A Costly Mistake

Team JNPR walked out toward the bullhead that was to take them to the their mission point. In the middle walked the leader of the team Jaune Arc, at his side his sword Corcea Mors rested in its sheath. To his right Pyrrha Nikos walked with Milo' and Akoúo̱ across her back, the sunlight glinting of their edges. To Jaune's left walked, or rather bounced, the energetic Nora Valkyrie, her massive hammer Magnhild was hooked to her back in grenade launcher form. Directly next to her, Lie Ren strode with the same bored look he always carried on his face, his twin pistols StormFlower were tucked up his sleeves, hidden from sight.

When the team reached the bullhead they grabbed the handles at the top and held on as it took off. Jaune had his scroll out and was looking over details on the grimm they were being sent to kill. Pyrrah glanced at him nervously, they had received the mission two days ago and since they had Jaune had somewhat lost his fun dorky side. He had spent most of his free time either training or poring over any information that might give him some clue on how to beat this thing. Even team RWBY was slightly worried about him, no one had ever seen him this serious.

Last night when Jaune hadn't come back to the dorm until it was nearly midnight Pyrrah finally asked him what was wrong. He had looked at her with and asked what she meant. "Jaune you haven't been yourself since we got that mission. Are you nervous?"

Jaune had just sighed. "I'm fine Pyrrah. I just wanna do well on our first mission."

Pyrrah didn't buy it but something told her she wasn't gonna get an honest answer out of him so she dropped the issue. "Okay, get some sleep, we wanna do good tomorrow don't we."

He had just smiled at that and nodded. "Good night Pyrrah." And that had been the end of it.

Now, as the bullhead touched down in a clearing of a forest, the look in Jaune's eye's told her that he was far from fine. They gathered together and Jon pulled up a map of the terrain on his scroll. "Okay, the grimm was spotted in this area and as far as I have gathered, it hasn't had any intention on leaving. There's a cliff about a mile east of us so that's where we need to drive it to. If we can corner it there it's as good as ours."

"Yeah, let's break it's legs." Nora send her ever present excitement bringing excitement to all their faces.

They moved out heading toward the last known spot where the grimm had been seen. Though before they reached it Ren stopped and looked around. The rest of them stopped and stared back at him. Ren held up one finger to his lips and pointed to his left. He began to creep that way and the other's followed him. After some fifty yards they started to here what Ren had heard. The sound of semi dry earth being crushed under heavy steps.

After a few more yards they saw their prey. It was similar to a beowolf in structure. However it was smaller than the typical kind and far more muscled. Bone plate its entire head and could move in sync with it's jaw. Spikes ran up all for of its legs and down it's back. With patches of plate around them.

Without a word Jaune gestured and Pyrrah and Nora moved so that they were facing in the direction that they wanted to drive it. When he saw they were in position Jaune drew his sword and tapped it once against the tree he was hiding behind.

With a whoop of delight Nora leapt out from hiding and launched a grenade at the grimm. With a display of agility that Jaune had never seen in a grimm the beowolf dodged the shot and rushed at Nora, but there was Pyrrah springing forward and shield bashing the creature. It's charge was halted and Jaune came in soon afterward. Dashing in and stabbing at the grimm. However the blade skated off the bone plate and the creature twisted and backhanded Jaune sending him sailing through the air and crashing into a tree.

He struggled to his feet as Ren and Nora unloaded on the creature. "Drive it to the cliff." Jaune yelled and Nora compiled by giving the beowolf a good baseball swing to the head sending in reeling. In a panic it took off with them in pursuit.

They drove it east and before long they reached the edge of the cliff. Below the sea stretched out all the way to the horizon and beyond. The grimm stopped and turned to face them. They hemmed it in so there was no where to run and slowly approached.

The beowolf stared at them and growled, before rushing at Ren who was to its left. Jaune appeared in front of it blocked it with his shield, then hacked at it's right arm, his sword drawing a gash in the monsters hide. As it retreated Ren fired StormFlower over Jaune's shoulder, peppering the gimm with bullets.

Pyrrah dove into the fray, standing beside Jaune and stabbing with Milo'. The grimm retreated even farther so now it was only a few yards from the edge. Pyrrah and Jaune charged intending to dive to Nora so she could finish it off. She stabbed and he swung, and neither blow connected. The grimm dodged Pyrrah's stab and smacked her through the air. It then caught Jaune's sword and threw him behind it.

Jaune stuck his sword in the ground before he slid over the edge of the cliff and stood up. Pyrrah twisted mid air and hit the ground feet first and hurled Milo' at the grimm, firing a shot at the same time to give it more power. The grimm leapt sideways but before it landed. Nora came flying in from above and brought Magnhild down on its head, crushing it.

Pyrrah smiled and looked over at Jaune, and all color drained from her face, and when Nora and Ren looked over at him their faces went white to. Jaune stood at the edge of the cliff where he had stopped himself from sliding over, and Milo' was buried in his chest.

The spear had gone into his chest and stuck out his back. In the noon day sun its once shining bladed only glinted red with Jaune's blood. He looked down at the spear then back up in confusion as if he didn't understand what had happened. Then he coughed and blood came out of his mouth. He looked at Pyrrah and gave a small smile before falling backward and off the the edge.

"JAUNE!" Pyrrah screamed and raced toward the edge. She reached for Jaune but couldn't reach him. She saw him fall toward the sea before he hit the waves and disappeared beneath them.

Pyrrah was about to jump down after him when Ren grabbed her. "Pyrrah don't." He said struggling to keep his voice level.

"No. I have to get him!" Pyrrah screamed trying to pull her wrist from Ren's grasp but his grip was like Iron. He pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her.

"Your aura won't be able to shield you from a fall of that height." He said tears gathering in his eye's.

"But." Pyrrah said, tears streaming down her face.

"Pyrrah." Ren said having trouble getting the words out, "He's gone." Nora dropped her weapon and sunk to her knees, her hands over her mouth, tears gathering in her eye's.

Pyrrah finally lost it and, grabbing the front of Ren's jacket and screamed and sobbed. They stayed their for nearly and hour, Ren holding Pyrrah with Nora a few feet away.

When it was nearly dark when Ren called the bull head to retrieve them. Nora took Pyrrah and boarded and Ren walked over and picked up Corcea Mors from where Jaune had dropped it. With the sword in hand he got on the bullhead and stood in silence as it took off.

Beacon

When they got to Beacon the group walked toward Headmaster Ozpin's office. The headmaster looked one look at their expression and at Ren holding Jaune and he already knew what had happened. They told him the whole story and then stood their in silence as Ozpin stared at his desk. Glynda Goodwitch had bowed her head when they explained Jaune's death. She had always had some measure of doubt when it came to him but even so she didn't think anyone deserved to die like that.

Finally Ozpin looked at the remainder of team JNPR and said, "go get some sleep Pyrrah before you go, I have something for you." Nora and Ren walked back to the dorm while Pyrrah watched Ozpin reach into his desk and pull out an envelope. He handed it to her and she turned it to see the twin crescents of the Arc family on it. She opened it and read the title. "The last words of Jaune Arc, to Pyrrah Nikos."