RWBY: HERO (Volume 1-3)

Chapter 27

Cut to outside the room, where Ruby is closing the door, pausing only for a second to see Yang slump forward before shutting it completely. She joins Weiss and Blake in the middle of the hallway.

Weiss shakes her head and sighs

"This is a mess..."

Jaune follows the sound of an opening door as he peeks out of TeamJNPR's room, with his team peering around the edge in concern. Team HERO comes down the hall, which Henry was eager to find out what's going on.

"She doing okay?" asks Jaune.

"She's doing the best she can." says Blake.

Ruby holds her hands up.

"I heard Mercury and his team rushed back toHaven to be with his family. So, until they land, no one can really question him about what happened."

"If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask." says Ren.

Ruby looks down.

"All right then. If that's the case..."

Ruby turns her gaze up again.

"Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha looks to the younger girl as she gets herself seated on on a bed.

"Hm?"

Ruby holds her clenched hands up as she tries to put on a grin.

"You be sure to win one for Beacon, okay?"

Weiss nods as she and Blake also smile sadly.

"It's what Yang would want."

Pyrrha turns her head away before coming back with her attempt at a confident look.

"I'll... do my best."

Ruby speaks excitedly.

"I'll be sure to watch tonight in case you're picked! And you too, Roger. Yang says your pretty at defending yourself."

Roger nods.

Pyrrha's smile dips down into worry as she looks away.

"Sorry but, I think I've had enough fighting for one year." says Blake.

Weiss nods once.

"Ditto."

Weiss takes a moment passes before she says.

"Coffee?"

Blake smiles

"Tea."

The three members of RWBY and four members of HERO walk down the hall, and Jaune only closes the door when he sees Ruby and Henry disappear behind the corner as he puts his arm around her shoulder for comfort. 

"So, she's disqualified?" asks Henry.

"Yeah. Team RWBY is."

"I'm sorry to hear."

"It doesn't matter. Tonight is still young. We have Roger and Pyrrah. It's up to you guys to win."

Henry nods and keeps on walking.

Back in the Colosseum, people are back in the stands cheering and ready for entertainment as Ruby descends down the steps to an open seat. Despite everything that's happened, she's smiling widely, looking around at the assembled crowds... until her stupefied eyes see a familiar, glaring face on the other side of the arena.

"Emerald's... here?"

As if sensing she's being watched, Emerald leans forward to glare at Ruby, who suddenly gets up with a worried expression and runs towards the exit tunnel. Checking to see if no one's around, she enters a door labeled with a yellow maintenance sign and finds herself inside of the Colosseum. She walks forward with determination as the announcers' voices are heard, muffled behind the brick walls.

"Ruby?"

Ruby looks behind to see Henry.

"Something wrong?"

Ruby didn't say a word. The next thing that shocked Henry was her taking him by the arm and walking the same direction as Emerald went.

"All right, it's now time to begin the randomization process for our next fight!" Says Oobleck.

The sound of the roulette is heard faintly, but what makes Ruby and Henry stop in their tracks is the sight of another unexpected "friend" stepping out from a nearby tunnel, completely unharmed and definitely not going home.

Ruby squinting as if making sure.

"Mercury?"

"What? How the help are you walking?" asks Henry.

Mercury didn't say anything, but shows a grin.

"It looks like our first contender is...Penny Polendina from Atlas..." says Port.

Ruby's attention goes from the broadcast to the fraud.

"What are you doing?"

"And her opponent will be... Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon!"

Ruby's head dips in thought until she realizes the awful truth.

"No..."

Mercury puts a hand to his chin.

"Ooh, polarity versus metal. That could be bad."

"You-!" Henry's expression turns into a murdering grown at Mercury.

Ruby glares at her new opponent, reaching back to grab Crescent Rose, only to remember she doesn't have it on her, as well as Henry. Mercury simply grins maliciously and sets himself up in a fighting pose.

Outside, the arena's center is lifting back into the air, and an oblivious Penny is grinning wildly, with her fellow redhead Nora cheering excitedly from the stands, even getting Ren to let out a reluctant "Yaaay..." The screen fades to black as Pyrrha, face and body still filled with depression, looks to the ground while the stage finishes being set up.

"Alright then."

Henry stands still.

"Looks like we have a traitor all along."