Chapter 9: White Eagle vs White Fang
A month had gone by since Jarek had found himself thrust into this new world. Much to his surprise, he was able to adapt himself quite well in this brave new world. He now has new friends and a new life as a huntsman-in-training and it turns out it had suited him quite well as all of his skills as a partisan had made him at the very least moderately prepared to fight the creatures of Grimm. Along with all the weapons that the snake Faunus, Argent had modified, Jarek is well on his way to becoming a powerful if not an unconventional huntsman with unconventional ideas. But little does he know or any of his new acquaintances that the White Fang is still out there and out for revenge. In the interim, Jarek and Blake had grown close, bonding over similar experiences and similar losses. Both of them losing so much. Neither had admitted to the other their feelings, which were obvious to almost everyone else, even Jaune, who still hadn't caught on about Pyrrha.
Jarek and the rest of team RWBY were nearing the end of their first semester and they were scheduled for a mission which involved the White Fang. They were all grabbing their gear and preparing to head to Ozpin's office for the briefing.
As team RWBY plus Jarek walked into his office, Prof. Ozpin looked up as he took a sip from his ever present coffee cup. "Ah, there you are. I shall make this brief, your mission is to infiltrate the White Fang base and gather as much information as you can regarding their overall agenda. If necessary use lethal force." Ozpin said, handing Ruby a map of the base for them to study.
"I wish you all luck, and if you happen to see any high value targets, eliminate them if you can." Ozpin told them, returning to his desk and papers, dismissing the group.
"Okay, we're after the very people that I killed when I came to this world. They'll be very happy to see me I'm guessing." Jarek said to his teammates who he's grown so close to, especially Blake. As with the other three girls, he's grown them to be very close friends and some may argue...siblings. And these were the very people that had taken him captive so long ago…
Ruby led them out of Ozpin's office and through Beacon's halls to the landing field for outgoing and incoming missions. Together they boarded the Bullhead they were to use to get to the base, or near to it before they land.
"So, have any of you guys had a run-in with these guys? Any idea what we're going up against?" Jarek asked the rest of his team.
"Yes, I have and I had hoped never to again." Blake said, which was all Jarek needed to hear. He had learned of her past in the time he had come to know her and decided to leave the subject alone. He had also learned that Blake was also a Faunus with her cat ears hidden under her bow. Jarek wasn't disgusted as some humans may be. It actually gave Blake some respect for Jarek.
"All right team, according to the map Ozpin gave us, the only real entrance we'd have besides just waltzing through the front gate, is this loading dock at the rear of the building." Ruby said, laying out the map and indicating where she meant.
"So we just sneaking through the loading dock and then get to their command center, retrieve the info, then get out of here and we're done with this mission." Jarek summarized.
"Essentially, and remember what Ozpin said, engage only if necessary and HVTs are fair game, but I only want you doing so if you think you can win." Ruby said, slipping into team leader mode, having matured somewhat rather quickly. Jarek switched his fedora last minute with a British Brodie helmet he modified with a blackened paint job and a red and white stripe all across it with his emblem on top of that, and on the back of helmet, he painted the two crossed axes with the wreath representing Beacon Academy...his new and added allegiance. This was going to be a tough mission, and Jarek wanted to be prepared.
About fifteen minutes later the Bullhead set them down on a small rise a fair distance from the base. After making a last minute check, they set off at a brisk pace, quickly arriving near the loading dock. Ruby stepped forward and unfurled Crescent Rose before equipping a silencer attachment, aiming at the dock before quickly and silently taking out the pair of guards that were positioned there.
The team moved stealthily through the docking bay and into the White Fang base. It was a nondescript warehouse of a base so none of the Vale authorities could identify it that easily. They moved deep into the dark facility. They were getting close to the command room, but on the way, Jarek had to dispatch several guards with his Blyskawica.
They soon arrived in the command center, quickly disabling those inside before they began searching for any and all information they could find. Soon, they had discovered all they could and set EMP charges on the electrical systems as they left. As they left the room an alarm suddenly started blaring, seems they had tripped something and now the entire base was on to them.
"Oh Dupa, I don't like that sound." Jarek remarked as a whole swarm of White Fang charged their way through the hallway but he was able to suppress the whole swarm with his submachine gun, forcing them to pull back from the enclosed space. But soon they were in a huge firefight as they escaped into a more open space of the facility which would give them more breathing space to fight in but also made it easier to be surrounded. But it soon became apparent in all of the chaos that they would soon get overwhelmed by the White Fang's superior numbers. The team were trying to find their way to escape.
"Guys! There!" Yang called, pointing to a nearby hallway that led to the loading dock they had used to enter. The beleaguered group made their way towards it but they realized the minute they turned to run they would be cut down. Jarek immediately realized that he must perform the job that Vagabonds are destined to do.
"Ruby, I'll hold them off! You guys get out of here!" He shouted as he then unleashed a whole clip of lead at the White Fang. It made no difference where he aimed, he just needed to fire.
"No! Jarek we are all getting out of here!" Ruby yelled in response, shooting into the group that besieged them.
"If we all run right now, we're all going to die! I'm the Vagabond, remember? I'm disposable. It's your job as team leader to leave me behind so the rest of you all can escape and live to fight another day, now get the hell out of here!" He responded, pulling out his saber and hacking at some of the closer White Fang. He swore that he could see limbs flying off.
"Jarek!" Blake yelled, causing him to turn and look at her, it hurt him to see her eyes containing tears.
"I'm sorry Blake, but if I can give my life so you and the rest of team RWBY can escape, well, I'm okay with that, I've made my peace a long time ago." he said before leaning in and softly kissing her, before turning to the horde before them. "Now, GO!" Jarek roared.
Team RWBY made it out just a few seconds later, Yang having to practically drag a protesting Blake as they ran. "Goodbye everyone," Jarek said as he shed a solitary tear before crying out as he activated his semblance, the now familiar armor quickly forming around him, the helmet forming last as he held his saber high and unleashed the battle cry of a thousand Hussars before charging into the mass of White Fang, his sword rising and falling as blood fountained around him. "Za wolność naszą i waszą! Team RWBY!" He chanted as countless White Fang were slain before him. However, in his haze, he couldn't see the fact that there were explosives set to detonate and the whole place went off like a firecracker and the building collapsed in onto itself...It would once again could be considered the end of the life of this young partisan lost in space and time. But that was not to be...because for some reason, fate decided that he was to live...live to fight another day.
A few hours later, in the night, Jarek woke up to see that he was under a whole array of debris. But there was an air pocket that allowed him to breath and not get crush. I've cheated death so many times it's almost like death will never wish to take me. Fine by me. He noted in his mind. He found that there was no real way to get out of this place straight away as tons of concrete had piled on top of him. But nonetheless he decided to use his aura one last time this night, transformed into his Hussar armor and literally hacked his way up to the surface. After twenty agonizing minutes, Jarek was able to break out to see an apocalyptic scene before him. A whole bunch of collapsing rubble and tons of White Fang bodies littered the landscape. But there was one thing that caught Jarek's eyes; the flag. The white and red White Fang flag still flew above his head, however tattered. So he came up to it with a slight limp to his posture. He untied the rope and lowered the White Fang flag and took it off from its pole.
Then soon after he stuffed the tattered and decayed flag into his bread bag, got his spray paint bottle and then painted on an intact piece of concrete his emblem, a Kotwica with three lightning bolts in glow-in-the dark paint with words written in English 'Lightning has struck!' After finishing, he unholstered his mostly unused flare gun, inserted a special flare he had asked to be made, pointed it up in the sky and fired. The flare fired up and seemed to make the night turn day, once it reached a couple thousand feet, it exploded into a firework which did so in the form of his emblem. A signal that he's alive.
"All in a day's work." Jarek noted to himself.
He was amazed that he himself was still alive. His team would assume that he was dead, or worse.
Within minutes a Bullhead was circling above him and a spotlight arrowed down and illuminated him before the vehicle began lowering to the ground, swirling the dust around him as a medical team rushed out to him, the one in front catching him just as he pitched forward, unconscious from exhaustion, pain, and depletion of his aura, his world turning mercifully dark.
Epilogue: From Ashes
When team RWBY had returned to Beacon, they had all been in a state of mute shock and disbelief, all except for Blake, who had been crying softly to herself the entire time. Yang and Weiss had escorted Blake back to their room while Ruby went to Ozpin to deliver the report. She didn't even bother talking to him, merely left the information behind along with a note about the apparent loss of Jarek before returning to the team's room. Unbeknownst to Ruby and the rest of the team, Jarek arrived on Beacon's grounds and was quickly rushed to the medical wing several hours later.
When Jarek came to, Ozpin was sitting beside him, his hands folded atop his cane. "Mr. Gniewek, I was under the impression you were lost to us." Ozpin told them
"Well, I'm not surprised. I told my team to leave me behind. But strangely enough, even for me, I'm still here as flesh and bone." Jarek said almost chuckling at the fact that he was still alive but stopping when the movement caused a spike of pain in his side. "Besides, it takes much more than that to kill a partisan. I came to this world, considered dead to my countrymen. I didn't came all the way here just to die in one damn heap of rubble." It was at that point Goodwitch arrived.
"Ms. Goodwitch. Please don't tell my team that I'm alive, at least not yet. Just tell them to go the medical wing and to my bed. I want it to be a surprise." Jarek said
"Fair enough," she said before turning and striding out of the room, quickly making her way to team RWBY's room and knocking before walking in. "Team RWBY, I know you are all mourning your lost friend, but you are all needed in the medical wing." She said, her only response were curious but muted stares before they all nodded and began making their way to the medical wing.
Blake entered first and all the rest of the team heard was a choked gasp followed by Blake running into the room. The reason soon became apparent as the remaining three looked inside. "Jarek!" Ruby cried out in joy, running in as well, quickly followed by the Yang and Weiss.
"Hey guys," Jarek said, before letting out a loud grunt as Blake barreled into him, hugging him tightly, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. Jarek, with all of his remaining strength hugged back. He then whispered to Blake's cat ears: "It takes more than that to kill me." He then gave her a long and passionate kiss.
End of Part 1.