STRQ (A RWBY fanfiction) [Book 1]

Chapter 41

I didn't say a word as I led my team back to our dorm. I got some frightened looks along the way. They must've saw my blood covered hands.

Once we had arrived back to our dorm, I rushed to the sink to wash off Gretchen's blood, which had dried and turned into a rusty color. My hands were shaking as I watched the dried blood go down the drain. My eyes burned with tears as the image of Gretchen's dying eyes filled my mind. After a while, I felt someone put a hand on my shoulder.

"Summer... I think your hands are clean
enough now. You've been washing them for a pretty long time," I heard Qrow say behind me.

I slowly looked at my hands. They were beginning to turn red from all my harsh scrubbing under the hot water.

"Where are Nico and the others?" I asked, suddenly worried.

"They went to talk with Ozpin. My guess is that they're going to figure out their next leader or drop out of the school," Tai said.

"If I had been quicker... she might've been saved..."

Qrow turned the water off and led me to my bed. He sat beside me and embraced me.
"You can't save everyone, Summer. I know this is an unfortunate situation, but it's not like you can change it. And I'm sure Gretchen wouldn't want you to continue to beat yourself up over something you can't change."

I leaned my head against him. "I... I know. I just wish I could've helped her."

"I don't think anyone could've helped her, Summer. Her wounds were horrific," Raven replied.

I was about to reply when I heard alarms start to go off.

"What's going on?" Tai asked.

The intercom come on a few seconds later.
"Warning. Incoming Grimm attack. Threat level 8. Please seek shelter in a calm manner."

I saw numerous students running in various directions outside as Grimm chased them.

"First Gretchen dies... now this?" Raven asked.

"What should we do, Summer?" Qrow asked.

"What huntsman are supposed to do. Let's go."

We grabbed our weapons and ran outside to see the entire campus in chaos. Everyone seemed to be panicking.

"There's Grimm everywhere! We can't fight all of them!" Tai cried.

"That's why we're here," a voice said behind me.

I turned to see team WHTE. I was surprised that they hadn't gone back to Vacuo yet.

"Are you sure you're up to helping us?" Qrow asked.

William nodded. "Of course. I did say that we would do anything to help out Summer, right? So... do you have a plan?"

"William, I want you and your team to help escort everyone to safety. My team and I will handle the Grimm," I said.

"Got it. Let's get moving, team WHTE!"

After they had left, Raven turned to me. "I think we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way. If one of us is in trouble, we can always use our scrolls."

"Sounds like a good idea. You and Qrow can take care of the Grimm coming in from the entrance in order to keep the invasion from getting worse. Tai and I will handle the Grimm on campus," I said.

Raven nodded. "Stay safe, okay?"

I wrapped my arms around her. "You too. I'll contact you once the Grimm are under control. Go."

Raven and Qrow turned into their corvid forms quickly and flew off.

Tai turned to me. "So where do we start?"

I looked around and noticed several Grimm chasing students. Suddenly, I heard a cry that was louder than all the others. The cry was so loud that it shook buildings. I looked around for the source of the noise and found a huge Grimm dragon was on top of the tower.

"What is that?!" Tai yelled.

"I have no idea. You go help the attacked students. I'll deal with... whatever that thing is," I said.

Tai's eyes widened. "You can't just go against a Grimm that size! You'll get killed!"

"I have to try. It's better than it flying down here and killing everyone else. I'll call you if I need any backup."

"Summer... you might just be the craziest huntress I've ever met. ...Go show it who's boss."

I grinned. "Will do. Be careful, okay?"

With that, I used my semblance to gain speed and run up the side of the tower.

The Grimm dragon lost it's focus on the students and turned directly at me. It's glowing red eyes were filled with hatred and bloodlust. It let out another loud roar that nearly made me lose my balance. After steadying myself, I quickly ran toward the dragon and unsheathed my sword. I stashed at it, but the blade didn't seem to do any damage.

"Great. Looks like I'll have to use my powers for this," I whispered to myself.

The dragons huge jaws snapped towards me. I managed to jump back before it's sharp teeth could get a hold of me. I would have to wear it down first before I could use my powers effectively. Before I could move, I felt my body slam into the roof of the tower. My sword was knocked from my hand and it slid several feet away from me. I shut my eyes and turned away from the dragon's sharp teeth, which were inches from my face. I could feel it's warm breath against my neck. I shivered as it's rough tongue ran against my skin. I got the courage to look at the dragon again. It was licking its lips hungrily.

"Get off me!" I screamed, punching it in the eye as hard as I could. The dragon screeched in pain and it quickly released its grip. As soon as I was free, I ran to get my sword and swiftly began to slice the dragon's wings. Once the wings were decently damaged, I walked over to the edge of the tower, hoping to encourage the dragon to follow me. My plan worked. The dragon began to charge straight towards me, its claws reaching out to grab me. I moved away the very last second and watched as the dragon fell off the tower. It frantically started to flap its wings, which were too damaged to function properly. Then it grasped the sides of the tower with its' claws.

I slowly walked to the edge and peered down. The dragon snarled at me and snapped its' jaws in response. I smiled coldly and unsheathed my sword. With a quick jab, I poked the dragon in both of its' eyes making it cry in pain once again. Its claws released for the tower and it fell to the ground, making a huge crater. It didn't try to get back up. This was my chance. I jumped into the air and used my landing strategy and landed near the dragon. It tried to rise to its feet, but it could only stand for a brief moment before collapsing.

"Not so tough now, are you?" I asked.

The dragon snarled and snapped at me quickly.
I closed my eyes to calm myself. As I began to concentrate, my head started to hurt... more than usual. I opened my eyes again and saw nothing but white. The dragon cried in agony before being cut off short. Once my vision had returned, the dragon had been completely petrified. My entire body was shaking as I tried to walk. I managed to take a few steps before my body gave up completely and I went crashing to the ground.