No update next week.


Cover Art: GWBrex

Chapter 41


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Terrorist attack in Vale committed by Atlas citizens shocks country – all parties call for calm.

Atlas Times

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Arc's hospital work on hiatus for fears of safety to other patients. Headmaster Ozma assures citizens Jaune Arc will be busy saving lives elsewhere. Vale Council summons Atlas ambassador to answer questions on terrorist attack.

Vale Daily Tribune

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Councilman raises concern that Mistral should not house Jaune Arc: "no kingdom is prepared for such responsibility, and each kingdom to host him this far has descended into chaos."

The Mistral Review

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Gillian Asturias instrumental in thwarting terrorist attack in Vale but rejects pleas of Vale Council to serve as living battery for Jaune Arc. "My responsibility is to the people of Vacuo first."

Vacuo Today

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White Fang decry terrorist attack on hospital waiting room that killed children.

Kuo Kuana Express

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The Bullhead's engines thrummed as they travelled over the forests of Vale and away from the city. As he watched the tall buildings and walls fade into the distance he felt free in more ways than one, elated to a point that his typical motion sickness didn't once rear its ugly head. Out here in the middle of nowhere it was just him, Elm, the pilot and the team dispatched from Beacon. They weren't specifically chosen to look after him because that was Elm's job. Rather, they were there as Beacon's primary response to a crisis in a small farming village a good distance from the city. They would have been dispatched anyway, both a learning experience and a responsibility, and he was being sent along to help out, while Elm was standing in for a Beacon professor who would have had to shadow the team otherwise.

Team CFVY were an agreeable and affable bunch who were more than a little contrasting in their mannerisms. Velvet was polite but shy, and he wasn't sure if that was her being starstruck at his fame or just a personality trait. Yatsuhashi was quiet and introspective, not so much as raising an eyebrow on seeing Jaune, while Fox just grinned and shook his hand, then asked Elm some questions about their last lesson together. Team CFVY were a third year team, so they had access to Elm's special guest classes and Fox was apparently a big fan. Their leader, Coco, was chatty and ridiculously forward, but honestly seemed more interested in hearing about Atlas than him, which was a welcome surprise.

To huntresses and huntsmen, he just wasn't that interesting. His Semblance was powerful, but they'd seen and dealt with a wide variety of equally powerful Semblances. Coco happily urged Velvet to share her own, which might not have been as "politically" big of a deal as Jaune's was, but still sounded downright insane.

"You can copy not only weapons but fighting styles!?" asked Jaune. "That's insane! That's, like, why are you even in Beacon when you could just copy the strongest huntress in the world and be done with it?"

"Um. The law mostly. I need to learn more than just fighting." Velvet played with one of her ears, smiling as she glanced out the window. "Beacon teaches strategy and law, and what to do in certain situations and I can't copy those. Plus, it's thought that if I also have a strong combat base before I add my Semblance on top then I'll be even stronger."

"That's a good attitude," said Elm. "I've dealt with too many idiots who rely solely on their Semblance. And I've seen those that do the opposite too, and they're some of the most impressive people you see. Winter Schnee is a good example. Skilled without her Semblance, and even more powerful when she weaves it in."

Velvet smiled. "That's the idea."

It was strange to feel this happy just for being on a Bullhead in the air with a bunch of strangers, but he did feel happy. It wasn't so much at having something to do and more about being away from people. Out here in the wilderness it was just the six of them, and no one here was about to judge him lazy for not being at the hospital. Mercury's idea of vanishing into the wilderness kept getting better and better.

"Do teams from Beacon always go on missions like this, then?" asked Jaune.

"Only the upper years," answered Coco. "Your fiancée and her team will get a couple of field trips as a full class with Miss Goodwitch watching them like a mother hen, but when you hit third year you start to go out on team mission shadowed by a teacher."

"You saved us having Port," said Fox.

"And for that you have our eternal gratitude." added Yatsuhashi, not even joking.

"Yeah, Port is an experience," laughed Coco. "You get to do team missions alone in your fourth year. The idea is to get us ready for being proper huntsmen and so that if we make any mistakes or have any questions, we still have people to ask. Work experience, basically."

"It sounds like a good system," said Jaune. He turned to Elm. "Does Atlas do similar?"

"Yes. Though our field trips are more common in all years and are usually bundled into assessment tests with rewards and punishments for those who do well or poorly. You basically get a field exam every two months." Elm smirked at the groans from Team CFVY. "Field experience is important, children. The only reason Vale doesn't need to push for more is because you have a forest filled with Grimm on your border. Shade has the same with the desert, but Atlas Academy floats above Mantle so our students can't exactly wander off when they want to fight."

"To add to that," continued Elm. "You kiddos are going to be in charge here. Jaune and I will do as you ask, within reason, but I won't be stepping in to protect you unless you really need it. Jaune will be a non-com, but he's agreed to help out if anyone at the village is dead."

"Thanks for that by the way," said Velvet. "It's the worst feeling to get there too late and not be able to help them."

"It's fine. I'm happy to help." He was surprised to find he meant that, and that Velvet's praise didn't even feel bad. Maybe it was because she wasn't demanding it but instead thanking him for what he freely offered. Or it was because her reasons for wanting it weren't that she felt she deserved it. Both would have been common in Vale and Atlas both, with people demanding to know what he was doing and why he wasn't slaving away for their benefit.

The Bullhead came into land in a clearing outside a village that was surprisingly more advanced looking than he'd imagined. Ansel was a proper village, almost a town really, and a retirement home for huntsmen. This was a frontier farming outpost that fed its harvest back to Vale. Vale's population was obviously massive, and it certainly couldn't sustain itself on the limited farmland outside the walls. Vale as a country was relatively green and fertile – compared to Vacuo and Atlas, anyway – but the most fertile soil was usually located in certain locations near rivers or in valleys, and people had to set up villages wherever that was.

This village had a stone concrete wall, spiked barricades at the base, above a dug-out ditch about five feet deep, and motorised gates that could be closed or shut from within. The gate was open right now, and big – the reason being obvious when a huge farming tractor was parked just outside it with a wide attachment on the back for sowing seeds. There were a couple of people armed with rifles outside keeping an eye out, and one of them approached their landing zone and waited for them all to get off. Their eyes focused on the team and Elm, passing over and then dismissing him.

Did they not know who he was…?

"You're the team from Beacon, then?" asked the man. He had grey hair and a grey beard flecked with little bits of orange to hint at his old hair colour. He looked weathered, but more in a sun-kissed countryside sort of way than as a soldier like Elm. This was a man who'd spent decades working in fields in the sun. "The name's Howard. Good to have ya here."

"Team CFVY." Coco introduced them all quickly, including Jaune and Elm. Yet again, no reaction. Jaune found himself desperately curious about that but kept quiet. This wasn't his show. "Can you give us an update on the situation? We know there are Grimm involved."

"They came last night. Attacked two farmers still outside the walls and killed them." Last night? Too long ago to be brought back. Jaune winced. "They managed to raise the alarm before they went down, brave bastards that they were, and we were able to close the gate in time to keep them out. We manned the walls and dealt with any that tried to get in, but most of them wandered off when it was clear we weren't going to be easy pickings. We reported it in and called for aid either way, and we've been cautious going out this morning. Haven't been any sightings or attacks yet but everyone is nervous."

"Totally understandable. You did the right thing calling it in. We'll do a check of the nearby woods and track down the Grimm – they usually don't bother hiding their tracks. We'll cull them in the area and come back for the night, then stay over and do the same tomorrow to make sure we get them all. How does that sound?"

Howard smiled, sagging a little in obvious relief. "That sounds downright perfect, little missy. You have no idea how much this means to us all. I'll tell those inside and I'll get you all made up some rooms at the local inn. Will your teacher and your friend be going with you, or do they want to hang about here?"

"We'll stay in the village," said Elm. "Defence if anything does go wrong, and Jaune is a non-combatant, though he can fight if needs be." Her hand found his shoulder. "I trust the four of you won't have any trouble with Grimm out there."

Coco snorted. "Don't doubt us Valeans. We kick ass."

"Is that so?" Elm chuckled. "Then go prove that and stop saying it. I respect actions, girl. Not words."

Team CFVY laughed and walked quickly off in the direction of the nearest woods, while Howard offered to show them into the village proper. Given the concrete walls, he expected the houses inside to be made of the same material but they were mostly wooden cottages. Nice, though. They were all relatively large with healthy-sized gardens and bright flowers out in pots and on iron gates. Dogs and cats were everywhere, perched on walls and fences or playing in the cobblestone road leading down the centre of the village to a big square – huge, really. Much bigger than Ansel, and more than ought to have been needed.

"This is for loading up grains and goods to be taken back to Vale," explained Howard. "Need to be able to park a lot of tractors here too. Most of the food is kept in the big silos outside. We tend to find that as long as we never stand any people there, the Grimm ignore them. It's us they want, not our food."

Despite the main road and square being cobbled, most of the paths leading off between the cottages and a few stores were all dirt. It looked like they'd made the main road to account for the tractors not getting stuck in mud, and then left everything else as natural as possible.

Howard shouted out to a few people they passed that the huntsmen were here and checking out the forest. People responded well, cheering in some cases and just nodding in satisfaction in others. He never explained who they were, and the villagers didn't seem to care. Eventually he brought them to a stout looking inn. More of a pub, really. There were lots of tables inside and some farmers were already drinking.

"I recommend the beer," said Howard. "Not as processed as what you city-folk drink. We use our own barley and wheat here. The wheat beers might be a little strong for you, but the barley beer is to die for." He raised his voice. "Ma, we have guests. Not my ma," he whispered to them as a large woman came round the back of the counter. That was somewhat obvious given Howard looking much older than her. "But everyone calls her ma' on account of her having ten kids and them shouting ma' all the time. It stuck and now everyone calls her that."

"You two can call me Roxanne," said the woman, rolling her eyes. "I have enough bloody children now that I've apparently had to adopt everyone in the village. Who are these, Howard? I thought we were waiting on a full team."

"They're here but decided to go right out and start working."

"Yeah?" Roxanne looked pleased. "Good on them. Kids these days are usually so lazy – it's good to hear Beacon is teaching them otherwise. So, you'll be their teacher, then?" Roxanne looked Elm up and down. "You certainly look like you could break a Grimm in half." Her eyes fell to Jaune. "And you…?"

"Jaune Arc." He offered his hand.

"Oooh. A gentleman. Don't get many of those around here." She winked and took his hand. There was no recollection in her face. Not one bit. "You left by your team to defend the village, or there another reason you're here?"

"Jaune is here to assist in other ways if possible," said Elm, covering for him. "Medically related."

"He a doctor?"

"Something like that."

"Looks young for one, but props to you anyway, lad. It's a noble cause to pick up. I'll have some rooms made up for you all. Food, too. Free o' charge of course. How many rooms will you be needing? What's this team like?"

"Two rooms will do. The team is both sexes but they're used to bunking together. Jaune and I will do the same. We'll need two beds in one room and four in another."

"No problem. No problem." Roxanne jotted it down and then brought out two big mugs and pulled them some beer from the tap. "And here, on the house. I'll get you two some grub made up as well. It's all fresh produce from here – straight from the field. You're in for a treat."

"Thank you, ma'am," chirped Jaune. He couldn't stop smiling. "I can't wait to try it!"

"Oh, he's such a dear! Why can't my sons be like you…?"

/-/

It had been six hours, the sun had set, and most of the farmers had come back in to drink and eat and talk. News had spread about the huntsmen team having arrived and set out, and Team CFVY had contacted them via scroll to report that they were safe and sound twice by now. In that time, Jaune and Elm had several drinks and a hearty meal that, as promised, was one of the best he'd ever experienced. Far tastier than even those fancy restaurants he and Weiss had visited.

All that, and all these people in the pub, and no one had recognised him.

Not one.

Oh, they looked over every now and then but it was out of curiosity for the two strangers, and he could tell most of them were looking at Elm anyway. The giant, dusky woman with powerful muscles was drawing a fair amount of attention, a lot of it very positive indeed from men and women alike. In Vale and Atlas, people tended to be looked at better if they were stick-thin, but out here Elm's very healthy and very powerful frame was much more alluring. One guy had even tried his luck. Elm had been a good sport about it, but firm. No one had bothered her since.

"They really don't recognise me," whispered Jaune. He was shaking with glee, his feet tapping on the floor. Some of it was the beer, which really was both strong and very nice. Fruity and a little herby, and not at all nasty like the cheap beer he'd tried back home with his old friends. "It's not even that they haven't realised who I am yet. They have no idea who I am or why they should care."

"News must not make it out here much," said Elm. "Or maybe they just don't care for it. It must be easy to dismiss news from outside as just more of that city nonsense. Elections, celebrities, fancy shows and such. I'd have thought they'd have at least seen you on the television, but I guess they haven't put two and two together." Elm glanced his way. "You seem happy about it."

"I am. It feels amazing. I'm just another guy. No, I'm less than any other guy. I'm some weak looking stranger that tagged along with the far more interesting huntsmen and their teacher."

"Oh. I'm interesting, am I?"

"You are to these people."

Elm snorted. "Hah. You're not wrong. They don't make women like me nowadays. They're all too busy trying to court anorexia without ever catching it. Still, I can see why you'd like it here. Just keep in mind things would change if they saw you at work. They only don't know what you can do; they're not magically better than anywhere else."

That was true. He was lucky the people who died had done so more than four hours ago – though that felt a little cruel to say. Things were great now precisely because they didn't know, but if they found out then they'd be no different to how the people in Ansel had been. It was a souring thought, but not one that robbed him of his good mood entirely. It was still good now and that was all he wanted. He wasn't staying here full-time anyway.

Team CFVY returned alive and well an hour later, looking a little tired and roughed up but only in terms of their clothing being dirty and torn. There was a resounding toast to them as they came in the door, and they waved back, happy with the attention. It must have been a relatively novel thing for them. People in the city had gotten used to safety and security, so huntsmen were admired more for their looks and their performance in tournaments and fights than what they did in the real world.

"We worked our way through about twenty Grimm," reported Coco. "Not together but strewn about. It doesn't look like a pack situation. I honestly think we've dealt with most of them but we'll do as I promised and scout out tomorrow as well. Make sure more don't fill the void."

Elm nodded. "Sounds good to me. There haven't been any reported deaths."

"We told them to close the gates and not work in the fields after dark," said Yatsuhashi, "so there should not be any deaths tonight either. All going well, there should not be any need for the two of you to do any work."

Roxanne brought out food for the team and soon they were all eating again and drinking, at which point the whole pub seemed to draw close and want to talk to them. Coco got roped into telling the story of them fighting the Grimm for the crowd's sake, with younger children and teenagers whooping in excitement as the elders nodded, pleased with the quick response.

Having been denied by Elm, several guys tried to chat up Velvet and Coco and buy them drinks, while girls did the same with Fox and Yatsuhashi. One mousy girl even tried to talk to Jaune, but quickly left when she spotted his engagement ring. No one else bothered. He wasn't nearly as interesting as the two burly huntsmen, one looking powerful enough to break rock and the other exotic with scarred skin and a lot of exciting stories to tell. Fox lapped it up, while Velvet looked cornered and embarrassed at every turn and Coco flirted and teased but never once let anyone near her.

"They're barking up the wrong tree with her," whispered Elm, "but she's covering for her partner by taking some of the attention even when she isn't interested."

"It's crazy. Does this always happen?"

"In rural villages, yes." Elm chuckled. "You have a very limited population where a lot of people are related and dating prospects aren't exactly what they are in a city. Then add in a bunch of very young, very fit and very attractive huntsman and huntresses and it becomes a feeding frenzy." Elm lowered her voice and said, "I hear that Clover lost his v-card in a situation like this. A lot of guys especially do. There are a lot of very buxom and very eager countryside girls happy to break up their monotonous lives by having a fling with a mysterious stranger."

"Just the guys?" asked Jaune.

"It's easier for you lot. We're the ones who have to worry about mistakes ruining our careers, and it's not like you can pop into a pharmacy for a morning after pill out here in the sticks."

No one on Team CFVY took up the invitations, and there were quite a few that bordered on the downright blatant. Fox could have quite easily taken two women to bed, and Yatsuhashi had his fair share of admirers but they excused themselves to retreat to their room as a team, stating that they had to plan their patrol for the morning to make sure no more Grimm harmed people. That was his and Elm's cue to get out of dodge as well before they became the consolation prizes.

/-/

I hate every moment of this, thought Pyrrha.

And yet she smiled.

"-and I just don't understand where everything has gone wrong when I've been tyring my best to include him and talk to him and do things together."

Weiss Schnee, her friend - Pyrrha had to remind herself of this fact – had come to her nearly in tears and wasn't much better now. Her own teammates had taken one look at her face and fled the dorm, politely giving them some privacy but less-than-politely abandoning Pyrrha to her fate. Pyrrha rubbed the smaller girl's back, which felt all kinds of wrong when she was partly, or maybe even fully, responsible for this.

I told Jaune to think about his relationship with Weiss. I kissed him. I encouraged this…

"There, there," she said, patting Weiss' back and feeling like a monster. "I'm sure… well, I…" The empty words of comfort shrivelled and died on her tongue. They'd be lies, wouldn't they? Worse still, if she told Weiss that it would "all be okay" then she'd be as good as sabotaging their relationship.

Jaune and Weiss' engagement would fail and she could swoop in.

Pyrrha felt sick at the thought.

"Maybe you need to think long and hard about what he's saying," she said instead fighting her own feelings as best she could. "I'm sure you don't think you've done anything wrong, and maybe you haven't, but you need to think of his feelings as well."

"I have been thinking about them! I've been thinking for days!"

"That's… That's good…"

It would have been so easy if Weiss had been angry or dismissive or cruel or mocking about Jaune's issues. Then Pyrrha could have told Weiss off or let her be and been assured of her being blameless when the relationship failed. Instead, Weiss was distraught. It was an emotional response that Pyrrha didn't know what to do with.

"He says that I don't love him – just the image of him. What does that even mean!?"

"Well… I suppose it's like when one of my obsessive fans think they know me because of my interviews, or think they know the real me because they're my biggest fan. They don't really know me. They just know the fake interview persona I put on."

"Are you saying Jaune has been fake around me?"

"Not intentionally. Just… well…" Pyrrha waved her hand helplessly. "Accidentally? He was pressured into being this perfect machine by Atlas, and you met him first when he was that. You dated the Jaune that was being squashed into a mould and who still thought the right thing to do was accept that and try and fit it. Now you're seeing the real Jaune and you don't like it."

"I don't dislike it!" argued Weiss. "I've always said he should stick up for himself more!"

Yeah, tell me about it. He needs to stop letting people walk all over him.

"Then do you like it more than what you see as the original Jaune? Do you like it more than the selfless hero who worked day in and day out to save lives at the hospital, and whom everyone in Atlas was in total awe of?" Pyrrha knew the answer when she saw Weiss' agonised expression. "Which do you like more? The old Jaune or the new Jaune?""

"I… but… but they're the same person. Just under different pressure. The old Jaune isn't a fake version of him, just one that dealt with the expectations in a different way. That doesn't mean they're two different people."

"You're making excuses, Weiss."

"I'm not-"

"You need to think long and hard about which Jaune you prefer – because it's obvious which he feels happier being, and I don't think he's ever going to let anyone force him back into the other one." Pyrrha rubbed the smaller girl's back. "And I don't think anyone should. Especially not someone who loves him."


Next Chapter: 27th April (Two Weeks)

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