THE CHOICES WE MAKE...
The plan was simple: hi-jack the communication towers in the forest nearby while Weiss and Maria steal an Atlas Airship, that way, we'd be invisible to any Atleasian radars on the way out. A bold plan conducted by the one person I never expected to even think about doing this whole thing.
[Are we sure this is going to work?]
Terra Cotta, Jaune's sister in law asked. She was all for helping us students without hesitation till we proposed the idea of hacking into Atlas security, and why wouldn't she be? She's risking her job, her family to help us.
Yang lifted her scroll up to her face and stared at everyone in the video call. Everyone knew that we were also risking Jaune's family, and that meant everyone held some sort of hesitation in their hearts in doing so. Luckily, we have the perfect alibi for all this commotion that we're going to cause.
[Terra, it'll be okay. I'm here.]
I stood behind Yang and peaked over her shoulder. I pushed the button on the side of my helmet, folding it up and covered my face.
[It anything goes haywire, you didn't do anything. The OWL did.]
Terra sighed, and rubbed her forehead.
[Yeah, that's right. OWL. The most wanted man in Atlas. Living in my house this entire time.]
Jaune stepped in after hearing what his sister in law had to say.
[We'll be okay. All of us, including you... trust us.]
The idea of me using my OWL persona and my criminal ties is an idea no one in our group cherishes. Not me, not Ruby, not Jaune, and especially not Yang and Blake.
"I know, we're kind of forced in this situation, but..."
Yang shuts her scroll off momentarily, before looking at me all concerned, but Blake cut her off, sharing the same sentiment.
"...are you sure?"
Blake wrapped her hands around my neck and stared me in the eyes. I'll admit, no amount of determination can last faced a sight like this.
"I mean, like Yang said. We have no other choice."
I place my hand on top of hers, hoping to ease her worries, but it did very little to change her mind.
"Come on, we're on a strict timeline."
Yang whispered as she mounted her bike. Blake jumped in soon after. I strapped myself up at the end of her bike pulling me up like a kite as I flew through the sky while I talked with the team over my scroll.
[This is Ezra, we're in position Weiss. Mission is a go.]
[Copy that, Ez. Heading in.]
[Goodluck to everyone! Ruby out!]
With that, I waved my hand off to Yang and Blake and detached the wire from her bike as I glided off to the other end of the forest. There were two communications tower that we needed to jam. One on the east side and one on the west. Our part was easy, upload the virus Terra Cotta gave us and have Weiss and Maria pick everyone up. It was mine and Blake's responsibility to do the sneaking around, since Yang's... well, stealth really ain't her strong suit.
A fact that she wasn't happy about, but she really didn't have a choice.
It didn't take very long for me to sneak around the tower. For the most part, there weren't even any guards, just mostly security cameras. With the embargo at large, Atlas can't really afford to lose soldiers on dumb guard details like this I guess... wait no, that's not right.
"Comms tower should be top priority... I know Mistral and Atlas have been allies for centuries, but they wouldn't let their own technology be left alone like this... unguarded."
[UPLOAD: COMPLETE :: Comms Tower 009765 Status: SERVICE IN REPAIR :: SYSTEM RESTART IN: 10:00 minutes]
"Ten minutes..."
I snoop around the tower, trying to look for a reason why the tower is so empty, and vacant, till the computer terminal I plugged the virus into started beeping.
[ERRORS FOUND: CAMERAS DISABLED: 16, PLEASE REPAIR DURING NEXT SERVICE SCHEDULE]
Sixteen? That's all of them in this tower alone. I ran my hands across the railings of the platform I'm in till my hand ran into something wet and red.
"Blood."
But I see no bodies... it's dried up too. Which means we're already in trouble. I pull my blade out as I frantically tried my best to contact Blake and Yang.
[Yang! Blake! Come in! Come in!]
But got no response... Without even thinking about it, I quickly jumped over the ledge and glided towards the closest tower, hoping that Blake is alright.
Blake
It all happened so fast. The comms tower was empty, almost abandoned, by anything living. Dead bodies littered all over the comms tower, blood sprayed everywhere, and even in the silence engulfing the Mistralian tundra, I can still hear their cries for help. It was an agonizing sight to lay my eyes on. It was a massacre, and before I could put all the pieces together, I was ambushed by the one person I didn't want anything to do with.
"ADAM!"
Adam came at me like a whirlwind, swinging his sword as he chased me around the tower, while I struggled to climb down. At one point we were clashing our blades together, the next we were falling down to the forest floor. In a fit of desperation, I threw my cleaver at him, which he casually flicked away with his sword.
"I wouldn't have to be doing this if you just behaved!"
He quickly leapt over me and slammed the end of his hilt across my face, knocking me down to the ground a couple feet back. Dazed, I pick myself up, trying my best to hold on to whatever strength I have to fight.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE SELFISH!
Adam rushed towards me and stomped his boot straight into my chest, sending me flying into a clearing with a massive waterfall in the background.
"You're a coward!"
Coward? For what? Running away from his abuse? His lies?
"You're delusional, Adam!"
Once more Adam rushed towards me, taunting me all the while, but whatever strength I have left in my body have all but faded away. In a single stroke, Adam broke my blade in half. Exhausted, I could do nothing but drop to my knees, as Adam menacingly walks towards me while he slowly dragged his blindfold off his face.
"People have hurt me long before you did, Blake."
My mouth began to drop as the sight of the all too familiar brand he had on his face gracing my eyes once more. The first time I saw it, I felt pity... for the man I thought Adam was back then, I wanted him to know so badly that he deserved better. Now, I see it as nothing more than a symbol of hate, not only from the people that did that to him, but from Adam as well.
That scar used to mean more... now it's just a symbol he uses to justify all the wrong he's doing.
"But you know Blake, no one has hurt me quite like you did. You never left scars, you just left me alone."
Caught up in his own delusions, Adam clenched his fist in anger and frustrations as he never lost his focus on me, not knowing that in the distance, the sound of a motorcycle drew closer and closer.
"So tell me Blake, how does it feel to be alone?"
I took a deep breath and slowly stood up, to which Adam took as an open invitation to hit me. The moment his sword touched my skin, I activated my semblance, creating an after image that shattered, causing him to lose balance.
"I am not alone!"
Suddenly, from above came Yang. She twirled her body forward and hurled her motorcycle towards Adam, causing his aura to glow, and almost knocking him off the cliff nearby.
"You..."
Adam mustered up whatever strength he could to make it look like he was unaffected but it was clear that he was in pain. Though it doesn't seem like he's hurt enough to slow him down.
"Yang!"
I yelled with concern echoing in my voice, to which Yang simply replied with a cocky smirk.
"It's okay, catch your breath for a second. I can hold him off."
With a maniacal laugh, Adam raised his sword and pointed it at Yang.
"She's right Blake, you should listen to her... besides, we have unfinished business."
What followed after was an intense battle between Yang and Adam, both of them fighting into a stand still. Though I have to admit, if it wasn't for Yang's prosthetic arm, she would have been more than just hurt right about now.
"His Semblance is like yours! He absorbs energy through his sword, stores it up and then sends it back when he's ready."
She reloaded Ember Celica while she clicked her tongue in frustration.
"He gets to dish out damage without having to feel it? That's just cheap."
Again the two trade blows till Yang furiously swung her arms, which Adam swiftly ducked under, countering with a big kick to her gut, pushing her far enough for him to draw his blade for a massive attack.
"YANG!"
Yang gritted her teeth and raised her arm up and took the hit as best she could, but her arm is starting to give out from all the beating it's taking from Adam's attacks. Still, Yang stood tall and fierce amidst all of it.
"Leave us alone, this is your last chance."
For a second, Adam almost believed him, that is till he saw her hand shaking.
"Do you really believe that? Or are you just saying that so you don't have to die trying protecting her?"
Hearing him say all that rejuvenated something in me, that made all the pain in my body go away. Before Yang could go out and brawl once more, I grabbed her shoulder as I stood right next to her.
"She's not protecting me, Adam, we're protecting each other."
Adam gritted his teeth then arrogantly smirked.
"You two couldn't win against me in Beacon, what makes you think you can win against me now?"
I stepped forward and held my broken Gambol Shroud on my hand.
"I have no choice. I have people I care about, people I love and I promised them I'd never leave again. So I'm not dying now."
Yang looked at me and smiled, while Adam continued to throw shade at us.
"You know, she made a promise to me once. That she'd always be by my side..."
He looked down on the floor, momentarily reminiscing the things I've been trying to forget.
"Heh, look at how well she kept that promise."
But Yang wasn't shaken at all by his mockery.
"Did she make that promise to you or the person you're pretending to be?"
All you could hear was the rushing water from the waterfall behind us. Adam could not answer the question Yang posed on him, which can only mean one thing: she was right. Immediately, Adam went ahead and started to look at it from his own twisted point of view.
"So, that's it? I just wasn't good enough for you."
All the abuse, all the lies, all the pain he's caused came rushing back to me in my mind. It's not that he wasn't good enough, it's that he isn't the person I thought he was.
"You know it's so much more than that."
With a slight nod, Adam spoke for the last time about me and my promises.
"I know you've made your choice, and I've made mine."
At the drop of a pin, me, Yang, and Adam all rushed towards each other, clashing our weapons against one another and fighting with everything we could. Sparks flew all over the place as me and Yang began to slowly overpower Adam.
"Yang!"
Yang looks at me and nod, the two of us fully understanding the opportunity that lay right in front of us. Adam was tired, beaten, and victory was within our grasp. Throwing caution out the wind, Yang and I rushed him, but Adam was slick and crafty. He quickly fell down on his back, dodging mine and Yang's swing. He swiftly rolled to the side as he pulled his katana's sheath and fired off a shot towards me, sending me flying to towards the edge of the cliff.
"Moment of truth of Yang! Do you think you're faster than you were back in Beacon!?"
Yang slid back and prepared to launch herself with Ember Celica, but when she finally did, in the split second that she flew up in the air, Adam's question got the best of her. She questioned herself mid air, and Adam saw it. He pulled out his blade with such speed that it was as if time slowed down. I could see it, the edge of Adam's blade slowly swinging up, about to touch Yang's neck.
I begged for time to stop so Yang can keep her life, but time never did. It just kept going... but just then, a single snowflake fell from the sky.
"Dance. Shirayuki."
Before Adam's blade could touch Yang, a familiar white blade got in the way.
"Ezra!"
Yang rolled down on the ground with her aura completely depleted. Ezra jumped in and saved her last second, and what incredible timing that was.
"Adam."
Ezra slid down with his knees slightly bend, Shirayuki on one hand, and his golden blade on the other.
"Ezra... So we finally meet again."
The two stare each other down while me and Yang lay on the ground opposite of them, too exhausted to make any sort of move.
"You know I've been meaning to get some payback for..."
Adam slowly pulled his jacket back, revealing the scars on his chest that ran all the way to his stomach.
"This burn mark you gave me back in Beacon."
Ezra raised his blade, unfazed by Adam.
"You know I overheard you earlier, you ask these two how they can beat you when they couldn't back in Beacon."
He furrowed his brows, and lowered his posture even more, readying himself to jump in at any moment.
"I ask the same question to you, do you think you can beat me now when you couldn't back in Beacon?"
Another question Adam fell silent to and couldn't answer.
"I thought so."
Ezra smirked before launching himself at him.
"Sing! Amaterasu!"
He swung his blade at Adam, forcing him to retreat back as Ezra pursued him. A dance of fire and ice ensued as Ezra bombarded Adam with everything he has, pushing him back.
"Damn it! I was right!"
Adam yelled as he tried to counter attack, one that Ezra easily blocked it.
"You're far stronger than me, Ezra! Unfortunately for you."
Wait, something's a miss. Adam's getting pushed back way to easily... I was just thinking that this might be a trap, but Yang was already yelling what I was just know realizing.
"Ezra no! He hasn't used his semblance yet!"
But it was too late...
"FLOW! RYUUJIN!"
Ezra used the torrent of water coming from the waterfall to create a water dragon that launched towards Adam. With a huge grin on his face, Adam raised his sword and absorbed everything. Absolutely everything.
Ezra rushed him once more, but Adam's blade was loaded with too much power. He swung his blade with such ferocity that the energy it released destroyed the ground beneath him as well, and even with his golden shield up, Adam's attack broke through, causing the shield to flop out of his hands, and break through his armor.
The moment Ezra slammed against the wall was the moment my heart stopped. Adam's attack pushed him back so hard that the impact created a crater where he collided with the wall. Ezra was unconscious when his body slammed against the ground, leaving only a giant scar spanning from his right shoulder blade down to his stomach. The cut was clean and deep, so much so that I can see parts of his insides even from where I was... and the blood.
So much blood gushing out.
"NO. NO! EEEEZZZZRRRRAAA!"
"YES!"
For a second, I took my eyes off Ezra, only to see a shirtless Adam laughing at the top of his lungs.
"I DID IT! TO BE KILLED BY HIS OWN ATTACK! HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE!"
Killed? Ezra, dead? NO! I refuse. Slowly, I crawled towards Ezra, desperately trying to reach out. I can still see his chest rising, subtly, he's alive barely, but alive. All the blood coming out of his chest and mouth is making me want to pass out, but I have to reach him, and do something... but Adam wouldn't let me.
"HOW DARE YOU HURT HIM!"
From out of nowhere, Yang jumped up and landed a hit on Adam's face, punching him clean in his jaw. Tears flooded her blood red eyes as she blindly rushed towards Adam, but Yang too was tired and her aura depleted. There was nothing she could do to hold back Adam's onslaught... and she too had Ezra at the back of her mind, slowing her down even more.
"Give up Yang!"
Adam mocked her as Yang gasped for air.
"You've lost. Blake's lost, and Ezra fell for my trap... and now he's dying."
Hearing him say that caused Yang's eyes to lose life. The red in her eyes slowly faded, as she fell on her knees. She looked at Ezra once more and started to break down.
"I'm sorry."
She whispered.
"I'm sorry for everything... I've always wanted to say that to you, and that I still..."
Adam cut her off. He kicked Yang on the side of her head, knocking her down.
"You're pathetic."
He raised his sword high up in the air, fully intent on ending her life, but Yang never let her sights off of Ezra.
"Adam, please stop."
I begged and begged, only to met by his psychotic laugh. He tightened his grip on his sword and began to swing down, till suddenly, an icicle struck Adam on his arm.
"AAAHHH! WHAT THE HELL-"
Hearing him wince in pain caused Yang and I to look to the side, and to our surprise, we were greeted by somebody we never expected to be here.
"What!? YOU! What are you doing here?"
It was Swan, beaten, battered and covered in soot, but still standing. How she survived Brunswick Farm, we don't know, but she right here, right now with the black blade Banshee in hand. Without a single word, Swan rushed Adam, elegantly shifting her body weight and sliding towards his right side where his wounded arm held his sword. Swan knew he wouldn't be able to counter with that kind of wound so she swung her sword up freely, with no fear of Adam countering.
In one swift stroke, Swan sliced Adam's hand off.
"AHHHHHH! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"
But Swan did nothing but stare back at him with her emotionless eyes, piercing through her broken mask. While Adam fell to the ground in pain, Yang took the chance to sprint towards Ezra. She lifted Ezra's head up and tried her best to put pressure on the wound on his chest, to no avail.
"Ezra no, no, no, no please... don't leave me."
I too, tried to stand up, but I stuttered. What laid in front of me was a choice. To my left was Swan, slowly making her way towards Yang and Ezra, while on my right was Adam, crawling towards his blade.
I could try and stop Swan... or I could end Adam for good. I tell myself it's a choice, but it's really not. Before I could even fully process the choices I can make, I found myself holding on to Gambol Shroud, and plunging it deep into Adam's chest, ending his life.
The disbelief I had for the choice I made had me baffled. Even in death, I chose Adam...
"No stop! What are you doing!? Don't come any closer!"
I came back to my senses at the sound of Yang yelling. I tilted my head to see her, desperately cling on to Ezra, while she tried to keep him away from Swan, the sight of which jolted my body into throwing myself at her, but Swan easily evaded it causing me flop down beside Ez and Yang. Finally she sighed and took off her mask completely, throwing it to the side.
"Stay still."
She whispered. Mist began to envelope her body as she made her way towards us. But there was something else about her that left me and Yang stunned.
"Y-you..."
I whispered.
"Look like Ezra."
Yang finished what I was trying to say.
Swan smirked for a second before kneeling down, placing her hand on top of Ezra's chest.
"I think so too."
Slowly, the mist around her began to swirl around Ezra's wound, closing it up cleanly, leaving behind nothing but a scar. When Swan stood up, Ezra began to breathe normally once more. He coughed out blood out of his mouth for a second, but his breathing slowly stabilized. Ezra was still unconscious, but from the looks of it, he'll live.
"OH GOD EZRA!"
Yang buried her face on his chest as she began to sob uncontrollably. I gently push her to the side and took her away from her arms, as I began to cry for him too.
"It seems Hathaway never taught Ezra the true nature of our semblance."
Swan whispered.
Yang and I looked up, only to be shocked by the sight of her hand.
"W-what happened to your hand? What did you do?"
Swan raised her left hand and spun it around, examining it with curious eyes. Her once healthy arm, covered with a skin smooth as porcelain was now as thin as bones, and her skin... it was shriveled up and wrinkled, like it aged another seventy years.
"Paid a price."
Was all she said. Swan took a deep breath, as she leaned back down to grab her mask, gently placing it over her face. She wrapped a piece of her clothing around her wounded arm, glancing at Adam's corpse before looking back at us. Naturally, I was still weary of her.
"What do you want from Ezra?"
I ask, but was greeted with nothing but silence, then Yang asks.
"You're her aren't you? Eliza, you're Ezra's sis-"
Before Yang could finish her question, Swan interrupted her.
"Does it really matter who I am? Savor your time with Ezra while you still can. Just cause his wounds are closed, does not mean he's out of the woods yet. Treat him as such please, if you want him to live."
She twirled the hilt of her katana and laced it into her belt before she began to walk away.
"As for your question, it's really not mine to answer, not anymore, but don't worry, your questions will eventually be answered."
Swan looked down at Ezra for the final time.
"Once he's come to terms with all of it."
Mist began to swirl around Swan as the silhouette of her began to fade away, and just like that, she's gone just as quickly as she came. With Swan's presence gone, me and Yang focused our attention on Ezra. I ran my fingers through his soft hair as I calmly watch his chest rise and fall, all the while feeling his heartbeat normalize with each second.
"Blake, I think he's gonna be okay."
Yang tried to console me, but she too was a crying mess, just as happy that Ezra survived as I was... maybe more. At the back of my mind, in all of this I thought: why did I choose Adam over Ezra at that moment?
Yang didn't even flinch, she instantly made her way towards Ezra.. so why didn't I?
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A/N:
A big hand to CRWBY for giving us a fantastic Volume 9! Congratulations and Thank you to the entire CRWBY cast.
Speaking of hand, I got into an accident a couple weeks back and ended up needing surgery on my hand, and I could not type. I ended up using all my back up chapters before my hand could fully heal, which explains the current hiatus. However, I'm all better now.
Summer Snow will resume it's weekly uploads of Friday/Saturdays.
Thank you for understanding,
Fen.