Blue: Why can't these Grimm just leave?

He was effortlessly eliminating any Grimm in sight, whether they were standing a few feet away, or charging him down.

He knew that everyone at Beacon will do well to defend the place, so he can help out at Vale, where most of the Grimm where at.

It was a good thing that most of them were taken out, so now Blue can think about heading to Beacon. He helps out a few people with the evacuating process, leading them towards Qrow and the Atlas Soldiers.

However, he noticed two bodies on the floor. Students.

Brawnz Ni.

And Roy Stallion.

Blue: W-What? What were these two doing in Val-!

Blue found another body, a few feet away, and immediately...he remembered what team these two were apart of.

Team BRNZ.

May....

Blue rushes over to the third person, slightly buried by pieces of rubble.

Blue:...M-May?

Blue quickly pushes over the pieces of rubble, and moved May's sniper. She had blood on her, and wasn't moving or responding despite her eyes being open.

Blue: May. May!

Blue shakes her gently, but again, she didn't react. Blue started to panic, his face was full of worry, and he was struggling to breathe.

Blue: C-Come on, May. Don't do this to me!

He shakes her a bit roughly, trying to wake his friend up, despite clearly seeing that her eyes were open, which meant only one thing.

Blue: No no no! This isn't right! You...YOU CAN'T BE!

Blue had only one thing left to do, and that was to flick his finger at her forehead.

He does so....and May didn't react.

Blue:....May...

May: Blue, you won't lose me. You know that

Blue: May!

May: Well, those days have ended. You're going to be happy from here on out.

Blue: MAY! WAKE UP!

May: Hah, that's just me. You know nothing can keep me down forever!

Blue: May! Please!

May: Hah....idiot

Blue: I need you!

May: But you're my idiot

Blue:........

May: Yep....my idiot.

Blue:.....M-May?

Blue's voice was a soft whisper, broken, childlike, and defeated.

Blue didn't know what to do, he didn't know how to react. He wasn't even sure if he would cry, he just felt....so broken....

Qrow sees him from afar, and runs over, he looks at Brawnz and Roy. Then he saw who Blue was with, recognising her to be a close friend.

Qrow: Shit....kid, I'm...sorry

Qrow heard a noise, and looked at Blue, or more importantly, around him. It was white, they were there multiple times, and it confused Qrow.

Qrow: What was that? I can barely see them, but it looked like...sparks?

Qrow was right, white sparks were appearing like shockwaves around Blue. But it wasn't like a firework display, there was 2, 3 or 4 seconds in between each shockwave.

But Qrow could also see that it was building, building up to something destructive. So he places his hand onto Blue's shoulder, snapping him out of his trance, and stopping the sparks.

Blue looks behind him to see Qrow, and remembered he was here.

Blue: Q-Qrow?

Just like a moment ago, Blue's voice was more childlike, and broken.

Qrow: I'm here, kid, but you gotta focus. Beacon needs you right now

Blue: B-But...I can't....I can't keep doing this. I-I thought it would've s-stopped at them.

Qrow: I know, Blue. But that's just life, you may not deserve it, but some don't think the same, including fate. Now if you want to save more lives, get to Beacon now.

Blue steels himself and looks down at his fallen friend. He picks her up and stands up, passing her to Qrow.

Blue: Make sure her and the other two are looked after....

Qrow: I will....give em hell, Blue

Blue: I intend to.

Blue leaves Qrow, Powerpole in hand, and looks for a way back to Beacon.
_________________________________

In the Beacon vault, an elevator opens up to reveal Ozpin, Jaune, and Pyrrha. The three immediately sprint out of the elevator and down the corridor.

Jaune: What is this place?

Pyrrha: It's....a type of vault.

Jaune: You've...been here before?

Pyrrha looks away from him.

Jaune: What would this school need to...hide?

Finally seeing the Aura transfer machine, Jaune stops in his tracks, gazing wide-eyed at the strange contraption and the comatose girl inside.

Jaune: What? Who?

Pyrrha: Jaune...

Ozpin: Pyrrha! Get to the pods!

Pyrrha looks at Jaune, then runs to the second pod.

Ozpin: Mister Arc, if you'd like to help, you can stand guard here.

Jaune looks at the two with uncertainty, then turns around and gets into a guarding stance.

Pyrrha: What do we do now?

Ozpin: We, do nothing.

The second pod opens, and Ozpin turns his head to look at Pyrrha.

Ozpin: You, Miss Nikos...have a choice to make.

Pyrrha looks at the pod, then at Jaune, hesitating. Her expression changes from uncertainty to sadness, and she wipes a tear from her eye, still looking at Jaune. She then climbs into the pod, which closes.

[Back With Blake]

Adam: This could've been our day! Can't you see that!?

Blake: I never wanted this! I wanted equality! I wanted peace!

She raises her sword, its blade folding into sickle mode, and shoots at Adam, who blocks both bullets with his sword.

Adam: What you want is impossible!

He sheathes his sword and backhands Blake across her face, knocking her over.

Adam: But I understand because all I want is you, Blake.

She begins to raise her sickle again, only for him to kick it out of her hand, knocking her over once again.

Adam: And as I set out upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves, I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love. Including this, Blue.

Yang: Blake!

Yang's voice draws their attention to one of the broken windows. She soon comes into view and shoots a White Fang member, before looking around for her teammate.

Yang: Blake! Where are you!?

Adam looks at Blake to see her terrified expression, then returns his gaze to Yang.

Adam: But she will be first.
______________________________________

The streets of Vale were in chaos. Fires crackled in the distance. Buildings stood half-toppled or scarred by the battle that had raged through Vale.

Most of the Grimm had been cleared thanks to the brave efforts of the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and student.

But the danger wasn’t over.

Not for the Peacekeeper.

His feet pounded against the cracked asphalt as he ran, eyes sharp, heart burning. He had to get back to Beacon. He had to make sure his friends were safe.

He lost May, he wasn't going to lose anyone else. Qrow and the others were going to keep track on Vale, so Blue's full attention would be on Beacon.

But as he rounded a corner, he skidded to a stop. Up ahead was a group of Grimm that included a pack of Beowolves and a Beringel.

They were surrounding someone, a woman, pinned against a wall, and defenseless. Blue narrowed his eyes, and recognised her immediately.

Lisa Lavender.

Without hesitation, Blue gripped the Power Pole tightly.

Blue: [Grins Slightly] Guess I’m on TV after all.

With a sharp shout, Blue charged forward, twirling the Power Pole with practiced speed. He slammed it into the nearest Beowolf’s skull, sending it sprawling.

In a blur of strikes that were clean, precise, deadly, he crushed the pack, knocking the Beringel down with a spinning sweep to its legs followed by a powerful thrust into its chest, finishing the group off.

Lisa blinked, staring in wide-eyed awe as Blue wiped off his sleeve and turned to her.

Blue: Hey, Lisa.

Lisa: Y-You're the Peacekeeper! Blue Light!

Blue: Yep, that’s me. Nice to meet you finally. And hey, good job with all the news stuff. You’re a natural.

Lisa: T-Thank you!

Blue: Well, follow me. I’m going to take you to evacuati-!

Lisa: Watch out!

Blue instinctively twisted around to see a flash of black claws descended toward him. Blue raised the Power Pole just in time, blocking the savage slash. The impact rang out sharply through the air.

He gritted his teeth, shoving the new Grimm back with a hard kick to its midsection.

Blue: Well, that Grimm’s different...

He stared at it. This Grimm...it wasn’t like the others. Humanoid. Taller than a human, with jagged, incomplete features, and wicked intelligence in its eyes.

It was...familiar.

Too familiar.

A chill went down Blue’s spine. Memories that he didn’t want to remember clawed at the edges of his mind. But he forced himself to stay calm. Focused.

Behind him, Lisa had frozen in fear, so he glanced back at her.

Blue: Lisa, go! Head to the docks, you’ll get help there!

Lisa: [Tearing Up] O-Okay! Please...be careful!

She bolted past him, running as fast as her legs could carry her. But the Grimm moved too, faster than Blue thought possible, like a blur of darkness and death, faster even than Ruby when she activated her Semblance.

It darted towards Lisa.

Without thinking, Blue used his own Semblance, his body flickering with a burst of speed as the other two slowed down.

He intercepted the creature, and threw himself between it and Lisa, spinning in midair and delivering a crushing kick that knocked the creature away, slamming it into a wrecked car with a heavy CRASH.

Lisa disappeared into the distance, and Blue exhaled slowly, watching the Grimm pull itself free from the wreckage with an unnatural growl.

Blue: Only have one use left of my Semblance for today...got to save it for something vital.

The streets around them were eerily empty now, it was just him and the creature. And Blue knew this wasn’t just any Grimm, it was something far worse.

He planted his feet, raising the Power Pole in front of him, his heart pounded against his ribs. The Grimm scraped its claws across the ground, it glared at Blue with lifeless, yet intelligent eyes.

Blue slowly stood his ground, feeling the cold grip of dread tightening around his chest, but forcing himself to stand tall.

Blue: Your fight’s with me.

The creature paused for a moment, then, as if understanding, it turned its full attention onto him. Blue's eyes sharpened as he studied the monster.

The black, curving horns curling like twisted branches on the side of its head...the featureless white eyes glowing faintly against the blackness of its face...the absence of a mouth, which somehow made it even more sinister...

The jagged, spiked fur bristling along its back and shoulders...and those claws, long, wickedly sharp claws, the same ones he remembered so vividly from that night.

The night his world was shattered.

The night he lost everything.

But this wasn't the same one, right?

This creature looked more developed, something almost....evolved. It now stood as tall and broad as his late father had, casting a towering shadow over the cracked pavement.

Blue: You...You’re different...

Before he could process the thought further, the Grimm suddenly lunged. A blur of speed, dark as night. Claws flashing, aimed for his throat.

Blue gritted his teeth and braced himself, raising the Power Pole just in time to block the savage strike.

The weapon trembled from the force, Blue sliding back slightly from the impact as the two were locked in a fierce clash. And then, he realised it...

Blue: It's just like the one that...no...it is the same one!

Blue remembered standing in front of the creature as a kid, with a weapon...his Mother's. And now, being face to face with this creature....he could tell it was the same one.

That realisation sparked something deep within him, a roaring flame of pain and rage. With a sharp cry, Blue shoved the Grimm back with all his strength, spinning the Power Pole and swinging it hard toward the side of the creature’s head.

But the Grimm caught the blow.

It caught it.

Blue’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the sheer strength and reaction time. The creature’s claws wrapped around the shaft of the Power Pole, squeezing tightly enough that the weapon creaked under the strain.

And then, before Blue could react, the Grimm’s free hand drove a brutal punch into his stomach. The air was blasted from his lungs as pain exploded through his core.

His body lifted slightly off the ground from the force, then hurtled backward, crashing through a metal light post and skidding violently across the cracked asphalt.

His Power Pole clattered uselessly to the ground as the Grimm threw it aside. Groaning in pain, Blue tried to sit up, hs body screamed in protest, but he forced himself up to one knee, his aura taking a decent amount of the damage.

His blurred vision caught the sight of the Grimm slowly, methodically, walking toward him. Each heavy footstep was deliberate.

Taunting. As if the creature knew it had already won. But even through the pain...through the fear...Blue’s eyes burned with defiance.

Blue: Not this time...not again...

He planted his foot down firmly, gathering what strength he could. The battle was far from over.

But before that battle can escalate, the scene goes back to Ozpin, Pyrrha and Jaune.

Ozpin: Are you ready?

Pyrrha looks at him and gives a slow nod.

Ozpin: I....I need to hear you say it.

Pyrrha: Yes.

Ozpin: Thank you, Miss Nikos.

Ozpin presses a few more buttons on the screen, and Amber's pod raises up. Amber begins glowing orange, and her eyelids begin fluttering.

The orange glow travels along the pipes connecting the two pods, first up to the ceiling, then down to Pyrrha's pod. An orange glow surrounds Pyrrha, who begins screaming out in agony.

Jaune: Pyrrha!

Jaune runs over to Pyrrha's pod, moving his gaze back and forth between Pyrrha and Amber's pod. While Jaune panics, trying to understand what's going on, Ozpin looks away.

Ozpin: I'm...so sorry.

Suddenly, an arrow pierces the glass of Amber's pod, striking her in the chest. Amber gasps, and her eyes open, then begin to close again, while the machine begins beeping an alarm.

Ozpin and Jaune turn around to see Cinder Fall standing halfway down the corridor from them, an obsidian bow in her hand. She lowers the bow, a tiny smirk creeping across her face.

Amber struggles to breathe, her eyes wide, the machine's alarm still playing. Finally, all breath leaves her. Her eyes drift closed, and her head leans to the side, her whole body going limp.

The green flames that light the torches throughout the vault suddenly snuff out. Pyrrha frantically beats her fists against the glass of her pod. The orange glow leaves Pyrrha and travels back through the pipes into Amber.

The glow then bursts out of Amber, shattering the glass in its way, and enters Cinder. The murderer glows, begins floating, and gains long trails of flame around her eyes, with orange energy swirling around her.

Pyrrha beats even harder on the glass, her stress increasing. Jaune raises his sword and charges toward Cinder.

Ozpin: Stay back!

Cinder summons a large fireball casting it toward Jaune, who blocks it with his shield and is blasted backwards, landing on his back.

Pyrrha: JAUNE!

Finally, Pyrrha uses her Semblance to rip the pod's door off its hinges, throwing it at Cinder, who knocks it away like it's nothing.

As Cinder begins to descend to the floor, Pyrrha leaps out of the pod and charges, calling her weapon and shield to her with her Semblance. However, Ozpin puts his arm out, stopping her.

Ozpin: Take Jaune and get out of here! Find Glynda! Ironwood! Qrow! Bring them here right away! The tower cannot fall!

Pyrrha: But I can help!

Ozpin:....You'll only get in the way.

Pyrrha hesitates for a moment but obeys Ozpin, scooping up Jaune and running away.

While she does so, Cinder descends to the floor and watches them leave, with the glow, the swirling energy, and the flames around her eyes all disappearing.

Cinder turns her attention back to Ozpin, her eyes still glowing for a moment.

Back with Blue, he was down on one knee, but he forced himself up to his feet, ignoring the ache that pulsed through every inch of his battered body.

His Power Pole was out of reach for now, but he wasn’t worried, not yet. He knew how to fight without a weapon. And right now, he had no choice but to.

The Grimm rushed in again, and Blue met it head-on, fists flying in sharp, disciplined strikes.

His technique was strong, fluid combinations of jabs, hooks, and low kicks, taught by Qrow and sharpened through years of training. His fists cracked against the Grimm’s limbs and chest, forcing it to react rather than overwhelm him immediately.

But something was wrong, Blue’s sharp instincts caught it quickly, the Grimm wasn’t just mindlessly attacking like others. No...it was watching him. Studying him.

Every movement, every stance, every strike Blue threw was being analysed by those empty white eyes. And it unsettled him.

Blue: It's...learning from me. That's not normal.

Gritting his teeth, Blue tried to push for a fast finish. He blitzed the creature with a burst of speed, trying to catch it off-guard with rapid strikes aimed at its joints and head, critical areas that would’ve dropped a normal Grimm or at least slowed it down.

But it didn’t work.

While Blue was landing hits, they weren’t doing much damage to it. Meanwhile, the Grimm’s counterattacks were beginning to slip through his guard.

Each time its claws raked against his aura, it sent jolts of pain through him, and his aura meter in his mind’s eye ticked lower and lower.

Blue: This thing....is it stronger than me? Hah, that’s new, and fun. But...I have to be careful.

His mind flashed back to his Parents' final moments, clear as crystal. Skilled. Experienced. Yet that night...that thing tore through their aura like paper. Killed them faster than Blue could even react.

Now, here he was. Stronger, smarter, faster than he was back then. His aura was fortified, more than even his Parents.

And even then...it was draining dangerously low after just a handful of hits. Blue ducked a heavy blow, but was clipped by a sharp claw across the face.

His aura flashed brightly to absorb the impact, but he still stumbled back. The Grimm saw the opportunity. It lunged, claws raised. Blue’s heart raced. He had no more time to spare.

Blue: Fine! Last shot!

Activating his Semblance for the final time that day, the world around him slowed to a crawl. The Grimm’s slash seemed to hang in the air like a lazy pendulum.

Blue moved with calculated precision, weaving around the attack, and retaliating with a fierce series of strikes, an uppercut to the gut, a knee to the side, a spinning kick to the ribs.

Each blow, perfectly timed, perfectly placed.

Just as Blue cocked back for one final, finishing blow....but then, the 10 seconds were up, and his Semblance faded.

Time snapped back to normal, and the Grimm caught his fist.

Blue: [Eyes Widen] Wh-?!

Before he could pull away, the Grimm yanked him forward and slammed him into the ground with earth shattering force. Blue’s aura flickered violently, but barely held.

Then the Grimm leapt into the air with terrifying speed and came crashing down with both fists, smashing Blue into the cracked asphalt once again.

This time shattering the last remnants of his aura in a burst of blue light. Pain exploded through his body, raw and real. He gasped, tasting blood in his mouth for the first time.

It had been a while since he had, and right now he was struggling to move.

His fingers brushed something familiar, the Power Pole, lying within reach. Forcing himself to his knees, Blue wiped the blood from his lips and gripped the pole tightly.

His body screamed at him to stay down, but his heart wouldn’t allow it. He wiped the blood off his hand and looked at it, perplexed.

Blue: That...wasn't supposed to happen. My aura should’ve tanked that at least to stop the bleeding. How strong is this thing...?

He slowly rose to his feet once more, Power Pole in hand. The Grimm growled lowly, sensing its victory near, but Blue simply tightened his grip, pointing the end of the staff at the monster.

Blue: [Voice Low, Defiant] Round two. Let's go.

The street around them was still, broken only by the faint breeze blowing past the wreckage....and the heavy, slow steps of an ancient hatred moving in for the kill.

Blue spun the Power Pole in his hand, feeling the weight of it, the familiarity of it—it was like an extension of himself. With it, he could fight. He could survive.

The Grimm came at him again, claws flashing under the pale light of the shattered moon overhead. But this time, Blue was ready.

He blocked the first wild slash with a firm spin of the Power Pole, redirecting the claw harmlessly to the side.

The Grimm overcommitted, and Blue retaliated with a swift kick to its ribs, followed by a powerful thrust of the pole into its gut that made it stagger back a few steps.

Blue: [Grits Teeth] Not so easy now, huh?!

The Grimm screeched, a low, rumbling sound that barely resembled anything natural, and lunged again. The fight intensified, a deadly dance of movement and instinct.

Blue was sharper now, more focused. His training, his survival instincts, everything he had learned up to this point was pushing him beyond his limits. Each of the Grimm’s attacks came faster, heavier.

Blue ducked, twisted, and parried, using the Power Pole to catch blows and counter with devastating smashes to the arms and legs. Sometimes he'd slip a kick in, aiming for joints, knees, anything to slow the beast down.

But it wasn’t enough to dominate. Not even close. The Grimm was relentless. Each time Blue landed a blow, the creature would adapt, striking back harder.

It was easily the most dangerous enemy he had ever faced—smarter than the typical Grimm, stronger than almost any Huntsman he knew.

Maybe someone like Qrow could hold their own, Blue thought, but even then...it would be a hell of a fight.

Blue spun the Power Pole in an arc, blocking another vicious claw strike, but the sheer force behind it sent tremors down his arms. His muscles were screaming in protest.

And without his aura to absorb the damage anymore...

The pain was starting to catch up.

The Grimm feinted left, then right, and then drove a brutal claw into Blue’s ribs. The blow lifted him off his feet and sent him crashing against the side of a ruined vehicle.

He hit hard, coughing up blood as he struggled to rise. No aura. No shield. Every hit now mattered. Every hit could kill him.

The Grimm didn’t give him much time to think. It charged again, and this time, Blue barely managed to roll out of the way, the claws gouging deep trenches into the concrete where he had just been lying.

Pain flared through his side, his head pounded from earlier impacts, and his vision blurred slightly, but Blue grit his teeth, slamming the Power Pole into the ground and pulling himself up again.

This thing wanted him dead. And if it thought he was just going to lay down and let it happen....it was dead wrong.

Blue: I'm not dying here!

With a roar, Blue launched himself back into the fight, weapon a blur of red as he attacked with newfound aggression.

He unleashed sweeping strikes at the Grimm’s head and legs, backing it up, forcing it onto the defensive for the first time in their battle.

The Grimm swung a claw at his head, Blue ducked under it and drove the end of the Power Pole hard into the creature’s chest, making it stagger.

It retaliated with a backhand that clipped his shoulder and sent pain shooting down his arm, but Blue didn’t let up.

He spun, shifting his stance, and brought the pole down in a crushing overhead strike. The Grimm caught it again, but this time Blue anticipated it.

He let go with one hand, twisted his body, and drove a powerful kick straight into the side of the Grimm’s head.

The impact cracked the air like a gunshot, and the Grimm reeled backward.

Blue: Y-You're not unstoppable...

For a moment, it almost looked like the creature was hesitating, reassessing its prey. And Blue...stood tall, barely able to stand, but unwilling to fall.

The fight wasn’t over yet. But for the first time...Blue thought he might just have a chance. The creature, sensing an opening, lunged with terrifying speed and ferocity.

Blue barely had time to react before a clawed hand slashed across his side, tearing through the fabric of his trench coat and drawing blood.

The pain was sharp, deep, but he gritted his teeth and tried to stand his ground. Before he could even recover, the Grimm caught him again, a vicious slash across his shoulder that sent him spinning.

Another claw followed immediately, raking across his back. And then another, this one striking across his chest, nearly knocking the wind out of him.

Each blow tore more blood from him, his body screaming in agony. His shirt had slight cuts, his skin burning from the open wounds.

If he hadn’t built up his endurance over the years, if his body hadn’t been honed through countless battles and brutal training...he would’ve already been dead.

The Grimm roared, its claws flashing in the moonlight, and with one final, devastating swing, it slammed into Blue’s side and sent him flying backward through the air.

But Blue wasn’t done yet.

Gritting his teeth hard enough to almost break them, he twisted his body mid-air and planted his feet into the ground, skidding along the broken street, tearing up chunks of asphalt beneath him.

His legs burned from the effort, but he stopped himself before he could crash into the ruined remains of a building. Blood dripped steadily from his wounds, his vision was foggy from the pain, but there was still something burning inside of him.

That stubborn fire.

That refusal to fall.

He leaned heavily on the Power Pole, using it to steady himself. Every part of him hurt, his hands were trembling, and it was hard to breathe. But he forced himself upright, lifting his head to stare down the approaching Grimm.

Blue: I-I can't let this thing go....

The Grimm snarled, almost grinning with its empty face, sensing victory close at hand.

Blue: If I die here, then almost nothing can stop it....I can't let others die because of this thing!

The memory of his parents, of Evelyn, flashed before his eyes. He remembered their faces. Their warmth. Their laughter.

The promise he had made to Qrow so long ago, the promise to be strong, to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. Blue’s hands tightened around the Power Pole, his knuckles whitening.

Blue: I have to kill it...right here, right now!

With a roar that was more defiance than anything else, Blue launched himself forward, the Power Pole spinning in a blur of crimson light. This wasn't just a fight anymore.

It was survival.

It was vengeance.

It was destiny.

Blue meets the Grimm it in a brutal clash, exchanging blow for blow. Blue’s staff striking against claws, dodging swipes by mere inches, sometimes getting grazed or slashed.

He was holding his ground, but it was clear, he wasn’t going to last much longer. Each block, each counterattack, drained him further.

His stamina was running on fumes, his muscles screaming at him to stop. He couldn't use his Semblance normally anymore, but he had to try something, anything, to tip the scales.

Blue pushed, forcing his mind to focus...trying to slow time down like he had before.

Nothing.

The Grimm caught him with a brutal swipe across the ribs, knocking him staggering back. Gritting his teeth, Blue tried again, forcing every ounce of his willpower into his Semblance.

Again, nothing. The Grimm hit him hard across the face, sending him crashing against a crumbled wall.

Blue: Come on, come on...!

Blue thought desperately, planting one foot forward, trying once more, trying to will time itself to bend to him.

Nothing, only a brutal punch to the gut from the Grimm, sending him to his knees.

The Grimm doesn't make a noise, leaping high into the air, claws poised to end him once and for all.

Blue looked down to the cracked ground, feeling his strength flicker like a dying flame. And he tried one last time.

...And this time, it worked.

Time around him slowed. First gradually....then completely. The Grimm froze midair, suspended as if caught in a photograph.

It wasn't just it.

The whole world shifted before stopping.

Blue blinked, stunned. He had succeeded, but it was different. This wasn’t just slowing down time.

It was like he had stopped it.

The realisation shook him, but he didn’t think, he couldn't. Instead, he acted. Blue rushed forward, unleashing a devastating barrage of strikes onto the Grimm.

Staff strikes to its ribs, knees to its midsection, punches to its head, all flowing into each other like a relentless tide.

His body burned, strained beyond its limits. Every movement sent jabs of pain up his battered limbs. He knew he didn’t have long before this new ability would stop completely.

But still he fought, still he gave everything he had. Feeling time start to tremble around him, warning him that it would snap back to normal, Blue prepared one final blow.

He pulled his fist back, and trusted it forward, suddenly, white sparks burst around his fist, crackling with wild, untamed energy.

It reminded him....of earlier, when he found May’s body, and those same sparks had danced around him.

But now, they flared even brighter, and after three seconds, the sparks erupted into vibrant, roaring blue flames that coated his hand. Blue didn’t understand it, but he didn’t need to.

With a furious roar, he drove his flaming fist into the Grimm’s chest just as time snapped back into motion.

The impact was colossal.

The Grimm was blasted backward with monstrous force, crashing through a building and vanishing in a cloud of dust and debris.

Blue staggered, breathing heavily, every inch of his body trembling. His vision blurred from exhaustion, but he somehow remained standing. He planted the Power Pole on his back, clutching at his bleeding side.

Blue: It's....over....

Blue was glad that it was all over, he needed to recover quickly so that he can get to Beacon. His friends were there, and they needed him.

Penny....May....he couldn't lose another.

But just as he thought it was done, the rubble stirred. The Grimm clawed its way free from the crushed building, battered, but very much alive. Blue’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Blue: [Exhausted] W-What? You're still up?!

The Grimm stared at him, silent, emotionless. It tilted its head slightly, almost curious in a sick, twisted way.
Blue gritted his teeth, forcing himself upright.

He had no energy left to fight, but he wasn’t going to back down. Not now. Not ever.

He was the Peacekeeper of Vale and Beacon. He had to stand tall.

But the Grimm...did something unexpected. It turned its back on him.
Without a sound, it walked away into the shadows of the ruined city, disappearing into the dark like a ghost.

Blue stood there, stunned, the silence almost deafening. Part of him wanted to chase it down, to finish the job, but his instincts told him otherwise. Somehow, he knew....it was done for the day.

And besides, he had bigger priorities.
Blue turned, wiping the blood from his face, and began limping down the road.

His mission wasn’t over yet.

He had to get to Beacon.