Chapter 79

Raven

Having watched the broadcast Liam put out, Raven sighed as she turned around to leave her tent. Pushing the flap aside, Raven put on her Grimm helmet as the sun shone onto her.

"So, now you see why I was in such a rush to Beacon."

Raven rested her left hand on her weapon as she looked to her five prisoners, each bound in thick rope.

"Salem will kill him if we don't get there first! I know you don't want that. As much as you hate me, I know you wouldn't let Liam get himself killed."

"Liam... Liam made his own choices. Just as you did, Qrow." Raven crossed her arms.

"She's already destroyed Atlas, alongside Mantle!" Robyn stepped forward only for the members of Raven's clan to draw their weapons. "She won't hesitate to kill Liam, too." She finished, unfazed.

"Do you really want your nephew to die like that?" Marrow asked her.

"You heard for yourself; Salem wants Liam." Harriet told Raven.

Raven clenched her fists.

"Shut up!"

Thunder echoed as the sky was covered in gray clouds.

"I know what you did." Raven growled, addressing Elm, Harriet and Marrow. "You three don't get a say in this."

With a single motion of her head, the Ace-Ops were taken away by the Branwen tribe. Leaving Robyn and Qrow, Raven turned to speak with the two.

"I had already warned your son, Qrow." Raven began. "He chose this."

"You're just gonna let him die?!" Qrow shouted.

Raven took off her helmet, glaring at her brother.

"Get 'em out of my sight."

As the duo were dragged off, Qrow shouted at his twin.

"You can help him, Raven!"

Returning to her tent, Raven glanced down at her weapon. Wrapping her fingers around the hilt, she hesitated. She thought about helping, but ultimately decided that Liam did choose this.

Letting out a deep breath, Raven removed her hand and went further into her tent.

Liam

Slowly coming to, Liam rubbed his eyes as he sat up. He was still alive.

Looking around, Liam found himself in the large basement under Beacon.

He had no idea how he got here, or how he survived the tower explosion. Either way, he considered himself extremely lucky.

Getting to his feet and brushing himself off, Liam went to take a step but ended up falling forward. Landing on his stomach, Liam grunted before rolling over onto his back.

He was about to get to his feet when he noticed his left foot felt extraordinarily warm. Taking a look at it, Liam could tell it was broken. Luckily, all of the adrenaline that was going through him at the moment helped ignore the pain.

But the adrenaline was quickly wearing off, and the pain began to set it.

"Shit..." Liam said softly as he slowly rose to his non injured leg.

Finding his, and Blake's, weapons on the ground, Liam sheathed his own as he used Blake's as a crutch.

Turning to leave Beacon, Liam saw two pods at the opposite side of the room. Before he could even begin to move closer, an ear piercing explosion went off behind him, clearing away most of the debris.

Glaring at Liam from the other side of the room was Cinder. Blood ran down her face. She had countless cuts on her body, and she was not happy.

Seeing Cinder still alive infuriated Liam. However, before he could speak, Cinder attacked.

Chrome

Unconscious on a beach, the gentle waves of the ocean brushed against Chrome's sides before retreating. Slowly, his eyes opened.

Sitting up, Chrome took a moment to look around before getting to his feet. Spotting his weapons just a few feet away, Chrome went to retrieve them.

After putting them in their sheaths, Chrome paused for a brief moment before walking along the shoreline. Unsure what to do, he decided to explore this island.

Raven

Pacing back and forth in her tent, Raven came to the conclusion that Qrow was right. Drawing her sword, Raven hesitated before slashing open a portal.

As soon as it appeared, Liam came rolling through it, landing on his back and sliding across the floor of the tent. Quickly, Raven closed the portal and rushed to her nephew.

Sitting upright, Liam almost immediately realized what had happened.

"No! No no no!" He shouted. "Why?!" He looked to face Raven. "Why did you do that?!"

"I-"

"She's still alive! I didn't-!" Liam stopped as the pain in his leg became too much.

Moving to his side, Raven spotted the injury.

"You should be glad." Raven told her nephew. "You're not winning a fight against anyone on this foot."

"She-"

"YOU. NEED. REST!" Raven boomed, getting Liam to fall silent. "What the hell were you even thinking?! Sending out a broadcast like that!"

"I have to kill Cinder. She's-"

"Your job as a Huntsman isn't about vengeance!" Raven shouted. "It's about protecting the ones who can't protect themselves!"

Liam glared at Raven as she moved to fix his foot.

"The hell do you know about being a Huntsman?" Liam growled. "You only signed up to figure out how to-" he yelled in pain as Raven set the bone back in place.

"Kill them?" Raven finished. "Yeah, it was. But that's not why you signed up." The two shared a brief glance before Raven returned to patching Liam up. "'I wanna be a Huntsman so I can be more like mom!' Those were your words."

Liam remained silent.

"To help people. Be a hero. Save the day." Raven continued. "Those were the reasons you gave. Not once did you mention vengeance."

Liam clenched his fists as he pushed the memories away.

"Cinder has taken everything from me!" Liam shouted. "Yang, Ruby, Chrome, Nikki, should I continue?"

Raven's emotions quickly got the better of her as she rose to her feet, yelling back at Liam.

"You think I don't wanna chase the little bitch down myself?! You think I don't know what you're going through?! I know she killed Yang, but I have a duty to my tribe, much like how you have a duty to protect the innocent! I'm here, doing my job, because I have a responsibility! Fulfill yours!"

Liam slowly stood up, despite the immense pain in his ankle.

Locking eyes with his aunt, he spoke.

"Glad to see your 'responsibility' is really just an excuse to walk out on your family."

Raven was visibly taken aback by that. Suddenly, her expression changed, showing a rage no one had seen before.

"Liam." She said his name, firmly. "You are treading on some mighty thin fucking ice here."

However, Liam didn't waver.

"You abandoned everyone you care about just to protect yourself."

Raven immediately punched Liam, causing him to stumble out of the tent and down the steps. Coming to a stop in the dirt, Liam slowly rose to his feet as Raven stormed out of her tent.

"I made difficult decisions to make sure my family would be safe!" Raven yelled. "You think I abandoned you because I wanted to?! I had to!" Raven grabbed Liam by the collar. "Don't you try and guilt me over my decisions because you know, deep down, you've made nothing but wrong ones!"

"What else am I supposed to do?!" Liam shouted. "I'm running out of options! I'm..." Liam's voice began to break. "I'm tired. I'm so fucking tired."

Raven saw the tears welling in Liam's eyes. Letting him go, she turned to lead him back into her tent.

Noticing the other bandits were staring, Raven quickly dismissed them.

"Back to work, all of you!"

Doing as told, every bandit averted their gaze as they went back to what they were doing.

Once back inside Raven's tent, she made herself and Liam a cup of warm tea. Sipping it, Raven decided to be the one to break the silence.

"I'm sorry for what I said." Liam told her before she could get a word out.

"I know." She said softly before moving on to the main topic. "Your attack on Cinder was what, a suicide attempt?" Raven asked.

Liam shrugged.

"I don't even know anymore. I'm just tired. I'm tired all the time. I'm tired of losing everyone I care about. I'm tired of the threat of Salem breathing down my neck. I'm... tired."

"I know." Raven said. "You carry a burden on your shoulders no one your age should. But you're not alone. You still have allies. You still have that girl, Weiss."

Liam was surprised Raven brought her up.

"You know about us?"

"Not the point, but yes." Raven replied. "Still, you have friends who will stand beside you through it all. Even in times of loss."

Liam snifled as he wiped his eyes.

"Thanks, Raven." Liam said. "For everything."

"Even the punch?" She asked with a slight smirk.

"Yeah, even the punch." Liam chuckled.

"I'm sorry about that by the way." Raven apologized.

"I know."

Raven got to her feet, her weapon in hand.

"What do you say to getting back to your girl?" Raven asked.

"I thought you could only create portals to people you've bonded with." Liam said.

Raven smirked.

"Your friend left quite the impression when she and Yang visited last." Raven replied.

Liam recalled the conversation.

"I like her."

Slashing her blade vertically, Raven created a portal. Liam hesitated before taking a step towards it.

"Thanks, Raven."

"I'll be sending your father and his friends through after you." Raven told him. "I still have a few things left to discuss with him."

"Dad's here?"

Raven answered by simply gesturing to the portal.

"Right."

Using Blake's weapon as a crutch still, Liam walked through.

When Liam emerged from the portal, he found himself inside the Redwood residence. Weiss was at the desk, staring at Liam.

Without a single word, Weiss got to her feet and approached Liam.

"Weiss, I-"

Weiss cut him off with a hard slap to the face.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She shouted. "Leaving me a damn note, saying you're going on a suicide mission! I- I can't."

"Weiss, I'm sorry, I-"

"You don't get to speak!" Weiss shouted. "You are the most selfish, most infuriating person! Did you even stop to consider my feelings?! I can't even look at you right now!"

Weiss turned away, her eyes welling up tears of both anger and relief that Liam was okay.

Liam reached out to Weiss, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Weiss." Liam bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

Slowly turning around to face him, Weiss could see the remorse in his eyes.

"You're right." Liam told her. "I'm so sorry, Weiss."

Weiss wiped her eyes.

"You're gonna have to make up for it." She told him.

"The slap wasn't payment enough?" Liam asked as he rubbed his cheek. "You slapped me pretty damn hard."

Weiss chuckled.

"You deserved it."

Liam could only smirk before his ankle got the better of him and he needed to sit down.

"What happened to your ankle?" Weiss asked, noticing his limp.

"Cinder broke it." Liam answered. "Raven helped me with it. Still hurts like hell, though."

"I bet." Weiss said. "Here. I can help a bit with the pain."

"Hm?"

Weiss summoned a glyph in her hand, using it to create a large piece of ice.

"Here."

Taking it, Liam gently pressed it to his ankle.

"Your aura should help heal once it's recharged."

"Thanks, Weiss."

Cinder

Charging towards Liam, Cinder attacked with a kick, sending Liam rolling across the ground. Suddenly, a red portal opened and Liam tumbled through it.

"No!" Cinder used her maiden powers to charge towards the portal. "No!" Just as she reached it, the portal vanished.

"Damn!" Cinder growled as she regained her balance. "Coward."

Taking a glance at the pod that still held Amber's corpse, Cinder scoffed before making her exit.

Blasting a hole in the ceiling, Cinder flew out, heading back to Salem's castle in the Land of Darkness.

End of chapter 79