As NeoCat attacked the group, Jaune blocks the Cat with his shield.
Jaune: This whole time....I thought Alyx made it back home and lied about everything that happened here! But you were the one that killed...! Who lied!
NeoCat: You were never the brave knight either! Just more fairytale nonsense!
Jaune manages to knock the Cat back, but as he prepares to finish them off, the Cat uses Neo's Semblance to transform into Penny. Jaune hesitates, and is caught off guard by a Neo clone of Pyrrha striking him from behind. The Cat kicks Jaune near the edge of the Tree platform. As Weiss saves Jaune, he falls over the edge in multicolored smoke.
Weiss: Jaune!
As NeoCat relishes in this, X-49 fires on NeoCat.
X-49: I'm not letting you hurt them!
NeoCat: Oh I don't think so!
NeoCat then charges at X-49 and attacks him. As the two begin to fight, Lulu jumps in and begins biting NeoCat. X-49 seizes the opportunity to land a few punches on NeoCat. Team RWBY quickly take the opportunity to attack NeoCat.
NeoCat: You have always been pathetic, Tin Man! Pathetic and boring! You really think fighting me is going to fix what's broken in your little tin head?!
X-49: As long as I can move, I won't let you hurt those precious to me!
It was in that moment that Penny unleashed the full power of her Maiden powers on NeoCat. While NeoCat was able to dodge them, it was clear that NeoCat was outmatched.
Penny: Stop this, Cat! It doesn't have to end this way!
NeoCat: Oh I'm afraid we're far too late for that point, Maiden!
Weiss stabs Myrtenaster into the ground blanketing it in ice, and Yang follows up with a ground smash, the two doing their Freezerburn combo attack. NeoCat leaps back and the combatants charge towards each other again, but suddenly, a tree branch drops in front of them. Jaune soon arrives cutting off the branches.
Jaune: The leaves! Burn the leaves!
Following his instructions, Yang fires some rounds from Ember Celica setting the leaves on fire, with Blake using a fire clone from her Semblance, and Weiss uses her glyph to blow the smoke towards NeoCat's way along with X-49. Jaune jumps and lands on the ground, regrouping with Team RWBY.
NeoCat: Taking a page out of the caterpillar's book, hm? The leaves have no effect on me.
Jaune: Maybe not, but that's not the case for Neo.
As NeoCat inhales some of the smoke, X-49 grabs NeoCat. NeoCat feels a sudden reaction and begins to cough, collapsing on their knees. Hallucinations of Ruby, Cinder Fall, Neo's parents, and Roman Torchwick appear within the smoke.
NeoCat: No! These cracks, these feelings! I can't....I can't!!!
X-49: Funny thing about Tin Men is that we don't need to breath like organics!
As X-49 tightly grips NeoCat as the Cat is exorcized from Neo's body as Jaune and Team RWBY look on in shock. Neo, now freed from the Cat's control, runs out from the smoke and collapses on her knees. Team RWBY and Jaune look back at the smoke, and see the Cat has now taken on a much more monstrous form than before, becoming the Furious Cat. They leap forward and slam into the ground, knocking Jaune, Weiss, Blake, and Yang back. X-49 and Penny remain standing.
Curious Cat: Maybe I don't need Ruby after all. You'll do nicely, Maiden.....
Penny: I wouldn't do it if I were you.
Curious Cat: With your body, you'll take me to Remnant and I'll get the answers I seek!
The Curious Cat then charges at Penny. X-49 shoots at the Curious Cat, but the Curious Cat proves too fast for him to keep up. When the Cat gets close, he blasts X-49 back and proceeds to force themself inside Penny. As the group looked in horror, Penny's body began to convulse violently. After a moment, Penny opened her eyes, sharing the Cat's eyes.
PennyCat: Yes! YES! This power.....I've won! I....
Suddenly, PennyCat began to feel a growing pain. PennyCat dropped to their knees as they groaned in pain.
PennyCat: What....what is happening?! This pain...what is it?! What did you do to me?!
PennyCat then begins seeing flashes of Penny's life in both Remnant and the Ever After. They saw flashes of Penny's first death during the Vytal Festival.
PennyCat:Make it stop....MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!
Penny: You must own the rain. It must be part of you, an extension of you. If you fight it, it will win.
PennyCat: That's....impossible! What trickery is this?!
Penny: You do not recognize what truth is, so you call it a trick. For all your curiosity, you are not wise, Cat. Wisdom is something you cannot identify because you cannot measure it. Your focus...determines your reality....
It was at this point that Penny took back control of her body. She began to meditate even as the Cat screamed. Unable to bear the pain any longer, the Curious Cat attempts to leave Penny's body, but Penny refused to let them go.
PennyCat: What....what are you doing?! Let...me....go!
Penny said nothing as she continued to meditate. As Penny prevented the Cat from escaping her body, the Curious Cat takes control of Penny's body. Using what little control they had left on Penny, the Curious Cat leaps out of Penny's body. As Penny continued to meditate, the Curious Cat takes a moment, still feeling the backlash of the pain they felt inside Penny's body. Even as they escaped Penny's body, they felt weakened. At the same time, Penny stood up, appearing stronger.
Curious Cat: That's...that's not possible. You...you stole some of essence....you stole...me...YOU STOLE ME!
As the Curious Cat said this, the rest of the group joined Penny's side. In that moment, the battle between the group and the Curious Cat was about to reach it's climax.
ВЫ ЧИТАЕТЕ
The Tale Of X-49: A RWBY Story
БоевикWhen a mysterious robot is discovered, Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long take him in as both a brother and protector. In the years that followed, the robot known as X-49 would forge a powerful bond with them that will give the robot a purpose beyond his...
