Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-14138255-20141031002615/@comment-10390252-20141031094448

Well, I think I can honestly say that RWBY Volume 2 has ended with a bang and the series is finally starting to live up to its potential!

What have we learnt?

Just what is Cinder's plan and how did this disaster (many dead White Fang and the attack on Vale cleaned up in one day)?
 * 1) Jaune can now kill mid-level Ursae one-on-one (Well done, young man!);
 * 2) Jaune has a gut feeling when Ruby is in danger and appears to have enough confidence in himself to start issuing orders without needing others' authorisation;
 * 3) Adam appears at the end and appears to be a member of Cinder's group rather than White Fang anymore (he may still publicly avow membership to White Fang but the way he expressed himself to Cinder strongly suggests that his true loyalty is now elsewhere);
 * 4) Coco is a HEAVY! Back at the start of the volume, I predicted that her weapon would be a minigun and I was right! After she shoots down the Nevermores with Sacha the handbag/minigun, I expected her to laugh and shout: "Ha! Cry some more!"
 * 5) Yatsuashi's cleaver creates localised earthquakes; Fox's wrist blades seem to be able to make Grimm swell up and pop like balloons/shrapnel grenades!
 * 6) Just what is Ren's deal. Could that village JNPR were going to visit be his hometown? Volume 3 foreshadowing methinks!
 * 7) "A lot of people got hurt" according to Ruby. I think that's the closest an avowedly PG-13 show will get to admitting that there was probably a massacre despite the girls' best efforts;
 * 8) Looks like the Festival is going to be in volume 3; Cinder's plan has not yet borne ultimate fruit; even though Roman is in a cell, he isn't acting beaten which suggests that his capture was always part of the plan;
 * 9) The way the Vale Council is blaming Ozpin for this is giving me a stronger and stronger Order of the Phoenix vibe;
 * 10) The Mysterious Swordswoman's face looks a lot like Yang's... and she has some stuff to tell what I am increasingly convinced is her daughter...

My guess is that she wishes to undermine the defenders of Remnant. She's managed to underdmine the respect with which Ozpin is held and might even get him fired as Headmaster of Beacon (Headmaster Glyda? Headmaster Ironwood?). I suspect the next phase will be an attack on the Festival and undermining Ironwood to discredit the military. Then, the only part of society still undiminished in the public's eye will be the politicians and they won't offer much resistance without the military and Huntsmen to back them up.

Now I'm going to have to wait around 20 weeks for volume 3 and I'm going to be on edge all the way for what The Vytal Festival may hold, what plots and plans Ironwood (in misguided good) as well as Cinder and Adam (in shameless evil) are making. Of course, there is also the mystery of The Mysterious Swordswoman too...