Chapter Twenty-four
"What do you mean there aren't any airships going to Vacuo?" Sun asked. He leaned into the counter at the airport, hands splayed before him as he questioned the worker. The air smelled like the sea, and he could hear the waves crashing in the near distance. Menagerie's airfield was nestled right next to the ocean, adjacent to the well protected port.
The Faunus, a taciturn armadillo with tufted ears and a band of armored skin across her skull grunted. "It means no airships going to Vacuo."
"He means why aren't there airships going to Vacuo," Neptune clarified. He gave Sun a thumbs up.
"It's a matter of national security!" Sun proclaimed, arms going wide into the air to emphasize his point.
"All airships are out on national business," the armadillo replied. She turned her attention back to her crossword.
Scarlet stepped forward, smiling sweetly. "Would it be possible," he peered at her nametag, "Marge, for you to tell us when the next ship is due in?"
A sigh drifted up to them as the crossword disappeared under a logbook. The armadillo traced a hoary finger down the page and tapped at a line. "Mmmm. Tomorrow morning, resupply ship coming from Vacuo."
"We have to wait a whole day? What are we supposed to do?" Sun griped.
"We could tour the city," Nolan suggested. "Kuo Kuana is a beautiful place; I wouldn't mind some down time."
Zambara, cloaked and hooded, was looking around the open-air terminal. "It is true I would not mind seeing the city," she said. "I have never been here before."
Sun shot her a look and mimed putting on a fake mustache. Zambara made a little 'oh' of understanding. "I vood not mind seeing the city," she said in a deliberate, terribly accented baritone. "I haff never been here."
Sun and Neptune both gave her vigorous thumbs up, while Sage's face remained carefully neutral. Marge paid zero attention to any of this, having gone back to her crossword. "Guess we have some time to kill," Neptune said. "Any ideas?"
"We passed that seafood place a block or so back, right there on the bay. A meal sounds wonderful," Nolan said.
"Ooh, I wonder if they serve prawn satay," Scarlet said. "It's been ages since I've had a good satay."
"Sounds great! I'm starved," Neptune said. Sage kicked him in the shin, hard, and gave a meaningful look from Neptune to Nolan and Scarlet.
Neptune started to protest, hopping on one foot, but Sun, having caught Sage's meaning, pulled him away. "You two go ahead, fish gives me indigestion. We'll find another place to eat. There's this great curry shop inland a way that I stopped at with Blake the last time I was here, I've been dying to go back."
He and Sage marched Neptune away from the pair as Zambara looked on, amused. "You two haff fun at your deener," she told them, tipping them a wink before following Sun.
"Sage, what the heck man? That hurt!" Neptune whined, still favoring his un-kicked leg as he walked.
"You can be so unbelievably dense sometimes," Sage said.
"What? A nice restaurant sounds great, even if I'm not a big fan of fish."
"We're giving Scarlet and Nolan a chance to be alone, bro. Y'know, like a date or something," Sun said.
"Ooooooh. I get it now. Did you really have to kick me?" Neptune asked Sage.
"Did you really need it spelled out for you that plainly?" Sage responded. Neptune frowned.
"Is there really a curry restaurant? I love curry," Zambara said.
"Yup! It's all vegetarian, too. Really great food. Sure gonna beat eating road rations like we have been for the last week."
"It is nice, being back in civilization again," Neptune said. "No grimm, no worries." He winked at a passing girl, flashing her his signature brilliant white smile, limp momentarily forgotten. She giggled, covering her mouth, and hurried on her way. "One day here in the sun will be good for the soul, I can feel it."
Flames danced and spun, hovering above cream-colored skin as they grew and shrank, grew and shrank, a heartbeat in fiery crimson. Cinder loved watching fire. Fire purified, burned away the chaff and the worthless things in life. It had always been there for her, the only true constant in her life besides pain. It soothed her.
She could feel the darkness that radiated into her core from her left arm responding to the fire. It knew that fire could destroy, wanted it to destroy, wanted it to be let free, to scorch away anything and everything until nothing but ash remained, to melt steel and carbonize bone, to- Cinder pulled herself out of this sweet, terrible vision with pure force of will. She would not let the grimm impulse take over. Not yet.
She looked up and Gillian looked away, eyes darting to and fro about the cabin, unable to convincingly settle on anything. Cinder knew she made the other woman nervous, and she reveled in the feeling. That was power, the ability to terrorize, to bend others to your will, she had seen it again and again, at the Glass Unicorn, in Salem's court, and knew it was the only true way to live. And she had power.
More power, if the Maidens didn't keep slipping from my grasp, but no matter. The Summer Maiden will fall, I will take what is hers, then Winter and Spring will follow, fuel-soaked tinderboxes waiting for my flame to set them ablaze and claim them. There isn't anyone left to meddle. Ruby and her simpering friends are dead, gone into the void between worlds, I helped them to fall, I got rid of that hurdle, and now I can claim the other Maiden powers and take what is mine.
The flame in her palm had stopped shrinking and now only grew, two feet tall, then three, until it began to threaten her companions. Gillian was no longer pretending to ignore Cinder, she had shrunk back in fear, the flames dancing in her eyes. Jax, eyes blank, slid down his bench away from the fire but otherwise gave no sign of discomfort. Cinder laughed and let the flames die.
"I thought you had more spine, Gillian. What happened to the revolutionary who tried to take down Shade?"
"She lost that fight, is what happened," Gillian said.
"And did that dull your appetite for insurrection? I would have thought it would put a hotter flame under you, inspire you to greater heights."
Gillian's eyes flicked towards her brother, who was little more than an automaton after Yatsuhashi had gotten his hands on him, and shrugged.
"I would think that would prove even more valuable, no? A partner who does ask you ask, with no questions? You no longer have to worry about him messing up your plans and going off script, or worry about him stabbing you in the back, or any of the other things that inevitably happen in these ventures. I think Yatsuhashi did you a favor, really. And to think such a strait-laced guy would have such a sinister semblance."
"Jax would never have betrayed me. We worked together for the good of Vacuo. And now he's just this," Gillian gestured helplessly, "man-shaped vessel. I'm not even sure my brother is in there anymore."
"Oh, he's there. He still knows the most important part of his self," Cinder said. Gillian looked confused. "He can still force others to do his bidding. A true expression of his soul. If he hasn't lost that, he's not gone yet."
"But he's doing it when people tell him to, not of his own volition," Gillian said.
"And does that matter? We have that power now."
Cinder looked towards the cockpit, where a Watts era knight had the controls. That man had been an arrogant, meddling, pretentious, contemptible excuse of a person, but he had known his way around technology. Through the windshield a sea of aquamarine water stretched to the horizon, where a fuzzy shape was just beginning to rise from the waves. Menagerie, in sight at last. "You're up for the task ahead of us, right?" she asked Gillian.
"Salem wants more pawns under her control to spread discord in Vacuo, making her path to the vault easier. Meaning we're to take the Huntsman alive, if possible."
"Mmm. I don't think she needs all of them alive. Accidents are bound to happen. And remember, this furthers your goal of taking down Shade. Salem gets into the vault, you get control of Vacuo."
Gillian nodded. There was something about Cinder and Salem that tripped her mind into panic mode. They had told her of the vaults, and Salem's goal in securing all of them, but had made no mention of the destruction of the world that surviving leaders had been warning everyone about. She had heard, through a pair of chatty prison guards, about Vale and Atlas and how they had been obliterated by Salem's forces. She had then seen the devastation of Vale firsthand when brought to the Queen for an audience. If that was what was in store for Vacuo, Gillian wanted no part in it. She wanted to overthrow the academy and rule, and Salem didn't leave much behind to rule.
Cinder had manifested that flame in her palm again, staring into its depths with her amber eye. Gillian shuddered. She always got the impression that Cinder was a hairsbreadth away from unleashing that power and burning anything and everything in her way to ash when she stared into the fire like that. She was here only because she felt she had no choice, and she had no idea how she was going to get out. Jax, I know you're lost right now, but I could really use you…
"See, I told you this place was great," Sun said. He leaned back in his chair, balancing on the back two legs with his hands behind his head. In front of him were a variety of scattered plates, all cleaned of food.
Sage, contented, grunted his agreement. Neptune nursed a glass of milk, his face flushed red. Zambara had ordered the spiciest dish on the menu, and when she had offered Neptune a bite, holding a small piece of naan bread dipped in curry towards him, he had eaten it without question. A pretty woman offering to hand feed him? Heaven. Until the spice hit his tongue, anyway. Then Zambara had laughed, an exuberant, happy noise, and he had forgiven her. Mostly.
"What's the plan now?" Sun asked as the waiter dropped the bill on their table. He picked it up, eyes going wide, and slid it towards Sage. Sage sighed and pulled out his wallet.
"You've been here before, Sun. Why don't you give us a tour?" Zambara said.
"Well, there's a lot of shops along the water. Some cultural building towards the center of town too, if you want to see some of the history here."
"Yeah, we can take you shopping!" Neptune said. "Every lady likes to shop."
"What would I need to shop for? I have everything I need."
"I dunno, clothes, jewelry? That's what most ladies shop for."
"Neptune, do I look like most ladies?" Zambara asked, eyebrows raised, faint smile playing around her lips. She had taken off her hood to eat, eschewing her disguise for the moment. She had left the mustache on though, much to the amusement of Sun and the confusion of their waiter.
"Uh. I guess not. Oh! Weapons! We can shop for weapons and armor!"
"Hmmm. More tempting. I think that I would like to see these cultural buildings Sun talked about, though."
"Right, follow me then!" Sun said, getting up from the table. Sage left a pile of Lien with their bill, and Sun clapped him on the shoulder, sheepish but grateful. When they got outside, Sun's scroll rang. He pulled it out, wondering who could be calling, and froze when he saw Ghira's name and picture on the screen. "Ohhh boy."
"What?" Neptune asked, peering over Sun's shoulder. "Oh. Oh boy."
"What is this? Why do you all freeze like antelope do when you shine bright lights in their eyes?"
Sun made a helpless gesture, something between a shrug and a wave, and answered the call. "Heyyy, Mr. B. How's it going?"
Sun started to pace. "Uh-huh. Well, you see, I had a good reason"- he shut up, looking for all the world like a child getting scolded. The rest could faintly make out the growl of Ghira coming from the other end of the line.
"No, yeah, I get it, just listen for a sec"- more growling as Sun held the scroll away from his ear.
"Who is this person? Why are they so mad?" Zambara asked Neptune and Sage.
"Ghira Belladona. You know, the Chieftain?" Sage said.
"I have heard the name. I know little of the man," Zambara said. "Who is he to you three?"
"He's kinda our boss. At least for this mission we took to Menagerie. We were supposed to be back, like, ten days ago, guarding an airship, but we, uh, went looking for you instead," Neptune explained.
"You abandoned your mission to find me." Zamabara frowned.
"…Yes?"
"Mmm. I think I would not be here if you hadn't, so thank you." Neptune sagged, relieved. "But do not think I will let you abscond from duty again!"
"No, no, Ghira, please, just one moment!" Sun switched his scroll to video mode and looked at Zambara. "Eyes. Do the eyes!"
"I thought I was supposed to be under cover."
"Crap. Yeah bad idea on the street. Uh. Neptune, cover me!" Sun grabbed Zambara by the wrist and dragged her into the alley by the restaurant. Neptune strolled in front of the entrance and started to whistle. Sage stepped beside him, arms crossed, as Sun told Zambara to do the eyes again.
She looked straight into the scroll, smiled at the frowning Ghira, and drew on her Maiden powers. Her eyes grew purple flame, and she stared down the Chieftain. After a moment, she let the power die, and Sun took the scroll back.
"See! I told you! We're just trying to get back to Vacuo, but there aren't any airships available."
Ghira went silent, a slow grin sliding across his face. "It seems I owe you an apology, Sun. I'll see if I can't call in any favors. The Amity CCT is up for the next six hours, if there's anything you can use it for."
"Cool cool. Hey, I am sorry we broke off our first mission. Ilia had it covered, right? Everyone got there ok?"
"Yes. More you should be filled in on later, but Ilia got here just fine. She stuck up for you, you know."
"She's a peach, Ilia. Tell her I owe her."
"You can tell her yourself when you get back."
"Right, right. Listen, Chief, been great chatting but I should go.
"Sun, there's one other thing"-
But Sun, having spotted something more interesting than a continued conversation with Ghira, had already hung up the call. "Man, Mr. B gave me an earful."
"He might give you another for hanging up on him. What do you think he had to say?" Neptune asked.
"Dunno, but more interested in whatever they want." Sun nodded behind Neptune, where Scarlet and Nolan had appeared, looking flustered.
"There's been a bit of a commotion at the airfield, we overheard some Fang talking about it," Nolan said, panting.
"Unidentified craft coming in for a landing. They're rolling out a welcome party," Scarlet said.
"The kind of party we like?" Sun asked, hands going to his staff.
"I hope not, but we'll see. The Fang seemed pretty agitated," Scarlet said.
"What were you all doing in this alley?" Nolan asked as he looked at each of them.
"CCT is up. Chief called. He was not a happy camper, but I think I talked him down with her," Sun said, nodding at Zambara.
"And then he hung up on him," Sage said.
"You guys looked like you had something important to say! And I didn't want Ghira to yell anymore."
Scarlet looked dubious, but just shrugged. "Your head, boss man."
"You guys know I love you, right? I can count on you for anything. Let's go see what this is about at the airfield."
Marge, crossword once again interrupted, frowned at the hazy smudge in the air that was their unnamed bogey. Ship profile suggested the airship had been manufactured in Vale, so it was possible that it was full of refugees, but nobody was answering their hails. A mechanical breakdown? It was possible, but Vale was also firmly enemy territory, and everyone knew that Salem had more than grimm on her side. Marge was taking no chances, and so had called on the Fang militia. They were there now, a half-dozen men and women dressed in white, chatting and casting casual glances towards the steadily resolving airship. If there was trouble, they would handle it. If there wasn't, they could shepherd the passengers to wherever they needed to go. Their bases were covered.
She tried to hail the ship one last time. "Unnamed Valean airship, this is ground control at Kuo Kuana, please respond." A static crackle was her only response. She sighed and hung up the transmitter.
"How can we help?" A loud, cheery voice called.
The blonde faunus Huntsman and his team were back with their badly disguised female companion. Marge appraised them. "Stand there and don't cause any problems."
"We don't cause problems, we solve them," the blonde said, stabbing himself in the chest with his thumb.
"Right. We'll find out soon enough," Marge said. The Fang were casting curious looks towards the Huntsman team, and one or two were glowering with recognition. That was interesting. Further speculation halted as the drone of the airship's motors washed over all of them. A dozen pairs of eyes turned towards the ship as it touched down on the tarmac and idled into silence.
The Fang leader, a competent looking man with badger features, started forward towards the ship. The glare of the sun off the cockpit obstructed the view into the ship, and tension rose. Right as the Fang leader reached the door, it slid open. He stepped back and looked up, hand shielding his eyes from the sun. He dodged to the side a moment later, not quite fast enough to avoid the flaming bolt that launched from the interior of the ship. It struck him in the crook of his elbow and the flames ignited, turning his arm into an inferno. Screaming, he fell back as a figure came out of the ship.
Sheathed in flame and wind, uncovered eye burning with glee, Cinder Fall walked out onto the tarmac to see a large variety of weapons aimed at her. One figure in the crowd stood out to her, a tall, slim woman, eyes blazing purple, who had just thrown her hood back.
"Shame," Cinder said, smiling. "I really was looking forward to burning this town down to draw you out, Summer Maiden."
"You!" Sun yelled.
"Me," Cinder agreed as she hurled a barrage a searing bolts at him.
Zambara intercepted them, her khakkhara jangling, and launched a windmill kick at Cinder's head. Cinder blocked the blow with her sword and countered by conjuring a second blade of flame and stabbing it towards Zambara's back.
Sun smashed the flame blade away, putting himself between the two Maidens. "Zee, she's after you! You gotta let us handle this!"
"That's adorable, that you think you and your friends can stop me," Cinder purred. Another blade materialized behind Sun and stabbed towards him. A clone appeared, catching the blade between its palms.
"Oh, we'll stop you, alright!" Sun exclaimed as his clone turned the sword back on its master.
Cinder just laughed as the molten weapon exploded, taking the clone with it. Behind her, two more people exited the airship. "You!" Sun yelled again, recognizing Jax and Gillian.
"That braincell is doing some serious work today," Cinder said. Then, to the twins, "Take out the trash. The Maiden is mine."
Gillian nodded and nocked an arrow, moving protectively in front of Jax. Cinder launched herself at Zambara, trailing flame. Sun moved to intercept but was forced to dodge out of the way as an aura-imbued arrow whistled past his head. Groaning, unsure of what to do, he turned to his team.
"Let Zambara handle Cinder, bro. We'll take these two out again," Neptune said.
Sun watched in despair as Zambara took to the sky with her fledgling Maiden powers, trading blows with Cinder. He swallowed his worry. They'd take out the twins first, as quickly as possible. Then take Cinder out. If Zambara survives long enough, he thought.
"You got another bunker somewhere full of prisoners giving you aura?" Sun asked Gillian. His team had fanned out around the twins. The White Fang, gathered around their fallen companion, stood as one and finished the circle. Ten against two, Sun thought. Piece of cake.
One of the Fang moved first, dashing forward with a slim sword extended. Jax dodged to the side and placed one hand on the nape of the Faunus' neck, like a caress. The Faunus straightened, eyes going blank, and turned back towards his team. Crap. Nine against three. "Hey! That stringy guy has mind control! Be careful!" Sun yelled. Above them flame roared and whirled as the Maidens fought.
The swordsman dashed back towards the circle, sword once again extended. "Vesp, what"- one of the other Fang members started to say, startled, before the sword punched him in the chest. His eyes went wide, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He went down, one hand raised, pleading, towards his friend, and died.
Another Faunus with the large droopy ears of an elephant roared, hefting a maul. "Kill the bastard that has Mink!" he yelled, charging towards Jax. Gillian intervened, weaving around the larger Faunus and tripping him in one smooth motion. Her hand hit him between the shoulder blades as her foot hit his ankle and he smashed into the ground with a resounding crash, cracking the tarmac from the force of the blow. He didn't rise again.
Sun shook himself from his paralysis and yelled. Gillian had that telltale rainbow glow of many auras in one. She had replenished her stock of aura slaves. "Jax is the priority! I'll take her!" Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang split and whirled as he laid into Gillian. She soaked the first two blows with her monstrous aura and launched a punch at Sun. Sun smashed her fist out of the way his weapon, shotguns now booming.
As Sun engaged Gillian, the rest of the team heeded his order and went for Jax. Vesp, the mind-controlled Faunus, fought against the remaining two Fang members as they desperately fought back. Neptune went in first, trident crackling. Jax dodged the blow and drew his sword, glowing with aura as his sister pumped it into him. He slashed at Neptune, lightning fast. Neptune's eyes widened as he tried to get Tri-hard in line to block. He wasn't going to make it.
Then, a clang! as Pilgrim intercepted to blow just inches from Neptune's neck. Sage muscled Jax's sword down and hit the other man in the temple with an elbow. It was like striking concrete and his arm went numb to his fingertips. Scarlet and Nolan took up the attack, knowing they couldn't give Jax a chance to recover. Scarlet lunged with his sword and Nolan lashed out with his baton, the end glowing with stored electricity. Both weapons connected but failed to pierce the aura-shroud that encased Jax. Sage glanced towards Sun, trying to see how their leader was faring in his fight. Above them, storm clouds started to gather and distant thunder rumbled as fire streaked the sky.
Sun had split into three, and Gillian was surrounded with a tempest of nunchaku and shotgun blasts. Sun had always been a great hand-to-hand fighter, and Sage had to admit that his leader had ascended to another level. He had never seen Sun so focused before, and hope blossomed in his chest. Sun had this. Jax was up to them.
Zambara had trained with Okhozi for years in the desert wilds of Menagerie. She had fought grimm and wildlife, from capivara to hulking sand-vipers. She had weathered sandstorms, fierce heat, and drought. She had never endured anything like she was up against now. This Cinder was a demon in flesh, she could see it in her eyes. One arm was grimm in nature, and Zambara could see the corruption had started to spread up the neck and towards the face. Cinder was also lethal with her swords and could conjure them seemingly at will, wherever and whenever she pleased. She could also call up flame more intense than Zambara knew was possible, and had had much more experience with her Maiden powers than she did.
Zambara knew she was outmatched. She also knew that she could not let this demon have her. She would fight to the end, and pray her training was enough for Sun and the others to catch up with her. If that failed, she would make sure she died in such a way to deny her foe her power.
Her khakkhara jingled as it smashed yet another flaming blade from the sky. The end of her staff had started to glow red-hot, and she didn't know how much longer it could endure. She could only pray it held up. How to get to her? She thought. At range, Cinder had the definite advantage, and Zambara knew she couldn't dodge forever. Even up close she knew that advantage would be Cinder's, but the playing field would be a bit more even.
The issue was that Cinder was a maelstrom of violence. Between the flame, blades, and gathering wind, it was all Zambara could do to stay in the air. Below her several of the people dressed in white had gone down, and her friends were fighting ferociously against the other two from the airship, who glowed with immense aura like beacons. Dire straits, indeed.
She took in a breath, centering herself. No room for fear, only the fight. Her eyes, flaming purple, found Cinder's, and she bolted forward. The khakkhara spun, knocking away the blades that flew at her, and she enveloped herself instinctively with a tight cocoon of wind as the flames descended. Her skin scorched, but she kept flying. Her khakkhara stabbed at Cinder, who smiled as she blocked it.
"Is that the best you can do?" Cinder asked as she spun the staff away with disdain. "I thought you would be better than this."
Zambara just grunted, twisting her staff with a flick as it was knocked away. A single ring slipped over Cinder's human hand. Cinder just smiled, her fire rising to inferno level as the ring began to glow white-hot, intending to melt the ring away. Zambara endured the heat, staying close. This was going to hurt, but she saw no other way. Zambara slashed downward and the ring seized. Her hair had begun to burn, and her skin began to blister as Cinder's flames grew in intensity. In the distance, thunder growled.
Cinder's eyes widened in pain and shock as the ring neatly severed her hand. As it fell away from her, she watched in disbelief as it scorched to ash in her own flames. Her eyes met Zambara's, and they showed pure hatred. Her fire grew white hot, and then the world exploded.
Sun found he was evenly matched with Gillian, which surprised him. Well, a little. He knew he was good, but he also knew that Gillian was a cheater that used other people's auras, and that hardly made for a fair fight. He had the sinking feeling that she was distracted by something, and that if she focused he was gonna get crushed. But for now, he had her on the back foot, and he kept up the pressure. His own aura was draining fast as he maintained his clones, and he needed to win quickly.
His team was still locked in with Jax, which did surprise him. Jax wasn't a fighter, he was a manipulator. And other than the single poor Fang member, he hadn't turned anyone else. Sun risked a glance as his clones kept up the attack. Neptune was pointing at the sky and yelling something. Sun looked up and thought for a moment that the sun itself was hovering fifty feet above his head. Then he realized that it was Cinder.
Time slowed. "The water! Neptune the water!" he yelled as he started to sprint towards his team. Neptune, his eyes wide, showing far too much of their whites, dropped his trident and turned towards the ocean. Fear was a great motivator, and right now Neptune feared the ball of fire above him more than he feared the water. A wave roared over the beach and towards the airfield as the tiny sun exploded.
Marge uncurled, looking out over the steam-wreathed airfield, the skin of her back feeling tight and blistered like she had been stuck in a broiler. Her aura training was decades old, but she had remembered the basics and it had saved her life. The Huntsman team were crouched into a tight circle, a dome of seawater still wavering over their heads. The two that had been fighting the Fang still stood, encased in aura shields that looked nearly solid, and the Fang themselves were scattered like so much driftwood across the tarmac. One feebly began to stir. Above her, the fire lady still hovered, screaming in rage and pain. There was no sign of the antelope Faunus that had been with the Huntsman. In the distance, sirens began to wail.
Marge went to her smoldering desk and rummaged until she found her gun, a small spear launcher outfitted with electric dust. Every once in a while some beasty slipped through their defenses in the water and she got the chance to put her marksmanship to the test. She had once been a proud militia member, when she was still young and ready to fight for her people. Now she was older and preferred quiet afternoons in the sun with her puzzles, but she hadn't lost her ability to shoot. Calm and efficient, she made sure that the speargun was in working order, then aimed it up at the raging figure suspended in the air. The gun made a soft phuft! as a spear launched from it. Her aim was true, and it struck the flying woman dead in the chest.
Cinder's aura stopped the spear, and she stopped her scream as she turned to look at Marge. Marge, unhurried, dropped another spear in the end of the gun and raised it once more. Cinder raised her grimm hand, imperious, hatred in her eyes, and a fiery spear of her own coalesced in it. She hurled it at Marge as the old Faunus fired a second time. The projectiles passed each other midair, one flaming red, the other crackling with lightning.
Marge's shot missed the mark as Cinder twisted out of the way. Cinder's throw was true, and Marge looked on in resignation as the spear flashed towards her. Then it was knocked away with a jangling of metal. The antelope was back, badly burned, but alive.
"You're one of those Maidens, aren't you girl?" Marge asked.
"Mmm," Zambara affirmed.
"What is she?"
"Demon."
Marge looked at the flying woman, shrouded in flame, one arm twisted and black like a grimm, eyes burning with rage and hatred, and she could only agree. "We've got your back. Do what you can."
Zambara grunted and took to the sky again. Sun watched, helpless, sure that she was flying to her death. Gillian and Jax were still up, looking none the worse for wear after weathering Cinder's outburst. Neptune had come in clutch, shielding them with a wave at the last second, but Sun could see his friend's shoulders trembling. He wouldn't be up for much more. No choice though. Now it was fight or die. Around them, the tarmac bubbled and hissed as it cooled, and the market stalls on the far side of the landing strip were burning merrily. Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang began to spin once more.
Gillian hissed, a long sibilant sound that escaped slowly from between her teeth. If she didn't have an extended aura pool her and Jax would be little more than scorched flesh and carbonized bone right now. Cinder was royally pissed. Behind her, Kuo Kuana was burning. Above her, Cinder continued her rampage, and more and more flaming darts zipped every which way as she tried to burn the other Maiden out of the sky.
Jax started to move towards the Huntsman, who had survived thanks to a rogue wave pulled in from the ocean. One of them had a strong semblance, at least, one that she didn't remember from her research. She put her hand on her brother's shoulder, stopping him. "This isn't our fight anymore, Brother. Look at her," Gillian gestured towards Cinder. "This is who Salem calls ally. This is what will happen to Vacuo if we aren't careful. I want to rule, but not over scorched earth. Don't you feel the same?"
Jax paused, that vacant look she had grown to loathe still on his face. Then, slowly, he nodded. Gillian, surprised but gratified, nodded back. "Good. Let's slip out of here while we can."
She heard the whistling of Sun's nunchaku. She turned to the Huntsman, shook her head once, and then gathered her amplified strength and sprinted off in the opposite direction. Jax followed, and they disappeared into the burning market.
Sun didn't know what to make of the twins' sudden retreat, but he wouldn't look at this gift too closely. Zambara needed help, and he couldn't give it to her if he was fighting someone else. He looked at his team, who were watching him for guidance. He shrugged. "We'll take it! Help Zee! Neptune, you think you have another wave in you?"
"I dunno, bro. That was way past anything I've done before. I feel sick."
"You look sick. But we're proud of you. I had you down as never getting the hang of your semblance," Scarlet said.
"Gee thanks, Scarlet," Neptune panted. He was still shaking. "I'll see what I can do though."
"Right! We'll buy Neptune time. We also need to buy Zambara time," Sun said, wincing, as Zambara crashed out of the sky and through a wall. "Go!"
SSSNN split, Neptune running to the ocean with Scarlet and Nolan while Sun and Sage ran to Zambara. Cinder had doubled over in the sky, looking for all the world like she was wrestling with something. Sun wouldn't question it. Whatever it was, it was in their favor for the moment, and it gave them the time he needed to get to their Maiden. The building she had crashed into was part of the market, set in a common configuration that allowed the merchants to live above or next to their business. Zambara was sprawled across the apartment's living room, trying to get back to her feet. The tv was running, some news program talking about the situation in Vacuo. Sun hurtled the dusty couch and knelt next to her. "Hey, hey, easy now, we're here."
"She is a being of pure hatred. I never knew anyone could harbor such rage," Zambara said as she climbed to her feet on shaky legs.
"She's a piece of work, alright. We can take her together, though."
"I am not sure. She has much more experience than me, as much as it pains me to admit."
"Hey, no giving up! That's an order!"
"I am not giving up. Just being practical."
"Sun, you seeing this?" Sage asked. He was watching the news program.
"What man? Little busy with the fire devil outside."
"I think you want to see this anyway."
Sun pushed himself to his feet and stood next to Sage. On the tv, large as life and twice as pretty, was Team RWBY, somewhere in the City of Vacuo, talking to a crowd. "What. What is this?"
"Video taken a couple days ago. RWBY's back from wherever they went," Sage said.
"Holy crap! This is fantastic!" Sun punched the air. He couldn't take his eyes from the screen. "They're alive! Holy crap!"
"Didn't forget about me, did you boys?" A crackling, raspy voiced called.
Crap! Cinder! The Fall Maiden had floated down and was now hovering outside the broken wall, having regained some measure of control over herself. "Hey, uh, you see your good friend is back?" It was the only thing Sun could think to say.
"I have no need of friends," Cinder said as she stepped into the building.
Sun did not like what he saw. The black and red of Cinder's grimm arm had spread, like a disease, over her throat and chest. Her other hand was now a blackened claw, twitching and grasping at the air. He took an involuntary step back. "Yeah no, I got that. Being smart. Check the TV!"
Sage turned the volume up at that moment, and Cinder stopped, transfixed. Ruby, prominent on the screen, looked awkward and embarrassed as she addressed the crowd of people. "The best thing we can do is to work together. We must put aside our differences and help each other. Our humanity is our strength, our ability to care, and to love, is what sets us apart."
"She's alive? No. It can't be. I killed her. She fell, her team, they all fell, they can't be back, it's not possible!" Cinder stood frozen to the spot, unable to tear her eyes away from Ruby.
Sun and Sage looked at each other, and slowly started to back away. This might be their chance to escape. Sun snagged Zambara's hand and tugged her along. Cinder had started to give off unbearable heat. The TV melted to slag, sparking as it died, and she talked to herself, the others forgotten. "Ruby is in Vacuo. She's alive. Does Salem know? Was I wrong?"
Sun and Sage exchanged a look. Sun twirled a finger next to his ear and shrugged. They were almost to the front of the building, and Cinder still hadn't looked their way. A noise, a rushing roar, suddenly filled their ears.
"Cowabunga dudes!" Neptune crowed from somewhere outside.
Sun and Sage ran then, sprinting out of the building and dragging Zambara with them in time to see Neptune surfing a huge wave, a look of delighted concentration on his face.
"Yoooooo!" Sun called. "Neptune, bro! You're awesome!"
The wave smashed into the building that Cinder was in, the water crashing up and around, flowing into the burning market stalls and extinguishing the flames. Neptune lost his balance, exhausted, and Sun caught him.
"Ship?" Sage asked, pointing at the airship Cinder had arrived in.
"Hell yeah! Let's bounce!"
Scarlet and Nolan, who had been trailing behind Neptune's wave, caught Sun's gesture and ran to the airship instead. They all piled in, dripping seawater and smelling of smoke. "Hey bolthead! Take us to Vacuo!" Sun yelled.
"Destination confirmed. Initiating flight protocol," the knight in the cockpit replied. The engines fired to life, and the ship took to the air.
Sun kept a wary eye on Kuo Kuana as they flew away, and eventually saw a streak of fire take to the sky. Cinder was still alive, and was leaving Menagerie, from the looks of it. He'd just have to make sure she didn't catch them. He pulled his scroll out, looking through his contacts. Ghira came up as the most recent. Sun sighed, and hit the call button. He had better tell the Chief what had happened.
Author's Note
Hey everyone. Sorry for the longer break between chapters, I ended up taking a bit of an unplanned break myself, hence the delay. I got hit with something that wasn't really writers block, but like a, I don't know, writer's dissatisfaction? I didn't get stuck unable to write, I just didn't like anything I was writing. So I took a break. I got offline and started to read good old-fashioned physical books, and I got through five and half during my hiatus. (The first two Discworld books by Terry Pratchett, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, Killing Floor by Lee Child, Night Shift by Stephen King, and the first two shorts in If It Bleeds, also by King. If anyone was interested.) I haven't read like that since high school, and it did me some good. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and that the wait wasn't too bad. Thanks as always for supporting me!