Paint and Flame (RWBY X Male Conduit Reader)

Race to Save Face

Shards of rock and concrete spread from her hands and across her grip to Matthew where she held him, the result being her infamous concrete prison that many conduits knew all too well. Augustine tightened her grip before swinging the captive neon conduit around and into her other opponent as she ran up behind them, sending both him and Delilah to the ground. 

"The two of you have been a thorn in my side long enough." Augustine started, raising her right arm. Shards of concrete raised into the air, forming a giant spear. "I look forward to removing you." She cocked her arm back, ready to kill them when a ball of fire slammed into her and exploded. The spear fell apart and Augustine's concentration followed suit. She angrily snapped her head to the left to look at the back of the ship where her attacker stood, his arm outstretched. The ginger's scowl was replaced by a devious smile as she approached him, gliding on her pillar of rotating concrete, seemingly ignoring the small army of escaped conduits flooding out of the ship from either side of him. "Ah - just the man I wanted to see." (Y/N)'s silence gave her no satisfaction. He simply glared at her. Augustine's gaze faltered for just a moment before the smile returned. 

"You know, I warned Ozpin about this . . . about you." The older woman started. "But he didn't believe me. And now that I have proof, there's nothing you can do to stop me from turning you in. So I'm giving you a choice." Her smile became an arrogant smirk as she reached for him. "You can come quietly, or you can make this more difficult than it has to be. For both of us." 

(Y/N) wanted to speak. To retort. To throw her attitude right back at her and wipe that smirk off her face. But he knew the detector of the DUP did not earn such a title for being stupid. Augustine was a smart woman and was clearly goading him for a reason. 

The smoke conduit unfurled his weapon, swinging the chain around him as he lept off the deck of the ship. She was ready for this outcome as well, however, evident when a giant concrete hand came up from below and snagged (Y/N) by the legs. He didn't have time to react and was violently thrown to the ground. Luckily, his distraction had given Delilah the chance to break Matthew out of Augustine's concrete prison and get away. 

(Y/N) shakily stood up, dusting himself off and continued glaring at his opponent as his arms began to superheat. Augustine simply continued smirking as she raised her hands, broken concrete shards from all over the dock began forming around her into what would've become an instantly fatal attack. Would've. Just before the ginger woman was about to send the attack, a huge neon laser, easily six feet in diameter, shot through the air. The energized beam struck Augustine in the side, the brilliant purple lighting up the night around them. 

"Agh!" The concrete conduit yelped as she formed a barrier to shield herself before taking the giant hand she had used against (Y/N), balled it into a fist, and used her power to throw it at the roof of the building from which the beam had originated. It impacted the roof, the sounds of rock-like shattering echoing from what remained. Confident she was safe, she snapped her gaze back to the smoke conduit. But it seemed she would lose a target for the second time that night.

Intense blue eyes swept the area as Augustine whirled around, searching, not willing to let (Y/N) get away again. It was then her instincts kicked in and she looked up, and, of course, there he was. The lower halves of (Y/N)'s limbs were engulfed in fire as he came down on her head first, a wicked smirk played across his face. Her eyes only widened for a moment before she brought her arms up, a protective layer of concrete coming together above her in a near futile effort to protect herself when the human missile came down, a massive fiery explosion rocking the area. Augustine's spinning pillar collapsed almost instantly, as did any other piece of the man-made solidified rock that had been suspended in the air. 

Embers and ashes that had scattered across the ground began to steadily lift into the air before coming together in a mini-tornado of fire and smoke. From within, (Y/N) emerged, panting and exhausted. He spared the rubble around him only a glance before sprinting away from the docks. 

"(Y/N)!" A voice from above called. The boy in question looked up to a rooftop to see Delilah standing over the edge. "Up here!" He quickly found a vent and flew up it, coming out next to the group of five. "Are you alright?" Delilah asked. Through pants, the smoke conduit spoke. 

"Who . . . was that?" It took them a moment to realize what he was asking. 

"That was me. You're welcome, by the way." Carolina stepped forward, the corner of her mouth etched up in a slightly overconfident smirk. 

"The hell kinda power was that?" (Y/N) finally managed to catch his breath. Carolina only smiled wider. 

"Now you know why I'm the team sniper!" Before anyone else could speak, several DUP bullheads flew in from above, hovering around the docks where the fighting had been. Soldiers, as well as several of Augustine's personal agents, dropped and began picking up the pieces. They too were interrupted, however, when Augustine herself burst from the rubble.

"Ma'am!" One of the agents jogged up to her. "The situation-"

"I need a ride to Beacon!" She barked, cutting her subordinate off. 

"But Ma'am-"

"Now, lieutenant!" She walked passed him with a scowl. The agent did as he was told and ushered a bullhead down for her. Back on the rooftop, one of the conduits there was starting to lose it.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" (Y/N) started, his hands burying themselves in his hair as he panicked. "I have to beat her back to Beacon! But how . . ." Trailing off, he turned around to the companions he had made, looking over them. The smoke conduit grit his teeth and sighed in annoyance before speaking. "Hey!" The five turned to look at him, pausing the conversation they were having. "Augustine's on her way back to Beacon. I have to get there before she does. I hate to ask but . . ." 

"Waitwaitwait, hang on." Delilah stepped forward, and incredulous expression notwithstanding. "The only way you could possibly get there in time using us would be to . . . would be to . . . you are not asking for this!"

"I don't have a choice! So just throw me a bone here." (Y/N) pleaded. Had the universe been any different, one would have seen a vein on the edge of Delilah's forehead. The bullhead on the dock Augustine had stepped into lifted off and began its flight. The (e/c) eyed boy muttered a 'dammit' under his breath as he watched the small airship fly away. 

"Oh for shit's sake!" (Y/N) looked over to the group of neon conduits to see the most unlikely of people stepping forward. 

"Matthew?" He asked. 

"Listen, smokey, I don't like you, but you saved her" he gestured to Carolina "so just this once I'll do you a favor." He turned away from (Y/N) and kneeled down. "Climb on." (Y/N) stared blankly for a moment, not entirely sure if this was really happening. 

"Uh . . . thank you" he started. 

"Silence. We do not speak of this." Matthew deadpanned. 

"Okay, okay. But I appreciate-" (Y/N) was interrupted when a hand grabbed his lips and held them shut. 

"We do not speak of this. Ever."

IMPORTANT 

Hey, readers, just FYI. I said there would be a romance in this story. The only issue is that I brought that up when I had plans to make this story full length. But now that I'm ending it in volume three, that might change. It may just end up being an easter egg at the end of the story or something. I apologize if you all are disappointed, however, it would feel quite wrong to simply force a romance in volume three, so I feel that this is the best way to handle the situation. Thank you for your patience.