So I've got a bunch of people saying the last omake was sweet and they might even want a full story. Like you guys realize Blake was totally the Worst Girl there, right? Besides, the fic 'A Game of Cats and Rabbits' will have a similar dynamic if I ever get around to updating it. Cue them dating and mutually justifying it as spying on the other.
I've also gotten suggestions for other omakes of that nature like Weiss taking Jaune as her date to keep people from confessing and then steadfastly insisting that their continued relationship is all for logical reasons. It's just for their mutual benefit, you see. Kinda hesitant, though, since that doesn't really have anything to do with Maidens.
Speaking of Weiss, almost everyone seemed to agree that she would be the least annoying and most reasonable, which gave me the idea to have her be the POV character for this chapter. Originally I was torn between Yang and Ruby, but I think Weiss works best and allows me to expand her character a bit.
By the way, I'm going for Option 2 (focusing on weakness angst over PTSD). Audience participation has really helped. Team MILF wasn't even planned. Someone suggested something similar and I got an idea as a joke. And then people really got into it, cause apparently Ara Ara energy is the strongest power in the universe.
On a side note, I re-wrote the previous plot chapter's torture scene. Not a lot, but it does add an injury Jaune has in this chapter that Blake and Weiss in particular are very sore about.
Weiss was used to loss. She'd lost her grandfather at a young age and her mother at her tenth birthday. While she was still alive, she'd all but disappeared from her life and whenever Weiss saw her she was so deep in the bottle she wasn't even aware that her own daughter was nearby. Weiss had given up on trying to connect to her by her thirteenth birthday, the same year Winter had left her as well.
She didn't resent her for it. Father was controlling, and while a life in the Atlas military was hardly free, it allowed her to prove her worth separate from the Schnee name. General Ironwood didn't care about anything but obedience and skill, after all.
And then, of course, there were the family members she'd lost to the White Fang attacks. While she'd long since accepted Blake as both a teammate and a friend, a part of her still treated her former association with the group as a sore point. She'd had uncles, cousins and family friends lost in those attacks, and while she could understand the grief the Faunus who did such things had, it didn't mean she would forgive them.
The constant sense of loss was what allowed her to look at the current events with a more logical mind. When Jaune hadn't returned after curfew they had assumed the worst. While it was possible that he'd simply decided to stay the night and skip classes for the next day, the worry was enough for all of them to come out and search for him. Mercury had come along as well, and she was sure the rest of their sister team would have as well if they weren't out of campus at the time. Penny had gone back for her daily maintenance, which was more than a little off-putting. She would've been extremely helpful.
They'd had no luck until Ilia, the one Sienna Khan assigned to work with them against this Adam Taurus monster, had contacted Blake. While she was still uncertain about Blake choosing to work with the White Fang again, they couldn't afford to be picky. She'd told them that Adam had kidnapped Jaune and was holding him at a warehouse. For what reason they didn't know, and it didn't matter to any of them.
They called the police and rushed over as they mobilized. The White Fang were there en masse along with a girl with multicolored hair and eyes that Mercury seemed to recognize. While a formidable opponent, she was no match for four Maidens training to be Huntresses. Even her attempt to escape had been foiled by a particularly searing circle of fire from Yang and a kick to the head from Mercury. It was a miracle her head hadn't snapped clean off from the hit. The police would handle her and the rest of the White Fang they'd incapacitated.
Jaune was in a horrid state when they'd found him. The entire warehouse had explodeed with all of the dust inside igniting. If she were being honest, it was a miracle they'd found his body intact after that. At least he was still breathing, even is his Aura was broken. Ruby was besides herself with grief while Blake was murderously furious, only barely restrained by Yang from going off and finding this Taurus all by herself.
The trip back to Vale on the bullhead was stifling. After they'd contacted the headmaster he agreed to send a pilot over that would ask no questions. Weiss leaned back on her seat and breathed deeply, trying to keep a cool head. Next to her was Yang, whose eyes had burned red and hadn't returned to their normal colors ever since they found Jaune. She'd been just as furious as Blake had been, but understood that Jaune's safety was the priority.
Across from her were Mercury and Blake. The assassin appeared as outwardly calm as she did, though she didn't miss the way his foot bounced or how he doggedly refused to look at anyone. Blake meanwhile had her expression set in a scowl and was muttering curses of a rather graphic nature and promises of what she'd do once she found Taurus.
And then of course there was Ruby who sat at Jaune's side as he lay unconscious on the stretcher that had been provided. She hadn't let go of his hand the entire time and she looked like she was holding back tears. Weiss looked at his face again and bit back a snarl when she saw the scar on his cheek. The words SDC were burned into the skin, and though she knew his Aura would heal it in time, seeing it now still caused an uncomfortable churning in her gut.
This was a personal attack, not just on Jaune but at the very least against her and Blake.
The campus was thankfully deserted by the time they arrived. Everyone was in their rooms because of the curfew and no one saw them carry Jaune over to the infirmary and in the hands of Dr. Woode. Just like the pilot he didn't ask questions and was quick to administer the necessary treatment. It wasn't much. Aura healed just about all wounds and Jaune an abduntant surplus of it. Apart from some medication to lessen his pain and ensuring the wounds weren't infected, all they could do was wait.
The headmaster was kind enough to assure them that they could skip classes the next day. All of them sans Mercury had taken him up on the offer with the young man scoffing and stating that where he was at the time would hardly change the rate at which Jaune healed.
Now they were back in their room and it felt as stifling as the bullhead. Ruby had wanted to stay in the clinic, stay by Jaune's side, but Dr. Woode had pushed her out and ignored all her arguments to the contrary. Jaune needed bed rest and it was best if he did that alone. Ruby's worries that someone would come back and finish that job and that she had to stay and guard him were resoundly ignored. If anyone could get this far into Beacon to assassinate one young man then they had more to worry about.
It was quiet for in the room save for Blake's muttering till, with a growl, Yang kicked a chair hard enough for it to dent the wall. Ruby jumped up slightly at the sudden attack while Blake paid it no mind, "What the fuck is this?" Yang said, eyes still red. It was the longest she'd ever seen her so angry, "Why the fuck would this Adam guy kidnap Jaune? He didn't do anything to him!"
"It was to get at me," Blake looked down at the ground and refused to meet their gaze, "Adam is...he's spiteful. Angry. I'd hoped that when I ran he would consider me as just another traitor, or that maybe what we once had would keep him from pursuing." Her lips curled in a bitter smile, "Clearly, I was wrong. He must've seen the two of us together when we helped protect that protest. Figured he could use Jaune as bait to lure me out."
"What about that...branding on his cheek?" Ruby asked.
"A reminder," Blake replied, "Adam has...he was scarred the same way as a child. No, even worse." Weiss grit her teeth and clenched her fists, "He hides it from everyone but he showed it to me. A sign of trust, he said. Branding Jaune was personal, and I'm sure that if we hadn't gotten there in time he would've done far worse. We got luck this time."
"Lucky?!" Yang shouted, "How in the hell is any of this lucky, Blake?!"
"Because he still has all his limbs." That shut Yang up. Ruby looked like she was about to zip over to the clinic again, damn the doctor's orders, when Blake continued, "Judging by his injures and the...brand, I'm certain that Adam took it slowly. I doubt he expected us to find him before he wanted us to. And judging by his disappearance the warehouse exploding, I'm guessing Jaune was in the middle of his own escape attempt before we even arrived."
The fact that Jaune wasn't a helpless damsel seemed to brighten up their spirits, however slightly. Yang's eyes returned to their usual lilac color while Ruby's posture had become untensed. Except for Blake, of course, who looked as morose as ever, "...You think this is your fault, don't you?" Weiss asked.
"Yes."
"Don't."
"But-"
"Don't." Weiss crossed her arms and gave her a look that said arguments wouldn't be tolerated, "You can't control what other people do, Blake. If this Taurus kidnapped Jaune for the sole purpose of hurting you then that's on him. Rest assured, he will pay dearly for this." Both the breach and Jaune's kidnapping. This man was racking up quite the tab with all of them.
And she was personally going to come and collect.
"...I wish we could stay at the clinic," Ruby said eventually.
"It wouldn't help, Ruby. Mercury was crude, but he's correct in that our presence wouldn't accelerate his healing. He's the one with the Semblance that amplifies Aura, not us." Weiss sighed. She understood the feeling, but she'd been in these situations before. Panicking and acting rashly would help no one, "Besides, I think we all need some sleep right now."
"You can sleep after tonight?" Yang asked with a sarcastic chuckle, "My blood's still pumping. Gods, I just...I wanna hit something or someone. A very specific someone, actually."
"Agreed," Blake muttered, "Ilia said she'd contact me in a few days time. Her info was good here so maybe if we're lucky she'll lead us straight to Adam." Unlikely, Weiss thought. Every time the White Fang made an attack or suffered a setback they dug underground, and no amount of screaming threats or blood soaked bribes from her father changed that. This Adam, if he was anything like the rest of his ilk, would go underground after a failure like this.
She didn't say that out loud, however. Far be it for her to dampen their spirits even more.
"Ugh, this sucks." Ruby frowned and hugged her knees to her chest, "All this magic we've got and we can't use it to help him?"
"We did rescue him," Yang said.
"Did we? Seems like he was on his way out by himself. We might've made things worse by charging in and causing a scene-"
Weiss clapped her hands. The sudden spike of noise made them all jump and look at her, "Enough. We're all worried about Jaune, I get it, but talking around in circles and thinking on what-ifs helps no one. Yes, Ruby, I wish our magic could help him. Yes, Blake, we may have made things worse. Or maybe we saved him from being captured. We don't know, and at this point it doesn't matter. What matters instead is how we'll take things moving forward."
"He can't be alone," Blake said immediately. Yang and Ruby nodded in agreement while Weiss did so reluctantly. She'd had experience on bodyguards. Her father was not a kind man, but what he hated more than anything was his pride being attacked. A successful hit against his direct family members was an insult he could not abide and that meant 24/7 guard before she'd learned to defend herself.
She knew how stifling it was, how much she chafed under the constant watch, but in many ways it was a necessary evil. So long as they didn't impede Jaune's freedoms then it would be no different than when they spent time together as friends.
"We should keep him from going down to Vale," Blake continued.
"I disagree." Weiss said. The others turned to look at her again, Blake in annoyance, Yang and Ruby with curiosity, "While I'll admit he was attacked, that's because, from what this Ilia girl told us, he was alone and lured by that girl with the illusionary Semblance. So long as he sticks to areas with people, especially if we're by his side, we shouldn't have to worry about that.
"But what if he gets attacked anyway?" Ruby asked.
"Then we'll deal with it. Either way, keeping him confined as if he's a child won't help things. We're going to be in danger going forward. Even outside of this Salem creature, we at the very least know that there are others who hunt us. Not just this Adam, but others who are aware of our true nature." Jaune had been adamant about telling them of the things he'd overheard before he passed out.
"You mean this Cinder chick?" Yang asked.
"Yes, and who knows who else?" General Ironwood she understood, but not this outside party, "It's not just Jaune we have to worry about. This Cinder evidently told this Adam Taurus of who we are, who's to say that she didn't do the same for others? We're a team, and that means we look out for each other, not just Jaune."
"Definitely!" Ruby agreed, nodding all too eagerly, "We should set up a schedule. People in horror movies always get picked off cause they end splitting away from the group. I say we make sure to always go in pairs, at least while we're out of Beacon. That way we have always someone watching each other's backs."
"And lemme guess, you're gonna wanna pair up with Jaune, right?" Yang asked with a slight grin, trying to make the mood lighter.
"W-Well, if it ends up that way then it ends up that way." Ruby crossed her arms, refusing to give her sister the satisfaction of making her blush.
"It's a good measure, but it won't help if Adam's still out there." Blake frowned, "We should prioritize hunting him down. With both the Breach and Jaune's kidnapping ending up as a failure, he's going to be even more unstable and eager to prove himself. I don't even want to think what he'd do to ensure that." Neither did she.
"We don't have classes tomorrow, so I say we go visit Jaune first thing in the morning," Ruby said.
"You all go on ahead. I'll wait for Winter and explain our circumstances." She'd been hiding things from her sister all too often recently, most notably Blake's meeting with Sienna Khan. She had no doubt that if Winter had been told she would've been all too eager to tell General Ironwood, who would in turn ignore whatever their intentions were in favor of ensuring Sienna Khan didn't leave Vale alive.
And as much as Weiss agreed with that sentiment, sometimes you had to swallow your own desires.
They woke up bright and early the next morning. Weiss stopped by to see Jaune - still asleep - before heading over to the private training room assigned to them. Winter would arrive soon enough, which gave her some time to herself so she could steel her nerves. As much as Winter and father's relationship was...strained, the one thing they agreed on was the eradication of the White Fang. Finding out from her that they'd confronted them the night prior wouldn't be pleasant.
The time to herself allowed her to prepare for a Dust experiment. Jaune had promised to help her with it before...she shook her head. No, don't dwell on it, she thought. Ruby had agreed to help as well shortly before realizing that such experiments required meticulous and exact preparation, then she was all too eager to find excuses. Honestly, that girl could disassemble a rifle in her sleep, but asking her to do math was like pulling teeth.
"Hm..." She raised her right hand and let a bit of power swirl at her index finger. Thanks to the lessons with the headmaster they had better control of their abilities. Even outside of combat they were capable of summoning the elements, though frustatingly the only one who seemed to have any idea of summoning more than one was Yang. So far she'd been confined to ice.
Which was why she wanted to experiment with Dust. The last time she'd combined the two was at the Breach, but that was hardly a precise attempt. She'd simply wanted to seal the hole the Grimm were pouring out of and gone for quantity over quality. Now that they were under calmer circumstances she wondered just how well the two could truly worked in tandem. She used Dust with her Semblance, so why not her Maiden abilities?
Using Dust was second nature to her, which she supposed made sense considering her family background. Winter was proficient in it as well, as would Whitley if the little chit actually bothered to train himself in the 'barbaric' art of combat.
Hence why it was so frustrating when her experiment literally blew up in her face. Weiss coughed and waved away the mist that lingered in front of her face, sighing in frustration. So far her only success was creating that avalanche during the Breach, and that was only useful if she ever wanted to make a landfill. Hardly the most practical unless they were truly desperate.
The door to the training room opened and Winter stepped in, poised as always. She didn't look surprised to find only her inside, "Weiss." Her older sister nodded, "I herad about what happened the night prior. Is Mr. Arc alright?"
"Yes, he should be fully healed by today from what Doctor Woode has told us." She made sure to kepe her voice carefully neutral. Winter did not like Jaune. While she was less blunt about it than General Ironwood, knowing his background and fake transcripts soured her opinion of him before their first meeting. She couldn't fault her for it. In any other circumstance she would've shared that opinion. It was only after sharing a semester with him and seeing his good qualities that she changed her mind.
"I see." She folded her arms behind her back and watched as she gathered up the remnants of her experiment, "I also heard that you had come into contact with the White Fang."
"Mm-hm." She was winding up to something.
"I'm curious, how did you find out about his location?"
"We got lucky and Yang overheard a couple of White Fang at a club while she was searching. The idiots were so drunk that they were bragging about this human they'd captured." Again, she made sure to keep her voice level. The lie was hardly airtight, but she had the advantage of having never lied to her sister before. Winter had no reason to believe she would start now, "We called the police so they've been arrested. With luck they'll tell them something about their plans."
"Good work." She nodded. It was as close to affection as the woman could be, "Doing an experiment?"
"Yes, though I haven't had much luck." She let a frustrated sigh seep through, "It only makes sense, I suppose. It took quite a while before I could use Dust with my Semblance and I've had these abilities for less than a year."
"I'm glad you're being creative with your new gifts. Ingenuity will be crucial in the coming conflict." She coughed and Weiss froze for a moment. She was about to broach an uncomfortable topic. The cough was a bad habit Winter hadn't been able to get rid of despite her best efforts, "Speaking of, I think it would be prudent for us to discuss Mr. Arc and his...continued position on the group."
Weiss' eyes narrowed, "The rest of the team should be here for any discussions of that nature."
"I was hoping that after last night's events you would be more amenable to discussion." Just her alone, she didn't say. Weiss clenched and unclenched her right hand, "I'm aware that you all hold a sense of loyalty to him, but I think recents prove that he's in danger if he remains as part of your group."
"You want to kick him out."
"For his own safety," Winter said, ignoring or unaware of the edge to her younger sister's words, "I'm not suggesting he leave Beacon. He can be assigned to another team, perhaps team PRMN. You can still remain friends with him."
"You want to kick him out," Weiss said again. Winter's brows furrowed, "You do understand that, under the circumstances, he did the very best he could? From what I've heard of the one who kidnapped him, I would've been in the same position Jaune was if I didn't have these abilities."
"But he doesn't have your new gifts, nor does he have your years of training." She closed her eyes briefly, "Weiss...I understand that he's your friend and you care about him. It's exactly because of that care that I'm urging you to think of his well-being. The danger to your lives will only increase as time passes and he will not always be so lucky. Or have you four to rescue him."
"..." She couldn't refute the argument from a logical perspective. After all, despite all of Jaune's efforts, he still hadn't caught up to the training of a first year Beacon student. His penchant for pragmatic fighting had evened the odds in his favor, but that was no true substitute for skill. Not everyone, especially not the Grimm, could be taken by surprise and trickery forever.
And yet she didn't agree with Winter in the slightest.
"You've always been a logical young woman and I know you understand this. Help me convince your friends and-"
"How did you feel when I said I wanted to be a Huntress?"
Winter stopped and blinked at the sudden question, "...Pardon?"
"A simple question. How did you feel when I said I wanted to be a Huntress?"
"I was...torn." She took a deep breath, "I understood your motivations. Father has sullied the Schnee name and if he had his way our legacy would be one of corruption, greed and exploitation. You wished to emulate our grandfather and I respected that." A pause, "On the other hand, I also worried. The life of a Huntress is risky and many die before reaching thirty. The thought of attending your funeral is a disconcerting one."
"How do you think I felt when you left to join the military? It's hardly a safe career either." Winter said nothing and waited for her to continue, "But we both did it despite the arguments against us. The logical thing to do for us both would've been to play along with father's demands. We would've been safe and you could've done so much more as the new head of the SDC in one year than you can as a Specialist in decades. Do you disagree?"
"No, but where is this leading?"
"I'm saying that he made his choice, the same as we have, and who are we to control what he does with his life?"
"It's not his life he's risking, but yours as well." Winter replied coolly, "He's a member of your team and you place your life in his hands. I will not risk your life and safety on him regardless of your feelings." She sighed, "I'll talk to the headmaster the next morning and give him my thoughts. With any luck he will take my advice into consideration." She turned to leave, sure that the discussion was over, and Weiss felt her anger flare. Again, the logical part of her mind understood and even agreed with her arguments, but an even larger part pushed it down.
"We're not finished." Winter turned, an argument already prepared, and stopped when she regarded her fully. Her eyes were alight with blue energy and freezing cold wind buffeted the insides of the small room. Outside, through the high window, clouds darkened and a rapid onset of snowfall began.
"Weiss..."
"It's my choice on who I trust and place my life in, and I chose to put that trust in the rest of my team. That includes Jaune, and I don't appreciate you trying to go behind their back when we've made it clear during the first meeting where we stand. If Jaune wants to quit after this? Fine, the team and I would understand. If you try to force him out, however, then we'll stop you."
They looked at one another for a few seconds before, with another sigh, Winter looked away, "You've changed, sister." Her words weren't condemning or angry despite the situation, "Do you truly trust him so much even after this?"
"I do." Her eyes returned to their normal state.
"Then I suppose there's nothing more than needs to be said." She crossed her arms behind her back once more and looked out the high window, "Were you aware you changed the weather? You used wind in addition to your normal ice as well."
"The headmaster told us that our powers respond to emotion. Your words made me rather...heated." Her face flushed slightly. She couldn't recall ever being so angry with her sister. For all her life she'd looked up to Winter and trusted her implictly, even if she didn't always agree with her, "I suppose this is helpful in a way. I'm sure I can experiment further with more power to tap into." She also felt a burst of pride knowing that she wasn't being left behind.
"Weiss," Winter said before she could do anything else, "I'd forgotten to ask, but are you alright?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that recent events might have brought up unpleasant memories." They both paused, "Forgive me for not asking sooner. I've been so preoccupied with your training that I've failed to act as a sister should."
"I'm fine." It was the truth, despite the circumstances, "We found Jaune and he was alive with no permanent damage. Not only that, but we all - Jaune included - stopped whatever it is the White Fang were planning with that stolen Dust." It wasn't like what happened to their family, neither of them said. There were no corpses found strung up to left a message, no fingers sent in the mail to intimidate them. It was an undeniable win.
"I see." Winter nodded, "I suppose you'll be going to visit him?"
"In a while. Dr. Woode warned us that crowding around him won't help with his recovery." She coughed, "I suppose I'll see you for our next training session?"
"Yes. See you soon, sister."
With that somewhat stiff exchange finished, Weiss gathered up her experiment materials and returned to their dorm. She was just as worried about Jaune as the rest of them, but she had to keep a cool head.
She'd placed all her materials back when she got a call. Her lips curled up in a smile when she saw Sun's name of her scroll's screen. When he agreed to her offer to go to the dance together she'd been surprised, even moreso when all he asked in exchange was being taken out to a restaurant. He was also a complete gentleman when they stayed out past curfew. For a delinquent - a title he held up with a sense of pride - he was surprisingly well-behaved when he wanted to be.
"Yo, Weiss." She could practically see the grin on his face at the greeting and suppressed a giggle. Schnees did not giggle, "You see the weather out there? Geez, and I thought Mistral was weird."
"No, I didn't notice." She smirked as she made her way to the clinic. After the events of last night, lighthearted conversation was an utter relief, "Was there a particular reason you called?"
"Eh, not really. Just wanted to hear your voice." She rolled her eyes, "Well, that and I wanted to ask you out on another date."
"Another date? If I recall correctly our last outing was just me paying back a debt."
"First date then. What do you say?" Well, he was confident, wasn't he?
"I suppose I could pencil you in." She hummed, "Later, though. One of my teammates has been injuried and I'm going over to visit him. We can discuss details another time." And she'd need to plan it out with the rest of the team considering they'd agreed to watch each other. The last thing she wanted was for Ruby, Blake or, Gods forbid, Yang spying on her outing. Date.
"Oh yeah. The orgy must've been rough." He laughed.
Weiss stopped walking, "Excuse me?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, people heard that Jaune's in the clinic and that the rest of your team got a day off. Rumors start fast around here so the leading rumor's that he got so drained last night that he can't even walk. Not that I believe it, by the way, I'm just telling you what's happening."
"Of course they think that." Weiss sighed. She wasn't surprised, just disappointed. A school teaching the next protectors of Remnant and it was made up of children who could only think with their lower heads.
Jaune barely woke up before Ruby hugged him, "Jaune, you're awake!" His team leader and best friend shouted, head pressed against his chest as she held him tight. He groaned in slight pain and she backed off, "Oh, sorry!" She backed off and smiled nervously. Past her he saw Yang, Weiss and Blake nearby, all of them with looks of utter relief.
"Hey, guys..." He waved weakly as he sat up. Ruby helped lean against the headboard and adjusted the pillow.
"Really? You explode a warehouse and that's the first thing you say when you wake up?" Yang scoffed playfully and looked like she was gonna punch his shoulder before thinking better for it, "You owe us a lot of drinks for the grief you put as through, Grimm Slayer."
"Sorry about that..."
"Hey, no bullying Jaune until he gets better!" Ruby said.
"How about no bullying me at all?" He smiled, though it was more strained than he liked. Now that he was safe the events of last night were clear in his mind. The beating Adam gave him, the branding, the people he'd killed to defend himself. It wasn't guilt, or at least not how he would usually describe it. As a Huntsman they were expected to take lives at some point. Grimm weren't the only monsters in the world and last night was more than proof of that.
There was still that sinking feeling in his gut, though. It might not have been guilt, and he'd do it again if he had to, but he certaintly didn't feel happy about having to do it. If he was stronger he could've done it without killing them, just like what Blake did at the docks. Adam's words rang in his head again.
"I knew you were weak, but this was even more pathetic than I thought."
His hand moved up to trace the brand on his cheek when Blake a reached a hand out and stopped him, "Don't." Her voice was soft but undeniably angry, "Your Aura will heal it soon so just...don't even think about it."
"Blake-"
"I agree with her," Weiss said, refusing to look anywhere but his eyes, "Focus on recuperating, Jaune. We'll need you back in tip-top shape as soon as possible." She smiled comfortingly.
"Yeah..." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and held up a hand before Ruby could push him back down on the bed, "I'm not getting up. Just need to..." He channeled Aura into his hands and they all understood. They watched silently as he amplified his Aura and lessened what pain remained. Blake eyed the brand on his cheek and let out a small sigh of relief when it faded to something less noticeable. He'd still need a bandage to cover it for the next couple of days, but at least it was better than before.
"We need to talk about what you told us," Weiss said.
"Is not really the best time? Jaune needs to rest." Ruby frowned.
"No, she's right." Jaune shook his head, "Like I told you last night, there was someone else there. A woman. Two women, actually. They were arguing with that Adam guy and said this wasn't part of their plan. She called the Maidens by name, so she definitely knows something. We should tell Ozpin when we can."
"I forgot to tell Winter." Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, "Damn it, I knew I forgot something. Oh well, telling them both at the same time is more convenient anyway."
"Did you see what they looked like?" Blake asked.
"Sorry, I was in a room and I only heard them cause the door was ajar. Definitely two women, but that's all I know." Blake nodded, "There was also that name. Cinder. Might've been a codename, but I don't think they were expecting anyone to hear."
"A first name doesn't tell us much, but it's a start." Weiss pursed her lips, "The one who captured you, Adam Taurus, also escaped, sad to say."
"We'll find him," Ruby said confidently.
"Definitely." Weiss cracked her knuckles, "And when we do we're gonna show him what happens when you fuck with team RWBY-J."
Jaune laughed softly as he lay back down on the bed. Being here with his team again helped keep the memories of last night from dominating his mind. Even through all their comforting chatter, however, he couldn't forget how he felt at that moment. Pathetic, useless, weak. He knew that it was stupid. From what Blake had told him, even she wouldn't have had a chance before becoming a Maiden.
And yet he still felt that way.
"There's something else I have to say," he said, drawing the attention back to him, "Before I was...kidnapped, I was meeting with a councilman. His name's Richard Blanche."
"A councilman? Moving up in the world, huh?" Yang whistled.
"Richard Blanche...I've heard of him. What did he want from you?" Weiss asked.
He told them everything. His goals, his offer, and what he wanted in exchange for them. All of them, even Ruby and Yang, were quiet and listened without any interruptions. It was only when he finished that Weiss spoke first.
"I suppose this was to be expected." She crossed her arms and sighed, sounding more tired than anything, "Back in Atlas I've had people of all ages, from peers to people old enough to be my grandfather, trying to curry favor with me due to my family name. We exposed ourselves as powerful, especially given our age and experience. It only makes sense that someone would try to capitalize on it."
"Not sure if I like the idea of being some politician's mascot." Yang frowned.
"I agree," Ruby said, "We're trying to be Huntresses, and we're training to save the world, but..." She bit her lower lip, "Is that he's saying really bad? Saving people, destroying Grimm hordes, maybe even getting land that people can live on. All of that sounds really good. I read up back on Signal that Vale's also having a bit of a population issue and that's why Mountain Glenn was so big. We can definitely help a lot of people."
"That's if we trust what he says. Take everything a politician says with a grain of salt, Ruby," Weiss said.
"I don't particularly trust him either, but he's got a point about the White Fang and Winchester," Blake said, "If the White Fang do another attack then the Faunus will just be treated worse, and Wardes Winchester will be all too eager to use it to enact draconian policies. Besides, if he's serious about opposing the White Fang then we might be able to use him. He has resources and that can only make finding Adam easier."
"Use him? Blake, I'm not sure if you're thinking this through," Yang said, "You do know this guy's a career liar, right? He's kinda got more experience at it than you do."
"We can't afford to be picky. The headmaster will help us, but that's no reason to turn away avenues for help," Blake shot back, "If it means finding Adam easier, and helping the Faunus in Vale, I'll play along. I'm not asking you all to-"
"Uh-uh, no more of the lone cat stuff!" Ruby cut in, "We're doing this as a team! Leader's orders!"
"Either way you guys need to meet up with him to discuss things," Jaune said, "Just tell me when you guys are ready and I'll set it up." Jeez, he felt like the manager to the band.
The next hour was spent on lighthearted chatter before Dr. Woode ushered most of them out. All except Ruby, of course, who got to stay with a combination of pleading, puppy dog eyes and promising not to make so much noise. The cynical man agreed, realizing that this was not a battle that he could win now that Jaune's life wasn't in imminent danger.
"You know you didn't have to do that. I'm fine," Jaune said.
"I'm still worried." It made him feel like a complete asshole that it only made him feel worse, "When you didn't come back last night, I thought..."
"Hey..." He reached out and held her hand. Even as shitty as he felt right now, he didn't want to see her sad, "I'm alright. Not gonna lie, it was...really hard back there." He flinched as another memory of Adam nearly breaking his jaw surfaced, "But I didn't give up and I got out." He paused, unsure if he should tell her before biting the bullet, "When they chained me up and I was hung up there...I was thinking of you?"
"Me...?" she asked back softly.
"I was thinking about everyone, but you most of all." He looked down at the blanket covering his lap, "I just...I didn't want the last time you ever saw me being what that Adam guy turned me into." A ravaged corpse used just to spite them. Twisted bastard. Right now he wanted nothing more than to make sure he burned in that warehouse, "I just...I didn't want to-"
She leaned forward and kissed him. It wasn't deep or lingering. The contact lasted for only a couple of seconds and when she stepped back her face was a fiery red that matched the tips of her hair. Jaune matched hair, cheeks so warm Dr. Woode might've thought he had a fever.
"S-Sorry..." Ruby mumbled and looked away. She still didn't let go of his hand.
"No, don't, it's..." He let out a shaky breath, considering his next words. There were a lot of things that needed to be said. Officially ask her out? Maybe reassure her that she did nothing wrong, "Could we...do it again?"
Or he could say that.
Ruby's eyes widened and she jumped up in her seat, "R-Really?" she asked, her surprise quickly being replaced by excitement.
"Only if you want."
The next kiss lasted longer. She was soft - gentle - and he raised his free hand to cup her right cheek. He'd kissed other girls before, but this was the first time he'd felt something so warm and affectionate in the gesture. The contact lasted for a few seconds before they both pulled back. Ruby had a bright smile on her face and squeezed his hand tighter.
"Wow..." she whispered.
"Are you alright?"
"Definitely." She nodded before her eyes brightened, "Oh, that reminds me!" She grabbed her scroll from her skirt pocket and tapped the screen, "Crocea Mors was busted when we found you. Since I couldn't sleep last night I was thinking up some new designs. It's just the preliminaries, though. I figured we could design it together when we rebuild it. That's okay with you, right?"
"Uh, y-yeah, definitely." Of course she'd jump to weapons again. Classic Ruby.
Unfortunately, her excited chattering drew the attention of one Dr. Woode, who proceeded to kick her out despite all her begging and pleading. He didn't have to be alone long, though. A few minutes after Ruby was forced to leave, Mercury and Penny came to visit.
"Salutations, Friend-Jaune! I trust the orgy was satisfying?"
They were also trying to give him a heart attack, apparently.
Jaune coughed like he was choking on something. Mercury rolled his eyes and sat at the nearest chair while Mercury rattled off advice about removing obstructions from the esophagus. He drank down a glass of water from the nearby table and looked up at Penny, "Wh-What did you say?"
"I was merely saying congratulations for the sexual encounter you had a night prior. I believe it is also customary to offer a fist bump." She held up her first and he commited the cardinal sin of leaving her hanging as he looked to Mercury.
"People think the reason you're in here is cause you got your balls so drained that you can't walk and nearly died of dehydration." Mercury ignored his look of slack-jawed surprise, "Are you surprised? People already think you're the team's sex slave. Besides, it's better than them knowing the truth."
"I'm not so sure about that..."
"The truth? Then am I to understand that you did not, in fact, have a fivesome the night prior? Because I've downloaded books so I could give advice on lasting longer. I also downloaded some for aftercare that I planned to share with the rest of the team."
"No, Penny, just..." Jaune sighed, "Just...I'll tell you what happened later, alright?"
"Understood, Friend-Jaune."
"By the way, I heard you went with the rest of them to help me. Thanks."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I did. Honestly I kinda forgot you were there. I was mostly in it for payback against the ice cream midget." Jaune rolled his eyes. Of course, that's what it was, surely, "I gotta tell you, nearly cracking her skull open was extremely satisfying. Would've felt even better if I could've killed her, but I guess her going to jail's good enough. Bet she's really pissed off about it." He chuckled.
"You talk of murder very casually," Penny said.
"And you talk like you've got spaghetti spilling out of your pockets. What's your point?"
"I don't have any pasta on me." Penny looked down at her uniform skirt, honestly expecting noodles to be there.
"That's not what he means, Penny." Jaune rubbed the back of his head.
"To change the topic, Friend-Jaune, I would like to ask you out on another date before the dance." She smiled, so pure and curious that he felt like he was being stabbed with guilt.
"Huh? I thought you and Ruby had a thing?" Mercury asked.
"You still haven't asked Pyrrha to the dance, but we'll talk about that later." Jaune coughed and looked to Penny, "Penny, uh, me and Ruby are..." Were they going out? Sure they kissed twice, but they'd be so distraacted they never really confirmed anything. He shook his head. No, he was being stupid. This was real life, not a game with dialogue options, "Me and Ruby are going out together. Dating."
Penny blinked and tilted her head to the side. For a super smart AI, not answering immediately was big, "Hmm...I see." Jaune nodded. Alright, so now that it was out of the way- "I'll admit that I have little experience in threesome relationships, but I suppose there is a first time for everything."
...What?"
Mercury started laughing and clapped his hands. Penny completely ignored him and continued, "Polyamorous relationships are rarer in Vale compared to Mistral, which contains legal polyamy, but I understand that the life of a Huntsman is unorthodox and relationships are sure to follow that trend. Worry not, Friend-Jaune, I am open to new experiences!"
"That's not what I-" Jaune facepalmed and ignored Mercury's laughing. Bastard, "Look, Penny, you're a really nice girl and all, but me and Ruby...we're not looking for a third person. We're trying to date each other. Just each other."
Another pause. It was eerie how something so human and common could feel so odd, "I see." She didn't sound disappointed or hurt, which was good, "So am I to understand that Friend-Ruby initiatied something or vice-versa despite knowing we'd gone out prior?"
"I...guess?"
"I see." And then, with the biggest smile on her face, she exclaimed, "I am being cucked!"
Mercury's laughs could be heard all throughout Beacon.
Poor Jaune, dude can never catch a break. Get a romantic moment? Robot girl ruins it. So yeah, Lancaster is now set in. I originally planned to do it at the dance, but as always plans change. Since people, somewhat surprisingly, voted No on the Love Triangle, Ruby remained Jaune's only viable pairing.
Next plot chapter will be a return to humor and maybe Jaune getting some bad advice from Qrow on how to distract himself from his angst. Oh, and team RWBY being overprotective, especially Ruby cause she just got her noodle boy and she's not keen on letting go. Yang's also not gonna pass up the chance to tease them about it.
The actual next chapter is likely going to be Team MILF 2: The Milfening since people are really desperate for Ara Ara Maidens.
Questions:
1. So what do you guys think of Lancaster this chapter? I'm commiting to the pairing now and it's gonna affect certain arcs moving forward, especially since they got together relatively early in the story.
Especially with regards to the power dynamic mentioned by Weiss in the previous chapter. Jaune's feelings of weakness are going to be explored heavily in subsequent chapters and being together with Ruby might make them worse.
2. I'm torn on what to reforge Crocea Mors as. So far I'm leaning towards a longsword/rifle combo or a pistol/knife one. The latter obviously leans more towards stealth and finesse while the former focuses more on Jaune being a gun-swordmsman. Any preferences?
Review Answers:
BrazeRancor - Well it was definitely dumb. Blake is truly Worst Girl.
Sos Read - Because the last plot chapter proves that Jaune won't always be near team RWBY? If he has to fight when not around them then he needs to take care of himself. Like I mentioned before, the Crown arc has the Maidens benched and focuses on Jaune, Qrow, and Mercury. Jaune can't Speech 100 Jax to stopping his plans.
Also, they aren't videogame characters. Just cause Jaune doesn't have the same power level they have doesn't mean they're gonna dump him like a bunch of minmaxing munchkins. By that logic they should also tell Winter to fuck off since the Maidens as a team are stronger than she is.
Look, I've got a general plan for this. While I'm willing to take audience ideas into account, I'm not gonna re-write a story for one reader. Criticize all you like, but this is still my story in the end.
Chuck B. Winanaki - Whatever Adam did to Jaune in the main story, it was nothing to what he could've truly broken him with...
Damon SkyHart - A bullet to the head and dropping the ice age on him has the same end result anyway. Regardless, it's probably gonna come up now that they're dating.
Spartastic 4 - Like I said above, I'm considering doing one for Weiss. Still not sure, though.
Parthenax - Well Salem's gonna have to fight the other moms for it, who are also rather keen on this young man who's helping raise their kids and being a father figure to them...