A/N: Don't worry guys, I know cliffhangers suck but I wanted to do some build up with this chapter. As a more direct note to a couple of my reviewers:
To Nina Vale: Is it Salem? Is it really? ;)
To super enthusiastic Guest: Adam is a catalyst. You will see why this chapter.
To Zela: Writing style is very important to me. Even now, I'm constantly going back to previous chapters to tighten up any spelling and grammar issues and making minor adjustments so that the reading flows properly.
To everyone else who shows their support reading, you are all amazing. Chocolate chip cookies for all!
Disclaimer: RWBY does not belong to me. If it did, Yang would be a true Super Saiyan.
Blake was having a breakdown; her entire body shook with tremors.
"No... no no no, don't let it be him it can't be him," she whispered to herself as she fell to her knees.
"Blake, what's wrong? Who is that man?" asked Weiss.
"Adam... Adam Taurus," she replied with terror. "The leader of the White Fang."
Her teammates looked up in alarm. She couldn't see him but she could feel his gaze settle on her. The man stood tall in his challenge, taller even than Cardin. Red hair was spiked backwards in a windswept way, the style broken by a pair of dark red horns. An ornate, white Grimm mask with red, flame-like symbols obscured his eyes and his upper face, a custom shared by the soldiers he commanded. A black trench coat with long sleeves draped his form. The coat had a red interior and red accents decorated the fringe. Gloved black hands were embroidered with a red Omega symbol. Upon his back was a white design of a tulip covered by a similar design of a red rose. Long, black pants dropped to black shoes, a black belt with domino markings encircling his waist. His sword, a chokutÅ named Wilt whose sheathe doubled as a rifle named Blush, hung at his waist. A frown marred his features.
"I must admit," the man continued. "Seeing you here of all places was unexpected, my love. But to find you in the company of five humans no less... have you forgotten your heritage? Traitor?"
He spat that last part out.
"Blake, what is he going on about? What heritage?" asked Yang as she stood protectively in front of her.
Blake said nothing, simply pulling on one of the ends of her bow. The delicate fabric fell to the floor, revealing black cat ears.
"I'm a Faunus... I used to be with the White Fang..." she revealed in defeat.
"Why... why didn't you tell us?" Weiss asked slowly.
"I wanted to tell you, it was what I was going to do when we got back," she pleaded with her. "I'm ashamed of what my brothers and sisters have become, of what HE has become. Please... please believe me."
Tears ran down Blake's face. She never wanted any of this. Weiss' features were set in a disapproving frown. The Heiress shook her head.
"But that doesn't matter," Blake pressed on. "We need to get Raine out of there. If he fights Adam, he's going to die!"
"Leave her alone, Adam," Raine spoke forcefully, his resolve rushing back to him when his teammate was targeted.
"This does not concern you, little brother. This is a matter of the White Fang. The penalty for treason is death."
"I am not your brother," Raine growled. "Not anymore. You destroyed that when you murdered our master."
Adam laughed at that remark.
"Murder? No, I set him free. Free of his pain, his suffering. The pain of our people resonated with him deeply, yet he could not bring himself to do what was necessary." Adam's frown deepened. "He remained naive and hopeful in the 'good'" Adam bit his tongue as if the word was venom, "in Humanity. When he named you, a human, as his successor I knew that he was beyond hope."
Adam's form bristled with power. He seemed to be in complete control of the sickly, purple aura that enveloped him.
"My justice upon this world shall descend like a shroud. Humanity needs to see what they have created, created in me, created in my people. The pain they have dealt us for generations shall be delivered upon them ten-fold."
He crouched low, his right hand hovering over Wilt.
"It shall start with you, with Blake, and all those whom you love. I will stamp them out like smoldering ashes."
Raine crouched low as well, bringing Tempest level with his face in a high guard. His eyes glowed with a pale, silver light.
"Urdin chose me because I am a protector, a guardian. Guardians defend the weak and innocent against the wicked, regardless of their blood. To have fallen this far and learned nothing, to spit on his name and cause by walking this path; you have already failed."
"Useless talk of a dead philosophy practiced by a dead order. The world is changing dear brother; you and your species shall be left behind."
The man reached up to his face, gripping the edges of his mask and pulling it aside; his eyelids remained closed.
"I need not wear this while I fight you. I want you to remember these eyes as you draw your final breath and pass on into the afterlife."
With that declaration, his eyes opened, revealing the same, glowing silver irises.
"That's how he got in," breathed Ruby. "He's the same as us."
"In blood only," Qrow corrected her, his face grim. "He has fallen far from the path of a Guardian."
Raine's aura flared to life, mimicking Yang's by becoming fully visible. It took the form of a blue sphere spinning around his form, reminiscent of a twister. Gusts of wind picked up nearby, scattering dust and debris. Ruby watched in awe as a miniature storm encircled him.
"Hold on," said Yang. "Is... that his Semblance?"
"It think so..." agreed Ruby.
The girls came to a joint realization; he had never even talked about what his Semblance was, let alone used it during any training sessions. Raine allowed a small smile of amusement to form as he overheard their speculation, despite the dire situation they found themselves in. He used to employ his Semblance regularly like they did but after he had awoken the power of his Eyes, he no longer saw a need to rely on it. In retrospect, limiting himself turned out more beneficial than hindering, as it allowed him to improve his physical attributes such as natural speed, power and reflexes at an advanced rate rather than draining his aura to create a breeze. He just couldn't afford to continue to do so now.
His speed amplified to triple, he disappeared from his spot with a shockwave, furiously clashing blades with Adam, the latter allowing his own aura to flare as well. Raine was first to follow up, shifting his weight to get within Adam's guard and cut into his midsection. A round from Blush forced him to retreat. Adam pressed forward with his unique style of combat known as Iaijutsu; a rapid sheathing and unsheathing of a blade to counter and overwhelm an attacking opponent. His draws were a blur to the untrained eye, his strikes honed with lethal efficiency. Only his eyes, his past history with the man and focus on speed training spared Raine a dismal fate; Tempest locked in a flurry of counters and redirects with Wilt and while he stood his ground, the barrage of attacks prevented him from pressing forward with a reasonable counter.
Adam sneered as the younger swordsman matched him blow for blow. He had improved over the years, that much was clear. The traditional exchange was on purpose as well, Raine having been well aware of the true danger Wilt possessed. As it stood now, their fight lacked the required energy he needed to perform his Moonslice. No matter; skill with a blade and cunning would decide the victor here. For all his improvements, Raine was still a child compared to him.
A powerful side slash from Adam sent Raine skidding back. Now disengaged, the former brought Blush to bear, firing several rounds at his enemy. Raine blinked in and out of sight as he flash stepped with each shot, the rounds digging impressions into the ground where he was standing. Sheathing Wilt once more, Adam disappeared from sight with a flash step of his own just as Raine had a moment of reprieve. He rolled to his feet, having returned to his original position in front of the elevator.
"Not good, where is he?" he thought as he looked left and right.
"Tell me what it is you treasure most," came Adam's voice from above.
Raine's gaze shot upwards. The man was standing on a service catwalk.
"Grant me this request; the joy of taking it away."
The rumbling of debris deafened everyone in the room. Molten carves appeared in the ceiling as steel, concrete and granite collapsed; he planned to bury them alive. Adam remained perfectly calm as he turned and jumped headfirst through the rubble, Wilt carving his path to safety. Panicking, he slammed his fist on the elevator button, ignoring the protests coming from his team.
"Get out of here, now!" he yelled at them as the reinforced doors closed.
"Raine don't do this!" Ruby pleaded with him. He smiled sadly at her as they sealed shut.
He had no room for error in his timing; failure would mean becoming another victim in this tomb. Tempest split into its dual form, with Raine focusing his Semblance along the blade, sharpening the air to give it a razor thin edge. As the first massive chunk of rubble came upon him, he vaulted with practiced precision onto its face. Alternating between stepping and slicing, he followed Adam's example into the upper levels. A part of him told him to use this chance to escape, but a larger part repeated to him that if he did not end Adam here today, if he became another notch on Wilt's blade, his team... no, his family, his loved ones, would never be safe again. Steeling his nerves, he pursued his "once older brother" into the maze of Ceres Delta.
Ruby beat futilely against the elevator doors as it made its quick ascent back to the cave entrance. Tears silently ran down her face; never in her young life had she felt so helpless
"Ruby."
Her uncle's voice brought her back to reality.
"I'm not abandoning him, I refuse to leave him alone with that monster."
"We're not. Clear your head, you're the leader of your team," he reprimanded her. "Think back to before we left Mistral this morning. What did I brief you all on?"
Weiss picked up on his train of thought first.
"You went over the facility's layout with us."
"Exactly. This station carved a hive network of labs, offices, halls, dormitories and production facilities throughout the mountain. They're likely fighting through it right now."
As if in response to his point, a rumble shook through the station. Having gained the girls attention, he pulled out his scroll and enlarged a 3D hologram layout of its numerous levels. There were more than just reports in those files Weiss had gotten for them.
"I made sure to add tracking programs in each of your scrolls. Provided his is still working..." he put in a few commands. A red dot appeared in some hallways a couple levels above the main atrium and it was moving. "Bingo."
"How are we supposed to get to him though? He'll be moving around too much for us to catch up," said Yang as she tried comforting Blake.
"We don't," said Ruby as rational thought returned to her. "We head to a landing platform at the summit. That's where Raine will be headed and is where we all agreed to go should we get cut off from our first exit. Once we're there, we'll call for transport and get out of here."
"What if we run into other White Fang along the way? If Adam is their leader, I doubt he came here alone," explained Weiss.
"We kill them."
Blake's declaration earned looks of shock from her teammates.
"If they're here, they've likely taken the same drugs Adam did. He wouldn't just bring grunts with him, only his personal guard. I've met with them, they are the strongest the entire faction has to offer. Anything less than an intent to kill will just be the end of us."
Qrow mulled over her words for a few moments.
"We'll deal with that if we have to, we're not looking for fights this time. Our sole purpose is to link back up with Raine and get out of here."
Raine was at a disadvantage, a terrible disadvantage. Unlike the Atrium and the labs attached to it, this part of the facility had no power at all. He was left stranded in darkness, the only illumination coming from his own eyes. He had might as well been wearing a sign that said "Here I am, slaughter me!" Adam on the other hand was a Faunus, meaning he didn't need the amplification to see properly. His natural eyes could do so just fine on their own. In translation; Adam could take advantage of the darkness, he couldn't.
From what Raine could see, he was in a large open room like a corporate office. Ruined cubicles scattered about as well as a few more skeletons. Discarded paperwork and books littered the floor, ruined beyond any hope of legibility. The thought was simply fleeting. Right now, he had all of his senses honed for the location of his enemy. An ambush here would be devastating, but Adam was always the dramatic sort. He would need to bank on that pride of his to give himself away.
"So weak... so... vulnerable," came the Faunus' voice.
Raine strained to find the source, but the acoustics of the room they were in made it sound like it was surrounding him.
"Only a coward hides in the shadows," Raine responded levelly, Tempest raised protectively in front of him.
Adam's chuckle echoed throughout the room. A shift in the air was Raine's only warning as Wilt lashed out at his neck. A desperate parry saved his throat from being torn apart. Just as quickly as it came, the blade vanished leaving a shaken Raine alone in the darkness once more.
"Let me make something clear to you, dear brother. There is nothing you possess or can do that would cause me any amount of fear. Your life continues by my own whim."
Raine refused to give him the satisfaction of an answer. Stumbling around semi-blindly in the dark wasn't going to work which meant he needed to flush the man out somehow. Reaching into a pouch on his belt, he drew a fire dust crystal and slipped it into Tempest's pommel. Flames immediately wreathed the blade, bathing the chamber in an orange glow. He could feel Adam's sneer pressing into him.
"That's your solution? A little heat?" came the taunt.
"Oxygen feeds fire just as it feeds our bodies. Given the proper fuel source, the flames can burn indefinitely."
Adam remained silent as Raine's Semblance swirled around him, the wind spreading the flames like a protective cocoon. Raine's aura flared against the heat; he was turning the chamber into an oven.
"Tell me, Adam. What do you think happens to a forest fire when the wind picks up?"
His Semblance did exactly that. If anyone were to bear witness to the exchange, they would see what was essentially a tornado of flame angrily swirling around Raine's body. The Faunus was starting to feel the strain of the heat. A bead of sweat dripped down his brow.
"It burns everything."
He drew power from his amulet to ensure the attack didn't fall short. An explosion of flames pushed outward at all angles, created by a miniature sun at its center. Dust, debris, skeletal remains, they all turned to ash. Ceiling tiles fell in molten clumps, the floor a spiderweb of heated orange "veins". Had this room come equipped with windows to the outside, they would have been blown apart completely. Even one as gifted as Adam couldn't take an inferno directly. His aura came to life in a protective purple shield, his element of stealth ripped away from him as the flames swirled past. Raine had found him.
"Ohhhh, and where did you find this strength?" the Faunus asked him.
"As if I'd tell you!"
Raine shot forward, their blades clashing once more. He brought Tempest down in a powerful chop, a shockwave bursting from them as Adam raised Wilt in a block. Raine pressed forward with his assault, crashing down blows against the older man's guard. He spun with a back slash, his enemy parrying the attack into the ground. A vicious snap kick from Adam sent the younger swordsman sprawling backwards against a support pillar. Raine rolled to safety as Adam rushed forward with another quick draw, Wilt carving the pillar in two.
They continued their duel with a display of acrobatics, bounding between pillars as they vaulted against each other, the ringing of steel filling the room. Sparks flew from their clash, amplified by their aura enhanced strikes. The floor crumbled beneath them. A stomp to the ground from Adam sent a shockwave beneath their feat. He followed up with a shoulder tackle that knocked Raine off balance. Adam flash stepped behind Raine, drawing Wilt with a precision cut. Raine choked back a scream as he felt the blade dig into his back, carving his cloak in two. He jumped to gain some distance, the familiar feel of dripping blood setting in.
"That cut is the first of many," spoke Adam as he flicked the blood away from his blade.
Raine grit his teeth, his aura already at work repairing the damage. He knew Wilt was deadly but to carve through his defenses so easily?
"On your knees; I want you to beg for mercy."
Qrow and the remainder of Team RRWBY doubled their pace through decrepit corridors when they felt the mountain shake with an explosion. Ruby's thoughts ran through her head like wildfire. How did everything take a nose dive so quickly? How did Adam know they were going to be here? Why did she leave Raine alone to fight him?! If he died, she didn't think she could ever forgive herself. Ozpin's words echoed in her head when she asked about her appointment as leader; she had asked him if he had made a mistake, to which he cryptically responded that such a thing remains to be seen. She couldn't fail her team here, she couldn't fail Raine.
The groaning of heavy machinery brought the skidding to a halt.
"Do you hear that?" asked Blake.
Qrow moved to the side and palmed open a door. It led to an observation room overlooking one of the facility's several factories. This particular factory had come to life, its mechanical arms carrying countless crates and containers, loading them onto countless waiting trucks. A small army of White Fang soldiers were busy below, preparing for some massive movement or operation. The old huntsman swore. This whole mission was going to Hell and fast. The girls joined him.
"That's... a lot of White Fang," remarked Yang.
"Hurry it up you mangy animals, our client wanted this cargo yesterday!"
Ruby recognized the voice. She pressed herself up against the glass; down below barking orders was Torchwick. He didn't seem his previous cherry self, this time around more agitated than anything.
"Why is Torchwick here? Was this place a Dust facility too?" she asked out loud.
"Dust, weapons, drugs, experimental tech, the list goes on," supplied Weiss.
"The White Fang are listening to him," added Blake. "That doesn't make sense. Most of them hate Humanity, they would never take orders from a human."
Another explosion rocked the mountain, startling Torchwick and his men.
"You!" the thief pointed at what looked like a White Fang officer. "How much more do we have left to load?"
"The plasma rifles are all that's left; we're looking at 95% completion. The charges are already set and awaiting detonation."
"Good. Get the trucks warmed up people, we are leaving!"
Blake unconsciously drew Gambol Shroud from its sheathe; she was fully prepared to burst through that window and take him down. Only Qrow's hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"No, jumping in now is suicide. The best way to hit them is with information. They expected this to be a covert operation, otherwise they wouldn't be scrambling. We'll report back to Ozpin and we'll move from there."
"They're going to kill people with those weapons! We need to stop them!"
"What do you think you're going to do against an army? You might take a few down with you, but you'll still be throwing your life away."
She wanted to protest against him. Every fiber of her being wanted to call out to her brothers and sisters to stop the violence. And now some slime like Torchwick was calling the shots. What did Adam do to them?
"Blake..." came Ruby's voice. "We will stop them, I promise you that. We're your friends, your team, we want to help you. But right now we need to leave. Raine is still fighting Adam, we can't help him if we go after Torchwick."
She relented, shoving her blade back into its sheathe where it belonged.
Raine spat out blood as he was knocked heavily against the wall. Numerous cuts decorated his body, his aura unable to keep up with the constant trauma. His clothing was torn with his wounds, though his amulet still hung at his neck. A shallow scratch marred its surface. Sheer luck had kept his neck from receiving the same treatment in exchange.
"Your power is useless," stated Adam as he stood above his prey. "It can not contend with the gift my Mistress has granted me."
"That power of yours," Raine panted. "It will only destroy you."
"It destroys a lesser mind. But for I, one of the chosen, it is a boon that will allow me to ascend to Godhood."
"You're a monster Adam, and soon your people will see that."
Adam laughed.
"My people share this power with me. Even now, my best soldiers are taking it into their bodies. Our might will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for all Faunus, it shall bring to ruin the Four Kingdoms that smother us. And it is all thanks to her guiding hand."
"You condemn your people to death and suffering just for revenge?!"
Adam stepped forward and buried Wilt into Raine's shoulder. His "little brother" yelled in pain, feebly gripping the blade. He leaned down face to face, his silver eyes adopting a violet tint.
"Urdin failed, you failed, the Guardians failed. All that has been built, all that you stand for, shall fall."
Raine had heard enough. He mustered the last of his strength, drawing upon the final reserves of energy stored in his amulet. With a sudden burst of power, he made a powerful gust of wind throw Adam off of him. He continued until the man was blasted through the wall on the far side of the room. In another display of speed, Raine made his way to the elevators. A slice from Tempest forced the doors to fall forward into the shaft. With one hand gripping a cable and the other gripping his blade, he severed the connection, the counter weight of the elevator cabin dropping sending him flying up the shaft. His shoulder wound throbbed in protest. His aura was almost completely depleted.
Rubble shifted as Adam picked himself free of the mess. A single hand lifted to brush some dust from his coat as he stood at full height.
"Keep running little brother, you will never escape me."
Despite their distance, Raine could feel every word. He had no choice but to run now. Adam's power far outclassed his own. Wind whipped across him as he rapidly ascended to the landing platform he knew awaited at the top of the mountain. Hopefully his team had remembered that aspect of the plan and had a bullhead waiting for them. Every second may as well have been an eternity.
The cable came to a stop as the distant crashing of the elevator filled the chamber. Raine grit his teeth, trying to block out the amplified noise. With his free hand, he drew Tempest cut out the doors. A rush of fresh, mountain air and bright sunlight greeted him. Swinging to safety was chore with a mangled shoulder, but he needed to if he wanted any hope of surviving. He landed in subjective safety outside in the frigid mountain air. An icy landing pad greeted him. The sun sat high in the sky, kissing his locks with a welcomed warmth. To his flanks lay two more elevators, one on each side along with a single stairwell.
He was drained beyond his limits, his muscles convulsing uncontrollably from over exertion and severed fibers as he stumbled out into the open. Blood dripped freely from his wounds, his aura all but completely depleted. Wearily, he took his scroll from his pocket, a miracle the thing hadn't shattered during their battle. With lethargic movements, he turned the contraption on and pressed the distress beacon. Emergency retrieval flights were not common among Hunters, as there was rarely an in-between of handily taking care of Grimm and complete evisceration, but it still existed. He thanked for Qrow's foresight in preparing such a measure before they left.
But as fate would have it, such a relief would not come freely. His thoughts sank as he felt a presence rapidly approaching him. Adam, somehow, had followed him up the elevator shaft. A wave of that same tainted aura washed over him. Raine had barely turned to face him when a fist buried itself into his gut. Spittle and blood flew forth from his mouth as he doubled over, an unscathed Adam peering down at him.
"Young fool. Only now, at the end, do you understand the futility of your existence."
Raine stumbled backwards and raised Tempest in defiance.
"Not while I still breathe."
He roared as he forced his body to move, swinging his blade high in a desperate attempt to keep fighting. Adam moved forward to intercept, not even bothering to draw Wilt this time. Raine let out a gag as the older man caught him by the throat.
"You wish to continue this pointless exchange. Very well, allow me to impress upon you the full depths of my power."
With a casual flick of the wrist, he sent the boy soaring into the sky. Miasma pulsed around him as he lifted off the ground and with a downward push of his aura, flew in pursuit. Raine had no opportunity to mount a defense, feebly blocking a couple strikes. Adam carved his way with ease, striking with Wilt in areas he had yet to mar. Raine was juggled loosely as Wilt stung with what seemed like thousands of cuts and stabs, deep enough to cause damage yet shallow enough to prevent a lethal strike. Blood danced around him like mist as he tumbled head over heels. In a final act of sadism, Adam reappeared above him. Time seemed to slow as the man brought Wilt to bear for one final slash. The blade lashed out, a long gash suddenly appearing across Raine's chest. He couldn't even muster the strength to scream, his nerves overloaded into shock. The force of the strike sent him plummeting back to the ground where, against all logic, Adam stood waiting for him.
Ruby bounded up the stairs with her Semblance, leaving behind even her uncle in her haste. Raine had hit his distress beacon; they were out of time. She prayed and prayed to whatever Gods existed that she would make it. She had to make it. Legs burned, lungs heaved, head spun, yet she kept running, all discomforts forgotten in her worry. Clouds of rose petals were left behind. Almost there, she could see the final floor. She burst the door off of its hinges with her shoulder and Crescent Rose raised high, stepping out into the light of the landing platform.
The great scythe dropped from her hands, clattering upon the ground forgotten. Anguish filled her as tears burned at her eyes. Adam stood there, sword raised, with Raine skewered upon it. She could form no words, she wanted to scream but the sound caught in her throat. She had failed. She had failed him. She dropped to her knees, with Adam finally realizing she had come.
"Is this the pain you have always feared?" he asked her as he lowered his sword, the battered and beaten boy struggling feebly upon it, pained and labored gasps escaping with a dribbling of blood. "You will remember this moment for all eternity as you pass into the afterlife. Fear not, young one. You will be joining him soon."
Terror gripped the boy far tighter than any physical torture the demon in front of him could muster. Raine dug deep, his amulet completely draining of its final reserves of power; he was drawing upon the being of his battered soul, the power in his eyes having long fizzled out. He would not, could not, let Adam have her. His life may have been forfeit, but hers would not be. He had only one chance. In a final burst of strength, he grabbed Adam by the wrist with his left hand, earning a look of shock from the older man.
"How-"
"You will not," he gripped tighter, "take her away," he pulled himself further onto Wilt against his screaming wounds, "FROM ME!" he finally bellowed out as he sank to the hilt and lay in Adam's face, blood spattering against him.
His right swung around to his waist, fingers curling around Hurricane. His grip on Adam's wrist as strong as iron, he shoved the barrel of his gun into the man's gut. No pain came to him in that first few seconds, only the force of bullets ripping through him as Raine emptied the entire clip. The direct contact had bypassed the protective "skin" of his aura. Blood forced its way up his throat, gushing out in a sudden fit of coughing, the tell tale tinkling of brass hitting the ground followed by that final click of an empty chamber.
Raine let go of Adam as the demon fell backwards from his mutilation, leaving Wilt behind. His hands went to the perforation he had suffered, struggling to keep his shredded innards within the confines of his abdomen. Miasma surrounded his body in a desperate bid to save his life. As for Raine, he stood there staring down at his once-older-brother, sorrow and acceptance marring his face. Shaking hands gripped Wilt and with a shudder, he pulled it free from his body and threw it to the ground. He turned to the silent and despairing Ruby and mustered one last smile.
"Ruby..." he rasped. "Forgive me..."
Images swam across his vision, his head became blurry. Cold... so cold, yet he felt no pain. Raine Zaffre fell upon his side, and passed into the void. That was it; she could take no more. Her mind fractured like shattering glass. Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs, fists clenched, her eyes flaring to life with power as she blew the snow caps from the peak. Her aura enveloped her like a crimson and silver inferno, the force of its presence creating a shockwave that dug a crater into the ground where she stood.
Adam watched in muted awe as she bristled with power. He would have to retrieve Wilt later, his mission had been completed and he needed to report this new development to his Mistress. A portal opened up behind him and swallowed his form whole. As quickly as it came, it disappeared into nothingness.
"RUBY!" yelled Qrow as he burst from the stairwell, having finally caught up with the girls lagging behind him.
He found her cradling Raine's body, the two blades of Wilt and Tempest lying forgotten to the side. Tears streamed down her face as she let loose choked sobs. Yang was the first to join her sister, the blonde brawler enveloping her in as warm a hug she could manage. For all her strength, she had failed him as well and soon her own sobs joined her. Weiss couldn't move her body though the shock, instead collapsing to the ground as she stared upon her dead teammate. The one person to truly see her for a person and not an asset was ripped away from them. Her tears were silent. Blake couldn't bring herself to speak, the shock lodged into her throat like a pill she couldn't swallow. It should have been her, not Raine, to fall to Adam's blade. The man she loved was destroyed, and now the man she was seeing as a brother lay in a bloodied heap at her leaders feat. Adam had broken them all. She screamed across the expansive valley below them, throwing Gambol Shroud into the mountain side.
Qrow struggled to keep his emotions in check. The last time he had seen the girls like this, they lost their mother and it tore his heart out. Raine had become the world to them, perhaps without even them knowing it. He stepped forward to join them, prepared to give the fallen Huntsman, schooling be damned, his final rites. He pulled the leather glove from his hand, resting two fingers upon his neck to confirm what they had all feared. Shock filled him.
"He's still alive..." he breathed.
"What...?" asked Ruby, her sobs pausing just long enough to look up at her uncle, hoping against hope that her subconscious wasn't just telling her what she wanted to hear.
"He's still alive!" Qrow said louder. "Weiss! WEISS!"
It took two calls to break her out of her shock.
"I need fire dust, now!" he ordered.
Shakily, she nodded and rushed to his side, releasing the vial of dust from Myrtenaster's chamber. Qrow got to work quickly, ripping a length of cloth from his cloak. Pressing his thumb and forefinger against the hinges of Raine's jaws, he forced his mouth open and placed the cloth between his teeth. Ruby and Yang had awoken from their stupor now and tried to give him room to work.
"Ruby, grab his hand. He's going to need it."
She did so without question. A burst of aura from Qrow ignited the dust. Pulling a small dagger from his pockets, he held the blade over the flame until it glowed an angry white.
"This is going to hurt like Hell kid, but it'll save your life," he told the unconscious boy.
Without further warning, he pressed the dagger against his impalement wound first to cauterize it. Raine was jolted from unconsciousness as his eyes flew open. A blood curdling scream erupted from his throat as Qrow went to work, his hand squeezing Ruby's in a death grip and teeth clenching down onto the cloth so that he wouldn't remove his own tongue.
"It's ok Raine!" she pleaded to him. "It's going to be ok! We're getting you out of here! Just hang on a little longer!"
His grip was like a vice on her fingers, but she didn't care. He could squeeze them into dust and she wouldn't notice a thing. Torturous few minutes passed as Qrow performed his first aid. After the third round, Raine passed out a second time from the shock. It wasn't long after that when the rumbling of a bullhead's engines came upon them. Yang jumped to her feet and waved them down with her arms, guiding the pilots to their position. The lumbering machine touched down on a relatively clear and undamaged portion of the platform, a duo of medics rushing out with a stretcher.
Time passed in a blur for Ruby as they loaded her teammate and precious person into the cabin. She barely heard Yang's attempts at cheering her up, Weiss' self-berating for not being stronger, or Blake's anger at Adam for destroying what they loved. Team RWBY and Uncle Qrow climbed in with him, the medics furiously at work to stabilize his condition. Only one thought echoed through her mind as they finally departed Ceres Delta.
"Please... please don't leave me."
A/N: My heaviest chapter yet. The questions that were answered have only been taken up by more questions. You guys can probably guess now that the forcible activation of a Guardian's power is the pain of loss. I left out the extra R in RWBY on purpose by the way. How will the team and their friends take this new turn of events? What will become of Blake now that her secret is out in the open? What of Ruby and Raine? Review!