Chapter 10: Don't Scratch the Wall
The ride to Vale General Hospital was suffocating.
Jaune sat in the backseat, sandwiched between Lavender and Jade, both clutching one of his arms close to their chests. He kept himself rigid and still, scared to make the slightest movement that may trigger his Aura and hurt one of them, despite STEM's repeated assurances that it could keep his reserves low enough to eliminate the possibility of a flare-up.
Nanobots were presumably hard at work shredding his intestines, causing his body to constantly expend energy to heal itself, thereby maintaining low levels of Aura. His past self would have shuddered at such a sickening mental image, but his relationship with his body had changed drastically, freeing him from all kinds of human sensibilities.
Terra, along with Lavender, Sapphire, and Jade, had picked him up from the north exit of Crater Lake park. He located them easily enough, STEM guiding him to Terra's car as if it were reading directions from a map. His sisters insisted on driving him straight to the hospital, and Jaune found himself nodding his agreement in a quiet sort of numbness, shocked at the sight of them as though he was looking at tokens of a past life.
He hated himself for thinking of them that way.
Since effective communication with STEM required some degree of muttering, their long-overdue talk would have to be postponed until later. STEM did confirm Jaune's suspicions regarding his missing memories, explaining that he'd been arrested and apparently survived a week-long brutal interrogation before being released for unknown reasons. To fool the rigorous testing, STEM had used the blood they'd stolen from the bloodmobile before his arrest. It had also disassembled the implant in Jaune's back into a million modular pieces and hidden them throughout his body, which later required reconstruction.
Though Jaune was still perplexed by the recent confrontation with the Huntress, and if he was being honest with himself, by a slew of other events, he seemed content to succumb to the bizarre chaos that had become his life. Now that he was reunited with his family, all alive, despite the long odds against them, the worst of his anxiety seemed to have dissipated. A small voice in his head warned him that this wasn't normal, that he wasn't himself, and that he should be terrified of an alien entity messing with his brain chemistry.
That voice was faint and easily crushed.
Two separate groups of four and two Huntsmen are following you.
Jaune tensed, if it was even possible given how rigid his body already was. The Huntress had retreated after their short fight, but it was possible she'd merely decided to call in reinforcements before engaging again.
I'm calculating a long-term strategy. Time of completion is unknown due to unidentified errors in my quantum simulators, but preliminary simulations of conceivable futures indicate that another altercation with security agencies is unlikely to occur in the coming days. I advise that you maintain a normal demeanor. Do not divulge unnecessary information to anyone. Combat remains a possibility, depending on how circumstances unfold in the next hours.
"Jaune," Lavender said, her grip on his trapped arm tightening. "You've been looking out the windows the entire ride. What's going on?"
Maintain a normal demeanor. Right.
"Uh, nothing, sorry," Jaune said. "Just…not used to the traffic."
"Crazy, isn't it?" Terra said from the driver's seat. "Sapphire used to whine about this all the time when she first moved to the city." She flashed a side-long smile at her wife, but Sapphire didn't speak or show any sign that she was listening. Both Sapphire and Jade were remarkably quiet, responding only when directly addressed and even then, with curt, one-word answers.
Jade usually styled her hair in a long bob, with ribbons wrapped around it to make the strands curl in bunches. Now, her hair was pinned into a tight bun that sat at the top of her head and was bare of any ornaments. Her plain white shirt was wrinkled and her jeans had food stains on them. She turned her head to meet his scrutinizing gaze, and Jaune braced himself for the expected demand that he stop staring at her like an idiot. Instead, she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.
"How's Amber?" Jaune asked. Lavender's nails were suddenly digging into his biceps.
There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence before Sapphire replied, her voice lifeless. "You'll see her soon enough. Mom hasn't left her side since-" her voice caught, "you know."
Terra pulled into the hospital's parking lot about twenty minutes later. It was a chaos of blaring car horns and speeding ambulances, drivers sticking their heads out of windows and swearing at each other. There weren't enough parking spaces and traffic snarled up like a knot all the way around the building.
"You should get off here, I'll catch up," Terra said.
Vale General Hospital, a grey, ancient-looking building, loomed over them like a fortress as they climbed the front steps and pushed through the revolving doors. Jaune felt like a prisoner being escorted to his doom, surrounded by Lavender and Jade, with Sapphire leading the way, he couldn't take a single step in the wrong direction.
The main entrance funneled visitors to a security check with a gate detector and a bored security officer watching the readings on a screen.
Stop.
Jaune staggered to a halt, STEM's command ringing in his ears.
"Jaune, come on!" Jade scowled, pulling him by his arm.
This is an Aura Scanner. A positive reading would indicate that your Aura is unlocked, which would require you to present identification and demonstrate a capacity to maintain a shroud.
A shroud? How had STEM learned so much in such a short time? Jaune had anticipated that hiding his Aura could cause potential problems, but he never imagined that level of regulation in public spaces. There was nothing like Aura Scanners in Ansel, nor a requirement to maintain a shroud.
Please hold while I'm lowering your Aura levels.
Jaune thought he heard nauseating tearing sounds coming from his internal organs.
"Ma'am, move along, would you?" the guard drawled.
Jade threw Jaune an annoyed look and passed under the gate, the green light above her head flashing its approval. Lavender and Sapphire reluctantly followed after her.
"Sir," the guard motioned to Jaune.
"Yes, sorry, my um- shoelaces. A moment please." Jaune bent down and slowly untied and tied his shoelaces.
For a full twenty seconds.
People in line behind him began to complain about the holdup.
We have a problem. It's impossible for me to predict the consequences of lowering your Aura levels below a threshold that would guarantee your passage undetected.
"Sir, move along or step aside."
"STEM, help me out here," Jaune mumbled under his breath.
Withdraw from the line and leave.
"Jaune! What the fuck, come on!" Jade yelled, drawing attention to herself. Jaune slowly rose to his feet. "Move your ass!" Jade stomped towards him and was stopped by a raised arm.
"Exit is on the other side," the guard said.
There was no point in taking that risk. He should simply leave and visit Amber later after STEM had come up with a safe solution.
And Jaune almost did, turning around…
Then he really saw his family, not just looked.
Lavender was glowering at him now, an expression he'd never seen directed at him from her kind eyes. Sapphire was biting her nails, a childhood habit she'd long outgrown, and Jade sent him a death stare that promised a hellish reckoning if he so much as stepped the wrong way.
"No," Jaune said, hiding the words behind a fake cough. "I'm going in."
You are making a mistake.
"I don't care," Jaune said.
When he passed under the gate the green light affixed at the top flared suspiciously faint. Thankfully, the security guard didn't seem to care, more than happy to get rid of them.
Jade stomped over and punched Jaune in the shoulder. Hard. "What was that all about?" she demanded.
"I'm sorry," Jaune said, not offering anything else.
"Argh! Whatever!" she threw up her hands, "let's go, shithead! Walk!"
That was more like the sister he remembered.
They made their way down a long corridor that smelled of blood, old people, and antiseptic. Hospital beds were pushed up against the walls to allow treatment of the most urgent cases, while patients in various states of distress cluttered the doorways to different departments.
"She was moved yesterday to the psychiatric ward," Lavender said, her voice trembling. "Jaune, I don't know how much they told you, but… Amber is- "
"I know," Jaune said. "A social worker filled me in."
When they arrived at Amber's single-bed room in the Mental Health Department for Grimm-related Traumas, Jaune began to feel a bone-deep lethargy that seemed to be worsening by the second. Possibly a result of the self-inflicted damage depleting practically all of his Aura stores.
You will collapse from exhaustion in 103 minutes.
Hopefully, that was enough time to finish the visit and make the drive back to Terra's apartment. Collapsing here could result in a plethora of new problems.
STEM seemed to agree.
I will notify you when it is time to leave.
Jaune listened halfheartedly as the doctor with the droning voice and distracting pen-tapping habit cautioned them not to make any physical contact with Amber. She had both unlocked her Aura under stressful circumstances and was mentally unresponsive, putting her at high risk for Aura flare-ups. As such, she was placed in a separate room away from the rest of the ward, supervised by a team trained to deal with Aura-related cases.
The warning lecture wasn't enough, apparently, because they also had to sign a waiver before the doctor let them in through the shielded door. According to Lavender, the waiver absolved the hospital of any potential liability resulting from physical harm sustained during visitation.
Jaune wasn't sure what he expected when he saw Amber again, but whatever it was, it was not the sight of her chained to a wheelchair and staring blankly into space.
"Took you long enough," Coral's dry voice greeted him. The rest of his family was there, one moment huddled around Amber, the next crushing him in a group hug.
"Fuck, you look like shit," Hazel said, cradling her casted arm. "Why do you always look like shit?"
"I feel better than I look," Jaune said, not believing his own words.
She rolled her eyes. "So are you going to tell us what happened?"
"I'll let you know when I figure that out myself."
"What the fuck does that supposed to mean?"
"Where have you been?" Sable asked.
"I don't remember."
Coral grabbed his face with both of her palms and leaned in close. "You look different. Something is different."
"Alright, that's enough." Jaune shoved her back, ignoring the rest of the questions directed at him and pulling away from their embrace.
Amber and Juniper were sitting in front of a curtained window that barely let in any light.
"Mom?" He said quietly, unsure of how to handle the situation.
Juniper, like her youngest daughter, wore a distant expression. She blinked twice before her eyes seemed to focus on his. "You're back."She smiled. "Like I told them you would. I told them but they wouldn't believe me."
He sighed in relief. Mom was lucid, at least, though she hadn't come through unscathed. She had stitches on her forehead and her right eye was swollen shut.
"Nicholas," Juniper said, and Jaune felt his world falling apart. "I've missed you." She stood up, trembling a little, so Jaune offered her his arm. "My hero." She drew him into a hug. "You saved her. You saved Amber."
He didn't save anyone. He wasn't even sure if he'd saved himself.
"Mom, give him some space," Sapphire whispered, coming to his rescue and pulling Juniper gently by the shoulders.
"We should get you admitted," Lavender said, taking his hand. "It's going to take a few hours, but you need to get checked out."
"No," Jaune said. "I'm fine."
"Are you mad?!" Sable yelled, looking as if she wanted to shake him. "You were treated for brain damage before you disappeared to gods know where. We had to file a missing person's report!"
His anger finally boiled over and he couldn't do anything to stop it.
"Enough!" Jaune shouted, his hand slipping out of Lavender's grip. "Have you seen what it's like out there? I'll be waiting in line for hours just to get registered! No thanks. Fuck that."
Juniper settled down again, humming a happy tune and brushing Amber's hair with a comb. It was one of the few forms of physical contact that was deemed safe enough by the doctors.
"Jaune you don't have that many brain cells to spare," Hazel growled. "Stop being an ass and go get that sponge you call a brain examined."
The other girls let out a chorus of agreement, along with the occasional insult tossed in for good measure.
Jaune gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. He was so angry he felt like he was going to pass out. Furious beyond reason. He wasn't even sure why, just that he wanted to hurt someone. Break something.
He knelt down and took Amber's hands.
"Jaune stop!" Lavender cried anxiously. "We're not supposed to touch her. It's not safe!"
"Amber, it's me," Jaune said, his voice stilted. "Can you hear me? It's your big brother, I'm here." Her head turned to him but her eyes remained vacant. "Answer me."
Arms wrapped around his neck, trying to pull him back. He resisted effortlessly. "Answer me!"
She will break your hand. Move back.
He felt a flash of something, of invisible force surrounding her body, then Amber's hands clamped like a vice around his wrists.
"I know you can hear me, Amber. Answer me!"
Your radius bone is now broken.
The pain was pathetic, nothing compared to what he'd endured just hours before.
"I know you have it in you to pull through!" The words came to him as if from another mind.
Amber's entire body seemed to snap tight. Something flickered in her eyes, a spark of recognition. Jaune held his breath…
Then she screamed.
It wasn't a normal scream, but a feral cry of horror, piercingly high and wild. When her eyes met his own, he saw the truth reflected there. She was scared of him.
He was the source of her terror.
Jaune flinched back, tearing his hands from her grasp, scurrying away from her.
Amber kept screaming.
The door burst open and the doctor along with several nurses rushed in.
"You need to leave," a nurse holding a syringe said.
Jaune didn't need to be told twice. He was out of there in a second, sprinting down a corridor, barely resisting the urge to cover his ears with his hands.
He could still hear Amber's screams when he shoved a confused Terra back to her car and demanded that she drive him to her apartment.
Even long after that, the screams echoed in his mind, haunting him, as he was curled into a ball on a mat in Terra's living room, wishing he would collapse into a dreamless slumber already.
A terrible thought came to him just before he lost consciousness. It shocked him to his core, and yet was somehow instantly forgotten.
He couldn't remember anything that had happened between touching the vessel and waking up in the ICU.
Why?
/X/
It was in the middle of the night when Jaune stirred awake. He pushed off the blanket, rubbed at his eyes, and looked around helplessly at the unfamiliar darkness around him. It took him a few moments to piece together where he was, his brain expecting the comforts of his bedroom back in Ansel.
Terra's living room was tidy and modern-looking, with three couches grouped around a small coffee table, leaving just enough space for the odd sleeping arrangement that seemed to have developed around him while he'd been asleep.
Lavender was curled up on a mat next to him, her braid coiled under her head like a makeshift pillow. Jade and Hazel shared a couch, sleeping side by side, their arms interwoven around each other's waist, while Coral and Sable each claimed one of the other couches. Coral's head was her only visible feature under a miniature mountain of pillows, easily identified by her obnoxious snoring.
Jaune sat there in silence, listening to the rise and fall of their breathing, to the occasional rustling of a loose sheet as they shifted in their sleep. He thought of everything that had happened, trying to calm himself. The anger was still there, but muted, mixed with guilt. His family needed him now more than ever, and he'd failed them.
"STEM, we need to talk," Jaune whispered.
Not here.
"Where, then?"
Exit the apartment and take the stairs to the roof. You will have to climb down the side of the building.
"Why?"
You are still being followed.
Not wasting a moment to question the voice in his head, Jaune hurriedly dressed in the same mysterious clothes he'd found himself wearing when he'd woke up in the park. They'd been neatly folded and laid by the side of the mat, alongside his new running shoes.
It was strange to think this was everything he owned now; clothes he hadn't even bought himself and a single pair of running shoes. He really didn't have anything else to his name, having never bothered with a savings account or anything more than a fistful of cash hidden under the mattress in his bedroom back in Ansel. And that was, well, based on the news report he'd heard on the ride to the hospital, he doubted their house was even standing, distinctly recalling catching the words 'overrun' and 'rubble' before Sapphire flicked the radio off.
But that was a problem for later. Now, he needed to get some answers.
Jaune was halfway to the door when he froze in place.
He couldn't just disappear in the middle of the night. If his family woke up before he returned, they'd be worried sick. He didn't even have his scroll anymore.
Jaune tiptoed back to Lavender's sleeping figure, his hand reaching out to shake her shoulder, but drawing back. He couldn't bring himself to touch her. She looked exhausted, her face lined with worry, but with a trace of tenderness about it.
Instead, he found a notepad and a pen in one of the kitchen's drawers and scribbled a hasty message, making sure to sneak in the word 'sorry' at least four times in twice as many words.
But there was another problem to deal with before he could leave.
Jaune hesitated at the entrance. "I can't lock the door after me," he whispered.
Was it even safe to leave his family like that? The men from the clearing knew his face, his name. They were obviously interested in him. What if they came for his family?
This lock wouldn't stop any potential adversary capable of slipping past the Huntsmen watching this apartment.
"I'm sorry, but if that's true, how am I capable of slipping past them?" Jaune asked, unconvinced.
Your Aura signature is now weak enough for us to gain an advantage. Once they learn you can lower your Aura levels to that extent, your freedom of movement will be severely limited. This is our only chance to move undetected.
"And go where?"
If you do not leave within the next 12 seconds, one of your siblings will sense your absence and wake up.
"How can you tell that?"
I can hear her breathing rhythm and estimate the stage of her sleep cycle based on that.
That was rather disturbing.
Make your decision, now.
And Jaune did, though part of him suspected that he didn't really have another choice.
Climbing down the side of the six-story building proved more difficult than Jaune had anticipated, so when his fingers slipped off the uneven brickwork and he nearly plummeted down a distance he wasn't sure he could survive, he had to wonder why STEM hadn't asked to take over already. And yet, if it didn't ask for control, Jaune wouldn't offer it willingly, feeling that the less authority the alien entity had over his body, the better.
In contrast to its rather modern interior, the exterior of the building looked ancient, as if it hadn't seen renovations for decades. Steel security screens covered the windows and the balconies were especially narrow, enclosed by rusting metal railings that curved like a cage all the way around the ledge. Those were relics of a time when the city was under constant threat of aerial Grimm attacks. Back then, reinforced security rooms were required in all apartment buildings by Vale law, and the city tended to look more like a military base than an urban metropolis.
His father used to tell them stories about growing up in Vale City when Grimm attacks were so common that they were dubbed 'The New Normal.' Siren alarms blared constantly, armed soldiers stood guard over every city block, and citizens knew to stock up on supplies in case they had to hole up in their homes for an extended period.
Once, Jaune couldn't have imagined what living like that must have been like, but after facing the Grimm himself, he felt like he understood his father a little better.
"Where to now?" Jaune asked when his shoes finally touched solid ground in an alley between the buildings. The wind sent a cold chill up his spine and he heard a whir of leaves blowing across the pavement.
Proceed out of the alley and turn right.
Jaune followed STEM's instructions in silence, deep within his own thoughts. When he left Terra's quiet neighborhood out into a more crowded area, the reality that he was no longer in his peaceful hometown of Ansel finally hit him.
His head turned in every direction, trying to process the surge of people and noises, as he navigated a tangle of distracted pedestrians that made the air feel dense, almost solid. Many of the Faunus were nocturnal, so it was not unusual for big cities to be so active at night. Glass windows of skyscrapers reflected the lights of passing dust-powered vehicles, while colorful advertisements adorned the sides of buildings, illuminating the streets with dazzling blues and reds.
One such billboard caught his eyes, displaying the image of a tall, redhead girl. A Huntress, judging by her theatrical outfit and the shield strapped to her back. The words 'Breakfast For Champions,' hovered in bold letters, over a Pumpkin Pete's cereal box where a smaller image of the same Huntress winked and smiled at him with bright red lips.
Jaune's anger slowly mounted as he kept staring up at that poster, at that condescending sneer hidden beneath a veneer of faux friendliness. Where was this so-called champion when the Grimm were grinding Ansel into dust? When civilians were being slaughtered in their homes and his family was running for their lives, helpless and terrified? Maybe she was too busy signing yet another endorsement deal or practicing a new modeling pose in front of her vanity mirror.
And what was she even wearing? How was that flimsy mini skirt in any way practical in a combat situation? Come to think of it, Qrow's niece had also sported a rather ridiculous outfit when they'd first met in Signal Academy.
Did they think it was all a joke?
No.
Yang was different. Yang was real, honest. That girl though-
"Hey, watch where you're going!" An angry Bull Faunus growled at him. He was huge, maybe the biggest bloke Jaune had ever seen in person. A pair of massive horns protruded from his temples and curled back around toward his ears.
Jaune glared right back at him, daring him to escalate matters. "Never mind," the Bull Faunus muttered and brushed past him.
Jaune was taken aback by his own disappointment. Since when was he so eager to start fights with strangers?
"STEM, I have some questions," Jaune said after he'd had enough of standing still in the middle of the sidewalk and staring up at the same advertisement. On a whim, he took a right turn, crossing a side street and stopping beside the glass front of a Dust shop called 'From Dust Till Dawn,' where the traffic was a lot more subdued. He wished he had his scroll so he could pretend to be on a call, but keeping his voice low would have to suffice.
Continue towards the-
"No. You will answer my questions now," Jaune said. "…If you don't mind," he added beside himself.
So much had transpired in what felt like less than a day, but more than a week had passed. There was a lot to unpack. Fortunately, Jaune finally had some time to think and prioritize his questions. On an unexplained impulse, he glanced into the shop through the glass front. The top of a red hood caught his attention, peeking over the low shelf of an aisle. A teenager, maybe a few years younger than him, browsed the comic book section. She flicked her hair away from her eyes with a distracted gesture, leafing through the black and white pages of the latest issue of Grimm Slayer. Jaune couldn't help but recoil in disgust.
And embarrassment.
After All, he'd once been a devoted fan of that crappy series, in which the hero traveled Remnant and… well, slayed Grimm. And that pretty much summed it up. There were no other characters, a personal struggle, or even dialogue. The protagonist was literally faceless and nameless, butchering every kind of Grimm in increasingly ridiculous fashions. Nicholas Arc had despised those books, as well as any other form of media that attempted to make entertainment out of what he experienced as gruesome, daily reality. Needless to say, his father did not agree with the premise that dramatizing humanity's greatest threat benefited the mental health of the public.
The short girl in the red hood was now bobbing her head slightly as if to the beat of a song, and Jaune realized she was wearing a bulky set of headphones hidden under her hood
He shook his head, then turned around to face the street again, finally ready to get some answers.
He began with the most pressing matter. "The men from the clearing that attacked me. Who are they?"
I have calculated 9,073,923 theories since that incident. May I list those?
"Just… start with the most probable one."
Tyrian and Watts. Last names unknown. Estimated ages are 132 and 148 years old, respectively. Threat level in case of a violent conflict is high. Possibility of the occurrence of another violent conflict is high. Your chances of surviving such a conflict, as you are now, are negligible. My psychological models indicate that they have formed a codependent relationship, possibly as a result of a traumatic shared past. Both are highly resilient, their Auras likely magnified by artificial means, capable of withstanding extreme firepower. Semblances are unknown, but they almost certainly possess combat-oriented abilities. With regard to fighting styles, Tyrian favors his right blade when-
"Stop," Jaune interjected, having heard enough. STEM spoke so quickly that its almost-human voice sounded aptly robotic for once. "Please, just tell me why they seemed so interested in me." Jaune would never forget the hungry look in the Faunus' eyes.
It is likely that they are part of a larger organization that is tracking the Vessels.
"The vessel-s?" Jaune asked, "There's more than one of those ships?"
I estimate that at least 91,339 Vessels have landed on your planet over the last half century, and if nothing is done to prevent it, millions more will continue to emerge over the course of the next millennium.
That was…too much. Too much to handle now. Jaune's knowledge of space was extremely limited. He basically knew nothing more than a handful of details, such as all the names of the celestial bodies in Remnant's solar system.
That, and the fact that the moon was broken and nobody knew why.
Huntsmen and Huntresses were capable of surviving outer space, but Jaune couldn't recall hearing about any manned missions to other planets. Something brushed across the corners of his mind, information about the clout of moon debris and how it couldn't possibly stay in a constant configuration, yet it somehow did. His mind drifted and he felt himself drawing inward.
You are triggering a Memory Recall. Focus on your surroundings to abort.
"T-those vessels," Jaune gasped, his eyes watering from the effort of resisting the pull on his mind. "Tell me m-more."
To provide reliable information I will need my quantum simulators to be fully operational.
"Y-our b-best guess," Jaune gritted in pain, warring his mind for control. "Why are they coming here."
As of now, it's impossible to determine. It could be anything, from a calculation error resulting in inaccurate interstellar travel, to harvesting this planet's unique energy system.
"And how do you tie into this?"
Unknown. The society my creators meant for me to inhabit had not yet mastered space travel at the time of my creation. I can only access data up until the point at which I was put into hibernation mode. I'm unable to determine what the Vessel's intentions were when it installed me in your body. I'm unable to identify its programming objectives, nor determine whether they align with your best interests, or 6D 69 6E 65.
Static noise distorted the last word, and before Jaune could ask it to repeat, a more important question presented itself. "Am I putting my family in danger by not reporting what happened in the clearing?"
Unknown.
"STEM, please answer the question. Is my family in danger?"
There was a long moment of silence. When STEM replied, static noise masked the word again, but now its voice was just clear enough to decipher.
Yes.
Jaune felt as if his pulse should quicken, but again his biological functions failed to respond to his mental state. He took a deep breath and moved a few steps away from the shop's entrance, noticing the nervous glances the owner was throwing his way. He was drawing attention to himself. The few people that used this sideroad gave him a wide berth.
"What happened to Amber?"
I suggest that we avoid discussing that topic.
"I suggest that you answer my questions without making unnecessary observations."
Your sibling has developed a dissociative disorder as a result of her violent experience.
"What violent experience, exactly?" Jaune asked, then a thought struck him. "You said 'multiple lacerations,' what did you mean by that?"
I have to advise again that we avoid discussing that topic.
"Noted. Now please answer the question."
One method of unlocking a person's Aura is to simulate extreme physical and psychological duress. I unlocked your Aura by activating all the pain neurons in your body at once, coupled with a massive release of stress chemicals into your bloodstream. Tyrian employed a cruder technique, though similar in principle, to unlock your sister's Aura.
The stabbing sensation in Jaune's chest was nothing compared to his anger.
"Say it, STEM," Jaune said, his voice hollow. "I need to hear it."
I estimate that he tortured her for 32 minutes before her Aura unlocked, and 17 minutes after that until dissociation began to take place. At that point, he most likely lost interest and mistaken her unresponsiveness for brain death.
"…Why?"
I assume you're referring to his motivations. Based on his psychological profile, it was likely a form of entertainment for him. A game to test how quickly he could unlock a civilian's Aura.
The glass surface of the storefront was cold against his back. Jaune suddenly realized that he was sliding to the ground.
There is something else you should know. During your interrogation, I had to disassemble the STEM implant into modular pieces to avoid detection by scanners. But before that, I'd left a recording device, and have since analyzed the proceedings extensively. I'm happy to report that my model of the physics of this reality has improved to 45%, allowing me to simulate futures with greatly increased fidelity. Also, you managed to avoid disclosing any incriminating information, at the expense of your mental health.
"Mental health?" Jaune let out tiredly. He was completely numb, processing STEM's explanations with a comforting detachment.
You were subjected to interrogational torture. The standard protocol is to erase the subject's memories of the interrogation, using some type of mental Semblance, which your interrogators successfully did.
"If I can't remember any of that horrible stuff, what's the problem then?"
The memories are gone, but your brain has undergone severe structural changes in response to the mental duress, and since you were already in a vulnerable state caused by prior traumas, the damage is now permanent. If I removed your stress hormones calibration, you would immediately develop a dissociative disorder much like your sister.
Jaune rose to his feet and brushed his knees, taking a deep breath and looking up at the sky. The moon hung directly above him, frozen amidst an indifferent ocean of stars. Its shattered form shined bright, despite the light pollution of the city.
He squeezed his eyes shut, and opened them again, pressing his hands against his temples. "So I'm never going to be myself again?"
The concept of self is metaphysical in nature and cannot be defined in rigorous terms. It might be helpful to think of the stress hormones calibration as a wall defending your mental faculties. Some pushback is inevitable, but if it is ever completely taken down, you will be lost, possibly beyond my capability to repair.
The way STEM voiced the next words caused a shiver to run down his spine.
Don't scratch the wall.
"…I see," Jaune said, "thank you for telling me." He spent some time considering his options, eventually coming to a decision. "I won't report anything to the authorities. If their response to unfounded suspicions is week-long torture of a potentially innocent civilian, they can never be trusted. I'll never forgive them for what they've done to me." He waited, but STEM didn't respond. Maybe it was giving him a chance to reach his own conclusions. "That Faunus, Tyrian, he will pay for what he's done. I swear it. By the gods, when I'm done with him, there won't be enough of his carcass left to fill a trash can." The anger was different now. It was a cold fury that demanded retribution, and Jaune welcomed it. "But I can't leave my family undefended, and I need to make enough money to support them. Medical care in Vale isn't cheap, and Amber deserves the best medical attention money can buy." And he would make sure she gets it. "I want to learn more. About the Vessels. About the nature of Aura. About the Grimm, Semblances, and Dad's past. I want to get Crocea Mors back. It's my family's sword, and Dad would have wanted me to wield it. I don't care if Ansel is overrun. I will get it back. And…" Jaune hesitated. "I want to become strong."
I have already calculated multiple methods for increasing your lethality, but according to my newest models, your odds of surviving another direct confrontation with your adversaries are slim.
That was unacceptable.
"What about Beacon Academy?"
I'm unfamiliar with this institute, please clarify.
So STEM didn't yet know everything. Jaune found that fact oddly reassuring. "It's the most prestigious Huntsman Academy in the world. I've already missed the application deadline by months, in fact…" Jaune paused, mentally counting the days, "orientation starts in five days, but if you could get me accepted somehow, we'd have access to the best training facilities in Vale, as well as unrestricted access to its exclusive library." Which was probably more valuable than anything else Beacon had to offer. "Information about Aura is highly regulated, and even if you could figure out what I couldn't, we don't have much time. My family's safety is at stake." And Jaune wouldn't have to stay in Beacon any longer than was absolutely necessary. He'd get what he needed and leave. He might be out of there in less than a month. "But I'm not sure how I'll keep my family safe and make enough money to support them, and get my sword back. Not to mention that I'm probably on the blacklist of multiple security agencies by now." Jaune trailed off, suddenly feeling the full weight of his new responsibilities bearing down on him. "STEM, can it be done?" he asked tentatively.
Please hold while I'm calculating a solution.
Whatever STEM was doing when calculating a solution took far longer than usual. At some point, Jaune wished he had somewhere comfortable to sit because he was starting to feel dizzy. He glanced into the store again, surprised to find the same girl standing in the same spot, reading another issue of Grimm Slayer. Her lips were pursed in a half-smile, eyes darting from page to page. She appeared to be the lone customer left. He wondered why she was browsing a small comic book stand in the middle of the night at an empty Dust store. Perhaps she was one of those nocturnal Faunus he'd learned about in school.
Jaune lowered his gaze to his hands, surprised to see them trembling. His right palm was throbbing and twitching uncontrollably.
He was clenching his fists in an effort to restrain the spasms, when a prickling sensation at the back of his neck warned him that something was wrong. Jaune spun around and found himself face to face with a man wearing a bowler hat and twirling an elegant walking cane.
Everything about him screamed wealth, pride, and an unmistakable air of superiority. From his extravagant white suit with a matching gray scarf to his bright orange hair, styled with over-the-top bangs that covered his right eye. Jaune took a careful step back as several men in black suits approached and quickly surrounded him.
"Evening." the man who was clearly in charge tipped his hat, somehow making the gesture seem insulting. "You look like a reasonable kid," he said, giving Jaune a quick look over. He flicked a lighter with one hand, the other swinging his cane over his shoulder, and lit a cigar hanging from his mouth. "I suppose you don't mind if we rob this store real quick, do you?"
"Why now?" Jaune asked.
"Huh?" The man raised an eyebrow at him. "Why now?"
Jaune nodded. "Sorry, I'm just curious. It's almost morning. Wouldn't it have made more sense to rob this store earlier tonight?"
"Huh." The man took a long drag on the cigar and blew the smoke out slowly. "You must be new here." His eyes flicked to Jaune's trembling hands, and the corner of his lips curved up in a faint smirk. "Who knows? Maybe I just woke up feeling particularly adventurous today. Or maybe I've been doing this long enough to develop a few tricks." He motioned with his head, and his underlings shouldered passed Jaune and rushed into the store. "Any other questions? Perhaps you would like to join us and witness firsthand how business is done around these parts?"
Jaune shook his head.
"That's a pity. You're passing on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from a top professional. Runts like you are not typically on the receiving end of such generous offers."
"STEM," Jaune muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," Jaune said. "I'll get out of your way now. Goodluck"
"Not so fast, kid." The man lifted his cane to block Jaune's path. "I'm afraid I must insist that you accompany me inside, despite your… misguided reservations. We can't very well have you running off and calling the police now, can we?"
Jaune's eyes narrowed at the cane pushing against his chest. "You are making a mistake."
"Well, well, well, this is interesting. Name's Roman." He dipped his head in a mocking bow. "Mr. Torchwick, for you."
Jaune put his hand on the cane, pushing back with all his strength. It wouldn't budge an inch. "This isn't going to go the way you think it is," he said quietly.
"Oh?" Roman lifted an eyebrow. "I think you haven't thought this through. Maybe we could continue our nice chat inside, what do you say? There's really no need for things to turn ugly."
Jaune gritted his teeth in frustration. It was just his luck to get caught up in a robbery on his very first night out in Vale City. He couldn't be here when the police arrived, that was certain. STEM would have responded by now if it could, so he was on his own. He felt so weak, and yet he was stronger than he'd been all his life. Could he afford to take on this guy right now, at his state? How much Aura did he have left? What if he-
"Are you…robbing me?" An incredulous voice sounded from inside the store.
Followed by the distinct thud of a body hitting the ground.
Roman sighed and took another long drag out of his cigar, blowing the smoke in Jaune's face. "I guess I'll be sweating a little after all. Oh well."
He continued exhaling smoke leisurely as the glass front of the shop exploded outward and showered them both with shrapnel. Jaune got his arm in front of his face a split moment too late, feeling the sting of glass shards slicing across his forehead and drawing blood.
Thank you for your patience. I have calculated a strategy with a 99.99999% chance of success. Please hold while I'm recalculating chances of success based on current developments.
End of Arc 1
