The More the Merrier

Haven Academy...

The full moon illuminates the night sky above Haven Academy. On the school grounds, Qrow Branwen takes the lead as the currently present members of Team RWBY, the remaining members of Team JNPR, Oscar Pine, and Jared Shay follow close behind.

Ruby Rose stops and looks up to admire Haven's CCT tower, "That's as cool as Beacon's."

"Yeah." Jared said, grabbing Ruby's hand. "It is."

Ruby and Jared went back to following the rest of the group to a nearby building.

They enter the building and are greeted by Leonardo Lionheart, who is standing on a terrace at the top of the stairs that is being held up by a statue.

"Why hello. Thank you for...coming." Lionheart said, nervously. "There...seems to be more of you than last time."

Lionheart nervously chuckle.

Qrow and the rest of the group stop to look up at Lionheart.

"Eh, you know what they say, 'The more the merrier'. So what's going on with the council?" Qrow asked.

"Why...did you bring your weapons?" Lionheart asked.

"What? Leo, we're Huntsmen. You okay?"

"Of course! Of course, sorry. Just haven't had my evening coffee."

"Look, it's nice to see you, but we got work to do. Are we getting support from the council or not?"

While the two talk, Yang Xiao Long and Jared Shay notices from the corner of their eyes a black bird perched on a balcony railing.

"That's a raven." Jared said, squeezing Ruby's hand. "In the future, one will kill the one I like."

"Mom?" Yang asked.

Everyone's attention is turned to the bird. It flies away just as Qrow shoots at it, but he misses. The bird flies down behind Lionheart, transforming into Raven Branwen, donning her mask. Everyone glares at her.

"Raven…" Ruby said.

"They...they really are magic here like with Magical Girls…" Nora said.

"Yup." Jared said, looking at Raven. "Never trusted ravens. My Impossible Girl will have to face one in the end."

"If you're going to shoot me, shoot me. That was insulting." Raven said, taking her mask off.

"What are you doing here?!" Qrow exclaimed.

"I could ask you the same thing. You've been scheming, little brother. Planning to attack your own sister." Raven said, walking down the stairs.

"Leo...what have you done?!"

"I…" Lionheart said, sadly.

"Leo did what any sane person would in his position...he looked at all the information he had in front of him, assessed the situation, and made a choice. And it seems you all have too." Raven said.

"I made my decision long ago. I travel through the multiverse, Raven. I'm not leaving Remnant. Not again. Especially not to the clutches of Salem." Jared said, feeling the warmth of Ruby's hand. "I stayed on Earth for a year. It took me time to get better. Anyway, you have the Spring Maiden. Come on, join with us, help us."

"I do."

"Then hand her over and let's work together! We can beat Salem!" Qrow said, looking at Raven.

"All that time spent spying for Ozpin and you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem!" Raven said.

"You're wrong. We've done things that most people would call impossible, and I know the only reason we were able to do it is because we didn't do it alone! We had people to teach us, people to help us, we had each other. Work with us. At least I know we'll have a better chance if we try together. Please." Ruby said, and she holds her free hand out.

Raven glares at it, "You sound just like your mother. And it looks like Ruby rubbed off on you."

Raven looked over at Jared. The fanboy then lets go of Ruby's hand.

"So, Little Red is a good role model." Jared said, looking at Raven. "As well as the Ice Queen and Goldilocks. Belle is too, and I still miss her. Team RWBY changed me for the better after all."

Suddenly, Raven draws Omen and creates a portal with her Semblance. From the portal, a fireball is launched and hits Ruby square in her torso. She lands several feet back.

"Ruby!" Yang and Jared said, at the same time.

While Yang runs to her little sister with Jared.

"Sorry, I forgot who was on the other side!" Jared said, sadly. "Who was it again?"

Cinder Fall steps out of the portal, "Hello boys and girls."

"Right. It was Cinder…" Jarsd said, as he is using Ember Gungnir. "God, I hate her so much!"

Cinder is then joined by Vernal, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black as they too step out from the portal.

"Cinder…" Ruby said, glaring at Cinder. "She ruined our lives, right?"

Cinder and her group line up alongside Raven, while the rest gasp.

"Yeah...." Jared said, looking down at Ember Gungnir. "She did. Aqours, keep it in gauntlet form. Don't want to change it yet."

"Okay." Aqours said, it's voice coming out of Jared's armor. "If that's what you want."

"C'mon guys, is that any way to greet your old friends?" Mercury asked.

Yang growls at him.

"Everybody, stay calm." Qrow said.

Suddenly they hear the doors behind them open up.

"Oh no…" Oscar said.

Hazel Rainart is closing the doors behind him as he enters, "The White Fang is prepping demolition and securing the school grounds. No one's getting in, and no one's getting out."

Outside, a White Fang soldier is seen placing a bomb on the CCT tower. There are more bombs all primed set by more White Fang soldiers. Adam Taurus looks on.

"Once the charges are set, move back to perimeter watch. Tonight, Haven falls." Adam said, as he smiles evilly.

Back inside, everyone watches Hazel slowly approach them. They turn their attention back to Cinder.

"This was all just a trap?" Weiss asked.

"It appears so…" Ren said.

"Something tells me this won't be the only trap I'll deal with this month." Jared said, looking at Weiss. "Due to my influence over the Doctor's world. There has to be another one somewhere. But where?"

"Raven, tell me...how long have you been with them?" Qrow asked.

"Aww, don't take it personally, little bird. Your sister was a recent addition. The lion on the other hand...entrance into the Vytal Festival was a real treat, Leonardo's been sending Salem all sorts of information for a very, very long time. Isn't that right, professor?" Cinder asked, mocking Qrow.

"Stop it…" Lionheart said, shamefully.

"It was you...you sit on the Mistral Council. You had information on every Huntsman and Huntress in the Kingdom, and you gave it all to her?" Qrow asked.

"I…"

"I couldn't find any of them, because you let her kill them!"

Lionheart doesn't say anything, only still having a sad expression on his face.

"Aw now, don't beat yourself up about it, Lionheart, I'm sure Tyrian and Hazel would've found them on their own eventually." Cinder said.

"What is wrong with you...?" Jaune asked, seething. "How can you be so broken inside... to take so many lives, and then come here and rub it in our faces like it's something to be proud of?!"

"Jaune…" Nora said, sadly.

"All with that damn smile on your face!" Jaune said, enraged with tears stream from his eyes.

The rest of the group draw their weapons.

"Everybody, stay calm!" Qrow said.

"No one will stay calm, Qrow." Jared said, sadly. "After this, I'll have to deal with a more annoying trap. I think. If I'm a part of that one too."

Cinder just glares.

"I'm gonna make you pay for what you did! Do you hear me?!" Jaune exclaimed.

"Kid!" Qrow said, looking at Jaune.

"Well?! SAY SOMETHING!"

After a short pause, Cinder says her response, "Who are you again?"

At this, Jaune gains a look of shock, and then of anger. He transforms Crocea Mors to its two-handler form and advances forward. Cinder summons Midnight and blocks Jaune's attack.

"Jaune!" Ruby and Jared said, at the same time.

Jared grabbed Ruby's hand and began swinging her with his free hand, for the silver eyed girl to be launched into the air. But a chain wraps around Ruby and she is pulled to the ground by Emerald.

"You're not getting near her." Emerald said. "And you, don't think about moving. What you did was showing off."

Jaune is then pushed back by Cinder and the two begin their duel. Yang runs forward to join the fight, but Mercury lands in front of her.

"Hey there, Blondie. I'm thinking you owe me an apology for my leg, don't ya think?" Mercury asked.

Yang growls and uses Ember Celica to project herself forward.

"Take out the heiress and the fanboy. Don't bother wasting your power, they're not worth it." Raven said, looking at Vernal.

Raven then draws her sword as Qrow uses Harbinger to lock blades with his sister.

"Running away was one thing, but this...you've crossed the line!" Qrow said.

"Sorry, brother. Sometimes family disappoints you like that." Raven said.

"We're not family anymore."

"Were we ever?"

"I thought so, but I guess I was wrong."

The two then proceed with their fight, while Vernal confronts Weiss. Jared then ran towards Weiss with the spear in hand, to stand next to the Ice Queen.

"Let's see what the Schnee name really means." Vernal said, drawing her weapons.

Weiss holds Myrtenaster en garde, "I'm more than a name."

"Hm, prove it." Vernal said.

Weiss activates a glyph below her and Jared and projects themselves forward to fight the Spring Maiden, "Okay, you know what to do, right?"

"Yeah, we support each other. And cover our weaknesses." Jared said, holding the spear. "Aqours. Ice Queen team up mode."

"Okay." Aqours said, switching the weapon in Jared's hand from Ember Gungnir to Ebb and Flow in dual swords mode. "Let's try our best."

Meanwhile, Oscar sneaks up the stairs to Lionheart while Hazel confronts Ren and Nora, who hold up their weapons defensively.

"I don't wish to fight either of you." Hazel said.

"Nor I you." Ren said.

"But we will if you're with her!" Nora said, angrily.

"Very well, then." Hazel said, cracking his neck and knuckles.

Hazel proceeds forward. As Lionheart nervously watches the fights going on, he then notices Oscar walk up behind him.

"Young man, I don't know who you are or what you think you're doing, but for your sake, I suggest you leave. Now." Lionheart said, looking at Oscar.

Oscar defiantly remains stationary before taking a few more steps toward Lionheart.

"I'm warning you!" Lionheart said, holding out Stalwart, while Oscar prepares to draw something from behind him. "That's enough!"

Lionheart rotates his weapon, having a glyph appear above it which then conjures a flaming rock that launches at Oscar, who holds out his arms in front of him defensively as the attack explodes. Oscar is unscathed, though his Aura shimmers. He continues to proceed up the steps and draws The Long Memory.

"Ozpin?" Lionheart asked, his eyes widening.

"Not quite." Oscar said, and he then proceeds forward as his attacks force Lionheart on the defensive.

He manages to whack Lionheart back a few steps.

"This can't be...I knew you would be back, but...you made it here! You found Qrow! How?" Lionheart asked.

"Leo...what happened to you?" Ozpin asked, mentally.

"Wait. You can't have had this form for long. You're...not really Ozpin right now. Boy. Child. If I deliver you to Salem, she'll have to be pleased with me, and I can finally get out of all of this! I can finally be free!" Lionheart said, while he is now determined, preps his weapon again.

"What do I do?" Oscar asked.

"Fight." Ozpin said, dryly.

Oscar proceeds forward.

Meanwhile, Weiss leaps around on her glyphs, dodging Vernal's weapons as she throws them like boomerangs.

Jared then turned Ebb and Flow back into Ember Gungnir, and he punches the boomerangs back to Vernal, "Yeah, don't hurt Weiss."

Weiss is then forced on the defensive and creates a large ice wall.

"So, we're punching our way through this. And not being subtle." Weiss said, stabbing Myrtenaster into the ground as her Arma Gigas summon crawls out of her glyph. "That explains the weapon change."

"I was gonna go easy on her. But we could change it up." Jared said, looking down at the gauntlets. "Want to go all out? With Frostbite?"

Suddenly, a large beam destroys the ice wall as well as the Arma Gigas before it could be fully summoned.

"No. My summoning is cooler." Weiss said. "You said so, yourself."

Both of Vernal's weapons knocks Weiss and Jared back several feet.

"Don't think I'm going to let either of you take the easy way out." Vernal said, catching her weapon.

Elsewhere, Jaune is knocked to the ground.

"I'm starting to remember you, you're the dense one that can't tell when he's out of his league." Cinder said, chuckling.

Jaune gets back up and clashes blades with Cinder again. Ruby watches them fight but is snapped out of her distraction by Emerald. She then transforms Thief's Respite into its revolver forms and fires at Ruby, who twirls around Crescent Rose blocking Emerald's shots.

"Why are you doing this?! Salem's…" Ruby said.

"I don't care about Salem! But I owe Cinder everything. You want to fight her that bad? Be my guest." Emerald said.

Emerald then activates her hallucination Semblance, creating a wall of fire which Cinder emerges from and charges at Ruby. Suddenly, Cinder's form disappears, while Emerald trips Ruby. Ruby fires a bullet that narrowly misses Jared, who is blocking Vernal's shots with Ember Gungnir.

"Stay still, goddamn it." Jared said, looking back at Weiss. "I'm supposed to be the target. Not Weiss."

Weiss attempts to summon, but Vernal is too quick and prevents her from doing so.

"You might be able to fuse weapons from other worlds. But Weiss Schnee is still able to summon glyphs." Vernal said, still focused on Weiss. "Which makes her the bigger threat."

Eventually, Weiss manages to launch Vernal out of the way and prepares to summon again.

"In what way is Weiss a threat?" Jared asked.

Suddenly, Vernal appears in front of the former heiress and lands an attack that depletes Weiss' aura.

"Master! Weiss' Aura is in a critical state." Aqours said, it's voice coming out of the pendant. "You're also about to reach the operational limit."

Weiss lets out a pained scream.

"How long?" Jared asked.

Jaune hears this and looks in Weiss and Jared's direction as tears well up in his eyes.

"Two minutes. If you can't help Weiss. And until your Aura drains." Aqours said, it's voice out of the pendant.

"Are you going to let them die too?" Cinder asked.

"Stop messing with me!" Jaune said, angrily.

"If that's what you want…" Cinder said, igniting her scimitar, which is now fully coated in flames.

Cinder and Jaune proceed forward to clash. Ruby looks behind her and notices this. She briefly thinks back to the moment when Pyrrha Nikos died, and her eyes start to shine bright again.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ruby said, worried.

A bright light engulfs the area but dies down when Ruby is knocked unconscious by Emerald. Suddenly, Cinder falls to her knees, holding her arm in pain. She looks up, and barely misses Jaune's attack as it chips her mask that conceals the left side of her face. As Cinder moves out of the way, Jaune trips and falls. Cinder gets back up enraged, activating her Maiden power while doing so.

Cinder then steps on top of Jaune to hold him down, "Did you think you actually had a chance against me?! You?!"

Jaune struggles to reach for his weapon while Cinder calms herself and deactivates her Maiden power.

"You're just a failure with a death wish." Cinder said.

"If I die buying them time, then it's worth it. They're the ones that matter." Jaune said, struggling.

Cinder looks to Jaune's comrades as they fight against their respective foes, before smiling evilly back down to him.

"You think so?" Cinder asked, noticing Weiss and Jared get knocked back several feet away. "Those two are out of sync. Team wise."

Cinder begins to slowly proceed toward the former heiress and the fanboy while she conjures an obsidian spear.

"No…" Jaune said, watching helplessly while Cinder continues to advance towards Weiss and Jared. "NOOOOOOO!"

"Which one should I kill?" Cinder asked, looking between Weiss and Jared. "You have some attachment towards the Schnee, I assume. Let's do her."

Cinder throws the spear and it impales Weiss through her abdomen. She gasps in shock as everyone stops their fighting and stare in shock as well.

"Son of a bitch! Weiss!" Jared said, looking back at Weiss. "I'm sorry! I was too busy protecting you. That I forgot about Cinder."

The spear then disintegrates as Weiss goes motionless and slumps forwards.