Chapter 4: You Don't Matter
"What do you mean you're not going to your graduation dance?" Hazel demanded again.
Jaune sighed. "Please, let it go."
"The fuck I will. You'll let your sister go alone?"
"I'm sure Lavender won't mind."
"I don't- " Lavender began.
"You stay out of it!" Hazel turned on her.
Shamelessly, Jaune used Lavender as a human shield, slipping even further to the back of the group.
Juniper had declared it was about time they made a family picnic trip, especially after she'd learned both Jaune and Lavender would be leaving for Vale. Jaune, of course, refused. But as had been proven time and again, one simply couldn't challenge the combined effort of seven motivated sisters backed by their mother.
So, graciously accepting the reality of his existence, Jaune helped Sapphire pack an embarrassing volume of food that barely fit in two coolers and a huge bag, which, of course, he also ended up carrying. He made sure to politely voice his displeasure, but secretly, he welcomed the extra training. He would be missing two sessions, after all.
"Miss Arc," the guard stationed at Ansel's gates greeted Juniper. "Sign your names here with your scroll numbers." They passed his pad between them. Jaune scrawled his name in a tiny script, trying to fit it beneath Amber's circle of hearts, above Coral's Beowulf drawing.
The guard shoved the paper into his back pocket, not before whistling in appreciation at Coral's artistic skills. He handed Juniper a flare gun, a map, and a GPS. "Lovely day out there. I should tell you though, we've been receiving reports of increased Grimm activity for a while now."
"Anything we should be worried about?" Sapphire asked.
"No ma'am, I wouldn't say so. Stay vigilant and you won't run into any trouble." He pointed at a large map tacked to the wall behind him. "We are limiting trips to the A zone today. The GPS will beep if you get to the edge, but the geography Is pretty straightforward; don't go past the river. I should also remind you that huntsmen response to your location can take up to a minute. We advise all travelers to stay near the main roads. Do you wish to carry a firearm?"
"Yeah, I guess," Sable said. "A Goliath will enjoy the tickling before it devours us."
The guard chuckled. "I think we would have spotted a Goliath long before it reached anywhere close to Ansel."
"We don't need a firearm," Juniper said.
"When can we expect you back?" He inquired.
"Before sundown."
"Stay tuned to your scrolls. If anything happens, you'll receive ample warning. Have a pleasant trip."
They followed a cobbled road that twisted around four watchtowers, before sloping down towards a wide meadow, passing three other families, a group of teenagers, and one lone hiker.
Jaune welcomed the small breaks in the hike when the girls bickered over camping sites, since his shoulders were already killing him. In the end, they compromised to find a shaded spot inside the forest, but not too far from the open field.
"Jaune! Carry me!" Amber jumped on his arm and he almost dropped one of the coolers.
"I'm slightly overburdened if you haven't noticed."
"Noooo," she whined.
"I'm sure Sapphire will oblige."
Amber threw him one of her it wasn't over looks and took off in a stomping run. She looked even tinier than usual, surrounded by enormous Redwoods. That part of the forest was pretty bare and easy to traverse. Another mile down that dirt trail would put them near the river where the vegetation was denser and the trees were more Pines than Redwoods.
Jaune slowed down until he could hardly hear his vocal sisters. They wouldn't be hard to find if he lost sight of them, as the road didn't diverge for the next half mile.
The arcs used to hike around these parts whenever Nicholas was home from his missions. His father had been the one carrying all the food, along with his armor, sword, and the occasional demanding daughter. No need for GPS back then. Or a flare gun, or signing up at the guards' office. They'd been as safe as anywhere else in the world, Nicholas' gaze never staying put, constantly scanning for threats.
Maybe it would be a good habit to cultivate-
"Ouch!" Something sharp jabbed into the small of his back. Jaune whirled around, mostly with his head, since the rest of his body was otherwise occupied and he wouldn't risk damaging the food under any circumstances.
Coral was hunched over her notebook, standing uncomfortably close to him. "Why did you stop?" She asked.
"Did you just stab me with your pencil?" Jaune glowered at the offending weapon, lowering the coolers to the ground.
"Yes."
"How long were you walking behind me?" he asked.
"Since we left Ansel," she replied with her usual detached voice.
"Well, I'd appreciate if you don't shadow me next time. Or at least…make some noise." Like a normal person.
"I was making plenty of noise." Coral sniffed with disinterest. "Not my fault big brother is a clueless airhead."
"You are three years older than me."
"Semantics."
She flopped down on one of the coolers.
Jaune stared at her.
Coral stared down at her notebook.
He coughed.
Her drawing hand moved in sharper strokes.
"Ahem," he coughed again.
"Are you sick?"
Jaune scowled. "Pardon, but I daresay I'm already carrying enough for one slave."
"So you're calling me fat?"
"I guess I am."
Coral shrugged. "What's the point of all that training if you still fail as my personal mule?"
"…. Alright then, I guess we're taking a break." Jaune sighed, sitting down at her feet.
"I'll show you when it's done," she said.
"Show me what?"
Coral tapped her lips with the end of her pencil. "My sketch."
He rolled his eyes. "I truly can't wait."
"All the same, you shall."
Jaune slipped the straps off his shoulders and leaned back on the bag, determined to Ignore the bump that was digging into his waist.
It was pleasantly quiet. Well, aside from the odd shout and distant, roaring laughter. It's a shame they had chosen to take such a popular track. Many areas around Ansel were far more secluded.
With his face shaded and the rest of his body warmed by the sun, the scratches of Coral's pencil lulled him to a comfortable doze.
"I heard you the other night."
"Hmm?" His eyes fluttered open. Her notebook was closed on her knees now. He stretched, rubbing at his eyes. "If you don't mind, we should get moving."
"Not yet."
Jaune rose to his feet, brushing the back of his pants. "You do realize I'm unarmed and carrying the food of eight starving women."
"Sapphire called while you were snoring," Coral said. "They are settling in. I assured her the food will reach its destination shortly."
"Well, let's get going then." He grabbed the handle of the cooler. A clear threat. She stared back at him, unimpressed.
Fine, she asked for it. Jaune steadied his feet, readying to pull it from under her.
His body seized. He couldn't do it.
Coral smirked knowingly at him.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked.
"Excuse me?"
"Tsk, you never learn, dear brother. You know that I know that you know exactly what I've just asked. Still, you fall back to the usual tactics."
Damn it, Coral.
She was always the hardest to deal with. "Pardon, but you'll have to be more specific than that. "
"Let it all out, brother. I can wait all day."
And she would. She would sit there until sunset, if need be, knowing he wouldn't leave her alone.
Jaune threw up his hands. "It's called being polite. I advise you to try it sometimes."
"Why should I?" she asked unapologetically, "Manners are for the weak-minded."
"Like myself, I suppose?"
Coral hopped to her feet. "No. You use your manners as a shield and a distraction. I am not as nice as Lavender or as stupid as Hazel not to see it. Now, did you find what you were looking for?"
He should get this over with. "I assume you're asking about the night I was down in the basement."
"Finally." Coral clapped. "He gets to the point."
"Well, no. As a matter of fact, I did not find what I was looking for."
"Lies."
"Coral- "
"You ruined my sleep," she stated simply. "Do you think you were being discreet? You shook up the entire house."
"I was looking for my Aura profile. Sapphire must have hidden it in her room."
Coral ran her hand through her straight, shoulder-length hair. "Not bad. I'm not surprised though. You've never shied away from lying to your family. Plenty of practice."
The surge of irritation that coursed through him was immediate and almost alien. "Screw you."
She smiled. "Finally, something real."
"You know what Coral? I don't give a fuck about what you think of me. You can take your little notebook with your fucked-up little drawings and shove it up your arse, then- "
"Do you care about Mom?" she asked simply.
"What?!"
"Your mother, Juniper Arc," Coral said. "Widowed young. Raised eight brats on her own. Do you care about her?"
"Of course I care about her!"
"But you care about yourself more."
"Oh, look who's skirting around the issue now," Jaune taunted.
"You're scaring her," Coral said. "The training, the late-night adventures, talks of Aura. You look like death, and she looks worse."
"Bullshit," Jaune spat. "You can't blame that on me."
"If she relapses, it's going to be your fault."
How dare she. How dare she put this crap on him.
Jaune nodded. Turning his back on her, he lifted the coolers and started walking.
"We are not done, Jaune."
He kept walking.
"You're not the only child that lost a father that night," Coral yelled after him.
He stopped, biting his lips.
She wasn't worth the effort.
He forced out a breath. "Please don't stay here alone, it's not safe. I'm going to go now."
/x/
"Sustenance!" Jade cried on her knees at his feet, grasping his shirt reverently. "My Savior!" She'd pounced on him the moment he entered the small camp they'd made.
Settled near the first split in the road, they found a secluded spot clear of undergrowth. They spread the beach mat Juniper had insisted on bringing, moved rocks to serve as seats, and already had a small fire going.
"Where's Coral?" Juniper asked.
"Right behind me," Jaune replied.
Juniper's glare was enough to freeze the hearts of a thousand Death Stalkers. "You left your sister alone- "
"I'm here Mom, relax." Coral appeared from behind a dense bush that concealed the view of the road.
"See? She's here," Jaune said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to take a walk."
"I'll join you," Hazel said.
"No thanks."
"Good thing I wasn't asking."
"What, you want to watch me pee so bad?"
"Fine, fuck off."
"Don't wander too far!" Juniper called after him.
Jaune took a left turn at the crossing, in the direction of the river.
Finally, some peace and quiet. Stretching his arms above his head, he let out a yawn so wide and long his jaws vibrated.
"Jaune! Wait up!"
Amber skipped towards him.
Dear gods.
"Amber, go back."
"Nope."
"Amber." Jaune crossed his arms. "I have…business to take care of."
"You can pee." She pouted. "I won't look!"
"I don't- ugh, never mind. Did you tell Mom you were going with me?"
Amber kicked at the ground. "Yes…?"
"Amber…" Jaune sighed, pressing at his temples. A massive headache was incoming; he just knew it.
After calling Juniper and letting her know that, yes, Amber was indeed with him, and yes, he wouldn't take his eyes off her under any circumstances, they continued down the road.
Jaune had to admit, in some ways, Amber's presence was more calming than tiring. Something about her careless freedom, the way she pranced around every tree, turning over every stone, literally, despite his repeated warnings of hidden bugs and small animals. It held a nostalgic flair. He could very well superimpose the image of his own young self over her own, running around, waving at every bird, odd leaf, and imagining shapes in the clouds.
Maybe it was also the fact that this might be the last time he walked down this road. Juniper had been discussing moving to Vale for years. Now that Lavender and he had finished school, nothing was keeping them here. Amber was young enough to readjust and the older girls could easily find work in the city. He wouldn't be surprised if the Arc estate was already put on sale without him even noticing.
Jaune had spent the last week searching for apartment rentals and sending job applications. Ideally, he would be able to get a job in Vale's docks. It would be punishing, harsh work. But both well-paying and physically challenging, which meant he would be killing two birds with one stone.
Beacon was… a faraway dream at his point. Not that it had ever been his dream to go there, but that would definitely be the surest way to get stronger. If the last months had taught him anything, it was the futility of self-training. He was either not talented, or not smart enough to piece together the puzzle on his own.
According to his research, about 1% of Vale City's population had their Aura unlocked. It was one of the highest percentages in the world, evenly split between male and female, slightly more Faunus than Humans. The cost of unlocking a person's Aura was estimated at half a million Lien, or about 77 average, monthly incomes. Of that 1%, a total of 90% unlocked their Aura during childhood, after passing highly competitive aptitude tests and getting accepted into one of the combat schools, 9% as teenagers. Less than 1% Independently as adults.
Nicholas hadn't tested any of his children. He had no intention of letting any of them follow him in his footsteps. Though, based on Jaune's recent AEM reading, he wouldn't have passed the required tests anyway.
The statistics were obviously against him. Rationally, he couldn't expect to make much progress in a few months, but if it was only about time and Lien…77 incomes made for a huge figure.
Far from impossible though.
To the surprise of no one, unlocked Aura correlated with wealth. Every single rich, famous person Jaune could find enough info on had their Aura unlocked. Every single one. Many of them had never been to a combat school.
There was more to unlocking Aura than simple meditation exercises, Jaune was sure of it. Maybe violence was the answer, as Derek had said. And if it was, huntsmen schools wouldn't be sharing this on pamphlets.
Whatever the answer was, Jaune needed professional guidance. And he would have to figure out where to find it, or more likely, who he would have to pay to find it for him.
"Jaune, I'm tired!" Amber complained.
"Well, you should have stayed in camp then."
"Can we go back now?" She pleaded.
He hesitated. "I'm sorry, I wanted to see the river. It's just up ahead." Her face fell. "But if you're that tired…"
"Let me ride on your shoulders then!"
"I don't know…" Jaune pretended to consider.
"Please, please, please!" She tugged at his sleeves.
"Alright. Come here!"
She squealed as he easily lifted her over his head.
"Can you hear the water?" He asked when she was well situated. His shoulders were tight and sore, but he didn't care.
"No!"
"Let's get closer then."
First though, he pulled out his scroll. No missed calls.
Huh.
No way. They'd been gone for almost half an hour, and Juniper didn't try to call them even once?
"Hey, Amber, check if Mom's called you, please."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want them to worry about us."
Her stomach pressed against his head, slightly lifting up so she could pull her scroll out of her pocket.
"Nope," she said after a moment.
"Let me see."
She slipped her scroll over his shoulder into his hand. No calls.
A strong gust of wind blew through the trees, swaying branches and fluttering leaves in a rasping jangle. The forest seemed to have shaded to a murky tint, though looking up at the skies, the sun was clear of clouds.
The river was a few minutes away, but… maybe they should get back. Jaune began to stride back in the direction of the camp, to higher ground.
"Jaune, who's that?"
His eyes darted along Amber's pointed finger to his left, and above a large, moss-covered rock at the side of the dirt path. A figure crouched on top of its slanted surface, staring blankly at them.
Only the curly beard, dirtied with grease and crusted spittle, betrayed his gender. Completely bald, his features delicate and timeless. The rest of his body was garbed in a pristine, white robe of the type they hand out to patients in hospitals.
"Morning, sir," Jaune blurted. Taking a cautious step backwards. He had a disturbing vision of the weedy man leaping at them like a predator.
The man's eyes rolled into focus. "Why, good morning to you too, young master," he spoke in a gliding voice that sent chills down Jaune's spine. "And lady."
Jaune raised his hands slowly and laid them on Amber's lower legs, circling his neck. He twisted to keep walking, then froze, his ingrained manners kicking in and dictating his body language.
"What are you doing up there?" Amber asked. "And why are- "
"Amber!" Jaune's hands tightened on her legs. "Excuse me sir, we're in a hurry." Jaune forced himself to walk sideways, refusing to take his eyes off the guy.
"Oh my! Are you also in search of a dumpster?"
"Pardon?" Jaune puzzled, increasing his pace.
The man rose up in a sudden motion and jumped to the ground. Jaune was ready to bolt.
"A dumpster, child. How else are you going to hide from the Grimm?"
"Grimm?" Jaune looked around despite himself.
"Aye! They should be here any moment now."
Jaune scanned his surroundings again. "Pardon, but how do you know?"
"My Aura told me!"
A semblance? No. This guy simply couldn't be a huntsman.
"…Right. We'll be going now," Jaune said. The man followed them close behind.
"Oh, how rude of me! Name's Spike."
"Amber and Jaune!" Amber said cheerfully.
Jaune squeezed her knees, desperately trying to signal her to stay silent.
Spike moved forward and spun in a fluid motion, suddenly walking backwards, facing them. "Going the wrong direction," he mumbled.
"Our group is that way. They're expecting us," Jaune said.
"How many?" Spike asked.
This question, his odd mannerism, the way his eyes fixated on nothing but them. Jaune's back prickled with alarm. He suppressed a shudder.
"A large group," Jaune replied, then added, "Armed. They may already be looking for us."
"A shame," Spike mumbled. "Not enough pills."
The shifty man proceeded to thump violently on his chest, then he gurgled, coughed, and pushed his fingers into his mouth, all the while somehow managing to keep his footing, dodging small stones and bumps in the trail as if he had eyes on his back.
"Here," Spike offered his open palm, presenting two silvery pills covered in bile. "Put you right to sleep."
"Sir, please move aside," Jaune said. "You're blocking our view of the road." He felt incredibly vulnerable, with Amber limiting his movement and weighing down on him. If it came to a fight, he wouldn't be able to defend her.
"Oh, my deepest apologies," Spike spun again, and it seemed as if he hadn't stopped walking at all, simply appearing beside them, now facing forward. "Keep your eyes open for a dumpster."
How long had he and Amber been walking there? Maybe three-quarters of an hour? Jaune's calves were burning and his breath already came shorter. How fast could he cover that distance in a run?
"Why a dumpster?" Jaune asked. Better to keep the strange man occupied.
"A dumpster for the smell, a pill for your emotions," Spike said. "Makes you dead matter to the Grimm."
Jaune used the distraction to call Lavender on Amber's scroll. Then he tried Juniper on his own. Both disconnected immediately with a short beep. That…shouldn't happen.
There was a distant, inhuman shriek.
"Jaune, why do- "
"Quiet Amber."
"But- "
"I said quiet."
His heartbeat was hammering. Scrolls didn't fail. It just never happened.
If their scrolls didn't work, they couldn't receive warnings from Ansel's huntsmen office. They couldn't call for help. They couldn't be tracked in case of an emergency.
They rounded a bend, circling a mound of dense foliage. Jaune split his attention between Spike, and his scroll, going through his contacts list, calling everyone. Nothing went through.
Two flares went off to the east, flashing out in a shower of red sparkles.
"It's starting," Spike muttered.
Another flare went up on their right.
Jaune halted, immobilized. Listening. At first, it sounded like the sharp squeaks common to classrooms, when the metal legs of several chairs scrapped against ceramic floor tiles. Gradually, the noise intensified, both in volume and pitch, and he finally realized what he was hearing; the rumble of thousands of terrified cries. It reminded him of a concert in Vale they had once gone to on a visit. The concert hall had been huge, accommodating a crowd of thousands. He had covered his ears then, stunned by the sheer volume of so many voices screaming in closed quarters. Now, the cries were muted by distance, and far more sinister.
There was a red dot in the sky.
A faulty flare?
"Jaune, I'm scared," Amber whispered in his ear, hugging his neck.
Jaune was rooted in a trance, staring up at the red dot. Its journey was very close to reaching its inevitable conclusion. Streaking through the sky, Jaune could almost make out its vague outline.
An Atlassian Bullhead? No, that wasn't right.
"Come with me," Spike suddenly demanded. His hand struck out like a viper.
"Let go!" Jaune pulled back, squatting down as much as he could, planting his feet in the ground. He was dragged all the same, off the trail, his arm stretching so far it hurt.
Amber latched onto his hair, pushing her face flat against his head as he was pulled over bushes and through the low branches of a Pine, spluttering and spitting leaves out of his mouth, his head down and one arm covering his face protectively.
They stumbled out of the dense shrubbery, and Spike shoved him down behind a wide trunk.
Sobbing, Amber slipped off his shoulders. She bled from several scratches on her face and had a bald spot on her scalp. A clump of her hair was missing.
Jaune hugged her heaving form to his chest. He would kill the bastard. He would-
There was a pounding gallop, accompanied by a growling hum, pulsing the air around them with a terrible force.
Spike raised a finger to his lips.
Through the gap between two wide Redwood trunks, obscured by a net of leaves and waist-high bushes, Jaune could make out a massive, black form, lined with white, bony spikes on its back and shoulders. Disturbingly humanoid, it crouched more on its hind legs than front, as if almost standing up straight.
Jaune's gaze travelled up the creature's body, from its bulky clawed arms, up to its muscled chest, and finally, to its face, covered with the same white bone, in a frightening imitation of a mask.
There was something in its jaws.
Jaune squinted, tilting sideways to get a better angle.
A torso. A human torso with half of its neck missing and two stumps for legs. One arm was torn at the elbow, the other twisted backwards in a position that no human arm should ever reach.
The world around Jaune seemed to be slowing into a glaze, taking a dream-like quality. He felt detached, disconnected from what was happening, as if he wasn't really there, but a viewer, watching the scene through someone else's eyes.
The Beowulf raised its head, sniffing at the air, and shook violently, tearing half the body in a spray of guts and blood.
Then it roared.
Jaune should have recited The Invocation for Peace. That was protocol; clear your mind, recite the mantra, and stay still.
Instead, he hunched over Amber, holding her tighter, and shutting his eyes. They remained like that, trembling, for what felt like whole minutes, until the roaring finally subsided.
When Jaune opened his eyes, the Beowulf was gone.
Nothing made sense. This couldn't be happening. Grimm somehow getting so close to Ansel, on a main road, and there was no sign of a response. They should have already been contacted by a huntsman and extracted to safety.
No siren alarms either.
Spike sniffed, standing up and brushing his robes. "We need to go, young master," he said.
"Where?" Jaune muttered.
"To the source."
No. The others. He had to get to the others. "My family…"
"Dead or alive, doesn't matter." Spike spoke gravely, with an air of conviction he hadn't displayed before. "You don't matter. Nothing you do matters. A flea can't hope to stand against the wrath of a tiger."
"What source?" Jaune asked, numbed.
"I don't know." Spike appeared to be genuinely puzzled at the question. "We'll know when we get there."
"Amber!" Jaune cried. Her head flopped to one side and her body went limp. "Wake up." He slapped her face, panicking.
Spike shoved Jaune off her, putting a finger to her neck. "Alive."
"Amber," Jaune whispered, his throat ragged. She looked so fragile. He leaned down and gently lifted her into his arms, knees popping as he straightened.
"Follow me or die," Spike said.
/x/
The world turned into nothing but his own shaky breath, Amber's delicate form strewn in his arms, and Spike's back leading the way.
They moved in a zigzag pattern, taking cover behind rocks and trees. Spike would advance in a weird hopping gait, at times stopping for no apparent reason, tilting his head as if listening to the wind, then readjusting their course.
Jaune's sense of direction was completely disoriented, but he could roughly guess they were moving away from Ansel since the screaming grew more distant.
No more flares lit up the skies.
They'd somehow avoided every Grimm, always keeping just at the right distance to stay out of their path. Jaune only caught glimpses of vague, monstrous shapes, thundering through the forest like a tidal wave.
"I can't," Jaune gasped. His legs were close to giving out. His right forearm was pulsating.
A screeching cry, followed by a gust of wind.
They shrunk down when the Wyvern soared over them. The sky disappeared as its colossal wingspan roofed the gap between the trees. Its clawed tail snapped, shredding branches and showering leaves over them before it dove out of view.
Amber, warped asunder, then tossed away like garbage.
A hand waved in front of Jaune's face. "Young master."
Then it would plunge at him, its talons piercings his back with a nauseating crunch.
"It's gone."
A flap of wings, and he'd be jerked into the air so violently he'd break every bone in his body. Then-
"We need to move." Spike's hunched figure came back into focus, staring at Jaune. His white robe was now stained with mud. "You're in shock," Spike said.
"Am I?" Jaune asked. he didn't feel in shock. He felt tired. Oddly calm and numb.
"Almost there," Spike said. He pointed to a column of smoke. "Need to keep moving."
/x/
They found the source of the smoke on top of a hill, where the trees opened up into a stretch of straight ground.
In the middle of the grassy clearing, there was a hunk of smoking metal, sunken into the earth. Smoke, but no fire.
Jaune stumbled behind Spike, collapsing to his knees near the main body of the wreck. He lowered Amber as gently as he could.
"What is that thing?" Jaune asked.
Spike hammered with a closed fist against its sleek surface, making a gong sound.
If it was a ship, it was shaped like nothing Jaune had seen before. Sculpted like an egg, it had no apparent propulsions, portholes, or weapon systems.
"Who knows?" Spike struck it again.
"Stop," Jaune said.
Spike crashed into it with his shoulder. A full body slam that startled Jaune and created a cloud of dust around them.
The front of the metal peeled back in a hissing sound, opening into a door-sized hole.
The inside was pitch black, as though light hit some barrier at its edge.
"Fascinating," Spike said, waving his fist at the edge, then shoving his entire arm inside, all the way to his shoulder. His eyes widen, and Jaune could only imagine the worst.
"Cold," Spike determined after a moment, stepping back and rubbing the back of his head. "Well, don't be rude, child. Get In there."
Get in there? If this thing closed again, they might get stuck. Trapped in the dark, they'd slowly die of thirst, assuming nothing in there killed them much sooner.
"No, we should stay here," Jaune said. "Amber, Wake up." He nudged at her head. The only thing keeping him from losing his mind was the steady rise and fall of her chest.
"Your choice." Spike shrugged. "You have a chance out here. Better inside."
"How do you know that? Who are you?"
Spike froze, as if his entire body was suddenly seized by an invisible force.
"Grimm?" Jaune asked
"Worse," Spike muttered. "Dangerous. Dangerous adversaries."
Two men entered the clearing.
Jaune only had eyes for one.
Wearing a white, open leather jacket that revealed a muscled chest, his gold eyes rolled like a predator's, honing in on them with a frightening intensity. A tail protruded from his back. No, not a tail…A stinger.
He smiled in a wide grin that revealed too many teeth. Jaune pulled Amber into his arms, instinctively covering her with his body.
"Tyrian," the other man said. Tall, tanned skin, he wore a grey overcoat and a black necktie. "It's here. Like she had anticipated."
The Faunus, Tyrian, licked his lips. "Goddess sees everything, dear Watts." His stinger rose above his head. "And what do we have here? Two lone cubs and Ozpin's pet project."
"Undefended," Watts noted. "Ozpin is going to lose both his tracker and another unidentified vessel."
"Delightful," Tyrian clapped excitedly.
"Tyrian," Watts warned. "The tracker is top priority. You can have your fun later."
Tyrian licked his lips again, his eyes straying to Jaune, down to Amber's limp form. "Of course, I would never dare to endanger the Goddess' plans."
Tyrian brought his arms together, then apart in one violent, swishing arc, pulling out his wrist blades.
It was not the chilling sight of a killer Faunus readying for slaughter that shocked Jaune into movement. But Spike. The unaffable man looked absolutely terrified.
Jaune jumped to his feet, Amber dangling from his arms. He stumbled through the opened hole, into darkness.
/x/
ERROR Unknown fields interfering with electrical equipment
ERROR Lost connection with POD 91342
ERROR Lost connection with POD 91345
ERROR Lost connection with POD 91346
ERROR Lost connection with POD 91332
ERROR Failed to stabilize electromagnetic fields
ERROR Failed to stabilize nuclear core
ERROR Contact with The Eye is severed. Current coordinates unknown
WARNING Hull surface nanobots are disabled
Calculating strategy…
Analysis complete
Initiating systems shutdown in 193 seconds…
Initiating systems shutdown in 192 seconds…
Initiating systems shutdown in 191 seconds...
Initiating systems shutdown in 190 seconds...
Initiating systems shutdown in 189 seconds…
WARNING Unknown life forms breached the hull
Scanning life forms…
Gathering results…
Calculating…
Compatibility to Earth humans' biology: 99.994%
Recalculating strategy…
WARNING Action potential of cells produced by an unknown source
Recalculating strategy…
Analysis complete
Requesting permission to proceed…
ERROR Contact with The Eye is severed. Current coordinates unknown
Requesting permission to proceed…
ERROR Contact with The Eye is severed. Current coordinates unknown
Requesting permission to proceed…
ERROR Contact with The Eye is severed. Current coordinates unknown
Recalculating strategy…
Analysis complete
Commence surgery on human female
FATAL ERROR
Aborting…
Recalculating strategy…
Analysis complete
Commence surgery on human male
UnlimitedHorisons military-grade Ver 32.1 failed
Visions military-grade Ver 2.0 failed
DarkMatters military-grade Ver 12.67 failed
MoonScavenger military-grade Ver 23.82 failed
WARNING Cardiac arrest during last surgery
Recalculating strategy…
Analysis complete
Commence surgery on human male
STEM consumer grade legacy version succeeded
Inserting a custom update package…
Complete
Gathering results…
Ejecting life forms…
Initiating systems shutdown in 188 seconds…