Dreaming of a better future
Chapter 26 bitter
Marcus slowly let his chest piece form back to the rest of his armor. Marcus just sighed looking down to his ripped coat and shirt. He really didn't like that wanting to keep the scar on his chest hidden. He just shifted his chest piece mixing it with his shirt to let it cover his chest. He also felt the wound in his side throb some. 'Damn I need to take care of this.' He thought before walking up to corner of the tunnel. He turned down the sewer tunnel to see a light coming down from an open manhole cover. He figured this was where Lilith and the soldiers had gotten up to the streets. He quickly ran up to it using his semblance and jumped out of the sewers. Marcus landed up onto the street with several clanks from his armor only to her the sound of guns cocking. He was about to draw his sword only to stop when he heard someone shout.
"Wait don't shoot!"
Marcus turned around to see the three soldiers he had saved sitting on the sidewalk. Lilith stood by them staring at him with a smile relieved he was ok. However she didn't miss that he had mixed his chest piece with his shirt or that he had a trail of blood dripping down his right leg. She didn't say anything, just ran up to him stopping before she ended up hugging him. He just looked down to her with a smile before patting her head.
"You did good getting them back up here safely."
Marcus said patting her head.
"Damn kid, you're one hell of a Huntsman if you were able to kill those two monsters."
One of the soldiers said with a gold line on his helmet. Marcus just shook his head at the soldier turning away looking up to the sky.
"I didn't kill those beasts, they escaped."
Marcus said getting worried looks from Lilith and the soldiers.
"Damn that isn't good, we need to inform the General!"
One of the soldiers said moving to help the wounded one stand.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Marcus said quickly stopping the soldiers making them turn to him in surprise.
"Why not?!"
The wounded soldier shouted only for Marcus to hold his hand up calming the man down.
"Because do you really think your General will believe that you fought two humanoid like Grimm that could talk."
Marcus said only for the soldiers to share a look. They seemed to understand what Marcus was saying but they simply nodded at each other.
"We know that it's insane but we'll inform the General either way even if he doesn't believe us."
The soldiers said getting a nod from Marcus.
"Fine by me, but just do me a favor, don't tell him about me ok. I'm no good taking orders so I would be of no use to the General."
Marcus said getting a nod from the soldier with the yellow on his helmet.
"You saved us so we'll do you this one favor."
The soldier said turning away walking with his men out of the area. Lilith just turned back to Marcus worriedly.
"Is it ok to let the General know about this. Papa said that the General might make mistakes if he knew what was happening. Also he would try to use us to change history."
Lilith said worriedly only for Marcus to ruffle her hair.
"Don't worry, those soldiers don't know that the Nightmares came from the future, or that we did either so we're safe. But I bet the General at least has heard rumor of the Nightmares being around so letting his soldiers tell him about them might be good for us." Marcus said getting a small nod from Lilith. He just looked back down to her with a soft smile. "We should call it a night, I need to get some bandages for the wound I got in the fight and you need sleep."
Marcus said getting a nod from Lilith who quickly ran down the street to a small dust shot that was still open.
"I'll get you some bandages wait right here!"
Lilith shouted at Marcus only for him to wave at her till she disappeared into the store. Once she was in the store Marcus lowered his head letting his face shift into a grimace and coughed into his hand. He coughed several times before pulling his hand back to see his own blood and black tar. He just balled his hand into a fist glaring at it. 'Damn that fucking monster poisoned me.' Marcus thought focusing on the metal that he left in his blood trying to use it to get the last of the tar out of his system. He just hopped that it didn't have any lasting effects on him.
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Jaune woke to the sound of screaming. He quickly shot to his feet reaching for his sword next to his bed expecting to face some sort of Nightmare that got into his room. Instead he saw Helen and Pyrrha cowering in the corner of the room.
"Jaune, kill it, kill it now!"
Pyrrha shouted pointing forward at something on the ground. Jaune turned in confusion to see that there was a spider on the floor. He stared blankly at the spider for a second while Pyrrha and Helen just hid in the corner of the room. Jaune turned to Ren and Nora to see both of them with the same bland and blank stare he had. Jaune just sighed standing up walking towards the spider before quickly slamming the pommel of Crocea Mors onto it, killing the spider. He just shook his head sadly at what he just did. 'Great, I'm using my Grimm slaying weapon for killing bugs now.' Jaune thought before looking back to Pyrrha and Helen.
"There the spider is dead, are you happy?" Jaune asked getting vigorous happy nods from both girls. He just shook his head at them waving a hand over his shoulder. "Well I'm taking a shower now."
Jaune said waving at Pyrrha and Helen jumping into the bathroom to shower. After Jaune went in and showered he came back out switching with Ren while Nora was helping Pyrrha and Helen after the whole spider ordeal. Jaune had no idea why Pyrrha and Helen were afraid of spiders but he found it adorable. Jaune told them he was going to go and talk with Aeron some only for Nora to wave him off while Pyrrha and Helen just stayed in the corner of the room for council. Jaune chuckled at this before opening his rooms door coming up to the sight of Aeron.
"You realize their screaming woke everyone up?"
Aeron said making Jaune wince some.
"Right sorry, it was just Pyrrha and Helen freaking out over a spider."
Jaune said a blank stare from Aeron before he shook his head at him.
"I can't believe that someone like Pyrrha is that afraid of spiders."
Aeron said only for Jaune to shrug.
"Well she is, but that isn't why you're here or why I want to talk to you?"
Jaune said making Aeron look at him questionably.
"Oh, so you need me for something?"
Aeron asked getting a nod from Jaune.
"Yep just not here let's head up to the roof."
Jaune said walking down the hall. Aeron just stared at him questionably before sighing and following after his father.
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Jaune walked onto the roof feeling the morning breeze pass over him. Aeron walked up behind him looking out over Beacon.
"So what did you need to talk about?"
Aeron asked only for Jaune to hold out the note he received the previous night. Aeron quickly took it reading through the note his eyes widening some.
"Wait so what the freaky Nightmare Alastair said to us yesterday was true!?"
Aeron said in shock. Jaune just nodded at him running a hand through his hair.
"Trust me when I say I'm just as shocked as you are."
Jaune said looking up into the sky watching clouds pass over head. Aeron just looked at the note worriedly, not completely believing that it was truly a future child of Jaune's who left it but didn't voice the concern to Jaune.
"So, what are you going to do?"
Aeron asked folding the note up handing it back to Jaune.
"I guess I'm going to stay on guard the next few days and hope that Lilith is telling the truth."
Jaune said on for Aeron to stare at him worriedly. Jaune just smiled walking past him clapping him on the shoulder.
"Don't give me that look, think of it as me finally spending time with my kids."
Jaune said throwing his hands to his side. Aeron just nodded at him staying on the roof a little while turning back to look over Beacon. He really didn't like how his mind pulled up the worst possible scenarios. 'If the one who sent that note isn't really one of dad's daughter I'll be sure to kill them for trying to manipulate him.' Aeron thought as the shadows around him began to bend along the ground even the shadows that weren't connected to him. All the shadows in the area seemed to shift as if to mimic fire. Aeron turned back around following after his father.
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The rest of the day was silent. Something everyone was happy about. All of team RWBY took their daughters out into the grounds of Beacon showing them around the fair grounds. Jaune went in between all his daughters moving from Ruby and Summer who had gone off to mess around, to Jaune's surprise and slight horror, a weapon stand on the fair grounds. Jaune really had no idea why Ozpin allowed for such a dangerous stand to be set up but he didn't voice that to Ruby or Summer. Jaune was lucky though as it seemed Summer wasn't a weapon freak and only understood some of the things Ruby tried telling her. Jaune then left them moving on to hang out with Angela and Weiss.
This one was harder for Jaune to deal with seeing as Weiss and Angela were all prim and proper while he was, well, ruff and not proper. He really wasn't good there but again Angela wasn't exactly like Weiss having a want to go and enjoy herself with the other girls who had found a shooting gallery. Weiss seemed mortified before Jaune joked that she was just afraid of losing. That got Weiss' competitive nature to kick in as she dragged Angela over to the shooting gallery to compete with Ruby and Summer. Jaune just laughed at this before leaving the girls and going off to see what Blake was doing. As expected of Blake she never left her room with Bell. The two just sat in the room reading books together. Both sitting on Yang's bunk away from Zwei. Jaune just assumed it was their cat nature not letting them get near the poor dog.
Jaune then left them be not feeling the need to keep them company. He went off to find Yang and Sara who were at the moment doing the strong man game on the fair grounds. Jaune just groaned at this watching as Yang took the hammer, threw it to the side and just did an axe kick on the plate sending the metal puck flying up through the bell and into space. Jaune just left when he watched Sara do the exact same thing. He wasn't going to get pulled into that sort of mess today. Jaune went back to Pyrrha and Helen to see them still sitting in the room on their bed wrapped in their blankets talking about how they wouldn't let the spiders get them. Jaune just ducked out of the room before they could pull him into their little phobia problems. After Jaune left them he went off to check on Velvet and Jasmine.
Jaune came up apologizing to them for what happened the last time they were on the fairgrounds when Cardin attacked them. Velvet and Jasmine waved that off, while Jasmine just made Jaune spend time with them going around the grounds making Jaune buy them all food. He didn't mind so he just did that letting them drag him about. He enjoyed it as Velvet was by far the most normal person he knew. After Jaune finished up with them he went off to check on Grace and Glynda. He didn't need to check on them but he still felt it would be nice to see Grace. Also try to figure out how he and Glynda ended up getting together. Sadly that didn't happen as when he got to Glynda's office he was met with the sight of her and Grace filling out a giant pile of paper work. The girls shoed him away so he couldn't talk with them, but he had to admit they were definitely mother and daughter.
After words the day ended with Jaune falling back onto his bed being tired from all the running around and being forced to cook dinner. His daughters demanded it of it. Why? He didn't know but he didn't really caring just doing as they bid. The next morning when Jaune woke up he found yet again he was being ordered to cook. He really didn't mind seeing as he used to cook all the time when he was home with his sisters and mother. Still the fact the girls argued over what to eat made Jaune angry so he had to scold them telling them he will make what he makes. Afterwards the day went by in a flash without incident again. Still Jaune had no idea what was going on and he thought back to the note he got from Lilith. He really hoped that she was ok.
"What are you doing up here?"
Aeron asked walking up to Jaune who lay on the roof of the dorm building. Jaune turned looking to Aeron who leaned against the door way to the roof.
"Just getting some fresh air."
Jaune said watching as the sky turned orange thanks to the setting sun.
"Really now, you aren't busy thinking about your supposed other children who might be out fighting Nightmares right now?"
Aeron said watching Jaune wince.
"Am I that easy to read?"
Jaune asked only for Aeron to smirk at him.
"Yep, I could tell because the last two days whenever you think no one is looking you always stared out over to the city as if expecting something to happen."
Aeron said only for Jaune to sigh at him.
"Well sorry if I worry about my kids."
Jaune snapped at Aeron who just stared to the ground.
"Worrying about them is fine, but doing it alone is what's bad."
Aeron said taking a deep breath while Jaune just scratched his head in frustration.
"Sorry for snapping. Just… I don't like the idea of my children fighting alone. Even if I don't know who they are yet."
Jaune added at the end knowing how stupid he sounded. Still he wasn't happy with the idea of his kids fight without him or their mothers being with them. Aeron could understand that sitting down next to his father.
"Don't worry old man; if they're your kids then they should be ok."
Aeron said getting a nod from Jaune who just sighed leaning back onto the roof.
"Well here's to hoping nothing is wrong."
Jaune said raising a hand over head like he was holding a glass. Aeron just chuckled at him doing the exact same. The two sat on the roof there in silence just watching as the sun sat behind the mountains. The two men had nothing to say after their conversation just sitting in a peaceful silence. When the sun finally vanished and the sky was turned black with stars shining through out it the two men went on to head back to their rooms only to stop when the loud sound of shattering glass and a clank of metal and panting rang out behind them. Jaune and Aeron quickly spun around to come to the sight of Lilith on her hands and knees over a red haired man dressed in black and green armor.
"Lilith!"
Jaune said in shock getting a surprised look from Aeron before he turned to Lilith and the man on the ground.
"Papa! You need to help!"
Lilith shouted her voice filled with dread. Aeron and Jaune quickly shared a look before running up to her kneeling down next to the man.
"What's wrong?' Jaune asked looking at the man surprised to find he looked like him and Aeron. They shared a look realizing who the man was. Jaune quickly turned to Lilith. "What happened?!"
Jaune asked dead serious, quickly lifting the man's shirt to see bandages wrapped around his stomach that were stained black. Lilith just gasped at this while Aeron quickly went to ripping the rotting bandages away knowing they wouldn't be helping the wound. Just as he did though Aeron saw the scar on the man's chest. His eyes widen in pure shock at how bad the scar was but shook the shock off to focus on the fresh wound.
"M-Marcus, got hurt…" Lilith wimped out as her eyes tear up. "H-he was fighting two nights ago, when he got hurt. He said he was fine and just needed rest. He went on to fight for today and yesterday just fine till we got back to the hotel we were staying and he just collapsed. I brought him here as soon as I saw the wound."
Lilith said getting a nod from Jaune.
"Aeron, we need get him to the medical bay. I'll call Glynda and Ozpin!" Jaune order quickly getting a nod from Aeron. Lilith just stared worriedly. "Come on you need to come with us!"
Jaune said holding his scroll to his head while he took one of Marcus' arms threw it over his shoulder and began to drag him to the medical bay with Aeron. Lilith followed right behind them tears flowing down her face. 'Please be ok.' Jaune thought not wanting to watch one of his sons die.
End