Chapter 52
Author's Note: Enjoy!
Michael grinned as he pulled the joystick, sending his Hydra looping around before letting loose with the cannons and cutting down several Griffons with a single swipe. "Hell yeah!"
The Hydra and Lasers were unmatched against the Grimm in terms of speed and firepower. Sure, they lacked with agility, but that didn't matter since they could just outrun their opponents, loop back, and send a missile to turn them into dust.
He'd probably run out of room if he had to tally his kills on the back fin of the Hydra. He'd pretty much lost count anyway.
As he flew, however, he noticed a metal locker flying away from the school, and he pulled up next to it to find the door kicked open and Jaune hanging on for dear life.
"What the hell?!" Michael exclaimed, before pulling up the Hydra underneath it and opening the top, sending air rushing through the cockpit. "YO, MORON! GET IN!"
Jaune looked down before letting himself fall, slamming onto the wing before pulling himself forward. Michael reached over and grabbed him, draggin him and having him fall into a small space behind his seat just big enough to squeeze him in. With a grunt, Michael pulled the cockpit hatch shut before pulling on the joystick and sending the Hydra climbing, avoiding a Nevermore diving for him.
"What the hell were you doing out there?!" Michael turned in his seat, but then paused when he saw Jaune's empty look. "Hey, snap out of it."
"Pyrrha…" He whispered, before grabbing him. "Pyrrha's in danger! Please! You have to take me back to Beacon!"
"What?" Michael blinked. "Dude, I have to protect the civilian transports!"
Jaune looked out as two Bullheads and an airship lifted off the docks at Beacon and headed across, flanked by the two Lasers as they fired at the Grimm that swept over the vessels. Michael banked and let loose with the missiles, taking down several in a single sweep.
"How long will it take?" Jaune asked.
"Couple of minutes?" He shrugged. "I dunno, I've lost all sense of time."
Jaune pulled out his scroll, looking through the contacts desperately. He finally hit a number and held it to his ear. "C'mon…"
Jeremy's Scroll started ringing and he pulled it out as Ruby, Ray, and Penny pulled to a halt. "Jaune?! Where are you, buddy?"
"Jeremy! Please, you have to stop her!" Jaune yelled.
"Whoa, easy," Jeremy replied. "What are you-?"
"Pyrrha!" He interrupted. "She's going after that woman at the top of the tower! She doesn't stand a chance!"
"Jaune, what are you talking about?" Ruby leaned in from the side. "Where are you?"
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME!" He yelled, before his voice fell away, replaced by sadness. "Please. You have to save Pyrrha."
"We will," Ruby replied. "Are you okay?"
With a last flare, Jaune threw the Scroll with a scream against the side of the bubble glass, shattering the Scroll as he fell back, sobbing.
Michael winced, watching the spectacle before turning on his radio. "Pick up the pace people! Jack, get your Valkyrie up and running! Nikos is up against someone in the Tower, and she's gonna need all the help she can get!"
"Jaune? Jaune!" Ruby yelled into the device. They all suddenly looked up as the Dragon Grimm slammed down on one of the arches stemming from the tower, screeching into the sky as black ooze fell and Grimm started to spawn.
"What next, friends?" Penny asked, swords hovering around her.
"We kill Grimm," Ray replied, sniper out.
"I have a plan," Ruby announced, pulling out Crescent Rose and chambering a round.
"You always do." Jeremy grinned, pulling out his grenade launcher from his back and pulled the trigger, sending an Ursa flying.
Cinder smiled as she strolled through into the CCT tower, looking up as the enormous Grimm Dragon looked inside, giving a loud screech.
"Shhh…" Cinder spoke with a comforting tone. "This is your home now."
It gave a quieter screech, before suddenly crying out as an explosive round hit it on the back of its neck. The Avenger flew past, cannons blazing as it flew by, and the Grimm Dragon screeched before pushing off and giving chase through the sky.
Cinder frowned as she watched it. These vehicles were unfamiliar, unlike anything she had ever seen before. But no matter. Once her plans were complete, no vehicle or modified Bullhead would help.
She summoned a fireball in her hand, but she turned as the sound of sparks came from the elevator shaft. The moment the door opened, Pyrrha's spear flew out towards her, which she sidestepped, before blocking the shield that came next followed by the Spartan warrior herself.
It was taking its toll on Cinder's patience, how often she was interrupted, how many times she had to change plans and improvise, and now how many people she had to fight. Her eyes narrowed as she dodged, summoning a fireball in her hand. "So, you've come to die?"
"No," Pyrrha replied as she landed, her weapons flying back to her hands' thanks to her semblance. "I've come to beat you."
"You? Against the Fall Maiden?" Cinder laughed. "I'm going to love seeing how this turns out for you."
Pyrrha's eyes narrowed as she charged forward, while Cinder summoned her new powers and unleashed them on her foe.
"There's the tower!" Jeremy yelled as he ducked under an Ursa's swipe, shoving his sawed-off shotgun into its neck and blasting its head off. He then fired a grenade into a Beowolf and blew it into pieces behind him.
They'd finally pushed through the Grimm to reach the CCT tower, where flames and fire were visible through the shattered windows at the top.
"Penny!" Ruby turned to her friend. "Ready!?"
"Of course!" She smiled, pulling back her swords. She then shook one of the blades of the dead Beowolf stuck on it before arranging the blades into a round platform. "Be careful, the blades are sharp!"
"Still think this is a bad idea," Ray muttered as Ruby and Jeremy carefully stepped on the swords. He then fired back at the Grimm still charging from behind them with his Sniper rifle. "Just hurry, they're coming!"
"Calculating!" Penny looked up at the tower, the swords rising above the air before tilting towards the tower. Jeremy and Ruby both crouch as the swords started vibrating.
"Be safe, Penny!" Ruby smiled at her before chambering a round in her weapon.
"I always am!" She replied. With a sudden push, the swords catapulted them into the air.
It was a textbook shot. Both Jeremy and Ruby sailed high into the air, slowing as they neared the top. And at the apex of their ascent, they both landed on top of the tower without even a foot of falling.
Jeremy waved back at Penny, who was turned back with Ray to fight the waves of Grimm. He then turned to Ruby who was crouched by an access hatch.
"Help me lift this!" She called, eyes wide. "I can hear them below!"
Jeremy nodded as his ears picked up the woosh of flames and clashing of swords from below, and he nodded as he grabbed it and pulled it up. They both looked down to see Cinder and Pyrrha fighting, and they dodged back as a loose column of flame shot up the hatch from Cinder's attack.
"Who's she?!" Jeremy exclaimed.
"Whoever she is, she's attacking Pyrrha!" Ruby compacted her weapon and prepared to jump down. "We have to help!"
"Ruby, we'll just get in her way!" Jeremy grabbed her, but she yanked her arm away.
"Jaune asked us to help her!" She replied, eyes hard. His own eyes widened as he realized they were glowing. "And I'm not standing by anymore!"
Jeremy nodded, pumping his sawed-off shotgun before they both jumped down.
Cinder rose into the air as Pyrrha was knocked away again, and she smiled as she pulled back the arrow of her bow. But she then hissed as a mass of shotgun pellets struck her from behind, the arrow striking next to Pyrrha's head as she quickly dived behind cover. Cinder spun to find Jeremy and Ruby firing at her, running on either side of the room from behind.
"Ruby?!" Pyrrha exclaimed, before grabbing her shield and blocking a shot of flame sent to her from Cinder, who now grit her teeth as she rose into the air.
"I am SICK and TIRED of you nothings ruining everything!" Cinder roared, summoning fireballs and hurling them at Ruby, who dived behind a CCT communications port.
"We're not just gonna let you kill us!" Jeremy yelled back, firing grenades at her with his launcher. She just summoned a wall of fire which detonated them early. "We're not going down without a fight!"
"Yeah!" Ruby yelled, peeking above a port. "You're dumb if you think we'll do nothing! Eep!" She ducked down again as a fireball was flung at her head.
"You're all dead!" Cinder yelled, blasting fire across the room.
Pyrrha dodged the flames and threw her shield at Cinder with all her might, but Cinder just fired an arrow back at her. It shattered upon impact, but the fragments morphed back into the projectile, before hitting Pyrrha's leg. She cried out in pain, and Jeremy ran to grab her and pull her into cover.
Ruby lleaptinto the air, firing Crescent Rose behind her to send her flying towards Cinder, but she merely sidestepped the attack, grabbing Ruby's cloak as she passed and flinging her into a port, knocking the wind out of her lungs.
Cinder then strolled towards Pyrrha. Jeremy raised up and fired a shotgun blast, but he then cried out as a fireball hit his chest, sending him flying back. She then rounded the port to find Pyrrha sitting on her knees, breathing heavily with burns and cuts all over her body. She smiled to herself as she put away her bow, instead summoning a familiar red glyph on her hand.
"It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours. But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you can never imagine."
Pyrrha looked up at her. "Do you believe in destiny?"
Her eyes narrowed in response. "Yes."
With that, her hand slammed onto Pyrrha's head, and she screamed as a red and orange glow lit up both of them. Eventually, her cries fell away as she slumped over, a new burn on her face as she lost consciousness.
"PYRRHA!" Ruby cried out, eyes suddenly flashing.
Jeremy grunted, before his eyes widened. "WATCH OUT!"
There was an ear-piercing shriek and a whine, and they all looked up to see the Avenger spinning towards the tower, one engine in flames, as the Dragon flew after it. A cannon shot from the turret suddenly scored a direct hit and it shrieked again, flying blindly as it slammed into the vehicle and sent them both on a direct course of impact.
Straight to the CCT tower.
Jeremy lunged forward, shoving Cinder back as he shielded Pyrrha's body. Cinder herself cried out as she raised her hands, being pushed into an open area, and Ruby gave an enormous cry for her friend as her eyes glowed like spotlights.
"WHAT?!" Cinder yelled in complete shock, before crying out as the might of Ruby's silver eyes overwhelmed her.
There was a crash as both machine and monster collided with the building, and the CCT's main antenna, the one that connected the kingdoms, was bent out of shape, powering down as its power ceased to be, the top of the tower collapsing in a shower of glass, metal, and stone.
And across the planet, the towers went dark.
