Heroes and Monsters

The Wyvern flies past the hijacked Atlesian Airship, as Ruby Rose looks on, with the surrounding Griffons roaming the skies. A Griffon lands on the airship, but Ruby easily cuts it down with Crescent Rose, causing to disintegrate into black particles. But suddenly, she hears a snap, turning to see Neopolitan, now changing into her standard attire with a wave of light washing over her from bottom to top, as she winks after taking a picture of Ruby, sending it to a certain crime lord with the following text: 'Guess Who?'

Atlesian Airship...

"Oh, you can not be serious!" Roman said, angrily.

Having realized his old foe is interfering yet again, the wanted criminal quickly picks up Melodic Cudgel and walks up to the top of the airship.

Outside Beacon's dining hall...

Blake Belladonna backs away from the shattered window, staring in horror at her old partner.

"Running away again? Is that what you've become, my love? A coward?" Adam asked.

"Why are you doing this?" Blake asked.

"You and I were going to change the world, remember? We were destined to light the fires of revolution!" Adam said, drawing his sword and prepares to stab an Atlas student in the chest. "Consider this...a spark."

Dining hall...

Blake charges into the dining hall, drawing her sword in a flash. Her blade clashes with his as she pushes him away from the student, and they stand with their blades locked, "I'm...not...running."

"You...will." Adam said, kicking Blake away, knocking her onto the floor. A nearby Creep runs toward her, only to be shot by Adam. "But not before you suffer for your betrayal, my love."

He smiles and begins walking toward her.

Beacon Academy…

"Tsubasa!" Jared said, looking back at the girl who has landed on top of Yukine. "Yukine!"

"Damn it." Yukine said, clenching her fist. "How many of them are there?"

"I don't know." Tsubasa said, holding her sword.

"There are so many Grimm." Shirabe said, frowning. "Like how they were noise."

"We can handle it." Kirika said, happily.

"Grimm aren't that much different from Noise." Jared said, making his nanotechnology armor turn into a hard version of Ember Celica. "I'm filling in for the two hand to hand users." He places his AirPods into his ears and is listening to Poppin' Party with their song called Light Delight playing, "PoPiPa. They're as good as Hello, Happy World."

"How much anime have you gotten within the past two months?" Yukine asked.

"Besides you guys. Which I never thought would be real until now. Thanks."

"For what?"

"Saving the world. You know, from those mages."

"We did what we have to do." Kirika said, struggling to get up with Velvet Scarlatina groans as she struggles to get up. "Ow…"

"Are you okay?" Shirabe asked, landing on top of Kirika.

"Argh…" Jared said, looking at the two Symphogear wielders and the bunny Faunus. "Who should I help?"

Coco Adel bumps into Velvet after getting knocked away from a Paladin off-screen.

"They look like they need a hand." Yukine said, running off with Tsubasa. "Come on."

The two are running towards Neon Katt and Reese Chloris as they dodge and weave between groups of students fighting against the infected Atlesian Knights and Paladins.

Yatsuhashi Daichi is fighting a Griffon while Flynt Coal uses his trumpet to hold back a Paladin. Weiss Schnee then arrives on the battlefield, but get knocked back another Paladin to land onto the two Symphogear wielders.

"Weiss!" Neptune, reaching his hand out to the Schnee.

Yatsuhashi tries to hold back a Paladin's fist with his sword, but he gets knocked back. The Paladin then turns to and starts approaching a distracted Lie Ren.

"Look out!" Nora said, pushing Ren out of the way of the Paladin's incoming strike, taking the hit instead.

"Nora! No!" Ren said, reaching out to Nora, but gets knocked back by the Paladin too.

Coco and Neptune Vasilias fire their weapons at the Paladin, but it is unfazed.

"Uh, this is bad." Neptune said.

"Things could have gone better." Tsubasa said, agreeing with Neptune. "But there is too many of them."

"Well, I guess now's a better time than any. Velvet!" Coco said.

"Really?" Velvet asked, excitedly.

"Just make them count." Coco said, and Velvet nods her head.

"Here comes one of my favorite songs." Jared said. watching Velvet walk up to the Paladins. "And Velvet being an absolute badass."

"What are you doing!? She's going to get hurt!" Weiss said, angrily.

"Ditto on that." Yukine said. "You're being an absolute dummy letting her out there like that!"

"Just watch." Coco said.

With her weapon, Velvet begins to replicate Crescent Rose, as she imitates Ruby's overhead spin, landing on top of the Paladin as she dodges its cannon fire.

"No way…" Kirika said, in awe. "That was Ruby's…"

"Crescent Rose." Shirabe said, nodding her head.

Velvet then replicates Myrtenaster to deflect the Paladin's punch and land a few blows before pushing it back with the Ember Celica imitation.

"Weiss's weapon and Yang's." Tsubasa said, her sword in her hand. "I hate to admit it…"

"She has some skill." Maria said, watching Velvet lands a few shots at the Paladin. "Is this why you've been quiet the entire time?"

"Pretty much." Jared said, and Velvetslides under the Paladin's fist, similar to Blake as she uses the Gambol Shroud copy and uses its string to trip over the mech, before moving to the second Paladin by lopping off its hand, and jabbing it in the head with the cleaver. "I didn't have to do much today at all. Besides worrying about who I'm gonna lose."

"You lost Penny." Shirabe said, sadly. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I could have prevented that. Just wasn't fast enough." Jared said, and before the Paladin can react, it is immediately peppered with imitation bullets, thanks to copying Coco's minigun. "I'm so using hard copies from the Holy Quintet's weapons. And yours of course."

"Why would you want to use ours?" Yukine asked, and as the Paladin moves forward, Velvet switches to using Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang as a reference, as she lands another few hits while landing a downward blow from above with a copy of Magnhild, severing a limb. "Hibiki goes in hand to hand."

"While the rest of us have doable weapons." Maria said, watching the first Paladin attempt to recover, Velvet immediately copies Penny's swords, as she leaps off the second Paladin and slices apart its legs before blasting it at full power.

"Velvet is one cool bunny!" Kirika said, as the first Paladin sucker punches Velvet. "It did not just do that!"

"Aah!" Velvet said, annoyed.

"Velvet!" Coco said, angrily.

At this, Coco, Neptune, Nadir, Reese, and the Symphogear wielders (excluding Hibiki) land suppressing fire.

"I wonder what the future has to behold." Jared said, and Weiss is furious, so she immediately rushes in. "Especially during the year of hell."

"Isn't it the Year that Never Was?" Shirabe asked, and Weiss instinctively uses a summoning glyph, confusing her. "That's your year of hell."

"Yeah…" Jared said, watching Weiss rush in between Velvet and the Paladin, she closes her eyes and grits her teeth as she discovers she summoned the arm and sword of the Arma Gigas she fought before, who blocks the Paladin's fist and bisects the machine in half. "I've never looked forward to it. And it's so close."

"You need a break from all this." Tsubasa said. "For your own good."

"I know." Jared said, while Weiss takes a brief look at her summoning before being surprised by a camera flash, which was taken by a smiling Velvet. "I know."

But before they can take a breath, another advanced Paladin rushes in from the corner and begins to charge at them.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Sun said, annoyed.

Atlesian Airship...

The battle commences as Ruby performs a low swing, with Neo somersaulting over it, and ducking the next swing, before performing another backflip to dodge the third. Ruby then twirls Crescent Rose before attempting another low sweep, only for Neo to backflip away from her consecutive twirls. Once Ruby finishes spinning her weapon, she lodges Crescent Rose on the hull and fires a shot, only for Neo to shatter in an illusion, revealing Roman as he fires a shot back with Melodic Cudgel, sending Ruby flying several feet, before she lodges Crescent Rose to safely grip herself from the surrounding gales, while Roman walks up to her.

"Little Red, little Red, you are just determined to be the hero of Vale, aren'tcha?" Roman asked. "I like how that friend of yours coined my nickname for you too."

"What are you doing!? Without these ships, the Grimm will destroy everything!" Ruby said, angrily.

"That's the plan!"

Ruby then swats aside Melodic Cudgel just as he attempts to fire it at her, causing him to move a few feet off-balance, before Neo returns and leaps over her, kicking Ruby's left cheek, and using the momentum to flip her over and send Ruby tumbling on her back. Neo then follows up with a roundhouse to the face, and a rear horse kick to nearly send her careening off the hull of the airship.

"But why!? What do you get out of it!?" Ruby exclaimed.

"You're asking the wrong questions, Red! It's not what I have to gain, it's that I can't afford to lose!" Roman said.

As Ruby charges, Neo vaults over Roman for a powerful kick. She then leaps up, grabs Crescent Rose, and slides under, flipping Ruby once more with the hook of her parasol. As Ruby spins midair, the pint-sized powerhouse finishes with a roundhouse to the abdomen, as Roman slams the barrel of Melodic Cudgel to the ground and fires, causing the cane to ricochet and hit Ruby, before catching it and firing the weapon once more over his shoulder. The blast is enough to send Ruby holding on for dear life, with the embedded blade of Crescent Rose the only thing preventing her from falling.

"I may be a gambling man, but even I know that there are some bets you just don't take." Roman said, and Neo then extends her blade and drags it on the surface, as she holds Ruby at swordpoint. "Like it or not, the people that hired me are going to change the world! You can't stop 'em, I can't stop 'em!"

As Roman continues, Ruby kicks away a Nevermore, and notices the button on Neo's parasol.

"You know the old saying, 'If you can't beat 'em…" Roman said, and Ruby reaches for the parasol, causing it to open and send Neo flying off the airship, leaving her with a frightened gasp as she is silently left at the mercy of the Grimm roaming the skies and the raging winds. "NEO!"

"I don't care what you say! We will stop them and I will stop you! BET ON THAT!!" Ruby said, while she charges at top speed with the use of her Semblance.

Roman grips Melodic Cudgel with both hands, the left hand holding the shaft, as he quickly catches the projectile with the hook end and hurls it at Ruby, knocking her away, before smacking her with the business end of the cane, ramming the weapon in her stomach, and firing another shot, sending her on her back once more, "You got spirit, Red. But this is the real world!"

Roman then whacks Ruby with the butt of his cane, sending her back a few feet.

"The real world is cold!" Roman said, landing another coshing, this time on Ruby's legs. "The real world doesn't care about spirit!" Ruby then kicks him in the knee, causing him to lose balance as he prepares a downward strike. "You wanna be a hero!? Then play the part and die like every other Huntsman in history!" He then proceeds to smack Ruby with the butt end of the cane. "As for me, I'll do what I do best: lie, steal, cheat, and SURVIVE!"

Just as Roman prepares a final, overhead swing, an Alpha Griffon suddenly appears from the sky and swallows him whole, attracted by the negativity of his rant. The roar sends Ruby back a few feet, before the two charge at each other. Ruby prevails when she kicks the beast in the head, sending it through the hull and causing it to crash. And then, she grabs Crescent Rose, leaps off the falling airship, and propels herself in the air, shooting at the ground as if her weapon was a pogo-stick, before landing safely on the rooftops of Vale.

Vale...

Back in the city, Glynda Goodwitch uses her riding crop to knock back a few Creeps, while Qrow Branwen slices and blasts at a few infected Knights with his sword. The Holy Quintet takes out some Beowolves with their respective weapons. Cardin Winchester giddily knocks back an Ursa with his mace, but then gets held at gunpoint by a few infected Knights. Suddenly, their heads are shot off, surprising Cardin.

"What the hell was that?" Sayaka asked, and the smoke clears to reveal that General Ironwood miraculously survived his crash, his damaged uniform exposing the right half of his body to be cybernetic. "Oh. He's a robot."

Without hesitation, Ironwood shoots down all of the infected Knights with his revolver, "This area's secure! We need to…"

Suddenly, Qrow's expression changes into what appears to be anger. He transforms his sword into a scythe and charges toward Ironwood.

"Qrow! This isn't my doing!" Ironwood said.

Qrow continues charging, despite Ironwood's words. The general flips his gun in his hand and gets into a battle stance, preparing for the perceived attack. However, Qrow leaps past Ironwood, who turns around just in time to see a large Griffon lunging at him. With one swing of Qrow's scythe, the Griffon is sliced in two. Upon landing, Qrow turns around to address Ironwood.

"You idiot. I know you didn't do this." Qrow said, scoffing.

Ironwood relaxes and sighs, lowering his head and putting his hand to his forehead, while Glynda places her hand on his shoulder.

"So what now, General?" Qrow asked.

"Someone's done the impossible and gained control of my machines. And that enormous Grimm seems to be fixated on the school. Glynda, form up the local Huntsmen and establish a safe zone here in Vale. We need to evacuate Beacon. Qrow, I'm leaving that to you, the Holy Quintet, and my men. I still need to get to my ship." Ironwood said.

The eight hear a loud noise and turn to see its source.

"Speaking of the ship." Mami said, as Ironwood's ship slowly nosediving into the ground.

"Well, it won't be much of a walk." Qrow said.

The Atlesian Knights that are still functioning attempt one last time to harm the Huntsmen, before powering down.

Beacon courtyard...

The students, the Symphogear wielders, and the time traveler stand prepared to fight the Atlesian Paladin that is charging toward them. However, electricity arcs across it and it suddenly powers down, collapsing and sliding to a stop in front of them.

"Hm. That went better than expected." Sun said.

Weiss doubles over, exhausted, leaning on Myrtenaster to keep herself standing.

"Weiss! Jared!" Yang said, as she and Hibiki runs to Weiss and Jared. "You're okay! Have either of you heard from Ruby?"

"No. We haven't." Jared said, and the same time Weiss shakes her head. "I thought I could be more helpful down here than up there."

"What about Blake?" Yang asked.

"Well, where is she?" Hibiki asked.

"She went after an Alpha…" Weiss said, and she points in the direction that Blake ran. "and some members of the White Fang."

"You look for Ruby. I'll meet up with Blake." Yang said, as she looked back at Jared. "You've been wanting to change history. Maybe this could be it."

"Yeah." Jared said, hurrying off in the direction with Yang that Weiss pointed at, while the heiress and the Gungnir user both gives a thumbs up.

Beacon vault...

An elevator opens up to reveal Ozpin, Jaune, and Pyrrha. The three immediately sprint out of the elevator and down the corridor.

"What is this place?" Jaune asked.

"It's...a type of vault." Pyrrha said.

"You've...been here before?" Jaune asked, as Pyrrha looks away from him. "What would this school need to...hide?"

Finally seeing the Aura transfer machine, Jaune stops in his tracks, gazing wide-eyed at the strange contraption and the comatose girl inside.

"What? Who?" Jaune asked.

"Jaune…" Pyrrha said, sadly.

"Pyrrha! Get to the pods!" Ozpin said, and Pyrrha looks at Jaune, then runs to the second pod. "Mister Arc, if you'd like to help, you can stand guard here."

Jaune looks at the two with uncertainty, then turns around and gets into a guarding stance.

"What do we do now?" Pyrrha asked.

"We, do nothing." Ozpin said, typing on the machine's hologram keyboard.

The second pod opens, and Ozpin turns his head to look at Pyrrha.

"You, Miss Nikos...have a choice to make." Ozpin said.

Pyrrha looks at the pod, then at Jaune, hesitating. Her expression changes from uncertainty to sadness, and she wipes a tear from her eye, still looking at Jaune. She then climbs into the pod, which closes.

Dining hall...

"This could've been our day! Can't you see that!?" Adam asked.

"I never wanted this! I wanted equality! I wanted peace!" Blake said, raising her sword, its blade folding into sickle mode, and shoots at Adam, who blocks both bullets with his sword.

"What you want is impossible!" Adam said, sheathing his sword and backhands Blake across her face, knocking her over. "But I understand because all I want is you, Blake." Blake begins to raise her sickle again, only for him to kick it out of her hand, knocking her over once again. "And as I set out upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves, I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love."

"Blake!" Yang said, worried.

"Where are you?" Jared asked, squeezing Yang's hand. "Blake!"

Yang's and Jared's voices draws their attention to one of the broken windows.

They soon come into view and Yang shoots a White Fang member.

"You said that she's around here." Yang said, looking around for her teammate.

"She is! I know she is!"

"Blake! Where are you!?"

Adam looks at Blake to see her terrified expression, then returns his gaze to Yang and Jared, "Starting with them."

Beacon vault...

"Are you ready?" Ozpin asked, and Pyrrha looks at him and gives a slow nod. "I...I need to hear you say it."

"Yes." Pyrrha said, as she lays her head back, staring ahead.

"Thank you, Miss Nikos." Ozpin said, presssing a few more buttons on the screen, and Amber's pod raises up.

Amber begins glowing orange, and her eyelids begin fluttering. The orange glow travels along the pipes connecting the two pods - first up to the ceiling, then down to Pyrrha's pod. An orange glow surrounds Pyrrha, who begins screaming out in agony.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune said, turning around, surprised.

Jaune runs over to Pyrrha's pod, moving his gaze back and forth between Pyrrha and Amber's pod. While Jaune panics, trying to understand what's going on, Ozpin looks away.

"I'm...so sorry." Ozpin said, sadly.

Suddenly, an arrow pierces the glass of Amber's pod, striking her in the chest. Amber gasps, and her eyes open, then begin to close again, while the machine begins beeping an alarm. Ozpin and Jaune turn around to see Cinder Fall standing halfway down the corridor from them, an obsidian bow in her hand. She lowers the bow, a tiny smirk creeping across her face.

Dining hall...

Adam draws his sword and stabs it into Blake's abdomen near her left hip, causing her to shriek in pain. The cry catches Yang's and Jared's attention.

"Huh?" Yang asked, and Adam stands upright, pulling his sword from Blake's flesh and turning to face Yang and Jared.

"Crap!" Jared said, using the nanotechnology from his super suit to turn the hard copy of Ember Celilca into a copy of Elucidator. "You son of a bitch!"

"Get away from her!" Yang said, as mad as Jared.

"No...please…" Blake said, reaching out helplessly, whispering.

Adam sheathes his sword, smiling.

"I've always wanted to change the future. I'm not letting you do this alone." Jared said, his eyes going from brown to golden yellow. His sword lights up, screaming with Yang. "Together or not all!"

"Yeah!" Yang said, her eyes turning red and a burst of flame erupting from her. "Let's go!"

"Right!" Jared said, as he and Yang leaped at Adam, the two drawing fist and sword respectively with tears in their eyes. "I don't want to suffer any more losses. Especially after today."

Adam swiftly draws his sword, swinging it through the air at Yang and Jared, as his Semblance activates.

As Yang flies through the air along with Jared running towards Adam, the lower half of both of their right arms separates from the blonde and the time traveler.

"I didn't see…" Jared said, sadly. "This...coming."

Beacon vault...

Amber struggles to breathe, her eyes wide, the machine's alarm still playing. Finally, all breath leaves her. Her eyes drift closed, and her head leans to the side, her whole body going limp. The green flames that light the torches throughout the vault suddenly snuff out.

Dining hall...

Yang and Jared fly through the air, beginning to lose consciousness, with glowing yellow Aura and glowing blue Aura splattering out from their wounds.

They land on the floor and lay there on their side, back to back, completely still.

Beacon vault...

Pyrrha frantically beats her fists against the glass of her pod. The orange glow leaves Pyrrha and travels back through the pipes into Amber. The glow then bursts out of Amber, shattering the glass in its way, and enters Cinder. The murderer glows, begins floating, and gains long trails of flame around her eyes, with orange energy swirling around her. Pyrrha beats even harder on the glass, her stress increasing. Jaune raises his sword and charges toward Cinder.

"Stay back!" Ozpin said.

Cinder casts a large fireball toward Jaune, who blocks it with his shield and is blasted backwards, landing on his back.

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha said, using her Semblance to rip the pod's door off its hinges, throwing it at Cinder, who knocks it away like it's nothing.

As Cinder begins to descend to the floor, Pyrrha leaps out of the pod and charges, calling her weapon and shield to her with her Semblance. However, Ozpin puts his arm out, stopping her.

"Take Jaune and get out of here! Find Glynda! Ironwood! Qrow! Bring them here right away! The tower cannot fall!" Ozpin said.

"But I can help." Pyrrha said.

"You'll only get in the way." Ozpin said, while he slowly turns his head to stare Pyrrha in the eyes.

Pyrrha hesitates for a moment but obeys Ozpin, scooping up Jaune and running away. While she does so, Cinder descends to the floor and watches them leave, with the glow, the swirling energy, and the flames around her eyes all disappearing. Cinder turns her attention back to Ozpin, her eyes still glowing for a moment.

Dining hall...

Adam slowly walks toward Yang's and Jared's unconscious bodies and swings his sword out to the side, casting blood from its blade. Before he can reach them, Blake throws herself between them, giving him a determined stare.

"Why must you hurt me, Blake?" Adam asked, frowning.

He swings his sword, and Blake's head detaches from her neck. However, both her body and her head suddenly vanish, and Adam turns to watch the real Blake flee, dragging Yang and Jared with her. He begins slowly walking after her, not even bothering to look at the Creep that attempts to ambush him as he cuts it down.

Beacon vault...

"This whole time…right beneath our feet. She was right about you." Cinder said.

Ozpin turns his cane in his grip, staring hard at Cinder.

"Such arrogance." Cinder said, shaking her head slightly, staring at Ozpin, Jaune, and Pyrrha.