A/N: Chapter 73 of REKT. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters and teams of my OCs: REKT, GTSY, KACE and DAZE. I also claim Ingrid, Teo, Reina's parents and aunt as well.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.


Chapter 73: Searching through the Storm

Forest area of Patch...

With her heart thudding against her rib cage Yang came to a complete stop, leaning against the trunk of the nearest tree to catch her breath. She didn't know how far she ran, nor did she know if anyone managed to follow her. The blonde – with her eyes shut tight – took a few minutes to collect her thoughts that were running rampant inside her head. Suppressing a growl she sat down and reopens her eyes.

What the hell is wrong with me...what the hell is wrong with everyone else? How could they all leave me...alone and by myself! She thought angrily, glaring at nothing in particular. In the end...did I mean nothing to them? Am I destined to be alone? Shaking her head, she gazed down and kept her eyes on the black ribbon still wrapped around her hand. She moved to remove it but was reminded that her right arm was no more. Growling with frustration, she lifted her arm and attempted to remove the accessory with her teeth. However...something compelled her to stop.

And her...she left me too. Without so much as a verbal goodbye...except leaving me a piece of her. The blonde's arm fell to the ground limply in defeat. She leans her head against the trunk, her mouth slightly open to exhale a breath. Moisture gathered and threatened to spill, but she couldn't tell if it was because of sadness or of anger. Her bow is a reminder of what happened much like my lost limb, of my weak vulnerable self. I couldn't even land a blow on him...her attacker. Her tormentor. She even called out to me, and she was in pain. But then she ran away, even after everything that had happened...

"Fuck!" She swore loudly, wrapping her only arm around for a sense of comfort. "Why did it have to be like this?!" She buried her face in her hand, mumbling denials over and over again. "...how could things end up like this...this must be one big fucking joke."

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..."

No way. Cold sweat broke out and her vision flickered as she heard the rumbles of wild animals, more accurately the sounds of Grimm. Scrambling to her feet she pressed her back against the tree, scared eyes darting back and forth in apprehension. There's just no way...they shouldn't even be here...

"So this is where you've been hiding huh? You coward." A voice whispered ever so close to her ear, and when she turned her head to the side she could see his gloating red eyes bearing down upon her. "No matter where you run or where you hide...I'll always find you. You can't escape from me."

"I...Ghurk!" Yang winced as a tight hand wrapped itself around her throat, keeping her pinned and unable to move.

"You dare stick your nose where it didn't belong, Blake is a traitor and deserved to perish for her desertion. I thought I could have made an example out of you, but it seems like it was my fault for not getting rid of you quickly." The red-eyed faunus dug his fingers into her skin, watching as she attempted to pry him loose. "How does it feel?

"Guah!" She grunted as he harshly threw her to the ground. Straddling her hips Adam rained harsh blows upon her, smiling as the blonde attempted to fend him off with her only arm. The rhythmic thuds of Yang's skull being pounded into the ground when a punch broke through filled the air, and it absolutely turned the male on; he just didn't know how to stop...or rather, he didn't want to stop.

"Feeling powerless. Feeling absolutely weak. Feeling like everything and everyone is against you." Yang winced when a left hook caught her cheek, spitting out some blood from cracked lips. "Feeling like you're at your lowest, an abyssal of darkness you can't hope of crawling out. Honestly it's thrilling!" He paused in his punching and leaned forward, whispering, "Absorb it. Succumb to it. I want to see just how broken your spirit becomes. Admit it, you don't have the energy to defeat me. You thought you could take me down...but in the end, you're nothing more than a little girl who can't control her temper tantrums."

Eyes briefly flashing red at that statement, Yang slammed her forehead against his. He recoiled, allowing her a chance to create some distance between them. Above their heads the skies rumbled, indicating the approaching rain. Her chest rose and fell as she quickly got some air back; her cheeks were stinging from the punches, and her head was reeling. But she was emotionally riled up from his words, and she wanted nothing more than to punch him square in the face.

"Oho, you do have some gas left in the tank." Adam muses, red eyes glittering from behind his mask. If he was fazed by the headbutt, he didn't show it. "Seems like you did learn some thing relevant from that human school. However, that alone isn't enough to deal with me." He rushed Yang again, watching as her eyes widened in horror. Her instincts to flee kicked in and she turned to run, the trees becoming massive blurs.

She was the prey and the terror still residing in her mind was the predator. She didn't want to see him, and yet he was willing to come back over and over again to see her. There wasn't anything she could do to block him out, he left a very strong impression on her and it was devastating. She broke through a small lining of trees, chest heaving as she looked around for a place to hide. What she saw instead was the very predator stalking towards her, a prominent smile on his face. Seeing there was no other choice, she curled her hand into a fist and waited for him to close the distance.

"Misery, misery misery. Is that the path you ultimately let yourself walk on?" He merely raised his left arm when she rushed forward, throwing her punch that didn't hit the target. He held onto her wrist tightly, watching as she struggled to make him loosen his grip. Still grinning, he pulled her forward with his right hand already winded back and curled into a fist, driving it upward till it smacked into the blonde's jaw. Yang's head snapped back from the ferocious uppercut, her eyes widened in shock as her Aura took the brunt of the force. Just as she was falling backward, a hand reached out to grab a fist full of her shirt. Adam held her up till they were nose to nose, the grin still plastered on his face.

"Uh oh. What's wrong, puny hero? Can't handle a little pain?!"

"Gaaah!" Yang coughed as a knee forced itself into her stomach, her eyes starting to tear up. She felt herself fall forward before a force pushed her against a tree. A shiver went up her spine, all the hairs on the back of her neck were crying out in warning. And as she looked into the red eyes of her captor, she knew she was already in trouble. The huntress was already disoriented with the prior attack, that she wasn't even prepared to block the second blow to the stomach. With no where to run she was completely vulnerable, and only hoped she could survive whatever was coming next.

"C'mon, is that all you got?!" Adam laughed, dealing out a vicious left hook to the face. He followed it up with an uppercut to the gut again, marveling at how easy the body folds, how incredibly weak the muscles felt to his knuckles. "I haven't broken a sweat yet!" He pauses to think about his next words before a grin appeared. "Blake was a fool to place her trust in you. An absolute idiot. I warned her about humans and yet she persists in liking you, a worm who can't defend for herself!"

"D-D-Don't you dare...talk about her..." Yang growls as she caught her breath. "I won't...let you..."

"Let me what? I don't recall you having the authority to boss me around!" He pulled her up, smashing his forehead against her face. Yang cried out, feeling as though her nose was broken. Smiling to himself he altered his grip on her and spun her around and around. The blonde felt incredibly sick at how fast she was being spun. Letting go, he watched as she crashed through the foliage without trying to stop herself.

Uuugh...this is insane... Yang thought as she finally came to a stop, the world still spinning when she opened her eyes. Her Aura flickered and she wasn't sure if she had enough to prevent another onslaught. I won't...I won't make it out of this one...

"Get up weakling, this is not the time for a kiddie nap. Stand and fight like you mean it." Adam growls as he approached her, glaring at where she continued to lay. His sword stayed attached to his waist untouched throughout the entire duration; he had a thought of using a single strike to knock Yang down, but when he noticed that the blonde wasn't putting up much of a threat...well, let's just say he enjoyed feeling the flesh cave under his fists like putty. "I'm not done with you yet."

"You're not real...you're not real..." Yang repeated like a mantra over and over, squeezing her eyes shut as her body ached from the pain. On the surface she wanted to punch a hole through her tormentor, but deep down she was consciously aware that she wasn't in the right state of mind. She knew she wasn't strong enough to face the person who brought her absolute fear. "You're only in my memory...you aren't really here..."

"I might not be physically here," Fingers laced through her blonde locks before tightening their grip, almost as if the intention was to pull them straight out from her scalp. A warm breath tickled her ear as the voice continues to speak into it, "But in your mind I'm as real as it gets. To you and only you I am real...in the here and now...and that's all that matters."

"Ugh!" Yang yelped as her face was shoved back into the ground and held there by a well placed foot.

"Where's your bravado, human? Where is that burst of anger I saw that night?! Didn't you want to kill me because I wounded the very person you swore to protect?" When she glanced up she realized she was being held down by an Ursa, its large paw planted on the side of her head. Adverting her gaze she saw him kneeling beside her, his mouth curled up into a sneer. "It was just for show...wasn't it? You're absolutely nothing without your little boost. You are weak. How anyone decided to put their faith and trust in you is beyond me."

"N...No...I'm not weak..." She responded to him in protest. "I'm not..."

"I can feel your thirst for more power, it's deep within you that fragile human emotion. It's nothing different because you and I strive to survive, we both want to be on top. In a way you and I are the same, human or faunus it matters not."

"I'm nothing like you...you wish to bring harm to others."

"I chose my path, you chose yours. As a huntress you believed everyone would clamor all over you and dote on you, make you feel loved and special. But the one thing they love more than seeing a little kid play hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die a painful death. In spite of everything you've done eventually they will hate you. They'll see you as a villain. So why bother struggling?"

"It's my decision...and what I believe to be...the right thing."

"Yuck, that little speech of heroics. Boring. Here's the thing, human. There are a lot of people in this world – some of which have yet to be born – and they exist for the sole purpose of lifting the few exceptional individuals on their shoulders. Those who have possessed the ability to harness their Aura, those who live to become huntsmen and huntresses, those who join the White Fang..."

"...w...what's your point..."

"My point is you are not as special as you imagine yourself to be. But if you threw it all away and teamed up with me...imagine what we could accomplish together, what we could create. Or would you rather cause the deaths of countless innocents in selfish battle again and again and again until we're both dead! The Fall of Beacon served as the spark to my revolution, and if you continue to be an obstacle towards my goal...then that little event will be minuscule to what I have in mind. Is that what you want?"

"...I'm not gonna do it..."

"What?" His smirk faded away and he frowned at her. "What did you say?"

"I'm not gonna...do it. You...hate humans. You'd never offer something like that...to someone like me." Yang grinned almost in victory, loving how her words were getting under his skin. "After everything I've seen...with my own eyes, I would never sacrifice my ideals or dreams to help your cause."

"Foolish girl."

"And I'm sure she wouldn't either. That's why she ran...she ran away from you!" With a roar he threw a fist towards her, but it didn't connect. What did connect were the Ursa's fangs lodging into her left leg, and the remainder of her Aura flared up as she was lifted into the air. Her entire world flipped upside down before the ground came rushing up.

Clumps of blood soon splattered across the ground as she was tossed and slammed like a rag-doll, her vision going in and out at various times. With each hit, her Aura flickered and she could feel her Semblance building up. Even if she tried twisting her body mid-air to retaliate – the most she could do is lash out with her right leg to get the animal to release her. She couldn't trust herself to land a hit with only one arm – the Ursa's head would snap in a different direction thus leaving her no room to adjust. After having its fill of throwing the huntress repeatedly, the Ursa haphazardly sent her flying. She tumbled across the dirt before her back collided with a tree, and she collapsed.

Her entire body trembled with pain despite her Aura taking most of the hits, but she couldn't find it in her heart to fight back. All she wanted was to close her eyes and pretend that she was just caught up in a nasty dream. It was like a sudden sap in energy. The skies illuminated by lightning messed with her vision, one minute she'd see Adam prowling towards her and the next he was gone. The skies lit up again and she swore she was looking at Ursai, a small group of no less than seven. She was tired and confused, wanting nothing more than to shut her eyes forever.

"Had you not been so careless you wouldn't have had to lose an arm, but now that your partner has left you for dead because of what a disgrace you've become...I'm going to thoroughly enjoy myself in tormenting you till you're nothing more than a lifeless shell." Adam spoke, materializing into existence at the next clap of thunder and lightning. Squatting down he extended an open hand before curling it into a tight fist, his voice laced with malice, "I'm gonna finish her, nice and slow. Blake and I... we're gonna have a hell of a time. Too bad you won't be there to witness it."

"...no..." Yang wheezed, barely able to move her head in protest. Her usual luscious mane of hair was caked in blood and mud, no longer held back by a hair tie that had been removed at some point during the fight. "Please...no..."

"Oh yes, and there's nothing you can do about it. Now just lay there in the mud... defeated, alone, and shivering in the cold. The last thought on your mind should be how you naively chose the way of the hero. You made your downfall eminent and you got only yourself to blame."


Somewhere in the middle of nowhere...

Inside a large wooden infrastructure a young boy awoke with a jolt, his chest heaving for breath. His mossy black hair was in disarray and stuck to his forehead due to some perspiration that lingered on his skin. Rubbing his eyes he shook his head and eased himself out of bed. He didn't remember exactly what his nightmare was about, but he figured he had nothing to worry about. However, there was still a slight notion of discomfort plaguing the back of his mind.

"Oscar! Are you up yet?!" His aunt's voice floated up from downstairs, capturing his attention immediately. "Get your chores started, the sunlight is just about breaking over the dawn!"

Uggggh, curse the nightmare for waking me up early...well, earlier than normal. My aunt's not wrong though, the sun can be incredibly harsh once it hits the highest peak in the sky. And I rather get most of the outdoor activities done ahead of time. Slipping on a scruffy white shirt and olive colored pants, he draws the orange suspenders over both shoulders and clips them in. He grabs his favorite orange gloves, which have green straps overlapping across the back in an X shape, and climbs down the ladder.

"Good morning! I'm heading out now!" He quickly greets his aunt from where she was sitting at the table in the kitchen, swiping his breakfast off the counter and moves to put on a pair of worn, brown boots. Once he completed that task he rushed out the door, the piece of buttered toast in mouth. His nostrils flared as the morning winds brought with it a sense of freshness and relief.

"And a good morning to you, Aster." He says as he approaches the family horse, a beautiful chestnut mare known for her mellow temperament. Her ears twitched at the sound of his voice as she enjoyed her meal of oats, hay, and carrots; Oscar even sneaked in two pieces of sugar cubes much to her delight. Grabbing her harness and other necessary equipment from the hooks, he lead her out of the stall. Her hoofs made the steady 'clip-clop' sound against the sawdust covered floor before they were outside treading on solid earth.

The acres of land Oscar's aunt and uncle accumulated throughout their years since they were young wasn't small by any means, however because of the plentiful amounts of food they were subjected to wild animal attacks. Thus their fields were surrounded by barbwire and pikes to keep the vermin out, namely very small Grimm.

"Alright Aster, lets get these fields plowed and ready. The season of harvest will soon be around the corner and we have to stay a step or two ahead. If we keep up the good work, we'll have enough to last through the winter." He whispered as he hitched the mare to the equipment, giving her neck some reassuring pats. "C'mon, let's get this done." Taking the reins comfortably in hand he began to guide her through their first task. The mare nickered gently as she followed him, hooves plodding along the soft dirt. The comfortable silence between them, accompanied with the cool morning air, felt like a second nature for Oscar.

"You know...I always feel at peace whenever I'm with you. It's strange isn't it? A human conversing with an animal. But, I always thought my bond with you is special." The boy says, letting out a small chuckle when the mare bumped his arm with her nose. Petting her gently in response, he adds, "Yup, there's nothing in the world that would make me change this life-style."


Back at the Xiao Long home...

"Tai, I'm back! The training grounds were actually peaceful today, so I stayed out longer than usual. I haven't felt so...serene in awhile...no matter how small or insignificant." Efram called out as he walked through the front door. Placing the scroll on the table he sat on the couch and sighs. "But maaaan, I still don't understand the words at all." If only Reina were here or at least gave a few more hints to point me in the right direction...I'll just have to ask her when we see each other.

"Oh good, you're back! Have you seen Yang?!" The older blond in question barrels right through the living room in a panic, his facial expression frantic and worried. "I can't find her anywhere, and I was hoping she'd go to where you were!"

"What?!" The huntsman stood up immediately, his brows knitted together in thought. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Six hours ago, but it's getting dark soon and I'm worried!" Taiyang paced around like a cornered animal, hands running through his hair. "I was just out back, luckily her bike hasn't been touched. So she must've taking off on foot."

"Understandable, so she couldn't have gone that far. Well, at least I hope not." Efram goes toward the door, and placed a hand on the knob. "I'll leave immediately. How big is the island of Patch anyhow?"

"If you're asking for an actual value I do not know. But what I do know is that it is a large island. Yang knows not to wonder off too far and always came back. However, with the way her mental state is..."

"Say no more, I'll find her without fail. Mind if I take Zwei along?"

"Please do. If anyone can find Yang without fail it'll be Zwei. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Nodding his head in understanding, both huntsman and corgi rushed out. Zwei picked up the scent right away and rushed ahead, his ears alert and his tail held high. His paws pounded the ground, and his sniffer going haywire. Through the woods they ran, and they ran until paths intertwined thus mixing up a variety of scents. To make matters even worse it began to rain harder the more they moved inward.

Zwei lowered his muzzle to the ground, trotting around trying to pick up the scent again before it could be washed away. His ears laid flat against his head, and he whimpered with uncertainty. The huntsman stood to the side, not wanting to mix his scent in when it was already proving difficult; he was upset that the rain decided to temper with their investigation. Shaking his head as though to dislodge any misgivings, Zwei continued sniffing with determination, eager to find Yang.

"C'mon buddy. I know you can find her scent again." Efram whispered as he watched the family pet. Once he picked it back up he let out a triumphant bark and sped off. The silver rain became annoying as it got into their eyes as they ran, Zwei having the worst since he'd have to stop and shake every few minutes.

"GAAAAAAAAH!"

"YANG!" The huntsman ran even harder once he heard the scream, Zwei hot on his heels barking with worry. It wasn't a scream that should be taken lightly, the huntsman knew Yang had been troubled and the scream he heard sounded like she was fighting for her life. Bursting out of the brambles, chest heaving for breath, he swept his eyes across the level field.

Despite the dense forests and the rain still trickling into his eyes, his gaze fell on the massive shapes of Grimm– seven Ursai in total. At first he thought there was nothing but a blanket of black but he could hear something human amidst the growling. Then he saw something that made his vision reduce to nothing but a pinpoint, the surroundings were nothing but blurred lines. Yang, pinned underneath the claws of a massive Ursa covered in dirt and blood, continued to cry out because the creature above her had sank its teeth into her shoulder. The faint flickering of yellow Aura indicated the amount of time Yang had been reduced to nothing more than a plaything. She had been in their claws long enough for her Aura to be depleted, leaving her incredibly vulnerable.

"ARCTURUS!" Efram summoned his beloved weapon in a heartbeat, twirling it above his head as he charged at the Grimm. There was no question in his mind as the Ursai bellowed their response, he was going to destroy them. Winding his arm back he sent his weapon soaring like a javelin, watching as it embeds itself right between the eyes of the large Ursa, the one that had Yang pinned; the trident's three pronged tips breaking right through the bone mask. The creature roared in pain and stumbled back while its fangs dripped red. The younger, more inexperience Ursai took the opportunity to attack the weapon-less huntsman thinking he was an easy target.

But he wasn't at all detoured by discarding his weapon. Feeling his Aura flare up when he blocked a slash to his forearm, he rolled between the legs of another to avoid getting trampled. Scrambling to his feet he kept his guard up as two more Ursai flanked him like sharks. He watched them carefully and they in turn, watched him with their large red eyes. Taking a deep breath, the Ursa on the left made the first move by attempting to swipe at his head with its right paw. The huntsman was ready for the strike, and his Aura flared up on impact. Wrapping both arms around the mighty paw he pivoted on his left foot and threw the creature over, sending it crashing into the ground. He didn't hold onto that opponent for too long, for the other one decided to joined in. A large paw slapped him away, but he bounced right back to return the favor. The Ursa roared as its mask was broken before arms wrapped around its neck, the body lifting up into the air moments later.

The ground shook as the Ursa fell limp, letting out a strangled roar when its crest cavity was pierced with a heavy-hitting punch. As it dissolved into the dark dust particles, the huntsman turned around to see the other push itself up. Its large beady red eyes honed on him and the lips pulled back into a snarl. Getting into a defensive stance he taunted the bigger creature to recklessly rush at him, and it took the bait. Digging his heels in the ground Efram took the charge head-on, gripping the creature's open jaws tightly and feeling his feet sliding across the slightly slick surface.

Putting in a hard stop, Efram saw his arms tremble as the Grimm attempted to close its maw over his head. Letting out a roar he twisted the upper and lower jaws in opposite directions, hearing the sickening crunches of bone as he pulled the creature's face apart. And although the sound alone could turn some stomachs, the thought of how similar structured jaws tormented his friend inches of death was just as sickening.

"ARF! ARF!" Zwei himself nipped at their heels, going so far as to sink his fangs in whatever he could reach. He relied on a guerrilla warfare tactic of hit and run, biting his opponents before darting back to defend Yang. Ears lying flat against his head, he bared his fangs as the Grimm neared their wounded prey. Efram rushed to his rescue, standing face to face to the leader who was the only one left. The other four Ursai had disappeared back into the forest thanks to the corgi's efforts, not eager to be reduced to dust no matter how much they'd love to gorge themselves on the negative emotions.

"I'm gonna need this back thanks." The huntsman wretched his weapon out of the face, twirling it around with precision before stabbing the body and with a massive heave, threw the creature away from Yang and Zwei. The Ursa roared before rising on its hind legs, towering over its opponent like a solid mass of darkness. The rain pelted towards the ground even harder, but the huntsman wasn't fazed. In fact it felt as though the silver liquid itself was powering him. Pouring his Aura into his weapon, Efram rushed forward at a speed like a fish riding in the ocean current. He felt lighter on his feet, his body moving as if it had done the movements before.

The Ursa's movements were sluggish, likely because the damaged mask was hindering its sight. Slipping underneath a thick forearm, the huntsman attacked its unguarded side. It growled before attempting to stomp him flat, only to miss as Efram side-stepped to maintain his position in the creature's blind spot. They continued their little dance, the creature getting frustrated and tired quickly due to over-exerting itself. Finally it came to a stop and fell over, unable to move anymore. Efram climbed till he was able to stand over the fallen Grimm, his right hand gripping Arcturus which was still glowing a deep ocean blue.

"Disappear." with that, he made a downward swing stabbing the creature through the chest. The Ursa struggled a bit, letting out one last growl of defiance before fading away as tiny dust particles. The victorious huntsman didn't stay long to survey the damage as he hurried to Yang's side, the sole reason why he was even in the rainstorm. Zwei laid curled up against her in an attempt to keep her warm despite how wet his fur was.

"Yang! Hang in there, Yang!" Efram knelt beside her after setting Arcturus on the ground, the weapon barely having a stain of blood on it. Carefully he maneuvered her so that she was cradled in his arms, her blood slowly staining his skin. He didn't know how long she was out in the rain, but as soon as he touched her, she was cold. Looking at her closely he realized that she was far from fine, and he shook her gently. "Yang? Can you hear me? Please say something."

"...leave me alone..." She finally whispered, no longer having the energy to crawl away and just barely keeping her eyes open. From his viewpoint Efram could honestly say that this was the worst beat down the huntress had ever been dealt. "Or...make it quick...and painless..."

"Yang, it's me. Efram." He said gently, making sure to keep eye contact. It hurt him deeply gazing into dull lilac orbs, definitely not the same look Yang confidently expressed during their first two years of school. The blonde had her spirit broken once again, and without the proper treatment she could have ended up dead. "I'm not going anywhere."

"...t-that's a lie...you'll go away too." Yang's voice sounded scratchy, and she soon avoided looking straight at him. "Just like...everyone...else... I'll be alone...He was right...I'm nothing...I'm not...not worth anything."

I can't have her exposed out here any longer, hopefully the trek back to the house is without anymore problems... "It's time to go back, okay? Here, let me help you." Dispelling his weapon, the huntsman hoisted his injured friend into his arms with delicate care, watching where he stepped while Zwei took the lead back to the home. "We'll patch you up and you're gonna get better in no time." When he didn't hear a response he looked down to see that the blonde had slipped into unconsciousness. Smiling to himself he held her tightly and picked up the pace.