There's Always Someone
"What is wrong with you? How can you be so broken inside… to take so many lives, and then come here and rub it in our faces like it's something to be proud of?!"
Jaune's words echoed through the entrance hall of Haven academy. Assembled therein were two opposing forces. One consisted of those huntsmen and students of Ozpin, come to demand answers for their slain friends. Opposite was Salem's gang, Cinder, Mercury, Hazel and Emerald, as well as two bandits, Vernal and Raven. Very motives were varied, each with their own reason to stand beside the Grimm's Queen.
"Jaune.." Nora said, concern for her friend on her face. Rarely had she seen him like this.
"All with that damn.." Jaune's rage was cut off by the sound of a scrolls ringtone. IT took a second for the group to locate it's source. He wiped his eyes and pulled the offending device from his pocket.
"Sorry..sorry, I know big battle and all. Damn, I have to get this one." Jaune said, noticing who was calling. Jaune answered the call, and was greeted by the sight of his mother on the screen.
"Sure go ahead, not like there is anything important going on" said Cinder, finding the situation amusing.
"Jaune sweety, it's your mother! How are you? Are you well, did you make it to Haven okay?".
"Yes Mom, we made it. This really isn't a good time however, can I call you back?"
"Now now, that's no way to talk to your mother. What could possibly be more important than family? Hmm?"
"She's got a point there Jaune." said Ren, with Nora nodding along in agreement. Both would have given anything to talk to theirs again.
"Yeah, Dad gets pretty miffed when we ignore his calls as well" Ruby added.
"I know I know, it's just I'm about to have a big battle and all, it's kind of important." Jaune said, trying to end the call and get back to the fight.
"Fighting who, sweety? Is it Grimm again? Nasty little fiends those are. Are your teammates with you? How are they?"
"They are fine mom. And yes, they are here with me." Jaune said, holding up the phone so his mom could see.
"Hello kids! How are you?"
"Hello Mrs. Arc. I'm fine myself, Nora?" Ren said, looking to his partner.
"I'm pretty dandy myself, thanks for asking Mrs. Arc."
On screen, Mrs. Arc nodded. "Oh, I see some new faces? Who are those lovely ladies?"
"Oh, The white haired girl is Weiss, the blonde haired one is Yang, and the other is Ruby. You know, I told you about her last time, we've been traveling together."
"Oh, You mean the cute and quirky girl from Beacon! I didn't recognize her, she's wearing a different dress then the picture you sent me last time."
"Cu...cute?" Ruby said though a massive blush.
"Woah there loverboy, hands off my sister." added Yang, with a wink.
"Eh, I think she's a better fit for him then I at least." Weiss added. She was no stranger to Jaune's advances, and still none the more receptive to them.
"Are we really talking about blonde and lanky's love life now? Didn't we come here to do something? I seem to remember us being here for something important" said a flustered Emerald.
"You kidding me? This is gold." Mercury said with a laugh.
"A pleasure to meet such fine young ladies! Be sure to take good care of my son, will you?"
"It would be our pleasure, Mrs. Arc" Ruby said with a smile.
"And the young lad?"
"Oh, that's Oscar. We met him in Haven, it's a long story.
Oscar took the time to introduce himself, "Hello Mrs Arc! "
"Hello sweety! Now, you said something about a fight, my dear? Is it Grimm again? You know how I hate those fiends."
"No mom, it's some evil huntsmen. You know, the ones who attacked Beacon? I told you about them before."
"Actually I wasn't there. Were you, Raven?" Vernal said, looking to her master.
"Can't say that I was." said Raven. At least not officially, she had watched the events unfold while in bird form
"You being there is nothing new, really" came a sarcastic addition to the conversation by Yang.
"Sweet burn, firecracker" said Qrow, giving Yang a high five. Raven rolled her eyes.
"Really now! Let me have a look at those vagabonds, sweety.". Jaune sighed, then held up his phone and scanned the room. He mother decided to provide a running commentary.
"Oh, The one in the red certainly looks the part. Bit cliche though, with the mask and all though." Cinder's remaining good eye twitched.
"Oh, the green haired one reminds me of your sisters friend. Both seemed to be fans of tops that leave little to the imagination as well. What is it with young huntresses and showing off skin anyways?" Emerald looked down at her outfit.
"Hey, if you got it, flaunt it I say" stated Emerald.
"Hell yeah!" shouted Yang in agreement. The two instaintly returned to glaring at each other though, soon after.
Mrs. Arc continued, "The silver haired boy looks like he's trying a bit too hard to be edgy in my opinion." This drew a laugh from Emerald, and a glare in response from Mercury.
"Oh, is that Professor Lionheart? Is he on your side sweety?"
"No mom, he's on the bad guys side." explained Jaune.
"Well that's not very nice of him! Why I think I'll be writing to the Mistral council about this! A headmaster fighting against students? Scandalous!"
"Ma'am, you don't know the half of it." Said Qrow, giving a cowering Leo a fierce glare, and taking his flask from his jacket for a drink. Leo squirmed in response.
"Oh, that short haired girl with the tattoo looks positively ruffian!"
Vernal shrugged at that. "Well, at least that's pretty accurate."
"Oh, that gentleman certainly looks strong, reminds me of a young lad I knew in school. Such a shame what happened to his sister."
"Yes, a shame." said Hazel, venom dripping from his tone.
As the scroll panned to Raven, Mrs. Arcs tone changed to one of curiosity."
"As for the this one, hold on sweety, can you get me closer?"
Jaune sighed, and did as he was told, taking a few steps toward Raven. Vernal kept her weapons on him the entire time.
"Oh my oh my, is that? It is! It's Rae-rae!"
Qrow spit out his drink, "Oh gods that nickname! I've not heard it since Beacon! Kid, you never told me was Isabel!"
"Yeah, you never told us your mom knew mine, what gives?"
Jaune shrugged, " I didn't know, this is news to me!"
Raven's eye twitched, "Hello Izzy. This really isn't a good time, can I call you later?"
"Now now, you said that last time and you never called! It's been ages, how have you been? Still with that scrappy fellow, Taiyang was it?"
Raven sighed, "No Izzy, we aren't together anymore. It's a rather sore subject."
"Understatement of the year there." Raven gave her daughter a glare, Yang responded by sticking her tongue out.
Mrs. Arc continued, "Really? You were inseparable! Ozpin himself couldn't pry you apart, you were borderline indecent. Why, I remember the time during the Vytal dance…"
Raven interrupted her before she could continue, recalling the dance and the rather...obscene event Isabel was no doubt about to describe."
"Izzy this isn't the time! Look, I promise I'll give you a call to talk about the old times, hell, I'll stop by for a visit, just not right now!"
"Well, if you promise. I expect a portal tomorrow morning, bright and early."
"I promise." 'anything really, to move this along' Raven thought
"You keep a promise? First time for everything I suppose" Yang was loving being able to take so many metaphorical shots at her mother. Raven, less so.
"Now, is that everyone dear?"
"Yeah mom, that's everyone."
"Is the nasty woman who killed your partner here?"
"Yes, she is in fact" Jaune glared at cinder, who smirked in response. "She's the one in the red dress."
"Do be a dear and put her on."
Jaune walked over to Cinder, who was still smirking. Emerald looked on edge, but held back with a glance from Cinder.
"Crying to mommy, so predictable"
"Silence Missy!" Mrs Arc said with full on angry mom voice. Even Cinder was a bit taken back.
"Pyrrha was a kind and beautiful girl! We thought the world of her and you, you cut her down like a common vagrant!"
Cinder was taken back, and reacted like a child passing the blame. "She started it! She could have walked away and been fine, but she pressed the issue. It's her fault she died!"
"The blame falls on the one who's sword fell! All that death and destruction for what? An ego boost!? Well that and some vicious scaring, looks like Pyrrha got some blows in before she passed."
"She wasn't responsible for this, " Cinder screamed, taking a second to glare at Ruby, who scratched her head in response. " And I'll have you know it was for a power beyond your comprehension, one owed to me!"
"Please, you sound like a spoiled brat, no one owes you anything Missy, you killed because you wanted to."
Having been on the receiving end of one of his mother's admonishments, Jaune knew what Cinder was going though. He put in arm on her shoulder in sympathy. Cinder grit her teeth but didn't remove it.
"I'll not apologize to anyone for my actions, certainly not some mommas boy's...momma!"
"Ohhhh!" Mercury said, before getting a elbow to the side from Emerald.
Mrs Arc coughed, taking a sip of water on screen. Jaune moved his hand from Cinder, who was laser focused on the image of Mrs. Arc before her, eyes aflame with fury and power.
"Well then you brat, I have just two words for you."
"And what would those be? Hmm?"
Mrs. Arc smiled, "Nora Valkyrie."
Cinders remaining eyebrow raised as she tore her gaze from the scroll to look at the huntress in question., "Nora? What about her!? She's just some hyper active.."
The sentence died on Cinder lips, her eyes widen in shock as the fire burned out. Jaune arm was behind her now, clutching Li Ren's dagger, which was buried to the hilt in Cinder's brain stem. Silence enveloped the room as they realized what he had done.
On the scroll, Mrs. Arc smiled. "That was for my son's partner, you bitch."
Jaune pulled the dagger out with an yank, Cinders body crashing to the floor lifelessly. Across the room Nora's eyes burst into flame, the full power of the fall maiden binding to her soul. Lightning crackled across her form by instinct, charging her semblance to the extreme. Nora smiled wide, and shifted Magnhild to hammer mode.
Team Ozpin smiled as the revised balance of power hit them. With Cinder gone, their odds looked much better.
Jaune hooked the scroll to his belt and took up his sword. Emerald screamed as realization struck her, tears flowing down her face.
"You killed her! I'll rip your spine out!"
She moved to attack before being blindsided by a sniper round courtesy of Ruby. Jaune used the time to retreat to his own lines, keeping his shield raised.
Raven and Vernal shared a look, their own plans derailed. Mercury helped Emerald up, and together with leo tried to move into a better position themselves. Cinder had been a vital part of the battle plan, and they looked to Hazel for guidance. He cracked his knuckles.
"Clever ploy, but it won't save you. What you have stolen, we'll just take back. You'd need an army to stop us."
"Oh dear, a good thing we have one of those." came the cheery voice of Mrs Arc. A moment later the sight of searchlights and the sound of loudspeaker rang through the air, the Mistral police had arrived in force in airships.
"Crap, the fuzz!?" Mercury was suddenly very concerned for his future.
"The police, here? I can't be seen here!"
"I'm afraid it's too late for that, headmaster, they have been watching this hole time."
"They are still outside, and it will take but moments to eliminate you. You haven't won, you've just delayed your doom a few minutes." Hazel started to advance.
"We'll then, it's a good thing they aren't his only backup." Several huntsmen, grizzled veterans by the looks of it emerged from the adjacent doors. Weapons raised, they were clearly ready for a fight.
"Hi dad!"
Hello son, brought along a few friends, hope you don't mind."
"Not at all."
"Wow Jaune" said Yang, "Your dad is kinda hot."
"He's taken" came Mrs. Arc's reply.
Leo was shaking with fear, "Impossible we secure all other entrances, there is no way you could have gotten in."
"You'd think so, but I was a student here once, looks like you never did find the secret access routes we used to use to break curfew." Thank the gods for party animal upperclassmen.
Raven clicked her tongue and opened a portal. "Time to go Vernal. Nice seeing you all, but I think i'll attend to business elsewhere."
"Bye Rae-rae!" Mrs. Arc said with a wave.
"Bye Izzy, Yang". And with that Raven and Vernal ran into the portal, which closed after them.
Odds considerable stacked against them, the members of Salem's party attempted to flee. Mercury and Emerald were caught easily, while Hazel put up a much greater fight, but was taken down by the combined arms of all present. Leo attempted to surrender, pleading for mercy in exchange for information. Disgusted the huntsmen knocked him out, the council would deal with him later. All in all, It was a total rout.
The scene after the battle, if it could be called that, was fairly calm. The villains had been lead away by the police, bound and blindfolded. They would be subjected to confinement and interrogation in the coming hours.
"How in the world did you set this up, kid?" Qrow said, impressed and relieved at the outcome.
"Honestly? I didn't. I overheard you and Oscar talking and called my parents to tell them my concerns."
Mr. Arc nodded, "I was in town for a reunion of sorts and reached out to a few contacts in Mistral and learned the kingdom was investigating the missing huntsmen already. When they got word of a White Fang attack that was to occur at the same time, they readied for action."
Qrow turned to look at Giri Belladonna, who had brought his own militia to counter the White Fang. Adam Taurus himself was captured, alongside several other fang fighters. More importantly, Blake had come along and team RWBY was off in a corner, exchanging stories and hugs. It was nice to see his nieces happy.
"Still, took guts to play that off like you did, Jaune. Multiple enemy agents captured, and no deaths save for a wanted criminal. Hell of a victory for the good guys."
Jaune looked down at his hand, in mild shock that he'd been able to pull off the ploy, and actually take a life. He looked a bit down when he thought about that part.
Mr. Arc read his sons souring mood. "Don't kick yourself over doing what had to be done, son. Cinder was bad news all around, and from I've been told she would have done far worse to us given the chance. A lot of people died due to her actions, at least now they may rest in peace, their killer finally brought to justice."
"Right...right." Jaune said, taking a breath.
"Now go on and be with your teammates, I'll take care of things here. We'll catch up later, I'll be glad to finally be meeting this team I've been hearing about for months." Jaune nodded to his father and Went over to Ren and Nora, who greeted him with smiles and hugs. They had been chatting with his mother on Jaune's scroll. He'd have to make the time to introduce them to the family in person sometime.
"Qrow took a drink. "That really was one hell of a gamble Jacques. Still, thanks for the assist, don't know how this would have gone down without you and Izzy's help." He reached out for a handshake, which Mr. Arc gladly obliged.
"You have a good group of kids here Qrow, they would have gotten the job done somehow."
"There are a few...details we'll want to keep out of the official report for all this."
"Jaune gave us the low down on that, but don't worry. As far as i'm concerned, Ms Valkyrie is just a hyperactive youngster. Anything else isn't our business to spread around."
"Thanks for that."
Anytime. Now, if you excuse me I have to have a bit of a chat with the police over there, I've a bit of a personal interest in Leo's interrogation. His betrayal cost me more than a few friends."
Qrow nodded in sympathy. "You and me both. Once things are wrap up here we'll hit the town and have a few drinks in their honor, on me."
"I'll hold you to it." With a mutual nod Mr. Arc headed off.
Qrow took another drink and sighed. The cleanup for all this was going to be a royal mess. Raven had escaped, and still harbored the maiden. A lot of good huntsmen had died, and there was no telling what sort of impact that would have on Mistrals defense. Toss in the need for a new headmaster and an investigation into just how badly Leo had sold them out and well, they had a lot to work though before the days events were truly over.
"Hell of a day. " Qrow said as he took another drink. He started toward Oscar, knowing Oz would want to discuss their next moves. "Time to get to it"
Author's notes:
This story came about after seeing the 'please silence your cell phone' message that pops up before a movie, and wondering what if such a thing happened in the middle of a major battle. The result is what you just read.
Most of the work for the ploy was done by his parents, all he had to do was play along. Given there are no canon names for them, I named them after the real Joan of arc's parents.
Till next time.