watts straightens and sets about dusting his suit off. he really might b u r n this when he gets back to the fortress, it smells horrendous. after a moment to examine himself, watts looks over to the girl on the ground, cocking a brow.
“ are you quite finished? we have somewhere to be by dawn. ”
‘ probably not. ‘
she manages to stand, somehow, and runs a hand through her hair. every inch of her is a mess - but she’s alive. vernal steps forward and takes a swing at his jaw; maybe just to make herself feel better.
direct combat isn’t exactly his style, but he sends a kick up toward her jaw. the sound of of metal prosthetic crashing against flesh and bone brings a s m i l e to his lips, and the doctor twists mid-attack to push vernal to the ground again.
‘ you - ‘
the kick knocks the remaining air out of her, and she cries out as she hits the ground. she lands on her back, and scrambles to push herself up. quickly, however, vernal finds it harder than she thought. she rolls onto her side, panting, nails digging into the dirt.
he sees her counter coming from a mile away, braces himself when he hits the ground. his suit takes the worst of it. he gives her a moment to r e v e l in false victory as he stares up at her, shaking his head.
“ you really don’t get it, do you?” watts hums. “ you don’t have a choice in this matter, s p r i n g . you never did. it was either us or ozpin who would have eventually demanded you obey. ”
she staggers, but remains standing. backs away, even - she’d never make it far enough if she ran. ‘ demand all you want, then. i won’t … i won’t - let anyone own me. ‘ vernal practically growls, baring teeth. ‘especially her. ‘ she doesn’t like this - she doesn’t have the strength to fight, nor to run; but she refuses to submit like some cornered animal.
“ go d o w n , girl. ” he snarls. “ don’t make this so hard on yourself. i’d rather not return d a m a g e d g o o d s to her grace. ”
last chance. she uses what little’s left to jolt him up and over, landing him on his back. there are stars when she stands, and she sways - but not before slamming her boot into his shoulder once or twice. vern stumbles back, gasping for breath.
“now now… ” he coos, shifting his arm so he can place his hand over her mouth. “ it’s l o n g past your bedtime, young lady. there’s someone important you need to see in the morning. ”
the edges of her vision darken, but she holds on - you’re the spring maiden, for fuck’s sake. she thrashes, trying to move away from the pressure; after this, it would be all over. nowhere to run. she gives it hell.
he l a u g h s and tightens his hold on her throat. “i have one. ” he teases. “ and no, you’re not going to fight for us. we just need you to do one little favor, and then we’ll give you a head start before we send someone to s l i t y o u r p r e t t y l i t t l e t h r o a t . ”
‘ i might just do it… my own damn self, at… this rate. ‘ it’s getting harder to breathe, and she claws against his hold on her throat. tries to push herself up; his foot is still in the way. vernal growls. he’s not listening - she’ll save her breath.
“ you’re in m y w o r l d now, my dear, learn to play by the rules. ” he hisses. with another swift movement, his foot is pressed against her spine, careful to keep her in a position where he could easily hurt her if she tried to move too quickly. “remember: if i wanted you dead, you would have never made it to this camp. but lucky you–i’m going to keep you alive for a v e r y l o n g t i m e . ”
she inhales sharply. ( she wouldn’t dare show him an ounce of weakness. )‘as far as i’m … aware, i’m not fighting for you. ‘ vernal nearly spits - he makes her nauseous. so damn power hungry. ‘ get a fucking grip. ‘
“ i can’t make it c l e a r e r to you: your life is valuable. ” he leans back a bit and kicks the back of her knees to force her downward. “ i need you alive. but that doesn’t mean i can’t show you why you m i n d y o u r m a n n e r s in the presence of an elder. ”
oh, she struggles on the way down. she manages to keep one foot under her, but doesn’t like the way he barely looses his grip. ‘ stop… talking. ‘ she thrashes, trying to push her way out of his grip with brute force - he’s stronger than she expected.
she digs her fingers into his coat, grappling with his iron grip - it’s hard to keep her head on straight when she’s losing air. she won’t go out like this. ‘ listen, buddy - ‘ her voice is a rasp. ‘ this won’t… get you anywhere. ‘ // @prabhutv
