Hi, it's me, Brandy. I am going to do this at the start of every chapter because I think it is a good way to get anything important across. I am sorry about not updating this story. I have been incredibly busy with studying, and an ex recently came back into my life, and they have turned everything upside down. I will be trying harder to keep working on this story though because I have so many ideas that I would like to explore and I really enjoy writing. I will aim for an update every two weeks, though I am not the most reliable.

Thank you for taking an interest in my work, and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Jaune Arc tossed as he began to awake at the sound of the alarm emanating from the clock at the side of his bed. The intense buzzing from the rude machine cut through the low constant buzz of the vault. The noises of the vault themselves had become imperceptible to Jaune. The hum from the lights above, and the slight vibrations and thrum from the dim grey walls themselves passed straight through Jaune. He didn't taste his mouth, he didn't feel the rise and fall of his chest, he didn't hear the vault. He did, however, hear that incessant alarm.

He rubbed his eyes as he got up from his bed and picked up the still-screaming clock. 06:00. He silenced the alarm for what was just another day in the vault. He was up earlier than he was required to be, since vault engineers did not have to start work until eight. Though Jaune did not have the luxury of letting himself rest any longer, since to grant himself such a that would inevitably lead to one of two outcomes. Either his seven sisters would make him be late by using the bathroom before he had the chance, or he would have to go to work smelling as a young man is bound to do because his seven sisters were using the bathroom before he had the chance. Instead he threw himself into his current predicament.

It was not as bad as it could have been. The extra time each morning were Jaune's escape. Even though he could never be sure if somebody was watching him through the cameras that were to be found in every room, he at least found solace in the fact that he was relatively alone. The quiet and solitude of early mornings blessed him with the environment he desired to exercise and learn. Not to help him with his job. Oh no. Never to help him with his job. He wanted to become a Huntsman. Though what little exercise he did undertake did bring him far above the average resident, it was nowhere near enough to place him at the expected fitness of the security, let alone the Hunters. He read up on cooking, on fishing and hunting, skills that would be necessary when he would be beyond the resources of the vault. Skills that he could no practice however. There was no fishing or farming in the vault. Everything produced by hydroponics and synthesisers. Jaune had only ever seen animals in pictures.

Unfortunately, there were not many texts available to the average vault dweller regarding the life of a Huntsman or Huntress. And when it is said that there are not many, it is meant that there are none. Or so Jaune had initially thought. Jaune had been organising his family's quarters a few years back when he had stumbled across a case of old holotapes. Most were transcripts of stories from before the war, fairy tales and epics, but nothing more, but one holotape seemed to call out to Jaune. After plugging it into his pip-boy he discovered that this holotape was a journal. His father's journal from his time as a Huntsman.

The contents of that holotape had remained in Jaune's pip-boy from that day, along with the fairy tales and epics he had found. He made it his duty to memorise them; these stories of heroes. He wanted to become a Huntsman- NO! He NEEDED to become a Huntsman. Just like his father, and his father before him, and his father before him. His Great Grandfather having been one of the very first Huntsmen sent out by the Overseer when the vault first opened itself to the world outside a century ago.

It seemed that destiny did not want to will it so. Huntsmen and Huntresses were chosen by the Overseer, though it often came down to family history. Such a fact was common knowledge. Families of Hunters produced more Hunters. At sixteen they would have their auras unlocked and would begin their training to serve the vault. They would then be sent to scour the world above for resources. The day had finally come for Jaune, and he had his chance. A Huntsman tried and failed to unlock his aura. Not everybody could have theirs unlocked, it seemed that only the strong could, and the Overseer would not let the weak leave.

So Jaune went to work in the vault instead.

With an exhausted groan Jaune pushed himself up from the floor for the final press-up before collapsing from the apex and rolling over onto his back. He took long, deep breaths as he let his limbs lay spread across what little room the small accomodation provided. He could not stay there for long though, for his sisters were bound to awake soon for school and work.

The shower was quick but the water was warm, and it soothed Jaune's aching body. As he stepped from the shower and wrapped his towel around him he ignored the dull grey walls that followed him everywhere he went. Instead he rubbed the condensation from the mirror above the sink, though he could not bear to look at himself for long. His skin was smooth, clean, unweathered. The few years of work had done little to age him, and he knew why. Being a vault engineer was just being a glorified maintenance worker. A cleaner.

Knocks rapidly rang from the door. Jaune silently thanked the intervention as he walked from the mirror towards the exit. The impatient knocks returned as Jaune unlocked and opened the door, causing his sister's closed fist to fly towards him, catching him on the chest. Surprised, she jumped back and pulled her arms close.

"Ow." Jaune rubbed his chest in response to the accidental assault. "Thanks for that, Saphron. That is just what I wanted, your filthy hands all over me."

The smaller girl quickly relaxed in front of her brother and chuckled. "You can consider it an early birthday present for my big baby brother." She made sure to put on the voice people use when talking to an infant for those final four words. "And besides, I'm not the one with filthy hands. You must realise that the vault isn't loud enough to hide all your dirty secrets." Saphron let out another laugh as she pushed her brother aside and made her way into the bathroom.

Blood had rushed to Jaune's face, and he found himself unable to think of a response. He stammered on the spot as he stared at the bathroom door. He shouted the first and only thing that entered his mind. "I'M NOT A BABY!"

He let out a sigh but was caught by surprise due to a wave of snickers, laughs and snorts coming from just down the hall. Saphron had not been alone waiting for him to finish up in there. His three youngest siblings, the triplets, stood about an arm's length away from him, though he had failed to notice them. His blush deepened and he sped off to his room.

Jaune locked the door behind him, greeting the calming solitude with open arms. "Nobody else has to deal with this. How could I be so unlucky to have seven sisters?" He let out a groan and fell back against the door. He slid down to sit on the floor and threw his face into his palms. "I used to have my own room before Amber, Aprica, and Aurea came along. Now I'm stuck in this pantry."

The clock beside his bed caught his eye. 07:00. Time for breakfast. He clambered slowly to his feet and moved towards the wardrobe. Bright blue and yellow jumpsuits rested inside, working as was surely intended and hurting Jaune's eyes. These blinding colours were alien to the bland vault. The same thought returned to Jaune week in and week out. Whomever designed these vaults must have been a psychopath. The thought always made him chuckle. He hated everything about this vault.

The line of jumpsuits were identical, though Jaune made an effort to pretend that he had some choices left to him. Five minutes must have passed in ambient humming before Jaune grabbed the jumpsuit on the far right of the rack. In large characters on the back of the clothing read "142." That was Jaune's home. That was Jaune's prison. Vault number 142. To think that there were at least another 141 vaults out there made Jaune shudder. Were they all happy, as everybody else seemed to be here? Did the other vaults return to the world, and try to rebuild, or is this the only existence?

It couldn't be the only existence. His father's journal spoke of outsiders; people that must have been descended from other vault dwellers that had returned to the world, or maybe they were the descendents of people that didn't make it to the vault and somehow survived. Regardless, they were free. They decided what they could wear. They decided when and where they could go. They didn't have to live on the sidelines of an overwhelming family.

The fleeting thought fled in an instant, returning Jaune to stare at the number in front of him. He couldn't just leave, and he told himself that. He loved his family, and wouldn't do that to them. He did, however, want to see that world and to have some freedom. That was what attracted Jaune to the Huntsmen now. It had once been a matter of being a hero for the vault and to be just like his father. It didn't matter to him that they were celebrities, or that they had better quarters. All that Jaune wanted was to escape, even if but for a day. But he didn't know how.

Jaune pulled the jumpsuit on and placed his pip-boy on his left arm. The morning routine was almost complete. The animated vault-boy smiled that sincere but mocking smile at Jaune from the small green screen, silently declaring that Jaune was in a state of good health and that the world was good. But it was not good. Not for Jaune. The pip-boy would only ever mock him. It wouldn't work on animals, as had been discovered when the pip-boy was first invented, because animals do not have aura. It worked on people, on Jaune, because of aura. That was what Jaune was taught in school, and that was the kick he received whenever he wore it. The pip-boy linked up with his aura to relay the information on vitals such as hunger, on one's capacities such as strength, and on the world around him, using his own senses to feed him information that he did not actively perceive. He had even read in his father's journal that the pip-boy could use one's aura to direct the body itself, making the user complete acts that by themselves would be much more difficult, such as firing a gun over a longer distance. The journal referred to it as the Aura User's Reflex Assistance, or A.U.R.A. It was wonderfully redundant.

It was Jaune's double-edged sword.. He had an aura, though he could not use it.

An alarm caused the pip-boy to ping. A call to breakfast. He wanted a minute more alone and he thought for a moment about tuning into the radio. The radio was accessed through the broadcaster, the same application used to send and receive messages, though Jaune kept no contacts and as such never used it, so it was as simple as pressing a button. As his eyes closed he imagined what could be waiting on the radio.

"Vault-dwellers, today is the today. The Overseer in all her wisdom has decided that it is time for us to make our way out of the vault and begin rebuilding the world above. Our admirable Huntsmen and Huntresses have found a region abundant with resources. Please make your way in an orderly fashion to the exit of the vault, or rather, the entrance to our new world." That is what the radio would say. Jaune would cheer and ignore the order for order. He would run past everybody and make it up the four flights of stairs to the great chamber above. He would watch in awe as the great grey door was removed; no longer acting as the immovable obstruction to the light and life living outside this hole in the ground.

It was just the same music on repeat.

Jaune made his way to the dining room to find his family already part way into eating. There was no escape from the walls' chorus or the apathetic grey. Even when they would fade into the background, and go by unnoticed, as soon as you remembered they were there they were all you noticed. They knew where Jaune was headed. They waited for him.

The girls that were there were arguing amongst each other as was typical for any time they were together. As one returned from the shower and having gotten ready for their day they would swap seats with the next in line. His eyes found their way to his father. The man smiled as Jaune's mother put her hand on his as the two ate at the end of the table. The older man was rough. His face housed numerous scars from his time outside the vault. Even as he smiled his eyebrows seemed to force their way down, giving him a constant look of maturity and authority. Jaune caught himself staring as his father nodded to him, non-verbally reassuring Jaune that he is doing well, and insisting that he begin to eat lest he be late for work.

Time ticked away as it is want to do. By quarter to eight everybody except Jaune and his father had vanished.

"Are you okay, Jaune?" The deep voice called across the table.

"Yeah, dad. I am fine."

His demeanour did not change. "You don't seem fine. I don't think I have seen you smile in a very long time, Jaune." Jaune knew that his father was right. He hadn't smiled in a long time. What was there to smile about? His father continued, "is something bothering you? Is it something one of your sisters has said?"

Jaune shook his head. "No, dad. I was just thinking about…" He looked to the ceiling. "Up there."

His father sighed and stood, walking over to Jaune, with an almost invisible limp. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Jaune, those without control of their auras do not leave the vault. I understand why you want to though. It is our history. We have done it for three generations." He placed his hand under Jaune's chin and directed his head so that their eyes met. "I consider myself lucky that you and your sisters have been unsuccessful so far. Look at me," he said pointing first to his face, and then to his prosthetic leg, "it is a dangerous world above us, and we already have enough Hunters. Not everybody needs to be a hero, and if everybody was a hero, the world would fall apart, because there would be nobody capable of keeping it together."

Jaune stood to meet his father, who tried to pull him into a hug, but the downtrodden boy instead shuffled over to the exit. "Bye, dad. I have to go keep the vault together." His father smiled the fatherly smile. The kind of smile that would calm the being of an infant out of a state of absolute fear or despair. The smile that met the cruel world before it with an outstretched hand that called for peace and offered protection.

Jaune did not see it.

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A few hours had passed for Jaune as he completed the routine he had grown accustomed to. Things in the vault rarely broke down due to the constant maintenance the engineers such as Jaune completed, and a such there was nothing for them to fix. Instead all they could do was work to clean and maintain everything that was in perfect working order, which as can be seen clearly, created a cycle of doing practically nothing.

The exciting days, well, the days that were less boring, came when a coffee machine or food dispenser failed. It would grant the soul lucky enough to respond to it up to an hour if they pushed their luck of doing something other than cleaning, polishing, or just looking busy. The problem then came that one could not just fall into the boring work and drift off into a daydream. You would have to pay constant attention for the ping from the pip-boy asking for anyone to respond to an active problem.

Some even resorted to making their own problems just to give themselves something to do. It was a dangerous game though, since anyone caught sabotaging the vault would be locked away, deep in the vault. If the punishment was banishment, then Jaune would have done it in an instant, but the Overseer saw herself as kind, and would not inflict such a fate as punishment. He was torn over banishment as a punishment. Sure, he did want to leave, but in time he is sure he would want to return, and banishment would not allow that.

A solution had revealed itself to Jaune though. He would sneak out of the vault.

It was a reasonable solution. He would find out the access code, sneak out in the early hours of the morning, watch the sun rise, and then return to the vault before anybody discovered that he had gone. Nobody would ever know, and his desire to leave should surely be satiated. It wasn't the solution that he desired, but if it worked he could repeat it. Security was relaxed even in the worst of times, since everybody bought into the ideals of the Overseer and the vault. He played the part of the content engineer well. Besides not smiling he was quite the actor, well, at least he thought. Only his father seemed to know about his desire to leave.

Getting the code would not be easy though. Jaune realised this. He couldn't just ask for the code. He had an idea though. He spent as much time in the entrance chamber as he could without raising suspicion. If he had heard that a Hunter party would be leaving or was soon to return, as one heard through the gossip of residents passing by the working engineer, then he would find a reason to make his way to the exit. He had come close a couple times. He had entered the chamber about two weeks before, just as the vault closed once more and three Hunters passed by him. Five minutes earlier and he could have snuck a peek at the console as the operator opened the vault. Timing was everything.

Jaune looked at his pip-boy for the time. 15:25. He had overheard two guards discussing the most recent group to have left the vault not long ago. As they were talking their pip-boys pinged simultaneously. Only one of them bothered to look though, since the messages were sure to be identical. "16:00 hours." That was the time that the Hunters had reported to the vault to be their expected time of return.

They had no reason to be secretive about this vital piece of information. Who would be listening in? An engineer hard at work? And if so, what could he possibly dream of doing with it? Would he run out of the vault? How could he? There would be Hunters and guards in the room. They would surely try to protect his well-being and put a stop to his attempt at running into danger.

It was time to make his move. He nonchalantly made his way to the exit chamber up from sub-level eight. He took his time so it was quarter to four by the time he arrived. It was empty at the moment, though the eyes of the Overseer still watched his every move. The pulse of the vault became fainter as you travelled closer to the exit, but it could still be felt. The reminder that you were still in the belly of the beast.

A voice called to him from behind. "What are you doing here?" It was a senior vault technician, appearing around the age of sixty from the wrinkles as wide as his forehead. One of the few entrusted with the code to the vault. He stood in his worn lab coat, which acted more to illustrate to himself and his fellows of their importance than as any form of protection. Jaune was not aware of any dangerous work that these men and women undertook. The technician was flanked by two security guards, both with helmet visors down, guarding their faces not from attack but from any inspection. Jaune realised that it was far easier to be intimidating if you could hide your humanity.

"I received an alert that there was a leak up here." Jaune's voice broke as he spoke. He raised his pip-boy for inspection and swung his toolbox gently against his leg to bring attention to the tools.

The technician waved Jaune off as he made his way to the vault controls. The security stood at either side of the short flight of stairs that led down to the entrance. Batons rested in sheathes on their thighs and they wielded rifles. The Overseer would only allow clearance to use rifles during the opening of the vault. Weapons so powerful had to be used sparingly.

Jaune kneeled down before the wall not far from the vault controls, though behind the sight of the security. He didn't want them to catch him peeping at what was confidential information. The screws came loose and the panel came away, revealing the arteries of the vault. No leak was present there but Jaune had to waste time looking for one. It was a good position that he would not surrender.

And the time arrived. Jaune turned his head at the sound of the vault controls being switched on. He watched like a hawk as the elderly man entered the code. It was only six digits. Not very secure. Surprising.

The security stood to attention, tightening their grips on the virgin weaponry. What could really be called a giant allen key descended from its resting place on the ceiling. Lights and sirens erupted into life as this took place, with the key descended and locked into place in the giant cog. Steam burst free from the device as it turned the cog. Light bled into the room causing Jaune to squint at the divine invasion. The wheel continued to turn and the entrance opened in its entirety.

Shadows made their way forward, entering one after another. Voices were barely audible over the excited room, though Jaune could tell they were there. The vault seemed to close itself off in an instant and everything returned to stupendous normality.

It was a girl's voice. She was young. Jaune could not see the group as they were hidden from view by the control panel. They made their way up the stairs. Their uniform was very much just an armoured variant of the typical vault suit; leather rested over vital areas, leaving the joints free for fluid motion. The key difference was the colour. Black. The group removed their helmets. Menacing things to those that saw them. Bright red eyes would stare at you and what Jaune thought to be a breathing apparatus would face you like an open maw. The smallest of the group flicked her hair as she threw her helmet at the tallest.

Ruby Rose.

The young girl was screaming at an older man. He instantly recognised the older man as her uncle, Qrow. Everybody knew who Qrow was. A Huntsman of over twenty years. A celebrity who deserved the title. Everything that Jaune had wanted to be. Qrow slouched as he squeezed the ridge of his nose. He waved the other two Hunters off, sending them away. Jaune recognised them. Even those that held the roles for a short amount of time were well known throughout the vault, especially to those like Jaune who made it their business to watch the Hunters train.

Ruby Rose though. He would not be telling the truth if he denied watching her. Not only was she a Huntress, but Jaune found her very being, from her long black and red hair, down to her unique silver eyes, to draw his attention. She must have been around twenty now. Training for two years after her aura was unlocked and another two years of access to the outside.

He caught himself staring, though nobody else had noticed him as far as he aware. Qrow told Ruby to calm down, which caused her to stamp her foot and sulk off. She walked directly into a storage cupboard, though after a few seconds she did not come out as expected.

One of the security guards chuckled as the technician led Qrow from the room.

Jaune was all alone.

He could just leave. A gulp sounded from him as he stood slowly at the realisation that this may very well be it. Jaune's breath was shallow as he looked to the controls, with his feet moving on their own, guiding him to the controls. He stopped himself. Ruby was in the cupboard. She would emerge as soon as she heard the sirens. If security could stop him, then she surely could.

Furious tapping could be heard from behind the door. Jaune pressed the button on the door frame and revealed the small woman tapping her foot with arms crossed, facing the wall.

"Go away, Uncle Qrow." Ruby said through gritted teeth.

"My name is, uh… Jaune, actually." Jaune chuckled as he took the Huntress off guard. She span on her heel to face the engineer.

She wiped the left side of her face with her sleeve. "Oh. I saw you kneeling outside. What were you doing?"

"Uh, I was… fixing a leak."

"What caused the leak?"

"I-I don't know. I haven't actually found it yet. We just know that it is nearby, ah, because there is low water pressure." Jaune felt himself forced back against the door as Ruby moved forward, eyes focusing on his face.

"You're the one who watches me." She said accusingly.

"What?" His voice was high-pitched as Ruby pierced his gaze with hers. He wanted to look away, but he just couldn't do it with Ruby.

"Yeah, it is you. You watch us train." Ruby giggled with that. "You must be a big fan of us. I see you there a few times a week. I understand that some people do find us interesting, and we are pretty much just free entertainment, but you must be really obsessed." She gently punched his shoulder as she laughed.

Jaune faked a laugh. "Yeah. I wa- My dad was a Huntsman. I try to imagine what he was like."

Ruby took a step back. She looked to her feet and rubbed her arm. "My parents were too. My dad trains us, as I'm sure you know. My mum, well, not all of us make it back."

Silence had joined them in the cupboard.

Jaune didn't like this new presence. "What were you arguing about out there?"

Ruby looked back to him, eyes wide. "I really shouldn't tell you. The Overseer will hear through the debrief, but we are told not to tell residents of the outside world."

Jaune nodded gently but wanted to push his luck. "I was just worried. You seemed to be quite shaken up. Are you sure you do not want to talk?"

Ruby looked to the door and nodded, but quickly shook her head. "It's just… a child." Her voice was rushed. "I'm sorry, Jaune, was it? I have to go. It was nice meeting you and all, but I… It was great meeting you. Maybe we can talk next time you come to watch me." She pressed the button at his side and the door opened. She passed him and her cape gently whipped him as she did so.

He followed her out, watching her leave, catching sight of what looked like a rifle hidden beneath the cape. Far larger than those used by the security earlier. A large scope reflected the lights above as she passed under them. In an instant she was gone.

The leak was real and needed attention. So Jaune made himself busy.

He was alone again.

Truly alone.

No Huntress would erupt from nearby to stop him. He told himself once more that he should come back in the night as he planned, but the controls called to him. It would take but six small presses, and he would be there. The promised land. He found himself at the controls, slowly inching towards his freedom. Six faint taps echoed through the empty room. His finger rested on the final key. The large red button attracted his other hand. With a closed fist he struck the machine.

Lungfuls of air made their escape from Jaune, like people jumping into rafts to escape a sinking ship. The room once more erupted into life. Jaune pottered to the stairs, making his way down to the moving door. He couldn't bring himself to blink at the majesty before him.

One foot after another he made his way through the threshold. His empty lungs embraced the new air. It was horrible. He choked on it. He coughed. He had to spit. But he kept moving. He closed his eyes as the light blanketed his face. It was warm. Worth the newfound suffering of breathing.

The vault slammed shut behind him, drawing Jaune from his bewildered and euphoric state.

"No. No no no no NO!" Jaune screamed and struck the vault. He let out a pained scream as he held his right hand close to his chest. He sought the controls to open the door. There was nothing. There were no controls on the outside. "Oh no." Jaune shook as he coughed again. His mind ran wild as he thought of what he could do. He couldn't think of anything. Who knows when the vault would open again. Who knew when the Hunters would leave again? He flicked through his pip-boy to the signal application. The vault radio was no longer available. He went to his contacts. Nothing. Of course there was nothing. The work alerts could only ever be agreed to. There was no message response possible. He was alone. Truly alone.

Jaune turned to face the light. It was the only way he could go now.

Jaune had his wish. He was free from the vault.