I do not own RWBY nor My Hero Academia all rights belong to Monty Oum and Kohei Horikoshi and their respective publishing companies.

I do not own the cover image.

Chapter 25: Waiting

Tuesday, 3:30 A.M., Avalon

"You guys see anything?"

Pyrrha sighed. "Nora, you've been asking that question for hours. If we see anything, we'll say something."

"Ugh, but this is so boooring. I wanted our first mission to be us kicking ass and taking names, not sitting around waiting for something to happen."

"You do realize that we'll be doing exactly that if this person shows up, right?" Ren asked.

"Well duh, but I wanna actually track them down and beat them up, not wait for them to show themselves, then beat them up."

"Do you… know how to track someone?" Pyrrha asked.

"Pfft! What kinda question is that Pyrrha?! Obviously, Ren would be the one tracking and I'd fight them!" Nora said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's… probably what I should've expected you to say." Pyrrha said with a light chuckle.

Currently, JNPR had situated themselves atop Avalon's town hall, as it gave them the best vantage point over the village. They each sat against one side of the building's small belltower, leaving each of them facing a cardinal direction. Eraserhead was moving around the village in between the points where their target had previously been seen. So far, in the six hours their stakeout had taken, they'd seen no signs of suspicious activity.

Pyrrha turned over towards her partner. "You alright, Jaune?" Given both the angle and the lack of light it was hard for the prizefighter to gauge his expression, but she was fairly confident that he had flinched at the sudden question.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm alright. Still don't feel tired yet!" He said with a chuckle.

"That's good but… you've seemed off since we got back from the diner. Is everything alright?" Pyrrha asked.

"Oh, uh, yeah I'm fine. I've just… I've just been thinking about something Professor Aizawa said."

"And what might that be?"

"Well… he said that whoever this person is, they're probably strong enough to take down two Hunters, right?"

"Don't tell me you're scared! C'mon, between facing the Grimm Legion and dancing in front of everyone we know in a dress, you should have nothing to fear!" Nora said.

"I-It's not that I'm scared! ...well, maybe I am a bit nervous, but that's not what I'm getting at. It's more the way he said it. He sounded so sure that the Hunters are dead, yet he said it so… nonchalantly."

Pyrrha nodded, eyes trailing towards the ground. "I'd be lying if I said that thought hadn't crossed my mind."

Jaune looked up at the broken moon above. "All my life I've grown up hearing stories about my family. About my great-great-grandfather helping to clear new land in Mistral, my great-grandfather fighting in the Great War, my grandfather suppressing Grimm attacks in Vale. I always wanted to live a life that could match up to theirs. But none of those stories ever talked about death, at least not in specifics. It always seemed like something far off. And I know it's weird to make a big deal out of people dying we haven't even met but... hearing the way Professor Aizawa talked about it, as if it was nothing special it just… I don't even know how to describe it." Silence followed for a few moments after that, only interrupted by the gentle howl of the wind. "Sorry. I know that's kind of a lot to just throw out at once."

"I suppose it's only natural for someone like the professor to be calm about the matter. He's likely had to deal with similar situations many times before." Ren said.

"I get that, but even so, to be so calm about it just feels… wrong. Death isn't something to just write off like that, right?" Jaune said.

"I don't think you should feel bad about it. Nor should you feel the need to have an answer." Ren responded. "Death is something one must encounter on their own if they're to understand it." Jaune paused for a moment after hearing Ren's words. His teammate always had a tendency to sound sage-like with his words, but this time he spoke in a way that reflected direct experience.

"Don't worry about it, Jaune! We're only first years, remember! We've still got a long road ahead of us before we'll be in the same situation as Professor Aizawa." Nora said.

"We may not even get that long." Pyrrha said. "Not all Hunters get to live to be as old as Ozpin or All Might. Ruby and Yang's Mother died when she was very young. Not all people reach their destiny at the same time." Jaune turned towards Pyrrha, her words echoing in his mind. She didn't speak in a steadfast manner, but more in a way that reflected resignation.

"Well, like I said, there's no need to worry! So long as the four of us stick together, we'll all get to live long, happy lives!" Nora responded, clearly trying to elevate the mood. Jaune appreciated Nora's positivity, but even so, her words, along with Ren and Pyrrha's, did little to ease his mind.

At 6:00 A.M., Aizawa ended the stakeout. Not one of them found a single trace of their elusive target. The Pro Hunter told his students to rest up, and that they would be searching the area around the village in the afternoon.

He did not tell them that he had overheard their conversation.

Tuesday, 11:30 A.M., Northwestern Vale

High atop one of the tallest mountains within the Darius Mountain Pass, All Might watched the massive horde of Grimm pass through the valley below. Were it not for the binoculars, he would've seen the horde as simply a massive dark river flowing to the west, but upon closer inspection, he saw just how many Grimm were in it. Beowolves practically clawed over one another as they raced to the front of the horde, King Taijitu slithering along behind them. Contrasting them were the Ursa Majors, Beringels, and the occasional Goliath who moved slowly, almost in a deliberate manner, as if they were challenging someone to oppose their might.

Within just a few short hours, that someone would be him.

According to Ironwood's estimates, the horde would reach the narrowest point in the pass by 2:00 P.M. That was where the Atlesian General had positioned the bulk of forces, and All Might was set to join them there. It had been many years since All Might had seen a Grimm Horde that massive, and he'd never had to fight one this big on his own. He might've been more confident if he could still fight like he used to, but in his current state, the Number One Huntsman would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit nervous.

Even so, he would face the threat down all the same. That was his duty as the Symbol of Peace.

As he turned away from the horde and stepped back into the Bullhead piloted by Ironwood's Atlesian Knights, that conversation he'd had with Ozpin earlier that morning resurfaced in his head. A Grimm horde this large moving towards the Dead End Villages was no coincidence. This was a planned attack, and he had to stop it before things went past the point of no return.

A/N

A shorter chapter, but at least I didn't take five months to write it. Though my choice of naming may be a bit on the nose, haha!

Chapter Commentary-

-This conversation with JNPR is so far the most important moment they've all gotten to share as a team, and it'll serve as a focal point of things in the future. As you can imagine, death will be something important that our heroes will have to deal with in the future.

-All Might's fight against the horde of Grimm won't take up too much of next chapter, it mainly just serves to help introduce one character in the immediate future, and another character later down the line. Don't go into it expecting a massive fight scene.

I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner.

Stay safe out there!