Chapter Twenty-One: The Last Stand
The scene could not be more somber. The evacuation site was filled with the fleeing, the defeated, and the wounded, and so many among them were Weiss's friends. Ruby and Yang were unconscious, and Blake, Ren, and Nora were all too injured to stand. Weiss herself was out of energy, the remainder of her willpower drained away by the sight of her wounded partner.
She did not need a doctor to give an diagnosis to know that Ruby's left eye was gone. Just like Yang's arm. And Blake's composure. The Faunus was still sobbing silently next to her unmoving friend.
Weiss bit her lip, sitting uselessly beside her unconscious and mourning teammates. Zwei tried to cheer her up by nudging her with his nose and licking her, but even he could not bring the slightest smile to her face. Nor could she find the voice to try to comfort the quietly crying and apologizing Blake. Not when she wanted to cry herself.
It was just so… heavy. They were alive but Weiss knew they had lost.
Even Nora was silent and withdrawn, solemn eyes flicking from injured friend to injured friend. Occasionally she would look over her shoulder before quickly turning away, shoulders hunching. Morbidly curious, Weiss looked with her and her heart became a lump of ice.
Arthur, Kiku, Ludwig, Ivan, and Feliciano were gathered around Francis, who lay limp and still on the ground, his chest barely moving. Weiss knew only bits and pieces of what had happened— having been chased away by an Arthur who looked distraught enough to actually attack her— but had pieced together that the flirtatious blond-haired man had taken a hit meant for Blake.
Seeing him so quiet and pale was almost as bad as seeing her team in such dire straits, reminding Weiss of how they could not protect themselves or anyone else in the end. It did not help that Arthur was holding Francis, carefully brushing his fingers through his long blond hair with an agonized expression on his face.
Weiss did not allow herself to break down. She did not let herself openly sob like Feliciano was currently doing. She had to be the calm one for the unconscious Ruby and Yang, the exhausted Ren and Nora, and the crying Blake. She had to be the one who was closest to normal. Because if she was not normal, then that would mean things were wrong.
Weiss was not that surprised when Sun sat next to her. The Faunus looked as tired as she felt, and did not dare speak to any of their grieving friends either. He was a rapscallion, and an idiot, and obnoxious, but in that moment Weiss had never been so glad to see him.
"How are you holding up?" he whispered.
"Well enough." She said evasively. "I'm not hurt." She exhaled softly and clung to her usual dismissive demeanor. "If you came for information, I don't have any. We still don't know where Jaune, Pyrrha, Alfred, Matthew, or Gilbert are."
"They'll be okay." Sun said optimistically. "They're strong."
"We're 'strong' and look at us." Weiss wanted to snap at him.
She held her tongue and looked back at Francis. It was better than looking at her own team and thinking about all the things she should have done differently. She should have gone to the stadium with Ruby. She should have stayed with Blake. She should have searched with Yang. She should have—
Weiss stood abruptly and walked over to Alfred's friends and family. She nearly froze when Arthur's head snapped up and he glared at her.
"What do you want?" he growled.
"I-I…"
Weiss scrambled to supply an answer. To say she was sorry? To scream that he wasn't the only one grieving? To burst into tears? Her gaze locked on the bloody bandage around Francis's chest and her breath caught. She remembered Blake staggering up to her with Yang over her shoulder, brokenly telling her about their injuries. Hadn't she mentioned Francis did not have Aura?
"I can help him." She blurted, voice growing more confident as she gained a purpose. "If I unlock his Aura it will heal some of the damage."
Arthur's eyes darkened but Feliciano responded before he could. "You can help?" He stood up and gripped her hands with his. "Please do it!"
His open eyes were a deep shade of brown but they reminded her so much of Ruby's it hurt. Weiss pushed said hurt aside and sat beside Francis, taking a breath. She may be low on Aura but she had more than enough for this. She could do something. She could help. Under Arthur's watchful gaze, she put a hand on Francis's chest.
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of honor and hope to rise above our privilege. Infinite in aspiration and unbound by chains, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, give courage to thee."
There was a flash of deep blue light. Francis stirred, eyes fluttering slightly, but did not awaken. Weiss instantly noticed that his breathing was better. Arthur carefully peeked under the bandages and relaxed.
"It's smaller." He gently shifted the wrappings back into place, not looking at her. "…Thank you."
Weiss smiled through her exhaustion. "You're welcome."
She pretended to be content to sit with them when in reality she was not sure she could stand up again. Unlocking Francis's Aura had taken a lot of her own, but it was worth it if it saved the man's life. They had already lost so much.
No more unnecessary sacrifices would be made today.
XXXXXXX
Pyrrha and Jaune ran from the tower, with the knight carrying the still-weakened Alfred over his shoulder. Once they were outside, Jaune set the twin down, prodding hurriedly at his Scroll. Alfred did not voice a complaint or even seem to notice he had been set on the dirt. He merely gazed at the sky with glazed blue eyes, unnaturally quiet. Pyrrha's stomach twisted uneasily at the sight.
"I have Glynda's number in here somewhere." Jaune said before she could act on her feelings. "Come on, where is it…"
As he frantically searched, Pyrrha looked back at the tower, watching for Cinder. Alfred just continued to stare at nothing, a slightly pained look on his face. The champion wanted to comfort him but the words were stuck in her throat. She could not even force herself to touch his shaking shoulder, driven by the fear that contact might make him worse. Or maybe it was something else that kept her away.
After a couple seconds of failure, Jaune gave a small oath and pocketed his Scroll. "I can't find it." He spat. "We'll have to go look for them."
A distant roar alerted them and Pyrrha identified the noise as that of flames. Alfred flinched violently, gaze snapping towards the tower, and his already pale skin turned ashen. Realization struck and Pyrrha's heart leapt into her throat as Jaune went bone-white.
"But… Ozpin…" he said faintly, disbelief clear in his voice.
"There's no time." Pyrrha said sharply. "Take Alfred and go."
Jaune's eyes widened as he understood her plan. He shook his head fiercely. "No way. You can't fight her. She's too strong for us. We need to get Alfred out of here." He looked around frantically. "There has to be a car or an airship or…" He caught sight of a few abandoned lockers. "There!"
The knight grabbed Alfred and carried him to a locker. He set the confused twin inside and Alfred finally reacted. He gave a low mumble of protest, moving sluggishly but was apparently too weak to get out on his own. Whatever energy he had used to protect them in the vault had been spent, leaving him horrifically vulnerable.
He can't defend himself, Pyrrha realized, horrified.
"We can launch these into the city." Jaune explained. "It's not the most dignified exit but it'll give us a head start ahead of Cinder."
The roaring was growing steadily louder. Cinder was coming. They needed to get away, fast. Except, Cinder could fly. Even if they launched themselves into the city, she could probably follow. She would follow. She wanted whatever power was in Alfred and would stop at nothing to get it. And Alfred was helpless. He could not protect himself.
"Protect him with your life."
Pyrrha knew what she had to do.
Jaune yanked another locker door open. "You take this one. I'll take the last one and activate it with my Scroll. It shouldn't be—"
Pyrrha grabbed his face and kissed him. Their warm lips touched and time slowed to a crawl, everything in the world fading away and leaving only the two of them. Pyrrha wanted to stay like this forever, together with him, but she knew she could not stay. She pulled away, one hand cupped on his cheek, and took in his kind blue eyes one last time.
"I'm sorry." Pyrrha whispered.
She shoved him into the other locker, slamming the door shut with her Semblance. His scream to stop tore at her heart but she stayed resolute, deafening herself to his cries. She ignored his pleas and pressed the correct buttons, stepping back without another word, and Jaune was flown away. Taking a shallow breath Pyrrha did the same to the silent Alfred's locker and watched it fly off.
She did not say goodbye. Saying goodbye implied they would never see each other again, and Pyrrha refused to believe that outcome would be the case. She may not know all the stakes but knew what she had to do. Cinder was after Alfred. She was responsible for the attack on Vale. She was a threat to the peace and the world. She had to be stopped.
And so, for her Kingdom and her friends, Pyrrha would fight.
She turned back to the tower and went to face her destiny.
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Ring ring ring!
The sound of his Scroll going off made Canada jump a foot into the air, tripping over his own feet. The Deathstalker he had been fighting saw his distraction and lunged, and it was only thanks to his quick reflexes that he avoided getting stabbed by its tail.
The nation waited for the scorpion-like creature to jab at him again and dodged, making it stick its stinger into the ground. Quickly, he sliced it off, making the creature screech and stagger. Prussia took the opportunity to get past its pincers and stab it in the mouth, slaying it. The deed done, Canada took a breather and answered his still-ringing Scroll.
"Hello?"
"Matthew! You have to save her!"
Canada flinched as Jaune's panicked voice came through the Scroll, holding it away from his ear.
"Jaune? What? Save who? What are you talking about?" Canada asked rapidly. Prussia wandered over to listen in.
The knight's next words made his heart sink. "It's Pyrrha! She's gone to fight Cinder at the tower. Al and I were with her but she shot us into the city because Cinder's after him and now she's facing that woman alone. You're the closest to the tower. You have to help her!"
"You're with Alfred? Is he okay?" Canada asked urgently. His stomach dropped. "Wait, Cinder's after him?!"
Oh God, she knows.
Even though neither he nor Mantle had witnessed it firsthand, it did not take a genius to figure out Cinder was the one responsible for the previous Vale's condition. Canada ignored the surge of second-hand guilt for 'his' involvement in how the madwoman found the previous Vale, focusing on Jaune.
"We… got separated." The knight sounded dangerously close to tears. "The lockers sent us to different parts of the city. Please, I'll look for him but you have to save Pyrrha. Please."
"I…"
Canada could not decide. Pyrrha was in danger. But America was too. Cinder was fighting Pyrrha but Cinder was after his brother and wanted him dead. If he went to Pyrrha, America would be in a Grimm-infested city, alone. If he went after America, Pyrrha could die and Cinder would be after him as soon as the obstacle in her way fell.
Pyrrha or America?
His friend or his brother?
Save the life of a human he barely knew or seek the nation their enemy sought for unknown purposes?
Prussia gave him no answers, merely stood at his side and scanned their surroundings. Red eyes silently told Canada that it would be his decision. There was no time to delay. He had to choose now. He had to choose which person to help, and risk losing the other. The pressure of the situation left Canada breathless and he squeezed his Scroll, barely stopping himself from breaking it in half.
What would America do?
Canada knew the answer.
He made his decision.
"We'll help Pyrrha. Find Alfred." he commanded.
Jaune gave a shuddering breath. "Thank you."
Right before the line went dead, Canada heard him give an anguished scream.
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Cinder casually strode out of the tower, unsympathetic to the pain and destruction she had caused even as she passed through the middle of it. Far above, the Grimm Dragon circled the tower, shrieking eerily, and tore a few more chunks from the building. The woman smirked, but ignored it for now. She had something else to deal with before she could finish her plan. It was a small problem, almost inconsequential, but she wanted to take no chances. Still, solving the last-minute complication would be simple.
Alfred F. Jones just needed to die.
His death was not necessary— she already had enough of Vale's Aura to reach the Relic— but the thought of sharing her newfound power infuriated her. The boy had stolen the power that rightfully belonged to her, and she would retrieve it. Preferably from his cold, dead body.
Cinder had to admit that she was upset by recent developments. She never thought Atlas would find a way to transfer a nation's Aura to another person. Then again, she had expected to retrieve Vale's full Aura during the initial attack. It did not matter in the end. She would get what she was destined to.
Cinder heard a metallic noise and leaned casually, allowing Pyrrha Nikos' weapon to fly harmlessly past her head. The girl sprang from behind a boulder shield-first, and Cinder blocked her strike with both arms. Pyrrha flipped, summoning her weapons back to her as she stood in a practiced stance, and Cinder's eyes glinted.
"Where is he?" she demanded.
Pyrrha's response was to throw her javelin at her. Cinder dodged it and blasted fire at the girl, who rolled out of the way. She summoned her weapon and pushed against the flames with her shield, dashing in close, and sliced. Cinder caught the weapon and shoved her back with a fire-blast to the gut.
The girl hit some rubble with a grunt but was on her feet in a second. Cinder slammed into her and they grappled, the champion tossing the woman over her shoulder. Cinder landed on her feet and threw another wave of fire, making the grass and flammable rubble burn. Pyrrha kept attempting to get in close, but Cinder had no intention of fighting with weapons. She wanted the pleasure of defeating the 'prodigy' with her new strength.
Cinder gathered her power, sending a blast of fire outward. The force of it sent Pyrrha flying backwards, slamming into the base of the tower. She fell to her knees, winded, and Cinder threw a sword-like slice of flame. The girl rolled, picking up her weapons, and threw her shield through the fire.
Cinder batted it aside but Pyrrha tackled her, forcing her to grasp the champion's xiphos to keep it from slitting her throat. Cinder grimaced, holding onto the blade, but it did not cut through her Aura. She could feel it eating at it, the champion resolutely pushing against her Aura as she fought to end the fight.
The Grimm Dragon screeched, looking Cinder's way as it sensed its ally in trouble, but she refused to rely on it for rescue. She had the power of a nation. She was now more than human. And she would not be defeated by a little girl.
Cinder's eyes glowed green and fire burst from her body, striking Pyrrha like an explosion. The champion bounced off the floor, her weapons sent scattering, and smacked her head on the wall.
Her red Aura flickered and died.
XXXXXXX
Canada sliced a Griffon in half, shooting another as it tried to dive-bomb him. He looked around the Grimm-filled courtyard around the tower, teeth clenching. Prussia impaled another Griffon, scanning the area with angry red eyes.
"Do you see them?" he demanded.
Canada looked to the tower and flinched as the Grimm Dragon circled it again. The monster ignored the nations, focused completely on the man-made structure it despised. It gave an annoyed screech and slammed into the structure, sending the top few floors crashing to the ground. That done, it landed on the building, tearing more and more pieces away. The nation was so caught up in the sight that he barely noticed the flash of orange in the corner of his eye. As fate would have it, he did.
"There!" he shouted, pointing as he ran towards the fight. "We need to hurry!"
Canada could see them now. Pyrrha had thrown her shield but Cinder's arrow went around it, reforming like glass. The champion screamed as it struck her in the ankle, and Canada's stomach dropped. She was injured. That meant her Aura was gone. He pushed himself faster, faster. He had to make it.
Cinder walked in front of Pyrrha, apathetic and cold, as she spoke words Canada could not hear. She connected her bow, an arrow forming as she drew it back and aimed it at Pyrrha's heart. An anguished scream built in Canada's chest and he flung his hand out in desperation.
"NO!"
Snow and wind burst from his palm, shoving Cinder aside, but the arrow still flew, striking Pyrrha in the shoulder. The champion screamed in pain, but she was alive. Canada dashed to her side as she broke the arrow, clutching at the wound. Yet even with her injury, she smiled, tears of pain or relief in her eyes.
"Mattie." She croaked.
Canada said nothing, keeping an eye on Cinder as she rose to her feet. Amber and violet eyes locked, and both narrowed with loathing. He heard Prussia help Pyrrha to her feet behind him.
"Get her out of here." He commanded.
"No. I'm out of Aura but I can still fight." The red-haired girl claimed.
Her voice was slightly pained, but her tone was firm. She would not allow herself to sit out or be led to safety. Canada did not argue with her. There was no time to.
"Provide support. Only come close if you absolutely have to." He ordered, tone forbidding any arguments.
Prussia released Pyrrha and she fell back a step, shifting into a ready stance with a slight wince. Canada gripped Maple Frost tightly, gaze never breaking from Cinder's. She was the one to break the silence.
"Which one are you?" A sneer crossed her face. "Or did you steal the power like your brother?"
Anger pooled in Canada's stomach, red-hot and burning, but he remained calm. "You're such a hypocrite. You talk about stealing, but you're the one who stole her Aura. You are nothing more than a lowly thief."
Her eyes burned, both literally and figuratively. "I'm merely taking what was promised to me."
Prussia scoffed, unaware of the meaning behind her words but still unimpressed. "Keep telling yourself that, lady." He shifted his grip on his rifle. "Shall we get started?"
Cinder moved first. She threw a plume of flame at Pyrrha but Canada blocked it with ice, crystallizing the specks of dirt and smoke into projectiles and throwing them at the murderess. Cinder blocked the shards, melting many of them, and rushed in, swiping at white-haired nation parried the strike, attempting to stab her but she hit him at point-blank range, sending him through a wall. Thanks to his Aura, Prussia shook off the blow, getting to his feet.
Canada mentally complimented his past self for awakening Prussia's Aura as he swept Cinder's legs from under her, shooting her twice before being forced to back away to avoid getting burnt. Cinder got up and threw Dust-like glass in his face. Canada's glasses took the brunt of it but some still got into his eyes, blinding him. He moved backwards on instinct and felt a slight breeze as her sword whizzed past his throat.
Prussia reentered the fray with a battle cry and Canada heard the sound of two bodies colliding. He blinked rapidly and his vision cleared to see the red-eyed nation grappling with Cinder, hands locked around hers as they fought over her swords. Cinder ignited and sent Prussia reeling, only his Aura preventing him from getting a sword through the gut.
Pyrrha's shot hit Cinder in the temple and she swayed sideways, off-balance. Canada kicked her away from Prussia, swinging Maple Frost like he was hitting a goal. She retaliated with a fiery blast he barely avoided, his vision temporarily going orange due to the closeness of the flames. A slash nearly cut off his ear and did cut his hair, sending little wisps of blond strands to the ground.
Prussia stabbed at Cinder, unable to break through her Aura, and shot her in the stomach to no avail. She kicked the nation hard and he crumpled to the ground, weapon sliding away with a loud clatter. She twisted, aiming at Pyrrha, and Canada leapt between them, taking the brunt of the flames.
His Aura faltered, beginning to break, but he pushed through the fire, getting closer and closer to his enemy. Through the fire and the burning sensation just starting to grip him, Canada saw amber eyes falter with slight fear.
He was glad. Cinder deserved to know the fear she caused the people of Vale, the nation itself, Mantle, and his brother. She deserved to know what it was like to face someone she'd never beat. Canada did not know if his anger was Mantle's or his own, but he refused to let Cinder get away with what she had done.
With a roar, Canada broke through the stream of flames, striking Cinder directly in the chest with wind and snow. The murderess soared through the air, crashing through a light pole and into a large piece of fallen stone.
Her Aura wavered and broke.
Canada saw the realization cross her face before it contorted with anger. Cinder screamed in rage, sending out a final defiant blast of fire, and the three fighters were sent sprawling. Canada's vision doubled as his head smacked into the concrete and he lay still, head throbbing and spinning. He pushed himself up, eyes widening as he saw Cinder loom over him, murderous intent glowing in her eyes.
Cinder snarled, weapon raised to slash, and cried out as a bullet struck her in the back, right between her shoulder blades. She collapsed, amber eyes wide with shock, and Canada saw Pyrrha behind her, rifle smoking slightly. The violet-eyed nation rose to his feet, looking down at Cinder, who glared back at him hatefully.
"It's over." Canada said.
"Never." She spat.
She lurched to her feet, grasping her blades, and swung for his head. Canada avoided the attack, twisting his body aside, and locked Maple Frost's blade behind her neck. In a swift motion, Canada yanked the hockey stick and removed her head from her shoulders. The execution was quick and brutal but the nation did not want to take any chances. Cinder appeared to be human but looks could be deceiving.
Or they might not be. Cinder's body slumped to the floor, crimson, human blood pooling gruesomely, and it was only then that Canada allowed himself to breathe. He leapt back when green light burst from the murderess's unmoving frame, but it shot past him, heading into the city. Pyrrha gasped. Canada looked at her pale face questioningly, and he could see the effort it took her to speak.
"Alfred." She whispered.
Understanding struck Canada like a dagger to the heart and he went numb.
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Through the nauseating haze that had gripped him since the interrupted transfer, America felt it the moment Cinder died. His relief and sense of peace were short-lived, instantaneously slaughtered by his comprehension of what was about to happen. Vale's Aura was coming. And not just the portion Amber had previously possessed. All of it. He had expected to only get a piece of Vale's soul. He had never expected this.
America frantically glanced at the empty, demolished street around him but there was no one nearby. No friends, no allies, not even any enemies. He was completely alone. As his breath quickened and a chill ran down his spine, Alfred looked up at the shattered moon, trying to deny the hummingbird-like pounding in his chest.
He could feel the power coming.
"My name is America. Alfred F. Jones." He whispered. "My name is America. Alfred F. Jones."
He had to remember. He had to hold tight to who he was.
It was getting closer.
"My name is America. Alfred F. Jones. My name is America. Alfred F. Jones."
He could see the green Aura far above him.
"My name is America. Alfred F. Jones. My name is America. Alfred F. Jones."
Like a homing missile it sought him— and its missing piece— out, shooting downward.
"My name is America. Alfred F—"
Movement caught his eye.
A girl stumbled out of the rubble surrounding a nearby building, her hair in disarray and her clothes torn. She hobbled along, using her umbrella as a cane as she staggered away from the wreckage and towards safety. America did not recognize her or know her, but he reached out to her, desperate for any type of companionship and comfort as he faced his fate.
But a part of him did know her.
A part of him did recognize her.
Blue eyes locked with brown-and-pink irises and he called her name.
"Mistr—"
Vale's remaining Aura struck him.
Consciousness fled.
And the last thing America knew was pain.
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A/N: And there it is, people. I hope you enjoyed it.
Like I have said before, I wrote all of this before Volume 5 came out.
I debated on who would kill Cinder in the end for a long time. In my mind, Pyrrha would for canon reasons, while Canada would for this story's narrative reasons. In the end, you saw what I chose. Because he killed Cinder, all of Vale's Aura went to America. Only time will tell the consequences of this…
(starts humming Red Like Roses Part II)
What? I just like that song.
Thanks to everyone who commented, read, followed, favorited, etc!
Please review!