Not Even Aura can Heal All Wounds
By wildstraydog
Beta: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil
Chapter Sixteen: A Bloody Dawn
Not much to say about this chapter, it will be a brutal fight between Merlot's forces and RWBY. I would like to comment on Jaune's ability or lack thereof to fight the Grimm in this story and what his power level is. At the moment he has barely started to train with Weiss and the others, so he won't magically be able to take on a horde of Beowolves or Ursai anytime soon. Now will he ever get that chance?
Of course he will, but there has to be a gradual buildup or it's not realistic in my opinion. He isn't just standing in the background to look pathetic. He will get his chance to shine, do not worry.
His feet were heavy as they sunk into the dirt. Jaune followed Ruby and examined the damage from the collapsed buildings the Grimm's invasion caused. Even from their position he could make out the sound of gunfire and muffled roars, only imagining what kind of battle was taking place. Again he was reduced to the sidelines as his friends took the enemy head on; but he couldn't really complain. He was a medic, and people needed his help right now.
They reached a house that caved in near the center of the village, the wooden roof was splintered and the curtains were torn to shreds. Glass from the window panes was strewn across the dirt and Jaune could hear the anguished moans of pain from the people trapped inside. Ruby should have left him to fight with the others, but they thought he needed a bodyguard. He wouldn't argue-especially not in the middle of the chaos.
Jaune kicked the door open and broke the cracked hinges, stepping over a broken stool that lie in the middle of the floor. Ruby stayed outside with anxiety etched across her innocent features. The moans grew louder as he turned the corner, and he spotted an elderly couple sprawled on the ground; their bodies were covered in bruises and cuts.
"Ruby get in here!"
She rushed over and drew a breath, her silver eyes widening in distraught. "Are they okay Jaune?!" She whispered, perhaps afraid to speak louder.
"They'll be fine if we get them out of here," he grunted, lifting the older man onto his back. Ruby did the same with the elder woman. Her face scrunched up at the weight on her back, yet she bared through it and followed him outside.
"Lie them on the ground." Jaune ordered like a professional doctor, glad that his bag was next to him when Merlot popped out of nowhere.
The old man's clothes were torn and splotched with blood on the sleeves. The few minor cuts that traveled across his face and arms needed only to be disinfected. On the left side of the man's neck, a purple hue was spotted; the mark of the bruise was about the size of a golf ball. Jaune checked the man's breathing, and found it was labored, though not enough to cause him great alarm. The bruise was likely from a head injury; the man might have fallen from the stairs when the house collapsed.
Too bad Weiss wasn't around to make some ice.
"Jaune," Ruby called. "The woman is awake!" His eyes glanced over to the elder woman.
Her eyes fluttered open and she let out a low grunt. She carefully sat up and rubbed her eyes, adjusting the tiny glasses that broke on her nose. She appeared fine save for a few scratches on her arms. "Where's my husband, he protected me from the house!" She asked in a panic.
"He'll be okay, he suffered bruising around the neck, but if he takes it slow and applies ice he should be okay." Jaune didn't see any signs of a concussion but the couple was lucky to even be alive.
His lips stretched into a thin smile when he saw Ruby let out a breath of relief. The woman hugged her husband and he awoke soon after, the muttering of thanks directed toward him almost going unnoticed.
Fires broke across the village, and a few people were desperately trying to search through the rubble for any survivors. There were too many people to take care of by himself, not with Grimm possibly roaming about. It was strange they had yet to attack anyone away from the entrance where Yang and the others were battling. Or maybe not-they could speak with the Grimm, so coordinating their efforts on the five of them would be child's play.
"Can you help us son?" A man called out from across the house. He broke out of his slump and concentrated his gaze on the farmer, the man's hands shaking and covered in blood.
"What's wrong?" He rushed to the farmer's side and was escorted down a trail.
"One of the explosions caught my son, he burned his leg really bad-we applied some water and tried to dry it but he's not getting better." The farmer explained in a rush, leading him finally to a medium-sized building that read "the mayor's office" in bold red letters.
The doors swung open and revealed that most of the tables inside were pushed against the wall, replaced with lines of beds that wounded individuals now occupied. Jaune's mouth remained agape at how many people needed treatment-he needed to focus on one patient at a time.
"Quickly show me to your son." He barked.
Ruby stood frozen at the doors, her silver eyes darting across the room with mixed reactions. Like him, she probably never saw so many wounded at once. Bloodied bandages littered the floor next to buckets of cold water and towels. The injuries varied from lacerations to major burns across people's bodies. Jaune turned to face Ruby and grabbed her shoulders; he released a minor gulp in the process.
"You don't have to look at this-can you stand guard outside, please? I know you would prefer to help Yang and the others, but we have to help these people." Ruby took a second to process what he was saying and nodded slowly.
She glanced once more at the scene and scurried out the door. Despite how she acted, she was stronger than him in many ways... resolute in her beliefs.
Jaune followed the farmer toward the back of the room and ignored the smell of burning flesh. He approached the table and sat his bag on the ground, looking over the young boy in his early teens. The boy was unconscious and his body was clammy from the sweat; the right leg on the bed was wrapped in bandages that were worn and brown from the dry blood. Jaune pulled out a stethoscope and placed it on the boy's chest to hear for a heartbeat. It was faint.
He carefully undid the bandages and observed the wound, the redness and white splotches indicating a second-degree burn. With a burn like that it wouldn't be too serious, and he probably wasn't suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Jaune pulled out a jar of antibiotic cream and put some sanitized gloves on. With careful motions he applied the cream and wrapped new bandages around the leg.
A calm breath escaped him and he wiped his brow with a rag. The farmer's son would live. "He should be okay, just make sure to check the wound so it doesn't get infected."
The farmer nodded with palpitated eyes and rushed over to his son, enveloping him in his arms with a cry of relief. The injury wasn't that serious, but the farmer had no way of knowing that. It was nice to see his skills be put to use and make people happy; it's the reason why he chose this profession. His celebration was cut short by a tug on his sleeve, turning around to see a morose looking Natsuhiko.
The mayor who for the last twenty-four hours flirted with Professor Goodwitch and jovially drank with his fellow villagers knitted his brows in worry. His head was bowed, and his eyes were hidden by dark tresses that concealed his fear. Jaune noticed the faces of other villagers in the hall train their hopeful eyes upon him as if he were some savior. It put him on edge-how was he supposed to respond?
"Mr. Arc, I know I've been somewhat of an ass these past few hours," Natsuhiko softly voiced. "But please don't let my actions impact the fate of these people." Natsuhiko got on his knees and bowed further, his face almost touching the stained concrete floor. He could only blink in surprise.
"I wouldn't think of abandoning them-it's my job."
Natsuhiko lifted his head with an outstretched smile and said: "Thank you, we have more injured coming in, but I have some of my people creating barricades." Those makeshift barricades would only protect them from lesser Grimm, and only for a certain amount of time.
But that was why Ruby was with him.
"Ruby is outside, she'll protect us-in the meantime, who else is seriously injured?" Natsuhiko motioned for him to follow.
He just hoped that the others were doing okay.
Weiss' rapier slid past Sherry's sparkling hair, cutting only a few strands that danced to the ground. She grunted as her heels skidded along the dirt, catching her balance against the force that propelled her. The chain attached to the pommel of Sherry's glaive whirled above the girl's head like a twister. Weiss' opponent was nimble, and she didn't know how to properly react to her movements. A group of Beowolves and some creeps watched in earnest around them in zombie-like trances, drool sliding across their fangs.
She took the moment and stole a glance at Yang. Her opponent was younger looking, his face resembling that of a young child. Their movements were blurred, the two of them zipping across the battlefield at unbelievable speeds. She only caught Blake killing a few Grimm that crossed her path, but the third Grimm Talker was gone. Her eyes widened at the realization-they were going after Jaune and Ruby.
"Pay attention, bitch!" the wind from Sherry's glaive vanished and she pounced on Weiss with a massive thrust from her weapon.
She parried the thrust, the blade sliding against the backend of her rapier. Sparks flew from the metal like fireflies into the air. Weiss grit her teeth and pushed back the attack, but Sherry's momentum caught the heiress off-guard. Sherry stuck the blade into the dirt and propelled herself over Weiss to land behind her. She used the backend of the pommel and jammed it into Weiss' back, flinging the girl forward.
Weiss tasted dirt upon her lips, and mud splattered onto her combat skirt. Myrtenaster rolled away from her reach and stopped under Sherry's boot. A cackle followed but she didn't waste any time. She clambered onto her legs and jumped back, the glaive ripping the front of her jacket and exposing part of her skin. Weiss would have flushed in embarrassment, but she wouldn't satisfy the girl in front of her.
"Weiss!" Blake shouted. She took Gambol Shroud and swung it overhead, splitting in half the bottom of an Ursa's jaw.
Weiss seized the distraction the yell caused and fished out a vial of red dust. It was a fire-based container that if used correctly might give her chance to retrieve Myrtenaster in the chaos. Blake didn't advance far in her attempt to assist her, the path becoming obstructed by another group of Beowolves. The Grimm Talker's strategy was simple but effective, splitting them up so they could take them out one-by-one. She hadn't even paid attention to Professor Peach's progress, having enough confidence in the woman.
The vial shattered against the dirt, and an eruption of flames and smoke threw off Sherry's balance. Embers that danced along the sides of the entrance struck some of the lesser Grimm and creeps burrowing underground and reduced them to ash. Dust was a volatile substance, and when not handled correctly was lethal: a good example being Ruby's explosive introduction when she arrived at Beacon.
The results were favorable.
Against her better judgment and fashion sense, Weiss, slid on her stomach to snatch the rapier from the ground. Mud smeared across her bolero jacket and sleeves, caking her illustrious hair with patches of dirt. With her weapon in hand, she rolled back onto her legs and formed a glyph under her feet. The increased speed would allow her to catch Sherry off-guard-hopefully.
Her launch was successful, and Sherry turned around too late. Myrtenaster's tip struck her opponent's thigh, the blade gliding against Sherry's aura. Even without a readout like in their practice sessions in class, Weiss knew that Sherry took a massive hit. She slid across the dirt and slowed her descend with widened eyes, a thin smile etched on her face. Sherry cursed and clutched her thigh.
"That was dirty...," Sherry spat.
"Your trying to kill me, I think it was fair."
Sherry guffawed at the statement. "I don't need some brat, whose been given everything she could possible want, patronizing me!" Weiss winced at the remark. It was more specific then her usual taunts.
Within that emotional fury, a stray Ursa charged at Sherry with bloodthirst in its deep blood-red eyes. Sherry let slip another curse and sliced it in half with her glaive, the separate parts collapsing onto the ground like sliced meat. Yet, Weiss noticed the brief moment when the Grimm under her control regained its senses.
She could use this to her advantage.
"Seems you can't even control your own pawns!" Weiss attempted to taunt. Sherry's eyebrows dipped in anger, and if it was cartoon, steam would be emitting from her ears.
"Shut up!"
Sherry's eyes blinked rapidly, the irises in her eyes changing to a dark green color. Weiss thought nothing of it at first, but then her vision became warped. Everything in front of her twisted into amorphous shapes, causing her to wretch in her throat from the sheer dizziness. The only thought running through her mind was that it was Sherry's semblance. She couldn't stand up straight, tumbling onto her knees and closing her eyes so she could settle herself.
Sherry's eyes could change colors, each shade having a different effect on her opponent. Weiss assumed it only froze people.
In Weiss' temporary blindness, Sherry, raised her glaive above her shoulders and stood over the heiress. Blake left a clone in her place for the few creeps and Boarbatusks on the ground to mess with. She dived in front of Weiss and raised Gambol Shroud in time to deflect the girl's blade, leaving Blake an ample opening to attack.
Blake used the backside of her sheath that detached from Gambol Shroud's blade and slammed it into Sherry's thigh, the metal breaking past her aura and crushing whatever ribs the girl once had. Her body flung across the dirt like a rag doll and she slid in the mud. Weiss shook her head clear of the vision and noticed Blake standing over her with panted breath, a stream of sweat pouring across her features.
"Blake, are you okay?" Weiss pushed herself up and checked her friend for any wounds.
"I'm fine, but it looks like I hit Sherry harder than I thought." Weiss looked over to the mangled form of Sherry and noticed the girl cough up a splotch of blood.
Sherry's body was propped up against one of the dented benches outside, her neck hanging loosely. She gripped where Blake hit and struggled to breath, the impact shattering her ribs and causing it to pierce her heart. Even if they pooled their aura reserves it wouldn't be enough to heal her injuries, especially without Jaune to aid them. Sherry would die within minutes if not sooner; so was the life of a Huntress.
"Pi...not," Sherry mouthed as blood pooled from her lips. "I'm...s-sorry." With a fragile outstretched hand, she grasped nothing but air, her arm collapsing to the ground as her body went limp.
The Grimm that were previously under her possession wiggled their heads as if awakening from a long dream. Their predatory eyes set upon Sherry's corpse. There was no record of Grimm feasting upon dead bodies, yet they were fixated on the bloodied figure.
"How pathetic." Merlot seethed.
Professor Goodwitch dodged another strike from the King Taijitu's tail, the impact leaving an indentation in the dirt. It was hard to fathom how the professor was having difficulty with a Grimm that could be swiped away like a gnat by a professional. Then, Weiss noticed the green crystals protruding from its back like the Geist earlier; Dr. Merlot had modified it to be more powerful.
"Just for you children to watch, I've directed the Grimm to feast upon that wench's corpse." Dr. Merlot proclaimed from above.
Weiss' face went pale at the exclamation, her eyes darting over to the Beowolves and Ursa that closed in on the body with starving eyes.
"That's awful, even for someone like her." Blake said.
"I won't allow it!" Weiss shouted, charging ahead with Blake and ripping through the Grimm with a determination she was missing before.
"SHERRY!" a child-like scream rang throughout the village.
Jaune released a tired sigh and wiped his forehead of sweat with his right arm. Both hands were covered in stained gloves from working on the wounded. Most of the people inside the mayor's residence were treated, and thanks to him, they would all live. He tore off the gloves and washed his hands in a nearby sink with a gratified smirk. It was really the first time he got to apply his skills in the field-and not on Huntsman or Huntresses, but actual citizens that needed it.
He almost forgot about Blake and the others in all the fuss, a rising guilt surfacing in his stomach. Poor Ruby was forced to stand guard outside while her sister fought to the death against a bunch of people with the ability to communicate with Grimm. He couldn't dare to understand how she was feeling; probably hopeless and afraid. He decided to take a break and go outside to see if she was okay.
When he opened the door, he found Ruby sitting on the porch. She tapped her tiny feet on the wood in tedious motions to pass the time. Her stomach growled in hunger and Jaune alerted her to his presence with a laugh. She blushed and covered her face with the hood attached on her back.
"A little hungry?"
"More than a little," she gave off a light chuckle.
Jaune pulled out a sandwich from his bag and handed it to the little reaper. Her eyes lit up in surprise and she snatched it from him, devouring the snack within seconds.
"Guess you were hungry," Jaune remarked in amazement. "Everything pretty quiet out here? I mean besides, the fires being put out." Ruby finished the last morsel of the sandwich and nodded.
"Yeah, not much happening-not a single Grimm has shown up." That was still odd, though with them being controlled their efforts were directed at the others.
"Did you fix everyone up?" Ruby asked with a sparkle in her silver eyes. She was genuinely worried about the villagers, and he admired that.
"Yeah, they'll live..."
"Can I play with you two?" A thundering voice shouted ahead of them. Ruby shot up to her feet and collapsed Crescent Rose into its sniper form.
He was aghast at what the man before them was holding. In Burgundy's right hand was a limp corpse, its throat crushed within his grip. Blood dripped between his fingers and dropped to the ground like tears.
"H-how could you?!" Ruby snapped. She shielded her eyes from the macabre display.
Burgundy tossed the corpse to the side like wet firewood and grinned. "He wasn't useful anymore-since I can't play with that bitch who injured me, you'll have to suffice." He twiddled with his mechanical fingers.
Jaune stepped back and retrieved his weapon and shield from inside, a bead of sweat pouring down his brow. He looked up at the villagers' faces, a look of confusion over the racket that was caused outside. Even though he gulped in fear, he wouldn't allow for their blood to be shed.
He was going to have to fight.