Professor Arc

Chapter 62

Cinder had reinforcements. He wasn't sure why he'd never considered that. Hadn't she mentioned following someone before? How had he not connected the pieces? Jaune spared a glance behind him, down to where he knew Pyrrha and Velvet had gone. From so high up, there was no way he could see them, but that did little for his fear.

"Kid, focus," Roman snapped, drawing him back. "They'll be fine. Or they won't be fine. Whatever the case, they're as good as dead if we don't manage this. As are we."

Was that supposed to make him feel better?

"You can go to them if you wish," Cinder said. "Leave here and protect them. Of course, I'll deal with my insubordinate underlings while you're gone. I might even pay you a visit later."

Roman winced. "Jaune..."

"I'll stay." His eyes turned back to Cinder, breath leaving him in a short, ragged gasp. "I'll trust them to be okay. Your people don't know who they're messing with, Cinder. These are my students." A smile appeared on his face. "And unlike you, I saw the potential they held. I was willing to put time into training them."

"Quality over quantity, dear professor."

"Quantity has a quality of its own." He was pleased to see Cinder's smile fall. He would trust them. He had to. He also had to hope that maxim applied here as well, since Cinder was stronger than any one of them. Jaune spared a glance for Neo and Roman, nodding his head to show them he'd have their backs.

For better or worse, it was time to end this.

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Penny placed Ruby down on the grass and stroked her hand across the girl's brow. "I apologise, Ruby," she whispered. "I will try to end this soon and find you aid."

"A fool's dream," Hazel grunted.

The man was tall and burly, everything about him screamed confidence without arrogance. It reminded her of the General. He was dangerous... she knew that. She also knew that with only a single arm, not to mention less than half her blades, she was at a distinct disadvantage. All her training simulations, not to mention the battle algorithms that had been uploaded into her central memory banks, told her she should run.

This was hopeless.

Penny squared her feet. "I am nothing more than a machine. I accept that. Ruby, however, is my friend. I shall not allow you to harm her. Even if it is a fool's dream, I shall accept that. I will be a fool, but I will not let her down."

"So be it." Hazel flashed forward, speed belying a man his size. His fist hurtled toward her stomach, a crackling energy about his knuckles.

Penny was prepared for it. She swayed aside, tapping the flat of her palm against the side of his hand to divert it aside. Behind her, what few blades she had flew up into the air. She sent two into his face.

He caught one with his other hand. The second hit his chin, but had no visible effect.

"Weak," he said, and backhanded her across the face. Penny was lifted from her feet and thrown back, where she crashed down onto mud and grass.

He was strong. She stored that information away, back bending and hand planting down to flip herself back onto her feet. It was just in time to see him rushing in, and to duck underneath a blow that would have surely torn her head from her neck. Penny scowled and rammed her knee into his stomach, but it had as little effect as her last attack.

Was he ignoring the pain and tanking it with his aura, or was he really that durable? She had no idea, but she kept her blades in the air before her as she retreated. His hands flicked left and right, deflecting her blades with skin and bone, heedless of the sharp edges and sharper wires. Her heel bumped into Ruby's side, reminding her of where she was. Her retreat halted. Penny frowned and looked down, then cursed when Hazel rushed in once more.