Here we go


Cover Art: Z-ComiX

Chapter 28


"I'm coming."

"It says alone," Jaune hissed, struggling to escape the hold of a girl two years his junior.

"You go alone and you die." Ruby's silver eyes pierced through his. "I'm coming."

He didn't argue any further; it would just waste time. The place she was being held was close enough to walk to. He tried to run but Ruby dragged him back, warning him that not only would running in be a good way to be exhausted and get killed, but that they still had time. He wasn't supposed to arrive for two hours.

"Why would anyone want Nora? She's just a normal girl."

"Normal people are victims of normal crimes," Ruby pointed out. "Or it could be something else. Why would someone want to make us wait two hours when we could be there in thirty minutes by taxi?"

Jaune shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe they don't know how far away we are."

"If they kidnapped Nora, they were watching us before and waiting for her to be alone." Ruby's tone was reasonable, logical, but there was also a hint of frustration beneath it. He wasn't sure if that was over Nora's kidnapping or the fact that this was taking away from their time to hunt in the other world.

That was when it struck him.

"This is to stop us finding Farleigh!"

"Quite possibly." Ruby scowled. "The timing is too convenient. Not to mention they want us to wait until night has properly settled, which is exactly when the Grimm will be most active."

"Is this… Do you think it's her?"

"I don't know."

A cloying, sickly sensation settled in his gut. It didn't seem possible that she could be back already – not even a week after they'd killed her. And yet, wasn't that what the Grimm did? Wasn't it the point that they consumed those that entered their territory and took over their bodies?

"It's too soon to make any assumptions," Ruby said. "There are a lot of people who might abduct someone, and it might be Grimm or not, but she could have allies. It might not be her. Who knows, it might even be Blake."

"Wouldn't she just call me?"

Ruby shrugged. Neither of them thought it Blake.

The city moved on like it always did, as if it had no idea of the drama taking place within it just like it didn't the Grimm and the hunters. As the sun settled down over the horizon, hunters would be arriving at the Beacon to get their marching orders. Picking up their weapons and moving out to fight the monsters that went bump in the night.

When the moon rose without a jagged tear in the sky, Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. He'd half been expecting another Nightmare, if only to make things worse than they already were. He sent another text to Ren assuring him Nora was safe – something he'd have to explain away later – and followed Ruby down an abandoned alleyway and towards a metal back door of some store. Ruby rapped on it loudly and waited.

It took a minute or two for there to be a response. A deadbolt opening on the inside and then the door scraping open, dragging across the stone step to show it wasn't used regularly. A tall bald man with a white apron and black skin stuck his head out, a sneer and an insult on his lips. It died when he noticed the girl in the red hoodie.

"Ruby. There a problem?"

"We need to go on a hunt," Ruby said. "Right now. We need weapons."

"Ye can't make it ta Beacon?"

"No."

"A'ight. Wait here." The man shot Jaune a curious look but didn't bother to ask who he was. He stepped back into the building, leaving the door open.

"Who was that?" Jaune asked.

"Hunter dead-drop." Seeing his confusion, she sighed and explained. "You don't always know when a Nightmare will hit, and sometimes people are caught unarmed or unable to get to Beacon. When that happens there are places and individuals you can go to. They'll have weapons, medical supplies and shelter. Usually experienced or older hunter who own their own homes or businesses. Those without families."

"Why is the family bit important?"

Ruby smiled sadly. "Because you don't want to draw Grimm to children."

Oh. Shit. Jaune winced and looked away, grateful that the man came back before the awkward silence could grow. He had two small cases with him – little black leather bags that someone might carry a laptop in. No one would think twice of people their age carrying them.

"M1911. Standard. Three magazines each." He held one out for Ruby, then for Jaune. "Ye need anything more than that? I can provide a little more ammo if ye wan' it."

"This should be enough. Thank you."

"A'ight. See ya around, Ruby. And you, friend."

"Um. Bye?" Jaune waved weakly as the man drew the door shut and dragged the bolt back into place. He'd been friendly enough, which was probably what made it weird since he was a friendly man who had just given two teenagers guns in the middle of a dark alley.

He didn't ask if it was necessary. With Nora's life on the line, it absolutely was.

"Keep it in the bag until we're close. You don't want to draw it here."

"Right." And to think, he'd been about to run off to this place alone without a weapon to his name. "Thanks, Ruby. I'm glad you're here helping."

"I need your help finding Yang's killer."

His shoulders fell. "Is that the only reason you're helping me?"

"It… No." Ruby sighed and looked back to him. There for a second, the briefest of smiles returned. "I didn't mean to sound like that. I do like you. You're my friend. It's just…"

"I know." The words said, he felt better. Confident. "I'm glad you feel the same way I do. And Nora's a friend, too, so let's go find the bastard that's taken her and deal with this once and for all. Who knows, they might even have information on Farleigh."

"Hm. Let's go."

/-/

In his head, he'd expected an abandoned warehouse, but the location the text message pointed to was actually an in-use factory. Not open so late at night obviously, but still in good condition. From the signs outside, it made food. Specifically, soup and other canned foods. The main building was large and square-shaped, with several loading bats on one side for lorries and vehicles, a main entrance with a lobby and a fire escape coming out the back. The lights were off inside.

"What do we do?" he asked Ruby.

Rather than answer, Ruby raised her head and sniffed the air. Jaune followed suit immediately, realising what she was up to. There was a tang of oil and grease, not to mention numerous food ingredients – tomato especially.

"Food factory…" Ruby grimaced. "The perfect place for an ambush."

"Yeah, I can't smell a thing past it." Normally, Grimm scent was stronger than other ones, but this was an exception because of how fragrant the entire area was. There had to be cases and crates stacked with food, either fresh or rotten, and no doubt finished stock ready to be transported, all of which contributed. "What do we do?" he asked again. "Sneak in the back? Or is that too obvious?"

"We split up."

"What!? Isn't that like… the worst of the Scooby-Doo tactics?"

He had no idea if Ruby even knew what Scooby-Doo was, but she rolled her eyes regardless. "You were told to come alone, and they're not going to stay if they see me. You have to ring Nora's phone and try to talk to the person. They're expecting you. I'll sneak in another entrance and try to get a good position to listen in and help." With that, she was away, slipping around the back of the factory and out of sight.

Holy shit. They were really doing this, then. Jaune looked down at his phone and swallowed. It was strange how he'd been so resigned to Leviathan, and yet the thought of something like this had him shaking. Maybe it was because there was someone else's life dependent on his actions. If he messed this up, Nora would pay the price.

Just relax. I've fought giant sea monsters. I can do this.

Kneeling, he opened the leather case and looked at the black and grey handgun inside. It was bigger and heavier than the one Ruby had lent him before, but the weight was reassuring. Taking one of the three magazines set beside it, he loaded it in and then chambered a round. He didn't have a holster, so stuck it in one pocket and zipped it up. The spare magazines went in another.

"No more time to delay…" he whispered, checking the time on his phone. With an audible gulp, he dialled Nora's number.

"Is it you?" It was a male voice that answered. Rasping and hoarse, the man sounded like he'd run a marathon. "Is it you!?" He asked again, voice desperate. "I swear to god, man. If it's not you, I'll blow her fucking brains out!"

"Whoah Whoah! It's me. Jaune Arc. You called me."

"G-Good. Good." The man swallowed loudly. He was panting. "You came alone. Right? You better fucking have."

"I'm alone. I'm on my own."

"Where are you?"

"Outside." Jaune looked up towards the windows, but there was no one there. "I didn't want to come in and surprise you. Look, I'm here for my friend. I just want her to be okay. There's no reason for anything bad to happen to anyone tonight."

"You think I don't fucking know that!?" Panting, gasping and – was that the sound of crying? It wasn't from Nora, either. It was the speaker himself. "I… I don't… J-Just get in here, you fuck. In the front door. Slow like. You try anything and I'll kill your girlfriend. I fucking swear it!"

The call ended with a click, leaving Jaune outside with a wildly beating heart and a frown. That definitely wasn't Rebecca Farleigh. For one, she knew he and Nora weren't together like that, and she'd been calm until the end when they'd killed her before. She wouldn't have sounded so afraid – and she wouldn't honestly have expected him to come alone either.

I hope you know what you're doing Ruby. I'm going to be next to useless in here.

Not that it mattered. He couldn't leave Nora like this. Taking a deep breath, Jaune made his way toward the front entrance. The door was unlocked – not broken into or forced but unlocked. There was no noise or alarm as he stepped inside, despite this being a fully functioning manufacturing centre. Given how expensive all the machinery was – not to mention all the hygiene risks associated with food – there should have been an alarm system.

The entranceway was a lobby despite it being a factory. There were a couple of chairs, a receptionist's desk, a flight of stairs leading up and some vending machines, not to mention a pair of clearly labelled bathrooms. A double door was open at the back, a fire extinguisher on the floor pinning the doors open. It was as good a sign as anything and he crept over to it, pausing to peer inside rather than step through and eat a bullet.

It led to the factory floor itself. Ground level. The whole floor was filled with machinery of various shapes and sizes – most of which he couldn't understand. There were conveyor belts to take goods from one big machine to the next and the floor was shiny and reflective, probably to keep contamination from the foodstuffs. The lights were off, but moonlight shone through windows that surrounded the building, all barred and set up high, running around the top of the wall just below the ceiling. Beams of light cut across the floor.

There, at the far side but still a good twenty metres away from the nearest wall, lay Nora. She was slumped in a chair, head forward and her body bound. Unconscious. She had to be unconscious. If not… No. She had to be unconscious.

I run out to her, I'm dead. It's obviously a trap.

With all the machinery, not to mention walkways leading up taller machines, the assailant could be hiding anywhere.

"I know you're here!" the man yelled suddenly. His voice echoed from every direction. "Y-You want her, you go get her."

He sounds as scared as I feel. Which was odd, since he could have let Nora go at any time and avoided all this. At the very least, the guy couldn't see him if he had to shout. Taking a step into the room, Jaune slid behind a large stainless-steel vat, pressing his body between it and the wall and creeping around the back.

Fishing out his phone, he set it to silent and dialled Nora's number.

The peppy tones of Despacito played out from far to the left, followed by a curse and the sound of something being angrily thrown away. The mobile cracked on the ground and the song ended.

Jaune was already moving. He clung to the right side of the factory and darted between some machines, eyes tracking to the left where the ring tone had come from. The gun was heavy in his hand as he drew it out and flicked off the safety. This was insane, but there wouldn't be any risks taken. He reached out with his power, searching for water to use, but it was all locked away within strong metal pipes. The machinery was too rugged for him to draw the water out of.

A loud crack echoed through the factory. Sparks danced off the wall to the side of his head – easily two feet high, but it felt closer. He ducked and swore, scurrying to cover as another shot ricocheted off the floor and a third off the conveyor belt he was behind.

None of the shots were accurate, at least by Ruby's standards, but it was the first time anyone had ever opened fire on him, and it was the loudest thing he'd ever heard. His heart hammered in his chest as he huddled behind a machine, nestled between varying valves, pumps and dials. Another shot pinged off the back of the machine, letting him know that the man knew his location. Staying still was a bad idea if he was going to circle around, and yet there were no footsteps. The man shooting him wasn't moving, but rather standing still and keeping his gun trained on the area.

"C-Come out!" the man yelled. "I-If you're Jaune Arc, then come out!"

"Why are you doing this?" Jaune yelled back. "Why do you want to kill me? What did I ever do to you?"

"I don't want-" The man sobbed. Sobbed. "I don't want to do this. I – I have to! I don't have a choice! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He was crying now. Loud and erratically. "J-Just come out and die. I'll let her go, I promise. I don't want to hurt anyone!"

In any other situation, he might have felt a little sympathy. "You're the one with the gun, man. You can put it down and leave at any time. I haven't seen your face."

"I can't! I-I can't." Another shot, this one crashing through steel and making a loud whizzing sound come from the machine. Was that gas? Pressurised gas? "I don't want to die!" the man yelled, shooting again and again. "I don't want to die!"

That's my line, Jaune thought, scrunching his eyes shut and fighting past the terror in his gut. He had to move. Had to brave the hail of bullets and get away, because if that was gas, then this whole machine could go up.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. God, I hope he's not a good shot.

Jaune stood and readied himself, sucked in breath and prepared to take a leap of faith.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Aiiiiieeee!" The man screamed and boots echoed on metal.

The shots had come from a different direction. Ruby!

Taking the chance for what it was, Jaune leapt from cover and sprinted faster than he ever had before, legs and arms pumping as he cleared the twenty-five or so metres between his position and a new one. He made it without being shot at once and huddled behind a squat machine with several screens, a conveyor belt leading in and out of it and an X-Ray symbol on it.

"You were told to come alone!" the man shrieked. "I said alone! I-I'll kill her!"

Nora. Shit. He was moving before he could think twice and lose his confidence. He dashed across the floor, slid over the conveyor and ducked low, half-crouching, half-running. A shot hit the floor nearby, muzzle-flash lighting up from a walkway off to one side. More sparks flashed in that direction as Ruby opened fire on the revealed assailant, driving the screaming man away and out of sight again.

Jaune kept running. He kept running. Nora had no cover and was a sitting duck. One shot in her direction and she was dead – dead! He'd already lost Yang. He wasn't losing anyone else because of his inaction, because of his bloody weakness.

"DIE!" the gunman screamed.

He reached Nora a second before something slammed into his back, bowling him forward and into Nora and her chair. They crashed down together in a tangle of limbs. A burning sensation washed over his back as he lay there atop Nora's body, eyes wide.

I've been shot, he realised, with an alarming sense of calm. I've been shot in the back.

"JAUNE!" Ruby yelled, giving what covering fire she could. "MOVE!"

Move? Now? He'd just been shot. He was… He was dying. He was going to die. He was in a gunfight with some madman in a factory and he was bleeding all over the floor. He was panting and gasping with a hole in his back, staring down into Nora's wide and terrified eyes.

Nora. She was awake.

Somehow, that calmed him. Gave him a moment of clarity. He took hole of it while he could, grunting and hauling Nora to her feet, chair and all, and dragging both over behind a piece of machinery as gunshots echoed behind them, the shooter finally taking note of Ruby on a walkway high up and firing wildly up at her.

Settling Nora down, Jaune grit his teeth and tried to ignore the pain as he worked on the rope holding her in place. The knot was too tight to undo, but with her help he managed to wriggle it up past her bust and over her head. Loosened, the rest of the coils were easy to remove. She hadn't been tied down well if he could get it off so quick. She moved her arms the second they were free, ripping off the duct-tape over her mouth. A little blood came with it, but she didn't seem to care.

"What is-?"

"Shh." He clamped one hand over her mouth. "Listen, I don't have time to explain. You need to get out of here. Make a break for it. Get home safe."

Her eyes were so wide and so confused, but it was better that way. Ignorance was bliss. It was safety. Knowledge came with far too high a price and this, this wasn't a normal kidnapping or murder. That much was obvious from how deranged the man was.

"You need to run. Nod if you understand."

Nora frantically nodded. He let go of her mouth.

"Jaune, what's happening? I was walking home and t-then this car pulled up. There was a man with a gun. He was crying wildly but t-told me to get in the back or he'd kill me." She was shaking - shaking badly. "I didn't know what to do."

"You did fine. You did okay."

Footsteps echoed nearby.

"Jaune!" Ruby yelled – not from nearby.

Without looking, Jaune reached around the corner and squeezed off three shots. The gun kicked in his grip, but he managed to hold on. The shots were wild and random, but it was enough to drive the assailant for cover. Someone better trained like his dad would have kept coming, knowing the chance of him scoring a hit while blind firing to be slim to none. Yet more evidence something was wrong here.

When he looked back, Nora was even more frightened. She hadn't realised he had a gun too. There was no way for her to understand why – or for him to explain. What could he say? What could he possibly say to explain this?

He couldn't.

There was nothing he could say.

"You need to run," he repeated instead, looking at her seriously. "You need to get out of here safe."

"W-Why do you have a gun?"

"You need," he repeated, slowly. "To run."

"Why are-?" Nora froze as she noticed how he was slumped back against the machine. Her attention trailed down, first to his heaving chest and then further, to the blood he'd left behind from where he'd saved her. "Oh my God," she whispered, hands coming to her mouth. "Y-You've been shot."

"It's fine."

"H-How is-?"

"JAUNE!"

Two more shots. Wild and random. They hit something metal. The bastard was trying to find them – even risking being killed by Ruby to do so. To kill him most likely. The chances of Nora being the target were slim to none.

"The sooner you get out, the sooner I can escape," he said, staggering to his feet and dragging a shaking Nora with him. "We need to get to the exit. I… I'm going to try and draw his fire. Are you okay to run?"

"Without you!?"

"For now. Someone has to keep him busy. I have help."

"I heard. Is… Is that Ruby?"

Fuck. Nora really needed to stop noticing things. Stop putting together the pieces before she Awakened to a world far crueller than what she was used to. And if Nora Awakened, Ren wouldn't be far behind.

My friends weren't supposed to get involved.

"Can. You. Run?" he hissed, putting all his pain and anger into the words. "This is a serious fucking question, Nora. I don't have time for yours!"

Her eyes hardened. Although she was deathly terrified, and rightfully so, she nodded. "I can. I'll get help. I'll call the cops."

That… That was a terrible idea. A dangerous idea. "Don't," he said, knowing it would be hopeless. What else would Nora do? "No, forget it. Just get ready to run. If you get hit, I'll never forgive you."

"Right." Nora smiled back, eyes heavy with tears. Without warning, she grabbed his face and dragged him down. His eyes widened as her lips connected with his. It wasn't a loving or romantic kiss, rather one in which he felt all her desperate fear, all her affection and concern. "Same goes for you," she whispered as she pulled back. "Don't die. Please."

"Course. I'll be fine." He smiled a smile he didn't feel inside and brought the gun up, pressing his back against cool metal and wincing as pain flared through it. He shot one final look to his friend and winked. "The moment I move, okay? Get out and get safe. Don't stop running, even if you hear gunfire."

"I will. I promise."

"Good." Letting out a long breath, Jaune centred himself. Or at least as best he could. Now or never. He took a second to listen to where the heavy and panicked breathing was coming from then burst around the corner.

The gun kicked in his hands.

The first shot hit a wall. The second hit the wall higher before he accounted for recoil. Neither shot was at anything, but the frightened sound from behind the machine near where he was shooting told him he was on point. "Now!" he yelled.

Nora burst from cover. She was running as fast as she could, head low and arms over it, headed towards the entrance he'd come from. There was a curse from behind the machine but Jaune ran towards it, gun extended and firing.

"I'm over here, bastard! It's me you're after!"

The gun clicked empty and Jaune cursed. The sound carried, the man surging out from behind the machine with a wild look on his face. It was the first time Jaune got to see him properly. The gunman wasn't a hardened criminal or a psychotic. He was a normal-looking man in a business suit creased and covered in sweat. His face was pale, incredibly so, and he had a look of such abject terror on his face that Jaune froze.

And then the man raised a gun.

"Shit!" Jaune threw himself back, but not into cover. He was completely open, but the shots missed, one skimming his arm and drawing a little blood, but the other pinging off metal to his side and showering him with sparks. The gunman was shaking so badly that he couldn't have hoped to aim properly.

He was a nervous wreck.

It was that which gave Jaune the confidence to surge forward instead of back. To bite the bully, possibly literally, and tackle the man head on. He came in low, shoulder and arms wrapping around the man's waist and carrying him back. Together, they slammed into a piece of industrial machinery and bounced off. Jaune landed hard, head spinning, but the man landed beside him and the gun went skittering away. The man screamed and crawled after it.

Through the agony, Jaune reached out and gripped his ankle, crying out as the muscles in his back stretched and spasmed around his wound. It wasn't a strong grip and the man kicked down, striking his face and making him let go as stars and black spots danced in his vision.

A gunshot came from far off to the side before the man could reach the weapon. Sparks flew from the gun itself and it was sent flying away, bouncing off the floor like a pebble across the surface of a lake. Another shot struck the man's hand, making it erupt with blood and bits of bone.

"Arghhhhh! Arghhh!"

"N-Nice one, Ruby." Jaune clenched his teeth and staggered onto his hands and knees. The man was crawling with one hand held to his chest towards where he'd dropped his own gun. It was unloaded, though. The spare magazines were in his pocket. Taking the time to grasp the conveyor and brace himself against it, Jaune staggered out into the open, holding up a hand to signal it was him.

"Are you hit?" Ruby called.

"Y-Yeah. Did Nora escape?"

"She got out."

Relief surged through him. It hurt. "T-That's good."

"Is he dead?"

"No." Jaune looked to where the man had disappeared. It wasn't hard to know he was alive by the sounds of terrified sobbing. "No, he's still alive. And I think we deserve some answers."

The man heard him. "I don't want this! I never wanted this. Please, I have a family!"

"You tried to kill me first. And I think I-"

"No! Please! I tried my best, I tried. I swear I tried. P-Please no…"

"You…" Jaune trailed off. Was the man even speaking to him?

"I tried! I tried! Please no, I beg you! Nooo-" The man choked on air.

There was a moment of silence.

Then the screaming began. "Yaghhhhh! Aiiiiieieee! Noooo! Ackkkkkkk!"

It was the most horrible, discordant and painful sound Jaune had ever heard. As if the man was screaming as every nerve in his body was set in fire. As if his throat was being torn out and he was choking on blood, and yet still screaming through it all. Still screaming even as his voice bubbled and cracked and reached a pitch so high that it snapped in two.

It was the sound of a man being tortured to death.

And then…

Silence.

No screams, no sobs, no broken words. Just the sound of breathing evening out, then the scuffle of someone rising to their feet. The gun, his own discarded and empty one, was tossed aside. It clacked against the floor and slid off into the corner.

Was he giving up?

"Come out where we can see you," Jaune barked. "And don't make any sudden moves or my friend will shoot you dead. We've got a few questions for you – and you'll give us answers if you know what's best for you."

And then… And then he needed this wound dealing with. Shit, was a hospital even possible? They'd ask where the wound came from, not to mention Nora would have called the cops by that point. There would be a whole lot of questions he wouldn't have the answers for. Questions like why this happened, where he got a gun from and why he'd come here with a young girl instead of calling the police.

Even if he tried his best to answer them, a cell would surely be the result. He'd be stuck in a room without a means of defending himself, prey for the Grimm on the next Nightmare – or just any that came slipping through the bars.

Ozpin. Ozpin would know what to do. He just had to get to Beacon. But first, this.

The man came strolling out from behind the machine, arms spread wide, palms – or palm – toward Jaune. His stump continued to bleed across the floor, but the man seemed ignorant of it. Or just uncaring.

"You got me," he said, voice no longer tinged with terror but amusement. His head was bowed but he looked up slowly. "I wonder what you'll do. Jaune~"

Yellow eyes. Glowing.

"Fuck…"

Fire curled out from behind the Grimm-possessed man, spreading as quickly as it had when it incinerated Blake, burning her body to ash. It curled across the floor like a snake, but instead of going for him it went wide to the right. To the machine which was hissing gas.

"Fuck!" Jaune yelled again, throwing himself aside right as the flames reached up and wrapped around the pipes.

The gas explosion was huge.

It wasn't like a fire spreading – more like a bomb going off. The huge cylindrical machine erupted outward, spraying metal shards in every direction, but the force of the blast – and the heat – picked Jaune's body up and hurled him across the factory. He slammed into several plastic pallets on the other side, splintering through one and causing others to rain down on him. Gunshots echoed from Ruby, but another explosion shook the facility. A twisted, horrible groan sounded from the metal walkway as it collapsed, dragging Ruby down with it and sending her crashing onto the floor.

"Oh Jaune~" the man called; the intonation was feminine even if the voice was not. "Did you think you were rid of me? Did you think it would be that easy?"

Farleigh. Rebecca Farleigh.

Another explosion cut off their escape, blasting flames and debris across the entrance he'd come through. The fire quickly began to spread, catching the walls and racing unnaturally along them, reaching a stack of metal barrels and causing those to erupt as well, blowing a hole in one wall and sending brickwork tumbling down.

The entire building was a death trap. One they'd come walking into.

"I am fire. I am ash. I am all that burns and all that remains when the fires are gone. I am the beginning and the end of life." The Grimm within the now-dead man laughed. "But you, Jaune. You may call me Cinder."

Her eyes flashed.

"For it's all that will remain of you. In whichever world you hide."


I doubt anyone is surprised it's Cinder at this point. It was never meant to be a mystery, what with the use of fire and the yellow eyes – but there was just never any time before to clarify it. Jaune only ever knew her as Rebecca Farleigh and it wasn't like she'd go "Oh, do you want to know my name before you kill me?"

"Uh. No. Not really…"

"Oh. Okay…"


Next Chapter: 21st April

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur