Hey everybody. This story's just a little one shot based on volume 5 episode 11. Just a one shot that I had written shortly after the episode came out. It may possibly lead to a feature story down the road when I finish my other ones, but we'll see with the response on this one. Either way, I hope you enjoy it.
Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks
"I am immortal, I'll never fade away. I'm a legacy that lives beyond, far beyond the grave." -Eve to Adam
Rage is considered the next tier over anger and is manifested in many ways. Some resort to yelling and some resort to physical violence. Sometimes both can be the reaction, but it all depended on the individual that was pushed to that point. For Jaune Arc, he had always been one that was able to turn the other cheek no matter who the culprit was. His prime instance being when Cardin Winchester had bullied him and blackmailed him. The entire time he took it and only stood up for himself when it risked harm to someone he cared about.
That was his trigger.
He had lost Pyrrha Nikos, his partner. Although he didn't realize it until their last moments together, a lover. It was the most painful experience of his entire life and salt was only added to the wound because of how she died. She had the chance to flee Beacon with him when it fell, but she chose to stay behind and send him off using one of the weapon lockers to keep him from stopping her.
Since then he had become jaded and cynical, even more so towards Qrow Branwen and Ozpin when he learned the truth about Pyrrha's involvement to become the Fall Maiden. Those two had essentially pressured her into making a decision that had to be made, despite the fact that Ozpin said she had a choice. It was laughable. There was always a lot of talk about people having a choice, but that word was nothing but false assurance in the eyes of those in charge. Pyrrha never had a choice and because of the impression she was given, she threw her life away for nothing.
Cinder Fall executed her in cold blood and was responsible for the deaths of many of his classmates during the Vytal Festival. Hearing that from Ruby had filled him with a hatred he had never experienced in his life and he promised himself that he would never be the cause of a friend's death again. His whole intention in joining Ruby on her journey was to avenge Pyrrha by killing Cinder. Even though there was a more powerful threat behind the woman in the red dress, Jaune did not consider that his priority.
His goal was in sight as he glared at the very woman that killed his partner before him. He had seen her a handful of times before Beacon fell and like many of the boys had noticed her beauty, but she looked nothing like she did then. Her hair was shorter and she had a mask covering the left side of her face that was left disfigured by Ruby. The woman's remaining eye burned with twisted mirth and the smug grin that was on her lips was infuriating.
Her sultry voice had taunted them about Raven's recent collaboration and even more so with the revelation of Leo's betrayal as far back as the Vytal Festival. She twisted the knife even further at the mention of Qrow's friends that had fallen because of Leo's betrayal. That had been the final straw for him.
His fists were clenched so tight that they shook at his sides and his teeth were bared in an angry snarl.
"What is wrong with you?" His voice trembled.
Her eyes were now fixed on him. He snapped his head up to meet her gaze and every ounce of anger that was coursing through him was exuded in his glare.
"How can you be so broken inside!? To take so many lives and come here and rub it in our faces like it's something to be proud of!" He shouted as he took a step forward.
His shoulders and breath shook as he continued to glare at Cinder. He barely heard Nora's voice as she tried to speak up and calm him down, much like Qrow.
"All with that goddamn smile on your face!" He bellowed.
Cinder's eye narrowed at him, but not in annoyance. It was a stare of dismissal, like he was not worthy of her time.
"I came on this journey to do one thing, and that's to make you pay for what you've done! Do you hear me!?"
Another step forward. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his friends pull their weapons out. They were ready to fight, but Qrow was still adamant about keeping everyone calm and from doing anything rash.
"Well, say something!" Jaune's hand slowly began to reach for Crocea Mors.
Cinder blinked and then tilted her head with a cock of her hip.
"Who are you again?" She asked.
He was briefly taken aback by the retort. Did she truly not remember him, or was it all a ruse? Either way, he would make her remember. With a growl that resembled that of an angry beast, he drew Crocea Mors and had it in its great sword form. He disregarded his friends' cries as he charged Cinder. His movement spurred her to form a wicked orange blade in her hand that she brought down to block his attack. Sparks flew from their blades and a cruel smirk came to her lips.
"Someone is eager to die," she said.
She pushed him off and he staggered back, but he was fast to regain his footing. Their blades met time and again with one attack after the next. His were filled with vengeance and strength while hers were calm and defensive. She was not taking him seriously in the slightest and it infuriated him.
Deep down Jaune knew he should have expected this kind of fight. He had grown a lot since his training with Pyrrha and even more so with the guidance of a video she left behind for him, but it did not hide the cold hard fact that was presented before him. Pyrrha went at Cinder with everything she had and still fell, right now he was doing the same thing. This was a losing battle and he knew it. All he could hope to do was at least do something to wipe that condescending smile off of her lips.
He blocked another strike from the woman in red and leaned forward to hold the deadlock. The smirk was still there and he growled again. With a push of his foot and a quick swing of his arms, he managed to push her blade aside. In a wild follow up he never would have done in the past, he swung his arm out in a backhand. The gold plated fingers of his glove made a light ping as they made contact with the side of Cinder's face. Her head snapped to the side and her eye narrowed in fury.
He didn't waver or cower at the venomous gaze. That last counter felt good and he wanted to do it again and again until the woman did not get back up. This was his fight and he was going to come away the victor if it was the last thing he did!
Jaune was soon on the defensive when Cinder summoned another blade in her free hand. Duel wielding was a complex attack style, but in the hands of someone capable of mastering it, it was a very frightening thing to deal with. Her barrage was relentless.
It was much harder to read her attacks now since she changed her footing and which arm she would attack with. The additional sword had drawn his attention and he would be eyeing it the second she would attack or block with one of them. He had a few narrow misses and felt chills go down his spine when the air would cut violently around him as the blades whistled through it. She spun and he held his blade up to block the strikes, but did not anticipate the second spin with her step.
Her blade hit his arm and he grimaced as his aura took a direct hit. She then brought her blades down in an overhead strike and he held Crocea Mors up to block them. Again, he read her wrong as she lifted her leg and thrust her heel into his chest. Jaune staggered back and landed on the floor.
Cinder gave him a sickening smile as she twirled her blades.
"I'm starting to remember you. You're the dense one that can't tell when he's out of his league," she said with a light chuckle.
He grit his teeth again and jumped to his feet. He then jumped at her with a downward strike of his own. Her arm trembled a little bit from the force of his attack and he continued to push her defense with one swing after the next, each one becoming stronger. Her swords would sway in the direction he managed to test her guard and although she was still not giving it much, he could see the bored look in her eye.
"Predictable." Cinder clicked her tongue.
She parried his swing and metal echoed around their corner of the room. Her deflection knocked his balance off enough to leave an opening and the woman did not hesitate. Jaune was capable of taking hits after getting defeated constantly in the arena so his pain tolerance was fairly high, but Cinder's counter was brutal. The tip of her shoe connected with the side of his face and his eyes widened in stunned surprise from the hit. He barely registered the kick to his knee that made him buckle. The last kick got him in the face again and he staggered away.
His lip swelled up and he could feel blood trickle down his chin. He shook his head free and fought through the pain and readied his sword again. His eyes watched Cinder strut confidently around him like a bird circling its prey. She shot at him in a blur of red, but he was ready for it.
Taking a leaf from her book, he sunk low and gripped his blade with both hands. Crocea Mors let out a loud whoosh as he spun on his heels with all of his might. The air rippled violently as the metal cut through it and he could see a small gust of wind kick up part of the carpet. The force of his attack was enough to catch Cinder and a flicker of surprise showed in her eye. He dashed forward with his shoulder low and rammed into her with everything her had.
His shoulder burrowed into her chest and he could hear her sputter as the air was sucked from her lungs from the tackle. He tried to slash at her again, but she quickly recuperated and blocked his attack. She forced him back with another swing and glared at him.
Sweat trickled down his face and his shoulders rose and fell rapidly as exhaustion began to flood him. He was nearing his limit while Cinder did not look remotely bothered by their skirmish. He may have gotten some hits on her, but she had more stamina than he did. At this rate, she would be the winner of their fight and low growl escaped his lips.
Jaune shook his head and got ready to charge at her again, but stopped when a pained cry came from across the room. His head snapped in the direction it came from. Who got hurt?
His eyes fell on Weiss who had taken a hit from Vernal. A light blue light shimmered around her and vanished immediately after doing so. She was defenseless.
"Shit! Weiss!" His attention was now on his former crush.
He still had a fight to take care of, but now he was in a dilemma. Did he continue his fight against Cinder, or did he let it go and go help Weiss? He made to head in her direction for a fleeting moment, but stilled when Cinder spoke to him again.
"Are you going to let her die too?" Her words cut through his concern and brought him back to the matter at hand.
"Stop messing with me!" He shouted at her.
Cinder gave a light shrug and one of her blades vanished. The remaining sword grew larger and began to burn with powerful flames.
"If that's what you want," she said.
Cinder was a red blur accompanied by a streak of orange as she soared for him. Weiss was more than capable of handling herself, he'd just get in her way. He ran head on to meet the woman for another clash. They were only feet away before a blinding flash of white light made them come to a grinding halt.
White spots danced in front of Jaune's eyes from the flash and he blinked to try and clear his vision. Through his partially blinded state, he saw Cinder freeze up and collapse to her knees clutching her arm. His eyes widened at the golden opportunity before him. Dirty move be damned, he would take the chance to finish her off.
He ran at Cinder and his heart pounded with wild anticipation. It could all end here with a swing of Crocea Mors. He almost grinned when he saw Cinder's pupil dilate with horror when he closed the distance and lunged forward with a stab. Whether it was anxiousness or misfortune, Jaune could only curse under his breath when the tip of Crocea Mors caught the side of Cinder's mask tearing out a chunk of it and spewing blood to the floor.
Both rolled across the ground, Cinder had gotten away from him, but her shrill screech of anger and pain was like music to his ears. He got good hit on her. Turning his head to the woman, he saw her standing up clutching her eye. Blood seeped between her fingers and her remaining eye was burning like a raging wildfire.
"You insolent little pest!" She seethed as she strode towards him with newfound vigor.
He rolled to his back to get to his feet, but Cinder was already upon him. Her heel drove down on the center of his breastplate, pinning him to the ground.
"Did you really believe someone as foolish as you had a chance against me!?" She snarled.
Her anger was now coming out in waves that he silently relished in. Despite the situation not favoring his survival, he couldn't help but let a cheeky laugh escape him.
"Well, I got you pretty good a second ago, didn't I?" He gestured at her eye.
He sputtered when her heel drove into his chest again. His hand began to inch for Crocea Mors that lay just a couple of feet from him.
"You're just a fool with a death wish." She flung excess blood from her hand.
He looked back up at the bloody maiden defiantly, not once letting the fear that was building in his stomach show. This seemed to anger the woman further as she compressed her bloody eye again.
"I could say the same for you. What has Salem promised you with all of this power, huh? Do you really think she is going to let you see the end of this fight?" He challenged.
Cinder's foot pressed down harder, but he continued talking.
"If you want my honest opinion, she's using you for her own gain and I can promise you this. The second you fulfill your part of her plan, she'll kill you. Why keep a piece that no longer has a purpose or can pose as a threat?"
The glare on Cinder's face only hardened and she bent down enough to let her voice be heard.
"You're speaking of something you couldn't possibly have knowledge of," she hissed.
"I disagree. I'm nothing like you, but I can see a part of me in you. Someone filled with pride who strives for nothing but power to compensate for their failures," he answered back calmly.
The corner of Cinder's mouth twitched and she straightened herself up.
"You'll have plenty of time to think about that in death." Her free hand generated a small ball of fire that grew.
Jaune shook his head and cast a quick glance to his friends. They were still going strong and holding their own in their respective fights. Fighting together and trying to overcome the obstacle before them. That was what they set out to do and he had forgone that in favor for vengeance. It was enough to make his stomach knot in shame, but with it came an epiphany.
"If I die buying them time, then this was worth it. At the end of the day, they're the ones that matter. They're better than you and they're better than me, and they always will be," said Jaune.
He watched Cinder stare at each and every one of his friends as if searching for validation in his words. Her eye narrowed again upon finding the unshakable resolve that came from them.
"There is no scenario where you come out of this on top. So long as there is hope, they will keep fighting and they won't stop until you go down." He finished with a firm look.
Cinder glanced back down at him, but her eye no longer held visible frustration. Instead it held curiosity and carried sinister intent. She was up to something. The fear in his stomach grew when a cruel smirk spread across her lips.
"You think so?" She asked.
Her eye then traveled back across the room and fell upon Weiss. Jaune watched as the heiress landed on the floor after being thrown by Vernal. She was slow to get up and had her back to them.
Cinder took her foot off of his chest and began a slow walk for Weiss. She held out her hand and another weapon took shape in it. After a second, the form of a long javelin met his eyes. His breath hitched as Cinder continued her stride to the center of the room to get in range.
His heart thumped harder than ever and his arms trembled. For a moment, he could almost picture seeing Pyrrha's final moments before Cinder murdered her. Now she was about to do the same to Weiss who had no knowledge of her presence.
"No!" He managed to find his strength.
His legs felt like they were filled with sand, but he managed to get to his feet. He took off for the woman in a state of desperation to stop her.
"Not again!" He ducked under Emerald who dove for him.
He tucked his shoulder in and thrust up, sending the green haired girl to the floor with a surprise flip. His feet pushed into the stone floor and he lunged at Cinder with his arms outstretched just as she prepared to release the javelin.
"Don't you touch her!" He roared.
His arms wrapped around Cinder's shoulders just as she released. The boy felt his heart seize as the weapon soared through the air, but he found his breath again when the weapon flew past Weiss by mere inches and embedded in the floor before her.
He and Cinder hit the ground and rolled. He was on top of her and he brought his fist back in a fit of blind rage. This was not a woman in front of him. This was a monster that had to be destroyed!
His knuckles found their mark against her cheek, once, twice, and almost a third time. He would not get the chance to get his last hit in. With a scream of anger, Cinder pushed him off with a powerful blast of fire. He shielded his face just in time and had to keep a scream of pain tearing from his throat as his flesh burned hot.
"You have some nerve, boy!" Cinder sneered.
He managed to stop squirming long enough to see the woman towering over him with a new spear in hand. When his eyes landed on the spear he was briefly taken aback. It looked similar to Pyrrha's. He was brought back to reality when Cinder raised her arm high and drove down.
Everything went silent as white hot pain filled his chest. The blade of the spear had pierced through his armor and chest, pinning him to the floor through his back. He gasped for breath, but found it impossible to suck in even a hint of air. Cinder took her hand off the spear and stepped back to observe her work and a victorious grin came to her lips.
Jaune could only stare at the spear in silent shock and his hands twitched as they reached for it. They continued to shake as he tried to pull the spear out with all of his might, but his arms collapsed onto his chest. A hack left him and blood spilled from his lips. Darkness started to probe the corners of his eyes.
In the distance he could hear the anguished screams of his friends, but the one that he managed to identify was the girl he managed to save. His head lifted enough to see Weiss staring back at him from her position on the floor, mouth agape and tears trickling down her pristine face. Even in her disheveled and grief stricken state, Weiss' beauty was radiant.
He lost the strength to hold his head up and felt the back of it hit the floor with a dull thump. His eyes bounced from the hit, but he could barely feel it. In fact, he could barely feel anything.
Was this what dying felt like? If it was, it wasn't so bad. It almost felt peaceful. He could barely feel any pain and that was oddly comforting.
He may have failed to cut Cinder down, but he did not make the same mistake a second time. His resolve managed to spare Weiss from certain death and reliving a familiar nightmare. To the very end he kept fighting with everything he had and he ultimately succeeded where it mattered.
His vision had become skewed, but he could make out the bloody face of the woman in red standing over him again. In her hand was a ball of fire and it was aimed for him. She was speaking, but her words did not meet his ears. He could, however, still read her lips.
"You will be remembered as the fool who sacrificed his life for nothing."
Her words didn't bother him because he already knew that wasn't the case. His sacrifice was what would ignite the fire of his friends that were still in the fight and make it stronger than before. That thought alone made him give a bloody grin up at Cinder who looked disgusted at his consistent defiance.
She won the battle, but she lost the war. No matter what pain she inflicted on him and no matter what words she hit him with, she could not snuff his determination.
Cinder's hand thrust at him and a jet of fire shot forth and engulfed his body. Instead of blistering and agonizing pain, he felt a comforting warmth as darkness took him. The smile on his face remained bright and strong like his soul until his last breath.
Hope you all enjoyed it. I wrote this as an alternate outcome from the end of that episode since I firmly believe that if Jaune does kick the bucket, he will die in a similar way Joan of Arc did. I have not seen the volume finale yet since I'm not a first member, so don't spoil anything. Let me know what you all think.