NOTICE:

Due to real world shenanigans that are greatly taking up College Fool's available time – real world career stuff, not bad, just time-consuming and important – A Hunter or Something will be going on a short hiatus.

How short, I cannot say, but short. And I mean genuinely short - not the "six years hiatus" or "eternal hiatus" most fanfiction mean when they enter it. I would expect a month at most – which would mean two missed updates – but it might be less or even a little bit more. I'll keep people updated. Since HOS is College Fool's story, with me only as the writer, it can't be done on my own.

That said, Relic will have its chapter this Saturday and all following Saturdays until College Fool is back on track and has some free time. As to when that will be, I will no doubt either announce it in Relic when it's decided, or people will get an alert the normal way.

Tl;dr – No Hunter or Something chapter this Saturday. Relic of the Future instead.

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 67

Ruby yelped as the ground shook. It wasn't Jaune's roar which was the cause, but it felt like it was. All of Beacon trembled and that saved Yang's life, for the man about to stab her had to check his thrust and regain his footing. Far away toward the south, Ruby thought she heard Jaune's roar echoed by another – and that she could see a dark shape approaching at incredible speed.

But such thoughts were ignored as something blurred past her. Jaune's hair washed itself white, seeming to grow a little as he surged in. His eyes didn't so much change from blue to red as explode with crimson light. Four black tentacles burst from his back and tore toward the terrorist, two of them churning through solid rock to enclose him from below.

He dodged, but that did little for Jaune's fury and he chased after the man, howling like a mad animal.

It didn't do much for his disguise.

"Ruby, what the hell's happening?" Blake demanded eyes wide as she watched Jaune tear into Adam. "Is that-?"

"That's Jaune," Ruby said miserably.

"That's Hentacle," Ren noted.

"Y-Yep."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Jaune is Hentacle."

Ruby winced. "It's complicated."

"I can imagine. Is he on our side?"

Ruby turned to look in his direction, watching as Jaune lashed out with his bare hands at the man who'd hurt Yang. Even when the faunus slashed those hands with his sword, he seemed to strike solid aura instead of flesh. The blade bounced off and Jaune kept coming, screaming like a banshee the entire time.

"I'm fairly sure he's not on their side," Ruby offered.

"Good enough, I suppose. I want a proper explanation later."

"You're not the only one," Ruby grumbled. Her head perked up and she pointed to someone who was subtly trying to sneak away, "Hey, what about her?"

Ilia froze like a faunus in the headlights.

"She's not on our side," Nora said, slamming her hammer down. The normally boisterous girl snarled quietly. "She hurt Yang. I think it's time to break some legs."

"I-I didn't expect Adam to do that," the girl said, easily hearing them. "I promise you, I didn't intend that. Blake, you have to believe me."

"If you're here with the White Fang, then I have to stop you." She stood, and though she didn't have her weapon – Ren did – she fell into a confident fighting stance. Whether Blake could or couldn't fight unarmed didn't really matter, since Ruby, Ren and Nora all levelled their weapons at the vastly outnumbered girl. Blake sighed. "I'm sorry, Ilia. I'm not sure what to believe anymore."

"You can believe I'm going to break some legs," Nora cheered.

"Yes. I think I can believe that."

Ilia took one look at the four of them and made the right choice, or one of them, anyway. She didn't surrender, but instead made a run for it.

Nora gave chase, ignoring Ren's warnings.

"Damn it," he cursed. "Blake, Ruby, stay here and guard Yang from the White Fang and any Grimm - from Jaune, too, if you have to. I'll help Nora."

Ruby nodded and watched him go, turning back to the fight between Adam and Jaune with a wince. She hoped Blake wouldn't ask but that was too much of a hope to be true, and Blake sighed audibly. "How are we supposed to protect Yang from him if he comes for us?"

Yeah…

That was the real question, wasn't it?

/-/

Not enough. There wasn't enough. Jaune slammed into the faunus in front of him and slashed down with his claws. He didn't have claws, a part of him noted, but the aura coalesced around his fingers that protected him from harm also protected his fingers from anything they impacted – in this case, a solid piece of rubble. Normally, that would have been enough for him to bounce off unharmed, but such was his aura, and his momentum, that his hands tore through the stone and rock with ease, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He didn't have claws. He had a sword.

But he couldn't use it; he couldn't bring himself to draw it. That would mean stopping, taking his hands away from his prey, letting up. It would mean that a moment existed in which the man before him lived and he was not trying desperately to rectify that fault in the world. Such was unacceptable.

"So, the wild beast shows itself at last," Adam snarled, parrying Jaune's hand and grunting at the effort required.

"RARGHHHH!"

Two tentacles speared down from above, puncturing several inches into the ground as Adam dodged. Jaune used them as levers to hurl himself forward, heedless of the sharp blade that cut in towards his chest. It cut his shirt but bounced off his hardened skin. More than that, it bounced off two armoured plates that had fused over his chest.

"What the-?"

The prey hesitated. Jaune gripped it by its shoulders and bit down towards its face. It didn't work perfectly, his jaw not opening wide enough to swallow and bite off the bastard's head. His teeth slammed into the faunus' mask instead, cracking it and dazing him slightly. The weight behind it carried through in a ferocious head-butt, however, knocking Adam back several paces.

It wasn't the first time he'd felt such rage, but it was different.

The burning hatred was there, as was the desire to rip and tear for the sake of the joy such would bring him, but it was muted, concealed, buried under something far worse. This… This thing had done something unforgiveable. It would die for that. No `he was going to kill it`, but the simple fact that it would die. It was already dead. Reality just hadn't had a chance to catch up with it yet.

"I suppose this shows Cinder's allegiance in the end," Adam growled, staggering a little. "Once I'm done here with you and your friends, I'll kill her as well."

A snarl ripped from Jaune's lips and he'd crossed the distance between them in a second. The first tentacle missed, as did his hand aiming for Adam's throat. The second tentacle hit him in the ribs, however, and when the crimson sword came arching in for his neck, Jaune caught it in his free hand. A little blood flowed from his skin and Adam tore the sword free the moment it got stuck, but Jaune had the presence of mind – or just the mindless rage – to squeeze before it did. A sound not unlike grating metal echoed, and when Adam finally brought his sword back to him it was impossible to miss the odd angle to the end of it, or the odd finger-like marks that marred the steel.

"Tch." Adam pressed it to the ground and leaned one foot down. It didn't fix the problem but it did straighten the kink a little.

Feet pattered up behind him. Jaune looked back in sudden fury, ready to leap back and tear to pieces whosoever dared to approach his wounded mate, but his attention only lasted long enough to note it was his mate's pack. He snorted once at them, knowing they would stand over her. That was good. It meant he could leave to erase the threat.

"You may be strong, but you're still nothing more than a wild animal," Adam said. "Strength and endurance matter little compared to skill and strategy. The White Fang is proof of that ideal, fighting against those who wield power and influence unimaginable."

Why was the thing talking? Why wasn't it dying? Jaune charged in with a roar to rectify that. He swung hard and wide, herding Adam into place with his claws before his tentacles burst from the ground, having dug underneath. Red flashed and two were severed immediately, spewing blood over the concrete.

Said blood bubbled instantly and grew into three Beowolves, each of which charged the faunus with reckless abandon. Adam frowned and cut them down with ease. Through the mist of their evaporation, Jaune's eyes glowed. He lunged in again and was knocked back again. This time he lost his remaining tentacles.

"More," he snarled.

There was a sound – a voice – that seemed to agree with him. His severed tentacles began to sting painfully, but true enough they regenerated, not growing new ends but rather forming them from black slime that seemed to ooze from his own skin. He inspected them for a moment and breathed his pleasure, before his eyes focused once more on his prey.

It resisted him. He hated it. Though a part of him wanted to savour the hunt and the fight, such heady pursuits were outweighed with an emotion more foreign and altogether more overpowering. It was a sickening sensation in his stomach that surged to the fore whenever he saw a hint of golden hair behind him. This had to end quickly. It had to end now. There was no time to savour the experience. Other things were more important.

Adam had to die now. They all did.

Jaune saw a dark shape approach; he smiled a feral smile, knowing just how to go about that.

/-/

Cinder paused to catch her breath. Dealing with Ozpin had been bad enough, though thankfully he'd been surprised by her first arrow and significantly weaker for it, but now she had to fight Jaune's irritating teammate, and someone who had gone and stolen half of her powers.

"Why!?" Pyrrha cried, hurling both arms forward. Cinder was forced to roll to the side as a vast part of the metal wall behind her tore free and tried to crush her. "Why are you doing this? We trusted you. Jaune trusted you!"

"Jaune knew, you fool," Cinder hissed back. The fact earned a moment of shock from the girl, which gave Cinder the time she needed to close the distance and kick her back. Pyrrha slammed over Ozpin's desk and lost control of her Semblance.

Cinder panted a little more. This was so much harder than it needed to be. Even though Pyrrha seemed unable or unknowing on how to use her maiden powers, the sheer boost in aura and strength was enough to make her problematic, and the girl still was one of the best, if not the best, student in Beacon. It was a frustrating combination.

"Jaune knew who I was and what I wanted, you stupid girl. He is my brother. He always knew what I was after and helped me to get it."

"No. I refuse to believe it!"

"Believe what you will. Had you simply listened to him we wouldn't be in this situation. I'd have taken the powers for myself, and would have even helped to protect Beacon here. But no, you had to stick your head where it didn't belong." Cinder waved a hand and sent Pyrrha scurrying for cover. Ozpin's desk exploded in a gout of flame. "You shouldn't touch that which doesn't belong to you, girl. You might get burned."

Cinder paused and sighed.

"Great, and now I'm making puns. I've spent too much time in this stupid school."

A javelin shot out from the rubble and would have pierced her throat had she not stepped aside and caught it with one hand. That proved a mistake a second later as Nikos used her Semblance to propel it further away, almost out of the window, where she might have dropped to her death. Luckily, she had the sense of mind to let go before that happened, even if she had to land clumsily.

Pyrrha surged from the rubble she hid behind and rushed forward, calling her javelin back from behind. Cinder gave it a moment to note its trajectory before summoning a bow and shooting backwards, knocking it off course. She rolled to the left, landed on one knee and fired two more shots at Pyrrha, one aimed for each knee. Pyrrha blocked one with her shield but the other hit, bouncing off aura but still causing a sudden impact to her leg. The girl stumbled a little and missed catching her javelin when it came back.

This had never been necessary, at least as far as Cinder could tell. If the brat had just trusted in Jaune, none of this would have happened. If Adam hadn't been such a fool, they wouldn't be here. Ozpin would be alive too, if he'd just been a little more patient. All her plans up in smoke and because people couldn't bloody wait for anything!

And now, she was going to have to kill this girl. While not a terrible thing, it was a waste of effort on her part and a waste of the girl's life. Regrettable, but that was all. Cinder summed her twin swords and stalked towards the girl.

The tower shook before she made it half way. It wasn't a little thing either, but something more akin to a quake, tossing Pyrrha back into the rubble and forcing Cinder to fall to hands and knees to avoid being thrown around herself. Wide-eyed, she stared out of the window to see what had caused it.

Right in time to see two gargantuan, black wings flap, one clipping the tower again and causing dust and plaster to rain from the ceiling. Cinder gaped at the giant, Grimm dragon that had settled down in the Beacon grounds.

Pyrrha did, too. "W-What is that!?"

Cinder knew.

She knew exactly what it was.

/-/

Jaune's snarl took on a victorious edge as the huge shape landed on the gardens behind Adam, shaking the faunus from his feet and sending the entirety of Beacon into uproar. Bullets, rockets and more peppered off its gargantuan body. It cared not for them, shaking its wings to loosen its muscles as its eyes pierced down directly into his. The mighty Grimm dragon waited for its orders, ignorant of the huntsman and huntresses who tried futilely to harm it.

Adam recovered and dashed to the left, trying to keep both him and the dragon in his view at once. While he kept his blade angled between them, the panic on his face said he knew full well how little it would do against so great a monster.

"Not even prepared to fight your own battles?" Adam taunted. It was a wild claim and one designed to evoke anger and rage, to make Jaune ignore the easy option and continue to fight one on one, where Adam would have the advantage. It might have worked, too, if not for one thing.

Right now, Jaune couldn't think like a human. He couldn't reason with emotions such as pride, honour or even vengeance. All that mattered was killing the person in front of him, and it mattered not how he died.

Jaune raised a single hand. "Kill him."

The dragon howled a mixture of fury and pleasure, pushing its snout low to the ground and surging forward, forcing its neck under one of Beacon's arches, shattering it at the same time, as it rushed towards the terrorist leader. Adam cursed and leapt back, hesitated for a second as he tried to figure out how to fight something so great, and then fled.

Jaune wanted to give chase, he really did. Wanted to rip and tear so badly, and yet could not. He couldn't leave the area because it would mean leaving his mate behind and that might place her in peril. That was impossible. It just couldn't happen. Not that it couldn't afford to, but that it simple could not happen. His feet would never allow him to move away from her, even if his mind wanted to.

But Adam could not be allowed to live, either.

"Kill him," he ordered. "Find any who wear the same mask and kill them all. Slay every single one of them. Any who wear the mask of the White Fang must die!"

The dragon didn't pause to acknowledge its orders. It lumbered forward after Adam, hissing like a wild cat, except several hundred times its size. It piled through the pillars around Beacon, heedless of the damage it caused. Its eyes remained locked onto Adam and drool seeped from between its giant teeth.

Jaune paid it no more attention. He turned instead to where his mate lay, stalking forwards with red eyes and a furious snarl.

/-/

"He's coming," Blake whispered.

"I know; I can see him."

"We still have no plan."

"I know!"

"He looks angry."

"Damn it, Blake, I know!" Ruby snapped, patience having long since committed suicide. "I can see and I'm aware, and I yes, I did just see that huge dragon, thank you. I also know my sister is bleeding out in front of me!" The last came out as a panicked shriek, and one loud enough to startle even Blake, who fell back a little. Maybe it wasn't her fault but Ruby's brain wasn't exactly working properly right now. Jaune was Hentacle, Beacon was under attack and Yang – who had always seemed so invincible – was bleeding on the floor, one arm down.

Compared to all of that, said Grimm monster walking their way meant rather little. She barely had the presence of mind to slap Gambol Shroud away when Blake tried to raise it, earning a panicked look from the girl.

"Don't pull a weapon on him. Do you want him to kill us?"

Apparently, it was too late. Jaune paused a good ten metres or so away and the tentacles, which had been held behind him lazily, twitched in clear agitation. He growled at the two of them, and though his eyes were fixed on Yang's body, Ruby knew it was her and Blake he growled at.

Oddly enough, she also knew it wasn't an angry growl. Maybe it was being with Zwei recently, or the fact it was Jaune, or just that everything was insane, so why shouldn't she be too, but something about the tone and posture made it seem somehow a little less… murderous. It was more like the kind of growl a dog gave to warn you off something. It was a `don't test me` kind of growl.

"She didn't mean it, Jaune," Ruby said. "We're protecting Yang. We need to protect Yang."

At the word `Yang` Jaune's growl stopped, focus switching entirely to the girl on the floor. He moved forward and crouched low, barely paying attention to them in the slightest as he paused maybe half a metre from Yang and reached out a hand. Ruby had just seen said hand tear through rock with ease, and yet the way it brushed across Yang's pale cheek was clearly gentle.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Blake hissed.

Ruby didn't have it in her to say she had no idea at all. Instead, she focused on Jaune's face and took a deep breath. "Jaune, Yang needs your help. She needs medical treatment, but we're not going to get that if you look like you do now. You need to go back to your human form."

He either didn't hear her or didn't care. He breathed out softly, the sound almost a snake-like hiss. He leaned close, as if he were trying to nuzzle Yang's face with his own. At any other time it might have been cute, Grimm or not, but now was not that time. Ruby caught his face with both hands, earning a yelp from Blake. The tentacles twitched and moved for her, but Ruby was quicker, tearing his face up to meet hers.

She stared deep into his eyes, her own not an inch or two away. "Jaune!" she yelled, just to make sure he focused on her.

The moment red eyes met silver, the world seemed to implode. She'd never really considered the word before, but it felt right here. It was like an explosion that went off between them, except that instead of exploding outwards, it funnelled in and backwards-exploded in her head. Her eyes burned and she felt a headache come on instantly.

The reaction was more pronounced by far for Jaune, who fell back with a gasp – his tentacles spasming wildly and falling limp behind him. He stared up at the sky in shock, practically comatose or maybe even unconscious.

"Jaune?"

He groaned. "R-Ruby?"

It worked. Yes! She cheered a little, though it didn't last long. "Jaune, we need you to go back into human form. Yang needs help and you're the best person to get her to a medical team on time. She can't wait any longer!"

Understanding came to his eyes, which quickly turned blue, as did his hair blonde and his skin a more natural colour. She wasn't sure if he remembered anything from his rage or not, but if he did, he didn't comment, instead kneeling and placing both hands under Yang's body. Blake had him pause while she removed her bow, using it to tie a knot on Yang's arm to limit the bleeding.

As she did, her eyes met Jaune's. "You better have an explanation for this," she hissed, apparently much more confident now that Hentacle wasn't to be seen.

"I-I will," he promised. "Later. Yang's more important." That alone seemed to comfort Blake, who finally let her teammate go and stood. "I'll handle Yang," he said. "The Grimm won't attack you anymore and Kevin should deal with Adam. You should get to safety as soon as you can."

"We will," Ruby said. "Now go, quick. Get Yang some help."

Jaune was gone a moment later. His natural stamina allowed him to sprint on, even while they were exhausted and low on aura. Ruby watched him, wondering for a moment whether it was safe to trust her sister with him, before she dismissed such doubts entirely. Even if she still couldn't quite trust Jaune yet, there was no doubting the look in his eyes when he'd seen Yang. Not just the look in his human eyes, but also his Grimm ones. In both forms, the sight of Yang hurt had driven him to varying shades of despair and rage.

She didn't think he could fake that.

"Come on," Ruby said. "We should try and find the others. I'll catch up with Weiss – you go to your team."

Blake didn't move.

"Blake?"

"Did Jaune call it Kevin?"

/-/

Adam ducked and dived as the dragon gave chase. He twisted in and around pieces of architecture, all of which failed to delay it for even a second. He put Grimm between him and it, and when that failed he put his own people between them. The dragon crushed those underfoot with ease, or swallowed them, those that failed to notice the huge maw that came crashing along the ground, scooping up anything unfortunate enough to get in its path.

This was madness. Adam was no stranger to Grimm and had killed many in his time. He had considered himself above them, enough so as to no longer feel fear. This was a moment to reassess that, though not a moment to panic. Such would only bring death.

It was large, and though nothing was invincible, its size still made slaying the beast an all but impossible task. It would take co-ordination with plenty of others and probably some high-ordnance weapons or explosives, neither of which he had to hand. Just how something like this had gotten to Vale, he didn't know. Was this the trump card that Cinder had kept so close to her breast? That treacherous bitch!

And to think this interruption had come at the worst time, interfering with his long-awaited reunion with his love. His anger boiled over at the thought of her and almost cost him. It was only instincts and the faint heat of hot breath on his skin that had him rolling back as the jaw slammed down on where he'd stood.

His blade flicked out and scored a blow on its nose – for all the good that did. It exhaled sharply and the force of it blasted him back. Rather than fight it, he took advantage of the momentum and rolled to his feet, running once more while the beast struggled to dig its teeth out of the stone pavement and the rock beneath.

The best way to evade it would be to break its line of sight, and the easiest method for that would be the school building. Adam's grin grew as he imagined it crashing through Beacon Academy in pursuit of him. There was no way it would find him in the twisting turns and wreckage, and whether or not the Grimm technically destroyed the school, the benefit would still fall on the White Fang. Better still would be the look on Hentacle's face when he realised he'd been tricked; when he realised he was responsible for destroying Beacon.

The thought gave Adam the energy to continue, to run through the gardens and cut his way past two Beowolves that dared to try and stop him. Up ahead, the sound of gunfire and voices punctuated his arrival at the academy building. There were several people outside, none of them his men, and all of them fighting back any Grimm that dared approach. Even to his eyes, that number seemed unusually low. There was no way the students had killed so many, yet there was a tenth of the Grimm he'd brought here.

"You there," an imperious voice demanded. "White Fang, surrender at once!"

It was a Schnee, the youngest daughter if his eyes didn't deceive him. Adam felt an immediate rush of anger, along with temptation, but quashed down on both. Now wasn't the time to exact his vengeance. He might as well let the dragon do that for him.

"Out of the way, Schnee, or I'll cut you down myself." He stalked forward, making it clear his destination lay beyond her. To his frustration, she pirouetted back and bared her rapier, blocking his path.

"I won't let you pass. Beacon is closed to the likes of you."

"The likes of me, hm. Do you mean faunus?"

The Schnee's eyes narrowed. "I mean terrorists."

Oh, he was sure she did, just as much as she saw every faunus as being a terrorist, no doubt. Adam growled and took a combat stance, but that faltered when he heard the tell-tale crack of claws digging into pavement behind, moving closer at an insane speed, or insane for something so large, anyway.

The sound also caught the huntresses and huntsmen outside the academy by surprise, as did the rapidly approaching shape. Adam took advantage of that moment to blur past the Schnee toward the academy. He heard her cry out and dodged the fireball that might have caught his back. His eyes glinted in victorious glee as he reached the academy building, only for a wall of ice to cut upwards before the door, blocking his path.

"Blasted Schnee," he growled, sheathing his sword and activating his Semblance. Red light flashed and he drew it in one swift movement to tear the structure down and anyone who dared stand in his way.

Or rather, he tried to draw the sword. It caught halfway.

It was a little thing, a simple snag on the sheathe that he hadn't noticed as he forced the blade in, but now – on the draw, when he needed a much more controlled and subtle motion – the warped metal where Hentacle had gripped it caused the blade to snag. All the energy he'd built up suddenly had nowhere to go, and no means of holding itself back. It built up in his sheathe and exploded, destroying both his sword and sheathe in one motion and hurling him back. The blast was strong enough to knock the ice wall down, and several people off their feet, the Schnee included.

But it was also enough time for the dragon to lumber forwards and roar at the sight of him – an almost gleeful roar that spoke of death and the pleasure behind it. The thing recognised him now. It wanted him.

There was no time to think. Hentacle was on Beacon's side, and if his eyes hadn't deceived him from before the boy transformed into the monster, he was a part of the Schnee's team. Adam lunged for the girl, who was understandably distracted and horrified at the sight of the dragon, as was everyone else. His arm looped around her neck, drawing her close even as he gripped her wrist and twisted, forcing her to drop the rapier.

"Back off!" he roared, drawing all attention – the dragon's included – to him. "I have a hostage and I'll kill her – happily, in fact. Your master would be upset if I did. He wouldn't like that."

"W-What in dust's name are you doing!?" the Schnee hissed. She didn't sound offended or upset. She sounded terrified, and not at the thought of him holding her hostage. It probably had more to do with the way the dragon leered at the two of them, mouth watering and eyes flashing with deadly intent. "It's going to kill us!"

"Shut up, Schnee."

"You can't negotiate with a Grimm!"

"I said shut up!"

He choked her a little for good measure, cutting off her diatribe as she fought for breath. The other students around were too terrified to do anything, frozen to the spot and caught between a hostage situation and a real-life dragon. Adam backed away, dragging the Schnee with him, toward the front entrance of the school. Escape was still possible as long as he got inside.

"Stay here and I won't kill her," he shouted, and if the Schnee's frightened tremors were anything to go by, she knew full well how bad her situation was.

The dragon padded forward.

"STAY!" he roared, choking the girl a little more. Her fingers scrabbled uselessly at his arm, already too weak to break free. "I'll kill her. Don't test me, beast. Tell your master I will, for he'll kill you himself if he finds out you put her in harm's way."

Adam was less than three metres away from the main building when a red blur appeared at the edge of the plaza, zipping past the dragon's clawed feet as if it didn't care for the danger and stopped further to the right. It manifested into a panicked girl with wide eyes.

"Everyone, we need to-" The girl froze, eyes wide. "W-Weiss? Let her go!"

"Not until that monster comes here and deals with me," Adam snarled. "You can go tell him yourself that-"

The girl in his arms shrieked in fear.

"WEISS, NO!" The girl in red screamed.

Adam faltered and looked back to the left, to the point he'd taken his attention off – if only for a second. He barely had the time to register that the world had grown dark, dark indeed, before the giant teeth, each as tall as him, clamped down on both him and his hostage.

/-/

"WEISS!" Ruby screamed, voice a mix of horror, grief and pain. "NO!"

The Grimm Dragon reared up once more, pleased with its meal. There was naught but a splatter of blood that remained, and yet the monster looked like it was about to toss its head back and swallow the remainder of her friend and teammate.

In a moment of desperation, Ruby grasped onto the only straw available.

"KEVIN!"

Before her eyes… the dragon flinched. It was barely an instant, but the whole thing stopped – froze – and then its head tilted down in her direction, almost like it had heard her, almost as if her words had meant something to it.

Had it recognised the name?

Wait, didn't Oobleck once say the bigger Grimm could develop intelligence?

Was this Grimm actually capable of thought?

It was a long shot, but `sentient` didn't necessarily mean `smart`, and the dragon had seen her with Jaune earlier. She doubted it would have reacted this way to any normal person, but it was possible – highly unlikely, but possible – that it might believe her someone of importance.

"B-Bad Dragon!" Ruby yelled, trying for the kind of tone she'd use on Zwei and failing miserably because of the fear and the tears that ran down her face. She tried again regardless. "Bad, Kevin. Bad! What would your master say? He told you to kill the White Fang and only those wearing their masks!"

The Dragon, Kevin, trembled a little. It was a ridiculous and surreal scene, not least of all because it was a flipping Grimm Dragon, but also because it was being scolded by a fifteen year old girl. It looked to the left, back to where Jaune was, and she realised it was an attempt to either pretend it hadn't heard or to see if Jaune would order different to her. It was like Zwei hearing `no` from her Dad, then cheekily looking to her or Yang, seeing if they'd say yes.

"No!" she snapped, stomping a foot down. "Bad! He told you only those with masks. You know what he said. Give her back to me right now!"

An odd warbling sound came from the between the beast's teeth.

Ruby was having none of it.

"Spit my teammate out! NOW!"

Hindsight was twenty-twenty as they said, and to be fair Ruby was distracted and on the cusp of a mental breakdown, but even she realised the error in those instructions after a second's thought. A second that was too long to take them back. The dragon let out an unmistakeable whine and pursed its lips, before it spat Weiss' body out with the force of a missile. The spit-clad and soaked heiress bounced once on the pavement like a Ping-Pong ball, before she hurtled straight toward Ruby's face.

`Give her back to me` and `spit her out` had been her instructions. Ruby just wished Kevin hadn't taken them so literally. Ruby had a moment to yelp before the Weiss-shaped missile hit her in the chest, knocking her off her feet and sending them both skittering back into the other huntresses. Ruby hit Velvet's legs, whipping the faunus off her feet and even bowling over Coco. They only came to a stop when the unrelenting force of the dragon-to-air missile hit the immovable object that was Yatsuhashi.

Ruby had the misfortune to be stuck in the middle and thus ended up flat against his knees with stars dancing before her eyes. Through it, she only just had the presence of mind to notice Kevin lumber away in search of more White Fang, before she realised the slobber-covered girl in her lap was hacking and coughing.

"Weiss! You're alive?"

Weiss didn't answer with words. She rolled over, drenched so much in dragon-spit that her dress had turned see-through in places, and vomited loudly onto the floor. Come to think of it, the front of Weiss' outfit had turned partially see-through, but the back was dyed a horrifying red colour. There was also a mask, cracked and bloody, stuck in her collar. It didn't take a lot of imagination to figure out what had happened to Adam Taurus. Weiss must have been just in front of him, spared impalement by mere inches.

"I-I-I'm alive?" Weiss gasped once she'd finished losing her stomach. She shook uncontrollably. "I… I… I was eaten by a dragon. A dragon just ate me. An actual dragon just ate me."

Ruby giggled – relief mixing with fading horror and leaving her with a vague sense of hysteria.

"How am I alive?"

"Maybe you tasted too bitter for him. Yang always did say you were a sourpuss."

She wasn't entirely prepared for Weiss' spittle-covered hand catching her in the head for that pun, but she didn't really care either. Yang would live, Weiss would live, and everything was going to work its way out. As Weiss struggled to wipe the horrifying saliva off her body, Ruby looked around the main square and frowned.

"Wasn't Pyrrha with you?"

/-/

It was done.

Cinder lowered her bow, allowing the arrow nocked to dematerialise as she caught her breath. The Nikos girl had put up more of a struggle than she'd ever expected, thanks in no small part to the Fall Maiden's powers, but also her own tenacity. Had it been any other situation Cinder might have complimented her, but this was war, and in war it was considered poor form.

Instead, she stepped forward, dropping the bow and summoning a sword in its place. One arrow had pierced through the girl's heel, pinning her in place, and her aura was all but spent. Cinder's was low, too, though not low enough that she couldn't affect an escape. It would be needed, what with Ozpin slain and Beacon now under attack.

"You'll never win," Pyrrha said. It was petty defiance and little more – not to mention a little wild of an accusation considering their positions. She'd very much already won. "You might kill me, but the others will find you. Jaune will find you."

"Didn't I already tell you Jaune knows all about me?"

"Y-You're lying. He wouldn't accept this."

True and false at the same time, though she supposed the girl wasn't to blame; she didn't know the full story. The headmaster's office was now little more than a ruin, though the school itself was in far better condition than she'd originally planned. It looked like Jaune's gambit had dealt with Adam and the White Fang. Good for him, though she'd be a little frustrated to not kill Adam herself.

But first, she had to deal with her little thief here.

"Don't hurt any of my friends, Cinder," Jaune's voice whispered. "Promise me."

Cinder gritted her teeth.

Not now, Jaune. Not when she was this close.

"I know Jaune better than you do, girl. I raised him. I was there when he spoke his first word, when he walked for the first time – when he finally figured out how to use the toilet properly." Cinder regretted the last one instantly, not for the memories but for how unimpressive it sounded. "Jaune and I are more than you could ever hope to be."

Pyrrha spat at her through gritted teeth. "That's not true. We're teammates."

"And we, my dear, are family. He is my adopted brother, and if his mother has her way, we'll be more than that in time." Oh dear, and she'd be going back to that too, wouldn't she? It really would have been better if she'd had an excuse to stay in Beacon longer. "No matter," she said, out loud. "It's time to deal with you."

Cinder brought her sword back, preparing for the final blow.

Pyrrha's eyes gently closed.

The sword swung down.

Pyrrha whispered something under her breath.

The blade tickled her neck, but did not cut through it.

"What did you just say?" Cinder demanded. Pyrrha's left eye cracked open. When she realised she wasn't dead, her right eye joined it. Cinder ignored both and gripped the girl by her chin, tugging her face upwards. "I asked you what you just said," she hissed. "What did you say!?"

"I-I was just saying goodbye," Pyrrha whispered, confused.

"And after that; you said something more."

Given the situation, the girl didn't blush. She gritted her teeth instead and glared away, defiant in the face of death. "I said `I love you, Jaune`," she growled. "Can I not even say goodbye? I love him. I've always loved him."

Cinder's brow twitched. "He's part-Grimm."

"I don't care."

"He is Hentacle."

Pyrrha looked confused, though only for a second. She narrowed her eyes and glared at Cinder. "I don't care. I love him."

Flustered, Cinder tried her final gambit. "B-But he already has a girlfriend!"

This time, Pyrrha did manage to look at least a little awkward.

"I still love him…" she whispered.

Cinder recoiled. She stumbled back, away from Pyrrha. Her eyes snapped to the left, where a large Nevermore had landed, summoned on the cusp of her victory to affect her escape. She glared at it, not missing for a second how it had tilted its head toward the wounded girl.

"You heard that," Cinder accused. "Didn't you?"

The Nevermore cocked its head at her, neither denying nor agreeing. It couldn't speak anyway, but the spark in its eye said it could perceive, and there were other Nevermore flying about the tower, smaller, but no less aware. What they knew, Salem would soon know as well, the information passed on as it always was.

There was only one word that came to mind.

"Fuck."

Cinder stomped back to the downed girl and brought her weapon back up before her. The girl faced her defiantly, though as the blade swung down her eyes closed in anticipation of the killing blow. She therefore didn't see Cinder reverse it at the last second, though she surely felt the pommel strike the side of her head. Or she would have if she didn't fall unconscious almost immediately. Cinder caught her with one arm under her neck when she fell forward.

The Nevermore `cawed`, pleased with her decision.

"I doubt you'll thank me for this, girl," Cinder growled, hauling the unconscious body over to the Nevermore. "I certainly won't thank you – even if we're able to extract that power from you. Just know that you brought this on yourself." She pushed the girl up and over the Nevermore's back, climbing on herself. "If you hadn't said you loved him, this wouldn't be necessary."

Pyrrha didn't answer, and as Cinder kicked her heels into the Nevermore's sides, it spread its wings and began to flap. She held on, knowing all too well how gruesome a flight it could be, especially one so far. But if the stupid brat wanted to claim Jaune as her love, she would have to pay the price.

It was time for Pyrrha Nikos to meet the parents.

Welp – that's a few changes. There's more to come next chapter in the "wrap-up" of the invasion, including Ilia's fate and the rest of the White Fang, and Jaune finally having the long-awaited "talk" with his teammates and friends.

As for Pyrrha? Well, I didn't kill her but have I doomed her to a fate worse than death?

Only time will tell…

When I first made this story I intended it to be my first to go beyond Season 3, and it should have done that ages ago but for the earlier event with the dance arc dragging twenty chapters, etc. There was a part of me that got so frustrated by that, that I wanted to just end it here and quit the story, but in the end I decided to stick to my guns.

It's recovery work in a lot of ways, but the focus of this story has always been of Jaune Salem Arc fighting against his name and what he is, and that wouldn't ever reach a good conclusion if he didn't at some point have to FACE his issues head on.

Facing Cinder at the Fall of Beacon could have done it to small degree, but I felt the only real way would be to face reality, and to interact with Salem. Hence, the story needs to continue and it needs a few arcs after Beacon. That said, I'll be endeavouring to go my own way with a lot of it, and to avoid some of the pitfalls canon went through in the late seasons. Similarly, I won't let it drag on endlessly like the dance arc did.

Next Chapter: 24th May

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur