Welcome to Ch 45 of TPA
This was madness. Pure madness. Maybe he had overdone it with the Elixirs, or maybe he had gotten hit in the head too much, but he most certainly had gone insane. How else could one explain what he'd done?
Sure, assaulting the White Fang base in Mountain Glen wasn't something he would consider safe. Especially considering the fact that the Faunus terrorists knew they were coming. He knew it would be hell. Brutal, bloody hell.
But rushing off to help team RWBY was straight out insanity. They were overrun. According to reports, only handful of civilians reamined on the inside, along with two members of team RWBY. Who, Jaune had no idea, but they had no chance to withstand the onslaught of Grimm and White Fang. Could his team really turn the tide?
Probably not. Even assuming they made it in time. He knew - they will arrive only to find city completely overrun, those who didn't manage to escape dead. The city was in flames, and he could see the dark shapes of Grimm. Surprisingly, most of them were just running around aimlessly, instead of rushing towards the evac zone. But the sheer number he saw on the way made him nervous. If all those Grimm rushed them, they were done for, no questions asked. Whose idea is it to come here?
Oh right. His. It was crazy, irresponsible, possibly suicidal. And worst thing?
He didn't regret it at all.
Their pilot either had nerves of steel or a deathwish, because he ignored multiple Nevermore flying by their bullhead, and dropped them almost at evac zone. As soon as they landed, the four teens rushed to help lone figure trying to keep the Grimm away from the terrified mass of civilians huddled near the city wall.
Yang started at them for a few seconds with blank a expression, then collapsed to her knees. Jaune rushed to the blond brawler, taking off one of small bottles on his belt.
"Here." He said, pressing it to her lips. Yang was covered in bruises and cuts. Her left arm was hanging limply by her side, and there was a nasty wound on her right thigh. Judging by the soft yellow glow, she wasn't completely out of Aura, but very close to it.
"Looks who's back. Atlas soldiers were not as fun of company as you thought?" She choked out between heavy breaths.
Jaune shook his head. How could she joke in such situation, he had no idea.
"Nah, we just did our part and decided to let them earn their paycheck. Can't do everything for them, you know." He quickly checked Yang's injures. She could use some first aid, but unfortunately, he didn't' have time for that, if sounds of combat behind him were anything to go by.
"On a more serious note - we will have ride out of here in like ten minutes. We will hold the Grimm off, you get some rest." He said, starting to get up, but stopping when Yang caught his hand.
"Wait…"
He sighed.
"Yang, you are in no condition to fight…"
"That's not it. It's Ruby. She ran off earlier, trying to drag some of the bad guys away. " She chuckled. "Judging by fact that almost every Fang ran after her, she must have done a pretty good job at getting their attention."
Jaune cursed. That stupid, reckless…
"Where did she go?"
"She said she was going to head west."
He sighed. "Got it. You go back and catch your breath. I'll bring her back."
She nodded, and limping towards the group of civilians.
Jaune ran up to his team, quickly scanning their surroundings.
"Guys, we have problem. Ruby ran off to somewhere. Can you hold without me if I go to look for her?"
Nora grinned.
"Sure thing, Fearless Leader!"
"Should I go with you?" Pyrrha asked.
"No, Most Grimm will be drawn here because of civilians." He looked around and smirked. "But If you could give me a lift up there, I would be grateful." He said, pointing at the roof of a nearby building.
Pyrrha grinned, and put her shield above her head, dropping to one knee. Jaune got a running start, and jumped on it. He pumped his Aura into his legs, and aided by his partner shoving him up, he flew a few meters up, way higher than the roof he was aiming at, then slammed down on it He rolled, and came up desperately looking for something to catch on. Eventually, he just buried Crocea Mors into the roof and hufed. Not the most graceful landing, but it worked. He got up and looked around. Most of the houses were simple one-story buildings, so he should have an easy time traveling from roof to roof. This would let him avoid most Grimm, but the bigger problem was how he was supposed to find Ruby in this damn city.
He spent a moment considering his options. Running aimlessly around was a bad idea, he simply didn't have the time for it. Ask the Bullhead pilot to sweep around city? Too risky, not only because of the flying Grimm, but the White Fang could have some heavy weaponry too, enough to bring it down. He focused on his Semblance, trying to bring out his Aura vision. Judging by lack of any effect, the last Dusk must have worn off.
So, they don't last as long as the original recipe…
He sighed, and picked an orange bottle from his belt. Drinking too high tier Elixirs in a single day was usually a bad idea, especially considering he was already low on Aura. He managed to recover a bit on his way here, but still it was risky.
Then again, he didn't really had any other options, did he?
He drank the slightly sweet, thick, and strangely cold liquid. He closed his eyes, activating his Semblance, forcing his Aura to neutralize multiple toxic components, and enhance those that he needed. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and looked around yet again. The city they were in was surrounded by a thin forest, trees and bushes giving off a soft white glow. The perfect background to track Grimm.
Not so much when it was people he was looking for. Sure, a person with an awakened Aura would shine brighter, with a distinctive color, but he didn't really know what 'color' Ruby was. Well, he could look for any signs of stronger Aura he supposed… There! A pale green, barely visible on background of white. Not really the color he would assign to Ruby, but there was something else that caught his attention.
Several black lines mixing with it. A color he'd only ever seen on Harrowed. His eyes narrowed. He'd never seen anything like that before… Was it some new kind of Harrowed? Should he go and investigate?
Could he afford to? Ruby was somewhere out there, and if Yang's condition was anything to go by, she was on her last leg. He was about to ignore this strange trace, but then he recalled something. A few weeks before, at the docks. His first encounter with the White Fang Knights. How Eclipse had acted out. As if he was near a Harrowed, even though the Faunus terrorists were definitely alive.
Well, It won't hurt to take a look. Not like I have any other leads.
He ran forward, jumping from roof to roof. As he got closer, he noticed other sources of Aura. They were weaker, no doubt people who didn't have it unlocked yet, but they were tainted by corruption too. Jaune scowled, drawing Eclipse. It might have been just his imagination, but he could swear the black blade seems more… alive. Almost as if it was eager to start its bloody work.
He jumped from the roof, rolled and sprinted the last few meters towards the alley where he could see Aura. The voices were more clear now, they were shouting and spitting profanities in clear agitation.
Jaune paused near the entrance, took a few deep breaths and carefully peeked inside.
There were five White Fang Knights in there. Just as he suspected, only one of them had their Aura unlocked, but he could clearly see traces of corruption in all of them. But it wasn't spreading, it seemed stable. Was it Master's work? Was this what he aimed at?
Jaune shook his head. That wasn't important now. What was important was the person they were focused on. Now that he was closer, he could see another source of Aura. It was weak, very weak, probably some civilian they caught. Jaune tensed. How should he go in? Just charge forward? Try to distract them first?
The loud roar of Bullhead engines made him smile. It looked like the first batch of civilians were out. Plus, the loud noise would mask his footsteps. It was perfect. He focused, slowly pushing Aura into his legs. His new technique wasn't perfect yet, it required very careful Aura manipulation least he hurt himself, and he had still had to figure out how to stop himself without slamming into a tree, wall, or whatever other obstacle was in the way. But this time it was different - colliding with any of the Knights was exactly what he wanted. Preferably with the tip of his sword. He only had a few second before the Bullhead flew away, but he was sure that…
All thoughts left his head when the man with greenish Aura leaned down and picked up the person they surrounded. He could barely see her, the Faunus' massive body concealing her smaller form from his view, but the red cape that fluttered on the wind was all he needed.
He didn't even register the moment when he tore the black bottle from his belt. He slammed Aura into his legs, ignoring the searing pain, at the same time swallowing thick, bitter liquid. It burned his throat, as if he'd just swallowed liquid fire. But this sensation soon faded, leaving only numbness.
Colors and sounds merged in one chaotic mix, and for a moment that felt like an eternity, Jaune couldn't tell where he was, what he was doing, or even what he was.
And then, just as suddenly as it started, the chaos ended. The world was devoid of all colors, expect for the bright lights of the Aura of the people in front of him, and of sounds, expect for the beating of his heart, and the low hum from Eclipse. Despite that, or maybe because of it, he could see with much more clarity now. Time itself seemed to slow down, stretched impossibly, allowing him to notice every detail, every movement.
That's why the moment when the Knight's blade broke Ruby's Aura, and went into her chest was burned into his mind. He could hear it tearing through her clothes, her soft flesh, scraping against her bones. He could smell the metallic scent of fresh blood.
Jaune grit his teeth, and moved. Pavement shattered under his foot, his bones barely avoiding the the same fate. The first Faunus head flew off his shoulders at the same time their captain's blade erupted from Ruby's back.
Jaune slammed into his body, halting his own momentum and throwing the corpse a good few meters ahead. Using the momentum form his first attack and sudden stop, he spun, bringing the black blade to bare on the second Faunus. It bit into his shoulder before he could register what was going on, and cleaved him cleanly in two. His blood splashed on Jaune's face, its warmth the first sensation he'd felt ever since Dusk took hold of his senses.
Jaune continued his spin, ignoring how his muscles cried in protest. He knew he was tearing them with every movement, that he should take some time to adjust to the flow of Aura in his body. That he probably shouldn't drink Dusk at all considering he was tired, and drank a few other Elixirs already.
But none of those things mattered now. All that mattered was the need to kill all the monsters that dared to hurt one of his friends.
The third Faunus managed to block Jaune's first strike, but the sheer power behind it left him unbalanced. He tried to dodge the follow up attack, raising his hands in a desperate attempt to stop the black blade from cleaving his head in two.
Eclipse easily cut through the soft flesh, but before it could reach his head, a strong blow to the side threw Jaune away. The blond boy scowled, and rolled with the blow, then jumped to his feet. The Fang's captain towered above him in his full plate mail, his Aura bright and angry. His mouth moved, but no words reached Jaune's ears.
He neither needed, nor wanted to hear him talk, so he simply turned them off.
The blond Witcher jumped to his feet and dashed forward.
Three targets, one without arms, one Aura user. Neutralize the weaker ones first, then focus on the big one.
He ducked under the Knight's sword, and again pushed Aura into his legs. His muscles screamed in pain, causing him to wince and stumble a little. He almost fell, but managed to propel himself forward in an awkward lunge. It wouldn't be enough to catch any Hunter level opponent off guard, but the White Fang soldier barely managed to put his guard up. The two of them collided, and struggled for a brief moment. Jaune focused Aura in his right leg, and then expelled it all at once.
His knee slammed into the Faunus' chest. The man bent over as air left his lungs, his ribs shattered. Jaune raised his sword, but instead of cutting down defenseless opponent he grabbed him by the hair, and spun around.
The captain's blade pierced his chest, casing the large man to pause in shock. Jaune pushed his not-so-living shield into shocked White Fang officer, and spared a quick glance at the last Faunus. He was kneeling, clutching his severed arm.
Guess I got only one arm after all…
Jaune briefly considered rushing in and finishing him off, but discarded the idea. He was no threat, at least for now, and the captain was still distracted with body on his sword.
How could he pass on such a perfect opportunity?
He rounded on the bigger man, kicking him in the back of his knee. Unfortunately, he didn't budge, and it was Jaune who backed off when a sharp pain raced through his leg.
Well, I guess I broke something…
That was to be expected. He was pushing himself too far and he knew it. But it didn't matter now. At the rate he was going, he would be out of Aura soon, and then he would succumb to the aftereffects of his Elixirs. He didn't had much time.
Ruby, if her shallow breathing was anything to go by, had even less.
So he focused and disabled his ability to feel pain. It would only distract him. He dashed in again, aiming for the gap between the captain's armor and helmet, but the large Faunus managed to free his sword and turned in time to parry Jaune's strike. He roared in fury and charge ahead, raining blow after blow down on the young Witcher. Jaune grit his teeth, trying to withstand the reckless barrage. It wasn't easy. The Faunus seemingly didn't care about his own safety, or simply trusted his Aura and armor to defend him. Slowly, but surely, Jaune started to give ground.
The blond grit his teeth when his wounded leg buckled under him. He needed to retreat, put some space between them to catch his breath and think of a plan. The Faunus was in a frenzy, just slashing recklessly. His sword was shorter than Eclipse, so as long as he played it carefully, he should be able to tire him out.
Ruby coughed weakly, and Jaune scowled. His friend was dying right in front of him, he was in middle of a Grimm infested city, and he was running low on Aura. Any moment now, his control over his semblance could slip, or he might get hit by a rebound, and then it would be over.
He didn't have time to do it safely.
Well, I guess it's time to go all out. Let's see who has better armor, shall we?
Jaune roared and charged forward, slashing at the Faunus' head. He ignored it, and the thrust towards Jaune's chest. Both swords reached their targets at the same time, and both bounced off harmlessly. The both growled and struck again. And again. And again.
Each time, both blades bounced off armor. Jaune sighed. This wasn't working. He needed to change up his tactics. Jaune staggered, his wounded leg buckling under him. The Fang Knight noticed it, and immediately took advantage. A powerful overhand strike Jaune managed to parry, but it left him open for a kick to the chest. Jaune was thrown back and landed heavily, dropping Eclipse. The blond cursed, and made to pick it up, but the Fang captain was already upon him. He rolled and jumped to his feet, drawing Crocea Mors. The Fang commander walked up to him slowly, his blade resting on his shoulder. If this posture was not enough, the way his Aura flow changed told Jaune he was much more relaxed now.
The blond could understand it. He was exhausted, wounded, and had lost the reach advantage. His opponent was certain he was winning.
Good.
The Faunus charged and slashed at Jaune's head. The blond ducked under the blow, parried the next one, and kicked the Faunus' knee. It wasn't a strong attack, but enough to stagger him for a second - enough for Jaune to make an attack of his own.
He focused as much Aura as he could into his arms. He could feel his muscles and tendons tearing, but he ignored the pain and brought his weapon down on the Faunus' head. Just like every time before, the Fang Knight didn't even try to parry it, trusting his armor and Aura to protect him. Aftrall, even with a longer, heavier blade he couldn't cut through it, so why should he be afraid of this smaller sword?
Crocea Mors reached its target, but it wasn't the blade that impacted the Knight's helmet, but rather its crossguard. Jaune could feel the force of blow reverberating in his arm, and something cracking in his right one. But at the same time he could feel the metal of the Fang soldier's helmet giving way. He let out a short gasp and fell.
He didn't move again.
Jaune spat on the unmoving body.
"And that's how you use a sword against an armored opponent."
He shook his head. He never thought he will be using murderstroke against anything else other than a heavily armored Grimm.
He felt the impact roughly at the same time as a loud 'bang' reached his ears. The sound repeated three more times, but he only felt one more impact, this time on his shoulder. It took Jaune a moment to realize he was being shot at. He staggered, and fell to one knee. Turning around, he saw the last Faunus, the one who'd lost a hand, struggling to reload his gun.
Can I reach him before he finishes?
By the looks of it, he could. Reloading one-handed wasn't that easy, and the fact he was bleeding out didn't help. Even with his right leg not working properly, he should be able to reach him before the man finished reloading, especially if he disregarded safety and used his Aura slide again. But the Faunus was a good twenty meters away, and there was someone else who needed all of Jaune's attention yesterday. Could he afford to stagger to the bleeding out Faunus, and then stagger back to Ruby?
No.
But he couldn't ignore the shooter either. What were his options? He did have a gun himself. He could search the downed captain, but he wasn't sure if the man was really out, or just pretending. If he was caught, it would be bad.
So, the only other solution was to throw something. Even something as simple as rock, or a piece of payvment would be enough. The blond looked around for any suitable projectile, but couldn't' find anything. Then his eyes fell on Crocea Mors, and a small smile appeared on his lips.
Throwing a sword was a bad idea in just about any situation. But Leon once showed him a neat little trick for situations like this.
Well, it was intended more as a surprise attack, a way to distract your opponent so that you can get a good hit in. But when Aura came into the equation, everything could become a lethal weapon.
Jaune revised the grip on his sword and staggered to his feet. The Fang soldier doubled his efforts to put a fresh magazine into his gun. Jaune took two shaky steps forward.
The Faunus cursed when the magazine fell from his hand.
Jaune drew his hand back, focused as much Aura as he dared, and threw it with all his might.
The Faunus finally managed to reload his gun, and stood up with a vicious grin.
The unscrewed pommel hit him in the forehead, cracking his skull and killing him on the spot.
Jaune stared at dead Faunus for few moments, his lips slowly twisting into small smirk.
Well… I wouldn't call it a 'rightly' way to finish duel… but it was oddly satisfying.
He sighed, and and turned around, only to see the Fang capitan staggering to his feet.
Oh, for fuck sake! Can't you guys just die!?
The Faunus rose, staggered, then tore his cracked Helmet off, revealing blond hair and green eyes that were now locked on Jaune. His lips peeled back in a vicious grimace, and he charged at the blond. Jaune cursed, and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the larger man. He either went insane, or decided crushing blond with his bare hands would be more effective than trying to cut him with his sword.
Jaune cursed. His whole body was sore, his arms felt heavy, and he could barely move. If this turned into a grappling match, he was done for. He needed to do something, and do it fast. A quick glance at Ruby revealed that her Aura, what little was left of it, condensed around the wound in her chest. But there was too little of it to heal it, or even stop the bleeding.
She didn't have much time left.
He focused back on his opponent, who charged at him again. Jaune sidestepped his charge, and tried to slash at his head. But his attack was slow, too slow. The Fang captain caught Crocea Mors by the blade, and punched Jaune in the gut. The force behind this attack was enough to lift him off the ground and throw him a few meters back. He landed heavily, and cursed. Even though the HIDE armor absorbed most of the impact, it still hurt more than any attack his opponent had delivered so far. Did he get stronger?
Or was it Jaune who had gotten weaker?
The blond grit his teeth, and got to his feet, glaring at the Faunus. He was staring at the sword he still held by the blade, seemingly lost in thought. Jaune took the chance to look around. He absolutely couldn't let this man get a hold of him. In his current state, he had no chance of winning if that happened.
Jaune's eyes fell on Eclipse, only a few meters away from him. Could he make it to it in time?
He looked back at the Fang Knight. He was now staring at Jaune. He glanced sideways, to where Eclipse laid on the ground, and grinned.
They both moved at the same time. Jaune disregarding all safety pushed Aura to his right leg and kicked off. He could feel his damaged bones breaking, his muscles tearing apart, but he managed to propel himself forward. It was more of a clumsy jump than a slide, but he landed near his black sword. He grinned as he grabbed it and turned around, ready to face the Fang Knight.
His smile fell when he saw the Faunus only a few steps away. All Jaune managed to do was raise his sword in front of his chest before the larger man tackled him to the ground. For a few moments they struggled, the Fauuns trying to pry Eclipse from Jaune's hand, while the blond Witcher tried to hit him in some weak spot. Eventually, the Faunus just ignored the sword, and wrapped his hands around Jaune's throat. So close, and in such bad position, the only thing the blond could do was to press the blade against the man's neck, and push, hoping to break the Faunus' Aura before he gots choked to death.
He scowled. His right arm was weak, very weak. This, coupled with his awkward position, prevented him from putting any significant strength into his sword. Jaune cursed. He could see the Faunus' Aura straining under the edge of Eclipse. A green, pulsating light, fighting to keep the black blade surrounded by white light away from soft flesh. He could see it cracking and reforming, and he knew given some time he could break through it.
The problem was that he didn't have time.
He could feel his heart pounding in his chest in a fanatical rhythm. He could feel Eclipse pulastting violently, as if it was screaming at him to do something. He could feel his own Aura pulsating in a rhythm that he knew so well.
He could also feel the Faunus' Aura pulsating in its own rhythm, fighting against his own. He needed to break it, destroy it, overpower it.
Eclipse's humming grew louder, angrier. It wasn't asking anymore, it was demanding. What? He wasn't sure. He pushed harder, trying to break through the Faunus' Aura, but the harder he pushed, the louder Eclipse hummed. This sound, the pain he was starting to feel all over his body, the hands that were squeezing his throat him, it was too much. His vision swam, he felt as if he was on fire, and Eclipse was vibrating so hard he could barely hold it. He needed to hurry up. He needed to end this. He needed… to...
Something cracked, shattered, and his vision blurred.
He was sitting under a massive oak tree. The lone monument in a sea of green. Besides a small river nearby, and misty mountains to the north, the only thing he could see was grassy fields.
"Water?" His younger self asked.
"Yeah." Leon answered.
Young Jaune scratched his head.
"Shouldn't it be earth?"
Leon shook his head.
"No. Earth is steady, unyielding. It usually won't come at you, rather it will let you come. It will make you feel like you are winning, like you need to push just a little bit more. And then, when you are exhausted, it will crush you."
Jaune hummed. No matter how he thought about it, it sounded just like his prefered fighting style.
"I'm fire." Leon continued, nodding to himself. "I prefer to go at you. To overpower you, to force you to play my game and my rules. Too fast, too strong for you. And then, when you stumble because you can't keep up, I'll consume you."
Jaune nodded. Yes, that sounded like his teacher.
"You, however, are water. You think you are earth, because you often act like that, but sometimes, especially when you are pushed to the edge, you act more like fire. Do you know why?"
Jaune shook his head. Leon grinned.
"It's because water is like a middle ground between fire and earth. It's more solid than the former, and more flexible than the latter. Earth will stand firm, unchanging no matter the odds. Fire will try to consume the adversary, no matter what. But water?" He shook his head. " It can be both shaped by others, and shape others itself." He hummed " Look at this river. It looks like it's controlled by earth, shaped by it. And that's true, but at the same time, it is shaping the earth around it. You may be able to control water, but it will also control you. Give it enough time, and it will erode any mountain. Or it can come in suddenly, as a crushing wave that will destroy everything in its path, just as fire would do. Do you understand now? Where earth will stand unyielding, trying to withstand any assault, and fire will attack fiercely, water will change. Adapt."
The older man poked his student in the forehead.
"And that's exactly what you are doing. You adapt. You take whatever you have, and make use of it. Change it, shape it so that it will suit your needs. And your Semblance reflects it. It doesn't have any obvius application, and appears very simple, but that also makes it very flexible." He smiled and got up, stretching. "Sometime you try too hard to become earth. Don't. It doesn't suit you. If you stop adapting, if you become satisfied with what you have, you will become like a stale lake. One that is slowly overgrown until it disappears. Don't do it. Be like the river. Always changing, always adapting to its surroundings, but also adapting its surroundings to itself."
Jaune hummed, considering his teacher's words. Now that he thought about it, Leon was right. The blond boy smiled. It was to be expected really. The older man was always right. There was only one more thing that he wanted to know.
"Wait, then what about air?"
Leon looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"You talked about earth, water, and fire. What about air?"
Leon shrugged.
"No idea. I was coming up with all this stuff while we were talking."
Jaune stared at older man for a few seconds, then snorted. Yeah, this was a very Leon thing to do. And say. Well, whether it was something he come up on the spot or not, this didn't make his words any less true.
The blond boy leaned back, closing his eyes, and hummed.
Shape…
… and be shaped. Adapt.
Jaune's eyes snapped open. How long did this vision alsted? How long he was out?
Judging by the fact he was still lying on the stone pavement, pressing his sword against the neck of the crazed Faunus,, that was trying to choke him to death, probably not for long. But it was enough. He knew what he needed to do.
He was falling into old habits again. Acting like he was Earth all the time. Becoming steady, grounded… stale. Only when pushed to the edge, he would push back. Strongly, fiercely… recklessly. But that wasn't him. He needed to change.
No, that wasn't quite right. What he needed was something else,
Balance.
Defend when he needed to defend. Attack when an opening showed.
Pick any path that would lead him to his goal. Take control of it, shape it the way he wanted, like a river slowly eroding rock, and then strike down with the power of a crushing wave.
And if there was no path to victory?
He grinned, focusing on the Aura flowing into his blade. On it's slow, steady, simple rhythm. Then, he focused on his enemy's Aura. It was erratic, angry, but it had a rhythm of its own. The two powers clashed, each trying overpower the other. His was winning, but it was slow, too slow.
So he needed to adapt.
Become part of the landscape, merge with it. Allow it to change him.
Be shaped by it.
He forced his Aura to change its rhythm, to beat faster, stronger. To match his opponents.
The Faunus looked surprised when the soft, white glow surrounding dark blade of Eclipse started to change color to a green one, similar to his own. It turned into shock when his own Aura started flowing into the black sword.
Jaune gasped when the green glow reached his hand. He could feel the Faunus in way that was hard to explain. His Aura, his presence, his essence, it threatened to overwhelm him.
And shape it in turn.
Jaune focused on the power flowing through his blade. He forced it to slow down, into a slower, clamer rhythm. Colors shifted again, Green fading, turning into White. The blond boy grinned, and pulled, dragging his opponents Aura out of his body. But it was fighting back, resisting. He tried to pull harder, but it didn't' work.
Jaune squashed his frustration. This wasn't working, so he needed to adapt.
Instead of pulling, he pushed. The same force that was fighting to prevent him taking the Knight's Aura, now dragged his own into his opponent. Both of them gasped when White connected with Green. A wave of emotions washed over him, a sensation similar to, but much stronger and clearer than before. In this instant, he really, truly understood the man he was fighting with. All his motivations, all he dreams and hopes.
It was hatred. Burning, overwhelming hatred for humans. The man himself didn't seem to know why he was hated humans so much, but also didn't care. All that he wanted was to kill them, torture them, see them suffer, because this was only thing that gave him excitement, that allowed him to feel the joy that filled, for however short a moment, the dark, endless pit of nothingness that was his everyday life.
It was only when he could make others suffer, that he was truly alive. He didn't know why. Neither did he care. All he wanted was to feel this rush when some filthy human was brought to the brink of breaking down, just before moment where they stopped fearing death.
Jaune sighed, and looked man in the eyes. He knew he just went through the same, that he learned everything about Jaune Arc. At that moment, this person knew him better than anyone else.
That also meant he knew what will happen next.
Jaune smiled at him.
"Thank you…"
He said, as Green and White mixed again, for brief, very brief moment, becoming one. It was just an instant, but it was enough for Eclipse to pass unhindered and press into soft flesh, draining a bit of blood. The White Fang Knight tried to jerk his head away, but it was too late. The black blade ripped through skin, muscles, and bone, separating his head form rest of the body.
"...for your contribution."
Warm blood splashed over a still smiling Jaune, even as he focused, and pulled again. This time there was no resistance, and he tore Green Aura out of the dying body. It swirled around Eclipse, glowing like lighthouse, Green, and Black strains that marked it, slowly fading until only White reamined.
And then it crashed into him, filling him with power. It was overwhelming. Like the first drink after weeks spent in the desert, or first breath after nearly drowning. It was the pain of multiple wounds after surviving impossible encounter, and living to tell the tale. It was the thrill of defeating a superior opponent. It was first kiss. It was sweetest wine.
It was intoxicating.
Jaune slowly got to his feet, his eyes scanning his surroundings hungrily. Did any of the Faunus was still live? A quick look confirmed that no, they were all dead, but he could smell the sweet, sweet scent of Aura nearby. Much better than what he'd just eaten. His gaze snapped to the motionless figure in the red cloak. Ruby was done for, her wounds too serious. She would die soon, and all this wonderful power in her will go to waste. Wouldn't it be better if he took it?
Of course it would. She probably would want it too! It would help him out, and she loved helping people. Seriously, he would be doing her a favor. She was so naive that she had no chance to achieve anything as Huntress. But with him taking her power, she will be of some use!
And he would make sure to give her credit for any of the great things he would achieve from now on. Afterall, they will be doing this together. As the best friends that they were. Sure, it would be a shame that she would die, but at this point there was little he could do.
And besides…
His face twisted in a fierce scowl.
All humans deserve to die. This one especially, what with all the humiliation she brought upon him and his brothers. She should be happy, since he would give her the opportunity to be useful even in death. A shame she was too far gone to really appreciate what was going to happen, but one couldn't have everything. Well, he could take it out on that sister of hers.
He stalked towards his prey, his grip on Eclipse tightening. Yes, this was the only way. He wondered what her Aura would taste like. The last one was bitter. It wasn't that bad, but the corruption spoiled the taste. But Ruby? With how… pure she was? He just knew it would be sweet.
He stopped, staring down at the dying girl. It would be over quickly, she wouldn't feel a thing, he would make sure of it. He owed her that much. Jaune smiled.
And then punched himself. The pain helped to clear his head a bit. This annoying little voice in the back of his head, the one that demanded they drag Ruby's body back to the evac zone and mutilate it in front of the people there, just so he can bask in their terror was gone, but he still could feel the strange hunger.
So he punched himself again. The pain was stronger now, and surprisingly most of this come from his hand.
Probably snapped my wrist…
He thought, kneeling next to his friend.
What the hell was… is that? I've never felt anything like that before.
These violent thoughts, it was the rebound from absorbing the Faunus' Aura. It wasn't dissimilar to what sometime happened when he killed a Wraith, just a bit stronger.
But this hunger, this desire to consume more Aura?
That was all him.
He needed to talk about it with Leon or Port after he got back to Beacon. He could still feel it, just beneath surface, waiting to take hold of him again.
And for some reason, he doubted he would be able to get rid of it completely, but that was a problem for later. Now he had something else to worry about. Ruby was dying. Her wound was serious, very much so. In fact, it was a miracle she was still breathing - as shallow as it was. What could he do?
He could try and stop the bleeding, but the wound was too big to bandage it over, it would need stitching. And even then, it wouldn't do anything for all the internal damage she suffered.
Carry her to the evac zone? No, even if he found the medic there, what Ruby needed was a proper hospital, and surgery. Not that she would survive long enough for him to carry her there, let alone the trip to Vale.
Elixirs? A healing enhancer might not be enough to heal her completely, but it would at least stabilize her enough to survive until they could get her to a hospital. But for it to work, she needed to have enough Aura left in her, which she didn't.
Jaune strained his mind, trying to think about anything he could do, and come up empty. Nothing. Nothing he had, nothing he knew could help. Ruby would die.
His expression hardened. If there was no way for him to save her…
Then he just had to make one. He was Water. He would adapt.
He placed one hand on the wound in Ruby chest. His head was spinning, and he could feel pain racing through his body. Together with the hunger, this strange rush of energy he felt was gone too, leaving him exhausted and panting.
But the Aura he absorbed - it was still there. He could feel it running through his body. If he had Aura, he could still use his Semblance. And that meant there might be a way. He never tried to use it on another person. Hell, he didn't even know if he could - or how it might work. From all he knew, it shouldn't be possible to transfer Aura between two people.
Except, he'd done it just a few moments ago. He didn't know if this was a property of black swords, his Semblance, or a combination of both. He glanced at Eclipse, lying on the ground next to him. The blade was silent now. It felt… satisfied. But he still could feel this hunger deep inside him. No, he wouldn't risk it.
Instead, he focused on his Aura, and pushed it into his hands. He could feel it glowing, swirling, waiting. Now what? Did he just push it out? No, it would just explode. He needed to do it gently.
His Aura vision was fading, a clear sign that he was running out of time. He needed to hurry.
Jaune focused on his friend, trying to feel the rhythm of her Aura. It was there, but it was weak, very weak, almost completely drowned by soft hum of his own power. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled the Aura out of his hand, leaving only a little bit.
He smiled - now he could hear Ruby more cleary. Slowly, carefully, he adjusted his rhythm. The moment they matched, the link formed, and his own Aura started flowing into Ruby. Slowly at first, but as her reserves increased, it sped up, and as his own reserves diminished. He could feel the after effects of all the Elixirs he drank coming back to hit him. The headache came first. Then nausea. His heart was beating irregularly, speeding up, then suddenly slowing down, almost stopping. Jaune fought to remain conscious, even as waves of cold, and intense heat washed over him. He couldn't stop. It was working, he could see the wound in Ruby chest closing, he could feel her damaged lungs being repaired.
He pulled the bottle of healing enhancer from his belt. His last one. He uncorked it with his teeth, and poured the contents into Ruby's mouth. Normally, he would think twice before giving someone in her condition one of his standard Elixirs, but now was different. Their Aura was connected. He could work with it.
He smiled when the healing sped up, even as his body began to shake violently. It was harder and harder to remain conscious, but he knew he had to continue. Ruby wasn't out of danger yet. He just needed a little more time.
He breathed a sigh of relief when her eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times, her eyes slightly widening when she recognized him.
"Jaune…" she whispered, so low that he barely heard her. He just shook his head.
"We will talk later. Now stay still and don't move. I have no idea what I'm doing, but it seems to be helping."
She nodded weakly, and smiled at him.
He managed to weakly smile back. It fell quickly however when he heard heavy footsteps from behind.
And heard a low panting. He knew that sound. He knew it oh so well. He didn't even had to turn to know there were two, mo, three Ursa walking into the alley. One of them was a Major, judging by the sound.
"Jaune?" Ruby asked weakly. She was still half conscious, and his body was blocking her view of the alley entrance, so she couldn't have noticed the approaching Grimm. Whether it was his expression, or she could feel something through their link, he didn't know. What he did know was that he needed to act fast.
Ok, first things first. Can I break the link?
Yes, he could. He did so for a moment, just to make sure. Judging by her condition, Ruby was out of immediate danger. Still not safe, but she wouldn't die on him if he stopped transferring his Aura into her.
Good. So, can I kill those Grimm, and then drag us both to evac zone? With possibly more fighting along the way?
He focused on his own body, trying to get an idea of amount of damage he'd take. His right leg was busted, several bones cracked or broken, muscles and tendons torn up. His left one wasn't much better, but it should still be able to hold his weight.
His right arm was in bad shape, his wrist snapped, the bones in his forearm badly cracked, and damaged a elbow. He probably wouldn't use it anymore.
And there was the problem of the immediate rebound. He was already in bad shape, barely staying conscious, his vision so blurry he could barely see Ruby's face, he could barely hear anything because of the ringing in his ears.
Jaune sighed. No. He was in no condition to fight. He couldn't help but chuckle.
Come to think about it… it's the second time I'm about to get killed by Grimm while trying to save a little girl.
He wasn't sure if this was common for Hunters or not. Back then, it was him and Sam. He was beaten up and exhausted too. Back then Leon showed up, and saved both of them.
He doubted it would happen again.
He focused back on Ruby. Ironically enough, she was now in better condition than he was. Just a few more moments, and she should be good enough to walk, maybe even run. With her Semblance, she should be able to reach evac zone without much trouble.
"Jaune… what's going on?"
He sighed and looked her in the eyes. He could see a hint of worry in them. He managed to send her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
"Everything is fine. Just relax." She didn't believe him, he could feel it. She struggled weakly, trying to get up, but still too weak for it. So instead she tried to look past him towards the end of alley. Jaune sighed. Heavy footsteps were much closer now. He didn't have much time.
"Ruby, I need you to listen to me. I'm going do push all the Aura I have left into you. If it works how I think it works, it will make you as if you are overflowing with energy. You will stop feeling pain, and exhaustion, but it will last only a few moments. So I want you to run to the evac zone as fast as you can, because after rush the ends, you will most probably collapse. Do you understand?"
He could see fear settling in her eyes.
"Jaune, what are you talking a…" She stopped with a gasp when something large stopped behind him.
"Jaune!" She cried out.
He smiled at her.
"Remember what I said. Just run."
The Grimm behind him roared.
Jaune focused and pushed all Aura he had left into Ruby's body. He saw her eyes widen in shock.
And then everything turned white, and his consciousness faded.
Well, what can I say? Another chapter a week too late. I could say that it is hard to write this chapter, that I struggled to get various scenes right. Jaune fight against White Fang, him trying to figure out how to save Ruby, and even before that he struggle to accept decision he made.
It would all be true. But real reason is that I got lazy. If I focused on writing more, I could probably get this chapter done in time. But I allowed myself to get sidetracked by few games, and this is the result.
I promise I'll do my best to not let this happen again.
If you like what I write, and have a buck or two to spare please consider supporting me at 'Patr" "eon'.
See you all next week.