Again, I'm sorry for the cliffhangers. When you read this, you'll understand why I had to cut it in half.
Dislaimer: Nope, still don't own anything
'FAUNUS!'
The word was thrown into the courtroom by the woman who had been controlling Sun. First exposing Blake via Sun and now starting the hate against Faunus to be flaring up in the room. She felt an immense hatred boil up within her and directed at the woman that had triggered it all. Her words turning to poisen in the air. For Blake, normally able to withstand most of the blows of mental attacks due to feats of character and hard trained resistance, this felt different. Not because she was called a faunus, but because it had been Sun who had exposed her.
Crimson, bleeding more and more from his eye, began suffering increasingly stronger pains behind his eye. Like a headache that turns into a bomb. He could feel his right eye splitting open. That's how much pain he was in. And it was increasing per second. He needed a way to get to Eleanor before a true disaster struck. But how does one fight someone that can turn everyone in her personal puppets? Without dropping the one shield that saves all the others?
Sun drove Blake on the defensive again. Using his chucks to drive hard on her defense, while trying to angle his shots to hit Crimson. His moves not hampered or slowing down. Eleanor had tricked him into attacking Blake. She made him want to kill Blake. Shoot her or knock her on the head. He was still his normal self, but his mind was twisted and turned against his love interest. It's disgusting, to Crimson. How Eleanor turns those feelings against someone else. A tremor shot through his back. Suddenly, the pain lessened. With a shock he realised how he could control the pain. Anger and hate. Those were the key. But how to apply that? Anger in a fight is a drive. But it's a double edged sword. Anger can backfire just as easily as it can overpower someone.
Blake used more and more clones. Sun came closer and closer to land a hit. Strangely, that didn't seem to come from skill though. Sun was fast, sure, but this was to fast. Even for him. Almost as if someone was speeding him up. Was this a power that Eleanor person held over her puppets as well? And just as she saw this happening, Blake was knocked back from a massive backhand blow from Sun. Who turned a full three sixty before being blasted back by Yang. Blake's team had finally moved in to help!
'Sorry Sun, but looks like you're not the SUNiest person after all'
'That's not appropriate Yang'
Weiss rolled her eyes. But she did crack a smile. Then she drew her rapier. Ruby standing closest to Crimson with her big scythe. Backing Weiss up. Yang threw a shot of Ember Celica, but a soldier jumped in the path of the shot to protect Eleanor.
'Afraid to take it yourself?'
'Why work if I can let others do it for me?'
Yang threw a couple more. But unlike the first time, Weiss blocked the shots with a wall of ice. Yang turned her eyes at Weiss.
'Why did you do that?'
'We are to take down the badguy, not the soldiers that are brainwashed'
'Technically, it's mindcontrol...'
Weiss glared at Crimson, still bleeding from his eyes. But he could stand up. Unlike previous when he was on his knees. Now he was slightly more mobile. But he was still a sitting duck.
'Any other smart comments, sherlock?'
'Yang, you DO realise that the exact thing that's preventing you from fighting your sister is my bleeding right eye?'
'Meaning?'
'Nothing, keep doing what you do and see what happens...like a couple hours ago. Poor Ruby'
'Don't you touch her!'
The three girls glared at him. If he wasn't trying to protect them, he would have retorted. But he had no time for such joys. He needed to stay focused. And staring at the woman that had broken his soul, was a hard thing to do after all. Needing to remain calm and focused on the barrier. The other people were slowly leaving the area. The woman causing many to flee the scene. But someone had closed the door from the outside. Cause no one was leaving. It was all a set up! But he had no time to think about that. He needed to keep everyone safe. Plus, find a way to get Sun back from the control he was under. How to do all that, without dropping the barrier?
Blake and her team began engaging an enraged Sun. Eleanor pulling his strings and manipulating his every thought to hate the four girls that were engaging him. She had that wicked stare and crazied laughter. Crimson was planning on dropping the barrier and suck her into a dream. But his eyes never co existed perfectly. He couldn't hold the barrier and use illusions. It was either one, or the other. He never reached the level of control, or mental resilliance, to activate both at the same time. He couldn't begin to guess the pain that would put him through.
'Gotcha'
Crimson was rammed into the stand of the judge, who was cowering underneath in fear like the rat that he was. The shock went through Crimson and he glared sideways. Ironwood? He had awoken from the coma?
'Didn't expect that, did ya, hot stuff'
'Eleanor...'
'I can control multiple...'
Crimson powerkicked Ironwood. Placing his left foot against his gut and thrusting hard. Ironwood flew back. But another painwave shot through Crimson and he did what he wanted to avoid. He closed his eyes...
Staring up with normal vision, Eleanor held an even more crazy look in her eyes. Laughing like a maniac, she reached out with her hands. Eyes glowing as bright as pools of water. Her reach began influencing and controling other people. Crimson slapped his forhead and forced his Navy eye back into action. Throwing a considerable smaller barrier out there. Protecting the remaining people that had yet to be enslaved. His mother and Vita were safe. But he had failed to safeguard some other girls...
'Weiss, you arrogant princess...'
'Ruby? Ruby what's gotten into you?'
Crimson saw Ruby entering an agresive stance, swinging her scythe at Weiss, intending to kill her. And she wasn't the only one. Blake, who had difficulty fighting an enraged Sun, was now attacked by two of her friends. Crimson's spine shook slightly and an immense wave of rage began fueling his heart.
'Well Kitty cat, here comes the fist!'
'ELEANOR!'
His roar was primal and loud. The people fighting froze in place as the sound triggered a universal emotion that everyone felt, fear. With an animalistic look in his eyes, Crimson glared up. Both the controlled people as Eleanor herself were scared to death. He had cut loose. No restraints, no limits, nothing holding back. Crimson would have remembered the same rage on that one day, had he not blacked out just now. His rational and calculating mind vanished within his burning desire to rip Eleanor limb from limb. With a mad dash, he jumped up and released a tiniest bit of his rage. His Semblance translated that into a massive blow of fire to obliderate the floor of the balcony where Eleanor had stood. His eyes darting towards hers and holding his right hand behind his back. Eleanor still held her hands out like a puppeteer, but she had also stepped back, scared from the primal anger within Crimson's eyes.
'Stop, or I'll turn all of them on your mother!'
'If you dare to harm my mother, I'll boil your bloodstream!'
His voice was a soft wisper. But suprisingly enough, that caused it to be more threatening then the roar of animalistic hatred that he had let out. His eyes fixed upon her. As if a desire was hidden within them. But not the desire to leave her alive. A desire, to take her life in the most painfull of ways. With a sudden scare, she dropped her hands, releasing everyone she had under her spell.
'Blake?'
Sun took a massive kick to the face and was sent flying backwards. By Yang whom had missed Blake before she was released as well.
'Blake?'
Yang was kicked back as well, by Blake herself. She was not overly fund of what had happened in the last couple minutes. She had dodged haymackers, punches and jabs. While also dodging a very big stick. Needless to say, she wasn't all that happy. A strange look in her eyes as she gazed up towards Eleanor.
Weiss had been outfencing Ruby to the best of her ability. Acobatic cartweels were used to evade while strong and precise blocks were utilised to hamper Ruby's arcs and spins. But the scythe still held the element of reach. And Ruby was getting faster and faster. Weiss had tried her best to leave Ruby unharmed, but the need to use ice was getting stronger and stronger.
'Stand still, princess'
'Ruby, I am your friend. What's wrong?'
'You are what's wrong. Always condescending down on me, telling me what to do...'
'Ruby, I've already told you...'
'There you go again, telling me what to do!'
'Ruby, I'm no longer acting the way I did a couple semesters ago. Please, come to your senses! We're partners'
'I never was your partner, I just slowed you down, right?'
Weiss could feel the words cut through her soul. This was not right. Closing her eyes and shooting Ice to freeze Ruby's boots to the ground, a silver line of white was reflected near her eye. Before a confused Ruby looked around and stared at her friend.
'Weiss? What happened?'
'Oh, nothing'
Weiss thanked Crimson, her friend was back.
Crimson's fingers formed to claws, he was sinking deeper and deeper into the rage that she triggered by standing there. She had released everyone and she did make the gestures for surrender, hands in the air. Then why did he feel something was off? Something didn't feel right. A smirk on her face, nearly triggered him to go berserk. Berserk being the highest peak of anger one can possibly reach. Berserkers are a two way view on the term. One like Yang is a berserker, using her anger and agression as an amp to better content with someone in a fight. But berserk was the term of the point where you can't sink any deeper into rage. And she was about to trigger it with her smile.
'What's the matter, hot stuff? No need to stare...why are you cutting loose? Don't you remember what happened to Syrius last time you did?'
He lost it completely...
Ruby went after something any bystander would class as a Grim. Roaring and screaming enraged and working it's way through the walls. Each new opening and hole made Ruby slow down before re-engaging. Each wall was crippled. Like the web of a spider was painted over it. But there's nothing beautiful about it. It's a sight of destrucion. As if an Elephant Grim bulldosed through the walls. Closely following Ruby, is her best friend Weiss. And strangely, the destruction she sees, seems familiar. Not in terms of that she had seen it before, but the angry drive behind it. That was what she could identify with. She had felt the need to relief herself from the father she hated so badly. His acting causing her to resort to the training of her rapier. Each kill, the face of her father. Now, she was more in control. But nevertheless, she didn't want to be that Eleanor,who was driven through solid stone and steel.
Blake and Yang each exchanged looks. Yang being sorry for the attacks she had done. Blake making sure the braincontrol was gone. Amber in lilac, causion into appology. This wasn't the thing they had trained for. A loud shriek of terror and a roar of anger snapped them from their thoughts. Weiss voicing what they all thought.
'He's heading for the top floor!'
'We'll never catching up this way...'
'Well, I can crash some walls, create a shortcut, how's that sound Blake?'
Go for it!'
Yang nodded, a smile on her lips. Reeling back, she turned the hallways into a straight line, blasting and hammering through the walls with her Ember Celica. Backed up by the enhancements Weiss her Glyphs could do, they heard the roars and sounds of falling and crumbling stone draw nearer. But no matter what they tried, there was one who moved faster then all of them. A flash of green shooting through the space as a rocket.
He can't remember why or how he got to the roof of the building. You can't see the holes you drive through the concrete walls, nor the fear in the people's eyes as you pass them. You're deaf for your name or anything else for that matter. Your voice screams in an enraged state and shatters the hearts of the bravest of souls, yet to yourself, you're mute. You don't feel your fists driving hard on skin and bone. In the end, you can't even see. Everything focused on that one face. That one smirk that by any means needs to be wiped clear. And when you finally regain some selfawareness, you're standing on top of the roof, blood on your wrists and knuckles, a path of destrucion in your wake. And then, you realise there's a voice speaking. Your voice.
'I'll kill you for this!'
'Well, hot stuff, you sure made an impression. Nice destruction'
'How are you still standing!?'
'You're not the only one with powers and skills'
A man, breathing heavy and eyes fixed upon the woman in front of him, formed fists and stomped his feet. To get into a rocksteady position. His right eye bleeds and his left eye has a strange red glow around it. He leaves his entire front open, with his hands by his side. But he has that strange animal way of standing. Shoulders wide, back straight and intimidating glare.
A woman, smirking and taunting, stands to her feet. Her left leg slightly bent in the knee, indicating she was placing her weight on her right one. One hand through her golden hair. The other on her hip, seductive. She used a lot of aura to form shields and barriers to catch the blows that hammered her through the walls. All was more or less going as planned. Like a cat that is toying with a mouse, she had baited him into the perfect position.
Unarmed, he charged her. With a moderate speed. He needed to conserve energy. But when he nearly reached her, he carthweeled back. His eyes had seen someone he needed to stay clear of. A flash of white and pink, flipping and summersaulting, drawing a weapon from her umbrella. Neopolitan.
He analysed his stance and the distance. He needed a longer distance. He needed to stay clear. But Neo had begun rushing him. Running at him with her blade aimed for the kill. Using this, Crimson jumped and kicked with both feet. Neo, instinctively, pulled her umbrella open and gave Crimson the steppingstone he needed. Using some of his aura to blast himself away. After a second of flying, he placed his hands and landed. Half a rooftop away. Far enough to stay safe, but to close to notice Neo's smirk. They both smirked. And he slammed his face.
'Idiot...'
'What's that?'
'Nothing'
Standing up, Crimson's right hand dissapeared from view. Behind his back, he reached for one final blade he had kept hidden. A trully last resort. Easy concealable, yet deadly at close range. With a lazy flick, a sliver reflection blinded Neo and Eleanor. Before Neo felt a slight cut to her neck and Eleanor carthweeled backwards to dodge the cut angled for her eyes. A sound of rotating steel was audible before Crimson entered a low, mobile attack position. Ducking low, his right foot cocked and ready to stretch and launch him in any direction. His left one extended to his side. With his left hand on the ground. Both for balance as it was for a stronger take off chance. Using the ground to pull himself forward. His right hand held high. But nothing was in it. Or rather, what was in it was to small to notice because he kept his hand moving. The reflection sometimes returning and fading again.
Neo stepped back a little, a hand on her neck. A small stream of blood streaming down her skin as the cut wasn't deep. But it was there. With a more carefull look on her face, she placed her blade back in her umbrella, swung that over her shoulder and waited. Taking a more defensive posture this time. She had seen Crimson fight, but unlike Yang, this one wasn't blinded by rage. Where Yang would launch herself blindly at Neo, this animal held a certain awareness and strategy. Almost as if the anger wasn't guiding him as much as he seemed it out to be. Eleanor, by contrast was more afraid of the invisible thing that had nearly taken her eye away. Crimson had never demonstrated usage of this weapon before. What other secrets did he hold?
'Well, hot stuff, found a new toy?'
Crimson's face didn't move a muscle. His mind entirely focused on the goal ahead. Taking out Neo was top priority. However, she was faster then him and more importantly, she had back-up. He needed to find a way to equalise the fight. His eyes already taken into account. He needed to work them into eachother. But therefor, he needed them to attack him. And considering Neo had sheathed her sword, she was probably not planning on going offensive again. Crimson was faced with a basic of choices. Either take the offence, trusting on his skill to keep him alive while eploying a weapon that had NO REACH what so ever. Or, bait them into an attack. Either by triggering them into an attack or exposing himself intentionally. The plus side on the second was that it would take less energy. But that's about it. And thus, he decided, against his better judgement, to take the offensive. With a blink of his left eye, forming the A on his iris, he dashed forward. Blinding speed!
Eleanor drew her Gemini Blades. Two long handled shortswords that could combine to form a double edged polearm. Somewhat like Sun's weapon, but with edged blades on the ends. And a slightly shorter overall length. But still deadly. Twirling it, Eleanor formed a barrier. Neo, was not so lucky...
While fast, she couldn't possibly knew where to dodge if her attacker was to fast to see. Another cut to the back of her side caused her eyes to switch. She began carthweeling around. But every step she made, resulted in another slight cut. Again, not life threatening or even incapacitating. Just an annoyance. Neo's eyes darted left and right. She opened her umbrella to block an attack she hoped that came from that direction. Yet a slight cut to her side indicated she was wrong. He was to damn fast. Where to block was not that easy to figure out. However, she was just playing. She knew exactly how to catch this mouse. She was the predator after all. And after she heard the sound of him nearing, she smirked.
'DAMNIT!'
He cursed his lungs out as his hand was ripped open in three places when he struck Neo. She fell to glass and he tripped over his own legs after his focus was broken by his new wounds. Falling to the floor and looking up, blood dripping from his fingers and his weapon disapearing from his hand and from sight. He turned before he slammed on the floor. His back landing not all that comfortable. But it's better then crashing his face in the floor. His eyes spotting the evil smile of the petite cat that had just decided his life was over. With a confident thrust, her blade slammed down on his heart. A slight glimmer of red escaping his left eye...
Neo's eyes widened in panick. Her blade had passed right through him. But instead of gasping or drowning in his own blood, he smiled at her. He had somehow phased right through her blade. But that's not what caused her panick. It was the dreadful smile he showed her before going up into thin air. And before she could recover from her shattering power, an arm wrapped around her neck and made breathing difficult. The twirling of a sharp blade through the air later, a sharp tip pressed hard against her adam's apple. With a soft wisper, his voice oozed in her ears.
'Now, don't move or I'll show you how messy I can be...'
Neo's eyes shot open. The thought of poison flashed through her mind.
'No, my blade isn't poisoned. I'm not a monster...Now, go to sleep'
His hold tightened. Neo gasped for air, but no matter how hard she kicked or gasped. None would enter. The blade scaring her from doing anything major and the slowly decreasing supply of air began exhausting her. She could see the light fading and her senses slowed down. Her eyes began closing. She was choked into unconciousness. By someone who had deliberately allowed himself to sustain injury, to bait her into dropping her guard. Her eyes looked down, his bleeding right hand right near her throat. How could this happen?
Crimson felt a sharp pain shoot through his shoulder before being knocked on the head. And then kicked aside. Neo fell to her knees, gasping and taking in buckets of air as her throat was finally cleared. She looked to her side, Eleanor offering her a hand.
Crimson used the momentum of the kick to tumble and re-enter a low to the ground stance. This time opting for defence. His right hand high and left on the ground, both his legs were bent and cocked for a swift movement. Almost as if he was croutching. His body felt painful and the deep cut in his shoulder did worry him a bit. But with a firm inhale and exhale, focusing his aura into effect, he forced the wound to close. Not healed completely, but stopping the bleeding.
After that, he waited their move. Neo wouldn't be entering this fight again, however. His slight cuts seemed random and non-lethal, but he had damaged her knees as well. Using the other cuts to her side and neck to distract her. With those cuts, her speed would be severely hampered. But much to his joy, Neo's eyes turned pale white and she vanished in a puff of smoke. Leaving Eleanor to fend for herself. Something she was never good at. She was to dependant on the use of helpers or slaves. That's why her Semblance was mental control. And despite suffering from this as well, she was overly dependant of her special skills. Crimson still had some chance because he never overused his powers, well...not often atleast.
'There goes your back-up...stand down and I'll kill you gently'
'Is that suposed to scare me?'
'No, just a genuine warning'
'This reminds me of the last time'
'Except last time I still had the moral issue of leaving you alive'
'And now you won't?'
'Not after first threatening my mother and then blaming me for Syrius' death!'
'You won't kill me'
'And why's that?'
'Cause you still love me'
'Wrong, the only one I ever loved, is dead. Killed by Ada...YOU!'
'Me what?'
'You manipulated Adam into killing Syrius!'
'Well, hot and brains...'
Crimson let out a loud roar of anger. This explained everything! That's also why Syrius seemed so broken. He had been broken. On a mental level. With the revelation that this double faced snake had been responsible for his death, caused him to sink even deeper in the darkness of hate and anger. With one finger on the edge, he tried to hold a grasp on his selfcontrol. Is eyes piercing hers. But her words still seemed to hold him in control.
'Don't act all innocent, hot stuff. You've taken a lot of agression out on Syrius in these fits of anger'
Her words, poisoned as they may be, did hold a truth. The only reason he ever held back, was to prevent him from lashing out towards Syrius in a fit of rage. His rage fueled his powers of his left eye. But his left eye also fueled his rage. And overusage would leave him weakened, but also in a very unstable mindset. He could be very distant, but also very agressive. And he had already struck out at Syrius. Whom he had appologised at for days without end. Using a stick to inflict self punishment. But he had eventually regained Syrius trust. And it wasn't her right to use that against him!
'Shut up. Shut up or I'll make you eat those words spiced with steel!'
'Hot stuff, you really need to work on you intimidation factor'
'Don't call me hot stuff'
'Sorry, flame head'
'I'm warning you'
Crimson waited for her to open her mouth to respond. And when she did, he dashed forward. But sadly not at the same levels of speed he demonstrated against Neo. His stamina was far to depleted for that. Plus, his aura was drained as well. So he simply ran at her, twirling the ellusive blade in his right hand. A tactic to draw her attention to it. Eleanor simply tried to twirl and strike with her polearm. He evaded her thrust, slashing at her neck with his own. But the double placed blades on her polearm allowed her to retaliate faster then he anticipated. She didn't strike him, cause he disengaged. But that did mean she came of easy. He could inflict massive damage if given enough time with his twirling blade.
She never knew what it was, nor did anyone for that matter. Crimson had used his knowledge of history to manufactor an ancient and mostly regarded useless weapon. It had no range, as it was the shortest knife ever. A handle that could fit in your closed palm with a ring as the pommel to fit your indexfinger in. This allowed for a very strong grip and fancy twirls. And he had trained to twirl it so fast that the blade vanished from sight. The blade was not longer then the hilt. It was that short! A weapon that was therefor considered to be weak and useless. But as his mentor had once told him when he was young: 'In the hands of a master, a simple toothpick can out do a longsword'
That being said, he wasn't to eager to test that theory just yet. The polearm was far to strong and had far to much reach in comparison. But, there's always a chance. If only he could manage to get close to her hand and cause a disarming wound.
Not that she wouldn't want any of it though. She knew he was a far more skilled combatant then she was. Proving that once by nearly taking her life. However, she had practiced. With a smile on her face, she began twirling her polearm. Taunting and showing of. With bodyspins and flowers, she kept her weapon moving and thus her offence ready. This did open her up to the exact moment of opportunity he was looking for. When she spins the weapon across her body, she rotates and brings it around her back. Which meant she had to release one hand to complete this move. Opening herself to his counters. Having decided that, he used the power of his left eye to anticipate her moves and went in for the kill.
She swung her weapon around her neck and rotated her body. Full body spins increases kinetic energy of such a weapon by a slight bit. Ducking under it, he dropped through his knees and tumbled forward. When he turned around, she had already begun front flowers. Using her arms to spin her polearm across her body in figure eights to keep a lethal stream of steel in front of her. Ducking through it would mean death, so he backed up a little. When he did so, she did her back spin, to generate energy for a wide swing. But instead of stepping back, he stepped into her guard. When her arm came around, her eyes shot open in fear. Using his left armgauntlet to block the staff part of her upper blade and kicking his right leg against her other blade, he stopped the weapon dead in it's tracks. Followed by a swift cut to her hand. In simple human reaction, she released and staggered back. Dropping her weapon.
She looked at her hand, he at the discarted weapon. With a strong pull up, he pulled the weapon up with his foot. Kicking it into the air and grabbing it with his left hand. The right hidden behind his back, holstering his special blade. Then, he began flowering the polearm the way she had done. Only quicker and more taunting. When he rotated on the left, he let go with his right hand, used the momentum to form one final twirl and locking the polearm around the centre under his armpit. With his right hand in an open palm guard, extended in midsection hight.
'As a right in combat, I claim this weapon for payment'
'Payment? You cut up my hand! You monster!'
'Payment for killing Syrius'
'Is Syrius just a weapon to you?'
'No, he's worth my life and more. That's why I'm going to kill you with your own weapon!'
Crimson brought the weapon out of the lock, swinging it with a wide arc outwards. Rotating his body, he grabbed hold and delivered a massive two handed blow to her chest. However, she did catch the deadly blades with her aura, before being struck with the kinetic energy of the sword. Blasting her back, falling flat on her back. A severe pain shot through her body. She was impressed but also scared to death. In just that one moment, he had used her own weapon against her with a skill level that was far passed her own, he had projected his Aura to enhance the blow and then he managed to break through her own wall of Aura. And she had spent years training that. An unbreakable shield, broken through.
'I'd advice you to stay down'
'Perhaps you'd best check your surroundings'
She threw a small smoke bomb and disapeared. Fleeing from the scene. With a final attempt to persuit her, he ran face first into a fireball that had been coming his way from the air. Knocked back by the blast, he saw an armed helicopter that picked up Eleanor and from the looks of it, Neo was there as well. And there was the woman whom he had needed to kill way back in the forest hideout. Cinder had fired the shot. She stood there, a glare of dominance and a hint of defeat by the other two. With a loud cry of anger, he formed a fireball in his hand. With his Semblance generating real fire from an illusion that he shot after them. But he missed, setting a building ablaze that was emptied for renovation. He knew because he had seen it earlier right before he was sent into the trial room.
And with that, his anger only grew. He wanted to burn them all alive. Raising his hand again, the staff in his left as his right was going for the throwing of fireballs, he felt a hand grasp his arm. With an animalistic turn in his head, he stared into the glass lenses of Ozpin...
'They are to far. Stop now before you do strike a building of importance'
'They have to die. They have to pay for what they did to my friend...'
'I understand that. But don't become the thing they try to make you out to be'
Crimson lowered his hands and nodded. His anger gone completely as he realised his old headmaster was right. He had destroyed part of the courtbuilding and he had set an entire building ablaze. So he was just as much the monster he claimed not to be.
Feeling every ounce of strength fade, being replaced by the mental drawback of his left eye and overusage of his right. He seperated the polearm into two saber like weapons and pinned them in the floor. Wiping the blood away from his face as tears of blood began dripping from his eye sockets. Migraine, bleeding eyes, immense physical pain and then there's the wounds he sustained. This could have gone a lot better. Turning around, he saw those four again. But unlike other times, he looked past them. He didn't see them, staring at something at the horizon.
'You sure are powerful'
Ruby's voice was amased. They had been following him through the destruction and saw him defeat both Neo and Eleanor. They all wanted to help, but for some reason, they had to help by staying out of this fight. Crimson's speed and primal rage would have harmed them as well. Which is why Yang couldn't understand how he was able to defeat that swift menace that was Neo. Her voice oozed from her lips, drenched with curiosity.
'How did you beat Neo, you did the exact same things I did?'
'I didn't. I used my anger as an amplification tool. My mentor taught me how to store and guide anger to become the most powerful amp in a fight. Using the anger I had and turning it into an asset instead of a liability. Unlike most berserkers such as yourself, I still remain focused on my fencing principals. Allowing me to counter the one fatal weakness of anger in a fight: walking blindly into your own attacks'
'Are you saying I'm blind?'
'Deaf perhaps. I said I can still see the ebs and flows of fighting. I won't extend my focus on the offence. Not even in the animalistic rage that drives my heart. If you want to know what I mean, I'll explain. It's like this: you launch yourself at your opponent. Relying on your strength to hold of the attacks of your opponents. Whilst I can still fall back, analyse and counter attacks'
'You are arrogant, did you know that?'
'Why? Because I can control and channel my anger while you keep blasting your blond self into the fray?'
'I don't rush someone! You don't know anything about my style of fighting'
'Then don't ask me how I beat Neo. I used a simple strategy, hampering her movement instead of trying to beat her to the floor'
'I'm warning you'
'Why? So you can knock me out? Go ahead...'
'No one would care, you destroyed half of a building and then set another ablaze'
'You're right, I'm a monster. So what are you waiting for?'
'I will do it!'
'Come at me. Here! I'll make it easy on you...'
Crimson began making his way towards Ruby. He had no weapons, as he had left the ellusive blade hidden and the polearm was pinned in the floor. He just walked. Turning his back on Yang. Exposing himself and baiting her into attacking him. And sure enough, a fist struck his jaw and caused him to fall to his knees.
'There, now stay down!'
Crimson spat some blood and stood back up. His eyes emptied of emotion, his face was a stone. He secretly prayed she would knock him out. Out for good. The second fist struck his belly. Forcing the air from his lungs and causing him to cough. Again, he fell to his knees.
'I said stay down!'
'Or else? You're gonna kill me?'
'Damn right I will!'
'Poor Ruby...such a foolish sister'
He laughed as he saw Yang's eyes flair up. He could easily use a trick to evade, but he didn't want to. For some reason he wanted Yang to bash his skull. He had failed so many of his own morals and he had yet again proven to the world he was a monster. He had lost the will to carry on. He wanted to end the pain. To make the voices in his head shut up and to finally have some peace at heart. He couldn't care for the future. He knew the world was going to burn, but he burned every single day.
Yang was entering her berserker mindset and began hitting Crimson in the face. Her fist hamering down on the man that had yet again done something against the law. He had protected the people, but that was because he was just trying to get on a better light. He had broken half the building walls in a rage and he burned a building. Plus, he had a weapon. Who's to say he wasn't planning on using it against them? His face began bruising up and blood dripped from his nose, eyes and mouth. Yet he didn't resist one bit. Before Yang went to far, she stopped. Crimson layed there. Bleeding, coughing and...laughing?
'What's the matter Yang? Can't do it? Taking a life isn't as easy as you thought it was...didn't you'
'Why are you laughing...'
'Simple. This pain feels good. Unlike mental pain, these wounds heal. So I think it's a joy'
'You're one weird guy'
'My name...is Crimson'
'Yang. That's enough'
Ozpin pulled Yang back. Gentle, but still with a hint of authority. He had a sad expression in his eyes. Yang suddenly realised she had basicly punched him to near death. She looked down on Crimson, seeing what she had done to him in her rage to protect her sister, she somehow knew he had played her. He had used Yang's motherly feelings towards Ruby to trigger her attacks. He never planned to wound or even touch Ruby. He just pressed the right stress buttons. The other three came closer. But Yang backed up.
'Sis?'
'Stay away from me. I don't want to harm you'
'Yang, you're my sister. You'd never hurt me'
Ruby gave a warm smile. But Yang wasn't all that sure. She looked at her hands. They were dripping with blood that belonged to Crimson. Who still hadn't stood up. Staring at the sky while the blood formed pools near his head. He saw wonderful images because he was drifting between losing conciousness and staying awake. Yang's punches had tipped the wounds into a danger zone. He could feel his mind fight to stay awake, but he craved for the silence of sleep.
'Yang, it's alright'
'No, it's not Blake. This is twice I've lost it and tried to kill someone. In the same day'
'The courtroom skirmish didn't count. You weren't yourself'
'But how do I know I won't lose myself to those feelings again?'
'Simple...cause you know they are there. Give them a place and move on'
Crimson's voice was not louder then a wisper. He had trouble breathing as a small bit of blood was dripping inside his mouth. Ozpin knelt nearby and tried lifting Crimson's head. But he stopped that when he noticed Crimson's eyes rolling back. Crimson simply smiled through it.
'Yang, your feelings are what make you special. Just accept what they are and move on. Trust me...'
Ruby hugged her sister. And to Yang, it did feel better. Why did everything have to be complicated when Crimson or anyother of those special eyes were envolved? No matter what seemed to happen, those eyes always turned them on eachother.
Crimson stared into the sky. No matter what would follow after this, he had to admit, there had never been a better example of battling with your eyes ever before. In one single fight, he had applied all the core elements of fighting in one. The point about observation, the part about analysing and then the aplication. But he had exposed both his eyes and his hidden weapon to the public. A weapon that soon hung over his head. Ozpin holding it in front of him.
'What type of blade is this?'
'An ancient one. It's suposed to resemble the talon of a predator. A blade that can slice through muscle and is still easy to conceal. The Karambit'
'I know a docter that would have an attack if he ever saw this weapon...'
'Oobleck can have it if he wants. I can make more of those. But as he will probably agree, that weapon is mostly obselete in these times'
'Which reminds me, you have to be innocent. I guess if you had this weapon all this time and you're that skilled with it...'
'I could have killed anyone at any given time if I was a killer. But finally, someone to see the truth'
'I can help you recover. Mentally as well. You can return to the humans and Faunus if you want. Just abandon the animal side within yourself'
'Why? So that what's to come can claim me in the field of battle?'
Ruby was faster then Ozpin.
'What's to come then?'
'The end of all life as we know it...'
And that's why it got out of hand.
Hopefully you liked it! Next chapter will be a bit slower and less actionpacked, but the quality will be a bit better. Until next time!
