I bet some people will be happy this chapter came out so quickly. Season 8 of RWBY came out and I was inspired. Last chapter update had some problems, as I'm sure most of you found out. The Fanfiction Site wasn't showing new chapters and the forums were blowing up about it. Nothing I could do about it, even though I tried a couple different things people suggested online. Think of this chapter coming out so fast as an apology and early Christmas present. And yes, everyone wanted Emerald to die. I felt that was kind of premature as she could still be useful. I mean, Touma needs to save another girl to not only make Neo, Blake, and Ruby jealous, but Emerald seems like a stalker. That should be fun to write. (Seriously, so much hate for Emmy.)
D. N. Works: I can't just tell you. That would spoil everything.
JumpingToaster: There are some main events, like the breach, Mt Glenn, and the dance coming up, but I like having a lot of extra stuff that happens between those events. I had to think about how much would get exposed and how much would stay hidden. This was more about Accelerator's secrets getting leaked.
Mrcrazyman94: Black wings aren't as strong as an angel. He needs his white wings. But on Remnant, those black wings are probably stronger than anything they could throw at him.
Boshwa: That's the whole point of this scene. For them to see what true terror is.
Guest: Power of Love is BS.
BURRITO LOVER: I have debated thinking about showing a short cameo of the index side, but due to some… plot stuff that will be revealed later, it would be hard to balance things.
naruto1491: Cliff hangers are great. They make you excited for more.
BlueJack22: Pssh. If you want to calm someone down, you have to knock some sense into them.
Fernandamichelleraya: I love Neo and she will never get punished for her fun. I might go a bit into Ilia's backstory with Blake now that you mention it. It's not like the girls know Accelerator is going through puberty. Yang would love that information.
Legoupman: Thanks. This one came out much faster with Season 8 of RWBY and all the support people gave me.
WriterAdam: You have a lot of theory there, but you'll have to read to see how close you get. Why would I kill off Emerald? All I need to do is have Touma save her and she'll stalk him out of obsession. It would be hilarious to write. Do you think Accelerator would agree to let the MILITARY guard Last Order? He would see it as them using her to control him.
Loli4Lyfe: You're post nearly killed me when I fell out of my chair laughing. My favorite comment by far.
ShinyKyu: Do you really think Accelerator would let people he didn't trust watch her?
Illuusio: I mention Kakine because the Grimm could be Dark Matter creatures, but didn't have any immediate plans to reference him more.
SandehBoi: Touma wouldn't want to tell people about his meeting with Torchwick honestly, but yeah, they should tell the others. It sort of got pushed to the back of their mind after being KIDNAPPED by the White Fang.
AT4467: Running away can do that too.
zerofire210: Not sure what happened with your post, but it slit all the lines weirdly. Did you use mobile or something? A little hard to read, but I did see the point about Adam. I'm going to do him justice. He may die or he may live, but it will be good.
TykkiMikk: Run away… like a bitch. That's how you survive. Do not fight.
facuf1997: It's too early for an angel vs a dragon. That's like, after the fall of Beacon level.
AMTT94: Some of what you want will happen.
Angelfusion: Emerald has plot armor for a little bit. Cinder has to know.
Xeno01: That's kind of what he does. Though, this chapter is more for Weiss and Accelerator. I did make it so Touma couldn't do this by himself. Had some… interesting reactions from Ruby.
SlothDGod: Butterfly affects are abundant. Facing a problem now will change the outcome down the road.
G119: Touma would save anyone if they asked for help. If he just thinks they want help, he would go and do everything possible. Neo is best girl ever and will always be best girl. The way she was set up leaves her open for a lot of interpretation. We don't know what she's thinking and thus have free reign. With other main characters, we can write them OOC really easy. With Neo? Not so much.
calderoneric758: That image haunts me.
Daiten: Eh, Emerald's a spy. She'll know to turn off her locator.
Mr. X: 1) Okay. 2) Well, yeah. Emerald would totally stalk him and peer at him around corners after he saves her. 3) Dead. Got hit my Truck-Kun and was Isekaied. 4) My new beta's initials.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
Fuck!
Emerald's survival instincts kicked into overdrive, surpassing the wave of fear that engulfed her body. Not even granting herself the time to think, she turned around and bolted away as fast as she could. Her body was drenched in a cold sweat and her lungs burned. Emerald didn't need to look back over her shoulder to know that the monster that was Accelerator was behind her.
Emerald wasn't stupid. In any other situation, she might have tried to defend herself or fight him off with her weapons and skills. Fighting that… thing, however, was a death wish. Nothing she had was even remotely strong enough to take him on. Bullets were useless, as were the sickle function of her weapons. Even without his reflection, those black, tornado-like wings would eradicate anything that approached him. There was no doubt about that. She would be torn to shreds.
I have to tell Cinder!
That singular thought was the only thing keeping Emerald from being swallowed by the madness that permeated the air. As she fled, trees and rubble went flying. The green-haired girl tried her hardest to dodge and weave through the debris, knowing that if she stopped for even a second she would die. Finally glancing over her shoulder, she realized that Accelerator had stopped following her. Despite the rational part of her screaming to keep running, she slowed her pace.
Grimm were flooding the area, all trying to converge upon the boy; Beowolves, Ursai, Deathstalkers, and even King Taijutu.
Each was erased the second they neared him.
Those dark twisting wings of raw hate and malice were like sweet nectar to the Grimm, and yet they were responsible for their current annihilation. They needed only to meet for an instant before the creatures vanished, black bodies exploding and showering the ground in a black, unholy ichor.
Accelerator's howls rang throughout the air the entire time. The incomprehensible garbles shifted from a song of sorrow and loss, being replaced by an even wickeder symphony of rage and hysteria.
It was then that Emerald had finally begun to understand.
Whatever it was that he'd become, it was raw, untamed... directionless power. It lashed out indiscriminately, tearing apart the forest without protest or restriction. That lack of direction was the only thing saving her. A sudden chill ran down her spine at the realization.
If she'd shown herself as the girl's killer inside of the illusion instead of the Grimm, Emerald would already be dead.
"Cinder… Cinder needs… to know…" Emerald gasped, feet moving even faster than before. Her lungs were on fire but as long as Accelerator was kept distracted by Grimm she could still escape. "She always knows… what to do."
Cinder, being who she was, would obviously attempt to control or take advantage of this… this power that he possessed. However, despite her confidence in Cinder, Emerald couldn't find it in herself to believe it could be done, even by her mistress. If there was one thing that was certain though, it was that Emerald wished to never be within a single mile of him, ever again.
"Stop running so far ahead, you dolt!" Weiss shouted to her partner. With every step the trio took, the volume of cries, explosions, and roaring Grimm rose. "We still don't have any idea what could be over there or what we're up against!"
"For all we know, someone could be hurt, Weiss!" Ruby protested. "Every second we wait is one less second we have to save them!"
"But if we're not careful then we might be the ones in need of saving." Weiss glared towards the silver-eyed girl.
"That could be true, Friend Weiss," Penny interrupted. "But as huntresses, it is our solemn duty to assist the innocent. That's what they train us for, is it not?"
"Of course it is," the heiress huffed. "All I'm saying is that we need to be careful and stick together!"
"Then keep up!" Ruby stated before instantly bursting ahead, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake.
Penny dashed in pursuit, seemingly unaffected by the trek from earlier, abandoning Weiss. Weiss sighed at the sight, conjuring her glyphs to follow the girls from above. For her, it was easier to go in a straight line above the trees rather than attempt to navigate the wilderness; to weave between the forest's thickets while maintaining top speeds seemed next to impossible. How Ruby and Penny managed to do so was beyond her.
Moving in a much more direct path than her friends, Weiss sped towards the wailing sounds in hopes of meeting them there. The sight her eyes grasped stopped Weiss in her tracks.
Torn tree stumps were all that remained of the landscape, a giant crater replacing what would have otherwise been the lush greenery of the Emerald Forest. Black smoke billowed upwards from the countless Grimm corpses that littered the battlefield of destruction. However, it was none of those things that froze her.
No. Instead it was what was at the center of it all. Two large masses of pure darkness, taking the vague shape of wings. She shuddered as the power washed over her. Those wings were evil incarnate, worse than any Grimm that she could ever even begin to imagine. Fear was coursing through her veins, a deep chill seeping into her bones, corrupting her very being. She felt herself start to lose consciousness, being swallowed by the foul existence.
Then her eyes caught sight of the evil's source.
"No… It can't be…" Weiss whispered to herself, covering her mouth as tears started to form. She refused to accept this. She had to warn her friends. "Ruby! Stop! Don't take another step!"
It was too late.
Ruby slipped past the remaining trees before flying off to the crater's edge, weapon drawn. Silver eyes widened at the realization of what it contained, arms lowering slightly.
"Accelerator…?" She whispered, confusion ringing throughout her quivering voice. The boy turned, looking her dead in the eyes, and an almost tangible wave of anger and despair crashed against the girl. Ruby felt herself start to tremble slightly, instinctively raising her weapon once more.
Something was wrong. Accelerator had always had a mean, annoyed look to him, and she'd grown used to that. This time, he was different. Replacing the mild irritation that so normally rested upon the boy's face and blood-red eyes was a look of pure, unfettered hatred and fury. The only thing that Ruby could think of that was even remotely comparable to it was Yang's eyes when something especially horrible had happened to herself or her sister.
And yet, despite the vague similarities between the two, they were worlds apart. Not only was Accelerator's rage far greater than anything Yang had ever produced, but there was something more to it than that. Ruby saw a deep sense of sadness and loss hidden underneath all of his fury, as though he was on the verge of tears.
Ruby hated that she could feel herself trembling. She was a huntress, someone who dedicated her life to fighting monsters and evil, yet she couldn't even keep herself calm when faced against her friend. A friend who she could tell was experiencing an incredible amount of pain right in front of her.
"Did… Did you cause all of this?" She asked quietly, gesturing to their surroundings. She pointed at him. "Those wings… What are they?"
Accelerator's wailing had stopped at the question but the swirling masses of black continued to flicker and thrash about, ready to attack anything that got close to him. Ruby gulped in response, but she refused to take her eyes off the boy. Whatever had happened to him, whatever this power was that kept radiating off of him it felt wrong. Like it wasn't him standing there, but something far more sinister instead.
Not that Ruby could claim to know him very well. She liked to believe that he was a good guy though, just a bit rough around the edges. After all, he helped defend Vale from the breach too. A hero, just like everyone else. Ruby could never imagine him doing something to hurt someone who didn't deserve it.
Ruby never saw the attack coming.
"Watch out!"
In an instant, one of the black wings came rushing towards her. The only thing that separated herself from death was a familiar hand that shoved her to the side. With her enhanced strength, Penny shoved Ruby out of the way before bracing herself for impact. Ruby watched in horror, time seemingly coming to a halt as she watched her friend make contact with the swirling wing.
The screeching sound of metal tore through the air. Before Ruby knew it, Penny's left arm was almost completely gone. Sparks and oil leaked out of what remained from the freshly exposed stump of wires and metal.
Penny's eyes shot wide open. Her body was made from the strongest and greatest materials that Atlas' military could find. There were very few things that she was aware of that could damage her so easily. Normal mechashift weapons wouldn't even leave a scratch. If necessary, she could even take a direct hit from a Goliath. None of that even accounted for the fact her Aura was still completely full. Despite all of that, the black wing tore straight through her.
"PENNY!"
Ruby darted over to the android calling her name. She grabbed her synthetic friend and ran away from Accelerator. Unfortunately, due both to Penny's metal body and Ruby's overall lack of physical strength, they weren't able to get far before the ground beneath them exploded. Dust and rock washed over them as they tumbled backwards, Ruby holding onto Penny for dear life.
Where they had stood moments prior was gone, only a large fissure remained.
"Penny!" Ruby begged. "Speak to me! Please!"
"I'm okay, friend Ruby," Penny said in an attempt to comfort the frantic girl. "My left arm has suffered critical damage, so I will only be able to operate at 75% efficiency until it can be repaired. Unfortunately, the loss of my arm means that my combat ability has been cut in half. I recommend that we end things as quickly as possible."
"Don't worry about any of that Penny," Ruby whispered into Penny's ear, holding onto her even more tightly. "Let's just focus on getting you out of here."
"No, Ruby," Penny protested, trying to stand in spite of her injuries. "You and Weiss should go. I shall hold this person off, so please escape before it's too late."
"I know him, Penny. He's a friend!" Ruby told her. "I'm not sure what's going on but there's something wrong with him and I can't just abandon a friend like that."
"Ruby, that power emanating off of him is unnatural. It's too dangerous for you to stay," Penny refuted, pushing her friend off of her. "Please allow me to buy you time so that you may warn Beacon."
Ruby was about to give a snappy retort with her own comment on the matter when she noticed another wing smashing towards them.
"Look out!" She shouted, attempting to dodge yet again. The black swirl was too close for them to evade. There just wasn't enough time for her or Penny to move out of the way on their own.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared underneath the pair.
They found themselves sent flying yet again. This time though, it wasn't due to an explosion caused by the destruction of Remnant's surface but the efforts of their friend, Weiss. She'd used one of her Glyphs in combination with gravity dust to pull them out of harm's way just in the nick of time.
"Accelerator… What's happening to him? What's wrong with him?" Weiss asked, landing beside them. Then her eyes drifted towards the shredded remains of Penny's arm. Eyes widened at the sight. "Penny…? Your arm! It's—"
"I'm sorry that you had to see this, friend Weiss," The ginger apologized. "I suppose now that you've seen me like this, it probably doesn't matter if I tell you… The truth is, I'm not a real—"
Ruby swiftly interrupted her.
"She's still a living being Weiss. And our friend! What she's made of isn't what's important. It's what's inside that counts!" She realized the blunder her words, sheepishly correcting herself. "Uh… metaphorically speaking."
Weiss once again looked at the severed arm, thinking on her response before letting out a sigh.
"It doesn't matter right now," She decided, gesturing to the boy in the crater. "We clearly have more pressing matters at hand."
Weiss conjured some glyphs to interact with the blackness that came from Accelerator's back, only to watch them shatter like nothing. Her eyes narrowed and she began to mutter to herself.
"Those things on his back… What are they? How are vectors even related to something like that…?"
"How am I supposed to know!?" Ruby responded. Thankfully, Penny had a better response.
"According to my sensors, it appears to be a mass of raw energy. It does not, however, seem to originate from Dust or any other known element within the Atlas Military Database."
Ruby and Weiss stood, looked to each other, and nodded.
They needed to do something, even if neither knew what just yet… The swarms of Grimm that were flooding the area were only going after Accelerator so they had some time to plan. Of course, he easily obliterated any that got close to him but even mindless slaughters like that took time.
The way they only went after him only served to further fuel Ruby's theory that he was in some kind of deep emotional pain.
"We have to help him," She declared. "I'm not sure what, but something's wrong with him."
"What do you expect us to do against that?" Weiss retorted. "He's in some kind of… some kind of deranged frenzy!"
The second those words left her mouth, something Accelerator had once told her swam to the forefront of her mind.
"I'm a murderer. I killed over ten thousand people. I killed them for power. Nothing more, nothing less. The damn hero interfered before I finished. I have done terrible shit; more than I can atone for in a single lifetime."
Those wings and the darkness that overwhelmed everything reminded her of pain, sorrow, and hatred, all wrapped up and condensed into physical form. It was as though his feelings were so intense they literally leaked out of him and lashed out at everything in retaliation.
Maybe his powers are connected to his emotional state? Weiss pondered, trying to resist being swallowed by the feelings of fear in the air. It was okay to be afraid of something, but the brave persisted and surpassed such trivial feelings. If they are linked to his emotions, did he somehow lose control and kill people? Maybe someone related to Last Order?
The mental image that brought up didn't make her feel any better.
"I don't believe we are capable of containing or subduing him if he continues to utilize such power," Penny warned. Sparks continued to fly from her broken arm. "...and if I suffer from another attack of that scale, I won't be able to sustain my primary functions. It would be best if you two would retreat and get help. I will stay to buy you more time."
"No, Penny!" Ruby refused. "It's our job to protect people! We can't call ourselves Huntresses if we just abandon a friend in need like that!"
"I wholeheartedly agree," Weiss nodded. "We need to find out what happened here."
If there was ever a time to be glad for the mindlessness of the Grimm, it was now. They continued to serve as a proper distraction for Accelerator while they figured out their plan. He seemed to only focus on whatever got too close to him. At some point, he stopped howling out in pain and started to laugh instead. It was painful to hear, almost like he was choking on his own hate and malice.
When he finally stopped, he said something none of them understood.
"dhgsDESTROYhkus!"
Despite not knowing what he had said, the meaning behind his words sunk into their cores.
"That does not resemble any known language across all of Remnant," Penny stared at him for a moment. "Yet I could feel the meaning behind his words… What was that?"
"I'm not sure," Weiss admitted. "But Accelerator… He's incredibly powerful and intelligent, so it must mean something… or maybe those wings are more than just another power? Maybe they're affecting his brain somehow?"
"Can he... manifest emotions or something?" Ruby let out dumbly.
"To quote your own words, 'How am I supposed to know!?'" Weiss huffed in response.
"Then it's simple. I'm just going to sneak up on him, knock him out, and we'll save him that way!" Ruby answered, a smile of confidence on her face.
The look of shock that Penny and Weiss gave her quickly subdued it.
"Are you… INSANE?!" Her partner hissed.
"Indeed, friend Ruby. I have to say, your plan does not seem the most well thought out." Penny added. "The probability of you being able to accomplish your goal and make it out in one piece is—"
"But I'm the only one who can do it," Ruby sternly stated. "Whatever those black wings are… I don't think he's using his reflection at the same time."
"You don't know that!" Weiss retorted. "Just look at him! He's clearly not in his right mind. If his reflection is up, you'll die, and if it isn't up, you could get torn apart!"
"Do you have a better idea?" Ruby snapped back.
"Well, we can't just brute force him into stopping," Weiss muttered. "So that means our only option is trying to reason with him…"
"What? You just said he wasn't sane right now, Weiss. How are we supposed to reason with him!?" Petulance was written all over Ruby's face.
"Do you truly believe that he is capable of being reasoned with in his current state?" Penny asked skeptically.
"I don't know! But we have to at least try…" Weiss finished with a sigh. "Besides… If all else fails, we can give Ruby's idea a try."
Ruby grimly nodded at the thought. Penny reluctantly accepted that there were few other options that they were likely to pursue.
With no other suggestions coming forth, the trio walked closer towards Accelerator. Once they were at the cusp of the crater's edge, they stopped again for a moment.
"Are you certain you wish to do this?" Penny asked, giving Weiss one final chance to back down.
"Someone has to," Weiss sighed. "And have you ever heard Ruby make a speech? She'll get tongue tied after three words."
"HEY!" Ruby shouted with a false anger. She couldn't really get mad at Weiss. Not with the situation they were caught in… This was it. Weiss had to do it.
The white-haired girl gulped, and started to make her way towards Accelerator. He was attacking anything that tried to hurt him, she reasoned. That was why she kept her rapier on her hip and hands in the air. She felt her throat go dry and a cold sweat befall her once more, and the closer she got the worse she felt. At least the darkness and his black wings seemed to have shrunk.
"A-Accelerator…" She shouted, mentally cursing herself for stammering. "Are you alright...? It's me. You remember me right?"
His blood red eyes pierced her soul, but he didn't attack. Instead, he looked confused, as though he didn't recognize her and was trying to figure out who she was.
"It's me," She said again, voice trembling. "It's Weiss, remember…?"
Saying her name was a mistake.
At the sound of the word, Accelerator let out an animalistic roar so deep that Weiss felt it reverberate through her entire body.
"jsyadMISSINGshjgfi!"
A blast of wind came toward her, sending her flying backwards, an involuntary groan escaping her throat as Weiss slammed against the ground. The black wings on Accelerator's back suddenly came to life, exploding outwards, decimating trees, dirt, and everything else they came into contact with.
"What did I do!?" Weiss begged. "Tell me!"
All she received was another primal roar.
Weiss was about to give up her efforts until she saw his face. Red liquid that smelled like rust leaked from his eyes, almost as if it was tears.
"…You're really hurt, aren't you?" She realized, her voice drowned out by the screeching winds. She tried to get back on her feet and approach him yet again. "But how? Who?"
Another gust of wind was sent flying towards her, bringing rocks and dirt with it, which only furthered its lethalness. Weiss braced herself this time and covered her face with her arm, letting her Aura block the debris.
Suddenly, a flurry of rose petals came into view.
"Sorry about this!" Ruby apologized as she appeared behind Accelerator, scythe readied to deliver a blunted blow.
It was a testament to her youth and inexperience that she spoke during a surprise attack.
And she paid for it.
"AHHHH!" The fifteen-year-old screamed. Wind thrashed against her petite body, carrying her into one of the wild tornadoes. Ruby held onto her Crescent Rose for dear life as the winds brought her further and further up in the air. Then it changed directions.
The wind smashed Ruby's small body directly into the dirt. Her cries bellowed out, pain rushing through every part of her existence.
"Ruby!" Penny and Weiss yelled, rushing forward. But they couldn't get near her at all.
Both of them were thrown backwards from the pressure of the winds as Accelerator shrieked once more.
Ruby tried to stand up but her everything hurt. If it wasn't for Aura, there was no doubt that she would have broken something. Or multiple things. Possibly everything. The force alone was enough to destroy a normal human's spine, crippling them for life. She thanked whatever gods watched over her that she was both an Aura user and a Huntress.
Her eyes snapped opened to Accelerator raising a hand into the air. A black wing behind him seemed to darken and rise with the motion.
Silver eyes widened as Accelerator brought his arm down and the mass of darkness followed. She wouldn't survive a direct blow from that.
Suddenly her heart was beating faster than it ever had before and everything stopped.
The world moved like it was in slow motion as Ruby was forced to watch the darkness edge closer and closer towards her.
Her heart and mind were begging for someone, anyone to help her. For there to be a Hero who would save her, just like one of her storybooks.
Ruby closed her eyes. This was it.
This was how she would die.
Trying to help a friend.
Failing to help a friend.
In that moment, her heart felt like it was breaking
Ruby envisioned a white cloaked figure, standing beside her; remembered the familiar figure's tight embrace and the comfort it brought her when Ruby was smaller. It whispered something into her ear, and Ruby couldn't believe it.
Mom…?
She felt a warm liquid running down her face at the thought.
An explosion went off to her side, washing dirt and rock over her and vanishing the white silhouette in her mind.
Ruby opened her eyes.
There was someone standing in front of her, protecting her.
Saving her.
Even if she could only see their back, Ruby could never forget the image or who it was.
Touma Kamijou.
She stared at him, memorizing every inch of him in this moment. The spiky-haired savior held his right hand out to his side. The pitch black wings— which had brought ruin to the world around them, demolished Penny's arm, and caused the very wind itself to turn against them— had been pushed aside, partially dissolving on contact with Touma's mysterious right hand. Ruby's eyes then traveled up the rest of his form, and she saw the dark red arm guards she'd made just for him. He looked so powerful, standing between herself and Accelerator's twisted form.
"Get back," Touma told her, without turning around. "I don't know why he snapped, but I'll take care of it."
His voice was completely calm and unwavering as he stepped forward, while the wing of darkness faltered, retreating back toward its source.
Ruby's body didn't have the strength to run just yet, still recovering from the attack that just occurred. Instead, her eyes were glued to her savior's back. This wasn't the same person that she was friends with back at Beacon. He wasn't the same funny, awkward, easily embarrassed but occasionally smart-mouthed friend that she had grown to know. No. This was someone else. This was who that guy became the second his friends were in trouble or danger.
This was the Hero that Blake had seen.
One teen who, just by being there, made it feel like everything would be alright.
Ruby's entire body grew hot as she drank in the sight. Ignoring the pains flooding her body, she forced herself to sit up and watch him.
Her thoughts ran rampant at the sight of him but one thing was certain. It escaped her body, voice barely a whisper.
"So cool…!"
"Ozpin!" Glynda called out, storming into the headmaster's office. Her normal stern glare was replaced with a look of worry. "There are a number of reports of something happening within the Emerald Forest, and our sensors are detecting an incredibly high concentration of Grimm within the reported area. It would appear as though they are amassing for a large-scale invasion."
"Hmm…" Ozpin's eyes narrowed, hands interlocked with each other as he moved into deep thought. "...and where exactly are the Grimm gathering, Glynda?"
"They're there, sir." She informed him, projecting the location onto his holographic interface, displaying exact coordinates on a virtual map. His brows furrowed deeper. This many Grimm in one location was a problem. Few things were capable of gathering them into a single area like that, and Ozpin feared for the worst.
No. This isn't her. Too early, and far too messy.
"This must be something else. That number of Grimm is certainly big but it isn't quite large enough to pose a threat to the people of Vale yet, and I doubt that she of all people would make such an obvious play so soon. Besides..." Ozpin pulled up the camera feeds around campus that led to the area. There. "It would appear that Accelerator left towards the area in question earlier this afternoon."
"Accelerator?" Glynda raised an eyebrow. "Are you absolutely certain? What makes you think he could manage to draw in so many all by himself?"
"Being entirely honest with you, Glynda, I have no idea how he did it. Well… maybe just one..." Ozpin leaned back into his chair, watching the feed on the map. Countless Grimm were displayed, both arriving and vanishing. "Accelerator carries a massive burden on his shoulders. I won't pretend to know or understand what he's been through, but I've seen that look in his eyes before. Whatever emotions and secrets he keeps buried deep inside of himself are most likely the cause of all this."
"But this many?" Glynda was skeptical. She found it hard to believe that someone so young could possess such strong negativity. "He's even drawing them all the way from the mountains."
"It would appear that subtlety is not Accelerator's forte. If it makes you feel any better, I give you permission to have someone investigate." Ozpin sighed once, before gesturing to the map of Grimm, "Though I doubt there will be much left to see by the time someone gets there."
"I'll send Peter then," Glynda calmed herself, adjusting her appearance. "I trust his judgment. If, once he arrives, he determines that the situation is too dangerous to leave alone, I expect that you will be doing something about this."
"Of course, Glynda," Ozpin assured. "Why don't you put some Third and Fourth year teams on standby, just in case you're right?"
She nodded before heading to leave. Just as she got to the door, she stopped.
"You're giving those children quite a lot of freedom for being from another world, Ozpin. I hope you're not making a mistake."
"The world operates in mysterious ways," Their eyes met, Ozpin's presence revealing a feeling far more ancient than his body let on. "One can't always predict what will happen or the consequences that our actions might have. Sometimes you just have to sit back and watch as the younger generations take hold. Interfering may only cause greater problems in the end. Besides, do you truly believe that they would so easily accept being put under house arrest?"
Glynda didn't bother to respond before leaving the room with a huff. Once Ozpin was sure she was gone, he turned to his monitor once more. There were several others aside from Accelerator and the Grimm that were picked up by the sensors. If all went well, then there would be nothing for him or anyone else to worry about.
"Though I'm quite surprised that James has allowed Miss Polendina to accompany Miss Rose… He's been so awfully overprotective of her so far." He mused to himself.
Accelerator's eyes bulged, practically bursting from their sockets as he stared at the boy before him. The sight of the hero seemed to almost snap him back to his senses.
"YOU!" He roared, somehow finding the ability to talk once more. "You're supposed to be a fucking hero, aren't you!? Why weren't you there, you fucking FAKER?!"
Touma stayed silent, walking closer to the person he called a friend.
In his experience, even if Accelerator was able to speak, having a logical conversation would be next to impossible. Like this, Accelerator would only listen after having some sense knocked into him. It wasn't like Touma enjoyed fighting either, but Accelerator had gone too far. Ruby was almost killed because of Accelerator's rampage so, even if this wasn't Touma's fault, he felt obligated to put an end to the madness. The only thing that Touma could hope for would be to minimize the damages of the coming conflict.
His fingers involuntarily came to a fist.
"This is your fault! She's dead! Dead, all because you never show up when you're needed, you fucking bastard!"
Accelerator's roars brought Touma to a halt.
"What!?" He let out, mouth wide and eyes wider. "Who?"
The answer he got in return was yet another roar of rage and despair.
Whatever was left of Accelerator's sanity was gone.
"Damnit…" Touma whispered to himself.
The wings of darkness behind Accelerator exploded upwards, tornadoes tearing into the trees and ripping into the ground. Lightning rained down from the sky, dark clouds blanketing the entire area. Touma held his arms up to cover his face from the rock and dirt that was sent flying. A blade of condensed darkness came slicing towards him after that. Touma didn't even blink, simply reaching out with his right hand.
The sounds of shattering glass could be heard under the howling winds.
The blade-like end of the wing broke apart the second it made contact with Touma's palm. The rest of it reeled back at the blow, seemingly coming unraveled. Smoke came out of it, not dissimilar to that of the Grimm when they died. In mere seconds though, the wing of darkness regenerated itself. Touma might have negated a part of it, but its source was still Accelerator himself. Until Accelerator was defeated, they would keep coming.
"Woah!" Ruby gasped. Even with the torrents of wind pushing against him, Touma stood his ground. He… er... It looked amazing. Out of nowhere, a strong hand grabbed Ruby's shoulder and she jumped at the touch. Looking back, it was her friend. "Penny?"
"We need to move to safety, Ruby," Penny's eyes remained on the battle before them. "It's too dangerous to stay this close."
"But I want to h-…" Another attack from Accelerator cut her off.
The black wing twisted around itself, taking the form of a cyclone. Curving through the air, it was about to stab through the girls like a spear. Before it could make contact, Touma jumped in front of them to take the blow. Once again the shattering of glass was heard and the darkness started to split apart. This time, however, more negative energy poured into it, fueling its regeneration and forcing it to keep its shape. Unable to completely negate the attack, Touma was being pushed back.
A shockwave reverberated throughout the air from the clash, almost blowing Ruby back from the intensity.
"R- Right," Ruby stuttered, eyes looking towards the ground. "We're… just in the way, here."
Reluctantly accepting Penny's hand, the two retreated.
Accelerator began to laugh maniacally, black wings beginning to separate. The two became four, dust and wind picking up even further as the chaos grew. Black wings rose high into the air before bending erratically and striking downwards. Touma waited, studying their movement.
In the same moment the dark currents made contact with the earth, the ground it touched erupted like a volcano.
"Eeee!"
Ruby covered her head, Penny moving to shield her friend with her own metallic body. It did little to help. The rubble came like a tsunami, spreading in all directions. The two lost sight of Touma amidst the carnage. They could only hope that he would be okay as they were preoccupied with another wave of dirt crashing down upon them.
Suddenly a thick, towering wall of ice shot from the ground, separating them from the damage. They looked up to see that a white blur, yet again, had joined them.
"Get down," Weiss ordered the two, pushing Ruby to the ground.
There was another loud boom, followed by another wave of debris that collided with the icy barrier.
"I can't hold this for long." Weiss informed them. "What's happening over there?"
"I cannot locate that spiky haired boy," Penny reported, peeking past the now cracked ice.
"That was Touma," Ruby told her, worry written all over her blushing face. "I can't see anything through all this dust."
"Neither can I, Ruby. It would appear that the damage from earlier was more intense than I initially estimated."
Weiss looked to the female automaton before shaking her head.
"We are going to have a serious talk about why you didn't mention you're a robot, later. Do you hear me?"
Penny nodded her head.
"Good." Weiss looked past her ice wall, scanning the area as the dust started to settle slightly.
There Accelerator was, wings constantly shifting as they always had, chuckling to himself. Out of nowhere, those chuckles burst into a horrendous, earsplitting laughter. It was as though he'd just witnessed the funniest thing he'd ever seen. Then a small patch of rubble moved. His shrill laughter turned dead, eyes glaring at the area with laser focused intensity.
Rising from the ground similar to how the dead raised from their graves, a certain spiky haired boy crawled from the dirt. He met Accelerator's gaze directly in the eyes, before dusting off his shirt, looking entirely unimpressed by Accelerator's display.
"You done yet?"
Weiss gaped at Touma's bold words, while Penny looked at him in confusion. Ruby, on the other hand, squealed like a schoolgirl, eyes sparkling at the sight.
"Soooo awesome!" She whispered to herself, cheeks containing a hint of pink.
Accelerator was not pleased.
Another wing came striking down towards Touma. He started to dodge, arm up and right hand ready to shield himself, but was unable to fully protect his body from the variety of rubble from the blast. Small cuts and bruises made their way onto his body, all while he continuously stepped towards his left. Weiss pondered why for a moment before realizing his intentions.
It was Huntsman 101. Always protect the civilians. Touma was leading Accelerator away from them.
She wasn't sure if she should be offended or not, before another wave of rocks erupted from the battlefield and she decided that, right now, they practically were civilians to those two. Penny was injured, Ruby wasn't much better off, and Weiss couldn't even approach Accelerator. They were completely outclassed. Despite all their years of training, their Aura, and their weapons, they couldn't even help fight against the monster in front of them.
No!
Weiss rejected the comparison the second it came to mind. She felt sick at the thought. Accelerator was no monster, even if that was the only word that fit his current situation. Forcing herself to stay focused on the fight, she watched as Touma continued to block, dodge, and weave through a barrage of attacks from all directions. The way he moved wasn't graceful and delicate or wild and instinctive. Instead, it was pure precision and skill. It was as though Touma saw each and every attack happen long before they reached him, like he possessed some form of precognition or clairvoyance.
Accelerator's face broadcasted his emotions, as animalistic and primal as they were. Frustration continued to build as his attacks missed the target. Trees and rock continued to shatter at an ever increasing pace. The air's howling grew even louder, drowning out all other sounds. More and more dust picked up into the air with the increased winds, completely blocking Touma's vision. An insane, demonic laugh came from Accelerator's lips as he attacked the boy with black wings and collateral damages, certain that they would hit.
Things never work out as planned though.
Touma, knowing what would happen if he didn't move, charged at Accelerator through the clouds of dust. He was blasted from behind by the attack he'd only barely avoided, but he used it to further his pace instead. Bursting forth, jumping out from the veil of dust, Touma could be seen, right hand cocked back and ready to deliver a blow. Accelerator, despite his current mental state, could only gape in surprise by the feat.
"Wake up, you asshole!"
Fist met face, as Touma shouted.
The sheer force of the blow alone knocked Accelerator off his feet and into the air. Wings collapsed as he was sent flying, shriveling to nothing but a speck of their former glory. Then he finally touched the ground, motionless. There Accelerator laid in the dirt and destruction he caused, staring at the dark, cloudy sky.
Touma stretched out his right hand.
"You back to normal yet?"
Their eyes locked for a moment, nothing but the wind accompanying them. Then Accelerator answered.
"Shut the fuck up, you bastard!"
Not the response Touma was hoping for.
Once again the wings grew, their darkness towering behind the albino teen. Despite this, they were smaller than before, and less rage and sorrow permeated the air. Accelerator stood, fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.
"What would you know, you damn hack!" Fury seethed into every word.
Then to everyone's surprised, Accelerator swung his first towards the damned 'hero' before him.
"NO!" Ruby and Weiss shouted from afar, having known what would happen if Accelerator's fist met Touma's skin.
Touma stood there, taking the blow full force to his face, and all it did was jerk his head back. With Accelerator's power, Touma's head should have flown clean off from his neck. Instead, it was just a normal punch. Hardly even that due to how weak Accelerator's body was, especially in comparison to Touma, or any huntsman or huntress.
If Yang were here to witness the pitiful attempt, she probably would have burst into laughter.
The other girls could only gape.
Accelerator continued to deliver a series of these weak blows, shouting in a tone that betrayed how hurt he really was.
"She's dead! Dead because you weren't here to save her! Why weren't you here!? What am I supposed to do? I'm just a villain, a monster! I couldn't save someone if I tried, you bastard!"
Touma finally caught Accelerator's fist after half a dozen blows.
"Shut up, you idiot!" Accelerator reeled back, taking an unexpected punch to the gut as Touma yelled.
"If someone with a power like mine can save people, then someone with a power like yours can too!" Touma mercilessly declared as a small trickle of blood from his head ran down his face. "There's only one thing holding you back, you idiot! You! So stop telling yourself that you're just some villain, stop blaming others for your problems, and take responsibility for your actions!"
Accelerator reached forward and grabbed Touma by his shirt, standing to meet him in the eyes, a few inches from his face.
"It's so easy for you to say that when you're born a hero, you bastard!" He shouted, blood red eyes shedding bloody tears.
"You don't have any idea what you're talking about, idiot!" Accelerator trembled slightly again at Touma's words.
"Why didn't you save her!?" Accelerator was desperate, Touma could feel it.
"Who?" He questioned. "Who died?"
Accelerator looked confused for a moment, frowning slightly. His eyes stopped leaking blood, and his gaze was less cloudy than before. Perhaps he was finally coming back to his senses. He tightened his grip on Touma's shirt before speaking, his voice quivering ever so slightly in sadness.
"The brat… Just now, I saw her. Then… Then she… She died, right in front of me. A fucking Grimm, of all things, came and tore her head off, right in front of me...!"
"What? Last Order?" Touma was confused. He saw Last Order before leaving Beacon. Something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Softly, he spoke. "Accelerator… Last Order is fine. She's back at Beacon, waiting for you."
"Huh?" The hands that had a death grip on Touma's shirt finally let go.
"That's right, Accelerator. She's safe. We're all fine. No one's dead."
"We…?"
It was then that Accelerator became aware of the others, hiding behind an almost destroyed barrier of ice, just out of earshot. There they were; Ruby, some ginger he didn't recognize, and Weiss. In his previous state, he couldn't recognize anybody. Everyone was an enemy when he was like that. Everyone but Last Order. Now, he could see them clearly.
His snow white skin lost any color that it might have contained.
Their eyes… He thought. He could see it as clear as day, layered with the other emotions like concern and anxiety.
It was fear.
They were afraid.
Afraid of him.
Accelerator's gaze connected with Weiss'. Her eyes were wide, her body shaking. She was also afraid of him. Weiss, of all people, was afraid of him. Of course she would be. Before, she would have been able to spend her time thinking of some way past his already unbeatable reflection, but now… after everything that she'd just witnessed— the power, the destruction, and the madness. Everything that he could unleash upon his enemies once he stopped holding back— she would have to be insane to not be afraid…
It hurt.
Without her needing to say or do anything, she had just hurt him deeper than he thought possible.
Monster… There was no doubt in his mind that that was what she now thought of him as. A monster…
That thought hurt the most. Back in Academy City, he didn't care what he was called. All that mattered was Last Order. Neither she nor their guardians back home considered him to be a monster, and that was enough for him. Now though, seeing Weiss stare back at him with that look of fear in her eyes… it reminded him of all the pain he'd caused and experienced over the years. All the fear that he had personally experienced and inspired, from the kids he'd injured as a child and nearly a decade of isolation and experimentation since then, all the way up to the Level 6 Shift Project experiments.
It hurt.
Suddenly, a tsunami of negative emotions flooded the area yet again. Accelerator's wings exploded outwards, growing even larger and darker than before. They even looked more solid, like true wings made of the black mass of energy with wing spiraling around them.
Touma was blown back by a torrent of wind created by the wings, forcing him on the defensive.
Then Accelerator shouted something completely unintelligible to the group.
"fhsoLEAVEhszv!"
"Damn it!" Touma yelled, his words drowned out by the wind as he was unable to negate it. It, like the ground beneath him, was naturally formed. "What the hell!?"
A black wing sliced at him in return for the question.
Touma raised his hand, ready to negate the wing and charge forward to punch some more sense into his… friend? Acquaintance? Comrade? Well, something more than a stranger at least. It wasn't like Touma put much thought into those types of things. All that mattered was that someone needed help, and he was there to deliver.
Stopping Touma's charging efforts, the ground broke apart, a pillar of rock rising from below with Accelerator atop it. Touma's hand made contact with the pillar, causing it to shatter since it was no longer being held together by Accelerator's power, but Accelerator didn't fall with it. Instead, he remained floating in the air, air whirring around him. This was bad. There was no way Touma could reach a flying opponent by himself. He was just a normal high school boy, after all.
Touma scanned the landscape, looking for anything that he could use as a spring or a ladder to boost himself high enough to knock Accelerator down. There was nothing. The two were inside a crater with no signs of the previous landscape. Everything had been destroyed by Accelerator long before Touma had gotten there. Touma silently cursed his misfortune.
In that single moment of distraction, a bladed mass of darkness rained down from behind him. Touma turned and saw it, but it was too late for him to block or dodge.
"Oh, shi-…AHHHHHHH"
He started to swear, before he screamed. Right before he could be turned into a mess of blood and guts, he suddenly found himself high up in the air, above even Accelerator. He looked down and saw Weiss, weapon in hand and a white glyph placed where he'd been standing just a second prior. Silently nodding to each other, a second glyph appeared underneath the boy, acting as a platform for him to stand on. Though the two exchanged no words, their thoughts were in perfect sync as they shared a common goal.
Touma turned to face the albino teen as another wing came swinging towards him. Touma leaped off of the platform just in time. The glyph instantly shattered from the sheer force of the blow.
Ruby screamed as Touma started to fall. The strong winds compelled the girl to close her eyes, but she forced herself to keep them open. There was no way she was going to miss even a second of what was going on. She was going to watch and wait for the right moment because maybe, just maybe, her semblance's speed could be the deciding factor between life and death for her hero. Before Touma could go more than a few feet though, his right foot came forwards as though he was trying to step on something…
Another glyph appeared at the very same time, ready for him to land on.
Ruby couldn't believe it.
It was like Touma knew that Weiss' glyph would be there, ready for him. That didn't make any sense though. Not only could neither of them hear each other, but Touma and Weiss weren't even close!
Weiss spent all her time studying, playing with Last Order, and learning about Accelerator, for her to be so linked with Touma was impossible. So where was this sudden level of teamwork coming from?!
The glyph underneath Touma's feet glowed, launching him over another wing that sliced at him. He didn't even hesitate as he stepped onto another glyph without looking. All four of Accelerator's black wings were surrounding the spiky haired teen, stabbing at him from every direction. He simply blocked and dodged them all, leaping from glyph to glyph without missing a beat. It was beautiful, graceful, and precise, all while showing off the level of coordination between the two.
After all, it's not like Touma was actually seeing the glyphs before they appeared, or something. That would be absurd.
Ruby made a mental note to interrogate Weiss after this was over for clearly arranging secret training sessions with Touma behind her back.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!"
Meanwhile, Touma was cursing at his misfortune again as he tried to figure out a way to end the fight. Accelerator was still in the air but, now, so was he.
Touma continued to leap from glyph to glyph in an attempt to bide his time. His eyes studied Accelerator like a seasoned champion, looking for any sign of weakness amongst the erratic movements of the albino. The First Ranked Level Five twitched and snarled at him, like a rabid beast. The only signs of his humanity were hidden deep inside of his bloodshot eyes, covered by his primal state.
Touma knew that words were useless at this point. Now, it was do-or-die time. There were tons of factors that went into determining this fight, and Weiss' glyphs were one of them. Accelerator's attacks were patternless and erratic. A single wrong step or missed jump meant death, and Accelerator's ability that so easily shattered the glyphs intensified that.
Then there was Accelerator himself.
How was Touma supposed to know if Accelerator was tearing himself apart right now, thanks to all this power? Was there a limit that he would eventually reach, tiring him out? Even though this wasn't Touma's first run-in with this power, he had yet to understand it. Even if he did somehow successfully beat him, how were they going to get safely to the ground? He had no idea if he could catch Accelerator in time or if Weiss' glyphs could support two people like that.
The spiky haired teen did his best to come up with a plan as he bobbed and weaved past the albino's attacks. Dark wings cleaved through empty air where Touma once stood. Narrowing his eyes, he cleared his mind and let his own instinct take over.
Ruby, Weiss, and the rest were depending on him. Accelerator himself was depending on him, even if he would never admit to it. He couldn't save someone if he couldn't act first either.
Touma's mind finally clicked into place.
His left foot was the first to move, landing directly onto another glyph. Leaping forward, from one glyph to the next with an uncanny level of precision, he was dodging circles around Accelerator's tight defenses, and any moves he couldn't completely dodge he would bat away with his right hand. That was yet another thing for him to keep watch for. He could block attacks with his right hand but, if the blow was strong enough, it would knock him off the glyphs or even destroy them right underneath his feet.
Finally. After a solid minute of pure dodging and blocking, he found it.
There was a clear gap between two of the wings. One could just slash at him from below, but a well-timed jump would let him through and give him the opportunity to strike back. His legs were already moving before he thought the plan though, a line of glyphs already there, waiting for him to go.
This was it. Cocking his right hand back, ready to deliver the blow, he charged.
Just as expected, one of the wings attacked from underneath but as he'd planned, Touma jumped right past it. He was in perfect distance to reach Accelerator. There would be no time for the raging teen to dodge this one.
Touma was right. There was no time for Accelerator to dodge. Instead, he glared and let out a beastly roar. The torrents of black that he called wings started raging so hard that the air inside the area exploded outwards, lifting Touma with it and giving Accelerator time to fly backwards.
Touma caught himself on a glyph, only to be faced with another attack. The black wing came crashing down upon him, held up only by Touma's right hand as he blocked. He gritted his teeth, pushing back as hard as he could against the swirling mass of destruction. If he lost his strength for even a second, he risked becoming a fine red mist of blood. Suddenly, his foothold felt less solid than it was before.
The glyph beneath his feet had begun to crack.
There was no way he would win against the darkness attacking him. Cuts and bruises already were forming and worsening, and the glyph would only hold for so long. He had only one option. Touma jumped off of the glyph, leaving it to its fate.
As the glyph he left was shattered, he started to fall. He was already several feet lower before Weiss was able to summon another glyph to catch him. It hurt like hell, but it was far better than the alternative. Quickly, the glyph lowered itself to the ground.
Touma looked up. Accelerator was still floating up there, roaring in a bitter symphony of madness and despair. He then turned towards Weiss, who looked exhausted. Of course she would be drained. Making all of those glyphs, in such quick succession no less, was bound to take a toll on the girl.
As he stepped off of the platform and to the ground, he ran towards his friends. Ruby stared at him, awe and wonder painted all over her. As Touma let out a small groan of pain, that look quickly changed to one of concern.
"You're hurt…!" She shakily pointed at him.
He followed her gaze and found that his shirt was slowly being dyed red. He hadn't noticed it before thanks to all of the adrenaline pumping through his veins, but most of his body was covered in tons of small cuts and bruises. The only parts of his that weren't were those covered by the arm guards Ruby had made for him.
"This...? I'm fine, Ruby," Touma waved off. "I've been through worse, so don't worry about it."
He tried to grin at her to put her at ease, but his eyes met Weiss'. She could tell he was just putting on a brave face for Ruby, and give her own look of resignation. He was hurt, they both knew that. But they also both knew that Accelerator needed to be stopped and that Touma was the only one here capable of doing it. Touma let out a deep breath before turning back towards Accelerator.
"Send me back up."
Ruby looked at him, shaking slightly. Weiss simply nodded, a black glyph materializing beneath him. Before they knew it, he was propelled back up into the air and onto another glyph. As long as his right hand didn't touch the glyphs themselves, they worked just fine.
This might be their ace in the hole.
The winds began to roar once more as Accelerator looked down at him, snarl growing at the still alive Touma.
"jhkwdWHYeibfa?!"
Accelerator's pained gasps struck at Touma's sympathy, but Touma knew that he couldn't allow himself to be deterred. Not now.
Looking him dead in the eyes, Touma spoke.
"I asked you before, and I'll ask you again. Are you done yet?"
Yet again, Accelerator responded by attacking with his wings, which was quickly met by Touma's Imagine Breaker. Although the strike was filled with immense power, it lacked the same deliberate intentions that his others had, lessening its lethalness. It seemed that Touma's efforts were paying off. Accelerator's movements were jarring and jerking, but appeared… painful? Like he was restraining himself. Maybe the power was finally breaking down his body and the pain was getting to him.
Their eyes met once more.
The two boys stood across from one another, appearances diametrically opposed.
The strongest Level Five of Academy City, holding a power unlike any other. The weakest Level Zero, someone who's only strength was an endless desire to help others and his mysterious right hand.
One radiated what could only be called the epitome of darkness, practically singing a bittersweet symphony of rage and despair that stood in stark contrast to his innocently pale skin and white hair. The other was a passionate light in the dark, a wild yet protective song of bravery and heroism that was betrayed by his spiky black hair, darker black eyes, and almost delinquent appearance. The darkness spoke of a limitless power, lashing out at all who dared to oppose it. The light declared its intent to shatter such foolish illusions, desiring only to bring a sense of normality to an otherwise insane world.
Both were broken in a way. The first's mind was shattered into millions of pieces, held together only by a single small child. The other's mind held unparalleled focus and was razor sharp, yet, in the end, was hollow; shattered in a completely different manner.
But they both had something to fight for, no matter how twisted they might become in the end. Regardless of how far they would have to go to preserve what was most important to them, they would fight.
The clash of their very presences caused a sort of pressure in the air that made it hard to breathe. Even Penny, who had no need for things like oxygen, knew something was off between the two boys.
Making the first move, Touma ran straight at Accelerator, a path of glyphs appearing between them. Black wings roared through the air as one cleaved downwards, preparing to sever Touma in half. A normal person would have hesitated or attempted to move to the side to avoid certain death.
Anyone who knew Touma could tell you that he was anything but normal.
His right hand rose into the air as the swirl of black crashed down upon him. Instead of colliding against his palm or fist, fingers closed around the whirling mass of negative energy.
Ruby and Weiss' mouths practically fell wide open at the impossible feat.
Twisting his hand, the wing went with it. Instead of coming down onto the boy, the entire mass of dark energy was tossed to the side, unable to touch the glyphs. The force of the sudden change rippled throughout the wing, all the way to Accelerator himself. He started to sink slightly, the other wings going off in random directions. While he tried to correct himself, Touma took that time to close the gap between them.
The supposedly ordinary high school boy leaped into the air, the world seeming to move in slow motion once again as he fell through the air, his fist drawn back.
"You know the drill!" Touma warned a moment before the impact.
Ultimately, the fight came down to who wanted to win more.
Accelerator didn't care about victory. He was a broken shell of his former self. That was nothing in comparison to someone who bore the weight of another begging for their help. Accelerator had lost before the fight even began. His rage may have been overflowing, but that one little tingle at the back of his scattered mind told him something different. As his darkness was erased by the light of a certain right hand, there was one thing that pushed him back over the edge between the two.
She's okay.
Amidst the mental chaos, those two words sounded out like a mantra, one that he clung to with all of his might. Even as he felt the harsh strike of Imagine Breaker slamming hard against his face, he held onto those words for dear life as light flooded his vision again. He repeated it to himself over and over again, whispering it one final time as he's senses returned to him.
"...she's… okay…"
The agony and confusion in Accelerator speech were gone, and though it was naught more than a whisper, Touma heard him loud and clear.
"Yeah, she is, and she's safe and sound, waiting for you," Touma replied as the two began to fall.
A glyph appeared to catch them right before they hit the floor, keeping them suspended just long enough to lower them to safety before Touma's right hand broke the glyph. The two boys landed on the dirt below with a dull thud.
Accelerator's body looked just as bad as he felt, clearly displaying his condition for all to see. Both were tired, heaving and shaking from the pain. Nevertheless, the two monsters of Academy City remained conscious.
"Why the hell… couldn't you just leave it alone… fucking hero," Accelerator spat.
"Because someone wanted to save you, and that's a good enough reason for me to get involved."
Accelerator was confused, completely unsure of what he meant, but his internal questions were quickly answered without another word from his… friend? Their relationship was kind of weird, not that Accelerator considered them close. The answer came forward in the form of a certain pale, blue and white dressed girl.
"Are you both okay?!" Weiss called out. "What… what was all this?"
"You were amazing!" Ruby said, jumping forward and tightly latching onto Touma before anyone could answer. "You were all like 'Pew! Bam! Pow!' and then you just knocked away the dark stuff and saved him!"
"Ahhh, Ruby…!" Touma cried, as she squeezed on his injury riddle body.
"Soooorrryyy!" She yelled when she realized what she did, small blood stains now on her clothes from the hug.
"Tch."
Accelerator clicked his tongue as he saw Ruby scramble back from hugging Touma. In the past, he would have laughed at the damn hero getting hurt like that but now he felt another type of emotion, different from his typical amusement. Something churned deep inside his stomach seeing that girl approach the boy without fear. No one would do something like that to him. They would just flee the moment they saw him lose control like that.
Why did he lose control anyways?
The brat got hurt… didn't she? But if it wasn't her then what happened?
"Are you okay?"
The sudden question nearly made him jump, the fiery pain flowing through his entire body keeping him from such quick movements. His eyes spun wildly and saw Ruby crouched down next to him. Her eyes told him everything, and it wasn't pity like he had come to expect. It was genuine concern for a friend.
Accelerator was at a loss for words.
No one other than Last Order and their guardians would do something like that.
Meanwhile, Weiss stood hesitating behind them, unsure of what to do next. She wasn't the best with things like emotions or being kind. It just wasn't how she was raised. Ruby may be socially awkward, but if someone was hurt or needed comforting, she would be there. All the heiress could do was stand back and let whatever happened sort itself out. She had so many questions that she desperately wanted to know the answers to, but this just wasn't the right time.
"I am glad everything seems to have worked out okay, and that no one was seriously hurt," Penny said, filling the awkward silence.
"No one seriously hurt!?" Weiss asked incredulously. "You lost an ARM, you dolt!"
"As the world's first synthetic being, I can get a replacement," Penny beamed brightly, though there was something hidden in her gaze at those words. "It is far better for me to lose a limb than for any of you to lose one."
"So you're really a robot...?" Weiss asked awkwardly.
"Indeed, Friend Weiss. Though the proper term for myself would be a Gynoid, as I take the appearance and identity of a human female. Oh, but please promise to keep my status a secret! I really don't think that General Ironwood will be pleased if he finds out..."
"No… I don't think he would." Weiss looked sheepishly towards the ground at the mention of the General, remembering her sister. Winter was going to be so mad at her later for this. There was no way she wouldn't be.
Weiss took a deep breath and cast aside those thoughts as she gazed towards Accelerator, whose attention was stuck on Ruby as she bombarded him with questions. Touma was lying down on the ground, heaving his lungs out. Ignoring his current unsightly appearance, they had worked well together. Really well actually. They hadn't interacted much and yet it was like he could tell where she would place her glyphs. Naturally, she tried to predict where Touma was trying to move and accommodate for it but most of the work felt like it was done by him. Still, things worked out too well.
How was he able to do that?
"Hello!" A loud, boisterous call cut through her thoughts. "Are there any lost lads or lassies out here? Anyone in need of saving from a Professional Huntsman such as myself?"
Everyone turned to see the stout figure of the white hair, mustache wearing Peter Port, his Blunderbuss in hand. He too saw them, and laughed.
"Excellent!" Peter continued. "You're all okay I take it, though a little beat up it seems? Would any of you mind if I inquire as to what happened here?"
"Grimm!" Weiss lied immediately, everyone else frozen at the sight of Port. "There were hordes of them, and we might have happened to go a bit overboard in response, Sir! I hope that we aren't in trouble, Professor!"
In a way, it wasn't completely a lie either. There had been hordes of Grimm, and someone had gone overboard killing them. Of course, no one would have said that both were caused by Accelerator or speak about his previous state.
"Perish the thought, Miss Schnee!" Peter laughed. "Why, I remember one time when I was younger I had got carried away and we left an entire airfield on fire and covered in feathers…"
It was then that Accelerator tuned out all sound with his ability. That was a mistake on his part.
Instantly Accelerator's head felt like someone shoved a metal rod directly into his brain. He tried to fight it off but his vision went blurry and everything turned dark. The last thing he saw was Weiss screaming and as everyone reached towards him, trying to catch him before he fell.
God fucking damn it!
He was in hell.
There was no other way to explain it.
Why else would he be stuck in this damned hospital wing, forced to endure the unholy terrors of that demon in disguise some called a doctor. His head was throbbing in pain, and using his ability for even the most mundane things caused it to worsen. Even though he wasn't really injured, that stupid quack doctor Tsune wanted to keep him in for the night, telling him that she needed to examine him and make sure he got his rest.
Then she shoved some fucking needles into his arm and some lethal looking equipment into his ear.
Even worse, that damn hero was laying in the bed next to his.
His arm guards somehow managed to tank most of the damage for him, so Touma got off a bit easier. The quack still forced some foul smelling liquid onto his wounds, causing him to clench his fists in pain, before wrapping them up tightly and poking them to see how he reacted. Obviously she was some kind of sadist, disguising her proclivities by acting like she cared about if he was hurt and that he still had feelings in his wounds.
Weiss and Ruby tried to stay by their sides and talk to the two boys but Tsune had forced them to leave. She never let people stay near whenever she was 'treating' someone. She was just trying to keep the sweet sounds of their painful cries all to herself. Of course, Tsune continued to deny such claims and used the defense of 'privacy' but Accelerator knew better. He was Academy City's number one for a reason, after all.
"You really don't remember anything?" Touma had asked Accelerator during one of their brief exchanges. Tsune was gone for the moment, so he continued his earlier questioning.
"No," Accelerator spat. "One moment I'm watching the brat die… Next, I was surrounded by all of you."
"You're not the type of person to daydream or hallucinate like that…" Touma muttered. "Do you think it was someone else's doing? A semblance, maybe?"
"If it was, they obviously weren't trying to kill me. If they were, they would have died and been in the rubble."
"We didn't see anyone there either…" Touma thought aloud, shoving the thought back down into his head. "Did you see Weiss' face earlier? She seemed pretty happy that you were okay."
"Shut up."
"Just saying," Touma added, a stupid grin on his face.
"Say it again and I'll kill you."
Touma just shrugged and scratched at his bandages. Neither of the two were allowed to leave without Tsune's official permission, leaving them with only their thoughts and themselves to keep each other company. He still wondered who, or what, might have set Accelerator off like that. Maybe someone was just trying out a bad prank on him or something. Ever since Accelerator beat Pyrrha in that sparring match people were bound to want and try to prove themselves against him. Interrupting his thoughts, he heard Tsune's voice down the hall.
"I must insist that you come back later! They need to rest."
The anxiety in her voice caused the two boys to sit up immediately. Then the door slammed open. Walking in first was the General, James Ironwood himself, followed by Headmaster Ozpin, then Weiss and Ruby. Tsune wasn't far behind the group.
"We need to talk," James declared. His voice carried a tone of finality and certainty that showed the leader inside of him. There was no jovial undertone in his words. "It's incredibly important, so I hope you'll forgive the urgency of us being here."
"What's wrong?" Touma questioned, confusion ringing true to his voice. His eyes turned to Ruby and Weiss, both looking guiltily at the floor. Ironwood's response was something Touma never expected.
"It's about Penny."
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
Editor's Note (BenFang322): Another chapter, successfully completed. Hopefully Dark and I did a decent job. If not, blame Ferret or something, even if he's not here anymore. Just kidding. Anyways, should I write Omakes for this? Grabs Dark and asks: Would the readers want Omakes again? I guess I'll read the reviews after this chapter goes up.
Darkbetrayer: Eh, maybe. I have a couple ideas I could use. Maybe if a chapter ends up short and we need it to be a little longer
