Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of A Lingering Ember. Enjoy the 1200-word chapter. I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum, and Rooster Teeth do.
(Mistral.)
Desmond swept the rifle out of the man's hands before throwing him to the ground. He turned and deflected a shot from one of the spiders.
"Don't you have lives?" Desmond asked as he flipped Melodic Cudgel before firing the handle. "You ok over there, sweet tooth?" Desmond questioned before he hummed.
The spider was pulled towards him, using their fresh hand to pull a knife from his back.
Desmond flipped his cane around and smacked the man backward. The man slammed to the ground as Desmond sighed.
He turned to see Neo roundhouse kick a woman to the ground as another tried to stab her. Neo parried the knife to the side and caught it in her other hand.
Desmond smirked and nodded at the spiders. They were the far more dangerous ones at the moment. He could easily smack down the rest of this ambush.
One of the thugs brought up her pistol only to be hit by a blast from Melodic Cudgel. Neo turned to see the woman laid out.
"Touch her, and I'll hurt you all over," Desmond said as one of the spiders tackled him. He rolled along the ground as he sighed.
Desmond went to bring up his cane only to realize it had been knocked from his hands. He mentally sighed as he tried to find something to knock his assailant free.
Desmond watched the spider bring up their dagger towards his face. Desmond brought up his arm and blocked their wrist from jamming it into his face.
"Seriously?" Desmond asked as he looked at Neo before humming.
He swung a punch at the spider as he wondered how to reclaim his weapon. Desmond watched Neo flip off the back of one of the thugs, tossing him into his allies. Desmond felt the spider pinning him press more strength into the dagger.
"Back the hell off…" Desmond said before Neo rushed him and his combatant as the knife neared his face.
Neo wrapped her legs around the man's neck and pulled back. Desmond used the distraction to roll towards Melodic Cudgel. He turned and fired the cane towards the spider as Neo leaped free of the criminal. Desmond shook his head before another of the spiders rushed him.
Desmond brought up his cane to fight the woman when Neo vaulted off his shoulders. She dropkicked the woman while Desmond shook his head.
He turned and paused to meet one of the thugs who hefted a massive club. Desmond blinked as the man rushed towards him.
This was becoming an interesting fight, but it was clear that Neo could easily handle herself. That only left him clutching at the straws at the moment.
(With Neo)
Neo deflected a sword sliced at her before cartwheeling away as the thug growled. She turned to see the hulking thug throw Desmond across the ground with his club. His aura flashed orange as he roared in pain and rushed the thug and his gang while casting a gaze at Neo.
"Where the hell is our pickup!?" Desmond asked while sidestepping the hulking brute. "They have about 2 minutes," Desmond stated before parrying a sword hit towards his head.
He batted one of the thugs across the face, making him spit and collapse to the ground. The hulking brute hefted his club to crush Desmond. Desmond flipped his cane and fired the grappling hook into the tree line.
There were plenty of thugs, and Desmond knew for a fact that the spiders were trying to catch them. They were holding back, but just barely.
'The longer this goes on? The more they're going to lock us in. We need to get out of here. Neo can handle herself, but me? I'm not on the top of my game yet.' Desmond said as he pulled out his scroll.
The remaining spiders opened fire, forcing Desmond to duck to the side. He cursed at the thugs and spiders. This was becoming far more dangerous than he thought.
"Get here… NOW," Desmond stated over the message as he considered retreating.
He gazed back at Neo who flicked one of the thug's blades away and slammed her umbrella into them. She turned and hooked the wrist of another thug and pulled them to the ground.
Desmond was about to leap down and engage the thugs once more. Then he heard the engines of a Bullhead. The craft opened fire with its machine gun.
Neo flicked open Hush as the bullets rained down on the crowd, several bounced off Hush as she hummed. Neo turned to look at Desmond as he nodded at the craft.
"Boss, get on!" Desmond heard from the pilot as he turned to Neo and sighed.
"Neo, c'mon!" Desmond shouted and rushed towards the VTOL. "We're leaving!" Desmond said and growled as one of the thugs grabbed at Neo.
He turned and fired as the hulking man reached towards Neo, he grabbed at her as Neo cartwheeled towards the craft. One of the thugs knocked her legs out from under her. The thug gripped her in his arms.
"NEO!" Desmond yelled before raising Melodic Cudgel. "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" Desmond bellowed as he fired again and again.
Neo continued to try and wiggle out of their grasp as the remaining criminals fired at him. Desmond was forced away from the group.
Neo's multicolored eyes gazed at Desmond as he looked at her. His eyes narrowed and growled with annoyance. He turned to look at the Bullhead and wanted to order them to fire. He wanted to hit them as hard as possible, knocking them around.
Desmond aimed his gun at the head of the brute that held Neo. He'd hit her if he shot them. He turned towards the Bullhead and pointed his cane towards the bullhead.
"I'm coming back for her…" Desmond hissed as he fired the grappling hook into the craft. "And if you hurt her? I'll make you wish you were a bad memory." Desmond hissed before vanishing into the craft as the spiders opened fire.
Desmond gazed into Neo's hurt eyes. He softened his gaze once more. She'd blame him, he'd blame himself if he was here.
Desmond turned to the pilot and motioned to leave. He lowered his head and slumped in his seat.
"This isn't over…." Desmond said as he thought about his next move.
There was only one move, he was getting Neo back. They'd use her as a bargaining chip.
There would be no bargains. He allowed Neo to confide in him, the spiders probably expected him to sacrifice her for him.
That wasn't on the table, none of it was on the table.
Author Note
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out I'm not trying to nerf Neo. I'm not trying to make Desmond some crime lord. I am going to finish up the Mistral arc soon and move on to the Atlas one. The next chapter will be in 2-9 months or such and will show Desmond planning to save Neo and more of their bond and such. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!
P.S: Neo is 1500 words Tuesday. Penny 1200 Tuesday. Raven 1200 Saturday. Ruby 1200 Monday. Yang 1500 Sunday. Cinder 2000 words Friday.
