HoloRWBY-Alternate

An: And so, it's Jaune's turn. His won't have much interaction with Tempus, as this chapter is setting up their arc, but I hope y'all enjoy it nonetheless.

Chapter 2: A Knight in the Stars, An Arc in the Tempest

Outside of a campground in the Redwood National Forest; Northern California, USA

"I still can't believe someone stole the RV out from under us!" Axel growled angrily. "This is bullshi-"

"Yes! We know, Syrios!" Magni snapped back. "We heard you the thirteenth time you said it and repeating it doesn't help matters!"

"Well, someone's gotta say it!" Axel retorted. "I mean, how the hell did someone steal a freakin' RV without tipping any of us off! We're Tempest, for crying out loud!"

"I don't know!"

"Boys, it's ok; these things happen," Regis said placatingly, attempting to ward off any possible fight.

Meanwhile, Jaune was crouched awkwardly by Vesper, who was slumped around a tree as he tried to hug the massive trunk. "This is sooo bad!" the vampire looking man bemoaned into the bark. "It was a rental!"

"Uh…there, there," Jaune said slowly and patted the man's shoulder. "It'll be fine…"

"Kronii's gonna kill me!" Vesper mumbled.

"Who's Kronii?" Jaune asked.

Vesper exhaled loudly. "A long explanation for a later date," he grumbled as he pulled himself up and dusted himself off. "I should get my head on straight and worry about the mission at hand."

Jaune nodded to that. "Yeah. A distraction sounds good right now," he said in a quiet tone. Vesper, however, heard it easily.

Deciding to change the subject, the pale skinned young man turned to Jaune and said, "Right. Onto business. We told you we were hired to hunt a Beast, but we didn't get to go into details because of…the incident last night. So, how about I fill you in on those while Altare gets those two to settle down?" The blonde knight nodded.

"Sure. I don't know how much help I'll be without my sword, but I'll do my best!" Jaune replied, making Vesper smile.

"That's all we can ask for, Jaune." Vesper quickly schooled his features and continued, "We got a call three days ago from the National Park Service that they lost contact with one of their campgrounds here in the Redwood Forest. It's unique that it has a few year-round residents. They sent an investigator, who discovered one of the year-rounders dead, evidence pointing to a vicious mauling."

Jaune grimaced at that. "Some kind of bear?" he asked.

"Good guess, but unfortunately for us, that's not the case," Vesper sighed. "No, after more investigating, he discovered it was a Bigfoot."

"Bigfoot?" Jaune was confused. What kind of Beast had such a…weird name?

Vesper gave him a confused glance for a moment. "Yowie? Skunk Ape? Yeti? Ape Man? Sasquatch?" he questioned, and Jaune's eyes widened at the last one.

"Ooh! I know that name! Professor Port says they're a type of Greater Grimm that live deep in the thickly forested areas of Sanus!" Jaune explained. Vesper was intrigued.

"So, Grimm not only take the form of animals, but mythical ones as well? That's something to note for later," the Tempus Scholar commented. "At any rate, yes. Sasquatch. 'Bigfoot' is a more popularized name stemming from the large footprints they leave behind. They're large, bipedal apelike mammals that live in heavily wooded areas. Highly intelligent, highly territorial." Vesper gave Jaune a hard look. "And are known to be highly aggressive when one wanders into their territory."

The blonde knight grimaced. "And one's taken up residence here?" he questioned to confirm, which Vesper did.

"That's the story," Vesper claimed. "And if it is a Bigfoot, then we've got our work cut out for us. The Bigfoot species is wildly regarded as one of, if not the most powerful Cryptid. Hell, even in various forms of media, very rarely is a Bigfoot ever beaten and/or killed."

Jaune gulped at bit at the description. "Professor Port said some similar things about Sasquatch Grimm," he admitted. "Said that, under NO circumstance is a Huntsman or Huntress to ever engage a Sasquatch in its own territory, or even enter it willingly in the first place. Just one is capable of destroying a small, outlying village and massacring the townspeople."

"Seems even across dimensions, the Bigfoot is still the King of the Cryptids," Axel commented as he and the others walked up to them. Vesper turned to them.

"Hey, guys," he greeted them. "Finally got everything settled?"

"For now," Regis confirmed. "For now, let's head to the camp. The cops and head Park ranger should be waiting for us there."

"Roger that," Vesper said, nodding. Jaune nodded as well.

"Sure." With that, the five young men started walking to the camp entrance in silence, leaving Jaune to contemplate what had happened to him over the past few hours. He had just gone from fighting to save Atlas, to falling through the Void, as he now knew it to be called, to joining a literal Guild in another world. The blonde knight couldn't help but feel it was all surreal.

However, he was glad for it. It kept his mind off…off Penny. He knew, objectively, he had to do it, but it didn't make the guilt lessen. Thankfully, the guys from Tempus didn't judge him for that. Instead, they were quick to understand. They offered words of encouragement and condolences, and although it didn't stop Jaune from blaming himself, it did bring him some sense of…not comfort. Maybe peace? Jaune wasn't sure the right term, but it helped him keep his mind on task, so he tried not to think on it.

The group of five soon came up on a chain linked fence with a large welcome sign over the gate. Before the gates were several cop cars and a green Jeep with several people mulling about around them. Regis looked to the others and nodded. They nodded back as they made their way through the crowds and parked cars. As they made it to the gates, they saw two men standing before them talking loudly. One wore a dark blue uniform with a silver badge while the other wore a dark green uniform with several patches stitched upon it. They seemed to be arguing about something as Regis walked forward and cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Sorry to bother you, gentlemen," Regis said formally. "But we are the Tempus Guild. We received a report of a possible Bigfoot in the area?"

The blue uniformed officer nodded his head. "Glad you made it," he said gratefully. "My name is Brant Hawkins, local police chief. And this is the head Park Ranger, Samuel Franks." Samuel nodded once. "Unfortunately, you're not the first to arrive."

"I'm sorry?" Regis asked. Brant motioned to the side with his head, and the five turned to see several individuals in camo, orange vests, and various guns strapped behind them.

"A YouTuber was in the area, showcasing the majestic scenery when he accidently caught the alleged Bigfoot attacking one of the other campers," Samuel explained. "We were able to take it down quickly, but the damage was done. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a gun and a hunting license, even more without 'em, have showed up looking for the chance to nab this legendary creature."

"That's not counting all the Bigfoot societies that are represented here today," Brant grumbled. "Thankfully, the ones that are decrying our violent methods in dealing with this threat are minimal, and more are understanding enough to know a dead 'Squatch is better than dead innocents."

"Ok, so where does that leave us?" Axel asked.

"Means you'll have a lot of company in there," Samuel told him. "We called you in because you came highly recommended, and you guys negotiated a fair price with us concerning our cheap as hell budget. However, others have placed bounties on this bastard's head, and we can't stop them from going in."

"Well, that's going to be annoying," Magni mumbled.

"Anything else we should know?" Regis asked.

"A few are Altered, so I'd be careful. You boys may be famous Altered yourselves, but the few I've seen use their powers might give you some trouble," Samuel added, making Regis nod.

"Good to know. Thanks guys," Regis told them. "So, what now fellas?"

"You lot go on in," Brant told them. "Gotta get the others sorted out before they can enter. Oh, and take this." The officer tossed Regis a small pack of red flags. "We still have some missing people in there, and there's bound to be more once we're forced to open the flood gates in the form of hunters. You find a body, mark the location with a flag. Once you've either killed Bigfoot or ran him off, we'll go through and collect the remains."

"Understood. Thanks." Pocketing the item, Regis turned and nodded to his team as Samuel went and opened the gates. Several of the other hunters tried to swarm the entrance, but a wall of cops stalled them all. Tempus plus Jaune quickly made their way into the park before the gates were shut behind them. The hunters started to roar in protest as the police tried to keep the peace.

The five didn't give them any mind as they started walking down the road towards the first village in the campground. As they made their way further from the sound, Jaune turned to Vesper and asked, "What are Altered?"

"Humans who have gained supernatural abilities via the Alter-Effect," the Scholar answered. "It's also the catch-all term for any non-Earthborn resident currently on Earth, since most of us already have powers well beyond normal human understanding."

"And which does Tempus fall under?"

"That's a good question. Truthfully, we fall under a grey area, as currently all members of Tempus are from the land of Elysium," Vesper explained. "However, since Elysium has found itself closer to Earth in terms of dimensional location due to…very complicated events, it has become a recognized as its own country here on Earth, meaning we technically are citizens of planet Earth, even though we weren't born here."

"Wow. That all sounds very…" Jaune tried to think of a good word to describe that.

"Confusing?" Magni supplied.

"Convenient," Jaune admitted. "But confusing works too."

"Tell me about it," Axel commented. He put his hands behind his head and continued, "So, what now, boss?"

"We keep heading to the village and start our investigation there," Regis told them. "Hopefully there, we'll get some clues as to where we can start looking for our illusive friend."

"It's the safest option currently," Vesper agreed. "Plus, while I'm loathed to suggest it, it will work out well to go there first to find a house or cabin to be our home base during our mission's duration."

"Wouldn't that be breaking and entering?" Jaune asked.

"I doubt the owners will give us much grief…if they're still alive that is," Magni commented idly.

"Dude, that's cold," Axel told him dully.

"Insensitive as it is, Magni's right," Regis admitted. "Without our RV and without the supplies we had brought with us, we are in a very poor position, especially considering we now have competition." Everyone grimaced at the reminder.

"Yeah, I see your point," Axel grumbled. "Doesn't feel right, though…"

"And it never will," Vesper told him. "But we will have to deal with it later. Right now, we need to get our heads into the game."

"Yeah. A Bigfoot is not an opponent we need to be sleeping on," Magni commented. "Let's get to the village and find a house suitable for our needs."

They all nodded, but Jaune was a still bit hesitant. He understood their reasonings, but it didn't mean he liked it. Still, they were right. Being horribly underprepared now, they were the underdogs in a very serious, need-to-win race. As such, they had to make up ground wherever and with whatever they could.

His thoughts turned to the object of their hunt: the creature known as "Bigfoot." He hoped beyond all hope that it they didn't have to fight it. If it was anything like the Sasquatch Grimm Professor Port described, then Jaune knew he was in for a whole new world of hurt, and he fought the damn Grimm Queen barely two days ago! However, knowing his luck, chances were pretty high that the Bigfoot was a copy of Sasquatch Grimm back home.

The group fell into silence as they continued down the road. After another three minutes, they found themselves walking into the village. An old wooden sign stood above the wall, naming the village "Ulysses S. Grant Village."

"About time!" Alex shouted as they walked under the sign.

"Alright boys! Fan out!" Regis ordered. "Check the houses!"

"Right!" Tempus quickly spread out to check the buildings in the village. Jaune took a moment to examine the village itself. It was modest, with only about seven houses in the immediate area, with some of the windows being boarded up. Jaune looked towards one of the cabins located next to a pond and decided to check it first. He walked up and noticed the windows were broken in, and the door showed signs of claw marks and splintering, likely from something heavy slamming into it.

Cautiously, Jaune walked up the porch steps and gingerly turned the doorknob. The door opened easily, albeit with a loud creaking from the straining hinges. Jaune stepped into the house and noticed it was ransacked. Shelves, and drawers decorated the ground with clothes, bottles, and other trash. He looked to see a gun resting on a bed, and a couch stood up on its side in front of the back door.

"Looks like they were trying to barricade themselves in," Jaune muttered as he walked further in, minding his footing over the overturned shelves and other debris. Moving to the bed, he examined the gun. It was a rifle, that much he could deduce thanks to being near to Ruby. However, he knew it was vastly different from any Remnant firearm he had been forced to study by his good friend.

He looked around the room again, finding nothing of value. He sighed and moved to walk outside when he noticed something when he absentmindedly looked out the window. He turned back and stared out the glass intently, hoping to identify what caught his eye. Soon, he caught dark hair and realized he was seeing a person behind a tree.

His eyes widened as he rushed to the backdoor and easily threw the couch out of the way to reveal boards across the door, sealing it shut. He paid it no mind as he kicked the door, breaking the boards holding the door shut and forcing the door to fly open. He jumped out and ran towards the person. "Hey! Are ok?! It's not safe here-" he started to say, only for him to cry out in shock at the sight that met him. He stumbled and fell back on his butt, staring at the person in front of him in horror.

"Hey! You alright ma'-Jaune?! Did you just scream like a-holy shit!" Axel screamed as he rushed to Jaune's location, only to cry out in shock at the same sight that shocked Jaune.

"Boys!" Regis shouted as he and the other rushed to their location. "What's going on?!"

"Uh…guys?" Axel called out as Regis, Magni, and Vesper reached him. He pointed to the tree and said, "I think we can confirm we got a Bigfoot on our hands." The three turned to where he was pointing and gasped.

Tempus plus Jaune stared at the remains of a man, face frozen in horror as he was impaled to a redwood by a signpost. One leg was also missing from this man, the stump also seemed to be cauterized, and it looked like his left arm was out of socket, like someone pulled on it too hard. The five young men stared at the man in horror for several moments in silence.

"Fuck…" Magni breathed.

"That's brutal," Regis winced. Jaune was horrified at the sight and quickly tried to reorient himself. He turned his attention to the ground to pick himself up when he noticed something silver on the ground.

"Huh?" He stood up and grabbed the device. Axel noticed and walked over as well and examined it.

"A video recorder?" the Gladiator of Tempus asked.

"Quick. Rewind the video," Vesper ordered. Jaune didn't know how, so he handed it to Axel, who quickly did as Vesper instructed. The five watched at the man recording his family as they settled into a cabin, cheerful and excited about their trip.

The video continued showing several areas around the campground where they visited, however the excitement turned to terror as the video showed them being attacked by a giant hairy creature during a late-night barbecue. Jaune and the others winced as the creature bellowed loudly on the video.

"Bigfoot," Magni said.

The rest of the video showed them trying to run from Bigfoot, only for the man's son to be thrown into a tree headfirst, his neck snapping in a sickening crunch; the mother and daughter disappearing during their escape; and finally him getting his arm and leg pulled off by the Sasquatch, with him only saving his arm by grabbing a burning log and slamming into Bigfoot's toes, making it screech in annoyance.

The last part of the video showed the man cauterizing his wound and stumbling back to the village, propping himself against the tree and holding the camera at his face, proclaiming, "I-If a-anyone finds this…m-my name is J-John Anderson, and my…my fami-AAAGGGH!" He was cut off by something hitting him and making him drop the camera. The last minutes of the video was him crying out in pain.

Suddenly, they heard a monstrous roar resonating from the wounds around them, making the five quickly flinch into a ready stance. "Ok, boys, we got proof, and I think it's time we get a house fortified," Regis told them.

"Agreed!" the others replied, even as malevolent gold eyes watched them from afar.

An: Chapter's longer than I wanted it to be, but I hope you guys enjoyed it. As for why I chose Bigfoot to be their (and by extension Jaune's first mission with them) mission, it's mostly because I've been rewatching YouTubers play the Bigfoot game and ultimately being goofballs while they did so, and wondered how Tempus would fair in a similar situation. Anyways, next chapter will return to Ruby as she explains to Sora, IRyS, and a few others the events that led her to Earth. Hope y'all are looking forward to that one!