It was odd, Daniel decided, to be with his team again.
The thought came as he slashed open the first Beowolf that jumped the collapsed flaming hedgerow. The beast's rear paws hadn't touched the ground when Daniel sliced its neck open. A shot rang out behind him and ice enveloped the beast's head. The neck gave way, and the head shattered against the icy ground. Daniel nodded in Nick's direction and turned to face another onslaught. Team GREY would've let him finish it if he could, or had Yarrow brain it with—
Focus. An Ursa was forcing its way through the burning bushes. The black mass of protective fur smoldered and steamed but didn't catch fire. Daniel pumped bullets in to the Grimm until the magazine was empty and the Grimm staggered to the ground. Shoving the empty pistol in to his belt, Daniel ran forward and plunged his sword through the Ursa's skull before it could rise again. The blade stuck fast in the ground and the Grimm stopped moving.
He had to reload now, before another Grimm tried its luck. He left his sword in the ground to reached for a new magazine. The Grimm horde had other ideas. The Ursa's bulk had carved a safe path through the flaming hedgerows. One they chose to take advantage of the moment his hand grabbed a spare magazine.
"Oh shit," Daniel said. The magazine fell to the ground and he wrenched his sword free. A Beowolf bit down on his arm and shook its head back and forth. Daniel's Aura flared and crackled underneath the Grimm's powerful jaws. That was good; he had remembered to turn his generator on. He raised his sword and struck at the shaking head with the pommel until it released his arm. He finished it with a stab through the eye, and turned in time to come face to face with the beak of a Griffon.
"Get back Daniel!" Schatten shouted. Daniel heeded his warning and scrambled backwards. He expected Schatten to rush forward and take his place, but the wolf Faunus held his ground; claws extended from the dusters on his fists, but otherwise passive.
"What happened?" Daniel asked as he slotted a magazine into his pistol. "I thought you had him."
Schatten's tail bristled and he shot Daniel a fearful glance. "Jump into the fire? Are you crazy? I was trying to get you away from it." Before Daniel could ask what he meant, the Griffon entered the clearing. Schatten crouched and activated Blast Shard. The belt shot him over Daniel's head, landing him claws first on the Griffon. The Griffon gave an indignant roar, and Schatten sliced through its wings like they were made of butter. A final stab in to the base of the Griffon's neck and Schatten jumped off the dead beast.
Another Beowolf charged through the entrance. It roared, and Ryler fired a grenade in to its gaping mouth. The Grimm's head exploded in a pink cloying fireball. Ryler fired more shots in to the air and the shells arced over the hedgerow. They exploded on the other side and the Grimm horde howled in pain. He loaded a fresh belt of grenades in to the top opening and kept firing.
"Ryler stop," Tiberius commanded.
"I've got this!" Ryler said. Daniel saw Tiberius grab Ryler's weapon and wrench it to the side. Ryler gave him a look of pain and anger as the motion put weight on his injured leg. He glared at Tiberius, but Tiberius pointed at Ryler's ammo satchel. The canvas pouch hung empty and deflated. Ryler looked back up, his anger replaced by worry.
"You'll be alright," Tiberius said, "just save what you've got left."
"I'm on my last shell," Ryler said. His eyes were drawn to the breach and he let out a cry of alarm.
Daniel turned in time for a charging Ursa to throw him in to the air. Sky and snow spun in his vision. He cartwheeled head over heels until he landed on his back against the hedgerows. Through bleary eyes, Daniel saw the Ursa being set upon by everyone except Lunare, who was still trying to free his cannon from Scrapmetal's roof. Even Dakota was trying to stand and fight, although every time he rose he abruptly sat back down. The Grimm's rampage ended with a chord from Lewis. The note ripped through the air and set the Ursa roaring in agony. The howls ceased with an overhead blow from his guitar.
"Good one Lewis," Daniel groaned as he struggled to his feet. His balance failed him, and he grabbed against the hedgerow for support. Something rumbled on the other side, giving Daniel a sense of worry.
Up until now, the battle had progressed better than anyone might have hoped. The Grimm only had one way in to the clearing through the flaming breach. Those that ran through were soon destroyed. Unless something drastic occurred, they could hold the Grimm back for hours; plenty of time for help to arrive.
The drastic occurrence came in the form of a King Taijitu crashing through the hedgerows Daniel held on to. The force behind the attack sent Daniel sprawling for the second time in less than a minute. Daniel rolled onto his back and fired up at the giant snake's black head. The glowing red eyes glared down at the diminutive creature peppering them with bullets and reared back to strike. Daniel tried to roll again, but it was too late. Six tons of force crushed Daniel against the ground. His Aura flared, then sparked as the damaged generator overloaded. Daniel arched his back and screamed as electricity burst from the generator, enveloping his body. Without the overhaul Yarrow had promised, the generator began to fail.
Through squinted eyes, Daniel watched the snake pull both heads back for another strike. Weak from the discharge, he raised his pistol in a trembling but defiant hand. A beam of blue energy struck the base of the Grimm's necks before he could fire. Severed from the scaly body, the lifeless heads fell toward Daniel's prone form form. It was already disintegrating as it fell, but not fast enough. The Grimm's corpse smothered Daniel with its weight, pressing him back against the frozen ground. The blow pushed the generator to the breaking point and it began to fail. Electricity sparked against anything metal on his body. His room keys. his belt buckle.
His gun.
Daniel didn't hear the explosion but rather felt it. The electricity had set off the remaining rounds, rupturing the grip and barrel. Pain seared through his hand as the weapon blew itself to pieces. Then another jolt from the generator hit, and he forgot about his hand.
Lewis and Nick were already by Daniel's side when the King Taijitu finished dissolving. "You alright Daniel?" Nick asked.
Convulsing, Daniel struggled to get out an answer. "Not really," he grimaced. He raised his right hand and saw the damage. The explosion had ripped layers of skin from his palm, leaving an ugly red surface with gouges that oozed blood. He tried flexing his hand and only managed a small response and a lot of pain. A shock shot from the generator and for a moment the wound seemed as if it were healing. But then the shock subsided, and the new skin retreated. "That's not good," he hissed.
Lewis ripped a sleeve off his shirt and wrapped it around Daniel's palm to stop the bleeding. Daniel nodded thanks and stood up, only to collapse to his knees with another hit of electricity.
"Lunare; front and center!" Nick called out.
Daniel heard boots thumping across the snow, but he had enough. With a growl, he shoved his good hand under his jacket and grasped the sparking power cell. "I am tired of this stupid thing and its stupid problems!" He twisted the cell free and wrenched it from the socket. The familiar loss of energy followed as the generator shut off for the last time. Daniel saw the frenzied sparks and remembered what Yarrow told him had happened the last time the generator had overloaded. He lobbed the cell through the new breach at a stalking Beowolf. The subsequent explosion destroyed the monster.
Lunare skidded to a stop next to Daniel, already pulling tools from his jacket. "I have been reviewing medical implants since last week Daniel," he said, "With a bit of work I can have another battery inserted—"
"Save it Lunare." Daniel batted Lunare's hands away. "I'm never turning that thing on again." He raised his sword in his good hand and stabbed through the eye of an Ursa. Without an Aura the Grimm had ignored him, instead charging at the other three teens. The deadweight of the Grimm almost pulled the sword from his hand, but he yanked it free and raised it against the next attacker. Voices whispered through Daniel's head and he pushed them to the side. He didn't need any other distractions, not now.
Wave after wave of Grimm tried to force their way through the breaches, blending together in to a mass of black skin and glowing red eyes. The two teams broke in to groups of three and four to defend the breach, but it was a losing battle. There were too many Grimm and not enough Aura to go around. The minutes ticked by, but still no sign of rescue appeared. With growing frustration, Daniel wondered if there would be any rescue at all. If Ironwood decided to cut his losses, there would be no escape for their teams. Even if rescue was on the way, there might not be anything to rescue by the time it arrived. Daniel's left arm was tiring, numbed by the constant blows he rained on the Grimm. This was nothing compared to what the rest of his team and LSTR had to be feeling. They were fighting for the better part of the day before he arrived. Compared to them he was rested and unhurt.
As Daniel stabbed through a Manticore struggling against Nick's grasp, a squeal from the other side of the clearing distracted him. A Boarbatusk spun through the breach, bowling over Schatten and Tiberius in the process. Charging in to the clearing, it made a beeline straight for Dakota. The teen sat in the middle of the clearing, looking around in confusion at the battle unfolding. He was oblivious to the deadly force bearing down upon him.
No time to think, only act. Daniel let go of his sword, still embedded in Manticore's side. Time slowed as he sprinted toward his friend. It should have been impossible, he couldn't outrun a charging Boarbatusk. But something gave him the speed, No, not just something, it was the voices. If the situation was not so dire, he might have been glad of them for once. He grabbed Dakota by his jacket and slung him toward Lunare, Nick, and Lewis. Dakota sailed to the other side of the clearing, out of harm's way. Daniel did not.
The black leather collar had just left Daniel's hands when a powerful force struck him in the back. Oddly he didn't feel the blow, just the force behind it. Propelled forwards by the Grimm, he faintly heard someone shout his name. Nick appeared next to him and grabbed at the Grimm, forcing it to stop. It was then that Daniel realized something was holding him in place. He looked back and saw a terrified Nick manhandling the Boarbatusk with both hands, neither of which were anywhere near his body. What was keeping him from moving?
The answer came when Lunare arrived. Nick barked an order and Lunare sliced one of the Grimm's tusks off. The blow curiously forced Daniel to his knees and his gaze dropped down. Jutting from his side was the tusk of a Boarbatusk. The usually bony white appendage was soaked in scarlet red blood. His blood.
"Oh," was all Daniel could say.
"Daniel!" Nick shouted as the redhead collapsed, his eyes rolling back before closing. A quick wrench of his arms, and the Boarbatusk's neck was snapped. Nick threw the corpse to the side and dove for Daniel's prone form. The shattered tusk had already dissolved, and the blood poured unhindered from the wound. A flash of memory tore Nick from the clearing. He found himself on his knees in dry powdery dirt; hunched over another body with a horn jutting from its chest. Then Lunare was by his side and he returned to the snowy forest. Lunare had his hands pressed against the gaping wounds, trying to stem the flow. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," the bespectacled teen muttered. "I should've, I should've brought it."
The tramping of snow alerted Nick to Lewis' fast approach. "Hold the line Lewis," Nick ordered.
"But I—" Lewis balked.
"Hold the line!"
Lewis flinched but turned back to the breach, casting a worried glance at Daniel over his shoulder. Sensing their fear, the Grimm were squirming through the small hole in the hedgerows. Lewis strummed out a rhythm, and soon the air filled with the sounds of Grimm cries and electric guitars.
"Do we cauterize the wound?" Lunare asked, already pulling out a vial of dust from his jacket.
Nick shook his head, trying to clear the remnants of the vision. It wouldn't be like last time, he refused to let it be. "Don't know what the inside looks like," he answered. "Could do more harm than good." He wished that Lewis had arrived before Lunare. The blond-haired teen knew a lot about healing, and this was beyond what Nick could fix. But Lunare had been faster on the upbeat, and Lewis was better suited for crowd control than Lunare. "Keep pressure on it while I find some bandages."
Dakota dragged himself over to Daniel. His already pale face became stark white at the sight of the bloodstained snow. He reached up and began unwinding the bandages over his head. Nick paused his search and pulled Dakota's hands away.
Dakota gave him an angry look "You mean to tell me, I need them more than him?"
"We'll find something else," Nick said. He took Nick's hands and pressed them against the opening on Daniel's back. Nick grabbed his coat by a sleeve and ripped it off. The cold air stung his exposed arm as he did his best to wrap the wound with his sleeves. The flow of blood slowed to an ooze, but he had no idea what kind of internal bleeding Daniel faced.
Daniel's eyes fluttered open and for a moment Nick thought he saw they were crimson. Then he saw the usual brown-green as Daniel hissed in pain. "That, really hurts," he said through clenched teeth.
"Hang on there, Daniel," Nick said. "Can't be much longer before Atlas arrives."
Daniel grimaced. "Great. Can't wait to get arrested."
Nick patted Daniel on the shoulder and stood up. There was nothing else he could do to help Daniel right now, besides make sure the Grimm didn't get to him and Dakota. He raised a bloodied hand in a thumbs up toward Tiberius, Schatten, and Ryler, who were casting concerned glances in their direction. The three nodded and turned back to the fight. Lunare stood as well and raised Nieh Mehr. "Once more in to the breach then?" he asked.
"Seems like it," Nick said before running in to help Lewis. He pulled Daniel's sword from where the Manticore fell and held it in his left hand. With a flick of the wrist, he changed his own weapon in to its dagger form. He raised the two blades and shifted in to a defensive stance. Whichever Grimm came through the breach next, he'd be sure they didn't live long enough to hurt anyone else. He never got the chance.
An Ursa squirming its way through the gap in the hedges was cut down from behind. The roar of a cannon soon followed as three Atlesian airships flew over the clearing. Exhaust buffeted the eight students as the airships banked and turned back towards them. The mighty Atlesian military had finally arrived.
Two of the airships landed in the clearing while the third continued strafing runs against the Grimm. The sides of the airships were open and gaped invitingly to the exhausted students. Nick motioned at Lewis and Lunare and the two backed up from the breach. Without anyone to hold them back, the Grimm broke through the opening, unhindered by resistance. Daniel and Dakota still lay defenseless on the ground, the Grimm couldn't be allowed to roam free. Nick fired several of his precious remaining shots at a Beowolf charging the two before helping Lewis and Lunare push the Grimm horde back. As long as their fallen team members remained in the snow, they couldn't afford to leave their post.
"Get those two on an airship and see about getting us some cover," Nick instructed Lunare over the whine of the engines. "First chance you get, you and LSTR get out of here."
"I assume you two will be right behind?" Lunare asked.
Nick cleaved an Ursa in two before answering with a short nod. Lunare turned and raced toward Daniel and Dakota. With Dakota's help, they propped Daniel on their shoulders and carried him to the nearest airship. Lunare disappeared in to the cockpit for a moment, then raced over to the other breach to help his team with a Manticore. The airship with Daniel and Dakota onboard lifted off and turned toward Lewis and Nick. Bullets whistled over their heads as the front facing cannon cut the Grimm down. Seeing their chance, Lunare had team LSTR dash and hobble to the second airship, staying behind to fend off the Grimm himself. Lunare waited until they were onboard before making the run himself. Grimm running at his sides and nipping on his heels, he barely made it onboard before the airship lifted off.
With the largest of the two breaches unprotected, it was time to finally abandon the clearing. Nick slapped Lewis on the back and they sprinted for the hovering airship. Nick felled a Grimm in their way and opened a clear path to their escape. The airship ceased fire and rotated toward them, but it couldn't land. If it did, the Grimm would overrun the small craft before they could lift off again.
Lewis stroked notes from his guitar, creating a glowing green platform beneath them. The platform lifted them in to the air and deposited them in the cabin. Nick shouted for the pilot to go, which he did. The lead Grimm had just sunk their teeth and claws in to the airship's body when the engines roared and the airship lifted from the clearing. Rising sluggishly thanks to the clinging Grimm, the airship cleared the hedgerows by less than a foot. They turned in midair, then picked up speed toward Atlas. Behind them, the green walls collapsed at long last under the force of the Grimm horde. The impromptu wall had lasted just as long as they needed it to.
Despite the danger posed by the clinging Grimm, Nick took a moment to make sure Daniel and Dakota were safe. Dakota sat in a bucket seat covered in so many harnesses it would be impossible for him to injure his head. Daniel lay on the bare metal floor, a trickle of blood staining the surface. His skin was paler than normal, but Nick convinced himself it was mostly from the cold. It was probably best to get the redhead a proper bandage, but Nick first had to deal with the unwelcome passengers. He bent down and pressed Daniel's sword in to his injured friend's hand, then grabbed a strap near the door and poked his head in to the icy gale.
Two Beowolves clung to the side, their claws cutting long grooves in to the fuselage. Nick shot the furthest one in the head, then adjusted his aim to the second Grimm. He pulled the trigger, but the hammer fell on an empty cylinder. Grumbling, he stowed the weapon and pressed his free hand against the snarling Grimm's snout. The last of his Aura flowed through his fingers and in to the Grimm. The Beowolf relaxed, and its grip on the airship loosened. Sliding from under Nick's hand, it hurtled to the ground below. With it went the last of Nick's Aura, the reserve he had saved for an emergency. It was a decision he'd never forgive himself for.
Lewis' cry alerted Nick that something was wrong. He pulled himself inside but didn't see the blond-haired teammate. What he did see were a pair of hands gripping the edge of the sliding door. Nick ran the two steps it took to get to the other side and saw Lewis' panic-stricken face whipped by the wind. A third Beowolf hung from his left leg, flecks of blood flying from the leg deep in its jaw.
Nick pulled his gun, then remembered it was out of ammo. He fished in his pockets for something, anything. Just one bullet was all he needed. But before he could find anything, the metal hinges of the door groaned and snapped free. Nick cast the weapon aside and grabbed Lewis' hands before the heavy door took him to his doom.
Groaning, he tried to haul Lewis in to the cabin. Maybe Dakota or even Daniel could deal with the Beowolf. As much as he struggled, it was a losing battle. He couldn't keep Lewis' grip from slowly slipping from his own. Both teenagers noticed it and knew what it meant. Lewis gave Nick a look of sheer panic; one that told Nick they were thinking the same thing. Their grip would fail before Nick could pull him in and there was nothing either could do about it. He was about to die. Nick faintly heard shouting behind him, but he ignored it to fight the losing battle.
Then someone grabbed him under his arms and dragged both of them backwards. From behind him, Daniel stepped sword in hand to the edge of the cabin. Knocked loose by the exertion, the bandages hung from his side. A steady stream of blood poured from his wounds. His eyes squinted in anger and glowed a bright red that enveloped his entire eye. With a growl, Daniel leapt out the cabin and stabbed the Beowolf in the back with his sword. The added weight almost pulled Lewis from Nick's grasp, and he struggled to hold on by the fingertips. Daniel dangled from the handle of his sword and wrapped his injured hand around the Grimm's lower jaw. His other hand left the sword grasped its upper jaw. In an instant, Nick knew what Daniel had planned.
"Don't do it!" Nick shouted over the wind. It was insane. If Daniel pried the Grimm from Lewis' leg now, he'd—
Daniel's glowing eyes met Nick's brown, and for a brief second they faded back to normal. His intense gaze softened, and he gave Nick a pained but knowing look. Then the red returned and Daniel broke eye contact. His muscles rippled and the Grimm's jaw broke with a sickening crack.
Daniel hung in the air, as if he and Lewis were still connected. Then gravity returned and Daniel was whisked away by the slipstream. The dense forest swallowed his body, and he was gone.
ns 15.158.61.12da2
