Blake I – Battle of Beacon

Battle of Beacon

Blake's senses were as chaotic as the world around her as she left Weiss behind to chase the Alpha. All she could smell was smoke. The ruins around her echoed with gunfire and growls from the swarming Grimm. Blake tried to put is out of her mind as she searched desperately for the Alpha, but every white masked figure she saw slumped on the ground pierced her to the core. The White Fang shouldn't be part of this. They were just people that wanted to be treated better, twisted into a militant group. Blake saw movement out of the corner of her eye and moved to intercept it. Following a horrible scream that stuck another needle of guilt into her soul, Blake broke through a nearby door to find a terrifying scene. In the center of the room was a woman bent at the waist with her head pressed into the chest of a taller, standing man. It would be a typical scene of a panicked populace except for the blood dribbling down the man's chest and out of his mouth. The woman stepped into the limp body leaning over her and swung her torso back, tossing the body over her shoulders and off her horns. As she turned to regard the new arrival, Blake recognized her.

Blood poured down the goat-faunus' horns, clinging to her indigo hair and running down her pale face. Her mask covered the bottom half of her face like a muzzle and her red eyes shined with a malevolent glee. "Blake Belladonna" Her name was Ether Nightshade, leader of the cell in Atlas and the most notoriously violent member of the White Fang. Adam told her that Ether was a 'feral animal' and judging by the bloody blades extending from her gauntlets and the blood splattered over her white clothes, Adam was right. Blake readied Gambol Shroud focusing on Aura to use her Semblance if necessary. Ether crouched low in a pouncing position. "I do love killing traitors."

Ether lunged at Blake, passed through the clone, and kept moving. Blake moved to make distance between herself and the goat-faunus, unloading her gun into Ether's back. Ether was quicker though, blocking the shots with one gauntlet before planting both her feet and shooting back toward Blake. Blake's Aura protected her from being impaled on Ether's horns, but the force of the gore sent her crashing into a pillar and crumpling to the ground. Blake blocked Ether's claws with her blades, but the older faunus was stronger then her, slowly pressing Blake down. "Do you know how many faunus you and your precious humans killed in Mountain Glenn?"

Blake felt herself falter slightly before using all her strength to push Ether back. "They were gathering Grimm to wipe a city from the map!"

Ether unleashed the machine pistols in her gauntlets. "You're weak! Just like your father!" Blake moved between piles of rubble, using her blades to deflect the rounds that she couldn't dodge. She leapt out of cover with her gun ready, to find Ether directly below her. Ether leapt up into the air, stabbing her claws into Blake's thighs and sides. Blake screamed in pain as her Aura shattered and Ether threw her to the ground. "Don't worry, traitor. I missed your vital bits..." Blake tried to move but her legs were on fire. Ether pointed a gauntlet at her, blood still dripping from the claws. "…for now."

Blake braced as well as she could on her wounded legs and dodged just fast enough to feel a dust round graze her arm before Ether was on her, stepping on Blake's ankle to keep her there. Ether laughed at her leveling the gun at her shoulder joint. Ether wouldn't kill her quickly. The sadistic goat-faunus would take her time and all Blake could do was hope that her friends would find her. That hope rose in her heart after a shot went off, knocking Ether's gauntlet aside, but was soon replaced with ice as the new party spoke.

"There you are." Ether turned to regard Adam as he walked up to the pair, sheathing his blade. He looked just as Blake remembered him, unruffled at the destruction around him. The sight of the masked man she used to admire now just filled her with terror

Ether kept her eyes on Adam as he approached. "What are you doing here Taurus? I thought you ran back to Mistral to cry into Sienna's skirts when this one left you."

Neither Adam's face nor tone gave away any irritation. "And I thought you were supposed to be leading the Atlas cell. Looks like neither of us are listening today." Adam put himself just out of striking range of both Blake and Ether

Ether stepped off Blake, moving to get an angle at Adam's side. "You here to rescue the girl who ran out on you?"

"No" The harshness of his tone sent a shiver up Blake's spine. She dragged herself back to use some rubble to stand. Adam was positioned to face between them, but Blake felt his good eye sear into her from behind his mask.

Ether seemed ready to strike at Adam if necessary. "Are you here to put her in her place then? Mad I beat you to the blood?"

Adam was silent for a moment. Was he really here to hurt her? For all of Adam's darkness, he never laid a hand on her in anger. The thought that he had fallen so far from the man she fell in love with made Blake numb. Adam's wicked smirk just increased her dread. "I shall deal with my older grudge first." Adam turned his body to face Blake fully, taking a step forward.

Blake swallowed the bile in her throat and stood as tall as she was able with her wounds. "I didn't want this Adam. I wanted peace. I wanted equality!"

Ether scoffed and growled a few obscenities, but Adam merely sighed. "I am surprised you still hold those empty ideals. The decency of some humans doesn't mean they can be forgiven for everything they've done to us!" He wasn't screaming, but the passion in his voice was different. It wasn't the same charismatic passion he had when he spoke to the cell. He was speaking to her like he did when they were alone, when his mask was off but always within arm's reach.

"Decent humans! What kind of shit are you spouting Taurus?" Blake could practically feel the venom in Ether's voice.

Adam turned to regard the goat-faunus, pulling Wilt and Blush from his belt and waving it in Ether's direction. "11 years ago, I pulled this off a human Huntress sent to kill me when I was a boy. I didn't kill her though. A human man saved me, took me in, and trained me to fight along with other faunus children."

"A human taught you to fight? And you are supposed to be a role model?" Blake had heard some of Adam's history before, when he first showed her his face.

"It's because of him that I met the kindest person I have ever known and the first girl I ever loved." That was the point where Blake, in her insecurity, interrupted him the last time.

Ether's voice held the smirk that was hidden behind the mask. "Let me guess, the human fucked your little girlfriend?" Adam's grip on Wilt and Blush tightened. Adam and Ether seemed to be solely focused on each other, but Blake couldn't look away.

Adam laughed. "Oh no, he was dismembered. That girl I loved was crippled and her sister was slaughtered by a group of faunus." Ether flinched slightly and raised her claws. Adam smirked wickedly at Ether. "You are the last one."

Ether snarled at him. "Traitor! You're just like them. Abomination spawn-" Ether was cut off by a roar and a flash of red light. As Ether flew across the room and into the opposite wall with the force of Adam's strike, he turned to meet Blake's likely shocked expression. Adam gave her a small smile before closing the distance on Ether and shattering the wall behind her with his semblance.

Blake put her confusion aside as she staggered to the wall to get out of the room. She had to get away while Adam was distracted. She scrambled along the wall toward a destroyed window. If she could find her team, Adam might not come for her next. As she neared the window, she faltered as the image of either Ether or Adam following her back to Weiss. Blake had seen Adam's brand. He would kill Weiss or die trying. Her slight hesitation prevented her from leaving the building, but also saved her from damage as Ether flew into the wall not five feet away from where Blake stood, her red-hued Aura breaking. Ether's mask fell to the ground as she lifted her head and damaged gauntlets, coughing up blood "Death to traitors!"

Adam was inside her guard immediately, pressing Blush against her forehead. "That's the plan." With that final line, Adam executed Ether Nightshade. Gore exploded out of the back of her head and coated the wall behind her. Blake stumbled back in shock, her wounded legs giving way under her. When Adam looked back at her, he was back to his usual stoic expression save for the blood spattering his face. "I lost faith in humans when they refused to find Ether and her partners. There was no need to investigate faunus on faunus violence in Atlas. Tell me Blake, do you still have faith in humans?"

Blake swallowed her fear and hardened her face. "I have faith in my friends. There is more than darkness out here. There is good in this world, Adam!"

Adam sighed heavily and his stoic expression slipped for a moment before returning to normal. He took a step toward her, sheathing his blade. Blake prepared to dodge the Moonslice she knew was coming before a voice rang across the building. "Get away from her!"

Blake turned just in time to see Yang's eyes go red. "Yang, no!" Yang leapt forward with her gauntlets giving her a boost, but Adam was faster. The world flashed red as Yang flew passed them, landing in a heap. Blake stared at the bleeding stump where her partner's right arm now ended above the elbow. Adam's approaching footsteps broke Blake out of her stupor and she dove to cover Yang's body, glaring at the man she had once loved. Blake registered his shock and confusion for a brief moment before pulling every scrap of Aura she could muster for one last clone and dove out the window with Yang in her arms. Blake made it out of the building, landing hard on her right side. Blake bit her lip so hard to avoid crying out that she tasted blood. Forcing her semblance had left her sapped for strength, but her injuries didn't matter at that point. Blake was in a haze and didn't stop moving until she reached a group of refugees waiting to be picked up, where her legs finally gave out on her.

Vale Refugee Hospital, After the Fall, Day 1, Evening

Following the fall of Beacon Academy, the VPD set up a cordon in a relatively undamaged section of the city and created a makeshift hospital for those Huntsmen and civilians wounded in the attack. Blake found herself sitting on the floor in a corner of the dark room. In two cots in front of her were Ruby and Yang. Weiss had been led away by some Atlesian military personnel early that morning and was now in route to Atlas. Ruby was as still as she had been when her uncle brought her in, the only sign of life being the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest.

Yang was shaking slightly in her sleep. She had woken up in the morning and was very quiet as Blake sat beside her and explained what happened. Beacon had fallen, the tower shattered with a stone Wyvern curled around it. Pyrrha and Penny were dead and Pyrrha didn't even have a body to bury. Ozpin was missing, presumed dead. It was understandable that Yang was not herself after everything that happened, but just looking at Yang's stump or her dead eyes cut Blake to her core.

Blake wrapped her arms around herself and pulled her legs up to her chest. Her Aura, like her spirit, was weaker then it should've been. While her wounds had closed up, her right leg still had muscle damage to the point that she needed a crutch to walk. There is more than darkness out here. Her own words now haunted her. Her past had come back to bite her and ended up leaving with part of her partner.

I brought Ether here, who brought Adam here, who crippled Yang. It all started with me. Her mind had been bringing the same thoughts to the forefront for hours. She wished that Yang hadn't come for her. Wished that she was left to the mercy of Adam. She also knew that if Ruby was conscious, she would try to talk her out of the dark thoughts spiraling in her head, but Ruby wasn't there. Blake felt the tears coming back, but a voice broke through her haze.

"We're here for Blake Belladona." The voice was coming from down the hall and the sound of boots moved toward the dark room. A medic was trying to talk to the voice, but the pain from making it to her feet stopped Blake from hearing the whole conversation. She caught the word 'arrest' though. Blake was confused. Why was the VPD coming to arrest her?

Blake turned to the remains of her team, in desperate need of recovery. Blake didn't want to cause them any more trouble then she already had. She limped to the window and used her semblance to escape the room. Blake moved across the street from the makeshift hospital before taking a long look at the building. She'd come back once she could figure out what was going on. It wouldn't take too long. A shout brought her attention to an officer running toward her, pulling their weapon. Blake used her semblance and escaped down an alley. With her still healing injuries, she only made it a few blocks away before she was forced to lean against a wall to catch her breath. She closed her eyes to try to focus, but all she saw were the faces of all those she couldn't save. Ether's voice ringing in her head, calling her a 'traitor'. Was there something she could have done to prevent this? If she just stayed with Adam, would she have been able to change the cell. Her thoughts were interrupted by the cocking of a hammer. "Freeze! Hands in the air!"

Blake looked up to see a VPD officer approaching her, gun drawn. Blake raised her hands wobbling a bit as she tried to stand straight. "Please, I don't know what this is about. I haven't done anything wrong." Her voice sounded controlled despite the lie she had just given him, but the officers eyes narrowed as he moved closer.

"Tell that to my wife." He leveled the gun at her head. Blake froze as she realized that the officer was going to execute her. Before the officer fired, there was a flash of multicolored light from the back of the alleyway and the officer's head shot forward before falling in a heap in front of her. Blake followed the weapon as it twirled through the air and landed in the outstretched hand of a person she didn't want to see, Roman Torchwick.

Torchwick leaned heavily on his cane, keeping the weight off his right ankle. He was missing his hat, jacket, and gloves. His ascot was being used as a wrap for his mangled ankle and his hair was slicked back with what looked like engine grease. The most obvious difference from the last time she saw him was his missing left sleeve which showed no arm and a mangled cybernetic joint at his shoulder that looked like his arm was ripped off. Before she could gather more information she was interrupted by his usual jokey tone. "Fancy seeing you here Kitty Cat. It's such a beautiful night for a walk. Care to join me?"