Chapter 11

Pyrrha grunted as she rolled across the cracked floor of the vault and narrowly dodged another blast of fire. Cinder floated in the centre of the room lashing out with her powers.

Ren was already unconscious and Nora was trying to pull him out of the way. Jaune was still standing though he was heavily singed. Goodwitch was mostly unharmed but her constant use of her semblance was starting to wear her down. Meanwhile Ruby dashed around the room, attacking with her guns and blade.

It wasn't going well.

Pyrrha took cover behind a pillar to catch a breath. She knows the Maiden's strength much better than I do, I need to figure it out quick or we're done for! She focused for a moment. She could feel it, deep within her.

It was an emptiness, a hunger. There was a desire to complete it. But under that, it felt like a small flame, one about to sputter out and die. But how to use it?

Okay, think about it like I did my Semblance. Focus on what you want to do and make it happen! Pyrrha ducked back from the wall and focused. She pushed on the air and with a roar, she sent a wave of pressurized wind directly at Cinder. It punched straight through the wall and slammed into the floating woman.

Cinder let out a yelp as she was sent flying down a side hallway. It wouldn't last very long but-

"All of you get out of here! I'll deal with her! Just keep the rest of the Maiden from her!" Their teacher called.

"No, we can't just leave you!" Pyrrha called back. The ground beneath her rose up, trapped her and the others inside and was then flung into the elevator. The rock entombing them shattered, they all collapsed, the sudden and forced movement had disorientated them, before they could react the rock was then bound into spears and sent rocketing back towards Cinder and the elevator doors shut.

"Professor!" Pyrrha shouted as the doors closed and the friends were sent back up to the surface. "No, we have to go back down there!"

"Pyrrha!" Ruby pulled her up by her arm. "I want to go down there and kill Cinder more than you! But the Professor was right. If Cinder kills you that's it, none of us will survive. We can't get reinforcements down there. We need to meet up with the others and lure Cinder into a trap."

Pyrrha looked away from the younger girl, tears stinging her eyes. Ren was injured, his left arm dripping blood. A cursory look at her scroll showed them all running low in Aura.

"Ok… who do we go to?"

"Coco and the others if we can. Any professionals otherwise. She's a professor, she'll make it." Ruby squeezed Pyrrha's arm. Pyrrha took in a deep breath and nodded. She had to trust their teacher.

The doors opened with a ding and the group rushed outside, Nora carried Ren. The school was a battlefield. Grimm were swarming the school in a seemingly unending sea. They stepped out into the chaos.

"We should get Ren to safety first, then gather any allies we can." Ruby said from the front of their group. They started to push forward when the ground began to rumble.

In the distance, they saw it. Death on great red wings. Coming straight for the school.

Pyrrha gulped.

Qrow cut down another Beowolf. Just more trash getting in the way. Where the hell is Ruby? Did they make it to the Maiden? He had to find them before things got too bad.

"Qrow!" The call of an old friend carried over the sounds of battle. Taiyang pushed past a dying Ursa to catch up. "Where's Ruby?"

"Trying to figure that out myself. But knowing my luck we'll find her near the CCT."

Tai looked mad for a moment but shook his head. "Then we go there. I'm not losing her."

Qrow nodded. "It's been a while old man, you're out of practice, think you can still keep up?" He snarled with a smile.

Tai turned to him with a smirk. "So finally accepted that you're an old man now? That's good, your denial was getting a little unhealthy."

"Touche." The pair shared a tiny laugh and charged the Grimm. It had been a long time since they had fought together.

But they still remembered.

The Grimm didn't stand a chance.

"What is that thing?!" Jaune asked as the beast flew over the school. When it roared they could all feel it in their bones. They all shivered.

"We need to move…" Ruby whispered.

There was a loud boom from behind them as a streak of fire tore through the elevator and went flying towards the top of the tower. The flying beast soon took roost there.

"We need to do something…" Pyrrha whispered.

"What could we even do?" Jaune said, terror filling his voice.

Suddenly Ren pushed Nora to the side and dropped to the other, narrowly avoiding a crimson red blade from cutting them in two.

The black-clad man with a stark white mask laughed. "You could die!" He screamed as he lashed out towards Jaune. It pinged off of his shield and narrowly avoided impaling him.

Ruby opened fire which forced the man back as he spun his blade and cut down each bullet.

"Who are you?" She asked, dropping out the box magazine and putting a new one in. He just laughed.

"Tell me, girl, what's your name?" Ruby looked a little unnerved by the nearly maniacal grin on his face.

"Ruby Rose. Why?" she hesitantly responded.

The man laughed again. "I am Adam Taurus, and you killed my beloved. For that, you must die!" He cried out as he charged. Ruby ducked back from the crazed man's attacks.

"I haven't killed anyone!"

"You took Blake from me! Her life was mine to take! Die! Die! Die! Die!" He slashed with each word. His swings were filled with his intent to kill her. Ruby cried out as a few cut into her. She dashed back with a flurry of petals and clutched her arm.

It wasn't bleeding, thankfully, but it certainly hurt. Who is this guy? Blake never mentioned she had some crazy guy who wanted to kill her! He stalked toward her with a crazed smile. Liquid dripped from his blade. His sword isn't just red, it's covered in blood!

Ruby gulped. The man was vicious and crazed. He was stronger than her, that was for sure. We might be able to beat him, but even if we can how long would it take? Cinder could come for us at any moment…

"Ruby!" Jaune called, pointing away from the tower. She turned and winced. White Fang grunts were taking position around them, blocking them from running away. They were being surrounded and cut off from any escape.

If we go through the grunts this guy will kill us while we're distracted, and the same for if we go back to the tower! If we stay here they'll gun us down.

What did they do? They couldn't stay and they couldn't go. The only choice…

"On my mark, grab Ren and run."

"Ruby you can't!" Pyrrha cried out.

"He's after me. I'm the only one who can distract him." She turned to Pyrrha and gave her a smile. "It's what they would have done too." She faced Adam once more, who had stopped and glared at her. "It's what Blake would have done. What she did do."

Adam twitched at her name. His smile turned into a scowl. Ruby gave him a smile and dropped into her stance. I hope you're proud of me. Yang. Weiss. Blake. I'll see you soon. She dashed in with a flurry of petals and cut towards his midsection. He blocked it and pushed her away.

"Go! Now!" She yelled as she spun, coming in again towards his legs. He parried and tried to cut her down but met only air. Gunfire sounded as the grunts let loose. Pink clouds covered the battlefield as Nora fired her grenades. It was pure, unadulterated chaos.

"Die!" Adam screamed as he lashed out. Ruby blocked it and hooked her scythe around the guard and pulled. His sword went flying out of his grip and behind her. He tried to slam his sheath into her face but she barely managed to duck under it. She then dropped Crescent Rose, drew on her Semblance and rocketed up, slamming her fist into his chin and sending him flying.

Ruby kicked up her weapon and grabbed it in mid-air, twirling it and slamming the backside into the man's chest as he dropped down. Like a bat hitting a ball he went flying and slammed into his own grunts. Ruby let out a breath.

She hadn't won yet, but at least the others had… Ruby looked past the grunts, many of whom had been knocked unconscious from the series of pink explosions, and her heart skipped a beat. Where did they! No, they wouldn't! She turned back to the tower and sure enough, there they were.

Ruby watched in silent horror as Pyrrha pulled the elevator up the shaft with her Semblance and sent her team along with her. Ren had set himself up at the door and started firing out with Stormflower.

They're going after Cinder… but why? Ruby gulped. This whole situation had gone all kinds of wrong. What had amounted to their plan had completely fallen apart. And now… Ruby tightened her grip on Crescent Rose, she needed to defeat this guy and go help her friends.

I guess I won't be joining you just yet… you wouldn't forgive me if I let them face Cinder without me, would you?

Ruby charged once more. This had to be quick.

Pyrrha took a deep breath as the elevator flew up the shaft. Jaune and Nora locked and loaded.

"Are you sure you want to do this Pyrrha? We can still go back down and help Ruby." Jaune was trying to get her to stop this. But it wouldn't work. Not this time.

"You heard Ruby. That man was after her. She was willing to stay and fight him because of that. I'm willing to do the same. Cinder is after me just as much as she is after whatever is up top." She looked at Jaune with a determined look on her face. "I'm going to take her down."

"We're going to finish her." Nora responded. "For what she's done. To Ruby and the others. To Ren. I won't accept anything else!"

Pyrrha nodded. "Thank you both. Let's finish this. For our friends, both here and gone!"

They both nodded.

The elevator hit the top, a damaged speaker let out a haunting ding.

The door opened and their battle began.

Ruby slammed against the wall of the tower, her Aura low. Ren had long since run out of ammo and was being pinned down by the grunts. Adam had been focusing on her.

He's messing with me…

His sheath had a gun he had only used a couple of times. He had a Semblance that he still hadn't used. It was all his skill with his sword and his crazed movements. He had her completely outmatched and he still had trump cards to pull out.

It wasn't going her way at all. I wanted this though… I told them I would fight him… damn it!

She jumped to her feet and roared as she swung her blade and let loose a wave of flame. He cut a path through it and stepped through like it was nothing. A wall of ice didn't stop him either. It was shredded within moments. Just like everything else she had tried.

He was truly a monster.

Ruby panted. She was low on Dust, Aura and options. She needed something to turn the tide.

Ren can't help. The others ran off. I have one more wave of Fire and two more walls of Ice I could use. But that's about it?

She couldn't see anybody else nearby. Adam rushed in once more with a chaotic laugh. Ruby ducked under his slash and tried to sweep his legs. He jumped over and jabbed his sword toward her leg. She managed to lunge backwards onto her feet and back away while he pulled his sword free from the ground.

This wasn't getting anywhere. Ruby sucked in a breath and glanced at Ren. He was bleeding profusely and hadn't moved at all since she had checked last. She was running out of time. Hah. Since when did I ever have time? Cinder has been controlling everything since the start. I tried to control the situation but I wasn't able to. I can't do anything…

Ruby dodged back from more of Adam's wild attacks. She had to do something. Before he killed her.

Whatever happens to me, I need to save the others! If I die, they will! There's only one thing to do…

She dashed back with her Semblance and grimaced as she found her Aura near empty. She only had a couple more bursts of speed in her. She pushed the button and slashed which caused a wall of ice to sprout up. She swapped the Dust as Adam crashed into the wall and shattered it.

As he was crashing through she sent a wave of flame directly into the air like a flare. Now she had to last as long as possible and hope that help would arrive quickly. Adam came dashing towards her with a roar, his voice was willed filled with pain and anguish.

She could empathise.

She managed to avoid his next strike only to receive a kick to the face. She slammed into the ground and was sent sprawling. She managed to tuck into a roll and return to her feet. Adam tried to slice open her throat but was only partially successful and instead only grazed her face.

She barely escaped another attack when he roared in anger. "Just die you bitch!" He grabbed his sheath and fired.

But no bullets hit her.

Adam seemed just as confused. No bullets even came out.

"I'll have to ask… you to not… hurt my… students!" A voice called from the tower. Ruby's eyes widened as a badly injured Glynda Goodwitch stood holding out her crop. Her left arm didn't seem able to move and her clothes were torn, burned and bloody. Her face covered in blood and glasses gone. She was still standing, however. Through all her pain.

"Professor!" Ruby gasped. She's way too tired! She doesn't stand a chance of beating this guy! We only have a slightly better chance than before, but maybe it'll be enough. Ruby swallowed. She was shaking.

"Miss Rose… I recommend that you duck!" Her teacher coughed out as she flicked her crop. Ruby complied instantly, she dropped straight to the ground. A heavy rock went flying over her toward Adam.

He lazily cut it in two and sighed. "Is that really all a teacher of Beacon can do? I'm disappoi-" He didn't finish as he twisted to block a series of floating blades. Over a dozen swords flew through the air and cut down the Faunus grunts and pushed Adam back away from her.

"I am sorry I am late, Ruby!"

"Penny… how did you?"

"The General sent me. However, I did not know where you were. I am thankful for your signal. Sit back Ruby, I shall deal with him!" Penny stood between Ruby and insane Faunus.

The monster started laughing. "I had hoped to take all that Blake loved away from her! With her gone, I'll have to do the next best thing!" He shook his sheath, letting the rounds he had attempted to fire fall out.

"Watch now, Ruby Rose, as I take all you love and destroy it in front of you! Your friend, your teachers, your family! Everything and everyone you love shall be slaughtered!"

Penny pulled her swords back around her, Ruby stood up with scythe in hand, Goodwitch stumbled out in front of the tower with her crop at the ready.

They had a chance to beat him now, but they had to do it quickly.

A/N: The battle continues! Pyrrha has started figuring out something of the Maiden powers but will it be enough? Oh and Adam makes an appearance. It's weird writing crazy Adam after having been writing my Adam fic for a while. He's just so... well crazy! Crazier than canon too! The fighting is heating up now, with an injured Glynda and Ruby joined by a pretty fresh Penny to face down the crazed Faunus, while the remaining fighters of JNPR take on Cinder. I hope you are as excited as I am!

I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time!