A/N: This is an idea I had that popped into my head and wasn't originally for RWBY Relationship week, but I decided it can work and as such there'll be 8 instead of 7. Think of this as a bonus (And also I was late to the party, shhh)
The walls caved in at last, sending a cloud of dust hurtling into the hallway. The stone blocks that once formed the Academy wall now fell freely to the floor, their edges glowing white hot with a heat far greater than that of fire. Numerous henchmen piled in the gap that had been made, drawing swords, axes and guns in preparation for the assault. They split up down the corridors, some being taken out almost immediately by the far more skilled students that were defending their home.
Two said students came barreling down the central hallway towards the gaping hole, their weapons raised. A battlecry evaporated from their throats the instant their bones crumbled to ash on a silent command, the husks falling to the floor before being swept away by the wind that raged outside.
A woman stepped elegantly over what remained of their corpses, her heels tapping against the stone floor as she walked calmly even in the middle of a full scale siege. She flicked a speck of dust from her red dress, orange eyes glowing menacingly as she paused. Before her stood a meek, frail looking girl. Her posture was strong but she was clearly terrified. Two long ears rose up from the top of her head, brown to match her uniform. She spoke in a shaky voice, her words eliciting a sadistic smirk from her enemy.
"I-I'm not l-letting you p-past here!" Velvet felt her heart in her mouth, and as much as she wanted to turn tail and flee she knew that she couldn't. Her limbs tightened even more at the mocking response, the tone distinctly seductive.
"Oh cutie, I'm going to give you one chance. You can run away now and maybe, just maybe I'll leave you for later. But if you really think you can stop me, you're welcome to try."
"I k-know who you a-are and I k-know what you've d-done! I can't let my f-friends be hurt by you!" Velvet stared the woman in the eyes, refusing to give any ground no matter how much she wanted to. She held her fists up in a combat stance, her feet planted to the ground firmly in a stance of defense. She flinched a little at the womans words, at how calm she was acting in a situation like this.
"Tut tut tut, wrong choice. I'm afraid you'll have to be dealt with...such a shame. I didn't want to scar such a beautiful face." Even before the words had left her mouth, Velvet caught the rubble behind the woman begin to rise, ringed by an orange glow. They levitated forwards at the beckon of a hand, almost mesmerizing in the slow hover in which they moved.
It was only her acute hearing that saved her. She caught the low 'Heh' escaping the womans lips just in time to see the stone blocks shoot forward as her arm outstretched, sending them flying towards Velvet at an incredible speed.
Cinder took another step forward as the impact began to settle, the dust cloud filling the hallway in front of her in a thick layer of smoke. She really did enjoy what she did, but it was a shame that she had to deal with the faunus as undramatically as she did. After all, some people in this hateful school were worth her time.
It seemed that so was Velvet.
Cinders eyes grew wide for a brief second before she swiftly dodged to the side, pressing her body flat against the wall to avoid the immense stone-like spear that hurtled through the air where she had just been. She heard it smash into the ground behind her with a loud crash and turned her attention back to the one person standing in her way, she had underestimated the faunus after all.
Velvet's expression was no longer that of fear, now her face was set in determination. She made and upwards motion with her hand and flicked the other one forwards in an L shape, sending what remained of the debris on the floor hurtling forwards towards Cinder at speed, powered by a wind that came from inside the building.
Another explosion rang throughout the hallways, and Velvet watched as her attack disintegrated against the forcefield that Cinder had raised to fill the space in front of her, her glowing eyes narrowing with irritation. She brushed one hand down her arm, the intricate details on her dress glowing with a fire to match her eyes.
Velvet watched as the floor beneath her turned a burning shade of orange, and looked up just in time to see Cinder cast her palm upwards, sending explosions burning towards her. Velvet was light on her feet, cartwheeling backwards three times to be sure that she was out of range, taking a second to inspect the structural integrity of their battlefield. The walls would not last much longer.
The dust cleared once more, both Cinder and Velvet met their gazes directly in the middle, refusing to give in. The bricks in the walls started to shake and crack as Cinder moved her arms in a circular motion over her head, and Velvet locked her stance in place, pushing any fears or doubts she ever had about herself out of her mind. She couldn't afford to be weak, not when so much was at stake.
She didn't have a choice.
