The Bird and the Garden 2: Restart!

Chapter 47: Salem, Part Three

In an instant, Ruby and Russell dove for Salem, burying their weapons into the side of its head. Black blood squirted from the wounds, the four standing in front of it.

They gave everything they had, never pulling a punch. A flurry of sword, dagger, scythe, and mace, filled with the desire to make this demon suffer. Suffer, as it had made so many others before.

SMASH!

With one swipe of its hand, Crescent Rose was shattered to a million pieces. Ruby let out a shriek as the metal dug into Salem's arm, sticking out like a morningstar, turning itself into a weapon. Salem gritted its teeth, slamming the back of its hand against Ruby's skull. The shrapnel left behind from Crescent Rose split through bone, cutting her skin to ribbons. She stumbled back and collapsed to the ground, her arms flailing as she tried to escape. Y/N dove for his sister, pulling Ruby to her shoulders.

He had to get her out of here. He had to find Ozpin, his father, or Ironwood, before Ruby bled out.

"FUCKER!"

Y/N looked up to see Salem soaring towards him from the air, its face twisted with blind hatred, the car lifted high over its head.

"Y/N, look out!"

Y/N let out a cry of shock when Russell shoved him out of the way just as the vehicle slammed down on top of him, crushing the former cultist from the waist down. Russell's eyes went wide, blood squirting from between his lips. Y/N felt his heart twist inside his chest. "R-Russell!"

Before Salem could land, Tai came flying into view and slammed it out of the sky, giving Y/N the chance to help Russell. The hero leaned Ruby against the car, trying to pull his friend free. But every time Russell moved, his screams stopped Y/N. The blonde bit his lip, fighting back tears. "R-Russe-"

He stopped, frozen, the moment Russell's hand grabbed his own. Despite the agonizing pain he was experiencing, Russell's bloody lips curled into a soft smile. "G... Go," he croaked hoarsely. Y/N gritted his teeth.

"I'm not leaving without you."

Russell's eyes flickered towards Ruby for a moment, and he shook his head. "You... G-gave me a se... Se-second... Ch-chance, Y/N... I-I... Have your back... Remember...?"

It was only then that Y/N realized how dear that promise was to Russell. Just how much he meant it.

He remembered when he first met Russell. The bully who preyed on students who couldn't fight back. After what he was forced to do in Innsmaw, he gave it everything he had to change. He was ready to die if it meant doing the right thing. Y/N clamped his hand over his mouth.

In that moment he stopped to reflect, he realized. With everything that had been going on, he hadn't had time to think.

Nearly all his friends were dead, now. The only one left from their original group was Cardin. His entire team had been killed. Team RWBY was dead, with Ruby quickly bleeding out. Cardin and Russell were the only ones left in their team, soon to be just Cardin. His mother and his aunt were dead, along with one of his beloved teachers. His uncle was gravely injured, and that wasn't even counting the casualties that happened outside of his knowledge.

And as the adrenaline calmed and stilled, Y/N remembered Weiss. He remembered seeing her, the most important woman he had ever met, crippled and broken in the halls after seeing whatever Salem showed her. Unable to even speak, or stand, she begged him to kill her. He had lost the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

And now, he was about to lose another friend. His face grew pale, his hands grabbing the underside of the car and lifting, trying desperately to pull it away. Russell's head rested on the ground, watching Y/N move. His eyes grew wet, his lip quivering.