Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. Cover image courtesy of Jan Chrt (jeni-cek on deviantART). All rights reserved.

Vrrrrrrrrrrrm, vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm, vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm…

SCREEEEECH.

"First stop, Aurora headquarters! Please mind the gap and remember to use Yang's Taxi service again!"

Jaune groaned as he flopped off of the motorbike, just barely managing to keep his stomach stable while doing so. From the looks of it, the Aurora building seemed to be in fairly good shape, and with Vale's lazy afternoon sky, you could just about see a few lights on through some of the windows.

"…uh, could you maybe go a bit slower next time…? I don't think I was really made for this kind of stuff…"

Yang revved her bike, winking slyly.

"What was that, Ladykiller? I can't hear you over how awesome my bike is!"

"Eurgh…Pyrrha, are you alright?"

Pyrrha, of course, stepped off of the contraption with only a little windswept hair and, after a little rearrangement, she returned to looking like a goddess.

"Ah, how refreshing! Thank you for the lift, Yang. Perhaps we'll find opportunity to do it again sometime…but first…"

Firmly, but not unkindly, Pyrrha forced Jaune back to his feet and, after giving Yang a wave farewell, directed him towards Aurora's looming doorway.

"Come on, Jaune, we need to focus! There's no telling when that next bomb will go off, and we need to make sure everyone inside is properly evacuated before we can rest easy."

"Yeah, you're right…sorry." Jaune apologised, pulling himself together, "Let's get to it."

With only a slight creak from the hinges, Aurora's wooden doorways swung open, revealing the mess hall to be…completely empty. The tables were covered in plates and glasses, most still holding food and drink in various states of consumption, but the people that had made them were nowhere to be found.

"Seems like the place was evacuated already." Jaune observed, knocking softly on the nearest table, "But why?"

"Perhaps someone discovered the bomb before we got here?" Pyrrha suggested.

"Yeah, I guess that could've- wait. Do you hear that?"

It was incredibly faint, like it was some kind of recording set to the lowest volume but, below the floor, Jaune thought he heard a pained coughing sound.

"Yes…it sounds like a man, I think." Pyrrha said, "Was he the one who put out the evacuation order?"

"Or it could just be some drunk who got lost down here in the chaos. Either way, we should head down and check ASAP."

The basement's somewhat inconspicuous trapdoor was just to the left of the main entrance and, after an impressive display of strength from Pyrrha, the door was lifted up, and a cold metal ladder descended to the dreary stone floor below.

"Oh, look, Jaune; a chance to practice your landing strategy!"

"I thought my strategy was 'get pinned to a tree by a rocket spear'." Jaune retorted dryly.

"Not with all the progress you've made recently. Go on, just jump; your aura should cushion the fall fairly well."

Knowing that time was of the essence, Jaune decided not to argue the point further and, with a little hop, followed by a heavy, echoing thud, he was soon standing right in the middle of Aurora's basement. While the room was barely illuminated by its semi-functional dust light, there wasn't really a lot to illuminate, so the setup got by. One end of the room was occupied by a few supply crates, mostly consisting of bought-in food for the mess hall, and the other end…

The other end was occupied by the limp body of Asbeth, his torso suffering from a slick, surgical hole that was ever so slowly bleeding out. Nevertheless, once he realised there was someone with him, Asbeth's vacant green eyes swivelled around towards Jaune, his expression filled with pain.

"You…you shouldn't have come here, boy."

"Asbeth? What happened to you?" Jaune asked, rushing over to the broken man's side. Pyrrha was soon to follow.

"I…bit off a bit more than I could chew, that's all. Got involved with-"

Asbeth broke into a violent coughing fit, and Jaune couldn't help but cringe as flecks of blood were hurled towards the wall.

"…with the wrong sort of people." Asbeth finished weakly.

"Jaune, we need to get him out of here, now!" Pyrrha urged, "If the bomb doesn't kill him, that wound definitely will!"

"Don't…don't bother with me…only reason I'm still hanging on is by force of will. Moving me'll just lead to a quicker death…and that ain't what I deserve right now."

Jaune and Pyrrha shared a look.

"Asbeth, do you know anything about the bomb that was planted here?"

"'Course I do…I was the one who did it. Got all the kids out, too, but that don't make it much better."

"But…why?"

"The guy…he was offering a lot of money for little bits of info on the guild. What sort of stuff we bought, what the building was made of…all sorts of random bullshit. Figured it was easy money, but it wasn't long before I was in over my head. Death threats, bigger paychecks…the works. One way or another, I got to installing that thrice-damned bomb in the basement…but, in the end, I was too chickenshit to just let it go off."

Another coughing fit.

"Got all the kids out, tried to warn Weiss about the other bombs, couldn't…scroll was jammed. Knew then that it was too late for me. Came back down here and tried to shut the bomb off, but seems like they knew me better than I did…left a gun to stop me in my tracks…"

Asbeth shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness.

"And…and you know what the worst part of it was? After all that, betraying Weiss, evacuating this place, taking a shot to the chest…"

He gritted his teeth.

"…the damned bomb couldn't even arm in the first place. It was a dud."

"What?! But then, the other bombs-"

"Aye…probably won't go off either. So, I guess the question is…why would he want the rest of Beacon's hunters out of the ruins at the same time?"

Slowly, the pieces in Jaune's head began to come together. An assassination, an attempt to instigate a guild war, a bomb for both the Red Hunter's building and Beacon…

It was all for Weiss.

And now he had her in an unfortified tent, practically unguarded.

"…you get it, don't you?"

"But why? Why would Igneus go through all of this just for her?"

"Igneus?"

Asbeth chuckled weakly.

"You really think that guy you saw…was Igneus? No…Ig was a vain man, and nothing mattered to him more than his earrings. No way in hell he'd get on a broadcast without looking like he wanted, even if it got in the way of his plan…so riddle me this, boy…"

"…why wasn't he wearing any?"

It had seemed like such a small, innocuous detail, so small that Jaune hadn't even registered it at the time…but now, looking back, he realised that Asbeth was telling the truth. Then, that must mean…

"He's an imposter."

"The best of the best…called himself Beaufort. Wish I could tell you more, but…I was just some lackey….guess I still am, in the end. Keeping you here when you could be getting back to Weiss…maybe even saving her."

With his last ounce of strength, Asbeth grasped Jaune's hand and, for the first time since they had met those days ago, he seemed focused. Finally, he spoke, in a voice wavering with emotion.

"Tell your dad…he was a good man…and tell Weiss…tell…Weiss…"

Asbeth coughed one last time.

"…sorry about the mess…"

…

…

…

HERE LIES CINEREOUS ASBETH

SON OF GLORIA AND NICHOLAS ASBETH

LOYAL TO HIS FRIENDS UNTIL THE VERY END

MAY HE FIND PEACE IN DEATH WHERE HE DID NOT IN LIFE

SO LET IT BE

The tent was destroyed. Battered, unconscious bodies of Beacon staff were strewn haphazardly around the ruins, likely saved only be their aura. The only clues to the perpetrator were certain shards of debris that had remained behind, all pulsing with a familiar, dark energy...

…and, along with that, a tall, earthen sign, carved with thick, block capitals.

GOD RESTS IN THE TUNNELS