Chapter 69

Marek

Staring up at the ceiling, Marek shook his head.

"Break time's over."

Sitting up, Marek looked at the Seer that floated next to the door. Whatever he'd do, that Grimm would likely call Salem before he'd even make it to the door.

But he was tired of just sitting around.

Before he began to move, Marek felt something cover his mouth. He didn't even have a chance to question what it was as Emerald appeared before him, her hand over his mouth.

"Don't make a sound." She whispered.

Nodding his head, Emerald removed her hand as she pulled out a bobby pin, going to work on the cuffs.

Within seconds, they were off.

Grabbing his wrist, Emerald immediately began heading for the door. Once outside, Emerald turned to Marek.

"What're you doing?" Marek asked. "If Salem finds out-"

"I'll fill you in later. But right now, we need to get the hell out of here!" Emerald told him.

Turning to head down the hall, Marek paused when he saw Oscar standing a few feet away.

"Oscar?"

"Hey, Marek."

"How-"

Emerald pushed passed Marek.

"Like I said, save it for later!" She told them both. "Let's just focus on getting out."

"She's right." Oscar agreed. "C'mon. Let's just get out of this place."

A couple minutes later

Walking behind Emerald and Oscar, Marek kept an eye out for Shadow, Mist or worse, Salem.

Suddenly, Emerald grabbed Oscar and Marek, pulling them to the wall as she hung her head.

Looking down the hall, Salem slowly approached the trio.

"Shit." Marek growled under his breath.

Salem stopped at the trio, looking to Oscar.

"Ah, Hazel. Have you gotten what we need yet?"

Oscar jumps as he looks at Salem. Seeing her staring at him, he shifted his gaze to the ground.

"I... I, uh..."

Salem's eyes narrow suspiciously. Suddenly, a loud screech echoes through the corridors, and she turns away.

"The Seers... seems we have guests." Salem said.

Her eyes widen, and her calm demeanor drops.

"The Lamp! Find them!"

Salem speeds unnaturally fast down the hallway.

Watching her leave, Oscar relaxed as Marek looked to Emerald.

"She's gone. Hopefully long enough for us to leave. Let's go." Emerald turned and began walking down the hall.

Marek and Oscar were about to follow but Marek paused, glancing at a door on the right of the hallway.

"Marek?" Oscar called him.

"Give me just a moment, will ya?" Marek requested.

Emerald glanced back at the duo.

"No. We're leaving. Now!" Emerald shouted, showing how desperate she was to get away from this place.

"I just need a moment. Nothing more." Marek replied.

Emerald groaned in frustration.

"You have thirty seconds. After that, you can catch up."

"Got it."

With that, Marek entered the room.

Moments later

Walking out, Emerald glared at Marek.

"Get what you needed?" She asked.

Marek replied with a nod of his head as he held out his right hand, showing three dust crystals of different elements. One ice. One fire. And one wind.

"Why'd-?"

"Who cares!" Emerald turned and began walking away. "Let's just get out of here."

Marek, without saying a word, began to follow.

A few minutes later

Taking a right at one of the intersections, the trio came across a few familiar faces.

Jaune, Ren and Yang came face to face with Oscar, Emerald and Marek. Upon making eye contact, Yang, Jaune and Ren aimed their weapons at the escapees.

"No, wait!"

Oscar rushed forward, arms extended out to them.

Yang and Ren lower their weapons with relieved smiles, as Jaune drops his sword and shield, running forward to embrace Oscar.

"Oscar!"

Oscar winces in pain, but chuckles weakly and returns the embrace.

"I knew I sensed some weak minds nearby." Emerald stated while Marek stood a few feet away, remaining silent.

Seeing Emerald, Jaune glared at her.

"What's going on here?"

"It's a long story." Oscar replied.

Yang steps forward warily.

"You're gonna have to try andsummarizeit. Why should we trust you?"

"Because she's scared." Ren said. "Just like us."

Emerald raises her eyebrows in surprise. Yang and Jaune's expressions soften.

"Or maybe because I know how to get out of here."

She moves forward down the corridor past them, only sparing a glance in their direction.

"Anybody coming?"

Without a word, Marek began to follow, prompting the others to do the same.

Soon, Yang, Jaune, Ren, Oscar, Marek and Emerald head for one of the Whale Grimm's open-air landing bays. The outskirts of Atlas are visible in the distance.

"We're almost out!"

A terrific rumble shakes the ground, forcing them to stop.

"What is that?" Jaune asked.

Emerald stares blankly straight head, the horror evident in her expression.

"It's her."

A massive screech sends the six of them covering their ears. Then everyone except Emerald is knocked off their feet by a blast of purple and black magic. Salem stands at a freshly carved hole in the wall, her eyes sweeping over Oscar, then travelling to Emerald. The girl turns to run, but Salem extends her arms, grabbing her and pulling her close.

"You really have been honing that Semblance of yours." Salem growled.

Ren fires at Salem, who retaliates with another blast of magic. Jaune steps forward with his shield, but both he and Ren are blown off their feet and into the wall behind them. Jaune's Aura shimmers weakly. Yang presses on, jabbing at Salem's front and planting her explosives. She quickly gets out of range and detonates them.

Salem's upper body bends backwards from the force, and the flesh on her mangled chest opens up like a ghastly flower. Her free hand splays and spits out an adhesive substance in Yang's direction. Yang blocks it with her gauntlets, but Salem pulls, reining the girl in as her own body regenerates. She finally closes her hand on one of Yang's gauntlets.

Having gotten to his feet, Marek rushes in, but Salem conjures a sigil beneath his feet, a dozen Grimm hands reaching up and pulling him to the floor.

"Let them go!" Oscar shouted.

Salem turns to face him, and takes a green beam of magic to the chest. She doubles over in pain, then grimaces and hurls Yang at Oscar. They tumble to the ground. Her sigils appear on the ground, spawning Grimm arms that immobilize Yang, Jaune, Ren, and Oscar. She uses one last sigil to immobilize Emerald upright. A roiling ball of magic appears in her hand as she interrogates Emerald.

"What did you do with the Lamp?" Salem growled.

"Nothing."

Emerald appears resolute at first, but turns away when Salem moves the ball of magic toward her face.

"It's missing. Where is it?" Salem inched the ball of magic closer to her face.

"I didn't do anything with it."

Emerald squeezes her eyes shut as Salem turns to look at Oscar.

"Where is it?"

The Grimm arms binding Oscar force him into an upright position, his hands bound. Salem slowly approaches him.

"Look how you've diminished. How you've lessened yourself, and for what? These children, this ruined world?"

Overcome by rage, Salem suddenly grabs Oscar's head from both sides, holding her thumbnails threateningly close to his eyes.

"Why...do...you...keep...coming...back?!"

"Why doyou?!" Yang shouted.

Salem's gaze shifts to Yang, who is still pinned to the ground. As Yang speaks, she ignores the Grimm arms tightening around her.

"All of this endless death, because something bad happened to you once upon a time?!" Yang continued.

Salem moves away from Oscar, slowly moving toward Yang.

"Nobody gets a fairy-tale ending! Everything I've lost, everypersonI've lost, is because of you!" Yang spat.

"And who is it I've taken from you, girl?" Salem asked.

Yang glares angrily at her captor.

"Summer Rose. Mymom."

Salem chuckles, bending forward to look at Yang with a bemused expression.

"...Her,again."

"Your grace."

Hazel enters the room, passing in front of a still bound Emerald.

"Ah, Hazel. I found our guests."

Salem gestures at the subdued teens as some more Grimm arms shoot up to cover Yang's mouth.

Salem conjures another ball of magic in her palm, turning to look at Emerald.

"Thisone was helping them."

Emerald looks at Hazel, pleading with her eyes, but his expression is indecipherable. The Grimm arms holding Oscar retract, unceremoniously dropping him tot he ground.

"Take the boy back to his chamber. I have work to do with this one."

Salem caresses a now tearful Emerald's cheek with the back of her hand, the churning magic inches from her face.

"Yes, of course."

As Hazel began to walk towards Oscar, Marek chuckled softly, getting Salem's attention. Throughout all of this, Marek was silent. He hadn't spoken a word.

Turning to her son, Salem narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

"You've been uncharacteristically quiet, my son." Salem said, moving away from Emerald who let out a breath of relief. "Why is it you're-"

Marek parted his lips, revealing a gravity dust crystal that was held carefully between his teeth.

Yang, Ren, Jaune and Emerald watched Marek carefully. Marek spit the crystal into his right hand. With a quick, forceful squeeze, Marek sent a shockwave out. Pushing himself, Yang and Ren away from the Grimm arms, the trio quickly got to their feet.

As the moment passed, Salem was suddenly punched with enough force to send her stumbling away. Standing where she stood was Hazel, eyes filled with anger.

With the Grimm arms fading, Jaune, Oscar and Emerald were free as well.

"Go! Now!" Hazel shouted.

As everyone rushed to leave, Marek stayed behind, catching the attention of Yang and Oscar.

"What're you doing?!" Yang shouted.

Marek glanced back at them.

"Leave."

With little hesitation, Yang and Oscar did as told.

As Hazel kept Salem busy, Marek took a step back, preparing to launch himself at her. But just as his feet left the ground, Mist, coming through the same hole Salem made minutes prior, tackled him. The two of them fell out of the Grimm Whale and down to the dirt of Atlas below.

Rolling across the ground, Marek quickly found his balance, sliding across the dirt but keeping upright. Without his weapon, Marek had his claws extend over his nails, taking a defensive stance.

"Even after all this, you still refuse to help us!" Mist shouted, her eyes filled with anger. "Why can't you see the power that you could gain?!"

Mist rushed Marek, swinging her halberd, Marek leaned back to avoid it. Grabbing the hilt beneath the blade, Marek twisted the weapon, yanking it from his sister's grasp and throwing it a few feet away.

Mist glared at Marek as she clenched her fists.

Rushing one another, the two traded blow after blow.

As Marek went in for another strike, Mist wrapped her arm around his. Putting pressure on his elbow, Marek winced as Mist punched him again and again. Stunned, Mist, using her own set of razor sharp claws, broke through Marek's aura. Slashing her claws across his face, Marek broke free from her. Kicking her away, Marek wiped some of the blood off his face.

Without a word, he lunged at Mist. Using his momentum against him, Mist pushed Marek over her. Throwing him to the ground, she twisted his left arm as she stepped on his neck.

"I'm sick of your bullshit!" Mist growled. Twisting his arm even more, a loud snapping sound echoed out as Marek's arm broke.

As Marek yelled in pain, Mist let his arm flop lifelessly to the ground. Pushing himself up carefully, Marek grabbed the wind and fire dust crystals he had taken.

Smashing the crystals together on the ground created a tornado of fire, engulfing the two.

However, a powerful gust of wind from Mist's wings put out the inferno as if it were never there.

"I tried." Mist growled as she stormed towards Marek. "But I'm done. I'm gonna make sure you never get in our way agai-"

A sudden explosion knocked Mist and Marek off their feet, sending them yards away from the Grimm Whale. Rolling to a stop, Marek groaned in pain as he pushed himself up with his right arm.

Mist, having kept herself upright using her wings, stared at what remained of the Grimm Whale, her eyes wide in disbelief. However, that was quickly turned to anger as her gaze shifted to Marek.

Storming over to him, Marek didn't have a chance to react as she kicked his kneecap, breaking his leg. Marek fell back onto the ground, yelling out in pain.

"You're done." Mist stated. Kicking him in the chin, Marek's head tilted to the side as he fell unconscious.

Grabbing his arm, Mist began dragging Marek off.

A few minutes later

Ace-Ops

Seeing the massive Grimm explode, the members of the Ace Operatives stared at what remained in disbelief.

"They... never made it out..." Marrow said softly.

With dust engulfing their vision, Winter squinted her eyes through the thick substance, seeing a silhouette of someone approaching.

"Weapons ready!" Winter shouted to the other Ace-Ops.

As the figure grew closer, it was clear that they were dragging someone behind them.

"Stay where you are!" Harriet shouted.

The figure didn't listen.

Growing ever closer, the figure suddenly tossed the person they were dragging as they came into clear view.

"Here. A gift." The figure said before suddenly taking off into the sky with a set of wings.

Watching them leave, the Ace-Ops slowly approached the figure that lay motionless on the ground.

"Wait." Marrow said. "Isn't that-?"

"It's Salem's offspring." Harriet growled with hatred in her voice. "Marek!"

End of chapter 69