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There was no time to waste on deliberations or to wait for any confirmation on the situation. As soon as Ozpin said Cinder was closing in on Amber Jaune wanted to bolt back to the landing bay. Thankfully Pyrrha was there to catch him and Ozpin was quick to call an airship to land in the courtyard to ferry them to Ironwood's ship. His mother tried protesting, Jaune understood that but could not waste time trying to explain his relationship with Amber. How her body was the only shot she had at getting out of Jaune's mind. His dad said he was coming and not even Ozpin considered trying to argue against it. Ten minutes, that how long it took for the civilian Bullhead to soar through the air, the vehicle rattling as Ozpin kept trying to pressure the pilot into going faster. It felt like ten hours, every second felt like a count down towards hearing the news. That Cinder found Amber's body and did gods knows what to it...
"Trust me I am fully aware of your situation, but I still need a place to land this ship. We have Hunters aboard if that helps speed things along." Ozpin was currently arguing with one of the officers in charge of the landing bays. Trying to get them to just open one pair of doors. But it seemed as if most of the crew responsible for that were either dead or busy trying to battle their own machines.
"By the Gods how does Cinder have something like that?" Amber asked aloud. "Imagine what she could do if every Atlas drone in the city was connected to one computer..."
That was a terrifying thought, Jaune wouldn't hesitate to admit. It spoke of how desperate she had become to even want to hit Ironwood's ship for Amber. Her body was in a seriously vulnerable state right now, and Jaune hoped to the Gods if they even listen that she wasn't being watched by any of the Knights on board.
"I'm right here with you." Pyrrha laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and he gripped it with his own. It was nice to have her here, this was going to be tight but Jaune felt with their current composition they could break through the ship's rampaging machines and save Amber. Or at the very least Jaune was going to give it his best shot. He owed Amber that much.
The girl in question guess what Jaune was thinking and tried assuring him. "It's okay, I've gotten used to this by now. I am more than willing to live the rest of my life like this."
"Not if there's a chance to fix it." Jaune muttered, determined to do whatever it took to carry that promise through.
"Prepared for combat we are landing now." Ozpin said and Jaune was up on his feet and standing next to him as the door slid open. The wind blew in hard and Jaune gripped a handle to stabilize himself. They were underneath the airship approaching one of the square landing bays below the ship.
Massive doors were pulled open from two sides, it was the closest up to allow entry to the airship proper. Although when they lower to the deck Jaune's heart sank at the scene. A Paladin was down there and so was a large contingent of Knights. Very few soldiers were left and it was clear they were fighting a hopeless battle. The machines had no clear plan beyond killing everyone, and in that task had wrecked the landing bay into such a mess they'd all have to jump out of the craft.
"We're going to have to go through all that..." Amber said anxiously and Jaune couldn't help but feel a similar worry worm its way into his mind.
"Every second we spend is another moment Cinder gets closer to Amber. We don't even know how close she is anyway..."
"Dad, Pyrrha, do you guys think you can distract that large mech and the bots for Ozpin and I to sip past it?"
Roland turned to scrutinize his son's pleading look. "You are not going to face this woman without me."
"But we're not right? Just here to get Amber out of here. Something we don't have time to waste on."
"We're not going to seek out Fall, and I am a capable Huntsman to deal with any Atlas security measures that we are likely to encounter." The Headmaster said assuredly.
Roland Arc turned to Pyrrha for any amount of support but after a moment's contemplation, the redhead said. "She will die if we all take the time to fight that won't she...?" Ozpin nodded. "There is a lot of metal here, if someone helps me I think we could kill it with time and enough hits."
She nodded towards Jaune who gave an appreciative smile back. Roland groaned, he didn't like the idea but slowly nodded. "You're just going to the medical ward?"
"Yes, ask one of the soldiers here and they could guide you." Ozpin added.
"If it's just a grab and goes then I see no reason why I can't... But make absolutely certain he doesn't do anything stupid Oz! I will hold you accountable!"
The elder man nodded sternly before turning to the pilot. "Take us down"
Cinder had to make a nearly impossible decision. Having control over the ship's systems meant she had a clear layout of the vessel on her scroll. Amber had to be in the medical ward, nowhere else would be suited to hold her and she knew it. With the virus loaded the Atlesian Knights were cutting their way through Atlas troops and crew aboard the ship. The chaos it caused seemed the perfect smokescreen, there would be some resistance of course, but nothing meaningful to slow her down. However, Cinder had no idea if Ironwood was aboard... and once he and Ozpin knew the ship was under attack. They'd all come running to secure Amber, it only made sense, the City was still a concern of course so it was likely just going to be Ozpin, Ironwood, and perhaps Bradwen, but who knows how long that was going to take. So did Cinder rush to the med bay and tear open rooms to find Amber or take a detour towards the prison ward to pick up Emerald?
Her semblance might be the advantage Cinder needed in case there was anybody there to really challenge her. Although it was operating with the assumption that someone is there to do so, and she could just waste time in rushing to Emerald's cell and giving it to her enemies. Mercury would be useless, they probably took his legs and Cinder wasn't about to put effort into figuring out where they were. That just left Emerald and her limited but extremely useful semblance. Cinder had wasted enough deliberating on it and made her decision. Bolting down corridors and stairways to get where she needed. The elevators didn't seem reliable nor did she want to wait for one. Signs of combat were everywhere, either visual with bullets scaring the walls bodies of dead soldiers, and corrupted machines sprawled out on the floor. Or audible signs of gunfire and screams of orders or the dying. Cinder had to admit the bots were a dangerous adversary. Unthinking or caring for damage sustained, they would always press in unless you or they were downed. Sometimes Cinder would rush past some still living troopers, although they were too busy desperately trying to ward off the cold machines before being cut down themselves.
The only resistance she found was a few officers and troopers guarding the prison entrance trying to radio the bridge. They would never find out what was going on as Cinder causally scythe through them with her blades. Now in the ship's prison ward finding the right cell was easy, Cinder had the data banks from the hacking.
"Cinder!" Emerald had exclaimed upon seeing her mistress peel off the door, it was almost sickening how the green-haired girl immediately tried to hug her. "I knew you'd be here! Everyone kept trying to say how you wouldn't care but I knew you would-"
"No time to chat." Cinder snapped, she was on the clock and would not let her grab at the Fall Maiden slip away again. Snatching a rifle off the floor and shoving it into her arms Cinder marched back towards the stairwell. "Amber is here and I need you to be ready to help me kill her."
"Of course," Emerald nodded dutifully. "What about Mercury? Are we just going to leave him here for Atlas to keep?"
"I will take care of that little detail at a later date." Cinder sighed, this detour had taken her a few munites. "Hopefully this would not cost me my best chance at Amber..."
The arrival of Ruby and Ren had elevated Weiss's spirits but did not make her overly optimistic. Her aura was still down and Nora was on the floor unconscious. They were both exhausted and one hit away from being dead. The White Fang members Adam brought surged forwards to attack the newcomers. Their lack of experience is more than evident by how uncoordinated and telegraphed their attacks were. Ren and especially Ruby were more than able to avoid their attempts to strike.
Adam didn't bother with them and turned to face Weiss as he promised. A high swing that would have taken the head off any lesser opponent was narrowly avoided by Weiss. She was still at a clear disadvantage. It would only be through the swift intervention by Ruby that the Schnee would be able to last long enough to change dust settings to fire and send a puff of flames into the ceiling. Weiss couldn't risk trying to aim straight. Sending Adam falling back from the heat. It could hit Ren and in this confined space she lacked the options for anything lethal.
That's when an idea came into the Schnee's mind as she quickly spun the cylinders until a white carte rage locked into place. "Ruby I need you to get his attention." Weiss muttered. "Just get him to turn his back on me."
Ruby nodded before re-engaging their assailant before he could close the distance. Adam was skilled and capable of keeping up with Ruby's speed to an extent. Weiss stood firm and took the reprieve to catch her breath. Ruby took a few knicks from time to time but it was nothing too serious. Aura was the reason why so many had decided to ditch bulky armor after all. The scythe wielder seemed to be doing just fine until Adam seemed to reach a breaking point with her dodging. With a roar, his blade and even hair flashed red.
Weiss was able to catch the look of fear on Ruby's face before a wave of red energy flowed out in an ark from the katana. Ruby was blown back, her aura flaring up in the way it always did when it strained against an attack.
"Now or never." She thought staring at the bull-horned Faunus's unprotected back.
Weiss jabbed her rapier right into the ground at Adam's feet and channeled as much ice dust into the floor as she could. Assumed it materialized quickly but not fast enough to knock Adam away but form around his body and encase it in a thick layer of ice. His legs and most of his upper body were sealed with his arms barely able to wriggle about. Which is did angrily for a moment before realizing he was trapped.
It also had the side effect of creating an obstacle in their way. "Hmpf, not so tough now are you?"
The bravado was unnecessary but it felt nice to say after her near-death experience. The remaining White Fang lacked the Aura and training to match Hunters in training. So they were dispatched with ease by Ren after a moment.
"Ruby!" Weiss rushed over to her partner, laying flat on her back and whilst still holding onto Crescent Rose. "Can you hear me?! Ruby!"
There was nothing but her steady breathing until finally silver eyes fluttered awake. "Ugh... What hit me...?"
"Something bad," Weiss answered honestly, not even trying to hide the relief from her voice. "Can you stand?"
Ruby groaned but remained laying on the floor stock still. "Ask me again in a minute..."
Heavy footfalls were heard from the stairwell and Weiss shot up to her feet. Exhausted but ready to make an attempt at combat, until she saw who it was that is and relaxed. "What can you accomplish in five seconds?"
"Huh?" Ruby cranked her head back and saw her older sister looking worried. The older girl rushed over to Ruby's side and began searching for injuries.
"Where are you hurt?! Is it here?! Over here?!" Yang patted down her sister's body while the girl in question struggled under the scrutiny.
"Yang stop! I'm okay!" While she groaned, Blake leveled her blades against the only conscious man in the room beside Ren.
"Blake..." Adam said with such venom Weiss would be surprised if his saliva was laced with poison.
"Yeah, it's me," Her eyes narrow aggressively and Weiss swore the bow on her head looked strained somehow. "This is what is all lead to, all the violence and death. Now you lost the Vale sect of the White Fang and we're taking you behind bars once more Hunters arrive."
"You think that's going to be that easy?" Adam laughed grabbing everyone's attention. "Come on now, this large a place of negativity is bound to attract a swarm of Grimm. Flooding this place in a tide of death slaying hundreds and you think getting me out is going to be as easy as pulling me along? This 'victory' of yours is bittersweet at best."
"He's right..." Blake said. "There are going to be a lot of people crossing at the landing bays too, they're going to need someone to help there."
"No to mention we need to leave." Weiss eyed Ren as he picked up Nora by the shoulder.
"We can hand Adam over to the authorities once we get to the landing bays." Blake said but Weiss shook her head.
"We'd have to break him out of the ice and he'll be a constant danger to us. Better to leave him stuck here, figure out how to deal with him here later." As much as Weiss hated saying that, she and Nora were in no condition to fight. Then they were planning on going into a combat zone with crowds of people piling into airships. Bringing Taruras with them was too risky.
"Leaving him here is also risky!" Blake began. "He could get out, and cause more damage and pain elsewhere."
"I don't like it but if Grimm are being drawn here we need to get out while we still have a chance to do so. I doubt any transportation is going to remain for long or have an easy time leaving with flocks of Grimm."
The amber-eyed girl made to respond but Yang cut her off with a hand on her shoulder. "Blake she'a right... There really aren't any good decisions to make here. Besides we got who we came here for. Also, we both know Jaune's going to be counting on us to back him up against Cinder..."
Blake eyed Adam with contempt but sighed and slowly nodded in agreement. "This ice does look thick enough to hold for a while..."
"Then let's get out of here while we have a chance." Weiss took Nora's other arms and helped Ren squeeze her past the frozen bull.
"Man hope Jaune is having s better time than us." Yang said aloud.
"That's a lot of tubes..." Jaune said. "How are we supposed to move her?"
"Not off the ship we're not. Just down the hall and into a medical room." Ozpin said whole all but tearing off the various wires and tubes. "She cannot be moved without a very special set of devices and team. We have neither Mr. Arc. The only choice we have now is to try one more time with the soul transferring device."
"What?! Cinder could be in here any minute and now you tell me this?" Jaune said angrily. "Why can't we just fight Cinder off?"
"All Cinder needs to do is bathe this ward in fire and let it finish the job for her. She doesn't need to kill us but her." He gestured to Amber's unconscious form before picking her up and bolting down the hall, Jaune in hot pursuit. "This ship could also go down at any moment, between the Atlas machines and the sheer amount of negativity it's only a matter of time before Grimm are added to the mix. James's fleet is no help as they can't break away from the city without condemning hundreds to their deaths. It's either that or we could save time and try this one more time."
He kicked the door open to the same room Jaune was in before and waste no time in strapping amber in. "It's over there and grab two aura boosters from the cabinet next to it." Ozpin pointed to the device resting on a medical table.
Jaune hesitated for a moment before bolting over and wheeling the table over. The Headmaster had already planted a chair for Jaune to sit and took the mask part of it over to Amber. The boosters were easy enough to find, as they were labeled exactly that. This was going to hurt, but Jaune was more than prepared to face that fact head-on.
"Jaune are you sure about this?" Amber asked, her concern was appreciated but not needed.
"Yes, I am!" Jaune said as he locked the device around his hand while Ozpin placed the mask on Amber's head. "We're doing this here and now, you heard Ozpin we can't move you like this without killing you!"
"Jaune..." Amber started but realized how pointless arguing with him now was. "What makes you think this time is going to be different?"
"We're not stopping until you're back in. We both felt something last time, I know you were being pulled so... maybe we just needed to give it more time." Jaune explained, it wasn't the most sound reasoning but perhaps power through the pain is what was missing.
"That is...! By the Gods Jaune, why do you have to be like this... Promise me you will stop if this is too much."
"..." Ozpin jabbed a needle into Amber, letting all of the fluids flow out before brandishing the second one for Jaune.
"Jaune? Promise me you will stop." She repeated more concerningly.
"Are you ready Mr. Arc?" Ozpin asked and he nodded in agreement while bracing himself.
"Jaune!" Amber cried as the Grey-haired man pressed a button and it started.
Once more there was pressure, growing outwards like someone was sucking water out from a plastic bottle relly. It wasn't as slow as it was last time, then again Jaune was never given an Aura booster before. Amber began groaning uncomfortably and Jaune gripped his forearm to steady it as pain inevitably shot through it. The stinging sensation from all his nerves lighting up was back, like when let the Maiden powers flow through him but eventually grew into a more fiery pain like someone had let his arm alight to burn. The cables glowed brown as Jaune bit his lip and fought off the desire to scream. There was no way he could force Amber's soul out, he tried but barely even understood what was even happening. Amber was the first to begin crying out in pain like last time, as it was her soul being yanked on. Jaune still squirmed in his seat as every muscle in his arm began to cramp and spasm under the assault.
Amber's body wanted its soul back, Jaune felt it before and knew it just needed help. He'd give it time to pull and tug her loose.
No matter what he was feeling, the blood he was drawing from his lips, or the intense desire to pull away.
Tears stained Jaune's eyes as he finally screamed, something was flowing through his arm. As if someone was forcing a basketball through a hose and he swore something gave within. Amber was screaming as well but oddly enough the sound wasn't inside Of his head as normal but...
Jaune looked up and through the haze of pain saw Ozpin rushing to Amber's side with a needle of something. It was jabbed into her neck and Jaune hopped it was some kind of pain relief. Although in the brief moment before passing out Jaune saw it... He saw brown eyes twitching and moving about as if they were scanning the room, arms and legs tried pushing against the binds holding them down and the screams were coming from her mouth and not his head. Jaune could manage a smile... then he tumbled out of the chair.
There was screaming, not the ones Cinder or Emerald had been hearing when traversing the ship but this was more raw and extended. Like someone was torturing a person just because they liked the noise. They had made it to the medical ward when part of the sound had cut off, replaced by frantic voices calling out. She approached the door to an operating room and slammed it open. Inside was her prize, who was having some face mask being torn off by no other than Ozpin himself. She didn't have the time to look at the third body on the floor when a green blast of energy hit her square in the chest and slammed her into the wall. Aura, of course, did its thing and while kneeling she caught Ozpin's determined gaze as he stepped in between Cinder's view of Amber.
"Ah." Cinder growled annoyed. "Of course you'd be here."