RWBY and JNPR Watch The Project Freelancer Saga

S10E9

Author's note:

Huge thanks to Brian.H.H for more great analysis that I shamelessly used. I love hearing your suggestions and analyses. It helps me put my own thoughts into words or shows me an entirely new perspective.

Cover Art: Cruz7808

S10E9- Fighting Fire

"It started as soon as he got Sigma." Jaune added.

"Carolina's simple act of kindness." Pyrrha sighed, "She made a big decision, she gave up her A.I. for him and blames herself for what happened."

"She just wanted him to be able to talk again." Ruby sagged.

"And Sigma is a bad translator." Blake added.

"He lost his voice in more ways than one." Weiss shook her head. "He twists Maine's words. Especially when he inserts himself into them."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

Weiss sat up "In the classroom Sigma, instead of directly saying, 'Maine says' followed by what Maine wanted to say, Sigma said 'we.' It's an important distinction." She explained.

"He also intentionally pissed Carolina off." Yang added.

"Manipulating her, reminding her of her hate for Tex and indirectly driving her away from Maine." Blake added.

Ruby looked down, "It's probably hard for him to talk to his friends."

"Yeah." Yang looked up, "Yeah how can he? Imagine if he wanted to comfort one of them. He wants to say 'It's not your fault, I hope you're okay.' And that bastard twists his words. He can easily say something like 'It's not your fault the enemy was more prepared, I hope you're okay after your embarrassing defeat.'" Her angry sarcasm rose with every word.

"He can't talk to his friends at all." Ruby empathized. "It'd be like saying the wrong awkward thing on accident except all the time!"

"That would be awful." Jaune grimaced. "To the socially awkward." He whispered to Ruby, both chuckling at their inside joke before their smiles fell. They thought about just how horrible Maine had it.

"And his manipulation goes further, think about the effect that has on Maine." Weiss sighed. "Losing your voice affects you more than you would think. He's also losing those he talked to. Losing your way to communicate and express yourself means losing your freedom." Her thoughts drifted towards her father.

Blake nodded, understanding.

"And if you think I'm wrong, look at what just happened." Weiss gestured to the screen. "Sigma gave Maine an order."

"And it's subtle." Blake's ears drooped low, "He ordered him to do something he already wanted to do. But that's just it, he's conditioning Maine to take his orders."

"And the way he said it was degrading." Yang growled.

Blake hissed, her ears standing up firm. "He treated Maine like a dog."

"It's sickening." Pyrrha agreed.

" Fighting Fire" appeared on the screen with the theme.

Blake shook away her disgust at Sigma, "Fighting Fire, meaning Maine against the sleeveless soldier."

"I wonder why he wasn't with them from the start." Nora wondered aloud.

"They used him as a shock trooper." Jaune explained. "Dropping him in the middle of a group of enemy soldiers works, remember when Carolina used him as a counter weight?"