RWBY: Team CRML
Chapter 40
Liam/Marek
Walking into the building Lionheart had set the meeting in, team RWBY, minus Blake, the remaining members of team JNPR, Qrow, Oscar and the two members from team CRML stopped in the center of the room. "Why hello. Thank you for... coming. There... seems to be more of you than last time." Lionheart said with a nervous chuckle.
"Eh, you know what they say, 'The more the merrier'. So what's going on with the council?" Qrow asked.
"Why... did you bring your weapons?"
"What? Leo, we're Huntsmen. You okay?" Qrow asked.
"Of course! Of course, sorry. Just haven't had my evening coffee."
"Look, it's nice to see you, but we got work to do. Are we getting support from the council or not?" Qrow asked, jumping right to the point.
While the two talk, Yang notices from the corner of her eye a black bird perched on a balcony railing.
"Mom?"
Everyone's attention is turned to the bird. It flies away just as Qrow shoots at it, but he misses. The bird flies down behind Lionheart, transforming into Raven, donning her mask. "Raven..." Liam said, shocked to see her.
"They... they really are magic..."
Raven took off her mask. "If you're going to shoot me, shoot me. That was insulting."
"What are you doing here?!" Qrow growled.
"I could ask you the same thing. You've been scheming, little brother. Planning to attack your own sister."
"Leo... what have you done?!" Qrow glared at him.
"Leo did what any sane person would in his position - he looked at all the information he had in front of him, assessed the situation, and made a choice. And it seems you all have too." Raven said. Turning to Liam, her gaze softened. "Nephew."
"Raven." Liam said just as softly.
"You made the right choice." she told him. "I'm glad you left."
"You have the Spring Maiden." Qrow said angrily.
"I do."
"Then hand her over and let's work together! We can beat Salem!" Qrow told her.
"All that time spent spying for Ozpin and you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem!" Raven growled.
"You're wrong." Ruby spoke up. "We've done things that most people would call impossible, and I know the only reason we were able to do it is because we didn't do it alone! We had people to teach us, people to help us, we had each other. Work with us. At least I know we'll have a better chance if we try together. Please."
Ruby holds her hand out to Raven.
"You sound just like your mother."
Suddenly, Raven draws her sword and creates a portal with her Semblance. From the portal, a fireball is launched and hits Ruby square in her torso. She lands several feet back.
"Ruby!"
While Yang runs to her little sister, Cinder steps out of the portal. Her eye was covered with an eye patch, showing signs of burns. "Hello boys and girls."
Vernal, Emerald, Mercury, Shadow and Mist, who had a few burn marks on her as well, join her, all of them emerging from the portal. Upon seeing Mist, a wave of fear went through Liam's entire body as the events of Beacon Tower replayed in his head.
"C'mon guys, is that any way to greet your old friends?" Mercury grinned.
"Everybody, stay calm." Qrow said.
Suddenly the doors behind them open up.
Hazel Rainart, another of Salem's followers, closed the doors behind him as he entered. "The White Fang is prepping demolition and securing the school grounds. No one's getting in, and no one's getting out."
"This was all just a trap?" Weiss asked.
"It appears so..."
"Raven, tell me... how long have you been with them?" Qrow asked.
"Aww, don't take it personally, little bird." Cinder said, mockingly. "Your sister was a recent addition. The lion on the other hand... Entrance into the Vytal Festival was a real treat, Leonardo's been sending Salem all sorts of information for a very, very long time. Isn't that right, professor?"
As they talked, Liam began to panic a bit more. The only one taking notice of this was Marek. "Hey..." placing a hand on his shoulder, Liam took a few breaths to calm down a bit. "You okay, man?"
"Yeah..."
"It was you... you sit on the Mistral Council. You had information on every Huntsman and Huntress in the Kingdom, and you gave it all to her?" Qrow asked, too focused on the situation at hand.
"I-"
"I couldn't find any of them, because you let her kill them!" Qrow growled.
"Aw now, don't beat yourself up about it, Lionheart, I'm sure Tyrian and Hazel would've found them on their own eventually." Shadow said.
"What is wrong with you...?" Jaune asked, seething. "How can you be so broken inside... to take so many lives, and then come here and rub it in our faces like it's something to be proud of?!"
"Jaune..."
"All with that damn smile on your face!" tears streamed down his face.
The rest of the group drew their weapons as Marek calmed Liam a bit more.
"Everybody, stay calm!" Qrow shouted.
"I'm gonna make you pay for what you did! Do you hear me?!" Jaune yelled.
"Kid!"
"Well?! SAY SOMETHING!"
After a short pause, Cinder said her response. "Who are you again?"
At this, Jaune gains a look of shock, and then of anger. He transformed his weapon to its two-handler form and advanced forward. Cinder summoned a glowing scimitar and blocked Jaune's attack.
"Jaune!"
As Ruby went to assist Jaune, Emerald used her chain to yank her back. "You're not getting anywhere near her."
As the room burst into a massive fight, Marek got Liam to calm down enough to draw his weapon.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Marek spun around to see his brother and sister standing a few feet away. "I think your buddy there remembers us." Mist said.
"You won't get near him!"
"You don't have to worry about that." Liam said as he took his stance.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." Liam nodded. "I'm good."
"We're going to bring you back home, Marek." Shadow told him.
"Salem told you to bring me back alive, huh?" Marek smirked. "That was a mistake..." he took his fighting stance. "...because I'm not looking to leave you breathing, Shadow!"
After a beat, the two of them engaged in battle. Swinging his spear at Shadow, he ducked under it. Twirling his spear around his body, he jabbed it four times at him.
As he fought his brother, Liam and Mist moved away as they readied themselves, Liam still having trouble facing the person behind his missing arm, his hand still shaking.
Mist, noticing his shaking hand, smirked. "Scared?" she asked mockingly.
"Maybe." Liam replied before flipping his weapon so he was holding it backwards. "But it'll pass!"
"You sure about that?"
Liam replied by lunging at Mist. Blocking his strike, Liam swung his weapon two more times, both strikes Mist dodged by performing two backwards cartwheels. Landing on her feet, she took her stance before thrusting her weapon at Liam's chest.
Moving backwards, Liam pushed the weapon away with his sword. Mist spun around as Liam charged forward. Before he reached her, Mist knocked his feet out from under him before bringing her weapon down. Hitting Liam, she went to strike again but Liam blocked it this time.
Kicking her back, Liam quickly got back to his feet, raising his weapon in front of him. Mist rushed Liam once again. Bringing her halberd down, Liam tried to block it but the force knocked his weapon from his grasp.
Using this to her advantage, Mist attacked again, knocking Liam onto his back and breaking his aura. Yelling out in pain, Marek looked over just as Mist raised her weapon to kill him.
Suddenly, a bright white flashed throughout the room, causing Shadow and Mist to shield their eyes while Marek fell to his knees in a bit of pain. Once the light faded, Liam looked over to see Ruby get knocked out by Emerald.
Quick to recover from the pain, Marek kicked Shadow back, vefore rushing over and shoving his sister off of Liam. Going in to attack, Shadow slashed his weapon across Marek's back.
As the three of them fought, another screamed echoed through the room. The scream was from Weiss who had her aura broken by Vernal. Lifting himself up on his arm, Liam looked over as Vernal knocked Weiss away.
"NO!" looking over, Liam saw Jaune reaching out to Cinder who created a spear made of glass, taking aim at Weiss.
Seeing this, Liam pushed himself to his feet. "Weiss!" rushing over as Cinder threw the spear, Liam grabbed Weiss' arm and pulled her out of the way. Falling to the ground, Weiss looked back at Liam, her eyes going wide at the sight before her.
Liam tried to say something but couldn't as a thick liquid filled his mouth. Looking down, he saw the spear sticking out of him before turning to dust.
Bleeding out, Liam collapsed.
End of chapter 40
