Hey guys, I just want to let everyone know that I have a big works event on Feb 8th – an awards ceremony I've had to plan last second, and will now be stuck attending, organising and doing opening and closing speeches for. It's all very last minute and very annoying. It's also in three weeks and hits on a White Sheep day.

I'm just making people aware in advance that I will be trying to update as usual, but that there may be a super short chapter that week – 4,000 words or so – because of the fact I'll not even be at a PC for the entire Thursday, and will be stuck in a hotel the Wednesday night so I can get to the event 6am to prepare. I'll make people more aware closer to the time, too. I hope 4k will be better than nothing, lol.

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 51

It was hard to imagine how things had gone wrong so quickly.

Yang ducked as Nora's body flew overhead to crash into a wall. She dodged one tentacle and knocked another way with the back of her fist. In the brief moment between she shot a blast from Ember Celica towards the monster. The dust rattled off his chest and only seemed to drive his rage to new heights.

Hentacle was angry – and also different to the last time she'd seen him, and she could appreciate now that it had been some time. The smaller version, the female, must have been the one from the warehouse. Wherever he'd been, whatever he'd been doing, Hentacle looked to have grown stronger. He wore no shirt but tatters of cloth hung from his chest, which now had several bone plates over it, a new addition as far as she could remember. They formed a vague mockery of armour, linking in front of him and reaching up to his shoulders, with his stomach the only part of him where skin showed. His eyes seemed to shine brighter, too, like twin furnaces set in a face that could only snarl.

How the hell did we mistake the other one for this guy? It's practically tame by comparison.

Blake attacked from behind – and that proved a mistake for Hentacle took is as a threat to the one he was protecting. His tentacles slashed out, and while Blake was able to dodge a few with some clone usage, one caught her in the stomach and propelled her back. It caught her foot before she could create any distance and slammed her down into the ground. Gambol Shroud went flying. Nora roared angrily and charged back in to save her partner.

Yang took the chance to run over and free Ren. They needed all the help they could get. Her partner looked shocked and out of it so she gave him a gentle slap, one that shook his body and whipped his face to the side. Okay, it wasn't very gentle at all.

"Wha- where-?" Ren blinked stupidly. "I-I don't understand…"

What the hell was up with him? Did he hit his head? Yang shook hers and briefly explained. "Hentacle. Us. Fight. Help."

"But she-" Ren paused to look towards the melee, where Nora was struggling to stand upright, let alone hold her own. His eyes narrowed and he nodded. "Right. I don't have my weapons but I should be able to help."

Yang slapped his back and dragged him up. "That's the spirit."

The two of them managed to meet up with their teammates not a second later, when Nora finally saved Blake and Hentacle let them go, unwilling to leave the smaller version of himself. There was a brief moment of silence; one during which no one dared speak and none dared move. It was broken by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Get out of the way," Torchwick growled. "Move it. Stop standing there like idiots!" The thief staggered into the room, dispelled from the terrified faunus who clogged the corridor but no longer dared approach. Roman brushed some soot off his coat and looked to Hentacle. "About time you made it. Started to think the worst."

Hentacle's red eyes settled on the crook. A sibilant hiss escaped his lips.

"U-Uh, b-boss…?" Roman asked, suddenly nervous. As the tentacles wove through the air, he started to sweat. "You do remember whose side I'm on, right?"

It looked like he might not, or just didn't care. Yang kept herself still, unwilling to break the tableau, especially if it might mean the two attacking one another. It wasn't to be, however. The Grimm behind Hentacle, the other humanoid one, wrapped her arms about Hentacle's waist. He froze, and there might have been an exchange between them but Yang couldn't hear any of it.

Eventually, Hentacle nodded and spoke. His voice was cracked and angry, and seemed to shake with each word – like they were forced out. "Roman."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Take."

"Take…?" The crook yelped as a tentacle rushed towards him but it didn't attack like he'd feared. Instead it gripped his wrist and dragged him forward. It flicked behind and threw him at the other Grimm, who caught him before he could fall. Even so, he'd had the presence to hold onto his bowler hat. "Oh right. Take her to safety. That's what you mean, right?"

Hentacle's head twitched. His lips kept peeling back, his tentacles flinching. The smaller Grimm put a hand over Roman's mouth and whispered something to him. The two of them slipped back through the wall that had been peeled apart.

Yang didn't try to stop them. Distracted or not, Torchwick was still a trained and powerful huntsman capable of fighting any of them one on one, and maybe even two on one as well. The last thing they needed was for him to work with Hentacle since they were barely holding their own as it was. She took the chance to catch her breath instead and consider the situation.

Two Hentacles – or two Grimm-human creatures, anyway. Hentacle was the name they'd given the one in front of them, and it occurred to her that if it could communicate and show things such as care and concern for its similar Grimm, then it actually had something all her studies told her was impossible.

Emotion…

Honestly, it should have been something of a discovery for the ages. A Grimm that could feel emotion was one that should technically be capable of human thought, and of emotion-assisted decisions. It might even be possible to reason with it and she was sure academics would be biting off their own hands in excitement at the chance to see such a thing. Oobleck would probably pass out from bliss.

Fat lot of good that does us now, she thought. The fact he could feel emotion was all well and good, but not particularly helpful when said emotion was rage. It wasn't just the mindless aggression of most Grimm either, but a clear anger born of what they'd done and nearly done to the other one. He was as filled with anger as she might be if someone hurt Ruby. The comparison somehow made him seem more human, despite how hard that was to accept with his eyes, bone plates, and the red veins that criss-crossed over his face and around his eyes.

"We don't need to fight," Ren said.

"What are you doing?" Blake hissed.

"I think we can reason with it," their leader returned. "It's intelligent – they both are." Ren took a cautious step forward. "My team only came to rescue me, and you only came to rescue her. Let us leave in peace and we'll do the same to you." He held his arms out wide. "There's no reason for us to fight."

Except that he was a Grimm, they were huntsman, and he was working with Torchwick and the White Fang – all fairly clear reasons why they were enemies long before Ren's kidnapping got involved. Yang thumbed her scroll, silently calling for help. She didn't really want Jaune and her sister getting involved in this, but she wanted to get killed even less. They could really use Pyrrha, Invincible Girl Nikos, right now.

/-/

Blood pounded through his skull and the world could only be seen through a lens of red. There was a voice in the back of his head, screaming his name, but he ignored it. His sister was gone, safe, and with that distraction out of the way there was only himself and the four humans before him, not to mention the fear that leaked from the prey in the hallway. The cloying miasma of panic and terror pervaded the room and teased his senses. His teeth ached and his lips parted, expelling a breath of hot, humid, air.

One of the humans was saying something. The figure was familiar, oddly so, but the why or how eluded him, as did the words that were phrased into the air. It was all a low drone to his ears, buried under the irritating voice shouting for him to stop.

He had to silence it before it drove him mad. He had to silence all of them.

"Look out!" the yellow-haired one yelled, tackling the speaker aside.

One of his tentacles slammed down where he'd stood, cracking concrete. Dust flew up into the air and he surged through it, slashing out with one arm towards the black-haired girl who smelled of regret. Her arms crossed before her face, catching his fist, and she flew back from the blow. Before he could follow-up, the orange-haired one tackled him. The haft of her weapon pressed against his neck as she tried to push him down. He pushed back, earning a cry of shock as he pushed her away with enough force to lift her feet from the ground. One his tentacles flicked into her, whipping her to the side and sending her rolling across the floor with a satisfying cry.

It was fun to play with them. A part of him enjoyed that more than the promise of finishing them off, for he knew the pleasure would end then. Better to make them scream and beg now. His mouth watered at the thought and he turned to find another, eyes latching onto the yellow-haired girl as she leapt in.

Her eyes were as red as his, and as angry. It was beautiful in a way, and that fact caused him to hesitate. Her fist landed on his cheek and launched him back. He didn't so much feel the pain of his body striking a metal pillar. The pain felt pleasant, invigorating. His tentacles wrapped about the metal structure behind him and bent it in two, just for the fun of it. The roof groaned under the sudden loss of support. His enemies gathered themselves once more and he watched them with gleeful focus. He didn't try to stop them coming together or readying themselves. It would be better if they could fight before they died, after all.

"-ne." something screamed. "St-"

The voice again. He shook his head and ignored it. When it didn't go away he decided to silence it another way, by dashing into combat with one hand outstretched. He aimed for the girl who smelled of regret, but she vanished in a puff of air, leaving a distraction behind that didn't feel nor smell human. He ignored it, changing his target for the one with the golden hair.

She was ready for him, however, and side-stepped his hand. One arm swept over it, the other under, and she kicked his legs out from under him. Two tentacles slammed down to replace them, acting as legs to keep him upright. That caught her off-guard and she was left open as he buried a fist in her gut. His other hand caught her by the throat while she was stunned and he drew her face in close, forcing their eyes to meet.

Something unpleasant stirred inside him. It burned in his chest and fled down to his stomach and he released her with a hiss.

The satisfaction wasn't there. It didn't work. His tentacles caught her in the side and threw her away. He wanted her out of his sight, away from him. He didn't want her in the fight, even if he wasn't sure why. A roar escaped his lips and he charged the others instead – the haze coming back over his vision as the girl with the hammer and the lone male prepared to meet his charge.

That was something more satisfying, and he forgot all about the other girl as he fought them. A hammer whistled above his head, a hand was blocked by his forearm – but he hissed as something seemed to shoot through his skin and bone. It dug deep inside but didn't pierce the skin. The unarmed one wasn't quite so unarmed, or harmless. He broke off from him and used his tentacles instead, trying to keep the dangerous man's aura away from him.

The girl was easier. Hers was power born of brute strength but that couldn't match up to his. She wasn't as skilled or fast and he swept in and out of her attacks with a manic smile, lashing out with his fists into her stomach, shoulders, and arms whenever he could. She didn't cry out. She bore it all with a scowl, meting out her own attacks in kind.

Something whistled through the air behind him. He leapt back on instinct alone and tugged on the girl he'd just been fighting with, twisting her so that she took the attack from the third – the dark-haired girl who liked to attack from behind. The girl's eyes widened and she checked her charge at the last second, still crashing into her ally, but doing so with her shoulder instead of the tip of a sword. They groaned and crumpled to the floor.

The other two took positions in front of them, and again he felt a strange disconnect when he looked at the golden-haired one. It wasn't anything he could place – more like a sudden dull in the desire for violence, a sudden hesitation.

She also wasn't afraid, none of them were, at least not in as dramatically as the masked faunus who flocked the corridor nearby. Many of them had fled and those that remained had started to get used to the carnage, their fear dulling by exposure. It caused the haze to lessen even more and he shook his head, trying not to let it bother him.

In the distance he felt an even greater negativity – and approaching fast.

That was enough to keep his fury fuelled.

It was actually enough to make him pause and sniff the air.

There was something else, too. Smaller and less focused, also less afraid – more of a vague sense of unease approaching from the west. As it approached he realised it wasn't one, but two, and that they also felt familiar.

More prey approached.

/-/

Ruby checked her scroll again and re-read Yang's hasty message, just the one word; help. There'd been no response to her reply and that had her teeth biting into her lip. She increased her pace and darted down an alley.

"They'll be okay," Pyrrha said, sprinting along beside her. "The fact Yang's calling for help isn't any reason to panic. It doesn't mean anything has happened to her; she just needs assistance. They've probably found Ren."

"I hope so," Ruby whispered.

"The tracker says she's close. They must be in one of the buildings nearby." A loud crash interrupted them and made them pause. Masked figures – White Fang – rushed toward them in broad daylight. Ruby cursed and pulled out Crescent Rose, as did Pyrrha with her own weapon.

They were left to pose stupidly as the terrorists ran past them, ignoring the two huntresses entirely.

"You think that's a bad sign?" Ruby asked. "I'm thinking it's a bad sign."

A sound like screeching metal echoed, followed by several gunshots and an explosion that sounded suspiciously like Nora's grenades. The building the terrorists had fled from shook and groaned, rocked by the explosion but somehow managing to stay upright.

"I think that's a bad sign," Pyrrha said. She hoisted her sword and shield. "Shall we, partner?"

"After you."

The interior of the building was all but deserted when they entered. There were a few White Fang still in the process of leaving but they paid no attention to the two, other than to give them a wide berth. Ruby had to hold back her own desire to stop them. Yang was more important.

"Weiss is on her way here," Pyrrha said, putting away her scroll. "I'm not getting a response from Jaune, though."

"Maybe there's no signal?"

"Maybe…" She didn't sound convinced. "He might be distracted or on his way. He'll have got the same message we did from Yang. He might already be fighting."

Ruby nodded and gripped Crescent Rose tighter. They didn't want to be the last ones there and miss the fight. Speaking of, the sounds of combat echoed from a room off to one side, but something far more immediate caught their attention. The building was some kind of factory or warehouse, abandoned by its previous owners. The walls and general structure were still in one piece, but what really caught their attention was the giant hole excavated straight down into the ground.

"How odd. It's like the White Fang were digging for something."

"Yeah, but what?" Ruby asked.

"I've no idea. Still, the hole seems to go down for a bit and then lead off to the side. It's like they're tunnelling somewhere. We should tell the headmaster about this when we get back to Beacon."

"After the fight," Ruby said, already moving towards the combat. "Come on, we can take pictures of that thing afterwards. It's not going anywhere."

"True, true." Pyrrha joined her again and the two jogged the final distance through a narrow corridor towards the sound of frantic combat. As the corridor turned a corner, the scene in its full glory was revealed to them – and it was both good and bad.

Good news, it looked like they'd found Ren and he was safe.

Bad news, they were getting knocked around like children by Hentacle.

"Damn it," Pyrrha hissed. "Ruby, go wide. I'll keep him occupied."

"Got it!"

Ruby blurred off to the side the second she entered the room, trying to keep out of sight as Pyrrha charged in to help Nora fend off the Grimm-humanoid. He looked different, sturdier and better armoured, but she didn't really have the time to focus on that as she looked for an opening. Yang and the others were okay, alive at least, but obviously a little tired from however long they'd been fighting. Yang and Nora cheered on seeing them.

Pyrrha ducked and weaved her way up to the Grimm, using her agility to hop over his tentacles as they slashed for her feet, while scoring her own cut on the prehensile limbs. She blocked a second with her shield, then spun into his guard and backhanded him across the face with it. It didn't seem to do much more than stagger him but it gave Nora a chance to break off and catch her breath.

Ruby watched as her partner and the Grimm exchanged a flurry of blows. Hentacle had the advantage when it came to strength and stamina, but Pyrrha closed the gap with speed and skill, and seemed to be holding her own. She flicked out with her sword whenever she could, cut his brow, then twisted under and turned her sword into a spear in time to pin a tentacle to the ground before it could hit her. She leapt over another and delivered a sharp kick to his face.

It was a stark reminder of who was the championship fighter, and Ruby couldn't help but grin as she watched her partner go to town on Hentacle.

Now, if only it would actually do any damage…

He's too tanky, she realised. He was taking hit after hit without slowing down and what wounds Pyrrha scored seemed to sizzle and hiss, closing before their eyes as black goo washed over it, sealing the cuts.

Ruby readied Crescent Rose and crouched in a shadowed corner. She had to wait for her chance to strike, and considering a miss would mean hitting a friend, she'd have to do it in melee. The blade of her scythe gleamed as she readied it. She just needed Pyrrha to give her an opening – to get rid of those tentacles that were able to swat her away before she even got close.

A flash of white light suddenly appeared beneath Hentacle. It took the form of a glyph, and the creature seemed to visibly slow, as did Pyrrha. The redhead leapt back out of it and fired two shots from her rifle form, both of which struck Hentacle in the chest. The Grimm snarled at her, but quickly turned its attention upwards, towards an opening in the wall. Weiss hung from it, one hand on the sheet metal as the other pointed Myrtenaster at Hentacle.

He snarled and flung his tentacles towards her.

Ruby's eyes widened. There! She darted out instantly – Crescent Rose firing a round behind with a loud crack as she shot across the distance between them. She became a red streak aimed directly for his back.

The glyph beneath him wavered and shattered, Weiss falling from her perch as one of the tentacles slammed into the metal beneath it.

That gave Hentacle the time to turn and face Ruby.

She saw the danger before it hit, a veritable wave of tentacles that would strike her all at once. There was no checking her approach, however, even as Yang shouted her name in worry. Instead she fired another shot, used the momentum to twist her body, and swung her scythe early, aiming for the tentacles themselves.

All three were severed with a single strike.

Hentacle roared in fury and pain. Ruby's moment of victory was short-lived. Her weapon already swung and no time to correct it, she crashed into the monster, which swatted her scythe away with one hand and caught her neck in the other. His last tentacle wound about her legs, keeping her locked in place as he snarled directly into her face. Her eyes were clenched shut from the pain and fear, but she slammed a hand into his chin to try and push him back.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled. Ember Celica barked but Hentacle ignored it and the shots that riddled across his back. As Ruby felt his breath wash over her face she cautiously opened her eyes. His skin was white – not just pale, but pure white – and the angry veins that marked it seemed all the more pronounced. It might even have been a familiar face, but she couldn't tell why. It was all she could do to trace her eyes up to meet his.

And feel an intense agony stab directly into her skull.

"Ah!" she cried.

"Arghh!" Hentacle screamed. He threw her away and gripped his head with both hands. Ruby hit the ground and rolled several feet but didn't stand. She was too busy doing the same, gripping her skull with both hands as something burned away inside.

"It hurts!" she yelled. "It hurts!"

Hands gripped her. "Ruby! What's wrong?"

"M-My head," she whimpered. "My eyes. Hurts!"

Pyrrha and the others rushed over as well, both to check on her and defend the downed girl from her enemy – an enemy which was at that very moment thrashing about wildly. Its remaining tentacle, and the much-shortened and bleeding stubs of the others, slammed into a nearby wall, gripping and scraping against it. The Grimm then threw his own body at it, almost like he was trying to bash out his own skull against the metal.

"W-What the hell is going on?" Blake whispered.

"I don't know," Ren said. "Do we attack?"

"And get close to him when he's doing that? We'll be crushed."

Hentacle let out a final cry of agony and crashed into – and through – the metal wall, shattering much of it and simply forcing his way through the rest. The building shook but continued to hold, the sounds of the Grimm's footsteps taking it further away.

"Should we chase it?" Nora asked. "Ruby must have wounded it when she cut the tentacles."

H-Had she…? She couldn't tell. Her head hurt too much. There was a high pitched keening in her skull and she clenched her eyes shut against it, trying to ignore what felt like a searing white light behind her eyelids. Despite her best efforts a pained whimper broke forth, and that was enough to end any thoughts of pursuit.

"Forget it," Yang said. "Shh, you'll be okay, Ruby. You'll be fine. I promise. You did it. You sent that Grimm running for his life."

Ruby tried to nod but faltered as a wave of fatigue shot through her. The only relief was that it dulled the pain – erased it entirely. What remained was intense exhaustion, and even in the middle of some abandoned factory it hit her like a truck.

She was just glad Yang was there to keep hold of her when she passed out.

/-/

Jaune staggered into an abandoned alleyway several hundred metres away and transformed back into his human form. That along seemed to be enough to lessen the pain in his head, but he still gripped his skull with both hands. He fell to his knees, sagging against the wall of whatever building he was next to. His forehead sought refuge against the cool bricks.

"W-What's going on?" Jaune rasped. His head roared with agony, though the pain had dulled somewhat after his escape. He looked at the bonelike plates that had fused onto his skin. He reached for one and prodded it. He was back in his human form but they hadn't disappeared.

"I don't know," Remy said. "I didn't do it, I promise. You did it yourself after you went mad."

After he'd gone mad… Gods, he could still remember it – a vague sense of lingering rage. The actual memories were hazy, probably for the best. He knew he'd been fighting against his friends, trying his hardest to kill them, but he was spared from the images behind it. He was lucky he'd been able to escape, even luckier that they hadn't given chase. If it wasn't for Ruby… he shook his head.

The plates had to go. He swallowed and reached for one, teasing a finger behind it. It was a horrible feeling but not a painful one. He'd expected it to be like removing his own skin, but the bone didn't seem to connect to his actual bones. It was stuck to his chest with a thick tar-like substance, black like a Grimm. He peeled it off, gasping as the final strands broke. The plate hit the floor and instantly began to dissolve, as did the sticky skin-like material on his chest.

He pulled the other pieces off one by one, tossing them to the floor.

"I tried to reach you but I couldn't do a thing. You even took control of my tentacles."

"I didn't mean to…"

"I know." Remy swam inside his body and poked his head out of Jaune's hand, between his fingers and thumb. "Lavender did escape and would have been killed. That's good, at least."

"I nearly killed my friends."

"I wouldn't go that far. You roughed them up but no worse than they've had before." Remy's little mandibles clicked in the air. "Is… do you smell something?"

"I sensed it a while back," Jaune said. "It's like… it's a sense of something… coming. Something close. I don't know how to explain it. Is it… Grimm?" That was what it felt like but that made no sense. They were in the middle of the city.

"I think we should leave," Remy said, hiding back inside his body. "I don't like this feeling. It makes me… it even makes me feel angry. I want to rip and tear and that's not a good thing for me. I'm supposed to be an advisor. I wasn't created to fight. What kind of emotion can make me like this?"

"A strong one," he said. "It's not fear, it's… no, never mind. I need to find the others as quick as I can, before they get suspicious. And I need to buy a shirt before I do," he added, looking down at himself. The plates had all but eviscerated his outfit. It was fortunate he kept his wallet in his pants, so he'd just need to find a store to grab something from.

He pulled out his scroll and composed a quick message in response to the one Yang had sent, the one alerting them to the danger they were in. He'd have to send one to Cinder after, too. She hadn't been able to help too much with his last episode of rage but it was time to try again. If that didn't work… if that didn't work then he'd need to talk to someone more experienced, maybe even his mother.

It didn't take him long to find a general store he could grab a shirt at, and while he received some odd looks at first a quick explanation of his motion sickness was enough to have the woman behind the counter nodding sympathetically. All the while the strange sensation of something approaching continued to build, and as the woman tallied up the cost and took his lien, his hands started to shake.

"We should go," Remy said nervously.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know."

The ground shook.

"What was that?" the woman behind the counter asked. She looked around nervously. "Was that a quake? Did you feel that?"

"I did," Jaune said, buttoning his new shirt. "And I've got no idea what it was."

He only knew that it made the blood rush through his head once more. This time it was held back, however, weakened somehow, and the memory of Ruby's silver eyes flashed through his mind. The throbbing vanished completely, replaced with a vague sense of unease.

"I think you should close the shop for the day," he said.

"What, why?"

"I… I don't know," he admitted. "It's just… you've got to leave. Quickly."

The woman stared at him. "You're scaring me. A-Are you threatening me?"

"No. It's just… I think…. Grimm…?" His words slurred. It was close. So very close. There was something – and he could feel it somewhere beneath him. Below? Underground? How did he know that?

"Grimm," the woman laughed. "We're in the middle of Vale. You can't find Grimm here."

"I know, I…" He clenched his eyes shut. "Excuse me, I need to go. T-Thanks for the shirt."

"Sir, your cha-"

"Keep it!" he yelled, barrelling out of the store and staggering into the street. It was a square in the middle of town, a busy shopping district not too far away from the place he'd just been fighting for his life in. Or not too far by the standards of someone who could sprint across the city without getting tired.

"I feel it," Remy said, answering his unasked question. "Grief, rage, anger… there's so much of it."

Yes, that was the best way to describe it. It wasn't fear or horror like he'd felt earlier – that taste still lingered on his tongue. This was something much darker, so much more primal. It was pure unadulterated rage, mixed with a hopelessness that made it feel desperate. More than that, he could feel it attracting Grimm, though how, he had no idea. How could Grimm be so close?

What remained absent, however, was the same rage that had overtaken him before. Whatever Ruby had done, it seemed to be enough to push it aside for now. That didn't mean all was well, however. His head pounded and blood dribbled from his nose. He fell to his knees, both hands clasping his head. The emotions were overwhelming him, burning him. It was like he was drowning in an ocean of it and there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even vent the rage.

"He, son," someone said. "Are you okay?"

"Get away!" Jaune snapped. His eyes flickered but didn't quite flash red. He staggered to his feet and reached for his sword, only to find it absent. He'd left it behind when he'd first transformed. Even so, the aggressive action wasn't missed by the crowd around him, who backed away warily.

Realisation snapped into him a second later. The Grimm approached. They were coming.

"Get away!" he howled, waving one hand. "Go! Move! Run!"

Some backed away; others turned their heads and pretended not to notice the crazy man, hurrying off so they didn't have to listen any longer. Yet more remained, however, and that wouldn't do. He took a threatening step towards them.

"Get out before they come! Before the Grimm arrive!"

"The Grimm? What are you-?"

The man who'd tried to question him froze as the ground shook. Everyone did, suddenly afraid as the very solid concrete beneath them shifted and groaned. It was the distraction he needed and he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"RUN!"

This time, they did. Whether they believed him or not – or whether it was just the quaking that forced them into action. Either way, men and women cried out in shock and ran as fast as they could. He would have followed but for the new fear – their fear – overwhelming him even further. He fell onto his knees and gripped his head again. Blood ran down from his nose and down over his chin.

"Why… why does it hurt so much…!?"

"T-Too many…" Remy gasped. "Untrained, undisciplined… afraid. Fear, panic, rage, anger, revenge…"

Was this what normal humans were like, those that didn't have huntsman training? Had he gotten too used to being around people who knew how to not let their negative emotions overtake them? He'd been in Vale before but never in a situation when so many people were afraid, never with something like the slow rage beneath him building up.

The ground below his knees cracked and bulged outwards.

/-/

This was an unmitigated disaster.

Cinder rushed through the halls of Beacon as fast as she dared. Teachers and students looked to her in shock but she ignored them, shouting out an apology where necessary. Behind her, Emerald did her best to keep pace and filled in for her, giving excuses that might explain away her sudden rash of panic.

That stupid idiot of a girl! Not Emerald, but Lavender. It went without saying the kidnapping of one of Jaune's friends was bad enough, but it was the timing which really complicated matters, and now the fact Jaune had gotten himself involved today of all days.

A figure appeared in the corridor ahead and walked sheepishly up to them. Mercury's hair was dishevelled and he wore a huge grin, not to mention some telling bruises on his neck. He swaggered into her view and smiled laconically. She'd have normally wiped that away but she had bigger concerns.

"Look, Cinder, I'm sorry I-"

"Out of the way!" she snapped, knocking him aside. "I don't have the time to deal with you!"

"What's happening?" he asked, keeping pace with her. They exited the academy proper and approached the Bullhead docks.

"Jaune is being attacked in the city," she explained, panting for breath.

"So? I get you're worried but he can handle himself. The guy's been doing it for a while now."

"It's not that, you fool. Think of what day it is! Yesterday was the dance and I disabled the CCT, specifically so that Vale could not call for international aid." She waited for the information to drill its way into his skull, and nodded when he suddenly looked worried. "Exactly. If everything goes to plan that will be happening today, and Jaune being at ground zero is not what we want."

"Can't you call it off?"

Cinder shook her head. There was no stopping this now. Had it been Roman she might have expected him to be a few days late, but it wasn't Roman. He'd thrown his lot in with Lavender, leaving her to deal with Adam instead. Though much harder to control, he was far more efficient. She didn't doubt that everything was running to schedule.

"Shit," Mercury breathed. "How bad is this going to be?"

"Grimm are creatures who are driven man by negative emotion," she said. "Humans are creatures that produce it over and over. Something that is both Grimm and human is a mixture of two opposites, two contrasting sides of a coin that cannot truly exist in harmony. Even his own emotions can influence him in ways no one knows, not even me. Not even Salem."

"You're saying his own emotions can send him feral, that he'll get stuck in some kind of feedback loop?"

"I don't know."

Emerald stood beside them and looked out over the forest towards Vale. "What's going to happen when the whole city goes into a mad panic?" she asked.

"I don't know."

Cinder bit her lip. She'd planned this meticulously, but everything had been based on him being tired from the dance and safe at Beacon, distant from such things and out of everyone's way. If it hadn't been for Lavender, this wouldn't have happened. Now he was out there – and at the worst possible moment. She'd decided to speed her plans up to take advantage of the one time she'd known he wouldn't be in Vale, the one time all the students would be distracted.

An explosion rocked the city. Smoke billowed into the air and students gathered on the edge of the cliff, staring out towards the devastation and whispering among themselves.

"Shit," Mercury said again. "Is that-?"

"Adam," she finished. "The Breach."

Yep. Sorry to end on something of a double cliff-hanger here. I'm trying to bring things back onto plot as people know, and one angle was that Cinder would be making changes to her plans to keep Jaune busy. I always saw the Breach as having one of two objectives; either to sow panic and put Ironwood in charge, or to force the teachers to leave Beacon in a panic, giving Cinder a chance to snatch the maiden. In this regard, staging it directly after the dance isn't a poor idea since most of the students would be exhausted from the night before, and, of course, Jaune would be safe in bed, if not for someone being kidnapped.

I also imagine Adam would be a lot more efficient about the whole thing, getting it done exactly on time, unlike a certain someone. Does this skip Mountain Glenn? Yes, it does, but that would have been skipped anyway since Roman didn't reveal any clues at the Paladin meeting and Ruby didn't encounter Cinder in the CCT and pass on her information to Ozpin and Ironwood.

Serious chapter is serious chapter, though, so no jokes in this one.

Next Chapter: 25th January

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