"Sun, I've just gotten some information." Jaune called the detective over the phone. "A big White Fang hideout just outside the industrial district," Honestly, they should just sweep the entire district considering how many pockets of crime Jaune had already found there. "I'll send you the address."
"Great." Sun addressed him through his scroll. "I'll contact all the surrounding precincts. We'll make sure this goes off without a hitch." He seemed enthused at the intel. Perhaps his own investigation wasn't yielding nearly as much? "But… Are you sure about the source? That this isn't a trap?" No, in fact, Jaune was not sure whether this was a trap or not. However, Neo already had him by the throat, so a trap to kill him would just seem less than productive.
"Actually, that's why my team is in Vale now. We'll scout out the building, making sure there are no traps or hostages in the way, then we'll call you in for the backup." Jaune planned out.
"I can't authorize the use of students in the attack, Jaune." Sun warned.
"You won't have to. We're nearly there already. If it helps, you can tell your supervisors that you warned us against going in."
"Will you all be okay? You've all fought the White Fang before, I know. But we don't know what we're up against here." Jaune thought he had a fairly good idea, but the point was clear. The team leader looked to all his friends who marched to their destination in front of him. They were dressed in their new outfits again, but the determination on their faces was exactly as it always was.
"These people are some of the strongest people I know. We'll be fine. We're Hunters."
"Still doesn't make it legal, but fine. You contacted me like I told you to last time, so you'll get a pass. Good luck." And with that, the Faunus hung up on Jaune, leaving him to think. They were getting closer, and his mind was starting to race.
"Oh yeah…" He'd forgotten to check with Neo. "Is Roman in the location you sent me?" He texted.
"Not currently, why?" She got back to him near instantaneously.
"The police will be raiding it soon. I just wanted to make sure you and Roman weren't in the crossfire."
"WHAT?!" At that response, he turned off his scroll. Jaune knew she would be angry at him for jumping the gun, but this would hinder Cinder all the same, so he was sure Neo would see the sense in his call. Though… Her last text did make him start to doubt his decision.
Had he made a mistake in bringing the team here? Yang and Pyrrha were about to kill each other, but was this really fixing things? If anything went wrong today, it would be on him. Had he finally screwed up for good?
No. Jaune meant what he told Sun. Pyrrha, Yang, Blake, Ruby, Ren, Weiss, and Nora were some of the toughest individuals he'd ever come across. They could hold their own, even if something went wrong. But nothing would go wrong. He wouldn't allow it.
"Each group will infiltrate the compound from a different angle so we can cover more ground. Stay in the shadows, but if things go violent, don't hesitate." Blake ordered. "Ren and I are able to cover the most ground; we'll start at the ceiling vents and make our way inside from there. Yang and Nora, you two will stay close to the back entrance. Find what you can, but don't stray too far. If everything goes sour, you'll be securing our escape route. Ruby and Weiss, you'll go in through the left side, and Jaune and Pyrrha, you'll go in through the right." The faunus laid out the tasks. "This is reconnaissance. If there are any hostages in the premises, they take priority. Otherwise, stay hidden. Everyone ready?"
The group nodded as one.
"Let's do this." The former White Fang member ended the meeting. Everyone set off into their own groups, careful not to make a sound as they approached the building. Jaune could see Blake and Ren scale the nearby building to jump onto their target, but the setting sun made things difficult. Night would arrive soon, though he was unsure if that would make their internal sneaking easier or harder.
There was no time for small talk with Pyrrha when they arrived to their designation. The champ effortlessly pulled off the metal bars guarding the window like she was a magnet and slipped into the compound without a sound. Jaune followed suit and they found themselves in a storage room of some kind.
Pyrrha spied through the keyhole, spotting no one, and opened the door cautiously. They found themselves in a main hallway, with a few rooms lining the walls. They'd have to check each one before progressing further inwards. The two team leaders took either side of the hall without needing to check with one another and began their search.
Jaune's side of the hallway was just more storage. And nothing of note, either. Not dust or anything illegal, just random supply items. Oh, and White Fang gear. Seeing that gave him an odd sense of relief- Neo hadn't been lying. Then, that relief turned into a more reasonable 'worry'- She wasn't lying, and he was currently in a White Fang Base, with all the danger that implied.
The search was going well, and they had progressed about half way down the hall when his thinking jinxed them. From a connected hall, voices approached. Jaune and Pyrrha needed to hide, now. The leader of Team JWLR turned to the champion, only to find her slipping into the room she had just checked. This sent him into a bit of a panic- she hid herself without him!- and before Gamer's Mind could kick in, he followed her lead on his own, unchecked, room.
He backed up just beyond the doorway and listened to the voices. They continued to grow louder, signifying that he'd made the right choice in hiding. Then, a single voice became far too loud.
"And who do we have here?" A sultry voice spoke, sending shock down his spine. Gamer's Mind nullified the fear, then Jaune stood up and turned around to face the speaker.
He could have guessed who it was just by her look. Hell, he could have guessed who it was by his abysmal luck. However, Jaune had to use Observe to confirm his theory.
Name: Cinder Fall
Shit.
I really have to give a big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'll be giving Jaune the pairing that I feel best fits the story. For anyone who might be disappointed by this, just know that Volume 3, just like the rest of the story so far, won't have that much in terms of relationship stuff. Regardless of who Jaune was going to end up with, the ending was never going to change. There will only be some slight differences leading up to the end. Keep in mind, this story's genre isn't Romance for a reason.
Until next time,
-RMV