Y'all are cruel making all those 'The Last' jokes lmfao
I don't think I'll be living it down anytime soon eh?
XD

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY

Chapter 8: Moving Things Along

"I'm from the future."

The reactions were slow, almost painfully slow. Jaune stared at them, backing away slightly. Rosemary kept snapping her neck back and forth between his past self and his current self. Blake, well, she fell stoic, face devoid of emotion. Her eyes showed what she was thinking and the churning thoughts within. The clock beneath them ticked away as they fell to silence. While Jaune expected Rosemary to calm first and start asking the serious questions, he was worried about Blake's reaction.

While he and her never were the closest of friends back then, the two formed a closer bond than ever before. That bond though was as fragile as glass and all it took was a simple push and everything he'd come to appreciate and build with his friends would easily shatter into a million pieces, never to be put together again. Every second she spent in silence, her eyes would glow and ears would tilt in confusion. What he said was so incredibly strange, she must have blown a gasket within that mind of hers.

"Look, I'm only telling you this now because my hand was forced by some incredibly incompetent subordinates." Jaune crossed his arms over his chest. "And before you ask; yes, Junior knows. He's sworn secrecy and loyalty and hasn't done anything to betray it thus far. I've been fair with him and punishing those who make mistakes."

"But…" Rosemary's voice trailed, eyes barely able to meet her brothers. "How?"

"How?" Jaune adopted a thinking pose. "Professor Ozpin of Beacon…died. His soul transcended and was attached to a boy named Oscar Pine. When my enemy – our worst enemy – arrived in Solitas after destroying Anima, it was revealed that I was the last of the King of Vale's line. Then…then…"

"Then Yang died and my semblance unlocked." The elder Jaune spoke.

Blake's eyes sprang from her head. "Yang what?!"

The elder Jaune simply sighed, scratching his beard. The younger Jaune coughed, gaining their attention. "Yang was killed in Solitas when we were pushed to Atlas. She gave me her aura and my semblance unlocked, revealing my ability to strengthen anything I am wearing or wielding and copying semblances – though it requires an aura transfer, be it in death or in Pyrrha's case – unlocking my aura. Though the first time around, that didn't happen. After Yang died, several people we know and go to school with perish as well. Oscar Pine is among them. As he died, Ozpin's semblance was absorbed and added to the list."

"So…" Blake spoke up, her voice cracking. "What happens to JNPR and RWBY?"

"I…" Jaune sighed in defeat, head lowering. "When Beacon fell, Pyrrha was killed by a woman named Cinder Fall – the reason why I even went this far into the criminal underworld. Cinder Fall is the reason for all of our troubles in the past err, future – she is the one who killed Ozpin, the Fall Maiden – which by the way is a story for another time – and Pyrrha. Then we all made our way to Haven because she claimed to be from Mistral."

"If you want me to skip all the details and get right to the important things then fine." Jaune's eyes misted. "Pyrrha was in love with me and I messed up – she died on my watch because I was too weak. Yang was trying to protect you when Beacon Fell and Adam Taurus cut off her right arm."

Blake's face paled. "A-Adam?!"

"Yes." He frowned. "There was more than just catching up I needed to do with Violette. Tukson was a variable I hadn't considered because in my timeline, he was found murdered in his book store in our second semester. Now that it was confirmed by you that he was a Fang member, I have my spy."

"What?!" Blake stepped forward. "What are you talking about?!"

"The White Fang was working with Cinder Fall when she besieged Beacon. They released Grimm into the school and invaded the Business and Residential districts of the city. Thousands died because of them." Jaune's face was stern, eyes still glimmering. "They, under Adam Taurus' leadership, turned militant beyond belief, arming themselves with real military grade weaponry and armor. When Cinder attacked Haven, Adam Taurus was at the lead, with an army of White Fang and Grimm."

"Getting off track…" He sighed, taking a deep shaking breath. "On the third day of the siege, you arrived but this time, you didn't wear your bow, and you had an army of Faunus at your back from Menagerie. Your father, Ghira was –"

"Even my father?!" Blake backed away from him. "So…you knew about me?! You know about all of us?! So, our bonding was just you reliving memories and trying to do the same thing again – is any of our friendship real?! This can't be happening…so…you knew about my Faunus features from the start because you literally knew me before…I don't know what to say anymore…"

"Let me continue then and you'll know." He frowned, feeling the mist and heat behind his eyes. Voice cracking as he spoke, forcing the words between clenched teeth. "The team RWBY reunion was heavy on the heart, made many of us cry – I know all four of you did. After Beacon, Weiss was whisked back home to Atlas, Yang was suffering from trauma and a missing arm and you ran away, blaming everything that happened to Yang on yourself."

"I don't know what happened between you and Adam but I know he really wanted you dead." Jaune continued. "He snuck into the city during the fifth day of the siege with a handful of his best fighters and killers. He singled you and Yang out full intent on killing you both. I killed a couple of his goons but Yang was about to lose more than just an arm. By the way, her right arm was replaced with a new one, a robotic one from Atlas."

"Anyway…" He trailed off. "Adam beat the both of you, nearly lobbing Yang's head off. I don't know what happened but I jumped in and blocked his sword with my shield."

Blake's eyes widened once again. "His strikes are impossible to stop – no matter what kind of shield you're using! Stop lying!"

"I'm not!" Jaune shouted. Tears streamed down his face. Blake's face paled, jumping at his sudden tone. His eyes bled crimson but the follicles remained doused. His body was shaking in his armor but he coughed, wiped his tears and continued. "I protected you and Yang, see that scar on the older version of me? That was from Adam! He cut my face, shouting obscenities when I cut his hand off. I gave every ounce of my strength to not lose another friend. I lost Pyrrha, Blake. My partner and the first woman to love me for everything that I was – and believe me, I wasn't much. I literally cheated my way into Beacon the first time around."

"While Ruby was the only one on Team RWBY that I was close with, I still considered all of you my friends. And I would be damned if any of you died on my watch." He gritted his teeth. "So…I beheaded Adam before his aura could stop the bleeding from his stumped hand. When he died, the White Fang pulled back to regroup – Haven was saved for a day. I'll leave out the excessive details but Yang and I shared many nights together after that and grew close. She and I almost got married four years after Beacon fell."

"That's why…" Her golden-amber eyes calmed. "Pyrrha and Yang almost seem so…attracted to you. You knew what they liked and knew what they saw in you. That's why you knew how to act so…confidently around them and…"

"Yeah." Jaune shrugged. "I cared about them beyond friendship – Yang and I fell in love. Pyrrha, I was too dumb to see it the first time and for a while, suffering in my journey to Haven, I was in love with a dead woman. But we are getting off track again."

"I'm sorry…" Blake took a deep breath. "It's just so much to take in…"

"I understand…" Jaune wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Rosemary…I couldn't save any of you. Before I even managed to fight the first few waves of Grimm and White Fang, the Arc compound was attacked and destroyed. I didn't even know until a month of fighting in Anima had gone by. No Arc survived the war – and the war lasted ten years…they called it the Second Great War."

His sister darkened, eyes dropping to the floor, hands shaking in her sleeves. She wanted to speak but the words were caught in her throat. A part of her wanted to call it a lie and leave it at that, but there was something else within her telling her to sit still and listen.

"W-What happened to the rest of us…?" Blake asked, hand clasping the other. "You say you're the last in almost everything…what happened?"

"I don't think I should tell you." Jaune admitted. "I don't want things to mess you up, no revelations to ruin the way you think or –"

"Jaune, if anything would mess me up, it's the fact the guy who supposedly is the kindest and most warm-hearted man in Beacon is running a crime syndicate with the goal of claiming an ancient seat. On top of that, he knows who I am and everyone on both of our teams because he's from the future."

"When you put it that way…" Jaune huffed. "Fine. Just…don't panic."

"After two years of fighting in Anima, Cinder's leader decided to make a physical appearance instead of shifting pawns. Her name is Salem…I still don't know where she is or how to get to her. There are relics that are hidden within each of the schools – by the way, that is another story for another day – and she used one to destroy Anima completely."

A whole continent… Blake's eyes dulled in color. Rosemary's body perspired with cold sweat.

"You died, Blake, when Anima was destroyed." Jaune frowned. "The destruction was so profound and sudden, we barely got off the ground before the oceans rushed in, eating away at the continent. You, your father and mother and almost half of the Faunus army was swept away. Salem then disappeared in a dark portal never to be seen again for another two years. By then, we were in Solitas, fighting the White Fang in Atlas. Yang, Weiss and Nora died. All of Team CRDL except for Cardin died as well."

Blake gasped. "Is that…is that why you've been…"

"Yes." His eyes glowed with tears once again. "They died horrendous deaths – martyrs against Salem and her horde. In the end, before I woke up in the past, Blake…Cardin was the last one standing by my side in Vacuo – even then, one of his legs was a robotic replacement! So, do you understand why I'm doing this now?! I've lost everyone I loved, every friend I've ever made! I was given this chance, this chance to redo everything again, and I'll be damned if I lose any of you again! You, Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Velvet, hell, even Cardin! I will not let a single one of you die at their hands!"

"Jaune…" A hand rested on his shoulder. "I…"

"Do you know what it feels like?! I've been bottling these emotions up for the last month! Ever since I woke up in the past, I've been hit with nothing but searing regret. When I first saw Ren, Nora and Pyrrha, I had to resist the urge to hug them and tell them I missed them! When I first saw Yang in front of Junior's club, it took all my willpower to not grab her and kiss her and tell her how much I loved her – and still love her!" Jaune turned away, hot tears burning across his cheeks. "No pain in this world will ever compare to holding the only brother I ever knew in my arms, watching helplessly as his eyes dull before me…holding the woman I loved in my arms as her blood painted my armor crimson…holding my friends as they disappeared, one after the other! I've had to bury friends and family with no one but myself to grieve – some couldn't even be buried! I will break every bone in my body if I have to – I will take the title of King of Vale by myself if I have to – I will not let the same thing happen again!"

"Jaune."

His tears trickled like a soft cascade; arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him. His jaw trembled in the embrace, every muscle aching from his pain. But as his legs gave out beneath him, Blake led him to the floor, arms still wrapped around his shoulders. Rosemary walked up to him, pressing a caring hand on his shoulder, easing him as he wept into the Faunus' neck. All was silent in the clockwork realm, ticking away with his sobs. His arms shook as he wrapped his arms around her back, slowly tightening the embrace. The woman held him, intent on letting him weep his sorrows – drenching her shirt if he had to. But after he sniffed his snot away and wiped the salty tears from his glowing sapphire eyes, he looked at her for the first time in almost twenty minutes.

"I can't lose any of you again…" He whimpered. "It was painful enough suffering it the first time…"

"You won't…" Blake whispered back, holding his head in place. His slowly hyperventilating breaths calmed in her embrace. "You won't lose us. I promise."

The ride back to Beacon was tense to say the least. Jaune and Blake kept close together though. She looked at him with worried eyes. She berated herself for being so foolish to not see the suffering in his eyes before. She knew he was in pain but she never imagined it would be this. If it were anyone else, she felt she would have laughed in their face or outright kicked them where the 'sun don't shine' and leave em like that. But this wasn't just anyone – this was Jaune Arc, the boy who knew just about anything and everything.

He was someone who did all he could to help others – even if it was something incredibly small, like giving Ruby piggyback rides from the cafeteria to class or even going so far to beat an entire team at lunch to defend a fellow Faunus. She felt her heart race at the thought. He was a human who nearly gave up his right to be a student at Beacon to protect one of her people. If that wasn't attractive, she didn't know what would be.

But on top of that – he didn't hold anything back. He displayed his heart and his soul to her. Sure, his sister was there, but Blake was going to ignore that. Her eyes lowered, seeing his clenched fists were gripping his knees beneath the body glove. He was angry, filled with righteous suffering and that was something she couldn't ever forget. The fact the man managed to bottle absolutely everything he felt and believed for a month around people he'd known and loved is a strength unlike any she'd heard.

But then, there was mention of her parents. Jaune fought beside them, and did what he could to keep her and her family alive. That was even before he was called King. Such a man was rare to find. Blake sighed, leaning into his shoulder, relieved to feel him reciprocate. The two moved closer, sharing warmth and embrace, knowing full well that they'd have to do this in secret now. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled a small ribbon and began to tie the knot, fixing her bow to cover her ears. Of course, Jaune disagreed and even voiced his displeasure.

"What?" Blake frowned. "I'm not ready for them so see me."

"But you're completely fine with random people seeing you?" Jaune gave her the same look. "There's something flawed with that logic, Blake."

"Look." She placed her hands on his own. "I promise I'll tell them. I just…can't yet. I don't think I can handle their reactions."

"If you think Yang and Ruby will think otherwise, I believe you need to reevaluate your opinions."

Blake blushed. "N-No, it's not them I'm worried about…it's…"

"Weiss?" Jaune sighed, laughing to himself. "Well…in my timeline, you revealed that you were part of the White Fang and a Faunus in one sentence. I believe it was 'Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!' – yeah, something like that. Weiss kept insulting a Faunus rapscallion and you lost your mind."

"What happened next?" She asked, a brow raising with every passing second.

"Sorry, no can do." Jaune smiled. "I've been causing enough butterfly effects to make my future past seem barely recognizable."

"What is your plan anyway?" Blake asked with a hushed whisper, leaning closer. "This Cinder Fall…what do you intend to do?"

"Oh." Jaune smiled, but the curls of his lips fell. "It's simple. I intend to kill her."

"But you just worried about the Butterfly Effect." Blake gave him an incredulous look.

"I know. I know, it was a joke." Jaune rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to say anything yet. But on the subject of Cinder Fall…"

"What is it then?"

"I want to erase the future." He responded with a stern tone. "The future I remember isn't pretty. Sometimes when I'm in my dorm, Pyrrha and Ren wake me up trying to calm me down. I toss and turn and apparently I shout when I'm dreaming. It's the future past I am remembering – it's something I want to erase completely. Rewriting time to make a better present day for my future self. So…since Cinder was the cause of the Fall of Beacon which was a direct leading cause to Anima, Solitas, Vytal, Vale and Vacuo – Cinder is the spark that needs to be doused. If she's removed from the equation…"

"The future will be changed significantly. No Cinder, no Fall, no destruction of the Four Kingdoms. You are so lucky it was me who came along with you." Blake sighed, playfully punching his shoulder. "I highly doubt Yang would have understood any of that."

"You have a painfully low opinion of her mental capacity." Jaune piped. "But you are not wrong."

"Jaune." Blake's laughter dropped, tone turning serious. "What are we going to do about Junior and the army you're building?"

"We?"

"Yes, we, you idiot." Blake glared. "You think that after hearing your history that I'll sit idle by? No. After hearing it, I realized that you need all the help you can get. After learning of our fates, should we continue the course we're going, I want to help."

"But…why?"

"That's what friends do for each other, right?"

Jaune laughed softly. "Right…and I know this goes without saying…not a single word of this to anyone. As far as they know, we went to visit my sister."

"My lips are sealed, as long as you don't say anything about…y'know." She gave him a knowing look. Other people walked by, some taking seats behind her or behind Jaune.

"I know." He nodded. "The words won't leave my lips until you are ready."

The two shifted comfortably in their seats, awaiting the arrival at Beacon Cliff. Pulling his scroll out, Jaune suddenly began to perspire, catching Blake's attention. He looked like he was melting. Taking a quick peek at his phone, she too began to sweat.

Yang: I swear to all the gods, Arc. If Blakey isn't back by eight, I'm gonna break your bones!
Pyrrha: Jaune! Where are you?! It's past Nine! Yang is irate and swearing bloody murder!
Ruby: Jaune, I don't know why it's taking so long for you two to actually get back but hurry!
Weiss: I expected better of you, Jaune. Just be prepared to deal with Yang.
Ren: Jaune…ignore Nora's texts.
Nora: Jaune-Jaune! Since you're out in the town, get some pancake mix – we're running out! K thnx bai! Oh, and I think Yang wants to kill you!

Sighing in defeat, the blond boy slumped into his seat. "You're gonna back me up, right?"

"Only if you do the same…" He turned over to see Blake's scroll had blown up as well.

Pyrrha: I swear to all the gods, Belladonna. If Jaune isn't back by eight, I'm gonna break your bones!

That was all Jaune needed to read to get the message. Blake too put her scroll away – Yang and Pyrrha's texts were reversed and everyone else stayed the same. Hilariously enough, Nora asked both of them to buy pancake mix. Nevertheless, the pair dreaded the remainder of the flight back to Beacon Cliff. It was in their sights but neither made a peep or a sound, knowing the tension was as tight as a virgin. The smallest bit of pressure would break all hell loose.

His stomach dropped when the airship landed and the loading bay doors opened. Shakily, he rose from the seat and pulled Blake to her feet. The two walked side by side, keeping a respectable distance from each other. Once their feet touched Beacon's cobblestone walkway, they froze like statues. In front of them, Pyrrha Nikos, the unbeatable girl, and Yang Xiao-Long, the one affectionately called firecracker, stood with weapons armed and glares on their faces.

Ruby and Weiss stood behind Yang, neither even trying to calm her down anymore. Behind Pyrrha, Nora was bubbly as ever, bouncing on the heels of her shoes. Beside her, Ren had a palm to his face, obviously annoyed and tired of trying at this point. Neither girl made a move, just glaring at Jaune and Blake. Subconsciously, the blond boy fished his pocket for his scroll and sighed, shivering as his sapphire orbs scanned the big numbers on his phone's lockscreen.

9:59 pm

Yang: Pucker up, lover boy. You're gonna kiss my knuckles for kidnapping my partner.

"Yang, I swear, it's not what you think." Jaune spoke up, throwing his hands in defense. "We seriously just lost track of time."

"Understatement of the century." Yang glared.

"Yang, it's true!" Blake quickly defended. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's just so damn weird." She pointed accusingly. "First, he starts reading that smut with you, then you two start spending too much time together and now, randomly invites you to see his sister who just so happens to work in a book shop? Blake, you've never cared for him in more than a passing glance or sharing interests over a book series."

"I promise, you." Jaune walked up to Yang, putting his hands on her shoulder. If it wasn't so dark, and the streetlamps weren't so dim, he would have seen how enraged Pyrrha's face became at the action. "Blake and I did nothing. We went and enjoyed books and catching up – my sister's boss is an old family friend of Blake's. It's a small world, y'know. Also, I could have sworn you were in the room when Blake said she knew Tukson."

Yang immediately calmed down, a bashful expression on her face. Backing away, Jaune turned to face Pyrrha; his dearest partner and the first woman he'd ever loved. Doing the same thing, his hands gripped her shoulders, easing her stress and worry.

"Pyr." He smiled, his pearly whites beaming in the dim light of Remnant's shattered moon. "I'm serious when I say, nothing happened. We got sidetracked and held up with memories and reminiscing – can you blame us for that? No? Didn't think so. Look, I get it, you were worried for me and Blake, Vale is a big place after all but I swear, we can take care of ourselves."

"But you left your weapons in your dorms; not even in the rocket-lockers." Pyrrha stated with a glare.

"If you think I need a weapon to defend myself…" Jaune laughed. "I think you and I need to spar sometime soon. Regardless…you guys are wonderful friends, caring for us so dearly that you'd threaten bodily harm; it's adorable. But man…Blake and I are beat, and I for one, want to knock out."

He and Blake walked past the group of six students, leaving them awestruck and silenced. They had planned to teach them both a lesson about disappearing without giving any information but Jaune opened his mouth. What he had to say, neither girl expected to hear but he was so sincere, they couldn't even be mad anymore. Sighing in defeat, the rest of JNPR turned on their heels and headed along to follow after their leader. Ruby and Weiss sighed as well, turning their heads to the skies to thank whatever deity was listening in the heavens.

But Yang stood still, eyeing the cobblestone patterns.

Oh, Blakey. She smirked to herself. You too, lover boy. You two are just too easy to mess with. This is gonna be more fun than I thought it would be.

One week before the official start of the Vytal Festival…

"We need to keep moving men!" The gruff voice of Sarge echoed. "Come on! Double time! We ain't got time for single time!"

"I-I mean…" Simmons started to speak, voice shaking with fear. "I think we should fight. I'm afraid that she might start picking us off one by one–!"

Suddenly, a fist ripped through the crate he rested on, grabbing onto his throat. He yelped in terror, the rest of his comrades didn't know what to do. Pulling him with all her strength, the man's nose flattened against the surface of the giant container, blood trickling down from the impact. Tossing him back, the man tripped over some of the debris left over from the previous training sessions and soon enough found himself kissing a barrel.

Jumping through the tiny hole, a beautiful young woman moved like a shadowy spectre, dodging bullets and wild punches and kicks coming from those still preparing to fight. She backed away, letting the man known as Sarge pull the trigger of his shotgun. As the recoil kicked his arm back, she whipped her fist into his face, knocking a tooth from the old man's bloodied mouth. He fell back, leaving his entire rear open. Taking a page from Yang's fighting style, she sent her foot out, kicking his rear and his upper spine in quick repetition, nearly making him lose his grip on his shotgun.

Before she could fully immerse herself into the fight, she could hear the sounds of a new magazine loading into a burst-fire battle rifle. Hissing, she punched the man's shoulder, knocking the gun off tangent. The man using it wore bright burnt-orange armor, denoting it to be none other than Dexter Grif. Launching her foot up, the heel smashed into his cheek, forcing him to pull the trigger haphazardly, firing off burst after burst. Nevertheless, their assailant dodged each burst and bullet.

Speeding by, she flipped on her front foot, bringing her back foot around for a power-kick. Grif would have been more attentive but her long hair was rubbing in his face, tickling the stubble of a beard he had. Before he knew it, a foot plowed into his face – and if it weren't for aura, he was certain the kick alone would have cracked his cheekbone. He couldn't even cry out in pain – the woman kept her onslaught going, going so far as to grab him by the collar of his orange scarf and pull him in just to beat him senselessly. But one hit was so powerful, she nearly felt his aura shield break.

The man stumbled, tripping over a barrel that just so happened to be rolling by. But before he could bullshit his way away from her, she grabbed his hand, pulling him to her whilst keeping her balance as steady as possible. From the corner of her eye, the Sarge finished reloading his shotgun, giving her a perfect opportunity. Shoving a quick fist into the man's nuts, she swung Grif in front of her, his aura taking Sarge's shotgun shell. He cried out in pain and found himself flying over the commander of the Reds.

"Don't fire so haphazardly." She spoke steadily.

Launching forward like black lightning, her fist connected with his cheek, forcing spit and blood from his mouth. "Don't leave yourself open."

Behind her, a pair of voices roared out in frustration. Ducking underneath Sarge's attempt at a gun-butt, she fled underneath his fist and laughed inwardly as the two men forced their attacks into his face instead of hers. Kicking her feet out, Sarge fell over like a cut tree. "Reposition your weight – your distribution is lacking."

Weaving around Tucker as he swung and ducking under Simmons, she swung around, shoving her fist into Grif's face, flattening his nose to her knuckles. He stumbled back, holding his face, screaming in pain. Tuck quickly recovered from his punch and spun on his heel to face her again. Simmons charged for her side, swinging his battle rifle with the intent to gun-butt her. Unsurprisingly, she threw up her forearm, catching the gun against her skin. He pushed his weight against her and soon enough, paid the price.

He lost his balance and the woman took advantage of it. Tucker came from the side, kicking up to meet her cheek, but she leaned over, letting Simmons' weight do the rest. The kick bruised Simmons immediately and left Tucker open to attack. Before he could even bring his leg down, she grabbed his offending appendage, holding him, keeping his legs spread like a mid-air split.

"You take too long to kick." She spoke darkly. Shooting her leg forward, his left leg still planted on the floor was knocked out from under him. His knee crashed with the steel plating eliciting a harsh growl of pain. Before he could retaliate, she shoved her fist into his cheek, knocking him over. While it didn't put him out of commission, it sure did a number on him. But before she could even make a move, she was suddenly tackled by a man in orange armor. He tried to continue fighting but his punches were missing marks and he seemed to be losing energy.

Kicking up, her knee rammed into his lower regions. He squirmed, face contorting with agony. He fell over grabbing his crotch, moaning for forgiveness. Rising to her feet, she grabbed his rifle and hurled it like a spear, the barrel bashing against Simmons' chest, knocking him back to the floor once again. She walked away, viewing the boys and men she defeated. She was about to say something but Grif once again, shot to his feet, launching his fist forward.

"Don't use all of your power into one strike – it'll leave you open." She grunted, catching Grif's punch. "Like this."

Leaning back, his weight followed, unable to break free from her deathly grasp. As he fell onto her, the woman's body disappeared like a shadow. Before he knew it, a rope of sorts wrapped around his ankle, lacing his leg to the ceiling. Before he could even make a cry of pain, he shot into the air, dangling like a caught fish at the docks. As he rose, the same assailant descended.

"Don't assume you've won because you're of superior size." She spoke with such a condescending tone, even those watching felt hurt by what she said. "Also…you are both idiots for yelling while coming up from behind."

Grif swung down, legs spread as one was wrapped in rope. His eyes widened as he realized where he was swinging into. The woman cracked her knuckles, seeing a golden opportunity. Swinging forward with aura in her fist, the knuckles broke through his aura shield and if there was such thing as earth-shattering agony – this was it. He squealed, crying out, begging for mercy. As he was upside down, his hands couldn't even hold the searing hot pain he felt between his legs. But at least, he was no longer a target.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Sarge and Simmons coming at her from the sides; Tucker coming at her from the front, glowing sword in hand. He dashed, swinging with all his might. She swore he almost removed a few strands of hair in that swing. Ducking around him, spinning on her knees, a black elastic sash swung about with Gambol Shroud's blade at the front acting as a weight, latching around Tucker's legs.

With a tight pressure in the pull, he collapsed, sword rolling away. But the fight wasn't over. Dodging Sarge's shotgun shots with relative ease, she blocked every attempt of retaliation from the remaining Reds. Shooting her weapon forward, the blade dug into Simmons' shoulder, turning his weight into her slave. Yanking the elastic material, it hardened into unbreakable fabric. The man shouted, barely movable but soon enough, he lost balance. Within seconds, the man was painfully dragged towards the woman of his nightmares. Before he could overshoot her, the same foot that disabled Grif and Tucker, seared into his stomach – fire Dust crystal installed and all. Before long, he too was flying, a trail of smoke and fire in his wake. Collapsing on the floor, he coughed painfully, and like Grif, his body shimmered, revealing Aura depletion.

"Alrighty, sweet-cheeks." Tucker smirked, wiping the spit and small flakes of blood from his cheek. "Wanna fight, we'll fight!"

Reaching down, he grabbed his sword and charged at the huntress-in-training. "SWISH!" He cried. But just as his attack seemed to connect, the woman phased out once more, disappearing like a shadow clone. "Fuck!" She grabbed his fist, twisting his wrist and arm, forcing him to reposition. "SWOOSH!" Once more, he tried the assault, slicing about with wild intent, barely even coming close to actually hitting her. "Oh, goddamn it!" Grabbing his arm once again, he twisted it to the shoulder, kicking his hip and knee out from under him. Of course, he had one more trick. "Stab!"

He lunged ahead, aura glowing in the blade as it formed a dangerously sharp edge. Like very attack and empty assault, it all ended the same – she left a shadow clone in place, making it nearly impossible to even tell who's who anymore. Swiping under his wild swing, Blake realized he had a look of contemplation, lost in deep thought. Coming up, she punched his wrist, aura exploding off the impact, causing his grip to loosen. "Son of a bitch! Stop!" Twisting his arm once more, she forced him to his knees. "Oh, come on!"

Grabbing the sword from his hands, she hurled it away, the blade sheathing itself into the crates that surrounded them. Throwing a hand to the back of his head, she forced his face into the floor, shattering his aura. But she wasn't done. Shoving her foot in the base of his neck, she kicked ahead, sending him sliding against the floor. He didn't stop until he crashed into a pillar, breaking what little aura, he had left.

"Now, look." Sarge tried to reason. "While I've never hit a girl –!"

He was stopped midsentence as a fist lodged into his cheek. Blood and spit shot from his mouth and from just that punch, he fell like a sack of potatoes – unconscious. The instant his head hit the floor, his body shimmered with aura depletion. The woman stood with smile, wiping the small beads of sweat on her brow. Looking around, Simmons was still smoking, a great burn mark on his abdomen with black ash spots. Tucker was unconscious with a broken nose and Grif was still swinging by, probably suffering from how much she punched his nuts.

"Simulation: Over."

The voice was calm and collected and soon enough; the world around her disappeared, revealing a large tiled room, almost an arena. Lights tilted and shifted until the regular ceiling mounted lights returned. The black walls were lit revealing pale white reflective panels. Across from her, an elevator opened, revealing none other than Jaune Arc and a small retinue of men and women following close behind. Another elevator behind her swung open; henchmen and paramedics came with stretchers and medical equipment to ease the transition of battlefield to clinic.

"That was a great fight, Blake." Jaune smiled. "I knew you'd win but I didn't think you'd go…well…that tough on them."

"I thought it was incredible." Carolina added; Rosemary nodded in agreement. "If you weren't training to be a Huntress, I'm certain you'd do great as a merc."

"Now, now." Jaune sighed. "We're not here for that – we're here to congratulate you. Blake, you've done tremendously well; keeping this a secret from our friends and training the boys how to fight. I'm happy to say, you're hereby promoted to Lieutenant of my forces. I know you won't let us down."

"Thank you, Jaune." She smiled, amber eyes glowing. "What's the plan for now?"

"Well, everyone here is going to use the arena for training and sparring but you and I have to speak to Junior about something important." Jaune motioned her to follow.

Once the two were out of earshot, he and Blake walked side-by-side, trying to avoid getting into Rosemary's line of sight. Her ears shuffled as he scratched the furry appendages with a beaming smile on his face. She giggled with a raging blush, enjoying the attention he was giving her. The two walked into an elevator, no words shared or thought, the doors shut. It was a quiet ride, neither felt the need for small talk.

Once the doors swung open, he was greeted by henchmen nodding the heads. Like the first time, Jaune swung the doors open to reveal Junior sitting behind a desk with sweat pouring off his brow. The last time Jaune saw him this distressed, was almost two months prior, when he predicted Roman Torchwick's arrival and Yang's subsequent questioning. Whatever it was, it must have really messed with him.

"Junior, what's wrong?" Jaune asked, pulling a seat up to meet him face-to-face.

"I got word from one my boys that infiltrated the White Fang." He sighed. "There's good intel saying that they got boys moving in to steal some Dust – our dust. After all, that's a twenty-thousand Lien investment to the Schnee Dust Company, that's serious cheddar."

"Agreed." Jaune glowered, pressing his knuckles against Junior's desk. Blake though, seemed skeptical.

"I was in the Fang." She frowned. "I've never known the White Fang to need that much dust. Something is wrong – I know it."

"Well, we won't know until then." Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'd say we just continue training the boys and continue buying out businesses and expanding."

With a defeated sigh, Blake nodded. "Fine. But Junior, as soon as information is given, please, don't hesitate to call us."

"I wouldn't dare, boss." Junior smiled.

"Is there anything else, you needed to go over?" Jaune asked.

"Some friends of mine in the police force are thinking of helping out." Junior stated. "Got most of the precincts under your thumb. There are a few, outer police departments that are a bit too out of reach and then there are the private policing units that protect the upper class section of Vale. Not the kind of thing I want to be dealing with at the moment."

"So, we've got a small army of henchmen, a cadre of Huntsmen and Huntresses and most of the police in Vale under our control." Jaune adopted a thinking pose. "What of the CEO's of Vale's elite? The owners of companies and businesses, how many are following us?"

"Just a few." Junior frowned. "We have the CEO Howard Greene, of Greene Armament Unlimited. I had a brief stint with his daughter once and called in a few favors. How else do you think we got power armor and military grade firearms? Then of course, the SDC supplying Dust and other essentials. Now, then we have the Ankōshoku Family all the way from Wind Path in Anima – they have ties to the Xiong Clan, so with a few strings, they created a cell in our territory to help with the manpower issue we have. Thankfully, with their help, we won't end up stretching ourselves too thin in Vale."

"What do the Ankōshoku do?" Jaune raised a brow.

"They are a hybrid between legality and illegality." Junior laughed softly. "They started off as a shipping company with airships and vehicles, travelling between the various cities, towns and villages in Anima. Then over time, when bandits began to get worse and the Xiong Clan could no longer stay in Anima, they took over, becoming the prime airship transport company in the continent. They supply both the Mistrali military and Haven Academy – now they supply us."

"So…you're telling me we have airships now?" Jaune looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yep." The bear rose from his seat, stretching. "As soon as the Vytal Tournament at the end of the year, the first batch of Ankōshoku airships will arrive."

"Good." Jaune smiled. "We still have ten months to go along with a winter break in between."

"That will be coming in a few months." Blake looked to Jaune with wide eyes. "What're we gonna do?"

"Easy." Jaune smiled. "You and I are going to train our teams and soon enough, try to bring them to the fold. The sooner RWBY and JNPR band together in this, the easier our future will be. We won't have as much issue as the first time around. Then, when we're done with training – you and I, we'll head to Menagerie."

"Wait, what?!" Blake's jaw dropped. "Why Menagerie?!"

"Your father holds great power over Faunus, after all, the honorable grace, Ghira Belladonna is a shining example of peaceful protest and just governance. The Faunus will flock to him." Jaune reminded her. "With his help, weakening the White Fang's resolve in fighting for Salem, Cinder's master, there will be less life lost in the long run. The White Fang took a lot from us in my timeline, but that doesn't mean I'll kill them where they stand."

"But just as a precaution." Jaune looked to Junior. "Have your men and Ankōshoku men patrol the streets once the Vytal Festival begins. Have some men protect small business stands in the Fairgrounds and if possible, place some in the crowds during the Vytal Tournaments. Even though it's months away, it never hurt to have some plans set beforehand. Get a map of the city, start examining the roads and prepare escape routes."

"For…us?" Junior asked with a raised brow.

"No, of course not." The Arc shook his head. "If the same thing happens as before, then we will stand and fight for Vale. We will though, have Ankōshoku airships fly people out of the city and to safer sections of Sanus. If need be, my family would be happy to house refugees until the city is under control again. But that's only the worst case scenario. You think you got it, Junior?"

"Nothing too hard, boss." The old bear smirked. "What about you? What will you be doing during this?"

"Simple." Jaune turned to leave with Blake hanging behind. "I will continue building my powerbase and my strength so that when the time comes – and believe me, it will…I will be strong enough to take the mantle of King."

Jaune was sitting in the dormitory common room, listening to Nora rave about a dream she had while Ren made pancakes. In his lap, a scroll tablet was displaying the latest news reports from all across Vale and the Four Kingdoms. More Dust robberies and White Fang malignance. Worse yet, some news reports were talking about Greater Grimm sightings all across Sanus. Some would rampage through the outlying villages and towns while others would simply examine the human/Faunus presence and move along.

The Greater Grimm were something Jaune still knew nothing about. Goliaths, Nuckelavee were good examples of Greater Grimm. The Grimm dragons, both sea and air that they had all witnessed, were the grand epitome of Greater Grimm. Now there were apparently more that hadn't even been given names. He gripped the tablet, swiping up and down, reading more, there were some with human appendages and demonic looking wings – others looked like dragons, overgrown worms and the like. There was one that looked like a man riding the back of a horse – most likely a Nuckelavee. But that made Jaune think – Nuckelavee were native to Anima, and weren't even seen in Sanus until after both Anima and Solitas were destroyed – that was about five years into the future.

What the hell are they doing here, now? Jaune wondered as he continued scrolling through. Salem…what the hell are you planning. You're acting more obnoxious than Cinder – this has you written all over it. Whatever it is…I'm going to find out and put a stop to it. Just you wait, Salem…I'm gonna –

His scroll began to vibrate, knocking everyone from Nora's incredible tale. Even Ren looked up from his pancakes. All eyes rested on him, Blake herself seemed excited. It was the first call he'd received in a few days since her training and subsequent promotion. But he rose from his seat after putting the scroll to his ear. All eyes widened at his sudden jumpiness. He whipped around, sweating up a storm – the only time Blake saw this was…

"Okay…no. Okay. No." Jaune was responding with a hiss. "No please, don't. Seriously. Okay. Yes. Okay. Fine, but please, be reasonable. NO! Fine! Goodbye…I'll see you soon. No. No. No. No. Urgh. Fine. I love you too, dude."

He sighed out in despair, collapsing onto his seat. "Guys…we have a big problem."

"Who were you talking to?" Yang smirked darkly. "Seeing men behind our backs?"

"W-What?!" Jaune whipped around. Blake choked on her spit and Pyrrha looked like she was about to faint. Ren even dropped his plate of pancakes, eyes wide. "N-No! I just got off the phone with someone I wasn't intending to see for a while – at least until I got stronger."

"Who could possibly warrant that kind of response?" Pyrrha asked, snapping from her daze.

Jaune turned the chair to face them, worry wrought across his features. He wiped the gigantic beads of sweat off his brow and lowered his head in defeat. His thick blond locks fell to hide his face but it did nothing to hide his body language. He was actually terrified and the body glove he wore did nothing but accentuate how actually scared he was.

"Remember how I said I have seven sisters?" Jaune asked. All those present nodded their heads.

"Two of them are coming on a boat from Vacuo with their team and sister team." The man continued, hands clasped together. "They're both the top two teams of the second years. Team CNDR and NDGO…"

"Wait…" Ruby piped, all heads snapped to her. "CNDR…isn't that…"

"Yup…" Jaune said in all but a whimper. "Doré and Clair will be arriving…soon..."

Now, what did y'all think?

Yes, I am burning through some of this pretty quick because
I really want to get to the part of the fic that'll cover the Vytal Festival
To me, I have extended the festival length y'know to fit what I have in store
besides; the Great War lasting ten years - why not have it last ten months?
The timeline for RWBY is so vague, it hurts lol

Also, why send students on missions when there's the chance at the tournament?
When as Oobleck said - "It could take days, weeks, months to find the pack!"

Either way

Review, Fav and Follow!

Ja ne!

gottahavekyuubi