Chapter 8

Beacon was in chaos. Citizens screaming and running, Grimm roaring as they fough with Atlas troops, bodies and broken machinery littered the ground.
But none of that concerned Yang Xiao Long. Only one thing was on her mind: Find Ruby. She, Cieryl, and Neo fought side by side as they searched for the red headed girl. Looking out among the smoke, they could see Ren and Nora duelling with a Griffon, while Jaune and Pyrrha took down an Alpha Beowolf. Still no sign of Ruby.
CFVY ran past them into the fray and Velvet stopped in front of Yang. She snapped a picture of Nora as she fought, then put the camera back in its box.

"Is now really the time to take pictures, Velvet?" Yang asked, her eyes shining crimson.

Velvet grinned and reached into her box. "It's the perfect time, Yang!" she replied, pulling Magnahiln from the box. Yang blinked and looked at Nora.

"FOR PANCAKES EVERYWHERE!" She screamed as she crushed an Ursa's head with Magnahiln.

"This is my weapon. I take a picture, and my box copies the weapon!" Velvet announced, turning and running into battle.

Coco was gunning Grimm down left and right as Velvet fired off grenades everywhere from her borrowed weapon. A smaller Nevermore dove at Velvet, who was too preoccupied to notice.
Just before it could make contact and snatch her, Yatsuhashi caught the bird by its beak, got his arm wrapped around its throat, and slammed it into the ground. He swung one leg over its head, stood over it, and snapped its neck. "Thanks, Yatsu!" Velvet called.

"Come on, let's go! We have to find Ruby!" Yang shouted. As they turned to run, they heard a scream. They all turned as a Nevermore snatched Coco in its talons and took off.

"NOOOOOO! FOX HELP ME!" Velvet lifted Magnahiln, but paused out of fear of hitting Coco. It was too late. They watched in horror as it flew high, and Velvet and Yatsu had to watch as it dropped their leader to the earth. She landed a few feet away with a sicking crunch. They all ran to her, her body broken, her sunglasses askew. She was dead.
Fox dropped to his knees at her side, feeling her corpse, and shook her, trying to wake her. "Coco... baby... please wake up..." he said as tears poured from his unseeing eyes.
Velvet dropped to her knees beside him and buried her face in Coco's chest, her sobs echoing out. Yatsu pick up his blade and as the Nevermore came down for another strike, he threw his blade, the force and momentum of it, slicing the creature in half. Cieryl shook Yang.

"There's nothing more we can do. The Grimm are clear of this area and Ruby isn't here. We have to find her before this happens to her as well." Yang nodded and looked back one more time at the grieving team.

-

Winter and Ironwood had seen better times. They were fighting back to back, Winter summoned her knight to fight alongside her, while Ironwood fought with twin revolvers.

"You really shouldn't be out here if you're pregnant." Ironwood said.

"The only way I'll ever stop fighting is when I'm dead, General." she replied. The Grimm were getting thin in this area and Ironwood spoke up.

"I'm getting in the air. I'm going to get to my command fleet, I'll do more damage that way." he explained. "I'd ask you to join me, but I know you wont listen." he said as he boarded an airship.

Winter nodded and continued her fight alongside her summoned knight. She sat down on some rubble and rubbed her belly, and sighed deeply. She heard a groan as a mech came around the corner. She sighed in relief, then it raised it's weapons at her. Her eyes widened, for she didn't have time to move. She closed her eyes, waiting for the darkness to come.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She heard a man scream, as the mech's arms were both lopped off, deploying smoke a moment too late as the man's weapon sliced through the machine, destroying it. Winter stood and squinted through the smoke as it started to clear.

Qrow. His scythe shining bright as he set it on his shoulder, he walked up and kissed Winter. She noticed he didn't taste like liquor.

"You aren't drunk!" she said happily.

"I told you I would quit, and I am. Now, you're getting out of here. I won't let you, or our baby, get hurt out here." He replied

Our baby... she thought. He's really ready to be a dad... she followed him to the entrance to a shelter.

"Stay here. I'll come find you once this is all over, okay?" he kissed her again, letting the door seal behind him, and ran back into battle.

-

Ruby was running. As soon as that woman made her announcement, everything went to Hell. Now, she tried to find her partner. She ran through the area. "WEISS!" she called.
"WEISS!" she didn't see the shadow following her from the rooftops.

"Ruby over here!" she rounded the corner and Weiss was standing there waving at her, a few dead Grimm nearby. As Ruby ran to her, a shadow grabbed Weiss from behind, driving a blade through her. Weiss' eyes widened as she fell into a bleeding pile on the ground. The shadow stepped forward, revealing her identity. Emerald.

Tears streaming, she charged, drawing Crescent Rose on the fly. Emerald readied herself as Ruby impacted. Blades clanged against each other, but something wasn't right. She swung Crescent Rose and hit Emerald, but Emerald wasn't there. She turned as Emerald's blade came down... and Myrtenaster blocked it.

"I can't allow you to kill my partner, you bitch." Weiss said.

"Weiss! You're okay!" Ruby said, looking back at the pile, but seeing another Weiss still there. "Wait... what?" she said, puzzled.

"I saw you two fighting, but half the time, when you were swinging, there was nothing there. I'm assuming her semblance is illusion projection." Weiss explained.

The two vs one duel began between Weiss, Ruby, and Emerald. Despite the numbers, Weiss and Ruby couldn't see through the illlusions, causing them to bump onto each other, majorly impairing their combat. They looked at Emerald, as she raised her guns, and a blade pierced her heart from behind. As Emerald fell, Neo poked her head out from behind her, Cieryl and Yang right at her back.

"Oh thank God you guys are here... She almost had us!" Weiss said. "Her semblance was really screwi-mmmf!" Ruby grabbed her partner by the collar and planted her lips on hers.
Weiss blushed madly as Ruby let go.

"Sorry Weiss. This may be our last battle so I just had to let it out." Ruby explained.

Weiss gave Ruby another quick kiss, armed Myrtenaster, and said "We will discuss this more later on. For now, sweetie, stay safe. We need to get back into combat. Beacon needs us!"

Without hesitation, the five of them charged back into combat, Weiss and Ruby smiling as they ran.