Here we go.


Cover Art: GWBrex

Chapter 53


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Calls for Atlas to STRIKE BACK against Menagerie and sink the island.

Atlas Times

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Monster or Hero? Serial killer targeting only Atlas terrorists claims sixth victim.

Vale Daily Tribune

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Atlas demands access to Mistral airspace for military manoeuvres, putting Council in unwinnable position.

The Mistral Review

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Protests against proposed law to allow Gillian Asturias to lead for unlimited term met by far larger counter-protests in support of new bill. Two injured in clash.

Vacuo Today

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Sienna Khan encourages all to tune into Vytal Festival and watch first-ever Menagerie team compete.

Kuo Kuana Express

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It was impressive that Cinder got back on her feet by the time the Vytal Festival began in earnest. The days since had been spent in Beacon, but it didn't feel so claustrophobic because he had to make visits to the hospital on the weekend before the tournament, and then he had to meet with tournament officials later on Sunday to discuss security around himself for the event. Cinder and her team would be competing, so they couldn't afford to guard him.

Luckily, there was already a lot of other security being implemented anyway, so he slotted into that, but they still had to run him through emergency protocols in the event of an immediate extraction. Beyond that, he had to be filled in on the other possibility – that of needing to be rushed down into the arena to resurrect a tournament casualty.

"There's next to no chance it will happen," said the official. "There hasn't been a fatality in the tournament for 25 years. It's all just a show of force, really."

"It's more than that," said Glynda, his accompanying guard for the day. Classes were off, and she'd opted to come with him to Amity. They were stood on the flat, white arena that would host the fights starting from tomorrow.

The empty colosseum was haunting.

"Normally, I'd agree that fatalities are a near-impossibility," she continued, "but we're worried this year that Mr Arc's presence might lead some of the competitors to feel they can be… more than a little reckless."

"You think they'll kill themselves because they know it won't stick?" asked Jaune.

"They had better not. We've made it clear to all the students that they shouldn't take your presence for granted, but all it takes is one person desperate for the glory the tournament can bring, who thinks it'll be okay just push a little harder because you're here." The woman sighed. "We will be calling a hiatus on the tournament immediately if that happens to talk with everyone involved. A Vytal tournament where children are literally murdering one another is the last thing Remnant needs, whether or not the deaths stick."

"That's still a very rare possibility," said the security official. "We're just making sure we have our affairs in order just in case." He laughed and led them on, explaining the various tunnels that would be sealed off from other people and reserved for official use.

It was all very well organised and streamlined, likely from decades of experience, and Jaune did his best to pay attention even if he knew he'd forget most of it. He hoped Glynda's worst case scenario wouldn't come to pass, but just the thought of it being considered distressed him. It was as if his very presence in a city was causing people to stop fearing death and start taking all the stupid risks they never would have before. It had started with those fools trying to cross the Emerald Forest despite all the Grimm to reach him, and now it would end with students bashing one another's brains out because it could be fixed.

I can't decide if I'm somehow a plague that brings misfortune, or if I'm simply a catalyst for everyone to start showing just how brainless they can be once the consequences for failure are taken away.

No matter how much he looked at it, people needed death. It kept them honest. It kept them in check. Atlas hadn't been so afraid of every shadow that they'd lock themselves away before, but once he'd given them a taste of life without death, they had become jumpy and paranoid. Now, with the White Fang mobilising, they'd cut themselves off from the world and were refusing to let anyone close enough to hurt them.

But what they were so afraid of was something they'd lived peacefully with for all their lives. They had known that death existed, and that it might claim them at any time, and they hadn't freaked out then. They only started losing their minds when it was taken away and then returned. The same as how all those people who had moved to Ansel and made it hell had been fine living their lives before his Semblance unlocked but were then willing to give up everything.

"We'll also be keeping an eye out for the madman who attacked your bodyguard in Vale," said the official. "The description of a scorpion faunus is more than distinctive enough to ensure no one like that gets onto Amity. That said, even if something were to happen, the VIP box will be heavily guarded."

That hadn't stopped Adam and Blake getting to Weiss before, but he supposed the White Fang were less of an issue now they were in a war with Atlas. He still hadn't had much time with Weiss. Once she felt Blake was stable enough to be left alone, she'd excused herself from any dates or meetings by saying she had to train with her team for the tournament.

"After," she always said. "We can do things together after the tournament."

The words felt hollow, but then so did he. There was no sadness at not having time with her, no longing for it either. Maybe it was for the best, because he couldn't muster what should have been the proper reactions.

"We'll do another last-minute tour. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes," said Jaune, smiling blankly. "That's fine with me."

/-/

It wasn't Jaune's first time in the glass VIP boxes overlooking Amity. He'd been here once before, two years ago, when the event was hosted in Mistral. The world had seemed so very different then. Things had been harder in some ways and easier in others.

He took a seat besides Ozpin, with Glynda on his other side, and only after much handshaking with officials from Vale, and photos with diplomats from Mistral and Vacuo. It was all a big mess of flashing lights, cameras, and half-hearted small talk with people he had met before but couldn't remember the names of.

Jaune ignored the numerous dropped hints asking his plans after Vale.

It was easier that way.

The pre-tournament entertainment was well under way, and soon everyone started talking with one another and leaving him be. Jaune took his seat, surprised to find Ozpin already sat there, and looking as uninterested in proceedings as he felt.

"How fare you, Mr Arc?" he asked.

"Tired. You?"

"Struggling to feign my own interest as well," admitted the old man. "I've watched this too many times, and this year's brings little joy despite how much I might wish it. This sorry affair with Atlas has dampened the mood despite our best efforts."

It really had. About a quarter of the stadium was empty. They'd tried to re-sell the tickets, but Atlas pulled out so late and it wasn't like people around the world were feeling up to travel with that conflict going on, not to mention the high prices of hotels and flights to Vale during all this. A lot of Atlas citizens holding onto tickets had tried to sell them on at a profit as well, making it even harder. Beacon might have found a way to fill in for the teams taken, but they couldn't fill the many thousands of empty seats.

"I've been trying to understand what went wrong," said Jaune. It was more to himself, but Ozpin hummed for him to continue. "I know it's not my fault Atlas did what they did, but there's no denying I helped it along somehow. The only thing I've been able to decide on is that I shocked them by taking away death and then giving it back, and they couldn't cope with losing something they'd taken for granted. Is that all it took?"

"Your hypothesis is a little too simplistic, even if it hits many of the key points. Death is a taboo for many across Remnant. It's something we live with every day of our lives, and yet many cultures practice forgetting it. We honour the fallen, but we avoid thinking about what death means, or how it might one day come for us. We do not understand, and that leads to a refusal to accept our mortality for what it is. Tell me, have you heard of the saying that a person feels at peace after putting their affairs in order?"

"Yes. Normally from adverts from funeral homes and life insurance companies. Right before they offer you an ornamental clock for signing up – which always felt like the worst present to give someone who has just accepted they'll die one day. A clock, so they can count down the hours to it."

Ozpin chuckled. "You're not wrong. But yes, there are studies that prove that accepting death can help reduce stress and improve the quality of one's life. I do not personally think that is the whole story, however. If we accept death too thoroughly then we will be at peace, but we will live our whole lives knowing that nothing we do will ultimately matter. It is my belief that there must be a fear of death as well as an acceptance of it. And that is what Atlas lost."

"Fear…?"

"It sounds wrong, I know, but it is because we fear death that we rush to get so much done in our lives. Our time is limited, and we know this, so we seek to live the best lives we can while we still have that time. The sad truth is that many only realise this when their lives are coming to an end, and they rush to fulfil their bucket lists. Youth is wasted on the young. It truly is." He smiled and shook his head. "But where I believe Atlas went wrong is that they brought you on and relied too heavily on you, forsaking their fear of death – or at least accidental death – and losing that drive to enjoy life to the fullest. They slowed down and took their time for granted."

"And then I left."

"And then you left. Suddenly, time started back up for them, and they realised that they might die at any moment. In truth, they could have died at any moment before you came to Atlas, or even once you were there, but they convinced themselves otherwise. Like the placebo effect. They were so sure that their reason to fear was over. When you gave it back, you didn't give them anything they didn't have before, but it felt like you had. To a huntsman, fear is relative. We experience it all the time. But a civilian does not, and it feels more powerful because they have accelerated from 0 to 100 instantly. The people in Atlas probably felt the same way. They liked not having to fear death, and they liked not feeling rushed in their lives, and when you sought to change that, they rebelled against it."

"This kind of rebellion feels too extreme, though."

"That's because their reaction has been fed by others, sadly. Had this been given time to blow over, I expect they would have come to terms with it and returned to normalcy. However, the White Fang immediately responded by threatening them, and that must have confirmed in their heads that death was around every corner. A man who falls of a bike and hurts himself will take at least some time to feel confident getting back on one. But, here, that metaphorical bike threatened to come and kill them in their sleep. It terrified them into locking themselves away and trying to wrap themselves in cotton." The old man sighed. "It also doesn't help that some people in Atlas fuelled the panic themselves, since it helped them gain power. The masses whipped into fear has ever been a way into positions of authority for those prepared to use them."

It was a lot to take in, and a lot to just randomly spit out. "You've been thinking about it as well, haven't you?"

Ozpin chuckled. "I dare say we've both had Atlas on our minds for the last few weeks, Mr Arc. Like you, I've constantly asked myself if I couldn't have done something different. If I couldn't have prevented this somehow. But the truth is, it is not our responsibility to help others come to terms with their fears – particularly if they have not asked, and will not ask, for our help."

"Will Atlas recover?"

"Absolutely. Without a conflict with the White Fang, I would have given it a few months to a year. With, I expect it will be a few months after whenever this war ends. No one can live in fear forever, and while they are grieving the return of their fear, they will come to accept it in time. And I expect they will look back on this chapter in history with regret. But, in the meantime, you should not hold yourself responsible. Neither should I hold myself so. This is a kingdom of hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom are old enough to know better."

That was true. And it helped. It helped more than Jaune thought it would, and he leaned back into the seat, feeling just a little more at ease about the whole thing. "It goes to show how important death is to life, I guess," he said.

"That is true. Without death, life loses its importance and the world becomes stagnant. A life unending, unable to die or find peace, is not a fate anyone should seek. It is a horrible, torturous existence."

"You mean it would be, if it existed."

"Yes." Ozpin smiled. "Yes, I suppose that is what I meant."

They were a good five fights in and no one had managed to kill themselves yet, for which Jaune was immensely grateful. Ozpin and Glynda too, he imagined, since any scandals here would fall on them, and a bunch of children killing one another would certainly darken the event's reputation. It was hard to tell if people were taking more risks or not, but "risking death" wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Even if they knew he could bring them back, few people would willingly put their neck on a chopping block. They might consider it, and think themselves capable, but come the moment, they would pull back. It was the same here. Reckless charges were aborted at the last second and instincts and training kicked in to have them avoid the worst damage. There were injuries – those were unavoidable despite disqualification at 15% aura – but those were limited to broken bones, fractures, nasty cuts and the odd concussion from a ring out or someone hitting an obstacle. Nothing so bad as to stop proceedings so far.

Both Weiss and Cinder's teams had already gotten through as well, and Pyrrha's team too, more easily than any other. That was good since he wouldn't need to worry about anyone feeling down in the dumps, but it did leave him a little less invested in the rest of the fights. The people he'd come to support were through, and now it was just random people.

"This is the team Menagerie sent," Ozpin whispered to him, and Jaune looked down as they fought Team CRDL from Beacon. All four of them were faunus, and they were young enough to qualify for the festival even if they were a few years older than their opponents.

"Are we worried about them?" asked Jaune.

"Not worried. Merely concerned." Ozpin drummed his fingers on his chair. "But nothing they are showing so far causes undue concern. What do you think, Glynda?"

"They're good," the other teacher said, "but about the level of an above average second or third year team. They won't win the tournament from what I've seen, but neither will they put on a bad showing. And I don't think they're plants hiding their true skill, either. If I had to guess, I'd say they're genuinely what they were claimed to be."

"That is good news, then. The first team from Menagerie competing without issue or scandal will go a long way to repairing relations. If that is what Sienna Khan had in mind with this, then I won't complain."

Jaune tensed up as the fifth reached its climax. It felt wrong to worry what the faunus would do, and even a little racist to even think it, but he couldn't help but remember the last Vytal Festival and what happened there. Luckily, this team seemed legitimate. They pulled out a win despite two of their members being knocked out, and they soaked in the applause and cheers from the crowd. Their opponents, battered and bruised, didn't look happy about it.

"Team CRDL have had problems with other faunus students in the past," explained Glynda. "I hope this will be a learning experience for them, but it could also fuel their darker emotions."

"It's our job to keep an eye on that and stop it if it does," said Ozpin.

"Agreed. I will speak to them this afternoon and offer my thoughts on their performance. I will be diplomatic," she added, when Ozpin shot her a look. "I know full well how it feels to lose in front of a crowd, Ozpin. I was knocked out in the first round of my first Vytal Festival. It was a humbling experience."

"If I recall, it was Summer Rose who did it."

Glynda scowled. "I'd rather not recall, thank you very much."

Ozpin chuckled away on the other side of Jaune.

/-/

The whole day went by without incident. It was more of a relief than Jaune expected it to be. The fights went by, the audience had fun, the post-fight analysis and entertainment played out, and no one died. Not even in the audience. Jaune boarded a Bullhead back to Beacon with Glynda, as Ozpin had to stay and talk to important people, and they landed soon after, disembarking to a school that was much busier than it had been that morning.

And Pyrrha was waiting for him. "Jaune!" she waved and jogged up, smiling brightly. "Did you see my fight?"

"I missed it."

Pyrrha laughed and slapped his arm. "Liar!"

"Yeah, you got me. It was a good fight. I didn't really expect you not to win though, so it never felt in any doubt."

"Hmm. My teammates did well though, didn't they?"

"The orange-haired one and the guy with black hair did."

"Ren and Nora. You've met them before."

He had, but he had also met thousands of people, and all the names had started to merge together in his head. It was all he could do to place face and location sometimes. It wasn't like he'd spent a lot of time with Pyrrha's team, either. It was usually just the two of them.

"Have you seen Weiss?" asked Pyrrha. "I'm surprised she isn't here to meet you."

"She says she wants to focus on the tournament and her team. They made a promise to do the best they could do."

"And she can't even spare fifteen minutes of a rest break to come see you?"

Jaune shrugged. He agreed, personally, but he didn't want to talk bad about Weiss behind her back by saying so. It was her choice how she spent her time. "It's fine. I was headed to find Cinder and her team. Make sure they don't panic and think I've been kidnapped."

"They did well, too. I hope we don't face them next. They deserve to go further."

They walked together to the dorm the other team were in, chatting animatedly about the fights and the tournament. Pyrrha also asked a lot about what he'd had to do, saying she'd never really experienced the other side of the equation since she was always down in the ring. He told her it was boring, but she was eager to listen anyway, and that gave him a chance to vent some of his own frustration, that she listened and laughed to.

Cinder and her team were relaxing when they arrived, far different to Team RWBY with their harsh training. Mercury was playing computer games with Mint, the smaller girl pouting and kicking his legs to try and distract him, and Emerald and Cinder were talking.

"Ah, you're here." Cinder glanced over. "I wondered when you would arrive. I was just telling Emerald that it shall be myself and her guarding you tomorrow in the VIP box. Emerald was originally intending to fight alongside Mercury, but I thought it would be better if Mint took over that role."

"That's fine with me," said Jaune. "How was today? Your injuries didn't cause any problems, did they?"

"None I couldn't deal with. It's a little tight to move, but mostly I'm just sore." Cinder aimed a sly smile at Emerald. "And I've heard enough of how I should take it easy and stop straining myself from Emerald here." The girl blushed badly. "Hence why I'll be spending the rest of the tournament relaxing in the VIP box with you."

"Sounds good. Are you doing anything this evening?"

"We thought to celebrate a little. Get some food, have a break and talk." Cinder eyed Pyrrha, and her smile containing a meaning Jaune couldn't place. "Would you like to join us, Pyrrha? We'd be happy to have you there."

"Yes! I mean, yes, I would love to. If that's okay with you, Jaune?"

It was fine with him and he said so. Realistically, he should have extended an invitation to Weiss for politeness' sake if nothing else, but he already knew she'd say no so it didn't seem worth it. Besides, she would only turn it into another discussion about their future or how they should be working together to put on a united front.

Jaune wasn't in the mood.


Running on 4 hours sleep. Yay. Just so hot here. I hear it reached 60 degrees in Spain, and that someone in Europe has already died due to it. And yet people still saying that rising temperatures are fake or that we're just making a big deal over nothing. The garden is yellow. Grass is dying. There are insects everywhere. Sleeping is torturous.

But sure, it's all faked. Someone is even sneaking into your bedroom to fake the high temperatures.


Next Chapter: 20th July

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