Metal like Roses

By ReaderWarrior

I do not own Mistborn or RWBY.

Falling

Beta'd by: Icarus720

As always, please comment! It honestly makes my day to read your thoughts and opinions.

Tell your friends!

Reviews:

Brave Kid - Thank you very much, my friend.

xFel - Yeah, a lot happened in the last chapter and I had a lot of fun working on it. I am very proud of the Neo Yang fight and I'm glad you thought it was as good as I was hoping it would be. As for the metalmind, that is perfectly justified. The nicrosilmind contained Feru-investiture and the coppermind had no Identity.

QrowFan - It had to be that way.

With a rushed pace, Pyrrha quickly stepped into the headmaster's elevator. After a long day of festivities and training, she was surprised when her scroll displayed a notification/message from the Beacon professor. It requested her to quickly come to his office whenever she had the time. So the redhead excused herself when she had the chance and rushed to the center of her school. Her teammates were supposed to return to their dorm afterwards, where they said they were planning another day of celebration with their sister team.

But she didn't understand why Professor Ozpinhad called for her. She didn't think he was going to congratulate the Invincible Girl on her last victory, which was something the Argus headmaster insisted on doing publicly after each of her matches. Each new bout would be used to display the competence of their Huntsman program..

As the elevator began to rise, the redhead continued to question the reason for her summons. Does he wish to review what happened a few nights ago with Emerald? Or have they perhaps learned something new? The events of what happened on the eve of the Vytal Festival were, luckily, kept secret between certain politicians of Vale and Mistral (and the members of teams RWVBY + JNPR) who prevented widespread panic.

Pyrrha shivers at the memory of how dangerous that night was and the thoughts all of the horrible possibilities that could have come to pass. Without Vin, Emerald had easily subdued and almost killed Pyrrha and her friends. But even with her gifts, she still suffered an almost fatal blow. If I had tried to unlock her aura any later… no. Pyrrha shook her head, what's past has passed. And she needed to look to the future, the next battle.

After the doors opened with a soft ding, Pyrrha opened her eyes and took a quick step forward. As she does, she finds herself stumbling into her headmaster and quickly backsteps. Pyrrha prepares to apologize but stops when she notices both General Ironwood and Ruby's uncle were also about to step into the elevator.

"Sorry" Pyrrha exclaims as she turns to Ozpin. "Am I interrupting?" Was he not expecting me until later?

Ozpin shakes his head. "Ms. Nikos. I'm afraid we are going to have to postpone our meeting," the headmaster of Beacon commented as he stepped into the elevator. "Something urgent has come up."

Pyrrha steps to the side as the other Huntsmen step inside as well. "What's wrong, sir?"

Qrow nods to the redhead, "is this her? The Invincible Girl? You really know how to pick 'em, Oz." The black-haired Huntsmen also steps inside, quickly followed by Ironwood. The former then presses the bottom-most button and the doors close.

"Is this your candidate?" Atlas' general asks as the elevator begins to rumble. He then turns and looks at Pyrrha and she cannot help but feel small as he stares down upon her. Even his eyes were cold and harsh, almost like Vin's. In fact, as he stared at her, Pyrrha felt reminded of how Vin first watched her and her teammates. Almost like they were scrutinizing them.

"I'm afraid I do not follow," Pyrrha comments before turning to her teacher. "What am I a candidate for?"

Instead of answering, the head of Beacon sighs. However his gaze does not waver from the elevator's entrance. Pyrrha notices his cane shake slightly as his grip tightens around the handle's neck.

"Ozpin," Ironwood adds, "perhaps you should let me deal with the attack while you take young Nikos here to the chamber."

"Attack? What attack?" Pyrrha asks, instantly worried for her friends and teammates.

Ignoring her, Ozpin turns back to Ironwood. "James, do you not understand how that would look? It could be seen as an invasion force from Atlas." The silver-haired man's glasses catch the light for a moment, shielding his eyes and making them disappear behind his glasses. "And perhaps that is what she hopes will happen."

Qrow takes a swig from his flask before placing it into his vest pocket. "Oz, she's making her move. If she wanted to take Beacon she could. With force. You know what she's after." The drunk man nods to Pyrrha then points at the floor. "Her. And that."

Pyrrha's brow furrows deeper. "Me?"

The headmaster makes another sigh as the elevator slows. With a soft ding, the doors open again. Pyrrha makes a move to step out, but is stopped by Ozpin's hand on her shoulder. She looks up at her headmaster and pauses halfway through the door.

"Ms. Nikos," he begins, "what would you be willing to do to help your friends?"

Without any second of hesitation, she answers. "Anything."

"James. Do what you can to calm the masses. Keep everyone calm and try to find out what happened. Qrow, I need you to find your niece and her friends. I worry they might be at the heart of this. Get Glynda to call the students into the cafeteria and have her explain what is happening. This is why I had the schools built. But, whatever you do, do not let the truth be known."

"Aye, aye!" Qrow comments before rushing off, leaving Ironwood to give a crisp salute.

"What will you do?" The general asks.

"I'm going to take Ms. Nikos to the vault," he answers, pulling out his own scroll and sliding it across a blank panel. After the key and panel touch, the elevator dings and the doors begin to close. Professor Ozpin turns to look at Pyrrha, who stares at him in confusion.

"About two minutes ago, we received word that one of our dormitories had been bombed," he explains. "Security and medical teams are on the way. However, we have no reason to believe anyone was injured. The explosion was not strong enough to cause any harm to anyone with aura."

Pyrrha gasps at the revelation and places her hands over her mouth in shock. "Whose dorm?"

"Team RWVBY's."

With a groan, RWVBY'S Vin softly rolled her head from one shoulder to the other. The young Mistborn winces as she does,waking her up further, and tries to remember what happened. Why did Reen beat me so much this time? Why-

Vin's eyes snap open. Reen was dead long ago and this was no beating. This was an attack. However, as her eyelids shot open, there was little to no difference to what she could see around her. The room she sat in was pitch-black and the only light she could see was a small crack from what she assumed was a wall. Panicking slightly, Vin tries to burn tin.

Nothing.

Pewter?

Nothing.

Steel? Iron? Bronze? Brass?

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Even her aura wasn't activating. Somehow her captors had found a way to neutralize Pyrrha's gift as well as keeping her from burning any metals. If only she hadn't wasted her metals. Or kept more on hand, then Ruby wouldn't have gotten the jump on her.

Not Ruby, Vin thought as she remembered her attacker's face. While it did resemble her team leader's, her eyes were completely different. Instead of the warm, silver eyes she had gotten used to seeing, the impersonator's were harsh and cold as well as pink and brown.

A kandra, perhaps? She thought as she tested her bonds. From what little she could feel, they seemed to be made of fabric or cord. Nothing burnable. At least, not in the Allomantic sense. But kandra's only exist on Scadrial. Maybe it was a semblance similar to a kandra's ability to disguise themselves.

From what she could remember of kandras and her limited understanding from what OreSeur and TenSoon taught her, it took a lot of time to be able to impersonate someone to a great degree. That meant Ruby, and her friends, have probably been kept under watch for longer than Vin had known them. Is she working for Cinder?

Almost as if she was summoned, the half-maiden's voice echoed throughout the room. "Awake now, are we?" Vin looked around in a desperate search to locate the voice's source. But all she could see was darkness.

Darkness was quickly replaced with harsh, white light a moment later. Vin's eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to avoid the blindness but was unsuccessful. Spots dance across her eyes while she hears the clink-clack of heels approaching. Before she could bring herself to see, a warm, almost hot, had grabbed Vin by the chin. The spots in her eyes slowly formed Cinder's cruel snarl with each blink.

Well, well," she smiles, "where should we begin?" The woman had changed her appearance, swapping her bulky, brown explorationary-esq outfit for something more fitting.

She now wears a dark-red, off-the-shoulders, v-neck mini dress with yellow designs. There is a blue feather-like accessory on her right hip, at the top of an open portion of her dress. The dress ends in an upside-down triangular tail in the back, ending just above the knees. As well as a black choker on her neck, she has a gold hoop earring with a black gem dangling from it on her right ear. She has dark, glass, high-heeled shoes and a jeweled anklet on her right leg. Around her waist was a small gold cord with what seemed to be an iron key attached to it.

If I could just get ahold of that key...

Cinder lifted up Vin's chin, forcing her eyes back up to the half-maiden's. Instead of flinching, Vin glared efficiently into Cinder' eyes, which squinted and glared into her own. Amber and ebony stared into each other for a moment before Cinder let go of Vin's chin and smacked her across the cheek.

Her head snapping to the side, Vin gasps at the pain. Be it from no longer having pewter or aura, or perhaps Cinder's own aura, the pain came surprisingly sharp than what she would have expected from a backhanded slap. Vin's head slowly turns back to face Cinder with a harsh glare then spits a small line of blood and spits into her face.

The half maiden doesn't flinch and slowly wipes the bodily fluids off of her cheek. Then, with a snarl, she smears it across Vin's eyes. As she does, Cinder wraps her hands around Vin's skull and places her thumbs over her eyelids.

"Who are you?" Cinder asks coldly, her thumbs pressing against her eyes. "You called yourself 'Heir to the Survivor', what does that mean?" A few moments pass and Vin doesn't answer. Cinder gives another threat, then another. Each one couple with a question.

After the third question, Vin feels Cinder's thumbs press harder.

And harder.

Harder.

Then something pops.

General James Ironwood watches as the doors to the elevator close, taking Oz and young Nikos with him. As soon as they disappear, he quickly turns around, drops his salute, and pulls out his scroll. After a few quick taps and a quick call to Glynda, he begins to rally his troops.

"I want five-man teams at every entranceway and exit around Beacon," he ordered, commanding authority even through his scroll. "It doesn't matter if it's to a bathroom or the weapons locker, every door. An attack has been made at us and we need to make sure another does not occur."

As he steps outside, four soldiers give a quick salute before returning to a resting position. Guns in their hands and eyes surveying the courtyard, James gives a sharp nod to the guards before continuing his mandates.

"Sir?" One of his lieutenant generals interrupts, "we do not have the manpower or numbers to police the school's entire grounds."

"Then dispatch the Knights as well. Two soldiers for every three. If we cannot entrap the perpetrators, we can at least keep them from returning." Ironwood begins marching away from the main building, heading towards the rising, yet already dissipating, black cloud. Two of the four soldiers break away and follow their general, escorting him at a distance with a protective service.

"Understood," the lieutenant responded. "I'll begin dispatch immediately."

After hearing the sounds of fingers on screens, Ironwood shut down his scroll and quickened his pace. Ozpin was foolish. We shouldn't have been so lax with our security. Even after the incident at the Mistralan embassy, I should have pushed for greater security. Thoughts swirled around the general's head as he marched closer to-

Ironwood stops as he feels something change. There was a slight crack in the air, a soft rumble at his feet. Was that-

"Another one sir! This time in the kingdom!"

Shit.

With a quick pivot on his heel, he begins to run towards a darker, more distinct smoke trail slowly rising in the distance. "Where is it!?" He yells. With another type on his scroll, he sends a remote SOS beacon which will request any bullhead to his position.

"We don't know yet," they respond. Alarms sound softly in the background of his earpiece as the operator frantically types away.

With a quick tap on his scroll, he switches channels to his personal, private connections. "Schnee, Polendina! Report in!"

"Specialist Schnee, reporting," came a quick reply.

The general frowns and presses his earpiece. "Polendina?"

Nothing.

"Penny!"

"What's wrong, General Ironwood?" Penny's voice responds, to which Ironwood lets out a small breath he was holding.

Ironwood looks up as a shadow crosses his face, a bullhead slowly coming to land in front of him. "I need you both to prepare evacuation orders. There has been an attack on the school, and now the Kingdom. If we do not do something soon, there will be panic and Grimm at our doorstep."

"Yes, sir," Winter responds. "Where should we-"

"Is anyone hurt?" Penny interrupts.

"That's not important," Ironwood answers. "Just do as you are told and get to work. As for you, Schnee, coordinate with Goodwitch and see if we can start moving the populace somewhere safe."

"Understood."

With her response, Ironwood switches back to the initial frequency as it beeps, a sign someone is on the line.

"It looks to be a bookstore in the outer southeast area of the suburban area," the operator finally answers.

A bookstore? Ironwood thinks as the bullhead lands in front of him, its ramp dropping steadily. "I'm en route." He steps inside and storms to the copilot's seat. Behind him, his detail jumps inside and grabs ahold of the sidebars.

"Boy are you lucky," the captain comments, not bothering to look back, "I was in the area and just dropped off-"

"This is important Atlesian business," Ironwood interrupts, reaching out his hand for the pilot's headset. "I'll be needing to commandeer this vessel."

The pilot raises his hands and pulls off his headset, handing it over to the general who swiftly straps himself into the copilot's seat and places the headset around his neck. Grabbing the control wheel and placing a hand on the throttle levers, he begins to lift the bullhead into the skies

"General Ironwood commanding on all channels," he bellows into the microphone. "I am now placing a no-flight order on all bullheads until further all channels, every bullhead is to land immediately. All flights are canceled unless they receive Atlesian go-ahead. I repeat, all bullheads must land immediately." The general then presses a button on the cockpit, silencing the responding voices over the speakers.

The original pilot gulps, "where does that leave us?"

Ignoring him, Ironwood shoves the throttle forward, launching him and his 'passengers' towards the secondary explosion.

"What's going on?!"

"Are we under attack?!"

"Is it Atlas? Or the White Fang?!"

Glynda Goodwitch rubbed her forehead and squeezed the bridge of her nose. After the explosion in the dormitory, the school's evacuation code went into effect. Every student and staff member was required to report to the cafeteria for a mandatory check-in. But with some still in the Amity Colosseum and others off-grounds with friends or family, there was great difficulty making sure everyone was accounted for.

Especially when everyone was worried about a bomb threat.

"Students, please, I assure you that there is no evidence to validate we are under attack!" Professor Port exclaimed from the main entrance. Doctor Oobleck stood by his side, check-marking attendance on a small clipboard in his hand. Surprisingly, they both had their own weapons at their side. Port's Blowhard and Oobleck's Antiquity's Roast were loaded and prepared to be used, something Glynda hoped they wouldn't resort to being.

But as Glynda stood in the center of the room, she wasn't so sure if they would be used to defend themselves from their attackers, or from their own students.

Suddenly, everyone's scrolls seemed to beep in tandem. Even the professors and staff are surprised to see their scrolls light up in their pockets. Almost unanimously, the entire attendance pulls out their scrolls to see their screens are plastered with a chess-piece on their wallpaper.

"Greetings to Vale and the entire continent of Remnant watching at home. Today, Beacon has been attacked. This is not a tragedy nor an accident. This was a message."

The screen changes to show a live shot of an outside view of RWVBY's dorm. The windows had been blown outward, black ash and soot marred the brick walls surrounding the area while the inside was seen to be grey with some smoke still lingering along the roof. "This is the dormitory of Beacon, near the center of our so-called heroes' place of learning. I ask you, how can we expect them to protect us when they can barely protect themselves?"

Glynda glances upwards as the doors open, where Winter and Penny step through. The two women nod to each other before resuming to listen to the broadcast.

"Perhaps it is because they are not our great defenders. Perhaps the men in charge of these schools are striving for a new goal. After all, why would Atlas' General Ironwood be here, along with his new weapon." The camera jumps again, this time showing a high-angle of Ironwood stepping out of a bullhead and walking up to a burning building. He points to his guards and mutely orders them into a formation. As Ironwood contemplates the explosion, the Atlesian Knights form a perimeter, pushing and holding back the masses.

"And I'm not referring to his tin men, but his tin woman." The camera changes again, this time jumping between different images of robotic designs and blueprints. As the images speed up, the blueprints become more detailed and complex. What was once just a sketch of a machine slowly turns into something familiar and human. Glynda's eyes go wide and look back to Winter and her pupil.

The pupil which looks exactly like the image on the screen.

"Penny Polendina is said to be the next step of Atlas security. A machine with a soul, a semblance. It'd be impressive if you didn't think about the reasoning behind it. Why would a kingdom such as Atlas need their drones to be so human? What need would they have for a soldier disguised as such an innocent girl? I doubt the Grimm can tell the difference."

The other students in the room also look up to stare at Penny, who shuffles behind Winter's back in an attempt to hide. Murmurs begin to break out as students also question why Atlas would create such a thing.

"And what of Ozpin? Where is he? I see Ironwood is at least checking on the scene of the explosions, yet Vale's leader is nowhere to be found. Is he readying his own weapon?"

His own weapon? Glynda thinks. I was not aware of this.

The screen's flashing images of Penny's development then change to redacted medical papers. Pictures of cages and bodies flash by too-quickly for any pretense of recognition to be made.

"While Atlas created an android with a semblance, Vale has been testing for a soldier with multiple semblances. Someone to be leagues above the ordinary Huntsman or Huntress in terms of power and strength."

As the images slow, Glynda recognizes one of the photos as one she herself took. In the photo's subject was the scarred back of a young girl.

Oh no.

"Vin Venture didn't exist until a few days ago after she was 'found' by a team of Huntresses. Yet, for some reason, she was granted immediate access to the Vytal Festival and was placed into a team with no training at all.

"Unless, of course, she has had training."

This time, Glynda feels everyone turn to stare at her.

"Our kingdoms seemed to be preparing for war. My only question is with whom?"

Cinder smiled as she turned off the broadcasting system. With the help of Watts' coding skills and hardware, and her placement of the Black Queen program into the Vale's CCT Tower last semester, it was almost child's play to spread her message to the kingdom and all of the screens it had access to.

It's almost too easy, Cinder smirked. However, she did have to expedite her plans after she showed up. But, surprisingly, her sudden appearance gave her the perfect excuse to cast uncertainty and skepticism to Beacon. Even if it did involve falsifying documents. The least of my crimes.

Before she could congratulate herself further, one of Cinder's burn scrolls buzzed.

"Yes, Emerald?" Cinder answered within the first few rings.

"Cinder!" The green-haired assassin yelped. "Did it work?"

The half-maiden's smirk grew into a dark smile. "Perfectly."

"Okay. I'm on my way back. How is our guest?"

Chuckling, Cinder looked at one of the screens portraying a green-filtered security feed of Vin tied up. Her head hung low and her face was hidden by her hair. Shaky spasms from her chest were the only sign Cinder wasn't watching a corpse.

"Did she tell you anything?" Emerald asks.

"No," Cinder sighed, "but there's no rush. We have all the time in the world."

"And phase two?"

"Just hurry up and get here. I don't think our patron likes being kept in his pen for this long."

Emerald audibly gulps. "Yes, Cinder."

Jaune, along with his teammates Ren and Nora stepped inside the cafeteria, which was almost more chaotic than if a third bomb exploded inside. Students were crying out in panic, worried about the threat and message sent through their scrolls.

"Is Atlas invading?!" One student yelled

"Where's Professor Ozpin?" Another asked.

"We're all gonna die!" A third shrieked.

Jaune stumbled back into Ren as a few students started pushing their way towards the door. With a grunt, he stood back up and did his best to hold the current of students back. As he did, Ren held his arms out to his sides in an attempt to form a human wall. Nora quickly joined him, jumping to the other side of Jaune.

However, more and more students began pushing their way to the doors. "We need to get out of here!" One said as he pushed against Jaune's chest plate.

"SILENCE!"

Everyone turned to look at Professor Goodwitch, who hovered in the air a few dozen feet. With her riding crop, the Disciplinarian, in hand, she smacked one of the giant pillar obelisks. The sound echoed loudly throughout the cafeteria, silencing the few students who didn't hear her original proclamation.

"Is this what you are?!" She yelled, adjusting her glasses as she floated down towards the entryway. "Panicking children, running scared after the first sign of trouble? Misguided delinquents who will trust the word of a terrorist?

"For those of Beacon, when you first arrived I told you how it was your job as future Huntsmen and Huntresses to protect our world's peace. And I bet those from Atlas, Shade, and Haven were told something similar by their professors.

"Is this what you intend to do? Scream like children and run? Run where? For the residents of Vale, there is nowhere to run. Instead, why don't you act like the Huntsmen and Huntresses we trained you to be!" The teacher emphasizes herself with another crack of her crop.

"But nowhere is safe," someone asked. Jaune looks over and sees Rushel Thrush from team CRDL shaking slightly. "They got to the school and the kingdom."

Once again, murmurs begin to break out as some students begin to wonder where Remnant was safe.

Not on Remnant, Jaune realized, above it! "Professor Goodwitch, what if there was somewhere safe to take everyone? A place that has had the maximum security scrutiny."

The stern professor raises an eyebrow. "Where is that?"

Jaune points out the window and to the skies. "Amity Colosseum."

DING

Ozpin clenches Long Memory as the doors slide open. With a sigh and a wince, he steps into the vault and towards his failures. After hearing Ms. Fall's message, and he was sure it was her voice, the headmaster of Beacon started to wonder how many steps behind he truly was.

"Professor Ozpin!" Pyrrha calls out as she steps after him. "Is what she said true? Are Atlas and Vale really planning for war?"

Without looking back, he answers. "Do you really believe what Ms. Fall had to say?"

"No sir," Nikos answered. "I know she was lying about Vin, but what about Penny? And Atlas?"

"James is just… cautious. He believes he can handle our foes with a bigger gun or more complex weapon. However, I tend to keep a foot in the past on these things." The two continue to move down the hall, passing lit torches and perpendicular corridors.

"A foot in the past?"

Ozpin chuckles. "Yes. I'm sure Ms. Venture, Schnee, or Mr. Arc told you about the maidens, yes?"

"Yes sir," Pyrrha nods. "Is this where Fall Maiden stays?"

"Somewhat."

Ozpin stops as he comes to a large mechanical device. To his sides are large coffin-like containers with a glass front. Limp black coils stretch from the two sides and upwards into the ceiling. Three dim holo-screens are attached to the three main consoles, two for the left and right pods and another attached to the wires.

And inside the left pod…

Nikos steps slowly forward to the container. "Is that… her?"

"Yes," Ozpin answers. He places a hand on the glass, looking at the girl inside. "Amber Selhat. The current Fall Maiden whom was attacked and put into a comatose state by Cinder and her comrades. How they found her, I do not know."

Amber has tan-skin and brown hair. Her brown eyes were hidden beneath her eyelids which fluttered every so often. Keeping her covered, white garments covered her chest and waist. Once, long ago, she had a beauty mark beneath her left eye. Now, the entire side of her face is scarred and burned. A result of the attack.

If it wasn't for Qrow, she might not have even survived this long.

"Is this keeping her alive?" Nikos asks, looking at the strange contraption.

"Yes. But that is not this machine's primary function." Ozpin steps to one of the controls and activates it, displaying the readings on Amber's condition. No change. "In fact, you are very crucial to this next part."

Frowning, the Invincible Girl asks, "what do you mean?"

"Normally," Ozpin explains, "a Maiden's powers are bestowed to the last young woman the previous holder last thought of. If she isn't of a young age, then the power is given to a random woman. However, since she is not… of sound mind, we cannot be positive the Maiden's powers will be transferred correctly."

"We?"

"The headmasters of the four schools, among others, all work collaboratively to protect the Maidens. Under secrecy and within closed doors, we protect Remnant on a darker level than normal Huntsman or Huntresses."

Nikos pauses and looks at the girl within the machine. "Then what need could you possibly have of me? I've had no experiences with her, so I couldn't possibly be next in line for her power."

"This machine was made to… transfer a person's soul or aura from one body to the next. The Maiden's powers are tied to it, you see, and we think by transferring her aura onto someone else, they might be able to harness the powers."

"And… you wish for that person to be me?"

Ozpin nods.

The redhead frowns before turning back to her headmaster. "Why me? And what would happen to her?"

"I do not know what will happen to Amber," Ozpin answers. "This is a completely new situation. As for the reason for choosing you… I think that may be obvious."

"You want the Invincible Girl."

"Yes," he responds. "But also for your heart. You care for your allies and comrades as much as any Huntress or Huntsman I have ever known."

"What about Ruby? Or even Vin?"

"Ms. Rose does not meet our qualifications for this ascension." And I wish to keep the power of a Maiden as well as her eyes separate. For now, at least. "As for lady Venture, there hasn't been enough time for me to know her. To understand her heart. She is a great warrior, but does she care enough for others?"

"Yes," came Nikos' immediate reply. "I'm sure of it."

Vin did care. She cared for her team, her friends. The excitable Ruby, the confident Weiss, the reserved Blake, and the proud Yang. In the short time she had with team RWBY, the young Mistborn had found herself growing attached to each member of her team. She cares.

Even as she watched them die in front of her.

Ruby begged for help as Emerald placed her blades against her throat. Around them littered her teammate's bodies, each one cut and maimed in slow and vicious ways. Yang's head was reduced to a burning stump after her hair was set aflame. Weiss' body lay in frozen pieces after her body was turning to ice. Blake's remaining limbs were covered in teeth marks from the different species of Grimm who ate her alive.

And more, much more. Pyrrha, Jaune, Nora, Ren. All dead. And Vin cared.

But she didn't cry.

She didn't break.

She didn't-

"Tell us what we want!" Emerald yelled, pulling the blade closer to Ruby's throat. Ruby's breath catches and tears begging to stream down her eyes.

However, through Vin's blood-stained vision, she keeps her eyes on Emerald and remains silent. Even if this was real, I wouldn't tell her anything. But Vin's stomach twisted with every scream and cry. And she didn't know if she could have let this happen if this was real.

But she cared… and it still hurt.

Emerald sliced across Ruby's neck, blood spurting from her throat and onto the stone at their feet. As her body fell, Emerald held up her sickles to Vin, pressed the spine of the blade against her cheek.

When Vin didn't flinch, Emerald sighed and closed her eyes. As she did, the apparitions around them disappeared. Blood, flesh, bone turned to vapor in front of her eyes as Emerald released Vin from her semblance's hold. The girl shook her head at Vin, as if puzzled by the unwavering strength she held.

This… is nothing, Vin thought. Reen… he didn't break. So neither will I.

"What is wrong with you?" Emerald asked, placing her weapons into their holsters. She turned around and pulled out the key from her pocket, unlocking the door. With a loud creak, it opened.

"Wait…"

Emerald turned around at Vin's whisper, the door stopping ajar. "What?"

"Please," Vin whispered, "I'll…"

The green-haired mercenary steps forward toward the Mistborn. She slowly leans down to Vin's seat and asks, "what?"

Very suddenly, Vin lunges forward. Even though her arms and legs are tied, she jumped at Emerald. The girl yelped as Vin crashed into her. Vin's tied hands reached for her waist as Emerald squirmed. However, as she felt her fingers wrap around something cool and metallic, another set of hands grabbed Vin by the shoulders and lifted her up.

Mercury pushed Vin's chair into the back wall, smashing her head against the cement. Even with dazed vision, she could see him helping Emerald to her feet. When she stands and holds herself up, Mercury steps toward Vin with a loud stomp.

"Why you-!"

Emerald stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Mercury turns to look at his comrade, who shakes her head. Silently, the duo steps back out the door and close it behind them.

As the door shuts, Vin brings her head back up and shakes it in an attempt to clear her mind. Dull-minded fools. The Mistborn twists her hand and looks down at it, staring at her open palm. While she wasn't able to grab Emerald's weapon, or even break her arms free from the ropes in the scuffle, she did achieve her goal.

Vin looks down and smiles at the small metallic surface of the door key.

Aaaaand done!

I'm trying to keep posts to (at minimum) one chapter a month. However, since I am in the process of moving, there might be some late updates soon.

As for the chapter, there were a lot of fun moments I really enjoyed writing. And I cannot wait to write what comes next. The next chapter will involve more of team RWVBY (they didn't show up at all, I know). Sorry about that.

Also, and I know I say it every chapter (like twice), please please please comment. It really makes my day reading new comments. Even if you're reading this a week from the post-date, don't be afraid to post what your favorite part was. Not only do your comments bring me the energy to continue writing, but they also help fuel my creative imagination for new unique ideas.

Also, also, I have made it my goal to become the number 1 Mistborn Crossover Fanfic writer. Right now we are 6th in Favorites and 5th in Follows. So, my comrades, let's do what we can to become number 1! Considering I'm one of the few (if not only) continually uploading writers in the Mistborn genre, I think this is possible. 'Beautiful Destroyer' is number 1, in both counts, so let's beautifully destroy their placement!

Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Tell your friends!

Also, if you have the money, please think about supporting me.

Pa tre on . co m

(slash)

readerwarrior