A/N: I of course skipped the whole thing with beginning of the end episode because is was a Back Story thing.

At Team RWBY's dorm, with two Atlesian Knight-200s guarding the room. While you and the others were inside.

Ironwood: I'm sorry, but you've left us with no choice.

Yang:  But he attacked me!

Ironwood: Video footage and millions of viewers say otherwise.

Weiss:  But Yang would never do that!

Ruby: Yeah!

(Y/N): this is clearly a misunderstanding!

Ironwood: You all seem like good students, and the staff here at Beacon are fully aware that you would never lash out the way you did... under normal circumstances. What I believe and hope this to be is nothing more than the result of stress and adrenaline. When you're out on the battlefield, your judgment can become clouded in an instant. Sometimes you see things that simply aren't there. Even after the fight is past...

Yang: But I wasn't-

Ironwood: That's ENOUGH! The sad truth is, whether it was an accident or an assault, it doesn't matter. The world saw you attack an innocent student. They've already drawn their own conclusions. And it's my job to inform you that... you are disqualified.

(Y/N): 😡

Yang's shock turns into miserable understanding when she looks to the ground, and Ironwood leaves the room.

Yang: You guys believe me, right?

(Y/N): of course.

Ruby: Duh!

Weiss: You're hotheaded, but not ruthless.

Yang: Blake?

Blake turns her gaze away, earning a shocked look between Ruby and Weiss.

Blake: I want to believe you...

Ruby: Huh!?

Weiss: What's that supposed to mean?

Yang: Blake?

Weiss: How can you say something like that? Yang would never lie to us!

Blake: I had someone very dear to me change. It wasn't in an instant, it was gradual - little choices that began to pile up. He told me not to worry. At first they were accidents, then it was self-defense. Before long, even I began to think he was right. This is all just... very familiar. But you're not him. And you've never done anything like this before. So... I want to trust you. I will trust you. But first, I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me that he attacked you. I need you to promise me that you regret having to do what you did.

Yang: I saw him attack me, so I attacked back.

Blake: Okay. Thank you.

Yang: I think I'm gonna rest up.

Blake: We'll get out of your hair.

(TimeSkip)

At the cliffside docking bays down the main alleyway and under the floating Amity Colosseum, You and Ruby walked up to the end of the line waiting to get in the transport up to the arena. You both turned your heads to see Brawnz Ni and Nolan Porfirio talking outside the line, and beyond that, Sun Wukong walking away, Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang over his shoulder, with a familiar rabbit Faunus snapping photos of him. Ruby steps out of line and approaches her from behind as she continues taking pictures with her camera until she notices who's behind her.

Velvet: Hey Guys, how you going?

Ruby: Hi, Velvet! What're you up to?

Velvet: Oh, you know. Just working on my photography. Do you wanna see?

She offers her camera to You and Ruby, looking extremely delighted. Ruby immediately notices that Velvet didn't even get all of Sun in her picture, cutting out his head and feet.

(Y/N): 0_0

Ruby: That's... better.

Velvet: I'm... sorry about your sister. Is she doing okay?

Ruby: Yeah, she's fine, heh. Thanks.

Velvet puts the camera away in the box on her back.

Velvet: I think it's just awful what people are saying about her. Yang's such a nice person.

Ruby: Well, I'm glad someone thinks so.

(Y/N): yeah.

Velvet: Most people don't know what it's like on the battlefield. I mean, even experienced fighters can get scared and start seeing things. If it happened to Coco, it can happen to anyone.

Ruby cocks her head to the side.

(Y/N) and Ruby: Coco?

Velvet: Yeah. She swore she saw Yatsu with her in the forest during the fight with Emerald and Mercury, but he never even made it out of the geyser fields. Stress-induced hallucinations, apparently.

Ruby: Yeah...

(Y/N)'s mind: hallucinations?

Velvet took a picture of you and Ruby and  lowered the camera from her face, smiling apologetically.

Velvet: Oh! Sorry.

Back in the Colosseum, people are back in the stands cheering and ready for entertainment as You and Ruby go down the steps to an open seat. Despite everything that's happened, Ruby'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.

Ruby: Emerald's... here?

(Y/N): what?!

You see her too.

(Y/N)'s mind: what the hell?!

As if sensing she's being watched, Emerald leans forward to glare at You two, you both suddenly get up with a worried expression on Ruby and you both run 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.

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

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

Ruby: Mercury?

(Y/N): why the hell are you here?!

Ruby:  What are you doing?......

You and Ruby then hired who the opponents are from the speakers. It was Penny and Pyrrha.

Ruby: No...

Mercury: Ooh, polarity versus metal. That could be bad.

(Y/N): ggggggrrrrrr!

Ruby glares at her new opponent, reaching back to grab Crescent Rose, only to remember she doesn't have it on her. 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,

Ruby: Mercury, what are you doing? You were hurt! Why... What's going on?

Mercury doesn't answer, still grinning with malice.

(Y/N): answer her you bastard!!!

He still grins.

Ruby: Fine. If you're not going to tell me...

Ruby attempts to move around him, but he blocks her path, then does it again when she sidesteps.

Oobleck over the announcement system draw's Ruby's attention away.

Oobleck: Fighters, are you ready?

Mercury smirks.

Mercury: Showtime.

He goes forward, blocking Ruby's path with his arms outstretched, restraining her movements no matter where she moves. Panicked, she grimaces and spins forward, becoming a blur of red and petals rocketing toward Mercury, only for the villain to kick her mid-dash with his boots and knock her to the ground. You tried to attack him but her kicks you to the wall. He then advances on Ruby just as she gets our her Scroll, about to push the button to call for help when a bullet shatters the device into several shards.

Mercury lowers his leg from its kick.

Mercury: Let's just keep this between us friends.

he moves towards her. But that's when you got from behind him and kicked him three times in the head before grabbing him with your tail and threw him to the wall.

(Y/N): let's go!

You and Ruby ran back to the Coliseum with Mercury following the both of you. But once you both got there you saw the horrifying sight of penny cut in half from the waist.

(Y/N): "gasps"..................no

Ruby: Penny...

she begins to cry, the tears fall as she sobs miserably as tears fell down your face as well.

A/N: now it begins.