Weiss had never felt so exhausted in her life. And this was after a full night of sleep.
She watched Ruby stagger around their room half asleep, still dressed in their Atlas Academy issued pajamas. After experiencing Beacon, their identical sleepwear took some getting used to. Everything here was regimented. What they wore, what and when they ate, when they trained and with whom. Every day felt like it blurred together, the only difference in their routine was the type of mission they would select off the huntsman board, or who decided to train with them that day. It was another showcase of how different the kingdoms of Vale and Atlas were.
Atlas was control, to obey. Vale was freedom, choice. It was why she had chosen to go there in the first place, in what felt like another life. To get away from everything that reminded her of her father, of her family. While bad things had happened in Vale, terrible things that she would carry with her for the rest of her life, being in Atlas again felt like a noose was slowly tightening around her neck.
It was never ending. Suffocating.
Now that they were officially huntsman, it felt like they rarely had time to themselves. They could have taken a break at any moment for even though they were helping General Ironwood, they were not a part of the Atlas military. They were independent huntsmen and could choose what they wished to use their skills for, no one could stop them.
But the situation in Atlas, the appalling state of Mantle, everything to do with Salem – no, Weiss knew they really didn't have much of a choice. What was it that Jaune had said?
A huntress would understand that there really wasn't a choice to make.
That was the type of huntress Weiss wished to be, that her team aspired to be. The type of huntress that Pyrrha was. They had a responsibility to try – and so they would try.
But it was hard work. Really hard work. They were almost at their limit. How long could they keep operating this way? How long could she go without some down time to relax and revitalise? How did Winter cope with such a schedule?
How long did she have to wait until she could get Jaune to use his semblance on her again?
That brief taste in Argus had only made things so much worse. Before, she had been desperate to experience that wonderful feeling. Now, she craved it every minute of every day. Her reaction to it had been much stronger than before, as well. Frankly, it had been overwhelming. She couldn't help but wonder if the intimacy of the moment had contributed to it, the raw emotion brought on by their discussion of Pyrrha, standing in the shadow of her monument.
That embarrassing dream she had in Mistral had also returned, haunting her almost every other night. It was a wonder that her team hadn't noticed anything amiss for she had awoken on more than one occasion, gasping for breath, a strangled cry lodged in her throat. Perhaps the only reason they hadn't was because they were just as exhausted as she was.
Even with all the training they now did, she rarely got to train with Jaune and the rest of his team as Ruby was fixated on improving their teamwork within RWBY. Even though they all shared missions and often changed up partners, there was always the odd man out, their number no longer even. That odd man was Jaune, more often than not. It worked out well as far as most of them were concerned, since Jaune had gotten into the habit of taking the mission of escorting the children down in Mantle to school.
It may have been working out for everyone else, but not for her!
This was Anima all over again – only worse! She couldn't remember the last time they'd even spoken more than a greeting to one another. A week? Two?
She hated it. Hated it, hated it, hated it!
"Uh, Weiss?" Ruby asked blearily. "Are you okay?"
"No," she replied menacingly. "I am certainly not okay."
Small hands knuckled at a pair of silver eyes, attempting to clear the sleep away. "You look scary."
Weiss let out a petulant huff. "Good. I want to be scary right now."
Ruby yawned, almost unhinging her jaw in the process. Weiss tried to fight the inevitable but it was futile. It was not a battle anyone could win. Her own yawn ripped through her, angry that she tried to contain it. Weiss swore she felt something pop in her neck for her audacity.
Ruby giggled.
"Want coffee? Tea?"
Weiss gave her partner a look of adoration. Tea sounded wonderful, but she needed something more. "Yes, please. All of the coffee."
A groan sounded from one of the other bunks. The wild mane of golden hair said, "Keep it down, will ya?"
Blake snored loud enough to rattle the door. The pair stared at Blake's bed and even Yang peeled her face off her pillow, wiping the drool away as she eyed her partner. Another snore tore through the air, deep and guttural. It sounded like the death throes of a chainsaw.
"You really are partners," Ruby teased, only to shriek when a moist pillow hit her in the face. She grimaced, revolted. "Yaaang, that is gross!"
Weiss agreed. "What are you, ten?"
"Urgh," Yang slid out of bed, looking a straight horror. "You two are way too noisy. What is even the time?"
The clock on the wall read 6:30.
"I know this is everything we were working toward," Yang said after a moment. "But being a huntress really sucks."
Weiss couldn't argue with that, even if Yang only half-meant it. She was just frustrated with how overworked they were. It was a sentiment that Team JNPR shared, but it was something that they had all accepted. Their naive, romanticized views of being huntresses had been thoroughly shattered.
But at the same time, Weiss felt proud of the work they were doing. She was sure the rest of her team felt the same way. Every time she dispatched a Grimm in the streets of Mantle, she knew she was saving a life. Every time they escorted one of the many transports hauling material for the new communications tower, they were inching closer to connecting the world once more. What they were doing was important. It was important for everyone.
"I'm sore all over," Ruby complained. "Stupid, dumb Grimm. Stupid, dumb cold." There was a brief pause. "Stupid, dumb Ace-Ops."
Yang retrieved her prosthetic and slid it into place, giving it a twist as it locked with a snap and hiss. Flexing the yellow fingers, she ran the mechanical arm through a few tests as Ruby hobbled into the kitchenette, preparing their morning brew. Weiss ran her hand through her hair, giving it a shake. These days she kept it braided, but she had let it free the night before. It was now long enough that when left loose, it brushed the backs of her calves. If she were being honest, it was a little ridiculous but she didn't have it in her to cut it.
"So, I was thinking," Ruby began slowly as she returned with their coffee. Weiss hummed in approval as she sipped at her beverage, the warmth lifting some of the weariness from her shoulders. Yang winced, scalding her tongue in her haste and resorted to blowing on her own cup. "Maybe today, we could get a little boost. You know, to help us out. Sharpen our edge."
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, intrigued.
"We're tired," Ruby said bluntly. "And I've noticed we aren't fighting as well as we can be. So I was thinking that maybe we could – ah, you know," here she started fidgeting with her fingers, "ask Jaune to give us a hand. With his semblance, I mean."
Weiss blinked.
"Like a morning top up," Ruby continued. "Like a billion cups of coffee, but not dangerous. Just... really warm and fluffy. And k-keeping in tip top shape is really important, right? The stronger and better we are, the more we can help out."
Why hadn't she thought of that?
"Ruby, you are a genius!"
Her leader perked up. "I am?"
"You certainly are," Weiss then did something she hadn't since their time at Beacon. She held out her fist. Ruby stared for a moment before beaming, bumping their knuckles together. She even made that adorable little explosion sound that Weiss adamantly refused to return.
Her partner was such a dork. Her little dork partner.
Yang sighed. "I'm down – or I would be, but he has probably already left."
"What?" they both echoed.
Lilac eyes rolled. "It's Friday. He'll be escorting the brats to school today. He has to leave early to get down to Mantle in time, then report to the military outpost first to find out which route he is taking today. Apparently they change it up for safety reasons. Weren't you guys listening at dinner the other night? He was telling us all about it."
Weiss tried to remember. She vaguely recalled Jaune going into the details of his assignment, but she had been much too focused on making sure she didn't slump face first into her plate of food. That was the day that she and Ruby had been tasked with clearing out Grimm that had taken up nest near the Amity project – only, it hadn't just been one nest but several. They'd had to call in Penny for backup as they'd risked been overrun.
Probably one of their worst days since becoming huntresses. It wasn't just that they had almost died several times, but one of the Grimm had liked to spit foul smelling acid from its tail. Not only had it ruined her combat skirt, the smell had somehow seeped into her hair. It had taken several washes to get it out!
"Oh, of course," Weiss attempted to recover.
"Yeah, yeah, I remember now," Ruby hastily added.
Yang peered at them suspiciously. "Riiight. Anyway, odds are he is already on a transport. It was a good idea, though. I could really use an amp right about now. Ren and Nora are so lucky."
Now that Yang mentioned it, Nora had been even more hyperactive than usual lately. Even with their workload. Damn her, she was abusing her station as one of his teammates! But she wouldn't go as far as call them lucky – the pair seemed to be having issues. Relationship issues, or whatever it was they had. It was hard to tell. Nora had always claimed they were together, but not together-together. Things had definitely changed at some point, though. She had even called Ren her boyfriend back in Mistral, when they visited the hot springs. They seemed much more together-together than before yet they also seemed to be fighting. It looked complicated.
Weiss couldn't really relate. Her own experience with boys was frankly atrocious, mostly comprising of the lickspittles her father trot out in front her at events. Less interested in her, more in what she could give them. She was nearly 20 and still hadn't even had a boyfriend, and the one boy she had been attracted to? Well, that had been a disaster. Neptune was leagues better than anyone her father approved of but the boy had been a massive flirt. She hadn't been particularly special to him; just another pretty girl. She still felt a little silly in having fallen for his charms but was relieved that whatever feelings she did have had faded fast. Their meeting in Mistral had proven that.
Ruby sighed dejectedly. "Well, it was worth a shot."
Yang shrugged. "Hey, cheer up. Maybe if you ask nicely, he'll give you some of that steamy hot white stuff after we all get back. Better than nothing, right?"
"You really are disgusting," Weiss said while gathering her clothes for the day. Ruby's face matched the colour of her signature cloak. "I've heard enough. I call dibs on the shower."
"Hey, wait – damn it," Yang swore, knowing that the former heiress needed even more time than she did on account of how long her hair was. "You better not use all the hot water!" Weiss had to resist poking her tongue out because such an action was beneath her. The last thing she heard as she stepped into the bathroom was another one of Blake's deep, thundering snores.
An hour later, they gathered in the main foyer of the academy. The large holographic board blinked to life as they approached, giving them a list of missions available to all registered huntsmen as well as details relevant to the task at hand. If a mission was already taken but not yet complete, the name and photo of the huntsman in question was displayed for them to see.
"Seems I was right," Yang commented.
Next to the escort mission listed by the school board of Mantle, Jaune's face was prominently displayed alongside his huntsman identification number. He wasn't the only one, however. Mantle had many more schools, so it required more than one huntsman to guard their students. Mixed in amongst the group of strangers was a familiar face.
"She is one of the Happy Huntresses," Ruby said after a moment.
Blake idly scratched at one of her ears, eyes struggling to stay open. Even after her shower, she looked ready to collapse at any moment. Peering tiredly at the mission board, she hummed, "I've seen her take that mission a few times now."
She was a young woman not much older than they were with short, messy white hair and large, olive green eyes. Unlike Blake who had two sets of ears, human and cat, she only had a pair of sheep ears, adorned with a hoop earring on the left and a small bell earring on the right. At odds with the usual huntsman license photo, her lips were stretched in a wide beaming smile.
Yang tapped on the board to bring up more details. "Her name is Fiona Thyme."
"She was there with Hill," Ruby frowned. "They were going to attack the transport we were escorting but Penny's presence convinced them to stand down."
The idea that one of Robyn Hill's personal huntresses was working alongside Jaune made Weiss feel uneasy. And if Blake's statement was true, this was not the first time but a repeating occurrence. Was it really a coincidence or was this a deliberate endeavor? If nothing else, there was a pattern. Her unease was a sentiment shared by the rest of her team.
"You think they are trying to get information through him?" Yang asked after a moment, suddenly all business.
"It wouldn't hurt to try," Blake reasoned. "Either they get something from Jaune and it's a win, and if they don't – well, they aren't exactly investing much in the way of resources. A couple of hours of time, and they are seen helping the children of Mantle? This really is a win-win for them."
"Jaune won't tell them anything," Ruby declared with conviction.
Blake nodded. "Not on purpose. But these people are desperate and we've all seen the situation down in Mantle. They might not be above – ah, well, unscrupulous means."
Yang quirked an eyebrow at Blake's sudden shy demeanor.
"Like one of your dirty books?" Ruby asked.
Blake sputtered.
"Oh? They might tie Jaune up and do all sorts of things to him," Yang teased with a shit-eating smirk. "What if they poured hot wax on his sweet, virginal skin? Or knead heated oils across those heavenly abs? The scandal! The horror! Oh, kunoichi-sama~"
Weiss narrowed her eyes as Yang dramatically swooned, bringing a hand up to rest against her forehead. Kunoichi? Wasn't that a Mistralian word? "That is awfully specific."
The blonde woman shrugged. "That was the book with the most creases in its spine."
Blake's face was frozen in an expression of mortification, though they all heard the sharp inhale through her clenched teeth. The acoustics of the foyer were tested as Ruby erupted with laughter, her high voice echoing across the large room and drawing the attention of the few students who were passing through. Weiss peered at her faunus teammate, watching with fascination as her skin paled milk white and then flushed red hot, her cat ears standing rigid atop her head.
"Is that what you are into?" Weiss asked with genuine curiosity.
"You guys are the worst," Blake finally choked out, glaring at her partner.
"That's what she is into," Yang confirmed.
"The worst," Blake stressed.
The question was, did Blake want to be tied up or did she want to be the one to tie someone else up? Weiss shook her head. That wasn't right – they were talking about that Happy Harpy Huntress potentially sinking her claws into Jaune! Blake's fantasies aside, she hadn't been wrong about Robyn Hill's group. Their willingness to try hijack a military transport truck showed that they were more than capable of using unsavoury methods to achieve their goals. Weiss pointedly ignored the fact that they themselves had attempted to steal a military vessel in Argus for their own means; had still technically stolen it, even if Cordovin had given them the all clear to take it after they had helped defeat the Leviathan.
Because that was completely different!
"What do we do?" Weiss asked, bringing them back on track. Ruby's laughter had died down though her face was still flushed from her exertion. "Should we warn him?"
Blake shook her head. "Perhaps this is an opportunity to find out just how far Hill is willing to go. If we tip Jaune off, he might act differently. He isn't exactly the most skillful actor. It'll be better if he doesn't know anything."
Yang hummed. "So what are we doing, exactly? Go down there and watch him?"
Ruby looked conflicted for a second, glancing at the mission board. Then her expression hardened, resolute. She was now Ruby Rose, team leader. "I think we've earned some time off. And even if this isn't a mission, this is pretty important, right?"
Weiss nodded. "Whatever they are up to, it can't be good for General Ironwood. Are we just going to let them use Jaune however they want?"
"So we're in agreement?" Blake asked. Yang put her hand out, palm down, followed quickly by Ruby, covering the back of Yang's hand. Blake hesitated before copying their teammates, Weiss joining in last.
"Team RWBY!" Ruby called happily, Yang snorting with laughter as they all threw their hands up.
"Yeaaah!" the blonde cheered.
"The worst," Blake repeated again in embarrassment. Several students were now openly gawking their way. Weiss felt her cheeks burn.
Ruby beamed at them.
They quickly made their way to the airship dock and took the first ship available down to Mantle. It wasn't until they set foot in the city that they realised they had no way of knowing where Jaune actually was. Luckily, the mission board had given details on where to go to receive further instruction and so the four hurried over. It was nothing more than an armoured booth, flanked by two security droids and manned by a surly old woman that breathed more cigarette smoke than she did air. Thankfully, it only took them flashing their huntsmen licenses to get the information they were seeking, even if their patience was tested when she searched her computer with all the urgency of a snail.
"Let's split up to cover more ground," Ruby suggested, sending the route to all of their scrolls. Weiss snapped her screen open and quickly opened the file. With a few swift taps, it was integrated into the map app. A red line showed which streets he would be taking, yellow dots highlighting each stop.
Weiss decided to start at the beginning, while Ruby chose to work her way back from the school. She could cover the most ground with her semblance. Yang and Blake picked a street at random, and with a final word of encouragement, they were on their way.
Walking the streets of Mantle really reminded Weiss just how far things had fallen. Not that she had ever visited the city in her youth, her father would never allow it, but she had seen enough in pictures and old footage to know that things hadn't always been this way. Even after the Great War, even after the rise of Atlas into the clouds, Mantle had been a city worthy of its own kingdom. Now? The streets were dirty and damp, the buildings crumbling from disrepair. It was dark and cold, even with the heating grid that provided constant warmth. The people were downtrodden, buckling under their lot in life. The city looked like it was toppling beneath its own weight. Weiss glanced at the sky.
Or perhaps it was being crushed under the weight of Atlas.
Yang found him first, messaging them her location. Her wording made it sound urgent.
"You aren't going to believe this," she said when they arrived, out of breath. Weiss tightened her hold on Myrtenaster while Ruby brandished her scythe.
Expecting the worst, they all peered around the corner.
Children were gathered around Jaune, chatting animatedly with one another as they waited for the traffic lights to change and allow them passage. Human and faunus children alike of all different ages, mingling without a care in the world. He looked like a teacher out with his students on some sort of field trip, the atmosphere was so light. It was in stark contrast to their surroundings, this little bubble of positivity and safety.
"Line up, line up – that means you, Rufous. Don't think I can't see you," there was an explosion of laughter as a boy with rusty red hair was called out, slouching in embarrassment as he took his place behind a girl with a mane of long brown hair. A literal mane, the thick hair growing out as far as the base of her neck – a horse faunus? "Yes, I hear you Olive – the school will call your mother and she can deliver your lunch later, okay?"
He ushered them all together with such practiced precision, pairing each younger student with someone older. When the light finally changed and the traffic pulled to a stop, they all joined hands and as calmly as a bunch of rambunctious kids could be, made their way safely across the street.
It was one of the most adorable things she had ever seen.
"He would make a good father," Blake commented without warning. Ruby looked to Blake in surprise while Yang side-eyed her partner.
"Something I should know about?" Yang asked slyly. Blake rolled her eyes.
"Just an observation."
Weiss thought it was a pretty good one.
"As wholesome as this is," Ruby said after a moment. "You made it sound like Jaune was in trouble in your text. What gives?"
"Just wait a moment," Yang said, gesturing across the road. Weiss followed her line of sight and at first, everything seemed normal. A few pedestrians were hurrying by, and there was simple street corner diner doing decent business but nothing out of the ordinary. She waited and waited, and just when she was about fed up, a woman peeked her head around the corner. And then another, and another, and another – until in total, seven of them could be seen covertly observing their friend.
"Who are they?" Weiss asked in confusion. She had seen expecting Fiona Thyme at the very least, yet the faunus huntress was no where to been seen.
"I think they are mothers," Yang said slowly.
Blake frowned. "Mothers?"
"Look, see that blonde woman? With the shortish hair? Now look at the kids," Yang pointed between the two groups. "See that little girl? They look sort of the same, right? And that woman there – the really tall and slender one, with the long black hair? Her hair and eyes match that older boy, the one at the front."
Weiss opened her mouth and then closed it again, unsure what to say.
Ruby looked just as confused as she felt, asking, "Are they worried about their kids?"
"Oh," Blake made a noise of comprehension.
Yang nodded sagely. "Figures you would figure it out first. Ruby, Weiss – let me present to you; thirsty MILFs!"
Weiss frowned, even more confused. "What?"
Ruby's face morphed into one of mortification, "Yang! You shouldn't say things like that! T-They're just worried about their children, that's all."
"They look like Blake whenever she encounters tuna," Yang replied.
"I don't look like that!" Blake snapped.
"They want to eat him up," Yang continued, ignoring her partner's ire. "Look at them and tell me you can't see it."
By this time, the children had made it across the street and Jaune was directing them down the footpath. The group of alleged mothers followed after them, chatting excitedly like a bunch of school girls. At first Weiss thought Jaune was simply unaware of their presence, yet that was soon proven false when he glanced back at them, causing the group to giggle amongst themselves, some even waving in his direction. It may have been one of the more absurd things Weiss had ever witnessed.
They were clearly interested in Jaune for some reason, but they weren't a threat, right? He was protecting their children, after all. Yet the way they looked at their friend made Weiss very uneasy. What was it that Yang had called them?
"What is a MILF?"
Ruby, Blake and Yang stared at her blankly. Weiss scowled.
"What?" she growled defensively. "What is it?"
"You can explain this one," Blake said quickly, hurrying after Jaune, but not before Weiss heard her suppressed laughter.
"No way," Yang said with a massive grin. "Ruby, educate your partner, will you?"
"What? No, you're the one that-" but it was no use, Yang hightailing it after Blake. "I really hate her sometimes."
"What is the big fuss?" Weiss huffed. "Is it something stupid? Urgh, typical Yang."
Ruby mumbled something under her breath.
"What was that?"
Looking more awkward than Weiss had ever seen her, Ruby shuffled over and leaned in closely, whispering in her ear.
"Of all the vulgar, disgusting things," Weiss began ranting at once, cheeks flushing hotly. "What is wrong with that sister of yours? Who even came up with that term?" Wait a minute, then what did that have to do with—"Ruby, is she implying what I think she is!?"
The younger girl simply nodded.
"Preposterous," Weiss replied at once. "That is simply out of the question. They are mothers! With children, might I add! And surely they have husbands? O-Or some of them must, right? Also, they are much too old for that sort of thing – Jaune is only twenty, while they have to be in their thirties at the very least, it just isn't right. Not that they are thinking this way in the first place!"
Sure, Jaune was a handsome young man. Weiss had eyes, she could see that plain as day! And yeah, those women were a rather attractive bunch. They might not have been as good looking as her team, for instance, but it wasn't like they were old hags! Not only that, but Jaune was fit. Of course he was, since he was a huntsman. He fought Grimm for a living. It also meant he was strong and had no shortage of employment opportunities. He was secure, in more ways than one. So yeah, it wasn't so outrageous that women would find him attractive. But these were mothers!
Mothers!
Weiss tried to imagine her own mother acting this way. Unfortunately, it was all too easy, especially with how her marriage had turned out. What if these other women were just as unhappy as Willow Schnee, but instead of turning to the bottle, they turned to young, vulnerable men in the peak of their virility? If they were going so far as to follow him while he escorted their children, what else were they willing to do?
"…crap," she uttered in alarm. "We need to save him at once! Ruby, come on!"
"Wait, Weiss – ah, my arm," Ruby flailed as she was dragged down the street. It didn't take them long to catch up with Yang and Blake, the pair snickering at Weiss as she approached.
She ignored them. "Where are those harlots?"
That just made them laugh even harder.
They continued to watch from the shadows, stalking the two groups from a safe distance. Jaune would occasionally glance back at the group of mothers, yet he didn't seem too perturbed by their presence. It was obvious that this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. Whenever he did look their way, it caused a ripple of excitement through the group. They were like a brood of clucky hens.
Yang shook her head in bemusement. "If you told me back at Beacon that Jaune of all people would have groupies in a couple of years, I'd have laughed myself hoarse. And those groupies were older women? Unbelievable."
"Don't be mean," Ruby grumbled.
"I'm not," Yang raised her hands. "Really. Jaune is a great guy, always has been. Sure, he was rough around the edges and had questionable taste in girls-"
"Hey!" Weiss said furiously.
"—but he was always a really solid friend, and dude, can he put together a nice breakfast or what," Yang continued. "But you have to admit, this is a little much. I mean, where are my groupies?"
"Are you jealous?" Blake asked after a moment, eyebrows raised.
"Hell yeah, I am," Yang puffed out her considerable chest, causing her overalls to strain. "Look at me! I'm young, I'm hot, I'm a total badass – where is my group of admirers? Look at this hair! How many girls do you know that have hair as gorgeous as this?" Yang quickly glanced at Weiss. "Princess doesn't count."
Weiss pointedly ignored her, still fuming over her previous comment.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should take this mission, then – their dads might form your own little fan club."
Yang grimaced. "Okay, maybe that would be a little icky. Well, unless they were hot. But you know what I mean? I feel like I'm being totally upstaged by Vomit Boy of all people! That is just unacceptable."
Blake was suspiciously quiet, looking a little put out.
Soon enough, they arrived at the school. It was a typical three storey urban-style school with high brick walls, a gated entrance and a paved pathway leading to a set of wide concrete stairs. The teachers greeted Jaune warmly as they ushered the children inside, several of them looking sad that they couldn't spend more time with him. He waved and promised that he would see them all this afternoon, when he escorted them back home again. It was enough to cheer them up considerably.
As the last student made their way into the school building, Jaune was left alone.
It was the perfect time to strike.
"Okay, Team RWBY – Operation Intervention is a go!" Ruby issued the command, and they followed. Or they would have, if someone else hadn't beaten them to it.
As the group of mothers closed in like a pack of hungry hyenas, a voice called out in the distance.
"Jaune!"
They watched as a white haired sheep faunus came jogging down the street, cheerfully waving with a beaming smile stretched across her lips. The air of excitement amongst the mothers vanished instantly, replaced with gloom and despair and not a little annoyance.
"Tsk," the tall, black haired one clucked her tongue. "I didn't think she would turn up today."
Another one with shoulder length red hair sighed with disappointment. "She barely lets him out of her sight these days. Total buzz kill."
The woman with short blonde hair crossed her arms, scowling. "Can you blame her? Would you let your boyfriend out of your sight if he was a total hunk like him?"
"What am I going to do with this casserole?" one of them lamented sadly.
As they grumbled amongst themselves, Fiona had come to a leaping stop in front of Jaune, smiling up at him as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. Jaune returned her smile.
"Hey Fiona, finished already?"
"Yup," she said with a pop. "Wanna go get some breakfast? I found a new place on the south side – they make the best scrambled eggs, you'll love it."
Her energy was infectious, Jaune falling into step with her as she trot along. "Sure, sounds great!"
"The true enemy has appeared," Ruby said with a clenched fist. "These women were merely a distraction. We almost lost sight of our goal."
"Uh, Rubes?" Yang asked uncertainly.
"Never again," Ruby brought her hands together, her fist slapping against her palm loudly.
"Ruby is right," Weiss said in a very serious tone of voice. "We almost failed Jaune in a moment of great need. We must move quickly. Forget this rabble, they are nothing."
She eyed the gathered women with a look of cold disdain.
"Right," Blake said after a moment of silence.
Ruby and Weiss set off first, Blake and Yang bringing up the rear. They tracked the pair down several streets, being careful not to get too close in fear of being caught, but staying close enough that they never left their sight; and close enough that Blake could overhear their conversation.
The perks of being a cat faunus.
"They're just talking about mundane stuff," Blake informed them when her teammates started looking impatient. "Jaune is telling her about Cardin. She is suitably offended on his behalf."
"Well, that isn't hard to do," Yang said. "She wouldn't even need to fake it."
"This must be where they are going," Weiss pointed as they approached. It was a small little hole-in-the-wall diner complete with a hardwood counter, lean-to roofing and red leather stools. A large, well muscled man stood behind the counter, his arms covered in tattoos. He looked like trouble – if not for the large smile adorning his face and welcoming eyes.
"What can I get'cha?" he boomed happily as they hopped onto the stools. As the pair placed their orders, Team RWBY crept closer, ducking down around the corner. They garnered a few strange looks but were left alone, no one crazy enough to get involved.
"So how have you been?" Fiona asked, leaning in close. "Enjoying life as a huntsman?"
"It does have its moments," Jaune replied with a grin.
"Oh? Any interesting missions?"
Team RWBY tensed.
"Oh, you know," Jaune shrugged. "Super top secret, but I suppose I could tell you. So, we were hired to investigate a missing transport, one of those SDC freighters, the ones that transport goods between Atlas and Mantle? Well, turns out it wasn't anything malicious, one of the pilots decided to show his girlfriend the view from above Atlas – breathtaking, by the way. I would totally recommend it if you ever have the chance. Well, those fancy droids of theirs didn't take too kindly to him flying so far off course, tried to forcibly correct it. Let's just say there was some property damage involved, poor guy has been suspended pending an internal investigation. Honestly, I can't see him keeping his job."
And so they talked. Fiona shared a few stories from her time attending Atlas Academy, while Jaune mostly talked about the various jobs he and his team had taken. Weiss didn't know if Fiona was making a genuine attempt at information about the Amity Project or just wanting to know more about Jaune, but in the end, he gave her nothing important in regards to Ironwoods plan.
Even so, she thought he was being way too liberal with his own information. She definitely didn't like the way the sheep faunus looked at him with those big doe eyes of hers. Absolutely shameless, in fact! Couldn't he see the dangers in being so open with an unknown huntress with known ties to Robyn Hill?
"He really is popular these days, huh?" Yang asked gloomily. "I need to step up my game."
Blake looked rather pleased in comparison, smiling as she observed the pair.
"You seem happy," Weiss commented.
"I am," she confirmed. "If only more people were like Jaune and Fiona here, there wouldn't have ever been a need for the White Fang at all."
Trust Blake to somehow make it about human-faunus relations, Weiss sighed. Not that she could blame her, necessarily. If her own father had been less of a scumbag and more like Jaune, it really would have done the world some good. Not that her father was the source of all evil against the faunus but he certainly didn't help; and less said about people like Adam Taurus and Sienna Khan, the better. They had more than a little of the blame when it came to souring opinion on faunus.
Ruby continued to watch with a rather intense expression. "I feel threatened."
Yang gave her a puzzled look. "What?"
Ruby pointed at Fiona. "This is a declaration of war."
"They're just talking, Rubes."
Ruby briefly glared at her sister. "That spot, right there?" she pointed again. "That spot belongs to me. Who does she think she is? I am the adorable cutest bestie in the whole wide world, not that woman! Does she really think that she can just waltz in here and take it? Oh, no, no, no. I mean, sure – her ears are just the cutest thing you've ever seen, and we all know Jaune has a soft spot for petite girls with white hair," Weiss felt her face heat up. "But no one – and I mean no one takes my place as chief lovable friend! If she wants war, she's got war!"
Ruby panted as she finished her rant.
"Just best friends, huh?" Blake asked slyly.
Yang scoffed. "You really think Jaune will replace you after a couple of weeks? Give him a little credit," she paused. "Maybe in a few months when they really get to know each other better."
"Shut up, Yang!"
As the sisters bickered, Weiss and Blake continued to watch as the pair conversed. A small, slender hand slid across the counter and rested upon a much larger one as they finished their meal, the sheep faunus leaning in so her shoulder brushed against him. It may as well have been a gunshot, Ruby and Yang instantly going silent as four pairs of eyes narrowed, the atmosphere becoming tense in an instant.
"She's making her move," Weiss uttered.
What move she was going to make remained a mystery, however. For at that moment, a familiar wail tore through the still air, starting low before reaching a deafening crescendo. The newly installed siren drowned out all other noise, howling its warning across the frozen kingdom with an urgency that had all available huntsmen at the ready in an instant. It was one of the few new measures that Atlas had taken to prepare Mantle when the walls were breached, as the material that would be used to repair the gaping hole was being redirected to the Amity project instead.
Grimm had entered the city.
A bright flash of light briefly illuminated the small food stand, Jaune's semblance amplifying Fiona's aura swiftly. The sheep faunus beamed happily as she was empowered, her body vibrating with the excess energy. She bounced on the spot, her ears flapping cutely.
"Oh," she exclaimed. "I never get tired of this!"
Weiss glared with the power of a thousand raging, burning suns. He had amplified her before?
"So that is what the little trollop is after," Weiss hissed.
"Come on," Yang tugged her away and down the street, Ruby already having sped ahead in a burst of rose petals while Blake sprinted after her, "you can be mad later, we have Grimm to kill."
"Yang? Weiss?" Jaune shot them a look of surprise as he jogged over. "What are you guys doing here?"
Fiona was by his side, her hand still wrapped in his own. Their aura continued to mingle.
"Oh, you know," Yang began nervously when Weiss did nothing but grit her teeth so hard her jaw threatened to break. "Just here to slay some Grimm, haha. A huntresses work is never done, right?"
"Right," the Happy Huntress agreed.
Jaune looked a little unsure, no doubt wondering how they knew an attack would occur but staying silent on the issue. "Well, let's go. Oh! Uh, Yang, Weiss, this is Fiona. Fiona, these are my friends. Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee."
Yang waved awkwardly. "Hah – nice to meet you."
Weiss pointed at Fiona aggressively, startling the three of them. "Don't get in the way."
Then she stormed off down the street.
She didn't even think to ask for an aura boost until after they had dispatched all the Grimm.
AN: So season 7 has some leeway with writing some humorous content but season 8 is going to be pretty difficult considering what happens for the entirety of it. Not really sure what I'll do yet but hopefully this chapter was enjoyable. For whatever reason, I really liked Fiona the few times she appeared on screen. Her semblance in particular is very interesting. I wonder how much she could hold if Jaune was amplifying her?
Since I doubt I'll upload anything else before the end of the year, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.