Adam let out a low, humourless laugh at Blake's words. The Huntress looked up at the man with contempt, her ears flattened against the top of her head but, not in fear this time, but anger.
"I see you still believe you can defy me." He observed. "Acting tough in front of your friends?"
Blake gritted her teeth against his words, watching as Yang, with a little help from Sun, was pulled onto her feet. On Adam's other side, partially blocked by his looming figure, was Velvet. They had to get to her and find a way to help her. They also had to warn Ruby and the rest that Adam was back and that Salem was attacking. However, she doubted he'd accept a time out and let them make a call.
"Step aside, Adam." Blake insisted, raising her head to look up at the taller man. However, no matter how much she looked, she could not see the blue eyes that usually looked back at her- just a blazing red. What had Salem done to him? Had he become the product of some freakish experiment of hers? It didn't matter, Adam had hurt another of her friends, he would pay for that.
"I will make you." Growled Blake, raising the tip of her blade to his throat. He didn't even flinch as she did so.
"I would like to see you try." He sneered.
With a feral scream, Blake charged forward, desperately trying to push her sword through his neck. However, that would have been too easy. Not only did Adam dodge, he raised his own sword, redirecting her attack to allow it to cut the air harmlessly. But Blake didn't let up, sidestepping, she tried to cut at the man again. His smile unfaltering, he blocked her blade with his own white one, locking the two in place.
Taking this as an opening, Yang jumped into the battle, both her fists clenched ready to strike the man down. However Adam, who was much faster than he had been back in Argus, twisted his body around, blocking her attack with his gauntlet while never easing the pressure against Blake's own sword. It was with little effort that he pushed the two Huntresses away from him.
Blake charged at Adam again, Adam raising his sword to block her blow with ease. However, as he pushed against the woman, Sun jumped overhead, his nunchaku raised ready to strike the man down. Adam seemed unphased by the man's appearance. Forcing Blake back, he reached out toward her, his motions a blur, and gripped the whip-like rope that dangled from the back of one of her blades. With surprising strength, he tugged at it while kicking Blake's feet from under her, unbalancing her. With a silent heave, he swung her upwards, causing her body to collide with Sun's in midair. The two Faunus were sent crashing into the opposite wall, cracks spreading from the impact.
Still surveying the destruction he'd created, Adam raised his gauntlet, just narrowly blocking the next attack directed to him by Yang. She grunted against the force, digging her feet into the ground as she tried to push back. From behind her, one of Sun's projections appeared, the imitation weapon raised to knock Adam back. However, although it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where he was looking, Adam's crimson eyes seemed to be focused elsewhere, to a space behind him where another of Sun's apparitions was running towards Velvet, arms outstretched to reach her.
Adam released an irritated sound, kicking Yang backward and sprinted away. He sliced his sword across the attacking clone, the apparition fading as the man ran to intercept the copy that was kneeling beside Velvet. The clone met the same fate as its brother at Adam's hand.
Yang clutched at her stomach, straining to breathe as she looked at Adam who stood before Velvet. His sword was crossed before his body, daring anyone to try to get any closer.
"It's almost like he doesn't want us reaching Velvet." Yang muttered, straightening up as Blake and Sun struggled to stand beside her, their heads still ringing from the impact.
"But why ?" Blake exclaimed, unable to fathom why Adam would waste the energy stopping them from reaching their comrade. Velvet was clearly in no state to fight, it was impossible she'd turn the tide of the battle in any way.
"Nothing good, that's for sure." Growled Sun, attaching his two nunchakus together to form a golden staff, that he twirled overhead.
"Follow my lead." Ordered Yang, jumping forwards. However, Adam matched her speed, raising his sword to block each punch she sent his way. Yang jumped upward revealing Blake behind her, her two blades aimed at his chest. Adam lowered his sword, diverting Blake's attack elsewhere. However, as he did so he took a step towards her, only to be greeted by a crimson copy of the woman. The shadow clone exploded a second later, filling the air with smoke. The decoy was less effective than Blake had hoped and Adam did not even cough or seem to be the least bit blinded by the smoke. But, in a fluid motion, Sun swooped in.
Adam raised his sword to block but, rather than attacking downward as Adam had expected, Sun landed, bending his knees as if he were doing a squat and spun his staff anticlockwise, the hard metal finally coming in contact with Adam's chin. Momentarily dazed by possibly the first strike to have actually made contact, Blake feinted to the side, her two blades aimed for the man's chest ready to end it.
However, something else had caught Adam's attention far more efficiently than the Huntress's attack. Taking this as her chance, Yang had tried to run towards Velvet. The distance wasn't far, however with Adam's constant interventions it had become far from easy. This time however, she was so close, she could almost reach out and touch Velvet. Blake and Sun had his undivided attention, they'd be able to rescue her at last.
Or so she thought.
Thats why it was impossible for Yang to believe her eyes when Adam appeared before her, an evil grin across his face, his unnaturally pointed teeth gleaming in the crimson light of his armour. He raised his sword, its tip already aimed at the woman.
"If I'd known you would have been this much trouble." He snarled, "I would have taken more than just your hand back in Beacon."
Yang's eyes widened as she raised her gauntlets, every muscle in her body warned her to dodge, to stop, to escape. However her own momentum was too much and Adam's speed, she had no chance of outrunning him. He had not been this fast back in Argos, now he was almost on par with Ruby or Harriet and that seemed impossible… and yet she'd seen him do so with her own eyes. Adam had changed since Argos, and Yang could very possibly die because of it.
"Yang!" Blake's voice cut through the air as she ran towards her, but she was too far. She wouldn't reach her in time.
Memories played in her mind of Beacon.
Memories of the night Yang had lost her arm.
She'd been too far that day as well.
She cursed at herself.
She couldn't this happen, not again!
"Say your goodbyes." Growled Adam, pushing his blade forward and through Yang's chest.
Yang's breath stopped in anticipation but she felt no pain. When she looked down, she saw no blade. Adam had just pierced Yang's heart however it wasn't her he'd just killed. In what almost could be called a stupor she watched the Yang standing before Adam disappear, like a shadow fading. Yang looked down at her prosthetic hand, not having felt the reinforced chord of Blake's whip as it had pulled her away from the man and to leave what behind? A shadow of herself?
"Yang!" Yelled Blake, releasing the woman from her whip and standing before her. Blake's breathing was heavy as she stood between Adam and Yang.
"W-what just happened?" Yang gasped, watching as Adam sliced through the air angrily, the remnants of the shadow having now completely vanished.
"I-I think I made a shadow clone of you?" Blake answered, but she sounded as confused as Yang felt. That had been close… way too close.
"Since when can you do that?" Sun called, running to stand beside the Huntresses, a weapon braced in either hand.
"I don't know." Blake admitted. Had her Semblance somehow evolved? It had happened to Ren before, had it also been this uncalled for for him? However she was thankful that it had happened when it had, for she doubted Yang would be standing beside her, breathing, at that very moment, if it hadn't. "Since now?"
"You deceitful woman!" Adam almost shrieked, if possible his eyes burning even more through his mask. "You little-"
But whatever Adam was going to call the Faunus was cut short when a pair of golden visages of Sun rammed into him, pinning him to the wall as best they could.
"Now's our chance!" Called Sun, momentarily pushing the questions concerning Blake's Semblance to the back of his mind and jumping ahead of the woman, finally kneeling beside his fallen teammate. Sweat trickled down his temple, he'd conjured his clones too many times, his Aura was severely depleted. He wouldn't be able to last much longer. They had to get Velvet out of there and warn the others now or Velvet would not be the only one unable to move.
"Velvet." He gently said, shaking her lightly not wanting to surprise the woman further. Velvet looked up at him, his reflection looking back at him in her unseeing eyes. Other than the injury to her ear she seemed intact, but how could she be so out of it? Had Adam somehow drugged her with something?
"Velvet." He tried again, more intently, as Blake and Yang stood before him, their weapons armed as they watched Adam struggle against his clones. Sun wouldn't be able to hold him back for much longer.
"We need to get out of here, now ." Yang insisted, her mind racing. They had to reach Ruby, she had to make sure she was safe too.
Sun nodded his head, he knew that moving an injured person wasn't the wisest move but, considering the choices presented to him, he did not want to try his luck with Adam any further. They had to regroup somehow.
Agreeing with Yang's plan, Sun carefully placed one hand under Velvet's knees and the other he slid down her back, ready to carry her away as needed. However he almost dropped her when his hand touched the back of her neck. There was something there, something her long hair had been covering from the rest of them. It was the size of his fist and felt warm to the touch. It felt peculiarly hard and yet it seemed to pulsate gently.
Unable to even imagine what this was, he carefully sat her up. Supporting the injured woman's weight against his chest, he carefully pushed her hair to the side and finally brought to light what he had discovered.
What was that ?
The question continued to echo in his mind, as he looked at what had latched itself to his teammate's neck. It seemed to be a strange, insect-like thing, something that he'd expect to see in some horror film. Its main body was black but its back seemed to be covered in a series of overlapping white and red plates. Six long, double jointed legs were latched to the back of Velvet's jacket and it looked down at her exposed flash with six, glistening, ruby red eyes. Mortified, Sun realised that the creature had a thin, needle-like mouthpiece emerging from its small head and had pierced through the collar of Velvet's jacket and to the skin beneath.
Horrified, Sun watched as the insect continued to pulsate and, if his eyes weren't deceiving him, it seemed to have grown a little larger.
Was that thing feeding off Velvet?
"What is that! ?" Gasped Blake, worried for her friend when Sun had not answered their questions. Now she understood why, seeing that strange creature attached to the Faunus.
"Is that a Grimm?!" Yang gasped, looking down at the unfamiliar markings on the creature's back. "Get it off her!"
Sun extended his hand toward the thing but stopped when Adam began to speak, sensing his struggle against his clones halting.
"Has no one ever told you that you have to be careful how you remove ticks?" Adam sang. "If you don't get rid of it right, it could release a toxin and kill her anyway.
"That doesn't bother me in the slightest." Continued Adam. "But I don't think any of you would like that, now would you?"
"What is that thing!?" Demand Blake again, this time stomping towards Adam, her swords rising in a menacing manner. However, if Adam feared the Huntress, he hid it well.
"Hmmm." Adam tilted his head, as if seriously considering what to answer Blake,. Sun's clones pressed harder against Adam however he seemed unphased by the threats. "I think it should be about time now."
And he smiled at Blake, a smile that turned her blood to ice.
A yelp of surprise and hiss from behind her forced Blake to turn to look back at Sun and Yang. Sun was still holding Velvet in his arms but the creature was no longer attached to her neck, where it had previously been, a small red welt remained.
Now, it was hissing through the air and skilfully dodging Yang's desperate attempts to grab the creature. A ball of red, white and black, it flew out of her reach, hissing and spitting a dark black poison at the Huntress. The liquid caused the stone at her feet to sizzle. Flying, it looked more like an oversized and particularly ugly mosquito and it flew towards Adam with a ferocious speed. Blake tried to slice at the Grimm however it was too small, evading her attack and retaliating with more spittle of poison, forcing the woman to retreat closer to Yang.
The creature flew over Sun's clones, the latter unable to move for fear of releasing the captive they so desperately tried to pin down. The Grimm landed on Adam's neck and, to the Huntresses and Huntsman's horror, much as it had done with Velvet, it latched itself to Adam's neck, piercing through his pale flesh with its proboscis. However, where they had assumed the parasite was the reason for Velvet's almost comatose state, the connection seemed to cause Adam's red eyes to burn even brighter. His eyes were not the only thing to change. The parasite began to shrink in size but, as it did so, the horns that they had assumed were new additions to Adam's mask grew to double their original size, as did the man until he was towering over Sun's clones.
As if he were simply shaking off drops of rain from his sleeve, Adam freed himself from the clones, the visages vanishing and causing Sun to release a strained breath. His arms suddenly felt so weak he doubted he'd be able to carry Velvet.
Adam took a step towards the small group, inspecting his hands, his fingers having elongated into something that now resembled talons, protruded through his destroyed gloves.
"Now the real fun begins, my love." He sneered, revealing fangs.
Thank you so so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the update. Next one will be up Friday :D