MEEEEMES!!!

  OKAY!

  --------------------------------

  The Giant Nevermore screeches as it continues to weaken the force field that's keeping it from getting in.

  "Warning: Safety Barriers Failing." An Automated system announces.

  Ambré starts to drag Rose towards the exit as people push past them.

  "Come on, Rose!" Ambré shouts. "We gotta hurry!"

  "What about the others?" Rose asks as she stumbles slightly. "We can't leave them."

  "Rose, the others can handle themselves, my priority is getting you out of here."

  Rose suddenly rips her arm out of Ambré's grip, making the older sister stop and look back at her.

  "We can't leave them to fight alone, Ambré." Rose says with determination.

  "I am not putting you in danger, Rose. I-!"

  "And I'm not leaving behind my friends!" Rose takes a step forward in anger, her sister takes a step back in shock. "I'm staying to help them and if you have a problem with that, then. Then!" She grips her fists and clenches her teeth before yelling. "F-Fuck you then!"

  "...Rose..."

  "You taught me that you must never leave friends behind!" Rose gres at her sister. "Yet here you are, leaving behind Ruby, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora and everyone else." Her gre hardens. "It seems like you're either good at brute forcing through your problems, or running away from them."

  Ambré stares at her sister in shock, before sighing and smiling. "And did you grow up?"

  "Going through a lot of scary situations does harden someone." Rose slightly smiles.

  Suddenly the two are thrown off their feet as the Nevermore crashes through the barrier and sms into the ground in front of Pyrrha.

  Ambré quickly gets up and pulls Rose up by the back of her shirt. Ambré looks over to see Ruby stab the Nevermore with Penny's sword, protecting Pyrrha.

  "Leave her alone!" Ruby yells, before she's thrown off the Nevermore as it rises up into the sky.

  The Grimm circles around the arena before lunging back down. Ruby holds Penny's sword defensively. Suddenly, the Nevermore gets pinned down by a barrage of rocket lockers, and screeches out in pain before going unconscious.

  The lockers open up revealing everyone's weapons. Ambré jumps up to her locker and quickly grabs Silent Coffin. She runs her hand over the side of the gun with a smile.

  Rose grabs her pistol, Grimm's Revetion and then the Mini-gun, Thorn Bush. Rose sets the min-gun on her back and pulls back the slide on her pistol, as she whispers.

  "Let's do this."

  Everyone is suddenly shaken when the Nevermore starts to get back up. Rose lets out a panicked scream as she jumps off and as she nds on the ground her eyes turn red. Thorn whips off the min-gun on her back and starts to ugh as she open fires on the Nevermore.

  Ambré jumps up into the air as she changes her SMG into a sword, then she yells as she holds her sword up high and brings it down as she falls, cutting through the Grimm's wing. Artisan Altan uses her rope dart to swing down and grab the towering Yatsuashi from the ground and up into the air; just as the Nevermore crashes back into the ground.

  Nora ughs as she flips through the air and sms her hammer into the head of the Nevermore, just as it tries to get up.When Arsn reaches peak height, she lets go of Yatsuhashi, who is then joined by Sage, as the two broadsword wielders ssh down and decapitate the Nevermore.

  The head nds near Ruby before dissipating into bck particles. While the students for a perimeter, Ambré and Rose go regroup together as the shorter sister puts the mini-gun onto her back and pulls out her pistol.

  Ruby looks over to the teary-eyed Pyrrha.

  Pyrrha kneels on the ground. "Ruby, I..." She stops and holds a piece of Penny's torn cloth in her hands as her eyes continue to well up. "I'm so sorry.

  "Me too." Ruby forlornly says, but then she grows angry. "But it wasn't your fault."

  "She's right." Jaune says as he was;lks over to Pyrrha with Miló and Akoúo in his hands. "Whoever was on that microphone... they're the ones that did this. And we have to make sure they don't take anyone else.

  Pyrrha stands back up and takes her weapons back from Jaune, the two of them exchanging determined expressions.

  Rose looks over to the torn up Penny, a sad look on her face. She then turns to Ambré. "Do you... Do you think Maize is... like Penny?"

  Ambré looks over and looks between Penny and Rose. "I uh... maybe I just..." She lets out a shaky breath. "I hope she's okay."

  Rose continues to look around. "Wait... where's Byzan?"

  Ambré raises an eyebrow, noticing the ck of flirting recently. As she goes to speak, she notices Hippogriff-like Grimm nd on the top of the Colosseum. They fly towards the group of students as Ren calls the Grimm species out by their formal name.

  "Griffons."

  "Anyone got a pn of attack?" Neptune calls out.

  Ambré flips her sword into the air, as it changes into a gun. "Take them down one at a time."

  "Sun!" Ruby calls out. "I need your Scroll!"

  Sun uses his tail to flick his Scroll to Ruby, who catches and uses it to summon her locker, which opens up revealing a Crescent Rose. However, Ruby is stopped when a Griffon nds on her locker, and roars at her before being scared away at the sound of a gunshot.

  "Students!" Port holds Blowhard in hand, with Oobleck holding Antiquity's Roast in its club form. "I think it would be best for you to leave."

  Ruby tries to speak. "But we did a-"

  "Miss Rose!" Oobleck interrupts. "This day will surely go down in Remnant's history. I'd prefer it if my students could live to tell about it."

  Ruby nods at the Doctor's words before grabbing Crescent Rose and twirling it into it's scythe form.

  "Let's go!" Ruby calls out.

  As all the students leave, Rose looks back at her teachers in worry. Ambré buts a hand on her shoulder and gives her a reassuring smile.

  "Hey, they'll be fine." Ambré assures. "They wouldn't be amazing Professors if they weren't good Huntsmen." She runs off.

  Rose nods and follows after her sister.

  Port and Oobleck stand back-to-back with their weapons in hand as the Griffons circle around them.

  Port ughs enthusiastically. "One final match, Barty! Pce your bets!"

  Over at a docking bay Civilians continue to run and flee in panic. Ats Soldiers are directing civilians to calmly step into the Air Buses. A female student is seen breaking down in tears as another person tries to comfort her.

  Suddenly, White Fang Bullheads are seen dropping off more Grimm at the docking bay. Two Atlesian Knights escorting General Ironwood effortlessly gun down an Ursa. As they proceed forward, the Knights are suddenly brutally ripped apart by a much rger, armored Beowolf Variant.

  The Beowolf then notices Ironwood as the General starts to run towards it, gradually picking up speed as he nears the charging Beowolf. He lets out a loud battlecry as he pulls out his revolver from his coat.

  Ironwood ducks and slides under the Beowolf's swipe and shoots at it twice. Pivoting as he skids across the floor, and using his free hand as a break. The Beowolf nds and shakes its head and charges at Ironwood again, who first his revolver three more times before having to duck under another swipe. The Beowolf attempts to swipe at him again with its left cw, but Ironwood effortlessly stops it with his own right hand.

  The General then fires at the Beowolf's feet, the explosions causing it to get airborne, and still gripping it's cw, Ironwood proceeds to swing it back down to the ground with his own brute strength.

  He then picks up the Beowolf, aims the revolver at its skull, and shoots it, causing bck blood to sptter from it. Ironwood then watches the body of the Grimm dissipate before leaving. At the same time the students exit the arena entrance and gather together in front of Ironwood.

  "What's going on?!" Ruby calls out.

  "Grimm are crawling all over the city. The White Fang invaded Beacon, and to make matters worse, some... vagabond has seized one of my ships. Until we regain command, the skies are out of our control. So I'm..." Ironwood pauses nothing a Creep advancing on the group from behind, and shoots it before finishing. "...going to take it back."

  As Ironwood turns for his ship, he is stopped when asked a question by Jaune.

  "What should we do?"

  Ironwood turns to face the students. "You have to choices. Defend your Kingdom and school... or save yourselves." The students exchange looks with each other. "No one will fault you if you leave." He looks towards Ambré and Rose. "Lieutenant, where's Maize?"

  "She's... somewhere in the city, sir." Ambré informs.

  Ironwood frowns, and looks to the side and motions to an abandoned Bullhead. "Take the Bullhead and get down into the city and find her. And while your at it, find Byzantine." He sighs and turns around. "He'll be able to help me get my ship back, and find out who the hell did this."

  Ironwood then proceeds to climb up on the dropship, as he addresses his Knights. "Let's move out!"

  Ambré turns to Rose. "Let's go Rose."

  Rose nods. "Right!"

  The two begin to walk away.

  "Ambré!" Ruby calls out and she looks back at her. "Stay safe out there."

  Ambré smirks and nods. "You to, Ruby."

  The two run off as everyone calls out to them to stay safe. Ambré hops into the Bullhead and climbs into the pilot seat, as Rose sits in an open seat in the back.

  "Now... let's see if I remember how to do this." Ambré hits a few buttons and flips a few switches and the Bullhead starts. She ughs as she grabs the controls and flies the ship down into Vale.

  Down in Vale as Ambré and Rose head down, Professor Ash stands on top of a massive armored Goliath Variant. He leans against his sword as his chest heaves up and down, massive amounts of dissipating Grimm surround him.

  Atlesain Knights fire onto Grimm behind him, that is until they stop moving for a few seconds. Then a red light shines in their visors and they turn towards Ash. The robots aim their guns at Ash and he takes notice, sweat falling down his brow.

  "Oh no...."

  A few miles away Ambré and Rose are running along the streets, taking out a few Grimm in their path. They come around a corner and find their target. The Cats Corner Cafe, a burning Bullhead is crashed on the roof.

  Ambré and Rose gnce at each other and nod. They run down the street towards it. In the distance a rge church colpses.

  Half an hour earlier.

  Byzan peeks around a corner and spots Emerald and Mercury enter a rge airship. The two ugh as they don't notice Byzan sneak his way over to them. He enters the airship as the ramp closes.

  "This was easier then I thought." Emerald states.

  "Hell, you shoulda seen the look on her face." Mercury chuckles.

  They hear a loud click and they both raise their eyebrows and look back. They both see Byzan aiming his flint-lock and at them, a heavy frown on his face. Emerald eyes slightly widen while Mercury smirks.

  "Look what the car dragged in, Em." Mercury chuckles.

  "This wasn't the pn!" Byzan growls in anger. "None of this was supposed to happen!"

  "Well pns changed Byzan. You know that better than anyone."

  The aircraft shakes as it takes off.

  Byzan yells in anger. "The deal was you take the maidens powers and you would leave my family alone!"

  Emerald scoffs. "You really are naive, Byzan." She starts walking towards the cockpit door, with Mercury walking backwards with her.

  "Besides, Byzan, all of this is technically your fault." Mercury shrugs. "You got us all the info, got us into their system. And you gave us the Maiden's location. If anyone's to bme it's you."

  Byzan starts to growl like a cat as he steps forward. "None of this is my fault! You used me!"

  Emerald scoffs. "You willingly did this."

  The two reach the cockpit door.

  Mercury chuckles. "You know, there's someone who's really excited to meet you."

  Byzan stares at the two as Emerald opens the door, and someone flies out. Byzan's eyes widen in shock as he barely is able to change his gun into a sword, as he blocks a blow. The force of the attack sends him sliding back a bit.

  Byzan looks up at his attacker and his eyes widen in horror.

  Standing in front of Byzan is a girl with long red hair tied into a pony tail, a bandanna acting as the tie. Burning green eyes bare into Byzan's amber. A rge golden scimitar in her right hand shines in the light of the cargo bay lights.

  "Byzantine Beldona." Lisa Lesile says his name with venom as she aims the her sword at him. "I'm going to kill you."

  Byzan lowers himself to the ground, as he pulls his sheath off his back. He sweats as his heart races.

  'I can't win against this foe.'

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  03-03-2025

  2200 words