Here we are at Chapter 134. Time to see how Porphyrius and his group handle being in the belly of the beast, literally. I do not own RWBY. They belong to roosterteeth. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 134. Enjoy.
Chapter 134: The Witch
The war for Atlas rages on as the Atlas military continue their defense against the onslaught of Grimm being created from the Monstra. Their defense remains strong, but their forces are being whittled down one by one, and the bodies are starting to pile up. Meanwhile, Salem's forces continue to slowly gain ground. Inside one section of the huge Grimm, Porphyrius ans his friends finally managed to make it inside, despite the dangers they had to fight through just to get in. The group stop to catch their breath before moving on with their objective.
"Everyone alright?" Porphyrius asks.
"I'm good, for the most part," Lloyd gives him a thumbs up, his face still scarred from before.
"That was a challenge," Yang notes.
"Well, this will be even more so. We still have to find Oscar. He's gottabe somewhere in this... thing. And we have to find him before the window Winter gave us closes and the Ace Ops detonate the bomb," Porphyrius says.
"You mean detonate the bomb... with us still inside it," Lloyd groans.
"Okay, but how will we even find Oscar? This thing is enormous. It'l be like finding a needle in a... giant whale. Why did we think this was such a good idea?" Yang asks.
"I think... I might be able to help," Ren turns back to them. "I can sense spikes in people's emotions, I think. It happened on Winter's ship. I could see a physical manifestation of their emotions in a way. That's how I knew about them. If I focus my aura, I can keep it up,"
This surprises the group a little, "You mean... your semblance has evolved. That's... pretty cool, actually," Lloyd notes.
"Does that mean you can lead us to Oscar?" Porphyrius asks.
Ren holds his head as he focuses in, "I can sort of tell where they are, but not who. It feels like they're in the same area in this thing, though. They're further in. I can lead the way," Rne gets ready to walk ahead, but Jaune stops him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, you don't have to strain yourself here. You're not alone. I can help. We'll do this together," Jaune says.
"...Right, good thinking. Thank you," Ren replies.
Jaune points finger guns at him, "Right, then lead the way, Ren,"
The group move on ahead, with Ren and Jaune holding the front, while Porphyrius remains in the middle, and Lloyd and Yang hold the rear. They walk through the fleshy corridors of the Monstra, with Jaune's aura amplifying Ren's so he can use his evolved semblance to help find Oscar. As they're walking, Yang glances at Lloyd's face, taking another note of his scars and what lies beneath them.
"How... are you holding up?" Yang tentatively asks.
"I'm fine. I'm not the one that has to constantly use his semblance or aura to get us to where we need to go," Lloyd replies offhandedly.
"That's not what I meant. I mean... how is your face holding up?" Yang asks again.
Lloyd sighs, "I'll be fine. It doesn't hurt,"
"Will it... heal up by itself in time. Maybe with your aura...?" Yang wonders.
"It's not that simple. There technically is no injury here, because there is no real skin here. I told you that those bastards turned me into a cyborg. They experimented on my body for longer that I care to remember. They didn't just experiment on the inside, though. They did experiments on every part of me... including the skin. It's not growing back. They had ways of fixing it themselves... but those ways were gone the moment that facility blew up. I'm pretty sure I'm stuck like this... at least for a while," Lloyd laments.
"I'm... sorry, Lloyd," Yang glances away in sadness.
"You have nothing to apologize for. It's not your fault. We tried to fight Kamir'ahk, and we were lucky to escape with our lives. I think this is a small price to pay. Heh, you know, before this, I never really dwelled on what was underneath that much. I just moved on, only thinking about it from time to time. I guess when you couldn't physically see it, it makes it easier to keep in the farthest corner of your mind. But, now that it's out in the open, that's a different story. There's no use running from it... but, I guess I was just fooling myself with acting like a human when really, I'm not. Not anymore," Lloyd replies.
"Believe me, there are plenty of people that I've met since this whole thing began that I wouldn't call 'human' at all. But, you're not one of them, Lloyd. Besides, maybe Jaune can help fix you up with his aura," Yang tries to cheer him up.
Lloyd looks ahead at Jaune as he helps Ren, "I won't bother him with something minor like this. He needs to focus on helping Ren. And we need to focus on finding Oscar and getting out of here before this place becomes one big fireworks display. Let's just focus on the task at hand,"
They move ahead, but Yang glances at Lloyd again in slight worry... And Porphyrius glances back at them after listening in on their conversation, and feels sympathy for his brother.
…
Meanwhile, outside in the city, Kamir'ahk watches the war going on with a little interest as the chaos erupts around him.
"It doesn't look like Ironwood's forces will last much longer at this rate. They must be getting desperate, since they're even sending out students to fight this battle for them," Kamir'ahk notes.
"Ironwood's forces are limited, but Salem can keep replenishing hers almost instantly. It's only a matter of time before they break through the final defense line and storm the city. And then, the real terror will begin," Nidhogg says.
"Of course, that just may make things a little more difficult for us in finding Khazhak and Bahamut," Kamir'ahk shrugs his shoulders.
"What of those friends of his that we saw enter the Monstra? Should we do something about them. Or inform Salem about them?" Nidhogg asks.
"...Nah. It's not like we're indebted to that selfish bitch, or have a collar on our necks like Cinder does. I'd say we can leave them alone..." Kamir'ahk turns away from the battle and goes to continues his search for Khazhak. "Besides... they only KNOW about Salem. They have yet to actually face the witch herself in person,"
…
Back inside the Monstra, Yang and her friends continue their search within the beast to find Oscar, maintaining the same formation they had earlier. As they travel, Jaune is using his aura to amplify Ren's as he uses his semblance constantly.
"You ever think that these walls will just sprout arms and reach out to grab us?" Lloyd eyes the Grimm walls around them.
"Please don't go saying creepy stuff like that. I'm already nervous enough as it is," Yang replies.
Just then, Jaune and Ren hunch over as they get a little tired, "Hey, you guys okay?" Lloyd asks.
"Yeah, I'm just getting a little tired. Not issues here," Jaune replies.
"I'm sorry. I'm masking and tracking at the same time, so I'm using my aura up faster than normal," Ren replies.
Jaune waves it off, "No, it's okay. It's not your fault,"
"Do you guys need a minute?" Yang asks.
"We don't know how much longer we can keep this up," Jaune notes.
"Alright, then let's try this. Ren, give masking a break for a moment. Just give us some directions, and Jaune and I will scout ahead while you three hang back a moment," Porphyrius proposes.
"Thanks. That sounds like a plan. Just keep going straight. We should be heading that way for a while longer," Ren points ahead.
"Alright, we'll be back," Porphyrius nods and he and Jaune race ahead to do some scouting.
"Well, at least you guys being friends again takes the sting out of impending doom," Yang jokes.
"Well, isn't that a pleasant thought," Lloyd adds.
"You know... You guys don't have to hide your fear with jokes. It's okay to be afraid and admit it. After all, I'm scared too," Ren looks back at them.
"...I thought I was the only one that was scared," Yang replies.
Ren smiles, "We're all scared, but that in itself isn't a bad thing. But, those two, Jaune and Porphyrius. I don't sense any fear in either of them. A little concern from Porphyrius, but no fear. They honestly believe that we can do this. And I guess, that helps me believe so as well," Ren looks back in the pair's direction.
Yang sighs, but smiles, "Okay, then I do too,"
Lloyd shrugs his shoulders, "Don't forget about... me," he stops when they notice Jaune and Porphyrius running back towards them, a look of worry in their eyes.
"Quick, hide! Ren, mask us, now!" Jaune leads them onto another hallway off the path, and Ren masks them as Jaune holds out his shield and Porphyrius aims his rifles.
Jaune glances around the corner to see a Seer Grimm floating down the pathway in their direction. The Grimm floats on by and hasn't noticed them, but the group do notice Ren having a hard time keeping them masked with his semblance. He's reaching his limit. Seeing his strain, they get ready to fight. Just as the Seer floats by, Ren's aura gets too low and his semblance deactivates, and alerts the Seer to their presence.
"Oh, crap," Porphyrius mutters before firing off his rifles to kill the Seer.
However, the Seer manages to release out a scream throughout the Monstra, and other Grimm appear just as the Seer dies. Lloyd jumps and rips his claws through one Grimm's head, while Porphyrius and Ren fire off their weapons to kill a few more. Yang jumps up and smashes her fist down on another, and Jaune finishes it up by slicing one Grimm in half. Though there are no more Grimm around them, they know that their cover's been blown now.
"Okay, so much for stealth. Time for plan B," Porphyrius notes.
"What's plan B?" Jaune asks.
"Kick the carp out of anything that gets in our way and pray we don't die!" Lloyd cheers.
Yang shrugs her shoulder, "What else is new?"
"I'd prefer the 'don't die' part. Ren," Jaune says.
Ren nods, "We keep moving forward... No matter what,"
With that settled, the group charge ahead as they race through the Monstra. They move around corner after corner, careful to avoid any opposition. Of course, that eventually leads them right into none other than Emerald and Hazel standing before them.
"Oh great, it's the thief and the lapdog. Just my favorite people," Lloyd readies his claws as his friends get ready to fight.
Emerald has her pistols out, but then Hazal steps forth, "No, wait, stop!" He holds his hands up, and a moment later, suddenly changes form from Hazel to Oscar due to Emerald's semblance.
The group gasp, "Oscar!" Jaune cheers and wraps his arms around the farmboy in a tight embrace.
"Dude, you look like crap," Lloyd notes.
Oscar notices Lloyd's face, "I look like crap? What happened to you?" he bounces back, making Lloyd chuckle.
"I thought I sensed some weak minds nearby," Emerald notes.
"Wait, what's going on here?" Jaune asks.
"It's... a long story," Oscar says.
"Yeah, well, we don't have time for long stories," Porphyrius walks up and aims his rifles at Emerald, as does Lloyd with his claws. "Give us one good reason why we shouldn't ghost this bitch right here and now,"
"...Because she's scared," Ren stops them, stunning Emerald a bit. "Just like the rest of us. You know... You know what Salem's real plan is, don't you," he can read her emotions like a book, while the others loosen up a bit.
Emerald tries to play it tough, "Or maybe because I know the way out of here... You coming or what?" Emerald walks past them, and they watch her go.
Deciding they don't have much choice, or time right now to debate it, the group follow Emerald as she leads the way through the Monstra for them. They race through the corridors of its body and after a few twists and turns, they finally see the outside, having come to the left side of the beast's body, with a clear path to the city on the outskirts of the battle.
"We're almost out!" Oscar exclaims.
Lloyd breathes a sigh of relief, "Thank God, this place was a mess. I was wondering if we were ever going to find you,"
"Look, less talking, more running. The Ace Ops are most likely about to move that bomb in, and I really don't want to be here when that timer hits zero!" Porphyrius notes.
They've nearly reached their goal until the Monstra suddenly shakes, causing them to stop.
"Um... what was that?" Lloyd gets worried.
Emerald's eyes are filled with fear, "...It's her,"
The Monstra screams as if in pain, and then suddenly a part of the fleshy wall behind them explodes, scattering the group. From the dust emerges Salem who glares between Oscar and Emerald. Emerald tries to run, but Salem extends her arms and grabs her, pulling her in.
Salem leans close to her ear, "You really have been honing that semblance of yours,"
Ren and Porphyrius fire off their rifles at her, but Salem evades the bullets before firing off a blast of magical energy at them. Porphyrius jumps out of the way while Jaune protects Ren with his shield, only for the pair to get blasted into a wall. Lloyd smashes his steel fist into the ground, sending steel spikes at Salem, but Salem flies over them while still holding Emerald and fires off another blast of energy at him. Lloyd uses his semblance to block the attack, but Salem reaches out and grabs his face before throwing him into the wall. Yang jumps in and makes several punches on Salem's body and then jumps back before pulling the trigger, causing the timed rounds to explode, leaving Salem's body broken and contorted. However, her immortality merely turns the attack into a slight annoyance. Salem reaches out and grabs Yang's arms with some black ooze from her hand. She starts to pull Yang in, but Porphyrius jumps in and slices the black ooze rope off, freeing her. Porphyrius fires off a few gravity shots at Salem, pinning her to the floor. He then jumps up with his weapon in its brawler form and throws a gravity punch at Salem's face, destroying her head. But, just like with Yang, this does little to stop her as she grabs his arms, flings him around, and then blasts him close up with a magic blast that sends him crashing into the ceiling before he hits the floor near the others. Yang jumps in from behind but Salem catches her thrown punch in her hand.
"Leave them alone!" Salem looks back to get hit in the chest by a magical blast from Oscar.
Salem looks pissed as she throws Yang into Oscar and then conjures up red magic circles beneath everyone. Grimm arms pop out and pin everyone either onto the floor or to the wall, preventing them from retaliating. Salem then pins Emerald to the wall with the same ability.
Salem conjures a black sphere of energy in her hand, "Now then, what did you do with the lamp?"
Emerald's fear is obvious, "N-Nothing," she tells the truth.
But, Salem isn't buying it, "It's missing," she raises her hand with the black orb close to Emerald's face.
"I didn't do anything with it!" Emerald pleads.
"Where... is it?" Salem glares at the others. She uses her power to lean Oscar up while still keeping him pinned and sighs as she walks towards him. "Look how you've diminished. How you've lessened yourself. And for what? These children? This ruined world?" she stands before him and then grips his head with her hands, squeezing him. "Why do you keep coming back?"
"Why do you?!" Yang yells, getting her attention. "All of this endless death... because something bad happened to you a long time ago? You don't get it. This isn't a fairytale, and no one gets the fairytale ending that they want," Yang rants as Salem approaches her. "Everything I've lost. Every person I've lost... is all because of you," Yang stares into her eyes as Salem stands before her.
"And who have I taken from you exactly, girl?" Salem asks.
"Summer Rose, my mom," Yang replies.
Salem is actually a little surprised by the mentioning of that name, "Hmph. Her again," she smiles as she leans close to Yang.
"You stay the Hell away from her, you hear me!" Porphyrius growls as he tries to break free, only for Salem to pin more arms around him and keep him on the ground.
"Yeah, she's not the only one you took people from. You destroyed Brother's family. Everything he and Voshkie'ahk went through was because of you," Lloyd seethes.
Salem stares between the two of them, "Brother? Oh, you mean Khazhak Rairyu. He sure is a resilient one, I'll give him that. Too bad you won't last as long,"
"Your grace," Salem looks to see Hazel join the party, standing near Emerald.
"Ah, Hazel. I've found our guests..." Salem walks up to Emerald while pinning Yang and Lloyd. "This one was helping them," she then releases Oscar. "Take the boy back to his cell. I have work to do with this one," Salem glides her hand along a crying Emerald's face.
"Yes, of course," Hazel walks past her, seeing the terror in Emerald's eyes. He looks at the others before he stands next to Oscar. Hazel picks him up by his collar and then pulls him in close. "No more Gretchens, boy," he whispers before dropping Oscar to the ground and handing him his cane, and then starts walking towards Salem.
"Please, I really don't know what happened to the lamp!" Emerald cries.
Salem is about to punish her, but then Hazel blindsides her with a punch to the head, sending her flying back. Salem uses her magic to create a tornado beneath her feet and floats in the air. This also causes the circles pinning the group to disappear and free them. Hazel takes off his shirt.
"Go now!" Hazel yells before stabbing six Dust crystals into his body, giving himself a huge boost in power as electricity sparks around him.
"Hazel," Hazel looks back to see a despondent Emerald shakes her head at him.
Hazel gives a reassuring smile, "Go. It's okay," and then turns to face Salem.
"So, you've decided against vengeance for your sister after all this time," Salem gets ready to fight.
Hazel cocks his fists, flames emitting from them, "I'm doing what Gretchen would've done,"
Salem charges her magic and fires blasts of energy at Hazel. Hazel runs and jumps around the blasts as he gets closer to her. He fires off three fire blasts at her. Salem moves to dodge them, only to find herself pinned in mid-air and gets hit by the blasts. Hazel looks over to see Porphyrius using his semblance, purple flames erupting from his eyepatch.
"Hit her now!" Porphyrius yells.
Salem emerges from the flames, her body repairing itself again. She fires off a blast at Porphyrius, but Lloyd blocks the attack by smashing his fist into the ground to create steel spikes as a shield. Salem looks back just in time to see Hazel above her, fusing two Dust crystals to create a large, spiked boulder of rock and fire. He smashes the boulder down on her, sending her to the ground. Hazel crashes on top of her and starts pounding away, but Salem creates another glyph to have more Grimm arms grab him and hang him in the air while she recovers again. Meanwhile, Emerald watches on before she looks to see the others running to safety.
"Come one, everyone out!" Jaune points the way, but notices not all of them are out. "Oscar!"
Oscar looks back at him, "She'll just come after us," he notes and readies his cane.
Back in the fight, Salem is back together and fires off another blast at Hazel, but he uses a hard-light Dust crystal to block the shot. Salem then throws Hazel into the wall. He tries to get up, but she grabs his head and repeatedly smashes it into the floor. Off to the side, Oscar starts focusing energy into his cane. Salem notices this and charges at him, but Hazel quickly gets back up and grabs her from behind in a bear hug. Salem conjures up another glyph to wrap Grimm arms around Hazel's legs and even his neck. But, Hazel breaks a fire Dust crystal in his mouth with his teeth, and both of them are engulfed in the flames. Salem screams from the fire, but Hazel just looks at Oscar.
"...Do it," Hazel says.
Reluctantly, Oscar nods and hits the trigger on his cane. A magic sphere forms around him before he unleashes a huge blast of power all at once that engulfs the area in a blinding light...
And that's the chapter. Yang's group manage to rescue Oscar, with help from Hazel and Emerald. But, when Salem arrives, Emerald runs with the others while Hazel sacrifices himself to give them the chance to escape. Meanwhile, the lamp has gone the group survive the blast? What will the others do now? Until then, please Read and Review.