Hello everyone! How are you doing? I hope you are all fine.
Chapter 98 is up. As always, I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks again for keeping up with the story so far with reading/ following/ favoring it. You are all the best!
See you all next week with chapter 99. Until then, be well, and have fun!
Blake withdrew her head from the corner. She pressed her body on her partner, trying to leave no part of her uncovered. Her yellow eyes were open wide in fear- an expression matched by the blonde girl's.
Behind the stone figure, the Hag's wild howl had given way to a loud, feral sniffing. Heavy thuds and wild water splashes accompanied it as the one-eyed monster moved around the room.
Yang's mind conjured the image of a huge toad she had seen back in Patch with Ruby, trying to hunt down a dragonfly. Survival of the fittest is brutal for the ones being hunted, Summer had told them back then.
I am reminiscing of both my mothers way too much lately; I should visit their graves if we get out of this whole story alive Yang gulped. She slowly clenched Blake's shoulder, glad to see the girl squeeze her hand back.
The sniffing and splashing came closer. It's coming from the left! The faunus pointed to their right and Yang was quick to comply, rolling her body on the statue's back to keep herself away from the beast's sight.
The black-haired girl followed her at once, retracting her arm the very last moment before the bulging eye appeared from the side, the open mouth dripping saliva on the place they had been standing before.
Hot, acidic breath left its needle-pointed jaws. Its putrid smell reached their nostrils, the sound of its heavy inhalations making a chill running up their spines. With their auras destroyed, their situation was dire.
On the other hand, they now had access to the rest of the room. As the Hag sniffed their previous spot, they could relocate behind another statue- or the table. Can we do it? Blake stared at the water covering her ankles or it will hear us before we hide? The growling continued.
The answer to her question came when she saw its massive form back out of the statue's cover, forcing her to drag Yang back to their previous spot before the bulging eye turned around.
The monster fell on all fours, its thick body slamming on the idol's feet. Its claws scrubbed on the flooded stones, leaving out a horrendous trail of torturous screeches as it stuck its nose on the carved stone hands.
It could barely remember what or why- or what was it to begin with. Its eye was half-blinded by hunger and rage. Everything around it was hazy and its own limbs felt alien and misplaced.
It bit on the rock, leaving tooth marks on the hard stone. The only thing it could feel, the only sensation that drove its action, was a primordial, insatiable hunger for the human flesh it had smelled inside the room.
Its claws grabbed the statue's torso, allowing it to drag its lumpy body on it. Where was its prey? It was so hungry- like it had never fed before.
It made its way around the statue from the opposing side this time. The smell hit its sensitive nostrils; the smell of the living. Of tender flesh and rich, warm blood- it drove the Hag crazy with anticipation.
The humongous eye glared at the place where the smell was stronger. There was nothing, but a fleeting trail- the sound of feet splash on the water made it turn around and jump out of the carven figure's back.
Blake and Yang's hearts were thumping like jackhammers when they saw the Grimm jump out of their previous hiding spot. They had barely managed to find cover behind the large table before it noticed them.
The ripples from its body landing and moving were transferred across the entire flooded surface. Its snarls and growls filled the interior and acted as a reminder about how bad their situation truly was.
The sound of sniffing and panting followed soon. They could hear the monster stop walking as it tried to follow their smell inside the murky sacrificial room of a cult long forgotten by Remnant itself.
The faunus dared take a peek. The Hag was staring around, sniffing with its huge head while dropped on all fours. What happened to it? It's as if it has totally lost its mind she pondered before retreating back to Yang.
She turned around and carefully whispered as low as she could in her partner's ear. "We may be able to surprise it- the door is a few meters away. Do you think we can outrun it somehow?" she asked.
The tall girl stared at her, dried blood on her cheeks, neck and mouth. A low guttural croaking followed by a few wet steps forced her to stand still, allowing Yang to reply the same way.
"I am sorry, kitten. I can barely stand as it is" she had seen this coming of course, but it still hurt her. Honestly, taking into consideration what Yang had been forced to endure, it was a miracle she still had her senses, to be honest.
The breathing and splashing came closer. The sniffing stopped. Lilac and yellow locked on each other, as both girls readied their weapons. It became clear the moment they realized there was no escape from the one-eyed horror; they would either kill it or go down trying.
The guttural sounds became heavier. A small thumping sound of it slam on the heavy rock ended the echoing of its booming footsteps. "It must have stopped on the other side of the table" Blake whispered.
Yang licked her lips. It had become quite the habit lately, like going into tunnels and fighting impossible odds. The old Yang of Signal would have been so thrilled at the prospect.
But the old Yang hadn't lived through everything this Yang had. She didn't have Blake, Sun, JNR, LEAD and a Ruby who still loved cuddling her at the age of 20. She wasn't engaged to the most gorgeous woman in the whole world.
Ember Celica cocked in place the moment Yang jumped to the left side and Blake to the right. A pincher attack was the best they could do, at least to try and confuse it in order to score a couple easy hits.
The Hag, however, had a different opinion as it leered at them from the top of the table where it had crawled. It ignored Blake and pounced at the blonde, slamming her on the floor.
Black and white filled her vision. She felt water on her back. Growls and screeches echoed in Yang's ears while filthy saliva dripped on her face.
The heavy, ragged body of the toad monster pressed on her chest and drove the air out of her lungs. She grabbed its right hand with her left and used her metal one to block its ferocious bite.
The Hag's free arm tried to scratch her but she elbowed it away. The Grimm managed to take advantage of that by freeing its jaws and then went down to bite off the huntress' face with its needle-sharp teeth.
Nightfall's chain blade wrapped around the monster's face, its deep red color glowing in the dim light. "AAAH!" Blake mustered all her strength and pulled back, trying to pry the monster off her fallen partner.
The beast was too strong for her, however. It pulled the faunus forward and forced her boots to skid on the flooded floor. But even that sort of distraction was enough for Yang to take advantage of.
She twisted her body to the left, making the Hag lose its balance and then performed a knee kick on its shoulder. Blake stepped on the table to use as a foothold and whirled her blade, adding to the brawler's kick.
The Hag fell on the floor and gave enough room for Yang to jump back on her knees and Blake to return Nightfall back to its sword form. They stood next to each other, anticipating the Grimm's counterattack.
It didn't take more than a couple seconds for it to rise from the paved ground and turn its hollow, sinister eye at them. Thick black blood ran down its monstrous face from the numerous shallow cuts Nightfall had given it, mixing with its saliva before dripping down inside the water.
"Something is wrong with it" Blake said, getting ready for the upcoming attack. "Yeah" Yang took one step forward and wiped the saliva from her face "it feels much weaker than before, for sure."
It rushed forward to her once more. The brawler ducked and avoided a slash aimed at her neck. Blake jumped on the table and drew Envelop, throwing three precise shots at its other hand as it tried to attack again.
The bullets forced it to stop the assault and left it wide open for Yang again. She took a heavy step inside its guard and punched its belly with her right arm. It growled, but to her dismay didn't even move an inch.
She didn't want to give it time to react. Yang slammed her left fist in its humongous eye, making the monster growl. She delivered a right hook and then Gatling punched its torso with all her remaining strength.
She gritted her teeth, trying to contain the blood that rose up from her stomach. The Hag had barely moved. Despite its cries for pain, Yang's punches hadn't damaged it as much as she hoped they would.
"AAH!" she punched again, pressing heavily on the ground. She heard Blake cry out, but couldn't exactly register what- blood dripped down her ears and eyes again, indicating she was running out of power.
Taking that into consideration, it came as no surprise when her enemy bit her metal arm and drew her towards its deadly claws. Blake jumped forward to cut off its arm before it skewered her- just as it expected.
The faunus' insight burned the image of Yang being torn to shreds in front of her very own eyes. It was a matter of seconds before her fear became a reality- and she was too exhausted to prevent it.
So, Blake did the only thing that came to her mind. She jumped forward and rammed the Grimm claws with her left shoulder the very moment they passed through Yang's defenses.
"AAH!" "URG!" both girls gasped in pain as the crashed on the stone wall, leaving a messy blood print behind them. Blake had managed to derail the fatal slash somehow, making the monster slice Yang's face- before it continued down to the black-haired girl's right arm and belly.
The Hag turned at them and they hastily rolled on the floor to avoid the impact from its pounce. Blood dripped down from their fresh wounds, making the Hag's predatory instincts go crazy as it rushed at the faunus.
The yellow-eyed huntress parried the first slash with her sword. A quick step on her left avoided the next slash. She ducked under its fangs and sliced its belly open- or she would if her sword hadn't stuck in its thick, hard as rock hide.
The monster fell on her. Blake slammed on the floor and let go of her sword, still stuck in its belly, using her arms to grab its dripping claws.
She felt the bony blades cut through her gloves and fingers. Its huge body pressed her on the flooded stone as she started to collapse under its pressure- until Yang jumped on its back and wrapped both her arms around the thick, trunk-like neck.
"You!" blood ran down her face and eyes, clouding her vision. "Leave!" she put as much power as she could, hoping she could either strangle it or buy Blake some time to think something; she always did.
"My!" her muscles snapped under the tension, but she could feel the mighty head bend backwards. "Partner-AAAAAAAAAH!" a loud 'crack' indicated the dislocating of her shoulder as the Hag pulled her forward.
"YANG!" "GET IT!" nearly numb in pain, Yang refused to let go. She knew it just needed to shake its head to get rid of her, but even this could help Blake somehow…
A huge projectile crashed on the mass of combatants, emptying a blue, cool liquid on them. Blake smelled lavender and… rosemary?
The Hag started quiver and twist. Yang, powerless, fell on the ground, as the monster screeched and cried in agony, its thick, hard flesh starting to bulge and liquefy, dripping on Blake's strained body.
The most important thing, however, was that she could feel the Grimm hide's resistance on her blade lessen. She grasped firmly, making sure to not allow her bloody hands slip on her handle.
"AAAAA!" Blake cut diagonally, severing the monster's left arm and cutting open its belly in half. The Hag roared and screamed and tried to attack her in frenzy- before a large caliber rifle shot blew off its head.
-o—
The SUV's engine roared, breaking the deadly silence of the corn fields, painted red by the first rays of the rising sun. The road was harsh and the car shook a lot, but Blake didn't care about comfort while driving.
All that mattered was putting as much distance behind the cursed town and them as possible before afternoon came. The idea of finding out which part of Grand Mother's army still roamed around the place didn't sound appealing to her- or any of the car's passengers.
Their escape had been nothing more of a frenzied retreat. After Ruby and Weiss had saved them from the sacrificial ground, the petite girl had given them a quick first aid, including a painful relocation of Yang's shoulder, before they boarded Azure's SUV and drove away from the blood-soaked facility.
She still remembered the pristine, deceitful lake. The ruined town of Corfield that she had insisted in avoiding with the car had been covered by a spectral shroud that served as a reminder to her; this place is not to be walked by mortal feet ever again.
Weiss and Yang were sleeping in each other's arm in the back seat, with Martina Waite gently napping in the girls' shoulders. Ruby was seated next to the faunus, keeping her company- and acting as their lookout.
They had taken advantage of the silence to exchange information about everything that had transpired; Cherry, Grand Mother's temple, Azure, the artificial Eldergrimm and his inhumane experiments.
She stared at the rear mirror. All the stuff Azure had loaded in the back of the SUV were there, carefully tied by the black-haired girl.
Among them she could see bloody circlets and light blue capsules, like the one Weiss had thrown on the Hag- quite possible the weapon they had come in this place looking for.
The one that stood out the most, however, was the small vat between Ruby's feet. It was made of steel and reinforced glass and was filled in the sickening green liquid. Weiss had glared at it as if it was the enemy.
Well, if the piece of dark, pulsing flesh and small-protruding bones that seemed to grow out of it were any indication, the cyan-eyed huntress was probably right in her claims. Blake returned her gaze on the road.
"I am still not sure it is a good idea to bring that thing with us" after a while she decided to voice her thoughts. Ruby's head turned away from the window and her exhausted, bruised eyes fell on the faunus.
"Honestly, I agree" she sounded so tired it nearly made the bandaged cat-girl yawn. "But I want to at least give the lab guys a shot at it; after they are done, I will blow it up myself. Quite happily" she added.
Blake smiled softly "always the consummate professional, aren't you" she commented "even now, with our wits and pride blown away, you still don't let your emotions drag you back" she added in admiration.
"That goes for both of us" Ruby smiled back at her friend "unless you think I didn't notice how little you have rested, Blake. Honestly, it is a miracle how you haven't collapsed yet from exhaustion."
Her torn gloves tightened on the wheel "I have no right to rest, Ruby" she replied in a serious tone "I failed your sister and nearly got her, no, both of us killed despite acting all high and mighty at her before that."
"Oh, come on Blake" silver eyes opened in a gentle way and stared at the faunus in the exact same manner lilac did when Yang reprimanded her "you can't be perfect; we all make stupid mistakes. Heck, Yang was the one who got us split going after an enemy to begin with."
"That doesn't change the fact that when needed, she stepped up both for Cherry and me" Ruby's kindness only hurt her more. "How can I live up to the trust placed on me when I dragged her down like this?"
"Ah, so it's that thing" Ruby averted her gaze and sat back, staring out of the window, ignoring her friend's confused expression for a couple minutes before she finally replied.
"We don't trust you just because we love you" the brunette's voice was flat yet still retaining its warmth somehow "we trust you because we know how much of a hard worker and strong of a person you are; and that goes for Goodwitch as well" she concluded as if narrating a story.
The shock from hearing those words opened the cat girl's eyes wide. The car ran by a small hole and shook violently but still didn't wake up the three exhausted girls "You knew?" she asked "did Yang tell you?"
"Silly Blake" in a teasing voice, the crimson girl replied "would Glynda ever ask you to be her replacement without informing your team leader first?" she asked back as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Blake licked her lips. Come to think of it, it was reasonable. If she were to accept- which she didn't- then RWBY would have to find a huntsman to replace her. Taking that into account, it made sense for Ruby to be informed from the start "and here I thought you were bad at lying."
"Do you know how hard it was to keep it a secret from anyone?" the answer came back at her. "Makes sense" Blake sighed deeply "I am not going to accept the position, however, so everything is fine, Ruby."
"Is that so?" she asked her again "that's a pity; I think you would make an excellent commander for the Unit." "Yang said the exact same thing. How am I a good choice? I can't even properly protect my partner!"
She stopped her shouting at once and looked at the rear mirror. Gladly, none of the others had woken up. "I am sorry, Ruby. But I can't truly and honestly understand what you all find in me as a potential leader."
"Geez, Blake" the reaper sighed. "I can say many things but you will shoot them all down as flattery, so just let me tell you this one." The crimson girl shifted on her seat and stared at the faunus, smiling.
Blake gazed at her leader's shining gunmetal pools at the edge of her vision. "As someone who has been your leader for five years and has lived with you four out of them, there is not even one person in Vale Country I would trust to lead me more than you" she winked at her.
"Ruby…" her voice trailed off, protests failing on her mouth. "Thank-" all of a sudden, four scrolls started beeping and ringing, waking up the other three passengers and alarming the Ladybug duo.
"What the heck is going on?" Yang rubbed her bandaged eyes. "I have twenty-seven messages, missed calls- and an emergency signal?" the alabaster huntress screamed in confusion.
"We must have passed the zone where signal was suppressed and all our missed calls are being received now" the faunus tried her best to sound calm and collected.
"Even though these are too many calls; only Velvet's are more than a dozen!" Ruby ran by her notifications, her heart pounding at her chest.
"And let's not forget that we are considered civilian huntsmen as far as the SHU are concerned. For them to send an emergency even to us, it would mean-"
"Type-0 situation" Weiss whispered in horror. "All civilian and military armed forces are to gather at Ozpin Academy for further instructions."
"Type 0?" Martina asked. "Huge Grimm attack" Blake answered as she called Sun, putting him on the speakers and giving her scroll to Ruby for everyone to listen to.
It didn't take more than a couple beeps for the blonde boy to reply. "Blake! Oh shit, thank Dust you are fine! Where have you been? I have been worried sick!" he sounded alarmed- an unusual state for him.
"We are all fine, Sun!" she replied "we were in a place where comms didn't work!" "What is going on?" "Is everyone all right?" "What has happened in Vale?" "What is that about the type-0 call?"
"Ok, just hold on a moment!" he raised his voice a little; something that didn't pass by unnoticed by Blake. "Ren's here with me and I think he is the best person to explain" he replied to the anxious huntresses.
"Team RWBY? Are you all ok?" a familiar solemn voice took Sun's place. "Yes, we are all fine Ren! What the hell is going on up there?" an angry Yang shouted at the speaker.
"As you said, hell" the magenta-eyed boy replied. "Do you have a few minutes to spare? It's quite a long story." "Hit us" Ruby forced herself to reply.
"Ok" the sound of a door getting closed followed his laconic reply. "It all started yesterday, when Velvet asked Erik, Nora, Lumia and me to go check Jaune's files in Riverside- I am sorry, former Riverside Clinic."