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Jaune had been alone with Amber long enough to get his barrings within the medical room. Ozpin and Ironwood eventually had to come inside and start inquiring about what happened. It didn't take long to fill the two of them in about what happened during the process.
"She was being brought out but something is always pulling her back in. Amber can even confirm that she was being pulled out."
The General hummed irritated. "Nothing can ever be simple can it?"
"The possibility is there though, is there some stronger way to draw her out?"
"Was there something pulling her back or blocking?" Ozpin asked.
"I'm..." It was clear he wanted a straight answer so Jaune waited a moment to think on it.
"I would say block over pull," Amber added. "It felt as if I was being forced into a tight tube I couldn't fit through."
"We'd say blocked. Why the need for clarity?"
"If the former of the two then she maybe... merged in a way with your body or soul. Then attempt to retrieve her may result in taking you along with her."
"Oh..." That would prove problematic in trying to get her body back.
"One more reason you should just abandon this affair. I appreciate it, but if we both swap it does defeat the purpose of trying to separate our souls in the first place." Amber said diplomatically.
"Can there be anything done about the device? It clearly has the chance to separate us and shouldn't be written off just yet."
"It won't be, rest assure James and I will be looking into this. Although there will be no guarantee we will find anything." Jaune wasn't deterred by his words, a chance is always better than none at all.
"Now Ms Niko is probably worried in the hall, the two of you should follow the trooper James provided and get back to Beacon."
"Um, one more thing I wanted to ask Headmaster," Jaune said awkwardly, this was going to be frustrating for the man, he knew it. "It's about my dad Roland."
"Ah yes, he's learned much about your various adventures and battles in Vale. I supposed it was about me encouraging them. Although if he wanted to speak with me he can just call."
"I want to tell the truth about Amber. He knows something is up and I don't want him to worry too much."
Ozpin stared for a moment before sighed exasperatedly.
"Is that a no...?"
Pyrrha wasn't sure how to feel about this coming revelation. Having Amber be removed from Jaune's mind sounded like it would take care of her concerns about dating someone with two minds. Yet from viewing the current procedure they had to achieve this, she certainly had reservations now. They were making their way down the white and grey halls of the ship to the hanger bay, her partner was still looking a tad exhausted from the ordeal.
"Merely sore?" She asked as Jaune kept rubbing his palm. He kept trying to move his curled fingers but kept straining to do so.
"It's was cramping... Everything in my I mean, so yeah it's seriously sore." Jaune gave her a weary smile. "I'll be fine though, not the first time this has happened."
"Looked like the most intense." The only other time Pyrrha had seen him in such pain was a few nights ago in the bathroom. "How is Amber is she any different."
"Nah, she does feel what I feel but it's always been less sensitive as me. We think it comes with her being a passager and not in control."
"There is much you don't know then. I'm still confused about this "
Jaune sighed. "I'm just trying to help her, if there is a way to get her out of me and back inside her own body shouldn't we take it?"
Pyrrha supposed he should, this eagerness to aid others is a trait she admired and some people might have never wanted to try. Still, she couldn't help but feel uneasy about the pain he went through on what was ultimately a failed attempt. "Be careful at least, that certainly didn't look like it was painless."
"I know Amber has also warned me. Constantly if I might add."
She felt odd that this person was on the same page as her. In fact, Amber had basically been trying to help push Jaune into her arms. If only there was some way the two of them could talk privately to one another Pyrrha could understand Amber's game plan here. No such luck would occur for them.
"So what do you want to do now?" Jaune asked while flexing his arm.
"Go back to the dorm and give you time to rest." She said firmly as they finally reached the hanger bay and made their way to a ship.
"Do you think Cinder could have a solution? She was able to take out parts of Amber and accidentally force her into you. Perhaps you should wait for her capture, it could yield safer results?" Pyrrha suggested as they boarded the ship.
"Eh, probably not it's... I just don't think Cinder could have anything that can help me or Amber." Jaune said quickly.
"You're certain?" She asked inquisitively, Cinder must have something like a device to use. Thinking about it why had Ozpin and Ironwood have to make one on scratch and not wait until they had Cinder? Actually, it was never explained how Jaune and Amber's situation came to be, just that ladder was assaulted on the road and the former intervened and something occurred. Pyrrha asked Jauns for further information and he hesitated for a moment.
"I... really didn't understand how it worked and I doubt anymore else could tell you it either. Look, coming up with our own solution is the only way this can work."
Emerald eyes watched him with suspicion. "Truly? There isn't anything else to this?"
Jaune sighed sadly. "Pyr please, just drop the subject. I'm sure if Cinder could help we'll know when she's caught. For now just... trust me."
Her eyes narrowed instinctively, there was more to meet the eye here and Jaune had sworn to her that they would fight battles as a team. She didn't make a big fuss about Amber's reveal because it did make sense as to why he kept that a secret. If there was something life-threatening here she wanted, no, needed to know about it. Would it be too much to pry into this? If she sought a relationship they would need to maintain some level of faith in the other's ability to make a call on their own.
"Okay, I'll let it go for now but just now." She did trust Jaune and would hope his judgment was sound here.
"How is that book you've been reading?" He eagerly gripped the chance to change the subject.
"It's essentially just an extremely long book about two people wanting to bang one another. With increasingly dumb reasons to get then characters into close proximity."
"So Amber is into smut?"
"Yes," He paused a moment before laughing. "Yes, you are Amber. You are not getting out of this, even Pyrrha thinks so!"
"Great now I'm starting to wonder if this woman is trying to get us together because she's a peeper..." Pyrrha jokingly thought, she didn't actually seem harmful and the redhead's worries were more about having an unescapable tag along.
"Everything is working out fine right now, with any luck things will stay that way." While Pyrrha would not say that her time spent at Beacon was purely fortunate. The ups and downs were there but things did seem to be working out fine. She would have a proper date with Jaune and... she would say something then. What that was she would figure out later.
"Just relax Pyrrha, everything will turn out fine in the end."
Cinder sighed as she surveyed the production of the dust bombs. Dozens were being produced, rather crudely if she might add, and were not of the lethality she had wanted. She was trusted at all her misfortunes, no plan survived contact with the enemy but no part of it was viable anymore. Everything had to be formed quickly from scraped together resources and limited manpower. All had to be made primarily from Earth dust.
Earth dust created large mounts of hardening dirt. It lacked any explosive yield lien other dust so they would need all they had left to do the kind of damage she wanted. The original plan called for the ending of the Vytal festival and for the populous of Vale and other Kingdoms to turn against Atlas. There could be no call for it this time. It was the Maiden then Relic of choice, anything beyond those objectives would have to be planned at a later date.
"I need more firepower from my plan to work." Cinder said aloud so she could be heard.
"This is what you'll have for now Fall until I deem this plan to be worthwhile enough to better supply." Adam reminded much to Cinder's mounting frustration.
Her plan was being stunted at every turn due to a lack of manpower and supplies to fill in the many gaps that had formed in the past few months. She had no solution other than wait for Adam to make up his mind and supply it.
"If only there was someone as capable to replace this fool." Cinder thought angrily, she needed someone she could trust to delegate, and yet she was left fumbling by herself.
"Soon the bombs will be prepared all I require is for your men to prepare themselves for their role." She could not miss out on all the negativity still in the air, too much would be banking on it to help the following events.
"Hopefully this will go better than your last grand scene." He snidely remarked.
"I certainly hope your men are up to the task, unlike at the hotel or holding onto the hostages." She shot back.
"My men followed through with the plan. The one you form and that immediately fell apart once the fighting began." Adam snared back. "Plan this one better fall."
Cinder sneered as she watches the man turn his back on her and match away. He never would have done that before, now that she had seemed to lose much the imposing presence she once had he was far more confident in brushing her off. Not to mention she couldn't afford to lose any more support at this stage. The notion that her plan was faulty was ridiculous as well, team JPBY and their friends were better prepared for the trap than she anticipated sure but it was still structured well enough to combat them.
Actually, thinking about it how did they react so well to the ambush. Those smoke canisters, not grenades canisters, and the semi-truck they flipped over wasn't exactly painted to look like the White Fang owned it. To them it should have been some random vehicle yet they intercepted it the moment it arrived with and counter-ambush. Atlas also arrived quite fast, was that just Ironwood standing by? Not to mention the Hunters that assaulted the place didn't simply move in what should have been a holding site for hostages. Instead, they were like an invading army attacking a stronghold and knew the exact room to hit. Then there were the simultaneous raids on the other holding zones...
Now that Cinder was thinking long and hard about that day, it this all seems like they knew parts of what to expect and... prepared for it. The only way they could have known this was if they had prior knowledge about what was going to happen unless... Her eyes glowed so bright one could mistake it for a cigarette lighter. Her teeth ground together as if she was planning to mince gravel between them and Cinder let out a low hiss.
"Unless someone told them."