The Bloodied Thirty Pieces

2 - Way up High

Pieces of concrete go flying as the Atlesian Paladin-290 mech suit crashed to the ground. Standing up to its full height it looks up as Blake, Weiss and Yang land in front of it, their faces deadset with their weapons ready. Inside the Paladin Roman Torchwick chuckled and took a step forward, a bolt in the foot sliding down with a hiss of steam as he swung the other leg forwards. As the mech approached Weiss yelled out "Freezerburn," and spun around in a circle, ending with her sword pointing straight down to the ground. Blake jumped backwards and disappeared while Yang jumped straight up, bringing her fist up ready to slam it down.

Weiss bent one knee, bringing her sword down into the ground. From the point of contact a thin layer of ice erupted, covering the ground for a wide area under the Schnee heiress and the Paladin. When the ice finished spreading Weiss jumped backwards, as Yang came down on the spot she had been, bringing her fist down on the ice with an explosive fiery blow. The sheet of ice evaporated instantly, covering the area in a dense mist. The Paladin didn't move, instead dozens of bright red lasers appeared all over the suit, moving independently of the suits bodily direction. The Paladin started to walk forwards again, turning at the waist to look around in the mist as the lasers flashed through the whiteness. Inside Roman growled as he checked all the screens, keeping the gun-arms up. Outside the mech suit stepped further into the mist as it started to fade.

The Paladin stopped and turned around, a sensor inside lighting up as a shadow danced past, just on the edge of the dissipating whiteness. Another shadow danced behind it, followed by a third. The third shadow however stood out against the white mist and was too slow. Roman turned the mech around and fired twice at Yang, missing both times. Weiss danced past her teammate and the wreckage, catching Roman's attention. The mech suit turned and fired again, the explosive dust round landing just between Yang and Blake as they ran, knocking them aside. Laughing Roman took a step back, looking for the white-haired huntresses.

The three girls landed in front of the Paladin, looking unscathed. This time it was Yang to give out the command, yelling 'Checkmate!' as she jumped back. Weiss and Blake darted forward, getting inside the Paladin's defences and attacking the legs, forcing it back several steps. While Blake continued to hack at the mech's legs Weiss leapt up and stabbed one of the laser sensors with Myrtensater, taking out the entire laser system. As she fell Weiss placed a glyph unde herself and jumped away as the mech continued to step back. Undeterred the Paladin lifted its leg, aiming at Blake who was charging towards the mech. Weiss was faster and placed a glyph under her team mate, forcing her backwards as the large mechanical foot came down hard on the concrete, cracking it into several large pieces.

Roman growled again and flicked some switches. Panels on the Paladin's shoulders opened up, launching dozens of rockets into the air. As Blake lands Weiss places another glyph under the two, the huntresses-in-training jumping backwards as the rockets landed and exploded. Weiss and Blake continued to leap backwards, somersaulting to avoid the rockets. On their second flip Roman saw an opening; taking a step back he brought up the gun-arms and fired. Both bolts hit Weiss, luckily having her weapon in place to block the explosive force, and knocked her backwards. As she flew Weiss fired a stream of pale golden light towards Blake.

The black-themed huntresses saw this and rolled to the side, landing inside a pale golden glyph as it started to form. A spinning clock-face formed under Blake's feet, the hands growing faster and faster as she herself began to glow with pale golden light. Roman, not seeing the golden glow through the blue hardlight screen, fired another salvo of rockets at the young huntresses. Blake brought the katana of Gambol Shroud across in a broad stroke, a arc of purple light coming off the blade as she brought the cleaver half of her weapon down in a vertical strike, again an arc of purple light coming off the blade. The purple light speed forwards, cutting a rocket in half each. Blake swung her weapons around her, as if attacking an enemy just in front of her. Purple arcs burst from her weapon, one after one after one, cutting rockets in half. A wall of explosives filled the air between her and the mech as the golden glow faded. The huntresses turned and charged at the Paladin while it was distracted, darting through the legs keeping ahead of the body as it swivelled to try and fire. Roman swore and fired the guns at the empty space in front of him. Blake slid to a stop in front of the mech and turned to attack again when the explosive bolts hit the ground in front of her, knocking her backwards into Weiss as she got to her feet.