Oh boy, another Wednesday and another chapter. I'm glad everyone has been enjoying this story, even if it comes out at an awkward time for me (straight after a 5 day run of consecutive fics – Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, and then White Sheep. It doesn't leave much in the way of time to write.
But, well, here we are again. I hope you enjoy~
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Kegi Springfield
Chapter 11 – Can't see the wool for the trees
Jaune Salem Arc thought himself ready for the field trip to Forever Fall. The teachers had been talking about it for a few days, and although it posed the threat of their team running into some Grimm, he'd been fairly confident they could get through without any trouble. The Grimm weren't going to attack him, after all, and if they did come close he could drive them away, hopefully before his team killed them.
That was the plan, at least, which should have been the first sign that something would go amiss. In the end, that something turned out to be purple, sticky and filled with natural sugar.
"You know, it's kind of strange," Remy mused. "From what I've heard, most Grimm love this sap. It's weird that you'd be allergic to it."
"Remy… please shut up." Jaune said internally. Externally, he could only sniffle painfully. Here he was, Prince of the Grimm, and fully showing his uselessness. If Uncle Hazel could have seen him… well, the man wouldn't have been surprised in the least, but he'd have sighed and shook his head nonetheless.
"Just stay there," Weiss sighed, showing him the barest amount of concern she could get away with without actually having to come near. "Keep that nose away from me at all times. In fact, you can maintain your distance on the Bullhead ride back to Beacon as well. I don't want to catch anything."
He sniffled miserably but didn't protest.
"What about the sap he needs to collect?" Ruby asked. "Should I-"
"I shall handle it," Weiss interrupted, snatching Jaune's jar from Ruby. "It's only right. After all, he is my partner and thus my responsibility."
"From badass to baby," Yang teased, sending a friendly smile his way to show she didn't really mean it. "I never thought you'd be one to be taken down by something like this, champ."
"Me neither… I've never even seen the stuff before."
"Well, that's how most people discover allergies, I guess. At least it's not bad enough to put you in the hospital or something."
True, there were small mercies. Come to think of it, what would happen if he ended up visiting a hospital in Vale? Had his Uncles thought to put fake information into the system, or would his unique genealogy be discovered? He asked Remy.
"Sorry Jaune, I've no idea. It might be best to avoid that, though."
Oh, goodie, another thing he had to juggle. He groaned into his hands and leaned against a tree behind him.
Something trickled onto his shoulder.
He sneezed, loudly.
"Maybe you should move away," Ruby giggled. "We've already tapped that tree and it's uh… kind of leaking on you."
"Ugh…" Jaune groaned, dragging himself away from it and wiping the sap away. He sneezed again, and it was enough to wrack his entire body. So much for his dreams of the first ever field trip, what should have been a monumental step in his career.
"If only Cardin were here," Yang sighed theatrically and cupped her cheeks. "He'd be willing to nurse you back to good health, kept warmly against his bosom as he whispers sweet no-"
"Yang, please," Blake sighed, "No one wants to have that mental image."
"It looks bad," Pyrrha said, walking over to stand by him. Wait, he looked bad – or something else? "Do you think we should call Miss Goodwitch? She might have some medicine, or at least know some first aid."
"I-I'll be fine," he snorted. He didn't want Miss Goodwitch of all people looking over him. "I… I-" a sneeze "-I just need to g-get this stuff off me."
Weiss sighed loudly and planted both hands on her hips. Even through his hazy vision, he could see the exasperated look on her face. "Well, we can't just continue like this," she said, "You're liable to draw the Grimm if you get much louder and your hoodie is covered in that sap. Something has to be done, because you're not going to suddenly develop immunity to it."
"Ooh, I saw a stream earlier," Nora called. "He could go wash it off his clothes."
"As good an idea as any, I suppose." Weiss hummed and turned to the rest of her team before nodding. "Ruby, you take Jaune with you to the stream and help him."
"Why me?"
Before, Weiss might have bristled at the challenge. Now, she only nodded and explained. "I am his partner, but I have to gather his share of the sap since he's out of action. That leaves Pyrrha or yourself, and out of the two, I believe Pyrrha's greater strength makes her better for boring the tap into the trees."
"Okay Weiss," Ruby smiled, "that makes sense. Come on, Jaune."
He took the smaller girl's hand and let her help him up, staggering slightly as he became dizzy at the sudden height. Ruby tried to pull his arm around her shoulder so he'd lean on her, but he did his best not to. He was a lot heavier than her.
"Shout or call if something goes wrong!" Weiss called as they left.
"Use protection," Yang added. Protection? She meant from the Grimm, right?
"YANG!" Ruby yelled back in embarrassment. The blonde cackled loudly, but Ruby ignored her and turned to help him in the direction of the stream Nora marked on their scrolls. It didn't look like a long journey, thankfully. Yet again, for what felt like the one hundredth time, Jaune turned his head to the side and sneezed.
"This stuff is really getting to you, isn't it?" Ruby rubbed his back sympathetically.
"If I'd known I was allergic, I would have said something," he whined.
"Were either of your parents allergic to this?"
"I don't think mom is, but I guess my sisters might me… I'll have to warn them. He didn't want Amber or Lavender to run into this stuff and get ill. Or, heavens forbid, his sister Hazel – named after his Uncle (much to Uncle Hazel's confusion). She shared none of his traits, least of all his taciturn attitude. If she got ill, she made sure everyone knew about it.
"What about your dad?" she asked. "It might come from his side."
"Dad travels a lot, so I wouldn't know. Even when he comes home, it's not like there's any of this sap nearby." No trees at all, really. "I'll ask him next time I see him."
"What does he do? You said your mom works in real estate – does your dad do the same?"
"Dad's a huntsman," Jaune said proudly.
"Really? My parents were too," Ruby smiled. "My dad works as a teacher now, though. He retired after… hey look, there's the stream!" Ruby pointed ahead with one arm, drawing his attention to a small dip in the landscape from which some spray of water could be seen. More than anything, it was the noise that made it obvious; a fast-paced trickling, splashing sound.
A burst of energy allowed him to reach it in short order, and he fell to his knees on the wet rocks by the edge of it, wetting his hands and them holding them to his face.
"Better?" Ruby asked with a wide smile.
He gasped as he tore his hands free, taking a huge – but also unobstructed breath of air. "Better!" he said. "I can breathe at last."
"Heh, I hate being sick too. Yang would always look after me, but she was so strict about me not moving. I'm not made for sitting in bed and doing nothing."
"I know the feeling," he said, "My mother could be the same. I only got seriously sick once, but she kept talking about kidnapping the best doctors from across Remnant and threatening them with death unless they helped me feel better."
"She sounds just as dramatic as Yang," Ruby giggled.
Right, yeah… dramatic. If it wasn't for Uncle Watts' treatment, not to mention Big Sis Cinder's calming influence, he'd have probably been faced with a hundred terrified medics. It was just how his mom was, however.
An itching sensation on his shoulder reminded him of the real reason he was at the stream, especially as his sinuses started to clog once more. He bent forward and gripped at the material around his chest, pulling his hoodie slowly up over his head. The sap made it difficult, especially when it stuck to his hair, but he tore it free with a grunt.
"W-What are you doing?" Ruby gasped.
"Taking my clothes off. I need to wash the sap out, remember?"
"R-Right," she laughed, "Um, just… maybe not in front of… you know what, maybe I should go and wait in the woods, give you some privacy?"
He wasn't sure whether that was a suggestion or a question. "Okay?" he guessed.
"I'll be close," Ruby scrambled up the bank. "Just not close enough to s-see anything. If you need me, shout. Um…" she paused and looked at him, "but only if you're dressed, okay?"
Jaune blinked and watched as Ruby, face still as red as her namesake, fled into the nearby treeline. Huh, I wonder what's up with her. He made a note to ask her later – Ruby was a good sport like that and was always willing to answer. For now, though, he had much more serious concerns. The stream water was fresh and cold, almost frigidly so. He dunked his hoodie into it, rubbing it against the rocks on the bottom. To his relief, a pink tendril came from it, and the sap started to come loose. Doggedly sticky when dry, it looked far easier to handle wet.
He pulled his wet hoodie back over his clothes, shivering a little at the moisture. It felt good, though, and as an after-thought he held his face down and splashed water against his skin. Again, it was cold, so very cold – but incredibly refreshing.
He held his face under the water for a few seconds, delighting in the sensation of it running through his hair. There was probably some sap in there too. He drew his head back up and gasped for breath.
Three large Beowolves looked back at him, faces tilted to one side, less than six inches away.
Nose to nose with a creature of the Grimm, Jaune knew what the human reaction was meant to be, but Ruby was in the trees – and there was no way she could see this, otherwise she'd have already made some noise when they approached. Well, her sniper rifle would have.
"Hey there," he whispered. "You guys should get out of here. My friends are nearby and they'd probably hurt you."
The middle Beowolf sniffed and moved its snout closer to his. It was bigger than any he'd seen in the initiation, but less than half the size of Mannie. That still put it at a good seven or eight feet, were it to stand on its hind legs. Mannie could almost reach that height on all fours. The wet nose pushed against his cheek, then ran up it and sniffed at his hair.
"Yes, yes," he sighed, patting its head. "I'm a nice person, now please; you need to get out of here. It isn't safe."
In hindsight, he should have chosen his words better.
The three Grimm howled at once, the sound enough to momentarily deafen him – and unless she was the most inattentive huntress ever – alert Ruby. Jaune frantically held his hands out in an attempt to stop them, but only had the time to cry out in shock as the lead one wrapped its arms around his waist and hefted him up off the ground.
"N-No," he gasped. "I didn't mean to take me and run!"
"JAUNE!" Ruby burst from the treeline and cried out in anger when she saw the trouble he was in – or rather, the trouble it no doubt looked like he was in. Being crushed to a Beowolf's chest while unarmed probably wasn't considered safe to most people.
"Ruby," he gasped, "Don't come near, it's-" His words cut off as the Beowolf threw him up onto its shoulder, slamming the bone plating into his stomach and driving the air from his lungs. It roared and loped away, his arms flailing against its back. Behind it, he could just about make out Ruby being challenged by the two that remained.
Her eyes, however, were locked onto his – and wide with panic.
"I'll be fine!" he yelled, voice stuttering with each step the Beowolf took. "Look after yourse-oof!" His stomach lurched as the Grimm leaped over a fallen log, the air-time doing precious little for his already tenuous control on his breakfast. Branches and leaves filled his vision a moment later, the Grimm `rescuing` him having followed the stream into the forest away from his team.
/-/
Ruby was a reasonable girl. Ruby was a normal girl. She had normal knees, cute knees, even – Jaune said so. She did normal things, liked weapons and video games and basically considered herself pretty down to earth.
Which was why she felt screaming at the top of her lungs like a banshee as she eviscerated the two Beowolves who dared stand in her path was a pretty justifiable response. The few seconds that took, however, were more than enough for the one carting away her friend to escape.
The friend she was supposed to act as a look-out for.
Jaune wasn't going to die. Not because of her and not like this. She splashed into the water and looked for tracks, anything she could find. The ground was wet, the mud soft – and she gasped in relief when she saw prints leading further down it.
To rush in alone, however, would be stupid. Jaune needed help, not someone to get in trouble with him. She tore her scroll from her skirt and dialled Yang's number so fast she feared the screen might break.
"Ruby?" Yang answered. "I heard a scream. Was that-"
"They took Jaune!" Ruby cried into the device. "Get down here quick – please!"
"What!? Wait, who took Jaune – took him where?"
"The Grimm," Ruby howled. Couldn't Yang see this wasn't the time for questions? She needed help, he needed help. "Yang, please, get down here as quick as possible."
"Damn it. Right, I'm on my way, wait there until we arrive. I'll have someone tell Miss Goodwitch." The line went dead, the last thing Ruby heard her sister yelling out to the others. Now holding a blank scroll, it was all she could do to stand and wait – the most painful of things – as the monster did goodness knew what to Jaune. She couldn't wait, not even at Yang's request. She started to follow the tracks, rushing off in the direction it took him.
Something was wrong with it, though…
Since when did the Grimm carry people away?
/-/
Okay, this is ridiculous, he sighed. He knew Grimm could be a little simple at times, but had it honestly mistaken his warning as a cry for help? Well, he supposed they did tend to be protective of him and his family, even the ones back home in the Grimmlands.
Ruby would worry, however, and the last thing he needed was to set off a search and rescue by Miss Goodwitch.
With a growl, he pushed himself up, only to wince as another branch slammed into the back of his head. He yelped at another, which cut through some of his clothing. They'd been running for a good five minutes now, and the journey through the forest had been… sharp, to say the least. The Beowolf didn't account for his added height on its shoulder, and thus he collided with things it would have otherwise been safe to pass under.
It was still a Grimm, however, which meant it would follow his orders.
"Stop!" he commanded. "Put me down and stop, right now." He waited for it to do so, to slow down and place him gently onto the forest floor. As the seconds ticked by, the realisation that it wasn't stopping slowly crept into his mind. It took a while, on account of how it was impossible. "I said stop," he repeated. "I, Jaune Salem Arc, command thee to halt immediately!"
The Beowolf panted and snorted, but did no such thing.
"What the hell? This can't be another insane Grimm. It recognises me and knows not to hurt me – so why isn't it following my orders?"
"It should follow them," Remy answered. "I don't understand why it isn't. In fact, the only reason it wouldn't would be if… wait…"
"What?" he asked. "The only reason would be what?"
"Jaune, the only reason it wouldn't follow your orders, is if someone else – someone more important – gave it ones that conflicted with yours."
Someone more important…? It took approximately three nano-seconds for him to realise who, and another three for him to curse and start struggling. "Damn it, mom!" he howled and kicked his legs. "Beowolf, stop, I command you – listen to my orders, not hers!"
Of course it didn't… his mom's instructions were absolute. If this one refused to stop, and had carted him away, then chances were it was following her orders to the letter. Crap. Mom must have told it to find and kidnap me, then bring me home. I can't believe I didn't see this coming. Argh!
It wouldn't stop, either. The Grimm were boundless, and while they could sleep, they didn't need it. This one would run eternally, as long as it needed to in order to bring him home. He'd never see Beacon again – his mom would make sure of that. He'd never see his friends again.
That wasn't acceptable.
"This is my decision," Jaune roared. The transformation came on quickly, the colour bleached from his hair and four tentacles sliding out from under his wet jacket. The snagged onto a nearby branch, and although it caused agony to sear through him, it was enough to make him pop out of the Beowolf's clutches.
He hung from the tree, fighting for breath. His red eyes locked onto the Beowolf as it turned to regard him. Its red eyes flashed.
"You're not taking me back," he growled. "I'm sick of this and sick of mom trying to control me. Go home and tell her what happened. Tell her this is my choice and that I'm going to see it through."
"You know, she has a scroll. You could tell her yourself."
"Remy? Shut up. I'm not opening that can of worms. Her number is blocked for a reason." He'd had to block everyone, of course, which he figured would come back to bite him in the ass at some point. He wasn't sure who would mete out more punishment; his mom, Big Sis Cinder, Uncle Hazel or his actual sisters...
Oh gods, Sapphire was going to kill him.
The Beowolf took his moment of distraction as an opportunity to attack. Well, to try and grab him. It kept its claws at bay and instead approached with wide arms, attempting some kind of tackling hug. Jaune ducked aside and allowed it to crash into the ground, but could only sigh as it tried again.
This is going to keep happening, he realised. It won't run out of energy, and it won't stop. Even if I tried to get back on the Bullhead to Beacon, it would try to climb on board as well. Everyone would kill it.
His eyes hardened, as did his heart.
This Grimm, as cruel as it sounded, was going to die. An unstoppable force had made contact with an immovable object, and yet neither were quite that. He could give up, accept being torn away from his friends and locked back away at home – or he could fight, and kill the Beowolf before him.
"I'm sorry," Jaune sighed. "I'm as selfish as they come. I really am sorry."
The Beowolf roared and lunged forward, unheeding of the danger.
"I'll make it swift. It's the least I can do." Red eyes snapped open. As one, the tentacles above his head lashed forward. They punctured through flesh and muscle, through bone and more muscle.
The Beowolf lurched forward. It didn't even seem to realise it had been killed.
"Don't blame yourself." Remy sighed, as the tentacles retracted from its corpse. The body began to fade the moment it hit the ground. "You were right. Even if you tried to avoid it, your teammates would have killed it. Better to make it painless if you plan to continue this path."
"I do," he sighed. "I'm already on it. It's too late to back away now." His determined words were interrupted by a loud sneeze. "Damn it, this sap… ugh."
"You might want to wash your clothes off," Remy suggested. "We can do it quickly here. After what just happened, I doubt your friends would let you out of their sight until we're back in Beacon."
He could sense the parasite's revulsion at the idea of being motion sick and sick from the sap. He agreed with it wholeheartedly and moved his tentacles before himself. Undressing with them wasn't really possible, but he could pull off his jacket and then have one clutch it, pushing it into the nearby stream to wash it. He did the same with the rest of his clothing, until he was dressed in nothing but his black, silk boxers.
The tentacles worked away, pushing his clothing into the water and rubbing them against the rocks to clear off the sap. Jaune watched with crossed arms, concentration necessary to keep them from drifting away.
It wasn't too difficult… he just needed to focus, which was why the sniper rifle that caused a branch to explode just an inch to the left of his ear, didn't help very much.
"Jaune!" Remy hissed. The warning came too late, however. He watched glumly as the strong current tugged his clothes under the water and away. Oh great… now he was ill, wet and naked – absolutely wonderful.
"Do you mind?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice.
Ruby glared back, silver eyes narrowed on him. Somehow, for some reason, that sent a lance of fear through his heart. Run, run, run, his instincts screamed. He ignored them, even if it was so very hard to do so. "Where's Jaune?" she demanded, and cocked back the bolt of her rifle. A large cartridge popped free. "I-I won't make it a warning shot next time. Tell me what you've done to my friend!"
Wait, what?
"Jaune – you're still in your transformed state!"
Oh dear… ill, wet, naked and now looking suspiciously like the wanted criminal he might have accidentally made himself.
That couldn't be good.
/-/
It was him. The Grimm-man she and Miss Goodwitch fought; the one that saved Torchwick and escaped. Her hands tightened on Crescent Rose. The tracks… they led straight here. That meant the Beowolf had come this way, and now with him standing before her?
The other two had stopped to distract her, to hold her back so that the third could escape with her friend. Was that what he was doing as well?
Yang did say she heard him giving orders to Grimm in the Emerald Forest. It makes sense… why else would one have acted so unusually and abducted Jaune?
It meant this person wanted Jaune.
It meant this person knew where Jaune was.
"Give him back!" she roared again. Crescent Rose twirled as she fired a shot backwards, half for the momentum, and half to alert the others who had fanned out nearby. Her body darted forward, the scythe blade pulled back to cut him in two. "Give back my friend!"
He ducked beneath it. His white hair passed by her face, his red and black eyes boring into her own. He looked like he might attack her en route, but when she narrowed her eyes at him he flinched and locked up instead. She cursed as she hit the ground, pushed off and twisted back around to slice him straight down the middle.
Something wet coiled about her left ankle, however, and she screamed in shock when she fell back.
Crescent Rose fell from her fingers, and although she tried to reach for it, she was forced to gasp as her body was tugged away from it; away from her beloved weapon, and towards him. Her hands dug into the dirt, trying to pull her body back.
Two more of those tentacles wrapped about her legs, locking her thighs together as it wrapped about her like a snake might. Her world flipped, and a startled cry escaped her as she was suspended in the air, upside down.
"What did you do to my friend!?" she demanded. Her eyes widened a second later, however. She clenched them shut, cheeks red. "And why aren't you wearing any clothes!?"
He didn't answer, but closing her eyes proved a mistake. It let her feel what he was doing more keenly. The cool, smooth tentacles coiled and brushed against her legs, sending all sorts of nasty feelings through her. One touched higher, and she gasped as something like an electric current ran through her body. Blood kept rushing to her head, faster now, as her breath came out in shorter and shorter pants. This monster was using some kind of evil spell on her!
"S-Stop it," she gasped, "T-That feels w-weird. I feel weird."
His prehensile limbs tightened against her knees, and she gasped and threw her head back. Her body shook for a moment, and she whined through clenched teeth. What was he doing to her? Why didn't he just finish her instead of staring at her with hazy, lidded eyes?
Would he kill her?
Would he hentai her?
Would she figure out what that even meant?
"Ruby!"
Wait, that voice?
"Yang," Ruby cried, a little weak, but audible enough as she struggled to look behind her. She couldn't see much, but she could as good as hear her sister barrel through the trees.
"What is-? You!" Yang's voice seethed, and Ruby could imagine her eyes flashing red. "Let go of my sister, you creep!"
"Yang, be careful," a quieter voice advised – Blake, by the sound of it. "We don't know how dangerous he is."
"He doesn't know how dangerous I am!"
"Yang, wait!"
Yang didn't, however. She dashed across the clearing with her hair ablaze, one fist reared back and ready to deliver a crushing blow to the skull of this strange creature. To someone like her big sis, his red eyes and scary face wasn't something to fear, nor was his weird nakedness. Yang would save her – she just kne-
"Oof!" The air was blown from Ruby's lungs as she collided with her sister, the two of them crashing to the ground. They rolled and tumbled, Yang's arms wrapping about her as they came to a stop a little further away, Ruby's eyes wobbling dizzily.
"Ruby," Yang hissed, "are you okay?"
"M'good," she moaned. Her legs still felt weak, but she was alive. She coughed as the blonde girl pulled her in for a tight hug.
"Thank goodness."
"Stop!" Blake yelled. Ruby and Yang looked up just in time to see the Grimm-man rush away into the trees, Yang's teammate in hot pursuit.
/-/
"This is bad, Jaune!"
"Oh, really!?" Jaune asked. He scowled as he stormed past a bush and felt the branch whip back into his thigh. "I'm running through a forest, naked, transformed as a Grimm and being chased by my friends, who think I've kidnapped myself and want to kill me. Is this really bad, Remy – or am I just over-exaggerating?"
He leapt over a log before him, only to gasp as he realised it was a knoll, of which there was a small ravine on the other side. His feet tried to land, and his tentacles to grab some purchase, but the rocks they clung to came loose and fell with him as he rolled and tumbled down the side. Dirt and stone bit into him, but he bounced at the bottom and pushed himself on.
"Maybe I should turn back."
"No!" Remy snapped. "Jaune, the only reason they don't recognise you is because of how different you look. If they see you normally, though, and dressed in the exact same clothes, then they're bound to make the connection."
"Then what am I supposed to do, ditch my boxers and claim I gave them to the Beowolf so it wouldn't get cold!? I think that might make them suspicious."
"It's fine, just… lose your pursuers, then we can double back and look for your clothes. We know they're headed downstream. It's not like they can get lost."
He swore angrily but couldn't argue; it was the only plan he had to go on. He looped to the right, and prayed that Ruby would push on past and miss him entirely. If she did, he could sneak back and grab his gear and then call her to say he'd managed to escape or kill the Beowolf.
"Come back here!"
Or, she could track him with unerring accuracy. That worked too. He dashed to the east, pushing through more thickets and past trees. He could hear her behind, and from the voices that occasionally rose on either side of him, it seemed Weiss and Pyrrha were in the area too. Any of the three was a bad bet, especially since he didn't dare speak to explain himself.
His voice would probably give him away. Like Remy said, it was only because he looked so unrecognisably different in his Grimm form that he got away with this at all. I guess I should thank mom for that. Not too much, though, since she'd sicced a Beowolf on him.
Either way, he had to get out and fast. Ruby had a speed Semblance, so she was going to wear him down eventually, and he wasn't an actual Grimm, and so did have to deal with the perils of stamina and his dwindling energy.
"I see him," Weiss' voice came from the north.
Crap.
"Over here!" Someone, Nora perhaps, returned.
Double crap!
Fear mixed with frustration to form anger. He bit back on a growl, eyes flashing as he turned away from the voices and pushed deeper into the woods. Why were they even chasing him? Did they honestly think it a good idea? He could so easily turn around and – no, his eyes widened as he shook those thoughts out of his head. What was he thinking? They were his friends.
He didn't want to hurt them, even if he was being chased – even if he was being hunted. His hands balled into fists once more, but this time he channelled his rage into running as fast he could. He looked back over his shoulder as he dodged by the next tree. There was no one behind him and their voices were distant. He hadn't heard all of them, however, which meant the rest of them could be anywhere. Seriously, could this day get any worse?
He slammed into something.
"Argh!"
"Oof!"
Jaune crashed into the person and fell down on top of them as they were both dragged to the ground. His nose pressed into black hair that smelled faintly of vanilla, but all further thoughts were cut off as the person beneath him trashed wildly. He caught a brief sight of black hair and wide yellow eyes, before Blake opened her mouth to scream and alert her team.
He did the only thing he could think to do – he wrapped a tentacle around her body and tried to stuff it in her mouth.
Blake's teeth clicked together loudly as she denied that. Her head wrenched back and forth and she kicked at his shins. He stood up, dragging her with him as his tentacles wrapped about her legs and body. One hovered by her face in case she tried to shout out, but she kept her lips sealed together.
She also glared at it, as though she might bite it if it came close.
There was a long pause, as both of them tried to come to terms with the tableau. His chest rose and fell, pushing against her back as he tried to steady his racing heart. She, in return, remained unnaturally still.
She must have been terrified.
"What am I meant to do now?" he asked. "I can't knock her out or hurt her. She's a friend and this place is dangerous for her."
"Just get rid of her – safely," Remy suggested.
Well yeah, but how was he supposed to do that? His anger flowed back, at Blake for getting in his way and at Remy for the stupid answer. Yet again, he felt his tentacles twitch as he growled under his breath.
Blake gasped in pain.
He loosened his hold immediately. Why am I getting so angry? He took a deep breath and let it go. Yes, the situation was annoying, yes it was dangerous and that frustrated him, but it wasn't her fault. He hoped he hadn't hurt her too much.
She didn't seem to get the memo that he was trying to be gentle, however. She struggled against him still, and with her head below his chin, her bow tickled his nose. It tickled a lot, actually… quite unlike how the fabric of a bow would. It also felt strangely warm. If she continued, though, she'd only hurt herself. He pulled her back firmly against him.
"Stop," he hissed, making his voice a little lower in the hopes she wouldn't recognise it. She hadn't even seen his face yet, so at least he had that going for him. "Don't resist and I won't have to hurt you."
He hoped he sounded convincing and not too intimidating. Blake's face grew redder and her eyes scrunched shut. She didn't look terrified, though, so that was a good sign. Her arms tugged once more, but she sighed and surrendered, slumped against him.
"Good girl," he whispered.
"D-Damn you," she hissed. Her voice sounded a little odd, on account of how she tried to keep her lips from moving. She also tilted her head to the right, so that her cheek pressed against his shoulder. It didn't give her a good look at him, but did let him notice her strange expression. "I never… this isn't how I expected it to go."
Yeah, trust me Blake, I totally agree. This wasn't exactly how he'd expected the day to go, either. Still, he had to deal with her and wasn't sure how to do it. The chances of her staying here if he asked her to were slim. She'd agree, and then chase him down the moment he turned his back on her.
"W-What are you waiting for?" She scowled, almost defiantly so. "Do you expect me to beg? I won't. I won't give you the satisfaction."
Beg? Beg for what? If anything, he was the one who ought to be begging her, for her to leave while he ran off back into the trees.
Wait - that was it.
He uncoiled his tentacles slowly, keeping his hands on her shoulders so that she wouldn't turn and attack him. He kept one wrapped about her waist, however. Blake stumbled forwards and tried to spin around, but he kept hold and wouldn't let go.
Her body shook, hands clenched onto his tentacle as she tried to push it off. It didn't give, however, and she slumped with a frustrated growl. "Do it," she whispered, defeated. "Just… get it over with."
Well, if she insisted. Jaune shrugged and let go of her shoulders, hefting her into the air. He reared back a little with it – and he caught her eyes widening as she realised what he intended.
"Wait, what!?" she yelled – right before he launched her into the boughs of the nearest tree. "Whoah- argh, ow, oof!" Her voice cut off, replaced with a crash and muffled curses as the girl fought to untangle herself from the tree.
That was his chance to scarper.
/-/
It had been fifteen or so minutes since he left Blake stuck in a tree. It felt like longer, mostly because of how his lungs burned and his legs felt like they'd died a few hours ago. The others kept up their pursuit too, though he was able to dodge them for the most part. The man problem was that he couldn't travel too far for fear of losing his clothes and that even if he did, he'd just be risking his friend's lives. They wouldn't go ignored by the Grimm, after all, and he didn't want them to get lost in Forever Fall.
No matter how dangerous it was, it was best to stick to the general area where the other students were.
It did have its risks, of course. Miss Goodwitch must have been in the general area, along with all the other students. Fortunately, he'd seen neither hide nor hair of the stern woman, but as he gasped and placed one hand on a tree to take greedy gulps of air, his eyes widened at the sight of four others.
Cardin and his team!? Can I literally not catch a break around here? This is getting ridiculous. He wanted nothing more than to rush over there and toss all four of them into the path of his pursuers. That would be a bad idea, however, since it might just add four more huntsmen to the party.
He pushed his back against the tree and tried to keep his breathing quiet. It was a lost cause, but also an unnecessary one, since they were deep in a loud conversation.
"They have to be around here somewhere," Cardin growled. "They scurried off in a hurry but I'll find Arc, then I'll make him pay."
Gods, but Jaune wanted to roll his eyes. Was Cardin still hung up over his rejection? He really needed to find a book and read about how to let someone down gently. To be fair, I never expected to have someone this interested in me, let alone that it would be an overly persistent man.
They hadn't seen him yet, and that was a relief if nothing else. He was about to back and away and return from whence he'd come, when an idea struck.
If he went back, he'd just be running into his friends again. That obviously wasn't a very good plan. If he managed to sneak by these four, however, then when his friends caught up, they'd ask CRDL if they'd seen him, then assume he hadn't been this way when they said no.
It was a better plan than running around aimlessly. He was almost spent.
"Cardin, seriously, he wandered off with that Ruby girl. He's probably off doing seven minutes in heaven with her or something. Can't we take a break? This box is heavy."
"Drop that and we'll all regret it, Sky." Cardin said. "Just play it cool and wait. We'll find them soon enough."
Yeah, not if I have my way, thanks. He had no idea what was in that box, maybe chocolates or a cake, but as sweet as it was, he just wasn't interested. Luckily, the team were neither quiet nor attentive, and he was able to sneak relatively close. I just need to get a little closer, he thought. If I can get into the treeline to the left of them then I'll be home free.
He swallowed and took another step, then held in his breath of relief when his bare feet made no sound. Seventeen years spent playing hide and seek with his sisters had turned him into something of a master, not to mention hiding from his Uncle Hazel when it was time for another training session. You had to learn fast to escape him; Cardin and his team were no competition.
Weiss, sadly, was a little less blind – not to mention when she rushed out of the trees, it was directly facing him. "Stop!" she shouted at the top of her voice, and then pointed at him – just in case there was any confusion.
There really wasn't.
Jaune winced when the four boys turned around, each only three or four metres away from him. Well… there went his chance to sneak by.
Team CRDL were crouched down, so it didn't come as much of a surprise when the first thing Cardin's eyes locked onto was his package. His head tilted up a second later, in time to see a deathly pale body, red eyes set in black, veins across his face, a sheepish smile – and four tentacles, which coincidentally happened to be held defensively before him, facing each of the boys.
"Damn it," he growled, "I was so close…"
Russell screamed.
The others followed suit.
Sky fell back, turned to run, then seemed to realise what he was turning his back on and did a fast-paced backwards waddle, hands locked over his rear end. The others were less composed and simply fled as though their lives depended on it.
Dove dropped the box, however, which it turned out did not hold chocolate at all. It held huge, vicious, rapier wasps – and they were quite angry about the whole ordeal, apparently.
"Shit," Cardin gasped, "Run for it!"
"Ugh," Jaune grunted, whipping a tentacle close to his face and smashing one of them out the air. The others buzzed and went wild, however, some going for him, some chasing after CRDL – but others headed straight for Weiss and Ruby, who had just burst from the trees.
"Jaune, this is your chance. Go, while they're distracted!"
No internal parasite had to tell him twice. He ducked past the rapier wasps, who suddenly seemed uninterested in him as more people entered the clearing. He could hear Ruby and Weiss cry out, but also see them fleeing before the insects could sting them. That was a relief. Why would Cardin want to give me wasps, though? That really doesn't make sense.
Maybe it was another one of those cultural things, romantic insects or something – maybe they were meant as pets. What did he know? He had a Beowolf.
The distraction proved its worth, however. Jaune panted as he re-entered the woods, cutting a path towards the distant sound of flowing water. It was with an exhausted pant that he fell into the stream, taking up two handfuls of the precious liquid and guzzling at it.
"I'm... ugh… I don't think I'm built for so much running… huff…"
"Yeah, well, this whole field trip's been nothing more than a- wait, Jaune, ahead!"
He followed Remy's words, or rather his instructions. Further up the stream, only fifteen metres or so, and clinging wetly to some rocks, he could just make out a flash of coloured fabric. He sloshed and splashed through the water, cheering weakly as he saw his clothes. "You were right, Remy. They did get washed up on something."
He couldn't even bring himself to dry them. He dragged the sodden shirt on, then pulled his hoodie over it. Yes, it was dripping wet, but with how hot he was after all that running, it came as more of a relief. He was about to pull his trousers on when Remy called for him to wait.
"You need to consider your disguise, Jaune. Think about how many people saw you like that… you need to get rid of every piece of evidence."
Jaune sighed and looked up towards the sky. It was meant to be such an easy day, too. Where had it all gone wrong?
Remy was right, though… as much as he hated to admit it.
Ten minutes later, and with water dripping from his clothes, Jaune fumbled out his scroll – waterproof, thankfully, Uncle Watts knew his stuff. He let out a breath of relief and dialled in Ruby's number.
/-/
Ruby hadn't let go of Jaune since they'd all met back up with Miss Goodwitch. She clung to his left arm, as soaked as it was, and not even her sister could make her do otherwise. In fact, Yang didn't even try, but instead smiled and whispered something to her partner, who rolled his eyes but smiled back.
"Keeping a hold of your man, eh Rubes?" Yang laughed.
Ruby scowled at her sister but hugged his arm nonetheless. They didn't understand. She wasn't even sure Jaune did, for all that he didn't object. She'd nearly lost him… her first friend at Beacon, and in such a horrifying way too.
It had been her job to ensure his safety. He'd been sick, distracted and washing his clothes in the stream. It made sense that he didn't hear them approach, but that was what she was supposed to do. Not… not get flustered at the thought of seeing his bare chest. How much of a child was she?
She pushed her forehead against his elbow, just to remind herself he was still alive.
He pushed back. In fact, he almost collapsed on top of her. He must have fought so hard against the Beowolf, for he'd clearly been exhausted – face red with sweat and panting like he'd run a marathon.
Jaune was brave like that. She would be brave too.
"It carried him away?" Miss Goodwitch sounded disbelieving. "Miss Xiao-Long, such behaviour has never been seen in Grimm. What you're suggesting…"
"Ruby saw it," Yang said, "and Jaune will agree, right?"
"Uh, yeah," he said, breathing still a little heavily. "I managed to escape and jump into the stream, though. No harm done, right? I don't think there's any reason to panic or stress out about this anymore. None at all."
"Mr Arc, while I appreciate your bravery – not to mention your resourcefulness - you must understand that this is not something that can be ignored." The stern woman adjusted her glasses and looked him up and down. "You are unhurt, yes? You're not hiding any injuries?"
"I'm fine," he said, "I promise."
Ruby nodded. She'd made sure to check him, as had Pyrrha and Weiss when they caught up. He was wet, bruised, and covered in twigs, leaves and little scratches – but he was alive and in one piece. That was all that mattered. I'll be better next time, she promised. I won't hide away, even if I see something embarrassing. I'm not a kid.
"Very good," the teacher nodded, "As I was saying, though, this is a serious matter, especially with this… hybrid creature around."
"You believe us on that but not the Grimm taking Jaune away?" Yang asked.
"Miss Xiao-Long, I now have three teams who can attest to seeing him. On the matter of the Grimm, however, it's possible that Miss Rose was distracted, or that Mr Arc mistook-"
"But I saw him order Ursa around in initiation. Isn't it possible he could have given orders to these ones too?"
Miss Goodwitch went silent, eerily so. "Perhaps," she accepted, after a few moments. "I do not want any further speculation on this, however. This matter is a dangerous one and the last thing we need is students like you getting into danger. Am I understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," they all answered. Ruby held Jaune's arm a little tighter. No more danger, and definitely no more splitting up.
"Good. Now, then, I think in light of the circumstances we should all return to Beacon a little earlier th-"
"Him!" a masculine voice called. "It's him!" Cardin approached, from where he'd been stood with his team. They were all dishevelled and dirty, exhausted too, but Ruby would bet Crescent Rose they hadn't been forced to fight off a Beowolf with their bare hands.
"Mr Winchester," Miss Goodwitch sighed, "If I've told you once, I've told you a million times. Grimm do not attempt to reproduce with humans, no matter what sick literature floats about online. This Grimm person is not trying to…" she sighed, "anally probe you."
"I know what I saw!" Cardin cried. "It was sneaking up on us. It nearly had us. It was going to do unspeakable things to me!"
"I bet you'd have liked that," Yang whispered, not very quietly, "What's the matter, turn to Grimm after Jaune rejected you?"
"Shut up, Xiao-Long," he snapped. "I told you that's not what happened, argh, and it doesn't matter anyway. I know who the monster is." Cardin reared up and jerked a hand towards Jaune. "It's you!"
"Huh?" Jaune blinked and looked around. Ruby clutched his arm tighter, while Miss Goodwitch sighed and shook her head. Off to the side, Weiss muttered something about brain-dead idiots with more muscle than sense.
"He had black boxers on," Cardin gasped. "I'd recognise those boxers anywhere. I saw him in them before."
"Mr Winchester, I'd point out that black underwear is hardly a point of evidence. It's a colour, and a common one at that."
"Not to mention, when exactly did you start to spy on my partner in such a state?" Weiss drawled. Yang burst out laughing and held out a hand for a high-five. Weiss ignored it, no matter how much Yang made an `eh` sound and nudged her.
"I-I'm not like that!" Cardin howled. "I saw them in initiation!"
"So early," Ren mused. "I suppose it's true what they say about love at first sight."
Yang gasped in shock and turned to her partner. There was a tear in her eye, and although the quiet teen rolled his eyes, he did hold a hand up so Yang could slap her palm against it.
"Ooh, did you see Renny's too?" Nora asked.
"What? NO!"
"Eyes only for Jauney, got it."
Cardin's face grew so red it seemed he might explode. He snorted, like some wild animal, before he turned to Jaune. "Fine," he howled. "I'll prove it."
Ruby gasped when the armoured teen lunged forwards, and perhaps if she hadn't been holding onto his arm, Jaune could have reacted in time to stop him. As it was, her best friend barely had the time to cry out in shock.
"Proof," Cardin yelled, dragging down Jaune's pants. "He's a monster!"
Skin-coloured- and that was as far as she got. Ruby's eyes clenched shut so fast her eyelids might as well have punched her in the face. Heat didn't so much creep as explode across her face.
"A monster, indeed," Blake deadpanned with a roll of her eyes.
"Oh my!" Pyrrha gasped and looked away, while Weiss sighed and muttered something under her breath.
"Eh," Nora shrugged, "Renny's is bigger."
"NORA!" Ren hissed.
Ruby kept her own eyes firmly shut. I thought we weren't going to hide away anymore, a small part of her mind pointed out. Well, yeah, she had promised that – but she hadn't meant it like this! I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything…
Miss Goodwitch sighed. "Arc, trousers up, and please invest in some underwear. Mr Winchester, you'll be in my office throughout lunch tomorrow. While I do not discriminate against those with alternative preferences, I heard Mr Arc refused your advances. I will not condone sexual harassment of my students… no matter how much of a monster they may be."
"Gah… gah…" Cardin's brain didn't seem capable of rational thought.
Ruby gurgled and nearly died on the spot when she was pulled down with Jaune. Maybe her brain was working a little slowly too, since by the time she remembered she had hold of his arm, he'd already bent down and pulled his trousers back up. She kept her eyes closed the entire time, of course, but that didn't stop her mind imagining how close her head was to… to…
"You can open your eyes now, sis," Yang teased. "Jaune's monster has been put back in its lair."
"Ren," Weiss sighed, "Please control your partner."
"I can barely control my childhood friend…"
Ruby cracked her eyes open nervously, and only one at first. Saying Yang liked to tease her was like saying the moon was cracked, so it was with some horror that she let her eyes inch lower down her teammate's body. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw denim, and slumped against him a moment later.
"This was the weirdest field trip ever," she groaned.
"Ugh," Jaune sighed, "tell me about it."
/-/
"I heard you had quite the eventful trip."
Glynda glowered up at the headmaster and wondered if she could get away with levitating a piece of furniture into the air above him. No, that would lead to trouble, of course, and it was just her frayed nerves talking.
"Eventful is one way to put it," she sighed and slumped into the seat across from his. It was only the two of them in his office, which allowed her a rare moment to let the stresses of the day be seen. "What was supposed to be a simple outing almost ended with one student missing, and others rushing forward into what could have been fatal encounters. Follow that up with accusations of Grimm sexual harassment, followed by actual harassment as one boy assaults another, and you have my day in a nutshell."
Ozpin blinked. "What?"
"Just... don't ask, please." Glynda sighed, one hand rubbing the bridge of her nose. "It's been one of those days."
"And yet no one died. Surely, it could not be so bad."
"Not through any action of my own, Ozpin. I wasn't aware of the danger until it was too late."
"That is not your fault, Glynda. The day ended without harm, so please don't allow yourself to dwell upon what might have been." The headmaster poured a cup of coffee and pushed it across his desk. "Life is difficult enough without borrowing problems."
Ugh, she hated his coffee – but at that moment the thought of something rich with sugar sounded too good to pass up on. She guzzled at it, finishing it in one long go and slamming the mug back down on the table. Her old friend actually looked worried, but he wiped away the expression before she could call him out on it.
"I've read through the reports," he said. "They are… troubling. I would call into question that the students had seen this man, but…"
"So many did," she agreed. "Honestly, had I not fought him myself before, I'd call the very suggestion of a human-Grimm hybrid absurd." She could not deny her own eyes, however, and nor would Ozpin.
"Indeed… to think he appeared in Vale, then initiation – and now Forever Fall." The headmaster pushed his hands together and leaned on his desk. "It would seem this creature has an interest in our school."
"Or what is hidden beneath it."
"We cannot discount such a possibility. Our foes are certainly aware of Amber's disappearance, and I fear it is a simple guess as to where she is kept. James has suggested moving her to Atlas, but I am loathe to do so."
"For good reason," she said, "James may be strong, but I wouldn't trust Atlas' ambition with such power."
"You read my mind, as always," he chuckled. "Still, what troubles me about this is the timing, and also the location. This beast appeared before the new year, and has followed a field trip that contained first-year students."
Glynda's eyes widened. "You think it's after one of them?"
"If I recall, Miss Xiao-Long did mention that she had seen it order Grimm during the initiation ceremony. What's more, your own report states he was able to summon two Grimm to fight you. This indicates some level of control over their actions. does it not?"
"No…" Glynda's glasses slipped down her nose.
"Glynda? You've thought of something?"
"During the trip," she said, "Miss Rose spoke of three Grimm that attacked her and Mr Arc. She said that he was distracted and unarmed, but that instead of killing him, one of the Beowolves kidnapped and carried him away – the other two staying behind to fight against her."
"Kidnapped?" Ozpin's brow furrowed. "Do you mean it took him away to try and kill him?"
"He came back in one piece, although badly bruised and with clear signs of a scuffle," she added, "Mr Arc was unarmed, though. For him to have killed a Beowolf with his bare hands indicates either extreme prowess-"
"Or an extreme handicap," Ozpin finished for her, "such as it being unwilling – or perhaps unable – to physically harm him."
"I thought it a mistake at first, that they might simply have misread the situation."
"That is still a possibility, Glynda."
She shook her head. "You said it yourself, sir, we cannot discount anything. Recall the initiation, where Mr Arc was the first to be launched from the cliff."
"The Nevermore," Ozpin whispered. "Mr Arc was able to defeat it, if I recall."
"He was forced to descent the mountain afterwards, the very mountain Miss Xiao-Long, Rose and Nikos claimed to have seen the hybrid ordering Grimm near. The Nevermore took him straight there and then somehow failed to kill him."
Realisation was quick to dawn on Ozpin's face. His eyes widened, almost imperceptibly, behind his glasses. Perhaps the biggest sign was how he laid his hands flat on the table – and how he knocked over his mug, but didn't care.
"What should we do?" she asked. "If this creature is after Mr Arc-"
"Then he would be safer here," Ozpin interrupted, "where he is surrounded by those who can fight such creatures. Glynda, I shall have to ask you to keep an eye on the young man, for his own safety."
"Understood," she nodded. It wasn't like she intended not to. If that beast dared approach one of her students again, it would rue the day. "Why might it want him, though?" she asked. "I've never heard of Grimm abducting humans before. Well," she chuckled, "not outside of fairy tales meant to keep children in bed at nigh-"
The headmaster's chair clattered to the ground. He stood with both hands pressed down on his table, eyes hidden in shadow.
"Ozpin, what's wrong?"
"Fairy tales," he whispered. "I have research to do, Glynda. Please… take some rest for the evening. I think you've more than earned it."
The blonde woman could only blink as her friend and employer hurried from his office, at a pace she doubted many had seen him use before. Atop his desk, his coffee grew cold.
Maybe she could use a rest… not to mention a stiff drink.
There we go. I hope you enjoyed. To address what I imagine will be a contentious point; I do believe that Jaune, in his transformation – and lacking any distinguishing clothes – would be unrecognisable to his friends, at least if they didn't get close and didn't have a really good look to see if it was him. You might imagine it as if Salem had blonde hair, normal skin, blue eyes, a smile and no veins about her eyes.
It would make her look very different indeed.
Anyway, the plot thickens, as does the madness in a way. Salem's plans clash with Jaune's, and despite how simple and rational they seem "Collect my son when he's out of Beacon" vs "I want to stay in Beacon" ended up with a rather ridiculous situation at hand.
Dem fairy tales, tho.
Cardin-chan, tho. No one believes you, but push on Cardin-chan!
Next Chapter: 29th March
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