unbroken-wings-au

[unbroken-wings-au]

Holy heck, another person working with the idea of Ruby with a prosthetic.

Prompt: what would Adam's death scene look like if Ladybug was the main pairing?

(Okay, finally got around to writing this. Maybe one day I'll do a whole au from the Fall of Beacon centering around Ruby and Blake's relationship and how it got to this point)

“Are you sure you dont want me to come with?” Ruby asked as she reached the treeline near the communications tower with Blake. 

Blake took a few steps closer towards the tower. “More intruders means a higher chance at getting caught. Besides, we’ll need to keep out of sight and your scythe-” 

Ruby folded her arms across her chest as she listened to Blake. 

“-I mean I’ll be quick and come back soon,” Blake said as she turned around with a smile. “And this is still your plan. If anything happens, they’ll need your guidance.” 

Ruby relaxed her arms and leaned against a tree. “Go, I’ll wait here for you.” 

“I’ll be back soon.” 

Ruby nodded and pressed on her comm to speak to her team. “We’re in position.” 

“I’ll be continuing on foot,” Blake said over the comms. 

“Great,” Jaune answered back. “Now all we have to do is wait for Weiss to get out of range and for Blake to take care of the radar tower.” 

Ruby took a few, deep breaths to relax herself as she watched her scroll and waited for Weiss to be out of range. Once Weiss’s signal died out, she found herself watching the tower once more as she waited for Blake.

Her attention went back to her scroll as she saw Weiss come back in range of the communications tower, her heart nearly stopping. Blake was supposed to be back by now with the tower disabled. 

“Blake?” Yang asked over the comms. “Is everything alright?” 

“I’m going to check on her,” Ruby answered back, racing towards the tower. She stopped when she saw some of the destruction around it: gunshot marks in the metal around the tower, the Argus soldiers that were supposed to be on duty killed, one of the cables snapped… and then the footprints leading away from the tower and towards the waterfall. 

It didnt take her long to see that there were two sets of footprints, one from Blake and the other from someone that seemed to be chasing her. She used her semblance to follow the footprints faster, glad Qrow had spent all that time teaching her how to track. Her heart raced as she pushed herself as quickly as she could, dropping out of the cloud of rose petals once she heard a few gunshots. On instinct, she rushed up into the air with her semblance, dropped out of it, unfurled her scythe, and then started to use the momentum of her fall along with a few shots from her sniper attachment to make her way towards the gunshots. 

Ruby ran on instinct. A member of her team, the woman she loved, was in trouble and she was not about to let her face whatever was going on alone. As she drew closer, she could hear the sounds of fighting as metal struck metal. She kept her finger steady on the trigger, continuing to use each shot to boost her speed until she reached the edge of the cliff. Her eyes widened as she saw Blake on the ground with Adam standing above her. With one more shot, she threw herself over the cliff and dove straight at Adam. 

Adam readied his blade, moving slowly towards Blake. “So, Blake, how does it feel to be alone?”

Blake used her semblance to avoid the strike from Adam. “I’m… not alone.” 

Ruby yelled as she used the momentum of her fall to swing her scythe at Adam, catching him with the back of her scythe and throwing him back. She landed just in front of Blake, aiming the sniper portion of her scythe at Adam as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself as she stared down at Adam. 

Once Adam steadied his footing, her glared at Ruby. “You.” 

Blake smiled, then dropped to her knees, wincing in pain as she held her side. 

Ruby took a few steps back, eyes and weapon still trained on Adam. “Its okay Blake, take a few to catch your breath. I’ll hold him off until then.” 

“She’s right, Blake,” Adam said as he readied his sword once more. “She and I have some… unfinished business.” 

Ruby gripped the shaft of her scythe tightly, her mechanical hand magnetizing to it. Her eyes stayed on Adam as she waited for him to make a move. Finally, Adam rushed at her and she rushed in to meet him. 

Adam rushed at her with a flurry of strikes, using his semblance to let out the energy he had stored up. All Ruby could do was use her scythe to block each strike, getting knocked back until she found an opening. She smirked as she used her semblance to get around him, striking at him and putting him on the defensive as he used his sword to block each strike. 

“Ruby, you need to be careful!” Blake called out as she started to stand up again. “His semblance is like Yang’s! He absorbs energy in his sword and dishes it back twice as hard!” 

Ruby’s eyes widened as Adam used his semblance once more, slashing furiously at her. Ruby moved her scythe to block the strikes and used her mechanical arm to brace against each strike. And still, the force of the blows managed to push her back. 

“Ruby!” Blake yelled out. 

Ruby took a few breaths, glad that her scythe held up to the blows as she tried to regain her footing. “Leave us alone. This is your last chance.” 

Adam grinned as she watched Ruby’s fingers start to tremble, lowering his sword. “Do you really think that? Or are you really hoping to scare me away so you dont have to die protecting her?” 

“She’s not protecting me,” Blake said as she walked over to Ruby and took her hand.. “And I’m not protecting her either. We’re protecting each other.” 

Ruby gave Blake a small smile before going back to focus on Adam. She took a deep breath to steady herself, her fingers squeezing against Blake’s. And yet, now wasnt the time to relax. Not while Adam stood in front of them ready to tear them apart. 

“You couldnt win at Haven, so what makes you think you can win now?” Adam asked. 

“Because I dont have a choice!” Blake yelled out as she took a step forward. “I have people who care about me now and I promised them I wouldnt leave again. I have no plan dying now.” 

Adam turned to look at Ruby, smirking at her as he spoke again. “She made a promise like that to me too. That she’d *never* leave my side. And look where she is now.” 

“Was that to you, or to the person you used to be?” Ruby asked. 

Adam took a breath and looked at Blake once more before drawing his sword again. “You’ve made your choice… and I’ve made mine.” 

Ruby and Blake rushed towards Adam as he rushed towards them, and soon, the sound of metal hitting metal filled the air around them. Ruby used her scythe to keep distance from Adam as he continued to strike at her, only using her scythe to block each hit to try to keep him from gaining any more force for his semblance while Blake used the broken blade of her sword to get a few strikes on Adam before taking hold of the ribbon and throwing the bottom half of Gambol Shroud to catch Adam’s legs. 

Adam grinned as he blocked it, swatting it away like a fly. “Is that the best you can do?” 

Ruby used her semblance to grab the bottom half of Gambol Shrould and swung Blake at Adam, smiling as she watched her ready for a strike with her sheath. And then, she froze as she watched Blake get swatted to the cliff side, her aura flickering before she fell. “Blake!” 

“This is the moment of truth for you, Ruby,” Adam said as he sheathed his sword. “Do you really think you’re faster now than you were at Beacon?” 

“I guess we’ll find out,” Ruby said quietly, her fingers starting to shake as her mind stayed on Blake. She had just gotten her back and she wasnt ready to lose her again. Which meant she needed to finish this fight and quick. 

Adam unsheathed his blade with a grin and rushed at her. Once again, Ruby found herself blocking each strike with her scythe, spinning it around to keep Adam from gaining any ground on her, each strike pushing her back. Finally she found an opening and started to strike back, keeping the force of her own strikes low to not fuel him. 

“Just hit me already!” Adam yelled out. “You’re a coward just like her, always running away!” 

Ruby used her semblance to avoid a few strikes and to give her a bit of distance as she took a few shots at Adam before rushing in for another strike. Her eyes stayed on Adam’s blade as he blocked each shot and started to block her strikes, looking for another opening. 

“What does she even see in you?!” 

Ruby’s eyes widened once more as she watched Adam’s blade start to glow as he brought it down for one more swing. She quickly readied herself, blocking the strike with her scythe as a cloud of dust formed around her from the energy released from Adam’s semblance. 

As the dust started to clear, Ruby turned her scythe and pulled the trigger for the sniper attachment, the blade slicing through Adam’s wrist. Her aura shimmered and broke and her fingers trembled as she watched Adam’s hand drop to the ground, still holding the sword. 

Adam pulled back, holding his wrist where his hand had been, glaring at Ruby. “You bitch!” 

“Its… over, Adam,” Ruby said between as she folded up her scythe. She kicked the sword and hand away, and a smile crossed her lips as she watched Blake make her way back to the top of the cliff. 

“Its not over until I say its over,” Adam growled out as he lunged for one of the broken pieces of Gambol Shroud. 

Ruby used her semblance to reach the pistol of Gambol shroud first, picking it up and slamming it into his chest as Blake slammed the other half of her broken blade into Adam. She pulled hers out of Adam as he pulled back, her heart stopping as she watched him reach for the wound in his chest. 

“Oh…” was the last word that came out of Adam’s mouth as he fell to the ground, motionless. 

Ruby raced to Blake as she dropped to her knees crying, and pulled her into a tight hug. “Its over. Its finally over.” 

Blake hugged Ruby back, tears still running down her cheeks and hands shaking. “I wont break my promise. I wont.” 

“I know you wont.” Ruby rubbed Blake’s back and took a few deep breaths to steady her own fingers and heart, her eyes going to Adam’s severed hand. “And I’ll never be like him. I promise.” 

[unbroken-wings-au]

Unbroken Wings Volume 3 Excerpt: The Fall of Beacon

Hey there everyone! First time posting here on Tumblr, taking a big leap for myself with this! So! I've been toying with a bunch of ideas, been putting together a plan to write a big AU rewrite for RWBY, with special emphasis on the Ladybug ship, and a secondary romance subplot of Freezerburn. There's no Freezerburn in this excerpt, but, I thought I'd share this as a preview of what I have on offer. This is an excerpt from the end of Volume 3 in my fanfic, from the moment that, in my mind, inspired my entire AU. Weirdly, I haven't seen anyone taking this approach to the Fall of Beacon yet, though, maybe I'm not looking hard enough, I dunno, aaaanything's possible. While I'd love feedback, if you don't mind just keep it to just giving your thoughts? Criticism is all well and good, but I've gone over this excerpt dozens of times, I'm aware some mistakes still exist in this, some misspellings, possible places where the grammar is shoddy and so on... I'm mostly sharing this as a way to gauge interest. SO, after you read, please, feel free to say something, if you feel the need! I'd love to know what you think! Transparency's sake: This is going to be an incredibly long-term project for me. It's my first fanfic, I've set a goal that is PROBABLY akin to Icarus flying too close to the sun, but I want to give things my best shot. I'll share updates and more stuff relating to my fic here as I can. Anyways, onward to the excerpt. I do hope you'll enjoy! ---<>------------------<>------------------<>---

Ruby couldn't believe it. She simply couldn't… but it'd happened, right there, right in front of her, on the screen. Penny and Pyrrha's match had ended heartbreakingly for Ruby. The moment she'd heard WHO was matched up against each other, Ruby had a look of horror on her face, stark enough Blake had asked her what was wrong, only to get no response, besides Ruby breathing hard, fast, eyes filled with panic as she stared at the screen… as she watched Penny get torn apart by the wires of her swords when Pyrrha sent out a wave of her semblance.

Once it happened, on screen, everyone, everyone had let out shocked, startled gasps, Blake had stared, mouth agape for a moment… before a pained squeak and whimper escaped Ruby. Right then and there Ruby was falling apart. She had just watched one of her friends, essentially, die, right there on screen. And because Ruby was resting after her tournament injury… All she could do was watch it happen.

And it broke her, in the moment.

When Blake realized what was about to happen, she quickly grabbed ruby's shoulders, guiding her close, her head into her chest, letting Ruby break down against her, lean against her, supporting her, recognizing instantly that this has struck DEEP for Ruby… and for a moment, Blake felt entirely helpless. There was only so much she could do for Ruby, and that pained her so deeply.

As Ruby sobs openly into Blake's chest, held close by the quiet faunus, the screen goes blood red, the icon of a Black Queen chess piece dominating the center of the screen as Cinder's voice rings out now.

"This is not a tragedy. This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians but are in reality nothing more than men. Our academies' headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both."

Ruby's sobs still go strong, grief pouring from her, but they're so quiet in comparison to the broadcast now dominating the airwaves, now blasting out, not just across Beacon, not just across Vale, but across the entire world.

"They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference. And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First, a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither."

Ruby begins to sob through grit teeth. Even through it all, she's registering CInder's words, unable to block them out. And to make it worse she swears she recognizes that voice of Cinder's… How had she not seen it sooner? How had she not realized? How could she have been so stupid?! Ruby clings hard against the fabric of Blake's outfit, desperate to keep her close, even as Blake tries to rub soothing strokes up and down Ruby's back. To her credit they were nice… they were helping, just a little…. but not enough to quell it.

"Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong, but I know that the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is… equally undesirable."

There a pause, a beat, a shift in the atmosphere, the collective sense of dread throughout the atmosphere making the very air feel heavy, dense, making breathing feel just that little bit more difficult. Blake's arms squeeze tighter around Ruby, protectively, her hands having the faintest trembling in them.

"Our kingdoms are at the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So, I ask you, when the first shots are fired, who do you think you can trust?"

And just like that, the atmosphere of dread practically skyrockets, doubling in an instant. The air feels thick with dread, fear, terror, grief, and other negative emotions, the air an invisible miasma that anyone who knew better would already be preparing for. Provided the spectacle just put on didn't distract them so terribly so.

And then… the sirens start. Distant, at first, but soon the wail of the raid sirens are all-encompassing… an announcement goes out across the PA, both from Amity Stadium, floating above Beacon, and the PA system across the campus, alerting everyone to a Grimm assault.

Threat level 9.

It didn't take long for things to spiral, to go so far beyond control that it was horrifying. Even as things fell apart around them, Blake held Ruby, clutching her close, whispering into her ear to try and help her calm down, doing everything she could for Ruby. By the time Ruby's calmed, and the two are able to get up, to move, to try and look for any opening, the festival ground upon Beacon plateau are awash in the orange-gold light of multiple fires, the sight of Beowulfs and Ursae rampaging throughout the grounds… the sight of Bullheads soaring overhead towards Beacon.

Blake holds onto Ruby's arm tightly, pulling out her Scroll, calling Weiss.

"Weiss, are you alright?" Blake asks when Weiss picks up. When Weiss responds, it sounds like she's running, her voice having a little bounce every other word.

"I'm fine, I'm okay." Weiss responds, quick and calm, though… not entirely calm. This had all startled Weiss, clearly. "You two should call your weapons. Grimm and White Fang are everywhere!" Blake's eyes widen.

"The White Fang is here?!" Blake questions incredulously. before Weiss can answer the sound of gunfire cracks repeatedly from Weiss's end, and then the signal goes dead.

"Weiss… Weiss?!" Ruby calls into Blake's scroll frantically… prompting Blake to quickly snap her Scroll shut, pulling Ruby into a gentle hug, shushing her as soothingly as possible.

"Weiss can handle herself, Ruby. Just have faith in her. Yang's number is… greyed out for some reason but I'm sure she's fine too. Come on, we need to do what we can." Blake says softly to Ruby, opening her scroll up, punching in a code to call in her locker… which, after a moment, rockets in, and lands, ripping up dirt to embed itself, before opening, revealing gambol Shroud.

"Right… Right. Let's get to the docks then. The White Fang need to be pushed out, and the Grimm need to be taken care of." Ruby pulls out her own scroll calling her own locker out.

Blake was moving like she had trained to for years, her skills honed like the edge of her Gambol Shroud. She'd linked up with Weiss, and was helping her fight off both Grimm and White Fang. She had no idea what had happened to Ruby -- the girl had rushed off to save some civilians, and then Blake hadn't seen her since. She was worried. Ruby may be capable, she may be team leader, but she was still practically a kid. And even beyond that, Blake was personally worried.

She knew she had to keep control over the situation, however. She kept herself focused. Grimm, White Fang, rouge Atlesian Robots -- something had happened, the robots were even firing on Atlesian soldiers. It was sheer, utter chaos.

There's a dull THUMP, drawing Weiss and Blake's attention. As a Bullhead plummets towards the ground, an Alpha Beowulf jumps out, landing on Beacon Grounds near the Cafeteria. All it takes is one look shared between Blake and Weiss for the two to understand what the other was thinking, before Blake starts running off in that direction.

As Blake makes her way over, she spots the Alpha climbing up the side of the Cafeteria building… the building that, while built of stone, was burning inside, so many of the tables destroyed and burning.

And then Blake sees him. HIM.

"A-Adam..?"

His masked visage locks gazes with her, a sickening smirk crossing his face, a look that sends a chill of dread rocketing up and down Blake's spine. As Adam speaks… His words are disturbingly genuine, yet have an almost mocking, condescending tone to them.

"Hello, my darling."

Ruby was running towards the Cafeteria… that was the direction that Weiss said that Blake went. Ruby was worried. She hadn't seen Blake at all since they got split up. She hadn't seen Yang around at all yet either… she was just as worried there. The Atlesian robots had gone dead, now it was just White Fang and Grimm attacking.

"Blake?" Ruby calls, worry in her voice as she swipes her scythe across the belly of a Beowulf, before firing into it, causing it to dissolve right in front of her as she calls out again. "Blaaaaake?!"

She stands near the burning cafeteria, in full view of the two inside.

Blake was terrified, in this moment, she felt helpless… She hoped Ruby was safe. Or at least as safe as she could be. She didn't want Ruby to be hurt… especially not by him.

"I never wanted this! I wanted peace! I wanted Equality!" Blake exclaims, firing her pistol mode of Gambol Shroud towards Adam, the tall, blood-red haired bull faunus blocking each shot with his sword, causing it to glow more, the red glow of his blade, and off his mask, both sinister against the lighting of the fires.

"What you want," Adam swipes Blake's weapon away, then smacks her across the face, forcing her prone on her back. "is IMPOSSIBLE!" He only comes just shy of shouting, making Blake flinch. He kneels down over her, Wilt sheathed now. "But I understand, because all I want is you, Blake. And as I set out upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves, I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love." Adam stands, upon hearing a voice, outside the cafeteria.

"Blake? Blaaaaake?!"

Adam and Blake can both see Ruby, just outside… Adam smirks down to Blake, unsheathing his blade as Blake stares in Ruby's direction as the horrifying realization of what was to come dawns on her.

"Starting with her."

Adam drives his blade downward, stabbing Blake in her lower-left abdomen, eliciting a loud, pained sound a cross between a yelp and a whimper from Blake. A sound that draws Ruby's attention, that practically makes her heart stop, that practically makes her blood run cold..

Ruby stares at the source of the sound, watching as Adam pulls his blade up, sheathing it as he stares right at the scythe wielder. In a forceful, shaky tone, Ruby exclaims with sudden tears in her eyes, brandishing her scythe.

"Leave her alone!"

"N-no… Please…" In vain, Blake reaches towards Ruby, despite the girl being dozens of feet away, pleading for Ruby to show restraint, to let her take the punishment she's so earned, to be safe.

It is, however, a vain hope, as when Adam doesn't step away, Ruby rushes forward in a burst of petals and twisted cloak, rushing up and rematerializing in front of Adam in an instant, her scythe flashing outward, only just being blocked by Adam. Ruby presses her immediate advantage. She's caught Adam off guard. Ruby's strikes are measured, but frantic. Strike after strike after strike lashes out, but is blocked. He's being pushed back, but his grin is growing. all Blake can do is watch, paralyzed with fear, terror, pain, and worry.

Then, Ruby makes a critical misstep. Her scythe misses by just an inch, and it gives Adam his window. In a sudden red flash, giving Ruby a visual that will be positively seared into her mind, into Blake's mind, Adam's sword is drawn completely, a quick slash severing her right arm, a couple inches above her elbow… cutting across Ruby's chest. Adam's markings on his mask glow a sinister, evil red. Ruby feels all the breath leave her body in an instant, she freezes in place, her aura sputtering where her right arm should be. The sound of two meaty clunks and clatters impacting the floor are heard. Crescent Rose had been destroyed, cut in two.

He wasn't finished though. No, Ruby had really pushed him, and Adam planned to make her pay.

Bringing his blade back around, he drives it forward, stabbing through Ruby's aura again, shattering it, stabbing Ruby in much the same place Blake had been.

"RUBY!!!" Blake screams out, forcing herself to move, reaching towards the girl as terror erupts from her.

Ruby starts to collapse… but Adam still isn't done. With an audible impact, an audible gust of air, Adam kicks Ruby in the middle hard, sending her bouncing, tumbling, skidding to a stop beside a burning pile of tables. Adam begins to slowly, menacingly walk towards her, flicking his blade to the side, flicking Ruby's blood off of it.

When Adam is just a few feet away… Blake is suddenly on her hands and knees, blocking Adam from Ruby, defending her with a pained, determined look on her face. Ruby weakly pushes herself up, eyes open wide, what looks like white flames lashing out to either side, unnoticed by Adam.

"..Why must you hurt me, Blake."

Adam swings, his blade connecting with Blake's neck separating her head from her shoulders-

Those flames lash outwards in large, glowing, silver-white wings of light

The world goes white in an instant.

Blake's shadow clone dissipates, Blake making her escape, carrying a now unconscious Ruby, leaving Adam clutching his hand over his eyes, stunned by the bright, searing flash of light.

The pain was excruciating. Blake was doing all she could to get Ruby to safety. The docks, she had to get to the docks! That was the only place she could think of that was now secure. She and Ruby needed immediate help…but she was only concerned with Ruby. She could feel Ruby's blood leaking out onto her. She'd done the best she could with Ruby's cloak, wrapping it around the stump, around what's left of Ruby's right arm. She'd torn what she could off of the ribbon attached to Gambol Shroud, and had tied it as tight as she could, using it like a tourniquet. It was the best she could do… she could replace the ribbon, if she made it… She didn't really care if she made it. Only if Ruby made it.

Stumbling onto the white stone walkway of the airship docks, Blake is surrounded quickly by concerned people -- Beacon staff, civilians, huntsmen and huntresses in training.. They quickly get to work, acting quickly as Blake collapses, and lays flat on her back, panting softly, head swimming with the pain, arms shaking. Her eyes are glued to Ruby, looking at her. Ruby had always been pale, but now she seemed ghostly. All Blake could do was clutch Ruby's remaining hand tightly, even as the others were wrapping bandages around her own injuries. Blake could feel tears building intensely around her eyes. She couldn't stop it now. She tried so hard not to but really she'd been crying ever since the first cut hit Ruby.

"I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry… I'm sorry…"

Blake and Ruby had been transported down to Vale, the moment they were safe to move. Ruby was in surgery, doctors and medics and even Huntsmen and Huntresses all shouting out orders, working to save Ruby's life. nearby Blake was curled up in a chair. She was still weeping, still crying, so intensely worried about Ruby. She'd never cared this much about anyone before, not in this way. She was so, so scared that she'd lose Ruby. That her past would be what got Ruby killed. There's so many tubes.. so many machines. Too many. None of them should ever be hooked up to a 15 year old girl. And Blake couldn't help but blame herself. Her eyes, teary, red, were locked on ruby's form on the operating table.

Weiss was here too, she seemed to be just… horrified, in shock. Even she was in tears seeing Ruby's state, but Weiss wasn't crying the same way Blake was. Weiss's crying was quiet, only small sounds escaping her as she did her best to keep her composure.

And Yang… had only just showed up. She'd been filled in by someone else, she'd run here frantically, eyes wide. Blake couldn't register whatever Yang was saying, everything was a dull ring, everything was blending together, she was utterly focused on Ruby. The girl's breathing stopped for a moment… then suddenly

-BEEP BEEP- -BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

"She's flatlining!" one doctor shouts,

"Get the paddles, NOW!" another shouts.

Blake feels everything in her mind shatter, in her heart shatter, even fighting through the pain she draws her knees into her chest, sobbing harder than ever before. Her guilt grows incredibly intense. She starts to blame herself even more, her mind clouding and twisting and unraveling, her heart thudding heavily in her chest, pounding so rapidly she thinks it might explode… almost wishing it might. it would be better than living without Ruby…!

"WHAT?! NO! RUBY NO!!" Yang's screams were filled with terror, with horror, with deep pain and anguish, with grief.

Weiss had clasped a hand over her mouth, shocked completely, watching in horror herself.

The paddles are brought in, quickly put to use. It takes a couple shocks, a couple attempts… but Ruby's heart is brought back into rhythm. The heartrate monitor begins to read her vitals again. Ruby's chest starts to rise and fall again. She was back. ruby was alive once more. She was surviving. She had to. She had to. She had to.

Suddenly Blake finds her already shadowed corner darkened even more, suddenly looking up as Yang's hand pressed firmly into the wall behind Blake's head. Yang looked furious. Blake couldn't tell if it was at her or… or what… and she felt herself start to shake.

"What. Happened." Comes Yang's voice, a low, dangerous growl. Blake doesn't immediately answer., prompting Yang to ram her fist into the fall, raising her voice, making Blake flinch and whimper. "WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?! WHO DID THIS TO HER?! TELL ME BLAKE!"

"I-It was Adam! It was Adam… It was… It was…" Blake squeaks out, breaking down even more, shaking, trembling under the sudden verbal assault. Yang, in the moment, seeing Blake's reaction, hesitates... but grits her teeth.

"Where are they?" She demands, pulling back from Blake, but seemingly either not noticing, or not caring about how Blake is reacting in her anger. Yang is seeing red right now, filled with a righteous fury.

"I don't know!" Blake cries, her voice cracking, shaking, voice hoarse. "They don't tell me anything, Yang! I left the White Fang! Why, how would I know?!"

Weiss, onlooking, had started to move to pull Yang back… but before she could, Blake pushes Yang back a few paces, scrambles to her feet… and runs. She flees; she leaves the room behind… she runs out from the damaged hospital. This was all her fault, she'd decided. This was her fault. Ruby was hurt. Ruby had lost her arm. Ruby had died because of her. She could only blame herself, or so she thought. Even if her heart had been restarted, Ruby had died because she had rushed in to save Blake. In the faunus's mind, it was her fault.

She couldn't stay. She has to go. She has to leave.

And so, still in tears, Blake ran…

And ran…

And ran…