The Remnant Theater (RWBY x Azur Lane)

Deception

Jaune had no idea where Ozpin was taking him, Pyrrha and Amagi. He had once more carried an unconscious Pyrrha into the elevator. The elevator in question went down at Ozpin's command, down further than he ever thought it would. No one said anything.

When the doors finally slid open, Ozpin took off running. Jaune scrambled to catch up with him being encumbered by his partner. Amagi simply walked as fast as she could.

"What is this place?" Jaune questioned upon getting a look at this dimly lit chamber. At the end of it, he could make out a pod. Two pods. His confusion mounted when he saw the one on the left had an occupant already. His sense of intuition had him gently lower Pyrrha next to the empty pod.

Almost immediately, Ozpin approached Pyrrha's unconscious form on the other side. He placed his index and middle finger first on Pyrrha's wrist, then on her neck, whilst looking over her injured form. With things slowed down, Jaune could get a better look at his partner and the classes he did get on medical treatment told him it was not good.

He could see black marks on her forehead and arms indicating heavy bruising and burns. Her arms were resting at odd angles. Her corset had been peppered with shrapnel, and her legs had the angry red and black blistering highlighting bad burns. By all of this, Jaune figured out what happened to his partner. Since Pyrrha had been rushing Penny at the moment of the bomb going off, the blast had hit her upper body first. As she was blown back, her Aura took the worst of it before it broke. The burns and bruising came from the subsequent impact and intense heat.

Jaune pulled out his Scroll and accessed team JNPR's Aura sensory network. His was in the green. Nora and Ren were in the yellow and dangerously close to the line. Pyrrha only had a smattering of red and well below the safe line. When it came back, she would recover. Maybe that was what these pods were for. The other occupant looked to be in a bad way.

"Miss Nikos. Miss Nikos? Pyrrha?" Ozpin said as he tried to revive her. He hung his head from the lack of response. "We're in a difficult position."

"What are you talking about?" Jaune asked him.

"It would seem this is what Pyrrha was referring to." Amagi said.

"Amagi?"

"I found Pyrrha alone yesterday appearing to be in a mental crisis. She insisted she had a choice, a destiny perhaps. She seemed torn by duty and personal desire. I would therefore think that this contraption and its one occupant have something to do with it." The kitsune deduced.

"Correct, Miss Amagi. Have you heard the tale of the Four Maidens?"

"Yes." Jaune answered, still confused.

"I came across it in my studies of Remannt." Amagi confirmed.

"The tale is true. There are indeed four maidens imbued with magical power. Obtaining it requires the previous host to think of you in their final thoughts. Miss Amber was ambushed for said power. This machine is intended to ensure it falls to the right hands, but it meddles with Aura. I believed Pyrrha was our best choice to inherit it, thus I explained the situation."

Ozpin began to pick Pyrrha up. "I had given her a choice. However it appears circumstances have other plans."

"You can't!"

Ozpin looked Jaune in the eyes. "I understand your wish to protect your partner Mister Arc, but these powers must not fall into the wrong hands."

"You said you gave her a choice! She hasn't decided yet!" Jaune shouted.

"Ozpin, I was the last to speak to Pyrrha on this matter unknowingly." Amagi insisted. "She was undecided. You cannot presume to know her thoughts on the matter. If she chose not to, then you would have placed an enormous burden on a young girl. She might very well turn against you."