Jaune lowered his shield and leaped to the side using aura-filled legs. Blake dived with him while Pyrrha dove to the other side.
The Paladin barreled through the air like a sleek white bullet. It ripped through the space they once occupied, filling the air with an eerie electric hum.
Jaune and Blake landed to the side of the Paladin. He didn't turn back to the mech, willing his feet to move. They needed to put as much distance as they could between them and the hulking weapon of war. They couldn't afford to go in guns blazing.
Metal screeched against concrete. The sounds of metal feet crunched in their direction. Hydraulics and shifting metal hissed, sounding like a chorus of snakes.
He craned his head to the side, trying to get a peek behind him.
Metal plates shifted on the Paladin's back and shoulders. The metal parted to reveal two large metal boxes on the back of the Paladin's shoulders. An array of circles filled the box tops. Tiny objects with red points poked out of the holes.
The Paladin hunched on its metal legs and its red targeting lasers spun around the entire underpass, like an out-of-control light show. The lights stopped, floating like suspended red glass.
Small explosions popped out from the underside of the cubes and the red-tipped objects shot out of the cube holes. Fire dust missiles.
The missiles flew through the air, streaking towards him and Blake. Another swarm of them gunned towards Pyrrha's fleeing form. He tried to move erratically, but the missiles moved around like a school of fish, not hitting one another, and kept themselves centered on his back.
In a second or so they were going to reach him.
He didn't have the agility to dodge them like Blake or Pyrrha. If they hit him, military-grade missiles would likely shred his aura.
Steeling himself, he stopped in his tracks and whipped around. Right before the first missile reached him, he flicked out his shield and activated its hard light. The first volley of missiles exploded against his shield, pushing him back. But no explosions buffeted his aura.
He looked away, the bright light from the explosions filling his vision. His aura-infused feet stopped him from falling back from the missiles' force. Another round of missiles flew at him, a few seconds away.
He turned his attention to Blake.
The feline faunus leaped out of the missile's paths, making them blow up nothing but ai. She dodged the explosions by a hair's inch. But she couldn't avoid all of them. A few missiles kept up with her and blew up at her feet, causing her aura to pop around her.
Even with the very few hits she took, those missiles would devastate her aura reserves.
He ran in front of her, concern rushing to the forefront of his thoughts. He pushed her back and the barrage of missiles she had been dodging slammed into him like an angry dragon. He grunted at the explosions rocking his shield. Aura pumped to his shield arm, keeping it steady =.
Blake clung to his back ready to move. He closed his eyes against the bright reds and oranges in front of him, letting his strength guide him
The barrage of missiles stopped, allowing him to take a quick breath. A second later, new explosions pushed him further against Blake.
He clenched his teeth and held his ground. Blake squeezed his shoulders, practically on top of his back. Her reassuring contact awakened some deep energy. He howled a battle cry and pushed past against the barrage of missiles.
Slowly, he fought against the tide of fire, inching forward. Blake didn't let go, moving with him. Smoke from the explosions wafted off from the sides of his light dust shield. Heavy heat washed over his body but his aura prevented it from scalding him.
The explosions stopped again and he peered above his shield. Thick white smoke covered the cubes the missiles fired out of. The Paladin stood still, allowing the wind to slowly part the smoke.
Pyrrha leaned on one of the highway pillars, far away from them. Her aura didn't flicker across her body and she stood strong ready to fight. Black scorch marks marred the ground, in a dizzying pattern, up to her. A fire enveloped a set of overgrown bushes off to the side of her.
She met his eyes and gestured to the Paladin.
He held out a hand and whispered into both of his partners' heads, "Don't rush in yet. We have to get a feel for how this thing works."
Blake slowly slid off his back and took a defensive position at his side. She held out her weapon in its pistol form.
Pyrrha pushed off the pillar and stood on the balls of her feet. She took a sharp breath and met his eyes.
The Paladin squatted, disturbing the dissipating smoke around it. The boxes, which housed the fire dust missiles, fell out of the smoke and hit the ground with a loud bang.
Pyrrha whispered into his head, "Why don't I just use my semblance? I can destroy the entire thing right now."
Before he could stop her, Pyrrha held out her hands. The red lasers of the Paladin snapped onto her. She closed her eyes and her brow scrunched. A black glow flickered to life around the Paladin.
Banesaw's voice roared out of the Paladin and the mech leaped forward, shooting through the air faster than before. The only evidence that the mech had jumped at all was a small hydraulic hiss that echoed at its feet.
The Paladin crossed the distance to Pyrrha in what looked like a few seconds. Right as Pyrrha closed her hands and the sounds of metal imploded out of the Paladin, the mech reached her.
Jaune's eyes widened and he tried to shout a warning into Pyrrha's head. His redhead partner opened her eyes and dropped her hands but it was already too late. The entire world stopped to a crawl.
The Paladin's outstretched metal claw slammed into the champion fighter. Her body sickeningly cracked against the highway pillar, creating a spider web splinter. She shouted in pain and her head rolled back. She slumped into the Paladin's hold, gray dust floating around her.
Her aura cocooned around her, not shattering. He breathed a small sigh of relief.
He used anger at the sight of his hurt partner to push himself towards the giant mech. Blake ran behind him, shooting tiny pellets against the Paladin's side.
The Paladin pulled Pyrrha away from the pillar, making shards of broken concrete rain down. The mech reared its metal arm, aiming to smash Pyrrha once more
Jaune shouted, grabbing the attention of the mech. Blake shot the optical lenses of the lasers. One of her bullets struck true, making one of the red beams of light flicker off then on, albeit duller.
Banesaw howled and the Paladin threw Pyrrha to the side. She skidded along the ground and stopped very far away from any of them. She would be fine, as long as they didn't fight on top of her.
Now it was his and Blake's turn to take on the Paladin.
The Paladin raised one of its arms towards them. It moved metal-clawed fingers in the imitation of a gun. Metal plates shifted over the claws and arms. Steam shot out between the plates. The Paladin's hand and arm reformed into a sleek black cannon, similar in style to the railguns usually attached to the bottom of Atlesian warships.
The Paladin raised its cannon. Blue lights slowly flickered into life on the side of the cannon. An electric hiss grew more pronounced as the lights turned on. The sound reached a high-pitched octave.
Jaune ran forward and threw his strength behind his shield, knowing what was to come. Blake ran closely behind, shooting the Paladin.
The Paladin's canon hissed and shot out a spear of pure blue energy. The Paladin was forced back, its metal feet scraping against the ground. The ethereal blue, almost white energy, streaked through the air like an angry comet.
It struck his shield center point, turning his entire world white. The bolt of energy exploded into a large thick cloud of blue and white. Electricity sparked through the cloud and traveled through his shield, biting into his shield arm like a thousand tiny knives.
He used his aura over his legs and held onto the ground, albeit with a shaky grip. The explosion pushed back a few inches into Blake. He clenched his teeth and pushed past the force that tried to crush his shield arm.
He moved through the cloud of neon white and blue, stepping into a large swathe of sizzling churned concrete. Blake with him, unharmed, taking shots at the Paladin. Her bullets pinged off the mech harmlessly.
One of the lights on the side of the cannon shut off, but there were plenty more still blinking.
The Paladin raised its cannon and shot more bolts of energy. Explosions rocked his shield, but he moved through them. He put his aura in the forefront, not letting it subside. It was a slow affair, but he managed to gain on the Paladin inch by inch. Blake helped him step over the treacherous terrain formed by the energy spears.
The thump of metal and the buzz of electricity grew steadier and more clear. He grew numb to the pain rocketing his shield arm, focusing slowly on beating Banesaw.
The taste of metal clung to his tongue and shocks of electricity bristled through his stealth suit. His aura stopped any real damage.
They moved closer yet the spears of energy didn't relent. The Paladin shot at their sides or a few feet behind them but the light dust projecting from his shield and Blake's reflexes allowed them to get away scot-free.
A frustrated roar sounded from the Paladin. The red targeting laser shone through the bright explosions and centered on his shield. The Paladin stopped firing, allowing them a moment of respite.
The explosion cloud from the previous energy spear cleared, allowing them a clear view of the Paladin strafing around them, aiming its cannon.
Blake shouted into his head right as the Paladin's feet rocked the ground, "Quick, follow it!"
He didn't need to be told twice and twisted around, running at the Paladin with Blake in tow. The Paladin launched an energy spike at the place he and Blake once occupied.
The spear stuck empty ground and blew up in a small neon blue and white mushroom cloud. Heat crept up his back and a few chunks of concrete dug into his aura. He ignored it, focusing on the running Paladin.
The Paladin ran around in a circular path, continuously shooting at them. He and Blake jumped out of the explosion areas of the energy shots, using their instincts. He weaved out of the cannon shots, taking those he couldn't dodge with his shield. Blake expertly kept up with him, having stopped unloading her bullets into the Paladin.
He brought them closer to the Atlas mech, not letting it get a clean shot. Nearing the front of it, he raised his shield ready to take a direct blast of energy. Only one more blue light remained on the side of the cannon.
Banesaw roared, the sound drenched in static through the Paladin. The mech aimed its energy cannon at his shield. He only needed to cross a few more feet to get under its chassis.
The energy cannon let out a faint burst of electricity and the red lasers from the Paladin turned off.
The last blue light on the cannon flickered to a fluorescent white. A powerful thrum of energy thumped out of the cannon, filling the air with heavy pressure.
He tightened his hold around his shield. The metal clicks of Blake adjusting her weapon faintly echoed behind him. He glanced back. She ran, pushing a red fire dust magazine into Gambol Shroud.
She met his eyes and nodded. He snapped his attention back to the Paladin and ran harder.
For the last few feet, he pushed as much aura as he could into his legs and leaped to the Paladin. Blake's hand gripped his back and she flew through the air with him.
He closed the distance to the Paladin in an instant, but the mech flicked its energy cannon at the same speed, aiming at his shield. He peered into the cannon barrel, into a cyclone of pure white energy, which flowed around like thick liquid. The light from the vortex bathed him and Blake in stark white, turning the rest of the world pitch black.
Blake fired. A red-tipped bullet flew past his shoulder and into the cannon. Right as the cannon barked, the bullet flew into the vortex of energy.
The white liquid cyclone swallowed the bullet, erasing it from view. Nothing happened for a fraction of a second. His heart skipped a beat
A giant furious red explosion, tinted at the edges with neon blue and white, churned up the cannon. The explosion, much more powerful than the energy spears, flung him and Blake away.
The Paladin flew back, rendering metal ringing out from it and a red cloud covering its side. It flew into one of the highway pillars, in a heap of metal shards and dust, splintering concrete. The cannon was charred and broken, a branch of twisted metal.
Jaune tumbled into Blake, sending both of them through the air and onto the ground.
He quickly shot up, helping Blake up with a hand. His muscles twitched from overuse.
He blinked, trying to get rid of the spots of light in his eyes. The tang of metal clung in his mouth and a ringing rocked his head. He tuned out the ringing and focused his aura throughout his body.
Turning to Blake, he looked her over. Nothing stood out indicating that she had been injured. He flexed his body and charged the Paladin, with Blake running behind him.
Pyrrha's still unconscious body lay on the other side of the underpass.
He and Blake reached the Paladin's feet. He switched his sword to its light dust form. A strong heat sparked out of the sword's edges. Moving his shield to the side, he swung at the metal-clawed Paladin's feet.
Hot hard light sparked against metal, creating a thick burst of steam. He didn't cut directly into the Paladin, but he did cut off one of the clawed toes, leaving a pitch-black smoldering stump in its place.
Banesaw didn't take this punishment willingly. The Paladin heaved off the pillar and lurched up. The mech's burnt cannon arm crumbled off of its side. White metal plating moved over the broken arm.
Jaune relentlessly swung, dishing out as many hits as he could. He scored more and more black marks on the Paladin's metal legs. One of his swings cut through metal, hitting something that puffed out a stream of steam.
He fell back, careful not to let the steam pour onto his face. The Paladin swiped a metal claw at him, hitting only air. Banesaw grunted and the Paladin lurched closer.
Using aura, he jumped back from the animalistic Paladin swings, letting his shield drop to his side.
He lured the Paladin away from the highway pillar and into the open area of the underpass. The mech kept on swinging.
The Paladin stopped swinging and brought the clawed hand up. The metal claw collapsed into itself. A sleek metal sword tipped in glowing purple and black gravity dust took the claw's place.
The Paladin swung harder and faster. He stopped trying to dodge its furious faster attacks.
He relied on his shield and deflected strikes where he could. Blake moved with him, popping off pellets onto the Paladin. Her bullets pinged around the targeting laser opticals, none hitting their target.
Banesaw grunted and swung the paladin's gravity-tipped blade in a wide arc. Jaune raised his shield and easily blocked the strangely weak strike.
Metal hissed and creaked on the other side of the Paladin. He snapped his head to the Paladin's former canon side, which metal slowly shifted over. The plates clicked into place, switching from a white to a deep black, forming a sleek giant assault rifle.
The gun's barrel hovered in front of his face. Blake pushed onto his shoulders right as the rifle clicked. She leaped up and onto the gun. He shoved aura to his side and flew against the grav sword.
The weak hold Banesaw had applied to the sword easily gave way to Jaune's aura. A bullet shot the concrete he previously stood on, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Moving to the side, a large bullet cracked past his ear and blew up the ground behind him.
Turning to face the Paladin, he blocked a bullet with his shield. The round pushed him back slightly but not as far as the energy lance. Blake scurried from the assault rifle to the top of the paladin, bending her body to avoid the grav dust sword swung at her.
She crawled over to one of the red lasers, gambol shroud clutched tightly.
He ran at the Paladin, shield raised and sword ready to cut. The mech, while also trying to slice Blake, raised its gun and shot successive rounds at him. The bullets massive flew by his hair or sparked against his shield, adding to the destruction caused by the energy lanced.
He barreled through the hail of gunfire, tunneling on the Paladin.
Banesaw's aim wasn't perfect on account of a feline faunus scurrying over the Paladin. The Paladin didn't skewer Blake, going instead for wide arcs, no doubt not trying to damage itself in the process.
It would only be a matter of time before Banesaw switched the sword back to a claw and grabbed Blake. Jaune needed to reach the mech before that happened.
About halfway towards the mech, the bullets changed. The new bullets fielded colorful bands around them, indicating a dust type.
Red dust bullets created fiery explosions around him. Ice dust bullets flew through the air but they were much less common than the red dust bullets. A few ice bullets popped his shield and his feet, exploding into plumes of solid ice. But his momentum and aura allowed him to break through the ice. He avoided the lightning dust bullets at all costs, afraid of what they might do to him, in his metal armor, and the inner workings of his shield.
Blowing through a cloud of thick smoke created by a fire dust bullet, he closed the gap to the Paladin. The bullets went back normal and harmlessly pinged off of his shield. Only a few bullets nicked his sides, but he didn't feel it at all. Pure adrenaline ran through his body, numbing everything but his senses.
He reached the Paladin at the instant its blade hand started to shift back into its claw form. He swung up and pierced the Paladin's groin. The grav-blade arm flew away from Blake and shot towards him, untransformed.
He deflected the blade but leapt after it, crashing his hard light sword against its gravity dust-tipped edge. The two elements collided in a mini-explosion. He was prepared this time and used the force as a springboard to push him away from the Paladin.
Blake used the explosion to stab into the red retinal lasers, shattering them by one.
The giant assault rifle tracked his movement and shot him, He deflected the bullet into Paladin's legs.
Sliding beneath the mech's bulk he swung his sword into the inner metal legs. He added to his prior work, melting more metal and cutting deeper. Every single time his sword struck something softer than the outer plating or he was met by the dribble of liquid or the hiss of steam, a bolt of energy rocked through him, pushing him forward.
They were going to win.
Banesaw howled and the Paladin smashed its metal legs into the ground. The now lighter Paladin didn't put a dent into the ground. Jaune backed away from the stomping robot.
He raised his shield, readying against any sudden damage. He pushed his aura throughout his body and healed any damage done to him.
Blake broke the last of the red retinas and leaped off the Paladin. The Paladin tried to grab at her but whiffed air. She flew through the air and landed behind him with a small thump.
The Paladin continued to stomp for a few more minutes, trying to hit a target that wasn't there. At the same time, the mech raised its giant assault rifle and shot wildly. The bullets flew through the air, missing him and Blake by wide margins.
He passed glances to Pyrrha's still unconscious body. None of the bullets reached her.
Snapping his attention back to the Paladin, he stared down the mech, waiting for Banesaw's next move.
The rifle clicked empty.
Banesaw howled and the grav blade cut a wide arc in front of the Paladin, brushing against air.
The Paladin shook its assault rifle arm. Metal plating shifted over the limb, covering the gun under a layer of hissing parts. The Paladin lumbered forward, making the broken laser sights twinkle onto the ground like red tears.
Banesaw shouted, his voice filled with white noise, "I've had enough of this!"
The Paladin's front chassis groaned. Puffs of steam erupted out of darkening edges around the top half of the Paladin. The glass plating, which made the front of the Paladin's top half, shifted from white to static. The garbled lines gave way to the inside view of the Paladin's cockpit.
The cockpit was a sleek blue and white small rounded room. It held an array of bright lights and small electronics screens, all flowing with data. Banesaw stood in the middle of the cockpit, slightly hunched. Padded clothing covered his arms and legs, connected by wires into the main dashboard of the cockpit. A metal frame held all of it up.
Banesaw wore a white VR-style headset, which squeezed his large head. A large Atlas emblem glowed blue in the center of the headset. He wore his Fang mask underneath the headset.
Banesaw ripped the headset off and threw the headset behind him. Damaged wires followed the headset over his shoulder.
His eyes glowed red through his mask's holes, acting as an eerie replacement to the red retinal lasers.
He roared and moved forward in the metal frame, making the Paladin run towards them.
Jaune ran to meet him with Blake right behind him.
He met the mech in a furious smash of steel and hard light. Banesaw roared and swung the Paladin's grav blade at him while using the covered assault rifle as an impromptu battering ram.
He deflected the sword and rolled out of the assault rifle's trajectory. He spun underneath the Paladin's legs and continued until he was behind the mech.
The grav-blade sliced the space behind him, missing his stealth suit by inches. He swung his light dust blade into the already scorched Paladin legs.
He added more damage to the robot. Sparks flew with each strike and thick gouts of black smoke leaked out of metal wounds.
Blake danced in front of the Paladin, distracting Banesaw. She slashed and pelted bullets in front of Banesaw's face. She, in one of her attacks, leaped onto the Paladin and stabbed into it.
Banesaw tried to smash her into the Paladin chassis with the assault rifle. She deftly dodged the plated covered weapon, slithering across the surface of the Paladin like a black snake over white stone.
The madman dented the top of the Paladin with each miss. The Paladin swung the grav blade up and managed to cut into Blake's side. Her aura flared up, dull, and she instantly pulled away from the blade.
She pulled back into the path of the flying assault rifle. The giant weapon crashed into her, swatting her off the Paladin. Her aura cracked and she flew through the air, shouting.
Jaune didn't stop his swings, having faith in his partner to survive the attack. He had his job to do after all.
He glanced between the sparks between Banesaw's legs and was relieved by Blake twisting in the air and landing on her feet, several yards away from the Paladin.
Far enough away to not be a distraction.
The Paladin twisted the top half of its body and swung its grav blade. He stopped the blade on the metal part of his shield.
He leapt back, wary of the giant mech overpowering him. Looking at Banesaw, he narrowed his gaze. The Fang general sneered, the sound garbled by the Paladin's speakers.
The Paladin jumped towards him, much less heavy than before, crossing the distance in a blink of an eye.
It swung its assault rifle arm. The giant metal tower crushed into his aura and flung him into the air.
He crashed into the side of the nearest highway pillar, cracking it in a spider-web pattern. He chipped the pillar and flew through the air for another second. Rolling onto the ground, his shield and aura scraped on hard concrete and he came to a stop just as fast as he had started.
Taking a sharp breath, he tried to spin around, but the pain flared across his body, making him sluggish. He gritted his teeth and turned around.
The hiss of hydraulics drew his attention to the Paladin. It reached his spot in an instant and stopped right on top of him, defying its momentum.
Banesaw howled victoriously, the sound clear. The Paladin raised its rifle hand, more a tower of metal plating than a gun.
A loud electric hum boomed from the assault rifle arm. Small slits on either side of the appendage hissed open. Blue light burst out of the holes, turning one side of the Paladin blue.
The lights glowed brighter and the buzz of a light dust projector, thousands of times louder than the one in Crocea Mors, erupted from the metal tower. Blue hard light slid out of the slits on.
The hard light broke apart and compounded together in sharp angles and lines to create a giant hard light chainsaw.
The Paladin flicked the chainsaw's teeth directly above him. Banesaw screamed and the Paladin swung the hard light chainsaw down.
Jaune pushed his aura reserves his shield arm and braced. Thumping blood filled his ears and the glowing chainsaw filled his entire worldview.
The serrated blade struck the center of his shield with the force of a Grimm wyvern. The blade crushed him, pushing aura-covered feet into the ground, creating an explosion and a crater. The chainsaw's hard light teeth ground into his shield, showering him in sparks.
His entire body grew numb. All sound receded from his ears and his arms lost all feeling. His legs cracked deeper into the ground, the chainsaw roaring inches from his face.
His legs quivered. He couldn't hold out forever.
Feeling only his heartbeat, he thought of his partners and his friends, how he had vowed to make sure they would never happen, and about living to see the next day.
Right as his legs sputtered one last time and his aura grew dull, an epiphany struck him.
He flicked his thumb on the button of the shield's grav dust function.
The hard light edges tucked back into the shield's edges and his shield emblem glowed purple. A grav force pulsated from the emblem and hit the light dust chainsaw.
The two forces met in an explosion of warping sound and light. The brightness dipped into his vision and the world went black.
He woke up an instant later. He shot to his feet, adrenaline pumping through his blood.
A massive smoking hole filled the ground where he had fought Banesaw. The area in and around the hole was charred black, some of it glowed hot red.
Thick fumes wafted from the site and into the air, covering the underpass in a gray veil. Dust and black weeds were the only greenery around the crater.
Large pieces of broken concrete lay scattered around the hole, all smoldering and covered in soot. Some chunks loomed larger than the Paladin's legs. It looked as if a meteor had struck the underpass.
He stood near the truck that had carried the Paladin. He still held his shield and his sword lay against his leg, back to its normal form.
On the other side of the Paladin, Pyrrha still lay on her side, surrounded by bits of broken ground. Her chest still rose with life, but she wasn't coming to their rescue anytime soon.
Near the explosion site, the charred remains of the Paladin lay on one of the highway pillars. The metal body was utterly ripped apart. Elemental dust spilled out of it and onto the ground like multi-colored sand. The machinery and piping of the mech spilled out onto the ground, creating a jumble of sparking metal. Parts of the mech's front side smoldered bright orange. Some of the metal melted off and dripped onto the ground, creating a puff of smoke.
Large shards of the glass window leading into the machine's cockpit littered the ground.
His eyes widened at the sight of the empty cockpit. He closed in his stance and darted his eyes around, trying to locate Banesaw. But the aftereffects of the explosion lingered, making his sight hazy.
The sounds of cracking metal shot up from the truck, pulling him from his frantic search of Banesaw. He turned to face the truck, not loosening his defensive stance.
The churching of glass and metal stopped and started once more from the upturned side of the truck head, detached from the flat-bed of the vehicle. He slowly moved towards it, sword at the ready. His feet crushed broken bits of glass, which seemed to crack like lighting in the eerily quiet underpass.
The passenger-side door faced the air, the driver-side door faced the ground, crushed. A force slammed into the passenger door, rattling it.
It slammed into the door again, popping the door's hinges. He flinched and readied to attack. The door rattled once more and flew open, the hinged turning to scraps. The door flew off the hinges and slid out of its frame, hitting the ground in a creak of metal.
A feminine figure climbed out of the truck head. She took harsh breaths, ripping her Fang mask off. Her mouse ears flickered rapidly as her body heaved for air. She pulled herself out of the door frame and fell onto the ground in a yelp.
She crashed into glass and shredded steel. Her mouse ears stopped moving and a large gush of air left her lips, rattling her entire being. His instinct to help took over and he rushed towards the woman, sword slightly lower.
He knelt by her side and gently rolled her over. Flickers of dull aura shone on her face, stopping pieces of glass from penetrating her skin. Her chest rose slowly, her cheeks taking in a steady stream of air.
She was alive. A small sigh of relief escaped his lips. Even if she was Fang she couldn't die without facing her dues. He strapped his sword to his side and gently laid the mouse faunus, Banesaw's right-hand woman, against the truck.
He brushed the debris from her face and received a clear look at her. She had light skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Her hair was golden blonde like his, although it had =streaks of white through it. Her face was lithe and soft like the rest of her, although sharp lips added a unique contrast to her. Brushing his gloved hand against her face, he lifted one of her eyelids.
A light sky blue eye met his dark blues. He let go of her face.
Standing, he took his sword into his hand once more. He scanned the surrounding area for Banesaw or Blake but the thick smog from the explosion still hung in the air.
He couldn't allow Banesaw to make the first move. He needed to end the fight on his terms. Looking over at the mouse faunus lady, an idea formed in his head.
He scooted over to her and picked her up. His strength combined with her already light body made her weight almost nothing, like a bag of feathers.
Pulling her closer, he draped her over his shield arm shoulder. Her legs brushed against his back while her head dipped behind his shield. She didn't stir.
He wrapped his shield arm over her, putting her in a tight hold behind his shield. He twisted his sword arm and walked into the smog towards the explosion site.
Reaching the edge of the explosion crater, Banesaw's thick gnarled voice called out from the frog, "Hey! Looking for me!"
In the fog to the side of him, Banesaw's large frame lumbered into view.
Banesaw stepped through the last of the fog and stopped several feet away from him. He held Blake, whose figure had been hidden in Banesaw's girth, in a tight stranglehold.
His meaty arm strained against her neck and half of her head, leaving only her eyes unhidden. He gripped a broken piece of the Paladin's grav-blade, in his other hand, its edge glowing purple with gravity dust.
The blade hovered near Blake's feline faunus ears. Banesaw's red eyes glowed slightly, his previous rage smoldering in something far more treacherous.
Jaune shifted to his side and hoisted the mouse faunus above his shield, giving Banesaw a better look at her.
He met the hulking man's eyes and stared him down. Banesaw's red pupils darted back and forth between him and the unconscious mouse faunus. They regained their sharp red glow, but his eyes instantly calmed a moment later.
Banesaw's entire body shook and he clutched Blake tighter, making the cat faunus gasp out in a pained raspy voice.
Jaunes narrowed his eyes and his mind called for him to cut Banesaw down where he stood. He reeled his emotions back, tightening his sword grip.
Slowly touching the grav blade to Blake's ears, eliciting a dull purple aura, Banesaw spoke in a low guttural, "Whoever you are, walk away before I turn your little associate here into something less than a faunus or a human."
He looked down at Blake and, even though he was wearing a mask, Jaune sensed the man was grinning. The giant Fang slowly slid his blade along her ear, making her dull aura flare up again and making her whimper.
Blake's amber eyes met his. Even though the rest of her was in pain, her eyes still flowed with conviction and strength. The sight filled him with hope.
He stood his ground and eyed Banesaw down.
Banesaw spoke again, annoyed, "I don't care about your silent act, leave or your little friend here will face-"
Jaune interrupted Banesaw by moving his shield to the side and dropping the mouse faunus onto the floor. Banesaw flinched and hissed through his teeth, drawing the blade away from Blake's head and towards the woman. He reeled himself back at the last moment and put the blade right against Blake's head.
Crouching down, Jaune slithered his hand into his stealth suit and took out the gun that Ruby had given him, the same one he had killed Neo with, and grasped it tightly. He slid his shield off of his arm and let it clink on the floor. The shield's gold and white metal reflected moonlight.
He grabbed the mouse faunus woman's short hair and pulled her face off of the ground. Bits of broken concrete covered her face, but she still slept soundly. Angling himself so Banesaw had a clear view, he cracked the butt of his gun on the woman's head.
Her aura flared to life and she woke up with a gasp. He wrapped his arms around her arms, acting like a human zip tie. She groaned in pain and shook her head side to side. Her legs sputtered in the air, but his tight hold kept her on the ground.
Jaune bit his lips and winced, a spark of sympathy shooting through him at his actions and the woman's state.
The woman tried to strain her neck to meet him but a quick jab from his gun dissuaded her. He angled her head towards Banesaw and, judging by the way the red glow from his eyes completely vanished, he met her eyes.
He dug the gun into the mouse woman's head and shouted, "I'll let her live as long as you hand over my partner!"
Banesaw shouted back, digging his blade into Blake's ears, earning a muffled pained shout from the cat faunus, "Do you honestly believe that I would care about some lowly Fang grunt? The White Fang is not a group, it is an idea that transcends all of us and will survive the death of one measly member!"
Jaune placed the gun's barrel against the side of his captive's head.
He fired.
The mouse woman's faunus ears flickered rapidly and shrunk in size. She cried in pain and her arms squirmed against his tight hold.
Banesaw winced but he quickly regained his composure.
Blake tried to kick out of the larger man's grasp but he stood strong as a mountain, holding her in place. Banesaw at him with pure hatred.
He spoke with ice, "The next shot shatters her aura, the one after that goes through her head."
Banesaw didn't retort immediately, instead, he looked at the mouse faunus. She tried to speak, but only a harsh croak tumbled out of her throat. She sobbed into the air and craned her neck towards him.
He didn't loosen his grip on the woman.
Banesaw quivered in place, rage radiating from him in waves.
He shouted, pure venom at the edge of his tongue, "Did you not hear me? I do not care for her!. My one true ally since the moment I donned this mask has been my unyielding love for the Fang and the faunus. Nothing else matters."
He hoisted Blake off the ground. Blake clutched the meaty arm around her neck and her legs kicked out, desperately. Her face grew purple and her cat ears moved frantically.
A small tremor passed over Banesaw's legs. His eyes darted over the mouse faunus woman's entire form.
He met his eyes and puffed out his chest. A seething red glow returned to his eyes and he choked Blake harder, making her face grow darker.
His partner struggled but her powerful eyes met his eyes, reigniting a determination in him.
He lowered the mouse faunus and dropped his sword. He reached into his stealth suit and took out the Beowolf mask, the very same one containing the photo of Banesaw and the mouse faunus woman.
He held out the bone skull and turned it to show the photo to Banesaw. The hulking Fang eyed the photo, visibly shaking. He stopped and his hold around Blake lessened, allowing her to breathe.
Jaune spoke, carefully choosing his words, "You're lying, I know she means a lot to you. So what do you choose, her or the Fang?
He didn't wait for an answer, moving closer to Banesaw, holding the mouse woman up high, a meat shield, and a reminder to Banesaw.
Reaching halfway towards the hulking Fang member, he stopped and stared him down. The last of the smog cleared, making all of them visible. He took deep breaths and his aura waned.
Sweat pooled underneath his stealth suit and all of his muscles ached. He needed to finish this.
His heartbeat slowing, he spoke to Banesaw, "So what's your choice?'
He gripped the mouse woman's head tighter, earning a pained squeak.
Banesaw's eyes narrowed. The red glowing orbs centered on him until they lost their glow, receding into a pair of regular dark brown eyes.
The hulking Fang member's entire body shook and he seemed to deflate. He unhooked Blake and pushed her forward. Jaune did the same for the mouse faunus.
Blake skidded on her feet and stopped in front of him. He grabbed her sides and pulled her into a crushing hug, one that could rival one of Nora's. She latched onto him and pushed her head into his chest. The cold night wind brushed against his stealth suit, but the heat spreading over his chest barely registered it.
They stood in each other's arms for a long time. Almost every part of his body hurt and he wanted to do nothing else but collapse into Blake's arms. His throat begged for water and a deep yawn passed through his lips.
Blake gently pulled herself away from him and laughed. He started to laugh well, the motion rumbling his own body. He laughed until his stomach hurt and until a strange warmth filled him.
He stopped and wrapped his hands around Blake's wrists, pulling her close.
Banesaw and the mouse faunus women were having a similar reunion.
Behind the Fang pair, Pyrrha slowly shook awake. She clutched her sides and shakily stood. She looked around, dazed.
Her emerald eyes landed on his. He motioned towards Banesaw and the mouse faunus woman whispering to one another.
She nodded and held out her hands, enveloping parts of the Paladin and the truck in a black glow. She floated the parts over to the two Fang members and bent the metal around them, shoving them next to one another. The two Fang didn't resist.
Jaune let go of Blake's wrists, heat creeping into his cheeks. Blake backed away a bit and coughed into the air, rubbing her wrists softly. An awkward air rose in between them. He cleared it by sheathing his weapons. Blake did the same.
He walked over to Banesaw and crouched in front of him. The once boisterous stared up at the shattered moon
He coughed, getting the man's attention," I think you made the right choice."
He took the beowolf skull from his pocket and put it into Banesaw's chest pocket. The giant man simply nodded. In that instant, he shared a small amount of mutual respect with the Fang member.
Banesaw turned away and began to whisper with the mouse faunus woman.
He walked away from the pair, Blake at his side. They convened with Pyrrha a fair distance away from the explosion site.
Pyrrha gasped and pulled him into a tight hug. All the air left his lungs and he groaned in pain.
She quickly let go, fussing over him.
He gently grasped her hands, "I'm fine Pyr, it was just a little scuffle with a giant mech."
He chuckled at his joke and Blake dryly laughed.
Pyrrha shook her head, "I shouldn't have gone for that move. If I was still in the fight, I could have made sure you didn't get as hurt, I could have helped you. "
He shrugged, placing a hand on his partner's shoulder, "We all make mistakes. All we can do now is learn from them and move forward. Now let's go home, I think I'm gonna collapse."
His entire body sagged in pain. The two women nodded and moved to his sides. He looked out over the heavily destroyed underpass.
The thump of the helicopter registered in his ears, growing closer. A beam of light shone through the highways and swept over the underpass. In the distance, shouts and small lights approached from what sounded like a small army.
A crow's squawk echoed from the same direction as the smaller lights and shouting.
He turned to his partners, a small grin stretching his lips, "I have a strange feeling that we should probably get out of here."
They both hummed and sheathed their weapons.
He led the charge in the opposite direction of the small army. The trio cut through the underpass. They found and entered tunnels leading into the city's sewer system. He quickly led them through a zig-zag of stinking pathways, focusing on escaping their pursuers.
After running for what felt like miles, they stopped beneath a rusted stairway. They stripped their stealth suits and dumped them in a small alcove. He led them up the staircase and through another, albeit cleaner, tunnel. They stumbled out of the tunnel and into one of the quieter parts of the city.
In normal wear, they silently stalk their way to the airship docs.
Pyrrha, at the docks, paid for a speedy private bullhead. The ship took them back to Beacon in a matter of minutes. They quickly walked into the deserted campus.
They jogged over to the dorm building and entered their respective dorms. He and Pyrrha made sure that their other teammates were asleep. They finished their sweep and took turns changing into their nightwear.
Inside of the bathroom, he stood bare-chested. Bruises covered his body in a dazzling array of modern art, ranging from light purple patches to dark black blocks. He squished a plume of bruises and winced. He flexed his thick muscles and lances of pain shot through him.
Hissing, he slowly let go of his form and pushed his aura throughout him. Gold light washed over his body bringing with it a cool wave against the pain. He let his aura linger, but it would heal best while he slept.
Reluctantly, he let his aura fade. He pulled on his nightwear and walked back out into the dorm room.
Pyrrha was already in her cocoon of blankets, snoring slightly. He walked over to his bed and collapsed onto it. Melting into a soft bed, sweet dreams took him in an instant.
Qrow tried to stay awake, flying through the air. He stifled a yawn, something crows could do, and his eyelids dropped.
His lack of vision almost caused him to crash into Beacon's clocktower, but, at the last moment, he pushed his wings down and scraped through the window leading into Ozpin's office.
He transformed midair and his feet skidded on marble ground. Splaying out his arms in a fashion similar to his niece, he managed to keep himself upright.
He strained his back and stretched. Bright sunlight shone through the office's glass walls, bathing the entire room in warm light.
The light burned his eyes, anything but comforting. He would rather be in a dark corner of some ill-maintained dive bar, thank you very much. It was too early to be out and about.
He patted down his clothes and turned to the Ozpin. The old headmaster sat behind his desk, eyeing a news feed on his holo-comp.
Lisa Lavender reported next to a video of officials walking over a sunny highway, "Clean up on the Vale highway is still underway since the Fangs attempted retreat from the city last night. The Vale Police Department has assured the public that the Fang have been captured and will face justice. The city will be hosting a mass funeral for all of the officers who died during the Fang excursion. The police have assured the public that the highway will be back to working condition in a few hours and the city will go back to normal. Onto other news…."
Ozpin turned off the holo-screen.
The gray-haired man met Qrow's eyes, raising his brow, and asked, "Are you alright?"
Qrow rolled his eyes and walked over to the two chairs in front of the headmaster's desk. He crossed his arms and stood in front of Ozpin.
He muttered, "Oh, I don't know Oz, it's almost as if I haven't gotten an inch of sleep since that fiasco on the highway."
Ozpin moved a sheaf of papers to the side and met Qrow's face, giving him a look of pure sympathy. The same look he gave to students who were struggling in class during his days of teaching. The look broke through Qrow's façade and he sagged in place.
He spoke softly to the headmaster, "Sorry for being all bitchy, the past few days have been hectic."
Ozpin grinned softly, "I know Qrow, that's why I put you in charge of it. You have the uncanny ability of finding solutions in chaos, even with your luck."
Qrow groaned but a small smile crept up his face, "Gee, thanks Oz. You sure know the right things to say to make a guy work his entire life away for you."
The old headmaster shrugged.
He folded his hands together and his expression turned serious, "Qrow, if you're truly exhausted I can have another huntsman take up the-"
Qrow cut him off with a shake of his head, "Come on Oz, you already know my answer to that. Don't even think about it."
The old headmaster slowly nodded and cupped his fists under his chin, looking over Qrow's shoulder.
Qrow twisted around and met Glynda's emerald orbs. She nodded in greeting and walked up next to him. She placed a metal tray with three steaming cups of coffee onto Ozpin's desk.
Ozpin took one cup and placed it to the side. Glynda took the other two cups and handed one of them to him.
He took the hot cup in his hands. The heat gently stroked his calloused hands. The smell of coffee reminded him of better days, mostly those involving a certain white-cloaked woman. He shook his head out of nostalgia and turned to Glynda.
She asked, her brow pinched in worry, "Are you alright Qrow? You looked like you haven't gotten any sleep in the past few days."
Well, that was pretty obvious.
Deep dark bags drooped under his eyes and a thick gray stubble covered the bottom half of his face. He scratched it absentmindedly. Maybe he should try to grow it out again? He shot the idea down an instant later when memories of growing a beard and having his nieces unabashedly call him an old man resurfaced. His ego almost shattered from their innocent cruelty and he shaved the beard off, never looking back.
Wait, was Glynda showing him sympathy? He snapped his gaze to her and studied her face.
Her eyes glowed with a modicum of concern. Her usual sharp features were slightly softer, but she somehow maintained an underlying air of authority. She honestly looked gorgeous when she didn't have a perpetual scowl. No wonder tinman had the hots for her.
But where were these sudden emotions coming from? Back in his Beacon days, he and Glynda were distant associates at best, mortal enemies at worst.
He sighed, already knowing the reason. He hadn't drank an ounce since the Fang fiasco on the highway. He couldn't even find his flask, not that he was actively hunting for it.
A lot of his contacts from the police to his fellow huntsman were all starting to act nicer around him. A looker of an officer half his age even asked for his number, looking for a genuine date. He had to shoot the poor girl down of course.
But his drinking couldn't be that bad right?
He pulled himself out of his thoughts.
He nodded to Glynda, and held up his cup, "Of course Glyn, I'm not really the epitome of a morning person right now. But, I'm going to feel better after I drink this."
Giving the golden-haired witch a wink, he tipped the cup back and readied his throat to endure scalding liquid.
A moment passed and nothing flowed down his throat. He opened his eyes to the soft purple glow of Glynda's semblance surrounding the brown liquid, keeping it inside of the tilted cup. Steam puffed out of the unmoving liquid, buffeting his face.
He brought the cup down and marveled at its dropping temperature. He turned to Glynda who held out her finger pointed towards the cup of coffee, her brow scrunched.
She stopped, a red flush covering her cheeks, "There, now you can chug it without burning your throat."
He raised the warm cup towards her in a mock toast, "Neat use of your semblance to slow down the coffee and make the entire thing cooler."
Her brow rose in apparent shock at his knowledge. Oh, come on he wasn't that bad. He had done pretty well in Beacon academically wise. Mostly thanks to a certain red-tipped woman who hounded him on the fact that a great huntsman wasn't only good at fighting, they were also smart. The same woman who rewarded him in ways that made him of all people blush when he did well in class.
Glynda smiled and spoke gently, "It's nothing Qrow. Telekinesis does have its uses."
She sat down in one of the chairs facing Ozpin's desk. He gulped down the warm coffee and took the seat next to her. Energy flooded his body. Just what he needed: a nice strong Vacou brew.
He placed the empty mug onto the tray and leaned forward.
Ozpin sipped his mug and placed it down, "Let's get this started, Qrow how has Fang roundup gone?"
Qrow collected his thoughts and spoke seriously, "You've already seen it on the news. All of the Fang in the convoy have been locked up and their vehicles are in VCPD storage. The highway's going to be fixed but that underpass will need some serious work. Not that people were clamoring to use it before."
He continued, "The Fang we've captured have been very cooperative and have given us the location of almost every single Fang base and safehouse in the city. The police have already started to clear them out. I even helped them bust a small safehouse before I got here. In a few weeks, the Fang in Vale will just be an unpleasant memory.
Ozpin inched forward, "What news do you have about our contact Tungsten?"
Qrow sighed, looking away, "Well I haven't reached out to them and vice versa. But, I think Tungsten and his associates were right in the thick of it if the police reports are anything to go by. I also have the only bit of footage the police recorded during the chase, right before they went dark."
Glynda mused, "If only a news helicopter were there, we might have already identified whoever this Tungsten is by now."
Qrow shook his head, "The fight started and ended too quickly for anyone else but the police and huntsmen to react. Anyways, I think the VCPD wouldn't have liked footage showing them being upstaged by some masked vigilantes floating around. It's a good thing we managed to get our own video."
He took out his scroll and connected it to Ozpin's holo-comp. The headmaster's holo-comp flashed to life. He flicked a video over to the larger screen and pressed start. A grainy low quality video began to play.
The video came from the dashcam of one of the police cruisers chasing the Fang convoy. In the footage, three figures clad in all black jumped from Fang vehicle to Fang vehicle, cutting down or throwing Fang onto the road. The video quality didn't help any identifying features stand out, except for the weapons the figures used.
Ozpin murmured, "Huntsmen weapons."
Glynda added on, rubbing her chin, "I think I recognize those weapons."
Qrow looked between them confused, "Are you going to leave me hanging here, or are you going to tell me how you recognize those weapons."
Glynda glanced at Ozpin and he nodded.
She turned to Qrow and pointed at the video, "I can't say for certain but that red shield and spear are unique only to Pyrrha Nikos, that black blade looks eerily similar to Blake Belladonna's gambol shroud, and that gold and white sword can only be Crocea Mors, Jaune Arc's signature weapon."
Qrow raised a brow, "So you're telling me that Tungsten and co are Beacon students, one of them being a famed champion fighter and the other one Nicholas's kid? The same kid, who if I'm hearing his name correctly, is the very same one Ruby describes as her male best friend in her letters? I don't know how to tell you this, but all of Ruby's friends are massive dorks! There's no way he or those other two fought the Fang."
Glynda nodded, "I'm just stating what I see but I do agree with you, it's preposterous. Jaune Arc is… is actually a powerful huntsman. At the beginning of Beacon, he was a bumbling fool but in the past few months, he's improved tenfold, reaching the top of the first years in both combat and academics with the rest of his team and team RWBY. They've all gained enough power-"
Ozpin finished for her, "-to fight the most powerful of the Fang on even footing."
Qrow sputtered and looked between his two colleagues wide-eyed, "Oh you two can't be serious! I know we agreed that Tungsten and co could have been Beacon students, but that was only for those busts any huntsmen in training could have done. This attack on the convoy and the fight with the Fang could have only been done by professionals."
Ozpin raised a brow "Is it so hard to believe that huntsmen in training could pull off this attack? I remember that you were already at a similar level to them in your first year of Beacon."
"Still-" Qrow tried to refute.
Ozpin cut him off, raising his hand, "The first modes of contact from Tungsten were from your niece's phone, a student here. The weapons are no doubt the huntsman weapons of those three students. Finally, from your reports, Banesaw and his associate were entrapped in large metal beams. Even with aura, you would need more than three huntsmen to warp those plates. Pyrrha Nikos's semblance just so happens to allow her to control metal. All evidence points to these figures being Beacon students."
Qrow deflated, conceding the point.
Glynda, rubbing the side of her head, said what he was thinking, "So what do we do now?"
Ozpin hummed and leaned back in his chair. His eyes wandered to the bronze gears of the clock tower ticking away above them. He sat there with the far-away look he usually had when he was formulating a plan.
A minute passed and he leaned onto the desk, eyeing both Qrow and Glynda.
He spoke in a low voice, "We should keep a close eye on the trio. While it was dangerous what they did, if we cultivate their talents now they'll be able to deal devastating blows to the queen and her pawns once out in the field. In the future, I would like to have them and their teams in my inner circle. There's a strange air about this generation of huntsmen and I feel the tides of this war will change soon. "
Glynda nodded vigorously while Qrow leaned back in his seat.
Qrow grinned, "Teaching them young huh Oz?"
Ozpin did not deny the statement, lifting his shoulders in a shrug.
Qrow pushed forward in and leaned close to Ozpin, a heavy air filled the office.
He spoke deeply, "You better not force them into it, especially Ruby. You have to make it clear what the consequences of this life are going to be because I know that girl, I practically raised her. She'll run off to save the world even if it means her death, just like her mom."
Ozpin nodded, "You have my word Qrow, I will not force her or any of her friends into our circle. "
Qrow narrowed his eyes at the old man. Ozpin held his gaze. Glynda looked between the two men, her brow furrowing. Qrow took a deep breath and closed his eyes, leaning away.
The heavy air between them disappeared. Glynda sighed, sounding relieved.
Ozpin coughed, "Now why don't we talk about the Fang depots you've busted?"
Qrow hummed, cracking his neck, "The VCPD have found Atlas military goodies in the safehouses they've already busted. I'm reluctant to take the toys away from them. I think they deserve it for busting the Fang, unless Jimmy minds?"
Ozpin shook his head, a small smile on his lips, "Oh James will try to egg me on to return the gear, but he knows that he doesn't have a lot of bargaining power. Considering that the Atlas military tried to shuffle military-grade weapons through the city. Weapons that could have very well harmed the public. He's going to fight back just for show so he appeases those below him and we'll laugh about it later. We have come to the agreement that if the Atlas military wants to bring weaponry through Vale, they have to do it through us. The council won't allow anything else. Also, I have personally seen the Paladins safe return to James, although it is most definitely not in the condition he probably saw it returning in."
Qrow smirked, "Serves him right. No offense to your boy toy Glynda."
Glynda rolled her eyes, "He's not my… You know what? Nevermind, no offense taken Qrow."
Qrow finished the last of his report, "Anyways, Banesaw, when we offered his mouse faunus woman a very light sentence, spilled his heart out. The Fang are stationed at Mountain Glen. They were going to use the stolen dust to bomb a hole into Vale, but without the dust, that plan is out the window. Banesaw says that they don't have enough dust for anything else and that he has no clue what they're planning to do now. I'm inclined to believe him."
Ozpin nodded and stood. He walked over to the windowed wall overlooking the Beacon campus. Large gray clouds hung in a crisp blue sky.
He spoke in a whisper, the sound somehow reverberating throughout the entire room, "Qrow investigate Mountain Glenn and report any signs of the Fang. I want to truly get rid of them before they become a threat the queen can manipulate."
Qrow stood, stretching, "Already on that."
He gave Glynda a sly wink making the diminutive witch roll her eyes, going back to her usual cold self. She begrudgingly gave him a small wave and headed towards the tower's elevator.
Transforming into a crow, he flapped out of the open window he had entered through.
Cold wind pricked his feathers and a dab of snow brushed past his head.
AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Life is cooling back down (even though the weather is getting warmer) so I'll be going back into the swing of writing. See you all next chapter!