9 Months to Live
Chapter 19;The Chain
Disclaimer: I shall now use my ancient knowledge of the dankest memes to get the rights for RWBY!
and it failed almost instantly...again. Rooster Teeth owns RWBY.
AN: WHAT'S UP BITCHES! Still regret nothing from the April fools joke.
Meep: The Orion nuclear orbital battleship isn't; I can tell you that.
LW: Can it you. Now, for a shameless plug in. Go follow me at the RWBY amino app for updates regularly from me, art by me, and bonus omakes, theories, and of course, memes. My name is exactly the same Also, I've gotten several PMs over offers to beta RWBY crossover fics. Now I'm more then down to help, but I'm most of the time completely unfamiliar with the crossover, and can't really do it to the best of my abilities. It's not personal, I'm just busy with my own works and I would be no help with a subject I have no pry knowledge of.
Now one thing I've noticed is that some reviewers have pointed out that I've fallen into the RWBY writing trap that is making Jaune the hero of Remnant and nearly losing the importance of Ruby's pregnancy. I will admit, I haven't been the best with writing Ruby at points, but I do intend to have that change, and as for Jaune, he's A hero of Remnant, along with the rest of his class now. If you paid attention last chapter, the other characters are taking action as we found out. Jaune's merely doing the job Ozpin gave him because it's suits him well, as he's doing good and making money for him and Ruby. But thanks for pointing this out. I'm never one to turn down negative criticism, it's how one gets better by having someone point out your flaws, so you can work with them.
Another common thing is a separation of people who read this, mainly over my earlier chapters, where I will flat out admit are not my best. Pregnancy and Humor, aging the characters, Yang out of control, and Jaune's pain being the butt of nearly all my jokes? I've liked to think I've grown as a writer over time and this, and the longer updates are to make sure each chapter is more polished. Those came out a week at a time. Nice in theory but horrible in execution, and speaking of release dates...
"Could you have release dates for the next chapter?" No. One reason and one reason alone. I fucking suck at making deadlines. I will always be late and cause the chapter to be rushed, so no on that. I will try to keep the chapters coming at about a month a time, but once again, I usually have no idea how long the chapter will be or how long it will take. NOW ONTO THE CHAPTER! *Jumps on a mountain lion made of lighting then flies out the window*
Jaune was feeling horrible. It had been 24 hours since he found the ruins of the house and what happened to Ruby, and since then, he had not slept, he had not eaten. His left fist held Ruby's cloak as if it was a lifeline, sitting on a stump overlooking the ruined cabin. However, only one thought rang through the hunter.
Your fault.
Imagine the shame, the guilt, of having to tell Tai that his youngest daughter was kidnapped, and where was he during this? In a bar, drinking because he and Ruby got into a fight that was his fault.
Yang had tried multiple times to shift the guilt on her, saying there was nothing he could have done, but to Jaune, that just cemented his guilt. If only...
The Blonde Brawler watched as Jaune stared blankly at the ruins from his stump, holding her sister's fallen cloak. Every bone in her body wanted to start searching for, but where could she start? She had no lead…
"Who where they?"
Yang blinked, thinking she imagined it, but Jaune spoke again, louder "Who…" He trembled "where they?"
"I recognised one of them. Part of Cinder's old gang." Yang said quietly "Mercury. And his partner could have been there, but her semblance is illusions, so I can't be sure. He bursted in through the door with I think about 30 well trained, and well armed mooks. I managed to take some of them out, but he was able to knock me out cold before I could finish charging up my semblance. Why he didn't just kill me then and there I don't know. He could've at anytime, but for some reason he didn't. Maybe he thought I was dead."
Jaune nodded, still with a nervous expression on his face "Thank you Yang. You did all you could. That's more than I can say for myself…" He said quietly, before his expression shifted into one of confusion. "Though I do agree it is wierd as to why he left you alive. He was trained by his father who was an assassin, from what I heard from Ozpin; It wouldn't be like him to not check your body to make sure you were dead. So why would he...?" Jaune finished, mumbling the last part
"Well we'll figure out the details of why later, but right now we need to save Ruby." Yang said
"Yeah, but how? She could be anywhere right now." Jaune replied nervously
"We'll think of something, but we won't be able to do it alone. We'll need help"
"Yeah you're right we won't be able to do it alone. I'll contact Ozpin and my family you do what you feel is necessary." Jaune responded before pausing "hold on, Yang, how is it that you are so calm right now? I would have thought you would be hysterical right now."
Flinching at his question Yang's mask of grim determination slips a little, showing fear and grief briefly before being put back into place. "I'm not actually calm, right now. I'm merely suppressing my grief right now. You may not remember me mentioning it, but when Summer died on a mission, it hit our family hard. I ended up practically having to raise Ruby by myself. Dad was catatonic so he wasn't much help, the only person I had to help support me was Uncle Qrow and he wasn't always around, nor really the best help, as he was sent out on missions very often. So I had to learn to put on a brave face and to suppress my own emotions and grief, in order to support both Ruby and Dad. Eventually things got better, Dad recovered from his grief and tried to help me by supporting me. It wasn't until at least a year later that I finally let myself lean on him as an emotional rock, but even then I limited how much I leaned on him. I guess the skill never really left me. The only thing we can do is move onward."
Jaune nodded. She was right. "Thank you Yang. I needed to hear that. Do you need help walking?" He asked, extending a hand to the fellow blonde.
"Yeah, yeah, I can take care of myself, vomit boy. Don't forget that I'm the one who was hunting you down not even four months ago. Now get moving we don't have all day" Yang joked, managing to get a small smile off the Arc.
"Well, are first course of action would be getting a party together to find her. You contact your team and get your dad and Uncle, I'll get team JNPR and my family."
Yang nodded at Jaune's idea. "I'll start calling. Where do you want them to meet at?"
Jaune paused and thought for a moment. "Tai's cabin. That would be the best place."
And with Yang walked off, and begin to start contacting her team, leaving Jaune overlooking the ruins.
"I'll find you Ruby." Jaune said as he gripped her cloak "I give you my word."
Blake was tired. She was so happy meeting her parents again after so long, and they were so welcoming to her. Now towards Sun, on the other hand… well, she honestly wouldn't know who would kill him first. Her, or her dad, because dear god he was getting on both their nerves.
Ozpin came to her and Sun during her last week at Beacon, giving both of them an offer. He wished for them to help lead the White Fang back into its old ways, and hoped if they succeeded to strengthen the trust between huntsmen and faunus. Blake had been hesitant, her fear of confronting Adam was strong. The man she was knew had grown cold and ruthless, and while his power from the Cinder days had long since fallen, his brutal methods grown in place.
But the grey haired professor convinced her otherwise, and Sun was allows on board for adventure. However, what shocked her was that Ozpin wanted her to be closed mouth about this to both their teams. Blake seemed shocked at this, as Sun was horrible at keeping secrets and she had grown to trust her team with her life. To keep something like this from them, especially during a time where Ruby was with child? The last time she kept something huge to herself it nearly ruined the team.
But Ozpin soothed her fears, claiming that everyone else was busy with their new freedom as huntsmen and huntresses. Weiss was slowly bringing her family's company back to honest standards, despite her bastard of a father's demands, and Yang was helping Jaune take care of Ruby.
So she accepted.
"Hey Blake! Look at these baby pictures of you your mom just showed me!" Sun chirped from behind her.
Blake growled under her breath. She was gonna snap. Sun was quick to forget the real reason they came her, and was treating this like a vacation. God, she didn't know who was worse, Sun or Yang? She quickly shuddered at the thought, and made note never to leave the two alone in the same room. "Sun for the last time, we're here to- I THOUGHT I TOLD HER TO BURN THOSE!" She yelled, as the blonde monkey faunus held up a rather...embarrassing picture of a 5 year old Blake playing with a ball of yarn.
However, before Blake could grab the picture, Blake's scroll rang, Yang's contact picture appearing on the screen.
Blake picked up the scroll and answered, and listening, her face slowly changing, becoming full of guilt, fear, and sorrow. Her head hung down, she hung up, and refused to look Sun in the eye, and started walking out of the room.
"Wait, what was that about? Where are you going?" Sun called out to her, running up.
"Back to Vale." She said, walking off.
Sun looked in confusion "What, why?"
Blake looked Sun right in the eye "Ruby's been kidnapped." she said quietly, then ran off, Sun following her, not saying another word.
Weiss was about ready to strangle the large portion of scumbags she called family. Her brother and father were being, to be crude here, a major pain in her ass. Ever since she got out of Beacon, she had been trying to gain control of the SDC in hopes of starting the long process of bringing the company back into the light, but her father and her puppet of a younger brother had been fighting to the bitter end. Her father had been playing dirty at every turn, trying to destroy her reputation, her work, and any dirt she had on him.
Her only silence had been her sister. Winter had been supporting her all the way, and a high ranking and well respected military officer does good for publicity. Now if only she could convince the board that she was ready for the role of CEO.
Weiss let out a groan as she entered her sister's modest flat. She refused to live in the same room as that man until he got it through his thick mustache that what he was doing was bad for both the company and the family. Kicking off her boots, the Schnee heiress begin to wish that only all situations could be as simple as stabby a grimm till it dies. How was her team doing?
Well, Ruby and the dol-Jaune, she corrected herself, where probably having an easy time and preparing for their children, something that still felt weird for Weiss to say, with Yang giving them grief, and the stoic faunus was visiting her parents in Menagerie with Neptune's eccentric leader.
Maybe she should give them a call.
However, her own thoughts were cut off as her scroll buzzed.
"I swear, if it's Whitley again to mock me, I'm gonna take Myrtenaster and shove right up his-oh!" She said, pleasantly suprised to see Yang's contact picture on the screen. Picking it up, Weiss pressed the accept call button.
Winter entered her home sighing. She was glad at least she wasn't her sister. She left her role as heiress to pursue her military career, refusing to be her father's puppet, a role her younger brother seemed so eager to fill. However, she was not expecting to see her little sister dressed in her combat skirt and brandishing her weapon, bags packed and ready to hunt
"What's this, dear sister?" She questioned
Weiss continued checking her supplies "Something came up. I'll be gone."
Winter furrowed her brow "For how long? You can't just get up and leave like this because of some petty whim for adventure! We need you to show that you're a responsible figure for the company, dear sister" She chastised her sister, but was cut off.
"My Beacon team leader, who mind you who helped me get to the person I am today and is pregnant with twins, has been kidnapped with the help of a high leveled former terrorist, one that was present and associated with the attack on Beacon my freshman year during the Vytal festival. This is no petty whim, sister. If my disgrace of a father and brother ask where I am, tell them I'm doing my job. Please keep the Atlas military at the ready. We might need your help later." Weiss snapped as she finished up her bags, and left the room, leaving her sister.
Ren was having an...interesting time with Nora.
The months after graduation had been an interesting experience for the stoic hunter. Living with Nora, was...well.
Their food bill was 67% pancake batter, they managed to go through 3 beds this month alone (One Nora threw out a window, the others…) and Ren was pretty sure the walls were being held together with spackle and sloth posters. However, the most interesting thing happened when they're Beacon leader appeared at their front door last night, covered in bruises, limping, and looking like someone brutally took a sledgehammer to his puppy's skull in front of him, asking for a place to crash for the night.
He thankfully managed to convince Nora to give their leader some privacy, and sure enough he was gone the next morning. Ren and Nora both loved Jaune like a brother, and respected him enough to clean up his problems with Ruby as they guessed, though Ren still secretly hoped that he'd at least make it on the list for potential godfathers.
"OH, RENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNYYYY!"
So much for a peaceful morning tea. But his life would be too quiet without her.
"Yes Nora?" Ren asked in an inside voice.
"We got a call from our fearless leader! Maybe we can find out the scoop on Rose Knight!"
Ren looked at her scowling "We did not agree on that name. I thought we agreed on Lancaster."
"But that doesn't make any sence! Rose Knight makes soooooo much more!"
"Nora, Lancaster is the name of th-"
"Too late, answering the call!" She said, answering the scroll and shoving it at Ren who picked it up begrudgingly.
Nora looked as Ren gave uh huhs and nods, his expression darkening with each minute on the phone. Was something wrong?
Ren finally hung up the scroll and sighed "Get your gear Nora. I'll fill you in on the way there. We have a friend to save."
Pyrrha was feeling lonely. She missed her team, she missed Beacon, she missed the antics, and she missed...Jaune.
As much as she wished for Ruby to be happy with Jaune, she couldn't help but feel envy towards the girl. She considered her a good friend, but she had been crushing hard on Jaune since her freshmen year, and when she confessed, he kindly shot her down. They both decided it would be to awkward and might interfere with Jaune's leadership if they were in a relationship, and decided on settling with friendship.
However, it was times like this she felt lonely. Here she was, back on her pedestal, away from everyone else. She was no longer Pyrrha, the Beacon student, but back to Pyrrha Nikos, the champion. She'd been doing missions left and right, deciding to just stay out of Jaune and Ruby's way and let them raise their children.
It was better that way.
However, her thoughts were cut off as her scroll buzzed, catching her attention. Pyrrha looked over to see the knight's profile picture on her scroll. Quickly, she answered the the call, greedily looking forward to a conversation with Jaune.
"Hello, Jaune" She said cheerfully. However, that happiness faded from her face as the phone call went on longer, a tear falling down Pyrrha's eyes.
Hanging up the scroll, Pyrrha pulled up tickets to Patch, buying the first flight as soon as possible.
She needed to help her friends.
The Arc household was a fairly large estate. However, years of being held in the Arc family for years have let it fade from it's original glory of a grand castle nearly on par with the academy's into a much more humbler home, a 3 story house with bits an nbd pieces of mismatched repair jobs, plywood covering up bits of the roof, duct tape covering up broken windows, all from an Arc father too proud and cheap to call an actual carpenter for repairs
"I have 8 wonderful hardworking children! Why would I need to pay some fool to do a job an Arc could do just fine!" Where the exact words of John Arc, much to his rightfully skeptical wife.
Soleil Arc was having an okay day all together. Was she still silently fuming over her youngest getting getting caught up in...adult business, and becoming a parent? Yes!
For Oum's sake, she hardly knew the girl who messed with her little boy! But she did intend to fix that… 7 sisters and a mother bear would be just the test...Maybe have John and Jaune go on a fishing trip with Mr. Xiao Long.
It was times likes these she felt her age coming on her. Jaune was growing up, and she had to accept that. Her boy, the one she tried so hard to shelter, was now strong enough to stand on his own. Plus, grandkids! It seemed like yesterday she was telling a young Jaune scary tales of his father's baldness being heirdarty. Now, he was asking how to paint a wall without ruining a ceiling for the cabin they gave the two. Soleil let out a sigh. She was getting too old to worry like this.
"What are you up to, dear?" John boomed as he entered the living room, propping himself down in his arm chair, body sweating from a day of yardwork.
Soliel chuckled as she contueied her needlework "Working on a little gift for our future grandchildren." She said, working on two pieces of soft fabric, one a deep crimson with gold trims, the other blue laced with black. "How about you, dear husband? Have you gotten the gift we intended to give Jaune at his graduation ready?"
The large man blushed behind his blonde mustache "It's done now!"
"I told you to just take it to a blacksmith the first time, they'd get it done right the first time, but noooo, you just had to try and fix it yourself." Soliel chastised her husband.
"Well, it's done now, my dear!" John grinned to his wife as she rolled her eyes
"Only because I finally got it through you to go sent it to someone who knows what they're doing!"
Knock Knock Knock
John and Soliel got up, hearing someone at their door.
"John, who's that?" She asked.
The Arc merely shrugged "I do not know. Let's go find out. It is rude after all to leave someone standing outside."
The couple went for and opened the door. There, bearing a grim expression and a rather familiar crimson cloak held in a death grip, was their only son.
"Mom, Dad, I need your help. The whole family's help, actually. Something terrible has happened and you might want to sit down for this." Jaune said quietly as he stood in the doorway.
Tai and Qrow sat in Tai's kitchen, patiently waiting for the motley crew Yang and the Arc boy where putting together.
"How you holding, Tai?" The surprisingly sober Qrow asked his teammate.
"Gee, my youngest daughter, the only thing we really have left of Summer, who is pregnant with twins, just got kidnapped?! How do you think I am?!" Tai snapped at the man. He was under a lot of stress, and felt like he failed Summer in every way. How could he let this happen?
Qrow looked at Tai, sympathy in his blood wine eyes. "Easy, Tai. We'll get her back. Just have faith in the next generation."
"How can you be so optimistic?" Tai growled.
"Because it's what Ruby would have wanted us to do." Qrow snapped, silencing the brawler.
After 10 minutes of tense silence, the first group arrived, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie.
"Hello, Mr Xiao Long, Mr Branwen" Ren said, bowing to the men.
Nora, needless to say, was far less formal. "Hello Ruby and Yang's Uncle and Dad!"
Tai took a long sigh "You two are the first ones here. Sit down at the kitchen with Yang and try not to break anything. And thank you, for this. You didn't have to."
Both shook their heads, and went into the kitchen.
The next to show was Weiss Schnee, Ruby's partner at Beacon. She came carrying suitcases full of dust, all high quality and enough by the looks of it to supply a small army. Good. They needed it.
Soon to follow was Blake, with the monkey faunus that always seemed to be around Beacon despite attending a different school altogether.
Blake gave Qrow and Tai a silent nod before going to sit with the rest. Soon, Pyrrha Nikos made her way to the cabin. She looked at Qrow with nervous eyes, memories of the Vytal festival from four years ago coming to mind. She was cautious that he was here. Not that she held anything against the man, but he seemed like bad luck… But it was because of him and several others that saved her from making a terrible decision. However, the champion went and sat down with the rest.
The table itself was now terribly tense. Several trained hunters put into a one table, all anxious and worried, problems are bound to happen.
Yang saw this throughout the table. Blake was being tight lipped about her trip, and even Sun was surprisingly. Pyrrha kept looking at her Uncle like he was about to do something horrible, Weiss looked stressed and more uptight that normal, and Nora was trying her best to contain herself.
Finally, however, the tension broke as the last group arrived, the entire Arc family, the 7 sisters, Soliel and John, and Jaune leading the pack.
Each one of the family looked like a force to be reckoned with. John Arc has has massive rocket javelin and heavy armor covering his large frame, the Lady Arc bearing light armor with
Vambraces and greaves made of leather with bits of metal plating covering it, and the 7 siblings each bore their own weapons.
Jaune himself, aside from his new clothes he got with Qrow, looked no different.
Jaune sat down at the table, the rest of his family standing behind him, as of this point there was no room left.
"Now, before we start, I'd like to thank each and everyone for coming here." Jaune spoke up. "As you know, Ruby Rose, currently pregnant with my children, was kidnapped, by former associates of the deceased terrorist Cinder Fall."
At this moment, everyone expect Qrow and the other veteran hunters bursted into shock and started arguing.
Jaune raised his voice once again, but it was lost over the large crowd. Yang, however caught action of this, and fired Ember Celica loudly into the air. The group quickly silenced as the loud shotgun blast echoed in the house.
Yang spoke up "Our goal is to get back Ruby, and stop any villainous plot." She gritted out "If you feel like bickering, then be my guest. The door is right there."
No one got up, and Jaune then continued. "Now, we need to find out why they would want to kidnap Ruby in the first place, and where to even start. The only thing I can think of is either the work I've been doing for Ozpin or her role in stopping Cinder, but both don't add up to anything."
Qrow let out a sigh and spoke up at the table. "I think know why they kidnapped my niece. Tell me, do any of you believe in legends?"
"As of recently, I've been opening up to idea." Jaune said from the back as the rest of the gang looked in confused, except for Tai who gave Qrow a concerned look "Are you sure about this Qrow?"
Qrow merely nodded to his old teammate. "I have a gut feeling that this had something to do with this."
Yang, as of most of the group, were confused, however. "What do bedtime stories have to do with my little sister getting kidnapped!?"
"Well, the best place to start, I guess, is with the legend of the Silver Eyed Warriors…"
Ruby woke up to a bright light glaring in her face.
"Hello Ms. Rose."
Ruby looked to see herself in a solid white room, fluorescent lights buzzing from the ceiling, a large screen towered on the wall in front of her displaying a large cloaked figure. Instincts kicking in, Ruby quickly went for her hip to pull out Crescent Rose, but found nothing.
"Looking for your scythe, Ms. Rose?" The man, as she determined by the sound of his voice, on the screen asked cynically. "Let me clarify any questions you might have. You are my prisoner now Ms. Rose. Any and all resistance will be punished.. You and Mr. Arc's unborn child are now mine as is your life, and shall be utilized for purposes I see fit without your input. Furthermore I suggest that you relax as such stress and sudden movements can be bad for your child, and the loss of your children would be a great disappointment. Such potential."
The girl looked at the figure in shock, but quickly adjusted. She would get out of here, one way or another. Good will always conquer evil. And like hell would she ever let her children fall into the hands of this monster.
Omake: Cards Against Humanity round 2 (Yeah, I got kinda lazy here)
Twas a calm night at Beacon academy.
So Yang fixed that quickly.
"Alright, my peeps, who's up for a game of CARDS AGAINST REMNANT!"
Weiss looked horrified "That filthy game? I would ne-"
Blake shrugged "Eh, I'm in."
"Ooh! Count me in!" Ruby chirped
"Sweet." I'll go get the rest of the gang!"
Sure enough, half an hour later, teams JNPR, RWBY, and Sun and Neptune, and somehow Penny (?) sat at the table.
"Alright Jauney boy, you'll judge this round" Yang said throwing the black card across the table.
Jaune shrugged "Alright I don't see why-Really Yang?" he said as he saw the card.
The busty blonde brawler gave him a shit-eating grin. "Well, read it Lady Killer."
Jaune groaned. "How did I lose my virginity?"
Sure enough, after many silent giggles and not so subtle evil laughter, the cards were in.
Jaune cleared his throat "How'd I lose my virginity? Grave Robbing. Okay, I would never do it with a dead body. Plus, what if they're cremated?"
Suddenly, Pyrrha started coughing. "You okay, P-Money?" Yang asked
The redhead nodded "Yeah, just something came over me. Continue Jaune."
The Knight shrugged but continued "How'd I lose virginity? Revenge fucking. But the only one I would ever need to get revenge on is Card-OH GOD MY EYES!"
Everyone at the table burst into laughter, and also died a little on the inside from the mental image. Finally, with a plan to later bleach the his brain, the Arc read the next one. "How'd I lose my virginity? Teaching a robot to love."
Ruby burst into laughter as Penny hid under the table, leaving everyone confused.
"I don't get it." Jaune said. "But moving on! How'd I lose my virginity? Inces- Nope Nope. Nope, Nope. 101 Nopes. 50 shades of nope." He ranted, throwing the card into the trash pile, with Sun cringing "But an orgy between 7-"
"Say one more word, and I'll cut of both tails you keep in your pants." Jaune said, giving the monkey boy a death glare. "Now, before I murder Sun by choking him to death with his own tail, let's get on with it. How'd I lose my virginity? A salty surprise. No. How'd I lose my virginity? Throwing a virgin into a volcano? But wouldn't that mean I throw myself into a volcano? How'd I lose my virginity? Winking at old people….gross."
"Hey, some of the adults here are attractive" Sun commented "I mean, Professor Goodwitch, am I right?"
Everyone that went to Beacon at the table visibly cringed
Repressing dark thoughts, Jaune pressed on "How'd I lose my virginity? Two midgets shitting in a box...Interesting"
"Hey Neo, do you have a cousin or a twin?" Roman asked the mute ice cream themed possible psychopath.
Neo responded with shaking her head and casted a questioning look at Roman for asking her.
"No reason." The mobster said nonchalantly
"How'd I lose my virginity? Atlas Dungeon Porn!" Jaune said as everyone turned to Weiss.
Weiss was fuming at this point "For the last time, my family DOES NOT HAVE A-"
"Ya know, how long has your family had this sex dungeon?" Qrow asked Winter
"For generations. The only one not to use it were my parents." The eldest Schnee "Now, front or back?"