Hours passed and hardly anyone had slept. The entire main city had been evacuated, everyone who was still alive was a safe distance away. But that didn't stop the gut wrenching sounds of the Alpha Leviathan from echoing over the whole entire island. Every building that crumbled, every flame that cracked, every crunch of metal underneath its feet, it could be heard everywhere. It was emotionally agonizing in the endless darkness of the night.
Still without power, team MACE sat around a small fire for warmth. While Kagami glared off in the distance at the creature of mass destruction, Gurin laid curled up in her lap asleep. Staring into the heart of the fire, Elise took a deep breath. Her knees were tucked into her chest and arms were wrapped around them. "So..." She swallowed.
"I don't know." Kris shook her head. She sat slumped forward with both her legs crossed. "I really don't know. We can't kill it."
Furrowing her brow, Cheyenne exhaled. She held onto her war club close and softly fiddled with the different colored beads on it. "I don't think this is something we can win."
Midori had seen many things in her life, but the bomb that went off in the city was unlike anything else. The Grimm inside its blast radius were vaporized instantly. All she could think about was what that could do to a civilian population. The thought put knots in her stomach. She wanted to get away from fighting and violence, but it just wouldn't leave her.
With her dual katanas resting on her hip, the former Huntress walked down a hallway cramped with injured people. Their wails and groans of pain burned through her ears. Turning a corner, she took a few steps and pushed her shoulder against another. "What are we supposed to do?" She asked.
"I don't know." Baren kept her voice low. "We're in the middle of a warzone and there is no backup coming. We couldn't even get a distress signal out even if we wanted to." She scoffed. "And then there's the question of whether anyone would even come. The Kingdoms have all isolated themselves since the Fall of Beacon."
"Wonderful." She rolled her eyes while clenching her jaw.
Exhaling, the old warrior reached up with her wooden arm and gently patted her shoulder. "I'm proud of you." She quietly let out.
Eyeing her for a moment, she sighed and patted her wooden hand back. "Me too." She forced a smile.
Nodding back, she took a deep breath. "You might... want to consider leaving." She reluctantly said. "The Grimm is staying in the main part of Vytal. If everyone moves to the south we can fully evacuate the island. Have everyone go to Sanus. Hopefully make the hike all the way back to Vale and pray they have enough space to house everyone."
"You know they won't." Midori looked over.
"We'll need to hope. Vytal is a lost cause at this point. We need to cut our losses and run before we lose more." She pulled away. "I can't do anything else to help. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." She nodded back while lowering her head. "It's not... there's nothing anyone could do at this point. You're right." She choked back a sniffle.
Out under the darkness of night, Eleanor rummaged through a bag of supplies until she found a roll of bandage wrap. "You should have stopped fighting when your aura broke."
"I couldn't do that." Aero frowned while holding out her arm. Three large gashes tanks down her bicep and forearm. "I had to help."
"Well you can't help if you're dead!" She scolded before carefully tending to her injuries. "So, don't do that." She huffed.
The bluette smiled a bit before wincing slightly. "You know, I remember a time where you and Midori were seeing who could be more reckless."
"Yeah, well," She finished bandaging up her arm and stood up straight. "I became a mother." She adjusted her sleeves before putting everything away.
"Fair enough." Aero shrugged. As she got up, she slowly moved her arm around. Her shoulder was aching once again. "Need any help with the others?"
Softly smiling back, she nodded. "There's more people than I can tend to. It would be appreciated."
"See. Help is always needed." She placed her hands on her hips and smiled brightly.
Eleanor couldn't understand how Aero could smile with everything going on, but she always did. Even in the face of utter despair, she would always have a smile on her face. She admired that about her.
Talk of evacuating the whole entire island quickly spread throughout the makeshift camp. And along with it a wave of confusion, fear and unrest. Panic and concern began to spread like wildfire among everyone.
"You gotta be joking." Kris stared with wide eyes up at Baren. "Half the people of Vytal won't even be able to make the journey from the coast to Vale!"
"We don't have any other option." The old warrior crossed her arms. "We can't kill the Leviathan. We can't win. If we keep trying to fight it, more people will die. The only other option, regrettably, is retreat. Live to fight another day."
"But..." Trailing off, she swallowed hard and lowered her head.
"Is there even enough boats to take everyone over?" Cheyenne looked up.
"We'll have to do it in multiple runs. A lot... of runs." She sighed. "But if we're quick enough we'll have everyone off the island in a week."
With narrowed eyes, Kagami looked at her mentor. "And what happens to the people still here if that monster gets bored of destroying the main city?"
Baring her teeth, Baren squared her shoulders. "Listen. This isn't an ideal situation and it's far from a perfect course of retreat. But there is no other option. We can't win. We have to run. There isn't another option."
"There's always a way!" She raised her voice. "There's always some other way! That's what you taught me!"
"Not this time!" The old warrior snapped while raising both her hands. "I can't do anything to stop it!" She gestured towards the giant Grimm. "I hate it more than anyone here, but we have to run away from this fight!"
With a low growl, she slowly looked away while reaching up to rub her eyes. It wasn't fair.
Exhaling, Baren pulled away. "You just don't understand." She mumbled while reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose.
"There's also freezing instead of fight or flight." Gurin quietly spoke while leaning up against her sister. "Though I don't think that would help..." Her head lowered. "Are we really going to leave Vytal?"
Looking back at her, Kagami's expression softened. "I don't know." She wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "I really don't know. I don't know..." She felt her eyes begin to water. None of this was fair.
Lowering her head, Elise held onto her legs even tighter. "Is running away and leaving some people behind really the only thing we can do?" She looked up at Baren.
The pinkette nodded slowly with a look of regret. "Yes. It is."
Shakily exhaling through her teeth, Kagami balled her hands into tight fists. Looking over, she glared at the Alpha Leviathan. She had finally returned home after so long and there was problem after problem ever since she got here. And now this. It wasn't fair. She hated that Grimm. She wanted it dead.
Flinching as she felt a small hand grab hers, she was knocked out of her bitter state. She looked back to see Gurin tugging on her slightly.
"It'll be okay." Her sister quietly let out with a weary smile. "I promise." She leaned back onto her while closing her eyes. "We'll be okay."
Kagami stared for a moment at her before softly exhaling. Composing herself and doing her best to push aside the negative emotions filling her mind, she reached up and gently rubbed the little girl's arm. She then looked back across the city and at the terrifying creature. She knew they couldn't win but running away never solved anything. People would still die. More people. Just like with Fleck, he couldn't run away. He had to stand and fight till the end and no amount of talking would convince him otherwise.
Blinking once, her eyes widened a bit and her shoulders fell. After a few breaths, she breathed in and sat up straight. She then took off the green bandana her father had given her and used it to tie her hair up into a ponytail. "There is one other option." She stood up.
"What are you talking about?" Baren turned around with an irritated and annoyed look. "There isn't."
"Yes. There is." She glanced at her friends before looking back at her mentor. "There's three ways to end a battle." She slowly looked down at her sister who stared up at her. "Killing the enemy. Running away until you can come back and finish the job later. And..." She looked back up while taking a deep breath. She narrowed her eyes at the pinkette. Her eyes were a shade darker than usual. "And bargaining." She exhaled and before anyone could say anything or even more, she disappeared.
Baren stared where she once stood. It took her a moment to realize what had happened, and when she did her eyes shot wide with fear.
"What just...?" Elise looked around in confusion and worry. "Where'd Kagami go?"
"She's..." Trailing off, Cheyenne placed both her hands over her mouth.
With glazed over eyes, Kris leaned over to weakly tap on the brunet's shoulder. She then pointed just above the Alpha Leviathan. There a small green speck could be seen.
The young farm girl let her shoulders fall. Her breathing cracked as she struggled to find something to say.
"Kagami..." Gurin quietly let out as she pushed herself up. Staring at the Grimm, she closed her eyes and tried to teleport as well but couldn't. Her aura was still broken.
Baren stood still for a moment. Her breathing was short and uneven. Sharply breathing in, she bared her teeth and suddenly took off sprinting back towards the city. With each step she left a small impact in the ground from the sheer force of her running.