Happy Halloween, you Glorious Bastards

Doubts

Jaune needed to clear his head. No matter how many times his friends told him that he was making progress, one fact still remained; he hadn't won a fight against anyone at Beacon. Someone had to be at the bottom, it only made sense it would be him. The breeze in the courtyard was keeping him grounded as he sat on a bench. Gardening was never his strong suit, but he could tell that the groundskeepers put pride in their work. It was an eye-catching display of flowers, trees, and shrubbery, probably to help relax students.

He leaned back and took a deep breath, letting the sun warm his body.

You know they're just trying to help.

I know, I just hate it. Being so weak.

Everyone is weak at some point. Why do you think you're the exception? That thought made him even more frustrated.

Because I'm the leader. Because I need to be stronger.

It doesn't happen overnight. Deep down you know that.

What I would like to know is what the hell you are.

I'm you. That answer frustrated him more than he cared to admit.

How?

I don't know. I just am. Great. He couldn't even have his own mind to himself.

This is bullshit.

At least the weather is nice.

Shut it, you. Dissociating aside, Jaune just wanted some time to himself. Just something to lose himself in.

What do you want? It asked after another few moments.

What?

What. Do. You. Want? Jaune brought his metal arm up and inspected it. What did he want? Did he want strength to protect? Maybe. Did he want to be a hero? Maybe again. Did he want to help? Yes, but it felt more like that was supposed to be a byproduct of his actions. None of it felt right, but there was one thing he know he did want.

I want to be better. Jaune knew he was petty. He knew that his friends were worried about his behavior, but pride wouldn't let him go to them for help. Being a bother was something Jaune was used to, and one thing a leader was not, was a hinderance.

Well, there's plenty of Grimm to practice on in the Emerald Forest. A place to beat the hell out of monsters and vent? It might be just what the doctor ordered.

It was 4:38 P.M. and no one has seen Jaune since this morning. Ruby was understandably anxious, but Nora wasn't worried. The behavior was familiar to her, and all he needed was time. She and Ren had years to become stronger after they survived the tragedy of their village. Come to terms with what happened and accepting that they need help in order to survive. Roughing it in a forest when you're not even a teenager leaves you with little options. Ren was there for her though. He's always there for her.

So, when Ruby asked to help look for him, their team leader couldn't say no. Those silver puppy dog eyes could melt mountains. Which is why Nora was in the courtyard, hand on her hips and surveying the surroundings. "Now, if I was a troubled teenage tin man, where would I be?" If it was her, she would be in the gym burning off the frustration with heavy lifting, or with Ren, picking his brain about all sorts of topics. But it wasn't her that was missing, it was Jaune.

Taking a mighty breath in and putting her hands to her face, she did what reliably worked. "JAAUUNNEEEEEYYYY! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Nora yelled into the air. A few odd looks came her way from other students lounging about, but she didn't care. No response came back. "MARCO!" Again silence. Think you can hide from me, eh? I got news for you, Jauney boy, I am the reigning champion of hide and seek! I will find you! Now all she needed to do was track him down.

A strong wind rolled through the courtyard, ruffling trees, student's hairs, and papers alike toward the Emerald Forest. To anyone else, it would just be the wind acting up. But Nora knew better. This was a nature telling her where to go. Look out Jauney, here I come!

Bounding through the Beacon grounds with pep in her step, Nora made her way to the edge of the vibrant woodland. There was a path from Beacon that led to the forest that didn't include being catapulted off a cliff. It was well worn with footprints of other Hunters in training and even the occasional warning sign. Throwing caution to the wind, she skipped into the woods with little care in the world. It took quite a half hour before she encountered her first Grimm. A Beowulf stood in her path for all of four seconds before her hammer met its face. Resting her hammer on her shoulders she called out to Jaune.

"Jaune! Jauney! Jauney Boy! Jauney Bobastic!" Nora continued her yelling through the woods. "Marco!" Now this is just bad sportsmanship. Deeper into the Emerald Forest she ventured in search of her friend-not-friend. Where are all the Grimm? It's been quite a bit in Nora time since the Beowulf and it perplexed her. The Emerald Forest should be teeming with Grimm. Why was it so empty? As luck would have it, she wouldn't have to wonder for long.

The first corpse she found was a diffusing Ursa. Shadow tendrils rising like smoke as the monster dissipated. Signs of battle lead deeper into the woods. Broken branches, gouges in the trees and ground. More fallen Grimm littered the path of devastation like breadcrumbs, winding in random directions. Eventually, the path ended at a clearing.

Grimm corpses littered the grass. Ursa, Beowulf, and even a King Taijitu. That raised some questions. It had multiple gashes along its body, with on head missing an eye and the other looked like it had its jaw ripped off. A field of bone plates indicated that there were a few more met their end before she arrived. The exact number of Grimm slain here couldn't be counted accurately, but she would guess around ten or fifteen. A medium sized pack, something any Huntsman should be able to take care of. But something else caught her attention in the battlefield

"More…" Growled the lone figure in graveyard. It was the shield's crest splattered with blood that let her know it was Jaune, but his voice was distorted. His blade and clothing were coated in evaporating Grimm remains, making him look downright villainous with the black smoke. He stumbled on his feet but kept up right.

"Give me more…" A chill ran down her spine as she readied her hammer. Nora may be eccentric, but she was no idiot. Huntsman have fallen into battle trances before, lost in the haze of slaughter and attacking everything in front of them.

"Hey Jaune." She tried her most comforting voice. He froze in place as his head turned toward her. The matted blonde hair covered a good portion of his eyes. "It's Nora, you doin' okay buddy?" Slowly inching closer to him, she kept her guard up.

"Nora?" Jaune asked stepping forward. His knees buckled as he collapsed face first into the ground, scattering bone remnants. If anything, it calmed her down knowing he was in no condition to fight. Nora didn't want to fight a friend. A groan came from him as he rolled himself over, spread eagle to the world in all of his grimed glory. Nora leaned down and poked his face with her finger, eliciting another groan from him. The man was more roughed up than she originally thought. Dirt, blood, and sweat covered his clothing.

"So…." Nora began looking for an icebreaker. "How was your day?" Ragged breathing came as an answer. "That's not bad. Your team is looking for you by the way Mister Slay-A-Ton-Of-Grimm-And-Tell-Nobody. Awfully rude." She poked his face again for good measure. A metal hand half heartily batted it away. "You know they say 'The more the merrier' for a reason, right? We could have had a Grimm hunting extravaganza! Whoever brought back the biggest bone plate would be the winner! That's such a great idea Jauney!"

Setting her weapon behind her back, Nora leaned down and picked Jaune up as settled him over her shoulders in a fireman's carry. He was dead weight and was heavier than he looked. An odd sensation came over her as she held him but thought little of it. "You need to lay off the chips, buster, or you'll look like Port." Leaving the Grimm graveyard behind her, Nora made her way back to Beacon. "What should the prize be for such a hunt? Pancakes? No… too predictable." Another groan came from Jaune as Nora took her time back home. "Oooooh. That's a good idea! But what about teams? Doubles or full? How about every man for himself?"

Blake was lounging on her bed reading the sequel to Ninjas of Love, Shrouded Nights. In her opinion, the series started flowing in a different direction than she originally thought. Not that it was bad or anything, it just took her time to get used to it. And right now, she had all the time she wanted. Everyone else split up to look for their team leader, Ruby darting around campus while Weiss went into Vale. Taking advantage of a presented opportunity, Blake elected to stay at their dorm in case he came back, giving her plenty of alone time with her mature content. If Jaune knew how much he worried Ruby after disappearing like that, he ought to get on his knees and grovel.

Just like the character in her book. Maybe without all the bondage, blindfold, and in between the legs of his mistress. The author had a wonderful way of describing the scenes, making Blake's legs rub together in quiet fantasy. Kisses trailed up her calf to her inner thigh, causing delightful sparks of pleasure to race up Kine's spine. It was agonizing and oh so delightful in the slow advance to her center. His lips followed the soft skin to the core of her body. Gentl-

"Guess who I found!" Nora announced, kicking open the door of her dorm. Ingrained reflexes caused Blake to immediately throw the book at the other side of the room. It hit the wall with a quiet thud and slid down to the floor. A pregnant silence filled the room as Nora stared at her. "What wa-"

"Nothing." There was another momentary pause.

"But I jus-"

"Nothing." Blake stressed each syllable to get the message across. Though, considering it's Nora, it was a coinflip at best.

"Alrighty." Success. "Here's Jauney by the way." Nora showed their incapacitated team leader on her shoulders, covered in dirt and grime. In contrast, all she had was a light sheen of sweet and breathing lightly.

"What the hell happened?" He looked like he went a couple rounds with a Goliath.

"You should have seen it!" Nora excitedly began. "Alone in the Emerald Forest, surrounded on all sides. A last stand against the monsters of humanity. When I found Jaune, corpses of the night were littered around him, like a lone warrior over a battlefield." She regaled Jaune's story. "A true Huntsman, looking for more prey to satisfy the hunt." A snort came from Blake from the absurdity of it.

"You found him in the Emerald Forest?"

"Yup!" Huh, that would explain a lot. "Where do you want me to drop him?" Now wasn't that a question?

"Just put him on the floor." Jaune was too dirty to be put anywhere else.

"Okay!" Nora promptly rolled her shoulders, dropping him on the ground with a meaty thwack. That one is on me. A groan came from him as he attempted to get up but failed. "Yeah, he's kind of out of it." Nora reached back and grabbed his weapon and held it out to her. The normally ivory and gold heirloom was caked in grime and dried blood. Okay, maybe Nora's story did happen. "I'm gonna take a shower. See ya Blakey! See ya Jauney!" The door slammed shut as she walked out.

Blake nudged her foot against Jaune's side, provoking a groan from her team leader. "Nora…. Stop…." Was he awake now?

"Nora's gone, Jaune. You're back in the dorm." She answered, putting his weapon in the corner by his bed.

"Oh…. Okay…." She waited a few moments, staring at him and wondering what to do. Back in the White Fang, new recruits sometimes needed help acclimating to the rigorous training needed for missions. But that was a long time ago. Before she cut ties, standards had dropped significantly, leaving the organization teaming with fanatics and civilians. Not a good combination. The smell coming from him wrinkled her nose. A shower would be a good start.

"You owe me." Reaching down, she pulled his metal arm over her shoulder to carry him into the bathroom. "Damn, you're heavy." Opening the door, Blake hauled him in and set him on the floor. "Hey, wake up." Lightly tapping his face, causing him to stir.

"Basit whatsit?" he mumbled. Blake rolled her eyes at the incoherent gibberish.

"Damnit, come here." Though she had to kneel to take off his gear. His attire was coated in dirt and Grimm blood, making him look like a vagrant. Getting his jacket off was easy, all she had to do was plant a foot on his chest and pull the sleeves. She tossed it towards the hamper. The shirt came next after she had to bunch it up from the bottom and roll it off him. His body was covered in bruises again. Seriously, how do you keep doing this to yourself? Was he suicidal? Blake didn't know.

Jaune's body was developing fast with the regimen he was subjected too. Muscles were growing and becoming more tone with the constant activity. Blake had gotten used to him being shirtless in the dorm, not thinking much of it. He did it out of function for maintaining his arm, and she couldn't fault that. The prosthetic caught her attention, seeing how a scarred web branched out from his shoulder across his chest. It was faint in discoloration and could only be seen up close.

Blake's thumb brushed over the edge were flesh met metal, feeling the stark contrast of texture. I wonder what it's made of. It had to be something durable in order to keep up with the Huntsman lifestyle. I'll ask him later. Gentle snoring came from his as Blake worked on getting his boots off. Somehow, Jaune was able to sleep like the dead at any time. Granted, with how much time he spends injured, it was probably a blessing.

The sound of the dorm door clicking open informed her that someone else was here. "Hello? Blake?" Came Ruby's voice from the other side of the bathroom door.

"In here! Also, Jaune's back!" Blake responded. A second later, Ruby opened the bathroom door. Relief could be seen on her face as she laid eyes on Jaune's figure. That only lasted a second before she started asking questions.

"Where was he?"

"Fighting Grimm from what Nora told me. Said something about a battlefield, but who knows how much she exaggerated." Blake explained taking off his other boot.

"That explains the smell." Ruby commented. She kneeled down and started poking Jaune's cheek. "You big dummy."

"Yeah, he's an idiot alright. Grab his legs." With a team effort, Blake and Ruby were able to carry Jaune to the bathtub. "On three." They began swinging his body towards the bath.

"One."

"Two."

"Three!" They let go, throwing Jaune into the tub. The noise of is body hitting the porcelain echoed in the bathroom. Neither of them could figure out why he wouldn't wake up from being thrown like that.

"Do you want to do the honors?" Blake asked as they stared at their half-naked leader sprawled in the bathtub.

"Why, thank you." Ruby responded by turning the knob above the tub, causing the showerhead to burst out cold water. The effect was immediate, with Jaune squirming in response. He took a deep breath of air as he sat up.

"I'm alive!" Another second passed as he looked around. "How'd I get here?"

"Nora dropped you off." Blake informed him as water rained down. "Do you remember where you were?" Jaune took a moment to think.

"I was hunting in the forest. And I was being attacked by this huge snake thing. It had two heads! What kind of Grimm has two heads?"

"King Taijitu."

"A Taijitu" Ruby and Blake said at the same time. With that, both left Jaune in the bathroom alone. In hindsight, it was probably weird to talk to their teammate while he was in the shower, but Blake couldn't bring herself to care. She'd already seen the opposite sex naked, and frankly, wasn't impressed by her old partner. Laying down on her bed, she started reminiscing about the old days in the White Fang. Before the whole organization became a terrorist sect and was about proper equality after the war they won.

"Hmmm…. This looks interesting…" Ruby said from the other side of the room. It was honestly bullshit how they were barely compensated afterwards. Racism was still rampant; Cardin was the best example in her mind. The oaf shamelessly bullies anyone he thinks weaker than him and was only magnified if the victim was a Faunus. Blake was glad her team leader smashed his face in, she still needed to thank him.

"Oh… This is one of those… Hmm." But then again, none of her teammates knew she was a Faunus. Was it because of shame? No, she would never be ashamed of her heritage. She was worried about what everyone else would think. Ruby was on the fence with her stance, but her partner, Weiss, was a Schnee. The embodiment of Faunus abuse and indentured servitude. Blake saw the brand on Adam's face when he escaped the camps. None of them were innocent.

Was she being judgmental? Maybe. But experience taught her to be wary with a healthy dose of paranoia. Those who trusted easily didn't live long, but this was a different line of work. Whatever, I have more important things to do than sulk. Like finishing her book that Nora rudely interrupted. Where was it again? I know I threw it… Blake looked over to where she would have thrown her reading material. Should've landed next to Jaune's bed… And she did see it.

It was in Ruby's hands. The younger sister of a team leader who had maternity issues and a temper had her book of adult literature. Ruby was even kicking her legs back in forth as she laid down on her bed. A faint blush could be made out from her, and Blake knew that look of being utterly drawn into a well written scene.

Oh no.

Forever fall was a beautiful place. Untouched by man's polluted hands and vibrant with its bright crimson leaves and teeming wildlife. It was a sobering thought that only a beautiful place could only exist because the Grimm roamed it. There was an interesting thought that the only reason why the Grimm even existed was to keep humanity in check and to keep nature alive. At least the animals were always ignored.

The Thwack of driving the tap into the tree echoed in the quiet forest. Their current assignment was to gather sap from the trees for the Beacon kitchens. The had students do this regularly for extracurricular activity, but Ms. Goodwitch brought them out as a field trip. She said it was to see the good sides of the Grimm population, how it preserved nature and was extremely beneficial to the environment.

"Are you still mad?" Ruby pointedly ignored Jaune by driving in the tap a bit further with her hammer. Honestly, if the guy couldn't figure out why she was mad at him, then he deserved the silent treatment. Making her and the whole team worry like that. "You're still mad. Alright, what did I do?" He asked on as he worked on his own tree. "Was it because I stole one of your cookies last week? I'm sorry about that."

"Nope." Ruby emphasized the P to make a point. It was just the two of them because Weiss thought it would be a good idea to split up to cover more ground, whatever that meant for tapping trees. But she was an heiress and knew more than she did about business. Glops of sap started leaking out of the tap, which was perfect for Ruby as she placed her jar below it. "Try again." Though the revenge on eating her cookie was still pending.

"Is it that new book you were reading?"

"Nope." The book was something and Ruby just couldn't put it down. It just had the allure that only a new and exciting book could have. Definitely wasn't because of the adult scenes. Yang would kill her if she found out.

"Well, I'm an idiot and out of ideas." Ruby could see him standing away from her and crossing his arms out of the corner of her eye. "So, if you could please enlighten me on what I did wrong, that would be wonderful."

"How about you tell me what you did yesterday and maybe you can figure it out." She might be being passive aggressive about this, but she felt he deserved it.

"Let's see. I woke and made some breakfast with Ren, talked about our class. Then we went to the combat hall for sparring, where I lost. Again. After that, I went out to the Emerald Forest to find some Grimm so I can vent. I killed a few but then woke up half naked in the shower with you and Blake glaring at me. Did I do something to insult you while I was killing Grimm? Was it because I'm weaker than all of you? I guess it makes sense si-"

Ruby interrupted his rambling by slapping him in the face as hard as possible. That got him to shut up. "It's because we were worried, you idiot!" Anger wasn't an emotion she was used to, but right now it felt appropriate, and him verbally degrading himself didn't help. "You just disappeared after fighting with Pyrrha and no one knew where you were!" Jaune had a shocked expression on his face and a red handprint on the side.

"You were worried?" He said in a small voice looking back at her.

"Yes! Why is that so hard to understand!" Ruby might've been bottling her anxiety from the previous day and was now unleashing it upon him.

"Because I can't do that much." It took her a moment to process that.

"What?"

"I can't win a fight. I can barely lead a team. And apparently I can cause a girl to cry." Now that she thought about it, her vision was blurry. "I'm also incredibly bad at noticing things. If you don't tell me what's wrong, I'll never figure it out." He started walking closer to her.

"You're an idiot."

"I'm sorry for being one." Ruby was able to rest her head on his chest as she tried stifle the tears. Big girls don't cry. The metal hand that gently patted her head didn't help the thought.

"Promise you'll tell us where you're going next time?" She looked up to his face and into his blue eyes. There was sadness there, something she saw before.

"I promise."

Liar.

Her family said the same things. Like how her dad still went on hunts but never told them where. Or Qrow when he had to leave suddenly for a mission. Even Yang lied to her about Santa Clause about the longest time, making her feel like an idiot in front of her friends. Why did everyone lie to her?

"You're lying." Jaune sighed at the accusation.

"I am. I'm sorry about that too." At least he admitted it.

"Why?"

"Because I'm impulsive. It's new to me too. Got the voice in my head and everything. Makes it hard to tell people." He chuckled at that, she didn't.

"It's not funny."

"It's the truth. You think I like it? The dude, or me, I don't know any more, keeps running commentary on damn near everything."

"Oh?" Ruby quirked an eyebrow. "What's he saying now?"

"He's telling me to shut the hell up before you drag me to the infirmary." Ruby giggled at that.

"I just might." Jaune's face became extremely concerned at the suggestion.

"Please don't. I'll do anything. Just don't let Doc test me." There was probably a story there, but Ruby didn't want to know anymore.

"Then give me a promise you can keep." That shouldn't be hard, right? Just one thing. It only irritated her when he didn't immediately respond. Instead, he looked up to the sky in deep thought. "I'm waiting." Even though they were in each other's personal spaces, Ruby refused to budge until she made some headway.

"Gimme a minute. This is harder than you think." A few more moments of silence passed. Ruby even crossed her arms and started tapping her foot in agitation. "I can promise to train harder."

"That doesn't sound safe, especially coming from you." She sighed. "Will you at least let me know before hand? So we don't have to tear apart Beacon to find you again?"

"I can do that." She looked into his eyes again for any deceit but found none.

"Pinky promise." Holding out her small finger. Jaune took it in his with a small smile.

"Promise."

"Don't lie!"

"I'm not! Seriously!" Sure, you are. But Ruby left it at that, letting him believe he fooled her. Yang was right. All boys are idiots. By now her jar must have been filled, so she left Jaune standing there to check up on it. The container was filled with the pink viscous liquid. It had a sweet smell that reminded her of a mix of honey and strawberries. It looks so strange… Before she could continue the train of thought, the sound of shattered glass came from behind her.

"Ow, what the hell!?" As she turned around, Ruby could see broken shards of glass and the same pink liquid in Jaune's hair. A small trickle of blood dripped down his forehead. Ruby approached Jaune and began surveying the area. Someone must've thrown it. The trees were quiet, with only the occasional breeze ruffling the leaves. Out of the corner of her eye he, began trying to pick the glass shards out of his hair.

"Don't. Leave it and let me do it." She instructed, dragging Jaune by the hand away to a nearby river. "And keep your eyes closed, do you want glass in your eyes?" The man was near blinded from the syrup and glass shard on his face. Her guard was still up for anymore surprises, constantly scanning her surroundings.

"No, Ma'am." Whoever threw the bottle would pay dearly when she found out who it was. Right now, she had to take care of Jaune. A few minutes of walking through the crimson forest later, they finally found the river she was searching for. Ruby stood at the edge of the water holding Jaune's wrist. Now, how should I do this? "Are we at the river?" He asked, still partially blind.

"It's right in front of us. Hold on for a second while I take off my boots." Combat boots were important for Huntresses and Huntsman, they helped protect your feet and could keep going for miles. Ruby's were up to her mid-shin and were a hassle to put on and off. Walking in wet boots was a sure-fire way to ruin your feet, Aura or not. Jaune didn't get the memo as he ran straight into the river, diving the moment his waist hit the water.

Why is he like this?

Cold water suffused his body as Jaune shook his head sided to side. Submerged in the river, he hoped it would dislodge most of the gunk on his head. Breaking the surface of the water, he took a deep breath of fresh air. There was something refreshing about diving into a cold stream. It just felt right. "Ahhh. Much better." He sighed as he was able to open his eyes again. Ruby was glaring at him again with her arms crossed and a cute put on her face. "I made you mad again, didn't I?"

"You owe me a batch of cookies." She demanded from her spot a dozen feet away.

"I'll gladly pay the cookie tax for you to stop being mad at me." That earned a giggle from her, breaking the façade of her irritation. It was a nice sound to hear after making her so angry earlier. He'd have to be more careful. "Are we good?"

"Nope." The answer made the smile on his face fall a fraction. "I'll reconsider it after I judge your cooking."

Ahhh. Bribery.

Works on kids of all ages, I guess. Jaune waded his way out of the water, shaking his head like a dog to get most of the residue and glass out of his hair. His fingers combed through his scalp, getting as much out as possible. He was still ruffling his hair when he reached Ruby, stopping right in front of her. "Did I get it all?" He asked bringing his head down for her to inspect.

Her slender fingers started raking through his hair, searching for any glass that was left. It was a pleasant sensation at least. "Your hair is so… Floofy." She finally said, picking the last shard out.

"Floofy?" He raised his head back up to look at her.

"Yeah. Because it floofs." She said spreading her arms out for emphasis.

"Never heard that before."

"Now you have." A moment of awkward silence passed as they just stared at each other.

"Wanna grab our jars?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

The trek back was quiet, which suited them both fine. He did have to follow Ruby's lead, since he had no idea where he was going. A few minutes of walking brought them back to their clearing. Jaune could see his jar overflowing with sap as it was left unattended. At least he had enough. Bottling as much as possible, the pair made their way back to the bullhead they landed on. At least with Goodwitch around, no one will try anything funny.

"Damnit dove, you had one job!" Came from the tree line, stopping them in their tracks.

"It's Russel's fault! He Carried the box!"

"And you carried the sap!"

"Both of you shut it and run!" The voices started getting closer, along with the sound of running.

"Damnit." Jaune sighed to himself as he saw Team Cardinal break through the brush. Russel was firing backwards at something with his twin daggers while Sky leveled his halberd in the same direction. Dove's body came crashing into Russel, knocking him off his feet and into the open forest floor. Cardin finally came into sight, grabbing Sky by the collar with one hand and throwing him farther away from the tree line.

"Keep moving!" he commanded. Heavy footfalls and a mighty roar heralded the beast they were running from. An Ursa Major charged at Cardin, the hulking frame smashing him aside like a cheap toy. The Grimm was huge for an Ursa, easily towering over fifteen feet, with bone white plates covering the bulk of its body. Red lines etched the skull plate, accenting the blood-tinged eyes filled with murderous rage. The monster reared up on it hind legs, ready to smash Cardin into Huntsman paste. It gave off an aura of paralyzing fear, rooting Team Cardinal in place.

Jaune's body moved of its own volition, drawing forth Crocea Mors and expanding his shield. The blow was staggering as he intercepted the strike, causing his prosthetic to groan and grit his feet to dig into the ground. With bionic strength, Jaune was able to throw off the hulking arm and ready himself for another blow. Cardin was right behind him, but he couldn't take his eyes off the Grimm. "Go." Jaune commanded, rooted to the spot. He couldn't move until Cardin was out of the way.

Shuffling was heard behind him as the beast reared up for another attack, bringing both arms up to smash its prey. This is going to hurt.

Grit your teeth. Jaune raised his shield to block the overhead strike and gritted his teeth. The weight of the beast was behind it as Jaune's body took the full force of it. Aura reinforced his body to keep it from braking as the ground cratered underneath him. The pain in his metal arm was agonizing as he poured more Aura into it, but the beast was close, and its underbelly open. He thrust his sword into the vulnerable Grimm flesh, stepping in to sink it as deep as possible. The hilt met the monster's body, but it was still alive.

Another deafening roar echoed through the forest as he wounded the beast. Assuming Cardin was gone, Jaune stepped back to disengage. A swipe from the beast's large claw narrowly missed his head as he ducked beneath it. Jaune met the Ursa's bloody stare, challenging it. At least I have its attention now. The Grimm charged again, but he was ready for it. Waiting until the beast's face was close enough to touch, Jaune stepped forward and underneath the creature, bracing his body with Aura and slashing his sword forward.

The effect was immediate as the body was cut open above him, drenching his clothes in Grimm viscera. Momentum from the body did the work for him, the family heirloom gutting the beast. The Ursa skidded past him across the forest floor, leaving a black trail of gore to its crumpled body. Beyond the corpse, he could see Team Cardinal looking at him with mixed expressions. Russel and Dove were carrying Cardin between them, while Sky clutched his halberd.

Jaune didn't know why, but he pitied them. They could handle a single Grimm, and the odds were four to one. "You're Huntsman, right?" He asked them as they just stood there. "Start acting like it." Sheathing his sword and turning away, Jaune walked back to Ruby who had her hands behind her back, rocking her feet, and had a satisfied smile on her face. "I could've used your help there."

"Pffft. Nah." Ruby turned on her heel and started walking towards their landing. "I knew you had it."

This chapter took a little bit longer because work decided that I was participating in war games last week. That was fun. Until next time.