Okay, so, you all caught the message last week. I do pretty much have to post an AN like that because if I don't, and with my strict deadlines for updates, I instantly get barraged by hundreds of PMs asking me what is wrong, if I've died, if I've forgotten, if there was a site error… I really have no choice if I don't want to have to respond to all those PMs individually, and to every review asking why it's not updated.

Anyway, my sister is okay though has had surgery and rods put into her leg (and a cage around it) to help the bone align so she can heal. I'm looking after her dogs right now and was looking after her children for a few days after it happened. No, it wasn't an April fool's joke (come on, people… really?).

I deleted the note the other day, but I've been told it may have tried to say that was an "update" for some reason. No idea why and it shouldn't have done that, but perhaps the site was acting up.

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 35

"I'm not able to get a read on the Director's location," Magician reported. "I can't say whether that's because something has happened or because of the signal, however. We use secure access to the Beacon CCT, but that isn't strong enough to get a pinpoint location on Mountain Glenn. I'm sorry."

"I understand." Jaune sat crouched in the remains of a hollowed-out house with his scroll attached to a bulky machine Blake had rescued from the top of the abandoned CCT. It was a handheld black cube with a battery pack on the side and a silvery antenna that poked up into the air. Though the resulting signal was crackly at best, it was still enough for him to reach Vale and that was what was important.

Blake sat a little to the side, out of sight and careful not to make a sound. They'd split up from Pyrrha and Ren earlier, with him giving the excuse that they wanted to try and signal boost a call to Oobleck while the others looked for clues. Not wanting to sit still, Pyrrha and Ren had agreed.

"If the Director has fallen-"

"He hasn't fallen," Jaune snapped back. Magician remained silent and he took a moment to calm his nerves. "The Director's fate is unconfirmed," he said. "It's too early to assume the worst and he had support in the form of Crane."

"I understand, Rat. Regardless, if his ability to complete the mission has been compromised, protocol dictates that the responsibility falls on you." Magician's voice became a little softer. "Of course, if you wanted to search for the Director, I'm sure he would be closer to the mission objective as well."

"I'll be doing both at once," he confirmed. "Magician, I'm out of equipment and have no means to resupply. Can you check the VSS databases and see if there is a HQ in Mountain Glenn?"

"There was no HQ established there, though there were plans for one. I think there should be a safehouse or two, however. Those should have supplies." The woman on the line paused as she looked through the VSS' system. "Ah, I've found two. The city wasn't far along enough for more. I'll upload the location of both to your scroll, along with the last-known passcodes."

"Will they still be standing?"

"VSS only employs buildings specially reinforced by our own engineers; it wouldn't do for a wall to fall down and expose secretive and dangerous technology, after all. They'll be the most reinforced buildings in all of Mountain Glenn."

"Good. I'll check them out and supply, then go find the Director and Crane. If needs be, I'll complete the mission while I'm at it."

"Good luck, Rat."

The call winked out and he plucked his scroll from the black box, storing it away. "Rat?" Blake asked, more than a little amused. He was grateful for that since it kept his own spirits from dipping into morbid territory.

"It was a joke from Oobleck. Something about a cornered rat being the most dangerous."

"Let's hope it's true." She leaned over to touch his arm. "We'll find them, Jaune. Let's not assume the worst just yet. They could be completing the mission even now and we just wouldn't know. It might not be all doom and gloom."

"Right." He nodded and checked the map Magician had uploaded for him. "Assuming both are standing, there's one safehouse near the underground entrances to the east. We'll start there and see what we can find."

Blake nodded, smile gone, all business. "Lead on."

/-/

"This must be the place," Blake said, not an hour later. They were stood in front of what appeared to be a butcher's store. "It's still standing," she marvelled, "even the storefront itself."

"Pretty suspicious given that its neighbours are rubble…"

"True, but I doubt the VSS expected it would face a disaster of this magnitude."

Jaune pushed through the door, which was at least a little rotted and hung from one hinge, and into the main store space. There wasn't much to it other than a counter, till and some empty racks. There was an apartment above, the shop being one of those bottom floor shop, top floor houses, that were so common in Vale. He had to wonder if the proprietor had been in the know, or maybe even an Agent himself. Probably. Every Agent needed his or her cover.

"The access panel should be somewhere behind the counter," he said, following the details on his scroll as he stepped around the furniture. He crouched down by a cooler and pushed his shoulder into it, slowly shifting it to the side. Several electrical sockets were revealed behind it, one full of plugs to various equipment, the other empty. Hs shoved his fingers into the sockets.

"What are you doing?" Blake hissed.

"The VSS likes to hide things in places no sane person would want to look," he explained, gripping hold and twisting. There was an audible click and the socket gave way, sliding out of the wall. Behind it, a small dial with a panel and nine numbers was revealed. "And here we go, right as advertised."

"And if it wasn't? If you got zapped to death?"

"There isn't any power still in Mountain Glenn…"

"That's not the point! Warn me the next time you're about to do something like that."

Jaune shook his head and focused on the task at hand, slowly typing in the numbers as they were revealed on his scroll. It was an eight-digit lock with two levels of authorisation based in two different codes. Not a fast thing by any means, but secure against wandering or lucky hands. As he finished the last digit there was a beep and a hiss. Rather than the wall in front of him opening, there was a click from below.

"A trap door," Blake realised, drawing his eyes to what had at first appeared a seamless set of tiles on the floor. Six or so were now distended, popped upwards by a mechanism. There was a hidden basement. They moved the tiles easily, slipping down into the dark. Blake found a light switch with her unimpeded vision, revealing a narrow staircase to a second door of solid metal construction. "Please tell me you have another passcode."

"I do. They're outdated but no one has been around to change them, so… there." The door clicked and swung inwards. He motioned with one hand. "Ladies first."

"What if it's trapped?"

"After three passcodes and a hidden corridor?"

Blake sighed and stepped inside. Nothing happened, and he followed, breathing a sigh of relief when the automatic lights came on.

"An emergency generator?"

"Probably," he said. "VSS can't afford to be locked out of their gear if there's a power cut." It was a relatively small and secure basement, not too large with a single central room. There was what appeared to be a seated area in the middle, probably for resting or comfort as one changed. Lockers lined one wall and some cabinets the opposite. At the far end was a map of Mountain Glenn, along with a large screen of some kind.

It was easy to imagine the place being used by Agents. They might sit on the benches as their mission was provided by an organiser from Vale. Then, they would gear up from the lockers and head out. What happened to them when the city fell? Did they escape, or did they give their lives trying to help the civilians evacuate?

There was no telling.

"What do we do now?" Blake asked.

"I don't have a locker here since I didn't even know the VSS existed when Mountain Glenn fell. I wasn't even born. I guess we help ourselves to whatever is on offer. Nothing should be locked at this point."

"I can have anything?" If asked later, he was sure Blake would deny there had been any excitement in her tone. As it was her eyes glinted.

"If you find something you don't understand, ask me. If I know, I'll explain."

She was gone a second later, already rummaging through the lockers. Jaune laughed and joined her, pulling one open and inspecting the familiar uniform inside. It didn't seem the fashion had changed much in twenty or so years, which was lucky given the circumstances. Finding one his size was more of a problem. The people who had worked here before, he realised, consisted of a very tall and muscled man, and several much smaller individuals.

Eventually he was able to find something that fit, if barely. He pulled on the coat but hesitated at the trousers, vest and helmet. "If we go full uniform we'll be able to conceal our identities," he said.

"Isn't that the point?" Blake asked. "If I help you rescue Oobleck and Ciel they'll know who I am. I thought the whole point of this was to act like we're rogue VSS agents or something." She drew out one of the masked helmets and hoisted it in her hands.

"It is, but what about Pyrrha and Ren? If we mask up, we won't be able to interact with them."

"Is that an issue? Even if they see us, we can just pretend we're someone else. It's not like we intend to leave Mountain Glenn without them, so we can break off, take off the uniforms and meet back up with them whenever we have to."

"I suppose…"

"It's not like we can't call them either. We can communicate if we have to, just not in person. But if we do come across Oobleck and Ciel, and we don't have disguises, there's a chance we'll both be killed. Me for knowing too much; you for telling me."

She was right, of course. With a sigh, he moved over to show Blake how to unlatch the bask, pulling it up over her head and securing it in place. It took a moment to bunch her long hair inside it, but eventually she had it on. Her head moved but no sound came forth.

"You can't speak through it," he explained with a laugh. "I can't hear a word you're saying. It's a security precaution, and also to make sure we can't be tortured. Here." He took her hand and led a finger to the button on the side, pressing it in. "Speak now."

"Tortured?" Blake asked, voice a little tinny from the old speakers. "The more I learn, the less I like."

"It's the hard truth, I guess. No use hiding it. Once I have my mask on we'll be able to communicate via a private channel, so you won't need to keep holding that. It's only for speaking to people in the outside world. We'll need it if we have to make a scroll call to Pyrrha or Ren."

"Got it."

Jaune slipped into his own uniform, the two facing away from one another awkwardly as they disrobed. While the mask was complicated, the average trousers, armoured vest and coat were not, and luckily – for Blake, anyway – there was no help he needed to give to assist his partner in dressing. Once they were both in the full black and indistinguishable from one another apart from an inch or two of height, he showed her how to use the private channels within the mask and set one up.

"No one can hear us when we communicate like this," he said.

"Not even the VSS?"

"Not unless they have the exact channel and encryption. Even if we find Oobleck and Ciel, they won't be able to get in because these masks are from ages ago. Everything is out of date. If they give us a channel we'll be able to access it, but you might not want to…"

"Tell them my mask is damaged," Blake said. "As such, I can't communicate. As for a name, I saw one on the locker here. Call me Tiger."

"Alright, and I'm Rat." He spared a second to curse at the unfairness of their two names, before he shook his head and moved over to the other girl. "Let me show you how some of these gadgets work before we go. You're going to need them."

/-/

"They're they are," Blake whispered, before she recalled their voices couldn't be heard through the masks and spoke in a more natural voice. The two were at the walls, looking down through the cracked roads and pavements to the tunnels that would lead to Vale, now open to the sunlight above.

"It looks like a large group of White Fang." Jaune's voice echoed in her mask, neither too quiet nor too loud and perfectly hidden from the outside world. The White Fang would have killed for equipment like this – quite literally, in fact. "There's a big container over there. My pay cheque says it's the Paladin."

"The stolen Atlas mech? Why would they bring it out here if they went to so much trouble to get it into Vale?"

"I've no idea but no one saw them approach Mountain Glenn, and these tunnels were sealed years ago. They must have excavated them, which means they brought the Paladin from the city to here via the tunnels."

It seemed a waste of effort to Blake, especially since judging from the train they intended to go back to Vale. Why bring the Paladin here and then take it back? Unless you needed it for some reason during the journey, of course. The fact that it was a military mech didn't assuage her fears any.

"We should split up," Blake suggested.

Jaune didn't like the idea. "Why?"

"We need to find Oobleck and Ciel first, and then move to get Oobleck out. It could take us hours if we stick together and we'll only stand out like sore thumbs."

"You're right." Jaune sighed and ran a hand over the back of his mask, a tick of his he usually did with his hair. "Okay but stay quiet and don't be seen. Call me if you need me, even in combat. No one can hear if you do."

She appreciated his concern but had to roll her eyes at it a little. She'd been doing this a lot longer than he had, and probably with more success. With the added gadgetry of the VSS, the odds were even more in her favour. She hopped off the broken tarmac and down onto a girder that stuck out, looped a hand around it and swung herself into an alcove between the roof of a building and the roads above. The whole area was caked in shadow and despite what people believed, that didn't mean nothing against the faunus.

Faunus eyes worked on the basis of being able to turn a more limited amount of light into vision, much like certain animals did with the low light of the moon. Their eyesight was much better in the dark, enough so for humans to call it perfect night vision, but it wasn't quite perfect. If an area was dark enough, or perhaps even pitch black, then a faunus would be just as blind as anyone else.

And the White Fang weren't really expecting any intruders, either. They had a perimeter of guards set up for Grimm which she skipped past with ease, sticking to the higher ground of the rooftops. There were some guards up here too, but they leaned over edges with rifles, watching for Grimm. Blake slipped by with nary a sound, leaving them behind so as not to trip an alarm.

There was no telling how Jaune was doing, but since no ruckus had been caused, she had to assume he was fine. It's impressive how quickly he adapted to his role since he's so new. Well, unless he's been lying the whole time and has been a spy for years. She doubted it. Call it trust or something else, but she felt she would have known if was lying. There's such a thing as too much paranoia, Blake. Not every single person is a spy.

Blake came to a stop atop a building and skirted to the edge, crouching to look over and below at the odd train resting on the end of a series of tracks. If the tunnels had been collapsed, the tracks would surely have been damaged. The White Fang had repaired those, too. That was a lot of effort to go through.

Jaune had already figured out they wanted to bring Grimm into the city, but the exact `how` remained a mystery. Simply leaving the tunnels open would probably draw them by virtue of all the negativity in the city, but the White Fang presumably wanted something bigger; a full-scale incursion of Grimm.

How did you do that with a train and a stolen battle mech? The train's noise might attract attention, but if you wanted Grimm to follow it, then what was the anti-Grimm robot for? It contradicted their goals, surely. Blake watched as several White Fang approached the train, two carrying a large wooden container between them. Hello… what do we have here?

Waiting for the terrorists to stash it on the train and head back to where they'd got it from, Blake saw them enter a building slightly more structurally secure than the others. The lower floor, anyway. The upper looked to be abandoned and partially collapsed. It was that which she slipped into, climbing over rubble and metal to reach the staircase leading down. Pressing her back to the wall above, she listened to the voices below.

"Why do we have to be the ones to do all the heavy lifting?"

"Seriously, can you bitch a little less? This is hard enough without you spending all your energy whining."

"I'm just saying this isn't what I signed up for."

"Then why did you?"

"To change the world."

"Yeah? Well changing the world requires a little lifting. Now shut up and help me."

There was a huff and some grunting as the two struggled with something heavy. Blake waited for the whining voice to disappear before she descended. A quick glance out the door showed the two slowly headed back to the train. With a nod, she turned the other way, into the room they'd just left which happened to be filled with containers of various shapes of sizes, each carefully sealed shut.

There was no telling how much time she had, so she hurried over to the first and checked the latch, finding it a simple switch rather than a locking system. The top opened up, revealing rows upon rows of glass vials filled with dust of different colours.

The dust from the robberies, or some of it, she realised, looking over the crates. There really wasn't enough here to be all of it with Torchwick stealing a whole shipping container from the docks. Even so, there was more than enough here to supply this amount of White Fang for years.

Or for a very short time – in a very violent explosion.

"Rat?" a voice hissed from behind.

Blake stiffened.

"Rat, is that you? Thank God…"

A figure limped out of the shadows of the room, clutching one arm to her side. She was garbed in white armour in a similar fashion to Blake's, but much bulkier. Though the person wore a mask, she knew who it was, and the voice came through the speakers rather than the system between their helmets.

"What channel are you on?" Ciel asked. "It's too dangerous to speak here."

Blake hesitated. They couldn't add her to the channel or Ciel would realise what was going on. At the same time, she couldn't afford to waste time because they needed to know what had happened. It was a difficult decision and the few seconds she spent not answering were enough to make the other spy nervous.

"Rat?" Ciel stepped back, she reached for her weapon. "Answer me, Rat!"

Damn it. Not good. Blake held her hands up before her, but in a moment of inspiration nodded her head firmly. While the other girl was confused, she rapped her knuckle on the side of the helmet and made a shrugging motion.

"It doesn't work?" Ciel asked.

Blake nodded. She made some vague motions she knew were gibberish but which Ciel might have imagined were a terrible game of charades as `Jaune` tried to explain the situation. It ended with another shrug from Blake, and a loud sigh from Ciel.

"Never mind. You're here and that's enough. They took the Director. Roman took Oobleck."

Voices from behind reminded them of where they were, and Blake quickly motioned for Ciel to follow, bringing her up the stairs and toward the second floor. As she did, she patched herself through to Jaune once more. "Jaune, I've found Ciel."

"She's okay?"

"Injured but alive – she says Oobleck has been captured."

"Damn it. I'm on my way."

"No, wait. Ciel thinks I'm you."

"What?"

"I told her I was you," she explained. "Look, just stay low for now and try to find either Oobleck or Roman. I'll work with Ciel and see if we can't find him, too. You might want to give Pyrrha and Ren a call and have them head over this way. If we need to get out fast, we can't leave them behind."

"And if they ask why we're suddenly dressed like this?"

"We found the outfits in an abandoned building. It's not even a lie."

"Tch, fine." Jaune sighed and was obviously not quite as amused. "Try not to ruin my reputation while you're busy being me."

Ruin his reputation? Ha, if anything she'd add to it.

"I take it you saw what was in those containers," Ciel said, waiting for Blake to nod. "They've been stashing that dust on the train for the last few hours. The Paladin is kept separately but there looks to be a car set apart for it near the front of the train. Oobleck was caught trying to investigate that."

Blake tilted her head, making the question clear.

"It was Roman and that girl with the illusions. They were both waiting in the car. They even let us look around for a few minutes before they struck. Oobleck went down fast and I… I wasn't strong enough to help him." Ciel snarled and glared to the side. "It was two against one. I had no option but to retreat. I… I didn't want to leave him."

She really hadn't by the sound of it. Jaune might have wanted to stay and fight a battle like that, but Blake wasn't quite so reckless, and was grateful Ciel wasn't either. She reached out and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, patting her armour as a way to show she didn't think Ciel's actions were cowardly.

"Thanks. We need to get him out, though. Where's the rest of your team?"

Blake waved in the direction of Mountain Glenn.

"Right, we'll try and finish this before they get suspicious then. As far as I see it, the White Fang are loading dust onto the train to ship to Vale," Ciel said, moving through the abandoned building with Blake close behind. "Since it came from Vale, I doubt this is just logistics. The train car Oobleck and I checked out had some mechanism for dethatching the cars behind it on a timer system. Oobleck thinks their plan is to set each to blow, dust included, and make a series of explosions through the tunnels."

Fear surged through her, thankfully hidden by the mask. Explosions like that might rock the foundations of Vale, causing entire streets to collapse. Specifically, to collapse down into Grimm-infested tunnels. It would be a double blow of an earthquake and an invasion all in one, with no chance of stemming the tide.

"We think the Paladin is there to help the White Fang escape after the impact, or to cause as much damage as possible. It stinks of a suicide mission, at least for the faunus. There's room in the Paladin for two and I think we both know which two intend to escape from this alive. Looks like Cinder and Torchwick have no qualms sacrificing their allies."

Nor Adam, Blake thought, realising that Cinder or not, someone from the White Fang had authorised this mission. Judging from what she'd heard earlier, some of those sent here didn't quite realise just how `final` their mission was going to be.

"Oobleck is being kept in the same building as Torchwick, but I've got a plan to draw him away." Ciel turned to regard her – or him – and crossed her arms. "Tell me, did he ever teach you to use explosives? Do you think you'd know how to set one on the train if required?"

Using explosives to blow up a train?

It was almost nostalgic. At least this time she wouldn't be bombing a bunch of civilians.

Blake nodded.

"Good. Here's the plan…"

/-/

"Well, well, well, it looks like sleeping beauty is finally waking up."

Oobleck stirred, training kicking in and informing him that he was strapped to a chair and bound tight, even before his eyes opened for the first time. He took in the scene instantly, his being trapped in a dank and empty room. Ciel was nowhere to be seen and he could only hope she'd escaped.

There was one other in the room, of course.

"My, that's a voice I haven't heard for a while. How are you, Roman?"

"Oh, not bad," the thief said, stepping in front of him and spinning his cane on one finger. "I was in Vale minding my own business and then I was here, dealing with empty-headed animals and old friends popping in unexpected."

"I apologise. I wanted to surprise you."

"You should have RSVP'd."

"I would have, but I didn't receive the invitation."

"Fancy that. You'd almost think I didn't want you here." Roman leaned forwards and placed both hands on the armrests of the chair Oobleck was tied to. "You just can't leave well enough alone, can you, Bart? Is it something about you and this place, or is it just me?"

"What can I say, you have such a winning personality, Roman. I couldn't stay away."

"You should have." Roman stepped back and turned away. "It's somewhat fitting, isn't it? The last time we were here was so long ago. We were four back then, I recall. Four became two."

"And then became one," Oobleck said. "You abandoned your oaths."

"You abandoned our team," Roman hissed, whirling on him. "You betrayed them, left them, and then you were the one responsible for killing them! You murdered our teammates!"

"And now you're here trying to do the same to so many innocents in Vale. Our friends must be thrilled to know our team leader is planning to kill the people they gave their lives to protec-" He cut off as Roman's fist struck his cheek, rocking him back in his seat. "Hm," he said, spitting out some blood. "I suppose I deserved that."

"You deserve worse," Roman hissed. "You deserve to die."

"And what will happen to me here? Will you be the one to kill me?"

"Not at all, old friend. You deserve death but that won't give me or them the satisfaction they deserve. I'm going to try my hand at revealing the truth instead. How about it, you going down as everyone learns that it was you who collapsed the tunnels to Mountain Glenn? Can you imagine what the people will say? So many lost friends and families, and they'll learn exactly whose fault it is."

Oobleck didn't respond. He knew full well how much everyone would hate him. "Just like you revealed how it was Vale who wanted them sealed in the first place," he said. "You made a lot of powerful enemies that day."

"The Council and your vaunted `Secret Service` were going to brush it all under the rug. So many dead, my team among them, and you expected me to let the truth of that go unknown? Ha! You may be a Doctor, but it seems your common sense is lacking. If you'd wanted that kept secret, you should have finished the job and killed me, as well."

"Perhaps I should have," Oobleck mused. He felt a long-forgotten pang deep inside. "If I'd known then what would become of you now, I might have. You've changed, old friend. You're not the man I remember."

"And you were never the man I thought you were."

Oobleck sighed. "I didn't lie to you, Roman…"

"How am I supposed to believe that? After everything you did, how am I supposed to believe a single word you say? You killed our team. You ended thousands of lives that our team and many more sacrificed so much to try and save." Roman scoffed at him. "You are scum."

"And you?"

"I'm scum, too," he quipped. "Though scum of a different kind. Even in all my years doing this, I've yet to come close to your death count."

"With this plan here, you'll come close. You might even surpass mine. Is that what you want?"

"No, not really – but it's what is going to happen whether I like it or not. I have my own plans, Bart. If you taught me anything that day, it was that there's only one person I can rely on; me! Cinder, Vale, the VSS, the White Fang, Atlas, they're all just using one another for their own purposes. I couldn't care less who wins so long as me and mine profit."

"Enjoy your peace and quiet," Roman said, turning away. "We'll be moving in a few hours, and you'll have a front row seat to coming events. Once that train hits Vale, you'll be found among the wreckage. I'm sure you'll survive, but let's see the Vale quell all the information about you that'll be found alongside. Let's see you avoid the shitstorm that'll come when your crimes are revealed once and for all."

"Cinder will kill you, Roman. You know this. There's still time for you to fix this. Join us and we can bring her to justice. I'll find a way to pardon you for your crimes, I promise. It's not too late to change."

Roman stopped. He didn't turn back but his shoulders rose and fell as though he was laughing, but the sound that came from his mouth contained no humour. It was a bitter chuckle filled with barely-concealed anger.

"You say that when you came here today planning to kill me?"

Oobleck winced.

"Actions speak louder than words, old friend. We're relics of a time long past. The world doesn't need us anymore, and it's about time we left the stage. It's too late for either of us now."

/-/

"Jaune, where are you exactly? You're not in danger, are you?"

"No, of course not," he lied, speaking into his mask which was now connected through to his scroll and contacting Pyrrha. "Blake and I spotted the White Fang and backed off," he said, crouching low and glancing around a corner. There was a terrorist not twenty paces away. "You know I wouldn't risk myself like that, and Blake? Come on, she'd never be so reckless."

Except, you know, any time the White Fang were involved…

"Right, I'm sorry I doubted you. Ren and I are en route. Do you think Ciel and Oobleck are still alive?"

"I'm sure of it, Pyrrha. You wouldn't kill prisoners out here – not with all the Grimm around."

"That's a morbid way of putting it," Ren said in the background.

"But a decent point," Pyrrha argued, coming to his defence. "We're not too far away. Can you put your scroll locator on?"

"That would be a bad idea." Not least of all because it would tell them exactly where the two were, which wasn't what they were supposed to be. "Keep in mind that if they are captured, Torchwick will have their scrolls. We don't want to give ourselves away."

Pyrrha sighed. "You're right again. We'll have to play it by ear, then. Will you try and meet up with us when we arrive?"

"Sure." He really wasn't sure. "We'll see what happens. Don't engage the White Fang, though. We should try and think up a plan that doesn't involve rushing in."

"I couldn't agree more. Stay safe, Jaune. We're on the way."

The call ended, leaving Jaune with only his thoughts once more. The guard he'd been watching hadn't turned yet, too focused on keeping an eye out for the Grimm. Annoyingly, it was also in the direction he knew Pyrrha and Ren would be coming from, and lax or not the White Fang weren't idiots. They'd set up a clever killing ground that would give them fantastic view of anything that dared approach from this angle. They expected Grimm, but he was sure they'd take out a huntsman and huntress if they had the chance.

He couldn't run the risk of Roman being alerted, even if he was probably expecting them already. If a few guards went missing, it would alert the White Fang, but they wouldn't necessarily assume it was intruders. This whole area was Grimm-infested, after all. But to do that, he would have to kill these guards. He couldn't just knock them out.

Then again, knocking out is killing in a place like this. Leaving them defenceless on the floor is as good as feeding them to the Grimm. His face twisted at the thought. It would be a mercy to kill them quickly but saying and doing were two different things.

You've killed before, he reminded himself. The warehouse, the White Fang – and even Mercury in a sense. But none of those had been by him and with his full intent. Mercury had been killed by Oobleck, and even if he'd been involved in killing all those White Fang, it had been more by accident than design.

But if he didn't take that plunge here, he'd be putting his friends – and Vale – in danger. Morality be damned, it would be the height of selfishness to place everyone he loved in danger just so he could sit on his high horse. With a heavy heart and a sharp breath, he slipped a thin dagger from the back of his armour.

The neck, the face, the triangle of death, through the ribs, a kidney, an artery or any one of sixteen other spots Oobleck had taught him would kill. He was grateful for the mask that concealed his heavy breathing as he approached the unaware terrorist.

And he was also grateful for the mask that his tears from view as he wrapped an arm around the man's throat from behind, locking a hand over his mouth, and drove the dagger in and up through his back. The faunus squirmed and buckled wildly, hissing and whining past the glove clamped over his lips. Jaune dragged him down, wishing he could look away as he did the deed.

The woman – for it was a female faunus – almost seemed to stare through the mask and into his eyes as she died. There was a horrifying moment where the light seemed to fade from hers; the body becoming still.

He wanted to be sick.

He dragged the body over the edge of the building and dropped it into the wasteland below, instead. That would handle the evidence, if any Grimm that wandered by wouldn't do it for him. Now… now… there were other sentries to deal with. The path had to be clear for Pyrrha and Ren. Only then could they launch a surprise attack to reach Oobleck.

"For the people of Vale," he whispered, hoping the mantra would calm him. It didn't. "For my friends. For Beacon. For everyone I don't want to see killed…"

He would become a killer.

Please don't hate me, Ruby.

Well, this took two weeks to come out technically. Yes, my relationship between Oobleck and Roman is Couerverse canon only – there's nothing in canon to support it, but I just liked the idea in Professor Arc of them being connected and went with this. And, of course, we end on something of a poignant note from Jaune. Whether or not he realises it, he's becoming more and more alike to Oobleck.

But will people forgive him that? Is history repeating with Blake and Jaune destined to split and become the next Oobleck and Roman?

Is there a point where protecting a Kingdom, or country, requires too much sacrifice?

Next Chapter: 15th April

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur