(Amity Colosseum)
The arena's mountain biome is being bombarded by several explosions all around the area. Russel, with his weapon, Shortwings in hand, is running from the mayhem before spinning around, ready to face his opponents, who turns out to be Penny and her beret-wearing "teammate," Ciel. With an ever-present smile and simple arm movements, she summons six floating swords from her Floating Array and rears them back before launching them in a ring at Russel, who barely manages to duck behind a rock to protect himself.
Wasting no time, Penny does the same thing with another group of blades, homing in on Russel's teammate, Sky until he uses Feather's Edge to vault over another stone for defense. The two exchange a worried look at the sight of their rocks still pierced with multiple blades, and Penny grins in combat-ready fierceness as she looks to her partner, who simply taps her watch as if hurrying Penny up. Wasting no time, Penny raises her hands like a puppetmaster and uses the near-invisible strings attached to each hilt to lift the giant rocks up in the air, with the screaming Russel and Sky still hanging on. Bringing her arms down to her sides, the stones come crashing to the ground as well, leaving Penny's opponents in the grass. Her swords come back to her pack as the buzzer rings.
The two announcers speak over the broadcaster's system.
Port: "Ooh! That's got to hurt!"
Oobleck: "And victory goes to Penny and Ciel of Atlas!"
The still smiling Peny place a fist in her palm, bowing in respect to her fallen opponents.
Penny: "Thank you for a wonderful match."
The two victors turn to leave the stadium as Russel feebly reaches out, only to get hit in the head by a falling stone.
Watching from the stands, Ruby sees them start to walk away and excitedly gets up from her seat with the rest of her team to meet them at one of the exits. Y/N and a tired looking Pyrrha decides to follow after Ruby, wanting to congratulate Penny and Ciel, despite Ciel's protest to have Penny not hang with them. Ruby, Y/N, and Pyrrha catch up with them with Ruby spreading her arms and call her out.
Ruby: "Penny!"
In response, Penny becomes equally, if not more excited to see her friends.
Penny: "My friends!"
She then lifts up her own arms, quickly rushing and leaping to hug them only for Y/N to dodge out of the way and for Penny to hug only Ruby, tackling her on the ground. Penny looks up to her two other friends, especially Y/N since he dodges her hug.
Penny: "Why must you avoid a friendly hug?"
Y/N: "Because of that..."
Upon saying this, he points at Ruby as Penny look to see that she's basically crushing her with her hug, weakly groaning.
Ruby: "Why..."
Y/N: "That's how I felt when you and Yang tackle me to the ground every time."
Penny: "Oops! Sorry, Ruby."
Quickly, Penny gets up energetically and address Y/N and Pyrrha.
Penny: "So, what bring you guys here?"
Y/N: "We wanted to congratulate you and Ciel on your win."
Ruby also swiftly gets up from the ground, still excited.
Ruby: "Yeah!"
Y/N: "Right, Pyrrha?"
He turns to see Pyrrha, visibly distracted, being lost in thought for a moment before snapping back to awareness, giving a weak smile.
Pyrrha: "Oh yes. Congratulation."
Y/N can tell the somewhat tiredness in her eyes and being distracted again, but he already knows what.
Y/N: ("Make sense... the whole Maiden thing must be gnawing on her head.")
After a few seconds of silence, Ruby turn to Penny and Ciel, catching Y/N's attention.
Ruby: "You two were incredible out there. How do you keep control of all those swords? It's so cool!"
Y/N: "Yeah. I never seen someone use so many swords so smoothly and effectively."
Penny: "Oh, uh..."
Ciel clear her throats, gaining all of their attention. She then looks at her watch and gestures at it.
Ciel: "Penny? I believe it is best if we move on to our next location."
Penny exchanges a look with Ruby, Y/N, and the still distracted Pyrrha before turning to Ciel.
Penny: "Could we have just a minute to talk?"
In response, Ciel checks the time from her watch, then takes a step back and nods, starting the countdown. Penny then turns to her friends.
Y/N: "Ciel is... punctual, I guess."
Penny: "Well, in a way. She's like Blake, but if Blake was ordered to spend time with you."
Ruby: "Oh. So, Weiss."
Ruby's remark makes Y/N laugh for a moment as Penny answer.
Penny: "Precisely."
After Y/N's laugh fade, Ruby tug him and Penny close as she lowers her voice, whispering to them.
Ruby: "Penny... does she know about... y'know..."
The team leader then moves her body abruptly as to imitate a robot.
Ruby: "Beep boop bop, does not compute?"
Penny: "Oh no. General Ironwood doesn't really want anyone to know. There was an incident with a magnet, but I was able to play it off."
Y/N: "How exactly?"
Penny: "Oh, a sun hat."
(Small Flashback)
In the Festival's fairgrounds with Ciel and Penny, who's wearing a large sun hat. The wind picks up and lifts the hat from her hair, revealing the aforementioned magnet on her skull, and Penny quickly shoves the hat back on before Ciel turns back around to face her.
Ciel: "What's wrong?"
Penny offers a bright smile.
Penny: "Oh nothing. Just the wind was going to blow away this hat and I manage to catch it."
Ciel: "Ah, I see."
The beret-wearing girl turn away as Penny quietly sigh in relief.
(End of Small Flashback)
The story causes Ruby and Penny to laugh about it for several seconds as Y/N comments.
Y/N: "Good thing you have that sun hat."
Penny: "Indeed."
Stepping in, Ciel approach to Penny's side and point to her watch.
Ciel: "Penny. It's been precisely one minute."
Penny look upset for a bit before smiling back to her friends.
Penny: "I'll talk to you guys soon. You too, Pyrrha."
Once her name is called, Pyrrha snap back to awareness once more.
Pyrrha: "Oh, yes."
Pyrrha then walk up to Penny, laying a hand on her shoulder and quietly comment to her.
Pyrrha: "I'm sure you'll make the right choice."
Her choice of words confuses Ruby and Ciel while, Y/N's eyes widen, not because of her remark, but also because he senses Pyrrha's semblance being used.
Y/N: ("What the hell...?")
In her distracted state, Pyrrha accidentally jolts Penny's systems with her Ferrokinesis. Penny begins to stutter and suffer movement lag, prompting concern from her friends and Ciel.
Ruby: "Penny?"
Ciel: "Is something the matter?"
Recovering from that, Penny quickly covers up what just happened, giving a confused frown.
Penny: "Uh... I deduce that I'm feeling... what's the word... oh, yes... sick. I'm feeling... sick."
Ciel: "Well, why didn't you say so? Let's go."
Immediately, Ciel grab her arm, doing her best to drag Penny away to get some bed rest.
Penny: "Bye, my friends!"
Ruby, Y/N, and Pyrrha waved them off both confused and concerned. Once the two Atlas students are out of sight, Ruby quickly turn to Pyrrha.
Ruby: "Pyrrha, is something wrong?"
Pyrrha: "H-Huh?" What do you mean?"
Ruby: "Well, you've been spacing out a lot."
Pyrrha look at Ruby and Y/N, especially Y/N, considering he and she know all about the Maidens and that she has to eventually make a choice to be the next Fall Maiden or not. Realizing that she's been staring at him a lot more than necessary, she quickly looks to Ruby, giving a small smile.
Pyrrha: "Oh, It's just that there's a lot in mind at the moment."
Y/N: "You sure?"
Pyrrha quickly nod to them.
Pyrrha: "Positive."
The sound of the stadium speakers gains their attention as Port begins to speak out.
Port: "Alright then! Time for the next match!"
Suddenly, Ruby becomes excited as she clasps her hands together.
Ruby: "Oh my gosh, that's right! Come on, guys!"
Ruby quickly dashes to their seats, while Y/N glances over Pyrrha, her eyes drifting away. Y/N caught her attention by placing a hand on her head and proceeding to headpat her, trying to ease her mind. Pyrrha slowly calm down a bit only for her to shove his hand away, looking back at him.
Pyrrha: "W-We should head back with the others..."
Y/N: "Sure..."
In awkward silence, the two walk back to their seats before Y/N breaks that silence.
Y/N: "It's your decision to make, Pyrrha. I trust your judgment. No matter what choice you make in the end, I'm with you one hundred percent."
Pyrrha slowly turn her head to look at Y/N, giving him a small smile.
Pyrrha: "I'm glad... that I have someone to talk about this sort of... thing."
Y/N: "Well, they did tell us to keep it a secret."
Pyrrha: "Which is why I'm glad you and I are in this together."
After a moment of pause, Pyrrha adds on.
Pyrrha: "We should hurry up and take our seats."
Y/N: "Sure."
Among the crowd around the arena, Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury watch the next match be "randomly" chosen. After a few seconds of spinning, the multiple holographic screens display that it's Yang and Weiss vs Neon and Flynt. Cinder is sitting behind Mercury and Emerald, with Mercury munching on a large tub of popcorn he has with him. Cinder slowly gets up from seat as she addresses her two accomplices.
Cinder: "I do hope your pick to be right on this one."
Emerald turns her head to face Cinder while, Mercury shrugs it off.
Mercury: "Heh, I guarantee that there will be fireworks from this match."
Emerald: "There better be."
In response, Cinder takes an unpopped kernel from Mercury's bucket before sitting back down.
Cinder: "Then, I look forward to it."
Her eyes glow a bit along with her fingertips and the kernel finally pops into a popcorn as Mercury and Emerald share a devious smirk.
Inside of the center of the arena, Yang and Weiss are standing side by side with Yang stretching her arms.
Yang: "Well, now it's our turn."
Weiss: "Just remember to keep proper form."
Yang: "You got it."
Soon enough, Neon and Flynt arrive in the center of the arena, standing before the two girls.
The two Atlas students are quite surprised that they would be facing off with Weiss so soon. They then start glaring at her, which Weiss and Yang take notice of. Flynt does say anything while the same can't be said for as she moves around a bit on her signature roller skates.
Neon: "You're Weiss Schnee, right? The heiress."
Keeping a calm expression, Weiss responds, bowing her head a bit.
Weiss: "I am."
Neon: "I take it you're pretty good with dust, then?"
Weiss shrugs humbly to Neon.
Weiss: "I do my best."
Neon quickly glances at Flynt, who haven't said a word yet before focusing her attention to Weiss.
Neon: "Yeah, Flynt's family was good too. Owned a little Dust shop of their own."
Neon's smile turns into a scowl, her tone turning more hostile.
Neon: "Till your family's company ran them out of business."
Weiss then look ashamed upon hearing this.
Weiss: Oh... I'm sorry to hear that."
Behind his shades, Flynt roll his eyes before finally responding to her.
Flynt: "You Schnees are all the same. Selfish, money-grubbing bastards who run family stores out of business like mine."
Weiss becomes sadden by this, while Yang becomes frustrated by his remark as Flynt continues.
Flynt: "Now that I'm fighting you. I'm going to enjoy watching you lose, 'heiress'."
Yang raises a finger.
Yang: "Hey! Why don't you-"
Only for Weiss to cut her off.
Weiss: "This match has nothing to do with my family. This is a fight between huntsmen in training, that's all."
Flynt scoffs at this.
Flynt: "Pft, yeah right. Keep telling yourself that, Schnee."
Yang tries to chime in once more.
Yang: "Hey! Why don't you-!"
Neon: "Hey! Why don't you? See. That's what you sound like!"
Yang doesn't know how to react towards Neon's comment.
Yang: "Uh..."
Neon: "Hey! Where'd you get your hair extensions?"
Yang: "This is just my normal hair."
Neon: "Ooh, really?"
Getting annoyed by this, Yang speaks up.
Yang: "Yeah! Is that a prob-"
Neon: "You should try rollerblading sometime! It's super fun!
The Faunus starts spinning in place once more as she continues rapidly.
Neon: It'd probably take you a while, though, since you're so... you know, 'top-heavy'."
The blonde looks down at herself with Weiss taken aback by Neon's remark before the irritated Yang shouts.
Yang: "Excuse me!?"
On the benches, Ruby rolls her eyes as she spectates with Y/N and the rest of their group.
Ruby: "Oh, here we go."
Y/N: "Man, that Neon girl is really getting Yang's skin, huh."
Ruby: "Hope they lose because of it."
Immediately, the field opens around the four combatants, and up rises the four sections: a volcanic area, a sandy desert, steaming geysers, and ruined buildings.
Port: "Three! Two! One!"
As they hear this, the four combatants prepare themselves for battle.
Oobleck: "Begin!"
Right as it starts, Flynt raises the instrument to his lips and blows, issuing forth a sound wave that blows both Weiss and Yang back from the force. Weiss is able to create a glyph under her to stop sliding back but doesn't see Neon spinning into the attack and using it to push herself forward so she can charge at Yang in a rainbow burst of speed and push her away from Weiss. Soon enough, Flynt activate his semblance, Killer Quartet, having two clones facing Yang and himself and his other clone facing Weiss. Flynt stops blowing as Weiss readies her rapier, a second passing until the musician starts playing again. This time, Weiss uses darker glyphs to move her forward through the cone of waves, making another one to get closer and closer so she can land a blow. Suddenly, however, Flynt stops playing, and Weiss is forced to move forward, earning a kick to the back as she slides past. She crashes through a red Dust crystal, and Flynt grins when he sees her lying in the area now spouting pillars of fire.
Flynt: "Too bad all that money can't buy you skill."
Meanwhile, Neon manages to roll ahead of every blast from Yang's Ember Celica, skating on the railings and making faces at an irritated Yang. She continues to flip and slide over any terrain in her way, all the while repeating a mantra to herself. She eventually comes down to the ground and charges at Yang, becoming a rainbow blue while hitting the blonde multiple times. Yang grits her teeth, unloading the spent shells in her gauntlets, as Neon smirks and cracks her glow sticks, turning them blue. She comes forward again, dashing past Yang before she even realizes that her right leg is now encased in ice.
Neon: "Never miss a beat! Never miss a beat! Never miss a beat! Never miss a beat!"
Getting quite irate now, Yang slams her foot down and frees her entire leg but is unable to stop Neon from freezing her left arm now and landing a few more strikes at her. She sees Neon rollerblading on rails and through archways, gaining distance until she speeds forth and kicks Yang back into a wall, cracking it behind her. Now standing several feet away from the blonde, Neon quickly remarks.
Neon: "You should cool off! Get it? Because you're angry."
Ruby & Y/N: "Oh no."
Not appreciating the pun one bit, the red-eyed Yang smashes her arm against the wall, once again shattering the ice and the structure itself. With her semblance activated and soaking up all of that damage and more, Yang let it all out, slamming her fist into the ground, creating a fiery ground slam. This ends Neon, Flynt and his clones, and Weiss scrambling in the aftermath, making them fall to their feet with Neon and Flynt taking the most hit. Realizing what she did, the normal-eyed Yang rush over to help out Weiss.
Yang: "Weiss!"
Luckily, Weiss is conscious as Yang help her get back on her feet.
Yang: "You okay?"
Weiss: "I'm fine. Focus on the match before us."
The heiress gestures to the slowly recovering Neon and Flynt. The two girls quickly hatch a plan before facing towards their opponents. The first to recover is Neon, who quickly roller skates to Flynt's side.
Neon: Never miss a beat! Never miss a beat! Never miss a...
At that moment, Weiss stab her rapier into the ground, creating a giant line of thin crooked ice, making Neon slip and lose her balance.
Neon: "Beat?"
Still falling, Neon wasn't able to see Yang charging after her next to the ice. She's helpless to do anything as Yang smirks, fires off a single shot, and hits her screaming target in an explosion of sparks and smoke, knocking her out of the match. Once that happened, the recovered Flynt ready himself to blast Yang away with his weapon, spawning his three clones once more. Weiss looks through the Flynt and his clones and sees Yang completely distracted, as well as a pool of lava bubbling away right in front of them. Making a split-second decision, Weiss rises from where she was spraying her ice, dashing into Flynt, knocking them both into the magma just as it erupts several feet in the air. It ends up taking them both below the emergency threshold and out of the match. Noticing what just happened, Yang turns her head to the defeated Weiss.
Yang: "What?"
Ruby & Y/N & Blake: "Weiss!"
Port: "It appears we have a double knockout on our hands!"
Oobleck: "Indeed! It looks as though Miss Schnee's and Mr. Coal's aura has been completely depleted!"
Port: "And since Miss Xiao Long is the only one left standing with some level aura left. Team RWBY wins!"
As this happen, Weiss and Flynt roll off from different direction away from the magma, while Yang rush over to Weiss' side. The blonde kneels next her ash-covered teammate.
Yang: " Weiss! Are you okay?"
Still conscious, Weiss slowly gets up and coughing some smoke before weakly responding.
Weiss: "I may not be singing for a while."
Yang looks both worried and relieved to see her teammate okay until she breaks out into a joking smile.
Yang: "You know, I'm not sure that was proper form."
Weiss: "Oh, ha, ha."
She then goes through another coughing fit. During this, Flynt, now covered in ash, slowly get up, looking over to Weiss.
Flynt: "That was a gutsy move, Schnee. The whole sacrificial dive and all that."
He pauses for a bit before resuming.
Flynt: "I dig it."
He then extends a hand to her.
Flynt: "You're not bad... for a Schnee."
Weiss takes his hand, doing a handshake with him.
Weiss: "My name is Weiss."
The shade-wearing Atlas student smiles at this.
Flynt: "Hm, Weiss... Okay then.
Neon, meanwhile, rushes to see if Flynt's okay only to relieved to see him fine and become ecstatic to see Yang and Weiss.
Neon: "Your teamwork was awesome! The way you guys fought together was so cool!"
Taken aback by this, Weiss and Yang share a look before looking back at the excited Faunus.
Yang: "Uhm... thanks?"
Neon then roller skates towards them, still excited.
Neon: "How did you know that I wasn't very good on slippery surfaces?"
Her question gets a brief sigh from Flynt behind her, making Neon turn around to look at him.
Flynt: "Roller-skating on ice is an obvious weakness, Neon. I told you this before we left Atlas, that this how things would go down."
His remark makes Neon casually shrug it off.
Neon: "Hey, we made it to the tag-team round. That's got to mean something about my roller-skates."
Immediately, Neon turns her attention to Yang and Weiss with excitement.
Neon: "Oh my gosh, you guys were super crazy awesome! We should definitely party together sometime. What do you say?"
Both girls just laugh, which Flynt does the same, having a good time. Back with the cheering crowd, Y/N and the others are all relieved that they won the match with no shred of drama in sight.
Blake: "They did good."
Y/N: "They somehow pull through."
Ruby: "Yeah!"
On the other side of the arena's benches, the seated Cinder is frowning at the results.
Cinder: "Well... that's disappointing."
Emerald is upset, but Mercury gets up from his seat, visibly upset while still holding his bucket of popcorn.
Mercury: "Oh come on! Where the hell's the drama? Where's the verbal attacks?"
A worried Emerald turns around to face Cinder.
Emerald: "Is this a setback, Cinder?"
The frown on Cinder's face slowly fades with a small smile.
Cinder: "Not to worry. This is just a roadblock at worst. The best has yet to come."
As she said those words, she looks down at her scroll where she sends a message to a certain mute girl.
Cinder: "Any update?"
After a few seconds later, Cinder gets a message back.
Neo: "Tailing target."
Cinder then sends another message to her.
Cinder: "Sending you the virus. Once you're done, you and Roman will remain on standby until further notice."