Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!
Look at that, another Crimson II chapter! Man, there are a lot of those, eh?
I pocketed my scroll and made my way to the base, limping as I did so. I'd just fought off two Heishi at once.
My scroll rang yet again.
"Hello?' I answered.
"Is everyone on their way?" Thunder asked.
"I think so"
"What about Azure?" He asked.
"No, not yet, I'll do that now"
"Call your parents." He added, "And JNPR"
I sighed, "You call" I replied, hanging up, then phoning Azure.
"Hello?" She asked, sounding calmer than I'd ever heard her.
"Azure?" I yelled over the sound of raining fire and explosions, "Where are you?"
"At home" She replied.
"Get to the base." I said. "We need to have a meeting"
"I can't right now"
"What?" I asked, "What do you mean? Look outside!"
"I'm with my team" She replied.
I was confused for a moment, then the realization began to come to me.
"I'll be there in a minute" I said, turning around and running as quickly as I could to her house, for the most part ignoring my slight limp.
After ringing the doorbell and knocking multiple times Azure answered the door. She was dressed in a blue bathrobe, and her hair wasn't tied back. She looked so pretty, especially in this situation. Peace among chaos.
She blushed, "Don't stare, what do you need?"
"I need to get you to the base." I replied, "I told you that already"
"But I'm with my team." She said, "I can't leave them"
"Your team is dead, Azure." I pointed out, "They're not here anymore"
She frowned, then stepped aside, "No, they're here. See?"
Her house was empty.
"Oh no," I muttered, "Azure, no one's there"
"Don't you see them?" She asked.
I sighed, stepping into her house and closing the door, "Azure, I need you now." I said. I placed my hands on her cheeks, "Come on, the world is ending right outside your door"
She stepped away, "The world is perfectly fine, especially now"
"Don't make me drag you" I said.
"Oh, Gazini," she said, smiling, "at least buy me a drink first"
I slapped her across the face. She stumbled, but didn't fall.
"Pull yourself together." I demanded, "Get dressed, and let's go"
She frowned, running at me with her fist raised. I caught her arm and threw her back.
"Come on, Azure. Get your head in the game" I didn't know how to react to this. I assumed that she was going crazy, but I had no idea how to deal with such a case.
Before I knew it her weapon was in her hand, having appeared almost by magic, as it often did. She stabbed me through the gut, and I felt blood gurgle out from my body.
I tried to say something, but could only mumble a few utterances before collapsing to the ground.
I felt Azure grab my shoulders suddenly. There was fear in her face now.
"No," she whispered, "don't die. I'm so sorry"
As best I could I focused my aura, drawing the weapon out slowly. I tried to heal the hole as I pulled it out, and it proved to be both painful and draining.
She started to help pull it out until all I did was focus my aura.
Finally it was out. I tried to regenerate my energy, but instead collapsed onto my side.
The last thing I remember was my scroll ringing.
I awoke in a bed. Looking around, I saw a mostly unfamiliar room. The only familiar thing was the fact that it resembled a room, which I'd been in before.
"Oh, you're awake." Someone said. It appeared to be a doctor. "Lleu Thunder is waiting for you"
I sat up, feeling much better than before. I was a little stiff, and my gut ached, but I was fine otherwise.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"He wants to have a meeting" The doctor replied.
"No," I started, "I mean, what's happening outside?"
"I don't know," he replied, "I've been down here all day"
Sighing, I moved my feet out over the floor and stood. I was dressed in a pale blue hospital gown.
"Can I get my clothes back?" I asked the doctor.
"Those old things?" He asked, "They were destroyed. Covered in blood and torn and stuff. Trust me; you don't want to wear those things anymore"
"Do you at least have something for me to wear other than this?" I asked.
"Not right now, no" He replied.
"Great." I said, "Well, I'm off then"
"You'd better" He said simply.
On my floor, I found the long table to be entirely filled by people. Thunder stood at the end, pacing back and forth.
"Gazini," He said upon my arrival, "You're awake"
"So the doctor told me." I replied, taking my place at the other head of the table, "So what's the situation?"
"The rain has stopped for the time being." He replied, "But the city is in dire need of repairs"
"No jokes, Thunder, please" I said.
"Also," he continued, ignoring me, "Rain is gone"
My eyes widened, "Seriously?" I asked.
He nodded. "Did you see any of this coming?"
I shook my head, "I didn't see a thing." I replied. "I don't think anyone could have predicted this. What about the Heishi?"
"Everywhere last time I checked"
"Well, crap" I said, adjusting my position on the chair.
No one said anything for a while.
"Is that it?" Thunder asked.
"What?" I asked.
"Is that all you're going to say?" He asked.
"What can I say?"
"I don't know, a plan?"
"I just woke up, I have no plan"
"Right" He said, sighing.
I paused to think, "You said the rain stopped? Has anything else happened?"
"Not to my knowledge" He replied.
"Well," I started, "the rain obviously wasn't natural. Maybe it has a power source that needs to be recharged"
"Which is why it stopped"
"Exactly." I said, "Of course, that is the problem"
"What if it is natural, though?" Someone asked from down the table. The voice was all too familiar. Both elegant and filled with bravery.
I leaned forward, "Hi Pyrrha" I said, none too happy that we had to finally meet again under such circumstances.
"Hello" she said, waving.
"Why would you think this would be natural?" I asked.
"Maybe the Falls knew it would happen today, so they planned for it?"
"But planned what?" I asked, "What have they even done if the rain is natural?"
"They attacked the arena" Nicole replied.
"Okay, anything else?"
"Attacked the police station" Al said. I was surprised to see him here, but happy regardless.
"And the hospital" Dennis added.
"Lots of attacks." I said, "Okay, so they took this opportunity to strike. But…" I trailed off, not understanding at all what was happening. "I haven't the slightest clue." I said, "Thunder, any ideas?"
"I think Pyrrha may be right. It came very suddenly. I doubt they'd actually do this now of all times"
"But maybe that's why they'd do it," Lie Ren said, "It's unpredictable"
"That's true" Thunder said.
"I think you guys are missing something important." Nicole said, "Rain and Cinder are both missing. Rain obviously didn't escape on his own. If this storm is man-made, they could be behind it. Remember, Cinder's semblance is power over fire"
"What if she's recharging right now?" Jaune said.
Nicole nodded, followed by several others.
"But that doesn't make sense." Carden said. I hadn't expected him to say anything, "How can she light rain on fire? Its water, it'd put it out"
"And how could she light all that rain so quickly?" Russel put in as well.
"That's a good point." Thunder said, "Gazini, got any ideas?"
"Who's to say that she's even using a rain base? What if she's just sitting in the sky and shooting fire down at us?"
"But the firestorm was across all of Atlas." Blake pointed out, "One woman wouldn't be able to consistently shoot fire with the ferocity that it's falling as consistently as she is"
"Unless she has help" Grizzly added.
"Who do we know who can also control fire?" I asked.
The room fell silent. It seemed like nobody knew.
"Has anyone ever heard of semblance splicing?" Roy asked.
"Combining semblances you mean?" Weiss asked, "It's impossible"
"How do you know?" Roy asked.
She didn't have an answer.
"What do you think, Roy?" Thunder asked.
"Rain's semblance is control over storms. Cinder can control fire. What if they were to combine them?"
"It's impossible!" Weiss exclaimed.
"You have no proof" Roy replied.
"It's an absurd idea!" Weiss yelled, "It's can't happen"
"You got a better idea?"
"Where'd you get this idea, Roy?" I asked.
He turned to me, "When Blake said 'firestorm' I remembered Rain's semblance. Cinder has the fire, Rain has the storm. You'd get a firestorm"
"But do you think that's possible?" I asked.
"The very fact that this happened is crazy enough." He replied, "How could it happen without an even crazier explanation?"
I paused, not knowing what to make of this.
"So if they are splicing their semblances, where would they be?" I finally asked.
"Above the clouds?" Yang suggested.
"Rain can create and control a storm from the ground." Roy pointed out, "I'd think they'd be somewhere secluded to stay safe"
"Wouldn't being exposed be more logical?" Jaune asked, "Otherwise they might accidently throw a fireball right into their own hiding place. If they were exposed to the sky, then they could have better control"
"They'll be high up, too." Pyrrha added, "A building could get in the way of their vision"
"Okay," I said, "that's the most logical thing I've heard all day. Thunder, have anything to add?"
He shrugged, "This is a best plan of action," he replied, "I say we go for it."
So there you have it. It's heating up.
I actually quite liked this chapter when I edited it. Not totally sure why, it was just different I guess.
Anyways, like I said last week, short intros and outros. As usual, favorite, follow, review tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!