Chapter 76 – Donovan Gele


Ruby


They were coming…

The Howl of the Grimm echoed across Old Town, crashing through the ruined buildings and shattering everything in their path. The herd of Goliaths roared, trumpets raised and flicked back over their heads, eyes piercing with red burning coals for eyes. They charged and smashed through the buildings, crumbling them down their armoured shoulders. And they were not the only monsters coming, hordes of Lesser Grimm and many Higher Grimm were here too.

Including Nuckelavees, quite a few of them as well. Except these Nuckelavees were far younger versions than the Kuroyurian Nuckelavee. They charged like a Cavalry towards the blown open gates of Arcturus Base, and the first Nuckelavee jumped over the barriers they set up to try and stop them. The huge beast slammed its hooves down to the ground and it dragged its elongated arms down into the tarmac to steady the landing. The Imp riding the Equine Beast reared up and shrieked at the soldiers who aimed their rifles at the monster. The Nuckelavee launched its arm towards the soldier and stabbed the claws straight through the chest piece the combatant wore, impaling him against the wall. The Nuckelavee dragged its arm back to its side, coated in the soldier's blood, and the Horse reared back and roared to the sky.

Airborne Grimm flew overhead and the horde from Old Town poured through the opened defences, like a flood of darkness. "Fall Back! The Grimm are inside! Activate the defences!" One of the soldiers yelled, not even noticing that Ruby, Oscar, Pyrrha and Jaune were sprinting round their defences, using the attacking Grimm as a distraction. Ruby slid down into cover and she peered round the building, staring at the monsters as they attacked the Mercenaries.

"By the gods… that was close." Jaune gasped, but Ruby looked at Pyrrha and she saw the dread on her face.

"Pyrrha? What's wrong?" Ruby asked her, and Pyrrha looked at her Silver Eyed Friend.

"This is wrong, Ruby…" She said, staring at the slaughter as the Grimm poured through and over the defenceless walls. Ruby watched as soldiers dropped their weapons in total fear, not all of them were savages like the ones that they had to fight when they arrived here in the first place. Some of them were simply too scared to see any other path to take, or only did it for the money because they had no other way. "… we can't just let this happen."

"They're our enemies, Pyrrha. Let them die." Ruby coldly said, standing up and walking away from them. All three of them looked at each other and then at Ruby. Jaune sighed as he stood up, before Oscar and Pyrrha could even say the same thing that he was going to say.

"This isn't you. Ruby." Jaune told her, and Ruby stared at him. Her silver eye stared at Jaune and she looked back at the soldiers. Oscar could see it, there was still the girl inside her that welcomed him into their friendship group in seconds, the one that believed that the path to helping everyone was one worth taking. But her past, everything that has happened to her? It kept on bringing that dark side back into her thoughts.

"It is now, Jaune. They chose their path, and we chose ours. Let them die with it." Ruby said.

"No." Oscar disagreed, and Pyrrha stood with him. "Jaune is right, Ruby… this isn't you."

Ruby stared at them with confusion. "Are you three serious right now? Help them? They have been trying to kill us for the past six years! They are helping Umbra!" She argued.

"No they're not, they're just soldiers who are paid to follow the orders of their superiors. Kelham, Donovan and Jacques Schnee. They are the enemy." Jaune said to her.

"Oh yeah?" Ruby scoffed. "Think about that the next time one of those soldiers tries to kill you. I'm done being weak for people who couldn't use their heads properly."

"You once told me once that you wanted to be a Huntress because you wanted to save the day." Pyrrha said. "To be the heroes in the books…" Ruby stood there, not looking at them, but her eye said everything, it was wide and danced back and forth. From the path that the sun shined upon, and the side where nothing but shadows coated the surface. "You always believed that if you could save someone's life, if there was a chance to help someone… even bad people… then you would take that chance. This isn't you, Ruby – we all know it – and you know it too."

She felt the warm hand of Oscar touch hers and she squeezed her eye shut as she felt him. "Ruby… I understand how you feel, trust me I do. Sometimes… sometimes it feels like the only way to overcome a monster is to abandon our humanity – but we can't. Because we have to still come back when the job is finished. You can't just leave yourself in the past… otherwise there will be nothing left of you in the end. What is the point in winning the war when there is nothing left of us? Nothing left of who we were?" He asked here, and Ruby looked down at her reflection in the puddle…

… and for a brief moment.

She saw herself – the face she had before she lost her eye, her short her and two silver eyes… no scars… and she smiled up at Ruby. She stepped back from the puddle, eye wide as she held her slightly trembling arm. But the shaking faded when Oscar held her hand squeeze hers. She turned and looked into his eyes, and he smiled so supportively, pressing his head to hers. "But no matter what… I am always gonna be by your side. We all will… but please… show us that the woman I fell in love with is still in there. The woman we all chose to follow, no matter how high the odds were stacked against us. The woman who helped me overcome my fear of the world – and taught me to fight." Oscar said as he clenched his hand into a fist with a smile.

Ruby looked back at the soldiers, the ones who were terrified of the Grimm that attacked them. Some of them kept fighting, firing their rifles, but they were all scared. Ruby saw one of them, a young man – he was younger than her – trying to fire his rifle that was out of ammunition at a Beowulf that stalked towards him, foaming at the mouth and snarling viciously. Ruby narrowed her silver eye, and she clenched her fist before she spun Crescent Rose over her back as she stared at the Grimm, and Oscar looked at Jaune and Pyrrha.

Both of them smiled as they drew their weapons. "You're right – I am a Huntress." She said, finally – accepting herself for who she truly is.

What she always wanted to be…

A Huntress.

The soldier crawled back in fear from the Beowulf as it growled viciously at him, feeding off his fear as he tried to escape the monster. His fellow soldiers continued to battle around him, but the sheer force of the Grimm was simply too much for them to handle, just as it eventually was for Ares Nikos' brave Spartans. The Grimm charged and pummelled their combined force into the side of an Armoured Personnel Carrier, toppling the armoured vehicle onto its side, slashing the armour plating over and over again. The monsters continued to charge through, alongside more unknown Grimm Classes.

Teryxes.

Massive Draconid Grimm that rained fire down on anything beneath them, alongside Lesser Wyverns, Nevermores and more. But luckily, they were more focused on the air force over their heads, battling in the skies. The soldier whimpered as the Beowulf snarled viciously, ready to tear him apart. It lunged at him, claws extended and teeth foaming with saliva, until the red blur of petals saved the mercenary, cutting the Beowulf clean in half. Ruby stood in front of him with Crescent Rose in her hands, looking down at the soldier.

He stared at her with disbelief, of all the people that would save his life? It was his enemy… or at least the person his superiors claimed was his enemy. Perhaps they were wrong, he thought… and Ruby looked down at him. She held her hand out to him. "Don't make me regret this." Ruby warned, and the soldier accepted her hand, she pulled him back to his feet and he picked up his sword and rifle. He swiftly fired the rifle towards the Grimm that attacked his friends, looking back at her after he killed the Beowulves.

"Thank you…" He softly thanked, and Ruby spun Crescent Rose through her fingers, and blasted towards the monsters that stood in their way.

Helping the Acolytes of Lien? Gods… is this insane?

Well… if they still try and kill me then I guess they leave me no choice. But they're right, this is wrong, we can't just leave them to die.

Some of them… some of them are younger than me.

They don't deserve to die for the crimes of the ones who pay them.

Ruby turned as she heard the deafening howl of the Nuckelavee, and it launched its extended arm towards one of the airships that flew overhead. The clawed hand of the Grimm cut clean through the wing, blowing it apart and igniting the fuel cells. The ship spun out of control and crashed down into the base nearby. The explosion destroyed some of the buildings. The Nuckelavee's Equine half bucked and kicked a soldier so hard in the chest that it stopped his heart instantly.

Ruby blasted at the huge beast, yelling as she slashed her huge red scythe through one of the arms of the beast. The Nuckelavee shrieked in agony, severing the arm from its elbow, and the Horse kicked backwards from the pain. It staggered around the area as Ruby slid across the ground, she looked past the beast and saw the rest of them catching up to her. Pyrrha sprinted towards the Grimm and launched her shield into the chest of a Beowulf Alpha, staggering it before she called it back and launched Milo in its spear form into the huge Grimm's chest. The creature staggered from the sudden and hard impact of her spear puncturing through the plates of armour.

Black smoke leaked from the open wound, but the monster was not stopping. It grabbed Milo and ripped it from its chest, roaring at Pyrrha. It charged towards her, despite being wounded by Milo, but Pyrrha did not even have to move. She just held her hand out with an open palm, and her Polarity pulled Milo straight through the back and ribs of the Alpha Beowulf, shooting through the torso and landing in her hand. The Beowulf crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, damaging the tarmac on the ground.

Jaune charged forward as well, and slammed his shield into a Creep, knocking it down to the ground, before he drove Crocea Mors down into the throat of the creature. The beast was silenced instantly from his swift attack, before he curved round and locked the claws of a Beowulf against the blade of his sword. He brought his foot down into the knee of the beast, breaking the Wolven Grimm's leg, before he twisted round and beheaded it a single move. The Beowulf crumbled and disintegrated away into thin air.

Oscar shot past him, slowing the clock as he spun his sword through his fingers, slashing Traveller's Atrocity through each Grimm that was attacking the Acolytes of Lien. The Grimm died and faded from existence, and Oscar slowed down, sliding across the road as he stood back-to-back with Ruby. Jaune held up his shield as he blocked the incoming Quills of a Spiker. The creature snarled as it grew more of the bony spines, firing them from its long tail towards him. Jaune protected the soldiers with the shield, before he sprinted toward the beast, keeping the shield open so then the Spiker could not land a decent hit on him. Each spike broke as it hit his shield, before he ran up some of the chunks of rubble from destroyed buildings, and he jumped high in the air, throwing Crocea Mors down towards the creature, killing it instantly.

Jaune landed down inside of the cloud of thick black smoke that swirled around him, pulling the sword from the road. He turned to the Mercenaries, most of which looked thankful, but others still had that look in their eyes… or some still wore their helmets. "If you wanna live then help us save the others!" Jaune called out, and some of the soldiers picked up their weapons.

But as Jaune turned, his eyes widened as he heard one of the guns cock, aimed directly at him. He stared at the soldier, stood amongst the others who were agreeing with Jaune. "A bunch of cowards, huh? These bastards are our enemies!" The soldier yelled with anger, Jaune knew that they could not save them all – they already killed a few. But most of the Acolytes of Lien were still soldiers completely loyal to their superiors – and cannot be convinced.

"It doesn't have to be this way. None of us came here with the intent of killing you all… only those of you who stand in the way of the Embered Grove." Jaune warned, because Ruby was not the only one who had turned cold at times. He was not afraid to spill blood either – none of them were.

Not anymore.

The soldier kept his rifle aimed at him, but as they all stood there, they all turned and gasped as the Goliaths charged through the walls, bellowing to the sky, smashing the soldiers beneath them with their heavy legs. Ruby gasped as she saw them all pouring through. The soldier scoffed, smirking at Jaune. "You say you never came to slaughter us? Well… look at what you have brought." He chuckled with a smile, and Jaune glared at him, before the soldier fired his rifle at him, Jaune lifted his shield and blocked the incoming shot, and charged towards that soldier, running his sword straight through his sternum. The Acolyte of Lien gasped in agony as he felt the huge blade be rammed through him like that.

Jaune pulled Crocea Mors from the Mercenary's chest, and he turned to the soldiers. Some were scared, some were uncertain…

"Make your choice, choose your side. None of us have time to think about it anymore." Jaune told them all, walking past them to help his friends battle against the Grimm.

"We can't hold them back! The ones that were closest to the walls are dead, we can't even get close! Any of you wanna survive, then come with us! Help us take down Kelham!" Ruby called out as she held Crocea Mors down against the ground, she turned and saw the same Nuckelavee pacing back and forth, regenerating the arm that she cut from its body. The beat snarled as it paced, and the Grimm from Old Town just kept pouring inside of the base.

Even if we manage to win this battle against Kelham… how are we gonna clear these things out?

The soldiers who were close to them all looked at each other, some of them were shooting hateful glares at them, whilst others were different. Ruby stared at them and then looked past, hearing the Grimm getting closer and closer to their location. Goliaths smashed through the buildings, easily allowing the Grimm to pour over their defences, ripping the poor soldiers at the walls apart.

They were the only reason these soldiers were still alive – because the others were food for the creatures of darkness.

Ruby then looked back, seeing the stormy clouds on the other side of Arcturus Base where the Maidens were battling against the Acolytes of Lien. Where the White Fang Dreadnaughts and air force were fighting hard against the Acolytes who were still loyal to Kelham. Their friends needed help, and they could use the help of these soldiers to stop Kelham… and put the Acolytes of Lien down as an enemy once and for all.

Ruby looked at the soldiers in front of them, and some of the soldiers held their guns in their hands… but they were not aiming them at their faces, they just held them. Whilst a couple remained loyal to Kelham – the rest of them did not want to die.

And Ruby could see it.

She was still that girl inside – she just had to stop being afraid to believe in doing the right thing.


Kassius


"Two against… a fuck-tonne." Kassius sighed as he held Lash Equinox tight, with Velvet stood to his back, forming a Hardlight Replica of Gambol Shroud in her hands. The Merlot-Controlled Grimm surrounded them alongside the Valerian Knight abominations. The androids designed from the tormented souls of sold Faunus Slaves… that were Dead Men Walking. They were no longer living at all, just monsters that were driven by coding that infected their once living minds.

The Valerian Knights were here in two Forms – the Guard and the Grenadiers. The Grenadiers were bulkier than the Valerian Knight Guard Class, and had white and black painted metal armour plates, alongside a massive Grenade Launcher that could also switch to a powerful machine gun. Very similar in design to Gianduja as well, perhaps it was inspired by her weapon?

The two skilled Hunters looked at the Valerian Knights as they surrounded them, alongside the Glowing Green Mutated Grimm that surrounded them. Velvet glanced at the windows of his office, and they were inside of some kind of Observation Building underground, and the chamber that was all around them? There was a deep green hue beneath them, one that was created by the amount of Incomplete Grimm down there, ones that were not controlled by Merlot of Donovan's directive.

In other words… they were feral.

The sound of them all roaring and trying to escape could even faintly be heard through the windows. Kassius stared at Donovan, who stood at the window with a grin, confident in where he stood. But Kassius and Velvet were both formidable warriors, and even their enemies could struggle against them. "KILL THEM!" Donovan bellowed through the speakers and the Grimm roared with fury. One of the Mutated Beowulves charged towards Kassius and jumped straight at him. Kassius ducked down whilst Velvet threw Gambol Shroud. The Grappling Hook caught onto one of the rafters, and she swung all the way around the room, and slammed both her feet into the chest of a Valerian Knight.

The Android barked with anger as it crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, and Velvet flipped and landed on her feet. She slashed the Katana forged from Hardlight Dust across the armoured steel that surrounded its body, and the metal plating opened up, sparks bled from the wounds. The Valerian Knight snarled as it staggered back, but it spun round with its long stave and slashed it towards Velvet. The Huntress backed up and rolled across the ground, avoiding the incoming weapon as it cut clean through the empty Test Tank. The glass shattered instantly, and the Valerian Knight sprinted at Velvet, and slammed its knee into her chest. Velvet grunted as she was pinned against the wall by the skilled machine.

It stared at her and went to skewer her skull into the wall, but she ducked down and drove the Hardlight Gambol Shroud into the chest of the machine. She twisted the blade and broke off one of the plates. She slammed both her feet into its chest, knocking it back, before she through and wrapped the cable of Gambol Shroud around the neck of the Valerian Knight. She jumped over its head and slammed down to the ground, the cable yanked the machine downwards with immense force, its head hit the ground hard and suddenly.

But it was not destroyed, the body of it rotated round and it slammed its fist into Velvet's chest. She was thrown up into the air but as she floated in the air, Gambol Shroud switched to Milo and Akoúo. She launched the Spear down and it stabbed clean through the Valerian Knight's chest, piercing straight through its chest and hitting its power core. The Valerian Knight created a deep thrumming groan as it powered down. It fell to its knees before crashing down to its chest.

Velvet landed on the ground and she smiled, until her eyes widened, and her ears turned, hearing the sound of one of the Valerian Knight – Grenadier Class Androids aiming its powerful weapon at her.

Kassius on the other hand was battling against the Grimm controlled by the mad scientist. A huge Beowulf – modified and mutated by the Advanced Devil's Saliva Serum that Merlot created many years ago, the monster stood on its hind legs. Razor sharp claws that glowed green like the rest of its body, gritted teeth and snarling viciously. Kassius smirked, ready to fight. "Come on then, you son of a bitch." He snarled, and the Beowulf roared at him, it ran towards him and slammed its fists into the ground. Glowing green energy channelled through its body, shattering the floor, snapping and shattering some of the plates of steel that was beneath them. The ground ruptured and Kassius jumped up in the air, avoiding the attack. He flipped over the head of the Beowulf, and slashed Lash Equinox up its spine. The beast growled in anger, long sharp and glowing green spines grew from its back.

It reached and grabbed one of them, ripping it from its back and launching it towards Kassius like a Javelin. But Kassius jumped up in the air and flipped backwards, bringing the blade of his sword upwards so then he could cut the spine in half whilst in flight. It worked and he landed on the ground, spinning round and throwing his sword into the chest of the beast. It staggered back and growled savagely, staring at Kassius as it regained its footing. These things were tougher than your average Grimm, but at this point Kassius had that pretty much seared into his brain.

This was not the first of Merlot's Creations he had faced.

The Beowulf grabbed the sword lodged into its chest, and it growled with anger… it was surprising. Grimm were always filled with an endless fury in their hearts, but they never expected to see a Grimm that could be… angrier… than usual Grimm. But that seemed to be a side effect of the mutations that Merlot gave them thanks to the Serum. The Beowulf snarled and it charged towards him and slashed its claws at Kassius. The Huntsman ducked under the incoming claws, and it swung its other hand at him again. Kassius stopped its arm with his cybernetic one, before he drove the other sword into the gut of the monster. It roared with agony as the green blood leaked down from its gut, then he twisted the sword and ripped it open.

The Beowulf howled in agony as the insides of the creature spilled out, instantly disintegrating into thin air, but the Beowulf was still not going down without a fight. It grabbed Kassius by the shoulder and swung round, throwing Kassius towards the window where Donovan was. Kassius bounced off it, protected by Hardlight Shielding as well. Donovan scoffed a chuckle as he stood there, and Kassius fell to the floor with a thud. "Ow…" He groaned, looking up to see the Beowulf charging towards him, and from here he could see the cracks forming in its body. As it was starting to explode from the damage done to its body.

Kassius chuckled, grinning as the beast charged towards him. "Come on, buddy-boy… I wanna set off some fireworks." Kassius said, he looked at Coco and at the device that was holding her up. There were four of the arms that unleashed those electrical restrains, holding her in position.

If I can free Coco… this whole fight will be ours.

All they need is her Winter Maiden power, and it does not matter how many monsters that Donovan throws at them, they won't be enough to stop a Maiden. Kassius waited for the Beowulf to get closer and closer, and when it was close enough? He fired Vulcan Nox behind him, just as Yang Xiao Long would blast herself into action, and he drove Lash Equinox into the skull of the monster. He dragged the monster towards the centre of the room as it started to explode. He roared with all his might, throwing the exploding Abomination towards the Armature that was restraining Coco's right arm. The Mutated Beowulf exploded violently in a bright green flash of flames, blasting chunks of Grimm Shrapnel across the room. Cracking the bullet proof glass and angering the Captive Mutants down below.

The Armature exploded, shattering and the glowing green blood melted the steel down. The forks of lightning ceased around her arm, but they blasted off in different directions. "You're gonna die, Donovan!" Coco yelled with rage, she may know that Yatsuhashi and Fox are alive, but she did not forgive him for that illusion… in fact… it angered her all the more.

"I think not, my dear." Donovan said from the safety of his office, pacing back and forth with his arms behind his back. "I have more where that came from." He assured, unleashing more of the Mutated Grimm upon them. Kassius turned and he smirked as the Mutated Creeps emerged from their cages, twice the size of normal Creeps and far more dangerous thanks to their explosive deaths. They roared and charged towards them, but due to the metal ground and the fact they were not on Solid Ground itself? They could not tunnel underneath them, which gave Kassius the advantage.

"Velvet! I can free Coco, but if you need my help them just call me!" Kassius called, turning to see Velvet battling against multiple Valerian Knights on her own. She conjured her own version of Fulcrum – Yatsuhashi's Massive Sword – and she launched the Hardlight Forged blade towards the Grenadier. The machine was instantly destroyed by the huge holographic blade that stabbed straight through its body, shattering the mechanical body like glass. The Huntress spun round and she formed a Hardlight version of Akoúo, using it to block the incoming bullets that came blasting towards her from a second Grenadier, and another Valerian Knight Guard rushed her with the Stave in its hand.

Velvet threw Akoúo into the head of the Valerian Knight, it bounced off the red and blue head of the Android. It bounced back and returned to her hand, then she switched from the two weapons to Magnhild. She fired the pink grenades towards the Valerian Knight, and then she charged towards the Grenadier, transforming the Grenade Launcher into its iconic Hammer Form. She jumped up in the air and yelled, bringing the hammer down with all her might atop the head of the Grenadier, crushing its skull. The plates of metal broke apart, sparks of electricity poured out alongside coolant from the tubes, like blood spraying from a wound.

The Grenadier collapsed to the ground and it shook itself apart in a violent explosion, but Velvet rolled out of the incoming path of burning shrapnel. Velvet looked forward and her eyes widened as the Valerian Knight sprinted towards her with its Stave spinning through his robotic fingers. It jumped up in the air and it stabbed it down to the ground where she was stood, creating a pulse of electrical energy. Velvet cartwheeled backwards, and she shifted from Magnhild and chose to form a Hardlight Replica of Myrtenaster. She arched her arm and aimed the tip of the fencing sword towards the Valerian Knight and shot towards the machine.

She slashed across its side, sparks burst from its side and it grunted, until it swung round and jabbed the tip of the spear towards her, one after the other. But Velvet cleverly deflected each incoming strike with the sword, before she slashed one of the mechanical legs. The piston hissed as it broke, bringing it down to its damaged knee. The Android groaned; sparks leaked from the many wounds inflicted upon the machine.

Velvet jumped backwards and she shot herself off the wall behind her, and she drove the Hardlight Duplicate of Myrtenaster through its glowing blue optic. She destroyed it instantly, like a bullet through a skull. Sparks and fluid leaked from its head, and she pulled the sword out from it. As the Valerian Knight crashed to the floor with a heavy thud, and she turned to see Kassius stood there with wide eyes. "Y'know what? Forget what I said, you've got this." He assured, turning to the Mutated Creeps charging towards him.

Kassius cracked his neck and kicked the other Lash Equinox Sword up in the air and he waited for the monsters to get closer and closer. The Bipedal Grimm roared as it sprinted at him, snapping its heavy jaws at him. Kassius clenched his cybernetic fist and punched the Mutated Creep in the face. Cracking the bone armour, and due to its weaker design, that was enough to weaken its body to the point of explosion. However it still needed more to take it down.

"Kassius! If you can get me free, I can help us!" She called out, she tried to use her Maiden Powers, but the device was blocking them, in a similar way that the Aura Transference Device.

"I know! It's what I'm trying to do! These Mutated Grimm bastards explode, I can destroy those Armatures holding you up and blocking your powers." Kassius replied, staring at the Creep that he just punched as it got back up. Three others charged at him, and one of them started to destroy itself, cracks spread across its body, suicide striking Kassius. It exploded, throwing Kassius back and he crashed against the wall. He grunted in pain as he hit the wall, pushing himself back up to his feet.

He only had the last three now, since the fourth just exploded on him. The Creeps snarled as they paced back and forth, reeking with the green serum. One of them charged at Kassius but he flicked Lash Equinox downwards, which folded the blades into the hilts. He waited for the Creep to get closer, then he pummelled it in the head with his metal fist. The Creep growled, shaking as its body began to explode. Kassius took his chance, grabbing the creature by its tail and throwing it up towards one of the Armatures. It exploded and destroyed the second Armature, freeing her left leg from it.

"Yes! Just two more!" She called out.

"Got it!" Kassius assured, until one of the Creeps charged forward and smashed its heavily armoured skull into his chest. The impact knocked Kassius backwards, but he landed back on his feet, and as soon as the beast got closer, he smashed his fist into its face, so hard that the bony armour plating around its face cracked and broke off in places. Just like before, he grabbed onto its tail, and he twisted all the way around, and threw the creature towards one of the other Armatures. As it exploded, the lightning that surrounded her leg exploded with the arm. Snapped chunks of metal were thrown all over the place, and Coco freed her leg, dangling from only one more Armature.

"Come on… come… LOOSE!" Coco strained, trying to pull her arm free, but she couldn't. The energy was still far too strong for her to break free from the grip of the restraints. Kassius stared at the last of the Mutated Creeps, and it snarled, pacing back and forth as it kept its eyes on him. It growled, and charged towards him, but Kassius caught it by its jaws. It bellowed at him, and its hot, disgusting, breath blew his hair around. Kassius twisted the Creep's head so hard and fast that he snapped its neck and triggered the explosive end. He kicked it like a football, and it flew up and destroyed the final Armature.

Freeing the Winter Maiden…

… and Donovan felt true fear.


Coco


It was cold…

… frozen almost, like she was stranded in the Glaciers of Atlas itself. As soon as Kassius broke the final Armature that restrained her up there, it was like she was knocked out for a few moments… but then she saw her. Stood amongst the ice and the snow, was the Ice Maiden – the mysterious entity she always saw when she was a child after inheriting her mother's power when she passed. She stood there, looking away from her host, a dress formed from ice and snow, hair formed from the snows of winter, and eyes as blue as the sky.

Her skin was glittery like the surface of snow, and she turned to look at Coco, a beautiful smile on her face. She… looked so much like… Cynthia… like Salem. Because Cynthia was the first Winter Maiden, which meant that the Winter Maiden spirit appeared as her… even though she was still alive.

If you could consider her alive due to what she allowed herself to become.

"It's been a while since you spoke to me." Coco said to the Ice Maiden, and she turned to her with a smile.

"It has… because you never needed Guidance… but today I offer you some… advice." She softly said to Coco, walking towards her. The Ice Maiden stood before Coco, she was much taller than she was, yet she was so humble.

"Advice? What kind of advice?" Coco asked with confusion, and the Ice Maiden smiled.

"In a moment of grief, you gave into your rage. This was something the first Maiden gave into, and you know what she has become. All maidens have an Avatar, an echo of all the Maidens to guide one to their path… to protect people. But Cynthia never had that guidance, she once believed in helping people. But that hunger for power consumed her, and now? She is merely a fragment of who she once was." The Ice Maiden explained to her, and Coco looked at her own reflection… and she looked like Salem. Pale skinned and glowing red eyes with white hair, devoid of colour and life.

Coco looked at her. "Do not give into your anger, not like she did. Anger and Hatred, it just turns you into the very thing you want to destroy. And to have true power? To feel the fully realised power of a maiden? Your emotions must be viewed as your tools not your anchor." The Ice Maiden explained to her, and Coco closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When they opened… her reflection was normal again.

She was… herself.

"I understand." Coco said with a smile. "I missed, Icy Lady."

The Ice Maiden smiled and chuckled.

"No matter how alone you feel… just remember… the Maidens will always be with you."

Coco's eyes opened as she fell from the Armatures, and the white flames ignited from her irises, her emotions in check and focused on one task. Saving her friends and stopping Donovan from torturing anyone else. But she was not going after Donovan out of anger or revenge… simply to stop him.

Kassius looked at Donovan with a grin. "Oh, you're so fucked now." Donovan gulped with fear as he watched Coco land on the ground, white fire constantly crackled from her eyes. She lifted her head with a focused scowl, turning to see the cages that Donovan unlocked from his Office, and the Mutants charged out from them, and the remaining Valerian Knights charged towards her. Coco stood tall and she stared at the Beowulves and blasted a Blizzard at them. One so cold that the Beowulves froze solid in seconds, their clawed hands reached out to try and kill her, but she clenched her fist and shattered their bodies before they could even explode, managing to even freeze the Devil's Breath Serum completely solid.

As the ice sculptures of Grimm shattered, she held the ice shards in the air with her Wind Elements and launched them towards the Valerian Knights with an extremely powerful cyclone towards them. The shards shredded through the armour plating, breaking them apart and snapping the spears of the androids. As they broke into thousands of pieces, Coco lifted her head and stared at Donovan.

"I told you I was coming for you." Coco threatened, staring at him with a clenched fist, but she released her Winter Maiden powers.

Coco turned to see Kassius and Velvet… who seemed like there were… envious. "What?" Coco asked.

"We just busted our asses fighting these things and you did it in seconds." Kassius sighed as he crossed his arms, and Velvet did the same, both of them looking away from her. They both glanced at each other a grinned, since they were messing with her.

"Wow, okay." Coco scoffed.

"Ah, we're kidding. Come on, we need to get them out of those things." Kassius said, turning with Velvet, they both ran towards the tanks that Fox and Yatsuhashi were inside of. Both of them had wide eyes as they stared at Coco – she walked over to their tanks and she smiled, helping pull them off. She immediately hugged Yatsuhashi and Velvet did the same with Fox.

"You're okay… I'm so sorry for what happened. I am never leaving you again." Coco tearfully apologised, Yatsuhashi smiled as he looked down at her.

"I've missed you guys." Yatsuhashi said with a smile, immediately hugging Velvet as well as she ran to him. Fox also hugged Coco, making sure she was okay. Yatsuhashi then looked at Kassius and he smiled. "Kassius… it's been a while." He said with a smile.

"Too long, pal. Glad to see you're not dead." He said, looking back at Donovan, who was turning and running. "Oh shit, hate to say it but we need to save the touching reunion for later. Donovan's getting away!" Kassius called out, and just saying that was enough. Yatsuhashi and Fox gritted their teeth and clenched their fists. They both walked with Kassius. Coco and Velvet nodded, and they went with them, and Coco channelled her Winter Maiden powers into her hands and blasted an extremely powerful beam of icy magic into the window, breaking the thin layer of Hardlight Dust and shattering the window. She formed a sloped staircase of ice, one that all of them sprinted up to get to Donovan.

Kassius turned a corner and his eyes widened, just dodging a bullet from Donovan's pistol. He fired it at all of them and it was loaded with Shadow Dust rounds. Kassius took cover and the rest of them did as well. "Stay back! I will not die here today!" Donovan yelled, and Kassius scoffed.

"Well where're you gonna run to, Donovan? You can't get out of here!" Kassius called, more of the dark purple bullets flew past, and Yatsuhashi clenched his fist as he stared at their enemy.

Donovan stayed there, he was trapped in his office, but as he stood there, Velvet came up with an idea. She conjured Jaune's shield and held it up and sprinted down the hallway towards Donovan. "Velvet!" Yatsuhashi called out with concern. Donovan backed up and fired his pistol, over and over again at her but the Hardlight Dust blocked the bullets from hitting her. She kept sprinting towards him and slammed the shield into Donovan's chest. He grunted in pain, and the impact threw the Scientist across the room.

He groaned, and stared at his gun, and reached out for it, until Kassius' boot trod on it. Kassius glared at him, a faint flicker of Hyde's burning eyes behind his amber irises. "Time's up, Donovan." Kassius told him, and as Donovan stared at him… he could see Archer Merlot's face. Donovan chuckled as he sat against the table, staring at him.

"You do have your father's likeness." He said to him with a smirk.

"You and Watts are the reason that he became what he was, you do not get to tall about him." Kassius said with a growl.

"That so? He was never there for you; I knew him longer than you ever did – if you ask me? I feel like I have more place speaking about him then you ever did." Donovan chuckled, until Kassius kicked him in the mouth, so hard it knocked some of his teeth out. He spat blood from his mouth with a cough. Coco walked around him with her fist clenched.

"You… have hurt so many people for your sick experiments." Coco growled/

"As did Archer! I simply continued his work! But there you stand, spitting in my face? Defending the man who started these experiments in the first place? Oh-ho-ho, you children… you will never cease to amaze me with your stupidity." Donovan growled at them, but Coco grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the floor, slamming him down against the table.

"You seriously think you're in charge? You're nothing, and as Kassius said… are out of time." Coco growled.

Donovan smiled at her. "Am I?" He asked, until he suddenly grabbed something in the desk, and kicked Coco in the chest. Coco immediately went for him but Kassius stopped her with his metal hand, because he had the gun… and something else. It was a Gauntlet and he quickly put it on, and kept the gun on them all, before he opened his gauntleted hand, and it had Gravity Dust loaded inside of it. He pulled Velvet towards him and locked his arm around her neck, and he pressed the gun to her head. "How ironic… because from where I am standing? I have all the time in the world." He said as he kept the gun on her head.

"LET HER GO!" Coco yelled with fury, Yatsuhashi and Fox both ran around the corner and their eyes were wide.

"No… don't hurt her." Yatsuhashi begged.

Donovan Gele grinned, the gun with Shadow Dust loaded into it – he only had one shot left and pulled it to his hand with that Gauntlet. "Ah, Yatsuhashi and Fox – excellent timing."

"I said let her go!" Coco yelled.

"I think not, Winter Maiden. I release her, and you will kill me where I stand. And I quite enjoy living." Donovan explained as he walked round the table, moving Velvet with him. Velvet knew that if she even tried to fight back, she would be dead in an instant thanks to the damn Shadow Dust coated bullets.

"Enjoy while you can, because we're not gonna let you walk out of here alive." Fox snarled with anger; he could not see him… but he knew exactly where he was.

"On the contrary, now that I have your little Bunny Friend, I have a way out." He said with a smile. "Because if any of you take a step towards me or the girl? I will splatter the walls with her pretty face."

Velvet looked at them all and she started to come up with an idea. She glanced at Kassius and she mouthed the name – Hyde.

Kassius stood there and he closed his eyes.

Do you think you can do it, brother? Can you get him away from Velvet faster than he can pull that trigger?

Without a doubt, I just need the right moment, try and make him unready for someone to strike.

Kassius needed to keep him distracted before Hyde could strike. "Where's Kelham?" Kassius questioned. "I have some unfinished business with that Slaver Piece of Shit."

"I don't know, gone probably. I ditched the lunatic before I got here, the guy's cracking. This place is history, but I don't intend to stay around to see it burn." Donovan explained, showing how much of a coward he truly was.

Kassius looked out the window behind him, seeing all the Savage Mutant Grimm down there, snarling viciously. He saw the monsters he had made, and he narrowed his eyes, remembering the horrors they discovered at Menagerie as well. Their attempts to turn Faunus into monsters so then they could control them. "What exactly do you think you've created here?" Kassius questioned.

"A future, for us all. To defeat a monster you have to create monsters, and these weapons will help us stop him once and for all. Few people have the courage to do what it takes to survive, and our work? It will save countless lives. I will be remembered as a hero… and you? Either as a villain… or be forgotten completely." Donovan explained with a smile, and Coco scoffed.

"I doubt that." She said.

Kassius stared at him as he stood there. "Tell me… do you really think you will get out of here alive if you kill her? You don't have enough ammo to kill all of us, and I dunno if you heard but it's a warzone up there." Kassius explained to him. "Let her go, and we can make sure you make it out of here. We can put this all behind us."

"What? How thick do you think I am?" Donovan questioned. "You will kill me the second I let the girl go."

"My sister managed to make things right, Hazel did – who's to say you can't take that chance?" Kassius asked him, he looked at them all, and then at the second he lowered his pistol away from Velvet's head, Hyde suddenly erupted from Kassius. He launched towards Donovan and passed straight through Velvet, grabbing Donovan by the back of his collar and throwing him against the tough window. Cracks spread across it and the wind was knocked from the Mad Scientist's lungs.

"Y-You… you said…"

"You didn't let her go, though did you?" Kassius asked him as Hyde walked around him. He looked at Yatsuhashi and Fox and they all stepped aside. "He's all yours."

Yatsuhashi grabbed Donovan by the head and punched him in the face, so hard that it broke his nose. He whimpered in pain before Fox picked him up and pummelled him through the table, so hard the whole wooden table split in half. Blood leaked from his leg; shards of wood dug into his body. Then Yatsuhashi grabbed him by his arm. "No more Huntsmen or Huntresses will die screaming you!" He yelled, he swiftly yanked his arm in a single directly, breaking his shoulder and snapping his arm in a single movement. Donovan shrieked in agony, until Fox grabbed him and slammed him against the window, punching him extremely hard in the face.

"Kassius promised you that you would die screaming, would hate to break a promise!" Fox snarled, punching him in the face again and again. But as he leant against the cracked glass, both Yatsuhashi and Fox stood before him, fists clenched.

"And this? If for the hell you put us through!" They both yelled at the same time, both of them punched him in the chest, and the glass shattered, and Donovan screamed as he plummeted down into the chamber… with all the Feral Mutant Creatures of Grimm. He crashed to the ground, breaking his back on the floor.

But he was still alive.

"No… NO! Please! HELP ME! I DON'T WANNA DIE LIKE THIS! PLEASE SHOW MERCY!" He begged in agony.

"You never showed your prisoners any mercy." Kassius snarled, and they all watched as the glowing green Grimm converged around him.

"No! They're gonna kill us all! NO!" Donovan shrieked, crying with total cowardice… and then the Grimm swarmed around him, biting and ripping into him. His wails echoed through the chamber, and the sound of his flesh being torn apart everywhere. His screams became muffled from how many of them covered his body, devouring him – and his screams became higher and higher pitched as they ate him alive.

After a while… his screams faded way, and they walked away from the window.

Donovan Gele was finally dead, ripped apart by his own creations.


Author Note - Finally that nasty piece of shit is dead, and died a damn agonising death too, exactly as he deserved.

Man this was a cool chapter to write, showing Ruby remembering who she is supposed to be was a scene I really enjoyed showing. She may have gone down a dark path - but she is still Ruby Rose at heart.

Sorry for this one taking a while to come out. Writer's Block has been a real pain for the past week.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!

Stay tuned for the next chapter - The Aphax Violet

- Matt