Hey everyone, it's been a little bit. Sorry for posting this later than expected, I had exams pretty much until the end of April. Then I had to pack up my things at the dorms, and then go back home and unpack everything. Then I went on vacation last week, so there wasn't a lot of time to write. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
/-/
As Yang and Blake slashed through another Nevermore, the duo leaped into the interior of the Bullhead. Looking through the airship's cockpit window, they watched as the other aircraft began to decimate the remaining Nevermores. With the skies now almost empty, the copilot turned back to face the two huntresses.
"I don't know who you are, but thank you! If you hadn't thinned the horde out there…let's just say that I owe you one. What are your names?" The copilot yelled out over the loud whirling noise made by the airship's rotors.
"I'm Blake. And she's…" Blake began to say as she gestured toward Yang. As she did so, she noticed Yang looking down at the ocean.
"Yang?" Blake questioned as she stepped closer to her.
"What the hell is that!? You seein' this Micheal?!" The main pilot shouted out.
Down below, the group saw a massive brown monkey emerge from the ocean waters far below them.
"I didn't think he'd pull that card out again, especially not in public." Yang whispered to Blake.
"If things are that bad…" Blake muttered out as she turned toward the copilot.
"Hey! You said that you owed us a favor? We need you to bring us down toward that monster!" Blake asked aloud.
"Which one?!" The copilot nervously questioned.
Looking back down at the ocean, they watched as the brown monkey charged forward and punched the Leviathan.
"How about the one that's helping us?" Blake replied back.
/-/
As Evan faced down the Leviathan, he could feel his whole body trembling. While his power had risen tenfold when he transformed, his low stamina and exhaustion had still remained where they were before.
As the creature opened its mouth to charge up a blast of fire, Evan trudged through the ocean waters and brought his right arm close to his chest. Leading with his right elbow, Evan tackled the creature and brought it down into the water with him.
As the massive creature flailed about, its sharp claws slashing against Evan's chest and face, the young Saiyan punched the monster again and again in hopes to break through the creature's tough skin.
/-/
As Ruby and Weiss stood upon one of the midair glyph platforms, the duo felt the wind rush and blow behind them.
Turning around and away from the ongoing fight, the two huntresses looked up to see an airship approaching them with Yang and Blake standing inside.
"Get in!" Blake yelled out as the Bullhead approached them.
Leaping inside the vehicle, Ruby watched as Yang moved forward and brought her close in a tight hug.
As the two sisters embraced each other for a brief moment, the group turned its attention to the fight with Evan and the Leviathan.
"Do you think he can win?" Weiss said under her breath.
"I don't know…But there's something I can do to help even the odds!" Ruby exclaimed.
/-/
As Evan prepared to launch another punch at the beast, the creature swatted its gigantic tail in his face, forcing Evan off the creature.
Raising its head to the open air, the Leviathan turned toward the city.
"What is it…Oh no! It's sensing the negativity of the people in town!" Evan thought to himself.
As the beast began to submerge and swim toward the city, Evan got back up on his feet and leaped into the air.
"Oh no you don't!" Evan yelled out.
Slamming down on the creature, sending sizable waves in every direction, Evan wrapped his arms around the beast as it squirmed and turned in his grasp.
Feeling its sharp teeth bite down on his left hand, Evan let go of the creature for just a moment, allowing the beast to slam its weight against Evan, knocking him backwards.
As the creature stood up and opened its mouth, the monster began to look toward the city. As fire bellowed from its maw, Evan rushed behind the beast, wrapping his arms around its mouth.
"If you think I'm going to let you destroy this city, then you're dead wrong!" Evan roared out.
As fire licked and burned his hands, Evan's tight grip did not waver, keeping the Leviathan's mouth firmly closed even as it struggled against him.
Striking its elbows repeatedly against his chest, Evan refused to let go. Spotting an airship fly past his head, he could faintly hear a voice amongst the chaos unfolding around him.
"Close your eyes!" Ruby shouted out.
Doing as she said, Evan sealed his eyes shut while keeping the beast contained in his grasp.
Even with his eyes shut, Evan saw an ethereal silver light shined through the crack in his eyelids. As the light raged on, strangely enough, he felt the Leviathan's struggles lessen with each passing second.
As the silver light finally dissipated, Evan slowly opened his eyes to an astonishing sight. The entire Leviathan Grimm had been transformed by the light. Frozen in place, the beast's skin and bone had been turned to solid stone. As it was now, the monster had essentially been made into one gigantic sculpture.
Releasing his grip on the beast, Evan saw the same airship fly by him.
"Finish it off now!" Ruby yelled out again.
Nodding in agreement, Evan leapt backward to gain some distance, sending water in great waves as he landed. Charging forward and gaining speed rapidly, Evan pulled his right arm back. Stepping into the strike, Evan launched his fist straight at the monster's head.
In an instant, as stone flew through the air, Evan destroyed the monster's head in one mighty blow. Upon doing so, the rest of the creature began to quickly crumple into rubble and dust as the remnants of the beast collapsed and mixed into the ocean waters below.
"I…I did it!" Evan proclaimed to himself.
For the first time in a long while, Evan let out a sigh of relief. Squinting his eyes toward the shoreline, Evan saw dozens of people watching the fight unfold.
Giving a massive thumbs up toward them and smiling, Evan turned away and lumbered toward one of the cliffside forests near the city, the airship with Ruby and company close behind him. Leaning against the rocky cliff, the teen let his whole body relax.
Looking up toward the blutz wave ball he created, Evan held out his hand and concentrated. As the ball shrank in size, Evan could feel his body shrink alongside it. As his muscles and bones returned to normal, Evan turned around and pulled himself up onto solid ground.
As he began to lose consciousness, Evan could briefly make out the sound of the Bullhead landing nearby and Ruby rushing up beside him.
/-/
Laying in a hospital bed, Evan began to stir from under the covers. Slowly lifting his head up, Evan looked around his surroundings.
Aside from the fact that he was wearing a white hospital gown, the room itself was painted with a combination of blue and white. A large window showed off a good amount of the city below as sunlight shined through it, covering a good amount of the room with thick shadows.
Aside from a heart monitor and an IV pole which led down into his left arm, there was a large nightstand with a collection of flowers, cards, and a basket covered in clear plastic wrap. Leaning forward, Evan saw that it contained a collection of muffins and other pastries from Joe's coffee shop.
As he attempted to reach for the basket, he felt his whole body ache as he stretched his arm out. Failing to reach it, he saw a new hand come forth and grab it for him. Raising his head up, Evan saw the identity of the individual.
"Weiss?" Evan questioned.
"Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?" Weiss inquired.
"Rrrrgghh. Like I got hit with a ton of bricks." Evan responded.
"That sounds about right. You've been out for about the last three days." Weiss added as she tore the plastic wrap off and passed a blueberry muffin over to Evan.
"That long…uggghhhh. What…What's happened since I blacked out?" Evan muttered out as he chowed down on the pastry.
"Since you were put here, Jaune's team and ours have been out dealing with any Grimm that have lingered in the area. Whatever that massive Grimm was, killing it seemed to drastically lower the amount of Grimm that were lurking here back to normal levels. Ruby proposed that one of us should stay here to see how you've been holding. We each have been taking shifts as to who should keep an eye on you." Weiss explained as she sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Do…do you think that you can call Ruby and the others up here?" Evan asked.
"Sure. Until then, I have the nurses bring you some actual food." Weiss replied as she turned and headed for the door.
/-/
As Evan finished his meal, Ruby and her team walked into the room. Seeing Evan, Ruby used her speed to rush toward him and give him a hug.
"Hey, I missed you too." Evan said with a small smile.
"Are you ok?! What did the doctors say?!" Ruby asked with concern in her voice.
"Aside from some minor injuries to my hands, they said that I was suffering from fatigue more than anything else. Which is part of the reason why I wanted to say this…" Evan elaborated as he looked to face Ruby and the rest of the group.
"I'm…sorry for acting the way I've been these last few days…hell the past few weeks even. I thought that I was finally the person that the world needed me to be, that I had to be the lone pillar of strength that everyone could lean on. In the end, I pushed myself too far, and by trying to save everyone, I ended up helping no one. And if it weren't for you guys…I don't even want to think about what could've happened to this city." Evan continued as he began to tear up.
"Hey, it's okay. You're ok. Everything worked out." Ruby stated as she stood next to his bed.
Shifting in his bed uncomfortably, Evan looked away from Ruby. Thinking to herself, Ruby straightened up momentarily before leaning forward.
"How about we make a promise?" Ruby suggested.
"A promise?" Evan questioned.
"Yeah! Let's promise that we'll take on the future together, so neither of us have to do it alone!" Ruby argued as she extended her hand out.
The young Saiyan stood in silence for a moment before accepting the gesture.
"It's a deal." Evan said with a smile on his face.
As the door creaked open once again, the group looked down to see Cordovin stroll into the room, with a look of satisfaction and confidence on her face. Most of the group stared at her with either irritation or disdain. Whether Cordovin was actively ignoring them or was simply too oblivious to notice was anyone's guess.
"Good afternoon Evan." Cordovin proclaimed, while Evan reminded silent.
"I hope your time in the infirmary has been pleasant. From what I've heard, you should be back on your feet by midday tomorrow. If you come to my office I'll be sure to inform you of your schedu-" Cordovin began to say.
"No." Evan interjected with a disapproving tone in his voice.
"I'm sorry, you seem to forget that I am your superior." Cordovin argued, her pleasant demeanor now on the verge of breaking.
"Actually, it seems like you're the one who's forgetting something. You were my superior. I was stationed here by General Ironwood, and was told to remain here until the issue with the increased Grimm hordes had been resolved. Now that the issue is taken care of, my time here is concluded. Once I am ready and able, I will be leaving for Atlas tomorrow." Evan coldly stated, as Cordovin clenched her fists in anger.
"Fine! If that is how you feel, then good riddance to you!" Cordovin shouted as she stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her as she did so.
"Man, with how she treats you, you'd think that she'd be a servant of Salem." Weiss muttered out.
"Nah. Cordovin's an asshole, but she's too loyal to Atlas to ever work for someone else. Especially not someone like Salem." Yang added as she crossed her arms.
"So what exactly was that whole thing with the Leviathan back there?" Evan asked as he turned toward Ruby.
"That's the power of my silver eyes." Ruby explained.
"No kidding. So why didn't you use that stuff sooner?" Evan inquired as he leaned forward.
"I have to concentrate and clear my mind. If I'm not completely focused on whatever I'm trying to use them on, it won't work. Bringing forth my memories of you guys helps me get into the right headspace." Ruby elaborated.
"You'll hear no complaints from me, especially if it can do something like that to that big Grimm monster. Imagine what it could do to Salem!" Evan exclaimed.
"If you guys give me the Lamp tomorrow, I can get that thing to Ironwood real quick, and I can have him send an airship to pick you guys up!" Evan continued, causing Ruby and the others to brighten up.
"Perfect! And once we're all in Atlas, we can figure out the next step to defeat Salem." Blake added.
"Well if we're gonna do that, then Evan needs to get some rest. I imagine that much flying's gonna take a lot of effort." Yang argued as she gestured toward the door.
"We'll be at Saphron's place when you decide to grab the relic!" Ruby stated as she and the others walked out toward the door.
"I'll see you guys then!" Evan exclaimed with a smile on his face.
/-/
Standing before a massive circular screen showcasing the planet far below them, a group of individuals stood and observed the numerous readings and numbers that were being displayed.
"According to the computer, this "Terra" is teeming with both flora and fauna. It would be a perfect candidate to plant the tree." The tallest one explained as he analyzed the data.
"But what about all of the people living there! If we plant it here, they'll all die!" One of the smallest in the group jokingly said with fake concern in his voice, causing the rest of the group to break out into laughter momentarily.
"Look at those power level readings brother! There's not even a dozen life forms there that could put up a fight!" A bald alien with purple skin exclaimed.
"And compared to us, it wouldn't even be a contest!" A green haired alien bragged with a smirk clear on his face.
"Indeed." A new voice rang out as the mechanical doors at the back of the room slid back, the sound of his combat boots echoing throughout the room.
"How long until we're touched down on the planet?" The figure questioned as he briefly adjusted the white cape that wrapped around his body.
"We should be there within a matter of hours, sir." The tallest alien explained.
"Good. The sooner we land, the sooner we can make use of this pathetic excuse of a planet!" The caped figure continued as he held his open palm up toward the screen, as if the planet itself was in the palm of his hand.
"And with it, we'll be one step closer to killing that bastard Frieza and establishing our stranglehold over this whole universe!" The figure proclaimed as he clenched his fist.
/-/
Waking up, Evan immediately felt something was wrong. Even without concentrating hard, Evan felt a massive spike in Ki not too far off from the city of Argus.
Removing the IV from his arm, Evan got out of bed and left the room. As Evan headed down the hallway, he saw a nurse with brown hair rushed up toward him.
"Sir! Are you alright? You shouldn't be up yet! We need to get you back to your-" The worried nurse began to say.
"I'm feeling right as rain! I just…I need to get some fresh air. The air's getting too stuffy here for my liking!" Evan jokingly interjected as he stepped past her.
"What kind of power level am I sensing, it's massive! Hold on…it's not one power level, it's…six smaller ones." Evan thought to himself as he began to properly sense the Ki signature that he felt from earlier.
"Who could it be though, it's not the Ginyu Force. Those guys have been a group of five for years now, and they aren't particularly interested in adding another member to their special fighting poses. It can't be Frieza either. That guy doesn't go anywhere without a menagerie of minions backing him up. So who could it be?" Evan continued on as he moved his way through the corridors of the hospital.
As he stepped out the front doors of the building, Evan looked to see dozens of people standing in the street, all of them gazing up toward something in particular with looks of intrigue and curiosity clear on their faces.
Maneuvering past them, Evan stepped away from the tall building and flew into the air to get a better look. However, what he saw froze the blood in his veins.
"Oh no…" Evan muttered out as his voice trailed off.
In the far distance, past all of the nearby forests stood an utterly gigantic tree that stretched out into the sky, its humongous canopy breaking through the very clouds themselves.
/-/
Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Leave a review to let me know your thoughts. My schedule now should smooth out pretty well, so I should have the next chapter out within two weeks from now.
If you wish to support me, or even gain access to the next chapter right now then please go to
www . P a treon . com (slash) Alist0r
for more details. Even helping me out a little really goes a long way.
Until then, see ya!