One breath in, one breath out.
With a slash, another Grimm fell and disappeared into dust. Beowolves mostly.
She wondered how they had gotten into Beacon, guarded as it was. Even with mass panic, a horde this big should never have arrived this fast.
Blake ducked and took out another Beowolf, dodging another lunge shortly after and kicking the Grimm into one of the cafeteria tables. Huffing, she allowed herself to relax as she looked around, finding the mess hall clear.
Yang was absent here, in their room, and she was not with other student groups or teams, and she wouldn't hide or hunker down either.
"Where is she?" She asked herself with a huff, then headed for the windows leading to the plaza around the lecture dome.
Grimm converged around it, biting at the walls and ceilings, trying to break inside. Were there students trapped?
Maybe Yang was trying to help them.
Then she noticed, in a building in the distance, that a ship was leaving the rooftops, but it wasn't an Atlesian ship, and not from Vale either.
She shook her head, and dropped down from the window. No time to waste.
Landing with grace, Blake ran at the dome, across the plaza. Even if she exudes negative energy, whomever hunkered inside the lecture dome was giving off an even stronger aura.
Maybe children, or old folk, terrified out of their minds.
As much as she wanted to find Yang, a small part of her with a voice like Ruby's asked her to save them. She was a huntress after all.
And another, her own, asked her what about her words to Rhodes.
But this was for Yang as well, hopefully.
Crossing the plaza she reached the entrance of the lecture hall, currently being unsuccessfully rammed by the Grimm congregation.
Firing one shot, Blake caught their attention.
Time to see if being in Beacon had paid off.
The enraged Grimm roared and chaffed at her, approaching with intent to kill. Blake approached, unafraid.
When within a ten metre distance, the Sabyrs that had begun circling her pounced and charged from her flanks, front and blind spots.
But once they converged, Blake smiled and faded away.
That was enough to draw Grimm away from the entrances located south and north.
With a careful approach, she knocked on the door while she heard the sounds of Grimm leaping off the building and more coming to investigate.
"It's me, Blake! I'm a huntress!" she shouted. The door then opened, and Yatsuhashi's tall and imposing figure greeted her. He looked a bit worse for wear.
"Blake. Come in!" He said, grabbing her and shutting the door. With his large frame he blocked the door while Blake helped activate the security locks that the structure had. The Vale government had planned for a Grimm invasion, just in case.
The lecture dome was a simple structure closer to a stadium, with two entrances, hallways leading to the main room and side hallways for reaching the chairs and lockers. After all, it was a structure made for combat arenas.
With the door locked, Blake and Yatsuhashi walked in. She noticed the big man had a slight lean towards his right.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"I'll live," he said. They emerged into the main hall, the centre arena, with a retractable podium and surrounded by the chairs and desks for students. Of course, most of it was occupied by the wounded. "I spent most of my aura protecting them. Not much of it left to help me heal,". His face was strained as he looked onwards, and Blake noticed why. "Can't say the same for them."
She saw dozens of people, some with children, some old folk, all taking refuge in the arena, sitting on rugs or other clothes, hugging each other. No wonder the Grimm were insistent on getting inside. In the centre of the arena were some stretchers and what she guessed was luggage, all used to give the many injured some comfort.
There was a lot of blood on the bandages, and some people were unconscious.
It brought bad memories. Memories of the consequences of her actions.
Luckily, a voice brought her out of her stupor.
"Blake! You're alright!" Velvet said, jumping into her to give a tight hug. The huntress was light still, so Blake accepted the hug with joy. It felt good to be held, once in a while.
"Yes," she replied, spying over Velvet's shoulder as Coco and Fox approached. "How did you guys end up here?"
"We saw that these people needed help, but there were just too many Grimm to evacuate them safely, so we decided to hold out here," she said, ears lowering.
"It was clearly a bad plan, that's on me. We're all trapped now," Coco said, putting a hand on Velvet's shoulder. Blake could not see beyond her black glasses and her body remained upright and confident, but she doubted Coco was actually cool with any of this.
"Is… help coming?" Fox asked, his tone grim.
"Yeah. We decided to wait here in case help comes, but if it isn't coming then… we'll have to do something sooner or later. A message from Glynda on the intercom said to head for the docking bay, at the edge of Beacon" Coco said.
Blake pursed her lips. If there was any rendezvous, it was probably where Rhodes was headed. Still, knowing Vale's government, how likely were they to save them?
Pyrrha's words echoed. She was wrong, she had caused this, and made herself a hypocrite.
But still… waiting wasn't an option. Not when others needed her.
She took a breath. "I don't think anyone's coming, not right now. I think we're on our own," she said, unable to avoid a grim tone.
Fox sighed. "Of course. What now?" He asked, turning to Coco.
She licked on a white stick, probably what remained of a lollipop. "I guess we'll have to shoot our way out."
"And what about these people? We can't protect them all!" Yatsu said.
"We don't have any other options, dear," she said then, shoulders dropping.
Blake pursed her lips. Looking back at the people, she asked herself why she had fought for so long in a cause whose only result was violence. Was this what it had led to?
She was a huntress now. Her cause was this people, a fair cause. Ruby would have helped no matter what, if Ruby was her leader, it had to be for a good reason. And that was the reason.
"No. You do have other options. Shoot your way out, while I distract the Grimm," she announced. The team turned to her, eyes wide. Even Coco managed to lift over her glasses a bit.
"Alone? You sure hun?" Coco asked.
"Yes. I have my semblance. I can distract them with it long enough for you to get these people out safely. Without the Grimm hounding you, they should be less stressed, meaning less Grimm," she said.
Yet, CFVY still seemed reluctant.
"And it will work," Velvet said, voice low. "The professors said it was a proven tactic, but… the survival rate is nearly null."
Yatsu crossed his arms. "Indeed. Even if the situation is desperate-"
"-I don't have time for a whole backstory explanation, not right now, but believe me that I've done something like this before. I will survive. I have a whole team that would kill me if I die," she said.
The team still seemed unsure, but even so, Coco and Fox nodded.
And so, without many other words, the people were rounded up on one exit, and Blake went for the other with Yatsu to open the barricaded doors.
With a nod, Yatsu opened them, and Blake jumped out, barely managing to dive over a beowulf and landing behind it.
Immediately, another Grimm went for her, and she used her semblance to propel herself above the horde. There were many, so many. About a dozen or more. Almost as many as Mountain Glenn.
The Grimm turned to her, sensing her fear. Perfect.
"Over here you numbnuts!" She shouted, firing Gambol Shroud as she landed.
And so, the entire horde went for her and she ran towards the now deserted building that hosted the weapon workshop and garages.
And THAT gave her an idea.
She ran like never before. Grimm were faster, yes, but her clones easily allowed her to escape any who managed to catch up.
Even more Grimm joined from the air, sensing her desperation.
She reached the doors, kicking them closed as she opened them, and with some leftover ice she sealed them shut. They would not last, as Grimm banged on the door.
Blake went for the workshop. The room was pretty wide, allowing for multiple students to craft their weapons, and for teachers to lecture them on maintenance and upgrades. Of course, that was a rarity since most students would learn such things before coming to Beacon.
The entire room was ransacked. She expected it of course. There were nearly no more parts or dust left, which put a damper on her mood.
"Almost done?" That voice made her duck under one of the tables. Two white-masked figures walked in and headed for a pile of stacked metal boxes.
The White Fang. They were…
"Not at all. We still need to get this dust out. Can you stop asking?" The other said.
"I just wanna go home man. The Grimm are out there," the other said. "As good as this haul is."
…Profiteering from this chaos?
Anger burned inside her.
Blake dashed from under the table, throwing Gambol Shroud around the neck of one of the men and pulling him close.
The other, she shot. She shot until he started bleeding, fell to the ground and stopped moving.
"Y-you-!" He said, struggling as she restrained him with Gambol Shroud's lasso.
"Shut up," she hissed, leaving him tied and checking the metal boxes. They indeed had Dust in them, alongside weapon parts and ammunition.
It was perfect.
Roars shook the building. The Grimm horde grew bigger.
"Damn! You crazy-! Please I- there's a-" she kicked him lightly, toppling him.
"I said shut up," she repeated. So much dust would be easy to set off, it just needed some energy. And what better energy than lightning dust.
As she set up the trap, and the roars got closer and more numerous, the man began to panic.
"Hey! Come on! Neither of us wants to die, right!?" He said as he struggled, while hyperventilating.
Blake didn't answer as she opened the last protective box.
A door broke somewhere in the building. The man panicked further even as she held him down.
The Grimm burst into the room, smelling the fear of their prey.
"Here we go," she said. Grimm from all directions jumped at her and her captive, as expected. With her Semblance, she jumped over them, hopping over the horde as she headed out of the room.
And thus, the Grimm took the bait.
Blake didn't look back, but she certainly felt a deafening explosion that propelled her out of the building, a scorching heat and strong winds sending her flying across the field outside.
She landed, rolling, aura flickering and ears ringing.
As she lifted her head, she saw a large bonfire where the building was, rubble scattered and floating in the air or slowly descending, some ice crystals pouring around it.
There were few Grimm in the vicinity. The blast should have caught them all. Or so she hoped. The only reason she had survived was her now depleted aura.
Groggy, she pushed herself up. Grimm still littered the skies, hounding the skyships, roars could still be heard in the distance. So much for killing dozens of grimm.
Still, she had one other lead.
Blake grabbed the man and dragged him into the nook between two buildings. He had fallen unconscious from the blast's force, but was alive.
As she leaned her back on the wall behind her, she felt a strong gust, and not long after, a large Atlesian cruiser soared above, close to the ground, fire and smoke emanating from its hull.
She didn't see what happened after, except for a 'thud' nearby.
With some effort, she pushed herself out of the nook and saw something that revitalised her.
A white dress and a red cape.
"Ruby!" She shouted, approaching her teammate. The relief and joy was so overwhelming she almost cried.
Her teammates had fallen on the ground, huddled together. After she shouted, Ruby began standing up.
"Ow! Ow!" She said, straightening her back. As she turned around, Blake began looking her over.
Ruby scrambled away a bit, eyes wide, before seemingly recognizing her. "Blake!"
"Ruby," she repeated, dashing to hug her tightly. Too tightly for her strained muscles. Realising she was hugging too tight, and too suddenly, Ruby let go. "Sorry!"
"Thank the stars," Blake muttered, turning to Weiss who seemed to struggle getting up.
Blake rushed to aid Weiss, who only moaned in pain.
"What happened?" Blake asked. She noticed then the numerous bruises and cuts lining her clothes and skin.
Ruby too, was bruised and battered, along with a red stain in the left side of her face.
"I… help me," Ruby said, helping Weiss by being a support for her.
"Be careful," Blake said, grabbing her other arm. The huntresses carried their injured member to the nook where Blake had taken refuge.
"What happened?" Blake asked again. Ruby, who leaned on her knees, looked up at her.
"Well…"
Frustration got the better of Ruby as she tried to slash at Roman, who ducked and leaned away from her.
"Too slow!" He taunted, but she already knew.
He retaliated with a prod, followed by two smacks that knocked her off balance. A final kick to her face sent her sliding across the floor.
Roman approached, twirling his cane around. "Are you even trying to kill me?"
Not really, but she didn't say it. Her pride was still broken though.
He pointed it at her. "I'll enjoy-"
"Yah!" Weiss slid across her vision, bathed in a black aura that slashed Roman's inner forearm.
As she slid to a stop to attack again, Neo followed to kick her and try to stab her with a hidden blade coming out of her umbrella.
After Yang told her about her encounter with Neo, Ruby dashed with her semblance in a frantic bid to save her friend.
A slash that Weiss ducked under was enough to make her retreat.
"Thanks best buddy!" Ruby said, panting.
"Did you slack off in combat classes?!" Weiss asked, getting back into a fighting position.
"Mmaybe? I tried not to," Ruby said. She just didn't find them that useful if all she would do would be fighting Grimm.
"Any plans?" Weiss whispered.
"Uh… think you can do the uh… Snow Burst manoeuvre?" Ruby asked, motioning to Neo. Weiss sighed; probably at the (in Ruby's opinion) cool name her leader had come up with.
"Of course I can! I just need- look out!" Weiss pushed her out of the way. Roman attacked without warning. Weiss intercepted with her blade, bit was promptly kicked in the stomach by Neo who restrained her for a strike.
Ruby interfered, attacking Roman again, should give Weiss enough time to deal with Neo.
But once again, Roman out matched her, even stepping on her Scythe as she attempted a slash on his feet.
She was kicked in the shin, forcing her to drop her hold.
She was disarmed now, she was just a defenceless girl.
"Tired Red?" Roman asked, shooting his cane. could do was block with her forearms and let Aura take the hit. It didn't keep her from barreling down to the other side of the deck.
Even then, Ruby could see Weiss gaining ground against Neo. The ship shook, Grimm clawing at its hood.
"Maybe you shouldn't have skipped those man to man combat classes!" He said, approaching.
Weiss needed time.
Bracing for more pain, she charged without thought, fist raised. Roman easily swatted it away and tripped her, forcing her down, and it hurt as expected.
"You know who the real monsters are!" He said then, pressing his cane on her spine.
"Yeah, yeah. I've heard that one before!" Ruby said, spite dripping from her voice. She was tired of his rambling.
"Really?" He knelt beside her.
"Yeah. And you're wrong," she said. Ruby looked away and made eye contact with Weiss.
With a nod, glyphs began appearing behind her. Neo would not suspect a thing, she hoped. Weiss didn't take long to start using them against Roman's minion, even if they weren't really meant for her. Only the small ones shot, while a large one grew bigger behind Weiss' back.
"Wrong hmm? Well there's Cinder. Your old sister," he said, and Ruby felt her chest grow cold. "A murderer, an abused girl propped up because she… happened to be rescued by your mom. It's quite a theme isn't it? Nepotism at its finest. Same goes for you."
"She earned everything. And even if she didn't, who are you to say she deserves it or not?" Ruby said, although it came off more like a growl.
"Then there's Yang," He continued, ignoring her. "A problem child, too focused on her pointless mommy issues to even begin to care for you," she looked at him, hate spilling from her eyes. Yang had been good to her, she had cared for her. What if she had a few issues?
"And finally, your mom," he said. Ruby's mouth hung open, words dying in her throat.
"What about… my mom?" She asked.
"Pyrrha told me, that you told her, that she went on a mission and went missing," he said. Pyrrha had said that to him? That hurt worse than the cane stabbing her in the back. "So, she abandoned you, basically. She went to chase her little dreams and left you behind. See, Red? Trying to be a hero is pointless. Everyone is out for themselves, and they'll only care for you for as long as it's convenient. Your sisters, your friends, your family, they'll all abandon you when things get hard. It's just human nature."
Ruby listened to his words; and though she tried to come up with arguments, or any half-rational response to his diatribe, few of those thoughts made it through her mind. A hot, warm feeling spread through her face and chest, something she didn't know she could feel so intensely. This must be what Yang felt when she got angry, truly angry.
Ruby turned her eye to him, narrowing it, trying her best to communicate her spite and hatred. It scared her, a bit.
"I have to say… I'm sorry…" he pressed his cane against her back harder.
"...sorry for what?" He asked, half satisfied.
"...I'm sorry… that your parents didn't love you…" she said, though there wasn't really any regret or compassion in her voice, only pure spite.
And at this, he reacted. His eyes narrowed and he lifted his cane. "Why you little fuck!"
The ship shook then, and a Nevermore's head tore through the command deck's windows, trying its best to take a bite of Roman, throwing both him and Neo off balance.
Ruby took her chance then. "Weiss!" She shouted.
Weiss nodded, using her prepared Glyph for an attack that Neo braced herself for.
Yet, Weiss' attack instead went to Roman. Her Glyph turned yellow, a thunderbolt jumping out from its centre and hitting Roman dead on.
Without the cane on her back, Ruby turned into petals and drop-kicked Roman right into Nevermore's ravenous mouth.
It clamped its beak right around his torso, a crunching sound reverberating through the deck before the beast pulled out, its prize caught.
When Ruby turned, she saw Neo standing there in shock, eyes shaking.
The ship shook again, strongly as explosions began around every nook. The floor tilted slightly, with no sign of stopping.
"Weiss! Hold on!" She said, using her Semblance to dash to her partner, and like with Blake the day before, pulling her into the whirlwind and exiting through the ship's breached window.
They began falling, at a reduced speed, which was good.
The ship exploded behind them, and the wave forced her to stop her semblance, and sent the two of them spiralling down.
Ruby closed her eyes, hoping her Aura would hold.
"... And that is what happened," Ruby finished.
Blake gulped. "Ruby… I'm sorry…"
"For what?" Ruby asked, tilting her head.
"For…!" Blake stopped. If Ruby didn't mind then… it wasn't right to bring it up. Not at the moment. "...nevermind."
"At least the ship is gone and no longer firing on civilians," Ruby said then. "We should get to the evacuation point. Right? That guy was flying there."
Although she was giving orders, and smiled, Blake could tell Ruby was exhausted, maybe even unwell.
"Yeah. Help me with Weiss," Blake said, sliding one arm around the heiress, Ruby grabbing the other.
"I got her. You scout ahead."
"I'm fine…" Weiss muttered. At least she was conscious now. "Go get help…"
"I'm glad sticking with Ruby has given you a sense of humour Weiss," Blake said, earning a scoff from Weiss.
Leaning around the corner Blake saw the Grimm had, effectively, dispersed for now.
"It's clear," Blake said.
"Grimm always come back. But it'll take a while," Ruby said, Weiss leaning on her. The ice queen had regained some of her senses now, only squinting her eyes in pain. "Where are these Grimm even coming from!?"
"The panic from the people, Pyrrha's killing, the Atlesian knights and ships turning on everyone," Blake said.
"That wouldn't explain it, there weren't that many Grimm here before! They would take a while to gather even with the entire city panicked!" Ruby said.
Blake pursed her lips, and as her eyes scanned around, they landed back on her captive.
A thought sprung, and combined with anger and disgust, she stormed to him
"You!" She said, pulling on the rope, forcing him to look at her. "Why are the White Fang here? Sienna is no scavenger."
The man looked at her for a moment, his mask hiding his expression. "That girl wanted us to bring Grimm in, so we did. Adam's orders."
The satisfaction in his voice made her stomach turn.
"You're worse than I thought," she said, then untied him.
She didn't want her hands soiled anymore. They were dirty enough.
"Go. You're lucky we can't take you to justice," she said. The man looked at her for a moment, surprised. That was her limit. "Go!"
With a jolt he ran away, and Ruby didn't try to stop him.
"Think he'll try to sta-"
"No. Come on, let's move," Blake said.
They dashed out of their nook, only to find another obstacle in their way.
The tall, masked, black figure of Adam awaited in front of the burning dome.
"Him again!?" Ruby shouted behind her.
Blake didn't hear her, ears ringing and breathing hitched. This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening, this wasn't happening!
Breathing was becoming hard. Very hard.
"Nice to meet you again, Blake," he said with a smile. The voice was the same, dashing her hopes that maybe, just maybe it was somebody else.
A bird flew past her ears, then circled behind Adam. As it dissappeared from sight for half a second, a woman came out from behind Adam. Tall, masked, with a mane of feathered black hair. She wore black and red clothes, clearly from the region of Anima.
She eyed them for a moment, and then drew a crimson sword like Adam's.
"And what are you here for?" Adam asked, spitting the words out.
"Don't hurt them," she said. Puzzled, Adam cocked his head. "Too much."
Her hand shook, but she swallowed her fear and whispered to Ruby. "Go."
"What?" Ruby asked back.
"Get out of here…" Blake said, brandishing her weapon. "I'll hold them off."
"I'm not leaving you!" Ruby shouted then.
"Hah! Someone else charmed by you, Blake!" Adam said then, twirling his sword.
"Ruby-"
"No time!" Her leader pushed Weiss to stand, and the heiress wobbled a bit, but otherwise managed.
"Weiss. Go to the evacuation point!" Ruby shouted. "Now!"
Weiss looked at both of them, back at her enemies, and then at them again.
"I don't appreciate you thinking I'm useless," She raised her sword, and a black glyph materialised under her feet. "I'm not leaving you for long."
"You think I'll-!?" Adam stepped forward then, and Blake readied to intercept, but a hand on his chest stopped him.
"Let her," the raven haired woman said. That was enough time for Weiss to dash away. "This is what I want."
Before Ruby or Blake could realise their mistake, their enemies engaged them.
Another Creep in front went down, an arrow lodged in its skull.
Behind it, Cinder could see it. A circle of stacked boxes and vehicles, airships going in and out. The evacuation point Rhodes had talked about.
"Damnit!" Cinder turned, bow drawn, and shot a Beowolf attacking Yang, who was weighed down by the unconscious Nora Valkyrie.
"Thanks sis!" Yang said in between breaths.
"Guys! More are comiiing!" Jaune screeched, another wave of Grimm trailing behind him and Ren, who needed his assistance, the skin over his eyes red and blistered.
"Arc! Stop dragging your feet!" Cinder shouted, shooting arrows at the horde while she and Yang retreated towards the evacuation point, but that did little to thin their numbers. "Shit."
The ground rumbled then, and a (Centipede Grimm) jumped out, its jaws twitching and heading for Cinder's head.
Said Grimm stopped midair then, enveloped by a violet forcefield.
The click of heels followed, and Glynda Goodwitch appeared on scene, her weapon pointed at the Grimm.
"Professor, are you injured?" Glynda asked, stern as ever.
"Worry about the Grimm," said Cinder.
"I will," with a furrowing of her brow, the Grimm was forced into being a ball, and promptly crushed like a peach, black blood splashing over Cinder.
"Fucking seriously?"
"Get on the floor. Coco!" With that shout, the leader of CFVY drew her minigun.
"My pleasure," she said, shooting a sea of bullets into the Grimm horde, tearing them to shreds in a manner of seconds, spent casings hitting the ground like a river.
After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity, the cacophony of bullets ceased, leaving Cinder with ringing ears and a headache.
But looking back down the avenue, the Grimm horde was done… for the moment.
"Thanks Coco…" Yang said, standing up, hoisting the unconscious Nora on her back once again.
"I want one of those…" Jaune added, cleaning his ear.
"Thanks, that's the last of that you'll see tonight though, I'm all spent," she said.
Goodwitch turned to Cinder and then to Yang, and her eyes opened wide.
"By the gods!" She shouted, approaching Yang, looking at Nora, or more specifically, her absent legs. "H-how did this-?"
"Pyrrha… it was Pyrrha…" Ren said, eliciting another gasp from the usually calm and stern professor.
"Oh… not you too," Glynda closed her eyes as she caressed Ren to comfort him, before her face reconfigured into its usual serious demeanour. With a wave of her hand, she motioned for the group to come to the crude barricade that had been made around Beacon's Airship bay, where many were docked and bustling with people. "Come, we have a few medical airships. I'll have them evacuate as soon as we can."
Cinder followed her along with Yang and Jaune, cutting amidst the crowds surrounding the airships. Looking around, she was suffocated by the hot air and the worried faces of the people. Dirtied, brought low, scurrying around and holding their children and spouses, barely able to stand up. Nothing like the regular people that would just walk without a care in the world.
They arrived at a white airship, with a medical logo on its side. The ramp to the interior was lowered, making it into a sort of medical tent.
Two emergency care workers immediately noticed Nora's condition and quickly took out a stretcher for her, with a third worker helping Ren, who despite everything tried his hardest to remain close to her. Jaune disappeared with them without a word, only sparing a glance back at Cinder.
With them out of the picture, Glynda turned to her and Yang.
"Professor…, Cinder… where is Ozpin? The maiden?" Glynda asked. Cinder turned away for a brief moment, biting her lip.
"Maiden is dead. Ozpin… stayed behind to fight Pyrrha," Cinder said then. Once again, Glynda broke for a moment, what seemed like an anguished sob escaped her lips.
"I… see. Then Beacon is lost…" she muttered. Those words sent a chill down Cinder's spine. They would have to run away, fight the Grimm from Vale itself.
From among the crowd, a head of grey hair emerged, and upon making eye contact rushed over to her.
"Cinder, you're alright," Rhodes said, his breathing laboured.
She nodded. "You could say that."
"Good, even if that was-" she gave him a look that could incinerate. She did not need a scolding right now. Taking a step back, Rhodes addressed Glynda "-nevermind. What now Professor?"
"... we have to evacuate the civilians," she said.
"Why haven't you already?" Yang asked then.
"The Atlas airships," Glynda answered, pointing to the sky where a lone ship remained above Beacon, the largest of them. "They all turned against each other, like the Paladins and the Knights."
"Well then-" the crowd gasped, and some whispered. A slight boom echoed, and when the three of them turned to the sky, they saw the skyship explode in the air, its parts falling like meteors on the campus.
For a moment, Cinder's stomach turned into a bottomless pit. "Ruby…" She muttered.
Glynda acted quickly. "Settle down everyone! You'll all be fine-!"
"No we're not! We're gonna die!"
"Why isn't Atlas protecting us?!"
"Where are the huntsmen?!"
"We are the huntsmen! We're trying to help you!" Cinder shouted, joining Glynda.
Now taking centre stage, her red dress helping her stand out, the crowd focused. On her.
"Wait, aren't you-?"
"Isn't she that murderer?"
"The one the invincible girl talked about!"
"Yes it is her!"
"Is it her fault?"
The crowd now directed all their anguish, all their fear, at her.
It was to be expected, she knew to trust few, to not have faith in crowds and in the general citizen but… she felt afraid. She was alone in this; everyone knew what she was.
The murmurs continued, making her head ring. And then…
A shot rang into the air, and the people cowered in silence as General Ironwood broke through. He looked… terrible. His uniform was torn, revealing a half metallic body, hair unkempt, and what visible skin there was, was covered in bruises. "She is a huntress! The very huntress that has been protecting you all along! We are here, so don't be afraid, we'll get you to safety! That is what this school is about, and this is why we need to save it! But first… we must save all of you."
He stood proud among them, side by side to Glynda, who gave him a small smile. "That is correct! Without her tutelage, our students would not be able to protect you! Now, without that airship, the path is clear! We'll deliver you to safety! One huntsman team per ship! Now move in order! Women and children first!"
And the people did as instructed, moving in quiet and hurried lines towards the docked ships, their anger at her apparently subsumed.
There were a few glances, but nothing more.
She had lost everything. Her place, her status, her reputation, possibly her job. All because of…
Cinder had to get away from the crowd, and Yang followed. "You okay?"
"Yeah," she replied, looking at the pile of smoke emanating from eastwards of the Beacon Tower.
"We should go find Ruby," Yang said then.
Cinder was about to nod, when a brown haired-huntress with bunny ears made her way through the crowd.
"Oh, Yang! Professor!" She said.
"Velvet! You alright?" Yang asked, going up to her with a smile. Cinder kept her distance, who knew what she thought of her now.
"Yes. I'm okay! I- you haven't found Blake, have you?" She asked then, which made Yang tense up.
"No… why? Is she with you?" Yang asked in return.
Velvet shook her head. "She was, but… in order to help us evacuate the group of civilians, she stayed behind to draw attention from the Grimm horde. Please help her, I gotta go."
Yang took two steps back as Velvet retracted into the crowd, and Cinder moved to grab her arm, knowing what she was about to do.
"What?! We have to go! Now!" Yang said, trying to run back into the campus. Cinder didn't let her get one centimetre away.
"Yang, no! The path is infested with Grimm!" She shouted, pulling on Yang's arm.
"I don't care-!"
"But I do! You really think you can take on all of that on your own?" CInder shouted, forcing Yang to look her in the eye.
"Then help me," Yang said then. Cinder pursed her lips.
Why should she? She had nothing left except herself, putting herself in danger for others, what good would it do now? She had given everything to people, and in the end the reward was this betrayal by Pyrrha, attacks by the White Fang, and the scorn of people once they had something negative to latch on.
"No," was her answer. "Blake got into this mess by herself, it's not worth it."
At that statement, Yang's eyes opened wide, and all resistance stopped. "What?"
"I-" Cinder raised her eyes to look behind Yang for a second, and there she was a flash of white, dashing amongst a few of the scattered Grimm. "-is that Schnee?"
Yang also turned, and indeed, she saw the same thing. "Weiss!" Cinder had no time to react, and Yang already dashed forwards in a feeble attempt to save her friend.
Cinder chased after, if only because of Yang.
Weiss dodged every Grimm's attempt at punching her, but even so, her technique seemed sloppy, or rather, she seemed injured.
A Creep emerged from the ground then, making her have to jump, right into the path of a (flying Grimm). Said monster was intercepted by Yang however, who delivered a shotgun-powered blow to its head, and grabbed Weiss mid-air in a bridal style, landing with grace and dashing back to the barricade.
Cinder stopped upon seeing this. Maybe… Yang didn't need her help after all.
Why did that idea hurt?
"You okay Weiss-cream?" Yang asked the heiress, who stared at her with an astonished expression.
"Y-yes!" She said, then she looked around and noticed Cinder staring at them. In her embarrassment her face lit up in a red hue, followed by a struggle to free herself from Yang. "Let me go now!"
With her childish squirming, she set herself free and tidied her battle dress. "We don't have time for this!"
"What do you mean?" Yang asked then.
"Ruby and Blake are in trouble! We were ambushed by… that guy with the sword and… a woman with a mask!"
Cinder tensed. A woman with a mask? Pursing her lips, she turned to Yang, the brawler already looking like she made up her mind.
"Yang! No! It's a trap!" She said, desperation seeping into her voice.
"I'm not letting Ruby alone for one second more. If you don't wanna come, fine!" Too late to stop her. She had to tell her the truth.
Yang shot Ember Celica downwards, catapulting her over the Grimm, and breaking Cinder's grip.
"Yang!" She shouted to the air.
No… how could she lose her too?
"Professor?" Weiss asked. "We better be chasing after her."
"Damn right we are," She hadn't lost everything. Yang was still alive, and she intended to keep it that way. At least until she could get enough power to protect her.
She drew Midnight. Crooked as it was, the weapon could still fire. She looked back at Weiss. "Will you be able to fight?"
"Of course! My aura is just a bit low, but it's been low since the Colosseum so… I'll be fine," she said.
With a nod, they dashed down the avenue, towards the pillar of smoke emanating from where the Lecture Dome should be.
The Grimm had scattered, and few of the Atlas robots remained. Dashing between them, running between ruined buildings and avoiding rubble proved easy, with Cinder only needing to look behind her every so often to check Schnee was still with her.
Not that it mattered. All that mattered was Yang. Saving Yang from her mother. Saving Ruby.
If anything good remained in this world, it was them. So she pushed away her exhaustion; forcing her screaming muscles to the limit. If something teared, Aura would fix it later.
How she hated how fast Yang was.
"Through here!" Weiss shouted, jumping through a broken window in the staff apartments. Cinder followed, and besides a few stray Grimm, they got through the tight abandoned hallways seamlessly.
Through the hallway that faced the lecture dome, she could see through the windows the orange light of the bonfire, remnants of whatever Blake and Ruby had done. She saw an opening, a broken wall.
Cinder heard shouts, and thus, speeded towards the hole.
She was met with Yang facing a masked man. She recognized him from Mountain Glenn. Adam Taurus.
A few metres away, Blake squirmed on the ground, looking at Adam. And under his heel was Ruby, struggling to get him off him.
The man didn't look at Yang however, but at Blake. "You care so much about the faunus, don't you Ruby Rose," he raised his sword while mocking her. "Well, how about you experience my pain?"
He stabbed her on the stomach, bypassing her aura, and Ruby let out a yell that made Cinder's ears ring.
The same must have happened to Yang, based on what she did next.
Yang yelled. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Cinder watched Yang light up in flames, brighter than ever before, flying like a shooting star towards a man with a sword.
He smiled, and in a swift motion, he removed his crimson blade from Ruby and drew a luminous arc.
It connected with Yang's fist, and the clash let out a sonic wave that shook the earth. Yang flew past him, hitting the ground and then righting herself after a stumble. Her aura flared and faded, but her red eyes and hair still shone with defiance.
She wasted no time springing to action. Midnight could no longer become a bow, but that would not stop her.
As Adam faced Yang, Cinder was sure the both of them could take him on. Only…
… another red blade came towards her, giving her a few scant seconds to raise her own to block it.
She jumped back to avoid Raven Brawnen, but her onslaught was ferocious. In her attempts to block her blinding barrage of strikes, the pommel of Raven's blade hit her on the forehead. Stumbling back, Cinder could not block the next attacks, and with one final overhead slash forced her on her knees, Aura depleted.
She could only stare at Raven's heels. "How weak. My brother won't save you this time."
Raven scoffed behind her mask, raising her sword again.
In that second, the woman was forced back as a hail of ice shards turned the field between them into a bed of ice needles.
"Teacher!" Weiss said, standing at her side.
"Y-y-your late…!" Cinder said, righting herself.
She watched Yang again, who faced Adam.
"All that anger," Adam said, twirling his blade. "No matter how much you have, there are things you can't overcome."
She saw Blake raise her hand, pleading to Yang.
Yang didn't listen, once again lighting up and dashing towards her opponent like a fireball.
Adam sheathed his blade, and sliced with an even stronger crimson light.
Yang met the slice with her fist, and the result was inevitable.
The sword melted through her aura and flesh, severing her arm. Blood gushed from her open wound as Yang was flown backwards.
Her sister, her little dragon, her bright haired and smiling beacon of hope; hit the ground and fell unconscious in a pool of her own blood.
The only thing that came out of her throat at that moment was: "YANG!"
A/N: If you got this far, thanks. My life is a bit of a mess, so its hard to find the time to write. I'm not totally happy with how this turned out, some say it should be more different than the "base" fall of beacon but I'm quite happy with the different character interactions, and writing them is fun. Anyway, next chapter or two should be finishing up this arc. Chiao!