, ammunition, Dust, or, in the words of Glynda and Professor—sorry, Doctor Oobleck, "a withdrawal from studying and anything else that kept their ties to Remnant.
Glynda had wanted to oversee the mission to get back the stolen devices, but Professor Ozpin and General Ironwood had both agreed that Glynda was needed at the school, and should another mishap happen again, they would rather someone like her didn't go missing. It was by Professor Ozpin's judgement that they had sent a professional huntsman with them, but General Ironwood also wanted to send backup, which had come in the form of a woman. Well, they had needed at least one adult on the scene with them. The huntsman's name was Qrow Branwen. According to Professor Ozpin, Qrow was Ruby and Yang's uncle, and also the one who had taught Ruby how to handle and build her scythe. The woman that General Ironwood sent was the eldest of the Schnee children. In other words, Weiss' older sister. Her name was Winter Schnee, and she was a specialist, in the Atlesian Military's Specialist Operatives unit.
Pyrrha and Jaune ducked behind one of the Dust crates in the dock. Ren and Nora hid behind another one. Qrow and Winter were keeping watch from above, hiding in the shadows of separate rooftops, not that Pyrrha could blame either of them. They didn't necessarily get along, despite their relatives being the closest of friends and teammates.
The docks were a very popular place for Torchwick and the White Fang to land. Then again, it was filled with cargo containers, which were filled with Dust from the Schnee Dust Company. As Pyrrha stealthily peeked around the side of the crate she and Jaune were hiding behind, she saw that two White Fang members were approaching the ramp of a Bullhead that was stationed there. Just what exactly were they stealing? More Dust? Didn't they have enough already? Why did they need more?
"Hey, Pyrrha?" Jaune's hushed voice reached her ears. Pyrrha caught a glimpse of her team partner from the corner of her eye. "Do you see that box they're carrying?"
Pyrrha turned her head in Jaune's direction, and then back at the two White Fang lackeys. Narrowing her eyes and focusing solely on what they were carrying to the airship, she found that they were indeed carrying a box, and one with a very simple design, surprisingly.
The box itself had a similar appearance to the ones that carried the Dust containers he often used when he stole powdered Dust from the stores he robbed. It was all black around the outside, but Pyrrha could just make out faint traces of veins engraved onto it. The veins didn't appear to have any noticeable powdered Dust inside them, though, so Pyrrha had to wonder if that was just part of the box's design.
However, before Pyrrha could even think about going in to get a closer look at the box, she just barely managed to notice Qrow and Winter racing across the rooftops, towards the Bullhead. All four members of Team JNPR set off as soon as Winter and Qrow had landed on the top of the Bullhead, causing the aircraft to slowly rock from side to side, digging up the pavement of the docks since it was still stood idly on the ground. The noise this produced from the Bullhead was enough to alert the White Fang members, including ones she hadn't even noticed before, and ones that had likely been expecting a counter-attack from those sent by Beacon.
A group of three White Fang members charged at Pyrrha, their guns and swords drawn. Pyrrha ducked and skidded across the gravel, planting one hand on the ground and swinging her leg parallel to the ground, swiping all three of them off of their feet. With them on the ground, Pyrrha moved on towards the other two that were carrying the box.
They quickly dropped the box on the ground, ever so slightly catching Pyrrha off-guard briefly as she wondered if whatever was inside it had been damaged in the least. They used the brief moment to charge towards her, in the same manner that the other three did, but as soon as Pyrrha got into a defensive stance, with her weapon and shield drawn, Jaune had rammed his shield into one of the guys, sending him flying back a few yards.
The one that was left swung his sword down on Pyrrha, unaware of his friend's absence. Pyrrha raised her shield to stop the attack and counterattacked with her weapon in its javelin form. She swung at him in an upwards angle, sending him flailing as his Aura gave in and he collapsed backwards onto the floor. Pyrrha immediately turned to Jaune afterward.
"I'll go see what's in the box!" Pyrrha told him, already jogging towards it.
"We'll cover you! Be careful!" Jaune responded, spinning on his heel as he followed closely behind Pyrrha, his shield and sword raised in a defensive stance.
As soon as Pyrrha approached the box, she crouched and lowered herself into a half-kneeling position, with one knee on the ground and her other leg bent at the knee with her boots secured on the ground. She hesitantly reached to open the lid. She narrowly lifted it open and peered inside it, only to find one of the devices in there. It was the same one that had caused Team RWBY to go missing. The cube device, decorated with white Dust veins that stored a handful of powdered Dust, collected together inside of it. All of the faces of the cube had a small circular Dust crystal engraved on them, all different types and colours. The cube itself was black in colour, making the décor on it stand out like a rainbow appearing with dark clouds.
"Looking for something?"
The cool voice, that no doubt belonged to Roman Torchwick, startled Pyrrha to a healthy degree. Pyrrha instinctively closed the box just as she raised her head, seeing the man in front of her. One of his hands was covered with something, but Pyrrha couldn't see what it was. Though, she could tell that he was holding something in it.
"How about a game of catch?" he asked mockingly, tilting his head and holding his chin up, staring down his nose at her.
Pyrrha had barely stood back up when Torchwick's hand came into view, revealing itself to be encased in a metal glove. He tossed something out of it, and from one glance, Pyrrha knew it was the other object. The spherical device. She didn't have the time to get a good look at it, because it was quickly falling to the ground, courtesy of Torchwick having thrown it at a low angle.
The redhead gasped and, without thinking of the consequences, dived towards the object. She narrowly caught it in her gloved hands, landing on her stomach in the process. Her weapon and shield and her and Ruby's backpacks were still on her back, which she was thankful for, as the object had activated with coming into contact with her Aura. She had about a couple of seconds before she—
"Guys! Throw me Team RWBY's belongings! Now!" Pyrrha called out to her teammates. Immediately, Weiss', Blake's, and Yang's backpacks hit her back. But only seconds later, she was engulfed in a bright white light, which had undoubtedly come from the device. The device itself was no longer in her hands, but she could still feel Team RWBY's belongings on top of her as she floated in nothingness for a second, before a flash of green and grey broke into the white light and she found herself falling onto hard concrete, her Aura absorbing the impact.
With her own backpack on her back along with Ruby's, she had forgotten how much was in the backpacks for the other three girls, and she paid for her forgetfulness when all three of Weiss', Blake's, and Yang's backs landed on the back of her head and caused her head to smack against the ground.
Pushing Yang's backpack off the back of her head after Weiss' and Blake's had fallen off themselves, Pyrrha planted her hands on the ground and lifted herself up, perching her rear on the cold concrete and sitting upright, trying to make sense and get her bearings first.
"Where... am I?" Pyrrha asked herself, scratching the back of her neck. Her head swivelled in most directions, and she even twisted her body to look behind her, but she didn't find anyone in sight. From the looks of things, it seemed to be dusk here as well, and she had to question whether or not she was still in Remnant. But when, in her peripheral view, she found she had landed beside what looked to be an old, run-down castle that looked like it had been abandoned, did she realise she probably wasn't. This didn't match any architectural structure she knew of in Remnant.
Roman Torchwick
Roman laughed, like usual villains did, after Pyrrha had disappeared. As soon as the white light had dissipated into the wind, only the device she'd foolishly reached out to catch was left, dropping the rest of the short distance to the ground. With his trusted cane in hand, and the larger metal glove on his other hand, he proceed to step out of the Bullhead that one of his White Fang lackeys was piloting.
"Pardon the interruption, but I'll be taking this back." he mocked the other three remaining members of Pyrrha's team, sauntering over to the box that the other two lackeys had carelessly dropped when the Invincible Girl appeared. He was lucky the cube device still inside the box hadn't been damaged and malfunctioned.
The huntsman, Qrow Branwen, and Winter Schnee, the Schnee family's firstborn, both landed in front of him. They both had their weapons aimed at him, the tip of their blades equally as unnerving as the glares they were giving him.
Roman was thankful he had Neo, who would come to his aid whenever he needed. Dealing with huntsmen and huntresses was above his paygrade, but it was guaranteed that Neo could handle them to the best of her ability, at the very least. As could Cinder, but she had an identity to keep under wraps. If she, Emerald, or Mercury were found out, it would mean goodbye to their little operation, and to be honest, he really couldn't afford to lose.
"I don't see why you're protecting that artefact," Roman held up the hand wearing the metal glove, "since you're never going to be able to touch it without this." His Aura wasn't attached to the metal glove, hence why it didn't transport him elsewhere upon his touch. They didn't have it, so he had the advantage.
"I think you'll find that we don't have to use that." Qrow remarked, causing the corner of Roman's mouth to twitch in anger. He did not like someone making a fool out of him.
Winter stepped towards the box and lifted the lid off.
Yep, they were going to make a fool out of him.
With the lid, Winter scooped up the spherical device, and carefully tipped it into the container with the cubed artefact. All the while, Qrow had the tip of his blade held to Torchwick's throat. As soon as Winter put the lid back on the box, she proceeded to pick it up by the handles on the side, only to have it crumble into glass as soon as she touched it.
Roman could only smirk when, in his peripheral view, he saw Neo standing behind him, holding the container in her hands. But his smirk faded when his Aura had suddenly been damaged and he flew backward a couple of feet, his cane flying out of his hand and his hat falling off his head. He lifted his head up in just enough time to see Neo being kicked in the abdomen by the Schnee and thrown to the ground in ruthless anger.
During Neo's fall, Winter had snatched the box with both devices in it and dashed away from the petite lady before she could recover fast enough.
Qrow followed on after Winter, waving his arms to the remaining members of Pyrrha's team.
"We retrieved them! Go!"
Pyrrha Nikos
Pyrrha hadn't encountered a single person on her way to the nearest village. Wading through a woodland area as she carried all of Team RWBY's backpacks along with her own, Pyrrha desperately hoped all of this would reward her with seeing her friends in this place, wherever this place was.
When she left the woodland area, the first thing she noticed was one of the tallest concrete walls she'd seen in her life, and hope shone in her green irises when she found an open gate leading through the wall. Gripping the straps of the backpacks tighter, Pyrrha broke into a sprint with a smile on her face.
Pyrrha stopped in her tracks, skidding to a halt with one foot, when she reached the open gate. With widened eyes, she gasped and walked through the tall open archway, her mouth slightly open in astonishment. Despite her wonder when she saw the row of houses lined up in front of her on either side of the street, she soon became aware of the number of eyes staring and gazing upon her as she observed her surroundings. She shrunk back into herself, nervous, especially when she realised how the residents of this town were dressed.
It didn't take long for her to reach the centre of the town. Her eyes scoured the area until her eyes landed on a man standing by a rack full of newspapers, shouting about something that Pyrrha couldn't distinguish. Her face brightened and she relaxed, breathing a deep sigh of relief and calmly heading over to the man. He was roughly foot smaller than Pyrrha herself, and the top of his head shone without the hair he had there, but around the sides and back of his head was brown hair.
"Excuse me?" Pyrrha called out to him as she approached him, trying to be as friendly as possible. When he saw her, he paled, as if he feared her. She relaxed her hold on the straps of the backpacks she was carrying, which were now beginning to wear her down. "I'm looking for some friends of mine; you or anyone else here may know about them or have seen them. There are four of them. One is a girl in a distinctive red cape, and another is a girl with white hair and dressed mostly in white. There may have also been a blonde girl with them and a girl with black hair that wears a bow?"
Around her, Pyrrha heard muttering from people who passed by.
"She's so tall, and she's dressed so... weirdly."
"Perhaps she's one of those outsiders, too!"
"Perhaps? Really?! Of course she is! Who the hell within these walls would dress like that and ask around for those other outsiders that showed up the same day Trost was attacked and reclaimed?!"
Pyrrha shrunk back into herself again. She didn't like being in an unfamiliar place on her own, where no one knew her, much less trusted her upon appearance or took a liking to her. She looked back at the man. "Please tell me you've seen or have heard anything about them. I and my teammates back home are worried sick about them."
The man coughed and handed her a newspaper off the rack, pointing his finger at the story on the front page. "Yeah, we've heard about the outsiders. They showed up here two days ago on top of Wall Rose, and even helped out the soldiers in defending the Trost District and fighting the Titans. Some say they did a better job than most of the kids in the Cadet Corps. Read this. If they are your friends, like you say, you should find it interesting that they're featured."
Pyrrha hesitantly let go of three of the backpack straps and left them balancing on her shoulder as she grabbed the newspaper from the man. She glanced at the printing, her eyes swiftly scanning the paper for anything that would give her clues to where Team RWBY were now. It wasn't everyday that she'd had to go from watching the news on any device capable of transmitting video to holding a newspaper in the middle of a street.
"I see," Pyrrha handed the paper back to the man upon reading that Ruby and Blake had been taken in by a force known as the Military Police. "If you don't mind me asking, since two of them were taken in by the Military Police, would you happen to have an idea of where they might be being kept?"
"What do ya think I am, a damned info broker?" The man clicked his tongue, and a bead of sweat rolled down the side of Pyrrha's face.
"I'm sorry, but you must realise by now I'm an outsider too. I'll take as much help as I can get here." Pyrrha's hand found the three backpack straps she'd let go of.
The man folded his arms. "You'll have to ask one of the soldiers standing by in the city. I only sell newspapers and overhear rumours from passers-by, and that's it."
"Ah. Well, thank you for the help anyway." Pyrrha spun on her heel and gave the man a smile, before turning her back completely and walking away. Perhaps it would be wise for her to go back to the castle she'd landed next to, but she soon realised it was getting dark, and cold. She needed a place to sleep, and she couldn't really envision herself sleeping well on the streets. They'd have some comfortable beds in the castle, even if she would have to clean the room.
But venturing out that far, in open terrain, when it was getting dark, was risky and although she was strong, her Aura had already suffered damage and she didn't want to cause any problems with starting a fight, even in self-defence. But where? She could always use the bedsheets and bed covers and pillows and duvets and possibly even the extra mattresses she brought with her, but the question was where would be warm enough for her to go.
Pyrrha stopped walking and angled her head at an inopportune angle, wondering if there was any way to get to the top of the wall. She remembered what the man had said to her about asking the soldiers to see if they knew anything, and so she turned her head, looking for a man or woman who would be able to help her.
She found a man, not very distinctive, standing a couple of metres from the enormous gate at the end of the street she was backtracking through. She walked briskly towards him, carrying herself confidently with a smile, and before long she was standing in front of him, with him looking the extra few inches up at her.
"Hello. I'm sorry to bother you, but do you know any way I could get to the top of that wall?" She tilted her head at the man, noting that he was sweating. He was also dressed very smartly in uniform, in a brown jacket adorned by badges with grey shields behind a green unicorn with a white mane. She decided to explain herself. "I'm looking for four of my friends. They came into this world two days ago as far as I know. I was hoping to get to higher ground in order to try and find them." she half-lied, but clenched a fist over the centre of her chest to try and seem sincere.
The man considered this for a moment, and then nodded his head. "This gear I have will get you up there in no time. Hop onto my back and I'll take you up there."
Pyrrha stole a glance at the gear adorning his waist, out legs, and hips, before giving him a nod. She climbed onto his back and held on. On the sides of his belt, two hook wires shot from the metal boxes and hooked themselves into the wall higher than she would have predicted. Then they suddenly left the ground, and within the span of about a minute or a bit more, the soldier's feet landed on the top of the wall.
Pyrrha stepped off of his back and observed the new place, stepping forward and away from the edge as she gripped the straps of the backpacks again. There were old-looking cannons stationed on a track along the edges, and they carried on along the wall, with a wooden crate between every few cannons. She turned back to the soldier and gave him a polite wave, smile, and nod of the head. "Thanks for the lift. If I don't manage to find them, I'll stay up here for the night. You can return to your post now, since I can take it from here."
The soldier nodded and without another word, he left, jumping off the wall with a hiss of his gear.
Pyrrha strolled along the edges of the walls until she got bored and settled between the nearest ammunition crate and cannon, taking a seat there. She opened up her own backpack and pulled out a mailing package with the words 'BEDSHEETS, COVERS, PILLOWS AND DUVETS' written on the package in all-caps and bold, black marker pen. Opening the package, Pyrrha held it upside down and all of her scarlet bedsheets, bed covers, pillows and duvets toppled out of it. She planted her rear on the heap of fabrics as she placed the now empty package into her backpack and slung it on her back.
She placed Team RWBY's backpacks beside the cannon, leaning against the frame, and proceeded to lay the bedsheets and the covers underneath herself. Pyrrha placed a pillow down and gently and carefully laid her duvets on top of the covers and bedsheets. She got under the duvets but reached out to grab Team RWBY's backpacks and pull all of them close to her, into her, guarding the bags as she wrapped both arms around all four and laid her head down on her pillow.
Erwin Smith
"Commander Pixis. You're the C.O. of the Garrison Regiment, and I'm the Commanding Officer of the Survey Corps and the Scouts. Some people might disapprove of our meeting like this."
"Hah. You're as straight-laced as your reputation. Nothing untoward here. We just coincidentally bumped into one another while out for a morning stroll." Pixis waved his hand dismissively. Erwin looked down at the concrete of the top of the wall, uncertain. He had a feeling in his gut that he couldn't quite pinpoint the source of. It was a feeling he didn't like, though; he knew that much. "Protocol doesn't prevent us from chatting under the circumstances." Pixis continued, lowering his hand behind his back. "You are aware of the Military Police plan to take custody of Eren Jaeger, I presume?"
At best, it was a dreaded feeling that something bad was happening, or was going to happen. He usually got that on the days before he and the Scouts set out on an expedition outside the walls. But today there was an amplification in that feeling. Perhaps the fact that the heiress, Weiss Schnee, had unlocked his Aura along with that cadet, Armin Arlert?
"Yes," Erwin answered, "I received word yesterday. They plan to hold a deliberation on the matter."
Pixis stopped walking. Erwin stopped in his tracks as well. A part of him wondered what the other Commanding Officer was thinking about.
"The decision has been left to Premier Zachary – whether cadet Jaeger's future lies with the Scouts, or in the hands of the Military Police."
"Zach? You mean Premier Dhalis Zachary?" Erwin questioned. He hadn't thought Eren's... unique... case would have warranted Premier Zachary to make the decision, but maybe that was because he hadn't really thought about who would make the final decision on what to do with Eren.
"The Military Police, the Garrison Regiment, and the Scouts: all three fall under his jurisdiction." Pixis divulged, turning his body halfway around, looking over the district below. "This decision will be based entirely on one factor: is Eren Jaeger's existence a benefit, or a handicap to our survival? If deemed detrimental, Jaeger will be executed without a thought. Right then and there, if need be. I, for one, do not want to see him die. However, many in the Garrison Regiment – I'm sad to say – are fearful of Eren's unique ability. My hands are tied. The most I can do is avoid agreeing with the MPs." Pixis reached into an inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out his silver flask, gliding his thumb over it. He unscrewed the top of the flask. "Do the odds favour you?"
Erwin lowered his head again. "No they don't. And yet, we do have a proposal prepared." At that, the older Commanding Officer paused his drinking, and looked at Erwin from the corner of his eye. "Whether it will work or not all depends on how the debate unfolds."
"You mean, you're going to play it by ear?" Pixis fully turned in Erwin's direction.
"Our job is reconnaissance beyond the walls; playing things by ear is all we ever do."
Pixis broke out into laughter. He spun on his heel and began walking away, waving his hand in the air. "You're not so uptight after all, it would seem. Thank you for the pleasant conversation! And good luck, Commander."
When Pixis was out of earshot, Erwin decided to head back the way he'd came, but stopped in his tracks yet again when he found a girl sitting by the cannons with five large and presumably heavy backpacks surrounding her. One a crimson colour, another one white, one was black, another was yellow, and the one she was using had a bronze coating. The bag was open, and in it he could see many cylindrical shaped objects. She also held one in her hand as she shoved a pillow easily into it, and it seemed to disappear within the apparent container, despite its size. She picked up the many bedsheets and bed covers left and pushed the fabrics into the container as well, and it didn't expand as much as he'd expected. One her things were cleared away, she closed the container and placed it in the bronze bag, before closing and securing the backpack and slinging it over both of her shoulders. She picked up the yellow and black backpacks by one strap each and slung them over on shoulder, before picking up the white and crimson backpacks by one strap each and slinging the bags over her other shoulder.
When the girl stood up, Erwin would have been lying if he said he wasn't taken aback by how tall she was. She reached 6 feet tall. Rose red hair was tied back in a waist-length ponytail that curled slightly into a loose ringlet. Vivid green eyes, combined with light-green eyeshadow around the far upper corners of her eyes, was a contrast to the red and gold she wore. Aside from being tall, she was also quite muscular compared to the other girls like Weiss or Ruby or Blake. Around her head was a golden circlet headpiece situated above her ears, and hanging from it on thin chains were a pair of small, green, teardrop-shaped emeralds. She also sported a large, golden gorget that covered her neck. Armour, maybe?
Her torso was covered by two layers of clothing. The upper layer was a bronze, strapless top, split divided vertically down the front. It seemed quite stiff, as it maintained its shape without any visible support – Erwin assumed it was probably made of metal of some sort. The top also had riveting or some form of small, round, dull yellow embroidery around the sides, and a darker gold edged the top of the upper layer, as well as down each side of the split. The lower layer was a low, golden V-neck shirt that also didn't have any sleeves and wrapped tightly around her torso, though left a small portion of her lower waist open. On each of her arms were dark-brown, perhaps black, gloves that reached up to the middle of her upper arms, and there was a golden, decorated bracelet on her left upper arm. Not to mention, on her left forearm, over her glove, she donned a golden bracer.
On her bottom half, she wore an elastic, black, A-line miniskirt and scarlet ankle-length drapery that wrapped around her skirt, held in place by a small, circular golden plate by her right hip, as well as a belt that carried two pouches on the opposite side. On her legs, starting below her mid-thigh and continuing downwards into her boots, were elaborate golden greaves and a pair of cuisses that began mid-thigh and ended slightly above her knees. Her feet were masked by high-heeled boots, which were dark-brown with a bronze trim, reaching up to her mid-calf.
But there was something on her back, underneath under all of the bags. It was circular – a shield? It seemed likely, considering there was also the compact form of a weapon sitting between the redhead's back and her supposed shield.
"I take it you're from Remnant as well?" Erwin asked with a tilt of his head. As soon as he spoke, the girl looked up from tightening her ponytail and fixing the placing of the armour on her legs. Erwin gave her a small smile and nodded his head in the direction of where he was headed.
She caught on quickly and stepped into line beside him, each hand holding the three bag straps on each shoulder as her feet fell into rhythm with Erwin's own. "Yes, I am. Since you know about Remnant, you must know Team RWBY, right?"
"I had the luck of being able to meet three of the four yesterday. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna. I haven't had the chance to meet the last girl, Ruby's older sister, as far as I've heard."
"You mean Yang. So, what's going on with them? I brought each of them their belongings and quite a bit more, along with some supplies we thought they would need."
"'We'?" Erwin furrowed his brows, puzzled. "Were there more you ended up here with?"
"I don't think so – I remember being transported here alone, but I would think my own teammates would try to follow me here." She shook her head and her eyes widened slowly. "Oh, that's right, I haven't even introduced myself! My name is Pyrrha Nikos. The team I'm part of – Team JNPR – are all close friends with Team RWBY, and we were chosen to go on a mission to get back the devices that transported them to this world."
"Judging from the fact that you're here, I'd assume things went awry on the mission?"
"You could say that. A mishap occurred because I made the mistake of coming into contact with one of the devices, and as a result I was sent here. I have no idea what became of my teammates after I disappeared from Remnant too." The girl, Pyrrha, shook her head as if to rid herself of the worry weighing her down. Instead, she turned and her eyes met Erwin's. "I almost forgot, I didn't ask for your name yet."
"The name's Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps and the Scouts. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Nikos."
Ruby Rose
Ruby, Weiss, and Blake were ushered through a door by Military Police soldiers and were led into the courtroom for Eren's trial. Neither they, nor Levi or anyone else, knew that they were going to be brought in, but some news of another outsider that appeared yesterday evening had been circulating and Ruby had a vague sense that one of their friends had ended up here too. Yang was sleeping in a room in the old castle, meaning she couldn't be here to see the trial, and honestly, Ruby had wanted to join her sister.
Upon looking around the room at the number of people in the room, Ruby began to panic. There were too many people in the room; too many for her own comfort. Ruby was already on the brink of shutting down. Her eyes widened to a concerning point, but Weiss and Blake placed a reassuring hand on each of her shoulders and she began breathing exercises to help herself calm down.
How she feared crowds as large as this...
But despite her fear, even if there was the possibility of her having a panic attack at some point during the trial, as long as she had her teammates there to take care of her, she felt as if she would be alright. The fear never subsided completely, but the effects of it dulled a bit.
They were told to join Armin and Mikasa in the stands, and none of the three girls had any qualms about doing so. Once they regrouped with the duo that neither Ruby nor Blake had seen for around two days, Ruby noted a familiar 6-foot-tall redheaded figure standing behind Erwin and Levi on the stands where most of the Scouts were standing with them. Her vivid green eyes darted from left to right as she held her upper arm, likely for reassurance. Ruby also noted the five large backpacks she was carrying on her back: one crimson, one white, one black, one yellow, and the last one was bronze.
"Pyrrha?" Ruby couldn't help but ask, and she immediately shrunk back into herself when she heard her own voice echo loudly through the courtroom amidst all of the others chatting, causing the others in the stands to lower the volume of their voices and stare at her.
Pyrrha was the first to look in the direction of Ruby, Weiss, and Blake anyhow, and her face brightened and her eyes sparkled, and she rushed to the edge of the railings with a wide smile. "It's lovely to see you girls safe and unharmed. Where's Yang?"
"Yang's resting currently. She's recovering from some trauma and the sudden sickness that came with it." Blake explained, much to Pyrrha's apparent surprise and concern, evidenced when Pyrrha's eyes widened and her eyebrows raised. But before Pyrrha had the chance to speak, Blake stepped closer to Mikasa and craned her neck to see their dear friend. "How did you end up here anyway? And where are Jaune, Nora, and Ren?"
"They're back on Remnant. I'll explain the story later. It's, uh—" Pyrrha scratched the back of her neck, then each of her hands found the three bag straps on each of her shoulders, gripping them tightly—"it's quite a lengthy explanation."
When Pyrrha's gaze moved to the doors, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake all turned their heads in time to see the doors of the courtroom open. In walked Eren, being led through the door by a woman wearing glasses, and she said something to him before shutting the door on him. The doors shut loudly, making Ruby jump and hold her hand to her mouth to prevent any surprised noises from escaping. Weiss gently lifted Ruby's hands away from her mouth and held one of them. After Ruby's hands were back by her sides, Weiss let go of Ruby's hand and instead wrote letters onto the back of her hand, which Ruby eventually realised were words.
C-A-L-M-D-O-W-N. W-E-A-R-E H-E-R-E-W-I-T-H-Y-O-U.
Ruby could feel her muscles relax and she passed a small, grateful smile to Weiss, regaining her composure. Ruby looked to the door again, watching Eren standing there and staring up hopelessly at the scene before him, being held by guards and his wrists bound by cuffs behind his back.
"Alright, move it!" one of the guards pushed Eren's back with the gun barrel of his musket. Ruby had to bite her lip to prevent herself from speaking out in court and complaining of their treatment of him.
Eren was pushed into a kneeling position on a marble platform in the centre of the room. A bar was planted on the chains of Eren's cuffs and gave the sound of being locked in place. She saw Eren lightly tug on the cuffs, but other than that, he was trapped in that position. Ruby couldn't help but wonder how cold his feet must have been, considering he didn't have any socks or shoes on.
"I'm assuming that's the judge?" Blake asked, nodding her head in the direction of the rather tall seat and podium, which a bearded man with glasses carrying an overcoat was taking a seat in, throwing his coat over the back of the chair.
A moment after he made himself comfortable, he slammed his hammer down and his loud voice boomed over the room:
"Court is now in session."
Ruby flinched slightly at his voice as she hadn't expected someone's voice to be so deep and loud, and it terrified her. Though, she desperately hoped no one had noticed herself flinch.
"Miss Rose, can you make a statement regarding Miss Xiao Long's whereabouts?"
Ruby's head shot up and she stared at the judge with her eyes widened, but managed to come up with something. "My sister Yang isn't able to make it today due to her sickness from the trauma she suffered during the battle of Trost, which she's still recovering from as we speak." Ruby told him, though she was a bit self-conscious that her nervousness meant she had spoken a bit too fast. Weiss wrapped an arm around the team leader's waist and pulled Ruby into her, attempting to comfort her. She wrote on the backs of Ruby's hands again.
Y-O-U-D-I-D-G-O-O-D. W-E-L-L-D-O-N-E.
"I-Is she alright?" Armin asked, although quietly, as he watched Weiss rub Ruby's upper arm.
"She'll be fine. She just has a fear of large crowds of people, and without Yang here, at least one of us has to be there to comfort her so she doesn't have a panic attack." Blake explained, reaching over to pat Ruby's head, reassuring the girl that she was there too. After lowering her arm, Blake then looked up to the judge. "Ruby is not very experienced with large crowds and speaking in front of many people. Yang is usually the one who comforts her, but she isn't here to do so. If you have any questions about our team, Weiss and I can answer them."
"Very well." The judge nodded, before turning his head back to Eren, staring down at the poor boy through his glasses. "Let us proceed. As expected, covering up your existence has proven quite fruitless, and unless we publicly disclose your existence, one way or another, we risk the outbreak of widespread civil unrest. The choice must be made, and the regiment that takes custody of you will determine your fate: Military Police, or the Scout Regiment. To begin, the Military Police will present their case."
"Thank you! My name is Nile Dawk. I am Commander of the Military Police. Our recommendation, following a thorough examination of his physiology: subject Eren Jaeger should be disposed of immediately." declared the Commander of the Military Police. Ruby pursed her lips and glared. Ruby didn't like what he announced his intentions were: "We acknowledge that Jaeger's ability played a part in turning back the latest Titan incursion, however, as has been stated, his mere existence is creating a swell of rebellious sentiment. For the greater good, after we have gathered all the information we can from him, we would see him made a fallen warrior of humanity."
Ruby's breath got caught in her throat.
"Unacceptable! This verminous fiend has defiled the mighty walls—" someone called out. Their words were lost in the space around Ruby, as she had zoned out temporarily, in favour of gripping Weiss' hand, hoping the heiress would stop her from losing her cool. But the judge's voice snapped her back to the situation in the courtroom.
"And now I'd like to hear the Scout Regiment's proposed plan."
"Yes, sir. As the Commander of the Survey Corps, I, Erwin Smith, propose the following: let Eren join our ranks. Reinstate him as a full member of the Scouts, and we will utilise his Titan ability to retake Wall Maria. That is all."
The hairs on the back on her neck stood on end. She lifted her head; someone was watching her, she knew it. Her eyes looked to Weiss, who was sharing glimpses between Eren, Blake, Pyrrha, the judge, and Armin and Mikasa. So, she turned to Armin and Mikasa. They were too busy staring at Eren. Pyrrha? No, she was staring straight ahead, passing glances between Erwin, Levi, and the judge.
It was only when she turned her head and let her eyes scour the room did she realise that Eren was gazing in her direction, from the corner of his eye. In his eyes was an obvious sense of panic, and maybe even hints of a fleeting plea. However, she could only see what was on the surface, or what he chose to show her. Why he trusted her enough to let her read the feelings in his eyes so easily was anyone's guess, though. Ruby let go of Weiss' hand and decided to tell Weiss, via writing on the back of her hand.
I-T-H-I-N-K-E-R-E-N-W-A-N-T-S-U-S-T-O-H-E-L-P-H-I-M. H-E-L-O-O-K-S-P-R-E-T-T-Y-S-C-A-R-E-D.
Weiss glanced at Ruby from the corner of her eye, and then her eyes trailed to Eren. She began writing on the back of Ruby's hand again.
H-E-S-L-O-O-K-I-N-G-A-T-Y-O-U. H-E-S-W-O-R-R-I-E-D-A-B-O-U-T-Y-O-U.
"Is that it?" the judge asked.
"Yes. With his assistance, sir, I'm certain we can reclaim Wall Maria. Although, I believe our top priority is perfectly clear."
"Quite bold." the judge remarked, his eyebrows raised for a split second. "Assuming you were given clearance, where do you plan to launch this operation from? Commander Pixis, the wall in Trost has been completely sealed, is that correct?"
"Yes." Commander Pixis responded with a somewhat grim smile. "I doubt its gate will ever open again."
"We'll depart from Calaneth District to the east. From there, we'll make for Shiganshina. A new route can be established as we proceed." Erwin said, and Ruby could see the slight of Pyrrha's head when he said 'Calaneth District'.
"But that's ridiculous! Our time and money could be better spent sealing up all the gates and making the equipment to rid our world of those outsiders!" one man shouted, slamming his hands on the wooden stand in front of him.
Ruby puffed her chest and pouted, before she stopped and stepped forward, slamming her hands on the wooden stand in front of her, imitating him. "Why don't you leave us out of it? This trial is about Eren and Eren only, therefore, even you should have realised he comes first and foremost. Besides, we're only trying to help with the situation you and the rest of humanity have found yourselves in. Blake and I were the ones who convinced Weiss and Yang to push their worries aside and help the soldiers when we first encountered the Colossal Titan." Ruby automatically snapped in defence, folding her arms over her chest as her temper rose, her silver irises shined and lit up to the point where they almost became white. Ruby's head started to pound as soon as that happened, though, and she had to hold her head while her irises darkened and turned back to their normal silver colour.
There was a brief moment of silence, and while Ruby quickly realised that she had spoken out, she was too busy trying to soothe her headache. Her face heated up in embarrassment, and she planted her face in the palm of one of her hands, peeking out from between her fingers. Weiss was offering a sweet smile, and a bead of sweat dropped from the side of Armin's head whilst his mouth curved into an awkward, barely-there grin.
"That being said," Blake stepped forward as well, "we only agreed to help the soldiers. And at least we're trying to help. What are you doing for the military besides hiding and hoping they don't break through the walls? You're going to die the moment you're born, regardless of how long you last. At the end of the day, staying living like cattle in what little land you guys have left won't help the people that are too prideful to accept outside help and instead look a gift horse in the mouth."
Ruby pressed a hand to her heart and gave Blake a thankful, softened look.
"All I'm saying is, we should just reinforce the blasted gates and wash our hands of the entire affair!" the man retorted, still defiant.
"Shut your mouth, spineless merchant dog! With a Titan and the females on our side, we can finally return to Wall Maria!" another man argued. Ruby shivered and attempted to shrink back into her cloak.
"We can't afford any more of your childish antics or your delusions!"
"Squealing louder won't help your case, pig." Levi suddenly stepped in, and Ruby caught him sparing a glance at her. Not even a glare, just a slight look that somehow comforted her. "While we're bolstering our defences, do you think the Titans are going to stand idly by? And when you say "we can't afford", do you speak for anyone other than your fat merchant friends? Do you pigs even realise that most of our people are struggling just to survive off of what little land we have left?"
"I'm simply saying that sealing the gates is the only guaranteed protection we've got!" he replied stubbornly.
"Hold your tongue, you vile, belligerent erratic! Are you really suggesting that we lowly humans meddle with Wall Rose?! A gift to us from on high?! The wall is a miracle, and its divinity transcends human comprehension! Don't you understand?!"
"It's the cult's fault. They're the ones who delayed the Garrison's arming of the walls." Armin whispered, almost in disbelief.
"That shows you the sick amount of support and power they've got." Rico quietly chimed in, her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed. "I don't trust them at all."
"—Such sacrilege!"
"Oh, you're insane! Shut your trap!"
"How dare you?!"
All of the quarrelling in the courtroom was halted when the judge smacked the palm of his hand down on the countertop. The drum-like sound seemed to alert everyone in the courtroom that the judge had had enough of the debate regarding the walls.
"Order! I ask that you save your personal sentiments for a more appropriate venue." he scolded, and Ruby was reminded with a shiver down her spine of how much his voice carried over the large room. "Now then, Mister Jaeger, I have a question for you. As a soldier, you have made a solemn pledge to answer humanity's call. Can you still serve by controlling your ability?"
"Yes! I will, sir!" Eren replied, lifting his head.
"Oh, is that so? But this report from the battle for Trost contradicts that statement." the judge said, lifting up a piece of paper, likely the report document. "Just after transforming, it seems you made an attempt to crush Mikasa Ackerman, Blake Belladonna, and Ruby Rose."
Ruby would be lying if she said she didn't flinch at the calling of her name just as she recalled the incident, and she glanced to Blake to see her arching a brow at the judge. Eren immediately turned his head in the direction of Ruby, Mikasa, and Blake, his jaw agape as he stared in horror at the three. He clearly didn't know he had done that. Ruby's eyes wandered to Mikasa, seeing her holding a bit of her hair to her face, covering up the scar she'd attained from the incident. A painful reminder, as it were.
Rico mumbled something to Mikasa that Ruby wasn't able to hear. Ruby looked back to Eren with an apologetic smile and a kind wave, attempting to silently assure him that none of them were seriously injured. That didn't appear to help, though.
"And who is this Mikasa Ackerman?" the judge asked.
"Me. That would be me, sir." Mikasa responded, staring at the judge from the corner of her eye.
"Alright then. Is it true that Eren Jaeger assaulted you, Miss Belladonna and Miss Rose while he was in Titan form?"
Mikasa hesitated to answer, staring squarely at Eren. She then glanced to Ruby and Blake, to which the girls themselves merely shrugged and passed her a concerned look.
"Answer the Premier honestly." Rico reminded Mikasa, making a side-glance at the other girl. "Eren's future depends on it."
Mikasa, after a moment, finally decided on an answer.
"Yes. All of that's true."
More debating broke out in the courtroom, and Ruby felt self-conscious. She held eye-contact with Eren, feeling a sudden wave of pressure to say something about it. But before she could say anything, Blake chimed in: "Not all," she shouted, her voice as loud yet mellow as the judge's, and Ruby and Weiss stared at the girl, unaware their friend could even take on that kind of tone. Everyone else did the same, and shut up immediately. "Eren did not hurt me, and from what I saw, he did not intend to hurt Ruby. The two of us were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Yeah! Blake's right!" Ruby managed to shout although everyone had already gone quiet and she didn't need to. But despite the embarrassment, Ruby continued: "He didn't mean to attack us. It was partly my fault for getting hurt as well, considering I jumped in front of Mikasa to protect her." Ruby clenched her combat skirt. She turned to Eren again. "At the time, Eren wasn't in control of his Titan ability. In fact, he only learned to control it immediately after the incident. Besides, if you look at him, you'll see that he had no idea he'd done such a thing until now, when it was brought up."
"All good points of argument, Miss Rose," the judge started and turned his head in Mikasa's direction, "but can you back all that up, Mikasa Ackerman?"
"Yes. Ruby's right. Although it's clear now that Eren didn't intend to attack me, Ruby did try to protect me and ended up getting caught in the crossfire." Mikasa agreed with a nod of her head. "But, he has also saved our lives twice before, and in each circumstance, he was using his Titan ability! The first, shortly after Trost fell, Blake and I were nearly killed by a Titan, but then Eren came. He stepped in and protected us both, with Ruby directing him on his shoulder. The second time, when he transformed to shield Armin, Ruby, Weiss and me from cannon fire. I implore you to take these facts into consideration."
"Objection!" Commander Nile interjected, rather abruptly at that. "I have reason to believe that personal feelings play a large part her testimony. Records show that Mikasa Ackerman was orphaned at a young age, and was subsequently taken in by the Jaeger family. What's more, our own internal investigation into this matter led to a most shocking discovery. Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman, at the tender age of nine, dealt with three adult kidnappers by stabbing all of them to death." At this, the courtroom began buzzing with chatter and gasps. "Granted, this was done in self-defence. All the same, one cannot help but question the violent nature of the act. Knowing all of this, should we really invest in him? Money, manpower, perhaps the very fate of us all!"
"Mikasa's personal feelings in regards to Eren may play a part, sure," Blake interjected, almost jabbing Weiss in the side when she sliced the air horizontally with her arm. "But Ruby and I can still back Mikasa up, regardless, and unless you've forgotten, are we not outsiders? Why, then, do you think we would do that, considering we don't even know her and Eren enough to have such personal feelings needed to defend them?"
"Because it's the truth, and the only thing you can do to counter the truth is to produce doubt for the person instead of the facts!" Ruby stepped forward again, her nails digging into the wood of the stand in front of her. "And while you may have a lot on Mikasa, you don't have anything on us to rule us out other than the obvious fact we're not from here. You don't have anything to use against us and you know it, Commander." Ruby said, calling him 'Commander' through gritted teeth.
"Maybe they're one!"
"I bet they're not human either!"
"Yeah! Yeah, you're right! Dissect those three too, just to be safe!"
Eren leant forward, pulling on his cuffs in spite of the fact he was weighted to the floor. "Now hold on a second! Maybe I'm a monster that you want dead, but you leave them out of this! They're innocent!"
"Like we'd trust you!"
"It's the truth!" Both Eren and Pyrrha screamed in unintended coordination.
Pyrrha dropped all four of Team RWBY's bags and pushed in front of Levi and Erwin, slamming her hands down so hard on the wood that it left cracks under her palms. "Leave my friends alone! You have no right to pass such judgement when they've helped you simply to survive! Yang isn't lying in a bed sick just so her sister and team partner could be accused of being the same as what caused her to be so sick in the first place!" She yelled so loud over the courtroom she nearly screamed.
"I've never seen Pyrrha so angry since she saw Cardin bullying Velvet and pulling on her bunny ears." Ruby commented, both brows raised.
"Y-know," Weiss stepped forward, her arms folded. "I wonder how you feel knowing you've pushed one of the kindest people I've met up to her limit and past it. How do you sleep at night? I'm assuming that you don't, considering you're all playing with a bigger fire than what Yang's able to produce when she's angry.
"They must be one if he's protecting them!"
"STOP IT!" Eren bellowed out over the courtroom, bashing his cuffs against the metal slate that held them in place. Many people in the stands gasped at the action, and more than a few others were left with jaws agape. Eren's head lowered. Ruby could hear the amount of rage in the shaky breaths he took. "You're wrong... about it all. But you're so intent on pushing selfish agendas, you're blind to what's in front of you."
"Wait... what do you mean?" Commander Nile asked, his brows furrowing.
"What does it even matter? None of you have even seen a Titan, so why are you so afraid, huh?" Eren asked, lifting his head with a vicious glare, aimed at the MPs. "There's no sense in having power if you're not going to use it to fight! If you're too scared to fight for your life, fine! Let me do it! You...you're all cowards! Just shut up, and put all your faith in me!"
The entire room went quiet. Everyone's jaws were left hanging. It took most of the MPs a while to recover, but when they did, the first one to take action was Commander Nile.
"Take aim, damn it!"
"R-Right! Yes sir!"
The soldier stood beside Nile nervously cocked and aimed a musket at Eren, ready to shoot him at a moment's notice. Ruby almost jumped out from behind the stands, reaching her arm out as if it would help prevent him from firing. "NO!"
A blur rushed past Ruby, leaving a breeze that ruffled her hair. A loud kick was what she heard next, followed by the sight of Eren's tooth being knocked out due to a boot belonging to Captain Levi having hit the left side of his face. As Eren's tooth bounced on the marble floor, leaving a small trail of blood, Eren raised his head to look at Levi. Levi, in turn, kicked him in the chest so hard Ruby worried he winded the brunet. As if adding insult to injury, Levi then grabbed Eren by both his collar and his hair, and hit Eren's face with his knee.
Ruby could only blink in horror as Levi relentlessly pummelled Eren with his feet until the brunet's face was covered in small splatters of blood and the dirt from the Captain's shoes. Even Nile seemed to be shaken up about the way Levi was beating the boy senseless. But, to be fair, she'd be lying if she didn't think most of the people in the room were watching the scene through sunken eyes, which hid hints of shock and even a small amount of pity for Eren.
Mikasa's audible gasp reached Ruby's ears in enough time to see the girl almost race out from behind the bars; likely to fight Levi, if Ruby were to guess. Thankfully for them, Armin grabbed Mikasa's arm and pulled her back.
"Mikasa, wait!" Armin told her.
Blake quickly stepped around Rico and planted a hand on Mikasa's shoulder. "It's part of a plan, I'm sure."
"What kind of plan involves beating him?" Mikasa frantically turned towards Blake, her voice shaky.
"If I'm correct, the Scout Regiment wants to prove to the MPs and the judge that Eren can be subdued if he gets a little too rowdy, even if that means letting Levi beat him senseless. Not that it would be like that if it gets the message through and he ends up with the Scouts, hopefully, but it should get the point across." Blake whispered. "Think of it as a tactic to help Eren end up with them instead of the MPs. It's not anything personal."
Levi ended the brutal beating by smashing Eren's face into the floor just as he was trying to breathe through the blood falling from his mouth and nose. He stayed there, his foot planted on the back of Eren's head.
"You know, personally, I think nothing instils discipline like pain." Levi stated, cold and blunt and looking down his nose at Eren. "You don't need a good talking to. What you're in need of, boy, is to be taught a lesson. And you happen to be in perfect kicking position."
The Captain resumed with the kicking. With only his two feet, Levi swiped Eren's head up and proceeded to curbstomp the poor boy, shoving Eren's face into the floor and creating even more bruises and blood. Every single grunt and noise of pain Eren made caused Ruby to flinch. She caught a shiver going down Weiss' back.
"Now, hold on, Levi—" Nile stretched his hand out.
"What is it?" Levi asked, releasing Eren's face from under his boot. Eren's back was now leaning against the pole that kept him chained to the floor, but Eren's head dropped as soon as Levi's foot stopped holding it up.
"It's dangerous." Nile told him in almost a hushed voice, as if to warn him. "What if he gets angry? Turns into a Titan?"
As soon as Nile said that, Eren shakily lifted his head up to reveal a grimace that looked like it was fuelled by hatred. Eren glared angrily at Levi, which was quite brave since Levi was honestly quite scary, but Levi returned it just as well with a single kick to Eren's face.
"Don't be silly," Levi responded as he kneeled down and grabbed Eren by the hair, lifting the boy's head up. "After all, you guys just want to dissect him, don't you?" None of the Military Police could answer that. Levi released his grip on Eren's hair, and stood back up. "During the time when he was transformed, they say that Jaeger was able to kill twenty Titans before he finally ran out of strength. As an enemy, his intelligence makes him all the more dangerous. But I could still take him down without a problem. How many of you can say the same? Before you torment the beast, you better think: can you actually kill him?"
"We could," Weiss shrugged her shoulders, "if we wanted to."
Levi levelled a side-glare at Weiss, and she returned it with an equally intimidating look.
Erwin raised his hand. "Sir! I have a proposition."
"Proceed."
Erwin lowered his arm. "There's still too much we don't know, and no doubt his danger will be ever present. As such, I suggest this: Eren Jaeger be placed under Captain Levi's supervision, and we'll conduct a Recon mission outside of the walls."
"Jaeger will join you in this excursion?"
"Yes sir. But not just Jaeger. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, and their friend here, Pyrrha Nikos, will join us as well. Their abilities and knowledge will no doubt prove useful." All four members of Team RWBY, as well as Pyrrha, looked to Commander Erwin at the mention of their names. "And you can look upon the mission's results yourself. And if he successfully controls his ability, Eren will approve in his value to mankind."
"Eren Jaeger will be closely supervised?" the judge warily inquired, but apparently already knew the answer. "And if he should lose control?"
"I can definitely kill him if it comes to that." Levi answered, twisting his body halfway to look up at the judge. "The only downside is, there's absolutely no middle ground."
Ruby flinched. She was a terrible liar, and it would be painfully obvious to anyone that she didn't want Eren to die, most of anyone. Her grip on the wooden countertop tightened as plans ran through her mind ceaselessly. The only one that really stood out to her was the hope that she could at least try to find a way to stop Eren from potentially going out of control aside from simply killing him.
"Then I have made my choice."
"Well, that went better than I expected."
After the court hearing, Ruby, Eren, Erwin, Weiss, Blake, Levi, Hange, Pyrrha, and Mike had gathered in a room. The sun was setting outside, though it still provided enough lighting in the room without having to light any candles. Not to mention, Blake was still able to see, which was always a good thing, especially for the girl herself.
"Does it hurt?" Hange asked.
Eren pressed a damp cloth to his cheek, which was slightly bruised from the beating he'd sustained earlier. "Yeah..."
"Yeah? Describe it to me." Hange responded with an excited expression, edging forward.
Eren's jaw hung open in shock.
"Sorry for all that. But the theatrics did get you placed in our custody." Erwin treaded over to the couch where Eren sat. Ruby was seated beside him.
"No, I understand." Eren replied, glancing towards the floor.
Hange stood up and stepped aside. Erwin stood in front of Eren and Ruby. "I can assure you the pain was worth it. We played our trump card at the perfect time." The Commander crouched down to Eren's level, holding his hand out. "You have my utmost respect. Eren, I'm glad that you're on our team."
Eren's eyes sparkled as he reached out to shake Erwin's hand. "Me too! Glad to be here, sir!"
Ruby chuckled beside him, patting Eren's back lightly, to make sure she wouldn't hurt him. However, that was short-lived when Levi abruptly perched himself down on the couch, on the opposite side of Ruby. Both Eren and Ruby flinched.
"So, Eren." Levi started.
"S-Sir?"
"You don't resent me now, do you?"
"N-No," Eren loosely folded his arms across his torso and looked away uncomfortably, "I can see that what you did was necessary, sir."
"Good; then you understand."
"Still, you were too rough! You knocked his tooth out!" Hange knelt down in front of Eren and unwrapped a cloth, revealing one of Eren's teeth that had been knocked out earlier. "Neat, huh?"
"You picked it up? How disgusting." Levi commented with a grimace.
"This is a precious sample, I'll have you know." Hange stated in defence.
"Hey. Just be thankful people like that aren't dissecting you." Levi said, looking at Eren from the corner of his eye.
"Don't you dare compare me with them. I would never even dream of killing him." Hange remarked with obvious disgust, before her face brightened again and she gazed at Eren. "Hey, Eren, let me take a look inside that mouth of yours."
Eren hesitated for a second, but opened his mouth nonetheless.
Hange blinked, obviously taken aback by what she saw in Eren's mouth. Erwin and Mike even leaned in to see what had caused her reaction.
"Your tooth... it grew back."
"Really?" Without thinking, Ruby grabbed Eren and stretched the corners of his mouth, and saw the spot where Eren's tooth had been kicked out (literally), and there was another tooth in its place. "Wow, the healing process must have been pretty quick." she said, removing her fingers from the corners of Eren's mouth. He closed his mouth and rubbed his jaw.
"You don't sound surprised." Levi turned his head to her.
"Before he turned into a Titan at Trost, he'd lost an arm and a leg, and when we found him again, he'd grown them back." Ruby smiled as she spun halfway around to look at Levi. Then she turned to Pyrrha. "By the way, what's with those bags you brought with you?"
"Oh, that's right! I almost forgot!" Pyrrha lifted two bag straps off each shoulder and the Team RWBY colour-coordinated backpacks were placed on the floor in front of Pyrrha. Pyrrha passed the crimson backpack to Ruby, then handed the white backpack to Weiss, and then passed the black backpack to Blake. "The yellow one is for Yang, and the one on my back is for me."
"Gods, these are heavy, even with Aura. How did you carry all four, plus your own?" Weiss heaved the backpack off the ground.
"I train to improve my strength and that of my Aura." Pyrrha gave a soft smile. "I would advise you and Ruby to train more, particularly in hand-to-hand combat. You can also do strength-building exercises."
A shiver travelled down the spines of both Ruby and Weiss, yet they couldn't argue against her. Blake was about average when it came to hand-to-hand combat, unlike Ruby who couldn't hit anything to save her life, and her Aura strength wasn't weak and she had a better chance of not going unconscious than Weiss did when hit with a heavy attack.
"Please teach us your ways." Ruby and Weiss said, looking at each other when they both realised they had done that with unintentional coordination.
Pyrrha's brows raised, and she smiled and laughed. "Sure! I thought you'd never ask!"
"Huh," Blake pulled out a mailing package from her backpack. "Wow, you really packed a lot in."
"We didn't know how much of your belongings you four would class as essentials, so we brought almost everything we thought you would need and want, along with what was advised we take for you." Pyrrha scratched the back of her head. "This included school uniforms and study material."
"Oh, thank the gods, we have sources of information." Weiss looked to the ceiling and gave a heavy sigh of relief.
"Speaking of which, did you manage to get permission for us to give classes to the Scouts?" Blake lifted her head, her eyes meeting Erwin's.
"I did, actually. I didn't manage to bring up the subject during the trial, but I managed to catch Premier Zachary afterwards to confirm if you girls could do so, per your request."
"That sounds grand. What do you girls plan to teach?" Pyrrha's eyes trailed to Blake.
"I was hoping that Weiss could give lessons on Dust, Ruby could teach the Scouts about weaponry and the Grimm, and I could teach them about the world of Remnant and its history. That would leave Yang to teach Aura and Semblance."
"I can help Yang with that."
Yang Xiao Long
Yang shot up in her bed in a cold sweat, gripping the bedsheets for dear life until her knuckles were white.
Another nightmare.
She shook her head and ran a hand over her face. At this point, she was too scared to close her eyes, for fear of what she'd see. She only did so because sleep called her to do so.
"You look worse than I thought you would look after three days of recovery."
Yang stopped and her eyes widened, and she immediately lifted her head. She turned on the light on the bedside table to see...
"Reiner? Don't scare me like that. What are you doing here?" Yang narrowed her eyes to the cadet, his face and a portion of his upper body made visible by the small amount of light from the lamp on the table beside her.
"Blake asked Annie and I to stay with you for a while, since she, Ruby, and Weiss were going to Eren's trial. Annie left earlier to go and find some more food for you. I brought the lamp in here and just decided to stay with you in case you woke up."
"Oh. In that case, thanks. Blake isn't back yet?"
"Not yet, but Krista came in carrying a heavy yellow backpack, saying it was for you from a girl named Pyrrha. She left it in here and went back out to help Annie."
"Wait, Pyrrha's here too?" Yang's eyes widened, and she jumped out of her bed in the white nightgown she'd previously been given which trailed down to her ankles.
Reiner suddenly stood up so fast his chair fell backwards and Yang flinched at the clattering noise it made upon impact with the floor. He caught her when her legs failed her and she had to plant her hand on the bedside table.
"Take it easy, you're still not a hundred percent yet. If you move too fast, you'll get dizzy." he told her as he draped her arm over the back of his neck and laced an arm around her waist, holding her frail body up. "I hope Annie and Krista are back, you don't look like you've had any food since breakfast."
"I haven't even had breakfast. I lost my appetite yesterday during dinner."
"Well, in that case, we'll just have to get it back with Annie's cooking."
Yang smiled as her gaze trailed to Reiner.
It was nice to have someone looking out for her wellbeing again.
