RWBY Through Worlds

178: Mice or Men

Ruby was dizzy with anger, but Oscar, still trying to keep a hold of Ozpin, suddenly grabbed her boot.

She looked down sharply.

Little, awake for once, suddenly pulled her ear in an effort to make her snap out of it. Ruby winced.

"Ruby, please," Oscar said weakly. "We need you."

"To give me the Relic!" Ozpin said.

Funnily enough, something about hearing those two contrasting each other startled Ruby.

She blinked.

"Oscar..." she said, "I--"

One of the Irasci suddenly climbed over the rock and reached for Oscar.

"Hey!" Ruby's eyes flashed and vaporized it and the ones behind it.

Oscar felt a lit less stifled.

"Ruby." He sat up.

Ruby grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"I'm sorry," she said really loudly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Nevermind that, Ruby, just kill the Grimm," Oscar said.

Ruby looked back.

Mercury seemed to be freaking out. The Kong was in front of him. It was reaching down--

"I've gotta help," she said.

She burst into rose petals, taking Oscar with her, and appeared in front of it.

The Kong hesitated... It had just seen the flash.

Ruby waved at Mercury.

"Hey, get a grip!"

"I can't..." he said.

"This is your fault!" Hazel and Emerald both said. Oscar kind of blocked them, though what that was going to do, he didn't know, but they didn't attack.

"Shut up." Ruby yanked Mercury's arm. "Don't think about them. They're not the ones talking, it's the Grimm. Think about what it's doing to our friends. Think about how much it needs to stop. It's the problem. They're the ones we have to save."

Mercury glanced at her blankly and then up at the Kong.

"Don't think about how big it is," Ruby said heatedly. 

"Emerald," Oscar said quietly, "please, come out of it. Hazel?"

Emerald seemed to focus a little. "Oscar..." faintly.

"Hurry," Oscar muttered. "If Hazel snaps right now, we'd have a giant on both sides."

Kong looked down at them, and then it roared.

Ruby's eyes gleamed.

"I've used mine a few times," she said, "so I'm low on energy, but try, okay? Just try... together."

She had no idea if that was even possible, but she had no better ideas.

Neither did Mercury.

[This song seemed to fit Mercury. "I didn't Ask for This", by Beth Crowley.]

In that same moment Qrow was thrown into a rock by Winter and had the wind knocked out of him.

She came closer, sword out still.