Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

It was all she could do to avoid the onslaught of blows. Near dodges, jumping to the sides, rolling back...everything Ilia could do to keep out of reach of both those blades. Now that the mask was gone, she could see Blake's face in full and it was every bit as fierce as could be expected from somebody attacking so furiously. That savage death glare...seeing that look directed at her stung, and she felt sure that if any of the slices landed they wouldn't hurt even half as much. But as much as it hurt, the look only made her resolve stronger. Blake had to be stopped. "Listen to yourself!" Ilia yelled as she kept herself one step ahead of the assault. "Human, faunus...murder is still murder! It leaves a mark, no matter how you try to rationalize it. Some things aren't worth the cost!" She shook her head.

"And even if you think it is, don't forget, I've seen the man you're working with my own eyes. He's practically a grimm himself! Do you really think the grimm are gonna care whether their prey is human or faunus?! They won't discriminate in their slaughter!" The chameleon jumped back, a leap that had her falling backwards off the tower. As Blake followed in close pursuit, Ilia had already used her whip to slingshot around one of the lampposts right back towards the cat faunus that had both of Ilia's boots slam into her in an attempt to kick her skyward, which if it worked was quickly followed by her whip wrapping around Blake and delivering a high voltage to try and end this before Blake got even more hurt.​

"You're right, it will leave a mark! One in blood, a warning to every human and their defenders that we aren't their playthings anymore!"

Just like that first night

She growled as Ilia dodged the one way she could that Blake couldn't immediately slide with her semblance to follow; over the railing. She leaped to and off it in an instant, casting her eyes down to find her prey-

She grunted in pain as the feet slammed into her chest and she shot upwards, only for that momentum to immediately halt as she felt the metal wrap around her legs. She howled in a mixture of anger and agony, but in an instant she disappeared. The whip hadn't been slipped out of; rather, her semblance had sent her trajectory straight back towards Ilia with a blur to latch her hand around her neck and send them tumbling back towards the ground as the voltage coursed through them both.

"And that includes Ozpin!" she roared the pain. "If he goes back on his word then he dies!"

As soon as Ilia released the voltage to save her self, Blake vanished once again, yet the grip didn't disappear; a stone statue of the faunus came into existence, sculpted in the same shape and with the same grip to hold Ilia in place as Blake semblace dashed three times in a row to beat the other faunus to the ground with her weapon spinning into hand to catch her landing with an impaling strike.

"And now it has to include you too."

 

[Gus Gungus]

When Nora skidded to a halt a fair distance away, now sans weapon thanks to that gunshot and some solid bladework, the glower on her face was as scathing as it could get. "Awful lot of cockiness for a guy who not so long ago had been stuffed away in some broom closet or wherever the hell that coward had stuck you." Valkyrie briefly tore her gaze away from him and peered down at her gloved hands. The pair slowly clenched as she lifted her head back up. Little crackles of electricity didn't simply spark around her this time. No, whole bolts of lightning flared up all around her body, Nora willing as much power as her veins could possibly contain to flow into her, increasing her strength to its absolute max limit. Even her normally aqua eyes glowed a harsh shade of pinkish-purple that matched the lightning.

In an instant she pushed off the ground and charged Qrow, forgoing the use of her Magnhild in favor of hand to hand. The first punch struck one of the more blunt sides of Harbinger so ferociously that the clang that echoed out sounded no different than one weapon meeting another and sent ringing vibrations shooting up the arm that held the sword. Her other hand quickly followed up to grab the blade and push it to the side to free her up for a series of bareknuckle blows, aimed at his face, his stomach, his kidneys, wherever the hell she could hit.

"Yeah, and the worst part was when I woke up I still had some of your boyfriend's teeth in my knuckles. Had to pick 'em out."

In contrast to his easy return of the barb, his eyes were narrowed with an increased sharpness as Nora did her thing, having some kind of idea what to expect. He raised his grip on Harbinger to a ready stance in anticipation of the barb, and when Nora's respone to being disarmed was to charge in with a bare-knuckle confidence that rivaled his own he was... ready for her to be strong, but not that strong. Like, Yang knee deep in a beating strong. The swing rattled his bones enough that Nora was able to push his block aside, and the following two slugs might've left him with a concussion after all this was over before Harbinger spun and whirred into its extended scythe mode, adorned with whatever idiosyncrasies a self-absorbed bandit chieftain version of himself might've personalized it with over the years that in his opinion were just tacky. The hilt redirected Nora's third swing upward before the blade whirled around to catch her in the chin on the upswing, and Qrow changed tactics to force Nora back at scythe's reach so her midget arms just weren't close enough to reach him.

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...no." He said, but the look on his face contradicted that answer. He looked like he desperately wished that was an option, but...his mind flashed back to the horrors and pain he endured in some dark corner of the labyrinthian Evernight Castle, once Ozpin had whisked him away. That had been for nothing more than inaction, standing by and doing nothing more than videotaping the events at Beacon. If he actually tried to flee? He couldn't imagine(and really didn't want to) the punishment that he'd suffer. "...I can't." He rushed Mercury after that, swinging Crocea Mors as fast as he could.

"Who even are you? Seem kinda lame to be running with a crew this intense." He commented neutrally, just meeting those swings with light redirecting jabs with his legs for now as he tried to coax out the full measure of this guy's offense. Mercury was pretty sure his worth in Ozpin's organization hinged on what he had to admit seemed like a pretty unique semblance, but... There had to be something here, right? He suddenly dipped low, leg sweeping out to knock Jaune's from underneath him before an overhead flip brought his heel crashing down towards his abdomen before he was done falling, seeking to smash him into the earth hard enough that it cracked.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Eve was getting really goddamn tired of all these gleeful gladiators and the happy-go-lucky smiles they kept facing her with. Her own grin was equally as much a taunting snarl, putting everything she had into the high-speeds clash as the beam was wielded like a kendo stick with no less prowess than she exerted over Wilt. But she had to admit; she was wrong. The human was good. Maybe even the best technique she'd ever faced. With such high levels of mastery in their respective forms of combat it certainly made for a fascinating clash of styles fit for an arena, gladiatorial strategy well matched against her iaijutsu's speed and precision.

The problem was that at the end of the day what she was holding was a stick, and with seemingly nary a gap to be seen in either of their fighting styles that was inevitably gonna let her down sooner or later. So there was, naturally, a second phase to this offensive of hers.

As they neared the tail-end of the first proper exchange of the night, neither warrior had given an inch, and in the same exact instant Pyrrha's spear swung back around her shoulders Eve snatched Wilt out of the air right as its descent brought it in reach, a burst of sparks and a shiiiing that lingered in the ear marking the weapon's collision with the javelin to parry it aside enough for Eve to sidestep. Just like that, her offense appeared to double in furious intensity, grip on the beam having subtly shifted to start wielding it as a substitute for Blush instead as both it and Wilt swung in for Pyrrha's neck in a scissor slash, Eve's hair, mask and clothing beginning to flare up that demonic red again. She took a step forward and poured her entire being into advancing on the Mistralian champion's position, bent on using the stick to keep Pyrrha on her toes enough that precise weapon manipulation was impossible in the heat of the struggle.

"A murderous cultist who's nice. You humans are a riot."



It was subtle, but Eve's attention suddenly appeared to divide in the midst of the flurry, one or two strikes not landing with quite the same level of technique and precision as her gaze flicked past Pyrrha for a split second.​

Whatever words Eve tried to say to Pyrrha didn't seem to reach her ears, her focus utterly consumed by the dance of blades and wooden beams they were currently locked in. When Eve flared red again, Pyrrha's eyes widened and she swung her shield out to block wilt while her spear extended and slammed into the ground as leverage to block the beam.

When the strike ended, Wilt was buried in Pyrrha's shield, the only reason it wasn't also buried in her arm being that Pyrrha had caught the blade in on the edge of the shield instead of the front to put those precious extra inches of metal between her and the swing.

The shield detached from her arm and stayed stuck on the blade like the world's most unwieldy training weight, the gladiator effortlessly switching to a two handed spear style as she spun the haft into her hands and jabbed forward in a quick switch to a game of keep away, each thrust followed by a backstep to make use of her weapons reach.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"You're right, it will leave a mark! One in blood, a warning to every human and their defenders that we aren't their playthings anymore!"

Just like that first night

She growled as Ilia dodged the one way she could that Blake couldn't immediately slide with her semblance to follow; over the railing. She leaped to and off it in an instant, casting her eyes down to find her prey-

She grunted in pain as the feet slammed into her chest and she shot upwards, only for that momentum to immediately halt as she felt the metal wrap around her legs. She howled in a mixture of anger and agony, but in an instant she disappeared. The whip hadn't been slipped out of; rather, her semblance had sent her trajectory straight back towards Ilia with a blur to latch her hand around her neck and send them tumbling back towards the ground as the voltage coursed through them both.

"And that includes Ozpin!" she roared the pain. "If he goes back on his word then he dies!"

As soon as Ilia released the voltage to save her self, Blake vanished once again, yet the grip didn't disappear; a stone statue of the faunus came into existence, sculpted in the same shape and with the same grip to hold Ilia in place as Blake semblace dashed three times in a row to beat the other faunus to the ground with her weapon spinning into hand to catch her landing with an impaling strike.

"And now it has to include you too."

"You should know better than that, Blake--" Ilia started to yell back, only to be literally cut off by the angry cat disappearing and reappearing right in front of her with a hand pressing against her throat. The shocks coursed through both of them as Ilia's screams of pain matched Blake's, the chameleon doing her best to move her twitching finger over the trigger of her weapon and disengaged the shocking electric dust to cease that. The second she did though, Blake was gone. The real one, anyway. The stone facsimile on the other hand, that kept a tight rock hand clutching at her neck. And before she could break the dust statue clone...

The pain registered before the sound of a blade cutting through flesh reached her ears. The agonized yell that followed, it made the one just moments before sound almost insignificant. Forcing through the pain, Ilia's eyes caught sight of where Blake's weapon had impaled her through the lower right side of her torso. At the same time she pulled her weapon's trigger, shifting it from whip to sword form and on pure self-preservation instinct turned just enough to allow her to jam her own blade into Blake's shoulder, pushing it all the way through until the hilt itself was pressed against that shoulder.

Ilia let go and left it there for the moment, both hands moving to take hold of Blake's weapon currently digging into her side and yanked it out. Still operating under the instinct to survive rather than with any coherent logical thought, Ilia screamed with pain and went to hack at that arm connected to the shoulder she'd just stabbed, so desperate to prevent any further life-threatening injuries that the realization of what she was doing didn't hit her. There was only the pain and the absolute need to survive. Nothing more.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

It revealed a Yang still standing, albeit obviously injured. Burns were scattered across her skin, blood was flowing near one of her eyes and her shoulder was obviously still dislocated...but her hair was glowing intensely bright as she glared dangerously at her counterpart. But more than that, there was a Jaune by her shoulder who had not been there before, one hand resting on her and equally glowing as evil Yang slammed her opposite shoulder back into place with a grunt. "I did." Yang growled. "I was the one who said that, and I'm still right on that. But friends? That's not the same thing as allies."

"...oh that is so cheap-!"

Like, Yang knee deep in a beating strong.

HEY SPEAKING OF

The second she spat that word at her counterpart, she lunged through the air at her good double, fueled by both all the damage she had just taken on the chin as well as how much had Jaune supercharged her aura and ABSOLUTELY intent to repay each and every blow she'd just endured, her onslaught far more aggressive and powerful than her double's had been.

She was definitely right; that first punch would've been enough to lay her out if it hit her square in the face instead of a block with her forearm, and even the toughened bone and muscle on one of Yang's most abused parts of her body burned with such a violent pain Yang was afraid it'd somehow fractured through her aura. But she could still use it; Unlike her double yang had full use of every limb for this counterattack, and she was much quicker on the recovery of her shock than her double was

Which isn't to say Yang didn't find herself on the receiving end of way more of that barrage than she wanted to be, because that definitely did happen.

But while the first few blows put a massive dent in her aura, it also did exactly what Yang had been trying to avoid by going for the dislocation earlier; Yang's strength plus whatever bonus Jaune passed on coursing directly into her semblance, and by the seventh swing the dark Yang's punch went completely wide as yang's foot pushed into a back step with enough force that the floor cracked before a gunshot rocketed her right back forward in a three swing combo for her double's vitals right before she backstepped again.

Her aura was too low now to be playing slugfest; she was running the numbers, how much she'd taken out of Yangry's aura in that first barrage, what Jaune could accomplish in that amount of time from their training together with the Ace Ops, how many hits she could probably take now from how the slow the massive bruises her double had left on her side just now were healing, how many shots she had left before she had to reload (that had been so embarrassing last time); Her feet stayed light and her punches weren't full strength as she made her double work for ever step closer and took another two step back, determined to put on a clinic in sheer technical prowess in a rare boxer on boxer fight.

She couldn't go down. She refused to go down. It was sheer bloody willpower that had kept her enemy's super powered barrage from putting her in the dirt in those first few punches.

But sometimes willpower wasn't enough, and she was getting kinda sick of all the blonde jokes :T

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Yeah, and the worst part was when I woke up I still had some of your boyfriend's teeth in my knuckles. Had to pick 'em out."

In contrast to his easy return of the barb, his eyes were narrowed with an increased sharpness as Nora did her thing, having some kind of idea what to expect. He raised his grip on Harbinger to a ready stance in anticipation of the barb, and when Nora's respone to being disarmed was to charge in with a bare-knuckle confidence that rivaled his own he was... ready for her to be strong, but not that strong. Like, Yang knee deep in a beating strong. The swing rattled his bones enough that Nora was able to push his block aside, and the following two slugs might've left him with a concussion after all this was over before Harbinger spun and whirred into its extended scythe mode, adorned with whatever idiosyncrasies a self-absorbed bandit chieftain version of himself might've personalized it with over the years that in his opinion were just tacky. The hilt redirected Nora's third swing upward before the blade whirled around to catch her in the chin on the upswing, and Qrow changed tactics to force Nora back at scythe's reach so her midget arms just weren't close enough to reach him.

There was a pained grunt when the scythe cracked her under her chin, the blow knocking her head to look straight up as she stumbled back a step or two. When she righted her head, her field of view was majorly taken up by the sight of a scythe slicing for her head, an attack that she so narrowly managed to duck under that she felt it slice through some of the longer hairs on her head. "Grrrrr." She growled with an annoyed scowl, dodging a few follow up swings as Qrow did his best to keep her at more than arm's length. An attempt that was largely successful. After the next attack she somersaulted backwards to gain further distance before turning to run for her weapon.
​

"Who even are you? Seem kinda lame to be running with a crew this intense." He commented neutrally, just meeting those swings with light redirecting jabs with his legs for now as he tried to coax out the full measure of this guy's offense. Mercury was pretty sure his worth in Ozpin's organization hinged on what he had to admit seemed like a pretty unique semblance, but... There had to be something here, right? He suddenly dipped low, leg sweeping out to knock Jaune's from underneath him before an overhead flip brought his heel crashing down towards his abdomen before he was done falling, seeking to smash him into the earth hard enough that it cracked.

"...someone who can't afford to lose." Jaune eventually answered from the prone position he was in after those two attacks had absolutely laid him out. And obviously losing. "Nora? Yang? Ren? Anybody, little help...?" Probably a pointless thing to even ask but...​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Had she truly been such a judgmental little bitch when she was younger?​

Yes

ust because she was proud of her body that made her a stripper??! Had she truly been such a judgmental little bitch when she was younger? Looking down her nose at her other, Neo sniffed and gesturing to her modest bosom dismissed her doppleganger with a rather lewd hand motion and an irritable gesture to her counterpart's chest. Give it a couple more years and maybe you'll come close to looking as good as this, honey.

Not fucking likely.

Normally, Neo enjoyed things like this. Taunting was part of the fun! Well, that and murder but y'know. Having her looks dissed by a bratty goody two-shoes version of herself really pissed her off. She'd seen the looks that this Neo had been giving her everytime she saw her with this world's Roman. It was a nice cocktail of jealously and hatred. Using her semblance, she turned Hush into an illusion of none other than this Neo's roman, the one she planned to take for her own. Ozpin's plans or Salem's plans be damned. Neo didn't care for either of them. Gesturing to her lips and then to 'Roman', 'he leaned down and seemed to kiss her right on the lips before shattering as Hush fell back into her hands. Roman HAD been worrying about this Neo/wanting to get her over to his side, who's to say they didn't share a brief kiss in the passion of battle?~

Neo knew how much this other her despised her. The very idea of her and Roman(whom'd already confessed his love to his Neo and the two had been lefti n something of awkward limbo since then)swapping spit probably made her want to wretch. But then who could blame Roman? She was obviously the better one!~ Willing to do what needs to be done and looked damn good while she did it~

Taking Roman's first kiss was just the cherry on top!~

...But really, was she seriously going to let some high school level slut shaming get in her way?! She wanted to KILL this bitch!

The comments on her own body earned Neo a complete non-reaction outside of a raised eyebrow, Neo letting her weight rest on hush as the stripper pole shattered like glass. But when Neo did the... other thing, her eyes widened slightly in shock, and she stood up straight and gripped her weapon's handle tight enough that the leather on her gloves creaked as she broke out into a snarl. Not for the reasons the other Neo probably thought she did.

So what, then? So what if this freakish murder clown stripper wearing her face actually wanted to give Roman what he wanted? This Neo wasn't her, and she was the one who Roman actually cared about, no matter how that miserable mess ended up.

...

...right?

She glanced downwards with a deep breath, before her head snapped up with a silent cry of rage as she took a step forward with her weapon raised more like a baseball bat than the elegant tool it was-

She froze, her eyes a mixture of surprised and slightly terrified as she looked at something behind Neo as two gunshots went off in the distance. If Neo turned, she saw Yang, in all her rage glory and carrying the momentum of her brawl with her better (at being the worst) self in her semblance with her hair aflame and eyes carrying so much power you could've mistaken her fora maiden, her fist pulled back for a violent blow that was already just a few inches from striking Neo clean back of the head, or now the face, the entire thing seeming to happen in slow motion.

...actually, Yang was literally moving in slow motion, for reasons apparent as she shattered a few moments later. When Neo turned around, there was a literal dotted line floating and blinking in the air where Emerald had been collapsed and Neo had been standing moments earlier, before they too shattered into glass

Again, as much as she wanted to sock that smug brat, she wasn't sure if she could win and she really did need to get her teammate to safety

 

[MyrtenRose]

She was definitely right; that first punch would've been enough to lay her out if it hit her square in the face instead of a block with her forearm, and even the toughened bone and muscle on one of Yang's most abused parts of her body burned with such a violent pain Yang was afraid it'd somehow fractured through her aura. But she could still use it; Unlike her double yang had full use of every limb for this counterattack, and she was much quicker on the recovery of her shock than her double was

Which isn't to say Yang didn't find herself on the receiving end of way more of that barrage than she wanted to be, because that definitely did happen.

But while the first few blows put a massive dent in her aura, it also did exactly what Yang had been trying to avoid by going for the dislocation earlier; Yang's strength plus whatever bonus Jaune passed on coursing directly into her semblance, and by the seventh swing the dark Yang's punch went completely wide as yang's foot pushed into a back step with enough force that the floor cracked before a gunshot rocketed her right back forward in a three swing combo for her double's vitals right before she backstepped again.

Her aura was too low now to be playing slugfest; she was running the numbers, how much she'd taken out of Yangry's aura in that first barrage, what Jaune could accomplish in that amount of time from their training together with the Ace Ops, how many hits she could probably take now from how the slow the massive bruises her double had left on her side just now were healing, how many shots she had left before she had to reload (that had been so embarrassing last time); Her feet stayed light and her punches weren't full strength as she made her double work for ever step closer and took another two step back, determined to put on a clinic in sheer technical prowess in a rare boxer on boxer fight.

She couldn't go down. She refused to go down. It was sheer bloody willpower that had kept her enemy's super powered barrage from putting her in the dirt in those first few punches.

But sometimes willpower wasn't enough, and she was getting kinda sick of all the blonde jokes :T

As soon as one of the punches she threw was an utter miss, the smallest hint of a frown at the corner of her mouth could be seen. For as wrong as her foolishly naïve counterpart was on so many things, she was right on one point. An extended round of fisticuffs would end up being an exercise in futility, with each feeding the other more power until finally one of their auras gave out. A wasteful exercise, and one that was not advisable when surrounded by this many enemies. Even if she won the brawl with her other self, she'd have to fight those others too. Something that Jaune weakly pointed out from where he was getting completely humiliated by Mercury. When Yang got rocked back by her good counterpart's combo and immediately rushed back in, she feinted that she would lash out with another punch. She didn't, instead swinging low with a kick that swept her counterpart's legs out from under her. While her double hung in the air, she fired out a series of explosive rounds that sent the benevolent blonde flying back a good couple dozen feet.

The very second after she fired the last shot that way, she turned and fired again, backwards shots that propelled her at a different target.

She hit the ground behind him so hard that like her counterpart, the floor cracked underneath her boots. A one-two combo followed, using all she could of the power-up she got from the damage she endured plus Jaune's amplification in the two blows. The first absolutely obliterated what was left of Roman's weakened aura. The second? It went right through him. A point-blank shotgun blast tore open a hole in his back that her fist followed through and emerged out the other side so fast that depending on where he was looking, he might have seen the bloodsoaked fist poking through the center of his abdomen before the pain even registered.

Just as quickly she pulled the fist back with a nasty sounding noise, much of her arm now coated in the kid's blood. Following that she kicked him in the back of the leg to force him to his knees before she continued further. The frankly deranged grin on her face in that moment was a spine-chilling sight to behold.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

The shield detached from her arm and stayed stuck on the blade like the world's most unwieldy training weight, the gladiator effortlessly switching to a two handed spear style as she spun the haft into her hands and jabbed forward in a quick switch to a game of keep away, each thrust followed by a backstep to make use of her weapons reach.

The tense struggle that followed Wilt's impact cleaving through some of her enemy's shield yielded an interesting development, as rather than press an offense with her free hand Eve opted for her most surprising tactic yet.

She ran away, leaving Wilt entrenched in the shield as she seized whatever tiny opening her efforts had managed to create to break off from this engagement, a pretty good fight that legitimately could not have been any less important to her right now. Pyrrha didn't even make her list of priorities currently, and in the last few seconds one of them would have just rocketed to the top position if it hadn't already been comfortably sitting there.

As soon as Ilia released the voltage to save her self, Blake vanished once again, yet the grip didn't disappear; a stone statue of the faunus came into existence, sculpted in the same shape and with the same grip to hold Ilia in place as Blake semblace dashed three times in a row to beat the other faunus to the ground with her weapon spinning into hand to catch her landing with an impaling strike.

"And now it has to include you too."

Ilia let go and left it there for the moment, both hands moving to take hold of Blake's weapon currently digging into her side and yanked it out. Still operating under the instinct to survive rather than with any coherent logical thought, Ilia screamed with pain and went to hack at that arm connected to the shoulder she'd just stabbed, so desperate to prevent any further life-threatening injuries that the realization of what she was doing didn't hit her. There was only the pain and the absolute need to survive. Nothing more.

No sooner than the two had landed in their vicious entanglement were they met by a frantic pelting of footsteps, and with a roaring lunge three different instances of Eve appeared at Blake's side. The first two were mere blurry silhouettes, little save the hair and rose emblem that burned vibrant red to identify her attacker, before the final and true Eve burst through them with a heavy downward swing of her makeshift weapon for her ex lover's skull intended to put her out, the interval between the clones' attacks marginal at best to the point that it was hard to discern which of them struck in what order.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

 

[Gus Gungus]

As soon as the first punch she threw was an utter miss, the smallest hint of a frown at the corner of her mouth could be seen. For as wrong as her foolishly naïve counterpart was on so many things, she was right on one point. An extended round of fisticuffs would end up being an exercise in futility, with each feeding the other more power until finally one of their auras gave out. A wasteful exercise, and one that was not advisable when surrounded by this many enemies. Even if she won the brawl with her other self, she'd have to fight those others too. Something that Jaune weakly pointed out from where he was getting completely humiliated by Mercury. When Yang got rocked back by her good counterpart's combo and immediately rushed back in, she feinted that she would lash out with another punch. She didn't, instead swinging low with a kick that swept her counterpart's legs out from under her. While her double hung in the air, she fired out a series of explosive rounds that sent the benevolent blonde flying back a good couple dozen feet.

The very second after she fired the last shot that way, she turned and fired again, backwards shots that propelled her at a different target.

She hit the ground behind him so hard that like her counterpart, the floor cracked underneath her boots. A one-two combo followed, using all she could of the power-up she got from the damage she endured plus Jaune's amplification in the two blows. The first absolutely obliterated what was left of Roman's weakened aura. The second? It went right through him. A point-blank shotgun blast tore open a hole in his back that her fist followed through and emerged out the other side so fast that depending on where he was looking, he might have seen the bloodsoaked fist poking through his abdomen before the pain even registered.

Just as quickly she pulled the fist back with a nasty sounding noise, much of her arm now coated in the kid's blood. Following that she kicked him in the back of the leg to force him to his knees before she continued further. The frankly deranged grin on her face in that moment was a spine-chilling sight to behold.

It was the sound of it that attracted Mercury's attention, and when he paused to turn with his boot on Jaune's back his world froze. Every last drop of blood in his body boiled and evaporated into steam, which metaphorically came out his ears such was his rage. He was gonna kill that bitch. He didn't know how. He didn't know when. She was dead. DEAD her entire FAMILY was DEAD, uncle, sister, that entire goddamn confusing inbred mess of a family tree, he was gonna burn it down, strike the Xiao Long bloodline from the earth, and he was gonna make sure she was the very last leaf on the last branch left alive so she could see it all.

But right now he just stood. And stared. And as soon as Yang's less marked for death self retaliated in whatever way she did, presumably taking the fight away from Roman, Mercury lifted Jaune's wrist from wherever it was splayed with his mechanical legs still forcing the guy flat to the ground, stretching his arm all the way up towards him in what was no doubt a more and more uncomfortable position for Arc until-

CRACK

He twisted sharply, keeping the boot and Jaune pinned where he was as he wrenched his left arm free from its socket in a way that maximized the pain. He ignored whatever the other fighter's reaction to it was, snatching him by his mop of scraggly blonde hair and dragging him facefirst across the ground until they were by Roman's side, at which point he shoved Jaune against his prone form.

"EVERY SECOND that you're not boosting him-"

There was another, smaller CRACK, except this time it was one of the fingers on Jaune's limp arm that found itself dislodged from its socket, Mercury holding the limb in a twisted vice grip. Needless to say, the agony was unimaginable.

"-you lose a finger."​

 

[MidwayLives]

Melodic Cudgel fell to the ground, having been punched straight through. Roman’s legs buckled and he collapsed onto his rear, blood gushing from the new entry point where his stomach and part of his spine used to be.

‘w-what...’

He was too shocked to speak. He couldn’t feel his legs. His hat fell off to the side beside him.

‘Pretty sure this is fatal...Ah, man...’ Roman’s thoughts weren’t of the gaping hole in his stomach but....

‘Neo...Sorry. Couldn’t make it.’

 

[MyrtenRose]

It was the sound of it that attracted Mercury's attention, and when he paused to turn with his boot on Jaune's back his world froze. Every last drop of blood in his body boiled and evaporated into steam, which metaphorically came out his ears such was his rage. He was gonna kill that bitch. He didn't know how. He didn't know when. She was dead. DEAD her entire FAMILY was DEAD, uncle, sister, that entire goddamn confusing inbred mess of a family tree, he was gonna burn it down, strike the Xiao Long bloodline from the earth, and he was gonna make sure she was the very last leaf on the last branch left alive so she could see it all.

But right now he just stood. And stared. And as soon as Yang's less marked for death self retaliated in whatever way she did, presumably taking the fight away from Roman, Mercury lifted Jaune's wrist from wherever it was splayed with his mechanical legs still forcing the guy flat to the ground, stretching his arm all the way up towards him in what was no doubt a more and more uncomfortable position for Arc until-

CRACK

He twisted sharply, keeping the boot and Jaune pinned where he was as he wrenched his left arm free from its socket in a way that maximized the pain. He ignored whatever the other fighter's reaction to it was, snatching him by his mop of scraggly blonde hair and dragging him facefirst across the ground until they were by Roman's side, at which point he shoved Jaune against his prone form.

"EVERY SECOND that you're not boosting him-"

There was another, smaller CRACK, except this time it was one of the fingers on Jaune's limp arm that found itself dislodged from its socket, Mercury holding the limb in a twisted vice grip. Needless to say, the agony was unimaginable.

"-you lose a finger."​

There was the initial sharp, shrill cries of pain that were to be expected as Mercury went through doing all that, dislocating his arm and his finger with the threat of more. But once those cries were over, even as the pain continued there was only the sounds of bitter laughter hissing out from between gritted teeth until he spoke. "There's...there's no torture, no pain...you could inflict...that's worse th-than...what I've...already gone...through..." Jaune's eyes narrowed so considerably that they almost appeared fully closed, just the smallest slightest bit of those blue eyes could be seen. "...and I'd...sooner...d-d-die...than risk him......finding out...I h-helped.....an enemy....so...……...do your worst." He forced out slowly, when he could, refusing to acquiesce to that demand. Mercury's worst would be much preferable to what he imagined Ozpin might do.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

There was a pained grunt when the scythe cracked her under her chin, the blow knocking her head to look straight up as she stumbled back a step or two. When she righted her head, her field of view was majorly taken up by the sight of a scythe slicing for her head, an attack that she so narrowly managed to duck under that she felt it slice through some of the longer hairs on her head. "Grrrrr." She growled with an annoyed scowl, dodging a few follow up swings as Qrow did his best to keep her at more than arm's length. An attempt that was largely successful. After the next attack she somersaulted backwards to gain further distance before turning to run for her weapon.

BLAM

Gunfire kicked up dust where Magnhild lay and sent the weapon skidding further away from Nora right as she reached out to grab it, and while she was still extended Harbinger's point hooked her ankle before Qrow dragged back with a long sweeping motion to try yank Nora's feet from under her. If successful, Qrow kicked her over onto her back and the scythe whirled in a graceful shimmer once more before the bladed edge came to rest against her throat.

"Hard luck. Get the picture yet?"

There was the initial sharp, shrill cries of pain that were to be expected as Mercury went through doing all that, dislocating his arm and his finger with the threat of more. But once those cries were over, even as the pain continued there was only the sounds of bitter laughter hissing out from between gritted teeth until he spoke. "There's...there's no torture, no pain...you could inflict...that's worse th-than...what I've...already gone...through..." Jaune's eyes narrowed so considerably that they almost appeared fully closed, just the smallest slightest bit of those blue eyes could be seen. "...and I'd...sooner...d-d-die...than risk him......finding out...I h-helped.....an enemy....so...……...do your worst." He forced out slowly, when he could, refusing to acquiesce to that demand. Mercury's worst would be much preferable to what he imagined Ozpin might do.

"DO IT!"

CRACK

"DO IT! NOW!"

CRACK

"I AM NOT IN THE MOOD TO DICK AROUND! LISTEN TO ME OR I'LL KILL YOU! DO IT!"

CRACK

CRACK

Five fingers left. He couldn't hear anything Jaune was saying, just his old man's voice coaching him on. Encouraging him.

"I WON'T BE ASKING YOU AGAIN!"

CRACK

CRACK

CRACK

CRACK

CRACK

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

He couldn't even do this much. Couldn't keep his own comrades from dying. If he was better this wouldn't have happened. If he had a semblance this wouldn't have happened. Who was he kidding with this huntsman crap? There was only one thing he was good for.

And unless Jaune's will ultimately buckled and he complied, Mercury twisted around and drove his boot down into the son of a bitch's skull again and again, long past the point of his aura shattering until he stopped moving for good.

Once the deed was done, Mercury looked down at his handiwork in a dazed stupor before he dropped to his knees and tried desperately to plug up Roman's wound with his hands. Sleeves. Anything.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

BLAM

Gunfire kicked up dust where Magnhild lay and sent the weapon skidding further away from Nora right as she reached out to grab it, and while she was still extended Harbinger's point hooked her ankle before Qrow dragged back with a long sweeping motion to try yank Nora's feet from under her. If successful, Qrow kicked her over onto her back and the scythe whirled in a graceful shimmer once more before the bladed edge came to rest against her throat.

"Hard luck. Get the picture yet?"

Her gaze slowly lowered to cautiously eye the blade of Harbinger pressed against her throat as close as possible without actually drawing blood. After a good ten seconds, her eyes lifted back up to the face of the man that currently had her pinned with her back to the wall...er, ground in this case. "You can't fool me. There's no way you're going to make good on this threat. Not a lawful huntsman like yourself, no way. You might as well drop the act right this damn second, little bir--"​

"DO IT!"

CRACK

"DO IT! NOW!"

CRACK

"I AM NOT IN THE MOOD TO DICK AROUND! LISTEN TO ME OR I'LL KILL YOU! DO IT!"

CRACK

CRACK

Five fingers left. He couldn't hear anything Jaune was saying, just his old man's voice coaching him on. Encouraging him.

"I WON'T BE ASKING YOU AGAIN!"

CRACK

CRACK

CRACK

CRACK

CRACK

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

He couldn't even do this much. Couldn't keep his own comrades from dying. If he was better this wouldn't have happened. If he had a semblance this wouldn't have happened. Who was he kidding with this huntsman crap? There was only one thing he was good for.

And unless Jaune's will ultimately buckled and he complied, Mercury twisted around and drove his boot down into the son of a bitch's skull again and again, long past the point of his aura shattering until he stopped moving for good.

Once the deed was done, Mercury looked down at his handiwork in a dazed stupor before he dropped to his knees and tried desperately to plug up Roman's wound with his hands. Sleeves. Anything.

...…………………....Ooooooooookay. She looked much less confident in her guess that Qrow was bluffing after glancing over that way, eyes shifting over to see if he was looking over there as well. Oh screw it. Her hands snapped up in an instant, grabbing hold of two spots along the length of the scythe blade and pushing it back as hard as she could in a reckless attempt to get back on her feet. Better to fight and die standing than to take it lying down. If she managed that much, she pushed the bladed part violently aside before one hand reached out to clutch at the elongated handle and tugged to pull Qrow forward, aiming to bring the man into the perfect range for a mighty headbutt.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

As soon as one of the punches she threw was an utter miss, the smallest hint of a frown at the corner of her mouth could be seen. For as wrong as her foolishly naïve counterpart was on so many things, she was right on one point. An extended round of fisticuffs would end up being an exercise in futility, with each feeding the other more power until finally one of their auras gave out. A wasteful exercise, and one that was not advisable when surrounded by this many enemies. Even if she won the brawl with her other self, she'd have to fight those others too. Something that Jaune weakly pointed out from where he was getting completely humiliated by Mercury. When Yang got rocked back by her good counterpart's combo and immediately rushed back in, she feinted that she would lash out with another punch. She didn't, instead swinging low with a kick that swept her counterpart's legs out from under her. While her double hung in the air, she fired out a series of explosive rounds that sent the benevolent blonde flying back a good couple dozen feet.

The very second after she fired the last shot that way, she turned and fired again, backwards shots that propelled her at a different target.

She hit the ground behind him so hard that like her counterpart, the floor cracked underneath her boots. A one-two combo followed, using all she could of the power-up she got from the damage she endured plus Jaune's amplification in the two blows. The first absolutely obliterated what was left of Roman's weakened aura. The second? It went right through him. A point-blank shotgun blast tore open a hole in his back that her fist followed through and emerged out the other side so fast that depending on where he was looking, he might have seen the bloodsoaked fist poking through the center of his abdomen before the pain even registered.

Just as quickly she pulled the fist back with a nasty sounding noise, much of her arm now coated in the kid's blood. Following that she kicked him in the back of the leg to force him to his knees before she continued further. The frankly deranged grin on her face in that moment was a spine-chilling sight to behold.​

It was dangerous to turn your back on Yang Xiao Long. Yang (the real one; she refused to acknowledge this creepy cult bitch with a strength above all fetish as anything but some evil jackass who was wearing her skin) somewhat ironically got dealt that lesson herself, when her brief escape to land a blow on Nora had ended with her hair full of concrete dust and a bunch of bloody scrapes down her arm, and that had been when she was very keenly aware that fleeing was just delaying an inevitable payback, instead of indulging in the ecstasy of bloodlust.

Yea, turning your back on Yang Xiao Long in a fight was dangerous.

Turning your back on an angry Yang Xiao Long was lethal.

Her and this Torchwick hadn't ever really had a conversation or anything, but she liked the kid. Of all the villains they'd dealt with back home, at least Torchwick had the decency to both have a sense of a humor and lose when he was supposed to; i.e. every time. And this one had a sense of humor, a dry, self deprecating wit, and knew how to stay in his lane and help in a fight while acknowledging it wasn't his forte. But more importantly, he was kind of a kindred spirit, y'know? She'd seen how he was with his partner. How she'd used him as an emotional shield during their meeting in Salem's office, how easily he talked for her, apparently accurately with how little complaints the much less murderous Neopolitan had. It was something she could relate to, both as a sister and someone deeply invested in the protection and happiness of her own partner.

Getting her feet swept out of her had been concerning. Getting pummeled into the air with flare rounds had been annoying.

watching those two punches and their results filled her with rage.

not a moment after that kick to his legs did Yang's double get hit by a meteor in the back. Both of Yang's feet planted against her with enough force that the pair left a new ditch in the courtyard a few feet in front of torchwick, Yang's hands lashing out to grab both of her double's arms at the point of impact and yank them back so she couldn't shield herself. No more punches. No more of this blow for blow and playing footsie, not when she'd been shown her back, not after what this monster just did. Yang kept one foot on her double's back and smashed the other into the back of her head. Just for the leverage; her hands gripped further up, twisted her double's arms around her own, and pulled and twisted at an angle that arms were absolutely not meant to go, without feeding her double any of that good old fashioned blunt force traumua that her semblance would've just tilted the strength scales back in her favor.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

In the end, either there were two violent cracks as both of her double's arm's snapped, or her double's aura and semblance were enough to work around the grip and was going to find herself facing a mostly burnt out Yang.

 

[MyrtenRose]

Getting her feet swept out of her had been concerning. Getting pummeled into the air with flare rounds had been annoying.

watching those two punches and their results filled her with rage.

not a moment after that kick to his legs did Yang's double get hit by a meteor in the back. Both of Yang's feet planted against her with enough force that the pair left a new ditch in the courtyard a few feet in front of torchwick, Yang's hands lashing out to grab both of her double's arms at the point of impact and yank them back so she couldn't shield herself. No more punches. No more of this blow for blow and playing footsie, not when she'd been shown her back, not after what this monster just did. Yang kept one foot on her double's back and smashed the other into the back of her head. Just for the leverage; her hands gripped further up, twisted her double's arms around her own, and pulled and twisted at an angle that arms were absolutely not meant to go, without feeding her double any of that good old fashioned blunt force trauma that her semblance would've just tilted the strength scales back in her favor.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

In the end, either there were two violent cracks as both of her double's arm's snapped, or her double's aura and semblance were enough to work around the grip and was going to find herself facing a mostly burnt out Yang.

Before Yang could even think about the best way to continue after that attack, her counterpart explosively announced that she had caught up by striking her in the back with all the force of a celestial object shooting across the sky. The blow absolutely rocked Yang, grinding her against the ground so hard that it carved a scar into the concrete of the courtyard and with both arms getting tightly jerked back. What her righteously angry doppelganger was going for was as clear and obvious as it could get. To skip past all this back and forth bullshit and incapacitate Yang's greatest advantages in one move. The funny bit was that it might have worked.

It might have worked, if that blow that gave Haven Academy a new ditch had not given her more fuel. If this older Yang's aura level wasn't greater, her semblance more potent. If the sheer willpower that recharged her aura wasn't as insanely strong as it was. If Jaune's proficiency with his own semblance wasn't enhanced beyond what the Jaune her good counterpart knew could do. Unfortunately, for her double, all that was true.

So it was that as strong as her doppelganger pulled, Yang countered stronger still, wrenching her arms free of the grip with a skyward yell so loud that it might as well have pierced into the heavens and in one fluid move turned to deliver a monstrously ferocious uppercut to her other self's jaw. A punch that rivaled the power Nora had at her disposal when she had engaged Qrow in hand to hand, if not went beyond even that. A blow that sent her double flying high into the sky before eventually descending and crashing through the roof of one of the school buildings. After that she broke into a fit of crazed laughter that struck the likes of Qrow Branwen as reminiscent of his world's Tyrian Callows. Well, and this world's one too, as of late. Yang looked around eagerly at all those present surrounding her.

"Anyone else?!" ​

 

[Indolent]

"..." Ren did his best to neatly evade every one of those projectiles, sliding around them with incredible dexterity and grace...but it only left him wide open for that fist that hit him like a 16 wheeler, sending the silent enforcer rocketing back and bouncing off the ground a few times. When he came to a stop, he was down for so long that it seemed that one blow had been enough, but eventually Ren pulled himself together enough to clamber back to his feet and open fire with both his guns, knowing that any chance of victory meant keeping his distance.

Each individual with aura was unique, that was a given with their semblance but another factor that lent itself to the truism was that each individual had a varying amount of Aura. Hazel himself had a fairly large amount, above average, with additional of willful regeneration. However much whomever this silent assassin-enforcer had, it was difficult for him to approximate, let alone doing the same what passed as the average in a given individual, an obvious need for a case by case basis rising without argument. So it was with caution he observed usually, influenced by the natural instinct that emerged during combat, rather than giving into reckless abandon and roving over to assess the issue.

Plus, you know, these kinds of shady folks were definitely the same type to use dirty tricks in their grimm eat dog kinda world.

So when the bodyguard rose, there was a frustrated scowl from the big man. But it was what it was and he threw himself into the fray once more, both arms squaring parallel in his front to block the bullets as he sprinted to close the gap. A leap and a downward smash, that was deftly avoided by Ren. A twist of the abdomen along with a sharp rotation of the feet into a spinning backhand followed, catching only earth. Avoided again, likely adding insult to injury by continuing to pepper Hazel with Stormflower. An irritated growl arose as Hazel dedicated himself to this mouse and cat game--

As soon as one of the punches she threw was an utter miss, the smallest hint of a frown at the corner of her mouth could be seen. For as wrong as her foolishly naïve counterpart was on so many things, she was right on one point. An extended round of fisticuffs would end up being an exercise in futility, with each feeding the other more power until finally one of their auras gave out. A wasteful exercise, and one that was not advisable when surrounded by this many enemies. Even if she won the brawl with her other self, she'd have to fight those others too. Something that Jaune weakly pointed out from where he was getting completely humiliated by Mercury. When Yang got rocked back by her good counterpart's combo and immediately rushed back in, she feinted that she would lash out with another punch. She didn't, instead swinging low with a kick that swept her counterpart's legs out from under her. While her double hung in the air, she fired out a series of explosive rounds that sent the benevolent blonde flying back a good couple dozen feet.

The very second after she fired the last shot that way, she turned and fired again, backwards shots that propelled her at a different target.

She hit the ground behind him so hard that like her counterpart, the floor cracked underneath her boots. A one-two combo followed, using all she could of the power-up she got from the damage she endured plus Jaune's amplification in the two blows. The first absolutely obliterated what was left of Roman's weakened aura. The second? It went right through him. A point-blank shotgun blast tore open a hole in his back that her fist followed through and emerged out the other side so fast that depending on where he was looking, he might have seen the bloodsoaked fist poking through the center of his abdomen before the pain even registered.

Just as quickly she pulled the fist back with a nasty sounding noise, much of her arm now coated in the kid's blood. Following that she kicked him in the back of the leg to force him to his knees before she continued further. The frankly deranged grin on her face in that moment was a spine-chilling sight to behold.​

Melodic Cudgel fell to the ground, having been punched straight through. Roman’s legs buckled and he collapsed onto his rear, blood gushing from the new entry point where his stomach and part of his spine used to be.

‘w-what...’

He was too shocked to speak. He couldn’t feel his legs. His hat fell off to the side beside him.

‘Pretty sure this is fatal...Ah, man...’ Roman’s thoughts weren’t of the gaping hole in his stomach but....

‘Neo...Sorry. Couldn’t make it.’

The wet schluck from behind reached his ears, evoking a visceral sense that something was truly wrong. The urgency bid him to take advantage of Ren's attempts to create distance between them both, a hurried swing of the arm that threw a cascade of spikes for him so as to disengage proper and gauge the situation. Half of him wished he'd never looked, the very imagery seared in his mind soon as he had. Very few things could give him pause; the grievous wounding of a friend was one of them. Especially one as Roman, someone who he'd always considered an entirely brave soul despite the odds he so frequently faced, suppressing the fear he always dealt with to do right. Roman Torchwick, for all his bravado, was ultimately a realist and he wasn't afraid to be so among his friends. Hazel knew in a way, the boy wished he could do more than he could, when he thought Roman did plenty just by virtue of being there, being a friend to his team, to Team WTCH. It was this that brought on the remorse. That he wasn't there for him when he needed it.



His quivering eyes mirrored the scene, his body going still despite the adrenaline that flowed, despite it being the epitome of what one should not do in an embroiling conflict such as this. I swore. To myself. That this wouldn't happen again. Not just to Tyrian. To anyone else. My friends. I wasn't there again. The second I stepped away...

The thoughts came, a relentless horde hammering against a slowly weakening psyche, erecting the fears from the first days that followed from Beacon. Was this what it was going to amount to, conflict from one to the next with untold consequences, victories and losses, either at a great cost or otherwise? A loss of a friend... he knew it a hazard inherent to their line of work but he always told himself it wouldn't happen. Not to him, not to his friends. But didn't everyone think the same?

He twitched under the fusillade of the dark thoughts. The scenery of Beacon, the fighting with the never-before-seen Grimm monstrosity, the immediate near-death of their companions, now the seeming death of his friend. What felt like minutes to him passed in mere seconds and the only thing that pulled him from his stupor?

Before Yang could even think about the best way to continue after that attack, her counterpart explosively announced that she had caught up by striking her in the back with all the force of a celestial object shooting across the sky. The blow absolutely rocked Yang, grinding her against the ground so hard that it carved a scar into the concrete of the courtyard and with both arms getting tightly jerked back. What her righteously angry doppelganger was going for was as clear and obvious as it could get. To skip past all this back and forth bullshit and incapacitate Yang's greatest advantages in one move. The funny bit was that it might have worked.

It might have worked, if that blow that gave Haven Academy a new ditch had not given her more fuel. If this older Yang's aura level wasn't greater, her semblance more potent. If the sheer willpower that recharged her aura wasn't as insanely strong as it was. If Jaune's proficiency with his own semblance wasn't enhanced beyond what the Jaune her good counterpart knew could do. Unfortunately, for her double, all that was true.

So it was that as strong as her doppelganger pulled, Yang countered stronger still, wrenching her arms free of the grip with a skyward yell so loud that it might as well have pierced into the heavens and in one fluid move turned to deliver a monstrously ferocious uppercut to her other self's jaw. A punch that rivaled the power Nora had at her disposal when she had engaged Qrow in hand to hand, if not went beyond even that. A blow that sent her double flying high into the sky before eventually descending and crashing through the roof of one of the school buildings. After that she broke into a fit of crazed laughter that struck the likes of Qrow Branwen as reminiscent of his world's Tyrian Callows. Well, and this world's one too, as of late. Yang looked around eagerly at all those around.

"Anyone else?!" ​

The very voice of Yang Xiao Long brought him back to reality, the crazed insanity that tinted her words, that dripped with not remorse but glee. He knew a soul like that was beyond depraved, a lost cause without a chance for redemption. Her words grated on him more and more as they repeated in his head, his consideration of her character akin to a record, adding to itself more and more. All this served to resurrect his furor from earlier, compounding it with every instance of noteworth since the battle's start. The gritting snarl of the teeth was abrupt, cutting, as he violently jerked in absolute rancor. A roar was Yang's response.

Somewhere on the other side of the battle, his twin froze. Brosel squeaking frantically as he clambered to the top of her and indicated her brother's position. The merest of three rapid squeaks that seemed as if it constituted a singular, elongated cry told her all she needed to know.

"Oh no. Brother!" Gretchen cried out, a frenetic start to her easygoing tempo in combat as she started working her way through the enemies in his general direction.

Heavy thuds comprised his footfalls from where he'd fought Ren, his hands flitting to his pockets without precise purpose. When they returned, a battery of colors shimmered in his hands. The glare in his eyes told anyone who watched on all they needed to know as he jammed the crystals into his chest.

No more... this will end...

The effect was almost instantaneous, a growing mass of different colors originating from the chest as it covered his torso, back, upper arms, and thighs. The sensation was like nothing he'd ever felt but he hardly paid it any much. He didn't care. A furious cry marked his descent upon the dragon, his arms rising from beneath as he grasped the earth whole to shatter it asunder, a fusilade of stone interleaved with the menagerie of elemental effects erupting from his body all directed for her.

 

[Gus Gungus]

Her gaze slowly lowered to cautiously eye the blade of Harbinger pressed against her throat as close as possible without actually drawing blood. After a good ten seconds, her eyes lifted back up to the face of the man that currently had her pinned with her back to the wall...er, ground in this case. "You can't fool me. There's no way you're going to make good on this threat. Not a lawful huntsman like yourself, no way. You might as well drop the act right this damn second, little bir--"



...…………………....Ooooooooookay. She looked much less confident in her guess that Qrow was bluffing after glancing over that way, eyes shifting over to see if he was looking over there as well. Oh screw it. Her hands snapped up in an instant, grabbing hold of two spots along the length of the scythe blade and pushing it back as hard as she could in a reckless attempt to get back on her feet. Better to fight and die standing than to take it lying down. If she managed that much, she pushed the bladed part violently aside before one hand reached out to clutch at the elongated handle and tugged to pull Qrow forward, aiming to bring the man into the perfect range for a mighty headbutt.​

Qrow was silent at that, but his jaw tightened in a wordless resolve. What could he say other than he gave her a chance to throw in the towel? They all knew the stakes.

Qrow's look only hardened when Nora launched into the attack from such a disadvantageous position. Harbinger's gears whirled as its blade was shoved aside, Qrow rolling the weapon the whole way around his body with the momentum as it collapsed into its more compact sword form even while Nora was making a grab for the handle. The grave penitence he felt for what he was now resigned had to be done to someone he would've considered a friend only two weeks ago was written all over his face, but it did little to impede Harbinger's blade swinging back around the other side of his hip to be swept downward in a heavy slice for the Valkyrie in an effort to finish it.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"You should know better than that, Blake--" Ilia started to yell back, only to be literally cut off by the angry cat disappearing and reappearing right in front of her with a hand pressing against her throat. The shocks coursed through both of them as Ilia's screams of pain matched Blake's, the chameleon doing her best to move her twitching finger over the trigger of her weapon and disengaged the shocking electric dust to cease that. The second she did though, Blake was gone. The real one, anyway. The stone facsimile on the other hand, that kept a tight rock hand clutching at her neck. And before she could break the dust statue clone...

The pain registered before the sound of a blade cutting through flesh reached her ears. The agonized yell that followed, it made the one just moments before sound almost insignificant. Forcing through the pain, Ilia's eyes caught sight of where Blake's weapon had impaled her through the lower right side of her torso. At the same time she pulled her weapon's trigger, shifting it from whip to sword form and on pure self-preservation instinct turned just enough to allow her to jam her own blade into Blake's shoulder, pushing it all the way through until the hilt itself was pressed against that shoulder.

Ilia let go and left it there for the moment, both hands moving to take hold of Blake's weapon currently digging into her side and yanked it out. Still operating under the instinct to survive rather than with any coherent logical thought, Ilia screamed with pain and went to hack at that arm connected to the shoulder she'd just stabbed, so desperate to prevent any further life-threatening injuries that the realization of what she was doing didn't hit her. There was only the pain and the absolute need to survive. Nothing more.​

There wasn't any reaction from Blake as Ilia fell on her blade. No sudden remorse, no realization of what she was doing to someone who looked exactly like the girl who'd held her so softly just a few days prior. No tears shed for the tragedy of this fight having to happen at all. Nor was there a smile of victorious joy, or a bloodthirsty grin, or any excitement in the act. The only thing on her face was the same dark fury she'd been wearing since the fight began. That she'd wear until her work here was done.

Or until she was violently stabbed in the shoulder. Her eyes widened in pain, but her determined anger didn't falter, and Ilia's next swing cut through nothing but mist. It was going to take more than one blow to the head and one blast of lightning to deplete her aura, and her weapons flashed into her hands as she reappeared behind Ilia with them raised in a cross shape, intent to put this girl out of her misery for good. To give her the peace she so desperately seemed to crave, the only mercy this faunus seemed to be willing to accept.

"rest"

The tense struggle that followed Wilt's impact cleaving through some of her enemy's shield yielded an interesting development, as rather than press an offense with her free hand Eve opted for her most surprising tactic yet.

She ran away, leaving Wilt entrenched in the shield as she seized whatever tiny opening her efforts had managed to create to break off from this engagement, a pretty good fight that legitimately could not have been any less important to her right now. Pyrrha didn't even make her list of priorities currently, and in the last few seconds one of them would have just rocketed to the top position if it hadn't already been comfortably sitting there.

The opening Eve got from that was even bigger than she likely expected, as Pyrrha stood there with her mouth agape as her opponent, the swordswoman who was giving her one of her best one on one battles in her storied fighting career, suddenly turned tail and ran.

You... you just didn't do that...

No sooner than the two had landed in their vicious entanglement were they met by a frantic pelting of footsteps, and with a roaring lunge three different instances of Eve appeared at Blake's side. The first two were mere blurry silhouettes, little save the hair and rose emblem that burned vibrant red to identify her attacker, before the final and true Eve burst through them with a heavy downward swing of her makeshift weapon for her ex lover's skull intended to put her out, the interval between the clones' attacks marginal at best to the point that it was hard to discern which of them struck in what order.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

The first time Eve and Blake had fought, she had been distraught, bordering on unhinged. The most important person in her life was standing in her way, declaring war against a being who would not only ensure her death, but make it a horrendous one. That, along with the emotional turmoil and baggage Xiao Long's double had brought to the fight, had dulled her edge. Made her weak, easy prey for the one and future girlfriends of Blakes working together, if ever so briefly.

Not this time

Eve was unquestionably the White Fang's greatest warrior, a fact even Sienna could begrudgingly admit. But Blake was still the right hand of the high leader. Her dream had pulled her down a path even more bloody and violent than Eve's had been, and she had fought and killed and worked alongside some of Remnant's greatest killers. The clones were discerned with careful eyes, and Eve's wooden beam found itself caught between the two blades in an expert upshift of her grip and a backwards step out of her attempt at finishing Ilia off. The weight Eve pushed against suddenly vanished as she passed harlmessly through yet another shadow, and Blake stood atop the railing of the tower's next level with one hand in her sleeve.

For her, the gaze broke. Of all the people here, of any world, for her that mask of cold anger flickered, dancing between a more raw frustration and a despondent sadness.

"...Fine. It can be enough, today. Play the hero again Eve. But you're not saving it all."

There was a beep as she pulled the device out of her sleeve, and Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly before she turned on her heel and bolted. Across the tower, dozens of red lights lit up and began to pulse.

"She'll bleed out if you leave her. A faunus life to save, and no 'innocent' human blood on your hands."

She picked up the mask from where it'd been left on the railing, the horrible noise from within having come to a stop at some time in between as she placed it back on her face.

"Leave the real revolution to us."

She didn't leave, and her sword stayed in hand. Apparently intent on protecting this task right up until the tower ignited if she was forced to.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Before Yang could even think about the best way to continue after that attack, her counterpart explosively announced that she had caught up by striking her in the back with all the force of a celestial object shooting across the sky. The blow absolutely rocked Yang, grinding her against the ground so hard that it carved a scar into the concrete of the courtyard and with both arms getting tightly jerked back. What her righteously angry doppelganger was going for was as clear and obvious as it could get. To skip past all this back and forth bullshit and incapacitate Yang's greatest advantages in one move. The funny bit was that it might have worked.

It might have worked, if that blow that gave Haven Academy a new ditch had not given her more fuel. If this older Yang's aura level wasn't greater, her semblance more potent. If the sheer willpower that recharged her aura wasn't as insanely strong as it was. If Jaune's proficiency with his own semblance wasn't enhanced beyond what the Jaune her good counterpart knew could do. Unfortunately, for her double, all that was true.

So it was that as strong as her doppelganger pulled, Yang countered stronger still, wrenching her arms free of the grip with a skyward yell so loud that it might as well have pierced into the heavens and in one fluid move turned to deliver a monstrously ferocious uppercut to her other self's jaw. A punch that rivaled the power Nora had at her disposal when she had engaged Qrow in hand to hand, if not went beyond even that. A blow that sent her double flying high into the sky before eventually descending and crashing through the roof of one of the school buildings. After that she broke into a fit of crazed laughter that struck the likes of Qrow Branwen as reminiscent of his world's Tyrian Callows. Well, and this world's one too, as of late. Yang looked around eagerly at all those present surrounding her.

"Anyone else?!" ​

she'd lived through worse

Spoiler

 

[MyrtenRose]

Qrow was silent at that, but his jaw tightened in a wordless resolve. What could he say other than he gave her a chance to throw in the towel? They all knew the stakes.

Qrow's look only hardened when Nora launched into the attack from such a disadvantageous position. Harbinger's gears whirled as its blade was shoved aside, Qrow rolling the weapon the whole way around his body with the momentum as it collapsed into its more compact sword form even while Nora was making a grab for the handle. The grave penitence he felt for what he was now resigned had to be done to someone he would've considered a friend only two weeks ago was written all over his face, but it did little to impede Harbinger's blade swinging back around the other side of his hip to be swept downward in a heavy slice for the Valkyrie in an effort to finish it.

"...…………...…………...............................................................................................................................Oh."

It was a soft quiet whimper, not a roar that many might have expected from such an energetic soul, that escaped her lips after the *shnk* sound of Qrow's blade cleaving through her shoulder and digging deeper still. After the sensation of pain coursed through her entire body as intensely as any lightning ever had. Nora collapsed to her knees, the blood already heavily staining her clothes. Her aura had extinguished some time ago. Despite her bold thought of preferring to die on her feet, it seemed she hadn't actually expected she would die here. That she had genuinely not believed Qrow would be capable of going through with it. "So this...this is how it ends, huh?" She fell backwards completely, head coming to rest on the cold stone ground. It was...oddly comforting. Her head turned slightly, looking Ren's way. "R-Ren." Valkyrie coughed out weakly.

Despite how quietly she had called his name and how loud the sounds of Hazel going for Yang were, Ren heard it. In an instant he turned, and in an instant, he abandoned any attempt at fighting, his weapons dropping to the ground as he rushed to her side. He knelt beside her and clutched her hand, a grip that she returned as tightly as she still could. Her other hand reached out to cup his face, running a thumb over his cheek. "You know, you always were the best..." That sentence went unfinished, her right hand falling from his face and the grip of her left hand going slack. The shine in her eyes vanished, leaving only a dull lifeless unfocused stare. A far cry from the look so many grew used to the hyperactive Nora having, no matter what world she was from.

There was no sound of choked sobs or any words, but in that moment his eyes slid shut, not wanting to look at that sight any longer and lowering his head to hold it close to hers. And even though none could hear any sign of him crying, there were tears rolling down his face and dripping against her bloodstained outfit.

Just one more body among the many scattered around.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Heavy thuds comprised his footfalls from where he'd fought Ren, his hands flitting to his pockets without precise purpose. When they returned, a battery of colors shimmered in his hands. The glare in his eyes told anyone who watched on all they needed to know as he jammed the crystals into his chest.

No more... this will end...

The effect was almost instantaneous, a growing mass of different colors originating from the chest as it covered his torso, back, upper arms, and thighs. The sensation was like nothing he'd ever felt but he hardly paid it any much. He didn't care. A furious cry marked his descent upon the dragon, his arms rising from beneath as he grasped the earth whole to shatter it asunder, a fusilade of stone interleaved with the menagerie of elemental effects erupting from his body all directed for her.

In the wake of that attack impacting her and knocking it back a ways, as well as a quick glance over where the other bruiser had fallen? Yang's eyes shifted between all the other combatants that were against her, weighing her odds...and despite her hatred for cowardice, she swiftly turned to start sprinting a calculated retreat. Any longer and she might have gone down just as Nora had, and she refused to let that be the case.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Roman had managed to push himself into sort of a seated position as blood continued to run out of his wound in spades. But despite the pale glamour of his skin and his faint breathing, he truly didn't seem that distressed. There was a reason for that.

He'd expected to die. Ever since he was a boy.

'How long have I been so comfortable with the idea of dying? I....I really couldn't say. It's the elusive question that I've yet to find an answer to. But, I think when you see your parents torn apart and then have to comfort your friend? You kind of get a feeling that maybe, just maybe, you're not long for this world. After all, a sight like that never left you. No matter how long in the tooth you got. Anybody who says otherwise is a damn liar and an even better one if they believe it. Me? I knew from day one I wasn't much of a fighter. I was terrified, petrified even after every battle I got in....I never let her know that though. She'd have been worried sick about me. I never complained either way. Sometimes it felt like she was babying me but what was I to do? Tell her to leave me alone? No....No, I could never do that. I grew up with my closed in little community practically wrapped around my finger. I could get beat up, sure, but Neo would always make it right and then we'd have fun til night arrived. Then....when it was all gone, we were all that was left.'

'Huh.'

'I guess....once I'm gone, she'll be all alone. I'm...sorry, Neo. I guess growing old with you just wasn't in the cards.'

A smile spread across Roman's face.

'But that would have been too boring for jokers like us anyway, huh? I'm...gonna miss you.'

Although he'd come to terms with the idea of dying back in his childhood, the actual sensation of it continued to puzzle him. Most of his internal organs had been destroyed and a chunk of his spine had been blown to shit. Yet, he felt...oddly nothing. It was almost eerily calming. He'd been so taken aback at first that the new hole in his stomach had washed over him in a brief feeling of pain and then as he fell, everything went still. He wasn't a doctor of course, so maybe all deaths weren't like this. The lack of feeling in his legs could have just been due to his spine being damaged or maybe even his body starting to shut down. He sure hoped that his counterpart didn't suffer long after being devoured. ...Or maybe he did, who knows, guy sounded like a douche. ...A douche who seemed to love his partner just like he did given the other Neo's infatuation with him. The kiss she'd stolen hadn't gone unnoticed. Roman simply hadn't the time to thank her.

And now, he supposed, he never would. Ah well, life was a fickle thing.

"...Heh." If you looked at it one way, life was just another challenge and through sheer bad luck the 'Badass of Beacon' had stumbled upon 'completing' it. Maybe a bit too early but there was nothin to change that now.
​

"DO IT!"

CRACK

"DO IT! NOW!"

CRACK

"I AM NOT IN THE MOOD TO DICK AROUND! LISTEN TO ME OR I'LL KILL YOU! DO IT!"

Roman with a great deal of effort turned his head to see his team leader beating Jaune to a pulp. The gesture was appreciated but Roman knew from the second he'd seen Melodic Cudgel snap like a twig under that other Yang's punch that he was doomed. Wasn't worth wasting energy beating up that schlub for. Guy looked like he could hardly throw a punch. ...Heh, maybe things would have been different if he'd fought this guy instead. Beggars couldn't be choosers though he guessed.

"Me..."

It hurt to try talking normally. It hurt really bad.

"Mercu...."

Roman's body convulsed and he coughed up a wad of blood. No. He was going to do this. He had to.

"Mercury!"

GOD! It hurt! Blood ran down his mouth but he'd hopefully gotten his leader's attention. His voice settled into barely above a whisper, it was hoarse and weak.

"...let him go, merc. it's too late to help me....save your energy."
​

Once the deed was done, Mercury looked down at his handiwork in a dazed stupor before he dropped to his knees and tried desperately to plug up Roman's wound with his hands. Sleeves. Anything.

Roman watched his leader attempt to fix up the hole in him with a mixture of pity and saddness.

His vision was starting to blur and he was starting to lose feeling in his arms and hands. If he wanted to do this, now would be the time. He gently held Mercury's hand and slowly shook his head from side to side. MTEN's members didn't sugarcoat things. They'd been through enough in life to come to that unspoken of agreement between the four of them.

"merc..."

Roman shook his head again.

"don't waste your time. I've been waiting for something like this since mt glen.. Besides...even the best healers couldn't do anything now....she tore me apart....i'd be a vegetable if nothing else...'

He sighed.

'I'm gonna die, Merc. It's the long and short of it."

'It's not too often I see too much emotion aside from likable asshole from our team's leader. I guess seeing your friend dying really brings something out in you! ...Well, I know it did when I saw what happened to Neo's parents. They were good people. Neo....She deserved better than I could have ever given her. ...Back on Mt Glen, we would have still been up while our parents slept. Early to bed early to rise my old man would always tell us. Ahh, the memories of times long since past...' Roman blinked as the realization slowly dawned on him.

'...I guess in a couple of minutes I'll be nothing but memories.'

'....hope they don't forget me....'

He only hoped that if there was anything after you died, that he could see his parents again, and Neo's too. Tell her how amazing she was. That'd be nice...wouldn't it? Giving a tighter grip onto Mercury's hand, Roman reached inside his jacket and pulled out his scroll. The screen had been chipped somewhat due to Yang's attack but it was still operational. "Merc....I....I made something on my scroll....incase something like this happened. Please...You've....you've gotta show Emerald...and....and..."

Roman's bottom lip trembled and he struggled with what little strength he had left in him to hold back tears.

"Promise me you'll show Neo..."

Setting the scroll down beside him, Roman sighed.

'I'm sorry I caused so much trouble, Merc. Everything's getting blurry now but....you know....I was never mad at you after you told us what you did. Just that you got my lil buddy all upset. I never doubted you for a second..." Roman's face scrunched up into a tear soaked smile. "You've always been my friend."

Mercury could see Roman growing paler and his grip getting weaker by the minute. He didn't have long left.

'I...i want to hang on....just enough to see her....'

~~~


​

So what, then? So what if this freakish murder clown stripper wearing her face actually wanted to give Roman what he wanted? This Neo wasn't her, and she was the one who Roman actually cared about, no matter how that miserable mess ended up.

...

...right?

Neo smirked.

There it was, that was the reaction she wanted. Go on and get angry. Let's fight and see who's feelings for Roman hold out more?

....But then, she ran.

"*furious groan!*"

Why!? Why couldn't she just stay and settle this like Neo wanted!? As she looked around her, she weighed her options. Search this whole place and risk wasting time and losing track of her other altogether? Or...

What if Ozpin's goons beat Roman's friends?

....Damn it!

Biting her lip hard enough to make it bleed, Neo turned and headed back the way she'd gone. As she ran past the door, she immediately regretted it upon what she saw.

Roman was still alive from the looks of it. But there was a fist sized hole in his stomach where there hadn't been one before, the evil version of that Yang's gauntlet was soaked in blood. Not just any blood either, HIS blood! Neo couldn't believe this was happening again.

Hush dropped to the ground and she fell to her knees.

Why??? WHY, AGAIN!??!

'*anguished wail*"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

There wasn't any reaction from Blake as Ilia fell on her blade. No sudden remorse, no realization of what she was doing to someone who looked exactly like the girl who'd held her so softly just a few days prior. No tears shed for the tragedy of this fight having to happen at all. Nor was there a smile of victorious joy, or a bloodthirsty grin, or any excitement in the act. The only thing on her face was the same dark fury she'd been wearing since the fight began. That she'd wear until her work here was done.

Or until she was violently stabbed in the shoulder. Her eyes widened in pain, but her determined anger didn't falter, and Ilia's next swing cut through nothing but mist. It was going to take more than one blow to the head and one blast of lightning to deplete her aura, and her weapons flashed into her hands as she reappeared behind Ilia with them raised in a cross shape, intent to put this girl out of her misery for good. To give her the peace she so desperately seemed to crave, the only mercy this faunus seemed to be willing to accept.

"rest"




The opening Eve got from that was even bigger than she likely expected, as Pyrrha stood there with her mouth agape as her opponent, the swordswoman who was giving her one of her best one on one battles in her storied fighting career, suddenly turned tail and ran.

You... you just didn't do that...


The first time Eve and Blake had fought, she had been distraught, bordering on unhinged. The most important person in her life was standing in her way, declaring war against a being who would not only ensure her death, but make it a horrendous one. That, along with the emotional turmoil and baggage Xiao Long's double had brought to the fight, had dulled her edge. Made her weak, easy prey for the one and future girlfriends of Blakes working together, if ever so briefly.

Not this time

Eve was unquestionably the White Fang's greatest warrior, a fact even Sienna could begrudgingly admit. But Blake was still the right hand of the high leader. Her dream had pulled her down a path even more bloody and violent than Eve's had been, and she had fought and killed and worked alongside some of Remnant's greatest killers. The clones were discerned with careful eyes, and Eve's wooden beam found itself caught between the two blades in an expert upshift of her grip and a backwards step out of her attempt at finishing Ilia off. The weight Eve pushed against suddenly vanished as she passed harlmessly through yet another shadow, and Blake stood atop the railing of the tower's next level with one hand in her sleeve.

For her, the gaze broke. Of all the people here, of any world, for her that mask of cold anger flickered, dancing between a more raw frustration and a despondent sadness.

"...Fine. It can be enough, today. Play the hero again Eve. But you're not saving it all."

There was a beep as she pulled the device out of her sleeve, and Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly before she turned on her heel and bolted. Across the tower, dozens of red lights lit up and began to pulse.

"She'll bleed out if you leave her. A faunus life to save, and no 'innocent' human blood on your hands."

She picked up the mask from where it'd been left on the railing, the horrible noise from within having come to a stop at some time in between as she placed it back on her face.

"Leave the real revolution to us."

She didn't leave, and her sword stayed in hand. Apparently intent on protecting this task right up until the tower ignited if she was forced to.

Eve had really steeled herself for this moment. Every waking second of every day since the battle at Beacon had been spent reflecting, clearing her mind and sharpening her focus so that she would be prepared to do what had to be done. For Blake more than anyone. That thought, that Blake could still be pulled out of this, that there was still a glimmer of hope for the girl she had long since given up on ever getting over, even if it had to come against her wishes, had been what threaded her fierce determination together in the buildup to this confrontation. She had convinced herself she was more than ready. Even brewed a sinister monologue or two to deliver during the fight to get inside her head, make Blake see how much she was hurting her by forcing her hand like this.

The problem was, Eve had never been very good at controlling her emotions. Not without Blake to hold her hand through it, anyway. And as her once-partner so effortlessly avoided her strike and served up her ultimatum like she was just another enemy, even if the pain in her eyes was apparent, there wasn't even an attempt made to suppress the howl of pure histrionic outrage that escaped Eve's throat as the wooden beam clattered violently to the ground. Her mask followed shortly after, flung there in a fit of almost childish frustration as her maverick red locks fell over the now-exposed face Blake had come to know so intimately.

She did not look good.

It wasn't the scars; they were the same as ever. But Eve's cheeks were gaunter than Blake ever remembered them, the dark circles under her blue eyes like shadows being cast by the moon. She was almost as pale as her mask was, and even brimming with tears her eyes looked like she hadn't sustained a consistent sleeping pattern in months.

"WHY are you doing this to me?! I love you! I only want what's best for you! Ever since I left you I've been so scared, Blake, I-I regretted it so much, but it took seeing who you were becoming to finally realize what a mistake I made! I could've REACHED you! If I'd stayed it never would've gone this far, even you know that, but it felt like I was losing you and I was afraid you'd say you didn't love me anymore, I couldn't hear you say that, rrrrgh, I COULDN'T, I-"

Eve gripped the side of her head, whatever full on breakdown she seemed to be in the middle of apparently to the point of causing physical pain as the extent of the White Fang leader's mental decline in the time since they parted became apparent to Blake for the first time. Blake was someone who anchored her, helped tame her wildest emotions when she felt them threatening to consume her. They'd been side by side for so long she became complacent enough to believe she was strong enough to get by apart from her.

She was wrong. Her foot stomped as her hand swung wide in a wild gesticulation, her typically lethal fury reduced to little more than a tantrum.

"I'm only doing all this to save YOU! I can't live without you, Blake, I've tried but I can't, but I can't be by your side while you're doing these things either so WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! Just MAKE THIS EASY FOR ME! Please! If you're really past saving, then there's only one other way this ends for me, so just put me out of my misery like you tried to at Beacon! But you better look me in the eyes this time, because if you can't do that then I'll NEVER stop believing there's a chance for you!"

Out of breath, she took three long, confrontational strides forward towards the conclusion of her rant, arms spread wide as if daring her for as distinctly little authority as she was exuding right now in her practically hyperventilating state. But no further hostile action was taken, Eve simply standing there with heaving shoulders to await a hail of gunfire mowing her down. As far as she was concerned, if Blake truly was going to commit herself to this path then she was gonna have to shed the excuse of her hand being forced at some point or another. She was going to have to fully embrace the habit of killing someone, unarmed and auraless, whose only sin was taking a stand against her creating a world they wanted no part of living in.

And what better person to start with than her?

She waited, both eyes that were still clear blue despite the extensive damage to the left one glaring at Blake accusingly as she waited for her to do it. And if she did, then at least this world's variation of Taurus died for something.

If those bullets never came, however, and Blake's ultimatum endured, then Eve could only hold the other faunus's gaze a few seconds longer before she tore herself away with an ugly, humiliated sob, the last of her resolve finally crumbling as she snatched Ilia up and fled.

​