A/N: The original Destiny kinda sucked, didn't it? This is me trying to make it better. More at the bottom. Enjoy.

The mocking ding of the elevator rang out as the doors opened. The two occupants sprinted out, continuing through the main doors to the courtyard. Jaune doubled over, begging for air to slip back into his lungs. His body was a carnival of pain and misery, battered by a tournament fight only a few days prior and hours upon hours of killing Grimm and protecting civilians. He couldn't afford to take time to rest and gather his thoughts though, as there wasn't any. They had to do something, Ozpin said he would handle the woman in the basement, but a nagging feeling in his gut told him otherwise.

He knew his partner couldn't be doing much better than he. She'd just come out of a grueling match against Penny Polendina, who had turned out to be an android, that ended in her grisly death. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people watched her be ripped apart by the wires that held her weapons to her body. Then that woman gave a rousing speech about who the public could trust over the loudspeaker. If that wasn't enough, a full-scale Grimm invasion occurred immediately after. It made the Breach of Mountain Glen look like a trickle compared to a tidal wave. To make matters worse, White Fang terrorists were moving into Vale and Beacon as well, slaughtering the civilians, Faunus and human alike. They had to do something; someone had to know what was going on, right?

Jaune dug his Scroll from his pocket, hands trembling, and sifted through his contacts. He paused on Professor Goodwitch's number, initiating a call. She would know what to do. Nothing happened. Something was wrong, the call wasn't going through so he tried again. Still nothing. He looked down to another number and tried that one. Same result. What the hell is going on? Were communications being blocked? Had the CCT been overrun already?

Whatever the case, it seemed that they wouldn't be calling for help anytime soon. If Jaune were to bet, he'd say the woman fighting Ozpin in the basement was responsible. The cold, pragmatic side of his mind applauded the idea. Make it so there would be no reinforcements and send everything they had at them. In theory, the victory would be decisive. He promptly stuffed that part of his head into a box, stomped on it a couple of times, and kicked it off a cliff. His eyes found his partner; her gaze was fixed squarely on the door they'd exited from. Pyrrha seemed to know something and he needed answers.

"Pyrrha, what was all that?" The events that occurred in the basement replayed in his mind. Seeing that woman in the pod, how scared the Headmaster looked, Ozpin telling her to make a choice. Pyrrha stepping into the contraption as flashes of a coffin played at the corners of his mind. Her screaming, gods did it hurt to hear her scream. Ozpin's apology, the woman in the other pod waking up… the arrow coming from out of nowhere… the lights going black... Ozpin telling them to run.

He waited what felt like an eternity for answers that never came. Instead, her gaze remained fixated on the steel doors they'd exited from. The ground began to quake and the elevator was blown to smithereens. A red clad figure skyrocketed up the shaft, a trail of blazing fire in her wake causing the air to leave Jaune's lungs. No… no… please no… This couldn't be happening. If that woman was flying up the elevator shaft, was Ozpin…? No, he couldn't be. He was the Headmaster of Beacon! If this woman could beat him, what did that say about her strength? What did that mean for them? The thought rattled him to his core and he shivered. Pyrrha fractured the silence, dragging him back to reality.

"There's no time." She turned to him, wet eyes burning with determination. "Go! Get to the city and get help." His eyebrows reached one another. What? He cocked his head to the side.

"What're you gonna do?" He watched as she turned back to Beacon Tower. She's not going to…? That's exactly what she plans to do. "No way, absolutely not." He reached up and gripped her shoulders tightly. "You saw how powerful she was! She just may have killed Headmaster Ozpin, you can't fight her! Come with me to Vale, we'll go into the city and get help then come back and bring the fight to her. I won't let you fight her by yourse-" She kissed him. It took him a second to even register what was happening. Her hands cupped his cheeks; he'd never really realized how soft they were. Even after years of fighting in tournaments and killing Grimm, he thought absentmindedly. She must use a lot of lotion.

He admonished that part of his brain and channeled everything into this kiss, his first kiss. He'd never have guessed it would be Pyrrha. For the longest time, he'd hoped it would be Weiss, hours of fantasizing what it would be like to hold the small Atlesian. After the dance though, he realized that it was something that could never be. Then he saw Pyrrha in her dress and everything clicked. With Weiss it was infatuation, sure she was gorgeous, there was no disputing that. With his partner though, it was so much more. On top of being stunningly beautiful, she was kind and caring, generous and selfless, patient and smart. She was perfect in every way, shape, and form. It was like she was made just for him, she was even nearly as tall as he was! The perfect girl wasn't the cold Heiress from Atlas; it was the warm Champion from Mistral.

After that night at the dance, he'd sworn that he'd take a chance and ask her out right after the Vytal Festival. He told himself there would be no time during the tournament but in reality, the time was going to be used to build up his nerve. It turned out there would be no after, not one that any of them could enjoy anyway. His hands found her hips and he leaned in, giving as good as he was getting. At least, he hoped he was. Leave it to his mind to get self-conscious about a kiss when terrorists and monsters were attacking his school. He noticed she tasted of peppermint, his mind fluttered to Christmas time back in Ansel. Candy canes and fir trees. Presents and mistletoe. The strange thing was, the memories weren't with his family, in fact, they weren't memories at all; they were dreams. The only other person in them was Pyrrha. For just a moment in time, Jaune Arc dared to dream. Of a world where everything was OK. Of a world where there was no fear or pain. Of a world with his Champion.

Just like that, it was over and she pulled away. His hand found hers and he squeezed. I don't want to let go. I don't want this to end. His eyes opened to see tears falling down her cheeks. He pressed his forehead against hers. Please don't let go. She spoke.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was weak and quivering. Her hands found his chest and she pushed. Wait, what? He fell back into a locker. When did this get here? He looked around, attempting to gather himself before the door slammed shut with a thud. His stomach dropped into his ankles and he pressed himself against the door, his mind screaming. No no no no no…. No no no no no no! The redhead began to tap on the keypad on the outside of the locker.

"What are you doing Pyrrha!? Let me out of here! Please!" She gave a look over her shoulder at the Tower. "Don't do this Pyrrha, don't go! I'll do anything, I'll do whatever you want me to, just please don't go!" The floodgate broke and tears came streaming down his cheeks. She tapped the keys on the control pad and he felt the vibration as the thrusters booted up. His cries fell on deaf ears and he felt the locker begin to take flight. His mobile prison took him away and he watched as she grew smaller and smaller. Soon, she was but a scarlet dot amidst the broken stone, a ruby in a Dust mine. His fists banged against the steel and he felt them bend and warp but they wouldn't break. What good is the strength from Aura if it won't let me break through a locker door!? He was regretting all those times he'd skipped going to weight room with Nora now.

Jaune knew Pyrrha would die if she went to fight that woman in the Tower. She may be a four-time Mistral Regional title holder, she may be the strongest fighter in the class, maybe even in the school, but she was still a Huntress in training. That woman had gotten through Ozpin, a man with decades of experience, in no time. She had no chance alone, honestly all of Team JNPR would probably still lose against her, but it would be better than facing her alone. Jaune had to do something, anything. He racked his mind for ideas all the while slamming his hands into the door.

Call it Fate or Destiny, luck or divine intervention, it didn't matter. Whatever it was, it worked in mysterious ways, especially when dealing with Jaune Arc. He'd never been given the opportunity to train to be a Huntsman by his father, citing that he didn't have time, so he trained himself. He sent poorly done fake transcripts to Beacon and still got in. He'd gone into Initiation without Aura and survived. Whenever Fate or what have you, got involved with Jaune Arc, things got weird. This time would be no different.

The screeching cries of a pack of Griffons filled his ear drums and he noticed the calls were getting significantly closer. His mobile prison had been turned into a missile. That missile connected with one of the Griffons, causing a sickening crunch to ring out from the creature. The rest of its flock didn't take too kindly to the attacker of their pack mate and dug their claws into the steel, tearing it to ribbons. Beaks and talons tore into the locker, perhaps in an attempt at vengeance for their brother that was currently hurtling towards the ground, its body mangled and broken. He could faintly see bones peeking out and wondered to himself if he could count it amongst the Grimm he'd killed.

He was pulled back to reality by the Griffon talons rending the door and a beak poking through, snapping viciously. Jaune reached for Crocea Mors, using the sheathed weapon to bash the intruder. The creature backed off and Jaune drew his sword from the scabbard, brandishing as much as he could in his confined space. He could feel the vibration in the floor as the thruster was still pushing at maximum but the pack of Griffons held him in place. He slashed at the claws, eliciting yelps and screeches of pain from the Grimm. There was a bang and the ear-piercing sound of claws on steel. The door of the locker was ripped away and sent plummeting towards the ground. A weight slammed into his prison and he was sent toppling forward, his limbs flailing. Crocea Mors slipped from his grasp, landing against the back of the locker as he began to fall out. His fingers found the edge and he held on with all of his might. The Griffons took notice of their now exposed prey and descended upon him in a flurry of claws and beaks.

Every hit was absorbed by his Aura, but it wasn't infinite and he would run out very soon if things didn't change. Gotta get back inside, get back inside and get away. He let a fist fly, connecting with the face of one of the Griffons, it recoiled but came back. It felt like there were hundreds of the things, every time he swatted one back, two more would take its place. Crocea Mors was just out of reach despite only being a few inches away. So close, yet so far. Exhaustion was setting in, he couldn't keep holding on like this while being attacked, he could feel how low his Aura was. Dig deep, come on Jaune. You've gotta find a way out of this, you need to get to Pyrrha!

Pyrrha.

In that moment, Jaune found his second wind.

His arched his thumb and middle fingers, reaching out and digging them into the nearest Griffon's eyes. The beast let out a ghastly screech of pain. He felt the beast's eyes pop and his hand clamped around the bridge that led into its beak. He flexed as hard as he could until the bone masked cracked. He was rewarded with another shriek of agony. Using every ounce of the strength in his right arm, he swung his new cudgel into its brethren. It wasn't moving quickly and it wouldn't do much but it might be able to buy him enough time to get back into the locker. He wrenched his shoulder as much as he dared, dragging the creature from side to side. It worked. Well, worked was a relative term. The Grimm Cudgel did about as much damage as he expected, that being virtually none, but it did its job. He'd gotten an inch of wiggle room, dropped the creature, and dragged himself back into his prison.

The beasts descended upon him, blocking the exit as well as boxing each other out. He retrieved Crocea Mors and began slashing in a desperate effort to get them out. After nearly a minute of cutting, stabbing, and thrusting, the creatures backed away. Jaune turned around and drove his blade into the foot Griffon keeping the locker still.

"LET. ME. GO!" He roared, severing the claws that held him. His flying prison was away, he was free! Except that he wasn't. With the locker door, which housed that targeting software used to designate a landing spot, gone it was now going to revert back to its original point. The fight had obviously thrown him off course and now he was hurtling back towards Beacon Tower instead of the courtyard in front of it. He watched as a massive Grimm Dragon slammed into the building, breaking it like it was a block tower. Terror seized him in that moment. Pyrrha... Rubble was strewn across the area, broken glass rained down to the ground like sharpened snowflakes. Two figures stood amidst the chaos; Cinder and Pyrrha.

Relief swelled in his chest. She's alive. Geysers of flame erupted from Cinder's hands and he watched as Pyrrha dodged to and fro. That woman's toying with her… That had to be it, the flames were keeping Pyrrha out but that was it. She could've overwhelmed his Champion by focusing the fire directly on her but she didn't, she wanted Pyrrha to squirm. Even from the skies, hundreds of feet away, Jaune could see her demeanor. She was standing tall, back straight and eyes glowing bright. There was no visible damage to her or her dress and her hair was still perfect. What is this woman? The two figures came closer into view and he watched as Pyrrha gave this fight everything she had. She didn't have her spear, Milò, only her shield. She was only marginally less dangerous without it but he wondered, what could've happened to it? He pushed the thought aside as worry gave way to terror.

His Champion was running ragged. He could see her chest heaving from here; he didn't need to check his Scroll to know that her Aura was dangerously low. Pyrrha reared back, heaving her shield with all her might. In the same moment, the woman summoned a bow from thin air and loosed an arrow on the same course as the shield. The arrow dematerialized just before contact could be made and reformed on the other side. It found its mark in Pyrrha's ankle. She fell to her knees, crying out in pain. Her shield was batted away like a Frisbee. The woman made her way to his Champion as she attempted to stand, only to be kicked back to the concrete. Cinder stood stomped a heeled foot out, driving it into the redhead's injured ankle. Fury seethed through Jaune's veins. NO! Don't you touch her!

He placed his hands on the side sides of the locker, if he could angle it correctly…. His weight shifted back and forth until he had it as close as he could. With the angle he was coming in at, his plan might work. He was doing a lot of guesswork, but it was the best he could do in the situation. The woman reached down, cupping Pyrrha's face in a hand. She spoke but he couldn't make out what she said. His Champion sat there, on her knees. Scrapes and bruises marred her arms and legs, blood oozed from her ankle, she was out of energy, out of resources, and out of fight. His hands squeezed the steel even tighter as he willed it to go faster.

Come on! Go go go go go! Go faster you stupid machine, please! They were getting closer and closer, his heart rate kept rising as he saw Cinder bring her bow to bear again. He wasn't far away now, he sent out a silent prayer to the gods above. Please, anything you want gods, it's yours. Just let me get to her in time. I'll do whatever you need me to do, change whatever I have to; just don't let her die tonight. He had to hope that it was enough. She pulled back on the string, an arrow was born and she took aim. I'm not going to make it…

Fate said otherwise though as the woman paused. Well, Fate might not have said something, but Pyrrha certainly did. He was still too far away to make out the words but it gave him enough time that when she redrew her bow, he was there. He braced for impact, going against everything he'd been taught about being in a crash. You weren't supposed to tense up, you were supposed to remain loose and free flowing but Jaune had never been a great student. He saw the shock on both women's faces and felt the impact as his makeshift missile collided with Cinder. From there, he smashed her into the ground, grinding her into the concrete. By nothing more than luck did he roll out of the locker before it cascaded off the edge. Sadly, it didn't take Cinder with it. If his life had been a Spruce Willis movie, he'd have said a catchy one-liner like "Sorry for dropping in" or "locker-ed and loaded." But his life wasn't an action movie and he wasn't Spruce Willis.

Jaune got up about as fast as his legs would allow it, sprinting to his partner's side. She was still awestruck. He fell to his knees right in front of her. Words failed him in that moment. He hadn't realized how angry he was at her for taking him out of this fight. A cross between fury and relief washed over him, he knew something had to be said, so he went with the first thing that came to mind.

"Hey Pyr." She stared at him like he'd grown a second head. Seconds passed in silence, well as silent was a warzone with an active Dragon attacking the people below can be.

"Jaune?" He nodded, a small smile finding his lips. He'd never been good at staying mad at people before.

"Are you OK?" She gave a sad laugh.

"Don't worry about me. You need to get out of here though. Cinder can, and will, kill you if she gets the chance." She put a hand on his chest and shoved. As tired as she was, it didn't even move him.

"Absolutely not, you're my partner, my best friend, my-" The words caught in his throat. Of course he had feelings for her and, after that kiss, he was pretty sure she had them for him too. "You're the most important thing in my life. I'm not leaving you and you're not going to send me away, not again." Her emerald eyes stared into the concrete again.

"I'm sorry." He said nothing for a time.

"We're going to have a very long talk about all this once we're out of here, alright?" A shuffling in the rubble behind him caused him to turn before she could reply. Cinder extracted herself from the wreckage. She looked remarkably less put together than before, much angrier too.

"YOU!" She called forth her bow, pointing directly at him. "You would deny me something that is rightfully mine!?" She paused and took a breath, her voice becoming more measured. "Why is it, wherever I go, people try to take things from me that aren't theirs? I have given everything in my life for these powers and mere children will not stand in the way of me getting exactly what I deserve!" As her sentence ended, she sent out a wave of heat that scattered the debris around her. Heat radiated off of her like a sauna, causing a fog in the cool night air. "I'll make you both suffer for this."

Jaune pulled himself to his feet, retrieving and brandishing Crocea Mors. Fear blossomed in his chest. If this lady killed Ozpin and nearly killed Pyrrha, what chance do I have? He shook his head, crushing the voice down deep inside. Now was not the time for doubt, he had to protect Pyrrha, Beacon, and all of his friends still fighting down in the streets.

Cinder loosed an arrow, he raised his shield and was surprised at how much force was behind each shot. They didn't simply bounce off harmlessly, each one dented his shield and drove him back a step. Close the gap, make that bow of hers a liability. He rushed forward, preparing a slash. Every step was met with an arrow, slowing his momentum. Still, he kept moving, dodging the ones he could and blocking the rest.

When he got in range she shifted her grip, rearing back with the bow, and swinging at him. He ducked the first swing and drove his shield into her gut. His mind went back to all that training on the rooftop.

"Your shield is a weapon as much as your sword. Don't be afraid to use it like one." He brought the sword down, swinging at her thigh. She sidestepped the blow and swung again, this time bringing it down on his back. Pain exploded through him like he'd never felt before. Her blow drove him into the concrete and she delivered a savage kicked to his ribs that sent him back several feet.

The bow disintegrated into ash and she now held two black swords, moonlight shone off them like obsidian, she stepped into a stance and smiled.

"You're Jaune Arc, correct?" He said nothing. "Ahh yes, I remember you. The leader of Team JNPR and resident waste." He paused, raising his shield as well as his eyebrow. "I thought it strange that a warrior such as her" she gestured to Pyrrha "would get stuck with a weakling like you. For all of her grandstanding about right and wrong, she was a fine warrior. You, on the other hand, aren't even in her league." She stalked forward slowly. "I saw several of your sparring matches in the Witch's class and let's just say I wasn't impressed."

Ignore her; she's trying to get into your head.

"Does it sting, knowing that you're the weakest member of your team?" Her hips swayed, the temperature rising with each step she took. "Does it burn you up inside knowing that you're the cause of all of your team's failures?" Sweat poured down his face and he could feel his grip slipping. "Doesn't it just eat you up that you and your partner are going to die tonight, and there's nothing you can do to stop it?" She loved this, figuratively and literally kicking him while he was down. The dark recesses of his mind called out as she was less than a stride away.

She's right you know? You were always worthless Jaune; Ozpin was an idiot to let you into this school and look at him now. He's a corpse in the basement. Imagine the heights your team could reach if they didn't have you holding them back. Was she right? His arms fell to his sides and his eyes found the ground. Same old Jaune, always the damsel in distress, the idiot in the tree. You were never good enough and never will be. Now, it's going to cost you everything. Lie down and die, maybe she'll make it quick. His sword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground. She's right; we're going to die up here because I'm not strong enough. Pyrrha called out from behind.

"Don't listen to her Jaune! She's trying to take you out of the fight. Focus!" Cinder let out a cruel laugh. Her hand gripped his throat, lifting him from the ground. This is it, isn't it? This is where I die. Her hand tightened and breathing became a luxury he couldn't afford. His hands clawed at her wrist with every scrap of strength he had left, but it was no use. Spots darted his vision as the world began to darken. Before everything could go black, there was a grunt from behind him, followed by the dull thud of steel meeting skull. Suddenly, air flowed back into his lungs and he was dropped to the ground.

Power radiated from the woman's body, causing misty flames to emanate from her eyes as she rose back to her feet. Kicking the dented bronze shield off the tower to the ground below, a massive fireball formed in her hands, a deep-set snarl on her face.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" He could hear his mind screaming at him as he lay there. HELP HER! GET UP! SHE'S GOING TO DIE IF YOU DON'T MOVE RIGHT NOW! Everything was happening in slow motion. Cinder pulled her arm back, an ear rending scream echoed from her mouth. Jaune felt his fingers close around the handle of his shield as he scrambled towards his partner. With the last of his energy, he dove, curling up behind the steel as much as he possibly could.

The heat from the fireball was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. The hair on his knuckles was singed off immediately then it seeped into his skin, the shield warping and bending. He was driven back, landing in front of Pyrrha. Burns marred his hands and arms. His Aura shattered like glass, energy evaporating. He looked over to Pyrrha, seeing tears stream down her cheeks. He gave her a small smile. She's OK… Rolling onto his back, he expected to see the night sky, maybe even the Heavens above.

What he saw though, was Cinder. A heeled foot was driven into his left hand, the bones shattering. Jaune's eyes went wide and he tried to cry out in pain, but only a half-choked sound crawled through. His mind ordered his good arm to reach out and defend his body but nothing happened. The woman lifted her heel again, this time slamming it down on his ribs. He felt, as well as heard, the bones crack and break. She spoke, her voice filled to the brim with a fury no normal person could bring to bear.

"NOW DIE!" She materialized her bow again and took aim. The arrowhead shined in the moonlight, it's tip staring him dead in the face. He turned to his partner and gave her as big a smile as he could. He tasted copper in his mouth and as he opened it, he felt blood trickle down his lips as tears followed suit from his eyes. I did my best. I gave it everything I had. That's what counts, right? It wasn't much of a consolation prize, but it would have to do.

Jaune waited for an arrow that never came. Instead, a voice called out from behind him. It sounded like Ruby, but at this point it could've been anyone. Suddenly, his world was engulfed in a silver supernova. A piercing cry eviscerated his ear drums and suddenly everything went from so very bright, to pitch black. Before the darkness could smother him in its embrace, an image fluttered through his mind of him and Pyrrha, smiling in front of a Christmas tree. Their fingers were intertwined with bright smiles adorning their faces. He held onto it for as long as he could.

A/N: This is leagues better than the original IMO. Still no perfect but its about as good as I can write the scene. Moving forward though, this whole thing is done and posted on AO3 but I wanted it on here since more people are actually on here. Being that it's done, the next chapter should drop on Sunday. I want to let you all read it and provide a bit of feedback so I can make any changes if necessary. Furthermore, a small shout out to my beta and friend little-wolf (that's their tumblr name btw. They make some dope art that you should go check out) Until next time, may Fortune favor you all.