After another few minutes of tense waiting, Bridget's probing eyes detected motion in the trees. Sure enough, Abel eventually rocketed out of the vegetation. Despite still managing to run at a good speed, it was obvious he was exhausted; his form was shoddy and inefficient, and his mouth gaped open as he sprinted, gulping down each painful breath. Any hopes his partner might have had that they were home free were dashed when the Ursa Major appeared from the forest on his tail, a little slower but not much worse for wear. Unable to continue, Abel collapsed on the ground, the Ampere falling silently into the red grass as its owner crumpled. Sensing victory, the Ursa Major slowed to a lumbering pace, though it still quickly closed the distance between its salivating jaws and its prey. Abel fumbled for the Ampere, succeeding after a few tries to press the switch that changed it to staff mode. His last-ditch attempt proved useless, however, as he discovered he couldn't coax out a lightning bolt—his aura was too low. Cursing, he looked up again.
The Ursa Major loomed over him, staring at him with its one scarlet eye, clearly savoring his fear. Abel hoisted himself into a sitting position, propping himself up with the butt end of the Ampere while pointing the business end at the Grimm as if it would do him any good. His monstrous enemy snorted derisively and lazily raised a claw to tear out his entrails.
A sudden, high-pitched noise caused it to pause, irritated, but its momentary apprehension turned into rage when a blur shot out from the forest and ripped through its raised arm, nearly splitting the limb in half. Abel's skull rattled as the Ursa Major roared and turned around to take revenge on the new threat. For a moment, the boy was forgotten, and he used the opportunity to push himself to his feet and scramble away. Once he was by Bridget's side, he looked over his shoulder.
Four more students had suddenly appeared. He instantly recognized Mary, the sheep faunus and the first student he had met at Beacon, as well as the obnoxious twins Hansen and Gretchen. The fourth figure puzzled him: it looked vaguely like a young boy, but seemed to be composed of black smoke rather than flesh and bone. It wielded an equally nebulous cutlass, and its eyes shone a viridian green. Only when Pan Neverell -the kid he'd met at the drinking fountain early this morning- appeared did the spectacle make any sense. Must be his semblance or something. At that moment, he also realized that these four teenagers had saved his life.
After a few seconds of savage growling, the Ursa Major decided to attack. It went for the shadow-Pan, aiming a cutting slash at its torso, but the entity merely floated off the ground and out of reach. Abel wondered if it was some sort of ghost, but was answered only moments later when the shadow swooped down and hacked at the Major's wounded paw, finishing the job of severing it. As the Grimm bellowed, Hansen stepped forward and chopped at its flank with his halberd. The Ursa Major, consumed by pain as the bone-white axehead lodged in its flesh, smashed him with its good paw. Though the blow could have killed someone like Bridget or Gretchen, Hansen absorbed it with his back like it was nothing and chopped again.
The Ursa Major, now badly hurt, began to understand that it would lose this fight. It tried one more time, lunging at defenseless Gretchen, but missed as the slender girl sidestepped before stabbing its paw with her burning cattle prod. With an ugly, frothing snarl, the Ursa Major retreated. It thundered across the clearing, straight past Abel and Bridget, and into the cave. The siblings gave chase, followed closely by Mary, who held the crossblade that had gotten the Ursa's attention. The only one who paused was Pan, flanked by his living shadow.
“We'll take care of this. You had better rest up a moment and let your aura heal you, then get moving.”
With a slight inclination of his head, the blonde boy raced into the cave. His shadow stayed a second longer, staring at Bridget's face, before following.
It was a moment before Abel spoke. “That was...too close. I'm happy with moving on. Maybe we...try for train place?”
