I don't own RWBY
Sitting up slowly, Sun couldn't stop the groan that was torn from his lips. Why was everything spinning? Blinking he wince raising a hand to touch his head. He'd hit his head hard when Ruby had tackled him, but his aura had tanked the blow. Ruby!
Looking around for the girl he found her kneeling beside him her hand clutching her bleeding shoulder. While he'd been mentally whining, she'd already recovered enough to be protecting him the thought was enough to make him flinch. She must've put all her aura into her semblance to reach him in time. Bright red bloomed from between her fingers as she gritted her teeth; she looked terrifying. This was the first time he'd seen her with such a serious expression; it was far more troubling than the pain in her silver eyes. Pushing herself off the floor she didn't even spare him a glance as her hand landed on the hilt of her dagger, but he couldn't look away from her.
She'd shoved him out of the way; that bullet had been meant for him.
"Ruby," he whispered horrified at the blood slipping between her fingers; she was bleeding for him. His voice was answered by a low hiss as she shifted allowing her hand to drop from her shoulder. Her eyes were cold enough to make him shiver.
The sound of metallic feet walking toward them had him looking away from the reaper and reaching for his weapon only to freeze. They were surrounded by red screened Atlassian knights with guns pointed in their direction; was Atlas in on this attack?
Ruby could hear Oobleck screaming but ignored it. He wasn't important right now; this was the moment she'd been waiting for since she entered Beacon. Now all she had to do was let go and let the chaos swallow her whole. It was time for her to finally have some fun.
Unsheathing Thorn she moved leaving a trail of petals behind her; she was behind her target before the first of them hit the floor. Fire dust coated her blade as she sliced off the head of one of the knights with an internal cackle. Using the falling body as a springboard she kicked off aiming to the next one in line that raised its gun in a futile effort to shoot her. Burying Thorn in its head she looked up just in time to see the others go flying into the side of the arena; Pyrrha. Panting Ruby released the robot allowing it to drop to the ground as she ignored the pain in her shoulder which shouldn't have been so easy. Biting her lip as Cinder's voice began to come through the speakers, she forced back a smirk as she took a deep breath. Every instinct in her body called for carnage.
Penny gaped her hand covering her mouth as Ironwood ran past her to the commenters box hoping to stop the broadcast. Even she knew it was far too late for that. Atlas was painted as having attacked a huntress student while the chaos would drag grimm to their location. This entire attack had been planned and she had no idea what to do but get to her friend. Jumping into the arena she didn't hesitate to rush to Ruby's side as the arena stared in stunned silence.
Jaune watched Pyrrha lower her hand she'd used to control her semblance as rage and panic curled in his chest before following his girlfriend into the arena. He didn't have to be a genius to know that the feeling of dread in his chest was warranted. Blake stared at the screen in shock unable to comprehend seeing Ruby fall or have her leader bleed. Russel who'd been assigned to watch Blake during the match had dropped his drink onto her shoes. Cardin didn't bother to pay attention to Emerald, who seemed just as shocked as he was, and leaped over the railing. She wasn't nearly as important as Ruby was.
"You stupid little brat," Cardin hissed skidding to a stop beside her as she stumbled. Grabbing her uninjured shoulder, he kept her steady as her blonde puppy moved to amplify her aura. Sun looked up at the boy surprised but Jaune didn't seem bothered as he worked on healing the small girl. Cardin wasn't done however as he clenched her shoulder tightly. He'd known that today would kick off the Fall of Beacon, but he had no idea she would get hurt. He wanted to kill anyone who hurt her it was hard to force that back in favor of scolding her by asking, "what the hell were you thinking?"
"Sun would have gotten hurt," she defended making him feel like pulling his hair out. He needed her to realize that self-preservation was a thing, or he was going to pay a therapist his considerable inheritance to drill that into her head. Pyrrha gripped Jaune's shoulder as he healed the girl her voice shaking as she pointed out a bigger issue.
"Guy's there's a nevermore," she whispered as if being quiet would make it go away. It really wouldn't. Looking up at the grimm trying to peck its way into the Colosseum Ruby couldn't stop herself from licking her lips. She wanted to fight that.
Sun paled at the expression on her face as she said, "all of you should get out of the arena."
"No," Jaune protested pinning her with a glare, "you're not healed yet!"
"I agree with Arc, we're not leaving you here," Cardin stated causing her to groan. Really, they pick now to disobey her orders why not when there wasn't a giant bird breaking into the arena to kill them all. When the nevermore flew up higher to get a running start Ruby braced herself. The dark curse that left Cardin's lips would've been amusing if not for the force that they all flew back from when the grimm landing. Twisting in the air she tried to land on her feet only to crash to her knees. The pain that ran through her shoulder drove her to suck in a sharp breath. Glaring at the bird she bristled when it lunged toward them. It would not touch what was hers.
Staring they froze not knowing what to do without their weapons, Ruby burst into rose petals gaining a shout of protest from Jaune. Grabbing Crescent Rose off the ground and transforming it into glaive mode she buried the blade into the grimm's chest. Twisting the blade, she fought back a cackle at its pained shriek. Her silver eyes glowed slightly as she jumped back landing on her feet ready to defend the others. When the lockers rained down on the attacking grimm she almost sighed in relief.
"You okay little rose," Neptune asked as the two great sword wielders beheaded the grimm. Ruby touched her barely healed shoulder and smirked; nothing like pain to make her feel alive.
"I will be," she stated looking up at the sky. Roman's airship caught her attention along with the desire to see him, but she had something to do first. Looking at the now armed students she said, "we need to help protect Beacon. Is everyone ready to fight?"
"I'm combat ready," Penny said a determined look in her eyes. Cardin walked over to the others and met Ruby's gaze with a knowing expression.
"Good, I need all of you to get down to the school," she said walking over to a locker. The confused expression shared by all of them, but Cardin was far too amusing.
"What about you?"
It was Pyrrha that asked the question. Turning her attention to them with a wicked grin she couldn't contain her excitement. This was what she'd longed for; a moment that could bring her everything she desired.
"I'm going to have some fun," she said brightly. Seeing the realization in Pyrrha's eyes she winked as she activated the locker. It was just for an instant, but she could see the exasperation on the redhead's face.
"Ruby," Jaune shouted trying to rush forward only to be stopped by Cardin grabbing onto his hood.
"It's what she wants," Cardin stated causing them all to glare at him. A smug smile stretched across his face as he said, "you all treat Ruby like a child, why don't you try treating her like a huntress for once."
"She is a child," Jaune protested. He sounded more like a worried mother than a huntsman.
"Little Rose will be fine she's stronger than most of us combined, and we can worry after we help defend Beacon, after all she's the demon," Cardin said before starting toward the docking bay. He guessed it was the demon part that reminded them all why she was a terrifying force of nature since both Sun and Neptune nodded in agreement.
Ruby landed on the airship and shivered at how cold it was. Honestly couldn't they have staged this master plan in the summer when she wasn't going to freeze to death on an airship? Then again it would probably still be cold thanks to how high up she was; there was just no winning in this situation. Sighing as she reached her hand up and brushed her fingers over the hole in the shoulder of her jacket, as Roman walked out onto the top of the airship. The old man was going to kill her when he saw the damage done to it. Neo stalked her lover's heels unwilling to let him out of her sight. The last time she had he'd been beaten by a cat faunus and thrown into a holding cell the size of a storage closet; something that was simply inhumane. Not that she minded coming to his rescue. It was nice being looked at like she was a savior.
"Hello Red, fancy meeting you here," Roman said taunting the girl. Ruby lowered her hand from her shoulder but made no move for her weapons. Mentally telling herself not to say anything stupid she could feel the blood rushing to her face.
"Gods did you get more attractive like you looked good before but now... I think it's the wind," she said without thinking. Watching the criminal freeze in surprise she noticed Neo giggle. Once again, her mouth had failed her; that was just great. Yeah, she was just going to stop trying to contain her insanity. Shifting on her heels she asked, "Roman, do you honestly think flying an airship in the middle of a swarm of grimm is a good idea?"
"Well it might be up for debate," he mused looking around at the flying grimm around them. Neo would have laughed if she could, Ruby certainly did.
"Great so want to go inside and have some tea, it could be a date," she said causing Neo to raise an eyebrow. Wincing a bit, she said, "Of course, Neo can come too. I would love to go on a date with either of you or both of you."
Neo winked. The multicolored girl winked even as she sent a smirk at the younger woman while Roman chuckled.
Gods she was an idiot wasn't she; all it took was a wink and her knees felt weak. This wasn't fair. Coughing she tried to push down the teenage hormones in favor of broaching a more serious topic.
"So Roman why are you risking your life out here when you could take this ship and leave Vale," Ruby asked hoping he would ignore her earlier words. Leaning onto his cane he smirked causing her heart to flutter.
"I made a deal with the devil Red, nothing I can do now but see it though," Roman said and for the first time since Ruby saw her Neo's smug smile dropped into a frown. She hated seeing the woman frown.
"Make a deal with me then," she stated causing his eyes to widen. Cinder might be a devil, but she was something far more stubborn. Still, she would give them a neutral offer first. Meeting his eyes, she said, "leave Vale. Take the new identities Nic gave you and make a life for yourselves somewhere new."
"Not that easy Red," he managed to say he was amused though. Seeing her eyes spark with something darker he couldn't look away as she grinned.
"Then join me in conquering this world."
It was the utter determination and faith in her eyes that kept him from laughing at her. She was really going to conquer the world or die trying. Beside him, Neo had stuttered to a stop her grip on her weapon loosening as the young woman grinned at them. She honestly believed she could conquer the world; unlike Cinder she wanted him to join her not work for her. She was giving him the option instead of tethering him on a leash that tightened every time he breathed. Gripping his cane until his hands turned white, he felt something curl in his stomach as she took a step forward. Her vivid eyes were watching him like he was prey; just something to consume.
"If you want an empire, I'll give it to you. If you want justice, I'll make it happen. If you want safety no one will touch you. I'll give you anything you want, all you have to do it take my hand," she said softly.
Staring at the hand she held out to him he hesitated. Sharing a look with Neo who met his gaze with considering eyes, he knew that she was leaving the decision to him. It might've been a little late, but he was learning that Ruby wasn't the hero everyone thought she was. This wasn't a girl who thought she could rule the world with cake and unicorns; the aura of bloodlust curled around her was hypnotizing. This was a killer who wanted something badly enough to paint the rivers red. He wanted to see that; he wanted to know how far she would go to gain what she desired. Still... that didn't mean he trusted her. Taking her hand, he tugged her forward until their noses were almost touching.
"Never betray us," he warned in a dangerous purr that could've made grown men tremble. To the girl in front of him it did something very different.
Face heating up she felt her toes curl at the tone. Gods she was doomed. Don't say anything stupid. Just nod and walk away there was nothing else she needed to do in this situation. Just push down the hormones and agree.
"Do you use that tone during sex?"
Well fuck.
(Cardin)
He kept his emotions under lock and key as fire and death contaminated everything around him with a life of its own. He'd known that it would be like when Ruby decided to let this happen, but it still made him feel like shit for letting this happen. Screaming civilians pleading for help while their defenders fell to an endless hoard that would only grow larger. All things considered; it wasn't good, but it could be worse. The beeping coming from his scroll didn't help either.
"Blake ran off following some White Fang members to the cafeteria," Russel yelled through the scroll before Cardin could even greet him and a grunt on the other end let Cardin know he was in battle.
"Get to the Evac point and keep it safe," he ordered before cutting the connection.
The White Fang.
Blake had been chasing the White Fang; Adam. He knew that Ruby wanted him to get Blake and go but this was the White Fang. They were the reason his mother lost her life. They were nothing but terrorists who thought they could change the world. He wanted them all begging him for forgiveness, however, this wasn't the time for him to lose control of his temper. He had a promise to keep, after all, Ruby was counting on him to keep her kitten safe. Entering the cafeteria, he took a calming breath before relaxing. Unhooking his mace from his belt he walked forward slowly.
Despair was the only emotion Blake could focus on as she clashed with her old partner; the man who taught her everything she knew. Blocking Adam's strike, she pushed him back, and judging by the shock on his face he hadn't thought she would fight back. Months ago, she would've crumbled but tonight she had something to fight for. Tightening her grip on her katana she tried to push back the guilt she felt at seeing him here. Would he still be like this if she hadn't left him behind?
"Why are you doing this," she whispered helplessly despite already knowing why. She wanted the old Adam back; she missed the boy who protected her by chasing away the nightmares. She hated this new version, but the worst part was she didn't even know when he started to change from her big brother to the monster standing before her.
Blocking out the thought she straightened her shoulders, it didn't matter why he was doing this, all that mattered was that he was doing it. He was the terrorist, and she was the huntress. She couldn't waste time arguing or feeling guilty when her friends were fighting for their lives. When he attacked again with a quick slash aimed at her stomach she managed to block, but it was harder this time than it had been before; he was adapting. She knew that beating Adam was impossible especially since he seemed more than willing to hold back until she exhausted herself.
Hearing a scream behind her she spun around forgetting about her current battle as she felt the urge to help them. A student dressed in an Atlas uniform had been bitten by a beowolf who was slowly dragging the boy across the floor. Stepping in the boy's direction she didn't get far before Adam's foot hit her back. Throwing out her hands she just managed to cushion her landing and hold onto her weapon.
Adam watched her fall with fake disinterest but brimming despair. Why had she betrayed him? Couldn't she see that what he was doing was for the good of all faunus? This was the only way that their people could be free and for humans to realize their mistakes. She should have been by his side instead she was fighting against him for humans who didn't care about either of them. Tightening his grip on his blade he leaned back on reflex as she snarled at him. Black steel missed him by a hair as she got to her feet, but he could see the hesitation in her movement. Despite the cold rage in her eyes, he could see the sadness as well.
"Is this what you wanted," she asked golden eyes narrowed. When she didn't answer she waved her arm as if to draw his attention to the chaos around them; people were dying. Coldly she continued, "all these people are dying and that includes some faunus, the grimm aren't just going to target humans because the white fang let them into the school!"
"I'm doing this for the faunus! The humans will fear us and the-"
"Shut up," she shouted cutting him off. That surprised him, Blake had never been one to raise her voice to him or anyone else. It almost made him proud that she was independent enough to speak out. Tears stung her eyes as she spoke, "don't you understand what you're doing will only make things worse. Everyone will blame this on us don't you get that?"
"Well said kitten," Cardin said walking to stand behind her glancing around he stopped a morbid amusement in his voice as he said, "you two do know that there's a student getting eaten over, there right?"
Both faunus glanced over and he took advantage of the distraction to swing his mace at the redhead. He needed a distraction to get Blake out of here. Adam blocked easily finding the sneak attack more annoying than anything else as the human grinned at him with a cocky expression. Blake took a step back confused as the two males stared each other down. Why was he here? Did he come all this way to help her?
"So, this is who you left me for," Adam stated not impressed with the boy at all. At Blake's sudden look of disgust and horror, he almost laughed. At least her hate of arrogant humans hadn't changed.
"Hardly I'm just protecting little miss kitty for a friend," Cardin corrected a smirk crossing his face as he studied the other boy's emotions. All he needed was just a little more time to pinpoint the one that would make the faunus crumble; this was going to be fun.
"Ruby," Blake whispered softly. Her leader had sent him to protect her. She was going to give Ruby a million cookies for this.
Growling Adam pushed the boy away raising his sheath to shoot the annoying human whose face he was beginning to hate. Cardin's smirk turned deadly when the found what he was looking for, focusing he tugged on the sorrow the bull faunus had buried and amplified it as high as he could. Adam's hand shook his weapons dropping to the floor, he himself slumping to his knees soon after as his nails dug into the floor.
Without thinking, Blake moved forward to check on him, as she fell back into her old habits of caring about him. Grabbing the girl's wrist Cardin pulled her behind him as he walked to the door; it was hard to keep his semblance so focused, but he'd trained for this. Opening her mouth to yell at him she swallowed her words at the expression on his face. His smirk was gone and there was sweat dripping off his brow as his free hand trembled. Cardin held back a ragged breath choosing to put distance between them and the rampaging bull.
They'd just reached the doors when his control started to break like an overstretched rubber band. Falling to one knee, he gritted his teeth; Ruby was counting on him. He refused to disappoint her just because he was too weak to protect one little cat.
"Are you okay," Blake asked surprising herself with how concerned she was for the boy. Kneeling beside him she winced when his grip became painful; despite her aura, she could feel him trying to crush her hand.
"I'm at my limit," he admitted and groaned when his head began to hurt. They were over a dozen feet away from the bull boy, and that was his range for his semblance when used like this. All his aura was being drained away at a fast pace because of the distance, making this a very bad time to just be sitting here waiting for Adam to regain his mental control. Glancing up a Blake he spoke, "I'm almost out of aura. We need to get out of here before Mr. Redbull recovers."
"I'm not leaving you," she promised her hand clutching the hilt of her sword. Cardin scoffed as if he found the whole idea ridiculous. Yeah, he wasn't some martyr about to die for a girl.
"Of course not, if I fall, you're going to drag me out of here in the middle of a war," he stated sarcastically but she could detect fear in his voice. Her ear twitched and she was tempted to slap him just to wipe the arrogant expression off his face. Feeling his aura run out Cardin looked up as his semblance snapped from the strain. Adam was staggering to his feet and Blake hadn't noticed yet, given her cat ears he was considering buying her a hearing aid. Glancing over at them Adam's eyes narrowed as he picked up his blade.
Watching the faunus charge Cardin knew he had to make a choice. The anger he could feel in the other boy outweighed everything; the man would cut through Blake to get to him. It was nice to know he could enrage someone enough to become their murder fantasy. He could throw Blake into the line of fire and save himself or he could keep his word to Ruby. Yeah, this wasn't really a choice for him at all.
Blake looked up at the last second as Adam lashed out with his blade without caring who he hit. Cardin's grip on her wrist vanished and there was a split second where she thought he was going to leave her to die; the fear caused tears to sting her eyes. Then she was pushed out of the way as he took the hit with a scream. Crashing to his knee's the boy, held a trembling hand to his face and bit back the cries of pain that threatened to overwhelm him. Glaring up at the faunus he tried to stumble to his feet. This fight wasn't over yet.
Unhooking his mace, his mind was hazy as he threw a hand in front of Blake. If the man wanted him to move, he would have to kill him. Dropping his hand from his face he gripped the handle of his mace with both hands before lashing out at the man. Or where the thought the man was standing. The strike was wide by a foot.
Adam hesitated. This human, arrogant and cocky, had taken a hit meant for a faunus. Why? The boy had brought back every horrible memory he had but still, he'd defended Blake without an ounce of hesitation. If this human could do that then did that mean he was wrong about them? Dodging the boy's wild swing he didn't swing his sword. Locking his eyes on the line of blood running down the boy's face, he frowned. He needed time to think on this. Ducking under one of the attacks, he slammed the hilt of his sword into the boy's head causing him to crash down onto the ground.
Sending one last look at Blake who was froze in place, he knew that she hadn't truly changed. With a single move he sheathed his sword and turned away from the two teens. One day when he had his answer, he would decide what to do about the boy. Hearing Blake crash down to her knees beside the boy, he walked away from them. Her voice was panicked as she begged the boy who fought for her when she couldn't do the same to stay alive. No, his little sister hadn't changed at all.
(Ciel)
She stumbled back as the barrier she created broke under the grimm's claws so easily that it might as well not existed. She'd lost Penny moments ago and now she was going to die. The fact she was good at managing time was the only reason she'd been chosen to act as Penny's partner; she wasn't even good with her weapon. It wasn't even her weapon but a gun that she'd been assigned. A gun that was now out of bullets. She didn't want to die. Falling to her knees, she threw her hands up to block the claws aiming for her neck.
"Hey, cutie."
Eyes snapping open she gaped at the redhead standing in front of her with a rapidly dissolving grimm behind her. She knew the girl was one of Penny's friends but that was all. Glancing behind the girl she noticed the beowolf approaching but the redhead was gone before she could warn her. Appearing behind it as the grimm fell in two pieces, the reaper threw a grin at the trembling Atlas student. Stalking over to the girl, she took a moment to study her. She'd meant it when she called Ciel cute. The girl had an adorable secretary vibe surrounding her that just drew Ruby's attention. It also helped that the Atlas student was staring at her as if she was an angel rather than the demon that she was. Hell, her scythe had been dripping with blood not even five minutes ago. She loved this.
This was her second life debt in the last twenty minutes; fun. To a huntsman or huntress, a life debt was everything. It was the quickest way to get someone on her side and it could go unchallenged. Those she saved belonged to her. Kneeling in front of the girl who shifted away from her she tried to put a disarming smile on her face. She was just glad that there was no blood on her hands or that would've been impossible.
"You're Ciel right; Penny's partner," she asked despite already knowing. The way Ciel rapidly nodded showed her panic, cute. She would look great with Neptune; they would make the cutest couple. Offering the girl her hand she said, "I'm Ruby want to be mine?"
She probably should've thought about how her offer would affect the girl since seconds later Ciel squeaked and fainted. Well, that was new. Looking at the unconscious girl with amused eyes she glanced behind her as her first life debt finally caught up. Meeting his pink eyes, she grinned at the boy who looked warier than anything else. She'd happened across him as his team was torn apart, not really shocking since this was a battlefield. It had been easy to save his life and now he belonged to her.
"Take little Ciel to the evac point," she ordered as she stood. The wary expression on his face changed to something akin to panic at the thought of her leaving him.
"What about you?"
"I have to find my team," she said brightly. The smile on her face would've been reassuring if not for the fact he'd watched her clean blood off her cheek not even ten minutes ago. It was sad when he was safer with the psychopath than anyone else. Shifting as she tapped him on the shoulder, he felt a shiver go down his spine when she said, "Don't worry I'll find you later."
(Pyrrha)
Pyrrha pleaded with her Headmaster and finally just started slamming her hands against the glass window of the chamber in an effort to escape. He wasn't going to listen to her at all. Without enough aura, she couldn't use her semblance to get away, so she was stuck here; it didn't help that he had simply given her a sad expression when he closed the door. She'd said no, and he'd still brought her here; it seemed like he'd never intended on taking no for an answer and now her soul was going to pay for it.
Her heart was pounding in fear as she watched their headmaster reach for the button that could tear away everything that she was. She didn't want to become a Maiden; not this way. Slamming her hands against the glass one last time she began to cry as she buried her face in her hands. She didn't want this; she wanted her team. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of anything else she could do to escape as she heard him apologize. She didn't want his apology she wanted him to let her go.
Jaune pulled the trigger narrowly missing Ozpin's hand; the sound was enough to make his girlfriend peak through her fingers letting him see the tears in her green eyes. This piece of human-shaped filth had made Pyrrha cry. He was going to kill him.
"Let her go now," Jaune ordered trying to channel his leader. There was a growl in his voice that he'd never heard before, but it matched the way his aura fluttered with rage. When the man made no move to do so the blonde shifted his gun so that he was aiming at the brown-haired woman in the other chamber. He might not stop it by killing Ozpin, but it would stop if he killed that woman.
Ozpin tensed hand tightening on his cane fully prepared to stop the boy if necessary. If the boy killed Amber, then everything would be over for them. He couldn't allow that to happen. Without raising his voice, he tried to talk sense into the boy, "Jaune we need to do this. Without the fall maiden Beacon will fall."
"I don't care," he shouted never taking his eyes from Ozpin. It was true he didn't care about Beacon or Maidens or anything other than the girl he was about to use. Pyrrha stared at the boy she'd grown to love with sad yet hopeful eyes. Maybe he could talk some sense into their headmaster.
Ozpin frowned looking down for a second before spinning around and pressing the button to start the transfer before he slammed his cane into the control panel causing it to break. One life in exchange for all the people at Beacon; there was no other option. Pain erupted all over her body as her very soul cried out at the wrongness of the transfer. As the headmaster turned around, Pyrrha began to scream. Jaune stared in shock for a moment before his eyes hardened.
Ruby had told them to kill the fallen maiden if Ozpin tried to transfer her aura to Pyrrha. He didn't want to kill her, but at the same time he wouldn't allow their headmaster to ruin Pyrrha's life; she was more important that Beacon. Jaune started to pull the trigger, but it wasn't needed. Having kept his eyes on the boy Ozpin failed to see the arrow coming and it was now buried in Amber's chest. For just a second the woman's eyes opened only to grow dull as Cinder stalked forward. Pyrrha slumped forward as the transfer stopped her eyes sliding closed; Jaune ran past the shocked headmaster and tried to pry open the door to the chamber. It wouldn't come off.
Dropping his gun to the floor Jaune drew his sword and swung it down hoping to do any damage to the container. The blade bounced off the metal as if he'd hit it with a noodle rather than a sword. He tried again even as the battle between Ozpin and Cinder took place behind him; Pyrrha was more important. The worst part of it all was that Pyrrha still hadn't woken up only the rise and fall of her chest let him know she was even breathing. Growling in desperation he brought the sword down again despite knowing it wouldn't work. The blade of Crocea Mors snapped leaving him with a broken sword. Throwing it aside, he threw a punch at the glass window with a battle cry that echoed around him. He would die before he left Pyrrha.
The noise drew her attention causing Cinder to look over at the boy and she recognized him at once; he was on Ruby's team, the knight. She also saw the problem; the redhead was trapped it also didn't look like she was waking up either. Turning to look at Ozpin a smirk appeared on her face. So, this is what he would do to stop Salem, sacrificing the very students under his protection. It wasn't all that shocking that he would do this.
"Please," Jaune whispered.
It was sad, pathetic, and her gaze snapped back to him almost on instinct. Ozpin took advantage of her distraction and attacked hoping to bash in her skull; it didn't work. Cinder blocked the cane with her sword of flames. Leaning back Jaune looked over at the fast-moving fight. Would she help him? Ruby had always told them to choose their battles based on if they would win. What would his leader do in this situation? Most likely she would've cut off Ozpin's head herself before desecrating his body by tossing it to the grimm.
Ozpin felt his aura shatter and fell to his knees while Cinder didn't even look winded; another lifetime was wasted. The woman was smirking as she stalked forward, raising the sword as he looked up at her she knew the taste of satisfaction was sweet. Getting to kill one of the people who made her life miserable felt so good. Jaune watched her bring the blade down cutting Ozpin's head from his body in one clean move that he wished he could replicate. Golden eyes looked over at him as she allowed her blade to fade out of existence. Striding over to the boy she stopped as she leaned down to look him in the eye.
"If I save your friend, will Ruby owe me a favor," she asked causing him to blink. He didn't even think before nodding, Ruby would do anything to protect them. Satisfied with his answer she offering her hand to pull him off the ground. When he hesitated, she said, "are you really going to refuse my help?"
Taking her hand, he felt weak as she pulled him up. He might be afraid of her, but he wanted Pyrrha out of here before anything else happened to his girlfriend. Cinder smirked easily telling that he was afraid, but she also admired his bravery. Jaune pulled away from her quickly as he watched her walk over to the side of the chamber and then her hand lit up. The second Cinder pulled the chamber door open Jaune lunged forward to catch his girlfriend as she fell. Her skin felt way too cold, but he could tell she was still breathing. Breathing out a relieved sound, he slowly shifted Pyrrha in his arms until her head rested against his shoulder.
"Why did you help us," he questioned but paid more attention to the girl in his arms then the woman who killed his headmaster.
"I may be cruel but I'm not heartless," Cinder stated.
Also, for some reason, she felt bad for the boy, yet she also respected him for coming down here to save the girl he loved. Jaune nodded showing he understood before following her to the elevator; it was past time that he got out of here. She noticed when he stepped into the elevator with her that he put himself between her and the redhead. It was cute in a delusional sort of way. Cinder lit a flame in her hand and was amused when he tensed; she played with the flame dancing over her fingers and only extinguished it when the elevator stopped.
"Thank you," Jaune said as the elevator reached the ground floor. He stepped forward to leave but was stopped by Cinder grabbing his arm. Part of him wanted to shrug off her hand but she had saved Pyrrha.
"Tell Ruby that she owes me a favor," Cinder ordered meeting his eyes.
Jaune held her gaze and considering he was still terrified of her it was an accomplishment. This woman had just killed Ozpin and saved Pyrrha; if anything, Ruby would most likely throw her a party with a handmade cake. Frowning the boy nodded his head in agreement only letting down his guard when she let him go. Not that he didn't think she could kill him from a foot away; he wasn't an idiot after all. Jaune hurried out of the tower never looking back as Cinder took the elevator up to the top floor; he hoped that she trashed Ozpin's office. He needed to get Pyrrha to safety and then contact his leader who was most likely having the time of her life. Tightening his grip on Pyrrha the boy began to walk to the evacuation point.
He knew exactly who Ruby was. She thrived in this sort of environment and he was willing to bet that she'd already lost control of her thinly concealed bloodlust. He'd seen it back in the arena when she saw the nevermore along with when she fought during the breach. Most people would consider her insane, he knew that she just lived for battle. It was easy to see that when the grimm showed up she wasn't surprised; he didn't know what that meant but he wanted to know. Was she a part of this or did she just let it happen? No matter how kind to him she was Ruby was still a cruel woman. He wouldn't really be shocked if she'd allowed this to happen simply to gain the upper hand in some way.
He found his leader cheerfully tearing through the grimm with the grin of a psychopath it was relieving to see her even if her grin scared him. Stilling as her scythe cut an ursa in half, he waited for her to finish off the remaining grimm before going to stand in front of her. For a moment she looked happy to see him then she noticed the redhead in his arms. It was unsettling to see her grin fade into something cold and cruel.
"What happened?"
Her tone was pure frost and anger. It sent shivers down his spine in a way that Cinder hadn't been able to do. Wasting no time, he told her everything from the moment Ozpin had ambushed them. When he got to Cinder her eyes lit up slightly; well that was unsettling. Taking a deep breath, the girl reached out laying a hand on Pyrrha's cheek. Her partner was pale, and her breathing was shallow; Pyrrha wasn't supposed to look like this. If Ozpin wasn't already dead she would've killed him.
"Ruby what happens now," he asked before she could drown in her rage.
"You two will go to the evacuation point," she ordered before turning around to face the tower. There was still the dragon to deal with; leaving that thing alive would only lead more grimm to the city.
(Ruby)
Walking into Ozpin's office with none of her weapons drawn she wasn't surprised to see Cinder sitting on the man's desk. The woman was running a length of flame over her fingers in a playful way that drew out the heat in her gaze. She looked very attractive in the destroy the world sort of way. It was a very appealing look for her; not that Ruby would tell her that. The woman didn't look at her as Ruby walked over part of her wished that she would. The grimm dragon flew past the window but made no move to come closer; she'd be happy if it stayed away permanently.
"I was surprised tonight, by your teammate's actions," Cinder stated finally looking over at the young girl. The amused smirk that crossed Ruby's face wasn't what she expected.
"Jaune tends to do the unexpected."
When backed into a corner her team did very well; better than she'd ever expected them to do.
"True, who would have thought he had it in him to threaten Ozpin," Cinder stated approval ringing in her voice. Her hate of Ozpin was something Ruby could agree with at the moment; he had no right to use her teammate.
"I did," Ruby said with a dark approval in her tone. She was proud of how far Jaune had come in so little time, but he could do even more when he found his footing as a huntsman. He learned at an amazing rate all he needed was experience and he would become one of the strongest people she'd ever seen. Watching the woman carefully she asked, "Onto other topics, what favor do you want?"
"Now that would be telling," Cinder said, although she already had one in mind. Circumstances could change and if they did, she wanted to have one last card to play; she needed an out. Something told her that this girl would be the key to everything she ever wanted, she wasn't about to let that slip through her fingers, but first, she wanted to see just what Ruby could do. Stalking forward to stand in front of the girl she said, "now fight me."
Ruby dodged the unexpected fireball by flipping backward as a smirk stretched across her lips; this was going to be fun. Unfolding Crescent Rose, she spun the scythe to redirect another fireball as Cinder formed a flaming sword and lunged forward. Blocking the blade Ruby winked before tilting her scythe so that her blade slid off before spinning around the woman and hitting her in the back with the shaft. Cinder stumbled but the smirk never left her face; the girl was moving faster than when she played around with Mercury. Not giving her time to react Ruby slashed down at the woman's back without hesitation.
Dodging the attack Cinder slammed her hand down onto the floor creating a ring of fire around herself to put distance between them. Jumping up Ruby channeled aura into her jacket and floated to the ceiling; the light of amusement that flashed in Cinder's gaze made her feel warm. Twisting so that she faced the floor Ruby transformed her scythe into glaive form. Cinder watched cautiously as Rose petals gathered at the girl's feet. The blood rushing through her veins wasn't something she'd ever felt so clearly before. Silver eyes glowed slightly as Ruby deactivated her jacket and kicked off the bundle of petals.
Cinder stepped back surprised as the blade dug into the ground tearing through it easily, kicking off the ground she used the weapon to swing around and kick the woman back. Landing Ruby pulled the trigger causing the recoil to send the weapon out of the floor, catching it she stabbed the blade at Cinder's face. When the woman sidestepped Ruby pressed the button to transform it back into a scythe and pulled. Cinder spun forming a sword in her hand as she did so; this had been what she was looking for the instant she ordered Ruby to fight her. Blocking the blade that would have taken her head off, she didn't see Ruby grin. Pulling the trigger again caused the scythe blade to shatter Cinder's glass blade sending shards of glass everywhere.
Rolling to the side she managed to dodge the blade, but she also noticed Ruby's wild almost feral expression; the longer they fought the more excited the girl was getting. Standing she formed two short curved swords out of glass before diving back into the fight. She'd wondered if Ruby was strong, now she knew that the girl was. Her ability was far beyond what Cinder had expected but she still had room to grow. She wanted to see that growth.
Petals gathering at her feet Ruby jumped back and twisted in the air to kick off the wall again; that was quickly becoming one of her favorite things to do. Instead of trying to block Cinder jumped to the side causing Ruby to cut Ozpin's desk in half. Well, that felt nice. Landing the girl brought her scythe up to block Cinder's blades already knowing that the woman would aim for her neck. Oh, how she loved dangerous people.
It took almost all of the girl's strength to push the woman back, but Cinder was amused rather than upset. Smirking Cinder threw one of her blades at the girl's face in an unexpected move that caused Ruby to laugh. Ducking Ruby wasn't able to roll away before Cinder grabbed the shaft of her scythe and kicked her in the face. Her grin didn't fade at all. Letting go of her weapon Ruby rolled away drawing Thorn as she stood. Dropping Crescent Rose Cinder formed her bow. Ruby dodged the arrow activating her semblance to get close to the woman her dagger burning with fire dust shattered the bow and Cinder stepped back forming a dagger of flames.
As their weapons clashed Cinder slammed her foot into the girl's stomach. Stumbling cack Ruby panted struggling to keep her breathing level. This was more fun than she'd had in a long time. Grinning as the woman straightened, she felt elation that quickly faded when she glanced to the side and girl spotted the dragon coming straight for them. That was nice.
"Cinder is he supposed to do that," she asked panicking slightly. Spinning around Cinder's eyes widened as she realized what the dragon was doing. Seconds before the dragon slammed into the tower, she found herself tackled to the ground. Was Ruby trying to save her life? Wrapping her arms around the younger girl Cinder created a sphere of fire around them to block the debris from crushing them.
Ruby groaned starting to push herself up off the floor when Cinder pushed her back down gently. This was not the time for her to discover that the woman's hand was warm. The woman's eyes were locked on the dragon growling at them a few feet away; it had nice teeth, she wanted to carve them out. Glancing down at the girl for a moment she spoke, "sit up slowly and stay behind me."
Following Cinder's instructions, Ruby's kept her gaze on the dragon. Staring into its red eyes she bristled; if it wanted a fight, she would give it one. Looking down quickly she hissed pressing her palms against her eyes something was very wrong. Eyes burning Ruby reached out blindly grabbing onto the older woman's arm and tugging. This was just pain burning through her body like a fire. Was this what the original Ruby felt when she faced the dragon; didn't it do damage to Cinder? she wasn't going to allow anything to happen to the woman. When Cinder glanced down at her Ruby said, "Cinder you need to leave now something's wrong with my eyes."
Paling the woman watched as the girl's eyes glowed brighter; Ruby had silver eyes didn't she. Looking over at the dragon Cinder immediately knew what was wrong, the girl's eyes were awakening because of the threat she faced. She'd known that Ruby's eyes were activating for a while now ever since Mt. Glen. Covering Ruby's eyes with her hand she flinched when the beast growled; thanks to her connection with Salem it wouldn't attack her but Ruby was vulnerable.
"We don't have much time before your eyes wake up," Cinder started her voice panicked. Would those eyes of hers hurt her just because of the scarab grimm. She doubted Ruby would purposefully hurt her, but the idea was terrifying. Turning slowly, she laid a hand on the girl's shoulder saying, "don't trust Ozpin. Ruby promise me you won't allow him to cloud your mind."
"It hurts," Ruby whined sounding like a child for the first time since they met. Her hands gripped her shirt tightly as she struggled to keep her breathing under control. Her head hurt so badly she couldn't think straight much less agree to anything that the woman said. Pity to since usually she would be falling over herself to please the woman. Cinder removed her hand and stood trying to ignore the snarl behind her.
"Then stop fighting it," she ordered before running for the edge. She didn't know what would happen if she was caught in Ruby's gaze, but her instincts were telling her it was nothing good. Taking one last glance back she saw a bright silver light shaped like wings just as her feet left the tower.
Hi guys
Here is the Fall of Beacon. Anyway, what did you guys think of this extra long chapter? I loved letting Ruby cut loose for a bit.
So next chapter is Ruby's recovery along with a visit with Anubis.
-Say safe and have a good day
Shyla