Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Attack on Titan. They are owned by Rooster Teeth and Hajime Isayama respectively.
"Over a century ago, mankind had to face a new enemy. The difference of power between mankind and the newfound enemy was overwhelming. Soon, mankind was driven to the brink of extinction. The surviving humans built three walls: Maria, Rose, and Sina. They then lived the next century in peace, under their protection."
"However, in Year 845, the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan appeared out of nowhere. Instantly, the walls were shattered, along with the peace of everyday life. Mankind abandoned Wall Maria. They lost a fifth of the population and a third of their territory as human activity was pushed back to Wall Rose."
"In the year 850, the Colossal Titan once again appeared out of nowhere and broke the wall, allowing for the further advance of the Titans." Ruby's death was replayed, along with Pyrrha's intervention in the evacuation. "In two hours, the evacuation of civilians was completed. No one fell victim to the Titans, except for the soldiers who sacrificed themselves in the defence."
The students cringed, remembering the death of their friend.
Ruby, as long as I have you, I can do anything Pyrrha thought to herself as she flew through the air.
Small Blade/The Struggle for Trost, Part 3
In the cellar of the supply compound, a group of young soldiers confronted Kitz and another group of soldiers that were trying to leave.
"Please stop, Commander!" a recruit begged the commander. "If the Titans attacked, we support soldiers won't be able to hold this place by ourselves!"
"Please stay with us!" another soldier pleaded.
"Get out of my way," Kitz ordered. "I must leave to oversee the organization of the reinforcements." His reasoning would have had merit if he and his subordinates did not look ready to piss themselves in fear, beads of sweat trailing down their faces.
"Right..." Roman drawled in a sarcastic tone. "Not like you're abandoning them to their fates, right?"
A female cadet grunted in disbelief at the obvious attempt to abandon ship but was too scared to comment on it. Her teammate, however, had no such qualms.
"Behind the safer inner gate?"
"I'd scold his rudeness to authority but if it wasn't blatantly obvious that the commander is abandoning his post," Winter said with a raised eyebrow. Ironwood nodded along with her statement.
The bold accusation threw Kitz for a loop. He gritted his teeth in anger, knowing he'd been called out but still tried to save face with the cadets. "What the hell are you trying to say? My actions adhere to the regulations. I am just following the rules! It is what soldiers are supposed to do!" His frantic yelling did nothing to assuage their fears and disbelieving looks.
"So running away in the middle of battle is what soldiers are supposed to do? Good to know," Qrow said with a mirthless chuckle.
"Isn't this the same guy that said fleeing amid battle is tantamount to treason?" Blake asked, eyeing the commander with disdain.
"Add hypocrisy under cowardice in his resume," Emerald commented, rolling her eyes.
"But if this place falls —"
"Silence!" Kitz pointed his blade at the young soldiers, shocking them into silence. "If you say one more word, I will consider it as treason and punish you accordingly!"
"Tch!" Ironwood grunted in annoyance with Kitz. "How did this incompetent become a commander in the first place?"
On the battlefield, Pyrrha made her way onto the roof of a building and saw a group of fellow cadets. Huh? They should've heard the bells that signalled for retreat, so why aren't they climbing the wall yet? she wondered. Pyrrha gasped in realization, turning sharply to look toward the supply compound. It had been overtaken by Titans.
"Why aren't they moving to climb the wall?" Emerald asked. "Or are they standing around waiting to be Titan chow?"
In the supply compound, a group of soldiers hid behind some overturned desks in a room. A cadet fearfully peeked over the desk and found a Titan peering at them through the window.
"Creepy..." Nora muttered, shivering involuntarily.
"This is the end…" the soldier muttered despondently, tears streaking down her face. "We're done for."
Somewhere in the building, a bunch of glass shattered, and the Titans growl. One of the cadets fiddled with a rifle, cleaning out the barrel.
"Great," he said with an empty smile.
A cadet turned to him. "What's the point of that?" she asked.
"Does he have a plan?" Jaune asked.
"Looks like it," Yang replied, eyeing the rifle. "Wonder what good that pea shooter would do him, though."
The adults who'd experienced real battle knew better. They recognized the look of someone who had given up on living.
The teen put the rifle into his mouth. The cadet beside him barely had time to process the action, letting out a "Wha...?" before he pulled the trigger, killing the teen. Blood splattered on her cheek and nearby books. The other soldiers in the group screamed in fear and cried.
The students cried out in horror as well.
"Holy shit..." Sun gasped.
The others could only gape at the screen with open mouths.
Glynda sighed, rubbing her eyes behind her glasses. "That's not surprising, to be honest."
"B-But... why...?" Weiss could hardly get her words out.
"Many people would rather leave the world on their terms," Ozpin explained, looking sombre. "And between killing themselves and getting eaten alive, you can't fault them for choosing to end their lives with their own hands."
Back on the battlefield, Yatsuhashi, Sun and a bunch of other soldiers stood on the roof of a building.
"Hey, Sun! What do we do now?" Yatsuhasi asked.
"What can we do?" was the teen's sullen reply, head hung between his legs. "We finally received the order to retreat, but we can't get over the wall because we're out of gas." He gripped his hair, a despondent look on his face. "We're all going to die. Thanks to those fucking cowards…"
"What cowards?" Oscar asked in confusion.
Coco tapped her chin in thought. "I think he's referring to the support squad. They were supposed to be in charge of relaying information and supplies to the frontline from HQ."
"The same HQ that has been overrun by Titans?" Cardin asked, sighing in the realization of their situation.
"You mean the support squads? What happened to them? Are they all dead?" Yatsuhashi inquired, frustration evident on his face.
"One of them is," Roman murmured.
"They probably lost their will to fight."
The suicide flashed through their minds.
"I understand how they feel," Sun continued. "But abandoning their mission to supply us and barricading themselves away in the HQ?"
Two cadets were sitting next to the gas tanks, knees drawn up, faces hidden in their arms.
Ironwood shook his head at their lack of action. "They had a duty to their comrades and abandoned it to cower in fear?" He grunted in disappointment.
"They're just trainees, James," Glynda argued in their defence. "You can't expect them to have the same mental fortitude as their elders. Most people would rather take the easy way out, hide from their fears than confront them head-on."
Ironwood shook his head. "Then they should have tried to run away. It's still a despicable act but I can understand valuing one's life over duty. But sitting around and doing nothing... They're just dragging others down with them."
"Agreed," Qrow said, surprising everyone again by coming to the General's defence. "It is a matter of life and death. Their choices affected the others. In choosing to give up, they condemned their comrades."
"I'm guessing the Titans have them surrounded," Sun said. "which is why they can't supply us with gas."
"That's exactly why we have no choice but to go all in on those Titans!" Yatsuhashi said, trying to convince Sun. "Sitting here and waiting to die isn't going to make a difference! The Titans are going to surround us, too! If we keep running away from them, we'd just end up wasting the little gas we have left. Once we lose our agility, it'd really be over!"
"I never thought I'd hear you make an intelligent comment, Yatsuhashi," Sun said humourlessly.
"Even an idiot can have good ideas every once in a while," Cinder scoffed.
"Hey!" Yatsuhashi yelled. Much to his chagrin, his teammates laughed at him.
Sun looked a the others. "But how do you suppose we do that with the forces we have left? The vanguard has nearly been wiped out."
The others were standing around looking helpless, unsure of what to do. Some looked like they'd also given up.
"Moreover, which one of us cadets could possibly take command of such an operation? Not that we could do anything about the Titans even if someone took command. The gas storage is probably crawling with 4-meter class Titans by now."
True to Sun's words, multiple Titans were inside the storage unit, eating their comrades who weren't putting up any fight at all.
He's smart. Ozpin observed. The events of the past episodes had not portrayed Sun as a tactical or strategic genius of any kind. He identified the issue with ease and foresaw a potential challenge. He nodded, thoroughly impressed. It appears there is some intelligence buried within the selfishness.
Ironwood was also coming to the same conclusion. He also knew what Sun would have to do to achieve victory. It's not enough to have a plan. He must also have the ability to make tough calls and see them through. Could the blonde teen do it? Support the weight of all the lives entrusted to him? Save the majority of those lives by sacrificing some of them?
"And of course, we can't fight them inside the storage."
"Come on, man. Don't give up!" Neptune cheered his best friend on— even on another world.
Yatsuhashi's face fell. "So it's hopeless..."
"I had such a boring life." Sun gripped his hair in resignation. "If someone told me beforehand..."
"Let's do it!" Nora tried to raise their spirits. "Stand up! If we all work together, we can do it! I'll be in front!"
"Yeah!" Nora cheered herself on. Turning to Jaune, she grinned at him. "If you ever feel tired of leading, I can always do it for you."
Jaune internally shuddered at that thought. Nora as team leader... She'd probably make us make eating pancakes a mandatory team-bonding exercise. He smiled at the mental image.
None of the soldiers reacted to her words.
"Tough crowd," Yang said.
"At least she tried. Honestly, I'm impressed the idiot and Potato Girl are the last to admit defeat," Roman commented.
Yatsuhashi and Nora scowled at the titles they were addressed with.
Nora looked around and saw Oscar sitting alone. She made her way over to him.
"Oscar! Let's go together and —"
She stopped when she saw Oscar's face with a look of dejection and derealization. Nora's shoulders slumped.
The Warriors and Neptune stood off to one side.
"What now, Jaune?" Weiss asked.
"It's not time yet. We must group up first," he told her.
Jaune perked up. "Does he have a plan?"
"Why am I taking orders from this dolt?" Weiss asked with a huff.
Nora scowled at the white-haired girl. "Hey, Jaune's a great strategist! Good enough to be made leader of team JNPR. Can't say that for yourself, huh?" she finished, turning back to the screen with a huff and a smirk.
Jaune beamed at Nora's support, although it still hurt that his crush still did not think highly of him.
Weiss pretended to ignore the muffled chuckles of her teammates and the pointed look her sister threw her way.
"It's over…" Jaune turned to Neptune when the blue-haired teen spoke. "No matter what we do, we'll be dead before we make it out of here. I mean, I'm prepared to die… but what exactly am I going to die for?"
"That's fair," Qrow sighed. "Knowing that you'll die is one thing. But knowing that your death will end up being meaningless? That sucks."
Pyrrha arrived at the scene and ran to the group on the roof.
"Pyrrha!"
"Weren't you in the rearguard?"
"Weiss!" Pyrrha ignored them and quickly walked up to the short girl.
"Hmm?"
"I think I understand the situation. And I apologize for bothering you, but have you seen Ruby's unit?"
"This isn't gonna go well," Sun winced.
"No shit," Neptune replied.
Oscar and Pyrrha cringed internally. Neither was looking forward to the eventual conversation between their counterparts.
"No," Weiss replied. "And I haven't seen anyone climb the wall either."
"Oscar's over there, though." Jaune jerked his thumb to the side.
Pyrrha noticed Oscar sitting alone.
"Oscar!" She ran over to him.
Pyrrha?! Oscar froze. Crap! How can I look her in the face? I don't even deserve to be alive. If I knew it'd come to this… He remembered Ruby saving him from getting eaten. I should've just died with her!
Oscar could sympathize with his counterpart. In his shoes, he'd rather crawl under a rock and die than face Pyrrha.
Pyrrha made her way over to Oscar and knelt beside him. Oscar couldn't bring himself to look at her.
"Oscar, are you hurt? Are you feeling okay?"
Oscar continued to look down, saying nothing. Pyrrha stood and looked around.
"I can see where this is going," Ironwood muttered.
"Where's Ruby? Oscar?"
Glynda sighed in sympathy. "Poor girl, this is gonna break her."
"Might as well get it over with now, and hope for the best," Qrow muttered back in reply.
Gritting his teeth, Oscar finally looked up to Pyrrha with tears streaming down his face. Pyrrha was alarmed but slowly came to realize what had happened.
"Our unit… The cadets of Squad 34…Thomas Wagner, Nic Tius, Mylius Zeramuski, Mina Carolina, Ruby Jaeger. All five of them have fulfilled their duty and died heroic deaths in battle!"
Ruby looked down at her lap, still wracked with second-hand guilt for the deaths of her multiversal comrades. The happenings of episode 5 were making her reflect on her duties as leader of team RWBY and scared that she could one day be responsible for the deaths of her teammates.
The other soldiers could only watch in shock.
"No way…" Nora said in disbelief.
"So Squad 34 was nearly wiped out…"
"If we fight the Titans, we'll end up like them."
"If none of you gets moving, then it is a 100% possibility," Cinder commented dryly.
"I'm sorry, Pyrrha." Oscar's body shook in despair. "Ruby died in my stead… I couldn't do anything! I'm so sorry!"
"Come on kid, it wasn't your fault," Yang said, directing her words to their Oscar who she could tell was feeling guilty as well.
"Oscar." Pyrrha knelt and placed her hand on Oscar's making him look up into her dead gaze. "Calm down. This isn't the time to be emotional."
The students flinched back upon seeing her empty gaze.
"Dear Oum..." Velvet gasped. "She looks..."
"...like someone reached deep into her and ripped her soul out."
Pyrrha sympathetically stared at her counterpart. It made her wonder how badly she'd react if she lost Nora and Ren. Or worse... If I lost Jaune. The thought of losing the blonde-haired knight sent an involuntary shiver of fear throughout her body, causing Jaune to wrap his arm tighter around the redhead.
"Huh?"
"Stand up." Pyrrha stood up and helped Oscar to his feet. After he does, Pyrrha walked to the edge of the roof.
"Neptune, if we take out the Titans around the HQ, we can replenish our gas supplies and climb the wall. Does that sound correct?"
"Wait, she has a plan? Already? I thought she'd be, y'know... out of it." Neptune stared at the screen in confusion.
No, that's not it... Ironwood thought. He recognized this pattern of behaviour.
"Yeah…But even if you're with us, there are just too many..." Neptune replied hesitantly.
"We can do it." Pyrrha drew her blades and stood in front of the other soldiers, pointing one blade to the sky. "I am strong. Stronger than all of you. Extremely strong. I can kill all those Titans there. Even if I'm alone."
Roman cocked an eyebrow. "Cocky much?"
"No," Ironwood shook his head. "She's still grieving. It is not noticeable due to her cold exterior but she's not so stoic internally. People process grief in different ways and apparently, hers is through action." He gave a small frown, eyes looking distant and lost in memories. "I've seen people like this. They throw themselves into their work, hoping to stave off the pain."
"Does it work?" Ruby asked quietly.
"No, Ms Rose," Ozpin replied somberly. "No, it doesn't."
"You're either incompetent, or you're spineless cowards." The cadets stared at her in shock. "How pathetic. You can sit here and suck on your fingers. Yeah, do that."
Emerald cringed a bit. "That was kinda..." The word was on the tip of her tongue.
"Dull? Boring? Lame?" Hazel rattled out multiple words that best described the speech.
"Best she leaves the dramatic and passionate speeches to lil'red," Roman chuckled in amusement.
Pyrrha sulked upon hearing that, a dark, stormy cloud appearing overhead for extra effect.
"Hey, Pyrrha! What are you saying?"
"You wanna fight all those Titans by yourself?"
"There's no way you can do that!"
"If I can't, then I'll just die." She turned her back to them "But if I win, I live. Unless I fight, I cannot win." With that, she jumped off the roof and took off.
"Hey!" Neptune called out after her.
They watched her in silence, unsure of what to do now.
"Your oratory skills are what's pathetic," Sun spoke up. "You considered that motivational?"
Sun awkwardly rubbed the back of his head while Pyrrha sulked again. Her teammates chuckled at her expense.
Sun readied his blades and stilled his trembling. "I blame you for this, Ruby!"
"Hey, what'd I do?!" Ruby yelled in indignation.
Sun drew his blades, raising one to the sky and he yelled at his fellow graduates with a glare. "Hey! Were we trained to let our comrades fight alone?! At this rate, we're going to turn out to be spineless cowards!" He moved to follow Pyrrha, Yatsuhashi following right after.
"Who'd have thought that he of all people would step up," Ren commented with a slight smirk.
"Hey!"
Ozpin smiled, taking a sip out of his coffee. "It appears there's more to Mr Wukong than meets the eye."
"I'm surprised to hear him say that." Jaune, Weiss and Ren moved next.
"Tell us about it," Cardin smirked at the monkey Faunus who flipped him off.
Oscar wiped his tears and moved to follow Pyrrha. Neptune sighed, also following.
"Hey! Cowards! Weaklings! Retards!" Nora threw insults at the others and jumped off the roof.
"Oh Nora," Ren sighed good-naturedly while the ginger-haired teen cackled beside him.
They're nuts… One trainee thought. "Dammit! Let's do it!"
The rest of the soldiers let out battle cries and charged forward with the others.
Pyrrha flew through the streets, cutting down a 15-meter in her path.
"Amazing," Jaune breathed out. Pyrrha's ears tinged red at the compliment.
"Hurry! Follow Pyrrha!" Sun ordered. "Let's keep this fight short! We need to get to HQ before we run out of gas!"
"Pyrrha's just amazing," Yatsuhashi said in awe. "How can she move that fast?"
She's using too much gas. She'll run out right away. Oscar stared at her gear in trepidation. I don't care how skilled she is… Without agility, we can't do anything!
Worry for the spartan girl gripped members of the audience.
Using more gas, she took out another 15-meter instantly.
She doesn't hesitate in her attacks. Winter observed in fascination. She moves fluidly through the air, wasting no motion as she moves in for the kill.
She's not in her usual cool-headed state… She wants to drown out her pain through action! If she keeps this up… On cue, her canister ran out of gas and she crashed onto the roof of a building, breaking her blades and rolling to the ground.
"Pyrrha!" Oscar changed directions, going after her.
"Pyrrha!"
Jaune anxiously tapped his foot on the floor, nerves tingling with worry for his partner. He grasped her hand tightly as if to reassure himself that she was okay and right beside him. Pyrrha blushed at the contact but didn't move to let go.
"Dammit!" Sun cursed their ill fortune.
"Sun! You lead the others!" Yatsuhashi told him. "I'll go with Oscar!"
"I'm coming with you!"
"What are you talking about? There are more Titans left! We need your skills!" Yatsuhashi moved to help Oscar.
Gritting his teeth, Sun continued forward with the rest of the cadets.
He has a good head on his shoulders. Ironwood noted. He prioritized the needs of the many over that of the few, thinking with his head instead of emotionally. He was interested in seeing how far the boy would go.
In an alleyway, Pyrrha lay still on the roof of a stall on the side of the building.
Again… It happened again… Pyrrha held up her arm robotically, looking at her broken blade. I lost my family once again... She jumped off the stall, falling to her knees on the ground. This pain is familiar. Her dead, hollow gaze was still present. Will I have to start fresh once again?
Ruby and Yang frowned sadly, remembering the loss of their mother and how badly it affected the family. They could empathize with their onscreen friend; they knew what it felt like to have someone dear to them torn away, leaving their loved ones behind to grieve.
Ren was lost in thoughts of his loss as well. Watching his onscreen reminded him of what he had lost at the hands of the Nucklavee. He'd never truly gotten around to grieving because of his Semblance. Then again, I wouldn't have found and saved Nora if not for it.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
A 15-meter Titan came round the corner. Pyrrha sat there, unmoving.
Jaune gripped Pyrrha's hand even tighter in his panic for her safety.
Ozpin sighed in resignation at what looked like another of his students' final moments.
Currently Disclosable Information
Design of the 3D Manoeuvre Gear (Part 1)
(The spatial manoeuvre unit)
It reels cables from the drum. There are two independent axes.
Design of the 3D Manoeuvre Gear (Part 2)
(The control unit)
The control unit is a black box.
(The engineering department designs and improves them in secret)
(The gas cylinder)
The cylinder is filled with compressed gas.
Winter and Ruby hastily jotted down the information for future use. Others merely noted it for future reference.
"I see," Oobleck hummed. "So the hand grips double as sword hilts and control units for the gear."
"It is an efficient system. The soldiers need to be in control of their movements at all times in the air while at the same time combating the Titans." Penny chimed in excitedly. "Merging the two functions into one device allows for better functionality in battle!"
On a building far from the supply building, Sun examined their current situation. It's no good. We won't get close to the HQ. He watched the Titans roaming below. Unless we're prepared to make sacrifices.
"Like hell!" Sun yelled. "I ain't leaving anyone behind!"
"He might have to," Qrow stated bluntly, causing the first-year students to turn to him with shocked looks on their faces. The second years listened with calm acceptance, understanding coating their features.
"How could you say that Uncle Qrow?!" Yang was aghast at his seemingly cold words.
"Calm your temper and analyze the situation rationally," Winter scolded her. "They are cadets fresh out of the academy with zero experience in Titan combat, their most skilled fighter is presumably dead, they are almost out of gas, and Titans are roaming the streets left and right. Amid this chaos, do you think every trainee will make it to HQ?"
Realization began to dawn on the first-year students. Most still vehemently denied the possibility of leaving a comrade or friend behind.
"Then they'll go back for them!" Jaune argued.
"So they can join the casualty count?" Winter fired back.
"B-But... that would condemn some to... to..." Ruby stammered, unable to finish her sentence.
Glynda breathed a resigned sigh. "It's a sad part of our job as Huntsmen and Huntresses. At times, a situation will arise where we have to choose one of the two options; the mission or your comrades." She breathed another heavy sigh. "I pray for your sakes, that you are never placed in such a difficult circumstance."
"Still..." Weiss was speechless. Deep down, she knew the adults were right. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. Despite that, the thought of performing such an act... It left a vile taste on her tongue. Blake was on a similar mental wavelength as the white-haired girl.
"Are you seriously telling us that it is okay to sacrifice our friends, so long as it's for the 'greater good'?" Sun baulked.
Port shook his head in the negative. "On the contrary Mr Wukong. Your teammates are the equivalent of your family in Huntsmen institutions. Why would we group you into teams meant to better your growth only to ask you to throw it all away?"
"Then why..."
"Because we do not want you going out into the world as fully-fledged Huntsmen unprepared for the rigours and challenges you will face," Oobleck said, slipping into his lecturing tone. "The goal of the Huntsmen institutions is to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to be an effective Huntsman and that includes the ability to make effective decisions that will ensure the safety of your comrades and the mission."
The students grudgingly accepted their teachers' advice, turning back to the paused screen.
The villains looked indifferent to the conversation that just took place, simply wanting to continue the show.
The terrified whimpers of a cadet drew his attention. Tom was on the street panicking, empty puffs from his gear signifying that he was out of gas. Damn! He's out of gas! Sun prepared to move to his aid but halted as two Titans were almost upon Tom.
"Stay away!!" Tom yelled, holding up his blades weakly.
"Tom! I'm going to save you!" A male soldier yelled. He and a female soldier flew in to save their friend.
They are going to get themselves killed. Neo tsked silently, shaking her head in bemusement at their folly.
"Stop! You can't!" Sun yelled, knowing it was already too late for Tom.
Tom shook in terror in one of the Titans' grasp, tears and mucus dripping down his face. The male soldier flew in, blades out in readiness to take out the Titan, not noticing the other Titan.
"Stop!" he yelled right before he was plucked out of the air by the other Titan.
Sun watched in horror. Tom was hyperventilating as he watched the Titan's mouth get closer. "Ahhh!!" He screamed in pain and terror.
Grimaces adorned many faces in the audience ranging from disgust to pity.
Why couldn't I stop them? Sun thought, looking at the scene in dismay. A pool of blood soaked the Titan's hands. Why didn't I stop them? If I had stopped them, even if by force… this wouldn't happen. The female cadet whimpered, both of her arms held out by the Titan.
Am I really cut out for this? Am I fit for a position with so much responsibility? Sun thought, gripping his blades tightly and gritting his teeth.
Sun's shoulders slumped, feeling dejected.
"Hey, you can't blame yourself. They made their choice." Blake was (un)surprisingly quick to console him.
Velvet nodded. "They moved before you knew it. Plus, that was their friend down there. Do you think you would have stopped them in time?"
"Even so..."
"C'mon man," Neptune gripped his best friend's shoulder reassuringly. "It wasn't your-- no, his fault dude."
It changes nothing. Ironwood was aware of the teen's thoughts. Without fully realizing the repercussions, he had consented to accept the leadership position. He neglected the fact that he was in charge of their life. Their demise was therefore his fault, whether he liked it or not. He will simply have to live with it.
Neptune, Nora, Jaune, Ren, and Weiss could only watch from the rooftops in horror as their comrades were eaten, waiting for Sun to come up with a plan of action.
"Stop!" the girl screamed. "I don't want to die!"
Sun sighed, closing his eyes.
Do you have the will to do it? Hazel pondered. Lead the survivors to safety while using the deaths to your advantage?
Back in the alleyway, Pyrrha still sat unmovingly. She sheathed her broken blade, lost in thought. This world is merciless… The memory of Ruby wrapping her scarf around her flashed through her mind. It is also very beautiful. The Titan moved closer to her. Pyrrha looked to the sky with the same dead gaze. I lived a good life.
Pyrrha eyed her counterpart's distress and wished there was a way she could help her.
The Titan reached out to grab her. Right before it could grab her, her instincts screamed at her to dodge. She suddenly moved, slicing its fingers and leaping out of the way before it could grab her.
"Huh?" Emerald stared in confusion. "I thought she'd given up?"
"She's stronger than you think." Jaune grinned, wrapping an arm around his partner, and once again oblivious to her rapidly reddening face.
Huh? The Titan swung its hand down to grab Pyrrha again, but she barely dodged, the force of the swipe sending her back into a wall. "Ugh!" she grunted in slight pain. Why? The Titan tried to crush Pyrrha against the wall and she barely evaded it again. She landed on the ground and rolled to a stop. I thought I'd given up.
"She's surviving multiple attacks from a Titan, without 3D gear to boot. Impressive." Roman's degree of respect went up a few notches.
"Ugh!" she coughed, sitting up straight. Why am I still standing? Why am I struggling? The Titan tried to get up, but it fell over. Why? Pyrrha rose to her feet, looking up at the sun. My life has no meaning anymore. The Titan moved closer, its head blotting out the sun's rays. What's keeping me going?
Pyrrha turned around, ready to flee. A foot crashed down in her path as another 15-meter rounded the corner.
Breaths hitched at the sight of the second Titan.
Shit! Jaune cursed mentally. Against one Titan, there is a possibility for escape. But two...
Salem narrowed her eyes in suspicion. This Titan... It looks different.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Realization dawned on her face. "Ruby…"
The ground trembled as the two Titans stepped closer to her. And then she realized what was driving her forward. "Fight! You must fight! Fight! Fight!!"
"Wha— Me?" Ruby gaped at the screen.
Yang snapped out of her stunned silence to elbow Ruby playfully. "Oh, your crush likes you back!" she said in a sing-song voice.
That snapped Ruby out of her funk. "Wha—I don— Yang!!!" she sputtered. Yang laughed uproariously at her sister's shyness.
Huffing, Ruby turned back to the screen. Still... she relies on me— well, other–me that much? Even mentally? Ruby was beyond flattered and proud of herself for having such a huge positive impact on a person's life.
Pyrrha gasped, eyes watering. I'm sorry, Ruby. I won't give up. Ruby's peaceful sleeping face came to her mind. I'll never give up again. Tears streamed down her face. If I died, I won't be able to remember you. Memories of Ruby flashed through the forefront of her mind.
Around the room, throats were gently cleared and eyes were subtly wiped.
So I'll win, no matter what! Pyrrha gripped the broken blade. I'll survive, no matter what! She let a war cry, prepared to attack. Just then, the second 15-meter slammed its foot into the ground-- nearly crushing Pyrrha-- and threw a powerful punch, knocking the other Titan back. The force was enough to send her into the air, and skidding painfully on the ground.
The suddenness of the scene made them jump.
"What?!" Weiss yelled.
Jaune rubbed his eyes three times. "So we all saw that Titan deck the shit out of the other one, right?"
Noises of agreement sounded throughout the room.
Salem, who had been slouching in her seat out of boredom, sat upright instantly, red eyes gleaming with undisguised interest. Finally!
She opened her eyes, arms wrapped around her head. "What's going on?"
She looked up at this rogue Titan that had saved her. Standing at fifteen meters tall, this Titan was different compared to the others. Black hair with red tips that looked eerily familiar reached its chin, framing its face. It lacked lips and flesh on its cheeks exposing rows of jagged, pointy teeth. It also had a prominent hooked nose and elongated elf-like ears.
The most staggering difference between this Titan and regular Titans was it's well-proportioned and physically fit form, sporting a well-defined muscular physique in lieu of the more common pot-bellied or emaciated appearances of regular Titans. It opened its mouth and let out a hiss.
The audience took in this new Titan in stunned silence. Ruby and Winter hurriedly rushed to sketch it.
"It looks... different, compared to the other Titans," Blake noted.
"It has a more muscular and well-defined physique, unlike the grotesque appearances of regular Titans." Winter mused, still taking notes. Looking at her previous sketches of the Armour Titan, she noticed that it looked similar to this new Titan in terms of physique. Other than the armoured plates covering the entirety of the former's body.
The teachers studied the Titan closely. Qrow in particular could swear it reminded him of something. Or someone. The name was on the tip of his tongue...
"Wait, do you think it's similar to the Armoured and Colossal Titans?"
Nora's sudden question reminded them of the Titans that started all this; Titans that seemed to act... intelligently. The suggestion that this Titan was just as intelligent as the other two sent the room shivers of fear and excitement.
Throwing its head back, the Rogue Titan roared, forcing Pyrrha to cover her ears, as it charged forward to finish off the Titan. The ground shook as the Rogue Titan brought its foot down over and over. A Titan… Pyrrha thought as it roared, stomping the Titan's neck and sending its head flying. ...is killing… The nape was nothing more than a wet, sloppy mess. ...another Titan.
"Holy shit."
It did not matter whose mouth the words were uttered from; they were all thinking it.
"That was..." Ren was at a loss for words.
Not Nora though. "Freaking epic!"
It targeted the nape specifically. Salem noted. It was aware of a Titan's weak spot. Score one for intelligence. Now the question remains; is it friend or foe to the Armour or Colossal? And how did these intelligent Titans come to be in the first place? Were they around for the longest?
Pyrrha looked on dumbly at the scene, unable to comprehend what she saw. The Rogue Titan looked up.
Please be alright, Pyrrha! Oscar flew over the rooftops. A roar from the Rogue Titan grabbed his attention. He noticed Pyrrha sitting in an alleyway. "Pyrrha!" Swinging in, he grabbed her and brought her up to a rooftop, sending them both rolling from the rough landing. "Pyrrha, are you hurt?"
Yatsuhashi slid to a stop next to them. "Are you guys okay?!"
"Smooth entrance, Yatsu," Coco complimented him.
"Thanks!" he grinned back at her.
"Yeah!" Oscar replied.
"We have to get going!" Thundering footsteps drew Yatsuhashi's attention to the Rogue Titan and another 15-meter Titan. "Shit! This is bad! There are two 15-meter classes!" he swore, unaware that the former was on their side.
"No… That Titan's…" Pyrrha didn't finish her sentence, still processing what had happened.
"Huh?" Oscar's eyes widened slightly, noticing the steaming skeleton.
Standing across from each other, the Rogue Titan roared challengingly.
All of a sudden, it clicked in the minds of several members of the audience who the Titan reminded them of. With eerie synergy, they turned to face Ruby.
Other members of the audience were wondering why the screen had paused on the Rogue Titan's face and so many eyes were turned in Ruby's direction.
The girl of the hour sweated nervously underneath their gaze, rubbing the back of her head. "Wh–Why is everyone... staring at... me?"
"What she said," Yang said, eyeing them all suspiciously.
"Yang, Ruby," Ren called out, causing them to turn to the soft-spoken teen. "You seriously don't see it?"
"See what?"
This is gonna be good, Blahk thought, chuckling to himself.
"Look at the new Titan onscreen. Look at it and tell me who it reminds you of," Ren asked her.
The ones who hadn't noticed anything suspicious took the time to look at the Titan. Let's see... pointy ears, incredibly muscular, sharp teeth, silver eyes, black hair with red tips, hooked nos-- Wait, what?! Yang stared at the Rogue Titan for 5 more seconds, checking off the descriptions one at a time. "Ruby... Is it just me, or does that Titan look eerily similar to...?"
"Me? I see it too." Ruby stared in stunned silence at the face that was still frozen on the screen. "B-But... How?!" The poor teenager was so confused, her thoughts were flying in different directions. Why did this Titan kill another of its kind? Where did it come from? Why does it look like me?!! The last question was highest on her scale of preference.
"M-Maybe..." Oscar's voice broke through the thick silence so suddenly, that it startled some of them. "Maybe it ate Ruby and... turned her... into a Titan?"
Oobleck stroked his chin in thought. "It is... not a bad theory. It could explain how the Titans seem to multiply despite lacking genitalia of any sort."
"Are you insinuating that the Titans that we've seen as monsters all these while are former humans?" Glynda said, a look of pure horror on her face. Ruby and Yang's faces also looked to be drained of all colour.
Sooo close, Blahk smiled to himself. Yet sooo far away!
Salem's voice cut into their conversation like a sharp knife. "If that is the case, then how did the first ever Titan come to be? Who ate them? And where do the intelligent Titans fit in the puzzle?"
"Maybe the older you are... Never mind, Ruby was eaten only hours earlier so that isn't a factor," Jaune shot down his contribution as soon as he brought it up.
"Precisely. It is best if we just watch on. Blahk arranged this viewing in a story format for easy understanding, which means we'll find out about it eventually." With her piece said, Salem reclined in her chair once more.
"Well said, Salem. So if we can continue?" Blahk said. "And for future discussions, simply address this new Titan as a Rogue Titan."
They all nodded.
The regular Titan roared back in response.
The stupid Titan roared back. Port noticed. As if it recognized it was being challenged and answered somehow. Instincts, maybe? So far, they'd been shown that regular Titans were stupid. Yet somehow, it recognized a challenger and met the challenge head-on. Maybe because this Rogue Titan was intelligent? And if so, what about the Armoured and the Colossal.
Bringing its arms up, the Rogue Titan assumed a fighting stance. The trio on the roof gaped in shock and surprise.
Their expressions mimicked the trio.
"It knows C-Q-C?" Blake asked in surprise.
This lends some credence to the human-to-Titan theory, Oobleck thought, observing the Rogue. How else would a Titan know martial arts? Copying humans? No human civilizations exist outside the walls as far as we are aware so that theory is right out the window.
The other Titan roared and charged forward, but the Rogue Titan stood its ground and threw a punch. The force of the punch decapitated the other Titan as its head flew off, crashing into a tower in the distance.
Eyes widened at that incredible display of strength.
The Rogue Titan brought it's destroyed and steaming hand to its face and watched as it regenerated instantly. The headless body of the other Titan tried to get up, but the Rogue Titan smashed its nape with its foot, killing it.
"It finished the other Titan off?" Oscar gasped. "It knew of a Titan's weak point?"
"We have to get going before it comes this way!" Yatsuhashi said.
"No…" Oscar said, the gears in his brain turning as he tried to understand what had just happened. "It doesn't care about us. It could've attacked us long ago."
"It seemed like it had an idea of how to perform hand-to-hand combat," Pyrrha noted. "What was that?!"
Some form of muscle memory, perhaps? Ironwood pondered.
Wow, looks like many are sticking with the consumed human turned to Titan theory. Blahk hummed to itself. Can't wait for the truth to come out!
"Just consider it Abnormal!" Yatsuhashi said, desperate to continue moving towards HQ. "There's just too much we don't know. Anyway, we must hurry to the HQ!"
"Wait! Pyrrha's out of gas!"
"Huh?! Are you fucking kidding me?! What are we gonna do without you?!"
"It's obvious what we need to do." Oscar got to his knees and began removing his gas canister. "I don't have much gas left… You can take mine."
"No! What about you?" Pyrrha asked in worry.
Oscar chuckled mirthlessly. "You are the better soldier between the two of us. I'll just be dead-weight."
"That's not true and you know it." Cardin bonked him on the head.
"Oscar?!" Pyrrha called out in protest.
"There's no other choice!" he argued back, replacing her canisters with his. "The gas is useless on me. But…Please use it carefully this time. You must save everyone."
I moved in without the determination to shoulder their lives. I even gave up on my life without realizing the responsibility I held. Pyrrha looked down in shame. And it was all due to my issues. I…
She recognized her mistakes and owned up to them. Maybe there was still hope for her. A small smile ghosted across Ozpin's lips as he rose his umpteenth cup of coffee (seriously, is that even healthy?) to his lips for a sip. And perhaps she would make a suitable candidate. For that project.
"Alright!" Oscar called out. "Your manoeuvre gear is good to go. I gave you all of my blades as well. Just leave one with me. Now that I think about it, I don't want to be eaten alive."
Oscar noticed the stares. The tips of his ears turned red in embarrassment. "L-Like you all wouldn't d-do the same," he said.
"That's fair. I wouldn't wanna be eaten alive either." Neptune repressed a shudder at the memories of said feedings.
Pyrrha took the broken blade that Oscar kept for himself and chucked it off the building.
Oscar's face fell. "B-But…"
Pyrrha sweatdropped at the deadpan glare Oscar levelled at her.
"Oscar." Pyrrha placed her hand on Oscar's, making him look up into her eyes. This time, her green eyes sparkled with hope and life. "I won't leave you behind."
Team JNPR were happy to see those green eyes, sparkling with hope, love and joy, unlike her dead gaze.
Pyrrha helped Oscar back up to his feet. At that moment… I was utterly confused. I've never heard about Titans killing their kind. Then I was slightly elated. The Rogue Titan roared. Because what I was looking at… felt like the reification of humanity's anger.
To be continued...
"Phew! What an episode!" Sun stretched, his body stiff from sitting for too long.
Nora was bouncing with excitement. "Can we move on to the next episode, please?! I wanna see what happens!"
"Me too!"
"Same here!"
"Now, now, the screen is not going anywhere," Blahk said, humour present in his tone. "All I'm suggesting is a 10-min food and bathroom break and we all return to continue the next episode. Sounds good?"
After that announcement, they broke up into groups to carry out their business within the 10-mins.
Sup people! My token two chapters for a month, as promised. Honestly, this chapter could've dropped earlier but I was stuck storyboarding for two other stories I have planned. Moving on...
I pray I did their reactions justice. The second half of the reactions took me just over a week to write. I wrote and re-wrote way too many times in that time frame. I also hope you like the idea of their "fan theories". I got the idea from watching an AoT reaction channel on YouTube. The girlfriend (who was seeing it for the first time) was very perceptive, picking up on cues I missed on my first watch. She guessed the Attack Titan was Eren although she had no idea about Titan Shifting before starting the show.
Sadly, I don't have time to do art for those curious about Ruby's Attack Titan design, but the descriptions should give you a mental image of what it looks like. It is essentially Eren's Titan form but has black hair with red tips instead of brown, and silver eyes instead of green. The physique stays male (only the Female and Founder are exceptions to this rule) and she is slightly paler than Eren's form.
That's enough for this author's note. See y'all in next month's chapters! Peace out *peace sign*.
P.S: I made an edit to chapter 2/episode 1. I added in a reaction to the Smiling Titan's face by Yang. Just two lines of reaction and that's it.