Author's Note: My opinion of the RWBY V3 Finale is irrelevant (I'm unhappy but I can accept it). The issue I had is that canon was not allowing me to write the stories I wanted to write. I came up with a few things post-C11 but then C12 broke up my plans. So I fiddled with canon. It may stray too far from canon for some and stay too close for others. For me it's more of a tool. I'll be using this story as a springboard to write more. If you don't like stories that alter canon, don't read this. If you decide to stick around and give it a read, I hope you enjoy it.

Jaune threw his scroll into the ground, the screen shattering on impact. Pyrrha was fighting for her life and he was here, safe. He felt helpless. It was the story of his life. He was useless and he always would be. He looked at the rocket-propelled locker that had taken him here, that damn machine that had so often been the instrument of his torment. Cardin had launched him in one. Pyrrha had just done the same, albeit with less malice. Even Nora had once used it to send him out to get groceries against his will.

Wait.

If it could be used to send him places he did not want to go, why not use it to go somewhere he did? If Pyrrha could send him away from the CCT with it he could just as easily use it to fly back. And he knew the coordinates! 0-0, as simple as it gets.

Landing in the lockers was hard and his aura had taken quite a blow. He had still not recovered from his first flight but there was no time. He punched the command into the control pad and quickly jumped inside, slamming the door on himself. With a violent jolt the locker rocketed skyward.

The fight had gone badly. Not that Pyrrha had predicted anything else. Sometimes being a hero meant fighting the bad guy even when it was hopeless. Now all she could do was accept her impending death with dignity. "Do you believe in destiny?" She asked as Cinder stood before her.

"Yes." Cinder said with a smirk. She drew her bow and leveled it at Pyrrha's chest.

Out of the corner of her eye Pyrrha saw a flash of black and red as Ruby leapt up over the edge to top the tower. No! Cinder would kill her too!

There was a faint whooshing sound, coming from somewhere above. It was not a Grimm. What was it? Cinder heard it too. She looked up. "Interesting." Cinder said. She took a step back just as a rocket-propelled locker slammed down between her and Pyrrha. The door flew open and Jaune stumbled out, falling to his knees.

"Pyrrha…" He gasped.

"Guess again." Cinder smirked. She loosed her arrow and it pierced Jaune's throat. He reached up, flailing as blood gushed from the wound. "You're quite the specimen." Cinder said. She grabbed Jaune's head and he burst into a cloud of glowing ash.

Pyrrha had always expected to witness Jaune's death. It was unlikely that he would ever become the fighter he needed to be in order to be an effective Huntsman. One day it would cost him his life. Pyrrha had just never imagined it would happen so soon...or like this. That arrow was meant for her. It was her sacrifice to make. If she could not save her friends she would die trying. Now she had failed on both counts. A friend was dead and she was not. Not yet at least. Cinder would surely not allow her or Ruby to live. Another friend she would fail to protect.

"Jaune!" Ruby screamed. White light shone from her eyes.

"What!?" Cinder shouted.

The light emanating from Ruby engulfed the top of the tower. Then Pyrrha's world went black.

Blake had run away again. It seemed all she was good at and she hated herself for it. She blamed herself for what had happened to Yang and instead of facing it, instead of being brave, she had run, again. Her bleak surroundings, an abandoned warehouse near the Vale waterfront, seemed appropriate. She did not deserve better. The pain of sleeping on a cold concrete slab was only a small part of the suffering she felt she deserved. She missed her teammates but did not want to see them. How could she face them now after what she had done?

Blake heard the creak of one of the warehouse's doors swinging open, followed by the crash as the metal door smacked into the wall. Loud doors were a good security system. She leapt up, grabbed Gambol Shroud and took a position behind an upturned desk. The bright light from outside silhouetted a short, thin figure standing in the doorway. No way.

"Weiss?" Blake gasped.

"Blake!" Weiss exclaimed. After taking a quick look outside Weiss closed the door. "I'm so glad I found you."

"What are you doing here?" Blake asked.

"My father came to take me back to Atlas." Weiss said. "I'd rather die than go back. When his people were distracted I ran away. They've been scouring the city looking for me."

"No, I mean, what are you doing in this place, specifically?" Blake clarified.

"I came for you of course." Weiss said. "You might be good at running away but you're very bad at hiding."

Pyrrha awoke with a start. She looked up at an unfamiliar ceiling. She sat up, aching all over. Had it all been a dream? No, it was all too real. She appeared to be in a rustic cabin. Wait, Yang and Ruby's house looked a lot like this. Could it be? She looked to her left. Ruby was there in bed, appearing to rest comfortably. Taiyang was sitting in a chair at her side.

"Mr. Xiao-Long." Pyrrha whispered. She did not want to wake Ruby.

Taiyang seemed startled as he turned around to face Pyrrha. "Oh, you're awake." He said. He did not worry about whispering. "That's a relief."

"What happened?" Pyrrha asked. "How did I get here?"

"Qrow found you and Ruby at the top of the tower." Taiyang replied. "You were both unconscious so he brought you here."

"Is Ruby…" Pyrrha started.

"Qrow says she'll be fine." Taiyang said. "Apparently she awakened her mother's power. Evidently it takes a lot out of you."

"So that's what that was…" Pyrrha said to herself. "Is Jaune…"

"Gone." Taiyang said. "Qrow found his sword and shield on the tower but no other trace."

"I expected as much." Pyrrha frowned. "Wait! Where's Yang? Is she alright?"

"Yang's...Yang's in her room." Taiyang said. "She's...it would be better if you saw for yourself. When you're ready."

"Is it that bad?" Pyrrha felt sick. She had failed to protect Yang too.

"It's nothing life threatening." Taiyang sighed. "It's just a bit shocking. It was for me." There was a profound sadness in his eyes. "Maybe you can help her work through it."

If there was anything Pyrrha could do to help, she would do it, no question. "What about everyone else?" Pyrrha asked.

"Most of the students went home." Taiyang said. "Beacon is overrun with Grimm." He went on to explain the situation with Beacon and the CCT in more detail.

"What about Ren and Nora?" Pyrrha asked. "Beacon was the only home they had?"

"I think they're still in Vale." Taiyang said. "Not everyone could get home and the Council set up a shelter for refugees. They're probably there."

"Why didn't they come here too?" Pyrrha asked.

"I offered." Taiyang said. "With you and Ruby in comas and Yang's...condition, I don't think they felt comfortable."

"Well, there's no time to waste." Pyrrha said. She swung her legs over the side of the bed to get up. "I'm going to talk to Yang, then get Ren and Nora." She started to stand then felt a sharp pain in her foot and immediately fell back down. She looked to see her lower leg and foot wrapped in bandages then remember the arrow she had taken.

"Easy there." Taiyang warned. "You're not fully healed yet. Qrow and I did what we could to fix you up but we're not exactly surgeons. At least we got all the glass out. In a few days your aura should take care of the damage but you should really stay off your feet until then."

"But my friends need my help now." Pyrrha protested. She started to get up again, steeling herself against the pain.

Taiyang jumped out of his chair and pushed Pyrrha back down. "The best way you can help them now is to get healthy." Taiyang suggested. "They'll still be there when you're healed and a few days isn't going to change things."

"But...please." Pyrrha implored.

"I'll send Qrow to see if he can track down Ren and Nora." Taiyang said. "He's already looking for Weiss and Blake."

"Weiss and Blake?" Pyrrha said. "What happened to them?"

"After the evacuation to Vale, Blake ran off." Taiyang said. "No one's seen her since. As for Weiss, her father came to take her back to Atlas, but she disappeared. Presumably she ran off to avoid having to go back."

"They need me too." Pyrrha said.

"If Qrow can't find them, no one can." Taiyang said. "Take your time. Get better. Then you can help everyone. But right now, the person who needs the most help is you. I can see it in your eyes."

"I'm not important." Pyrrha said.

"Everyone's important." Taiyang countered. "The last thing your friends need now is another martyr, though I suspect with the stunt you pulled at the CCT you intended to give them just that."

"Sometimes being a hero means fighting even when it's hopeless." Pyrrha said.

"And sometimes being a hero means living to fight when it's not hopeless anymore." Taiyang said. "Your time will come."