Looks like it's Thursday

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 66

"I… I don't have a choice."

Ruby's eyes squinted shut as she said it, stifling her pain and anger against his chest. It would have been so much easier if he'd attacked her or threatened her, but Jaune had hugged her instead, complicating what was already a situation far too difficult to understand.

But in the end, when it came to trust, she just had no idea. How could she just decide here and now whether she trusted him with the lives of everyone in Beacon? That wasn't fair. With her life, sure, but not everyone else's. She didn't have the right to make that decision.

"Ruby…"

"I can't trust you just like that, but I don't have a choice," she repeated. "If I don't, I won't be able to save them. So… So I'll give you a chance," she said. Her eyes met his, and again they burned with pain – this time the searing silver eyes she'd more than noticed before. They affected him, too, for he winced. Even so, they kept staring into one another's eyes, the both of them ignoring the pain. "Prove that I can trust you," she whispered. "Prove that I'm not wrong, please."

It wasn't what either of them wanted, but Jaune nodded and released her. "I will. I'll prove it." He turned away, toward the hole in the wall. "I'll prove it by saving Beacon, but we need to get there first." He glanced back to her. "Do you have your scythe?"

Crescent Rose deployed. She wouldn't have confronted him without it, no matter how bad that sounded. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Cut me."

Ruby blinked. "What?"

"Cut me, my arm. Make me bleed."

It only took her a second to realise what he meant – and to be fair it had been a long time since she'd fought him in his Grimm form. He normally used his tentacles, but once or twice he'd shown that he could summon Grimm with his blood. She hesitated at that, wondering if she was signing her own death here and now, before she dismissed it.

She'd already said she was willing to risk her life here. Whether he summoned Grimm or not he could kill her. She reached out with her scythe and laid the blade against his forearm. She looked to him, waiting for his permission.

He nodded. "Go on. I've lowered my aura."

Ruby pulled the haft back, slicing a deep wound into his pure white flesh. His blood bubbled. It was red, just like hers. Somehow she'd expected black, though she remembered that when Pyrrha cut the tentacles, those had bled purple.

Jaune waved his hand before him and cast a large amount of blood onto the ground, whispering something under his breath and holding a hand out. The viscous fluid grew and coalesced, quickly becoming larger than the puddle actually was and continuing to stretch. Ruby backed up a little, holding her weapon before her nervously.

Jaune noticed. "It's fine. It won't hurt you, I promise. I won't hurt you," he added. "Trus-" He cut off, realising he couldn't ask that of her. "I've not hurt you before," he said instead. "I'm not about to start now."

The Grimm that formed spread its wings wide, revealing a Nevermore some six metres from wing to wing – far smaller than the one they'd seen briefly in initiation, but still sizeable in its own right. Its beady eyes locked onto her and glowed, but a sharp cough from Jaune drew it away. The Nevermore regarded him, cocked its head to the side, and then – to her surprise – bowed its head low.

"I'm the Prince of the Grimm," Jaune explained, "So they follow my orders."

"The Prince…?"

"You didn't know?" he looked back, surprised.

"I knew you could order them, but I thought that was because they came from you." Like they were a part of him or something, or just specific to him. "I didn't realise… a prince, really? Does that mean you're the future ruler of the Grimm?"

"Me and my sisters," he admitted. "And only if mom died, but she's immortal, so… yeah, it doesn't mean much."

Ruby shook her head. "But couldn't you stop the Grimm ever attacking humans again? You could end all of this!"

"I… I want to…" Jaune stood still, eyes closed. "Why do you think I'm here, Ruby? Why do you think I came to Beacon and learned to be like a normal person? I want to end all of the fighting, but it's not that simple. Can you stop your side killing ours?"

"We only fight in self-defence!"

"That's nonsense and you know it," he said calmly.

Ruby winced.

"Humans go out of their way to kill Grimm just as much as Grimm do in return. I'll admit we're not perfect and my mom isn't either, but you can't lay the blame entirely on us. It's humans who feel threatened because they're not at the top of the food chain. It's humans who try and claim land for nothing more than its resources, killing any animal or Grimm that gets in the way. You don't see the Grimm causing deforestation or pushing animals into extinction."

"No, but that doesn't mean we're responsible for everything," she argued. "Grimm hunt by negativity and that can't be an accident. They're literally hunting us down and killing us, and not even for food!"

"I…" Jaune sighed. "You're not wrong. It's more complicated than that, but now isn't the time for it. Later," he said. "I promise. For now, we need to get back to Beacon and help everyone." He stepped by the Nevermore's beak and climbed onto its back, holding his hand out. "Come on. He'll carry us to Beacon."

"He will? You're sure?"

"Trust me."

Ugh, she really hated that phrase right about now. Ruby looked back to the exit with a longing expression, remembered that all the fighting was at Beacon, and stepped toward the deadly Grimm with a heavy sigh. Its razor-sharp beak clicked in obvious aggravation when she came near. "I'm not pleased about this either," she grumbled to it. She accepted Jaune's hand and was swung up onto the bird's back, positioned in front of Jaune with one of his hands about her waist. She wasn't sure she liked having her back to him.

"Hold on tight. This might be a bit of a rough ride."

"What do you me-aaaaahhhhh!" Ruby screamed and clamped down hard on Jaune's legs as the Nevermore took off. Taking off was a rough term, however. She'd expected it to flap its wings and sore gracefully out, but the thing just tossed itself out the hole, her on its back. Ruby continued to scream as they fell through the air. If it weren't for the arm around her waist, she'd have fallen.

And then, with a mighty flap of its wings, the Nevermore caught a current – and suddenly the direction was reversed, with them ascending so quickly that Ruby's body pushed down, all the momentum reversing and leaving her feeling horribly airsick.

"Yeah," Jaune said glumly. "I had that reaction, too. You should try flying all the way from the Grimmlands to Vale. To Beacon!" he called, pointing. The Nevermore screeched angrily and banked to the side, turning entirely vertical for a moment and then flipping to the other side.

It was too much for the poor girl.

/-/

She'd never wanted this.

Pyrrha reflected on that fact as she was bundled into the machine by Ozpin, the glass closing in front of her as he hurried to a bunch of controls and began to work on them. Her eyes fell to the side, to the original Fall Maiden – or the previous, at least – locked in her tube, comatose. She was like that because of the power within her, the self-same power she, too, was now about to inherit.

She really hadn't wanted this.

Beacon was supposed to be her chance to be anything but special. It was to be her chance for normality, for making friends, for discovering her true self, for leaving behind the glamour and the expectations of Mistral.

And it had been. It had been all of that and more, giving her not just a team she deeply cared for, but friends she cherished and someone she even liked – not that Jaune ever realised. Not that she would step between him and Yang. Either way, Beacon had taken her expectations and surpassed them.

"You're trying to help and always trying to do what other people want from you."

Pyrrha smiled. Jaune had said that, and in a way he'd been right. That was how she'd been, back when she felt she had to earn friendship, back before Jaune, Ruby and Weiss taught her otherwise. You couldn't buy something like that, neither with lien nor favours.

"Instead of forcing yourself to do what you think is right, how about letting yourself do what you actually want."

She didn't want this, the power of the maiden, but she did want to protect everything she'd come to love, and not for them, not for selfless or altruistic reasons. She wanted the power to protect them so that she could keep them. That was the only reason she was here. It was the only reason she'd offered herself to Ozpin. She wasn't doing this for them, for Ozpin, or for anyone. She was doing it for herself and because she wanted the power.

"Are you ready, Miss Nikos?"

Her eyes hardened. "I am."

"This may be uncomfortable, but-"

"With all due respect, sir, there isn't time. Just start it."

Ozpin regarded her with something akin to respect, before he nodded and pulled a lever. The machine whirred to life and hummed ominously, but there was no pai- Pyrrha screamed. Ah, there was the pain.

It was like needles under her skin, digging deep inside her very body, and through gritted teeth and clenched eyes she realised it was digging into her aura instead, her very soul. Something wet ran from her mouth and she gasped, expelling a little blood where she'd bitten her tongue. Light flashed before her eyes, bright and colourful, like explosions of lightning and the birth of a star.

And then she felt it. Slowly, at first, but soon with increased speed, something seemed to seep into her, and that really was the only way she could think to describe it. It was invasive and yet not, foreign and yet familiar, cold and yet burning like lava. The constant contradictions hurt her brain until she realised with incredible finality that the answer was much simpler.

It wasn't her, but it was becoming a part of her. It was Pyrrha and yet not Pyrrha, but soon – with a little luck – it would become her. No, it will become a part of me, she hissed. I won't change who I am or what I'm like. I'm me. I'm Pyrrha Nikos, proud member of Team WJRP. Nothing will change that. Not the White Fang, not Ozpin, and certainly not you, Amber.

A moment later, the pressure seemed to give, pulling out of her before it slammed back into her body with the force of a catapult. It sent her back crashing into the pod and the breath rushing from her lungs, but the second it did, it ended. The light faded. Her nerve endings stopped screaming. Pyrrha Nikos fell back against the pod with sweat covering her body and panted harshly.

"Am I…?" She looked down at one hand, opening and closing it. "I'm Pyrrha," she said, testing the word. It didn't feel unfamiliar, or strange. She breathed a sigh of relief. As a test, she thought of something only she would know, like her crush on Jaune or the fact that she'd totally noticed Ruby reading those naughty comics but hadn't called her out.

That particular memory brought a rueful chuckle.

"I'm still me."

A hand slammed on the glass. Ozpin looked worried, very worried. "Miss Nikos," he called, voice muted by the thick pane. "Miss Nikos, can you hear me!?"

"I can hear you," she returned.

"Thank goodness. Are you okay? Are you still…"

"I'm still me. I… I think it worked."

He breathed his own sigh of relief. "That is good to hear, Miss Nikos. I feared the worst for a moment." He tapped the release on the canister, which started to hiss as it opened. "You should have the power of the maiden now, but it may still be difficult to use. You shouldn't-" Ozpin broke off with a gasp.

Pyrrha's eyes fixed on the black arrow that had sprouted through his left shoulder, splattering her with blood. She looked beyond, shocked, to the figure in black that stood at the end of the underground facility, eyes glowing gold.

Cinder Fall's breasts rose and fell with ragged breaths. It was obvious she'd sprinted all the way here, and even more obvious that it was she who had attacked the headmaster. Even so, her eyes were fixed on Pyrrha's.

"You have – hah – something – hah – that belongs to me…"

/-/

Blake swallowed as she stepped into the cafeteria alone, glass crunching underfoot. The normally loud and chaotic dining hall had been reduced to a macabre shell of its former glory, with upturned tables riddled with bullet holes and unconscious bodies – or at least she desperately hoped they were unconscious – littered here and there. She gripped Gambol Shroud tighter, seeking comfort in the reminder she was armed and dangerous. Not that it would mean much against the person she could see stood before her.

"So, you came. I knew you would, Blake. You couldn't resist the urge."

"Adam…"

"Is that all you have to say to me, my dear?" He turned to regard her more fully. His red hair and black outfit the same as what he'd worn in the past. Nothing about him looked to have changed at all. He flicked his sword to the side and not even she could convince herself it was cherry soda that dripped from the tip. "It's been so long since you betrayed me and yet all you can do is whisper my name and stare at me?"

She struggled to find the words.

"But then, what should I have expected?" He took a slow step towards her. "You always were soft. And I, like a sentimental fool, tried to accommodate that, when I should have stamped it out long before. I saw your kindness as a boon, a blessing, something we should fight to protect. Instead, it turned out to be the seeds of cowardice."

"N-No." She shook her head and staggered back a little.

"Yes, Blake. Cowardice. You stood with me when we made the White Fang into what it is today, into something better than what your parents ever achieved. You weren't dragged along or misled; you knew exactly what it was we wanted and you embraced it. Don't tell me you didn't. You and I celebrated it together."

They had, and looking back she'd been such a fool – but that was no excuse and she wouldn't dare consider it one. Blake shook her head and brought Gambol Shroud up. "I made a mistake back then," she admitted. "I accept that now. I'm trying to fix it."

"No, Blake. You're trying to forget it ever happened. You're running away." He reached out to touch her cheek. She had no idea how or when he'd crossed the distance between them, but he was suddenly in front of her. She flinched, expecting a harsh slap, but his hand caressed her cheek instead. "But I'm here to change that now. I'm here to make everything right."

"A-Adam…"

"And I'll start by showing you just why you can't keep running away from your problems. I'll start by destroying this fake life you've created and drawing back the veil you've so willingly allowed to be placed over your eyes."

Blake gasped. "No!"

"Yes," he hissed.

"The girl said no." Yang stated firmly, crashing down on him from above. Adam barely had the time to widen his eyes before her fist struck him and launched him back. He crashed into and through a wooden table, spilling food and drink everywhere. "Not sure how it works in the White Fang, but here at Beacon no means no," Yang said, cracking her knuckles. "Unless it's Nora doing the asking," she added.

Adam growled as he stood up. "How dare-"

"Yeah, unless it's me," Nora chirped, appearing behind him. Adam again had no time to react before a hammer struck him. In truth, he had reacted – and his instinct was to flood his legs with aura, which was the only reason the blow didn't achieve what Nora so commonly boasted of. Even so, while the impact didn't shatter both his legs, it did send him hurtling up into the air, up over the tables and to the other end of the cafeteria.

Mid-flight, Adam rolled his body into a ball and prepared for a better landing, only to curse as a withering hail of bullets struck him. Many he deflected with his sword but it was impossible to block all. Holes were torn in his outfit as Ren's barrage hit, taking advantage of the fact Adam couldn't dodge while airborne.

When he eventually crashed down, he ducked behind cover, kicking up a table to block any further shorts – or at least to make aiming harder, since Ren's bullets slammed into and through the wood with ease.

"You cut that a little close, didn't you?" Blake hissed.

Yang rolled her eyes. "You're the one who let him walk right up and cup your cheek."

"I-I was caught off-guard."

"Some guard if he could do that right in front of your eyes." Yang shook her head. "Whatever, we got the ambush off at least."

They had, and now Adam was trapped between the three parties with every exit cut off and his only method of retreat to break through one of them. Blake knew he could, likely with ease, but Ren banked on the fact he wouldn't. To run with his tail tucked between his legs would be bad for the White Fang's image, but more than that Ren had planned on Adam refusing to run. At least until he had what he'd come for. Her.

Blake really wasn't sure what she was supposed to think about her team's willingness to use her as bait for her psychopathic terrorist ex-boyfriend.

"Adam Taurus, surrender," Ren called.

"Hmph. Do you really think I would?"

"No," Ren admitted, "But I considered it polite to make the offer."

"Honestly, it would have been really awkward if you had," Nora said. "We don't actually have any handcuffs, cells or any way of restraining you."

Ren sighed. "Thank you, Nora…"

"Just saying…"

"Enough," Adam roared. "If this is your team, Blake, then I shall cut them down one by one. I'll show you what happens to those who aid traitors!"

"You're outnumbered four to one, Adam. Give it up."

"Am I? I think you'll find the numbers aren't quite as skewed as you believe."

It was the only warning they received but it was enough for Blake to gasp and push Yang aside, right as a metallic whip slammed down on the spot her teammate had occupied a moment before. Yang recovered quickly and rolled away, turning to face the new combatant. It was a woman this time, bare-legged and wearing a horned mask that might have resembled a demon, or perhaps, if one looked closely, a chameleon.

Blake groaned. "Not you, too, Ilia…"

"You shouldn't have left us, Blake. Please… just come back to us."

Yang scoffed. "Old friend of yours?"

"It's complicated," Blake hissed back.

"You used to see things the way I did, Blake. The way Adam did. Now look at you – you're standing alongside humans like some kind of coward!"

"Back down, Ilia," Blake ordered, eyes hard. "You don't want to do this."

"I… I don't want to hurt you, Blake." Ilia removed her mask, revealing a face she hadn't seen for some time. There were tears in her eyes, but also determination. "I never wanted to hurt you. I… I…" She trailed off.

Yang looked between Blake and Ilia, and quickly realised what was going on. "Seriously?"

Blake flushed.

"We're about to have a fight to the death with your psycho ex-boyfriend and now also your psycho ex-girlfriend?"

"I said it was complicated."

"Sheesh, why do you even read that smut of yours if your life is like this?"

"Enough chatter," Adam said, swinging his sword before him. "Ilia, kill them, but leave Blake alive. Perhaps there is still hope for her." Adam rushed forward to engage her, knowing Ilia couldn't do the same and fight seriously. She charged Yang instead, pushing her support aside.

Blake gasped as his sword crashed into hers, driving her back through sheer force alone. He twisted hers aside and drove his pommel into her gut, almost cutting her a head shorter in the first pass. She was kept on the back foot as he swung again, and quickly cried out for her team for help.

"Nora, help Blake!" Ren called. "I'll help Yang."

"Aye-aye, team leader."

"You've gotten weaker, Blake, relying on fools like this. Look at you, you're even wearing a bell like some kind of domesticated housecat."

"Isn't that what you're doing with Ilia?" she gritted out. "And the bell is complicated."

"I'm simply evening the odds, calling in some favours since my trusted associate decided to go back on our agreement. Or perhaps she hasn't," he added, causing Blake to narrow her eyes. "Only time will tell."

She was about to ask what he meant before Nora crashed down, forcing him back as her hammer dug into the tiled floor and caused it to erupt. Blake shot her partner a grateful nod, the two standing side by side.

"You ready for this, partner?" Nora asked.

Blake nodded. The two charged in.

/-/

"There, there," Jaune said, patting her back as he helped her off the Nevermore. Ruby didn't have the presence of mind to feel suspicious or wonder if it was safe to be so vulnerable around him. She was too busy groaning. "At least you threw up over the forest. I'm sure no one was hit with the spray."

"S-Shut up," she cried. "N-Never again. Never."

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"NEVER!"

She struggled out of his grip and wiped her mouth clean. No one had ever seen her air sick before, but this wasn't the same. That horrible Nevermore was nothing like a Bullhead. It was evil incarnate. Placing Crescent Rose down to lean on, Ruby took in several deep breaths and looked ahead, past the trees in the clearing they'd landed in toward Beacon. She could hear combat.

"It would raise a few eyebrows to land right in Beacon," Jaune said. "We'll have to go the rest of the way on foot."

Ruby eyed him. "I think you'll raise a few eyebrows already like that."

Jaune nodded and quickly transformed back into his normal form, the colour in his skin returning along with the gold in his hair. Seeing it in front of her eyes made the comparison between Jaune and Hentacle easy, but that was only because she now knew it. It was actually very hard to see they were one and the same without that.

It made her shiver a little, the idea that Grimm could be walking among them and they'd never know. His physical disguise was so perfect that she couldn't help but wonder if it went further, if his words were just pretty lies designed to mislead, and if even now she wasn't falling for them. She also realised he was watching her, and that his expression was forlorn.

But was it? Was it really, or was that just an act?

Either way, it left her feeling uncomfortably ashamed and she broke eye contact. "What now?" she asked. "What are we supposed to do, just go fight?"

"The White Fang are the real threat," Jaune said. "Most of the people here should be able to deal with the terrorists, so I was thinking we could go deal with the Grimm. I can order them to leave, but I have to be close enough to actually talk to them."

"You can't order them with your mind?"

"I can, sort of, but it's still communication. I can't just send out a blanket message all over Beacon. I have. It's hard to explain. Just watch, I'll show you." Jaune jogged away and Ruby followed, activating her Semblance to keep up with him. They weren't far from Beacon at all – only fifty metres or so from the treeline. Everyone was too distracted to notice a single Nevermore. When they cleared the trees they found themselves somewhere by the southern end of the academy. There were Grimm everywhere.

Ruby readied her weapon but Jaune placed a hand over hers, pushing Crescent Rose down, even as several Beowolves noticed and loped over in their direction. They didn't charge in like they wanted to fight, and it was more of a quick run – like Zwei might toward something that had caught his interest.

If Jaune wanted to hurt me, this would be the perfect time, she realised. Whether he'd planned it or not, he had her completely surrounded by Grimm – not so much that she couldn't deal with them, but if she had to fight them and him, then she'd almost certainly lose. The panic only got worse when the Beowolves noticed her and began to snarl.

Jaune raised one hand. The Beowolves – every single one of them – froze. It was honestly impressive, and a little frightening.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

The Beowolf in the lead rumbled lowly in its throat. It didn't speak, nor make a wolf-like attempt with snarls, barks and howls. It just rumbled for a while and then went still. Jaune nodded, however, as though he'd received a message.

"Return to the Emerald Forest," he called in a loud and clear voice. His voice, and yet somehow more commanding. "Do not attack anyone unless it is in self-defence. If anyone wearing a white mask bars your path, you may kill them." He snapped his hand to the right, towards the treeline. "Go."

The response was immediate. The Beowolves howled and yipped, and to Ruby's ears it was an almost canine sound, far removed from the angry roars and bellows she was used to. They rushed by her, some so close she could have touched them, and quickly vanished into the trees. In less than a minute's time, the two of them were alone.

For the first time, Ruby dared to hope. "You can do that to all Grimm?"

"So long as one of my family doesn't counter my orders, sure. The ones that tried to abduct me in Forever Fall were directly ordered by my mom, so they wouldn't put me down when I asked." He rubbed his head awkwardly. "But none of these Grimm are here because they want to be."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I asked them how they got here."

Ruby was curious despite herself. "What did they say?"

"They said they were trapped in dark metal boxes with no sunlight and no fresh air," Jaune said. There was a hint of raw anger to his tone. "They said people would shout at them and poke them with sharp metal sticks to make them angry, and that they were carried somewhere, shocked with electricity, and then released here."

"The White Fang…"

"To us, yes. To them, it was just humans."

Ruby shuffled awkwardly, understanding the message. There was no distinction between factions to the Grimm, so all they knew was that they'd been effectively tortured into a rage and set loose. Little wonder they were causing so much havoc.

She felt sorry for them.

Not sorry enough not to kill them if they tried to hurt anyone, but sympathetic in the way one might for a wild animal that had to be put down. They were monsters, sure, but there was no denying it was the White Fang who started this. It was funny how she'd never felt sorry for Grimm before, though. Then again, we were always taught they were nothing more than mindless monsters that hated humans.

Ruby wasn't sure if those lessons were wrong per se, but there was a niggling part of her that now wondered if that wasn't entirely incorrect, either. It was people seeing the faunus as less than human that brought the White Fang down on them.

An explosion rocked the school ahead, somewhere from the main building. Smoke began to pour from the main tower, spiralling up into the sky. "We need to help the others," Ruby barked. She made to move ahead but froze, not quite willing to let Jaune out of her sight just yet.

Luckily, he nodded. "We should head for the biggest group of Grimm we can find. I'll dismiss them and you deal with the White Fang. Okay?"

Ruby nodded. It was time to kick butt.

/-/

Yang buckled under the faunus' assault and fell back. If it wasn't for Ren noticing and stepping in, she might have lost some strands of hair. As it was, she staggered back, caught herself on a table and dashed back in. They couldn't afford to let up the pressure.

"You're a real pain in the ass, aren't you?" Yang quipped, ducking under the girl's whip and throwing a punch towards her face. The faunus brought her forearms up in time to block it and skidded back. "You realise Blake doesn't want to go back, right? She doesn't want anything to do with you anymore."

"Shut up, human!" She spat the word like an insult. "You must have changed her mind. Blake always saw things out way, up until this happened. She wanted this, and then she gets to suddenly decide she doesn't and leave us all behind? That's not fair!"

"People change their minds all the time," Yang argued. "It's called having free will. You should respect Blake's."

"Then what about mine? Does mine not matter?" Ilia managed to slip a kick past Yang's guard, which caught her in the thigh. She staggered back and twisted, dodging the steel whip by less than an inch. Yang snapped a hand out and caught it before it could come back and two entered a quick tug-of-war.

On the other end of the cafeteria, Blake cried out in pain. Yang's eyes snapped over, scowling as she realised Adam was more than handling her and Nora.

Ren's plan had started out so well, but worked on the idea that it would be four on one, or at least four on one and a bunch of White Fang grunts they could quickly take out. The new addition was anything but weak, however, and was holding them off.

Not winning, but delaying them.

Adam was the real threat.

"Ren, go help them."

Ren hesitated, a few paces behind and catching his breath. "You sure?"

"Not really, but they can't beat the broody bastard on their own. I can at least go even with this one." Probably. It would be a tough fight, but it would be closer than Nora and Blake trying to take on Adam alone. Ren nodded.

"Alright. Good luck."

When he was gone, Ilia spoke again. "Adam won't fall to them, you know. He's far stronger than you can imagine."

"Not strong enough to respect Blake's wishes. If he was really strong, he'd be able to get over himself."

Ilia growled. "They were lovers. Blake loved him and he loved her. They-" Her face twisted with what Yang accurately identified as jealousy and bitter sadness. "They did everything together. And then Blake left, without so much as a word. That's not fair."

Yang let go of the whip as electricity raced down it. She ducked as it swiped left to right, whistling overhead. "People change their minds," she said, rushing forward and under, catching the faunus in the stomach and forcing her to de-activate her weapon.

"It's not always that simple." Ilia slammed a hand down onto Yang's shoulder, jarring her muscles. She broke free and kicked away. "This isn't just any girl leaving a guy. You can't just start a terrorist movement and leave. Blake was a part of that. She supported us. She can't just back out now, call us evil, and pretend it never happened. It doesn't work like that!"

"Maybe it doesn't," Yang admitted. "But the only way this is going to end is with bloodshed. You sure you can handle that?"

"If it's yours, sure."

"And what if it's not?" Yang asked, wincing as she blocked another kick. She caught the faunus' leg, started to swing her around, but was forced to let go and dodge when the whip cracked down. Ilia landed in a stumble nearby and Yang closed the distance, their hands locking together, faces close. "What if it's not just us that get hurt," she repeated in a hiss. "You think Blake is going to sit by and let Adam kill us? She's going to fight, you know that. What if she gets killed?"

"She won't. Adam promised me she wouldn't be."

Yang cocked an eyebrow. "And you trust him?"

"More than I trust you humans!"

"More than you trust Blake?"

Ilia froze.

"Look, I can tell you like her, and I can tell you're not stupid. You attacked me and Ren because you can't bring yourself to fight her." The faunus' lack of an answer was confirmation enough. "Well look now, she's fighting for her life against Adam. You know damn well she isn't going to go back to him, and especially not if he hurts one of us. What do you think he'll do when that happens? You think he'll be happy to hear that?"

"S-She'll change her mind."

"I think we both know Blake enough to say she's stubborn as mud," Yang laughed. "She won't change her mind over something like this. No chance."

That seemed to anger Ilia, whose skin turned a vibrant red as she attacked, lashing out with reckless blows that pushed Yang back. She got her own hits in return, however, taking advantage of the openings Ilia left open in her fury. One drove the wind from the faunus as Yang's fist impacted her stomach, curling up and into her diaphragm.

As she buckled, Yang leaned close to whisper in her ear, "If you love her as much as you seem to, you should want what's best for Blake. Not what you want for yourself."

"W-What would you know?" Ilia spat, fighting for breath.

"Before a few months ago, not much. But I have a boyfriend now and that's taught me a few things. I learned that sometimes you need to compromise and that not everything is easy. I also learned that there will be other people who like your boyfriend, or girlfriend if you want, and that you can't hold that against them." Yang sighed, thinking of Ruby. "Thing is, I'd have been happy if he went with them, even if that meant I had to be on my own. That's the difference between me and Adam – he's not willing to accept that Blake can make her own decisions. Don't make the same mistake."

Ilia panted. "You…"

"I'm saying this to help you," Yang quipped. "Think of it as free relationship advice. It's not too late to cut ties with them. Blake's still single."

Ilia's face flushed with colour.

"I won't betray the White Fang."

"Then don't, but accept that Blake doesn't share your point of view. You can either let that go or you can confront her, but do it in person – and without a weapon." Yang nodded to the whip, and then to the ruined cafeteria. "And don't drag innocents into it."

Ilia frowned, but did lower her weapon. "Is this a fight or relationship counselling?"

"Eh, why can't it be both?"

"I know what you're doing. You're trying to distract me so our fight doesn't go anywhere – to give your team more time to fight Adam."

Yang didn't deny it. It was pretty much dead on. While she was confident she could beat the girl, there was still a chance she might not be able to, and that would lead to the others having to fight three on two against Adam, which would certainly end badly. The risk was too great. Even if she beat Ilia, it might leave her too injured to fight Adam and that would make her a liability.

Tactical fighting wasn't normally her thing, but with her team's survival on the line? Yeah, she'd sacrifice her ego for it. She wasn't normally so chatty either, but the whole point was to distract the other girl. "You're not exactly trying your hardest either," Yang pointed out. "That whip has some decent range on it. You could have hit Blake a few times while we fought."

"My fight isn't with her."

"It doesn't sound like it's with me, either. Who is your fight with?"

"Make no mistake, I hate you humans. I hate the way you treat us, the way you act, the way you pretend the suffering of the faunus isn't any of your-"

"Yeah, I'm going to have to cut you off there. You don't know shit about any of us," she said. "So yeah, while I'm sure there are plenty of people who are like that, it's pretty hypocritical of you to go around spouting that it's our fault. I hate the way you're treating us right now, invading Beacon and attacking innocent people just because someone else gave you a hard time. Doesn't that make you just as bad as the people you're saying are in the wrong?"

"You don't understand."

"Damn right I don't."

"My parents were killed!"

"Hey, mine too," Yang interrupted again. "Or my mom, anyway. Ren and Nora are orphans, too. You think you've got the monopoly on that?"

"I'm not here to have my beliefs questioned!"

"No, you're here to kill innocent people and hurt Blake."

"She hurt us!"

"And now you're going to hurt her, and much worse," Yang said. "Go you. So mature. Tch, I really thought we might be able to talk this out, but you're starting to get on my nerves now. I don't really care if we don't see eye to eye, but it pisses me off when someone is being an idiot on purpose, not to mention a hypocrite."

"YANG!"

The warning came almost too late. Yang threw herself aside in time to dodge the attack from behind, Adam spearing past her torso and toward the floor. As she fell, her eyes tracked his movement, realising that he must have broken off from the others and tried to score an instant kill on her, turning the odds in his favour.

He sliced again toward her but this time she got Ember Celica in the way and blocked it, even if she was knocked several feet back.

"A-Adam, I had it under control," Ilia said.

"Under control would be the girl dead," he hissed. "This is taking too long." He sheathed his weapon and activated his Semblance, the red glow that Blake had warned them of.

"Get out of the way!" Blake screamed.

Yang scurried to do so. She was almost too late. Adam released his attack with a furious cry, sending a red beam through the space behind her, carving through the ground and striking the pillar behind. The building, which was already badly damaged, buckled under the loss of its support pillar and started to crumble. More weight was put on the others, and with all the damage done by Grimm and White Fang, those too faltered.

He was going to bring the entire building down on their heads. A second shot of his Semblance sealed it - destroying another pillar and making everything collapse with an almighty groan and the cracking of brick. Yang dove for cover, as did the rest of them as the roof came crashing in. Dust and smoke exploded outwards, covering the entire area.

"Y-Yang-" Blake coughed. "Are you okay?"

Was she? Yang checked herself over and staggered up, pushing some loose brick off her. A quick check of her aura showed it as holding, but low, very low. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure about that?" Ilia whispered.

Yang spun instantly, but the whip coiled around her neck quicker. Dust crackled and she screamed as electricity arced down it, driving her to her knees. Her team cried out in shock. The dust soon settled and swept away, revealing the scene.

Adam was a little to the side and unhurt, as was everyone else, able to protect themselves with aura. Blake, Ren and Nora were to one side but Yang had been cut off and now knelt with the metal whip wrapped around her neck, Ilia behind. She'd been caught. Shit.

"Good work," Adam said, rushing over. "Well, Blake. It looks like we have something you want, and you have something we want."

"Don't hurt her, Adam," Blake begged. Her eyes flicked to Ilia's. "Please, Ilia. She's my friend. Don't hurt her – I beg you."

Yang heard Ilia's breath catch.

"A-A trade," the chameleon faunus called. "You for her safety. You'll come back with us – and you'll be kept safe. We just want a chance to change your mind. We won't hurt you, I promise."

"Like we'd-" Yang was cut off as the whip tightened.

"Yang!" Ren gasped, hand outstretched.

"I accept, I accept!" Blake howled, ignoring Yang's pointed head shakes. The faunus had her head low, hands balled into fists. "It's fine," she said, this time to them. "If my going with them will stop Beacon being invaded and save Yang, then it's a price I'm willing to pay." Her eyes locked above Yang's head. "But promise me you'll release her, Ilia. Promise me."

"I swear it." There was no hint of a lie in Ilia's voice. "I won't go back on my word."

"Alright." Blake looked to her team and sighed. Ren and Nora were on edge, waiting for a moment where they could strike. Nora's joviality was gone, replaced with an eerie intensity that was actually quite frightening. "Here, can you keep hold of Gambol Shroud for me?"

Ren accepted it solemnly. "I'll give it back to you," he promised.

Behind Yang, Adam scoffed. Ilia seemed less certain, though Yang would have preferred it if that wasn't shown by a reflexive tightening of the whip. With Blake disarmed, she moved slowly across the wreckage of the cafeteria, holding her hands up before her.

Maybe she was a clone, or had one prepared – or Ren had a plan or something. But as she came close and met Yang's gaze, the worry there said otherwise. Blake didn't have a plan. She was surrendering so that nothing bad would happen to Yang, so that her team wouldn't be hurt. Damn it. Damn it all to hell! Yang tried to move but couldn't. The current ran through the whip still and it sparked whenever she pushed against it.

When Blake stepped past her, Yang tensed.

But nothing happened.

"I'm here," Blake whispered. "You win, Adam. Just let her go."

The whip about her neck loosened and began to uncoil, but stopped when Adam reached over, sealing a hand over Ilia's wrist. "Wait," he whispered. His eyes flicked to Blake's. "We've no guarantee you won't try to escape again, Blake. You've done it once. You can't be trusted."

"Adam, she said she'd come with us," Ilia insisted.

"And you believe her?"

"Yes."

"You fool. We came here to send a message to all of Remnant and we've achieved that by bringing Beacon to its knees, and during the Vytal Festival no less. No one will be able to ignore this. But there were two messages we wanted to send today, Blake." Adam smiled cruelly. "The White Fang doesn't look fondly on those who betray it, and neither do I." His hand fell to his sword.

"You're going to kill me?" Blake asked, oddly calm.

"Did I say that?"

Adam's eyes flicked to Yang, still on her knees.

"Adam, no!" Blake gasped, lunging for him, grappling with his arms. "You promised!"

"I didn't promise anything," Adam hissed back. He elbowed her in the face and knocked her back, then stepped toward Yang. "Other than to make you regret abandoning us! There's always a price to pay, Blake. But it's not always you that gets to pay it."

"A-Adam, what are you doing?" Ilia asked nervously.

"Teaching Blake a lesson."

The sword swept up a second later, poised over Yang's head. Fear shot through Yang's body, the reality of what was about to happen crashing down before the sword had even moved. He was going to kill her. She was going to be executed. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard Ren and Nora scream and start to move but it was too slow. They were too slow. Blake was too slow as she scrambled forward, wide-eyed.

Ironically, the only one who wasn't was the one who had put her in the situation. The noose around her neck tightened, choking her, but only because Ilia snapped it to the side, sending her tumbling to the side the moment Adam's blade fell.

It wasn't enough to save her. Yang screamed as something bit into her and a spray of blood flew high into the air. Blake screamed louder, and… Ruby? As Yang fell, she tumbled to the side, a burning pain in her arm and her face pressed flat against the floor. She could see Ruby in the distance, staring towards her, and beside her, Jaune.

Except that his eyes were red. Why were they red?

Yang didn't know, nor did she find an answer. Darkness crashed into her like a truck and she slumped down, eyes closed.

/-/

"YANG!" Ruby screamed, high-pitched and in a voice mixed with shock, horror and mind-numbing terror. She surged forwards, not that Jaune noticed. His eyes remained fixed on Yang, pale and cold on the floor. She didn't move. She didn't greet him with a smile and a sparkle in her beautiful lilac eyes. She didn't tease or wrap an arm around his shoulders.

She didn't do any of that, on account of the fact her arm had been sheared off above the elbow, and that she was even now bleeding out onto the floor. He couldn't see anything else. He couldn't perceive of anything else.

Until a voice cut into his world.

"Do you see, Blake? This is what befalls traitors. It's not just they who suffer."

Jaune's eyes lifted just a little, above hair of spun gold pooled out on the floor, tinted red in places, above a pallid face unmoving, up to a sword that dripped with blood.

Thump-Thump

His head pulsed, almost like a distant heartbeat.

There was a man. Jaune didn't know who, nor did he care, but he held the sword and he stepped past a struggling Blake, ignoring her frantic cries and attempts to stop him. He stepped past another girl, too, who stood with shock, staring down at Yang with a face filled with regret. He stepped past them all and to Yang, stood over her, and raised his sword up in two hands, point down, to be driven into her body.

Thump-Thump

Why…?

How…?

Ren and Nora were running, but seemed to be doing so in slow motion.

Ruby was on her way, but like them would never make it.

Blake cried out something.

Jaune didn't – couldn't – hear it.

Thump-Thump

The only one he could hear, odd as it sounded, was the man with the sword.

"And she will pay the price!"

Something snapped. He wasn't sure what, but it shattered like glass. A roar slipped from his lips – a bestial sound. Louder than a Beowolf, deeper than an Ursa, it was an inhuman sound that no human or faunus throat could emulate. It was loud enough even to freeze the man stood before him, whose head shot up in shock.

And in the distance, it was echoed, as a mountain splintered into pieces.

Well, someone fucked up.

Okay, let me address something super quick, since I know you'll most likely be thinking it and some will be annoyed. Yes, some of the events of canon are going similar to canon here and yes, Yang has just lost her arm. This will be my first foray into Season 4 and beyond, which I'll honestly say I hated. I don't want to go into why, nor is this an invitation to "change my mind", so please don't send me any long PM's explaining why I'm wrong, or even short ones asking me to go into detail.

I'm only saying this to make it clear that things will change, which it might not look like anything will given this chapter - but I'm just assuring worried parties otherwise. I can't go into too much detail without entering spoiler territory, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you're frustrated because Cinder's gone to fight Pyrrha and Yang has lost her arm and you're thinking "Ugh, this is just going to be a re-write of canon" then rest assured that it won't be.

The only thing really going the same is Yang's arm – and that is going to be a major plot point, as opposed to starring as a minor form of angst for a few episodes before Yang gets a robotic arm, shrugs her shoulders and forgets it ever happened, soon relegating it to nothing more than a cosmetic, as inconsequential as Ruby's new outfit.

So yeah, I can definitely understand if people feel frustrated here because it feels like nothing has diverted from canon, but it diverts now. This chapter is sort of a "oh look, it's all going the same, BUT shit is about to hit the fan…" chapter.

Next Chapter: 17th May

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur