RWBY: Biohazard

by Cosmic Sky

War gives birth to weapons. Some of them marvelous and others horrifying. Some say soldiers are the best. Others would disagree. Sadly the students of Beacon are about to learn sometimes the best weapons aren't the ones you can fire or swing. Sometimes they're the ones you can't touch or even expect. Like a friend... or a virus.

70. Chapter 70: Striking Back

Chapter Seventy, talk about a long way. It's been just a little over six years since this story started and I'd like to thank everyone who's given this story a look and found it interesting. After last chapter, this one is definitely going to keep the ball rolling and amp things up a couple of notches. I won't waste time explaining of that though, that'd take the fun out of reading this chapter. Enjoy, everyone!

I do not own anything.

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Chapter 70-Striking Back

Beacon Vault, 10:01 AM…

Jaune had enough questions he was pretty sure he could fill the expansive halls that he and Pyrrha ran through. Amongst the most pressing one was exactly what this place was. As he ran alongside his redheaded teammate, he swerved his eyes from side to side, taking in the details of the underground complex.

Was it some sort of temple? He felt that guess was the closest as he couldn't help but feel something overwhelmingly ancient about the place. Maybe it was the torches, old fashion torches instead of electric lights. Foolish as it was to think about, he thought it wouldn't be too much trouble to make the switch off to modern electricity, that is if the Headmaster hadn't already.

That was another thing-Jaune didn't know how, but he knew that at the end of this path lay Headmaster Ozpin. Practically everyone at Beacon knew there was more to the bespectacled man than met the eye; some like Chicahua treated the man with an almost awe-like reverence…tinged with a slight bit of fear. Jaune had been around Chicahua long enough to realize if he looked to someone with either, that was cause for concern, when he looked at someone with both, well…Jaune's first instinct was to avoid that person at all cost. In this case though, he didn't have a choice. For all he knew, Headmaster Ozpin was probably the only hope that they had of making it out of this mess. And potentially saving Professor Goodwitch.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOOM!

"J-Jaune!" Pyrrha called.

"I'm fine, just keep going, we don't have much time!" He didn't know what was going on, yet Jaune did. First and foremost, he knew they ere being chased by something powerful, powerful enough it could shake the walls of the hallways. Oh, and likely break down the blast doors. As he and Pyrrha ran, Jaune dared not look back, if he did, he'd freeze. Loud in his ears alongside his pounding heart was the loud clang! of giant reinforced doors sliding shot. Just looking at the edges as he and Pyrrha ran Jaune knew these were military grade blast doors-made for taking hits from artillery strikes. The fact that they were breaking was a further testament to the power of the entity behind them, the entity that Professor Goodwitch was fighting. Jaune wanted to believe she was holding her hold. A case could be made that she was since he and Pyrrha were still running toward their unknown destination without much hindrance.

How long would that last though? That was one of the questions that kept on needling at Jaune, but he didn't let it slow him down. He couldn't let that slow him down, because if he did it'd be the end of not just him but the people he cared about. Even though he was figuratively and near literally in the dark, Jaune Arc knew that he could not fall, he would not fall here.

"Jaune…protect her with your life, do so as best you can."

The professor's words added to his already sturdy fortitude. He'd made a promise, and when an Arc made a promise, they kept it, even if it cost them their life. One didn't enroll in Beacon unless they were prepared to make that same sacrifice, primarily for the greater good or in the name of their teammates. Jaune had a feeling his actions might come down to both. Somewhere inside…he found a quiet bit of relief in that, even drawing a little strength from it.

"Jaune," Pyrrha called from just a little up ahead of him. "L-Listen, I…I…you need to know about what we're getting into." He could hear the strain in her voice, and it wasn't just from the running or the worry about what was behind them.

"About what Professor Goodwitch said, Pyrrha, what's waiting for us at the end of this hallway…" Tightening his fists, he locked eyes with her. For once, his blue eyes were the ones hardened with resolve while her emerald green eyes were the ones shaking with a twinge of uncertainty. "Tell me it's not going to hurt you, please."

He saw her bite her lip. "I…I don't know, it probably will, but only for a little bit. The Headmaster told me that there might be some pain involved in the power transference."

The blond did a doubletake while attempting to maintain his stride. "Power transference? Pyrrha, what…what are they going to transfer into you?!" There was no hiding the desperation and outright fear in his voice toward the end.

She ducked her head, clearly wrestling with the answer that he was near demanding. Trying to hide it would only make things worse, which given the situation was the last thing that they needed. Little bits and pieces of the truth weren't going to cut it either. "The woman chasing us…she possesses one half of the Power of the Fallen Maiden, you know, from the old stories."

"Old story?" Jaune's eyes widened as he found the information in the confines of his memory. "Holy shit, you mean the four maidens! They're real! And the person after us has one of their powers!"

"Half of it." Pyrrha corrected, her eyes shadowy and her voice tight.

"Half, wait…she has half, that means that-" The pieces connected near immediately, albeit the picture was still only a piece of a larger mosaic. Jaune still had so many questions, but he at least now had an idea of what kind of mess he'd been tossed into. His gaze shifted to Pyrrha's back; there was still more she wasn't telling him-like how she knew any of this. As much as Jaune wanted to press her, he knew now wasn't the time. When they got out of this mess, when they got out of it…that'd be the time to get some answers. Either from her or the Headmaster himself. "Pyrrha, is this…are you…"

Her face fell. "I…I don't know, Jaune. I honestly don't know, but if that power can give us even a slight chance to repel this attack and future attacks, it's a chance that I'm going to take."

Jaune stared at her, mouth sealed shut as awe and anxiety danced within him. When he spoke, his gaze was hard and focused on the path in front of them. "Then…I'll protect you, even if it costs me my life."

That caused a stir within her. Pyrrha's green eyes widened in awe and fear as she looked back to him. Jaune merely stared back at her, his blue eyes carrying the same hardness. As much as it pained him, his statement wasn't going to be recanted, nor was Pyrrha going to talk him out of abandoning this mission. If she tried, she'd likely end up getting them both killed, and after them odds are the rest of the academy would follow. A voice in her head told her that that was a good thing-it meant that Jaune was fully aware of what was at stake. Normally, she would have understood that as well.

"Pyrrha," Jaune called, yet again rousing her from her inner thoughts. "This process, whatever it is…you'll survive it, right?"

Blue eyes locked with green, the former hardened yet tinged with uncertainty at what was to come. Seeing it caused Pyrrha to reach deep within herself to find the resolve needed to give him an answer. "I will, I promise, Jaune."

Nothing more was said between the two teens as they continued to race down the halls, the sound of explosions continuously shaking the walls around them. The shaking never stopped, but certain sounds did-namely the sound of metallic doors shattering, those ceased. Jaune and Pyrrha knew that meant that whatever it was pursuing them had turned its attention to Professor Goodwitch. That both put them at ease ad terrified them. They didn't let the fear stop them; they couldn't let it stop them. If anything, they tried to let the sudden change empower them.

And then they reached their destination.

"Ah, Miss Nikos, and Mister Arc. Your presence here is unexpected, but it may prove to be an unexpected boon." For a man whose academy was under attack with a dangerous psychopath attempting to blast its way through, Ozpin was incredibly calm. Then again, it could be argued if he wasn't able to keep it together, he wouldn't have bee worthy of his position. "Miss Nikos, I need you to get in the pod here."

Jaune was sweating like a pig as was Pyrrha, yet the latter moved with urgency. Her partner lingered behind for a minute, huffing as he examined the massive chamber that they'd ran into. It was certainly grandiose, and it screamed secrecy. The same green torches lit the chamber, what they illuminated chilled his heart. Two capsules hooked up to a bunch of cords and machinery whose inner workings he couldn't even begin to describe; part of Jaune didn't want to know. When he and Pyrrha had arrived, only one of the capsules had been filled, Pyrrha quickly moved herself into the empty one. Headmaster Ozpin furiously worked a console that operated the device.

Though he knew he should have been standing guard, his curiosity drew him closer. His gaze went to the first pod that had bee occupied; he knew it was the supposed previous wielder of the Maiden powers. She lay there in the capsule, looking rather uncomfortably still-almost dead save for the incredibly thin moans. Jaune's blood chilled as he examined her through the glass lid. She might have been around their age, maybe older, with tan skin and short black hair. What was most eye-catching to Jaune was the patchwork scar on the left side of her face, it almost resembled a spider-web mark; he knew that it was in no way natural.

"Half of it." Pyrrha had said during her fast-paced explanation.

An uncomfortable knot formed in his stomach as he pictured the girl struggling against her attacker, her screams magnified as half of the power of the Fall Maiden was sucked out of her. It was incredibly disturbing to think about, but what was more unsettling was how easy it was for Jaune to picture it, in spite of knowing so little about the situation. He wondered if it was his intuition or if he was self-projecting his own near-death experiences onto others. Shaking his head, he attempted to push those thoughts away, he needed to focus on the task he'd been given-to safeguard Pyrrha until the power transference was complete.

To do that, it meant ignoring the groans and grunts of pain that she was making as the procedure was underway.

"Mister Arc, how much of your Semblance's power have you been able to activate?" The Headmaster called without taking his eyes off the control panel.

Jaune grimaced. "Well…it's kind of an instinctive thing. I-I-I'm still learning how to call it up on command."

If he was disappointed, he didn't show it. "Then this will be a training exorcise for you to learn how to do so, and hold it against." He declared. Jaune was tempted to say something corny about how he was attempting to turn this life-or-death moment into a teaching moment. Then again, his grandfather ad his other teachers had told him that such moments actually were teaching moments-you either learned or you died. "Listen to Miss Nikos, listen to her screams-listen to her pain. Though I'm sure they terrify you, it is momentary. This pain she's in will pass, but only if you're able to buy us the time we need to complete this process. If you don't, this pain will be the last thing she ever experiences…and thousands more deaths will follow hers."

Oh, great. I mean, it's not like I didn't know that already, but it's good to have it reiterated as I'm trying to keep myself together. He mentally groaned. Jaune could feel his body shaking I fear at the weight he'd bee saddled with. How the hell did the morning after Valentine's Day lead to this? It was a pointless question, but one he still ended up asking himself. He'd have asked the Headmaster, Professor Goodwitch, the other teachers, anyone…but he knew he wouldn't get an answer. The answer was ultimately pointless. "So…I'm all that's standing between life and death."

"Yes, a great responsibility that…I hoped to spare your generation from for a few more years. Things solemnly work out as we intend for them to." There was regret in his voice, regret that Jaune found himself sympathizing with. He wasn't the only one questioning life's misfortunes, and he wasn't the only one who realized getting wrapped up in those questions was pointless. "I know it is a daunting task, but-"

"There's no one here but me." Another tremor shook the chamber. Jaune could feel the vibrations traveling up into his body from his legs. It almost felt like they were trying to crush his heart. In spite of that, it continued to beat. "It's up to me…and I…I…I don't want to fail." As another tremor shook the chamber, Jaune forced his body to stand strong.

"Then don't. You will not fail, Jaune Arc." Gone was the regret, replaced by a hardness that somehow flowed into Jaune. "You are the Aegis of Beacon Academy. Even what comes is the fury of a god…you will not fall. You will stand strong."

The words seemed to literally flow into him, carrying with them some sort of invigorating force. Perhaps they were calling out to whatever power slumbered within Jaune himself. He knew the power was there-he just had to dig deep and find it. To do so, he thought back to Fort Lennox; his body shuddered in fear.

He had nightmares of the flames and the man who controlled them, along with surging lava and magma. The image of Vesuvius Tect appeared in his mind, standing amidst the flames, grinning at him. He wasn't a man, he was a demon, death in fiery form, and he'd defeated him so easily. His left arm throbbed as it remembered the pain of a flaming bullet passing through it. Jaune felt his right arm throb next as he recalled how his sword had been so easily broken. He'd fell and Ruby had fought to avenge him, only to fall as well. Were it not for some unforeseen complications…they'd have taken her and it would have bee his fault. It was a miracle they'd both made it out alive.

When he awoke from his near-death experience, the first thing he saw were Pyrrha ad Ruby's crying faces. He hated seeing them crying, two of the closest friends he'd made at Beacon…and they were shedding tears for him. It made him hate himself…yet Jaune felt happy to see those tears. Those tears meant they cared about him, whippy, dorky, no-good, and dense-headed Jaune Arc. He had two incredible girls willing to shed tears if he died.

One of them was topside fighting, and the other was struggling to accept a power that could either save or destroy everything they knew and loved. Both of their lives were in his hands, along with so many others including his other two teammates. His friends.

Spacing his feet apart, Jaune held up his right hand. "You don't need a sword, Jaune. Those Dust crystals will work well with your Semblance. It's a strong defensive type, arguably the strongest in existence." His Semblance was defensive-it was a shield. He pictured it in his mind, a barrier of composed of his Aura standing strong against what was coming.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The intruder was getting closer, by Jaune's guess, they'd be here in a minute or less.

Steeling himself, he looked back. Pyrrha was still squirming in the pod, her Aura pulsating around her body. Across from her, the other girl was squirming as well. She was clearly in pain and every fiber of Jaune's body told him to do something about it. But if he did…how many lives would it cost? For that matter, what could he do?

BOOM!

His Aura pulsated around him, amassing in front of his outstretched right hand.

What he could do was stand up.

What he could do was protect his partner, his friend. Her, and the rest.

What he could do was what he always wanted to do. Not be a hero, but just be useful.

Seconds after the fire blast tore through the last door, the barrier manifested itself-coming into existence as if by magic. Golden light amassed and hardened in front of Jaune in the form of a circular barrier that stood strong against the oncoming blaze. Seeing it hurled Jaune's mind back a month, his heart nearly stopped while his blood quickened its flow throughout his body.

Fire. Death. Fire. Death. Fire. Death.

No! No! Not this time, I won't let it! His heartbeat boomed in his ears. The barrier before glowed brighter as it tripled in size. In turn, the fire blast seemingly grew more intense, trying and failing to penetrate it. Jaune could feel his hand heating up as if it were exposed to the fire instead of safe behind the barrier. He stared straight ahead at the tsunami of fire attempting to overcome his shield ad roast him, and those behind him, alive. It was possible that the Headmaster would be able to protect himself, but what of Pyrrha? Helpless inside that capsule that was messing with her Aura?

He was not going to let that happen! No way in hell!

His fingers curled and in respondence, the light barrier glowed, its shine rivaling that of the fire. Jaune could just barely see it at the edge of his vision, but the barrier grew. Flames that had been shooting to the top and side were cut off. Power and adrenaline surged through Jaune's veins, it felt like the rush would never end; he didn't want it to.

What did end was the flame burst. In spite of that, he kept the barrier up. He knew that just because the attack was over meant the danger had passed, far from it. His suspicions were affirmed confirmed as a figure walked through the flames up to him.

"…Cinder…Fall, I take it?" He questioned.

"Hm, I assume Neil's been talking? I do hope he hasn't smeared my reputation too much. He took our breakup so hard and I fear he's the type to hold a grudge." Declared the black-haired woman with eyes the color of candle flames. They glowed like candle flames; maybe if it weren't for Fort Lennox, Jaune might have found something alluring about them. Now, he felt nothing but fear and loathing toward them. "Jaune, I'm so happy to finally meet you." The woman proclaimed in a sultry voice.

Jaune was far from turned on by it, and he let it show.

"Ahhh, I see you've come to believe the stories about me. That's too bad, I was looking forward to meeting you. The inheritor of Aegis, Invincible Shield. You're a very special boy, more special than you realize." As she spoke, her heels clacked against the hard marble floor. Rivers of red dripped from her forehead, arms, abdomen, and her legs. Though trying to put on an air of class and seduction, it was undermined by her appearance at the hungry glare in her eyes. They flickered past Jaune to look at what lay beyond him and his barrier. Embers danced along her hand as she brushed the barrier with her finger. "Drop this shield and I'll let you live, Jaune. Live…at my side, as my knight. You can be my Aegis, my knight…and I'll be your lady. I can promise-"

"No." He spoke in a crystal-clear voice. It felt like his muscles were made out of steel fiber instead of flesh. "Get the hell out of here, leave Beacon…and don't ever come back."

The faux civility she'd been putting on disappeared. "Then die with the rest of the garbage here." Her fingers curled into a fist, the embers exploded, five growing explosions merged into one that strained Jaune's shield. Still, it held. "Stupid boy, do you think you can keep me from my destiny!" Cinder roared. Her fist was reared back then launched at the barrier. Jaune felt his arm cry out in pain as the force of the blast was transfer into him. Seeing it wasn't enough to break him, Cinder tried again. "That power is mine! Mine!"

"You stole it!" Jaune shouted back.

"I deserve it!" she shouted back. "That power belongs to me, and I will have it!"

Her attacks were beginning to match her attitude. It'd been years since he'd sent a childish temper tantrum, Jaune could say that his sisters' were cuter.

"We're almost finished! Just hold n a little longer!" Came the Headmaster's voice.

Unfortunately, Cinder heard that and it caused her already blazing rage to skyrocket. Her eyes shined like violent stars as she jumped back and formed something in her hands, a bow and arrow. Seeing it caused Jaune's eyes to widen as he saw the flaming arrow head leveled at him.

Several months ago, he wouldn't have pictured himself in this position, though it was one he might have quietly fantasized about. Here he was, staring death in the face, again, flaming death at that. There was a part of him that screamed in fear, it begged for him to drop the barrier ad run. Jaune didn't do that, he couldn't bring himself to do that. His fingers curled again, his blue eyes shined and his muscles tensed harder than they ever had.

The flaming arrow flew, impact the golden shield with the force of an artillery shell. A wall of roaring hot fire erupted from the point of impact. With the golden barrier holding, it had nowhere to go but up and to the side. Scorching flames blackened and cracked the wall ad ceiling.

Seeing her attack hadn't done the trick, Cinder readied another arrow.

Jaune felt like his arm was going to snap off while being burnt. Shit! Shit! SHIIIIT! Can I seriously handle another one of those things! I need something to-! Heart pumping, Jaune moved his left hand to his pocket, fumbling around for the item he believed would save not just him but everyone else. His fingertips brushed up against something cold causing him to near shout in joy. Not wasting a second, he gripped the Dust crystal and pulled it out. His blue eyes lingered o the icy sphere in his hands; when it came to Dust infusion, he was average at best, but today, he was hoping that average ability would be enough. It had to be.

His left hand held the ice Dust sphere alongside his right, breaking off a small chunk of the Aura in his right hand and feeding it into his left. The results immediately materialized-refreshing cold waves consuming his left arm and manifesting in his shield. Bright gold became tinged with cyan and white. The sound of ice forming filled his ears, diamond-like patterns began to spread across his shield, which took on the properties of the Dust crystal. Those diamonds glowed as a second fire arrow was launched at him. Jaune had seconds to brace himself.

Fire and ice collided, the two powers near perfectly canceling each other out. The blond couldn't see clearly through all the steam, but he felt no great burning pain in his arm. Jaune grinned, it'd worked. M-M-My Semblance, it's like Blake's! I can combine it with different types of-

"Hiding behind that ice wall isn't going to save you!" Roared a voice that nearly shook the room as much as the earlier explosions had. The steam was blown away revealing a fuming Cinder, her eyes blazing like torches in a human skull. "I'm going to burn you all, then I'll rip the other half of the Maiden's power out of that bitch's body!"

"Like hell you will!" Jaune shouted back, his Aura flaring up around him. Blue crystals began to jet out from his outstretched right arm ad his left hand. The cold sensation continued to spread through his arms, yet he accepted it, he fed it with his surging strength.

A miniature sun was being nurtured between the madwoman's palms. "I'll kill you…the same way I killed Ruby Rose." She seethed looking the young knight I the eye.

Jaune refused to budge. "Bullshit." His retort set the villainous woman off. Roaring, she let loose the building fire blast, launching the concentration beam directly at Jaune. He couldn't hold back the hiss of pain as the blast slammed into the ice-enchanted barrier at full force. It was definitely stronger than the last couple of attacks. Jaune could feel his feet sliding back and his arm feeling like it was being held over a stove. Blood trickled down his nose as the strain put on his body grew by the side. Steam was bursting out on all sides, practically filling up the chamber; it wasn't like Jaune had any reason to look away. The ice in his shield was melting at breakneck speed, after the ice went, the light-composed barrier would go next. It would if Jaune didn't do something.

Tearing his left hand away from his right, he dove back into his pocket and fished around for another Dust crystal. Upon feeling something hard, his fingers grabbed hold of it. The crystal was slammed into his burning right arm; the infusion of power was instantaneous.

"Gaaaahhh!" On average, earth Dust was harder than ice Dust, which meant that infusing it into oneself hurt more. Pushing past that pain, Jaune channeled the earth-attributed Dust into his shield. The melting layers of ice were covered by sudden plates of reinforced rock that quickly spread across the barrier. It was a triple-layered barrier, but the icy layer was fast vanishing from the heat and force of the attack, the earthen layer on the other hand was holding stronger.

Which infuriated Cinder. "You stupid little brat! Just give up! Go down already! Die!"

"Like…I…said! No! Way! IN! HELL!" Yelled back at the blond teenager. "Ruby already beat you once, that's why you came crawling down here, isn't it!"

In retrospect, running his mouth was a horrible idea, but the words simply flew out without Jaune doing much thinking. Hell, he didn't even know if this woman had really fought Ruby or if she was just messing with him. Like so many things, it didn't matter as the die had been rolled and he had to make the most of it. Blood trickled down his lips and the skin around his arm was turning redder as burns were developing. His response was to summon forth more of his Aura, which caused the Dust crystals jetting out of his arm to glow, and more to shoot out. Jaune screamed, but not in pain but in concentration. He couldn't see what lay in front of him thanks to the wall of rock that now completely covered his shield, except through the cracks.

"Die! Die! JUST DIE YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" Boomed from the other side of the wall.

Not…until…I've done…my job!

Since he was so focused on what was in front of him, Jaune had no idea what was happening behind him. He didn't notice until he felt it, a burning heat and tingling sensation that felt like some unnamable force was bearing down on him. As he whipped his head around, a new voice boomed in his ears.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY TEAMMATE!"

The indescribable force hit him from behind, utterly breaking his concentration while sending him stumbling to the floor. It was a good thing as something sped over his head, smashing through his wall ad punching its way through the fire blast. Looking up, Jaune recognized the glow of the energy sphere-it was red, the same shade of red as Pyrrha's Aura. He could faintly see her through the outline, charging forward into battle, just like she always did.

Jaune smiled as he felt darkness creeping up on him. I…did my part as the shield…guess it's…your turn to be the spear, Pyrrha. His face hit the floor, and with it his conscious fell dark.

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Southwest Campus, 9:44 AM…

There had been a few scorpions amongst Patch's native wildlife. While there were a few venomous ones, very, very few had the potential to kill. Sure, their stings would hurt for a couple of days to potentially leaving one bedridden, but that was it. If you wanted a scorpion that could kill, it'd have to be exported from somewhere, likely from Vacuo, which had loads of venomous creatures. Some said the desert was nature's natural breeding ground for poison, others argued the rainforest did the job better. Of course, that was speaking of animals.

Ruby wondered, where had this maniac came from?

She was tempted to say he'd crawled up out of some dark pit, likely draw by the scent of blood. He was certainly hungry for it.

Miraculously, Cardin was able to keep his cursing to a minimum, likely suspecting that he needed his breath for fighting, especially since he was fighting barehanded, unlikely her. From what Ruby remembered, his weapon had been wrecked and was still in need of repairs. Maybe she'd lend him a hand after they survived this catastrophe.

They were going to survive this mess, that resolve carried into every slash she made with her scythe. Each one was parried by her opponent's pincer blades. Those blades moved almost as fast as her own, maybe even a little faster. Ruby had a feeling that was up to two things-one, his natural speed, and two, Ruby was fighting exhausted. She could tell that her opponent knew that.

So did Cardin, which is why he was precise about when he jumped in.

Jumping back, the scorpion-tailed Faunus cackled at the plume of fire that burst from where the male brunette's fists made impact. He'd been standing there just a few seconds ago ad would have been caught I the blast had he not moved. Rather than wait for it to dissipate, Ruby rushed forward, reaching the mysterious man before his feet could touch the ground. She swung her scythe, he countered with his tail and both were pushed back. An explosive pop sounded from behind Ruby, the next thing she knew, she felt a rush of air whipping at her.

Bullets bounced off of Cardin's Aura-protected body as he sped toward his target, right foot out and ready to slam into the Faunus. It did slam into him, both of his crossed arms. Cardin sneered at the invader; the invader grinned back at him with homicidal glee. That look alone told Cardin that this ma had to die, he was a killer who'd build a mountain of corpses out of his classmates and his teachers.

Boom!

Ruby took the time to catch her breath. She used some of it to speak as Cardin came back down her in a crouch, his feet crunching the snow. "Did you…get him?"

He shook his head. "Keep your guard up. This bastard's not going to go down that easily." His words were confirmed as they both heard the demented cackling of the Faunus. Amidst the smoke and falling snow, his Aura glowed across his body, a toxic violet color that made their skin crawl. "How much strength do you have left, Ruby?"

The fact he was using her first name could be seen as an indicator he was taking this seriously. Personally, Ruby also found it a little comforting hearing him address her as such. "I'm…I'm not running on empty, but the longer this goes on, the closer I'll be." Her silver eyes lingered on the man's tail, the animalistic appendage swaying from side to side in eager anticipation for a chance to dig into flesh. "Cardin, we've got to take his tail out."

"Yeah, I know." Holding up his right hand, a gaggle of sparks danced in his palm. "I can blow it off if I can get a hold of it, but that won't be easy."

"Cardin,"

"I know." He replied in a low voice. He knew if he went in close, he was running the risk of getting stung by that tail. How dangerous the man's venom was, neither he nor Ruby knew. They both had a sinking feeling in order to beat this guy, they were going to have to find out. "The +second he stings me, go for his head. Can you do that?"

Indigo eyes met silver eyes-the former hardened to the point they resembled steel. The latter quickly gained the same constitution.

Gripping Crescent Rose, she cast a quick look around her. So far, it didn't seem like help was coming, partially because the rest of the academy seemed to be under attack as well. They could hear in their ears-the sounds of battle taking place all over the school. Help was distant, and that was assuming it was coming, which meant for the most part, the two team leaders were on their own.

"If you can, try to pull away when I go for the attack." She declared. Ruby knew her weapon well, thought Crescent Rose could cut well, sometimes it could cut too well. If she swung it at the wrong angle, she could end up hurting an ally just as well as an enemy. Normally, the power of Aura would safeguard that person, but there were two factors she had to consider: Cardin might already be stung compromising him, and to cut through his Aura, she was going to have to give it her all.

"I'm going in." No sooner did he say the words did he take off, his bulky body moving through the fall snow like a blur. His target continued to cackle as his gaze flickered to Ruby, then back to Cardin. Laughing, he swung his tail, expecting to catch Carding in the arm, but the brutish team leader was faster than he'd been expecting. His evasion turned into spinning left hook the Faunus intercepted with his right hand. A small explosion knocked him back giving Cardin the opening he needed. His right fist came up in an uppercut lined with red and orange embers. It morphed into an open palm from which a small explosion pushed him backward, away from the Faunus' striking tail.

Eyes flashing, he sprinted forward, intent on grabbing the appendage, much to the amusement of its owner.

"Ah, didn't your mother tell you what happens when you grab a scorpion by the tail!" Whipping his tail back, he lunged forward with his two pincers, which were glowing purple, the same color as his eyes. "Here, have the pincers! They're so much better!"

Realizing he needed a new plan, Cardin threw both his hands out, the embers combining into a cackling fireball that exploded within seconds of forming. The Faunus couldn't full withstand the shockwave that followed; Cardin, on the other hand had been preparing for it. Tightening his fists, he charged through the resulting smoke toward his target. In seconds, he was atop the Faunus, his angry indigo eyes staring into his murderously gleeful purple eyes.

Ruby had to admit, Cardin had gotten better, he was far cry from the thickheaded brute he was at the start of the year. He was now able to keep pace with this deranged but skilled fighter, his grabbling and his Aura allowing him to hold back the pincer blades. She suspected if Cardin could get a hold of the blades and channel his power into his Semblance, he could destroy them, and cripple his arms; that would have been nice, but it wasn't going to happen without a miracle.

Now would have been the time for her to attack, but Ruby had a feeling not yet. She listened to her instincts. A heartbeat later and she saw she was right to.

The Faunus' tail reared back, ready to sting Cardin I the shoulder. If he moved to block it, he'd leave himself open to an attack from the man's hands.

THUMP!

At the last second, the Faunus' wicked grin dampened. Cardin wished he hadn't noticed it yet, but he did, all he could hope for was that Ruby had enough time to strike.

She was there by the Faunus' side in a heartbeat, her scythe reared back and ready to strike.

THUNK!

Though she was stopped, Ruby knew the scorpion tail wasn't going to hold forever, even with the bolstering of one's Aura. Gripping her scythe so tight she could feel her hands beginning to bleed, she pushed.

The grin finally evaporated as the man realized he was in genuine danger. He acted accordingly, forcing Cardin away while jumping off to the side, a good ten feet. His boots crunched in the snow and a bead of sweat dropped down his chin.

"Goddamn freak, just sit still and we can get this over with." Snarled the mace-wielding knight.

"I almost had him." Ruby huffed. She knew if he hadn't ran, she would have bee able to slice his tail off, drastically reducing his threat capacity. "Let's go again."

"Stay behind me and we'll tag-!" The hairs on his back stood up on end as he heard a feral snort that made his skin crawl. Ruby heard it too as she whipped her head back to see its epicenter. Cardin saw it and cursed. "Oh, like this day couldn't get any shitter."

The first time Ruby had seen drawings of Orcs, she had the first thought ninety-nine-percent of people did-she declared them to be incredibly ugly. Those drawings did little to capture the true hideousness of the vaguely humanoid Grimm, they were much uglier I real life. She now knew that.

Their weapons also looked a lot…nastier in-person too.

"Cardin, you take the Orcs, I'll handle this guy!" She shouted.

"Gah, seriously! Leave me to deal with these ugly bastards!" He snapped back, sounding a little more like the grouchy Cardin they'd all came to know and gradually accept.

"You're unarmed, but you can take care of those things! It'll be safer for you! I can handle this guy here! Trust me!" Ruby shouted back.

His indigo blue eyes narrowed in frustration, but he saw that Ruby wasn't going to back down. Dammit, she's… With what little time he had left, he looked down to his hands, his naked hands. He didn't have his mace, which meant he was at a disadvantage, rather he liked it or not. If he tried pushing his luck…well, he'd be back in a hospital bed, or in the morgue. "I'll catch up to you once I finish these guys! Watch your back!" Once again, he kicked off the snow-covered ground, charging at the still-charging arcs.

Ruby had him beat though.

"Ah, this is good! No more distractions, you were my objective, Little Rose! Removing your head…from your neck, it's why I came, and I'm so eager to get to it!"

Hearing that made a shiver race through Ruby. This really is like Fort Lennox! Me…me and Jaune, PESTIELNCE wanted us alive, but these guys…they want us dead! They want me dead! Beyond that contemplation, she had little time to think. When this was over, she could theorize and investigate, for now, she had to fight and survive.

CLANG!

She had more power in her swings, but that wouldn't last long. Her opponent had time and experience on his side, he had the edge. Their blades clashed in a metallic melody, it was a soft symphony compared to the bombastic concert created by Cardin and the orcs. It was like night and day. The level of ferocity was near identical.

While she clashed with the pincers, Ruby kept her eyes on the tail, keeping herself ready to move at a moment's notice. She was right to as the tail occasionally lashed at her. Ruby could feel her heart racing in her chest at every dodge she made-they felt too close for comfort for her. Even as she dodged the tail, the man kept up the attack with his pincer blades. All the hours of training she'd put in since getting out of the hospital were put to use as she swiftly parried the attacks. They were just a tad quicker than the scorpion tail and no less dangerous. Her moved from side to side: up, down, left, and right to keep track of the blades that could end her life. Ruby's heart pumped with a toxic mixture of fear and excitement, the adrenaline helping fuel her actions. I

Yang had told her about this feeling, it was one of the reasons she'd became a Huntress. Ruby never quite found it in her to admit it, but she felt the same way.

As focused as she was on the battle, she wasn't completely blind to the chaos unfolding beyond her-the academy, her home, was under attack.

She was forced to stare into the deranged purple eyes of the Faunus as their blades locked. While she was physically smaller and exhausted, she still had some fight left in her. "Who are you? And what do you want with me?"

He chuckled, clearly amused by her taking the direct approach. "A servant of the goddess, my dear."

"And that would be?" Ruby pressed. She was able to respond accordingly when he used a surge of strength to push her back and attempted a pair of horizontal slashes that would have take a bite out of her Aura. Spinning her heel, she attempted to do the same to him, only for his wrist blades to knock Crescent Rose upward in a X-slash. With eyes practically beaming with murderous intent, he surged forward, the blades extending forward.

THUNK!

"Gaaah!" The purple glow of his eyes suddenly disappeared, being replaced by gold. Ruby didn't dwell on the change in eye-color, she focused o her footwork. Crescent Rose's blade rung as it shifted from glaive form to scythe form, the edge glowing red. Seeing the incoming attack, the Faunus raised his tail in response, just what Ruby wanted.

BANG!

SLHUCK!

"Aaaaaaarrrggggh!" Wailed the Faunus. "Bitch! You damn little bitch!" Stumbling backward, he cradled his tail, now barely hanging on by what might as well have bee a stump. Ruby herself cursed as she hadn't been able to cut all the way through, only getting half-way through. It was an evasion that was measured in milliseconds. The man looked up at her, his golden eyes flashing purple. "You'll pay! You'll pay with your life!"

"That…should be my line." Ruby muttered. It was strange feeling this surge of murderous intent; this wasn't the first time feeling this way. She could so vividly remember the raw seething hatred she felt when it looked like Vesuvius had killed Jaune. This man, though much more deranged in his mannerisms, was no doubt in her eyes the same. Such comparisons made it disturbingly easy for whatever murderous intent inside of her to be roused. Now that it had been, she could feel it guiding her every move. It even managed to kill the exhaustion which had been nipping at her.

When Cardin had asked her if she could cut his head off, she'd said yes. Ruby had meant it, maybe more than she really knew. Maybe that was reason to worry, but now wasn't the time to think about that.

Another flurry of sparks shot out from the clash of the two weapons. They stood out in contrast to the snowflakes still cascading from the sky. The cold was long gone, partially thanks to Cardin, who was still battling the Orcs several meters over. His Semblance caused fiery explosions that scattered the snow and killed the cold; then again, Ruby could say that her own pumping blood was keeping the cold at bay.

The Faunus left skid marks in the snow as he was pushed back from their latest clash. Ruby could see that he was starting to pant in exhaustion like her. She was closing the gap, but she still needed a chance to bring him down for good. At the very least she'd eliminated the threat of his tail-it now lay wrapped around his waist, blood and venom leaking from the cut that almost severed it. In addition to that, his eyes had shifted from purple back to gold.

"I'll ask you one more time…what the hell's going on!" She shouted.

He hissed at her, his eyes filled with malice focused solely on her. "The goddess was forced to act, all thanks to Cinder's blunder. Still, she has her assignment. As we speak, she's on her way to the Vault, just as the goddess ordered. All she has to do is her duty…and I will do mine!" Arms out, he rushed her again, screaming bloody murder along the way.

Readying herself, Ruby began to concentrate power into her scythe causing it to glow crimson red. If she was lucky, she could end this in one-

"Ruby! Heads-up! These Orcs, they're-gah!" Came the voice of her fellow team leader. Silver eyes swerving to her left, Ruby gasped as she saw a pack of Orcs heading straight for her.

T-These Orcs, t-t-they're back-up! Back-up for Cinder and this guy! Beyond the charging Orcs, she saw that Cardin had been dogpiled and was taking a pummeling. Sure, he had the bulk and power to hold out, but seeing him in such a state caused Ruby's heart to skip a beat.

Memories of Fort Lennox raced through her mind. Her next decision was clear as day.

Rose petals trailed her as they always did-they were the last things the Orcs saw before Crescent Rose cleaved through the lot of them at the waist. Ruby kept on going, her target the Grimm dogpile ahead of her. Letting out a war cry, she hurled herself into the fray.

One of the Orcs broke away from the rest of the group and growled at her. Did Orcs wield chains? Apparently, they did as that's what it hurled at Ruby as she came close. The scythe and chain collided, the latter knocked off course while the former was swung about in a second arc, firing a pressurized burst of air.

Hearing the sound, Cardin flared up his Aura, and his Semblance. The explosive flames practically called out to the incoming air blast

Boom!

Ruby stopped and gapped at the fiery plume that rose from where Cardin had been dogpiled. He rose from the flames, his clothes singed including his right sleeve, which he tore off.

"Thanks." He grunted.

"Y-Y-You're welcome. Y-You alright?"

"Been better, but I'll manage." His attention went from the redhead to the opponent she'd previously been fighting. Ruby whipped around and gapped for the second time.

The Faunus was back to his homicidal giggling, no doubt thanks to his healed tail. Ruby felt a curse building in her throat, it finally exploded as she spotted the metallic injection vial that laid at his feet in the snow. "Shit! That's not fair!"

"Well, considering these guys have partnered up with bioterrorists, it's not surprising. Kind of wish we had some of those." The larger team leader remarked. "Guess we're back to-duck!" Grabbing her, he shoved to the ground just as something black and red soared over their heads. Looking ahead, they saw a bone-like halberd embedded in the ground. Had they not ducked, it likely would have bisected the two of them. Looking back, they saw the weapon's owner, an armored Orc over six feet tall charging them; Cardin growled. "I got this one, you get stingy over there!"

Just like before, they moved in tandem, confident in the other's abilities yet ready to back one another up at a moment's notice. Ruby reared back Crescent Rose and readied it to cleave into her Faunus adversary, except he apparently had other ideas.

Whatever that healing serum had it in, it apparently came with an extra boost to his stamina. Rather than attack her though, the scorpion Faunus used the halberd as a springboard to leap into the air.

"Cardin! Heads up! He's gunning for you!" Shouted the redhead skidding to a stop amidst the snow.

Looking up, the former bigot saw the psycho twisting his body in the air. He knew what was coming next; luckily, he had a plan.

For the record, grappling with an Orc wasn't fun, not because the monster was strong, but because its breath reeked! That alone was to nearly cost him the fight, but he powered through it! He'd smelt…almost worst!

Fortunately, he wouldn't have to endure the odor much longer. Grabbing the Orc, he used his strength to heft the Grimm around, directly in front of the incoming scorpion tail. The second Cardin heard the disgusting fleshy impact, he backed away, he was right to as the tail penetrated clean through the Grimm. He was both impressed and disgusted, but not enough he was going to let this opportunity pass, he needed it. Hand sparking, he grabbed for the tail, ignoring how unsettling it felt to wrap his fingers around the appendage, which responded with a sudden jerking. Cardin was ready for it, grabbing the stinging tip with his left hand.

He had the bastard by the tail, and he was now about to blow it off.

"Thanks for giving me an anchor, it makes the reel-in incredibly easy!" Shouted the pony-tailed man. In a heartbeat, Cardin realized what he meant. He winced as the tail he'd grabbed suddenly heated up, beneath his fingers, he felt something wet-acidic poison. Still, he held on, even as he felt a presence behind him. "Here comes the sting!"

Cardin tore his right arm away, lashing out in a haymaker while keeping hold of the stinger with his left hand. First, his arm was caught, then it stung. "Ahhh! Shit! Shiiit!" This pain was unlikely anything he'd ever felt before, it stung, it stung! Strength first left his arm, then the rest of his body. Looking over his arm, he went slack-jawed at what he saw-his Aura was fluctuating as if it'd take a major hit, but that hadn't happened. He could see it dissolving.

SLISH! WHOSH! SLISH!

Cardin felt his legs giving out beneath him. Had they bee cut? Was it just the blood loss taking immediate effect? Was he going to die here?

Suddenly, fire burned in his heart and his lungs. A mighty roar rose in his throat and spilling into the winter air. An all-too-familiar feeling rushed through him. The fire within him manifested around him, his ears rung with the welcome sound of the air exploding.

"Aahahah! Still have some fight in you, I'll snuff it out!" the Faunus declared.

"Like hell you will! Keep your filthy hands off my friend!" To her, the whole thing was a blur. Her Semblance had acted on instinctive impulse, she was grateful that it had. She was fast enough that she was able to catch the Faunus off-guard. Crescent Rose fell, sending the yellow-eyed man skidding across the snowy ground. Planting the blade down, she fired three ice-based shots, all of which were intercepted, yet their payload exploded freezing the Faunus' tail.

Cardin just barely stood, his right arm, back, and his left-side abdomen gushing blood. The sting to his left side hadn't been too bad, but the deed was done, he could feel the poison racing through him. "Dammit…dammit…dammit." He seethed again and again, eve as Ruby looked to him with concern. "You…bastard…" The fire within him was still raging, no, it was raging stronger than ever. His heartbeat pounded in his ears and his vision became clouded with red. "Bastard…you're not going to get away with this. I won't let you…you hear me?" Eyes filled with murderous rage, the knight thrusted his left hand out. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU DAMN FREAK!"

Boom!

Ruby didn't question what caused the explosion, she was just thankful for it. The psychotic assassin was caught completely off-guard as the top of his tail caught fire, the Aura surrounding it fluctuating.

SLASH!

"GAAAAH! MY TAIL! MY TAIL! MY TAAAAILLL!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

His Aura fluxed, Ruby reared Crescent Rose back and aimed for his neck.

"R-R-Ruby! On your right!" Shouted the voice of her fellow team leader.

She spun on her tip toes swinging to the right, catching the approaching Orc at the waist. Unfortunately, there were more behind it. Ruby, wide-eyed, readied herself for the onslaught that was about to come. She had a feeling it was going to be her turn to get dogpiled.

BOOM!

Seeing such a massive wall of fire gave Ruby immediate flashbacks to Fort Lennox. Her body froze to the point her scythe nearly fell from her grasp, the figure approaching through the flames didn't make her feel any better.

Said figure emerged and looked to her with a smirk. "Ah, Miss Rose, it seems the Headmaster was right when he said you were a golden egg. Seems my brother's started to hatch as well." Bishop Winchester declared. He kept the smile up long enough for the freshman to realize he wasn't who she thought he was. Relief visibly flooded through her. Bishop looked away from her to his brother, who lay several yards away; his expression naturally turned grave.

Cardin, on the other hand, smiled. "Morin' bro."

Ever the master of keeping his emotions under control, the older brunette gave a silent nod, happy to see his younger brother alive. Then he looked over to the side where their opponent was being huddled over by the Orcs.

"Tyrian Callows." He sneered. "So, the enemy's enlisted the worst of the worst, why am I not surprised."

Instead of him, Tyrian was staring-glaring-at Ruby. The redhead glared right back.

"You…you will pay." Seethed the Faunus, his voice every bit as venomous as his stinger tail, his old tail away. "You. Will. Pay!"

The wind and snow ad flames were whipped up by the flapping of a descending Wyvern. Towering over Tyrian was an armored Orc, apparently another "commander-type". He looked to the humans with fiery eyes filled with hatred for them. The animosity was recuperated. Tearing his eyes from them, he grunted to his fellow Orcs, who grabbed the now hysterical Faunus and hoisted him into the wyvern. Two more descended, one of the which the larger Orc took for his personal mount.

No one moved as the three winged Grimm took flight and flew away. It was a decision that they would have to wait for time to tell if their decision was the right one.

It would definitely show that the Orc had bee pragmatic in pulling out. If they'd stayed a little longer, they were have been caught in the crossfire of two magically-empowered women. Two women who would become hated rivals.

---

Beacon Eastside Campus

The giant and the beast, two terrifying, powerful creatures that were best left undisturbed had crossed paths with each other. Inevitably, disaster was the only outcome.

Disaster wouldn't quite have described the battle unfolding between Izaak Egilson and Hazel Rainart.

Snow fell through the cracks created by the repeated clashes between the two-axe blade and flesh. Normally, the former would have cut through the former, were it not for the power of Aura…or the flesh in question not being reinforced.

Then again, for the beast, that wasn't going to stop him-he simply hit harder, and the giant felt it, eve if he didn't show it. The giant was impressed as he felt the Dust crystals in his armor cracking, both from the sheer pressure of the teen's attack and from having their power expanded in seconds. He found it impressive.

The beast also found some respect for the giant, who parried most of his blows with his Dust-infused arms. It was a combination of his Dust and his natural fortitude that allowed him to stand up to Stórrdetta's steel-rending slashes. With every parry, Izaak realized he was going to need to put more effort into his attacks. So he did.

Slowly, Hazel found himself taking one step back after another, the Dust crystals in his arms draining as all their power went to his defenses. He was staying on the defense, only rarely going in for an attack. Just one of his punches would have been enough to punch through Izaak's Aura, and a second likely would have killed him. Or at least, that's what he thought.

From every swing, Hazel could feel the raw power practically on par with his own. Such strength allowed the bronze-haired teenager to move his fast with such speed it might as well have been a rapier, complete with the precision. Were it not for Hazel's sharp eyes, he wouldn't have been able to tell were the axeblade was going to land ad harden his Aura in preparation for the hit; sometimes, he still felt the impact of the attack claw its way through.

Against any other opponent, that might have been cause for alarm, outright panic and potentially even hysteria, especially if one stared too deeply into Izaak Egilson's eyes. He wasn't just fighting with the ferocity of a beast-he had the appearance of one as well.

Ever since his declaration to beat information out of him, his eyes had changed from rounded pupils to silted pupils, feral pupils. Rather fittingly, they resembled a wolf's. Hazel knew it was the dormant Faunus blood in him activating, rising to the surface and no doubt being bolstered by the empowering cells within him. They all came together to create the ferocious academy "student" hacking away at him with the force of thunder and speed and of lightning. His teeth let bared in a permanent snarl, canine-like fangs revealed. Hazel had the feeling that if given the chance, his opponent would use those to tear into his flesh just as much as he was trying to use his axe.

Once his Dust crystals shattered, Hazel knew he needed a second to equip new ones. Izaak knew it too, and made it clear he didn't plan on giving him the time to do so. His swings somehow increased in speed, forcing Hazel to further his defenses.

KLING! KLING! KLING! KLING! KLING!

His Aura as I constant flux thanks to the repeat attacks. Little by little, the Viking was whittling it down. At some point, he was going to either make a crack in his defenses…or he was going to blow a hole in them. Hazel didn't know which he would go for as the boy had proclaimed his intention to make him talk-that meant he had to be alive. Of course, alive didn't necessarily include things all his limbs.

The ruthless intent he felt in every swing of Izaak Egilson's axe further told Hazel that he and his boy were alike. Perhaps it was fate that had brought them together.

Stórrdetta's blades glowed deep purple while the air around them seemingly became distorted. Growling, Izaak lunged forward, swinging the weapon in a wide horizontal arc. Dodging it was easier said than done as the weapon's gravitational pull was incredibly strong, so strong that even as Hazel leaped back, he could still feel it pulling at him. Izaak turned the missed swing into the start up for a series of energized gravity slashes that flew toward the giant man with impressive speed.

As they flew toward him, Hazel had the opportunity to infuse himself with more Dust. He went for lightning, gaining the speed needed to dodge the incoming slashes and move behind the Viking.

He saw him coming thought. As his right fist flew toward the teenager, he responded by swinging his axe, perfectly parrying the right hook, ad holding his own against Hazel's fist. Their locked with each other. Gravitational energy amassed at the edge of the axe blade, it exploded pushing the giant tan-skinned man backward. Izaak seized on his chance and leaped at him, hellbent on taking off a limb. As usual, Hazel had other ideas.

Slamming his knuckles together, he attuned the electricity cackling around him into an electromagnetic field that stopped the Viking's axe dead in its tracks. Izaak's silted eyes narrowed; he could practically see the invisible wall that had halted his cherished weapon. As power as Stórrdetta was, it was still composed of metallic components, especially the blade, made of reinforced steel.

So what? Rung the voice of his inner beast. Izaak could feel his murderous grin bearing down o him. Fight the Left Hand Rule…with the Force of Gravity!

Gah! I already know that! His Semblance flared up, manifesting as tendrils of violet, black, and bronze mixed in. Izaak felt himself being launched forward, pushing against the invisible wall with all of his might. It was actually a surprisingly enjoyable feeling, he would have taken more joy out of it if it weren't for the situation at hand-including his still festering rage.

Snow continued to fall atop him and the rest of Beacon. Izaak hated every snowflake that fell on his skin.

On top of that, there was his Faunus teammate and friend playing a dangerous game of tag with a giant tiger-esque monstrosity that could shoot lightning about ten meters from him. From what he could hear, Chicahua was having fun.

"Thanks for the recharge, I was just about a quarter out of power!" As far as Chicahua was concerned, the snow was nonexistent. Between his pumping blood, the heat of his Semblance, and the lightning generated by the Grimm, he felt like it was summer-warm, beautiful summer. He wondered if the Vināśaka was having fun too; probably not based on how it was constantly roaring at him, murderous hatred in its eyes as it attempted to rip him in half. After the first dozen attempts to strike him with lighting failed, it seemed to have wised up.

Just as the chimeric Grimm could replenish its power by feasting on its own kind, it discovered Chicahua could do the same by absorbing its lightning. Realizing that, it put all its strength into its claws and fangs, pouncing and slashing at the winged Faunus with all it had. He enjoyed the rush that came with every evasion, which he had to time perfectly. The hairs across Chicahua's back and his feathers all stood on end, his heart thundered, especially when instead of dodging he parried.

Snowflakes were utterly blown away when the saw-tooth sword and the electrified claws collided. The Vināśaka growled in anger when its attacks were parried by an attack that might as well have been a toothpick. Arcs of red lightning shot out as it channeled more energy into its claws and fangs so it could try again, and that's what it did, again and again. Chicahua's eyes glowed at the twisting red arcs, his grin nearly split his face as he dashed forward ready to meet the attack again. Another shock-wave of air and lighting exploded from their clash. Chicahua flicked his wrist and threw his arm, his sword extending and wrapping around the Vināśaka's right paw.

In a single flap, Chicahua took to the skies, dragging the Grimm with him. Chicahua could see its eyes widen, clearly the beast wasn't expecting to be taken off the ground by such a small figure like him. Its surprise only added to Chicahua's exhilaration. Veins bulging along his arm, he started to pull. By his estimate, this monstrous tiger might have been between twelve and fifteen tons. He'd lifted that amount before.

The Vināśaka wasn't going to go quietly though. Arcs of red lighting jumped between the Grimm's bony spikes, which twitched before suddenly expanding. Chicahua saw the attacks coming ad raised his Xolotl up to protect himself. The saw shield glowed fiery orange as it always did, the glow brightening as it keenly deflected the series of bone spikes that had bee heading toward him. Shrugging them off, Chicahua reared his left arm back then threw it; he'd infused it with his Aura turning it into a mixture sun disc that cut through a handful of the spikes and continued onto the spiked back.

Growling visible anger, the Grimm lashed out with its left paw, forcing Chicahua to exert more force to keep a hold on Sprekelia. Funneling his Aura into his sword, the connecting chord turned his trademark fiery orange causing embers to dance along the cord. They collided with lightning bolts coating the paw.

Several feet off the ground, the two fighters seemingly hovered in the air, keep their eyes on each other. Chicahua was grinning with eager anticipation in contrast to the Grimm; it seemed incapable of smiling, only growling and roaring in anger. He'd just given it plenty of time to be angry about.

So it decided to do something about the source of its anger.

More lightning exploded from the monster's backside, quickly growing to consume its entire body save for its head, which roared in ferocious anger. The Grimm lightning ball literally bolted toward Chicahua, catching him off-guard. His grin now stricken with caution, he darted south, toward the ground. He evaded one attack only to have to prepare himself for a second, which came at equally blinding speed. The Faunus responded in kind.

Ordinarily, Izaak would have provided back-up to his teammate, but he had his own enemy to focus on, one who required all of his attention if he wanted to win.

It was fine though, he knew Chicahua well-he'd survive, even against an enemy that could move at the speed of lightning. Coincidentally, he had his own lightning-related problems to worry about.

The clash of gravity versus electromagnetism had yielded in the former's victory, thanks in part do the force of the Viking's Aura. Though impressed, the giant made it clear he wasn't backing down with a series of punches that Izaak blocked with Stórrdetta's broad blade. He could feel each impact of his attacker's fist shaking the massive weapon, another testament to the power Hazel Rainart held.

WHOSH!

Izaak could feel his blood boil, it helped keep the freezing cold that exploded in front of him at bay.

Boom!

Well, at least that got rid of the ice. Even though his arms were hurting ad his Aura had taken a hit, Izaak was grateful. He simply hated ice that much. Unfortunately, as he came up out of his crouch, Aura fluctuating, he saw Hazel Rainart still had more of it. His left arm was glowing light blue and his right arm fiery orange. Izaak gnashed his teeth, his Aura amassing around his blade, the power of gravity manifesting along the axe blade.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dust crystals shattered and a break in the giant's Aura manifested, blood was finally draw. Catching the smell of it stirred something in Izaak. Garm gave voice to that primal feeling, and urged Izaak to continue to embrace it. He chose to do that.

The ground shattered as he flung himself at the giant, who had little time to respond beyond simply raising his arms up in a cross guard. Once again befitting its name, Stórrdetta fell, bringing with it great force, force that was strong enough to crack Hazel's Aura and allow the axe blade to dig into his ski. Dig in, but not completely bisect his arms as one would have expected. Izaak was fine with that, it just meant he had to push harder, which he did.

Hazel didn't give so much as a single grunt of pain as the massive axe continued to sink deeper into his arms.

"If you start talking, I'll let you keep one arm." Izaak snarled, his expression positively murderous while at the same time retaining an icy focus.

Grunted, the giant began to push back. "No, you're an obstacle in my way, and I am going to be going through you." His eyes flashed with the fire of determination. Veins popped across his body, and for once, they weren't surging with Dust. A flame-like mass of brownish-colored energy. With a roar like booming thunder, the giant pushed back the axe, then rammed his fist straight into the Viking's gut. Izaak's eyes widened he felt the attack slam headlong into his Aura, which fluxed throughout his body. He mentally cursed, then he cursed again as he felt a second punch send him skidding across the snow-covered ground. "Now, sink into the cold earth!"

Izaak had to give this man credit, he seemed to have mastered the art of raw Dust infusion. Most people would have started to become disoriented to the point of collapsing from exhaustion after so many Dust infusions and the amount of physical damage he'd taken. Not only was this guy still kicking, he was roaring too, literally.

Flooring his Semblance, he lifted himself upward as the earth beneath him caved in. Then it shot upward, a pair of monstrous jaws seeking to clamp down on him. Snarling, Izaak swung Stórrdetta about, cleaving through the stone. It wasn't enough as all the earth in a ten-meter radius of him seemingly moved to subdue him like the maw of some beast. Izaak concentrated his Aura into his axe, preparing another roundabout swing.

Then his axe stopped dead in its tracks.

"The hell?!" Searching his immediate area, he felt something, then he accurately identified it. Looking around him, he saw faint metallic glitters in the earthen maws attempting to devour him. Dammit, he's really smarter than he looks! A roar from above caught his attention. He saw cackling mass of black and red with a Grimm mask roaring at him. The magnetic force halting his axe strengthened forcing Izaak to fight it with his Gravity Semblance. In response, the former was magnified.

Hearing the shrill roars of incoming Wyverns, Izaak realized he was going to have to make a choice-his weapon or protecting himself. He made his choice in an instant. Stórrdetta fell to the ground while Izaak threw his arms up projecting a barrier of gravity that stopped the barrage of Wyverns, for the moment. They just kept on coming, piling onto him and further straining his focus. The wave just kept on coming.

Boom!

Chicahua's eyes widened as he saw the black and red conflagration that lit up the type of the "earth maw", which sealed shut cutting off the explosion. "Izaak!" Panic and anger surging within him and manifesting in his weapons. His swings became wilder as he attempted to cut through the swarms of Grimm to get to his teammate. "Izaak! Izaak!"

The giant paid little mind to the speeding Faunus, who'd be on him in seconds. He merely grunted to the Grimm that had helped him subdue the Viking. Immediately, they turned their full attention to the Eagle Knight, pouncing on him and flying toward him, including the Vināśaka; the monstrous feline Grimm seemed eager to continue its brawl with the bird-winged teenager. Hazel turned in the direction of the Tower, his original objective that he'd been forced to detour from; thankfully, he was about to get back on track.

TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT!

Strike that, it seemed he was going to have to deal with one more obstacle.

"Hey, mount stoneface! Over here!"

Or make that a few.

Casually turning his head, he saw a bright golden mass of flames approaching him. Sighing, he swung his right fist about, intent on knocking the girl out with a single hit as he usually could.

But she wasn't going to make it that easy.

Hazel's fist swung through embers. Looking down, he saw the flaming glow moving behind him, quite fast at that. His stoic expression became a sneer of annoyance as the back of his legs were hit, bringing him to his knees. As he fell, his energy amassed around his right fist, which he brought down to the ground releasing a shockwave. The blonde girl jumped; she wasn't the only one.

The oncoming wave of students all jumped and continued their charge, being covered by a black-haired girl wielding a minigun. That's what was keeping Hazel pinned, the explosive power of the gun wasn't anything to scuff at, but it wasn't going to be enough to stop him. Growling, Hazel rose above it, casting a shadow at the wave of students charging him. Leading the charge was a rather large student wielding a massive zanbatō. Hazel's brown eyes licked with his; they were both giants of insurmountable size with the matching strength and durability. A battle between them would indeed be earthshaking.

Suddenly, the teen's sword was held out to the side as he stopped dead in his tracks. The rest of the students followed his lead.

Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, he spun around, arm-

SLASH!

It wasn't just the annoyance of the slash o his shoulder, it was the wrapping of a nigh-unbreakable cord around his neck. The Faunus gripped the chord with his left hand while keeping a firm hold on the handle; he pulled. Hazel felt his body lurching forward I his direction. A new barrage of attacks came led by the zanbatō-wielder. They fell one after another, taking advantage of the temporary break in his Aura the Faunus had opened up. Hazel could taste blood on his lips, and it was growing.

"Yang, dig Izaak out of that earth mound!" Chicahua shouted still keeping a hold of the giant.

She looked ready to take on the Vināśaka ow battling half a dozen students alongside its fellow Grimm, students who were giving it their all and blasting away chunks of bone and black fur en mass. His words penetrated her skull and caused her redden eyes to widen.

"Izaak? Izaak!" She thought there was something unusual about the giant mound of earth. It was created by Dust, she knew that, and now she knew what it had bee created for. "Izaak! Are you in there! Hang on, I'll get you out in a-"

BOOOOOM!

Everyone fell to the ground as it shook unlike it ever had before. For quite a few students, it gave them flashbacks to the sudden earthquake that had rocked the school ad the city last November. Those that could dug their weapons into the ground, others searched for the epicenter. They didn't have to look far, or wait long.

Shooting toward the gray sky was a mass of yellowish-orange fire and red. Feminine shouts could be heard coming from both, they were cries. Namely, the shouting of two people who held what was likely a mutual disdain for one another. Said disdain was put on full display as the two brightly-colored spheres began to do battle. Fireballs flew at the solid red mass of energy, which cackled with crimson-colored lightning. The lightning danced around the red orb's slashes, which intercepted the fireballs. Explosions danced across the Beacon skyline as the deadly dance between the two powers continued and even seemed to escalate.

Only a handful of eyes weren't utterly captivated by the light show. It wasn't often such a thing was witnessed at Beacon, and for good reason. Only rarely had an invasion like this ever happened, and even now, it was in the process of being fully repelled. For hundreds of spectators, the light show was as awe-inspiring as it was terrifying. They had no idea what the clash was. Was one of the orbs one of their own? Was it the fire orb?

The second thought was firmly squashed as the flaming mass let loose several volleys of fireballs that smashed into parts of the school campus.

All across the campus, metallic components shuddered as they were ceased by an invisible force. For some, they were able to feel it, the smart ones knew what was about to come next. A few warned others.

SSSSSSHHHEEERRREWWWWKKK!

Pieces of metal were torn from all over: classrooms, dorm rooms, storage rooms, the underground. It was a wondrous and horrific sight that would be engrained in the minds of all present. Equally ingrained would be the way that the metallic objects were melded together into giant clumps which were then hurled at the flaming mass. A scream of unearthly fury echoed across the sky as the fiery mass responded with a series of attacks; some were able to incinerate the metal clumps, others weren't forcing it to evade least it be crushed.

SSSSCCCHHHEEERRWWWKKK!

Several, especially those with enhanced hearing like Faunus, clapped their hands over their ears. Some shut their eyes in further attempt to block out the noise. Those that did weren't able to see the clumps of metal suddenly reshaping themselves, tons of metal being magically compacted and molded. Eyes widened as they saw the new shape the clumps took.

The fireball was forced even deeper on the defensive, giant blades were faster and more precise than cobbled together clumps. Trails of embers were left as the metallic blades attempted to cleave the fiery mass in half. There four blades in total, each being operated telekinetically; just one was near fifteen meters thick. They were crude weapons, but one blow from them would be enough to not only deplete a fighter's Aura, but sever them in two messy halves. To the fireball's credit, it was doing a decent enough job of keeping from befalling that fate.

Then there were its attempts to hit back.

Fireballs the size of trucks were launched at the red mass in continuous streams. In dodging, the fireballs kept on soaring, threatening to crash into campus grounds.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thanks to mass interception from students and teachers, many of them didn't.

"Attention all students and faculty, you are hereby advised to seek shelter immediately. Repeat, you are heavily advised to seek shelter, immediately. As of this moment, the fireball battling it out in the air is the dangerous criminal, Cinder Fall. She is armed and dangerous thus it is ill-advised to-"

"Whelp, good to see the school's emergency announcement system is still working. This is turning into one hell of a morning, eh?"

Yang blinked, then turned around. "GAAAH!" Somewhat embarrassingly, she fell onto her butt, mouth agape and eyes wide at what lay before her, or rather, who.

Izaak deactivated his Scroll the placed it back into his pocket as casual as if he'd just received a weather notification. Turning to look at her, he casually waved at her with his now free right hand. Yang couldn't help but gape at him.

"Y-Y-Y-You're, I-I-I-Izaak, y-y-y-y-you're…" She stammered.

Seeing her caused some sort of shift in him. He looked ready to talk to her until Chicahua walked up behind him. His fiery eyes were focused on the two energy masses battling it out in the sky. It wasn't a look of fear, there was awe…but there was also something else there something sharper.

"Izaak," he questioned.

Standing up, Yang looked between the two, realization slowly dawning on her.

"Based on the color, I'd say it's Pyrrha." The Viking declared.

"What? How ca you tell?" Yang questioned.

Amazingly, he gave a nonchalant shrug. "The Aura color, the ability to manipulate metal. Sure, there's a handful other students at the school with magnetic-based Semblances that could allow them to control metal…but I can tell it's definitely her." He wasn't looking at her, he never once looked at her. His gaze was focused on the two energy balls hundreds of feet in the air above them, fighting at breakneck speeds. Yang had the odd feeling that in spite of the distance Izaak could see them.

Remembering what Dr. Pierce had told her, about the artificial cells now inside of him, Yang quietly theorized that he probably could see them. So could Chicahua.

"Cinder has one half of the Fall Maiden's power, and Pyrrha must have gotten the other half." The team leader, only sparing a quick glance to the giant they'd all previously bee fighting. He was watching the battle with muted interest just like the rest of them. Izaak's gaze sharpened at him before moving back to the mid-air fight. "Something's going to have to happen to tip the scales."

"Guess that something will have to be me since Neil's in the infirmary. I'll have to apologize to him." Chicahua sighed.

"Apologize? Wait, Chicahua, you're not planning on-" Yang declared, alarm rising in her throat.

"No, I'll go." Izaak's statement surprised both his teammate and the brawler. Still, Izaak looked at neither of them. "Look, I know when it comes to aerial combat, you're the best in the skies…but there's something I want to try." He raised his right arm, and Yang got a second look at it-it was covered in dirt, much like his left hand was. "Look, I know what you said earlier about not getting carried away…but I'm pretty sure I've already crossed that line. Besides," His fists tightened and something about him changed again. It unnerved Yang, who continued to watch him in silence. "With Hazel the giant over there, you can absorb his Dust attacks and outmuscle him faster than I will."

"Bullshit, if you wanted to, you could bring him down and crush him like a tin can." The Faunus retorted before sighing. "Well, you're the team leader, so I suppose I'll do it. Just don't do anything stupid, alright?"

For the first time, he laughed. "Come on, Chicahua, it's me! I mean, I know better than to try to wrangle some info out of Cinder! Besides, she's Neil's prey, not mine!"

"Hey! You two aren't seriously talking about getting involved in that, are you!" Yang shouted having found her voice.

Chicahua grinned at her. "I won't be, Izaak will." In a blur, he was gone, speeding toward the giant they'd previously been fighting. Yang wasn't looking at him though, she was focused on Izaak.

For once, he looked at her, though not directly. Yang felt her heart tighten up in her chest as she observed the look on his face. It wasn't detached, it wasn't dismissive, it was pained, though not for his sake but more than likely for hers.

"I'm sorry, Yang. Just…get to cover. Without your gauntlets you're…at a disadvantage." His gaze lingered on her long enough to see her eyes widen, the narrow in anger. "I'll be back." He declared before looking away. His Semblance flared up, the force of gravity once again coming under his control. Izaak commanded it to take him up, and up he went.

But not alone.

To Yang, the world slowed to a crawl and distorted, or at least, Izaak's form distorted. He was replaced by someone else, a woman with glorious mane of hair just like hers, but pitch-black. Whereas Izaak's eyes had bee warm yet filled with sorrow representing empathy, the eyes of the woman were dispassionate ad vacant. They thought little of her as she turned her back to Yang, walking through the door. Her heart throbbed I pain; it moved her body. She reached out her small hand, flutily calling for her to stay; she didn't.

No. No. No. No! No! No! Yang felt her boots crunching against the snow as she moved to catch up to the axe-wielding Viking. She knew thanks to his Semblance, Izaak could move at superhuman speed, he could potentially even match Ruby. In ordnance with that, it meant she probably had as much of a chance of catching him as a fish's chance of touching the sky.

But Yang wasn't a fish; like her father had told her, she was a dragon. They were meant to soar the skies.

While she didn't exactly soar, she did get some pretty good air time. It was like she had a rocket attached to her leg, propelling her upward with the winter air whipping at her. Even through that fierce gale, she kept sight of Izaak, who turned to face her. It was a good thing that he did as the surprise dampened his concentration thus his Semblance slowed. Yang threw her arms out and wrapped her arms around his neck as tightly as she could.

"H-H-Hey! Yang, what the hell!" The Viking shouted. "Warn me when you're going to do that!"

"Then don't tell me to run off and hide!" she shouted back. "I oughta knock your lights out for that! I've made it this far without my gauntlets, jackass! I'm damn well going the rest of the way, and you can't say shit to stop me, got it!"

Hahaha, you'd let her do it if we weren't in the middle of a battle, right?

Well…I…sorta have it coming. In retrospect, his words had came out a little arrogant, perhaps more so than he intended. If they were directed at a civilian or someone less experience, they might not have been so offensive, but he remembered he was talking to Yang. He laughed at his unwitting insult. "Yang, I'm-"

"Save it for after we're through this mess!" She yelled. This was the closest she'd gotten to him since a day ago when she'd accidentally crashed his evening out with his aunt. She'd yet to give him a proper apology for that. "Go, I promise, I won't fall off!"

They'd bee hovering in the air thanks to his last-minute grip on his Semblance. Accepting and her presence atop his back, Izaak directed the flow of gravity to carry him upward, and be fast about it at that. He asked Yang to hold on, and she did.

Coco's minigun rested at her hip as she stared at the fast-fleeing stars of the fight. "Well, damn, isn't that something. Not five minutes after we show up and it seems like all the action comes to a stop." She'd came expecting an all-out battle, ad she'd gotten it. Grimm attacking students alongside a giant of a man who seemed able to take ungodly amounts of punishments. She'd laid into him with Gianduja, enough to break the Aura of a professional Huntsmen, yet the giant had survived. Then he went on to survive a pummeling from Yatsuhashi and a dozen other students, including some third and even fourth-year-students.

Then again, it was after that pummeling that the sky battle had erupted catching everyone's attention. Coco was loath to admit her attention had been so hooked that she didn't notice until the last minute that the giant and all the other Grimm had decided to make their escape. By the time she realized it, the giant man was riding on the back of the Vināśaka. Coco hated to admit it, but she'd let such a dangerous enemy escape.

And now, she'd just let not one, not two, but three freshmen students wade off into a fight way above their skill level.

Or maybe it was just Yang. From what she'd seen ad heard, Izaak and Chicahua were much stronger than they looked, not to mention unlike the blonde, they actually had their weapons with them. To Yang's credit, she'd punch out enemies with or without Ember Celica.

Yatsuhashi trudged over to her, her expression impassive making it hard to tell if he shared her disappointment. Knowing him, he might have, but he was far more dignified about it. "Coco, we should get everyone in. The Grimm are fleeing and going after them would be a fool's ploy."

"Sad, but true. Alright, people, we're falling back! Back indoors unless you want to get scorched by fire or pummeled by falling debris!" Shouted the sophomore team leader, her minigun compacting itself back into its briefcase form.

To say that the morning after Valentine's Day had been exciting would have been a colossal understatement. It was a day that was going to be unforgettable…and it wasn't eve noon yet.

---

One more chapter and this little arc will be over with. So far, I think it can be said the cast is doing better than they did at Fort Lennox, way better considering that a major development just happened this chapter, amongst a few.

Yep, Pyrrha has inherited the other half of the Fall Maiden's power as Ozpin ad his inner circle originally hoped, and it's all thanks to Jaune holding the line. He really got to tap into the power of his Semblance, or at least the one that I've given him for this story. I won't say if he's played his part for the next chapter or so, but Pyrrha's certainly going to get a chance to shine next chapter as her rivalry with Cinder gets a proper kickoff…and Cinder's rivalry with a certain other someone.

Ruby finally met Tyrian this chapter, and yes, they're not going to have anything resembling a better relationship in canon. I did somewhat swop out Qrow (he's on his way) for Cardin for a battle partner who ends up earning his ire. Their battle scene was probably the most challenging bit of this chapter to write since Tyrian's one of those fighters who keeps his opponent's on his toes and I wanted to keep the tension believable. While Ruby had the tools to put him down, doing so was challenging, and Cardin was doing the entire fight barehanded and both had no idea what his Semblance could do.

Being a guy deeply into mythology and fantasy, I decided to have Hazel be treated as something of a mythical giant (he certainly has the size for it) while Chicahua fought the actual creature that looks like its from mythical legend. Neither of them were able to score solid victories, but this was only round one. Especially in the case of Izaak and Hazel, who will definitely be trading blows again. Speaking of Izaak, seems like he's landed himself back in hot water with Yang, hasn't he? As with a few other things, the little spat at the end of this chapter will be addressed in the next one. It was actually fun writing that bit since I have the followup to it planned out. There's definitely going to be an apology in the midst. Until then, stay safe and healthy, everyone!