Cornered

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

An agonizing pain pulled Ruby into consciousness as she coughed up blood. She couldn't feel any of her limbs. She wished the same could be said for her torso, because it felt like her intestines were being pierced by a thousand hot needles. Her vision was blurred, and she could voices, though very faint. A blurry silhouette appeared in her line of sight. Slowly, the voices and her sight cleared up.

"Ruby!" Blake shouted and Ruby looked at her. Her girlfriend was crouched next to her, tears in her eyes.

"Blake," she whispered.

"Thank god, honey. I thought I'd lost you," she said, relief in her voice as she hugged Ruby.

"What? What happened?" She looked around, seeing Yang and Weiss also leaning over her.

"Monsters," Yang stated. "They jumped us. They came from everywhere. We handled them fine at first, but then a Death Stalker grabbed you and crushed you in its pincer, then it tossed you right into a rolling Boarbatusk. It's a miracle that you're still alive."

"Did...did you finish them?"

Yang closed her eyes and shook her head. "We retreated into this cave."

Ruby then noticed that she was lying in a cave. The only light source was a hole in the ceiling. She then heard a very loud crash. "What was that?"

"The Death Stalker," Weiss answered, turning to look in the direction of the noise. "It's trying to break through the entrance." She then turned to the hole in the ceiling. "That's the only way out." She turned back to Ruby. "But...in your condition..."

"Don't say it!" Blake hissed at her before turning back to Ruby. "It's okay, sweetie, we'll get you out of here."

Ruby wheezed as she stared up at the hole. "No," she finally said. "I...I can't..."

"Yes, you can. You must!" Blake pleaded as she took Ruby's hand and her eyes teared up again.

"No, honey, I...I'm done for. You...have to," she couched blood, "get out of here."

Blake shook her head violently. "Never. I'm not leaving you."

"And neither am I," Yang said, kneeling next to her.

"You must!" Ruby said with new found strength. "We cannot defeat the Death Stalker like this. You have to escape. I cannot come with you."

"No," Blake refused.

"Sis, please."

Another crash. Much louder this time. "It's closer. It's almost through. You have to go. Now!"

Yang hesitated for a moment, then wiped her tears with the back of her hand and got up. "Alright."

"Go," Blake said. "I'm staying."

"No!" Ruby objected. "You can't! I don't want you to die!"

"Yeah, well, I don't want you to die. Life's a bitch, as is death." She gently cupped Ruby's cheek. "It took me so long to accept my feelings. Now that we're together, I'm not gonna have you leave me behind." She pressed her lips against Ruby's. "Got it?"

Ruby looked into her eyes before looking down. "I don't have the energy to talk you out of it."

Blake smiled, but it vanished from her face when another crash shook the cave. She turned to the others. "Hurry! Get out! Now!"

The two looked at them, then Weiss put her arm around Yang's shoulders and used Myrtenaster to launch them through the hole.

As they landed outside, they heard the Death Stalker crash through into the cave.