Ruby had - quite expectedly - been dazed after the sudden transportation of so many people. Sure she had moved one, maybe even two of her friends with her semblance before, but never so much as she had just then. A swelling sickness grew in her gut, however it was fleeting, and as her vision steadied and she pulled herself together Ruby noticed another figure in the dark room with them.
His eyes were wide with shock.
"N... n-no..."
The Grimm had been in a skirmish with Jaune of all people; key aspect being 'was'. All the others had been blown apart when they first arrived, however Jaune had recovered the fastest and blocked a strike from the beast. Sparks flew as it's claws tore against the metal, yet the antique held firm, until of course it flipped gravity again and struck from above. Jaune's shield was slapped from his hands, proving that the Grimm did indeed possess the same stretching capabilities as it's other brethren.
The boy went flying and tumbled roughly into the dirt, and as he stood again Jaune immediately made for the side as the creature flung itself towards him. It was ruthless in it's pursuit, and just as Jaune backed away and made for his shield it lunged once more. Ren intercepted it this time however and fired several shots directly into it's core and face. The creature brushed the onslaught off as it wrapped it's limbs around Ren and violently threw him aside.
Nora tried her luck this time, followed by Yang as both went in. The blond threw her fists rapidly, aimed to cripple it's limbs with minimal results. The beast ignored it and tried to grapple her, but with rapid speed Yang wove between the two writhing arms. Yang backed away, and Nora went back to work as she bashed at any opening she could. The creature shocked them with another roar, but this one was more along the lines of screeching, and it stilled the duo as they covered their ears to silence the noise. The Grimm was ceaseless, and with another roar cemented it's threatening presence. The noise was bone-chilling as it rippled down the backs of everyone, as if someone were having those bones slowly pulled out as one would with a splinter.
Yet the man took a few steps forward, and as Ruby's eyes finally adjusted a stab of worry pierced her heart as she saw Gold stare with broken eyes.
"Lapis... what did he do to you?" The Grimm stalled for but a moment, and yet even appearing to have recognised the voice it screeched and leapt. Gold stood there, helplessly in apparent sorrow as the creature approached.
It missed.
"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" Pyrrha screamed at the man as she stood and readied herself again. The boy was flabbergasted, probably from being tackled so roughly.
"You... look like him..." Gold's shock soured a bit into a bubbling anger, seething through his clenched teeth. "I know you, but I also know him. Are you related to him?"
"You're talking about Vermillion, right?" Pyrrha had calmed somewhat as she sized up the Grimm, and as it made to lunge Nora returned and countered it with her hammer; the girl appeared ripe and ready to get into the swing of things again. Pyrrha looked back down to Gold. "In a way I suppose you're guess is correct."
Gold stood, his hatred hidden behind a static gaze. "I knew it, that means you know... you have to know. Answer me, why did that traitorous bastard run off?"
His fury slipped out for an instant.
"Why did he run away?"
His temper slowly took control.
"Why did he abandon everyone?"
Only hatred spoke.
"Why did he choose them?"
Sensibility was gone.
"THEY IGNORED US!"
Raw emotion wept.
"THEY PRETENDED EVERYTHING WAS FINE!"
Pain screamed out.
"THEY LET US SUFFER!"
He stared defiantly, and yet Pyrrha could only look upon him in pity. He was twisted in his own hate, and as she stared Pyrrha could only see the broken shell of a man molded by his own vision of justice. He willingly blinded himself to anything other than his own hurt, actively ignoring how his choices affected everyone and everything around him. His chosen enslavement to his own feelings appeared almost instinctual.
In her eyes he was nothing more than a beaten animal.
"He valued his faith." She spoke quietly.
Pyrrha always felt for injured animals. Even as a child she would care for wounded birds and puppies. Yet even as she nurtured them with all her heart they would often die, and at that young and influential age she learned than not all innocence could be saved, no matter how cruel that fact of life was.
"He had people he believed in, and he was willing to gamble everything on the hopes they would do what was right."
But forever she would try.
Her eyes softened for him. "Vermillion put his trust in those close to him, perhaps too much even. Yet he would never hold it against them, and whenever trouble arose he would put himself out." Her heart tightened. "Even as the world turned on him, and even when things looked hopeless, he would still hold onto that little sliver of faith and push onwards." She felt her eyes sting as her vision blurred. "He would throw himself into the abyss, even for those destined to fail. He would take the places of others, and when it was their time to die he would rob that death from them; slipping into their place instead, all the while having the audacity to appear happy as he traded his life for mine."
Pyrrha saw it in his eyes, as even with hindered vision they appeared to break apart. His face remained hateful, but that swelling rage so vengefully burning within had flickered. She didn't hate him, but she would not tolerate his offense towards the man who saved her, the man who died for her. Back in Beacon Pyrrha would have tried to give this man a chance, a moment to explain or prove some sense of innocence. She hated to see people suffer, however since Beacon's fall she'd noticed that side of her slowly fade away, and as it did her fear grew as she realized that part might die out entirely.
As Pyrrha turned from Gold she felt a sense of relief in her merciful side showing itself once more, even if for only a moment.
The pale champion instead set her sights on the newly named 'Lapis'. It had once been a man; a person; with hopes and dreams; with a family and friends. What stood before her now was a monster, and any semblance of what it once was only echoed out in it's cries. It sounded as though it were in crippling pain, and knowing that it probably went through some horrid experimentation to reach a stable state she assumed it was. Grimm were negativity, literal destruction and hate in physical form. Fusing so much pure evil into a person must have put an incredible strain on the person it once was, and most likely caused it's body to constantly fight against itself.
Pyrrha knew that killing it was the only way to end it's suffering, but even so a part of her felt called out to; compelled to reach out for the creature. In that crucial moment as the beast made for her, and as she lunged all the same Pyrrha instead lowered her weapon and dodged the outstretched limbs.
She embraced the creature and gripped it in a hug that would make even Ruby's usual look meek. Pyrrha didn't believe in the classical 'power of love' that would so often show itself in books or movies, but instead she had a set plan in motion.
Shadows leaked from her visible dark veins, and she felt the warmth of the darkness as she tried something new. She had been able to control the Grimm back before they arrived, back out in the wild, and wondered if she could do the same here?
Her senses dulled as darkness overcame her.
.
.
"Not bad."
It was strange to see, but as she watched the two clash Blake couldn't help but take notice of Adam's words. They were genuine, for the first time in a while she finally got to hear honest praise from the man she once considered her mentor.
Yet it was directed towards V.
Having worked under Adam for so long, and essentially having learned the ways of the world thanks to him she couldn't stop the stab of envy which slipped into the deep crevices of her mind. Blake could only recall one instance of Adam praising her in the past, back when she was still only what most would consider a child, and it had been when they were out hunting.
Adam had taken her into the wilderness, back before the White Fang had committed to it's bloody path and the man had lost his mind. Adam had been like an older brother in those days, and it was when he had just taught her about including her semblance into her fighting technique did he tell of a new type of training.
"See that over there?" He had asked, and when she looked she saw what seemed to be a young girl.
"Ilia?" Blake had questioned, and Adam had nodded.
"Yes. She has agreed to be your partner for todays training."
"I thought we were hunting?" She had been innocent back then, still oblivious to the world, and the thought of hunting a person was foreign to her; it hurt to know how that would quickly change, and how much shame she would accumulate as she followed his commands later on in her life.
"We are, but hunting a regular animal won't help you train. You want to be strong, yes?" Adam told as the younger Blake nodded. She had been so preoccupied with becoming strong like her father that it never even crossed her mind why he would present her the idea of hunting people, and how he would praise her afterwards.
"Blake?" She snapped from her memory for a moment as Weiss's voice broke her from the daydream. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She replied, and set her eyes back on the fight.
Adam still moved with his usual finesse, his blade more akin to an ornament than a weapon. However unlike a dancer Adam's blade Wilt swung out with precision and force; each cut directed to a single decisive point with no room for movement. When Adam struck it was a commitment, a promise towards a single target. Hit or miss; when Adam moved he would follow through.
There was never any turning back, only forward movement.
Ever onward. Blake could still picture it, and even as he clashed with V she could still imagine his gritty devious grin in a more laid back posture. His laughing mug would stare down at her, and as young Blake lay on the ground she growled.
"No fair! Ilia's faster than me, how am I supposed to fight her?!"
His chuckles calmed, and with a smirk he walked over, kneeling down as he reached for her. Adam ruffled her hair, and Blake sent a defiant growl, but as a child she knew it probably looked no better than a grumpy pout.
"You were born with two hands, and you use them just fine." Adam stood. "You were born with two legs, and you run and jump all the time." His hair glowed, and quickly he slashed behind him which sent a wave of crimson through the air. The crescent of energy sliced through a tree, cutting it down as it crashed into the dirt and spooked Ilia. "So why not use that last gift of yours?
"I can't." Her younger self said. "My clones don't move, they only stand where I left them. But forget that, how did you do that? Doesn't your semblance only work when your blade gets hit?"
"True." He told, taking a more cocky posture. "But semblances are crafty, and their rules may not be what you think they are. My semblance allows me to store the energy from an opposing force into an object, and subsequently release it; however there is no time limit to how long that force may remain. I've been holding that shot since practice this morning when I was with Sienna; you can thank her for that one."
Adam stretched out a hand, and reluctantly her younger self had taken it, and as Blake recalled the ending of that memory she couldn't help but mutter his words last words aloud.
"'Your strength is unique, and it's secrets are yours to find.'"
"Huh?" Weiss questioned, and yet Blake ignored her as she watched V move.
V... you always find ways to surprise us. She wondered just what secrets his strength held. He came back from the dead, he holds command over Grimm, he can stand toe to toe with Adam, and even has the courage to do what he believes needs to be done, even if it's morally wrong. Just who are you, and how do you have so much strength?
Vermillion Rose; he was an anomaly. They all hated him at first, and yet somehow he wormed his way into their circle of friends; into their hearts. Watching her former friend turned enemy do battle with her former enemy turned friend was taxing on her mind. Blake felt like her psyche would fall apart any minute, and yet a small hand on her back followed by a warm embrace pulled her back into the moment.
"Whatever it is your worried about, don't be." Weiss told with a soft voice. "We'll make it through this, we're strong enough." Blake cast a glance and locked eyes with her friend before both looked back to the fight. "Ignore your negative thoughts Blake, throw them out and focus on the here and now. V is fighting for us, for everyone; we can't let him do it alone."
"Adam's stronger than me." Blake admitted, not having the mental strength to even try and hide that fact. "I've never been able to face him alone before. I've never stood a chance."
"This time is different. V can hold his own, but they're evenly matched. However we have each other now, and even if we can't beat him alone we can if we face him together. Adam may have his skills, but we all have one another. We trust in each other, and because of that we can work together and combine our strengths while shielding our weaknesses. Adam doesn't trust anyone, and so he fights all alone; there's nobody to watch his back."
Trust... Adam trusted me before... right? A part of her wondered whether that was even true. Blake wanted to believe it was, and yet a hint of doubt slipped into her heart. How far had Adam fallen, and had it started before the Fang got violent? He had always taken news about Humanity with a growl and scowl, so much so that Blake had wondered if he just hated Humans altogether.
Blake was eased from those worries as Weiss stepped forward, casting one quick smirk back before she rushed in. It was small, but the way Weiss looked at her fueled a sense of confidence in Blake. The girl couldn't fight the smile that slipped out for but a second. Weiss had long since grown past her arrogance, and had mellowed into a more observant and cautious woman, but for an instant she had shown that her playful side still remained.
If Weiss could smirk in the face of dread, than what excuse did Blake herself have?
Trust... They had been stabbed in the back; they'd been thrown around; kidnapped; tortured; all in between, and yet Weiss could still find a sense of excitement in what was clearly another attempt at their lives from death. A part of Blake wondered if she would succumb to that fear again, if she would run when things got bleak. However she shoved that part of her mind away as she ran in, with nothing but one last thought before taking the leap.
I trust you, both of you.
Author's note
...
Late, but not without reason.
Recently my life has been twisted as of late, and I've made a few essential decisions that have eaten up my time and mental power. However that has moved on somewhat, and I've found myself with a bit more control.
Disregarding that excuse we're back with another chapter, and hopefully it was at least a little exciting. I'm still not good with fight scenes yet, but I don't quite classify this chapter as a battle set piece, more or less a character growth. Sure we had some fighting, but alongside it we've gotten a bit more depth for our cast.
I'll call it here for now, but know that next chapter is going to get a little weird, but considering what you're reading you most likely expected and wanted that anyway.
See you next chapter.