Cardin's foot slammed into Jessica's stomach. The impact was brutal, a sickening thud that forced a painful gasp from her lungs. She crumpled to the ground, the air knocked from her body, her vision swimming as she struggled to pull in a single breath. The world was a dizzying blur of pain and red leaves.
Before she could even try to push herself up, a shadow fell over her. Cardin's boot came down on her shoulder, pinning her. He looked at her with an expression of pure, unadulterated fury before he leaned down and punched her in the face. Her head snapped back, the sharp pain of the blow ringing through her skull as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
"You know that wasn't very smart, Jessica," Cardin hissed, his voice low and venomous. "I'm gonna make sure your father knows that you're here, and I'm gonna send you back in teeny, tiny pieces."
Jessica spit, a mixture of blood and spittle landing with a wet splat on the toe of his boot. "I don't care what you do to me," she groaned out, her voice raspy. "But you are not messing with my team."
Cardin let out a low growl of disbelief and rage. He crouched down and, with a powerful hand, grabbed her by the collar, lifting her off the ground until she was hanging limply in front of him. "What? You think talk like that makes you tough?" he sneered, his face mere inches from hers. "You think you're a big strong woman now? I'll make you wish you never should've disobeyed me."
But instead of fear, a small, defiant smile lit up Jessica's face as she looked into his enraged eyes. It was a victory, a silent, psychological jab at his bruised ego.
Cardin snarled, his fist tightening as he prepared to deliver another punch. As his fist made contact, a flash of blinding white light exploded from Jessica's body, a raw, untrained power that pulsed with a searing heat. A cry of pain escaped Cardin's lips as he recoiled, dropping Jessica and clutching his now-burning hand.
He staggered backward, his face contorted in shock and pain. "Ugh!" he grunted, holding his hand as if to put out a fire.
As Jessica fell to the ground, a member of Team CRDL, seeing his leader in pain, rushed forward and delivered a cowardly kick to her stomach. She gasped, the pain returning with a vengeance, but through the agony, a flicker of a smile remained. She had done it. She had defied him.
Jessica groaned, the pain in her stomach a searing fire as she pushed herself up on one elbow. Her gaze, still bleary from the blinding flash of her Semblance, was fixed on Cardin. He stood over her, his eyes blazing with a humiliated fury.
"Let's see how much of a woman you really are," he snarled, taking a menacing step towards her.
Just then, a deep, guttural roar shook the very ground beneath them. Every bird fell silent. Leaves on the trees trembled. The sound was so powerful it felt like a physical blow. They all turned as one to see a massive Ursa, far larger than any they had ever seen in training, lumbering out from behind the trees.
The creature stood on its hind legs, its massive claws a terrifying sight. It sniffed the air, its head turning, and its eyes, glowing with a malevolent red, locked onto Cardin. The red sap on his armor from Jessica's thrown jar was still bright and fragrant.
Without a second thought, Team CRDL took off running, their bravado gone in a flash of fear. "That's a big Ursa!" Dove shouted, his voice high with panic as he followed the rest of his team.
The Ursa let out another roar and swung its clawed hand with a powerful sweep. The blow sent Cardin flying sideways. The Grimm ignored Jessica entirely, its fury centered on the student with the sweet, sticky scent. Cardin, scrambling to his feet, pulled out his mace, but the Ursa hit it aside with a contemptuous backhand. The heavy weapon tumbled end over end, clattering to a stop on the ground right in front of Jessica.
Jessica's gaze dropped to the mace, then lifted to the massive Grimm, and then back to the weapon. Her mind, despite the pain, raced. She could pick up her own weapon, a powerful tool to help Cardin. Or she could leave him and run, letting the monster exact a brutal, karmic justice on the boy who had tormented her.
The Ursa's roar, a final, earth-shaking declaration of its presence, was loud enough to carry through the quiet forest, catching the attention of Team RWBY and the rest of Team JNPR.
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A guttural, earth-shaking roar ripped through the tranquility of the Forever Fall forest, causing the very ground to tremble. The sudden, terrifying sound made every bird take flight. A shiver ran down Ruby's spine as even the beast from within her stirred, a low growl rising in her mind in response to the massive Grimm's call.
"Did you guys hear that?" Ruby said, her voice strained.
Before anyone could answer, a blur of motion burst from the trees. It was Russel, panting and terrified, shouting in a high-pitched panic. "Ursa! Ursa!" He ran straight into Yang, who lifted him by his collar in one swift motion, her face a mask of concern.
"What? Where?" she demanded, her voice serious.
He pointed a trembling finger behind him. "Back there! It's got Cardin!"
The moment the words left his mouth, a loud clang echoed through the forest as Pyrrha dropped her jar of red sap. The glass shattered on the ground, but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes, wide with sudden horror, were fixed on the direction Russel had pointed. "Jessica!" she cried, her voice filled with a desperate, all-consuming worry.
In a flash, Ruby's leadership instincts took over. "Yang! You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!" she ordered, her voice a strong, clear command. Yang nodded, her face grim with a renewed sense of purpose. She and Blake were already sprinting away, their steps quiet and swift.
Pyrrha, in turn, grabbed the two remaining members of her team. "You two, go with them! There could be more!" she said to Nora and Ren, who, without question, began to follow Yang and Blake.
With a shared nod, Ruby, Pyrrha, and Weiss took off in the other direction, their feet pounding against the ground. They were heading toward the source of the roar, the terrifying sound of the Ursa, and the terrifying knowledge that their friend was with it.
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Back in the Forever Fall forest, the desperate sound of Cardin's panicked footsteps was all that could be heard. He scrambled backward, whimpering, as the giant Ursa stomped forward, its heavy growls a promise of violence. Suddenly, with an inhuman leap, the Grimm was airborne. It landed directly in front of him with a ground-shaking thud, its massive body blotting out the sun. Cardin whimpered, his eyes wide with terror, as a heavy clawed paw slammed him to the side, sending him sprawling.
Groaning, he tried to crawl away, his panicked "Crap, crap, crap!" a pathetic sound in the face of the monster's fury.
Just as the Ursa prepared to deliver a final, crushing blow, three figures burst into the clearing. Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha skidded to a halt, their eyes widening in horror at the scene. Ruby clutched her chest, her knuckles turning white as the beast from within stirred at the scent of the Grimm's bloodlust. She fought a silent, desperate battle for control. "Oh no... Not now," she whispered to herself.
The Ursa's massive claw began its descent. But in a sudden, impossible flash, a shield made of pure light appeared, a brilliant barrier that slammed against the monster's attack. Jessica, bruised and defiant, had launched herself in front of Cardin, her Aura Shield flaring with a light so brilliant it momentarily blinded the Grimm.
The three girls' eyes widened in stunned surprise. Even Cardin, despite his terror, stared at the sight of Jessica standing over him.
Before Weiss and Ruby could rush to attack, Pyrrha held up a hand, stopping them. "Wait," she said, a new, almost reverent look in her eyes.
Jessica didn't hesitate. She swung her Aura sword, the blade a magnificent weapon of pure energy. It pierced the Ursa's hide, embedding itself deep in the monster's arm as it roared in pain.
The Ursa let out a guttural roar of pure rage, yanking its arm away from Jessica's Aura blade. Its claws scraped against the ground, digging deep gouges into the earth as it glared at the small human who had wounded it.
The fight continued, a brutal dance between girl and beast. The Ursa, enraged and unwilling to concede defeat, reared back and let out a guttural roar. Its massive, clawed hand swung forward in a heavy, sweeping attack, the razor-sharp talons aimed to crush Jessica. The air itself seemed to shudder from the force of the blow.
But Jessica was ready. With a speed born of pure instinct, she ducked low, the wind from the Ursa's attack whipping her hair across her face. The monster's claw slammed into the ground where she had just been, a cloud of dirt and splintered rock exploding outward. The sound of the impact was like a thunderclap. She had dodged, but only by a hair's breadth.
The time had come. With a battle cry that was a testament to her newfound courage, Jessica used every ounce of her remaining strength to swing her Aura blade in a final, decisive arc. The glowing sword aimed directly for the creatures exposed neck, a blow meant to end the fight for good.
But at the same moment, the creature, with a primal shriek of its own, took its chance. Its claws, tipped with razor-sharp talons, lunged forward, aiming to tear through Jessica's head.
Time seemed to slow down. The two final attacks were on a collision course.
Watching the scene unfold, Pyrrha's eyes darted across the battlefield. She noticed Cardin's still-discarded mace lying in the dirt beside Jessica. A plan formed in her mind in a fraction of a second. She lifted her hand, and a dark outline of her Polarity Semblance formed around the weapon. With a grunt of effort, she ripped it from the ground and launched it through the air. The heavy mace flew like a silent missile, smashing into the side of the creature's head with a sickening crack. It was not a killing blow, but it was enough to stagger the beast and break its concentration. The momentary diversion gave Jessica the opening she needed.
With the Grimm disoriented, Jessica seized her chance. She leaped onto its broad back, her Aura sword flaring to life. She plunged the sword deep into the monster's neck, the blade burning a bright white. The Ursa roared in a final, agonizing cry before its body dissolved into a cloud of ash.
The four girls stood together, chests heaving, as the dust settled around them. The silence of the forest returned, now filled with a sense of triumph.
The Grimm's ashes settled, and the silence of the forest returned, broken only by the sound of their heavy breathing. Ruby was the first to speak, her voice a hushed whisper. "Um... what?"
Weiss, her eyes wide as she looked from the pile of ash to Pyrrha, added, "How did you...?"
Pyrrha offered a small, knowing smile. "Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your Glyphs. My Semblance is Polarity."
Ruby's eyes lit up in understanding. "Ah... you can control poles."
Weiss let out an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes. "No, you dunce, it means she has control over magnetism."
"Magnets are cool too!" Ruby said with a grin.
Pyrrha's smile widened before she looked at Jessica, a silent look of pride passing between them. She then turned and began to walk away, her steps confident.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Weiss asked, a note of panic in her voice.
"Yeah, we've gotta tell someone what happened," Ruby added, looking confused.
Pyrrha looked over her shoulder, a brilliant smile on her face. "We could. Or perhaps, we could give the win to Jessica and keep this our little secret." With that, she continued to walk away.
Ruby and Weiss exchanged a look, their gazes filled with awe as they looked at Jessica, before following Pyrrha without another word.
Taking a deep breath, Jessica looked down at Cardin, who was still on the ground, his face a mixture of shock and terror. She walked towards him, a newfound purpose in her step, and offered him a hand.
Cardin, defeated and utterly humbled, accepted it. As Jessica helped him to his feet, he looked at her with disbelief. "Holy crap, Jess?"
The name, once a symbol of his power over her, now felt like an insult. "Don't call me Jess," she said, her voice firm and unwavering. "I am not your friend. Only my friends get to call me that." She stepped closer to him, her eyes burning with a steady flame of resolve. "And as for them... don't mess with my team, my... friends, ever again. Do I make myself clear?"
Jessica didn't give Cardin the chance to answer. With her head held high, she turned her back on him and walked away, leaving him alone in the quiet forest.
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Later that night, the rooftop of the dorms was bathed in the cool moonlight. Below, the lights of Beacon Academy twinkled like a sea of fallen stars, but Jessica wasn't looking at them. Her eyes were fixed on the inky blackness of the night, lost in thought, when the quiet creak of the rooftop door broke her solitude.
"No Cardin tonight?" Pyrrha's voice was light and playful as she walked onto the roof. She took a few steps closer to Jessica, her hands resting easily on her hips. "I thought you two were best buds?"
Jessica flinched at the words, her shoulders slumping as she turned to face Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, I'm sorry," she said, her voice strained with regret. "I was a jerk. You were trying to be nice, and... I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head..." She trailed off, unable to meet her gaze.
Pyrrha's playful smile softened into a genuine, kind one. "Jess. It's okay."
She walked to the edge of the roof, looking out at the sprawling academy. "Your team really misses their leader, you know. You should come down. Ren made pancakes. No syrup, though-you can thank Nora for that." With a final, warm smile, she turned to walk back towards the rooftop door.
"Wait!" Jessica's voice was a desperate plea.
Pyrrha stopped, her hand on the doorknob, and looked back at her.
"I know... I don't deserve it after all that happened, but..." Jessica's voice was filled with a vulnerability she rarely showed. She rubbed the back of her head, her gaze fixed on the ground. "Would you still be willing to help me? I want to fight this... I need to, for my family. Please... help me become a better fighter, so I can be strong enough to stand up to my father."
A brilliant, understanding grin spread across Pyrrha's face. Without a word, she let go of the doorknob and walked back to Jessica. But instead of saying anything, she suddenly pushed the girl to the ground.
"Hey!" Jessica whined, landing with a surprised thud.
"Your stance is all wrong," Pyrrha said, her tone suddenly professional and serious. "You need to be wider and lower to the ground." She offered Jessica her hand and helped her back up. "Let's try that again."