RWBY: Moon Reflection

When Commander Cordovin saw the aircraft continuing to fly away, undeterred by her threats, she became furious at the blatant disregard.

"This is your final warning!" Cordovin's voice thundered from the mech's speakers. "You cannot run from the might of Atlas!"

The mech's massive cannon began to glow, a searing beam of light gathering at its tip. With a roar, the cannon fired, the blinding energy cutting through the air like a lance.

"Brace yourselves!" Qrow yelled from the cockpit, gripping the controls tightly. At the last possible second, he banked the aircraft sharply, narrowly avoiding the beam. The resulting shockwave rattled the aircraft, sending everyone tumbling in their seats.

"Everyone okay?" Ruby asked, helping Weiss back up.

"That was way too close!" Yang said, holding onto the seat for balance.

Crimson sat calmly throughout the chaos, his expression stoic. He sighed, standing up as the aircraft leveled out. "Turn the aircraft around," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Qrow turned to glance at his son, raising an eyebrow. "You're serious? You want me to fly back toward the giant death machine?"

Crimson's crimson eyes glimmered with resolve as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "She needs a lesson in humility. Besides," he added, his voice cold, "I've had enough of her antics. I'll deal with her myself."

For a moment, Qrow hesitated. But after looking into Crimson's eyes, he nodded and sighed. "Alright, kid. You're the boss."

The aircraft pivoted midair, its engines roaring as it flew back toward the towering mech.

Cordovin, standing in the cockpit of the giant robot, began to laugh when she noticed the aircraft returning. "Fools!" she shouted, her voice brimming with arrogance. "You think you can challenge Atlas and live to tell the tale? You should have stayed down and begged for mercy!"

Her laughter faltered as the aircraft came closer, its course adjusting slightly. The side door slid open, revealing Crimson standing there, his piercing gaze locked on her.

"What—what are they doing?" Cordovin stammered, her smugness replaced with confusion.

Before she could react further, Crimson leaped from the aircraft like a bullet, the wind howling around him. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as he descended.

In one fluid motion, he drew his blade, unleashing a massive crescent-shaped wave of energy that hurtled toward the mech's cannon arm.

Cordovin sneered. "Foolish boy! Atlas is the master of hard-light dust!" She pressed a button, activating shimmering energy shields in front of the arm.

The crescent moon slash collided with the shields, shattering them instantly like glass. Cordovin's eyes widened in disbelief as the slash continued its path, severing the cannon arm cleanly from the mech's shoulder.

The massive limb crashed to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust and debris. Cordovin stared in horror, her confidence crumbling.

Crimson's voice echoed across the battlefield, calm yet menacing. "This machine was designed to combat Leviathan-class Grimm, not to stroke your ego. Your irresponsible use of it will not go unpunished."

Cordovin's hands trembled as she saw Crimson standing on the knee of the mech, his crimson eyes condemning her. Her fear turned to rage as she slammed her fists on the controls.

"You insolent brat!" she screamed, maneuvering the mech's remaining arm to strike him.

Crimson didn't flinch. Another flash of his blade sent a crescent wave slicing through the air, severing the second arm before it could reach him. The massive appendage fell to the ground with a deafening crash.

"No! Stop!" Cordovin shouted, but it was too late. Another slash followed, this time targeting the cockpit. Sparks and smoke erupted as the controls were obliterated, leaving the mech frozen in place.

Cordovin stumbled back from the explosion, falling onto the floor of the cockpit. When she stood, coughing from the smoke, her blood ran cold.

Crimson was standing on the platform outside the cockpit window, his gaze locked onto hers. His sword rested at his side, but the weight of his presence alone was enough to make her knees weak.

"You've lost," Crimson said quietly, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

Cordovin's lips trembled as she backed away from the window, her hands shaking. "You… you monster," she whispered.

Suddenly, the shrill wail of alarms filled the air. A soldier's voice crackled over the mech's speakers. "Commander! Grimm approaching! A Leviathan-class entity has been spotted in the bay!"

Cordovin froze, her eyes darting toward the horizon. In the distance, a colossal Grimm emerged from the waters, its blackened form slithering with malice. The creature roared, sending waves crashing onto the shore.

Crimson turned his gaze toward the Grimm, then back to Cordovin. "Do you hear that?" he asked, his tone sharp. "That's the sound of people's fear—fear that you caused by recklessly piloting this monstrosity."

Cordovin's knees buckled as she sank to the floor of the cockpit. "What… what have I done?" she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Crimson stepped closer to the window, his expression as cold as steel. "How do you plan to fight it now? You've rendered your weapon useless in your arrogance. All because you couldn't swallow your pride."

Tears welled in Cordovin's eyes as the weight of her actions bore down on her. "I… I didn't mean for this to happen," she said, her voice breaking.

Crimson said nothing, his silence more damning than any words. As the Leviathan Grimm let out another bone-rattling roar, Cordovin could only sit there, consumed by regret.

_______________________

Crimson's crimson eyes flickered away from Commander Cordovin, who still knelt in her ruined cockpit, shaken and remorseful. Without sparing her another glance, his gaze locked on the aircraft hovering near the damaged robot. Qrow, steering expertly, brought the vehicle in close. Without hesitation, Crimson leapt from the mech's knee, landing gracefully back inside the aircraft.

Pyrrha immediately turned to him, worry etched on her face. "What should we do? We can't just leave Argus like this!"

Crimson replied in a calm but resolute voice "Don't worry—we'll handle this."

He walked to the cockpit, placing a firm hand on Qrow's shoulder. "Head straight for that oversized pest," he instructed, his tone unwavering. "Ignore the smaller ones. Let them buzz around us."

Qrow glanced at him, his brow furrowing. "You're sure about that? This isn't exactly the safest plan."

Crimson smirked faintly. "Everything will be okay"

With a reluctant sigh, Qrow nodded. "Alright. Let's give the people of Argus a show they'll never forget."

Turning back to the rest of the group, Crimson called out, "Everyone, take position at the doors. Provide firepower for the smaller Grimm. Make every shot count."

As the group scrambled to their stations, Raven stepped forward. "And what about you?" she asked, her voice calm but curious.

Crimson opened the aircraft door and stepped out, the rushing wind whipping his hair. "I'll take the top." With that, he climbed onto the roof of the aircraft, steadying himself against the violent gusts as they gained altitude.

The Leviathan-class Grimm loomed in the distance, a horrifying black mass of black flesh and white bones. Its glowing red eyes burned with primal rage, and the creature opened its massive jaws, releasing a beam of energy that tore the hard-light shields defending the city. The shields shattered like brittle glass, leaving Argus defenseless.

The city watched in horror as the monstrous Grimm advanced, its roars echoing through the air. And then, they saw it—a single aircraft flying straight toward the Leviathan.

Gasps rippled through the streets as people turned their attention skyward. Among them were Cheiron and Pyrrha's mother, standing on the balcony of the Nikos estate. Their eyes widened as the lone aircraft approached the beast head-on.

Commander Cordovin, still in her disabled mech, stared in disbelief. "They're insane," she muttered.

As the aircraft drew closer to the Leviathan, smaller Grimm swarmed toward it, a chaotic cloud of winged monstrosities. Inside, Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and the others unleashed a barrage of bullets, fire, and magic from the aircraft doors. Raven joined them, her Maiden powers summoning ice spears that penetrated through clusters of Grimm in an instant.

On top of the aircraft, Crimson stood like a sentinel, his sword glowing faintly in his hand. With precision and grace, he unleashed wave after wave of crescent-shaped slashes. Each wave tore through the air, cutting down the flying Grimm before they could reach the aircraft.

The Leviathan took notice of the aircraft. Its massive head turned, and it let out a guttural roar before spewing another beam of energy toward them.

Weiss raised her rapier, summoning a massive glyph of ice. Raven, standing beside her, extended her hands, amplifying the freezing magic with her Maiden powers. Together, their combined strength created a wall of ice that met the fire head-on, dulling its heat and force.

Qrow expertly maneuvered the aircraft, veering away from the weakened flames and circling around the Leviathan.

"Hold on!" Qrow shouted as the aircraft came around for another pass.

Crimson crouched low, his eyes narrowing as the aircraft lined up its approach. When the moment was right, he leapt from the roof of the aircraft, hurtling through the air like a meteor.

The Leviathan roared as Crimson landed on its thick, armored neck. He didn't waste a second. His sword flashed again and again, each slash unleashing a vortex of energy that drilled into the monster's flesh.

From a distance, it looked as though a storm of crescent moons had erupted atop the Leviathan. The relentless attack carved deep into the beast's armor, destroying the bony armor and even severing the black flesh beneath.

The Leviathan thrashed wildly, trying to shake Crimson off, but his strikes never faltered. With one final, powerful slash, the monster's head was severed from its body.

The massive head fell, crashing into the ocean with a thunderous splash that sent waves rippling outward. The rest of the Leviathan's body followed, collapsing lifelessly into the water.

For a moment, the city of Argus was silent, the people frozen in shock. Then, a cheer erupted as they realized the beast had been slain.

But the group in the aircraft wasn't cheering yet. "Where's Crimson?" Ruby asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"There!" Yang pointed out the window, spotting Crimson swimming in the ocean amidst the disintegrating smoke of the Leviathan.

Qrow brought the aircraft down, hovering just above the water. Weiss and Blake lowered a rope, and Crimson climbed aboard, his hair and clothes dripping with saltwater.

He sat in the nearest seat on the aircraft, frowning. "I hate salty water," he muttered.

The group couldn't help but smile. Ruby giggled, and even Raven allowed herself a small smirk.

"You did it," Pyrrha said, her eyes filled with admiration.

Crimson, wringing out his hair, said "Let's not celebrate yet. Dad, get us to Atlas. The soldiers can handle the rest of the flying pests."

Qrow nodded, pulling the aircraft back into the sky.

Back in Argus, the city was alive with cheers and celebrations. At the Nikos estate, Cheiron watched the destruction of the mech and the beheading of the Leviathan with awe. He turned to Pyrrha's mother and said, "I think Crimson deserves a new title—Giants Slayer."

She laughed, nodding in agreement. "It suits him."

As the aircraft disappeared into the horizon, the people of Argus knew they owed their lives to the daring crew aboard.