The alarm blared across the cavern, like the shrill scream of a dying animal. Banesaw's grave voice repeated the message a few more times before the female mouse faunus took over, repeating the same message.
Fang members around them stopped what they were doing. The Fang in the crowd spun like tops in opposite directions. Fang who carried crates of resources stepped over to the nearest depots and laid their boxes down, uncaring of the resulting disorganization. The Fang soldiers, who were marching, stopped and looked upon the man giving out orders on the platform.
He barked out some quick commands and the soldiers dispersed in a wave of black and white towards the many entrances and exits of the cavern. They carried their high-tech rifles in their arms, ready to fire.
One barreled past Jaune, almost sending him stumbling onto the floor. Jaune gasped in at the sudden tackle. Pyrrha caught his shoulder and steadied him.
The soldier didn't look back and strode through the crowd of Fang. A few other soldiers joined the lone soldier and, as a troop, they marched over to a nearby entrance. They set up posts around the entryway and dissuaded anyone from entering by training their guns on anyone who passed by.
The mass of Fang, he and his teammates stood among, grew thinner. Like the elongating tendrils of a great black and white squid, Fang members flowed from the crowd and into tunnel entrances.
If they didn't act soon they would be the only people left on the main floor. He whipped his head around looking for someplace to hide. The platform that led up to the office tunnel grew obscured by a large group of Fang bundling around it. Large bulky guard stood outside the office tunnel door, eyeing anyone close by.
The dog faunus woman from earlier frantically waved her clipboard, shooing any Fang from the storage boxes hugging the stairs. They wouldn't be able to go back the way they came.
A gargantuan crowd of Fang clogged the front of the recreational tunnel. They could try to go in and blend in with the crowd but several Fang with scrolls moved around the crowd, dashing his hopes. They organized the Fang into single-file lines.
The Fang with scrolls moved through the organized Fang. The Fang in the lines presented either an id or their scroll. The surveying Fang would scan the given items and move on.
Growing agitated at their numbering options, Jaune turned towards the refined dust storage area. In front of it, a squadron of Fang, in heavy-duty police squat gear repainted white and black, stood guard with the original two Fang.
They gazed out in a semicircle formation from the entrance and aimed heavy guns at the bevy of moving Fang. Everyone gave the armed troop a wide berth.
Jaune cursed internally and turned towards the giant gaping tunnel that the truck came through. Thankfully nothing blocked it, but no White Fang walked towards it either. They would be sitting ducks if they tried to walk through the truck tunnel.
Blake tugged his shoulder. He and Pyrrha turned to her. Blake pointed to the tunnel the truck went into after it deposited its dust load. A few White Fang stood in front of the entrance but they didn't carry any weapons. Some Fang trickled into the tunnel behind them.
That tunnel would be their best chance to escape. Before the group of Fang became thinner, Blake led the charge towards the truck tunnel. He and Pyrrha walked behind, looking at the passing Fang.
They tried to match the pace of the Fang around them, an anxious but measured gait. They couldn't make a break for the tunnel without sending the already alert Fang into a frenzy.
No Fang paid them any mind, they were all too busy in their own world.
Reaching the tunnel, Blake slowed down, making him and Pyrrha do the same. They walked past the Fang stationed in front of the tunnel without any resistance and entered the vehicle storage hold.
Drifting in with the small trickle of Fang, they continued down the tunnel and into a large chamber. Trucks and cars took up the main portion of the chamber, filling the room in columns and rows, except for the middle of the room. A path sprouted from the empty middle to a hollowed-out crevice in the far wall. In the wall, a large garage held three disassembled trucks.
Tools scattered the floor and some sparked, still on. The Fang entered the chamber and grouped up in the middle space. A few Fang in garage overalls, stained black, joined the main group from the dark crevices between the rows of parked vehicles. The group of Fang murmured amongst themselves, not looking at him, Blake, or Pyrrha.
A few Fang members with scrolls swept through each member of the crowd, verifying the members. The trickle of Fang entering the tunnel slowed down. They were running out of time for a safe getaway.
Blake slowed her pace allowing them to group up. They tried to walk slowly, staving off having to go into the crowd of Fang. He whipped his head around the room, trying to find a vehicle they could escape in.
A few feet into the chamber, he spotted a nondescript white van parked in front of a column of trucks. Its front faced the entrance and nothing blocked its path.
Reaching out a hand, he gripped Blake's gloved fingers. He half pulled/half dragged her over to the car. Blake fluidly turned from her original motion, not losing momentum, and signaled Pyrrha along. Blake squeezed his hand.
He led them, in a brisk walk, into the columns of trucks and cars. They delved into the dark maze. There weren't many lights above the parked trucks, most of them were centered above the empty part of the floor.
He stopped at the side of a truck, which was one vehicle down from the black van. Blake let go of his hand, pushing up next to him. Pyrrha took up the rear and peered into the dark abyss further down.
No one looked in their direction or approached the parked vehicles. By now the trickle of Fand had stopped. The verifiers went through the crowd, scrolls in hand. The only noise that filled the chamber was the hushed whispers of the Fang.
He whispered into his teammates' heads, "We should use that Black van to get out of here. But first, we have to see if it has its keys."
Blake responded, "I'll go and check, you two stay here."
He bit his lip, worried for Blake, but she was the stealthiest out of all of them. She would have the highest chance of not getting caught.
Nodding, he whispered back, "Be careful."
"I will," Blake spoke confidently.
She squeezed his hand. Her amber eyes held his gaze for several moments. She let go and walked around him and Pyrrha, who gave her a small pat on the back. He took in a deep breath and watched her walk behind the truck they leaned against.
Her feet hit the ground, making a quiet thump. The truck bed vibrated slightly from a sudden weight added to it. But the impact of Blake's body on the truck didn't make a sound.
The roof of the cave reached high, allowing Blake an ample amount of headspace. He prayed to the brothers she would be able to scout safely.
Craning his head, he spotted Blake's form, a splash of black shadow, jump from the top of the truck to the one behind the van. She scurried over the other tuck's bed, crawling on her stomach.
The truck bed blocked her body after she crawled forward. He moved his head back and focused on the white steel of a truck parked in front of him. He breathed slowly, putting all of his confidence in Blake.
Pyrrha leaned over and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He turned to her and flashed her a bright smile, hoping to convey both thanks and remind himself to stay calm. She smiled in return and looked back over his shoulder at the group of Fang.
The truck behind him swayed slightly. He whipped his head to the side. Blake landed right next to him with a barely audible thud. She gave him a quick nod and leaned against the truck, eyeing the group of Fang.
Blake faced him and spoke into his head, "The key is still in the ignition."
He nodded, forming a plan. Pyrrha closed into his side, squeezing his arm with hers.
She leaned in, "So what do we do now Jaune?"
He hummed and addressed both of them, "We'll make a distraction and book it for the car. And then we'll gun it and hopefully get out of here without having an army of Fang come down on us."
Both girls hummed along and he continued, "Pyrrha I think you could use your semblance to rattle the trucks at the other side of the room. It would pull attention from us."
Pyrrha responded, "That sounds like a plan."
She stepped back from the truck and looked at the other side of the chamber filled with trucks. She raised her arms and a black glow engulfed her fingertips. The black glow hovered like fog but looked like thick oil. The glow was transparent, allowing her fingers to be seen.
She took a deep breath and scrunched her brow. He tensed his legs ready to shoot towards the car.
Blake shot out a hand. She placed her hand above Pyrrha's and gently lowered it, making the black glow dissipate.
She questioned, "Who's going to drive?"
He raised out of his stance, matching exasperated looks with Pyrrha. He internally chastised himself for not planning on who would drive the car.
Sighing, he spoke, "If you count videogames I'm pretty good, otherwise I have no clue."
Pyrrha shook her head, "I don't know how to drive either. I think we're supposed to learn it at the end of our first year."
He perked up, turning to his red-headed partner, "Really? Beacon teaches driving?"
Pyrrha nodded eagerly and raised a finger, speaking in a very Weiss-like manner, "Yes actually, because we live at Beacon, we aren't really going to learn skills we would have if we went to a regular higher education institution. So they teach us skills like driving so we make it in the real world once we're hunters. After all, you can't function by just knowing how to slay Grimm."
He nodded satisfied about learning something new about Beacon.
Blake shook her head and interrupted, "Okay we went off track there but if neither of you can drive, I can do it. One of the first things you learn in the Fang is how to jack and drive a car."
His eyebrows hiked up at Blake's hidden skill. But of course, it made sense for someone in the Fang to know how to steal and drive a car. He didn't know why he was so shocked.
He nodded to Blake, "Then take the lead, we'll follow."
Blake positioned herself towards the minivan. Pyrrha took up her original position and turned to the trucks on the other side of the room. He flexed his muscle once more.
It was now or never. He gave Pyrrha the okay with a hand signal. She nodded and took a deep breath. She pushed her hands forward, pulsing the black glow around her hands.
A loud shudder of trucks rattling against other trucks boomed from the other side of the room. The group of Fang stopped talking and whipped their heads to the commotion. Right at that instant, Blake shot forward, like a coiled black serpent, towards the car.
He followed her, willing the aura to his feet for an extra boost. Blake reached the driver's and climbed in. He went into the passenger seat, leaving the door open for Pyrrha who vaulted in right on his heels.
Pyrrha crashed into his outreached arms. He moved with the motion delving back into the cushioned car seats. Pyrrha spiked her semblance, closing the passenger door.
He untangled her limbs. She scooted away from him and to her passenger side door. He used the new extra space to clamber over the seats to the shotgun of the car, next to Blake.
Blake turned the car key with a sharp crack, making the engine roar to life. The car shuddered and the lights of the dashboard flickered on. The hiss from the awakened engine took up the empty sound space where the rattling rucks stopped.
A few Fang looked over to them and pointed. Those who noticed them told other Fang who looked over at the truck commotion. More and more Bone masks whipped around in their direction. Members of the group started to shout at them and a few started to walk towards them.
Before the closest Fang could take one more step, Blake shifted the car's gear and slammed down on the gas pedal. The car shot forward, like a black bullet, making the nearest Fang members jump back.
The force from the movement slammed him into his seat. He groaned at the sudden impact. The girls experienced a similar fate. Blake gritted her teeth and kept driving. Pyrrha let out a pained grunt, leaning into her seat.
He quickly buckled himself in, afraid of being slammed through his seat with how hard Blake drove. Pyrrha followed in his lead, securing himself. He leaned to his side and buckled Blake in while she focused on driving. She hummed in thanks, keeping her eyes on the road.
The car careened over the threaded pathway and headed straight for the wall of parked cars on the other side. Blake jerked the steering wheel, spinning the car towards the chamber exit.
The car didn't lose its momentum and screeched forward. It kicked up a wave of rubber smoke at the group of Fang behind them. Muffled shouts echoed from them, but they disappeared the further they went down the tunnel.
Blake kept her foot glued to the gas. The glowing speedometer ticked upwards at a heart-racing rate. How had they picked up so much speed in only a few seconds? This wasn't some sort of disguised supercar, was it?
He swallowed his question and focused on the road ahead. He latched onto the swinging handle above, ready for the sharp turn at the end of the tunnel.
They shot out of and into the main cavern.
Bright luminous light blinded him for a moment before his eyes adjusted. They moved a few feet forward at breakneck speeds. Blake turned the wheel of the car like a mad ship captain, snapping the car to the side.
His seat belt prevented him from shooting through the car door. The seatbelt strained, trying to stop his motion.
Screeching, the car's wailing noise scraped into his head and seemed to overpower the blaring alarms. The lights of the cavern still blinked pitch red from the initial alarm, shading the entire cavern in reds and blacks.
The car shot towards the giant gaping tunnel the truck came from. All around them, the Fang, gathered at the edges of the cavern, moved back from the sudden motion on the main floor. They shambled back like a great black tide.
But the soldier like Fang didn't move back. They, instead, aimed their guns and fired. Jaune instinctively dropped down behind his seat and put his arms over his head, ready to hear bullets shattering the back glass.
No such sound came. Confused, he slowly moved his head up and looked over his seat. The bullets pinged uselessly off the window. The Fang's very tools were being used against them, how ironic.
The Fang didn't relent their assault, their bullets pelting tiny cracks and dips into the back and side windows.
Pyrrha twisted around and held her arms out. Her semblance formed over her fingertips. She heavily scrunched her brow and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead.
The similar black glow of her semblance enveloped the Fangs' guns. Some Fang stopped shooting but most kept their fingers glued to their triggers. Pyrrha took a deep breath and swung her hands to the side, against some sort of invisible force.
All of the enveloped guns jerked out of their owners' hands and onto the floor, skittering away from the Fang. Some Fang kept hold of their guns but Pyrrha's semblance redirected their aim at other Fang.
The terrorists shot one another, earning a mire of shouts and screams. Bullets bounced off the aura of Fang grunts. The glow of activating aura created a small light show among the red and black glow of the alarms.
Most of the shooting stopped, replaced by shouts of anger and confusion, mostly anger. The car sped forward and through the giant tunnel. The path ahead inclined into a concrete ramp, marred by the faint tire tracks. The shooting behind them started up once more, but now fewer guns went off and most of the bullets didn't reach them.
They hit the incline and the car tipped up, ready to shoot up the ramp like a cannonball. Jaune flew up in his seat, escaping gravity for a moment, but his seatbelts pulled him back down.
A guttural roar boomed from the side.
Jaune whipped his head around to the back mirror. The red glow of Banesaw's aura flared like a mini-sun. The man raised his chainsaw, which gleamed bright red from his aura bouncing off of it. He let out another guttural roar before he hunched down onto his legs.
He shot towards them at a speed impossible for a man his size, leaving a massive crater where he stood, and a small shockwave, which pushed any nearby Fang away like dry leaves.
The car rushed up a few feet of the incline but it couldn't outpace Banesaw. The man soared over to them. Jaune caught a glimpse of bright blood-red eyes filled with rage.
He landed on the car with a massive thud. The roof cracked loudly and sections of it dipped down. The car slowed heavily, pitching Jaune forward and straining his seat belt so much it ripped at the edges.
The air left his lungs and his head almost hit the dashboard, but his almost ripped seat belt pulled him back against his seat.
Pyrrha and Blake fared no better. The sudden weight shift almost hurled Pyrrha through the middle of the seats and out the front window. Blake clutched her chest but kept her foot on the pedal. They moved forward albeit at a much slower pace with the giant on top of their van.
In the rearview mirror, the Fang marched towards them. They needed to pick up speed or otherwise risk a Fang mob trampling them.
The sound of an all too familiar chainsaw revving caught his attention. He peeked up into the newly formed ceiling depressions, specifically a small crack that lined the bottom of the nearest depression. One lone reg eye glinted murderously through the gap.
Letting his hunter instinct take over, he pushed aura to his shoulders and jumped to the dashboard. The already weak seatbelt gave way like straw, freeing him. Banesaw's humongous gravity-tipped chainsaw ripped through the ceiling and shredded his seat.
The metal ground into leather and metal, flying feathers and dust into the air. Jaune used the obscuring cloud to rip off his White Fang weaponry and take out his sword sheath.
He withdrew his sword and activated his shield. The cramped car space didn't help much, he had to sit on the dashboard to have enough space to barely get his weapons out.
The chainsaw stopped roaring. It swept back through the roof, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. The chainsaw revved once more. Jaune slammed open his shotgun side door with an aura-infused punch. The door flew off its hinges and fell onto the road. It skidded down the road, creating a trail of hot sparks
He stepped onto the frame, the shotgun door recently occupied, and hauled himself onto the car roof. Behind him, the chainsaw shredded through the roof and into the dashboard.
He steadied himself on the van roof. The surface wasn't perfectly smooth but didn't provide any grip to root him in place. The air whipped by his head, fluttering the edges of his Fang mask.
The massive militia of Fang grew further and further away, but they weren't out of their line of sight. He needed to remove their unnecessary weight.
Said unnecessary weight stood squatted down shredding his chainsaw through the roof of the van. The sound of gravity-infused steel eating through the normal van metal created a harsh screaming noise.
The sound must have masked him breaking the car door and scrambling onto the roof. He welcomed the element of surprise, he would need everything he could get.
He inched closer to Banesaw. The man howled and continued to shred into the van roof. Spittle flew out of his mouth and he vibrated in rage. His red aura pulsed around his arms and legs, ready to dish out a flurry of damage.
Jaune crept behind him, moving his shield to his side and switching his sword into its light dust form.
The blade expanded, letting out a hiss. He adjusted his grip and ran at Banesaw. The hulking man sensed his approach and tried to rip his chainsaw out of the car. But he was too late.
Jaune, with a deep grunt, slashed into Banesaw's hip with his superheated sword. The blue glow of his sword's dust light edge contrasted in a fierce battle against the red aura of Banesaw, which flashed over to the slash point.
Banesaw loudly growled and lashed out a mighty aura-infused punch towards Jaune's head. Jaune didn't back away from his initial strike, instead, he dug his blade further into Baensaw's side.
His adversary's aura flared brighter, but Jaune knew he couldn't cut into Banesaw forever. At the last second, he rolled under Banesaw's punch. He didn't bother to block as the punch force, coupled with the damage the chainsaw had done, would most likely collapse the van roof.
He wasn't about to fight Banesaw in an enclosed space. He had learned his lesson at the factory.
Right as he dodged Banesaw's punch, he held his sword to his side and sliced into the masked man's shins. The man roared and leaped away. Jaune rolled back, trying to regain his stature, but a meaty leg smashed into his face and stopped those plans.
He fell back to the edge of the van and let out a pained groan. Aura flashed over his face to protect him, healing any damage done. Darkness clouded his vision with the occasional star popping into view. He blinked away the momentary concussion as quickly as possible. Banesaw wasn't going to give him a chance to recover.
His vision returned to him and he stepped back. His right foot didn't meet the solid metal roof, instead, it stepped on passing air. His eyes widened and he almost slipped off the van roof.
He used his shield arm and leveraged himself forward onto the solid footing. Banesaw swept forward, chainsaw spinning furiously, ready to turn him into a shredded blonde shishkebab.
Jaune used his initial push to heave himself towards Banesaw. He matched Banesaw's roar.
Adrenaline pumped through his veins and a sudden clarity sharpened the world.
He used his shield arm to feint the raging Banesaw to his right. Banesaw took the bait and lunged into empty space. Jaune, on the other hand, swept past Banesaw's side and sliced into his aura.
Banesaw howled furiously and tried to slice into him. He dogged at the last moment and rolled away. He intended to put a considerable distance between him and the crazed chainsaw wielder, remembering the man's insane reach.
He stood with his back to the front of the car while Banesaw stood with his back to the cavern tunnel entrance. He eyed the red glowing eyes of the hulking man. Banesaw favored one side. His red aura pulsed around him in spider web-like formations.
Both of them held their weapons in tight white knuckle grips, staring the other down. Jaune readied himself for more harsh battle. Banesaw did the same, his giant frame rising up and down with each breath.
Jaune took a step forward ready to continue their fight. Banesaw raised his chainsaw and activated it. The hiss of the serrated teeth fought with the whistle of the passing air. The car put more distance between it and the cave entrance, going further up the ramp.
Banesaw sneered at him but didn't react to his step forward. Jaune's blue orbs sought some semblance of an answer in the man's red eyes but he found nothing but rage and bloodlust.
His assailant took a deep shuddering breath and changed their stance. Banesaw's red eyes stopped glowing, but a cool fire of barely suppressed rage smoldered behind his irises.
He grasped, twisting the chainsaw in his hands, "Who are you people? Atlas, Vale, Mistral, Vacuo, or some misguided vigilantes supporting those who oppress us?."
Jaune didn't answer knowing any information he gave would create unnecessary risk. He narrowed his eyes, readying a devastating piercing blow.
Banesaw snorted, "The silent type huh? Well, you'll soon be talking after I'm through with you!"
He snarled and hurled himself towards Jaune. His chainsaw flew through the air like a frenzying silver shark, ready to bite through anything in its path. His eyes bloomed, once more, red.
Jaune ran at the man ready to meet him headstrong. He blocked the side of the chainsaw with an aura-infused elbow and sliced into Banesaw. He stepped back before Banesaw could retaliate.
He would run at Banesaw and slash into him, but he would step back to his original position before Banesaw could retaliate. Banesaw did land a few serrated nicks here and there.
He kept up the pace, slicing into the hulking man and backing away from any attacks. He couldn't eliminate the man in one giant attack. He had to kill him in a thousand cuts.
Banesaw's aura grew dimmer and dimmer, indicating it was running out. Jaune's hard light dust supply grew smaller making the blue glow of his sword weaker. He turned it off, compacting his sword into its regular form.
Running at Banesaw for another slice, his adversary roared but didn't step forward. Banesaw moved back and speared his chainsaw into the weakened roof of the van, at the spot Pyrrha sat.
Through the cracks of the roof, Pyrrha's eyes widened and she tried to leap away from the moving blade. But she wasn't going to be fast enough, even with aura.
Jaune's breath escaped his lungs but he didn't stop his movement. He angled his sword to the side and raised his shield up. Banesaw cackled, putting more force into his chainsaw.
Jaune rammed his shield into Banesaw, stopping the chainsaw from spearing Pyrrha. He activated the grav pulse on his shield emblem and rammed into Banesaw with aura surrounding his limbs.
He grunted from the force needed to move the bulky man. A purple wave emitted from his shield like a sonic boom and pushed Banesaw into the air. His red eyes widened, losing some of their burning glow.
He held onto the chainsaw, ripping out a massive chunk of the truck roof with his ascent. He flew through the air for a few seconds before gravity pulled him down onto the ramp. The truck lurched forward with extreme speed, free of its weight.
Jaune almost slipped off the truck from the sudden speed change, but he held on by piercing his sword through the roof and getting to one knee. Banesaw tumbled down the inclined ramp at sickening speeds, like a boulder thrown down a rocky hill.
He winced at the pain the man must be going through from having his open skin, even aura protecting it, scrape against the hard asphalt ramp. The bubble of sympathy dissipated, replaced by the satisfaction of having someone so evil experience pain.
Banesaw's aura cocooned around his body, trying to protect him. The red light made him a mini-beacon in the dim light of the tunnel. He stopped his roll by grinding his chainsaw onto the ramp.
The metal sparked against concrete, creating a dark streak of silver color down the ramp. Gravity dust-tipped teeth stopped the chainsaw from breaking. Banesaw eventually stopped his roll. He slowly pushed himself, using his chainsaw like a cane. Jaune eyed him while the van moved further and further away.
He stood on the van ready for Banesaw to counteract, but the hulking man simply stared at him. HIs form became smaller and smaller. In a few more seconds they would be out of his sight and into wherever the ramp led to.
Banesaw's aura flared around his body, healing him. Although, nasty bruises already bloomed on his exposed arms. Open tears littered his Fang uniform, exposing more bruised flesh.
Banesaw's dull aura flared bright red around his arms. He turned his chainsaw so he held it sideways across his body.
Jaune stepped back on the small amount of roof space. He turned his head to the front of the ramp they moved up. Just a few more seconds.
He turned back and eyed Banesaw, wondering what the man was going to do next.
Lightning fast, Banesaw threw his chainsaw with a loud howl that seemed to shake the tunnel walls. He whipped his chainsaw at an angle like a boomerang. It flew like a bullet and crossed the vast distance to the van in a blink of an eye.
The chainsaw screamed through the air. Jaune's instincts kicked in and he raised his shield ready to intercept the chainsaw. But the flying hunk of metal didn't hit him.
The chainsaw flew through the air directed straight at the roof of the van. It bit into its mark with a sickening crunch of moving metal on solitary metal. The long blade cut into and through the van roof, like a hot knife slicing off the topmost layer of butter
From all of the periodic damage done to it combined with the chainsaw ripping into it, the roof peeled away. Jaune's eyes widened and he moved back.
His feet hit the edge of the roof. Wobbling, he shot his arms out, trying to balance himself. But the now peeled roof broke off its hinges, like peeling paint, and smacked into him.
The force of the flapping metal moved his feet from the solid van roof onto nothing. His body slipped back over the head of the car, falling towards the speeding ground. In that split second, he pushed every single drop of aura over his body in a cocoon, ready to take on the road.
But he didn't need to. A familiar pitch-black glow surrounded his body and the flapping roof. He thanked the brothers for bringing Pyrrha on board to save his hind. He didn't know what they would have done without her.
Pyrrha's semblance pulled him, and the truck roof, back from the speeding road and up. She slammed him and the van roof down into their original positions, making the roof break through and create a mini ramp into the back of the van.
He landed on the ramp with a vicious thud, but his previously outputted aura stopped any damage.
Although his aura didn't stop the pain of smashing into raw steel. On the edge of his vision, Pyrrha's red mop of hair bobbed over to him. She pulled him up. His teeth clamped down into his teeth, drawing blood. He shuddered against the pain and turned towards Pyrrha.
She ran past, before he could open his mouth, and up the newly-made roof ramp. He quickly followed her. She stood on the edge of the van frame, looking at the road ahead. In front of them, Banesaw's chainsaw somehow spun around on the road with no one handling it.
Pyrrha stuck out her hands and picked up the chainsaw with her semblance. She hurled her arms to the side, grunting. The chainsaw flew through the air and back down the ramp.
It spun like a top until it struck the blip that was Banesaw's rooted form. His weapon chewed into his dull aura.
Pyrrha flared her fingers out, making the black glow around the chainsaw darken. The chainsaw shuddered and blew up into scrap, sending a multitude of pieces hurling into Banesaw.
He stumbled back, tripping into a group of Fang, specks from the van's distance, like a bowling ball. The group of Fang all fell back on one another creating a domino effect.
Jaune snorted at the Fang rolling down like pins.
He turned back to Pyrrha and flashed her a bright smile. She responded with a thumbs up. They twisted around and headed down the ramp, back into the bed of the truck.
His redhead partner walked over to a corner and ripped apart the ramp roof into sections with her semblance.
She lifted the parts and repaired the roof. He stepped out of the way from any moving parts, sticking close to her. Tiny shreds of iron and metal lifted off of the floor and connected with the floating pieces. She melded all of the metal together, putting the roof back into its original form.
Pyrrha swayed slightly to the side. Sweat coated her brow and she breathed heavily. With a final pulse of her hand, she willed the last of the metal pieces to meld into the ceiling. She huffed and stumbled to the side.
He wrapped his arms around her and gently pulled her down to the floor. She let out an uncharacteristic groan and slumped against the wall. Her mouth widened in a giant yawn which reverberated throughout the van bed.
She stretched out her arms and slumped onto his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer and making the position more comfortable. She moved her fingers up to her forehead and massaged it.
He sighed and leaned against the wall. With the battle over his adrenaline receded from his blood, leaving behind the pains and aches of the battle. His aura flashed over his body, like light reflecting off of a moving river. He pulled his clothes and winced at the long line-shaped bruises blooming on his skin.
It hurt heavily but come morning his aura would have hopefully healed him back into top shape. He focused, fighting through the dull pain and my exhaustion. He took a deep breath and turned to Pyrrha.
Wrinkles seemed to have sprouted over her face and her eyes were narrowed from some sort of over-taxation of her semblance. She snuggled into him, draping one arm over his shoulder. At this rate, she was going to use him as a teddy bear.
He gently whispered, "You okay Pyr?"
She opened her eyes and rapidly blinked like someone who had just woken up. She pulled her head off of his shoulder and cracked her neck. Raising her arms in a quasi stretch, she rubbed her eyes.
She turned to him and spoke in a bare whisper, "Physically I think I don't have a single scratch, but mentally I feel like I have a mini version of Nora shooting around in my head. Definitely overused my semblance"
"I have a feeling we wouldn't have been able to survive today without your semblance, so good job, and thanks for using it."
She flashed him a strained smile.
Putting her head back against the wall, she sighed, "I can't wait to go back to Beacon and collapse on the first soft surface I see."
He barked out a quick laugh, making her giggle. He stopped at something nagged in the back of his head.
Turning to her resting form, he asked, "So why'd you pull me down so quickly?"
She opened one of her now closed eyes and smiled bashfully. She put a mouth over her lips and spoke, "Sorry about that. I had to pull you down quickly to match the speed of the van. Otherwise, I would have had to pull you along at the van's speed and I don't think I could have handled that stress."
He grinned, "Don't worry about it. I don't think I'm going to be able to sit down on something without feeling like I broke my butt, but it'll heal. Thanks for saving my hind."
Pyrrha smiled, closing her eyes, "Of course, that's just what partners do."
He smiled and patted Pyrrha's shoulder. He stood up, aura still healing his body, and slowly trudged to the front of the cavern.
Blake still sat in the same position he had left her, eyes locked on the road and hands gripping the steering wheel. She looked like she hadn't moved during his fight with Banesaw.
He moved into the cabin, earning a small hum from her. He turned to his former seat which was now a pile of leather, stuffing, and metal. Cleaning as much of it as he could off of the floor, he piled the debris onto his seat.
He put all of the sharp metal bits at the bottom of a pile of wadded-up leather and foam stuffing. Slowly, he sat on his crude but soft seat, acting as some sort of paperweight to keep it all upright. The seat's backrest hadn't taken too much damage, allowing him a modicum of comfort in the otherwise unstable seating.
A fine layer of dust particles, from the ripped-up seat, covered Blake's arm. He moved his hand and gently brushed it off. Blake stiffened at his touch but quickly relaxed, letting him finish. She kept her foot squarely on the pedal, going faster and faster up the ramp.
She glanced over to him before whipping her head back on the road.
Speaking with a hint of worry and warmth, she asked, "You okay?"
He nodded, letting out a small chuckle, "I'm fine. It was just a small fight on the roof of a moving van with a chainsaw maniac. Not that strange compared to all of the things we've done so far."
He turned to her and grinned. She quietly laughed and, although small, filled up the cabin with a heavy amount of warmth.
"I'm happy your safe Jaune. And I also agree, it's frightening that our lives have become so strange."
"Well, at least one benefit to all of this is that it's been one pretty good bonding experience."
They both snorted and fell back into their seats.
He turned to the car side door and pulled the window down. Refreshing air flew into his face, cooling him. The tunnel walls passed by quickly, becoming a brown indistinguishable mass.
They hadn't met any Fang up the ramp. A small tick in the back of his head warned the Fang could be readying to ambush ahead of them. But the Fang wouldn't be a match for them, even in their exhausted state. He, Blake, and Pyrrha were all vastly stronger since they got ahold of the videos. Although they weren't arrogant enough to underestimate the Fang.
The lights grew dimmer the further they went up. In a few seconds, there were so few lights it became pitch black. He squinted through the darkness but couldn't see anything. Blake didn't turn on the headlights and continued to drive.
He pulled off his White Fang mask. He longed to pull off his stealth headgear and clean the sordid amount of sweat on his head, but he knew they needed to keep their identities secret.
From his pockets, he pulled out his night vision goggles and put them on. The familiar blue filter covered the world, vanishing the darkness. How he missed the gadget. He took off his other Fang armor parts and tossed them in the back. Pyrrha did the same, but Blake kept on driving.
The tunnel walls became more ragged, losing the artificial swirls of a drill prominent in the tunnel walls behind them. A second or so after he dropped his Fang armor, the ramp leveled out into a flat road.
On either side of the road, two long concrete platforms hugged the tunnel walls. Dusty crates and machines took up small sections of the platforms. No Fang walked on them.
He picked up the Fang rifle he had dropped earlier, and aimed it out the window. Even though he didn't know how to use it well, he wouldn't risk any Fang getting the jump on them from the platforms.
Blake slowed down the van until they moved at a reasonable pace. A few feet in front of them, the road inclined into another ramp. The van tumbled up the new ramp and out of the tunnels.
His feline faunus partner maneuvered the van off the ramp and through a wide opening above it. The van moved into the middle of a large garage-like room. Cracked plaster walls reached high into the air, giving them ample room. Three giant grated garage gates took up the three walls which made up the structure. The imposing steel doors loomed shut; there was no way they were going to get those open without drawing massive attention to themselves.
Inside, the entire structure was devoid of any furnishings. It was only wall and floor. There weren't any windows to let in moonlight, the only source of light struggled through the bottom of the garage doors.
Nothing moved. The chilly air of the night created the only sound of the room, whistling through the gaps underneath the steel gates. Someone could assume no one had set foot in the building in a hundred years, but the well-worn tire tracks that ran from each of the garage doors like black vines dissuaded any such thoughts.
Jaune slowly opened the car door and stepped out. He tucked into a roll, shield raised ready to take on any sudden attacks. But, again, nothing stirred. He stood up and glanced around the room warily. Frowning, he slowly lowered his shield but kept a tight grip on his sword.
Blake hopped out of the van with Pyrrha in tow. Blake swept the room with her piercing amber eyes. Pyrrha cutely yawned before joining him. Even though his red-headed partner swayed tiredly, she kept a tight grip on her weapon, ready to strike.
He walked over to the nearest garage door, knowing they couldn't idle around forever. Inside the wall next to the steel grate, a gray rusted door blended in with the dying colors of the wall. Old handprints scarred the door's tarnished handle. He reached out and turned the handle.
The door clicked, unlocked. He stepped back ready to pull open the door, but a sharp whisper stopped him.
"Wait, let me get out of this thing." Blake urged in his head.
He turned back to Blake standing in front of the van. She took off her Fang uniform and weapons, exposing the tight stealth suit beneath. She opened the van door and tossed the Fang gear inside.
Closing the door, she waved over Pyrrha. She bounded over and Blake gestured between them and the van. Nodding, Pyrrha took up a rigid stance. She and Blake stood shoulder to shoulder.
They spread their feet wide and pushed into the truck with their shoulders. Their red and purple auras flared on the front of the bodies, filling the black void of the room but not enough to blind him with his night vision.
Groaning, the wheels of the van rotated an inch then another inch until, with one final push from the girls, the van slid back and down the tunnel. The sound of rubber wheels, slowly building up speed, echoed up the tunnel and reverberated inside the large room.
The free fall van was going to be a nasty surprise for any pursuing Fang them. It would also buy them more time.
He refocused on the door and slowly opened it. It didn't squeak on its hinges, seemingly well maintained even though it looked like a stiff breeze would turn it into dust. His teammates came over and stood on either side of him in defensive positions.
Pushing it open, the rattle of chains pounded on the door from the outside. He stopped, waiting for those chains to act again but only they didn't stir. He pushed the door fully open and peeked outside.
Judging from the quality of the buildings and streets, they were right at the edge of the dilapidated neighborhood. The tall gleaming skyscraper of Vale pierced through the late night clouds on one side of the building. Vale bustled close to the ghost town, yet the neighborhood lacked central Vale's prosperity.
His eyes widened at the amount of distance the cavern and the tunnel must have covered to drop them out here. The Fang must have gotten lucky at finding such expansive tunnels and the tools to drill through them. If he had to estimate, the office building was several, several blocks behind them.
Cinder must have been putting a lot of resources into the Fang to give them so much power. Or worse, the Fang had gotten so good on their own they made all of this by themselves. The thought didn't scare him as much as it should have because he knew, deep down, he and his friends had the knowledge and strength to stop the Fang.
No one walked the streets and the broken street lamps didn't provide any insight into the darkness. The perfect environment for a getaway.
He motioned for Blake to step in behind him. He quickly went through the door and into the deathly quiet streets.
Holding the door open so it wouldn't make a sound, he motioned his teammates to follow through. Blake stalked forward, followed by Pyrrha. They turned towards the lit buildings of Vale.
Slowly, he closed the door. Dirty silver chains wrapped over the door. They didn't stick to the walls, acting more like decorations. Something by the Fang to deter anyone from investigating the door.
It was a neat trick. He turned back to the girls and followed them towards main Vale.
They couldn't casually stroll through the streets wearing their stealth suits though. Scaling up a small building, they stuck to rooftops and dark always on their trek to the Vale airship docs.
A few blocks away from the airport, they dumped their stealth suits in an alleyway and joined the bustle of people. Even though it was well past midnight and early into the morning of the next day, people walked the streets.
The myriad of lights, still flashing from open business, made the city look like it was daytime. They flowed through the streets, blending in with the populous.
Halfway to the airship docs, Blake grabbed his arm and pulled him into a quiet diner. Pyrrha followed after them. They entered the retro establishment filled with neon lights and chrome-plated seating. Blake led them over to the furthest booth, away from the other patrons.
He got into one side with Pyrrha. Blake slid into the side across from them. The lone tired waitress, who stood behind the counter, looked over their way. They didn't signal her over so she took her attention off of them.
Cracking his neck, he subtly took a sweep of the diner. No one looked their way. He turned back to Blake and raised a brow.
She took out a small black and white object from her pants pocket. She slid it over the table to him. He picked it up and flicked it between his fingers. The object was half the size of a scroll. It was also slim and rounded out at the edges, sleek. It shone stark black except for a large white atlas logo stamped on it.
He found a thin crevice in it and flicked the device open. The object revealed a small and thin light dust screen. The screen showed a number dialer ready to be used.
He placed it down on the table to let Pyrrha see it.
Leaning into the cushioned seating of the booth, he asked Blake, "What is it?"
She leaned closer, putting her elbows down, and whispered, "It's an Atlas Black Spec Ops communication device from that Fang depot. It's top-of-the-line technology, with a bunch of stealth tools and it's untraceable. You can use it to call Qrow."
He nodded and pulled himself away from the soft seating he could fall asleep on if he laid on them for a few moments longer. He took the Atlas scroll and found the espionage-related apps. Turning on the voice modifier, he dialed Qrow's number, which he had memorized.
After a few minutes of beeping, Qrow answered in a harsh gruff voice, "Who is this, how do you have this number!"
Jaune tried to calm Qrow down, "Take a deep breath Qrow. It's just me, Tungsten."
The gruff huntsman snorted, "I see that you aren't stealing the phone of an innocent huntress anymore."
"Let's just say that I found better alternatives."
"So I take it this isn't some sort of social call. Do you have any info on the Fang?"
"I do. There's a base inside of an office building. More specifically the Fang are holding out in a cave system underneath said office building. They are well trained and more military than before. Bring a large force with you. I'll send the address to you right now."
Jaune texted Qrow the Fang outpost address.
Qrow hummed, "I got it. I'll be sure to bring the same people I brought with me for that factory raid, they've gotten a taste of the more organized Fang and won't underestimate them. I'm also going to assume that we have to get there as quickly as possible?"
Jaune let out a quick chuckle which the voice modifier turned into a deep growl.
He rubbed the back of his head and responded, "It's just what I do. Riling the Fang up."
Qrow hummed, "Noted. If we ever do come to meet face to face, I'll be sure to bring you along on any Fang raids in the future. But before I go, I have this question I wanna ask you. Why do you do this? Why give up your own people."
Jaune paused, momentarily surprised by the sudden direction of the conversation, but he retorted back, "They aren't my people anymore. That comradery died the first time I saw them kill an innocent human. I do this so Fang can be destroyed and another better organization could rise from its ashes."
"How long do you plan on doing this anyway?"
"For as long as I can or until the Fang discovers my true allegiance."
Qrow hummed and didn't respond for a long time before he spoke once more"Well I'll go gather up my resources and hit up this outpost. You stay safe, Tungsten."
Qrow ended the call leaving the booth in silence. He placed the phone back down onto the table and sagged back into the booth seat.
He let out a deep sigh, confident he had yet another successful conversation with Qrow. The battered huntsman trusted Tungsten.
Blake pulled back away from him and sat straight up. She gazed at him with her amber eyes, gazing straight into him.
She smiled and said, "Good Job on dealing with Qrow."
He smiled and looked over to her with a glint in his eyes, "I based it off of you if you don't mind."
She shook her head, "No not at all, it worked well."
He fell back into his seat and groaned, feeling the ache of the battle lessen. He needed to rest ASAP. But no one spoke up to leave.
Pyrrha deeply yawned, disrupting the tired silence which had befallen them. Her eyes widened and she gasped.
She put her hand over her mouth and began to apologize to both of them. He and Blake chuckled. Pyrrha eventually joined in and they laughed wholeheartedly for no reason. To the other patrons of the diner, they must have looked insane.
He wiped an imaginary tear and stopped laughing with a deep breath. A deep sense of unease, which had formed when the Fang base alarms went off, vanished. His muscles loosened and the sharp heat which flowed through him from a battle cooled.
Pyrrha stopped laughing in time with Blake and leaned on his shoulder. She sighed. He let out a deep yawn, feeling the comfort of the booth take him. But he knew they would only get good sleep back at Beacon.
He strained his back and said, "Let's head home."
Blake, who had sunk her head onto the table, groaned before getting up. Pyrrha slowly slid out of the booth.
The three of them left the diner and headed down the rest of the way to the air docks. It was late so they had to get a private bullhead back to Beacon. Pyrrha, using both her champion clout and money, brought them a much nicer bullhead than the junk heap he and Blake rented.
The bullhead arrived at Beacon in record time. The trio exited and quickly went over to the dorm building, walking through the dead silent campus. Climbing the stairs quickly, they arrived at their respective dorms.
Blake waved them goodbye and sneakily entered her dorm. He and Pyrrha tried to copy her when entering their dorm. He went over to his bed, careful not to wake the sleeping forms of Ren and Nora.
He and Pyrrha took turns in the bathroom, getting into their night gear. He made sure she went to bed first before hitting the hay himself.
A few seconds passed before a deep slumber took him.
AN: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Please leave a review, they motivate me and improve my writing.