Seeing all those reviews, mostly about Pyrrha's situation, was honestly very entertaining to read. People were defending both sides pretty readily. Pretty much everything you guys said was true. It's not cheating and Pyrrha was doing nothing wrong, but the situation itself was just bad. How do you judge people when someone is born with a huge advantage over others that can't be overcome by hard work. Magnetism is incredibly powerful against other people. Just not against Grimm. When we were all young, I'm sure we thought other people were cheating when they had stuff we didn't have. You know, teenagers all make rational, well thought out decisions all the time. If you noticed, Nora didn't jump on the bandwagon because she's not the type of person to get mad at someone for having a cool Semblance. Maybe there's hope for them yet!
I have a lot of fun stuff planned with Raven and her tribe. One thing I hated about the canon RWBY storyline was how weak the tribe was except for Raven and Vernal. I would expect SOME of the others to have Aura and be fighters. So I'm going to play around a bit with that because it makes for a better story. Deal with it!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Silence fell over the spectators as the sight of Vernal laying defeated on the ground captured their attention. The rest of their interest was placed upon the young girl that stood over her. Ruby stood attentive, her face stern as the tip of her scythe's blade rested on Vernal's neck. She wasn't planning on following through with her victory, as the mere threat was enough to give Vernal and the rest pause.
Jaune pushed himself off the ground and found himself grinning at the sight, not bothering to hide the smug smile that tugged at his lips. He was far from the only one to be amused by the spectacle, as cheers broke out among the surrounding onlookers.
"Hah, Vernal got a taste of her own medicine!" One particularly vocal spectator barked out in laughter.
"Finish her, Midget!" Another shout came from the crowd.
"Beat the crap out of that bitch!"
Ruby, the one who found herself the epicenter of attention, looked around in sheer disbelief as the heartless comments continued to rain in on the fallen Vernal. In a mere moment they had all turned on Vernal. Even after previously spurring her on with chants of support as that woman smacked Jaune and her around.
Did they expect Ruby to simply forget what they did just because they threw a few words of praise her way? Did they expect her to be so shallow? The encouragement of these criminals wasn't something that would make her happy. Especially when they were throwing one of their own under the bus while doing so.
'Can't expect much from bandit loyalty.' She thought as her eyes scowled at the people around them.
If Qrow saw how her attention slipped away from the fallen girl, he would have been royally pissed. The very moment she took to collect her thoughts, it cost her heavily. Never take your eyes off your enemy until they are down for the count. This lesson was especially important when fighting those injured or ones you've backed into a corner.
Because at that point, they will use your confidence against you and strike when you least expect it.
"RUBY!" That heartfelt shout which came from Jaune rattled her brain back in position. Yet, it was too late to react.
A sharp pain graced her ankles as Vernal forcefully swept her feet from under her. Being a trained fighter, she would not overlook her opponent's lack of concentration. Ruby found herself planted flat on her butt as the experienced Vernal took the chance to mount the smaller girl and place her foot upon Ruby's weapon arm. She'd angle the blade to her throat yet found resistance from Ruby who used her free hand to barely catch the weapon from slitting her neck. Jaune took this chance to attack, yet Vernal had anticipated the move, weaving to the side of his blow and easily catching his forearm. It was close, but he had only managed to get on one knee, which didn't lend him much power to properly throw his fist, resulting in her pulling him down onto the floor with Ruby.
"Looks like I'm the last one standing!" Vernal snarled. "Time to teach you brats a less-...!"
"Enough!"
The roaring crowd quickly grew silent as Raven stepped into view, her helmet under one arm and thankfully, her blade still sheathed. She sauntered up towards the commotion, with everyone moving out of the way so she could enter the arena. Vernal had similarly frozen when she heard that single command. And as the domineering woman stepped into view, Vernal could only nervously sweat as the lack of any amusement behind Raven's eyes robbed her of breath.
The annoyance conveyed with her gaze was setting light to her very soul.
"What are you doing, Vernal?" Raven pressed with a less than pleased tone of voice.
"Testing out the new recruits." Came the immediate answer as the girl quickly found herself back on her feet.
"I can see that." Raven's red eyes darted toward the other bandits, all of whom wouldn't dare meet her inquisitive stare. "I'm talking about that pathetic display you showed." Vernal's quivering lips attempted to form a response.
"It was just-..."
"Just what?" The dry voice of Raven quickly silenced her excuses, whilst frightened chills ran through everyone present. "You dropped your guard and if that girl had an ounce of brutality, she would have ended you right then and there..."
Ruby was somewhat happy that her opponent was getting told off, yet she found herself frowning as she was not sure if what the scary woman said was an insult or not.
"...You knew the boy's Semblance and yet you still let him amplify the girl's Aura for a counter attack." Jaune felt conflicted about whether to be happy for being indirectly praised but decided to keep his mouth shut just in case. "It was sloppy. I know I trained you better than that."
"I…" Vernal lowered her head as a feeling of shame overtook her pride. "It was my mistake. I was careless."
"Yes, you were." Raven didn't beat around the bush concerning these things, much like Qrow. The similarities between the two siblings were shining through the more one cared to look. "It seems I'm going to have to reinforce my teachings. Such mistakes will get you killed out here."
Vernal gulped and glanced over at Ruby, who cheekily stuck her tongue out. Jaune, on the other hand, actually felt a little bit sorry for her.
Yes, Vernal brought it on herself for the way she treated them, but the way she was testing them was a lot like how Qrow did. Though Jaune was pretty sure Vernal enjoyed the hands-on training far more than Qrow did, there was a certain element of truth that not holding back too much was a valuable training experience. They weren't dead, so she most likely held back at least a little. Pain was a great deterrent and motivator.
His aching head prevented too much sympathy from leaking out as the boy began to regenerate his Aura. Vernal was distracted and no one else was attacking him. Now was as good of a time as ever. His eyes focused on Ruby, who sat up on her own, holding Crescent Rose tightly with one hand as her eyes stayed transfixed on Raven.
The woman seemed to have finished berating her apprentice, who'd meekly retreated a step away from the two, while Raven turned to Jaune and Ruby.
"At least you inherited some of your mother's skills." Raven commented, her piercing eyes measuring Ruby's short stature. "Though, you are leagues behind where she was at your age."
Ruby looked less than pleased at the comment yet still bit back the urge to speak against it since she knew the woman's words held true.
It didn't stop the sour expression that lined her features.
"As for you…" Raven turned her attention to Jaune, who glared back at her. "I'm disappointed. For someone being trained under Qrow, you're performing embarrassingly poorly. The bastard might've lost his edge."
"Not even a month has passed with my training." Jaune bit back, his pride not relenting on her provocations. "I didn't even have my Semblance before meeting him."
"Hm, you have the talent, I guess he just couldn't refine it." Raven shook her head. "You'll see. A few days under my tutelage and you'll understand the difference. I'm not soft like him. Your training will not be pleasant."
"It never was." Jaune assured her. "I'm worried about dying all the time."
"You'll fit right in then." Raven didn't smile, but her voice almost sounded amused. "The fear of death helps one grow stronger, and only fools live with nothing to fear. Hone that fear, and mold it to your needs."
"I'm going to survive and return home." Ruby spoke up, her voice not wavering in her conviction.
"If you accept the tribe as your home, then you are already here." Raven stated. "Now Vernal, don't break in the new recruits too hard. I'm going to send them on a little mission tomorrow with Shay."
"Huh?" Vernal took a second to process this news. "Already? What if they try something?"
"They won't," Raven said firmly. "It's not like it's a very complicated task anyways. The town we were eyeing got deserted after a Grimm attack. They fled quickly and now we can go retrieve the supplies they left behind. We're moving in fast before they return."
"I'll go." Vernal immediately volunteered.
"No, you will stay here, Shay's group can handle this." Raven cut her off.
Instead, she snapped her fingers and pointed toward Jaune and Ruby. A couple guys from the crowd came forward to retrieve their weapons. Jaune briefly thought about trying to stop them, but dismissed that foolish idea quickly as his mind caught up to his instincts. He and Ruby were injured, surrounded by bandits, with Raven standing a few feet away. They had to play nice until the right moment came. Begrudgingly, he handed over his shield and sword.
The person trying to take Ruby's scythe away had to tug a few times before it was finally ripped out of her grip.
"Vernal, come with me, we have things to discuss." Raven continued. "Dune. These kids need a light refresher on the basics. Start with hand to hand combat skills and proceed from there."
The large man with the shaved head that had outfitted Jaune and Ruby stepped up. He was still shirtless with his red tattoo over his shoulder prominently displayed, giving off quite an intimidating aura towards the blonde haired boy.
Cracking his knuckles, he glanced over at the boss.
"How light of a refresher?"
"They need to be able to move tomorrow, but that's about all I need them for."
Jaune felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he scrambled to his feet. He was already willing his Semblance to boost his Aura up as fast as possible. The man, Dune, was much bigger and more muscular than them. Ruby may be faster, but Jaune knew all too well how physically weaker she was compared to other Beacon students. It's why Qrow had her chopping wood, to build up the needed physique.
"Okay, Dumbass, Midget." Dune moved his leg back as Ruby pushed herself up from her seated position and stood next to Jaune. Fists were raised as the two prepared to face their would-be mentor. "I'll start off slow and see if you can block. Feel free to counter. Be warned, I'm going to take advantage of any openings."
Jaune had little to no experience with hand to hand combat whatsoever. At most, he could put up a decent struggle in a wrestling match, but that's about where his prowess stopped. Ruby probably had even less experience as Yang would normally just pin her down immediately. Still, he raised his fists up in what he knew to be a sensible first move while Ruby gulped and imitated his stance as best as she could.
"On three." Dune spoke, the pair immediately tensing up in preparation.
"THREE!"
Jaune had barely raised his arms in time to absorb the first punch directed at his temple. The problem was that this wasn't a simple school yard fight. Where kids randomly threw blows at each other hoping to connect a single hit before the other one did. Dune was a bandit with years of experience and much like Qrow, they never relied on a single attack.
So while Jaune shielded his face with his arms, Dune's other hand took advantage of his exposed gut to land a devastating punch, leaving the boy to crumble onto his knees.
"GACK!" Jaune felt the urge to vomit from that single blow, as it shattered any built-up tension he had left in his body.
"Jaune!" Ruby quickly darted over to her fallen comrade, in which time Dune just drew his arm back, forcing his elbow to collide into the side of Ruby's head. She collapsed onto the ground and skidded to a halt, as all her built up momentum came to a siddent stop.
Dune looked upon the two teens by his feet, scratching the back of his skull as he released an exasperated sigh. "This is gonna be a painful day for the two of you…"
"I hate this!"
Ruby was curled up next to Jaune, as he held a hand over her black eye. Dune had beaten them up pretty badly. He had avoided hitting Jaune's ribs even though they were pretty much healed. The guy must have realized they were still a weak point as Jaune was subconsciously guarding them. However, hits to the face were common enough and both of them were low on Aura after the fight with Vernal. They couldn't absorb all the blows dealt in the short sparring match.
Jaune was a little bit better than the dark haired girl, as the younger huntress took a severely worse blow than he had. Jaune was currently boosting the Aura around all her bruised parts.
"I do too." Jaune whispered. He ran his free hand through Ruby's hair as she gave a depressing sniffle in response. They had to keep their voices down as while their tent flap was closed, if someone walked by, they would be able to hear their pathetic sobbing. The sun was beginning to set and they were both exhausted. Nevertheless, he kept up trying to heal Ruby as much as possible while they had free time to spare in their tent.
"We'll get through this. I know we will." The boy gave a reassuring smile.
"Have I ever said how much I love your Semblance?" Ruby tenderly rubbed her cheek against Jaune's glowing hand as he moved further down her face. "Because it feels so warm and the pain just melts away."
"You've mentioned it a couple times." Jaune smiled down at her. "Now hold still, this'll only take a moment."
"I miss Uncle Qrow's training." Ruby muttered. "It hurt, yeah, but he was at least trying to teach us. These guys just enjoy being bullies."
"Maybe…" Jaune thought about Dune willingly avoiding his sore ribs. "It might be their actual way of teaching. No family bonds, no sympathy, but just pure training to raise people as fast as possible. We've seen what life is like outside the city walls in Vale. The dangers in Mistral. The freezing cold of Atlas."
"Not only Grimm, but the environment, slavers, and bandits too." Ruby admitted, turning over so Jaune could put his hand on her aching back. "People have no idea how difficult it is outside the major cities. We didn't either. Every mission we take, we realize it more and more."
"I think we also have some terrible luck." Jaune pointed out. "The cliff collapsing, slave traders appearing, and now Raven? Feels like my bad luck is getting you involved, Ruby. Sorry…"
"It's not your fault!" Ruby turned herself around to face his words with a serious expression. "Don't you ever say that!"
"I keep thinking that you came because of me, and now you're suffering for it." Jaune shamefully admitted.
"Again, I chose to come." Ruby pushed herself up and crossed her arms as she stared at him. "I didn't get tricked or pressured. Remember that. I'm only upset at the situation and how powerless we are right now." She shook her head and reassuringly slapped her cheeks. "No, we aren't powerless. We'll think of a way to get out."
"Only thing I'm worried about is if our escape plan will interfere with Qrow's." Jaune lied, trying to sound calm. He put his hand on Ruby's arms and kept amplifying her Aura. He hadn't regained his Aura filly, but he could regenerate quickly enough on his own later. Having to touch someone to heal them had limits in which situations he could actually take advantage of his power.
"He'll be here as soon as he can." Ruby nodded. "I bet he even knows where the camp is. Couple days at the most to get here."
"Yep, then he'll come in, knock them all around, we'll jump out and flank everyone." Jaune added. "After that, we'll steal Raven's mask and use it as a trophy."
A snicker escaped Ruby's lips and she buried her face into Jaune's shoulder.
"If you weren't here, I probably would have broken down by now." Ruby's words were muffled by his shirt.
"No way," Jaune patted her back. "You're the strongest, most determined girl I know. You managed to even break Weiss' icy shell. I couldn't even do that." A half sniffle, half laugh came from his heart. "If anything, you being here is keeping me calm. I would be freaking out what to do by myself. You're my rock."
"Even though I'm breaking down myself?" Ruby sheepishly asked as her eyes met his.
"You're upset, but so am I." The blonde embraced the meek girl in a tender hug. "Talking about it helps a little, doesn't it?"
"It kind of does." Ruby admitted. "We can talk about anything with each other, can't we?"
"Yes, well unless Qrow tells us specifically we can't…" Jaune sighed. "If that happens, I promise to just tell you he told me I can't tell you something so you know."
"That's enough." Ruby smiled at him. "Out here, we have to trust each other, and I do, completely." She finally let go of him and laid back down. "What do you think the salvage mission we're doing tomorrow is going to be like?"
"Probably stealing everything that isn't nailed down." Jaune considered. "Maybe fight Grimm if they show up?"
"I hate the idea of stealing, but Grimm slaying? I can do that."
"Should be an easy mission. They wouldn't try to scare us off already."
Another thought had entered Jaune's mind, one he didn't share with Ruby. This was only a salvage mission in an abandoned town. From what Raven said, the inhabitants were planning to return. If they hadn't left, would this tribe have used force to take the supplies? Deep down, the answer was obvious. It was a blessing they wouldn't have to be violent against innocent people. But what about the next mission Raven forces onto them? Or the one after that? At what point would they be forced to truly embrace the criminal lifestyle to survive?
Was that the plan?
"Ruby… I'm worried too." Jaune whispered. "About what we're going to be made to do."
"I figured you were," Ruby gave him a reassuring smile as she softly cupped his hand. "Finally, you admit it."
"You knew?"
"Well, duh? We're a lot alike Jaune. If I was feeling like this, you were too. Remember what you just said. Talking about it helps and you kept trying to make me feel better while ignoring yourself. You should admit you're scared too."
"Most of what we do scares me. At this point, it's just redundancy."
The two of them stared at each other before snorting and letting out some nervous laughter. Ruby wasn't an idiot. Sure, she was young and had limited real world experience, but she was a quick learner and could piece together what was in front of her. Not only that, she was attentive to her friends. Jaune knew he was an open book to her. As much as he wanted to talk with her all night about his fears and worries, along with plans for escaping, it was going to be a long day tomorrow. He could feel it.
"We should get some sleep." Jaune finally said and looked down at Ruby laying on his cot. "Are you… going to move?"
"Nope! I'm injured." Her arms quickly crossed over her chest as her head turned to the side. The most Ruby did was scoot a little to the edge so Jaune could lay down next to her.
Rolling his eyes, the boy knew what this meant. Ruby wanted someone to close by while she tried to go to sleep. Jaune didn't blame her. This situation was fucked up big time. He soon laid down next to her, putting his arm around Ruby's waist as the scared girl turned to face him with a hug. Poor Ruby had to be exhausted after the beating they took as she quickly dozed off.
Jaune stayed awake a little while longer, as he looked down at the top of his best friend's head, making sure she was alright and comfortable. He continued to use his Semblance on the two of them until he finally fell asleep himself. They needed as much strength as possible for tomorrow.
CRASH!
It hadn't been long after when Jaune and Ruby jumped up at the sudden noise outside their tent.
"Get up, brats! We're moving out!"
Jaune and Ruby slipped into their field clothes as quickly as possible before someone burst into their little tent. There wasn't any time to even be embarrassed as the situation unfolded rapidly. Outside the tent, the dark sky was just beginning to lighten up as several people were already moving around while one guy stepped forward.
"Listen up. I'm Shay and I'm in charge of this salvage mission. You follow what I tell you or else."
Shay was a skinny man with long dirty blond hair and gray eyes sporting light stubble. He wore a dark blue and gray jacket with torn sleeves over a long sleeved shirt. A bandana was tied around his neck and there was a shoulder pad on his right shoulder. The man also had brown leather fingerless gloves with straps and brown pants with boots.
"Load those boxes there onto the truck." Shay pointed to the wooden crates that had been dropped outside their space. "The truck's near the front of the camp. Hurry up or we're going to find Raven breathing down all our necks."
That was enough to get Jaune and Ruby start moving. Jaune hefted up two of the crates at a time. They were empty, but still made of wood. He might have been able to take three, but then he wouldn't be able to see where he was going. Ruby could only carry one. Someone snorted at her as they passed and Ruby tried not to let her embarrassment show. A large truck had the back open and all the crates were being loaded into there. With others helping, they finished in only five minutes.
Next to the cargo truck, there were two four-wheelers. Both of them had small Dust Guns attached to the back. They would seat two, a driver and a gunner. Even if the village they were going to rob was deserted, there was a chance there would be Grimm, some security measures had to be put in place. Surviving a long time in the wilderness didn't happen if you took stupid chances.
"You're in the back." Shay told them, as he started to climb into the front passenger side of the truck. "Your weapons are back there too. Try anything and we shoot to kill."
"You don't have to worry," Ruby told him. "We have a deal with Raven. We'll help you… do whatever we're doing."
"It's a salvage run, Midget." Shay rolled his eyes. "We take everything of value, stuff the back of the truck with it, and then head back. Food, gear, building materials, gold, whatever. We take it all."
"Got it." Ruby nodded as Shay unceremoniously shut the door. "You're still a meanie."
Jaune snorted, but quickly sobered up when he saw Vernal hanging around near the back of the truck.
"Are you coming?" Jaune asked immediately. "Or were you just worried about us?"
"You want to get punched again, don't you?" Vernal raised her fist and Jaune flinched. "I think you enjoy it. But I won't… right now. When you get back?" She grinned and cracked her knuckles. "I'm going to hit you twice."
"What do you want?" Ruby asked, eyes narrowing.
"Just came to give you a word of advice." Vernal didn't even look at Ruby, her eyes fixed on Jaune. "It's first come first serve. You want something, claim it."
"Won't Shay get mad?" Jaune looked back as the truck roared to life.
"Fuck him, worry about yourself, not others. He can die in a ditch for all I care."
"That's not very supportive of a fellow tribe member." Ruby teased.
"Shut up, Midget." Vernal snapped at the girl. "Get going Dumbass and bring back some good shit. You owe me for saving your life."
"Aww, I knew you cared." The words that came out of Jaune's mouth did so before he could even think about them.
Which rewarded him with a solid punch to the stomach.
"Seems you do like getting hit. It's therapeutic for me though, so keep it up."
"Vernal, quit flirting with the Dumbass so we can go!" A guy called out from the fourwheeler.
"Say that again and I'll rip your dick off!" Vernal yelled back as she gave the grunt a middle finger.
She did leave though, allowing Ruby and Jaune to climb up into the back of the truck, pulling the back gate up. It wasn't a covered truck, so the two of them could see where they were going. The bed of the truck was open, with wooden railings rising from each side. They sat on some boxes and looked out into the wilderness as the rising sun painted the landscape a golden hue. Trees soon obscured the bandit camp and the mountains surrounded them in all directions.
It was a good decision on their part not to try to leave on their own. Telling which way to go to reach civilization was impossible. Everything looked the same. There could have been a town right behind one of the mountains and it would be impossible to tell. Besides, the odds of Raven letting them leave was slim to none. All they could do was wait until an opportunity arose or Qrow found them.
The ride was also pretty miserable. Turns out sitting on hard wooden crates while a truck bounced and jerked around on uneven dirt ground was not a pleasant experience. Empty crates kept sliding around and smacking into them. Presumably once they were full, they might not move around as much. Or they might just hurt a whole lot more when they did slide into them. Jaune attempted to not think about it too much and tried to ignore the unpleasantness.
There was a small bright side. Their weapons had indeed been tossed into the back of the truck. Ruby was currently cradling Crescent Rose, as Jaune hooked his sword and shield onto his belt. If anything, that was probably the highlight of Ruby's day. She kept whispering to it softly, promising to never let it go again. Anyone else would have laughed at her, but Jaune wouldn't. Like her cloak, that weapon was important to Ruby. He would never laugh at something important to his friends.
"How much longer!?" Jaune yelled over the engine to Shay in the front seat. Seeing the man through the small opening in the front cabin that faced the two.
"Eager for your first looting?" The man laughed.
"More about wanting to get off the back of this truck!" Ruby shouted back. "If there's any pillows there, I'm grabbing it!"
"Get used to it princess! We limit the number of vehicles to save fuel! The grunts sit in the back."
"I could kick your butt!" Ruby told him.
"Sure you can, Midget."
"Hmm…" Jaune considered. "That might be a good idea, Ruby."
"What? That I kick his butt?" Ruby tilted her head.
"Yeah, show him we aren't messing around and maybe get some respect from the others." Jaune pointed out rationally. "They follow the motto that the strong survive, so if we show them we are strong…"
"...they will stop being jerks to us." Ruby finished. "We might not be a match for Raven or Vernal, but it seemed like those two were way above everyone else. I think we could take him."
"You can take him," Jaune corrected quickly. "I'm not sure I can. My experience fighting people is limited."
"Jaune, you could kick his butt!" Ruby smacked him on the back. "Remember what Uncle Qrow said? You need confidence."
"But not stupidity and an overestimation of my limits." Jaune added.
"Your mind puts a much lower limit than what you can do."
"I keep that in mind, but let's see what happens on this salvage mission." Jaune whispered. "If it goes well, let's challenge him and see if we can get some standing."
As soon as he nurtured his confidence, his weak willed stomach was there to bring it all down.. "Ugh… Seriously? Now?"
"Jaune… are you okay?" Ruby noticed his expression and her eyes widened. "We don't have any of that medicine…"
"It's okay, I can hold it back." Jaune croaked. "It's not as bad as flying."
Ruby still scooted away from him.
The two of them plotted in the back of the truck, before going quiet. Jaune tried to sleep a bit, but the jostling around with every bump on the path prevented that. Closing his eyes at least helped keep the nausea at bay. Neither he nor Ruby were injured anymore, as he had healed them both last night. If they had been, every jerk of this rust bucket would have hurt. Ruby mainly seemed to be lost in thought, staring out at the wilderness around them. The bandits knew how to navigate through the area without roads, squeezing between trees with barely enough room to get through.
Finally, after a couple of hours, they arrived at the location.
The first thing Jaune saw was the forest opening up. A shabby wooden bridge was built over a small river. It didn't seem like it could stand the weight of the truck and he closed his eyes as they passed. Surprisingly, the bridge didn't sway at all. On the other side, was what looked like the start of a village. There were two houses built, one that was half constructed, and a partially created wooden wall around them. The wall was only about two thirds of the way done, so they could just drive right in. The completed houses were average size, two story colonial houses. Surprisingly solid for being built so far out in the wilderness.
Thinking about it, they probably had to be to last out in the middle of nowhere.
The truck came to a stop next to the halfway constructed building. The two four wheelers drove around and made sure the Dust Canons were pointed to the opening in the wall. If Grimm showed up, that's where they would break in. Ruby and Jaune hopped out onto the ground as the other bandits exited the vehicle. Being on solid ground was a welcome change. Especially to Jaune.
"Okay, we got some prime real estate." Shay told them. "You two." He pointed to the drivers. "You'll load up the construction mats. Raven really wants the wood and cement." He turned to Jaune and Ruby. "New kids. Strip that house clean. Think of it as your first test. We're going to strip the second one. Fill up the crates with anything you can. Leave the furniture. We don't need that."
"Got it." Jaune and Ruby replied, pulling a box each out of the back of the truck. It was nice to be away from people who were either breathing down their necks or actively trying to hurt them.
"This feels wrong." Ruby muttered with her head hung low. "We're stealing."
"I hate it too." Jaune tried the door to the house. It was locked. "But do we have a choice?" Ruby didn't respond and no words needed to be exchanged about this. Survival above all else right now.
Jaune chose to slam his shoulder against the door, it creaked, but didn't give. Gritting his teeth, he stepped back and delivered a well placed boot next to the handle. The door cracked open as it was blown to the side. Crashing against the wall to its left as the noise echoed in the empty house.
"Let's get this over with." Ruby sighed. "I'm just glad the people here escaped."
"Better they're alive then trapped here." Jaune agreed. He went over to the windows and opened the curtains to let the light in. "But to whoever lived here, I'm sorry." The living room was bare, with only a single couch, table, and some cabinets. "Should we start at the top or bottom?"
"Top so we work down to the ground floor." Ruby decided. "I don't want to carry a full box down a flight of stairs when I'm exhausted… I don't want to do this at all actually."
Jaune didn't either, but they already knew that. Taking one of the boxes they had with them upstairs they stumbled upon two rooms. The first was a bedroom. Dressers were thrown open as if whoever had been here before had left in a hurry. They started throwing clothes not already taken into the box, a few books they found joined the pile and then they moved to the closet. More clothes, including coats which were probably needed, got thrown into the box, as well as something that made Ruby's eyes light up.
A cloak.
"Is this…" Ruby snatched it immediately and tried it on. "It's got a hood too!"
"Not sure if purple's your color." Jaune considered. It was a dark purple, but still not red or black, Ruby's preferred colors.
"Be quiet, you." Ruby pulled it on and tied it. "Hehe, it fits! A little longer than mine, but that's fine! I think I have grown a bit recently." She spun around and Jaune saw her demeanor change as she grew more confident. "I'm keeping it, but if we find out who this belongs to, I'll return it or pay for it."
"That's the Ruby I know." Jaune rubbed her head, glad she hadn't changed. Of course, she got upset at this and lightly slapped his arm away. "Let's finish this floor." He moved to start the other room. It was mostly empty, with a single bed. Pulling off the sheets and pillow, Jaune even took the small rug from the floor.
Ruby meanwhile, continued stuffing clothes into the crate. Once the closet was empty, she went to the desk and pulled open the drawers. There wasn't much. A few pens, pencils, papers. Those were tossed unceremoniously into the box along with some folders. Not sure if the bandits would want them, but they were told to take everything they could. When she opened the thin drawer in the middle of the desk, her eyes went wide. There was a key for something there, but that wasn't what caught her eye.
"Jaune!" Ruby called out. "Come here! Quick!"
"What's going on?" Jaune asked, rushing into the room.
"Look what I found!" For the first time since arriving at Raven's camp, a true smile was plastered on her face.
It was a map of Mistral.
"I don't believe it…" Jaune's mouth fell open.
"We solved one of our biggest problems!" Ruby fist pumped. "It's not marked, but we should be able to figure out where we are." She turned back to the desk and reached into the back. "Hah! A compass too!"
Ruby wasn't wrong. The biggest issue they had about trying to escape was they had no idea where they were. If this map was of Mistral, then that meant they were still in the kingdom. Probably further out in the wilderness than they wanted to be, but it was better than being on the opposite side of the world like in Vacuo. Qrow had taught them how to read a map too. They could find a way to a nearby settlement to contact Qrow or Atlas, anyone really.
"What's the key for though?" Ruby wondered, looking at it. "There weren't any safes here."
"Pocket it." Jaune suggested. "We might find something important. They wouldn't have a key laying around for nothing." It might belong to the house, but it was better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it. "We filled this crate, so help me take it down the stairs."
"But you're soooo much stronger than me." Ruby's eyes went big and pleading.
"Nice try, but I'll take the bottom."
The two of them begrudgingly carried the box down the stairs and left it outside of the house while Jaune carried the second one in. The ground floor had more to offer and they started with the kitchen. Cooking pots, pans, and utensils quickly filled their second batch. They found the motherload shortly afterwards after sifting through the various cupboards.
"Well, here's the canned food." Jaune informed Ruby, as he started to hand her all the beans, vegetables, and other food from the top cabinets. "I'm sure this is what they want."
"I hope when the people return, they don't need this." Ruby sounded worried. "Imagine coming back without any food and being stuck out here."
"That could be a while based on how many Grimm chased them away," Jaune admitted, continuing to stuff the box with more of the food. "If they were surviving out there, they would probably have some supplies with them. Especially if they know Raven's tribe is active in this area."
"I guess…" Ruby looked a little less down, but stealing was still wrong to her. Jaune knew it as well. The only reason they continued to do this was for survival. Sacrifices had to be made for that. They still had their limits though. "Think we get to eat some of these or will they give us their old food?"
"We might get the expired stuff." Jaune tried to joke, earning a light punch in the shoulder.
They finished up the kitchen and filled the second crate. They would have to get another one from the truck. It took both of them to move it. Turns out, cans weigh a lot. Even Jaune, who took most of the weight, was struggling. Shay noticed them having trouble and strutted over. Most likely, to make fun of them.
"Man, you two are weak," The slender man laughed. "One full crate and you're having problems? Did you fill it with rocks?"
"Nah, even better, but feel free not to have any." Ruby stuck her tongue out as they set it down near the truck.
"Brat I co- Oh, shit!" Shay voiced his thoughts as his eyes found out what the two had been hauling. "Guys, the kids found the mother load." Two others came over and checked inside, looking impressed at the variety of canned food on display. "Raven's going to reward us all. This is enough food for a couple weeks."
"Hell yeah, getting sick of the crap we have."
"Wait, look, pie filling!"
"It's a gold mine."
"What are you two standing around for?" Shay demanded, noticing Jaune and Ruby just staring. "Get back to work."
"Grateful much?" Jaune grumbled as he and Ruby picked up two more crates and headed back to the house.
"He's selfish, they all are!" Ruby crossed her arms and pouted.
"True…" Vernal did tell them first come first serve and to talk about what they wanted. Shay didn't say anything about Ruby's cloak, nor did he check their pockets. Unless it was something really precious, they probably did not care what Jaune and Ruby took. "Hang on… there's something behind the house."
They had missed a small shed behind the house. The first floor of the house had some stuff left, but most of the important goods it had were stripped away already. A shed would probably have things like tools that would be valuable to the bandits. Axes, saws, hammers, stuff that could be used to craft needed supplies. Even if Jaune hated giving it to them.
"Let's see what we got," Jaune struggled to pull open the rusty door. "We get first dibs, right?"
"Sure do!" Ruby nodded. "Not that we enjoy taking anything though!" She added the last part quickly. "It's better for us to do good with it and make it up to the owners later."
"Careful with that logic there." Jaune warned. "Could lead down a slippery slope… got it." He pulled the door open and what he saw made his jaw drop. "Ruby… I think I found what that key is for…"
"Woah…"
Ruby had peaked around the side of the shed and glanced inside. Her mouth fell open too as she saw the vehicle. A four wheeler was taking up most of the shed. It also seemed to be a newer model than the ones the bandits used. Attached to the back, there were Dust Canisters used as backup fuel for it. The people must not have had time to take it with them when they abandoned the settlement. It was a good scouting vehicle for sure.
"Can… Can you drive it?" Ruby asked.
"It's been a while and it's a newer model… but I have driven these before with my grandfather." Jaune admitted. He climbed up on it. "Looks pretty similar." Ruby tossed him the key and he slipped it in before turning it. "Please work…"
The engine roared to life.
"HAHA!" Jaune cheered as he moved forward when Ruby stepped out of the way. As he slowly pulled out, Ruby hopped on and held Jaune tightly around his waist as they drove around to the front of the house. "Look what we found! It's mine now!"
"Bullshit!" Shay yelled, looking flabbergasted at the two rookies. "Get off. Newbies don't get the good shit!"
"Nope!" Ruby called over her shoulder. "Finders, keepers!" There was no way she was going to give those bandits another vehicle to terrorize innocent people.
"Don't make me beat the crap out of you two!" Shay yelled as he menacingly stepped forward.
"Are you as strong as Vernal?" Jaune asked, pulling up. "Because we train with her." More like she beats them up, but a bluff was a bluff. Still, Shay didn't look as strong as her and relied more heavily on the gun strapped to his hip over melee weapons like swords. There was a bit of a gamble here.
The way Shay glared at him, it seemed Jaune had been right.
"You'll get it taken away when we get back to camp." Shay growled. "Anything else left?"
"Little bit left in the house, but I think we got everything useful." Ruby reported. "No tools of any kind in the shed with this."
"We found the tools, Midget." Shay huffed and he glanced at the truck, which was nearing capacity. "Pssh, looks like getting that vehicle is a life saver. They had a lot of construction supplies here, plus the food you found. It was a good haul."
"Can we get some grub, Shay?" One of the other guys shouted.
"Sure, why the fuck not."
Jaune and Ruby sat on the grass as Shay threw a bag of food at them. It was literally just dried meat, water, and a couple pieces of fruit, yet even if it wasn't five star cuisine, it was still infinitely better than Atlas trail rations. Stretching out, the kids gulped down their lunch as they enjoyed the sun. It could have been a picnic if Shay and his men weren't cursing and talking about things that made Ruby cover her ears.
"I'm going to find out which women in the camp they are talking about and tell them exactly what they said." Jaune whispered to Ruby.
"Do it, those guys are awful." Ruby may have gotten used to her Uncle Qrow and his friends cursing, with Jaune occasionally letting one slip but she still had her limits. "It's payback. Yang did that to a couple guys back at school who said stuff about me."
"She really did protect you, huh?" Jaune bit into an apple.
"Too much sometimes, it's why it was hard to get anyone to talk to me in Signal," Ruby reminded him. "I still love her and she's trying to change. When I get back, she'll see how adult I am."
"We are definitely getting back." Jaune agreed. "And if Yang still won't listen to you, I'll give her a stern talking too." Ruby snorted.
"Pretty sure she'll try to punch your lights out, but I appreciate it."
"If I can't block a single Yang punch, I've failed Qrow's teaching." Jaune moaned.
"On a scale from one to Yang, what's the hardest hit you're used to taking?" Ruby asked curiously.
"When did it become a scale now…? But probably a Nora."
Ruby burst out laughing at the comment, though her amusement was quickly drowned out by the sound of gunfire.
"Grimm incoming!" One of the bandits manning the Dust Cannons shouted. "FUCK! It's Manticores!"
"Pack up, we're leaving!" Shay shouted. "We're not equipped for this. Dumbass, Midget! Cover us!"
"Manticores?" Jaune asked Ruby, as they drew their weapons.
His question was answered a moment later without a word.
A great roar echoed through the air as five large Grimm flew over the wall. The Manticores had the body and head of a lion, wings of a predatory bird, and the tail of a scorpion. They also had black fur and feathers like normal Grimm, with white bone-like spines on their bodies, including a white lion skull and a large, crown-like mane of bone. A pair of bull horns protruded from their skulls.
Gun fire erupted from the Dust Cannons again as the two bandits opened fire. For being the size of large lions, the Manitocores were surprisingly agile. Two took to the air while another pair went right and left, surrounding the group. One of the Grimm received a few heavy rounds from the mounted gunners, taking several powerful shots and falling behind part of the wooden wall.
"Let's go!" Ruby didn't have any ammo in her weapon, so she transformed it back to Crescent Rose's Scythe mode. Looking around, she took in her surroundings, trying to figure out the best way to attack. "Jaune! Draw their attention!"
"On it!"
Jaune stepped forward and began to amplify his Aura as high as he could. Grimm were attracted to Aura, so might as well use that to their advantage. Three of the four Grimm instantly turned to him. One in the air and the two on the ground. Cold sweat formed as Jaune took in his situation. Fingers gripped his blade as he prepared to counter attack. The Manticore in the air dove down, avoiding the Dust Cannon as it tried to tear Jaune apart with its claws. The boy dove forward below it and let the Grimm collide into the ground with a crash, leaving a big gash into the dirt.
Raising his shield, Jaune barely managed to block the second Manticore from tackling him. His feet automatically adjusted to hold his potion. Right foot back, left forward. Still, the collision felt like a truck rammed into him. He was pushed back a good several feet, leaving a trail as his foot dug a trench. His other arm raised up and brought down a heavy slash from his sword, severing the left claw of the Grimm as blood splattered onto the ground whilst the beast howled in pain.
The third Grimm appeared diagonally behind him. There was no way he could block it as the Manticore in front of him was still pushing forward, trying to bite over his shield while the scorpion-like tail continuously jabbed forward over its shoulders. Its backside was just as deadly as the front. Throughout all this, Jaune didn't fear for his life. In fact, a grin formed on his face as he continued to pump his body full of his Aura.
The reaper was his guardian angel and the third Manticore never saw her blade.
Ruby's face was scrunched in concentration as she zipped past the Manticore, her scythe blade spinning at high speeds. The first cut severed the venomous tail, making it so it couldn't strike her from behind as she leaped over its body with her scythe lodging itself into its head from the excess force her front flip created. When Ruby landed on the other side, the head of the Grimm split apart as the beast quickly collapsed onto the ground, mere feet behind Jaune.
Shay's men focused their gunfire on the Manticore that had missed Jaune, blasting it with powerful Dust Rounds, while Shay himself was using his pistol to keep the other flying beast back. With the risk of being flanked minimized, Jaune was able to focus on the injured Grimm in front of him. His muscles strained from holding his shield up and the beast was pushing him back slowly. Fangs missed his shoulder by inches. Drawing his blade arm back, he thrusted forward, spearing the Manticore between the eyes.
A final roar escaped the Grimm before it collapsed.
That left one more. The problem was it was flying above them.
"Shay, we're almost out of ammo!" One yelled to Shay.
"Fuck, this wasn't supposed to be a combat mission!"
Ruby looked around and saw the building. Her eyes narrowed in determination as she charged forward. Rose petals burst forth as she sped up straight toward the wall. It looked like she was going to crash into it, but instead, as her foot planted itself upon its surface, she used her speed to run straight up the side of the two story house. It wasn't nearly as tall as the cliff during the initiation, yet it was an impressive feat nonetheless.
With her speed, she could do it. Her uncle's training passed through her mind. Teaching her to treat her Semblance as part of her and push it to its limits, she didn't slow down. As her last step put her on the roof, she continued to push upwards.
Causing her to fly into the air.
Ruby reappeared to everyone else above the Manticore as it passed. None of them had seen anything except a blur of rose petals after she vanished at the base of the house. Raising her scythe, she brought it down with all her might towards the Grimm that had just noticed her approach. Its tail began to stretch out, threatening to spear her with the venomous barb. The attack wasn't nearly as fast as the girl though. Her blade already passed neatly through the torso of the Manticore. The body separated neatly down the middle as blood rained across the field. Ruby slowly began to fall down herself as the momentum from her jump decreased.
Her silver eyes caught movement on the ground which caused her to smile. Collapsing her weapon she stretched out her limbs and prepared for impact.
Heavy footsteps thudded on the ground as Jaune ran forward, already collapsing his shield and sheathing his sword. The boy was looking up as he held out his arms towards the flying girl in the purple cloak, who neatly fell into his arms and knocked him flat on his rear. Ruby was cradled safely in his grasp, her own weapon clutched tightly in her hands.
"You're crazy, you know that?" Jaune told her.
"I knew you would catch me." Ruby replied, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous giggle in her throat.
Jaune stood up and let her down as Shay and his men holstered their own weapons. They were looking on in silence, speechless by how easily Ruby took out the Grimm. Ruby glanced back at them and smirked.
"Still going to try to take our stuff now?"
A few hours later, with the sun just beginning to set behind some of the taller mountains, Jaune pulled into the bandit camp after the other vehicles, with Ruby sitting on the back seat, holding him around the waist. It was still far more comfy than sitting in the truck, being squished by full boxes. Jaune also felt less motion sickness when actually driving. Not only that, Ruby got to hold on tightly to Jaune the entire ride. He felt safe and warm to her. The only downside being the engine which was too loud to talk over without shouting.
They might have been able to make a break for it, except they hadn't had the time to review the map. It was possible that even with the four wheeler, they might not be able to get close to a town with their limited fuel. Accidentally going away from civilization would only make things worse. They had to be one hundred percent sure they knew where they were. The map was hidden under Ruby's clothes and they hoped they wouldn't be searched when they returned.
"Okay!" Shay yelled out as several members of the Branwen tribe approached the convoy after shutting the wooden doors to the camp. "We got a good haul and need some help unpacking. Guess what, we got food, courtesy of me!"
"Why that-... mmmph mmmgle!" Ruby was furious that he took credit for what she and Jaune did. To prevent any fight from erupting, Jaune quickly covered her mouth with his hand. After some struggling, the girl freed herself as she still looked upset but she didn't say anything else. Jaune figured they would have to help unload. That seemed like grunt work that would be forced on them.
Until Vernal marched through the other bandits, pushing them out of the way.
"Hey, Vernal!" Shay held out his arms like he expected a hug. "Happy to see me? I'll be glad to share some of the best loot with y-...oomph!"
Vernal punched him in the stomach, looked around, and made a beeline toward Jaune and Ruby. Shay was left kneeling down and coughing as the others laughed at him. The kids instantly were on guard. The woman did not look happy and when she grabbed Jaune's arm, they knew this wasn't going to be good.
"Come with me, Dumbass!"
"Huh… What? Why?" Jaune's questions went unanswered as he was pulled along. No matter how petite Vernal looked, she was a lot stronger than him.
"Hey!" Ruby zipped over and blocked her path. "Where are you taking him?"
For a moment, it looked like Vernal was about to knock her out of the way.
"We got injured and he's going to heal them. Now… MOVE!"
Ruby squeaked and jumped to the side. No matter how she felt about Vernal, there was no way she was going to prevent Jaune from saving someone. She tried to follow, but was kicked back by Vernal. Turns out Raven gave a specific order to ONLY bring Jaune. Ruby was forced to stay and work on unloading the truck.
"Hurry up!" Vernal snapped, tugging at Jaune.
"I can move faster if you let go!" Jaune told her angrily. The vice grip on his arm loosened and he could feel the blood rushing back into his arm again. Without any more arguing, he followed the woman while matching her pace. They approached a tent and Vernal pushed the flap open.
Three people were in there already. Raven was one of them, her face stern as she glanced at them. A short woman stood next to her. She must have been the camp doctor. The man laying on the cot was shirtless with countless bandages wrapped around his side. His face was contorted in pain, along with being soaked in sweat.
"About time you showed up." Raven told him. "Let's see how strong your Semblance is. Heal him."
"It's not healing, it's Amplification!" Jaune told her exasperated. "If he doesn't have Aura, it won't work."
"That's not a problem," The doctor pushed her glasses up her nose as she turned her gaze to the boy. "He has his Aura. His team got too close to a town taken over by a Nuckalevee and he was injured..."
"Idiot." Vernal spat out.
"... the wound is too big and he will either die from blood loss or infection," The doctor continued. "If you can help heal him to a point he's stabilized, I can do the rest."
"I'll try!"
Jaune stepped forward and put his hand over the bandage. Lightly as not to hurt the injured man any further. Concentrating, his hands began to glow as he sent out his Aura. He could feel it merge with the bandit's and start increasing. A weak green glow formed around the guy as Jaune pumped it up as high as he could go. It had to have been working as the man's expression softened. His entire body relaxed and laid there quietly.
"Amazing…" The doctor moved around Jaune and checked one of the wounds. "It's closing before my very eyes."
"Not only empowering individuals beyond their normal capacity or recharging Aura, but allowing high speed healing." Raven muttered. "You really hit the Semblance jackpot."
"Don't you have a Semblance that can port you all over Remnant?" Jaune asked, his eyes still glued onto the man in his care. It just became so much easier after days of using his Semblance that he could talk to others without disrupting his concentration.
"There are limits, just like on all Semblances." Raven's lip curled.
Jaune expected Raven to leave but the bandit leader stood there and watched him heal. Was this man someone important to her or was she only focused on the Semblance. The doctor monitored the man's vitals with a few instruments, but it was hardly a real hospital. Blood loss would probably have killed him if Jaune wasn't helping close up the injuries. It took about 10 minutes to fully seal the wounds. Aura had its limits. People couldn't regrow body parts, large wounds didn't vanish instantly, and scars would remain. Aura would only increase the speed of standard regeneration.
"That's enough, thank you." The doctor pushed him away. "He just needs rest and liquids to replace the blood."
"Then I'll head out." Jaune turned around, but felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Wait," Raven's tone indicated it wasn't a request. "Come with me."
Knowing he didn't have a choice, Jaune followed the woman. He had no idea what she wanted, yet he had little choice in the matter. Was it a thank you for saving her tribe member? That didn't seem like her. Wisely keeping his mouth shut to avoid being hit, Jaune entered her tent after her.
She didn't say anything and Jaune was forced to stand there uncomfortably for a few moments before the woman let out a sigh.
"Our traditions reward those with strength who helped take care of the tribe." Raven spoke at last. "Shay called ahead and explained what happened on your assignment. You and Ruby managed to protect the salvage team from the Grimm. As a reward, I'll let you two keep the four wheeler you discovered as a personal vehicle for future tribe business."
"Huh?" Jaune blinked.
"Though don't think I won't let others use it if needed. The benefit to the tribe outweighs any claim you have." The woman tapped her chair as she continued to stare at him. "As for saving the life of a tribe member, I decided to give you a boon."
"A boon?" Jaune asked. "What does that mean?"
"I will answer one question of yours," Raven elaborated. "I'm sure you have many. Think of it as a chance to fill your head with something better than the garbage Qrow taught you."
"I trust him completely!" Jaune growled. "He hasn't given me any reason not to. Fighting as well as I can is only because of him."
"So you have nothing to compare it to," Raven shook her head. "That's why you can say those things. You have no idea the things he keeps from you. Even from the girl. That's not even counting the lies Ozpin tells everyone."
"How do I know you aren't lying to me?" Jaune demanded. "You keep saying they keep secrets, but you're not telling what these secrets are! Giving me vague statements and expecting me to believe them is hardly convincing."
An actual smile tugged on Raven's lips.
"You're not completely devoid of rational thought, are you?"
"I know why you hate Qrow, he left the tribe," Jaune continued. "But what big secrets is Ozpin keeping that turned you against your family? That made it so you refuse to help him?"
"My relationship with Tai and Yang is a separate issue, as for Ozpin…"
The woman stared at him in silence for a moment before continuing.
"...The secrets he kept from us directly led to Summer's death."
Blood rushed out of Jaune's face as his skin turned deathly white.
"Wait, no! Y-You're lying…" Words caught in his throat as he took a step back to steady himself. "You have to be!"
"Do you want to know what happened?" Raven asked, her tone growing more grave than it ever has before. "The final mission Summer and I took before she 'disappeared?' I warn you… what you're about to hear can't be forgotten. There are fates far worse than death in this world."
Steeling his resolve and gulping down the lump that formed in his throat. Jaune prepared himself to answer in the only way he could.
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.
The final mission was after Ruby was born and Summer never returned from. This may or may not have occurred in canon, but it SHOULD link a bunch of hints we received in the actual story. Hopefully. I may be projecting, but hey, it should be a good story.
I'm actually not sure if I'm going to do a flashback in the next chapter or just have Raven tell Jaune what happened. I'm playing around with both options right now. I'm interested in hearing your opinions, readers.
UrsaMJR: The tender scenes between Jaune and Ruby truly give a sense of trust and respect for one another. To soothe the fears of one another and share in their unease is a great hallmark for a relationship which will last the test of time. Now, what kind of relationship that will be is left to be explored. But I know some of you would have liked that tent screen to have gone far differently than it had. Ya' perverts.