Blake's POV
Blake stalked the halls of Beacon, searching for Ruby. The screams of the remaining people died away after the Grimm had feasted. With a sudden stop, Blake threw open a door, seeing an empty room. Blake turned away in disappointment, but paused. Ruby's crimson cloak was hung in the corner. Such a small detail, Blake thought. That was on her when I stabbed her in the back. Surely, it was on her when they revived her to live out her days as a cripple. She is undoubtedly within this room. She idly wandered over to the window. Blake frowned, then stilled her breaths for a quiet moment. Her Faunus ears picked up a ragged, but faint breathing from behind her. She turned to see Ruby, collapsed on the ground beside the bed, out of sight from the doorway. Her face brightened at the sight of Blake.
"Blake!" Ruby said as she extended her hand in a request for assistance.
With a malicious grin, Blake reached forward towards Ruby's hand. In a swift motion, she grabbed Ruby's throat, throwing her across the room. Ruby gasped as her bones fractured upon impact with the wall.
"Seems like some of the Grimm's strength is wearing off on me," Blake said. "Wouldn't you agree, Ruby?"
"What are you doing?" Ruby asked.
"What do you think I'm doing?" Blake asked. "Giving you a friendly pat on the back?"
"But-" Ruby was cut of as Blake kicked her in the side.
"I think that you don't need to talk for a bit." Blake pulled her katana out, flashing it in front of Ruby's face. "I wonder…" She grinned as she set the blade against Ruby's leg. "Does this hurt?" Blake leaned her weight into the weapon. Ruby shook her head with a frown. "What about this?" Blake raised her sword and slammed it down on Ruby's left leg. The blade bit deep into the bone, eliciting a small yelp of surprise and horror from Ruby.
"I can't feel anything! Blake, what have you done?" Ruby asked.
"We'll see if you can help me, then I'll tell you." Blake said as she moved towards Ruby's cloak. She reached into an inner pocket, finding Ruby's scroll. "It looks like you'll be worth something after all."
oOo
Yang's POV
With a heaving breath, Yang uncurled. The Grimm had passed, not noticing her as a huge Nevermore flew overhead, coming from the direction of Beacon. The echoes of Blake's foot crushing Weiss's skull reverberated throughout Yang's mind. She shook her head, trying to clear it. Her scroll suddenly vibrated, and she registered Ruby's name before answering the video call.
"Ruby?" Yang's voice died away as she saw Blake's face filling the screen.
"Hello there, Yang," Blake said with a sadistic grin. "Your poor little sister seems to be having some trouble with her legs." The camera switched around to show Ruby sitting against a wall; a bloodied katana was embedded deep in her leg, but she wasn't showing any pain. Blake turned the camera back to face her again.
"What are you doing to her, Blake?" Yang growled, furious.
"I'm trying to help her," Blake said mockingly. "Can't you see that?"
"Liar." Yang's eyes were crimson now, glowing in the dim light of the alleyway.
"Oh, really? You're just now figuring that out?" Blake replied scornfully.
"Give me Ruby, now."
"Resorting to violence? That does seem like you."
"I want Ruby back, Blake."
"Oh, you can have her back, if you can take her back." Blake smiled. "I'll be waiting in front of Beacon. One on one duel. Winner lives, loser dies. I get to kill you both, and you can die knowing you failed. Sound agreeable?"
"Oh, yeah. I'll come kill you, take Ruby with me and escape from this Grimm-ridden place."
Blake snickered. "I'm sure that'll happen." She disconnected the call before Yang had a chance to retaliate.
Yang fumed, throwing down her scroll. No, I can't get mad. That's what Blake wants. Yang sighed. She picked up the scroll before poking her head around the corner. The street was relatively clear of Grimm, with only a single Beowolf prowling the end of the street. Yang bolted towards it, slamming a fist into its skull as she reached it. It fell without a sound. Its corpse had hardly dissolved by the time Yang had left the street.
oOo
Mixed POV
Blake stood in front of Beacon, with Ruby gagged and bound in front of her. Blake held her katana loosely beside her, concealing the tautness coiled in her muscles, ready to slit her captive's throat. Echoing shots reached Blake's highly attuned ears. She grinned as Ruby writhed on the ground as best she could, given her paralysis and her bonds. In a few moments, Yang rounded the corner at a full sprint, followed by several Grimm.
Halt. I have something special for this one, Blake ordered the Grimm, pleased that they stopped instantly. Yang continued towards Blake, closing the distance between them swiftly, without any sign of stopping. Blake raised her katana, poised to bring it down on Ruby's head.
"Stop, or she dies," Blake called out. Yang slowed to a standstill, a few meters from Blake and her captive.
"We agreed to a duel," Yang said. "I'm here to duel."
"Ah, yes." Blake lowered her katana to rest on Ruby's pale neck. "I also recall, that a few moments before that agreement, you called me a liar. I'd like to make sure that's true." Blake raised her katana, bringing it down on Ruby's struggling form with such force that her head separated from the rest of her body.
The pleasure of hearing Yang's agonised scream synchronise with the rage pouring off of her in waves, coupled with the rush of exhilaration from the death made Blake sigh contentedly, even as Yang rushed at her in fury. Blake raised her sword, blocking Yang's wild swing. The Grimm howled excitedly as Blake ducked under Yang's arm, hacking at her neck, but only succeeded in cutting off most of her hair. Yang howled angrily, whipping her fist at Blake's face, only to be stopped short by Blake's sword. Blake allowed herself to get caught in the wild dance of furious punches, but she knew that she would be forced to end it. After another punch by Yang, accompanied by a blast from the gun, Blake took her opportunity. As she dodged Yang's bullets, she stabbed her sword into Yang's side. Yang dropped with a scream as Blake laughed.
"Look at you, too weak to defeat me. Too weak to save your pathetic little sister," Blake said.
"Shut up, Blake! You killed Ruby because you're the weak one! You deserve to die!" Yang screamed at Blake.
She hissed and kicked Yang in the ribs. "You dare to call me weak when you are lying there, dying? Pathetic." She kicked Yang again.
Yang coiled in on herself in pain, seeing Blake swing her leg back for another kick. She braced herself against the unceasing blows, waiting for an opportunity. When Blake kicked her again, Yang swung out a leg, sweeping Blake's legs out from under her. Yang got to her feet roughly, swaying from the bloodloss. Seeing the ring of Grimm surrounding her and the way they were looking to Blake, Yang made a split second decision and blasted her way out of the circle. She ran away, not looking back for fear of seeing Grimm chasing her, or worse, Ruby's corpse.
oOo
Yang's POV
The city streets were slick with blood, reflecting the dull moonlight as Yang dragged herself through them. Her hand was pressed firmly over her side, blood seeping through her fingers to run down her leg. Her heavy breathing rasped in the cool air. The screams that had once been almost commonplace were becoming fewer and farther between.
Yang grimaced in pain as she limped over a loose flagstone in the streets. She hadn't seen many Grimm, but the few she had were too distracted by dead civilians to notice or care about a half dead Huntress. Yang felt her Aura sluggishly working to repair the damage done to her, but the healing was slow. She made her way to the side of the street, stopping to lean against a wall. She let gravity pull her down, sitting quietly as her Aura strained to heal faster.
After a moment, Yang turned to look at the wound, pulling her shirt up far enough to examine it. The cut was deep, but the bleeding had stopped, which Yang supposed was a good thing. The exposed muscle twitched as Yang shifted into a more comfortable position, pulling her shirt back into place as she did so.
After a few moments, Yang hauled herself to her feet again. The motion tore a gasp of pain from her throat, but she continued onwards. Occasionally, she would have to take a side street to avoid Grimm, but she made it past the city square in good time. Yang's side had started bleeding again at some point and her vision was darkening. She limped through the open doorway of an older building, hauling herself up three flights of stairs before collapsing in a heap on the floor. The world went black before she could register anything.
oOo
Yang wandered the bloody streets of Vale once again, wound completely forgotten. Corpses littered the streets, all wearing the faces of the dead. Yang glimpsed Jaune's body in pieces, saw his eyes glazed over in the obscurity of death. She saw Cardin laying under the rest of his team, the black veins of the Corrupted covering his face.
She wandered more, seeing countless friends, all dead. The worst was when she turned the corner to find Weiss, only recognisable by her once white dress. She stared at the blood as it pooled and ran down the grooves in the street. Yang hardly noticed when the tears began to fall, hardly noticed when her legs grew numb and stopped moving, hardly noticed when she knelt beside her fallen teammate.
You are nothing now, Yang, Blake whispered in her ear, her warm breath brushing wisps of her shortened hair.
Yang spun around, seeing only the blood from Weiss coating the street. She got to her feet, turning in a circle. She felt for her gauntlets, but her wariness turned to full blown panic when her hand grasped empty air. She turned back towards Weiss, but there was only empty street.
I should have known, Blake said quietly, that you would be the weakest in the end.
Yang took off running down the street, trying to escape Blake's accusations. She turned into an alley, but she was standing in front of Beacon, watching her sister flail once more at Blake's feet. Yang cried out wordlessly, reaching for Ruby.
You can't save her now, Yang, Blake laughed. She's dead. Dead, dead, dead. You killed her. You were too fragile, too weak to save her.
Yang screamed as Ruby died before her eyes again.
oOo
Yang woke with the scream still in her throat. Tears cascaded fiercely down her cheeks, even as she dashed them away. She sat up quickly, feeling the relaxing weight of Ember Celica around her wrists and a twinge of pain from her side. She was no longer at the top of the stairs, instead laying on a blanket in the corner of a room lit by incongruous sunlight. She lunged to her feet as a man entered the room, but at his empty hands raised in peace, she leaned back against the wall.
"We heard your screams," the man said in a whisper. "Is everything all right?"
"Fine," she replied harshly, but quietly. "Where are we?"
"Same building you came into. Grimm are farther into the city, so it's pretty quiet around here. We pulled you in her to rest and heal, and patched you up as best we could."
"Thanks," Yang muttered.
"Come on downstairs. We have some food, even if it's not much," the man said, leading her down the stairs.
Yang noticed the bloodstain on the carpet as she descended the stairs, but didn't say anything. The second floor was a bit cleaner, but there was a small crowd of people, numbering no more than fifteen. They clustered around a table, where a crate of water and food was stacked. They were dividing the food evenly enough to leave some for Yang and the man that was leading her. She took her share of the food, eating it quickly. The man nodded to her as he stepped on top of the table.
"You all may have noticed that we ate the last of our food, and that we have a Huntress among us. That means that today's the day. We either go down fighting, or we escape to Patch. We'll be leaving within the hour, so pack your things for a short dash to the docks, where Tangia's boat will be docked, and we'll cast off." He leapt off the table, making his way to Yang.
"That's the plan?" Yang asked. "I'm in. Just tell me when we leave, and I'll be helping you."
"Perfect. Thank you so much. It'll make the chances a lot better with you. I'm Ray, by the way. I never got your name?"
"Yang," she replied, extending her hand to shake.
"Well, Yang, anything you'll need?"
"No. There's nothing." Yang watched as Ray shrugged and left, attending to his people.
I suppose that this is my last act. Get these people to safety and pay for my mistakes. Yang shivered as she remembered her dream, but shook it off. There was other work for her to do.
oOo
Yang raced ahead of the group, blasting through the slowly increasing number of Grimm and Corrupted. She cut down the last one, herding the group onto the boat as she guarded their backs. The Grimm were growing fiercer, but Yang stood her ground. It was only when Blake stepped forward that true fear latched its cold tendrils on her heart. The boat was leaving then, but the Grimm launched themselves towards the boat, only to be either killed by the Huntress, or to not reach the boat at all.
Blake snarled as her small army was reduced to shreds. "You can try running from me, Yang," Blake screamed, "but you will never escape me! I will hunt you until you accept your fate."
Yang stared back at her, watching the Faunus diminish into nothing.
oOo
Several Months Later
The bar on Patch had become quite a hotspot since the Grimm had invaded the mainland. A group of a few refugees had arrived from Vale a week ago, clinging to the life raft like it was their last chance. They had been relocated by the Reclamation Effort Department, but there were still many customers to fill the seats.
One such customer was a regular, even before she had left for Vale, only to return once the crisis had arisen. Her short blonde hair hung in her face, wet from the drink she had fallen in. She didn't seem to notice, only looking up when the bartender poured her another shot. She gulped it down, watching the news report on the screen behind the bar.
"RED is still making no progress towards reclaiming Vale," said a spokesperson on screen. "We have several field agents working hard to get any people left over out of there and getting Vale back. We are confident that our Huntsmen will defeat the Grimm, and this tragedy-"
"Turn it off," the blonde woman said. The bartender complied, frowning as thunder rumbled in the distance. Rain began to patter down on the roof. Most of the patrons made moves to return home, but the blonde woman did no such thing.
"Not heading home yet?"
"Why would I?" she asked with a self deprecating grin. "I've got all I need right here." She set the glass on the counter unsteadily. The bartender filled it once more.
oOo
A/N: This is the final chapter in this part of the story! Yay! I'll be continuing this in a sequel, just because there's a few loose ends to tie up, but that'll be a while, and the ending on this part is so final that I need to split it up. All the reviews and favorites are appreciated, so many thanks to those who have had enough patience for this. Anyways, thanks for reading this story!