"Wake up, let's go!" said Cameron as he woke the sleeping girls. He shook the both of them and they both groaned.
"Just another 10 minutes…" said Ruby as she yawned.
"Uh...christ..." Cameron sighed then got out.
BANG BANG BANG!
The girls jolted up onto their feet.
"As I said, let's go."
"What the hell is your problem!?" asked Weiss.
"Your insubordination right now is one of them."
"Well, maybe you should stop shooting bullets in the air to wake us up."
"Maybe you should get up when I ask. Now enough and either take down the tent or get breakfast ready."
"UGH!" Weiss stamped over to the bags and began getting food. Ruby and Cameron quickly dissembled the tent and packed it up. The trio ate quickly and hit the caves again. Ruby yawned.
"If you want more sleep, I can carry you most of the way."
"Really?"
"Only if you don't drool or snore."
"I don't do that." Ruby hopped onto his back and slowly fell asleep as Cameron carried her.
"How do you have so much energy when you barely sleep?" asked Weiss.
"Push yourself."
"More like show off.'
"Freezeheart, if I wanted to show off, then I could easily skate circles around you without you even knowing."
"Oh please. I'm a far better fighter than you."
"You don't know me or what I'm capable of."
"And you don't know me!"
"So you're not the rich heiress to one of the most productive dust mining companies in the world and wasn't treated like a queen or had everything you ever wanted handed to you on a silver platter?"
"That's not me...well, I didn't get everything handed to me."
"But you got most of it?"
"Look, my father didn't exactly give me the best childhood. The White Fang did a lot of things that really rattled him and every night, he'd come home furious at stolen goods, destroyed factories or whatever they did. I may have gotten what I wanted, but it wasn't out of love. It was merely a distraction for me. I doubt you could possibly-"
"I had a very hard time making friends, Weiss. I may have had good parents who cared, but try being called a monster in front of your whole school at your middle school graduation. Try being bullied every day for defending yourself against someone. Try having all of your friends leave you when you need them the most, and I will take every negative thought about you back." Weiss thought for a while but could not come up with a counter. "Exactly. You still have people that care about you. Everyone that I have, other than my parents that I barely see, has left me." Cameron stopped, waited and put down Ruby. "Stay with her. Something's up ahead." Cameron quickly jogged up to the corner and peered around it. No-one was there. He then heard footsteps grow closer and closer. Cameron waited for the right moment. As soon as the footsteps were right around the bend, he ambushed the person with Chiara at their neck.
"WHOA! SAME TEAM! SAME TEAM!" screamed Neptune as he was tackled to the ground. Cameron sighed as he got up.
"Your boyfriend's here," he called to Weiss. Blake and Sun ran up to join Neptune.
"Neptune!" Weiss ran up to her boyfriend and jumped into his arms.
"You okay babe?"
"Now that you're here." The duo kissed.
"Ahem." Interrupted Cameron. He and Blake gave them both looks of 'seriously' while Sun grinned at Neptune. "You done?"
"Ugh. What would you know about love?"
"You really want me to answer that?"
"Please, lecture me some more."
"It doesn't last forever. Even when you think it will, someone or something will be there and take it."
"Just because you've never had love."
"Never said that." Cameron walked ahead and picked up Ruby, still asleep.
"Is she-" started Blake nervously.
"No, she's just sleeping. Let's find the others and get the hell outta here." He led on.
"Unbelievable," said Weiss.
"Seems like you had guys had fun," said Sun. "Also, here's your tent." He pulled out the small ball and gave it to Weiss. "You gotta get me one of them."
"Ignore him," said Blake as she went up to join Cameron. The others followed.
Later that day…
"And then we just ran!" said Weiss, recalling the Slashrew encounter.
"He was just playing it safe," said Neptune.
"I could've taken him."
"You would've died freezeheart," said Cameron as he walked ahead. "Admit it."
"Well at least I-"
"Shh," Cameron stopped. "You hear that?"
"Hear what?" asked Blake.
"Listen closely." Everyone kept an ear out. "That sound…is the sound…of Weiss…not…bitching." He resumed walking.
"You little..." Weiss grumbled angrily. Cameron ignored her and turned the corner. A hallway lay ahead.
"Think this is it?" said Sun. Cameron moved through the hallway and everyone else followed. The hall led to a big room with an alter in the centre, overlooking an abyss. They weren't the first to arrive though.
"'Sup guys!" said Yang from the alter. She immediately noticed the still asleep Ruby and thought the worst. "OHMYGOD!" She sprinted to her sister. "She's-"
"Sleeping! God, why do you all think she's dead? There's no blood on her." Cameron shook Ruby in his arms. "Wake up." She yawned and stretched her arms.
"What I miss?" she asked as she got to her feet.
"Nice!" said Yang as she nodded her head. "Way to get in his arms, sis."
"Oh, here we go."
"You guys got your artefacts?" asked Neptune.
"All there." Yang pointed to the alter. She then pulled out her artefact; an unusual, palm-sized red coin. "This is it."
"We came all the way here for a coin?" said Weiss.
"I've seen that before," said Cameron. He took hold of the coin and looked at it. "This is an old coin used by the old kingdoms. Dust would be fused with them to make it easier to master the raw form of Dust. However, they stopped making them because the coins we're still unstable for novices. Many would lose control of the coin and die if they couldn't handle it. Some said it was more dangerous than raw Dust, so many were destroyed."
"Then how are these here and how come I've never heard of them?"
"Not all of them were destroyed. Those who mastered the coin and dust we're given them to train other students in learning to use it. You probably haven't heard 'bout it because they haven't been used in…80 years I think."
"Well that was a nice history lesson," said Sun. He walked up to the alter. "Chuck us the coin!" he said to Sage and Scarlet. Sage threw him the gold coin. It bounced in Sun's hands.
"Don't lose it, fearless leader," mocked Scarlet.
"Ha!" Sun finally caught it. Suddenly, the coin released a thunderbolt and shot at the alter. JNPR, Sage and Scarlet jumped behind it. "Sorry!"
"Can you not kill us?" shouted Nora.
"Hey, I said sorry." Everyone from behind the alter got up while those in front of it walked up to it. Cameron noticed an injured Pyrrha stand.
"What's wrong?"
"Her foot got caught by some rocks," said Jaune.
"Has it been treated?"
"Just cleaned and bandaged."
"At least you tried Jaune," said Pyrrha, trying to comfort his efforts.
"Lay her down and I'll treat her," said Cameron. Jaune lay his partner down and Cameron removed the bandages covering the wound. "The wound seems closed so I may have something." Cameron crushed some fire and rubbed his hands. "This might sting a bit so take a deep breath, Pyrrha." He carefully massaged the leg with the flame in his hands.
"Wow," said Ruby amazed. "What is that."
"A more complex form of fire cupping. Without the cup."
"Like the Karate Kid?" Jaune questioned.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Weiss snapped. "That's absolutely-"
"Actually, that's exactly what this is," said Cameron.
"WHAT!?"
"Try to stand now." Slowly, Pyrrha got up and stood. She carefully walked around.
"You can walk," said Jaune relieved.
"No sudden movements. Keep slow and take it-"
KAPOW!
"Son of a bitch!" said almost everyone. A Slashrew had smashed through the right wall. It eyed off its new found prey.
"We can take it!" said Cameron. Another Slashrew smashed through the opposite wall. "Forget that, run!" Everyone pocketed their coins andran for the exit when the ground underneath began to crack again. Cameron noticed. He summoned two glyphs; one to push JNPR and SSSN to the end of the hall and one to stop him and RWBY from walking over the cracks. Another Slashrew burrowed through to the top and separated the teams.
"Now can we take it down?" asked Weiss.
"Not like we a choice now, is it?" They drew their weapons.
"Any plans?" asked Blake. The girls looked at Cameron. He picked up the silence.
"Don't look at me, she's your leader."
"Rubes?" said Yang.
"Uh," Ruby said as she thought. "Freezerburn." Weiss pierced her sword into the ground and froze the floor. Yang then smashed the ice with her semblance and created a mist around them and the Slashrews. With the Grimm distracted, the 5 attempted to get past them, but the Slashrews were smart. The moles bashed at the ground and flung large stones at them. The mist subsided and the group were no closer "Dammit!" The monsters turned around at the gunfire. JNPR and SSSN had come back to help them.
"Now our chance!" said Weiss.
"Freeze them first," said Cameron. He pulled out ice dust and harnessed its power to freeze the legs of Slashrews.
"Lets move!" said Ruby. The moles clawed at the teenagers as the 5 ran past them. The middle one broke free and struck Yang, sending her flying over the abyss and into a wall. She was knocked out cold and soon fell into the abyss.
"Yang!" screamed her teammates. Cameron turned around and leaped down into the abyss. He shot down to the unconscious Yang and grabbed her before firing Chiara's hook. Holding on to her tight, he swung back up and out of the crevice. He held onto the ledge and slowly picked them both up. One of the Slashrews noticed and turned to swipe at him. With nothing else to do, he rolled over onto Yang in order to protect her. The slash ripped through his hoodie.
"Get up Yang!" he shouted, trying to awaken her, but she still remained unconscious. He took another swipe from Slashrew and gave a small cry of pain. "YANG!"
"Cameron needs help!" said Sun as he noticed him. He used his semblance to make light copies of himself. They ran at the beast and exploded as they touched the teammates took shots at the Slashrew attacking them and caught its attention. The mole clawed at them too, forcing them back. It turned back to its original prey and swiped again. Cameron felt the pain.
Recommended Music: My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark – Fall Out Boy
"YANG!" He noticed a strand of her hair had been cut off. Her hair all of a sudden had started to glow bright yellow. She opened her now red eyes, pushed Cameron off of her and stood against the mole. The other Slashrews turned at the angered blonde.
"No one…" she looked up at the Slashrews with flames literally in her eyes. "TOUCHES THE HAIR!" Yang charged at the central Slashrew and punched him square in the face. The giant was propelled with such force that it made a 5-meter crater of its impact in the wall above the exit. "YOU WANT SOME TOO?" she shouted at the others. The two Slashrews charged at her and clawed down. She dodged both their attacks and countered them. Yang jumped onto one of the arms of the Slashrews and kicked off to the other. She sprang up and uppercut the right Slashrew, getting it airborne high enough for her to kick the beast's gut. The mole tumbled into the wall, a few meters from where the exit was. The left Slashrew clawed at her again, but Yang bopped and weaved through the attacks. She shot Ember Celica behind her to gain speed then slid under the feet of the Grimm. The creature looked down then was smashed in the ass by Yang, colliding with its ally.
"GO YANG!" her friends cheered. The Slashrews got up and face Yang once more. The beast shrieked angrily. Yang growled back louder then stormed them again.
"I-HOPE-YOUR-HAP-PY!" She punched and shot the Grimm creatures, heavily damaging them. They both stumbled back. "COME ON! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?" Yang ran forward once more. They once again ganged up on her and this time looked like they would get her.
"Yang look out!" shouted Blake. Yang countered one of Slashrew's attacks but was left wide open for the other. She gasped. Cameron appeared from behind her and defended her from the oncoming attack with Solaris. His hoodie glowed gold like Yang's hair did and his eyes were red.
"Nice of you to join the party." They broke off and retreated.
"We'll take 'em together," Cameron said. He sheathed Solaris and drew his blades. Yang reloaded Ember Celica and readied herself. "Cover us!" he called to the others. Everyone open fired at the Grimm. "Stay close and hit hard." The duo charged at the Slashrews. The Grimm braced themselves for the coming attacks and summoned their razor-spikes from their backs. Cameron and Yang clobbered them, bashing at them with every blow. The Slashrews stumbled back with each whack taken. Yang planned to finish them both with a final blow but was knocked back by the mole's claw. Cameron withdrew and fired Chiara again to rescue her. She grabbed onto the grapple hook and together they executed an improvised Bumblebee technique. Yang gained speed and hammered the moles into each other then into the walls then to the abyss below. Cameron slowed her down in-between him and her friends.
"That was totally a thing," she said to herself. Her hair stopped glowing and her eyes returned to their normal lilac state.
"Nice!" congratulated Ruby, giving thumbs up to her sister. Cameron slowly walked over to them. A loud screech came from above Yang's head. The Slashrew she had hit first had jumped back down for some more action, blocking Cameron's way.
"Cameron!" The beast went in for a hit but was blocked by Cameron's left hand. His hoodie slowly emitted flames as his eyes went completely red. The fires around him slowly reached the claw of the mole. It screeched in the pain of the semblance. Cameron then moved his right hand behind his back and clenched into a fist.
"GUYS…" they all looked at him. "Duck…" He smashed the Slashrew in the stomach. The punch was so hard that a soundwave was briefly visible. Kinetic energy from the punch caused the mole to disorientate for a moment before being crashing through the entrance wall. A fireball drove it all the way to the entrance of the cave they came from. A trail of flames connected the edges of the broken walls. Everyone was speechless with the amount of power he had displayed. All of a sudden he cave around them had begun to tremble. "GO!" he shouted. Everyone ran for the exit. Cameron quickly powered down then caught up with everyone. The caves soon enough began to collapse above them. Massive rocks came down behind them, slowly creeping closer. Ruby tripped over as she ran. Her coin slipped out of her pocket. Cameron quickly stopped and picked her up.
"Wait," she protested.
"No time!" With her in arms, he sprinted for the exit. A rock was about to fall in front of them. Cameron threw Ruby unto the air and over the boulder as he slid underneath it, narrowly escaping its crushing grasp. He bounced to his feet and caught the younger girl. "FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUUUUUCK!" He shouted as made his way to the exit. He leaped forward and dove to the ground, tumbling with Ruby still in his arms. He breathed heavily from all the sprinting. The cave gave way and boulders soon blocked the entrance.
"You saved me, again."
"Yeah…now can you please get off me?"
"Sorry." Ruby quickly got up. Cameron grunted as he got to his feet.
"Holy crap," said Neptune as he noticed Cameron's back. The slashes he received had gnawed through his skin.
"You need to rest," said Ren.
"No…we gotta keep moving."
"Your wounds are too deep," Pyrrha protested.
"Can't you just heal them?" asked Jaune.
"I'm…too weak. Just give me the aid kit, I'll do it on the way."
"Cameron-"
"If we don't make ground now, we're not gonna make the RV point tomorrow."
"Stop being so arrogant!" snapped Weiss.
"You need to be treated!" agreed Blake.
"Guys, please! Just…" his breath slowed. "Keep…" he fell to his hands and knees. Sun and Neptune picked him up and put his arms around their shoulders.
"Easy, easy," said Sun as they got him up to his feet again. They walked him on an old tree trunk and sat him down. Pyrrha and Jaune got the aid kit and slowly tended to him.
"I'm fine. You shouldn't-" His sentence was cut with a grunt as Pyrrha had just injected something into his back. "Ouch."
"That should numb the pain," she assured him. "Pass the bandages Jaune." Jaune gave her the bandages and they patched him up.
"See? That didn't take too long," said Jaune.
"Okay, I'm done. Now let`s move." Cameron stood and immediately began walking slowly.
"You shouldn't move so quickly," said Sage.
"Stop arguing and let's go."
Later that day…
"Setup camp!" called Cameron as they made their way to a clearing in the marshes. "Same jobs as before." Everyone began to unpack and get to work. Yang quickly walked over to Cameron.
"Hey," she said. "Need help?"
"I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"I'm good dammit. I don't need to be babysat." He grunted as he moved too fast for his wounds.
"You're still hurt."
"I've had worse. I'm fine."
"Well, thanks for the save back there in the cave."
"Don't mention it."
"One more thing." She got a little close to him. "You should totally start dating my sister." Cameron raised an eyebrow at her as he finished his tent. "What? You guys would look cute together."
"No."
"Oh, come on."
"No."
"But she's totally into you."
"Ruby, please get her away from me."
"Come on Yang," said Ruby as she dragged Yang away.
"Wait! Just think about it?" she said.
"OH GOD!" screamed Weiss from within her tent. "SUN! NEPTUNE! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY TENT?!" Cameron sighed and shook his head.
Later that night…
"Dinner!" called Ren. Everyone came out of their tents to come eat.
"You alright?" Blake asked Cameron.
"I'm fine," he replied. "You don't need to worry about me."
"Hey, what's your pocket?" asked Scarlet.
"This?" He pulled out his blue cube. Weiss' eyes popped open and Pyrrha's jaw dropped.
"Where did you get that?" asked Weiss.
"You jelly princess?"
"What is it?" asked Yang.
"It's a Holographic Central Utility Battle Electronic or Holocube," answered Pyrrha.
"It's basically an in-your-pocket trainer," said Cameron.
"Cool!" said Ruby with stars in her eyes. "Where the heck can I get one?"
"Well firstly, you'd have to be Schnee rich to get one."
"Wait, you're rich?" asked Sun, slightly curious.
"No. My friend gave it to me for my birthday."
"Is he rich?" Cameron gave a look to Sun's question. "What?"
"Can we see it work?" asked Nora excitedly. Cameron tapped the top of the cube and a menu appeared on the holographic projection. He tapped an option and a holographic figure appeared. Everyone "oohed" or "aahed" at the hologram.
"That's cool," said Neptune.
"Ooh ooh, can I kill it?" asked Ruby energetically.
"I think that's enough show and tell for one night. Maybe when we get back to Beacon." Cameron stood. "Half an hour to yourselves then bed. Last stretch tomorrow so sleep well." He went to his own tent. "I bid you all a good night."
"Weiss…I want one of them for my birthday." Weiss raised an eyebrow at her teammate.
"Me too," said Yang.
"Me three," said Sun. Weiss simply turned around and went to her tent.
"I can't believe he has one!" she whispered to herself.
Meanwhile…
Cameron looked at his cube and went through some old files. He tapped on one of them, revealing old pictures of him and his friends. He looked through the pictures as the night passed until he slowly fell asleep.
Recommended Music: Survival – Eminem
AN: Sorry to anyone who missed this. I was gonna post this Friday night but I forgot to after watching Les Miserables (good movie but too singy for my taste). Saturday, I was at my dad's friends house and Sunday I couldn't log on. Moving on, the Slashrew was based off Sandshrew and Sandslash from Pokémon. The fight scene was inspired by the Nevermore battle and when Yang took on the two Ursi in The First Step. If you're sick of Wraithlyre, fear not for next is the grand finale! (...of the Wraithlyre mission). Will upload tomoz.
P.S: Originally, the fight scene was gonna be a short one with the music 'Boss Battle' from RvB but since I got bored Sunday and my sister looked up a RWBY AMV with Light 'Em Up, I thought why not.
Edit: Finally watched the Aura vid. Jaune does NOT have healing.
Edit 2: Spelling and grammar corrected.