a/n: So this is probably the shortest chapter I'll ever write for this. Considering that it was originally going to be the climax of the previous chapter, I suppose that's inevitable though. Seriously, except for the last bit, all of this was going to be part of Chapter 9. And speaking of that last bit.
TW: If you have any trauma related to psychological and emotional abuse, and want to avoid seeing it or even reading about it, you might want skip to the Author's note once you see the phrase "Over and out". Thank you.
Chapter 10: The Best Laid Plans: Part 3: Sink in Darkness
Bumblebee was beginning to question his life-choices as Shatter paused her barrage so Dropkick could swing his buzzsaw at him. The Autobot shifted into robot mode, and the buzzsaw went through the space his alt-mode's back tire had been occupying just seconds prior, kicking up grass and dirt onto Bumblebee. He raised an arm to wipe the dirt off his helmet's visor, only to get lifted off the ground by his left arm.
"Not so fast, B-127!" Dropkick remarked as he held Bumblebee up, "Your Stingers won't save you now!"
"You're right," Bumblebee conceded, "If I Stung you right now, your grip would remain just as tight, and all I'd achieve is-" he shot Dropkick in the face. The Decepticon shouted and threw Bumblebee over his head, allowing him to Sting Shatter as he soared over her shoulder. He landed behind her, and found himself surrounded by Winter's Beowolves. He deployed his Energon blades, hacking and slashing through each one, until Dropkick swerved around in armored car mode and sped straight towards him. Bumblebee jumped on top of the Decepticon, who shifted back into robot mode, forcing the Autobot scout to adjust his footing as Dropkick rose to stand, until he stood atop the Decepticon's shoulders.
"Get off of me!" Dropkick snarled as he reached for Bumblebee's leg. Bumblebee shifted into motorcycle mode, grinding his tire into Dropkick's face, before transforming back into robot mode to kick off of his head.
Shatter, now unfrozen, swung an Energon Blade at Bumblebee, who caught the weapon with his own blades, twisting his body to stand atop it, and fired an Energon blast directly into Shatter's face.
The Decepticon cried out and her flailing hurled Bumblebee into the air, where one of Winter's Glyphs summoned a Manticore, which proceeded to blast the Autobot back towards the ground with a fireball.
CLANG!
Bumblebee groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, then broke into a run, before diving forward to shift back into motorcycle mode as he made a mad dash for the treeline.
Dropkick wordlessly chuckled as he shifted his right arm into an Energon canon, pointed it ahead of Bumblebee, and vented Rock Dust into the barrel of his canon.
BOOM!
The Dust-infused Energon blast soared over Bumblebee and tore through the trees he was driving towards, causing rocky spires to jut out of the ground. Bumblebee engaged his brakes, tires grinding against the dirt, before shifting back into robot mode and digging his fingers into the dirt in order to slow himself down and avoid a collision with the jagged rocks in his path. He skidded to a halt right under one of rock spikes.
"Oh thank the Hand," Bumblebee muttered as he tried to pull himself back out before the Decepticons reached him, only for a frosty Ursa facsimile to jump down from the newborn rock-formation and onto his back, and several Summoning Glyphs to form around his prone form, several Beowolves climbing out to restrain his limbs, frosty claws scratching at his battle-mask to try and pry it off.
Shatter and Dropkick both chuckled as Winter stepped forward, all three oblivious to the black and red shape in the trees moving into position.
"Face it, B-127," Winter said as the red and black figure pointed a sniper-rifle right at her, "You never stood a chance."
.
"We need to call Professor Ozpin and let him know what happened!" Ruby started as she took out her Scroll.
"... Are you sure we can trust him?" Yang asked.
"What do you mean?" Ruby questioned.
"Think about it, Winter knew both that we were going to be in Forever Fall and that you were supposed to be back at Beacon," Yang explained, "The only way she could know any of that is if someone in the know tipped her off."
"So, what, Professor Ozpin just sold us out to the Atlesian Military?" Ruby asked, "Why? What would he have to gain from it?"
"I don't know," Yang replied.
"Maybe I should call Professor Goodwitch instead," Ruby suggested.
"And risk her being an accomplice?" Yang pressed.
"Well then what do you suggest we do?" Ruby asked as she threw her hands in the air.
"We go back and help Bumblebee, what else?" Yang answered as she turned to walk towards the battle.
"Okay, and you're sure you won't freeze up the second Dropkick notices you?" Ruby asked, causing her sister to pause, "I saw how you looked at him, Yang. I don't think either of us are ready to fight a Decepticon yet."
"He can't take all three of them on his own!" Yang argued.
"But he might be able to get away," Ruby pointed out, "This part of the forest is too dense for the Decepticons to move around easily in vehicle mode, so we could use the trees as cover!"
"Okay, but how do we deal with Winter?" Yang asked, "Don't forget, she was able to corral us into the clearing with her Semblance!"
"Yes… But her Beowolves ran right past us after Bumblebee had her attention," Ruby replied, "Why is that?"
"... She can't multitask…" Yang realized.
.
CRACK!
"Augh!" Winter cried out as a flaming bullet struck her shoulder. She glanced behind her, where Ruby Rose jumped down from her perch in the tree and unfolded Crescent Rose into scythe form.
"Hiya!" she greeted.
Winter roared with rage as she drew her saber and charged, her Summons ditching Bumblebee to chase after her, allowing the Autobot to shift back into motorcycle mode and race out of the way of Shatter's grasp.
"Damn it!" the Decepticon leapt into the air and folded into an Atlesian Dropship, opening suppressing fire to corral Bumblebee away from the treeline. "Dropkick!"
"I'm on it!" Dropkick announced, before firing a Fire-infused Energon blast that set the treeline to the right of the rock formation ablaze, "Though maybe lightning would be more appropriate…"
Ruby, meanwhile, dispersed into petals and flew right past Winter, switching back to normal to hack and slash through the Specialist's Beowolves, frost-like heads, arms, legs, and torsos sent flying through the air as the dying facsimiles dissolved into nothing, until Winter's Ursa swatted her out of the air. Ruby stumbled across the ground, and ducked out of the way as Winter swung her saber at her.
"Treacherous little BRAT!" the Atlesian Specialist shouted as she swung her saber at Ruby, forcing her to jump back again, "When will you admit that you were outsmarted?" She made another swing at Ruby, who jumped back, only to get caught in the Ursa's grasp. "You see, there's no way a combat-school student could outsmart Atlas' best and brightest!" Winter boasted, oblivious to the fireballs flying right at her.
.
"If we take turns fighting her, we can gradually wear down her Aura while she's distracted," Ruby remarked.
"And once it's broken, those frostsimiles her Semblance creates won't be able to hunt us down, and all three of us will be able to escape into the forest!" Yang finished.
"I'm faster, so I'll go first!" Ruby stated, choosing to ignore the pun, "When it looks like she has me on the ropes, create a distraction!"
.
BOOM!
Winter was knocked off her feet.
BOOM!
The second explosion impacted her back and sent her stumbling across the ground. The false Ursa spotted the perpetrator, a blond-bruiser.
"Hello!~" Yang greeted in a sing-song voice.
The Ursa growled, tossed Ruby aside, and barreled towards her at top speed.
Yang smirked-
Ca-click!
BOOM!
-and rocketed towards the Ursa.
The Ursa took a swipe at her as Yang threw a punch.
BOOM!
The Ursa roared as the explosive round from Ember Celica tore off its arm, leaving it open for Yang to deliver an uppercut to its chin, exploding its head.
"Damn, I'm good," Yang remarked with a smirk, only to notice Winter charging straight at her with bloodshot, murderous rage in her eyes, "Grapes!" She duked to t to put some distance between them, and threw her arms back behind her-
BOOM!
-then rocketed forwards to fire and deliver a flurry of explosive punches at Winter, forcing the specialist on the defensive as she backpedaled further and further, her surviving Manticore taking aim at Yang as it charged its attack.
FWOOM!
The blue fireball impacted Yang's right side, sending her tumbling away from Winter.
"So that's how you want to play this game…" Yang growled as she pushed herself to her feet, Winter smirking at her.
"There's only one way this 'game' can end, Miss Xiao Long," Winter replied as she pointed her saber at Yang, the Manticore charging another attack, "I suggest you surrender while you still can."
"... to heck with that!" Yang announced as she threw her arms back.
BOOM!
The combat student flew right over Winter's head and at the Manticore as her eyes turned red and her hair was engulfed in a golden blaze. She threw her fist into the Manticore's mouth, launching an explosive round into the attack it was charging.
KRABOOM!
The Manticore went out explosively, sending Yang tumbling across the ground.
"You're a persistent little brat, I'll give you that," Winter growled as she approached Yang oblivious to the red and black blur approaching her, "But persistence can only get you so far!"
.
"I'll tag back in when it looks like you need help," Ruby continued, "Rinse and repeat until Winter runs out of Aura. Sound like a plan?"
"Sounds good to me!"
"Then let's do this!"
.
Ruby hooked Winter's feet on Crescent Rose's blade, tripping up the specialist as she dashed past her.
"Forgetting someone?" Ruby taunted as Yang dashed pushed herself up and dashed for the treeline. Winter snarled and dashed for Ruby, thrusting her saber forwards. Ruby jumped back, spinning Crescent Rose to deflect the jab away from her neck, and struck Winter's head with the blunt side of her weapon as she ducked behind the specialist. Winter whirled around, to find herself staring down the sniper-scythe's barrel.
CRACK!
The specialist stumbled back, then fixed a glare at the girl as her Aura healed the bruise the bullet left. Ruby smirked, prompting Winter to surge forward with a roar, jabbing her saber at the girl's face. Ruby leaned her head to the side, causing the saber to graze her cheek and cut through the strap of her helmet. Winter smirked and conjured a glyph behind Ruby. The girl's back collided with the gift, allowing Winter to whirl around behind the Glyph. With a wave of her arm, a flock of tiny Nevermores were sent out of the Glyph.
"Aiyee!" Ruby shrieked as the Nevermores pushed her towards the battling giants. The flock dissolved, allowing Ruby to jab Crescent Rose's blade into the ground to slow her fall, only to notice a shadow passing over her. "Eep!" She dispersed into petals and dashed away, her helmet dropping off her head to get crushed underfoot by Dropkick, who kept charging at Bumblebee, oblivious to the human he had almost crushed underfoot. Ruby reformed next to Winter and swung Crescent Rose's blunt side at her saber. Winter caught the blade, and separated a second, smaller saber from it to swing at Ruby as Bumblebee took an Energon blast to the shoulder behind them. Ruby yelped and jumped back, just in time to get hit with another Nevermore flock.
"I'm General Ironwood's second in command for a reason, kid!" Winter shouted as Ruby hit the ground, "It's going to take more than a couple of cheap shots to-"
Ca-click!
BOOM!
Yang soared through the air at Winter, who whirled around to swat Yang out of the air, allowing Ruby to flee into the woods. Yang skidded back, then punched a couple of explosive rounds at Winter, who jumped to the right and let them whiz past her.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Winter dashed towards Yang, swinging the saber in her left hand at her, forcing her younger opponent to jump back, before following up with a jab from her right. Yang's Aura flashed as it strained to keep the blade from piercing her flesh. The blond brawler stumbled back, growled, and activated her Semblance.
Ca-click!
She threw her arms back.
BOOM!
Yang rocketed forwards, only for something to grab her right arm.
"Wha-" the Beringel that Winter summoned hoisted Yang into the air over its head, and slammed her into the ground. Before she had time to reorient herself, the Beringel peeled her off the ground and slammed her down again. And again. And again.
"Like I said, it's going to take more than a couple of cheap shots to-"
CRACK!
A bullet whizzed past Winter's head and struck the ground a few feet in front of her. Winter whirled around to face Ruby as she dropped from the treeline, and was about to have her Beringel drop Yang to fight her, when suddenly-
"Wait a second…" she commented as a swipe from Shatter stopped Bumblebee from taking a shot at the Beringel, "You're smarter than you look…" The Atlesian specialist smirked, and dashed behind her Beringel, putting the gorilla-like monster between herself and the red-caped girl, Yang's arm still in the Beringel's fist. "I'll admit, you almost had me," Winter opened as Dropkick stepped between Bumblebee and the humans, "But the charade ends here."
"Dang it…" Yang groaned.
"It was worth a shot," Ruby commented, as she switched Crescent Rose into Scythe mode, before dispersing into petals and charging the Grimm-like construct. The Grimm lifted Yang above its head-
WHAM!
-and swatted Ruby to the ground, forcing her back into material form.
WHAM!
Then struck Ruby again.
WHAM!
And again.
WHAM!
And one final time, before lifting Yang off the ground.
.
"Now, once B-127 has been properly detained, I can deliver you two to your father, bruised, but otherwise unharmed," Winter remarked, oblivious to the girl on the other side of the Beringel pushing herself to her feet and picking up Crescent Rose, "Honestly, he should be thankful. A good beating does wonders for discipline." Winter's expression darkened. "I learned that first hand."
CRACK!
Ruby propelled herself into the air, hooked Crescent Rose's blade on the Beringel's neck, and pulled the trigger.
"Wha-"
CRACK!
The recoil pushed Crescent Rose's blade through the Summon's neck, causing it's flailing body to toss Yang over its shoulder as it faded.
Thud!
Ruby landed on her feet, between the fading Summon and an astounded Winter, her Aura flickering out from absorbing the shock from the landing.
Thud!
Yang hit the ground behind Winter, her own Aura flickering out as she laid on the ground. Winter glanced over her shoulder at Yang's bruised body, then back at the sniper who was in considerably better shape, before smirking and turning to approach Yang.
"Leave her alone!" Ruby shouted as she charged at Winter, pulling Crescent Rose behind her. Her feet carried her closer and closer to the Specialist, her mind so focused on stopping Winter from hurting Yang that she didn't question why she had stopped walking. As such, she was caught completely off guard when Winter whirled around and slashed her left saber across her completely unprotected face.
.
"GYAAUGH!"
Yang's eyes shot open the second she heard the shriek. She pushed herself to her feet as Ruby dropped Crescent Rose to shield her damaged face, blood dripping from one of Winter's sabers.
"Oh relax, I was careful not to hit anything important," Winter remarked, before striking the back of Ruby's unprotected head with the hilt of her bloody saber, "Now, whenever you look in the mirror, you'll remember what happens when you break the law." All reason left Yang as she watched her baby sister's unconscious body crumple to the ground. All rational thought dissolved. She couldn't hear Bumblebee's battle. She couldn't see the massive battle.
Every last fiber of her being was focused on one thing: Making the creature who hurt Ruby pay.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Yang screamed as she charged Winter, eyes red. When she was just a few feet away, she jumped into the air, rolled back for a punch, and let gravity and her own momentum carry her towards the Specialist, who whirled around-
SCHLING!
-and gasped in shock when her mind caught off with her body and she saw the teenage girl impaled on her right saber.
.
"Nonononononononono…" Winter's blood ran cold as she dropped both of her sabers, letting Yang's unconscious body drop to the ground, her saber piercing the girl's body just above her waist, "I didn't… I didn't mean to… This wasn't supposed to…" A pit formed in Winter's stomach as the gravity of what she had just done hit her like a freight train. "Oh gods…" She was so caught up in her horror and guilt, that she failed to notice the yellow motorcycle speeding away from the Decepticons and right towards her.
"MURDERER!" the motorcycle roared as he shifted into robot mode and deployed an Energon blade. Winter cried out as the Autobot swung his Energon blade at her, knocking her to the ground. She tried to push herself back to her feet, only for a metal hand to yank her off the ground. "Wretched piece of trash!" The Autobot formed a Stinger in his left hand, then slammed Winter into it, face first, solidifying her Aura. "Take this you worthless spawn of Unicron!" The Autobot threw Winter at the treeline and deployed his Energon shotguns from his wrists.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Winter was blasted through the nearest tree, and came to a stop on the second. She dropped to the ground the second the Autobot ceased his attack, and coughed in pain as her Aura gave out.
"Showing you mercy is not a mistake I'll make a second time!" the Autobot snarled as he walked towards Winter, "I should have done this when we first meAUGH!" The Autobots body sputtered and smoked as he was hit by an electric attack, his Aura flickering out before he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"Stupid Autobot," Dropkick remarked as he shifted his still-smoking Energon canon back into his forearm as the sun sank under the horizon, castingthe sky into darkness.
"Excellent work, Specialist Schnee," Shatter congratulated the Specialist, "Now, let's call in your troops so we can apprehend these renegades." Winter struggled to her feet, stepped past the Autobot's unconscious form, and stared wordlessly at the two unconscious girls. With a sigh, she took her Scroll out of her pocket and called her base.
"This is Special Operative Winter Schnee," she opened, "B-127 has been captured, however, two civilians were critically injured in the battle. Send medical assistance ASAP. Over and out."
Blake marched through the camp as masked Faunus repaired the various tents. She tried to push down her embarrassment at having gone down in one hit to a child, before finally coming to the "meeting" tent, and pushing the flap aside to enter.
"Adam, I have news regarding…" she paused as she noticed the three humans kneeling before him. "What's going on here?"
"I was just telling these humans why I'm not about to risk our men for their human cause," Adam answered her, before turning his attention to the tallest one, who was closest to him, "Go tell whoever sent you here that we are not just a band of thugs who'll put blind vengeance before the cause, before I change my mind about sparing your lives."
"Suit yourself," the tall woman kneeling before Adam said as she rose to her feet before she turned away from him, revealing her pale face and golden eyes to Blake, "We could have made a great team." She walked past the two other humans, who rose to their feet and walked after her, the apparent leader of the three shooting a glance at Blake that made the young-Faunus' blood run cold, before marching on out with her two underlings.
"Now, Darling," Adam opened, "I trust that you were able to hijack the Atlesian's Scroll frequencies and listen in on their chatter with the passwords we found in the papers you brought to me the other night?"
"Yes, and I have good news," Blake answered, "Just last evening, shortly after he ransacked our camp, that alien robot was apprehended by the Atlesians. Specialist Schnee will be withdrawing to Atlas as soon as she's done packing up, and has called all of her soldiers back to base. Meaning that if we hurry, we can still take the cargo from that SDC train before-"
"No," Adam interrupted.
Blake blinked.
"I'm sorry… What?"
"I'm cancelling the train heist," Adam stated.
"But… We've been planning that for months!" Blake objected, "We need to disrupt the SDC's Dust Exports if we want to put them out of business. As long as the SDC is in business, innocent Faunus will continue to suf-"
"Do NOT lecture me, Belladonna!" Adam shouted as he tore off his mask, "Remember, I suffered that cruelty first hand! And your useless father stopped at nothing to stop us from giving humanity what they deserve! And I promise you, we will make the SDC pay!"
"Adam I know that, but…" Blake struggled to keep eye-contact, reflexively looking everywhere except directly at his face.
"LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Adam screamed as he grabbed ahold of Blake's chin and twisted her head around to look him right in the eye. "Now, gather the troops, we're going to head to the Atlesian's base, and bring the building down on all those rotten humans who sent our brothers and sisters to die in the mines, and that wretched machine that thought it could make a fool of us!"
"B-but…"
"But what?" Adam asked in a sickenly sweet voice as he caressed Blake's cheek, "I should just let the Schnee who tried to have Ilia sent to the mines walk free? Ignore the robot that sided with the human who punched you through a tree? I only want to protect you, my love." He put a hand on the back of her head and yanked her into a kiss, wrapping his other arm around her waist to keep her from pushing away. "And those humans and machines are a threat to your safety." He put his mask back on. "I'll rally the troops. We need to get there by dawn." Adam walked right past Blake, who starred wordlessly into space.
"This feels…" she closed her eyes, and swallowed the last word.
Wrong…
But you have nowhere else to go, Darling.
Blake fell to her knees and sobbed, wishing very much for the parents she had left behind to tell her everything would be okay.
a/n: I'm not entirely sure I'm happy with the overall action scene, but the fight with Winter is something I've been looking forward to writing for MONTHS now. Especially that bit at the end where Winter accidentally stabs Yang. My one regret is that the Transformers kinda fade into the background. There was originally going to be more content focused on Ruby and Yang getting launched at the Decepticons, with Ruby baiting Winter's Nevemores into swarming Dropkick's face before bouncing off the rock-fixture Dropkick made to stop Bumblebee from fleeing, but I wasn't able to naturally work it in and it felt more like pointless fluff.
Also, some proof that the people of Remnant aren't COMPLETELY helpless: Winter was the biggest threat in that fight involving multiple giant robots, thanks entirely to her Summons. I mean, she still technically lost in the end, but only because Ruby and Yang were able to give Bumblebee breathing room.
Now for replies!
barrera2009: I don't know if this was meant to be a compliment or an insult, but it felt like an insult.
Z-King: Honestly, Blake's and Yang's battles have been my favorite action scenes to write because of how well Blake's Semblance counters Yang's fighting style. As for your other comment, SPOILERS!
MadTitan9: ... Rule Number 1: Never tell the Author what to do. Suggestions are one thing, but demands are a good way to earn their ire. Regardless, I hope you stick around for a little longer, because I have a plan...
Mobian: Well... Uh... this certainly throws a wrench in the whole "Finding the Ark soon" plan, doesn't it?
merendinoemiliano: Imagine if I had gone with my original plan to have Chapters 8, 9, and 10 as one long chapter!
Yeah hi sorry: Thanks for the review! So you saw that Tumblr post I made before I even decided on the fic's name, I see. I will admit, I wasn't expecting this, but it was a pleasant surprise.
ssjSega: has single-handedly contributed every single edit to the TV Tropes page. If anyone's reading this, and has a TV Tropes account, PLEASE pitch in. He's SERIOUSLY overworked!
Thank you all for reading, and next time, we see more than one kind of patch...