In the forest outside Mensonge, team JNPR-Ruby was battling the two Death Stalkers. And Ruby had just accidentally let one of them loose.
"Crud..." Ruby mumbled to herself.
"You need me to freeze them again?" 'Rouge' asked, her weapon now in sword form.
"Not necessary, but if we could get rid of their stingers, we'd be in great shape!" Jaune told his crew.
Ruby fired a round of fire dust at the first death stalker, slowing it down as Ren fired shots at the second one's tail.
The second stalker was slashed at the legs by Jaune and Rouge's swords. Nora let the pink lightning charge her up and she rapidly run forward, bringing her hammer down on the stalker. The stalker's tough exoskeleton armor started cracking.
"Guys, did you see that?" Jaune noted.
Nora looked in amusement. "I didn't think that part could be broken."
"Quickly, if can crack it completely, we should be able to defeat it!"
Ruby fired at the cracked stalker as Nora shifted Magnhild to its grenade launcher form. The cracks in the armor became bigger and more apparent.
Jaune turned to Ren and Pyrrha, both avoiding the pinchers of the scorpion like Grimm.
Ren was also firing away and trying to slow it down, but to no avail. "Looks like it's not letting up."
"I got another idea!" The nouveau femme fatale turned to the team leader. "Lift me up!"
Jaune knelt down to let 'Rouge' land on his shield, managing to throw her into the air. She used her polarity to secure her hold on her sword and used it to slice off the scorpion's stinger. As she backflipped to stick the landing, the stinger fell down on the Death Stalker as it howled in pain. Behind them, a pink explosion occurred as the first Death Stalker was destroyed. Jaune proceeded to slice off some of its legs with aid from Pyrrha. During this Ruby dashed forth with her semblance and embedded her scythe in the cracked carapace, slicing the Grimm several times and destroying it in the process.
"Your days of terror are over, Grimm!" Ruby exclaimed.
"That's the ticket!" Nora cheered in agreement.
"We did it. Nice job everyone." Jaune complimented.
"Pyrrha's idea was really bold, yet smart." Ren stated.
"I would agree." The team leader nodded in agreement. "Good job Pyrrha." She turned away sadly. "Pyrrha?"
The cloaked huntress didn't say a word and left without saying a word. Jaune looked at his teammates with an expression that said, 'What do I do?'
"Go and console her." Ren told him. "The rest of us will go to Hematite and collect our reward."
Following his advice, Jaune left to catch up to Pyrrha.
Back in Mistral, Sienna Khan, now with a black cloak and a new black mask with gold linings, stood on the rooftop of an apartment in the uppermost level of Mistral. She looked at the clouded sky above her.
Perfect. It's time to make my move.
The High Leader of the White Fang jumped from one rooftop to another, eventually making it to the library Miss Malachite told her. First Story Library, in the highest level of Mistral city.
I hope she's right about information being here... My best friend is dead, Athena has taken her place and is who knows where, and my only clue to what happened to me is that strange symbol.
She examined the building before her. It was a large square-shaped one-story building with very few windows. Sneaking in was not going to be easy. She looked for the back entrance and checked the coast for clearance. Afterwards, she got out her lock-pick and picked the lock. The lock clicked and came undone. She checked her surroundings once more and entered the building.
The High Leader looked at the forest green walls, the color invisible if it weren't for her night vision. The floor was lined with black carpet as she slowly strolled forward. A green light was faintly seen in the distance and as Sienna was about to make a right turn to a new hallway, she saw a small sphere with a small green dot on it. A security camera. The tigerwoman took Cereberus Whip and threw the first arrow at the camera, causing it to be destroyed in the explosion.
She picked up the arrow head and went forth, seeing an emergency exit door and a door that was locked. She unlocked it, only to find it was a janitor's closet. She sighed in discontent and went forth.
Eventually she entered the main hub of the library, and found herself shocked. Even though the library was a one floor building, it was a huge space. In the middle of the room was a big circular desk where people would check out books in the daytime. To the left of the desk was a hallway that led to the front entrance. On every wall there were bookshelves so huge they consisted of several small sub-level floors made of metal railings to access the upper levels of the big bookshelves.
Oh Gods, this thing is huge! She breathed in to calm myself. Okay. Where's the restricted section?
Sienna decided to look in the front hallway to see if there were any locked doors. The only thing she found were the bathrooms and a small private computer area for studying and online work.
Oh boy... Is this like the movies where the restricted section is opened by trying to lift a book and a book shelf parts to show a path?
She went back to the main desk and invaded the drawers, wondering if she could find instructions to where the restricted section was. She found various post-it notes reading;
Ninjas of Love to Z129
The Boy Who Fell From the Sky to T567
Another Pun to C345
None of these notes made sense to Sienna, nor did they help her. She groaned and slammed her fist. A whirring sound was heard and she realized she had pressed a hidden-behind-the-counter black button. She found the source of the sound coming from a small reading area with red comfy chairs and she moved one out of the way to see a cylinder glass elevator rising from the ground. Once the elevator had stopped, a ding was heard as the glass door rotated to the side, allowing for entry. She entered the elevator, the door closed and the elevator began its descent.
Now we're getting somewhere. She looked up at the elevator, seeing no camera. I gotta say, clever place to hide an elevator.
Once the elevator was down deep enough, she let her hood down, revealing a smirk.
Meanwhile, Ruby, Ren and Nora were walking through the village of Mensonge. As multiple fights were heard in the distance, the heroes tried to ignore the sound and keep their noses in their own business.
"Man, do people get any sleep here?" Nora asked.
"Oh, I'm sure they find a way..." Ren said.
Ruby looked depressed by the events around her. "Why does the southern side of the village have to be so... chaotic?"
"Don't worry, Ruby. Once we get back to the north side where our hotel room is, we'll be in good shape."
The trio went forward, continuing in somber silence. As Nora went through the city, memories came back to her. Silent versions of their team's battle with Charles Mustard were shown as his voice echoed in her mind.
"...cheated and lied his way into Beacon..."
"...forged his transcripts..."
"...stole his great-grandfather's sword..."
"He stole a briefcase of money to pay for his education. He's a liar and a thief!"
Back in the present, Nora put her hand to her left elbow. He lied to us... but yet... he didn't want to come here...
Ren noticed Nora's sorrow. "Nora?" He touched her shoulder. "Is everything alright?"
"This village... is a village of lies and crime..." She turned away from him. "How is it... that... that Jaune didn't want to come here?"
"Nora..." Ruby began.
"What?! He lied to us. He lied to all of Beacon's staff, stole money..." She groaned. "Are all Arcs criminals?"
"Nora." Ren firmly began. "You are clouded by anger and being overly accusatory. Don't say Jaune's family is guilty unless it's proven that they are not innocent. From what we've heard at the dinner at Edom's cottage, it seems like they're nice, respectable people. As for Jaune, I know you're angry with him, and you have every right to be, but... isn't it time that you've forgiven him? Or at least, make a start in forgiving him for his bad deeds?"
She folded her arms. "But aren't we supposed to holding him accountable for his actions?"
"Yes, we are supposed to be holding him accountable, but that doesn't mean we have to breathe fire down his neck. Besides, he's already under enough pressure as it is. Perhaps you should try being team leader for a day and see how it feels."
The electric powerhouse frowned. "I'm not judging him for his leadership. I'm judging him for the actions he took to secure his place at Beacon Academy. I mean, he's still in purgatory, isn't he?"
"He is, but have you not noticed his attempts in improve and redeem himself?" Nora widened her eyes in realization. "Think about that."
Nora slowed down and looked at the ground ruefully as the other two walked forward.
Clouded by anger... Is this how Pyrrha's haters are? Too wrapped up in seeing the bad to see the good?
The young valkyrie was forced to think about that and her actions as they continued forward.
The scene transitioned to the three of them walking into a tavern. As they entered they saw a few people at the bar countertop, some simply sitting around, while others were drinking. There were numerous tables, some square shaped, while others were circles. They walked through seeing numerous people at the tables. Some were playing card games and gambling. Some were drinking. Some were drinking and gambling. There was also an arm-wrestling match going on between two evenly-matched burly men. The trio made their way to a small square table in the back of the building.
Sitting alone with a wooden chair to the wall was a middle aged woman with red eyes like rust, dark skin and even darker hair. She wore black trousers and a dark brown blouse that had had its left sleeve ripped, exposing her arm. She wore a square-shaped hematite pendant encased in a silver socket and black heeled boots to complete the look. As they approached Hematite, they saw her with a glass of ice water and a plate of wings that had barely been touched.
"Ah, I see you have returned." she smiled. She looked around for Jaune and 'Rouge'. "I see two of your teammates are absent. They didn't die out there, did they?"
"No, they were just tired and opted to get some rest after the fight." Ren answered.
"I see. That's a relief. It would've been very sad if they did. So, tell me- how many Death Stalkers were there?"
"Fifty total, but most of them were babies. Literally. They were easy." Nora answered. "Their parents though... not so much."
"Hmm..." She studied their expressions. "You seem to be telling the truth."
"Of course. We're honest people." Ruby stated.
"Just for good measure though, I want you to give me a detailed oral report of your battle."
And so the three took turns explaining what happened as they fought the Grimm.
"Okay, you're certainly not liars and I apologize for sounding accusatory." Hematite handed Nora a sack of money. "Here's your reward- 10,000 Lien. That'll be more than enough to get you and your crew to the kingdom of Mistral."
She smiled. "Thank you, ma'm."
"You're welcome. I'm just finally glad to have found good, honest workers."
"Why do you say that?" Ruby asked.
"The last person I hired to exterminate Grimm just took the money and run. We were attacked by those Death Stalkers that same night, and many more after that."
"Well, you shouldn't have any Grimm invading you tonight." Ren stated. "At least, Death Stalkers shouldn't be present." He turned to his other two teammates. "Come on, let's get back to the hotel room."
The three took their leave.
Back in the hotel room, Jaune looked at his girlfriend with concern. The Arc Knight sat on his bed as the red cloaked huntress sat in a chair nearby the window with her hood down, showing her loose hair for all to see. She took a sip of water as Jaune silently observed her.
[cue music- I Prevail-Breaking Down]
"Um, Pyrrha, I know you've been awfully silent lately, but could you please just tell me what's wrong?"
"Please, don't call me that anymore." She spoke in her true voice before looking down sadly.
"Is that why you're so upset? Because I called you by your true name?" She nodded in confirmation. "But why? We're not even in the public sphere." He tapped his fist against the walls. "These walls are super thick. No one can hear us."
The former Invincible Girl turned away. "I hate that name."
Her boyfriend looked at her, saddened and confused. "But it's your name. How can you hate it?
She turned to him with a fiery glare in her eyes. "Because Pyrrha Nikos is the name of a failure! I've failed everyone Jaune!"
"No, that's not true! You know that's not true!" he insisted.
"Is it true?" Jaune stopped to think as the faux fashion model stood up and went on, "I failed to stop Cinder the first time round, and when we saw Emerald and Mercury at Beacon, I failed to stop them. I've never been strong enough. I couldn't be the Invincible Girl that everyone needed me to be, and I still can't. And now everyone hates Pyrrha. I can't risk letting my face be seen. Why do you think I'm always wearing this mask, even in my sleep? It's because everyone wants my head on a platter!"
"But no one's here but me. You don't have to wear the mask. You could take it off for a bit."
"No! I can't do that! You know I can't do that! What if someone comes barging in and sees my true face?"
"Pyrrha..."
"Stop saying that name." The red-haired warrior commanded. "She is dead to me. Better to let her remain dead."
"How can you say that?!" he asked her.
"Because Pyrrha's fire has burned out." She continued in her French accent, "It is time for Rouge's ice to take its place." She sighed, shifting to her normal tone. "I need some space and time alone."
As she made her way to the door, Jaune gently took her wrist. "Pyrrha... Please... don't..."
"It's over, Jaune." Pyrrha spoke. The knight gasped as she broke free of his grasp. "Au revoir, mon amour." 'Rouge' told him.
Soon thereafter, she shut the door behind her and left him heartbroken. The knight stood still for a few moments. Saddened and worried about her to no end, he buried his face in his knees. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the tears from falling.
The scene switched to the red haired warrior standing in an empty washroom, her emotions bubbling underneath and her thoughts racing. Pyrrha/Rouge took off her mask to air off her face, and there were a few visible marks left from where the mask had been worn. She set the mask down in front of the sink.
Everybody's out to get me. From rogue huntsmen and huntresses, to not-huntsmen combatants, civilians, politicians, everyone but my friends. I guess I never noticed how fear came creeping in... My enemy emotion... The one that threatens to reveal me to the world each day. Person in the mirror... A friend, yet a foe... It seems some days I'm my own worst enemy.
She brought her hand to where the mask was formerly resting on her face. The skin felt dry and maybe even a bit irritated. She sighed.
Everybody fucking hates me. Not just the Trojan Alliance. Another sigh was released into the empty air. I told my friends how everyone's after Pyrrha, and they still don't want me to wear the mask. I feel like no one's listening to me. I think I'm breaking down. I think I may be thinking too much. Am I paranoid? Have I lost my mind? Or am I in the process of losing it?
The red-haired warrior turned around as she thought she heard the sound of a door opening, but it was really nothing. She set the mask down and splashed some cold water on her face. I really am losing it. I'm secretly beginning to feel hopeless. No one will ever accept Pyrrha Nikos as a heroine or a future huntress.
She grabbed some paper towels and dried off her face. She felt a little bit better physically, but her emotional state was getting down. She was breaking down.
I tell people I'm fine, but like everything else, it's just a big lie.
She got out a container of lotion, took off her black gloves and squeezed some of the white moisturizing liquid onto her left hand. Using her left hand, she applied the lotion to the area where her mask was and used both hands to spread it around her entire face.
As she did this, she thought, Why can't the lie be true? Rouge is confident, bold, strong. She's the one the world needs. Not a scared, insecure weakling like Pyrrha!
She applied the remaining lotion to her arms and washed off the remaining excess lotion on her hands.
Why are you saying that? another part of her asked. Is it because people don't like you? Is it because they hate you? She paused for a moment. Or do you hate yourself?
The gladiator girl stared at her reflection in the mirror, and a few tears were shed. I don't really like myself. But how can I like Pyrrha Nikos? Rouge Gorlois is much better. She's a huntress and a hero and Pyrrha Nikos has been condemned by everyone. She was blamed for crimes that weren't hers and couldn't be the Invincible Girl everyone needed her to be. She failed to stop Beacon's fall, failed to save its citizens, and failed to stop the ones responsible for the attack. She failed and failed and failed.
The faux fashion model used a paper towel to wipe away her tears and looked at her mask and gloves. But perhaps Rouge can succeed where Pyrrha has failed.
She picked up her gloves and put them back on. She took the mask, looked at it for a few moments ruefully, and put it back on. Then she looked at her new weapon. There's a reason Rouge's weapon is named Froidcoeur. It means cold heart. And if having a cold heart and being nearly emotionless will protect Pyrrha from the Trojan Alliance and all who wish to kill her, then so be it. From this day onward, Pyrrha Nikos is now dead. And Rouge Gorlois will be the one to save the day.
The huntress sheathed her sword and felt a cold chill creep over her and vibrate throughout her whole body. She felt a cold emptiness from within. At first there was sadness, then nothing. As her sanity had completely collapsed, her heart began to freeze over. But she thought nothing of it. The huntress turned away from the mirror, not realizing that she had lost her heart and her mind.