Hello Everyone,
It took a little while but I managed to finish up one more chapter. Probably going to wait until after mid sem exams before posting another.
But you're not here for excuses.
Here's chapter 3, Enjoy.
'Hold on, I'll go find some bandages.'
Ruby had said that as soon as they cleared the blast zone. Hurriedly, she had hopped off by herself, launching straight into the blanket of smoke which swallowed her, the scarlet tail of her cloak slipping into the blackness.
Blake laid herself against a pillar, gently cradling her side. They seemed to have come out into the corridor, the pylons lined up in field dress all the way down alongside it. By the next one over, Yang laid Weiss down, her hand held to her head. Her eyes were glazed over, still wide from the shock but slowly, her trembling started to die down, her ragged breaths slowing.
'It's okay,' said Yang.
She knelt in front of the girl, cupping her cheeks with her gauntleted hands.
'Everything's okay.'
The ground rumbled, loosening a stream of dust from above. Distant shouts could be heard, their anguished cries swirling into a panicked dissonance.
'It seems that they attacked other parts as well,' Blake panted.
She scrunched up her face at those words, her side exploding in pain.
'Don't talk, you'll make it worse,' snapped Yang.
They waited for a while, Yang sitting herself down between the both of them. She whispered softly to Weiss, holding her close. Blake heard her breathing stabilise, breathing a sigh of relief herself when the girl managed to croak a dry, 'I'm fine.'
The blonde turned her attention to Blake now, face worried.
'Are you okay?'
Blake managed a dry chuckle, she'd heard that a lot recently.
'Yeah, I should be when Ruby gets back with the bandages.'
'There were first aid kits in the storeroom, she shouldn't be long,' Yang replied.
She moved closer, 'Let me see the wound.'
Blake moved aside her hands, pressed against her left waist. Her eyes widened slightly as they came into her view, painted red.
'It's just a heavy scrape. A bit of skin's missing and it's a bit charred but it's not a cut,' said Yang.
'Stings like hell though…' Blake mumbled.
'Should be fine with some cream.'
They heard a small patter in the distance, a sharp tapping that got louder and louder until Ruby burst back out from the smoke. She held her left arm over her mouth, trying to keep out the smoke, her right threaded into the handles of two red packs.
'I got some kits,' she said, jogging up to them, 'I also saw Jaune and the others, they're on the other side.'
'We should regroup…' said Blake before the pain caught up with her again.
She must have bruised her insides in the explosion. There was perhaps some internal bleeding, maybe a rib fracture.
'Before that, we need to get you all patched up. Pass me a kit sis.'
Ruby flung one of the packs over to the blonde who caught it with one hand. She then knelt by Blake, furiously working the zipper on the other one.
'Where does it hurt Blake?'
'My left side.'
She watched as the girl pulled hard on the zipper, almost ripping it off the bag. She then fiddled around with the contents for a bit before getting impatient and dumping everything out on the floor.
She spotted the bandages instantly, swiping the roll almost before it hit the ground.
'I'll need you to hold your breath,' she said, unwinding the tape.
Blake watched as her shaky fingers worked, almost dropping the roll a few times.
'Ruby, the disinfectant,' said Yang from behind her.
She had already wrapped Weiss' head with a few thick rounds of tape but the blood had already begun to seep through. They appeared in splotches, stemming out to all sides.
'Right, the disinfectant.'
Ruby quickly rummaged through the junk on the ground, looking for a tube or a bottle. She bit her lip, the brow creased with worry. The shaking in her hands intensified the longer she looked.
'Calm down Ruby,' said Yang, 'you'll take longer if you panic.'
'I know, but Blake's in trouble and I…'
'Don't worry, I'm fine,' said the Faunus girl, 'just take your time.'
'But, but…'
'Ruby!'
Yang's voice cut through the smouldering and crackling of the embers.
The young girl gave a frightened look towards the blonde.
'A leader shouldn't panic in front of their team when they haven't.'
A quiet moment passed, filled only with the odd snap of hot timber as it glowed an angry orange. They all watched as Ruby took a deep breath, the trembling of her hands dying down as she closed her eyes for a few seconds.
'You're right.'
Then she snapped back into motion, snatching the bottle of disinfectant and a tube of burn cream from the pile of litter and twisting off the cap.
'I need you to move your arms Blake.'
Blake obeyed, lifting up her elbow to reveal her wound, red and raw.
'This may sting,' she said, dabbing the top of the bottle on her hand, letting cool liquid coat it..
She pressed it against the injury, rubbing it out across the entire damaged area. It stung like a whiplash, forcing the Blake to shy away and scrunch up her face.
'Are you okay?'
The black-haired girl gathered herself, clenching her fists, 'Yes.'
Ruby dabbed at the wound again. Blake gritted her teeth, biting through the pain. It lasted for an agonising few seconds before Ruby reached for the burn cream. All the while, the wound continued to throb and pulse with pain.
Ruby finished off the dressing with the cream and multiple tight loops of bandages. She sighed when she finished, leaning back.
'Thank's Ruby,' said Blake.
They sat for a while, collecting their thoughts. The rhythmic crackling of embers droned on, interrupted only by the occasional, rattling groan of timber as a foundation beam toppled somewhere in the debris.
'How did they get so close unnoticed? Isn't Beacon airspace tightly monitored?' said a weak voice.
It was Weiss. She was still raspy, her throat dry from the smoke and scalding air, but she seemed to have recovered enough to talk.
'I dunno,' Yang replied, 'I thought so too...'
A siren blast suddenly tore through the billowing smoke, assaulting their ears.
'Attention all students, please evacuate to the great court. Listen to all instructions by the teachers. Repeat, attention all students…'
The message went on for a minute, parroting the same words over and over again. Slowly, Blake forced herself to her feet, threatening to collapse through the effort. Ruby and Yang both stepped in to help, holding her until she stood on two wobbly legs.
'Are you sure you can walk? Maybe we should rest?'
'No,' said Blake, 'we should regroup with the others, we need to get to the great court.'
She began to pace from left to right, wincing slightly with each step. After a while though, she had begun to get used to the pain, learning how to keep the weight off her side.
'Can Weiss move?' she asked, turning back to the group.
'I'm fine now, just a bit dizzy,' the girl replied.
She also dragged herself to her feet, shuffling into position beside Blake.
'No way am I going to be dead weight.'
The girl took a deep breath, feeling the fiery breeze nick and flick at her skin.
'Besides, you guys want to see if everyone's okay, don't you? We're not going to do that by sitting around here.'
She began to limp off, stubbornly trying to hide her nausea. Blake quickly moved to her, throwing her scratched arm over her shoulder.
'We'll go together,' she said, 'All of us.'
Xxx
The bullhead slapped at the air, smacking out sound in sloppy claps. Roman sat in the passenger seat, pocket watch in hand.
'She's late, again.'
He muttered darkly to himself, snapping the lid shut before flicking it open again, hoping that the hands hadn't moved. He knew they would however, and with every ticking second, he creased his brow further.
They were attacking Beacon, the most prestigious school in the entire continent. Filled to the brim with talent, both student and teacher alike, a few dozen bullheads filled with borrowed footmen wouldn't last long. They had each emptied a single dust-primed missile into the complex, hoping that the destruction would slow down defence efforts but already, he could see black dots hopping about, no doubt trying to regroup for an attack. The majority of the bullheads had landed already, their occupants streaming out to take the facility. They would have only a few more minutes before the fighting erupted.
He clicked his tongue. Perhaps, if it had only been the students, he would have been able to deal with them. He might lose a half of his men but they'd be able to do it. The problem lied, therefore, in a select few.
They were Glynda, Qrow and Ozpin.
Reports had indicated that Qrow was away. Cinder could also deal with Glynda. The last hurdle, was Ozpin.
That man was dangerous.
He'd heard the stories and Cinder had warned him enough to last a lifetime. The man had the cunning of a wolf and the cold brutality of a demon. If given the chance, he would be able to single-handedly destroy their operation.
Therefore, the problem became that of how to avoid the grey-haired devil.
He snapped the lid shut, the sound ringing out across the cockpit. The pilot beside him glanced quickly in his direction but Roman waved him off.
'Just focus on flying,' he said, 'start heading us in closer.'
He then began muttering to himself again, 'come on you wicked witch. Where are you…?'
A flare of fiery orange blasted out from the far side of the school, the flash of light forcing both him and the pilot to look away. A second later, the sound hit them, a booming roar that shook the metal of the Bullhead. The shockwave passed by, the sudden whip of air throwing the vehicle in a dizzying dance in the sky before the pilot, with a grunt and a mighty heave, pulled it back straight again.
'Wow,' said Roman to himself, 'took your bloody time.'
He then began barking at the pilot beside him.
'That's the cue! Get us down there immediately!' He shoved the pocket watch back into his pants before straightening his hat. With a small huff he got up from the seat, quickly adjusting to the movement of the vehicle before setting off towards the back chamber.
A dark chuckle left his lips as he picked his cane from the compartment behind his seat. It had taken a little longer than expected, but everything was going according to plan.
Xxx
Ozpin clicked his tongue, eyes narrowing as the most recent explosion shook the walls of the corridor. He quickened his pace, leather shoes and hard soles tapping furiously against the smooth tiles of the walkway in a staccato beat.
They had gotten him good.
The radar system had been shut down, letting the bullheads into their airspace. How it was done, he was not sure, but he knew that it could only be deactivated from the inside. The greying man gritted his teeth, they had snuck people into the campus for sure.
His first thought after that had been, who was responsible? When he saw the bullheads he knew immediately. Ruby's report after the Vale incident had mentioned them. It seemed that Roman Torchwick had some hand in this operation. He wasn't surprised, with that man's skills he could have pulled off this attack.
But if it was only Roman, Ozpin wouldn't have been as worried as he was now. The man was a good fighter, but not great. Glynda could probably take him by herself along with whoever else he had brought along. The both of them working together would have cleaned everything up within the hour. Then the last explosion happened.
He'd recognise those flames anywhere. Cinder Fall was here.
It had come in the direction of the Dust Vault, Beacon's almost limitless stockpile. Ozpin ran the facts in his head. He knew about the countless dust robberies that had occurred recently, robberies coordinated by none other than Roman Torchwick himself. If he considered the fact that Roman and Cinder were working together then, then this was a large-scale raid for dust. If the dust in the stockpile were to fall into the hands of people like them- he wouldn't be able to prepare himself for the consequences.
The corridor opened out in front of him. Ozpin paused as he was met with a blanket of smoke which rushed out from the explosion zone. It was a thick, acrid smell, a taloned claw which forced its way down your throat and threatened to tear out your insides.
His eyes watered as he tried to blink out the soot. The shockwave of the explosion had thrown the academy under a rain of hot ash. It drifted lazily in the air, a toxic quilt whose deathly threads seeped into every nook and cranny. Holding his sleeve against his mouth, he began to push into the scorching blackness. There was no time for hesitation, no time for weakness. His students needed him.
He took one last, desperate gulp or fresher air before he ducked his head down, plunging straight into the smoke.
Xxx
They had only just arrived at the great court before the explosion shook the ground.
'What was that?' said Yang, turning to face the glowing plume of smoke that stretched out and touched the sky.
The shock wave hit them right after, a blistering wind smothering them with acid smoke and scorching embers as it blew over to the west. Blake sputtered, having taken a mouthful of the toxic air from the shock. She could feel it singeing the insides of the throat as she coughed. She still supported Weiss over her shoulder. The girl coughed a few times as well to clear out the ash but she seemed to have avoided the worst of it.
The dark wind blew over them, the air over the courtyard settling. Flakes of embers drifted about in an ashen snowfall. Some of them had settled in the fountain, staining the water with an inky black.
'Yang, was that you?'
Blake's ears pricked up, recognising the voice. The blonde seemed to have as well.
'Jaune! It's me!'
Her narrowed eyes sought the boy in the haze, finding him a few seconds later waving his arms about on the other side of the courtyard.
'We should get over there,' she said, turning back to the group.
Sharp footsteps could be heard as Ruby advanced to the front of the group.
'Follow me everyone!'
Blake saw the other members of RWBY shuffle on forward, following behind the girl with solemn gaits, before moving herself. The yard was strewn with other students. They stayed in their own groups, heads tucked into their knees and quiet. Sobbing came from one end, a stifled, convulsive sound that heaved out a lopsided rhythm. Blake tried to see who it was, but the haze of ash and dust that had blown over hung it's shadow upon them.
They picked their way through the maze of outstretched legs. The girls were able to get quick glances at their downcast faces as they moved. Some were in shock, still wide-eyed, shaking their heads in disbelief. Others lay back, eyes closed, trying to bite through the pain and heat.
JNPR was at the other side of the fountain.
'Is that everyone?' said Jaune, fraught with worry, 'I count four of you, that means everyone is here right? Oh Weiss! What happened to you?'
He spotted the bandage running around her head, stained red across her temple.
'I'm fine Jaune, I would be no Schnee if such a small injury managed to down me.'
'How is everyone else?' Yang asked, looking past the boy.
'Oh, Pyrrha's okay, so is Nora. Ren got a big banged up though. Nora's tending to him now.'
'I'm fine,' came a growl from the back.
Blake walked past Jaune, coming to the figures of Ren and Nora. The black haired boy sat on the chipped tiles, back against the fountain wall. He held a cloth to his right eye, closing the other one. Above him, Nora fiddled nervously with the bandages.
'Just hang on okay Ren?'
Her brow was furrowed, lip twitching as she stifled her quivering. She knelt over the boy, hunched over her knees as she messed with the bandages with wide eyes. To Blake, it was as if she was looking at a completely different person.
'Nora, are you okay?' said Blake, putting an arm on her shoulder.
She saw the amber head of hair snap her neck to face her, eyes still wide.
'Who is it?' she stammered, 'Oh it's you Blake. Nothing's wrong, no, nothing at all. I'm just gold old, goody me.'
'Did something happen?' Yang whispered to Jaune, watching the exchange.
'I don't know, we pulled Ren out of the rubble and she looked like she lost it. Frankly, I'm still shocked about her.'
Pyrrha approached the group, getting up from her position by the fountain.
'I think she's just worried about Ren. Those two always seemed… close.'
She paused before the last word, trying to describe her feeling. She had always wondered how the girl had so much energy. She was the one who bounced ahead of the group, telling crazy stories and weird jokes that no one seemed to get. To Pyrrha however, it always seemed as if the girl was hiding something, something beneath that smile of hers and her bubbly personality. Today, it seemed like all of them were about to find out what.
'Let me help,' said Blake, reaching for the roll in the girl's shaking hands.
As soon as her fingers brushed against the coarse curve of the bandage Nora cried out, yanking them away.
'No! Only I can help him, I have to help him…'
'Nora!'
It was Ren. He looked at the girl from his uncovered eye, the blood running down his other cheek.
'Listen to Blake,' he said, 'she wants help you.'
The girl responded to Ren's words, slowly loosening her wire-like grip on the roll.
Blake took it from the girl. Within a second she had stretched out a line of tape, quickly shuffling over in front of Ren.
'Let me see your eye.'
The boy nodded, lifting up his hand to that it dragged the loose strands of hair from his face. Blake was used to blood, but it was still hard to stomach Ren's wound. The left side of his skull seemed to have caved in. She could see the point where the object had come in and smashed it, leaving behind a mass of bruised flesh on the outer edge of his right eye socket. On the ridge of the brow, a large gash had set itself, oozing blood. Somewhere behind her, Blake felt Nora twist and squirm, as it the sight of the wound cut her to the very core.
'Can you still see?' Blake asked.
'Probably not, but I don't know. Right now, there's too much blood to even bother trying to find out.'
'Did you eye get hit?'
'Yeah. My skull took the brunt of it but it wasn't enough it seems.'
The girl began to work, running loops of the bandage over his head to cover his eye. After a few rounds she switched to running it around the head to cover the cut along the brow.
'I'm tying it,' she said, giving the man time to take a breath before pulling the ends tight into a thick knot. Using her teeth, she ripped the tape apart, letting the roll drop by her feet.
'Is that comfortable?' she asked.
'As comfortable as an injury could be.'
When Blake got up, letting a frantic Nora take her position in front of Ren, she saw that the others had taken seats by the fountain wall. They were mostly silent as they watched Blake work, their eyes following the girl as she approached them.
'Is everything all right?' asked Yang.
Blake nodded solemnly, 'I stopped the bleeding but his eye looked pretty bad…'
There was a clap of noise as Ruby stood suddenly, her fists clenched by her sides.
'Who could have done this?' she said, shaking.
'Those bullheads were the same ones in Vale,' said Blake, 'and they belonged to Roman Torchwick.'
'What does that creep want? How can anyone attack like this? We're just children!'
'Ruby…'
The little girl slapped down a few paces away from the group. She wiped her sleeve against her eyes, no doubt stifling tears.
'Let's get him, let's make him pay.'
'That wouldn't be smart, Ruby.' Weiss stood up from where she sat, approaching the girl.
'Roman isn't an idiot, he would never attack Beacon if he didn't have allies and a plan.'
'But…'
'But what!' Weiss stamped her foot on the ground.
'You are our leader Ruby, you need to be the one who keeps her cool even in the direst of situations. You need to gather your thoughts, think of a plan, and lead us. Ozpin said that you were the one most suited for it and I trusted him. But looking at you now just makes me wonder if I couldn't do a better job.'
'Weiss…'
'Be quiet Yang! Your sister needs to learn just what it takes to be a leader.'
The courtyard was quiet for a few moments, the cacophonous crackling of embers creating a sinister sonata. Yang brushed past Weiss, swooping Ruby up into a tight embrace.
'Don't worry sis, you can do it, I know you can.'
Weiss crossed her arms, scowl breaking out across her face as she turned away her gaze.
'You're right Weiss.'
Ruby hiccupped, rubbing her watery eyes as Yang released her embrace.
'Ozpin told everyone to gather here. We should work to help the others make it back.'
'Now that's more like it,' said Weiss.
She stepped forward, raising her voice to all of the students in the court.
'Everyone!' she said, 'We need to start helping the others to make it here. Does anyone want to help out?'
All she got was a few groans. The sobbing in the curtain of ash was still there.
'I don't think any of the others are in condition to move,' said Blake.
'Then we'll have to do it with the six of us.'
She paused, taking a moment to think.
'We should go in groups of two, just search for students in the rubble, then direct them here.'
The rest of the group nodded in agreement.
'Not so fast.'
Blake wheeled around, feline reflexes sensing the voice first. She saw the familiar bowler, the crisp white suit, the chiselled cane and the sweep of orange hair that filtered over jaded, green eyes.
Roman Torchwick's figure faded into view from the smoke. He chuckled darkly, twirling his cane a few times as the soles of his leather shoes struck the ground in hard slaps.
'I'm sorry, girls and guys, but I'll need you to stay put for a little while longer.'
The group tensed themselves, bending at the knees, ready.
'Oh hoh ho, no need to get flighty,' Roman said, raising his hands in defence.
'You've hurt a lot of my friends!' barked Ruby, 'You won't get any mercy.'
They watched as the man tutted to himself, shaking his head at the ground.
'You just don't get it,' he said, 'your school is in flames, your comrades are bleeding from half their orifices, and you think that your biggest goal is to take me down?'
He let a grin stretch across his face as he stopped in front of the group, hand on his cane.
'But it's not like I wouldn't want to see you try.'
Those words, were the trigger.
Blake saw a flash of red whizz past right by her ear. In a second Ruby had launched forwards, scythe extending out behind her. She blasted forward, firing shot after shot to build momentum in a shower of shrapnel and sparks.
'Ruby, get back!' Yang screamed, arm extended as she tried to stop her.
It was no use however, as the girl blazed on past.
Roman chuckled to himself. He raised his cane, preparing to fire.
'Bring it on guys.'
Xxx
'Oz, how nice of you to join us.'
The professor's steps rapped sharply against the cold stone as he approached the Dust Vault. The ground was torn in places, pockmarked with craters and chips. In front of him, Cinder stood, a dark shroud enveloping her body and flames licking at her fingers. Her eyes glowed a feline's yellow, two pools of swirling gold that pierced you.
'I thought you would miss the good part,' she said, mouth twisting into a smile.
She indicated with her hand in front of her. Ozpin didn't even have to follow the gesture to know what she was talking about. Glynda lay on her knees a few metres from the woman, blood gushing from her side and breath light and patchy.
'I'm sorry headmaster,' she sputtered, 'I was outmatched.'
A sly laugh slipped out from Cinder lips, a shadowy noise that dripped with venom.
'Don't worry dear, you did well. Not many people could say that they stood toe to toe with me...'she leaned in close, pulling up Glynda's chin so that she could look her in the eye.
'for a few minutes only, that is.'
'Get away from her.'
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't suppress his anger. It leaked into his tone, a coiled snake ready to spring.
'Oh don't be like that Oz, it's not like this woman means anything to you, does she?'
'I said, get away from her.'
He tapped his cane against the ground with such force that the shockwave cleared the ash in the area.
Cinder chuckled, 'and if I don't?'
A flurry of motion shot towards her, snapping forward like a slingshot. Cinder let go of the woman, practically throwing her aside as she moved to dodge the razor sharp slash aimed at her throat. He appeared in front of her, whizzing into existence with the tip of his cane a few centimetres from her slender neck. His expression was dark, his face twisted.
He muttered to the scrunched up form of Glynda on the ground.
'Get out of here.'
Cinder, meanwhile, giggled venomously.
'You were always so quick to act back then, it seems that you never managed to shake off that habit,' she mocked.
Ozpin flashed a murderous gaze at the woman, a venomous look that held her for a second. She had seen the man fight in the past. If he had even half the prowess that he possessed back then, she was in trouble.
The man twirled his cane once before letting it rest on the floor again. She had to be careful of the weapon. On its own, it was like any other hard stick, but in Ozpin's hands it was as dangerous as a sword. The man had a mastery of aura akin to her own. When he passed it along that smooth surface, it could become the sharpest of blades, or the heaviest of mauls.
She felt the air around him crackle, felt his rage, but it was not enough. Ozpin still held back, he hadn't activated his weapon.
'Are you still going to go easy on me?' she teased.
There was a pause as the grey-haired man looked down, letting his shades cover his eyes.
A chuckle left his lips, a dark sound that seemed to ooze from the pores of his body.
'Well it is unfortunate Cinder, but I am a teacher now. I have to protect my students. If I were to go all out now, I might destroy half the school alongside you.'
'Oh? I didn't pick you for one to brag,' she replied.
'Well then I'm afraid you don't know me well enough.'
'But I do, Oz. I know you the best out of everyone.'
She began to approach him, letting her hips sway with each step.
'I know you for the thief you are.'
She saw the man's brow furrow, salivating at the troubled look that spread itself across his features.
'What are you talking about?'
Cinder put on her familiar smile, coming up beside the man. She leant close to his ear, whispering two words.
'The Grimmoire.'
The man's eyes widened. Cinder licked her lips, knowing she hit the mark.
'How do you know about…'
He stopped as the woman pressed a finger to his lips.
'It doesn't matter how I know, just that I do.'
She continued to pace around the man until she stood behind him, their backs facing each other.
'And just so you know, I plan on taking back what is mine.'
Ozpin's eyes widened further, finally realising the scope of her plan. He immediately dashed away, leaving the woman behind. He needed to get back to Beacon's Vault.
'Not so fast, Oz.'
A wall of flame burst forth from the ground, a scorching furnace of yellow that blistered the ground and stung the air. Ozpin stopped in his tracks, turning back to face the woman.
'I'm not going to let you go that easily,' she said, 'I attacked this place for a reason.'
She waved her hand behind her, towards he stockpile of dust that spilled out from the pulverised door of the vault.
'With all this dust I can keep you here for a good, long time, even if you activate that almighty weapon of yours.'
Ozpin glared at her from behind dark patches. They boiled with anger. Cinder could feel it ooze from his being like magma. When he spoke, it dripped with rage.
'You bloody bitch.'
Xxx
The man descended the last step, feet meeting the polished tile of the hall with a soft scuffle. He sniffed the air, smelling the lingering clutch of smoke and ash which had streamed in from the surface.
Behind him, the other two faunus reached the bottom of the staircase, their footfalls light and echoless.
'We are here, leader.'
The man remained silent. He sauntered forward, not a sound escaping when his feet brushed against the tile. Before him, the marble wall yawned, its arms latching onto both sides of the hallway. In its belly, was a thick metal door. It consisted of two large slabs, joined together by a golden, glowing chamber in the centre. It was an aura lock, tuned to open for one aura signature and one only.
The man paid no attention to it however. Locks were meant to be broken.
'Stay back,' he ordered, directing his voice to his two followers.
They obeyed without a sound, holding their positions by the staircase as their leader approached the door alone.
The man cracked his knuckles as he approached before letting his left hand drop to the hilt of his katana. He took a deep breath as he readied himself. The air in the room became heavy, time slowed until it felt like the drip of an old tap. The man's dark presence radiated out from his coat. It seemed to suck the light from around him. The ground began buckle and break, the pressure of his aura, crushing. With a grunt, he forced all his energy into his hand, running it through the sheathed blade.
Then he slashed, a shimmering white line tracing the blade for a split second before he sheathed it again. Even the faunus, with their sharp eyes, couldn't follow the sword.
Silence filled the room for moment, waiting with baited breath. Then, suddenly, the lock cracked, the slash splitting it clean into two pieces. They hit the floor with a heavy clang, releasing their grasp on the door. The two metal slabs slid apart, opening until they hit their holdings with an echoing boom.
The inside of the vault was dark. The man had to strain his eyes to see inside. At first glance, it seemed empty, but after his eyes adjusted, he could see it, a faint, red glow upon a canvas of darkness. The man let himself smile as he entered the room.
That day, was the day Adam Taurus acquired, The Grimmoire.
Adam is out!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I definitely enjoyed writing it and playing around with a few characters.
Please let me know if you liked it, everyone enjoys feedback.
Look forward to more!
Grey
