Eclipse - Act 4 - Cycle's End

Chapter 12 - The Last Branwen

Yang

"Now then, let's see if the Last Branwen is still in there!" Cardin laughed, blasting towards Yang and punching her in the face. She grunted in pain, her head whipping backwards and smacking against the floor. She groaned, then rolled out of the way as Cardin stamped at the ground where her head just was. His heavy metal boot cracked the stone, then he raised his fists like a boxer, throwing multiple punches her way. She dodged them and pushed one fist aside, landing a punch against his face.

"What did you just call me?" Yang yelled over the roaring rainfall, only for Cardin to blast up into the air and come crashing down with great speed, the impact creating an enormous shockwave, throwing her backwards. She tumbled across the floor, water dripping from her blonde hair as she stared back at him.

"Stop hiding from the truth, Yang! I know what you are, you're just like me." Cardin laughed, walking through the rain, his cloak blowing in the wind behind him, his long orange hair soaked and darkened from rainwater. Yang backed up, keeping her one arm raised as her foe attacked once again.

"We tried to find your team, Cardin! Blake tried! Why the hell are you doing this?" Yang yelled.

"All you had to do was give us that address, but now it has to get... exciting." He laughed, suddenly launching forward, using the thrusters in his new suit of power armour to cross the distance between them in seconds. He grabbed Yang by the throat and slammed her against the ground with significant force, then tossing her into the air. As she fell towards the ground, he swung his body around and kicked her in the back.

She crashed off a rock, yelling in pain and grabbing her spine from the sudden pain. She was feeling her age now more than ever, but as she got up, she could hear her scroll beeping. And the distant roar of her arm's thrusters were growing louder and louder. Cardin charged towards her and jumped with his fist pulled back. Suddenly her arm crashed through a rock, shattering it, then rotating through the air, instantly latched onto her stump.

She spun around and suddenly smashed her metal fist into Cardin's jaw; the impact creating a shockwave as it launched him away from her. He crashed across the floor, then looked ahead, smirking as the rain pattered across his face and hair. "Yes... that's better. SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF, YANG!" Cardin roared, his metal arm opening and dropping the Executioner that was carried within.

He spun it through his fingers and rushed towards her, swinging it towards her face, but she ducked under and punched him twice in the gut, then jumped to punch him square in the face. "So clearly all that talk about settling things with Jaune peacefully was all a lie!" Yang yelled, firing multiple shells from Ember Celica at Cardin. He lifted his arm, blocking the incoming shells with ease, then deflected the last one as he stared her down. "I knew you and the Deacon were bullshitting. I'm not gonna let either of you hurt him."

"So confident. I never could tell if that was a weakness of yours or a strength." He chuckled, suddenly channelling lightning dust into the head of his mace, jumping into the air with his thrusters, keeping him hovering above her. "YOU WEREN'T IN THERE YANG! YOU DIDN'T SEE WHAT HE DID TO US! WHAT HE LET TYRIAN DO!" Cardin howled before he came crashing down with a massive electrical explosion. The eruption launched Yang back, shards of electrified rubble thrown towards her, slicing across her golden aura.

"IT WASN'T HIM!" Yang yelled back. His anger only grew though, and he swung around and smashed his mace into her chest, the shocking blast smashing her up against a wall. Suddenly Cardin closed the distance between them with his thrusters, smashing the handle of his mace up against Yang's throat, lifting her off the ground.

"Tell that to my nightmares." He snarled, smashing his head into her face and throwing her against the floor. Yang scrambled across the slippery floor as Cardin brought the Executioner down with dominant force. Yang shot herself away from him, wiping the rainwater from her eyes. "You insult me holding back like this! Show me who you are, Yang!" Cardin yelled, smashing his fist into the ground and tossing a boulder towards her.