Author's note: This chapter and the next were originally supposed to be one, but it got too long, so now there's two.
Walking through Atlas academy, and taking a break from preparing materials for the trip to bring reinforcements to Vale, Jaune found Sirena sitting in one of the break rooms, looking at something on her scroll. When he walked in, she looked up from her scroll.
"Hey Sirena," Jaune said and asked, "What are you up to?"
"Hi Jaune," Sirena said and answered, "Just talking to Willow. Reports from her miners are looking a bit strange lately, and she wants someone to investigate. Luckily, I know just the people for the job."
"I see," Jaune said and asked, "Is there any other reason why you're here?"
"Jacques is going to die," Sirena answered calmly.
"Let me guess," Jaune said and asked, "Because we're all going to die?"
"Yes, but also because someone hired assassins," Sirena answered, "They're planning to ambush the transports tomorrow."
"Why are you so calm about this?" Jaune asked, starting to get upset. Sirena pressed a button on her scroll and a mission board popped up above the TV projector.
"Willow has already requested additional protection for her workers," Sirena answered, "I wanted to wait before I accept the mission, in case you want to help."
"Of course I do," Jaune exclaimed.
"Great," Sirena said with a smile, "Then let's get to planning. I'll let you look over my shoulder this time, so you can learn the basics." She accepted the mission and put both their names on it.
"So, what do we do first?" Jaune asked.
"First, we go into a mission control room," Sirena answered, "Then, we discuss the details and make plans." She got up, put her scroll away, and both left the break room, heading to one of the military's control rooms to prepare for the upcoming mission.
~o~
On the way to the control room, they passed Blake and Ilia, who just finished planning their own mission to investigate whether the miners were hiding problems from Willow. They entered the room, and Sirena put her scroll on the terminal, transferring the data for the mission to the main computer, and a topographic map appeared above the central console.
"So, what are we looking at?" Jaune asked.
"This red line is our route, and those dots are the relays," Sirena answered, "They're spaced 500 meters apart, and have an effective range twice that, meaning that even if one failed, communication could continue. Also, they all have an ID, meaning if one ID is missing from an incoming signal, SDC computers can tell immediately which relay broke down. Somewhere along that route, the assassins will strike."
"Who are the assassins?" Jaune asked.
"I don't know," Sirena answered, "Normally, I'd ask Talia to investigate, but she's busy, so we have to make due without recon."
"Is that bad?" Jaune asked, "And can't we hire someone else?"
"Only if you consider running into a mine field while blindfolded bad," Sirena answered, "And we need someone we know, and who knows what information will be important to us."
"I see," Jaune said, "Yeah, I think that makes sense."
"Glad you understand," Sirena said and asked, "Now, where do you think they'll attack, and why?" Jaune looked at the map for a moment, thinking intently before pointing at one spot.
"There," Jaune answered, "It's at the top of an incline, so if they can stop the truck, it'll slide back down, and then we'll be sitting ducks, due to the poor traction of those old tires."
"True, that is one way they could do it," Sirena said, "But we should be ready for more than just one attack, if you end up being wrong about this."
"They could also try blowing up that canyon," Jaune said, "Then, we'd be trapped under snow, ice and rocks."
"However?" Sirena asked.
"However, they wouldn't do it," Jaune answered, "Jacques has his aura unlocked, for some reason, and the relay in the canyon would alert authorities when it malfunctions, so the rescue team could get to him in time."
"Exactly," Sirena said, "Still, be ready to bring out Arkos, in case they do plan that kind of attack."
"Got it," Jaune said and looked back at the map, "There are a lot of hills in that area, so a lot of vantage points from where to attack. Maybe they'll try it there."
"Could be, yes," Sirena said and asked, "What do we do if they do?"
"We buy time for the truck to get away?" Jaune asked, and met Sirena's bemused gaze.
"We can't leave the truck alone," Sirena answered, "Their first attack might be a distraction to get our guard down."
"Sorry," Jaune said and asked, "So, what do you think is going to happen?"
"To be honest, I have no idea," Sirena answered, "I am so used to knowing my enemies, that I can't come up with anything right now. I don't even know their semblances."
"Is that really that important, though?" Jaune asked.
"It is, very much so," Sirena answered, "If we knew our enemies' semblances, we could narrow down the locations for attacks, because then we'd know what they can do, and what they want to avoid. Take that hot spring there, for example. Someone like Argent would lie in wait there, hiding among the steam. But if their semblances are hindered by water, they'll want to avoid that area altogether."
"And let me guess, you asked me to help because I'm not bothered by those things?" Jaune asked.
"Exactly," Sirena answered, "You don't think as complex about the situation, so your mind isn't weighed down by the lack of information. That is why asking an amateur can be invaluable, in any profession." They discussed potential attack plans, and counters for them, for about an hour, during which Jaune realized that being a good bodyguard meant being an even better assassin, at least in theory, then they got ready to head out early the next day.
~o~
Yang, Nora and Robyn accompanied several Atlesian Knights, which were armed with flamethrowers, to the unnatural lake to get rid of the tree in its center, as it kept growing strange fruits that turned into monsters. Thanks to Abital and his semblance, they had more than enough fire-dust, and Robyn also had the special bolts Ruby sent her.
"You know, you sister's quite amazing," Robyn said, looking up from the red and orange crystalline bolt in her crossbow.
"What do you mean?" Yang asked.
"I don't think she ever saw me fire this weapon," Robyn answered, "And yet, she got the dimensions for my bolts exactly right."
"Yeah, she's always been a weapon enthusiast," Yang said, "She knows more about them than even I realize sometimes."
"Get ready everyone, we're there," the pilot said, and the Manta landed near the lake, which was oddly devoid of monsters protecting it. The Knights got in position, and Yang, Nora and Robyn readied their weapons.
"Alright everyone, fire," Yang said, and everyone quite literally fired at the tree. Robyn's bolts began glowing white-hot as they flew, and as soon as they hit the tree, they ignited it. Yang used shotgun shells with fire-dust, and Nora used grenades with fire-dust payload. The tree went up in flames, but when one of the burning branches fell into the yellow lake, a black smoke rose from it.
"Guys, is that normal?" Nora asked and said, "Because it doesn't look normal."
"Everyone, stop!" Yang called out, and the Knights stopped shooting their flamethrowers. The tree was fully engulfed in flames, and burning wood fell into the lake, drifting away as more wood fell in, leaving a trail of burning liquid behind and releasing black smoke into the air. All three felt themselves getting frustrated, and decided to return to Atlas.
~o~
Jaune and Sirena sat in a truck full of SDC workers, driven by an Atlesian Knight. The workers, including Jacques, were quite miserable, but less so than if there was no cover to protect them from the weather. Jaune looked around, getting a bit anxious the further they progressed, and Sirena was somewhat uncomfortable sitting in a vehicle.
"It's starting," Sirena said, catching Jaune's attention, and the Knight began beeping as it initiated self-destruction. Before he knew what was happening, Jaune had Sirena's legs in his lap, and she kicked the Knight out the door, right before it exploded and launched both huntsmen out of the truck.
"Sirena, are you alright?" Jaune asked, "What was that?" They both got back up and saw the truck sliding down the incline. They hurried after the truck, and three grenades came flying their way. Sirena used Vines and slapped the grenades out of the air.
"I'm fine, get ready," Sirena answered and drew her trident. Jaune drew his sword and prepared his shield, focusing on defense. He made four clones, who formed a shield wall between the attackers and the workers, and reached out with his aura. One of the enemies opened fire with an assault rifle, though the shield wall held.
"There are three people," Jaune answered, "Two are using their semblances." He focused on one of them, until he felt his aura slowly adapt, as if he was using Aura Amp. Initially scared of helping the enemy, Jaune decided to risk it and go all the way.
"Trouble's coming," Sirena said and rushed a horde of small enemies, wearing black sneakers, pants and shirts, and wielded pistols with blades under the barrels. The enemies jumped at her and she blocked the attacks, activating Retaliation. All the small enemies attacked her, but the more they hit her with their blades, the more damage they took, and they quickly disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Sirena," Jaune called out as soon as the gunfire stopped, and his clones repositioned themselves. Sirena used Petal Burst to dash away from the enemies, and the Jaune clones triggered the gravity-dust in their shields, sending a concentrated blast of super-gravity particles into the horde and annihilating them all.
"I'm engaging, hold the line," Sirena said and dashed towards the enemies. All three wore heavy black boots, black jeans and shirts, and black mercenary-grade body armor, complete with helmets and visors. One man wielded an assault rifle and was surrounded by what looked like metal fragments, while another wielded a shotgun axe, and a third had a sniper rifle on his back and wielded a combat knife. She shot a fireball at the one with the assault rifle, knocking him down. Jaune's clones disappeared and he engaged as well.
"Alright, let's do this," Jaune said and charged the assault rifle man after he got back up, only for the shards to slam into him as he got close, breaking on impact. Sirena fired an icicle barrage at the man with the shotgun axe, but somehow, spectral bees appeared and attacked her, dealing little damage, but annoying her.
"Are you sure there's only three people?" Sirena asked and blocked her enemy's axe strike with her trident.
"Yes," Jaune answered and fired an energy disk at the assault rifle man. When it hit, a swarm of spectral bees appeared and attacked Jaune as well, but he dispelled them with a gravity-dust blast and kicked up some snow. While his opponent was distracted, Jaune sent an aura arc at the sniper, knocking him out in one hit. However, another swarm of spectral bees appeared, targeting Sirena.
"Jaune, grass," Sirena called out and kicked her opponent away. Jaune used Grassy Terrain, and as soon as the area reached her, Sirena activated her semblance, creating clouds of spores around her. The spore clouds homed in on the bees, and then the assassins. Sirena fired a constant barrage of icicles at the one with the shotgun, while her spores took care of any bees he created, until his aura broke and she froze him in a block of ice.
"Only one more to go," Jaune said, when the man with the sniper rifle landed a surprise hit with a lightning-dust round, knocking Sirena to the ground and breaking her aura.
"Don't worry about me," Sirena called over, and collapsed on the ground. Jaune tried to figure out what to do, when the man with the assault rifle attacked him with a hatchet. He just barely managed to block, but another fragment appeared and hit his legs. His opponent was relentless in his attacks, creating another metallic-looking fragment with each hit he landed. Just as the man broke the Jaune's defense and prepared a powerful downward strike, Sirena stopped the hatchet with one of Cinder's swords, though Jaune felt a different aura from her, and she looked at him with amber eyes.
"Focus on Retaliation," Cinder said, then focused on her opponent again, "I'll be your opponent now." She kicked the man in the chest, spawning another spectral bee, but also coating the man in a red aura. Jaune used Retaliation, creating spore clouds to destroy the spectral bees. Cinder went on the offense, landing several blows in rapid succession before dodging attacks, and continuing her assault as soon as the red aura disappeared.
"Wait a second," Jaune thought as a realization hit him, "She times those attacks to make sure I have enough spores to cover her. Though I still can't believe Cinder is helping me." The assassin jumped back to get out of Cinder's reach, but she sent two red aura arcs his way, knocking him out and ending the fight. She then put her swords away again, closed her eyes and collapsed, only for Sirena to stand up again.
"Well, that takes care of that," Sirena said with a smile, "And our reinforcements are here, too." She pointed behind Jaune, who saw three Mantas approach.
"Wait, what? When did you call reinforcements?" Jaune asked, "And why did you let Cinder handle this situation?"
"Where do you think I slapped those grenades earlier?" Sirena asked with a smirk, pointing to a destroyed relay tower, and answered, "And Cinder has changed, a lot. She no longer causes wanton destruction, and she once saved my life. I know you have your problems with her, but I saw her growth, and I trust her."
"If you say so," Jaune said and asked, "But what do we do with those guys?" He looked over to the assassins, who suddenly erupted in blue flames. By the time the Mantas landed, the men were completely consumed by the fire, with barely a trace left. The workers were brought back home, the relay was fixed, and both Jaune and Sirena were paid for their work.
~o~
After their mission to burn the tree, Yang angrily sat in the hallways on one of those infinitely uncomfortable hard-shell chairs only a masochist could love. The wall next to her was visibly dented, and had a small hole in it, and her eyes were red.
"Dammit!" Yang shouted and hit the wall again. Suddenly, she heard glass break in the laboratory, and for a moment, she thought she had hit the wall too hard, before she heard a scientist scream.
"Grimm!" A woman shouted and ran out of the room, and Yang jumped up, happy to have something to punch. She ran inside and readied her weapon, prepared to fight whatever showed up. Behind her, a glass flask fell over, and she spun around to see a small black lizard stand on a desk, with a slightly smoldering tail tip. Without thinking, Yang shot a lightning-dust round at it, leaving a black stain on the desk and wall, even though she missed.
"Ok, where are the Grimm?" Elm asked as she came running into the room.
"Hiding," Yang answered angrily.
"Not for long," Elm said. She took up position in the center of the room and used Poisonous Roots, covering the room in spores. The duo heard tiny claws tacking down the air ventilation shaft, so Elm extended her roots into the shaft until the sound stopped and black smoke came out.
~o~
In the evening, Jaune sat in his team's dorm room and tried using the semblance he saw the assassin use. After about an hour of trying to get the aura frequency right, a star made of three slightly rotated squares appeared above his hand, and another on the ground, and a smaller version of him appeared in front of him. Mini Jaune wore simple white plate armor, and wielded a short sword and buckler.
"What's this?" Nora asked, suddenly poking her head over the edge of her bed and startling Jaune, who had thought he was alone. The mini Jaune disappeared again, and Jaune's aura broke from over-exertion.
"Hi, Nora," Jaune said and answered, "Sirena and I fought some assassins today, and one had a semblance that let him summon miniature versions of himself. All three were pretty tough, and to be honest, I don't know how we got out of there. They had some other tricks too, and I don't know how they did those things, or who they are. We know practically nothing about them."
"Then why don't you ask Ren?" Nora asked and said, "He's practically a ninja, and he can already read people's emotions pretty well, not just the negative ones. I'm sure he can get to the bottom of this."
"That's actually not a bad idea," Jaune said, "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Nora said, laid back down and sighed.
"So, did something happen on your end today?" Jaune asked.
"Well, we did manage to set the tree on fire as planned," Nora answered, "But the weird water caught fire as well, and it gave off a really thick, black smoke. So now I'm worried Grimm will be back."
"Wait, what?!" Jaune asked and stood up, "You mean Grimm are coming back to Solitas? After all we did?"
"Yep," Nora answered, and sighed again.
"Hey, it's not your fault," Jaune said, trying to comfort her.
"I know that, silly," Nora said with a sad chuckle, "But it's still sad to know that everything we did was for nothing."
"Well, let's not get too sad too soon," Jaune said, "Grimm only manifest where people are scared of going, and right now, the public doesn't know what will happen. Maybe the negativity will manifest on other continents, and leave Solitas alone." The two waited for Ren to return, and after Jaune and Ren discussed their plans for the next day, including Ren giving Jaune tips how he can help him, the trio went to bed.
~o~
In an ice cream parlor in Mantle, the customers were enjoying their various frozen deserts, when Abital walked in, wearing brown winter boots, thick blue jeans, and a brown coat over a shirt with some show's logo on it. He sat down, and the waitress, a human wearing black shoes, light blue shorts, a white shirt with puffy sleeves, and a milky white apron with cream-colored frills, offered him his usual order.
"Any news, doctor?" The waitress asked as she handed him his desert.
"Well, remember the giant snake Grimm a few months ago?" Abital asked and answered, "The hole it was in had filled with a strange liquid, with a tree growing inside it. General Ironwood sent some people to burn the tree down, which worked great, but there was one problem. The liquid caught fire as well, and black smoke rose to the sky. Probably still is. The huntsmen say that Grimm might come back." Suddenly, the entire cafe went dead silent, safe for Abital eating his desert. When he was done, the atmosphere had returned somewhat to normal, and he paid and left the establishment.
~o~
In the evening, a woman was driving home from work, when a thick cloud of pitch black smoke rose from the manhole cover in front of her, blocked her vision and caused her to t-bone another car. Both drivers got out of their car, the woman intending to explain the situation, but the other woman's aggressive attitude got in the way, and both ended up screaming at each other, creating quite a scene. Onlookers got involved to try and deescalate, but someone threw something, a trash can caught fire, and the situation escalated completely. In the end, police were called, and had to arrest several people for assault. As the police cars drove away with most of the mob, Abital walked into an alleyway, acting like nothing was wrong.
Author's note: So, Abital is bad news. To be honest, I planned exactly none of this when I first introduced the Rakshasa.
Anyway, those assassins have really fun semblances. One has Kin Summon, another has Metal Guard, and the last one has Sabotage, which causes machines to malfunction in some way. He can't control how it malfunctions, but it's always beneficial to him in some way.