RWBY V7 C6

## Plot

Taking place the day after the previous episode, the riots have stopped for now. Many people have been arrested. Posters of Jacques have been spray painted and covered with posters supporting Robyn instead. And it's the day of the election. Robyn is interviewed about it, and says that while she doesn't condone rioting, she understands their anger. Jacques Schnee is basically holding their jobs hostage for his own political gain. She asks everyone to show how they feel at the polls today. Meanwhile, the kids are training in Atlas. Weiss and Winter have another summon fight, and this time, Weiss uses glyphs to throw Winter's Beowolf summon around and send it back towards her. And then a little mini knight slashes at her feet. Aw! It's still so cute! Meanwhile, Jaune and Nora are sparring. Jaune is able to recharge his Aura faster than before. Ruby uses her Semblance to split apart to go around a pillar that Ren is meditating by. Oscar asks her if she's always been able to do that. She doesn't know. She actually has done it before in previous volumes, but she normally doesn't think it through so much. Oscar is upset that they're all evolving while he hasn't even unlocked his Semblance yet. Ruby tells him that they'll all be jealous when he does get it. Their conversation is tuned out by Ren, who appears to be working on his own Semblance, but they're interrupted by Ironwood and Clover entering. Robyn is currently leading in the polls, having seventy percent of the vote compared to Jacques' thirty. The kids want Ironwood to work with Robyn to help fix the problems down in Mantle, but he says it will only work if she's open too. Clover says that the kids are getting the night off. They'll need it, because regardless of who wins the election, they'll be waking up to a very different Atlas tomorrow. Back in their dorm room, Weiss wonders why her father would announce layoffs the day before the election, since he must've known it would only hurt him. Yang thinks it was just a power play that backfired. She and Blake decided to go out to a dance club with Team FNKI to get their minds off the election. Yang still thinks they're annoying, but at least she can pretend not to hear them at a dance club. And now I can't stop thinking of the last club she visited. Nora, Ren, and Ruby are going to Robyn's victory party down in Mantle. Penny will be working security. Nora thinks that Robyn and Ironwood are both doing their best to help Atlas. After accessing her options, Weiss agrees to go to the movies with Jaune and Oscar. Down in Mantle, Ren says that he understands her point. A victory party seems a little premature. Nora wants the people of Mantle to have one sure thing. Ruby says it's probably the last sure thing they'll have before Amity Tower goes up and everyone learns about Salem. Ren says they've spent so much time worrying about how Ironwood will react to the truth about her that they haven't given any thought to how they're going to beat Salem if they manage to move past that. Nora reminds him that Jinn said she couldn't be beaten, and Ruby corrects her by saying that she told Ozpin that he couldn't destroy her. Oddly enough, it's Nora, of all people, who points out the loophole idea that we've all been having for over a year now. Ozpin can't destroy Salem, but maybe someone else could. Ruby doesn't know. Robyn has 67%, Jacques now has 33%. Ren thinks they should be training right now. Nora tries to tell him that they've trained enough and deserve some time off, but he snaps that they don't have time, and Ruby slows down and falls behind them. They arrive at the venue. We get another new song that's super upbeat, and I love it. It sounds like a party song that I'd listen to when I was a kid. It's sung by Santi C. Robyn has 63%, Jacques has 37%. Penny is excited to see Ruby, Ren, and Nora, unaware that the latter two are in the middle of a fight. It's just her and Marrow tonight. When she asks where the others are, Nora grumpily says that Weiss is out with the boys and Blake and Yang are doing their own thing… again. Ren is just glad that they're back to being friends. Nora thinks they might be more than friends. It becomes clear that the two are really talking about their own relationship, with Ruby literally caught in the middle, so she ducks out to spend time with Penny. Robyn is now at 57%, and Jacques is at 43%. Marrow asks Penny to come back, and she lets Ruby come with her because she doesn't want to be alone with a bickering Ren and Nora. Marrow asks Ruby not to be a distraction. They have to stay vigilant in case someone tries to start trouble. However, May says that's why they're here. It's clear that they don't get along. Robyn shows up and asks Marrow what's going on. She agrees to let them stay, but only if they stay out of the way. If she gets elected tonight, then they're going to have to learn how to get along. Marrow tells her that they won't have any problems as long as she and her Huntresses stay within the law. Robyn says that the law isn't perfect or equal, and he points out that he knows that better than most, since he's a Faunus. She says that her only goal is that the citizens of Mantle and Atlas, including Faunus, have an equal shot at a good life. He tells Ruby to leave while he and Penny go to separate sides by the stage, and she does, but Ren and Nora are still fighting, so she goes to the front of the crowd. Meanwhile, Fiona invites Robyn onstage to say a few words. She's now at 55%, and Jacques is at 45%, and while she's speaking, the percentages slowly change. She says that as individuals, they're strong, but together, they're unstoppable, which resonates with Ren and Nora. There are only a few minutes left, and it's looking like a closer race than anticipated, with Robyn now at 53% and Jacques at 47%. She's a little nervous, but her fellow ladies assure her that she's got this as we get another song. It sounds like a love song, like Boop or BMBLB. Nora finally asks Ren what's going on and why he won't just talk to her. He says he's never been very good with talking. So she decides to screw it… and *finally* kisses him. He's caught off guard, but quickly reciprocates. Oh my god! Renora! It's so adorable! It's revealed that Watts is watching everything from the party on a drone, and he also has footage of Penny fighting Grimm, the live election results, and a map of all the voting districts, with greenish yellow being for Robyn and blue being for Jacques. He has a row of Scrolls in front of him and blue rings on his fingers like when we first saw him in Mantle shutting down security cameras and the like. Tyrian is at the party and is somewhere in the crowd. The polls are going to close in less than ten seconds. While looking at Penny, Ruby sees Tyrian's metal tail, and spots him in the crowd. She yells at Robyn to watch out. Ren hears her and opens his eyes, and then the power goes out. People start screaming, and someone pushes Ruby into the stage, and she hits her head. Tyrian starts slaughtering people while Watts manipulates things behind the scenes. Marrow asks Penny what's going on, since she can see in the dark. She sees Tyrian and orders him to drop his weapons and surrender. However, he doesn't say anything and disappears. Marrow requests backup, which Watts hears while he changes the results of the election to make it look like more people voted for Jacques. While onstage, Fiona is attacked by Tyrian, and Penny hears her scream. She tackles Robyn out of the way before Tyrian can attack her too, and he jumps up onto a beam and leaves. Robyn points her crossbow at the person who tackled her since she can't see in the dark. The power comes back on, and it's announced that Jacques has won the election. Someone accuses Penny of killing everyone. While Jacques gives a speech, Ruby starts applying pressure to Fiona's wound, and she tells Nora and Ren that Tyrian did it and is here in Mantle. Marrow uses his Semblance to make the crowd approaching them stay in place, and tells them to take Penny out the back way. Once Nora and Ren leave with her, Robyn shoves Ruby and starts applying pressure to Fiona's wound herself. She's alive and still conscious, and tells Robyn that she's okay. Marrow tries to apologize and swears that they didn't do this, and he leaves with Ruby. Robyn doesn't seem to believe that they didn't do it, and for a damning piece of false evidence, Watts uploads fake footage of Penny killing everyone instead of Tyrian. Penny is in shock, and Ruby tries to put a hand on her shoulder, but looks at it and sees that it's covered in blood… Which is weird, because there doesn't seem to be any blood on Marrow's uniform from when she put her hands there just a minute ago. Anyways, Marrow tells Penny to get to Atlas, and she flies away without a word. The others prepare to deal with the incoming Grimm as Jacques finishes giving his acceptance speech… even though Ruby and Nora didn't bring their weapons. It makes sense that Ren did, since he's been really serious about training and missions lately, and his weapons are smaller and probably lighter than Ruby and Nora's. According to the concept art, the final total was 53% for Jacques and 47% for Robyn. So, this is basically the second half of volume 3 all over again. I didn't know what to say then, and four years later, I'm still speechless and in shock, so I'm just gonna take a week to process all of this.

## Review

Okay, so it's been at least a week and a half since this chapter originally premiered on the Rooster Teeth site. Yes, I have an account, but I hardly ever use it, and until that changes, getting a FIRST membership just isn't worth it in my eyes. And yes, I've also seen the next episode. I'm adding this portion mostly because it was revealed yesterday on Twitter by the character's VA that May Marigold is Henry Marigold's cousin, and that she's the first onscreen trans character in RWBY. That's pretty cool. I love her concept art. Her VA is Kdin Jenzen, who worked at Rooster Teeth and is also trans, sort of like how Asia Kate Dillon is non-binary, and they voiced Val/Valentina, a gender fluid character on *gen:LOCK*, which was another Rooster Teeth show. Also, it was confirmed a few weeks later that Tyrian's Semblance is the ability to disrupt someone else's Aura, so he can lethally attack them immediately if he wants to. This causes his eyes to turn purple. So, yeah, we have another Semblance confirmed. I love Jeff and Casey's music, but it's great to hear them collaborate with other artists like Adrienne Cowan, Caleb Hyles, Lamar Hall, Santi C., etc.