Chapter 5: Weight on your Shoulders

You stretch from one side to another after dominating one of your fellow students in practice.

"You left yourself open too many times," you stand up and turn your back on him. "Tighten up your style or a Grimm will tear you apart."

Glynda marks the results down. "(Y/N) Gray is the winner. That was the last match for this class. You're all dismissed."

You scratch your nose as you march up the stairs to grab your supplies.

It's been a few days... I thought Qrow was supposed to report back already.

You swing your bag over your shoulder and head for the exit.

Maybe I should talk to Ozpin about it before I train with JNPR.

You exit the Coliseum and are stopped by your redheaded apprentice. She waves her hand, smiling. "Hello again!"

"Hello, Pyrrha," you give a quick smirk before returning your gaze forward.

"W-Wait!" She waves her hands as she hops in front of you. "I wanted to talk to you."

"We're seeing each other in an hour for training. Can you not ask there?"

"Well, friends tend to spend time together when they don't have to," she says with a coy smile.

You sigh. "Alright, fine. I'm dropping off this stuff off at my dorm so... I suppose you and accompany me."

"Wonderful, let's go," she turns around, waiting for you to pass by.

You remain silent, not bothering to look over at the girl as you walk. Your eyes do wander to the other students loitering the area. Something about it all is making you uneasy. Though you've learned to ignore it, your arm has been pulsing far more than usual as of late. You can't determine the cause and can't find any of your previous team. Perhaps you were wrong in assuming that feeling was indicating one of them. Maybe the cursed power is trying to spread against your will. If so, you have more reason to speak with Ozpin. Perhaps he can suppress it or something along those lines.

"So... training has been fun!"

"I suppose," you shrug. "It's meant to increase your capabilities more than being 'fun.'"

"I know that," Pyrrha rests her hand on her head and sighs. "But we're all enjoying it."

"That helps increase the effect, so that's a goo-"

"You were more open last time we spoke alone," she says with a slight pout.

You huff, hunching forward. "Yeah... I guess I set the bar too high for me," you stand up straight and look over at the girl. "Fine, how was your day? I assume your classes are finished."

"That's correct!" She replies with far more cheer.

Wow, way to change your attitude.

"I helped Jaune and Nora study for the upcoming Grimm Biology test, I tuned up my weapons, cleaned my armour, and-"

You hold your tongue from interrupting considering the fact you don't really care about small talk and her daily activities. You just want to drop everything off and speak to Ozpin. You "listen" to Pyrrha go on and on as you make your way across Beacon and to your dormitory. You stop at the door and flash your scroll.

"Do you want to come in?" You offer as you open the door.

"Oh... okay!" She nods.

You hold the door for her then enter after. She looks around a few items and... empty beds. They're all neatly made, everything is in order and untouched. One is messier with a bedside table hosting an alarm clock and lamp. Her heart drops for a moment at the sight of what you used to have, and how you're likely trying to hold onto it. The pillows, the sheets, everything is too clean and well made. There's no way you're not keeping on top of it.

You enter the room and rest your belongings on the desk. Pyrrha's mood only drops when she looks over to you and spots a picture on the desk. It's you and eleven other people all smiling in front of the dormitories. She places a hand on her chest and stares at the back of your head.

"So, what did you want to..." You turn around and meet her melancholy gaze. "What?"

"Nothing," Pyrrha shakes her head. "I just thought we could hang out again. You know, be friends like last time?"

You roll your eyes and walk towards the bathroom. "Alright, fine. Give me..." You start wobbling and fall against the door frame. "Give..." You look down at your left arm, feeling it gnawing at you.

"Come (Y/N), come. We're waiting to play."

"(Y/N)!" Pyrrha shouts, running to your side. "Are you okay?"

You tighten your fist. "I'm... being called..."

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"Look, I don't like this."

"You told me that," you blandly state.

"I'm only doing this because my sister was one of the people you saved."

"You told me that too," you repeat. "Just get me there in one piece."

"You mean us, right?" Pyrrha shouts from the back.

You managed to get one of your old friends to fly use his work Bullhead to fly you across Remnant. This means you owe him one, but there's something you need to check.

"Ozpin knows about this, right?" He asks

"No."

"Of course," he throws his hands up. "If I get in trouble..."

"It's my fault. Though I'd rather be coming here alone," you look back at Pyrrha. "Just get us there. If I'm right, this has something to do with the people who took your sister."

"Really?" He looks back at you. "Well... man, (Y/N), you're too much to handle."

"Mhm," you pat his shoulder. "We'll be there soon."

"Yeah, just tell me when to set down."

You sit beside Pyrrha and sigh. "You shouldn't have come."

"How could I not? There's no way I'm letting you go off into danger alone."

"I'd be fine."

"I don't care," she says with determination, almost drawing you to look at her with words alone. "You're not doing this alone. We're a team."

"Yeah, well," you look to the ceiling. "Just stay behind me. I don't want you getting hurt."

Pyrrha can't help but smile. "Okay, but if you're in trouble-"

"You return to Beacon and report to Ozpin. You don't help me."

Pyrrha doesn't respond to you that time. She holds her tongue until she comes up with something new to ask. "Will Ozpin be mad we left without informing him?"

"Maybe," you shrug. "Pyrrha... these people are dangerous and possibly plotting something. I'm not joking when I say you need to report to Ozpin if something happens to me." You look at the young girl. "Promise me, okay? If I say run... you run."

Pyrrha huffs through her nose. "Fine..."

You smile at her. "Thank you. Now..." You stand up, feeling the beats in your arm becoming even more powerful. "It's time. Hey, Vereti! Put us down somewhere around here!"

"Here? Alright, (Y/N)."

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You and Pyrrha hop out the side of the Bullhead.

"I'll stay away until you call me, but I'm only giving you two hours."

"Fair enough. Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah."

The Bullhead lifts itself up and soars off, leaving you and Pyrrha in the forest. It's an unnamed one off near the center of the continent. It's dark, it's damp, and it's a perfect place for an ambush.

"So... how'd you know to come here?" Pyrrha asks as she follows your lead.

"A... hunch, we'll say," you tell a version of the truth. "I almost hope I'm wrong."

You lead Pyrrha deeper into the forest where darkness takes over. There are bits of mist around, cooling you both off. Twigs and leaves litter the ground, being crushed by your steps.

"I don't like this place."

"Mm... it wasn't meant to be traversed by men," you reply, keeping an eye out for any movement.

"That's... not very reassuring."

"Oh, uh..." You look back at her for a moment. "This forest... used to be one full of bunnies?"

Pyrrha chuckles. "You can't even be confident in your own response."

"Well, I didn't plan on making a story up."

"(Y/N)!" A young voice sings, echoing through the forest. "I know you can hear me, I see you brought a friend. How did you think that would end?"

You and Pyrrha grab your weapons, going back to back and surveying the area. "Ruby..."

"The silver eyed girl?"

"She had a scythe and was fast. Don't hesitate if you see something," you whisper.

"(Y/N), I'm so glad you came. I know you'll enjoy my game. (Y/N), you're not leaving here without a kiss goodbye."

"Hmph," you squint. "Is that so..?"

"(Y/N), why not come and find me? Our friends want to play. It's been so long, you must stay."

"Did she always sing?" Pyrrha asks.

"No... but I think we're safe," you lower your weapon. "She wants us to come deeper into the forest... so we'll have to play along for now."

"If it's just her, we can win... right?" Pyrrha turns around and moves to your side. "Maybe we could bring her back to Ozpin?"

"Pyrrha," you shake your head. "It's not going to be just her."

"How do you know?"

"I just do," you respond before walking. "Be on guard. They have a plan."

"How... are you so calm?" Pyrrha asks with a shaky voice as you both go deeper and deeper into the forest.

"Experience. It's different, isn't it? Fighting the Grimm, fighting your fellow classmates... it all pales in comparison to the freaks of this planet," you say, keeping an eye and ear out. "You'll get used to it, don't worry. Just remember, as dangerous as they are, Grimm are not the worst thing on this planet."

"That doesn't sound right."

"And yet you're more scared of these people than the Grimm, no?"

Pyrrha doesn't respond yet still answers your question. "Exactly. I'm almost debating sending you back now..." You look over at her and smirk. "But I know you wouldn't leave that easily."

Pyrrha can't even begin to respond. Between the fear of what may come and the oddly comforting feeling that you're giving her... it's more than she bargained for. Still, she's not going to back down now. She won't let you go off on your own. She tightens the grip on her weapons and restokes the flames of her confidence.

"(Y/N), please bring me more fun... than my uncle did."

"Qrow?" You repeat. "No..." You grind your teeth. "This is where Ozpin set him... damnit," you shake your head. "If I had known... No, I can do this," you whisper. "If they're all here then I'll end this now. I'll kill them, find that orb and-"

"Die?" Ruby whispers from behind you.

You instinctively grab Pyrrha's arm and pull her down with you, avoiding a slash from Ruby's weapon. She flips around and lands in front of you, her hood up yet her silver eyes glowing through. "Wow! You're faster than my uncle! That makes this more fun!"

You raise your blade at her, eyes sharpening. "Ruby..."

"Please surrender!" Pyrrha requests, prepping her weapons.

"That won't work here, Pyrrha."

"No, it won't. Why would we surrender to mongrels like you?" Another voice comments.

You turn around and spot Weiss, one hand on her hip as she sways them. Just from seeing her stance, her walk, and her smile... she thinks she's better than you. It's too obvious to ignore. You've noticed some of their personalities are changing or being drastically focused on. Weiss and Ruby are no exception.

I thought they wanted to lure us farther in... but maybe they want to keep us away... should I send Pyrrha away now? She won't stand a chance if Weiss and Ruby can change like the others...

"So you're still sticking in pairs," you speak aloud. "Blake and Yang... now you two. I guess your Beacon side is-"

"Quiet about that pathetic place!" Weiss sneers. "I am far beyond any of those plebeians!"

"I don't know Weiss," Ruby wobbles back and forth. "You enjoy cutting people down as much as I do," she ends with a sadistic coo.

"Please, murdering the weak is a necessity, like breathing."

"How can you say that?" Pyrrha shouts. "You were Huntresses like me! What do you even get from killing people? Why leave Beacon? Leave (Y/N)?"

Damnit, she doesn't know why they changed. She thinks they just abandoned Beacon.

Weiss and Ruby start laughing, their voices swimming around your ears. The fact that they're on either side of you.

"You have no idea, girl," Weiss snickers.

"He abandoned us," Ruby smiles.

"He soaked us in power."

"And left us to die."

"Now we want him back."

"And he won't join us."

"It hurts, (Y/N)," Ruby pouts.

"It's angering. You're better than the others."

"You have a purpose with us."

"Come back to us, (Y/N)."

"Come back to us," they both say.

Pyrrha looks back at you, unsure what you're feeling. She can't see your face since you're positioned towards Weiss and she has Ruby. However, the slight shaking of your body is telling enough.

"(Y/N)..?" She whispers.

"I... mourned you all. It tore me apart that I failed to save you," you say through your teeth. "But... you're not the people I knew," you look up at Weiss with a fire in your eye. "You're fakes – twisted incarnations of people I used to love. Your very existence spits on their memory."

"Aww," Ruby whines. "That hurts, (Y/N). Maybe the others can convince you?"

On cue, seven new figures land around you and Pyrrha. All of them are familiar and share similar changes to RWBY. Neo, still in the cloak from before. Compared to the others, she looks the least happy about all this. Mercury, his mechanical legs are on full display, and he definitely looks the worst. Apart from the general paleness and tattered clothes, he looks the most disfigured. His jaw is slightly out of place, his hair is a total mess, and his head is constantly leaning to the left. Emerald, patches of her green hair is missing and one of her eyes is completely white. Cinder, the most normal looking of all of them, yet her presence demands the most power. Robin, her clothes and hair have started to tear apart. She's far from the beauty she used to be. You almost feel bad for her. Azure, his face is hidden by his mask, and his armour is still intact. He has an eerie feeling to him, like an emotionless executioner. Eton, the fallen Prince Charming. Though his looks hasn't changed much, he's far more devilish.

"You... have to run," you sharply whisper.

"What? But-"

"Pyrrha, if you stay you will die."

"And you won't?"

You fail to answer the question. "Listen... more is going on here then you realize. I'll tell you all about it once you leave."

"Why would we let her leave?" Robin giggles. "She's so cute... can I play with her?"

"Now, now," Cinder steps forward. "Let's not play with our new toy just yet. (Y/N) has to hand her over first."

"Go to hell."

"How hostile," Cinder smirks, pulling her hand back. "Down boy, we don't want to hurt one of us."

"What are they talking about?" Your student whispers.

"I am nothing like you."

"Is that so?"

"Of course not," Eton remarks. "Someone as weak as you could never step up to my plate."

"You're lucky I don't shut that mouth right now," you look to the right and stare him down.

"I-I'm not scared of you! You're nothing to our power!"

"Maybe we should just break his neck?" Emerald brings up.

"No, no, hang him from a tree and beat him to death," Mercury smiles.

"But then I don't get to play with him," Ruby whines.

"I'm with Ruby, let's make a game out of them," Robin rubs her hands together.

They all start going off, stating their own preferences of killing you and Pyrrha. You, on the other hand, are looking for a way to get Pyrrha out of there. You're not going to win without using your own power, and you don't want to use it while the girl is here. You could throw her away, but there are too many enemies that can fire projectiles. Besides, she'd come running back in no time.

I have to get them focused on me and move away from Pyrrha.

"So, if you're all here that means the orb is around, am I right?" You lower your guard and start walking towards Weiss. "Mind if I see it?"

"(Y/N)?" Pyrrha sharply whispers.

"You want to see our ladyship's work?" Cinder starts sauntering around the circle to meet with you. "I feel like your intentions are not pure."

"Of course not," you gaze at the girl. "Why would it be?"

"Because you are like us. Tools for our lady. Monuments of her power."

"What is she talking about?" Pyrrha speaks once more.

"Oh, poor girl," Robin whispers, using her Semblance to get right in her ear. "He's infested with power like us. Why do you think he hides that beautiful arm of his?"

"His... arm?"

"Shut up," you bark, shifting your attention to Robin.

"What's wrong? Why hide such authority?" Cinder speaks, regaining your gaze.

"It's a curse. Power from a corrupt woman."

"Is that what Ozpin has told you?" Cinder chuckles. "Oh, poor boy. We just want to spread this beautiful feeling to everyone."

"You're insane," you lift your blade at Cinder. "Sorry if I don't believe you."

"You don't believe me, (Y/N)?" Cinder's voice shifts to a more innocent and... familiar tone. "But... partners trust each other."

You shake your head. "Our partnership died with you."

Cinder's demeanor returns to normal. "Oh well, we'll just take that power of yours by force. Go ahead, have fun," her smile grows wider.

"Pyrrha, move!" You shout, turning around and running towards her.

You extend your bandage to her waist and jump, pulling her away from the enemies and into the forest. Your former friends all chase after you, excited for this long-awaited hunt.

You drag her through the branches and leaves, pushing all of it out of your way to try and flee the scene.

"(Y/N)! St-"

"Shut up! We'll talk when we're safe!"

You cut a larger branch out of the way which leads you right into Mercury's foot. It collides with your face, letting him move atop you and push you down to the ground. You release Pyrrha so she isn't also injured. You all down to the ground and, before you hit the dirt, Azure swings his massive, newly spiked hammer. The impact of his swing and the keenness of his spikes does serious damage to your Aura. There's a small shockwave as he hits you, sending you barreling through the forest, slamming through trees and bouncing along the ground.

"(Y/N)!" Pyrrha shouts as she lands smoothly beside the large, armoured man.

"He's not who you should worry about," Azure calmly says, turning towards the younger woman.

Weiss and Robin land on either side of Azure, both smiling at the redhead. Pyrrha lifts her weapons to prepare for battle. All her training can't go to waste now... she has to get past these three and find you.

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You skid across the grass, ruining it and uprooting the brown. You shake your head and get back on your feet. "Still hits like a truck... he never had spikes, though."

Mercury, Emerald, Ruby, and Eton land around you.

"Can't wait to knock your righteous ass down a peg," Eton cracks his knuckles.

"If anyone was too full of themselves, it was you," you grab your blade and twirl it through your fingers.

"We all get to play again," Ruby claps her hand against Crescent Rose. "It's going to be so much fu-"

You pass by Ruby, your body flaring up for just a moment as your blade cuts through her neck. You return to normal and hear Ruby's body fall on the floor a second after her head connects with it. There's a moment, when you halt, where your heart sinks. Even knowing that these are puppets, lifeless vessels that your friends no longer inhabit, it's still painful to attack with intent to kill. You'll still do it, you'll free your friends, but in no way are you happy about this.

"Rest in peace, Ruby," you whisper before turning to face the other three.

"He changed and returned to normal that fast?" Mercury shouts with more surprise than you'd have thought.

You assume they can change and return that fast too... but it's more of a cost for you.

"It doesn't matter," Eton smiles, sprinting towards you. "I'll kill him."

Your old teammate slams his fists together, activating his brass knuckles to grow into two axes. He spins around and attacks, though you block both attacks. Mercury slides to your left and swings his mechanical leg at your head. At the same time, Eton brings his axes back to attack your right. You catch Mercury's leg with your bandaged arm and pull it close to take the slashes from Eton. You then shift to the right and trip Eton while also slamming Mercury onto the other man. You immediately flip back to avoid Emerald's bullets, hands pushing yourself off the grass and into the air.

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Pyrrha breaks through a tree, breaking in in half and forcing it to tumble. She rolls over her shoulder and onto her knee, taking a breather. Her Aura has taken a beating and she's barely managed to push her three opponents back. It's not like anything she's faced before. These people are ruthless, they're trying to kill her. They're really trying to kill her.

A bolt lands at Pyrrha's side, exploding seconds after. Pyrrha slides to a halt and knocks away the second bolt. Robin runs out from the bushes, firing a constant flurry of bolts. The Beacon student manages to knock them all away with sword and shield alike, going to a stab when Robin gets close enough. The woman slides to the right, hooking Pyrrha's sword with her right crossbow. It pulls the girl off-balance for Robin to jab Pyrrha's chest then fire another explosive bolt. The young girl loses grip on her weapon and rolls across the ground. She manages to recover and attract her weapon back to her hand, cutting yet another bolt in half. Pyrrha throws her shield at Robin's legs and knocks the corrupt girl over. Pyrrha jumps forward and lunges downward, though her blade is redirected by Weiss' rapier. She pokes the blade and then stabs Pyrrha in the ribs. The redhead steps back and blocks Weiss' follow up attacks.

Robin smirks and begins to whisper. However, this whisper is heard by Pyrrha as a desperate, horrifying scream.

"HANGING YOUR PRETTY HEAD ON MY WALL WILL BE SATISFYING!"

This sudden burst of noise in her ear throws the young girl off, making her stance crumble and allowing Weiss to create a lightning glyph below her opponent and ram Pyrrha into a tree. The girl slides down the wood but manages to get up immediately. However, she freezes when she sees what Weiss is doing. Using her glyphs, Weiss conjured up a black, ethereal Beowolf. Pyrrha's eyes shake at the sight. Someone making a Beowolf? That's impossible.

This display serves as an excellent distraction for Azure, who, despite his clunky armour, has gotten behind Pyrrha without her noticing. With his silent swing, he pounds his hammer through the tree and into the Spartan's back. The young girl drops her weapons on impact from shock, leaving her wide open for the Beowolf that pounces at her airborne form. The sudden shift in momentum throws off the girl's senses, barely granting her time to hold back the Beowolf's hungry maw. Her hands are pressing against its throat and eyes, keeping the beast away the best she can.

"How pathetic!" Weiss laughs. "Dominated by such a lowly creature!"

"HOW EMBARRASSING! IT'S SO FUN TO WATCH YOU SQUIRM! IT'S SO CUTE WHEN YOUR FACE GETS ALL RED! DO IT MORE! DO IT MORE!"

Robin's Semblance wears on Pyrrha's concentration. The constant biting and slippery movement of the ethereal beasts loosens Pyrrha's grip. It inches closer and closer to her neck while Weiss laughs, Robin whispers, and Azure approaches. He stands across from her head... like an executioner. Pyrrha doesn't notice him since her attention is focused on the Beowolf. He takes his stance and raises his hammer over his head... then swiftly slams it down.

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You twirl past Emerald's weapons, landing behind her and kicking her into a charging Eton. You instantly turn around and throw a kick, matching Mercury's in terms of power. You spin around and slam your heel into Mercury's temple while also wrapping some material around his leg. You turn around again, pulling your hand to knock the boy off balance. You then flip backwards to dodge Eton's slashes, then land and block the five attacks from all sides. You weave under his left attack while covering his right in material, pushing it in the opposite direction so he can't attack. You drive your left fist into his stomach, then turn around and throw him over you thanks to the bandage.

Mercury fires a blast from his leg which explodes on contact with your right arm. You slide a bit and focus on Mercury... Mercurys? Four Mercury's stand before you, all preparing to fire another blast from his leg.

Right, Emerald's Semblance. I'll have to be careful, if she allows Eton to wrap Aura around me, I'll be finished.

With your bandage still attached to Eton, you whip your hand around and throw him in a sweeping motion, crushing each of the Mercurys against a nearby tree. They all fade back into one, somewhat dazed and confused. You bring your material back and turn to the green haired girl.

Wait... if I only had these ones... Neo, Cinder, all the others are with Pyrrha!

You look back towards the area you came from, unable to see because of the dense and dark forest.

Damnit... did she run like I told her to? No, the rest would have come after me...

"Don't be scared about the girl, (Y/N)," Robin whispers in your ear.

You turn around to see Robin, Weiss, and Azure walking around from the bushes. Azure is holding a beaten, bloody and, thankfully, breathing Pyrrha. Azure throws the girl at your feet. She winces on impact, clearly feeling every inch of pain running through her body. You're about to approach her until Cinder lands beside her, bow in hand. The injured girl barely manages to open her eyes, only able to see blurry figures. Somehow she sees you through it all, staring at her.

"(Y/N)... I..."

"How sad," she looks down at the beaten student. "She looks like she's hurt," the girl looks up at you and smirks. "We... should stop that, no?"

Cinder's bow changes to a blade and she pierces the helpless woman's stomach. Pyrrha yelps in pain, a few tears falling from her eyes. Your pupils shake at the sight.

No... Not again...

Flashes of your friends appear in your mind, then ones of Pyrrha. Her smile, her always trying to talk to you, her vigilant training. The short time you've spent together... and you're going to let her die like that?

NOT AGAIN!

Your dark power envelops your body, but you haven't undone your chains. They dig into your entire arm, yet no blood is drawn. Your gray skin, flaming hair, dark eyes. This form is beautiful to everyone watching. You look at Cinder, eyes sharp and deadly. "You're all dead."

In response to your threat, everyone around you, save Cinder, enact the same transformation. Each of them has a general look among them – white skin with swirls that represent their dominant colour, flaming hair, and red eyes. Each has unique changes, however. Mercury's mechanical legs seems to fuse with a new organic substance, sprouting small spikes from the back of his calves. They also have some light flame to them. Furthermore, also bulks up slightly, ripping whatever's left of his upper body clothes.

Emerald's weapons become much longer and sharper than before after her transformation. She seems to have slimmed down, likely to make her faster and harder to hit. You can only imagine her Semblance has been augmented as well, so she's someone you have to take down quickly.

Weiss' dress extends down her legs to mimic royal attire. Her clothes, like the others, are charred and tattered. She barely resembles what she once was, even with her slightly fleshy and distorted rapier.

Azure's armour blackens over, yet he remains mostly unchanged. You can only assume the same thing is happening to him, but he still looks relatively normal from a mere glance. Robin has lost all her clothes at this point, her private areas only covered by a spiral of bones that slither down her body. She's also lost all her hair, yet gained a wider smile. Her crossbows, instead of becoming biotic like the others, have adopted a bone structure as opposed to wood and metal. Eton has gained a flaming, flesh-based cape that flows down his back. His once ruined hoody has been completely replaced with a set of armour that's composed of bones with small bits of corrupted muscle and skin. Now, he looks like a demented knight.

Cinder and Neo, the latter still being in her cloak, refrains from transforming. They merely step back and watch the situation unravel.

I want to kill them all... but I have to get Pyrrha out of here. I won't let her die!.

Your eyes drift down to Pyrrha after examining all your former allies. "How pathetic... you shame me... shame who you once were."

"Our power is far more than yours!" Eton laughs. "We're stronger! I'm stronger! You should have joined us when you had the chance!"

"Why would I join ones doomed to die?" You say before dashing forward and slashing Eton.

His figure dissipates, and soon after all the others multiply. You stop and turn around, immediately recognizing what's happening. You need to find and kill Emerald. You can't even escape with Pyrrha because of the green haired girl and Azure. The man can create a large wall of Aura thanks to his Semblance, and who knows what upgrades it has thanks to this power. So you need to take out those two before you can make an escape. She doesn't have much time left.

You take a deep breath and exhale, listening and feeling out the world around you. One thing you have that they're ignoring... is your arm. They had to have been at Beacon before because your entire body is pulsing in the presence of these people. That means you know when they're closer and farther away, thanks to the experience at Beacon. You open your eyes and swipe your chain to the left, your entire body following the motion. It sweeps around, wrapping around and invisible figures' leg before you pull them close. As soon as the illusion is broken, the rest of your enemies reveal themselves, all rushing in front different angles to attack you. Sadly, you captured Robin with your chain and not Emerald. It would have made things much easier if it was the latter.

You throw her over you and slam her down on Azure, who's more inconvenienced by the girl than actually stopped. Robin bounces off his arm and rolls along the ground, taking a moment to recover before getting back up. Meanwhile, you flip over Weiss' attack then duck and dodge through Eton immediate attack. You grab hold of his left handle, wrapping your chains around his arm and letting the sharp edges really dig it. He snarls in pain while his sharp eyes stay on you. Mercury fires black flames at you from his legs, which you jump up and over Eton to dodge. This drags the boy back as you're still hitched onto his arm. As he stumbles towards you, your foot slams into his jaw. You start pulling back on his arm, absolutely no emotion being shown throughout.

"You were never better than me," you bluntly say before pulling your foot back and kicking while simultaneously pulling on his arm. In a swift motion, you pull his arm off his body. Your eyes suddenly flash back to Yang – when you did the exact same thing to her... except you took her head instead of her arm. Your vision returns to the present as Eton falls on one knee, holding his shoulder.

His allies don't let this slide. Robin, Mercury, Weiss, and Emerald start firing their weapons at you to cover Eton. You see this and try to jump away, but you slam into an invisible wall.

"Azure-"

The blast all connect, pushing you into his spiked Aura wall. You keep yourself as stable as possible as more and more projectiles pound against you. The more that hit, the more smoke shrouds your position. Eventually, they stop.

"Did we get him?" Robin asks aloud.

"He's still touching the wall," Azure speaks up.

"So he-"

Your chain soars out of the dust, slithering through the air as if it had a mind of its own. The chains wrap around Emerald's neck and yank her off her feet and into dust. It was so fast that nobody had time to react. As the dust clears, you stand over a bleeding Emerald. However, there are a few wounds on you as well. Your red blood is tainting the gray and green colour of your skin.

"Emerald..." Mercury sneers.

I'm not going to kill them all in a group. With Emerald gone, I can make an escape. Trying to deal with Azure will take too long.

You dash forward at the four, making it look like you're going to keep fighting. Weiss slams her rapier into the ground and instantly summons four Gimm – two Beowolves, a Creep, and an Ursa. Robin starts firing her crossbows at you while Mercury runs in with the Weiss' Grimm. You know Azure is behind you and wouldn't bother making a wall in front or behind you. He needs to attack from behind, he needs to allow his allies to attack from the front. So, you can assume there are walls to your sides. Unfortunately, Pyrrha is more to your right. With that in mind, you jump to the right and push off the spiked wall, then jump off the left and over the right. Though your feet were minorly damaged, you avoid attacks from everyone and have a small window to escape with the wall between yourself and your enemies. You dash forward, grabbing Pyrrha with your chains and pull her into the forest with you. As soon as you break the line of sight, you grab your scroll.

"I need a pick up right now."

"Your voice, what the hell?"

"Hurry! Pyrrha's injured!"

"Right, right, I'm coming back! Meet me... here!"

You check your scroll's map and note the meeting point. "Got it."

You throw your scroll back in your pocket and keep jumping from branch to branch. Pyrrha starts coughing up blood while you move, so in response, you land on the ground and undo your transformation. The second you return to normal, your entire arm starts burning. You wince and look over, witnessing the curse claw its way up your arm, nearly reaching your shoulder.

"Tsk... sorry, Ozpin. But..." You look down at Pyrrha – her skin pale, her breathing light. You check her pulse, listen to her heart... "Damnit..."

She's lost too much blood. Even if I bandaged her wound... what can I do? I can't give her Aura, I don't have a healing Semblance... DAMNIT!

You slam your fists on the grass, flattening the once proud blades. "What can I do?" You whimper, body starting to shake. "What..." You slowly look up at your gray and green arm. "Can I... can I..?"

And that's all for this chapter! It was fun doing a little battle with everyone's forms. I didn't explore them all as much this time, but I might just be saving that for another time. Bearer only has one or two... probably two more chapters. Then it's all done and my short story is set in stone! Yeah, I'll actually focus on my other stuff again! Well, I plan to do a Limitless chapter before finishing this up so you might have to wait a little bit. I do hope you're enjoying this. It's different and shorter than what I usually do, but it's also fun to try something abnormal, you know? Well, for me, anyway. I just hope you're actually liking the story and concepts.

Also, if you wanna bully me, head over to my Twitter! Lately, I've been getting memes about the connection I made between Crimson Shadow and Naruto, which has just been SO much fun. I can think of two people in particular that have been just the biggest meanies. So if you wanna check out the bul- memes and/or contribute to my bucket of tears, go check it out!

And that's all for me! I hope you all enjoyed, and I will see you next time!

Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan

I recently revamped my Patreon to include a few more rewards with a steadier donation price. Things like one-shots, short stories, and full stories are a thing now! Plus there's a Discord reward for a dollar, so that's sort of neat. You can check it out yourself if you're interested. It's completely optional, of course! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!

A special thank you to Patreon supporters: Manuel Garcia, James Tubbs, MazMan, MTX and Sassylemons

Extra special thanks to Ride The Lightning and Nicholas X Wright!

And finally, thank you to the Beta Reader: Me, the bullied kid in the corner who still plays Pokémon GO... and Grammarly, but the free version because I don't wanna pay.

Disclaimer: I don't play Pokémon GO