Finally, Ruby and Jaune managed to escape their predicament, but will they be able to remain free? The Branwen tribe is probably used to tracking and vehicle fighting. On a side note, the fact that so many people felt sorry for Vernal made me pretty happy. She had almost no character development in the show, so I was able to start building some backstory with her. I feel like she will be a good recurring character for this story. Mostly because her dynamic with Jaune is really fun to write. Not only that, Vernal getting close with Jaune may cause Ruby to realize things about herself. Good character development for all.
Thanks to everyone taking time to review. I really enjoy reading all the comments. Lastly, special thanks to Maverick for reviewing the chapter. If you are interested in possibly helping me beta any future chapters, please feel free to contact me.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Ruby's arms tightened around Jaune's waist as her face buried itself in his back.
"You made it…" The girl muttered, voice slightly muffled not only by his shirt, but the engine too.
"Sorry!" Jaune called out over the noise, as he revved the engine into high gear. "You'll have to speak up! But hold on tight! I bet they won't take this lying down!"
"I said, I'm glad you're back!" Ruby yelled into his ear. Her arms squeezed around him harder. "You took your sweet time!"
"Long drive and killing Grimm!" Jaune's laugh was somewhat forced, hiding his worry.. "Now hold on. This is going to be a bumpy ride!"
In the distance, they could hear the dull roars of engines springing to life. There was no way Vernal was going to let them leave without a chase. Jaune wanted to get as much distance as he could before the alarm went out. The other bandits were used to traveling and fighting in the mountainous terrain, so a race wasn't in their favor. They had a mostly full tank of fuel along with an extra Dust cell. If the map they found was accurate, it should be more than enough to get to the marked town. If it still existed of course.
Jaune tried not to think about it.
'There's other towns we can get to. Focus on what's happening now!' The boy mentally yelled at himself instead.
"I think they're getting closer!" Ruby turned around and looked at the darkening trees. Night was falling fast, but the engines were noticeable, along with headlights. It's not like they could drive around in the middle of night without them. Depending on how persistent the bandits were, they might be chased all night. "Step on it!"
"I'm trying!"
As much as Jaune knew how to control a four wheeler, there was a huge difference between trying to go faster for fun versus trying to go faster to escape a bunch of bandits who probably wanted to kill you. They were on unfamiliar terrain and if he made a single mistake that caused them to flip or get stuck in a ditch, they were toast. How far would the tribe chase them? Would they run out of fuel before their pursuers? So many questions and Jaune did not have those answers.
Turning all his attention to the ground in front of him, Jaune swerved around trees, trying to shave off even a fraction of a second as he continued heading east. Once the sun fully set and darkness engulfed them, it would be a lot harder to maintain their direction without stopping and orienting. A few degrees to either side could throw them way off their mark when traveling long distances. When Ruby was learning this, Qrow wouldn't let Jaune point out where they went wrong. It caused them to have to backtrack half a day once.
Jaune really appreciated his grandfather teaching him these survival skills when he was younger.
He had to throw the headlights on a few minutes later after almost hitting a fallen log. Shadows cast by the trees were causing the forest to darken quicker than the setting sun. Lights would reveal their location from further away, but as long as the engine was running, the bandits would know roughly where they were at anyways. Might as well make sure they wouldn't crash before then at least.
Night driving could have been fun if they weren't trying to escape with their lives. Only seeing part of the trail ahead of you and having to adjust when a tree or rock appeared out of nowhere was sort of exhilarating in its own way. A single mistake or momentary lapse of attention could cause a crash and injury. Not that Jaune particularly enjoyed the risk, but if he had been with his friends doing this, he might have had a little fun. In a strange way, he might actually be driving better than he would normally have done under the circumstances. Enjoying yourself was one thing, but when his best friend's life relied on him to succeed?
There was no way Jaune was going to fail.
"Shit!" Jaune swerved to the side as he emerged from the trees and skidded slightly on the rocky shore. "River!"
"Can we go through it!?" Ruby called over the engine.
"I can't tell for sure, but it looks deep." Jaune gunned the engine and they took off down the shore. "We need to find a place to cross. And fast!"
They continued on, looking for a shallow spot, a bridge, really anything that would let them avoid haphazardly driving through a flowing river at night.
"There!" Ruby pointed over his shoulder. The river curved up ahead but there was a small incline on one side that could have been a ramp. "We can jump there!"
"Seriously, you want to gamble on that?" Jaune asked incredulously.
"Do you have a better idea?"
The sounds of the other vehicles drawing closer echoed around them.
"If we die, I'm haunting you." Jaune grumbled, pulling away from the river to get into position.
"We'll b-both be ghosts!" Ruby tried to joke, though her voice shook slightly. "But we can haunt someone together!"
"I suppose that wouldn't be too bad." Jaune admitted, as he slowed down to turn into position. The incline was straight ahead. "Hold on tight, Ruby." Small, thin arms, clutched tightly around his stomach and her legs squeezed against his and the sides of the four wheeler. "And we're off!"
Wheels began to spin in the dirt before the kids lurched backwards as Jaune gunned the engine. Faster and faster, for the incline wasn't steep enough to keep them from accelerating. Jaune couldn't slow down if they expected to get over the water. His foot floored the pedal and his eyes narrowed as they approached the tip. Both of them had been through much worse than this, so neither of them were afraid of being injured. Ruby had been flung through the air in initiation to kill a giant Nevermore, this was nothing to that. If they were scared of anything, it was losing their only mode of transportation.
The front wheels lifted into the air.
"Come on!" Jaun kept the steering wheel straight as he prepared for the landing. "Please work!"
With their momentum, they were slowly rising into the air before making an arc as gravity set down upon them. Jaune could feel himself rising into the air as the vehicle below him began to descend. Holding tightly to the handles and his legs gripping the sides of the four wheeler for dear life, he felt Ruby tighten her grip around him automatically too. The ground rushed up towards them and Jaune gritted his teeth.
BANG!
With a hard thud and a couple of bounces, they were across the river and continuing forward.
"We made it!" Ruby cheered, loosening her grip..
"We're not out of the woods yet,." Jaune reminded her, as they took off into the… woods. "Sorry for the pun!"
"It was a good one, unlike Yang's!"
Even in the darkest moments, Ruby could still cheer him up.
Jaune floored the engine some more and they took off. All the wear and tear surely wasn't good for the machine and the warranty was probably broken due to the abuse. The moon was out and gently lighting the world around them, while the headlight illuminated the area directly ahead. Sounds of multiple engines were drawing closer, causing Jaune to worry. Trying to find a path across the river had taken some time, letting the bandits close in. They probably could see the headlight from a distance too. Way out in the middle of nowhere, any light would draw attention. It was lucky no Grimm had shown up with the negativity Jaune was spewing out.
Hopefully, the river obstacle would slow their pursuers down like it did for them. They would have to find out where Jaune and Ruby crossed or discover another route. Problem was their tracks would lead them right to the ramp. Jaune wasted more time trying to find a route, while Raven's tribe only needed to follow the trail. It would be tough, if not impossible, to lose them. Their best bet would be to keep going until their pursuers either gave up or they ran out of gas and moved out on foot. Footsteps would be a lot harder to follow than tire tracks.
"I think I see lights!" Ruby shouted, as she spun her head around and looked through the trees.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Jaune replied, fear and desperation permeating his body. Any joy of escaping and crossing the river so easily was quickly evaporating.
"What should we do?" Ruby asked, panic seeping into her voice too.
"I… don't know!" Jaune hated admitting this. "If they catch up, we have no choice but to fight. And if Vernal is with them…" His voice trailed off. Nothing more needed to be said and Ruby didn't bother trying. What she did instead was unwrap one arm from his waist.
A familiar click followed.
"Ruby?" Jaune couldn't turn his head around to look at her, as he needed to keep his eyes on the 'road.'
"I'll take out their vehicles if they get close." Ruby told him. "They can't follow us if their wheels explode!"
"Can you hit them like this?" Jaune couldn't help asking, as at the same moment, he was forced to swerve around a broken stump, jerking them to the side. "And with one hand?"
"I'll do it because I have to." Ruby's voice was strong, but Jaune could tell she was masking her doubt and trying to reassure him. "Just focus on driving. Trust me."
"I always do." Jaune felt a lot more optimistic. Ruby just had a way of bringing out the best in people, especially him. If she said she would do it, there was no reason to doubt her. "I'll try to keep it steady."
"Just worry about not crashing, I got the rest!"
They kept driving east, away from the camp and toward the general direction of the town they hoped existed. Jaune had to be careful, as it would be really easy to lose their direction at night. The last thing they would want to do is run out of fuel and find out they overshot their destination. However, they never got the chance to keep driving carefully. Lights behind them were growing brighter in the darkness. No matter how good Jaune was at driving, he was nothing compared to bandits who spent their entire lives out there.
"There they are!" A loud voice shouted before the sound of a horn followed.
"JAUNE!" Ruby cried out in panic.
"I know!" Regardless of Ruby's warnings, there was no way for the boy to go faster. Dodging trees and other obstacles at night wasn't easy and the headlight only traveled so far.
They reached a clearing and no matter how hard he pushed the engine, several four wheelers and a dirtbike emerged from the trees behind them. All of which had bandits from Raven's tribe riding them. Several of the men were holding guns and already aiming at them.
"Are they…?" Ruby started to say.
Gunfire rang out, forcing Jaune and Ruby to duck as Jaune swerved to avoid it.
"YEP!" Jaune didn't have to turn around to confirm. "Do it!"
"I just need a second…"
Ruby swung her beloved gun around and took aim. Weidling Crescent Rose one handed, even in rifle form, wasn't something she normally did. The recoil alone would risk causing the weapon to fly from her grasp. While also on a four wheeler dodging bullets? This was a huge gamble for her. Still, what other choice did she have? Jaune was busy focusing on driving and was already trying to keep ahead of their uninvited guests while keeping their ride steady for her.
The girl's eyes narrowed as the barrel of her gun found its mark. Without hesitation, her finger squeezed down on the trigger. A familiar and comforting bang rang out. To her surprise, the recoil wasn't nearly as powerful as she remembered and the girl managed to keep her arm steady for the most part.
Maybe all that basic training chopping wood really did help.
"AHHHH!"
The headlight on the nearest four wheeler to them shattered as Ruby's Dust Round hit its target directly. Not only that, due to her high caliber bullets, the round sunk even deeper into the vehicle. The driver found his control slipping as he began to swerve. He yelped in surprise before managing to slam on the breaks, skidding to a stop. Without a headlight, there was no way that guy could chase after them in the middle of the night.
Of course, once she fired, the other vehicles' riders began to fire back again. There were three other vehicles, two four wheelers with a driver and rider like Ruby and Jaune were doing, while the dirtbike rider was alone. Ruby swung her rifle and fired some fanning covering fire to push them back. Her plan worked as the bandits were forced to slow down and tried to spread out. That gave her an opportunity to aim at another pursuer's vehicle headlight. This time, right as she pulled the trigger, Jaune hit a bump and her shot went slightly wide.
Hitting the front tire, which exploded and deflated almost instantly. Unlike the first guy, this driver didn't have a chance to break as his ride crashed into a tree, sending his passenger flying forward and eating dirt.
"That worked better actually." Ruby muttered. "I should have done that first."
"Argh!" Jaune cried out involuntarily as a bullet hit him in the shoulder that just missed Ruby.
"JAUNE!" Ruby looked at him. "Are you okay?"
"My Aura absorbed it, just focus on taking them down!" It hurt a lot and he probably was bruised, even with his Aura. Those bandits had some pretty powerful guns, much like Ruby did. Luckily he wasn't letting down his guard during a fight. If he did that and Qrow found out, he would never live it down.
"How dare you hurt him!" Ruby yelled, not really paying attention to his words. She aimed Crescent Rose and fired, still one handed. The dirt bike rider's tire exploded and it flipped, sending the driver flying into a tree with a sickening thud. A little glee welled up inside her at that. The man got what he deserved. "One left Jaune!"
She was about to aim at the last four wheeler, when Jaune suddenly cried out.
"HANG ON, RUBY!"
Not missing a beat or even pausing to process his words, Ruby grabbed hold of him instantly, her gun in his lap. Turning as hard as he could, Jaune made nearly a ninety degree turn on the spot. Right ahead of them was a ravine that was too large to try to jump across and deep enough that Ruby couldn't quite see the bottom in the darkness. Jaune had to go around it, but if Ruby hadn't been holding onto him during that turn, there was a good chance she would have been thrown off from the centripetal force..
Wheels spinning wildly in the mud, they jerked forward as Jaune ran along the ravine, looking for a way to go around it. A couple shots pelted their vehicle and bodies, but Aura absorbed most of the damage, though Ruby felt a sharp pain in her side. Their four wheeler took some damage as their last pursuer closed in. Even speeding up to ram into them.
That was a fatal mistake.
Jaune just managed to avoid them as they blew past them… right into the ravine. They never saw it coming, too focused on capturing the escapees.
"AHHHHHHH!" The two screamed as they crashed into the wall on the far side and then slammed into the rocks below. It was only fifteen to twenty feet deep, but just looked so much more at night.
"Go, go, go!" Ruby yelled, as Jaune kept going.
It took about fifteen minutes to go around the ravine and then Jaune had to use the compass to figure out how to get back on route. He kept driving the whole time, not wanting to stop and give the tribe any ideas to keep chasing them. The few shouts of the bandits were growing fainter and further as Jaune continued to lead their journey, eventually disappearing all together. Vernal hadn't been with them, which was a blessing in disguise. If she had been and actually caught up to the two of them, they wouldn't have stood a chance. Jaune wasn't going to stop for a while because of that. Even if it meant driving all night.
"We did it!" Ruby cheered, as she raised her fist in triumph. "We got away!"
"Great shooting, Crater Face." Jaune wanted to look back, but he had to keep watching the road. How stupid would it be if he crashed into a tree right after shaking off their attackers?
"Great driving, Vomit Boy." Ruby replied, hugging him tightly.
Ruby laid her head on his back and Jaune felt her warmth seep into his body as she clutched him. They were finally free. For real this time. Funny enough, after all the excitement, he wasn't the least bit tired. Even if he was sleepy, Jaune wouldn't have relaxed. Not until they were home free. Ruby on the other hand…
"Try to get some sleep," Jaune suggested. "At least rest up a little bit."
"I'm not tired!" Ruby denied and Jaune didn't answer. "Not much anyways…"
"I'm going to keep driving and we can swap later." Jaune promised her, trying to get her to agree. "You can take a turn in the morning and then I'll get some sleep."
"Fine… but you better wake me up… if I can even sleep with all the bumps." Ruby grumbled, resting her head back against his back.
Jaune wasn't gunning the engine as hard as before, worried it might overheat or something. They needed it to last as long as possible. It also reduced the chance he would make a mistake and wreck the vehicle by crashing into something. Glancing back at the back-up Dust Cell, the boy noted they had enough fuel for a while. While not an engineer himself, those Fuel Cells lasted for a long time. There was a good chance they could get to the next town before they ran out.
The continuous engine humm quickly became background noise to the boy as Ruby began to lightly snore. Her arms were still firmly around his waist and he was careful not to do anything that might cause her to slip. It probably wasn't the smartest move on their part to sleep on a four wheeler like this, but they didn't have a better option. They had to watch in shifts. If they both stayed up all night, all that would happen is they would both be exhausted in the morning, prone to making mistakes.
Even if it was a couple hours of bad, interrupted sleep, it was still better than nothing.
"Ahhhh-hhaaaaaa." Ruby yawned after several hours, slowly getting up and blinking in the darkness.
"Morning, sleepy head." Jaune snickered. "Have a good nap?"
"Uh huh, you were a comfy pillow." Ruby giggled. "What time is it?"
"I think we still have a couple hours until dawn." Jaune replied, looking up at the sky. "Hard to tell right now."
"Yeah, we're used to using the sun." Ruby agreed, thinking back to her uncle's training. Her good mood quickly went downhill. She really missed Qrow and wondered what he was doing. He was probably worried sick about them being kidnapped from under his nose. "How long until we get to the town?"
"I've been constantly checking our course, but once it's light out, we'll have to figure out our exact location." Jaune explained. "I can't see landmarks or anything now. Just a small lake and some rivers. We should be going in the right direction."
"Do you want to take a break?" Ruby asked, poking his back. "I can drive."
"Once it's light out," Jaune assured her. "If I fall asleep now, I probably won't want to get up."
"That better be it and not you treating me like a kid." Ruby pouted.
Jaune released the gas pedal and actually turned around for a brief moment.
"Ruby… after everything we've been through… I will never treat you like a kid. You're my best friend and an equal."
Ruby felt her words get caught in her throat as she struggled to respond to this. Jaune turned his attention back to driving and didn't say anything either. The words slipped out of him a little more blunt than he meant them, almost sounding reprimanding, but they were one hundred percent true. Though, Ruby was a better fighter than him for sure. Both of them were embarrassed at their little outburst.
"Sorry…" Ruby mumbled softly, just barely audible over the engine. "I'm just used to Yang… and others…"
"Maybe you're right and I'm just being stubborn." Jaune slowed down until they came to a complete stop. "Think you can handle it while I sleep on you this time?"
"Pssh, just don't crush me, you're a lot heavier than I am." Ruby teased, as they swapped positions.
"Are you calling me fat?" Jaune faked gasped, putting his hand over his heart.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The snap of a broken bone echoed across the training ground in the Branwen tribe's camp. A man fell, clutching his wrist as Vernal stood over him. Pure annoyance was etched on her face as she turned and walked away. He hadn't even been a challenge for her. Several onlookers whispered among themselves after she passed by. It had been a few days since Jaune and Ruby escaped and Vernal's anger had not subsided. If anything, it only intensified.
"She's still in a bad mood." One man muttered, watching the woman in the distance.
"What did you expect?" Another guy asked with a shrug. "She lost the prisoners right under her nose."
"It's more than that." A woman reminded them, almost sounding amused.
"Yeah, Vernal fell for that idiot blonde." The man snorted. "She's upset he left her."
"I'm just surprised Raven didn't punish her more," The first guy admitted. "Only some private training. Either she didn't care they left, or it wasn't worth losing more equipment chasing them.'
"You're a fool." The woman smacked him in the back of the head. "Raven's training isn't for the faint of heart. We just got the basics and that was hell. Vernal gets the real stuff. I bet Raven is making sure this never happens again. It's not something to envy.""
"She's been hitting harder, that's for sure."
The three of them looked at the man laying on the ground with the broken wrist.
"You have something to say!" Vernal turned around and spat out. The onlookers quickly fled in different directions, not wanting to be the target of her ire. "That's what I thought." Sighing, she walked back to the main tent and announced herself before coming in. "Raven… I finished."
"Good, your reeducation is going well," Raven nodded approvingly, though she didn't smile. "I trust you won't make foolish mistakes again, like showing mercy?"
"No, I won't!" Vernal knelt down before her. "Again, I apologize for my slip up, but if you had let me go after them-..." Her words were cut off as Raven raised her hand.
"As I told you, there are reasons I didn't have you go." The woman reminded her simply. "The seeds have been planted, though it will take some time for them to sprout. His Semblance is useful, but unless he willingly wants to join the tribe in earnest, he will only be a liability. The chase was real enough no one would suspect anything. The damaged vehicles were a minor annoyance though… I should retrain those fools for losing valuable goods."
"Do you think he will return?" Vernal looked up.
"It all depends on Ozpin and Qrow." Raven tapped her chair with her finger as she looked at the wall in thought. "All it takes is for the boy to realize their lies and he'll come back to seek more answers. Besides, it's not like they can escape from me." For the first time in their conversation, her lips twitched into a smile. "If I want them back, all I have to do is go to them."
"The girl is more trouble than she's worth." Vernal mumbled under her breath.
"Are the rumors around camp true?" Raven asked, amused.
"NO! Of course not!" Vernal gasped, looking up wide eyed.
"It's okay if they are, we've all succumbed to the pleasures of the flesh," Raven sighed, as if remembering something embarrassing herself. "What's important is you don't let it interfere with where your loyalty lies."
"It's not-...!" Vernal tried to protest, but a shout from outside the tent interrupted her.
"Raven, we have a problem!"
"What is it now?" Raven asked, standing up and grabbing her mask. The tone of her voice instantly changed to ice. She stepped out of the tent with Vernal following behind her.
"I-It's Qrow!" The man reported. "He's waiting outside the camp, demanding to talk with you!"
"Heh, took him long enough." Raven smirked, setting down her mask. She wouldn't need it yet. "He came all this way, so I suppose I can have a short chat with my brother." Normally, traitors would be shot on sight as part of the Branwen tribe's rules, but Qrow was a special case. Not only was he related to their leader, but no one besides Raven could kill him.
"He doesn't know they escaped." Vernal muttered, as she followed her teacher.
"No, and I'm going to enjoy telling him that." Raven's eyes sparkled for a moment as she imagined his expression. The gates were open as she and Vernal approached, letting her brother march in. The man didn't look happy for some reason. "Qrow, what do I owe this unexpected displeasure?"
"Cut the bullshit, Raven." Qrow growled, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Several nearby tribe members reached for their own gun, but a shake of Raven's head made them just back up instead. "Where are they?"
"Where are who?" Raven asked innocently, causing Vernal to snort.
Qrow was not amused and Raven barely managed to raise her blade. A loud clang echoed through the camp and sparks flew as their swords collided. Vernal scrambled back, drawing her weapons, shocked at how fast that attack was. Several other tribe members drew their guns and pointed them at Qrow, who wasn't paying them any attention.
"Enough of your childish games," Qrow's eyes flashed dangerously. "Where. Are. They?"
"Not here." Raven answered, her eyes flashing dangerously too, not even looking upset her brother had attacked her.
"Where did you send them?" Qrow pushed back to put some distance between the two of them, though his blade was never lowered.
"I didn't send them anywhere," Raven answered, looking almost amused at Qrow's rising blood pressure. "They are just gone."
"You didn't…" Qrow's eyes widened for a moment as his teeth grinded. "I swear, if you did…"
"You're jumping to conclusions." Raven huffed, shaking her head. "Those two stole one of our vehicles and bailed at the first opportunity, even after I was kind enough to provide them with food and shelter."
"They did what…?" Qrow blinked as Raven's words sunk in. "You can't be serious. If this is your attempt at making a joke, you need better material." The woman stared back at him blankly. "Right… you can't joke. It would literally kill you." His lips began to break in a smile. "Those two really pulled a fast one of your men? Hahahaha!"
There was no way he could hold back his laughter.
"I gave them the option," Raven dismissed her brother's mockery. "They asked to stay here for some training-..."
"Bullshit!" Qrow spat out, sobering up.
"... -and they took it to heart," Raven continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "The moment they had a chance to steal something they wanted, they took it. I'm almost proud at how quickly they picked up my teachings."
"More like they took the first chance to flee," Qrow corrected her. "What did you do, let them outside on their own?" Vernal gritted her teeth and made a fist.
"I wanted to see what they would do." Raven's lip curled. "Either way, they left, so their fate is no longer my concern."
"You could have sent them back to me," Qrow crossed his arms as he glared. "I know how your Semblance works. You have to have a connection with someone. I'm still surprised you have one with me, but even more surprised you have one with the kids."
"Hmm, I can't have one with my niece?" Raven raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you always the one who said family was important."
"Your definition of family is warped and twisted." Qrow blew off her response. "Whatever, just send me to them and I won't kick your ass until you do."
"No."
That one word answer left a suffocating silence over them. Qrow could only stare at his sister, mouth slightly open in shock. It would take no effort on her part to send him. Not only that, doing so would get him out of her hair instead of blows being traded. The man knew Raven hated him, but there was literally no downside to her sending him away to Jaune and Ruby.
"Seriously, can't you stop being a bitch for one minute?" Qrow demanded, teeth grinding. "Just send me to them and we don't have to see each other again. Makes us both happy."
"First, you're not in a position to order me to do anything," Raven stated, holding up a finger. "You've never once beaten me, ever since we were kids. Not only that, you're surrounded by the tribe who, as you damn well know, doesn't take kindly to traitors." She held up a second finger. "Second, they aren't part of the tribe, thus I owe them nothing. Especially after they stole from us. If I wasn't impressed, I would have just followed them myself and taken them out."
Fingers were squeezing around Qrow's sword so tightly, knuckles were turning white. As much as he hated her, the rules for the tribe were pretty straight forward. Loyalty to the tribe was always foremost and traitors were punished. There was no reason for Raven to help him or the brats. That didn't mean Qrow didn't have the right to be pissed. Without her kidnapping the brats, none of this would have had to happen in the first place. It took days to find them and get here.
Tired and angry didn't begin to describe him.
"What do you want me to do, get on my knees and beg you to help?" The man asked instead.
"It wouldn't hurt, I might even laugh." Raven responded, her lips twitching.
"Everytime you laugh, a puppy dies."
"Mangy animals. Unless they can hunt or defend your property, they are useless."
"No wonder Ruby bailed as soon as she could."
"She could have left anytime, but she chose to stay." Raven informed him. "A part of her wanted to get stronger."
'More like she wouldn't leave Jaune in your care or you would have just tossed them to the wolves.' Qrow thought to himself grimly. "Fine, talking to you is like trying to discuss literature with a Beowolf. Just tell me which way they went and I'll be out of your hair."
"What if I don't want to tell you and instead kill you?" She raised her free hand and the nearby tribe members raised their weapons again.
"If you want to lose some of your men, no skin off my back. One way or another, I will find out where they went."
The two siblings stared into each other's eyes, neither backing down. Guns were still raised and aimed at Qrow, ready to fire on a moment's notice, but he ignored them. Far too many times he would just argue with his sister and then leave, but not this time. This time that bitch had gone too far and he was not going to put up with it. If she wouldn't send him to them with her power, Raven was going to tell him where the hell they went. Her stubbornness was legendary but she always prioritized her tribe over anything else. Even her own daughter. Qrow preferred to ignore her and the Branwen tribe after leaving, so he wasn't a threat.
That all changed due to her decision.
"They took off north, where they planned to go, I have no idea." Raven relented, causing Vernal to spin around. "Now leave while I still have some patience. I have more important things to do than entertain unwanted guests."
"Fuck off." Qrow growled, turning around and walking out of the camp. The guards shut the large wooden doors behind him quickly, a little relieved he was leaving. Raven stood there in silence until one of the guards announced Qrow was truly gone.
"Why did you tell him north?" Vernal asked, as they headed back to Raven's tent.
"I'm hardly going to tell him where they went after that threat," The woman sniffed. "He can run off looking for them himself. It's not my problem."
"Then why not tell him west then?"
"Because Qrow wouldn't trust me, he'll assume I told him the opposite direction they actually went." A small smirk formed on Raven's lips. "Since I told him north, he'll most likely go south. If he actually does believe me, he'll go north. Either way, he'll be running around with no idea where they went."
"Ah, because you owe him nothing due to that bastard being a traitor." Vernal realized.
"Exactly." Raven nodded at her understanding. "If they do manage to locate each other, I might consider occasionally meeting up with them for a friendly spar between apprentices. They can see how slow their progress is compared to yours."
Vernal tried to hide the grin on her face. She was looking forward to meeting the Dumbass and Midget once more. Of course, those intentions of hers were anything but innocent. Anger was still a prevalent emotion that came to mind when they were brought up. Since Raven could port her to Qrow and his brats anytime she wanted, there was no way to escape. Friendly spars were sure to be enlightening. Knocking that traitor around who used her would be a pleasant form of therapy.
"How much longer?" Ruby sighed, laying down on the grass and looking up at the sky. She and Jaune were taking a break for lunch, along with boiling some water from the nearby pond. Their water bottles were metal for this very reason. Heavier, but more efficient for sterilization.
"Hopefully, a day or two at the most." Jaune replied, the map opened out in front of him. "We're making good time, but the only problem right now is the fuel."
"How much do we have left?" Ruby pushed herself up and looked worried.
"We used up the first Dust cell and just started the second," Jaune's eyes darted to the four wheeler. "We should be able to get to the nearest town no problem… assuming it's there. If we have to go further than that… then we might have a problem."
"It's okay if we have to walk a bit, we're used to that." Ruby assured him. "I'm just worried about what we're going to eat." Her eyes drifted to their bag. "You just had to grab the Atlas rations."
"It was the one thing even those bandits wouldn't eat." Jaune shrugged weakly. "They wouldn't miss it."
"And I know why." Ruby pouted, but didn't argue. They could complain together about anything while understanding the necessity of what they have to do. Joking a bit also helped lighten the mood and keep their spirits up since they were forced to eat edible chalk. "Even they know this is horrible. Seriously, why would Atlas make this taste so bad?"
"What was it they said?" Jaune muttered, thanking back as he snapped a chunk off the bar off. "Flavor is a luxury? Makes us soft in the field? Maybe flavor turns us into Gremlins?" Ruby snorted at the last one. "It's easier to eat if you break it apart instead of biting into it." He popped the piece into his mouth and quickly gulped water. The liquid didn't help dilute the flavor, but it did help it go down quickly. Ruby grimaced, but did the same thing.
As they took their lunch break, Jaune looked up at the blue sky. With the clouds drifting by with the soft breeze, the world felt rather peaceful. There weren't any Grimm nearby, the two of them were free, and they were only a couple days at most from civilization. They would be able to contact Qrow and figure out their next step. Shoot, Qrow might even be proud of them for escaping on their own. It had been a miracle their plan worked so well.
Still, Jaune found it hard to sleep at night. His brain kept believing a red portal would open up with Raven stepping through to take them back. Paranoia was becoming a problem, even during the day.
The way Ruby was nervously looking around periodically told him it was for her too.
Now that the two of them were far enough away from the Branwen tribe, they stopped traveling at night. Risks outweighed the rewards for making their way to their destination slightly quicker. Crashing, falling, attacks, all were more common at night. The last thing they wanted was their vehicle to break, so they only traveled when it was light out. It also gave them a chance to sleep, as trying to sleep on the other's back while driving a moving vehicle was not pleasant. The first time Jaune was only able to sleep like that was because of exhaustion.
It also let them guard each other by taking turns on the night watch.
Over the last few days though, they only came across four Lancers and an Ursa, nothing big they couldn't handle. If anything, fighting the Grimm made things feel normal again. That was their primary job as Huntsmen and Huntresses. Ruby seemed to cheer up after the fights at the very least. That in turn cheered Jaune up as well. Their time with the Branwen tribe hadn't been pleasant for her at all and she was slowly returning to her old self.
"Jaune…?" Ruby's voice seemed hesitant and Jaune pulled himself away from his thoughts.
"What's up, Rubes?" Instantly, Jaune's hand reached for his belt. "See something?"
"No, no!" Ruby shook her head. "I just wanted to say I'm glad you're here. If I was by myself, there's no way I could do this all alone."
"If I wasn't here, you wouldn't even be here," Jaune reminded her. "Raven and Vernal wanted my Semblance for their tribe. If anyone should be thanking someone, it's me. You're the one who made escaping possible."
"Let's just say we're both thankful for having such amazing best friends." Ruby's smile was bright and pure as she stared at him.
"I know I am, but I think Weiss might get jealous if she knew." Jaune couldn't resist needling her as he laughed. "Knowing her, she might get rid of the competition."
"I'll make sure to stop her, probably." Ruby joked back. "She's very stubborn sometimes." The girl blinked and her smile slipped off her face. "We haven't contacted our team in a while. I bet they're worried. Yang probably is and I'm going to have to hear about it when we finally get back."
"They know our calls will be sporadic at best," Jaune reminded her. "When we do call them, we should probably leave out some of these details."
"Yeah, I'll just tell them you got kidnapped and I had to come save you."
"Woah there, Crater Face. I said leave out some details, not make them up."
"What part did I make up, Vomit boy?" Ruby kept up an innocent expression, even though her lips twitched. "I just left the part out about me being kidnapped with you."
"You…" Jaune was unable to argue with that statement. "Vernal was a bad influence on you. When we get back, I'm going to have you play with puppies until you no longer can plot against me."
"How do you know I haven't always been plotting against you," Ruby pushed his shoulder and let out a cute laugh while trying to sound evil. "I'm the one who tells Weiss not to go out with you."
"You didn't!" Jaune faked gasped. "I think Blake tried to warn me once, but Yang dragged her away."
"Yang's in on it," Ruby confessed. "Our goal is to set you up with Nora."
Silence fell over them as Ruby's words sunk into the boy's brain.
"...snnk…"
Neither of them could keep it in any longer and broke out laughing. Clutching their sides, the two hadn't laughed like this in a long time, their voices echoing around them. It was a good thing positive emotions helped keep Grimm away. Or at the least, the lack of negative emotions didn't attract them. Manny may have fallen to Tyrian, but his wisdom lived on in them. An important lesson that had been reinforced day after day.
Keep their spirits up.
"So…. Jaune," Ruby was still grinning. "There's something we should be doing while traveling."
"What's that?" Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Killing Grimm? We're doing that already.'
"Nope!" Ruby hopped to her feet and drew her weapon from under her stolen purple cloak. As she did so, her eyes seemed to glow slightly duller for a moment before returning to normal. "I hope you haven't gotten rusty."
"Oh, you want to spar?" Jaune rolled his eyes and pushed himself up off the ground. They hadn't done that since they left the bandit camp and honestly, it's something they should have been doing. Skills got rusty and while they wouldn't go all out, they could still practice the basics. "Okay, I'll try to go easy on you, but don't forget, I got some super secret training from some crazy bandit girl."
For a brief second, Ruby's smile flickered.
"Well, let's see what you got, Jaune." Gears clicked against each other smoothly as her rifle stretched back out into Ruby's famous scythe.
"Ready when you are Ruby." Jaune's shield sprung open and he raised it up as his other hand gripped his sword. It was true they were in a hurry, but the moment they stopped basic training, they would fall into bad habits. You skip one day, then the next, and soon, you quit doing it all together.
The two of them spent about thirty minutes clashing blades. Jaune focused on predicting opponents' attacks and countering when there was an opening, while Ruby focused on constantly changing her attack patterns. Far too often, when Jaune swung his sword, all he met was empty air due to Ruby's responses. On the plus side, thanks to all the training he received, the boy could actually somewhat predict where Ruby would appear and block her scythe with his shield. It was good training for both of them, as they each pulled each other up without seriously going at it.
Or that should have been the case.
"OOMPH!" The back side of Ruby's weapon collided in Jaune's stomach as he was turning. This wasn't the first time he got hit by her, but that attack was oddly hard for being part of a light spar. Enough force was behind the blow to actually knock him over. Normally, they wouldn't want to risk causing any injuries on the road. "Ow, why so hard?"
"Oops, hehe." Ruby giggled and collapsed her scythe. "I guess your secret training didn't help that much."
Something clicked in Jaune's brain.
"Are… are you mad at me?"
"Huh, why would I be?" Ruby tilted her head in confusion. "I think I just don't know my own strength anymore." She flexed a bit. "All that wood chopping is making me as strong as Yang!"
"I'll tell Qrow you want to do that more then." Jaune rubbed his sore stomach before standing up.
"I can hit you again!" Ruby called over her shoulder as she started walking back to the four wheeler.
"Please don't, I can heal, but it still hurts." Jaune sighed and examined his friend.
She was acting too much like a certain bandit, more than he would care to admit. It was good they got away before more bad influences corrupted Ruby. He began to understand why Yang was so protective of her sister, but at the same time, that attitude sort of allowed this to happen. Ruby had limited real world experience from being coddled and could be easily influenced. Hopefully, once she was away from them, she would return to being her normal self.
"Sorry," Ruby apologized, pausing and turning around. She didn't know what came over with her. "I really didn't mean to."
"I know." Jaune grinned at her. Okay, maybe she hadn't changed that much. "Well hop on, it's my turn to drive."
"Awww, I was just getting good at it too!"
Jaune sat on the vehicle and revved it up as Ruby plopped on the seat behind him once their gear was securely strapped on. Stepping on the accelerator, wheels began to spin, continuing toward their destination. Ruby's arms were wrapped reassuringly around his waist as Jaune hit a bump and they bounced around a bit.
"Want to play a game?" Ruby asked over his shoulder. Since they weren't going at full speed, they could actually talk without shouting.
"Like?" Jaune asked.
"I don't know… maybe I Spy?"
"I have to keep my eyes on the road."
"Technically, there is no road."
"Wow, I didn't realize Weiss was riding behind me. Want to go out sometime?"
SMACK!
The handprint on his back was totally worth it. Ruby, meanwhile, was glad Jaune was facing forward. Her face was red enough to match her old cloak as her cheeks burned. Even if it was just a joke by her friend, she couldn't help feeling embarrassed. The girl's heart was racing wildly for some reason too. Those words really had an effect on her. Maybe it was because no one really asked her out before? Well, one guy did in Signal, but Yang chased him away immediately afterwards.
It was just Jaune, her best friend, and he wasn't really asking her out.
"No need to be violent," Jaune laughed, oblivious to Ruby's true reaction. "We don't want to crash."
"Don't make bad jokes then." Ruby stuck out her tongue. "I get enough of that with Yang."
"Sorry, my bad." Jaune apologized. Being gone from Beacon for so long probably made Ruby homesick, especially from her team. It wasn't like Jaune didn't understand those feelings. He missed Nora's excited face every time he called his own team. Ren wasn't as expressionable as their ginger friend, but Jaune enjoyed spending time with what was essentially his brother from another mother. Since he had all sisters back home, it was a welcome relief to have a guy friend. "But I want to point out, my jokes are normally funny."
"Eh, sometimes." Ruby giggled and tightened her arms around his stomach.. "More than Yang at least."
Another hour or so passed with light conversation but most of their focus was making sure they were going in the right direction. Out in the middle of the wilderness, everything looked the same. It took landmarks like hills, rivers, and lakes to really help identify where they are. Constantly referencing the map and compass forced them to move at a slower pace than they would prefer. That also meant they didn't travel at night unless it was an emergency, like escaping a bunch of people trying to capture them.
BANG, BANG, BANG!
"What was that?!" Ruby yelled, sitting up and looking around wildly. "Did Vernal find us!?"
"No, it sounds like it came from that way!" Jaune pointed as he slowed down. In the silence, gunfire was ringing out and echoing all over the place. All Jaune could deduce was where the initial noise came from. The thing was the gunshots didn't come from behind them, it came from ahead of them Although, these sounds were a little to the north. Not necessarily on the way to town, but close enough it wasn't that far out of the way. Jaune knew what Ruby was going to say before she said it.
"We need to check it out! Someone could be in trouble!"
"Already on it!" Jaune replied, turning their vehicle into the direction of the gunshots before revving the engine full throttle and racing over.
"Hurry up!" Ruby cried out. "I think I see something!" The girl squinted and thought she saw some larger transport trucks in the distance.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" It wasn't like Jaune was trying to waste time. If he went too fast and flipped over, that would be rather embarrassing when they were trying to go and help someone, only to get in trouble themselves. "Hold on!" He pushed the accelerator down as far as it would go as they flew over a small hill and landed with a thud before bouncing several times. Jaune then swerved around a couple trees and the scene came into full view.
Several transport trucks were forming a line on a rough dirt road, or at least a dirt path that was semi-frequently used. Multiple people were on top of them, armed with Dust rifles, blasting away at countless Grimm sieging them. A couple other people were in the front, fighting with melee weapons. This wasn't a simple civilian convoy, but a heavily defended one.
There were just a lot of Grimm.
"JAUNE!" Ruby's cry wasn't really needed as Jaune was already rushing forward.
"Go!" Jaune encouraged her, not needing her to explain what she wanted to do.
Ruby's arms released around his hip as she let go to grab her weapon. Their arrival did not go unnoticed, but it wasn't like they were trying to be stealthy. The roar of their engine echoed as several Grimm turned around. Jaune felt a grin tug at the corner of his lips as he hit a small bump in a road. At the speed they were going, they actually picked up some air from that. The front of the four wheeler rammed into the upper chest and head of a Beowolf. The collision slowed them down long enough for Ruby to give the onlookers a show.
While in midair, the girl jumped off the back of the vehicle, her rifle clicking as gears turned. After the gun stretched out into the large scythe, Ruby spun around at speeds that turned her and Crescent Rose into blurs. An Ursa and Beowolf were instantly decapitated, before she brought down her blade in a vertical strike to cut another Beowolf in half. The girl landed effortless onto the ground, her scythe propped on her back as she bent her knees, already preparing her next move.
Jaune gripped the handlebars as he landed on the ground, bouncing several times before turning sharply and shutting off the engine. It was his turn to jump off the four wheeler and draw his sword, while simultaneously activating his shield. An Ursa charged at him, teeth flashing and claws tearing into the ground. Nothing the boy hadn't dealt with before. His foot moved back to brace himself as his Aura flared. The beast collided into the shield with a bang as bone met metal. Jaune raised his blade and cut down into the shoulder, following up with multiple jabs. The Grimm collapsed, dark blood staining the ground.
There was a moment's pause where Jaune wasn't currently being assaulted and he spun his head around to get a glimpse of his surroundings and the tide of battle.
Thanks to the armored trucks and the people on top laying down cover fire, a lot of the smaller Grimm were being blasted before they could reach the transport. A couple of individuals, most likely with their Aura unlocked, were on the ground, handling the larger armored Grimm that managed to overcome the barrage. They were pretty good. One had a large greatsword, another dual wielded two axes, and the third used an interesting chained whip with blades on the end.
Ruby meanwhile was zipping around in the distance, slicing Grimm left and right as her scythe constantly spun around in circular motions. Never wasting an attack due to the numbers. If her weapon ever got stuck inside one of the Grimm, the others would pile on her. Thinking this, Jaune's eyes flickered to the others, who were trying to deal with attacks on multiple flanks. If they could converge the Grimm into one spot, it would be a lot easier.
Jaune stepped to the side and blocked a Beowolf from charging at the guy with a greatsword.
"I'm going to attract the Grimm!" Jaune called out, as he brought down his blade at the Ursa, right before a big meaty claw sunk into his shoulder. The size of the Ursa allowed it to reach around and strike his Aura. "It will give us a chance to take them all down at once!" The boy didn't wait for an answer as he pushed past the injured Grimm and moved away from the convoy. He was closer to Ruby, but there were still plenty of monsters between them.
White light began to surround his body as he pushed his Semblance and Aura to its limit.
Every Grimm in the vicinity turned their head at the sudden threat. The creatures of darkness really seemed to hate the powerful light that shone brightly even in the middle of the day. LIke a black flood, the beasts swarmed as one, teeth and claws flashing as they charged. Jaune gritted his teeth as his body shook slightly from fear. Even if he's done this before, having all the Grimm decide they wanted to make you a primary kill target was unnerving. He hoped the transport guards understood what he was about to do.
Gunfire went off in unison as several Grimm between Jaune and the transport were shot from behind.
'These guys are good.'
Experience had taught Jaune how differently a trained fighter and a normal person would react with a gun. He had seen how the Branwen tribe used weapons compared to the panicked slave traders. The gunmen on the transports knew how to aim and take advantage of Jaune's distraction. Best of all, they didn't seem to be shooting at him, on purpose or accidentally. Vernal's tip about Grimm being attracted to Aura was really useful. A twinge of regret pierced Jaune's stomach at the memory of what they did, most likely getting her in trouble.
That passed a moment later as he remembered what she and Raven did to him and Ruby.
Plus, he had to focus on the fight in front of him.
"Crap!" Jaune yelled, as he ducked under a Beowolf leaping at him, pushing up with his shield to send it flying over him. Only to get smashed in the side by an Ursa. His Aura took a decent hit."Ruby, some cover!"
"I'm trying!" Ruby shouted back, taking on a Manticore and an Ursa Major at the same time. She had been taking out the big ones in the back with her speed, jumping around before they could regroup. Jaune's taunt caused them to shuffle places, and it didn't quite attract all of them.
"You're pretty brave… or just stupid."
A chain whipped over Jaune's head, smacking two Grimm and then wrapped around the neck of the Ursa. It pulled tight, causing the blades to sink into the flesh, strangling it. A quick flick of a wrist unhooked the chain and brought it back. A woman stepped forward, spinning the chain around in a circle with one hand. Now that she moved closer, Jaune got a good look at her.
She was a Faunus with amber eyes, a dark complexion, and wild black, chin-length hair with an asymmetrical bob style. Her Faunus trait manifested as an extra pair of Bengal-tiger ears, and her body was adorned with numerous tattoos resembling tiger stripes. Her outfit consisted of her gray, white-trimmed sleeveless top with cutouts on the back and front. There was a pair of white pants that were partially visible under her gray low heeled thigh boots, large light gray diamond detailing around the knees. A gray waist cincher with red trim and a black golden buckled belt had a gray pouch fastened on her right hip. Lastly she wore a pair of orange trimmed, gray vambraces on her forearms with a small orange rope tied around her right upper arm.
"Yeah, I get that a lot." Jaune grimaced. Pretty much everyone was saying that about him lately. Pushing that aside, he focused on keeping his Semblance amplifying his Aura, pushing it up so the Grimm would continue to come at him while also regenerating any he lost. The boy brought his blade down and cleaved a large Ursa in half effortlessly. Way too easily. 'Did all that training with Vernal help me that much?'
Still, it was Ruby and the others who finished off the majority of the other Grimm. Rifles rained down Dust rounds while Ruby's death scythe continued to slice and dice the monsters. A couple lancers were blown away before they could even fire their stingers. The woman's chain was flexible and able to audibly whip around Jaune to strike Grimm, or be pulled close to act like a shield as it sliced anything approaching her. The other two men were no slouches either. One guy could slice smaller Grimm in half with his two hander just as easily as Jaune, while the other guy could have matched blows with Blake with how he darted around, hacking at openings with his axes.
After the rest of the Grimm were finished off, they had time to assess the situation.
"Phew!" Ruby wiped her brow. "No wonder we didn't see a lot of Grimm. They were all gathering here."
"What were they doing here anyways?" Jaune was in the middle of turning around to address the group of people they just helped, only to freeze up when he saw the rifles aimed at them. The woman was spinning her chain to her side, eyes narrowed at them too, as the two men flanked her, weapons also drawn. Instinctively, Jaune took a step back. "Woah, what's going on?"
"A couple of human bandits pretending to be heroes? That's a new one." The woman's eyes were flashing dangerously, causing both kids to gulp.
It was now Jaune and Ruby noticed that everyone else they could see seemed to be a Faunus. Not a single human in sight. That alone could have caused some problems depending on what had been happening in the area. If there were human slavers, like in Vale, Faunus groups would be on their toes. Not only that, with the woman mentioning bandits, Jaune realized that over ninety percent of Raven's tribe seemed to be human. He could remember two Faunus for sure, but that was all. That thought then led him to realize the second big issue.
The clothes they were wearing were very similar to the Branwen tribe's style.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.