Chapter 13 - Nights in the Trees

Jaune eyes snapped open, orange lights drawing them to the village below.

The boy lied on his stomach, one arm draped off the side as he scanned over the calm populace. It surprised him still, even with several days behind them of scoping out enemy territory - that such a community of people managed to maintain life, a steady one at that, on a remote island.

Bridges connected several large fortresses, all banded together in a circular formation that acted as a shield for the inner village. And at every post were two guards, armed and wary. Blockades of wood shielded the outer shell, and Jaune doubted even a battering ram could punch through it.

He'd counted the people for perhaps the sixth time, and the number didn't change.

While they'd no doubt expected a lot, the numbers they discovered were a lot bigger than he'd imagined. Five villages they'd scoped out so far, each armed to the tooth with an average of forty people. According to Oobleck, the villages seemed built to intercept enemies if they approached.

That begged the question, what were they protecting?

If they are protecting anything at all... Jaune thought as he watched two men relieve their fellows of guard duty. They exchanged a bit before they handed over their guns; Atlesian guns.

They'd discovered days ago that these bandits were the reason behind so many disappearances. For the materials and artillery, they had, it was clear they were attacking ships and stealing what they had. Jaune had no idea how, but they did.

And that only made their odds of survival even worse.

The sound of a shout drew his eyes to a corner of the village, where several men were operating another Atlesian military weapon. Atlesian Knights, both 130 and 200 models.

How they'd gotten them to function and maintain them was just another question piled on top of the others. The answers as elusive as ever. Because for as long as they'd been on the island, Jaune and his group hadn't found a single trace of Dust.

So how?

How did these bandits, who lived off fish and berries, maintain high grade military technology? Of course, some bandits came from different walks of life; becoming one was as easy as leaving the kingdoms and settling in this land without laws. So, they could very well know how to use the technology.

But there didn't seem to be a resource pool for them. As far as Jaune knew.

Finally. Jaune let out a sigh of relief as Ash came into view, ducking behind a wall just before passing men could spot her. Slowly but surely, she kept out of sight - maneuvering back the same way she went in. She kept to the darkness well, Jaune didn't really expect her to be caught, but he came along just in case.

They couldn't afford any closer calls.

She scaled the northern wall, slinging herself under the bridge as a man walked over. It was almost funny, watching it all play out - the bandit was blissfully unaware of the enemy literally right under his nose. And once he passed, Ash quickly flipped unto the bridge and wasted no time leaping off the other side.

Someone must've heard the clank of her axe when she dug it into the wall to halt her descent. Jaune was on his feet right away as they rushed over, but Ash seemed to know this, quickly dropping down and hugging the corner of the wall.

When she looked in his direction, Jaune raised one hand. She kept to the wall once she saw it, waiting for his next signal. The guards lingered for a moment, but eventually dispersed. Jaune dropped his hand and Ash sprinted for the forest.

Jaune got ready to meet up with her, but stalled as he looked back on the village. He hoped what Oobleck had in mind was worth the gamble.

Working his shoulder, Jaune jumped into the darkness below.

~Event Horizon~

"Argh! God damn it!"

"Well it wouldn't hurt so much if you weren't fidgeting."

Oscar almost wanted to wince, himself. Just looking at Reg's leg made him want to hurl.

He was lucky, according to Chenna. Who scolded him as she replaced the old bandages with new ones. Had the Beowolf bitten any deeper, the leg would have come clean off. Oscar didn't think he could take it as well as Reggie did, not with the flesh practically torn off his leg.

The cave was quiet, save for the distant cries of crickets and owls. Doctor Oobleck sat nearest to the fire, focusing on his scroll. The rest were idle at the moment, merely waiting for Jaune and Ash to return from their mission.

That was how it had been the past few days.

Running, searching, hiding - this was probably their third location since the crash site and in that time, they'd suffered attacks not only by the bandits but the Grimm. In fact, had it not been for Ash, the bandit who had a blade at Oscar's neck two nights ago would have gotten away with it.

It became much harder to sleep after that.

The boy wondered how everyone kept it together; managed to laugh still, even though their situation stayed in enemy favor. All the attacks, the Grimm, the constant moving - it was becoming overwhelming.

Oscar was roused out of his thoughts when he heard the others moving, he spotted Jaune and Ash as they entered, and a moment of silence passed between both parties.

Ash smiled. "We got it."

"Thank heavens." Chenna relaxed. She always got worked up over Ash's safety, as if she needed more age lines on her face.

"Took you two long enough," Chided Geoff.

"Oh, I'd love to see you do better, old man," Ash fired back, "You can barely hide your beer belly, much less infiltrate an enemy station."

"Feh. Infiltration is for cowards and politics. I'm practical. I kick down the door." Geoff smirked, poking her in the forehead.

And then the two were off bickering again, Jaune simply shaking his head as he returned to Amber. In turn Amber seemed relieved to see him, already asking if he'd gotten hurt or anything.

"Excellent work, my dear," Oobleck nodded as he took the small device from her, "This AK chip is exactly what we need to request a support ship."

Oscar found it hard to believe that their key to escape was on that chip barely bigger than his fingernail. But Oobleck seemed certain, explaining that the chip was installed in every Atlesian robot. It was apparently used in the event of emergency protocol announcements, such as a Grimm attack or natural disaster.

It did so by having a direct link to the CCT transmission waves. Oobleck could access it on his scroll, he could send a coded distress signal to Mistral, which was their closest option, and get help.

Their world was back in silence again, but at least the group was back together.

They all seemed so seamless together, even with the addition of Amber and Jaune. They all worked together for a shared goal, and each of their skills benefitted one another. Amber, Jaune, Reg and Ash were incredible fighters. Managing to repel every enemy they'd faced thus far. Everyone was safe with them around.

And Oobleck led smartly. He seemed to know the best way to do everything, keeping everyone in line, settling arguments and ensuring they worked together cohesively. How he managed do it with a collection of brash personalities was beyond Oscar.

Geoff held his own, and he kept the group alive with his stories. Many times had Oscar been frustrated or angry that Geoff had come by and managed to wash it all away. Even after rough nights, he'd still find a way to make everyone smile.

And Chenna, though she wasn't a fighter, was a great medic. She took care of everyone when they were hurt. Even when it looked like Reg would bleed out from his leg, she'd even fixed that.

All of them, together, made a great team.

Everyone... except him.

Oscar honestly thought he had more to offer, that maybe he was valuable to the group and put in as much work as they did. To admit, no – to realize that he'd been wrong this whole time left a rough feeling in his chest.

He tried to help them fight, but he was always told to stay behind. He tried to patch people up when they were hurt, but he always seemed to do it wrong. Forcing Chenna to come and fix his mistakes. Oscar couldn't lead as confidently as Oobleck seemed to, and he couldn't make everyone smile the way Geoff did.

He was just an extra. A spare cog to a fully operational wheel.

Oscar let his chin rest between his knees, hugging them close to his chest. He was back to this again – moping and feeling sorry for himself. How selfish was he? Thinking of only himself and his own problems when he and his teammates had bigger things to worry about?

It was hard not to think of these things though when all he did was let others do what he wanted to do.

Even though he liked to think he made contributions. The fact was they it all paled to what the others did. He couldn't do anything – and knowing that felt like it reinforced everything Jaune had told him back on the ship.

He had no special skill they benefitted from, no special quirk that drew the others to him and made them happier. His sole purpose was to stay safe and hide when necessary. The others did the work/. They fought, hunted, healed and everything else that could be done to benefit the team. And what could Oscar do in return for them? Nothing.

None of them needed his help.

A sour feeling clotted his throat, and Oscar swallowed any pride he had left with it. Was it time to just give up? To just go home?

Oscar didn't want it to be that way. But it seemed like there was no other option.

He'd promised to prove himself to Jaune and the others. To show them he could handle what they could. Maybe he'd underestimated their situation? No, not that. Oscar was scared going in. Things changed, and got worse. But he never thought, even for a second, that this island was a smaller problem than it really was.

No, maybe it was that he'd overestimated himself.

He looked back up as Oobleck stood, calling everyone's attention. And it was the heavy sigh that told Oscar no good news was coming. "I'm afraid it will not work."

"What!?" Ash jumped to her feet, outraged, "That... it's the chip that you asked for! I know I didn't make a mistake!"

"You are correct, Ash, the fault is not yours. It is mine. Normally, replacing this chip with the one in my scroll would give me access to a channel for encrypted messages. However, the static on my scroll remains - disrupting the channel."

"Then that means..." Amber's eyes widened.

"Indeed, there is something on this island that either blocks off or destroys the waves of CCT."

Two steps back... Oscar lowered his head. He could only imagine how Ash and Jaune felt, their mission took two days. All that effort just to end up back at square one.

"The radio tower," Ash exclaimed suddenly, "The one Amber and I saw from the mountain a few days ago. That's our alternative, right?"

"It's possible, but only if it has what we require. There is no veritable explanation to how a radio tower could be here on this island."

"Does it fucking matter?" Ash was never one to be subtle, waving her hand dismissively, "Its a tower that was built for something, right? I don't see any reason other than to make a signal. There has to be a control box at the top that we can use with the chip!"

"That's right," Jaune stepped up as well, "If the transmitter won't work on your scroll, then the tower is our next best chance."

Oobleck regarded the two for a moment. "It is a gamble, a bigger one than the simple procuration of the chip. Do remind yourselves we are nowhere close to this tower, and we have no idea if it belongs to our foes."

Oscar was inclined to agree. The tower, according to Amber was way past enemy territory. No telling how long it would take to get there. Even if they did manage to sneak the whole group past the villages, they would then be surrounded by enemies from then on. And Oscar didn't like his chances of escaping that.

Oobleck had decided it wasn't worth the risk. But it seemed they had no choice now.

"I'll do it." Jaune and Ash both said.

"Jaune," Amber grabbed her partner's arm, "Don't be crazy. You and Ash just got back, and now you want to go off into unknown territory? Show some self-preservation."

Jaune didn't seem to take that well. "What do you mean? I can protect myself and it's not like we have any other options."

"I know, so you stay here, and I'll go."

Jaune had opened his mouth to protest, but Oobleck beat him to it. "That will not work."

Amber rounded on Oobleck, fixing a glare unto him. "And why not?"

"Amber, I will need to have you here," Oobleck was unmoved, "With Reginald unable to stand and Geoff the only free hand to carry him, that leaves only myself and Ash. Even as a Huntsman, it will be next to impossible for me to protect them all in the event of an attack."

Amber's glare vanished, replaced with a terrified realization. "You're kidding me..."

"I'm afraid not, Mister Arc is best suited for this operation. He has proved to be stealthier than you. And sending Ash is too risky, and while ability to remain hidden would be valuable… if she is spotted, she will not survive without support."

Oscar had expected Ash to argue that, but she didn't. Instead she bit her lip, and stayed silent. Oscar could only guess how frustrating that was for her.

"Mister Arc has aura and Huntsman training, and that makes a significant difference in the wake of unknown territory brimming with bandits and Grimm."

Amber looked between Oobleck and Jaune, her mouth opening and closing as she stammered for words. "You... he..." And then her expression hardened, "You know what? Fine. Do whatever you want, Jaune."

"Amber -

Jaune had tried to reach for her, but she was already past him and left the cave. He called for her again, but even he seemed to know it was fruitless.

"My apologies, I did not mean to upset her."

"She'll be okay..." Jaune crossed his arms, looking about as annoyed as Amber had. Like he didn't even believe what he said, "I'll leave in the morning sir, you all are headed west right?"

"Indeed, best to stay on the move," Oobleck handed Jaune the chip, "You have my thanks, Mister Arc. Take an extra cartridge for your scroll as well. The walkie talkie function is still operational so contact me through that and I will guide you through the steps."

"Yes sir."

"Then I'd get some rest if I were you, I imagine the most tedious part of your journey will be the walk."

Jaune chuckled but returned to his spot against the wall. He did spare a glance outside the cave, but must've decided against going after Amber.

There had been an odd tension between the two, Oscar noticed. Amber hovered over Jaune more, while Jaune seemed keen on keeping her out. It was so stark from how they seemed in the beginning. This certainly wasn't the first time they'd bickered, especially after the first attack.

But in the end, with all of that resolved, it did nothing for Oscar.

The fact remained that he still felt useless in the group. And he grew even sicker of it as the days went by. But what could he do about it? What could he do for the group to help them survive, or keep their spirits up? Anything, so long as it was in his power, he'd do it. He owed it to them.

"Let us all get some rest everyone," Oobleck spoke aloud, "An early start is our greatest advantage, one of the few our enemies have yet to take from us."

Oscar got himself a few comforters, splaying one over Reg who was already snoozing away. He laid his own on the floor, using a second as a pillow. The boy took one final look at Jaune before the light was gone, then allowed his eyes to close.

He wasn't done. He wasn't giving up.

The next time something bad happened, he was going to help. No matter what Oobleck or the others said. They all took up roles to support the group, it was time he did so as well.

He wouldn't ask this time.

~Event Horizon~

Jaune steadily moved beside the wall.

Thank god, they don't have search lights. Jaune chuckled at how unfortunate it would be, but he counted his blessings. So long as he kept to the corners of the perimeter, it was easy to stay out of sight.

He adjusted his hood, making sure to keep looking up in case someone else was looking down. Around the corner was the entrance to the village, and a small bridge just before it that sat over top a muddy rut.

The door way was huge, and it no doubt had people close to it that, if he wasn't careful, would see him. He didn't know if the place had alarms for sure, but he felt safe in assuming so.

And he'd promised Amber before he left that he'd do his best to avoid a fight. Even if she seemed intent on ignoring him.

Jaune pursed his lips as he thought on her. What was she acting like that for? Maybe she was concerned or whatever, but he was fine. Honestly. But she apparently didn't believe him.

Well she's wrong, the blonde thought bitterly, there is nothing wrong with me. I'm fine!

Voices reached his ears.

Behind him.

Jaune had barely seen them before he was on the move, dashing over to the small bridge and sliding under it. Mud splashed his cheeks, but he ignored it, staying to one end of the bridge while two men rounded the corner he'd been at.

"Any news on the invaders?" On asked, hefting his gun.

"Zilch. Not that we can tell the boss that..." The other groaned, "We had their trail a couple days ago, even managed to lead some Grimm to 'em. Persistent bunch, I tell ya. And they're smart... never stay in one place for long."

"Boss won't want to hear that."

"And he won't, so long as you keep your trap shut."

Boss? If that wasn't obviously their leader, then Jaune didn't know what else to think. He kept low as they passed by, listening to the rest of their jargon as he watched them head back inside the fortress.

"- Dust for the AKs. Did Roose contact Sector H?"

"Hell if I know. Only thing I care about is supper - and meat is scarce." Then the man laughed, "Only more of a reason to catch those guys, eh?"

"You could at least not joke about that..."

Jaune's hand squeezed at the mud below him, but he stayed firm. Letting the men have their laugh. But those laughs faded as the seconds ticked by, soon enough their voices were gone. Looking out, he did see men atop the wall. But to his luck, the one on his side was looking the other way.

Jaune didn't waste that chance.

And he was back to the wall again, but this time the other side. The darker side of the fortress – where the only light to be seen was from the moon, yet it did not save the expansive jungle from being consumed by night. In minutes the fortress was out of sight.

And before him?

It was deep and gargantuan expanse of cluttered darkness. The moonlight revealed the fluffy canopy of a million trees, stretching out into the distance. A familiar dread came over Jaune, and that was a battle he didn't think he could win.

There over the great sea of trees was the light. He could barely see the structure, but the faint blinking light it gave off was sure.

Here we go.

~Event Horizon~

"Didn't know you liked stars."

Amber ignored her.

Her back was against the tree trunk as she sat up in the tree alone, the moon was out in full tonight and it was the only light in the world for the next few hours.

She would watch it, from time to time. Not because she enjoyed it; in fact, it was a mixed bag. She watched the sky because it served as something she could fall back on. There was no real definition to it and so there was no confusion. Which was exactly what she wanted right now.

It wasn't really the sky, or the moon, or the stars - rather it was lack of presence that they made her feel, the insignificance. That maybe her problems weren't such a big deal compared to them.

Even if it feels like it is.

Ash, for she knew it was her, climbed her tree - taking her spot on the branch adjacent of her. She swung one leg freely, and looked at her with an impenitent smile. "Not ruining a moment, am I?"

"Kind of, yeah."

"Hm," She nodded, but didn't leave, "Well, I won't bother you. But I'm going to sit here, okay?"

Amber didn't bother to respond. She couldn't exactly tell her no, but so long as she left her alone it wasn't a big deal. Amber wasn't good at talking about things that bothered her.

The brunette rolled her eyes as she replayed that thought. What could she be bothered for? Jaune was an idiot, he wasn't worth being concerned about. He'd be fine, the idiot. Why be worried when it was clear he wouldn't listen to anything she said?

Let him go! She couldn't care less!

Stupid. Idiot Jaune.

"Oscar's a real pain in my ass sometimes."

Amber glanced over at Ash watching as she spoke. "Always trying to do more than he can - always trying to do things he can't. He likes to rush things. It's like there is a timer in his head and he's got all these goals he needs to accomplish before it runs out. Crazy kid."

"Mm." Was the best response Amber could muster.

"Yours like that?"

"Similar," Amber didn't know why she answered, but opted to keep it short. He wasn't as hasty as Amber thought he might be, and he approached his goals with more idealism than was safe. But it wasn't like Jaune lacked common sense. He was a determined guy, and an incredibly hard worker. If there was something he wanted, he went out in the world to get it.

But in the same way that determination was good, it was in that conviction that lied a horrible flaw.

Stubborn for someone who was more patient than most. Stupid for one so intelligent. And annoyingly stanch - he didn't cow before a challenge, which Amber supposed was good, but only when it counted.

But now he was just being an idiot. Amber knew something was up with him, but he refused to talk about it. What the hell? Had he not asked her weeks ago to confide in him if she needed to? And granted, she hadn't at this point, but she'd promised she would. A part of her wanted to think that perhaps this was some petty attempt at revenge. She dismissed that thought immediately.

Jaune was hurt. She'd didn't know why, or how, but something was eating at him and he either refused to acknowledge it or was completely unaware.

"Is that what you came up here for? To ask about Jaune?"

"Nah, I just felt like getting some things off my chest. You know how it is."

Amber chuckled. "You're a shitty liar."

"And you wear your feelings like makeup. Being a bad liar is considerably less embarrassing."

"No, I don't..." Amber turned her head from her, blushing as the woman broke into laughter. Amber grunted as she searched for a comeback, but found that she came up short. She was seeing right through her. She'd blame Jaune for that.

"He'll be okay, you know?" Ash said once her laughter died down, "He's tougher than he looks."

"I know." And Amber was proud of that. Jaune was steadfast and unrelenting. He wasn't the best fighter she'd ever seen, but she didn't question his ability or his drive.

She hadn't questioned his mentality either... at least until now.

Right now, he was so eager to jump into a fight, which was not at all what Amber thought would happen. He was going out of his way to seek violence. And she tried to help him, but each time she did, he brushed her off.

And that... hurt.

It hurt that he thought he couldn't trust her enough to share how he felt. To lean on her when he clearly needed someone. Who was he to confide in better than his own partner? It was mitigated only by the fact that he didn't seem to be doing it intentionally.

He was convinced nothing was wrong. He was blocking it off, whether he knew it or not.

At least if he'd known what was wrong and didn't want to talk about it, maybe Amber would have been able to accept it. But then the battle at the crash site happened, and since then they'd been at odds.

She let out a breath through her nose. "I don't have a single fucking clue of what to do..."

"That unfortunately isn't something I can help with," Ash shrugged, "Got my own boy to take care of and everything. But hey, you guys will overcome it. Though if I might suggest, maybe take him by the hand, find a shrub soft enough and, you know... work it out."

"That what you do with Oscar? I guess there really are no laws outside the Kingdoms."

Amber smirked as Ash choked, the woman almost falling off her perch. She found stability quickly enough though, and fixed a glare through her receding coughs. "You're disgusting. I feel worse for Jaune now."

"We aren't like that, in case you didn't know."

"Mhm, whatever," Ash rolled her eyes but smiled "Hey, don't stay up to late. You know Jaune will be fine, can't have one of our fighters too tired to protect us. Night."

Amber watched her go, following her steps until she was finally gone. Suddenly she back to where she started. Alone. But not so plagued this time, a little clearer in the head. She couldn't help but wonder if that was Ash's plan the whole time. To listen instead of give advice.

Ah, she was giving her too much credit.

But she was right, Jaune would be okay. Physically. But as for everything else... she could only hope he would come to her before he did something crazy. Amber took in warm night air as she looked at the horizon again, wondering if maybe she could see him just over it.

Be careful out there, Jaune.

Well this chapter got out late, sorry about that.

I've been losing a bit of focus, which isn't good at all so I'm working on getting back on the grind. My life isn't all together right now, so my attention has been on more important things. As such, updates might be a bit sporadic for a while.

But I haven't lost love for this fic, so I shall keep continuing it.

Not too much going on this chapter, but it is a setup for next chapter! Things will be getting intense real soon and I'm super excited!

That's all for now. Till next time!

GWS