Author's Notes
Per some comments/questions on the timeline and certain character's motivations:
What exactly was Salem's plan with Weiss, Blake, and Pyrrha?
To answer generally, without revealing anyone's current motives: The thinking behind the Morrighan-Weiss aspect was that Salem needed Blake compliant until she was absolutely sure that the crown relic was in her grasp. Since she knew Blake's driving motivation was holding off the more radical aspects of the White Fang by promising them Weiss' head as well as the downfall of the SDC, she sent her weakest baby horseman as well as her smol Procyon boi to safeguard the girl since the other better ones were busy with more critical missions. If Weiss died, Salem would have nothing holding Blake to her. Salem knew in advance that Blake would immediately turn traitor to Salem the second she went through with her plan to discredit Weiss (as mentioned, they both hated one another with a vengeance and were only working together out of necessity), so Salem preemptively took steps to kill Blake.
The original plan of Salem's (thought up by Watts) was for Pyrrha to do so as the maiden (Salem had Lionheart send her to Beacon knowing that Ozpin would eat her up as prime maiden candidate), but Salem had no foreknowledge of the aura sickness and mind swap. Pyrrha died, but Weiss and a maiden empowered Ruby killed Blake, so it all worked out for Salem in the end. As for Penny, while her system was corrupted by Salem via Watts, she still retains her individuality and thus wanted to protect Weiss, her bestie, at all costs. However, per Salem's orders, she could only do so once she securely had the crown (otherwise Penny would have tried to kill Blake right away since she knew she was the Fall maiden).
Does Salem still have an interest in Weiss, specifically, since Penny is with her?
Penny is currently traveling with and keeping an eye on Weiss. Salem knows about this, but since Tyrian and Adam were more than enough to catch Ruby, Salem has essentially okayed Penny to...let's say, take some personal time while still checking in every now and again. Penny seems to have an interest in keeping Weiss from setting down roots in Atlas, though if this is because of orders from Salem or is one of Penny's own initiatives, I cannot say. What I can say is that Salem seems to have a very special interest in capturing Ruby (the double maiden who can open her Haven vault), and Penny has stated that Weiss' role in upcoming events will relate to her role as Ruby's teammate.
Who is Dove Bronzewing?
Dove Bronzewing is actually Russel Thrush in disguise. Russel knew he was going to die, so he set up a decoy to take the hit (they never found a body) and entered Dove's bloodstream using his semblance. However, since he ran out of aura, he became trapped inside the blind boy with no means of contacting the outside world. Ruby didn't realize it, but when Dove got poisoned by Tyrian, that drop of venom actually contained enough aura for Russel to drink and regain control of his mental faculties. Now in command of Dove's body, Russel has used Dove's sound wave semblance to emit a supersonic frequency only audible to Faunus to communicate his predicament to Sun Wukong. Sun has received these orders and is preparing a counter-ambush at Haven. He intends to disguise himself as Ruby by wearing her famous combat skirt and hood, use himself as bait to lure the Procyon out into the open, and capture him with a nothing more than a milk crate, a brick, and his own incredibly powerful body mass. However, what Sun didn't realized is that Salem was aware of this plan from the very beginning (Dove is actually a traitor) and sent a secret agent from Vacuo that she kept in cryogenic storage to assassinate the Procyon horseman before he can reveal any of her dirty secrets.
You'd laugh if you knew how much of the above answer was considered for the final script.
Happy rats, and don't do crime!
Chapter 67: Here There Be Monsters
In which a bloodthirsty monster reveals itself to Jaune and Mercury on the high seas.
"Excuse me. You look like you could use a hand."
The young sailor smiled at Mercury as she leaned over the railing and brushed the edges of the ship. "Well, gee, I sure could. Thanks, pal."
"No problem." Mercury brushed his hand against the back of his head. "I figure that I might as well pull my weight around here, since there haven't been many Grimm."
"Perfect. So, I'm trying to reach the sides of the ship and scrub 'em down. If they stay clean, they stay barnacle free. Now, I don't have a second long-brush, but I really need to reach deep down, so if you could hold me and make sure I don't slip over the edge, that'd be swell."
If Arc wasn't going to be found, Mercury would have to force him to reveal himself. No huntsman would be able to resist the urge to slay a Grimm, especially when the entire crew of this boat would be at risk. The trick would be summoning a big enough Grimm that the guns wouldn't be enough to kill it, but not one so large that it would send them all to a watery grave. A juvenile Leviathan or a Sei Feilong would probably be the best. Now, all that was needed was a little negativity…perhaps it was time for a little accident.
Mercury smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist, enabling the woman to lean even further over the edge of the ship without having to fear falling over the side.
"Oh, hey. I think I see a spot down there," Mercury said, doing his best to hold back his own dark laughter.
"Down where?"
"Waaaaay down there."
"I don't see it!"
"Here, I'll grab hold of your ankles and lower you down so you can get the dirty spot."
"I don't know…that sounds kinda dangerous."
"Don't worry. I'm a huntsman, one of the great protectors of humanity. You can bet your bottom lien I'll keep you safe."
"Okay, I guess so. Just hold on tight, eh?"
Mercury nodded and smiled his most charming smile. Dear Gods, these people were sheep. They'd obediently be led right up to the slaughter as long as you showed them a badge to be a licensed butcher.
The girl hopped up to sit on the edge of the railing, and Mercury gripped her by the ankles. Gently, she slid over the edge of the ship, fully upside down.
"See? Now you can reach your brush all the way to the water level. Isn't this easier than leaning?"
"You're right, this is easier. Thanks, huntsman." The girl began to scrub the regions of the ship that had been previously unreachable.
"Did you get that one scummy spot?"
"Oh, right! Where is it? Point to it. No, wait! Don't point! Just tell me."
Mercury chuckled to himself. "It's right on the–"
"LET GO OF HER!"
Mercury raised his aura up just in time to protect the back of his neck from the blunted object that struck it, but the momentum of the blow pushed him over the railing. He and the now screaming sailor tumbled into the water. It was a sudden thing; one moment he was fine, the next he was breaking through the wavy surface of the ocean in a heap of limbs and splashing.
When he gathered his bearings and finally wrapped his head around the fact that he was overboard, he was already fifteen feet below water. Mercury tried to paddle his legs to prevent himself from sinking, but they were too dense and heavy.
Down, down, down he went. He dropped deeper into the depths of the seas, sinking fast due to his high overall density, and pretty soon, the surface was only a distant gleam of light. Then, as if things weren't bad enough, he caught a glimpse of a brief flash of black that quickly disappeared.
Grimm black. Welp, there was the monster he'd been looking for.
Nope. This was not how Mercury Black died. Not here, not now. Mercury pressed a switch on his legs, and they detached just above the kneecap. Talaria fell into the black abyss beneath him, and Mercury furiously paddled himself up to the surface of the ocean with just his arms.
Things were looking bleaker than they had in a long time for Mercury. Above him was the bottom of the boat slowly sailing away, meaning that even if he made it up, he'd have to some how catch up to them by braving the ocean waves without legs to keep afloat. Mercury hadn't skipped arm day, but his steel legs had pulled him down very far, too far to reasonably paddle himself back to the open sea on the meager gasp of air he'd managed to sneak in before going under. To make things worse, there was another appearance of the mysterious black shape swimming in the water, but this time a spot of bony white was mixed in.
So, all he had to do was swim to the surface, chase after the boat, climb aboard, calm down whatever madman had pushed him overboard, and hope that he wasn't too exhausted to fight over the sea serpent that was planning to make him lunch.
All without legs.
Maybe this was how Mercury Black died.
Mercury stopped paddling. What was the point? He was fucked whether he did or didn't, and all that motion was just going to make him more apparent to the Grimm. Drowning certainly wasn't a pleasant way to go, but it had to be easier than dismemberment and consumption by a savage Grimm.
The Sea Feilong had given up its stalking and was now in full view. Mercury met its glowing yellow eyes, but it didn't attack. Grimm were attracted to fear, and Mercury was feeling completely calm right now. The dragon undulated as it slithered through the water in the direction of the boat.
Mercury continued to float motionlessly. He wondered if his brand new legs would ever see the light of day again before they rusted away to nothingness at the bottom of the ocean floor. Emerald had gone through all the trouble of commissioning them from some hotshot Valean blacksmith-engineer guy, and he hadn't even had the chance to test them out in a real fight.
Darkness overcame him just as a hand grabbed his shirt.
Oz! Are you awake? Are you seeing this?
"I'm here, Jaune, and I see it."
The two of them stared down the monstrous aquatic Grimm. Its scrawny little arms would've looked comical compared to its body if the arms weren't the size of Jaune, and the body the size of the entire ship.
Its armor goes the entire length of its body, and I don't like the look of those teeth. Can we take it?
"Sea Feilong also breath lightning and can fly."
…you could've just said no.
"Then, no. You cannot 'take it.' I might be able to if you give me control."
Good luck.
Jaune let go of his body and woke up in a dingy little shack. The walls were made of timbers that had clearly seen better days, and there was no furniture as far as the eye could see. Jaune looked down at his own clothes to find that they in an equally sorry state. If he'd seen himself on the streets of Vale, he might've thrown a few lien into his coffee cup.
The room was lit by the sun shining through a single window. Jaune stood up weakly and hobbled over to the window. Outside stood four women, each dressed in different garb, but Jaune knew they were sisters, nonetheless. From right to left stood Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring, each waving and beckoning him out.
Jaune made his way to the door and exited. The harsh wave of heat that hit him was matched only by the cleanliness of the air outside when compared to his dank cabin. Summer approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hi, Oswell. Won't you join us for supper?"
The women had laid out a table with the finest delicacies. Jaune joined them as they seated themselves for a picnic. Beacon's cafeteria was good, but man, this stuff was the real deal. Fire-grilled summer squash, deliciously ripe winter melons, spring rolls cooked to perfection, and mid-autumn moon cakes baked just right – nothing could compare to the harvest banquet that these maidens had prepared.
When the meal was finished, Jaune stood up and tapped his glass with a spoon.
"A toast to the four fine maidens who brought me out of my depression. Without you, I'd still be sitting in that musty old cabin, lamenting my sorrows and shutting myself away from the world. Now, here I stand, surrounded by the delightful company of you cheery four, refreshed and ready to return once more."
"I'm sure you'd have broken free of your sorrows eventually, Oswell," said Spring. "You just needed some time."
"What I needed was four beautiful women…" The maidens smiled. "…and this exceptional meal." Jaune patted his belly, and all four of his friends giggled.
"Now, I believe it is time for me to repay you for this grand service you had done me."
"Oh, you don't ha–"
Jaune raised his hand into the air, and a green mist fell spread through the air out of it. Spring looked at it curiously, Winter waved her hand through it, and Summer gently blew on it with a fanciful smile.
Autumn turned her head to Jaune. "Oswell?"
"This is my gift to you four – a large portion of my own powers, divided equally. You shall be able to harness the winds, reign in the seas, make fire with but a swish of your hands, and call upon nature's lightning."
"Os…um, this is worth more than a dinner."
"With it comes a burden. I am afraid I must ask a favor of the four of you."
Three heads nodded without hesitation at their trustworthy friend, but Autumn kept her gaze on Ozpin and raised an eyebrow. "What's the favor?"
Jaune stepped out of his chair. The maidens stood to join him, but he raised a hand and gestured for them to stay seated. Returning to his cabin, he slid aside the thatch chair and opened a hidden chamber built into the floor beneath it. Grabbing out the contents of the chamber, he rejoined the four maidens.
"This is the relic of destruction. It is one of the four gifts the gods gave mankind before departing from this world. It can do wondrous acts of good in the right hands, but a great evil seeks to use it for corruption and dismay. Her name is Salem, and she holds the other three relics. Now, I cannot believe it was a coincidence that there are four of you and four relics. I believe that it was divine providence, the will of the gods, that you brought my isolated home this far out in the wilderness."
Jaune handed Summer the relic, and she fondled it with caution. "You want us to use it?"
"No. Until such time as the threat of Salem is dealt with, I must hide the relic away for safekeeping. When the side of good triumphs, we can use their awesome gifts to bring salvation and healing to this troubled world – a new age of knowledge and creation for all mankind – but not a moment sooner."
"So, you need us to…protect it?"
"In a sense."
Jaune placed a hand to the ground and let his magic flow. Closing his eyes, he focused on the concept that had been growing in his mind for years. When he reopened his eyes, there stood the vault, alongside four alarmed maidens.
"Open it, Summer."
"I…I don't know how."
"Lay your hand on the door, imagine it being opened, and the vault shall do the rest."
Summer did as he asked, and the door opened with a loud rumble.
"I have a vision, friends. Four vaults that can only be opened by four maidens. Each to protect a relic from the clutches of darkness as we recover them, one at a time if need be."
"Oswell, this is amazing."
"I'd no idea you were capable of this."
"We won't let you down. I promise it."
Again, only Autumn looked unconvinced. "What if we…fall?"
The sisters looked at her.
"I mean…if we die and only we can open the vaults, the relics will be sealed away forever. How will you use them to save the world if that happens?"
"Worry not, Autumn," Jaune said. "When you pass, the woman who your thoughts last dwell on shall inherit your powers."
Autumn smiled at this and joined her sisters as they fawned over the vault and the relic.
It was a foolproof idea. The maiden powers could only be taken by someone strong enough to kill the previous wielder, so each successive host would only be more powerful than the last. His masterpiece, bloody evolution – Jaune smiled to himself. Salem could send her wicked monsters and her faithless assassins; within three or four cycles, the maidens should become strong enough to defend against any and all threats.
The relics were safe.
"Why don't you ladies–"
The cabin, the vault, and the four maidens disappeared early as Jaune's nose slammed into the deck of the ship.
Oz! Oz! Wake up, I need your help!
There was no response. Ozpin must have fallen unconscious from the impact, and now Jaune was back in control. The Sea Feilong's wings were torn off and floated harmlessly in the tides, but the Grimm was still alive.
"Now?"
Jaune turned to a sailor who was sitting in the gunner's chair of a huge cannon.
"What?"
"You said to wait for the perfect moment to take the shot, huntsman. Is that now?"
"How many shots do you have left?"
"One!"
Oz must have had some kind of plan, but Jaune had no way to access it while the headmaster's consciousness was unconscious. For now, he'd just have to give this gunner the best shot he possibly could.
Jaune spied a cluster of rocks sticking out of the ocean directly in front of the boat. Raising Veneficus, he used it to shoot a bolt of lightning at the Grimm. It dove out of the way, and Jaune repeated the maneuver, herding the Grimm closer and closer to the front of the boat. When the Sea Feilong moved between them and the rocks, Jaune stopped.
"Go forward! Do it!"
The captain nodded from the bridge and relayed Jaune's orders to his crew. The boat rapidly accelerated, driving straight into the Grimm's armor plated chest. The Grimm roared and swung its head wildly as it was sandwiched in between the boat and the rocks, but it could not wriggle free.
"Now!"
The gunner fired his final shot. It sailed through the air with the might of a thunderstorm…
…and missed. He'd been aiming for the monster's head, but it swung its neck to the side. Jaune had meant for him to fire just above the Grimm's two arms, where the boat had pinned it and it couldn't move as easily. Wasn't that obvious?
"No!" Jaune angrily exploded. "No, not the head! The torso! Where it was stuck and wouldn't be able to dodge!"
"B-But you said to aim for the head! You said to!"
"No I didn't!"
"Yes you did! You said, 'When I give the signal, fire directly at the creature's chin.' You said it was where the armor was weakest!"
"Aye, I heard it too!" said another nearby sailor.
"Me too!"
Damn it! Oz must have had some plan to line up the perfect shot, and Jaune had gone and screwed it up.
"Gunner!" he cried. "Do you have any more shots?"
"No! That was the last one!"
The boat shook, and all the men and women stumbled to the ground. The Sea Feilong had managed to push the boat away enough and had now pried itself free. It dipped back into the water, and Jaune could see it swimming to the stern.
"Is there no more Dust on this damned boat?"
"J-Just the Dust tank, but we'd never be able to load the gun with refined ammo!"
"WHERE?"
"Below the main deck, on the port side–"
Jaune didn't wait for the gunner to finish. Scrambling across the boat, he leapt down all ten steps of the stairs at once, but the floor beneath him was wet. He didn't trip, but he slid and crashed into a rail. The crunching of a bone probably meant he was in pain, but too much adrenaline was coursing through his veins for him to feel anything right now.
Positioning himself above where the Dust tank was supposed to be, he waved his arms as the Sea Feilong rose from the ocean.
"I'm over here, you big fishy bastard!"
Jaune activated Veneficus' Dust mechanism, and slash of wind that resulted cut off one of the dragon's whiskers.
"C'mon, eat me! Eat me, you fucker!"
The crew must've thought him crazy, but Jaune stood his ground. With a roar, the monster's head surged forward. Jaune somersaulted to the side at the last minute, and the Grimm got a mouthful of wooden planks. Jaune beat the Grimm across the nose with Veneficus, and it pulled back.
"That all you got?"
The second lunge came faster, so fast that he wasn't able to dodge it this time. Jaune screamed as teeth sharp as knives bit into his aura, but the dragon pushed him through the deck into the Dust tank. Jaune, his body still caught in between the dragon's teeth, slammed his cane into the fire Dust that surrounded him and the Grimm. It sparked, and the world exploded in a frenzy of bright light and vibrant colors.
The blast tore the Sea Feilong's head apart. Jaune aura prevented him from dying to the explosion, but even his large reserves were not enough to take a hit like that without breaking. A large hunk of shrapnel shot straight through his right leg, and the force of the blast threw him twenty feet into the air. This time, when he landed on his other arm and broke it, he felt everything.
"RAUUUUGGHHH!"
Some sailors rushed to help Jaune to his feet, but he wasn't able to stand on his own. He tried to lean on his one good leg, but without being able to balance himself with his arms, it was impossible.
"Do you still have Veneficus?"
Oh, now you show up. Yeah, I got it, but a cane's much good with two broken arms.
"Perhaps not immediately, but you may need to make use of it in the future. Leg injuries like the one you sustained tend to have lasting consequences. Especially when–"
Ozpin, please spare me the lecture I know you're about to give. I know that I'm not supposed to endanger myself when I'm the man with the golden semblance, but I'd die if the boat sank. There was no chance of sitting that one out.
"You did not need to be the one to lure the Grimm towards the Dust stores."
So, I should've sent someone else to die? Some poor sailor with no aura and no chance of living through–
"Man overboard!"
Jaune resisted the urge to go over and help whatever poor shmuck had been thrown from the boat. At this point, he was forced to admit that he was the one who needed help. His semblance was wonderful for healing, but it couldn't undo drowning, and he didn't have any aura to spare. His own body was so beat up that it would probably be sucking away his aura the moment it regenerated for more than the rest of the days. He'd just have to pray that they didn't run into any more Grimm in that time.
The sailors hauled in the life preserver that they'd thrown and pulled up two bodies. One belonged to a female sailor who was shivering but otherwise unharmed. The other belonged to Mercury Black. Jaune growled.
The sailors who'd hauled the pair up handed the woman a blanket and began to perform CPR on the huntsman. Jaune noticed that he was legless. Good; he'd be easy to deal with now. After a few moments, Mercury coughed up some sea water.
"Murderer! You're a murderer!"
Everyone aboard the boat turned to stare at Jaune. Mercury himself didn't respond. Instead, his legless body continued to sit there.
"Jaune, don't–"
"You tried to kill that woman! I saw you trying to throw her over the edge of the boat."
The woman rose, her teeth chattering. "Th-That was you? He was h-helping me clean the sh-ship. Y-You nearly killed us!"
"I was trying to save you! I didn't mean to knock you overboard!"
"B-By attacking the m-man holding me above the w-water? W-What did you think w-was going to happen?"
More crew members arrived at the scene, among them the captain and the gunner. Jaune pointed at Mercury. "Sir, you need to arrest this man. He's a murderer!"
"Oh? And who has he murdered?"
"He – He was at Beacon! He was one of the people that killed Team Rainbow, my friends!"
"I read about that. They said it was the White Fang."
"It was his team, Team Caiman! They killed those girls and blamed it on the White Fang."
"Team Caiman? The team that won the tournament?" The captain cocked his head. "Now, that you mention it, he does look a sight similar to the boy that fought alongside the winner in the first round."
"Exactly!"
Jaune smiled, but it immediately turned into a frown at the captain's next words. "And how then did he kill those girls if he was seen by multiple witnesses alongside his team in the Amity Colosseum that same night, celebrating his leader's victory?"
"I – he was – it's –"
"Also, I'm afraid I have to ask. Just who might you be?"
"I'm Jaune Arc. I'm a huntsman."
"May I see your license?"
"I…don't have one."
The captain raised an eyebrow. "So, you're an unlicensed boy, claiming to be a huntsman, accusing a real huntsman of murder? Have I missed anything?"
"H-He's a stowaway," accused the sailor woman. "He tr-tried to k-kill me and M-Mercury."
The gunner added his piece too. "He said he was a huntsman and told me to take an impossible shot for the Grimm monster's head, but he blamed me when I missed!"
Jaune could see how this was going to go. The captain had no reason to know the truth about Ozpin and Cinder, and he would trust the person whose story made the most sense at the moment.
"Ah. Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to detain you until we make port in Menagerie."
"Menagerie?" said Jaune. "But I need to get to Mistral. It's a matter of life and death."
"Then perhaps you should've purchased a ticket. And perhaps you should've thought twice about destroying most of our Dust."
"WHAT? I was saving the ship!"
"From a Grimm you summoned by throwing my first mate and our resident real huntsman overboard." The captain shook his head. "And you didn't save us. You stranded us. We're going to have to rely on a tenth of our Dust fuel and the ocean's currents to take us to Menagerie."
Jaune felt his legs begin to sway in fear. Not of capture or jailtime itself, but of watching the rare opportunity to kill Salem flutter away as he spent his time behind prison bars.
"Don't worry, Jaune. I'll take care of this."
He didn't put up any resistance as Oz…wait, what? How would Oz take care of this?
The captain vanished into smoke, and Jaune found himself looking at his wife.
"Oh, Ozma! Ozma, my darling!"
Jaune returned her embrace, but he felt extremely confused. Millions of questions came to mind, but only one found its way to his tongue.
"How am I alive?"
"Oh, Oz. My heart, my love."
"My darling, how have I returned?"
"We have brought you back," a voice boomed.
It didn't take a genius to figure out who was speaking. Jaune prostrated himself before the Brother Gods.
"My gods, I thank you for this boon. Know that my eternal–"
"Speak not, man, and never thank us for what has been done on this day" said the God of Light. "This was a vile and perverse act. Because of her actions, we were forced to break our vows thrice."
Jaune looked back at his wife. Somehow, this was the first time he'd noticed her pale skin and blackened veins. "My beloved, what do they mean?"
"I – I only sought our reunion, husband mine."
"Salem, what have you –"
NO!
Jaune willed himself out of whatever vision he'd been witnessing and seized control over his own body. As much as he wanted to witness the vision to its completion and get a firsthand look at Salem's descent, there was a more pressing matter at the moment. As he suspected, Ozpin's attempts to 'take care of this' were not in line with what Jaune found morally acceptable, though he'd never expected the kindly old man to take it this far.
The first mate was screaming and clutching Mercury's unconscious body, though both were unharmed. The captain was nowhere to be seen, but the blood-soaked tip of Veneficus gave Jaune a pretty good idea what had become of the man. Several sailors groaned in agony as bones protruded from their arms and legs. Several were had similar injuries, but they did not groan.
Jaune did this. He'd killed these people.
He tried to find whatever solace he could in knowing that he'd probably saved those who were still alive by regaining control and stopping Ozpin's onslaught, but it felt hollow. Everyone here should still be alive.
The memory of how he'd asked Oz to find someone else to be his next host came back to Jaune. Since it was impossible to separate them now, Jaune had previously ignored all thoughts on that matter after they'd combined; avenging his fallen teammates and Team Rainbow seemed more important at the time. But now, in the wake of this massacre, Jaune forced himself to remember that he and Ozpin were not the same man, and what they thought of as right and wrong could differ. Sometimes drastically.
Jaune approached the first mate.
"Y-You killed them," she breathed. "You really are a murderer."
"Can you take us to Mistral?"
Her eyes sank downwards, too afraid of the monster to meet his. "Please…don't hurt us…"
"Just answer the question," Jaune said tiredly. He was equally happy to not have to look the woman in the eyes.
"I…I can't. Please don't hurt me!" she added quickly, even though he wasn't planning to. "I'll do what you say! I'll do whatever you want, but that's impossible! We just don't have the Dust."
Jaune looked over the railing at the seas. He wanted, no, needed to get to Lionheart ASAP, but Jaune's schedule didn't change the laws of maritime travel or Dust combustion engines.
"Ok. Here's what's going to happen. You're going to sail us to Menagerie. Then, you're going to refill this boat with Dust. I'm going to take it to Mistral, and you and your men will stay in Menagerie. If you even think of telling anyone there about me…"
Threatening her didn't feel right, but what other option did he have? Let himself be arrested for Mercury's crimes? Stay afloat in these Grimm filled waters while Salem plotted to finish what she started with Ruby and the other? Besides, he had no intention of going through with the threat, even if she refused to comply.
She wouldn't refuse, though. She'd seen Oz in action.
No. She'd seen Jaune in action.
Jaune stood up, his wounds now fully healed due to his Aura Amp boost. Oz must've used magic or something to refill his aura because he was now at 100%. At least that meant he could heal these sailors.
"If you heal them, they could outnumber you and retake the ship."
Shut up! Shut the fuck up!
"I only did what needed to be done."
Well, I hoped you made it count, because I'm NEVER going to let you take control again!
Jaune knelt next to a sailor with a femur jutting out of his thighs and began to pour aura into him.
Nothing happened.
Jaune tried again, but he stopped when remembered how his semblance worked. He couldn't heal ordinary people – only those who already had aura, by pushing more aura into them. These sailors were as good as dead.
"Y-You're a monster," said the first mate.
"Yes," said Jaune. "Yes, we are."
Omake
Jaune: LET GO OF HER!
Mercury: Very poor choice of words. Hey, you wanna know how I got these leg-scars?
Next Chapter: One Way Trip – In which Yang lands in Mistral, Azeban has lunch, and Weiss nearly dies again.
Author's Notes
I'm starting to think the 'bloodthirsty monster' referenced in the summary wasn't the Sea Feilong…
By the way, in case it's unclear, Jaune himself hasn't turned evil or embraced the dark side or anything. I know he's forcing the injured sailors to take him to Menagerie and then stealing their boat in the wake of the bloody actions Oz committed, but that's only because the threat of Salem is too dire for Jaune to ignore. If he had his way, he would go back and change it all, but looking forward, there would be nothing to gain by him turning himself to the police in for Ozpin's actions, and everything to lose. He's just trying to make the best of a bad situation in the most practical way.
Happy rats, and don't do crime!