You'd be surprised at how many people fall for the same tricks. I've come to the realization that White Fang aren't exactly professionals.

I spent my time traveling to the main building smartly using ambushes and distractions. Every time I found myself in the company of White Fang, I clobbered them upside the head with the face of my shield. I stopped tracking it after the count of 23. More than a few of those ended up with something broken on them. The first few times I felt bad at the crunching noises, but the more ruin I saw on campus the less I felt for the terrorists. Through my trip I found the safety on my gun, and my trip had netted another two clips that looked like they'd fit my rifle… hopefully.

'Kinda wish I listened to Ruby rant about bullet measurements now.' I lamented, crouching to peek around the last corner in my journey. From my vantage point I could finally see the courtyard leading to the entrance of the main building, which held the tower. It was a sight to see without the debris, once a manicured series of walkways from the surrounding buildings that met and led to a wide flight of stone steps that spanned the length of the building, leading to a columned area before the busted down doors. Between the walkways were landscapes, most now left charred or ruined.

In seconds, I found a target. Quickly, I sprung from my cover and ran towards the fox-tailed woman. Once close, I slammed down on the top of her head, and she dropped like all the others. I grinned at my work.

A harsh crunch punctuated me falling face-first into the dirt, the impact on the back of my skull forcing my aura to flare bright. Even though I was dazed I forced my body to roll over, and it was a good thing I did. Dirt flew into the air from where I lay, spraying me in the face. I scuttled further away before looking, and was met with the sight of a Fang with a sledge hammer planted in the dirt.

He ripped the hammer back up just as I sprang to my feet and we both swung for each other. The attacks met, the hammer head impacting the flat of my shield, and he snarled at me. I angled forward and let the hammer slide off my shield and socked him in the jaw. The meaty thwack of leather against skin sent him tumbling back, but he didn't fall from his feet. Instead, he steadied out and lunged at me faster than I was expecting. He used the hammer oddly and thrusted it at me. It impacted my chest piece and sent me to my back, but I quickly rolled backwards onto my feet. I glared at the man as he slapped the hammer into his hand, walking towards me slowly.

Then something hit the side of my head.

I shouted in surprise and my aura flared once more before I looked for my assailant. A female fang was crouched down a few yards from me, and the barrel of her rifle looked at me from her hands. I scowled at the sight.

"Shit!" I cursed, putting my shield between myself and her while forcing my eyes back to the hammer wielder. He eyed me smugly from behind his mask and made no move to get closer now that he had backup. 'No choice. I'll just have to pick one and eat the consequences.'

I huffed before springing to action. My shield pinged with countless bullet impacts as I ran towards the hammer guy, and I gulped when he reeled back for an overhead swing. My eyes narrowed on the weapon itself, and I smirked at what I saw. The sledge came rocketing down to me, and I set my plan into motion. I brought my shield forward accurately from the defensive position, and ate the bullets that pelted my side. The shield and hammer slammed into each other perpendicular with the shaft of the hammer impacting the top edge of my shield just below the heavy metal head. The weathered wooden haft of the hammer splintered apart from the hit, and the head of the hammer slammed into the concrete beneath us.

"What the fuck?!"

I laughed at the Fang even as my aura continued to flare from the gunner and went to work. I butted the face of my shield into his forehead and followed with a brutal haymaker to the jaw, and he went limp. I reached over and grabbed him before he landed on the ground and hid behind the terrorist. Funnily enough, the gunfire stopped. The Fang was hefted up and I wasted no time in racing towards the gunner while peeking over the shoulder of my new bullet deterrent. It took her a second but eventually she let the gun drop and tried taking off away from me, but because of her hesitation her plan was doomed. I was too close. The unconscious body was thrown at her and it sent her toppling to the ground.

"AH! You damn cowardly human! Us Faunus are only good enough to take punishment, and use as shields, is that right?!"

I listened to her rant as she tried to throw the body of her colleague off of her, and I moseyed up to them. I clicked my tongue in annoyance at her accusations, and simply smacked her in the face with my shield. She went quiet after that, albeit with a broken nose.

"Hey, HANDS UP!"

My slight annoyance was wiped clean hearing that. I turned slightly, looking at the speaker from the corner of my eye. It was a Fang pointing an assault rifle at me similar to the one I pilfered, a scowl on his half-masked face. The gears in my mind turned for a second, and I acted. I turned at him and sprinted with my shield held in front, blocking my torso and head. I ignored his shouting in exchange for the bangs that overshadowed them, each one sending a bullet that peppered my shield. I simply continued full speed, a grin on my face.

Before long, I saw his feet. After that I made impact. We fell to the ground after the tackle, and I felt his spittle fly onto my face from the vicious hit. I stayed on top, and as he tried to get air back into his lungs, I went to knock him out with the shield. Problem was, it didn't move. His fingers clenched around the sides of the metal weapon; it didn't budge. I locked eyes with the expressionless mask he wore and let a scowl cross my lips. I let the shield go in an instant, and instead started laying into the guy. I delt out continuous lefts and rights, all until blood flew from his mouth and his head fell limp against the burnt grass beneath us.

When I considered it done, I let go of a breath I didn't know I held.

I re-equipped my shield and prepared myself to continue on once again.

"What'd you do to Karta, you FREAK!?"

I was on my feet faster than a blink, and as I whirled around I soaked in my new opponent. He was a man of stout stature, his shoulders wider than any other White Fang operative I'd fought till now. He was dressed somewhat different that the others too, with a sleeveless black shirt under the hooded white jacket, exposing brown fur on the forearms. He also didn't wear a mask, which struck me.

I saw pure rage on the mans face, a scowl that bared his gums and fiery red eyes that pierced my own.

I readied myself while he charged me, steeling my body to not budge an inch. He reached me quickly, and lashed out at me harshly. I met the unarmed attack with an angled jab with the very edge of my shield… but something went wrong. There was no metallic thud, no flinch of pain, or anything that I'd expected. Instead, my shield stopped in its tracks, and felt like cement. I tugged, but it didn't budge an inch. My eyes widened when looking at him, and I realized that this man caught my shield.

"Payback's a bitch, human. I'm gonna beat you down, now!" He spat at me. The Fang planted his feet in the scorched landscaping, and sent a long-clawed hand rocketing towards my face. As I stood there, pale in the face watching his claws inch closer to my eyes, I remembered something my great-grandfather once told me.

'Every man is the hero of his own story, Jaune. No matter the circumstance.'

That's what he said when I asked why Dad refused to train me. Now, looking at this man that's trying to kill me, I feel I'm starting to understand what he meant. How his words are true in these situations. The Fang holding my shield wants revenge against me, a villain in his story. A rotten human that savagely beat his revolutionary brothers and sisters while he watched. However, his words are true for me, too. I'm the hero in my own story, today.

My hand fell to the grip of Crocea Mors.

'And my story goes to the TOP OF THAT TOWER!'

I dropped down, letting the claws sail over the top of my head, and with a shout I lashed out with my sword. I sliced in an arc above my head, and my shield was free just like that. For a moment I felt pride well in my heart, but my blood went cold looking at my handiwork.

Blood drooled off the stump that used to be the mans left arm, having been amputated just before the elbow joint. He clutched at it, gritting his teeth in pain. My gaze fell to the ground, and I saw where his hand lay on the formerly pristine walkway. I gulped on my own spit, attention snapping back to the White Fang as he cursed loudly. My hands shook, but as I thought back to my predecessors' words, I found resolve in them.

'Pyrrha… I gotta see this through.' My thoughts gave me comfort, knowing I was so close to helping her fight. Only a little more to push through, now.

I leapt towards the crippled terrorist, and reeled back. I slammed my shield harshly into the side of his head once, twice, then thrice. On the fourth hit, he fell to his knees, obviously dazed. I took a deep breath before finishing with a brutal hit from the pommel of my blade, which succeeded in knocking him out.

I took a moment and gazed at the various White Fang I'd defeated in the courtyard. Despite my earlier moment of weakness, I couldn't help myself from reveling in this new-found sense of victory. I took steps towards the grand stairs, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through my veins and the heavy beats of my heart. My footsteps stopped when the wyvern monster glided up and landed on the side of the tower. I looked at it nervously, the rumble from its landing shaking me.

'You don't have to fight it, Jaune.' I told myself, ripping my gaze from it and continuing on my path. 'Just find Pyrrha and get out.'

"Oi." My footsteps paused at the odd accent in the voice. "You're pretty good, for a filthy human."

I turned around and gazed at the speaker. Upon seeing the large man, his White Fang colors, and the ridiculous weapon he held, I decided.

I put away Crocea Mors, flicked the safety off my rifle, and emptied the clip on him from across the walkway.