AN: Whelp the Paladin fight happens in this chapter. Yay.

Chapter 18

Blake ran her hand over the claw marks and looked around the corner. She noticed two Faunus's going into a warehouse. She removed the bow covering her ears and waited for the door guard to follow the two from earlier. Once he was gone she motioned Sun to follow and made their way in. On a table by the door were multiple Grimm masks. They reminded her of 'him' but she fought through the fear and put one on.

"So if you think what you are doing is right, why wear masks?" Sun asked.

"It was a statement. Many of those we went after viewed us as monsters so someone figured we should wear the masks of monsters." Blake said with a bit of disgust.

"Grimm masks. That's dark." Sun looks at him before putting it on.

"Wasn't my idea." Blake leads him in and they hide amongst the new recruits. Upon the stage, a large man in a mask that covers his face welcomes them all to the meeting.

"Before we begin let me introduce the man that has helped us so much. He is the key to obtaining what we have wanted for so long." The man waved at Roman.

"Thank you, thank you! Please, hold your applause!" Roman said sarcastically as the new members were booing.

"What's a human doing here?!" the woman near Sun yelled.

"I'm glad you asked, "Deerie"! Now, I'll be the first to admit, humans... are the worst." He waves his hand at himself. "Case in point. So, I understand why you would like to see us all locked away, or, better yet, killed!" Roman makes a killing motion with his hand and acts like he was hung. "But, before the claws come out, I'd like to mention the fact that you and I all have a common enemy: the ones in control, the people pulling the strings, the dirty, rotten humans that run our kingdoms Government, military, even the schools: they're all to blame for your lot in life! And they're all pests that need to be dealt with! Fortunately, I'm the best exterminator around... No offense to any rodents in the room." With a snap of the fingers, the curtain falls, and the whole mass of Faunus applauds at the sight of the Atlesian Paladin-290 behind it, the mark of the White Fang painted on its shoulder.

"Whoa, that's a big robot…" Sun was stunned at the size of it and the weapons it had

"How did he get that?" Blake wondered.

"As some of you may have heard, this right here...is Atlas' newest defense against all the scary things in the world. And thanks to my "employer", we've managed to snag a few before they, uh, "hit the shelves". Now, many of your brothers have already moved down to our new operation in the southeast. If you'd rather stay within the city, that's fine... But if you're truly ready to fight for what you believe in, this is the arsenal I can provide you. Any questions?"

"We need to leave," Blake told Sun.

"Uhh, I think he sees us." Sun noticed Roman's eyes squint in their direction.


The elevator decent felt as if it took forever. Weiss was humming a song Neptune mostly remembered. It was Mirror something by some Atlesian singer, Scarlet would constantly sing it whenever they went out and it had become a bit of a running joke amongst the team. Though Weiss seemed to be trying to comfort herself with it.

"You know you can always talk about what's wrong with your friends. Even I'll listen, I don't know if I can be of any help but it's better to let your feelings out than keeping them locked up." Neptune offered. Weiss looked at him and sighed.

"I need some time but yeah it would be nice to talk soon," Weiss told him.

"That's fine, I get it. If ya want we can exchange scroll contact info and you can talk to me whenever you feel like it." Neptune said.

"I'd like that. Remind me when we are done today, but for now, let us go to the area for the meeting." Weiss accepted. As the elevator ride ended they got a call from Blake and Sun.


Blake and Sun somehow ended up on the highways, They knew they needed to get off the streets or people would get hurt but that psycho Roman was too fast. They continued their escape by hopping on cars while the Paladin followed them slamming cars to the side but causing no major damage.

"He's being cautious and leaving those drivers alive. He must know the Atlas military is nearby." Blake yelled to Sun.

"Yeah well, he'll kill us if he catches up! Keep moving!" Sun yelled. They heard an explosion and looked back. Nora's tell-tale pink smoke overtook the robot.

"Yang!" Blake called out.

"Keep on basting Ren! Nora, Can you knock this asshole off the highway?" Yang asked as Ren shot Stormflower.

"I can certainly try." Nora readied a jump as Neptune and Weiss landed in front of the Paladin with Weiss freezing the street. "Oh yeah, this is better! He's going down!" Nora flung herself with a small explosion resulting in Yang yelling at her to be more careful. Magnhild slammed into the robot and like a mad hockey puck, it was thrown over the hard light fence causing it to short out.

Ruby, Jaune, and Pyrrha arrive under the highway as the paladin slams into the ground. The rest of their teams and Sun and Neptune land after it.

"Guess we made it in time," Jaune smirks at his friends. The Paladin staggers to its feet.

"Ok now, this is ridiculous, don't any of your parents know how to use protection!" Roman yells over the speakers.

"I have seven siblings so that's a big no!" Jaune chuckles.

'Oh, Oum, I feel sorry for his girlfriend.' Roman thinks to himself before firing at them.

"Freezer Burn!" Pyrrha order. Weiss performs the same ice trick but backs out of Yang's way when she jumps into the air and hits the epicenter with her Ember Celica, creating a wave of mist that surrounds Roman. Immediately, the Paladin activates its laser sensors to make up for the lost sight, but it barely sees the afterimage of Blake and narrowly misses the dashing Yang. A gun manages to fire at the area between Blake and Yang, but out from the blast comes Ruby, who slashes the metal with her blade, causing it to falter.

"We got this. Neptune! Sea Monkey." Sun creates two of his clones and they trick Roman by running in two separate directions. Neptune takes that moment to stab the Paladin with his trident and sends a wave of lightning dust through it.

"Blake time for some Ladybug!" Ruby shoots herself forward and cuts at the robot's legs, then turns as Blake aims herself at the giant's feet as well. They both dash forward and attack at the same time, circling each other around the Paladin with each strike until they both launch themselves into the air and come down together on the shoulder, cutting off the left arm entirely.

Yang doesn't waste a second, jumping onto the Paladin's back and punching the top with fiery shotgun blasts. Roman is knocked around in the cabin, but seeing as he can't reach her with his remaining mechanical arm, he runs backward through two columns and leaves her embedded in a third before backing away and turning towards her. Just as she is falling down, the remaining arm extends a closed fist, and when it punches her, she flies through the column and doesn't get up.

"Yang!" Blake tried running to her but was stopped by Ruby.

"Don't worry! With each hit, she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back!" Yang slowly gets back on her feet, hair burning a brilliant white as she clenches her fists. Sensing victory, Roman throws a punch, but Yang catches it in her own hand and, eyes red with rage, smashes her knuckles into the second arm, obliterating it under her force.

"Let's goI" Jaune activates the heated part of his ax and with two swings he's able to cripple one of the legs. Weiss activates some ice glyphs as Pyrrha Throws her Javelin impaling the waist causing the lower half of the Paladin to freeze. Nora, under Ren's semblance, uses all her might and Destroys the legs of the machine. Roman ends up ejecting and lands a distance away. A split-haired girl floats down towards him.

"Your late Neo." The girl scowls and pulls out a scroll. "We need to leave. I could do with a nice pint of Mint choco ship." The girl nods and bows with her Umbrella out. Yang still enraged charges at them but when she punches the two dissolve into glass shards.

"So I guess he got a new henchman." Yang kicks the glass and looks around.

"Yeah, I guess she really made our plans... fall apart!" Weiss says and Jaune and Yang groan.

"No. Just... no." Yang shakes her head as Ruby laughs.

"See not so great on the other side eh sis." Ruby grins.

"What- But, you do it all the time!" Weiss stops her foot.

"There's a time and a place for jokes," Yang says.

"Was this not it?"

"No, it just wasn't very good." Jaune comments

"Well, at least I'm trying!" Weiss pouts.

"So uh not to put a damper on all this but we should go. I don't think Beacon would be happy if the police took us in for all this damage." Neptune says gesturing to the rubble.

"Well at least you didn't… freeze up." Sun jokes. Yang and Jaune start laughing.

"Hey!"


"James," Glynda says as Ironwood enters Ozpin's office. "How did a criminal get one of your new machines, and how were a bunch of students able to take it down?"

"It was one of the prototypes that went missing a few years ago. That just proves Watts is still alive and justifies our need to update the CCT security." Ironwood answers.

"Indeed. To think such a brilliant man would join… her." Ozpin looks at Ironwood. "Will your update be enough?"

"I spent months on it. It is all but a new operating system of my own design. Watts was always too arrogant. He likely hasn't prepared for use to replace the old system and built a virus for that one." Ironwood puffs out his chest in pride.

"Just get the updates done before the dance," Glynda says. "We need to contact a few chaperones."

AN: Well this was the chapter. Now for some fluff before the dance and the mobile suit tests. This is your last chapter to offer suggestions for it.