And here we are, the final chapter of this arc. I'm going to try and finish the next and final arc before July. I won't really be able to focus on writing the closer we get to July, as that's when I hopefully go in to see my heart doctor for the last time. Well, until I'm older that is. After everything I went through at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, I'm definitely gonna be keeping an eye on my heart the closer to 40 I get. If I don't get the final arc out by July, I'll for sure have a few in-between chapters ready to post. Until then, have a good one and stay safe.
Umbra Hart
Walking through the crowd with Team RWBY and Team JNPR, Umbra was scanning his surroundings looking for Team AZID. Since he never really participated in group conversations, nobody found Umbra's silence odd so he was able to look for Team AZID in peace.
Today was the day of the tournament, so Umbra had officially run out of time. In order to save Vale and prevent himself from following in his fathers footsteps, it was important that he found the members of Team AZID and stopped them before they could go through with whatever it was they were planning. Each time Umbra thought he saw one of them, he felt his heart begin to race.
When all of them sat down at a stall to eat, Umbra chose to skip the meal in order to continue searching. He didn't really have much lien left anyways so even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to afford anything.
Feeling someone grab onto his shoulder from behind, Umbra felt a chill run up his spine. Just as he was about to reach for Solar Eclipse, he remembered that he was in public. If he attacked anyone, whether they deserved it or not, then Umbra would be the one that got in trouble with the authorities.
"Umbra, it's been too long. I'm so glad to see you again." Turning to face Dawn, Umbra saw that the rest of her team was right behind her. All of them besides Aero, due to his mask, had the look of a predator on their face. "The last time we met was before everyone set off on their missions. Which reminds me…" Sitting down next to Umbra, Dawn leaned in close to him. "Have you thought on what we talked about? About… us?" Before Umbra could say anything, Professor Port made an announcement over the intercom.
"Would Team Juniper please report to the battle grounds immediately." Right after, Dr. Oobleck followed him up.
"Yes! Like they were scheduled to several minutes ago!" Looking over at Team JNPR, Zaffre gave them a thumbs up and a smile.
"Good luck you guys! We'll be cheerin' for ya!" Both teams RWBY and JNPR got up in order to return to the arena. As they were leaving, Dawn threw in her two cents.
"Until next time teams Juniper and, uh… whoever you guys are again!" Dawn too had a smile on her face. Unlike Zaffre's, hers was more obviously a fake one. While Weiss and Yang reacted to Dawn's words with a huff and roll of their eyes, Ruby and Blake chose to ignore her. Whether Ruby knew Dawn was trying to be mean or not, Umbra couldn't tell. Once they were gone, Zaffre, Aero, and Ice took Team RWBY's seats while Dawn stayed next to Umbra. Dropping the act only slightly, Zaffre sighed as he sat down.
"Man, I don't know how you do it Umbra. If I were in your shoes, I'd have gone crazy by now." Putting on a mocking tone, Zaffre pretended to be a certain someone from Team RWBY. "I bet if we all hold hands and be kind to each other, all our problems will go away." Zaffre laughed at his own antics. "Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that. People like us… like you, me, and the rest of my team… we know what really has to be done. Don't we, Umbra?" If only they didn't plan on recreating Mt. Glenn, then Umbra would have happily joined them. That wasn't the case though, so Umbra had no choice but to stand against them.
"I haven't changed my mind. The answer's still no." Getting up to leave, Umbra figured he'd rather watch Team AZID from afar rather then pretend to hang out with them. As he was getting up, Dawn grabbed him by the wrist.
"No matter what you do, you're just going to lose Umbra. The only way you can come out on top… is if you just join us. If you think otherwise, why don't you try something? If we started fighting, I bet everyone would jump to your aid. I'm sure they'd believe everything you had to say…" Pulling himself free from Dawns grasp, there wasn't anything more Umbra wanted to say to them. They next time they interacted, their weapons would do all the talking they needed.
Fixing the sleeve of his jacket as he walked away, Umbra looked for a place he could spy on Team AZID without being seen. Since he didn't know what any of their Semblances were, or who their mysterious fifth member was, it was potentially a waste of time. Like Dawn had said, every move Umbra made was a bad one. Instead of just sitting around though, Umbra preferred doing something rather than nothing. Even if it got him killed, Umbra would stand in Team AZID's way.
Once he had found a spot, Umbra watched as his enemies sat around the food stall. They were most likely waiting to make sure that Umbra was actually gone. If they really did have the ability to track Umbra, then they wouldn't move from their spot. Until then, all Umbra could do was wait. If they stayed put for a few hours, then Umbra would have to think of some other way to keep tabs on them.
"Yo! You done talking with your friends Umbra?" Startled by the sound of Yang's voice, Umbra turned around to face her.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be watching and cheering your friends on?" Finding it odd that Yang had come back, Umbra figured someone must have just forgot something at the stall. Putting on a more serious face than he was used to seeing Yang with, she dropped the playful act she usually put on.
"If I'm being honest, I was… maybe a bit worried." Worried? Why would she be worried? Unless… "We were talking on the way to the arena, and Blake mentioned something. She said you almost looked like you did that day we went to the Forever Falls. Combined with the fact that I didn't get a good feeling from those four… I think something might be going on." Scoffing, Umbra went back to watching Team AZID.
"I can take care of myself. It's not like there's any danger anyways. If there was, I'd be the one responsible for it. Maybe your bad feeling was just jealousy." Ending with a joke, which was rare for Umbra, he watched as Team AZID began to move. Slipping back into her playful self, Yang fired back.
"Who knows? Maybe I was." The smile on her face didn't last long, and soon enough she was back to being serious. "No, but for real, I'm not the only one who thinks there's something off about them." Slowly beginning to follow Team AZID from a distance, Umbra wanted to walk while they talked.
"Do all of you think that you're heroes in some movie or something? That just because you're on a journey to become a Huntress, it means you're the main character and that you're untouchable? Because you're not. None of you are. Life isn't a movie, a show, a game, or some stupid fairy tale. One day, somethings going to happen to you and then you'll see what I'm talking about." Yang stayed quiet for a bit after that. He thought that she might leave, but was surprised to see she stuck around.
"You know Umbra, I've been talking to Coco. She's told me stuff about her time at Pharos. Which means she's kinda told me about yours as well…" Everything seemed to circle right back to Pharos. It was almost like time hadn't moved at all and Umbra was stuck in some torturous afterlife. Maybe he died at Mt. Glenn and just didn't know it. "After talking to her, I think I understand you a little bit better now. While I don't really agree with a lot of the things you say, I… don't hate you anymore. I think somewhere in there, you really are still a good guy." Sighing, Umbra shook his head.
"Yeah? Well Coco doesn't really know me anymore. The person I was back at Pharos, and the person I am today, are two completely different people." Yang gave Umbra a sad smile.
"Whatever you say Umbra. Just know that I finally realized what that lady meant." While Umbra didn't know what lady Yang was talking about, he wasn't going to question her about it. "You know, I bet if we hurried, we could at least catch some of Team Junipers fight. What do you say?" If it hadn't been for the fact that Team AZID had just boarded an Air Bus bound for the arena, Umbra would have declined the offer. Seeing as how that was where he was headed, and that he needed a way to blend in, Umbra decided to accept.
"Sure. But if I decide to leave at any point, don't act surprised." Motioning for Yang to take the lead from here, Umbra hung back. Watching as she pulled out her scroll, he figured that she was trying to find out where her team was seated.
Umbra and Yang made their way up to the Colosseum, and just like he thought, made their way towards the rest of Team RWBY. When their loud mouthed leader saw them, she shot up from her seat.
"Umbra!? You decided to come!?" When Ruby shouted this out, a few of the nearby people got up from their seats and walked away. Umbra knew there was only really one reason why they'd do so. Taking a seat next to Ruby, Umbra scanned the crowd and looked for Team AZID. It didn't take Umbra long, as they sat down only a few rows down from him. Either they were taunting him, or Umbra had more luck than he thought.
"I'm only staying for as long as I want. The moment I get bored, or for whatever other reason I decide, I'm leaving." Keeping her smile, Ruby nodded. Glad that she was sticking to her word, Umbra crossed his arms and leaned back into his seat. Pretending to watch the rest of Team JNPR's match, Umbra kept his eyes on Team AZID. Time was running out, but Umbra couldn't attack them yet. For now, all he could do was sit and wait. Once they started moving, Umbra would trail them to wherever it was they were heading. If they didn't make a move before night fell, then Umbra would take it as a sign that they were waiting for him to make the first move. Whichever way things went, Umbra was ready for what had to be done.
?
Taking a seat at the back of the bar, a man wearing a hat, dark sunglasses, and a face mask wanted to catch a few matches of this years Vytal Festival. Since he was waiting for a phone call, he figured it would help pass the time. As much as he wanted to grab a drink or two as well, the man knew it probably wasn't the best idea.
Underneath his mask, the man smiled as he watched the matches play out. He didn't know who any of them were, but he was certain that they were first years. The only one that could've fooled him was a red headed girl. Had she not been tied to the group that she was, he would've guessed that she was much older. The man knew that judging someone based off how they fought wasn't always foolproof, he also knew it was a good start. While there were people that bluffed during battle, there weren't many that were able to hide their experience. Feeling his scroll begin to vibrate, the man knew it was time. Answering his scroll, he made his way out the bar.
"I'm in Vale now, I see the tournaments started. That means it's only a matter of time then." Once the person on the other end was done talking, the man responded. "I'll make my way up to Beacon and wait there. Here's to hoping that things don't get too messy." Hanging up and putting his scroll away, the man made his way towards Beacon.
The man had to make it to Beacon before things started. Since that wasn't for quite awhile still, he figured he'd take in the sights. It might possibly be the last time he, or anyone else for that matter, would see a place like Vale ever again. The man and Vale had quite the complicated history, but the downs not once outweighed the ups. He had met so many wonderful people here, and he wouldn't trade those memories for anything.
After taking his time, the man arrived at the bottom of Beacon. Here, a Bullhead would take him the rest of the way. Looking up at Beacon, the man felt a mixture of emotions rise up inside him. He wasn't able to pick one out of the bunch as they were rapidly switching between each other. As he stepped aboard the Bullhead that would take him to Beacon, the man thought about how this would be the third most important day of his life. The fate of Remnant would be determined before tomorrows daylight broke, and only a handful of people outside the criminal underworld knew about it. Now, with Beacon drawing ever closer, the man closed his eyes and began to count.
Umbra Hart
When the tournament reached the solo rounds, night had fallen. Looking over at Team RWBY and Team JNPR, Umbra noticed that those present were too busy watching the current fight to notice him leave. Quietly getting out of his seat, Umbra made his way towards the Air Buses that would take him down to Beacon. Remembering the cliff that overlooked the Emerald Forest, Umbra knew that no one would be there. Once outside the stadium, Umbra took a look around. When he didn't see anyone nearby, he turned his gaze towards the night sky.
"Hey mom. If you're listening, I just want to say that… I'm sorry. I've failed you and a bunch of other people. During my mission to avenge you, I've done some horrible things that you'd never approve of. I just hope that you can forgive me." Trembling slightly, Umbra reached under his shirt and held onto the necklace he was given. "I'm hoping that by doing what I have planned, I can at least make up for some of what I've done." Gripping the necklace tighter, Umbra tried to stop himself from shaking. "Remnant's in trouble. I don't really know how, but I know who's responsible. I plan on taking them out before they can go through with whatever it is they have planned. The thing is, I don't think I really stand a chance against all of them." Facing the ground, Umbra closed his eyes. "You did the same once. It was probably a lot harder for you however, considering who you were fighting." Looking back up at the moon, Umbra was finally able to stop his shacking. "I know this means I won't be able to finish what I started, but I don't think you wanted that in the first place…" As Umbra was about to go on farther, someone interrupted him.
"Is that you Umbra?" Rather than being one of the usual suspects, it was Weiss that had called out to Umbra. "I'm surprised to still see you here. I would've thought that you'd have returned to your dorm room by now." Quickly putting the necklace away, Umbra turned to face her.
"What are you doing here? I would've thought you'd still be with your sister. That's who Ruby said you were hanging out with for most of today." Looking towards the sky herself, Weiss put her hands behind her back.
"She had to return home. She wasn't able to stay long…" Crossing his arms, Umbra decided to ask a question that had been bugging him for awhile. Since he didn't have long left, he figured he may as well ask it.
"You know Weiss, I've always wondered… Why did you come all the way to Vale to become a Huntress? What made you want to leave your life in Atlas behind?" Rather than respond with a snarky comment, Weiss surprised Umbra again by being more level headed. Returning her gaze to Umbra, something about Weiss seemed… different to him.
"Contrary to what you might believe Umbra, my life in Atlas… isn't as great as you might think it is. I mostly have my father to thank for that." Umbra was seeing a different side of Weiss. A side that he could actually connect to. Something he once thought impossible. "I could have stayed in Atlas, yes. But I don't think I'd ever be happy living that way." Weiss had a look on her face that told Umbra she was thinking on her next words carefully. "Believe it or not, it was actually your father who inspired me to come here…" Weiss was right. Umbra didn't believe what she said.
"You too huh? He also inspired you to become Hunter?" Confusing Umbra even further, Weiss shook her head no.
"Not quite. You see, I learned of your father from my mother. She used to tell me stories from her past. In one of them, she told me about how she was going to be forced into an arranged marriage with… well… your father." As Weiss went on, he found himself believing her less and less. He didn't really know much about his fathers younger years other than he was once a Huntsman, so he couldn't exactly disprove anything that Weiss was saying.
"Is that so? Well, if you ask me, you should probably do some fact checking on some of your mom's stories." Putting her hands on her hips, Weiss slipped back into her normal self.
"Are you done? Because I wasn't finished yet." Coming back down, Weiss continued her story. "Not wanting to be forced into a marriage, your father ran off and became a Huntsman. With the way you reacted to what I told you, I'm guessing your father never told you, but he is… was… the son of Kaiser Hart. The founder and current owner of Hart Engineering. The reason my mother and your father were forced to get married was so that the Schnee Dust Company and Hart Engineering could merge." Hart Engineering… That wasn't something Umbra was familiar with. Seeing this, Weiss sighed. "They produce parts for weapons that a lot of Hunters use. Most likely a part or two in the weapon Ruby made for you was made by Hart Engineering." Still not convinced, Umbra gave Weiss a doubtful look.
"Let's say all of what you've said is true. Why would he never tell my any of this? Either way, wouldn't I have heard it from someone else? Surely something like that would be a huge scandal." Weiss shook her head once again.
"I couldn't tell you what Hector was thinking. But if I had to guess, maybe he wanted you to live a normal life? As for the scandal, most people don't even know Kaiser Hart had a son. Hector lived a reclusive life." Walking over to the railing, Weiss looked down at Beacon. "The real reason your father inspired me, was because he set off to become his own person. Rather than let others tell him how to live his life, he went off and lived the way he wanted to. So when the rumors first came out about him and the rest of Team Shade, I… didn't believe them. More than anything, I wished they weren't true. If you were to hear me talk about them around others though, you'd never guess I once looked up to one of them." Weiss looked back at Umbra with a sad smile on her face. "Now that I've met you however, I guess I have to face reality." If Umbra heard her right, Weiss had just admitted to believing in him. Walking up next to her, Umbra looked up towards the moon.
"Trust me, you aren't the only one disappointed by the truth. But… if it makes you feel somewhat better, my mother didn't have anything to do with Mt. Glenn. She actually tried to stop them." The two sat in silence for awhile, and the conversation seemed to be at it's end. All that was left was for Umbra to say goodbye and he could be on his way. Instead, Umbra decided to keep talking. "So… since there was the slightest chance we were almost siblings, what do you think would've happened if you were to be born in the Hart family instead of the Schnee family? Would you have helped me avenge our mother? Or do you think you'd try and talk me down?" Laughing, Weiss' mood seemed to pick back up.
"Do you have to ask? I would have talked you down of course." Umbra found it odd interacting with Weiss in such a way. Instead of insulting each other, they were having a somewhat normal conversation. Umbra figured it had something to do with him being resigned to his fate. The fact that he wasn't going to live to see another sunrise most likely had something to do with it. "Well, I think I'm going to head back in. Are you coming as well?" It was Umbra's turn to shake his head.
"No. I'm exhausted from today. Too many people. I'll catch the ending from my scroll." Patting his pocket, Umbra started to walk off. Stopping, a thought popped into his head. Much like with Coco, Umbra wasn't sure if he should really say what was on his mind. "Weiss… Can you tell Ruby something for me? Tell her I said… Thanks. Not for the sword, but for something else. She'll get it." Leaving things at that, Umbra waved as he left.
On his way to the Air Buses, Umbra had a bad feeling. It was the same feeling he got when he was being hunted by Team RWBY, but worse. Just as he thought they would, Team AZID had trailed him. As he walked, Umbra felt his body begin to tense. If they tried to attack him from behind, Umbra wanted to be ready. When he finally arrived at his destination, Umbra turned to face his pursuers. Standing there alone was Aero. Knowing this was a bad sign, Umbra tensed up even more.
"Umbra Hart, the deadline has been reached. This is the final time I, or anyone I associate with, will extend our hand to you." Turning around to face Aero, Umbra stared him down. Aero stood with one hand out and the other hidden. "Anything other than a yes is a death sentence. I advice you to think carefully before you speak." Feeling his heart begin to beat, Umbra stood at his full height.
"You've had my answer since the day we met. There's nothing in this world you could give me that would make me join you." Aero slowly lowered his hand. Because of the mask he wore, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, or what his next move would be.
"That's a shame…" Shooting towards Umbra, Aero revealed the knife that he was hiding. Reacting just as fast, Umbra unsheathed Solar Eclipse and blocked the attack. "If you wish to defend the ones who would never do the same for you, then so be it. You can share their grave." Umbra and Aero clashed for awhile before Umbra used his Semblance to gain some space.
"I've gotta thank you Aero, you made my job easy by coming alone. Once I've killed you, your friends are next on my list." Twirling his knife, Aero circled Umbra.
"You're short sighted Umbra. Do you really think that killing us will prevent what's about to happen? With or without us, Vale is doomed. It's as Dawn said… no matter what you do, you'll fail." Flipping Solar Eclipse into a reverse grip, Umbra used his Semblance and closed in on Aero. Popping in and out of the darkness to strike at him, Umbra never attacked more than once. "You can stand in our way, but you'll never be able to stop what's been set in motion." Catching Umbra off guard, Aero cut his own hand. Spreading the red that leaked out across the place, he snapped his fingers and a wall of fire separated then. Due to the light coming from the nearby flames, Umbra was no longer able to use his Semblance. Underneath that mask, Umbra was willing to bet lien that Aero was smiling. "Why don't you take out your scroll… you'll see what I mean." Putting away his weapon and wiping his hand clean, Aero began to walk off. "Farewell Umbra. I really do wish that we could have worked together."
Umbra wanted to chase after Aero, but he was cut off by the flames. Doing as he was told, Umbra put away Solar Eclipse and took out his scroll. On it, a video was playing. A man with long white hair and red eyes could be seen standing in a Bullhead. Behind the man, Zaffre could be seen opening a side door revealing the city of Vale. With a straight face, the man with red eyes began to speak.
"People of Remnant… I'd like to start by thanking everyone who's made the long journey to Vale. Everyone here today may have come to partake in the Vytal Festival, but those of you who are present today will be able to witness something much grander." Reaching into his pocket, the man pulled out what looked like a remote of some kind. "As a species, we've grown weak. If we continue on the path we are heading, then the Grimm will surely overtake us as this worlds dominant life form. In order to prevent that…" When the man pressed the button on the remote, the camera zoomed in behind him. Large explosions could be seen happening at different points along Vale's wall. From inside the arena, Umbra could hear people begin to scream. "I've decided to take it upon myself to save us… To bring us back to a time where we relied on one another in order to survive. If you wish to survive, then you'll have to know how to fight, or know someone who does. That means you'll be required to leave any biases you have behind. Human or Faunus, it doesn't matter. Strength is strength, it doesn't matter who has it." Holding his arms out, the man let the remote slip from his hand. "Welcome everyone… To the beginning of a new, better world." For the first time, Umbra used his scroll to summon his locker. When it arrived, he dropped his scroll and took out his weapons.
Umbra was too late. These people, whoever they were, had won. From the very beginning it had been just as they said. Nothing he could have done would have mattered. Even if he had killed the people calling themselves Team AZID, the man with red eyes would have gone through with his plan regardless.
Noticing a few Bullheads flying towards the Amity Colosseum, Umbra assumed they were here to take people to safety. Instead, when they opened up, Grimm came pouring out. With how much negative emotion was most likely pouring out of the arena, Umbra knew exactly where they were heading. Drawing his sword, Umbra went to cut them off.
Emergency lights had turned on, so he wouldn't be able to use his Semblance. Because of this, he wasn't able to make it before a few Grimm were able to make it into the arena. Making sure that no others made it inside, he switched his sword into it's shotgun form and blasted at them from afar. It did what he wanted and drew their attention. After getting close enough to them, Umbra shifted his weapon back into a sword and began slicing through their ranks.
Due to their numbers, Umbra was forced to unsheathe Lunar Eclipse as well. Normally he wouldn't dare use Carmine's weapon, but right now it was an emergency. With his and Carmine's weapon combined, Umbra was able to cut through more Grimm and block any attack while staying on the offensive.
Inside the arena Umbra heard the sound of something shattering and more screaming. Whatever was happening inside couldn't be good. Because of how many Hunters were inside, Umbra had faith that they'd be able to handle it. A select few of them that was.
Each time Umbra sliced through a Grimm, it felt as though five more replaced it's spot. At this rate, Umbra was certain he'd be overwhelmed. Without access to his Semblance, he wasn't able to move like he would have wanted to. With each step he took, he had to make sure that he wasn't accidentally backing up straight into a Grimm. Swinging downwards, Umbra went to cleave through an Ursa. Before he could, someone beat him to the punch.
"I don't know about you Umbra, but we really gotta stop meeting like this." Putting a group of spikes on Alpha and Omega, Silver readied his weapons. "Look, Umbra, I'm-" Cutting him off, Umbra shoved Silver out of the way. Missing by a hair, a Grimm had swung at Silver.
"Save it! Unless you'd rather we both die here!" Nodding, Silver jumped into the fight. For the second time, the two joined forces to fight off a group of Grimm.
Using Alpha and Omega, Silver was able to clear out small groups of Grimm. When the spikes that implanted themselves in a Grimm blew up, the explosion took out any others that were nearby. Not wanting to get caught in any explosions himself, Umbra gave Silver room to fight.
With Silver's help, Umbra was eventually able to fight off the last of the Grimm in the immediate area. Looking down towards Beacon, he could see that things were even worse. Umbra needed to make it down and fast. Shifting his sword into it's gun form, he knew exactly how he was going to do so.
"Silver, keep fighting any Grimm up here. I'm heading down to help around Beacon." Before Umbra could leave, Silver grabbed his arm.
"Why are you helping? Now would be the perfect time for you to leave… but you aren't." Pulling himself loose from Silver's grasp, Umbra pointed his weapon towards the ceiling and started shooting the lights out. When he was done, he switched it back to it's sword form and sheathed it alongside Lunar Eclipse..
"What does it matter? No matter what I say, you wouldn't believe me." Using his Semblance, Umbra disappeared. Much like Ruby's Semblance, Umbra could travel at insane speeds. Unlike Ruby's Semblance however, his only worked in the dark. After gaining enough distance from the ledge, he ran towards it at full speed. At the last possible moment he jumped. Flying through the air, Umbra wasn't entirely sure if he was going to make it. The farther down he went, the less it seemed like he would. Reaching out, Umbra was able to grab onto the edge of Beacon. Pulling himself up and over the railing that saved his life, Umbra stopped using his Semblance. From the Colosseum, Umbra could just barely hear Silver shouting.
"Are you insane!? What if you missed!?" Ignoring Silver, Umbra set off to fight more Grimm.
Running for their lives, people were attempting to escape the Grimm. With how dark it was down by Beacon, Umbra was able to use his Semblance in order to save them. Whether he sliced through the Grimm from behind or jumped in front of them to block their swipes, Umbra did his best to save everyone that he could. With no end in sight, Umbra thought he was going to be forced to fight throughout the night.
Eliza Dubos
Riding a ship down to the Colosseum, Eliza had been sent to help evacuate civilians. Gripping her Dagger tight, Eliza felt her breathing begin to quicken. It wasn't because she was scared, but because of the quick glimpses of the past she was seeing. Once they landed, Eliza didn't waste anytime in using her Semblance. It amplified he negative emotions and would draw the Grimm towards her. Until this day, Eliza never thought that her Semblance could be used to save so many lives.
As Eliza prepared for battle, the metal soldiers that had come with her began shooting at any Grimm that approached. Pushing a button on her Dagger, Eliza was able to essentially turn it into a sword with a combination of Fire, Electric, and Gravity Dust. Closing her eyes, the only thing she could hear were the sound of the Grimm and gunshots. Instead of pushing her fear down, Eliza let it flow from her, allowing Grimm from farther away to notice her presence.
Shooting forward, Eliza opened her eyes. Slicing through the Grimm at a rapid pace, she always had her next target picked out before cutting the previous one in half. Knowing that staying in one place for too long was a death sentence, Eliza practically danced her way around the battlefield. Rather than waste time blocking any attacks, Eliza ducked or dodged them and followed up with an attack of her own. With the help of the AK-200's, Eliza was confident they'd be able to retake the Colosseum.
In the middle of her fight for the Colosseum, a loud explosion rang out from the sky. Looking up, she saw that it was the ship she had been sent down from. Watching in horror as it fell to the ground, Eliza had allowed herself to be distracted. Taking a blow from an Alpha Beowolf, she was sent tumbling back. Quickly regaining her composure, Eliza rushed the Alpha. Jumping over it, she shot her Dust blade through it's head. Pressing the button again, a new blade took it's place.
Eventually the Grimm stopped coming, and Eliza was confident that her portion of the Colosseum had been cleared. With the south end clear, she was free to start helping in other locations. As she was going to move on, Eliza heard the AK-200's raise their weapons once more. Since she wasn't able to see any Grimm, there was only one thing that Eliza could think they would be aiming at. Spinning around and rushing the AK-200's, Eliza wasn't able to reach them before they opened fire on her.
Taking a few hits to her Aura, Eliza scrapped the metal soldiers before they could do any real damage. Standing over them with a concerned look on her face, Eliza didn't like how things were looking. First they hack the feed, then they take out one of our ships, and now this? Just who are these people?
Umbra Hart
At some point during the fight, the metal soldiers that Atlas used to fight Grimm turned against them. Umbra learned this when one of them shot at him.
"You want some too you tin can!? Fine!" Using his Semblance to get behind the robot, Umbra stabbed it through the back. Now with two targets, Umbra made sure to scrap any Atlas junk he ran across alongside the Grimm.
Going in to attack another group of Grimm, Umbra was blasted away when he reached them. Catching himself with his Semblance, Umbra looked around for whoever, or whatever, was responsible. It didn't take him long, as it was a giant mech that towered above him. Another one of Atlas's toys. Firing off it's machine gun, Umbra was forced to dodge. He didn't have to stay on the run for long as someone came to his rescue and cleaved the mech in two. When the two pieces fell down, Umbra was able to get a look at the person who saved him. Since they were wearing a face mask, glasses, and a hat, Umbra wasn't able to tell who it was until they started talking.
"Hey Umbra, it's been awhile. Hasn't it?" Resting his sword on his shoulder, the man used his free hand to take off the items hiding his identity. Feeling himself begin to shake, Umbra nearly dropped his weapon. "I bet you weren't ever expecting to see me again, were you?" Backing up, Umbra couldn't believe his eyes.
"You… you're dead… You're supposed to be dead!" Standing tall and in the flesh was none other than Hector Hart. Umbra's father. Somehow he had managed to survive the house fire. Slowly walking towards Umbra, Hector smiled.
"If you ever actually listened to the things I told you, then yeah… I'd be dead. But instead, you chose to run off without making sure I was actually dead." Stopping, Hector stabbed his Claymore, Decimation, into the ground and leaned on it. "Though to be fair, if the ones responsible for all this hadn't arrived when they did, I'd be nothing but a charred corpse right about now." Holding onto his sword with both hands, Umbra gripped it tightly.
"You just love destroying shit, don't you? First Mt. Glenn, now Vale. You won't be happy until all of Remnant is burning! Won't you!?" Sighing, Hector looked down.
"Listen… Umbra… There's so much I want to tell you. Because of the current… state of affairs, I can't really do that. But…" Looking back up at Umbra, Hector smiled and held his hand out towards Umbra. "What I can tell you now is that by the time we're done, you an' me will be able to go back to how things used to be. Better then that. You won't ever have to live in shame because of who your father is. C'mon Umbra. What do you say? Come with me, and let's be a family again." Umbra felt the grip loosen on his sword.
"Family? You want… to be a family again?" Feeling himself begin to shake, Umbra felt tears begin to roll down his face. "That… That's nothing but a load of shit! We had a family! And you threw it all away for some fucking lien! You ruined my life! What makes you think I ever want to be your family again!?" Using his Semblance, Umbra shot towards Hector. When he reached him, the two clashed swords. "You know what? I'm actually grateful you survived, because now I get to kill you with my own two hands!" With a disappointed look on his face, Hector shoved Umbra away.
"Umbra…" Instead of waiting for Hector to continue, Umbra went on the attack. As far as Umbra was concerned, the time for talk was over.
Running back up to Hector, Umbra swung his sword down. Hector deflected the attack so Umbra used his Semblance and tried to attack him from behind. Without even having to turn around, Hector was easily able to block the attack. Sweeping Umbra's legs out from underneath him, Hector quickly spun around and smashed Umbra into the ground with Decimation. Feeling the wind get knocked out of him, Umbra used his Semblance to get back up. After catching his breath, Umbra reappeared with Lunar Eclipse drawn. Attacking from two different angles, he forced Hector to focus on two points of attack.
"Smart thinking, but I'm afraid it won't do you much good." Spinning around, Hector deflected both of Umbra's swords. When he stopped moving, Umbra saw that Hector now had two swords as well. In one hand was his, Decimation, and in the other was Umbra's mother's sword, Harmony. Like Umbra, his mother used a Broadsword. "I would never use Sera's weapon to harm you, so I'll only be using it to defend myself." Hector got into a stance that Umbra had never seen him use before. Standing sideways towards Umbra, Hector raised Harmony high into the air while Decimation stayed low. Both swords were pointed towards Umbra. "Now get ready Umbra, this is where things get serious…" Igniting Decimation, Hector rushed Umbra faster then he could blink. With his only choice being to dodge, Umbra took a step back and ducked. Scattering flames around their battlefield, Hector made it so Umbra couldn't use his Semblance.
Hector was moving so fast that Umbra was barely able to keep up. All he could do was stay on the defensive. Even if he managed to slip past Decimation, he still had to get through Harmony. As a last ditch effort, Umbra switched his sword into it's shotgun form. Finding an opening, Umbra fired at Hector. It didn't do much as Hector was able to dodge the blast. Knowing his father was going to attack from the left, Umbra raised Lunar Eclipse up without thinking. When he felt his Aura shatter, Umbra knew that it was over. Falling to his knees, Umbra suddenly felt an intense pain in his arm. Or more accurately, where his arm used to be. Too shocked to scream, Umbra felt a sudden dizziness wash over him. Walking up to Umbra, Hector sheathed Harmony.
"I'm sorry Umbra. But if you don't want to help us, then I'd rather you just stay out of our way." Reaching down Hector grabbed the stub that was Umbra's arm. When Hector burnt it with Decimation, that's when the pain became too much for him to bear. Screaming out in agony, there wasn't anything he could do to stop the pain. "I know it hurts, but you'll bleed out if I don't do it." When he was done, Hector let go of Umbra. Falling to the ground, Umbra found it difficult to keep his eyes open. He could hear Hector talking, but it sounded like he was far away. Too far for Umbra to be able to make out what he was saying. Umbra tried to move, but at the most he could barely move the fingers on the hand he had left. With no more energy left to spare, Umbra gave in to the darkness and felt his conscious begin to fade.