"Come on….hurry up!" Bianca cried out, as Jaune walked very slowly across the ice, he was half way out. Jaune would let out a panicked cry every time the ice creaked and shifted under his weight. Worse yet, Jaune couldn't even see the ice, the entire sheet was under snow that came up to his ankle. Every footstep was a chance to either keep going or fall into the water and under the ice. Jaune took another step…

BLAM!

Jaune froze as he felt something wiz by him, he slowly turned around. Kara stood at the edge of the river with her gun sword, she went to fire again.

Click!

She looked at her gun with betrayal, with hesitation in her steps she began walking across the cracked ice, finally testing the stability. She let out a grin, her faunas' abilities gave her the advantage as she began to hop around the ice, her ram abilities letting her step more lightly that the blonde warrior.

Jaune raised his sword, Kara decided against using her sword, as it would make her weight unstable and possible to fall through the ice, guns were out for a similar reason. Bianca began to raise her spear, but Jaune waved her off, if she missed it could destabilized the ice. Bianca, however, had one weapon left, her horns. She ran on all fours, charging into Jaunes chest at full force before he could react, thankfully Jaune had just enough aura to deal with it. However, Jaune was out, any more hits and it was going to be over for him and his sword had landed in the snow a few feet away.

He kicked the woman off, and rolled, the area he had fallen quickly filling with water which bubbled up from below. That gave Jaune an idea, Kara was getting back into stance getting ready to charge, Jaune needed to act fast! He grabbed his sword and lightly stabbed into the snow then flicked it up, a small pile of snow flying up into Kara's eyes.

"Pppfffffttt. Coward, fight like a hunter!" Kara roared.

"I am a hunter you idiot!" Jaune retorted, he took a step back and then stabbed his blade into ice this time.

CRACK!

That was the sound Jaune wanted to hear!

He then stepped back again.

CRACK!

That was one he didn't want to hear…

He realized quickly that he was trapped. If he stepped forward he would fall through the hole he had made, if he took another step back…Jaune could feel his shoe getting wet. He didn't have time to think though, as Kara came barreling towards him. Jaune had an idea, not a good idea, but an idea. She was almost on top of his trap.

CRACK! THWOOSH!

Jaune could almost laugh at Kara's face of stupid wonder, as she went from charging at Jaune to falling through where Jaune had stabbed his blade into the ice. However, time was of the essence, as Kara fell forward Jaune stepped on her back and leaped. Jaunes' vision went dark as he landed in snow. Very slowly, he moved to stand up, when he was finally standing he turned around. There was a hole where Jaune had been standing and no sign of the woman.

Jaune swiftly crawled across the remain ice and to the other side. Bianca watched the water and ice for any sign of movement, after a few moments she let out a sigh. "She was a determined one." She said in admiration, "but hopefully that's the last of her." Jaune looked back at the water and let his aura flow out as far as it could.

"No, she's not dead." Jaune said blankly, he could feel her aura rapidly spinning around her, she was slowly swimming to the other side. She burst forth from the water, her breath misting in the wind as she shook from the cold. She looked across and saw Jaune and Bianca, she reached for her weapon, but found it was gone, lost to the icy waters.

"DAMN YOU! I WILL MURDER YOU!" She screamed, Jaune merely looked at with her a sad expression.

"Yeah! Well get in line, I'm sure we will be able to pen you in alongside the Grimm and your buddies!" Jaune yelled, Bianca let out a smile as Kara deflated and began to walk slowly back the way she came, clutching her sides as she shook from the cold. It hurt Jaune a bit though to watch her defeated expression, it reminded him of himself when he had tried to go through combat school. Bianca looked at his pitied expression with confusion.

"I used to be like that." Jaune explained, Bianca looked at him even more confused.

"You used to be some murderous faunas and a chick? Well…that would explain some things." Bianca said, a coy smile showing she knew what he meant. Jaune merely rolled his eyes, they then began walking up the trail. A few hours later, they found themselves overlooking the city, it seemed completely abandoned. An uncomfortable silence resonating from the city.

"Let's go!" Bianca said, her tone and attitude was hopeful as they began to run down the hill, Jaune felt something. He dare didn't give it a name, but if he had to give it a name…it was hope.

…

The city was indeed abandoned, save for a few patrols, Jaune and Bianca were making a practical beeline towards the exit. When they got to the gate though, they hit a pretty large snag. The door was shut, how the white fang did it Jaune didn't have a clue.

"Dammit! They must have explored the tower; the thorn has the controls to set the city into lock down!" Bianca hissed, Jaune looked up at the tower but saw something beyond it.

"Bianca! We've got bigger issues!" Jaune yelled, pointing to the black clad figures forming on the ridge line, Jaune and Bianca looked at the tower and the black line as it began to slowly form on the ridge. Suddenly several large silvery figures rose above the shadowy figures, the mechs, glistening in the sun.

"We've got twenty minutes, I guess, before they get here." Bianca said calmly, "We need to get into the tower, shut off the controls and get out before they get here and rip us to shreds with those mechs." Bianca said, Jaune quickly came up with a plan on the spot. He dropped his bag and began to shuffle around.

"Where is it? Where! Ah-Ha! Here we go!" Jaune said confidently as he pulled out a silver looking brick with a red button on top, Bianca gave Jaune a curious expression. "It's a signal to the air ships at Beacon," he explained. "Stay here, I'll go open the gates. When I do, I want you to run and keep mashing the button, it will take them at least thirty minutes to arrive so we will need to get a jumpstart on them.

Bianca nodded, "Are you sure?"

"You can't fight, not in that condition, and that is our one-way ticket out of here." Jaune said confidently, his tasks set before him and then took off towards the tower, his aura had regenerated some and he felt better about going rather than Bianca. He ran straight for the center of town and before to long found himself standing before the imposing structure, a massive iron door in front of him. He took a breath and stepped inside, the door opening with surprisingly little noise. Jaune felt a chill, as the door swung shut and the darkness swathed over him. He head no idea how he was going to win, even if he did get the gate open, the White Fang would surely pick them off in the foothills. He wished he had a large object to...

He smiled, he had an idea.

…

Jaune hated stairs, he didn't before, but he did now. He had started to up the tower triumphantly, but by the twentieth floor, that bravado was gone replaced with panting and cursing every time he looked out a window and saw the battalions of White Fang warriors walking down the hill, the mechs in tow. Thankfully they seemed to be cautious, searching ubiquitously for the two hunters, buying them precious time.

Finally, Jaune had reached the pinnacle of the tower, two oaken doors stood in front of him with an ornate pattern across them. Jaune took a deep breath and felt through with his aura past the doors for anyone. He searched around, but no one seemed to be inside the room.

"Nice of you to join us," A voice whispered, before Jaune could react he felt someone kick him hard in the back. He went flying into the door, knocking him into the doors. The two old doors cracked and shattered free from the door frame, Jaune rolled across the floor and bumped into something.

Jaune was dazed, his vision blurred he began to feel around. He felt a bar above him and proceeded to pull himself up, his vision came in focus and he found himself grabbing onto the shaft of spear which was half-way buried in the wall. Poor Valhart, Bianca has one hell of an arm! Jaune thought in the back of his head, he then turned to see Adam standing in the door way.

"You've caused quite a bit of trouble for a human, for that you're going to pay!" Adam said calmly, Jaune was to tired, both from tasting a door and trying to climb up the stairs.

"Have you seen what trouble your lackeys have been causing me? You're lucky I don't charge you a gratuity fee!" Jaune said with a faint chuckle, Adam glared, he didn't like it when his opponents weren't terrified. In a blink of an eye, Adam was on top of Jaune, coming down for a strike at his throat. Jaune fell back in shock, grabbing the old spear back, the shaft bending and flexing due to the new weight. Before it could break, Jaune let go.

TWACK! OOOHHH!

Bullseye, Jaune let out a smile as Adam hit the ground, cupping his groaning as he did. Jaune rolled forward and ran to the exit. He paused and looked around frantically, he then eyed a lever on a control panel next to a window, he pulled it and looked out the window.

SCREEEEECH!

The gate to exit the city slowly began to open, Jaune then pulled out his great sword and slashed the lever in half, locking it in place. He then turned and ran down the tower so fast, several times he had to ram into the wall to keep from falling down the stairs. In half the time, Jaune found himself at the base of the tower, he fumbled around in his backpack for a moment and then walked around the base of the tower for a few seconds. He found a pack Adam must have carried into the tower, out of curiosity opened it.

"HOLY SHIT!"

Jaune was amazed as he pulled Crocea Mors out of the bag, it was even still in its sheath! He quickly pulled it around him, the sword resting across his shoulder blade, just above Nuit d'Orléans. He began to hear hurried footsteps from above, Jaune ran outside and then towards the exit in the distance. He then began to hear a light roar behind him, he turned around and immediately regretted it. The White Fang had come running at the sound of the gate opening, the mechs not too far behind. Jaune began to sprint. Water splashing into his face as the he ran across a flooded street, he heard a loud bang behind him.

BOOM! WOOSH!

Jaune stumbled as an explosion rocked the ground behind him,debris went flying and water sprayed everywhere with a hiss. The gate seemed to be miles away as Jaune kept running, he needed to get to there quickly.

ZIP! POW! POW! POW! POW!

Jaune felt bullets whip by him, he pulled out his shield and held it out behind him. He felt the ping of bullets against his shield, he continued forward, his eyes fixated on the massive gate. Just a little more, he thought, he ran with all his might, he even began to put a small portion of his aura into his stamina. He could see the road outside the door, the bridge cleared of all debris.

PPPIIISSSHH!

Jaune turned to see a rocket being fired from a mech, instinctively he rolled to the side and then leaped…

BOOM!

Jaune was sent flying forward, he slammed into the cement and blacked out. Slowly, his senses returned.

"….ouch…" was all he could muster to say as he stood up, his aura was gone from that last blast. Jaune slowly stood up, he looked up. He was at the gate, Jaune let out a smile, he then heard a noise and slowly turned around.

The White Fang where standing semi-circle around him, every member giving him a glare from behind their terrifying masks. Adam stepped forward, Kara standing beside him.

…It was over…

…