Blink and you'll miss it

Vol. 5 Chapter 3: But at what cost?

Oscar is in the training room of the house wielding the long memory. He swings a few times before panting from exhaustion.

Ruby: "You're really getting better, huh?"

Oscar turns to see Ruby walking down the stairs into the room.

Ruby: "Are you hungry? It's almost dinnertime."

Oscar: "Uh, yeah. That sounds good. I was about to call it a night anyway."

Ruby: "So, you've never fought before?"

Oscar: "Just the occasional small Grimm. Nothing like this, though."

Ruby: "Wow. You look like a natural."

Oscar: "It's strange, I have only had this cane for a few weeks, but... I feel like I've had it for a lifetime. Longer, even."

Oscar pauses looking down at the cane.

Oscar: "I sound like a crazy person."

Ruby: "I mean, uh, yeah just a little. But at this pace, you'll be combat ready in no time!"

Suddenly, Ruby frowns upon mentioning her last phrase. Oscar notices this and tries to ask a question before Ruby interrupts him.

Oscar: "Uh..."

Ruby: "Well, see you upstairs."

Oscar: "How do you handle all of this?"

Ruby: "What do you mean?"

Oscar: "I'm... scared. I'm more scared than I've ever been in my life, than I ever thought was possible."

he walks over to a weapon rack

Oscar: "I always knew that I wanted to be more than a farmhand, but this?"

he places the cane in the rack

Oscar: "Who would ask for this?"

He glances down at the floor as a tear drips from his eye. He sniffles before kneeling to the floor to reach his backpack. He grabs the cane off the rack and pulls the lever on the handle to compact it before putting it in his backpack.

(Y/n): "Sometimes life gives you a shitty hand, and that's ok. what matters is what you do with that hand now that you have it."

They turn to see (Y/n) walking down the stairs.

(Y/n): "You're scared, that just means you're human. But you can't let your fears control your actions or you could get hurt or worse."

He points to his covered right eye for emphasis.

Oscar frowns a bit.

Ruby: "We all went to Beacon because we wanted to help people. But, you're right. None of us asked for this either. We just have to press on and-"

Oscar: "How can you be so confident?! People have tried to kill you! The world's about to go to war all over again! How are you okay with any of this?!!"

(Y/n): "Because if we don't do it who will?"

Oscar calms down a bit clenching his fists.

Ruby: "When Beacon fell, I lost two of my friends: Penny Polendina and Pyrrha Nikos."

(Y/n) looks down and grits his teeth.

Ruby: "I didn't know them for very long, but that doesn't change the fact that they were two of the most kind-hearted people I have ever met. But that didn't save them. Pyrrha thought that if there was even the smallest chance of helping someone, then it was a chance worth taking. And because of that, she died fighting a battle she knew she couldn't win. And Penny... was killed... just to make a statement."