RWBY: Grimm Walker

Chapter 20: Downfall

The ships landed at Beacon as the sun began to set, Headmaster Ozpin waiting for them. A group of medics ran over and assisted Jaune onto a stretcher, his team at his side as they carried him off to the med bay. Yang ran over to the Headmaster, her face red from crying. "Headmaster, we have to go back, Nix is-"

He raised a hand to cut her off. "I've already been informed Ms. Long. We will send a team out to recover him at first light, but for now we must wait."

"We can't wait! He could be dead by the time you get there. Please, just let me go." Tears began to well in her lilac eyes once more, the others coming up behind her. The headmaster put a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you must be feeling right now, but we cant risk sending a search party at night. And you are in no condition to go back into the field, none of you are. We will send a fresh team in the morning." His eyes were soft but his voice was firm, his decision final.

"Please," Yang started. "Let me-"

"My decision is final, Ms. Long!" He barked at her. The girls flinched a bit at his tone, never seeing him so serious before. He regarded them firmly but with sincerity. "It pains me to have him out on his own, but I would much rather have one student at risk than nine." He sighed. "We will bring him home, I promise you that. But right now, you all need medical attention. I will have some staff escort you to the med bay." He turned to walk back into the school, the medical staff running over to the girls. He could hear Yang's sobs as she fell to her knees, her sorrow pouring out of her lungs in pained cries. Ozpin felt deep pity and sympathy for the girl, but there was nothing he could do for her now.

He returned to his office and sat with a heavy sigh, his fists under his chin deep in thought. Glynda Goodwitch sat across his desk, her expression somber. "You know he very well could be dead..don't you Ozpin?"

He closed his eyes with another sigh. "For everyone's sake, I pray he isn't..."

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Earlier...

Nix's eyes slowly opened as he awoke. His HUD shook with static every few seconds, his vison fuzzy. He looked at the sky from where he lay, his whole body in pain. Rocks fell from where the ground had split and tumbled onto the cave floor clacking as they bounced. Nix slowly rose from his spot, pushing rock and rubble off of him. He took a deep breath but felt a stabbing pain in his side. He coughed violently in reaction to the pain, which only caused it to hurt more. He took off his helmet and looked at his side. A large piece of bone shot through his right side just next to his kidney, patruding from his front. One of the Grimm bones must have been laying here when he landed, impaling itself in him. He touched it gently only to have pain shoot through his side. He hissed and took hold of it, blood seeping through his armor.

  "OK Nix, you can do this..."

He grasped the bone firmly.

"One..two.."

He grit his teeth.

"Three!"

He yanked the bone out of his side with a jerk, his body exploding with pain as he did. He screamed loudly as blood began to flow from the wound. Panting, he reached into his belt and pulled out a small metal disk. The disk vibrated softly in his hand as he turned it on, the center now glowing a light yellow. He grit his teeth again and pressed the disk onto the wound hard. The super heated plate hissed as it made contact with his exposed flesh, burning the wound closed. Nix cried out again through his teeth as the smell of burning flesh hit his nose, almost making him vomit. With the wound now closed and no longer bleeding he covered it with a gauze bandage. Nix leaned against a slab of rock as he breathed, a small trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth. He reached into his belt and fumbled for his Scroll.