Original upload date: 7/16/2020
Revised upload: 9/19/2022
I'm so, so sorry for this late update. This was meant to come out a week ago and I just was not able to focus on this chapter at all (not for lack of trying!). I'm currently still getting situated into my new housing accommodations and will continue to try and update fairly frequently - probably twice a month. Thank you all for sticking around and I hope to see more of you in the next chapter!
Read on, warriors!
Metal like Roses
By ReaderWarrior
I do not own Mistborn or RWBY.
The Night Before
As teams JNPR and WB watched Vin throw herself out of the window, they found their shock and surprise keeping them from moving. And that shock only doubled when the soldiers of Mistral rushed forward and tried to shoot her.
"Damn," one muttered. "Gone."
Another soldier, one of the ones with more medals on her jacket, pulled out a scroll. "This is Lieutenant Sani. Target is fleeing Beacon dormitory. Target and engage with extreme prejudice."
Somehow, the thought of Vin going up against the entire might of Mistral's military snapped Weiss into focus.
"Excuse me," she growled, stepping forward with her Myrtenaiser still raised. "What is going on? Why is our friend being hunted like some sort of animal?"
"There's a warrant for her arrest," Lieutenant Sani explained after she sheathed her scroll.
"That's preposterous!"
Lieutenant Sani shook her head. "Vin Venture is wanted by Mistral for the assault, battery, and attempted murder of team CMSN."
The students all gasped. So this is what Vin was worried about. Cinder wasn't dumb enough to attack them directly. Instead, she crafted the perfect excuse to get her out of the picture.
But why? Why would she want Vin gone? This cannot be about the Festival anymore. Sabotage is common, but not to this degree!
"Vin didn't do that!" Nora yelled. "Cinder attacked her!"
"I'm afraid that's not what we heard, nor what we were told. Cinder Fall reported to the embassy that she and her team were practicing when suddenly Ms. Venture attacked them out of the blue. Mercury somehow has been put into a coma and is scheduled to fly back to Haven ASAP. Emerald, however, has already been treated for burns."
Burns?!
Jaune seemed equally concerned. "But that doesn't make any sense," he frowned. "Vin's semblance moves metals. She doesn't control fire."
Pyrrha placed a hand on his chest, holding him back. In a low voice, she whispered "But she does now have a weapon that focuses flame dust into a blade..."
Sliding her goggles up, Sani looked each of the students in the eye. "Look. I know that this girl is your friend-"
"And teammate!" Blake interjected.
"But," she continued, "Ms. Venture is currently wanted by the Mistralian government. If you try to help her - in any way - you will be charged with aiding and abetting a known fugitive." Her eyes became soft for a second before flashing a steel-blue. "Now, please return to your bunks and let us do our jobs."
With no reason to not do so, the four girls and two boys stepped back and lowered their weapons. Giving a satisfactory nod, Lieutenant Sani ordered her comrades to leave and slid her goggles back into place.
"Get some rest."
Though not normally a violent person, Jaune felt, at that moment as the door to his team's room was shut, a strong urge to hit something. Or someone. Thankfully, Pyrrha must have noticed his agitation and grabbed his hand. He sighed and unclenched, giving her a thankful smile.
I'd most likely just break my hand anyway.
Nora, however, didn't have that kind of self-control.
"This is stupid!" she growled, slamming her hammer into (of course) Jaune's bed and causing wood splinters to fly throughout the air. "Vin would just attack somebody!"
The glance Weiss and Blake shared was obvious. Even Pyrrha's expression darkened.
"What is it?" Jaune asked.
"Well… Not all of what she said about Vin was false," Weiss muttered. "She did attack Mercury and used her powers on him."
Pyrrha's red head bobbed. "And when I found her earlier, she was fighting Cinder. And, from how she acted, it was likely she attacked first."
"I did."
Everyone unsheathed their weapons and jumped backward. Turning to the window, they watched as Vin slowly crawled her way back inside. "And I'll do it again," she said as her cloak blew in the wind.
To her surprise, Nora leaped forward and wrapped the strange girl in a hug. Vin grimaced but patted her on the head before squirming out of her grip.
Weiss seemed less jovial at her teammate's return. "What are you doing here?! All of Mistral, Beacon, and Atlas will be looking for you!"
"That's exactly why I came back here."
"How does that make any-"
"Because they saw her leave here," Jaune realized. That's criminal genius!
Vin nodded. "You don't check the ministry after it's been scammed."
The response was a large collection of blank stares. Sighing, Vin moved back into the room and reached for the door.
But before she could open it, Pyrrha grabbed her arm. "You're planning on going back out there, aren't you? To confront Cinder and her team."
The girl didn't answer. But she didn't try to break free from Pyrrha's hold either.
"Why?" Blake asked. "We can go to Ozpin and-"
"Ozpin won't help with this. There's something between Cinder and him, something neither wants to explicitly say. Something about Amber."
"Then you should go ask him what she meant," Ren offered.
"You don't have to do this alone," added Weiss.
Blake nodded in agreement. "Yes. I thought I could as well, once. But it was only with the aid of my friends that I actually got close to succeeding. And… if they weren't there… I don't think I would be now."
After a long study of her teammates, Vin shrugged off Pyrrha's hand. "I don't want you to get hurt," she whispered. "This is my fight. Not yours. It was bad enough before the garrison was involved, but now it's too dangerous. Ruby and Yang should get to see their family. And you all should get ready for the festival."
"Too dangerous?" Nora grabbed her hammer and shifted it into its grenade-launcher form. "I don't think you know who you're talking to."
Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "Besides, you're in trouble. And you're our friend. We would do anything to help. And while I know that Ruby and Yang would want to help… I agree that they deserve a break. But we'll only keep this quiet if you let us help."
Vin looked up into the redhead's eyes. Then she turned to Blake and Weiss, who gave a small nod. "Fine," she sighed.
"What's the plan?" Ren asked.
It took a moment before she responded. "I… I'm not sure. Normally, this would be an assassination attempt - not politics," Vin hissed.
Normally? Jaune perked up slightly. "What do you mean?"
The three members of team RWVBY shared another glance.
"Well," Blake began, "the thing is… Vin-"
"-is totally a girl that came from an alternate world and is a magic ninja. And instead of having a semblance you actually have magic powers involving the metals you drink in your vials that you've been disguising as a semblance this whole time. And you found out that Cinder has something similar to your magic powers. And if you don't find out you think something really, really, really bad will happen!" Nora took a deep inhale of air before displaying a large grin. "Right?! "
Vin, Blake, and Weiss all stared at the girl.
Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren did the same, but for different reasons.
"Yeah, right," Jaune laughed. "Nora, have you been drinking the pancake syrup again?"
To his horror, nobody laughed.
Instead, Weiss turned to Nora with wide eyes and asked "How did you know?"
"Just a hunch!" Nora smiled.
"Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait ." Jaune shook his head and help up the time-out sign. "That's true?!"
Ren, equally in shock, dropped to his bed and rubbed his head. "That's… a lot to take in at once."
Even the Invincible Girl seemed shaken as she leaned up against the wall for support. "You're from another world?"
Vin nodded. Slowly.
Oh, my Gods.
"So all that about her memories… and semblance…"
"Technically true. I was used as a weapon. And it is thanks to my freedom from those who controlled me that I am here now."
Weiss crossed her arms. "We can talk about this later. Right now, we need to stop the Mistralian government from hunting Vin."
Pyrrha, after taking a shaky breath, nodded in agreement. "Yes. Her past does not affect the current situation." She looked up at Vin. "How can we be of assistance?"
"I don't know," Vin answered. "Most likely, Cinder's gone underground. I was going to try her room but-"
"But that's likely where she isn't," Blake finished. "If she went to Mistral, then it's likely she, and her team, are at the embassy. I doubt they'll be letting them out of their sight; that's our advantage."
Jaune clutched his chin and began to run through scenarios in his mind. "It'd be best if Vin didn't go there, then. She's going to be in enough trouble when this is over."
"Agreed," Weiss nodded. She clutched her rapier as it hung from her belt. "But we do need to find Cinder and figure out what is going on. This cannot just be about competitional sabotage anymore."
"Yes. This is something different." Pyrrha's eyes sharped slightly. "It's almost like a preemptive strike in combat - testing our, Vin's, abilities. She's trying to determine how dangerous she is."
"That means she's scared," Nora smirked.
Good. We can use that.
"Then she won't be sitting quietly," Jaune thought. He began to pace around the room. "She'll be expecting an attack of some sort. But what she won't be expecting are two."
Vin nodded in agreement. "She'll think I'll run or fight."
"Then we do both," Weiss said.
"I'll go to Ozpin and see what he knows. There'll probably be extra guards everywhere. I'll take Jaune and Blake. Pyrrha will lead Weiss, Nora, and Ren to the embassy to find out if Cinder is there or to see what she is up to."
Both groups nod, except for Jaune.
"I think Weiss and Blake should switch," he commented.
Nora rolled her eyes. "This isn't the time to try and squeeze time with your crush! We've got real, important stealthy stuff to do!"
"Exactly!" he hissed as a warmth spread to his face. "Blake and Vin are the two best at being covert. And with Vin going to see Professor Ozpin, we should have Blake lead us to Mistral. We don't need them both in the same group."
Slowly, the group came to realize the genius of his plan (though Nora kept casting suspicious glances).
"I hate to say it," Weiss sighed, "but Jaune is correct."
"Hey!"
"It's even likely that with my family's influence, I might be able to persuade the guards into letting us pass."
Blake nodded agreeingly. "Then that's the plan. Let's hurry before someone comes to check on us."
Hastily, the large group of students began to split apart, with Weiss and Vin already heading out the door. Jaune, however, was stopped by Pyrrha.
"Jaune… I'm sorry."
The blonde frowned. "Pyr, this isn't your fault."
"But if I didn't ask Vin to teach me, none of this wouldn't have happened."
"Hey, don't say that." He smiled and placed a hand on his partner's shoulder. "This could have happened if she wasn't out helping you. Magic called out to her. I'll make sure they stay safe."
Pyrrha gave a small smile. "Thank you. Be safe as well."
"I'll try!"
Minutes later, Jaune and Weiss walked slowly towards the headmaster's office with Vin using her semblance, er, powers, to keep above them in the dark sky. Only the faint sound of metal slapping the cement gave any inclination that she was still with them.
"So…" Jaune chuckled nervously. "Your teammate's an alien?"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Vin's not an alien. She's just… not from around here."
"Isn't that the definition of an alien?"
"..."
A few more seconds of silence passed as they turned around a corner. "When did you find out about her?"
"Last night."
Jaune's eyes went wide. "Is that why you were fighting today?"
"And if it was?" Weiss asked.
"Brothers, Weiss, you lied to us! Why didn't you tell us?"
Weiss glared at him. "Because it was a matter within our team. And no matter how much you'd like it to change, there is nothing between us! Ruby is your friend. Nora is Yang's. Pyrrha's is mine and Ren is Blake's. You are not someone I immediately think to talk to when having a Remnant-shattering truth revealed to her!"
Needless to say, the rest of their trek continued in silence. It wasn't long until they found themselves looking up at the imposing clock tower that held Professor Ozpin's office.
No guards, Jaune frowned. He looked around the perimeter and noticed that a boot was sticking out from the underside of a bush. Oh.
Vin dusted off her cloak as she emerged from behind the shrubbery. Thankfully, there was no sign of blood anywhere.
"What now?" she asked.
In the same way she must have done thousands of times before, Weiss pulled out a card from her wallet in a fluid motion and held it in front of her. "Now we enter." She walked up to the door and swiped the card across the security pad. However, to everyone's disappointment, it beeped and flashed red.
"They must have put everything in shutdown," Weiss frowned. "I should be able to get everywhere with this." She put the card away and mumbled, "Father made sure of that…"
Jaune looked up the length of the tower. "Anyone got a rope?"
"Don't need one," Vin said. Her arm reached around Weiss' waist and, with no warning, they shot up into the air. Darkness quickly consumed them as they rose higher and higher, disappearing from Jaune's view.
He sighed. Left behind again.
Suddenly, he felt a tugging around his chest plate. Then, to his horror, his body began to levitate.
"Uh oh."
Using her strange magic, Vin lifted Jaune upward into the sky. The levels of the towers flashed past him like streetlights on a bike. Faster and faster he flew. He looked up just in time to see a cloud passing overhead. Behind it, Vin, alone, hovered directly above him.
The tugging sedation lessened as he grew closer and closer to her. Just as he was about to crash into her, he stopped in midair.
Around him, the stars shone. And from this height he could see all of Beacon - and even greater Vale - twinkling beneath his feet.
"Woah…" he gasped. "This is incredible."
To his left, a few feet below him, Weiss stood on a ledge with crossed arms. "Be ready," she warned.
"For what?"
Once again, with exactly zero warning, Jaune felt his chest plate pull him forward. He instinctively gasped and rolled onto the ground. Arms, legs, armor, and weapons clattered loudly as he landed. By the time he had gotten to his feet, Vin had touched down behind him.
And Weiss was hiding a giggle.
"It's not that funny," he grumbled. But a small smile tugged at his lips anyway.
Vin walked over to a small hatch and heaved it open. Instantly, the sound of clockwork and gears flooded his ears. He and Weiss both moved over to look down and watched as the mechanical inner workings of the tower shifted and rotated with impossibly large toothed wheels.
"We need to time this right," Vin muttered. She began to bob her head slightly. Then, on the third tick, she leaned down and fell inside. The cloak around her fluttered as she disappeared inside.
Jaune looked up at Weiss. "Are you sure she isn't an alien leading us into a trap?"
She glared at him, a well-timed reminder of why her nickname was the Ice Queen.
"Just making sure." Closing his eyes, Jaune took a deep breath and mentally made sure his aura was activated. Then, while watching and listening to the gears, he jumped in.
Wind whistled in his ears and he could swear they grazed up against the metal inner workings. A few quick seconds later and the darkness faded into light as his legs hit a small section of scaffolding. His instincts took over, rolling him to the side before slamming his head into a railing and causing his aura to flash.
A few seconds later, Weiss hit the ground as well.
'Now what,' Jaune turned to ask, only to have Vin's hand cover his mouth. She held up a finger to her lips and pointed below them. Jaune looked down to see Professor Ozpin at his desk talking with someone on a holo-screen. Even from this distance, he could hear his voice.
"Yes, Leonardo, I am aware that Ms. Venture has attacked one of your students. But to go behind my back and send your soldiers into Beacon is no way to handle a situation like this. If you had talked to me beforehand, we could have made it so one of my students wasn't being treated like an escaped convict."
The man who responded had a voice barely louder than a whisper. Leonardo, likely Leonardo Lionheart, the headmaster of Mistral's Haven Academy, responded with a stutter, saying, "b-b-but when the Mistral Embassy heard that one of our students was attacked, much less almost killed, by another kingdom, they worried that allowing that student to continue their schooling would lead to an even worse scenario."
Professor Ozpin sighed and folded his hands. "And that is why you should have come to me first. I know Ms. Venture. She would never attack without provocation - only would she do so in self-defense."
"I see," Lionheart mumbled. "I will try to warn you of it next time, sir. I promise."
"Next time?"
The Haven's headmaster's gulp was louder than his voice. "I mean if there is a next t-t-time."
Nodding, Professor Ozpin grabbed his mug and swirled its contents. "It's good to hear from you again, old friend. I was sorry to hear that you would not be able to join James or I at the festival this year."
"Yes, I am sorry. But I am having to deal with many problems over here. All of our huntresses and huntsmen are being called out for dozens of missions. Please do not worry about me."
"I understand. I wish you luck with the rest of your endeavors."
"Thank you," Lionheart responded.
The screen disappeared and their headmaster sunk back into his chair for a moment. He spun his chair around to gaze out the glass window. "Leo…" he muttered. "What are you doing?"
When he turned back around to reach for his mug. However, to his (as well as Jaune and Weiss') surprise, Vin now stood in front of his desk.
Jaune looked to his right, where he last saw her, and only then noticed that she had somehow slipped away. How did she do that?!
Professor Ozpin paused for a moment but then continued to grab his drink. "Ms. Venture," he warned, "breaking into your headmaster's office is a punishable offense."
"So is murder, even if I didn't do it," came Vin's quick counter.
"That remains to be seen in the greater public's eyes." He took a sip from his mug. "Would Mr. Ark and Ms. Schnee care to join us in a civilized conversation?"
Sighing, Weiss jumped down, quickly followed by Jaune, and joined Vin by her side. "Professor Ozpin," she said, "Cinder is trying to sabotage us somehow. Vin found her on the dorm roof earlier and she attacked Vin. That's all that happened!"
The Beacon Headmaster cast a glance at her. "I'm afraid that is not what Ms. Fall reported. She rushed into a clinic with her team. Ms. Sustrai had second and third-degree burns on her arms. Mr. Black was unconscious and has remained so since. Supposedly a blunt force object hit him in the head. When asked what happened, she said Ms. Venture attacked her team as they were training for the tournament on the roof and regrets that she was not there to aid them."
"Vin didn't do that!" Jaune snapped. "She's been training with Pyrrha every night. Not attacking students! And isn't it a little weird that Cinder was nowhere near Vin's 'attack'?"
"I am aware of both Ms. Venture and Ms. Nikos' nighty activities. As well as your own, Mr. Arc. However, Ms. Fall is a delegate from another kingdom. If she claims she has been attacked, then, at the very least, we must investigate further. And judging by your current whereabouts, I'd guess you have not helped the situation and did not turn yourself in voluntarily."
"What of Vin's opinion? What about her side of the story? Was she supposed to let them take her away unjustly?" Weiss' lips down turned into a slight snarl.
"Nobody would listen," interrupted Vin with a small voice. "I was found alone and taken in by Beacon. When I woke up, I attacked at random. I have no connections, family, or bonds here; no reason for Beacon to defend me. It's likely that the Vale leaders will claim that I may be innocent, but will do very little to actually help me."
Weiss gasped. "That… That can't be true…" She turned to Professor Ozpin. "Can it?"
He sighed, grasping his cane and slowly moving to face the window. "I am afraid that Ms. Venture is correct. The Council has elected to remain neutral in this case. Unless we receive a direct reason to join, Mistral has full authority to hunt her down."
"How could you?" Jaune asked as he clenched his fists. "She is one of us! She lives here in Vale, at Beacon! She's one of your students!"
Vin placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder. He turned around and watched as she shook her head. "I never was one of you. Not to them at least." She dropped her arm and then glared at the headmaster. "After all, 'Ms. Venture has attacked one of their students.' Not allegedly, but has."
"Ms. Venture-"
Vin didn't give him time to respond. "I don't care. But what I do want to know is why Cinder thought I was working for you."
"What do you mean?" he asked, still facing the other way. But his posture seemed to freeze since the reference to Cinder.
"When I fought Cinder, when I was drawn to her, she was able to use a power that was not aura or semblance. It was something… magical." The girl glared at the back of Professor Ozpin. "And she asked if you sent me."
A moment passed before any sign of movement. But, slowly, a shudder ran through Professor Ozpin's body. "Did her eyes glow with flame?"
"Yes."
"Then this is far worse than I originally thought." He turned around with a steely-eyed gaze. His knuckles were so tightly wrapped around his cane that the knuckles were white.
"Why?" Jaune asked as the professor sat down. "Why did she think you sent her?"
Ozpin turned to the three students. "Have you ever heard the tale of the Four Maidens?"
Hugging the shadows and avoiding any form of illumination, Blake led Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora across the Beacon campus toward the Mistral embassy. It was a slow process - stopping to let security guards pass, watching cameras swivel away, and even at one point tossing some sunflower seeds from Nora's pocket at a small group of avians.
"I was saving that for later," the girl pouted.
Blake held up her hand as she gazed around a corner. The embassy was only a short run away. Barbed fence covered the front while high brick walls formed a greater perimeter along the sides. Guards in large jackets and rifles covered the front while lights shone around the area around them.
After a moment, she turned back to the group and sighed. "We might have a problem."
"Why is that?" asked Pyrrha.
"Their security is good. Really good. I don't see an easy way in."
Ren stepped forward and peeked out behind the corner. A moment later, he turned back. "There appears to be a blind spot on the south wall. It's close enough to the building's window that if we can surmount it, we can get in without anyone noticing."
"Or," Nora half-whispered, a dark smile clearly visible, "we can just smash our way in!"
Very quickly, Ren gave a small chop to her head (and elicited a small "Ow!" from his partner). "We want to sneak in. Not cause a war."
While the trigger-happy girl grumbled but slowly put her weapon away, Blake tried to see what window Ren was referring to. After a few scans, she saw it. There were, in fact, no guards near it. And the lighting was fairly good.
But it was about thirty feet in the air!
"The only way we are getting up there is if anyone can fly. And, last I checked, the only one of us who could was Vin," Blake said.
A small chuckle came from Pyrrha's lips. "Check again. On 'go', run to the wall."
Ren and Nora nod, But Blake was still confused. "What do you-"
"Go!"
The three members of team JNPR all dashed forward, leaving Blake behind. However, the Faunus had enough faith and trust in her friend to follow a few heartbeats later.
Passing underneath a guard tower, the company of students quickly - and, more importantly, silently - reached the intended spot.
"Now what?" Blake asked.
"Now we fly," Pyrrha answered. "Hold on to your weapons tightly." The huntresses (and singular huntsman) quickly pulled their weapons out and clutched their handles. After a quick check, Pyrrha closed her eyes and held out her hand. A black outline began to glow around it, one similar to that which now pulsed around their weapons.
Before Blake could question this, she, Ren, and Nora were all pulled harshly upward by their weapons. Careful not to lose her grip, Blake turned her head and watched as the literal window of opportunity moved closer and closer.
The trio stopped a few inches away from it. A short second later, Pyrrha, with armor energized by her semblance, joined them and opened the latch. She then brought her friends inside before doing so herself.
"That was… new," Ren commented after they all regained their bearings.
"That was fantastic!" Nora corrected as she wrapped Pyrrha in a hug. "Our Invincible Princess can fly now!"
Blake studied the girl. "Since when we're you able to do that?"
Pyrrha blushed as Nora set her back down on the ground. "Since earlier this night. It's what Vin was helping me practice with before… all this. It has to do with me using my semblance on my armor. I don't fully understand it yet, or have full control. It takes a lot out of me to use it."
"Then we won't rely on it from now on," Ren said. "We need to be at our best."
Agreeing, Blake patted the girl's shoulder. "We can handle ourselves if we need to. But for now, let's find Cinder."
A quick nod was the girl's response before following Blake toward the door. They slowly peek out and notice that even with all the lights, no one seemed to be around. A few doors down, shadows from under the door danced across the adjacent wall. The sound of someone yelling angrily matched with the more violent motions of their shadow.
Blake led her team to the room to their right and entered. The lights were off, thankfully, and no one was inside. She quickly moved to the wall closest to the next room and pressed her cheek against it.
"-do you mean you haven't found her?!"
"She's disappeared. She ran away from the guards and nobody can find her."
"THEN FIND HER!"
Pyrrha, who had also pressed her ear to the wall, said, "That's Cinder." Nora and Ren quickly joined them in their surveillance."
"Yes ma'am!"
Blake heard the sound of a door opening and closing. Probably the Mistralian ambassador. Or somebody in charge of security. Before she could think on this further, something loud slammed almost directly at her ear.
"Cinder!" a voice cried out. "It'll be fine. They'll find her and bring her to us."
"Don't tell me what will be fine," Cinder snarled back. "This girl could ruin everything !"
"But she's just that, a girl! An ordinary girl. You're the Fall Maiden. It's impossible for her to be as strong as you, no matter what her semblance may or may not be."
Blake turned to Pyrrha. 'Fall Maiden?' she mouthed. Pyrrha shook her head, equally confused and unaware.
"There is nothing 'ordinary' about her. I want her… I want her here, at my feet, in chains. She knew about the power yet not of Ozpin's cult. I need to know how and why Emerald."
Recognition flashed in Blake's eyes as she realized who Cinder was talking to. Emerald, the girl who claimed Vin attacked her with fire.
Liar.
"What about Mercury?" Emerald asked. "He's still shaking after his time with her?"
"He's fine. He just needs to be reminded of what will happen if he does not do as I say. He says feels like death? Then I am more than happy to arrange a more personal meeting between the two of them." Cinder's voice stopped as the sound of a chair moving interrupted. "Now come. Salem wishes to hear about our progress."
Blake listened as the door closed behind them and their footsteps failed away. It only then did she finally breathe. She looked up at Pyrrha and Ren, who had the same look of worry on their faces. Nora, on the other hand, seemed to be stumbling around on the other end of the room.
"Who is Salem?" Ren asked.
Blake shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe their teacher?"
"Guys…"
"Then why would she want to hear of their progress?" Pyrrha frowned, a finder tapping against her gauntlets as she thought.
"Guys."
"Perhaps the festival?" Ren offered. "Or a training regiment?"
"Why would they be worried about that after they have, quite unquote, 'been attacked'?"
"Guys!"
Pyrrha whirled around to Nora. "What is it?"
"I think…" she whispered, a level of volume not normally known to Nora, "we may have a problem."
A light switch flipped on, causing Ren, Blake, and Nora to blink as spots danced in their eyes. When vision returned, they looked in confused and horrified awe at the room they had spent the last minute inhabiting.
All across the wall opposite them were papers of different sizes and colors. Blueprints of Amity Colosseum and sticky notes of guard rotation. Identity reports on those guards. Even a picture of a bookstore that looked recognizable to Blake.
But what drew their eyes the most was a set of designs for a new Atlesian project.
P.E.N.N.Y
Blake gasped. The silhouette of her friend, Penny Polendina, was easily recognizable above the designation name. The blueprints detailed specific aspects of her inner workings and weapons.
"Penny's… a robot?"
Ren walked over to the Padres and ripped one from the wall. "'Project P.E.N.N.Y is the first achievement of techno-aural progression'," he read. "'An artificial soul with the ability to harness a semblance and aura.'"
Eyes going wide, Pyrrha stated, " An artificial huntress would pave the way to no more bloodshed. Fighting the Grimm wouldn't require the frantic training or requirement of students."
"But at what cost?" Blake asked. "Penny isn't some robot like the Knights. She's like is. She has thoughts, feelings, reactions, and emotions! She has a soul! Just because it isn't natural doesn't mean it should be used as… cannon fodder."
Pyrrha placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We know. Penny is our friend too."
With an almost insane-like pace, Nora began to tear down different papers from the wall. As she did, Ren moved opposite of her and stared at another picture - one of Pyrrha taken during practice.
"What I don't understand," he said, "is what all of this is meant for."
A bullet suddenly penetrated the photo, directly removing the visage of the Invincible Girl. Blake, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren quickly turned around and reached for their weapons as Emerald, her own guns held up and pointed at them, stepped into the room.
"Don't worry about it," she smiled as she fired a second shot and caused everyone to run around the room. "You won't live long enough to see it."
"The Four Maidens? The children's tale? What does that have anything to do with our current situation?"
Professor Ozpin took a sip from his mug as he looked up at the Schnee Heiress. "Everything, actually. You see, a long time ago-"
"I don't have time for this," Vin said, cutting off the teacher. She turned to move toward the elevator.
"Ms. Venture," Professor Ozpin warned as he stood up from his seat. "It would be smart of you to listen to what I have to say."
"Cinder is planning something and she currently wants me out of the way. I'm not going to let that happen. Blake and the rest of JNPR were going to try and find her and they haven't called at all since." The alien girl gave a harsh glare. "So unless you plan on giving me information or answers, I'm going to go help."
"I'm coming too," Jaune added, reaching for his sword.
Vin shook her head. "It'll take too long. Listen to whatever he has to say."
"… Fine." Even though he didn't want to, Jaune understood the reasoning. He let go of his sword and relaxed his hand. "Good luck. Be careful."
Not even bothering to respond, Vin stepped into the elevator and (after a small ding ) had the doors closed behind her.
Weiss turned back to their professor. "I agree with Vin; we're in a hurry. Whatever story you want to tell us, give us the short version."
Sighing, he turned. "Each of the four Kingdoms of Remnant has a 'maiden' relating to a specific season by title. These Maidens have incredible power, far beyond any semblance or aura. It is the duty of certain members of the Kingdom's government to protect these Maidens."
"But something happened," Jaune interjected. "Something relating to Cinder."
Professor Ozpin shook his head. "I'm not aware of who or what Ms. Fall is. I do suspect, though, that she was involved with the attack on the Maiden of fall, Vale's."
"What happened?" Weiss asked. "Is she okay?"
"That… depends on your definition," he responded. The normally blasé face of their headmaster turned dark in the shadows of his clock tower. "She is alive, yes, but comatose. During a recon mission, the Maiden, an Amber Selhat, was attacked. She barely survived. But… her aura was… ripped."
"Ripped? How does aura get 'ripped'?"
"I'm afraid that is one mystery I have not yet found the answer for. Somehow, her attackers were able to take a piece of her soul, conducting the power of the Fall Maiden."
Weiss crossed her arms. "So these attackers-"
"-Stole a piece of the Fall Maiden and can use its power," Jaune finished.
"That is my conclusion," Professor Ozpin said. "And it appears that Ms. Fall is said-culprit. Ms. Venture said her eye glowed with fire - a symptom of using the Maiden's power."
Jaune stepped forward. "So what does this have to do with us?"
"With you, Mr. Ark? Probably very little. But Ms. Venture may have stumbled onto something much more dangerous than she realizes."
Before he could say anything else, Weiss snapped and yelled, "Then why don't you do something to help her?!"
Professor Ozpin returned to his seat and pulled out his scroll, a 'Sent' notification easily readable off his glasses. "I have done what I can within the confines of the law. Let's just hope help will arrive quickly enough."
Push. Pull. Push. Pull.
What felt like a lifetime ago, Vin mastered the art of steel and iron. Pushing on metal to give her speed while iron let her direct her where she wanted to go. A metal gate let her fly upwards and a metal cage with a light inside let her spin to the left.
It practically took no thought.
So, as she flew toward where Blake had said the embassy was, she focused on what she did know. Weapons? Check. Vials? Plenty to spare. Metals? Burning strong for now.
Tin flared as Vin tried to look further toward her target. With her eyes Pushed, she could easily see the lit building (to her it seemed to glow like the sun). Vin flew as high as possible before stopping mid-air. From this height, she could see soldier movements, entry points, and even guess the interior layout. But what caught her eye was the best way in.
There, she thought, noticing that a window, just where one could get in undetected, was open. Iron and steel, now each using the opposite way from earlier, pulled her towards the opening and helped angle her toward it. The wind howled in her ears as she dropped from high above and swung sharply in an alleyway - directly through the open window.
Her arm got caught slightly, pulling out the upper half of the window inside and shattering the glass. Vin winced but ignored the pain.
Find them!
Using a mixture of steel and tin, she noticed a tremor in the wall to her left. The nails in the wall shook slightly and a large impression seemed to move into the divider. Almost as if someone was slammed into it.
Without a second to allow her more rational mind to argue, Vin pulled out a second vial from her belt and cupped it in her hands. Then, using the opposing wall's nails, pipes, and other metals as an anchor, she flared steel and Pushed herself towards the wall.
The flame in her stomach burned brighter than ever before. Just as she was about to smash into the wall, she burned pewter. Then duralumin.
For a split second, Vin felt as if she could carry Luthadel on her back. No weight was too much. No pain too strong. She could fight a koloss and win!
Then she crashed through the wall.
Wood and papers went flying as a Vin-shaped hole in the wall burst upon a second room. The vial in her palm went to her mouth as the dust began to settle. By the time she had swallowed its contents, she had scanned the room.
Ren was laying on the ground with Nora trying to help him to his feet. Just a few feet away from Vin, Blake was leaning against the wall with small cuts on her arms and cheek. Pyrrha was the only one left fighting.
The girl who challenged Vin earlier, Emerald, was her opponent. And it was possible she was holding back earlier because the skill and ferocity she displayed now were completely different. As Pyrrha held up her shield to block her left, Emerald suddenly twisted to the right with her kama and sliced at her heel.
Luckily, Pyrrha lifted her leg just in time and narrowly avoided the swipe. She stabbed downwards but by the time her blade embedded the flooring, Emerald had already jumped backward to reassess the situation.
It was then that she noticed Vin.
"You!" she snarled, just in time for Vin's daggers to slam into her chest. Aura shimmered as they connected. But Vin continued to Push against them and forced Emerald out the door and into the wall behind her.
Pyrrha, after turning around, sighed and visibly slumped forward. "Thank you," she gasped. "Her semblance… it forces a vision unto your mind. Don't trust your eyes, trust your semblance."
Nodding, Vin Pulled on her daggers and held them out as Emerald stepped back inside. It was only now that she noticed the bandages covering her arms and - with tin - she noticed a few areas of skin between the different strands.
She burned herself, Vin thought. Or one of her teammates burned her. Either way, it means she's willing to do anything to win. Luckily, so was she.
Emerald dashed forward with her kama's high. Instinctively, Vin raised to dodge but froze mid-way through when she realized the steel lines connecting to her weapons were barely moving. Something mechanical clicked and Vin's eyes went wide. She pushed against the ground and flared pewter, smashing into Pyrrha and knocking her to the side.
The mirage she originally thought to be Emerald disappeared a second later after a set of bullets flew from behind her. It was only then that the real Emerald appeared with wide eyes. She hadn't moved, instead only turning her kama into guns and pointing them where they stood.
Vin realized that whatever her semblance was, it was Pushing on her mind. Like brass or zinc. So when Emerald began to run to the left, Vin burned copper.
And instantly, she disappeared. Now she was running to the right.
Vin ran at the true Emerald and activated the dust round in her knife. The dustpoint burned with short yet brilliant flame as she slashed downward at Emerald's shocked expression. Her reaction speed was fast enough to deflect, however, and Vin's blades collided with Emerald's own.
"I'm going to kill you for what you did," Emerald snarled.
Vin glared back at the girl. "I don't even know who you are."
"You will. You and all your friends will."
Suddenly, her guns turn back into their kama-form and the blades eject outward. A set of metal chains connect the blade to their handle and wrap around Vin's leg. A tugging sensation throws Vin off balance and she struggles to stay on her feet.
Vin quickly decided to give Emerald want she wanted and Pushed herself forward, kneeing the girl in the face. Her aura flashed again but she managed to grab Vin's leg and threw her to the ground.
The dust-point blades fell to the ground, the flames from the weapon licking at the wooden floor. Emerald must have realized that Vin didn't have aura, because she started to kick at Vin's side, causing her to shudder and groan in pain. Vin frantically looked around for an anchor - something she could use.
"Duck!"
Vin closed her eyes and pushed herself lower to the ground, only then noticing Pyrrha's red shield flying through the air. She heard a loud thud and something like glass shattering before it bounced backward and slid back onto Pyrrha's arm. "We need to go!" she yelled.
Groaning, Vin rose to her feet and clutched her side. It was only then that she saw the fire from her blade now spreading throughout the entire room. Papers on the ground fizzled into quick balls of flame, dying out quickly but spreading their touch to the next. Flaring pewter, she picked up the hot handle of her dustpoints and quickly sheathed them, ignoring the steaming of her hands.
Pyrrha helped Vin into the next room where Nora, Ren, and Blake had moved to. They were all on their backs, breathing heavily and coughing hard as the smoke began to filter to this area.
"Nora!" Pyrrha yelled. "Get Ren! I'll lower you both."
The normally energetic girl gave a solemn nod and helped her partner over to the window. A few seconds later, with the help of Pyrrha, they were outside and slowly descending to the ground. Loud horns and bright lights echoed from the alley as the flames spread throughout the embassy.
Vin grabbed Blake. "It's your turn." She helped the girl out the window, wincing as a shard of glass cut her hand, and nodded to Pyrrha. Both of them used their powers to lower her down and only after seeing Nora wave did they relax.
"After you," Vin nodded. Pyrrha opened her mouth to argue, but Vin shook her head. "Your aura is low. I'll be fine." The flames began to make their way toward them. "Go!"
Pyrrha gave a look of worry but slowly stepped out onto the ledge. Then she disappeared.
Now for me, Vin thought, clutching her side. There were definitely going to be bruises tomorrow. She looked out the window and saw Pyrrha float to the ground. It was only then that she started to move.
And it was then that she felt something sharp enter her side.
Jaune and Weiss arrived just in time to see Pyrrha flying from the embassy and to the ground. They both rushed forward and started inspecting their teammates. Blake's aura was broken - she had multiple cuts and scrapes - and so was Ren's. He had a large red welp around the crown of his head but was on (shaky) feet.
"Where's Vin?" Weiss asked after getting a nod from Blake.
Pyrrha looked up. "There!"
They all craned their necks back to the window where a small black shadow moved out from the window. The shadow fluttered and only as it spun in the air did they see that Vin's strange cloak was the object.
It was a few seconds later when Vin followed. She did not jump or fly outward. She didn't float to the ground or land softly like her cloak.
No. She fell, bleeding and unconscious, with a large wooden stack piercing through her stomach from her back.
Well now, that sounds Grimm... C'mon, guys, I'm trying.
This chapter was… different. I honestly didn't expect to write so much. I definitely didn't expect to leave you all on a cliffhanger, but SURPRISE.
I would like to thank you all (again) for taking the time to read my Fic.
Jerry12344321: Well, here you go dude. If you ask, I shall give.
xFel: That is pretty much what I agree with. Vin has more use and practice while Pyrrha has only just done small pushes to give herself a slight edge.
JPG: Thank you.
Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Be direct if you must, but try not to be rude.