CONTENT WARNING: This chapter marks the beginning of some more unsettling themes for this fic and as such I urge caution. Any triggers or sensitivities to topics of PTSD and Child Abuse, I urge you to reconsider. Please take care of yourselves and I hope you enjoy.

Monsters

8 Years Ago

"Just hit the damn thing!" Came the gruff voice, "By the Brothers! I swear by the time we finally get around to making an actual fire I'll be gray and buried."

Jaune again swung the axe down hard, it nicked the log and sent the piece of wood clattering to the side. He groaned in frustration and once more stopped to reset.

"This is harder than it looks." He complained.

His companion simply snorted in return. "You're cutting wood, how do you expect to cut a Grimm if you're running into problems here?"

"You said we were going to train." Jaune swung down again, the axe wedged itself into the wood and he was forced to stop and pry it free.

"And we are training. Whether you be swinging an axe, sword, or even a shovel, it's all the same." Jane stopped mid-swing, his balance teetering, and glared at the man. He was met with a shrug.

August was a true bear of a man. He had broad shoulders and a wide chest and stood at least a head taller than most of the men around camp. His amber beard was flecked with gray, and his green eyes were sunken in but still retained that twinkle of kindness. His face showed years of wear and tiredness and his back hunched even as he sat.

"You can't move onto the flashy stuff until you've built up a few muscles along the way. Even if I showed you how to twirl around and fight like one of those fancy Huntsman it wouldn't do you one lick of good if you can't pick up your own weapon. Besides, learning for yourself how to cut down and light a fire will do you real good in the short term." August's voice was gentle and calm despite its deep tone, and sand-like roughness.

Jaune still wasn't convinced, his arms were burning and the thick humidity in the air was causing him to sweat, the work seemed endless. They had journeyed far outside of the perimeter of the camp to find firewood and do some light "training". The thick foliage of western Anima offered little respite from the sweltering heat. Jaune had initially been ecstatic to break free from the camp, and the promise of actual training, not just another round of mundane chores forced him to forget the weather for a moment. Yet all he had done so far was swing an axe for hours, he still couldn't get it just right and the wood either flung out from him or he would keep getting the axe head stuck. His mood had soured considerably, and all the while August conducted routine maintenance on his weapon, seemingly oblivious to Jaunes plight.

"Glaring at me isn't going to collect the wood any faster." He chided with a knowing smile. Jaune grumbled and swung again.

August watched him closely. His hands moved with familiarity over his broken-down equipment. For such large fingers, he was deft and precise with each meticulous step of cleaning and maintenance. It was a simple weapon, nothing all too impressive when compared to Huntsman, but Jaune had never seen him miss a day of proper upkeep. "Weapons fail when their owners fail to care for them properly," as August was fond of saying. Jaune's focus slipped, and he completely missed his swing, with growing indignation he tossed the axe. "This is pointless!"

"Easy there killer," August chided, he skillfully pieced his equipment back together in what seemed like moments before getting to his feet with a grunt. "You can't just give up because it's hard."

August walked over, his heavy boots scraping the ground as he went. He gingerly picked up the axe and offered it back to Jaune with patience and understanding that quelled his rising anger in an instant, leaving only embarrassment and shame in its wake.

"I was going to let you struggle a bit more but at this rate, night'll be here soon, and we definitely don't want to be caught out here alone when it comes."

Jaune shuddered involuntarily. Night meant Grimm. It had been a year since that awful night in that burning city, a year since any sign of his family, and a year since he had taken to a life of constant movement. The camp they had established that morning was secured, but if just the two of them were left outside the security of the established guarded perimeter it was hard to say what would happen. Jaune hadn't seen a Grimm since that night. A part of him was grateful he had never run into one again, another was eager to fight. But then the third part he often neglected to think about would remember those soulless red eyes and he would feel his blood freeze all over again.

He was roused from his thoughts by a great big, calloused hand planting itself on his shoulder. It felt firm, secure, and almost reassuring. Jaune felt his tension fade away. August's voice rang out through the empty forest.

"Widen your stance," Jaune followed his instructions, "Good, now bend your knees a little. You're using your legs and driving through your back. You can't do much just swinging your arms. Now eyes on the target, aim with your hips. There you go. Now swing."

The wood clattered into two split halves and Jaune felt ecstatic. "I did it! Did you see? I did it!"

It was such a small thing, but he had finally done it, after hours of swinging around an axe he had finally accomplished something. The smile on his face was wide and August gave his usual kind smile before rustling Jaunes hair. "You did great, but don't go celebrating yet we still need a lot more than this. Think you're up for it?"

"You bet!" Jaune took to the challenge with a new passion. He eagerly chopped away, carefully applying the small changes August commented on. It was still hot, and his body ached, but he was running a high over his small victory.

He felt like he could have gone on forever, however, he was interrupted when someone else came into the clearing.

Where August was large and dense, this new man was far leaner and more slender. His silver hair had been cut neatly and his long black duster was in perfect form. He walked with confidence, his shoulders rolled back and both his head and eyes forward. Striking gray eyes scanned the area, taking in everything around him. Jaune had never had much contact with him, but everyone knew who he was. Nix, the second in command of the company. Nix, the former Atlas Huntsman. Nix, was hailed as the strongest hunter in camp.

He spared Jaune a small smile before turning his attention towards August. Where Jaune felt himself unconsciously standing a bit taller and more formal, August carried on with his maintenance and barely cast a glance at Nix. He instructed Jaune to keep going before finally addressing the ex-Huntsman.

"What can I do for you Nix?"

"The Boss wants to see both of us," Nix spoke stiffly and with little room for any conversation. August finally met the man's eyes.

"Jack's back?" He was the leader of the company, Jaune had only really seen him once when he had first been taken in by August. Because of the delirium and fever from his wounds, the memory was distant and hazy at best. He remembered a man with a cane, but nothing else really stood out. Jack had been on urgent business further north in Anima, something about attracting a new sponsor for them.

"Yes, and he requested all leaders be present for an emergency meeting."

"Are we moving again already?" August asked. They very rarely ever stayed in place for more than a few nights at a time, if business was particularly slow, they could hold up for a few weeks but never any longer.

"Seems likely, we shouldn't keep him waiting."

August's eyes immediately went to Jaune, and he scratched at his beard. "Afraid I can't. I promised the kid here we'd train for a bit."

"Do you really want to explain yourself to the Boss?" Nix cocked an eyebrow before he sighed, clearly at least expecting such a reply.

"I thought you might be stubborn, so I brought someone to watch him for you." Nix turned and called out behind himself. "Hurry up!"

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." Where August had been bulky, and Nix lean but strong, the new man that emerged from the forest was lanky. Taller than both the other men and with a mess of dark hair atop his head. There was stubble on his chin that he claimed was stylistic but was really negligent. He had dark, beady, hallowed, unfocused eyes, and reeked of alcohol.

"The sooner we go, the sooner we'll be back. Caspar can watch the boy until then. Now let's go." Nix spoke with finality.

August rose from his spot atop a log and walked toward Caspar, his heavy footfalls crunching the foliage beneath him. He had to look up ever so slightly at the tall man, but his green eyes took on a keen edge as he lifted his chin up. "Watch him."

"I got it," Caspar said as he broke eye contact.

"Watch him" August ground out.

"I said I got it, can't you fuckin hear me." Caspar met August's eyes. They lingered for a moment before August took a step back, patted the man on his shoulder, and turned away. "Alright then, just so long as we're clear."

August made his way over to Jaune and crouched down to meet him at eye level. The kindness in his eyes returned and he smiled at Jaune before once more rustling his hair. "I'm stepping away for a bit. I expect all the wood to be chopped and collected. If you do, then we'll finally go over some sword swingin tonight."

Jaune's face lit up in pure excitement. "Do you really mean it?"

"Of course," August said. "After study and lessons that is."

Jaune groaned and complained loudly, he hated doing schoolwork. August said he wouldn't train a dunce and was adamant that book smarts would do him just as much good out here in the wild as practical experience. August never let Jaune skip a day of lessons, even if they were on the move Jaune would have to recite facts or go over math problems in the jostling backseat of a vehicle.

August and Nix returned to camp and Jaune dutifully carried on chopping wood. True to his word Caspar kept an eye on him though he was vocal about his irritation at having to babysit a brat. Jaune tried to pay him no mind and it was easy to lose himself in the monotony of swinging the axe. It was a mindless kind of effort that truly boiled down to aim, form, and patience. Soon before he even realized Jaune had chopped all the wood that he and August had gathered hours before.

All that was left was to simply load it into the back of their beat-up truck they had driven out into the woods and take it back to camp. Jaune busied himself with doing just that as Caspar looked on with pure disinterest. The gruff looking man seemed present but not fully aware. Jaune often tried his best to avoid him. Ever since his arrival just over a year ago Caspar had been cold and dismissive of Jaune. Often, he called him a nuisance and a potential hazard to keeping around. The Grimm lands were no place for children, and August's insistence at keeping Jaune with the Company had unnerved many of the men in camp, though Caspar took it upon himself to be the voice of those complaints.

Jaune had nothing to say to the man if he was being honest, Caspar unnerved him. He could always feel his piercing gaze as he moved through the camp, whenever Jaune tried to talk to him he was cold, angry, and dismissive.

"Just what are you trying to do out here? Swinging around an axe like it's gonna do any damn thing. You should just get on boy. There's nothing out here for you." Caspar was drunk, it was the only time he ever actually tried to talk to Jaune. It made Jaunes blood run cold, and his nerves set ablaze. He felt his throat constrict and suddenly felt lethargic. Sounds scratched at his throat until his voice finally came through.

"I'm going to be a Huntsman and fight the Grimm." As he spoke Jaune found his confidence and lifted his head to meet the old man's gaze.

Caspar simply scoffed and stumbled to his feet. Jaune flinched. Caspar unsteadily made his way towards Jaune. "Is that right.? The big savior who's gonna slay all the Grimm and set it all right in the world? And how are you going to do it? Huh?" He was close enough that Jaune could smell the spirits in his breath. "Gonna take an axe and cut 'em down? Think it'll be that easy? We could stay out here and wait for a few. Then you can show me how you'll fight 'em."

This wasn't the first time Caspar had insulted his dreams. If anything, Jaune was used to it. He knew what he wanted to do, and he would do it. August was always supportive and that was really all that mattered. Remembering August's smile Jaune felt emboldened.

"I'll beat them. No matter what, I will beat the Grimm!"

Caspar laughed; it was a sick broken kind of sound. "Like the last time? I remember that town you know, I was one of the few to arrive in time to help the evacuations. It wasn't pretty. A real bloody showing if any I've ever seen. And in the middle of it all was you, just you. A little runt clinging to a sword in the ruins of a lost town. If August hadn't taken you there wouldn't have been any survivors. You're a real lucky bastard, you know, a real curse in my mind."

That event had seared nightmares in Jaune. The memories of that night were always in the back of Jaunes mind, the smell of burning bodies and his mother's fearful eyes were things he could never forget.

"It won't happen again; I won't let it." Jaune's voice was brittle, the words slipped from his lips hollow like the empty promise it was.

"And how are you going to stop it," Caspar slapped at Jaune's head. It wasn't a full swing, but still hard enough to hurt. "What are you, the bastard child of Grimm, going to do?" He hit him again.

Jaune tried to push him back, but Caspar slapped his hands away and gripped his head in a full lock. Jaune was stuck squarely between the bigger man's sweaty, filthy arms. He could smell the grime and the booze. Jaune slapped and hit as best he could against the grown man's stranglehold. It was to little avail, the superior strength left Jaune helpless.

"Come on hero, how are you going to beat the Grimm if you can't stop a drunk old fucker?"

Jaune's vision blurred, and his hits grew weaker. His mind was racing in fear and confusion. He was panicking, floundering. Suddenly he was no longer in the forest, he was back in those soldering ruins. From the shadows came those awful red eyes. He was desperate and scared and at that moment the embers of a deeper emotion pushed forward, and he felt the warmth of rage push forward. Something surged through him, and he landed a heavy blow into the man's side. Caspar gasped and released his hold. Jaune breathed in desperately but the knee that crashed into his chest drove it right back out.

He collapsed to the ground. He couldn't breathe, and the lack of control over his own body caused him to panic. Caspar had already recovered from the blow and spit into the dirt. "Not a very hero-like thing with a cheap shot like that."

He grabbed Jaune by the back of his shirt and hauled him up. "On your feet, don't just lay there like dying fish." He shoved Jaune forward and told him to get the wood.

Jaune slowly recovered his breathing and hesitantly started collecting the wood he had chopped. Caspar helped load them all into the bed of the rusted truck. No words were exchanged between the two as they went about their work and Jaune was grateful. Finally, as they prepared to leave the sun was just setting over the horizon. The long shadows of the forest seemed to stretch on eternally and slowly shifted into the eternal blackness of night, illuminated only by the stars and shattered moon above, but also by the predators lurking just out of sight. The beasts with vibrant red eyes and smooth white armor, and Jaune for a moment would rather be out in the forest with them than spend a singular moment driving back to the base.

Jaune

Jaune Arc could count on both hands the number of times since his youth that he had woken up in the same place more than once. Strangely enough most of those times had been in hospital tents. He didn't particularly like to be stationary, he would rather avoid the boredom and the inevitable flow of memories he'd much sooner forget. But here he was, stuck firmly in place and under strict instruction not to move. His wrists chafed under the restraints.

He supposed he should blame himself, after he had awoken, he tried his damndest to leave. But a particular head nurse had choice words for his attempted departure.

'That she-demon, what kind of medical professional threatens to break your other leg if you get out of bed again?' Jaune thought to himself.

He hated wasting time here, he had other matters to attend to. His armor needed to be repaired, his weapons cared for, and he had some research to do. Pyrrha had brought him lessons and homework that he had missed. The term had started three days ago, and he hadn't even seen his dorm yet. None of that particularly mattered now. Jaune's head was filled with that memory of the forest. A single moment forever burned into his mind's eye. Flames, smoke, and those terrible evil golden eyes. Jaune had been across Remnant, he had seen and heard of many different types of Grimm, but nothing even came close to that thing.

'No, that's not entirely true, is it?' His head pulsed, and he had to hold back the bile in his throat.

A far older memory clawed desperately at his subconscious, pushing against his strained attempts to keep it back. It forced its way through his thoughts. AS it took hold, Jaune had no choice but to relive a night he desperately wished to forget He vividly remembered the smell of melting corpses, the feeling of thick heavy smoke filling his lungs, a shattered promise, and eight golden soulless eyes peering at him through the raging inferno. Someone was screaming, it was probably himself. That awful thing came closer, and he felt his knees buckle. Its cold lifeless stare cut through the thick smog and straight into him. His lungs seized. Pathetic wheezes turned into desperate whines as he tried to force air back into himself. The thing tread ever closer. Jaune could hear the disgusting, rhythmic, fleshy clicking it made. Jaune's skin began to crawl as he shuddered in sheer terror. Inch by inch it slowly stalked through the ruins of the town around him. The flames licked off its hardened white shell and Jaune could finally make out the long shape of its body. But it became even hazier as his lungs screamed for air. The monster lunged forward, a blur of white death. Jaune forced a final scream from his lips and gasped.

His head was swimming and his breath was labored. His heart hammered in his chest and the monitor to his side came alive with beeps and alarms. He yanked desperately at the restraints binding him. Aura surged and the rails tore free under the strain. The nurses on duty stormed into the room with a crash cart ready. Jaune lashed out and beat back their attempts to restrain him.

"Don't touch me!" He roared.

He thrashed widely seeking some way to escape. He felt trapped, alone, and being crushed from all sides. He smelled it, he smelled their bodies, and he felt the pain that always lingered in his chest flair into unbridled agony. He was inconsolable, raging and fighting with every ounce of his strength until he finally flung himself from the bed.

The cold floor shocked him back into reality and all his passion, his fear, and anger vanished as quickly as it had come. He laid there feeling absolutely drained. The pain from his battered body came in waves and wracked him all over again. He had ripped out his IV drip in the chaos.

The medical staff helped him carefully to his feet and back into the bed. He thanked them and asked for a glass of water. He drank it fully in one large gulp. Taking a moment, he recollected himself, calming his lungs as he pushed down those awful memories and tried to refocus his attention elsewhere.

"Excuse me," He asked a nurse on duty, "Could I go out for a bit. Just a walk to clear my head."

The staff looked uncertain and urged him to lay back down and relax. He refused; he couldn't stay here. If he stayed the memories and the demons would come back.

"Just a walk, I promise I won't push it and I'll be back within the hour." Something in his eyes must have convinced them and he suddenly felt a great deal lighter.

The pain had dulled from a full body roar to a bearable ache from his bandaged parts, though random spasms would spike through him causing his muscles to clench and his vision to haze. He had to take a crutch to accommodate his broken leg. It was a slow process and he had promised to stay strictly in the medical facility and not to wander. So naturally, he immediately made his way to the library in the main school building. There was work to do.

The sun had set ages ago but Beacon never quite slumbered. The academy was far more than just a simple school. It served as a headquarters for all Huntsman based operations in and around the continent of Sanus. Medical evacuations resupply and housing all took place right in this very institution. Beacon, as well as the other main Huntsman schools also served as the beating hearts of some of the fastest growing cities in the world.

Beacon was attached to Vale, Haven was linked to Mistral, Atlas Academy to Atlas City, and Shade to Vacuo. These cities functioned as the four pillars protecting humanity from the brink of destruction. And in the ranks of such responsibility lay the Huntsman and Huntresses. All elite warriors tasked with upholding the peace of the world. The sentiment usually stopped at political borders though.

As such Beacon always had some sort of movement taking place within its secured walls. Tonight was no exception. The airspace above the school was alight with thousands of tons of hulking metal ships. From trade to late night missions the night sky was blotted out with aircraft.

Jaune paid it little mind as he hobbled and scraped his way through one of Beacon's many long corridors. Thankfully the school itself was rather empty at such a late hour. He was grateful for the silence, it eased his racing heart and allowed him time to catch up with himself again. The pain spiked through his leg with each step, but it was a welcome distraction that stopped him from focusing on any one thing for long. His skin felt clammy, and his stomach churned irritably. Memories flashed once more, and he nearly stumbled and fell. Righting himself he shook off the negative feelings, burying them deep down inside. 'Not now,' He forced his body forward.

An added benefit of such an active facility was that most other portions of the school were always open as well. The library was no exception as it offered services to both students and active Huntsman. Granted curfew was enforced for all students not on active mission status but so long as one wasn't caught there shouldn't be any issues.

He opened the heavy oak doors to the library. They squealed loudly, echoing throughout the wide dark room and far down into the hallway around him. Jaune grimaced and looked around, hoping he wasn't compromised already. With tentative assurance he made his way into the library, the doors slammed shut behind him, much to Jaunes distress.

The library's lights were off, strange since it was supposed to be open for nearly all hours of the day. Jaune hugged the wall, sticking out his crutch before each step. He'd done enough falling for one night.

He missed his gear, but it had been taken and locked away in his school locker and until he was released officially from bed rest, he was strictly forbidden to go near it. He had thought about going to grab his gear instead of going to the library, but his body was already burning up and the last traces of the painkillers in his system were fading. His aura was still weak, prioritizing most of itself, naturally, to healing the severe damage in his body. It would take a few more days before he was properly back into fighting shape.

He nearly tripped over the corner of a chair he hadn't seen and cursed softly. This was growing increasingly impossible. The library had a single large windowpane in one corner that allowed for the bright light of Remnants' shattered moon to illuminate sections of the library, it was a poor substitute for overhead lights but better than nothing he supposed.

Jaune stumbled his way slowly towards the section he was looking for. Squinting as he made his way through the archaic texts lining the shelf in front of himself. It was impossible to make out any of the words on the spine even with the moonlit backdrop. Growing increasingly frustrated, the dull ache behind his eyes had come back and his head pounded. The concussion had healed first but the last lingering pain persistently stayed behind.

"This is impossible." Jaune sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, willing the frustration away. He was about to call it quits and try again in the morning when movement in the shadows caught his attention. He whirled around; his leg protested painfully.

He stood rigid, eyes scanning the pitch blackness that engulfed the library. His silhouette completely outlined in the fractured remnants of a full moon.

From the darkness, a pair of eyes stared at him. Vibrantly golden. Jaune felt his chest seize once more and he awkwardly swung his crutch upwards, a flimsy excuse for a weapon.

The sweat from the pain and exertion of his journey felt like icy daggers piercing his skin.

"At what point should I call the police?" It was a girl's voice, faintly familiar. "Repeat offenders receive longer sentences."

The figure stepped into the light of the moon and Jaune felt himself sag. It was the bow haired girl from his first day. The tension eased from his body, and he let out a rather unpleasant fusion of a groan and a sigh.

"Nice to see you again too." The girl commented dryly.

Jaune waved her off, "It's been a stressful few days, give me a break."

The girl eyed him skeptically, "Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?"

"Went for a walk, got lost," Jaune lied.

"Right," It was clear she didn't believe him.

Jaune, satisfied that he wasn't in immediate danger, went back to rummaging through the shelves. He couldn't make out any of the book's titles, they were either too faded or not near enough the only light source to make out any actual words.

"Why does a lost patient go sneaking into the library at night and looking through old Fairy Tales." The girl asked.

"Wait," Jaune paused, "Fairy Tales?"

Was that what he was looking at, the worn-out texts were thick leatherbound editions. They had been scarred and dusted through years of use and wear. He knew he was in the nonfiction section, he saw that much, why were there fables in the Non-Fiction area? Another better question arose in his mind.

"You can see in the dark?" Jaune asked.

The girl fumbled with her words for a moment, "Well, I just happen to be familiar with the library."

It was a quick deflection and Jaune suspected something more, but he had other matters clouding his mind. "Do you think you can show me where the Books on Grimm are?"

She nodded and motioned for him to follow her. They cut their way through the library, heading further into the darkness. He asked her name, it was Blake. As they stopped in front of a shelf at the far back wall of the room, Blake with perfect precision sorted through the books dedicated to Grimm studies.

"Any dated ones with references a few hundred years old should be about right," Jaune said.

Blake said nothing in return but deftly looked through the wall of books, selecting a few. Jaune wondered idly how she was finding them. He could barely make out her form, but she seemed particularly unbothered in the dark. His musings were cut short when Blake presented him with a stack of books.

"There are tables in the center of the library," Blake commented before turning around and walking off with the books. Jaune staggered after her, the crutch giving him some difficulty on the carpeted floor, he was grateful Blake helped him; he wasn't particularly sure he could carry anything in his present state.

Blake gently placed the stack on a vacant table and casually turned on the lamp that sat atop it. Jaune, for his part, rested the crutch against the side of the table and eased his way into a chair. Reaching into his hospital gown he procured his treasured journal. It had been the only thing he had been allowed to keep during his tenure at the hospital and despite his grievances, he was thankful.

He flipped open the worn leather to a partial drawing in the back. He had already sketched and documented the mutated Beringal and jotted down notes and potential strategies for future encounters. He expected there was more going on than just a freak mutation. He had heard rumors before his arrival at Beacon that there was unusual Grimm lurking around Mount Glenn, but no one had any substantial proof. 'Is that the unidentified Grimm,' Jaune pondered, 'but then…what the hell was that thing in Anima and that thing in the forest? Are the mutated Grimm working with those things? What's going on?'

Jaune flipped his journal open to the last pages where side by side he'd drawn rough, crude, vague shadowy figures only defined by their golden eyes. He had always thought the thing he had seen on Anima had been a recreation in his mind. A nightmare given form; a fake memory brought to life by a scared boy. He had forgotten that night, shoved it down so deep that the only remnants of it were boiling rage smothering the terror in his soul.

That thing in the forest had surfaced all those old feelings and now as his mind raced Jaune was forced to focus on the questions at hand, to repress everything else. He couldn't afford another emotional attack if it would get in the way of his objectives.

He skimmed through the books. Most were catalogs of different Grimm species. General overviews of habits, locations, and key traits. There was little new information not already chronicled in Jaune's old leather. There was also no mention at all of anything even resembling those two beasts, and certainly, nothing here relating to new Grimm augmentations. As he flipped through the texts his confusion only grew.

Blake had kindly kept supplying him with new texts and replacing the ones he had finished with. As he poured over the new works, she would settle back into a chair further away and continue with her own reading. When he had asked her why she was helping him she had simply stated she didn't want to leave a mess in the library.

As he looked over yet another unhelpful text Jaune threw down the book in frustration, the slam echoed throughout the empty room and caused Blake to jump in surprise before she fixed him with a miffed glare. "We are still in a library as I am sure you're aware."

"No one's here," He rubbed the bridge of his nose, his eyes pounded and the light from the table was starting to add to his growing headache. "Can't we turn on the lights?"

"No," Blake responded. "We're not supposed to be here remember?"

"So why are you here?" Jaune needed something to distract himself.

"The dorm was noisy so I left," Blake said. Her eyes never left her book.

"Sounds like you ran away," Jaune was met with a heated stare, a welcomed change from the cool, aloof demeanor the girl usually wore.

"I did not run away, I simply wanted to read in quiet," Blake responded. Jaune waved his uninjured hand dismissively.

"It's fine, I get it. I ran from the medical wing, felt like I was going to suffocate in there." Jaune carefully stacked the books he had carelessly strewn across the table.

"I did not run away," Blake repeated.

"We all run away from something," Jaune wasn't sure why he suddenly felt so melancholic, it had been a long night and the fatigue had suddenly left him drained. The pounding in his head and the heaviness in his heart felt like weights dragging him down. He slowly made it to his feet, leaning heavily on the crutch. He'd take a few books with him, try and find something out. There was no chance of sleep tonight. As long as he made some sort of progress in finding out what these new types of Grimm were, the night wouldn't be a complete bust. "Sorry for bothering your reading time, and thanks for your help." With that Jaune collected what few things he could manage to carry, stuffing them haphazardly into his gown. "Sorry for this, but could I ask you to pick up the mess I've left?"

"I found something you may want to see." Blake's voice overpowered his own.

"What's that?" Jaune's curiosity was piqued, and he hobbled himself over to her.

Blake simply slid the book over the table and turned on the reading light. "It's an old fairy tale. I was curious why a collection of them were over there in Non-Fiction and I picked out a few. Several relate to Grimm. This one here talks about a guardian of Western Sanus buried deep in the ruins of civilizations lost. A protector Grimm who judges the citizens of all their domains. Only those who are deemed worthy are allowed to live."

'A territorial Grimm, probably an apex predator. It would have to be old to have such a wide nesting ground.' Jaune thought to himself, Blake continued on.

"There's another one concerning the continent of Solitas." She turned the page until she arrived at a faded image. A disfigured beast, there was no real shape or form to it. The monster instead took on characteristics of other Grimm. "It's said to have been born from the waves of Solitas and has served as the protector of the continent since the beginning of time. It destroyed many ships and travelers that dared to approach or leave its territory and would change its form to best fight whatever approached it. It wasn't until man had finally secured mastery of the air that Solitas was able to properly open itself to the world. Another text also said it was why Atlas itself took to the sky so that no foe; man or monster could again control them." Jaune couldn't help but notice the bitterness when she spat the name Atlas.

"Wasn't Atlas the last Kingdom to open its borders to the world? They lived in isolation for centuries before emerging as a developmental powerhouse of dust mining and precious minerals." Jaune asked, vaguely recalling the world history that had been drilled into his head.

Blake nodded in agreement, "They thrived on an open global market and were able to capitalize on cheap Faunus-backed labor. They even got footholds in Anima and Menagerie for dust mining operations. Atlas may be the greatest economic power in the world, but they exploited the Faunus to do it."

Jaune gently took the book from her and glanced through its pages. Some stories he had heard around campfires and bar taverns, old tall tales to scare children and adults into learning some life lesson. Other stories were more unique and offered a darker interpretation of the world. One such story stood out to him.

"What do you know about the Mother of Spiders?" He asked Blake.

"It's an old legend from Anima, a popular one." Blake started, "It was exceptionally popular amongst Faunus. If I remember correctly, it goes something like this. A Long time ago in a time before time, there was once a beautiful young woman who had many suitors. She rejected them all because she had no desire to be wed. Instead, she spent her time caring for the poor young children of her village. She said that the forgotten, the abused, and the abandoned were her only love. She would spend her days caring for them, treating them as her own children. One day a new man appeared to ask for her hand, she once more refused and rejected his advances. Returning to her home, which had become an orphanage of sorts, she was astonished to see the man in front of her home. When she demanded he leave, he offered her one more chance to reconsider. She refused again and he revealed himself to be one of the Brothers, Darkness. Frightened, she begged him to forgive her and pleaded no harm come to her children. The Brother, enraged at being refused, turned her into a creature so hideous and disgusting that no man would ever want her, and that no child would ever seek her comfort. Dismayed, the now changed woman scurried into the house where the children slept. They awoke to fright and terror and screamed for their mother. She tried to calm them, but no sounds escaped her but a terrible hiss. And so she was forced to live her days as a beast of darkness, forever searching for a way to again claim her own family." Blake finished, her golden eyes taking on a more faraway look.

"So, she became a monster who could never again become a mother," Jaune picked up the book and tucked it into his gown, he would need to look further into these stories. They alone had given him greater insight than any of the official texts he had already poured over.

"She did become a mother; she gave birth to the spider Grimm. But they would never love her as she wanted, instead, they would feast on others and on themselves. They would target the weak and vulnerable and leave her all alone. She wasn't the monster if anything the Brother who cursed her was the true monster." Blake said, she gripped her arm in a half hug, a weak attempt at self-comfort.

"Grimm can't breed. Or at least there's no proof they can." Jaune stated, "But even if they could, the fact that she became a Grimm that gave birth to more Grimm makes her a monster."

"There are more than one type of monster in the world," Blake said, a look of guilt had taken over her delicate features.

Jaune thought back to his fight in the forest, that hulking mass of blackness. He remembered that awful night when he had lost his family and the safety of his home. He reconsidered that terrible event that had stripped him bare and left nothing but hallowed remains. "I disagree."

AN: Hey! I'm sorry that this chapter took so long. I was honestly expecting it to come out far earlier than it did but life happened. I would like to take this time and properly thank the Beta Reader for this Fic, Comissar Arty. They have been an incredible help. Not only listening to my constant droning but truly taking the time to make this chapter and Fic so much better, I want to give a sincere thank you and urge all of you to please check them out, they absolutely deserve all the love and support.

As another aside I want to thank each f you who has read this story and also for those who have commented, favorited, and followed. I never expected this story to get so much support and I am really indescribably grateful.

If you enjoyed this chapter please leave a comment and a follow, they really do help and I am incredibly grateful for each one. Now I would like to move on to reviews.

Guest

I was thinking something like a special modification like you'd find on variants.

MogtheGnome

Hey! I am happy to hear you enjoyed it. I also want to keep doing this kind of formatting. Even if it may eventually get the story taken down I enjoy this way of response, it feels like an open dialogue. I enjoy the aspect of a conversation between readers and myself, we're building this story together and I want to make sure everyone feels welcome to voice their thoughts. Also if a reader has a similar question or thought as a reviewer then I'd like to address it publicly. Thank you again for the feedback and I hope you stick around, I'd love to hear your thoughts going forward. Take care.

Kabuto S. Inferno

I'm glad you enjoyed the Pyrrha chapter, I am always a bit unsure when it comes to character dynamics and fears they might not come through. In fact, I feel I wrote both Weiss and Yang earlier without proper understanding of their characters and have to correct course. With an upcoming Weiss chapter, I am hopeful I can fix my mistakes. Though your appraisal of Pyrrhas character chapter has made me more hopeful, thank you. Jaune and Pyrrha, or at least the versions I want to pursue in this story are essential to the first saga of this story and I hope to do them justice, though poor pacing on my part may make all the difference. Lastly, I am super excited to write Adam, just the idea sounds fun to me and I am genuinely pumped to write him in as a central antagonistic role. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please take care!

tavoxd100

Hey! I'm happy you enjoyed the story thus far! I have taken huge inspiration from Berserk, and actually, I started it as a sort of love letter to the series. I am so happy you like it so far and I hope you'll stick around for what's to come!

main882

Don't worry our main man is back for more!

Gizzit

I agree completely! I also wanted more out of Pyrrha besides being a tool for other characters' arcs. She has so much that can be done with her competitiveness, her new hurdles in this story of stepping into a leadership role, and possibly receiving the most difficult partner she could have. I really love Pyrrhas's character and am eager to test my mettle to see what can become of her arch. Hopefully, it'll come out alright because I have got some plans in the works for her. Thank you so much for the review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Theanimemaster9000

Hey! Thank you so much. I am excited to write those interactions, especially Adam. I really feel like this version of Jaune and Adam can come to an understanding, but perhaps not exactly an agreement. I am actually super excited to write for Adam and I want to give him that big villain role in this saga of the story. Not just for Blake and maybe even Jaune but Weiss can really get something out of this as well I feel. Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. Please take care!

SentinalSlice

Thank you. I always felt Pyrrha could have been one of the more complex characters in the show, right up there with Weiss and Blake. She has so much baggage and so many character flaws she could have worked through and I really aim to explore them here. And I have been having some issues getting Yang's character, and my pacing of characters might be off. But I do aim to try better. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Take care.

Well, here we are! Thank you all again for the support and I hope to have the next chapter out soon. Until next time please be safe and I'll see you around!