Chapter Three: Amping up the Action

Tap… tap… tap…

Hunched over a desk in the dingy apartment, a man leaned over several Scrolls. He glanced at the bucket in the middle of the room, irritated by the droplets of rainwater striking the metal. With a huff that blew past his moustache, he returned to his work. It was hardly surprising that this apartment was abandoned; it leaked.

At least he wouldn't have to put up with it for long; as he'd told Tyrian, they needed to stay on the move. He could elude electronic surveillance fine, but there was no point taking risks. James employed living hounds too, and they were doubtless looking for infiltrators.

He scrolled through the information in front of him, looking for further cracks in the edifice. On one scroll, he searched through the public news networks. On another, he had more privileged access to the Mantle's administration's own networks.

He couldn't get the same access to Atlas's own networks yet. They'd clearly been trying to patch the backdoors he'd exploited at Beacon. But going through all that code took time, and they had yet to get round to much of Mantle's yet. Poor Mantle, always last in the queue. Some vital systems – the heating grids that sheltered Mantle from the freezing conditions outside, for instance – had been updated, but much of the rest remained open to him. Enough to hide himself and Tyrian from the ever-present cameras, enough to find the first targets in their campaign.

He'd need more, eventually. If only he could hold of the right credentials… he looked speculatively at an article about the forthcoming election. An old friend, perhaps? Once he had full access to the main security network, it'd be child's play to turn it to his will. After all, he wrote most of it.

And what did he get for it?

Mantle, Atlas, he despised them both. The security networks, the environmental controls, the paladin battlesuits; he'd created them all. The systems that gave them life and kept them safe were thanks to him, and yet what thanks or recognition had they offered? None! You ignored my achievements while choosing Pietro's bizarre project over mine, James. And then they stood idly by while the man that Atlas owed so much to had been disgraced! Atlas called itself a giant, while standing atop the back of his genius! He'd had to fake his own death to escape the shroud under which he'd been covered, and the city had chosen to forget the man who'd built the technology they relied upon.

That forgetfulness would prove their undoing. He towards the window, seeing the outline of the city below and the shape of the city above beyond. There were some in this world who appreciated talent. Salem may not be strictly human, but at least she respects my gifts, and gives me ample scope to employ them. Yes, her effort to remake the world may bring considerable discomfort to the masses, but when did they matter? You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. And as for bringing misery here… well, that was a feature, not a bug.

He turned back to his work. His eye caught on a likely suspect. Some lunkhead, arrested for throwing a brick at a military airship. A minor matter, for which he'd likely be charged and released, but this particular lout was well known for his vocal opposition to the General. It would be most unfortunate for another of James' critics to meet an unfortunate and totally suspicious end. Checking Mantle's voting registry soon revealed the man's address.

He tapped his ear-set, checking it was in place, and made the call, making sure his Scroll could not be traced.

"Yes?" asked a voice through the earpiece.

"Tyrian, Arthur here. I have another target for you. I'm forwarding his address. He should be leaving custody shortly."

Tyrian chuckled. "Another life for our Goddess? I'm sure that can be arranged."

"I'll leave it in your capable hands, then," Arthur Watts replied with a wry smile, ending the call. The man might be a psychopath, but he was good at what he did. Even better, he stuck to what he knew, unlike certain others who kept trying to work beyond the bounds of their competence.

Where is dear Cinder? he idly wondered. He'd rather hoped she'd fallen at Haven, but Salem seemed sure she was alive, and Watts knew better than to bet against his employer.

Of course, James was betting against her now, with the whole kingdom of Atlas as the stake. It was a poor bet. All Arthur needed to do was to take that gap between Mantle and Atlas and turn it into a chasm that both would fall into.

He looked back out the window.

I built this. And I can tear it down.

-000-

That the General had asked for their help hadn't come as a surprise to Pyrrha. The possibility of upgrades had. Until now she'd kept her equipment much the same as it was at Beacon. It wasn't her equipment she'd blamed, after all. Perhaps Haven was a reason to reconsider. But then there was the matter of who was helping provide the upgrades.

They sat in Doctor Polendina's office. His other office, as far removed from his little clinic in Mantle in terms of resources and equipment as Atlas was physically from Mantle. The scientist sat the other side of a busy desk upon his ambulatory chair, not even looking up as he made a few notes on his Scroll. The rest of the office was filled with machinery that Pyrrha didn't even dare guess the function of. Several cases sat on to one side, and two empty ones lay open, doubtless for their own equipment after they'd handed them over.

"Hi Doctor Polendina," Jaune said in his artlessly genuine way. "We're here to discuss upgrades."

The doctor chuckled. "Of course you are. And please, call me Pietro." He looked up at them. Or perhaps, to be more exact, he looked up at Jaune. His eyes seemed to shy away from Pyrrha.

Of course. Now he knows. It was Penny he referred to as a daughter, after all. So what must he think of me?

The doctor turned to the screen on his desk, tapping out commands until he'd pulled up the information he was looking for. "We can discuss any requests you have for upgrades," he said. "However, I've also taken the liberty to begin reviewing your Vytal festival performance, so as to make my own recommendations."

Pyrrha felt her gut lurch. Try as she might, she could only think of one fight that festival. And from the way he avoided her glance, so could he. Was their need for upgrades was forcing him to see it again?

"I'm sorry!" she blurted out.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune asked, confusion in his eyes.

She kept her attention on the man behind the desk. "I'm so sorry for what happened to Penny. I… I didn't mean to. I know I can't–"

The doctor held a hand up, cutting her off. He took off his small oval glasses and dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief, before replacing the glasses at looking up at her. Her heart seized as she saw the tears in his eyes. But then his eyes softened.

"My dear, I don't blame you for that. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression," he said gently, and Pyrrha felt tears come to her own eyes. "It's… it's difficult sometimes. Understand that seeing my Penny… watching that happen was one of the hardest things in my life. Anything that reminds me… But the General passed me the reports soon after. I know it wasn't your fault."

"But to see it again…?" she asked.

"I didn't. I had no need to see that again, and hope I never will. In any case, your other fights were more educational. You heard Penny. She doesn't hold it against you. How could I?"

"She was still uncomfortable," Pyrrha said.

"Well, of course she was! She feels like we do, fears like we do, but that doesn't mean she blames you! She's good and honest and means what she says." He gave a half-smile at this. "In fact, if I know my girl, give it enough time and she'll want to be friends. All I'd ask is that you treat her as one and be considerate of her feelings."

"Of course," Pyrrha said without reservation.

"How did you bring her back?" asked Jaune. "Like, I know she's a robot, but she's also real."

"That she is. Like I said, we needed her core, and thankfully that was intact. But hardware is only part of what makes Penny who she is. She's unique because she has aura."

"Aura being the reflection of a soul," murmured Pyrrha. "How did you produce it?"

"We can't produce Aura, let alone souls. What we can do is transfer aura."

Pyrrha suddenly thought of a darkened vault, of pain that reached deep inside. "The aura transfer machine!" she realised with some horror.

"You know of it?" Pietro asked with some surprise, before a flash of understanding crossed his features. "Wait, that was you?! What happened? I understand it was interrupted."

"It was," Pyrrha remembered. "And before that it was most unpleasant."

"Now I'm the one who's sorry," Pietro said. "It wasn't the intended use. I wasn't even allowed to be privy to most of the details, and we couldn't predict for sure what would happen."

"Whose aura did you transfer to make Penny?" asked Jaune.

"Now that I can answer," Pietro replied. He then closed his eyes.

They looked on as a green aura shimmered into existence around the scientist. Yet as Pyrrha watched, it flickered. Worse, there were holes in it, gaps around which the aura showed blackened edges.

"You gave her part of yours?" she breathed in shock.

The doctor let his aura fade and reopened his eyes. "Of course," he said with a gentle smile. "I'd never ask anyone else to give up something so precious and, well, when I call her my daughter, I'm not just taking poetic license. Every part of me went into making her. The work of my body," he held up a hand, "my mind," he tapped his head, "and my soul." His expression then turned rueful as he shook his head. "But there's only so much to give. I needed to give a second portion when we revived her. I would not survive a third."

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha whispered again.

"Now we've covered that," he said with a gentle rebuke, before sighing and settling back in his chair. "She and I have a second chance. Not many people get that."

That was true, Pyrrha supposed. And perhaps she had one too.

"But perhaps we'd better get onto this matter of upgrades," the doctor said. "Did either of you have any requests?"

"Armour," Jaune insisted abruptly.

Pyrrha turned to look at him curiously, surprised at his swift answer.

"Well, you already wear more armour than most huntsmen," Pietro replied, "but I'm sure we can come up with some improvements."

"Not for me," Jaune said firmly. "For her." He nodded towards Pyrrha, turning to look at her.

She looked back at him, but his gaze was unwavering. Part of her couldn't help but like moments like this, when the strength she'd sensed in him came to the surface. Yet she raised her eyebrow in confusion at his sudden resolve.

"Something that covers more vital organs," he explained softly, but no less firmly.

She found herself idly brushing her scar. The one a little way below the clavicle, the one more faded than she had any right to expect. The one she received at Haven, the second time she'd fought against Cinder.

"Well, I had been considering a few changes," she allowed. Mollified, Jaune nodded.

"Well, that won't require my personal expertise, but I'm sure we can handle that," Pietro said.

"Perhaps some changes to better suit the climate too," Pyrrha added. After all, an outfit designed to be eye-catching in Mistral's tournament circuit was less than ideal this far north.

"Of course," Pietro nodded, making a few notes. "And no change in armour for you?" he asked Jaune.

"Well, I won't say no," Jaune replied in his more usual tone. "But Pyrrha's is more important."

"Jaune," she reproached him.

"Mine already cover the lungs," he said peevishly.

"…Point taken," she admitted.

Pietro chuckled. "Moving onto weapons," he said, "young Ruby suggested a ranged option for you, young man."

Jaune laughed then, freely. "Of course, she did."

"As much as Ruby would try to attach a gun to almost anything, it's not a bad idea," Pyrrha suggested.

"No, it isn't," Jaune confessed, "but aside from the couple of times you showed me how to use Miló, I have no experience with firearms, and I'm not sure Crocea Mors would make a good gun."

"Well, I agree that it might be best to hold off on a firearm until you've had more training," Pietro said. "However, I do have a few ideas for your shield…"

-000-

Jaune tried his best to ignore the rattling of the Manta. Ren's aura techniques helped. So did focusing his attention on his Scroll, rather than looking outside. Though he couldn't avoid looking outside for much longer.

He turned his attention back to the map. SDC Mine #2, the chosen preparation ground for Amity Arena, had three entrances but was a tangled mess on the inside. And their target, the Petra Gigas, was inside. He remembered the old they'd fought in Anima. An assemblage of rock and other materials, animated by the quasi-immaterial form of a Geist, the only vulnerability being the bony plate that formed its face. But that was a tiny target when the Petra Gigas would tower over them, and this one seemed older and thus cannier than the one they'd killed. So they'd have to comb that network of caves to hunt it down.

"It's time!" Harriet barked, and slid the hatch open. The air howled as it whistled past the open doorway. Tucking the scroll away, Jaune stood, making sure Crocea Mors was firmly attached to his forearm. Seeing a glance of the frozen landscape below through the hatch, he nervously ran a hand through his hair. He'd managed to have it trimmed after they'd received their upgrades. It wasn't as quite as short as Nora had once suggested, but Pyrrha had vetoed that for some reason. He still wasn't quite sure why she got a veto over his hair.

"Ready?" Marrow asked in a loud voice. Jaune nodded, noting Pyrrha did the same. "We'll see you on the ground then!" the Ace Op said, before he turned and jumped out of the Manta, Harriet but a whisker after him.

He glanced at Pyrrha, happy to see her now wearing armour that swept up to her gorget, protecting her whole torso, while pauldrons protected her shoulders. A dark undershirt provided protection from the elements too, though with aura Jaune knew that was less of a worry. Still, better to be safe than sorry.

"Ladies first?" he joked nervously, then stepped forwards to jump out.

She stretched out her arm, placing a restraining hand on his breastplate. "Maybe I'll take you up on that."

He realised her unspoken intent. If she went first, she'd be in a better position to help out if something went wrong. He didn't take it as a knock against his pride. Perhaps he would have done, once, but that'd be foolish. After all, this was technically only the second time of him even needing a landing strategy, and the first time he'd have died without her intervention.

"If you feel that's best," he said.

"Perhaps I just want a better view," she said as she took her place, before pausing at the threshold. "You can do this Jaune. You have aura now, in any case, but you can do this."

"Thanks," he said, suddenly warmed by her sincerity. It was nice to have a glimmer of that back. He'd wondered if he'd ever have that back, and in his darkest moments he'd wondered whether her belief in him had always been pretence. But maybe he could believe again?

She turned and leapt out of the craft. Jaune fought a rebellious stomach as he saw her plummet.

Perhaps things were becoming like old times. He hoped so. He didn't want to lose that. Not again. And part of him wanted something more, and knew she had too, at one point. But did she still? And was it even a good idea?

If he wanted to move forward, he knew they needed to talk, really talk, about what had happened. But he didn't want to risk reopening wounds. Perhaps the last year should have taught him time was precious. And it had, but it had also taught him what he could lose. Or maybe he was being a coward, but it just always seemed a little easier to put the conversation off. Not that there was time for it right now. But at this moment, it really felt like it required less courage to jump out of an airship.

Speaking of which…

He took a deep breath, voiced one last hope, and dove through the open hatch. He felt the wind roar around him as he fell out of the sky. Using every ounce of what Ren had taught him, he pushed his nausea down and made sure he was level. Then he held his weapon above his head, and switched his scabbard into its shield mode, and then triggered its new hard-light function.

He felt a sudden jolt as his descent suddenly slowed. With the hard-light barriers forming two wings either side of his shield, he began to glide rather than just fall. He felt a moment of exhilaration, and for a second allowed himself to enjoy it. Just for a second.

The ground was still rising fairly rapidly, but no longer at the breakneck speed he would be doing otherwise. He braced himself for the last step in his landing strategy. As the ground approach he suddenly cut the hard-light wings and lurched downwards. As he dropped, he brought his shield down, pointing the face downward, and then triggered a burst of its gravity dust. A sudden repulsive force broke his remaining speed, allowing him to fall the remaining distance onto his feet.

He stood upon the ground, without even a wobble. For a moment he laughed out loud in elation. He'd done it. And smoother, he felt, then many of his erstwhile fellow students, or at least with a lot less gunfire.

"That did seem to go better than last time…" Pyrrha teased from behind him.

"Not exactly a high bar," he pointed out as he turned, but he had a smile on his own lips.

"At least you didn't get yourselves killed," another voice cut in. They turned to see Harriet glowering at them. "Come one, we have work to do!" Without looking back, she turned and stalked off towards the mine entrance.

They glanced at each other, then at the remaining Ace Op, who looked back rather awkwardly.

"Er… don't take it personally," Marrow said. "She means well. I think."

-000-

"...Team RWBY seem to have the more excitable elements," Clover had briefed them before the mission, "so I'm placing them with Vine and Elm."

"What, I'm not excitable?" Elm quipped.

Clover looked away from the planning board with an easy smile. "Well, I'm sure Vine can keep a level head for all of you."

"So we've got Nikos and Arc?" said Harriet, cutting in.

"Correct. Any problems?" asked Clover. Marrow glanced at his partner to see a set expression on her face.

"No, but we're the ones with half a team."

"And that's why you'll be taking one of the side entrances. Bravo's the largest group, so they'll cover the main entrance," Clover replied, gesturing towards Elm and Vine. "You've got this, Hare."

"Of course," she said curtly.

"Still, perhaps that's a good reminder that I want you all to keep a watchful eye on all our new colleagues. They're young and may not have all our instincts."

"I thought you said they can fight?" asked Marrow.

"They can," Clover answered. "That comes from the General, and I believe him. He fought alongside them at Beacon, and they've clearly come some way since to make it this far. But we shouldn't forget they've only had a year in an academy, and field experience will only cover so much. We'll doubtless get opportunities to train alongside them after this op, so getting an idea for where they're good and where there's room for improvement will save time later." He paused, and his expression became more sombre. "And I don't think I need to mention that the last thing we need is for any of them to buy the farm."

Marrow saw Elm and Vine exchange a brief look of concern before they stopped themselves. A flash of something briefly crossed his partner's face, but she buried it swiftly beneath her usual demeanour.

"Great," she groused. "More babysitting."

-000-

Pyrrha kept her gaze solidly on the mine entrance, Miló and Akoúo in each hand. From the outside, it appeared more an icy cavern than a mine. No rock could be seen, the only break from the ice being the manmade archway that stood at the entrance. Yet it was wide and surprisingly light within, as she could make out more archways supporting the tunnel inside.

"It shouldn't branch until we reach the mine proper," Jaune said to her left. He'd attached one of their new Scrolls to his wrist, presumably so he could check the map from behind his shield. It was sensible; whilst paying too much attention to their Scrolls would be a quick way of losing a fight, they also didn't want to lose their bearings underground. "Up to that point, at least, it shouldn't be too complicated.".

"Good to know," she said lightly, as he drew his sword, focused once more. He really is becoming the man I saw he could be.

Clover's voice came through their earpieces. "This is Alpha squad, LZ is clear, proceeding to enter mine. Other squads, report."

"This is Bravo," Elm's voice replied. "We're at the main entrance. The generator's back on, so we should have light inside."

That was a relief, at least. Trying to hunt for the Geist in pitch-darkness would have been an exercise in frustration.

"Charlie here," Harriet marched past them without a glance, a hand to her earpiece. "Ready to enter the cave."

"Confirmed. See you all inside."

With a roll of her shoulders, Harriet's weapons unfolded from her back, covering both her arms with a power-armoured exoskeleton. With barely a glance over her shoulder, she beckoned them forward.

"You heard the man," she growled. "Come on and stay close."

They made their way down the tunnel of ice, which remained lit along their passage by the lamps which adorned the intermittent archways. The ground beneath their feet – once past the snow which had drifted in from outside – had become smooth and icy as it gradually sloped downwards, causing them to move carefully as they advanced forwards.

Then, at the end of the tunnel, the slope turned sharply downward. Peering forward, Pyrrha could spot where the ice gave way to rock at the bottom of the ramp, a sign they were about to enter the mine itself.

"Slowly does it, I guess," Jaune said, looking downward.

"Contact!" Elm's voice suddenly burst over their earpieces, accompanied by gunfire.

"Bravo, report!" Clover ordered, to little response.

Harriet glared at the slope. "There's no time!" she yelled, and lunged forwards. Marrow threw himself after her skidding form, and with a mutual glance, Jaune and Pyrrha followed. They skated down the icy ramp, building up speed, but Pyrrha used her semblance on her own armour to keep her footing and then at the last to slow herself as she reached the base. She turned back to see Jaune thrust Crocea Mors into the ice behind him, braking himself as he descended. As he hit the end of the slope, he pulled his sword free, shield already poised for action.

"Come on!" Harriet called, but Marrow raised a hand.

"Hold on. There's something in the walls," he said, glancing at the rock around them.

Harriet looked back with narrowed eyes, but any retort was bitten off as creatures suddenly burst through the rock on both sides. Pulling themselves rapidly through the holes they'd burrowed, the beasts resembled giant centipedes, but the black bodies and white carapace and claws revealed their true nature as Centinels, creatures of Grimm.

Harriet reacted first. Lightning crackled around her as she used her semblance to move faster than any normal human could. She charged towards the nearest Centinel, dodging as it spit green acid at her. Closing, she swung her fist. With both her speed and exoskeleton behind it, her blow crushed the bony plate protecting the Centinel's head, shattering it.

The others hadn't waited for Harriet's move. Marrow opened fire with his rifle, unleashing short, controlled bursts, before switching his weapon into a bladed mode as they drew close. Pyrrha had leapt forwards and sent Akoúo flying out before her. A touch of her semblance and serrated blades sprang from her shield as it carved into its target, cutting the monster apart. She moved in its wake, flicking Miló into its xiphos mode, slashing either side at the converging Grimm. Using her semblance she yanked her shield back to her hand, retracting the blades within.

"Pyrrha, heads up!" Jaune called out. She turned to see him bisect a Centinel with his sword as he held off several more with his shield. He triggered a burst of gravity Dust, and blasted the Grimm before him through the air. Forewarned, Pyrrha cut them asunder as they passed. Their remains began to smoke even before they hit the ground.

"That all of them?" Jaune asked.

"I think so," replied Marrow, glancing around, seeing the evaporating carcasses, before suddenly twisting back. "Wait!"

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried in warning, seeing another, larger, Centinel burrow its way out behind him. Jaune twisted, far more swiftly and smoothly than he could have done when he began training, slamming his shield into place as the creature reared up.

Pyrrha was already in motion, switching Miló into its javelin mode and throwing it. She shoved at her weapon with her semblance, sending it at great speed. With another, more delicate, touch of polarity, she flicked the new switch. A lifetime of training to use her semblance in the subtlest of ways apparently had its advantages. Yet the creature was already descending.

"STAY!" she heard Marrow yell, and the monster froze in mid pounce. Less than a moment later and Miló flew into it, throwing the creature backwards and bursting into flame. The Centinel was incinerated as the fire Dust stored within discharged through the blade and into its victim.

That was probably overkill, she realised as she watched the remains burn. Still, she hadn't wanted to take any chances, and it was a good test of the new Dust chamber Doctor Polendina had installed. The good doctor had been keen on the idea, seeing it as a way of adding area control effects to her weapons. Pyrrha herself had a rather different target in mind when she'd consented to it, one she wasn't convinced was truly gone. Though fire Dust wouldn't do for her, of course.

"Now are they gone?" Jaune asked, looking around him with a watchful eye.

"I think so, kid," Harriet said. She placed a finger to her earpiece. "Charlie here, hostile contacts found and eliminated. Just some Centinels."

"Copy Charlie," Clover replied. "Bravo?"

"This is Bravo," Elm's voice crackled over the communicators once more. "We encountered the Geist, but it fled further into the mines. Centinels prevented pursuit, but they're all dead now. No problems here."

"Understood. Stick to the plan. Let's draw the noose around this thing."

"Copy Alpha," Harriet replied, before looking at the others. "Let's get moving," she grunted, before turning to head deeper into the mine.

With a gesture, Miló flew back into Pyrrha's grasp.

Marrow turned towards her. "Handy semblance," he commented.

"So is yours," she nodded.

"Let's keep moving," Harriet called back, looking over her shoulder. "We have a Grimm to kill."

They resumed their advance, proceeding now along a rocky surface.

"You know," Jaune said, a little nervously, "it probably would be a good idea to know what all our semblances can do. Could be useful in a fight."

Harriet glanced back from where she led the way but remained silent.

Jaune pressed on. "Like, Harriet, I'm guessing you can go really fast, just like Ruby."

"The short girl in the red hood? We'll have to race it out; see who's faster." Harriet said. "You're on the right track, though fast is an understatement."

Jaune nodded and turned to the Ace Op beside him. "And Marrow, you can make things stop still?"

"The target has to be in line of sight, and I need to keep pointing at them to maintain it," the dog faunus answered. "But yeah, I say the magic word and they stop dead."

It'd be wrong to say that Jaune was always an open book. Pyrrha had discovered that when he'd confessed about his transcripts; when she'd learned there was more – much more – going on in his inner world than his otherwise goofy nature revealed. Still, he sometimes had a wonderfully expressive face, and Pyrrha could see the exact moment some thought now crossed his.

"And the magic word is 'stay'?"

"Well, I don't have to say anything, but so what?" asked Marrow.

Harriet snorted. "Don't fuss about it, kid, it's bad enough Marrow calls his weapon Fetch!"

"Hey!" Marrow cried back

"We didn't name your weapon," Harriet smirked. She glanced back at Pyrrha. "So, what's yours? Some sort of control over your weapons?"

"My semblance is polarity," Pyrrha replied easily. Funny to think she'd once kept this so secret. "I can control metallic objects."

Harriet gave a low whistle. "Now I can see why your opponents had so much trouble in the arena. Never mind your own weapons, I imagine they found a few troubles with their own, right? That fourth championship fight makes a whole lot more sense now."

"You saw something was up?" Pyrrha asked, recalling a flash of the match in question.

"Sure, but my best guess was your opponent just caved under pressure," Harriet said over her shoulder. "They should have picked up on it, though. Same with the others."

"I only used it subtly," Pyrrha admitted.

"To keep it secret," Harriet added, understanding. "No shame in that, using every weapon at your disposal. Though you've clearly kicked that habit."

"You can't play games with Grimm." Or Maidens, Pyrrha mentally added. Or anyone actually trying to kill you.

"True. And what about you?" Harriet's eyes turned on Jaune.

"Oh, I call it Aura Amp. It er… amplifies aura. Mine or others."

"Meaning what exactly?" asked Marrow.

"Well, er…" Jaune glanced at Pyrrha as he fumbled for the words. "It means I can amplify the effects of aura. So, anything aura can do, it can do more of with my semblance. It can take bigger hits, recharge faster, heal severe wounds. It can even boost other people's semblances."

"So, you're like some sort of human battery? Or supercharger?" Harriet grunted.

"I guess," Jaune shrugged.

"It's much more than that!" Pyrrha protested.

"Sorry for calling it as it is," Harriet replied. "You have a problem with that?"

Pyrrha couldn't restrain herself, despite Jaune shaking his head. "I don't see why you're being so dismissive. He saved my life!"

Harriet stopped and turned, a glint in her eye. "So, a field medic too, good for you."

"That seems pretty useful," Marrow suggested, trying to mollify them.

"Pretty convenient," Harriet said. "Though it'd be better not to get hit in the first place."

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes, but any retort was cut off as Clover's voice came over their communicators.

"Charlie, this is Alpha."

"What is it?!" Harriet barked back.

"You alright, Hare?"

The spike-haired girl took a breath. "Yes," she said more calmly. "We're all still up and running here."

"Good. Qrow and I have engaged the target, and its retreating to the central chamber. You and Bravo should be able to cut if off there. We'll join you soon."

"Copy Alpha. See you there." She let out a sigh and looked back to the others.

"Well, we'd better get moving," Jaune said in a conciliatory tone. "Let's get this mission done."

-000-

They'd dashed through the remaining tunnels, running into the final chamber to appear on a rocky walkway overlooking the large cavern. Raised minecart tracks, stone arches and other walkways encircled and spanned across the chamber, while the walls glittered with the vivid hues of Dust. Large veins and great crystals appeared to fill the rockface around them. Marrow stumbled to a halt, kicking up dust particles as he skidded to halt.

He saw the glimmer in the air even as a drop of sweat fell off his brow. As it hit the ground, he heard it briefly sizzle as it evaporated.

"Uh oh," he said. The fine dust around them wasn't just dust. It was Dust too. "Be very careful," he said to the others.

"What… happens if we're not?" Jaune asked.

"Kaboom," Harriet said, mimicking an explosion with her hands. Jaune paled.

"Caution! The central chamber is full of unstable Dust!" Vine's voice came over the communicator. "Any detonation could ruin the launch site."

"Yeah, and us too!" Marrow replied.

"Copy that," Harriet replied. "Where are you?"

"Hey guys!" a young voice cried out. They looked down to see Ruby waving from the bottom level, standing with the rest of her team alongside Elm and Vine.

"Good enough for you, Hare?" Elm chuckled over the communicator.

"But if we're here," Jaune wondered, "where's the Geist?"

A low rumbling sound echoed from above. They looked up.

Above them, at the top of the chamber, was their target. No more just a Geist, it had once more claimed a vast assemblage of rock and ice to become a Petra Gigas, a giant formed of inanimate matter. Yet despite its size, it had somehow clung onto the ice on the very ceiling of the cavern. It turned and looked down at them. And then let go.

The rock giant fell, smashing through one stone archway which shattered under the impact. Yet despite its size, the Petra Gigas succeeded in turning to land upon its feet with a tremendous thud. As it towered above them, they could see the Dust crystals that formed part of its body. Dust crystals that promised an explosive end however the fight went.

"How are we supposed to–" Jaune asked, but Harriet leapt into action, lighting crackling around her as she sped forwards.

Marrow moved to join her but felt a sudden grip on his arm. He turned.

"Can't you just freeze it? That's got to be safer." Pyrrha asked.

"That thing?! It's far too big!" he replied, shrugging off her hand.

"But Jaune could amplify your semblance," she pressed, to Jaune's evident surprise as his eyes went wide.

"I… guess I could," Jaune offered.

Marrow turned, to see Harriet charging in, with Elm and Vine closing the distance. They'd be calling on him any moment, and he needed to help. He could help the old-fashioned way. But if he could freeze it… that'd have to be better, right?

"Fine," he hissed, "but make it quick!"

"Okay," Jaune said, bringing his hand to Marrow's shoulder.

"Wait, who have you tried this on?" Marrow asked, a little disconcerted. This wasn't just something he did with his partner, was it? Or girlfriend? They weren't exactly being subtle about it, after all.

"Pyrrha," Jaune said, for a moment reinforcing Marrow's fear. "And our teammate Ren. And a few others."

"Okay," Marrow said, a little relieved. "Get on with it!" He saw a glow out of the corner of his eye as Jaune's hand began to shine.

And then he felt it.

Aura is tied to the soul, connected with it. Depending on who you read, it was understood as the reflection or the manifestation of it. What did it mean to amplify something connected to the soul? Marrow wasn't sure about the metaphysics, but in that moment, he knew one thing:

It felt great.

He felt this welling power, and yet it didn't feel like it came from outside himself. Rather it was himself, his inner self, magnified. He felt… he felt powerful, like he could do all things. No wonder Jaune's partner spoke up so much for it. Wait, he told himself, don't think of that, don't make this weird. Well, weirder at least. What was he doing again?

Oh, that, he realised, as he saw the Petra Gigas stomp forward, sweeping an arm of rock and Dust at Harriet.

He reached out with his hand.

"STAY!" he shouted. And in that moment, he fancied that his very voice sounded different: more like he wanted it to be, more like he imagined it could be.

And that titan of Grimm and rock and ice froze in place. Unbalanced, it teetered over a little. It wobbled, and then tipped forwards, but its fall was swiftly stopped by the Petra Giga's now rigid arm. Everyone stopped, almost as if caught by his semblance themselves, as they stared at the now frozen Grimm.

"What's… what's going on?!" Harriet exclaimed, before turning to look up at Marrow, seeing his outstretched arm. "MARROW?!"

"Have you been holding out on us, Marrow!" Elm shouted up, laughing. "Why haven't you done anything like this with us?"

"How are you doing?" Pyrrha asked Marrow more softly.

"Good," he said, with a little strain. "It's taking effort, but I think I can do this for a little while longer."

"Jaune?"

"I'm okay for now," he smiled at her. "I can't do this for ever, but someone did tell me I had a lot of aura."

A smiled crossed her face. "So they did." She turned to look down at the remainder of the Ace Ops. "It's frozen for now, but you might want to finish it off sooner rather than later," she yelled down.

Elm turned to the others and then shrugged. "Alright, you kids want to help too?" she asked Team RWBY. She paused as she caught sight of her commander, entering from one of the side entrances alongside Qrow. "Target's incapacitated, and we're working on neutralising it safely."

Clover's eyes were fixed on the immobilised Petra Gigas as he approached. "This is not what I expected to find," he said to Qrow in an aside. Qrow grunted in amusement.

"Marrow's frozen it," Elm added, gesturing towards where Marrow still stood. "But since he hasn't done anything quite like this before, I figure he may be getting some help from one of the kids up there."

"I'm pretty sure that's Arc's doing," Qrow said. "Though I've never seen the kid pull off something like this before either."

"Yeah, it's Arc," Harriet muttered. "She just had to prove her point."

Clover ignored the last statement and turned back to look over the Petra Gigas, spotting the dangerous crystals embedded in its body. "Okay," he said after a moment, and then called up towards Marrow. "Marrow, just keep doing whatever you're doing! As for the rest of us, let's secure these crystals before we destroy this thing."

-000-

With the remainder of the Ace Ops taking the lead, the group had set to in eliminating the Petra Gigas. Yet this final action had been less of a fight, and more one of carefully dismantling the assemblage of rock, the bony mask only being destroyed once all the Dust crystals in its erstwhile body could be deposited safely. Mission complete, Clover had called it in as the group made their way to the surface.

"You know, I can't help but feel that was a bit of an anticlimax," Yang said with an easy grin.

"Yes, because what we really wanted to do was fight the huge rock monster composed of explosive crystals inside the cave full of even more explosive crystals," Blake replied with a deadpan expression.

"I know, right? It'd have been fun!"

"Yang," Blake uttered. "No."

"Spoilsport!"

Jaune ignored the cheerful banter as he walked along with a rest, a little drained by his exertion in the cavern.

"…And without looking, Vine reached out and whoosh! Perfect synergy!" Ruby exclaimed, sharing her enthusiasm for what she'd seen. Jaune couldn't begrudge her it. Had things gone a little different, and his attention not taken all up at the end there, he'd likely be as star-struck as her.

"You were pretty amazing too, Jaune!" Ruby added.

"Thanks Ruby," he smiled. "Though Marrow here's the one who did all the work." He nodded to the tired Ace Op walking beside him.

"It was a group effort," she insisted. "Though that was fantastic, Marrow! 'Stay!'" She quoted the last while stretching her arm out.

Marrow chuckled, puffing up a little under the praise. "Thank you. All part of a day's work."

"Don't let it go to your head, Marrow!" Elm called out from behind them.

"Little chance of that," he grumbled as Ruby giggled.

"Well, I'll catch up with you all later," she said, and darted off.

"She's… quite something," Marrow commented.

"Ruby? Yeah, she is," Jaune said with a fond smile. "She's a good friend."

"You've got a few of them."

"Yes." Jaune grew pensive for a second. "I'm very lucky."

"I'll say," Marrow said, eyes darting to the side.

"You two both okay?" Pyrrha asked, slipping into Ruby's previous position.

"I'm doing good," he replied. "You?" he asked Marrow.

"Just tired. Some serious strain on the aura today." He looked back at Jaune with narrowed eyes. "It doesn't seem to be bothering you all that much though. Just how much aura do you have?"

"Lots." Jaune and Pyrrha both replied, before glancing at each other.

"That's what Pyrrha tells me, anyway," Jaune said. "I'm taking her word for it."

"I see," Marrow gave them a funny look and shook his head.

After a few more minutes peppered with idle conversation, they found themselves once more stepping out into the daylight. Jaune took a moment to enjoy the fresher air, and to shield his eyes from the glare of the surrounding snow and ice. As he cleared his eyes, he could see several trucks already present, and Atlesian soldiers beginning to occupy the premises. And there, floating above the horizon and drawing ever closer, was the vast bulk of Amity Colosseum itself.

"The General's here," Clover said, looking towards one approaching greatcoated figure. "Ace Ops," he beckoned. The Ace Ops all assembled in line, at attention, and saluted as the General reached them.

General Ironwood returned the salute. "At ease," he commanded, before looking them all over, both Ace Ops and not. "Ace Ops, Team RWBY, Team JNPR… Qrow. Good work," he said, "and thank you. With this mission done, we can now begin to move forward in a big way. As such, there's some things I'd like to discuss. But first, Marrow, I understand you were the man of the hour?"

"Ah… thank you, sir! If you say so."

"Well, Clover says so, but I don't think he lied to me," Ironwood chuckled.

"Of course not, sir. Though I couldn't have done it with Jaune boosting my semblance."

"Boosting your semblance?" he looked towards Clover, then directly towards Jaune himself.

Jaune found himself going rigid, in his closest imitation of coming to attention.

"Turns out Arc has a semblance that can boost other semblances," Clover explained. "Add two and two together, and in this case get fifteen."

"I see," the General said, his thoughtful gaze not shifting from Jaune. "That's very interesting. Something else to discuss."

"Er… I guess so. Er… sir," Jaune stammered.

"But not right now," the General added, raising his hand. "For now–"

An electronic beep interrupted him. Placing a hand on the communicator in his ear he answered.

"Ironwood here. … What? … Another? … Send the information to my scroll, I'll get back to you." He refocused on the group in front of him. "You'll have to excuse me, something's come up which needs my immediate attention. I'll speak to you shortly." He nodded and turned away, walking to gain some privacy.

Jaune breathed out as he relaxed. Well, I guess that's one mission done.

-000-

As Winter strode across the snow, soldiers busied themselves unloading the first supplies from the convoy. Others began assembling equipment, while above them hung the looming shadow of Amity Arena. Winter took note of all of this, and yet she remained focused on looking her target. A part of her caught sight of her sister with her friends too. With a quick glance to check she was well and apparently happy, she compartmentalised that thought too. They could catch up later; duty waited for no one.

She found her objective a little way from the mine-head, examining his Scroll.

"Sir," she saluted, "Amity Arena is in position, and the convoy should be unloaded in 30 minutes. Our field outpost should be ready in an hour."

General Ironwood looked up at her, renewed tension in his eyes.

"Something wrong, sir?"

"You tell me, Winter." He passed her his Scroll.

She parsed the displayed information, quickly seeing it was a murder report. She looked up as Clover joined them.

"Another murder?" she asked. "But that makes–"

"The third such death in Mantle this week," the General confirmed. "Check the victim's criminal record too."

She did. "Several charges for rioting… disorderly conduct… throwing rocks at a passing airship."

"Quite the little firebrand," quipped Clover.

"The last arrest… just earlier this week," Winter finished.

"He was only released from custody today." The General bowed his head, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Meaning he was murdered almost immediately after."

"That seems to confirm the pattern," Clover offered, sobered by the news. "The murder victims are all critics of Atlas."

"And you, sir," added Winter, passing the Scroll back.

"A fact that hasn't passed the notice of the press," the General sighed. "I'm being framed, the question being by whom? I'm… not unaware I haven't been making friends recently, and that there's several figures who wish to clip my political wings."

"I can't see Robyn doing this," Clover said. "She skirts the law, yes, but she's never gone anywhere near as far as murder. And she keeps a tight rein on the Happy Huntresses."

Ironwood's eyes turned to Winter.

"I wouldn't put too much past my father, but this doesn't seem his style." She paused for a moment. "There are… worse possibilities."

She saw the General go rigid as he considered her suggestion.

"Any evidence from the scene?" asked Clover.

The General took a deep breath. "No. Like the others, it's clearly a brutal attack, but there's nothing on camera, no sign of suspects…" He shook his head. "You may be right, Winter, much as I don't want to think it. Something to address with everyone when we discuss our next steps. In the meantime, Clover, take your team to check out the scene. You'll miss out on the festivities, but we can't afford to let anything slip."

Clover nodded. "Wasn't our celebration anyway. Though I can't imagine we'll find anything the investigators haven't spotted."

"Perhaps not, but still, I need you on the ground. But be subtle: if people see too many huntsmen, they'll get nervous."

"Will do," Clover nodded. "On a more minor note, I'd also like to discuss Marrow when we get the chance."

The General's brow furrowed. "I thought he'd performed well on the mission."

"He did. He's not the problem, it just concerns him."

"Very well. When you get back."

Clover nodded once more and saluted, before turning and walking smartly off in the direction of the other Ace Ops.

"All ready on Amity for our next meeting?" the General asked as they watched Clover depart.

"Almost, sir. Penny is en-route. She insisted on taking part." At his curious glance, she added, "I think we should allow her this."

He gave a tolerant grunt. "It hardly sounds like we can stop her. Very well. See about ferrying our group up to Amity."

She nodded, but any reply was cut off by the General's communicator.

"Ironwood," he answered, hand against the earpiece. He grimaced as he listened to whoever was speaking. "He's here already?! How did he… no, belay that. Let him land. I'll speak with him myself." He terminated the call with huff of air and turned back towards Winter.

"Speaking of your father…"

Author's Note:

As I mentioned in the author note to the original version of this chapter (though that was chapter five), Jaune's semblance is completely busted. Most of the time it tends to be 'relegated' to a healing role, although amplifying someone's aura to the point of healing them from mortal wounds (Weiss in show and Pyrrha in this continuity) isn't anything to shrug at. Then there's the largely unknown potential of him being able to use it on himself (which I play around with in What Are You?), as seen in show when he uses it to boost both himself and Nora so they can tank a hit from the Colossus in V6, and then in V7 when he demonstrates the capacity to use it to recharge his own aura. The main limitation here seems to be inexperience: he's only had his semblance for a very short time compared to the rest of our heroes.

But the really broken stuff happens when you combine his semblance with those of others, which is why – although he's unlikely to be anyone's choice as he currently stands for a one-on-one combatant – he is almost a no-brainer for thought experiments into 'broken' teams like the one that ultimately inspired this story. Consider the example of amplifying Ren on the Argus Limited: Ren's semblance can normally affect a couple of people within close proximity. Amplified by Jaune, however, Ren's semblance could instead affect the entire train, with potential hundreds of passengers, an effect at least one and possibly several orders of magnitude higher in both range and coverage.

The protagonists know of this (indeed, Nora's the one who suggested amplifying Ren the first time around), but in V7-8 this doesn't attract much experimentation, aside from further uses with Ren to hide more groups of civilians (with similar results – the only real problems come when they're having to use it when exhausted and with low auras). So, it's possible others such as Ironwood knew of it too, but between everything else they were facing, details of one semblance probably wouldn't get much attention (and in any case, team JNR's semblances probably aren't best suited to show off potential applications). Here, however, somewhat different circumstances mean it's had the opportunity to be demonstrate its potential with a more dramatic semblance. And that potential has been noticed… and helped coin the title for this story (along with the very much intended double meaning).