RWBY: Tomorrow and Never Again

by PaulXion

The war has torn Remnant apart. The Hunters have failed and Grimms now lay siege to the city. Everyone we know and love are gone. But there was still a chance to set this right. A chance to change things... for better or for worse. And sadly, the only candidate left was the weakest among them. But perhaps... it was enough. Fan art by Keji Springfield!

35. Hero VS Fake Hero

Chapter 35: Hero VS Fake Hero

(Engine car)

Jaune was horrified. His body shook under the tremendous killing intent directed at him. The mere amount of pressure radiating from Adam was enough to make him nauseous. Just seeing him in the flesh reminded him of his time in the highway, but now all his focus was poured onto him. He was the center of attention and like a domesticated animal eyeing its predator, the only thing the boy could do was freeze. He tried his best to keep his fears hidden and thankfully the fog in the room gave him some cover.

"You…" Adam's mouth curled to a scowl as he saw the familiar boy with that accursed blade. Slowly he could feel rage burning from the pit of his stomach. But if Blake were to have an opinion, she would say that he was scared. Of why… she did not know. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here… for her." The boy pointed to the cat tied to the pipe, his breath skipping a few beats. "And I'm here to put… a stop to all of this."

"You?" Adam mocked, his confident tone hiding his fears. "And you think you can stop me?"

"I think we already did." The boy barked back showing a small smile. "We know your plans to use the Dust mine to blow up the mountain. We stopped your bomb and we defeated your army. You got nothing left Adam!"

Adam nodded in respect. "I'll admit. You kids have put quite a wrench in my operations. I never really expected you to defeat my Lieutenant or stop that bomb. But that doesn't change much here. So what's it going to be, killer? Are you going to fight me and take my head like the rest of your kin? Because I'll let you know right here and now, you're way out of your league."

A brief pause came between the two. He was right on every account. Jaune had literally not a snowball's chance in hell against this monster. Fighting him was like swimming upstream in a river of lava. Either way, you'll burn.

But Jaune's strength didn't come from his arms or legs or the power of his back. His true strength came from his mind. And so in a move that would've impressed many professors in Beacon, the boy sheathed his sword, raising his hand up, giving a feint gesture of surrender.

"No, I didn't come here to fight you." Jaune admitted. "I came… to talk."

Talk!?

The word alone made Adam raise a quizzical brow. The kid actually had the galls to start a negotiation at these conditions? He was either dumb or just plain suicidal. But nonetheless, it did poke in his curiosity.

"Oh? And what is it that you want to talk about?" The redhead humored the knight, dropping his guard for a split moment before raising it up again in reflex.

Jaune's eyes briefly darted to Blake before returning to the bull. "I want you to let her go… and I want you to surrender."

…

Had this been any other situation, Adam would've laughed at the offer. Such a ridiculous claim. Who would actually agree to something like this?

"You? You want me to surrender?" Adam repeated in disbelief.

"That's right." Jaune nodded. "If you surrender now, things don't have to be so hard. You can probably get a fair trial and serve time." The kid was dead serious. So serious in fact that Adam couldn't even see through his ruse. "All you have to do is give Blake back and turn yourself in. I promise, I'll vouch for you. I can even talk with General Ironwood to cut you some slack!"

"You really believe that?" The Crimson Swordsman grumbled. "You think after everything I've done, they'll just let me serve time in prison? What makes you think I'll even consider that?"

"It's because you have nothing else to gain." Jaune reasoned with an almost pleading tone. "Look around you. You got no bomb, the White Fang is done and you got nowhere else to go! This can't go on Adam. What you're doing isn't bringing equality for the Faunus, it's just making other people scared. You have to understand by now, this isn't the way. Blake wouldn't want this!"

"And what do you know of equality!?" The hero shot back. "What could you possibly know of what my people went through? You know nothing of us." He wasn't wrong there. Jaune wasn't exactly an expert when it came to Faunus rights or the difference in their society. In fact, he only got a glimpse of it when he attended Beacon. Everything he knew about the conflict came from Professor Oobleck's class and even then he slept through most of it.

"Think for a minute Adam! There's nothing left to be gained with this pointless run! You got nothing left! You have no bomb, no army. We put a stop to your plans!"

"And that's where you're wrong." Adam corrected him, turning a glance over to the controls. "All I need is right here." With a press of a button, the clamps that held the engine with the rest of the train came loose hinting that no one else will be coming for them. "I just released the engine car and changed course of the tracks. We're now heading towards the core of the mines at maximum speed. This engine has a Dust powered reactor and is overheating. The engine itself won't make the same impact as the bomb but it'll be enough to make this mountain crack like a walnut."

Jaune's eyes widened with horror as heard the man's claims. He was planning to ram this Dust powered engine to the core and blow the place up and them along with it.

"Warning! Reactor overheating. Please activate coolant valves to release pressure." As if on cue, the computerized voice announced the situation to them.

"But if you do that, you'll get blown up too!"

The Crimson Swordsman scoffed. "Lesser men and women of my people have given their lives to the cause. It would be insulting if I didn't show the same fervor."

"What cause!?" Jaune barked out, his hands flailing in the air. "If you go through with this, there won't be anything left! We'll all die! This is insane! There's nothing to be gained here!"

"I don't expect a 'murderer' to understand." The boy was taken back by that unnatural title. "Do you have any idea what my people went through? What the majority of the Faunus had to go through to earn their place in the world? We came from small tribes, shunned and oppressed. We were treated like animals, like sub-humans. Someone who has never been one of us could never understand how many ordeals, how many sacrifices we had to endure only to have all that hard work thrown at our faces."

"Tch…" Jaune gritted back unable to counter such claims. He would admit that he never really thought of how the Faunus people were treated. If fact you could say that he turned a blind eye to it like many others.

"But it ends today." Adam declared. "No more will the tyrants of humanity walk on the backs of our labor. After tonight, the world itself will change. Once Mountain Glenn is gone, the world will finally hear our voice. And no one will be able to stop it."

Jaune groaned out loudly as he heard this. Lowering his head, he raised his blade in defense knowing well what he must do. "Then I guess I have to stop you."

The challenge alone was enough to get Adam's blood boiling. Whether it was born from old hatred or lingering scars from the past, he was determined to let this battle end with total victory.

Blake noted that change in his attitude and knew that he was going to fight seriously. That wasn't good. If three skilled Hunters in training couldn't make a single dent on him, what can one scraggly boy like Jaune fare any better? He wasn't exactly a fighter and his skills weren't up to par with many freshmen.

"Don't do it Jaune!" She tried to warn him. "You're no match for him! Just run away!"

The boy voiced his apology. "Sorry. But that's something I just can't do right now." And with that, the boy charged first.

(Dust mine)

"Ow… my head." Ruby rubbed the back of her skull as she recovered from the fall from the high speed train. "Is everyone alright?"

"No…" Sun groaned out loud raising his hand. "I think I might've broken a bone or two."

"Pyrrha?" Ruby then turned to the weary champion who flinched on her leg. "Are you hurt?"

She flashed the little one a reassuring smile. "It's nothing serious. But I think I might've reopened an old wound." It was obvious that she was lying. Ruby could tell that she was just trying to keep the others calm when her face winced in pain.

"That looks bad." Ruby deduced looking at the open gash at her leg. "We need to get you somewhere safe and have it treated."

"Oh please, don't concern yourself." She waved it off. "My aura should seal it back with some time. We should get back to the train as quickly as possible before it leaves without us."

But Sun seemed to disagree. "Uh… that might be a problem." He gestured to the small pack of Grimm that suddenly showed themselves. "Looks like we'll be entertaining them for awhile."

"Right. Pyrrha get back. We'll deal with these guys, just rest for now."

The champ wanted to argue but found the pain holding her back. At this rate she'll just be a burden to those two.

(Engine car)

Jaune wanted to say that this was the fight of the century. That he actually was making an impact in this fight. He wanted to live through this battle and tell the world he came and fought against the living legend, Adam Taurus and lived to gloat about it. He would tell this story in the cafeteria and his classmates would huddle to hear how heroic he was. News crew would flock to his side asking for an interview and his face would be placed on billboards and cereal boxes like Pyrrha. He might even tweak the story here and there to make it story-worthy. But who was he kidding? This wasn't a fight.

It was purely a one-sided punching bag training session against a blood hungry Ursa. And sadly for Jaune, it seems like he was the dummy in this fight.

"Goh!" The blonde knight was sent crashing to the wall, his armor denting inward from the sheer force of impact.

"Jaune!" Blake rattled her binds once more but again found it futile.

Adam let his neck clicked as he moved in for the next bout. He expected that blow to knock his lights out but to his surprise, Jaune simply rose back up. "You're pretty durable… aren't you?"

"I'm… not done yet." The boy said through pants raising his blade and charging once more. "Yaaaaaaaah!"

Repeating the same move, Adam parried the boy's attack easily and countered with a number of kicks and palm strikes that would've snapped an ordinary man's spine in two. With a kick to the stomach, the blonde boy was sent crashing to the wall again with an even louder noise.

"Ow… ok… I'm gonna feel that in the morning." But again Jaune rose, his stamina not giving way. "Alright… one more time! Yaaaaaahhh!" But again the process repeated itself. Adam would parry his strike, counter with bone breaking attacks and then send him striking towards a wall.

To say the least the Crimson Warrior was underwhelmed by his attempts. It was like facing a kid with a stick swinging madly with little in terms of technique or style. Granted, having a sword and shield didn't exactly offer much in those two categories but still… he expected a little more from him.

"What is this? Some kind of joke?" Adam taunted, not really sure if he was angry at the boy or at himself. "Don't tell me that's all you have."

"Huuaaaaaa!" Jaune charged again giving out two good swings only to hit nothing but air. He faltered in his third attack and gave an opening for the red swordsman to deliver another flurry of blows to his body sending him crashing towards the doorway. "Oh…"

"Jaune, just stay down, please!" Blake pleaded. She couldn't bear to watch that boy get beaten more than he already was. Every grunt he made with each passing blow was like a dagger through her heart. Even before he fought Adam, the boy had bruises on his body and scars that would make a body builder scowl. Now his left eye was swollen, its lid closing half way and his hand had blisters the size of his own palm. His clothes were torn and ripped in so many places you might think he had a fight with a pack of hyenas.

And believe me, Jaune wanted to do it. There wasn't a time in this whole fight that he would just drop down and call it quits. Even a dense guy like him should be able to tell that he wouldn't be able to land a blow on Adam even if he had all the luck in the world with him. But despite the difference in their abilities, Jaune couldn't do it. Even if he desired it, his weak and beating heart wouldn't allow himself to surrender. Because he knew subconsciously that if he failed here, that if he falls… the thousands of others will be paying the price. Families of innocent people, human and Faunus will suffer because of their incompetence. And he couldn't allow that. The pathetic hero code he had in him wouldn't let him.

"Sorry… but that's just not happening." He said finally, wiping the trickle of blood running from his lips.

"Hmph… you really are a persistent one." Adam stated almost like he was expecting something more. "I guess you really are a Hunter." Wait, was that a praise just now or was it meant for something else? "Too bad you won't live long enough to become a proper one."

"Well… then… come and… try it." The boy once again challenged raising his shield up. "Haaaaa! Doh!" A knee to the stomach stunned him quite severely. "Grrr… haaaa!" Again and again the boy attacked and again and again he was repulsed and beaten utterly and bitterly.

"There's a difference between bravery and idiocy." Adam said to him after bloodying the boy's nose. "I think we all know where you stand there. Give it up kid. I could you whenever I want to so you might as well just drop dead and save me the trouble."

"Like I said…" But if Jaune was anything, he was relentless. Once more he stood, this time using his armor as a clutch to raise his already weakened body. "… that's not gonna happen. I'm going to stop you. Even if it kills me."

"A tempting offer."

"Jaune don't! Please… just stop it!"

"I won't stop." The blonde knight carried himself forward, dragging his feet to raise his blade one more time. "Not while I'm still breathing."

"…" Adam paused in his attacks. Why did he hesitate to kill him just now? He could tell that he could easily just slice that boy's head off and be done with this match. He was weak, unskilled and unworthy of the blade that he carried with him. Yet what was it that held him back? He had killed Hunters and soldiers that were ten times stronger than him yet he couldn't bring his full might to this kid.

…

"Haaaaa!"

And from that shout, Adam saw it. Through the half-closed eyelids, he could see the cerulean eyes of the blonde Hunter something that he never expected. In all his life fighting, everyone Adam ever faced they always had this blaze in their eyes. The eye of a warrior, a Hunter, a soldier. There was a desire to kill, to defeat and to harm deep within those eyes.

But for Jaune, there was no such thing. Where Adam looked to find those primal desires to slay his enemy, the blonde crusader showed nothing of that sort. Instead, what replaced those burning gaze was a look of mercy, sadness, pity and remorse. Something the man was foreign too. The boy had no desire to fight him or to even win. He held no malice but rather a notion of peace. It sickened Adam. It sickened him to his stomach to see those eyes.

"Gooooh!" Jaune was kicked again in the stomach sending him back to the doorway with a loud and thunderous clank of metal. Adam made sure to put even more strength this time hopefully to put him down once and for all. But like last time, he rose again clutching onto his Crocea Mors even tighter.

"Stay down, kid." Adam opted, hinting some manner of pity in his tone. "There's no point in fighting anymore. Trust me. Continuing this will just earn you an early grave."

"That an't happening. There is a point." The boy barked back softly. "I didn't come all the way just to stop now."

"And how do you intend to do that?" He asked. "Look at you. You can barely stand where you are? I actually expected more from a killer like you. But I guess you're an apple that fell a little way off the tree."

"Hey!"

"Relax kid." Adam urged the boy. "Coming from me, that's a compliment. Unlike the previous owners of that sword, you're an angel."

"Hey! Don't talk about… guh… you don't know anything about me!" Jaune recouped feeling his stomach churn.

"On the contrary. I think it's the other way around." The red swordsman mocked looking oddly at the boy only to come to a realization. "You really don't know, do you?"

"About what?"

"Ha… hahaha!" To everyone's surprise, Adam began laughing. "Oh this is rich. I guess it's only fitting that they become forgotten. Nobody really likes to remember a blot in history after all."

"Warning." The computer spoke again. "Engine reactor critical."

"But unfortunately I don't have time for a history lesson." Adam finished.

"Hold it Adam!" Jaune warned, his tone strengthened. "We're not done yet! I will stop you!"

"You!?" He laughed. "What right have you to stop me? You have none. I however have all the right to carry out this plan. This grand charade. Look upon me and you look upon the will of every Faunus in the world. The thousands that you and your ragged band have defeated carry the same will as I do: Equality for the Faunus. I carry their dreams in my heart. Those who have fallen and those who continue to fight. I carry them all. You, are nothing more but a mere mockery of a Hunter. A pawn playing the role too big for his own station."

"Ugh…" Jaune couldn't really say anything to that. After all, he was technically right. He was a small fish swimming in a sea of sharks and alligators. "No, you're wrong."

"And how so?"

"I know of a few Faunus who'd disagree with you." Jaune darted to Blake flashing a weak grin.

"The will of the many will always overthrow the few." Adam reasoned his will without doubt. "I expected them to voice against our cause. But can you really tell me… honestly, that one act of kindness will make us forget generations of unfairness? Just because you are kind to one of us doesn't make it right for the rest. You hold only one will and this is your own. I carry the will and desire of every Faunus ever oppressed by man. Can you truly say that you are my equal?"

"Ugh…"

"You're no Hunter." He said finally which cut deep in Jaune's pride. "You're just someone wearing the cloak of someone else. If you don't have what it takes to protect the ones you love, then you probably shouldn't even be here."

His words hurt. But regardless they were true. He knew nothing of the Faunus' cause or their struggle. Even if he did, try as he may Jaune could never accomplish what he came here to do. He might as well just buy time for inevitable but there was no help coming, no more assistance, no more brave rescues. If he fought here, he was going to die.

"You're right…" Jaune said finally much to everyone's surprise. "You're absolutely right. I don't know anything. I don't know much about the world, the Faunus or the White Fang. I don't know what any of you went through. I don't know about the past and to be honest, I'm not even a real Hunter. I'm just a fake guy pretending to be someone he's not."

"Jaune…" Blake opted but had no words to support him.

"I can't fight like Pyrrha or any other Hunters in our academy. I'm not as smart as Ren or be as skillful as Ruby and the gang. In fact… I didn't know anything about being a Huntsman until a few months ago. Compared to them, I'm nothing."

"…" Adam remained silent and turned his back on the boy. There was no longer a need to finish him. He was beaten… battered… broken.

"But I do know one thing." Jaune paused, taking a deep breath as he focused all his might on his voice. "I know Blake Belladonna better than you."

…!

Adam froze in his tracks, his eyes widened under that mask as he turned back to face the knight. "What… did you say?"

Jaune's eyes sharpened as he spoke back. "You heard me. I might not know about your cause or whatever it is you call it. I might not know about your revolution or how unfair the Faunus have been treated. But I certainly know Blake better than you ever will. Admit it. This wasn't about the White Fang or your equality or whatever. This was always about Blake. You wanted her back by your side, like old times. That's why you kidnapped her. That's why you told her your plans. You wanted her back by your side."

"Shut… up…"

"You keep saying like you know her, but you hardly even know who Blake is. She's a caring girl who doesn't want to use her power for evil." A soft and mysterious glow suddenly began resonating from Jaune. It covered his entire body with a warm shield, sparkling like a glowing star in the midst of darkness. "She's someone who cares for the lives of others, both humans and Faunus. Someone who would risk her life to protect others, even strangers! That's why she left you. That's why she'll never come back to you!"

"I said, shut up!"

"You can pretend to know her, but the truth is: You don't! You don't know Blake, you don't anything about her! You never could understand why she just up and left. That's because she never opened her heart to you!"

"If you won't shut that mouth of yours, then die!" With rage built from the boy's words, Adam drew out his blade in anger and attacked hoping to end that kid's pathetic existence once and for all.

Everyone expected it to end in the next moment. Blake closed her eyes not wanting to see Jaune's head roll on the floor. But to everyone's surprise, that glow that radiated from Jaune's body suddenly expanded, as if it was reacting to the sudden aggression. Jaune felt a sudden burst of energy pour out of his body. It was like a power with no focal point, no control, so it spread in every direction blasting everything not nailed to the ground. It blinded Adam and through some unknown force, he was blasted back to the front of the car with a loud and gruesome crash.

"Gahhh!" The hero of the White Fang grunted loudly as if he never felt such pain. He didn't know what just happened. One second he was cutting the head of that boy, the next thing he knew he was thrown back like some rag doll discarded by its owner.

Crack…

His ears then perked to the sound of something cracking nearby. He searched for the source only to find his mask slowly breaking apart from the impact. His hand moved to hold it together but failed. No longer did his face hide under the shadow of such petty trinket.

"You!" Adam snarled at the boy who slowly stood back up also affected by the sudden burst of energy. Merging both his anger, frustration and the humiliation poured into him, the Crimson Swordsman just about had enough of the boy. "Why won't you just die!?"

"Like I said: That an't happening!"

Dropping his broken mask to the floor, Adam decided that it was time he ended this mockery of a battle. He pulled out the vial of Black Dust from his pocket, letting the dark substance soak into his body. "To think I would have to go all-out with an impudent upstart like you! This ends now!"

Adam sheathed his blade once more and began to concentrate. All his rage and anger being forced into his katana.

Blake eyes widened when she saw this. She knew this technique well. It was Adam's finisher, a technique he developed to deal with enemies that proved too resilient for him. She had seen it done a few times and each time he used it, none of his enemies would be left standing, man or machine.

"Jaune! Run!"

(Evac Train)

Fire and ice.

That was perhaps the best way to describe the fight that was happening on board the train. If there was ever any logical way for a place to be on fire yet frozen at the same time, this would be it.

Weiss and Yang were both letting out all their combat abilities tackling perhaps the largest two headed snake they've ever seen. The creature twisted and coiled around them, leaping sneak attacks and ensnaring the two whenever possible. It was only through their partnership that they've been able to deal with the slithering approach of that snake.

Click click…

That was of course, until Yang heard the rather familiar empty cartridge sound from her gauntlet.

"I'm out!" The blonde bomber declared, unclipping the empty shells within. "Any bright ideas?"

Weiss checked her weapon as well and saw that she too was running out of ammunitions. She deduced that she could conjure a few more ice javelins or an iceberg if she wished. But after that she would be spent.

"I hate to say it, but I recommend that we withdraw to more favorable ground." The heiress suggested much to her pride's damage.

"But… what about Ruby!? We can't just leave her!"

"We won't be able to help her if we die here!" Weiss berated, taking a deep breath. "Look, you're not the only one who's worried about Ruby. But if we fall here, we won't get the chance to aid her."

Yang wanted to protest but found no reason to counter. Weiss was right. If they die, who was going to look after her little sister? With a deep breath, she complied. "Alright. What's the plan?"

"We'll use our smoke-screen attack." Weiss explained not taking her eyes off the target. "It should disorient the monster for a while. We'll use that time to head back and come up with a plan to fight this beast and…"

Boom!

An explosion from the King Taijitu cut her off from explanation. The two Huntresses looked up noting a number of missiles suddenly plopping behind them, blowing the albino head first.

"… or that…" Weiss finished, a little agape.

Suddenly, as if summoned by the sound of those explosions, a wave of Atlesian droids appeared, unloading a volley onto the beast. A column of Paladin Armors and soldiers followed not far behind, surrounding the train in mere moments.

Meeeeeehhh!

In a matter of seconds, the large snake breathed its last, succumbing to the attack of the Atlesian Army.

"O… k…" Yang's mind went poof watching the one-sided battle take place. "I'll admit, I did not see that one coming."

"Hostile down." One of the soldiers declared on his radio. "We've secured the train sir and we found two more of the students. No sign of Adam yet."

(Engine car)

He was going to die. Jaune couldn't deny it this time. He was really REALLY going to die.

The mere amount of pressure and energy that was gathering around Adam at the time was so immense that it glued his feet to the floor. He would be shivering in fear right now if he wasn't so exhausted. The next blow was sure to finish him off. He was sure of it and his shield won't be making much of a difference either.

Adam wouldn't be using his trump card if he wasn't serious about this fight. Jaune didn't have the strength to pull out another stunt like that anymore. In fact, he could barely even stand on his own two feet. There was nothing more he could do, nothing he could think of to counter this attack.

He cursed under his breath for being so brash. He used up everything, even his aura now seemed spent throughout this fight. All that pounding done against him eventually depleted his reserves, weakening him immensely.

So this is it then? This is where it ends? This is where his Hunter career dies? Not to be slain by the enemies of the kingdom, but by a legendary warrior himself. In another time, the boy would probably say that it was a lame way to go. But then again, there weren't exactly a lot of Hunters who can say that they

But just as the boy was about to succumb to defeat, he felt a crunching feeling at the palm of his hand. He looked and by some miracle it appeared. It was the Black Dust stone, a crushed one. The very same one that Ren had given to Pyrrha earlier.

Whether it was by some devil's luck or fate's way of playing tricks, the blonde knight didn't care. All he knew was that these tiny little stones were the key to his victory. He grabbed a fist full of the substance, making sure not to miss any of the bigger pieces. The Black Dust looked like it was running out of juice. Most of it was gray and some even turning to glass as they lost their original color.

But now… what was he supposed to do with it? Jaune hadn't the slightest clue on how to use Dust. He wasn't exactly proficient in Dust manipulation and there wasn't enough time to learn.

So taking the action born out of a desperate hope to survive, Jaune took a deep breath and placed those rocks in his mouth. The taste was horrible. Its bitterness mixing with the blood in his mouth made it even worse. But regardless of that rotten feeling in his gut, the boy pressed on. He chew and swallow, swallowed as he chew.

With nothing left to do on his end, the blonde knight summoned the last of his strength to pull himself back up for one more bout. Time seemed to slow as he rose. He eyed Adam on the other end of the train and knew well that there was no way to evade or block this. It was do or die time.

Throwing his shield to the fray, Jaune put all his hopes onto his sword, raising it one last time for one last charge. With a cry befitting a warrior, he charged. Each step he took felt like an eternity, every muscle he moved sent wave of aches and pains through his mind. He could see Blake shouting something at him, her eyes locked with fear and terror as she watched him march to his very doom. But he wasn't going to stop now. What kind of hero does things half-way?

He was so close now. So close to reaching that bull-headed moron. So close to that victory.

…

And in the end, it was still beyond his reach.

Right before the boy could even reach him, Jaune felt something tear through him. He saw Adam draw out his blade and from there his vision distorted. Everything around him looked hazy and incomprehensible. He felt his chest piece ripped apart, metal being cut like razor cutting through paper. His shirt inside and his skin within following not far. He could feel it all in an instant before his sight darkened.

…

…

…

The boy fell to the floor with an audible sound ringing throughout the chamber. His sword released from his hand falling just slightly out of his reach, his deep azure eyes darkened and empty.

Blake's eyes locked itself to Jaune's body, her mouth agape. A feint hope in her heart prayed over. She prayed to whatever god that would still listen to her pleas. She prayed for a miracle. She prayed for him to stand up like he did the other hundred times before. She prayed that she would not have to bear this cross.

A moment passed. And then another… and another… and another… and another…

Yet his body didn't move.

"No…" Blake pleaded, her eyes spilling hot tears down her cheek. "No… Jaune! Jaune get up! Get up! Get up damn it! Don't do this to me! Please! JAUNE!" Her voice cracked, unable to bear the weight of her guilt any longer. Why must they suffer because of her selfishness? Why? The question rang heavily in her mind as her tortured sobs echoed throughout the car. She didn't want this to happen, she never asked for this. It should've been her. She should be the one bleeding on the ground, not him.

No… not Jaune.

Seeing the boy finally down, Adam breathed a sigh of relief. He never expected to use his killing move against someone so immature but that boy forced his hands. He asked for it. He was given ample opportunities to surrender but that stubborn pride of his just wouldn't allow it. If anything, his death was almost too good.

"Warning: obstruction detected." The computer announced. "Please issue the emergency breaks."

The timing was rather impeccable.

"It's time for us to go, Blake." He knelt down to the cat, only to be greeted by a spit to the face.

"Stay away from me you monster." She hissed back at him angrily, her red eyes mark by trails of her tears. "I will have nothing to do with you or your cause!" Her wrists were reddened from the struggle she made to break herself free. But her mentor prepared these chains especially for her.

Adam expected as much as a reaction from the girl but it still stung his heart to hear it out loud. He wanted to argue with her and perhaps find a way to justify his actions but there wasn't enough time. In a matter of minutes this mountain will become a crater and they needed to be as far away from here as possible before that happens. With a gentle sigh, he reached for his pocket producing an oddly colored powder from a leather strap.

"Maybe one day you'll understand." He blew it towards her slowly robbing the girl of her conscious.

"Adam… you… cow…ard." Blake barely had a chance to defend herself when she found herself slipping from reality as her mind and visions turned hazy. She was knocked out cold the next moment, her struggle and anger dropping with her.

It did not sit well for Adam to use such a cheap trick to knock one of his old pupils out. In fact he would've preferred it if Blake came back with him willingly. It would've made for a happier ending to the story and perhaps she might've spared herself from so much suffering. But circumstances forced his hands. "Maybe when you wake up, when the world has changed… perhaps then you'll see."

He slowly undid the cuffs, preparing to make a break for the nearest exit out of the tunnels. Thankfully the old fortress here in the underground had a detailed map of the old subway which he remembered by heart. Knowing the lay of the land came in quite handy especially in these times.

…!

But just as the Crimson Swordsman reached out to scoop his former pupil, a sudden shadow loomed overhead catching his attention. For a moment he thought it was just some mirror image caused by the faulty lighting, an illusion conjured through his weary mind. But when he turned, every cell in his body froze.

"How…?"

A glint of silver reflected upon his eyes when the Crocea Mors finally came down to him. Adam reached for his blade to block but it he was too slow. By the time he grasped the hilt of his katana, the accursed sword cut through his aura cleaving a mighty scar on his chest.

"Arrrrghhhhh!" An honest to god scream tore through his lungs as the pain surged through every nook of his body. He reeled back, frightened and confused. Who wouldn't be? The boy who he thought was dead had come back to life. And worst yet was that he just cut him.

Jaune's body radiated with such force and power that even Adam would say he paled in comparison. It was as if the boy was an entirely different person. He was not that weak willed child that he crushed earlier. No, this boy… this man was someone else. Someone that would make even the gods tremble in their thrones.

"Haaaaa!"

…

…

…

From that moment onward, one could no longer say that this was a fight. It was more of a scuffle between two men who had a disagreement. Jaune swung his sword, landing one blow after the next all the while ignoring the pain on his arms. Adam on the other hand could barely defend himself. With his good arm clutching his chest, all he could do was block the boy's attack as they came. He tried to reach for his vial of Black Dust but again without his other arm, he couldn't grab it. Soon, with no reprieve, the Crimson Swordsman fell backward, his katana falling out of his reach.

Adam expected Jaune to take this opportunity to finish him, to end this conflict once and for all. There wasn't a sane man on the planet who wouldn't take such a chance. The amount of glory and prestige for taking one such as him would be immense. To end the life of a hero such as him was a Hunter's dream come true. But like before, Jaune was still able to surprise him once again.

"Give it up Adam!" Jaune demanded, drawing his blade dangerously close to the redhead's face. "It's over!"

But Adam wasn't going down just yet. His face wrinkled in anger as he used his last good arm to grasp the Crocea Mors by the tip. "Never! It's over… when I say it's over!"

Jaune frustratingly held back. Right now every cell in his body was screaming for blood. After all the pain the man caused, he deserved it. His death would've brought a lot of souls to rest, yet he couldn't do it. That arrogant naivety of his still held firm. "Don't make me do this Adam! Just give up! Please! You can still walk out of this alive! You don't have to do this!"

"I can't stop now!" He shouted back clasping the sharp end, the blood on his hand mixing in with the metal. "Too many lives have been given for this cause! I can't stop! I won't!"

"Adam! Listen to yourself!" Jaune pleaded. "This is insane! It doesn't have to be this way! Blake… she… she wouldn't want this! She wouldn't want you or anyone to die! Please, you have to stop!"

"There's no time to stop! No more time. After today, it's over!"

"Warning!" The computer announced. "Reactor core reaching critical levels. Evacuate immediately!"

"Damn it!" Cursing under his breath, Jaune looked around trying to find a way to stop this train. He couldn't reach the controls, not with Adam in the way. But quickly enough the boy turned his attention to the emergency brakes, which was situated just near them. Kicking the red swordsman away, he reached for the lever pulling it quickly. The screeching sound of metal rods and wheels breaking apart could be heard throughout the tunnels. The whole car shook and trembled almost as if it was tearing itself apart.

"No!" Adam yelled out reaching for his blade. "It won't end like this!" With a final roar, he charged at Jaune, hoping to take him out at the very least.

…

The squelching noise of steel piercing flesh was never a pleasant noise. In that feint moment, Jaune wished his life had taken another course. Light drops of blood splattered across his chest plate—and oddly enough, it didn't belong to him. The boy looked around noticing he had swung his blade out of pure instinct. He only intended to deflect the attack, not… this…

"Kahh!" Adam dropped to his knees, his katana loosened from his grip—or to be more precise, it was cut off. His whole right arm from the elbow down was cleaved from its shoulder. An agonizing screech bellowed from his mouth as he held out his shortened limb.

There was hardly a moment to be shocked when the train began to shake violently. The tracks that held it steady began to break apart and that tremor alone made Jaune break from his shock. With speed and haste that would make even Ruby blush, the young knight scooped Blake from the ground and with the last ounce of his strength, he leaped off the train crashing onto the rock hard surface below.

The last thing he heard was Adam crying of the cat's name before the engine derailed and exploded, drowning it out. As the flames of that explosion encroached, Jaune could think of nothing but protecting that which he held. He might not be a real Hunter, but he can sure hell die as one. Using his body as a shield, the boy covered Blake awaiting the inevitable, unaware of a familiar red portal swirling behind him.

And in this cavern where blood was spilled, the legend of the mighty hero ends. And the Crocea Mors… returns.