"We should get off soon," Jaune whispered. "Give it one or two stops, then get aboard another bus. That should throw Beacon off our scent for a while at least."
Nora turned to look at him, which took some effort, considering she was squeezed between Ren and the window, and Jaune was on the other side of Ren. They were sitting together as close as they could at the back of the bus, which hid them behind the seats in case the bus driver looked back, but it didn't make for a very comfortable ride.
"Can't they just track us wherever we go, though?" Nora said.
"Well, yeah, Beacon has access to probably every surveillance camera in the country, and they must have agents looking for us everywhere, but that doesn't mean we should make it easy on them to find us," Jaune said.
"Okay, I see your point," Nora said. "In that case, there's a big station maybe half an hour from here. You can get on a bus to pretty much anywhere in the country there. How does that sound?"
"That should work," Jaune said. "But we still have to decide where we're going. We can't go to Argus like you were planning before, Beacon will be expecting that."
He glared at the seat in front of him, and Nora couldn't miss how tense he looked. She pressed herself harder against the window, afraid he might just crumble if she nudged him by accident.
"Let's go through this step by step," Ren said. "What's our objective?"
"To get you far away from Ozpin, Beacon, and the Nuckelavee. Which means getting you out of the country," Jaune said. He took a deep breath, and though he didn't speak for a while, Ren's tone seemed to have a calming effect on him. "Which means getting you on a ship, because Beacon is going to be watching every flight out of Mistral."
"So we need to get to a port town, and from there, either Vale or Vacuo," Ren said. "It's a decision between east or west, and I believe we're much closer to the east coast at the moment."
"But that means going to Vacuo!" Nora groaned. "Ugh. I hate sand…"
"I suppose we could take the long way around the continent and get off at Vale or Atlas, but I think we'll be hard pressed to find a ship taking a route like that in such short notice," Ren said. "Sorry, Nora."
"It's fine, I guess, if we have to," Nora said with a sigh. "But we're gonna need to pick up some sunscreen on the way."
Jaune had gone silent again, staring at nothing in particular. Nora hoped he wasn't starting to lose his nerve.
"I don't think that's the best plan, actually," he said. "Going east might be the fastest way, but that's exactly why we shouldn't do it. Beacon will be expecting it."
"So, west? Vale?" Nora said. "No sand there!"
"But it would take days to cross that distance," Ren said. "Do we have that kind of time?"
"We don't," Jaune said. "Which only leaves us one option."
"South," Nora said. "But isn't that where…"
Suddenly she felt very claustrophobic, and it had nothing to do with the jostling bus. Ren looked concerned as well.
"Yes. The Nuckelavee's that way," Jaune said. "But we wouldn't be going directly to it. We don't need to go all the way to the south coast, too – we can divert east after a while and get on a boat there."
"I suppose Beacon won't be expecting that," Ren said. "But is it really our safest option?"
"I think 'safe' got left behind when we found out Beacon blew up your hometown," Jaune said. "Sorry. I know heading back towards the Nuckelavee sounds bad when we just escaped it, but it's under control, for now. If we can get past it, and get you on a ship, then we'll be home free."
"Unless the Nuckelavee can walk on water," Nora said. "Boy, that would be bad news."
"You'll be safe," Jaune said. "Have I let you down yet?"
Nora shared a look with Ren.
"Nope," she said. "Okay, Vale boy. We'll go with your plan."
Jaune visibly relaxed.
"Southward it is, then."
Ozpin took Pyrrha to one of the facility's interrogation rooms, not saying a word on the way there. He gestured her inside, and after she'd sat down, left the room momentarily to finish talking with Commander Goodwitch. Pyrrha didn't protest, though she wished she had when the minutes dragged on, and she had nothing to focus on except her own thoughts in the cold, dark room.
Her head swam with questions. What had prompted Jaune to leave so suddenly? Why had he taken Nora and Ren? Why hadn't he talked to her first?
She didn't dare wonder why Ozpin had brought her here – what he had to tell her.
Finally, Ozpin returned. He had retrieved his cane in the time he'd been gone, and he kept it in his hands as he sat down across from her. He spun it in slow circles, looking Pyrrha in the eyes yet seeming to stare right through her.
He stopped spinning his cane and spoke.
"I haven't been entirely truthful with you as of late, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha only nodded. That much, she had figured.
"Before I start, I want you to understand that what I kept from you, I did not out of mistrust or because I did not think you deserved to know," Ozpin said. "I have always trusted you, Pyrrha, and cared for you. Perhaps more than I ought to have. I kept the truth from you because I thought knowing it would only make you unhappy."
Pyrrha grasped her hands on the table. "I understand, Director."
"I still stand by that decision, though I won't fault you if you are angry with me once we're finished," Ozpin said. "I only ask that you listen to what I have to say, before you make any conclusions."
"I understand."
Ozpin regarded her coolly. Pyrrha didn't know what he expected of her, and didn't herself know how to feel yet, so she waited in silence for him to start speaking again.
"Fifteen years ago, a terrible storm struck the town of Kuroyuri. The very same storm Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren told us about last night," Ozpin said. "Along this storm came two Nuckelavee, which took advantage of nature's wrath to spread even more death and destruction. I told you yesterday Beacon had not been aware of the Nuckelavee's presence. That was a lie."
Pyrrha was not so stubborn to not have seen this coming, though her stomach still turned as Jaune's words and her own scathing rebuttals echoed in her head.
"That is not to say we saw the Nuckelavee coming," Ozpin said. "The emergence of a Nuckelavee is a rare occurrence, with decades passing in-between. For that reason, along with the fact that their kind is particularly contrary to our methods of detection, it's difficult to be prepared for them before the fact."
"We detected the Nuckelavee as the storm began," he continued. "By a stroke of fortune, the Beaconship was stationed in nearby airspace at that time, and I happened to be aboard it. Unfortunately, I was short of skilled hands to deal with the situation. This was before you joined Beacon, but you understand that back then, few of our ranks were privy to the existence of the Grimm, and even fewer were trained to combat them."
"The people I would have otherwise relied on to deal with the crisis were not at disposal. Unluckier still, two Nuckelavee had appeared at once, something I'd previously thought impossible."
Ozpin stopped for a moment, his expression growing rueful.
"I was bereft of better options, so I did what I could at such short notice," he said. "I equipped the agents I had in my company and deployed them to Kuroyuri. I directed them from the Beaconship, hoping that my guidance would see them through the task. It was not enough. The storm and the Nuckelavee together were too great a menace, and one by one they were killed."
"Only I remained. What help I could call would arrive too late to save the town," Ozpin said. "I thought of going down to face the Nuckelavee myself, but I knew that would only result in my own death. If I had been in my prime…"
He trailed off into silence, gazing at his cane once more. He set it aside on the floor, and turned to look at Pyrrha once again.
The image of Ozpin facing the two Nuckelavee didn't sit well with Pyrrha. She knew he had fought Grimm in person before – how else would he have risen to the rank of Director? – and even possessed a bit of Aura himself, but she could not see him standing a chance then.
"My last recourse was to deploy the Beaconship itself as a weapon," Ozpin said. "But of course, even the most surgical of strikes would result in numerous human casualties. Even then, I could not be sure that would suffice to vanquish the Grimm. Too many people around, too many souls to cling onto and survive."
"So I was left with two options. I could bide time as I waited for reinforcements to arrive, all the while the Nuckelavee continuing their rampage. The storm would hide the true nature of what was happening – for some time."
"Or I could take out the Nuckelavee then and there, making sure it stayed dead, and making sure the world remained blissfully unaware of the threat of the Grimm."
Pyrrha felt ice in her veins.
"The blast," she said, barely finding her voice, "it was…"
Ozpin nodded solemnly. "Yes."
A chasm seemed to open beneath Pyrrha, and she felt herself falling as the world swallowed her whole. She could not comprehend what she was hearing – she refused to believe it – because it could not be true, how could it be true when it was Ozpin she was talking to-
"I did not make that decision lightly," Ozpin said. "I was not proud of it, and if I'd had any other choice, any other way I could have been certain the world would be safe, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. But that was not the case. I did what had to be done. I do not regret it, because to do so would be a dishonor to the lives lost that day."
Pyrrha nodded numbly. Five hundred and thirty-six. Ren's parents. Nora and Ren themselves had only survived by some miracle.
"You understand why I had to resort to that, Pyrrha?" Ozpin said. "The world was not yet ready for the Grimm."
Pyrrha looked at him, dazed. "Yes. It was all you could do to preserve peace."
"And I hid my actions that day for the very same reason," Ozpin said. "The world could not know."
Pyrrha made a vague noise of agreement.
"It is tragic that the Nuckelavee survived after all," Ozpin said. "Though of course, I don't begrudge Ms. Valkyrie and Mr. Ren," he added.
"Did you know about them?" Pyrrha asked, temporarily regaining some semblance of thought.
"I only became aware of them a couple years ago, when they started their… extrajudicial activities," Ozpin said. "But I never thought their powers had any connection to what happened at Kuroyuri. It was only a few days ago, when the storms began and Beacon was alerted to a murder that could only have been orchestrated by a Grimm - when no Grimm activity had been registered in the vicinity - that I began to suspect the Nuckelavee had survived through them. It was then that I came to you and Mr. Arc for help."
"Why us?" Pyrrha said. "Why did you send us to get Nora and Ren?"
"Because I needed someone I could trust to get them to safety in case I was right," Ozpin said. "And you did save them, didn't you?"
Pyrrha tilted her head. Nora and Ren would have died two nights ago if she and Jaune hadn't been there to save them, that could not be argued. And Ozpin had sent them their way.
"Now, perhaps you think I should have told you about Kuroyuri then, and perhaps you are right," Ozpin said. "But the reason I didn't is because what happened then has no bearing in what is happening now – I do not intend on repeating what happened fifteen years ago. Valkyrie and Ren are safe with Beacon."
He sighed.
"Clearly, Mr. Arc does not agree with me," Ozpin said. "It seems while we were preoccupied with securing the Nuckelavee, he uncovered the truth about Kuroyuri by a mixture of investigating on his own and confronting Glynda about it." He rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure what she's angrier about, that he made liberal use of her personal computer or that he caught her unaware and knocked her out."
His lips curved in a slight smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Pyrrha couldn't find the humor in the situation.
"I might have not given Mr. Arc as much credit as he deserved," Ozpin said. "Regardless – I don't blame him for having misgivings about me, but he is quite wrong if he thinks taking Valkyrie and Ren away from Beacon is the safest course of action. We must get them back before the Nuckelavee breaks out, or else they'll be in mortal peril."
"Will you need my help?" Pyrrha said, her heart rising to her throat.
"No. No, no, Pyrrha, you've done more than enough as is," Ozpin said. "Glynda and I will take care of the situation."
He stood up. Pyrrha stood up a second later, feeling rather lethargic still. She braced herself lightly on the table, and did not know what to do as she felt Ozpin look at her with, it seemed, genuine concern.
"You should rest," he said. "We'll call you if you are needed."
"Okay."
Ozpin picked up his cane and made for the door.
"Oh, and I shouldn't forget," he said, stopping briefly. "Please repeat nothing of what I said outside this room, Pyrrha. We live in delicate times, perhaps now more than ever."
"Of course, Sir," Pyrrha said smally. "I won't say anything."
"Thank you. Be well," Ozpin said, and walked away, leaving her alone in the interrogation room.
Jaune knew there was something wrong the moment the bus got to the station. He looked through the window and saw other buses parked on the side of the road, all empty and driver-less. Ren must have caught on even faster, because he'd already grabbed Jaune and Nora's wrists and hid them from sight.
The bus came to a stop, and the doors opened. A person Jaune couldn't see much of beyond a silhouette came up to the steps and talked with the driver in hushed tones. After a minute, the person left, and the bus driver got up and announced to the whole bus that they all, regrettably, would have to get out.
There was much confusion and much complaining, but within a couple of minutes the bus was empty, save for Jaune and his companions. They sat in silence at the back as the driver got out too, Jaune's heart beating loud in his ears, though he felt oddly subdued.
"We should probably get out too and see what's up," he whispered.
"Better than sitting here doing nothing, I guess," Nora said. "And you don't have to whisper, remember?"
"Oh, right. I forgot."
They got up and walked out of the bus. Jaune was very thankful for Ren's Semblance, because without it, there was no way they could have snuck out without being seen. The station was huge, yet it was positively crowded with people, some of them having to sit on the ground because there were no benches left. The atmosphere was loaded with their collective fury, and Jaune did not envy the people who had to deal with all that.
Jaune stepped aside instinctively as a security guard came up to the bus and entered it, a flashlight in hand. He watched the man search the vehicle up and down through the windows, then looked around the station. There were other guards walking through the crowd, stopping to stare at people's faces before moving on to other groups. Jaune had a good guess who they were looking for.
Nora nudged him on the shoulder, then gestured up at an electronic board. Jaune felt his heart plummet as he read it.
ALL BUSES DELAYED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE – WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
"Beacon's stopped all public transport," he said hoarsely.
"They can do that?" Nora said, looking at him like she expected him to reveal he was just joking. "Just to stop us from running? No way."
"Yeah," Jaune said. "They can do that."
"But not, like, forever, they can't?"
"They can do it for long enough to completely screw us."
Jaune swept back his hair, trying to keep some modicum of calm, but it was hard when he felt so stupid.
"I should have seen this coming," he said. "Why didn't I see this coming?"
"Jaune, it's not like you knew they were going to do this," Nora said.
"I could have thought about it for just a second before getting us stuck here! I could have made an actual plan instead of just running off and hoping for the best," Jaune said. "Pyrrha would have had a plan. She wouldn't have screwed up like this."
"Well, Pyrrha isn't here, is she?" Nora said. "You are."
"Yeah, and that's the problem!" he shouted.
He saw a few people turn to look their way, almost as though they'd heard him. Ren gripped Jaune's arm tighter.
"Jaune, I need you to breathe for a moment," Ren said. "I can't hide us all if you're actively resisting me."
Jaune wanted to shout again, but stopped when he saw the looks on Nora and Ren's faces. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, and felt a soothing wave pass over him.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just anxious because I'm in way over my head, and it's not like that's anything new. I don't know how I convinced myself things would be different this time."
"We're all frustrated, Jaune," Nora said. "But if it weren't for you, Ren and I would be getting dissected alive right now, either by evil scientists or the double-headed centaur from hell. You're the one who got us here."
"Yeah, and lots of good that's done," Jaune muttered.
"It has," Nora said. "And don't argue. It's not up to you to decide."
Jaune opened his mouth to retort, only to be silenced as Nora, without warning or explanation, punched him in the shoulder. He stared at her, aghast.
"You're not at fault for anything that's happening, Jaune," Ren said. "If Beacon really had our best interests in mind, they wouldn't be doing all of this. And they wouldn't have lied to our faces – which is the opposite of what you've done."
"Yeah, cut that crap out," Nora said firmly. "I've had enough of people blaming themselves for what other people have done. From now on, that's over."
Jaune slumped his shoulders. A part of him suspected that Nora and Ren were just saying all of this because they couldn't afford him to completely lose it - because they still needed him. But it was hard to believe that when they were looking at him with such earnest expressions.
"Okay." He sighed. "Sorry about the scene."
"Don't sweat it," Nora said. "We all lose our heads sometimes."
"We won't hold it over your head," Ren said, "as long as you don't apologize again."
"Thanks, guys," Jaune said.
He looked around. Their bus had been moved to the other side of the road, joining the rest, and a new one was stopping in the station now.
"Alright, we need to get somewhere safe for Ren to drop his Semblance," Jaune said. "I'm not sure the Grimm or Beacon can trace when you use it, because – you know, you're all weird-"
Ren nodded. "Understandable."
"-but anyway, you should only use it when we really need it," Jaune said. "And Nora, don't even think about using yours. Keep your fingers well away from any electric sockets or exposed wires."
"Difficult, but I'll try my best," Nora said, sucking on her teeth.
"Okay. We find somewhere safe, then we rethink our plans," Jaune said. "Let's go."
They walked away from the crowd, Ren keeping a sure grip on Jaune and Nora so they'd remain undetected. The setback still stung, but Jaune felt confident they could adapt to it. He only wished Pyrrha was with them, and that he had a way to know she was okay.
Pyrrha stared at the inside of the toilet, her breath locked somewhere between her lungs and her throat. She had been leaning over it for what felt like an hour now, expecting her meager lunch to come spewing out at any moment, but it never did.
She extricated herself from the toilet seat and sat on the floor, pressing her back against the cubicle door, and put a hand over her chest. She held it there, taking deep breaths as she tried to stop the shivering. It was no help. There was something gnawing on her insides, an emptiness so vast and painful she couldn't possibly ignore it.
Her head throbbed. She couldn't think. She didn't want to think.
Five hundred and thirty-six.
The number kept coming back no matter how many times she tried to put it out of her mind. The number. That's what it was – not people, not innocent lives extinguished in a flash of light – just a number.
Casualties of war. A sacrifice made for the greater good.
But if Ozpin hadn't made that decision, how many more people would have died? It hadn't been a perfect solution, it might not even have been the best he could have taken, but he'd done what he felt was right.
So you agree with him.
She didn't. She didn't. But Ozpin wasn't a bad man. He had taught her everything she knew.
And what does that make you?
She was good. She was kind. She was strong. She was a protector.
A soldier tugged by invisible strings. A child with guns for toys. A weapon molded. And who knows what more?
None of that was true. She knew who she was, and she knew it was all because of Ozpin. If he was flawed, he had never let that taint her.
Of course. You know best. And Jaune made a mistake in not coming to you.
He hadn't. She'd been with Ozpin, and Jaune's first priority had been to see Nora and Ren to safety. If he'd had time to explain things to her, she was sure he would have done so, but that hadn't been the case. Jaune had done the right thing.
Is that so? He did the right thing, then, running away from Beacon?
No, that – that's not what she thought. He'd been scared for Nora and Ren, and he'd been confused.
If only he'd trusted you enough, you could have set everything straight. I wonder what it is about you that didn't give him the confidence?
Pyrrha rubbed her temples. "Shut up."
Jaune's not the one that's confused.
"Leave me alone," she said.
The silence of the bathroom struck her. Her ears buzzed, and her skin prickled hot and cold.
Lunging forward, Pyrrha grabbed the toilet and threw up into it.
They had to walk a long time before they found a roadside inn that wasn't already bustling with stranded people. A majority of the rooms were empty, too, and Nora cheerfully announced that their luck was turning out – until they snuck inside one of them, and at once understood why the establishment was near-deserted.
"Well, I've always wanted to make a cockroach friend!" Nora said, plopping down on one of the mattresses.
Ren parted the curtains to look outside. The place had hardly any illumination, so it was hard to see, but by all accounts things seemed to be quiet, with very few cars on the road.
"We're good?" Jaune asked behind him.
"I think so," Ren said.
"Good. We should, uh…" Jaune looked around, his cheeks turning green. "Get comfortable, I guess."
"Don't think there's gonna be much of that, but sure," Nora said.
Jaune sat down on the other mattress, while Ren remained standing near the window.
"So what's the plan, boss?" Nora asked.
"Well, we take the night to recharge Ren's batteries," Jaune said, "and then leave before dawn, and continue from where we dropped off – we get to the coast and get you on a boat."
"But how are we gonna get there?" Nora said, popping off her shoes and wiggling her toes. "I know that I look like a top-tier athlete, but these beauties can only take so much walking."
"It's simple – we'll steal a car," Jaune said.
"Oh! Of course. First we crash in an inn without paying, then we steal a car," Nora said, giving Jaune her biggest shit-eating grin. "How the tables turn, eh?"
"You can walk and meet us there if you want," Jaune said. "I can't guarantee you'll make it in time, though."
Nora glared at him, and he countered with a grin of his own.
Ren gazed through the window again. He kept expecting a squad of Beacon agents to show up and knock down their door.
"Won't Beacon easily find us if we're driving on the road?" Ren asked.
"You did mention they have access to every surveillance camera in the country," Nora said.
"Well, that's where your Semblance comes into play again," Jaune said, nodding at Ren. "It does hide you from cameras and stuff like that, right?"
"Yes… But I can't untether a car, much less a moving one," Ren said.
"You won't need to. Just us will be enough," Jaune said. "When we pass by a camera, all it will see is a car moving with no one inside. Which sure, that's weird, but their recognition software won't pick up our faces. Problem solved."
"That sounds just crazy enough to work," Nora said. "Unless they decide to investigate the mysterious ghost-car."
Jaune shrugged, which Ren took to mean that was a risk they would have to take.
"And when we get to the coast," Ren said. "What happens if they've stopped ships from leaving?"
"We'll just have to wait it out," Jaune said. "Beacon has a lot of influence, but even they can't halt a country's operations forever."
"What if the Nuckelavee breaks out before we leave, though?" Nora asked.
"That'll probably happen, but I'm hoping we'll have put enough distance between you two and it, that it might take a while to track you," Jaune said. "Not only that, but we also know to expect it now, so we won't be caught unaware unlike the last two times. And with you two missing, I'm sure Beacon will be working extra hard to slow down the Nuckelavee. We have time."
Nora sent Ren a concerned look, and with Jaune sitting right between them, Ren tried not to meet it. Unfortunately, Nora wasn't a fifth as subtle as him.
"Look, I know all of this sounds very optimistic, but I know we can pull it off," Jaune said. "You guys have trusted me this far. I'm gonna have to ask you to trust me for just a little longer."
There was a moment of silence, before Nora saluted. "I'm with you all the way."
Jaune looked at Ren.
"I trust you," Ren said.
Jaune fell back on his mattress, seemingly not caring anymore how filthy it was.
"Good. Great," he said. "So now we sleep. Though we should take watches in case Beacon shows up."
"I'll go first," Ren said, and before either Jaune or Nora could protest, "I'll only stay up a couple hours, and then I'll wake Jaune."
"Alright," Jaune said. "Good night, then."
As Jaune and Nora lay down to sleep, Ren took a chair and sat next to the window at an angle where he could look outside without being obvious. A few people had just arrived at the inn. He watched them closely in the off chance they came to occupy his room, but luckily they chose one on the floor below.
The minutes passed uneventfully, and Ren found his thoughts straying to old memories. He remembered a lot more now. Details about his life before Kuroyuri had been destroyed, tiny moments he'd never realized he'd forgotten.
He'd gotten a lot of praise in school because he had been the best reader in his class. His father had a habit of knocking on doors even when he knew no one was in the room. His mother's favorite flowers were hydrangeas.
Maybe he had forgotten all these things to spare himself the pain. It had been much easier to deal with the loss of his parents when all he had of them were hazy memories and the knowledge that they'd loved him very much. He almost wished he could go back and forget all over again.
But that wouldn't be right. There were some things he wanted to remember, even if they hurt. His mother had given her life to protect him and Nora, and though he didn't know exactly how his father had died, he knew he'd been trying to help people up to the very end. They had been brave and selfless, and he could only hope he had taken after them in that way.
Not that any of it had mattered in the end. Ren felt anger course through him. The Nuckelavee had devastated Kuroyuri, and Beacon had put the last nail in its coffin. His family had been good people, and Nora had been finally finding home. What had any of them done to deserve for it all to end?
He curled his hands on his lap and tried to focus on the cars on the road. It wasn't until he heard shuffling behind him and turned to see Nora getting up, that he finally was able to quell the anger.
Nora walked over and nudged him lightly. There were no other chairs in the room, so Ren inched aside to give her some space.
"Jaune's asleep," she said quietly as she sat down.
"Like you should be," Ren said.
"Later," Nora said, looking through the window. "Anything exciting happening out there?"
Ren shook his head no. They sat in silence, Nora holding his hand in hers.
"How are you feeling?" Nora said. "Learning that a Grimm attacked our home, and then that it was Beacon that actually destroyed it… That was a lot."
"It was," Ren said. "I'm okay."
"No, you're not, Ren," Nora said solemnly. "I saw your face when Jaune told us everything. I've never seen you look so angry, it was almost worse than when the Nuckelavee showed up. Or you wanna tell me that's over now, you've already forgotten?"
"I haven't forgotten," Ren said. "But I'm not angry."
"Bullshit, you're not. I'm angry. I'm furious!" Nora said. "I wanna make Ozpin and all his minions pay for what he did to us, I just haven't done it yet because we haven't had the time."
"Exactly, Nora. We don't have the time to act on our anger right now," Ren said. "It doesn't matter if Beacon deserves to be punished, we have bigger things to worry about like staying alive, and the only way we're going to do that is if I can control my emotions. So I'm not angry."
"But that's terrible," Nora said. "You can't keep bottling everything up, Ren."
"Nora, I don't have any other choice," Ren said. "You don't understand-"
"Oh, I don't understand?" Nora glared at him. "Up until yesterday I was convinced I'd blown up our hometown and your parents with it. Believe me when I say I know a thing or two about bottling things up."
"…I'm sorry," Ren said. "I should have thought about that."
Another group of people arrived at the inn. They went to the reception, and not a minute later, walked right out, loudly commenting about how they'd rather sleep in a trash container.
"You're not all wrong, though. You can't afford to be angry right now," Nora said, "and I can't afford to be scared."
There was a tone of finality in her voice which Ren did not like. "Nora, what are you talking about?"
"You said before that we can't run forever," Nora said. "Look what we're doing now. We're running again, and yeah, maybe we make it out this time." She looked at Jaune's sleeping form over her shoulder. "He's so stubborn, he's willing to risk thousands of people's lives just to save us. Are we going to let that happen?"
"It's not that simple, Nora," Ren said.
"It is that simple," Nora said. "Look, I'm not saying we give up and march to our deaths. But we can hurt the Nuckelavee. And if we can do that, we just might be able to do a hell of a lot more."
Ren pondered that for a moment. What Nora said was true, but that didn't mean it was easy for him to accept.
"If you think that is the right thing to do, then…" Ren said. "I go where you go."
"No, Ren. I can't make this decision for you," Nora said. "We have to be together on this."
Ren looked away. He thought about his parents.
And he made his decision.
Pyrrha woke up feeling no better than when she'd gone to sleep. She sat up, all too aware of the vacuum beside her where Jaune should have been, and reached for the bedside lamp. Her eyes fluttered as dim light filled the room.
What bruises she'd sustained fighting the Nuckelavee had long since healed, yet her body was taken by a fatigue she couldn't banish. She knew it was not a physical condition that afflicted her, and that knowledge only made her feel worse. Did she break so easily? Was she not a champion without equal?
In the end it was disgust that got her out of bed. She dressed herself mechanically and fixed her hair into a ponytail in front of the mirror. The routine soothed her, if only by distracting her from all the warring thoughts in her head. In that, she found some wisdom.
If she could not seize control of her own emotions, perhaps the answer was to feel nothing at all.
She took her shield and strapped it to her back, then walked out the door. The facility seemed to be even busier, somehow. All efforts must be on containing the Nuckelavee and finding the runaways, Pyrrha thought, and from the looks of it neither was going very well.
She headed to the Command Room, resolute to offer her help even though it hadn't been requested. She met Commander Goodwitch halfway there, the older agent stopping in the middle of the hallway to talk to her.
"Nikos," she said, looking surprised. "I was just going to see you."
"Am I needed?" Pyrrha asked.
"In a manner," Goodwitch said. "Come with me."
Pyrrha followed her into a room on the hallway. A handful of agents were inside, working behind computers, but they quickly got up as Goodwitch gestured for them to leave. Once they were gone, she locked the door and turned to Pyrrha.
"The Director was reluctant to ask for your assistance in this, and I echoed that sentiment myself, but I'm afraid it cannot be helped," Goodwitch said. "We've been unable to find Mr. Arc and his, for the lack of a better term, accomplices."
Pyrrha nodded. She'd thought this would be the case. "What have you tried so far?"
"We've ordered a temporary halt to all public transport, countrywide. All means of travel outside the country have been halted as well," Goodwitch said. "I didn't expect Arc to be so bold as to attempt such an escape, of course, but I'd hoped the pressure would have provoked him to make a mistake."
"Well, Jaune isn't as prone to crumbling under pressure as he used to be," Pyrrha said. "But I suppose you've discovered that for yourself already."
Goodwitch nodded, a bitter look on her face.
"There's not much more you can do except stay vigilant," Pyrrha said. "Jaune knows how Beacon operates, and he's smarter than even he realizes. He can be very headstrong, too, when he's got the proper motivation. And as feels highly motivated to protect Nora and Ren right now – misguided thought he might be – I doubt you'll catch him making any obvious mistakes."
She didn't speak with fondness or pride. Her words were a mere evaluation of facts, and Goodwitch seemed to take them as so, though not without some concern.
"I see," Goodwitch said, studying her carefully. "I suppose it was too much to hope you'd present us with the perfect solution."
"If I knew a way, I'd tell you," Pyrrha said. "Believe me, I want Nora and Ren returned to safety as much as you do." She met Goodwitch's eyes without flinching. "And the Nuckelavee?"
"We managed to maintain containment overnight, but it won't last much longer," Goodwitch said. "Countermeasures are already prepared. Once the last barrier falls, we will open fire on it. For how long that will incapacitate it, we do not know."
"Will the Beaconship be part of that?" Pyrrha asked.
Goodwitch paused at that. There was only one reason Pyrrha would bring the Beaconship up. She didn't mean anything by it, but of course, Goodwitch didn't know that.
"It is being flown to the country as we speak, though the Director has decreed it'll only be used if the situation escalates beyond our predictions," Goodwitch said. "Slaying the Nuckelavee isn't a matter of firepower, you understand."
"Yes," Pyrrha said. "I know. I was only asking."
"We must find Valkyrie and Ren. And, as you can't help much with that," Goodwitch said, her voice unusually gentle, "I think it is best that you step away from the operation, at least until things change."
"I am fine," Pyrrha said, "and I want to help."
"I'm sure you do," Goodwitch said. "But what you need is time, and quiet. What you've… learned, is not something you can process in a day."
"What is there to process? What does it matter to the current situation? Why am I being pushed aside now when I've never-"
Pyrrha stopped speaking. Without realizing it, she'd been raising her voice until she was nearly shouting. Shame burned her cheeks as she averted her eyes, and Goodwitch stared at her piercingly.
When the silence was almost unbearable, Goodwitch finally turned away, lifting her hand to her earpiece. She listened for a minute, interjecting with brief replies, none of which Pyrrha comprehended through the buzzing in her ears and the mounting pressure in her chest.
"They've been located."
Pyrrha looked up, blinking. "What?"
"Valkyrie, Ren, and Arc. They're staying at an inn outside the city," Goodwitch said, unlocking the door. "It's a short flight there."
"How do you know?" Pyrrha asked.
"Valkyrie herself just informed us," Goodwitch said. "Why, I cannot fathom. I will have to ask when I get there."
Pyrrha followed her into the hallway. "I'll go with you."
Goodwitch didn't break stride. "No, you will not," she said. "You're too involved."
"This isn't an emotional decision," Pyrrha said. "You've underestimated Jaune once already. I can help-"
"I don't need or want your help. You're to stay here and wait, Nikos, and cool your head. That's an order."
Pyrrha stopped in the middle of the hallway.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I won't lose control again."
Goodwitch ground to a halt, and turned to look at Pyrrha, guilt and pity warring in her eyes.
"Fine," she said. "You may come with me. But you will do only as I say, understood?"
Pyrrha exhaled and squared her shoulders.
"Understood, Commander."
Jaune woke with a groan. He sat up, his hand instinctively going to the back of his neck as a jolt ran down his spine. Shuddering lightly, he looked around. There was sunlight coming through the blinders – how long had he slept? – and Nora and Ren… They were nowhere to be seen.
He heard rustling as he started to get up, and noticed a piece of paper falling off his chest. He picked it up fast and sat back down to read it.
Hey, Vale boy. Thanks for trying.
If you're feeling a little weird, it's because I shocked you while you were sleeping. Sorry, we just couldn't risk you coming after us. We're gonna call Beacon on you for the same reason. Sorry about that too.
Ren and I are going for a change of style. Can't run away anymore! Either it works out or it doesn't – if it doesn't, you tell Beacon they can bomb away to their hearts' content.
Seriously, don't come after us.
Jaune jumped to his feet as soon as he finished reading the note. For a moment he stood frozen in the middle of the room, his breath running short as he tried to make sense of everything – then he bolted to the door.
He startled another occupant as he ran past, making for the stairs and jumping two steps at a time on the way down. He almost reached the ground floor when suddenly he found his way suddenly blocked.
"Mr. Arc." Glynda Goodwitch looked up at him from the first step, her hand carefully trained near the pistol on her waist. "I hope I don't have to tell you to cooperate in a peaceful manner."
Jaune hesitated for a second, before he went down one more step. "No. Just get out of the way and we'll be fine."
Goodwitch narrowed her eyes. "Haven't you made things difficult enough already?"
Jaune ignored her, prepared to come down the stairs and push her aside if he had to. But before he took another step, he saw another person appear behind Goodwitch – Pyrrha, her expression blank as she looked between the two of them.
"Jaune," she said. "Just do as she says, please."
Jaune dropped his shoulders. "…Fine."
What else was he supposed to do? Make a run for it? Even if he somehow escaped, what would be the point?
And Pyrrha was standing right there.
Goodwitch got off the stairs and nodded for him to stand with her.
"Where are Valkyrie and Ren?" Goodwitch asked.
"Don't know," Jaune said. "They're gone. Vanished."
"They're not with you?"
"That's what I just said."
Goodwitch gave him a critical look, then nodded at Pyrrha. "Nikos, search upstairs."
Pyrrha went up the stairs without a word, not giving him a glance as she walked past.
"What, you think they're hiding up there?" Jaune said. "Even if they were, you're not gonna find them."
"I imagine we won't," Goodwitch said. "What is this, Arc? A distraction?"
"A distraction – how the hell am I supposed to know?" Jaune said. "I woke up and Nora and Ren were gone, and apparently they told you we were hiding here. But they didn't wait around for you to show up, did they?"
Jaune, of course, knew exactly what they'd done, but he wasn't about to say it out loud – as soon as he did, everything would become real, and he would have to face the fact that he couldn't change any of it.
Pyrrha came down the stairs before Goodwitch could grill him any further, Nora's note in her hands. Jaune cursed silently. He hadn't realized he'd dropped it behind him.
"Commander," Pyrrha said, handing over the note.
Goodwitch read it over once, twice, before she looked at Jaune. "Please tell me this doesn't mean what I think it means."
Jaune shook his head helplessly.
"Well, then. The situation has been spun completely out of our control." Goodwitch put the note away and stared at him. "Are you happy now?"
"I feel bad," Nora muttered. "Do you feel bad too?"
Ren gave her a noncommittal grunt. Nora kept driving, her hands glued to the steering wheel with a layer of sweat. Ren's hand stayed on her shoulder, concealing her and himself from other drivers on the road.
"Scratch that," Nora said. "I feel awful."
"We did have what we had to do," Ren said. "What do you want to do, drive back and convince Jaune to come with us?"
"Maybe he'd help us out!" Nora said, though she knew that wouldn't be true. Jaune would probably chop their legs off before he agreed to their plan. "…I still feel awful."
"I know. Don't focus on that," Ren said. "Focus on where we're going."
"Right." Nora took a deep breath. "Sweet, sweet home, here we come."
I really like writing Pyrrha, even when she's having a bad time. Jaune too. Hackerman & Invincible Girl, maybe that's what I should have called this story.
Two chapters left! I wonder what's gonna happen? (I can't do the eyes emoji on ffnet so just pretend they're there)
-Zeroan