Four Bullheads hovered over the cratered ground as two others fired out over the broken field and into the advancing mass of Grimm. One full ship rose off the ground and Coco and Nora added the voice of their weapons to the cacophony below them, walking their fire across the horde. Artillery rounds from the ridges beyond, splashed amongst the enemy. Pieces of Grimm would float into view before even they could dissipate into the air. Blake and Weiss held the stretcher firmly as the shuffled up to the side door and gently ushered Ruby inside. The broken look on Weiss' face made Blake want to wretch just as much as the matted blood in her leader's hair and arm. Crescent Rose was folded up gently next to girl. The only consolation was the steady rise and ebb of her chest. The other Bullhead lifted off nearby and soon the fire from those teams on board added their fire as the Grimm advanced ever closer. Blake reached out and grabbed onto the hand hold outside, "Yang! Come on! We have to go!"
The blonde turned from firing her gauntlets and sprinted back to the waiting transports only to see her dear teammate in a rather raucous… conversation with one of the pilots. "Uh, guys?" She turned and quickly looked over her shoulder as the firing line was quickly dissipating as the last Bullhead began to fill. "Something wrong?" Nervous eyes dancing between her partner and the pilot
Blake turned to her, mouth open, but the co-pilot was first to speak "Ma'am, I'm sorry but we're full!" The yell carrying over the din of gunfire. "Your teammate and the other wounded are taking up too much space! There's no room for you! You can get on the other carrier! We need to lift off now!"
Blake turned back with a snarl only to have Yang's calm voice shatter her response. "I got it! You all go on ahead!"
"Wait, Yang! I'll come-"
She turned back to the worried girl and flashed a quick smile, "Don't worry! I'll be right behind you guys! Stay behind and look after Ruby and Weiss!" Before rushing on to the other Bullhead.
The worry wouldn't leave Blake's mind though as she felt herself grow light and the transport rose. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder and turned up to see a slightly less worried Weiss. The girl's eyes were less watery than a few minutes before and the trembling she had felt on her end of the stretched had seemed to have calmed now. The grip tightened and a voice, still slightly shaken from watching her partner and leader collapse earlier, reached out to her remaining teammate. "Come on, Blake. We need to help cover Yang. She'll be fine."
Of course. Yeah. Yang will be fine. Yang's always fine. Always. I memory bidden from the tournament, seemingly so long ago now reached the forefront of her mind. That broken face on her partner as she searched the angry crowd surrounding her in the stadium. Blake's eyes shut hard. And she breathed. "Right." She looked back up and flashed a quick smile before reaching behind her for Gambol Shroud, the weapon transforming into its sleek pistol. Others in the Bullhead had already begun firing out of the door way. She began firing alongside Weiss as the final bullhead seemed to take off after the longest time. Rising up to the height of the others, they could hear Ember Celica join the chorus of weapons.
It was reassuring to hear that familiar sound and Blake couldn't help but breathe a side of relief at that. But… Something was missing. She lowered her gun slightly and looked behind her to where Ruby lay unconscious. The chest still rose and fell, but the white pallor looked so out of place on even her pale face. The white bandages stood out in stark contrast to the reds and black of her outfit and hair. Little spots of red had leaked through though where the blood hadn't been stopped before the tourniquet. The bleeding had stopped on her head though and she could remember Weiss cradling the younger girl in her lap, tears dripping onto her face. Her stomach turned as she knew that if she turned to Weiss, she would see the stains on the girls outfit. Blake had done her best to bandage Ruby as Yang was all the cover they needed. Her rage was at its peak as she launched herself into the enemy ranks and almost singlehandedly pushed them back. The other teams taking advantage of the respite to spread around supplies as their heavies rushed up to fight alongside her. It was at that time that the first medic had arrived and the order to pull out had spread.
One of the Bullheads waited as the others began to spread out into formation to leave, it still continuously pouring fire into the Grimm. The lead transport and the hunters themselves were on the lookout for Nevermore and enemy aircraft. "If you're not strapped in, you'd better be now!" The suggestion came through the intercom. They began to lurch forward and Blake looked out of the door at the following Bullhead as she saw Weiss sit down next to her. She watched the smaller girl reach out and gently brush aside Ruby's bangs, the hand lingering as she brushed against the bandages.
"She'll be okay, Weiss. Ruby won't let something like this keep her down long. She'll be alright in a week as soon as her semblance recovers." She could feel the small smile spread on her face, her own confidence in her words spilling out. Of course Ruby would be okay, this is her after all.
A sniffle reached both sets of her ears as Weiss' head arced up for a moment, before wiping away at something on her face. "Yeah… Yeah, Blake. She'll be okay." A small nod as the hand reached out again and this time grasped a smaller one inside of it. "We'll make sure of it."
It was few times that Blake had experienced something like this. The calmness and warmth that seemed to exude from their little corner of the Bullhead was something that she could see starting to spread throughout the bay as they went further and further from the field of their recent battle. The tension in bodies seemingly dissipating in the air. Some of the hunters and soldiers who'd helped evacuate this last batch of warriors had fallen asleep against the walls. The walking wounded were being tended to as needed while others conversed or worried over those who lay wounded nearby. A few others… Some stood silently, others still cried. Most wore a dejected look on their faces. The first Bullhead had held the bodies of the fallen that they were able to transport. Some had died on the way. The more experienced soldiers and hunters had insisted on transporting them separately.
Separately… Blake's thoughts flitted back to Yang. She turned and looked out of the bay hatch as Yang's transport held course just to the rear and right of theirs. She could see blonde dart in between some heads and the volume was so unique to her partner. A warmth filled her knowing the girl was safe and the smile grew.
"Nevermore! Port side!" The call blasted over the onboard intercom. "Hunter's defend the convoy!" Already she could hear the Gatling guns on the gunships opening up and it was soon followed by the sound of all matter of dust rounds and semblances activating as the winged Grimm descended. There were only a few, scavengers from the battle perhaps, but still large enough to be a threat. Blake was on the wrong side of the Bullhead to be of assistance, so all she could do was wait with baited breath. The pilot called out the enemy's numbers as they fell, the sound of firing in the small space making Blake cover her ears. "One remaining! I repeat! One remaining! All Bullheads who are able, concentrate fire!"
"It's closing!" Blake heard one of the hunters across from her shout. Weapons fire picked up even more before the distinct noise of the gunship's weapon tore across the air and a cheer went up from her peers. The Bullhead lurched sharply beneath her as she clutched at the side at the sudden movement, "Still going…" An indistinct voice reached her and she could hear the carcass of the great Grimm falling through the air over the ship. A staccato of firing erupted from her side and she desperately pulled herself up to see what was going on, Gambol Shroud to her side in an instant. All she could do was pale at the sight. The massive Grimm was disintegrating as it fell, but the beast was so massive that it wasn't breaking apart fast enough and falling directly into the path of Yang's Bullhead. The Grimm slowly spun in its death. The body missed the main bay but seemingly reached out with its remaining wing, getting caught up in the tail of the airship, weighing it down as the body lurched forward and collapsed on the wing. Her eyes grew wide as the transport tipped and skewed and dropped from the air.
She followed it silently even as more hunters appeared alongside her, Weiss crestfallen alongside her. She could feel an ice-cold hand grab hold of hers and grip it tightly. Blake could only watch numbly. Rounds still impacted the carcass, but it wouldn't be enough. The crew and hunters inside were firing into the body that hung limp in between the tail and the wing of the Bullhead, hoping to cause it to vanish quicker. But the main weight of the body fell on the wing and the horrible groaning sound from it was already reaching her ears. Weiss was saying something next to her, but for once she wasn't able to hear the girl. She felt her knees weaken as the wing violently ripped away, the Nevermore falling with it. The Bullhead dipping violently, a few bodies falling out of it. Blake felt her stomach drop. The Bullhead spiraled and fell with Yang hopefully still in. And Blake fell to her knees.