11

"You're giving them too much credit, anyone could whoop one of Jimmy's bots." A swig of his bottle and his stepped forward his fingers crashing down on a big red button.

While the others shot the unseen figure a cold glare for his words Yang blinked recognizing that voice.

Uncle Qrow?

With a swig of his bottle and the man stepped forward his fingers crashing down on a big red button.

"Let's really test their mettle against the star of the show"

"that can't be a good sign."

"Oh Red Button!"

Another surprise greeted the Rose and every other participant as the buildings shook and the floor trembled before it came into sight. A giant hand moving aside the building much like clutter before a metallic faceplate of an Anti-Goliath weapon peaked their way. Not a single participant didn't freeze at the sight of it.

"Holy crap…" Not a single person denied the blonde brawler's words.

"they, they can't seriously let that thing attack the students right?"

That things HUGE!

The grizzled Pro Hero sat back in his seat a satisfied grunt in his tone as he saw just about every student turn tail from the giant Mech.

"It's when met with impossible odds that your true nature shows." Ruby feel on her butt at the sight of it, in awe, in terror and his hopelessness. Passing her by Ciel gave the girl a single glance before turning away to advance her retreat.

A single step forward made the ground beneath shake and her spine do so more. Turning tail ruby begun to crawl away as her legs lacked the composure to run for it.

"3 MINUTES LEFT!"

So many emotions swirled in her head, her hopes crashing down as she struggled to retreat.

Everything All Might did for me! All his faith in me! It'll all go to waste!

Rubylooked sown utterly disappointed, she'd failed, after everything Jaune had done for her she went and wasted it all…

It happened then a single voice.

"Ugh!" She turned, just for a moment but it was enough as who she saw was the nice boy who'd helped her, some debris on his legs keeping him from escaping as the Goliath Crusher advanced.

"Oh shit!"

"Oscar!"

In a room All Might sat, his form back to his reduced state, his eyes keen on Facility C alone, on Ruby, on the one who he believed in most even now… He was sure to anyone else she looked like a failure, but he knew she was about to prove them all wrong. Because even if she froze up when her life was in danger… For someone else…

"I get it now…" The heiress looked to Pyrrha then.

"Pyrrha you asked why she could move back when Yang was in danger." The spartan looked to her and nodded confused still. Weiss spoke then.

"It was because Yang was in danger that she could…" And as if to prove so the Rose's counterpart acted.

She broke into a sprint towards the Arena Trap, towards the boy!

"RUBY!"

"What is she doing!?"

He smiled.

"There are no merits for facing such a opponent. However, there is an opportunity." Its foot rose again, its shadow casting over the boy. She wouldn't reach him in time! And Within something manifested, and by instinct she tapped into it. Her legs crouching as light seemed to streak throughout it. She vanished from sight, like a red bolt of lightning shooting up into the sky.

"Holy crap." Ruby stared in awe as she just seemed to vanish, even faster than her own semblance would allow. The others stared, no less shocked by the display.

The wind shifted, an updraft spreading the incoming dust cloud out as the boy, Oscar looked up to the sight finding her. That girl in the air far above soaring like a bullet.

"I know they must think you have no merit whatso ever, A utter failure… But that's precisely why it'll be all the more pronounced when they see it." She clenched her teeth then her fist curling, that same crimson lighting gathering within her muscles, empowering them with so much unbridled force that her sleeve shredded apart.

"So do it Ruby and show them all the trustest essence of a hero." The Mech reached out for her but her small speedy form shot straight through its colossal metal fingers.

"So, clench you teeth kid and yell it from the depths of your heart."

Like a missile she shot forward and just as she was told she roared it with all her smaller, more honest soul!

"SMASH!" Flesh met metal, but the expected results were overturned as the thick steel bent inward with a mighty force and the giant Mechs head shot back. The others both on the field and viewing the whole thing could only look in utter awe as the Anti-Goliath Weapon fell back toppling over dozens of explosions coursing through its body as it did.

The eight stared honestly and entirely speechless as they witnessed the superweapon succumb to the much smaller Ruby.

"She, she beat it…"

"How much force did that punch have?"

"Impossible…"

"YAY GO RUBY! SHE BROKE IT'S EVERYTHING!" The Reaper herself just stared her eyes practically stars as she witnessed the result of her falcon punch. She did it! She really saved someone and even took out the biggest robot while doing it!

Jaune grinned almost maddingly so.

"That's right, show them all the truest essence of a hero, the most noble of traits… Self-Sacrifice." In the air Ruby stared her eyes still trained upon it but her air utterly ruined, completely red and purple with broken bones.

"Oh, my Gods Sis!" Weiss paled as she saw her partners arm and…

Oh, gods her legs!

The earth quaked upon the Mech hitting the ground leaving Ruby to look down on it in shock and awe herself at the sight. Just like before she'd rushed in headfirst towards an impossible force… And yet this time… It was different. She'd managed to stop it instead of being useless in the like before.

Pride filled her, she felt like she could fly… But she couldn't… A fact she was quickly remembering as she abruptly begun to descend.

"No no no!"

"Sis!"

"Whoa!"

I'm Falling!

Ruby paled as she saw herself literally falling like she'd jumped off a roof… With no semblance!

She saw as the ground closed in, the pavement becoming scaringly more detailed with each passing second! Crap nobody told her she'd need a landing strategy or something!

Pyrrha paled as she saw her friend descend with horrifying speed, not far away Weiss struggled against screaming while Yang to anyone's shock had they been looking shut her eyes to it all reaching out to grab up her sister in a tight hold.

Hold on! I've got All Might's power now! All I gotta do is focus some more of that power into my legs and this'll be a piece of cake!

Hopesprung into the students heart, all but Weiss who remembered…

"Ow! What the-" She froze when she saw it, her legs dangling at very impossibly angles for limbs. Moving more like sacks of meat then actual limbs with bones inside. All the pain rushed her at once, of her shattered legs and arm, her burning muscle and the pain at her center. All Might's words came to mind.

'Just… Be careful. After all the backlash of 'One For All' can be intense'

This is what he meant!

Fearhold tightened on the teens now as despair took in fully after all small ray of hope they'd been given had been so thoroughly snuffed out.

It was obvious in hindsight, no way she could do more than barely scratch the surface of his power as she was now! This was the cost of using it to such an extent when she clearly wasn't ready for it yet.

Yang's gripped tightened on her sister's trembling body as she heard her counterparts pathetic struggle to survive. Her heart hammered as a deathly cold fear took root.

Pained tears fell from her eyes as her impending doom came in a staggering pace.

Think think THINK!

"Oh gods no! Somebody help her!" Weiss began to hyperventilate while Blake struggled for a response her eyes wide and in horror. Even Yang held tight to her sister, reassuring herself Ruby was here, in her arms. But the Rose herself just watched, watched herself, her counterpart as she fell to what would most likely be her death. Not sure how to feel, how to react. Nora buried herself in Ren's arms.

Panic flooded her then as thoughts scrambled, she tried to pull back her sole uninjured limb readying to let it loss, hoping it might allow her to diminish her velocity.

The members of her team prayed, hoping beyond hope that their leader would survive, (J)NPR doing the same right beside her.

Pyrrha saw it then, what could possibly be the most irritating sight in her life as she looked Neo's way, finding said mini-killer laid back seemingly bored.

'I wanna see blondie again already…'

Several seconds passed before it clicked to the Spartan who glared hatefully.

"She might die!" She didn't expect much from the pint-size killer but couldn't she had at least tried to pretend to care. However, Neo rose a brow confused.

'The hell are you on about, Red ain't gonna die…'

'Smack!'

But before she could her cheek abruptly exploded into pain as Oscar floated on top a piece of scrap. She was confused at first until her velocity abruptly vanished and she found herself floating. Sweat trailing down his brow the boy put his fingers together.

"R-release…" And abruptly Ruby and the scrap Oscar rose on hit the ground little worse for wear and a much more pleasant result then the alternative. Oscar groaned before he felt something rush forth and reached to cover his mouth as his features greened. Leaning over he blew chunks unto the ground.

'See.'

Pyrrha ignored the mute much like the others who broke down into a plethora of reactions to the sight. From Yang's death hold releasing her sibling to Blake's own utter relieved sigh, her cheeks moist with relieved tears. Finally there was the heiress who seemed to curl in on herself calming down, swallowing back her tears as she wiped her face.

She'd never been so scared in her life but now that it was overall she wanted to do was lay down and compose herself. AJ looked to Neo a brow rose as he sent a silence mental question her way.

How did you know?

Neo shrugged.

The last view it said this was the story of her becoming number one right, can't die before she even entered Beacon right? Said so herself that she'd become number one.

Ruby shook on the dirt looking up to see Oscar barfing his organs out.

He seems okay… Relatively.

Yang broke into relieved laughter.

"'Sniff' What's with you and befriending Vomit Boys? 'Sniff'"

I could kiss that kid right now!

Thegroup shared some laughs, letting the gift from Oum above fill them that was Ruby's survival even Neo gave a half-baked smirk alongside her rolling eyes. All except Ruby who looked to the screen.

Relief flooded her heart until she looked at the piece of Mech he leaned across and remembered where she was and her goal.

"Points! I need to at least get one!"

The group blinked having forgotten in their relief but seeing Ruby's desperate face they couldn't help but feel for the failing Rose.

"TIMES UP!" Her eyes widened with the Faunus's voice and as if to show her emotional state she blacked out with those words.

"She… failed." Ren breathed before speaking.

"At least she's alive… " Several nodded, but not Yang, she knew her sister well enough to know that'd give her little comfort, and while she was thankful for her survival beyond belief, she could feel her shake in her arms. Hearing tiny sniffles escaping her.

In the distance the other examinees looked over to Ruby's crumpled form speaking up confused and awestruck all except one, Ciel who looked to her a look of pure contemplation on her face. Had it not been a test she would've also rushed to save the boy like the girl did but still… It hit her then.

"Could it be…"

The more astute among them paused at that curious while Yang rubbed her sister's head.

-1 Week Later-

"Ruby!"

Snapping out of her thought the little rose looked up to her father who looked to her concerned from across the dinner table.

"Ruby are you okay? You've just been staring at your food for a while now." He tried to not show how concerned he was but honestly her dad was the definition of an open book. so instead she shook her head.

"I'm sorry… I'm just worrying about my test results."

The group looked to their friend sitting there, the toll of failing Initiation clearly hitting her harder than she cared to admit. Again, Ruby wilted just like her alternative, the fact hitting her that she'd failed this world. Failed Jaune who put all his cards in her…

I wasted all his faith in me…

"Oh…" Her dad looked away ashamed, she knew why, he'd not been able to properly face her ever since she'd announced she was trying for Beacon. Deep inside she knew he didn't think she could pass. It was cruel… but not wrong, she was Quirkless as far as he knew… Worse yet in the end she knew she probably failed anyways.

"That's not fair…" Neo decided not to rain on Cat girl's parade for once, opting instead to focus on the rose on-screen feeling maybe a bit, but only a bit bad for Red. After all Red failing meant her blondie did to in a way.

She went to the living room to crack open a comic, anything really just to get her mind off of it… But her thoughts betrayed her as once more her mind went to the exams.

If I were to grade myself, I'd say I made it past the written examines… But.

Her gaze grew depressed at the thought of Initiation itself… After all without doubt she failed, she'd managed to achieve zero points, so what else could the result be.

Her hand clenched down on her Grip Strengthener, having upgraded from her last one. Herself still following All Might's plan to the letter even after the ten months have passed… All Might himself though hadn't contacted her since.

Of course, he wouldn't, I failed him after all…

"Noway! Jaune-Jaune would never do that!" Ren and Pyrrha nodded quicker believing their leader would feel guilty towards Ruby then blaming her.

Despite her thoughts she still went towards her weights following with the required reps.

"RUBY!" She looked back to her father who came scrambling in a look of shock and panic on his face.

"Sweetie you test results came in!"

Not a soul in the room was looking forward to what would come next, at least not one from Remnant.

-Several Minutes Later-

Tai paced outside her room, yet his anxiousness was nowhere near as comparable to her own as Ruby looked to the letter in her grasp. Her heart thumped looking at it, at her future, her dream… or the possible end of it. Her palms shook and grip tightened alongside her ever speeding beating heart.

The members of RWBY and (J)NPR watched as well, each concerned and no less hesitant to see the result. To chance seeing their friend and leader fail the version's dream.

But finally, by sheer force of will she manifested the bravery to act and tore it open.

The paper ripped revealing a Scroll that looked several models more advance, the device falling unto her table before lighting up. A construct of light emerged before her, a holograph in the shape of a screen and on it.

"I AM HERE! On-screen."

"All Might!?"

"It's Jaune-Jaune!"

"What the!? Isn't this supposed to be from Beacon!?" She looked to the Scroll confused her gaze shifting between it and the figure of her hero on screen. Of course, being pre-recorded All Might spoke up.

"It took some time and jumping a fair share of loopholes to get this done, honestly I had a lot on my plate but still. For not contacting you I'm sorry Ruby."

"See! I knew Jaune-Jaune wouldn't abandon you!"

His head dipped slightly in apology to her shock, she tried to convince him not to feel bad but being recorded that hardly helped and so he went on.

"Thankfully though I could reach you this way at least now that I'm an official teacher here at Beacon."

What!? All Might Will be teaching at Beacon!?

This earned the surprise from the seven.

"Arc… A teacher… Forgive me but I have a hard time imagining that."

"No way Weissy, Fearless Leader would make a awesome teacher!" Ren and Pyrrha choose to keep their own opinions undecided for the moment. After all Jaune was still very inexperienced so they found it a bit difficult to image him in such a position anytime soon.

"Hm? VB as a teach… Kinda hot."

"Excise you."

"What, we saw daddy VB remember, well what can I say if that guy was giving us lectures I sure as hell be a lot more attentive then I am with Port."

"He could surprise us."

"You to Blake, 'Sigh' Ruby please talk some sense into our teammates."

"Can't watching TV."

"Ugh." She readied to continue but stopped upon seeing the seriousness Ruby gave the screen, the shake of her clenched knuckles. With that she looked back the others seeming to notice her serious cadence and faced it themselves.

"Now then… Miss Rose… while you certainly passed the written exam, though you scored a zero in the practical course… And due to that of course you failed the practical exam…" She was still for a moment, her bright silver eyes dulling before she looked down away from him, from the message as reality sunk in.

Yeah… Of course I failed, I already knew that but-

She gripped at her legs, her nails digging into her pajama bottoms tearing at them.

'Sniff'

Dammit…

Her counterpart did little better, seeming to reflect the same act before those sitting beside her.

It… It was all for nothing…

"However, there's something I'd like you to see…" She looked up then finding All Might back to his skeletal form gesturing to screen. Abruptly everything switched, showing one Neon Katt sitting back in her office.

"That's… A recording of the School?"

The door opened then, a vaguely familiar voice speaking up.

"Um, excuse me?" The Catgirl turned to find a freckled dark skin boy standing there, one Ruby recognized.

It's the nice boy who saved me…

'Hey look it's your boyfriend.'

Ruby shot a fierce pout the mute's way.

"He's not my boyfriend! Jaune i-Eep!" Hands shot up to cover her mouth as her cheeks flushed, Pyrrha and Neo blinked the former looking somewhat pale.

Did we… Push her into figuring out her feelings…

Nora groaned at her sister from another mister's mistake.

"Pyr-Pyr no, that's your fiercest competition!"

She already got fearless leader in one world!

"Will you dolts be quiet! Some of us are actually trying to watch! Right Blake?"

"…"

"Blake?"

"Personally, I could watch either."

Ahhh!

"As soon as Initiation ended this young man came to our office directly, I think you should hear this Ruby."

"Uhh, sorry to bother you all but there's something I have to ask. You watched us during Initiation right so I'm sure you know right there was this girl. She was sorta short, with red highlights and really nervous and sorta a wallflower"

He's talking about me.

"Geez sis, get some confidence."

The Farmboy looked down struggling with something before finally coming out and just asking.

"Would, would it be possible for me to share my points with her!?" She blinked surprised.

And she wasn't alone as those watching followed surprised.

"She said something about needing a point so… Maybe she couldn't earn any or something right. That's just ridiculous, how could taking out that huge robot not earn her anything!" Yang's insults flashed through her mind.

"So, so at the very least give him half mine! After all she wouldn't have gotten such a bad score if she hadn't come to save me!" She recalled the reprimanding she'd received form when she'd tried to save Yang. He shut his eyes and continued his voice higher, more determined.

Ruby blinked her heart thumping hard as feeling swelled in her chest, a sense of pride, of… accomplishment.

"Please! She saved me! She definitely deserves to attend more than me!" She watched as he repeated his plea over and over again until finally the screen paused and Jaune stared.

"You have a Quirk now… And yet it's your action that stand out, after all, what good is 'All For One' if it's host doesn't embody what it means to be a hero… That you inspire others so soon only prove I was right to choose you."

Pyrrha nodded.

"He's right you know." Ruby looked to her, seeing Pyrrha smile back to her and no sooner did Ren follow.

"You did lead your team during Initiation…"

"Yep you're the second-best leader in Beacon!"

Obviously Jaune-Jaunes number 1!

Blake smiled nodding to herself while Yang's threw a arm around her sis smiling nice and wide for her to see.

"You two are both hopelessly optimistic, and as much as it pains me to admit… That is a trait I envy…" She nodded smiling before looking back to the Screen her heart a little more secure and hope a little higher despite the situation.

She looked down a tinge of pride in her heart but still she-

"Now then should we talk about your Initiation grade?" She blinked.

What?

"Forgive me, I hope I didn't give you the wrong impression or anything, after all the practical exam and Initiation are two different things entirely." The video played showing Katt patting Oscar's head a wide smile on her face.

"No Need To Worry Cutey, Just Think Of How Your Gonna Thank You Lil' Savior When You See Her In School."

"Wait … does that mean?"

Jaune turned to her then.

"So Ruby tell me? Do You think Initiation is scored on combat alone?" He smirked then proudly.

"What Kinda Hero School would reject someone willing to risk their lives for others?" He grew then to his heroic state.

"That is the very essence of a hero, and that is why above Combat Score, we prioritize Rescue Points!" She blinked.

"The Pro Heroes watch Initiation, and award point for heroic acts!" It showed then what'd happened during the moment where the Pros had seen it, seen a girl put everything on the line to save a complete and utter stranger for no other reason than because it was right. How they pressed a button and typed in their numbers.

"So that's why they were watching."

"Then they saw everything, saw sis save that kid." Blake smiled.

"So they saw what she did, how hard she was trying."

"Ruby Rose, 60 Rescue Points! Oscar Pines 45 Rescue Points." He smiled her way utterly and truly.

"You've both passed Initiation with flying colors!" She shook.

"I, is this real?" Her voice cracked as her eyes begun to blur from the tears stinging them.

Neo shrugged, supposing she could let the brat have this.

He reached his hand out to the screen, to her.

"Ruby, you've made it, welcome to Beacon Academy, to your Hero Academia." She looked down and shook, She'd, she'd done it…

'Sniff, sniff'

Hearing his daughter sniffling Tai opened the door to comfort her and yet when he saw her he didn't see tears of despair and shame, a but a wide joyous smile.

"I will see you a month from now." She nodded.

"YES SIR!"

And with that, her hero training officially began…

The view cut off leaving them there all with varied reactions, from Yang and Nora's beaming smiles and Pyrrha and Weiss's relieved sighs and even Blake and Ren who smiled faintly but none the less warmly. And yet the one who was most affected was Ruby who looked to the fading screen, to herself and so happy and in tears and felt her own heart thump about, as pride swelled in her chest.

He wasn't wrong for believing in me.

"'Sniff' Thankyou Jaune…"

AJ smiled looking to her a faint nod passing as he did as the view begun to light back up manifesting the next world. He only hoped whatever would show next would inspire half the joy this world did for his former loves counterpart…