She wallowed.

To Ruby, it wasn't clear what was the most painful: The blood of the people she was to save, basted upon her like an unholy baptism, or the scythe-like appendage impaling her waist, pinning her to the mud.

Or perhaps, it was the screams of her teammates as they ran towards her with every fiber of strength they could muster. Their footsteps through the rain, just barely audible.

Or, finally, the despair of impending doom. The realization of the end of one's life. The fleetingness of it all. That which could've been, that which was supposed to be. She peered over at Crescent Rose, embedded in the ground a few feet away, before looking on at her precious comrades, the smallest of smiles on her face.

"Guys…don't worry about me. Just…run." She managed to whisper as blood escaped her mouth.

"RUBBBBYYYYY!" Yang screamed, her voice hoarse from its ferocity. Her hand, in all its frailty, reached out longingly to her baby sister. A veil of red slowly crept into her vision, no doubt a result of her own injuries.

The creature of Grimm looked up at the huntresses that approached it. Slowly, it spit out the disfigured body it was gnawing on, bones and flesh riddling its jagged, shark-like maw. This was no ordinary Grimm. Slowly, Zeophiand raised its sickle claw, glowing a soft white, as it thrust in a slash that seemed to shake the very air itself.

"Look out!" Weiss yelled as she tackled Yang. The ends of her ponytail unraveled before seemingly disintegrating into nothingness. Suddenly, an explosion of wood and glass could be heard from behind. Looking back, countless buildings laid in ruin, cut in a rough diagonal shape.

"Yang, we have to go…" Blake advised, after having built up her courage, as she helped Weiss pick her partner up. "It's too strong and we have no suppor-"

"NOT WITHOUT MY SISTER!" She roared before succumbing to her own wounds. The pain from the bruises and cuts, the fractured ribs, the blood loss. It was only a matter of time.

"Blake, there should be a bullhead about 10 minutes from here. Get out of here and get Yang medical attention. I'll save Ruby and buy time." Weiss declared as she dropped the full burden of Yang's weight onto Blake. She grasped Mrytenaster tightly, steeling her resolve.

"You couldn't possibly-"

"Don't worry, I'm rich after all. Time can be bought like anything else" Weiss whispered with a sheepish grin. It was all a front, really. It was easier to hide the pain she felt as she watched her partner suffer than to break down in tears on a battlefield.

"Got it…" Blake replied, albeit hesitantly. Securing Yang on her back, she quickly made her way towards the town, or what used to be one.

Weiss assessed the situation. Her enemy, a Grimm seemingly capable of using aura, which should very definitely be impossible. Her partner, mortally wounded and within the enemy's grasp. Her dust supply was short. Her injuries, while not extensive as Yang or Ruby's, were beginning to take their toll. She had only one chance to succeed.

A glyph appeared beneath her as she focused her aura. Its sigil, a clock. Its hands moving forward rapidly. The Grimm before her was quick. She needed to be quicker.

The ground caved from the impact of Weiss' gait as she dashed towards Zeophiand, dodging the littered bodies of civilians. It reacted quickly with more slashes, but Weiss managed to sidestep them before finally reaching the claw that held Ruby.

Its roar almost seemed to part the rain around them.

Quickly striking at the claw while maneuvering around the Grimm's attacks with various flips and handsprings, Weiss had to put in enough damage to break the hard blade that impaled her partner.

Zeophiand quickly grew annoyed with her gymnastics. The dust crystal on its back glowed as it seemingly stabbed the air.

Weiss had only a split second to move before its scythe claw appeared out of thin air behind her. A trick she observed when they first engaged it, she knew better now. Sheathing Mrytenaster, she quickly dashed towards Ruby's weapon, pulling it from the ground as she skidded to a halt in the mud. Using every ounce of speed she could muster, she beelined through Zeophiand's claw, slashing it through with Crescent Rose.

With a loud snap, the creature's claw broke from its mantis-like body. It keeled over in pain.

"Ruby! Brace yourself!" Weiss yelled as she disengaged the weapon and grabbed the broad edge of the claw still in her friend. Slowly but surely, she pulled it out. The screams were disheartening but the tradeoff was worth it.

"Weiss…" Ruby whispered. She was completely drenched in blood, both hers and the Grimm's victims. It was pitiful.

"No time for chitchat, partner." Weiss responded with a smile as she gently wiped the mud off her face. Carrying Ruby bridal style, Weiss utilized the last ounce of her speed to quickly get them away from the powerful Grimm, still wallowing in its own pain. It was only a few moments before she caught up with Yang and Blake, the bullhead in plain sight.

"Weiss! Ruby!"

"Blake, we have a few minutes at most before that thing notices we're gone! Hurry!" Weiss yelled as she entered the bullhead. The consequences of using a multi-haste glyph reared its ugly head as Weiss collapsed in the ship with Ruby in her arms.

After a moment or so, Blake managed to board the vehicle. It took off quickly into the clouds above. The staccato of the rain was soothing to the battered warriors.

"What…was that…?" Blake pondered to herself. She looked upon her friends. All were unconscious. This was very clearly the strongest enemy they ever faced. And, judging from the reports that prompted their mission in the first place, it was not the only one.

She looked out the window. The clouds, dark and stormy, were ominous. The future was uncertain, now more than ever.