Chapter 10 — Out of Time

"You're disqualified."

General Ironwood's voice rang with finality, as he glanced over the girls with a mixture of pity and frustration. Yang could only look away from his gaze, her head spinning, until the door clicked shut.

How had they gotten here? They had been a team of elite Huntresses in training; the best in their class. Their futures had been among the brightest in Beacon.

Then Weiss had died. She had left a hole that would never be filled. Her snarky remarks, her insistence on perfection, her stern attitude . . . they were all gone. Team RWBY could never recover from that loss.

One team member dead, and now another disgraced. Shame boiled in Yang's gut, though a spark of defiance burned alongside it. She knew what she had seen. Mercury had attacked her, so she attacked back.

Not that anyone would believe her. Anyone besides . . .

"You guys believe me, right?" Yang asked. She glanced at the hooded girl beside her.

"Duh!" Ruby exclaimed. Yang almost grinned, probably would have had Blake added on to the statement. She waited: one second, then three, then five.

"Blake?" Yang finally asked, when it was clear the girl across from her wouldn't respond otherwise. It was a lot to think about, but Blake was her teammate. She trusted Yang, didn't she?

Blake only looked down, gripping her arm. Yang's eyes widened at the sight, and just as she was about to speak up, Blake vocalised her answer.

"I want to believe you."

"Huh?" Ruby asked, but Yang barely heard it. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she could feel her earlier defiance snuff out.

"Blake?" Yang's voice cracked.

Yang's only saving grace was her sister. "Blake! Don't you trust Yang? She wouldn't hurt someone on purpose!"

"I had someone very . . ." Blake began, before shaking her head. "No."

"No?" Ruby's eyes widened.

"Not that." Blake stood up, moving to the bed and sitting on the opposite side of Yang. "I'm letting my past cloud my judgement again. I'm sorry, Yang."

With that, Blake wrapped an arm around Yang. Yang blinked, clearing the tears from her eyes.

"Blake?" Yang asked for the third time that evening. Was that all she could say?

"You really were attacked?" Blake asked, inhaling when Yang nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you," Yang whispered. She sighed, leaning against Blake and pulling Ruby in closer. "What do we do now?"

Blake looked to their leader, and Yang followed her gaze. After everything that had happened, Ruby kept going. She was stronger than Yang would ever be.

I can never make up for losing Weiss, but I promise I'll be there for you, Ruby.

Always.

Ruby took a deep breath, before her eyes hardened.

"We train. We be the best Huntresses we can be. And next year, we win the tournament for Beacon.

"We keep moving forward."

It was the sound of engines that stirred Weiss out of her sleep. Weeks of constant movement, multiple injuries from Grimm and the White Fang, and the emotional strain of the looming Fall of Beacon had all created a cumulative effect on Weiss' body. Nearly dying from a Dust explosion had pushed her over the edge. Her aura may have healed her, but only sleep would give her the energy she needed.

Yet, when she woke, she knew she wouldn't sleep again until this was all over.

"What's going on?" she asked, moving her head off Ilia's lap. Despite the circumstance, she couldn't keep a smile off her face. Some would call her selfish for keeping Ilia underground with her, but Weiss refused to put her girlfriend's life in such danger while she slept. The only time Ilia left Weiss alone was to steal food and water from the White Fang.

Ilia kept one hand on Weiss'. "I don't know," she whispered. "But we might be out of time."

Weiss' blood ran cold.

She rapidly shook her head, as if she could delay time by being stubborn enough. "How? The White Fang moved supplies here just a few days ago! Merlot can't be that close to completing his work."

"It doesn't matter." Ilia's voice sounded close to cracking. "Not if Adam wants Beacon to fall tonight."

They didn't need to say anymore. One look at each other said everything. They rose, hands still intertwined, and returned aboveground.

The first thing Weiss noticed was the light in the distance. It was a spotlight, a Bullhead directing those below. No doubt that Bullhead, along with others, would soon be full of mutated Grimm. And since the Bullhead flew above the lab, there was no telling how many Grimm were in the area.

With the sun setting, the clear sky, and the faint breeze tickling Weiss' skin, it was almost as if she was on a vacation. How much would change in the next few hours?

Ilia took a step toward the lab, only stopping when Weiss put a hand on her arm. When Ilia looked back wide eyed, Weiss shook her head.

"There's no time." Weiss took a deep breath for what she would say next. "We can't stop them. You know Adam better than me, do you think he would only leave a few forces for this sort of job?"

Ilia tugged her arm free from Weiss' grip. "I have to try. I can't stand by while the White Fang makes life more difficult for Faunus everywhere."

"I know." Weiss smiled, finding Ilia's hand again to squeeze it. "We aren't giving up. But we can't win alone." Ilia followed her gaze to the cell towers.

"You want to bring the cell towers back online," Ilia realized. "You're going to call Beacon?"

Weiss sighed. "No. The SDC."

As predicted, Ilia tensed up, and Weiss rushed to explain.

"Beacon won't get here in time to help. Even if they could, they need every Huntsman and Huntress to defend Vale. The SDC has Bullheads fast enough to get here and drop Dust bombs on the White Fang. It's brutal, but . . ." she sighed. "We have no other choice."

In any other situation, Ilia would have had something to say about the implications of Weiss' statement. No normal company had military Bullheads and bombs.

"Do it," Ilia said now, taking a step forward. "I'll keep any White Fang from escaping with the Grimm."

"Are you crazy?" Weiss blurted, hand snapping around Ilia's wrist. "You'll get yourself killed fighting them alone!" She stared at Ilia with wide eyes, silently pleading her to change her mind.

Ilia only smiled sadly. "I don't have to win in a fight against them. I just have to stall long enough for your backup to get here."

"We can do the cell towers together." Weiss wasn't even thinking of what she said. "If I summon a Nevermore, we can get to the White Fang on time."

Except Ilia had seen Weiss summon before. She knew the strain it put on Weiss. Rather than say that, Ilia pulled Weiss closer, close enough to kiss.

Weiss accepted it, cupping Ilia's face and letting the electricity fly through her body. No matter what, she couldn't lose this.

"I'll be fine," Ilia said when they separated. She was still smiling. "You'll save me in time."

"How can you say that?" Weiss failed to keep the tears from her eyes. "How can you put so much trust in me?"

Ilia didn't respond. Instead, she turned and ran for the lab.

"Ilia!" Weiss called before she was out of earshot. When Ilia froze Weiss continued. "I trust you, too! That means I trust you to survive until I catch up!"

The only indication that Weiss had been heard was the change in Ilia's skin. It turned yellow, before Ilia forcefully made it camouflage. Then, she was gone.

Weiss was at the nearest cell tower in under a minute.

It was only after she camouflaged that Ilia let tears fill her own eyes. She meant what she'd told Weiss, but that didn't stop it from hurting so much when they separated.

How did we get here? she wondered. How did I end up caring so much for a Schnee?

She stopped herself from dwelling on it, instead putting all her focus into sprinting across the island. Merlot had no doubt contained the Goliath, wanting it to be one of his weapons against Beacon.

It was too much. Adam had gone overboard in his plans. At this rate, the carnage wouldn't stop at Beacon. All of Vale was at risk.

That last thought rang through Ilia's mind as she reached the clearing. It was an open field of grass on the right side of Merlot's lab. There were two Bullheads on the ground, with one still flying above. Dozens of cages littered the field, with an equal amount of White Fang standing guard.

The time for subtlety had long passed. Ilia made this clear when she lashed her whip around the neck of the nearest White Fang member, electrocuting him from his throat. He'd live but it wouldn't mean much when the SDC's private army arrived.

Ilia scowled. If there was any other option . . .

Gunfire came her way, but it didn't mean much with Ilia camouflaged. The sun had set, and the moon shone brightly in the sky. The darkness on the land meant little to Faunus night vision, but it let Ilia blend in easier. After dodging the first shots, she ducked behind a cage.

It wouldn't be long before she was spotted, so she struck the cage's lock, releasing the Beowolf inside.

White Fang came her way from every direction, except for one. The Beowolf was charging at a group, which frantically waved their weapons in response. With a leap, Ilia landed on the Beowolf's back. It made its displeasure known with a roar, spinning to throw Ilia off. With the extra momentum, Ilia jumped over the Faunus' heads, and onto another cage.

A shot struck her arm before she could release the Grimm inside, making her hiss in pain. She was forced to toss her whip to her other arm, blocking another shot in the process.

Shots came from all directions, but Ilia was ready. Her whip swung left, right, behind her, right again, then spun with her. Coming out of her spin, she lashed downward, finally releasing the Creep. It charged at the White Fang, stopping the Dust bullets from that direction.

Ilia gripped the cage, swinging inside it with enough force to knock it over. It created a shield from all angles, except from above. She ducked her head away from the incoming shots.

It's a game of cat and mouse, Ilia thought. They'll fire at me the moment I come up.

She slammed into the left wall, knocking the cage down again. As she did so, she lashed with her whip, letting it catch the shots that had been fired. A Boar Faunus tried to grab her as she bolted out of the cage, but she spun around him, ensnaring his body with her whip. More shots came at her, which she ducked under the now unconscious body to avoid.

Kicking the grunt at the Faunus in front of her left only her sides exposed. She took a deep breath, waiting for the ping of gunfire.

It struck just as she leaped forward, causing Faunus from both sides to leap away from friendly fire.

Ilia continued to run forward, until a bullet stuck the cage next to her, burning away the lock. She backflipped just in time to avoid a claw.

An Ursa with green eyes stepped out of the cage, licking its teeth. One of the White Fang saw this as the perfect moment to charge at Ilia, sword unsheathed. Ilia stepped to the left, then slid under the Ursa when it threw itself at her. It turned as she popped behind it, but it was moving fast enough to crash into the grunt.

Ilia threw herself to the side to avoid more gunfire. That proved to be a mistake when the Ursa rushed at her. Her eyes widened even as she wrapped her weapon around the nearest cage, using it to pull herself away.

It was impossible to tell what was happening. Attacks came from all direction, with chaos as the only clear victor in this battle. There was no time to process her approaching enemies, because stopping for even a second would mean death.

Flip, spin, block a bullet, lash out, duck, elbow a Faunus, push him into another, duck another sword, trip someone with the whip. Ilia's body was on autopilot, moving at a speed someone outside the fight would have trouble keeping up with.

A quiet roar behind Ilia told her the Beowolf had been killed. The Creep was likely also dead. That left an Ursa, and too many White Fang grunts to count.

Ilia gripped her whip tighter.

Let's do this.

"Can you hear me?"

"Who is this? How did you—"

"It's Weiss."

"M-Miss Schnee? You're alive? This is wonderful! Let me contact your father—"

"No."

"Miss Schnee?"

"Is construction of the Eagle complete?

"The Eagle? It was finished last week. It still needs to be tested, but—"

"Track my scroll's location, and send a dozen soldiers and a Dust bomb. Tell them to drop the bomb over the largest building on the island. I'll be in this location for pick-up shortly after."

"Miss Schnee, I cannot authorize—"

"Tell me, has my father found anyone to blame for my death?"

"N-no."

"If you don't want to be responsible for the passing of a Schnee, I suggest you send that airship."

"R-right away, Ma'am."

Ilia's breath had been reduced to pants long ago. It was only years of practicing acrobatics that kept her from being hit too hard. Even then, her skin burned with over a dozen wounds. Her aura was pushing itself to its limits to keep her fighting.

The Ursa had fallen at some point during the battle, though Ilia wasn't sure when. That left the White Fang free to come at her from all directions, which Ilia was quickly getting tired of.

She jumped into the air to avoid another gunshot, planting her feet into a grunt on the way down. Ducking instinctively, she elbowed the next Faunus to swing at her, then headbutted another. Using her whip, she disarmed one of the remaining Faunus with a gun.

Another bullet struck her side. She gasped, nearly pressing a hand to the spot until another bullet came her way. She leaped away in time, but even that caused pain to echo throughout her body.

Her camouflage helped, but Adam hadn't sent new recruits on this mission. They knew how to track her footsteps, make out her outline, or even listen for where she was. If she had time to think about it, Ilia would have been proud of how long she'd lasted.

There were still at least three dozen experienced White Fang members facing her. How was she supposed to survive against that?

She couldn't and she knew that. Adam's words rang through her head.

"When cornered, we will fight to our last breath. But if you get yourself killed in a pointless battle, then you never had a place among us to begin with."

I've bought enough time. I have to get out of here.

A Faunus raised his gun, but Ilia was on top of him before he could fire. She trapped him in a grip, using one hand to control his arm. Pointing his gun at the largest of the cages, she fired.

No need to stay behind and see what she had released, though the roar told her plenty. She sprinted to the edge of the clearing, then pulled herself onto a tree branch with her whip. Gunfire followed her, which she had to duck behind the log to avoid. From there, the leapt to the next tree, grabbing onto it to the best of her ability.

Tree hopping wasn't nearly as easy as some movies made it look. The Faunus pursuing her with their gunfire only made things more difficult. Still, she went from tree to tree, her whip in one hand to block bullets when needed. It was a slow effort, one she never would have escaped with.

Fortunately, she didn't need to escape.

The white Nevermore descended on those that chased Ilia with a fury. It tore them apart with talons and beak, barely giving them enough time to scram.

With her pursuers dead, Ilia hopped onto the Nevermore. "I thought you weren't going to waste your aura summoning."

"The situation called for it," Weiss remarked in a flat tone. "Hold on tight!"

Ilia wrapped her arms around Weiss just as the Nevermore took to the sky. When it did, Ilia saw a speck in the distance.

"Is that our backup?" she asked.

"It is," Weiss confirmed. "We're getting back!"

The next few minutes consisted of wind roaring in Ilia's ears, the cold prickling her skin, and the feeling of Weiss keeping her anchored. The island rushing below them must have been an incredible sight, but Ilia didn't dare look down.

Finally, they landed at a familiar location. It was where the Bullhead had initially taken them from Mountain Glenn to Merlot's island. They landed beside the cell tower, Weiss creating a staircase of glyphs for them to climb down from.

An explosion rocked the island a moment later.

Considering the gravity of their fight, the explosion should have been more . . . climactic. Yet the rumble and smoke in the distance, along with a slight shaking below her, was the only sign that a Dust bomb had gone off.

And yet, Ilia knew what had happened at the blast radius. Where the lab once was, there was now no doubt a crater. Weiss and Ilia were likely the only living souls on the island.

Ilia suppressed a shiver at the thought.

No way Merlot stayed behind, not that he matters. Without his lab, he's worthless to Adam.

The roaring of engines grew closer, and this time Ilia couldn't help from shaking a little bit. Trusting Weiss was one thing; it came to her easily. Believing the Schnee staff wouldn't gut her the moment they knew who she was? To the White Fang, there were two things one did when they spotted a Schnee or a Schnee employee. Fight, or run.

Weiss put a hand on Ilia's shoulder, offering a soft smile. It wasn't enough to stop the churning in Ilia's gut, but it let her stare at the airship head on.

The vehicle was slim, yet long. There were three turrets on each side of it, and two on the front. It was mostly black, though it had white tips, adorned with the Schnee crest. Even if she were human, Ilia wouldn't want to go near such a weapon.

Yet, as the doors began open, Ilia met Weiss' gaze. There were a millions words behind those eyes, and Ilia wished she could stare at them longer. After giving Weiss a quick peck on the lips, quick enough not to be seen, Ilia turned back to the ship.

For the Faunus.

It was time to save Beacon. Or at least what was left of it.