I do not own RWBY. Spook does, though.


Unwinnable

Chapter 7: With New Minty Fresh Beta Reader Taste!


"Jaune?" Pyrrha murmured as she watched her partner approach the battle from the corner of her eye. "Where have you been?"

Jaune froze in mid stride, keeping an eye on the Deathstalker while his mind attempted to come up with some form or another of explanation for his absence. "Erm…" If I say that I was too busy reminiscing, I'm bound to lose face! "Well, you see-"

Time froze. Colors changed to grayscale and Jaune could only slap his forehead with the palm of his hand with a groan. "Are you kidding me? This is Vacuo all over again! You're working overtime...Fine. What is it this time?" A gray translucent window appeared out of nowhere before him, its familiar four choices upon it.

A.) Sorry, I got caught up in old memories.

B.) I was behind you the entire time!...watching that booty.

C.) Does it matter? Eyes on the damn Grimm!

D.) I got accosted by a couple of Grimm on the way here.

Jaune stroked his chin in thought. "Well, last thing I want is to be rude to Pyrrha, especially with the given situation, so let's scratch C off of the list. I'm not even going to think about option B. Do I tell the truth? Or do I come up with a lie?" It was true that an Arc never went back on his word, but it was never stated that they didn't lie, either. Admitting he'd been lost in his memories during such an important event would probably lower Pyrrha's interest further than he'd like. No, better to play it safe. A little white lie wouldn't hurt any, would it? Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't killed Grimm by himself before. Not often mind, but he'd done it.

With a wry grimace, Jaune reached forward and pressed on Option D, and like usual, the grayscale changed to color and the world around him began to move once more, as if time had never stopped in the first place. His body began to move of its own accord, his Semblance once again taking control. "Sorry 'bout that, I got blindsided by a couple of Ursa Major on my way here." Ursa Major?! Hell, I can barely take on one normal one by myself, let alone two Majors!

Pyrrha gasped, turning to him with a look of worry. "Are you okay?! I'm sorry, I left you behind! Are you hurt? How is your Aura?" The crimson haired Spartan began to look him over, her emerald gaze occasionally flickering over to the scorpion, which was engaged in a fight against Nora and Ren. Jaune quickly brushed her hands off, his Semblance relinquishing control.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! We've got bigger things to worry about!" Jaune quickly brought her attention back to the scorpion Grimm, his own mind beginning to race. Crap! I've never fought a Deathstalker before! Weaknesses...hell, this is a nightmare of a pop quiz! The blond watched as Ren nimbly sidestepped the creature's sudden charge, only to realize that it was gunning right for him! With a cry of surprise, Jaune leapt to the side, the creature's pincers just barely missing him. "Crap! Anyone ever kill a Deathstalker before?"

"I have!" Nora singsonged excitedly, waving her hand while her other gripped the handle of her hammer.

"Nora, that was a dream. You can't kill Deathstalkers by singing bad pop songs at them." Ren replied, his tone surprisingly calm for the situation.

Jaune groaned and turned to his partner, who could only offer him a sheepish shrug and a hand to help him up. "You too? Great. We're gonna have to play this one by ear. We need some space…" Jaune looked around, his brain working overtime. No, the forest could get us trapped and would lower our visibility. Not to mention we don't need MORE Grimm encroaching on this. The ruins? No, Ruby and the others are too busy trying to fight off that giant Bird for us to be underfoot...Jaune's eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers with a grin. "Pyrrha! Ren! Nora! To the cliffside!"

The aforementioned trio exchanged looks, but shrugged and followed the blond, with the Deathstalker close behind. As they ran, trying hard to keep ahead of the Grimm, Jaune began muttering to himself. "...nail...sword...carapace…" He frowned. "Damn it all! I wish I payed more attention in Weapons class!"

"What's wrong, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, feeling slightly nervous about her partner's sudden ill mood. Well, more ill than currently being chased down by arachnoid death, that was.

"I have a plan, but…" He trailed off, brow furrowing.

"But what?"

"I'm not sure how much punishment Crocea Mors can take…" Jaune finished.

"Your sword?" Jaune nodded affirmatively. Pyrrha quickly stopped in mid run and fired a shot at the creature's mask, causing it to raise up its claws to block the shot, but forcing it to stop following them, giving them a bit of distance. "What's it made of?"

"Vosnium...I think." Jaune answered, Pyrrha keeping pace with him. Ren and Nora had managed to take the lead, with the cliffside approaching quickly.

Pyrrha frowned. "Jaune, Vosnium is used in infusions for high-class weaponry. Your weapon has to be a compound of some sort. Titanium and Vosnium, perhaps?"

Jaune shook his head. "Erm...no. My old man just said the blade and the shield were made of Vosnium."

"Jaune?" Pyrrha murmured, emerald eyes widening.

"What?"

"Pure Vosnium is incredibly rare. It's the best physical conductor and container of Aura out there, and is virtually indestructible...you could have an Atlasian Paladin step all over it, and it wouldn't put a dent into it! Have you...ever had to sharpen the blade? Or fix the shield?"

Jaune began to open his mouth, then slowly closed it as the realization dawned on him that he'd never performed a day of weapon upkeep in his entire life. "Now that you mention it…"

Pyrrha just shook her head in shock. "Jaune? There isn't a thing you, I, nor the Deathstalker could do to Crocea Mors that would damage it."

Jaune nodded and grinned. "Then this thing is as good as dead." Blond and redhead came to a halt as they found themselves at the cliffside wall, the sheer stone face reaching up many stories above them. Jaune glanced over his shoulder, and with satisfaction noticed that the Deathstalker was still down the path a ways, giving him just enough time. He turned back around to the expectant faces of the other Huntsmen before him. "Alright everyone, we've got one shot at this, so let's give this all we got! I'm going to try and get onto the Deathstalker's back to wedge Crocea Mors between its carapace plates. When I finish that and give the signal, Pyrrha? I need you to help launch Nora as high as you can. Can you do that?"

Pyrrha and Nora exchanged glances, with Nora looking eager and excited. "I...yes...I can. But-" The Spartan started, looking uneasy.

Jaune turned away from her, nodding and interrupting her. "Good. Ren? When Pyrrha launches Nora, I need you to start firing at the creature's eyes. Don't worry if your shots are blocked, just unload on that thing for as long as you can. And Nora?"

"Yes, O fearless leader?!" Nora shouted excitedly.

Jaune grimaced. "I'm not...never mind. Just hammer it home."

The bundle of energy that was the ginger haired girl saluted. "You got it!"

Pyrrha shook her head and grabbed ahold of Jaune's shoulder, her eyes filled with worry. "Jaune, I can't agree to this plan."

Jaune blinked in exasperation. "What? What do you mean you can't agree to this?! I don't really have any other ideas!"

"Jaune, you could get hurt! I don't want to lose yo-my partner so quickly! There must be some other way! I-I could do that!" Pyrrha offered, her expression completely betraying her own inner emotions.

Jaune couldn't help but smile softly and he placed his hands on Pyrrha's shoulders, not noticing the small shudder she gave on contact.

[Pyrrha Nikos' Interest has increased!]

Jaune ignored the message that popped up and spoke, "Pyrrha? Sometimes you've got to take a big risk in life if you want to get ahead. I'll be fine, promise. And an Arc never goes back on his word." Jaune let go of her, and turned around. To Pyrrha, it was a gesture of bravery and courage. To Jaune, he was simply glad Pyrrha couldn't see the grimace of terror across his features. He also happened to miss the dreamy look that crossed her face shortly after his family motto, although he didn't miss the new message that popped up before him.

[Pyrrha Nikos' interest has sharply increased!]

[Pyrrha Nikos now has a crush on you!]

Jaune gave a small smile to himself and sighed. If he could survive today, he had something to look forward to. He watched, trepidation mounting as the creature rushed closer and closer, his hands gripping the hilt of his blade in a white knuckled grip. You know, Semblance, if there was any time you could start a mini-game to save my ass, now would be the best time… He waited, but nothing, just the creature approaching them, kicking up dirt as it tore down the path with the intent on slaughtering the Huntsmen-in-training. Still, nothing.

Of course. Jaune rolled his eyes to no one in particular before getting into a stance. The creature approached closer and closer, and he could hear Nora making a nervous noise. Part of him wanted to turn around and ask her to stop, but taking his eyes off of the Deathstalker for even a moment could spell his demise. How much Aura do I have left? Taking a second to take his eyes off the scorpion Grimm, Jaune quickly opened his Scroll and frowned. Crap. Only half. I can't take much more punishment…

The moment of truth; the Deathstalker was almost upon him. Jaune took a breath and rushed forward, sapphire eyes flickering back and forth as he analyzed the situation. A quick side step dodged a claw, then another dash to the opposite to dodge its twin and Jaune couldn't help but smile. Maybe I don't need my Semblance to help me with this after- It was at that point that his thoughts, and movements, were so rudely interrupted by a large stinger tail the size of a tree trunk slamming into the blond Huntsman-in-training's midsection, launching him backwards amidst a chorus of concerned cries from his allies.

Jaune's body hit the cliffside wall, forcing the air from his lungs and leaving him twitching upon the ground below. "Jaune!" He could hear Pyrrha's cry of panic, and the sound of gunfire roaring as the creature squealed. Evidently something got hit, something painful.

Okay, that was really sad. Let's not do that again, shall we? Jaune groaned and slowly raised a hand from his prone position. "I'm...okay…" He managed to mutter, trying to push himself up. It was a struggle against gravity, but in the end, sheer tenacity managed to bring him to his feet, albeit swaying in place. He shook his head, trying to take stock of what was going on. Pyrrha had apparently been shooting at the Deathstalker, and the giant arachnoid was currently advancing on the Spartan. Jaune's eyes narrowed and despite the ache everywhere on his body, he advanced, gaze steely.

The Grimm, so distracted by the new morsel that had dared to actually fire upon one of its many eyes and actually harm it, didn't even see the little blond creature until it was already upon its back in its blind spot. It barely registered its presence, caring more to rip apart the thing that actually caused it pain. Jaune on the other hand, smiled at his good fortune, and found a nice spot to nest Crocea Mors. With a heave and a channeling of his Aura, he shoved the blade as hard as he could into a spot between two heaving, midnight black chitin plates. The creature gave a squeal as it felt the blade actually slide slightly into its soft flesh, its stinger tail sweeping across its back. Once again, Jaune found himself flying through the air, Pyrrha's terrified cry catching in his ears.

Luckily this time, he was far enough away, and the tail hadn't hit him quite as hard, so all he found himself doing was skidding across the ground, shaking him badly. As in pain as he was, he took a deep breath and cried out, "Pyrrha! Now!"

Emerald eyes filled with concern steeled themselves and locked gazes with excited turquoise ones. Both girls nodded and Nora jumped into the air, just high enough to land upon Akouo. With a mighty heave and judicious use of Aura, Pyrrha launched the ginger hair girl into the sky, high enough to leave her obscured by the light of the sun. No sooner had she done that, then the repeated sounds of machine pistol fire alerted her to Ren's contribution. The raven-haired boy unloaded his pistols right at the creature's face, forcing it to remain still as it blinded itself trying to protect its eyes with its massive claws.

Because of this, the creature was caught unaware as Nora fell from the heavens, whooping excitedly as she plummeted, driving her hammer directly onto the pommel of Crocea Mors' blade. There was a sound of metal ringing as the blade was slammed clean through the Deathstalker's carapace, leaving it thrashing and squealing in agony. Nora bounced back, deftly avoiding the Grimm's death throes. The excitable Huntress-in-training jumped next to her green-clothed friend and raised her hand, the young man giving a demure smile and softly high-fiving his friend.

Pyrrha on the other hand had rushed to Jaune's side in an instant. "Jaune! Are you okay! Speak to me!"

Jaune grimaced, trying to pick himself up again. Pyrrha tenderly helped him up, frowning deeply. "S-see...t-told you I'd be okay…" Jaune managed to sputter out, wincing as he took a tentative step forward, supported by his partner.

Pyrrha gave a sigh of relief and exasperation. "Jaune, that was foolhardy and reckless! Promise me you won't do something like that again! You scared me half to death!"

Jaune gave a sheepish grin, or at least a facsimile of one. "Sorry...next time...I'll c-consult with you before I…" he winced and stumbled, Pyrrha keeping him steady. "...before I try anyt-thing like that…" Shit, everything hurts...what's my Aura at? He reached into his pocket and opened up his Scroll again. "Two percent…"

Pyrrha's arms seemed to wrap around him more, although it could have been her simply trying to help keep him up. However, he felt someone else grab his other arm and hoist it up over their shoulders, and he turned to see the black-haired, pink-eyed young man who'd aided them helping him up as well. "As impressed as I am with your quick thinking and bravery, you'd do well with a bit of caution."

Jaune laughed weakly. "I got it, I got it. Ren, thanks for the help. Couldn't have done it without you and Nora."

As if on cue, the ginger girl bounced into view, bending over and pointing her finger at Jaune. "Ya gotta be more careful!" Nora chastised Jaune who hung his head with a half-laugh, half groan. "Oh, I got your sword!"

"I got it, I got it! You don't need to all guilt trip me! It's worse than back home all over again!" Jaune cried out playfully, earning a laugh from the three other Huntsmen. "And thanks, Nora. Put it on my hip for me? I'm kinda...well, wounded." His head perked up however when a thought came to mind. "Wait...what about the Nevermore?!" Jaune's gaze twisted around over Pyrrha's shoulder, only to see the massive bird pinned to the cliffside, being dragged up the side of it by...something.

"What on Remnant…?" Pyrrha murmured, she, Ren and Nora having also stopped to witness what was happening. The large bird was being dragged up the side of the cliff until...Jaune's eyes widened as he watched Ruby Rose, with grace, dexterity and strength beyond her years, decapitated the Nevermore, her figure floating in the air, almost frozen. Jaune's face broke out into a grin.

"Okay, points for style," Jaune murmured, "But we still killed ours first."

Pyrrha chuckled while Nora cheered in agreement, Ren quietly smiling and shaking his head, and with that, the four Huntsmen made their way slowly toward the other group, chatting amicably the way there.


[Emerald Forest - Ruins]

By the time that Jaune and Pyrrha noticed Ruby and the rest approaching them, looking as triumphant as they felt, Jaune had the strength to at least walk on his own again, although he was still doing his best not to jostle himself any more than he had to. Luckily, no Grimm had approached them on the way there, as if they'd been terrified of seeing their larger brethren so easily killed. Ruby bounced up, silver eyes shining excitedly. "So you guys won too, right?"

Jaune smiled and nodded. "I took a few more bruises than I'd like, but I think we all did pretty good."

Yang approached her sister, putting her into a headlock much to her dismay and giving her an affectionate noogie. "Rubes here really pulled us through!"

Weiss gave a huff, closing her eyes and shrugging. "I guess my partner isn't a total loss."

Ruby frowned. "Thanks, Weiss." She muttered sarcastically as she freed herself from her elder sister's grip.

Pyrrha smiled softly. "Jaune was the one who came up with the idea to kill the Deathstalker. Then again, from what you've told me Jaune, this isn't the first time you've been in the leader position."

Jaune laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Y-yeah. Still, you guys were really the ones who did the heavy lifting."

Ruby's ill mood was quickly forgotten and she jumped up. "Really? I bet you guys were awesome! Did you see us?!"

"Certainly saw you, Ruby. Awesome moves back there." Jaune grinned, reaching forward to ruffle Ruby's hair. The young girl's smile only grew under Jaune's hand, looking quite proud of herself. The young Huntsman turned to the rest of the group, nothing Yang's uncharacteristically warm and almost motherly smile, and smirked. "I don't know about you guys," he started, "but I think I'd like to get back to the school before nightfall. All this kicking ass has got me hungry."

A chorus of agreement reached his ears, and Nora's voice quickly overshadowed them all. "Ooh, ooh! Renny-bear can make us pancakes!"

"...I suppose."

"Yay!"


A/N: There you go, the next chapter of Unwinnable, hot on the heels of a new Immortal chapter! Why? 'Cause I love you guys! (Also, I got on one hell of a roll when it came to writing and finished over half this chapter in a single day at the expense of sleep. When the writing bug hits, you don't tell it no!) This chapter is brought to you by, and beta-read by The Spookiest of Noodles! Thanks to him, I was able to come up with some inspiration for future chapters to sort of help bridge some gaps in my plot ideas. Hopefully this collaboration will be well received by all you lovely fans, and I hope to keep you all entertained!

Oh, and real quick, if you folks are interested, I'd like to see if someone would be nice enough to draw me up a cover art for Unwinnable! Shoot me a PM if you're interested, and we can talk details there. Signing off for now, Laughing Lefou.


B/N: First ISA and now Lefou? Jesus, Spook, you're ingratiating yourself into all sorts of high circles. So yeah: I'm currently beta-ing for Unwinnable, Moonlight Sonata, and Between the Lines, in addition to my own writing. That, and trying to get some voice-work done. Fair warning: my main goal is to get Jaune as many kinds of laid as I can, and Lefou is to make sure he only ends up with Pyrrha, so I guess he represents Jaune, and I represent...well... everyone else. :P