Not a Hard Choice

RWBY w/ Date A Live elements

Action - Drama

Jaune Arc / Amber / Pyrrha Nikos / Ozpin

There are two distinct branches in the Arc family tree. One holds the seeds of great warriors, tacticians; and Heroes. The other binds away darker destructive powers. With the loss of Pyrrha, the fall of Beacon, his failure to kill Cinder; and the reveal of Ozpin's falsehoods... Jaune breaks. Driven to undo all the pain he and his friends have suffered; he vows to do what is necessary to protect those he loves... even if in the end they hate him for it.

/==/ (Edited 01/07/2023 - typos)

Jaune screamed in rage and pain. His dark blue eyes burned with malice as he snarled at Oscar. It had all been a game to Ozpin. They had all be pieces to be discarded when no longer useful. As much as the Fall was the fault of Cinder. Jaune saw Ozpin as also at fault. Plans with in plans, schemes in schemes. He was untrustworthy; and was the one who pushed Pyrrha into a choice that lead her to die. But Jaune was also seething inside at his own weakness, and stupidity. That he never noticed, what was right in front of him. He had lost his chance, his heart was ripped asunder, never to be whole again.

Oscar bolted in one direction as Jaune took off in the other. Ren and Nora went after Jaune, as RWBY chased after Oscar. They followed him as he shouldered his way through the nearest bedroom door, and dropped to his knees. They stopped and watched, not knowing what they should do, as Jaune pulled out his scroll. The all knew about the video from Ruby. The sound of her voice caused the pair to choke up. It had been so long ago. With their own tears threatening to fall, they started to move into the room. Jaune dropped the scroll on the floor in front of him as he pulled Crocea Mors off and cradled it to his chest.

Ren and Nora dropped to their knees beside their Fearless-Leader and hesitantly reached out to place their hands upon his back. They wanted to comfort him, let him know he wasn't alone. That they would be there for him. They both fell backwards away from when Jaune screamed for the second time that night. It was a heartrending sound.

"Jaune?" Nora tried to calmly call his name, but she failed. Her own emotions evident in her tone.

"I'm going to get her back..." he hissed as he let Crocea Mors slide from his grasp.

"Jaune..." Ren was cut off as crimson and black mist began to wrap tendrils about Jaune's hunched form.

"Jaune!" Nora cried out as she shifted from sitting to being on her knees. "Are you okay? What's happening?"

Jaune just screamed again, driving his arms into his stomach. The mist reacted, growing thicker, and covering more of his form. They watched as his clothes started to be consumed. Ren wanted to reach out, but held back, unsure what he could do.

"I'm..." Jaune turned to face Nora, his face twisted in a maniacal grin, his left eye gone, replaced with a golden clock face. "Going to bring her back."

"Jaune?" Nora stammered, as she watched Jaune rise to his feet, his clothing disintegrating around him. For a couple of moments he stood before them naked as the day he was born, before the dancing tendrils of mist began to weave around him. As if being created by the mist, clothing began to shroud Jaune's nude form. Soon he was clothed in black pants stuffed into knee-high black leather boots. He wore a crimson button-up shirt, over which he had a crimson and black hooded trench coat. Around his waist a red sash, much like Pyrrha's, and finally around his throat a crimson ribbon.

"Jaune?" Nora asked, confused as to what had transpired right before her eyes.

"Yes, Nora."

"What..."

"I'm going to get her back. I'm going to make sure you all remain safe." Jaune was almost giggling as he spoke. His lips twisted into a disturbing grin."Don't worry... everything will be right again soon. We'll all be a family again. I promise."

"Jaune, please." Ren reached out to his teammate and leader. "We can talk about all this. Just..."

"Zaphkiel!" Ren stepped back as a massive golden clock face materialized behind Jaune, accompanied by a musket and flintlock pistol that appeared in his hands. They watched as he raised the pistol above his head, aiming it at the twelve. A black and crimson mist flowed from the numeral into the muzzle. "Yud Bet."

"We found Oscar. How is Ja..." Ruby stopped mid-shout as she reached the open doorway. Her silver eyes grew wide as she watched Jaune raise a pistol to the side of his head.

"Jaune don't!" screamed Nora as she forced herself from her knees.

"I'm going to save you all, even if you hate me for it in the end." Jaune calmly spoke as he started to squeeze the trigger. His twisted grin becoming a sorrowful smile."I love you all so much. You all deserve a happy ending."

The sharp snap of the pistol going off was deafening, even more so as the sharp bark of the weapon echoed about the enclosed space. They had watched as his head tilted to the right, his smile never leaving his face as he and the clock faded into a grey ash scattering on a nonexistent wind.

"JAUNE!" the trio screamed.

/=/

Jaune woke up in his motel room, and instantly went into the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and took in his mismatched eyes. His left was gone, replaced with a golden clock face. The Twelfth bullet had worked. He had travelled back to just before Beacon. He had time, he could fix the mistakes; and save everyone. He smiled grimly. He would need to recover time in order to have the power to complete any plans he formed. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, and then opened them. His eyes didn't change. His left remained as it was. This would be an issue, he would need to hide it. The question was how, without risking a chance that he would be dismissed prior to initiation. A patch would work, maybe he could use a medical one. Pass it off as an eye infection or severe irritation.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he looked at the few supplies he had brought with him. On the lone chair sat his hoodie, and armour. Crocea Mors leaning against the side. On the floor before the chair sat his bag. He should change his clothes, but for what he was planning, using his astral armour would be for the best. Turning his attention to the window, he pulled the curtain back slightly. Just enough to peer outside and see what it was like. The sun shone brightly, which means he would need to wait. His quarry after all was nocturnal. Closing the curtains, he returned to bed, and stretched out. He let his eyes close, and attempted to drift off. As soon as dusk was starting to fall, he would make his first move. He needed to stockpile time, and at the same time choose which future enemies he could remove. Things would be different, he was more trained, he had aura; but he would do his best to keep most of it the same, with in reason. Their security was paramount, everything after that; was secondary.

/=/

The hands on his golden eye began to spin counter-clockwise, as in the light of the sinking sun; his shadow completely covered the small apartment complex before him. He stopped the process after only a couple of minutes. This was just a top-up. He had no interest in absorbing all the time contained in the families with in said building. But absorbing some from so many at once was a boon. He moved off and repeated the action several more times until the sun had full set. He had recovered more than what he had expended using Yud Bet. Furthermore, he was just lucky that he only wanted to travel back a short distance, or the use of his twelfth bullet would have ended him.

Drifting to the to bottom of a trash choked alley, he walked out and mingled with the evening foot traffic. He wandered aimlessly. He had realized that he had no idea how to locate those that had sought the downfall of Beacon. Likewise, he didn't know how to ferret out the meeting houses of the White Fang. Nor did he have any knowledge on how to find Roman, Cinder, Emerald, Adam, or Mercury. When he acted on the thought of coming back, he had not thought of these issues. He had no plan for the small sets, just an over arcing idea of saving everyone. He would need to change that. Moving himself out of the flow of pedestrian traffic, he leaned against a nearby storefront, and tried to consider his options.

"I need information." Jaune muttered to himself, keeping his voice low to avoid anyone hearing him talk to himself. "But where can I get it? I don't have much in the way of lien, nor will randomly wandering around magically reveal any of them to me."

Jaune let his mind wander, recalling the events leading up to the attack on Beacon. Letting the faces that he knew had set it in motion float behind his eyes. He was finding no answers, so he thought back further. To before, he was at Beacon, trying to recall the smallest detail. Maybe he had crossed paths with them and never noticed. Again he came up with nothing. He would need to find another source of information.

"Maybe... maybe... maybe." Jaune muttered as he pushed off the wall. Pulling his hood up and faded into the foot traffic. He had purchased his transcripts months ago, but there was a chance that if someone was able to make that a reality; then there was a chance they had the connections needed to locate a starting point. "I guess it is time to meet face to face."

Jaune continued on following the flow of the crowd before after a fairly significant walk he arrived at the address he remembered. It was too much to expect the address would be the actual location of his contact. From the roof of a convenient nearby building, he watched. It was post box. So he would wait and follow whoever came to collect whatever lay inside. With so much being done online, it had been a surprise that the final transaction; the actual papers, had been delivered through the mail. But it shouldn't have surprised him, as his acceptance letter was also delivered via paper.

His eyes narrowed as he saw a rather generic looking young man enter the postal building. It was his way of dress that set him apart from all the others Jaune had witnessed using the services offered with in the glass fronted building. The suit and red tie was just too out of place for him. A grin crossed his features, as a thought came to him. There was no need to follow him. He could get all he needed in a very simple fashion.

"Zaphkiel." the clock face materialized behind him, as the musket and flintlock pistols manifested in his hands. "Yud."

The crimson and black mist flowed into the muzzle of the musket. Holding it in one hand, he aimed it at his target as they exited the building. The sharp crack of the shot caused panic below. The man staggered as the magic bullet impacted the side of his head, causing him to drop everything that was in his arms. He weaved on his feet and nearly fell over. Jaune was long gone, by the time the authorities had arrived. He knew all he needed to know, and made his way towards his destination, The Club.

It was well into the wee hours of the morning when he finally reached his chosen destination. Using the memories of Harrison, Jaune entered the back alley and let his eyes focus on the red painted steel door before him. He knew the code to knock, as well as the phrase that would allow him entrance. That wasn't what stopped him from acting. No, it was the rolling thoughts about what he was preparing to do. This was the most important first step, and if he was wrong, it would be a wasted chance. Junior was an information broker and forger. If anyone knew of Cinder, and her lackeys, it would be him. Closing his eyes, he focused his thoughts. This had to be done. The lives of too many were relying on him; even if they didn't know it. Stepping forward, he knocked and then waited.

"What do you want?"

"I would like to make an order for Peach Schnapps." Jaune smiled his most disarming smile, and waited. He was nervous that the phrase was dated. That it wouldn't let him achieve the aim he sought; but then again, he had more direct means if they were required. The sliding of a lock made him release the breath he was holding.

"Inside." the burly man grunted as he held the door open. "The boss is at the bar. Go straight through the kitchen."

Jaune nodded and slid past the brute. The door slammed closed behind him, but Jaune didn't pay it any attention. He followed the given directions and quickly found himself looking at the slightly dated interior of a nightclub that had just closed for the night.

"Who are..."

"Zaphkiel. Zaiyn." The clock and his weapons appeared, and Jaune acted. Both his weapons let out sharp cracks as they went off. He rapidly fired, each round hitting an intended target, and freezing them in place. Many were caught flat-footed, others were in mid-draw of their weapons. A pair of twin girls were stuck in mid-leap. "Yud."

Jaune levelled the pistol at Junior and squeezed the trigger. The instant the bullet impacted his time stuck form, Jaune knew everything he needed to know. Now he really could act. He could solidify his plans and thoughts into real action. He would however need to act sooner than later. As soon as Hei and his associates were free, the information would change; but then he could always just come back for an update as needed. His angel and weapons faded from existence. Making sure his hood was up and secure, he made his way towards the main entrance that was being held partially open by a suited woman in mid-motion of entering and drawing a weapon. However, he stopped. Picking up a pen from behind the bar, and a cocktail napkin, he began to write a short note. Dropping it in front of the frozen Hei, Jaune turned and walked out of the building. The streets were mostly empty now, so he wouldn't be able to vanish into a crowd. He giggled, as his mind played out the next part of his improvised plan. He would make a more detailed plan of action later. For now, he just needed to sow some chaos. Throw the Fang into disarray and it would be a start. A couple uses of Yud, and he would understand more of what led to the events leading up to the attack on Beacon.

He jumped and took to the air, soaring into the air and vanishing into the darkness beyond the glow of streetlights. Behind him, the effects of his attack wore off. People stumbled and tripped. The twins fell into a heap as their target had vanished. Everyone was confused, and though they knew that something had happened, they couldn't recall anything after the first few seconds.

As confusion, curses and muttered comments floated through the air, Hei looked down. Before him was a napkin. Elegantly scrolled across it, a short warning.

I'm coming for them. Cinder and Roman. Feel free to let them know. Sincerely; Nightmare.

"Mel, Miltia one of you get hold of Roman; tell him we need a sit down, now."

/=/

Jaune loved working at night. It made it so easy for him to travel quickly over long distances. He was heading for the industrial district, towards a site that Junior had warned all his group to stay away from. Jaune wasn't sure what he'd find there, but maybe it would be important; and if not, well that's just how things were. This was more test of Hei's information. Jaune doubted he would stumble onto anything of real use to his own plans. Information was information, and that was for him the greatest weapon at his disposal. Landing in the shadow between a pair of dilapidated hanger like warehouses, he stepped forward and towards his target.

"Fang?" he whispered as he noticed the small group of figures that were moving around the building that was holding his interest. "Or something else?"

He was close enough that he could see that they were armed, and faunus; but there was no sign of the masks associated with the terrorist group. He corrected his train of thought. There would be no reason for the trio of probable guards to wear those here. Not when they were trying to hide in plain sight. It would have been counterproductive. Floating into the air, he drifted closer, well above their heads, but not so far that he couldn't make out details. They were all dressed similarly, it looked like some type of uniform. Maybe they were just a trio of security guards patrolling the warehouse district. There was only one way to find out, well there was another way, but for now Jaune needed to conserve his accumulated time, at least until he found a constant source to gain it from.

As he landed softly on the roof, he thought of his options in gaining time. He could drain from the whole city at one go. Just a bit, would be more than enough, but that would mean he would be robbing from people that didn't merit such action. He had already done it three times this night, but he would prefer to drain those that should suffer. Like the White Fang, Roman, Emerald, Mercury, and in particular Cinder. He scowled as he moved along the rooftop, to the access door. It was locked, and his scowl deepened. Breaking the lock would make too much noise. He was already possibly giving away his presence by traipsing around the roof. Looking about, he regarded the line of skylights. If they weren't secured, that might just work.

He tested the first two and found them locked or sealed somehow, but the third was loose. Carefully, he lifted the amalgam of glass and metal from it's seating. It locked open just wide enough for him to crawl inside. He hung from the sill for a moment before letting go and allowing himself to gently float down to the cat walk high above the floor. He stood there in silence as he watched the inhabitants moving about like ants below him. Jaune frowned when he saw it. It was nothing spectacular, just a white sheet hanging from the wall with the symbol of the White Fang emblazoned on it. He had seen enough, and made his choice. Rising back into the air, he made for the open skylight and crawled out on to the roof. With a little hop, he put himself back into the air again. Hovering so that the light of the broken moon cast his shadow over the entire building, he smiled.

The hands of the golden clock in his left eye began to spin backwards. His grin grew maniacal, as he could feel the swell of time flooding his body. He stayed where he was, and just let things happen. He watched as the wandering guards weaved on their feet before collapsing to the ground. Slowly the flow tapper off until it totally stopped. Drifting to the ground, he stood for a moment, regarding the now silent building.

"Zaphkiel. Yud." now armed, he walked into the silent warehouse. He had no fear, as he knew there was no one inside that would contest him, or his entry. Once inside, he weaved around boxes and bodies. He took his time searching the now mass grave. Not finding much of interest aside from boxes of dust, he moved towards the flag. To the side of it was an ajar door. Stepping through, he found a small office. Draped over the desk, a faunus man, a tablet in his cold hand. Pulling it free, Jaune raised it to the side of his head, before placing the muzzle of his pistol against it. The sharp crack of the weapon going off echoed about the silent building.

"Interesting, at least I have locations for other places to search." Jaune whispered to himself as he set down the tablet. He was going to have a busy night, a very busy one. His mind sorted the newly gleaned information. It wasn't earth-shattering, but it would be helpful. Just addresses for various pick-ups and drop-offs. He doubted any would be safe houses or the main base of operations, but there could be more information at each of those sites.

Picking up the man's discarded scroll, he held it again against the side of his head and pulled the trigger of his pistol. Pulling it down, he held it before him while quickly typing in the unlock code. With a few swipes and taps of his thumb, her opened the call function. Turning off the camera, he waited until the Emergency line answered. He rattled off the address for the building before ending the call. Tossing it onto the top of the desk, he reached out and picked up a sharpie. With a practised hand he wrote on the surface of the door, before discarding the felt tip marker, and walking out of the building.

/=/

"Have you seen the news?" Glynda asked Ozpin as she entered his office.

"I have... and it is a rather disturbing development."

"Disturbing? It's horrifying. Sixty-seven Ozpin. Sixty-seven, all with no obvious signs of trauma, all faunus, and all with ties to the White Fang."

"That is not all of it. There is more that the news hasn't reported." Ozpin offered as he hit some keys on his holographic terminal. A series of pictures appeared, all showing writing. Glynda could easily tell each message was written by the same hand. It was elegant the way the letters were formed. But the contents of the messages were anything but shudder inducing. "It seems an individual or more likely individuals have a bone to pick with the White Fang, and they want to be called Nightmare."

"But how? There were no signs of trauma. Even poisons would leave some trace."

"It could be a very powerful semblance."

"That is a VERY disturbing thought. Whomever this is, has already showed they are willing to kill; and if they have access to a semblance that allows them to do it on such a mass scale..."

"Call back Qrow. I want him to survey the city, and I need you to reach out to any street level contacts we have. Someone may have seen or heard something. I refuse to believe this Nightmare is untouchable. Someone out there knows something."

"I'll make some calls." Glynda replied as her eyes returned to the series of pictures on the screen. The messages were all fairly simple and similar, but it was the first one that sent a shiver up her spine.

"This is JUST the beginning. Sincerely; Nightmare."

"Anything else, I can be of assistance with?"

"No, Glynda, that is all. I'm going to continue to liaise with the VPD in case their medical examiner comes up with any reasonable explanation as to the condition of the bodies."

Glynda nodded and took her leave. Ozpin returned his attention to the images on his screen. He wasn't sure, but for some reason he had a feeling that what was happening in Vale was something very personal. Whomever they were; this Nightmare was dangerous. Incredibly so.

/=/

It had been a long night, with little in respect to reward. He had stockpiled a lot of time, but he was no closer to finding Cinder or Roman. His little rampage will have caused an impact to their plans. But it would be no more than a delay. Jaune knew it wouldn't take much for the Fang to mobilize more members. The news was already spinning the discoveries as the work of anti-faunus extremists. Jaune took a few minutes to really consider what he was doing, and dismissed the idea that he was prejudiced against faunus. He was doing this in part to protect Blake, along with his other friends. It just happens that it was a faunus supremacy group that Cinder had used in her plans. But the fact remains, this was nothing but a holding action. He would need to do more to find them. To stop them.

Moving to his window, he lifted the corner of the curtains and looked up. In the distance he could see Beacon. It would only be another day and a half before initiation. Before he would see them all again, without the taint of the fall marring them. He scowled, at the memories of that day. He knew they would hate what he was doing, be he had resolved himself to accept it. This was for them, why should he care if they hated him for it. This was to keep them safe, nothing else mattered. The problem however still remained. How could he really hurt Cinder's plan? What would really put her on the back foot? She had been after something at Beacon, he could remember that. He recalled her killing Ozpin. Maybe if he did that... she wouldn't need to attack? No, no, no. That wasn't her main aim. If it had been, there were much easier ways to remove him aside from launching a full scale invasion of the school.

Closing his eyes, he delved into his memories of that day. The Fang had been a means to an end. Much like Roman. The school wasn't the target, it was something with in it. He could see in his mind Cinder killing a girl locked in a special capsule. That girl was also the reason Pyrrha was there. She was special, but there was also the relics. Cinder wanted a relic, to give to the malformed monstrosity Emerald had shown them in Haven. But that girl was also important to Cinder's desires. Maybe, just, maybe. He opened his eyes, and let a twisted little smirk cross his features.

"I don't remember her name, but I'm sure she'll tell me it once she's awake." Jaune muttered to himself, "But she'll have to wait until after initiation."

Jaune allowed the curtain to drop closed as he turned and walked into the bathroom. He splashed some cool water on his face, before staring at himself in the mirror. He tilted his head right and left, before smiling at himself. His right eye flashed with a blue light, while the golden clock that took up his left, glowed. Even though they would only slow Cinder's plan, Jaune knew of a couple more White Fang locations he could visit tonight.

"They brought it on themselves." he growled at the image in the mirror, "Working with that bitch, hurting my friends. They're just as much monsters as the grimm."

Pushing off the counter, he stood straight, and turned to leave the bathroom. In the small entrance, he looked about the room one more time, making sure everything was where he left it; before opening the door and walking out. A minute or so later, he strode out of the motel's front doors and melded with the foot traffic. It was too bright out right now, but that wouldn't be the case much longer; and then he could travel much faster. But for now he would walk; he needed the exercise anyway, or at least that was his reasoning. So he walked, taking his time, and following the flow of the pedestrian traffic, until as the sun was starting to set; he had reached his first target of the night.

Ducking into as nearby shadowed alley, he hopped into the air and allowed himself to rise though the air until he could step onto the roof of the short apartment building; that was closest to his target. It was there he waited, and watched. Not much was happening, in fact it looked very much like this site had been abandoned. Which was a disappointment, though Jaune did acknowledge that he might have over played his hand the previous night. He waited for a couple more hours before jumping off the roof to land soundlessly in the alley. Stepping out into the foot traffic, he turned his back on the building he had been watching.

/=/

"He just stepped out of the alley. He's headed towards the bus stop. Red and black hooded coat." spoke a dog faunus woman, as she pressed her finger on the bud in her human ear. "For fuck's sake! He looks exactly like how Junior described him, now just follow him!"

She shook her dirty blond hair, and looked at her partner for the sting. It was one of Junior's boys, and he was efficiently working the controls on the various cameras they had set up about the house. He was currently scrubbing the video, looking for a good full face shot to run facial recognition software on. But he was having no luck, as his face always seemed to be partially obscured by his hood. On the table next to him, a scroll rang. The faunus woman hit the icon to answer.

"Well?"

"He was here, and just left." the faunus woman reported, "He watched us for a few hours, and must have decided the place was empty. We have a team trailing him as I speak."

"Good. Keep contact with everyone. I want this bastard alive."

"Will do. Should we grab him at his home?"

"No, grab him as soon as possible."

"Not a problem."

"Remember... ALIVE."

"Again, not a problem."

"Good." with that, the call hung up.

"All teams, we have a go for the snatch. Move in at first opportunity. Make it quick, clean and non-lethal."

/=/

Jaune groaned in the hood over his head. He couldn't see anything because of it, but he knew someone had grabbed him. He could remember something hitting him in the back of the head. His aura had tanked the damage, but it still rang his bell, which lead him to where he was now. Getting to all fours, he prepared to stand; only to hear the rapid click of heels on the floor followed by a solid and stiff kick to his exposed gut. Like the blow to his head, his aura prevented any real damage, but it still knocked the air out of his lungs. He coughed and choked as he fell to his side. As he was recovering, he was able to make out the sounds of others stepping into whatever room he was in. Another boot to his gut caused him to retch as the hood was roughly yanked off his head.

He screwed his eyes closed at the sudden brightness, and felt someone using their foot to roll him on to his back. The pressure of a heel being pressed into his chest caused him to hack and choke. He groaned again as he opened his eyes, and gazed up into a set of mismatched eyes that were peering into his face.

"Neo." Jaune smirked as he recognized the miniature assassin from the descriptions provided by Yang and Ruby. Neo scowled, her pink and brown eyes switching sides. "And I take it if you are here, then ... Roman?"

"So you're the one calling yourself Nightmare, huh. I expected something more, kiddo."

"I am." Jaune replied, trying to suppress a giggle, "What do I owe the honour of this meeting? I assume Junior gave you my message."

"He did." Jaune heard the Gentleman thief light up, but he wouldn't remove his eyes from Neo's. Pink and brown stared directly into dark blue and gold. "So as you obviously wanted me to know you were around, I would like to understand what on Remnant I did to have you off almost a third of the White Fang here in Vale; because I sort of needed them, for reasons."

"I'm sure you can find more mindless meat shields for your little games in Mount Glenn." Jaune responded, his smirk deepening as Neo's scowl grew even more severe. "It's not like I've gotten my hands on Adam... yet."

"Neo, let him up."

Jaune hacked and coughed as Neo drove her foot into his chest one final time before removing it, and stepping back. Groaning, Jaune rolled over and then took his time getting back to his feet. Once he was vertical, he turned his attention to Roman. His grin widened slightly as he noticed Roman take a step back from him. Jaune knew why, but it was still funny to see other's reactions to his clock face eye.

"You know, you could have just asked to meet with me, you didn't need to go through all the theatrics."

"And you could have asked Junior to arrange a meeting instead of taking out all those Fang." Roman puffed on his cigar while leaning on his cane. "So, let me ask you again. What have I done to you that warrants your actions?"

"What you did... what you're going to do..." Jaune started to growl, causing Neo to bring Hush up at the ready. "They are the same thing, and I'm not going to let that happen."

"What are you going on about?"

"Your little games with Cinder... the Breach... the attack on Amity... the assault on Beacon... I'm going to stop it all." The mirth in Jaune's grin vanished. "The real question to ask is... are you going to survive any of it."

"What are you talking about? None of this shit is making any sense; and as for surviving... I'm a cockroach, kiddo. I always survive, and I always will."

"Zaphkiel." Roman and Neo stumbled back as a large golden clock face rose up behind Jaune, while a musket and flintlock pistol appeared in his empty hands. "Aleph."

"What the fuck!" Roman yelled as he dropped his cigar to the cement floor. The crack of the pistol going off making his and Neo's ears ring, while the target of the shot stood in front of them smiling in an unnerving fashion.

"Yud"

Roman didn't even get to raise his cane to defend himself as the crimson and black clothed self-named Nightmare vanished from sight; only to appear behind them. The double crack of the pistol and musket firing had Roman's ears ringing. He felt the impact of the bullet and choked in surprise that he felt no pain. The sound of multiple booted feet and the crash of the door being slammed open told Roman that Junior's boys had finally arrived. Jaune's face appeared right in front of Roman's, and he felt the muzzle of one of the boy's weapons being pressed against his head.

"You brought friends." Jaune giggled, "Does that mean I can bring friends too?"

"What?" Roman asked confused.

Jaune hopped backwards to land in front of the clock face. His mismatched eyes gleaming as he took in the additional six figures that had entered the fairly large room. He smiled, and Roman was instantly reminded of one of Neo's grins. Something was off, and Roman's fingers tightened around the haft of Melodic Cudgel. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Neo just standing, as if she was confused. Roman stumbled backwards, and by the sounds of the shuffling feet so did Junior's people. All around them, a dozen identical figures rose from the ground. Each one a carbon copy of the young man standing before the clock face. Each one wielding a musket and flintlock pistol. Roman knew this was an unwinnable situation. The boy, this Nightmare, was unstable, dangerous, and more than what he wanted to tangle with.

"Okay, nice friends, Nightmare." Roman tried to sound calm. "Let's talk this out, shall we. That's what you wanted, right? To talk this out?"

"Was it?" Nightmare asked, his grin further reminding Roman of a similar expression Neo would sometimes wear. "Seeing as I now know everything you and Neo know... I don't really have a reason to talk to you anymore."

"Aleph." Roman watched as Nightmare once again shot himself in the head, before blurring from existence and reappearing directly in front of him, and striking him across the side of the head with his musket. Roman's aura softened the blow slightly, but the suddenness and force of the strike caused him to stumble sideways to one knee. "Nor, do I have a reason to let you live."

"Hold on, I can be of use!" Roman tried to offer, as more Nightmares rose from the floor and levelled their weapons at everyone who did not look the same as them.

"I know everything you and Neo know. Which about Cinder isn't much, but even that little is more than I've ever known. So thank you, it will help me in tracking the cunt down." Nightmare aimed both his weapons towards Roman, "For what you did for her... what you're doing to help her... you should die."

"Neo?" Roman croaked, hoping his pint-sized associate would shake off whatever it was that was causing her to freeze up. Seeing Nightmare's fingers move from the sides of his weapons, to touch the triggers, spurred Roman to act. Melodic Cudgel snapped up, knocking the guns aside as they went off. Not wasting his chance, Roman slammed his fist into Nightmare's exposed stomach, before bringing Melodic Cudgel back down in a short swing into Nightmare's shoulder. "Neo, snap out of it!"

As Nightmare was dropped to one knee by Roman's quick series of attacks, he made a dash for the door. Behind him, Neo blinked away her confusion, and made her own move towards the avenue of escape.

"Put that bastard down!" Roman shouted as soon as he was through the door.

Junior's people spread out, and opened up with their weapons. Neo turned as she slid out past them to watch as multiple Nightmares just burst into black mist. But it wasn't enough. They snapped to action as the first rounds hit their targets. As good as Junior's troops were, they were no match for the pure amount of return fire directed at them. Something warm splashed across Neo's face and chest. She didn't need to look to know what it was, as the thug just to the side and in front of her went down.

"Neo!" Roman screamed, gaining the ice cream themed assassin's attention. "Let's go!"

The sounds of gunfire stopped, leaving an eerie silence in the air. Neo, as she caught up to Roman's fleeing form, took a chance to look back. Neo had never really felt fear, no, that was wrong. She knew what fear was, and had felt it before; but the feeling she got when she watched the multiple versions of Nightmare stepped out into the hallway behind them was something worse. So she used her semblance to hide Roman and her, ducking into a nearby side room. Roman didn't risk using the lock, and just held the door closed, hoping his own physical strength would be enough to keep it secure. They remained in that dark little room for the remainder of the night, listening to the shouts, cries and sounds of gunfire.

When silence fell, the pair waited. The seconds dragged by, feeling like hours; until they felt comfortable enough to emerge. With weapons ready, they moved; making their way to the main entrance. It was too quiet, and the closer they got to the bar, the more bodies they found. Junior's men had gone down fighting, but Nightmare was proving to be just that, a nightmare. Roman was hoping Junior and the twins had gotten out. The state of the bar and dance floor did not inspire confidence in his hope. It had been a last stand, between Junior's boys and Nightmare; yet there was no sign of Junior or the twins.

"They must have gotten out." Roman spoke to hear his own voice, and calm his nerves. It didn't work when he saw the message scrawled across the mirror behind the bar.

"Tell Cinder to run, and run... because here I come. Sincerely; Nightmare."

/=/

"They struck again." Glynda informed Ozpin as she entered his office for their customary pre-initiation meeting. The hopefuls that were not already at Beacon, would be arriving today. "That's twenty-two more souls being attributed to them, though this time it was all gang members; and they were all shot."

"I've read the reports. The change in methods is concerning." Ozpin responded as he once again reviewed the report he was able to receive from the VPD. "When will Qrow be here?"

"Today."

"Good. Have him immediately start his investigation. These attacks are causing a lot of unrest. We've already had more sightings of grimm outside the walls."

"Is it a good idea then to continue with initiation at this time? If we delay, we could have Bart and Peter cull the numbers to a level manageable for the students."

"No. Waiting won't help. Just have Bart and Peter actively patrolling the area. They can step in at anytime to assist any students who are struggling."

/=/

Jaune stood on the roof, looking up at the shatter moon. Initiation had gone pretty much as he remembered it, aside from Pyrrha unlocking his aura. He had to fight the urge to just grab her and crush his lips against hers. That was still a problem, but he would force himself to continue with the charade, until she showed interest; true interest in him. But that was the least of his problems. Ever since he had used Yud on Neo, his mind felt twisted. He knew so much about her life, and motivations, that it was becoming difficult to keep the impulses in control. He had been bothered by his actions against the White Fang, but now, ever since the shootout with Junior's thugs... things were different. It was even before the shootout. He felt strange, less encumbered by the result of his choice.

He had lost quite a few of his clones in that altercation, but that was something he could easily remedy. Now, besides the confusion from his interaction with Neo; he needed to consider his next phase. He had been hoping he could disrupt Cinder's plans, but from what he gleaned from Roman and Neo, that would be a nearly impossible task. It was just too spread out for him to effectively strike against. No, he was going to have to be more sinister, more insidious; and more ruthless. His eyes moved to stare at Beacon tower. Of course, there was always the girl in the basement. He was sure he could help her, but would that be a boon to his plans?

Then there was Ozpin. He felt animosity rise in his chest at the thought of the Headmaster. He was partly at fault for what happened. The question was what to do with him. If Jaune healed the girl, then there would be no need for Pyrrha to step in and feel pressured to make the disastrous choice she had made. While that would hinder Ozpin, it would also assist him. Jaune scowled at helping Ozpin, he was doing this for his friends, not the headmaster. It had only been a couple of days, there was no reason for him to rush. The events of the Fall wouldn't happen for almost half a year. So he had time. He almost laughed at that thought. He had all the time in the world; he just needed to make effective use of it.