Chapter 16
(AN: I've been feeling pretty tired, sorry for the short chapter.)
The eight of us scattered as the torrent of Dust rounds, explosive and piercing, tore up the concrete around us. Reese took to the air, while Yang and I dodged the explosion of dirt and fire from one of the Paladin's cannons. Ruby bounced off one of the highway pillars and landed a slash on the Paladin's arm, unfortunately the large plate of hull that protected the guns and joints.
Blake, Neptune, and Sun were dashing around the mech faster than its servos could act to match them, firing with their weapons. Weiss was busy forming glyphs to trap the mech wherever it stepped in efforts to slow it down whenever she could. Explosions and gunfire ripped up the ground around us - the Paladin turning every few seconds just to try and snag one of its targets - but with no success.
Yang dashed forward and attempted to get close to the Paladin, either on its back or on top of it, while I grabbed onto one of the Paladin's legs with my Dust in order to trip it. As Yang landed, she was intercepted by a hastily launched rocket from the back of the machine, sending her flying. I was forced to let go as well as one of its Dust cannons blasted me back, taking a bite out of my aura.
Despite being outnumbered, Roman and his machine were clearly able to keep up with eight students swarming it with various kinds of weapons. Reese successfully landed on the Paladin's back however, and immediately unloaded her pistols into its missile launchers. One of them exploded, and the mech spun around immediately, shaking her off violently. As Sun grabbed the skater girl, Blake swung up with Gambol Shroud and slashed at its joints, before leaping back and allowing Ruby to do the same.
The joints were well armored, but it forced Roman to back away and let Neptune get in close, slashing with his halberd and Ruby rebounding instantly to do the same. Again the Paladin stumbled back and dodged Ruby's heavy strike all while redirecting Neptune's precision strike to armor rather than any vital joints or spaces.
"This guy's deflecting or dodging faster than we can target it!" Ruby cried. "The armor's too thick for what we have now!"
"My glyphs aren't strong enough to hold it down!" Weiss said. One of her knees was bent, showing she was slowly running out of energy. I guess constantly summoning glyph after glyph puts more strain than switching to various attacks.
"We need to get some space! Can we blind it?" I called out over the loud noises. A missile flew towards me, and I immediately leapt back and avoided the blast - mere seconds as it blasted into the ground in front of me. "I have an idea!"
Quickly, I waved my hands frantically to the others. Reese ran over as Sun, Blake, Neptune, and Yang continued to harass the giant robot. "What's the plan?!" Reese yelled.
"Weiss, we need lots of fire! How much fire Dust do you have?!" I yelled.
"A full vial, I haven't used it yet!" Weiss said.
"Good! Reese, you and Weiss fly around the robot! Stick ice on your board and Weiss lights it up to make smokescreens, well...steam screens to blind Torchwick! Ruby, get Yang and Blake over here now!" I said. Ruby left to do so as Neptune was flung back into a pillar.
"Neptune!" Sun cried before dodging becoming a stain between the ground and the Paladin's foot. Blake immediately jumped up and hurled Gambol Shroud at the Paladin's arm, slicing off a few of its many machine guns before receiving a blast to the chest.
Aura crackling, she tumbled back a few meters as the Paladin stormed forward, ready to finish her off. Before it could do so, Yang came in and shattered the main Dust cannon on the right arm, forcing it to stumble and depriving it of one of its heavy weapons.
Despite that, Roman rebounded immediately with a swing from the left arm, sending Yang flying as the back of its right arm folded over to the front, replacing the damaged cannon with an enclosed metal fist. Turning, the robot's cameras could barely see the red blur that swept Blake away. Just as it appeared, a green and white blur dashed by with a massive thick screen of billowing steam following.
I could practically feel the rage in Torchwick inside the robot as he started blind firing into the steam in an attempt to disperse it. As Reese and Weiss continued to fly around, I regrouped Sun, Ruby, Yang, Blake, and an injured Neptune.
"Sun, you and Neptune sit this one out," I ordered. "Blake and Ruby, precision attacks!"
"Arms and legs, got it!" Ruby said. "Ladybug!"
As Blake and Ruby dashed off to deal with their task, I looked to a reluctant Sun and Neptune. "We'll be fine and you've done enough, find somewhere safe and deal with the injury!" I said, and Sun nodded before he helped Neptune limp away from the fight.
"What about us?" Yang asked. "You got a plan?"
I grinned before activating my semblance. More specifically, Yang's semblance. As she watched my eyes turn red, her confused expression morphed into a sadistic grin. Her eyes changed color as well, and we ran straight for the Paladin, eyes red and bodies burning.
Torchwick was preoccupied with Weiss and Reese blocking his vision while Ruby and Blake chipped away at the defenses of the massive machine, shearing bits of metal off, carving out gun barrels, and hitting away at any electrical systems that were exposed.
As Yang and I ran together at the source of all the gunfire and flashes through the steam, the Paladin shook off Blake and Ruby. Despite their timing and precision strikes, Torchwick was adapting to them. After kicking Ruby away, he scored a direct hit on Blake with the Dust cannon.
Weiss and Reese split up as Blake landed in an unconscious heap on the ground, Weiss rushing over to help Blake while Reese circled Roman on her hoverboard, grabbing his attention to buy Weiss time to help her teammate.
We were close now, the back of the Atlesian Paladin facing us as Reese flew around, up and down dodging cannon fire left and right. "Reese, move!" I yelled, and Reese immediately dashed away, either by instinct or by incredible reaction time.
I dashed forward, landing a fiery punch on the Paladin's leg. The armor and workings of the leg exploded into fragments and the machine tumbled over on its side unceremoniously. The second it slammed into the concrete, I landed and crashed into one of the highway pillars, the last of my aura shattering under impact.
The Paladin was already heavily damaged, leaving it under the mercy of the unhinged force of Yang's incoming attack. As powerful as Yang's semblance is, it's nothing compared to Yang's own raw strength and fury supplementing that power. She slammed her fist into the mech and completely disintegrated most of it upon impact, leaving a few larger parts and Roman tumbling out violently.
Panting, I collapsed as the last of my aura dissipated, too worn out to move. Yang and Reese turned to see Roman getting up, dusting off his coat. No doubt he was likely saying something along the lines of "Just got this thing cleaned!".
I didn't stay awake to find out what else happened, my aura and energy had been too sapped from that attack. Maybe I put too much into that punch? As I passed out, the sound of glass shattering filled the air.
...
...
...
"It's you."
I stood alone in a white void. A familiar white void. A tall purple featureless figure stood before me. He had curved dragon horns on his head, and like the light counterpart I spoke to some time ago, he stood with a regal appearance, somewhat how I recognized him in the series.
"Yes...it is," the God of Darkness said. "I know of the dimension you come from, boy. And I know of your intentions here." Despite knowing, he didn't seem to be sounding pleased or neutral like his brother - instead, he sounds rather peeved.
"Uhh, I would hope you do. You and your brother want me to stop Salem and prevent how things happened before," I said. "Right?"
"Correct, However, I do notice something else," the God of Darkness said. He crossed his arms and stepped forward, really showing me just how tall he was. "Yang Xiao Long. You have pursued a relationship, despite it not being your objective."
"I...I know," I said. "But I really do like her. And what we have is good," I said. "I haven't allowed it to distract me from others. Ozpin and Ironwood knows, and-"
"You suggested for them to stand aside," the God of Darkness said. "You suggested to allow the breach of the city. Do you have any reason as to why?"
"I-" I stopped. I had a reason, but it wasn't a very good one. Nor was it something I put any real thought into. "If I stopped the breach, then Salem and Cinder would know Ozpin and Ironwood are onto them. And they'll come up with a new plan, one I won't be able to know about."
"So you changed nothing important for the sake of...making your job easier," the God of Darkness said. I knew he was a bit more temperamental, but he just sounded disappointed, like I did something terrible.
"I'm not...I have a plan. I know how to stop the CCT virus infection," I said. "And I can keep Roman from getting on Ironwood's ship."
"And I suppose this plan of yours incurs no risks at all?" the God of Darkness asked. "No possible chances of death with no opportunities for the enemy to cause even more damage? Or were you only focusing on the 'important' parts of the attack?"
I froze before sighing. "I wanna stop them at Beacon. Kill Cinder and her lackeys as well as secure her power to stop Salem's next string of plans. I'm already working with Ironwood to bulk up Atlas, and I know exactly who to look out for. Mistral...is going to be difficult."
"Ah, yes. The traitor," the God of Darkness remarked.
"I can stop them. More importantly, I can reach out to Raven about the maiden power...I hope, at least. It's still early in the volume, I can-" I said.
"Volume," the God of Darkness said, cutting me off at once. "There's your problem. You don't see your friends as people. You still see them as part of a fictional television show. Fictional, as in...not real."
I had nothing to say to that. The God of Darkness simply uncrossed his arms. "You are not thinking about this in the short term. You plan for the future, for distant events, but you do not think about how acting or not acting on the small events will affect you and your friends over time."
"I...if you have anything to say, just say it, dammit," I mumbled.
"I shall not," the God of Darkness said briefly. "As my brother said, it is up to you."
"You're the ones who tossed this on my shoulders," I mumbled, before sighing. "But...I know what you mean."
The God of Darkness simply nodded, before snapping his fingers. As I began to fall, I had one fleeting thought before waking up. "He's cryptic as hell..."
"Yo," Yang said. I opened my eyes to see I was no longer under the highways surrounded by damage, rather in a restaurant open late. Sitting up, I realized I was in a booth, a large booth for ten people. RWBY, Sun, Neptune, and Reese were eating when I woke up.
"You're OK?" Sun said. "Awesome dude, here!" He shoved a plate full of food in my hands. Specifically, loaded fries with a whole steak on top of it. I recognized it as food from the restaurant Yang and I ate lunch for our first date.
Yang smiled as I rubbed my head while taking the offered plate from Sun. "Thanks..." I said quietly, before looking over to my girlfriend next to me. "What happened earlier?"
"Some midget snagged Roman and left," Reese said, face smeared in barbecue sauce and ranch as she tossed aside a wing bone. Her plate was one of those 24 wing meals with fries. "We bailed before the cops got here. Had to haul your ass on my board like a stretcher."
"I-I'm sorry, my semblance takes a lot out of me-" I said before Yang patted me on the shoulder.
"I'm just glad you're OK. And Weiss cream here offered to pay for all of this," Yang said with a shit eating grin. I turned and snorted upon seeing Weiss freeze with half a spicy chicken breast in her mouth.
"First time eating what the peasants eat?" I asked jokingly, earning a chuckle from Sun, Neptune, and Yang. I noticed Weiss's food was more or less a four piece sauced chicken meal with fries and a salad.
"Hey!" Weiss said, before wiping down her mouth with a napkin with about as much professionalism as a noble from the 17th Century. "I'll have you know that I can very well enjoy the little things in life as much as you do. I just don't like to prioritize enjoyment over training."
"But the food here is good, right?" Ruby said, setting down her own order, a big brisket sndwich loaded with coleslaw and at least a full pint of spicy barbecue sauce, with a side of onion rings.
"It is," Weiss said before going back to eating. Blake simply laughed softly as she ate her own food. Fish and chips: absolutely unsurprising to anyone. Sun and Neptune got a double burger and fries meal each.
I looked to Yang, who got the "Mega Meats Meal" for some insane reason. She was eating 2 chicken breasts, two chicken legs, an 18 inch steak - probably at medium rare - a whole rack of saucy ribs, and half a pound of fries covered in coleslaw, shredded brisket, ranch, and barbecue sauce.
"You know, I never really remembered why we eat so much," I said, scratching my head.
"You didn't learn this in combat school-" Weiss began before Ruby whispered in her ear, no doubt reminding her how I didn't go to combat school. "Aura and our bodies works simultaneously. Aura isn't just our soul, it's our life force as a whole. Which means we need lots of energy to efficiently use it."
"And...food provides all that energy," I said, realization hitting me. As obvious as that fact was, I felt stupid now.
"Correct. The more we eat, the faster our aura can recharge, and the more we can work off and retain our high metabolism. This is why skipping out on meals is a very very bad idea," Weiss said sternly before she went back to her meal, Ruby munching on her over the top sandwich nearby.
"Don't worry Weiss cream, we're all big foodies here," Yang said, shoving a chicken breast and one of Ruby's onion rings on my plate. Ruby didn't seem to mind, since her meal came with about 20 of them.
Sighing, I started eating, and the eight of us all chatted happily, enjoying one big family meal together. Even Blake seemed to loosen up. With all the fun we were having, my thoughts were preoccupied.
"Hey...Weiss?" I said after finishing most of my plate. "Do you mind if I order something else?"
"Of course not. Why?" Weiss asked.
"Liya..." I said. "I wanna bring something back for her. She's been having a rough time and she's alone back at the dorm while we're al lhaving fun...I promise I'll pay you back and-"
Weiss's stern expression fell in sympathy, no doubt also worried for my partner. "Don't worry, I'll have something made to bring back to her. And there's no need to compensate me for this meal, any of you. We'll all talk to her tomorrow to let her know she isn't alone. We're all here to help," she said before looking to Sun, Neptune, and Reese. "Well, most of us."
"Yeah, we don't really know her. But good luck to her," Reese said, waving two fingers in a sort of salute, Sun and Neptune awkwardly doing the same. Nonetheless, I appreciated it a lot.
Despite the topic at the table turning rather depressing, Ruby shot up in her seat. "Yeah! We're all family here, and we look out for each other!" she said. "No worries!"
"Yep!" Yang said as she leaned back in the booth. "Don't worry about Liya, she has all of us. More importantly, she has you." Poking my chest, she grinned brightly at me.
Sighing, I smiled. "I love you guys," I said honestly. The reactions I go were somewhat mixed, with Weiss simply holding her head up high, Ruby beaming brightly, Blake blushing to the side, Reese grinning to herself, Yang blushing but smiling as well, and Sun and Neptune just giving thumbs ups like the true bros they were.
We finished eating and left, Weiss having paid for the whole thing. When I asked, she said it was "to have the others appreciate and owe her one". We both knew she did it because she cared about us, and I respectfully held my tongue when the thought came to mind.
It was very late at night now, and we were making our way to a nearby motel to crash at before heading back the next day. I promised I'd explain this whole thing to Ozpin and Goodwitch when we returned, despite Blake trying to say otherwise.
"Just one thing," Reese said as she crossed her arms while walking alongside me. "How did you know my board was compatible with Dust?"
I froze, not even thinking about that. "Uhh...what are you talking about?" I managed to say.
Reese held up her board, the default green glowing mechanisms now glowing white with frost coming off of it. I blinked and immediately came up with the most bullshit excuse I could.
"Oh, I was thinking of taping the Dust to the back of the board while you flew around...but I didn't know you could do that," I said awkwardly. Reese narrowed her eyes and I felt a sweat drop slowly go down my brow.
"Okie!" Reese said happily, and she walked ahead. I let out a nervous sigh of relief before Yang joined me.
"You look bothered," Yang said as we walked. "Something on your mind?"
"Just...unsure of things," I said. "Roman stealing Atlas tech, working with the White Fang...and he mentioned an operation in the southeast."
"We'll find out what's going on. But for now, let's just be glad we came out alive," Yang said. "I think it's best not to worry about that kind of stuff, ya know?"
"I guess. Blake might not think that," I said. Yang sighed and rubbed her head tiredly.
"I know," Yang said. "She's all kinds of stubborn, that one. We'll deal with it when the time comes, but in the meantime..."
I yelped as she yoinked me off the ground and in her arms, bridal style. "Let's just focus on what to do now. Maybe we can share a bed?" she said. Blushing, I just looked away as she laughed.