AN: More Bastion hot form the presses. This time we see that all may not be as it seems and that there are more subtle influences at work. And that no good deed goes unpunished.
PS. If you augmented limbs start giving you romantic advice. Please. Do not listen to them. Thank you very much. This had been a local Bastion Pa advisement on personal safety.
"It doesn't look that bad," Kage said as Ruby glared downtrodden at her arms.
The small girl sat on thin opaque sheet on the Bastion infirmary as the rest of team ARKM sat around their wounded teammate as the nurse finished tending to her.
"There you go! Now with that, your injuries should be more or less healed."
Felicia said as she flashed Ruby a crooked smile her shady blonde hair shaking slightly as her white-robed cover the rest of her body as she moved to talk to the girl.
"How bad was it?" Jaune asked d taking a step forward toward his wounded partner as the nurse nodded once to him.
"Bad. She needed extensive surgery to her bones, the smoke damage to her lungs was severe but fixable albeit barely, and her nerves were nearly completely shot due to the fire. But! We managed to fix her bones more or less and repair some if not all of her nerve damage! Sure you might not be as dextrose as you used to be but you'll be fine!"
Felicia said making Ruby sigh.
"Is that all?"
"No." The nurse firmly replied as she began to pace.
"We needed to do extensive work on your bones to put them back in working order. Most of your lowe ars are now replaced by metal, with over six metal rods in your self, you will not be able to move them as well as before. Though they are slightly more durable, they will not be as quick or as nimble as they once were."
"And my face?" Ruby asked to grimace as everybody had been avoiding that can of worms in particular.
Her face as a mess. Or it had been. Now there was just a giant scorched mark of her free eye making the girls look like someone had tossed hot grease on her face followed by a series of messy shrapnel scars that looked like somebody had hit her good eye with a cheese grater and one that she had informed them would never go away.
"Besides the scaring? Your face is perfectly fine. You might lose the burn mark in a few years time, but there is nothing we can do about the metal wounds. Those are going to be with you for life."
"Figures."
Ruby said darkly as an uneasy silence filled the room. It was like everybody was walking on glass tiptoeing around a delicate topic that they all knew about bet were steadily refusing to speak about let alone acknowledge in the first place.
"Is there any other things we as her team should know about?" Kage asked stepping forward and broke the silence as his crimson red armor gleamed in dim infirmary light giving it a bright sheen as the nurse smiled at him. "
Yes. Beside the scaring your body will take time to adjust to your new limbs."
"How long?"
Ruby asked lifting her head as she winced as her still freshly burnt tissue twitched under the light.
"It could take as little as a few nights to as long as a couple of weeks. Until then I have administered you some temporary pain medication, but that will wear off around night time. When it wears off, you can expect extreme nerve pain as your bones try to struggle with the new additions to hem. You might be unfit for combat for the time being so take it easy all right?" The nurse said as Ruby nodded despondently.
"Will do."
"Excellent! Now if you all don't mind please I have more patients to attend to that are far worse off then you miss Rose!"
"Thank you, Felicia. We won't forget this." Jaune said as the nurse nodded.
"It's not a problem mister Arc I'm just doing my job." The woman said genuinely as team ARKM began to walk outside.
"Ruby my dear! A moment of your time?" The nursed asked as Ruby shrugged her should and went over to her.
"Yes?"
"Ruby a quick question really nothing not important but I must ask you this."
"Yes?"
"This may sound strange but do try to answer me honestly. Has your eye been talking to you recently?"
The woman asked as Ruby began to sweat as a cold hand gripped her heat as her eye narrowed in on her.
"What do you mean talking to me?"
"I mean has it been referring to you as Ruby. And not simply saying that you are its owner. Has it been calling you by name or acting in a way that is not normal for a prosthetic?"
"And if it is?"
"Oh it's no big deal, but we might have to kill you."
The nurse asked flatly making the girl eep!
"What!? Why!?"
"Well, that or simply remove the eye. Whatever is easiest really. When prosthetics that are attached to the brain start gaining signs of sentience they tend to make things problematic. They are known to alter moods, causing drastic mood swings and creating havoc with one's emotions. They make you irrational, foolhardy, they also are known to increase feelings of anger, jealousy, love and a overall risk to your teammates. So has your eye been talking to you?"
"No...
Good! Then there is just one more thing to ask!"
"And that is?" "I would just like to tell you that the path you are one is a most blessed one indeed."
"The path that I am on? What do you mean nurse?"
"I mean the state of your body girl! If you keep this rate of injury up you will need more and more implants. At this rate, you are going to become more machine than flesh! A truly glorious thing to be sure!"
The nurse said Ruby gulped.
"I'm not sure I want that Fleica….
"Do not be scared child! You have taken your first steps toward ascendance! Soon you may shed your flesh all together! Wouldn't that be grand?" the woman asked as Ruby laughed nervous before leaving the room and going back to her dorm in a shower of rose petals.
"Honestly?"
"Honestly Red you look fine." kage said as he laid back in his bed eyes shut tight and staring up at the ceiling as Ruby looked at her scythe Crescent Rose as she saw her pained expression.
Her eye had already spent hours detailing every detail of her injury and its effects on her. Luckily most of them were scared face would not impede battle. And her eye even suggested that it might make her look frightening to an opponent. A reassurance Ruby did not like. Not. At. All.
"Ruby, it's going to work out. You are going to be ok. I promise." Jaune said as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
One that Ruby took instantly wrapping her fingers around his, wincing as her bones protested such abrupt actions but relishing the feeling of their fingers interconnecting.
"Thanks, Jaune. That means a lot to me." Ruby said as Jaune smiled at her.
"Sure no problem Ruby. I'll do anything for you." He said making the girls heart flush as her cheeks reddened.
"Don't say a thing you don't mean. I might just take your offer."
Ruby said with a slight flush at her leader and not, so secret crush totally misread.
"Ruby, I'm an Arc and an Arc-
"An Arc never goes back on their word. I know." Ruby said with a slight smile as she looked up at him.
"Don't leave me," Ruby said imply as she glared at him.
"Don't leave my side. Ever again."
The girl asked as Jaune nodded to her.
"I won't as long as I can help it, I will never let you be alone again."
Jaune promised as the girl's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Her heart like a jackhammer as the blond gave her his honest promise. He just swore that he would never leave her side. Never! That meant that she and Jaune would always be together! And-
"You two want a smoke?"
Kage asked suddenly appearing from nowhere as one moment he was sitting silently on his bed the nest he apparated halfway across the room holding a box of cigarettes in hand.
"Sure thanks," Ruby said instinctively snatching one as Jaune nodded and did the same.
"Don't forget about me!" Mika said happily as she bounded over them than one of the long white sticks from the boy before readying her pilot light.
All four member of team ARKM took a long deep, satisfying smoke as they lit their heads loll back as milk could of smoke and small bulbs of orange light filled the room.
They made it. They got through their first official Death Korps mission battered and bruised and missing some body parts, but they were all here. They were all alive and most importantly at least, for now, they were all safe.
"My face-
"Is perfect."
Kage said plainly taking a long drag from his cigarette and blowing a low circle of smoke in front of him as he let out a long drag.
"You look A-ok to me Ruby!" Mika sad happily her paper-white skin glowing in the light as Jaune nodded.
"You're beautiful Ruby," Jaune said completely miss the absolute glow that came on the girl's cheeks as she instantly hid her face "But Zach said-
"Ignore him," Kage added as he took another hit from his cigar.
"He's a dick."
"Yeah, he's a stupid jerkface, Ruby! I think you look amazing!"
Mika added simply as the girl felt an odd genuine bond with her Bastion teammates.
Well not for the first time. Ruby had always felt something with Kage. Not like friendship or romance. Definitely not romance but something like dependability? It always felt like to her at least the Kage unlike the rest of Bastion students with the odd exception of Hino or maybe Krix.
Was not overtly hostile nor was he cruel. Sure he fought and when he killed Ruby making feel some qualms about it at first but he seemed to do things more out of necessity than any form of malice. His actions carried no malicious intent, and he had honestly looked out for her since coming here. So she had somehow ended up thinking of him as a true friend. Mika on the other hand….
Ruby had no idea what to think about her. At first, the girl terrified Ruby. She was off-putting to the extreme. Even though she always had a face of perpetual happiness and joy to Ruby, it looked fake.
Like all her bubbliness and joy was like some type of mask hiding something deep and dark underneath it. It was like she as predator disguised as sheep.
As she barely laughed or chirped even while slicing the skin off an injured man or burning a man into charged crips. Her mood was perpetually set on ecstatic. And that Terrified her.
But now? After everything, she'd been through? The girl had not only been acting friendly towards her more so than usual especially after the time in the underground tunnel crept into her mind making her heart flush. She also had saved her life in the mud making ruby eternally grateful to her, and so she had earned the title of .. friend?
As the four students enjoyed along smoke it was just glad to be home….
"I hate this." Ruby said quietly as she laid on her bed.
" I know," Jaune replied as he rubbed his friends head softly.
"I miss Beacon."
"I do too."
"I miss my friends...
"So do I."
"I even miss Weiss!'
"I know Ruby. But it's going to be ok all right?"
Jaune asked as he wrapped his arms around the smaller girl was crying softly into her arms.
Ruby fought the urge to weep openly into her dorm as her limbs felt like somebody had injected shard of jagged glass into them as she bit her tongue. The only reason she did not wail to the heavens or cry aloud was she did not want to wake Mika or Kage.
Who were sleeping mere feet away and she couldn't bring herself to disturb. Not after their last mission. If even half of the stories she heard the boy's fight had been just as hellish as her own and though she was the most heavily scarred both physically and mentally she refused to be a burden to her team. So she does the only thing she could do in her situation, she wept.
"I hate this, my head hurts, my arms hurt... everything hurts.." Ruby said again as she felt strong arms circle her body as she cried softly into her arm.
"Don't worry Ruby. You're going to be ok." Jaune said as the merely bit her tongue as her arms lanced white-hot agony into her body as she weapon into the night.
The next morning was just like regular Bastion morning. Team ARKM got up, dressed showered in some cases shaved and were well on their way to combat class when their scrolls gave a telltale beat, and they were summoned to the headmaster's office.
Where after five minutes of walking through the once more eerily quiet Bastion stone hallways team ARKM was greeted be the enigmatic visage of Ludo his long white hair ghostly skin and silver eyes regard them happily as his second glared crimson daggers into them as they walked inside his fire lite, but an oddly chilled office.
"Excellent! Another successful mission! And a splendid display of ingenuity if I do say so myself! And I do!" Ludo said clapping his hand loudly and laughed that same raucous laugh that was still entirely devoid of warmth or care as he eyed the member of team ARKM with a predatory gaze.
"I must say that your latest mission with the esteemed members of the BAstion Death kors was a resounding success and I'm proud of all of you!" The man said smiling broadly as Jaune gulped refusing to show his growing sense of trepidation to him. It was if someone had taken his enter lower body from his ankle down and dipped them in a bucket of ice as he felt the entirety of the warmth inside him leave as he shudders involuntarily.
"It was nothing sir. We were just doing our job." Jaune replied diplomatically trying to play down his roles and get out of the office as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, that had the opposite effect as the man gave a cackle of laughter that was as shrill and sharp as the claws of an Ursa as he slapped a hand on his desk WHAP!
"My boy! That sense of modesty while endearing is completely and wholeheartedly unnecessary! I know what you did down there and all this talk of not a big deal? Enough! I won't hear of it!"
"Sir?"
"I heard all about you four how you ingenuity and independent thinking not only accomplished the mission before expected predictions but also saved countless lives of Bastion Death korps students in the process!"
"I heard how after being separated from your units you lead a group of four students including yourself on a daring mission behind enemy lines!"
"Were you engaged and assassinated the enemy commander only after making him withdraw half of his troops from the front and saving hundreds if not thousands of lives in the process! I hear how you and Zach Both dueled with the white fang lieutenant while your Vox office scrambled their transmissions! I also heard of you, Kage!"
"I must say I am impressed! You went out of your way to single-handedly hold off a wave of over fifty enemy combatants selflessly with no thoughts of your own safety and onto that of your teams! I must say that I am not only impressed I am inspired!"
The man spoke as Kage gave an odd stutter.
"Thank you, sir. It was nothing I was just doing my job. LIke my leader said it was just us making the best out of a bad situation."
"But to act so selflessly and to face down an entire wave by yourself? Mister Kage that is the epitome of what being a hunter is all about!"
"Selflessly. HMM That's a word all right."
His assistant Miss Heil said as she scoffed at Kage making him freeze up as her searing blood red eyes glared into his light brown one making the boy sweat. Jaune also found himself giving off a thin layer of perspiration as he felt the temperature of the room steadily rise as the woman glared daggers at his friend.
"Miss Heil! Surely you are not insinuating that Kage had any other interest then the safekeeping of his team and friends are you?"
The headmaster asked seemingly affronted, but Jaune saw something in his eyes. A flicker of movement that reminded Jaune of a shark prowling the water and making him shudder.
"I am merely suggesting that when a student that has shown no history of any selfless acts suddenly starts acting like a martyr, it should be viewed with…. Suspicion and not open praise is all. Sir."
The woman added through gritted teeth as Jaune had to suppress a gulp.
She's so young. Jaune thought as he looked at the tall blonde woman standing rigidly next to the headmaster and scowling with naked contempt at his friend.
She was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair a fierce expression with a healthy skin tone. Of lightly tanned flesh in a stark opposite of the usual paper white and sickly tones of most Bastion residents. She wore a white blouse with a plaid business skirt and looked almost like a younger miss GoodWitch except for her glowing crimson eyes and complete lack of empathy or remorse.
"Nonsense! Kage acted like a hunter in training should! Going above and beyond the call for his friend with nary a thought of ulterior motives! Isn't that right Kage. You didn't have any other ulterior motives int a selfless display of self-sacrifice now did you?"
The man asked in a voice, so chilled so utterly devoid of warmth and human emotion that Jaune felt his blood freeze and turn to ice while images of a silver ball filled his head as Kage Began to sweat.
"It was the most efficient way to help my team, sir."
"Now Kage that was not my question now was it?"
"No sir."
"What was my question Kage?"
"Did I have any ulterior motives besides helping my team, sir."
"And did you? Mister Kage?'
"No sir."
"Excellent!"
"There! You see Miss Heil! The boy clearly had no ulterior motives besides helping his friends! He even said so himself!"
"If you wish to believe him, Sir."
"Oh come now, Miss Heil! You need to lighten up! If you keep up that searing gaze, you are going to scare them!" "They should be scared."
"Enough! Miss Heil we will need to have a serious talk about your personality when this is over! Anyways! Miss Rose! Miss Smith!"
"Yes!?" Ruby keeps as the dean shot her a withering glare that made the girls totally normal knee quake.
"That's yes sir to you girl." The dean seethes as Ruby blake.
"I mean yes sir! What can I do for you?!"
"Present!" Mika said shouting happily as the man gave another one of his mirthless chuckles to her.
"Calm down Miss Rose! You are not under interrogation! I am merely congratulating you and Miss Smith on a job well done!"
"Job well done?"
"Why of course! You infiltrated an enemy tunnel complex completely cleared it off defenders and left the vast majority of data and terminals intact giving us invaluable data on the fangs' movement in the area! No doubt saving much more life in the future!"
"That's good?" Ruby asked as her eye lived up as the man grinned.
It was a sharp tainted gesture. A sheer mockery of a human expression if one ever existed. As the edges of his face twisted up in inhuman proportions as his skin was stretched taught in a way that no humans skin should be. It looked like a large hand was gripping his flesh with a pair of clamps and forcing a smile upward against his will as the man began to speak.
"It's more than good miss Rose! It's outstanding! In fact, because of your heroic actions, I am offered you all a promotion!"
"A promotion sir? What do you mean?"
Jaune asked as the man grinned wickedly at him.
"What I mean mister Arc is that after your latest foray into the wilds you have all show yourself as individual with unique talents! Talents that would be a waste if left to with traditional aspect of the death korps!"
"So, in fact, I have decided to promote you all as both a reward and as a safeguard for your future assignments."
The man said as team ARKM froze as they all looked stunned teacher before Jaune spoke.
"Promote sir? What do you mean?"
"I mean that you will all be moved to an elite Death Korps unit that operates independently of the main force. You will be given the best training and equipment Bastion can gather! You will be given your own personal commander an teacher you are very familiar with and be expected to do missions once per month and not once per week as per usual."
"That sounds… great?" Jaune said as the man grinned.
"Oh, it is great Mister Arc. You four are now elevated to the elite of the elite. Though do not grow slack! Though your missions are reduced the ones you do take will be challenging. And you will often be requested to carry on favors for the school! I expect great things from you in the future. Now before you go how are you all? I know Bastion life can require some… adjustment and I am curious to see how the best and brightest of my first years are doing."
The man asked as Jaune gulped.
"I'm… doing well sir."
Jaune said as Ludo gave him a tired sigh.
"Mister Arc did we not agree to tell the other the truth? You are clearly not doing well so please if there is anything that I can do to make your experience more pleasant please do not hesitate to ask me. After all, I am headmaster of this school, and as such, I subsist off of my students."
"I…
"Yes, Mister Arc? Go on don't be shy!"
"Would it be possible for some more free time? We spend most of our day's training and fighting and are often high strung because of it. Would it be possible to include more relaxation into our lives?"
"Why of course! I believe I said this before but let me reiterate! Since your promotion, you are no longer required to train with the average Death Korps and will still gain the full benefits of their rations!"
"Now is there anyone else with something that they would like done?"
The man said scanning the room before finding his target.
"Yes! Miss Rose, I see you fidgeting! Don't' be shy ask me!"
"Can… Can we get access to better weapons? I would like to modify my own but the forge is only for leaders to reserve and whenever I go there are always too many people! And I have social anxiety and me...
"But of course! Since you are now the top, you are elites now so you will get certain privileges…
"Privileges?" Kage asked as the man nodded.
"Yes, mister Kage! Privileges! You will like all Bastion fourth year teams get to decide on a single piece of furnishing to be added to your room free of charge! Be it a comfy couch, a nice chair a fully functioning forge with all the tools you might need for weapon modifications… Hmmm, Miss Rose what do you think about that?"
"That's amazing!" Ruby shouted her eye shooting out of her head before jerking back as she blushed as the man laughed raucously.
"But of course! Now is there anything else you may like?"
"Can I have access to the Bastion resources department?"
Kage asked as Ludo shot him a genuine flummoxed look.
"For what reason?"
"I need several rare earth metals from my personal use."
"Very well… You shall have limited access."
"Anyone else?"
"ME! ME!" Mika shouted as the man smiled.
"Ah but of course! How could I forget about my very own granddaughter! Tell me, Mika, what can your proud grandparent do for you!"
"OH! I want a pair of bunny slippers!"
"Bunny slippers?"
"Hot pink bunny slippers!"
"Are you sure?'
"Yes! I also want more fuel for my weapon! And do you have a churro machine?"
The girls asked as the man glared at her.
"It's either a forge or a churro machine. You can have one but not both! A grandfather must be a little strict you know?"
The man said as Mika turned pleadingly to Kage.
"Kage! I-
"Don't ask me. Ask him." He said pointing to Jaune.
"He's the boss."
"Jaune! ~Boss man~! I know for a fact! That you want a churro machine more than some stupid foundry right!? RIGHT!?"
"It's a not a foundry its forge! And it is not stupid!" Ruby shouted at her making Mike glare at her silencing the smaller girl who popped! Before jumping and clinging behind an annoyed Kage.
"Mika… A forge is far more convenient…
Jaune explained as the girl whined.
"But Jaune! Churros!"
"Jaune! We need better weapons!"
"Jaune churros!"
"Jaune weapons!"
"We can't eat if we are dead!"
"What's the point of life if you can't even enjoy it!? I want my churros!
"Jaune!'
"Jaune!"
"Jaune-
"ENOUGH! Both of you be silent, or I swear you will be naught but piles of ashes in a moment!" Miss Heil shouted instantly silencing the girl as the man sighed.
"You will put in a formal furnish request another day. Until then enjoy your days. And since your here. Have this day and tomorrow off from classes all right?" Ludo asked as the teens nodded and left.
"What are you going to do on your day off?"
Ruby asked Jaune who was busy polishing Crocea Mors. "No idea Rubes. What do you want to do?' Jaune asked making the girl blush as she hopped onto his bed sliding next him blush as the bed shifted under their weight.
"I…
Ruby took a deep breath before putting a hand on Jaune's and squeezing.
"I want to spend the day with you!" She declared and nearly fainted when Jaune squeezed back.
"Sure," he said calmly nearly causing the girl to faint as she fell back on the bed giggling madly as he looked at her worriedly.
"Ruby? Are you ok?" "She's just a bit sick," Mika said giggling as Jaune shrugged his shoulder as he saw Kage leaving the room.
"Where are you going kage?'
"Taking a walk. I'll be back later. Don't wait for me to eat." Kage said before nodded once and lain out of the room.
"Well, Well, Well. Mister Kage! You sure have outdone yourself now!"
An excited voice said as Felicia eyed the small silver ball in his hands.
"It's what you wanted correct?"
Kage asked handing her the damned orb that nearly got his soul eviscerated as the woman clasped her hands excitedly.
"Yes! And so much more!" The woman said shaking with palpable excitement as she put the silver ball in some type of clear, opaque container before turning back to the boy.
"Now about you payment….
"You said it would be something that I would enjoy?" Kage asked the woman who grinned at him.
"But of course! We here at the Bastion mechanicum are always here to help our allies. And we always remember who they are."
The woman said flashing Kage a stylized human skull pendulum with a large cogwheel on it as he stared at her.
"So… what are you going to do?"
"Take off your armor." The woman said as Kage raised an eyebrow at her as the woman laughed at him.
"Do not worry Kage. We know how much you value your armor and we would do nothing to scratch it."
"So what will you do?" Kage asked as he began to remove his immaculate red plate armor taking it off piece by piece as he took off his armor and Fleica grinned.
"Excellent. Now all you need to do is wait." She said as Kage stared at her in his now rarely noticed black skin suit. Tat clung tightly to his body as he stared at the woman who pointed to a plastic seat and told him to sit.
"Take a seat, Mr. Kage. I will back in a moment." The woman said as Kage grunted.
"Don't chip it."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Felicia said as she grinned at him as she took his armor off in the back of the infirmary as he took a seat and began to wait…
"So what did you do to it?" Kage asked as he slipped back into his armor feeling the familiar snug suit slip right back on him only for an odd feeling of weightlessness that filled him as she heard that whirring of pistons and the churning of gears inside. "We added some additional enhancements to you already custom plate mail."
Felicia said smiling broadly as Kage flexed his arm making it whir up as he felt like his plate mail had lost nearly all of its weight as he began to stretch in it.
"Like what? It's like I'm not even wearing it."
"We added several pistons and gears that will add to your overall strength and movement. With the possibilities of additional improvements later on if you so would desire. Assuming you continue to aid our cause in its journey. As you know only Bastion students and teachers are allowed to leave the school. As such we the help are often left behind and in need of outside assistance to carry on out pet projects.'
"And that's where I come in?"
"Yes. That's where you come in. Continue to aid us, and the mechanicum will continue to aid you. We have significantly improved your armor and allowed room for improvements should you continue to be of use to us."
"Like what?" Kage asked as the woman grinned at him.
"Well, we have added additional shoulder plates to your armor. These additions besides offering increased will allow you to well pummel anything in your way. Allowing you to break through most people things and walls. And if you continue to aid as well… We could only improve your suit, include improved mobility, strength, wight and the possibility of a powered improvement."
The woman said as Kage nodded to her as he shot out his hand.
"Deal. Keep adding to my suit, and I'll keep bringing you back what you need."
"Excellent. Mister Kage. We already have a list for you."
Felicia said she shot him a toothy grin.
"Remember that he mechanicum is always grateful to their allies."
She said before handing him a small box of opaque plastic with cardboard side.
"Is this?" Kage gaps she nodded.
"Kraken rounds. Only the best for our allies."
"This is…
"But a token of our gratitude"
She said to hold the box the boy as he gulped "What's the saying you lot have again..?"
Kage asked thinking for a time before he snapped his fingers.
"The omnissiah protects?"
"Indeed he dose Mister Kage. Indeed he dose." Felica said smiling at him as he walked out the door.
"Is there something I can do?"
"No… Just… keep your arms tight… Please."
Good. Don't let up.
Ruby whispered as Jaune held her tightly as the boy grabbed her from behind. It was late at night, and Ruby was going to bed. It had been so long since she slept alone that she could no longer remember what it felt like as Jaune gripped her from behind.
"Are you in any pain?" Jaune asked as Ruby shook her head.
Don't let him pause. We need to make this work.
"No. I'm feeling ok. But thanks for asking me." Ruby said as she files Jaune's grip tighten around her waist pulling her closer to his crotch making the girl flush.
"Jaune…
"Yes, Ruby?" Jaune asked completely oblivious to his actions as his awkward positioning as he forced the girls back into him.
"Jaune… do you remember earlier? When you said that you would do anything for me?" Ruby asked him s Jaune nodded his head.
"Yes. Why?"
"I… Because did you mean it?'
"Of course I did. I said I would and I will. An Arc never goes back on his word."
"Yes… But did you really mean it? Or did you-
"Ruby," Jaune said flipping her over to the point where she was pinned under the insanely comfortable Bastion bedding as Jaune forced her onto her back making the girl blush fiercely as she eyed him. "I said I would always be by your side. And I meant that. I'm never going to leave you for as longa s you want. All you need to do is just ask. And I'll be there for a second." Jaune said gripped her hands and making her blush. "And would you be there for me and only me?" Ruby asked as Jaune cocked his head. 'What do you mean?"
"I mean when I need you. Will you always be there for me? Before anybody else?" "Ruby?"
"I mean will you be there for me. And only me. WIll you put me on anyone else?" Ruby asked as Jaune grimace.
"You want me to be there only for you?" Jaune asked as Ruby nodded.
"Only me. "
He's breaking. Put on the force.
"But Ruby… what about our friend Kage or Mika? Or not even count our friend waiting for us at-
"Jaune I almost died. I felt myself dying. I was cold and alone. I … Don't' want to feel like this again. Please. Don't let me die cold alone an-
"Fine. I'll be there for you. I will never leave your side. Or put anybody above you. As of right now, you are the most important thing in my life, and I'll put you above all else. This I swear."
Good job.
"I bet Pyrrha never got you to say that."
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing! I just thought that I'm just glad I have somebody in like you in my life."
"I feel the same, Ruby. You are my best friend."
"Yeah… friend…"
Ruby said as she snuggled herself into Jaune's chest as her mechanical eye whirring what seemed like delight as the two went to bed...
Jaune couldn't sleep. His heat was beating out of his chest and thumping like a jackhammer. His breathing was harsh and shallow, and he fought to keep a straight face.
What's happening!? Jaune thought as he felt the inhumanly soft skin or Ruby Rose as she sighed underneath him.
It had happened so fast so suddenly that he never knew what to think. One moment it was ruby and him sleeping in the same bed as always, the next somehow he had her gripped and pinned beneath him!?
Sure he and Ruby slept together but it just that! Sleep! They never did anything beyond light cuddling or maybe the lightest of hugs! But now!?
The tension was in his lungs as he gulped heavily. Ruby and intertwined her legs with his drawing him color other as he now nearly face to face with the sleeping girl.
Who despite horrific injured other face was was one of the most beautiful people on the planet. She slept ina complete tranquil guided as even her augmented eye was closed and sealed shut in a way that looked cute. If nothing else.
As Jaune sighed heavily trying to adjust his weight in such a way that he could sleep next to and not on top of her a gesture made impossible as she somehow gripped his back pulling him closer to her and making him blush an-
"Pyrrha never get's this...
Ruby mumbled in her sleep as a cooked girn came to another face as Jaune cocked his head.
Is she thinking about Pyrrha? I bet she misses her too. I know I do. Jaune thought with sight the tension left his body as he sighed and resigned himself to sleep awkwardly onto of his best friend in the world...
AN: Well there it is. Slower chapter to set up for later points in the story. Promotions abound and Churros for the masses! After this, we got some real missions some character development and some over all chaos! so stay tuned. If you follow me Jaune Torchwick's next until then.
Omake. Hero of Remnant.
"Well, this could have gone better." The blonde said as he felt his stomach lurch out of his throat as his car slammed forward crushing the Beowulf inform of him into a nasty red pulp as they barreled through the horde of monsters.
"Sorry commissar. I did not mean to disturb you, but their dose seems to be a slight Grimm problem, sir."
His aide said with his usual sterling ability to underestimate the situation as the salamander tore through the Vacuoan streets as Jaune sighed heavily.
As once again his aide had woefully misrepresented the situation with his usual steely determination and unflappable manner of speaking.
Saying that the city had a slight grim problem would be like saying that he had a slight drinking problem. As his aid tore through the streets with his usual lack of regard for traffic rules and roadside conditions. A habit made worse by the rampaging monsters and terrified shouts of civilians as they tried and more often than not failed to escape said monsters.
Now usually this is about the time when the real commissar would jump out of his salamander chainsword barring declaring at the top of his lungs that the light protects! And that the denizens of the darkness shall leave the good people of Vacuo alone and come for a real challenge!
Unfortunately for the good people of Vacuo Jaune was not a regular Commissar. Instead of shouting inspiring speeches and charging the enemy head-on he much rather preferred to keep his head ducked and put away in a nice safe trench line or preferably behind several inches of reinforced metal and a couple of dozen men who were willing to hold the line or die trying! As they say.
"Sir we will arrive at our destination in three minutes."
His aid Fenrik Ren. Said to him in his usually imperturbable tone as the Atlesian born gunner tore through the city streets grin up pavement and Grimm in the process.
"Well if we are going to arrive in the middle of a fight I might as well look the part." Jaune grimaced fighting every last one of his instincts as he stood up with great trepidation out of the thickly but not nearly thickly enough for Jaune's taste armored hull of the scout vehicle and exposed his head into the harsh air and blurring images of the streets where pandemonium was raining.
As usual whenever a city's walls fell the Grimm hand a nasty habit of walking all over the place and attempting to make snacks out of the locals.
And while Jaune held no love for Vacuo even he felt some sympathy for them. I mean to be fair seeing men, women, faunus, human being torn apart into bright crimson stains and watching their intestines fall onto the asphalt in grisly macabre representations of roses it was hard not to feel something for them. Not enough to actually get down and help them mind you. But enough to offer them a passing prayer as they roared down the street.
As he pulled down the safety of the mounted weapon and began firing.
It didn't take much to hit a Grimm in a horde. Especially when they were all busy ripping open card doors or tearing into disabled busses or breaking into a door or feasting on the poor intestines of whoever the hell had not been fast enough to get away from them.
Either way, the large caliber munitions tore them apart in a great burst of blood and gore as the weapon thunked and fired filling the inside cabin of the vehicle with shell casings the size of his fist and filling the air with a hard antic scent.
Normally Jaune would have killed hundreds, but with Ren driving aiming was problematic at best and downright impossible at worst. So seeing as how his second was taking every curve at breakneck speed and doing his damnedest to run over every Grimm he could Jaune simply sighed and forsook aiming all together as he pulled the trigger hoping that his bullets would either a grim and kill it put a civvie out of their misery.
After five minutes of the worst roller coaster of his life, the scout vehicle ground to a slide halt hat nearly cos this his lunch as they arrived at their destination.
"We have arrived, sir."
Ren said auspiciously as Jaune groaned his lunch already threatening to come out of his stomach as he grabbed his pistol from the side compartment.
"Thank you, Ren. I can see that."
"Very well commissar." He said as the two step out into a slightly more ordered version of chaos.
Men with guns were running back and forth along catwalks screaming their heads off as alarms sounded and sirens blared as Jaune sighed rubbing his head with Croce Mors the battle-weary chainsword massaging his scalp as he took a step forward.
Normally he would be back in his scout car, on his way back to his nice cozy command quarters in a nice secured bunker mile behind any unfortunate Grimm trying to rip his guts out or angry extremist trying to blow his brains out. But no!
OH no! Monty himself had decided that once again Jaune would suffer! As no only had the remote border town, he just happened to be passing by walls fell. Somebody with a big mouth and an open scroll had babbled that the literal Hero of Remnant! Jaune Ciaphis Arc was in the place and was going to beat back the Grimm single handily! As one again his completely heroic and entirely undeserved reputation for heroics was forcing him to save the day! Again.
"Shall we get going, Commissar? It looks like the Grimm are about to overrun the perimeter."
Ren said readying his hell pistols as Jaune sighed. He honestly had no idea where the hell Ren had gotten the guns, to begin with, them being far off the mark of a normal trooper but had long since stopped carrying as the sounds of roaring Grimm and gunfire crept ever closer to him.
"Yes... I guess so. After all, I do have a reputation to uphold don't I?"