Hey there guys!
Another chapter is out far sooner than I thought it would be XD

Anyway, most of this chapter will be a fight, so be ready for that!

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY

Chapter 10: Redemption

How the hell did JNPR defeat a Deathstalker so easily during initiation? Cardin winced as his chest tightened with every breath he took. A few grunts and shouts of pain echoed, soon followed by a series of thuds and rustling grass. The teen clenched his fists, ignoring how tight his chest felt and how constrained each breath slowly became. Beside him, the rest of his team slowly rose from the dirt and readied themselves. The other students are probably still running to the landing zone. We are a decent distance away from Professor Goodwitch. It sucks that I lost my weapon to the Deathstalker…

"U-Uh, boss!" Russel called out in terror, slowly rising to his feet. "The Deathstalker is coming around!"

The members of Team CRDL evaded at the last second, the beast's stinger digging into the dirt. As the boys rolled in the grass, a pair of Ursai charged at them, claws and jaws sharp and ready to feast. Cardin and Sky were met by one of the Grimm. It swung for the halberdier, missing by mere centimeters. Sky responded with a quick jab of his weapon, impaling the creature's chest but ultimately doing nothing. It roared again, swinging its arm with all its might, nearly snapping the halberd in half.

Cardin rushed at the Ursa, wrapping his arms around its waist and tackled it into the dirt. His semblance built and bubbled in his fist as he crawled to straddle the Ursa. His legs on either side of its neck, the Winchester gave the beast a final look before shoving his fist into its open mouth. His semblance ignited his aura. Unlike when he channels his semblance into his mace, the explosion wasn't concentrated. It went every direction, restrained in the beast's mouth. Like he hoped – the monster's head exploded, revealing a red stump and growing black smoke.

Across the field, Dove and Russel were using their unnamed team attack on a pair of Beowolves, using their smaller frames and quicker weapons to their advantage. While some upperclassmen and a few members of RWBY and JNPR could move like whirlwinds of blades on their own – CRDL didn't have that special luxury. Dove and Russel were great because their small sizes could match the light weight their weapons required and the acrobatics that were a necessity.

Speaking of which, Dove jammed his sword between a Beowolf's eyes. Its jaw hung low with a deep groan sigh escaping its lungs before it began to disintegrate into smoke. Russel burst forward using his aura to increase his speed and began to spin like a Boarbatusk. His daggers were held out, blades pointing out like razors. The Beowolf he faced fell back, allowing a new opponent. An Ursa took its place and held its arms out, chest left completely open. He crashed into the creature's unprotected torso, spinning and shaving off the black fur and muscle beneath. It howled until it could howl no more, disappearing into a thick cloud of black smoke.

Dove and Russel though, were bashed across the face by the Deathstalker's tail. The pair flew back, crashing over each other, while still managing to keep their balance. Beside them, Cardin and Sky were trying to reposition themselves, pacing around the Deathstalker and the cadre of Grimm surrounding it. As the Grimm watched them, more filled the area, smelling their fear and the sap gathered on Cardin's body. Their eyes glowered, red trails of light following after their vicious orbs.

"Okay…" Cardin's indigo eyes trailed to the small collection of boxes filled with Forever Fall and back to the creatures of Grimm. "Plan still remains…I need to go to the sap, dump my breastplate against it and get my ass out as soon as possible. You guys…will have to…will have to…"

Pain erupted through Cardin's chest, clenching like a Deathstalker's grip. CRDL rushed to his aide, helping him as he collapsed against the grass. More Ursai covered the only way to the tree sap and he swore he heard Beowolves flanking around them. But none of that mattered to the Winchester. His chest felt so constricted and tight, he could barely breathe. While his armor was tailored, measured and forged to fit him perfectly, for some reason it felt several sizes smaller. His breathing was shallow and sharp, like a knife dragging against his lungs. Sky was the first to straighten up, swinging his halberd out, protecting their rear. Dove stood to point his sword out, bullets and trigger ready. Russel, nodded at Cardin, daggers glowing with dust. The three fell into a stance, protecting him as he struggled to catch his breath.

"So much for being Heroes, eh?" Sky frowned.

"At least we're doing something." Dove responded with a frown as well. "One good thing to count is that our ass-hat classmates are safe."

Russel coughed. "That's what matters right?"

"You're goddamn right, that's what matters." Cardin groaned, rising to his feet. Pressing his fists against the dirt, his aura built and bubbled with his semblance. "Remember what we came here to do. Kick ass…"

"And be heroes!" The rest of CRDL shouted.

Cardin fell into a stance, ignoring the pain of his chest. "So, let's keep this shit up! We've managed to keep them here and not head to the landing zone because of me. There's so much sap on my body that I'm keeping the Grimm attracted to me. I gotta admit, you guys have massive balls for sticking around."

"Jaune made sure we stuck together." Dove laughed, finger twitching against the trigger on the handle of his sword. "Covered in sap, attracting Grimm like a beacon; this shit is getting exciting, Cardin."

"Jaune?" Cardin asked.

"Yeah." Sky prepared himself, still pacing with his halberd held out. "Jaune realized that you and Nora were missing. He sent us to find you two and bring you back. But then, negativity and Grimm roaring in the distance brought us here."

"And the Deathstalker. Our asses…" Russel sighed in defeat. "Dented our armor at first contact and nearly killed us. How JNPR fought one so easily, I don't think I'll ever understand. They never even worked together before that day!"

"That just shows we have to pick up the pace." Cardin growled. "Now shut up, all of you and stop complaining. We're going to fight and we're going to make sure not a single one of them makes it to the landing zone, got it?!"

"Got it!"

Cardin's indigo eyes trailed across the Grimm gathered. Deathstalker, Boarbatusk, Beowolves, Ursai. There was little that could make this situation any worse. He chuckled to himself, wondering which would make the first strike. "Dove. Aim for the weakest Grimm in your section. Russel, prepare to strike at the first Grimm to move on Dove. Sky, you're with me. I need to get my Mace."

"It was knocked from your hands though!" The Lark cried. "If you haven't noticed, it's underneath the Deathstalker!"

"I know that!" Cardin roared. "I don't want any of you to make stupid mistakes, okay?! All of this is my fault, if only I was nicer to those scrubs in the beginning, they might not have hated me this much. But regardless, it's moot at this point. Right now – I want my mace. My semblance works best when I have a medium to channel it through. Deathstalker armor is too thick unless something concentrated breaks through it – did any of you listen to Professor Port?"

"I'm surprised you did." Dove laughed. "Alright, boss. I got my target. I'm ready when all of you are."

Taking a deep breath, the Bronzewing pulled his trigger. Bullets whistled through the air, blasting through a Beowolf's bone face plate. It shattered through its skull, leaving a blood-red hole in the bullet's wake. The beast fell to the grass, hissing into black smoke. From the cloud, a Boarbatusk charged through, its massive curved tusks ready to bash and impale. Dove fell back, letting Russel to take his place, daggers glowing with fire and earth Dust.

The Grimm jumped, spinning like a whirlwind. A smile grew on Russel's face. Crouching and building aura in his knees, he charged forward, blasting off. He too spun as well, dagger blades pointed out like a Boarbatusk. Within seconds the two spinning balls of death clashed, aura exploded upon impact. The Boarbatusk was launched back like a cockroach. It's spinal bone blades sheathed into the dirt, revealing its underbelly. Slowing down just enough, the huntsman-in-training landed on the Grimm, digging his daggers into the Grimm's belly.

Ripping and shredding through the creature's flesh, smoke and the pig's squeals emanated from the Grimm. But in the end, it started to disappear, fading into nothingness. Now that he'd succeeded, he jumped back, back-flipping with acrobatic mastery. His feet slid against the grass, landing beside Dove. The two smirked at their teamwork and prepared themselves for another fight.

Seeing the two had succeeded, Cardin moved with Sky, the halberdier taking the front. The pair moved together, lock step. The halberdier moved forward, weapon swinging with practiced grace, blocking and redirecting Ursai that moved against them. The leader of CRDL, punched outward, fist clashing with a Beowolf that got too close. His semblance ignited, causing a great explosion on the Beowolf's chest. It flew back, steaming with black smoke before fading away. Cardin fell back, Sky moved his halberd over his head, taking the brunt of an Ursa's attack.

The steel shaft sung, vibrating in his hands. He scowled as the weight behind the attack was starting to bend his weapon. Pulling back, the Ursa fell forward, arm still open. Like before, Cardin shoved his fist into the Ursa's chest, semblance igniting once more. This time, instead of sending it back, the Grimm exploded in every direction showering the field in pieces of shadow meat, some of its spikes danced around the battlefield. It disintegrated completely before the rest of its carcass hit the dirt, surprisingly none of the spikes disappeared with it.

"Be careful, Sky." The two fell back to back. "Your weapon has gone through too much strain recently."

"I know." He frowned. "A bit difficult with all the Grimm we've been facing and all the training we've been having. Jaune hits hard as fuck, y'know."

"I know a little too well." Cardin sighed. "Well, our friend noticed us making a move. He's coming around. My mace is just waiting for me now."

"Maybe he wants a hug! Go get it and I'll keep our buddy company!"

Ducking and weaving, the Deathstalker rushed at them, stinger ready and claws swinging. Sky used his polearm to escape the beast's immediate vicinity. Spinning his weapon, the claws were knocked back, sliding away from the Lark. He was knocked by an incredibly powerful strike from the Deathstalker's stinger. On the opposite end, Cardin sped past the giant scorpion, ignored by the creature but followed by every other one.

Jumping over a low swipe from an Ursa, he punched its cheek, an explosion ripping on impact. His face had torn open, killing it immediately. Landing on his feet, he rolled against the grass, dodging a Beowolf's attacks, letting its claws rip through the grass and dirt. Loose blades of grass stuck to his sap covered armor, slowly hiding the scent of sap and replacing it with the scent of damp grass and mud. He dashed against the earth, hand reaching out and grabbed his mace.

Swinging the weapon around, the mace head bashed against Beowolf claws and Ursai hands. Channeling his semblance through the weapon, he jammed the mace into the gut of a Beowolf, exploding its innards outwards. Its body expanded as it shot back and once it hit the ground, the beast blew up with fire and black smoke; boney spines flew in every direction, impaling the Grimm around it. They howled and roared in pain but that only served to make them stand their ground.

"Oh…yes~!" Cardin soothed his mace. Swinging it around once again, he jammed the weapon into the dirt, ripples of heat and exploding energy ripped through the terrain. Dirt and grass shattered, ripping open with great cracks and crevices burning with fire and blazing brimstone. His semblance rippled through his body in ways he'd never felt before. Is this…I…I feel amazing…

The landing zone was in near chaos. Students were too loud, too scared and making things far more complicated than they needed to. Goodwitch raised her hands trying to calm the fear but no one would listen. In the distance, she could hear explosions and gunfire and chalked it down to RWBY and JNPR. But she couldn't figure it out; JNPR and RWBY went in the opposite direction of every other team – why were these…Oh.

Cardin and Nora. She frowned, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Something must have happened…if what they're babbling and screaming about Grimm is true…

"Professor!" A shout shook the students to silence. "What happened? Grimm started showing up all over the area!"

"Mr. Arc!" Glynda sighed in relief. "Ms. Rose as well! I can't say I know what happened but there are too many students here to watch over. I can't just leave the landing zone to find out."

"It's fine, Professor." Jaune nodded to his team and Ruby's. "I know it's incredibly unorthodox, but we'll split our teams and go with you – the other halves will watch the landing zone."

Before the professor could even protest, a cry broke through the bushes and foliage. All heads turned to see none other than Nora Valkyrie, sweating and clothes dirty and Magnhild in its hammer configuration. She panted, resting against her weapon trying to catch her breath. Wiping her brow for a moment, a loud growl echoed behind her. Without question, she whipped around, bringing her weapon over her head. With a tired and annoyed grunt, she smashed the hammer into the Grimm's head, smashing its skull in. Pulling her trigger, the grenade exploded, blasting through the beast's face plate.

She collapsed to the dirt, once more, wiping the sweat gathered on her brow. "Professor! Jaune!" She rose to her feet once again, sprinting over to the students. "There are too many Grimm! Like, way too many! Ursai, Boarbatusk, Beowolves – even a Deathstalker!"

"Nora. Slow down!" Jaune placed his hands on her shoulders. "Explain, slowly!"

"There's no time for slowly!" She shouted, pulling Jaune along. "CRDL is completely surrounded by Grimm!"

"What?!" Jaune nearly shouted. "What happened?!"

"Some idiot here threw a jar of sap at him and it immediately attracted some of the Grimm!" Nora frowned. "Then everyone here got scared of his reaction and then it attracted even more! Come on, Jaune, I can't explain it any longer – we need to help him! His team found him but a Deathstalker followed them!"

"Ren, stay here." Jaune nodded. "I know Nora is tired but she's the only one who knows where they are."

"Yang; follow them, they'll need heavy hitters." Ruby quickly added. "Weiss, Blake and I will stay here and protect the landing zone with Ren."

"Professor?" Jaune gave Goodwitch a look. "Will you come with us?"

"No." She stood her ground, riding crop swinging between her fingers. "You have skills that surpass even second year students – scarily so. You have the helm, Mr. Arc, get CRDL out. A professional huntress has to watch over the rest of these students. Now, go – who knows how much longer CRDL has! I will call reinforcements as soon as possible. A simple field trip turned into a fight for our lives…"

Without another thought, Jaune took off with the girls in tow. Their boots and heels clapped and crunched through the branches and fallen leaves. They sped through the forest following after Nora as she directed towards the clearing.

"Ah man." Jaune came to a skidding halt. He brought his shield up and held his sword out. "Looks like the Grimm found us."

"We don't have to kill them all." Pyrrha spoke, drawing Milo and Akouo. "We just need to get through them enough to get to CRDL!"

"Well, they're lining up!" Yang cocked Ember Celica.

Jaune smirked, bringing his shield up. "Nora! Get ready…the Grimm are getting excited!"

He turned the shield at the right angle, pointing most of the bulwark towards the Grimm. Nora brought Magnhild around and swung the weapon upon the broad shield. Dust exploded upon impact and rippled through the air like a screeching bullet of wind and energy. The attack shattered through the Grim gathered killing enough to create a wide and clear entrance. The creatures bowed and howled in terror backing away slightly. Quickly, the four sped forward, knowing there wouldn't be enough time to make it through the path.

Jaune and Pyrrha raised their shields, ready to take the brunt of any Grimm recuperating. As the two plowed through a pair of Beowolves, Yang rushed in, ramming her fists into the beast's faces, turning them to black smoke. Flipping over the growing clouds, Nora followed up, smashing Magnhild into the second Beowolf. The two fell behind Jaune and Pyrrha, moving quick to cover their rear. The four came to a skidding halt, seeing the giant Deathstalker, hissing and swinging about, trying to strike at Cardin. But that didn't cause them to stand still.

The Grimm looked at them but didn't attack. Instead they stared and hissed before heading over to CRDL in the forest clearing. Jaune couldn't believe how gutsy and ballsy the team was being. Russel and Dove were hurling jars of sap across the forest, spreading more of the intoxicating scent attracting the Grimm to it. A part of him wanted to jump in and help but something was different about Cardin and the boys.

His courage and his posture was different – confident. But upon closer inspection, he was slowing down and trying to keep his façade up. Something was wrong. "You guys ready? As much as it looks like they have it slightly under control…they won't hold out forever. Pyrrha, Nora – same thing as initiation. We'll get that damned stinger out of commission. Yang – do what you do best, firecracker."

"Got it!"

"As for me…I have a plan…"

"Boss!" Dove cried out, firing off rounds. "I've got your back!"

The bullets ricocheted off the scorpion, whistling through the wind and singing in Cardin's ears. He dodged an incoming swipe form its claws, blocking it with his mace. Clashing steel against bone and chitin, sparks danced off the impact. Cardin with surprising agility, whipped around, bashing his mace against the thick bone armor of the Deathstalker. Jumping back when nothing came of the attack, he spun the mace about once more.

"Throw more sap jars!" Cardin shouted. "The sap on my armor is no longer attracting them. If the scent disappears, there's no telling how much longer we'll be able to keep them from attacking the landing zone!"

Russel and Sky dodged Ursai and Beowolves, grabbing crates and jars of sap. Spinning on the poleyn on their knees, they repositioned and started throwing jars and spilling sap in every direction they can. Grimm that were already beginning to ignore them, turned to face them once more, attracted and intoxicated by the delicious sap. Their feet beating against the dirt and hungry growls were all they could hear. Despite how exhausted they were and absolutely frustrated they felt, they were glad they were managing to keep the other students safe.

"Y'know, even though we're probably gonna die before Jaune gets here…" Sky sighed, preparing his bent halberd. "It feels good…kinda."

"I know, right." Russel stretched his arms covered in small blotches of tree sap. "Kinda…puts life into perspective…"

"Well maybe you two should put perspective in the trash and start fighting again!" Dove shouted over the clashing steel against Grimm bone and chitin. "Now's not the time to be having philosophical thoughts, morons!"

"Eat a dick, Dove!" Sky shouted, swinging his weapon. The axe-head wedged into an Ursa's throat, it howled, wincing at the contact. It began to pull away but he pulled hard, forcing the Grimm to heel like a circus animal.

It fell to its knees, roaring, swinging to make him stop but Russel rushed in. He stabbed his daggers through the creature's eyes, wiggling the weapons about, destroying its eyes. Twisting the knives, the barrels attached pointed into its skull. Pulling the triggers, fire dust ignited, searing through the Grimm's brain and skull, killing it immediately. Pulling his weapons from the cloud of smoke, Russel tried to back flip away but he was quickly caught by a Beowolf's wide swipe. His arm was caught by one of the claws, shredding through the last bit of his aura shattering his shield. The razor-sharp claw tore through his arm, shaving through his skin down to the bone.

"Russel!" Sky shouted, shoving his polearm into the open jaw of the Beowolf. But like Russel, every Grimm they defeated another took its place. He didn't have the strength to continue fighting. Straightening his bent weapon, a Boarbatusk spinning in was the final straw. It snapped his weapon in two crushing into his chest, denting his armor into his chest. As it forced him away, his aura disappeared leaving his chest and arms to take the brunt of the attack. He felt ribs and his arms break at the impact.

Once they landed, they were met by none other than the rest of their team. Cardin was panting, his body glowing with aura depletion. Dove laid beside him, unconscious and bones broken – aura completely empty. Sky tried to stand up to join Cardin but his arms were noodles at his sides. He was about to speak, asking Cardin for one last order but what he saw made his words stuck in his throat. Cardin's breastplate was dented in, almost impossibly so. Worse yet, his body continued to shimmer with arcs of aura glowing and dancing around his body.

While he did his best to not show it, Cardin was in excruciating agony. His aura was at dangerously low levels and on top of that, his chest was practically caved in. He hated this; breathing was near impossible at this point. Scowling at his weakness and waning strength, he mentally cursed at his lack of ability. When he first decided to stay and fight, he had a plan – a stupid plan, but a plan nonetheless. He couldn't risk running away and leading the Grimm to the landing zone but he could risk his own health and distract them enough with sap and get the hell out of dodge.

But the Deathstalker ruined his plans. His teeth grinded, feeling lost. There wasn't a sign of Jaune or even the professor. Dove was scarred, a deep gash across his face; Russel's arm was lacerated open and Sky's arms were powdered by a Boarbatusk. If the odds weren't so grim, he would have laughed at their luck. Catching his attention, the Deathstalker rounded at his team, its fangs clicking together.

My friends… Cardin clenched his teeth, fists tightening. My brothers…I fucked up, didn't I? Welp…time to hear the music…Mom. Marshall…I'll see you two soon.

"Come on!" Cardin shouted. "You big ugly sack of shit! Come on – kill me! I won't let you hurt my friends!"

His arms spread out, shrouding his team in his shadow. As the last arcs of aura flickered over his body, he sighed in relief at the sound of the Deathstalker rushing at them. His indigo eyes shut slowly, ready to embrace the sweet release of death. He could hear its claws creaking and its boney legs stabbing into the dirt and grass. "Blair…I'm sorry I couldn't be your brother. Dahlia…I'm sorry you couldn't hear me call you mom. Velvet…I'm sorry for –"

But nothing came.

Cardin struggled to open his eyes. When he barely managed to – his body went cold.

Standing in front of him, Jaune glowed with energy, shield up and hair burning with a fiery inferno. The Deathstalker's monstrous tail was held back, stuck against his shield. It struggled, hissing and growling against his incredible strength. With a roar, the Arc swung about, the sword melted through the stinger, forcing it to reel back. The Grimm surrounding the Deathstalker fell back as well.

"Cardin!" Jaune shouted. "I'm not letting any of you die today?! Do you hear me?!"

The Winchester could only nod in response. Behind him, explosions and gunfire could he heard. Whipping his head back, Yang could be seen smashing her fists into Grimm, kicking and blasting away. Ember Celica burned through ammunition and Grimm fell dead at the woman's feet. If it weren't for her own burning hair and glowing crimson eyes, she would have disappeared in the shadows and clouds of smoke she was creating.

Just as the smoke grew in the clearing, a bronze shield spun through the air, slicing through the scorpion's stinger, detaching it from its tail. It screamed and hissed, wailing its pained roars. It froze when the stinger tip dug into the beast's shell, lodging between the bone plates.

CRDL was in awe, as still as statues, watching their heroes moving with incredible synchronization that seemed almost professional and practiced. From the distance, Nora could be heard, yelling and shouting, blasting through Grimm. Taking to the air, she roared an affirmative but Cardin saw something different about her.

She wasn't moving as fast, nor was she glowing with electricity. The teen was still in the air, using Magnhild to keep her air born.

"Nora's not getting enough air!" Cardin shouted, gasping for air. "Jaune, she looks tired!"

The Arc didn't hear him, dodging a few claw strikes of Beowolves and Ursai. From the shadows Pyrrha exploded into the scene, Milo switching between javelin configuration and xiphos. Grimm fell around her like wheat to the scythe – she moved with such an expert grace, she was a harbinger of death. Cardin rose from to his feet, clenching his fists and hands rushing to his chest. What little aura he had was used to keep his lungs from collapsing. He struggled to keep his balance, using his mace as a cane.

Jaune jumped back, dodging a flurry of strikes. Pyrrha slashed away, using her shield to block a spinning Boarbatusk. Nora…Cardin's eyes widened.

"Nora, snap out of it!" He ran through the field, dodging Beowolves and Ursai. Despite the screaming pain vibrating throughout his body, his legs moved on their own accord. Raising his mace, he blocked an Ursa's attack, channeling his semblance, eating away at his aura. The beast's hand exploded on contact, leaving a crimson stump. Twirling his mace, he bashed the head against its chest, caving its ribcage in. His feet moved once more heading towards the seething Deathstalker, backing away from the fight.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune called over the sounds of combat. "Catch Nora, we have to find another way to defeat the Deathstalker – Cardin?! What the hell are you doing?! You're going to die!"

"You damned Grimm! I said I won't let you hurt my friends!"

Charging at the Deathstalker, his mace glowed orange and black, building with energy. Using what little strength he had, he jumped into the air, mace over his head and stinger tip in his sights. Time slowed for the teen. Around him, Grimm were slowly running from the scene and died around him. Gunfire and explosions rocked the forest as a rumbling Bullhead suddenly hovered by. Behind him, his team watched with awe and pride, but couldn't even stand from how beaten they were.

Jaune below him, held the Deathstalker's claws back using his shield. Pyrrha was on the far end of the clearing, shield now moving to her arm and Milo switching from its javelin form to its xiphos form. She was facing two Beowolves with little to no trouble at all, matching their strikes with her own. Nora, thankfully, was safe, landing in a tree and using the branch to catch her breath. He sighed in relief, noticing how the Deathstalker was practically kneeling and waiting for him to strike.

His aura was dangerously low and the moments were ticking by. He needed this to work and to connect. Or else, he was going to die and so would his friends. The members of team CRDL were liabilities on the battlefield, something Cardin never thought he'd admit or see. He himself was barely combat ready yet here he was, barely breathing, arms as heavy as cars and chest collapsed within himself. Cardin knew there were times in life where the odds were against you, but this one was the epitome of bad luck.

Channeling the last of his aura into his semblance, he was no longer protected by his soul. Every bit of his energy was gathered into the head of his mace. Bringing his great weapon down with every ounce of strength he had left, he smashed the weapon into the stinger tip. His semblance ignited and exploded in every direction, splintering the shell and obliterating the bone, sending fire and smoke. He flew back, out of view, crashing through the dirt and trees, coming to a sudden stop against an overturned boulder.

The winds picked up, swirling around the clearing with heat and rippled against those who stood in the vicinity. Just as the explosion cleared, the smoke was blown away thanks to the powerful vertical propulsion engines on either side of the Bullhead. The side doors opened, revealing field medics and none other than team CFVY.

Coco rushed into action, designer bag transforming into her powerful minigun. Pulling the trigger, the Grimm present were turned to ash and smoke, destroying the horde where they stood. Yatsuhashi and Fox followed behind, bashing the ground with powerful aura blasts, creating great pockets of distance between the Grimm and the first years wounded and standing to fight. It was anti-climactic but the Grimm were quickly beaten back. In the wake of the fight, those left standing cheered at the last second save as the field medics worked on the members of CRDL piled next to each other. The extent of their wounds were far from life-threatening but they were certainly debilitating.

"Coco!" Yang shouted with a smile. "Good save!"

The leader of CFVY smirked and clicked her shades up the bridge of her nose. "Anything to help you first years –"

"Cardin!"

Nora jumped from the tree, stumbling as she landed in the grass. Jaune sheathed Crocea Mors and followed after the hammer wielder as she pushed past Coco and Yang. All heads turned to face the man of the hour. The Arc followed close to Nora, but came to a skidding halt. What he saw sent shivers up and down his spine, vivid memories resurfacing of his past. Dropping Crocea Mors, he too fell to the dirt, holding his head as the tears fell from his eyes.

Cardin coughed softly, indigo eyes dull and almost colorless. He laid against the boulder with an Ursa's back spike stabbed through his abdomen. The ivory spike was colored crimson with his blood. He had enough energy to smirk at Jaune, not even trying to hold back the cascade of hot tears streaming down his blood painted cheeks.

"J-Jaune…" He struggled. "A-Are my team…and Nora safe?"

She fell beside him, taking one of his hands into her own. "We're fine, Big Guy…"

"T-That's…good…" His head dipped as consciousness started to leave him. "A-Are our classmates…s-safe…?"

"Shut up, Cardin." Jaune said through gritted teeth. He walked over to the wounded student and pressed a hand on his shoulder, sapphire eyes burning with tears. "Conserve your energy…you're going to be alright, you'll see how safe they are yourself! Just stop talking, you're wasting air!"

He coughed, pain rippled through his body, adding to his searing agony. "T-There's no p-point in s-saving me…Jauney…I can b-barely breathe and…this…t-thing in my gut…" Coughing once more, blood escaped his mouth, dripping down his chin, splashing on his indented breastplate. "I am glad though…"

"Shut up, damn it!" Jaune gripped his shoulder tightly. His voice cracking as he spoke. "Just, stop…please…"

Yang's lilac eyes were wide, a hand covering her mouth. Pyrrha was no different, she was almost trembling from what she saw. Coco, even though knowing almost nothing of Cardin, save for him bullying Velvet, watched with sympathy and cold beating heart – the Grimm will pay for this. The rest of CFVY was silent. CRDL couldn't even get up to see their leader. Before Cardin could even speak again, Velvet fell to her knees, tears trailing from the corners of her eyes.

"W-What are you c-crying for…bunny?" Cardin mumbled with an empty, blood covered smile on his face. Blood crawled up his throat, pouring from his mouth. "I-I'm j-just…the school's bully…don't waste y-your tears o-on…me…" His head dipped down, staying hunched over for a few moments before creeping back up. "I…Velvet…before I go…I wanted…I wanted to s-say…"

"Pyrrha!" Jaune's voice was stern. His hair was burning again and his eyes were bleeding crimson. He turned to face his partner, brows furrowed and body trembling with rage. His hands glowed with a beautiful white aura, searing to the eyes but calming to the touch. "Use your polarity to remove his armor. Yang, Yatsu; I need you both to yank the spike from his abdomen as soon as the breastplate is removed!"

"J-Jaune…" Pyrrha managed to croak, barely able to look away from Cardin's dying form. "He's…gone–"

He punched the boulder behind Cardin, embedding his fist into it. "Don't question me! Just do it! I have the same semblance as my sister, Clair! She's the healer of her team, so I won't stand idle by and let a friend die while there's still a chance to save him!"

Cardin was falling in and out of consciousness, vision turning black and eyes barely open. "Cardin…this is going to hurt you – a lot – but it will save your life. Velvet, Nora, please, hold him."

Velvet held his right hand, fingers wrapping around his palm and clenching around his fingers as Nora continued to hold his left, tighter. Both were now trying to hold back their tears at the revelation of Jaune's power. The group of students backed away letting those called upon to do what they can. Yatsuhashi and Yang took positions on either side of Cardin and prepared to force the spine from his body. Pyrrha's hand was held open, already glowing with black energy.

"I'm ready." Jaune spoke, catching everyone's attention. Given quick nods in response, Cardin's dented breastplate flew off, dancing in the wind. Just as that happened, his eyes sprang open as a great gasp of pain escaped his mouth. Yang slammed her palm against the tip of the spike as Yatsuhashi pulled with all his strength removing the dangerous spine from Cardin's abdomen. Blood spilled and pooled underneath Cardin, painting the dirt and their knees.

Now that he was uncovered and the flesh was left open, he slammed his open and glowing palms against his dented chest and abdomen, covering the area in a bright white light. It was pristine and blinding, burning their eyes shut. But from the searing pain, soothing grace followed. Life felt calm and harmonious, removed from all the sorrow and anguish. Once the light died down, a roar of a gasp left Cardin panting.

"W-What the hell?!" His breaths were heavy, shaking his body to his core. He looked at his hands then to the hole his clothes now had, revealing his defined abdominals. Running a hand against his abs, Cardin nearly fainted.

But he wasn't the only one.

Yang looked like a gaping fish, mouth opening and closing without a single hint of a word escaping her mouth. Pyrrha actually collapsed to the dirt with Coco, both in disbelief. Fox and Yatsuhashi were hard nuts to crack, both hard to impress and surprise but seeing Cardin's chest reform before their very eyes and the massive, gaping hole in Cardin's abdomen replaced with real flesh and skin, the two were wide eyed, dropping their arms to their sides. Behind them, the field medics who had just finished treating the rest of CRDL froze at the incredible, impossible sight. Their equipment had fallen from their hands and landed on the dirt beside their feet.

Jaune was coughing, holding his head as a beating migraine ripped his brain to shreds. Looking up, his sapphire eyes were a deeper hue, almost like the ocean depths. His nose though, was dripping blood like a waterfall. Wiping his face, he pressed a hand on Cardin's shoulder, immediately making the teen jump at the contact. "What did you say about not being able to save you?"

"I…" Cardin's words were stuck in his throat. Everything felt new to him – new lungs, new heart, new bones and new soul. Everything seemed brighter, filled with life and beating souls. He trembled, shaking in his body glove and pauldrons. Collapsing against the boulder he rested against, he released a powerful sigh of relief. "Thank you, Jaune…I…owe you my life…"

Just as the words were beginning to leave his mouth, two arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him into a powerful hug. Nora was crying and smiling at the same time. She was rambling, going on and on about how scared she was but also, of how proud she was. His face was a bright red, showing his embarrassment, once more, unable to speak. She shook him around, completely neglecting how dead he was just mere moments before.

"I'm going to treat you to a mountain of pancakes!" She shouted, bellowing to the heavens above. "Every hero deserves victory pancakes!"

"Hero…?" Cardin's eyes trailed to the dirt, looking at his hands as they rippled with aura replenishment. "I…I'm a hero…?"

The ride back to Beacon was a tight fit. RWBY and JNPR waited for CRDL to be saved and hopped onto the second airship that came by to pick them up. Now, strapped in and seated, the three teams sat in a triangle, looking at one another with pride and a heavy weight of happiness. As the twelve students talked amongst themselves, correcting Nora as she told those who weren't present, Pyrrha stood up silencing the group. She walked over to Cardin and stopped, emerald eyes glancing at him and his team.

"I was wrong." She said, scratching the back of her head. "Whenever Jaune would come back to our dorm, late and sweaty, I'd be the first to question why he would waste his time with people like you. I was wrong about you, Cardin. I was wrong about your team. And I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for…" Dove spoke, scratching his bandages, only to have his hand slapped away by Weiss's hand and given a glare. "We did deserve every ounce of hate you had…"

"No." Pyrrha said once again. "It was my mistake to doubt my leader. I doubted him whenever he defended you four. I doubted the stories of team CRDL changing for the better. Worse yet, I doubted all of you. I never gave you a chance to prove yourself and I never believed in you. But after what I saw today, your selfless act – albeit stupid act, I believe in you now. Anything you need, any help in training and pointers to fight better on your feet, I will be there with Jaune to give you the skills I can offer…guys…? Are you…okay…?"

Cardin's smile split his face as tears trickled down his cheeks. Dove bowed his head, Sky was in awe, eyes and jaw open and Russel actually fainted. "T-Thank you, Pyrrha…I…I never thought I'd hear you say those words…"

"W-What?"

"Jaune was the only one who believed in us…" Cardin said with a shaking breath. "He was the only one to openly say it and offer his help…you don't understand how much that means to me – to us…"

"Well…guys…" Nora rose from her seat as well, getting everyone's attention. "Since time wasn't on our side, I couldn't tell you everything, Jaune. When the jar of sap hit Cardin, it was definitely aimed for him – what I didn't tell you is how it hit him and what he did afterwards."

Jaune crossed a leg over the other and had his arms over his chest. With a nod, the girl nodded back and smiled. "Well…we were eating sap and enjoying our time but then one of those guys got mad and threw a hissy fit at Cardin's presence. When we tried to leave, the students gathered together and one of them actually threw a jar of sap at us. Like I said, it was definitely aimed at Cardin but the guy who threw it has a terrible throwing arm. It ended up flying towards me."

"Y-You knew?!" Cardin's eyes were wide.

She sputtered a laugh. "Duh! My bestest friend is a Ninja, my sister is a goddess at fighting and my blond brother is a prodigy – there's absolutely no way I would have missed a jar heading towards me, silly. But guys, that's not even the crazy or the best part. He actually pushed me out of the way and let the jar split on him. He was covered in sap enough to attract a series of Beowolves. He reached for his mace and started getting angry but then calmed down immediately when the students started getting scared."

"Of course, that attracted more Grimm." She had an excited look on her face. "This is when he does the craziest and the most bravest thing I've ever seen. He starts yelling at the Grimm, catching their attention, turning them away from the very students who assaulted him with a jar of sap – sap we all knew attracted Grimm. He ran to their stockpiles of sap and started covering himself in it, trying to make him seem more tasty than a bunch of scared kids. He told them to run and run they did. He continued yelling, grabbing jars of sap and throwing them in different directions trying to buy the students time…then the rest of CRDL came and he told me to find you and Professor Goodwitch…that was easily, the craziest, coolest most incredible thing I've ever seen! And not once did he even question himself, he just kept doing what he was doing to keep our classmates safe."

"Well, Professor Arc." Yang smirked, punching Cardin's shoulder affectionately. "You've taught them well."

The teams gathered grunted approval and agreement. As Nora and Pyrrha took their seats, the airship they were on started to descend. The teams stood on their feet, Cardin's arm slung over Jaune's shoulders, Russel holding onto Ruby, Sky used Ren for support and Dove was led along by Weiss. The twelve huntsmen and huntresses-in-training steadied themselves at the doors, prepared for the long trek to the nurse's clinic in the school. But before the doors opened, Yang stepped to the front of the line.

"Well…" She smirked. "A hero deserves a hero's welcome."

"What are you talking about, Yang?" Jaune gave her a confused look.

The doors hissed, launching open to reveal Beacon Cliff and almost the entire student body, Freshmen and even a few Seniors gathered together, cheering and chanting CRDL's names. The great mass of classmates that went with them to the Forever Fall were gathered yelling out CRDL, crying thanks and get well. The four former bullies winced as they stepped from the platform of the airship and were quickly mobbed by students.

"Cardin!" One cried. "I heard you nearly died trying to protect the entire class! That's some serious hero shit right there, man!"

"Russel!" A girl ran past the large student body, shoving flowers into his hands. "I hope you heal well – I love your hair, by the way." With that, she whipped away, a blush on her face.

Dove was swarmed by women, gawking at his bandages covering his face and the crimson blotches on the linen. He too blushed in embarrassment, clearly unable to handle the sudden attention. He even held his hands up to defend himself, saying it was nothing and that the cut didn't even hurt anymore, but the women, female students from all school years that gathered around him, whisked him forward, pushing past Sky who was being interrogated by fellow freshmen with starry eyes.

"Your weapon actually broke on the mission?!" One cried, catching the attention of a few more students.

Sky backed away, throwing his hands up in defense. "Yeah, but it was my fault. I put it through too much strain training with Jaune Arc. It snapped when a Boarbatusk crashed into it."

"Wow…" the group of students gaped. "That's incredible! And you took the Boarbatusk without aura?!"

"Y-Yeah…?" Sky gave him a questioning look. "When it hit me, my aura shattered and disappeared. My arms were broken and almost all my ribs were broken as well. Thankfully, the field medics and Jaune saved me."

Before the heroes could be interrogated further, a loud shout silenced the students. It was none other than Nurse Peridot. Behind her, a few students who volunteered to help take care of CRDL followed with wheelchairs. She marched through the crowd, and immediately grabbed Cardin by the collar of his body glove and forcibly sat him into a wheelchair. Much to his surprise, it was none other than Velvet Scarlatina who was pushing his chair.

"Velvet…" Cardin's eyes popped from his head. "I…Velvet, I'm…"

She giggled softly, pressing a hand on his shoulder. "There's no need." As she pushed him away, a bright, burning blush covered her face as she bent down to his ear. He too started blushing at the proximity. "I've already forgiven you…"

As the team was wheeled away, RWBY and JNPR stood at the landing pad, watching with pride. The rest of the students were escorted away to head back to their classrooms and dormitories. But as the silence began to fall on the once crowded cliff side, a question remained on the back of everyone's minds. It was all a matter of who would speak it.

"Hey…" Jaune spoke for the first time in a while. "How the hell did the entire student body know about what happened in the Forever Fall forest? Sure, there were over thirty students present but there's no way a bunch of freshmen knew that many people."

"Well…" Yang walked forward whipping out her scroll. It snapped open revealing footage of Cardin fighting the Deathstalker and the rest of CRDL doing what they can to keep the Grimm occupied. The footage stopped and another played of Cardin's tearful confession in the forest and of course, Nora's own confession of what happened. "I may or may not know practically everyone in the school…and I may or may not have sent the footage along with some…special details to the loudest people I know."

"You sly dog, Yang." Jaune smirked as he led his friends along. "After this, I need a long shower and a good nap…"

"Ditto." Nora sighed in relief. "It's good to be home. Oh! Renny! We need to make CRDL victory pancakes!"

The two teams rushed to follow after the ninja and the Viking, leaving trails of dirt and dust in their wake. Unbeknownst to them, there was a man watching them from the tallest tower in the school. His hand was behind his back holding his cane and another was holding a cup of coffee to his lips. Not a sound left his mouth, not a sound left him at all. The only thing that could be heard was the loud ticking and the shifting of gears in Beacon Tower. He paced away, placing his mug of coffee on his table before taking a seat.

Sighing in relief, a small, yet bright smile found its way to his face. Leaning into his seat, video footage of the school opened up on his computer screens. Taking a quick sip of his coffee once more, a brief chuckle left his lungs.

"The most hated team is redeemed by fire and blood." He spoke, melodiously. "And they finally find a sense of belonging. A team of broken girls finds purpose. A boy lost to time, a girl of incredible fame and loneliness and a pair of orphans find a new family to love and trust. This is turning to be an interesting year, isn't it, Your Grace?"

"Beware, Salem. The King has returned…and this time…he's ready."

So tell me what you thought! XD

So, thus ends the introduction arc
everything after this will be pushing the plot forward
along with more character progression and real building
of Jaune and Ren's relationships with their respective harems

Don't forget to Review, Favorite and Follow!

Ja ne!

gottahavekyuubi