Team RWBY
The four girls ran through the base as the explosions continued to send out shockwaves that shook both them and the building to the core. If it were not for aura their eardrums would have ruptured ago. Dust fell from the ceiling in a veritable downpour, slowly lowering visibility. The route directly to the entrance had been blocked when a section of the wall had collapsed into the hallway, leaving the girls to climb the ramp it made to the floor above.
Yang had cocked her gauntlets to blast their way through the obstacle but Blake had quietly and urgently reminded the blonde of the precarious state of the building.
The new hallway went back in the direction of the fighting but the four had no other choice. Ruby's normally cheerful demeanor had dropped into near despair. The other's expressions were harder to read for the young leader but she could tell even the normally stoic Blake was upset.
The regular shaking increased in frequency, increasing Ruby's respect for Oobleck even further. She had never seen two certified Hunters fight to the death before, and from what was happening to the building was testament to the raw power of the fighters.
Ruby intentionally kept her mind off the identity of the person who Oobleck was fighting with. She told herself that it was just a Hunter gone mad. It happened from time to time, at least according to what she had heard on the news before her dad turned it off.
A Hunter whose entire team was killed in an ambush coming back spouting nonsense. Another who had spent a year alone in the wilderness on a recon mission. That one came back near braindead. Most of them died and a small memorial was held for them, but the ones who held on to life caused quite a stir in Vale.
Living on Patch had secluded her from the daily happenings of the city but she knew how the wilderness changed the hardiest of Hunters.
And so that's what she told herself to stop herself from freaking out.
The others were in similar situations. Their methods to cope with the situation were mostly centered around ignoring the opponent's true identity. They continued running, catching glimpses of more Grimm than they had ever seen pour over the walls. Beowolves were immediately picked off and turned into mush by the sentry turrets, while the larger Ursa and the occasional Deathstalker remained behind the effective meat shield of the Beowolves.
So far, the defense systems seemed to be strained to their limits yet holding the horde back. The bodies were piling faster than they could dissolve, creating a mound over the fence that offered a bridge over the exterior static defenses of the base. The mist of dissolving Grimm bodies covered the horde in a shroud of false darkness in the dim light of dawn.
They had run the length of the building trying to find a staircase to a higher level. It seemed like only the first floor had been affected by whatever had killed everyone in the building. Which meant that the thing had killed all the escapees when their hope of escape was highest.
After turning the corner, they finally saw a sign that the light of the dawn luckily illuminated. They found the staircase with minimal difficulty and moved to the third floor. It seemed much the same, the exterior wall on one side and office doors along the other side.
Ruby almost shrieked as she felt her scroll shake. She pulled it out with shaking hands as her control over her emotions slipped further thanks to the sudden vibration.
Goodwitch's face appeared on the scroll, eyes worried and appearance disheveled. Her attention snapped from whatever she was doing to the camera instantly, concern increasing further at the shakiness of Ruby's video feed.
"Ruby? What is going on? My sensors are telling me all Team RWBY and Professor Oobleck's vitals are elevated, but that only his aura is being affected. Please report." Goodwitch's voice was more tired that Ruby had ever heard, betraying the stress that must be on her at the moment.
Ruby's teammates slowed down to let her keep pace with the scroll in her hand, listening in to the conversation.
"The base was trashed, all personnel killed. We searched for the source, found some kind of anomaly. It smelled terrible, like something rotting. A man came out from the source, who Professor Oobleck seemed to recognize. They talked for a little bit and then the professor told us to run upon which the two started fighting."
Another staircase ascended, another empty floor. Ruby continued her story. "We're heading to the roof for immediate evac, as there is an extremely large force of Grimm attacking the base right now. We have no idea the base is going to be destroyed either by the fighting or the Grimm and I repeat, we need evac right now!"
Finally, a sign that gave the direction to the roof. Goodwitch typed something into her computer before responding. "Understood. Emergency evacuation and Hunter Team POPY is en route." Goodwitch then leaned towards the camera, staring directly at Ruby. "Can you describe anything more about this anomaly? Anything that the man said?"
Ruby nodded. "The professor told us to tell the headmaster that the deep rises. The man seemed to be someone close to…"
That was as far as Ruby got before Goodwitch's eyes widened in fear, which surprised Ruby so much she stopped talking. Goodwitch frantically typed something more into her computer before turning back to Ruby.
"Team RWBY, the emergency evac should be here in 20 seconds. When you see a flare, jump as high as you can, then stay still. Good luck, I expect a full debrief when you are safe." Goodwitch shut off the call and the screen turned black.
Yang ran up the short flight of stairs, barreling through the doors onto the rooftop. Two large guns fired upon a collection of Nevermore and their Giant counterparts, knocking some out of the sky while most nimbly dodged the large caliber bullets. Their aim was not helped by the shaking of the building.
A crash echoed throughout the building, followed by more shaking. A crack spread across the west side of the roof which spread faster than Blake liked the look off.
"Guys, the roof is going to fall apart soon. How much time do we have before we get our ride back to Beacon?"
"Five seconds!"
The crack spread rapidly towards the four. The seconds grew slow in Blake's adrenalin fueled mind. The crack spread to the walls of storage rooms on the roof. They ruptured a water tank, the water flowing out in slow motion.
One leader of the crack raced directly at them, as if it was assigned to hunt them down. A bright light illuminated the rooftop in stark detail, throwing all of the destruction in sharp relief. Blake crouched and tensed her muscles then leaped straight up. The rest of her team did the same, boosting themselves up with aura, semblance, or Dust. Blake leaped off a clone of herself and went limp, trusting Glynda's instructions.
Something slammed into her and knocked her breath out. Whatever it was felt like hitting a wall head on at high speeds. The team's collective aura flared and her Faunus ears picked up their groans over the sound of the west side of the building collapsing. Bullhead engines purred 50 feet above them.
Blake twisted to watch the scene unfold from within the confining net that had caught them. Pillars of flame and shock waves emanated from the now open side of the building, breaking every window in the block.
Four figures fell from the sky silhouetted against the fire. They disappeared amongst the Grimm with only muzzle flashes and Dust usage giving enough light to see them through the Grimm mist.
Blake felt the net jerk and start ascending suddenly, flattening her against the rough rope. The others didn't fare any better. Blake laboriously raised her slightly to look at Ruby and saw her taking deep breaths at the nauseating ascent.
Blake's ears popped twice, thrice, the experience even worse due to having double the ears of the average human. As she came down from her adrenaline high, the world refocused and her first conscious thought entered her head.
I wonder if this how a fish feels.
Well, maybe she wasn't fully off the high yet.
The cargo doors of the Bullhead opened, Mountain Glenn far below them. It was hard to miss the explosions and plumes of fire in the lightening sky. The Bullhead finished reeling them in the last couple of feet and shut the doors under them.
The net opened and they tumbled to the floor groaning. Aura might cure bruising and sprains, but it didn't ease the pain of such small wounds. Yang rubbed her forearms where a nasty red mark stretched from wrist to shoulder, spiraling halfway around.
She saw Blake looking and mouthed, 'Rope burn'. Blake winced and gave her partner a sympathetic look. It would heal over time, but still, rope burn wasn't fun ever.
A screen popped up on a holographic screen on an empty wall of the cargo hold. Goodwitch peered at them from behind her glasses.
"All good!" Ruby chirped, her attempt at her normal cheerful transparent as glass to everyone in the room. No one was going to call her out on it though; all of them wanted things to be as normal as possible.
"Uhh…" Yang began but immediately closed her mouth as Glynda held up a finger. Spending more than a year having her as a teacher gives one the utmost respect for her, even someone as free spirited as Yang.
Glynda finished typing whatever she had been and turned back to the screen. "Sorry for being unnecessarily rude but this was important. From your appearance I can tell you are at least physically all right."
The four nodded, noting her use of 'physically'. Oobleck, no matter his speech patterns in class, had been a good mentor to them all.
"Team POPY is a veteran team, RWBY. They can help Professor Oobleck get out of there safely. Thanks to your prompt and succinct description of the threat Ruby, they have been briefed appropriately. That is not your concern anymore so please do not dwell on it."
The team tried their best not to look dejected at having their first recon mission be such a curious, strange, and, in the end, utter failure. The three older girls pushed down their concern and feelings about Oobleck and their mission down, having had lots of practice in their short lives.
Ruby however was not as experienced. She stood slumped and played with a button on her sleeve, staring dejectedly at the ground. Goodwitch looked at Ruby for a second before softening her gaze.
"Ruby." That one word was warmer than any they had ever heard the stern Headmistress speak before.
Ruby looked up slightly, tears shining subtly in her eyes. "Ruby, look at me."
She looked up fully this time to look up at Glynda. "Ruby, none of this is your fault. It's no one's. Being a team leader means taking responsibility yes, but it also means that you need to know when to assign responsibility and when to do what is necessary to ensure the safety of those you care for. Down there was something that you had no prior knowledge about."
Ruby wiped her eyes with her sleeve, expression changing.
"So you took the decision to follow the professor and my orders. That led to your team being safely evacuated and the immediate and proper response of an emergency Hunter team. If you had hesitated at any point, if you had disobeyed any order, you would still be down there."
Ruby's eyes dried and her expression grew somber. "Thank you headmistress. That helped."
Yang reached over and gave her sister and team leader a quick squeeze. She smiled down at her and Ruby, after a second, reciprocated. Yang could see the fire return to her eyes and her smile broadened.
"Team RWBY, I declare your mission officially over. Generally, teams get a two to four week break between missions, but this is an emergency."
The temperature in the room dropped slightly. The four teammates shared the same thought. If what they just experienced was the end of a mission, what qualified as an emergency?
"Vale Interior has been breached. Defend the city until evacuation crews are finished. You will be dropped off in the commercial district and are in charge of Bridge 202 because of your previous experience fighting there. Exact mission details are being sent to your scrolls. You have an hour before you start. Good luck RWBY."
Ruby stood stunned at the announcement, just processing what they had just heard.
"Vale Interior?!" Yang was the first to speak up. "Someone tell me I misheard that Vale Interior has been breached?"
No one spoke up. Yang growled angrily as she clenched and unclenched her fists in an effort to control herself.
Weiss stood dumbstruck, still staring at the screen. She may not have spent as much of her life Vale as the other three, but Vale was where her life changed dramatically for the better. It was where she had experienced true freedom for the first time. It was where she had made true friendships and learned to protect those she loved.
There was no way in hell she would not give it her all to save as many people as she could.
"Complaining won't do anything Yang. Ruby, we need to come with a plan of attack. Blake, focus."
Blake snapped out of her mental turmoil, shutting away her own memories of the good and bad of the city to focus on the task at hand.
The Yang of a year ago would have snapped at that point and started yelling and threatening. But this was the Yang of today, who had spent a year mellowing at Beacon and getting a handle on her anger.
She recognized her anger. She liked it, but also knew it was a tool. Any out-of-control tool is bad. She calmed her breathing, feeling the quick jerky breaths give way to longer, steadier breaths.
Feeling normal, or as normal as one can feel in the situation, Yang joined the small huddle of her teammates.
"So we're being dropped off where we fought Torchwick's mech?" Yang inquired, confirming she had the right location in mind.
"And where Jaune got kidnapped."
"Jeez Blake, there was no need for that." Yang smiled a little to show she didn't mean it. Blake simply shook her head.
"According to the document, the highway was rigged with explosives at spots along its length that detonated when the inner walls of Vale were breached. Those on the bridge at that time are still on there and we have to stop any nasty Grimm from killing them." Ruby tried to use her leader voice to cheer herself up more than to cheer the others up. She knew that the happier they were, the less likely they were to make mistakes. With the added benefit of not adding to the beacon of negative emotion the bridge sections would look like to the Grimm.
They spent most of the hour planning how they were going to execute the plan. Placating the crowd was a priority, as was setting up Grimm traps around the perimeter. They made a list of everything they needed and stocked up from the boxes of ammunition stored in the corners of the hold.
The rest of the hour was spent quietly, each member reflecting on the past 24 hours in their own way, letting the emotions flow through them to pump them up for battle, with the added benefit of not having to deal with all of the memories in one go after the battle.
The scenery outside changed from trees and clouds of smoke to small buildings and fires to tall buildings and explosions. The four of them lined up at the cargo door, waiting for the command to drop.
The lights next to the door turned on, glowing orange as the gears engaged, then red as the door started to open. The morning air chilled the room, the wind whipping up every loose item in the hold.
Ruby turned her head to solemnly look at the rest of her team, steely determination overlaying the fire of purpose in her silver eyes. The drop light became green.
"Team RWBY, the light is green. Let's save some people!" Ruby leapt out of the Bullhead. The other three glanced at each other, shook their heads, and took the plunge as well, hurtling towards the hordes of Grimm ready to tear every living thing apart.
They were going to put a stop to that. One Grimm at a time.
Team JNPR
Jaune paused for a second before backpedaling into the main room of the aircraft. He knew that none of his teammates other than Ren were fit to help right now and in the cramped space of the room they would just get in each other's way.
Jaune looked the Promethean up and down, the maniacal smile making him uneasy. If your enemy was logical, it was possible to find the logic they operated by to try and predict their next move.
"How did you get here?" Jaune was truly curious about this. Last he had seen, there was an airship on top him.
"Easy."
Jaune waited for an explanation but none came.
"Are you not going to answer me?"
"No. Why should I? We were having a nice conversation when you just had to end it so rudely. You could have told me you were getting bored. I wouldn't have been mad. I'd have just ended you and your friends utterly before moving on." The Promethean cocked his head, exaggerating his lopsided appearance even more.
"Yeah, no thanks. If you aren't going to tell me how you got here, let me guess alright? Yes or no only. Then we can get to the killing. We have plenty of time before we reach Vale for us to settle our differences."
The Promethean continued smiling grotesquely, the melted metal stretching his skin like an inflated balloon.
"That's a yes then. Alright. So you survived the crash. That is obvious, no need to nod yes or no."
The Promethean nodded anyways, leaning on a doorframe.
"The ship must have crumpled in on itself, reducing the force on you. Like a man trapped under a wall in an earthquake. The wall takes the load, transferring minimum force to you."
The grotesquery nodded again.
"Then you used some of your non-human strength that you get from somewhere, still working on that part, to pull yourself out. The Scorch Dust that the engines ran on leaked, heating the metal of the ship and of the armor, causing the burns on you right now." Jaune's mind continued connecting the dots that seemed the most probable to him.
"Then you stole an aircraft from a hangar and flew here, hence the buzzing engine noise we heard."
The Promethean winced. "8 out of 10 Jaune. Passing, but nothing more. I didn't take it from the hangar, I hijacked one out of the sky. Jumping high isn't the height of my abilities, forgive the pun." The disgusting smile grew wider, the already tight skin around the mouth growing slightly translucent and tearing a little.
"You what…never mind." Jaune didn't even want to know right now. His mind was now working on ways he could get rid of the unwelcome visitor in the Promethean body.
"I take it we're done talking then?" The Promethean raised his gauntlets to face, the shield nowhere to be seen.
Jaune unclipped his sheath and kicked it under the door leading to the back of the ship. The sword would be a hindrance to him in the tight space. Easier to rely on aura and Dust as weapons.
The Promethean leaped forward, swinging his right arm wide. Jaune ducked and kicked the left hand as it tried to take him by surprise. He answered with a flurry of quick jabs to the ribs that the Promethean blocked easily. Jaune pushed him back a little by using aura to propel his punches. When the Promethean was near the opposite wall, Jaune pulled back and moved to his side of the room again, the two circling each other.
The door to the room opened and Ren's eyes peered out at the scene playing out in front of him. They widened imperceptibly before the door closed.
The Promethean used this distraction to run at Jaune and slide tackle him. Jaune tried to jump over the strike but the Promethean grabbed his ankle, causing Jaune to slam face first into the ground. Jaune twisted in the vice-like grip while slamming his boot into the Promethean's face.
The possessed body reached up and grabbed his other foot. Jaune looked at the mutilated face in faux despair, letting his opponent let his guard down slightly. He then smiled and activated the Scorch Dust he had put in his boots during his stay in Atlas. That idea may or may not have been intended as a birthday gift to a certain member of team RWBY who had one day vocalized her wish to have shotguns on all her limbs.
Now Jaune used the Dust to shoot scorching hot flames at the Promethean who let go off Jaune's feet immediately and rolled away.
Jaune threw more incendiary grenades at the Promethean who, after the first one hit him, started smacking them out of the air. Each exploded whenever the gauntlets struck, creating a firestorm in front of the Promethean.
Jaune threw the last firebomb before leaping forwards, Water Crystal already flying out of his hand.
The Promethean reached out a hand to seize the crystal. The hand closed around the crystal before slamming into Jaune's stomach, causing him to double up. The crystal promptly exploded in the Promethean's hand as Jaune activated the aura stored inside.
The resulting force caused the Promethean's hand to fly open and broke a couple fingers, judging by the cracks that accompanied the explosion.
The Promethean didn't scream or express any sign of pain. He stalked over to Jaune and knelt next to his supine body. He grabbed Jaune's face with his comparatively good hand and squeezed slightly.
Jaune stared up at the Promethean as he felt his skull protest against the pressure. Aura might heal him, but the pressure and pain weren't as easily preventable as blunt trauma and so Jaune would have to bear it for now.
If the Promethean did squeeze hard enough, Jaune wouldn't have enough time before his Aura lost the fight to do anything to stop the Promethean. And so he lay there staring at the single exposed eye of his nemesis.
"You and me, Jaune, we go way back. I used to want to be like you when we were young. We were inseparable. Always doing things together, making new stuff, driving everybody else crazy."
Jaune kept his mouth shut.
"That is, until we grew up." The Promethean squeezed a little more. "I don't know what came over you, but you changed. You grew strange. We started arguing, but this wasn't like before. This was different. You said some pretty hurtful things Jaune."
The Promethean squeezed even harder and Jaune could feel his cheekbones grind against their neighbors.
"Arguing became fighting, each fight soon became a battle. Then we were swept up by the war." The Promethean continued squeezing absently as his gaze grew slightly distant. "We could have been on the same side like old times. We would have fought and won together. But you had to oppose me at all times. Every step of the way."
Jaune had no idea what the Promethean was talking about. Everything he said was like being handed a piece of a completely unknown jigsaw puzzle.
"In the end, you lost and I won. Like I'd always known, I was the one in the right." The Promethean's smile, which had been slightly bittersweet during the story now grew sinister again.
"But why am I telling you all this verbally? Let's have a deeper conversation." Jaune felt the same feeling of detachment as he had gotten back in the Schnee Dust Mines. This time however, the void wasn't featureless but was like that of a library with rows upon rows of books stretching into the distance on every side.
There were a couple monitors in front of him, one showing the Promethean's eye closed, face completely calm. The other was completely black with only a small, slightly crystalline structure below the middle of the screen. A graph stretched across the top, displaying a very slightly decreasing straight line.
There were a pair of headphones on the desk along with a keyboard.
Is this my brain? Or is this where my aura, my consciousness resides? What Pyrrha called my soul?
An alarm blared over hidden speakers from all directions. Jaune winced at the sudden noise and wished them to be quiet.
And they did. Jaune tilted his head at that. This is my brain then. I control this. Well, here goes nothing.
Jaune looked at the chair, remembering his chair from his room back on Earth. He had spent an entire year's allowance on that chair and it was the best sitting experience he had ever had.
The simple office chair in front of him morphed into the chair he pictured in his mind. Jaune sank down into the chair and looked at the computer. He looked down at the keyboard, trying to see how this 'Sense-o-matic 3000' worked. To his surprise, the name appeared on top of the computer, written in his scrawling handwriting.
Jaune blinked. Yeah, this is my brain alright. He mentally erased the title before focusing on the keyboard. He willed the keyboard to add a screen to the side of it. No options popped up in front of him, but the screen automatically filled with notifications.
That's perfect. How did it do that without me thinking it? My subconscious? The Promethean's speech came back to him. Previously saved settings?
He opened the notification that blinked the most urgently. URGENT: INTRUDER ALERT INTRUDER ALERT INTRUDER ALERT INTR…
Jaune closed it and sighed. He starred to will a third monitor into existence but paused. He turned to his side and imagined a floating holographic screen that displayed everything the monitors did.
He grinned as everything came up exactly as he wanted. He added a threat scanner to the bottom left of his vision which showed a red dot that was approaching his position.
Jaune sat back in his chair. He had a bit of time to get his ideal workflow set up before the Promethean came and had his 'deeper conversation'. A mic appeared on his desk and 7 speakers arranged themselves around and on top of the bookshelves around him. Literal 3D surround sound? Can I get a hell yeah? And no, that's not literal, brain.
Jaune moved to the bookshelves and picked a book at random. He started reading but the language didn't seem to be in any language or format he understood. He put it back and opened another book.
He summoned a translating scanner to his aid and to his diminishing surprise, one appeared by his side.
It was a quadcopter with a slot in its body that was the perfect size for the book. The book glowed before a prompt popped up.
Play Memory? Y/N
Jaune mentally gave his assent. The bookshelves all faded away and the world turned to darkness.
Jaune blinked and found himself during his first robotics competition. 7th grade. He looked around at the vast space and listened to the noise that filled it.
Jaune watched through his own eyes as he competed with his team against the best of other teams. He felt each moment of triumph and each moment of defeat. Those victories and defeats had seemed so significant before, but now were mere drops in the ocean.
The event was nearing its end now. Two teams from Jaune's school stood in the Top 8, his own and another.
The two teams gathered to discuss strategy and what best option would be. Jaune observed and took mental notes as the older boys and girls threw around ideas and reached conclusions.
In the end, they decided that the other team would be given the favor when they competed against each other.
Jaune couldn't believe it. They were going to just throw the match. Without a fight!
His teammates tried to explain to little emotional Jaune about how the other team had a higher chance to win in Top 4 than they did, and how letting them win would benefit the school as a whole.
Jaune didn't care. It was his first competition and he would do his best to hang on and try to win it for himself and his teammates could all go to hell.
He capitulated to his team on the request of driving the robot during every match. Relieved that the young competitive blonde had agreed to the strategy, they started preparations for the matches.
Jaune gave it his all during the matches despite his teammates constantly telling him to give it up and let the better, older, more experienced team win.
Jaune ignored them all. And Jaune won.
He ignored the team's glares and rejoiced in the feeling of winning in the Top 8. He felt like he was at the top of the world.
But then it all came crashing down. He lost in the Top 4 against a team that the other team from his school had beat in all of their matches.
All of his happiness and joy turned to ashes and frustration. Voices were raised and a shouting match took place. Jaune and his team were banned from the competition for a year, which meant that 3 of their 8 members could participate ever again as they were graduating that year.
The memory turned off and Jaune returned to himself. The memory seemed significant to him somehow, but he couldn't put exactly pin down why. Maybe it was his subconscious at it again?
Jaune watched the red dot pause before turning the corner to where Jaune sat in his chair, waiting.
The Promethean C looked…pristine. No, better than pristine. His armor looked exactly like he envisioned in his head.
My idea for how it should look. My ideal. My truth. Reality doesn't dictate the laws here, I do.
Jaune opened his mouth to start the conversations that the two of them always have before they fight. The Promethean pulled a gun and pointed at Jaune, his finger hovering over the trigger.
Jaune tried to imagine that the gun didn't exist, but nothing happened. Jaune tried again, but again nothing happened.
A crystal clear laugh emanated from the helmet. "You're not the only one who controls reality in here. I'm invading your mind right now. I have almost as power as you do."
"So what is the deeper conversation you wanted to have?" Jaune tried to look at the Promethean around the gun but the barrel remained focused on him, the maw menacing.
"I just wanted to understand how I have defeated you yet again. For the fourth time. I want you to know after how you humiliated me before the war, I defeated you four times. You evaded death at every opportunity but I want you to realize and understand exactly what's going to happen now."
Jaune did his best to appear slightly bored. "You've already said it a hundred times. Kill me and all those I love. What else is new?"
The Promethean simply titled his head. "Y'know, that would have angered me earlier. But now that I have you here at my mercy, I feel like the power equation is a little in this direction."
"So I have no escape?"
"None."
"How do you figure?"
"Well…" The Promethean sat back in a chair that appeared out of nowhere. The gun didn't waver, sadly. "Before you can move out of that chair, I can shoot you dead in it. There is no way to exit this simulation of sorts. Terrible decoration, to be honest. The best you can do is to not make me mad. Otherwise your end will be both physically, "he squeezed his empty fist and Jaune felt pain shoot through his own head. His view of the world on his holograms showed the Promethean body squeeze tighter. "And mentally."
A gunshot rang out and Jaune howled as he felt the bullet pierce his foot. He doubled over in his chair and tried to control the pain.
"No way to escape that I'm afraid. This is the furthest you can retreat within yourself. Physical pain is dulled but mental pain, "he laughed. "Mental pain is as potent as physical pain is in the real world."
Jaune saw movement out of the corner of his eyes in the holographic monitor representing his eyes. He saw Penny and Ren approach him, shutting the door behind them. They stayed behind the Promethean while Penny scanned his vitals.
Jaune's attention came back to the Promethean in front of him.
"Hey old buddy you done yet? I think I have a train to catch, frightfully busy wi…" Another gunshot. This time it was his other foot. Jaune grit his teeth but screamed nonetheless.
"I told you. It will hurt you less if you just shut up and let me finish. But no. You have to be the smartass you always want to be." The Promethean got up, towering over him.
Jaune looked up with a pained grin before his face was slammed to the side by the Promethean's metal covered fist.
Jaune spit some blood out that evaporated the moment it left his mouth. At least I don't have to clean up.
A plan started to form in his mind as he realized what the crystalline blot was in the middle of the black screen. The Aura crystal in the Promethean's chest!
"I just have a question for you before you kill me. Please do answer this one." Jaune started to build upon the plan and tried to buy more time.
The Promethean stared down at him. Jaune prepared to execute his plan if the Promethean gave the answer Jaune wanted him to give.
"Do you know how the suit you're wearing works?"
"This junk? No. The metal is well made but all these trinkets are garbage. Aura tricks, I always hated them. Part of the reason I hate you. Do you even remember why we fought? I suppose if you were to learn you would realize the error of your mistakes. Too late for t…"
"Hey, mate, stop reminiscing." Jaune opened his mouth to continue before a round went into his kneecap. Jaune screamed yet again. Unlike the other two wounds, this one somehow didn't fade in pain.
"You just won't learn. It's cathartic for me, so please, do continue."
Jaune swallowed bile as his eyes streamed tears. The lower of his body was growing numb with pain.
"Another quick question. Do you understand what that small yellowish crystal in the middle of your chest is?" Jaune waited for an answer in the negative so he could play his trump card.
"Actually, I do."
Jaune stared at him in stunned silence for a bit. "What do you mean, you do? I thought you absolutely despised aura?"
"I still do. But let's not forget the memories you generously donated to me along with the body. Just be aware that your friends are on this ship as well and if you choose to activate it, you will kill me, yourself, as well as the other four. And yes, I know you can activate it right now. And that you are bluffing about using it. You may have beat me and imprisoned me at the end of the war, but I still outplayed you all the way here.
"So Jaune, the question stands. All of your friends' lives ended by your hand, or giving them a fighting chance to fight against a very different Jaune. The second option is one I would prefer, as you would die and I would live. Which is how the war should have ended, by the way."
Jaune stared at the Promethean, considering his options. It was true, he could drain the aura crystal through the path the Promethean used to enter Jaune's mind. That would have the effect of setting off the self-destruct of the suit which would kill everyone on board the ship. He loses, his team loses, his opponent loses.
The other option was unthinkable. He loses, his team loses, and the enemy wins.
But…what if there was a third option. This one relied on Penny. He would lose, his opponent would lose, but the team would win.
The Promethean raised his gun again. "Choose quickly. I'm taking the second option as default by the way."
"Can I just say my goodbyes to my friends? A sort of pathetic end, telling them not to be too sad when I die." Jaune appeared as defeated as he could.
"Go ahead. Sound as pathetic as you can. Otherwise the second option is put into play immediately."
Jaune lifted the mic from the desk delicately. He took a breath and spoke.
"Penny! Listen closely. I am going to die by the Promethean's hand and…and…" Jaune started to pretend to cry but he didn't have to try too hard. The tears came naturally.
"Jaune, are you alright? What is the doing to you?"
"Never mind that. Just promise me that you'll take care of my undid iridium. The code is -1."
Jaune saw Penny's reaction as her programming took over her body. The Promethean sat back in the chair, apparently amused with Jaune's crying.
"I'm sorry Penny. I really am."
Ren had backed up to the other side of the room as Penny activated a gun that was stored in her arm. Her arm slid open and a long barrel emerged, pointing directly at Jaune. The Bullhead door opened behind their bodies.
Jaune could see Penny's panicked eyes and felt even worse. The tears fell even harder, which must have pleased the Promethean as Jaune heard him chuckling.
"PENNY, what are you doing?!" Jaune heard Ren yell for the first time ever as the weapon in her arm charged.
Jaune closed his eyes as the shot fired. His aura graph on the black screen plummeted to near zero and warnings popped up on every screen. He felt weightlessness as his and the Promethean's bodies were thrown out of the Bullhead by the force of the shot.
"Goodbye."
Jaune turned off the display and sat back in the chair.
"That was truly pathetic. Crying? Really?" The Promethean asked derisively.
"Does it matter? And put that gun down." Jaune sat up in his chair, confidence exuding from his body language.
The Promethean cocked his head in surprise.
"I may have lost this feud of ours. But that doesn't mean I'll let you win. And those four outside this little fight of ours? They deserve the Top 4. They deserve a shot at winning. You don't." Jaune primed the Aura crystal for detonation.
Jaune smiled and sat back in his chair and grinned.
"I choose Option 3."
The crystal activated and the world went white.
Obligatory AN: What'd you think of the chapter? Anything I can fix? Anything you especially liked? Please review and PM me with this stuff, I love to get them and it helps me write better. Thanks for reading!
