Chapter 21 - Or, the Blackjack Chapter
2/3/16: Edits
Kia's tail switched back and forth in anticipation. The warm, woody spring breeze tickled her nose and caused the fine hairs on her ears to tingle, only adding to her barely reserved excitement. She had been waiting years for this moment—the whole village had. Her teal eyes swept across the fairground that had hosted most of the small village's notable functions. Everyone wore their best clothes for the occasion; men wore their brown and gray moth worn suits, and women pulled out their most colorful dresses. The side of her lip slanted downward as she couldn't find the familiar mop of wily silver hair. All he and Jaune would talk about was the exam, and how they thought they did. Now, when it was finally time for the announcement, he was late.
Honestly.
She turned to her blonde companion who was silently watching the townspeople filter throughout the large picnic tables.
"Where's Slade?"
Jaune shook his head. "No idea. I lost track of him while I was helping the Mayor set all this up."
In small villages like Carbo, the people made every excuse to have a celebration. So, when Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy came personally to administer the admissions test for his prestigious school, it was only natural that they have a party for the announcement of the young warrior that had made the cut.
It helped when everyone pretty much knew who would be going onto the great academy at Vale.
The general murmur of the crowd died down as Hank, the diminutive Mayor of Carbo hopped up onto a wooden podium at the head of the large, open field. The tall, serene Ozpin glided silently to his side. Giggling children scurried about, hastily abandoning their games, and rushing to find their seats.
The Mayor cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "If I could have everyone's attention, please." The excited murmur died down to an anticipatory hush. "Friends, we've weathered much as a community. There was the forest fire in the earlier part of the century that nearly took out half of our town. There were the Beovolf raids that nearly depleted our sheep stock before the great winter of sixty five. And, in more recent times, the arrival of the Baxter's triplets." The young family blushed and waved good naturally at the assembly. "And, only a few short days ago, Professor Ozpin of the illustrious Beacon Academy came to our fair village to test our finest warriors."
Kia glanced up at Jaune. His jaw was set and his eyes were steady. This marked the end of his years long training with Slade. He would probably go into the town guard and settle down. A warm feeling spread in the pit of her stomach at the thought. He caught her out of the corner of his eye, and smiled down at her. She blushed lightly and wound her tail around his arm. He reached over and ruffled her soft honey blonde hair.
"What's up, kitten? I got something on my face?"
She shook her head and leaned into his shoulder. Her soft purring buzzed pleasantly through his arm. "I was just thinking. After Slade goes away to school, you'll be all by yourself in that big old house."
"Yeah?"
"W-Well, I was wondering if you, maybe, wanted to come live with me and mama."
He smiled down at her. "Actually, that sounds like a great—"
"Ladies! Gentlemen! We have here the results of the test." Everyone's attention snapped up to the podium and the tiny Mayor with the plain white envelope in his hand. He slit open the envelope with a ceremonious flourish and the card inside slid into his waiting hand. His thick brown brows came together for a split second before he announced to the crowd, "My friends, Jaune Arc has been selected! Jaune, my boy, come up here!"
Kia only caught a glimpse of his stunned expression before he was wrenched away from her by a mob that looked to be headed by Crazy Pete. She sat frozen as the crowd cheered, and ushered him forward. The rest of the night passed in a frenzied haze of cheers and words of encouragement from everyone in the village. Pete's fireworks erupted in the sleepy evening sky, painting colorful swashes along the purple canvas.
And Slade was nowhere to be found.
Weiss Schnee puzzled over her notebook. The healing glyph she had prepared for Jaune lay on the page. After he had told her what the fail safe felt like, she had been thinking of ways to give it a little extra kick. She had an idea of what she wanted to do, but adding or taking away from a glyph circuit was a delicate process and could destabilize the entire thing.
After some deliberation, she tentatively scratched a thin line through a small cluster of diamonds along the outer ring of her rune. She bit her lip, running the numbers in her head. She finally decided to leave the new line where it was and mirrored it on the three remaining sides.
She leaned back and sighed, eying her work for the last half hour. A grand total of four lines, creating a square in the circular rune. It was a comically simple addition, to be sure, but if she had her math right, the effects would be significant.
She glanced up at the clock in their dorm. Jaune would be back from his workout soon. Before she could think on it further, her Scroll beeped. She glanced at it and saw she had a message from a G. Freeman. Her brows came together in mild confusion as she had no idea who that could be or how they got her address.
Weiss remembered what she'd asked of Peter. It had only been a few hours since she'd contacted him. Could he have come through already? Was this his way of covering his tracks? She gingerly set caution aside and accessed the message.
Her soft blue eyes scanned over the data. She bit her lip as the video attachment blinked up at her. She considered waiting for Jaune and the others to get back, but she remembered the hard sheen that entered his eye in History class. Her lips drew a thin line, her jaw clenched determinedly.
She started the playback.
At first the screen was complete white static. Then, analog distortions pulled across the screen before stabilizing into the image of a hard faced Schnee security officer looking off somewhere beyond the camera.
"Satellite uplink established, sir. You're green."
The man turned his slate gray eyes to the lens. "This is Captain Walter Wells, Operations Commander for Blackout mission D03-17." Wells' thick brick wall voice slammed through the camera over the whirling blades of the Bullhead. "The second security team sent to ascertain the status of mining colony 17 has been dark for a month now." He glanced out the window where Weiss imagined rolling stretches of pale sand to go on for miles and miles. "We're touching down at –x, and –y. We'll make the rest of the way in a north easterly heading on foot."
The camera swiveled around and Weiss could hear a soft clipping noise as Wells attached the device to his helmet. The lens swept over his readying teammates, five men all dressed in Schnee issue heavy security gear. They were basically Schnee's personal soldiers. Weiss tried to place the year of the uniforms, but couldn't.
"With me are radio expert Tom Cross, field expert Dupont, medic, Polefox, and the Denton brothers for extra muscle." Each made a gesture of salute as their name was called.
She watched his chopper touch down somewhere beyond Site 17; the blades of the Bullhead kicked up golden clouds of sand as it landed.
The commander ducked out of the idling chopper and jogged out a few paces. His team filed out after him. They jogged wordlessly after their commanding officer into the vast Raul desert. Every now and again Wells would turn to one of his men and issue a command. Weiss couldn't make out their faces as their helmets protected them from the heavy, whipping sands.
Weiss sped through their trek to Site 17. When the first signs of man made structures came into view, she resumed play.
Set in between the crisp blue sky and the sun bleached sands was what, at first glance, appeared to be a small village. Squat gray buildings sat on either side of a dusty road which was little more than a beaten path. At the head of this path stood a splintering wooden sign which read 'Site 17' in worn white lettering.
The investigation team moved through the bleached street in a close defensive formation. The video feed swung about as the commander turned his head.
"Saloon, general store, hospital, barracks." Wells pointed out each building to his team. They all looked about the same to Weiss. "Staff one twenty including security, workforce two hundred, six month rotation. One eighty Faunus, various job listings, twenty human, penal colony raffle." He turned to his team standing at the ready. "Gentlemen, this wasn't a heavy, hot button site. Schnee only bothered to establish it to keep the special interest groups at bay. Our mission here is twofold. Number one, figure out how and why this site went dark. Number two; find out where the hell happened to the security teams before us."
Doors lay askew on their hinges with jagged splinters carved out of their body, holes gaped in thick gray concrete walls. The team swept into the nearest building. It had once been a modest bar for the locals to relax. Now, chairs and tables lay in half and gleaming gems of shattered glass crunched under their boots. Every bottle was broken; some even had brown, dried liquid clinging to the jagged edges.
"What in the world happened here?" Denton One wondered aloud as the commander made the signal to move on.
The team swept throughout the ruined watering hole. Casks of alcohol looked to have exploded violently in the cellars. Boarding rooms looked as if a storm had thrown all the furnishings about. Everything was broken, and the still air held the faint scent of smoke. It was as if the whole building was smoldering, but from what, no one could tell.
"Dust, it's like everyone suddenly went insane and ripped the place apart."
"Yeah. But where are they?"
Finding nothing of value, the soldiers continued cautiously through the silent town and came upon the well situated at the center. It was a simple concrete well, with a wooden bucket for water retrieval. The bucket hung on a tilt and waved listlessly in the thin desert breeze. Denton Two walked up to the mouth and looked inside as a formality. He didn't honestly expect to find anything in there.
Only his extensive training kept him from recoiling at the sight that awaited him.
"C-Commander! Over here."
"What is it?"
The video feed stomped up to the well and followed the ashen gaze of the young soldier. Deep in the pit, a mirror of black, stagnant water glimmered up at the men. And just under the skin of the murky liquid, pale, bloated, rotting faces frowned up at them.
Weiss looked away and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't hear the door open and shut behind her.
"I think we found them." A shaky voice.
"Some of them. Make a note." After a pause. "The site proper is ahead in that mesa. Let's move."
The team moved on, combing through the remainder of the settlement with systematic precision. They weren't overly concerned with finding survivors. Not anymore.
The hospital was completely overturned and emptied of supplies and patents. The general store still had most of its goods, but they were spoiled and burnt. The barracks was where their last hope of finding any living creature fizzled away. Lockers and personal chests were wrenched open, their contents gone. Bunks lay collapsed atop one another and splintered beyond repair. And throughout all of it, the same faint scent of smoke bled from the very walls. It got to the point where even the commander was hastening his sweep of the buildings to return to the baking heat of the desert.
The red, rocky mesa crouched low on the horizon a small walk from the ruined settlement. The inspection team approached the mine with professional caution, fully expecting the people who had savaged the town to still be in the area. At the entrance, several dimly glowing Dust containers lay split open and ransacked.
Sturdy wooden beams held several tons of heavy red stone from crashing down on the Schnee security team. Dead orange bulbs in iron cages hung limply from the ceiling. Water drip dropped from small routes weathered through the stone; the sound reverberated throughout the dark cave like a judge's gavel. At their feet, a small iron rail system stretched deep into the mine for easy transport of the excavated Dust.
As they progressed through the main shaft, they found scattered mining equipment; picks, drills, shattered lamps. The commander paused to inspect one of the cracked drills. He reached out his hand and ran his fingers along the cool metal. His hand came away with the same dried brown residue from the bar. A sniff revealed the faint tang of iron. Blood. Dried blood.
"They've been through here, and the only way out is through us. Stay sharp."
Weiss could hear his teammates ready their weapons.
The static on the camera feed increased the deeper they went. Now, Weiss had to look through a faint grain to make out the picture. As they advanced, the state of ruin increased. Wooden support beams lay splintered, transport containers, shattered against rock walls, lights blasted out, strewn over the rocky floor. The men switched on their flashlights. The beams cast long, jagged shadows along the scarred and beaten walls. Dust mites hung eerily in the flooded gaze of the lights.
The air became thick, still, and wet. Weiss could see the light sheen of moisture on the soldiers' masks.
"No one moves down any of these shafts without the rest of us." The commander's camera swept around every corner as he checked and cleared every blind spot. His headlamp cut strange dark angles around each corner.
"According to the map there's supposed to be a hub up ahead." The camera swung around and fixed on what Weiss assumed was Dupont, consulting an older model Scroll.
"Good. We'll set up a forward base there and radio back to HQ." Wells turned to Cross. "How's the uplink holding?"
"We're green for now, but the deeper we go, the more interference we're going to get. It takes a lot of power to punch through all this rock."
Weiss was too engrossed in the video to notice a hand snake around her waist.
The six Schnee soldiers trudged through the dark, dank cavernous mine to the central hub. It was little more than a large room cut into the mine with branches sprouting off in confusing directions.
"Holy shit!"
Scattered throughout the floor of the central hub was the very image of carnage. Red, ruptured body parts lay in scattered piles on the blood soaked floor of the hub. The soldiers' flashlights caught snatches of empty, grasping hands severed from their arms; arms as little more than chunks of gored meat on the ground, torsos loosed from their limbs, and gaping heads, half caved in from heavy impact.
Weiss gasped, her blue eyes stared rooted to the screen. Pinpricks of fear lanced through her nerves. She didn't notice something gently press against the top of her head.
The assembly was quiet for a full minute before the commander took the first hesitant steps into the gore. His boots made a wet squashing noise as he stepped through slick ropes of blackened innards.
"This is burn damage, sir." Polefox knelt down and inspected some of the remains. "These people were... baked. And then torn apart." He looked up at his comrades. "This wasn't a mutiny."
True enough there were human and Faunus remains alike. The six spread out and secured the area. Most of the mine branches had deep red trails running down into their dark depths. People had been dragged, most likely alive, to or from the hub. It was hard to make out which way the trails were going.
Deeming the area relatively safe, the soldiers met at the center. Cross set up a mobile radio on the cleanest part of the ground he could find, and extended the six feet long aerials.
"We'll check in with base and make a sweep of the critical areas of the mine." Wells turned to Dupont who was crouched on the floor, unfolding a large map. "Alright, there's only two real places of interest down here. Ventilation," he pointed at a long shaft shooting off to the right on the map, "and the power plant, which is a ways further down." He dragged his large finger upward into what was most probably the center of the mine.
Cross' helmet entered the camera's line of sight as he poured over the map. "Don't suppose there's much use in turning on the power in this place, most of the bulbs look burst.
"We'll try anyway, the more light the better."
The team concentrated their focus on the radio as Cross completed his setup. The unit crackled to life and the operator twisted various knobs to clear the reception.
"You're on, boss." Cross knelt beside his radio, listening for radio fluctuations. "You've got a clear channel to base, but I don't know for how long."
Wells' hand came out and grasped the microphone. "This is Captain Wells. Captain Wells to base, do you read?"
After some initial static, a fuzzy voice responded on the other end. "This is Schnee HQ, go ahead Captain."
"We've made it to the first hub of Site 17's mining operation. So far, no survivors, and lots of body parts and broken equipment. It doesn't look like a Faunus uprising, or a mutiny against the staff. Something came in here and tore the place a new one."
"Acknowledged, Captain. Proceed with the survey and..." The rest was garbled up by radio static.
Cross adjusted some knobs to compensate. "I'm not getting a fix, sir."
"Reestablish contact."
"That'll take time, sir."
"How long?"
Cross looked up at the solid rock ceiling. "Can't say."
Wells made a gesture Weiss couldn't see. "Never mind. We'll proceed with the mission and get out of here."
"Roger that."
The team straightened up and checked their gear. Wells' camera gazed into the black yawning mine. He brought his weapon to bear and attached his flashlight to the under slung mount.
Then he froze in place. Weiss could see the stillness of the camera.
"Everybody hold!"
His teammates instantly dropped what they were doing. The only sound in the cavern was the drip drop of water echoing throughout the hollow chamber. A minute passed and Weiss was beginning to wonder what was going on when the camera swerved around in a one eighty turn and the Dust rifle came up at the ready.
Weiss pitched forward to get a better look at what was on the screen.
"You! Hold it!" Wells' booming military issue voice rocketed across the chamber.
From the tunnel they had just come from stood the silhouette of a large, solid figure. The camera was too low resolution for Weiss to get a better look, but she saw ethereal fire dancing in his eyes.
The figure took a step toward the security team. The dim echo of light that seeped into the mineshaft from the opening beyond become engulfed by his massive stature. The only remaining light was the burning in his eyes.
"Stay right where you are!"
The darkness in the room grew with each step the monster took. Soon, the unfortunate security team was bathed in complete blackness. They couldn't see their own hands let alone each other.
"Commander! What's going on?" One of the Dentons was beginning to panic.
Wells' attention was fixed on the twin burning eyes. There couldn't be ten feet between him and that strange apparition. Then, like cursed stars igniting in a damned sky, one by one the area became lit with burning pairs of eyes.
"Oh, god!"
Weiss saw Wells' camera lurch as he was gripped by the throat and brought eye to eye with those infernal eyes.
"Yes, God."
"Open fire!"
The screen dissolved into a maddening frenzy of gunfire, screaming, and white noise. Weiss tossed her Scroll in a fright. It clattered harmlessly against her wooden desk.
It was at about this point where she became hyper aware of her body. She felt the arm around her waist, and the pressure on top of her head. She squirmed in her seat and looked up at her captor, her eyes pinpricks of terror.
Her quivering mint blue orbs met with Jaune's solid cobalt. Her body stopped struggling instantly, but her heart continued to race as her mind screamed at every nerve she had that she was safe.
"Hey." Jaune bent down and gently pressed his lips to her forehead. He gave her one final reassuring squeeze about the waist before releasing her.
Weiss took several calming breaths and rubbed her temples. Jaune slowly massaged her shoulders and neck as a peace offering for startling her.
"When did you get back?" She turned her seat as Jaune plopped down on her bed.
"A while ago. I wondered what you were working on so I looked over your shoulder." Weiss noticed his eyes dim and harden. It pained her. "Is this what you got back from your information network?"
She was sure he already knew the answer to that, but for the sake of conversation she humored him. "Yeah."
They lapsed into a silence that was neither uncomfortable nor all that pleasant. Weiss looked down at her lap and shot troubled glances up at Jaune whose eyes were dark, stormy, and far away. This was why she didn't want him to see the video, not right away at least. She wanted time to figure out what was troubling him.
"J-Jaune? Is everything alright?"
The knight started and blinked a few times as he came back to the present.
"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He scratched the back of his head. "It's just the heat. It's getting to me."
Weiss looked out the window, and while it was almost evening, she could tree leaves curling from the heat, their tips singed and dead.
"We should probably show this to Professor Ozpin."
"What?" Her mind was focused on the crippled leaves.
"The video. The info. We should give it to Ozpin as soon as possible. He's probably waiting for a break." He sounded restless. Weiss could detect a hint of agitation in his voice. After being around the Schnee patriarch all her life, it was something she picked up on instinctively.
But she wasn't ready to give up what they had. When she did, they would draw up a plan of attack. No doubt as the only people to have encountered the foul ruffians, she and Jaune would be tasked with the operation. Ren and Nora would have to come along as they were part of the team after all. Their lives would be put at risk against an ancient foe no one was sure could be completely defeated. Whole armies had tried, so what chance did a bunch of school children have?
She suppressed the hopeless shudder that ran through her body with some difficulty. She saw the hunched and brooding figure of the one she loved through a mask of tears. She willed them away. She needed to be strong right now.
Weiss waited until she trusted herself to speak. "We should wait until Ren and Nora get back."
Jaune nodded absently. He wasn't anywhere near the dorms of Beacon Academy. Weiss bit back a growl of desperation; she needed him to know she was there. She got up and settled herself on his lap. She wound her arms around his shoulders and nestled her head into the crook of his neck.
His body was stiff and unresponsive. Weiss frowned and gave him a hearty squeeze. Nothing. She tried to move up for a light kiss on the cheek, but he turned his head away.
She mewled pitifully. "Jaune, don't push me away." She reached up and gently pushed his cheek back until he was looking into her large diamond blue eyes. "Please."
It was difficult looking into his hard eyes, and she didn't like the frown etched onto his handsome young face, but slowly, very slowly, something shifted. He brought one arm up and rubbed up and down the length of her body. He squeezed her shoulder and arm, ran his hand down her waist and back up again. His other arm held her firmly by the waist. His gentle caresses sent waves of warmth throughout her body.
She looked into his distant eyes and noticed a faint sparkle of what she longed to see; the old Jaune, the happy, confidant Jaune. She dove in to nuzzle his cheek once more, and this time he didn't turn away. A burst of happiness spurred her on as she peppered light kisses across his jaw line. She could feel the tips of his lips turn up as she kissed the corner of his mouth.
It was working!
She felt his body gradually relax. His arms became more animated as he ran them over her back and drew small shapes with his fingertips. She arched her back as little jolts of pleasure shot up her spine. He pulled her closer and pressed his forehead to hers. She saw the sparkle in his eye brighten ever so slightly. The tips of his lips turned into a small smile. He nuzzled her and placed a small kiss on her nose.
She squeaked and curled her nose cutely as it tingled.
He lightly captured her lips in a chaste kiss. She expected a bit more, but decided to let him set the pace. This was for his benefit after all. She laced her fingers around his neck, and he brought a hand up and lightly cradled the back of her head.
She moaned lightly in encouragement as he gingerly deepened the kiss. But before things could go any further, the pair heard the soft click of the electronic lock. Her heart wanted to stay right where she was but her brain took over and broke the kiss. She got to her feet, straightened out her skirt, and sat lightly in her chair. Her heart fell when she saw the glow in Jaune's eyes dim once more, and his shoulders stiffen.
"Jaune-Jaune, Weiss-Weiss, what's up?" Nora bounded lightly into the room with Ren in toe.
Jaune's eyes took on a hard edge they'd only seen when he faced Grimm, his mouth was set in a firm line. All of Weiss' progress had been undone in a moment. "We've got a lead. Let's get it over to Ozpin so we can check it out."
It took all of Weiss' posture training to keep her from fidgeting as the Headmaster reviewed the tape. She felt the spacious office close in on her. She wasn't one to mind open or closed spaces, but today, everything in the room bore down on her. The long open windows loomed dangerously. The blank black screen behind the Professor reflected a dark mirror of the troubles that played across her face. Even her teammates at her sides stood like statues, Jaune with a smoldering expression, and Ren and Nora in quiet readiness.
The ghostly gray glow of the Scroll reflected off the Headmaster's thin glasses. The volume had been turned down; Jaune and Weiss didn't need to hear those sounds again, and Ren and Nora had politely declined to view the video having heard Weiss' summary. The final moments of the Schnee security team played back for the second time that day before Ozpin closed the file.
He set the device aside and steepled his fingers in thought. Weiss didn't like that. That meant he was planning something. Her heart clenched uncomfortably as she regarded the pensively pondering professor. Normally, she would love the chance to go out on a mission. But this was different. These weren't Grimm they were hunting. Grimm had followed a certain method, like animals really, if far more violent. No, they were after an ancient cult of men driven mad.
Her palms grew sweaty and clammy as the silence drew on. She quietly laced a hand through Jaune's, and took quiet comfort in his large warm hand.
After a minute Ozpin pulled up his own Scroll, and swept his fingers across the screen. That gesture activated the large screen behind his desk. The screen quickly populated with the documents Detective Payne had forwarded to Weiss. Among them was a map of the city with an overlay in red ink of targets for a coordinated attack.
"The information provided by the good Detective suggests a large scale attack on the city in the near future." Ozpin rose from his seat and walked around his thick wooden desk—coffee mug in hand—to stand with his young students. "We've concluded from the calculations on the sheets that they're planning a firestorm. A burning event that could level the city in a matter of hours. The difficulty rests in finding out when. This Foreman, seems to know only about as much as we do. His orders evidently come in from the master himself." The professor turned to Jaune's team. "But this doesn't mean we can't be prepared. I'm going to send out a message to everyone participating in, or otherwise involved with the tournament. The more assets we have in the city, the better our chances in defending it.
"Now, this is all well and good for the survival of the city. And had it been all we had recovered, I would still consider it a significant victory. However," he fixed Weiss with an appraising look. "Miss Schnee has come up with an interesting piece of the puzzle."
Weiss averted her eyes. She felt hot and the room was starting to sway.
Ozpin drew deeply from his mug and swept his hand across the screen. The image panned off to be replaced with a map of a section of the Raul desert.
"The video provides us with a most invaluable piece of information. A location." The map zeroed in on the coordinates and heading the commander had dictated to his camera. "If we take into account the soldiers' pace from the Bullhead to the compound, and given the mesa as a landmark directly behind the settlement, puts the site exactly here." The screen zoomed in on a small stretch of land that resembled the same barren empty waste as the rest of the desert.
"But Sir, there's nothing there." Jaune offered slowly.
Ozpin turned to the young knight with the barest glimmer of a benevolent smirk. "Oh, no official map would show otherwise. Courtesy of the Schnee Dust Company. But I'm willing to bet it's still very much there."
Weiss glanced up at Jaune and saw a renewed fire in his eyes. He was going to be a part of this no matter what anyone said. And she would never let him go alone. She very much hoped—planned, on being with him for a very, very long time. She suddenly wished she'd never asked Peter for help.
Ozpin walked over to one of the long windows overlooking the school grounds. The reddish purple dusk sky made the softly buzzing street lamps and the last bustling students seem like a whole world apart from the plotting going on in the office.
"This provides us with a rare opportunity to take the assault to their front door." His experienced eyes swept pensively over the dozing school grounds. Finally, he turned to his charges. They were so very young, having lived so little of life, but they were far from helpless. He saw the determined gleam in the young Arc's eyes. He saw how the young Schnee's fingers threaded through her partner's. He saw the quiet resolve in Ren's eyes, and the fearless excitement in Miss Valkyrie.
"Since the attack on the city hasn't happened yet, that means we still have a chance for a preemptive one. But that doesn't mean we will for long." Ozpin went back to his desk and bowed his head over the collected intel. "Go now. Rest. But be ready at a moment's notice to be called into action. I will contact you tomorrow with more information."
"Yes Sir." The young hunters chorused and turned to leave.
Just as they reached the door Ozpin's voice rang out once more. "If any of you should wish to opt out of the coming operations, do not hesitate to tell me."
Weiss looked back at him with an almost longing expression; her large mint blue eyes wide and expressive. This was her chance to keep everyone safe and let someone else handle this mess. She was scared. Weiss Schnee was scared, plain and simple. The reality of the situation was crushing down on her that they might not make it back from this. She wanted to volunteer to protect the city. Strength in numbers! Anything but this. She didn't want Jaune to meet that monster, because she knew he wouldn't stop until his foe was defeated, even if he completely exhausted himself in the process.
But as she passed through the threshold with her hand still firmly in Jaune's grasp, she couldn't utter a single word.
Ozpin watched until the door closed with a soft click. He rose from his seat once more and walked to his favorite window. After a minute of silent watching he saw the youngsters step out into the quiet evening. Miss Schnee huddled close to her blonde companion. After a few paces the small group stopped, each lost in their own thoughts. Miss Schnee snapped out of her daze first and stepped over to grasp Mr. Ren's hand, and he took his orange haired friends' in turn. The four students resumed walking, huddled together, taking comfort in their shared closeness.
Jaune floated through an abyss of darkness. It was neither cool nor hot. He felt nothing. He saw nothing.
Not yet, anyway.
He screwed his brows together in anger for what he knew was about to happen.
"So, the illustrious Professor Ozpin is plotting against me, is he?"
The world came flooding through his senses in a torrent of warm woody colors. He was rooted to the floor of Slade's living room. The smoldering red brown wood, sturdy and sure, polished to shimmering perfection. The area over the hearth was just as he remembered; Slade's ancestors went from portraits to photographs as time wore on. The fireplace housed a burning flame that hung frozen in the air, licking at the tips of the stone hearth. The bright bulbs embedded in the ceiling hung like razor sharp icicles poised to fall on the scene between the young knight and the Faunus out of time.
The wild maned Faunus sat cross legged on Slade's maple colored rug. Jaune liked that rug. He was decked in his usual silken robe that flowed like liquid sunlight. "I think I've showed you enough of my history. Today, I want to get to know you." There was only cold malice in his voice. His fathomless eyes were like two suns burning through the young man's soul.
Jaune grit his teeth in anger. It was about all he could do. He had never been able to move in these little visitations. For the past few weeks the ageless Faunus had been bombarding him with information; memories of his time on the planet. The young knight couldn't possibly retain or make sense of most of it, so it manifested in vicious headaches and restless sleep.
Now, the mad Faunus had run out of topics to scald his prey with, so he had turned his sights on Jaune's own memories. Something he had hoped would never happen. Getting into his head meant getting to his village, and Slade and Kia, and Beacon, and Weiss.
Damn it!
"You. Stay away from them!" Jaune barked through his mental restraints. Even speaking was an exhausting task for him. He felt dizzy and his head burst in a colorful blast of pain.
The leader of the Black Hand adopted an expression of mock hurt. "Jaune, I'm hurt. I shared my past with you. It's only right that you share yours with me." He bore his teeth in his approximation of a smile, white, straight, sharp.
Jaune tried to resist. He glared at the sanguine invader and willed him out of his mind, out of his memories. The world around him dissolved into a fury of color and pain. He could feel an ethereal tendril digging around in his consciousness, scraping aside his meager defenses and slashing through the tender years of his peaceful youth. The only thing he could make out through the haze of confusion and pain were the twin burning eyes of his tormenter.
The world whipped back into focus. They were standing in a moonlit field at the extreme edge of town. A small, teetering, gypsy caravan slouched at the foot of the main road to Carbo village. A dim, but well-meaning lantern hung by a wooden beam at the head of the carriage. The scene was frozen in time, a robed and hooded nomad held a bundle to the much younger Mayor Hank. Another hooded figure presented a gleaming, sheathed sword to an attendant that had come with the puzzled mayor.
When the pain subsided, Jaune was on the ground feet away from his infant self, wheezing for breath. He had never quite been able to visualize the day he'd come to his village. He supposed this was what it looked like. While he couldn't remember, his mind must have recorded it all the same.
Jaune would have appreciated the scene had he been in better company.
"Your origins are of no real consequence. You came from nothing with a sword at your side and a slip of paper with your name on it." The Faunus' feet stepped in front of his view. "Your family was destroyed long ago; a mere footnote in my lifetime."
The scratching started again. He could feel the layers of his mind peeling away.
When the world came back he was crumpled on the floor in Slade's living room, only now he saw the image of his young eight year old self giving Slade's own counterpart some last minute encouragement. Their figures, too, were frozen in time. Young Jaune had a wide, innocent smile on his face; his big blue eyes sparkled with adventure. Slade's handsome face had an amused smile cut across it as he strapped on his graphite gray armor.
Jaune grit his teeth and bit back the pounding in his head.
The ancient Faunus swept over to little Jaune and Slade in long, fluid strides. He stood over the two unsuspecting children with a neutral expression.
"So, this is your friend. The one the whole village had their hopes on." He scoffed. "What was it like, living as the only outsider in a close village? He was their pride and joy, while you were just that bumbling little sidekick."
Jaune felt his mind crack open once more. His feet buckled violently, but he forced himself into a kneeling position.
Now he was in Slade's room. The only light was the softly streaming silver moonlight from the bare window. Little Jaune's hand hovered over the bloodied Slade; it glowed a warm, heavenly gold as it healed the dying boy completely.
"You could have left him to die." The burning Faunus circled around the hunched Jaune like a predator sizing up a piece of meat. "After all, it's simply the natural order of things." His voice was right up against his ear. The acidic purr slid through his ear unpleasantly. "But you had to be a hero."
"Of course!" Jaune spat. "I'd give anything for my friends. I'd do it again!"
The silk clad Faunus erupted in low, rumbling laughter. "I'm sure you will."
Tears sprung up in his eyes as lances of pain shot through his head. It was only through sheer defiance that his legs didn't give way from the pain. The world dissolved. The ground from underneath his feet was pulled away and the young knight fell down an infinite well of black terror. He tumbled end over end through the blackness. His mind begged him to scream, to call out for help, but he couldn't—wouldn't give that man the satisfaction.
His feet slammed down onto the golden tall grass that grew freely outside his little village. The sun was up and bathed the land in bright light. He saw an older version of himself and Slade frozen in place as they ducked and weaved through the flora. Their weapons gleamed in the midday sky.
"He took you under his wing and taught you everything you know. Everything I know. There isn't a single skill in your repertoire that I am not prepared for." The larger man tapped his temple.
Jaune growled in pain as the claws tore at his mind once more. He gripped his head as he tumbled hopelessly, like a ragdoll under the gaze of a cruel child. When his feet crashed into the ground, he collapsed to one knee, panting hard.
He picked up his heavy and hurting head to see himself in the Emerald Forest. He was carrying Weiss on his back and he was running from a gang of serpents that bore down on him from the trees. The Jaune in the memory was leaping between two trees while the Weiss on his back was firing ice bolts back at their pursuers.
The silken Faunus walked up to the unseeing Jaune. "You made it into Beacon and started training. But no matter how much training you consume, your ultimate mistake still remains..."
A million fire ants were building a nest inside the young knight's brain. His eyes went white with pain. When his vision returned, He was kneeling in a dirty alleyway with an enraged Cardin Winchester pulling his head back to slam into the side of a dumpster. The healed wound on the real Jaune began to throb. The throbbing intensified as his eyes lingered on his helpless counterpart. It was as if the wound was trying to reopen.
The ageless Faunus cut across his line of sight, looking down at him as if he were a common rat. "The loss of your Aura ensured that you would be forever vulnerable." He threw his arms out at his sides. "In a world of super humans and demonic creatures, you are the one man who could be bested by the weakest of either faction."
Jaune hated the sneer that spilled across the broad man's face. It burned itself into his aching eyes. It got under his skin and mocked him for being so weak.
"Get. Out. Of. My. Head!" Jaune choked out each word with gritted teeth.
The gold maned Faunus bent down so they were eye to eye. "Not yet."
Sharp, rusted blades dug through his skull churning and mincing the meat of his brain. He wanted to scream, his body wanted to plead for relief, death, whatever. But his heart remained steadfast. He wasn't allowed to give in. Jaune's eyes rolled into the back of his head. His lungs burned, and it took him twice as much effort to breathe. He gasped came in thick, slow, wheezes.
And then, the pressure was relieved, his vision exploded in a galaxy of stars and he coughed and choked as he desperately sucked in air. When he looked up he was sprawled out on a rooftop watching himself deliver a masterful dropkick to the fleeing Elk assassin. His counterpart's hair was swept back by the wind, and his face was twisted in a mixture of anger and adrenaline fueled excitement.
The blazing Faunus stepped up to his former assassin. He circled around the frozen man slowly, closely examining his final moments.
"This was one of my better agents. I sent him so he could do away with you and capture the girl. At the time I didn't think to assault your mind—thinking you to be little more than a fly to swat away from my true prize." He circled back and stood before Jaune, a towering wall of gold and fire. "You see, her mental defenses are far too strong. In sleeping, and in waking her mind is filled with such happiness that she draws great strength from it." He doubled back and silently observed the Jaune who was in mid dropkick. He appraised the scene like a critic at a museum. "Good form, Mr. Arc. Solid performance. Tell me, do you fancy yourself a man of action?" He pivoted on his heel and clasped his hands behind his back. His bright, burning eyes seared the sickly Arc.
Jaune felt the bile rise in his throat by just looking at the man. He put all the power he had into his feet and pushed himself into a standing position.
"Why are you doing this?" raged Jaune. "So many people are going to die, and for what? What will be left after you scorch the world? What sort of future will your people have on a hunk of coal?"
The Faunus' casual stance disappeared and in its place stood a broad shouldered commander. "Do not concern yourself with my people. They will inherit their birthright—the bounties of this world erased of the human disease. Do not think me so brash that I would injure the planet beyond repair." He cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "Your instructors showed you some of the injustices my people have had to suffer. I am merely evening the score from centuries of abuse. I merely wish to take my price in a matter of days rather than years."
The world around Jaune went dark. He screwed his eyes shut. His mind and body exploded in pain once more as his memories and emotions were torn apart and sifted through by a ruthless monster. The young knight could feel bouts of emotion as each of his life experiences were touched by the corruption. He felt bursts of happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, fear, loneliness. All of it mounted and drove him nearly to hysterics.
But through it all, his instincts told him to fight on. That what he was struggling a losing battle to protect was worth suffering for. He concentrated on an image of Weiss. He thought of her white hair, her soft blue eyes, her clear, smooth skin. He thought of her bright smile, and how he had been the first to bring it out in her.
Jaune pushed with his mind. He pushed with his body. He pushed against the invisible restraints that held him in place. He pushed against the invisible tendrils that carved up his mind.
Gradually, he could feel the tendrils leaving his mind. He could feel his body begin to loosen and regain its mobility. It was working! Whatever he was doing it was working! He grit his teeth and pushed harder. After some agonizingly long minutes the tendrils had subsided, and he felt he could move about freely.
Jaune opened his eyes and saw wide, bright flares that had become of his tormenter's blazing eyes.
"Well done, Mr. Arc. It looks like you're finally getting the hang of it."
"Get out of my head." Jaune took a purposeful step toward his torturer.
He could feel rumbling laughter echo all around him. The bright, burning eyes disappeared and the voice that boomed at him came from everywhere. "An admirable effort, Mr. Arc. But unfortunately, a bit late."
Jaune's mind was torn anew. He collapsed fully to the ground under the crushing weight of an unseen presence. He could feel himself being held down and picked apart. Tears sprung up in his eyes as his brain was turned inside out. He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. The image of Weiss that had given him such hope and strength was gone, replaced by a pit of endless blackness.
He wanted it to end. He was tired, and had no way of fighting back in this state. He opened his mouth. Whether to scream out or to beg for the end he didn't know. But just as he screwed his eyes shut to brace for the next wave of pain and to admit his defeat, it all subsided. The pain was gone. The pressure was gone. Instead, he felt cool, solid concrete under his cheek.
"On your feet, young man." Jaune felt himself be lifted effortlessly off the ground. His mind was numb, his eyes were too tired to weep, and his body felt like it would rather just collapse all over again.
His face fell in pure devastation. His breath left him like the last sigh of a dying man, and his mind went blank in defeat. The scene before him was the sweetest memory he had. Overhead stretched a dome made of delicate crystal clear ice. Within it, soft veins of ethereal blue light showered down onto the scene below. And under the fantastic canopy, stood a young man gently cradling a white haired girl in his arms.
"Ah. This is what it's all about in the end, isn't it?"
The Faunus strode almost victoriously over to the frozen couple. Jaune felt a plume of anger flare throughout his body with every step the intruder took.
"You stay away from them!"
The ancient man turned sporting an amused expression. "Come again?"
Jaune's face twisted in rage. "I said, get away from them!"
He broke into a sprint and hurled himself at his enemy. The Faunus sidestepped casually, but Jaune hooked his arm around the man's thick neck and swung his body around, slamming his knee into his back. The effect was minimal, resulting in a muted thud and a thin grunt.
Jaune wrangled his arms around the golden man's neck and squeezed, pouring every ounce of frustration into the headlock. His reward was thick, rumbling laughter. He felt two meaty hands grip him by the shoulders. Before he could react, he felt himself lifted and slammed down onto the hard pavement.
Jaune ignored the explosion of pain that blew through his body and scrambled to his feet. He delivered a hard punch form the right. It was deflected. He tried from the left. Caught. He shifted close for a punch to the gut. He hit home, slamming his fist into the man's chest. No reaction. The Faunus only looked down at him with without expression. Frustrated, Jaune reeled back and swung with an uppercut.
The Faunus' brown head snapped back. Jaune's left hand was freed. He shuffled back a few steps and took up a loose fighting stance. His cobalt blue eyes roamed over the figure of his opponent. He was ready for a fight.
The bronzed Faunus slowly brought his head back down and fixed his unblinking gaze on Jaune once more. He slowly shook his head in disappointment. He took slow, measured steps toward the young knight, like a cat stalking a trapped mouse.
Jaune breathed hard through his nose and charged his enemy again. His fist flew up to meet with that smug face, but it only connected with air. He lashed out with the other, only to have it rebound off the man's thick wrist.
An invisible hand gripped him by the throat and hoisted him into the air. Jaune struggled against the unseen pressure. He could feel his esophagus slowly folding in on itself; the air slowly left his body. His narrowed eyes glared down at the sanguine Faunus.
"Come now, Jaune." The grizzled man made a slow circuit around the hanging, choking boy. "Did it not cross your mind why you were feeling pain in your own dream? Why you didn't wake up/" He barked out a laugh. "Honestly, this is what Ozpin has in store for me..."
Jaune could do nothing but stare helplessly at the innocent versions of himself and Weiss through bleary eyes. A renewed fire burned brightly within him as the madman circled round and came to a halt in front of the embracing couple.
"I am master in your own mind, Jaune." He extended a hand that came dangerously close to touching Weiss.
"Don't touch her!"
The hand stopped just short of the girl's cheek. He looked up at the squirming boy with a bored expression. "Or you'll do what, exactly?"
Without warning Jaune plummeted to the ground. He tried to absorb his fall, but a violent force pushed him toward the ground face first. He crashed onto the concrete. He grit his teeth and growled out a grunt of pain. He felt something grab him by the neck and drag him forward—toward the feet of the waiting Faunus—drag him pressed to the ground. The course rooftop dug into his red cheek.
"You see?" Jaune was once again flung to his feet. His hands and legs snapped together. He hovered several inches off the ground, unable to look away from his tormenter. The amused Faunus stepped up to his prey, nose to nose. "You move as I command. You feel what I command. And you will wake when I say you may wake. There's nothing you can do."
The wildman stepped away and approached the precious scene. He hovered over Weiss' tiny form as she kissed her Jaune, completely unaware of the monster that stood mere inches away.
"But she is a very beautiful woman." He reached out and lightly caressed her cheek with the back of his index finger. Every nerve in Jaune's body cursed the man and wished nothing more than to rip him apart piece by piece. Slowly. "I should know, I've seen many over the centuries. Often weeping over the bodies of their heroes. Heroes just like you, Jaune."
Slowly, the world rippled and shifted before him. The innocent blue hue of the ethereal ice dome dimmed and erupted in an angry, pulsating red. The crystal clear ice grew dark and gleaming. It began to pulsate unnaturally, and to Jaune it was beginning to look more and more like beating flesh. The solid concrete below him cracked and blew away, revealing mounds of, grey, grinning skulls. The statues of Jaune and Weiss rose on a growing mound of crushed skulls.
The wild Faunus threw out his robed arms. "This is the legacy you inherit whether you come for me or not." Jaune's eyes became pinpricks of fear as he was forced to gaze at the gore surrounding him. "Breaking your body will be no challenge, I promise you." His voice had dropped to a cool hiss. "Your mind is already open to me, and the moment your dear Headmaster gives you his grand plan to fell me, I will simply pluck it out of your head and counter you move for move."
"You don't touch her," Jaune spat with malice in his eyes.
A sharp toothed grin was his reply. "Jaune, I swear to you on the heads of those I stand upon that you will not be deprived of the opportunity to watch your woman weep over your body. And when your eyes dim, the last thing you shall see is her life being drained from her body."
The madness buzzed angrily in the young man's mind like a trapped hornet. The knight struggled valiantly against his mental bonds. He poured every ounce of hate into willing his arms and legs to move. He growled in frustration when they didn't obey.
"All you have to do is scream, Jaune." The Faunus was near again, only a hair's length away from him, circling, menacing, taunting. "Call out for your girl. She'll hear you screaming in your sleep and she'll wake you. That's all you have to do, Jaune. Scream."
Jaune looked at the mountain of flesh and bone. He looked up at he and his sweet friend locked in an innocent embrace. The Jaune and Weiss of his memory stood as the headpieces of a monument of death. His vision flooded with hot tears.
He opened his mouth, inhaled, and—
Jaune bolted up in bed biting back a scream. If it was terror or frustration, he couldn't tell in his panicked state. His deep blue eyes flicked about the dark dorm room, chasing off the last shadows of nightmare. Satisfied that every corner was silent and as it had been when he went to sleep, he sucked in lungfuls of warm air to calm his shot nerves. His trembling body slowly calmed to jitters, then to the odd flinch, and finally stillness.
A pair of arms circled around his waist and his overtaxed body began to thunder anew. He craned his neck to meet his assailant, but couldn't make out any details in his state. It was only when a pair of cool lips pressed against the side of his neck that he knew he was safe. His fevered body cooled, his heart took on a regular pace, his exhausted, teary eyes found new strength. He looked back to see the clear, crystalline eyes of his little angel staring up at him the very picture of concern.
"Jaune? What's wrong?" She cuddled closer and tightened her hug. She wasn't letting go.
He smiled down at her and hoped it was dark enough that she couldn't see the echoes of distress on his face. "Hey, don't worry about it, you. It was just a bad dream." He kissed her forehead. "Go back to sleep."
Weiss looked unconvinced and nestled herself even closer. She tugged at his body and dragged him back down to bed. She peeked up at him from her nesting place in his chest. "Jaune, you would tell me if something was wrong, right?"
The monster Faunus' words ripped through his brain like knives in a tornado. He wanted to tell her. He looked into those clear diamond eyes and wanted so badly to confide in them as he always had. But he also wanted to protect her, even if she was more than capable of looking after herself. Even if she was an accomplished duelist, and a promising huntress. This was where he drew the line; an eons old force of nature that plotted and worked to destroy the things he loved.
Jaune bent down and nuzzled her nose. "Of course I would. You're my partner." He unconsciously put more emphasis on the last word than he knew. When he realized it, he felt warmth spread throughout his body. Weiss, too, had a content smile on her face. He gave her a squeeze and closed his eyes, memorizing every contour of her body, the smell of her hair, the feel of her soft skin. "Now go to sleep, we have a big day ahead of us."
Weiss reluctantly closed her eyes, resolving to take up the issue once more during daylight, and snuggled into his chest.
Jaune lay awake, lightly combing his hand through his partner's hair. It would help put her to sleep as well as calm his nerves. He waited until her soft breathing became steady and still. Her arms were just as strong around him in sleep as they were in waking, but he gently eased himself out of her grasp.
Jaune quietly layered his end of the blanket over her and tucked her further into the warm covers. He climbed over her and paused as his body hovered over her small form. Her soft white locks framed her pale face; her little hands had balled up the ends of the blanket into her tiny fists. Gazing down at her now, strengthened his saddened heart. The urge to kiss her rose. He reluctantly pushed it away; it would probably only wake her.
He bowed his head over her and drew his thumb across the stray lock of white hair that curled in front of her ear, combing it back. He smiled softly as it popped right back into place.
The troubled knight reluctantly pulled himself away and carefully climbed down from his bunk. He slipped out the door unnoticed. He walked down the dark hall, through the silent common room, and out into the warm, moon washed night.
The jitters came back as he stepped further and further away from the arms of his sanctuary. The trembling began anew. His eyes saw through a cloud of dizzying desperation. His feet staggered automatically to a bench opposite the stately statue of Elias Arc, hero of the Great War. He sank down heavily onto the compressed plastic bench.
Jaune sat in a hunched posture taking heavy, steadying breaths. He wrung his clammy hands, and jumped at the slightest sound. His imagination gave the otherwise innocent shadows a sinister bend. He gazed at the towering figure of his great ancestor with somber eyes.
Jaune dug within himself to get at what was really bothering him. He did his best to sweep aside the echoing barbs of the crazed Faunus, he swept aside his fear for his friends' lives; he knew they would be fine, they were strong. He put aside his concern for the world at large, that if they failed in their mission, a significant portion of the world would die. He put all of that away and confronted the real reason why he left his warm, safe bed.
He looked up at the stony face of his ancestor, his expression frozen in fearlessness for who knows how long. He licked his lips and took one last deep breath. "I'm scared." His hands hung limply off his knees, his shoulders were hunched but steady. "I'm scared I'm not gonna come back from this. I'm scared I'm going to confront this guy and he's just going to obliterate me."
There was no hopelessness in his voice, only acceptance.
He hung his head and stared down at the moon struck cobble path. "Let's face it. The only reason I got into this school was pure dumb luck. Slade was supposed to be here, not me." His hands laced together and he played idly with his fingers. "The only reason I could survive out there was because of Weiss' glyph. What if she hadn't developed it? What if I didn't have her by my side?" His voice dropped to a whisper. He didn't want to think of a life without her. She had become so important to him in such a short span of time, a part of him was still waiting for the other shoe to drop and for her to be taken away from him. "And now I have to take down a god. Do you know how many people he's killed?"
He shook his head in disbelief and when his eyes focused again, he was staring at a pair of long, slender, dancers' legs. His head snapped up and he was staring at a moonlit angel swallowed up in one of his hoodies. The oversized garment went all the way down to her knees. Her ghostly bangs covered her eyes, her lips were set in a thin frown, and her hands were clenched into rigid fists.
"W-Weiss? What are you doing out here?" Jaune did his level best to sound casual.
"I could ask you the same thing." Her voice had a bite of icyness to it that Jaune was unused to.
Jaune didn't like how her eyes were shielded. "Just enjoying the night air. I'm alright, Weiss. Go back to sleep."
"Liar," she spat venomously.
Jaune reeled back as if he'd been struck. "Weiss, wh-what is it?"
"You're a liar, Jaune Arc." Her voice rose steadily. "You are not okay. I was never asleep. I saw you sneak out. I know something's bothering you—it has for a while now, but you still won't tell me what it is. When you woke up tonight half dead with fright, that was the last straw for me." Her hand cut across her body sharply to accentuate her point. She continued in a more sedate tone. "I followed you. I heard everything you said." She tilted her head up so he could finally see her eyes. What he saw tore his heart apart. Her soft mint blue eyes shone in the heavy moonlight with unshed tears. Tears he was the cause of. "Please, Jaune. Please let me in. Let me help."
Jaune stood and tried to wipe her tears, but she stepped back and shook her head.
"No, Jaune. You can't. Not until you tell me what's wrong."
The young man sighed and ran his hands through his disheveled hair. "He's in my head, Weiss. He has been for some time now. He knows everything about me, my past, my friends, you." Her mouth parted in mild shock. "He knows I have no Aura. And he knows we're coming. He could launch his assault at any time and it'd all be my fault cause I can't keep him out of my head. When I'm asleep, I'm an open book to him."
Jaune wheeled around and took a few steps down the lane. What he had to say next he could never say to her face.
"That's why I don't want you to come with me."
He heard her gasp. "Excuse me?"
"I don't want you to come with me when Ozpin assembles his team. That madman is using you to bait me, and I don't want anything to happen to you." Jaune clenched his fist. "He can kill me if he wants, but I won't let him have you."
The only sound between them was the softly stirring wind and the crickets singing in the might. Jaune hoped his little fencer was considering his words like the mature young woman he knew she was. A pregnant silence stretched on between the two friends. Finally, he felt her little hand on his elbow and found himself violently wrenched around. Before he could get his bearings he felt the solid crack of her hand across his face. When his mind and body synced up again, his neck was twisted to the side, his cheek was burning in pain, and he had a shocked expression on his wounded face.
"I always knew you were a lunkhead, but I didn't know you were a complete idiot too," she seethed. "How dare you try to push me away like that. How dare you—you—try to throw me away like an old doll?" Looking down at her now, he felt his heart squeeze painfully. She was trembling with rage and hurt. Her eyes were two glass shards ready and poised to rip him to shreds.
This wasn't how he saw this going at all. He needed to fix this. "Weiss, it isn't—"
Her hand lashed out again and crashed against the side of his face. One of her nails dug into his cheek, leaving a weeping red line behind.
"Hush!" He did. She waited a minute to see if he had anything else stupid to say. If he so much as opened his mouth she was going to hit him again. She really wanted to hit him again. He wisely kept his trap shut. "I never told you how I got my scar." She spoke in a smaller voice. The scar over her eye looked red and angry. Weiss looked up at him with a little frown on her face, different from her normal one. "It was my father." Jaune felt a lance through his heart. "He took a hot poker and dashed my eye out."
Her narrow arms shook violently.
He never wanted to hold her so much in his life. She looked small, frail, and far older than her seventeen years. He reached out to touch her but she swatted his hand away and took a step back.
"It was his way of telling me once and for all that he didn't want this little runt of a girl." Jaune stood rooted to the ground. His heart screamed at him to rush over to her and never let her go, but his body was frozen. Which emotion held him back, anger or fear or shock, he would never know.
"But you know what?" The ends of her lips turned up despite the tears that shined in her eyes. "It didn't hurt. It didn't hurt when he yelled at me, or when he threw away my gifts, or when he wouldn't speak to me for days, or when he forgot my birthday, or even when he slashed my eye. I was all alone in that house for seventeen years. And even that didn't hurt."
"Weiss—"
"No! Shut up!" Her face was twisted in equal parts anger and anguish. "None of it hurt because deep down I knew there was no way he could ever love me. And someone who doesn't care about me can't hurt me." She stated it with such conviction, Jaune wondered how many times she had to practice it until she believed it. "But you're different, Jaune. I know the words you speak to me aren't just hollow lies. I know when you hold me, you squeeze me with all your soul. So when you tell me you're going off without me, you can appreciate why there's no way in hell I'm going to let you." The anger overpowered the anguish. "There's no way in hell I'm going to let you go anywhere without me."
Her voice faltered ever so slightly.
That was all he could take. He marched over to her and crushed her in his arms. He felt her struggle, but he only held tighter. Finally, he felt her strong, wiry arms wrap around his waist and squeeze him back pound for pound.
They stayed connected, letting the high emotions wash through them. His tears ran freely down his cheeks and fell in little droplets onto her soft white hair. He could feel the front of his shirt become damp, then wet, and finally completely soak through.
They sank down onto the bench letting their fears, their worries, and most importantly, their love for one another pour out. When their hearts were empty, the pair sat with their bodies curled around each other. Jaune rested his head on Weiss' slender shoulder. And she danced her fingers through his golden waves.
Tendrils of sleep tugged at the young man's eyes as his angel held silent vigil over him. He remembered the ancient Faunus' words, how his mind would be open while he was asleep. He gazed into Weiss' eyes and saw only love and devotion reflected back.
"Weiss?"
"Hm?" She kissed his forehead.
"Sing for me."
She smiled down at him and glanced around the dim campus. The bench was uncomfortable, they were all tangled in each other's limbs, she wasn't wearing proper clothing, the statue didn't exactly inspire thoughts of beauty and goodness, and the double crescent moon looked even more broken than ever.
It was perfect.
Weiss Schnee flooded her mind with thoughts of the young knight nestled in her neck. She reminded herself of the sweet things he would whisper in her ear, of the sweet caresses he would give her when no one was looking. Her heart swelled happily and, thus full, she sang her heart out.
When Jaune closed his eyes, he didn't see the burning, scornful eyes of the one who walked in the shadows of history, but the cool, winter blue eyes of the girl that loved him.
Two more chapters to go, folks.