Chapter 62

As if roused from slumber the group of terrorists opened fire on the surrounding members of the true White Fang. The onlookers closed the distance, fully intent on fighting as they leapt into battle against their own people. The twins took up overwatch on the rooftops, brandishing their bows as they fired into the crowd. Kamina appeared in a flash of orange, kicking Adam in the face as he stumbled to his feet and laughing his brilliant laugh for the world to hear.

'Sorry, didn't see you down there.' Kamina scoffed, flashing away with another laugh. He reappeared atop a White Fang member, snatching the gun out of his hands and slamming the butt of the rifle into his head. 'How's it feel? To be deserted by your own race?'

'SHUT UP!' Adam screamed, drawing his sword and retaliating against the fox boy. Kamina flashed away, darting in and out of cover in bright flashes as he fought the man.

'Don't like that? Well it's no surprise they'd turn on you given the bullshit you've been spewing.' Kamina paused for a moment, raising a finger to the enraged man. 'You are a bull faunus right? I can never tell; you guys are way too similar to sheep.' Kamina extended his claws, smiling dangerously at the man. 'I mean, you can't really blame me; you were all raised for slaughter anyway.'

'I'LL KILL YOU!' Adam screamed as he attacked the fox faunus. Kamina once more darted away in a flash, laughing as he went and serving to infuriate the once proud man even further. 'STAND AND FIGHT YOU COWARD!'

'I don't want to hear the word "coward" from the guy who just tried to blow himself up just to avoid incarceration.' Kamina spat, and Adam turned his head to find the fox boy lounging atop a nearby piece of rubble. 'Suicide? Now that's the coward's way out.'

Adam charged the masked faunus, screaming his fury, and Kamina laughed all the louder as he engaged. The two fought neck and neck for a few moments, nearly equal in terms of skill, but it was clear Kamina was the more experienced fighter of the two. In spite of all his years of combat, Adam was taking hits, glancing ones at first, but strikes started landing more and more solidly as the damage began to build. He coughed as the fox boy kicked him in the ribs, barely managing to deflect the claws coming down over his head as a follow up. Adam created some distance as he tried to shoot the fox boy, but Kamina once again proved to be the better marksman as he nailed the bull faunus with multiple well-placed shots to the body. Adam screamed as he unleashed a blade beam, missing the fox boy by a large margin. Adam growled in response as he backed away, clearly outmatched.

'Not like fighting your average guard is it?' Kamina laughed brilliantly as he flashed away again. 'Sure, you've got more years of experience. But seems to me like all you've done is fight average fighters.' Kamina appeared in a flash again, zipping away as Adam fired on his position. 'And that's what brought your downfall.'

'SHUT UP AND DIE!' Adam practically thrashed on the spot as he searched for the boy. Kamina kicked off the man's back, the smile still glued to his face as his blades flashed for the man's neck.

Jaye whistled as he stared at the stinger embedded through Hazel. The massive man grunted in pain as he was dragged back into the building, and the assassin raised an eyebrow at the heiress.

'Damn Weiss you nasty.' He whistled. 'Is that payback?'

'Just venting.' She smiled, hair fluttering in the wind as the Queen Lancer summon hovered behind her. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the figure standing in the shattered doorway. The fighting in the room ceased for a moment, as if choreographed for her entry as Blake stepped through the hole in the wall. The cat girl locked eyes with the blonde.

'Yang?' She whispered, and Ruby forced her eyes away from the reunion.

'Yang go!' She commanded, and the blonde tore her eyes away from her partner. She made a mad dash for the lowered statue, and their two adversaries barely registered her leaving. Shocked by the sudden breakaway, Emerald dived for the girl, missing her by an inch. Mercury seized the girl by the arm, making a sound of surprise as Yang discharged the metal arm to run past. The two gave chase as the girl hopped into the hole in the floor, and an ice wall raised itself between them. They turned to glare at the two facing them, and Weiss brandished Myrtenaster with a broad smile. Jaye spun his swords as he began to circle his prey.

'Well. Looks like I'll be doing some decapitating after all.' Jaye grinned widely, pausing as a seeming earthquake shook the building. 'Uhh, correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Mistral is known for tectonic activity.'

'Sounds like the Maidens.' Weiss spat, the Queen Lancer shrieking behind her as she stood side to side with Jaye. 'Cinder's down there.'

'Then let's get this over with and go help Yang.' Jaye said, narrowing his eyes at the boy. Mercury lowered himself into a fighting stance as he watched the raven-haired boy, and Jaye stepped into a quickdraw stance. 'I'll be quick.'

'I'm going to make you regret ever coming back' Adam staggered to his feet, still heaving from his fight with the fox boy. Kamina prepared for another run, and Blake waved away the masked faunus. He nodded in acknowledgement, flashing away and taking a lounging spot in a nearby tree. She turned back to the recovering terrorist.

'More police are on their way Adam. Huntsmen too.' She said, and Adam managed a laugh.

'Still too afraid to face me on your own.' He scoffed, grinning at the woman. In spite of his condescending words, his façade of strength was clearly fading.

'I'm here for Haven. Not you.'

Adam pulled his sword from his waist, spinning the sheath up into a rifle. Blake tensed herself for the shot, and Adam managed another weak chuckle.

'You are still afraid. And you should be.' He centered his sights on her. 'I've made powerful friends while you've been away.'

'Oh yeah?' A bright voice rang out from behind the group, and Sun spun his staff down as he approached the man. 'Where?'

'Tell me.' Adam raised his sword to the boy, pointing the tip directly at his jugular. 'Does Blake make all her classmates fight for her?'

'Nah, it's a volunteer gig. Except maybe him, though I have no idea where he came from.' Sun gestured at Kamina, placing his staff butt on the ground and leaning on it smugly. Kamina waved from the top of the tree, and Adam growled in response. 'I'm just saying, for someone who claims to have such great friends, there doesn't seem to be a lot of people here willing to fight for you.'

The remaining spotlights lit up the red-clad man as they spoke, the airships circling them slowly as the police prepared to capture the leader. All around the courtyard, the remaining White Fang members were either throwing down their weapons or being restrained, and it was clear the tide of the battle had turned completely against his favor. Adam growled at his adversaries, and Blake shook her head at the desperate man.

'You can make me try to regret coming here, Adam, but honestly? I've got more important things to deal with.' Blake said, and Adam charged the two in response. Kamina got off his spot on the tree as the pitiful man dashed away. He dived into the bushes as he fled, and Blake stopped the boys as they went.

'Sun! Kamina! Wait!'

'But he's getting away! We could take him!' Sun protested, and Kamina sheathed his claws as Blake ran up to them.

'No. We can't.' She explained, sheathing her blade. 'He wants to lure us away so he can pick us off. We need to protect the school and the people here. Besides.' She turned to smile at the masked faunus, and Kamina tipped his hat to the girl. 'Now he can see what it feels like to run away. Thank you.'

'Eh we all need help sometimes.' Sun chattered, glancing over at the ruckus still going on in the school building. 'I think there's a few people who could use yours.'

Jaune stepped in front of his teammates, raising his shield to deflect the bullets coming their way. Ren let his arms fall to his sides in exhaustion.

'You guys okay?'

'Surviving' Ren coughed in response, and Nora shook her head incredulously.

'I don't know how that big guy is still standing.' She wheezed. 'He recharges his Aura faster than I've ever seen!'

Qrow fluttered over to a pillar, transforming back in the blink of an eye. 'He's sheer willpower.'

'There's a way to convert Dust into Aura. It's the way a lot of medical equipment works to heal you.' Jaye explained, slipping behind a pillar to weather the onslaught of projectiles. 'Usually it'd be way too painful and damaging to convert into Aura by injecting it into your body, plus doing it artificially would need a damned wall plug for the power draw. Even with a battery or by injecting it directly into your body, the amounts you could manage would be too small and slow to make a difference in a fight, but looks like his semblance makes high speed regeneration with Dust possible.'

'Then how do we beat him?!' Jaune yelled, and Oscar/Ozpin ducked behind a pillar to avoid a fireball.

'We just need to get him to his limit!' He yelled, and Jaye rolled his eyes.

'Easier said than done.' He swore, flashing out a few blasts of ice at the group. The Queen Lancer fired off a few shots, driven back by the dust weapon Lionheart was using, and Hazel charged up his body for a big shot. Taking the blast head on, the summon vanished in a pool of particles, and the group felt a wave of despair shoot over them. With a great yell, Blake dived through the dust of the summon, slamming her boots down into Hazel's face and dropping the man to the floor. Taken by surprise, the man could do little to avoid the blow, and Blake launched off his face to land beside the other members of his team.

'Are you hurt?!' She asked, raising her gun at the man who was already getting to his feet. Weiss shook her head, the surprise still painted across her face.

'N-No!' She stuttered waving a hand in the air. 'I just remember you being more of the quiet one.'

'Not today.' Blake extended Gambol Shroud with a flick of her wrist. Weiss turned her still surprised face back to the trio approached them, and Jaye pattered up quietly behind the bad guys.

'What's the plan Ruby?' She asked, and the red-hooded girl promptly shot Lionheart in the shoulder. The cowardly Lion ran away, tail almost literally between his legs, and Jaye raised an eyebrow at the pathetic man.

'You've gotta be kidding me.' Mercury blurted, making a face at Hazel as he roared his defiance once more. Evidently still unnoticed, Jaye flipped over the massive man's head as he snatched two dust crystals out of his arm. Hazel roared in reply, and Jaye promptly tossed the strangely clean crystals into the corner.

'That should do something.' He said, drawing his swords as he nodded to his leader. Ruby spun Crescent Rose onto her shoulder, extending her blade with a grin on her face.

'Checkmate!'

Chapter 62 done! I really want to get to volume 6 because frankly that was one of my favorite volumes. Visually it was stunning, the characters all seemed to get a little life back in them, plotline was great since we finally got some idea of who Salem was and how she came to be, and we finally delved into the SILVER EYES. I'm so hyped for Volume 7