Jaune walked around the outpost. Things around the camp were crude, but effective. People crafted spears for safe disposal of Grimm, torches for light, and various items for noise making to lure away Grimm. There were even ways to communicate. Each guard was given a walkie talkie. Flares were stashed away in case some aircrafts were to ever pass by, and the food and water were locked up tight. Everyone got their meals late at night. They say Pyrrha organized everything, but there was a few things nagging in his head.
"Pyrrha, where did this stuff come from?" The blond asked the redhead. Pyrrha looked toward the cargo ship with the Schnee symbol sprayed on the hull.
"That ship had most of everything really. Food, water, tools, and that crane was what built our walls. We've only had this outpost set up about a day or two ago. Mind picking that up for me?" She made a mental check on the area before moving on.
"So, how old are you? Everyone around must have respected you to be able to work together like this." Jaune added another question as he picked up the box that she asked him to carry. It was full of miscellaneous items. A telescope, some boxing gloves, sneakers, a can of hairspray.
"I'm only eighteen." Pyrrha giggled. "When people have the same ideas, all it takes is for someone to step up and organize it. We all want to survive this, so this is our way of survival." She approached the wall made of shipping containers and put a hand to it. "We refuse to give up."
"It's only been like, a week since the outbreak. Do you guys hope to just bunker in this fortress forever?"
"Of course not. Even now, a lot of people want to just head out to check on their homes… Lots of kids and families out there… but… If they want to go, I can't stop them. All I can do really is set them with some supplies and send them on their way. A lot have left, but those without families, or just are comfortable, stay here. To form a community of our own."
"That's cool…" He responded quietly, obviously in awe of the woman who was obviously leagues above him. "I wonder what Ren is up to…"
"Probably listening to Nora talk about what she was doing before the outbreak." The redhead giggled again, overhearing his musing.
"Oh, how do you know Ren and Nora?"
"Ren not so much, but Nora and I are in track and field together." Pyrrha answered. "We were on our way back from an Atlas track meet. So… We got to the harbor, and all of a sudden people were attacking each other. My parents live in Atlas, and Nora's only family is Ren, well, he's all she has. I envy that." She whispered the last part.
"Hm? What was that?" Jaune asked, putting the box down where Pyrrha pointed.
"Nothing, nothing at all." The redhead giggled once more.
"Boop!"
"C'mon Nora… You know I'm happy to see you too, but, do you really have to be a sloth right now?" Ren sighed, but a smile kept to his face. Arms were wrapped around his neck and legs wrapped around his waist as he stood outside some tents with Nora hanging onto him.
"But I'm happy to see you! Don't you know how worried I was?!" The ginger embellished her words. She reluctantly released him and stood up, clean of gore and dressed in a black tank top and gym shorts, along with running shoes. "But I knew you'd be fine. You're Ren!"
Ren blinked. "Yeah, but I look terrible." He said in reference to the wounds he received in the jewelry shop.
"I'd say that's an improvement! You look more manly with battle scars." She giggled and poked his nose again. "Boop!"
"You're not going to ask what happened?"
"I'd rather just use my imagination, and knowing that you're here… YOU MUST HAVE TORN HIM TO SHREDS, RIPPED HIM LIMB FROM LIMB, BATHED IN HIS BLOOD, CURSED HIS SOUL FOR ETERNITY… Or something similar." Nora smiled and nuzzled his shoulder.
"Yeah, that's about right…" He picked up the SWAT baton he acquired. "Need help with anything?"
"Nothing comes to mind… except…" Nora perked up and looked off to the right, a group of people watching the crane move some metal crates around, they seemed quite concerned. "Maybe we can look around for supplies in the crates? Just to see if there's anything else we can pick up?" The ginger asked, tilting her head.
"Sure. That sounds good. Say, it couldn't have just been Pyrrha who survived from our school right? Is there anyone else?" Ren asked as he glanced around the camp for any familiar faces.
"Miss Goodwitch, and Mister Port were our advisers. They are around the camp. Right now our current goal is to regain contact with Beacon, well, after we secure this area and be able to move supplies to and fro." Nora helped a child carry a box and point to where it needed to go.
"I'm guessing the Atlas Military is helping you guys with that?" Ren inferred, yet, the lack of any military personnel suddenly became very apparent to him.
"What Atlas Military?" Nora turned to face her best friend, the cluelessness easily read by Ren.
"Wait, Who's manning the crate?" A voice called out.
A young man signaled the crane. He carried two glowing orange sticks and was signaling to the person operating it. They needed to unload this crate, see what supplies it had in store. The blue crate got lower and lower, the Schnee company logo painted on the side. It was about 5 feet off the ground now, and the sounds of the claw releasing was heard. The crate dropped to the ground with a large boom and it shook the man, disorienting him.
He stood up, dazed. The crate's front was busted. The door slammed open and dozens of Grimm came flooding out. The man panicked, screamed out in horror and tried to run. Something grabbed his arm, and with inhuman strength, pulled him back. He watched the stunned faces of everyone around him as time slowed, he was falling backwards.
A rotted, decomposing hand covered his face, a stench filled his nostrils. He couldn't hear anything except the ringing in his ears from the impact of the crate. His neck suddenly felt very warm, and pain shot through his entire body. He fell further, and watched as multiple hands covered his vision, in the spaces he saw twisted and contorted faces, mouths open wide with hunger, teeth rotted. He couldn't even scream.
"Quickly! Get the weapons!" Yang could hear Pyrrha's voice from the deck of the ship. It was loud, full of authority, full of courage. A tugging at her arm caused her to tear her eyes away from the scene. Weiss pulled at her arm. "Y-Yang! We… we gotta help them!" The heiress was choking back tears. The blonde grit her teeth and nodded, racing down the deck. Carrying the whitette piggyback. Something about that look that Weiss gave her filled her with fire, her mangled mane flowing behind her.
Her feet touched the concrete of the docks, people were scrambling for their kids, for their families, for weapons. People were using spears to poke and push away the Grimm, trying to get a blow to their heads. Pyrrha herself was among the spearmen, so was Nora and Ren. Jaune was escorting people to safety. Yang looked around for a weapon to help them.
"Yang! Over there!" Weiss called out. The blonde whipped her head around to find the heiress, who was pointing at a wooden fortification blocking a gap in the crates. It fell apart and a horde of Grimm came rushing in, ten… twenty… thirty… they just kept coming. Yang screamed at the spear group, and they turned around in shock. They were being pincered. Jaune was trying to get people into some crates, mainly women and children, and locking the doors to keep them safe.
The blonde panicked, they would be overrun. Only about 20 people had spears, against the hordes, her mind raced as she looked. Her eyes were caught on a small box, it had a bunch of random things, but two red items caught her eyes.
"Sorry, Weiss." Yang grinded her teeth. She opened the doors to one of the crates and let go of the heiress, letting her fall onto the cold steel floor of the container.
"Ow! Wh… no! No no no! You are not leaving me in here! I can help!" Weiss cried, the realization that she was holding Yang back became clear. With her ankle not fully healed, she risked falling, or worse. She was afraid. She didn't want to be left alone. "Please Yang! PLEASE!" Her voice was desperate, tears filled her eyes, she could even feel her wounded left eye begin to throb.
Yang smiled bitterly. "No Weiss, I'm not leaving you… I'll be back. I promise…" Her purple eyes met Weiss' tear filled blue eyes. "The hero always comes back to save damsel."
"You… you... ! I'll… I'll kill you if you don't come back!" Weiss screamed. Her body shaking.
The blonde didn't know what she was doing. She couldn't hold back her tears. All it took was less than a week to suddenly feel closer to someone than she has anyone else. I won't die. Not here. Not if it makes Weiss show me that face. I'll see her smile… just you wait.
Yang slammed the container doors and latched it. She ran to the box and snagged the boxing gloves, quickly putting them on. Her skills in school were mainly athletic, and specifically, boxing and wrestling. Once the gloves were on, she punched them together and yelled.
"FOLLOW ME!" Yang ordered the spear team. They all turned to watch her, as she ran toward the smaller group of Grimm that came from the container. The blonde jumped and slammed her right fist into the head of a Grimm, as it was forced back, tripping a few more Grimm behind it.
"Go! Follow Yang! Execute all the Grimm on the ground! Rear, push down barrels, scatter things, slow down that horde!" Pyrrha's voice rang out.
"RAHHHH! KNOCK EM DOWN YANG, I'LL SKEWER THEM LIKE KABOBS! AHAHAHA!" Nora laughed out.
Yang continued to push and punch the horde of Grimm, carefully dodging in and out to avoid getting caught, slapped, grabbed or bit. Her eyes were focused, like she was in a boxing match. Things seemed to move in slow motion. A Grimm would try to grab her, both arms extended. She ducked and swooped to the left, her hands up in a guard in front of her. She jabbed with her main hand, her right hand, right in it's ugly face. Fluids sprayed her face, but she didn't care. Teeth clenched, breathe. More Grimm fell. A spear out of her peripherals slammed down into the head of a Grimm.
Keep going, one by one. Push them down, let the spears finish them off. Focus, focus. Punch, dodge, don't let them touch you. They are slow, you are the bumblebee. Hit em where it hurts. She spoke mentally, keeping her mind focused.
Another Grimm tried to swing at her, she backed up, reared her right arm, and came back with a hook, slamming that Grimm into another.
A growl signaled a Grimm tripping over another, ready to land on her. She moved left to avoid it, and pushed a standing Grimm back.
One by one, they tried to get to her, but she dodged each one expertly, and returned a punch of her own. None of her hits were lethal, but the gloves protected her hands, and the Grimm were easy to kill when grounded.
After what felt like forever, she ran out of targets to hit. The 30 or so Grimm were on the ground, a hole in their head from Ren, Nora, Pyrrha, or whomever was able to pick up a weapon.
"Amazing job Yang, but we still have the horde to deal with. Let's get on top of the walls and funnel them on the stairs." A hand touched her shoulder.
Pyrrha grinned as Yang turned to face her. "You look like you could go another few rounds.
Yang couldn't help but grin. They both were sweating, and looked like crap, but they both knew their jobs weren't done.
"WHO ELSE WANTS A PIECE OF THIS?! LOOK REN I CAN FIT 5 HEADS ON MY SPEAR!" An energetic character screamed from the crowd of spearmen.
A banging sound could be heard from the other wooden fortification in front of them, and the blonde's heart sank. "More…?" she groaned.
"Hey! Do you guys need help! Come on! Open up!" A vaguely familiar voice came from the other side. For some reason, it made Yang's body tremble.
"Yang, get the door, I'll help the rear make it up the wall, go!" Pyrrha gave Yang's shoulder a pat before barking orders at the rest of the spearmen.
She didn't think. They needed the help. She wants… She wants… to see Weiss again. Yang forced herself to the door, each step made time slow down for some reason, until the voices behind here were mere inaudible noise.
Yang unlocked the fence door and pulled open, peering at the figure behind it.
Cardin stood there and grinned, a shotgun in his hands.
In one swift motion he flipped the gun around and slammed the butt into her face.
Her body felt weightless and her nose was numb. The sky came into view. A white cloud reminded her of a certain, very beautiful girl with white hair. Then, it all faded to black.
"YANG!"
