As I'm mentioning on other stories, there will be one week this Christmas without an update on this and my other fics. It'll only affect each story once, and you can always just follow the dates on the bottom if necessary.

In the case of this story, there won't be an update on the 23rd December.

All other dates will continue as normal.

Cover Art: Z-ComiX

Chapter 11

"Hm. I can't see anything immediately wrong with you." Ozpin leaned back from Jaune's hair and cupped his chin. They were in the Beacon, in the main foyer with Jaune leaning against a table. It was still somewhat early and the bar, while filling up, had plenty of empty spaces. "You said salt water. You're sure it was from the ocean?"

"Certain. I wasn't the only one to smell it."

"Yes, this… Grimm of yours." Ozpin let out a sigh. "I think we should leave her be for now."

Ruby, who had been hovering nearby – but not close enough for Jaune to see in the eye, rose up. "What!? Oz, we can't!"

"We have better things to do than hunt down and kill an enemy who has, for now, not done anything to us.

"For now!" she pressed. "What if she kills one of us? Are we going to wait until she does do something, even though we know who she is and where she lives!?"

"From yours and Jaune's description, it doesn't seem like she would do that."

"Seem!" Ruby growled. "Seems like she wouldn't." She stomped a foot down and her hand inched towards her weapon. "That's not a guarantee."

"In our line of work there are precious few guarantees, Ruby."

"Her being dead would be one."

Ozpin glanced towards her. He didn't seem angry. Patient, if anything. A far cry from Ruby's state of mind. "Why don't you go out with Yang tonight? I've sent her to investigate a spate of deaths among the homeless population by the mall. It has all the hallmarks of a Grimm targeting the weak."

Ruby saw the attempt at distracting her for what it was. She crossed her arms. "And Blake?"

"My mind is already made up."

Ruby scowled and turned on her heel to stomp away. Her shoulders were stiff, and she made a point of slamming the front door of the Beacon behind her. A few hunters looked up, but soon returned to their drinks and conversation.

"I do apologise for her," Ozpin said.

"Sure." Jaune sighed and shook his head now that Ozpin was finished looking over it. "Something personal, I'm guessing?"

"Now, wherever did you get that idea?"

"Alright, that was fairly obvious," he admitted, earning a smile from Ozpin. "It's none of my business, I guess." He had a feeling Ozpin wouldn't have told him even if he asked. He'd have to ask Ruby, and he doubted she'd be prepared to tell him. The whole thing was a mess. The only thing that was clear was that Ruby hated Blake and wanted her dead. Jaune wasn't sure he trusted her, either, and was a little surprised Ozpin did. "About Blake, though. Do you really trust her?"

"Trust is a little much to ask. I trust that she would have reason not to draw our ire. I trust that, as she pointed out, there have been little to no deaths to the Grimm in her area." He frowned. "Her domain."

"She mentioned her domain a few times. Also a glade of some sort. Do you know what that's about?"

"I'm afraid not." Ozpin checked the bar and, upon seeing that Velvet was handling things, drew out a seat to sit at the table. "I am what you might call the premier expert on Grimm in Vale, but that does not mean my knowledge is without limit. I can hypothesize that this glade is her home in her world, but not having visited myself, there's little more I can say. Regardless, she has good reason not to draw our attention. For now, I would rather the devil I know than scare her away. If we did, I fear she would not be so co-operative the next time we met."

Jaune nodded. "I get it. She sounded… territorial."

"Grimm are unlike us but do appear to be animal-like, at least similar to some animal kingdoms in our world. It's not impossible that they might share some instinctive similarities, including being territorial over their homes." He shrugged. "Then again, it could also just be a coincidence. Take anything I say with a grain of salt."

"Salt…"

Ozpin sighed. "A poor choice of words on my part."

"Do you…" He trailed off. "If you know anything…"

"I know little," Ozpin admitted.

"Please. I have to know."

Ozpin looked older for a moment, almost ancient. He brought one hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. After a moment's thought, he said, "A ritual was cast on you. I can only guess at its method – such is beyond our understanding – but the purpose seems obvious. The one you knew as Rebecca Farleigh is Grimm. She – or he – must have wished to bring another over from their world to take your place."

"How this would be done, I've no idea, but the results appear to be that your soul in their world is being drawn towards what I would presume is the domain of a specific Grimm. You spoke of a deep ocean in your dream."

"Y-Yes. But this isn't the first time I dreamt of it. I had a similar dream before Rebecca put me in that circle."

"You did? Curious. Well, it's possible that your soul was already prepared to wander. This was after you had Awoken, correct?"

"The night after I saw Ruby kill the Grimm."

"Then your soul must have already been there. Either way, it is being hunted now and I'm sure the ritual has something to do with it. There would be little reason for her to have tried it on you otherwise."

Jaune leaned forward. "How do I break it?"

Ozpin's eyes closed. "I don't know."

Panic and desperation set in. Jaune pushed himself up onto his feet. He wanted to grab the man opposite him by the collar but settled for glaring instead. "Ozpin, please!"

"No, I am not attempting to mislead you," he said, holding out a hand. "Our understanding of the Grimm is close to none. This ritual… it is as close to magic as anything. Asking me to understand it, let alone how to break it, is too much. I am as human as you, Jaune. Just a little older, and a little more experienced."

Hope and energy fled, leaving him to sag back into his seat. "That's it, then? No one knows? I just have to accept that I'm going to be killed?"

"Jaune…"

"No! I'm not going to accept that!" He slammed a hand on the table, shaking the glasses. "That's… That's bullshit! Aren't hunters supposed to stop this? What's the point of me even trying if my soul is going to be killed and my body taken over?"

Worse, what would happen to his family? The monster would have access to his sisters. Would it try and do the same to them? Would his entire family be consigned to be devoured by eldritch monsters?

If so, the best thing to do…

It was to die, wasn't it?

To kill himself and prevent it ever happening.

His breath came out quicker and quicker. His heart beat wildly. He… Even if it was, the fear paralysed him. He wasn't sure he'd be able to.

A hand settled on his arm. Ozpin shook him. "Jaune! Jaune!"

"I… I…"

"Snap out of it!" Ozpin barked. "We are not giving up on this. We are not without some options."

"Options?" Desperation mixed with fear and the tiniest speck of hope. "W-What options? What can we do?"

"The one who cast the ritual on you would know more of how it worked. We do not know how to counter it, but she might."

"Rebecca?"

"Hm." Ozpin linked his hands together. "Given the situation, I think it would be prudent to seek her out."

Right. If she was responsible for this, then she had to know how to reverse it. "Would she really tell us, though?"

"Who can say? You have already had one Grimm negotiate with you. That is proof that the concept is sound. If this one can be convinced that her ability to stay in this world is in danger, she might be willing to reverse the ritual and break the contract."

It sounded like a long shot, but right now he didn't have many options. At least it was something he could work towards. Though I'll need to be fast. It nearly had me earlier. It saw me. I might not even make it to the next Nightmare at this rate.

"I shall have Ruby and Yang work towards locating her," Ozpin said. "Yang attends Eastfield with you, so it should not be difficult for her to keep an eye out. As for Ruby… she has some unique capabilities that might prove useful."

Jaune grimaced. "If she's willing to even work with me…"

"She will. Ruby's anger is at what she perceives as a lack of action towards your… friend." Ozpin hesitated at the word, which made sense since Blake was anything but that. "Such feelings won't get in the way of her doing what is right, however."

"And what can I do?"

"Very little, I'm afraid. Keep your wits about you, attend school. Make yourself obvious and call Yang, Ruby or I if she tries to make contact with you. Try to live your life as you always have. To do anything else would only raise alarm. I'll have her picture spread around the other hunters. I know it's little comfort now, but we will do all we can, Jaune. Believe me when I say that."

He'd have to believe him.

There was nothing else he could do.

/-/

"You're in a fine mood tonight."

Ruby glared at her older sister and shoved her hands into her pockets. It really wasn't a question, and she wasn't about to give Yang the satisfaction of trying to deny it.

"Silent treatment, huh? Yeah, someone's got their panties in a twist. Want to tell me why?"

"No."

"Fair enough." She looked both ways out the alleyway they were stood in and then slowly made their way toward the now-closed mall. The roads around it were clear, the parking lot empty of cars, but there was the odd shadow of people either doing things they shouldn't be, or just hanging around.

Yang as led them around a corner and into what looked to be an employee access section. Something a normal person might not have noticed. There was a chain-link metal fence with a padlock on, but when Yang nudged it with one hand, it proved unlocked. It would be a way in to the mall.

"What about cameras?" Ruby asked, tugging her hood up to hide her face.

"They're down from the Nightmare," Yang said. Even so, she did the same, pulling a scarf up to hide the lower half of her face, and a hood for the upper. "I doubt they've been able to call people out on a Sunday to fix 'em. The lights aren't even on."

"Security?"

"I counted two last night. Bored and sat in their offices for the most part."

Ruby nodded and closed the fence gate behind them, slipping the padlock back so that it at least looked like it was secure. Hunters though they may have been, with the average person unable to see the Grimm, the two of them would come across as criminals.

It was why most hunters concealed their weapons, like Yang's shotgun hidden under her jacket. New England didn't like concealed weapons, but it liked open weapons on people breaking into a restricted area even less. At least this way, they could play the dumb teens card if they had to.

"Ozpin said something about homeless people," Ruby hinted.

"Right." Yang sighed and quickly explained, "I've been checking out the mall since Friday. Ozpin had some news of people going missing. Feds are placing it as wild animals or exposure, the usual, but bodies haven't turned up."

"At all?"

"Nothing. Bloodstains once or twice, but everything gone. Body, gore, clothes. All gone."

Ruby bit her lip. Grimm didn't normally care for any evidence left behind. Most of them left a horrifying mess. They didn't even need to eat the people they killed, so it wasn't like they could ingest the body, let alone clothing.

Her mind flicked back to that Grimm she'd seen earlier, the one with golden eyes, human skin and an inhuman frame of mind. Her hand clenched around a handgun concealed under her armpit. Damn it. Why wouldn't Ozpin let her do what had to be done? That girl – monster – had to die.

"Ruby," Yang hissed. "You payin' attention?"

"Y-Yeah. Of course."

Yang grumbled and looked away, making it clear she knew Ruby hadn't been. "Security is so shit here that the local homeless have been breaking in the same way we do. It's warm and there's shelter. Occasionally, some snacks left behind in the bins, too."

"And the security guys just let it happen?"

"I'm sure they've called it in, but it's not like the two of them can expel everyone. Police have been running around since the Nightmare, dealing with their electro-magnetic storm." Yang rolled her eyes and sneered at the ignorant masses. "We're going to pose as a pair of homeless people and see if anything comes for us. Or if we see anyone else taken."

"And intervene, right?" Ruby asked nervously.

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. Obviously."

"R-Right…" She looked away. Ozpin had made her paranoid now.

The interior of the mall was dark yet lit by a pale blue light coming from the windows far above, looking up towards the moon. The sky was clear, letting the moonlight shine in. A couple of shapes were huddled by the front of a shop, resting in sleeping bags pushed up against the metal security grills. Of the seating in the centre of the aisle, another figure slept.

There weren't any burning fires, flaming barrels or other objects one might have expected, and which Ruby had personally seen in other areas. The mall was warm enough not to need them, and the homeless here obviously didn't want to make life harder for themselves by forcing the security guards to try and toss them out into the cold again.

Ruby scanned the people she could see, eyes glinting lightly. They all looked perfectly alive – which was a good bet where Grimm were concerned. They were hardly subtle when on the prowl. Awakened were the same, usually panicking at what they could see so badly that they made themselves obvious.

"Looks clear."

"For now," Yang grumbled. "Honestly, it was clear all last night too. I'm hoping something does happen, if only so I can stop having to come here every night."

"I thought you liked the mall."

"I do," she said, "I also like being able to come shopping here, which isn't going to happen if one of those cameras catches my face." She tugged at her disguise a little more, pulling the scarf further up over her nose. "Really don't need a criminal record, thanks."

"And I do?"

"Pft, like you'd even care. An excuse to get out of school and not be sociable? I'm surprised you haven't done it on purpose yet."

Ruby giggled at the thought. The hunters weren't an illegal organisation per se, but you could only run around with deadly weaponry fighting things that no one else could see for so long. The police frowned on that, as did any sane person. There were quite a few hunters who were essentially on the run or wanted for crimes, some petty, others not. It usually wasn't polite to ask. For those that were caught, either prison or a mental asylum awaited. Typically, both proved fatal.

"Dad would have my head if I skipped school."

Yang grinned. "Yeah, he would have. Doing it for him, then?"

"That and the fact I'm not brave enough to break the law on purpose."

"Says the girl carrying a scythe, a handgun and breaking into a mall."

Ruby glowered. "That's different."

"Sure. That'll stand up in court." Yang sighed and stood. "Come on, no point us hiding here when we're supposed to be visible." She walked out toward a bench that hadn't been taken, mostly because it had anti-homeless protection on it – bars that meant you could sit, but that laying down would be blocked.

Ruby say down in it with a sigh. "Waiting. My favourite moment."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Yang sighed and hooked both arms behind the bench. Her patience lasted all of five seconds. "So, you going to tell me what's got you so annoyed? I've not seen you like this in ages. Something that guy did?"

"Jaune?" Ruby sighed. "Kind of. It wasn't him, but he's involved."

"He's trouble," Yang warned.

"He's being hunted. It's not his fault."

"I know that, but it doesn't make him any less trouble." The blonde let out a sigh and leaned her head back to stare up through the windows above. "Whether he likes it or not, he's at risk of being taken over. It's not his fault, but that doesn't change much. He's a ticking time bomb."

Ruby shot her sister a glare. "Don't you think it's unfair to say that?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. But this world isn't fair; you know that." Yang sighed when Ruby averted her eyes. "It's shit, I agree, but it's all we have. This shitty, fucked-up world. If I could wave a wand and make it so he wouldn't be a risk, I would. But short of either of us being able to do that, I'm not going to hide from the truth because it's uncomfortable to say. He's compromised. At any moment, he could turn on and kill us all."

"So what, you're saying we should get rid of him first?"

"No. I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"I can take care of myself, Yang. I'm strong enough to stop him if he does turn."

"I didn't mean physically."

Her stomach clenched. Ruby looked down at the ground and bit her lip. Yang… She wasn't being cruel, but it still hurt. Yang was just trying to look out for her and speaking the truth. Jaune was a danger, whether he wanted it or not.

"I'm not saying you can't try and help him," Yang said. "Ozpin obviously is, and that's the right thing to do. I'm just saying to be careful, okay? Not because he will do something bad, but because he might not be given the choice."

"I get it…"

"And I can't stop who you befriend, that's your call. Just…" Yang sighed. "Just be careful choosing to become friends with someone who might not be around for much longer. If Oz finds a way to save him, great. You can become his friend after. But if you do it before and he dies, it's going to be a repeat of last time. You're going to get hurt."

Ruby clenched her eyes shut. "I know."

"I won't say any more then," Yang promised, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulder. "I don't like being the cynical one, but someone has to say it. I just don't want to see you that way again."

Ruby managed a smile for her sister, even if she didn't really feel it. Yang was just looking out for her like she'd promised Dad she would. Ruby couldn't begrudge her that. As for Jaune… It hurt, because it was her fault he was in this situation. All of it was her fault.

It didn't help that Jaune had looked at her the same way he looked at that Grimm who lived next door – like they were the same, like she couldn't be trusted any more than a monster.

Ruby's silver eyes flickered in the dark.

In the distance, a gasp was cut off by a muffled bang followed by a thud.

Tick-Tock

"It's here." Ruby stood.

Yang did the same beside her. "About time."

It was.

Time, that was.

As Ruby saw a wounded figure stumble down the central aisle, clutching his side, and another behind – giving chase – time itself seemed to clench inside of her. The world slowed, her head felt like it was trapped between a vice. Silver eyes flared like twin flames as she drew her scythe and lunged forward.

All the while, a grandfather clock tolled in her mind.

/-/

Weiss remained silent in the middle of her bed, knees drawn up to her chin, arms wrapped about them, a knife held against her shins, the metal ice-cold. The servants had all been to bed, the psychiatrist had come, inspected her and decided that she had an over-active imagination that stemmed from a thirst for attention.

He'd looked at her as if she were the most childish person alive when she screamed at him to leave.

As the sun fell and the moon rose, she'd prepared herself. The bed had been pushed into the centre of the room, away from any walls, giving her more time to react if they came from any direction. The curtains had been drawn back, the better to see out the windows. The door was locked, the bathroom door open. She had her knife, and another she'd stolen from dinner and hidden beneath her pillow.

Her shoulders rose and fell as she sat in the cold and waited.

And waited.

When nothing came for the first hour of dark, she'd dared to hope. Such foolishness was quickly stripped away by the roars of the monsters. More of them, she was sure. So many. No one else heard them, no only else reacted. And now, the noise that only she heard.

Tschhh…

Weiss clenched her eyes shut.

Clink-Clink…

"Go away," she whispered. "Please go away."

It never did. Weiss shook her head and glanced to the vanity table, where the mirror had been shattered the moment she'd been left alone earlier that day. The shards lay atop the surface and the reflection of one caught her eye. The reflection was bright and vivid, despite the dark in the room. It was her own face looking back at her.

Not unusual.

Except that the face was smiling, smiling and cocking its head to the side. Something she most assuredly was not doing.

"Leave me alone!" Weiss hissed.

The face didn't respond. Weiss threw one of her cushions, covering it and blocking its ability to reflect anything at all.

Mirrors. She hated them.

"Just get it over with. Come on. I-I'm still awake. I'll kill you."

A chuffing noise from outside the window caught her attention. It sounded like a dog, a really big dog that was sniffing around. Considering how high up her floor was, she knew it couldn't be. Shifting on the bed, she brought the knife between her and the window, ready for its entry.

One of its clawed hands appeared outside the glass.

Tschhh – Clink - Clink

Suddenly, it fell back – almost as if it had lost its grip. A panicked sound echoed outside, followed by a loud slam as something hit the ground. A roar followed, angry and pained.

It cut off without warning.

"What…?" Weiss stared at the window, confused.

Moving quickly, she swung her legs over the side and padded across the tiled floor, pushing her face and hands up against the glass. The fact it might have been waiting for her didn't register, such was her fatigue. Fortunately, it wasn't there to kill her.

It was dark out, but in the light of the moon she could just about make out the monstrous form below, in the front garden of their townhouse. It was broken and crooked, clearly dead. Beside it, a dark figure stood.

"W-What?" Weiss gasped. "Someone else can…? Someone can see them?"

Tschhh – Clink – Clink

The figure flinched. As if sensing her gaze, their heads snapped up to look her way.

Any urge she had to back away was stolen away from her. Weiss stood there dumbly, looking down at the person looking back up at her. Their eyes met. Weiss' a pale blue. Those of the girl below an angry, glowing amber.

Tschhh – Clink - Clink

Black hair, a dark hood and eyes of spun gold. The woman looked back up towards Weiss, and then slowly nodded, stepping away from the dead monster.

"Wait!" Weiss fumbled with the latch on the window, trying to open it. The thing was locked – intentionally locked. They probably thought she might throw herself out the window to her death. Angry, Weiss slammed both fists on the pane of glass. "Hey! Wait, don't go!" Double-glazed and rigid, the glass didn't yield.

Nor did the woman wait.

Perhaps she hadn't heard her, perhaps she'd never know. Weiss slid down the glass to her knees as the figure leapt up over the wall and into the street, disappearing from view. The knife lay forgotten nearby.

Someone else had seen what she'd seen. Someone was fighting them, like her.

Someone was surviving.

Weiss wasn't sure why she was crying, only that she was, forehead pressed against the cold glass. If there was another person out there – even one – who could understand what she was going through, that would be enough.

Until she could meet them, though, she had to live. Slowly, exhaustingly, Weiss forced herself to stand, snatching up her knife as she did. She stumbled back to her bed, sat on the edge and glanced to the shattered mirror once more.

As she did, she caught a glimpse of her own face stretched into a rictus of fury.

The glass became empty a second later.

"I-I'm not on my own. There's another like me. I-I'm not crazy. This proves it…"

It was amazing how much that meant.

/-/

Ozpin placed a hand on his shoulder, breaking his concentration. The homework fell onto the table, mostly complete. "Jaune, you should sleep."

"No more work?" he slurred tiredly.

"None. Nights are often quiet after a Nightmare. You've treated what small injuries came through. It's nearly five and I doubt there will be any more problems tonight. You should catch a nap while you can."

"Can't."

Ozpin sighed. "You must."

"It'll be waiting for me, Ozpin. I can't sleep."

"Be that as it may, it will still be waiting when you can no longer stay awake, and you shall be far safer taking short naps than sleeping for ten hours when you pass out."

Shit. He hadn't thought of that. Too rattled to think properly and constantly afraid for his life. Jaune shook his head and downed what remained of his ice-cold coffee. Ozpin sighed when he did, knowing the caffeine would make sleep all but impossible now.

"I've got school in four hours, Oz, and it'll take me an hour and a half to get home, shower, get ready and make my way there. At best, I'd get two hours sleep. And I had a proper sleep yesterday afternoon."

"Very well. I shall provide you some medicine to keep you awake."

Jaune look at the man askance. "Medicine?"

"Simple caffeine and energy pills. Store-bought fare. It should help fend off sleep until tomorrow. Still, I must insist you take a nap after school – no matter the risk. You are in danger when you sleep, but fear can wake you up. If you pass out, however, you may be trapped in their realm until you wake naturally. If at all."

The thought of that was enough to make him swallow. Power naps it was, then. He'd have to come up with some system, since he needed to be at school from nine until four every weekday, and then at the Beacon from nine in the afternoon until four or five in the morning.

"I'll figure something out."

"Very well." Ozpin looked unconvinced, but unwilling to push. "Let me get you a fresh coffee at the very least. And those pills."

It didn't take long for Ozpin to gather them, and true to his word they were sealed packs of branded drugs he recognised, most of them bought from the local pharmacy. They were harmless for the most part, unless someone really overdid it. Checking the limits, he popped one and swallowed it with a sip of coffee, breathing a sigh of relief a moment later when he felt just a little more alert. It would take time to fully kick in, but the world felt a little brighter for his eyes not drooping.

Arranging for a taxi proved even easier, Ozpin having plenty of numbers available. It was hard to imagine what people thought of the Beacon, seeing as how an inordinate number of exhausted men and women were being shipped out by taxis, some of them clearly on the verge of collapse. Jaune's taxi driver made a point of not asking, nor even making polite conversation. He was dropped off quickly, with the notes snatched from his hand and the cab pulling away.

"Friendly," Jaune grunted.

At six in the morning, the apartment block was mostly empty. To his immense relief, Blake didn't seem to be up. Or maybe she was out. Either way, he wasn't challenged as he stepped into his room, wincing again at the shattered glass he hadn't bothered to pick up. The room was cold. He liked to imagine it was his mood, but it was more likely the gaping hole Ruby had left in his window.

And why am I the one paying to have that repaired? Oh yeah, because she saved my life.

Damn it.

Glass crunched behind him.

Panicked, Jaune spun, hand reaching out to defend himself. Not that it would have done much good.

Blake cocked her head to the side, stood on his balcony with her amber eyes. Her hood was down for once, and that revealed something he couldn't quite take his eyes away from. There, atop her head, were a pair of ears. Feline ears.

"What the fuck?"

Blake ignored his shock. "You returned. And without an entourage of hunters. That is good. I'd have hated to have to kill them all and move."

"W-What the fuck!?" he said again, pointing.

The ears flicked forward to point at him. Her brows drew down. "Are you going to keep saying that? Or are you surprised that someone that isn't human would have traits beyond what a human does? How simple-minded."

"A-Are they real?"

"No. I make a habit of wearing fake cat ears when I sneak into men's bedrooms." The sarcasm was thick enough to strangle someone with. "Don't get excited. I already have a mate in my world, so I'd never desire that of you. I need a favour."

"A favour…?" Surprise gave way to paranoia, and then a little fear. "What exactly? And why should I do anything for you?"

"Because I will do something for you in return," she explained impatiently, almost huffily. "Is that not how favours work in this world? I am not asking for charity here, rather an exchange of services." She looked down and kicked some glass aside. "I could fix this for you, for instance."

He looked from the glass to her. "You can do that?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "By calling a repairman, yes."

He instantly felt a little stupid.

"It's a simple favour, so listen first and then decide. All I ask is for you to keep your eyes out for a certain individual, a person I believe to be of a similar age to you. If my instincts are correct, she will attend a school in Vale. It might be Eastfield."

"It might not be," Jaune pointed out. "There are other schools."

"True, but I can at least narrow it down by having you check yours first. Saves me the time."

Jaune watched her for a moment, trying to figure out her motives. Blake said a person, but she almost certainly meant a human, not a Grimm. Considering what she'd done to the first human she met, he wasn't eager to provide her another. "What do you want this person for?"

"I have no interest in killing them if that is what you think."

Jaune said nothing.

"Paranoid human," Blake hissed. "Fine. How about this. Help me find this person and I shall help you find the one you ought to be looking for. Even if you stink of the one hunting you, the one to place the mark on you has left her own scent."

"R-Rebecca!?"

"Is that her name?" Blake sniffed the air. "Fire, ash, ozone. It is distinct from the ocean." Her face twisted. "Of course, I can also smell the dying rose garden of your friend, but it's different. There is a third, this… Rebecca. If you help me find the person I am looking for, I will help you in turn."

Slowly, Blake extended a hand.

"Do we have a deal?"

Jaune stared at the hand as if it were a snake. It might as well have been. She was the literal devil to his Faust. There was no telling what her aid might cost or whether it would work, let alone whether she'd honour a deal in the first place.

And yet, faced with the certainty of his soul being taken by a monster, and his entire family being faced by an imposter wearing his skin? The choice was easy.

He made his deal with the devil.

Weiss comes to Vale, Jaune finds out a little more, Yang has her worries and Ruby is conflicted.

I didn't mean to imply last chapter that Ruby was a futa by the way (sorry to a certain someone who likes that), rather Blake implied that the equivalent of her for Ruby was male. Biologically, Ruby is a girl in this.

Another small thing is that Yang does not have glowing eyes in this story. I just wanted to clear that up because in canon her eyes can glow, and I realised some people were expecting the same here because it's a fanfic, etc.

Just to establish, only Ruby and Blake's eyes have flowed so far. Well, and Rebecca Farleigh's.

In the same way that Velvet doesn't have faunus traits because faunus don't exist in this AU, Yang doesn't have her glowing eyes thanks to her Semblance, because Semblances don't exist. Just wanted to clear that up.

Except Blake has her ears, but… well… those are for other reasons.

Next Chapter: 9th December

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur