The Bird and the Garden

Chapter 29: The Enemy Strikes (Part 2)

Play the song when prompted. Does not belong to me, Red Like Roses belongs to Roosterteeth, and the video/remix belongs to LittleVMills.

You all know what it means when music is added: a fight is about to happen, and it's going to be epic. Someone's getting a well-earned ass whooping.

...

Y/N and Neo were awoken from their sleep at the sound of the explosion. Throwing themselves from Yang's bed, they hurriedly threw their clothes on, running out of the room. When they exited, a strong scent hit their noses.

Y/N smelled smoke. When he tried to go down the stairs, he saw the flames.

The house was on fire.

A black shape formed in the flames, and Sasha soon pushed her way through, grabbing Y/N and Neo by their collars and practically dragging them with her. She was bleeding from the head, and covered in burns.

"Sasha, what the fuck is going on!?" Y/N screamed over the roaring flames. Sasha didn't stop running, but looked grim and serious.

"He is here. Get to the attic, now! There's no time to think of your emotions now!"

When Y/N focused, he could hear the fiendish cries of Grimm, followed by the gunshots of his allies' weapons. Sasha kicked the door in, throwing the two inside. Stepping aside, two more figures charged in; Yang and Raven. Sasha looked out, her gaze hardened and seeming to burn with the fire.

"Fuck! Where are the others?" She growled under her breath. As if on cue, Weiss and Velvet stumbled through the door, coughing as they collapsed to the wooden floor. They were covered in soot, and fresh, bleeding wounds. Y/N realized who Sasha meant earlier. Vao was inside the house, with the full intent of killing every last one of them. He was pried from his thoughts when seemingly the rest of his allies arrived. Ozpin was limping, relying heavily on his cane to support himself. Cinder was being dragged by Tai, and Verde and her paintbrushes ready for a fight. The Fall Maiden was screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Vao! I'm up here! In the attic! Help!" She wailed. Ozpin hopped over to a certain portion of the attic, tapping it with his cane. "Tai, help me open the door! My current body is far too weak!" He ordered. Tai nodded and ran over, fiddling with something on the ground. Y/N didn't have time to ask questions. Something was horribly wrong.

One person was missing.

"Qrow!" Y/N screamed. Tai let out a roar and punched the ground, breaking the wooden boards open and exposing a trapdoor, hidden underneath the attic floor. Ozpin fiddled to open it, finally lifting the hatch to expose a long, chimney-like structure. "All of you! Get in, NOW!" He shouted over the flames. The attic was already beginning to flare into a blaze. Y/N tried to make a dash for the door. He needed to find Qrow. Neo let out a horrified gasp, grasping Y/N's hand and preventing him from leaving. Or, at the very least, slowing him down.

"Let go of me! Qrow's in danger!" He screamed. Tears were beginning to fall, evaporating on the scalding floor. Qrow was strong, but the same was true about Vao. A villain who was capable of killing experienced warriors, with no regard for his own safety. It was that lack of hesitation that made him horribly dangerous. Sasha was already pushing people inside the shaft, and was screaming for Y/N. The hero pried away from Neo, finally flinging the door open. Qrow was already standing there. Without any hesitation, he lifted the hero off the ground and sprinted for the hatch, pushing Neo in first, and then attempting to drop Y/N inside. But the hero managed to grab the ledge, hanging on for dear life.

"Qrow! Get your drunk ass inside!" Sasha bellowed. But Qrow didn't answer her. He was staring her in the eyes, green orbs meeting red ones. His eyes were filled with regret and guilt, but also love. He grabbed her hand, holding it in his own.