ALRIGHT! NOW! A few words. Look, I apologize for the wait. Life gets in the way more than I thought. Balancing a new job, soon to be college, and my family, I'm trying to make progress. Keep in mind, I refuse to quit, I'm too passionate about my stories.

I decided to do something. I will update ALL of my stories at once, once a month. For those keeping track of me, I have been pretty much doing that already, but I want to make it official for those who don't. Thank you for your patience and please enjoy!

Turbulence from the perpetually shifting bulkhead reminded Jaune that he was still alive. A familiarly unpleasant lurch in his stomach made him wish he wasn't. Lying down on the hard ground was pretty much the only way he could stem off motion sickness. Any other time, this would be true utter hell in a basket. Now, however, he had something to distract him. Something that he had found by complete accident not even an hour ago.

He sighed, closing his eyes to focusing on the emotions he had felt that night when he fought the Grimm. Desperation, fear, anger, helplessness, a desire to fight back. A will to live. He outstretched his hand. A hum of power filled it, shaking it. Small sparks of white burst out between his fingertips. Clenching it caused burst of heat, nearly forcing his eyes shut from its intensity. White fire danced around his fist, spreading down the back of his hand as he unclenched it. You would think that it would hurt, but he didn't feel a thing.

Jaune, for the life of him, still had no idea what the hell this was. This rush of power came after he woke up, but manifesting it was something done by complete accident. In fact, this was the third time he had managed to do this. The first time was after he'd explained everything to Yang, and she had dragged Ruby off to the airship, intent on getting her as far away from there. Jaune had suddenly felt weak, falling down to his hands and knees. The weird effect and glow came right after.

The Knight barely had a chance to say a brief goodbye to his family before he was dragged off by his hood to the airship station. To his dismay, he never did talk to his dad about the family. Not about this strange power he had. Yang had been so insistent on leaving back to Beacon for Ruby's protection that he barely got a word out to his folks, or pack his things. Deep in his thoughts, his heart skipped a beat when a soft, yet powerful, hand clamped onto his shoulder.

"Still playing with fire?" Yang commented, sitting next to his head.

"I know you of all people aren't trying to lecture me about playing with fire." Jaune retorted. He tried to sit up, but that same lurch came back, and he was flat on his back again, sighing. "How's Rubes?"

Yang tensed slightly. "She's a little shaken. Who wouldn't be after the crap she just went through."

"I know what you mean." Jaune muttered, staring at his palm, watching the white lightning crackling between his fingers.

"So, you know about them?" Yang asked bluntly. "The Sidewinders I mean. How much do you know."

"About as much as yo- I swear, you are wearing contacts, I just know it." Jaune commented, trying to edge some fear out of his system after seeing Yang's eyes change to a deep crimson.

"Not the time for jokes, Arc. I want answers. Why did they come for her?" She demanded, teeth grit, though tone strangely low.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Jaune said shrugging. "All I know is that those things are androids, taking kids away for some reason. The most I could get was that they are trying to gather kids with a lot of aura potential, kinda like me and Rubes. Something doesn't make sense though."

"What?" Yang asked impatiently.

"Judging by how long its been in the house, and how long Rubes was out, if it wanted to, it could've taken her already. It's almost like it was… waiting for me." Jaune finished, lip bit in anxiety. He narrowed his eyes in thought however. "Say, Yang, what's your knowhow on machines?"

"Not bad. Why?" She asked, confused about the subject change.

"Could you grab that large sack I have next to my bag. I would but…"

"Say no more, Vomit Boy, the last thing I need to do is buy more shoes." Yang said, rushing over to his belongings. "Ooh, a little hefty. Whatcha got in here?" she asked, dropping it in front of Jaune as he finally had the strength to sit up.

"Open it and find out." With no hesitation, Yang all but tore the canvas cover apart, revealing the Sidewinder android he had destroyed prior. She raised a brow, looking expectantly towards him. "I took it earlier before we got here. Kinda tricky to find, I'll be honest. If we didn't keep knocking down trees, I wouldn't have found it."

Yang dropped it by Jaune's side, examining it briefly. "So, what do you expect me to do with this? I'm no robotics expert, I just fix a bike."

"Actually, I'll take care of that. All I need is the head frame taken o- without breaking it!" Jaune screamed, hands waving for ceasefire as Yang excitedly raised her fist. "I want to see what's inside, not count the pieces left behind."

"Aw, you're no fun." Yang pouted. Jaune cupped his mouth, eyes darting away, snickering. Pouting ironically was something he'd never expect from Yang. Hand placed at her chin, she fished into her back, picking out a small tool kit. She took the head of the Sidewinder, examining every crack and orifice of it, rolling around routinely. Crude oil, bolts, and other various tech dropped occasionally off, but Yang paid it no mind. Her eyes glinted victoriously. "Pass me my screwdriver."

Snatching it out of his hands, she quickly went to work, dismantling the frame. Screws and crude dropped in abundance for a few minutes. The robot would twitch, and shuddered violently on occasion, almost as if going through cadaveric spasms, scaring the daylights out of them both. An hour went by before the black glass framing was dropped carelessly on the ground, shattering against the cold metal. Yang poked a tongue out at Jaune's glare. "Oops."

"Well, it's open now." Jaune uttered, picking up what remained of the head. It looked odd to say the least. Crimson metal coils linked around a bright blue face-like chassis, fit with the smallest looking eyes. The figure looked dirty, with rust and dust covering its entirety. Jaune blew on it. A cloud of dust flew back into his and Yang's face, making them violently cough.

"Jeez, Jaune, you mind that blowing that somewhere else? The hell!" Yang sputtered, trying cough out whatever dust she inhaled.

"My bad." Jaune said absentmindedly, narrowing his eyes. Jaune was no mechanic. Telling the difference between something in relatively good condition or utter scrap was harder to tell for him than others. However, it didn't take an expert to see how rustic and ancient the hardware was. With one little scrape of his gloved fingertip, chips of rust dropped off in a steady fine trail. "So, what's your take on this?"

"I'd say that I'm surprised this thing hadn't fallen apart years ago. The hardware's fried. See here, where these grooves are at the side of its head?" She asked, poking them. Jaune nodded. "Its caked completely. No air or exhaust is escaping, so whatever parts in there's heated up from overuse. It probably fried its software too. The type of metal's outdated too. This kind's highly conductible, and has a relatively lower melting point."

"Heh, and you told me you weren't good at this." Jaune chuckled.

"Just using my common sense. Can't call myself much of a mechanic without it." Yang placed the head inside Jaune's rucksack, forcing it through the layers of clothing and snacks he was hoping to save. "We'll show Ozpin later. He's meeting us at the Docks when we get there."

Jaune gulped, instantly pale. "Really?"

"That's not a problem, right?" Yang asked suspiciously.

"Nope, none at all. I'll still squeaky clean here. Not a crime done." Aside from literally doing his job. The concept of Mercenaries was just confusing. "Hey, hand me the rest of it." Yang slowly dragged the rest of the metal body to him. Without looking or thinking about it, he reached out for it with his powered hand.

A deafening boom echoed throughout the small airship space, reverberating in their ears. The airship jerked sideways at the sheer force of it. A visible shockwave blew Yang off of her feet, sending her clambering against the wall. When the dust settled, and the ringing stopped, Jaune suddenly felt like he'd ran a marathon, then repeated it for good measure. Gasping for air, sweat dripping off of his face, he turned to Yang, who gaped at him in shock. His burning hand clutched the shattered pieces of the robot. He sighed.

"Okay. Don't touch anything with this hand while it's like this. Got that noted now. Can things please finally stop exploding?" Jaune moaned.

The landing came soon afterward. Jaune rushed out of the airship, feeling a tremendous spike of energy, almost attempting to kiss the ground. Grinding to a halt at the gate, he looked around for the professor, but couldn't see him anywhere. "Are you guys sure he's supposed to be here." He asked.

"I was sure." Yang grunted, the rest of the team dispersing behind her. Jaune was about to comment before he heard his scroll ring. There was a text message from… oh no. "What's up?" She asked.

"Just a little message from the last person in the world I wanna see. No big deal." Jaune sarcastically said, unintentionally reading the text message aloud. "Get here now. That's a order."

"Sounds like trouble in paradise." Yang joked, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, if only." Jaune sighed, turning towards the two teams with the biggest smile he could muster. "I just wanted to say thanks to all of you. You really saved me out there."

"Isn't that what friends are for, fearless leader?" Nora cheered, flashing him a thumbs up.

"But I'm not-"

"Don't bother telling her no." Ren cut in, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Just accept and move on." Jaune nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

The life he left behind was catching back up again. So were the memories. He'd only been gone a few months, but it felt like years. He sighed wistfully, thinking of how temporary it was. In about ten minutes or so, he'd be back in that bar, doing missions that required just that he cut off that little shred of humanity that he wanted to keep intact. Fighting battles that weren't his. Defending a cause that he didn't believe in. Jaune tensed thinking about it, trying to cast the thoughts away while he talked with his friends.

The clock struck seven, ringing loudly in turn with scroll. Blake and Weiss had already left, taking care of their business elsewhere, not before he sent his thanks. The Old Man was probably throwing a fit with the amount of time he spent chatting. Reluctantly, he waved them away, trying to send them off easy. One by one, they all went to the airship until he and Ruby were alone. Heat rose up in his face. Now should be the time. He clutched her by the hand, stopping her.

"Jaune, what's up?" She asked, somewhat flustered looking from the contact.

"I just… wanted to thank you for saving me." Jaune said nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "If it weren't for you, I'd be Grimm crap right now."

"It was Blake that saved you. She tracked you down and dragged you back. I just tore apart whatever was in the way." Ruby said honestly. Huh, that would explain the large clearing that wasn't there before… and giant holes in the ground.

Jaune smiled, shaking his head. "No, trust me, you saved me." He said gratefully, unconsciously reaching for his photo viewer. That image of the bakery came to mind again. The picture that ignited his fighting spirit. It kept him fighting. Kept him hoping. Kept him living. Ruby looked a bit confused at this. Jaune couldn't blame her. He wouldn't' tell her though. He'd drag this secret to the grave with him.

"Ooookay. I'll see ya soon then?" She asked hopefully.

"Heck yeah." Jaune said, flashing a thumbs up.

"I better hear from you. Don't leave me hanging for a month again."

"You know I can't help it-"

"Just be safe."

"Rubes-"

"Shut up." Jaune sighed. There was that pouty face again. There was no arguing with that. Any more out of him would just make those blushing cheeks puff out even more. They'd probably burst before they were done. "Just remember your promise."

"Wash behind my ears?" Jaune quipped.

"You know what I mean, Jaune." Ruby fired back.

"Look both ways before crossing the street?"

"Jaune!"

"Alright, alright, I hear you." Jaune said smirking, hands raised defensively. "I'll try to stay safe as long as you do the same." Ruby nodded, her smile wavering. He could see the diluted fear in her eyes. "Look, I'll take care of this Sidewinder problem soon. Just give me some time. I'm closer than I've ever been. You do trust me right?" She nodded without hesitation. "Great, then you've got nothing to worry about. Get outta here, give Professor Ozpin this too." He handed over the canvas covered head. "Best not look at it."

"I swear, if this thing starts bleeding, I'm disowning you." Ruby snarked. She stood for a moment, eyes darting from Jaune. He raised a brow. She took a deep breath before rushing over to him, planting a kiss on his cheek, and sprinting away, spraying rose petals everywhere. Jaune stood, blinking, eyes wider than dinner plates, touching the wet spot. It wasn't much of a kiss, more like she accidently tried to swallow his cheek for half a second.

But it was the thought that counts.

"Maybe she should take… take-" He cleared his throat, tugging at his hood. "L-lessons from Yang."

The cab ride ended faster than he expected. Once he stepped out, the driver sped away so fast that the Lien card that he handed off nearly lit on fire. Jaune bit his lip staring at the door. What he wouldn't give to have Michael hear to bash him over the head and complain that he's taking too long, but he wasn't here. Jaune was on his own. He took a deep breath before barging in.

Patrons of the bar stared at him for a split second before refusing to acknowledge his existence. That was fine. It made it all the more easy to walk by and pretend that they didn't exist as well. It was an oddly mutual relationship. At the top floor, he stopped at the Old Man's door, hand hovering over the nob.

"Enter!" The sharp command made him jump a good foot in the air. Kicking his nervous self, he pushed open the door, slamming it shut behind him. The room was nearly pitch black, cast alight by only a single candle on the Old Man's desk.

"Why is this place always so dark?" Jaune asked, squinting to see him.

"It saves on electricity." He said simply.

"Aren't you rich?"

"Are you still questioning me, boy?"

"Ugh, my name is Jaune! Jaune! Not boy, not kid, no Hero, Jaune! Does anyone here know my damn name?" Jaune complained.

"You'll get a name when you get our respect, Bunny Boy. Now pay attention. It's time you finally earn your keep." The Old Man said, narrowing his eyes, or at least Jaune thought he did. It was nearly too dark to see him. He did tense however. Earn his keep? Weren't the seven missions he had already accomplished not been enough.

"What do you want?" Jaune asked in a low tone.

"Our associate, who happens to be your instructor, has given me intel on the enemies known as the Sidewinders. As pertaining to your position, the details are on a need to know basis. All you need to know is the name of your target. The man who's manufacturing these androids goes by the name of Gregory Hamilton." The Old Man explained quickly, no doubt wanting Jaune to be out of his office as soon as possible.

Jaune clenched his teeth, trying to focus his nervous thoughts. A dangerous mission his own in a foreign area that he'd never seen before? Sounded like a recipe for trouble. The risk seemed well worth the reward though. When this was over, everyone he loved be safe from them. Finding the cause of the Sidewinder's chaos, and putting it to a stop just as he promised was too good to pass up. Clearing his throat, he muttered, "So, what, do I arrest him? Bring him to you? Interrogate him?"

"Eliminate him."

Jaune's world screeched to a halt, taking his heart and breath with it. Reality just ceased to be. Nothing existed outside of those four walls. Just Jaune in his own blank space, with one word repeating in his mind. Inevitable. Killing would have come eventually. Arguments and excuses sprang out of nowhere. He wasn't ready. He couldn't do this. But nothing came out.

"Is that hesitation, boy?" The Old Man inquired. "I don't recall mercenaries ever hesitating." Jaune said nothing still, staring at his feet. He felt exposed without his chest piece to protect him. Nothing but his hoodie, jeans, and gloves survived that night. "Answer me, boy. You do know the consequences, I wager?"

That's right. He leaves, and its back to square one. All of his effort and training would have gone to waste. Options were always limited when you're backed into a corner, and he was crammed so deep in that he could almost feel the walls around him. He sighed solemnly. "When?"

"Tomorrow. Best get sleep now. Location and details will be given accordingly. This is a Thirty-thousand Lien paying job from one of my most wealthy benefactors to date. Do not let me down." With that explained, he jerked his head towards the door. Jaune was halfway out before he finished, slamming it shut carelessly behind him.

The Old man sighed, rubbing his balding head. "Do you think he saw you?"

The blacked cloaked giant of a bear faunus, Jason, stepped out of the shadows of the room corner. "No." That deep voice of his permeated throughout the room, rocking his aged chest. That man was a living bass guitar. "You do, however, know that this was my mission, right?"

"You took too long." The Old Man said simply.

"I was waiting for an opportunity such as this. Gregory seldom stays at the far reaches of Vacuo. Surely you can tell him not to go." Jason insisted.

"That doesn't matter. That boy has already braved harsh conditions. He should be able to do it again."

"But with conditions such as this? And... " Jason sighed. "You know the ramifications of two mercenaries working on the same case. I don't want to kill him."

"If he's dead, then he's wasn't worth the effort. That's how the mercenary life is. You've been at this for years. You know this more than anyone. Do as you please." The Old Man possibly said, waving Jason off.

"I hope your prepared for the mess you're causing, Cornelius." Jason growled before walking to the door. "I'm going to make sure that poor boy doesn't make it there, and taint his innocence. Even if it costs him his life. I won't have another poor soul like Michael walk on only to suffer."

The Forest was quiet at night. Deathly quiet. It reminded him of how many of those forgotten mercenaries and rogues trying to stay alive laid here forgotten to time. Watching the graves was peaceful to an odd degree, but after two hours of just sitting around, he decided to get some exercise in. Staying at the top of his game would make the actual game easier.

Crocea Mors split the air around him in one wicked frontal arc. Dragging it back, he jabbed forwards, driving his sword's tip into a tree, delicately enough to poke into the bark with shattering it. Strikes lashed in turn. Uppercut, downcut, wide arc, parry, backstroke, defend, thrust. The final thrust sent him tumbling to the ground, sword clattering away from him. Jaune side, rubbing his sore neck.

"C'mon, Jaune, focus!" He shouted, slamming his fist against his knee. He picked up his sword and tried again. He closed his eyes, trying to recall that one day Michael decided to teach him how to kill.

When you get down to it, killing is easy, but few know how to do it right. The human body is far more fragile than people let on, and there are key vital points that are easily exploitable. The heart, lungs, spine, liver, larynx, kidneys, subclavian artery, jugular vein, and especially the brain. Targeting these areas are key for a quick, sure death. Showing no mercy is probably the best mercy you can give. It will grant those you fight a quicker death. Trust me.

A shadow of an enemy formed in his mind. Jaune lashed out in a wide arc, causing the wind around him to part, blowing a shockwave through the tufts of sleeping grass. The shadow parried, forcing Jaune to back up, placing his imaginary shield up, and thrusting his sword forward. The shadow form dodged the blow, prepared to counter, missing Crocea Mors' return trip, slashing across the bottom of its wrist, splitting its vein in two. The shadow in his mind uttered a sharp scream before dissipating in a black haze.

Simulation after simulation ran through his mind, each with varying results. All killing blows dealt cleanly. Whatever target in his head was silenced before the second blow. Sweat poured down his burning body through a rough nights work. The midnight bell rang eventually. Jaune ignored it and carried on. Sweat poured down his brow, cooled by the midnight breeze. The two o'clock bell rung before Jaune stopped, barely able to stand. He slid down the closest tree he could find, and stared at the moon, trying to catch his breath.

The shattered moon always confused him. Seperate parts were illuminated in different ways, creating an array of colors on some nights. Unconsciously, he reached out, as if trying to claim one of those bright shards for his own. He had no idea why. It calmed his mind for some odd reason. Made him think a bit more clearly of the road ahead of him.

Leaving was out of the option now. He had a commitment to fulfil. Fighting his way through seemed like the best option. He'd one of his best friends for help, maybe take him, but he couldn't trouble them. It would quick and easy. In and out. Done and done. Nothing more. None of his friends would judge him for this. They weren't like that, or he hoped they weren't. With those thoughts, he closed his eyes wafting in the cool forest air.

A bright light ruined his peace. He groaned, opening his eyes, blinking stupidedly. Sunlight poked through the trees above him. Weird, sunrises don't happen that fast, right? Growling gravelly like a drunk man facing a hangover, he pushed himself up, staring at his scroll screen. Seven Thirty-five. Jaune sighed. It was time to get moving.

The walk back to the bar took a little longer than expected. When he got there, a car was already waiting for him. Without a word, he got in and watched the lively city carry on without a care. At the airstrip, there was no one to see him off, no advice, no words of encouragement. Just a clap on the back from a random mercenary that was his pilot, a push into the ship, and a complaint from another mercenary about touting a kid around. He at least took his sickness medicine in advance.

The seat wasn't too comfortable, but it was enough. That's what it was. Enough. And he was fine with that. He couldn't afford for it to be otherwise right now. The airship took off without a hitch, and before he knew it, he was two hours into his flight before remembering how to breathe.

The Pilot didn't bother turning to him before he quickly dolled out his speech. "Alright, kid. You're heading to Famos, a small region offside from Vacuo's border. The area's surrounded by treacherous forest, but that's not the danger, small fry. There's an abandoned city by the name of Mellas. It was a nice lookin' city, kinda like Vale, but some damn crisis hit, and suddenly, the whole town's in the shitter."

"You mean it's full of Grimm? Like in Mt. Glenn?" Jaune asked, quietly.

"Sorta, yeah. But somethin' else is there too. Cause here's the thing. After that whole shebang, only seven people made it out of the town. Three of them went to the looney bin. Kept screaming about nightmares, and bad memories. Two died from some kind of disease a day afterwards, with another in quarantine. The last ones a merc now, imagine that."

"Yeah. Imagine that." Jaune muttered absentmindedly. His hand gripped his scroll, wishing he was anywhere but here, or at least Michael was here with him. A part of him was curious who that merc was that he was talking about. "Anything else?"

"I was gettin' to that." The pilot growled impatiently. "Avoid that city at all costs. As you might imagine, those seven survivors didn't get off easy. Apparently, they were just at the edge of town too. Had they been any closer, they'd be dead, or worse."

"What do you mean worse?" Jaune croaked.

"Weird thing about that city is that no one ever left." Jaune raised a brow. What kind of talk was this? "Not one. Not a single one. Nobody, but those seven. Any Hunter, Merc, rescue worker, Atlas tech, and anything in between that went in there never came out either. That place is one big ghost story in the making. I'd avoid it if I were you."

"Avoid the city if I wanna live. Got it." Jaune noted, lips pursed. Personally, he never took stock into too many horror stories. None made enough sense for him to believe in them. This wasn't much too different. It just seemed too surreal. But danger was danger. That town was a giant keep-out sign, and there was no way he was no way he was taking that with a grain of salt.

"The target is a man named Gregory Hamilton. Wipe him out without any witnesses. With your noted skills in stealth, you should be able to pull it off. Go through the forest, then hit up the hillside next to the city to avoid going through it. There's a mansion south of it. Don't worry, you won't miss it." Jaune nodded, grunting barely audibly. "Hey, kid, you listenin'? Cause I-"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you." He muttered. Clutching the seat cushion, or what was left of it, kept his mind at ease. Kept his pounding from firing out of his chest. Yesterday's exercise made his body throb, matching his heart. When his scroll rang, it made him scream, earning quite a scowl from his angry looking pilot. "S-sorry!" He called, before answer his scroll.

"Hey, Vomit Boy, how's it hanging?" Yang said casually.

"Yang? What're you doing up this early?" Jaune asked, happy to get his mind working on anything else.

"You do remember we have school, right?"

"Uh, yeah… Anyone else awake?"

"Yeah, hold that thought. Hey! Ruby! Get your little butt up already! Your boyfriends here!" A collection of groans and squeaks on the other end. "Yeah, she's not getting up anytime soon. Where the heck are you?"

"About thirty-thousand feet in the air, on my way to somewhere in Vacuo." Jaune said with a slight of pride.

"Vacuo, ey? Now that's quite a travel. Mind if we get some free rides?"

"Sorry, mercs only." Jaune said, voice cracking slightly.

"Kid, we're abo-" A light crack, probably from a faraway place, along with the parting screech of wind, and the sound of glass shattering. A red mist sprayed across the metal floor as the Pilot's head snapped back, then dropped down onto the console. The entire airship lurched suddenly, sending Jaune flying out of his chair, and onto the floor.

"Crap, crap, crap! What the-" Jaune gasped, scroll bouncing away from him. He reached out for it, only for the airship to lurch again, this time sending him flying against the wall. The back of his head slammed against the metal frame, dazing him.

"Jaune, what the hell is going on? Jaune!" Yang's voice screamed from somewhere. More came, but Jaune could barely hear her. Whatever she said was nothing but a dull ring to him. His body was flung from one corner to the other, rapid beeping echoing. Trees snapped against the airship, tearing the wall away.

"Jaune! Gimme some answers dammit! Jaune!"

"Oh no… oh no!" Jaune screamed just before impact. His head smashed against the wall as it touched down. All he remembered after that was pain and pure darkness.

Poor Jaune. He just can't have his peace, can he? Please review what you think, and I'll see you all next month!