RWBY: Team CRML
Chapter 23
As Raven jumped to catch Liam, she opened another portal that led back to her camp. Going through it, she slid across the ground a bit before coming to a stop.
Looking down at her nephew, Raven noticed his left arm was missing entirely and he was losing a lot of blood fast. Taking Liam into her tent in a hurry, she laid him down as she rushed to grab a torch. "All right..." she took a deep breath. "This is gonna hurt..." pressing the fire against his wound, Liam screamed in pain as Raven cauterized it.
After a few seconds, Liam fell silent, his head tilting lifelessly to the side. Seeing the bleeding had stopped, Raven sighed in relief as she kneeled down next to her nephew.
With him safe and sound, Raven got to her feet to tend to other things.
An hour later
Back in Beacon, Nicci carried Chrome to a nearby empty building. Placing him down, Chrome slowly began to stir, his right eye opening as his left remained closed due to his injury.
"Chrome?" Nicci said softly. "Are you okay?"
Realizing who the voice belonged to, rage suddenly surged through Chrome. Gripping her by the throat, he pushed her into the wall, his face contorting to anger. "You led Adam to us!"
Nicci struggled under Chrome's grip. She tried to speak but his hold was too tight. "Because of you, Yang..." Chrome shook his head as he put more force into his grip.
Nicci's eyes began to roll to the back of her head. Before she lost consciousness, Chrome let her go. Gasping and coughing as she got air into her lungs, Nicci rubbed her throat, looking to Chrome with fear.
Looking to the ground, Chrome spotted his weapons. Picking them up, Chrome placed them on his back. "Do not follow me." Chrome growled as he took a step towards the door.
As he neared it, he winced in pain as he placed a hand on the doorframe, the wound in his side nearly causing him to collapse. Seeing his state, Nicci carefully approached him. "Chrome-"
"Don't talk to me."
"Please, I-"
"You sold us out to Adam!" Chrome turned to her, his eye filled with pure hate. "Be happy I don't-" he winced in pain as he fell to the ground, clutching his wound. Gritting his teeth as he growled in pain, Nicci knelt down to help him.
"Let me help." Nicci said. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
"What did you think was going to happen then?" Chrome growled as he got to his feet.
"Adam helped me when my parents and sister died." Nicci told him. "He never gave me a reason not to trust him. So, when he said he only wanted to talk to you two, I believed him. I wanted to help him because he helped me. I swear, I had no idea he was going to do that. Please!" Nicci bowed her head apologetically. "Forgive me!"
Chrome looked at her with doubt and distrust. "Where's my sister?"
"I...I don't know." Nicci replied, glancing up at him. "Everyone was evacuated before I could get us there. I'm pretty sure we're the only people left in Beacon."
"And Yang?"
Nicci lowered her head. "I don't know..."
With everyone he knew gone, Chrome had no idea what to do. "What about Liam or Marek?"
Nicci just shook her head. Looking to meet Chrome's gaze, an idea popped into her head. "Do you have any idea what Blake would do?"
Chrome glared at Nicci before replying. "She'd run. Knowing her, she'd go somewhere she felt safe. Since Beacon and the White Fang are no longer options, she'd probably head back to Menagerie. Back home."
Chrome took a step towards the door, but fell once again due to his wound. However, instead of hitting the ground, Nicci caught him, wrapping his left arm around her neck to support him. "Please let me come with."
"So you can stab me in the back?" Chrome growled.
"So I can make it up to you." Nicci replied.
The two locked eyes. Seeing she was being sincere, Chrome nodded. "Fine. But you have a shit load to make up for."
"I know."
At the base of Beacon tower, Marek walked away from the massive building, his weapon in his right hand while his left hand clutched his shoulder. He was covered in blood, a bit was Shadow's but most was his own.
His bandanna was lost and his hood was ripped, making it so he couldn't hide his face. His snow white hair was stained a light crimson and his clothes were battered and torn. Multiple cuts lined his face, arms, neck and torso.
As for Shadow, he was currently pushing debris and rubble off of himself. He was buried inside of Beacon tower. Getting himself free, he grabbed his weapon and began heading for the massive hole in the wall he and Marek had made.
"You've gotten stronger, little brother." Shadow said to himself. "I'm impressed."
End of chapter 23
