Chapter 7: I don't want to go!

"The World without Time?" Summer asked in bewilderment. Nobody had a semblance this powerful. Was this jus another mirage? She swung her blade into a raindrop and saw it pass right through it without making a mark. So it was an illusion.

Suddenly another kick sent her flying into the center of the clearing. She coughed as she crawled onto her hands and knees. She had to do something, but what? If she used her semblance, she'd just draw it to a stalemate until she drained her aura. But how could she fight without being able to see?

"Aaahhh!" Summer jolted up as the sound of Cinder screaming in pain. But she had no idea where the fight was taking place.

"Leave her alone you cowered!" Summer yelled. She heard a laugh somewhere behind her. She ran towards it, swinging wildly through the air. But a powerful kick sent her flying backwards onto the ground.

"So you want me to finish you first? Fine by me!" Summer had just gotten to her feet when a barrage of kicks began pelting her. Gritting her teeth, Summer threw a hand full of petals into the air where they scattered all around her.

Immediately she felt Rouge in front of her. She lashed out with her sword, but found metal instead. Summer gripped her sword with both hands and tried to pull him off balance, but as she pulled, the blade began twisting the opposite direction.

Then there was a deafening blast of a gunshot right next to her. Summer heard a loud crack as she fell back, her sword breaking in two.

She gasped as she looked at her broken sword. How was she supposed to fight without her weapons? Before she could think of another strategy, she felt him lash out again, Summer barely had time to dodge, the broken blade appeared as it flowed out from the sword breaker and clattered several feet away.

The petals were the only reason she was able to keep up, but without knowing which part of him the petals were on, she was left guessing how to dodge. Suddenly, two gunshots resounded and a single shot hit her in the chest, blasting her away.

Summer landed in a puddle a few feet away. Her petals vanished along with her aura, now she had nothing to protect herself with. Weakly, Summer pulled herself up. She had to think of something fast. Next shot would kill her.

But something had caught her attention. She had heard two shots, but only one had hit her. Maybe using his semblance had some negative effect on himself. She didn't know, but it had helped her formulate a plan, it was risky, but it was her only hope.

Immediately she ran towards her broken blade at top speed. She could hear his footsteps behind her, but she ignored it and kept running. Then gunfire echoed from behind her, but every one of his shots missed her completely. That gave Summer hope.

She slid across the ground and grabbed her broken blade. But as a bullet hit her leg, tearing through her calf, the pain caused the shard to slip through her fingers and clatter a few inches away. Summer bit her lip to stop herself from screaming, but her gamble had paid off. She was right. Somehow, using his semblance took a toll on his aim. She wasn't sure how or why, but it seemed reasonable.

Using the last of her ice dust, Summer froze the water around her, making a frozen ring all around her. But the ice was thin. Far too thin to make Rouge slip. Summer closed her eyes and waited. Everything hinged on the next few seconds.

The clearing fell into silence, not a sound to be heard except the rain seemed that had become deafening.

Then she heard it, the crunch of ice to her left. That was all she needed. Summer spun, driving the hilt of her sword forward until it met bone.

Immediately the mirage vanished, and Summer saw Rouge, her sword smashed into his shoulder causing his aura to flicker. Summer smirked, one more hit and she had won.

Then her eyes widened as she saw he didn't have his gun in his right hand like before. He had shifted it to his left. And he was aiming it right at her.

Summer heart stopped. He not only had known her plan, but had given himself the perfect opening. She had nothing to defend herself with and no way to dodge! And he was no longer hindered. She had to move! Even if it was just a little, she had to get aw-!

Bang!

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

Summer fell to the ground clutching her eye, her broken sword dropping to the ground. A hole blown in her skull at her right eye socket. Blood ran down her face along with the rain water. Her body burned in pain as she felt the hole carefully. Her fingers tracing the area around it until they found the torn bone. Her right eye was completely gone.

Summer felt sick, both from the pain and the injury. She tried to roll over and crawl away, but Rouge's foot came down hard onto her chest trapping her below him.

"I'm impressed you dodged that. You are really something." He said mockingly, as he pushed her harder against the ground. Relishing her pain.

"Of the seven other silver eyed warriors I've bested, you are by far the strongest." He said, panting and tired, but with a victorious smile. "Guess between you and your daughter, I've gotten the better of nine now. Though it feels like cheating to count a defenseless kid."

Summer struggled below him. She tried to reach her sword, but it was just out of reach. She desperately tried to inch towards it from under Rouge's boot. But just as her fingers grazed the handle, Rouge shifted his weight on to her and kicked the sword away.

"I'm not letting you get that." He said as he aimed down at her. "You fought well, now die with dignity."

This was it, Summer had no more tricks up her sleeves. She squeezed her eye shut and thought about her family. She had failed them, but Tai would protect them. Rouge couldn't have much left in him. He would have to retreat.

She wished she could have seen Yang and Ruby one more time. Apologize to them for going away without any warning. Explain to them that sometimes you had to say goodbye even if you weren't ready. She hoped they would forgive her for leaving them alone.

Her breath caught as she heard the hammer of his gun click. This was it. Summer took her last breath of air and prepared for the end. At least he wasn't a sadist and was killing her relatively painlessly.

Suddenly, the pressure on her back let up as Cinder charged into Rouge, stabbing him with Thorn. She successfully pushed him off Summer before had regain his balance.

"Little brat!" He bellowed and kicked Cinder in the stomach, breaking her aura, then spun kicking her in the chest knocking her away and drawing blood.

Summer tried to run to Cinder, but her injured leg gave out on her. "No! Run away Cinder! You can't win this!" She screamed as said girl hit the ground hard and rolled a few feet, undoubtedly fracturing a few bones.

Midway through a roll Cinder, in a last ditch-effort, threw Thorn at Rouge. Who just smirked.

"You know, I was going to spare you, but your so damn annoying I've changed my mind!" He yelled as the blade flow towards him. "I'll make it quick little pest. Better than you deserve!" As the blade came within his reach, he swung his gun down against the guard. "And when I'm done, you'll-!"

The moment he touched the sword, he vanished in a massive explosion that engulfed the area around him. The shock wave knocked Summer back as a massive cloud of flames shot into the air so high you could see it from the town on Patch.

What the HELL did Cinder do!?

Then Summer realized it. Cinder's semblance!

She must have super heated the guard of Thorn, then tried to push Rouge as far away as she could before using it as a projectile. When he had hit the blade, the heat had created a steam bomb next to the volatile dust. And the end result was the massive fireball she had just created.

And just when she thought Cinder was out of surprises. She had just saved Summer's life.

Thumb!

Summer's eye widened as she heard a loud sound from inside the smoke. Then to her horror, Rouge stumbled out of the smoke.

His entire right arm was dangling limply, burned to a crisp all the way up to his neck. Half his face was horribly burned to the point of being unrecognizable. His bag where he kept his raw dust had been burned away too. There was no sign of other element damage, Summer assumed the crystals were burned away before the detonation. His legs seemed mostly unharmed, the blast must have been directed upward.

The two girls couldn't do anything but stare at him in disbelief. Neither had the strength left to fight and Rouge was advancing on them far too quickly for someone in his condition. "You…huff….little….shit!" He roared with more energy than Summer thought he could have left. How was he still standing? She hadn't seen someone this durable since Hazel.

"I'm going to rip you to pieces!" He yelled angrily. "Forget painless! You're going to beg for death when I'm done with-!"

His angry rant came to an abrupt halt as a snarling at the edge of the clearing caught their attention. Turning, the three saw no less than a dozen Beowolves at the edge of the clearing. Leading them was a massive alpha, who bore scars from a long life.

"Oh come on!" Rouge groaned in exasperation. "Is this some kind of joke? As if things weren't hard enough!" The alpha let out a deafening howl. Immediately, the lesser pack lunged for Rouge, the one with the most negative emotions.

Rouge kicked one in the stomach, causing it to double over. Then he crushed it's head between the ground and his bladed boot. A second one charged at him. He was fast enough to dodge the first strike, but it followed up with a quick attack catching his chest and knocking him back to the over edge of the clearing.

Rouge gritted his teeth as he looked at Summer angrily, as if he expected something of her, but her cold smile told him everything. She was going to either die with him or he had to let them go. It all depended on the next few seconds.

He snarled at the Beowolves, but they all knew he couldn't win here. He didn't have a choice. With one final glare at Summer, Rouge turned tail and ran into the woods. Behind him, the alpha roared and chased after the feeling huntsman, most of the pack followed.

But the smallest three stayed behind, eyes fixed on Cinder and Summer, both of whom were in no condition to fight. They howled in delight and charged at the easy meal. Cinder threw up her hands to shield her face, eyes squeezed shut as she prepared for the worst.

But suddenly the clearing was lit up with a flash of beautiful silver light. Cinder had no idea what had happened, but when the killing blow she was expecting never came, she opened her eyes slowly.

Before her stood three imposing statues of the Beowolves. One hand it's claw outstretched towards her as if it was trying to attack. The other two had looks of confusion and, if Cinder didn't know any better, fear. But that was impossible. Grimm don't feel fear, do they?

Suddenly a scream ripped through the night air. Single loud and full of pain. It was filled with unseen horror that made even Cinder shudder at the thought. But just as quickly as it had appeared, the sound was cut short.

Those two things told a story that Cinder knew would haunt her for years to come. She grabbed her own arms and realized she was shaking. How deep has the fear sunken in? She didn't like it.

"You alright?"

Cinder was snapped out of her thoughts at Summer's voice. She turned to Summer who was clutching her leg trying to stop the bleeding.

Cinder's eyes trailed over Summer's leg, then up to her mutilated face. Her hand clenched into a fist as she began to shake angrily.

"Why did you come out here!?" Cinder yelled angrily. "I know you want me gone, so why didn't you just let me go!? I would have been out of your house and you'd never have to see me again! And now you just sit there, missing an eye asking me if I'm okay!? The FUCKS wrong with you!?" Cinder felt tears spill burn her eyes, but held them back as she continued to glare.

"What do you want from me!?" She shrieked. Voice grew more uneven as she spoke. "Is it money!? Free labor!? Or you want a star in the future to do something for you!? Why are you trying so hard to be close to me!? Just tell me what you want! What do you want me for!"

Summer stared at the panting girl, then sat up a little straighter. "I want you to be happy." Summer said, her voice was completely honest, no deception or false emotions. Just pure honesty.

"I want you to be loved and appreciated. I want you to have a future where you can live freely. Where you aren't hunted by your past. I want you to have the childhood you deserve and make the friends you should've had growing up. I want you to be yourself, no matter who that is. Because you are beautiful, both on the inside and the outside. And I want you to see that."

Cinder took a step back, her mind racing. She felt her heart hammering against her chest. She wanted that, more than anything she wanted Summer to be right. To see actual beauty inside her, but every experience she had told her not too. That Summer was just using her for some scheme and she would be cast aside once it was over.

"Y-your lying." She stammered. Yes, she thought to herself. Keep everyone at bay and protect herself. She didn't need anyone else for her happiness. She just needed herself. Forgot Ruby and Summer. She was better off alone.

But she wanted to open up to Summer. She wanted to be around Ruby. She wanted it as much as she wanted freedom.

"I'm not beautiful!" Cinder screamed at Summer. "You're just saying things to get me to trust you! I'm not falling for that! I- I don't need you or anyone else! I- I just need to be free! To be able to go wherever I want whenever I want! I! I!"

Summer stared at Cinder, she looked at her with such sadness in her sliver eye. "Do you really mean that?" She asked evenly. "Do you really just want to go anywhere anytime without anyone to share your life with? It's not my choice, you have to decide what you want, but I can't imagine what it would feel like to be utterly alone, no matter where you go."

Cinder began trembling as she looked at Summer. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to justify her reasons to the woman. She couldn't move! She should just run away and never look back!

Skittishly, she glanced at the tree line. She imagined running out of the clearing and to her freedom, with nobody to tell her what to do. It sounded exactly like what she had always dreamed about back in Atlas.

Then she looked back at Summer. The same feeling of want filled Cinder. She wanted to run to her and be with the second person to actually care about her. She wants to be with her, to get to know her and Ruby, and to an extent, Tai. They were all so warm and welcoming. But at the same time she remembered Rhodes and how that had ended. She knew they were also huntsmen and huntresses. There was no grantee they would turn on her too.

"Y-you've been looking into orphanages!" Cinder said accusingly. "I know you want to send me away! A-and you now you're trying to sweet talk me into saving your life! That's all you're trying to do!" Cinder was gasping for air as she struggled with her emotions. She was scared, confused, angry, hopeful and unsure all at once. She didn't like it. She wanted it to stop.

Summer's eyes softened as she watched Cinder's inner turmoil. She gave Cinder a sad smile as she looked at the girl. "I understand." She said. "Go into town and ask for a man called Pablo. Tell him I sent you to collect the entire debt he owns me. Then take what he gives you and go to the docks and look for a ship captain called Lidia. She'll take you wherever you want free of charge if she knows I sent you. From there you're free to do whatever you want and go wherever you want. The debt money will last you a good while. You'll be free."

Cinder's eyes widened. This was it! She followed those instructions and she was free! But then she'd never see Summer again, would she. A bitterness in her stomach caused her to hesitate on chasing her long awaited dream.

"Why?" She said breathlessly. "Why are you doing all this for me!? Is it just to ease your Conscience!? You didn't do anything to me! Why do you feel obligated to help me!?"

Summer smiled at her, but Cinder could see the sadness behind it. "Because in the month you've lived with us, I've found myself drawn to you. When I found you in Atlas I never thought I'd become so attached to you. But now? I consider you a more than close friend to me. You feel like your part of my family. And if you'd have me, I'd love to become your part of your family." Cinder's eyes widened even more. Her hands covered her mouth to stop a gasp of surprise. She felt the warmth in her chest like before and she found it hard to breath.

Family. A simple word that would have meant the world to Cinder once upon a time. She wanted that more than anything. The safety and comfort of a loving parent was enough to make her almost willing to give Summer a chance to changed. But another feel was taking hold of her heart, sucking the warmth from the image she had conjured.

"B-but! I! After everyone I hurt, why would you want that? We've known each other for a month! You couldn't have gotten that close in such a short time!" Cinder protested silenced as big tears started to run down her face. She angrily wiped them away to try and continue glaring at Summer.

"You're right. I'm much closer with Tai, Ruby and Yang." Summer said honestly. "But that doesn't matter. I want you to join my family, because you are my friend. And I want you to be happy. So if you'd let me, I'd be honored to be the to give that to you. And if you don't want me, that's fine too. At the end of the day, it's your choice. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters to me."

Cinder couldn't stop herself anymore. She sank to her knees and let all her fear, frustration, sadness, and anger, pour out of her in large tears. Why couldn't Summer just hate her like the rest of the world? Why couldn't things be simple like they were before? Why couldn't she go back to just caring for herself?

But she knew she didn't truly want that. As for what she wanted she didn't even know anymore. All she knew right now was that she didn't want to leave. She didn't want to be on her own again.

And she didn't have to.

With a final glance at the tree line, Cinder made her decision. She turned back to Summer and walked clumsy over to her and collapsed onto her knees in front of her. She wasn't sure what to do next, but Summer made it easy for her by pulling the crying girl into a tight hug.

At this point, Cinder finally let everything out.

"I'm sorry!" She cried. "I want to stay! I want to get to know you and Ruby and mr Xiao Long! I like the house and want to feel like it's my own! I don't want to be alone anymore! Please. PLEASE! Give me another chance! I don't want to go!" Cinder sobbed into Summer's chest as the older woman gently stroked her hair.

"Of course." Summer said. "I offered, didn't I? You can stay for as long as you like." Summer kissed the top of Cinder's head, and the girl squeezed tighter, who was still sobbing uncontrollably.

Above them, the moonlight began to peek out from behind the clouds and shown down into the clearing. The two stayed in each other's arms until help finally arrived.

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