Not Worth Fixing

by Kerberos314

The moon cracked like an egg, unleashing darkness into the world. But it wasn't the only thing to break, and all the King's horses and all the King's men can't put it back to the way it was. You want me to do it? Heh, fat chance. I'm done being the hero- villain too. I just want what's owed me. (Parings undecided, rated M for a reason).

17. Sleep is for the Weak

Hey, I am not too far off on my estimate this time! Only about a day late, and boy, this chapter is a doozy! It just kept getting longer and longer... kind of like term papers... which I am finally done with! Haha! Suck it, college! One more final exam left and then I am free... to join the real world and find a job.

Oh well. I can't promise you guys that I'll be able to update faster now that I have (almost) graduated. In fact, I'll probably be even busier. But, in the few months that I am in transition, I will try my very best to crank out some quality smut- I mean, storyline for you guys. I know I owe you all some good scenes, and so much more than that. Mwa! Love you guys!

Noch Weiter!

---

Sleep was not as easy to come by as she made it seem.

It wasn't as simple as closing one's eyes and succumbing to nonexistence; existence was pervasive, annoying. The world outside had a way of asserting itself through any of the five senses. Distractions in the form of bright lights like neon signs, cacophonous noises, knocking on doors which invited extraneous ideas like salesmen hocking their tawdry wares.

How hard it was, to forget.

It was not enough to simply relinquish control. That just invited thoughts to run wild, or, for someone else to step in.

The trick to sleep, therefore, was learning not only how to ignore the insatiable stimuli, but also being able to accept whoever was at the helm.

Which was why Matatabi hadn't had a good night's rest in a long, long time.

It was why, when their stagnant world began to change, when the perpetual night sky brightened just the tiniest bit, she noticed.

The demigods and demons continued to fight their brilliant battle overhead. However, the Two-Tails had learned to tune out these distractions, and instead she focused on the invasion of pale blue on the horizon.

"So, morning still comes after all…"

Eyes like a propane flame burned the concept into her mind, lips curling into a crescent moon smile.

Even when the hours passed and the sky remained in that everlasting state of twilight, she did not lose her contented smirk.

Instead, at last, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

---

Winter awoke with her head resting against the cabin's pressurized window, sunrise barely creeping over Vale's purple mountain range. It had been night when they left Atlas, a journey of many hours. However, she'd only managed to rest for the tail end of the trip, right before dawn's first light roused her.

Funny how the windows of her personal cruiser were rated against 14.5 mm Burn-Dust rounds, yet they couldn't be bothered to install blinds.

Though in point of fact, it was not the light which woke her, but the warmth. Rays of light speared her through the double-paned plexiglass and dissolved the cold vacuum on the other side. They burnt away at Winter's dreams like a plasma blowtorch put to snow.

They reminded her of that day.

She had been dreaming of it, reliving it. That time lived in Winter's memories as the coldest she'd ever felt in her life.

Winter liked the cold, but this had been different. Possibly because it had been an achingly long deployment far north of her familiar territory. Possibly because she had missed breakfast that morning and their unit had been conserving rations for the previous few days. Possibly because they had been holed up in a glacial valley, unprotected from the biting arctic winds for hours before being called to action.

Although, it was most likely the chilling phenomenon of coming so close to death.

The front lines had been so hot that her exposed skin had come away with sunburns. But during the moment of truth Winter had been frozen, literally and figuratively as the blood drained from her hands and face. She had been unable to defend herself- even to run away as the icy-blue holocaust consumed all the air before it could reach her lungs. It cut through bedrock as effortlessly as the snowpack above and she would have been dead- she had been dead; that is, if it hadn't been for-

"Lt. Schnee, we are beginning our final approach to Beacon Academy and have received confirmation of landing permissions."

The crackling voice of the intercom shook her from her wayward, lucid thoughts. She'd been so close to falling back to sleep- back into that nightmare where she'd had no control.

She jabbed the intercom button. "Thank you for letting me know. Any word from the General about a rendezvous?"

"Report's in that the General has already arrived safely. Negative on further instruction."

Freed, then, from all but her standing orders which remained like watchdogs in the background. Winter would have at least a few hours to herself.

Although, she'd paid for that free time with hard work. And the break wasn't really for herself, but reserved for visiting her sister. Responsibility towards family was a kind of duty mixed with pleasure. For as much as she loved her younger sibling, there were times when Weiss truly aggravated her.

-Then were the times that she would recall that day. And for as much anger, loathing, hatred she felt towards that inhuman Monsterfor slaughtering her comrades in the freezing cold of the arctic circle-

Was there not a selfish part of Winter that was still grateful she had been spared?

"Is the lamb supposed to be happy that the vegetarian did not eat him?" Winter asked out the window as the ship descended past fleecy white clouds.

After some groggy debate, she decided to skip breakfast. Though she would need the energy for another long day ahead, the night before had come up and dissolved her apatite like stomach acid.

Instead, she made herself a strong cup of coffee. Yet, sitting in her hand, it would perpetually feel lukewarm.

---

"Hmm… I'm hungry."

Glynda halted in her step and looked up from her full plate of work at the disguised Man-Grimm walking next to her who was currently behaving more like a Man-Child. Somehow, despite her years of experience as an educator, Jin had a habit of making her feel like a first-time mother.

An analogy that really didn't sit well with her.

"Hmm… it has been a while since we last had you clear out the Grimm," Meanwhile, the other childish personality she daily dealt with had stopped as well and was unflinchingly sipping his cocoa. "However, we simply haven't been getting as many coming near the school lately. Bartholomew speculates that for some reason, they have altered their migration patterns out past Mountain Glenn. He has been begging me to give him a furlough from classes to go and study them. Although, I suspect you already know this."

"Recent events have not exactly discouraged Green-Bean from getting underfoot." On the best of days, one could not escape a conversation with Ooblek. Even after surviving one of the worst days with Jin, the doctor still managed to nearly talk the Grimm's sensitive ears off. "You could send the two of us on a little 'fieldtrip' to find out, kill two birds with one stone."

Obvious it would be less of a safari and more of a slaughter, still, Ozpin considered it.

"…No, I'm afraid that I can't spare the Doctor right now," Not with everything currently happening at Beacon and around Vale all at once- actually, they could ill afford this current pause, given who was waiting on them. And so, Ozpin kept walking, thinking out loud as the three made their way along the open path. "And understand, I can't let you go out on your own. Not now, with our current… guests."

Things were busy gearing up for the Vytal festival at the same time violent disturbances were on the rise. Public security being of prime concern, Vale's Royal Council had gone over Ozpin's head and invited Atlas as more than just participants in the tournament. Now the skyline and Beacon's lawn were crowded with a flotilla of pure-white ships like shuttlecocks being batted into the headmaster's court. Though the floating Amity Coliseum was still on its way, an arena of eyes was already on them.

"However… first-year assignments are coming up soon. I could arrange it to have one of the teams escort you under the guise of a mission. You'd still have to exercise caution, of course… of course, it would have helped if you hadn't also alienated half the teams I would consider sending."

"Feh, I was just being me. Way I see it, you were just wrong about them," Ozpin stopped once again to look back at him, heedless of the tight schedule. He wasn't moving, and Jin's smirk dissolved like the steam from the headmaster's cooling cup. He conceded the man's point with a pouting grunt, and then they kept walking. "Fine. If you say I really need a parole officer… I guess I'll settle for the other four."

"I'll see what I can do." Ozpin certainly wasn't going to introduce any more variables into the equation at this point. As much as he'd like to expand Jin's contacts within the student base, right now he hardly trusted the Man-Grimm with anyone less than Glynda watching.

"-Wait a minute, Ozpin-!" The assistant headmistress stumbled but her boss wasn't slowing, seeming not even to think as he leapt to this decision. "We can't let him around the students after what hap-"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Ozpin sighed, the bitter comment falling from his lips and mixing with the marshmallows in his hot chocolate. The frown he could hide with another sip from his porcelain mug, but there was no ignoring the cruisers which parked themselves as neatly as china plates across his school's lawn. It was a delicate situation, for sure. "I am not sure if Ironwood even knows I let our Jinchῡriki run free. And if he somehow finds out before I get a chance to break it to him, I want to at least pretend like I'm keeping an eye on Jin."

"The General isn't stupid. He'd hardly believe that four first year students could possibly keep a handle on Him."

"He's standing right here," Jin grumbled, almost appearing to sulk under his heavy robes. Interestingly, the Grimm looked to be worn out that day, as if he really was running on low fuel. And if they hadn't been running late, Glynda might have also noticed how he seemed out of sorts, spacy as if he had just been awoken and was trying to recollect a dream."…And you'd be surprised the foolish ideas humans come up with… besides, that's assuming the good General even recognizes me."

"Oh, please!" However, Glynda was tired herself of indulging the two men's fantasies. "Less than two years and a few tatty robes are hardly adequate to hide your appearance from those who have had the unique experience. What makes you think that the moment he spots you, the General won't-"

"Ozpin!"

To her chagrin, Jin was right about one thing- well, two, actually.

He- the General, that is- had been standing there. Now he was briskly walking towards them down the stone promenade, flanked by a platoon of robotic soldiers but, thankfully, not a living guard in sight.

Jin also predicted that the man who was keenly sharp in every other respect wouldn't see him- or at least, didn't register the Grimm as a threat. Even having half his body replaced by electronics didn't appear to make Ironwood immune from human myopathy as he blatantly ignored the black, elephantine Grimm in the background and headed straight for his old comrade.

"It's good to see you, my friend." The firm clasping of hands with his fellow headmaster was overdubbed by the crack of Atlesian Knights halting at attention a few steps back. "It's been too long… though I do wish this reunion was more voluntary on you part."

"It's true, the council twisted my arm. I am not quite as omnipotent as people are want to believe, still but a man, and a loyal subject," Yet he could still meet the Atlesian General on equal terms, shake the metallic hand of a cyborg who was but a couple checks and balances away from becoming a despot. And yet, both still knew that Oz had the upper hand. "The fact that you understand my predicament without me spelling it out for you is one of the reasons it will always be good to see you, James."

"Despite getting a few knocks to the head when I was young, I still remember a thing or two an old man taught me," With a wink, Ironwood knocked his head back to draw attention to his entourage. "And I'm still grateful to that old man. I'll happily play the 'foreign invader' for you, Oz. Despite their flaws, there are a few things androids are good for."

"Indeed. I was not looking forward to deploying my forces inside of Vale." Though he still eyed the automata warily- and with the corner of his eye, noticed Jin doing the same. Interesting. What concern had he in Atlas's robots? "Not only can I ill-afford the loss of manpower, even in the best case, resentment between huntsman and the populace would be unavoidable. And this, I can afford even less."

"I understand completely. The current situation requires delicacy-"-Which was not something the General was known for, Jin standing as a reminder just how reckless the man could be sometimes. And if Ozpin had the time and the resources, he would want to know how Ironwood was dealing with his own Faunus populace. Then again, Atlas itself wasn't known for its liberal thinking. "-Which is why I chose to bring the 3rd Mechanized Autonomous Infantry Division; the AK's will be much easier to organize and control than human squads when deployed in security patrols throughout the city."

"Plus, the only thing people resent more than man-eating monsters are faceless, unfeeling robots." Behind his veil, Jin noted Glynda's violent judgement of the Atlesian Knights. If possible, her normal scowl was so severe that he almost expected the 'unfeeling robots' to suddenly fall on their knees and beg forgiveness. "They'll make fine scapegoats."

"Luckily, the AK's don't feel the same," at the same time, a frown was beginning to form on the General's stony face, and he tried to hide it, "Otherwise, you might have hurt their feelings with that comment, Glynda. They, however, don't suffer from the same lapses in judgment as their human counterparts."

"Now, General, don't go making me regret my judgement," Though it was said with the lilt of a jest, Ozpin clearly wanted to cut this argument off at the bud. "Besides, I was counting on the presence of Atlesian Knights. In this case, their impersonality works in our favor. If I and Vale's administration are to keep our hands clean of the Faunus matter, it is best to have a third party which doesn't betray any personal feelings."

"Well, you can certainly count on the AK-200's for that," Interpreting Ozpin's acknowledgement as a blessing, the military man could not help boasting a little about his toys. "I thought that you might have other subjects that you wanted to discuss in private, so we can rely on the AK's to provide security and not to betray any sensitive information."

"And how can you be sure of that?"

"Excuse me?" The General stumbled when faced with this outlandish question and the even more surprising voice behind it.

"How can you be sure they won't let you down? Do you even know how they work, or is what goes on inside just a black box to you?" Ironwood had a hard time seeing where he was going with this, the stranger's thought-process and face both hidden behind the black veil. But still, there was something familiar about him- not to say trustworthy. "If not, how can you be sure that they don't have thoughts sloshing around inside those buckets?"

"That's preposterous, none of the AK series are programmed for independent thought."

"Ah, but they still think, don't they? Otherwise, how would they carry out their soldiering functions? And one assumes they talk, too, given they can digest orders. Perhaps you have just never listened to what they have to say… or never bothered to ask."

"…Who are you?"

Ironwood finally asked- even if it did come out more as a demand. He had pretended to be unbothered by the stranger's presence, his association with Ozpin being enough of an assurance. But the General's own arrogance unfortunately could not share the spotlight.

"Really, you don't recognize me?" There was a niggling sensation on the back of the General's neck, and it only grew stronger as the stranger moved from the back of the group towards Ironwood until he loomed over the sturdy army man. "How 'bout now?"

Still, getting closer to the black mass didn't make anything but the threads covering his face clearer- until he caught sight of those fragmented eyes, and all the pieces fell together.

"You!" Ironwood exclaimed, "You're-"

---

Twelve hours earlier:

"…You are the Jinchῡriki, correct?"

No one was saying anything for or against- after all, this completely unassuming girl had just declared that she was going to slay the greatest beast Remnant had every known- to his face!- and until right now, she sounded so self-assured. The concept was laughable.

Except that no one was.

Okay, so to be fair, Roman and Neo were perhaps a tad thrown by the term 'Jinchῡriki', confused to its significance as something other than the Grimm's formal name. But the fact remained that she was clearly referencing him. And if this weren't outlandish enough in and of itself, Jin wasn't laughing either! Where they expected a maniacal cackle of contempt from the monster, there was nothing- not a guffaw, snort or even a titter.

"Did I say something wrong?" -And this girl… was still totally unaware of the danger she was in. "Ah! You do not have to worry about me, I assure you. I am combat ready!"

"Who are you?" The Grimm asked with genuine curiosity, not the usual condescension that Roman and to a lesser extent Neo had expected and gotten used to.

"Huh? Didn't I just introduce myself? Well, that's alright. My name is Penny, Penny Polendina, it's a pleas-"

"No, it's not," Hardly a fun experience for any of them, only the odd girl seemed to still be smiling. Though even this fluctuated slightly like a radio signal when she was interrupted. "Your name isn't 'Penny Polina' or whatever you said it was, because you're not a person. You're a Durama doll with metal instead of papier-mâché, hollow inside except for a caged soul. You possess Aura only in the way ashes belong to an urn. Hell, the Gingerbread Man was more alive than you!"

This was without a doubt news to Roman and Neo. But the girl- gynoid had clearly expected it, the only sign she'd been shaken by the reveal was that her smile was wiped away like an etch-a-sketch.

While both humans had inferred something off about the bubbly girl, seeing her with so blank an expression was just plain wrong.

"…Father warned me that you might not be very nice." A clinical understatement of the sort that could only be made by a computer. A reboot later and the robot was again sporting her blithe smile.. "Father also told me that if you said something like that, I should ask you… which of the souls you have inside is yours?"

Again, to the two humans this was nonsense- but not meaningless, oh no. Meaning was palpable, physical. There was a shift in the atmosphere, a transmutation as air became like water to breathe and a column of ocean settled on their shoulders. Jin was as calm as they'd ever seen him, but his rage was invisible. It was invincible as both Roman and Neo suddenly lost the desire to fight entirely and just give up on life.

But then it vanished, and the lifelike doll continued to stare in mild confusion but clearly unaffected.

"Heh, omoshiroi*…" A single laugh understated the insanity, allowing the situation to keep becoming more interesting. "So, who sent you? There are plenty of people who want to kill me but only a few stupid enough to try. I know Ozpin, and he knows that he can't get rid of me with anything but his best. And that Cinder woman thinks she's the best, her own personal pride wouldn't allow her to send an assassin to do her dirty work."

There was also the fact that Penny had said 'father' and thus implied that the person was male, though Roman had often wondered if his human boss had a bit of an Electra complex.

"Which leaves… let me guess, your 'daddy's' the Tin Man?"

Finally, there was a reference Roman comprehended- but it didn't make him feel any better.

"You mean… she was sent by Ironwood?!" Having Vale's police on to them was one thing. To be in betwixt the mighty hammer of Atlas and the immutable anvil that was Jin would just be plain suicide! "Fuck! If that's the case, there is nothing- you hear me, nothing that'll keep me here. You might as well kill me now because I ain't getting involved with-"

With a single, lazy eye cast behind him, the Grimm let Roman know he was on the wrong side of his ire.

"Oh, no, the General's not my father," However, apparently Penny didn't get the message, even when the angry glare came back to her. "Although, Father did tell me to think of the General as more like an uncle… the same as the Jinchῡriki!"

Now, they were thoroughly confused.

"-No," Though this did not stop Jin from making his pronouncement. "I'm already an Uncle. Pick something else."

Oddly enough, it was the simpler, seemingly conventional conversations that confused the gynoid. Penny paused to mull on the issue, and they could practically see the heat from her memory cards bleeding off in waves.

"Well… Tousan *hick!* Father did say that he was inspired by 'the unique challenge you possessed', but that I was based predominately off his own research, so…" Penny's face emulated deep thought as she processed this seemingly simple concept. But the answer lit up her face in what appeared to be divine inspiration. "Ah! You are Mother!"

He was dying inside- soon to be out. Hands plastered to his mouth, Roman knew that he couldn't afford to laugh- at the same time, he couldn't afford to keep it bottled inside. Laughter like a fizzy soft drink was about to pop its top with disastrous consequences, and each second brought another bout of agitating, acid carbonation through his bloodstream. Neo was lucky- the conclusion had simply bowled her over, off the crate where presumably she bumped her head and was knocked unconscious.

"No. That's not how that works. That's not how any of this works." Jin couldn't even look at the robotic woman without his head hurting. Reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, his claws dug into the boney mask like a chisel but failed to release the building migraine. "Could you… just go back to the part where you wanted to kill me, please?"

"Okay-!"

"-But first!"

It was a day for a lot of firsts as far as Torchwick was concerned. It was a considerable struggle trying to understand how this girl (and the fact that she wasn't human but had a soul was hard-enough to wrap his head around) was not already a fleshy stain on the warehouse wall- or a pile of metal shavings, whatever.

Whatever the case, the Grimm had some other purpose with Polendina for which he kept her intact- some ulterior motive like he had with the students, with Neo and Roman himself. However, what that was, was known only to him. As playthings, perhaps, or collectables in a very limited series.

Though if this were the case, as Roman was beginning to suspect, why not preserve them like specimens behind glass with those godlike eyes of his?

"…Why?" Jin reiterated the question at Penny, the android's face again forming a mold of confusion. "As I said before, there are plenty of people that want my head, and they have plenty of good reasons for it. I'm an asshole, a bastard, a menace. I have killed thousands- perhaps millions over my lifetime either directly or by failing to act. I have violated the moral contracts of both Gods and men.

"In other words, there is a long line ahead of you, girl. So, what skin do you have in the game? And if you don't have a damn good reason for wanting me dead, not only will you not stand a chance of defeating me, I won't even deign to give you that chance.

"So, speak. Prove to me you are worthy of my time."

"I… do not understand." Not that Roman could blame her. But at the same time, he acknowledged his own claim on Jin's life was fledgling at best. "It was… I was built as a specific countermeasure to the threat of Jinchῡriki-class Grimm. It was determined that an artificial platform would have the best chance of overcoming the physiologic/psychologic effects of the unknown optical Semblance displayed by-"

"Pathetic."

Unlike the expressions she had displayed previously, Penny actually looked hurt by this. As if Jin had physically struck her, Penny's face deformed past its factory specifications into a furrowed look of discontent.

"So, you are 'built' to kill me… but what if you do? What then?"

"Then I would return to Father or the General for further-"

"There is only one of me, girl. What about you? Do those blueprints in your head say that you're unique, or just the first unit off the assembly line? How many backups do you think they have ready to try and take me down when you fail?"

How had this never come up? It was inconceivable that Penny's creators hadn't anticipated this kind of existential logic. Or, if they had, was there a purpose in sending out this clearly faulty prototype?

"Are you alive, or aren't you? If so, what is your purpose in wanting to kill me? Where is the passion?! Where is the hate?!"

"…Hate?"

"Yes, hate," Maniacal joy as JIn grinned. "Hate is that which keeps the fire burning, the very thing that keeps me alive even with all those who wish my death. If you do not understand hate, you do not understand me and therefore have nohope of victory."

Victory had been his since the very beginning. And if time was really his motivation, Jin had been wasting quite a lot of it by talking. But his words weren't wasted on the gynoid- far from it. If her 'Father' truly knew about Jin, why had he created a weapon who would be swayed by sophistries?

"You have a long way to go, little Durama." Jin had already distanced himself from the conversation, leaving the robot girl in intense introspection. There was the sound of gears grinding as Jin lumbered past, Penny not looking at him with her limbs rigidly locked by her sides. "When you figure out where hate figures into life… come back to me, and just maybe I'll give you that death you desire."

And with that, he left.

Leaving, Roman realized, him with the aloof android and an unconscious Neo.

"Um- we're with him, so…" Quickly Roman grabbed his partner off the crates, threw her over his shoulder and crept past Penny. While she looked like she was on power-save mode, he didn't want to take any chances. "I'm just gonna-"

And then he got the hell out of that madhouse.

---

Present:

"…Ozpin… are you mad?!"

Not waiting for an answer, in his sanity and drive for self-preservation the General drew his weapon.

Except, before the Dust Revolver could come out, he found his arm locked at the elbow and Ozpin holding him back.

"Please refrain from doing anything rash, General. There was a reason I asked to meet you outside in the open." Without having to look Ironwood knew they were attracting attention. It then also became clear to him how Ozpin had foreseen his reaction and arranged it so that his students would serve as deterrents against a conflict. "Just remain calm, I assure you that everything will be explained."

The calm and familiar voice was no longer as reassuring as it should have been, and Ironwood decried the firm grip on his weapon hand.

"Relax, James," It was Glynda's weary sigh that went further towards restoring peace and normalcy to Beacon's front lawn. "He really isn't that bad. Just, a little obnoxious."

"Really, that's how you'd describe me?"

"Actually, no." Ironically, she desperately wanted to agree with Ironwood's assessment, having long thought Ozpin foolish for allowing the Grimm to take up residence. But this was not the time for Glynda to turn her back on her boss. "You are a walking calamity, a cretin, a slob, a drain on resources and most of all, an unremittent pain in the ass."

Looking accusingly up at the Grimm, Glynda turned her head so that both he and the General could see she meant every word.

"-But, in your own words, there are worse things."

There was no immediate diffusion of hostilities, no words as they all stared each other down. And behind them, the loyal ranks of Atlesian Knights which had followed their commander were now frozen in combat position, merely awaiting the signal.

"-Eeep!"

Everybody flinched at the noise.

Well, except for the Grimm.

And Glynda; it was more like she flew, shooting into the air like an accidental discharge and coming down awkwardly on her high heels.

As she stumbled and rubbed her rear, another bout of tension beset the group. Ironwood felt his friend's grip tense around his arm and instinctively sought to do the same, the two remaining men grabbing each other as if they could somehow be protected against the female's wrath.

Fortunately for them, Glynda's loathing glare was directed towards Jin who was otherwise unaffected. He merely shrugged off the apocalyptic atmosphere as if it were nothing more than mild humidity, his covered claws either miming the pinch he gave her bottom or playing the world's smallest violin.

"Just trying to live up to expectations."

Ironwood really did not know what to expect, not accepting the reality much like Glynda who heaved a sigh of resignation and straightened her skirt as if nothing happened.

"Anyway," Both headmasters were all too happy to sweep the incident under the rug, separating with a cough and averting their eyes in chagrin. The robotic army disengaged but nobody relaxed. "Jim… meet, Jin."

"Yo." Jin raised his claw casually.

It was not the image Ironwood had seen before; the appendage looked so vastly different covered in loosely wrapped bandages instead of blood and gore. The Grimm's hunched posture was not the same as when he was hunting the Two-Tails, and the soot-colored robes were a world apart from that canvas of ash and snow.

But then again, it always came back to those eyes. They too looked different in person, though no less menacing than when they had been staring out at him from the reconnaissance photographs. Perhaps more vibrant? No, there was a distinct weariness that dulled them… dare he say, more lifelike- assuming such a thing could be attributed to this creature? That was one question he had never gotten answered, and General Ironwood had never allowed himself the curiosity.

Did this Grimm indeed have a soul?

"So…" The answer would not come to him, like an ambush, he had to spring it. "…You can talk."

The eyes twitched, much as the humans had before.

"I would have thought that much would be obvious by now."

"Last time we crossed paths you were not nearly so committed to the pretense of being intelligent." The proud man was slowly regaining some of his old sagacity, remembering that hewas the man in the conversation, and making it more obvious by ironing out some of the wrinkles in his peerless white suit with a firm hand. "I had every reason to believe I was dealing with nothing more than a dumb beast; disregarding testimonials from my subordinates which said otherwise. How was I expected to believe that a Grimm could speak- let alone reason? At the time, it was much more reasonable to believe that anything the frontline troops overheard was merely parroted words and behaviors- delusions exacerbated by post-traumatic stress."

"Again, did it ever occur to you to ask the source?" Jin stressed, leaning over just so that the man could catch a glimpse of the bone mask which lay beyond the shroud- if not the madness which was squirming within. "And, how about now?"

Fundamentally… nothing had changed. The General held no delusions about what he was dealing with- and the Grimm gave no evidence to suggest he was anything but a dangerous beast:

Beneath the robes something inhuman writhed, wanting to be let out. And the Grimm's getting closer was a deliberate move to overwhelm Ironwood with his presence and the accompanying stench.

It wasn't bad in the way of, per se, latrine duty as a buck private. No, this odor was more reminiscent of the day young 'Jimmy' had earned his officer's stripes. He had been in a foxhole, during the last battle of the war. The captain who had awarded him the rank simply ripped the tabs off another lieutenant who had lost everything above the collar. It was a morbid smell, the musty reek of blood-soaked earth that lingered even after the rain had repeatedly tried to scrub it away.

"You killed dozens of my men."

"I saved thousands that would have perished due to your foolishness."

"Are you suggesting that I should be grateful to you- that I should be any less wary?"

"-No," Then, what was he fishing for? If not recognition, remuneration, reassurance? "Hardly- By all means, be afraid. However, I am curious. If we are forced to deal with each other for the near future it would behoove me to know: do you hate me? Do you resent me for slaughtering your soldiers? Or just that they died in a battle that was all but pointless?"

It had taken decades for the General to reconcile his own mortality, to say nothing of his duty. To say he was no longer conflicted on the matter would be a lie; he just hid it well. His poker face was probably so well calloused by now that it could even fool Ozpin- but not Jin. There was no point in lying to the eyes which could tear him apart like a hailstorm of shrapnel. So, instead, Ironwood confronted them, squared up and delivered what might very well be a declaration of war.

"Hate has its place on the battlefield."

Both Ozpin and Glynda started, thinking that despite the headmaster's best efforts, Beacon's front law was about to become a warzone. But, ever the optimist, Ozpin held them both back as he saw Ironwood heave a sigh.

"But… not here. I would be a hypocrite, not to mention a poor soldier, if I allowed such feelings to taint my decisions."

His choice left the Dust Revolver on his right hip holstered, his hand extending out towards the Grimm was empty instead.

This action, too, might have been as pointless as pointing his weapon at the beast. But Ironwood was not the type to simply give up and do nothing.

"Not much meaning in offering a hand that isn't yours, is there?"

"It was a mistake that cost me this arm; I am offering you my weakness," Admitting that he had made a mistake in attacking Jin wasn't much of a revelation. The value was in humility, human reaction as they bent to the Grimm's inevitability. "-However, with this I also promise you my strength, showing that I am committed to fixing my mistakes. At any point should you prove yourself to be the larger threat, I will not hesitate to treat you as such. And whatever you truly happen to be, Grimm, Demon or even God, I will find a way to smite you.

"And do not think that I have been idle since our last encounter. I simply know when to defer things to those more suited than myself for the task. Here I make you a promise: if you have a weakness, my research team will find it."

"Ah, now that's the question, isn't it?" It was something Ozpin offhandedly worried about as Jin accepted the General's hand, looking content as if he had struck the better deal. "But for me, I now have the answer I wanted. So, without further ado, I believe I'm overdue for my beauty sleep."

No one could contradict the fearsome Grimm even if they'd wanted to, as all were surprise by his sudden about-face.

"You all go on ahead and plan out the details. If you need me, you know where to find me… although, these days, best to call ahead with an appointment first."

"Wait-Jin!" The name felt funny coming out of his mouth, not only because the 'N' had a sharp edge from cutting short the full title, Ironwood just never expected to be talking to the 'Jinchῡriki' it-himself. "Here, take this!"

Fishing something from his pocket, the man hocked it at Jin with mechanical coordination. In contrast, the Grimm caught it lazily- almost didn't, fumbling and muttering curses as he managed to keep the tiny device from slipping through his fingers like a sliver of soap.

"A while ago Ozpin asked me to get him a replacement pair of the old-style walkie-talkies. Now that I think about it, my guess is that one half of it was for you." The new device was less than half the size of the old brick-phone, but distinctly beefier than a standard scroll. If the civilian electronics were equivalent to a paper notecard, this was more like a pocket dictionary- something Jin might need if he was going to learn how to use it… if he even bothered. "It's not the latest model, but it has the most robust security software installed. Believe it or not, it was actually easier to get permissions allowing two of these outside of military inventory than rustling up a set of the legacy system."

"Like either's really any problem for you," For the Grimm, the tiny gadget was currently not his largest issue in life. In fact, its sleek black frame was almost camouflaged in his hand, and the creases of his palm prevented him from seeing where- if anywhere- there was an 'on' button. "How the hell am I even supposed to use this thing, anyway?"

"Guess you'll learn more of what it's like to be human: by trial and error," The General took this small victory with all the grace of his station, waving off his new 'subordinate's' concerns and turning his back. "Besides, I think it's about time you joined this day and age."

Though as he handed the matching device off to Ozpin, his mechanical arm clamped down and ratcheted the other headmaster in close. "And I think it's time I got caught up on a few things, Oz. His presence explains a lot of what's been going on in the world, but I still have no good answer as for why you decided to keep him here."

"That, my friend, is a topic best discussed inside over a cup of tea." About to lead his friend away to what was still a potentially catastrophic conversation, Ozpin paused and did a mental count. "Ah, actually, better make that a mug."

"As long as it has caffeine; it's already been a long day."

"Whatever. I'm going to sleep."

Content with what he had gleaned from the previous conversation, Jin could once again focus on catching that illusive prey. He left in swift pursuit, his claws aerating the lawn as he cut across and weaved through the new parking lot for airships.

It was unusual for the Grimm to be taking the shortest route; he was always more of a 'stop-and-maim-the-roses' - type guy. But torturing the teens- even that annoyingly optimistic girl- didn't hold any appeal for him right now.

He was tired. And, he was hungry.

These strictly 'human' afflictions actually seemed to be having an effect on him; he had trouble thinking of anything but sleep and sustenance- never mind that eating was more of a visceral pleasure for him. A habit- at this point, it was practically an addiction and he was suffering from withdrawal. It took all his concentration to finish up the game with the General, and now he was honestly too apathetic to follow up on the lingering questions:

The General's ignorance was real, but just how far did it extend? Did he not know about Penny, or just misunderstand her purpose? Ironwood was putting as much trust in his research team as he was his mechanical hand… Was it a case of the head not knowing what the hand was doing, or was this a case of the tail wagging the old military dog?

And, just who was Freckle's father?

Bah! Jin could barely focus on who he himself was- his head was pounding with the blows from the internal struggle and he was no longer able to silence the whispered suggestions of violence, nor even the desperate appeals for compassion.

Why was rest the one thing his body required? That period of unconsciousness was all but unbearable for him; he hated it. It wasn't simply being defenseless that he resented. It was the relinquishing of thought, becoming nothing. Staying awake wasn't an option; for even with all his strength, he couldn't keep control from slowly slipping away.

Hunger could be ignored, or, temporarily sated. Though the only good substitute for actually consuming- killing, ravishing… consummating- was a good fight.

And with how far he'd slipped in his insomnia, he doubted that he could keep the battle from spilling over into an all-out genocide. Not that he was entirely opposed to the idea; he just needed to be sure it was what he wanted before he binged.

He needed to be sure it was what he wanted.

'Oh, and just how much longer do you need to be sure?'

It was only a matter of time. Lack of sleep made him sluggish, made it easier for one of their voices to slip in through the whirl of fragmented thoughts like an envelope under a locked door.

"Oh, shut up…"

'You keep telling yourself this…' Like telling oneself not to think about an elephant, Jin couldn't help but picture the condescending sneer of the Uchiha looking down on him from the starless heavens. 'How much longer must we play this fatuous little game? Another year, another generation, another century? How many times must humanity fail for to prove that they will never change?'

"Who cares?" These doubts were all in his head, anyway… literally.

'You do. Otherwise, what's the point in this silly little song and dance?'

"It's called amusement," Jin growled austerely, scratching the underside of one of the Atlesian vessels as he past like a jaded teen keying a car- it only served to whet his appetite. "-Or has the great and powerful Uchiha Ghost forgotten how to have fun?"

Although, did he ever know how? To his chagrin, Jin could only recall lightheartedness coming from the Other One. And lately, even He did nothing but whine, his pleas losing out to Madara's caustic cynicism. Though he would never admit which he preferred… he never needed to.

'Oh, I remember everything, and I know you do as well. I know everything you do, including that which you deny. You have become such a consummate liar that you can even fool yourself.'

"We're not the same, old man."

'We are no different. You claim to dance to the beat of your own drum, but you still hear the same old tune. You think you are forging your own path, but the middle road between ideals still leads to the same place.'

Jin was walking in circles now, getting lost among the landing gear of Atlesian cruisers like so much chaff in the wheat.

'You love them.'

"Hell no!"

'Yes. Love, hate, death, life- there is no difference. Or rather, the only difference, is hope. If you truly hated people as much as you protest, you would simply end them. And if you loved them, you would use your power- my power, to end their suffering. Yet, you continue to dither, you continue to deny that you are like That Boy and yet you retain his hope that-'

"-SHUT-!"

*SCHLICK!*

The schizophrenic conversation was cut off abruptly, as sharp as the blade which came out of nowhere from between the all-white ships and sliced Jin across his face.

In the depths of his depravity he'd been unable to sense it. There'd been no prior warning, no malice attached to the saber's handle like a note tied to a brick.

An accident.

"RRRRAAAAaaahahahah…haa…haha, ha, ha, ha, ha…"

The cry of pain from his right eye drowned out the Uchiha's thread of thought like his bloody tears did the rough cotton fibers which had been forced into his flesh from his veil by the sword. In the darkness of eyelids clenched in outrage his own thoughts could gestate, a toxic fungus which once again regained control of his brain.

Oh, what a wonderful day this was turning out to be.

---

"I'm telling you; this is a terrible idea."

Weiss avowed with one hand over the bandaged and stitched hole just above her heart, the other with knuckles as white as the hospital gown clenched the flimsy material so hard it might tear.

"Would you rather your sister have her troops tear Vale apart looking for you?"

Blake asked semi-sarcastically as she steered Weiss's wheelchair around the potholes in Beacon's tile promenade. She was almost excruciatingly deliberate in this task, because in truth, she wasn't looking forward to the confrontation, either.

"I agree with Weiss!" Ruby declared, uncharacteristically vehement from her own vehicle. "I am feeling perfectly fine! There's no reason for us (or at least me) to be in these stupid wheelchairs!"

"Now, now, Captain, we wouldn't want to disobey the doctor's orders, would we?" Ruby's sister stressed with a pat from behind- that same reassuring hand pressed down and assured that Ruby's behind was firmly in the wheelchair's bucket-seat. "- Because I will seriously strap you into this thing if I have to."

"And if she don't, Kiddo, best be sure that I will." The semi-jovial voice slurred from a few paces behind the students, Qrow taking another swig from his flask while maintaining a hawk-like eye on his nieces. "You think I'm joking, but I practically had to knock-out your dad when he heard that his youngest daughter managed to find herself in the hospital."

"Oh, I believe it; Dad can be a little overprotective…" Ruby understated, overlooking the fact that her uncle had been the first on the scene after the cops and hadn't actually let either sibling out of his sight for the past eight hours.

"He's got a right to be, if this's what you girls get up to when I'm not around!" Some of his strong drink sloshed as Qrow pointed this out, spraying the huntresses in what was oddly reminiscent of the antiseptic smell of the hospital. "You still haven't even told me what happened, and I'm usually the one you two come to when you need to get bailed out- speaking of, Tai told me to tell you, Squirt, that you're now responsible for paying your own bail if it happens again."

"Seriously? Dad's trying to blackmail me with that?" Ruby rolled her eyes, knowing her father well enough that even if it should come to that, the man wouldn't think twice about breaking them out of prison- let alone posting bail. Although, she would try her best not to get put in that situation… again.

"Seriously, guys, this is why I'm not eager for you to meet my sister," The stress was getting to Weiss, heart thumping like the wheels of her chair as they transitioned to bricks and agitated her injury. As much as it pained her, she turned around to point an accusing finger at Ruby and Yang's Uncle. "-Especially you; I've heard you've had a few run-ins with Winter already, and what she's told me about you-… makes a lot of sense considering the situations these two maniacs get us into."

"I'm'a take that as a compliment," That said, Yang left her uncle hanging as the man presented his fist for a bump. "And don't act like you're not a part of all this, Princess."

"For as long as Winter is here, I will try to do just that." Although, it was getting harder for Weiss to pretend like she was above such shenanigans, especially when a soft voice from above reminded her:

"But it doesn't change the reality, does it?" Blake and Weiss were from different worlds, but somehow their mutual ignorance translated into understanding. "We decide our friends, but we don't get to pick and choose the problems they bring with them. We just have to learn to live with them."

"Yeah…" Admitting it was almost as irritating as her wound- as the fact that the woman had purposefully missed all her vital organs when stabbing her. She'd not spoken of this to anyone yet, but like Blake said, it didn't change the fact that Neo could have killed her at any point. "…or die trying."

"Or that," Appreciative of the bleak humor, Blake took one of her hands off the handlebars and placed it on the heiress's shoulder. "Can't say it's not exciting, though."

"Bah, Weiss's just all bummed 'cause she was KO'd when that blond hunk kissed her." Overhearing the two's heart-to-heart, Yang decided to add her own, lighthearted opinion. "Seriously, Weiss, you don't need to get yourself stabbed just to get boys' attentions, just try taking the stick out of your bu-"

"She- WHAT?!"

That train of thought came grinding to a halt, Yang nearly dumping her sister out on the lawn as she put on the brakes.

"…Oops?"

At least Yang had the decency to look chagrinned. Taking it one step further, she crouched behind her captain as the lot of them were confronted by what was surely as terrifying an image as Glynda Goodwitch that one time when a student had the gall to call her 'hot'.

Winter was enflamed; her team recognized the look that was distilled in Weiss's older doppelganger. In her, the emotion had been honed, weaponized and bottled up for years under the yolk of military doctrine until that smooth, porcelain façade finally cracked with the rough handling of a few words.

"You… I should have known you'd have something to do with this!"

Fortunately for Yang and the rest, her anger was directed over their heads. By ducking, the huntress exposed her uncle to the brunt of Winter's fiery tongue-lashing.

"Me?" Pausing just as he was pressing his flask to his lips for a much-needed drink, a trickle of the booze escaped its container as Qrow sputtered. "What did I do? I literally just got here."

"And what else is new?! You always seem to show up when the danger is over, just to rub it in my face!" When they first caught sight of her Winter's face had shown signs of exhaustion, before the dark bags under her eyes were burned away like lumps of coal. Now, her pale complexion was glowing red, except for her knuckles which somehow became even whiter. "Your Ozpin's lackey, aren't you? What could he possibly have you doing that's more important than making sure students don't end up in the hospital?!"

"Making sure that they don't end up in the grave,"

"-And what's this I hear about Weiss getting stabbed- and what, date-raped?!" But for all the blood rushing to her ears as she stormed up to the group, Winter didn't hear Qrow's comment. Which was just as well, because the huntsman had a hard time believing it himself, lately. "What else is going on here that I don't know about? Don't you dare say something like 'boys will be boys', because I swear I'll-!"

"You'll, what, Lieutenant?" Qrow stepped in front of his nieces, intercepting the irate woman before she could turn her hysterics on an innocent party. In this case, he doubted there was such a thing, but then again, this was a sacrifice he was used to. "Wanna write a sternly-worded letter to the school-board? – Or maybe you'll just jump the gun like you did the last time, then need me to bail you out again?"

On the sidelines, Weiss desperately wanted to speak up, to stand up out of that god-forsaken chair and defend her sister. However, this was a side of the story she'd yet to hear. And so, like a train-wreck, she found herself unable to look away.

"Face it, Ice-Queen, for all your so-called 'military intelligence', you don't know half of what you oughta."

"And someone like you ought to know when to keep his mouth shut. It's people like you who believe they are privy to some extraordinary knowledge- who think they know better- who screw things in the long run!" Winter was shorter than the huntsman by a margin that was probably matched by her temper. Most of the time, she didn't let these kinds of things get to her. But being confronted with her sister in a wheelchair was just plainly unacceptable. "And what do you know, anyway? The cheapest prices on booze? The number of ways to extend a bar-tab?"

It was only then, when the tall huntsman leaned down to whisper in her ear like he was revealing some grand secret, that Winter realized how close they had gotten.

"-Would you like to know why I'm so popular with the barmaids?"

So close now that she could feel his ungroomed stubble scratch her ear, grate on her nerves and ignite her senses, as if the cloud of alcohol which followed him was suddenly lit on fire. Even if Winter knew he was just trying to provoke her, she couldn't help but be reminded of the last time- the muggy heat, the mocking tone and the condescending darkness of eighteen months prior were just like a slap in the face.

*SMACK*

Qrow recoiled- was physically knocked back by Winter's backhand slap, her knuckles loosening a few of his teeth as they scraped against his jaw like a dull razor. With an iron-stained smirk, Qrow had to admit that Winter was one of the few women he knew who could possibly straighten him out with nothing more than her bare hand and sharp tongue.

It was true: he just couldn't help himself.

"Oh, you wanna go, Ice-Queen?"

Before arriving in Vale, Winter hadn't known exactly what she'd come there looking for. But after the excruciatingly long flight where she'd scored no rest, seeing her sister in such a pathetic state, upon being confronted by such an uncouth individual and still not knowing what in the hell was going on-

Yeah, Winter could use some decompression.

"HAAAAA!"

Even letting her make the first move, Qrow wasn't prepared for the sheer speed and ferocity with which Winter drew her sword and flew at him- or maybe it was just the fact that she led with her foot instead of her usual textbook slash that threw him off- knocked him clear off the walkway and away from team RWBY, into the hull of one of the countless parked cruisers.

"Okay, that was uncalled for…"

Even though he'd basically begged for it to happen, Qrow hadn't anticipated riling up his nemesis quite so quickly. Slowly he peeled himself from the bulkhead, rolling his neck and shoulders which had been pre-loosened by the jarring attack before he too drew his weapon.

"-But, if that's the way you want it…"

"Um, I think there are better ways to resolve the issue here…"

"Winter, please! It's alright, I'm fine!"

"Uncle Qrow, com'on, don't embarrass us like this…"

But neither adult was listening, and that troubled the teens more than they thought it would. It wasn't simply that they were being ignored, nor that their relatives were reacting in a way that, frankly, they should have expected…

It was the bloodthirstiness, the lust for battle that they had come to expect from one other, inhuman individual.

"Come on, girl, break his legs!"

"Nora?!" Surprised on the one side, Ruby nearly spilled out of her chair but was steadied on the other side as her fellow captain came to the rescue. "Jaune? When did you guys get here?"

"We've been looking for you for hours, actually," Ren's voice was like a patch of blue skies after being lost in a storm for days, and it further helped things return to an even keel. "It was only after you didn't show up for morning classes that we found out what happened. Pyrrha was distraught, so we immediately went to the hospital looking for you. But then when we found you had already checked out, we returned to the school. I didn't think we'd be able to find you in all this mess, but-"

*BOOM!*

Wearily, the boy pointed into the sky where a column of smoke was now rising like a chimney.

"-Well, we followed the signs, and…"

"I'm glad that you are all okay," Pyrrha approached them, hands wringing so hard they appeared to have removed the top layer of skin, her face set in unvarnished worry. It was plain to see just how remorseful the girl felt about not being there to fight with them. "If I had known-"

"-You didn't," Blake was quick to cut off this line of thinking, before the trail led down to her own feelings of guilt. "Besides, we are all fine."

Though if Weiss had been listening, she might have denied this. She too was troubled- not understanding what had gotten into her sister and furthermore, not being able to do much about it.

"Come on!"

Though not about to be limited by her mobility, Weiss began to wheel herself off the tile pathway and onto the grass towards where her sister and partner's uncle were still duking it out.

"Wait- just hang on, Weiss-"

"-Let's go!"

Pyrrha seized the gap left by Blake, in the pause, grabbing the chair's handles and surged forward. Hardly realizing what she was even doing, Pyrrha applied her polarity so that the metal frame hovered a finger's width above the ground and the two flew after the trail of discretion.

"-Wait up, guys!"

But Pyrrha found herself racing against the clock, leaving the rest of the gang in the dust and her passenger pressed into the padded leather seat. Weiss sat uncomplaining- though that was perhaps because her jaw was clenched as tight as her hands around the armrests as she was recklessly steered through the signs of combat.

When they caught up, Winter and Qrow were still fighting, both heaving exhaustedly with every move. It was a miracle that there hadn't been more collateral damage, though that might have been more because the two were simply slugging it out, rather than any consideration on their part.

In a battle of attrition, Qrow was always going to be the winner. And while he'd started out as if it were a spar, the huntsman himself had quickly succumb to the brutality of the match. Each strike he imbued with force more than finesse, and more strength than he could really afford.

Meanwhile, Winter was already fighting on borrowed time. Besieged with jetlag and lack of fuel in her stomach, she could barely hang onto her weapon. By now the saber was leading her through each blow, rubbery arms being dragged along and rattling with every swing. She was not fighting smart. It hadn't been a great idea to pick a fight to begin with, but it was almost as if she hadn'tbeen the one to instigate it. Something else primal within her had lashed out, snapped at the bait presented like a starving animal- or perhaps a caged bird, being eyed by the huge, hellfire red pupils of a demon cat-

With the snap of a tree branch Winter's saber was whipped out of her hand. She felt the bottom drop out and her legs give up, her opponent's sword descending towards her neck.

But she didn't see that. Winter was not watching her defeat as it happened in slow-motion, not regretting her poor showing against the insufferable man nor even thinking about the supposed cause of her duel; her sister and all the injustices suffered were inconsequential compared to the crime against humanity.

For there, walking out between the hulls of two ships was Him.

It didn't matter how long it had been, didn't matter that his hunchback was draped in torn, soot-colored robes like scrim netting or that his eyes were concealed by a hat the size of a sonar dish. Winter recognized his presence as it was highlighted clearly in black against the white aircraft.

As did her sword, cutting through the air towards him like a messenger pigeon, carrying news no one wanted to hear.

*SCHLICK*

The students arriving on the scene all heard the sound as it was funneled down the narrow alley made by the ships' fuselages.

They all heard the blood-boiling roar of indignation, felt their veins turn to ice as he growled, and then crumble as he chuckled with the force of two glaciers colliding.

Oh, what a wonderful day this was turning out to be.

"My, my, what a charmingly small world it is…" Winter's sword was tiny in his hands, all but a toothpick that he wrenched free from the ivory bulkhead with a sound that made them cringe like a dentist's drill. That shrill noise was nothing, though, compared to his saccharine tone, the fact that he was acting as if everything were normal even as he wept blood as black as pitch. "Ah, this reminds me of good times…"

Actually, it reminded Jin that he still needed to retrieve that blade for Neo, a silly, fleeting notion that quickly dove back down beneath the murky surface of his mind. Pain bought him only a moment of clarity before his thoughts once again became as thick and black as the blood clotting on his cheek.

But the feelings lingered like an infection, an insatiable itch that begged to be scratched.

"…Although, somehow it feels like a separate lifetime. Such a small, faraway thing… What about you… Winter, wasn't it? Do you ever think about back then?"

Of course, there was hardly a moment when Winter wasn't thinking about the incident. No amount of therapy had been able to cure her post-traumatic stress or survivor's guilt. And the only effective strategy which kept her from constantly wondering what she could have done differently, was to think about what she would do if, against all probability, she was given a second chance.

Yet, here it was, however…

What should she do? Should she apologize for her prior audacity, attacking a being that was so clearly above human comprehension? Should she stand and face down a demon, regardless of her assured destruction? Or should she try to preserve human dignity, euthanize everyone there and take the pleasure away from this monster?

"What's the matter? Aren't you going to take it?"

Winter had been unable even to stand until he spoke, holding out the handle of her sword as if it were a rescue pole- no one else was going to come to her rescue, the Grimm's now sole eye was fixed myopically on her.

Winter stood up on her own and walked fearlessly forward, brushing past Qrow and ignoring him as he reached out to stop her.

As if! Winter was not a damsel in distress that needed to be rescued. She was a soldier, first and foremost, with death part of the job description. Even if her end was to come on this unassuming battlefield, she had long-since been prepared for it. This Grimm or any other- it made no difference.

Except…

This one bled. She never would have imagined it possible, but there he was with tarry tears dripping onto her blade and trickling down the handle. Reaching out, she took the grip in hand. She tried to pull away, but it was as if the blood had suddenly coagulated and trapped her there.

"Well? Aren't you going to apologize?"

Winter had actually thought about saying sorry, in one of her many dream scenarios (nightmares, insomnia-induced hallucinations). If it bled, chances were that this depraved being also had a soul squirming around in there somewhere. And if she were being truthful, Winter knew that she and Atlas had been at fault. The fact was this vile creature had protected both her and her home.

"What about a 'thank you', a single word, at least?"

But, being honest with herself, Winter looked up and straight into the slit where the Grimm's horrible, malevolent right eye had once been,

And she smiled.

Jin roared, drew the sword in with Winter along with it, wrapped his claws around her and squeezed.

She screamed.

Or, someone did, at least. Bones groaned and muscles croaked, but Winter doubted she'd waste what breath remained in her lungs for such a frivolous expression.

However, her every attempt at escape proved just as futile. The defiance was quickly leached out of her pained expression as her Aura was popped like a bag of potato chips, each glyph that she tried to spawn amounting to nothing but crumbs beneath her flailing feet. She wasn't even able to summon enough concentration for a champion with the blood being squeezed into her head until Winter thought she might pop like a mosquito.

She was nothing but an insect to him- not even good enough to be prey. This was not some autistic child that played with its pet rabbit until the day it accidentally ripped the poor creature's head off. This creature was simply doing its best to squash her.

"Jin! Stop!"

Weiss was not going to simply sit back and watch as her sister was disposed of like a tinfoil wrapper. She launched herself out of the chair, only to have her legs crumple underneath her and land face-first into the grass. No! She had to get up, keep moving forward! This was her sister at stake- her flesh and blood! But blood was rushing from her head and pooling into the unsealed wound on her chest, making her drift towards unconsciousness. "No, please…"

"Stop this right now!"

Ruby's wounds were only superficial, so she was far steadier on her feet as she catapulted herself out of her chair and placed herself in front of her partner.

"Jin! Let her go right now, or else I'll-"

"Stand back, Ruby!"

The girl might have been faster, but Qrow was unhesitant and deliberate. Unlike in his match with Winter this was to be deadly right out of the gate, his sword already unlocking into its scythe form the moment he passed his niece and her partner. He might not have cared for the Schnee, but he would go to hell and back for his kin.

He didn't even make it halfway to the demon before a tail swatted him away like a fly. The time it took the appendage to unfurl from Jin's robes probably saved Qrow from becoming a splatter on one of the many windshields looking down upon them. Instead, with a flutter of his shoulder-length cape he righted himself against the flat of a ship's hull, kicking off towards the Grimm again.

The second attempt fared no better, nor did the third. He tried hewing away at the tails as they chased him, but like cobras they struck and recoiled, never letting Qrow come any closer. At some point he became desperate, about the same time Winter began looking like a limp handkerchief in the Grimm's clutches.

"Enough!" Qrow was long-since sober by this point. But he stopped and looked back because the tone in his niece's command was as serious as death. Her voice turned pleading, looking between him and the Grimm. "Hasn't it been enough…?"

Did anyone else have to die? Did anyone have to die at all?

But Jin wasn't listening, turning the blind eye towards her pain. Likewise, the entire time he hadn't said a word and was defending himself against Qrow without changing his focus, concentrating on grinding the woman in his hands into a Winter blend.

So why hadn't he? With his godlike strength it should have been an easy task. Reading his face was almost impossible as the smattering of blood painted new lines into his mask. Like a clown, half had his lips upturned into an animalistic snarl, while the other appeared almost… remorseful?

He couldn't.

Why? It was like he was at war with himself; Jin's hands trembled as muscles fought against each other, veins leaping against his skin simply trying to flee the internal feud.

-Not that it mattered to Winter. Whoever won, she would lose long before then.

"Come on man," Rebelling against any notion of self-preservation, Jaune stepped forward. "Haven't you made your point? Can't you let her go?"

The only reason this feckless plea might have worked was the same reason his fellow students were momentarily stunned: no one had expected the cowardly captain to display such spine. All was silent, then,

"Yeah, let her go, you big bully!" Nora was the next to step up, but certainly not the last.

"Stop this madness!" Blake commanded, channeling the voice of her father into her slight frame.

"This is not cool." Yang folded her arms, trying to keep the fires at bay for as long as possible.

"If you don't stop now, there's no turning back." Ren warned, backing up his own team for all the good he thought it might do.

"…If you do, I'll never forgive you."

Even though she knew she would want to to, there would be no way Ruby could overlook this offence. In the end, she was a huntress and he a Grimm; she would follow him to the farthest reaches of Remnant if he willingly chose to go down this path.

"Please," Weiss was standing now, though unsure of how far she would have gotten without the support from her captain. Then there were her comrades- nay, her friends, and of course, the only family she really had left. Yesterday she had come so close to losing her life yet- this was so much worse! "-Please! If you need revenge, take it out on me! Whatever it is you want I'll give it to you! I'll give you anything! I'll- I'll- I'm sorry!"

"Weiss…"

It was a waste of breath, but Winter still wished she could have said more. But she had no more strength to resist, like being buried alive under an avalanche and feeling the forces of the earth compress her body and the cold seep into her bones. No one was coming to rescue her- not that she wanted it.

- Not that she blamed them. It was more of a fight than she'd gave the first time around. But still, would no one step forward to challenge this tyrant? What was the point in life if they didn't even try? Maybe, just maybe if they all fought together-

A lone foot stepped out of line.

The singular warrior strode forward across the lawn as if it were a catwalk, straight up to the Grimm.

Then, she walked past him, the one eye continued to track her until Jin had to turn his head to look back. The growl which had been growing on his lips dissipated until it was silenced entirely, replaced by a gasp from between his fingers. In the absence of his attention, his stranglehold loosened ever so slightly and allowed Winter to breathe.

But Jin hardly cared anymore for the spent toy. His formerly dilated pupils were beginning to refocus, tracing the curvature of Pyrrha's back as she bent down to pick something up, widening as she returned to him with a different prize in hand.

"You dropped this," Holding out what remained of his hat to him.

-It was true; he'd forgotten about his disguise, discarded like his humanity by the wayside.

And, what of it?

With a free tail he smacked the offering away, enough strength there to break bones and turn the woven object back into straw.

But Pyrrha knew what she was doing. Hardly grasping at straws, she didn't blink as she offered an alternative.

"Fine, then. If that's what you want…" Another step closer to the Grimm resurrected his warning growl, and Pyrrha paused as if a spear was raised to her throat. But she did not waver, "…But I wonder, do you even remember our deal?"

He had forgotten. Not only that, but what exactly what he was doing, and what exactly he wanted to get out of this.

No more satisfaction, that was for sure. Carelessly, he tossed away the wrung-out Schnee who was then picked up by her comrades. Heedless of their own safety, they darted out across the lawn then carefully hauled Winter back to the path and placed her into Weiss's old chair. Hopefully, this would only be a temporary measure. But each of them had heard the crackle of the Schnee's spine as she was crushed, and they continued to watch the scene and listen.

They continued to worry, all eyes on Pyrrha who had essentially exchanged herself for the prisoner. Jin's one eye was also transfixed, trying to concentrate. It kept drifting out of focus- past and present blending into one.

With a blink, he found himself looking at another redhead. Rather, she was looking down on him with divine, lilac eyes from someplace he could never go. All the same, her arms were outstretched, trying to pull him up out of his misery. It was a pointless effort. All the same, there was so much love coming from her. It was so sad that it almost brought tears to his eyes- so he blinked.

Eye to eye now, but the woman- no, the girl was younger and without even the right hair color. It was a rosy pink hue like bad contrast on an old photograph- this one was an ancient memory. How did it go? He couldn't remember, and that frustrated him. The words coming from her mouth didn't help, they were silent. Or perhaps he was just deaf to them.

Either way, why couldn't she just shut up and leave him be?! Didn't she understand, he couldn't do it! He couldn't keep his promise- couldn't keep himself from reaching out and cutting her down. No! This wasn't what he wanted! He tried to close his eyes and spare himself that painful moment. But there was no stopping it. Worse, he couldn't keep himself from reading the name being spelled out on her lips.

"Narut-"

He blinked.

And there was Pyrrha, standing there with arms slightly outstretched like some kind of votive statue. How long had she been waiting there? Long enough for her stony face to weather into a somber look of concern, and for tenderness to condensate on her eyes like the morning fog. Her lips moved, almost silent.

"…Please, this isn't you…"

And just who was he?!

His body demanded an answer whilst his head simply begged for it all to end. It was no use, his claws lashed out of their own accord like the hands of hungry beggars, ready to tear apart the one who would dare offer him hope.

Just like the memory, Jin couldn't stop it.

It all happened in another blink.

Or, rather, a flash of light.

It blinded the Grimm as both his eyes had opened wide beyond his control. His commands to stop fell like unpicked fruit in his head, only to be covered by a brilliant white field.

Pyrrha was silent as fresh-fallen snow even as the claws fell towards her. Surprised, perhaps, but not that her death would come from his hands.

It probably was because at the last possible second, she saw Jaune lunging at her, throwing himself in front of the blow. He had come from Jin's blind spot, and thus before he had time to process the blonde's foolish, moronic, irrational act of self-sacrifice, something… irrational happened.

There was a flash of light.

Eventually it dimmed like the end of the play, and a curtain seemed to lift from Jin's eye. He could once again blink and still be in the present, still be in control and not watch himself act out as if he were part of the audience. With time moving linearly again, he looked around to see what happened.

Both huntsman and huntress stood- rather, sat in disbelief, having been blown over from the gust of wind that had accompanied the blow. In all honesty, it wasn't that surprising that the Grimm had tried to kill them. The question was, how were they alive? Apart from the divine, there was nothing but the sun shining overhead that could have gotten in the way.

Also, there was a gaping trench which started from Jaune's sneakers and ran all the way down the line of aircraft. A few of the plane's nose cones had been trimmed off and lay there on the ground like the busted point of a pencil.

For a few seconds, a pin could have dropped.

At least, until Jaune realized he was bleeding.

"Gaaah!"

A long gash had opened along his arm, parallel to the trench at his feet. It was also correspondingly deep, peeling back layers of cloth, skin and muscle to expose bone like a buried pipe underneath. The pain was real, and so apparently was what saved them.

Reality rushed back all at once for Jin, Jaune's shout acting like a starter pistol for his thoughts which stampeded through his head all at once.

For once… he just couldn't handle it. He was overwhelmed.

"Hey, wait!"

But Pyrrha's cries were unable to catch up as Jin leapt atop the aircraft, darting from wing to wing like a canopy of branches as the shortest route back home.

All that was left were the torn remains of his hat, shredded pieces of robe and a prevailing devastation. No doubt, General Ironwood would be pissed, as would Winter when she woke up.

But the elder Schnee was not asleep just yet. No, after everything that happened her heart was still pumping in relief and exhilaration, relegating her to a state of limbo as she half-sat half-lay in the chair.

Half-lidded and drunk off the sudden rush of oxygen into her bloodstream, her eyes drifted towards where her weapon lay abandoned across the lawn. It almost seemed to float in her sleepy stare, as if the blades of grass were but hundreds of tiny hands eager to present the sword to her.

Granted, she might have been hallucinating. But Winter would also swear that she saw the spots of blood on the metal start to separate. As the black dried up and crumbled, disappearing into the atmosphere like all other Grimm, the red part dripped into the blood groove that ran the length of her blade. Their two paths, never to cross again.

Then Winter's eyes crossed, and she passed out.

---

"Cross your fingers."

This was all the warning the other Tailed-Beasts got before Matatabi galloped at them. Trying not to cringe, they all instinctively looked away as the first paw was placed on the bottom rung. Shukaku gave a sigh of relief when he realized that there were no claws digging into his shoulder. But by that time the Two-Tail's paws were already on the next sibling, Son Goku holding as still as a mountain as Matatabi kicked off his furrowed brow and skipped right over Kokuo.

The Five-Tails was bracing his shovel-like jaw against the bluff, and so as soon as she was clear of her onlooking brethren, Matatabi found herself darting straight up a vertical face. Now she could deploy her claws without worry, though they still failed to find purchase on the strange surface. It looked like rock much in the way that linoleum looked like tile. That is to say, it felt fake.

Also, it had no friction. And so after only a half-dozen steps the Two-Tails ran out of momentum and began sliding down.

"No!"

She could see the top, what appeared to be sunlight sitting atop the edge like a light-blue tablecloth. It too was probably fake- but she didn't care! She was so close; she could almost reach it! If only she could get just one claw over the lip-

Like a parent discovering the door ajar, the light disappeared, and the opportunity slammed shut in her face.

Matatabi went limp and fell.

"Saiken!" Seeing his sister dropping without protest, Kokuo called for the only Tailed-Beast that hadn't been a part of their ladder.

"Saiken, here!"

He slithered underneath the cat's falling shadow, just in time for Matatabi to twist in air and land with her legs knee-deep in the slug's liquidous body. Deforming like a water balloon that failed to pop, there was a short delay before the Two-Tails was launched upwards again. She only went a short way before reaching apex, coming down awkwardly this time as the rebound twisted her up.

"Saiken… help?"

"Yeah, sure," Matatabi placated as she licked her metaphorical wounds, trying her hardest to pretend like the only thing that got messed up was her untamable fur, and it had all been part of the plan. "Though there's a reason we picked a cat to be the runner. I always land on my feet."

"Yeah, well, we might not have need 'im if you hadn't jinxed us!" Shukaku shouted, indignant and impatient after their fifth failed attempt. Each time he had been selected to be the bottom, and every time it felt like he was getting shorter as the weight of his brethren caused the sand in his body to fuse into chalcedony.

"Oh, please, it's not like we even have fingers," The cat held up her paw for emphasis, no opposable thumbs to reassure them. "And if you weren't so pear shaped to begin with, we wouldn't have needed any luck."

"Hey! Who're you calling 'pear-shaped', Puss-"

"Enough," Son enounced, letting Kokou slide off his shoulder.

"Let's not start this," Rolling out the kinks in his neck, the horse-dolphin had to admit that he was just as tired and frustrated as the rest of them. "We tried, alright? It's better than lying about doing nothing."

"Speak for yourself…" Matatabi grumbled, making like she was going to return to sleep but hanging back.

"-And we learned a few things." Continuing to speak as their de facto leader, Kokou looked back up to the ledge where the daylight had suddenly been pulled away like the rug from underneath them. "Firstly: it's not pointless. Something's changing, and it won't remain night forever."

"Who's to say that's a good thing?" Son Goku rarely added anything but expletives to the conversation, tending to just go along with whatever the Five-Tails brought up (and then complaining about it). That he was being so seemingly calm caused the others to listen. "We are 'Grimm', right? Grimm like to lurk in the dark. Bring them out into the light and they become easy targets."

"Do you see any huntsmen here?" Kokou asked rhetorically, cautiously as something about treading this line of thought rankled him. "…Or shinobi, for that matter?"

"You said it yourself; things are changing," Starting with Son's pessimistic attitude. Since their efforts were obviously at an end for now, the Ape turned his four tails and began to wander off into the darkness. "I just have to ask myself, what's waiting out there for us?"

"Hmph, at least there'll be sand." With another petulant swat with his single tail against the cliff, the Tanuki squatted down and began tracing out imaginary shapes in the unyielding terrane.

"There will be whatever we want," Optimistically, Kokuo looked up at the walls of their prison again on the off chance that dawn would just roll back in like a wave. "We tried washing our hands of the universe, and this is where it got us. We tried running away, and the humans hunted us down. If- when we get out again, I think it's time to try something different."

"Like what?" Suddenly interested,Matatabi stopped licking herself to ask.

The remaining beasts waited for a response as well, a bit of hope in the form of something to look forward to. But as they continued to stare at him, the Five-Tails did not look away from the blank cliff face.

"Let me rest… and I will think on it."

---

When he finally awoke, he felt rested.

This was a first in… he could scarcely remember.

How long had it been since he lay down his head? It took him several minutes just to remember all what happened before then. It could have easily been several days, weeks, months- Beacon could have turned to dust a thousand years ago and he wouldn't find it strange.

But what was strange- yet best of all- was that he hadn't dreamt.

How marvelous! He even considered dancing, after all, Jin felt like a new man- Grimm, whatever.

The one exemption being the grime that still covered him. Caked blood on that same, hateful visage had mixed with the sandman's dust to create a desert landscape on the right side of his face that he needed to wash off immediately if he was going to start this day off right.

So, he had wandered over the lake that had been left over from his fight with Kokuo, an event which he hardly felt like he participated in.

Glynda hadn't filled in the hole entirely, leaving a little bit of the crater which had started to fill with snowmelt during Vale's early Spring. At the time, he decried his home being pruned like a golf course - of course, he'd never admit to the assistant headmistress he'd used it to bathe. Had to keep up the image of a 'savage beast', after all.

However, the image which stared up at him from that unnaturally still pond was not quite the one he held when he fell asleep.

Jin had avoided mirrors for a reason- many, really. Throughout all his fights, his ugly, masked face never really changed- not for good, anyway.

This… he couldn't say for sure if it was bad yet. It was unprecedented, that was for sure. Other than that…

"Well…"

Adjacent from his rippling Sharingan, a single, crystal-clear blue eye stared back up at him, waiting.

"Fuck."

---

Chapter Title: Sleep is for the Week by the Dreadnoughts on their album 'Polka Never Dies'