Jack Schnee [RWBY]

[Jack POV]

I can't let it hit anyone behind me as I face the beam head-on. I instantly start absorbing the blast aimed at me. Endless amounts of energy are flowing into my body. It feels like it's going to overwhelm me. My body feels like it's on fire as I could feel the limitless power at my fingertips. I can't keep absorbing it forever for fear that I'll reach my limit and blow up. I quickly start releasing the charged up energy back against the elemental beam. I push it back towards the machine as I glance back at the people manning the machine as they frantically hit more buttons. Whatever buttons their pushing is working against me as the blast starts being pushed back towards me once again. It's too much power. I won't be able to absorb it completely is it reaches me again. Slowly but steadily the beam inches closer and closer towards me. I won't lose, I've sacrificed too much to get to this point to lose now. I push back harder with a strength I didn't know I had but it wasn't enough to redirect back towards the machine. Both of us were locked in a stalemate but it was only a matter of time before one side wins. Either I run out of energy and it overwhelms me or the machine runs out of energy and gets destroyed. Well, I'm certainly at a disadvantage. Dying here is not how I was expecting to go out as the beam slowly gets closer and closer to my body. I'm struggling to keep it up as multiple streams of sweat run down my face. I can't hold it any longer as the beam is right in front of me now.

???: You're not dying yet.

Someone I'm not familiar with brown eyes and brown hair appears next to me. She was wearing an all-black outfit that seems to be more like a second layer of skin because it leaves nothing to the imagination.

???: I won't stand by and let you die. I'll help you.

Calamity: How?

She glows bright orange and I could immediately tell since I've experienced it myself that this is the fall maiden's power. She shoots an orange energy beam at the elemental beam with me and pushes it back immensely.

???: Put your back into it one more time.

I give one last push with this mysterious stranger as we push it back to the machine. It blows up and creates a massive explosion as I am sent flying back. The stranger creates a shield of energy to block the incoming blasts of wind and debris from the explosion. I'm not injured because I still have the armor protecting me but I'm completely exhausted from head to toe. Even if I could absorb more aura to heal myself, I'm way too tired to fight in any more battles for the time being. I look over at the stranger wondering how she could have maiden powers until it hit me. Something must have happened with Amber or Kim. I look around only to find her gone. I have to find out what happened but after a quick breather to regain some stamina.

[Ozpin POV]

Ozpin: Ironwood, what's going on?

Ironwood: It seems that one of my sh.i.p.s has been taken over but there helping to shoot down Grimm so for now I've chosen to ignore them. Thankfully, whatever virus the enemy used to control over Beacon Academy has not extended to my airsh.i.p.s or my mechanical soldiers. Everything's working as it should but there is a massive amount of Grimm. My soldiers are doing there best to take care of the situation but there have been some Grimm that manage to slip through our defenses.

Ozpin: I've noticed that the Grimm aren't the only problem, what happened to the other groups that managed to infiltrate the campus.

Ironwood: From the reports I've gathered it seems that your students are taking care of those problems. I don't know the outcomes of the battles but I've heard that casualties are being kept to a minimum with them around. Ozpin, what are you planning to do?

Ozpin: I need to get Amber away from here. The mastermind behind all this chaos's ultimate goal must be to steal the Fall Maiden's power. Listening to you, it seems that they haven't participated in any of those fights and most likely are making their way to my location as we speak. Send me one of those airsh.i.p.s to pick us up.

Ironwood: Are you with her?

Ozpin: No, but I'm going to find her.

[Amber POV]

It's everything went downhill so fast it's unbelievable. I could see a variety of battles in the distance and each one of them is working their hardest to achieve victory. I want to help but I'm still afraid that those people would appear and end my life. Somehow I just know they're coming for me. I couldn't explain it but something inside of me was screaming at me to face my fears and properly face my enemies. I heard the sounds of footsteps as I turn around and see that Emerald has shown up out of nowhere. Emerald looks unusually sad as she walks up to me.

Emerald: We have to go. They'll be here soon.

Amber: I know.

Emerald: You know? Then why are you standing here waiting for your death?

Amber: I need to face them and prove that I'm different than who I was before.

Emerald: You have nothing to prove. Despite not knowing you for that long, I can tell that you're an amazing person. There are not many people that would accept their enemy as a friend despite the unusual circ.u.mstances.

Amber: Thanks but even if I run there going to find me.

Mercury: What's with all this disgustingly happy conversation? Emerald, I told you to find her and report her location to me. I was expecting much but to think that you were this hopeless.

Emerald: I don't want to be apart of your group anymore. Amber and I will stop you.

Mercury: Really? You think I came alone.

From behind him, two more people appear from the shadows. The woman who tried to capture me before appears before me without her helmet and I recognize her face. She was one of the many professors at Beacon Academy to think that she was a spy for the enemy. Thankfully, Ozpin trained me himself instead of her otherwise she would know all of my moves. I looked over to see the woman from my nightmares standing right next to her. Just looking into her eyes I could see that she is looking down on me but that's okay since after this fight she may no longer have the opportunity to smile after this. Two against three might be tough but with my maiden powers, I should be able to handle it. Mercury rushes towards Emerald and sends a flurry of kicks in her direction. Emerald struggles to block and ends up being kicked in the face. She recoils from the hit only to be kicked in the legs and ends up falling to the ground. I send a burst of fire at Mercury when Prof. Freeze put up an energy shield that completely negated the blast. It must have been made to counter my flames. An arrow was shot at me from the side but I send a gust of wind in that direction and send the arrow veering off course. I send three fireballs in Cinder's direction as I send another gust of wind this time toward Prof. Freeze. Cinder dodges the fireballs with some difficulty while Prof. Freeze gets knocked back and collides with Mercury. Emerald gets up off the floor and has a more determined expression on her face as I look back toward Cinder.