I have a huge announcement.

I have sold out.

At long last, though constant prodding and people asking, I finally set up a Pat reon. Why? Don't know, but people kept asking me about it. I was always hesitant to do this because I was afraid writing would start feeling like a job. After some friends pushed me, I thought, might as well try it. Even if it's just a few dollars, I might be able to buy a cup of coffee to keep me up at night when I write. Also, I could finally compensate people who help Beta these chapters. They spend several hours each chapter reviewing my drafts. I always felt they deserved a little something as thanks.

So if you like my stories and feel like tossing a few bucks my way, it means a lot. If not, that's fine too. This is NOT to guilt anyone. Regardless of what happens, I'm going to continue to write stuff I enjoy. But if you are interested, see the address down below. (This site doesn't like websites.)

P a treon . com (Slash) Darkbetrayer

Thanks to UrsaMJR for agreeing to Beta this chapter. Now, let's get back to the fun adventures with Ruby and Jaune.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

"Here's the communication hub." The male Faunus told Jaune and Ruby, opening the door. "Everything is set up. Just dial your mentor's number and as long as he's in Mistral, you should be able to reach him. It might take a few minutes though. Our technology is hardly up to date."

"No, it's perfect!" Ruby assured him, a bright smile flashing on her face. "Thank you for everything. We really appreciate all the help."

"Let me know when you finish. There's no rush. It's actually common to try a couple times because there could be interference. Don't get discouraged if the first call doesn't go through. Just wait a few minutes and try again."

"Will do!" Truthfully speaking, if she didn't hear from Qrow on the first try, Jaune felt like Ruby might have a small panic attack. "Ready, Jaune?"

"Don't know why you're asking me," Jaune couldn't resist chuckling. "You're the one that knows his number."

"Ah, right! Here, I go!" Ruby eagerly made her way to the computer, quickly dialing Qrow's Scroll number into the device and restlessly waiting for him to pick up. Since they had been warned, she knew what to expect and didn't freak out immediately. Even so, she couldn't help but be somewhat excited to hear from her uncle again.

The static noise became monotonous, as a light flickering above the screen indicating the call was being transmitted. Jaune and Ruby sat down and waited with bated breath.

They waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"It's not working!" Ruby cried out, breaking the silence after a mere few moments.

"Ruby, it's been three minutes." Jaune pushed the overly zealous girl back down in the chair. "We were told it might take a while. Patience, young one."

In reply Ruby gave the boy a huff, one that drew a short chuckle from him.

As much as he tried to seem in control of his own impatience, his foot was tapping on the ground unconsciously, scuffing the floor below with his insistent routine. It wasn't something that went unnoticed by the girl. Jaune was trying to keep her calm while at the same time, worrying just as much as her.

She smiled. Somehow feeling better now that she knew the two of them shared in her nervousness. It certainly helped in easing her restless nerves. It was okay to be anxious, but Huntsman and Huntresses had to overcome their fear.

Eventually, the light that danced above the screen burned out.

"Try again." Jaune quickly encouraged before Ruby could panic. "Remember, he said to try multiple times if the first call didn't go through."

Ruby dialed again and they waited in silence, though Ruby's hand reached over and grabbed Jaune's shirt, trying to calm herself. He didn't tell her off or even mention it. Supporting his friend was something he was more than happy to do.

Static filled the room and the light blinked again and again and again…

Click.

Ruby jumped to her feet.

"Uncle Qrow?!"

"Hey, I can't answer right now," The voice of Qrow came through. "I'm probably too drunk or fending off a hangover. Either way, leave a message and I might bother to check my Scroll." As the automated response came to an end with a faint beep, Ruby began to talk rapidly.

"Uncle Qrow! Jaune and I escaped! We're really far south and our coordinates are…" She grabbed the map and recited off their location, city name, along with the number of the communication hub. "We're okay and we're safe in town, but we need to know what you want us to do. Do we stay here? Do we meet you somewhere? We don't know the number to the Atlas Lumber Yard so we can't call them. Please… call us back."

Grudgingly, she pressed the end call button and the line went dead.

"We did it!" Without warning, Ruby lunged into Jaune's arms, giving him a tight hug as she buried her face in his chest. "He probably has his Scroll off to save batteries, but he'll check it. Sooner or later." Even if she felt somewhat sad he hadn't picked up himself, this was the next best thing to hear.

"Yeah, he'll contact us. Or he might just show up and be like - So, you two survived." Jaune joked. "Congratulations, now pack your stuff. Vacation's over. We got Grimm to kill." A weak, bark-like laugh from the girl in his arms told him she appreciated it, even if she was sniffing at the tears welling up in her eyes. Yet her arms still didn't let go. They were tightly wound around him as if the moment she let go, he would vanish into thin air.

When someone was upset, Jaune knew the best thing to do was let them be the one to decide when to let go. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

The girl didn't move for quite a while. In fact, her body slumped back into her chair, as all the tension she had been hiding finally slipped away. Jaune felt himself sink into his chair too, still gently embracing her. Getting to this village had helped, but to actually reach Qrow's Scroll was another thing altogether. They would have to stay in town for a few days until he called them back, which meant they needed to do something to help earn their keep. It would be foolish of them to think the people out here, who didn't have spare resources to share between themselves let alone newcomers, would be able to accommodate them free of charge for that duration of time. So there had to be something they could do to help out.

As if sensing his newfound determination, Ruby finally lifted her head.

"Ready to go?" Jaune asked, not trying to rush her.

"I think so." Ruby wiped her eyes on her sleeve and looked away. "Sorry for that."

"I understand what you're going through." The boy assured her. "When Qrow shows up though, it's my turn to cry on your shoulder." Ruby snorted loudly and then covered her reddening face as she hopped off him. Jaune always had a way of making her laugh, just like she could do to him.

"I wasn't crying, and don't you dare tell Yang!"

"Would I?"

"No." Ruby's bright smile would cheer anyone up. Having left the communication hub the two stood idly outside. The technician promised to notify them if anyone came to call them back. Their only regret right now was that they didn't know the Atlas Lumber Yard number as a backup. This town was too small to have full access to Mistral's database. "What are we going to do now? I rather not try to rely on everyone's generosity. It's not fair to them."

"I was thinking about that," Jaune confirmed her worries were genuine. "Our only skills are dealing with Grimm, so maybe we can check with the Chief to see if they have any Grimm troubles we can help with? At the least, scout around and try to handle any Grimm before they become a problem?"

"If we can save lives by killing Grimm, that would be perfect!" Ruby's voice grew excited. "They saved us, even if they don't know it. We need to return the favor."

"Easy there, Rubes." Jaune raised his hand. "There might not be any threats nearby. Grimm don't attack all the time."

"Actually, that's what I came to talk to you two about."

"AHHHH!" Ruby and Jaune jumped in surprise as another man spoke up from behind them.

"Seriously, I scared you kids?" Laz asked, trying not to laugh as cheap amusement was plastered on his face. "Are you sure you're Huntsmen?"

"HEY!" Ruby frustratedly put her arms on her hips and glared at him. "We're amazing Huntsmen! Don't you remember when we met?"

"I do," The man laughed. "It's why Kali asked me to find you two. I was just waiting for the two of you to finish your call. Did you reach your uncle?"

"Sort of," Ruby admitted slowly, biting the corner of her lip. "He didn't answer his Scroll, but we left him a message. He'll probably call back with instructions." Her eyes looked towards the ground in slight melancholy.

"What did you mean when you said you came to talk to us?" Jaune asked, trying to change the subject so Ruby didn't start moping. It was a slippery slope that might make them seem less capable in their eyes.

"Right, you were talking about fighting Grimm," Laz answered, looking at the boy. "We might have just the mission for you two."

"Is there a Grimm problem?" Ruby's expression suddenly turned serious, with a little bit of excitement burning behind her eyes. "We'll help. Just point us in the right direction."

"Glad to see you're willing, but the situation is a little more complicated than that." Laz informed her. "It's best if you follow me. I'm not the one you'll need to talk to. Kali is meeting with the chief as we speak."

Laz led them to a small building that was still larger than many of the others. A town hall or a house used as the town hall since space was limited. In order to expand the town, they would have to either expand the defensive walls, or build houses outside the protective shield. That would require more manpower than this small village had to spare. Kali's caravan wouldn't stay forever.

Being let inside by a single guard standing at attention, Jaune and Ruby met with Sienna and the elderly woman they had seen when they first entered town. Her racoon tail was faintly graying to be the same color as her hair. They were drinking tea from an old cracked tea set, the cracks of which seemed to be filled with a bronze filament, no doubt showing just how much use the elderly woman found in it.

Both looked up when Jaune and Ruby entered. Laz nodded to Sienna, before closing the door and waiting outside.

"Welcome," The elderly woman greeted. "Kali and I were just talking about you. It seems you two made quite a bit of commotion earlier today."

"Er… were we causing problems with our spar?" Jaune asked nervously. Part of him was worried the tiger woman was still upset about the accident at the end.

"No, a little entertainment is good for the kids and I was informed you took precautions to ensure the children were safe." The Chief smiled. "It's odd to see humans like you. Many of the adults here have had problems with humans in the past. The children have not, but they no doubt have heard things. Seeing you go out of your way to entertain them… you do Beacon proud."

"Thanks," Ruby rubbed the back of her neck. "The kids were nice but I think we might have gotten carried away."

"It's because you got a bit too carried away showing off your weapon to the gawking kids." Jaune accused, and Ruby elbowed him in the side.

"I have to admit, the main reason I wanted to spar with you two was to make sure you were properly equipped to deal with anything that might arise in the near future." Sienna told them, deliberately not making eye contact with Jaune. "Laz should have mentioned a little bit to you, but this town might have a Grimm problem that we're going to try to solve before we leave. Since you two are waiting for your-..."

"YES!" Ruby suddenly interrupted, giving a curt cough before calming down. "I mean, yes. We'll be happy to help in any way we can."

"It seems you were right about these two being interesting humans." The Chief commented to Sienna. "Since you're vouching for them, I don't see any reason to continue to be hesitant. Please, have a seat and let's discuss the situation. Tea?"

Jaune accepted a cup as he sat down and noticed Ruby looking hesitant. She probably didn't drink tea, as she preferred sweet things. His mom loved tea and he grew up having it in the house. It wasn't his favorite, but he could drink it. After putting some sugar in it of course. Then he passed the cup of sugar over to Ruby, who mouthed 'thank you' as she scooped some into her tea and took a sip.

A small grimace told him it wasn't sweet enough as she scooped some more in.

"As I was telling… Kali." The Chief told them. "Over the last month, we've been having some issues with sudden and unexplained disappearances."

"Disappearances?" Jaune asked. "Like how are they disappearing? Out in the forest?"

"No," The woman shook her head. "They are accounted for one day and by the next morning, they are gone. Vanished overnight without any signs of a struggle."

"Are you sure they didn't just leave?" Sienna asked. "It's not unheard of for people to leave to pursue better opportunities."

"You know better. Out here, you'd be better off starving than going outside the walls alone." The Chief's eyes narrowed slightly. "Even so, one person wouldn't be a cause for alarm. But, as to date, two men, one woman, and one child have vanished. Each one went to sleep in their homes and were gone the next day. Their families are worried sick. It's gotten to the point we've been adding a mandated curfew at night and having everything locked up." The elderly Faunus took a sip of her tea with a complex look in her eyes. ''To avoid panic, we've been keeping the children in the dark." She turned to Ruby and Jaune. "It's why I had no problem with you two cheering them up with your display. Decreasing the negativity was a welcome relief."

"But what could be taking people in their sleep?" Ruby asked, spooning more sugar into her cup.

"A Siren." Sienna replied, her eyes narrowing into a hateful grimace. "Wouldn't be the first time one of those Grimm did something like this."

"What's a Siren?" Jaune and Ruby asked together.

"Right, you're from Vale and don't know all the Mistral Grimm." Sienna chided herself. "Razorwings are a bird-like grimm with a nearly all black upright body. Clawed arms are fused with their wings, but it's their powerful hind legs you don't want to be on the receiving end of. Those claws are sharp. They also have a tail ending in a large spike. They primarily use it to kill prey they've pinned down or slash at people. Nasty things that fly around in packs and attack from the sky."

"They are mostly found in the northern continent of Solitas, but there are variations that pop up in Mistral from time to time." The elderly woman added. "They enjoy the mountains."

"Sirens are the more dangerous forms of Razorwings." Sienna continued. "They can mimic music that befuddles people's minds. You can't think of anything and just follow the song to your death."

Ruby was already trying to hide her nervous reactions behind the cup of her overly sweet cup of tea. Jaune, similarly took a sip of his drink, though too showing his anxious nature as some spilled on his legs. Still, the both of them listened closely. These were new types of Grimm they've never faced before, so getting whatever information they could on them was a necessity.

"Aura protects people like us," Sienna added, seeing their expressions. "But normal people? When they are asleep? They would have no resistance."

"The problem is, Siren's songs are usually indiscriminate." The Chief pointed out. "If it was a Siren, we would have heard it too and could see the people trying to leave the city. We lock the gates at night and a confused person wouldn't be able to bypass that."

"So do you have any idea what it could be?" Jaune asked. "Any clues, leads, anything?"

"Not at this time." The woman sighed. "Kali here was going to investigate and we were hoping you would assist as there may be Grimm involved."

"Could it be possible that Grimm aren't involved?" Ruby spoke up hesitantly, her voice soft. "We learned early on in our apprenticeship that not all problems are caused by them."

There was a moment of silence as the two women looked at each other.

"Right, Laz mentioned you arrested Slave Traders before." Sienna murmured. "It's possible, but I doubt they would be this far out. It would take a lot of time and Lien to bring captured people all the way back to the major cities."

"We'll be happy to help with anything we can," Jaune said quickly. "Scouting, protection, anything you need. We're still waiting for our Huntsman mentor to contact us back."

"Perfect." The chief smiled. "We're planning to use multiple scouting teams. You'll be sent with someone who knows the area. Feel free to eradicate any Grimm you see, even if they wouldn't cause this problem."

"Well, yeah," Ruby spoke, thinking it would be silly to do anything else. "That's what we do."

"Glad to hear that," Sienna smirked. "You'll be given lodgings somewhere, right?" The elderly woman nodded at her. "We'll let you have some of our food supplies. I took a look at what you had left. Why would you eat Atlas rations?"

"It's not like we had a choice!" Ruby cried out as Jaune wanted to laugh. After only having those insults to real food, any humor quickly vanished.

True to their word, Sienna and the chief had a room set up for them. It wasn't fancy by any means. Literally just a small space with a bed, a dresser, and a lamp. Not even a closet. The two of them barely fit in there, but neither complained. This was better than sleeping on the hard ground with no sleeping bags or anything. Lack of supplies also meant they really didn't need a closet. Weapons were set on the dresser within arms reach.

"I'm really glad we met, Kali." Ruby plopped down on the bed. "If she wasn't here, we might not have been able to get in this town at all."

"Not with the problems they are encountering." Jaune agreed, sitting on the bed next to her. "She's pretty amazing, isn't she. Kali can't be that much older than us, and already leading supply convoys. That's pretty impressive. I really admire her."

Slowly, silver eyes shifted to the right as Ruby examined Jaune, who was looking out the window and unaware. A strange churning sensation welled up within the girl at his words. For some reason, Ruby felt really annoyed at Jaune for some reason. It's not like he said anything wrong, but she still felt like he did. Frowning, the girl suddenly punched Jaune in the arm.

"Hey, what was that for!?"

"For being filthy and imagining the kiss!" Ruby lied, her cheeks burning.,

"I wasn't and that was an accident!" The innocent boy didn't want his reputation soiled. "We aren't bringing it up!"

"You were thinking about it!" Ruby accused. "You had a dirty expression on your face."

"Lies and slander!" Jaune frowned at his friend. "Wait… are you mad at me?"

"No!" Ruby lied again, grabbed the sheet and laid down on the far side of the bed, wrapping herself up so Jaune couldn't have any.

'Okay, she is mad at me. But why?' Jaune wondered as he laid down next to her. 'Is she mad I forced a kiss on Kali? I didn't apologize, but she didn't apologize for kicking me. I felt like we both wanted to pretend it didn't happen.'

The poor confused boy had no idea what happened. Was Ruby nervous about the entire situation? A mysterious thing making people disappear was sure to cause concern. A simple straightforward Grimm attack would be easy for them to deal with. Investigations were another matter. Qrow wasn't around to guide them so they would have to use the skills he taught them already. Jaune had no idea what tomorrow was going to be like. Ruby had the right idea of trying to get some sleep.

Still, his mom always warned him to never let a girl go to sleep angry at him.

"We'll find out what happened tomorrow," Jaune whispered to Ruby. "The town will be safe, Qrow will show up to take us home, and we'll be heroes." No words came his way, but Ruby did roll over in her blanket cocoon to snuggle against his side, her head resting on his arm.

The selfish, dark haired roll of jealousy continued to hog the sheets as they slept.

"Yo, you the kids coming with me?" A tall reddish-brown haired woman with two small tusks protruding from her mouth asked Jaune and Ruby the following morning. She was wearing a long sleeve shirt with a brown vest lined with many pockets, along with a pair of camo patterned pants.

"That's what Kali said!" Ruby replied brightly. "I'm Ruby and this is Jaune." Jaune raised a hand.

"Right, Kali." The woman rolled her eyes. "Names Celosia. I've been scouting this area for years, so stick close and you won't get lost."

"Yes, ma'am." The two kids said in unison, causing the woman to pause and raise an eyebrow.

"Do you two have military backgrounds or something?"

"Not really, though we have been in Atlas." Jaune explained. "Our mentor, Qrow, always told us that we had to follow his orders when out in the field. Since you know this area better than us, it's only natural you're in charge."

Celosia stared at the boy for a few moments before coming back to her senses. Jaune didn't understand why she was acting so weirdly. Wasn't it natural to let the experienced people lead? Ruby and Jaune may have been team leaders back in Beacon, but they were hardly skilled scouts or professional warriors yet. Seeming to finally accept his answer, the woman pulled out a map and set it down.

"We'll be examining this area." Celosia explained, circling an area of the map with her forefinger. "We have five groups checking each direction. When someone finds something, they will notify the rest of the teams." She tapped her radio on her hip. "At the very least, we'll know what to keep an eye out for. Our primary purpose is to figure out what has been causing the disappearances, and neutralize it if possible."

"Kali said we don't have any leads as of yet. Do we?" Ruby asked.

"No, we really are going in blind." Rolling up the map, Celosia let out a long sigh. "Never heard of a Grimm making people vanish in the middle of the night without leaving behind any signs. I was hoping some Vale huntsmen might have had some information, but it looks like I was wrong."

"Sorry, we're still Huntsmen-in-training. So we don't really know all the Grimm out there." Ruby muttered, looking at the ground.

"No one does." The woman looked a little embarrassed that she was putting shade on the young Huntress. "I'm not upset at you two… just the entire situation. Out here, in small towns like this? You know everyone on a personal level. When you lose someone, you're losing a friend or family member."

"I can understand that." Jaune agreed with a short nod. "We've seen first hand the hardships out here that bring people together. Don't worry. We'll figure out something with everyone working together."

"Pretty optimistic, aren't you?"

"It's how I survive." Jaune grinned, jabbing a thumb into his chest. "Bad luck follows me around, so don't worry. We'll find that Grimm after I roll down a hill into its nest."

Ruby covered her mouth as a small snicker left her lips.

Since Jaune and Ruby didn't have any supplies besides a backpack with water and rations that no one considered food, the city provided them with some basic supplies. They left with Celosia out the north gate and started to hike into the forest. The sun was up, barely any clouds in the sky, and a nice warm breeze blew through the trees. It was a really nice day, only mired by the reason they were heading out of town.

Jaune and Ruby were instantly on alert.

Paranoia was something Qrow had warned them about. After a brutal event, usually involving ambushes, it was sometimes hard to relax. Especially traveling in unfamiliar lands. When Jaune was with Qrow, he never had that problem. His mentor was usually able to notice traps and an ambush of Grimm no matter the terrain. Not to mention, there was the fact Ruby was always close by to soothe his nerves. Now Qrow was gone and both of them had gone through so much after being ambushed and kidnapped. Once the relief of making it back to town wore off, the current situation wasn't helping their mental state. Every noise around them was a potential attack.

It didn't help that Qrow had failed to call back during their stay at the settlement.

"You two are making me jumpy," Celosia commented after about an hour. "Relax a bit, will you?"

"Sorry!" Jaune apologized, trying not to let his anxiousness show. "We are just… worried about the situation."

"And we've been dealing with bandits lately who like to ambush." Ruby muttered, somewhat exasperated.

"Oh, that explains it." Celosia nodded in understanding. "But still, calm down. I need you two to focus and help me figure out what other shit is going on."

Jaune smacked his cheeks and took a breath. He couldn't believe he was willing to risk the success of the mission because he couldn't focus. Glancing over at Ruby, his friend looked almost equally guilty. Lowering their guard while outside the safety of a city wall wasn't something they would do, but at the same time, they couldn't jump at every noise. All that training Qrow gave them to recognize signs in their surroundings would be a waste if they saw enemies in every shadow.

Taking a deep breath, Jaune tried to calm down, focusing on the soft breeze, warm sunlight, and bright flowers dotting the grass. Ruby glanced over at him and tried to imitate his action. Even closing her eyes as she focused on her breathing. Jaune felt a little better and gave her a small smile, which she returned when she noticed.

As long as the two of them were together, they could overcome anything.

"Hmm…" Celosia knelt down and examined some tracks. "No, these are old."

"They are Beowolf tracks." Ruby recognized. "They are really common in Vale."

"Yeah, but we killed this one a couple weeks ago." The woman replied, standing back up. "We haven't seen many recently except a few Lancers. The large group the supply convoy came across was the worst we had this year. Thanks to them, we won't have to worry about larger sieges for months. I heard you helped out, is that right?"

"We ran into them near the end and took out a few Grimm." Ruby tried not to brag, but there was a strong hint of pride in her voice.

"Good, then I don't have to worry." Celosia laughed. "Anything else you kids have done?"

"Jaune's killed a Queen Arachne by himself!"

"Okay… what?" The woman stopped in her tracks and turned around, a look of curiosity and disbelief lining her eyes. "Spill it, boy. That sounds like a story."

"She's making it sound a lot more heroic than it was." Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what details of the story to include. "I was knocked off a cliff by an Arachne into a nearby river and accidentally slipped into its nest. Our Huntsman teacher, Qrow, provided us with some explosives and I managed to hit the Queen in the face with one."

"No, no!" Celosia shook her head. "I want details. That sounds like quite an adventure."

Jaune had to spend a good thirty minutes telling Celosia all about his adventure, minus Vernal's involvement. The woman seemed impressed at his ingenuity and skills, while Ruby was grinning the entire time as she winked at Jaune occasionally. Seriously, it was like Ruby was trying to make him seem like a super powerful Huntsman when luck played a huge part of it. However, Jaune did feel a little better. For once, he was able to tell a story about him, and not just listen to the amazing feats of others.

"You two seem in a better mood." Celosia commented, looking between the two. "Calm down yet?"

"Huh?" Jaune blinked and realized while talking about their exploits, he hadn't been freaking out. Focusing on one thing kept him from dwelling over his fears. Like playing video games to avoid thinking about being hungry before dinner. "You're right."

"How did you do that?!" Ruby gasped, obviously feeling the same way.

"You see this all the time when people move out here from the city," Celosia waved her hand dismissively. "You're used to the safety and comfort of the main kingdom, but when you're out here and realize there's only a thin defense between yourself and things that lurk in the wilds. People have trouble sleeping, expecting to be robbed or attacked by Grimm every night. They don't trust their neighbors and expect everyone to betray them in a heartbeat."

A small, sad smile graced her lips.

"No matter what stories you hear about all these small towns, that doesn't happen out here. It just can't."

"Why?" Ruby asked. "It's not like I'm doubting you!" She added that part quickly and raised her hands in defense of her thoughtless words. "But it does sometimes feel like it's everyone for themselves."

"There's a simple explanation." Celosia stopped and looked straight at her. "No one can survive out here by themselves. " She gestured to the wilderness. "Do you think you can scavenge for food, build a city, craft supplies, keep Grimm at bay all by yourself? You can't. You have to rely on others. Small towns like ours have to have a close knit community to get by. When someone joins in, there's always a little bit of adjusting to do and a fair deal of suspicion from our part. Many times those people will try something shady, but they learn quickly enough."

"So if someone keeps stealing or getting into fights?" Ruby asked.

"They are either punished or kicked from the town. Trust me, you don't survive out here long when you aren't welcome."

"No… I can see that." Ruby paled at the thought of living out in this nowhere land. "We can defend ourselves, but we still need to stock up on supplies before we go out."

"I never considered it that way." Jaune looked up at the sky and contemplated what he just heard. "I always thought it was every man for themself, but your explanation makes more sense."

"We aren't savages outside the kingdom walls," Celosia huffed and crossed her arms. "Everything we do has a purpose. Everyone who comes out here has their own reason but if they want to survive, they sometimes have to leave their selfishness behind."

Everything this woman was saying was making a lot of sense to Jaune. The Branwen tribe was a group of thieves and murderers, but they still had order. They all worked together to keep their group strong and active. While they did argue and fight a lot, they still managed to keep supplies available for everyone. Food, weapons, clothes, everything was available to their tribe. Jaune thought it might just have been Raven enforcing this. Celosia made him realize that even if Raven were gone, someone else would fill the void or their group would just fall apart.

No matter where they went, they learned so many new things.

Beacon did not prepare them for this.

Though, in a way, this was actually a relief. The myth of criminals ruling the land outside the main cities wasn't true. Yes, there were bandit groups, but most if not all of the towns actually had law and order. Some people may have been criminals, but while they were out here, they weren't getting off scot free. Maybe in a way, this was a punishment for them. They were forced to work hard, risk their lives, and set up cities for future generations. Then there were those who truly just wanted to escape persecution and discrimination.

These people were strong. Far stronger than anyone gave them credit for. Jaune truly respected the resolve they had. Many did not make it, yet they still struggled and persevered. Fighting against fate.

Much like him.

If only he was half the person someone like Celosia was.

"I think I found something!" Ruby called out, over an hour of walking through the wilderness later. "Over here!" Jaune and Celosia turned and headed over to Ruby, who was crouched near a patch of grass. "It's a torn piece of cloth."

"From a shirt." Celosia mumbled, picking up the green plaid fabric and frowning. "Not terribly old. You can tell because it's not faded from being out in the sun nor covered in mud."

"Do you think it's from one of the missing people?" Jaune asked.

"It's from someone who probably shouldn't be out here." Celosia stood up and looked around. "There's no towns or cities in this direction. You have to go in the opposite direction to get anywhere close to another."

"Yeah, this was the southernmost town on the map we had." Jaune recalled. "There's only a couple reasons I can think of for someone being out here. Scouts, bandits, slavers, or missing people."

"Doubt it's slavers but might be bandits." Celosia admitted. "Though, I have a nagging feeling it's worse."

"Because there's no Grimm tracks?" Ruby asked, noticing the lack of claw marks on the ground, rocks, or trees. Jaune was actually pretty shocked at how fast she noticed that. She had come so far since Qrow started teaching them. He would have to work harder or he would be left behind.

"Exactly." The woman ran her hand along the ground and stood up. "Let's keep searching. Look for tracks of any kind. If there's an outside influence, there's a chance all the missing people went to the same place."

Jaune and Ruby spread out, searching the entire area with a fine tooth comb. They were quite a ways away from civilization, so the foliage was overgrown and wild. Grass was up to their knees or higher, bushes weren't lining roads or ditches, and trees grew wherever there was room. In a way, this was actually a benefit. Humans and Grimm left trails so Jaune was primarily looking for flattened grass, footprints in the soft earth, or dropped items like Ruby found. As he pushed through some bushes, he finally found something.

A trail in the grass. One that looked like it had been used multiple times, but not enough to be considered a high trafficked area. It couldn't be, not out here. This trail had to be used a couple times at best and the grass was already rising back up. Deer and other wild animals could have made this path, so Jaune knelt down and examined the ground closely. Taking a few steps, down the path, his eyes widened. It was a footprint. A human footprint.

Small enough to belong to a child.

"Celosia! Ruby! This way!"

"Looks like we have a lead." Celosia considered, kneeling down next to Jaune to verify his findings. "But I don't like this."

"Why?" Ruby tilted her head. "Isn't it a good thing we found these tracks? Kids won't be out this far, so it has to belong to one of the missing kids."

Something clicked in Jaune's head.

"The foot step shows the kid was walking…" The boy's voice was soft and a shiver ran down his spine. "Not carried or dragged…"

Ruby's eyes widened at this as she too now realized the implications.

"That's what I thought too." Celosia's voice was dry. "Weapons at the ready. I don't like this."

Metal slid against metal as Jaune drew his blade. Gears turned in Ruby's gun as it extended into her scythe. Their eyes scanned their surroundings, as if the two expected to be ambushed. Celosia meanwhile drew a dagger with one hand, and her Scroll with the other. Since they found something, she needed to report this while Jaune and Ruby kept watch.

"Celosia reporting in. We found some tracks and are investigating. Current coordinates are…" She spent a few moments giving their location and answering questions, before hanging up. Then in one fluid movement, she cut a cross into the bark of a tree over the tracks. "There, now when reinforcements show up, they'll know where we went."

"Are we going alone?" Ruby asked quietly.

"Yeah, but we'll retreat if there's something we can't handle." Celosia assured them. "I'd rather solve this quickly."

"Same." Jaune agreed, still looking around his surroundings. The forest was quiet, but it wasn't a deafening silence. Birds could be heard in the distance, along with the sound of insects buzzing. It honestly sounded just like the woods back home once you left the hustle and bustle of the city. Those tracks indicated something was going on though. Something they couldn't explain.

Which usually never turned out to be a good thing.

The three of them continued to follow the tracks, with Jaune and Ruby still keenly observing their surroundings as Celosia was focused on the tracks, which occasionally disappeared. She always managed to find them again and constantly marked trees so they could be followed. Paranoia was now perfectly justifiable for Jaune's worry. While Celosia focused on tracking, Jaune was part of the guard team. They had to be ready for an ambush.

Yet none came.

It was eerily uneventful, it simply felt wrong. As if something was luring them, toying with them.

Out of nowhere, Celosia held out her arms to stop them. Her eyes were narrowed as she gestured them to crouch down next to her.

"What is it?" Ruby asked at barely a whisper. "Enemies?"

"A cave." Came the equally quiet response. "It might be a den."

"What's the plan?" Jaune peaked around a tree. He could see a cave in the side of a hill, with piles of rock around the entrance. Some weird marks were scratched into sections of the stone but he couldn't make out what they were.. "Please say we aren't just going to charge in with weapons drawn."

"That usually works though." Ruby pointed out seriously. Thinking about it, she was right. It's how he and Vernal killed the Queen Arachne.

"You do not want to fight inside a cave," Celosia admonished sternly. "Do you think you can easily swing your scythe or even a sword in narrow passageways? We are at a disadvantage when it comes to terrain. The goal is to draw whatever is in there out and neutralize it. If it's not there, we investigate and figure out what we're dealing with and then possibly wait for it to return."

"Got it." Jaune agreed as Ruby nodded. "I'll go first." He gestured to his shield and Celosia didn't argue. While he had improved enough to fight most of the common Grimm, he still wasn't as skilled or agile as Ruby was. She would be better at flanking. Whatever emerged from that cave would come at him from a straight line for him to take head on. Regardless if it was human or Grimm, if they were responsible for the kidnapping, they would be stopped. "Come on out!"

Jauen stepped in front of the cave entrance and raised his shield.

Nothing.

Not a sound, except for the faint echo of his own voice.

"Hello?" Jaune realized how stupid he sounded the moment that word left his mouth. Slowly, he stepped forward and peaked inside as Ruby and Celosia slipped around to the sides.

A little bile rose in the back of his throat as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and his mind processed what he saw in that dimly lit cave. "Er… Celosia? You might want to take a look at this."

The woman stepped up and peaked inside. When Ruby came to peak, Jaune walked in front of her and shook his head, holding out an arm to keep her back. He had gotten a full view of the 'cave,' if you could call it that. It was more of a small room embedded into the rock face, shallow and poorly lit. There were no passages that led deeper underground. What they saw was all there was. What sunlight was able to reach up and illuminate the depression, showed a gruesome sight which was what caused Jaune to feel sick.

The floor was littered with bones.

Entire skeletons laid in osseous heaps on the ground.

A smaller set of bones adorned the pile alongside the others…

"We found them." Celosia growled under her breath. "I need to investigate, you two keep watch in case it comes back."

"Right." Relief flooded through the boy as he nodded and gestured for Ruby to come with him away from the sight.

"What did you see?" Ruby demanded. "Don't baby me, Jaune!"

"Bones," Jaune answered, not looking at her. "Entire bodies, including a child." Ruby's face went pale as an image quickly formed in her head. Her eyes widened in horror as she shook. "Yeah, I feel the same way." They didn't need to explain their feelings. Their expressions were more than enough.

"We were too late." Ruby muttered through gritted teeth. "We should have been faster."

"Stop that." Jaune told his friend sternly, finally looking over at her. "Remember what Qrow told us? We can't always save everyone, but we can prevent this from happening again." His gaze was hard as he stared into the trees. "We will stop this." Ruby opened her mouth and closed it again. She audibly swallowed and then clenched her fingers tightly around Crescent Rose.

"You've gotten strong, Jaune." The girl finally said.

"So have you."

The old Ruby would have probably collapsed after seeing this. With their experiences up to now, the Slave Traders, Tyrian, the Arachnes, even spending time with the Branwen tribe had toughened both of them up. Though Jaune was loathed to admit that Vernal and Raven had indeed strengthened their resolve. A small silver lining in that hell hole. It was just beginning to sink in how much both of them were growing during this apprenticeship. Although they still hadn't changed who they were at the core.

Neither of them could brush off the death of innocent people so easily.

Eventually, Celosia emerged, face hardened and looking not only angry, but confused.

"What did you learn?" Ruby asked instantly, spinning around. "Can we find the Grimm that did this?"

"This doesn't make any sense!" Celosia shouted out of nowhere, making them jump as she kicked a tree.

"Huh, what?" Jaune blinked in confusion.

"The number of corpses match the number of missing people." Celosia looked at him, then at Ruby, and then back toward the cave. "It's just…" She rubbed her head and closed her eyes like she was having a massive migraine.

"Tell us!' Ruby pushed, stepping closer. "You know more than us and we can't help if we're kept in the dark."

"The bones are in too good of condition." Celosia opened her eyes and stared directly into Ruby's. "There's no damage to them at all. No teeth or claw marks, none broken, nothing. It's as if they walked into the cave, laid down and died. Which doesn't make any sense."

"They have only started missing within the last month, right?" Jaune recalled their conversation with the Chief and the woman he knew as Kali. "With one being relatively recent. I'm not an expert… but corpses wouldn't decay that fast… right?" Saying that made his stomach churn.

"That's what doesn't make sense!" Throwing her hands into the air, Celosia spun around. "Corpses could decay pretty quick in the sun, but a wet cave? It is more likely some wild animals came and started eating it." Ruby flinched at that image. "But there's no sign of bite or claw marks. The only footprints here belong to us and the victims."

"Could this be that Siren Grimm Kali mentioned?" Ruby asked. "The one that sings."

"Ugh, I almost wish it was, because we know how to fight that." The woman grumbled. "Something is drawing them here, but it's not a Siren." She turned and knelt down next to the cave near a rock pile. "It almost looks like they were led here for the express purpose of being a pile of bones. As if they served some ceremonial purpose."

"Did someone seal a Grimm here?" Jaune tried to joke. No answer came his way. "Celosia? Please laugh. Come on…"

"Well… There was an earthquake before the disappearances started." The woman muttered, more to herself than him. "It's not impossible to believe something more heinous is going on here than we first suspected. Our ancestors didn't have the weapons and technology of today, mostly relying on superstitions and crude weaponry. A Grimm sealed away in a remote place by a bygone people…" She pointed to some of the markings. "There's some old drawings, but it's hard to tell what they are of. It's too faded"

The cave at initiation flashed into Jaune's mind for a moment.

"So there's some kind of ancient Grimm let loose around here?" Ruby asked in slight disbelief, nevertheless her childlike interests did get her curious about a potential extinct Grimm on the prowl.

"I doubt it's that old." Celosia assured her and picked up a piece of the rock. "The town has only existed for a few years. For someone to come all this way before that wasn't likely. I suppose it's possible a roaming tribe centuries ago might have done it. If that's the case, this Grimm might be pretty old."

"You sure it's a Grimm?" Jaune didn't care if he sounded childish.

"Unless you know any other monsters that can strip bones clean without damaging them."

"Well. People." The boy softly spoke. A truth the trio knew too well to be a possibility.

"Normally, I'd agree with you. But whatever did this is certainly not human in nature. Too remote, not to mention the victims coming here of their own accord. I'd bet my tusks that it's a Grimm."

Strangely, Jaune felt relieved at these words. The monstrosity of man was something he wasn't unfamiliar with. His hope in others would not allow himself to succumb to these dark thoughts, but he was nevertheless shaken every single time his beliefs were tested. Her words certainly helped ease his mind.

"I'm calling this in. It's not good news, but it's better than no news at all. At least we know for sure it's a Grimm now. Someone might know what it is."

Jaune and Ruby didn't have much to do for the rest of the day. They stood off to the side as they waited for two trucks to navigate through the thicket of shrubbery. Kali was with them, but she didn't pay them much attention. Not that Jaune blamed her. The current situation was more important than saying hi.

While the others were discussing what to do along with what could be causing the situation. Jaune took the opportunity to collect his thoughts and keep an eye out in case the Grimm returned. All the negative emotions running wild were sure to attract the creature.

Qrow's absence was getting more and more noticeable. He always had a plan, a direction, and ideas for training to keep Jaune busy. Ever since they split back during the Queen Arachne mission, Jaune felt like his life was spinning out of control. His main saving grace was his Semblance allowing him to continue long past what a normal person could do. But really, the only reason he survived up to now was due to dumb luck and his talented companions. Running into Vernal, Raven wanting him in the tribe because of it, and now some ancient Grimm was hunting innocent people they could've only found thanks to Celosia.

Whatever happened to the normal things, like being launched off a cliff into a Grimm nest?

Jaune would gladly trade Beacon's initiation for what has been happening lately.

With no luck and the scouts investigating everything they could, Jaune and Ruby climbed into the trucks and headed off back to civilization. They weren't even consulted about the Grimm. Not that they had any other information to give. The two of them were outsiders and while they were willing to help and fight to protect others, they weren't in the inner circle. Jaune just hoped if things got bad, they would be notified so they could help.

When they returned to the town, they finally received some good news.

"You have a massage from a guy named Qrow!" The account technician told them, holding up a piece of paper. Jaune could have hugged the man.

Ruby actually did so.

"Uncle Qrow wants us to stay here." Ruby read off. "He'll be here as soon as he can."

"That's all?" Jaune asked and Ruby turned the piece of paper around.

"That's it."

"Not even a good job?"

"I bet he wants to say that face to face." Ruby smiled, her first since they came back from the rough wilderness. "Maybe he can even help with the Grimm situation." A very telegraphed wink and nudge followed her words.

"Hardy Har Har." Jaune rolled his eyes with a smile of his own, trying not to laugh at her wordplay. ''Yeah, Qrow knows a lot, I bet he could figure out what it is." Jaune agreed, relief flooding through him as the news and pun made his mood take a slight upturn. The ride back had been slow and depressing. They didn't really talk and all they could think about was those poor civilians and what terrible fate awaited them. "This is perfect. I'm sure he'll be willing to help."

"After they gave us room and food, of course he would." Ruby nodded energetically. "We should let them know."

The two of them raced off to let Kali and the chief know, as they were coordinating the investigation. Both of them seemed receptive, but until he arrived, they were going to continue on their own. Still, it gave them a backup in case they hit a dead end. As they pointed out, Qrow might not know either, which was possible, but Ruby had been quite confident he would be able to help someway. He taught them everything they knew, but not what he knew.

Later that night, after the sun had set, Jaune and Ruby were laying in their bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Jaune… are you asleep?" Ruby asked quietly.

"Nah, what's up Ruby?" It was a pretty unusual thing for the both of them to be up at night at the same time. When in town, they liked to catch up on some sleep so they tended to collapse the moment darkness fell.

But now…

"I can't sleep."

"That's obvious." Jaune chuckled. "Want to talk about it?"

"I'm conflicted," The girl turned her head to look at the boy lying right next to her. "I'm really happy Uncle Qrow is coming, but I'm worried about the Grimm stalking the town."

"We'll stop it," Jaune assured her, trying to smile to reassure her, even if he was worried too. "Besides, Kali and her team have dealt with situations like these before. Add us to the mix and no Grimm will stand a chance."

"Hehe… we are pretty awesome." Ruby giggled and then reached forward to grab Jaune's hand. It was then he noticed it was still shaking. "Those skeletons…"

"They are getting a proper burial and no one else will fall to that." Jaune's voice was stern as he made the promise. "I give you my word we'll do everything we can to help."

"And you won't go back on your word." Ruby's voice gushed a little before she caught herself. "Remember when you had a hard time fighting a single Beowolf? Now look. You can spar with me, Kali, Uncle Qrow, and beat up so many Grimm. You're amazing Jaune."

"I had a good teacher," Jaune squeezed her hand softly. "And an even better friend who kept me from spiraling down in my own self-loathing. Without you believing in me Ruby, I probably would have given up long ago."

"Jaune…" Ruby's face was burning and she turned away from him. "You've told me that plenty of times."

"I know, but it doesn't make it less true." Jaune felt a little embarrassed too at seeing her reaction. "Every time we encounter some kind of hardship, I keep forcing myself to move forward because of my dream. There are plenty of times I think about giving up though. When I'm tired, sore, and trying to sleep, a part of me still doubts. Sometimes, that voice gets pretty loud, but it's always shut down by thinking of you and your belief in me."

Ruby didn't say anything, but she was listening intently. His feelings felt a lot like her own. There had been times she had wanted to rest, to slack off, but then saw Jaune forcing himself every morning to get up and train. Her friend would always try to keep his spirits up, no matter the situation. If he was able to go because of her, it wouldn't be unfair to say she was able to move forward because of him too.

"So if you really are feeling conflicted, worried, scared about the situation," Jaune continued, pushing himself up, his eyes confidently looking at the girl. "It's time for a change of pace. Come on, get up. We're going for a nighttime stroll."

"What?" Ruby sat up herself, mostly in confusion as Jaune swung his legs off the side of the bed. "But it's dark outside. And isn't there a curfew?"

"The curfew only applies to the civilians, not security, and we are Huntsmen." Jaune added seriously.

Then, his voice took on a more playful tone. One that was sure to make her riled up. "Hmm… is the great Ruby Rose, slayer of Grimm and devourer of cookies afraid of the dark? I should let Yang know so she can get a night light when we return."

"Don't you dare!" Ruby slapped his back and glared at him. No matter how hard she tried, Jaune could only see a pouty puppy. "I'm warning you! I'll tell Nora you didn't bring her a piece of the Queen Arachne because it was too heavy!"

Jaune froze, but not because of the threat. He had promised Nora a souvenir and a fang or something off the Queen would have been an amazing one. The hammer wielding self proclaimed Queen of the Castle would no doubt string him up as soon as he told her he faced the beast and claimed no prize. Face palming, the boy pushed that worry down. That was for another time. Right now, Ruby needed a pep-up so she would not dwell on the negatives.

"Come on, Crater Girl." Jaune tugged at her arm. "A short walk around town won't hurt."

"Hmph… okay Vomit Boy." Ruby huffed. "I'll go with you to keep you company." She picked up Crescent Rose as she stood up and slipped it under her purple cloak. "And just so you know, a night light won't help. I already have one." She poked Jaune's chest. "You glow in the dark."

A grin formed on her face as they locked eyes.

Then they both burst out laughing.

The night was cool and a soft breeze felt nice as they made their way through the dark streets. With most of the town locked up in their homes, Jaune and Ruby were alone. Only an occasional guard walked by. At first, they seemed suspicious, but once they recognized the Huntsmen, they nodded and moved on. No one was going to dismiss free security out here. Jaune and Ruby both had their weapons, just in case, even if they didn't expect to use them.

"It's a little dark." Ruby commented. "I didn't expect a lot of street lights, but I figured they would put more up just in case."

"The main streets are lit." Jaune shrugged. "I guess they keep it minimal so as not to waste Dust? Maybe ask Weiss to deliver more Dust down here to help out."

"I doubt she has any say in her dad's company." Ruby replied. "Besides, delivering out here is difficult. I may not know business stuff, but it would probably be expensive."

"That's why groups like Kali's exist." Jaune agreed with a short nod. "They help make sure towns like these survive." The boy looked around at the quiet scenery. "It's peaceful though, not like Vale."

"Vale never sleeps." Ruby giggled and then grew serious. "I want to help places like this exist. For people to find their own happiness and live in a community where they trust and look out for one another. Celosia made it sound like the townspeople were family."

"In a way, they are." Jaune concluded, thinking back to their conversation "Not in the traditional sense, but people can choose their family. When you spend time with people long enough, trust them, and work together, you sort of become that. Nora and Ren are like my adopted brother and sister."

One name was notably left out and Ruby smartly chose not to comment on that.

"I get what you mean," Ruby agreed instead, focusing on the positive aspects of their conversation. "Blake and Weiss are like sisters to me too. Maybe that's why Ozpin sets up teams like he does? Bringing people closer so we can trust each other and work together like a family."

"That does seem likely." Jaune considered. "We'll have our work cut out when we get back. Making up for lost time."

"Oh, we need to call them back as soon as we can too!" Ruby realized. "Once Uncle Qrow picks us up and we head back to a city with the CCT, I need to call my team. It's been so long and Yang's probably worried."

"I can see her driving Blake and Weiss mad with her panic." Jaune snickered, causing Ruby to follow suit at the imagery.

While they didn't forget why they were there for, or the situation involving the mysterious Grimm, the two of them kept their spirits up. Their conversations slowly turned to their friends and teammates, already planning what to tell them when their adventure ended. They even bet a soda on if the others would believe Jaune took down the Queen Arachne. After walking around for a good forty five minutes, Ruby was feeling better. At least a lot less conflicted. Resolution replaced the uncertainty as both of the Huntsmen-in-training were ready to give it their all.

Clang!

A noise echoed a short ways away, like the sound of a metal trash can falling over. It made them jump. Instinctively, the two turned around, hands reaching for their weapons. Logically thinking, a wild animal most likely caused the noise, but when you react on reflex, you don't have the chance to think. Besides, Jaune knew what would happen if you were slow on the uptake.

"What was that?" Jaune asked, sword raised.

"Let's check it out!" Ruby suggested, already running ahead.

Jaune briefly considered they probably should alert the city's security guards, but then realized they needed to make sure it wasn't a false alarm. That would be really embarrassing if everyone came running only to find a racoon digging through the trash. Should it be something else, they could yell and alert the militia. Keeping up with Ruby was a chore and Jaune pumped his legs to keep his speedy friend in sight. Ruby skidded to a stop at the entrance to the alley between two houses with Jaune catching up a few moments later.

A shadow was moving, but it was too dark to see, as the few street lamps didn't reach and the house blocked any light from the broken moon.

"Who's there?!" Ruby called out.

The figure shrouded in darkness stopped moving, their swaying body remaining motionless as the words reached them.

"Who are you?" Came a child's voice, sounding male.

"I'm Ruby and this is Jaune," Ruby answered. "We're Huntsmen. You know you aren't supposed to be out this late. There's a curfew. Here… we can escort you home, okay?"

"Who are you?" The child's voice asked again.

"I… just told you?" Ruby glanced over at Jaune, confused.

"Is this some kind of game?" Jaune asked, stepping into the alley "It's kind of late. If you want, we can play tomorrow, but you really should head home."

"Who are you?" The question came again.

"Something's not right." Jaune stepped back as the shadow began to move. It slowly drew closer and the outline became clearer. It was child size at least. "Ruby, back up." Ruby didn't argue and did what he suggested. The child continued to approach them and finally came into view.

Ruby and Jaune's eyes widened in horror at what emerged into the light.

A boy with deathly pale skin stood before them. Ashen hair nearly identical in color covered his head. That wouldn't have been enough to send shivers down Jaune's spines. No, it was the red veins spreading along the kid's body, fully visible against the porcelain-like skin. Then it was the eyes of the child. Completely black, devoid of anything remotely human. So dark that the night seemed oddly bright compared to them. The child stepped forward once more.

"Who are you?" The Grimm child asked.

Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to 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.

UrsaMJR: Well. That's certainly unsettling. Once again, even through the horror and action our duo have to face, the one thing that shines brightest to me is the chemistry budding between them. Hopefully I made those scenes all the better to read for you, dear readers. I'd hate for any of you to miss out on the One True Pairing. Come on, beg Dark to do more of it. Feed my insistent hunger for Jaune X Ruby.