Howdy do! Another chapter for you!

Okay, I just wanted to get this out of the way
There is a lot of shit going on in this chapter
But I PROMISE YOU, everything is going exactly to plan
It may seem like I'm going 'too fast' but believe me

I have everything planned for this arc and the several
subsequent arcs coming. I know a lot of you last chapter
were saying that I'm speeding things a lot too fast, it'll make
more sense as the arc continues; I swear

If not, you're more than welcome to give me a Bleach detox
;)

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY

Chapter 15: From Shadows

Past the smoke and running traffic, through winding alleyways and packed rundown tenements; in a large room several stories off the ground, a man looked upon his image. The weight he once forgot now rested firmly upon his shoulders. It was a monstrous pressure, pushing upon his feet and knees, ready to break him at a moment's notice. A part of him wanted to shout into a pillow, swing his sword at training drones until his muscles stopped working, but there was no way he could escape this encounter. Everything he planned and prepared for, led up to this moment.

The anger he felt boiling within his chest, that festered into an undying rage, came to a tipping point. His dreams of finding the White Fang and finding Cinder Fall, burned into his mind and drove him. The steps grew closer with each day, each coming hour that clicked away. There was no joy in his heart, no light in his soul; only anger and steady, suffering fury. All the happiness he felt with Blake in the last few days were all but forgotten, shifting to the back of his mind. What he wanted now was nothing short of a swift and clean victory – to be able to stick it to Salem.

She had eyes everywhere; he knew it. She had eyes from Vacuo to the farthest eastern point of Mistral. Eyes blinked and watched from the most northern tip of Solitas to the southernmost tip of Menagerie. Jaune could feel eyes staring at his back all the time, the target glowing almost like a neon sign, attracting trouble like flies to a light. Salem could see him and he couldn't wait to let her know he knew. Her plans and aspirations spoke volumes with how many Grimm were appearing throughout Sanus. Her obnoxious attitude towards him was almost insulting.

Eyes trailed to the many tenements with bright lights still on behind draped curtains. Thousands if not millions of refugees were stuffed in those buildings because of Salem. The Grimm were growing in number because of her, and soon enough, Jaune could see the Valean Council calling upon Atlas several months earlier than in his old timeline. That was something he wasn't looking forward to. But thankfully, it wouldn't put a damper to his plans. Salem will see him tonight and he was going to make sure she did. Her eyes, wherever they are, will see his victory.

He'd done it before, he'd happily do it again. Starting tonight, that demon will face the return of a king; one that won't fall so easily. He glared at his reflection, eyes of ruby and sapphire glared back. The flakes of red seemed to grow with each passing second his anger grew. Clenching his fists, he could hear metal bending beside him – unknowingly he activated his polarity semblance. Immediately, he shut off his aura channeling to his fists and straightened to face his reflection like a man.

Jaune stood before his mirror, sighing to himself. His body glove was worn, black as night with creases of fabric. Slowly, he slid his legs into black and grey greaves. Tightening the leather straps, he moved onto tying his poleyn, black Boarbatusk face masks made of a special metal with their own miniature tusks, covered his knee caps. With a quick motion, he slung his cuisses over his thighs, black as night with dark grey accents and shut the latches.

Reaching over, he slid his arms through his vambraces and new gauntlets. All black with grey accents to hide and fit with the night better. Looking at his sword, Crocea Mors received a new hilt and crossguard, along with a new onyx colored shield made of the same materials and functionality. Taking a deep breath, he picked up his new cuirass and slung the black beauty around his torso. Clipping the locks and shutting the latches, the armor hissed softly. Bringing his hand up, he pressed an inconspicuous space on his breastplate and soon enough, the armor hissed loudly, latching onto the power-pack on his body glove.

Slowly, temperature began to level within his clothing. The body glove tightened, almost like a second skin. Against the length of his spine, blue lights glowed with an ice-cold image, shimmering against the air. The magnets were active and were ready to hold onto his trusted weapons. Pressing another button only he knew to find, a hatch above his right shoulder blade hissed and opened, revealing similar blue lights and rippling air.

While being a great fighter, he wasn't a foolish one. He had no long-ranged capabilities with Crocea Mors, sadly. But thankfully, his new armor had two extra magnetic hatches to hold more weaponry, should he need it.

But before he could continue looking over his appearance, a pair of arms wrapped around his armored torso. They were gauntleted with vambraces of equally black color. The hands were soft, fingers spread and worriedly clutching his body against her own. Her cat ears tickled against the back of his neck, sending small shocks of electricity to dance between his brain and spine. Slowly, her arms unclasped from his body and disappeared behind him.

Suddenly, she had returned, a smile spread across her worried face. In her hands, one of his pauldrons – a black Ursa head with blood-red accents. Throwing the one she held over his left shoulder, he raised his arm, knowing what was next. She tightened the straps, making sure it wasn't loose and did the same to his right shoulder.

Once she finished, she stepped up to the mirror to stand next to him. Her golden-amber eyes examined how awesome they both looked. On the chair beside him, his Mark VI Recon helmet was black as well with orange visor glass. It was fitted specifically to him and connected to his assault rifle upon wearing the protective headgear.

Beside him, Blake was wearing her regular combat clothing but more conservative with extra armor for her shoulders and forearms. Given the gauntlets, Jaune was glad that the Faunus was taking the mission seriously. Not that she wouldn't to begin with, of course, he was just glad that she went out of her way to protect herself properly. While the White Fang were beaten by her and her friends the first time by a landslide, something settled in his stomach that didn't agree with him. It seemed that his worry bled into Blake as well.

A knock on his door caught his attention, snapping him from his thoughts. Grabbing his helmet, he clasped it underneath his arm and walked with Blake in tow. With a loud call, the door was opened to reveal Carolina and his sister Rosemary with their own power armor – Carolina's was a cyan color with dark grey trim and Rosemary's was a dark green with black trims.

Rosemary had her powerful bo-staff magnetically attached to her back, similar to Jaune's own new cuirass. On her hips, similar to Carolina, were a pair of SMG's magnetically attached to the magnet-holsters on the sides of their cuisses'. The women looked fierce and had their hair tied up into thick buns. Beneath Carolina's arm, a Mark VI Scout helmet was held, carrying the same color scheme and Rosemary, had a Mark VI GEN2 Rogue helmet.

It wasn't hard to see why the two women were such good friends. They almost looked like sisters if it weren't for the obvious differences between their faces. They were a force to be reckoned with, especially if they worked together – given one was the daughter of a near-super soldier and the other is an accomplished huntress who has almost a decade of huntress experience under her belt. Jaune was glad that Rosemary was here and released a sigh of relief.

"Can I speak to my baby brother alone for a moment?" Rosemary spoke suddenly.

Blake and Carolina nodded their heads and left the room and shut the door behind them. The two siblings looked upon one another, a worried feeling fell upon them both. They were silent, unknowing of what to say, green eyes meeting blue. Jaune's eyes slowly trailed to his feet, finding the designs of his laces somehow more interesting. Rosemary did the same, taking several soft breaths trying to think of what to say.

"Don't do anything stupid." The two said at the same time. Jaune's eyes widened as his cheeks turned red. But what really caught her attention was the practical hiss coming from his lips as he whipped his head away from her. When he finally decided to face his oldest sister, she nearly gasped to see his eyes had watered. "Sis…I'm scared…"

Rosemary nodded her head, holding her arms open. "C'mon little brother. Give your big sister a hug."

He immediately shot forward, wrapping his arms around her armored body. Slowly but surely, he began to shake underneath her embrace. It wasn't long before his shaking devolved to soul ripping sobs. He held her as if his world was falling apart and continued to hold her. The older woman did the only things she knew to do and began to pat his back, letting him cry into her shoulder. He tried so hard for the last few months, doing everything he can to make sure nothing went wrong – but one can only keep in that stress for so long.

Rosemary released him when he sniffled. "Jaune…we'll do fine. Believe me."

"I-I know…" He looked away from his sister, eyes bloodshot. "It's never easy leading friends into battle, knowing not everyone will make it back alive…even after my coronation and victories in battle – it never once got easier…"

"Jaune…" Rosemary put her hands on his shoulder and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. Backing away, her hands trailed up to cup his cheeks. "My baby brother…you don't have to be strong all the time. You never have to become so cold that the people you lead become numbers and statistics – I believe that's what you said to Junior. C'mon, I used to work for Jacque Schnee, the prime example of cruel leadership. You are the farthest thing from that bastard – the fact you're willing to cry over men and women you don't even know the names to – shows your virtue."

"But Rosemary…" He looked to her. "I've been having his feeling, this terrible feeling that something bad will happen tonight. That Salem…that demon will make a move. Believe me, sis, she has eyes everywhere. She had them in my old timeline, she definitely has them here. Call it paranoia but she does…tonight will be a big move in the grand scale of things – I will reveal to her that I'm ready to strike against her interests…it's almost as if I'm waving a giant red banner with a bullhorn to my mouth screaming 'Here I am! I'm the king! Shoot me!'"

Rosemary giggled at his words. "You're overreacting, baby brother. Besides, if there's one thing people should learn about us Arcs…it's that no one messes with our family and gets away with it. I'll be with you Jaune, thick and thin, same with Doré and Clair. Blake, Melanie, Miltia, the Reds and Blues, Carolina, Roux, Junior, Colonel Greene and Serjeant-Major Blanche. We're here with you to follow you into battle and lead beside you. Then, someday in the near future, teams JNPR and RWBY will be with us. So, y'know what, let that bitch Salem come at us this time – we'll be ready."

Jaune looked to her fair face, seeing the healing scars and cuts from the many years of battle. She was smooth skinned and had the same green eyes as their mother. Her hair was dark with small strands of light blonde. At twenty-four years of age, the woman was a beauty with thorns. She was powerful and exuded confidence in ways that even Yang couldn't muster. Rosemary smiled brightly, pearly whites glimmered in the incandescent lights bringing a smile to his own face. Nodding his head, Jaune walked with Rosemary towards the door.

"We'll win tonight, Jaune." She embraced him one more time. "With you at the lead, there'll be no stopping us."

In the distance, floating and anchored within Vale's empty bay, a lone warship, an iron dreadnaught-aircraft carrier, watched with terror. It had massive turrets – sixteen-inch cannons that could pummel any land-based defense the Council of Vale had propped against the coast. The warship held no banners or any imagery that could denote its allegiance. The guns were propped and pointed towards the City of Vale, aiming at various locations, ready to bombard the megalopolis home to almost thirty-five million people.

It was a massive ship, hundreds of meters long. On the deck, past the sixteen-inch cannons and the plethora of anti-air defenses and flak guns, a runway strip was seen. Upon its deck, six different Bullhead VTOL rested, crews preparing for the attack. Almost like a uniform army, hundreds of White Fang operatives stood in square formations, armed with swords at their hips and assault rifles slung over their shoulders. Their masks were switched out with helmets displaying Grimm and they all had pauldrons over their shoulders. Instead of the normal tunics and baggy pants; they wore bulletproof breastplates and cuisses to protect their legs.

Around their waist, red sashes were held together with wolf-head buckles that glimmered in the shattered moon's light. They stood tall, varying in height and Faunus appearance. Some had tails that swung by, others had ears of different animals that were more prominent than others. There were some that even had horns or antlers. There were many gathered here upon this warship, ready for the night – ready to strike.

At the front of the formations, there was a man with fiery red hair and two black-brown horns protruding from his forehead. His eyes were shrouded from sight by the special mask he wore that was accented by oriental flame designs. Much like the change of pace for his men, he too decided to wear armor. Spaulders were strapped over his shoulders that dropped six-layered lame plate to cover his upper arms. At his side, Wild and Blush waited to be drawn, already absorbing the energy of the warship into his body in preparation of the battle to come.

He looked to his men and women – his force of revolution. They had looks of determination and hearts full of pride for their race and species. These Faunus have been through hell and fire for the last few years – fighting full force to make sure the changes they wanted would stick. Sienna Khan, the leader of the White Fang was against this move, but she was too busy in Vacuo, arguing with the rest of the Vacuoan Council. Someone needed to act and it just so turned out that Adam Taurus was elected leader of the Valean Branch of the White Fang. Something he had no problem with.

Drawing Wilt, the glowing red blade caught the attention of the hundreds of Faunus gathered. It caused the red accents of his suit and hair to glow, showing off his incredible semblance. He stared at the men gathered and sheathed his blade. Slowly, he began to pace, looking at every person in front of him – their names echoing in his mind as he passed by them. Every man and woman in his army, he made sure to know personally, to know their struggle, to know why they fight. Barry, a fellow Bull Faunus, watched his wife get stoned to death by angry humans in a village outside of Vale's jurisdiction. Perry, a platypus Faunus, was beaten to near death for falling for a human and was in turn betrayed by the human he loved. Blue – she actually forgot her name after suffering a terrible beating by the Brotherhood.

Adam glared at his feet, eyes tracing the markings of the airstrip tarmac. The Brotherhood was a thorn in the side of any Faunus proud of their heritage. What angered him the most, Vale, in all of its pretentious attitude of progressivism and preservation of individuality, did little to enforce the numerous laws of Faunus equality passed by their last King. They openly opposed the White Fang, calling them terrorists and disturbers of the peace, even when Ghira Belladonna, the pacifist fool, ran the organization. But they never once spoke out openly against the Brotherhood. Even some councilmen had family members in the organization, or were members themselves.

Blue was a baker working in a cake shop but was cornered and beaten by Brotherhood members on her way home. Why, she still doesn't know. She even forgot her old name before it happened and stuck with Blue. Her little antlers used to be larger and healthier – Adam could only assume those members cut them down and took the rest as trophies. He looked up, feeling anger boiling in his chest, of the betrayals he felt and the disappointments he had throughout his life. He could see the pride in their faces, despite their faces blocked by the helmets they wore.

Each one of them was wronged in some way; businessmen, honest citizens, nine-to-five workers, blue-collars, even college students – all of them from all walks of life were treated poorly, outright abused and hurt by their human counterparts. Many had encounters with the Brotherhood, many were traumatized by what they experienced. The insatiable fury and racism, the fists and weapons they wielded – there was no way the Faunus would forget the Brotherhood. Adam more so.

"Tonight, brothers and sisters!" Adam shouted. "We take our first steps into striking back at the humans who have wronged us! Look behind you – the foolish SDC of Atlas have left thousands of Lien's worth of Dust and weaponry ripe for the taking! Thanks to the King of Vale's spies he thought he could have – we know just what exactly lies in those crates."

"There lies our future!" He shouted. "We will take back what they stole, we will set our future free, the only way that works! Through fire and blood! After tonight, we will send ripples throughout Vale –"

"Throughout the world!" Jaune roared. "These Fang are misguided, disgruntled and flocked to the first person willing to hear their pleas – someone who would relate to their anger. I wish we could avoid fighting them, but there is no way we can avoid this. We must break their morale, we must let them know there are alternatives to the White Fang! The only way to do this is to beat them back, every chance we get!"

Blake stared at him from her place at the stage. Beside her, the rest of the lieutenants and commanders stood at parade dress, hands behind their backs and legs apart. "But regardless of how I feel, of how we feel; this is a necessary point in our journey! We must not be afraid of the White Fang!"

"The humans don't fear us yet!" Adam paced as the words flowed from his lips. "But after tonight, after we succeed and drive them from their petty defenses – they will fear our very breath! They will fear the terror we can bring – they will fear the wars we fight!"

The members of the White Fang cheered happily. "We will take their Dust, then we will take their homes as they have taken ours! We will do unto them, a thousand-fold, what they have done to us!"

"We must show them a better way." Jaune called, his voice landing upon the troops gathered in the hangar. "But that is not tonight. Tonight, we stand to defend our property; our weapons to defend ourselves and our kingdom! Never forget! The White Fang murdered Tarsier Squadron, our friends and brothers-in-arms."

"I may not have known them personally, but their names have burned into the back of my mind as a reminder…"

"…that we are still mortal." He paced calmly on the tarmac. "There is an old oriental saying; go out into battle believing you will die; you will survive. Don't hold yourself back with the fear that you can die in battle – go into the fray knowing that you will not fall until you've exacted the justice you seek, upon the human scum!"

"Each and every one of you; I have trained and helped personally." Adam roared. "I have been with you through thick and thin! Nothing will change that; do you hear me?! We will bleed together as brothers and sisters – we will die together as brothers and sisters, if need be! The King of Vale will be there tonight to protect his interests – don't be afraid – I will handle him myself."

"Now, we begin our mission…" Jaune whispered silently as his speech came to a close. The troops in front of him cheered like blood-thirsty maniacs.

Turning to face his lieutenants, he nodded his head. Grabbing his helmet before leaving the stage, he jumped over the side and headed towards a black LAHAT that had red markings and silver accents along the sides and front. Already their unit of twenty or so, men had already boarded the craft, their assault rifles over their shoulders or resting against their chests thanks to the weapon slings. Two men have already chosen to man the mini-guns on either side of the cargo bay, their legs slung over the side of the transport.

One by one, the lieutenants ran to different LAHAT, designated for their mission tonight. Jaune, Carolina, Blake and Rosemary piled into the same one and nodded to their troops. It lowered the tension but the excitement only grew. Jaune got into position and just like Carolina and Rosemary, he slid his head into his helmet, letting the armor hiss before latching onto his body glove, sealing the helm air tight. Reaching up, his gloved hand grabbed the cargo rope for stability as the aircraft lifted off the ground and headed towards open air.

All around him, the world was spinning as the helmet was connected to his power-pack. Little by little, screens of data and graphs peered into his view, being filed to the corner of his peripherals for later review. With all systems perfectly fine and connected, he reached into his pocket and slipped out his scroll. The men and women gathered did the same as the Levy took off into the sky. Turning their left forearms over, an empty space was left open. Jaune quickly clipped his scroll into the opening and secured the device in place. The rest followed and immediately began pushing buttons and codes. Just as they finished, collectively, their armor glowed in a shimmering electricity before vanishing completely.

"Overshield charges, one-hundred percent?" Jaune asked his unit.

"Affirmative, sir." The Major in charge of the unit nodded his head. "All overshields are maximum."

"Good." The knight's HUD began to shimmer as more information began to flood the servers within the helmet. "Check your ammunition – don't waste bullets tonight."

"When do we reach LZ?" A soldier asked.

"No more than thirty minutes." Jaune called back. "We will be at LZ Bravo, right at the second entrance of the docks. We'll be meeting SWAT teams from various Valean Precincts ready to arrest the White Fang operatives. Before you ask, no; we are not working in tandem with the Valean Council; the officers with us tonight are here because of an illegal arms deal gone wrong. It just so happened that the White Fang were actually involved and the officers ended up in the right place at the right time."

"Check your friends, check your backs." Jaune reminded. "Corners are your worst enemy. Your overshields may protect you from anything short of an anti-tank cannon, but eventually, your shield will drop if you take too much damage. None of you have your aura unlocked and don't have huntsmen training. Don't do any unnecessary heroics, got it?"

"Yes sir!"

"Oh, and if anyone from Team RWBY, CNDR, JNPR or NDGO arrive at the docks, make sure you contact me on my open channel, got it?" Blake gave Jaune a questioning look but shrugged. "Blake, knowing our friends, they're probably walking around Vale searching for us."

"You didn't tell them yet, Jaune?" Rosemary asked with wide eyes.

The boy shook his head, sighing softly. "I didn't. I wasn't ready to tell them; but after tonight, after we win, I'll definitely tell them. Without a doubt, we'll be ready to handle more people knowing the truth."

"Doré and Clair probably won't like it, Jaune." Rosemary added. "Knowing those two…"

"They'd probably join to make sure I'm okay." Jaune laughed. "Violette and Rosé don't know though. I don't even know how we'd break the ice with that one…"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Rosemary bellowed a guffaw.

"Fair enough." Jaune laughed as well. "Blake…you have anything to share with the troops before landing?"

"I was once a member of the White Fang." She called, her cat ears shuffled on her scalp. "I've done things, terrible things for them but tonight, know that I am on your side; I will never betray you. Follow our lead, my lead, and we will beat the Fang back without any issue, got it? They were once my brothers and sisters – not anymore. So, hold your rifles steady and grip your blades tightly – tonight, we're going to win, no matter what."

"Yes ma'am!" The soldiers shouted, saluting the Faunus.

"Rosemary? Carolina?"

"Nah." Carolina smiled. "I think you two got the gist of it all."

"As my brother said; you have military training but not huntsman training." Rosemary began. Pressing a button on the side of her helmet, a slight static was heard in Jaune's own before he heard Rosemary take a deep breath through the speakers against his ears. "All soldiers moving into the docks tonight. You must not do anything foolish. No mistakes can be made tonight. Take this as an invasion – the White Fang are moving in with a two-fold attack – by air and by sea."

"It is paramount that we do not let them succeed on either front. Or else, we lose initiative and momentum. As your King, my brother, had said; watch each other's backs and check your corners. Keep watch of your overshield percentages and stay frosty – Rosemary Arc, out."

With that, the open channel ended and the men prepared themselves for the inevitable battle. In the distance, Jaune could already see Bullheads coming into the docks, landing and dropping off White Fang. Little by little, teams of Fang operatives ran by with large ropes and clips, latching onto cargo crates of Dust and dragging them along towards the Bullheads. But the other teams that dispatched from each craft came about with firearms and missile launchers.

Wait.

What?

"Missile launchers?!" Jaune roared. Pressing a button on the side of his helmet, he roared. "All pilots, evasive maneuvers! The White Fang have anti-air capabilities! I can't tell if those are Stingers or not, but they will knock us from the sky if they have their way!"

Snapping his hands down, he pressed buttons on his scroll and brought his left hand up to his ear. "Officer Jenkins! Please respond!"

"Your Grace!" A man responded. "What's wrong?"

"The operation is still active!" Jaune called through the mic. "I need you to speed up the timetable and begin your assault on the docks! The White Fang have missile launchers that could possibly knock us from the sky before reaching the LZ!"

"W-What?!" The officer's worry laced his voice. "U-Understood, sir! We'll secure the LZ for your arrival as soon as possible!"

Jaune's eyes widened as one of the Fang operatives prepared his launcher and pulled the trigger. It screamed through the air with a great trail of smoke coming from its rear. Without thinking, using his polarity, the side doors opened immediately causing sixty-mile-per hour winds to blow against their faces. He threw his arm out, shrouding his limb in a deep, noir aura. The missile rushing at them was soon covered in the same color and with a flick of his arm, the missile was blown off course before exploding mid-air.

"We searched all day…" Doré sighed into her arms. "The weekend ends soon…"

"Don't worry, Doré." Clair wrapped her arm over her sister's shoulders. "Jaune and Blake are fine…I know it."

The large group of teens sat together at a massive table filled with food and plates. The ten students decided it was a good idea to get some dinner in their stomachs before finishing their search and heading home to Beacon. Now they had just finished their dinner, thanking their waitress and hostess. Out in the street, the sidewalks were bustling with men and women, dates and friendly outings. Vale Proper was a beautiful downtown urban sprawl that screamed aesthetics, even at night with the pale white LED streetlights.

Sun and Ren walked in the front, Sun with his hands behind his head and Ren with his hands behind his back. The women of the massive group talked amongst themselves, going over what little information Jaune managed to cough up. What annoyed some members of the group the most was Blake didn't respond or send texts of her own at all. It was almost as if she just completely disappeared from sight and the grid itself.

Doré wasn't impressed with how her brother acted and found it incredibly irresponsible. She would have been more at ease if the boy just called her and told her with his own voice that he was fine and safe. Nevertheless, the past was the past and he had made his decisions to disappear from sight. Hell, even Rosemary, their dearest sister would call them every once in a while, when she was on a mission protecting some SDC train or shipment. Violette and Rosé would also video chat whenever they could, making sure the sisters knew what they were up to.

But Jaune? Oh, he thought he'd be cool and make his actions mysterious and hidden. No, Doré reasoned with herself; she was going to kick his sorry ass the first thing when she sees him. How dare he ignore his own triplet siblings – how dare he ignore her and give her passive responses. No one ignores Doré Arc, especially her younger and only brother. She marched along with Clair and Nebula in tow. But there was something that was bothering her – she couldn't ease the foreboding feeling in her stomach that just wouldn't stop rumbling.

Looking up to the sky, she saw strange figures flying over the city at incredible speeds. Little by little, the figures began to reflect light from the shattered moon, catching her attention completely. Coming to a full stop, Ruby and her new friend Penny both crashed into her back. Instead of toppling over her, they were knocked back a few steps from how sturdy the blonde girl was. Her hands both lowered to a sword at her hips, eyeing the sky with wonder and worry.

"Those don't look like Bullheads…" She said, causing everyone else in the group to stop. "Don't you think?"

All heads turned to face Doré and then trailed to the sky, watching figures whipping through the night. A foreboding feeling landed upon their stomachs and chests. It was a worrisome but worse yet, there was a distant blaring of sirens that would stop ringing in her ears. Whipping her head around, the rest of the group followed. Zipping down the street, armored vehicles used by Valean SWAT teams headed in a convoy of almost five different vehicles, sirens and lights blaring obnoxiously.

And they were heading for the docks.

Just as they came to the realization, an explosion ripped through the air. It was bright with reds and oranges in the sky. All eyes turned to see trails of fiery smoke shooting into the air before spinning wildly and blowing up at the end. From the light of the explosions, the dark figures in the air were illuminated revealing pitch-black air craft flying about, dodging missiles and other weaponry.

"Uhm…" Pyrrha spoke. "That's the direction of the docks!"

But just as they started to advance towards the docks, a bright, whistling projectile flew through the air and smashed against one of the flying craft.

"LAHAT Five has been hit!" The pilot roared. "We're going down!"

"Alright, boys!" Jaune shouted as the vehicle began to spin. "Activate your jet-packs and bail out! Rosemary, Carolina, Blake; time to put our huntsman training to some use!"

Throwing his arm out, the sliding door sudden crunched and flattened before flying off into the air. Building aura in his legs, he and his huntress team jumped from the air craft with about twenty men following after them, jet packs strapped to their backs. One by one, they landed in the loading area of the docks.

"Alright…" He frowned. "Time to get into the fight!"

Reaching up, he grabbed his assault rifle and quickly aimed it ahead. White Fang were running back and forth, repositioning to find better vantage points to strike. But one was running to slow. Aiming down his HUD activated sights, he pulled the trigger, putting a few bullets into the man's knees and calves, shredding the aura and the flesh beneath. He toppled over, screaming in pain and did his best to crawl away, leaving a deathly trail of blood. Jaune stared at what he'd done with a stern eye, trying to hide his terror.

He was quickly snapped from his thoughts as a series of bullets ricocheted and snagged around him. Ducking behind the crate he found, he took a deep breath trying to recollect his thoughts. Popping a corner, he found Rosemary and Carolina firing off pot-shots with their SMG's and Blake had a higher position taking shots with her pistol, taking out a few of the Fang from the fight without injuring them to the degree he did. Bringing his rifle up, he opened fire, shattering the helmet of one of the Fang operatives, knocking him out immediately.

Behind him, more gunfire was born as the infantry that were with them landed and powered their jet-packs down. The infantry moved about, taking bullets, glowing every once in a while, from the impacts of bullets against their overshields. They jumped about, slid against the concrete and hid behind crates strewn about. Once his forces got a decent firing position, a powerful explosion shook the battlefield as his LAHAT finally grounded into the concrete, showering the docks with fire and debris, some knocking Fang and his own unlucky troops unconscious.

The impact did little to ease the battle – in fact, it felt that it only made things worse. More explosions were heard sending shivers up and down his spine. WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY USING EXPLOSIVES AROUND DUST? ARE THEY INSANE?!

Gunfire soon danced and sung around the docks as flashes of gun barrels lit the night. Human and Faunus fell to battle around them. But as if there was nothing that could make the plan go worse, a powerful rumble shook the air. Looking up, the rest of the Fang Bullhead fleet was flying in, spotlights illuminating the battlefield, revealing their positions to the enemy. The cargo bay doors opened on either side of the five Bullheads. Ropes suddenly fell over, unraveling and toppling onto the ground. His eyes widened when entire units began to rappel down to the concrete while others actually jumped from the Bullheads, doing flips and fancy maneuvers mid-air.

"Alright…" Jaune frowned, placing his assault rifle against its magnetic holster. "Carolina, Rosemary, Blake…time to kick some aura wielding ass."

"I thought you'd never say so." Carolina smirked, rising to her feet; cyan armor practically glowing in the night.

Drawing Crocea Mors and opening his shield, Jaune jumped over the overturned crate and dashed towards the sword wielding opponents. He closed the distance with fire burning off his hair and eyes bleeding crimson. Swinging with all his might, the first operative was sent flying, aura depleted and armor sliced through. Turning on the toes of his front foot, he bashed his shield out, connecting the face of the bulwark against the helmet of another operative.

Once he straightened, he sidestepped a shotgun blast. Moving as swiftly as before, he shot his shield up once again, just as the man prepared to fire. Angling his shield properly, the buckshot bearings actually deflected off the metal and ricocheted into the different operatives behind him, shattering their aura and some outright getting wounded by the volatile shotgun pellets.

Charging at the man, he shoved his shield into the man's chest, sending him flying back. Whipping around, he slashed out, snapping through another Fang's aura, sending the man to the concrete beneath. Gunfire and bullets continued, trails of bullets speeding past his face and others dancing and bouncing off his overshield. But just as he was about to continue his attack, something hit him, knocking the air from his lungs.

At first, it felt like a donkey kicking him, but heat and pressure began to settle within his chest. He flew through the air, rolling and bouncing against the concrete. As he tumbled, his overshield shut down, needing some time to recharge. He sighed at his luck. Growling and wincing at how sore his bones and muscles felt, despite his massive aura, he stumbled to his knees. Around him, the White Fang who used blades were clashing with Blake, Carolina and Rosemary. The three women did what they could to make short work of the operatives, but there was too much gunfire.

Around him, officers started to flood the battlefield, taking positions with his troops and began to open fire. SWAT teams flanked and immediately arrested Fang who surrendered. But his world was spinning within his helmet as his suit rebooted. Taking several deep breaths, trying to ease the raging headache, he unlatched his helmet and tossed the gear across the battlefield, eyes rolling to the back of his head.

Bullets snagged around him; some barely missing his unprotected head. Explosions rocked the field and soon enough, a powerful, flickering blast of energy whistled through the air, snapping him from his thoughts. Jaune forced himself to his feet as the projectile collided with an empty shipping crate. Men and police flew in every direction, some maimed by the attack, others simply lost an overshield. Rising to his feet, the Arc swung his sword around and leaned against a stack of crates and prepared to strike.

"Blake!" He roared. "You ready for some team attacks?"

"Hell yes!" She responded.

Jumping forward, he tuck-and-rolled across the battlefield, leaving debris and a cloud of dust in his wake. Punching an unware Fang operative in the gut, he kneed the man and shoved his unconscious form over to let the police handle him. Charging along, he clashed his blade with another's and kicked his friend away before they could get him together.

Parrying and moving like a professional dancer, Jaune clashed his weapon against the length of the curved scimitar and parried once more, actually disarming the man. Closing the distance like lightning, he activated Yang's semblance and bashed his elbow into the Fang's face, sending him flying. Much like Yang, he clenched his fists as fire grew around him, igniting his blade and covering his shield in an aura of flames. With every hit, he got stronger and damn it if that explosion didn't make him feel like a god.

"Knightshade!"

The two burst forward, Blake with her katana and Jaune with his broadsword. They clashed with the first group of Fang in a shower of sparks and light. He swung powerfully with his flaming sword, knocking a member unconscious. Blake followed up with a quick clone decoy and flipped behind another operative before knocking her unconscious as well. The Arc ducked underneath a power swing from an axe wielding Fang, leaving Blake to happily take care of him.

Throwing her arm out, the powerful ribbon that connected to her pistol swung about as the katana transformed into a grappling hook-gun. It swung about as the bullets were fired from the pistol sending it rampaging through the air. The transformed blade clashed and bashed against White Fang defenses, knocking them away, slicing against their skin or breaking their aura. Once the vicious pistol-blade finished swinging about, Jaune followed up quick with precise strikes at their weak spots – under the arm and against their necks.

Throwing an arm out, a few members were covered in a dark black aura, lifting them off their feet. Pulling his arm back, those caught were flung towards him and Blake. As they flew, a woman in cyan armor and another with dark green, appeared, shoving their feet into their sides, sandwiching them into a single pile. Blowing off the new drove, the two women charged off into battle, ducking, weaving, whipping and practically dancing around their opponents, SMG's armed and firing angrily.

"Blake…" Jaune smiled. "You ready?"

"I've been ready, my love." She beamed.

Jaune blushed in the night and prepared to move, but a call stopped him. Whipping his head around, a man ran up to them, wearing bullet proof armor and black police fatigues. He wore a Kevlar helmet and a face mask. On his chest, a name-tape bore the acronym SWAT. "Sir! Your helmet!"

"Thank you, Officer Jenkins." Jaune nodded and grabbed the helmet from the officer. "Send your men to secure the entrance and surrounding area. Get some medics to help with the wounded. How are the other landing zones?"

"Not too bad, sir." Jenkins nodded. "They have made successful ground against the White Fang. The White Fang Bullheads though, pulled out before the Levies could take them down. Thankfully, the defense was too strong and they couldn't take any Dust with them before having to leave."

"Alright…" The Arc slipped his helmet on, letting it hiss and latch. "Right now, I want more men heading to LZ Alpha and Charlie. Have marksmen move up to the rooftops to provide sniper cover with Lieutenant Roux, the next White Fang assault will begin once we secure the docks."

"Understood!"

"Blake, get Carolina and Rosemary's attention." Jaune began to run towards the main warehouse. "Roman is our target, not the White Fang!"

The pair dashed through the barred metal doors of the warehouse and tumbled over the debris within. Their eyes widened when they found that the warehouse was completely empty. Both Rosemary and Carolina were already within the building, fists clenched and melee weapons drawn. Rosemary had her bo-staff wielded and Carolina had a kukri knife. What really made Jaune pale was what stood waiting for them. There were a few faces Jaune didn't recognize and there were a few that he knew he'd never forget.

Roman stood with a cocky grin on his face with Neopolitan standing next to him, her silent dual-colored gaze boring holes into his soul. Beside Roman, there were two White Fang lieutenants – one with a chainsaw sword and the other had a large drill-bit sword. But that was just the beginning of his worries. Turning to the person beside him, Blake's face was cold, terrified, with eyes as wide as plates. A part of her almost backed away but stopped when her eyes met his.

The two of them looked ahead and glared at the figure of none other than Adam Taurus.

"I see what you've become, my darling." He sneered. "Wallowing with the humans…and who might you be?"

Jaune stepped forward, eyes bleeding crimson and hair slowly catching fire. His left hand glowed green and his right turned crimson. Seeing Adam sent rage and fire throughout his body – he hurt the love his life, had a hand in the fall of Beacon and worst of all, tormented Blake. Activated every semblance he had, sans Ren's for the time being, he released a powerful blast of aura that showered the area in a myriad of colors and lights, shattering glass windows and blowing doors off their hinges.

"I'm none other than the King of Vale." Jaune bellowed, his voice reverberating throughout the warehouse.

Suddenly, behind him, Melanie and Miltia arrived with a small squad of their own troops. Tucker and Grif arrived as well with a pair of their best troops. The odds were definitely not in their favor but at least there was something for them. The Malachite twins gave their infantry a quick nod and soon enough, the non-essentials fled the scene. Jaune walked to the head of the group as more White Fang filled the scene.

"Are you guys ready?" Jaune frowned. "These aren't your run of the mill douchebags."

"You're right!" Roman called. "We're Grad A, douchebags."

Both Jaune and Carolina rolled their eyes. "Roman. Do us a favor and surrender yourself. Adam, we're not here for you."

"You not only killed my men but you stole my darling." Adam drew Wilt, the sword glowing with a menacing ire. "I will skin you alive."

"You will try, pea-brain." Rosemary glared, preparing her bo-staff. "Besides, I think Blakey upgraded."

Adam's jaw actually dropped and his sword hand faltered. "Oh, you're dead, human."

"Oh gods…" Blake rolled her eyes, fear completely forgotten. "Here we go, again…"

"Oh-ho-ho! A love-triangle!" Roman clapped his hands, catching an intense nod from the girl beside him.

One of the Fang lieutenants actually lowered his weapon and even removed his mask. He stared at Adam and back at Jaune with confused eyes. Tucker facepalmed and shook his head. The leader of the White Fang rose to straighten his back and glared menacingly at Roman, his teeth barring. "Can you shut up, already?"

"Thank you!" Carolina shouted.

"I like her." Roman smirked. "Sharp tongued, that one."

"Oh, shut up, Roman." Melanie frowned.

"Yeah, you're like, totally annoying right now." Miltia finished.

Neopolitan simply held up a sign with words scribbled across it. Tucker though laughed heartily. "Why don't you speak up, Neo! Oh wait, you can't!"

"Hey, why don't you –!"

"ENOUGH! Gods damn it all to hell!" Jaune roared. "Shut up, all of you! Prepare yourselves! We've fucking talked enough! Also, that was kind of a low blow Tucker."

A series of groans and growls were heard as the two groups prepared themselves. Former criminals, former mercenaries and terrorists gathered in the warehouse, eyeing one another with blades and bludgeons ready. Almost like a mosh-pit gang fight, the two groups were unwilling to strike first. Jaune glared at Adam. Blake glared at him as well. Carolina locked her eyes with Roman, ready to punch his face in. Rosemary glared menacingly at the drill-bit lieutenant. Grif and Tucker both decided to team up on the chainsaw wielder. Neo opened her parasol and stood in a confident pose, smiling at the Malachite twins, already choosing them to be her opponents.

The air was tense.

Their hearts were steady.

Jaune and Adam gave a powerful roar.

"Attack!"

So, I just thought I'd throw this in
No. Adam will not die here.

I'm probably spoiling the obvious but I just wanted to say that
to kill the idea you might have right at the bud. Because
I have big ol' plans for Adam Taurus - very big plans

So yeah, the battle begins and Jaune makes his move and Roman is as cheeky
as usual. Anyway, next chapter is the continuation of the fight!

Please, review, follow and favorite!
It would most definitely make the world to me!

Ja ne!

gottahavekyuubi