Chapter 42: Ambush
Her hands would not stop shaking. Her throat felt dry, and her eyes stung from crying. Still, she thought it best to not show weakness, lest it be used against her. She inhaled deeply, straightened her back, and marched down the ramp of the ship onto the landing pad.
The area was surrounded by woods, with large green trees looming like giants over the platform. It was different to see so much greenery in Vale, but it was not at all wholesome or comforting. The Emerald Forest looked just as threatening as the bombed streets, though it replaced the squalor and destruction with canopies that blocked out the sun, complete with vines and overgrowth that looked ready to choke the life out of any who dared tread upon them or come too close. It was sinister, just like everything owned by Lord Ozpin.
Weiss expected to see Glynda Goodwitch waiting for her as she disembarked, assuming based on Lord Ozpin's call earlier, but instead she found a guard with a Scroll. As she approached, the guard pressed a button on the Scroll.
"Miss Schnee," Goodwitch's voice came through.
"Miss Goodwitch," Weiss replied. "I was expecting to see you here."
"Lord Ozpin has sent me elsewhere," Goodwitch's voice explained. "But he still ordered me to instruct you. You will be escorted by Mister Arc and Miss Nikos to a gathering point. Lord Ozpin has an announcement to make. Afterwards, remain where you are. You will be joined by…" She hesitated, as if the name tasted bad on her tongue. "…Miss Rose. The two of you are to set out into the city and patrol for any signs of the Resistance. You are free to use lethal force on anyone or anything you find out there."
Weiss nodded, only realizing that Goodwitch could not see her afterwards. "Yes, ma'am," she replied, trying to hide her trembling from hearing Ruby's name and the oppressive thought that she was going to be alone with her again soon. Part of her wanted to ask why Lord Ozpin did not just send Huntsmen or Huntresses out on patrol, but she feared asking any questions at the risk of appearing insubordinate in any way.
"That is all," Goodwitch finished. Without Weiss being able to even say another word, the call disconnected. She sighed. She heard footsteps approaching up the metal stairs behind her, and turned to face them. In doing so, she felt a sharp pain in her ribs and clutched it just as Jaune and Pyrrha reached the platform.
"Gods, what happened to you?" Jaune said with a slight sneer.
Weiss did not even feel like arguing. She just started walking towards them, eyes on the ground. Jaune and Pyrrha parted to allow Weiss between them, then walked down the stairs alongside her.
"Hey, Ice Queen," Jaune barked. "I asked you a question."
Weiss gulped loudly, and decided to just play along. "The Reaper," she muttered.
She waited for the laughter or mockery, but it did not come. She glanced upward and saw both Jaune and Pyrrha's eyes wide. Had they actually not known?
"The Reaper did all that to you?" Pyrrha asked. She almost looked pitying.
"Shit," Jaune said. "I don't think it's a secret that we don't really care for you, Schnee, but I've seen the Reaper in action. I don't think I'd wish her upon anybody. Except the rebels, maybe."
Weiss was in no mood for their condescension. She returned her gaze to the ground and just kept walking, minding her sore spots. "Let's just get to wherever we're going," she huffed. The rest of the walk was silent.
Weiss was taken deeper into the forest. Each tree and rock looked the same, and she was beginning to wonder if Jaune and Pyrrha had just lured her out into isolation to dispose of her. It wasn't until they approached a large metal structure built in a clearing, surrounded by guards, Huntsmen, Huntresses, and other of Lord Ozpin's forces that she began to relax a bit, only to tense up again when she saw Ruby leaned against a tree nearby. Weiss stared for too long, and Ruby's eyes peered up from under her hood and made contact with hers. Her mouth twisted into a smug grin as she gave a little wave. Weiss shivered, then turned to face the structure.
It was a metal tower with three large platforms, sets of stairs leading to each one. Metal cylinders lined the railings, and suspension cables connected each of the platforms to a single large spire in the middle. A satellite dish was on top of the mechanism, along with some advanced-looking machinery. The way it was constructed and organized reminded Weiss of the P.E.N.N.Y. robot.
There was a lot of chatter amongst the crowd. Guards were talking to one another, and Huntsmen and Huntresses were conversing and arguing as well. When Weiss saw movement on the top platform of the tower, she had to squint to make out who it was since they were so high up. She finally recognized it as Lord Ozpin. He had a microphone set up on the platform, and tapped it. There was a shrill ring followed by some feedback, and the crowd went silent, all eyes turning towards the tower. Lord Ozpin cleared his throat, then spoke.
"I'll keep this brief," he said. "You are all here to witness the first of the final steps towards complete victory. What I will present to you all is the ultimate assurance of safety and security in Beacon. You all, no doubt, are aware of the pitiful attack on our laboratory some time ago. With the device you see before you, this will no longer be an issue."
Weiss raised an eyebrow. What was he getting at?
"With the dedication of Doctor Goodwitch, as well as the… generous donations of Dust provided by General Ironwood from his mines in Atlas, we have constructed this device for one purpose: to ensure that our claim over this world will never be contested again."
Lord Ozpin walked from the microphone and over to a switch mechanism on the side of the spire. He pulled it down, and an electrical humming could be heard. It was hard to see at first, but it looked like pipes and lines on the spire were glowing a very light blue. Then there was a rumbling. There were some shouts of surprise from the crowd, then it stopped. Weiss glanced out towards Beacon Fortress. She could see parts of the towers between the trees, but noted there was a strange sort of shimmering that seemed to be around them.
Lord Ozpin marched back to the microphone and leaned into it. "This device uses several thousand tons of Hard-Light Dust. At the moment, it is generating a hard-light barrier, a shield, over the entirety of Beacon Fortress. You will never be in danger from rebels again. Beacon Fortress, and this empire, will forever stand, and all of Remnant secured." He paused before continuing, "And all of you will be part of something truly grand."
The crowd erupted into cheers. Fists pumped into the air. Chants of "All hail Lord Ozpin!" came from several sections. Weiss glanced over to Jaune and Pyrrha. They were both staring at Lord Ozpin, but when Weiss glanced down she saw their hands drift together towards each other and then embrace.
After the speech, the Emerald Forest began to empty. Guards and forces went back either to Beacon or out on their missions. Weiss stood frozen in the same spot she had stood during the announcement. She had heard every word of Lord Ozpin's speech, but while she had always been kept in line before, now she had experienced the brutality underneath the regime. Throughout all her time serving Lord Ozpin, she had been the one dealing pain, not receiving it. She had killed and enslaved for him. She had never thought of her place in all of this. But now, seeing him tell his forces they were part of something grand, right after stripping her name, her family's name, from Remnant… it made her stomach churn.
"Weiss!" a shrill voice called. Weiss' heart stopped and her limbs went rigid. Her already pale skin went white as snow. She heard footsteps and the clinking of a chain behind her. It got louder very quickly, and before she knew it, someone was upon her, throwing their arm around her bruised shoulder very roughly, like they were roughhousing with an old friend. Weiss' head turned to see the smiling face of Ruby Rose, shrouded in shadows from her hood, uncomfortably and chillingly close her her own. She could feel Ruby's breath and see small bandages patching her face still.
"Did you miss me?" she mused.
Weiss took a step back, not as a response, but more out of fearful instinct. Ruby's arm fell back to her side. In her other fist she gripped the chain holding Yang, who was on two feet but hunched over, a purple cloth pulled tightly around her eye sockets. It was the cleanest and most healthy Weiss had seen the poor girl, which still was not saying much. She had to assume she had gotten treatment or otherwise been separated from Ruby for some time.
Ruby's grin widened and she stepped forward, almost as if she were pursuing Weiss. Weiss was about to plead for her to stay away when Ruby raised her free hand up and placed a single finger delicately on Weiss' forehead.
"Ah," she sighed, "the fear in the eyes." Her tone got darker. "That's the kind of shit I live for, y'know. If I had been allowed to kill you, I think you would be my favorite victim." Then suddenly, almost as quickly as her tone had changed, it changed again to be much lighter, almost chipper. "But that's okay!" she said, pulling back her hand and using it to remove her hood. "For now, let's just be besties!" She smiled wide with her eyes closed, as if she were ecstatic. "You and I get to go on a field trip together! Come on, let's go have some fun! Maybe we'll get to kill some Resistance today!" She opened her silver eyes again, then quickly motioned towards Yang. "Oh yeah," she continued as if they were just having a normal conversation. "I dunno if you two have been properly introduced. I know you've met before, but Weiss, this is Yang. Yang, Weiss. Now let's go already!" She acted like an excited little kid, but Weiss knew what she was capable of. She was assuredly acting this way to scare and disturb her, and it was working.
Ruby began skipping through the forest, dragging Yang behind her. Weiss gulped loudly and followed, soon ending up beside Yang. She was a disturbing presence, but she was frankly better company. As they walked, Yang's head seemed to turn in Weiss' direction. Weiss knew she could not see her, but wondered just how aware she was. This was answered when Yang, who she had never really heard speak outside of moans and growls, muttered.
"WIesS…" Yang said gutturally.
She was surprised Yang had enough mind left to recall her name, much less speak it. Maybe there was a girl underneath all that hurt.
Cinder whirled and writhed through the air, using gusts of wind to propel herself upwards. In each hand she held one of her blades. With a pulse from her hands, she felt energy move from her palms into the weapons. There was a flicker, and in a moment the metal edges erupted into flame. As Cinder landed to the ground, she kicked off the leg she landed on and shot forward, wielding the fire as she struck in front of her. The flames danced around her body as she swung. Finally, she took a knee and put her blades together handle-to-handle. She concentrated, and a glowing fiber, seemingly made from the embers that surrounded her, materialized from tip to tip, creating its bow form. Cinder waved her hand to the ground, scorching the dirt and sand with fire and making it turn to dark glass. She lifted her hand quickly back to her bow, the glass following as it hovered in the air. The shards combined into the shape of an arrow, which Cinder fired. When it hit the target, a small bush, the bush caught fire. Its dead twigs snapped and crackled under the blaze, and soon it had been reduced to a pile of ash.
Cinder panted, pleased with herself. Then she heard a clapping. She turned to see Adam and Emerald approaching from behind, Emerald applauding.
"That was great, Cinder!" Emerald cheered.
"Thanks," Cinder replied, standing back up. She wiped her brow of sweat, partially from the exercise and partially from the heat of the fire.
Adam extended his hand, and Cinder noticed the small bottle of water he was carrying. She accepted and took the water from him, wrenching the cap off and chugging thirstily.
"Mercury found an old cooler full of waters in a house we had already checked a long time ago," Emerald said. "Found it underneath an old car, which was itself under a ton of rubble."
Adam glanced to Cinder. "I guess there can always be more greatness to something if you just keep digging." She could not help but blush a bit. Cinder finished off the rest of the water, then crushed the plastic bottle and began walking towards the hideout.
"Is Salem around?" she asked.
"Not at the moment," Emerald replied, she and Adam walking on either side of their leader. "She thought she saw something over towards Beacon. She was just stopping over to get a look."
"Alone?" Cinder worried.
Emerald shrugged. "Yeah, she said she wouldn't be gone long. Besides, she's in top form again. I think she can handle herself."
Cinder glanced towards Beacon. "Yeah, that's what we thought the first time…" she muttered.
"Yo!" a voice called. Cinder looked to see Mercury waving to them from the entrance to the hideout. "Did Emerald tell you about the ton of waters I found?" he called excitedly.
Cinder chuckled, then heard another noise. She looked down to where it seemingly had come from. On the ground, she saw a metal cylinder. She recognized it.
"Get back!" Cinder suddenly screamed. Emerald jumped from being startled, and Adam instinctively reached for his sword. There was a bang, and thick grey smoke began billowing out of either end of the canister.
"What the fu-" Cinder heard Mercury yell before he was drowned out by the hissing of the gas. Emerald ran opposite of the gas bomb and pulled out her guns. Adam jumped backwards. Cinder remembered what happened last time she had seen one of these devices and readied her swords. She conjured up a small rush of wind, then propelled it out in all directions. The air pulsed out and dissipated the gas, clearing their vision. There were the sound of gunshots, and Cinder raised her blade. She heard metallic pings and felt small objects hitting her block. She glanced down at one of the fallen projectiles now on the ground: a bullet-like dart.
"Bounty hunters!" Cinder called.
Adam quickly dove behind a concrete half-wall, and Emerald hid behind a tree. The shots kept ringing out, and Cinder used superhuman speed to identify and block each shot that came at her. She had to find where they were shooting from. She looked over towards Adam, and saw the top of the concrete chip as a dart hit it. She could see the blur of where it came from. She followed the path, her line of sight heading upwards, and she quickly scanned the tops of the various buildings surrounding them.
"Cinder!" Mercury's voice called. Cinder saw him hiding in the doorway to the hideout building. He pointed towards a building to her right.
Cinder's eye shot up. She did not see anything at first, then a glint of light. It was the faint sunlight reflecting off a scope. Another shot rang out, and Cinder dove out of the way, hearing it strike the ground beside her. She rolled over and behind the same barricade as Adam, ducking down and out of sight.
"Godsdamn it," Adam muttered.
Cinder quickly fashioned her bow. She ran her fingers along the ground, conjuring up a large collection of glass shards with her scorching caress. They floated into the bow and formed an even larger arrow. With a flash, Cinder ignited it. When the gunshots briefly paused, she sprung up and aimed at the top of the building. She pulled back and fired the arrow, giving it slight propulsion with a wind gust so it would make the full distance. The arrow flew through the air like a dark streak. It completed the journey, and there was an explosion. The gunshots stopped, and though she had to squint, Cinder thought she saw a figure fall from the rooftop.
Just before Cinder could call out that the coast was clear, a swarm of people suddenly erupted from the building's entrance on the ground level. Cinder recognized a few of the bounty hunters: the girl with dreadlocks, the man with green hair, and even the one stripper she had seen survive the Crown's attack. She saw new ones as a well: a man with pink hair, a tall man with a staff, a girl with crazy green hair and face paint under her eyes, a man with dreadlocks holding a pair of circular saws, a man with slicked silver hair, a man with dark skin and scars, and a very tall, muscular man with an absolutely massive sword. However, despite all the faces new and old, two stood out: Coco and Velvet, the two bounty hunters that had caught them before. They all had weapons drawn, and the ones with firearms were shooting at their locations.
Emerald waited for a pause in the gunfire, then leaned out and returned fire. The enemy shot back, causing Emerald to duck back behind the tree.
"We have to take out the shooters first," Adam said, trying to duck down lower when another shot chipped the wall. "I can fight the melee ones, but not while they're taking shots at me."
"I'll try," Cinder replied, conjuring another arrow. She prepared a shot, then bolted up and fired. The arrow found its target in the chest of the man with silver hair. He convulsed violently as the arrow pierced him, falling to his back. Just as she was about to duck back down, Cinder saw the bounty hunter Coco carrying something. Her heart felt like it stopped when she saw what it was.
"Oh, fuck," she muttered before dropping as fast as she could manage back under cover.
Coco took aim and pulled the trigger. The massive minigun she was carrying roared to life and began firing rapidly at where Adam and Cinder where hiding. The bullets bounced and ricocheted, but were clearly wearing down the concrete. In no time they would be exposed.
Adam watched as Cinder conjured another arrow, which took longer than before. He could tell that using so much magic at once was starting to wear her out.
"You're going to overtax yourself with the magic," Adam worried.
"My arrows are back in the base," Cinder explained. "I don't have a choice."
Cinder glanced to Emerald, who gave a nod. She leaned out and fired from behind the tree, managing to down the girl with dreadlocks. Coco turned her attention to Emerald, still firing. Emerald tried hiding back behind the tree, but the minigun began making quick work of it.
"Emerald!" Cinder cried out.
Emerald dove from behind the tree as it was shot to pieces, the upper half collapsing. She rolled across the ground and behind a large piece of rubble. She gritted her teeth. Cinder saw her wincing and scanned her body. Her leg was bleeding.
Cinder breathed heavily, but managed to conjure another arrow. She imbued it with some fire, then fired. The arrow landed in between the stripper and the man with pink hair. It exploded, killing them both, and creating a large fire in the midst of the enemy group. Coco once again turned her attention back to Cinder and Adam's hiding spot, firing again.
Suddenly, an arrow shot from across the field and into the girl with green hair, hitting her right in the eye and making her instantly drop dead. Cinder looked to see Mercury hiding in the hideout's entranceway, holding a training bow and with her arrows stacked beside him. Coco turned her attention towards him, the bullets chipping away at the building.
Cinder conjured one more arrow and jumped up to shoot it at Coco. Before she could, the man with the circular saws threw one at her. It hit her in the left shoulder. Cinder screamed as the blade sliced into her. Thankfully it did not embed itself in her flesh, but the serrated blade left a very large, jagged slash in her shoulder and the area just left of her breast. She collapsed back down, dropping her bow and arrow, and grabbed her wound.
"Cinder!" Adam said, scooting closer. "Are you okay?"
Cinder groaned in response, peeling her blood-soaked hand away. The air made the cut instantly sting.
Adam reached down past Cinder and grabbed her bow and arrow. He pulled it back and rose up just high enough to clear the barrier, then shot at the same time another saw came at him. The saw hit Adam in the face. He cried out, the saw ricocheting off of his mask, but still fell backward and grabbed at the hurt area. Fortunately for him, the arrow hit the man in the stomach, causing him to collapse and bleed out.
Adam pulled his hand away. Cinder saw a large mark on his mask, just across his right eye area. He was probably going to bruise, but that mask had saved his life.
Emerald saw Adam and Cinder get injured. Mercury was still under fire from Coco. Even though her leg was bleeding and stinging, she knew this was her only opportunity. She rose up from behind the rubble and fired at Coco. Coco turned as soon as she saw movement, but Emerald was slightly faster. Coco yelped as bullets hit her in the arm and then the leg. She dropped the minigun to the ground and fell on top of it, her head thudding against the barrel and bouncing off due to her sunglasses.
"The shooters are all down!" Mercury yelled.
Adam grabbed his sword. He gave a nod to Cinder, then ran out drawing his weapon. The first to clash with him was the man with the staff. The man swung low, and Adam was able to block. The man whirled around and tried to hit Adam with the other end of the staff as he came back around, but Adam blocked it again. He rammed his face forward, hitting the bounty hunter in the nose with his mask. There was a crunch and a spurt of blood as the man's head was thrown back. Adam took advantage of him staggering and sliced across his stomach. The bounty hunter dropped his staff and grabbed his wound, falling to the ground just before he lost consciousness and lying bleeding out on the ground.
Cinder examined her wound again. It hurt like hell, but her friends needed her. She grabbed her bow, split it into two blades, and jumped over the barrier, minding her shoulder. She ran to meet the bounty hunter with green hair and tattoos, who was wielding a very large sword. He swung it at Cinder, who tried blocking with only her right blade. The pressure was too great, however, and she had to raise her other sword, wincing as her injured arm struggled against the weight.
"We made bets on who would be the one to kill you," the man said. "Looks like I'm about to win."
With a cry, Cinder pushed him off of her. He swung again, but Cinder dodged. With a battle cry, he then swung at her midsection. Cinder was exhausted, but used an air current to propel herself upwards, just enough to perform a front flip over the sword. As she landed, the stabbed her blades forward. One pierced the man's chest, while the other went right into his open mouth, stabbing through his head and out the back. He choked once, then fell limp, dropping his weapon. Cinder pulled her blades out, letting his body fall. She inspected her injury, then looked down at the corpse.
"All bets are off," she retorted.
"Cinder!" Mercury called, his voice much closer than before. Cinder looked up to see him sprinting towards her, her quiver of arrows in hand. He tossed them, and Cinder let them fall at her feet. She was most relived to see him carrying a roll of gauze.
"Here, let me patch you up real quick," he said as she finished his approach. Cinder extended her arm, wincing, and Mercury quickly unspooled the gauze and quickly wrapped her upper arm and up her shoulder. He extended until he had covered the entire cut, then ripped the bandage and secured it.
"I'm going to go help Adam," Mercury said. "I already wrapped up Emerald. You two try and stay low." Before Cinder could respond, Mercury ran into the fray.
Adam found himself face-to-face with the man with the giant sword. The man groaned with effort and swung the giant blade over his head and down at Adam, who jumped to the side just as the sword slammed into the dirt. The man quickly slashed low, forcing Adam to jump to avoid the blade coming at his legs. He slashed at the bounty hunter, but the giant man was able to block using just the handle of his sword. He lifted the sword back up, pulling it towards Adam, who raised his sword up just in time to block. The bounty hunter stabbed forward. Adam dodged, but the sword ripped his shirt as it passed him, the tip just barely snagging his clothes. Adam threw a punch at the man's face, striking him on the cheek. The man's head turned only slightly, and he narrowed his eyes in annoyance. The man let one of his hands release the sword's handle, and he repaid Adam with a punch to Adam's own cheek, powerful enough to send Adam to the ground. Adam opened his jaw, making sure it was not broken, then looked up to see the bounty hunter readying to stab down on top of him.
Suddenly, Mercury jumped between them. To both Adam and the bounty hunter's surprise, he dropped down, almost laying on top of Adam. He lifted his legs up and then shot them forward. Mercury's prosthetic legs and armored boots slammed into the bounty hunter's kneecaps. There was a sickly crunching sound, and the man screamed. He dropped the sword, and Mercury grabbed Adam. They rolled out of the way as the giant blade fell, making sure to dodge the heavy weapon slamming down onto the ground. The bounty hunter fell to his knees, his hands digging into the ground. Adam leapt to his feet, readied his sword, and swung down, his blade slicing through the man's neck. The headless body crumpled to the ground.
Before they could regain their composure, Adam and Mercury heard an angry scream and fast footsteps. The man with the scars jumped at them, armed with bladed tonfa. Mercury dodged, and Adam blocked his swing. Mercury jumped in the air and kicked twice at the bounty hunter, but he blocked both times. The bounty hunter jumped back to create some distance, then spun back at the two, whirling his blades around his body.
Cinder felt the pain begin to lessen, and as she panted, she could feel her breath and energy coming back to her. She looked over to Emerald.
Emerald was favoring a bandaged-up leg. The bandages were only slightly bloodied; the bullet must have just managed to graze her. Emerald was holding and looking down at the injury, then glanced up to Cinder. Her pupils shrunk, and she dropped her leg to point past Cinder.
"Cinder, behind you!" she screamed.
Cinder whirled around to see a man she had not seen before leaping at her, wielding a staff. She raised her blades to block. As his staff made contact with her blades, suddenly Cinder felt a massive amount of pressure. A small Dust explosion occurred as soon as their weapons connected, sending Cinder skidding back. She looked up to identify her attacker.
It was a young man with dress pants and a dress shirt, the latter of which was open to show his muscled body. He had strikingly yellow blonde hair, and a monkey-like tail of the same color behind him. This must be the Golden Monkey.
"Cinder, right?" the man asked. "Damn shame you're a rebel. You and your crew would make great bounty hunters."
"You're Sun Wukong," Cinder replied. "Your hunters tried to sell Adam to Blake Belladonna."
"Yeah," Sun said. "It was just business. But no, you and your friends in the Crown had to wreck my establishment and kill my guys."
"Sorry, we decided we weren't very fond of slavery," Cinder retorted. She paused. "I've been a slave already."
"Pfft," Sun scoffed. "Big deal. We've all been through shit."
"We don't have to," Cinder said. "You hate Lord Ozpin as much as we and the Crown do. We can take him out. We don't have to fight."
Sun narrowed his eyes. "That ship sailed when you killed my friends," he spat.
Emerald stood up, shakily. If she had made the jump from the tree to the rubble seconds before or seconds after, she would be in much worse shape. The bullet had hit just on the edge of her thigh, leaving a bloody gash but missing anything important. It really hurt, but she would live. She gripped a gun in one hand, and pressed the other against the bandages.
She heard crunching behind her. Emerald turned to see Coco limping towards her, her arm and leg soaked in blood. She had a shard of metal in her fist, gripping so tightly her palm was bleeding as well. She slashed at Emerald, who instinctively jumped back. She landed on her injured leg, crying out before toppling over. She grunted as her rear hit the ground, her hands opening and her gun bouncing away. She shot her head up, looking up at her attacker.
Coco's right sunglass lens was shattered, revealing her angry brown eye. She limped towards Emerald, raising the shard. Emerald glanced down and saw her other gun, still propped up against the rubble. She shot her arm out as Coco lunged. Emerald grabbed the gun and pulled it back to her. She pointed it up and shot three times. Each bullet hit Coco in the chest, causing her to shake with each gunshot. She stood still for another moment, her arms shaking. She dropped the metal, blood coating her palm as well as running down her abdomen and limbs. She exhaled deeply one last time, then fell backward to the ground. The dirt puffed up into a cloud as her body hit, laying motionless.
Velvet, the one who had been sniping tranquilizer darts before Cinder blew up the building, had regained consciousness next to the corpse of another bounty hunter. She had risen, grabbed her rifle, and run towards the fight. She came from the side to avoid being seen. As she weaved her way through an alleyway and into the clearing, she saw, behind a bunch of rubble, one of her targets shoot Coco three times. Coco dropped something and fell back, covered in blood.
"COCO!" Velvet screamed. Her eyes welled with tears, and she raised her rifle. Emerald gasped as she saw Velvet a couple dozen feet behind where Coco had been standing, taking aim. Velvet fought through tears to look down her scope. She was sure it was still darts loaded into the weapon, but if she hit Emerald in the eye, it would kill. If she missed and somehow just knocked Emerald out, there would be more than enough opportunity to skin her alive. She cocked the rifle.
There was a flash. Emerald flinched, thinking the gun had gone off, but there was no sound of a rifle shot. Instead, it was the crackling of electricity. A lightning bolt arced across the rubble and hit Velvet. She screamed as she was struck, her rifle breaking from the force. She flew through the air backwards, spinning uncontrollably before hitting the side of a building. She fell motionless on her side to the ground, her shirt scorched where she had been struck. She gasped for air a few times, her breathing labored and pained. She stared in disbelief before her breathing slowed and stopped with a shudder, her eyes still forward, unmoving and unblinking.
Emerald looked behind her to see an extended hand. She accepted it, and Salem helped her rise to her feet.
"Who are these people?" Salem asked.
"The bounty hunters we told you about," Emerald said. She began to wobble, and Salem caught her, slinging her arm over her shoulders.
"Hey!" a voice called. Salem and Emerald looked to see another bounty hunter, this one with blue hair and with a weapon that looked like a trident with Dust blades, standing across from them. He swung the trident, and there were electric crackles as the Lightning Dust blades traveled through the air.
"Can you get back to the hideout?" Salem said in a low voice. Emerald nodded, and Salem released her. Emerald limped away, doing her best to hurry out of range.
Salem turned back to face Mercury. "You do not want to face me, boy," she said, the winds picking up and her eyes glowing a pale purple.
"It's not about what I want," Neptune said, teeth clenched. "It's about what Sun wants. And he wants you dead!"
"A request he will find you cannot fulfill," Salem said. Neptune gripped his trident and charged at Salem, who began hovering off the ground towards him.
Sun aimed his staff towards Cinder. A blast of Fire Dust shot from one end, creating a ball of fire as a projectile. Cinder dove out of the way, letting it hit the ground where she had stood. She tossed one of her blades into her other hand, gripping them both together, and breathed deep. A ball of fire formed in her own hand, and she threw it at Sun. He stabbed forward with his staff, causing it to burst on the end of the weapon several feet away from himself. He looked surprised when he retracted the staff.
"Yo, how'd you do that?" he asked nonchalantly. "I didn't see any Dust!"
"Wouldn't you like to know!" Cinder said, grabbing both her blades in both hands again and rushing Sun. She attacked with a flurry of strikes, each one being blocked as Sun spun his staff around. He retaliated by slamming his whirling weapon forward, pushing Cinder back again. Sun jumped up and stabbed his staff down, planting one end in the dirt. He used it to propel himself forward, kicking Cinder in the face. She staggered back, and Sun took the chance to grab his staff and hit Cinder on the side of the face. There was a tearing sound as Cinder's eyepatch was ripped off. She jumped back to a safe distance, feeling a cut under her eye socket just over her cheekbone. She huffed and readied herself, her eye focusing on Sun.
He shrugged coyly. "Eh, you were prettier with that on," he taunted. He gripped his staff and swung it down at Cinder, who raised her blades above her head to block. She pushed Sun off and slashed downward, which he intercepted. As their weapons pushed against each other, his tail shot from behind him and tried to wrap around Cinder's throat. She used a blade to swat it away. Sun broke the two weapons apart and backflipped backwards, performing several in a row before making it to a nearby group of trees. He jumped up and grabbed a branch with his tail, holding himself up as he aimed his staff and shot several more fireballs at Cinder.
Cinder ran across the dirt, feeling the shake of the ground and the heat on her back as each projectile exploded behind her. She conjured an arrow of glass, lit it ablaze, and fired it at Sun. His tail released the branch and he swung forward, rolling on the ground and avoiding the arrow as it exploded and demolished the tree he was in. He looked up to see Cinder leap at him, her blades pointed down in a stabbing position. He backflipped again, this time in place, and kicked Cinder in the chest as she flew towards him. She was thrown away as Sun regained his footing and charged.
The man with the tonfa had pushed Adam and Mercury away from their allies with his relentless attacking. Adam intercepted a strike meant for Mercury, knocking the bounty hunter away. As Mercury turned to deliver a blow, he saw a limping Emerald in the distance reaching the entrance to the hideout. He was glad she was safe.
Mercury's relief was interrupted by the bounty hunter slashing at him. He kicked his legs into the air, allowing his boots to be struck instead of him, and kicked in midair to force the bounty hunter back. The man staggered, and Adam took the opening to slash from the side and upwards. The man screamed as his left arm was cut off, falling into a bloody heap. He grabbed at the stub, now spurting blood, but to Adam and Mercury's surprise yelled angrily and slashed with his remaining arm. Mercury tried to dodge, but felt part of his upper arm be clipped, just enough to draw blood. The man attempted to slash at Mercury's leg, but his tonfa struck and stopped suddenly with a clang. He looked shocked and confused just before Mercury kicked up, striking the bounty hunter in the face. He stumbled back, disoriented, right into Adam's extended blade. The sword pierced his back. The bounty hunter let out one last gurgling scream before falling limp. Adam retracted his sword from the man's body and let it fall.
Mercury arched his back, panting. Adam bent over, his hands on his knees, catching his breath.
"You good?" Mercury said.
"Yeah," Adam replied.
Salem shot a bolt of lighting at Neptune. He raised his trident and intercepted it, the electricity absorbing into the Lightning Dust. He pointed it back at her, and a larger bolt shot out. Salem was, for once in a long time, caught off-guard and raised her arms up. The bolt struck her, causing her to grunt loudly and be violently pushed back. Her feet reconnected with the ground, and she quickly checked her arms, seeing some burns.
"No lightning, then," she thought to herself.
Mercury swung his blades at her, but the raised a hand and stopped it with a barrier. She used wind to push him back, then launched a projectile. He dodged and let it fly past him. He attempted to close the distance for a stab, but Salem's winds kept him pushed back. Instead, he threw the trident at her. Salem's hand glowed as she swatted it away, then shot a beam of energy at him. Neptune rolled out of the way, towards where his trident had landed, and scooped it up, fighting the winds, he slashed at Salem, who chopped at the weapon with her glowing hand. The weapon stopped as if clashing with another blade, and Salem began punching and chopping. Neptune blocked each swing, but it felt like stopping a slab of iron each time. With a mighty chop, Salem slashed upwards, knocking Neptune's trident out of his hands and flying into debris behind. She pointed an outstretched palm at him, and with a pitying look, shot a beam of energy. It struck Neptune, who yelled out in pain and defeat as he was shot backwards, flying through the air and disappearing behind the debris.
Salem calmed the winds, and caught her breath. Before she was even done, she heard booming nearby. She turned her head with a worried expression.
"Cinder," she fretted.
Sun seemed to be swinging faster and faster. Cinder tried to block, but strikes were getting through her defenses and hit her on the side, leg, chest, and neck. They were accompanied by small, but still painful bursts of fire, burning and singeing her skin and clothes. He stabbed forward, hitting her right on her injured shoulder. She cried out as the bandages were ignited, burning at her already delicate wound. She reached up and grabbed the bandages, painfully ripping them off. Her exposed gash now had blisters and burns around it, making it even more sensitive. Sun jumped up and slammed his staff down, and Cinder blocked with the blades crossed. Sun could see her arm weakening and pushed harder, hoping to overwhelm her. Cinder winced and gritted her teeth through the pain. She had to defeat this guy… she had to defeat Ozpin! This self-obsessed Faunus could not get in her way!
"You're pathetic," Sun mocked. "To think everyone was so worked up by you. I told my guys not to take prisoners, but I think when I'm done splattering you across this field, I'll do the same to your guy friend and the old pale bitch, and then take Taurus and the other girlie back alive. Once I catch Belladonna, I think she and Taurus will battle it out for my amusement. And your other friend I'll make dance for all my new bounty hunters. How does that sound, Cinder?"
Cinder's eye narrowed. She huffed angrily, and felt her blood boil. She felt energized, and so furious she felt ready to explode. Flickers of flame seemed to rise from her skin. The ground around her began to tremble. Sun looked around at the ground, confused, and was even more surprised to see Cinder's eye begin to pulse a bright, fiery glow. Cinder's blades seemed to be heating up, starting to glow a dark red, as the winds around the two combatants swirled and the ground beneath Cinder's feet began to crack. It was now Cinder who was pushing hard, exerting more and more pressure as she got angrier. Sun tried to hold her back, but was starting to strain under the weight, his arms shaking. He broke the hold and tried to shove Cinder, but he slid back instead. He whipped at Cinder with his tail, but with a slash, Cinder's hot blade cut right through it. Sun hollered in agony as he grabbed his severed tail, the end perfectly cauterized. He growled angrily at Cinder, readied his staff, and leapt at her. Cinder raised her blades and slashed back.
Salem was hurrying as fast as she could towards where the booming came from. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and saw Adam and Mercury running to the same spot. As they approached, Salem felt something she had not felt in years. Something powerful.
Suddenly, there was an explosion. Salem, Adam, and Mercury stopped in their tracks as a booming sound shook the ground. Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a massive pillar of flame erupted from where they were headed. It shot up several hundred feet, crackling with heat and light. Adam and Mercury had to turn away because it was so hot. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the pillar of fire vanished, the air hissing as it dissipated. There was an eerie stillness.
Adam, Mercury, and Salem rushed over to where the pillar had been. There were two bodies lying on the ground, in a ring of scorched earth: one was charred and shriveled beyond recognition. The other was Cinder, her eye shut tight and covered in ash and soot. She coughed, moaning as one of her hands shakily reached over and cupped the slashed and burned area on her shoulder. She was panting hard, and coughing occasionally.
"Cinder!" Adam called.
Salem dashed to Cinder's side, gently picking up her head and cradling it in her palm.
"Cinder!" she repeated. "Are you all right?"
Cinder groaned and opened her eye. "Gods, my arm hurts." She lifted her other arm and wiped the ash and soot from her eye socket.
Mercury was stunned. "How the hell did you survive that?"
Salem, despite holding an injured Cinder, could not help but speak with pride. "She made it," Salem answered. "Now you know what a true Fall Maiden is capable of."
"I'm thrilled," Cinder said sarcastically. "We can celebrate later. Can one of you carry me back to the hideout? I need, like, all those waters. And maybe a two-day nap."
Salem chuckled and helped Cinder up, draping her good arm over her shoulders. They began walking slowly back to the hideout, Mercury still looking surprised as Adam sheathed his sword.
"That was the most magic Cinder's ever used," Salem thought to herself. Her expression grew sour. "A lot of magic…"
Lord Ozpin meant what he said. There would be no way that Beacon would ever be threatened again. Every second that passed, his victory was more assured. Soon the true final step would be enacted. His forces were already on their way to their destinies. Soon, they would indeed be a part of something greater: him.
As Ozpin sat as his desk and pondered, a feeling suddenly rushed over him. It was something he had not felt in centuries. It took him by surprise, causing his hands to slam onto the desk and his mouth sharply inhale. It was power, but not his own. He spun around in his chair, bolting to his feet and nearly sprinting right into the window behind. He caught himself, one hand tightening into a fist and making contact with the glass as the other one twisted into a claw that scraped against the window.
"It can't be," he whispered to himself. He knew exactly what he was sensing. Power like that should not exist anymore, but he knew it too well to mistake it for anything else.
It was a Maiden. And she was very close.