Evil Knows Evil
Jaune Arc / OC / Pyrrha Nikos / Cinder Fall / JNPR / RWBY
Jaune saw something, everyone else was ignoring. It was insidious and subtle. It drew his friends away from him, isolating him. So he made a choice to get stronger, by whatever means he could. He would stand before the rot invading the school, and save his friends; from what no one else was noticing.
/==/ Chapter Two /==/
Two days had passed since Jaune had returned to Beacon. He spent the time after his detention, just reliving his memories. With some assistance from CFVY, after fulfilling his duties in regard to one of the two shopping trips he had "volunteered" to take part in; he was able to avoid any solo encounters with JNPR or RWBY. It pulled at his heart, making the void with in it ache with a want to be once again filled by the presence of his friends. He still harboured some resentment over their moving away from him as they had before his transfer to Haven. Most of it focused on his former team. Though the members of RWBY weren't entirely free from the causing the feeling in him.
He would watch them from a distance, always looking at them when they were occupied. Memories of close and good times playing in his head. On the oft chance one of them would notice his looks, he always caught that slight gleam of recognition; as if they were recalling something, for it only to be blinked away. The worse was when it happened with Pyrrha. During his time in Haven, he had come to the realization that underneath all the gratitude that he had for her assistance, friendship and partnership; there was something more. His heart would hitch, when he watched her. It would almost stop completely; when she returned his gaze with her emerald eyes. He could see it, buried deep, but trying to dig itself free. But he knew she was out of his league, but it didn't mean he wouldn't try. He would save them all, regardless of what he would have to do.
So he continued to watch from afar, making observations and plans; while spending time with CFVY. He knew it all centred around Jade, and her presence. It all started when she transferred from Haven. The others didn't even notice it happening; aside from him. But considering how pathetic he was then, it was no surprise to him now, that he hadn't been worth the effort to manipulate. Morgan and Sibyl had yet to return to him; since he gave them their tasks during the day of his arrival. He expected them to return soon. Then he should have a better idea of what he would be facing when he openly confronted Jade Primrose.
/=/
"Yang Xiao Long and Jaune Arc." Glynda announced, "Please prepare and attend the sparing ring. You are the last match for this class."
Yang laughed as she went towards the lockers to get ready, while Jaune just made his way to take his place inside the combat ring. He heard the murmurs that passed through the students, but he ignored them. This was his first match since returning. Beacon didn't know that he was always in possession of his weapon, and seeing as he was excused from using a uniform, it was just easier to remain in his combat attire.
The aura board flickered to life as Yang, returned and entered the ring. It showed them both in the green, though it was obvious Yang's was higher than Jaune's. The discrepancy caused many of the class to mutter among themselves, as Jaune just stood there, waiting for the match to start.
"Mr. Arc, are you injured?" Professor Goodwitch inquired as she took notice of the aura read outs.
"No, Professor."
"Care to explain, you less than full aura?"
"I was training earlier. Must have over done it."
"Try and be more careful in the future." Professor Goodwitch admonished him, her tone hinting that she didn't believe his excuse. "Are you sure you wish to continue?"
"Grimm don't wait for you to have full aura."
"Very well than. Combatants on your marks."
"No sword and board, VB?" Yang teased, as she fell into her normal stance.
"Not for a long while." he replied.
"So, just so you know." Yang gave Jaune a cheshire grin, "I'm going to pound you down until you can't move and then you're talking with Rubes. Understand?"
"I'll talk with Ruby when I'm ready; and not before."
"No you'll talk to her and the rest of us, today. You have some questions that need answering, VB? You owe us."
"Do I?" Jaune replied, "Why? You probably didn't even notice I was gone."
"What did you just say?" Yang's voice grew dark, a hint of anger tinting it.
"Seeing as how you ALL, basically ignored me when I was here," Jaune replied his voice cold, "I severely doubt any of you even noticed I was gone. Admit it Yang. When was the last time you even remembered I was here at Beacon, let alone talked to me?"
Yang's face contorted into a grimace. Jaune mentally chided himself, for getting Yang worked up. He took a slow deep breath, focusing his attention. This wasn't a grudge match. He had to keep his composure. Yang still outclassed him. Her strength and speed, would easily allow her to chew him up. The only thing he had an advantage with was his aura reserve. His little stunt with Cardin, had lowered his reserves below his average 90%, to almost 65%, and he's only recovered to 80% in those two days. It was always like that. The more he used, the longer it took to recover.
/=/
"Well, hope you can speak with the dead Ruby." Jade smirks as she speaks, "cause Arc is getting creamed."
"Yang's not going to kill him... she's just going to make sure he running away."
"You guys really shouldn't bother with him. Look what he DID," Jade's eyes flash for a briefest of moments, "He ran off when it was obvious, he was just dead weight. Why would you EVER WANT to associate with someone like that?"
"Because..." Ruby blanked, and sat there just blinking.
"You okay Ruby?" Weiss asks, as she leans in with a concerned look on her face.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Ruby shakes her head for a second or two, "Why did Jaune never tell us he was leaving? Anyone know?"
"He was embarrassed at how useless he was." Jade replied.
"He has promise." Pyrrha defended her former partner with a hesitant voice.
"Begin." Professor Goodwitch commanded.
The watching class instantly went silent, expecting to see something akin to a train wreck happening in slow motion, as Yang charged forward with a burst from Ember Celica. She chambered her left for a straight on punch. She smirked as she saw Jaune just hold out his armoured hand, palm towards her. She knew VB wouldn't have a fraction of the power needed to stop her fist from connecting. This match was over.
"Scutum."
A body sized blue glyph appeared before Jaune just as Yang unloaded her punch. No one watching expected what happened next. As soon as Yang's metal shrouded fist hit the glyph, there was a flash of pure white light, blinding everyone. When it faded, they found Yang at the far side of the ring rising to her feet. Jaune was untouched.
"What... what just happened?" Nora asked.
"It looked like Jaune used a glyph to stop Yang's attack, and then redirected the force back at her?" Weiss surmised. "Question is when did he learn glyphs."
"It wasn't a good plan. Yang's semblance. She'll just dump that back into her next attack." commented Ruby.
Pyrrha said nothing, her emerald eyes flicking up to the aura display. Yang's had dropped to 90%, but Jaune's had also dropped, by an even larger amount. 80% to 60%. That attack if that was what it was, was not aura efficient. She watched as Yang regained her feet, and her eyes grew red. Before her Jaune simply knelt down and placed the palm of his gauntlet covered hand flat on the floor.
"Ligare."
Yang was only able to make a few steps before glowing silver and black chains burst from the floor. They snaked through the air, almost as if they were sentient. Coiling about Yang's limbs and body, until she was effectively entrapped and unable to move.
"LET ME GO!" Yang screamed in rage as she found herself unable to move. Her arms pinned to her sides, and her legs squeezed together, forcing her to stand straight up, flat footed in the centre of the combat ring.
"Winner Jaune Arc." came Professor Goodwitch's declaration, ending the match.
Pyrrha flicked her eyes up to the aura board again. Yang's level was unchanged, but Jaune's was even lower now sitting at 54%. His attacks used up huge chunks of his aura. They weren't efficient, nor did they conserve his reserves. They were powerful, obviously designed to just overwhelm a target. But not sustainable. In a long protracted battle he would be a liability, even though he was strong, he would still hold his back. It was just as Jade had said. In the end Jaune would be better off not being a huntsman. It actually hurt her, to think that. It did every time she had that thought. It was like her mind was fighting the thought.
"LET. ME. GO!"
"Calm down. Give me a second." Jaune addressed Yang as he stood and pointed a finger towards her, "Dimittis."
The chains unwound themselves from Yang's form, and withdrew into the ground; vanishing from existence. Jaune stood still, his blue eyes never leaving Yang's lilacs.
"He EMBARRASSED you Yang!" Jade shouted, from her seat with a flash of her eyes.
Jaune's eyes narrowed, never breaking contact with Yang's. He noticed the twitch and gleam in her eyes. An almost imperceptible movement. He flexed his right hand, as he saw Yang's body tense. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the aura board. Yang had used only about 10%, he on the other hand was down to just over 50%. He doubted Goodwitch would be able to react fast enough, if what he was fearing happened. Question was if he was had the reserves to tank another blow. As much as he was upset, and more than slightly irritated by what they and he had allowed to happen. He couldn't let Yang get into trouble because of someone else. So he made a choice.
"Good match Yang." Jaune offered his right hand towards her.
"Ah..." Yang shook her head and blinked for a second before she seemed to notice Jaune's outstretched hand. "Sorry, um... Yes, Good match Jaune."
Professor Goodwitch proceeded into her routine breakdown of the match, right after the handshake. Yang and Jaune stood silent, and still as the good and bad of what they had done was listed out. Which was apparently a lot considering the shortness of the match. Once it was done, and following another handshake the pair of blonds separated. Yang to the lockers, Jaune to his seat. As he passed by RWBY and JNPR he allowed his eyes to narrow as he cast a sideways glance towards Jade. He was sure she had tried to incite something with her shout. She returned his glare.
He took his seat, and replayed the moments after the match was called. He didn't listen to Professor Goodwitch's closing comments. He focused on just analyzing what had almost happened. He was sure Jade was using, and had been using some sort of semblance upon his friends. The attempted stunt with Yang confirmed it for him. But how was she doing it? What was she actually doing to them? Seeing as everyone else was leaving, Jaune rose from his own seat and made his way out of the classroom.
He was still, reviewing the events post match, and didn't notice their approach. A set of hands grabbed him by the shoulder and back of his head; driving him into the wall. The impact stunned him, knocking the breath out of him. A fist was buried into his gut further driving more air out of his struggling lungs. The world went spinning as he was suddenly launched into the air to crash shoulder first into the corridor's far wall. He felt his aura cracking, it was getting too low. He was pulled to his feet and right into a kidney shot. It caused him to choke, and stagger. He shook his head trying to get his head around what was happening.
"Jaune!" the voices over lapped, and he couldn't separate them from one another. A cuff upside the head followed by another kidney shot, sent him staggering into the centre of the hall to crumple.
"Not so tough now are you Jauney-boy?" his voice was thick with venom, and his leering face danced before Jaune's eyes. He felt a pair of hands grab him and start hauling him off the floor.
"Leave him alone Cardin!" was that Ruby?
"Cardin!" was that, no it couldn't be Pyrrha?
"Why are you trying to defend that loser? If he can take on Yang, he can take that jag-off." Jaune didn't even recognize that voice.
Cardin choked and gurgled as Jaune's right hand snapped around his exposed throat. Cardin's eyes grew wide as he grabbed at Jaune's wrist with both his hands, trying to pry himself free. Jaune tensed his fingers, squeezing just that little bit more. Everything was silent for Jaune. He saw nothing but Cardin before him. Jaune growled as he slammed Cardin back first into the wall. He stared into Cardin's wide eyes, as his face began to turn colour. He felt other hands grabbing hold of him. Muted words assaulted his ears.
"If you weren't so poisoned I'd suck your aura dry and leave nothing but an empty husk!" Jaune hissed. "Come after me again... I will drain you dry."
Cardin slid to the floor, barely conscious; Jaune released his grip. Jaune's head swam, and he couldn't sort out the muted jumbled of voices calling his name, or telling him things. He weaved on his feet, and felt multiple hands grab at him as his legs gave out. Everything went black.
/=/
Jade's lips pressed into a thin frown. She hadn't counted on Arc being able to fight back. Or to be so vicious. Cardin was as worthless as she had always assumed. Wasting her aura to give him a nudge. She should have known better. She watched as her team and RWBY actually tried to intervene, and protect him. They shouldn't have. They should be ignoring him, but they weren't. She didn't like this. He was somehow unravelling her months of work. She faded into the back of the crowd, to observe.
Someone had summoned Goodwitch. Which meant she couldn't risk giving anyone else a nudge. She needed Arc to be forgotten or gone. She was so close to gaining the control her benefactor required, but he somehow was always interfering, even when he wasn't here. She growled in her frustration. She would have to be more direct in dealing with him. Maybe it was time to let his secret slip. Give a few students with influential families a little push to raise a stink about it. She would also have to up her timeline. RWBY was a bonus, but Nikos was the prize.
/=/
"He's physically fine, it's his aura that is a problem."
"And why is that?"
"It has stalled at 30%."
"Aura booster?"
"Already, that's what got him to 30%, from the 15% he was brought in at. It just wont go any higher. Every time it starts to climb, it drops back down."
Jaune remained silent, with his eyes closed. One voice was the on call doctor, the other was Ozpin. Jaune would have let them know he was awake, but decided he wanted to use that time to review things in his mind. Besides, he knew what was happening, and how to counteract it. He just had to wait for the proper time.
"I see. What about Mr. Winchester?"
"We had to intubate him. He unconscious still. But his aura is starting to repair the damage."
"How bad was it?"
"His throat was nearly crushed to the point of being entirely closed. The intubation is giving the support needed for his aura to do its work."
"I see."
Jaune could feel Ozpin's eyes upon him.
"You and I will have a long talk tomorrow Mr. Arc."
Jaune heard them leave, but still he remained still with his eyes closed. He had kept his breathing slow and measured, as if he was sleeping. Which from his studies was a common effect when someone had their aura reduced so drastically, too bad it wasn't the norm for him.
/=/
Pyrrha walked in to JNPR's door, and heard the door slam behind her. Turning around she saw Jade standing before it. Her arms crossed over her chest, her cinnamon eyes clearing showing her annoyance. Pyrrha didn't like this side of Jade. It had taken awhile, but it did appear. Her possessive side, and in raked Pyrrha in absolutely the wrong way. Pyrrha's own emerald eyes narrowed.
"What Jade?"
"Why you even bother with that ex of yours? He's not worth your time. You basically said it yourself, when you ,Nora and Ren asked me to replace him on this team. So why bother with him? Do I have to start worrying that you'll flip and toss me aside?"
"We wouldn't do..."
"You did it to Arc." Jade's eyes flashed, "So WHY wouldn't you do it to me?"
"We... we did it to protect Jaune." Pyrrha stammered, "He wasn't... he's not ready."
"Yet he's back, and you and Ruby are trying every chance you can to talk to him."
"He was... is a friend."
"Is he? How many times has he contacted you since he left? Did you even know where he was?" Jade's eyes again flashed, "He DOESN'T care about any of you. If he did he would have stayed around. He would have proved he should be a team leader."
"He... does." Pyrrha stammered, her thoughts feeling jumbled.
"He DOESN'T." Jades eyes flashed again. She knew she was pushing it. Nudging too much could backfire, and she couldn't afford that, but she needed to get Pyrrha under control. "Not like I do; especially when it concerns you."
"Jade, no." Pyrrha stated flatly, her mind suddenly becoming sharp and focused; as Jade moved closer, and softly ran her finger tips along Pyrrha's arm.
"I REALLY do care about you Pyrrha." again Jades eyes flashed. "In a MORE than friends type of way."
Pyrrha shivered at the touch. She could hear Jade's words, and though she was flattered by the admission, she didn't feel that way about her. There was just something deep down inside that kept Pyrrha from seeing her as any more than a friend and partner.
"Jade, no." Pyrrha moved away from the smaller girl, and grabbed her toiletries. "I'm going to have a shower. It's been a long day."
Jade bit her lip, as Pyrrha walked into the bathroom and locked the door. Jade knew she once again lost the battle of wills. She needed to find a way to break through, to get Pyrrha under control. That was the main point of her transferring here to Beacon in the first place. It hadn't been too difficult to start worming her way in with RWBY and JNPR. A little nudge here and there to enforce suggestions for them to overlook Arc. Add in a couple nudges for him, to up his insecurities about dragging his friends down, and being left behind. A perfect storm to allow her to move into position, and continue her work.
Now the bastard was back, and all that work was starting to unravel. After he was gone, she had only need to use a little nudge every once and awhile to underline ideas. To keep them clueless as to the manipulation she was doing. She was getting close too. Pushing emotions, towards outcomes favourable to her aims. Yet Pyrrha was becoming a sticking point. She had never once run into anyone, at least so far in her life, who so steadfastly refused to be guided into accepting her seduction.
Unseen, unnoticed she floated in the corner. Sybil watched, her amber eyes narrow. She had been hanging around for the last few days. Observing and learning during the day, and then delving into her target at night. She knew her master would not be happy. She would be proving to at least him, that it is as he suspected. Pyrrha Nikos' mind was a shambles of conflicting, suppressed and repressed thoughts and emotions. In her living days Sybil would have been embarrassed at such amateurish skills. Enchantment and manipulation was a art. This Jade Primrose was pathetic. But it underlined a point that she would need to discuss with Morgan. They would have to boost master's resistance to such abilities. There is a chance he had fallen prey as had his former friends.
/=/
Morgan left RWBY's dorm sliding through the wall as if it didn't exist. She stood in the centre of the hallway, ethereal and barely noticeable. She had watched, observed, and delved. Master's suspicion was correct. They had and were being influenced, by an obviously unskilled hand at the craft. She waited, for Sybil to appear. They would report to Master at the same time, a synopsis of all their observations that they would collate during the return journey to him.
"So?" Morgan asked Sybil as she emerged from the wall of JNPR's dorm.
"Pathetically amateurish." Sybil replied in a voice that sounded like a tinkling of a glass wind-chime.
"I agree. So it as Master has suspected." Morgan offered her voice like a breeze passing through leaves.
"It is, yet begs a question."
"Which is?"
"Did that harlot use her skills upon Master?"
"It could be possible, but to delve in his mind unbidden..."
"It is no different than what we have done here."
"We serve his word. He ordered us to discover, and we have."
"There are many secrets and desires in Nikos. So many, that involve Master."
"Truly?"
"Truly. In fact even though she knows it not, she holds strong for him, against the harlot's clumsy attempts."
"Do we tell Master this?"
"After we test her resolve." Sybil's amber eyes flashed wickedly.
"Sounds delightful." Morgan's own violet eyes glowing slightly. "But we should find him. He is low."
"I know. I sense it as well. He's going to be driven to feed."
"We should be there. Temper it. If he takes too much."
Sybil nodded, and the pair of translucent feminine figures glided down the hall. Hair and gowns floating out behind them as the moved silently on towards their destination. The location of their master.
/=/
Silhouetted by the lights in the hall, as he stood in the doorway, he looked over Cardin Winchester's form. The steady beep of the various pieces of equipment, he was tied into the only sound in the dark room. Hearing then hiss of the respirator, gave him pause. He had put him here. He had only reacted to his assault, but still he felt a pang of guilt. Cardin was an ass-hole, but he didn't deserve to have his throat crushed, did he?
This wasn't the first time, that Jaune had these types of conversations with himself. It usually happened when he went too far, like he had with Cardin early that day; and like he was preparing to do now. He clenched the fingers of his right hand, forming a fist. He needed a top up. He had to push his aura level, or it would never naturally regenerate. It had happened before, a few times. If he got below 40% his body just wasn't able to recover, and the longer he was below that threshold the sooner he would drop even lower.
He did have another option, over what he was planning to do. He could just basically OD on aura boosters; which is something he wasn't willing to ever do again. Or he can do what he was now going to do. He stepped into the room, relaxing his right hand, allowing the fist to open. He had to be quick, in case one of the duty nurses started to make rounds. Morgan and Sybil had instructed him in this hidden trait of the Pendragon's Claw; but this will be the first time he would be using an unwilling subject.
"Victim." Jaune mumbled, a frown on his face. "He's going to be my victim. It's not like when Arslan or Sun offer. He's got no say. He's a victim."
Crossing the last bit of distance to stand at Cardin's bedside. He eyed the monitors he was hooked up to. He'd have to do something about any alarms.
"Silentium." as the command left his mouth, the entire room grew dull, as if all colour and sound suddenly was muted.
Jaune raised his right hand, and hovered it over his chest palm down.
"Just enough to jump start myself. Nothing more." Jaune mumbled before biting his lip.
He pushed a small fragment of what little aura he had left into the Pendragon's Claw, and then yanked it back. Black wisps akin to flames danced along his hand, and up his arm. He pushed his hand flat against the centre of Cardin's chest. He felt it. The flow of aura being violently pulled into his body. Cardin's eyes snapped open, and his hand grabbed at Jaune;s armoured wrist. Cardin's aura felt polluted. Tainted by his twisted heart. Jaune watched, breathing through his nose as Cardin's body began to shake. The alarms on his monitors starting to go off. The sound never leaving the room.
"Master, enough!" Morgan shouted as she came through the wall and coiled her arms about his neck.
"Pull back!" Sybil yelled, as she appeared and wrapped her own ethereal arms about Jaune's waist.
Shaken from his trance like state, by their muted words, and cool touch. Jaune broke contact; and closed his hand into a fist. The black wisps died, and the sense of flowing aura ended. He watched as Cardin's body settled.
"We should leave." Morgan whispered, as she released her grip on Jaune. "We have news."
"We do." Sybil echoed as she too extracted herself from her hold upon Jaune.
Jaune just nodded. He waited for a moment for the alarms to stop before waving his left hand, restoring the room to its normal state. He followed the two mist like figures into the hallway. Looking around for a second, Jaune sighed and then led the way towards the exit to the infirmary.
"Mr. Arc, why are you out of bed?" came the soft voice of a pretty, and well kept young woman seated at the nurse's station.
"I feel better, and just want to go to my room." he replied, knowing that his two companions would be noticed. It was another one of their many tricks. Neither was able to perceived unless they wished it, aside from him.
"The doctor will want to check you over in the morning. You should just return to your room."
"I would rather be in my own bed. I promise to return in the morning for a check up."
"You should still return to your bed. You haven't been medically cleared."
"I promise to come back in the morning. I feel fine, and would rather sleep in my own bed. I promise."
"Well..." she looked down at her desk, and picked up a tablet. Jaune assumed it was his charter. He waited as she looked through it. "Well there are no notes saying anything about you being confined to the infirmary. You promise?"
"I do."
"Okay. First thing in the morning."
Jaune nodded owards her, and continued his egress. Once they were in the main corridors, Jaune cut a direct course to his dorm. Once the door was closed, Jaune leaned against it, and pulled out his scroll. Checking the aura app, he noticed his levels. He was sitting at 50%. He sighed as he closed his eyes.
His mind went back to the experiments his Haven friends had with him. The ratio was two to one, when he drained aura. For every two points he drew, he only gained one. So according to the formula to gain the 20% he had, Cardin had to lost 40%. He knew that the bully had probably nearly a full reserve, but still. If Morgan and Sybil hadn't entered when they did; he had been lost in the sensations. He could have drained Cardin dry. Jaune felt sick at the prospect and rushed to his bathroom.
Spitting into the sink, he ran the water flushing the bile he had chocked up down the drain. Wetting his hands her splashed his face, and rinsed his mouth. A quick push the the flow was cut off. Rising to his full height, he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked tired and pale. It would be more than a few days before his aura levels stabilized. He shook his head at siphoning off more from someone else, and decided to either let it build naturally. Or to ask teams SSSN or ARBN for a top up. Stepping out of his bathroom he felt his scroll vibrate.
"Hello." he answered as his eyes caught Sybil and Morgan sitting on his bed, waiting to give him their reports.
"..."
"No. I haven't started."
"..."
"I had other things I needed to do."
"..."
"It's none of your business what I do with my time."
"..."
"Fine. Just remember your side of this deal."
"..."
"I'll fucking find what you're after."
"..."
"I got you what you wanted from Haven didn't I?"
"..."
"Whatever. Stop trying to blow smoke up my ass."
"..."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."
Jaune hung up the call. Turning towards his companions, he sighed.
"Tell me what you've discovered."
Sybil and Morgan rose from their seats, and moved forward with silent steps.
"We will, but first." they spoke in unison, their combined voices sounding like soft music. "We need your permission to look with in you. We have suspicions."
Jaune just nodded. The pair gave soft smiles, and took positions at his side. Sybil on his right, Morgan on his left. They each set a soft cool hand over his heart, while caressing the sides of his cheeks with their free hands. Jaune closed his eyes and allowed his very being to open up to them.
/==/
So hope everyone enjoys this follow up chapter, and I hope I haven't been to obvious, or revealed too much.
I'm going to do a couple other follow ups for my more popular "Possibilities." at some point over the next several days. I'm also tempted to re-write/clean up several of my other one shots and move them to this collection. To clean up my story list.
Anyway. Comments, suggestions, and critiques are always welcome.
Feel free to suggest ideas, if you would like to see what my take on them is. If you want.
Hope you enjoy.