I am -incredibly- sorry for not updating in a while. I have been absolutely stuck on the one-shot. I have found no good angle to make it work so I was quite demoralized to write along with everything that happened. First off, Girlfriend left for Italy. Secondly, New Roommate moved in. Thirdly, Stardew Valley.
Stardew Valley has been my crack. ABSOLUTE. CRACK. 50 Hours in .. 5 days? I think? Yeah. Don't start playing it if you value your life. Girlfriend's been enjoying Italy quit well and it's been awesome with a new roommate.
So.. the one-shot. Now. Don't get me wrong. I love to write fluff. But writing it.. non-cannonish has been hard. I'm going to try a different angle on it soon but didn't want to leave you guys hanging. So without further ado, here is Chapter 10: Vengeance.
Chapter 10: Vengeance
Blake's heart beat in her throat as she parried each of Adam's heavy blows. Her exhaustion was getting to her, each hit giving him more sway before she was able to recover and hold the parry. Sparks flew with each hit and Adam laughed maniacally as he kicked her in the stomach when her guard dropped. Blake slid away and clutched her stomach. She grit her teeth and looked up at him defiantly. It had been so long since she had started running. She wouldn't falter now. Not when there was so much at stake.
A loud explosion went off behind Blake and as she turned to look she saw the projectile fly at Adam with an incredible speed. Holding up Blush, he had to stand steady in order to absorb the damage of the shot. As the smoke cleared, he didn't come out completely unscathed. His coat smoked as the embers faded and soot stained his mask.
"Stay away from her." Yang said, her voice nearly oozing anger as her semblance slowly caused her to flare up. Adam only chuckled.
"Or what, you'll make me cut off your other arm?" Adam said, amusement in his tone as he put Blush back in Wilt. Last time a provocation like that set the girl off. Surely she would take the bait again.
Yang only smirked in response as she looked at him. "No. I'd much rather wipe that smug grin off your face." She said. A White Fang member ran up to in hope of striking her while she was distracted. Blake moved to warn Yang before a quick whirl around and a punch to the member's face sent him flying into a couple of crates with nearly explosive force. Ember Redemptio's vents opened up as it vented the heat with a loud hiss. Honestly, Blake was stunned at Yang's composure yet destructive force.
Adam grit his teeth once again. He had hoped to just take Blake back. Careful planning had gone into this and Qrow had taken the bait. This base was much too exposed for Cinder to be hiding at. It was an open invitation so they could clean up the last few threats to their goal. However, the circumstances ended up different than initially thought. He knew about the two Atlas agents. The redhead and the blonde boy, but the addition of the blonde and the heiress complicated things very much so.
Blake stood and reloaded Gambol Shroud, replacing the normal bullets with special dust rounds. Yang stared Adam down as Blake got ready. The ven's on Ember Redemptio closed and she quickly reloaded Ember Celica. "Well then, Bull." Yang said, grinning broadly. "Seeing red yet?"
Cinder's barrage of fire and obsidian shards was relentless. Even though she appeared wounded, Ruby, Weiss and Jaune got no opportunity or opening to counter the Fall Maiden. "Like ants under the looking glass you attempt to scatter from the burning. But you're going to run out of cover sooner or later." Cinder sang, laughing at each barrage. "Ironically, the Summer Maiden cannot even stand up to the fall. You should burn brighter than me, but here you are, cowering from the flame.".
Weiss looked at Ruby and pulled her back as they dodged another large fireball. "Ruby, what is she talking about? The Summer Maiden?" She asked, deflecting a barrage of shards with a wall of ice in order to make time.
Ruby looked back at her, the white glow on her weapon shining dim and the shine of her eyes reflecting in the dark. "If I knew, Weiss, I would tell you. But we have more important things to do right now like figure out how to beat her. We'll tire out before she does so we can't keep dodging like this." Ruby said as the wall was shattered and the both of them duck out of the way.
A heavy blast signaled another round fired from Jaune's weapon and this time Cinder was prepared. Summoning shards, she stopped the blast from reaching her. Still, the shot was of considerable force. The make-shift obsidian shield shattered when the round was stopped and one of the shards cut her cheek. Cinder grit her teeth as she touched her cheek and found a small line of blood to run down it.
Ruby observed it and instantly her mind formulated the next steps. Passing Weiss, she quickly spoke to her. "I've got a plan."
Weiss could only smirk at the words, so familiar even after the years. With a couple of small hand movements the both of them had worked on in order to better facilitate communication without speech, Ruby explained to Weiss her intentions.
Ruby dodged between Cinder's barrages to Jaune who held up his shield to deflect another fireball. "Got a plan?" He quickly asked as she came close. Ruby tapped his back twice to let him know. "Good" Jaune said, dodging in cover again.
Ruby used her semblance to fade into the roses again. Her trained speed together with her semblance helped her become near invisible to those inexperienced with her strength. However Cinder was able to track her. It was becoming harder as she only seemed to increase in speed. Every barrage she attempted to aim at the redhead woman seemed to miss her. It infuriated Cinder.
"Fine then. I'll just incinerate everything." Cinder breathed as the fire grew and grew. Dust crystals exploded, destroying more and more of the cover the three used to hide behind. However, she soon noticed her mistake. White Glyphs surrounded Cinder as the cover disappeared.
Ruby smirked as she shifted Crescent Rose to have the blade upright and fired a round to fly towards Cinder. Crescent Rose connected to Cinder, Cinder's aura rebounding the blow. However, Ruby was not done yet. Using the momentum of her speed she planted her feet at one of the Glyphs. Weiss activated it, causing Ruby to be reflected with the same momentum to Cinder again to deal another heavy blow. Every blow caused Cinder to breathe in sharply as she felt her aura run out.
Cinder's rage unleashed as she sent out a heavy blast of fire around her. Flames curled around Ruby as the blow threw her away back to the cover. Jaune caught her just in time to shield her from hitting the heavy concrete wall, leaving an imprint of Jaune's body in it.
"ENOUGH!" Cinder yelled. She shaked visibly and her breathing was ragged, her Aura running low. "I will not let you defeat me like this! I WILL NOT!" Cinder yelled again, flames welling in her eyes again as flames gathered around her more and more into the largest fireball she had ever made. It trumped her in size and the heat was unbearable. With each passing moment of the fireball growing, the Fall Maiden looked worse for wear.
"If I am to die! I will take you with me! You will become ashes!" Cinder yelled and fired the ball at Jaune and Ruby before slumping to her knees. Weiss' eyes widened as she moved Myrtenaster, hoping desperately she was in time.
Heavy hits were dealt as Blake and Yang assaulted Adam. Each blow granted him more strength, but it left him with heavy marks as he couldn't stop the onslaught of them both. He would need to end it soon.
Shooting at Blake with Wilt, he parried the next blow of Yang with Blush and dashed backwards. "Hm. I suppose it's only natural you improved. Yet your betrayal will be punished, Blake. I have destroyed much of what you have loved already. I just need to finish it with one thing to completely destroy you." He said, a knowing smirk on his lips as he dashed towards Yang.
Yang smiled as she threw her fist. Blake felt as if her heart stopped as she saw Adam's blade slash towards Yang's neck in the flash of an eye. Adam smirked knowingly to himself that he finally finished his promise and activated his semblance, tempering the blade enough to cut straight through anything.
Yang's grin only grew as she used the momentum of her punch and ducked with her head. Golden locks scattered as Blush cut Yang's hair instead of her neck. Adam's breathing hitched. "No, impossible!" He breathed before an uppercut obliterated his mask and sent him flying away.
Golden locks continued to fall around Yang as she stood victoriously, the long signature mane now cut to her shoulders. "You know, for the longest time, my hatred and anger was always what fueled me to fight. It forced me to recover. It forced me to heal. But I understand now that it's never been that hatred and anger that's been giving me my strength. It was what made me weak." Yang said, reloading Ember Celica as she looked at Adam with a serious look.
"And it's your hatred that's what's made you weak. All you've ever seen is blind hatred towards humanity. Towards Blake. I know how you feel. I was left too. More than once. Betrayed as you would put it." She continued. Blake felt a pang in her heart of guilt. She knew exactly what Yang meant. "But I never let it consume me like you have. You are only capable of one thing. Destruction. But I will not be like you. I will not kill you." Yang finished and made her way over to Adam to help him up.
Adam smirked. Alarm bells rang in Blake's head. Blush connected to the side of Yang's neck before it stopped dead in its track. Yang breathed in sharply as the blade had broken her skin slightly, the cut oozing blood slowly. The sight before her was however the reason she breathed in sharply.
Soft, angry tears fell from Blake's eyes as she held Gambol Shroud against Adam's chest, the blade having pierced him through. Adam slumped over her and chuckled as she held the blade there. "In the end, one last betrayal? We changed nothing." He said, coughing as slowly, his body gave in.
"We did enough Adam. Things are better for our kind. I just wish.." Blake whispered, sobbing gently into his shoulder. "I just wish you listened to me! That you didn't let your hatred blind you like this! Things could've been different for us!" She yelled at him as her sobs became more audible and heavy, shaking her body as she felt her heart unload. All the raw emotion of the past years of running leaving her. The both of them fell to their knees as Blake continued to hold Adam. She pulled out the sword quickly and threw it away, the sword stained red with blood.
Adam coughed, blood leaving his lips. "Yet you still chose to defend her. You're no better than any one of them." He said, the tone full of malice. His gray eyes accusingly piercing her amber ones. Slowly the glint in his eyes faded as the life left him.
"No.. Adam, No!" Blake screamed as she shook Adam.
Ruby shook her head to shake away the heavy hit she took. She noticed Jaune's arms around her loosely, a wound on his head and the soft breathing indicating he was badly hurt from the impact into the wall. When she looked up, she saw the fireball move towards the both of them and her mind raced. It raced with thoughts of all the things she wanted to do still. All the people she wanted to help. All the hurt she'd yet have to heal for everyone. Ruby closed her eyes. Mom.. Penny.. Pyrrha.. Jaune.. I can't.. I couldn't.. She apologized in her mind, holding Crescent Rose tightly with the hand she'd placed on it. A heavy thud however made her open her eyes. A heavy white glowing suit of armor with a large sword stood in front of Ruby and Jaune and after a short moment, Weiss stood behind it.
When the fireball exploded, it took every ounce of Weiss' aura and strength to hold it. She breathed heavily as the fire dissipated. Looking towards Ruby, she managed a small smile. The Knight fell over with a heavy thud, destroying the floor and the remaining rubble from the fight. "You.. need to finish her.. Ruby.." Weiss breathed, the words spoken with the last of her energy. Ruby nodded and stood up. Everything in her body ached. Her muscles were sore, she was tired and the healing of her body had taken a great toll on her aura. But she had to defeat Cinder. She had to.
Ruby unlocked the sword of Crescent Rose as she left the rest of her weapon with Jaune. She didn't have the energy to fight with it in her condition. She'd be much more effective using the sword. She made her way over to Cinder who glared angrily at her.
"Why.. will you just not die.. Every time you have stood in my way and every time it's never been enough. You haven't even used the gift inside of you." Cinder spat at Ruby, the fire still glowing in her eyes as she conjured her obsidian sword and stood.
"Because I need to make sure you won't be able to hurt any more people.. I don't want to kill you. But I will, Cinder. For everyone you have killed. For Beacon. For Penny. For Pyrrha." Ruby said, wiping the blood from a cut in her lips.
" As for my gift.. I have no idea what you mean with that. But be sure that I will stop you." Ruby finished before using her semblance to close the distance between her and Cinder.
Cinder grit her teeth as their swords connected. Slowly Ruby overpowered her by the use of both of her hands. "Why do you think you were entered at Beacon at such an early age? Why do you think your uncle's been tracking you forever and saved you from those Grimm when you were younger? Why do you think Ozpin said something about silver eyes?" She said, staring into the determined gaze of Ruby.
"It's because Ozpin send the previous Summer Maiden to her death. And you were the one to inherit those powers. The trait they share? Silver eyes." Cinder finished and struck out at Ruby hoping she'd be distracted.
Ruby deflected the blow and left a little room between the two of them, holding her sword ready to retaliate at Cinder as her mind connected the dots.
"You're lying." Ruby said, slashing towards Cinder. Cinder deflected blow and took a small hop backwards to create some more room.
"I have no reason to lie anymore. One of us will die here and we both know it. After you obliterated my victory at Beacon, I've focused on how you were able to beat me. And I found out that your mother was the previous Summer Maiden. It's only such a shame her gift was squandered on you." Cinder said, dashing inward again to strike at Ruby.
Ruby was quick to deflect. Her lips pursed and the determination in her was only fueled by the revelation. The white glow returned to her as she gripped the sword tightly. I can't die here. I must live. I must fight.
"I presume 'she' was right then. Your mother was as much resilient as you were. But no matter. You can't even harness your powers. And she too died a futile death." Cinder said, the fire in her eyes glowing again. Her sword burst into flames and she closed the distance between herself and Ruby, motioning for the final blow with a smug grin.
Ruby was caught off guard. The sword had a much longer reach with the fire. She knew she didn't have the aura to survive this hit. Then Ruby felt the same whiteness she had felt before, on the top of Beacon. It filled her, a blinding light. Not burning her this time, but soothing. Cinder's face turned from smug self-satisfaction to fear as the white light bled from Ruby's eyes. In a trance-like state, Ruby deflected flaming sword and slashed at Cinder.
The momentum of her attack causing Cinder to slide across the ground. Her blade fell and disappeared. Ruby felt calm. She looked at Cinder as the woman struggled breathing, her energy fully depleted. She made her way over, the outside of her eyes still lined with the white light of her hidden power. Cinder spit out some blood as she looked up at Ruby. "You.. Every time it was you.." Cinder said, struggling to speak the words as blood seeped from her wounds.
"Tell me.. Ruby Rose.." Cinder asked, the mischievous eyes now filled with anger and fear. "Do you .. believe.. in destiny?" Cinder spoke. The blood caused her lips to stain red, more than any lipstick ever could.
"No." Ruby said, determined. Cinder eyes grew wide as she said it and looked at her. Slowly, her life left her body and Cinder fell cold to the floor. Ruby fell to her knees as her power faded, too weak to stand anymore. She looked at the woman before her and tears fell from her eyes. Ruby didn't like to kill people. But sometimes, she knew, it was inevitable. But what hurt most was that this didn't provide her closure. It only provided more pain. In the end, vengeance was bittersweet.
Ruby felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Weiss to be standing beside her. "It's done.." Ruby said teary-eyed and turned to look at Cinder again. Softly, Weiss gripped her shoulder to comfort her.
It was then that Ruby noticed too late something was wrong. The flash of the heterochromatic eyes was last she saw before a sharp pain in her back knocked her from her senses. As she hit the ground, everything grew black.