Dark Descent – Chapter 3

It was painful, why was he in so much pain. It felt like his heart was being torn around from the inside out, and something was happening to him. It felt strange yet familiar at the same time, but one thing was certain, whatever it was he was feeling wanted out. It wanted blood.

The markings on his right arm spread out creating this armor around his whole hand to his forearm. Emil didn't even notice as he pulled his hand back and punched the beast in the head as this shockwave of dark energy shot pulsed through the beast body imploding it from the inside out.

Its innards and black blood rained over him but he didn't care. He was on a one track mind.

"I'm going to kill you all!" He cried out as he looked towards the nearest beast which looked as if it were afraid of him, but it didn't matter to Emil.

This newfound power he felt surging through him, he kicked off the ground and shot through the air slamming right into the beasts body and sending it flying back crashing into some that were behind it as they went flying into the woods as Emil came to a skidding stop right in the middle of the horde of creatures.

He stood up clenching his fist as he looked around him. They circled around him once more waiting for a chance to move. But Emil didn't let them wait.

Taking hold of his right arm, the black armor spread to his left arm but in his moment of hesitating, one of the beast rushed towards him slashing out with its sharp claws that sent Emil flying back skidding across the ground as another stopped him only to slam him into the ground.

The beast seemed to laugh as it pulled its arms but when they didn't budge it looked down to see Emil with two armored hands that now had claws at his fingertips digging into the beasts arms as he looked up to it.

A thin trail of blood falling from the corner of his mouth as his eye was still bleeding out, and he was smiling.

The other creatures could only watch as Emil twisted and mangled the beast's body before ripping its arms and head off and stabbing it through the chest before grabbing what was left of its body and tossing in a random direction.

He chuckled as he saw its body flying away, he didn't know where this new found strength of his was coming from, but it felt familiar to him.

Turning his head to the others there, he saw them parting way for a much larger beast. It looked to be as tall as one of the trees, bones covered its back and arms as spikes were prodding from its back.

He started laughing as it howled at him as he ran forward ducking under a swipe form its large arms, pulling his palms to his waist he stopped just under its body slamming his right foot on the ground as he used the force to thrust his palms into the beast's stomach as it was lifted off the ground. But just as it was about to fall, his hands began to glow as he intended his fingers and started to swipe at its body rapidly.

Black Blood fell onto his face as he grinned while punched through its gut as it let out a pained howl before he ripped its body in half and throwing its separate parts to his sides as he looked down at his hands.

He didn't know what was happening to him, this new energy coursing through his body. It was like something inside of him wanted him to fight, to make them all suffer. It wanted blood, and it would get it.

Looking behind him he saw more appearing through the woods and he just smiled.

He said nothing as he charged head first into the mass of the beast that had come for him. But he wasn't going to let anything stop him.

Shockwave after shockwave shook the ground as Team RWBY tried their best to keep their footing while Miss Goodwitch took it in stride.

"What the heck is making these quakes?" Weiss said, "And where did all those Grimm go?" She asked as just a few moments ago a horde of Beowolves came charging past them and were heading in the same direction as they were. A few broke off to fight them but they seemed to be converging just ahead of them but now there wasn't a single one of them around.

"Maybe they got scared and ran away?" Ruby said trying to lighten the mood but Weiss's stare quickly shot her down.

"That's highly unlikely." Blake said as she was watching the woods to make sure no Grimm could sneak up on them.

"Well whatever happened something tells me were about to find out." Yang said as the small group pushed through the last bushes only to stop as what they saw shocked them.

Bodies of what was left of Grimm were scattered all over the ground, smoking craters with more of them inside were here and there. Trees were broken in half and uprooted for a few.

All in all it looked like a battlefield with the amount of destruction around.

"What happened here?" Miss Goodwitch asked as looked around, to do something like this whether it was human or not would take a large amount of energy and she could feel this sense of malice around them all. As if the very area was filled with negative energy, "Be on your guard girls, something isn't right here."

Everyone walked through the path of dead Grimm as Goodwitch stopped once more to examine of their bodies.

"How crud," She said looking at the maimed body of what was once a Grimm, "Whoever did this, clearly did so in a barbaric way." Glancing over at the ground next to the dead Grimm she saw red, "Someone was injured while fighting here. Girls be on the lookout for anyone, it would appear that whoever did this is human." She told them as they all nodded to her and thinly spread out to search for anyone in this massive grave.

It took a bit but finally Ruby was the one that shouted out to everyone, "Hey! I found him!" She cried out as everyone rushed over to where she was only to find her moving the body of a Grimm off of what was a guy in torn and ripped clothes. But what was worse was that he was covered in blood.

"Stand aside, I need to check him." Goodwitch said as Ruby did so and Glynda started to work.

All the while the entire team wondered just who this guy was. He looked to be around their age, he had shaggy black and was passed out.

"Who do you think he is?" Blake asked.

"Don't know. But from the looks of it he was somehow a part of whatever happened here." Weiss said.

Ruby looked at him as Miss Goodwitch was using her aura to check his body, "Do you think he's dead?"

This got a look from Goodwitch which frightened Ruby.

"He isn't dead, but he is close to it. His body is badly hurt if that wasn't already obvious. His arms are burnt from his hands to his forearms and he has numerous cuts over his body which it is a miracle in its own that he hasn't bled out yet. And to make matters worse his aura is nearly depleted. We need to get him back to the academy before he-" She stopped in the middle of her speech because the teenager that was supposed to be unconscious let out a groan.

It sounded painful as he suddenly leaned on his elbow and turning his head to the ground as he vomited what looked to be blood.

He did so for a minute before he got it out of his system, he was panting as he stayed there holding himself up trying his best not to fall into his own bile.

They all watched as he slowly tried to stand up but his legs gave out and he fell to the ground face first. The girls winced as the sound of him slamming against it while Goodwitch moved to his side.

"You need to stay still. You're injured and need to get medical attention or you lose more blood or worse." She told him as he staggered to look up, but when he did Goodwitch flinched back at what she saw.

His eyes were ice cold and felt as if he was peering into her very soul as she felt the same malice for a spilt second before it disappeared and she saw his eye was bleeding out as if his blood were tears.

"…." She heard him mutter something under his breath but she couldn't quite hear it.

"What was that? You need to speak up." She told in him a strict tone as if she were speaking to one of her students.

"….up…." He mumbled once more which only seemed to agitate her more.

"Listen to me young man, you may very well be dying but I know you have enough strength to not mutter under your breath so speak up so I can understand you." She said as she kneeled down next to him.

He paused for a moment but inside of getting an answer, she saw his hand reach up and grab her neck tie as she was pulled down to his level and he lifted himself up moving inches away from her face.

"I said to shut up." He said as Goodwitch grew angry. The nerve this teenager had to speak to her in such a manner as she was just trying to help him.

"I am only going to say this once young man. You will let me go this instant or else I will have to use forc-!" She couldn't even finish her sentence as this sudden pressure slammed into her face as her entire head was turned to the sideways before her body went off like a rocket crashing into the trees behind her breaking clean through a group of them before disappearing into the forest.

"Did he just?" Blake asked.

"Yup." Yang answered as she placed her hands on her hips.

"And she was just sent flying away." Weiss said as Yang answered once more.

"That she was."

"Um, guys? Not to interrupt of anything but he's looking this way!" Ruby shouted as she brought out Crescent Rose while all the others did the same with their own weapons.

"Where is she, where is Valentine!" He shouted suddenly as he was walking towards them, but he just came to a stop as he looked past Yang, Blake and Weiss and stared at Ruby which made her 'Eep'.

"You're alive." He said which confused them all.

"Who is he talking about?" Yang asked as she turned around to the others when she noticed something shimmer in the woods just behind them, "Hmm? What's that?" Not even a second later the trees were blown out of the way as if they were twigs and two large claws shot out as this giant pincer flew through the air and was heading right for, "Ruby!" She cried out as the teen turned to see this glowing object just feet from hitting her and leaving her with no time to get out of the way.

Yang watched as the stinger of the Death Stalker smashed right into the spot that her sister was standing as this cloud of dirt flew up.

"Ruby!" She cried out as she charged forward but was swatted away by one of its pincers as the others tried moved back as it thrashed around but something was off about it.

And just a moment later they saw way.

The stinger of the Death Stalker was being held in place by the boy.

"Wow." Ruby muttered out as she was pushed down by the teen that saved her but she was also shocked that he was able to stop its pincer and hold it in place.

"I won't let you hurt her." He said glaring into the large red eyes of the Grimm, "I won't let you hurt Valentine!" He cried out as he started to squeeze the golden pincer and in an amazing display of power they all heard the Death Stalker cry out as its pincer slowly cracked before it shattered to pieces.

But that wasn't the end, the teen pulled his right hand back as this dark blue aura surrounded his body but the Death Stalker had turned all its attention towards the teen as it swung one of its pincers at him only it was deflected as easily as swatting a fly away and the teen taking advantage of it being stunned, lunged forward cocking his armored hand as the aura that was around him shifted to his hand as he slammed it right into the Death Stalkers face as it withstood it for a moment but with one loud battle cry his aura exploded shattering the bone armor over its head as its entire body slammed into the ground before exploding into chunks of dead body parts.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted out as she rushed over wrapping her arms around her, "I'm so glad you're safe!" She said squeezing her harder as Ruby was turning blue.

"Please stop." She got out as Yang did as she asked and turned to the teen who was breathing out heavily and his body showed that he was exhausted beyond belief.

"Hey? Are you alright?" Yang asked as she reached out and placed a hand on the teens shoulder but as she did he started to fall but she quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back up to stop him from hitting the ground but she pulled to hard as he came crashing up against her and she toppled back as he landed on top of her.

The other three walked over to make sure their teammate was alright but when they saw what she didn't, they were beginning to worry not for her but for someone else.

"Well that was unexpected." Yang said trying to get up but she felt some weight on top of her.

"Um, Yang? Don't get angry or anything but…" Blake

"What do you think you're doing?!" Yang shouted as she that the teens head was resting between her, her more ample breast.

"Yang don't!" Ruby shouted as she saw her sister lifted her fist back to hit the guy but she suddenly stopped when she saw something.

He was crying, tears were slowly pouring out of his eyes as he had this pained look on his face. And it reminded her of something that happened a long time ago. He had the same pained look that she had back then.

"Val…entine… must…protect…" He whispered out as he started to shift around as if trying to do something but it was just a dream.

Slowly Yang lowered her fist as the others let out a sigh of relief as their hardest hitter didn't end the life of another. She even placed a hand over his head in an attempt to try and ease his nightmares she guessed he was having just as there was a loud boom that came from behind the trees near them.

"Girls are you all alright?" Miss Goodwitch asked coming out of the bushes a bit of sweat over her brow.

"Miss Goodwitch!" Ruby shouted out as said person walked over to them, "What happened to you?"

She coughed into her hand and looked over her shoulder, "I got caught up with some unwanted guest." She said as they looked past her to see a trail of various Grimm knocked around in different places, "So where is the boy from before?" She asked as they all turned to Yang who was cradling said boys head against her in a protective manner.

Seeing the grins on her teammates faces she waved a hand in front of her, "This isn't what it seems! I thought I need to protect him so…" She let out a sigh, "Never mind, let's just-!"

Before Yang could even finish her sentence the teen suddenly started thrashing about letting out this painful scream as the same dark aura from before surrounded him.

"What's happening now?" Weiss cried out as she felt this strange feeling wash over her. And it wasn't just her, everyone else there felt this sense of dread and it was coming from the teen.

"Hold onto him Miss Xiao Long, this is going to be tricky." Miss Goodwitch said as Yang held onto the teen as best she could while Goodwitch walked over and kneeled before the boy and looked over him as best she could.

"This is going will only take a moment." She placed her hands on both sides of his head as she focused her Aura which shone around her and traveled down her arms and onto the teens, but as she did this, the teen's aura lashed out.

"What!" Goodwitch exclaimed, she was going to use her aura to put him to sedate him but for some reason his aura was fighting against her and for some reason it was spreading down her arms.

"What's going on?" Ruby shouted as she panicked as their teacher's arms were slowly being covered by this dark aura.

"Is there something we can do to help?" Yang asked as Goodwitch looked over to her.

"No, at this point I know what is happening and you girls could be hurt if it spreads to any of you. I didn't want to resort to this but it would seem that I am out of options." Miss Goodwitch let out a grunt as she forced her Aura out of her body and it surrounded her in this purple hue as it slowly but surely forced the darker aura back into the teen as hers covered him and with one last push they were blinded by bright light.

And when the light died down, the aura around the teen was gone and that dreadful feeling was too.

"What did you do?" Weiss asked.

Goodwitch let out an exhausted sigh as she stood up, "I used my aura to force his body, or better his mind to shut down. I wanted to put him to sleep but his aura was fighting against mine so I had to force his mind to shut down. But I fear that in my doing so he could be hurt, so let us head back and get him some medical attention before his state worsens." She said as the girls upped Yang and the teen up and they started to trek back to the academy.

-TBC

And that's all for this chapter!