Eric slowly limped behind the rest of the group, his legs still pulling the last bits together and his arms only just starting to fall back into place. He watched as Yang slowly returned to the world of the living, mumbling about protecting everyone, and how Weiss silently watched over her lover. He noticed that, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't seem to find Blake, especially in his physically impaired state. As the group made their way through the back alleys of the town, they could truly see what had happened; buildings lied in ruins, families mourned, children wandered aimlessly, and people died. Multiple times Ruby went to help someone who'd been crushed, only for Weiss to pull her away and remind her of their own problems.
"Where are we going?" Yang weakly asked, still being dragged along by her sister and the soldier while looking around, wincing in pain as feeling returned to her arms and legs. "Who are you?" She asked Andy, before immediately turning to Weiss. "Who is he?"
"That's Andy." The heiress grumbled, crossing her arms. "The guy that saved our lives."
"Where's Eric? And Blake?!" Yang started to panic, fidgeting in the grip of her helpers. "Weiss! Where are they?!"
"Eric's just behind you!" She reassured the blonde, pointing behind her. Eric smiled back, still limping and clutching one arm in a hand. "As for Blake, well…..I have no idea. She was with us when Andy came along, but she's just….disappeared."
"Andy." Eric called, slightly speeding up his limping to catch up with him. "Where are we going?"
"I don't know yet." He replied, pulling his helmet off and wiping his brow before replacing it. "I've just been making sure that no one got hurt even more." He pulled a little radio out of his pocket and started talking into it.
"This is November-Mike 11, Sunrise-Minor on call, over." A few seconds of silence passed as everyone sat down, save Andy. "Repeat, this is November-Mike 11, Sunrise Minor. Command, how copy?"
"We hear you Sunrise. What's the situation?"
"I don't know command, I was hoping you could tell me."
"The entire city is under attack by an unknown force. What is your current situation Sunrise?"
"I'm currently sat in a back alley not far from the center. I'm transporting…." He stopped and peered at the children, taking a head count. "..four children, two of which have been badly wounded. I've administered one with a standard med-pack, but the other has gone without treatment. What's our orders?"
"You need to make your way to the outskirts of the city, on the way to Beacon academy. Hotel Bravo and Hotel Charlie have set up a forwards base there. Do not, I repeat, do not go through the city center or the surrounding area. The enemy are heavily armed and are concentrating their forces there. Command out."
"Roger. Sunrise-Minor out." He turned towards the group of children and clapped to get their attention. "Right then. I have orders to get you guys out of the city and to a camp set up not far from here."
"Are we going through the town center?" Eric asked, grunting as he stood and dusted himself down. He looked at his arms and noticed how there was scars from where bone had been pushed out of them.
"No. We need to head that way." He pointed west towards the academy. "I've been told that-"
"I'll catch up with you." Eric cut him off, turning in the general direction of the city centre.
"Where are you going?!" Andy asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him back.
"I have stuff to do!" Eric wrenched his wrist from the soldier's grip.
"The center is fucking crawling with the enemy!"
"I don't give a shit!" Eric shouted back, walking towards the wall of a nearby building and knocking on it a few times.
"Now is not the time for fucking heroics! They'll kill you!"
"Look soldier boy! Your job is to make sure that they get to safety! Your command didn't say jackshit about making sure we didn't wander off! So you be a good little man, and make sure they get to the camp, or so help me god I'll rip your -"
"What's the plan?" A voice sounded from beside them. Both men stopped their argument and looked at the bearer of the voice.
"Blake!" Ruby shouted, sprinting towards her lover. "Where did you go?"
"I….I had something personal I needed to get." She looked towards both men before quickly returning to Ruby. "Hey, I'll chat to you soon, but I need to talk to them first, okay?" Ruby nodded, a tear creeping it's way down her cheek. "It'll be fine, I promise." Blake gently rubbed the tear away, replacing it with a line of soot. "Ah shoot." The faunus murmured, smudging the line as she tried to remove it. Smiling, she kissed her forehead and left her, walking over to the arguing pair.
"Hey hey hey!" She shouted, separating the angry duo. "What's the plan?"
"I've been ordered to get everyone to a secure location on the outskirts of the city. That includes this asshole!" Andy shouted, pointing towards Eric.
"I have private shit I need to attend to!" Eric shouted back.
"What private stuff?" Blake asked before Andy could shout back.
"Stuff in the town center."
"That place is crawling with military. Are you sure you really want to got there?" Already, Eric had started to dig his fingers into the wall of the building and began climbing. "I guess that's a 'yes'. If it's any consolation, I'll go with him."
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Andy shouted at her. "What makes you so special?!"
"I have training." Her eyes narrowed to slits before she called up to Eric and asked him to wait. She made her way to Ruby and cupped her cheeks in her hands. "Ruby. I need you to go with Andy, okay? I'm going to go make sure that Eric doesn't get himself killed, but I can't have you tagging along as well, okay?"
"Why?" Ruby asked, tears forming in the corners of her eye's. Wiping them away, Blake placed a kiss on the girls forehead.
"Because someone has to make sure that he doesn't get himself killed. You know how he is. I mean, we could've sent Yang in my place, but just look at her." Ruby's eyes followed her lover's gaze and rested upon her sister.
The normally cheerful brute looked sad, crestfallen even. She propped herself in between Weiss and a wall, shaking in pain as the consequences of recent events caught up with her. Her hair was covered in dust and debris, turning the bright blonde to a dull yellow, and her face was a contorted mix of pain and sorrow, the look in her eyes that of sorrow, glimpses of horrific events flitting across her eyes.
"You understand why we can't send her, don't you?" Blake whispered into Ruby's ear. She nodded slightly in response, then looked back towards Blake and nodded again before planting a kiss on the kittens mouth, to which Blake returned quickly with passion. Unwillingly, Blake broke the kiss and slowly pushed Ruby off her, standing up to join Eric on top of the building. Without saying a word, Blake threw part of Gambol shroud up to Eric, and once he took hold of it, pulled herself up the building, leaving the rest of the group behind.
Eric dug his heels into the raised corners of the buildings roof and wrapped the cord of Gambol Shroud around his hand, the tug of the chord signifying that Blake was making her way up the building. The first thing that caught his eye was the pure black set of ears peeking over the top of the buildings edge, quickly followed by the raven-colored hair, and eventually, Blake's pale hands and face. With a grunt, she pulled herself up and took the end of Gambol Shroud from Eric, put it back together and sheathed the blade. With a quick nod, Eric made his way to the center, hopping across building tops with Blake quickly following behind him.