Quickly, he got his gauntlet over her mouth.

"Calm down." His hiss was whispered, as those eyes were seeing and unseeing at the same time. "Do not scream, or project any negativity, Ruby. That'll attract the fuckers here more."

The way her eyes dilated told him she knew exactly what 'attract more' meant. Her head, shaking side-to-side, already stressing about those that'll surely be dying next.

She's confused, afraid, seeing red stuff that isn't a part of her cloak, and she can't think to do much about it.

"Hey, you listening to me?"

Her dainty hands grasped and jolted against his gauntlet, tight and shaky. Muffled whimpering, full of that negativity, also hummed against him.

Yeah, she ain't doing good here.

But he spoke anyway.

"I need you to do something."

Jaune's eyes were all on her, ignoring the bloody man, and the coughing fit he's having right now.

"'Take a deep breath, and don't stop 'till you're calmed down."

To his slight surprise, and instant relief, she nodded. Gulping some stress away and shuddering out a few breaths onto his hand.

In and out, rhythmic and measured in its own nervous way, she got herself that much needed oxygen. Hopefully a new wind now flowing through her, and her panicky skull, to her thinky bits.

For several uncertain seconds, Ruby's breathing leveled against him, and his hand.

Five breaths a second became four, then three, then two and a half and so on. Until she-still crying-did nothing but limply stand by. Mouth puckered against his hand and legs shakily keeping herself narrow.

Unmoving, with a leveled out heartbeat, eyes dully looking past him and to their company-

But her knees gave out before him then, and he caught her, lowering her weary self onto the soil.

He landed the overwhelmed girl on-top her legs and stood her up for a brief moment.

"Hey, stay with me here. Everything's gonna be fine. Just keep taking a breather."

He saw some understanding in those eyes, dull as they were, and grabbed onto her tiny shoulders.

Was she overwhelmed? Yes, but that didn't mean she couldn't hear him now, as she sorta crawled back towards reality, one breath at a time. Purposefully looking away from the carnage before her.

Couldn't blame her. This bloody Grimm stuff itself isn't rare to find on hunts, but panic attacks when first seeing it?

More common than the fucking slaughters and murders themselves.

"You've got nothing to worry about, Ruby. I know what I'm doing, and I will keep you safe, for as long as you oughta need."

He stressed this part out a bit more.

"But you also need to calm down while I'm out doing my thing, 'cuz I can't care for both my partner and that guy forever. Okay?"

She mumbled something. He frowned.

"Say that again?"

"...Is she...?"

He saw the fearfulness there.

All the tragic happenings before her were being seen and realized in her own flawed way. That engineering intelligence wasn't for nothing.

Control is his buttered bread, though. So he gave a courtesy glance at their company, and after sighing, glanced back at Ruby.

"She's in a better place."

His hand reached out to her, landing atop her messy red-black locks, and rubbing them in for comfort.

"A beautiful place, full of life and prosperity. We'll see it with her one day."

"W-We w-ill?"

"Mhm. Just be patient." He leaned in a bit. "Now, while I take care of the scary stuff over there, stay really quiet. Don't attract any attention whatsoever..."

He felt himself wince. For her sake more than anything.

"But keep on breathing in and out. You'll feel a lot better if you do. Does that make sense?"

Thankfully, her low grumbles of 'mhm' sounded out after him.

From her rut atop the ground, as he stepped away, Jaune watched her curl up into herself. Eyes shut together tight, painfully so, and hands wrapped around her knees.

She still couldn't handle the sight of innocent people being fucking slaughtered. Who would've guessed?

But hey, on a brighter side, at least she knows what'll help her cope it out in the meantime-

Jaune shook those thoughts away, though, as their basically coping mechanisms too.

So, instead of thinking about his partner's personal conundrums, he moved on. Stumbling towards the broken man, alone and weary, like this was the Valen Frontier all over again.

He got down on one knee, a searching frown on his face, as he watched the man's heavy breath level itself out.

"Hey." Jaune called the man, or random guy, since he's looking about the same age. "You still in the land of the living?"

The man, after a few more lengthy breaths to completion, lazily turned his ragged head Jaune's way.

A humored look in those light-blue eyes. The face of either a man lost to his insanity, or accepting of his likely demise.

"Well, 'm breathin."

The man-almost on cue-coughed after that. Unhealthy amounts of blood bubbling on his hands. Which he, in his stupor, seemed pretty indifferent about it all things considered.

"I've got it pretty good so far." Another cough. "Compared to Annie, that is..."

He said this with such conviction, that Jaune squinted at him. How those eyes didn't dilate, a calmness within them that looked so goddamn familiar.

It bit at his tongue like a vice, in all the way he'd know them, and Jaune didn't like it.

So he asked a few questions.

"What happened to you and Annie here?"

"Hm? Oh. We uh..." the man frowned to himself. "We found this cave not too long from now, 'say...twenty minutes ago?"

"But what caused this shit to happen, man?"

That put the bloody smile on his face again, and the man turned himself over, pointing at the small of his back. From where Jaune saw something most definitely shaped like a pincer end's outline.

A deep one. It went past the amor, and into the raw flesh curdling putrid blackness there.

"...That's Deathstalker poison." He muttered to himself, leaning into the problem area with a thoughtful eye. "It can kill you in fourteen minutes if your Aura's down."

He muttered to himself, leaning into the problem area with a thoughtful eye.

"'Fucks sake. It's gonna need an amputation. You get ambushed or something?"

"Nope."

"Oh, great, so then what?"

Jaune shook his head. Having his suspicions alright.

"You decided to be a big-man and rush the demon in your goddamn leather armor? When it's big enough to have it's own fucking cave?"

The dead man laughed it off, coughed up his blood, then laughed it off again.

"We got 'sum bone plating off its back. Annie even took a leg, and Lord above, I'd bet you my own if the bastard hadn't left hers alone just 'cuz of that."

"Eh, wouldn't doubt it. Deathstalkers are messy with their prey, more so than most the other fuckers of its ilk."

Jaune pulled away from the problem area, helped turn the man over, and gave him a funny look.

"But you've already fucked up by failing here. So I'd rather rag on you than the demon just doing its duties. Unholy though they'd be."

The dead man snorted, Jaune felt like snorting too, but he continued.

"Anyways, what's your name? And while we're at it, are there any other impact marks on ya?"

Another cough, less blood, but still blood.

"'Name's Cobalt Straussman. And yeah..."

The man reached down for his legs, patting the area, and rolling the pants ends up.

"I think it got my calves for good measure..."

Jaune looked too, and whistled, as the material didn't pull up far to show another pincer mark. All dark and purply, carved straight through the fucking soft tissue within.

"Yeah, it did. Even if you don't bleed out now, you'd never walk on these tooth-picks again."

"Hey, you mocking a dead man?"

"'Not dead yet, you've still gotta mouth on ya, so you're just a dumb man."

And at that, they both had a good laugh. Though Cobalt started hacking half-way through, they seriously enjoyed it.

Jaune certainly did. He had a little smile on his face, and a good deal of curiosity about this guy.

This curiosity dragged on into the silence left behind their laugh. Staying there, for several awkward seconds, as Jaune let his eye roam Cobalt's stupid ass body-

But then he saw it.

From Cobalt's neckline, maybe whilst all the fighting went down, The Torch hung limp. Soaked in its owner's rusty blood and looking about ready to fall off at a moment's notice.

Jaune then noticed he got caught staring, and gulped down his hesitation, as he just had to ask.

"...Praise be?"

Cobalt's eyes widened, then found themselves looking at where Jaune did, and the man beamed.

That bloody hand, extended to a fellow Frontiersman, baring a newfound care.

"To God on high!"

The man bellowed his joy, as Jaune leaned over, and caught this motherfucker's bloody hand in his. Their shake not being hard, per se, but damn if they didn't try cracking their knuckles out of place.

"'Heavens above! It's a blessing you've found my sorry ass like this, I can tell."

He did that happy laugh again, even as blood pooled at the edges of his lips, as though the wounds weren't killing him.

"What's your name, Brother?" This kindred soul asked, face lighting up, even as his chin dripped with lifeblood. "Where ya from?"

"My name's Jaune." He smiled at the man. "I'm from Ansel. You?"

"Barneburg!"

His eyes widened.

"I left for Beacon 'bout four months ago. Didn't get myself an Aura 'till I reached Vale-City."

Cobalt coughed again, some blood coming out, but he did it into his shoulder either way.

"Nobody's got it where I'm from, and veterans 're too weak to unlock it. 'Bastards on the road who weren't charged half a fortune."

"Damn. How long you had your Aura then?"

The dead man smirked.

"Oh, ya know, maybe two weeks?"

Jaune's hand took a long moment to drag itself down his face, as the dead man laughed, a Brother through and through.

One who didn't have much a clue about high end Grimm fighting but ah-fucking-well.

"Oh, Monty Oum. Lord of Hosts..."

Jaune grumbled, smacking this dumbass's hand away, making him laugh all the more for it.

"You're a real piece of work, then, you know that? Coming to fuckin' Beacon of all places, and having the nerve not to die by Grimm until now? How'd you even get here?-"

"Fake transcripts." Cobalt muttered.

That gave Jaune pause.

"There's this bar in Vale-City, where if you'd ask the big guy behind the counter for favors, he'd maybe consider them. For a price, that is, and as I'm pretty damn good with my crownsmen coins..."

Jaune looked him over. He snorted.

"Pfft. Yeah, I know. I'd tell ya to take it to prayer, but eh, 'rather you take me to prayer at this rate."

The man wheezed into another laugh, hand on his chest now, and wrapped around The Torch.

"Though I reckon you'd have some trouble doin' that, either way, since I just shit myself."

"You what?"

"Yup." Cobalt, calm and casual, quipped. "I can't feel my legs, Brother, but I'll be damned if that Deathstalker took my poop-shoot senses from me. There's a fresh stinker movin' around down there and I can feel it's fragrance."

Jaune groaned. Cobalt clicked his cheeks and shook his head.

"Don't believe me? Go on, take a whiff now. Smell it."

...

...

Jaune did-

Then he hacked, as this fucker laughed some more, at his smelly expense. Having far too much fun for a dead man.

"Fuckin' gross."

But Cobalt only shrugged. Shifting a bit in his lounge, hands on his stomach, and face more lax than that stool he's got pooled up down there.

"'As natural as anythin' else on Monty's Holy Sanus."

"For pigs. Oh, and horses."

"That's funny." He hummed. "Mama said the exact same thing. 'Wonder why?

Jaune could only sigh-

But before he'd forget, he remembered what's on his mind and took a seat. Now shoulder to shoulder with his buddy here. Giving him a serious look.

"Hey."

"...?"

"I've actually been to Barneburg before."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhm. Not real long ago either. 'Bout three weeks."

Jaune licked his lips, debating himself, as he didn't know how he should put this.

"See, I do basic bounty-work throughout the territories to make a living. And for your town, well...they needed me to kill some Grimm, 'cuz they lost somebody to a pack of Beowolves."

"Damn. You know who?"

Jaune nodded. Slow and uncertain.

"Blacksmith's daughter."

Cobalt, quiet for a long moment, sucked his teeth in.

"Ah, shit. That's Louis's girl! Me and him are cousins or somethin'. Third or fourth times removed, but...shit man..."

He kept silent with the Barneburg man, until said man sighed, continuing on.

"I knew that girl. Her name was Scarlet. She was nice."

Cobalt nodded to himself. His eyes are distant from things.

"'Liked to collect the reddest red velvets dottin' the road out town...mama said that's how she got her name. Monty's 'little flower girl' they called her..."

Jaune saw the sadness in Cobalt's eyes, and really, he couldn't help but feel some too.

So he kept silent with the dead man-

Until he caught wind of Ruby, from the corner of his eye, and looked over.

She's looking back to her little heart's content. Frowning deep, yet pretty much collected compared to the mess earlier.

Sure, she looks ready to cry in a moment's notice, but there's no Grimm-attracting screams at least. That's what matters.

Cobalt noticed her too, and idly, he fiddled with The Torch.

"She your partner?"

He nodded.

"Good."

Jaune turned over just then, as The Torch-in all it's silver splendor-got placed against him.

"'Figured she could use it more than me." He heard Cobalt muse. "She's scared, just like Annie was. I..."

A brief pause, as the musing became less careless, gaining a somberness instead.

"I'm a fucking dumbass for coming here unprepared, that's true. But I've seen people unable to deal with this stuff, ya know what I'm talking about? Just...pure fucking horror, man...I can't believe she's..."

Yet again, the man paused, but came out of it quicker. Shaking his head.

"Either way, I've 'nothin left here. My bloods going out, my partner's dead, my pants are full of shit, and my Aura's shot. It's a blessing in itself that y'all came by to see me die in the first place, so take my own little blessing."

That bloody hand shook.

"My faith. I don't know if she'd appreciate it, but Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

Cobalt glanced Ruby's way, as she wrapped her cloak around herself and peeked at them. Nervous, stressed, yet curious all at the same time.

"Just give it to her. Put that in my will or something."

"...Alright." Jaune took The Torch, and held it tight, while Cobalt's hand landed limp on his chest. "But, before I do anything, do you want the proper...ya know...?"

Cobalt took a deep, shaky, and bloody breath. Wheezing after it.

"Yeah. Yeah I do."

So he got to his feet, put The Torch away, dusted himself off, and strut towards his partner.

She kept quiet before him too, almost like a child from in her red cloak, beady eyes looking up at him. Lots and lots of questions on her mind.

He kneeled down to her level then, not whispering this time, as she looked back without shedding a tear. Keyword yet.

"Did you hear what we said back there, Ruby?"

She shook her head. It was instantaneous and pouty.

"Good. Can you speak?"

"..E...m..."

She looked away, but gathered the courage again, and nodded to him.

"Y-Yeah. I heard nothing but I just had to look and 'm really sorry for looking and I didn't mean to be noisy and-"

He hushed those anxious ramblings.

"That doesn't matter right now, but what does..."

He leaned in, she gulped at the proximity.

"Is if you'll stop screaming bloody murder in the middle of a Grimm infested forest, Ruby."

She looked ready to protest, yet as she did so, her eyes caught sight of Annie's legs and instantly stopped it. That indignation now became a squeaky fear she mumbled into her red cloak again.

"I sorrys..."

"Don't be. I've seen people have way bigger freakouts."

She looked up from her rutt, as he mused, and gave her a little smile.

"Ya know, the kind where they run around the forest like chickens with their heads cut off?"

"N-No?"

"Ah, a shame then, it's a helluva sight to see..."

But crude humor wasn't fitting here, and he knew this, so he took a deep breath. Relaxing his expression into something much more serious. His gauntlets on her shoulders now, eye-to-nervous-eye.

"Hey, I need to know something."

"...Okie?"

"Are you alright?"

He glanced at the tear stains down her cheeks, that have pretty much dried up, but still were fresh.

"You did a good job of keeping yourself quiet 'till now, and I'm proud of you for that. But, we're not done here, so I need to know if you can handle one more thing."

She gulped.

'I-I don' know if I can friggin handle anything, Jaune. Everything's super achy, a-and angry and bloody and-"

"Ruby." He said. "Calm down. Breath in and out."

...

...

...

She opened her eyes.

"Yeah. I...maybe could? It's jus...–"

"Disturbing?"

She paused and nodded, he hummed.

"You know that blood and violence are staples of the huntsman lifestyle, yeah?"

"Not our blood tho! The only thing that should bleed is Grimm! Also violence'd, or w-whatever!"

"Grimm don't bleed, Ruby. They fester and prey on the weakest links." He gestured a hand behind his back. "Always looking for new souls to eat up, like ol' Cobalt and Annie over there, who never should've come here in the first place. And you know why?"

"...?"

"It's because they didn't have the experience."

Jaune frowned at that.

"'Least Cobalt didn't. He's only had his Aura for two weeks and thought to fight a potentially ancient Deathstalker with it."

"Wha?-"

"Yeah. He's probably never killed anything more than a few Alpha Beowolves, if that. 'Faked his transcripts here too."

Ruby, coming out of her scared shell bit-for reasons he's unsure but happy about-gave him a funny look.

"Who'd come to Beacon with fake transcripts?"

"Pfft. I dunno. A dumbass?" Jaune shrugged. "Anyways, yeah, they're basically gonna be dead real fucking soon now. But Cobalt over there...he...wants something special."

"A-And?"

"It's gonna be bloody, Ruby, because he wants a Brother's death."

Her confusion-and anxiety-was palpable then, and for good reason, so he explained.

"He wants me to kill him."

She gasped-

But he's serious with this, meeting those beady eyes, even as they shook.

"If I do what he wants, and he dies, I need to know that you won't freak out again. So, as both my partner and comrade, you oughta tell me right now if you can handle this shit."

"...Y-You're not joking, huh?"

"Not here. No."

Ruby shuddered, yet she surprised him again, coming up to her feet. Arms protectively grabbling that cloak around her, and head pointedly downcast.

"Okie. I-I'll...ehm..."

She gulped again. Likely in hesitation.

"I can do it. I'm a big girl. 'That's what dad says, so I'm good. You don' have to worry about me or whatever..."

She shuffled to his side, not looking at anything but dusty soil, and he frowned.

"You sure?"

"Mhm."

"Positive?"

"Mhm."

"HIV?"

She rounded on him. His grin was shameless.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"That's not nice!"

"I know, right? 'Sucks to suck."

From the cave wall, and over Annie's twitchy bottom half, Jaune heard Cobalt havin' himself a giggle. Unlike Ruby, who puffed out her cheeks and squeaked at him.

"Oh my freaking God, Jaune. These people are literally dying-"

"They're both dead, one's just taking his time."

Ruby sputtered to counter, but from the wall again, Cobalt bellowed a 'yup!' of agreement. She was speechless, and morbidly confused, as result.

Jaune took initiative. His gauntlet patting her curled up shoulders in, moving them a bit, and shaking them after that.

"Relax. Follow me."

And though she did, she did so suspiciously. The cloak cocooning her still. All the way until they reached their company, in all his bloody and wheezy glory.

Jaune started introductions for her, patting her back, and smiling when she 'oof'd' from it.

"This is my partner, Ruby Rose. She's uh...'bit've a soft soul."

Said girl gave him a grumpy look, but as Cobalt looked on in interest, Jaune smiled at her.

"An anxious one at that, too, always taking my drugs and stuff-"

"Okay, nope." She anxiously cut in. Shoving his shoulder away. "'He's a big freaking fibber! Those were not d-drugs! They were motion sickness pills and he has them again-"

And then, he and Cobalt had a hearty chuckle, all while Ruby stood idly by. Confused and slightly offended.

Fortunately, before she could act out the sourness on her face, Cobalt's coughing came. She winced at it, and quieted up, as his blood once again found place atop his shredded armor.

Wheezing out another breath, pained though it be, Cobalt smiled that bloody smile at her.

"Hey, Miss Ruby Rose?"

"...Y-Yeah?"

"I heard you screaming just now. Why's that?"

"E-Eh?!" She leaned back, confusion coming full force. "Why the heck wouldn't I?! You guys are...y'know, dead!"

"We are, ain't we?"

Ruby, baffled and sorta scared, forced herself to look back at Annie's legs behind her.

"D...oh god-"

She beltched, Jaune's hand went to her then, as she shuddered out a couple breaths. Cobalt watching sympathetically the entire while. It wasn't long though, and Ruby wheezed to herself, just without the blood.

"Don't you...don't you see her legs?!"

"Annie's legs-"

"Jaune!"

"Right. Sorry-"

"Just...ugh!"

Ruby dug her fingers into her scalp, finally beginning to un-numb herself.

"Don't you see how freaking horrifying this stuff is?! You...y-you and Annie are dead! Straight up dead! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!-"

"Yup."

Cobalt popped his lips, and ignored Ruby's sputtering, as he gave Jaune a pointed look.

"I'd tell ya all about it, but as you might tell, I'm on my last legs here. Heh."

The dead man patted his calves for added effect.

"So 'fore I bleed out, I wanna go on the proper way, like the veterans back home get to do. Think you can help me out here, Brother?"

"...Yeah."

He's sobered up now, which got Ruby's attention, and quieted her down.

"Forgive me if I botch some stuff, man. It's been awhile."

Cobalt didn't mind, and nodded, closing his eyes with peace. Still living, yet only just so.

Jaune watched his fallen brother for a moment, and-ignoring Ruby's stare-took a breath. Remembering the words of prayer, while he idly reached down, hand on The Yellow Death.

White-hot Aura flowed through it, and as a result, through himself.

"For it is in His creation we achieve immortality."

From his side, silvery steel unsheathed, glinting in the waning sunlight.

"Through this merciful blessing, we repent and abstain from our sins. Unbound by Grimm-suppression, neither scheme of man, within the pursuit of ascending our souls into The Heavens..."

The Yellow death was raised, Ruby's breath choked to a halt, and Cobalt's happy smile dripped its blood.

"And so, it is of this blessing, that by my shoulder..."

Jaune felt his heart harden, and reversed grip tighten, as he whirred steel into action-

Which ended with a sickly squelch. His blade, now half-way buried into the man's chest from above, digging through the last bit of vapid Aura. Ending that meek light-blue influence in silence.

Not his own though. Ruby's screams-muffled by her own hands-were a thing to fucking behold. Almost as much as Cobalt's simple happiness.

It made him smile for the good prayer. Oughta practice it more.

"I send you nearer my God to thee."

The Yellow Death pierced deeper still. Three-fourths the way in and gently thunking against solid rock on it's way out. Cobalt's last bloody wheeze moving with it, as evidence of a dead man's final breath. Quiet, yet accepting.

When that final breath ended, as his blade swiped off the man's influence, Jaune saw Ruby collapse. On her knees, hand still on her mouth, yet she's not screaming this time.

A muffled belch. She's barfing up some brownish-green stuff from what he'd assume to be breakfast. Eyes bubbling with tears and yet shut. The numbness removed, so to the anger, leaving nothing but fear and hurt.

This was good. If it takes a Brother's death to desensitize her, Jaune would be happy. It'll mean she won't panic on the hunt next time things get chaotic or problematic.

And what a stupid Brother he was, really. You need much more than four months to properly take the mantle-

But, he digressed for now. It's time he addressed the rose red problem-spilling shitty green chunks-across the soil. He looked at his partner as such, and after watching her curl into herself, sighed.

"Ruby."

She just kept belching, hands clawing into her poor scalp, eyes denying sight. The coping process wasn't stopping anytime soon.

So Jaune stood over her, taking gentle note of the sky, and the little drones buzzing above them. Their cameras probably getting a sight for really fuckin' sore eyes up there.

"Ruby."

From her rutt, she curled towards him a bit, her sniffles gross and ugly. In the sense they, ya know, sounded like a dying horse choking on it's own goddamn hooves.

Hah. He mused to himself, dull as the humor was. If I didn't end the dead man, he'd of probably laughed. Oh well...

Jaune sighed. Ruby cope'd.

"You...! I-I...oh my god..." she mumbled, eyes on her barf covered hands, beady eyes dilated twice their size. "Ohmygod-ohmygod-ohmygod-ohmygod-"

"Ruby!"

She jolted in place, panicked expression on him now, and it grimaced at him.

"...Why...?"

"Why what?"

"W-Wh...why the frick did you just...?!"

Glaring her confusion and anger at him didn't help. It made her wheeze, lacking that security she'd probably get if Yang's around. Little sister fears-

Wait, no.

Whilst she bathed in the actual misery of their Sanus, Jaune sucked his teeth in, unhappy with what he's doing.

Remember the partner pinky-promise, you fucker? He heard himself taunt. Or you just gonna watch this little girl barf her brains out like the careless bastard you are?

Yeah, shit. The more he thinks about it, the heavier that pit in his stomach gets. As though the remorse deep down-from yelling at Yang and Weiss-was multiplied. 'Least tenfold.

He's gotta have some empathy here. He's just gotta-

Thus, taking a knee by her rutt, Jaune shushed her gently. It silenced her more out of disbelief than anything, but from his point of view, that's okay.

She'll make it. And he'll fix it, like he oughta do.

"Do you wanna know why I just did that?"

...

...

Her hiccup and beady eyed gaze was his only answer. He ran with it.

"From where I'm from, our fighters and soldiers and huntsmen have uh...certain cultural stuff. Things that make us unique compared to metropolitan Vale-City people you've probably seen."

"I-I'm from Patch." She gulped, spittle clearing from her throat. "It's an island off the coast but...I don't think we're like...this."

Idly, he noticed her wanting to look at Cobalt, but stopped herself, and stared at the ground instead.

"Yeah, I get that. We're pretty stiff-necked, 'like I said earlier."

"Do you...y'know, do t-this often?"

"What, preform the Brother's end?"

"Ehm...yes? Maybe? I dunno what to think anymore-"

"Well," he-for his own clarity if anything-glanced at their local dead man nearby. "You see Ruby, in the Valen Frontier, we think Monty has two sons of creation."

"'kay? Yeah?"

"The Dark Brother and The Light Brother, who before Sanus, served by their Father's side. Until their Father passed from his creation and into The Heavens. Sacrificing his flesh for our immortality and incidentally angering The Dark Brother."

She blinked, he cleared his throat, Cobalt was still fucking dead.

"Any this ring a bell?"

"...Not really? I mean, if this 'Father' guy is Monty-"

"Oh yeah, that's Monty-"

"Then yeah I...I guess? Me and Yang haven't gone to church in forever, but I don't remember stuff about friggin' brothers."

"That's fine if you don't." Jaune chuckled. "It's an outer territories thing. I've known it since I was like eleven and it just sorta makes sense to me. Anyways though...yeah."

He sheathed his blood smudged blade, Ruby winced at it, but he continued.

"In lieu of the brother's struggles, of ya know, making demons and humans and all that stuff?"

"'Kay?"

"We sorta have little prayers to end our comrade's pain. Like what you saw here today."

"...Huh..."

She's staring at her barf stained hands again.

"I have so many gosh-darn questions-"

"I'll answer them later."

He's on his feet now, hand rested atop The Yellow Death's pommel, eyes squinting off into the darkness.

"For now? We've a Brother and his partner to avenge. And on that note, you're gonna have to promise me no more barfing, alright?"

She grumbled, with true misery, unlike the kind born from social anxiety. He violently threw off the urge to tell her 'man up' or something, but he sighed, staying true to the thing-thang.

"Look. I know all this stuff is still super scary-"

"And horrifying and dirty and gross and freaking bloody-"

"But, Ruby, you've gotta understand what I said earlier: our lives are gonna be like this no matter what we do-"

She's back on her feet now, grumpily waving her barfed up hands around, giving him a pouty face.

"Whatever. You can't say you're not a werido anymore now. Normal people don't kill their Monty buddies in some spooky reverse Aura-unlocking thingy."

"I'd argue that Aura unlocking is just secular prayer-"

"And I'd still friggin call you a werido for literally murder-death-killing. No, scratch that, you're a crazy!"

"'A' crazy?-"

"Yeah! And you know what?"

She's shaking, all that energy, and only teenage angst to spent it on.

"I think Yang was right and those pills are actually drugs and you're a crackhead because there's no way that-"

"Ruby." He deadpanned. "Fighting causes negativity. You wanna get ambushed by a Deathstalker?"

"...No-"

"Then yell at me when we're not liable to instantly die from it."

She shut up then, and during that, he squinted into the darkness some more.

Oh. He told himself, stepping back a peg. We need a light. Using Aura might work but it's not real cost affective.

So he glanced behind him-

And luckily, though he noticed it not earlier, the dead man has a torch besides him. Not lit yet, and in decent enough condition as is.

"Hey, Ruby?"

From his right, he heard her shuffling, weapon not out for obvious reasons. She gave him a stressed but attentive look.

"Can you get that torch?"

He pointed to it as well, and when she followed the trial, it made her grow sour.

"No."

"Please?"

"Jaune, I'm gonna barf again, and it's gonna go all over you-"

"Your baby's too big for the tunnel right now, so hold the torch for me in the meantime."

"That's totally an excuse to make me touch the dead guy."

"Yes, and?"

"That's-" she groaned. "Y'know what? Fine..."

Just like that, Jaune waited for her, as she walked off for the torch. He looked away for privacy's sake-

Kinda redundant though. thirty seconds later he already heard some more belching. A full minute of that later and she stumbled back to his side.

Red faced, wheezing her chest off, grumpy, and torch in hand.

"...Ugh..."

"Ah, you did it. Good job-"

"J-Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

She took a deep breath, and when she finished, a pretty smile came to her face.

"I freaking hate you~! 'Never trusting you again~!"

"Oh, what a shame." He mused, digging through his pockets, The Torch coming out of them. "But would you trust a deadman's faith?"

"...A what now?-"

"This."

While she slouched helplessly still, Jaune walked to her, and unfurled The Torch.

"Here. Stand a 'lil straighter. I've got a 'big girl' token for ya to wear."

Regardless of the suspicious look she sent him, she followed along, and craned her head up. Perfectly so, as he then took The Torch's silver chain across the throat.

When he-a few tedious minutes later-finally relocked it in place, he smiled and held it over her chest.

"See this?"

"...Mhm...?"

"It's called 'The Torch'. You know what that is?"

After a heavy look at it, her eyes widened, and she nodded.

"Yeah! It's a Monty thing, right?"

...

"What? Why you looking at me like that-"

"Oh, no reason."

He brushed her off, and so too The Torch, as he let go of it.

"Now tuck The Torch under your blouse 'thingy' and light that actual torch."

Stepping away, Jaune looked towards the darkness again, a grim smirk on his face. Vengeance for the fallen on his mind.

"We've got some hunting to do."


Yep. Early chapter. I wanted to try something out here.

*Ruby is only functioning because she hasn't the time to REALLY think about what Jaune just did. Itll be a major catalyst as to show how he and Ruby differ.

*Jaune tries really hard but sometimes he can't make the best on his promises. Sure, he talked gently and stuff, but he's still kinda disconnected.

*For reasons you might be able to find out, Ozpin and the teacher gang don't interfere with the deaths of their initiates. This will be explored later.

*Lots of bits about Jaune's upbringing here.

Anyways, heres a question for you: do you guys like the format of this chapter? Is the larger amount of dialogue more engaging?

Lemme know. I'm experimenting here.