A/N: This chapter fought me so hard, I swear. But we've reached 3K Views!~ YAY~ WIGGLY LINES FOR ALL~~~~~~~

A little tease for the chapter: Jaune. Take your guesses, and read ahead!~

Quite a lot of line breaks this chapter since I decided to bunch up paragraphs into bigger ones, making it appear shorter. Sorry about that(?). It really fought me in the later parts of the chapter, but I'm glad its done. Season 1 end here we come~ (Probably in 1-3 chapters, not decided yet, currently just started chapter 14 at time of posting).

I DO NOT OWN RWBY

Chapter 13: Mistral

A month had passed already, the wintery festivities now finally dying down. Operation Black Storm was soon to be in full effect, and as such classes were temporarily off as the incursion had been announced over an assembly at the amphitheatre. It was announced that three student teams would be paired with a Hunter/Teacher and would be sent to a specific location to locate and destroy an ancient Grimm, and would apparently add to their overall career review, meaning it would look good and they'd be more likely to get a higher ranking in the Hunter/Huntress world, though I guessed it was Ozpin's was of sweetening the deal.

Currently, his team, AREME and JNPR were assigned Qrow Branwen to lead us into the fray, going all the way over to Mistral into the Swamplands, directly in the centre of the 'Badlands' where Grimm activity was at its highest. The Badlands was an area in almost every continent of Remnant, consisting of a mass of Grimm that had made the area inhabitable for anyone who intended to stay for more than a few days. It surely showed as they flew over it towards a small settlement a fair distance from the Badlands where they would be staying. Everything below them was a dark, murky green. Dead, grey trees with no leaves on random plots of ground intermixed with pools and rivers of murky water, Grimm of land, sea and air origin mobile and rearing their heads up at us.

I tore my head away and down to my scroll as I looked at a dossier that informed us of all the information we would need, both for this incursion and about the area in general. The Grimm here were much more 'odd' than other locations, a large majority are expected to be mature, and quite a few to be extremely old. The landscape was dangerous, by way of drowning in the bog or getting trapped in natural traps. That's not including Dust-Grimm. I sighed as I silently scanned the information, putting it to the back of my mind before my attention was drawn to Ruby, who was sat beside me and also reading the information. She must've fallen asleep, as she was stretching in her seat and yawning.

''We're here'' Qrow suddenly said, standing up from his point next to the cockpit. I wanted to bring my own Bullhead, but Qrow had pointed out since this was to be an extended stay, and considering that it would be easy for some to guess what the ship was made from, it would not be worth it, especially since the Bullhead would have to flee quickly to prevent it drawing attention from the Grimm. Alexia and Nazai also didn't come, as I had left them with the order of training the men to use their weapons more efficiently, and Glynda Goodwitch would also assist them in Aura and general combat.

The side door opened and I steeled myself. Everyone adjusted and checked their gear once over before we all nodded to each other. Qrow looked us over once more and nodded, more to himself than anything, and jumped the few metres to the ground as I followed, swiftly followed by the rest of my friends. We all hit the ground with a dull thud. A few moments later the engines of the Bullhead roared as it took to the sky again, leaving us on a stony outcropping. We were deployed onto a small Cliffside mountain, the small village about fifteen minutes away surrounded by mountains while the marshlands were a few miles away from here.

''You ready?'' Qrow asked all of us and we responded with a solid nod, to which he returned with his own ''Then lets get going. The town isn't far, but Grimm are still around this area''.

''What kind of Grimm?'' Nora sang as she skipped next to Ren.

''Didn't you read the dossier?'' Weiss asked, but immediately shook her head ''You know what, never mind''.

''Nothing we can't handle'' Qrow answered simply but in a detailed tone ''Nevermore, but we're safe if we remain in closed areas. Deathstalkers, but they won't be too much of an issue. Boarbatusks, but they're rare at this altitude. Cacklers and Stalkers are our only real issue''.

Cacklers were the Grimm equivalent to what he presumed were Coyotes, except that instead of laughing it was more of a deranged cackle. They were a little bigger than the average Beowulf, but often if not always moved on all fours and were quite fast, have a terrible bite too. They're main weakness if their sides and underbelly, as its more of a charging type. Some had armour on the sides and rear, but only the older ones, and said older ones were often the Alpha and Beta. They travelled in packs of anything between ten and two hundred, making them more dangerous than Beowolves. They normally resided in mountainous areas, rarely leaving those places despite their bloodthirsty nature. They were considered to be an E-Class by themselves, but in a pack to be between D-Class to C-Class.

Stalkers were somewhat similar, but more in the form of a panther. They rarely grew any plating, even lacking the usual white mask, instead having a unique pitch-black one that mixed with their onyx fur. Their tails had a spike on them that was extremely quick, and they themselves were fast enough to outrun a Nevermore. They had no main weakness aside from the obvious target of the face. Despite the lack of armour their fur was as durable as a Nevermore's feathers, and they were incredibly fast in hit-and-run manoeuvres. Like Cacklers they tended to stay to the mountains, but they were less bloodthirsty than Cacklers, or at least as less bloodthirsty as a Grimm could be. They travelled alone mainly, being a D-Class on their own, but if by some unfortunate streak you ran into a pack of five then they were considered B-Class because of their incredibly speed and power.

I was brought out of my thoughts as I remembered we were moving, and quickly caught up with the others as we walked down a narrow path, flanked by high walls of stone on each side. We walked in silence, making idle chatter on the way, but Qrow remained silent. He took swigs of his flask every now and again, but otherwise his eyes were constantly darting to the high walls on each side of us. I did the same, following his example and keeping an eye out for any Cacklers or Stalkers, mainly the latter.

It took another ten minutes before we reached the town, a place by the name of Rockledge. As we followed the narrow passageway we were greeted by a large, steel gate. Two towers were built into the rock on either side with guardsmen on top, looking down at us and taking out a radio, talking to someone on the other end before calling out to us.

''State your name and purpose!''.

''A-Rank Hunter Qrow Branwen, accompanied by three student teams from Beacon Academy leading an attack for Operation Black Storm'' Qrow called back seriously. There was some murmurs and radio chatter, before the guard called back an affirmative and the gate groaned as it began to rise. Qrow quickly ushered us inside, and from the slightly elevated position of the entrance I could see the whole town. It was circular in shape with high mountain walls on each side, opening like a flower so to prevent anything from climbing up them. Even so there were high walls built upon them with towers periodically placed, along with dozens of anti-air cannons all over the buildings. Then again I guess it is warranted, since avian Grimm were probably the only type that would be a major threat. The town had a faint gothic style to it, but it was quite similar to Vale in terms of structures.

''Lets keep moving, we've got reservations at a tavern and we'll drop our stuff off before heading out'' Qrow grunted as he cast a look to the sun before proceeding. Nearly three in the afternoon already.

''Where are we heading first?'' I asked as I scanned the town around us for anything memorable.

''Its probably best we do some scouting of the forest below first, see where Grimm usually dwell and where most of them gather, that way we'll know where to avoid when we hunt down this so-called Ancient when we reach the Swamps''.

I nodded ''I see''.

We fell into silence then as we walked down the cobble streets of the town until we approached a modest, but not particularly notable hotel-style building. It was only two stories, but was relatively large and retaining the gothic-ish architecture of the town. We entered the modest building, but I found nothing of real note, other than it was mostly comprised of wood with a bar on one end of the room and a few sofas. A staircase presumably led to the room, situated in the corner of the room opposite to the door.

''Qrow~'' A slightly drawled, cheery and a touch flirty voice called. My gaze was drawn to the bar, or rather behind it, where a woman in her thirties stood in a typical bartenders outfit; white lightly-striped shirt, black vest and pants with the shoes. She had high cheekbones and bright azure eyes, cocoa brown hair falling behind her and over her right shoulder. She had a black bowler hat on her head and elbow-length black gloves, a sly smile and resting her chin elegantly on her right hand.

''Lavender!~'' Qrow called back in the same tone as we entered, a grin on his face ''You didn't tell me you'd be here, I thought I chased you out all those years ago''.

A soft, womanly chuckle answered his pseudo-question ''A 'Dusty Old Crow' chasing away the 'Magnificent Magician of Rockledge'? I didn't think you'd gotten senile in your old age''.

''I am not old!'' Qrow barked, but his smirk gave away his thoughts as he completely forgot about us, approaching the bar ''How've you been? Mistral treating you well?''.

''Oh you know, same old contracts every now and again'' She smirked ''After all, I'd like to stay young, unlike a certain drunk I know''.

''I'm not always drunk'' He complained, moving to reach his flask before freezing, as if remembering what he was about to do ''Eheh... not always''.

''How amusing'' She rolled her eyes with a fond smile before turning our gaze on us ''Hm? Bringing some students on a mission Qrow? How kind of you''.

Qrow rolled his eyes and grumbled something while Lavender reached under the counter before producing seven sets of keys and tossing them at us, landing on a table to Nora's right while she explained ''Keys have the numbers on them, two per room, pick and choose yourself''.

''Ren~'' Nora sang as she picked up one room key, hugging her partner, who merely sighed and nodded. Reality didn't say anything but grinned, wrapping an arm around Era who nodded, a faint blush coming from the physical contact.

''I'll bunk with Eien'' Ruby smiled innocently and I nodded.

''I guess I'll stay with Pyrrha...? I-If that's okay'' Jaune smiled sheepishly to his partner, who merely smiled and nodded.

Blake smiled over at Adam ''I'll stay with Adam''.

Weiss huffed ''So that leaves me with this brute?''.

''Hey!'' Yang yelled, mock-anger on her face.

''Go drop off your stuff'' Qrow called over to us, flask in hand (again) ''We'll leave in ten minutes''.

I nodded to him and picked a key at random, following the path Nora had dragged Ren towards the stairs, and if one looked closely they may have seen a cartoony trail of flames. I shook my head and followed after the duo, climbing the wooden stairs softly with Ruby beside me and the others trailing behind, making idle conversation. We found our room easily enough, as it was nearest the stairs in a long wooden, nicely lit hallway. Ruby unlocked the door as Yang/Weiss went into the one across from us, the elder sister sending me a look. She'd been doing that since we started dating really, and its always nice to see Yang looking out for Ruby, even if that also meant keeping an eye on me to make sure I didn't try anything to harm Ruby. Not that I had any trace of the thought of course.

I entered the room after Ruby, admiring the cosy feel of the room. It was square, as one may presume, all wood. Two simple beds were on either side of the room, standard white blankets and pillow, nothing special. In the corner of the room was a door with the words 'Bathroom' on it, a handy note. I unslung my small pack of items, mainly things like water and such, onto the bed at the right, sitting down on it with a sigh.

Alexia had said that the Ancient here was a two thousand year old Swamper to the others... but she had lied. I questioned her in private about it, and she revealed the target was a female human-Grimm by the name of Seraphim, who in fact was a transformed Uber Titano. I hadn't heard of it, and Port said nothing about it, so either it was just an Alpha version of a Titano, or if it was so rare that even Port didn't know about it. Regardless it was troubling. I wasn't arrogant, I knew that if this was true then even with all of us it was unlikely we could defeat her. But we could at least try, since it would be humiliating to all three teams if we fled without even encountering her. If it came down to it, me and Qrow would fight her. I didn't want to risk the others. Reality, Era and Adam could help, Adam because of his Semblance and Hunter-Grade skill.

Ruby flopped down on the bed next to me, sighing as she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and basking in the warm sunlight that came through the glass window. She'd changed her attire not long before we left, wearing a long-sleeve, light grey shirt with black belted cuffs near the ends of the sleeves. Over top of the grey shirt is a black pinafore with two vertical lines of red stitching that resemble the lacing on a corset. She was wearing her relatively-signature red skirt with a large black-coloured print of her rose emblem on the side of it, and the inside of her skirt is black. She still wears her black stockings and black-and-red boots. A few pieces of metal arranged in an abstract shape are attached to her sleeve on her left shoulder, likely as a form of armour such as a spaulder. As usual, she was wearing her red cape with this outfit. I think she called it her 'Slayer' outfit.

I remained in my cloak-like outfit that I had changed into upon becoming the leader of the Monochrome Knights. I idly picked up my scroll from my pocket and opened it, scrolling to my contacts, and clicked on Roman's tab, fingers already moving to send a message.

Anything to note? Movements? Plans? Activity? Anything?

Sending the short, vague message I turned my scroll into standby before pocketing it once more. Ruby leaned against me, humming as she had her headphones in, playing a song that had something to do with roses. I mentally shrugged it off and gently wrapped my arms around her, holding her to me in a gentle embrace as we relaxed for a few minutes, basking in the sunlight.

Sadly, it wasn't long before Qrow called from downstairs ''Alright kiddos! Time to get moving!''.

Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

After exiting Rockledge, it was a simple return journey out of the narrow passageway between the high mountain walls. When we exited near our starting position there was actually a ledge over the side of the cliff, which in turn had a rough natural stairway down the side of the steep slope. It showed off the majesty of the Mistralian mountainsides, a steep incline with spikes of rock and occasional cave entrances into the core of the mountain.

I whistled ''That's a nice view...''.

''I don't think Jaune agrees...'' Blake sweat-dropped from beside me, pointing to Jaune who looked like he was ready to bring up his breakfast, Pyrrha patting his back and laughing nervously. I chuckled and continued to admire the view, that is before the sound of hurling made the experience die off a little.

''I thought he had air-sickness?'' Reality asked with a cute frown.

''And a fear of heights as well, apparently'' Ren said, a small amused smile curling at his lips.

''Lets get going'' Qrow cut in seriously, but amusement also glinted in his eyes as he hopped off the edge and onto the platform fifteen feet below, his Aura easily taking the blow. Myself and the others followed suit, a dull thud coming from each of us as we impacted the ground. Without a word we all simultaneously began moving towards the path joined into the mountain, easily making our way down the slanted but non-steep pathway. We would probably reach the bottom in ten minutes, maybe longer.

Well we would have, if a yellowish laser suddenly impacting the path hadn't occurred. It immediately collapsed the outer section of the path and we all fled to the inner section against the wall, but one of us wasn't as lucky.

''Jaune!'' We all called as the blonde knight was caught up in the falling debris, calling back to us in panic as he was swept under by the brown hail. I had to restrain Pyrrha from running after him and Yang did the same with Ruby as we waited, the shaking lessening until fully ceasing. Immediately I went to the edge with the others behind me, grimacing at the sight of the grey and pristine incline now having a brown streak down the side, rocks and boulders jutting about from the small landslide. Worst part; no Jaune.

A small orange twinkle from the forest was the only alert I got before another laser beam of orange energy smashed into the ground at our feet, but we were more prepared and managed to get back again before we were swept away under the stone and dirt landslide. I narrowed my eyes and seamlessly activated my Dunkelheit, increasing my vision and hearing, but I still couldn't make out anything after the beam disappeared, since it was too far away.

''We need to get down there, fast'' Qrow called seriously as he began running down the slope, and after a moment of hesitation we all followed.

''I'll go ahead'' I informed before activating my SchattenSchritt, essentially blinking twenty-five feet ahead. It really was like blinking, I realised as I repeated the action. Darkness would consume my vision, and after it fled I would be in my target location, meaning that unless I was targeting a moving enemy I could teleport behind them and know that I could strike them, even while the darkness bled from my sight.

I neared the bottom when I felt a searing burning in my side, followed by an explosion as darkness consumed me, and not in a SchattenSchritt either.

Jaune Arc was not lucky by any means of the name. He'd always find someway to fall behind others, even to the point where students from smaller schools like Signal could beat him. Hell Ruby was still technically a Signal Student because of her age, and she was nearly the best in their year, then again she was a prodigy so that probably explained it. Either way, he was as lucky as a gambler on the street, and that wasn't very lucky.

A perfect example of this is when a motherfucking laser beam comes from absolutely nowhere and crashes into the mountain, destroying the ground under his feet and sending him sprawling down the mountain. He tried to call out to his friends, by life decided to fill his mouth with dirt for that attempt. All he could feel was hurting all over, dirt in his mouth and eyes, and another beam of energy passing over his head. He didn't know how long he tumbled down the stony mountain, but when he stopped he couldn't move for several minutes because he hurt so much. Thankfully his Aura healed him, after about five minutes that is.

I groaned as I got to my feet ''Ow...''.

I was in the forest below, large trees with roots growing all over the place. I rolled my shoulders as I drew Crocea Mors, aware that Grimm were likely to have heard. I could see the mountain, so I could just walk alongside the mountain. Nodding to myself I began to tread towards where the path would drop off at. I only got thirty feet or so before a fallen tree blocked my path. Because of its positioning I had to go into the forest to get around it, so I raised my shield and tried to remain as quiet as possible as I walked.

I froze when I heard a growl, turned around and paled. Behind me was a pure-black Grimm, that or it was a very angry panther, but the crimson eyes implied which one it was. I backed up slowly, raising my shield and pointing my sword out around my shield as I backed up. Abruptly it shot at me like a bullet, and I grunted as I rammed into my shield, its claws digging into my shoulders and I yelped as I fell back. However I was surprised further when I hit something that felt like wood, but instead of stopping I fell through it, wind immediately whipping past me. The panther creature growled and acting on instinct I spun on the air, and I paled as I saw the rapidly approaching ground. The creature tried to bite at my head, but before it could fully manoeuver its head we impact the ground.

My whole frame shook and I cried out in pain as the nails in my shoulder dug in deeper, before the body under me went slack. I looked down slowly, trying to reign in my breathing at the dead panther creature, its back split open with blood and bones scattered about. I tore my eyes from it and grimaced, but remembered my training from Pyrrha and examined my surroundings. I was in a dark, damp cave that was the epitome of creepy. It was fairly well lit because of a hole in the ceiling where I fell from, illuminating the cave. A waterfall was in one corner of the room, filling a small lake that never seemed to fill up and almost glowed, but I dismissed it as the sunlight shining on it. So far; a creepy cave. Without any exits.

I sighed ''Fuck''.

A rapid clacking noise drew my attention to the other side of the cave, where a truly giant Deathstalker stood, glaring at me.

''Double Fuck''.

When Eien's eyes fluttered open, all he saw was white for a long moment. He felt a faint surge of panic that he'd lost his sight - meaning Life herself would have to restore it - but that tiny amount of panic faded when the white disappeared. Spots remained in my vision, but they were slowly fading. Idly glancing down I cringed at my burnt cloak, part of my top missing and the skin a fresh pink. Wherever that laser came from must've, no, definitely struck dead-on with me. The dull pain lingered, and the fading Aura from Life's Mark indicated that I was once again healed by her gift, something I was beginning to become more and more thankful for - I was basically becoming invincible, all things concerned.

Shaking those megalomaniac-ish thoughts from my head, I slowly sat up, careful not to move too suddenly, before getting to my feet. The world swayed dangerously, but my brain slowly corrected itself and my centre of gravity returned after a few moments. I pulled a bullet out from my vest and seamlessly transformed it into Judgement, swinging it around experimentally before scanning my surroundings. I was in the vast forest-come-incredibly-dense-forest below the mountain, after the beam presumably caused an explosion that knocked me off or something of the like. I'd have to be careful, as the Grimm in this area was probably double if not triple the difficulty of the ones near Vale.

I was assured of this when a low growl came from the forest and I easily found the crimson orbs of a Grimm, which as it left the bushes revealed itself to be a very large Ursa. It had a row of large spines down its back and was nearly reaching the canopy of the shorter trees. Its legs were fairly armoured too. I was about to engage it in a fight when I remembered the recently gained and relatively unused ability to create a Grimm Mask, so I eyed the Ursa's mask as it attempted intimidation, roaring at me while I create a recreation of the mask. The dark energy formed into a solid Ursa mask, and with haste I brought it to my face and heard it make a soft click as it locked on, despite there being no locking mechanisms.

I looked at the Ursa, who had now stopped, its gaze showing its confusion.

'Leave. Now' I ordered bluntly, testing its reaction. It hesitated, unsure. Was the mask really so effective in dissuading a Grimm, when it was very clear I was human? Or is it because of my lack of ability to feel fear that prevents them from fully identifying me as a human, so they choose to flee?

My question was left unanswered as it turned and ran, crushing trees in its wake. I left the mask on and reached out my senses with my Aura, a rather common technique done by anyone who had a modicum of control. My senses were pricked as I felt Jaune below surface level not far from here, about three hundred metres.

He wasn't alone.

And I didn't mean the Grimm with him.

I bolted as fast as I could.

Jaune let out a gasp of pain as he was sent flying across the cavern once more by a lazy swipe of the Deathstalker. He didn't know how old it was, since he only paid a limited amount of attention in Grimm studies and it was hard to identify them in the first place, but it was obviously several centuries, maybe even a millennium. It was huge and had armour all over, even on the underbelly. One of the biggest concerns was the flame-like Dust on its tail that it had yet to even use, and even though it had no decipherable expression, I had the feeling it was smirking tauntingly. It had barely used its tail, and I had yet to draw blood from it. Any attempts were met with cuts in its armour, but it forced me to back off before I could land a lethal blow. It was both annoying and terrifying.

I got to my feet, my vision swimming slightly as the fear came back once again, rising in my chest and making me light-headed from panic. Or the blood running down the side of my head, either one really. I raised Crocea Mors again, my shield in a strained grip and my sword barely clasped in my trembling fingers. I was going to die, I knew that, but dammit it would at least mean something to die like a hero, and not a ragdoll! The others wouldn't die out like this. He was a leader, and if he died his team would be thrown into disarray. Especially Pyrrha. Nora and Ren had each other, but I was her partner, if I wasn't there...

A tingling sensation ran over my skin and I shivered slightly. Looks like the cold must be getting to me... great, so not only am I a ragdoll I'll die from the cold. Fabulous. I can't see any of the others dying out as pitifully as I was about to. Yang would take down her opponents with her, Ruby and Pyrrha wouldn't fall until all innocents had left the area, and even then they'd fight to the bitter end. Ren and Nora would either die together or avenge the other in a blaze/hail of glory. Blake and Weiss would go down fighting, taking as many with them as possible. And Eien? I honestly couldn't see him dying in the first place, but if he did I'd see him slaughter the entire enemy army before dying, as morbid as it sounds. And yet he'd die on his own, in a damp cave, to the cold and a Duststalker.

A glow drew my attention and I realised it was the Duststalker, its tail reared back as it glowed crimson, wisps of orange flames dancing off it occasionally. It was staring at me in nigh-boredom. A fucking Duststalker was BORED of him! I glared back as I stumbled into the correct position, the tingling sensation of the cold far more apparent than it was before.

If I was going to die, then I was going down fighting, motherfucker!

It growled lowly as its tail reared back a few inches further, before jolting forwards as a fireball formed, screaming towards me with the roar of fire accompanying it. My body wasn't even using conscious action or thoughts, instead I let instinct take over as I raised my shield, the tingling of the cold even more apparent. The flames impacted with a furious 'clang' as the shield heated up, but it quickly faded into a warm sensation. I was pushed back, but I didn't stop. I roared in challenge to the Grimm as I charged, my whole body practically trembling as I felt stronger than ever before. I didn't dwell for a moment as I raised my sword.

Channelling the tingling feeling as a white glow surrounded me, I screamed with all my might as I swung, impacting its raised pincers and creating a titanic arc of pure white energy that shot at the Duststalker. It screeched in pain as the beam struck it, but it died off in seconds as it was disintegrated. When the beam reached the end of the Duststalker it disintegrated into wisps of energy. I stared, panting and wide-eyed as I tried to understand why my Aura reacted in such a way... unless... it was my Semblance? Then again dad always said my great grandfather turned the tide in the war with his Semblance, which he channelled through Crocea Mors. Huh.

I grinned as I meant to take a step back, but the world spun, and all too soon darkness enveloped my vision.

I jumped out of my SchattenSchritt once again, ignoring the burn on my Aura as it cleared another thirty metres. I was about to take another step when the whole world shook like an earthquake and I stumbled, falling onto my front with a grunt. Without hesitation I got to my feet, glancing around for any Grimm, before continuing. A flare of Aura from Jaune made me worried that he'd been attacked by a Duststalker, or worse he found some Dust and made a last-ditch attempt at killing his opponents.

I conserved my Aura as I took to running the last seventy metres through the dense forest, any Grimm ignoring me - to my relief. The human Aura signature was closing in on him as his dwindled to almost nothing, but he was still alive and the Grimm was gone. I pushed my muscles to their natural limits as I jumped over a fallen tree, spotting a hole in the ground fifteen feet away. I used SchattenSchritt to clear the rest of the way, appearing at the top of the hole, and my eyes immediately narrowed. Jaune was unconscious, but a woman stood over him, who immediately turned their gaze on me the moment I appeared.

The person, presumably female, was wearing a shallow cut black dress, five necklaces with an assortment of beads, a red girdle-belt, and a pair of matching gauntlets. An object that looks to be made from feathers hangs from the right side of her skirt. She also wears black, thigh-length boots with a red splatter pattern. Her most distinctive feature is a fearsome, full-face mask that resembles the face of a Grimm. The mask has four eye slits, further enhancing the character's inhuman appearance.

I jumped down immediately, pointing Judgement at her ''Back away from him''.

She obliged, slowly walking backwards, one hand on her blade. She said nothing, but I could make out crimson eyes behind the slits in the mask. I presumed they were eyes. We stared off for almost two whole minutes, with me standing between her and Jaune, and her staring me down. Eventually she turns slowly, drawing the blade.

''Who are you?'' I asked sternly, narrowed eyes not moving from her form. She didn't reply, but slashed at the air, creating a black and red portal. Teleportation? I couldn't let her escape, after all I didn't know if she was ally or foe, hell she could be Cinder's minion for all I knew, given the White Fang mask. She took a step towards the portal and I fired Judgement instantly, a bullet whizzing a few millimetres away from her chest, making her stop to glare at me ''Answer me''.

''I am an ally'' She said crisply, but didn't give me the answer I wanted.

''And how can I be sure of your word?'' I pointed out, Judgement still aimed at the portal, prepared to fire at her if she fled - presuming the bullet went with her that is.

''He is still alive'' She intoned, gesturing to Jaune.

''I got here before you could do anything'' I pointed out again, my free hand moving to my side as I mentally sent my intent to Eleanor.

She glared unwaveringly ''If you were an enemy, you'd be long dead''.

''Is that so?'' I quipped slowly ''Because you're wearing the mask of my enemies, so that doesn't put any points in your favour''.

She didn't answer. I had my answer though.

''You're coming back with me'' I stated as I summoned my Sigil, Eleanor rising from it as I did the same for Neo.

''I will not'' She retorted, a tad coldly.

''I thought you were an ally?'' I quipped as I prepared for a SchattenSchritt ''Allies don't run from allies''.

She snorted, amused ''Allies don't force allies to come back with them''.

''True'' I acknowledged ''But allies don't force allies to come with them, because they wouldn't be allies otherwise''.

She narrowed her eyes, now understanding my wording.

''Eleanor'' I said slowly ''Engage, don't let her escape, incapacitate''.

Without waiting for an answer I activated SchattenSchritt and deformed in front of my now-partner, instead reforming to her side. She was mildly surprised, but her eyes shined with understanding of all things as she spun and blocked my strike from Judgement. I grunted as her foot connected with my stomach, forcing me to use SchattenSchritt to move a few feet back as her blade crashed down where I was, splitting the ground. Eleanor came in from the side as her Sai slid from her sleeves into her hands, but the mysterious woman reacted flawlessly, blade blurring and blocking the smaller blades with ease, and with a forceful shove knocked Eleanor back.

Eleanor charged in and I raised my hand, Aura flowing through to Fragment ''Insho: Juryoku''.

A black Sigil appeared above her, and gravity immediately intensified, and thankfully Eleanor move back before she was caught in the effects. The woman glared at me as she surprisingly raised her blade despite the gravity, so I repeated the chant and formed another Sigil above the first, making her drop to her knees with a gasp of pain as gravity was probably twenty times stronger than normal, but her glare remained. I wasn't done though, as I had yet to incapacitate her.

I moved to her front with a SchattenSchritt, hand raised ''Insho: Chikara''.

She was sent flying back into the wall behind her, but remained under the effects of the gravity.

''Insho: Raito'' I intoned as a pale blue Sigil appeared in front of me, and with great precision I controlled the flow of ice and it swamped her lower half in ice. Immediately I dismissed the gravity Sigils with my intent, dissipating into wisps of smoke. She glared at me as she struggled, but thankfully the ice held strong, everything below her waist - at the moment, including her arms - frozen, but wouldn't 'die' or get fatal frostbite for a few minutes, which was all I needed.

She glared at me as I walked up to her, arms struggling to move as I stopped a foot away. Slowly I raised my hand and grabbed the mask, and ignoring her angry threats, pulled it off. I was unashamedly shocked as I was faced with a Yang clone, down to her fringe style. Her eyebrows were a little higher and her hair wasn't the normal blonde I knew, but she looked like Yang regardless.

''What...?'' I said, mixed between shock and confusion. Logically speaking she might be a relative, as Yang had never brought up a mother or cousin, and she probably didn't have an elder sister, she wouldn't have forgot to mention her. I knew Ruby's mother was dead after going out on a mission, since she told me, but even Ruby knew only a little about Yang's mother, and that was that she left when Yang was young - just disappeared, never confirmed dead.

''My name is Raven'' She stated coolly, mixed between anger and resignation.

''Raven...?''.

''Branwen'' She replied with a fierce glare, and I was once again left stunned.

''So... that means you're related to Qrow'' I said slowly and was taken aback when she narrowed her eyes, but I saw fear dancing in those crimson orbs.

''How do you know that name?'' She demanded.

I sighed, rolling my eyes ''What's with people demanding information from me? You could ask nicely''.

She glared, not amused ''Please''.

''One step at a time, I suppose'' I mocked lightly, before answering her question ''I know him because Professor Ozpin introduced us when I helped revive a special individual at Beacon''.

''...I see'' She responded, slightly calmer, but still glaring.

''Welp, time to bring you back to Rockledge with me'' I smiled at her disarmingly ''If you'd drop your weapon, then I won't have to break your arm''.

She snorted ''I've had to deal with better threats than that, kid''.

I smirked ''Well I'm not against it, as I can heal the wound after, so its your choice - drop your weapon, or I'll break your arm and take it anyway. No harm will come to it, and I'll give it back to you later, but I just want to make sure you can't escape or will chop my arm off in the process''.

Raven grumbled something and I saw her release the sword from her grip under the blanket of ice, so I willed a specific part of it to melt and it obeyed, disintegrating into a dusty liquid and I reached in. I grabbed the sword by the handle and pulled it out, away from her grip before handing the sword to Eleanor, who had the slightest of difficulties of holding the large blade.

''Eleanor, take it back with you, don't let anyone touch it and stay by it at all times, and be prepared to bring it out when I call you'' I said sternly to Eleanor, who nodded as she disappeared into a Sigil, taking the sword with her. I moved to Jaune and put Crocea Mors in the correct position on his body, before gently hefting him up over my shoulder, careful not to hurt him. After that was done I moved over to Raven, dissipating the ice with a mental command. She didn't move immediately, staring at me as if trying to predict my actions.

''Turn around, hands behind you'' I ordered and she reluctantly complied. I pulled a bullet out and, after picturing it in my head, transformed it into a pair of handcuffs. I clipped them on, noting that I forgot to make a key or a way to unclip them since I hadn't needed to make handcuffs before, but overall dismissed the thought. She was older, stronger and more experiences than I was, so I had to be careful about this. I led her silently to the middle of the room where a hole in the ceiling was and created a 'blank' Sigil beneath me, and - as Weiss had showed me - slowly forced the Sigil to move. It was harder than it seemed, as the Sigil's were not meant to be moved after being placed. Moving it with my mind probably didn't help matters.

Still it worked, and with a low hum the plain white Sigil raised us into the air as it became solid enough to support our weight. I dismissed the headache I was gaining from the strain and waited until we were equal with ground level and off the Sigil before dismissing it, letting it fade from existence.

''That's quite an interesting Semblance'' Raven commented, nodding to the fading Sigil, arms bound behind her.

''That's not my Semblance'' I chuckled, amused ''Though people have mistaken it before''.

''Hm... an Aura Construction?'' She hummed, making idle chatter as she followed my slow footfalls back towards where I could make out the others, three hundred metres away. Raven didn't seem to notice.

''Aura Construction?'' I repeated, curious ''I haven't heard of those, and they haven't taught those at Beacon, at least not yet''.

''You're a student?'' She asked, actually seeming surprised.

I blinked at her, though she probably couldn't see it behind both the mask and my hood ''Of course. What did you think I was?''.

She shrugged ''A young Hunter, or a White Fang member, given the mask''.

''Oh, this?'' I asked, pointing to the mask ''It discourages the Grimm. I haven't experimented with it fully, but for the most part I can discourage most older Grimm, but the younger ones tend not to care and attack anyway - but they're easy to kill, so there's that''.

''Mm'' Raven hummed back, but her ruby eyes were calculating behind the re-equipped mask. Abruptly she stiffened as we entered a small clearing, eyes widening behind the bone mask as her whole body froze. I extended my senses and easily picked up the Aura of the others, about one hundred and fifty metres away, but Ruby was closing in at fifty metres... thirty... ten.

She burst through the treeline, weapon in hand as she locked eyes with me, smiling widely ''You're okay!''.

''Yep'' I smiled as she reached me, completely ignoring Raven as she patted the areas where the wounds were healed, but the clothes not ''It wasn't anything serious... I think, I was unconscious at the time''.

She sighed, putting her hands on her hips with an adorable pout ''Don't worry me like that...''.

I chuckled, ruffling her head and giving her a peck on her head ''You okay?''.

''Mm'' She smiled, pulling at the hem of her skirt before noticing Jaune and the other woman ''Uh...''.

''Raven Branwen'' I say, gesturing to the frozen Raven ''Jaune was unconscious when I found him, but he took some Grimm with him''.

''Oh... that's cool'' She smiled and turned to Raven ''Hi I'm Ruby!''.

Raven didn't respond at first, but uttered a quiet ''Hello...''.

''Ruby!~'' I heard Yang's voice call and once again Raven became even more stiff, even going as far as to try and struggle out of the handcuffs.

I frowned and locked eyes with the elder woman ''Don't bother, they're made from Adamantite, and there aren't any unlocking mechanisms - my Semblance is the only way out of them''.

She glared again, and I sighed as I placed Jaune on the ground ''And here I thought we were making progress...''.

Yang came bursting through the trees with Nora and Ren, cheerful until quite literally skidding to a stop, eyes wide. Qrow came a second later, also skidding to a stop as his crimson eyes widened dramatically. Raven took one step back and I immediately grabbed her by the arm, but she showed her strength as she dragged me with her in her unconscious movement.

''Really...?'' I drawled, annoyed ''I know I'm not the heaviest individual... but seriously?''.

''Raven?'' Qrow said quietly, walking towards us as Raven looked torn between running and freezing. Yang looked between remembering something and confused, so was ignored. The elder Hunter stopped a few feet away and Raven had finally stopped too, thankfully, and the two initiated a stare-off. We all waited in silence as the two siblings stared off, before Raven eventually sighed as she reached up and grabbed the mask, pulling it off and putting it on her belt. The moment her face was revealed, a quiet gasp spread throughout my friends and Yang's jaw dropped, but remained silent.

''Its been a while...'' Raven began, locking eyes with the taller Branwen ''...Brother''.

''It has'' He nodded, smiling lightly ''And it seems like a first year student managed to capture you... you haven't gotten soft, have you?''.

She twitched, annoyed ''He caught me off guard''.

''Its true'' I smiled politely ''I don't doubt she could defeat me easily''.

''Hmph'' Raven smirked smugly, before Ruby spoke up quietly.

''Um... why do you look like Yang?'' She said quietly, looking even younger than normal, like a lost child. Raven clenched her jaw and looked to Qrow, who gave her a stern glare. She responded with a pleading look and clenched fists, but he just continued with the look. They ended the silent conversation, Raven looking both annoyed and... worried.

''That's because... I'm her mother'' She said quietly, sternly, almost emotionlessly. Her reply gained the expected response of wide-eyed looks from everyone, especially Yang and by extension Ruby. I almost flinched when Yang spoke, but Raven did so, heavily.

''M-Mom?''.

Before any other conversation could start, Reality abruptly screamed ''Eien! Duck!''.

Acting more on instinctive reaction than conscious decision, I obeyed and managed to lower a few centimetres before an orange beam screamed past me, burning my shoulder and cheek as it nearly took my head off. I spun around and caught sight of a figure before it disappeared into the bushes, and I didn't hesitate to follow. I burst into SchattenSchritt towards them, reaching the treeline in a second and catching sight of the figure, but they were cloaked in the shadows of the trees.

Pure white eyes (without any iris, pupil, only silver sclera) stared at me. Glared at me even, before a palm was raised at me where an orange circle because present. It glowed before another beam shot at me, tearing through my side before I could move and making me gasp in pain, unable to muffle the noise. The person glared as they raised the other palm, and I rolled to the side, letting the beam pass me and explode against the ground behind me. I ignored my current wounds, seeing as they would heal soon, and swung Judgement at the hidden figure. They moved back and disappeared deeper into the forest, out of my reach.

I sighed as I clutched a hand to my side, blood running through my fingers as I stumbled back to the group ''They got away''.

''So that was the person firing the energy beams?'' Emerald asked, looking at my wounds and wincing ''Damn, you okay?''.

''Eh... it'll heal in a moment or two'' I shrugged. To emphasis this point my hand glowed as Life's Mark activated on its own, my wounds closing with a soft green glow and the burns fading, replaced by a cool relaxing feeling, like a cold pillow ''The energy is low though, so I doubt I can withstand any more wounds like that''.

''Eh? But it shouldn't be that low already...'' Reality frowned, walking up to me and taking off my gauntlet, examining the mark ''...that's odd... maybe because of the damage you took earlier?''.

''Maybe, the beam hit me in my side, so it might've pierced through multiple organs and came out the other end, possibly hit my lung if it aimed higher'' I shrugged nonchalantly.

She gave me a flat look ''You're an idiot''.

''Don't we know that'' Weiss and Blake mumbled, Ruby and Yang still apparently locked in shock as Raven looked back awkwardly.

''I survive'' I shrugged as I pulled out another bullet, picturing my cloak in mind before it transformed in a flash. I picked up my current cloak and let it disintegrate at my command, the soul shard inside having disappeared/melded with it long ago. I put on my reformed cloak, idly noting the blush on Reality cheeks, to which I raised a quizzical eyebrow at.

''What?''.

''Don't just get changed in front of others'' She berated, looking away. I just chuckled and ruffled her hair playfully, making her blush darken as she tried to swipe my hand away. I turned my gaze back to the others to find Yang and Ruby were both hugging Raven, who awkwardly just stood there, resting her head on Yang's head. I smiled and mentally pulled the shard back from the handcuffs, making them turn to ash. Raven seemed surprised, but when she spotted me she just smiled and gave a faint nod before wrapping her arms around both Yang and Ruby.

I walked up to Qrow, who was standing not far from them ''What do we do now?''.

''Probably head back to Rockledge, ask if they know anything about the laser-shooting Grimm'' He replied quietly, eyes distant.

''What about Raven? I have her weapon, but she could try teleporting with a red portal - but I don't think she'll leave without her weapon'' I replied even quieter as both me and Qrow subtly walked away from the group to speak alone.

''...I don't know'' He finally responded with a tired sigh ''Raven and I have very different views, and she left when Yang was a baby for some mission or another, so I don't know if she will stay to prevent breaking Yang's heart again, or if she'll continue to persist on her mission''.

I grimaced ''I don't want to see Yang or Ruby heartbroken... they've gone without mothers for years from what they've told me, and I only managed to beat Raven because I took her by surprise, so if she tried to leave I wouldn't be able to stop her if she had her weapon, or even if she's good enough with her fists''.

He sighed again ''I'll talk to her about it, lets just get back to Rockledge''.

''We've barely did anything and we're already retreating?'' I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

''Jaune's unconscious and I don't want any of you dead on me'' He shrugged ''Besides JNPR took a few blows on the way here, plus my word goes, so c'mon''.

I smirked ''Alright gramps''.

He glared ''If you weren't dating Ruby, I'd smash you into the ground for that''.

I chuckled ''Eh, I'd spar with you if you want to smash me around''.

He grinned ''Heh, I'll take you up on that later kid''.

''I await it'' I returned the grin.

By the time we returned up the hill, and me and Weiss elevated us back up to the towns' level, it was nearly five. The sun was already beginning to dip and basking the mountains in an orange hue. We returned to our accommodation and Pyrrha took Jaune back to his bed, and Ren safely concluded it was only Aura depletion, and he'll be fine. Raven came with us willingly, holding a quiet conversation with Yang and Ruby on the return journey.

Currently they were sat in the common area, on chairs or on the couches, all talking cheerfully and eating in the evening light. I was sat at the bar with Qrow, having finished a bowl of noodles and now drinking the same minty wine I had at Junior's. Must be a popular brand if an out-of-the-way place like this had it.

''You know I'm not legally allowed to sell that to you, even if you are a student'' Lavender drawled as I took a sip of my drink, savouring the taste.

''Eh... I got shot by a laser, gimme a break'' I chuckled, amused at the Huntresses' faux sternness ''Besides all students are allowed to drink anyway, and Qrow does it''.

''Point'' She shrugged as she gave a playful glare at Qrow ''You're passing on your bad habits to the youth of today''.

''...meh'' Qrow shrugged, only to get a whop on the head from Lavender ''Mean''.

''Its called discipline'' She snickered ''And you look like you could use some''.

''Oh yeah?'' Qrow challenged with a smirk ''You couldn't handle me''.

''Geez, get a room while your at it'' I rolled my eyes, smirking when I got both adults to splutter in embarrassment. I guess Yang was rubbing off on me.

''You've rubbed off on him too much Qrow'' Lavender grumbled, a blush still present on her cheeks as she went to clean a glass.

''I've only known him for less than a few months'' Qrow shot back, taking a swig of his flask ''Not my fault''.

''And its not my fault also that you two take so long to get a room'' I sniped back cheerfully, taking a sip as Qrow glared at me, but held no malice behind the glare, only embarrassment ''I believe Yang is an influence on my behaviour, so blame her''.

''Adda boy Eien!'' Yang called from the couch cheerfully, getting a grumble from Qrow.

''So... do you know anything about the attacks earlier?'' Qrow finally asked, quietly and the others didn't appear to hear, sans Blake.

Lavender hummed thoughtfully, twirling some hair on her finger ''Not particularly. Its happened before, but we've just presumed it was these Dust-Grimm that have been appearing... but its not, is it?''.

''It was human'' I confirmed ''I couldn't see much, but it had silver eyes - no iris, no pupil, just pure silver sclera''.

''That's odd'' Qrow frowned ''You're lieutenant said that it was an ancient Grimm, not a humanoid one''.

''Yeah well she lied'' I sighed ''She didn't want to panic us, so she told me in private - a humanoid Uber Titano''.

Both of the Hunters stiffened at the name, and I cocked a brow at them ''Something you'd like to tell me?''.

''Uber Titano haven't been seen in centuries'' Lavender said quietly, elegantly folding her hands to make a platform for her chin ''The name implies it all; they're similar to Titano's, but even stronger. Most don't know about them, and those who do like to keep their existence quiet. The lasers likely belong to it, as Uber Titano was rumoured to have such an ability, making them one of the strongest Grimm in existence''.

''Interesting'' I nodded slowly ''But why was it attacking us? It aimed for our group and ended up knocking Jaune down the mountain, but when I tried moving down the mountain I was struck directly by a beam, and later I was also a target... any particular reason?''.

''Maybe because you're one of the strongest?'' Lavender suggested with a smirk, getting an annoyed glare from Qrow.

''Qrow's stronger, same goes for Reality and Era'' I dismissed.

Qrow hummed, ignoring the compliment ''Maybe because you were wearing the Grimm mask?''.

''Maybe'' I hummed, looking at my palm ''Or maybe someone wants rid of me before I can interfere with their plans''.

''You're obsessed with killing Cinder, you know that right?'' Qrow said dryly.

I looked away, clicking my tongue ''Am not... she's just too... evil, and I can't see her switching sides and becoming good. She's done crimes worse than the White Fang have in recent years, and if what Ozpin said was true then she likely has an equally evil overseer, meaning removing Cinder from the equation is the most viable option, no matter the cost''.

Qrow and Lavender didn't say anything, leaving it at that.

Outside of Rockledge, a lone figure wearing a black hood walked up towards the gate, head down. Their footsteps were quiet, coming to a stop outside the gate as tired and semi-drunk watchmen came to the front of the towers, looking down blearily at the figure.

''State your name and p-purpose!~''.

The figure smirked.

''Seraphim, A-Class Hunter, here to help with Operation Black Storm''.

''Geez another one? Alright come in...'' The man grumbled as the gate slowly began to rise, allowing the figure to enter. As the figure entered the town, her words carried through the air to unhearing ears.

''Fools... this will be your demise... for Lady Salem''.

Empty silver eyes scanned around the person, before leaving to a more secluded part of the town.

A/N: So~ How'd you like it? Things are picking up now and coming to the season end! Seraphim has been revealed, Eien captured Raven, Jaune awakened his Semblance and Operation Black Storm had finally begun!

As a reply to your unasked question; Eien's ''Spirits'' (Neo, Eleanor, Doran, etc.) can bring physical objects with them into his soul, but only for a limited time, otherwise they just get absorbed as it is the nature of his soul. Sorry if I'm making things overly complicated.

Jaune's Semblance is relatively self-explanatory, but encase you didn't understand; he shot a beam of condensed Aura at the Deathstalker. Now obviously there will be other things it can do, as it will be quite a powerful Semblance since its Jaune's, but you won't get to see that until later.

Seraphim will be powerful, that's a given. How powerful? Wait until later. Will Raven stick around? Who knows? I do. Anyone foresee what Seraphim's plan is? It might be obvious, or maybe not... meh.

Thank you to all who have favorited, followed and reviewed! Its really nice knowing people like the story~

Bai-Bai~