Trapped

Chapter 11 Resolution

By Lightningstrxu

Terror that's all Jaune felt as the summoned Grimm bore down on him and Weiss. Weiss' Knight raised its sword to brace for the impact of the summoned Nuckelavee. That, unfortunately, left the two incoming Nevermores up to Jaune. Jaune sheathed his sword in his shield causing Crocea Mors to shift into its great sword form. With a mighty slash, he cleaved the wing of one of the bird Grimm causing it to dissipate the other struck him from behind knocking him to the ground.

"Jaune!" Weiss called out worriedly while looking over at him. The distraction was causing her summoned knight to falter for a moment against the equine Grimm losing a few feet of precious ground.

"Don't worry about me." Jaune rolled on the ground narrowly avoiding a swipe from a Nevermore's talon. Jumping to his feet, he brought his sword up driving it into the bird shattering it. Weiss turned back to face the Nuckelavee her Knight still struggling against it. She gritted her teeth and focused on pushing the Grimm back meanwhile Russytt only calmly stared.

"Is this truly all the will you can muster Weiss?" Russytt said with a smirk. "Tell me now Weiss, can you even defend yourself properly?" Russytt summoned a glyph beneath him it took the shape of a yellow clock face. To Weiss' shock, the glyph finished it's casting in a fraction of the time it would have taken her. Russytt bounded forward with blinding speed, his rapier poised to strike at Weiss.

Jaune leaped into the path of the blade, the rapiers tip digging into and cracking the pauldron on his left shoulder. Jaune staggered back nearly crashing into Weiss.

"Don't you touch her!" Jaune gasped out, small amounts of blood could be seen trickling out from the cracks in his armor.

"Jaune!" Weiss' eyes widened at seeing the injury. It was as Qrow had reported to her Russytt's blade could somehow bypass aura. The exact mechanics of how he did so still eluded her, but seeing how easily he pierced Jaune's armor, she knew she wouldn't be able to take a hit unscathed.

"I'll be fine Weiss, just focus on that thing." Jaune's gaze flickered to the equine Grimm still clashing with the Knight.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo." Russytt chuckled. "So it seems that you can't even defend yourself properly. A good thing your little friend was here to save you." Russytt taunted. "Poor little Weiss can't do anything on her own. No matter how hard you try." Russytt cackled again.

"Shut up!" Weiss roared. Her Knight vanished and reappeared next to Russytt and swung its massive blade down. The owl faunus jumped out of the way. "I've had it with your baseless accusations. You know nothing about me…" Weiss' summon followed through up with another slash only for her Knight to be blindsided as Russytt's Nuckelavee stretched out its arms and grabbed ahold of the Knight.

"Consider this one small mercy." Russytt sneered. "For an ignorant little girl who knows nothing about the truth of the world." The Grimm's grip tightened around the Knight shattering it. Weiss physically recoiled as if she felt her summons pain. "I'll make it quick." Russytt lashed out with his rapier striking at Weiss' heart. With a quick motion, the revolver on Myrtenaster rotated into place causing the blade to glow white as she brought it to bear.

The rapiers clashed. Sparks flew, and Weiss' knees buckled. The force of the blow threatening to knock her down, only by the grace of her dust effect was she still standing, but its time was quickly running out. Weiss watched as the white glow subsided. It most likely took seconds, but for her, it was agonizingly slow. The glow had vanished completely, metal cracked and creaked.

Myrtenaster's blade shattered.

Weiss' eyes widened as the metallic shards fell to the ground, the clattering sound they made echoed like thunder in her ears. Russytt could only cackle gleefully seeing the look of pure shock on Weiss' face.

"Yes, that look…" Russytt gloated. "That look has made this entire endeavor worth my time; did I break your precious little toy?" Russytt laughed some more before breaking down into a coughing fit. Jaune used the distraction to run to Weiss' side where she still stood frozen staring at the broken handle and hilt.

"Come on Weiss snap out of it." Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder shaking it. Weiss looked up at him.

"Jaune he…" Weiss could barely form a coherent sentence. "It's gone Jaune." Her grip tightened around the broken blade, a large glyph forming behind her, much larger than the one that summoned the Knight. Weiss looked at the remains of Myrtenaster and glared at Russytt with tears streaming down her face. "That sword…." She breathed heavily, and her anger made it hard to collect her thoughts. Russytt finished his coughing fit his gaze falling back to Weiss.

"That sword was what?" Russytt sneered. "A trinket, a bauble, a fancy little toy for you to play the hero with?"

Weiss scowled as a loud clicking sound could be heard coming from the glyph which now came to a stop. Jaune's eyes widened as he listened to the noise.

"Weiss you need to calm down!" He pleaded. "He's just trying to goad you, don't summon that thing."

"That sword…" Weiss whispered coldly, ignoring Jaune's words. "That sword was a gift from one of the few members of my family who believed in me becoming a huntress. It was the last thing he gave me before he died. So for destroying it, I'll make you pay!"

A gargantuan insectoid Grimm burst forth from the glyph its long segmented body covered in chitinous plates. It skittered forward on its numerous legs it's sharp mandibles clacking together. It was a Grimm that Jaune and Weiss recognized well. In a way you could say it was the Grimm that brought them together; The Remorhaz.

The monstrous centipede crawled along the ground racing towards Russytt. The owl faunus commanded his Nuckelavee summon to intercept. The equine demon and the insectoid hunter clashed. For a brief moment, they challenged each other before Weiss' summon won out barreling through Russytt's own shattering it. The Remorhaz bore down on Russytt its mandibles clicking menacingly. Russytt stared coldly at the Grimm before leaping out of its path, and the centipede slammed into the ground. Russytt used the moment to charge again at Weiss and Jaune. Weiss attempted to command her summon to turn to intervene but her formed faltered a moment as she struggled to stay on her feet.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo." Rusytt cackled gleefully. "That summon is too much for you, isn't it Weiss. You hardly have the energy or will to control it."

"Shut up…" Weiss panted out a light sheen of sweat had formed on her brow. Theoretically, she could have teleported her summon as she had done so for her Knight previously. But Russytt was sadly correct. She was not used to controlling the powerful Grimm just yet. Dismissing it and reforming it would be taxing. She commanded it to turn and strike, but its movements were much too sluggish. Russytt was upon her his rapier poised to strike. Only for the tip of Russytt's rapier to meet Jaune's great sword. Jaune's ancient blade held fast as the faunus' rapier splintered on impact, damaged from its previous clash with Myrtenaster.

"Sforzando?" Russytt's eyes widened in shock upon seeing his rapier shatter. "No, no, no!" He yelled out in almost childish anger. "I'll kill you; I'll kill all of you!" Jaune swung his sword at Russytt hoping to stop the enraged faunus. A glyph appeared beneath Jaune and tossed him aside. Throwing himself at Weiss, he tackled her to the ground.

"Get off!" Weiss yelled in a panicked tone, pinned down now by this psychotic man. She summoned a red glyph above her, preparing to launch a fireball at the faunus. She never got the chance. With a hum the remains of Russytt's rapier unleashed its full reserve of lightning dust, running a powerful bolt of electricity between the both of them. Weiss could only silently scream as the current ran through her, their auras flickered and wavered unable to stand up to the assault. If Russytt was also in pain he didn't show it, and he only stared into Weiss' eyes. His own eyes now blinded with rage and hatred.

The surge of electricity subsided Russytt glared down at the helpless Schnee girl beneath him, barely conscious and severely burned, himself in a similar condition. Only his single-minded goal kept him awake. The Schnee had to die; Russytt raised his right arm, the mechanical limb jerking erratically from the electric current that it had been subjected to gripping the remains of his rapier he had his target, Weiss' heart, it was right there ready to be impaled by his shattered blade.

That was when Russytt felt his arm wrenched to the side, could hear the sound of metal breaking. He watched as he saw his rapier and forearm clatter to the ground to his side.

"Get away from her!" Jaune roared as his shoulder slammed into the faunus knocking him away. Jaune stood defensively over Weiss as Russytt cackled madly from the ground his limbs jerking erratically, his breaths coming in gasps.

"Go ahead and finish me, boy." Russytt coughed out. "I'll die knowing that I took that insufferable brat with me." Russytt's mad laughter devolved into a hacking cough as his body stilled his eyes still wide open and staring vacantly. Jaune's eyes lingered on Russytt's body a moment longer ensuring her was no longer a threat.

"Weiss!" Jaune turned dropping Crocea Mors as he knelt down next to her. She was gasping for breath, electrical burns covering her body, her hair charred black in places. He checked her vitals while fishing for his scroll and activating its emergency beacon. "come on Weiss. Just stay with me until the medics arrive." He watched in horror as Weiss' chest stopped rising.

Jaune went to work immediately, placing both hands on her chest he began to compress.

"Come on Weiss don't do this." Jaune pleaded before pushing his lips against hers breathing into her lungs. He continued performing chest compressions, tears streaming from his eyes. For the second time in only a few weeks Weiss was at death's door, and for the second time in his life, Jaune could do nothing as another person he cared about slipped through his fingers. "Weiss, please!" his voice grew more frantic as he continued to try and breathe life into her. He didn't notice at first when his hands started to glow, and his aura flowed into Weiss. "What the…?" he blinked in confusion. Weiss let out a sharp gasp.

Safe, that is what Weiss felt at that moment. She had just been fighting for her life against a madman who wanted nothing more than to see the life drain from her eyes. When Russytt had unleashed his electric attack, she had never felt that much pain. It was so painful she couldn't even scream. But now she felt safe, safer than she had ever felt before. She had never felt like this before. She could feel other things too; worry, anger, fear, regret, grief, relief, and…love? Whose feelings were these? They most certainly weren't hers; it was overwhelming but not unpleasant. Weiss' eyes fluttered open.

"Jaune?" she asked confused as she looked up to see Jaune kneeling over her, tears streaming from his eyes and a large smile.

"Weiss!" Jaune sobbed out.

"Jaune what's…" Weiss stopped as she saw the glow of light that was enveloping her. "What is this?" She tried to sit up.

"Stay down you were hurt. You stopped breathing." Jaune let out a long sigh. "I thought I lost you there for a minute. Then this happened…" He nodded down his hands still emitting that soft and warm light. "I don't know what it is exactly but its healing you."

"Jaune…" Weiss placed one of her hands on his. "I think it's your semblance." She smiled weakly. "You finally did it."

"Well, whatever it is." Jaune squeezed her hand. "I'm glad to have it. Just sit tight Weiss, paramedics will be here soon."

"Okay." Weiss nodded as she settled back down, letting the warmth of Jaune's semblance wash over her. Even with the healing, she was exhausted, she could feel sleep coming to claim her. She had so many questions, but she would trust Jaune to take care of her. "Hey, Jaune…"

"Yeah Weiss."

"I love you." Weiss smiled as her eyes fluttered shut and sleep took her. She never heard Jaune's reply but judging from the way she could feel his aura waver she knew that he loved her too.

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Blake struggled against her bonds. She had been tied to the very machine that spelled doom for the city of Tempest. She was unsure why she had been brought here, to be used as hostage perhaps, or maybe it was to torture her to have her watch as Tuscan fought her friends. If what was currently happening could even be called a fight.

Slaughter, pointless, and one-sided.

Those were all apt descriptions of the scene unfolding before her. Ren and Nora were very competent fighters; Ren with his precise movements and mastery of aura control, and Nora with her overwhelming strength. Second possibly only to Yang. None of it mattered against Tuscan's sheer brutality, his unwavering will, and mastery of his semblance. It was like watching a wave crash against an unyielding wall.

"Raaagh." Nora roared as she once again charged the shark faunus, her hammer wreathed in pink lightning. Tuscan only stared his eyes cold and dead to the world; his 'switch' had been flipped. Nora phased right through him, Tuscan pivoted on his foot to turn and retaliate. Lashing out with his weapon, a trident with many jagged spikes jutting off its point; the perfect weapon to impale someone with, to cause massive internal damaged and suffering. A weapon ideal for the Butcher of the Fang.

"Nora!" Ren called to warn her while lashing out at him, his twin blades dancing. Ren's strike phased right through Tuscan; but the action saved Nora from being impaled, the spines of his trident passing through her stomach harmlessly. They had figured out quickly the weakness of their opponent's semblance. Tuscan was either wholly solid or wholly intangible. There was no in-between. If the shark faunus was being attacked it meant he could not strike back and if his attack struck it meant he was vulnerable. It also meant he could not strike from inside of objects.

All of these weaknesses and more Ren and Nora had gleaned from their short battle with Tuscan. They proved useless. The speed with which Tuscan could switch between solid and intangible was mind-boggling. Blake could only watch as Tuscan slipped into the ground and moments later popped back out his trident striking Ren in the back, his aura shimmered and shattered. He fell to his knees, Storm Flower clattering to the ground.

"Ren!" Nora screamed as she charged the faunus ready to deliver a crushing blow, all the hammer crushed was the pavement beneath Tuscan's feet as the hammer passed harmlessly through him. With a quick lunge, his trident stabbed into Nora's stomach launching her away into a nearby tree her aura likewise shattering.

Blake struggled frantically with her bonds, as she watched Tuscan stalk slowly towards Nora's slumped body.

"Tuscan stop!" Blake screamed. The shark faunus turned and stared blankly at her.

"It will be over soon Blake." Tuscan whispered coldly. "Just close your eyes; I don't want you to see this side of me."

"Then don't do it!" Blake pleaded she pulled at her bonds with all her might, a loud crack sounded, and Blake cried out in pain, her wrist broken. Tuscan's step faltered as he turned to face Blake.

"Blake are you alright?" Tuscan asked concerned. A crack had formed in his cold demeanor, as much as she hated to admit it Blake knew that she was shark faunus' weakness.

"I think I broke my wrist." Blake gasped out; it was a stupid decision to do that. But it bought Ren and Nora some time at least. Even now she could see Ren start to stir, and He looked up at her; her cat ears flicking slightly it wasn't much, but it was a sign of acknowledgment. One that hopefully went unnoticed by Tuscan.

"Blake." Tuscan walked up to her kneeling next to her. "You shouldn't have struggled so hard." Tuscan sighed. "Let me go finish them off, and I'll come back for you." Tuscan stood and started to turn around.

"Wait, please!"

"Blake, I have a job to do, and I'm…"

"I love you!" Blake shouted interrupting him. Tuscan stopped dead in his tracks.

"Really?" Tuscan turned to face her, a look of childlike wonder in his eyes.

"Yes!" Blake lied through her teeth nodding emphatically. Tuscan inched closer to her. "You've taken such good care of me, how could I not."

"That's great!" Tuscan knelt down next to her a wide smile spread across his face. She could see Ren slowly sneaking up from behind. She had him distracted, and she only needed to ensure he was solid for the strike. Blake steeled herself; there was only one way to accomplish that goal.

"Yes, it is so before you finish off my friends…" Blake began in a coy tone. "Do you think I could have a kiss? You know for luck." Blake inwardly gagged, this would not be pleasant, but it was the only way to make him remain solid.

"Sure." Tuscan leaned forward closing his eyes. Blake slowly brought her lips to his. His hand came up to cup her face; his touch was surprisingly gentle. That was when Blake heard the strike, she felt Tuscan stiffen, his hand gripping tightly onto her. After a moment she managed to pull back.

Tuscan's eyes were wide the blades of Ren's guns buried deeply in his back, a look of shock and betrayal on his face.

"I'm sorry…" Blake whispered. Tuscan coughed a trickle of blood dripping from his mouth.

"No, you're not…" Tuscan gasped out his body limp, and he slumped forward falling to the ground.

"Good idea…" Ren panted. "Good thing you were able to distract him."

Blake could only stare silently at the lifeless body of Tuscan. Tuscan was what he said he was a monster that couldn't be stopped, but he was also a boy damaged beyond repair. Someone who desperately needed help, and she had helped put him down like a dog.

Everything that Blake had dealt with the past few days, her captivity, her helplessness all of it came pouring out as she broke down and cried. Her part in the battle for Tempest was over, and while brief it was no less brutal.

#####

Weiss' eyes slowly opened, blinking she looked around. She was in a hospital room that much she could tell. She had spent a lot of time in hospitals recently come to think of it. Slowly she sat up her joints felt a little stiff but other than that she felt great. She stretched while letting out a yawn. Better than great she felt amazing, Jaune's semblance whatever it did had done wonders. She felt better than she had before the battle.

Looking over to her left she saw Jaune fast asleep in a chair next to her bed. Weiss smiled and slipped quietly out of bed and snuck over to him. Leaning in she kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Thank you." Weiss whispered she couldn't help but feel a little giddy inside as Jaune smiled in his sleep. Turning on her feet, she twirled in place and made her way to the bathroom. While she was sure she was fine, she wanted to assess her injuries properly. Flipping on the light, she gazed into the mirror and gasped loudly at what she saw.

Her hair had been cut.

It shouldn't have been that big a deal, after all, she had been electrocuted earlier today; even with Jaune's aid, she should be glad she didn't have more permanent damage. To be so shocked by such a superficial change, but even still. She slowly brought a hand up to run it through her now shortened locks. It wasn't much longer than Ruby's hair.

"I think it looks cute." A voice called from behind Weiss causing her to jump slightly. Turning around she saw Jaune leaning against the doorway. "Then again I'm pretty sure it's impossible for you not to be." He smiled at her. That stupid, infuriating and heartwarming grin, Weiss ran into his arms hugging him tightly. Burying her face into his shoulder, she began to cry. Jaune just wrapped his arms around her.

Weiss cried for several minutes, while Jaune held her. Finally, Weiss pulled back wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Sorry I just…" Weiss struggled to find the right words. She hadn't felt particularly sad, nor had she been crying tears of joy. But everything that had happened over the past couple of days had finally come spilling out. Ruby being taken hostage, the assault on her sister, Blake's disappearance, the loss of Myrtenaster and even her own brush with death; It was all over. They had won.

"I understand." Jaune nodded. "A lot's happened." Jaune rubbed soothing circles on her back. "It's overwhelming."

"Hey, Jaune." Weiss whispered.

"Yeah Weiss?"

"Your semblance do you think you can activate it again?"

"I can try." Jaune said a little unsure.

After a minute or two, they both became wreathed in soft white light. There was that feeling again; complete and total safety. Weiss reached up to cup his face and pulled him down into a kiss. It was tender and sweet much more chaste than previous kisses they had shared. But this was different she could feel all of him all of his thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams. Their very souls had become intertwined. After a few more moments the glow subsided.

"I love you." They both said at the same time, before kissing again.

"You know." Jaune mused as he pulled back from the kiss. "We've kind of come full circle."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked a little confused.

"Well, when you think about it. Our relationship started in a hospital right after we both had a life-threatening experience." Jaune chuckled. "We're even here in a bathroom; at least you didn't barricade yourself in this time."

"Shut up!" Weiss playfully punched him in the ribs. "But I see your point. We do seem to end up in bathrooms a lot. Speaking of…" She looked up at him a warm smile on her face. "I could really use a shower."

"So could I." Jaune kissed her again.

The hospital shower was nowhere near as spacious as what they were used to, and it was all too brief due to never knowing when a nurse might walk in. But it was more than enough to reaffirm their bond. After quickly redressing they made their way back to bed, cuddling close together.

They had endured more hardship in only a few weeks than most couples would experience in their entire lives. But together they had pulled through; nothing could ever hope to stand in their way.

They fell asleep in each other's arms, free from all of life's worries.

Well so ends another chapter, the second to last actually. Hard to believe we're almost there. Sorry this took so long; combat is not my strong suit. I know we didn't see Serqet fight but after looking over the story, her fight had no narrative impact. Her fighting Qrow didn't serve any greater purpose. Even Tuscan v Nora and Ren wasn't that huge, hence coming in at the end of the conflict.

To those who are interested I started a new fic called Last Resort, it's a Dragonslayer (Yang x Jaune) story.

Also do you like white knight? Of course you do its why you're here. I'm sure most of you are familiar the fic Letters to Winter by Mallobaude and if you aren't then what are you doing here go read it. In my opinon I consider it to be the flagship fic for white knight. But if you are familiar with it did you know there is more? I commissioned a one shot called Laid Bare that takes place in the Letters to Winter timeline. Do you like Jaune and Weiss and beach vacation shenanigans then you'll love this.

As always like, comment and subscribe.