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Broken Realities
"Well, did a little kitten get lost?" Things do not go according to plan, if there even was a plan. Blake's face was ground into the cheap floorboards by the strange girl's boot. The heel dug into the back of her head as she tried to get off the ground, but the controller tweaked her arm behind her in warning. One minute, she was listening by a side window, the next she was pulled into the room and had her head promptly shoved against the floor.
"Fuck you." Blake muffled into the floorboards. Pain blossomed from the back of her skull, rattling her brain, and dazing her.
"Please, kitten. Even I have standards." Through her watery eyes, Blake could see the boots Torchwick wore walk outside her vision. "Besides the point, who are you?" His steps could be heard walking around her.
"I'm part of the White Fang." She gritted out. It was partially true, she hadn't truly quit, just had a…. leave of absence. Pain spiked from her ribs as Roman kicked her side, making her cough and gasp.
"You see, I just don't buy that. The White Fang are already here, and Adam doesn't need some girl mucking about." Blake's train of thought ground to a halt as she heard that. Adam's here? A hand grabbed her jaw and jerked her head to look Roman in the eyes. He was crouched down in front of her, and his eyes were jade and full of curiosity. "So, who are you? Be honest, I don't take well to liars."
"Ironic coming from you." Whoever was above her twisted her arm into an unpleasant angle, stretching already tense ligaments even farther. A pained cry escaped Blake's lips.
"And my associate doesn't like it either, by the way. I swear, kids these days can't read a room." He dropped her head on the ground and walked away. "Still waiting for an answer, kitten."
"I'm from Beacon." She said after another painful moment. It was hopeless. She got herself into this mess, and Sun was nowhere to be found. She chuckled to herself as Blake thought of him abandoning her. It was poetic justice for her abandoning everyone else, and she didn't even blame him. Roman rolled his eyes at the answer.
"That's the obvious answer. What's your name?" Her captor continued twisting her arm at an unnatural angle. Blake felt something pop in her shoulder and let out a muffled scream. The limb felt limp to Blake as her captor let it fall.
"Blake." She gritted out. "Blake Belladonna." She didn't even know if that name meant anything anymore. It certainly didn't help her figure out who Blake is. Just what she was supposed to be. A revolutionary.
"Belladonna, Belladonna." Torchwick rolled the name in his mouth. "I swear I've heard of that name somewhere before. Must not be important if I already forgot about them." Blake could see him swing his cane absentmindedly as walked around her. "Either way, I can't have Beacon poking their noses around in my business." Roman tapped something and her captor rolled her over onto her back. She could see now that it was a girl with multicolored hair and odd eyes. One was pink while the other was brown, just like her hair.
But the chill that ran down her spine wasn't from her odd appearance; it was from the sadistic smile she wore. A promise of pain was alighted in her heterochromia eyes and pearly white teeth. Blake saw the same look in the eyes of more fanatic Fang members and could only hope to get out in one piece. "As much as I hate to do this, I can't have you blabbing back to Beacon." Roman leveled his cane down towards her face, where the end popped open to reveal a target marker and an open barrel. "Nothing personal kid."
An explosion came afterwards.
Rain echoed along the street Ruby and Penny walked on, streetlights guiding their way through the drizzling veil. "Friend Ruby, I think it's a good idea to go back and recuperate." They ducked into a nearby overhand that belonged, to what it looked like, a pawn shop. "You're wet and have a high chance of catching a cold due to mild hyperthermia."
"But Blake is still out there! And we're running out of time!" Ruby protested, her red cloak enveloped her body, protecting most of it from the rain. "She's still out here, I know it. If only she could just give us a sign!" By pure happenstance, or fate smiling upon them, the sounds of an explosion echoed off the streets. Ruby, ever vigilant and quick to react, race down King's Boulevard to the source of the sound with Penny on her heels.
Following the direction of the sound, Ruby didn't see Jaune rounding the corner opposite of her in time. There was a split second of realization before she hit him, sending both tumbling across the wet asphalt in a tangled mess of limbs. "Ow…" Jaune groaned as he attempted to dislodge Ruby and her tangled cloak. "What hit me?" His answer was for Ruby to jump up off and pull him up.
"Perfect! We don't need to find you. Come on, you're wasting time!" Ruby grabbed Jaunes wrist and dragged him towards her predetermined direction.
"Wait, Ruby I think we should think about this." Jaune protested, trying to stop her.
"There's nothing to think about. Blake is our friend, and she needs us!" Ruby snapped back.
"We don't even know if that was her!"
"All the more reason to find out." Ruby marched on without him. Even if it wasn't Blake, a blast like that meant trouble for whoever was around it. She could hear Jaune and Penny catching up to her as they made their way to the seedier parts of Vale. Namely, the Warehouse district. Light from the florescent overhangs reflected off the damp metal, guiding their way through the steel maze. It didn't take long for them to hear the commotion of yelling and Bullhead engines.
Moving with a sense of urgency, they sprinted towards the noise, rounding the corner to see a large group of people in white Grimm masks moving shipment containers. Ruby was about to dive in and apprehend these thugs if it wasn't for Jaune grabbing her cloak and yanking her back around the corner. "Jau-" he clamped a hand over Ruby's mouth to keep her from talking and there was a burning expression in his eyes.
"What the fuck are you thinking?" He asked in a harsh whisper. Ruby yanked his hand away so she could speak.
"I am trying to catch the bad guys!" She matched his tone, angry at him for getting in her way.
"What was the plan, huh? Rush in and say 'freeze'!? They would shoot you on sight!"
"I have Aura!"
"And they have numbers. We are going to do the sensible thing and not get involved in whatever the hell is happening there." Ruby couldn't believe what Jaune was saying. It had to be because he hasn't been a Huntsman long enough to know, but they were meant to fight bad guys and bring them to justice.
"I believe these thugs you speak of are White Fang." Penny said, peaking around the corner. "There is a high probability of them preparing for an attack with all of the Dust in those containers." A terrorist attack? Ruby's eyes widened at that realization.
"White Fang!? Damnit. Alright, here's what we-" Jaune began only for Ruby to interrupt him.
"I got it Jaune, you take the ground route and me and Penny will climb on the roof. Break!"
"Good to know. Wait, what? No!" Ruby didn't hear the rest of his spiel as she and Penny climbed their way onto the Warehouse rooftop. The pipe they used was slippery from the rain and she could still hear Jaune whisper shouting at them, but they crested the rooftop no problem. If she couldn't confront them outright, then at least she could find Blake.
"God damnit, Ruby!" Jaune yelled at her, but she was gone. "Shit, shit, shit." Oh, things were going from bad to worse today. Apparently holding Ruby back from outright attacking was all he could do before she ran off with a civilian to spy on the goddamned White Fang. Some leader he was, but that was probably why Ozpin chose him. He was the only one with a level head right now.
Time to call in the big guns.
Goodwitch?
No, something worse.
Jaune pulled out his scroll and searched through his contacts until he found the one he wanted. The scroll only dialed twice before the recipient picked up. "Hello, this is Yang support, how can I help you?" He would have laughed at the greeting, but he was a bit too stressed right now.
"Hey Yang, we got a bit of a situation right now."
"Oh, you find Blake?"
"No, but your sister thinks so."
"Oh, that's great news!" There was a loud bang in the background, followed by something shattering. "Ren, control your sister!"
"She's not my sister!"
"Help, I'm stuck step-bro!" Nora was heard from the background.
"Sorry, about that. They act like a bunch of kids." Yang gave him back his full attention.
"Don't worry, I know the feeling. Speaking of kids, your Ruby ran off inside a warehouse full of White Fang members with a civilian." Jaune was blunt with her, and time was ticking.
"WHAT!?" Yang damn near blew out his eardrums and had to pull back the scroll from his ear.
"Yeah, sorry to drop that on you, also I'm sending you my location. Please get someone from Beacon to come as well, I think we need the back up."
"That little shit! She's grounded, you hear me!?" A furious Yang was good for right now, it's what he needed.
"Not if I get to her first. Hurry up, alright? Not sure how much I can do."
"Wait a minute, don't you han-" Jaune ended the call and sent her his location via text and pocketed his scroll. It started vibrating again in his pocket, but he ignored it. Yang knew what was going on, and that's all that he needed to do. She would take care of the rest on her end. Scrolling through his list again, he thumbed Weiss's number and called.
"Hello?"
"Hey Weiss, found some White Fang. Ruby ran off ahead with Penny and I need all the help I can get. I already called Beacon." Weiss was quiet for a moment before she spoke again.
"I can chew her out, right?"
"Oh, I'll be joining you with that one."
"Splendid. Where are you?" She asked.
"Warehouse district. Sending you the address." He typed in the location and sent it. "I'm heading in."
"On my way. And Jaune?" The tone of her voice was weird, and he didn't know where to place it.
"Yeah?"
"Try to be safe. I know you're a magnet for trouble."
"Ha. We'll see." Jaune hung up the call as his body started shaking with nervousness. Just sneak into a warehouse full of terrorists and drag Ruby back out of the dressing down of a lifetime.
Don't forget Penny.
Yeah. Jaune swallowed his dry mouth to get himself together. Working on it. He hated being the adult sometimes.
Yang was furious. She was having a great night so far, talking with Pyrrha about weightlifting while Nora and Ren were up to their usual antics. Normal stuff, all in all. Then Jaune had to call and tell her that A: They hadn't found Blake yet. B: Ruby ran off with a civilian into a White Fang compound. And C: Just hung up on her. The nerve. She thumbed the call button again to give him a piece of her mind, only for the dial tone to time out. All that was left on the screen was an address somewhere in the warehouse district.
"That Bastard." Yang seethed. She looked to the other occupants of the room here were quiet and starring at her with mixed expressions. Pyrrha looked concerned and was at her desk doing homework when Jaune called, so now that was out the window. Nora was messing around with her new bottle set for cooking, then promptly knocked a vial of garlic powder over and shattered it. Ren just looked irritated at the whole thing as he swept up Nora's mess.
"I need you all ready in five minutes! Weapons and everything!" Yang commanded which spurred them into changing into their combat gear. "Pyrrha get a bullhead ready for us." A nod from the champion confirmed the order. "Ren, get Goodwitch on the horn so I can talk to her." He politely nodded as he put on his green combat robe. "And Nora?" The redhead stopped jumping to look at her with one shoe on and the other halfway. "Bring the pig."
"Mr. Piggy!" She cried with joy and bolted to her footlocker, rummaging around for the precious item. Just you wait Ruby, momma's comin'.
Jaune was hugging the building close as he searched the outside for other entrances. Ruby and Penny were no where to be seen, but he didn't hear gunfire or the sounds of fighting, so that was a good sign. The rain was letting up too, now only a light drizzle. Thing was, even with the lights across the yard, it was still dark in some spots. The overhang he was under kept him mostly dry, but he had to be careful where he stepped. Rubbish, crates, discarded metal, and whatever else was discarded were scattered around the area.
How does anything get done here? He stepped over a wooden pallet, searching for a door.
Probably by using the main entrance.
Thanks, Captain Obvious.
Then why did you ask? Jaune grumbled under his breath. Stupid voice in his head. One of these days, he ought to get a prescription just to get some peace and quiet. A door was in view, just ahead of him. It was in this moment of distraction that he didn't see a lump in the darkness and tripped over it, landing himself in a puddle. Aura saved him from any actual damage, but he cursed anyway. "Stupid Ruby and stupid Blake for running. Weiss and her god damned arguments." Jaune slowly got up brushing himself off, for what little it was worth.
"Why can't things be simple? Normal teammates, normal friends, norm-"
"Jaune?" That small voice stopped his ranting. He looked around in the dark before his eyes spotted what he tripped over. In the darkness, he could barely make out the amber eyes that his teammate had.
"Blake?" Jaune leaned down to get a better look at her. His knee was soaked as he kneeled, but he didn't care. She was a disaster. Fear was evident in her eyes and warily watched him as he approached. It didn't help that she was curled against the metal wall. Cuts littered her body and the clothes she wore looked like they've been put through a shredder. Her left shoulder sagged lower than her other arm, which cradled it protectively. "What the hell happened to you?"
Something crashed outside of the office, followed by a loud explosion, shaking the storage facility, and causing the barrel to wobble out of her face and fire. The shot went high, shattering the glass that overlooked the warehouse floor behind her. Pushing her semblance, Blake was able to launch herself through the broken window while Roman and the other girl were distracted. Glass shards cut and flared her Aura as she fell towards the concrete.
The impacted winded her as her back met the floor. It wasn't a high fall, maybe twenty feet, but enough to cause some damage. Aura may have protected the brunt of it but her limp arm smack against the pavement as she landed, sending more pain through her body. She gritted her teeth and rolled over onto her feet. She needed to run. The explosion disoriented the surrounding White Fang members. Using the distraction, Blake hid behind a pile of crates and made her way to the far wall, hoping for another exit.
Yelling from Roman could be heard above her, but she didn't pay it much mind as she stuck to the walls and shadows. The limp arm was cradled into her body as she searched, eventually finding a deserted alcove. A door stood out to her in the back of it, something that she needed desperately. Blake had to unlock and push the door open and was thankful that it led to the outside of the warehouse. Closing the door from outside, Blake walked with the side of the building until she collapsed onto the ground.
Curling in on herself only helped keep in the heat from the cold rain, but she still felt the cold embrace of misery in her heart.
Blake couldn't meet his eyes and cast her gaze downward. "Why are you here?" She asked quietly and avoided the question. Jaune face twitched in irritation but smothered it for now and slowly reached out to her.
"Because someone ran away." Jaune answered pointedly, causing her to cringe. His hand gently grasped her bad shoulder, causing her to flinch away in pain.
"People run away all the time." She shot back.
Are we really doing this?
"I know, I've done it before." Instead of being deterred, Jaune went right in and grabbed her bad arm with his right hand. She let out a whimper and tried to pull away, but he didn't let her. "And I looked a lot like you when I did. A mess and alone." With his left metal arm, he leaned in and felt her shoulder. Dislocated, but intact. "But then a kind Huntsman found me and decided maybe I deserve a second chance." What did Valentine say when it happened? Pull it out and reinsert it?
"Please stop." Blake murmured. Whether it was from the pain or her stubbornness, he didn't care.
"Nope." Jaune answered and adjust his grip. "I'm bringing you home." Before she could complain anymore, he planted a muddy boot on her chest. "Also, this is going to hurt."
"Wait, No!" He didn't listen to her plea as pulled her arm. A grinding sensation could be felt through her body as she cried out in pain. Grabbing the top of the arm as he pulled with one hand, he pushed it back into the socket. An audible pop was heard as it fell back in place, causing Blake to slump in relief. "I. Hate. You." Blake declared through shuddering breaths.
"Feeling is mutual for you running away and causing me more problems." Jaune stood up and stretched his back. "Can you stand?" Blake massaged her shoulder and slowly stood up, using the wall as a support.
"Yeah." She grumbled out.
"Good, now all we need to do is find Ruby and get the hell out." Penny too if he found her, but he was hoping she had the common sense to leave.
"What? She's here?" Blake concern was obvious, even if it was hard to see her face in the darkness.
"Yeah. The idiot ran off looking for you, by the way." He didn't mean to guilt trip her, but it was a fact. From what he could see, she was already exhausted from whatever the hell she was doing.
"We need to find her. Torchwick is here." Blake brushed passed him, but he snagged her wrist and pulled her back.
"He's here!?" That made things infinitely worse. Jaune let go of her and ran his metal hand through his shaggy hair and started pacing. Just his luck that the infamous criminal would be working with the White Fang now of all times. "Why? Why is he here?"
"I don't know, but we need to move fast. Sun is still in there somewhere, or he left." She answered, rolling her shoulder.
"Sun?" He didn't recognize the name.
"An acquaintance." Was all she elaborated on the subject.
Fine, keep your secrets.
"Well, I hope he has enough brains to get the hell out of here." Jaune approached the door next to them and turned the rusty knob. "We have enough problems as is." Opening the door was harder than anticipated. The corroded hinges grated, and the door just seemed a bit to big for the frame. As gentle as possible, he pulled the door open. What he expected on the other side of the door was some crates, an empty room maybe, or even another door. Not a White Fang member pointing a gun at him.
There was a sudden tense silence as they eyed each other. Eight feet and the threshold separated them. Jaune couldn't see his eyes behind the mask, but he could see the scowl beneath the hood he wore. A pistol was in his hand, trained on the novice huntsman. He didn't know what kind or model because he never used firearms. That was Ruby's specialty. A faint click from the man spurred Jaune into action, adrenaline flooding his system.
Everything went into slow motion as reflexes honed by Pyrrha kicked in, closing the distance with a powered step. The member pulled the trigger and leaned back at the sudden movement from Jaune. A shot echoed in the sparse room, sailing high above Jaune's head as he lunged forward. His metal hand grasped the sheath to keep it stead while his other hand grasped the leather of Crocea Mors. Within distance of striking, instinct and training took over.
The quiet rasp of huntsman steel left its container as Jaune arced the blade upwards towards his opponent. He expected the man to dodge, block it, or maybe even the flare of Aura to protect him.
None of those things happened.
The stark difference between Huntsman and civilian would forever be seared in Jaune's mind today. A blade used by generations of Huntsmen against Grimm sank into the man's form, tearing cloth into flesh from the powered swing. It passed through the skin, cut through the muscle, cleaved through the spine and ribs of the civilian's frame, and exited the body. Jaune could only stare in horror as the blade finished the arc, splattering the walls with blood.
He didn't even cry. The man gasped as he toppled over in two pieces, innards spilling from each half. Jaune was frozen with shock at what he had done. Dread, disgust, and fear pooled inside him as watched the formerly whole man still gasping on the floor. The members hands shakily touched his lower half, only to realize nothing was there. His hands and breathing went still after that, leaving the room eerily quiet, if it wasn't for Jaune's rapid heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Jaune collapsed on floor as he finally succumbed to his emotions. Bile rose from his throat and onto the ground, his body attempting to purify him. The acid stung his mouth and nostrils as his body convulsed and retched. He could faintly make out Blake's presence next to him, but Jaune didn't know what she was doing. He was too focused on one thing.
Jaune Arc just killed a man.
And it was sickeningly easy.
Yeah, this month has been abhorrently busy with family, friends, and fights. Also, we are now getting into the meat of the story. It's gonna get dark, but it's rated M for a reason. Until next time. Sorry for the shorter chapter, but I just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten writing this story.