Author's note: Feedback on how I write fighting scenes is appreciated. My proofreader said about my first draft that they were a bit bland, lacking emotions. When I wrote the second draft, I tried to improve them a bit. Writing fight scenes can be tricky, because you need to find a good balance of emotions, details, action, and pacing. After I'm done with this story, I want to write another that has a lot of fighting.

"Jaune, listen, The Brute would totally win, for his strength knows no limit! The longer the fight goes on, the stronger and tougher he gets!" stated Nora as she held up a comic cover depicting a monstrously muscular, purple-colored humanoid.

"That's where you're wrong!" replied Jaune enthusiastically, holding up another comic of a masked and caped man sporting the symbol of Atlas on his chest. "Captain Atlas wouldn't give him the chance to reach his full strength!"

Nora scoffed, and waved her hand dismissively at her team leader's retort. "As if! Your silly Captain's a boring and naive boy scout who tries to reason with his enemies first. By the time he tries to fight seriously, it would be too late for him. The Brute would SMASH him!" she reinforced her statement by slamming her fist onto the table.

Pyrrha sighed inwardly. The library at Beacon Academy was meant to be a peaceful place where students could study and read. Yet, the peace was being disturbed by Jaune and Nora debating over which super heroes and heroines were the strongest, fastest, toughest and so on. Even though Pyrrha had no personal interest in comics, she had initially thought of their passionate discussion to be somewhat humorous and interesting. After nearly thirty minutes, however, neither Nora nor Jaune were winning, much to Pyrrha's chagrin. It was becoming increasingly harder for her and Ren, the more studious members of the team, to read their schoolbooks.

"Jaune, Nora, we have a test next week in history and philosophy. You should be studying," Ren suggested. Pyrrha smiled appreciatively at him for saying what was on her mind.

"But, studying is boooooring!" whined Nora. "How's that gonna help me kill Grimm? Should I throw my books at them? All I need's my girlfriend Magnhild!"

A friendly lecture will hardly change your easy going attitude. But let's give it a try anyway, Pyrrha thought. "Nora, a well-trained hunter needs to be more than strong, fast, and brave. There's much wisdom to be found from philosophy. History can serve as a foundation for guidance."

"Then I'll use Maggy to deliver smashing philosophy and explosive wisdom!" quipped Nora.

"I gotta agree with Nora," added Jaune. "Why must we read books when we can get more facts faster from the net? Isn't that the reason it was invented?"

Pyrrha rubbed her forehead at both Nora's and Jaune's attitude. Maybe I should teach Jaune less about combat training and more on how to study. She felt like a teacher who could not make her students focus.

Ren turned to her and said, "It's okay, Pyrrha. I've been trying for years to make Nora pay more attention to her studies."

Just as Jaune and Nora went back to talking about their comics, Nora's Scroll began ringing. As she picked it up, her eyes widened slightly as she looked at the device's display.

Pyrrha remembered the last time she had reacted like that. "Is it the same 'nobody' who tried to call you yesterday?" she asked.

"Maybe," answered Nora, smiling thinly.

"Go ahead and answer then. It's rude to deliberately not to. At least say you'll call back later."

Pyrrha frowned at her friend's odd behavior. How can a caller make her act so strong? It's the same when we were at the pizza restaurant yesterday. Who is that person, and why won't she talk?

"Oh well, here goes nothing!" Nora finally answered the call, a wide grin growing across her face, "Hiii, daddy!"

Pyrrha blinked, looking perplexedly at Nora. The 'nobody' is her own father? That does not make sense.

"I'm soooo sorry for not having been able to answer your calls earlier. Been swamped with training and boring homework up to my neck lately," said Nora to her father. She stood up and walked a few steps backward, looking at her teammates. "Guys, I'm gonna talk elsewhere. Be back soon! Don't miss me too much! I know you will!' She waved good-bye as she walked away.

After an hour had passed, Nora had still not returned. Even though it was now easier to read and focus, Pyrrha grew confused and concerned over her friend's unnecessarily long absence, and her apparent hesitation to answer a call from her father.

She closed her book and stood up, looking at Jaune and Ren. "I shall go and see if I can find Nora."

"Don't you mysteriously vanish from us, too," jested Jaune.

After having searched the areas near the library without finding Nora, Pyrrha decided to return to the dorm. As she entered, she was surprised to see her sitting on her bed, holding 'Mister Eyescratcher', the white porcelain cat that which she had been given as a gift from Ren.

"Hey, Pyrrha!" greeted Nora with a happy smile while stroking the figurine as if it was a real cat.

"There you are. We feared you had dozed off somewhere. Did you enjoy talking to your father? You seemed happy back at the library."

Nora nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yeah! Definitely! When you haven't talked to daddy dearest for nearly two months then you have some serious catching up to do."

Pyrrha walked to sit down next to her. Seeing her so happy about having talked to her father conflicted with how she had treated him when he had made his unsuccessful calls. "So, things are... cool between you?" she asked.

Nora looked at her questioningly. "Hm? What you mean?"

Once again, Pyrrha felt the shame of asking such heavy questions to Nora, whom she knew had a bad past with one of her parents. "I ask because it seemed you didn't want to talk to him at first. He called you yesterday, and you chose not to answer. You told me it was no one special."

Nora broke eye contact with Pyrrha to instead look down at Mister Eyescratcher again, stroking it a little faster. "Oh, I… I got a bit surprised when I noticed he was calling me. Ever since I left my home and moved to the academy we don't talk as often as we used to."

Pyrrha understood what she meant. It had been a while since she had talked to either of her parents. Every time she did, the conversations were usually about her training and studies. She wondered how common it was for parents to talk less with their children after they left the house to live at a hunter academy.

"I love my dad, Pyrrha, seriously. He's honest, kind, hardworking, patient; traits that any daughter would want their dad to have. He used to buy delicious ice cream for me every Sunday."

"Do I hear a 'but' coming?"

"But…," Nora paused briefly, letting out a small sigh, "Even the best father has his bad sides, right?

What bad ones could he have? What if… no…please don't let it be true! "Has he ever hit, or…t-touched you inappropriately?" she asked hesitantly, fearing that she might be correct.

Nora smiled with a crocked eyebrow at her question. "Please, it's nothing like that."

Her answer made Pyrrha relax a bit. "Want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing serious to talk about. It's just that-"

Nora was about to continue, when suddenly, the door was opened. Ren stepped in, nodding, and looking at them both. "Pyrrha, are you ready to go to the amphitheater and look for a mission together?"

Pyrrha looked back and forth between him and Nora. "Uh, sure." She stood up from the bed. "Talk to you later then, Nora."

"Bye, you two! Pick a fun mission!"

A short moment later, Ren and Pyrrha stood within Beacon Academy's amphitheater and observed a computer screen together. As part of the rules for the two-week long partner switch, they needed to do at least one mission together. They read the various missions that were displayed on the screen. Some missions were located in Vale, while others were found in the other three kingdoms. Because she and Ren were only two students doing their first year, they were not certified to pick missions that were deemed too dangerous, which narrowed down the list of choices.

"Are you in the mood for a particular type of mission?" Pyrrha asked Ren while she pondered about the question herself.

"I would prefer not to spend several days out in a forest again," responded Ren.

Pyrrha chuckled briefly. She was not in the mood for any lengthy missions herself either, especially since she was going through treatment for her phobia. "Right, let's look for simple ones." She clicked a few buttons to filter out some unwanted mission types. "Hmm, here's one that was just put up a few minutes ago." She clicked the title and began to read the mission details aloud, "A group of Grimm has attacked and driven away the workers from the Cornwell farm. They are asking for hunters to clear the area for them."

"The farm is located pretty close to Grimm territory. Odd place to grow crops," added Ren as if speaking to himself. He looked at Pyrrha and nodded. "I think the mission sounds good. It's not too far from here. We should be able to get there, clear it out, and be back by evening."

"Great. Let's pick that one then." Pyrrha was about to accept the mission when a second message appeared on the screen. "Hmm… there's a risk that thick rain clouds will move over the mission area later today. There might be light winds, and… heavy rain." As she said the last word, a sensation of doubt was formed within her, making her stomach tense.

"Still want to do it?" wondered Ren. "The clouds might change course or slow down. Maybe we will leave the area before the rain even touches us."

"Y-yeah, you're right. Some wind and rain shouldn't stop us from doing our duty as hunters." She gulped as she signed up her and Ren's names for the mission. They received a confirmation message that said that a Bullhead ship would arrive in one hour to pick them up and transport them over to the mission area.

"Let's go and pick up our gear. There's also enough time for us to eat and drink something at the dining hall," suggested Pyrrha.

I hope I won't regret this. I don't want another swimming pool incident.

Nearly two hours later, the Bullhead pilot had put her and Ren down on a lush meadow on the outskirt of a forest within Vale's borders. They could have been dropped closer to the farm, but the Hunters wanted to approach the last couple of miles on foot so that they could survey the area and maintain the element of surprise.

"I did a little bit of research on my Scroll while we were in the Bullhead," began Ren. "The farm owners have until recently been using a small, private military force to keep their lands clear of Grimm."

"Ah, I see. Wait, what do you mean until recently?" questioned Pyrrha.

He began to elaborate, "The owners wanted to lower the soldiers' payment, because the Grimm incursions have been very few and infrequent. The soldiers didn't like that, and chose to leave. The Grimm attacked a couple of days later. Luckily, the family and workers managed to flee in time."

"And now, we have to move in and mop the area because they were too cheap to pay for security?" Pyrrha sighed and shook her head. "I hope they have learned their lesson. What about the farm animals? Were they hurt?

"It's not that kind of farm. They don't have any," answered Ren, much to Pyrrha's relief.

The serenity of the beautiful meadow was disturbed by the overcast weather and the tension in the air from the approaching storm. Pyrrha looked at the dark and thick clouds in the sky that were still slowly coming toward them. She had mixed thoughts about the possibility of rain. It was a chance for her to test her courage. If things would go well, she could proudly walk away, feeling more confident than ever before. Worst-case scenario, the fear would overwhelm her. The mission, the weather, Ren, they were all part of a gamble that she had decided to take.

She turned to look at Ren, thinking about if she should tell him about her fear.
No, because then he would likely suggest that we seek shelter somewhere and come back after the rain clouds have passed. I won't let some clouds spook me from completing my mission! I need to do this no matter how scared I might be. There are people depending on me so that they may return home.

They walked up to the top of a high hill where they could better observe the area. They saw several structures and acres of farmlands in the distance. The hunters had arrived to their designated mission.

Pyrrha took out a pair of binocular from within her small backpack and used them to look ahead. She saw their enemies, multiple Beowolves with their typical black fur, red eyes, white skulls, and sharp claws. The monsters skittered or idled around the fields and buildings, as if searching for humans, anything to kill. The owners had already fled, leaving the Grimm with little to do.

"What do you see? How many of them are there?" asked Ren.

"About… twenty of them. There are likely a few more behind the buildings, too." Pyrrha put the binoculars back into her bag.

"That sounds like a manageable amount. So, how shall we proceed with this exactly?" asked Ren.

Pyrrha smiled inwardly in response to him talking to her as if she was the team leader of the duet. Is this how Jaune and Ruby feel?

She pondered for a small moment as she surveyed the buildings and the fields. She pointed to a large field of corn that reached all the way to the buildings. The tall and densely placed plants could provide an excellent, tactical entrance without risk being spotted. "I suggest we enter and move through the cornfield. From there, we can use the element of surprise to ambush them. We then charge and fight our way across the yard."

Ren nodded. "Sounds good to me." He took out and examined Stormflower one last time to ensure they were loaded and ready.

With the plan set, Pyrrha and Ren descended the hill and made their way over to the cornfield. With their weapons drawn, they sneaked their way through the crops, keeping their senses on full alert. As they got to the other side of the field, Pyrrha hunched while looking ahead. Just outside the cornfield were a few Beowolves that still remained unaware of the nearby hunters. She and Ren exchanged looks, silently telling each other they were ready.

Without saying a word, the two Hunters leaped out from of the crops and into battle. Pyrrha felt her battle skills coming alive as she fixated her green eyes upon the nearest Grimm. With a fast swing of her sword, she decapitated it from behind before it even had a chance to notice her. A second Beowolf, reacting to the sound of a blade cutting through flesh and bone, saw Pyrrha and growled at her. Growling was the only thing it could do before she threw a red and golden javelin into its chest. Quickly, she pulled the spear out and returned it to her hand with the help of her Semblance just before she spun around and shield bashed a third Grimm that tried to pounce her. The impact stunned the creature, allowing her to follow up with a finishing attack. After just a few moves, three dead Grimm lay close to her. It was a good start.

She took a quick glance at Ren, who finished off his second Grimm. Pyrrha smiled, watching her partner's fast and deadly moves with Stormflower in each hand, slashing and stabbing the dark monster. She always considered it an honor and pleasure to fight together with her friends.

Her smile vanished as she heard a howl, followed by another and another. The element of surprise was now gone as multiple Beowolves appeared in the distance and charged toward them. "Open fire!" yelled Pyrrha while she transformed her spear into a rifle. She took aim on the nearest approaching Grimm and shot it a few times, stopping and killing it. She then quickly found another target and did the same. Ren fired short and controlled bursts with Stormflower. Even if his submachine pistols possessed less stopping power than her rifle, they made up for it with a higher rate of fire that succeeded in killing a couple as well.

The main bulk of the advancing Grimm was almost upon them, forcing her and Ren to charge together to meet them. Fighting side-by-side, the two Hunters slashed and stabbed a bloody path through the dark creatures, leaving dead and dismembered Grimm behind in their wake. Months' worth of training together made Ren and Pyrrha fight tactically as a team, covering the others blind spots and combining their attacks.

Even if Pyrrha was not the belligerent battle loving type like Nora or Yang, she was nonetheless experiencing some enjoyment from fighting and killing the Grimm. She felt how smooth, fast, and precise her moves were, compared to how slow and clumsy she had been during her sparring match against Ren. She felt alive.

As the last of the lesser Grimm fell, another howl was heard, one that was louder. Pyrrha recognized what it was. Things just got a little more dangerous. She turned to look at another Beowolf, one that was two times bigger than the others, sporting more and bigger spike-like protrusions on its arms and back.

"It's an Alpha!" warned Ren as the larger and more menacing Beowolf charged them, bringing a few, smaller stragglers with it.

"We can take it! Let's slow it down first! Go for the right leg while I go left!" directed Pyrrha.

"Got it!"

Pyrrha ran forward and sidestepped away from the Alpha Beowolf as it tried to bring its large claws down on top of her. As she got close to its left leg, she spun around and prepared to sever the tendons behind its knees.

Her sword arm froze the split second she felt a wet drop fall upon her skin. The tiny moment of hesitation and confusion cost her as the large Grimm kicked her away, her Aura flashing as it protected her. Falling down on her back, Pyrrha gazed up to the dark clouds in the sky above her. A small raindrop fell on her face, followed by another and another, each one feeling ice cold to the touch. "Oh, no! Not now!" she whispered to herself.

"Pyrrha!" She heard an alarmed Ren call her name.

"I-I'm okay, Ren!" She rose back up on her feet. The rain was merely a drizzle, yet she felt the fear growing within her, rapidly spreading like a disease, leaving weakness and doubt behind. She steeled her thoughts, temporary stopping the fear's growth. She needed just enough courage for a short moment and then the farm would be rid of the Grimm invaders. She realized how multiple, red glowing pairs of eyes were fixated upon her. Her rising fear attracted the Grimms' attention, like moths drawn to a light. They snarled, growled, and threw themselves at her.

She grunted loudly, gritting her teeth as she thrust her sword into a pouncing Grimm. The dead Grimm collapsed against her, shaking her off balance. Quickly, she yanked the blade free from the corpse, just before she felt a hit from behind, sending her staggering forward. She managed to recover and spin around, killing her attacker before it could hit her again. Her trembling limbs felt so sluggish, as if they had been chained to heavy weights.

She saw something loom over her. Her wide-open, green eyes stared into the skulled visage of the Alpha, baring its fangs at her. It reared back a clawed arm and took a long and fast swing at her. She dodged it by jumping upward, but just as her boots touched the ground, the same, clawed arm came back from the opposite direction.

Just in time, Pyrrha ducked, and threw herself at the Alpha, swinging her sword across its wide chest. She drew blood, but the monster remained standing. Damn! The slash was too shallow!

The Alpha Beowolf's roar of pain and anger sent a powerful shiver through Pyrrha. It began to swipe both its arms at her relentlessly, forcing her back. She was not sure if she was getting slower, or if the Alpha's attacks were getting faster. Whichever it was, she cried out as she took a powerful hit, throwing her across the ground.

As she lied on her stomach, she realized, to her greatest fear: The rain… it's becoming more intense. Within seconds, the small raindrops began growing larger and more numerous as the drizzle turned into a torrential downpour.

So much… water… everywhere. It's like I'm standing beneath a waterfall!

She managed to get up again, but it was more difficult this time. She whipped her head around back and forth, having lost her sense of direction. Her tunnel visioning eyes were unable to see Ren or the Grimm through the thick rain.

"Ren?" she cried out. "Where are y-" Pyrrha stopped as she noticed a large, glowing pair of red eyes staring at her menacingly. She felt like a deer caught in the headlights, unable to move. "NO!" she yelled and raised both arms over her head to defend herself. A burst of gunshots resonated. She lowered her arms to see the Alpha leaving her to instead go after a humanoid figure nimbly dodging its attacks.

Pyrrha began running away into the dark unknown, not knowing where her feet were taking here. This place… it's not safe! I must get away!

She heard many, incoherent sounds mingling together with the falling rain. A young man yelled something, followed by the sound of rapid gunfire. Something big roared in anger and pain. All the noises sounded distorted, reverberating all around her, making it impossible for her to tell where they were coming from. She wished all of those noises would go away. The roaring stopped, the ground trembling as something heavy fell.

She stopped running. "Ren?!" She yelled for her partner again at the top of lungs. She felt alone and defenseless, needing to be saved. Her heart thumped so strongly within her chest as if it was trying to burst through her rib cage. Already, her outfit and hair had been rendered soaked, making them feel sticky and cold against her skin. As Pyrrha felt someone touch her shoulder from behind, she let out a shriek and spun around, throwing a desperate punch. Her fist hit something.

"Ow! Pyrrha! What are you doing?" asked a protesting, familiar voice.

T-that's not Ren! It can't be! It must be a Grimm impersonating his voice to deceive me! She backed away clumsily, her wobbly legs feeling like they were made of jelly. She fell down on her rear, yelling, "No! Stay back!" The panic resonated strongly in her voice.

A blurred, green and dark colored humanoid crouched down close to her, taking a gentle hold of her shoulders. "Pyrrha, the Grimm are dead. Why are you acting so strange?" it asked.

Pyrrha took multiple, deep breaths in rapid succession, but it felt like her lungs were not getting any oxygen at all. "Air! I CAN'T BREATHE! Must breathe! NEED AIR!" she shrieked hysterically, struggling to break free from the stranger's grip. She clawed the skin of her throat red, gasping and gagging.

"I'm sorry for doing this, Pyrrha."

She felt a pair of fingertips on the back of her neck. A small, yet powerful burst of energy shocked her. The next thing she knew was only darkness and silence.

Pyrrha awoke to the sound of falling rain, but it sounded muffled and distant this time. Instead of being wet and cold, she now felt warm and dry. The panic had been replaced with a sensation of safety. As she slowly opened her eyes, she found herself resting on a sofa within a living room she had never been to before. A thick quilt covered her from feet to shoulder.

Where… where am I?

"Oh, you're awake?" asked Ren who was sitting on another, nearby sofa, looking at her. He too was wrapped in a quilt. "I'm relieved."

"Ren? What is this place?" she asked tiredly.

"Inside what I think is the farmers' guest house. The owners must have left in such a hurry that they forgot to lock the door. I took the liberty to bring us inside to take shelter from the rain. How are you feeling?"

Pyrrha slowly sat up. Her whole body felt heavy and stiff. She rubbed her neck, grimacing slightly. "My neck, ugh, it hurts."

Ren expressed guilt in his face as he began to explain. "That's my fault. I'm very sorry, but I had no choice. You were being hysterical, so I shocked a pair of pressure points on your neck with a small and controlled burst of Aura to put you to sleep. The pain will go away soon enough."

"Hysterical?" echoed Pyrrha. She remembered fighting the Beowolves, the Alpha, and the rain scaring her. Her memories of the incident felt cloudy, fleeting, like trying to remember a bad dream.

Ren explained and filled in the blanks of what had happened to her several hours ago, telling her how she had suddenly panicked, much to his surprise and concern. She had acted as if she did not even recognize him.

Pyrrha listened to his brief, yet detailed and morbid explanation. The more he talked, the bigger her guilt and shame grew. "I'm terribly sorry, Ren!" she apologized sincerely. "I was going to tell you after we killed the Alpha and completed the mission."

"Tell me what exactly?" he asked, his magenta eyes full of silent concern.

She told him everything that he needed to know about her drowning accident, her aquaphobia, how Nora was helping her, and that she had recently begun seeing a therapist.

Ren initially looked surprised, and then expressed his sympathy silently while he listened. "I understand, Pyrrha. I hope you'll get better soon. But, please don't hesitate next time. Your Aura was quite low when I carried you inside. Another couple of hits from the Alpha and it would have killed you."

The situation was too similar to when she and Nora had visited the pool for the first time. She had a chance to tell Nora about her fear of water, but she did not, which had caused Nora to pull her into the pool. Pyrrha had not told Ren either, and because of that she had endangered both their lives.

It happened again. I didn't tell Nora about my fear and she pulled me into the pool. I didn't tell Ren either, and endangered both our lives. How can I be so selfish?! I…

Pyrrha's thoughts trailed off as she realized she was wearing nothing but a long morning robe instead of her regular clothes and armor. She did not remember having taking them off. "Ren…, did you take off my clothes?" she asked hesitantly.

Ren shifted uneasily on his seat. "I-I had to. You were completely soaked. You needed to become dry and warm. I promise I did so with my eyes closed. I hung our wet clothes up to dry." Even though he sounded calm, the red color on his cheeks stood out in stark contrast to his fair skin.

"Oh, okay. I understand," she said, believing his honesty. She would have done the same for him if the roles were reversed.

"I reported back to Beacon and said we have completed the mission. I also said we'll spend the night here. The Bullhead pilot will come and pick us up in the morning. Let's hope it won't be raining then."

"Did you tell them what happened to me?" she asked.

Ren shook his head. "No, I wanted to give you a chance to explain yourself first. Looks like I made the right choice."

"Thank you, Ren. I truly appreciate that."

Since they had become guests at someone else's home without permission, Pyrrha and Ren stayed mostly in the living room, only briefly visiting the bathroom. Their dinner consisted only of a few meal bars and water that they had brought with them.

As night came, they decided to go to sleep a bit earlier than usual so that they may wake up and return to the academy early in the morning.

"I'll sleep on the couch in room next by. Say if you want to talk."

"Thank you, Ren. It was a pleasure and honor to fight with you today. Good night."

"Likewise. Sleep well," he said before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

As Pyrrha was left alone, the full realization of what had happened out in the rain sunk into her, making her feel scared. I could have died. I endangered Ren's life. What foolish friend and teammate am I? Nora would never forgive me if something had happened to him.

She knew she needed to tell Tawny about her panic attack.

She recalled Headmaster Ozpin's words: "If Tawny Katz informs me that you are unfit to continue your training because your phobia puts yourself and others at risk, I will have no choice but to put your training on hold until she decides that you are better." She felt a wave of cold washing over her. Her hands grabbed the quilt harder and pulled it tighter around her.

I want to talk, no, I need to talk to someone. She looked at the door leading to the room neighboring room where Ren was lying. Ren is nearby. He knows how to talk and listen. I could call my therapist and ask her for advice. Should I talk to a professional… or a friend?

Her teammate, Ren, was nearby, willing to talk and listen if needed. No, Pyrrha needed to talk to the person who had helped her with her problem the longest. She took out and opened her Scroll, pressing a few buttons.

Nora thought the dorm was feeling uncomfortably empty and quiet. She had missed Ren a lot when he had been away for a whole week. Now he was gone again, together with Pyrrha. He had messaged and told her that the mission had been a success, but would not be able to return until tomorrow. She was thankful that Jaune was around at least.

I hope his leadership and combat skills will not become as bad as his taste in super heroes! Seriously, he thinks Captain Atlas can beat The Brute? Had he been someone I would've introduced his knees to Maggy!

She was preparing herself to go to bed, when her Scroll began to ring. Nora smiled as she saw who it was. She pressed a button and excitedly greeted, almost yelling, "Hiii, Pyrrhaaa!"

"Hey, Nora. Did I wake you and Jaune up?"

"Nope! We're both still up. Heard the mission was a piece of cake! Which one of you killed the most Grimm? It was you, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, we finished it, but… things didn't go as planned."

Nora widened her eyes, her smile fading instantly. Ren had not told her anything about things not having gone as planned. "Did you get hurt? Is Ren okay?" she quickly asked, raising her voice a bit. She saw Jaune look at her from his bed. He seemed confused and worried, but kept his silence.

"Don't worry. We're both unharmed," said Pyrrha assuredly. Nora, however, did not breathe out in relief yet. A gloomy sigh was heard on the other side of the line. "Nora… are you alone right now?"

She realized how weary and troubled Pyrrha sounded. She looked at Jaune, and mouthed at him that Pyrrha and Ren were fine. "Oh, no. Just a sec!" Nora stood up and made her way over to the bathroom. "Sorry, Jaune! Gotta have some girl talk with Pyrrha. Nothing personal."

"I understand," he replied. "Say hi to her from me."

Nora nodded at him before she closed the door. She then sat down and leaned against the wall. "'kay, all alone now. Are you feeling alright?" she asked, keeping her voice somewhat low so that Jaune would not hear from the other side?

She heard Pyrrha sigh again, deeper this time. "I screwed up, badly."

"What happened?"

"Ren and I were fighting against Beowolves, including an Alpha. When we were about to finish it off, it began to rain…," Nora believed she could guess what Pyrrha was about to say next. She felt herself gripping the Scroll harder as she continued listening. "I… I panicked, Nora. I screamed and froze in fear. I thought I was going to drown, in the rain," she choked.

Hearing her friend's sad and gripping words cut deeply into Nora's spirit. Her chest tensed up so strongly it felt like she was being stabbed. Even though she was inside the bathroom, she could hear the heavy raindrops rattling on the rooftop. It was likely raining where Pyrrha was now. "Are you… still at the farm?"

"Yeah, inside what seems to be a guesthouse. Ren took take care of me. We'll be back tomorrow morning."

She was happy that Pyrrha had someone with her, but she wanted that someone to be her. I wish I could squeeze myself through the Scroll and be sent over to you and hug you so dearly that neither of us would wanna let go!

As Pyrrha continued, her voice turned into a whisper. Nora had to sharpen her ears to make out her words. "I should… I mean, I need to tell my therapist what happened. B-but if I do that, she'll… decide that I…," her whisper trailed off, breaking into a sob.

Hearing Pyrrha on the verge of crying was beyond excruciating. Nora knew herself as a talkative person, but for the first time in ages, she was not sure what to say. "Pyrrha, look, w-we-'ll find a way to get you through this. I promise! One day at a time. Let's not assume the worst yet." She felt her words useless. Talking over a Scroll instead of face-to-face made her words feel so hollow. I'm no headshrinker… but it must be a seriously bad sign if Pyrrha panicked from the rain… What do I do? What do I say?

"Nora…"

"Yeah?"

"I… I miss you."

Even though she felt sorry for Pyrrha, Nora could not stop herself from smiling. It's the first someone ever says that to me… "I miss you too, Pyrrha, very much," she whispered, feeling her heart rate increase a bit.

She heard Pyrrha sniffle, trying to compose herself, likely wiping away tears. Nora wished she could reach out and stroke her cheeks.

"I'm tired. I need to sleep on this. I'm going to hang up now, but it was good to talk to you for a bit. I needed to. I feel a bit better now already."

"You know I'm here for you. Always. Call me whenever you want, even in the middle of the night. I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?"

Pyrrha chuckled lightly. It sounded like a tired, yet genuine one. "Will you throw yourself at me and hug as soon as you see me?" she asked.

Hearing Pyrrha's mirth even for a second was a small, and the only comfort for Nora. "You betcha!"

"I'll have something to look forward to then. Good night, Nora."

"Nighties!"

The moment Pyrrha hung up, the tension in her chest felt a little less uncomfortable. She looked at the window, watching the raindrops sliding off the glass. The sight and sound of the falling rain did not seem to be as scary anymore. Simply hearing Nora's voice had been enough to help her relax a bit.

I wish she could be here, holding and comforting me, she thought while making herself comfortable on the couch and closing her eyes.

End of chapter 10

Author's note: As you saw, most of this chapter was from Pyrrha's point of view. I prefer to keep POVs from Pyrrha and Nora balanced, but this time I decided it was better to focus on Pyrrha. Next chapter should be more balanced.

I hope Pyrrha's panic attack seemed authentic. In the first chapter we saw from Nora's perspective Pyrrha panicking. In this chapter, however, we saw it from Pyrrha's point of view what went on in her head, what she saw and heard. I have never had a panic attack myself, so again, I needed to do some research on the subject.

The Brute is Remnant's version of The Hulk, whereas Captain Atlas is a combination of Captain America and Superman.