Ballroom...
"It looks like the party has reached the point of boredom." Jared said, watching some random students schmoozing at the dance. "God, I'm so bored."
"Me too." Ruby said, while Bartholomew Oobleck is shown to be listening intently as Peter Port laughs over some unheard anecdote. "Yui had to come too."
"Of course I did." Yui said, as Ozpin is standing off to the side with Glynda Goodwitch until General James Ironwood offers his hand for her to dance with him. "What are they doing?"
"They're dancing." Jared said, sadly.
Jaune Arc approaches Ruby Rose and Jared Shay, who are standing pensively near the refreshments tables.
"I see the both of you are hiding at the punch bowl too." Jaune said.
"Yep." Ruby said, and an audible *pop* can be heard as the silver-eyed girl emphasizes the 'p'.
"We are." Jared said, drinking the punch. "This party was fun during the first two to three hours. But after that, I'm like nope."
"To the socially awkward." Jaune said, looking between Ruby and Jared.
Ruby giggles and the three clink glasses, "Sorry things didn't work out with Weiss."
"Meh, it's fine. Neptune's pretty 'cool'. I get why she went with him." Jaune said.
"What are you talking about?" Jared asked, with Yui sitting on his shoulder.
"Yeah, what do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"Well, come on, not many people can pull off blue hair." Jaune said, as he began to drink his punch.
"No, I mean, Weiss came to the dance alone." Ruby said.
"She did, I feel bad for the ice queen." Jared said, when Jaune chokes in surprise. "This isn't like Weiss. Her coming to a party or a dance."
"Uh, what?" Jaune asked, turning to look at Ruby and Jared.
"Like I said, I feel bad for her." Jared said, looking at Weiss Schnee who is trying desperately to coax life out of a wilting white rose. "I like Weiss, she keeps me and Ruby in check."
"She does." Ruby said, and when Weiss fails, she looks visibly upset. "And she said that she had too much to focus on to worry about boys."
Laughter draws Weiss' attention to Sun Wukong, Blake Belladonna, and Neptune Vasilias as the latter entertains the others with some impressions and other silly faces.
Jaune is observing as well, and he becomes visibly perturbed.
"Hold my punch." Jaune said, speaking in a low growl.
Jaune hands Ruby his glass and no sooner than he vanishes from sight does she choose to drink from his cup.
"Is Jaune gonna help Weiss?" Yui asked, as Jaune makes his way across the room, shoving other students aside. "Is he?"
"Yeah." Jared said, when Jaune also shoved some students that weren't even in his path. "He will."
"What's gonna happen now?" Ruby asked, when Jaune stops short and watches as Pyrrha Nikos passes by. "Any hints?"
"Spoilers." Jared said, when Jaune watches Pyrrha walk glumly up the stairs and the blonde seems to have a change of heart. "Not telling."
"No fair."
Balcony…
Pyrrha is on a balcony as Jaune approaches behind her.
"Hey, Pyrrha." Jaune said, when he stopped walking, to be behind the redhead.
Pyrrha turns around to face him, "Hello, Jaune."
"You okay? I haven't seen you tonight." Jaune said, walking even more towards Pyrrha.
"Arrived late, I'm afraid." Pyrrha said, turning back to the balcony.
"Well, you look really nice."
Pyrrha raised her hand near her mouth.
"Thank you." Pyrrha said, and her hand falls away.
"Your, uh, date isn't going to beat me up for saying that, is he?" Jaune asked, nervously tipping on his toes.
"I think you're safe for tonight."
"So, where is the guy?" Jaune asked, rubbing his hands.
Pyrrha turns back toward Jaune, and her head sinks in melancholy, "There is no guy."
"What?" Jaune asked, while he chuffs nervously.
"Nobody asked me." Pyrrha said, shaking her head glumly.
"But that's…" Jaune said, gesturing toward her. "You're Pyrrha Nikos!" He shrugged his shoulders, dumbfounded. "H...How could nobody ask you?"
"I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities. I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place." Pyrrha said, turning towards the balcony. "Everyone assumes I'm too good for them." She turned back to look at Jaune. "That I'm on a level they simply can't attain. It's become impossible to form any sort of meaningful relationship with people. That's what I like about you. When we met, you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you, I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with. Someone who just saw me for me."
Pyrrha looks at Jaune and then walks away while Jaune simply stares in astonishment.
"W...Wai...!" Jaune said, while he watched Pyrrha turn a corner.
Neptune has appeared on the balcony, gesturing toward Jaune, "Hey, uh, Jaune, right?"
"Yeah." Jaune said, letting out a sigh.
"This party's pretty lame, huh? I mean, ballroom dancing. Pfft." Neptune said.
"Yeah." Jaune said, looking back out over the balcony.
"Cute girls, though, huh?" Neptune asked, gesturing back to the dance.
"Is that all you think about?" Jaune angrily asked, as he turns back to Neptune, gesturing to the dance.
"Huh?" Neptune asked, raising his palms to wait level.
"Do you even care about the girls you're hitting on? How they feel about you?"
"Whoa!" Neptune said, throwing his palms up. "Where's this coming from?"
"How could you just turn her down like that?" Jaune asked, opening his arms wide.
"Wait, h...who?"
"Weiss!"
"I, uh...it, uh...it just didn't work out, you know?"
"What? You think that you're too cool, too many other options? Weiss Schnee asked you to the dance. What in the world could possibly keep you from go…"
"I can't dance!" Neptune said, looking shamefully at the ground.
"Beg your pardon?" Jaune asked, calmly.
"I can't dance, man!"
"But...you're so cool!"
"Thank you. I try really, really hard."
"You would rather break a girl's heart and go to a dance alone than just admit to everyone that you can't move in rhythm to music?"
"That about sums it up, yeah."
"Well, I certainly feel a lot better about myself." Jaune said, turning back to the balcony.
"Please don't tell anybody. Look, if you want Weiss, she's all yours. I don't wanna get in your way." Neptune said, raising his palms.
Jaune turns back towards Neptune, placing his palms on the stone banister, "Do you like her?"
"Yeah, I mean I don't know her too well yet, but she seems pretty cool."
"Then just go talk to her. No pickup lines, no suave moves, just be yourself. I've heard that's the way to go." Jaune said, crossing his arms.
"Yeah, but then…" Neptune said.
"Hey! You don't have to look cool all the time. In all honesty, if you could be a little less cool, I'd really appreciate it."
Neptune considers Jaune's advice, "Yeah, okay."
"Go talk to her. I guarantee it'll make her night."
"Thanks. You're a really cool guy, Jaune." Neptune said, approaching Jaune, holding his fist out for a bump.
"Alright, don't lie to my face." Jaune said, approaching Neptune.
The two of them bump fists and Neptune walks away.
"All right, only one thing left to do." Jaune said, letting out a sigh.
Ballroom...
"It's nice, you know." Jared said, leaning on a handrail with Yang Xiao Long as the two of them are overlooking the festivities from a second tier. "This dance, it's not really that boring."
"It really isn't." Ruby said, walking towards Yang and Jared to also lean on the rail. "No Doctor, no aliens, no TARDIS. No seeing other worlds, and no Grimm, no Roman Torchwick, and no White Fang..."
"For once, we're normal."
"That's what we are, normal."
"You know? I think we really needed this." Yang said, looking back at Ruby and Jared.
Blake and Sun are slow dancing while Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie appear to be Waltzing. Penny Polendina is shown to be dancing alone, guarded by two Atlas Soldiers.
"Yeah, and you and Jared did a great job planning it too!" Ruby said, happily.
Yang is reaching over to Ruby.
"Aw, thanks!" Yang said, crushing Ruby in a one-arm hug as she flails frantically. "It wasn't all us, though. Weiss did a lot too."
Ruby stops struggling and looks down at Weiss. Neptune approaches and rubs his neck nervously. Weiss invites him to sit with her.
"Tomorrow it's back to work." Yang said, chuffs.
"I'm sure we can handle whatever gets thrown at us." Ruby said, when a sudden fits of laughter and giggles draw their attention below. "Ex...cept for that."
"Oh, my god." Jared said, placing his hand in front of Yui's, and Pyrrha turns around to see something shocking. "Don't look, Yui."
"I'm not." Yui said, sadly.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, and Jaune is now be wearing a white dress with a blue ribbon.
"Eh, a promise is a promise." Jaune said, frowning.
Pyrrha is smiling...then giggling...then laughing aloud, "Jaune! You didn't have to!"
"Hey, an Arc never goes back on his word." Jaune said, extending his hand to Pyrrha. "Now do you wanna stand there and laugh at me, or do you wanna dance?"
Pyrrha is offering her own hand.
"I would love to dance." Pyrrha said, as Jaune pulls her to him and sweeps her away. "Oh!"
"Ren. This...is...happening!" Nora said, flailing excitedly.
"Wait, what 'is happening'?" Ren asked, looking at Pyrrha and Jaune.
"Ooo, I call dibs." Jared said, when Nora grabs Ren and drags him out onto the dance floor with Pyrrha and Jaune. "I'll be right back."
"What are you doing?" Yui asked, sitting on Jared's shoulder when the fanboy joined Team JNPR on the dance floor.
"Dancing." Jared said, as he performed a short but elaborately choreographed dance with Team JNPR. "Thank you Ren, for teaching me the steps for the dance."
"What are the steps for the dance?" Yui asked, while Jaune is spinning Pyrrha.
"Kick, step, kick, step, body roll. It's not rocket science, Yui."
"I had no idea you were a dancer." Pyrrha said, looking at Jaune.
"Yeah, well, these things tend to happen when you grow up with seven sisters." Jaune said, dipping Pyrrha and then spins her away.
Neptune and Weiss are watching the dancers, as Jared left the dance floor to be with Ruby and Yang again.
"So, what made you change your mind?" Weiss asked.
"Huh?" Neptune asked.
"You said you were embarrassed at first. What made you come talk to me?"
"You're looking at him." Neptune said, and they watch Jaune dancing with Pyrrha. "You got some good friends looking out for ya."
Jaune and Pyrrha continue to dance. Ren and Nora do a kind of disco dance, Sun and Blake join the mix and Penny and an Atlas guard are showing doing the 'robot'.
Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai are observing the students from the next tier.
"It appears all the dancers have partners." Emerald said.
"How long do I have?" Cinder asked, her voice coming out of a Bluetooth earbud.
"You should probably be home by midnight, to be safe." Mercury said.
Courtyard...
Cinder Fall is somewhere outside, holding her fingers to her ear, "I'll keep my eye on the clock."
Ruby and Jared, having made their way to the exit, walks out of the dance and into the night air.
"After a couple of hours at a dance or a party." Jared said, holding Ruby's hand. "I like to get some alone time. Due to the sheer amount of boredom."
"Makes sense." Ruby said, and she watches a figure running along the rooftops and the two move to pursue. "Come on!"
Outside the Cross Continental Transmit System Tower…
Cinder is dressed as a cat burglar and stealthily approaches an armed guard. She knife-hands the back of his head, rendering him unconscious with a stunned grin on his face. She drags him behind some bushes.
Inside the building…
Cinder approaches more guards.
"Excuse me, no one's allowed in this area." Atlas Soldier 1 said, while Cinder continues to approach him. "Stop!"
The soldier opens fire when Cinder does not heed him. She manages to overpower him, using his gun to take out another approaching soldier. She then throws him against a handrail. Two more soldiers rush her wielding batons. Cinder flash-forges a pair of black blades from fire Dust and trounces them both.
Two guards are on an elevator.
"Hey, man, do you know the Wi-Fi password?" Atlas Soldier 2 asked.
"It's Beacon, but replace the E with a 3 and add a pound symbol to the end." Atlas Soldier 3 said.
The elevator door opens to show Cinder waiting. One of the guards notices the fallen men outside. Both guards grow apprehensive as Cinder casually walks onto the elevator, the doors closing as she turns around. Thrashing sounds can be heard from outside the elevator.
Outside the building…
Ruby and Jared approach and see the unconscious guard.
"Shit." Jared said, looking down at the unconscious guard, when Yui summoned the Monado to appear on his back. "Thanks Yui."
"Don't mention it." Yui said, smiling, while sitting on Jared's shoulder.
Ruby gasps and she looked over at Jared, "Did you see this coming?"
"Yeah." Jared said, while the silver-eyes girl pulled out her Scroll. "I did, I was bored the whole time waiting for those three to strike. God, I hate one of them so much."
"Who?" Ruby asked, as she is dialing for her weapon locker which crashes into the courtyard and opens to reveal Crescent Rose. "Who is that?"
"Spoilers, I have a grudge against her and someone else." Jared said, and Ruby grabbed her Crescent Rose. "You'll see why someday."
"Right." Ruby said, running towards the building with Jared. "You can tell me later."
Inside the building…
The elevator doors open to reveal Cinder examining a Scroll. The two guards are knocked out.
"Oh! That's handy." Cinder said, placing the Scroll inside her pocket, and she walks out of the elevator and toward the control consoles nearby.
"A party guest is leaving." Emerald said, her voice coming out of the Bluetooth earbud.
"Which one?" Cinder asked, letting out a sigh.
Ballroom…
Emerald is dancing with Mercury, "Ironwood."
Ironwood is walking out the door as Ozpin gives his send-off.
Inside the building...
"I guess the general's had enough fun for one night." Mercury said, his voice coming out of the Bluetooth earbud.
Random code appearing on a computer screen is shown to change into a Queen chess piece.
"Should we intervene?" Mercury asked, his voice coming out of the Bluetooth earbud.
The other monitors in the room light up.
"No...we're done here." Cinder said, and as she starts to walk away, she notices the elevator doors opening.
Ruby and Jared step out of the elevator slowly, brandishing their weapons.
"Hello?" Ruby asked, stumbling due to her high-heeled shoes. "Is anyone there? Hello?"
"Ruby, we're not alone." Jared said, when Cinder rises from her hiding place. "And here comes the excuse of a villain."
"I don't get it." Yui said, when Cinder steps out toward Ruby and Jared. "How is she an excuse of a villain? And why is she wearing a mask?"
"Good question, Yui." Jared said, smiling.
"Excuse me? You know, it's not a masquerade party, so why don't you take off that...!" Ruby said, as Cinder produces a container of ice Dust and sends shards of ice flying at her and Jared.
"Oh, no you don't." Jared said, activating a Monado Art. "Monado Buster!"
A battle ensues between Ruby and Jared against Cinder, but it is interrupted by the appearance of Ironwood on the nearby elevator. Ruby is visibly glad to see him until she notices that Cinder has disappeared.
"Where'd she go?" Ruby asked, looking at Jared.
"I don't know, it's been a long day." Jared said, sadly. "I've had enough Piña Coladas for one night."
Ballroom...
In a hallway, Cinder discards two bracelets and her mask to change from her stealth suit into a black dress and enters the dance. Two guards following her crush the bracelets underfoot and are visibly confused at the sight of the crowded dance hall.
Cinder taps Emerald's shoulder, "Oh, may I cut in?"
Emerald steps aside.
"Of course." Emerald said, walking away from Mercury.
Cinder is now dancing with Mercury.
"And how's your night been?" Mercury asked.
"Mmm...a little more exciting than expected." Cinder said.
"Should we be worried?"
"Hardly...they'll be scratching their heads long after we finished what we came here for."
"So then what now?"
"Enjoy the rest of the night. After all, it is a party."
The rest of the party went out like this, Jaune and Pyrrha are sitting at a table, Sun and Blake are dancing, there is a squad of red and yellow soldiers outside.
Ironwood is shown approaching Ruby and Jared before one last shot of the Queen chess piece appears on the computer screen and the clock chimes midnight.