Chapter 75

Marek

Exiting the portal and stepping into Vacuo, Marek immediately shielded his eyes from a heavy sand storm. Visibility was almost impossible as Marek looked around for Mist.

However, during his search, a winged Grimm flew down and wrapped its talons around his arm, trying to haul him off his feet. Just as he lifted off the ground, a gunshot rang out, killing the Grimm.

Falling on his back, Marek looked over to see Mist approach.

Stopping in her tracks, her mouth fell open.

"Marek?"

He was about to extend his claws, ready for a fight, when Mist quickly closed the gap between them, pulling her brother into a hug.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. "For everything."

Marek was taken aback.

"What?"

Mist pulled away.

"I'll explain after we get these people to safety." Mist told him. "I don't expect or deserve your trust, but let me help for now."

"Is this some trick?" Marek asked.

"It isn't." Mist shook her head. "I'll-"

She suddenly pulled her arm back and threw her halberd at another Grimm as it tried taking off with one of the kids.

"I'll explain later." She said again as she went to retrieve her weapon.

Liam

Firing controlled bursts at Cinder, she dodged each bullet with ease as she flew through the air.

"That the best you got, Liam?"

With both of their auras shattered, neither one of them would walk away unscathed.

As Cinder flew through the air, her Grimm arm was restored, growing out of the stump left by Liam. Grinning, she turned to fly directly towards Liam as he was reloading.

Just as he had put a new magazine, filled with differently variations of dust, into his weapon, Cinder reached out with her Grimm arm. Wrapping it around Liam's throat, she was about to sink her claws into his neck. Using his silver eye ability, Cinder reeled back, clutching her Grimm arm in agony.

As Cinder recovered, Chrome shot an icicle at her, hitting her shoulder. Yelling in pain, she turned to Chrome, her eye glowing even brighter as she summoned a sigil under his feet. Looking down, Chrome tried to dive out of the way, but the explosion sent Chrome over the edge, nevertheless.

His aura flickered and shattered as he fell into the darkness below, fading into nothing much like Yang.

"Chrome!"

As Ruby and Blake fought Neo, Blake paused, hearing her brother's name. Looking back, she saw Liam and Cinder glaring at each other.

Staring at the spot Chrome had vanished, Liam was at a loss.

"Chrome..."

The air was filled with laughter from Cinder.

"Oh. That's right. It's just you now." Cinder mocked. "Your entire team is dead now, aren't they?"

Liam clenched his fists.

"I killed half your team myself." Cinder continued. "Wish I was the sole reason team CRML was wiped from existence."

Liam grit his teeth.

"Guess three out of four will do."

With a yell, Liam rushed Cinder.

Just as he reached her, Cinder was shot in the side by Blake, who had rushed over to aid Liam. Tackling Cinder to the ground, the two hit the platform, rolling across it before coming to a stop.

Groaning, Liam pushed himself up as Blake rushed over to Cinder, her eyes filled with tears.

As she tried to attack, Cinder used Blake's momentum against her. Tossing her over the edge, Blake's eyes widened as she fell into the void.

Throwing her weapon in an attempt to save herself, Liam rushed over and caught it, saving Blake from falling. However, with Liam occupied trying to help Blake, Cinder approached from behind, smirking as Liam fell onto his stomach. Trying to pull himself, and Blake, up with his mechanical arm while holding onto Blake's weapon, Cinder created a glass sword.

Blake, staring up at Liam as he strained just to keep her from falling, knew there was no way she'd be getting back up. With Liam's strength failing due to exhaustion from his fight with Cinder, Blake looked from Liam to the void below her.

"Liam." Blake said softly, getting him to look her in the eye.

"Hold on, Blake!" Liam shouted, trying to move onto his knees but instead falling back onto his stomach. "I can-"

"Goodbye."

Letting go of the ribbon, Blake fell and vanished into the void.

"BLAKE!"

Reaching out to her, Liam fell silent as tears stung his eyes, seeing yet another one of his friends turn to nothing before his eyes.

Hearing Cinder approach from behind, Liam spun around just in time to deflect an attack using Blake's weapon. Aiming at Cinder, he took a shot but she disintegrated the bullet with a flash of fire.

Turning into his avian form, Liam flew to a nearby platform to make a bit of distance between himself and Cinder.

Sliding across the ground, Liam was taking deep breaths as he held his head, trying not to think about the people he had just lost.

Cinder, noticing the fight between Ruby and Neo, ignored Liam as she instead headed over to them. Hearing a yell of pain, Liam looked over to see Neo hanging off the side of one of the paths. Ruby was holding onto Neo's leg, her weapon getting kicked off the edge by Cinder and plummeting to the depths of nothing.

Cinder, using her Grimm arm, took the lamp off Neo's hip. Smirking, Cinder raised her leg, ready to kick both Neo and Ruby off the edge.

"No."

His wings emerging from his back, Liam began flying over to them. Just as he made it, Cinder had already kicked the two off the platform, causing them to fall into the void.

Skidding to a halt on the platform, Liam fought back the tears that threatened to fall. In less than an hour, he had lost almost everyone he cared about.

That sorrow quickly turned to rage as he began attacking Cinder.

Tears flowing down his cheeks, Cinder fought back as she smiled.

Feeling a slash across his right leg and shoulder, Liam fell to one knee, yelling out in pain. Cinder raised her sword, ready to kill him when Jaune, coming from seemingly no where, slammed into her side with his shield.

"Get outta here, Liam!" Jaune ordered. "I can buy you some time."

"But-"

"Everyone has already evacuated." Jaune told him. "All that's left is us. Now get the hell outta here!"

Liam, looking at the injuries he'd sustained, knew he wouldn't be able to fight much longer.

"You better make it, Jaune." Liam said before using his wings to head for the portal into Vacuo.

Landing on the platform, Liam's wings disappeared into his back as he began limping towards the exit, holding both his and Blake's weapons. Liam could hear Jaune and Cinder fighting, the clashing of their weapons echoing through the darkness.

"You don't think I'd actually let him go so easily, do you?" Cinder said.

Jaune didn't reply as he continued to battle Cinder.

Knocking Jaune onto his back, Cinder raised her right hand, launching countless glass shards towards Liam.

"WATCH OUT!" Jaune shouted in an attempt to warn Liam.

Turning around, the shards landed around Liam. His eyes widened as they began to glow.

Raising his arms in an attempt to shield himself, the blast knocked Liam closer to the portal into Vacuo. Landing on his back, Liam groaned in pain. Slowly rolling over, Liam found the strength to push himself onto his feet. Countless wounds lined his body as blood seemed to pour endlessly from him. His mechanical arm sparked as deep gashes showed the inner workings.

His chest and back held countless tiny injuries as well as a couple deep cuts and severe burns. His arm and legs looked as though they'd been thrown into a woodcutter.

But the most damage seemed to be on his face.

The blast had severely burned him. His arm, legs and torso made it seem he had been victim to a forest fire. His clothing, including his mother's cloak, had burn damage as well.

Half of his face was burned. His left eye, his silver eye, was closed and wouldn't open due to the damage. Even Liam was unsure if his eye would ever be the same again, but only time would tell.

Using his sword as a cane, Liam limped over to the portal into Vacuo, still holding Blake's weapon. Looking back, Liam saw Cinder retreat through one of the portals, Relic of Knowledge in hand.

Around him, the realm he and Jaune were in began fading rapidly. Watching as Jaune sprinted towards the portal, Liam hesitated, wanting to help.

"Go!" Jaune shouted.

Turning back, Liam went through the portal, coming through the otherside in a desert in the middle of a sandstorm. Liam fell to his knees, dropping the two weapons he was carrying.

"Liam!" Weiss rushed over and knelt next to him, looking him over as she dropped the Staff of Creation.

Before Liam could speak, the portal behind him disintegrated, trapping Jaune to the same fate as the others.

"Liam?" Nora and Ren approached him. Seeing he was pretty much on the verge of death, Nora placed a hand over her mouth.

"Where's Jaune?" Ren asked. "He can boost your aura."

Liam shook his head.

"He's gone."

"Chrome?" Marek asked as he approached, alongside Winter.

"Ruby? Blake? Yang?" Oscar asked.

Liam shook his head at each name.

"They..." Liam winced as he held his side. "All of them... they fell."

Liam looked up at Weiss as she stared into his uninjured eye.

However, his gaze turned to Mist as she walked over to him.

Getting to his feet, ready to fight, Marek quickly moved in front of Liam as he leaned against his sword for balance.

"She's helping." Marek told him. "For now." Marek glanced back at his sister before looking to Liam. "You're gonna need to rest. You look like you just crawled out of Hell itself."

Liam chuckled, but it soon turned into coughing. Placing a hand over his mouth, he pulled it away to show it was completely coated with his blood.

Seeing how much blood covered his hand, Weiss' mouth fell open. Looking at Weiss, Liam's uninjured eye rolled into the back of his head as he fell forward.

"Liam?" Weiss quickly caught him. "Liam?!"

End of chapter 75