"*RRRRGH* C'MON!"
Cardin, having changed into his silver-gray armor, pulled with all his might. But despite his impressive brute strength, his weapon locker would not budge.
"God damn it!" he shouted, "GOD DAMN IT!"
"GrrrrrRRRRRRRRGH!"
Ruby, wearing her red and black combat skirt, desperately pulled her locker door with whatever strength she could muster.
With no budge, she begrudgingly released her hold.
"You got to be KIDDING ME!"
Ruby slammed her feet on the ground, kicking her locker right after. But the red light above it continued to shine, forcefully locking the door shut.
She peered inside to see Crescent Rose tantalizingly staring back at her.
She slapped the locker door in frustration.
"Guys!" she called, ignoring her stinging hand, "I can't open my locker!"
"Well isn't that swell," Cardin said, "You're not the only one, shrimp."
Velvet stepped away from her locker.
Now wearing her cropped brown jacket and shorts with black tights, she approached Jaune, who released his locker door after fruitlessly trying to pull it open.
"I-I think they do this…Every time before the V-Vytal festival," Velvet said.
"Damn it, I forgot about that," Jaune said, adjusting his chest-plate and hoodie, "It's to stop thieves, right?"
Velvet nodded.
"A-And cheaters," she said, "T-Tampering with the-"
"Tampering with the weapons, yeah," Jaune finished, rubbing his forehead in frustration.
"Well, that's fucking fantastic, way to go Jaune!" Cardin insulted, back to pulling at his locker, "God damn it, I can't get this door open!"
Cardin's fingers slipped off the handle.
"Don't bother," Jaune said, approaching the bully, "Not even a Huntsman could open them."
"Oh, how would you know that?"
Jaune huffed, unamused at the resurfaced memory of his first day at Beacon.
"What are we going to do now?!" Ruby asked, "All we have are these pistols, we can't fight those things with these!"
"Calm down Ruby," Jaune urged, "There has to be a way to release the locks."
He turned to Velvet.
"You have any idea if that's possible."
"I-I think a…I think a staff member…Y-Yeah a staff member can."
"Oh just our luck," Cardin said, "And we just so happened to run right through a building filled with them!"
He slapped his hand on a locker door.
"There's no fucking way we're going back there!"
"I'm not saying that, Cardin," Jaune affirmed, "Velvet, anyone else?"
"…I…Maybe a professor?"
"A professor?" Ruby approached the group, "Oh god…!"
"What?" Jaune asked.
"It didn't even occur to me that we haven't seen any professors yet," Ruby shuddered, "I'd thought we'd hear from someone by now, like Professor Ozpin or something!"
"Well screw them," Cardin said, "They're probably zombies by now…Or dead for that…Wait."
Everyone looked at Cardin.
"You know, why haven't we found any survivors yet?!" he asked, "This whole fucking school can't be infected, right?"
Nobody said a word.
"Like…I mean Monty Oum, the entire school is gone – the city is gone – so who's to say everyone else is gone?!"
"Cardin," Jaune called, "Please, calm down!"
"Calm down?!" he yelled, "This is a fucking nightmare! I don't even know how we're still alive!"
He sat on a bench.
"Why did we go to the weapons lockers," Cardin moaned, "Why didn't we just get the FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
"We ARE gonna get out of here, Cardin," Jaune reaffirmed, "But we don't stand a chance out there without our weapons."
He looked at Velvet, whose anxiety was now showcased.
"Are there any buildings nearby we can check?" Jaune said, "Maybe a professor sheltered somewhere near here."
Velvet tried to speak.
"I…I don't-"
"The Amphitheater!"
Everyone looked at Ruby.
"The Amphitheater," she repeated, "It's just outside, maybe there's someone there?"
"Y-Yeah, that's right!" Velvet agreed.
They rushed to a window.
Just outside, they saw the Amphitheater close by.
"…Well," Jaune stepped away, "I can't think of any other options."
"Monty Oum, man," Cardin groaned, "We're seriously going out again?"
"We made it this far," Ruby reminded, "We can keep going…Right?"
She looked at Jaune, her uncertainty being shown to only him.
Jaune tried his best to harden himself.
"Y-Yeah," he forced out, "Ruby's right."
He checked his gun magazine.
"I mean, there…there has to be a professor inside to calm everyone down," Jaune reasoned, "Especially in a place as big as the Amphitheater."
"Y-Yeah," Velvet said, calming down, "I-I agree, like…like a fire drill."
"Yeah, exactly, like a fire drill."
Velvet's ears lifted from Jaune's approval.
He looked at Cardin.
"…"
His teeth clenched harder.
The anger began to build.
"Shit!" he cocked his gun, "You guys are gonna get me killed."
Jaune saw Ruby's eyes roll.
"Alright," he said, "Let's get going then."
They quietly followed Jaune to the exit. Opening the door would take them straight to the Amphitheater. However, before even touching the door, they looked around the edges of the doorframe.
"T-There doesn't seem to be an…alarm on it," Velvet confirmed.
"That's good," Jaune cautioned, "Let's…Let's do this."
He grasped the push bar, still remembering the chaos that occurred moments before.
The horde had long died out, but if another one appeared, Jaune knew they wouldn't be able to survive it.
'At least, not with these guns,' he thought, looking at his meek pistol.
He released his trapped breath.
"Ready?"
"Yeah, ready," Ruby said.
"M-Me too," Velvet said.
"…Shit man," Cardin cursed fearfully, "Let's get this over with."
"Okay…no countdown," Jaune insisted, "We just go."
Jaune felt he wouldn't leave the door if they counted down.
He tightened his hold on the push bar.
Ruby adjusted her grip on her gun.
Velvet's ears twitched in preparation.
Cardin wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"GO!"
They rushed out the door.
The sun had fully set.
Twilight shone from the broken moon.
Everyone stuck close to the lamp poles.
The adrenaline pumping in their blood kept their minds forward.
The lack of present infected unnerved them.
Yet none voiced this concern.
They ran towards medical tents, seeing they were halfway to the Amphitheater.
The tent cover flapped open.
"Crap!" Ruby yelled.
FLEEAH
EEUGH
Two CEDA personnel rushed out. Everyone aimed their weapons.
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
Their hazmat suits squealed once more.
But the sound of hard glass smacking the ground stopped the team.
"What was that?" Cardin asked.
Velvet approached the glass jar, held in the hand of the dead CEDA personnel.
"Huh?"
Looking closer, she saw it was filled with a green substance. She carefully slid the jar out of the dead man's hand.
"What is it?" Jaune asked.
Upon closer inspection, Velvet saw the same substance inside the jar that was found on the escort bots from earlier.
She shook the jar, confirming what the thick liquid is.
"I-It's vomit," Velvet said.
"Oh gross!" Ruby said, "They put that stuff in a jar?"
"Oh no, wait a minute," Cardin said, stepping back, "D-Don't get that stuff on me."
Ruby suddenly forgot her disgust.
A mischievous smile was suddenly plastered onto her face.
"Hey Velvet," Ruby said, amused, "I think you should keep it."
Jaune smiled at the suggestion.
"Yeah, you never know," he joined, "You might need it."
Cardin's face morphed.
"Oh, you're all real jerks!"
"You're a bigger one!" Ruby said, making him angrier.
He would scream if the threat of attracting another horde didn't exist.
"Assholes," Cardin relented, "I'll get you back for this, just you wait."
Ruby and Jaune chuckled amongst themselves.
Velvet silently giggled as well, clipping the bottle to her side for potential future use.
Back on track, they ran just as fast as before.
Despite their brief humorous banter, nobody wanted to test their luck. If they stayed out for too long, they will surely attract more infected. And there was nobody in the team of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training that wanted to relive that same scenario from before again. Especially Jaune and Velvet, who remained extra vigilant ever since their run-in with that smoker guy.
Ruby found herself stuck with Cardin, their previous grudges temporarily forgotten.
With the large horde still fresh in Cardin's mind, he bit his tongue towards the young huntress in training beside him. She was very annoying, but the zombies they encounter were more than just annoying. Until they find safety, he will have to somehow tolerate her stupid mouth.
And Ruby, who did not favor the bully at all, did not want to be attacked by another horde. She refused to look at the bully, in favor of maintaining her composure as best as she could. Despite his rude and mean personality, as a Huntress in training, it was her job to help anyone in need. Especially in their dire situation, where teamwork had never mattered more.
Although she wishes the bully would shut up.
"I-I see a door!" Velvet alerted.
Ruby turned and saw the slightly opened side door of the Amphitheater.
The light from inside seeped out, enticing them to enter.
"Thank goodness!" she cheered, "Let's hurry!"
They ran into the bright room.
Ruby and Velvet raised their pistols, seeing nobody inside the bright halls.
Velvet listened carefully.
"It's clear!" she confirmed, "Close the door!"
Cardin shut the door.
The secure walls eased their breathing. The weight from outside fell off their shoulders. The light soaked into their skin, and the light sweat began drying into their clothes.
"Well," Jaune breathed, "That…was easy."
"We got lucky," Ruby commented.
"For how long?" Cardin grunted.
"L-Let's just hurry and find a p-professor," Velvet insisted.
They ran through the neon blue-lit hallway, passing door after door.
Blood was soaked on many of them, revealing the fate of the poor souls that were sheltered there.
Cardin's sweat increased.
"I swear if this becomes a repeat from the dorms-"
"It won't, just shut up!" Ruby interrupted.
"You little brat," Cardin growled, "If you weren't a girl I'd sock you!"
"Shhhh," Jaune hushed.
He turned to Velvet.
"Do you hear anything?"
Velvet had closed her eyes, focusing all her energy on her hearing.
Everyone silenced themselves, waiting for what the Faunas rabbit will say.
Her eyes widened.
"There's a lot of them ahead," she said.
"Shit!" Cardin cursed, "For real?!"
"You have to be kidding me!" Ruby trembled, "How far are they?!"
"They're…pretty far," Velvet confirmed, "They won't be able to find us from here."
"O-Okay, that's good," Jaune said, relieved, "Let's go the other way then, there has to be a way to-"
*creeeaAAAK*
Everyone turned around.
A bloody door opened from behind.
They raised their guns, ready for whatever entered the hallway.
*mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmbuuh*
But a sound of a gurgled groan left them confused.
"What the hell was that?" Cardin asked.
"I-I don't know," Velvet replied.
*uuurgmmmmmmmbuuuhmmmmmm*
It sounded…belchy. Like someone who ate too much.
*mmmmmmmmmmmmb*
Jaune's eyes cringed at the infected civilian that walked out of the room.
"Oh my…god."
Having noticed the group of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, the infected civilian made a slow rush to the group. Such a rush would have been faster had the civilian not been so obese.
In fact, "obese" seemed like an understatement. The poor man was so bloated that his extra-large clothes were small enough to reveal his bulbous stomach.
The man moaned and burped; it felt like he would puke at any moment. Yet despite this threat, Cardin found great entertainment from his pathetic stride towards them.
"Oh, man!" Cardin laughed, "It's that boomer guy from the photo!"
"Stop, Cardin," Ruby complained.
"Oh come on! Look how slow and fat he is!"
The fat man continued his pace, slowly approaching the group of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training.
*mmmmMMMMMmmmmbuuuhmmMMMMM*
Jaune and Velvet grew disturbed by the tumors on the man's face. It was just like the photo they had seen before.
They raised their pistols, hoping to put the poor man out of his misery.
"No no no, c'mon!" Cardin forced their guns down, "I want to get a closer look at him!"
"Cardin!" Ruby yelled.
"What, look at him!" Cardin laughed, seeing the obese man bend forward, "He looks like he's about to faint, what could he possibly-"
BLUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHH
The force staggered everyone back
"FUCK!"
Blinded, Cardin slipped and fell.
Jaune knocked over Velvet, who screamed through her coated mouth.
Ruby tripped on the ground.
She quickly tried to wipe the gross, thick liquid off her face.
She looked at what the liquid was and began to hyperventilate.
She quickly aimed her pistol at the obese civilian.
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*BOOM*
The man had exploded like a balloon.
Ruby was launched back.
More vomit, mixed with blood, further coated the team of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training.
Ruby could feel the bile enter her mouth.
HUUUURL
She threw up.
"AW, WHAT THE?!"
Cardin moved away from Ruby's vomit, having already been soaked.
*thud*
"ACK!"
He scooted back, having bumped his head into something hard.
Whipping the vomit from his face, he saw Velvet on the ground, desperately trying to clean her face.
He looked to the side, seeing the vomit jar he bumped into still latched to her waist.
"I-Is…*HUEGH*…Is everyone alright," Jaune gagged, trying his best to shake the vomit off his hoodie.
"I-I'm okay," Velvet answered, covering her nose from the horrific stench.
Her ears twitched.
She felt the ground increasingly vibrate.
She focused her hearing all around.
A loud stampede gradually became louder.
Her eyes widened.
"H-Hey guys," Velvet heard Ruby, "I-Is the ground shaking?"
Velvet looked to her left.
Her eyes dilated.
"Oh my god."
She took a step back towards Jaune, who also froze in place.
A stampede of rage rushed closer to them.
"Holy shit!" Cardin screamed, turning to Velvet, "I thought you said they couldn't hear us!"
"N-No, they were nowhere near us!" Velvet insisted, "They couldn't have heard that!"
"Oh god!" Ruby yelled, grasping her pained stomach.
Jaune grabbed Ruby's hand.
"We gotta go!" Jaune ordered as the horde grew closer.
Covered in vomit, they rushed to the opposite side of the hallway.
AAAUUUUUGH
EEAAAUUUH
REEEEEEEEEH
FAAAAAAAH
YAAABAAAAH
The arena-sized cries of rage sprinted behind.
The floor trembled under their feet.
The team of Huntsmen and Huntresses raised their guns from behind.
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
*POW*
Students and civilians fell.
A few sprinting infected tripped over them.
Leaving the large majority to trample through them.
They ran faster.
One sprinted too close.
YEEEAAA
"AUGH!"
Velvet felt her ear being tugged.
*POW*
A shot whizzed past her.
It landed in the infected's stomach.
It released her ear and was trampled by the horde.
Velvet looked ahead at Ruby's smoking gun.
"THEY'RE GAINING ON US!" Cardin screamed.
He saw the vomit leaving the bodies.
A lot of it plastered itself on the wall.
But the vomit on Jaune's hoodie landed on Cardin's face.
"GOD DAMN IT!" Cardin yelled, "THIS FUCKING VOMIT!"
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Ruby yelled.
"MY FAULT?!" Cardin screamed, "RABBIT GIRL FUCKING LIED ABOUT THEM BEING FAR!"
"THEY WERE FAR AWAY!" Velvet screamed, "I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!"
They saw Jaune skid to a stop.
"SHIT, THEY'RE IN FRONT OF US!" he screamed.
Another horde sprinted from their front.
They began firing at it.
But the massive size didn't decrease.
"Monty Oum!" Cardin cried through the gunfire, "It's gotta be the whole fucking Amphitheater after us!"
"We can't stay out here Jaune!" Ruby screamed.
"I know!"
Jaune looked to the side.
A door was slightly open.
"In there!" he screamed.
He held the door open, allowing the team to rush in.
Jaune looked at the infected from behind.
They had just passed their streaks of vomit.
"What the…"
Many of their rage-filled eyes were locked on them. He saw their intent to rip apart their flesh and bones. But as the horde passed by the streak of vomit, a couple strayed towards it.
For a moment, they clawed at the wall as if it were alive.
"JAUNE!"
He heard everyone's cry.
They pulled him inside before the horde could grab his hoodie.
Jaune collapsed on the floor.
Cardin slammed the security door shut.
Ruby and Velvet pushed a filing cabinet towards the door.
But the infected from behind pounded at the door.
Jaune stood back up and looked around the room.
"Oh no."
There was no exit.
No windows.
"No-no-no-no-no!"
There were only security monitors, speakers, terminals, and empty chairs.
"Shit!" Jaune cursed, "There's no way out!"
"Oh FUCK!" Cardin turned to Velvet, "This is your fault, you stupid rabbit!"
"I'm telling you they were FAR AWAY!" Velvet hissed, "THIS IS NOT MY FAULT!"
"WELL YOUR HEARING FUCKING SUCKS THEN!"
*CRACK*
The door bent forward.
Screams funneled out the new opening.
Fingers grasped onto the edges.
Everyone backed away, pointing their guns at the door.
Their backs had reached the security terminals.
Jaune's felt his hand touch a button.
The room shone a grey hue
"Huh?"
The monitors had lit up.
*CRACK*
They turned back to the door.
The hinges began to break off.
The filing cabinet scraped against the concrete floor.
"W-What do we do?!" Velvet trembled.
"I-I don't know!" Jaune said.
"Well think of something, Arc!" Cardin begged.
Jaune didn't move.
"ARC!" Cardin screamed.
*BAM*
The filing cabinet tipped over.
The hinges almost broke free from the wall.
The group of Huntsmen and Huntresses became transfixed towards the weakening door.
But Ruby turned to the monitors.
"Um," she stared at the buttons, "Uuuh!"
In a last-ditch effort, she anxiously pushed them at random.
"They're gonna get in!" Velvet said, reloading her pistol.
Ruby turned around.
The door bent further.
The flailing arms of the infected reached through the hinges.
Jaune aimed his gun.
"Take them out!"
Velvet, Cardin, and Jaune opened fire.
Yet despite this, Ruby pressed more buttons.
"C'mon, please!" she begged, "Please give us something!"
She pressed another button.
The monitors suddenly lit up brighter.
Ruby shielded her eyes.
Huugh…ruuuuuuugh
Ruby heard a low, angry growl from the speakers.
*CRACK*
The door bent halfway.
Some infected climbed inside.
Jaune, Velvet, Cardin, and now Ruby shot them down.
But more began to break through.
HAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGH
Everyone turned to the monitors.
The arena was the brightest room on the screens.
They saw a woman stand up.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
*ruuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-*
The room began to shake.
"W-What the?!"
Cardin lost his balance.
"An earthquake?!" Velvet screamed.
Ruby grabbed onto the terminal for balance.
Jaune tripped onto the floor.
The infected stopped pounding on the door.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
The piercing scream echoed across the room.
The grounds shook harder.
The ceiling tiles fell off.
The piping broke apart.
The screens began to distort.
They all heard metal squeal from behind.
Their eyes widened.
The filing cabinets suddenly floated off the ground.
Pencils and papers flew off the terminal.
Coffee cups hovered off the tables.
The monitors flickered off and on.
The team suddenly felt lighter.
The piercing scream grew sharper.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
*CRASH*
The lights went off.
The monitors shut off.
The floating cabinets slammed to the ground.
Pencils chattered the concrete.
And coffee cups shattered across the team's feet.
The group of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training felt their weight once more.
The infected, disoriented, scattered across the hallway.
The roars of rage began growing faint.
The pounding feet on the concrete floors left the security room.
The room fell silent. The sounds of dripping water filled the darkness. The earthquake had stolen their balance, but the brief feeling of weightlessness stole the voices of the team of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training.
Jaune froze in place. Ruby's eyes began to water. Velvet's hands could not stop shaking. And Cardin's mouth struggled to make a sound.
Everyone flinched when the emergency lights flickered on.
"Oh my god – we're gonna die – we're gonna die – we're gonna die – oh my god," Cardin shamelessly cried, "We're gonna fucking die – we're gonna fucking die – we're gonna die – oh my god."
"This is a dream," Velvet begged with tears in her eyes, "This is a dream – This is a bad dream – Please Monty."
"We're gonna die – we're gonna die – oh my fucking god – we're gonna die."
His chanting caused Ruby to tremble.
She turned to Velvet, but the sight of the Faunas girl trying in vain to calm herself made her heart beat faster.
She turned to Jaune, frozen in fear. His mouth quivered as his sweat left his chin and his eyes hadn't left the monitors that once showed a screaming woman.
*blop*
He flinched when a drop of water hit the top of his scraggly hair.
Jaune looked up through the red light to see the slightly damaged pipes from the emergency sprinkler system.
He turned to the damaged exit, which lacked the sounds of screaming infected. The door was practically on its last nail, hanging by a single hinge and kept in place by the fallen cabinet.
He saw Ruby staring back at him. The tension on her strained forehead looked ready to rip skin, releasing whatever overwhelming ruminations were inside.
Jaune looked at everyone, terrified and confused.
He knew they had to leave.
"Let's…Let's get out of here!" he ordered, "We need to leave!"
He stood up, catching everyone's attention.
"Let's just get the hell out of Beacon!" he suggested, "W-We could-"
"No!" Jaune looked to Ruby, "We…We need our weapons!"
Jaune's breath got stuck in his throat.
"You gotta be kidding me!"
He and Ruby turned to Cardin, standing up from his downed position.
"Fuck our weapons!" Cardin yelled, "Did you see what just happened?!"
"That was a semblance!"
Everyone turned to Velvet.
"Only…Only a semblance could have done that!"
"A semblance?" Ruby stood up, "Then…Then maybe someone's still alive!"
She looked at Jaune.
"Maybe a Huntress is here! Maybe a Professor!" Ruby insisted, "They're going to need our help!"
"…"
Jaune began to sweat. He too noticed that the students have not used their semblances. Perhaps they are incapable due to the flu. If this proves true, then it can be assumed that a semblance user is not infected.
He thought about the prospect of a surviving Huntsmen, Huntress, or Professor. If someone of that caliber were somehow still alive, then having them in this group would almost ensure their survival.
"That…could be," Jaune answered.
"Or they can be infected."
Everyone looked at Cardin
"I mean are we going to forget that Boomer freak and that Smoker?"
"T-That wasn't a semblance though," Velvet reasoned, "T-That was something else."
"Something else?!" Cardin exclaimed, "If it wasn't a semblance then how could they do that?!"
He pointed at Jaune.
"How can a tongue be so long to drag someone away?!"
He then grabbed his shirt.
"And how does a fatso vomit ten gallons of fucking puke on my armor?!"
Velvet backed away, unsure of the answer.
Cardin began pacing.
"Oh my god – there could be more of those freaks," he cautioned, "We're so dead."
"We're not going to die, Cardin," Ruby said, her confidence coming back, "We made it this far, and we can keep going with Jaune's plan."
She looked at everyone.
"But we need our weapons," Ruby held, "And that Huntress in that arena is our best bet!"
She looked at Jaune.
"Together, we can do it!"
Jaune's heart slowed down.
"…She's right," he said, masking his shame for freezing in fear, "There could be someone who needs our help."
"You guys are fucking crazy," Cardin said, "Do you even know anyone that can do whatever the hell that was?"
"Professor Goodwitch."
…
…
…
…
Everyone looked back at Velvet, who stood up from the ground.
"S-She can use telekinesis," she shuddered, "It's…very powerful."
Everyone's eyes widened, especially Ruby's, who saw her semblance in action.
"No fucking way," Ruby heard Cardin, "There's no fucking way."
She looked harshly at the scared bully.
"Stop it Cardin!" she commanded, "If she can use her semblance then she must be fine!"
"Fine?!" Cardin exclaimed, "If she was fine, she'd use her semblance or whatever to get the hell out of here!"
"She must have been protecting other survivors!" Ruby argued, "And what kind of Huntress would do something like that?"
"One with enough sense to forget OUR FUCKING WEAPONS! SO THEY CAN GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"
"EVERYBODY STOP!"
Jaune's sharp voice tore through the room.
"We're lucky to not have attracted any more infected," he reminded.
Ruby and Cardin froze, realizing their mistake.
Jaune calmed himself down.
"Okay, there's a high chance it's Professor Goodwitch, right?"
"Y-Yeah," Velvet agreed, "She…She could have been protecting the students and civilians!"
"Exactly," Jaune confirmed, "And maybe someone inside has a key to the weapons lockers."
Ruby's and Velvet's claim was beginning to sound increasingly hopeful in Jaune's mind. But it was not the only consideration he took. Cardin's point had also made sense to him. Their run-in with that Smoker and that "Boomer" guy had led him to think that the infected had some form of physical semblance of sorts. But if what Velvet had just claimed were to be true, that a semblance was not responsible for their freakish changes, then something else must have done it. And if that "something else" could happen to anyone, regardless of being an aura user or civilian, then there's no telling what else could be out there.
'Can a virus do something like this?' he thought to himself, 'Well…We better prepare for the unexpected then.'
The fear he had forgotten from before rose back, knowing exactly what he was implying.
He gulped.
"We have to take this chance," he finalized, "We won't make it out there again with just these pistols".
Velvet stood up straighter.
Ruby picked up her pistol.
Cardin uncomfortably looked at the outside of the broken door.
"You have to be kidding me," he said to himself.
"Cardin?"
He looked at Jaune, seeing that everyone had already grouped up with him.
'He's going to get me killed," Cardin thought, 'This guy's trying to kill me.'
Yet despite his doomed thoughts, it was either this death plan or him going out there alone. Neither seemed appealing, but one at least meant he wouldn't die alone. Even if it was with people he didn't like.
"Don't get me killed, you freaks," he relented, grouping up with them.
"We'll try our best," Ruby sarcastically answered.
Jaune poked his head out the door.
He looked to his left with his gun at the ready.
But he was greeted with an empty, barely lit hallway
"I think the coast is clear," he said.
He looked to his right, just as empty and barely lit at the left. But by squinting his eyes, he can barely view the vomit streaks once more. Or rather, what was left of them.
What was left of the dark green, viscous vomit on the wall had dried out, turning flakey and crusty. However, Jaune couldn't help but notice the claw marks that spread across the smeared wall, leaving it with a light green tinge.
'Were they clawing at the vomit?'
"Jaune?"
"Huh?" Jaune turned to Ruby, "Oh, sorry, we're good."
Walking outside, Cardin closed the broken door.
*CLANG*
*SLAM*
Everyone jumped when the door fell to the ground.
"Cardin!" everyone whispered loudly.
"What?! I didn't mean to!" he whispered back loudly.
They closed their mouths and anxiously listened to the walls.
But when nothing was heard, they began to relax.
Ruby took another indignant glance at Cardin.
He responded with a middle finger, shocking Ruby.
"C'mon guys," Jaune whispered, "Let's go…"
They briskly ran left, remaining silent to not attract any more infected.
They stayed closer together than before, running to wherever the hallway led.
Ruby watched the passing red emergency lights, taking no comfort from their weak luminescence.
Velvet's ears remained high above her head, listening to the lightest aching of wood to the weakest crumbling of concrete.
Cardin eyed the sparse bodies on the walls, ignoring the sweat that threatened to soak into his shirt.
Jaune moved ahead, eyes fixated on his front but too scared to turn back. If he was to guess, they must have run almost a quarter of the whole Amphitheater. There should be a way inside the arena coming up.
After more silent running, they noticed a structure ahead.
"I see stairs!" Ruby pointed.
"T-They must lead to the top of the Amphitheater bleachers," Velvet said.
They slowed their brisk pace to stop at the edge of the stairs.
Just like the hallways they were weakly lit. The top of the stairs could barely be seen, while the weak red lights did little to assist the team of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training.
Except for Velvet.
"You gotta be kidding me," Cardin said, turning to Faunas girl, "What do you see?"
"N-Not much," Velvet cautioned, "It looks empty up there."
Ruby turned on her Scroll flashlight and brightened up the staircase.
"I don't see anything either," she said, shifting the light from left to right.
"I don't know," Jaune turned to Velvet, "Do you hear anything?"
Velvet's ears rose.
"What?" Cardin questioned, "After what happened before, you still trust her hearing?"
Velvet's ears slightly faltered.
Jaune looked at Cardin.
"What do you suggest then?"
"…"
…
…
…
…
"tsk," Cardin eased off, "Whatever."
Jaune turned back to Velvet.
"C'mon Velvet," Jaune encouraged, "Give us something."
She hesitantly nodded, beginning to focus her energy on her hearing.
Ignoring the small sounds from the hallway, she tried to decipher anything she can from the stairs.
…
…
Hearing nothing, she moved closer.
…
…
"Anything, Vel?"
"Shh!"
The blunt shush caused her to falter back.
'Sorry Ruby,' Velvet thought to herself.
She always took her hearing seriously. It always helped her team whenever they were in a bind. It was perfect for finding Grimm, and now it was perfect for this.
"I hear something," she said.
Cardin looked back at her.
"You do?"
Velvet listened closer.
…
…
"What the…"
"Velvet?"
She turned to Jaune.
"T-There's a woman crying up there."
Everyone stood confused, not expecting such an answer.
"Someone's crying?" Ruby asked, "Then…Then someone's definitely still alive!"
She looked at everyone.
"It could be someone with Professor Goodwitch," she claimed, "We have to help them!"
"I still think Professor Goodwitch can help herself," Cardin warned, "Something isn't right."
"Then let's not rush in," Jaune suggested, "Let's keep quiet until we can be sure."
"Yeah," Velvet agreed, "There could be…something else up there, I-I have to get closer to be sure."
"God damn it, man," Cardin silently complained.
They slowly climbed up the silent stairs.
Despite Velvet's claim, the rest of the team couldn't hear a sound.
Ruby shined her light ahead.
She saw the crimson spots stain the walls and dark splotches around the stairs.
The higher they climbed, the more she saw.
"This must be where they came from," she guessed, "You think someone sick got in?"
"I…don't know," Jaune answered honestly.
"Does it matter?" Cardin interrupted, "As long as they're away from me then-..."
He suddenly stopped.
"Shit, I hear the crying."
The weeping of a woman began to travel down the stairs. It was soft and tired, but without a clear visual of the woman, they couldn't be sure.
Ruby held her hands close to her chest.
"She sounds so scared," she said, worriedly, "Let's just hurry!"
They decided to increase their speed, making it more than halfway to the top.
The crying was easier to hear the higher they went, which meant double for Velvet. She could hear the delicate whimpers far clearer than the rest. But there was something odd about it.
Thanks to her Faunas rabbit ears, she had been able to pick up on a lot of emotional intricacies from people. For instance, crying for the loss of a loved one is much hoarser than crying from fear.
Ruby claimed that the crying was from fear, but Velvet was beginning to have doubts. For some reason, the crying sounded like it was due to some sort of strain. The woman sounded like she was in pain. She didn't know what to make of it, nor did she know if it was worth telling the others. She can sometimes be wrong about these things.
"I see the top," Jaune silently announced.
One by one, they found themselves on the bleachers, entering the vast arena.
The darkness filled most of the Amphitheater, highlighting the red emergency lights that barely lit the massive complex.
The gentle cries were as clear as the bodies that sat on the bleachers.
Her anguished weeps filled the large room, chilling the bones of each huntsmen and huntresses in training.
"Oh my god," Velvet let out, "The center."
Pointing to the center of the arena, past the large number of dead bodies on the arena grounds, she saw the crying woman.
The lack of any central lighting made it difficult for everyone else to identify her. All they could barely see is her fetal position.
But Velvet saw who was the one crying.
She covered her mouth in shock.
"Are you okay, Vel?" Ruby asked, "Is it a civilian? Where's Professor Goodwitch?"
"It's not a civilian," Velvet revealed, "It's Professor Goodwitch."
She watched Professor Goodwitch's lying form, huddling closer into her knees.
Her tears soaked into her stockings, leading to her dirty, broken black boots.
Her hair bun was undone, releasing her blonde strands over her blood-splotched blouse.
Her pencil skirt was torn, freeing her left leg from its bind.
And her crying face was completely masked behind her covered hands and backside.
"I-I can't tell if s-she's okay," Velvet said, uncomfortable by the prone woman.
"A-Are you sure that's her?" Ruby asked.
Jaune and Cardin also seemed to be in doubt.
Velvet nodded, understanding her doubt. She couldn't believe what she was seeing as well.
Professor Glynda Goodwitch could not be described as anything further than a seasoned, powerful Huntress. A strict, disciplinarian professor. And a strong, confident woman.
But as the team heard her meek cries, filling their ears with the aura of a little, scared girl, they couldn't help but shiver.
Ruby looked at the visible bodies around the arena through the cries.
Regardless of their impressions of the Professor, whatever happened in this Amphitheater, it must have been too much for her.
"C'mon guys," she said, "Let's go help her."
"No way," Cardin refused, "I'm not going anywhere near her."
"What's the problem now?"
"I'm telling you, something's not right," he insisted, "I've never heard Professor Goodwitch cry…like at all."
"How would you know?"
"Trust me, I know."
Velvet and Jaune thought about the amount of trouble Cardin would get into with the professor. It would always result in detention or some other punishment he and his team would endure with the scary woman.
"No way I'm not going anywhere near that Witch," he finalized, making Jaune, Velvet, and Ruby breath out in frustration.
They recalled that one of the things that got him in trouble was for accidentally calling her by that nickname he dubbed onto her near her presence. The punishment, they heard, was something they wouldn't wish on their worst enemies.
Ruby huffed.
"Fine," she relented, "Jaune, you can stay here and watch him."
"Yeah sure," Jaune agreed.
"Watch me?!" Cardin gawped, "I don't need to be babysat by this loser."
Jaune looked deadpanned at him.
"W-Well," Velvet began to speak, "M-More…infected people might s-show up, so…"
Cardin bit his tongue.
He looked at the bleachers. Some of the seats held the dead, but the darkness masked if they were infected or not.
"…Fine," he relented, "But I don't need to be babysat, just to make that clear."
"Yeah, yeah," Ruby said, "Vel, I'm gonna need to with me. I'm going to need your vision."
"Of course, Ruby," she agreed.
Ruby looked at Jaune and Cardin, but her eyes were focused longer on her best friend.
A firm nod from him made her feel much more comfortable leaving him temporarily.
"I'll be right back."
"Take your time," Cardin sarcastically said.
Ruby and Velvet vaulted over the bleacher barrier and fell into the Amphitheater arena.
Crouching down, they stared down the center they need to approach.
Ruby felt her foot struggle to make the first step. The emergency lights did little to illuminate the arena. She felt the weight of the weak crying starting to tear into her previous conviction.
But she felt Velvet's eyes on her, making her the leader once more.
Closing her eyes, she forced her foot forward.
Both girls carefully walked toward the center, with Velvet guiding Ruby past the bodies that lay on the ground.
She felt the sweat forming on her neck. Her chest began to tighten the closer she moved. She swallowed the saliva forming inside her mouth.
The bodies on the floor were undiscernible to her eyes.
She looked towards Velvet, who stopped moving.
"Vel?"
The Faunas whipped her head quickly at her.
"U-Uh…I…know some of these people," she said, her eyes shifting left and right, "S-Some of them…weren't…."
She appeared afraid to say more, opting to look ahead.
Despite her concern, Ruby did so as well.
She could barely make out the prone professor, still crying inside her knees.
Holding her breath, she tried to call out to her.
"Hello?"
She waited a bit, but the crying Professor didn't respond.
She called a little louder.
"H-Hello?!" she trembled, "Professor?...Professor Goodwitch?"
The Professor didn't move, nor did her crying cease.
"Professor?" Ruby repeated, "It's…It's Ruby…Ruby Rose."
They slowly moved closer.
"I'm the leader of Team RWBY…My partner is Weiss Schnee..."
The professor said nothing.
Ruby trembled.
"I'm…I'm with Velvet…Velvet Scarlatina."
Velvet said nothing, staring at the backside of the unmoving professor.
"Professor Goodwitch?" Ruby's eyes started to water, "You're…You're starting to scare me."
heeaah-hah
They stopped moving.
They were only a car length away from her.
"P-Professor?"
Professor Goodwitch shifted around her spot.
She released her arms from her knees, allowing her legs to fall to her side.
She clamped her hand and slumped her back forward to rest.
The crying continued.
Velvet saw more details on the Professor's face. Her night vision was the best within her team and family, but it did not allow her to perfectly see color. However, there were cues that she can use to approximate them.
She can tell without knowing the Professor that her hair was light colored. She can also discern the blood on her blouse, but only due to their circumstance. But what was beginning to give her doubts was her skin. It looked flushed.
"H-Hold on professor," Ruby tried to find her Scroll, "I'm going to get some light."
Heeaah
She leaned left, resting her left hand on the ground.
Velvet's eyes widened.
"Here."
She looked at Ruby, who turned on her Scroll light.
"Profess-"
Velvet slapped the Scroll to the ground.
"Wha-HMMPH!"
"Stop-STOP!"
Velvet covered Ruby's mouth.
"She's infected..."
Velvet pointed at the hand, releasing Ruby from her hold.
"No…" Ruby begged.
With the light barely directed towards Professor Goodwitch, she can make out the hand that was shown holding her weight.
Her eyes widened as well, realizing that she was not looking at a hand.
She was looking at claws.
They were as long as her forearms, as sharp as razors, and as bloody as the bodies that lay littered across her.
"That can't be possible," Ruby softly cried, "She's…a Huntress."
They didn't know where the claws came from, but after their run-in with that Smoker and Boomer guy, they could only assume that whatever happened to them happened to her.
They watched her claws scratch the ground it laid.
Her crying had never ceased.
Confused and horrified, Ruby and Velvet hopelessly stared at the strong, disciplined, and powerful Professor Glynda Goodwitch. And by what she has become.
She shifted her right arm to a more comfortable position, causing something to slip off and dangle from her waist.
Velvet and Ruby's eyes widened.
A Security Clearance ID Card dangled from a lanyard. It was the highest level Beacon Academy can offer. It made sense that Professor Goodwitch would hold such clearance.
"Ruby," Velvet quietly called, "Turn off the light."
She turned off the Scroll light.
The area became pitch black once more.
"What are you going to do?" Ruby asked.
"W-We need that ID," was all Velvet said.
She slowly moved forward.
"Vel, no!"
"Shhh!" Velvet begged to Ruby, "I have my night vision, I-I can see what I'm doing.
She can see the young Huntress in training shake.
She can feel her own hands vibrate uncontrollably.
Her breath was shaken and inconsistent.
Looking at the professor, she held her breath and slowly moved forward.
Moving past the bodies, Velvet had never been this careful in her entire life. She felt like she was treading the tallest mountain in Remnant. But instead of reaching the top, she stopped at about two feet from Professor Goodwitch's back.
Her cries never ceased, nor did they shake from Velvet's approach.
She can see the ID as clearly as her night vision has granted.
She swallowed the saliva in her mouth, looking back to Ruby to see her horrified eyes stare horrifyingly back.
Controlling her breath, Velvet returned to the unmoving Professor and the ID next to her waist.
'Okay Velvet,' she thought to herself, 'It's right there, just grab it and go.'
She laid on her stomach, allowing her to stabilize her outreached arm.
The ID was practically touching the ground, but Velvet couldn't reach it.
She slid closer.
Her middle finger lightly brushed across the plastic card.
She slid closer, gritting her teeth.
Her index finger briefly clasped around the back of the card before slipping off.
'C'mon, almost.'
The professor continued to cry, not yet noticing Velvet.
Her sweat soaked her face.
She slid closer.
Heeaah
Velvet froze.
HeeeeAH
The professor grasped the sides of her head.
Velvet's weight lightened.
HeeeAAAGH
Professor Goodwitch crouched forward.
The arms of the dead rose slightly.
Velvet closed her eyes and held her breath.
Heeeeeh…heh
The professor began to slow down.
Yet Velvet refused to move.
Heeh…Heh
Professor Goodwitch started calming down.
The dead arms softly returned to the ground.
Velvet felt her weight return.
…
…
The Professor went silent once more, relaxing once more in her spot.
And soon, the whimpers came back.
Velvet released her silent tears.
Her heart threatened to rip through her back.
She looked back up and saw that the ID had fallen in her outreached hand.
With wide eyes, she slowly moved her other hand to release the ID from the button latch.
Clasping the flap, she looked back at Professor Goodwitch, now crying into her bloody claws.
Velvet tightened her hold on the button flap, closed her eyes, and pulled.
*click*
…
…
…
…
She opened her eyes.
The ID was unlatched.
Professor Goodwitch didn't move.
Velvet slid it off the holder.
Her heart pounded faster as she felt the plastic in her hands.
She slowly slid away backwards from the Professor, never losing eye contact.
Further away, Velvet built the courage to turn and crawl back to Ruby.
Ruby saw Velvet approach, terrified by what she saw.
"Wha…?" Ruby tried to speak, "What was-"
Velvet immediately grasped onto Ruby's waist for a hug.
"I got it!" she cheered, her heart still pounding, "I fricken got it Ruby!"
Ruby's heart pounded just as hard as hers.
"Oh my god!" she said, "L-Let's get out of here!"
Without further hesitation, they stood up and quickly maneuvered around the bodies.
Velvet can see the small silhouettes of Jaune and Cardin, watching them from the bleachers. They were likely confused by what had transpired.
*bzzzt*
Her ear twitched again, causing her to stop moving.
"Velvet?" Ruby asked, "What's wrong?"
*tick* *tick* *tick*
Velvet looked around the arena.
*bzzzZZZZZZZZ-*
Her eyes widened.
*CHUCHOOOOOM*
"Woah!" Ruby let out.
The girls can see the ground once again. Blue lights illuminated the walls, ceiling headlights shined on the arena stage, and the bleacher barriers glowed onto the front-row seats.
"The power's back!" Ruby said, enthused, "Let's get-"
HeeeAAAAGH
Both girls turned around.
Heah..HEEEAAAH
Professor Goodwitch quickly stood up.
HEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH
Velvet began backing away, bumping into the frozen Ruby.
*rrrrruuuuuuUUUUUUU-*
The ground shook again.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" Velvet heard Cardin scream.
She felt her weight drop.
"RUBY!" She grabbed her shoulder, "DON'T LOOK!"
But it was too late.
Ruby saw the bodies of students and civilians rise from the ground.
The bodies she thought were infected.
The bodies missing legs.
Arms.
Shoulders.
Heads.
"RUBY!"
Bodies sliced in two.
Intestines untangled.
Lungs released.
Stomachs ruptured.
And sharp, chunky claws, outstretch towards her.
"RUUUBYYY!"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH
*BOOM*
Ruby woke up from the telekinetic pulse.
Professor Glynda Goodwitch sprinted towards the girls.
The bodies on the ground followed her.
Each bragged lifelessly behind like leashed animals.
The girls ran with all their might.
Shooting at the rampaging professor.
But Ruby suddenly lost her balance
"Wh-What the?!"
He was slowly lifted off the ground.
Her momentum keeping her moving forward.
"VELVET!"
Velvet saw her being lifted off the ground.
She grabbed her feet before she can go any higher.
Professor Goodwitch was gaining on them.
"JAUNE!"
"I'M RIGHT HERE!"
Jaune reached the ledge.
Velvet looked behind her.
HEEEAAAAAH
Glynda raised her claw, causing Velvet to trip.
But she too didn't land on the ground.
*SLASH*
"AUGH"
She felt the back of her calve bleed.
"VELVET!"
Velvet rose too fast, missing Jaune's hand.
He grabbed her feet before she can escape.
"CARDIN! C'MON-WHOA!"
Jaune immediately rose.
"SHIT!"
Cardin grabbed his feet.
His weight kept him barely on the floor.
"OH MY GOD!" Cardin cried "OH MY GOD!"
He sprinted to the stairs, carrying everyone like a parade balloon.
"SHE'S CLIMBING UP!" Ruby screamed.
He turned around by the stairs.
Glynda Goodwitch climbed over the barrier.
The dead bodies followed her just behind.
Their blood and intestines coated the glass.
She sprinted again, staring right into Cardin's soul.
He had never felt such horror.
"Y-YOU FUCKING WITCH!"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUGH
Cardin screamed bloody murder as he jumped down the stairs.
Glynda barely missed Cardin's head, causing her to crash into the wall.
"OH MY FUCKING GOD!"
The team of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training screamed and cried as Cardin glided above the stairs.
Their descent grew faster and faster.
The Professor roared, preparing her descent.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-
*BAM*
But the bodies behind trampled her against the wall.
Their momentum copying hers.
At the same time, everyone's weight came back.
"OH SHIT!"
They crashed down the stairs.
Their heads smacked into each other.
Their backs slammed on the stair edges.
Their hands scrapped against the walls.
And the bodies abruptly stopped at the bottom.
They groaned in horrible pain.
"SHIT!" Cardin cussed, "FUCK!"
He tried to get back up.
*THUD*
"AUGH"
But his pained leg kept him on the ground.
Jaune was the first to get up.
He saw the dead bodies fall down the stairs.
"SHIT!"
He looked at Ruby and Velvet, injured and unconscious.
He turned to Cardin, trying to get up.
"C'MON!"
He lifted Cardin up.
"GRAB VELVET!"
"FUUUCK!"
His adrenaline forced him through the pain, lifting Velvet onto his shoulder.
Jaune lifted Ruby into his arms, getting her blood onto his armor.
They struggled to run away from the stairs.
The bodies reached the bottom of the stairs.
HAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGH
And Professor Goodwitch was approaching from behind them.
"SHE'S COMING!" Cardin screamed.
"C'MON!"
The adrenaline-fueled strength made them move faster.
Jaune never realized he had such strength.
Nor such speed.
Before they knew it, they were almost right back next to the security room.
*BAM*
They turned around.
"She's getting closer!" Jaune concluded.
"Then let's get the FUCK OUTTA HERE!"
*ruuuuUUUUUUUU-*
The ground shook harder.
"Oh god damn it!" Cardin cried, "She's gonna use her semblance!"
"No…It's not that!"
Cardin turned to Jaune, then turned to the hallway in front of them.
FUUUEEEEGH
AAAEEEEGH
UEEEAAGH
RAAAAAGH
YAABAAAH
The horde of infected rushed at them from the left.
HAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH
Glynda Goodwitch was rushing them to their right.
They were surrounded.
Jaune watched silently as everything began moving slowly.
He turned to the infected, whose feral screams had blended together.
To Glynda Goodwitch, whose humanity was absent from her eyes.
To Cardin, fruitlessly shooting at her with his pistol.
To Velvet, unconscious on top of Cardin's shoulder.
And to Ruby, his best friend, laying injured in his arms.
His mind went empty as he stared into her pale skin.
His eyes began to tear.
As the infected gained closer, as Glynda Goodwitch charged Cardin, and as Jaune held his best friend in his arms, he fell to his knees.
'Ren…Nora…Pyrrha,' his life flashed before his eyes, thinking of his team, his friends, his sisters, his family, 'I'm so stupid…I should have stayed…
He closed his eyes.
'I'm…so…sorry…'
*CLANK*
He opened his eyes.
He saw Velvet's vomit jar on the floor.
Jaune's eyes widened.
He released Ruby to the ground.
He remembered the Boomer.
The vomit.
The wall.
The escort bots.
"I thought you said they couldn't hear us!"
He grabbed the jar.
"N-No, they were nowhere near us!"
The glass was brittle enough to break.
"They couldn't have heard that!"
He saw Glynda Goodwitch closing in on Cardin.
But as the horde passed by the streak of vomit, a couple strayed towards it.
He winds his arm back.
For a moment, they clawed at the wall as if it were alive.
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGH
With all his strength, he threw the jar of vomit at Professor Goodwitch.
*CRASH*
The glass shattered onto her face.
The vomit coated her eyes.
It trailed down to her clothes.
Spread across her body.
Disoriented, she tripped onto the ground.
"SHIT!" Cardin screamed, "WHAT WAS THAT?!"
FUEEAH
HEEAGH
UURRAAA
EEAAAGH
IIIIIEEGH
They turned to the infected.
"C'MON!"
He grabbed Ruby and pushed forward.
"JAUNE!?"
"TRUST ME CARDIN!"
With reckless abandon, he followed and aimed at the horde.
They screamed in terror.
The Horde surrounded them.
They shot aimlessly at whatever came close.
A pile of infected fell to their feet.
Jaune and Cardin had almost completed their magazines.
They prepared for death.
But when the rest of the horde rushed passed them, they froze in place.
HUEEAH…HUEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
They turned around, seeing the unbelievable.
Not moments ago, the horde looked eager to rip their flesh across the hallway.
But now, in a quick change of mind, they aimed all that rage against Professor Glynda Goodwitch.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH
She sliced the infected in two.
Decapitated their heads.
Evacuated intestines.
Removed legs.
And ripped off arms.
But the horde overwhelmed her.
They trampled her to the ground.
Piling over her like hungry wolves.
And clawing at her like angry lions.
Cardin could only stare in shock.
A tug from Jaune brought him back.
"C'MON!"
They rushed away from the frenzy.
The hallways filled with the screams of the infected, and the cries of Glynda Goodwitch.
The further they ran, the more distant the screams sounded.
With the two girls still in their arms and shoulders, they could never imagine running as fast as they were.
They found the same exit they entered from.
Wordlessly, Jaune kicked the door open.
They ran straight back to the weapons locker, silently grateful for the empty school grounds they occupied.
They held their breath, using up all their might to run as fast as possible.
With an unnatural amount of focus, and with adrenaline that can kill a Grimm Beowolf, they arrived at the same weapons locker entrance from before.
Cardin, without command, took Velvet's student ID and open the door himself.
They rushed inside, slamming the door shut.
Placing Velvet on top of a bench, Cardin used the rest of his strength to collapse two lockers over the door.
They felt the quiet in the room. The silence and lack of infected did little to their pounding hearts and exhausted lungs.
Cardin's legs finally gave way, collapsing onto the bench he laid Velvet on.
Jaune fell to his knees, gently placing Ruby on the ground. With breathless tension, he lied on the ground to grasp his pounding forehead.
They breathed heavily. And sweat profusely. Their closed eyes darted left and right. Yet their shaking didn't stop.
Cardin's breathing didn't calm. He grasped his head with increasing anxiety. His teeth gritted with rage.
He opened his mouth, ready to scream.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"
Only, Cardin didn't say a single word.
"HOLY….FUCKING…WHAT THE…FUCK!"
He looked at Jaune, who shift on the ground screaming.
"MONTY FUCK! HOLY FUCK! FUCK! FUUUCK!"
Cardin leaned back.
"FUUUCK. FUUCK. B%$%. C%$^. B #$!. C #$. ! #$. ! #$!#. % ^*&$. # $% #$%. $%^&$% ^^#%&* !^ %*#$&%#%&^$#&* %*#&% ^*&$^* #$* &%* & $^ *$!#*%^ #*!$#* &$%* #$&%* ^&%^#%&*%#%&^$#&* %*#&% ^*&$^* #$* &%* & $^ *$!#*%^ #*!$#* &$%*..."
…
…
…
…
Cardin frowned uncomfortably, watching Jaune go silent once more to clutching his pained heart.
He quickly shifted to the lying Faunas, who was beginning to stir.
And then to the red brat, who was starting to open her eyes.
It seemed their auras had healed them enough.
Ruby's eyes absorbed her surroundings.
"Ooof"
She grasped her throbbing head, having risen too quickly.
"W-What happened?"
Cardin scratched the back of his head.
"…You don't even want to know."
Ruby looked at the bully confused.
She saw Velvet on the bench by him before turning to Jaune on the floor.
"Jaune?"
She carefully got up and approached the young man.
"Jaune…?"
"…Hey Ruby," Jaune said weakly, "I'm…glad you're okay."
"…Yeah," Ruby said awkwardly, "…Are you…Are you okay?"
"…No."
"O-Oh…Okay…"
"…Yeah."
Ruby looked at Cardin once more.
"There…There was another horde," Cardin said, "And…I saw a bunch of zombies attack that fricken Witch instead of us."
"What?" Ruby said in disbelief.
"It was the vomit."
They turned to Jaune, who sat up from the ground.
"They're attracted to the…vomit."
He began to stand up.
"I think…That's what happened with that…Boomer…"
Cardin's eyes widened.
He looked at the Faunas beside him, who began to sit up straight.
He won't admit to it to her, but Cardin felt like shit.
"Okay…" Cardin relented, "So…they're attracted to…vomit then."
"What?" Velvet asked, listening once more, "The vomit?"
She noticed her empty waist.
"Oh…a-alright I guess," Velvet said, completely confused.
But looking around her surroundings, she gasped in realization.
She reached into her pocket.
"I got a Security ID."
They turned to Velvet.
"Oh thank fucking god!" Cardin said, ecstatic, "I can't believe we did it!"
He went to grab the ID.
*ZOOOOM*
But grabbed rose petals instead.
"What the?!"
"C'mon, C'MON!"
*beep*
Ruby opened the override terminal on the wall.
Inside was a single Scroll chip, which she snatched from its place.
Cardin approached her.
"What the hell, brat?!"
"SHUT UP!"
Ignoring Cardin's frustration, Ruby inserted the chip into her Scroll.
The Scroll screen turned dark, then lit up with weapon locker commands.
"Okay…" Ruby scrolled through the controls, "Let's try…THIS!"
She pressed a button.
All the lockers whirred and groaned.
Cogs turned inside each lock.
And with a resounding, synchronized "click", the sounds stopped.
Every single red light on each locker turned yellow.
"Woah," Ruby awed.
She approached a random locker, successfully opening it without a combination.
"Wow," Cardin said, "I wish it was that easy before."
They all ran to their respective lockers.
Ruby immediately opened hers.
"Oh, my baby!"
She cried tears of joy as she cradled Crescent Rose into her arms.
"I'll never leave you alone again!"
She began smothering the weapon with kisses.
Cardin opened his locker.
"Hell. Yeah."
He grabbed his weapon, "The Executioner".
"Now we're talking!"
He expertly swung it around his body, pleased that the weapon was untouched.
Checking inside the center, he saw his previous fire dust crystal still intact.
"Wait until those freaks get a load of this."
*FLASH*
"Huh?"
He turned to see Velvet, quickly walking away with a camera in her hands.
Jaune opened his locker.
"Thank god!"
Grabbing Crocea Mors, he swung the sword around as Pyrrha showed him.
"Still got it," he gripped the hilt tighter, "Thank you, Pyrrha."
*FLASH*
"Hm?"
He sheathed his weapon and turned to see Velvet, who had taken a photo of him with his weapon.
She sheepishly smiled at the blonde leader.
Jaune couldn't help but smile back.
"Hey...uh…bunny?"
Jaune looked at the bully, who approached the lone Faunas girl.
"Is…Your weapon a…camera?"
Velvet looked at him uncomfortably.
"Uh…Yeah."
"…Okay…Does it do anything?"
"Stop Cardin!"
Ruby interrupted him, getting between the two.
"Wh-What?!" Cardin yelled, "I'm just asking a question!"
"You were going to bully her, you jerk!"
"What?! I wasn't going to do anything, I just asked a question! Is that a crime?!"
"Come on, guys!" Jaune interrupted.
They all gathered together.
"It's time to go!"
"Wait Jaune!"
Ruby extended her pistol to him.
"Here, take it!"
Jaune raised his eyebrow.
"But I already have one, Ruby?"
"I know, but you can't fight those things with only a sword and shield!"
She forcefully placed her gun into his free hand.
"My weapon is my gun," she cocked the sniper on Crescent Rose, "I'll be fine!"
She smiled at the young leader.
Her confidence made his confidence grow.
"Okay then," he felt the weight of holding two pistols, "Kinda feel like an action movie star now…Or Ren."
Ruby giggled a bit.
"Hey Velvet," she turned to the Faunas girl, "Are you going to be okay."
"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said, cocking her pistol, "As long as we stick together."
*ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-*
The ground began to lightly shake.
"Oh boy," Jaune said, "We know the drill?"
"Yep!"
"Aye!"
Cardin gripped his weapon tighter.
"Y-Yeah," he chimed.
"Good."
Jaune turned to the opposite end of the room, eyeing the exit they'll be taking.
With their weapons by their side, and having survived the Amphitheater, the team couldn't feel more confident.
Jaune raised his twin pistols.
"Alright guys," he spoke, "We've got everything we need! Let's get the hell out of here!"