Yang carried Blake tightly to her chest, securing her in a vice-like grip, hooking one arm under Blakes legs and the other holding her head in place. She would have been terrified, but her determination was keeping the panic and fear at bay. There was no way she was giving up now, she'd die before she abandoned her partner. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, traversing the uneven terrain with supreme skill. She kicked off boulders to clear fallen trees in single leaps, adrenalin spurring her onwards.
Ruby sliced through obstacles in her path without a second thought, not even breaking her pace as she bolted through the undergrowth. She dodged incoming trunks with millimeters to spare, urging herself on. The thunderous roars that echoed behind her served as a desperate reminder of the danger they were in. She could feel the earth shake with every step even as she ran. She could hear the trees shatter and fall even above the wailing wind. She knew that there was no room for errors.
Weiss propelled herself through the forest with speed, her heart hammered against her chest like a hammer. She was frightened, but the sight of her teammates sprinting across this difficult ground eased her nerves. She trusted them. She could see between the flashes of lightning and the debris passing by; the sheer courage fortifying their resolve. She felt her own will boosted by their bravery and steeled herself. Another sky-splitting roar tore ahead of them, they were far from safe.
They had been fleeing for minutes, but it felt like hours. They all ached from exhaustion, their wounds making themselves known. The freezing rain pelted them continuously, it was only by a stubborn refusal to let go did they press onwards. Despite this, Ruby knew the predator hunting them was catching up. She could feel the anticipation in the air. She could hear the footfalls pound behind her, growing louder every minute. Despair was seeping through the cracks once more, pushing doubts through her head. She would not let her team down. Not now, not ever.
Her reflexes caught a tiny movement to her left, moving against the blur of trees that sped across her vision. She launched herself sideways, milliseconds before a pair of monstrous black jaws slammed shut beside her, almost grazing her leg. She ran across the trees, kicking off the trunks and using her rifle to keep herself airborne, narrowly avoiding the behemoth that was smashing its way in pursuit. She caught a glimpse of its eye as they ran side by side, burning with rage and hatred. It was not an ordinary Grimm defending its territory. This was something far more lethal.
She hacked a branch in half with one clean sweep of her scythe, barely noting the stinging pain as the wood sliced across her limbs. She was focused solely on keeping her momentum up, passively evading the frenzied strikes that threatened to tear through her body with ease. Every hate-filled bellow boomed across the thunder, deafening her as she missed the razor edged teeth by inches. She could read the forest ahead, it was gradually thinning out. There would be less opportunities for her to avoid the beasts attacks, she had to return to the ground. An enormous head obliterated a trunk to her right, sending splinters of wood hurtling into her face. She drew level with its head once more, unnerved at the fury in its eyes.
Ruby descended to the ground in one swift movement, powering herself into a roll and firing behind her, keeping pace with her teammates through the diminishing forest. There were less obstacles in her path, and Weiss could shift her attention to the gargantuan creature that hounded her partner. She took a second to scan the path ahead and flung Myrtenaster upwards, loosing a crimson ball of energy slamming into the creatures side. It lurched unsteadily, careening into a jutting spire of rock at full speed. It smashed through the stone uncontrollably, sending debris flying everywhere. She let out a small sigh of relief under her breath as she watched it fall back in shock.
Yang overheard the collision as she ran, relief washing over her in waves. Her pace did not break, she knew better than to let her guard down. The rain stung her eyes endlessly, swiping her tears away with the wind. Her legs throbbed with immense pain every step, but she daren't slow down. There was still a long way to go with no guarantee they were safe. Her fear was confirmed a few seconds later as a distant but enraged cry split the raging storm above. She tightened her grip on Blake even further, protectively guarding the unconscious body in her arms.
The terrain was evening out, giving her a tiny window to watch Weiss and Ruby power their way towards the cliffs. They moved with an immense sense of purpose, zigzagging between obstructions with incredible skill. They were both concentrating hard, watching the incoming trees and avoiding them with an almost effortless level of awareness. Yang was incredibly fortunate to have them as her teammates. She was reminded of this as she moved, her strides becoming longer to cover the evening ground. She was carrying one of the most precious things in her life in her arms, with only her strength and dedication between life or death. Blake was her driving force, pushing her to keep going.
A sudden explosion of noise rolled across the canopy in a wave, the fearsome roar tore into their ears like claws. The beast was driven by a frenzy, crushing the trees underneath its immense power. It left a trail of violent destruction in its wake, blind fury clouding its vivid flaming eyes. It showed no regard for anything, battering down everything in its path. Weiss heard the powerful thuds as it thundered after them, timing her breaths to match. She did not dare break her focus, but she regulated her breathing as much as she could to pinpoint its location behind them. It was getting louder every step, a guttural growl scything across her left. She propelled herself forwards on a white platform, in time to see the creatures head smash through a tree in her peripheral vision. Its scales were obsidian, reflecting only the rain as lightning illuminated the sky.
She powered through the air, sending another bright red orb colliding into its head. She saw it visibly flinch, tilting downwards to break through a cluster of trees, momentarily breaking its stride. By this point the forest was somewhat sparse, an indication they were nearing the cliffs that held the Academy. They had ran miles, too determined to give in to their injuries. Every muscle in their bodies willed them to stop, aching with an intense pain, but they persevered. The beasts endurance was incredible, they would have respected it were they not running for their lives.
The unmistakable shape of a huge stone wall rose above the treetops in front of them, the spires of Beacon reaching towards the sky. A sense of exhilaration pulsed through their exhausted veins, restoring their energy in a pulse of adrenalin. They were nearly home. Another terror-inducing sound rung in their ears, bringing their joy to a halt. It was right behind them as they sprinted across a clearing, kicking up water and mud as they fled. Ruby was slightly ahead of her team, holding Crescent Rose in a poised position. She was so intent on making it back alive, she didn't notice a faint yellow glow emanating from the clusters of trees hugging the cliff-face.
She was within sight of the path, bolting across the final opening before the ascent. She was completely unprepared for the assault that slammed her across the air into the bushes at the far left of the clearing. Weiss broke her pace with alarm, skidding to a halt directly between the predator behind her and the safe route in front of her. She rolled instinctively to the side, feeling a rush of air sweep past her face as a lower jaw bit through the wind inches from her body. It spun around at the foot of the path, blocking their only way out. Dismay struck at her heart once more, this was a bad situation.
She caught Yang darting into the cover of the vegetation with Blake securely in her arms. She barely had time to gasp in surprise when something large burst from the cover with a shrill screech. It smashed into the creature with brute force, sending it stumbling sideways. Weiss watched with held breath as the mammoth beast turned to face its attacker. She heard bone clacking together, and saw the arched tail with a deadly sting tipping the armoured body. It raised two large pincers defensively, shifting its weight around on eight legs.
A Deathstalker had arrived, challenging the larger creature to a battle. It was intruding on the scorpions territory, and they viewed eachother as dangerous threats. Weiss stared in awe, sensing the tension in the air. Neither combatant moved, they were sizing eachother up. Her thoughts jarred her back into reality with the realisation that Ruby was still somewhere between the trees. She rushed over to where she had seen her leader land, searching through the low light for any sign of her whereabouts.
Something rustled faintly, prompting Weiss to slowly crouch towards it. Pushing a cluster of branches forwards, she took in the sight before her. Ruby was lying on her back amongst the leaf litter, her scythe several feet away. She was breathing, albeit slowly. Weiss knelt next to her, sheathing her rapier as she gently pulled Ruby up. The younger girl was dazed, but there didn't seem to be any fresh wounds. She slowly helped her leader to her feet and walked her over to the scythe lying on the ground. Weiss bent down to pick it up, slinging Rubys arm around her shoulder.
Yang had shifted her position, emerging from the darkness to the left of Weiss and Ruby. She looked the heiress directly in the eyes and nodded once. Weiss returned the gesture and began easing Ruby towards the clearing, too exhausted to say anything. Yang followed close behind, her body racked with pain. As they emerged from cover, they gazed anxiously at the two creatures, circling one-another in the center of the area. They could hear a deep growl coming from one, and a bony crack from the other. Weiss wasted no time, lightly guiding Ruby up the dirt path. She knew Yang was right behind her, and that they did not want to be around when the two titans clashed.
The terrifying shrieks and roars rose above the endless thunder in a violent crash. Weiss kept her eyes firmly on the path below them, taking immense care not to misplace a step. She did her best to filter out the sounds of earth-shaking battle. She knew one of them would kill the other, but there was no telling how long the battle would last. She didn't want to find out. Ruby moaned slightly in pain, she was limping up the side of the cliff. Worry was evident in Weiss's eyes. All that mattered to her now was ensuring they all survived. Lightning struck again, crackling through the hateful rumbles that echoed from below. Weiss and Yang held their resolve all the way to the entrance of the Academy, refusing to let go of their partners.
Professor Ozpin stood at the doorway, his face stone. He was accompanied by several medical staff, who rushed to the girls aid. They gently tried to pry the team apart, but Weiss and Yang refused to let go. Ozpin stopped their attempts with a single gaze. The group made their way to the infirmary, with Ozpin in tow.
They had survived.