"GRAH!!!"
"Woah there, Blondie! Take it easy!"
"Shut up!"
His leg is up, and blocked my fist, so I reach to punch between his legs.
He kicks off with his unused foot, opting to fire a bullet at me. I tank it, since it's hardly enough to destroy my aura. But he also used the backlash to jump away from me.
"Let's be delicate, okay? Get too aggressive and I might change partners..."
Whether he's spouting bull or seriously talking about targeting Ruby, I'm just even more pissed. Hard to think straight when this guy is smirking at you.
"Okay, then. How about the box step?"
"Oh? Such personal, slow movement... Is that really your style? You got a crush on me?"
"You love spouting nonsense, don't ya?"
Change up my movement.
I fire my right gauntlet, launching to the left. He kicks bullets at me, so I fire behind myself, launching past his right side. Immediately after landing, I fire my left gauntlet, shooting into his blind-spot.
Super messy and not even a full box, but it was enough to result in an opening.
I fire toward him and connect my fist.
He turns into mist and I'm kicked in the stomach.
God dammit.
My aura lowers a bit more... Makes me stronger, but I have more to do after taking him down. I really shouldn't be reckless...
"Hey, the hell are you doing back here? Go rest your head on your mistress's lap or whatever."
"God, Mercury, I hurt myself to help you and you don't even take advantage of it? Didn't even do a sneak attack. You just HAD to be dramatic. Announce yourself to the whole world."
"Only to the sisters. You don't-"
He blocks my sudden punch once more. It's infuriating how well he's deflecting my blows.
"Just go and rest, already. You've lost enough blood."
Emerald's face is a paler hue than before, and her nose is dripping a lot of red.
"I'm not helping you anymore. Isn't worth it."
She holds her middle finger out as she turns to leave, and I yell out angrily.
"Motherfuckers! Stop showing up and leaving! Stick around for 2 damn seconds!"
My hair flares up, and I punch the annoying guy in front of me. As expected, he prevents any damage I could deal, but the forcefulness pushes him back, which is what I was going for.
I shoot myself toward Emerald and throw a punch. She notices too late, and gets blasted against a wall, her aura shattering.
"Mercury, get off your ass!!"
She screams an insult.
Shit! Mercury!
I turn to see him racing toward Ruby.
I attempt to reach Ruby as well, but he's gonna beat me.
She activates her semblance, thankfully, and flies in my direction, deactivating her petal-like form in mid-air. I catch her.
"Ow ow!!"
She exhales through her teeth, and I quickly sit her down.
The medics are forced to flee, so Ruby will need to be taken elsewhere...
"Focus!"
I barely cover my face with my gauntlets, a bullet-shot ringing in the air.
"Can't be distracted. Gonna mess up the choreography."
"Dances dances dances. Will you ever shut up? This isn't a game. This isn't a party. This isn't a gala!"
"It also isn't a shouting match. Lower your voice. You'll damage how pretty it sounds."
"Can you not pretend to flirt? It's revolting."
"You're right, I would never go for you."
"Like I'd ever want that."
"Stalling for time isn't gonna help, Blondie."
"..."
He's right. Blake isn't here. Something's happened.
"Oh! You might wanna look out for-"
His words are interrupted by several gunshots from behind. Emerald is still fighting?!
I jump out of the way, Ruby in my arms and sweating heavily.
"Ow ow..."
She grips my jacket.
"Ruby... Stay here. I've got you."
"Yang, no... You're damaged."
"That's when I'm at my best, Rubes. You know that."
My hair engulfs in bright, hot flames. I turn to the pair behind me and cock my gauntlets.
"I'm gonna enjoy kicking your asses."
"I'm the one that kicks, Blondie."
"GRAH!"
I launch myself forward, throwing a punch. Mercury holds a knee up to block the blow, so I slow my attack down, opting to grab his leg.
He doesn't expect this, so I get away with spinning him around and tossing him out of the stands, where we relocated to after I chased Emerald.
As he falls to the ground, I throw punches in Emerald's direction. She blocks a couple of my bullets, but one of the shots pierces into her shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. Her pale face only weakens further, and she collapses, not even able to sit any more.
Don't get distracted!
I turn back to see Mercury flying at me, spinning. He prepares an extremely forceful blow.
Fight fire with fire!
I launch toward him as well. Our attacks collide, and I fire a bullet as they do, giving me just enough force to deal heavy damage to the bastard.
He launches back yet again, barely holding on, and my aura reaches its lowest capacity.
"Dammit..."
I stay as strong as I can to keep my semblance from deactivating.
Clck!
The sound of footsteps. I turn.
"Ah... You're finally back, fearless leader..."
...
.........
"Yang... Are you really still that upset about it?"
"-I don't know! He was an asshole! You agree!"
"Yes, I do. I know. But... He... He's trying to move on."
"..."
"Don't you want to move past it as well? Why let the next few years be tense because of a mistake he has admitted to? It's not like what he did is suddenly okay, it's just... One of his stepping stones. He will be a better leader because of it. You know that."
"-You chose now of all times to be talkative, Blake... And of course you have to say the realest shit ever..."
"You don't have to immediately say anything... But think about it."
"-I will..."
...
.........
I turn to Mercury and grin. He weakly stands up, catching his breath.
"You guys have officially lost."
Fwsh!!
The sound of movement, followed by metal clanging, can be heard. I immediately turn to the source of it. A shadow! One of (Y/N)'s shadows protected me from... Him? No, it isn't him!
His form changes to that of a short girl with mismatched eyes and hair colors.
She swipes at the shadow, destroying it easily. And due to this, I lose focus of Mercury. He kicks me straight in the side, finishing my aura off and deactivating my semblance.
"KH!!"
I'm kicked to a wall, and as the dust settles-
"KAH!!"
Emerald screams. I feel her weak body collapse onto me. And...
The pain sets in.
"Huh... Huh... Ah..."
Oh no.
"Finally... You're extremely persistent, Blondie. Just watch, now. Nothing you can do anyways."
Emerald stabbed into my chest. She definitely stabbed into multiple vitals...
"No... Ruby..."
Mercury walks toward Ruby, who forces her eyes open.
"Hngh... Huh...? Y-Yang?!"
"Goodnight, miss riding hood."
Mercury spins, and just before his kick connects with Ruby's head...
...
..........
"Yang, help me get back! My partner... He sacrificed himself to let me escape... We couldn't go together, but... I have to save him!!"
"Ruby, what's going on?"
"Just help me get back!! Please... He saved my life..."
"-If he saved my baby sister, I'll do anything to help."
...
.........
"GRAH- kah!"
I cough repeatedly.
I managed to launch myself into his leg, stopping the attack, but opening my wounds a lot.
Blood begins pouring to the ground, and I lose the ability to keep myself up. I fall.
"No... Ruby..."
Of the few sounds I can even process anymore, Ruby's heavy breathing rings the loudest.
She screams my name.
I blink.
When my eyes open...
"... You're real this time, huh?"
His eyes glow.
"Fearless leader... Thank you for saving my baby sister..."
I probably didn't actually say these words, I can't move my mouth.
A tear rolls down his eye, and shadows begin rising from the floor.
...
.........
Are you proud of me, mom?