Gamer4 in. It's been... a rough year. I'm gonna try to wean myself back into writing, starting with a return to one of my favorite worlds here. In an effort to make up for the gap, this will be an extra-long episode- let us begin!
Episode LI
Jaune's Bizarre Adventure: First Episode at Hienton
Secret of the Bone Mask
As the world paused, Vanessa's phone rang. "Just a sec," she raised a hand, tapping the screen and raising it to her ear. "Fire away... what. WHAT. You're kidding me, right? What is wrong with you? The amount of up you have just fucked, Hand- it's like trying to take a shower and accidentally burning your damn house down!" A long sigh. "Yeah... yeah, I guess that's true... screw it, I'll let them know."
She ended the call and groaned as she turned to face the audience. "What has the Hand done this time?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms.
"He's somehow managed to break this timeline into three," Vanessa groaned heavily.
"Wait, wait, so... like how all these worlds are different timelines, he somehow broke the story of us watching these worlds into different timelines?" Jaune stared, aghast.
"That's the long and short of it, yes," Vanessa nodded. "In this one, as you can tell, we just finished the opening of the Schnee Dust Run. In another, we've moved on to exclusively watching the Xeno world, and in the third, we're watching one called Gospel of a New Age." She lowered her face into her hands. "Ugh... being tethered to this guy is killing me..."
"What does that mean for us?" Ruby asked hesitantly.
"Nothing much," Vanessa admitted. "We're just moving back to the original Jaune's Bizarre Adventure- the one where Adam moved in with him."
"The epitome of evil," Ruby snarled, recalling what Adam had done to Jaune's dog.
"And what he did to Pyrrha," Jaune agreed, cracking his knuckles.
"And there was that creepy bone mask," Nora shuddered.
"Admittedly, that was the only bizarre thing we saw in this allegedly bizarre adventure," Weiss crossed her arms.
"Well, let's see if we can't get to something bizarre, hm?" Vanessa suggested.
The screen opened with three words:
Seven Years Later
A crescent moon shone over a sprawling city, and a young woman screamed. The camera panned down to show her being brutally mauled by a faunus with a long scorpion tail, his eyes wide and gleeful as he tore into her flesh.
"Jack the Ripper," spoke a narrator. "Among the most legendary criminals, disappearing like a ghost after every brutal murder."
"Oh, my!" Pyrrha raised a hand to her mouth.
"We... we don't know that guy, do we?" Ruby squeaked, very pale.
"Tyrian Callows," Vanessa named him. "No, you've not encountered him yet."
Yet. The audience shuddered.
"However, even as he committed his legendary murders, an even greater evil was brewing beneath the clear light of the sun..."
The camera looked up to the moon as it turned into the sun before lowering to show a rugby game in the yard of a vast building.
"Rugby? What's rugby?" Ruby tilted her head.
"It's kinda like football," Vanessa explained.
"Valean or Mistralian?" Pyrrha asked.
"...Valean."
The ball was flying through the air, when a mountain of a young man leapt up and deftly caught it.
"And the ball goes to Jaune!" called an announcer. "That's the home team's hero, Jaune Arc with the ball!"
"That... that's Jaune?" Yang gaped, open-mouthed. "He's... uh... he..."
"He's so big!" Nora beamed. "That's the Jaune-Jaune I've been trying to build up in our training sessions!"
"So... many... muscles..." Pyrrha looked away in an effort to hide her nosebleed.
Blake glanced at a violently red Weiss. "Not so scraggly anymore, is he?"
"Oh... shu- shut up, you!"
"You really think I can be like that?" Jaune asked, looking to Nora.
"Hard work yields great results," Ren interrupted, nodding his agreement.
"He really is a hero!" Ruby sighed dreamily.
Jaune clutched the ball to his chest and began sprinting across the field.
"Jaune Arc, the famous gentle giant at two full meters, sprints for the goal with a roar! This is his last game before graduation- can he go out with a bang?!"
He was tackled from behind- then, to cheering crowds and shrieking girls, stood up, the opposing player dangling from his neck like a backpack. He allowed himself a smirk, and continued on his way.
"Two more coming in! Three men on Jaune Arc!"
Another player seized Jaune's arm, another his leg. Jaune buckled, but with a grunt of effort, forced his way forward, dragging the men with him.
"So... strong!" Pyrrha dabbed at her nose, then at the drool on her chin.
"Bring it home, Fearless Leader, bring it home!" Nora cheered.
"C'mon!" Ruby joined in. "Represent Beacon! You win that bugby game!"
"...Rugby, you dolt," was all Weiss could bring herself to say as she struggled to hide her own bleeding nose.
"Incredible!" the announcer cheered. "Even in the face of a three-man tackle, he soldiers on to victory! Such determination! Such power! Nothing can stop this juggernaut!"
A fourth player leapt onto Jaune's back, and at last, he began to lower to his knees.
"Oh, yet we see him wavering now! Has it all been for naught?"
"Come on, VB, you can do it!" Yang found herself cheering.
"Go! Go! Go!" Ruby started chanting- slowly, the others joined in as well.
Jaune glanced around, taking in his position, and smirked- he raised the ball in one hand and threw it with all his strength.
"Oh! And he's passing! Passing to none other than the other warrior of Beacon, Adam Taurus!"
The teams could almsot hear a record needle scratch as they all fell silent. "...What," Jaune stared.
Adam Taurus had appeared, leaping up and snatching the ball out of the air. Like Jaune, he had matured to full adulthood, becoming an absolute mountain, his bull horns standing out proud upon his head.
Two players attempted to tackle him together, but he deftly dodged beneath them.
"Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's all in Adam Taurus's hands- he dodged one, and another! Yes! He's free!"
With no other rivals between him and the goal, Adam seemed to give in to his faunus heritage as he charged like a bull towards the goal.
"Aaaaand... he's done it! That's the game- Beacon wins!"
The audience was of two minds on this subject, still staring at Adam victorious.
The crowd went wild with cheers, screams, and shouts. The rest of Jaune and Adam's team split in half, each half lifting up one of the MVPs.
"They've done it! Truly, has Beacon ever known such a dynamic duo as Jaune Arc and Adam Taurus?!"
When they had at last been lowered to the ground, Jaune and Adam stood before each other with wide grins- they reached out and grabbed each other's hands in a traditional victory shake.
"Um... Jauney... doin' the agreement meme... with Bull Jerk?" Nora's brain seemed to be melting.
"We've done it!" Jaune beamed.
"Indeed we have," Adam agreed. "Fine running out there, Jaune!"
"For all the good it would have done, if you hadn't caught the ball!"
The announcer was continuing. "Adam Taurus will be graduating this year with a degree in law, while Jaune leaves our fine academy to seek out the secrets of the as an archeologist!"
"Archeology?" Ruby tilted her head- then her eyes lit up. "Oh, oh, like Minnesota Brown! I love those movies!" She briefly wrinkled her nose. "Except for that last one that just came out."
"And Adam as a lawyer... hmm, I suppose I can see it," Blake muttered scathingly.
"And to think Father didn't want us joining the team!" Jaune chuckled.
"I remember the day very well," Adam chortled. "'You know the difference between rugby and war, don't you, boys?'"
The two answered the question together: "'War has rules!'"
"It's... awfully strange, seeing them getting along so well after everything that happened before," Pyrrha noted.
"Maybe... perhaps he turned over a new leaf?" Weiss suggested uncomfortably.
Surprisingly, it was a venom-dripping Ruby that answered. "Nobody turns over a new leaf from what he did." She could still hear Sparky's dying yelps.
"Jaune! We ought to inform Father of our victory right away!" Adam grinned.
"Of course!" Jaune agreed, as Adam stepped into the crowd. He watched, and slowly, his smile faded. Nearly eight years, it's been, since Adam and I met. I... I truly want to believe that he's become a new man... that he's truly my brother. But deep down... his eyes. There's something in his eyes that tells me very little has changed at all.
"They do say eyes are the windows of the soul," Ren agreed, grimacing.
"That's where I noticed it, too," Blake nodded. "No matter how much he preached about equality, we all saw it in his eyes- that burning lust for power."
Adam, meanwhile, was being waylaid by journalists. "Mr. Taurus- could you tell us a little more about your relationship with Mr. Arc?"
"My dearest brother?" Adam asked thoughtfully, glancing across the field at him-
and the audience saw it, those chips of ice in Adam' eyes. "Yes... little surprise even a dunce like Jaune can see that," Weiss shivered.
Brother, indeed, Adam scoffed mentally. Wipe that stupid grin from your face. I look forward to the day I'll never need to hear the name 'Arc' again! With my graduation so near, that time is nearly upon me!
"Called it," Ruby hissed.
"He's just been waiting until he's old enough to take their fortune right out from under them," Ren surmised, his eyes narrowed.
"But... how's he planning on doing that?" Nora pointed out.
It was mid-winter, and snow was falling all around Arc Manor as the youths of the household made their return. They ascended the steps to the master bedroom, where George Arc lay in his bed across from a warm fire in a grate. His hair had grayed over the past years, and he looked rather ill, but he still smiled as he fought his coughs to greet his boys. "Ah, my dear sons... you have returned."
"He's sick!" Jaune piped up in concern.
"Right as Adam is planning to take over the fortune... how lucky for him," Blake grimaced.
"You don't think he'd-" Weiss gasped.
"Why not?" Yang interjected. "You've seen what that bastard's willing to do to get what he wants- not like he actually has any love for VB's family."
"Father, are you feeling better?" Adam asked.
"Much better than before, save this wretched cough," George smiled. "The doctors wish to take me to the hospital."
"I'm sure they would," Adam nodded, a note of contempt entering his voice. "Hospitals don't care for their patients beyond the profits incurred in curing them."
"A rather cynical view," George pointed out. "Yet... I feel better at home regardless. My chest pains are gone, and the swelling is fading as well."
"What kind of disease is it?" Jaune wondered nervously.
"Captain Tripps, from the sound of it," Blake commented drily.
"Captain Tennile?"
"No, Captain Tripps, it's- ugh, never mind."
Jaune didn't seem as comforted as George likely intended. Odd symptoms, for a cold... and shouldn't a cold have faded by now?
George smiled. "Enough of that, however. Word has reached my ears of your victory today. Well done."
Jaune was jolted out of his reverie. "You... you already knew?"
"An old friend informed me."
"Tch," Adam scoffed. "And after we rushed home to be the first to tell you!"
All three laughed- but the audience couldn't help noticing Adam's laughter wasn't reaching his eyes.
George's laughter finally ended in a flurry of coughs, but it wasn't enough to break his smile. "I'm very pleased. I couldn't be any prouder of you, my dear sons. Adam, you've come so far since the day you appeared on our doorstep. Though we may part after your graduation, I would see you continue to pursue your dreams. You are an Arc, my boy, in all but blood."
The smile that crossed Adam's face looked more like a grimace. "Of course, Father. I'm very grateful to you for lifting me from poverty. I will, of course, keep striving to improve."
"How can they not see the slime dripping off of him?!" Ruby cried out.
"Jaune does, at least," Pyrrha pointed out, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "Look."
Jaune's gaze was fixed on his brother, brow furrowed as he took in that smile that wasn't quite a smile.
In a brief cut, he was in the library, the bone mask lay before him.
"Oh, right- that thing," Nora snapped her fingers.
"It's identical to Adam's mask in our world," Blake reminded them.
"That thing... is creepy," Jaune readily admitted. "I don't like the look of it."
"I wonder if your other became an archeologist in part to learn its secrets," Weiss pondered.
Jaune laid it as steady as he could, then produced a small knife. He pressed it gently into his fingertip until it drew a single drop of blood, which he allowed to fall onto the object of his inquiry. For a brief moment, nothing happened, then the blood disappeared as though it were being absorbed. The mask twitched, then quivered, and the same tendrils from before flew out, faster than a striking cobra. The motion caused the mask to fly up from its resting place, landing on one of the many open books also occupying the desk.
"So... creepy," Ruby shuddered.
"Such a strange artifact," Jaune mused as the tendrils returned into the mask, quickly as they'd appeared. "Who could have devised such a trick? And why?"
He looked through the books, which bore several similar images to those on the mask. There was one symbol that seemed to recur each time, though it didn't appear on the mask itself- the image of a scarlet eye.
"It looks like a corrupted eye of Horus," Weiss noticed.
"Excuse me, who are you calling a whore?" Yang smirked.
"Nobody, you dolt, it's an old Vacuan god!" Weiss bristled.
"And its symbol- the eye- does look quite a bit like that," Blake agreed. "Though not quite so... menacing."
It seems as though there was a group that worshipped this... scarlet eye, Jaune continued to muse. My first thought was that it was a tool of ritual sacrifice, but... I'm not so sure anymore. These tendrils aren't random- they're precise. Far too precise to be just an instrument of killing. He leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily. Perhaps if I had paid more attention in biology, I would be closer to understanding what this mask was used for...
"So, because the tendrils are precise, he thinks there's some deeper meaning?" Weiss scoffed. "Dolt, those tendrils have nowhere to go but the brain of the wearer! What else could it be for?"
Jaune rose to his feet and grabbed a ladder, moving along the library and climbing to a section of tomes detailing research into the human brain.
As he reached for his chosen book, he noticed a folded letter- an old letter, based on the paper's wear. "Hello? What's this?"
He knew it wasn't strictly a gentlemanly thing to do, but curiosity won out, and he unfolded the paper- his heart immediately leapt into his throat when he saw the signature at the bottom:
Geoffrey Taurus.
"Oh, that's the letter Adam's old bastard wrote to get his hellspawn to live with Fearless Leader!" Nora grinned, earning quite a few stares. "Wait, what's up with him?"
Jaune's eyes widened further and further as they scanned the words of Geoffrey's final missive, a cold hand tightening around his heart with every damning sentence. By the time he was through, his hands were shaking with the effort of not destroying what they held. "Adam..."
The camera cut to the foyer, where an elderly servant was handing a tray with water and a handkerchief filled with medicine. "Thank you very kindly, Master Taurus," the old man smiled. "The stairs aren't very kind to these old bones anymore..."
"Think nothing of it," Adam bowed with an arm over his chest, ascending the steps. It was at the top, after a quick glance around to ensure that he was alone, that he reached into his coat pocket and produced his own handkerchief, replacing the one on the tray.
"I really wish I could say I was surprised," Yang grimaced, crossing her arms. "But I don't think any of us are."
Nobody contested her.
Adam turned, only for the nearest door to swing open, Jaune dashing out. Jaune's heart dropped when he saw the tray in Adam's hands. "Adam... what are you doing with Father's medicine?"
Adam's eyes narrowed, though so minutely that Jaune had to strain his own eyes to catch it. "Why so concerned, dear brother? I'm merely doing the butler a favor- he needs all the help he can get in his advanced age."
"Have you been bringing Father his medicine since his illness began?"
"I have indeed. Is there something wrong with that?"
"You know, I think the gods chose the wrong animal for this bastard," Yang growled. "He'd have been much better as a snake faunus."
Jaune took a deep breath, and produced the paper. "I was working in the library when I came across an old letter, written by one Geoffrey Taurus."
At last, Adam reacted, taking a physical step backwards at the hated name of his blood father.
"I knew he passed away from illness, but never the symptoms! Severe chest pain, swelling around the throat, incessant coughing- identical symptoms to Father, blow-for-blow! What do you have to say for yourself, Adam?!"
Aside from his step back, Adam had given no other signs of distress. Gently, he lay the tray on the banister, and turned back to Jaune. "Dearest brother, it sounds as though you're accusing me of something. Surely, that's not right."
Jaune stepped forward, reaching for the tray. "I'm saying, I'm having this medicine checked!"
"Let's see you weasel your way out of this one, douchenozzle!" Nora preened.
No sooner had his fingers taken the handkerchief than he felt Adam's hand close around his wrist.
"I believe that is his way of saying 'Challenge accepted,'" Ren replied.
"You wound me, Jaune... your words cut into my very heart," Adam said, his voice as even as ever. "That you could believe for a moment that I could bring harm to our Father... it makes me wonder if our friendship over the past seven years was all a lie."
"Oh, it was, but not on his end!" Blake hissed.
Jaune, however, was beginning to flag. I... I can't look him in the eye... I have no firm proof, only circumstantial evidence and my suspicions!
"It's Ace Attorney all over again!" Nora wailed.
"Put the medicine back on the tray, Jaune. Put it back, turn around, and return to the library, and I will forgive what I'm certain is a mere momentary lapse in judgement."
"Urgh, I just wanna punch that stupid face in!" Yang cried.
Jaune paused, then finally returned his gaze to Adam's. "Yes, brother... let's forget this. Under one condition. Swear to me on the honor of your father, Geoffrey Taurus- swear to me on his honor that you haven't tampered with this medicine. Do that, and all will be forgotten."
It was Adam's turn to be unable to meet his opponent's eyes- he took another step back, almost unconsciously releasing Jaune's wrist.
Jaune didn't seem satisfied- if anything, he seemed more desperate, almost pleading with his next words. "Please, Adam, swear to me!"
Adam was shaking- trembling with fury. "Swear, you say? Swear on his honor?!"
Memories were flashing through his mind, of every bottle thrown, every abusive word screamed, every time his father's hand had crossed his face.
"How dare... you ask me to swear... upon the honor... of a man who never had any?!"
And just like that, he gave in to his anger for the first time in seven years. All thoughts of the medicine abandoned, he raised his fist and drove it towards Jaune, punching him across the face.
But Jaune did not fall back- he kept his gaze fixed on Adam's, his voice steady. "All doubt has left my mind. Adam... I don't know what happened between you and your father. You may have had all the reason in the world to take his life, but take his life you certainly did."
"Way to out yourself, jackass!" Nora whooped.
Adam's grimace grew, and, just as in that boxing match so many years ago, he extended his thumb towards Jaune's eye- but this time, Jaune's grip grew tighter, dragging Adam's hand away from his face. Adam's grimace seemed to become one of fear as Jaune's face grew determined- he could practically see the battle aura rising around him.
"I could have forgiven you for anything that happened in your past, Adam, but I cannot forgive you turning your murderous intentions upon my father! I will protect him, and my family!"
"Yeah! That's the Jaune I know!" Ruby cheered.
Jaune's other hand reached out and seized Adam by his collar- he lifted him up and threw him over the banister to the floor below.
It took Adam several seconds to roll over and begin lifting himself- he touched a hand to his mouth, where blood was leaking. "So... this is what you've chosen, is it?"
"No, it's what you've chosen," Jaune stated firmly. "I see it all as clear as day- you never had any love for the Arc family! All I need is to have this medicine analyzed, and I'll have enough evidence for the police!"
Adam's face twisted into the most hideous grimace yet. His desire to strike Jaune down was clear, but several bones were now broken- he could do nothing but limp away from the foyer, the events of the past few minutes swirling in his head like a hurricane.
Dammit, dammit, dammit! Just as victory was within my grasp! What sort of cruel fate led him to discover that accursed letter? Why did that old man keep it? And how... HOW...
His memories once more turned to the wretched man he called his father. "HOW IS THAT OLD MAN STILL RUINING ME FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE?!" He swung his hand against the wall, nearly cracking it in his fury.
"As happy as I am for his victory," Weiss put in, "I can't help but feel that this adventure still isn't very bizarre."
"Well, he hasn't gotten the poison analyzed, yet," Pyrrha pointed out. "As they say, it's not over until the fat lady sings."
Adam turned into the nearest door. That cur who drove mother to an early grave and violated her memory... his blood running through my veins is the cruelest curse of all!
He paused, taking several deep breaths. No... no, this isn't over. He has no evidence yet... and I will ensure he doesn't live to present any.
"Good luck," Nora snorted. "Don't know if you noticed, pal, but you're not winning any more fights against Fearless Leader this century!"
The following day, a group of doctors had arrived and met with the master of the house and his son in the master bedroom. "Father," Jaune began, "I'll be visiting Argus for the next few days. In my absence, please ensure that you only accept medicine from these doctors."
The butler seemed rather put out. "Have I done something wrong, young master Arc?"
"Don't worry, Pennyworth," George said reassuringly. "I'm sure Jaune has his reasons. I may not understand them, but I trust him. He has become a fine young gentleman, in whom his mother would be well pleased."
Jaune had to fight not to swell with pride. "F...Father..."
George was coughing heavily. Pennyworth stepped forward. "Oh, dear, he's getting worse again!"
Jaune's face grew stern again as he turned, the scene changing to him riding a buggy down a dark city alley.
"Wh- what is that?!" Ruby suddenly burst into laughter, pointing at the Jaune on the screen.
"A deerstalker and coat," Weiss answered. "It's a classic outfit worn by-"
"He looks so goofy!" Ruby fell backwards, kicking her legs in the air in mirth.
"It... doesn't look that goofy... does it?" Jaune asked self-consciously.
Pyrrha patted his shoulder and smiled, but pointedly refused to answer.
I need evidence... and an antidote, if I can secure one.
Miles away, Adam was looking out the window at the dark sky. Jaune had arranged for George to be watched around the clock, preventing him from going anywhere near with ill intent- it left nothing for him to do but plot Jaune's demise. But how to do it?
"Oh, I know, I know!" Nora beamed. "He's gonna turn Jaune into a flea! And once he's a flea, he'll put him in a box! Then he'll put that box in another box! Then he'll mail that box to himself and smash it with a hammer!"
Everyone stared at her for several long minutes.
"So many things wrong..." Yang mumbled to herself.
Ren sighed. "I... think he'd rather save money on postage, Nora."
Everyone else fell over backwards. THAT'S what he decided to focus on?!
"Huh, I guess so. My bad."
Adam rose to his feet and went to the library. It must be done delicately, so that my hand is not at all suspected.
He opened a drawer and located the bone mask, holding it up. Oh, Jaune... you think you're the only one who knows this mask's secret, don't you? But I haven't forgotten... not at all.
The memory flashed through his mind- the memory of that day, seven years ago, when some of his blood had landed on the mask during their brawl- and the tendrils that had emerged shortly thereafter.
All I need to do is force the mask onto his face, and drop some blood on it. Nobody would suspect an artifact like this to be a murder weapon! Even if the secret is discovered, it would appear to be nothing more than an accident! Well done, Jaune... through your research, you have become the architect of your own demise!
"Oh, man!" Ruby clutched at her face in panic. "Jaune's gonna be totally dead when Adam gets that thing on his face!"
"You mean if Adam gets it on his face," Yang pointed out with a smirk.
Ruby's panic seemed to fade in an instant. "You're right! If... if is good."
On Jaune's end, the buggy stopped near a dark alley, allowing Jaune to hop out. I didn't want to do this, but the university was unable to identify the poison. There's nothing left but to look in... darker places.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Jauney boy." Yang was suddenly chewing on her thumbnail.
The buggy driver seemed to share her sentiments. "Young man, that's Ogre Street- the most dangerous part of the city! It's certain death to go that way!"
"Ogre Street?" Ruby tilted her head. "Oh, oh, is Shrek gonna be down there? Shrek could totally take Adam down!"
"I doubt there are actuall ogres there, Ruby," Blake sighed.
"I am aware of the dangers," Jaune admitted. "However... I have no choice in the matter. You are free to leave if you want."
"He... he's so noble!" Nora honked on a handkerchief.
"And I'm sure our Jaune would do the same," Pyrrha beamed, causing Jaune himself to blush.
Ogre Street, it transpired, was a twisting labyrinth of alleys and narrow pathways, currently up to Jaune's knees in snow. Practically every turn took him to another dead end.
"Again?" he muttered to himself, turning around- just in time to see the snow bulging. He braced himself, but it was only a cat- or so he thought, until he looked closer. His eyes widened. "A cat... devouring a puppy? The most dangerous street in Argus indeed..."
"Why does this world hate cute doggies so much!" Ruby wailed.
He was caught off guard by a whistle, and turned to see three men at the previous junction, cutting off his escape. Two humans, one faunus with dog ears. His eyes were drawn immediately to the man in the center, who was slightly ahead of the others, twirling a cane- he wore a white jacket, his well-kept red hair falling over a made-up face, topped with a bowler hat complete with feather. "My, my, what have we here, gentlemen?" he grinned. "A rich boy who stumbled his way onto Droog territory?"
"Torchwick!" Blake's ears slicked against her head.
"No wonder they call it Ogre Street, if that wretch calls it home," Weiss sniffed.
"But Jaune has already proven himself against Adam," Ren calmly pointed out. "I don't suspect Torchwick can stand between Jaune and his goal any more than Adam can."
Before Jaune could say anything, the men broke into a run down the alley. "Bull Dog!" Torchwick barked. "Slice Rich Boy into ribbons!"
Jaune didn't flinch, maintaining his stance in the face of the oncoming assailants. "Yes... this street really has earned its name."
The dog faunus pulled out a foot-long knife and drove it towards Jaune's chest, only for Jaune to block it- seizing the blade with his hand.
"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped. "There must be a better way!"
"Sure, but not a more badass way!" Yang smirked, smashing her fists together.
Bull Dog seemed as taken aback as Pyrrha. "Boss, the idiot just grabbed my knife!"
"Then he sacrificed his fingers!" Torchwick called back.
"R-Right!"
"The second you take my fingers, I'll drive my foot into your groin with the strength of a sledgehammer," Jaune more stated than threatened. "For the sake of my family, a few lost fingers is a small price to pay. Pull the knife if you must."
"C'mon, Jauney boy, I can only like this other so much!" Yang barked in laughter.
Bull Dog's eyes widened, his grip weakening ever so slightly- Jaune adjusted his grip and forced the knife from his hands, smacking the faunus over the head with the hilt before tossing the knife into the snow. The human that wasn't Torchwick leapt towards him, only to be met with an uppercut from his good hand.
"Now," Jaune wiped some of the blood from his palm onto his jacket. "If you would be good enough to show me to the nearest apothecary-"
Torchwick scoffed. "What, you think you've won?" He reached up and flicked the brim of his bowler hat- the brim fell away, revealing a series of razor blades. With a flick of his head, the hat spun around in the air, hovering around his head like a bizarre UFO.
"...What," Weiss stared.
"Well... I'd say that's somewhat bizarre," Blake contributed.
"...What."
"Oh, now I want a razor hat!" Ruby grinned. "I'm sure I can work a gun in there somewhere!"
"...What."
"Huh," Jaune tilted his head. "I didn't realize that Torchwick you guys were talking about was secretly a villain from James Bond."
"...WHAT."
"Time to show you the strength that comes from the streets," Torchwick grinned, running forward.
"I don't doubt your strength," Jaune admitted readily. "But I must locate that shop, no matter the cost!" He raised his arms in a rudimentary defensive position- one that only made Torchwick laugh.
"You've really never fought before, have you? You're only covering your head, you ponce!"
Jaune reached out with his foot and kicked Bull Dog's abandoned knife at Torchwick, who deflected it with his hat before throwing it with a perfect spin at his adversary. It cut into Jaune's arms, sending blood across the alley.
"Argh- that's gotta hurt!" Yang winced.
"I hear it hitting your bones!" Torchwick taunted. "Points for the trick with the knife, but I've got more experience on the street than you'll ever-"
He faltered when he saw Jaune sprinting at him as if his arms hadn't just been sliced open. Before he could react, he'd been met with an uppercut to the jaw- blood flew from his mouth as he flew through the air. His mind went into overdrive- He wasn't bluffing- he was willing to lose his arms, let alone his fingers! He's a monster- he's got so much will, it's overridden his pain!
As he collapsed into a drift of snow, he heard Jaune casually pulling the hat from his arm as if it was nothing. So much... for an easy mark...
"And score another one for Team JNPR!" Nora crowed. "Victory screech!" She let loose with an odd ullulation- Jaune and Pyrrha joined in with a chuckle, and after a moment (and a sigh,) Ren joined in as well.
Jaune was taking stock of his wounds when he looked up to see a crowd of thugs filing into the alley, carrying weapons of various shapes and sizes- a mix of humans and faunus alike. They were coming down the alley, stepping out of buildings- jumping down from the wall behind him.
Nora faltered mid-cheer. "O...Okay, I mean... I'm sure Jaune-Jaune has a plan for this too, right?"
Abruptly, the scene cut back to the manor, where Pennyworth was delivering a message to Adam. "Terrible news, young master! It seems Jaune has made his way into the area they call Ogre Street!"
"Ogre Street?" Adam repeated, gaze narrowing. "You're certain?"
"I'm afraid so, sir."
Adam thought for a brief second. "Don't tell Father about this- he doesn't need the stress."
"Of course, sir."
Once he was alone, Adam almost broke out in laughter. "My, Jaune, if you sought to take your own life, there were easier ways to do so! Still, if you want to remove the necessity of the mask, I'm hardly going to complain!"
"Well, he clearly doesn't think Jaune stands much of a chance," Blake commented.
"Maybe he's right," Ruby fretted. "I mean, Jaune's surrounded right now, and-"
"Relax, Rubes," Jaune smiled. "He's underestimated me before, hasn't he?"
"Yeah... yeah, you're right!" Ruby fought to maintain a smile. "He's probably just doing that again!"
The army of thugs was bearing down on Jaune, until a voice from the ground rang out- "STOP!"
Everyone turned around in surprise, to see Torchwick wiping blood from his mouth as he pulled himself to his feet. "That's enough, boys- I won't allow any of you to lay a finger on this gentleman!"
"Wait, what?!" Ruby gasped.
"Since when did Torchwick become one for fair play?!" Weiss screeched her agreement.
Jaune was equally caught off guard. "Gentleman?"
Torchwick met his gaze. "You held back on me and my boys- if you wanted, we'd all be dead now. Why?"
"I fight for my family," Jaune answered. "A family you must have as well, be it in blood or in bond. A family that relies on you, looks up to you. I have no desire to cause them pain."
"That attitude will get you killed!" Blake hissed.
"My, my, is that concern I hear in your voice, kit-kat?" Yang smirked.
"Sh-shut up, Yang!"
Torchwick blinked. Is he serious? How can someone with such strength be so naive? And yet...
He glanced around the alley- Bull Dog and his ally were both pulling themselves up, with no injury greater than a future bruise. Yes... gentleman. A gentleman to the core.
"What's your name, kid?"
Jaune had knelt to retrieve his deerstalker- he brushed off the snow and returned it to his head. "Jaune Arc."
"Jaune Arc... I'll commit that name to memory," Torchwick nodded. "And what brings you to Ogre Street in search of an apothecary?"
"I fear my father has been subject to poison- poison I believe was retrieved from this location."
Torchwick crossed his arms. "I don't dabble with poison myself, but if I did, I'd know exactly who to turn to. You'd better brace yourself, kid- this could get ugly."
"So, he's gonna help him?" Ruby asked, stunned. "Torchwick's really gonna help Jaune?"
"I never thought I'd see the day," Blake commented.
"Jaune does tend to bring about the best in people," Pyrrha smiled warmly.
"I don't know that that's true..." Jaune flushed.
"I mean, even Cardin hasn't really been bullying anyone since the incident in Forever Fall," Ren pointed out.
"Still," Weiss interjected. "That's not to say this will be easy- if even Torchwick thinks things will get ugly with this poison seller..."
The camera abruptly returned to Arc Manor, where the doctors seemed to be growing concerned. "Jaune's been gone for three days, now."
"No need to worry," George coughed. "Jaune is a man of his word- he will return in due course."
"You have a lot of faith in him."
"Indeed... I knew this was the type of man he could become. That's why I was so hard on him... though of late, I've been wondering if I wasn't too hard."
"Well, there was that time-" Blake made to comment, but Weiss cut her off.
"Not now, Blake... not now that he's clearly re-thinking things."
Adam, meanwhile, was wandering the misty streets near Haven River, drinking whiskey straight from a bottle. I... I'm confident Jaune is dead in an alley by now... but why can't I stop drinking? Dammit... could he have found the evidence he was looking for?
He grimaced at the bottle in his hand. DAMMIT! THAT CURSED OLD MAN!
"He really hates being reminded of his father," Blake observed.
"Wouldn't you?" Ren commented drily.
He was on the verge of throwing the bottle against a wall when a pair of drunks pushed their way past him. "Watch where you're going, furry!" the taller of the two sneered.
"Oi, check if that furry left some filth on my jacket!" the shorter, squatter man sneered.
"Two guys gonna die tonight," Yang rolled her eyes.
To none of the audience's surprise, Adam retorted by smashing the whiskey bottle into the short man's face, shattering the bottle and the jaw alike, sending several teeth flying.
"AAAARRRRRGGGHHH!" the man wailed, staggering towards the nearest wall.
The tall man was outraged. "You think you'll get away with that?!"
Adam turned, smirking lopsidedly. "Dogs ought to know not to yip at their masters."
The tall man growled, producing a knife from his pocket. Adam's smirk grew as he produced a weapon of his own- the bone mask.
"I see... get rid of an annoyance and take his murder weapon for a test run in one stroke," Ren observed.
"I almost feel bad for that guy," Blake admitted.
The tall man lunged with the knife- Adam deftly dodged and forced the bone mask onto his assailant's face. In another move, he had the short man's knife in his own hand- he forced the tall man to where the short man had collapsed and cut his throat, sending blood flying onto them both- including the mask.
Within a second, as he'd known it would, the mask sent its tendrils into the tall man's skull. But then, something happened that hadn't during its previous activations- a bright glowing light appeared, surrounding the tall man's head. The man stiffened like a board, then collapsed into a crate nearby as the light faded.
"Okay... anybody want to tell me what the hell that was?!" Yang demanded.
"Um... there was a light... that's all I've got," Ruby admitted.
"Clearly, nothing escapes your notice," Weiss noted drily in an effort to cover her own confusion.
"Either way... it seems the mask is just as effective a murder weapon as he thought," Pyrrha fretted. "If he uses it on Jaune..."
Adam seemed befuddled himself. He slowly approached the corpse. Was I hallucinating?
He extended his foot and kicked the man's head- it flopped to the side, sending the bone mask flying. No... no, he's dead. It really is just a tool for sacrifice.
He moved towards the spot where the mask landed and knelt to retrieve it- as he returned to his feet, he felt a chill run down his spine.
Behind him, the tall man was standing up.
"Um... that's not supposed to happen," Jaune gulped.
"Zombie?" Nora perked up. "Did Bull Boy just trigger a zombie apocalypse?!"
Adam turned just in time to take in the tall man as he placed his hands on Adam's shoulders- his eyes had turned scarlet, his teeth razor-sharp. What- what is this? This is impossible!
"No... not a zombie..." Blake started to realize.
Adam barely managed to pull away, retrieving the knife and leaping down the alley before turning and holding the weapon at the ready. The tall man rushed in, heedless of the danger. Adam took advantage of the mindless rush to raise the knife and neatly bisect the man's hand- the man continued his rush as if he didn't feel his arm splitting down the middle. Adam managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but still met a glancing blow- yet he felt his arm shatter as he was sent flying through the air, until his head smacked against a pillar along the riverside. With a struggle, he raised his head and watched in shock as the ruined arm made contact with the wall of the nearest building, which shattered apart as if hit by a meteor.
No man possesses such strength!
He looked to see the man loping towards him, still heedless of his ruined arm. Does he feel no pain?! Even with a ruined arm, he shattered my shoulder with a tap!
His movements slow and jerky from the pain, he rolled over and began dragging himself towards the water. The river... it's my only escape!
He froze as he felt a hand wrap around his leg- he turned just in time to see the tall man grabbing his throat. His fingers dug into Adam's flesh- burrowing underneath it into the blood below.
"So thirsty..." the man droned. "So... so horribly thirsty..." His eyes rolled up as if in pleasure as he drained Adam's blood through his fingers- the split arm at his side quickly began to repair itself, stitching back together until there wasn't so much as a scar. His face became younger- the large patches of grey hair darkening once more.
"...A vampire," Blake concluded her earlier thought with wide eyes.
"Damn, now I almost feel bad for Adam," Yang crossed her arms, wide-eyed. "...Almost."
So... this is the masks' secret! Adam's mind went into overdrive in its efforts to find a way to survive. Must I give my life to uncover it? He glanced down the river to see the sun peeking over the horizon. Must the last thing I see be this accursed sunrise?!
Yet, as the sun fell upon him and his assailant, he felt the hand loosen before pulling away from his neck. His eyes widened as the vampire pulled away, screeching as the light washed over him- in a second, he had crumbled into dust, leaving only his clothes behind.
"Oh, of course, the sun!" Jaune snapped his fingers. "Vampires can't survive in the sun!"
"Well, strictly speaking, that's not quite true," Blake spoke up. "In fact, in most of the original vampire stories, they lose their powers in the sun, but can survive just fine. It wasn't until the early seven hundreds-"
"Shut up, nerd, nobody cares!" Yang interrupted. "Clearly, the sun kills vampires just fine in this world!"
Words that seemed to be entering Adam's mind as well as he looked down the street towards where the mask had fallen. He knelt down and picked it back up, slowly dusting it off, a smirk slowly spreading across his face.
"This... doesn't bode well," Blake whispered, gnawing on a fingernail.
The camera returned to Arc Manor, caught in a lightning storm. From the inside, the door creaked open, allowing Adam entrance. He stalked in, taking in his surroundings carefully. "What's wrong?" he called into the blackness. "Why is it so dark in here?"
A light appeared- a match that proceeded to ignite the wicks of three candles in a holder. The man carrying the candles was none other than Jaune Arc.
"Ah, Jaune," Adam greeted, fighting to conceal his surprise. "You've returned."
"So I have," Jaune agreed. "And I bring with me evidence of your fiendish plot."
"I don't know why, but I like that word... fiendish," Blake commented.
Adam's eyes narrowed. So, he's cornered me. No matter- that is why I came back- to finally settle things with him.
Lightning flashed, revealing the many statues lining foyer.
"Ominous," Jaune shuddered.
Jaune led Adam to the lounge, where he placed the candelabra on a round table- the two took their seats on opposite sides. "I located an antidote to the poison infesting Father's body. He has just taken it. Adam..." Jaune met Adam's gaze steadily. "My heart is broken. Over the years, I truly came to see you as a brother... but now, I must hand you over to the authorities." He took a deep breath as his gaze faltered, eyes lowering towards the candles before returning to Adam's. "You... may not believe that this causes me pain... but I promise, it does."
"I believe it," Pyrrha nodded.
"The dunce is too kind-hearted for his own good," Weiss agreed heavily.
Adam slowly nodded, doing a passable job of looking crushed himself. "No... I believe you. Such compassion is... remarkably like you." He lowered his own gaze to the ground in shame. "Jaune... I have one last, selfish request. Would you... allow me to turn myself in?"
"Yeah, like that's gonna happen," Yang snorted derisively.
"Not in a thousand years," Blake agreed.
Adam raised his gaze back to Jaune's, who looked taken aback as Adam teared up, one arm reaching for his other- an arm that, Jaune noticed for the first time, was in a sling.
What's this? Jaune thought, surprised. I expected him to be at his most dangerous when cornered! Could it be... he really means it?
"Jaune, you're my leader, my spiritual brother... I love you... but you are horrendously naive at times," Ren sighed.
"Yeah... don't worry, even I think he's going a little far," Jaune admitted.
Inside, Adam was seething. Jaune... you were supposed to die in those slums! He felt around in his sling for the short man's knife and the bone mask. One quick stab, and this farce will be over!
"Yup, there it is," Ruby groaned.
"But Jaune's still getting closer!" Weiss fretted.
Outwardly, Adam pressed on the pennance angle. "My eyes have been opened, Jaune! There's so much I regret! I know it's no excuse, but my life with my blood father was an awful one- when I was suddenly snatched from that life, I allowed greed to blind me! Thinking now of the pain I've caused this family... it twists a knife within me! Your father took me in when nobody else would- treated me as an equal, fed me, taught me, raised me, and I repaid him with poison! The guilt gnaws at me every waking moment- that's why I came back! To turn myself in!"
"AH-CHOO!" Nora sneezed very loudly- and fakely. When everyone turned to stare at her, she pretended to blush. "Sorry, I'm allergic to bullshit."
Jaune, however, was seemingly being convinced, slowly and steadily. "You... did?"
"Of course!" Adam pressed his advantage. "If I'd wanted to run, I could have gone anywhere!"
"I... I suppose that's true..."
"Please, Jaune, please allow me to make amends!"
"Adam..."
"JAUNE, NO!"
"Might wanna hold your sympathy there, Mr. Arc, I don't trust a word that snake says."
Another match lit nearby, revealing Roman Torchwick stepping out from behind a suit of armor.
"Torchwick!" Ruby cheered. "Wait... how am I happy to see Torchwick?"
"That might be the most bizarre thing this world has brought us yet," Ren noted with a quirk of his lips.
Adam grimaced. "Who-"
"Who am I, you ask?" Torchwick asked, with a jaunty bow. "Glad you asked- allow me to introduce myself! Roman Torchwick, master and peacekeeper of Ogre Street. This little punk happens to have earned my respect, but I could hardly overlook his naivety, so I thought I'd come along and make sure he kept his nose clean."
"Yeah, good Torchwick is easily weirder than any vampire-making mask," Yang agreed wholeheartedly.
"Now, Jaune, since I like you, this bit of advice is on the house. As you know, Old Uncle Roman didn't grow up in the best circumstances either. Growing up on the streets, you learn to tell real quick when someone's puttin' up a facade. Your life depends on it. My nose has been able to tell good from bad since before my balls dropped, and this guy smells worse than Bull Dog's outhouse after a bad night on the town!" He punctuated this declaration by kicking the candelabra from the table. "He's the most revolting man I've ever met! Victim of circumstance? Don't make me laugh- this one's been evil since he drew his first breath!"
"Dammit, I hate that he's winning me over," Nora gave a grimace that was more like a grin.
"Would that our world's Torchwick had such integrity," Weiss agreed with a small smirk of her own.
Torchwick moved to a red curtain and reached behind it. "Here's a face you oughtta recognize!" In a deft movement, he pulled out a young woman with grayish-blue hair and eyes... and black marks spiderwebbing their way up her arm.
"Trifa!" Blake gasped.
"You know her?" Jaune asked.
"Trifa Fajardo- an assassin for the White Fang! No wonder she'd take Adam's side..."
The woman looked shamefacedly at the ground as Adam gasped.
"No point trying to talk your way out of this," Torchwick sneered. "The itsy-bitsy spider here already testified she sold you the poison."
"Tch..." Adam scoffed, already planning his next move, but the next voice drove him to speechlessness.
"That's enough."
The red curtains rose, revealing four policeman, the Arc family lawyer, and in the center of them all, leaning heavily on a cane to remain upright, George Arc, nothing but pain in his eyes. "Adam... my heart is rent in two. I took you in and raised you as my own."
"BTFO'd," Nora grinned.
"I thought we agreed to take away her internet privileges," Ren groaned.
Adam's face was twitching in rage as Jaune made his way to his father's side. "Father, you were supposed to remain upstairs- you should be resting!"
"Yes... yes, I shall return to my quarters. I... I have no wish to see my son in irons. Jaune... I leave the rest to you."
"I understand, Father."
Adam took a deep breath, and rose at last to his feet. "So, this is the end?"
"Not at all," Trifa whispered, as if to herself. "His story doesn't end tonight. I read his fortune- those markings on his horns... he was born with the Devil's own luck."
Adam turned to Jaune. "Jaune... may I ask you to be the one who cuffs me? After all we've been through... the good and the ill... it seems only right."
"UUUURRRRRGGGGHHHH!" Nora let out a wookie-like growl of frustration. "This guy just doesn't give up!"
"Oh, you have no idea," Blake muttered.
To this, Jaune at last consented. "Very well." One of the policemen raised the handcuffs and allowed Jaune to take them.
"On your guard, Mr. Arc," Torchwick piped up, eyes narrow in suspicion.
Adam spoke gently as Jaune approached. "If there's anything that I've learned from this, it's that humans have limits. Faunus are simply humans with animal features- we, too, are bound by those limits."
"That... may be the first time I've heard him admit that humans and faunus are equals," Blake blinked in surprise.
"Which should be a massive red flag, if you think about it," Jaune considered.
"Indeed it- oh, no!" Weiss's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen.
"As long as one is human, one is limited... and that is why..."
Jaune was finally close enough- Adam swiftly produced The mask, grinning as he raised it above his head. "I REJECT MY HUMANITY, JAUNE!" In another swift movement, the knife was in his other hand. "I WILL ASCEND BEYOND!"
"He wouldn't!" Pyrrha cried.
"He damn sure would!" Yang yelled back.
The world seemed to move in slow motion as the knife made its way towards Jaune. "Jaune, get down!" Torchwick called.
"Men, open fire!" one of the policemen called, and, louder than the others,
"JAUNE, NO!"
The knife found a chest, but it was not Jaune's.
It was George's.
"FAAAAAATHEEEEEEER!"
"No!" Ruby screamed, her eyes widening in horror.
"Damn him!" Yang pounded the arm of the couch hard enough to make stuffing leak out.
Even the police seemed shocked, failing to react as Adam, paying no heed to the sudden shift of target, fixed the mask to his own face, laughing wildly as he took a hand soaked in his adoptive father's blood and smeared it across the bone. Within a second, the tendrils had emerged, burying themselves into his skull, causing a bright glow that nearly blinded the men in the darkened chamber.
"FIRE!" the policeman repeated, and this time, they all aimed true- bullet after bullet pierced Adam's body, sending him backwards, twitching with each strike, until he fell out the window, shattering it in his wake.
"Maybe they moved fast enough?" Nora suggested hopefully. "Maybe they killed him before he fully... fully..." She sighed. "I'm not convincing anyone, am I?"
"Nope," everyone else agreed.
"Not even yourself," Ren speculated, to which Nora could only sigh and nod.
George's hand trembled as it raised to caress Jaune's face. "Jaune..."
"F-Father..." Tears ran down Jaune's face as he held his father's dying form. "I... I'm sorry... if I'd dodged the blade, you wouldn't have had to-"
George weakly shook his head and smiled. He lowered his hand to just in front of Jaune's eyes, showing the golden ring upon it. "Jaune... take this ring. It was... your mother's."
Jaune began to weep openly. "Father!"
"I... I can't imagine..." Pyrrha said weakly.
"I think... we can," Yang muttered, holding a crying Ruby in a one-armed hug.
"...Quite," Ren whispered, similarly consoling Nora.
Torchwick shook his head solemnly. "No point sugarcoatin' it, kid... that's a fatal wound, there." He gritted his teeth. "Dammit... I knew somethin' was up! If I'd have moved faster...!"
"No..." To everyone's surprise, it was the Arc family lawyer that spoke up next, tears streaking down his face. "Everything that has happened today is my fault. It was my failure to... to..."
"Anyone recognize him?" Jaune asked halfheartedly- nobody did.
"If only I'd secured Geoffrey Taurus's imprisonment!"
"Geoffrey... Adam's father?" Jaune asked wetly.
"It's the ring," the lawyer declared miserably, looking at the gold ring upon George's finger. "I'd just been hired by Master George when a criminal was apprehended, attempting to pawn that ring! Geoffrey Taurus!"
The world faded into a flashback, where George Arc was being led into a holding cell, the lawyer and policemen surrounding him. Within was Geoffrey Taurus, looking nervously up at him.
"Can you confirm that this ring belongs to you?" one of the policemen asked, holding it in his palm.
"Yes, that is indeed my ring," George nodded.
"The ring- the ring he stole when the carriage crashed!" Weiss recalled, eyes wide. "After all that, he really had the gall to hide it and try to sell it?!"
"I'm starting to feel that nothing that man did would surprise me anymore," Pyrrha shook her head disdainfully.
"I recognize it well," George continued. "My wife and I had a matching pair made when we were wed."
"This burglar was attempting to pawn it," the lawyer grimaced, leering at Geoffrey behind the bars. The man gulped and scraped back an inch or two.
"Hmm... did he, perhaps, tell you that I'd given it to him?" George asked.
"That's the yarn he tried spinning, sure enough," the policeman growled.
"Oh, it was no yarn," George shook his head. "He spoke the truth- I gave him this ring as thanks for saving my life, quite some time ago."
If anyone in the audience had been drinking, they'd have done a spit-take. "WHAAAAAAAAAA-"
The policemen and lawyers were no less shocked- but nobody was more surprised than Geoffrey Taurus himself, his jaw on the ground as the man he'd unabashedly robbed stood to his defense.
"Mr. Arc, what are you-" the lawyer began.
"I am saying that this man is innocent," George insisted. "Please, allow him to go."
"Why?!" the lawyer objected. "You must know he didn't truly save your life- he was only there to pick through a dead man's belongings!"
"Please," George replied, still calm but perhaps a bit cooler than he had been before, "do not slander the man who saved me. Even if that were true, we could imagine a world where I had been born in such circumstances- I cannot say that I would not have done the same."
"I understand empathy," Blake whispered, "but I can't help thinking you're taking it a bit far!"
George knelt down before the utterly gobsmacked Geoffrey Taurus and held out the ring. "Please, take this- sell it and buy some food for your son. Use this chance to forsake criminality, and live a new life as an honest man."
The world returned to the present, where the lawyer was shaking with his tears. "He knew he didn't owe the Tauruses a damn thing!"
Jaune was hardly paying attention, still running his hands over his father's. "Please, father, hold on a little longer! The doctors will save you!"
George's own eyes watered as he held his son's hand. "Please, Jaune... don't hate Adam. I poured all my attention, for better or worse, onto you, my blood son. Envy is a sin, but I cannot blame Adam for feeling it."
"I think you can!" Yang growled. "Especially since he just stabbed you in the damn chest!"
"Weren't they listening to Torchwick?!" Nora belted out. "He was evil from birth!"
Ren let out a dry chuckle. "It is surprising, how quickly we adapted to Torchwick being a reliable source for such things."
"Please, permit his sins to die with him. Bury him next to his father."
"That may sound kind," Pyrrha admitted, "but in all honesty, perhaps that is a fitting punishment."
"I will," Jaune promised.
George forced a smile. "Do not cry, Jaune... this isn't such a horrible fate. Passing away... in the arms... of my dear son..."
His arms went limp. The lightning flashed again, as if coming for his soul.
"Master Arc!"
"Sir Arc!"
"FATHER!"
"MR. ARC!"
"What a senseless tragedy!" the lawyer sobbed. "Such a bright light, gone from the world!"
"You really think so?"
Everyone (particularly the audience) was surprised to hear Torchwick speaking. His hands were shaking as he lit a cigar, but he otherwise remained steady. "I've seen a lot of rich ponces in my time, bragging about what they'll do for the poor and needy one moment, beating them away from their fancy gated communities the next. Never liked 'em. But the Arcs... I see now that the Arcs are what all those nimbies pretend to be! That sort of spirit doesn't just die! Everything that was good in that man, he's passed on to his son- it's become his iron will, a burning light to forge on to the future, a giant among men!"
Jaune was taken aback. "I... I never expected to hear a speech like that."
"Especially from Torchwick!" Ruby couldn't help pointing out for the umpteenth time.
"But what he said was true," Pyrrha smiled. "What was it Adam said? Knock you down, and you get up twice as fierce?"
Jaune smiled, somewhat wanly. "Yeah... you're right."
A shiver ran up Blake's spine. "Crap, Adam! We forgot about Adam- he just used the bone mask!"
Everyone jumped and quickly returned their attention to the screen.
Torchwick was turning back towards the window, when his eyes widened. "The hell?"
Everyone turned, and immediately saw what had spooked him.
Adam's body had vanished.
"GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOW!" Torchwick barked, but it was too late- a hand swooped in from outside and made contact with the back of the lawyer's skull, sending the top half flying across the Arc's lounge, leaving the lower jaw and the rest of the body to crumble lifelessly to the floor.
"EEP!" Ruby squeaked.
"Well, that went from zero to a hundred pretty damn quick!" Yang growled.
The camera cut obligingly to the outside, where they saw Adam, the mask still affixed to his face, smirking as he hung upside-down above the window. His mouth opened, and an unholy sound came out, chilling them all to the bone.
"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
"What... the hell... is that?" Weiss shivered.
"That didn't sound like any human, animal, or faunus I ever heard," Blake agreed, chewing at her nails.
"He's not any of those things anymore," Pyrrha whispered, clinging on to Jaune. "He's left the natural world behind!"
The policemen, Jaune, and Torchwick alike were frozen with terror as Adam came swinging into the lounge, landing three-point on the floor.
"He- he's alive?!" one of the policemen cried. "How? We filled him with enough bullets to drop Jack the Ripper!"
"Everyone brace yourself!" another policeman called. "You saw what he did to the lawyer- he must have a weapon!"
Jaune was barely able to lower his father to the ground. "It can't be... is this the secret of the bone mask?"
"HE'S COMING THIS WAY!"
"THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" Torchwick roared. "OPEN FIRE!"
The police were frozen with fear. Jaune grabbed one of their handguns and pointed it at his former brother. "Adam, that's enough!"
Adam didn't stop his slow, steady approach, yet for reasons quite different from the police, Jaune found himself incapable of pulling the trigger.
"Dammit, VB, even if he'd actually been your brother before, he sure as shit isn't now!" Yang cried.
"Pull the trigger, pull the trigger, pull the trigger- killitkillitkillit!" Ruby wrang her hands rapidly.
Adam seemed to be daring Jaune to fire, pressing his forehead against the barrel.
BANG!
A hole opened on Adam's forehead, just over the mask, and he reeled back– much to Jaune's confusion, as he hadn't pulled the trigger. He turned to see Torchwick, grimacing as he held on to one of the policemen's smoking guns.
"Hurray, Torchwick!" Ruby cheered. "Er... I don't think I'm gonna get used to that."
Torchwick wore a stern glare, but that too faded when Adam failed to fall dead to the ground. Instead, he reached up and pulled the crunched remains of the bullet out, tossing it to the side like a marble before continuing his lumbering approach.
"Even that wasn't enough to kill him?!" Torchwick gaped. "Hate to say it, but I think even I'm a little out of my depth on this one!"
"How... how is this possible?" Jaune stared.
At last, Adam spoke. "You should know by now, Jaune. This power comes from the mask- the mask, and your father's blood!"
He leapt in the air and landed in front of a policeman, grabbing him by the skull. Before all the others' horrified eyes, he began to drain the man of his blood until he was little more than a shrivelled husk. Almost immediately, the wound left by Torchwick's gun closed. Adam threw his head back and let out another of those horrible, shrieking cries: "WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
"Stop doing that!" Nora cried, hands over her ears.
"He... he's sapping that man's life force!" Jaune gaped. "Adam... what have you become?!"
Torchwick and the remaining policemen resumed their fire- far from being fazed, Adam threw the remains of the first man at them with such force that they were killed or crippled instantly- with a knock to his solar plexus that sent him sprawling to the ground, Torchwick got off the easiest.
Everything that had happened ran through Jaune's mind- particularly Adam's final words before dawning the mask. He... he wasn't lying- he really has shed his humanity!
"Wryyyyyyyyy..." Adam let out a softer version of his cry. Jaune stepped backwards... until he found his gaze raking over his father's corpse. His look of terror disappeared, replaced by one of steely determination.
"Yeah- you go, Jaune! Take that thing down!" Ruby cheered.
"Don't let that evil leave the house!" Blake pleaded.
He moved towards the suit of armor Torchwick had been so recently hiding behind. On which subject...
"Kid, what are you doing?!" Torchwick called. "We couldn't kill that thing with bullets, let alone a damn sword! He's a monster!"
"I know," Jaune agreed as he pulled the armor's spear from it. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified." He turned to Adam, who was smirking as he allowed his former brother to find a weapon, clearly confident that Jaune had no chance of survival, let alone victory. "But this is a monster of my own making. I started this- it's my duty to end it as well."
"YOU'RE GONNA GET YOURSELF KILLED!"
Jaune sized up his enemy. The brain... the mask was designed to unlock the brain's hidden potential! If I'm to beat him, I have to aim for the-
He was distracted by a rustling nearby. He turned to see the dessicated corpse of the first policeman rising to its feet, its skin grey and flayed, teeth grown sharp as it mindlessly stumbled towards him.
"Another vampire?!" Weiss shrieked, attempting to burrow into the couch.
"I don't believe so," Ren shook his head. "If I were to guess, Nora's prediction of zombies was simply a little early."
"Blood..." the man grunted mindlessly, limping towards Torchwick. "I... must... have... blood!"
It was now Torchwick's turn to be frozen in horror as a cold, dead hand reached out and gripped his face with inhuman strength. "Blood... delicious blood!"
Life was beginning to flash before Torchwick's eyes until Jaune struck, putting all his strength into a swing of the lance, knocking the zombie's head from its shoulders.
"Huh, the zombie's actually pretty weaksauce," Yang mused.
"No, not at all," Pyrrha shook her head, eyes wide. "The strength he put into that swing... any normal human attempting the same wouldn't have had nearly such favorable results!"
He then turned back towards Adam. "I have no wish to fight you, brother. However, I know I have no other choice. Father, please... lend me your strength."
As if tired of waiting, Adam leapt from the ceiling where he'd been crouching, down towards Jaune, who turned the spear at last upon his old brother.
Adam blocked it with his hand, allowing the spear to pass clean through, but slowing it until it stopped before touching his head.
"How... how can he do something like that?!" Torchwick gaped. "He must feel no pain! The hole in his hand- it's already healing! He really is immortal!"
"How useless," Adam sneered, as he began to bend the spear against Jaune's body with only the hand it had pierced. Jaune screamed as Adam used his body to twist the spear into a pretzel, casually breaking it into pieces and pulling the tip from his hand, the wound already healing over as he turned it and drove it into Jaune's shoulder as he leapt over him.
"Gotta say, this doesn't look good..." Yang commented nervously.
"But this is when the hero always steps up to the challenge!" Nora declared bracingly. "Fearless Leader's got something up his sleeve, I just know it!"
Adam smirked. "This is fun, isn't it? Come, let's play a little longer- I'd like to try out some of my new power. As the one studying the mask, surely you're rather curious yourself, no?"
He turned to face Jaune again, but found that both he and Torchwick had vanished. "Ah, hide and seek, then?" His nostrils dilated as he peered around the lounge.
"How much you wanna bet his sense of smell got better too?" Yang grimaced.
"No bet- not at this point," Blake shook her head.
At last, his eyes fell on the very curtains the policemen had been hiding behind. "Truly, Jaune? Such a desperate move? Cowering behind a curtain like Polonius, in the desperate hope that you will fare any bet-"
He was cut off as he raised the curtain to be met with a wave of flames. "Not fear- courage!" Jaune declared as he handed his lantern to Torchwick.
Adam staggered back as the flames began to spread, the burns healing even as the flames inflicted them.
"He's still regenerating!" Torchwick grimaced.
"Dammit, can anything kill this bastard?!" Yang smashed her knuckles together.
Adam grabbed a the helmet from a nearby suit of armor and threw it- Jaune grabbed Torchwick and leapt out of the way, before pushing him out of the window.
"What are you doing?!" Torchwick demanded.
"Get out of here, Torchwick! This isn't your fight! As for me..." He turned and grabbed a sword from the wall. "I cannot let Adam leave this mansion alive."
"Very noble, but how do you intend to kill something even fire can't!" Weiss screamed.
The lower floor was practically consumed in flames- Jaune directed the sword, not at Adam, but at the ground. He then leapt onto the blade, and from there up to the banister of the second floor. He had to grab on to the floor itself, however, and pull himself up, even as blood poured from where the spear had pierced his shoulder.
"Damn, Fearless Leader's practically at vampire strength without the mask!" Nora whistled. "Say, I wonder if-"
"Nora, no," all of Team JPR said at once.
"...Well, phooey on you guys, too!"
"Don't go up, you idiot, the fire is rising!" Torchwick called from the window, for all the good it did.
Jaune finally reached solid ground, and turned to Adam below. "Well, Adam? Will you follow?"
Adam smirked as he cast off his burning clothes.
"Don't play this game-" Torchwick started, but a nearby explosion sent him flying across the courtyard.
Adam glanced his way. "Using yourself as bait to protect your little friend, are you? No matter. A little sneak thief is beneath me. All I need is your blood to heal any burns I sustain."
He approached the wall, and drove a foot into it. He then raised his other foot and drove it into the wall above the other. In following this pattern, he began to walk up the wall as easily as if it were solid ground.
"Gravity means nothing to him, either?!" Weiss shrieked.
"That's a load of bull!" Yang screamed, making as if to crush something in her hand.
"Muda, muda, muda!" Adam taunted as he made his way up the wall. "There's no vantage point in this manor from which a fall could hurt me!"
"Moo-duh?" Ruby tilted her head in confusion.
"An Animanian word- for useless," Ren translated. "As to why he's using Animanian, I couldn't tell you."
"Eh, probably just likes the way it sounds," Vanessa shrugged.
"In your effort to corner me with fire, you've only ended up cornering yourself!"
Jaune looked down at his hand- he had fastened his father's ring to his finger. "Father..."
He looked across the first floor, where his father's body lay. Memories ran through his mind of how the old Vytalians used to mourn their dead by placing their body in a boat, setting it alight, and sending it out into the sea. Perhaps, given the circumstances, this was the best funeral he could offer his father.
"Yup, that's an old tradition, alright!" Nora preened. "Pretty metal, isn't it?"
Jaune turned and continued his ascent. Father, rise to heaven on the flames. And then please... grant me strength.
"He will, Jaune... I'm sure he will," Pyrrha smiled softly.
Rain began to fall, but it wasn't near enough to douse the flames consuming Arc Manor. Torchwick still stood in the courtyard, watching it all go up in flames. "I hope you know what you're doing, Jaune," he grunted. "You'd better not have dragged me all this way just to watch you die!"
Jaune had led the chase up onto the roof, where he went on guard, carefully scanning around for any sign of Adam, well beyond aware that he could come from practically any direction.
He almost sensed it before it happened- the roof just behind him exploded, and Adam appeared, leaping up into the air, sending Jaune flying with a kick. "Weak! Weak and pathetic!"
As Jaune flew through the air and landed roughly on the roof, he recalled his entire youth- everything from the moment Adam had first joined the family. Every last slight Adam had committed against him. Slowly, he rose to his feet. "Adam... it's time to settle the score!" He looked down. Flames should be hot enough, now...
"Hot enough?" Weiss asked, eyes widening. "What is he-"
Dammit, is that what he's planning?! Torchwick suddenly thought. He wasn't trying to beat Adam- just stall him until the flames grew hot enough to kill him faster than he can regenerate! But if that's what he's aiming for...
He raised his voice in the desperate hope of being heard over the pouring rain and roaring fire. "Don't do it, Arc! You'll kill yourself, too!"
Jaune paid no heed to the call- he tackled Adam into the roof, breaking it open beneath their weight and the pressure of the fire.
Even Adam seemed caught off guard. "You fool- what are you doing?!"
"Don't do it, Jaune! You have so much to live for!" Ruby pleaded.
Jaune, however, seemed quite at peace with himself as he dragged Adam down into the flames. My ancestors' mansion is burning. Father is dead... I have nothing else to give but my life. If that's what I must give for this evil to burn, then... "Come, Adam! Let's burn together!"
"Stupid... noble... hero!" Tears were falling down even Weiss's face as she chewed on her nails.
Adam, however, smirked as he kicked Jaune away from him, mid-fall. He quickly turned and dug a fist into the nearest wall. "If you want to burn, do it yourself. Goodbye, brother."
"Cheater! Cheater!" Nora screamed.
"I... don't think he cares, Nora," Ren bit his lip.
Adam grinned as he watched Jaune descend towards the flames. "You have courage, no point denying that. If only you had matching wits. Cry tears of joy as you die with your father. As for me... I have become immortal! Invincible! The future ruler of this world!"
"Not when Jaune finds a way to stop you," Pyrrha hissed.
Such a way presented itself- Jaune looked to his side and saw the tip of the spear that had pierced first Adam, then him- the spear he'd unwittingly carried to the roof, now falling at his side. Moving quickly, he siezed it and plunged it into the same wall Adam was clinging to. With all his strength, he flipped over and landed on his feet, using the spearhead as a makeshift platform.
Adam grimaced as Jaune leapt up towards him, but the grimace turned into a smile when Jaune couldn't quite reach- until he undid his belt and lashed out like it was a whip, wrapping it around Adam's leg.
"You'll never be rid of me, Adam!"
"You accursed-"
Adam broke off as the extra weight caused him to lose his grip on the wall, once againt tumbling towards the flames with his erstwhile brother.
Jaune reached into his pocket and produced a knife. "Here it is, Adam- the knife you killed my father with! With this, I seal your fate!"
He drove the knife into Adam's side, earning a furious "WRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" as Adam grabbed on to his arms, attempting to disentangle himself. However, even as Jaune's clothing caught alight and his bones cracked beneath Adam's immense strength, he did not let go. Damn him! I've crushed his arms to dust and he still won't release me!
"You gotta do a lot to get on Jaune's bad side, but once you have... I don't envy you," Ren commented in a tone that might be construed as 'smug.'
Something seemed to occur to Adam, and his smirk returned. "Very well, into the inferno we go. But you will die alone- no matter the heat, I will recover!"
Jaune screwed his eyes shut. "Father! Lend me your aid!"
As if in answer, when he opened his eyes, Jaune saw a statue of an angel approaching- an Arc family guardian, clutching a stone spear in her hands. Jaune acted quick, kicking off from the wall, and steering that spear right into Adam's back.
"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
!" Adam cried as a significant portion of his torso was obliterated by the enormous weapon. "THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE! A WORM LIKE YOU- HOW COULD A WORM DEFEAT ME?!"
His struggles only forced him further onto the spear. Of course... he thought, as consciousness began to wane. How could I forget...? Strike him down... and he comes back... twice as fierce.
And he was consumed by the flames. This... this wasn't how it was supposed... to be...
"But Jaune!" Ruby cried. "What about Jaune?!"
"He must have escaped- he simply must have!" Weiss gritted her teeth. Yang missing the chance to tease her said more than words could have.
"Jaune! Come out!" Nora pleaded.
Torchwick seemed to be thinking much the same from his position in the courtyard- until there was an explosion from the second floor, and Jaune came flying out, landing very roughly in the courtyard. "Jaune!" he cried, rushing to his position. "Jaune! Kid! Talk to me!"
Jaune was breathing shallowly, but he was breathing. "F...Father..."
"Alive!" Torchwick almost collapsed in relief. "He's alive!" He bent down and lifted him up. "You magnificent bastard, you're alive- you won!"
He cried the last word to the night sky, as if to let the world know of Jaune's victory.
The audience fell silent at the realization, smiles slowly spreading over their faces. Finally, it was up to Yang to speak the words on all of their minds: "You're goddamn right!"
XXXX
That... was a long episode. A hearty appreciation to everyone who's still following and supporting this story, in spite of... everything. That said, see you all later, when I update again in eight months or so! (Just kidding... I hope.) Until then, don't you dare go hollow- Gamer4 out.
