"Jaune…Jaune… Jaune!" Jaune sat up as a scream tore from his throat. His pulse thundered away in his chest, as he sucked in any air he could.
[Jaune what's wrong?] Jaune stiffened, as he turned to face Juniper Arc. He couldn't help the tears that began to flow freely, even if he didn't know why. His mother sat down on his bed, visibly concerned. Without warning, she pulled him into a hug. Jaune felt a knot form in his throat, as he wept for reasons he didn't understand.
[It's okay, it was only a nightmare. I'm right here.] The pair stayed like that for some time before Jaune was able to get ahold of himself. As he came to his senses, the embarrassment sunk in. Juniper smiled, as she pinched his cheeks and planted a kiss on his forehead. Jaune groaned in protest, but made no effort to defend himself.
[You better get a move on kiddo. You're already late for your shift and knowing Hazel, she won't be so forgiving.] He let out a curse as he jumped up from the bed, as the fear of his sister's revenge set in.
Jaune hurried through Ansel, ducking and dodging the various other Hunters going about their day. He waved at the ones who called out to him, but didn't slow his pace at all. Hazel had probably already thought up a thousand different punishments for him. Before long, he reached the gate leading out of Ansel. He spotted his sister, off to the side, staring daggers at him.
[By the old blood Jaune! I was about to march back home and break your knees, for making me wait!] Jaune coughed, as he pulled out his bribe. A fresh batch of their mother's cookies. Hazel eyed the bundle with greed before snatching it and turning to lead the way to the hunt. [Dirty trick, but you win this time.]
Blake gnawed at her finger. It had been a couple days since she tailed Jaune to the roof and saw him fly. Ozpin had shown up at their dorm first thing in the morning to inform the team that Jaune would be in quarantine due to an unidentified sickness. Blake had to keep her face in check when the headmaster locked eyes with her. She didn't need to be told what it meant. She had already decided to keep her team out of it. If that were the end of her troubles she would have been fine, but since that night, she hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep. The moment her eyes closed, flashes of creatures, no… monstrosities, were a more accurate term. These things plagued her every moment she tried to sleep. A sharp snap broke Blake from her trance. Grudgingly, she turned to face Yang, the most infuriating partner she could have asked for. Yang smirked as she wriggled her eyebrows. Blake rolled her eyes, before swatting at her. Yang easily caught the lackluster movement.
"Blake, are you okay? You've been looking worse and worse. Not to mention, you woke up covered in sweat and screaming, just last night! The team is starting to get worried. Maybe…" Blake cut Yang off, as she used most of her strength, to wrench her hand free. Yang frowned but said nothing, as she continued to stare.
"See what I mean? It took nearly everything you had, to get out of my grip, and even then, I still let you! Look, we're not saying you're unreliable or weak, but, what if you caught what Juane got!" Yang shouted as Blake turned and ran out of the common area. The rest of Team Silver held Yang back from rushing after her.
Blake sighed, as she watched the sun begin to dip beyond the horizon. The sky, an amalgamation of oranges and reds in a vast painting before her eyes. She sat atop the roof where she had seen Jaune get struck by something. Blake grimaced, as she recalled the memory. At first, she was sure that he had been hit by nothing, but each time she thought back to the moment, the details seemed hazy; as if there were a pulse in the air, just as Jaune was struck. Blake rubbed at her temples. The pain growing in the base of her skull began to spread, like red hot tendrils. Blake cried out in pain, as she collapsed. Her entire nervous system had been set on fire, the pain infesting and bubbling, as if she were melting from the inside out. Blake curled into a ball as a chorus of a thousand screams reverberated in her skull. Just as quickly as the pain came, it vanished. Leaving Blake a sobbing mess, her body ached and protested at the slightest movements. Slowly, her vision began to focus. The starry night sky stared back at her… rather, it stared into her. Blake felt a fear so deeply rooted, so primal, her mind went blank as the night sky twinkled.
Blake jolted up from where she lay. Her body ached as she took in the sky again. The sun still sat in the same position, ever so slowly drifting out of view. Blake shook, as she brought out her scroll. Not even a minute had passed. She was going insane, she had to be. Blake began laughing, slowly at first. The laughs took on a tinge of madness as Blake sat on the roof, her sobs intermingling with laughter.
Blake began pulling at her hair, clawing at her head. Desperately, she wanted to rip out whatever it was, she would get it out once and for all. Blake jumped down to the balcony below. She stumbled into the team dorm to find it empty. All the better for her, if her team were here, they would only get in her way. Blake ignored the shadows that slithered and danced in the corner of her vision. They weren't real, as if to prove her wrong yet again, one of the shadowy tendrils lashed out and grabbed ahold of her foot. Blake let out a yelp as she came crashing into the bunkroom. Blake kicked and thrashed, only to look back and see no shadows, nor slithering beasts on the walls and floor.
"I really am going crazy." She barely recognized her own voice, as it came out so tired and defeated.
[Incorrect… you gained Insight.] Blake froze as she heard the voice. Slowly, she turned to see a humanoid crow standing by Jaune's trunk. Blake rubbed at her eyes, but the figure still stood there, staring at her.
[What do you mean?] She warily questioned, as she shakily rose to her feet, ignoring the increasing fatigue in her body. Blake really took in the figure now. It was a humanoid crow, but a person whose clothes matched that of one. The fashion and style reminded her of Jaune's outfit. [What's Insight?] The person shook their head and tapped on Jaune's trunk.
[You do not have much time before the abominations come back…] The woman, Blake, could just make out her figure. Once again, the figure before her tapped the trunk. Blake made her way forward as the scratching in the back of her head returned with renewed vigor. Blake fought through the sudden haze that began to cloud her mind as she collapsed onto the trunk. She set to work on picking the lock, any other time, in any other situation, she would have had such a simple lock open in no time. Blake let out a string of mumbles and curses as she fumbled with the lock. She ripped the lock off when she heard the click. She heaved the unfathomably heavy case open and stared at the various tools and items laid out before her. She might as well have been looking at the controls of a Bullhead.
The figure crouched down and stared at the equipment before her, her gaze lingering just a tad longer on the twin curved blades. The figure pointed at a small vial with a purple liquid in it.
[Drink, it will save you for now.] Blake and the crow both jerked their heads back to the bunkroom entrance as a wet thump broke the tension. Blake stared in horror as hundreds of inky black tendrils rose from the ground slowly coalescing into a lump of limbs and tainted flesh. Blake wasted no more time as the beast began to roar. She snatched the suspicious liquid from the trunk, broke the lid off and downed the liquid, just as the beast began clawing its way toward her. Blake felt her pain fade away as she slumped to the ground.
Coral stared down at the now sedated Faunus. The eldritch monstrosity stopped in its tracks. It looked around for its prey, but upon only noticing Coral, it roared as it melted back into the veil. Coral stared at her own hand. She watched with interest, as her hand broke apart into motes of energy, the motes reminded her of the stars. She knelt beside her brother's teammate and sighed. The girl was too inquisitive for her own good and had bitten off more than she could chew. The girl hadn't once noticed that she had been speaking fluently in the old tongue. Coral closed her eyes as she let herself fade. Her body dispersed into a dazzling show of light. Motes of starry light floated about, one by one, the motes began to drift and collect onto Blake's back. Slowly, the motes sunk into the girl's body. Gradually, four distinct marks appeared on her back, taking the shape of a twisted inverted cross. Blake's body began to glow brighter and brighter, bathing the room in purple. Blake's unconscious form jerked, as her aura shattered and splintered outward.
Jaune let out a grunt as he carved through another beowolf. Hazel dashed past as he wretched his saw cleaver free. Hazel was a blur as she danced around the pack of Grimm they had tracked down, her Boom hammer, a light in bright red flames. Wherever she struck, the explosive force crushed any and all resistance. Jaune whirled around and brought up his pistol in one fluid motion. He squeezed off two shots, his aim proved true as the bullets sunk into the ursa's arm, sending its savage swing off course. Hazel wasted no time, as she brought her weapon up in a vicious uppercut. The Grimm's head was reduced to a black puddle as Hazel struck home. Both siblings set about cutting down any remaining stragglers.
Jaune let out a content sigh, as he sat atop of the rotting corpses of the Grimm. Silently, the Hunters sent a prayer up for the souls that these might have once been. Hazel pulled down her mask as she bathed in the morning sun. They had been at it for some time by now. Jaune had long stopped keeping score when Hazel had hit fifty. Jaune grimaced, as he gazed at her weapon. A heavy blanket of sadness had fallen over him. Still, the reason why eluded him. He shook off the feeling and pushed out any unnecessary thoughts. They were hunting and he was happy. There wasn't any need to ruin such a moment.
Blake groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. Her body still ached, but for once the pain in her head and the nightmares were gone, mentally, she felt refreshed. She looked down to realize she had fallen asleep atop Jaune's trunk. She blinked as she stared at the items inside. The memories flooded back into her, panic grasped at her heart as she wildly scanned the room for any movement. Once she was positive that the monsters weren't around, she let out a relieved sigh. Gently, she replaced Jaune's items. She desperately wanted to search through the assortment of things but held back. After all, the crow was there to guide her, in that sense.
Blake sighed as she made her way to the bathroom. She would lose out on any hot water if she didn't take one now. Blake's mind began to go over everything she had witnessed as she turned the shower on. She peeled off her sweat soaked clothes, before stepping into the steaming hot water.
As far as useful information, she had none. She paused as she thought about it, maybe she did have one piece of information, Insight. That was what the crow had told her she gained. Blake hummed in thought, Insight could be codename, it could be anything… even a lie? Blake shook her head, the crow had helped her. Why would she lie about that? Blake sighed as she dropped the idea. The pressure in the back of her skull had begun to build once again as she pondered the crow and the beasts she had seen.
A faint knock on the bathroom door broke her from her trance. With a curse, she realized that she had stayed in the shower far longer than she intended
"I'm finishing up now, just one second!" She rinsed herself off one last time before jumping out and drying off. She wrapped a towel around herself as she wrapped one around her head. Blake flung the door open expecting a very annoyed team Silver. Blake froze, as she looked around the empty common room. A faint groan drew her attention to the floor before her. Blake stifled her scream as she fell to her knees.
On the floor, from a pool of dark shadows rose three malformed childlike humans. Their faces, each distinctly different from the other. The little figures silently argued amongst themselves, punching and shoving each other. Blake's horror gave way to cautious curiosity. The middle figure seemed to catch on to her gaze first, as it grabbed the two and faced them to her. At once, the figures bowed before pulling something from the shadows. Unable to coordinate properly, the figures began tugging at the item from all directions. Blake raised an eyebrow as she watched on, in fascination. She let them go on for some time before reaching out and taking the parchment from them.
"What are you doing Blake?" Blake nearly jumped out of her skin as she looked up to find team Silver flooding in. Pyrrha smiled at her, waiting for an answer. Blake could see the concern in the girl's eyes. Blake looked from team Silver to the little misshapen monsters next to her. All of her team followed her gaze then back to her. Blake grinded her teeth as she noticed the shared looks of concern.
"They really can't see them. Does that mean they don't have this Insight that I have?" She thought before standing and letting out a yawn.
"I woke up from a nap not too long ago and needed a shower. I was just headed to bed when I thought I saw something on the floor. But I guess I was wrong." Blake let out a laugh, that sounded just a tad too high in pitch. Yang was the first to break Silver's silence.
"Blake, you're acting weird… like you're hiding something." Yang stalked closer, stopping just inches away from Blake. The two stared into each other's eyes before Yang burst out into laughter.
"Blake, you look scared shitless! Relax, I'm just messing with you! I'm happy that you got some rest!" Yang cried out between laughs. Blake felt her face flush, using that as her excuse she slipped into the bunkroom as Team Silver set about fighting for the next shower spot. Blake stared at the parchment in her grasp. She unfurled it, her head felt a stabbing pain as she tried to read the jumble of letters and symbols before her. Blake pushed through the pain and locked her gaze onto the paper. As she tried and failed to read the message something in the back of her mind snapped. Her vision blurred as the pain rushed forward into her eyes. A burning pain sprang up on her right shoulder. The burning on her back grew hotter and hotter as it condensed into a concentrated heat. She gasped as the white hot pain shot straight into her eyes. Blake blinked away stars as her vision came into focus.
She gasped as the words before her rearranged themselves.
[Seek, Tower. To save Hunter. Meet with crow] Blake sighed as she read the message again and again. She peered out the window at Beacon Tower, the imposing tower cast a large shadow over the academy as it bathed in the moonlight. Looks like Blake was back to breaking and entering again.
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Blake stuck to the shadows as she crept around the grounds of Beacon, the tower looming overhead. Blake ran under the cover of the shadows, as she drew closer. At the base of the Tower, she spotted the guards. A rustle in the bushes next to guards caught her attention. Blake let out a silent curse, as the crow dressed Hunter stepped out of the bushes. The figure paid no attention to the men who clearly didn't see or hear the specter. The woman stopped just before Blake, kneeling down to the girl's level. Blake was about to talk but the figure flickered in and out of existence before her eyes. The Hunter held a hand up and shook her head. Looks like questioning the woman was out of the question.
Holding one hand out to the side the crow held her hand out. Blake sat there impatiently, waiting only for the specter to repeat the motion.
"Me?" She questioned, but the figure only responded by doing the motion again. Blake followed suit and held an outstretched hand over the spot her guide had. She only had to wait a moment, as more of the malformed human creatures burrowed out of the shadows. Blake stared in shock, as a lantern slowly arose from the mass of creatures. Once the lamp reached its full height, the little creatures all swarmed its base as they kept it upright. The slow building pressure increased yet again. The crow must have sensed it for it flickered out and appeared behind Blake; but before the younger girl could protest, a cold fire erupted from her shoulder locking her body in place. The feeling of agony slowly turned to that of a cool numbing sensation as the specter placed a hand where runes had been inscribed onto the girl, unbeknownst to Blake herself. In seconds, Blake felt rejuvenated. A small vibration nearly caused her to jump. She pulled out her scroll and opened her aura reading app. Blake felt a lump of concern solidify as she looked at the error across her screen. The snap from the Hunter snapped Blake out of her own thoughts. Silently, the woman turned to the lamp and sat down. She looked back at Blake one last time before reaching out and touching the purple glowing lantern. Instantly, the specter slumped forward, asleep. Blake watched in fascination as the specter's body began to break apart into small particles and drifted into the purple light of the lamp. Blake swallowed her fear.
She was sure this was probably the worst idea she's ever had, and she's had a lot of bad ideas before. That has never stopped her before and she wasn't about to let it now. Blake reached out and touched the lamp.