Roses & Thorns – Volume 1 – Chapter 11

-Bloodied Wings-

Blake slid through the tight space between two cargo containers, trying her best to ignore the giant snowflake design that marked them as Schnee Dust Co. property. It used to fill her with anger to see that logo, the righteous sort of spark that ignites when coming face to face with an object of hatred. Now, it only served to replace that fury with a deep mire of guilt, her own experience having been placed to mirror that of another teenage girl on the other side of the conflict. Weiss had suffered loss, just like she had, and the heiress had suffered it at the hands of the group she once belonged to.

Pushing off from the side of the huge metal box, she kept close the shadows as she slipped into the main area of the docks. At this range, she could clearly see that the Faunus moving around were members of the White Fang, all of them bearing the iconic masks that the group used to conceal their identities. It brought to mind the one that she still owned, wrapped in a cloth and hidden in the depths of her own personal bookshelf back in the dorm at Beacon.

"Hurry it up, mutt!" The man that she had spotted from her earlier vantage point was berating one of the White Fang soldiers, blowing smoke from a lit cigar as he spoke to the Faunus. "Do you even understand what 'timetable' means, or why we need to keep to it? Attach those cables and we can get out of the hell hole before someone notices the tripped alarm."

What surprised Blake most wasn't just that the Faunus seemed to accept the insults in stride, but that the masked figure took it a step further and dipped into a low bow. That was when caution was thrown into the wind for her. Whatever it was that was going on here, she needed to know, and she needed to know it now. Tearing the ribbon from her hair to expose the cat ears that signaled her heritage to world, she charged into the clearing, reaching the man in the suit before any in the immediate area could react.

"What the-" Placing the back edge of Gambol Shroud's katana blade to the criminal's throat, Blake took careful measure to aim the pistol grip towards the White Fang members that outnumbered her, and were now very aware of her presence. The application of pressure on the sword silenced her hostage for a moment, but it didn't take long for him to regain his composure and glance at the rest of the Faunus in the area with a bored expression. "Oh for fucks sake. Really? You animals are just going to sit there?"

Ignoring the Human for the time being, she glared over the man's shoulder toward the other thieves, watching as they glanced between themselves. It was obvious they had noticed her ears, given the hesitance they displayed for simply attacking and overwhelming her, and that gave her the opening she needed. "Brothers of the White Fang! How can you stand by while this man insults you so?"

There came a dark chuckle that rumbled through the chest she stood behind, and the man it belonged to clicked his tongue at her as if she were nothing more than a disobedient child. "Listen here kid, you're either out of the loop, or not a part of the gang. Either way, I've got an appointment to meet, and your allotted time is up." Even as Blake moved to press her weapon closer to his exposed neck in order to quiet him, the criminal she held threw his head back. The solid bone of his skull collided with the soft cartilage of her nose, filling her ears with the noise of the delicate organ shattering as the intense flash of pain blinded and disabled her. Her aura could do little more than keep the skin intact, it's purpose ill-suited to stop the blunt force of the attack.

Her control on Gambol Shroud became loose enough that she felt the man slip out of her grasp. Immediately following that an object impacted her stomach with enough force that it doubled her over and sent her stumbling back a half dozen steps. The haze of pain lifted somewhat, allowing Blake to dodge the next attack, rolling out of the way of a flare that was fired from the end of the man's cane. Her aura beamed for a single instant as she activated her semblance, summoning a near perfect clone of herself as she dove backwards, the wet dripping from her broken nose enough to distract her so that she tripped up and landed on the hard surface of the concrete.

The maneuver served its purpose though, as the second round fired from the Human's weapon destroyed the area she had summoned her clone, buying her the additional second she needed to recover. The blade of Gambol Shroud folded down against the slide of the pistol grip, allowing her increased mobility as she rolled onto her back and began firing at the crowd of thieves. Surprise granted her a glancing hit on the shoulder of the man in the white suit, causing him to cry out as the various Faunus behind him scrambled for cover.

But Blake's luck quickly ran dry as her finger squeezed the trigger as fast as she could manage to aim, focusing on driving one of the braver Faunus back behind the wall as he peeked out to point a rifle in her direction. The distraction cost her, as she saw the man in the suit raise the cane towards her once again, and she was too slow to drag the barrel of her pistol back over to him.

Her ears, both sets of them, caught the sound of the explosion as it blasted over her, but she felt no pain. After a moment of confusion, Blake let her eyes slide back open to find the red ruffles of a skirt rippling in the aftermath of the detonation, a cloud of dust settling towards the ground as the younger girl she had left on the rooftop joined the fray.

Ruby straightened herself as the smoke screen of the flare faded away, revealing her presence to the criminals that her teammate had seen fit to engage without her. The mocking laugh of Roman Torchwick at his supposed victory was soon sucked between teeth that sat behind lips arranged into a wide, malicious grin. "Well now. Hello there, little Red." Watching as the older man lowered the cane to use it as a support to lean upon, she glared as he regarded her with an condescending smile. "Tell me, are you and I destined to fight over every petty robbery I commit, or do you just stupidly wander into business that isn't yours?"

Anger flared through her chest at the thought of being disregarded so easily in his eyes, causing her to huff in annoyance as she began her retort. "We're here to stop your little crime spree!"

"Oh I wouldn't exactly call it little, Red, not anymore!" As if on his cue, three more Bullheads thundered by overhead, their jets pointed toward the front in order to slow their momentum so they could come to stop over the dock area where she now stood. Each of the aircraft had the symbol of the White Fang painted upon its side, indicating that the man's words rang true. "Ah, right on schedule."

"Not that it matters, of course!" Flicking a finger of his free hand against the brim of the black bowler hat that sat lopsided on his head, the criminal laughed at her as he swung the cane in an arc before bringing its shaft down to create an audible crack against a flat palm. "There isn't a Huntress here to save you, this time. Make yourself useful, mutts, get the girl with the scythe. But leave the kitty cat alive, I think I know who'll just love to get her hands on that one."

The glare set in Ruby's eyes only intensified as the man threatened to harm the girl she now protected, and a growl escaped her lips as she readied Crescent Rose. Twirling it first in a wide circle around her right side, she brought it across her chest in an arc that caused the air to whistle as it was displaced by her speed. She finished the flashy display by stepping forward and spinning on the ball of her lead foot, coming down right as the shaft of the enormous weapon pressed against the back of her arm, and the tip of the scythe blade dug a few inches into the ground.

She saw the way her ease at handling the giant weapon caused the first couple of troops to hesitate, throwing their leading attacks off kilter as she readied for them. The first katana came from the right, and she dodged it by jumping up and using the handle of Crescent Rose as a base, kicking out to catch the charging Faunus under the chin with the toe of a boot. Readjusting her hands so she faced the opposite direction, Ruby curled both knees into her chest before launching them back out to the left.

Caught by surprise, her second opponent was hit by both of her boots directly in his chest, throwing him back as she tore the blade of her scythe free from the ground and landed atop the poor Faunus. Spinning Rose around in an arc, she brought it down overhead on the next White Fang that dared to step forward, using the shaft of the weapon as a club to smash into the top of a hooded head. Her target crumpled to the ground in a heap, the clatter of his gun ringing out as she set her eyes on the man in the bowler hat.

"He's mine!" Ruby recoiled in surprise as her teammate rushed past her, seemingly recovered from the earlier beating. It certainly didn't look as though the other girl was okay, as rivulets of blood still streamed down the cat-girl's face, lending the Faunus a fearsome aspect as she engaged the thief. Blake brought the cleaver sheath of her weapon down against the cane, spinning on her heels to deliver the blade of the katana in her other hand in rapid succession. Summoning a clone to take the counterattack, she spun once again and brought both forms of Gambol Shroud down in a diagonal slash form the opposite direction.

But her opponent was fast, much faster than she had anticipated, and both of her blades slammed against the shaft of a cane. She was audience to the grin that waited past that weapon, a broad smile that mocked her and dared her to try again. Blake growled, driven by her anger now as she pulled back and used another clone to launch herself forward and past the man. Shifting the katana in her right hand into a reverse grip, she stabbed backwards, only to have the attack slapped aside as if it was expected. Using the momentum of her failure, she drove into the Human with her second blade.

Again, it met the wall generated by the cane, and she cried out as the agile weapon was brought beneath her own defense and the handle slammed into her rib cage. Not to be dissuaded by the pain that forced the breath from her lungs, she rolled forward, letting yet another clone take the follow up hit as she dodged past the man. With a cry of fury, she spun on the ball of a foot and threw so much force into the strikes that the blades scraped against the ground as she hurtled toward her target.

The katana that led the way was slapped aside as easily as all the rest of her clumsy attacks, while the wrist that held the cleaver was caught in the waiting grasp of the larger and stronger man. Pulled forward, Blake stumbled until a knee was brought up into her stomach and lifted her from the ground. Weakness thundered through her limbs and fingers went limp for a moment as she felt her aura give out completely, and the clatter of her weapons alerting her that she was no longer armed before the next attack came. The length of the cane was slammed down across her back hard enough that it drove her into the concrete below, throwing her to the edge of consciousness as she let out a sharp cry of pain.

Ruby threw her weight into a backhanded sweep of Crescent Rose, catching the back of the remaining White Fang member's legs and throwing him so violently into the ground that it knocked the Faunus out cold. Turning as her ears caught the sound of a breathless yell, she saw Blake fall the ground before the victorious Roman Torchwick, and she let out a scream of fury as she saw him raise his weapon once again.

Her cry drew his attention, but it was too late to stop her as she dug the side of a boot into the ground and the world grew still. An eruption of rose petals filled the surrounding area as she kicked off, her semblance thrown into overdrive as her fear at losing the girl utterly consumed her. Every step caused her to draw ever closer as the man in the white suit reacted in slow motion, his cane still raised high above his head as she neared.

Bringing the enormous scythe in her hands down in a vicious slash, Ruby didn't bother to aim her strike to impact his body with the blunt shaft of the weapon, instead leading forward with the blade and a murderous instinct. It scored through the thief's aura and generated a display of brilliant orange sparks as it carved into the energy, bringing a glimpse of panic to the back of her thoughts as the notion she had gone too far entered her mind.

Fortunately, the momentum behind the attack outweighed the damage of the blade itself, and the man was flung back from the prone form of her teammate as a whirlwind of rose petals stormed into the area. For a moment, all was still as red clouded her vision in a flowery screen, and the scythe cut a gorge into the concrete as she completed the arc.

As her semblance deactivated, everything came back into focus, and she heard Torchwick cry out as he impacted the ground a few times before settling to a stop a couple dozen feet away. The effort left her drained, and she felt her once-considerable pool of aura lower dangerously. "Don't you dare touch her!" Biting the words through clenched teeth, Ruby took a brief moment to glance down at the stirring form of the other brunette, finding that Blake was alive and conscious, but still disoriented. Holding Crescent Rose aloft, she tore her gaze away from the cat-girl and back toward the enemy.

The anger in her blood chilled almost immediately as she saw all three of circling Bullheads open their transport bays and deploy a dozen more White Fang troops into the dock area, all while Torchwick rose to his feet and dusted off his jacket as if her attack had done little more than ruffle his feathers. To make matters worse, the airships themselves turned their turrets toward her, the triple-barreled guns already beginning to spin.

With only a moment to choose what to do, she bent and wrapped a single arm around the form of Blake, turning her back to the enemy and doing her best to shield the Faunus from the coming volley. A vain hope that her aura would shield the other girl was all that ran through her mind as she clenched her eyes shut. The thunder of the turrets opened up, and all the rest of the noise in the world was drowned out by the screech of gunfire.

A moment later it was over, and she strangely felt none of the impact from the volley. Ruby's eyes shot open, finding the ground beneath her and Blake bathed in a golden light. Blinking rapidly, she slowly rose from the awkward bent position, glancing around for the source of their salvation. It wasn't long before she found the tall boy that had a hand outstretched toward the enemy, the bright glow of aura surrounding his form. Familiar features turned toward her, and a glare was evident upon the handsome face of Nyx Pinion, but with a small measure of relief that could be detected as well.

Ruby slid her gaze past him, to what had truly stopped the bullets from killing both her and Blake. Flowing out through the fingertips of the boy's raised hand and spreading to cover the area in a broad sphere was a shield that glowed with the light of its owner's golden aura. The surface of the protection shimmered and rippled where it had been hit a multitude of times, and from the way the muscles in her savior's body strained, it was beginning to take its toll. With that in mind, she tried to pull herself from the shock that came from surviving when she did not expect to.

Dusky yellow eyes caught her attention, and from the anger seen there she thought it was possible they might take on a illusion of fire like those of the boy's twin. "No time to dally about, Ruby. Get her up!"

Claire did not allow herself to relax when she saw that Nyx had managed to activate his semblance in time and protect the two girls down below, instead focusing her gaze on the offending gunships that had attacked the two members of team RWBY. "Yang." Speaking the blonde's name brought a flash of lilac eyes that were dangerously close to being consumed entirely by red in her direction, and she extended a single finger to point at the furthest Bullhead. "Throw me."

Reaching out and clasping one of the brawler's hands in her own, she took a moment to use her semblance, lowering her own gravity as she was easily lifted and spun about in a complete circle. She slowly eased the effect of her semblance as the spin completed, allowing a larger build of momentum before she and the other girl released one another, sending her flying toward their target at an extreme speed.

Claire tore Staccato Scar from its place on her belt, leading with its crystalline point and driving it through the windshield of the airship, allowing her to latch onto the transport and slam down against its hull with a growl. The pilot, caught off guard by the curved blade that was suddenly drove into the back of his seat, began to twist the cyclic in an effort to shake her loose. He was far too late, as she activated her semblance in the opposite direction it had been used before, and the steel heels of her boots clanged as she held fast to the body of the ship.

Both hands held tight to the hilt of the saber that was buried nearly its entire length through the thick glass that protected the pilot, and with that established base, she unleashed the full fury of her semblance. Sparks of her aura, reddish-brown in color, began to seep over the metal. The engines began to whine as an extreme force of gravity pushed them past what they were designed for, and the whole ship was pulled from the control of the man inside it. Spinning as it went down, the Bullhead bucked one last time before crashing into the ground. Claire rode it out as the aircraft gouged out an area of the docks, feeling the muscles in her arm tear as she struggled to remain on top of the newly made scrap heap.

The screech of metal filled her ears as the ship dragged along through a pile of cargo containers, knocking them over and tearing open the belly of the craft before the increased gravity finally brought it to a stop. Letting go of her semblance, she nearly fell against her sword as the edges of her vision went black, all but drained of strength and aura for the display. One thing kept her conscious as she stared down in the cockpit, and that was the way the pilot was scrambling for the gun holstered next to him in the small area.

Blinking to clear her vision, Claire reached back and tore Packmaster from where it lay on the back of her belt, bringing it forward and aiming for the area around the hole that her saber had created. Squeezing the trigger, the first burst of three rounds caused a shattering of the glass canopy, one that caused the Faunus within to cringe and miss his opportunity for his shot. She didn't slow, firing again. It was this time the bullets pierced through the weakened surface, bringing with them screams of panic as the Dust contained within the shells detonated against the man's aura.

Again her finger brought the trigger back against the guard, and another three rounds joined the chorus of pain as the weak aura of the thief was broken and the bullets pierced through flesh. Claire saw victory near, but then watched as it was robbed as the window shattered and pitched her forward. Thrown past the cockpit, she tumbled into the debris beneath where the Bullhead had come to a stop, losing her hold on Staccato Scar as she fell.

Letting out a groan as she felt a collection of new bruises settle into her back, she rolled over and brought the pistol in her hand to bear once again, only to find that her effort was for naught. The pilot was moaning weakly in the same position she had last seen him, his hands held up to chin height in a gesture of surrender as they stared at one another. Claire let herself chuckle as deep breaths gave way to a tired grin, still looking down the barrel of her gun at the other Faunus when she closed one brown eye in a wink. "..Good boy."

Having thrown a crazy wolf-girl at a gunship, Yang was left with nothing more to do than seethe at the gathered White Fang members that had been about to murder her little sister. Rational thought was consumed by fire as she let out a genuine roar of fury and charged off the rooftop. Kicking against the edge of the building as she passed it, she generated enough speed to clear the gap to the stack of cargo that was marked with the Schnee Dust Co. logo, skidding along the top of the metal containers as Ember Celica slid into position over her wrists.

Clearing the slightly lower elevation and launching into the middle of the open area, there was little of the calm Yang left in her to worry about the dozens of White Fang that waited for her below. Leading with a punch that she drove into the ground, she threw the full force of her aura behind it, causing an explosion that threw shards of concrete in different directions. The shockwave she created rippled outward into the two Faunus that she landed in the middle of, causing them to cry out as they found themselves thrown free from the area as well.

Rising and facing the remaining horde of enemies, she donned a crazed grin as blades and guns were leveled in her direction. Raising both of her fists, Yang smashed them together with a confident yell before rushing the nearest Faunus, depriving them of the advantage their ranged weapons would bring by placing him between her and their bullets. Smashing aside the incoming katana, she followed through by grabbing her opponent by the scruff of his shirt and pulling him forward. Throwing her head toward the man, she headbutted him with enough force that it cracked the mask he wore.

When she let go of his clothing, the Faunus crumbled down in a pile, exposing the next of her targets. Unfortunately, the thieves and their leader had recovered from the sudden appearance of reinforcements, and she found a number of firearms now trained upon her as she glared back at the enemies that surrounded her. Turning to cover all sides, she saw the one in a white suit mockingly wag a gloved finger in her direction as he raised a cane to point at her.

Yang didn't feel the fear that he hoped to instill within her. In her rage, all she saw was an enemy who needed to be pummeled into a puddle, but was stopped from charging him as she saw the way the thieves all closed ranks. They moved into a semi circle, speaking to one another in encouraging words meant to spur on an attack against her. Even as the man in the bowler hat raised a hand to signal the beginning of the coming barrage, he froze when a smaller form landed to the side of her. The newcomer straightened, and the defiant glare evident in the fox-girl's indigo eyes caused a smile to tug at the corners of her lips.

She watched as Iris spun a gun-blade in a fanciful flourish before settling it into a ready position, and another of their classmates joined them as Weiss landed next to the Faunus. The heiress assumed a sophisticated fencing posture, flicking the point of a rapier up until it was leveled at the gathered gang of criminals, the girl's pale blue eyes set into an icy gaze.

On Yang's left landed one of the Pinion twins, the short girl taking up the bladed chakrams and igniting their edges in a burning aura, ready to cover the flank. It wasn't long before Nyx joined his sister, skidding to a stop after running over to them, Winged Triumph in his hands. He locked the hilts of the scimitars together, causing the bow string of plasma energy to appear between the two points as he took aim at the White Fang troops.

In the back of her mind, even in the midst of her enraged state, the notion of Ruby's whereabouts pinged into Yang's thoughts and demanded an answer as she glanced toward the area she had last seen her sister. It was then she caught the way Nyx gave her a subtle nod, and that was enough to allay her concern as she turned back to the thieves, her lips pulling back into a predatory grin. She swung her arm back, bent at the elbow, and loaded another shell into Ember Celica as she spoke. "Let's finish this."

Roman Torchwick was many things. Professional thief, habitual gambler, all around dashing rogue and sometimes accomplice to nefarious plots to undermine the established order. What he was not, was stupid. It didn't take a genius to see that the tide had turned with the arrival of the six new kids, even with the first two out of commission for the time being. He was down however many men, and one Bullhead. This mission was far from salvageable, and once again it was all because of little Red's interference.

Growling as the Hunters-in-training gave a yell and charged at the newly recruited members of the White Fang, he flicked the switch at the end of Melodic Cudgel and fired a smoke grenade into the space between him and the kids. Propelled by the explosion of white Dust, the haze of fog exploded across the entire area, and he turned on a heel and began walking towards the Bullhead he had arrived in.

Inside the shroud he had created, the battlefield became a pit of chaos as screams from the Faunus could be heard. Even as Roman watched, one of the animals was thrown clear of the smoke screen and collapsed into a pile after smashing into the side of a cargo container. Shaking his head, he retreated into the transport bay of the waiting aircraft, pounding his closed fist against the door that separated him from the cockpit. "Neo, take off!"

Engines kept at the ready, the pilot obeyed the order without question, and the ship bucked as it lifted from the ground. Through the smoke shot out streaks of golden light that impacted one of the other Bullheads that was circling the area, the plasma energy melting the hull it was fired into. Following it to the source of the attacks, he found the tall boy with the bladed bow kneeling at the edge of the screen he had created, the young man pulling back another shot to harass the aircraft. With a groan of annoyance, Roman raised his cane and used the crook of his weapons handle to close the side door of the aircraft. It came just in time, as he heard something slam into the hull a few feet past the passenger compartment. "..Fucking kids."

Amber watched from the center of the battlefield as the airship carrying the man in the white suit continued its retreat, the form of Skia buried to the hilt into the area just behind the wings. With only Fos in hand now, she ducked under a katana as it cut through the air above her, kicking out into the shin of a Faunus that had attacked her. With so many involved in the battle, and so many auras flaring in rapid succession, her semblance was serving only to disable her as she felt each hit shudder through the connections to her own energy.

Gritting her teeth as she rose, she spun on a heel to deliver a slap with the flat side of her circular blade to the head of the bent man that had engaged her. The attack caused little damage, but managed to remove him from her immediate area as she moved to find a place to get out of the thick of the battle. An opening appeared as the circling of a Bullhead above cleared some of the smoke away, and she sprinted for it.

She caught the red glint of an incoming blade out of the corner of her eye, a wild strike not meant for her but coming in her direction nonetheless. Launching herself forward and over the sword, Amber tucked her head toward her chest and entered a short roll that deposited her back onto her feet on the other side. Free from the thickest pocket of the overlaying fog, she turned her attention skyward as she ran, searching for the airships that still threatened her friends.

One of them had followed the ship that had retreated, but the last was attempted to focus down on her brother as Nyx harried its efforts to contribute to the battle. Arrows made entirely of golden plasma slammed into its hull again and again as the pilot tried his best to dodge the projectiles and line up a shot with the Bullhead's turret. Winding back her arm, Amber used her free hand to line up the shot before hurling her disc-shaped weapon in the direction of the glass canopy that protected the cockpit.

Her attack came too late, as it seemed the pilot was out of patience in dealing with her brother, and out of sympathy for his own comrades. Swinging the nose of the aircraft along the length of their small battlefield, the Faunus within the ship activated the turret and raked the entire area with a barrage of gunfire, the boom of its cannons drowning out the sound of the cries that emanated from within the smoke. For all that anyone else could not hear those screams of pain, Amber was subjected to each and every one of them as they reverberated down the entwined patterns of the combatants auras.

Crying out and clutching at the sides of her head, despite having escaped injury from the rounds that had torn through the docks, Amber fell to her knees. Without her guiding influence, the blades of Fos skittered across the cockpits canopy and the weapon was deflected skyward. Through the haze of agony that permeated the area and forced itself upon her, she reached out and took control of the chakram once again, ripping it back down towards the man who had caused all this pain.

The serrated edge of Fos spun into the glass with enough of her aura behind it that it dug through the fragile layer and slammed into the pilot protected within. His own pool of energy was not sufficient enough before her rage, and the blades of the chakram tore through all that shielded him and then began to cut at flesh, continuing to spin at Amber's machinations.

She felt every slice that tore another length of flesh from his rib cage, every cut that sundered through another bone in his body. All sense of time was lost as the pain she was causing flooded back along connection of their auras, and eventually she felt the spark of life dim before extinguishing completely. Then it all cut away, and for a moment Amber was not subjected to any feelings but her own, the realization of horror seeping into her mind. It was allowed only for a single instant, as the next was filled with the darkening of her vision as she fell into unconsciousness.

Iris opened her eyes in the aftermath of an explosion created by a crashing Bullhead, groaning as she rose up onto her elbows. The smoke that had covered the area of the docks they had fought in was finally beginning to settle, allowing her to make out the lumps that signaled the fallen bodies of those who had participated in the fighting. She wasn't quite sure what had happened, as one moment she had been performing a parry against two attackers, and the next she had been slammed back into the ground after something had exploded against her chest.

Running a hand over the laced up front of her silk shirt, she found no evidence of wounds, silently thanking her aura for protecting her from whatever she had been hit with. Trying her best to stand, she tried to focus and make out the individual shapes of the prone forms on the ground, but her vision swam as she stumbled forward. Nearly turning a full circle, her eyes settled on the wreckage of the Bullhead, and the fire that was slowly inching towards the cockpit.

A notion to save the pilot trapped inside reached her through the fogged state of her mind, and Iris moved forward. A shoe caught on the wrist of one of the men she had been fighting, and she came down on a knee as she tripped. The other Faunus was on his stomach, the insignia of the White Fang clear on the back of his white robes as she growled and pushed herself back up.

Without further obstacles, she reached the downed airship in a matter of seconds, shielding her face from the flames that licked further outward with each passing second. When she reached the cockpit, she used her hands to steady herself as she moved along the outer edge, eventually reaching a point where she could see the pilot.

Or rather, what was left of him. The masked Faunus was impaled to the seat behind him by the circular silver blade of Fos, the chakram looking as if it had carved through his chest in a matter of seconds. Bits of gore decorated the entirety of the cockpit, and his exposed organs lay in tatters. Her eyes widened as she took in the macabre scene, and the bile in her stomach surged upwards as she turned away and threw up on the ground in front of her. Weakness in her knees meant that she soon followed, barely managing to catch herself before landing face first in the vomit she had just deposited.

Her thoughts betrayed her, flicking back to a mental picture of the scene she had turned away from, and again her stomach heaved. It caused her buck forward and lose what was left of the light lunch she had eaten earlier that day, even as a series of strange squelching noises reached her ears. Groaning as she wiped the back of a hand against her mouth, Iris was about to turn to see what was causing the disgusting chorus before an arm wrapped itself under her shoulders and lifted her back onto her feet.

"Come away from that, girl." The deep cadence of the voice caused her to glance over even as she covered a cough, finding herself being dragged along by a man with tousled black hair and striking red eyes. He had strong, angled features to his face, and a grim expression set into his lips as he looked down at her.

No more words came as the stranger's gaze slipped away, and she instead fell in line, walking with him until they reached the edge of the battlefield. Those that had participated in the conflict, at least those capable of such things, were beginning to rouse themselves. "Here." The word brought her back around, facing the man as he offered the handle of Fos, which looked to have been cleaned of the red that had been splashed across its surface the last time she had set eyes on it. "I'll notify the authorities. Make sure your friends are alright."

It seemed to be the end of the conversation as he pulled out a scroll and turned away from her, leaving Iris to stare at his back as she gingerly kept a hold on the chakram she had been given. Turning slowly, she found that the dust and smoke had settled enough to reveal the identities of those that littered the former battlefield. Immediately, her gaze sought the golden hair of the girl she had been fighting near before being knocked down, finding it only a few feet from where she had awakened. "Yang!"

Jogging over to the brawler's side, it flooded her with relief to find the girl already beginning to stir and the lilac eyes fluttering open with a mumbled question. "What.. Wha- Happened?"

"I'm not sure.." Biting at her lip, Iris set the chakram to the side and reached down, pulling the blonde up to a sitting position. She watched as the girl surveyed the damage that had been caused, and groaned when she saw the burning wreckage of the airship.

"We are so getting in trouble for this." Yang had meant it as a joke, but the way the Faunus girl looked away let her know that it was far from the appropriate time for such a thing. Reaching out, she found a pale hand and gently entwined her fingers, earning little more than a slight change in the corner of Iris' lips. Without much more to do as she regained her strength, she swept her gaze across the clearing. Nyx was picking himself up off the ground near one of the stacks of cargo containers, the tall Pinion boy looking rather unamused at the change of events.

Worry dictated that she searched for Ruby, despite knowing that her sister had escaped the fight before it had all gone to hell. Her eyes settled on Claire, who looked relatively unscathed as she pushed a wounded member of the White Fang down to his knees before bending to help a white haired girl up from the ground. Weiss was clearly disoriented, as no words of discouragement came from the heiress as the wolf Faunus helped steady her.

To the side stood a newcomer to the ensemble, one with a familiar look about him. Studying the man as he turned and settled his gaze upon her, Yang tilted her head in confusion. "Uncle Qrow?"

Author's Note: Action packed chapter, super dense, not a lot of dialogue.. Sorry about that if that isn't your thing? The next chapter will be pretty much the opposite. I still tried to have some characters develop in there, so it should be worth the read, right? Anywho, thanks to all those who followed, and favorited. Special thanks to those who review, I won't lie.. Every time I read a review I want to write a little bit more. So thank you, you're awesome.(Yes, even the guy who seemed surprised about OCs, despite the warning in the first chapter). You all rock! 'Til next time! -Fox