{Vale}
"You're going to what?" the short, white-haired girl's voice comes out as more of a screech. "How can that possibly be safe?"
"If personal safety is your primary concern, rather than adaptability or combat prowess, perhaps you are at the wrong school." the headmaster, Ozpin's reply is not unkind, but it's clear he's not impressed by that particular line of thinking.
The girl gives an annoyed huff in response, but doesn't say anything else.
Pyrrha gives Jaune a small smile as they take their places on the launch pads emblazoned with Beacon's emblem.
The two of them have worked with Ozpin in the past—though at the time he'd been known as the King of Vale—and he hasn't changed despite the years since then. His no-nonsense demeanor is perfectly suited for this kind of school, where students from all over come to learn how to fight the creatures of Grimm.
Jaune nods to her as he takes his place.
Over the years that they've been together, they've attended several different combat schools for the sake of keeping their skills honed. They usually take turns in certain roles—the prodigy and the fool—and this century, it's Jaune's turn to play the fool. He'll keep his actual abilities disguised unless it's absolutely necessary, as it helps to keep from drawing too much attention. Two people with a similar level of combat skill in a school meant for novices would certainly attract the wrong kind of attention…
Ozpin's talking up the challenge they're about to face, mentioning something about death and landing strategies. Even without her unnaturally long lifespan, Pyrrha would have been skeptical of students being put in mortal danger during an initiation exercise. In all likelihood, it will be dangerous, but the legal ramifications of letting a student die needlessly to make a point would have Beacon shutting it's doors for good in no time at all.
That's all Pyrrha has time to ponder, because she's being catapulted into the air with a surprising amount of velocity. She easily maintains control over her trajectory, alighting on a branch in time to see Jaune wheeling through the air with an amusingly terrified scream. If Pyrrha hadn't known better, she'd think it was genuine.
Pyrrha takes aim with her spear, tracking Jaune's tumble before hurling her weapon with all of her considerable strength, using the rifle functionality to give it an extra boost. She allows herself a satisfied smirk when she discovers that her aim is perfectly on target, and Jaune has been pinned to a tree by the hood of his shirt. He's out of harm's way, and also above the eye-level of anyone looking for a partner…
After more than two millennia of being alive, Pyrrha's grown fairly accustomed to working with Jaune—and she's loathe to admit it, but the idea of having anyone other than Jaune watching her back makes her profoundly uncomfortable…
Pyrrha frowns in thought as she makes her way through the forest toward Jaune. The domesticity of the past eight years had been a welcome change of pace compared to the life they'd led before. But, it didn't take long for things to become rather...monotonous. She cares for Yang and Ruby dearly, of course, but their daily routine had very little variety. In all honesty, even though the years they've spent watching over Yang and Ruby have been less than an eye-blink in the span of their lifetimes, she's missed this. She's missed adventuring and hunting Grimm, but most of all, she's missed him.
"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me," Jaune quips, grinning at her from where he's suspended from the hood of his sweatshirt.
"I'd never forget about you, Jaune." Pyrrha tells him honestly. She calls on her Semblance to retrieve her spear, and Jaune takes the ten-foot drop to the ground easily. "I think you might be the only person in Remnant who understands me."
Jaune looks thoughtful for a moment, and then he speaks. "I'm sure it hasn't been easy for you."
"I just...I'm glad I have you." Pyrrha admits, feeling her cheeks warm as she smiles at him.
"I'm glad to have you too." Jaune replies immediately.
Pyrrha looks around. The air is suddenly too warm, their admissions too intimate, and she grasps for a way to change the subject. "This is certainly an interesting way to train the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses."
"It seems...risky." Jaune says after a beat, and Pyrrha gets the distinct impression that he's uncomfortable. "Sure it might be effective, but risking death in a training environment seems needless. Just because they might not be cut out for this kind of work doesn't mean they can't be useful elsewhere."
"Επιβιώνουν μόνο οι άξιοι" Pyrrha murmurs, the phrase springing to mind out of reflex, even after all this time.
"Only the worthy survive?" Jaune repeats, translating automatically. "That seems a little harsh. They're just kids."
"Maybe so. But the Grimm do not know mercy or kindness. Only destruction. If these kids, these students, want to protect the people they care about by becoming Huntsmen and Huntresses...The training methods must be harsh, or they will not survive."
Jaune just sighs. "I know you're right, but I still don't like it."
"If not us, if not these students, then who? It's not as though any of the kingdoms besides Atlas have a standing army anymore. None of them have since the Great War ended. And, even Atlas wouldn't be able to defend itself against a large-scale Grimm attack."
Jaune frowns. "Someone's gotta do it, I guess, right? Maybe one day we won't have to deal with this kind of thing anymore. Just be able to live peacefully without all this...unpleasantness."
"I hope you're right, Jaune. I'd like that too."
The two of them are quiet for a moment as they navigate the forest. And then, Pyrrha speaks up again:
"What are we supposed to be doing on this exercise again? I wasn't really paying attention." she admits.
"Looking for some chess pieces, in a temple on the north side of the forest." Jaune explains. "We have a lot of ground to cover to get there, I saw it from the air."
Pyrrha nods. "We should pick up the pace then. I think Ruby and Yang went further than we did, I hope they're doing well. Do you think they've found partners yet?" she wonders.
"I'd imagine so." Jaune says. "Hopefully people they can get along with…"
***TCE***
Yang lets out a long sigh. She's been walking for what feels like ages and hasn't seen or heard the faintest inkling of another person nearby. With the amount of students that were launched from the cliffside, she expected to have run into someone by now.
Where is everybody? She wonders to herself.
The blonde melee specialist is pulled from her ponderings by a low, menacing growl. Yang flicks her wrists, readying her weapon, Ember Celica. It consists of a pair of reinforced wristbands with a circular magazine capable of firing various kinds of dust shells as well as buckshot mounted inside. It's the perfect weapon to compliment her close-quarters fighting preferences, especially considering that she can use the recoil to strike with more force or even propel herself forward when necessary.
The Ursa, a large and incredibly dangerous bear-like Grimm, moves to stand in front of her. It's followed closely by another, slightly smaller member of its kind.
Yang grins.
Finally, some action!
"I don't suppose you guys have seen any people around?" Yang quips, settling into her ready stance.
The Ursai just growl in response.
"Yeah. Didn't think so. Thanks anyway!" Yang responds, and then launches herself at the creatures. She lands heavily, putting all her momentum into a furious combination of blows that sends the Ursa flying backward, splintering several trees as it crashes through the forest. It lands in a heap, stunned, but not destroyed.
The ground trembles as the larger Grimm charges, roaring in challenge as it bears down on the blonde.
Yang throws herself aside in a clumsy roll, kicking herself for not paying more attention. That was sloppy. She twists to avoid the teeth snapping at her torso, and counters with a vicious blow that sends teeth and pieces of jawbone flying as Ember Celica barks.
Enraged, the Grimm lashes out with one of its massive paws, faster than Yang expects it to be able to move. The swipe lands squarely along Yang's right side, and pain explodes from her hip to her shoulder as she's catapulted into a tree. She slams into it back-first, and the pain in her side is immediately overtaken by the agony in her back. Her legs immediately go numb, and she knows that she's in a world of trouble.
Oh...oh this is bad… She thinks.
Her body will repair itself, but the process is not instantaneous, which leaves her vulnerable and defenseless while she waits to heal.
Almost as though sensing her weakness, the Ursa turns and stalks towards her, its teeth bared in a menacing snarl despite the grievous wound to its face.
Yang sighs and steels herself to die. The process of reviving is always unpleasant and a bit disorienting—not to mention that she's surrounded by people who don't know about her abilities. She'd prefer to keep them under wraps if possible; other people finding out would lead to a lot of unwanted questions and attention, even in the best case scenarios.
The Ursa lets out a mighty roar and raises one of its massive paws.
"Oh, great." Yang mutters sarcastically. The pins and needles in her legs tell her that her body is slowly knitting itself back together, but she won't heal in time to save herself.
A dark shape hurtles down from the trees and the girl from earlier—Blake—lands in a graceful roll in front of Yang, her sword flashing in the sunlight as she cleaves through the Ursa's foreleg. She whirls, her blade spinning in an intricate flourish as she brings it around to take the creature's head.
Yang blinks in surprise. "Damn…" She whistles, impressed.
"Are you okay?" Blake asks as she helps Yang to her feet.
Yang grunts, and slips back down as her legs give out beneath her, pain shooting down her not-quite-healed spine. "I'll be alright in a minute. Got hit in the back and my legs are still a bit numb... Look out!" Yang points, warning Blake of the smaller Ursa charging them.
Blake makes no move to evade, instead angling her sword to allow the creature to impale itself with its own momentum.
"Whoa. Thanks for the save." Yang breathes, finally regaining enough feeling in her legs to stand. No sooner has she risen, than a Beowolf lunges at her from the nearby bushes. Yang evades, leaping into the air to avoid its snapping jaws. She fires off a round from Ember Celica, using the recoil to propel herself into a spin as she falls. She lashes out with another blow as she drops onto the Beowolf's head, striking with enough force to crack its skull like an eggshell.
"Nice move." Blake says easily, her amber eyes wide and alert, her body coiled and ready to spring.
"Thanks, you too." Yang replies, grinning. "Incoming!" she shouts as a large Grimm with spiny protrusions along its arms and back emerges from the trees. It's flanked by several smaller ones, but they're all the same species of Grimm—Beowolves.
"Think you can handle the big one?" Blake wonders in a low voice, though she makes no move to draw her sword.
Yang nods. "I can take him." She fires off Ember Celica, hurtling toward the large creature fast enough to make her eyes water as she flies through the air. She slams into the beast, driving her fist directly into its armored face with a loud report from her weapon. The armored carapace cracks, but remains mostly intact.
Damn. This thing is tough… Yang realizes. She dodges a huge, furry arm as it sweeps toward her, narrowly avoiding being impaled by the spines. She spares a glance at Blake as she flips away from the strike, impressed to see her decapitate three of the smaller Grimm at once with one vicious slash.
Yang pays for her lapse in concentration in blood, caught by the creature's other arm in a blow that sends her tumbling away.
"Yang, catch!" Blake calls out, and tosses her weapon to Yang as she careens through the air.
Yang snags it, realizing that Blake has the weapon attached to some kind of tether.
Blake loops the tether around the neck of one of the smaller Grimm and Yang dimly registers the gruesome crunch of the Grimm's neck breaking as she uses the tether to slingshot herself around a tree, redirecting her flight back toward the biggest threat.
Yang taps into her Semblance as she flies, drawing on the pain she feels to give her strength. She drives her fist into the Beowolf's head once more, aiming for the same place she'd struck earlier, and is rewarded by a wet, meaty crunch. The Beowolf falls backward in a stunned heap as Yang lands, rolling to absorb the impact. She turns, feeling the familiar burn of her anger as she lays into the creature, pummeling it with the full force of her fury. With a cry, she seizes the crack in the creature's skull with both hands, and pulls.
The Beowolf writhes, roaring as Yang rends it in two, breathing heavily.
She turns to check on Blake, watching in astonishment as the lithe fighter hurls her sword into one of the last two remaining smaller Grim as it attempts to leap at her. She dodges a lunge from the last one, so casually that she almost seems to be dancing. She wraps her arms around the creature's neck as it stumbles past, giving it a sharp jerk to one side. The report of the bones breaking is grisly, and Yang could swear that Blake almost looks like she's enjoying the violence as she lets the creature drop.
"I think…" Yang pants, trying to catch her breath. "I think we got 'em all."
Blake lets out a slow breath and stands a bit straighter. "Right. Are you hurt?"
Yang shakes her head. "No, you?"
"I'm fine." Blake replies, still breathing a bit heavily herself.
"We make a pretty good team." Yang admits.
"We do work well together. So...partners, then?" she wonders, sheathing her sword on her back.
"You bet!" Yang answers, a little too enthusiastically. Her cheeks warm and she looks away. "Right. Anyway, we should get moving…"
"The temple shouldn't be far. Hopefully we're not the last ones there." Blake adds.
"I think we'll be fine. It's early in the exercise still." Yang points out, falling into step beside Blake. "What do you think of the competition so far?"
"You mean the other students?" Blake pauses in thought. "I think a lot of them are in for a rude awakening. I've met four people I'd trust in a fight so far, and I'm still on the fence about one of them." Blake says. "I've seen you fight. Nora almost broke my hand when she shook it, so I'm sure she'll be fine, and Ruby must be very talented to have gotten in two years early. I'm not sure about Ren though,"
"Ruby? That's my sister!" Yang says, grinning with pride.
"Small world." Blake remarks, her eyes scanning the surrounding trees.
"I met Nora and Ren, too; they seem alright." Yang agrees. "And besides, isn't that the point of coming to a combat school? To get better? If everyone was great right from the start, that'd make it sort of pointless to come here, right?"
"Doesn't mean they can't have some kind of decent foundation to build on. Just look at your sister for example; if she's good enough to get an invite two years early, she's probably capable enough to mop the floor with most people here. I don't know that I'd call that being off to a good start as far as the rest of them are concerned." Blake responds, her lips pressing together in a grim line.
"I mean...I guess I see your point. It just seems kind of...cynical is all." Yang replies glumly, unsure of how to proceed in light of the fact that Blake seems determined to focus on the negative.
"Maybe so. But in the real world, a lot of times you don't get a second chance. If we're going to be stepping into the role of guardians, and protecting those who can't protect themselves, then we'd better be damn close to perfection." Blake says, her expression clouded, and her shoulders carrying a tension that's only just become noticeable.
"Are you okay? You seem kinda...tense." Yang wonders, stepping over a fallen log.
Blake sighs, and Yang gets the impression that there's more to Blake's tightly-wound behavior than she's letting on. "It's...a long story. I'll be alright. This forest just has me on edge." Blake explains.
Yang frowns. She wants to get to know Blake a bit better, but the other girl seems determined to play her cards close to her chest. Searching for a way to bring some levity to the situation, Yang grins at Blake and nudges the girl with her elbow.
"Yes?" Blake wonders.
"Did you hear about the fire at the circus?" Yang begins.
Blake just stares at her.
"It was in tents." Yang grins.
Blake just sighs. "Yang. That was terrible." She rolls her eyes.
"I know, isn't it great?"
Blake groans in response, but there's the ghost of a smile on her face and some of the tension eases from her shoulders.
"Think this is it?" Yang wonders aloud as the pair comes to the top of a ridge that overlooks a small, circular structure.
Blake says nothing, but gives her a look that reads: Obviously.
Yang shrugs in response, and begins making her way down to the temple.
Calling the structure a temple seems a bit too generous now that Yang is actually looking at it. She's sure it was beautiful at one point, but it's just a ruin now, and a small one at that. A few of the pedestals are empty, signifying that they're not the first ones here.
"Chess pieces." Blake observes.
"Looks like it," Yang agrees.
"Which one should we choose?" Blake wonders. "Do you think Headmaster Ozpin assigned some significance to the pieces?"
"I think you're overthinking it a little, Blake." Yang answers. "How about this cute little pony?" She says, holding up a white knight piece.
Blake rolls her eyes, but smiles. "Good choice. A versatile piece, noble, but not the most powerful on the board, like the queen. Says we're adaptable, but not egotistical."
Yang blinks. "Okay...are you always so...analytical?"
"Yes. It's been useful to me more often than I would have expected." Blake replies, rolling her shoulders.
"Oh." Yang is still trying to figure out what else to say when a shrill scream splits the relative quiet. "Oh no! Some girl's in trouble!" She says, looking to Blake as she tries to come up with a plan.
"We should go help." Blake replies. "I think it came from—" Blake's next words are drowned out by the roar of an Ursa, and the quiet forest around them erupts into chaos.
***TCE***
"You've gotta be kidding…" Ruby mutters as she lays eyes on the one person she'd hoped not to run into during this exercise. She'd been paying close attention to Headmaster Ozpin's instructions and he'd been very clear: the first person she made eye contact with would be her partner for the next four years.
And, standing before her is none other than Weiss.
"You again?" Weiss grumbles, sounding equally displeased.
"Ugh, great." Ruby mutters. "Look, I don't like it either, okay? But we're kind of stuck together now, aren't we?"
Weiss says nothing, rolling her eyes and turning on her heel. She walks away, quickly disappearing into the trees.
"H-hey, wait up!" Ruby calls out, hurrying to catch up to her new partner.
"Keep up," Weiss snaps, not even bothering to turn around and look Ruby in the eye. "We have a lot of ground to cover."
"I am!" Ruby protests. "I already apologized for earlier, I don't know what else you want from me."
The white-haired heiress rounds on Ruby, her eyes flashing with a cold, detached kind of anger. "What I want, is for you to stay the hell out of my way. I came to Beacon to be a Huntress, not a babysitter."
Ruby's mouth drops open, and she feels the beginnings of tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She understands that Weiss is still upset about the dust explosion yesterday, but this kind of personal attack is just mean for the sake of it. "Hey!" She says weakly.
"Aw, is baby gonna cry? Does she need a diaper change and a bottle of warm milk to fix her hurt fee-fees?"
"Shut up! Just because you're older than me, doesn't mean you're better than me. I can handle myself just fine." Ruby snaps, taking a step toward Weiss, her right hand reaching to draw Crescent Rose from her back.
"I'll believe that when I see it." Weiss snaps.
"Ugh, You're such a bitch!" Ruby replies.
Weiss' glares at Ruby, trembling with what Ruby can only assume is rage. "What?" She seethes, in a voice like ice.
"You heard me." Ruby replies, her eyes narrowing. Just when she's certain they're about to come to blows—not that she'd be opposed to wiping the stupid, smug smirk off Weiss' face—a growl from the underbrush draws their attention.
Slowly, several Beowolves slink out of the underbrush, surrounding the pair.
Ruby swallows hard. She's fought some minor Grimm before, but nothing this big or armored. Still, she's confident that she can handle them—if Weiss doesn't take advantage of her distraction to ditch her...
Weiss sighs. "This is your fault. Even a dolt like you should know that Grimm are attracted to negative emotions."
Ruby rolls her eyes and draws Crescent Rose. "Oh, because you're such a ray of sunshine and positivity."
"Like I said: 'stay the hell out of my way.'" Weiss snaps, and lunges for the nearest Grimm, skewering it with what appears to be little effort. Ruby can tell from her movement and efficient kills that she's very experienced in combat.
Unwilling to be shown up by her haughty classmate, Ruby springs, her scythe wheeling as she carves through the Grimm. She dodges a swipe from one of the larger Grimm, stumbling backward into Weiss.
The fireball Weiss had been about to unleash at the Grimm careens into a tree instead, setting it and the surrounding few trees ablaze in seconds.
"Nice." Ruby quips, unable to resist the urge to relish in Weiss' imperfections.
"Watch where you're going! I could have killed you with that!" Weiss snaps.
"You'll have to try a lot harder than that." Ruby grumbles, moving Crescent Rose in a deft cut to dispatch the last Grimm. "See? I told you I can handle myself."
Out of danger, at least for the moment, Weiss rounds on her again. "Is that a challenge?" She demands, pointing her sword at Ruby.
"No!" Ruby groans, exasperated. "We're not going to get anywhere if we're at each other's throats the whole time. I don't like this anymore than you do, but we need to work together if we're going to get out of here in one piece. And, I'm sure you want to start the year with a good grade, which I guarantee we won't if we come in last place." She points out, frustrated at the fact the Weiss seems more focused on showing her up than on actually completing their assigned task.
"Do you honestly think I'm that dim? I understand that perfectly well! I'm not a stranger to completing objectives—I served in my kingdom's military for seven years, Ruby. Maybe if you were less concerned with showing off—"
"I'm not showing off!" Ruby interrupts. "I just want people to know I'm capable." She adds more quietly. "I know I'm younger than everyone here—and that all of them will assume I'm just deadweight because of that."
Weiss takes a breath, and Ruby braces herself for another scathing series of insults, but Weiss just says: "Okay. You're not bad, but your battlefield awareness needs some serious work. We can't be tripping over each other in the middle of a fight."
Ruby stuffs the urge to respond with an insult, taking not of the fact that Weiss is at least trying to be civil. "I'll...I'll work on it."
Weiss nods. "We should get going, the temple is this way."
Ruby looks up as the sunlight is blocked by an enormous, winged Grimm, something she's only read about—a Nevermore. The creature lets out a piercing squawk and dives at the two students.
"Hey, Weiss, I think I found us a ride."
"Are you crazy?" Weiss responds, her eyes widening as she realizes what Ruby is planning.
Ruby grabs Weiss by the arm with one hand and swings Crescent Rose with the other, latching on to the Nevermore as it swoops past.
"Hold on tight!" Ruby calls out, and the two of them are lifted roughly into the sky.
***TCE***
An auburn-haired girl in bronze armor bursts out of the forest at a dead sprint.
Blake hasn't met the girl officially yet, but she's seen her around campus a few times—the sword and shield she carries are distinctive.
Behind her, a huge Deathstalker barrels through the forest, bulldozing over trees as it gives chase. It lumbers into the clearing, and from its stinger hangs the source of the girly screech they'd heard a few minutes ago. The boy is dressed in jeans and sneakers, though a white breastplate and shoulder pauldrons obscure his shirt.
"A Deathstalker?" Blake says in surprise.
"Yup." Yang replies, popping the 'p'.
"Jaune! Whatever you do," The girl calls out to the boy as the Deathstalker thrashes. "Don't let...go." her warning comes too late, and the boy goes flying as the enormous creature successfully shakes him loose.
"Pyrrha," The boy—Jaune—cries as he's flung through the air.
"Heads-up!" Comes a cry in a familiar, high-pitched voice.
Blake looks up to see Ruby tumbling from the sky as a Nevermore soars overhead, though Jaune crashes into her and both of them go sailing into a nearby copse of trees.
"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake asks Yang, not quite able to believe the insanity she's just witnessed.
"Umm…" Is Yang's only response.
Another roar draws Blake's attention, and the feline faunus girl just stares as an Ursa staggers into the clearing and topples over. The hammer-wielding redhead from yesterday—Nora—hops off of it's back, landing softly on the grass.
"Aww, it's broken." Nora laments, inspecting the creature's corpse with a morbid curiosity."
"Nora," Ren pants as he steps around the dead creature. "Don't ever do that again."
Blake blinks. What? "Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" She wonders, looking over at Yang.
The blonde brawler's eyes flash crimson. "Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?" She snaps, before taking a breath to calm herself.
Blake, for one, is grateful for the insanity of today. It's stressful, for sure, but it keeps her mind off of...other things.
Another shout draws her attention before she can begin to dwell on past events; she looks up to see Weiss tumbling from the Nevermore.
Ruby leaps out of the trees to catch Weiss as she falls, both of them landing in a heap in front of Blake.
"Great!" Yang says, her voice full of false cheer. "The gang's all here; now we can die together!"
Jaune stumbles back to rejoin the group, clearly a bit dazed.
The auburn-haired girl looks around at the ragtag group of assembled students. "What do we do?" She wonders, just as Blake is about to ask the same thing.
"We've all got our pieces right?" Ruby points out, getting to her feet and helping Weiss to do the same before dusting herself off.
Everyone mumbles some kind of affirmative answer, clearly worn out by the day's events.
"Good." Ruby says. "Then we don't need to fight these things. The cliffs are right there—we're almost out." The youngest of the group points toward another ruin at the base of the cliff. "We can lose them in there, and then we'll be home free."
Blake nods in agreement. "Good idea."
"Run and live." Jaune says, grinning. "That's an idea I can get behind."
The Nevermore screeches, pelting the ground with its razor-sharp feathers, sending the group scattering for cover. The Deathstalker hisses and heads toward the group as the Nevermore circles overhead.
"Looks like we're fighting after all," Weiss grumbles.
"Nora, distract it!" Jaune calls out, pointing at the massive, scorpion-like Deathstalker. The group breaks into a run, pausing to cover each other with weapons fire as they try to put some distance between them and the Deathstalker.
"We're gonna have to deal with the Nevermore if we're planning on climbing out." Yang points out as they run. "We'll be sitting ducks for that thing otherwise."
Blake nods, realizing that Yang is right, but wondering how they'll manage to fight both of the creatures at once. Just one of them would be a challenge, even for a team of four…
The group pelts across a stone bridge, one too narrow for the Deathstalker to follow; The Nevermore circles around and slams into the span before they can finish crossing. Blake is relieved to see that Ruby, Yang, and Weiss are alright on the far side of the chasm, but that leaves her with Ren and Pyrrha to fight off the Deathstalker.
Great…she thinks.
She throws herself at the monster, slashing and dodging around it's enormous pincers and stinger, but none of her blows seem to be doing any damage. Ren and Pyrrha's weapons don't seem to be having any effect either.
How are we supposed to beat this thing? Blake wonders, blinking sweat from her eyes before flipping out of the way of the stinger once more.
"Nora smash!" The redhead sails through the air, flipping over Blake's head to slam her hammer down on the Deathstalker in a mighty blow. And, she simply bounces off, stumbling into Blake as she lands.
Blake is knocked off the bridge by the impact, and only a desperate toss of her weapon saves her from tumbling into the canyon below. She swings from Gambol Shroud's ribbon, trying to make her way back to Yang; but the Nevermore comes around for another pass.
Blake calls on her Semblance, using one of her clones to gain more height and land on the Nevermore's back instead of swinging into it's open beak. She slashes wildly as she runs along, but, like with the Deathstalker, her attacks don't appear to be doing much damage. She takes a flying leap off of the creature, landing on the central structure of the ruin next to Yang.
"It's tougher than it looks." Blake says.
Undeterred, Yang readies her weapon. "Then let's hit it with everything we've got."
Blake folds Gambol Shroud into it's pistol configuration and unleashes a barrage of gunfire, along with Yang, Ruby, and Weiss.
The Nevermore dips, plowing through the structure and leaving the girls scrambling along the falling rubble to avoid falling into the canyon. Blake pauses to catch her breath once she's reached solid ground—at least relatively speaking—again, her lungs burning from the effort. She blinks in astonishment when she sees Yang leap into the Nevermore's mouth, firing her weapon down it's throat.
Is she crazy? Blake wonders, impressed at the other girl's boldness.
"I have a plan!" Ruby tells her breathlessly as the Nevermore crashes into the cliffside. "Weiss is gonna freeze the Nevermore in place, then you and Yang can use your ribbon to slingshot me into it and I can take it down!"
Blake nods. It's an insane plan, but in the absence of any better ones, she'll go with it. She looks on to see the Nevermore pinned in place by a wall of ice, and then Yang waves to her. She pitches Gambol Shroud to the blonde, stretching its ribbon between two stone pillars.
Ruby leaps into the ribbon, while Weiss fine-tunes their aim with one of her glyphs.
I really hope this works… Blake thinks, and then Ruby's off, hurtling through the air in a red blur. Her scythe's blade embeds itself into the Nevermore's neck, and Weiss gives her a path up the cliffside with her glyphs.
Ruby tears up the cliff in a burst of rose petals, firing her weapon as she goes. She drags the Nevermore up the cliffside and into the air by its neck, before decapitating it with a mighty heave.
The massive, headless body tumbles to the base of the cliff, landing with an almighty crash that hurts Blake's ears even from this distance. She turns at the sound of cheering to see that Pyrrha, Jaune, Ren, and Nora have defeated the Deathstalker.
A little intense for a training exercise, but we actually did it. Not bad… Blake muses.
"Well..." Yang intones, coming to stand next to Blake as Ruby waves down at them from the top of the cliff. "That was a thing."