21. Beacon Days 11
Afternoon, a day after the Beacon-Shade brawl
Sooner or later, the consequences will catch up to you.
…Actually, it often did not. The authorities usually sat up and take notice when things got too loud, in which case they stomped down with the full force of the law. That's why it paid to know the rules, and to toe the line. March right up to it, if you were bold enough. Step past it, if you've got your alibis and getaways ready. Do keep to the shadows, and resolve problems on the quiet. Don't involve innocents.
Such were the wisdoms of Uncle Hei, of a Yakuza. By these precepts, he has taken territory, waged wars, and shattered the backs of his enemies while the tamer side of Vale went about their day.
If he was here, he would opine that fighting on Beacon's front lawn rather than a deserted hallway very much stepped past the limit. Electrocuting someone, even someone with Aura, in front of dozens of witnesses might be a bit too bold.
Too loud.
"I'm sure you know why I've gathered you here today."
Three heads shook in unison, forming a bloc despite their grievances in the face of The Man.
Ozpin sipped from his mug. He dragged it on with an obnoxious slurping sound, just to really milk the tension. Once done, he pointed with the hand holding the mug.
"You, Ms. Zedong, were responsible for the original altercation between the students of Beacon and those of Shade." May Zedong shot Jaune and Yang a nasty glare. "Ms. Xiao-Long was reported as the first to throw a punch, with Mr. Arc as the first to pull a weapon."
Jaune and Yang both shot dirty looks at the Shade student. Here they were, maintaining the sacred bond between troublemakers, only for her to have snitched on them. The alliance had crumbled before it ever began.
Whether that collapse was Ozpin's intent or not, Jaune decided that since their counterpart had betrayed him and Yang, then the most urgent priority was to save his side (mainly his hide) rather than present a united front. Putting on his best 'affronted' face, he placed a hand over his heart and swept the other arm out in a grand fashion.
"I was defending my fellow student, my friend from a heinous-"
"Yes, yes, you acted as a hero should and do not deserve any punishment, whatsoever."
"Really?"
"No." Ozpin took another sip, and Jaune would bet he used the motion to hide a smirk. "It is unfortunate, but I am not the person to whom you should protest your case. Had it been up to me, you each would have received a critique and a letter grade for your parts in orchestrating a rather curious simulation of a mass-scale battle between Aura users. I know Bart is salivating for a play-by-play account." He sighed. "Professor Goodwitch, however, disagreed that any good had come of this matter, and she insisted that you three are taken to task."
The two Beacon students winced, and in a surprising move, May Zedong followed suit. Goodwitch's reputation must have reached the other schools.
"Where is she, then?" Yang looked around. "Where are we, for that matter?"
Detention usually took place in one of the lecture halls. The texts they received, on the other hand, directed them past the classrooms and through an access tunnel. They had followed the provided map until they met Ozpin, who led them into a room full of pipes.
"You are currently in Maintenance room 3SA, with 'SA' standing for Sewer Access." He pointed down to a manhole cover set against the wall.
Quicker on the uptake than Yang, who still looked lost, Jaune closed his eyes and thanked all that was good in the world. He had worn his uniform in the expectation that the detention would be with Goodwitch, who saw the punishment as an extension of school hours.
His heart still ache whenever he remembered the fate of his favorite suit.
May Zedong, her face full of disgust, voiced what he had realized.
"You're making us go down there."
Yang's horror was plain to see, as she clutched her hair in a protective embrace. She looked to Ozpin, likely hoping that he would refute the statement, and whimpered when he nodded.
"Peter- Professor Port, as you know him- informed me a few months ago that one of his captive Grimm slipped out of its cage and escaped into the sewer system below the campus, which can be entered through the manhole there. We've sent student teams down to look for it every week since the semester started. Your task is to check on the warning markers they've placed and, if the opportunity arises, eliminate the Grimm."
He flicked a switch on the wall, which lifted the manhole cover.
Jaune, Yang (nearly sobbing now), and May peered inside. The rungs along one side allowed a person to descend, and intermittently-placed lights revealed a greater depth than he expected from a private system. Jaune took a tentative sniff.
"Huh. It doesn't smell as bad as I thought."
"The original concept was that it would serve as a defensible evacuation shelter in times of great need. The issue of detrimental health effects was brought up recently, which resulted in mitigation efforts to reduce the stench and maintain a level of sanitation."
"I'd rather die to Grimm than live in a sewer." To Yang's objection, Ozpin shrugged.
"Very great need, then. I have not been down there in a long time, but our janitors certainly praised the design."
"Can they go, instead?" Yang scrunched her face. "Please?"
"There is a Grimm somewhere in those tunnels, Ms. Xiao-Long. No matter its size or strength, I would not risk civilians anywhere near it. Far better to send our students, trained and armed as you all are. Frankly, I thought you'd prefer a few hours of this to the three weeks of detentions Glynda wanted. If I was wrong, however…" Jaune clamped a hand over Yang's mouth.
"This is fine. We'll get that Grimm, sir!"
Distasteful as this mission may be, the efficiency cannot be denied. A day's work, not having to sit at a desk, and no Goodwitch supervision? Sign him up.
"Good. Much of the routine maintenance has been put off since we had to send Huntsmen with the plumbers. It's becoming…urgent. Before I leave you to it, do any of you have a question-" Jaune raised a hand "-yes, Mr. Arc."
"What kind of Grimm are we dealing with?"
"Peter told me it was a Deathmauler that escaped. Don't worry though, it should be tiny."
A what?
Beacon Sewers, Main tunnel
As luck would have it, or more likely by Ozpin's design, May Zedong has learned what a Deathmauler was. As May explained, it was a Grimm native to Vacuo that can be encountered in the oases of the desert. Deferring to her knowledge with this particular creature, Jaune and Yang pelted the girl with questions as the three began their patrol along the pipe.
"So, they're big alligators?"
"Or crocodiles. The debate is still raging on to this day." Yang tilted her head, hair in a tight braid and tucked under her uniform jacket.
"I don't see the difference."
"Alligators have wide but short snouts while crocodiles have thin but long snouts. Deathmaulers have the best of both world, wide and long snouts. All the better to eat us with."
The more Jaune heard about Vacuo, the less he ever wanted to visit. A shame, since they had the best beach resorts according to Melanie and Miltia.
The party slowed as they reached the first junction, where the tunnel branched off to their left. A bridge would let them cross over the river of sewage, or they could continue forward. May crouched and peeked around the corner through the scope of her sniper rifle. They strained their ears to listen for footsteps or growls. Hearing nothing, and receiving an all-clear from the sniper, Jaune and Yang crossed the bridges to check on the line of red tape running across the mouth of the side tunnel, followed by the lines further in. If any were broken, then chances were good that the Grimm had been through there.
Once done, they resumed their walk, and May continued her lesson.
"They're ambush specialists, lying in wait under the water and snapping up travelers hoping to quench their thirst. Their legs are longer than actual alligators or crocodiles, so if you try to run, they burst out and chase you down!"
An image of an alligator with four human legs jumping out at him as he crossed the bridge earlier flashed through his mind, and Jaune shivered. There's a nightmare waiting for him tonight.
However, that description did remind him of another Grimm that shared many of the same behaviors. Namely, the Deathstalker. Very similar names, he noted.
"Yeah, we have a lot of those, too." Holy Oum, Vacuo.
Both Jaune and Yang eyed the stream of water running along the middle of the tunnel, suspicious for any movement. It appeared too shallow for anything to hide inside, but the water was a fetid green, almost black. Too dark to see clearly, and it wasn't like they've tested the depths.
Best to stay close to the walls.
As befitting the sewer's alternative use as an emergency shelter, the walkway measured wide enough for three or four people to walk side by side. Concrete walls encased the sewer throughout, cold to the touch. Overhead lights shined dimly, with half of them turned off altogether. Along the walls were more inactive lights. At a guess, they would only be turned on if the tunnels' second purpose were needed. In the here and now, it served to stoke Jaune's paranoia that something was waiting for him in the dark, and the two blonds brandished their scrolls' flashlights at every shadow. Their third member, covering the rear, was less than impressed with their slow progress.
"What happened to the fierce warriors of yesterday? There's nothing there." Jaune frowned.
"You're the one that said this Grimm was an ambusher-"
"And I'm telling you there's no Grimm there, so please keep moving!" May pushed past him. She passed through a dark patch without hesitation, mumbling under her breath. "…wish my team was here…can't rely on a pair of snitches..."
Snitch? Him? Jaune snapped back.
"It's called being careful, and we're not the one who lost a fight and went running for the professors, Beanie Girl." May whirled around, a glower on her face. She stomped a foot.
"We pulled back because your side called for reinforcements like cowards! And I didn't squeal on anybody. Neither did my teammates. Shade knows to keep their disputes under wraps."
"I suppose Cardin was the one who reported me, then?"
"Car-who? I stayed out of the brawl, and you were the one who noticed me before it all started, so tell me how your headmaster could have known about my involvement."
"Unlike somebody here, I have what's called honor, and that means I don't go around stabbing people in the-" Wait, wrong phrasing. He literally backstabbed a guy with his knife yesterday. "-I don't betray others to the authorities unless they've done the same to me."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yes!"
Yang interrupted. "Are you two gonna kiss or what?"
""What!?""
The other blonde grinned at the sputtering duo.
"Too bad, I would've liked to see the other option. Did it not occur to you two geniuses that there might be more schemers-"
""Tactician!""
"Whatever. Forget those hidden weapons you were talking about, Jaune. I'm pretty sure the hot, new thing this Vytal Festival are a bunch of chess players bullying innocent fistfighters like me."
Huh.
There were an awful lot of spectators yesterday. Beacon's bystanders usually appreciated a show and almost never interfere, but not everyone liked Jaune. He can believe that one of the various nobodies with a grudge might want to inconvenience him.
Cardin had been the first suspect when Jaune received the detention notice on his scroll, but the CRDL leader disavowed any knowledge of the matter. He approved of Jaune's actions, in fact. The boy might not be his ally in the best of time, but they both understood the necessity of showing a united front in the face of the other Academies.
And how would that explain Yang being here? She certainly enjoyed greater popularity than Jaune, and their respective enemies and rivals don't overlap for the most part. Oftentimes, the people who despised him were his female friends' biggest fans.
Either there were multiple snitches, or it was someone who wanted to see them both in trouble. If the latter, then Vacuo was the most likely since he and Yang whooped them, but add May Zedong being in detention to the mix… Jaune glanced at the sniper, who returned a look of her own.
"It wasn't me, Beanie Girl, and I don't think it's anyone from my school." He tried for the innocent look honed under the twins, bringing an amused huff from the Shade student.
"And like I said, people from my school don't go to our teachers because they expect us to settle things among ourselves. This is the first time I've been punished for a fight. If your friend- ("Again, Yang's the name. The Mighty Dragon of Patch!") -if Yang is right, then we might be looking at a person from Atlas or Haven."
Vacuo sounded terrible, what with all the Death-named Grimm, but the more he learned of Shade, the more he suspected he'd fit in there. Their rules (or lack thereof) matched well with the Way he followed.
"I'll have to check to confirm that." Jaune wasn't going to believe a stranger's words so easily. "But I could start my investigation with the other two schools." Yang chimed in.
"Jaune's just stubborn. I'm pretty sure you're telling the truth." Her trust mollified the other girl enough that she smiled.
"Thanks. I'm going to send my guys out to get some answers, too." Her eye narrowed. "Maybe start with that blue-headed guy from Haven. He fancies himself an intellectual." Jaune hummed.
"I think I know who you're talking about. I'll check his partner."
They shared an anticipatory grin, and Yang took a big step away as they began chuckling evilly.
"Schemers, I swear."
-o-
Mood lifted, the party embarked upon their journey in earnest. From one intersection to the next, they dipped into side tunnels or marked unexplored paths for later. Progress could not be called quick by any means, however, for the underside of the campus held stories of its own.
Ozpin might have said that this was a sewer and emergency shelter, but as the party walked along, they discovered that other people have had better uses for a sprawling system of nooks and crannies. Detritus from Beacon's past littered the area, many taken here deliberately rather than misplaced by the hapless inhabitants above.
A pair of broken rapiers hanging on a wall spoke of past duels, honor won and lost in the depths of Beacon.
Toy soldiers painted in the colors of the Kingdoms fought over a sewer bridge. Vale was winning the dioramic battle, to Yang's and Jaune's cheers.
On one occasion, May screamed when she took a turn and came face to face with a bust of Port, like the one in his classroom. Vanity project or a puzzle for the brave explorer, the tally marks scrawled on the wall were divided. Jaune made a mental note to search other innocuous locations for such statues.
Besides the various oddities accumulated over the years, the sewer was somewhat of a vault for lost things. More than once, the sharp-eyed May pointed at valuables trapped in the rivers of sewage. A sparkle that suggested jewelry here, a figurine sealed in its packaging there. Jaune swore he saw a treasure chest sunk deep. They marked those locations for a future trip, since not one member of the party was willing to stick their hands into the sludge.
Then there were the little slices of home someone had carved out.
"Pawn to E4!"
Jaune boldly advanced the chess piece in a King's Pawn Opening. A popular move, blending both offense and defense, and a bid to control the center…or so his mom told him. The full extent of his chess strategies depleted, he left the board as is and moved on.
Nearby, Yang opened the mini fridge, and recoiled.
"Ewww, it's all moldy."
"What did you expect? I don't think anyone's touched this place in years."
Which was quite a shame. Some of the items in this little nook had that feel of quality goods. Besides the walnut coffee table on which the chess board sat and the unplugged fridge, a white couch sat facing a waterway. Plush and soft to his touch, a torn cushion revealed it has been stuffed with down feathers. If the thing wasn't so worn, he might have brought it to the new apartment in Vale. In its current condition, a full restoration would be needed.
"Ooooh, lookie what I found!"
Jaune popped his head over Yang's shoulder. Her rummaging behind the couch had come back with a stack of magazines.
I wonder how Velvet's doing.
On that entirely unrelated note, he abandoned all plans to take the couch. Who knew what has been done on it. The former owner of this place had good taste, though. In many ways.
"Check out this centerfold."
"You know what, I think I hear May calling us."
Cheeks red, Jaune exited the private lounge and made his way back to the main sewer line. Yang followed, grinning from ear to ear.
May had left before them, and stood at the mouth of the side channel. Her head swiveled from side to side. The intense frown was a good indicator she had more on her mind than keeping lookout.
"Beanie Girl, is something wrong?"
"The main tunnel curves a lot."
"So?"
He wasn't exactly an expert on these things. As far as he knew, all sewers look like this.
The girl rolled her eyes. Presumably. One eye at least. "So, it's wrapping a big circuit around something. Unless Beacon was built on top of a giant boulder, I think it might be something man-made."
Yang leaned in close to his ear, whispering.
"I didn't take her for a conspiracy theorist."
"No, no, it's an intriguing thought. We didn't see a right turn until we entered the side tunnels." Jaune tapped his chin. "I've been down to the different buildings' basement levels before. We're below them all now."
The architects for Beacon likely did not want to have a basement below the sewer level. A leak could spell (and smell!) catastrophic consequences for the campus. There shouldn't be any other structures at this depth, then, and no obstacles to prevent the builders from making a few shortcuts to connect opposite sides of the main pipe. Instead, they had a long, looping tunnel, from the left side of which smaller branches radiated out to the corners of the campus in a more grid-like pattern.
Judging by the circumference of the circle, whatever was on the other side must be pretty big. Important?...Valuable?
He walked over to the wall, rubbing a hand on the concrete. May joined him, and the two searched for a weakpoint.
There was little hope of that, though. As befitting a measure to defend from Grimm, the construction was solid, with not a crack to be found. Placing their ears against the wall, they strained to make out any activity beyond.
"Maybe I can get some Dust-"
"Oi, Indy and Croft!" Yang called out. "Get away from that poor wall. It's done nothing to you."
"But think of the possibilities, Yang!"
"Oh, I am, and I see you two bringing the ceiling down on us. You can ask Ozpin about it later if you're so curious. Right now, there's a lost Grimm that needs our help." Winking, she brandished Ember Celica.
Hmm. Ozpin would be the one with access to the school's blueprints. The man has a strange outlook, too, this expedition being an example. In the unlikely case where he didn't know what's behind here, he might very well be curious enough to provide them with drilling equipment.
As for the Grimm?
"I'm half-convinced the thing's dead from its drop into the sewer. We've been making a lot of noise. Sound carries down here, so it had to have heard us." Yang scratched her cheek.
"How good are alligator ears? Crocodiles. Whichever this thing is. It might rely on negativity more than animal senses."
Good point. He has seen Beowolves sniff the air to track by scent, but the textbooks say the Apathy Grimm detected prey almost exclusively by negativity. If the Deathmauler worked the same way as the latter, then the three of them might well be invisible for the last while.
"May, you've learned about these guys. Any thoughts?"
…
"May?"
Jaune and Yang turned to their third member, who was peering down the tunnel out of the corner of her eyes.
"Deathmaulers have excellent hearing and eyesight. And it's spotted us." Yang broke out in a feral smile.
"Where is it? Let's get the poor bastard."
"Heheh. Heh. Yeah." May nervously chuckled. "Don't look directly, but do you see that patch of white in the water up there? Near the second sluice gate."
Jaune tried to make out what the sniper had described. Fifty or sixty yards ahead, a rock-like shape stuck out of the sludge. Predominantly white, it had two dark spots. Eyeholes.
Yeah, he could kind of see why May was worried now.
Ozpin said the Grimm that Port caught was a young one measuring a foot long, hence its ability to disappear into the small sewer grate in Port's storage room. Taking their traits from the animal they resembled, young Deathmaulers grow quick, quicker than actual alligators, and Ozpin guessed this one to be the size of a large Golden Retriever by now.
"I see it. Judging by the size of its bone helmet, it could be as big as a Boarbatusk. As long as a Beowolf is tall if we count the tail. I guess Ozpin can be wrong sometimes."
"…not a helm…"
"What was that?"
May's hands clasped her rifle in a death-grip.
"That's not the Grimm's helmet plate. It's the tip of its snout."
Jaune looked again. Those eyeholes were pitch-black rather than red. Nostrils, not eyes.
About five feet behind the snout, two crimson lights emerged from the sludge.
Ah. There's them pretty peepers.
Dammit.
-o-
"It won't wait forever. We retreat, and it'd chase. We stand around, and it'd lose patience. Once it gets to this size, the bone plates become really tough and bullets will need to hit weakspots to do any real damage and we don't take missions to deal with them until fourth year but nothing this big and it's faster than you thinksoitcanrunusdownandwe-"
Jaune clasped the May's shoulders.
"Breathe, breeeeathe."
This was the second time in two days the girl panicked under pressure. May Zedong has a good head for strategy. Not so much for sudden developments, it seemed.
Granted, Jaune himself was soaked in a cold sweat. He just has a better poker face. Even Yang lost her gung-ho attitude.
Did the Grimm feed on the negativity of the students above, or was there something in Beacon's water? This beast was no mere Beowolf-level threat. An Ursa would die to it were Grimm species ever to fight. Scaling an alligator or crocodile proportionally, the measurement from snout to eyes suggest this Grimm could compare to a bus in length.
Half of it comprised of the tail, but considering May's description of bladed protrusions and a whip-like attack, that wasn't much comfort.
"We don't have to kill it." Jaune pulled out his scroll, typing as he talked. "A message to Ozpin should have reinforcement coming. Will it stay-" Yang, eyes still on the Grimm, interrupted.
"Nope. It's drifting closer."
"Okay. Run or fight. May, you're our expert, can it catch up to us if we run?"
Keep it simple. Ask for her knowledge first, ask for decisions later. Pile on too much pressure, and the Huntress will become overwhelmed again.
"Y-yes! It has long legs and a fast charge." Her voice steadied as she recited her lessons. "It can take corners and doesn't tire. You don't turn your back on a full-grown Deathmauler. Ever."
"So we fight until backup arrives. You said before that it attacks with its mouth, claws, and tail. Anything else to watch out for?"
"It rolls and has a spiny back, so the sides won't always be safe. It can push with its tail to leap forward, too."
A glance told him they've lost ten yards already.
"Weak spots, list them!" May rattled off from memory.
"Eyes, inside of mouth when it opens, belly when it rolls, back of head between its thickest bone plates but blades can break if caught between them. Teams usually bait it to reveal vulnerabilities."
"That's my role. My Aura can take hits." May nodded and turned to Yang.
"Can you run distraction on its left side while Jaune take the right? Get the head to turn in either direction and I can shoot out an eye." Yang raised a gauntlet.
"Gotcha. If that thing open its mouth, should I take a shot?"
"Yes, but priority should be to dodge. I'll call out warnings." Jaune chimed in.
"Best chance would be if it roars."
"Aye-aye, captains!"
With half the distance left, it was now or never. Yang hopped to the other side of the tunnel, and May drifted back. Edging forward, Jaune began tapping the wall with his knife to draw the Grimm his way.
By the way that snout shifted, his ploy worked.
It thinks I'm tasty, yaaaay.
Twenty-five yards. Twenty. Fifteen. Ten. The snout dipped underwater.
Here. We. Go.
For a moment, all was silent. Jaune tensed, knife gripped tight.
The water exploded in a burst of teeth and claws.
"GRAAAAR!"
BANG.
Diving to the side, Jaune avoided the Grimm's mouth as a shot rang out. Whether the bullet hit, he didn't know because the rest of the Deathmauler's bulk launched past him into the wall. One of its leg clipped his thigh. A mere glancing blow, yet it knocked out his breath and sent the blond bouncing off the same wall himself.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Scrambling to his feet, Jaune saw Yang on the other walkway, taking a few shots before she flattened her body to the ground. An instant later, the Grimm's tail whipped past her at head-height.
Yang's distraction gave Jaune time to back away and observe their foe.
Bus-length, definitely, and just as wide. A bit flat, like their animal counterpart. Legs comparable to his height if straightened. Fangs as long as his hand. Bands of white bone interlocked along its neck, giving way to rows of spikes that ran from back to tail, where six halberd-like blades encircled the tail to create a giant flail.
The tail curled behind the Grimm, and-
Fast!
Dodging backward, Jaune watched the jaw snapped close on the spot he just vacated. A distance of thirty feet, cleared by a single push of its tail.
The Grimm's hot breath blew over Jaune, the snout within arm's reach. Seeing a chance, he stabbed his knife at the nostril.
"Duck!"
May's warning saved him from becoming lunch, as the Grimm pushed forward on its legs to go for a second bite, angled upward.
The leaping attack with the tail, the follow-up using its legs, that damn croc has a one-two combo!
It didn't have a third step, though, and was kind enough to raise its jaw.
Driving his knife into the underside of the mouth, Jaune found a tough leathery skin that prevented anything more than a shallow gouge. He thumbed the switch on the hilt, and a burst of Lightning Dust follow his blade into the cut.
A twitch, a jolt, and the Grimm registered the pain. Its head twisted hard, nearly tearing his knife out of his grip, and the mouth opened to roar.
BANG.
The bullet cut the air by his head, so close that it buffeted his hair, and struck the roof of the Grimm's mouth. Ichor splattered the blond.
It must have hurt a lot more than his knife did, because the Grimm curled its entire body inward to prevent another shot, shrieking all the while. Jaune attempted another slash, but a blind sweep of a foreleg forced him to disengage.
Okay. Oh-kay. The first engagement went…well. The Grimm had methods to close the distance, so moving back was a bad move. Moreover, he realized that doing so will block May's shots. Sideway evasions were the way to go. Jumping could work, but he was leery of that upward bite. It was fast enough that it could snatch him out of the air.
The Grimm stilled, then began backing up.
"Yang!" Jaune yelled as the Deathmauler reset itself. "Draw it your way."
Glancing behind, Jaune moved to cover May from view as shotgun shells peppered the side of the Grimm. Most were stopped by thick armor, but two or three shells bit flesh, attracting the monster's attention. Snarling, it turned towards Yang, and Jaune pivoted out of May's way.
BANG.
Her shot roared past, making a beeline for the exposed eye-
Fuck!
The Grimm, either recognizing the sound of the rifle or the sight of the sniper, had angled its head to take the bullet on its bone armor. The hateful glare it gave May did not bode well.
Charging in, Jaune tried to rile its ire with a series of knife slashes. A contemptuous swing of the Grimm's head smashed him flat against the wall, Aura tanking the damage. The impact caused a cloud of dust to fall on him.
Coughing, Jaune raised his head to see Yang on the Grimm's back. The blonde grunted in effort as she pulled two bone plates apart, exposing the weak spot behind the head.
"Jaune, stab it. Quick."
Jumping over a swipe, he joined her on top of the Deathmauler. The thing shook like a wet dog to dislodge its passengers, but a tight grip on a spike kept Jaune in position to stab his knife in the gap Yang made. A hard press, and electricity ripped through the leathery hide.
The pain whipped the Grimm into a frenzy. It jerked one way, then the other, ramming the wall. The tail swiped in a futile arc. The sections of bone plates along its length was far too rigid to let the attack reach Jaune and Yang. On the other end, the neck was too short for the sharp teeth to do any good.
BANG. BANG.
Their sniper made good use of this chance to unload shot after shot into the Grimm's screaming maw, adding to its misery. On its back, wisps of smoke emitted from the gap, and an arid stench hit Jaune's nose.
Nothing like the smell of burnt flesh in a sewer. Jaune barked out a scornful laugh.
His moment of elation was cut short when his vision started tipping sideways. The bands of armor slammed together, almost trapping Yang's fingers. They did catch his knife, and tore it from his grasp.
Seeing the fetid river come ever closer, Jaune gave up on recovering his weapon and tumbled off the monster onto the walkway. Yang landed on the other side of the tunnel again, falling into a defensive stance.
The Grimm hit the sewage with a large splash, sending a wave of sludge high in the air. Jaune evaded as best as he could, and covered his face with his arms to block a glob of filth.
Yang fared little better, her uniform as disgusting as his. Forget washing, these were getting burned later.
The sloshing waves settled down, and a silence fell over the battlefield. Jaune and Yang searched the calm, dark water for an indication of the next attack.
"You ready, Jaune?"
"Best as I'll ever be. Are you okay on ammo?"
"Fresh clip here. If it goes for me, see if your sword is still in its back."
"Got it. If it comes this way, I'll rely on you." They shared a smile, and braced themselves.
A second passed, and another. Five, now. Ten.
Something's wrong.
"Ermmm." Yang squinted at the sewage. "Did it run?"
Had it? A Grimm on its last leg might retreat. This one bore relatively light injuries, and the aggression drive was no joke. Add the fact that it was an ambush predator and Jaune smelled a trap.
"I think it's waiting for a chance. Keep your guard up."
He was the weak link, lacking his knife, and this Grimm has shown sufficient cunning to take advantage of that. He's the juiciest morsel.
The one that can't hurt it.
Whipping his head left, Jaune screamed out to their third party member as he sprinted down the tunnel.
"May! Run-" "GRAAAOOR"
The Deathmauler rocketed out of the water, howling for blood. Rather than the group that had multiple people, it had gone for the one who was alone, and who had hurt it most. Its jaw crushed down on the girl, her Aura flashing in a desperate bid to withstand the pulverizing teeth. Her face was a rictus of agony.
"Aaaagh-*SLAM*"
Not satisfied with her survival, the Grimm bashed the girl against a wall, cutting off her scream. Hacking and coughing, she beat weakly at its mouth with a fist, the other arm trapped along with her rifle.
Even as he pumped Aura to his legs, Jaune feared he'd be too late. In two attacks, May's Aura had dimmed from a vibrant purple light to a dull violet.
Dashing forward on the momentum of Ember Celica's shotgun blasts, Yang quickly outpaced him. The distance closed in seconds, and she leapt over the waterway. She can make it!
Crimson eyes turned her way, and Jaune swore it held a savage triumph. Focused as she was on saving May, Yang never saw the lashing tail. The mace on the tail's end smashed her on the side and catapulted her body back the way it came. Scraping and bouncing on the concrete, she hit the side of the tunnel, groaning.
Its trap sprung, the last threat subdued, the monster resumed its attack on the sniper. Her tormented shrieks became a long, keening wail as the teeth grinded unceasingly.
The world seemed to slow to a crawl, letting Jaune see every detail of May's last moments. He saw her hand losing strength. Aura losing its light. Eyes transfixed on his own, asking-, calling-, begging for help.
He counted every step he still had to take. Forty-three. Took in the unfocused gaze of Yang, lethargic limbs failing to find purchase. Concussed. His knife remained where it was lost, stuck fast on the Grimm's neck. Unmovable without the help of Yang Xiao-Long.
And…that was it.
All the little details of this scene pointed to one outcome. The end, because Jaune had nothing in his pocket to save the day.
For all his boasts of protecting Melanie and Miltia, for all his pride of being a Huntsman, it was luck above all that carried him so far. Luck, which had failed when a life was on the line. It was Aura that usually made up the shortfall. Aura, which coursed through his legs to this limit and no further.
Why?
His feet hurt. It came in twinges. A flare of pain, followed by soothing relief. Aura healing.
Pain. Relief. And a burst of speed, to start it all again. Aura boosting.
Eyes widened to the truth.
His body was too weak to go any faster.
He still had Aura. After the attacks he took and the strength he expended, Jaune's reserves were nowhere close to empty. The amount he can bring to bear had never been a problem.
The vessel was the limit. The muscle, bone, flesh, everythingthat made up his legs formed the bottleneck. He had already boosted himself past the threshold of what was safe, tearing at his limbs to eke out a touch more speed. Without his soul healing his body, Jaune would likely be on the floor with his muscles torn.
This act caused him damage, and his mind knew to quit. Subconsciously, it had ordered his Aura, here and no more.
Heh. Eheheh.
It has not properly recognized the facts. Someone needed him now. A rival, yes, but there was the beginnings of friendship, too. And in this instance, she trusted him as her teammate. Add that to the argument, and there can be only one conclusion.
His mind was dumb and he doesn't have to listen to it, so there.
If he was slow, boost. If he was hurt, heal. Still too slow? More Aura. Hurt too much? Even more Aura.
Eyes settled on the distant girl. Lips quirked in a toothy smile. Wisps of bluish-white coalesced into a fire, sinking lower past his throat, past his chest. Instincts screamed a warning, and the power receded.
A second fire joined the first, pushing past his belly. A little voice protested, this is a bad idea, and the light dimmed.
Another part of Jaune Arc decided, More Aura, and a third fire formed. This time, it burned a path to its target.
It began with one step. A knee raised high, creaking with barely contained power. A foot slammed down with a thundering crack.
The world flashed on by.
He wasn't like the rumors, was what she had thought.
Brawnz heard that Jaune Arc was dangerous. A Huntsman, a criminal, something in between. Roy saw him, and said he was a dandy, a fop. Someone very much typical of Vale. Nolan discovered only one thing, and it worried them all.
People said Jaune Arc was the boy who never loses.
From sanctioned matches, to hallway disputes, to something that happened in Vale one weekend, he always came out on top.
Yet, seeing him fight, May found no paragon of the battlefield, no Invincible Boy, but someone with a cunning mind and a ruthless streak. A man who played support for a better warrior, but struck like a viper when the opportunity arose. He'd fit in well at Shade.
A good head for tactics. High Aura levels, with poor control of it. Proficient with a knife and nothing else. He possessed a mix of strengths and weaknesses.
A tough foe, but surmountable. A mere man, with his flaws.
Locked in the jaws of a nightmare, she had wished that he lived up to the legend, instead. That he was someone who could turn this around. That she would live to see tomorrow. A stupid, fanciful delusion.
That was, until his rage and despair fell away. An excited grin took their place. She gazed into his eyes and found them shining like beacons in this dark undercity. The elation, the wonder, she saw its like before, had worn an expression like it once. He has obtained something all Huntsmen and Huntresses hoped for.
Something beyond any rules. Something which ignored the odds.
A Semblance.
Facing certain defeat, that boy managed to find a card to play, after all.
He's more like the rumors than I thought.
One moment, he was looking at May Zedong's face from forty paces, the next, he beheld her blue-gray irises from inches away, with only the memory of a long blur in between. His left leg registered agony, and he bit down on his lips to stifle a shriek. Now was not the time to whimper and cry, because if May was there and he was here, then the Deathmauler was…
Pivoting on his good leg, Jaune swung a fist to his right side where a baleful red orb rested directly next to him. His knuckles met a firm, wet surface and, with a *pop*, blasted through to pulp its eye.
"GRAUUGHGH!"
The Grimm's roar of pain was a sweet song to Jaune's ears.
From its open mouth, May Zedong tumbled into his arms. She gritted her teeth at the impact, no doubt covered in bruises beneath her clothes. The garments were covered in filth and saliva, but lacked any signs of blood. Purple Aura pulsed weakly, depleted almost to the last drop. After everything, her hand still gripped her rifle like a vice.
As much as he'd like to check her for injuries, they were within reach of a thrashing alligator.
"May, we're moving back to Yang. This might hurt a bit, okay?" She nodded.
His left leg objected, numbed and yet to recover from the stress, but he ignored it in favor of drawing on the same well of power. This time, he pushed the energy into his right foot. Leaving an imprint in the concrete, Jaune took a step that was more of a leap while the Grimm fell back in the sewage.
Doing this with added weight was harder than he expected, and they landed in a clumsy pile short of the brawler, who was using the wall to stand.
"Ow. This needs a lot of work." He then shook his cargo. "We're not safe yet. Can you still shoot?"
May checked her rifle, the inspection yielding a nod of satisfaction. A hand slipped in her hoodie, and the girl paled. A frantic rummage the hoodie's various pockets brought out hands covered in Dust, broken cartridges, and one intact clip. The gnashing fangs have ruined most of her ammo.
"With what I have loaded, I can do eight shots." Jaune flicked a wary gaze to the waterway.
"We're in no shape to run, and I'm not sure if the Grimm will retreat. That leaves fighting." Yang gave a thumbs up. May sighed, but got up. "Take out the other eye, and running becomes an option."
"No." May interrupted. "It can track us by scent and sound."
Fight to the end, then. Trouble was, what they have to work with were eight high-caliber bullets, however many clips Yang carried, and him bare-handed. May was exhausted, and one solid hit might take her out. At least one of the blonds will have to stay near her during the fight, which limited options.
The party needed something more decisive. How he wished to be armed with big, big swords. A cannon, maybe. He'd give an arm for the opportunity to dynamite the thing out of the water.
A Nora. He needed a Nora, and all the explosions she can bring.
…
Hmmm. Dynamite. Dust.
Jaune ran his eyes up and down May Zedong's body, a plan forming. Making up his mind, he grabbed her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.
"May. Take off your shirt."
The girl covered her chest.
"What!?"
-o-
As dummies and other inadequate individuals may learn from a certain pamphlet, Dust in a powdered form was volatile to the point that a misfortunate sneeze can cause a catastrophic reaction.
May's hoodie, at this current time, held a mixture primarily composed of Fire Dust from her standard bullets, plus Lightning, Ice, and Gravity Dust from her special ammos. A veritable cocktail of bad consequences.
That Grimm had a good shot of killing itself while trying to take her down. May could have blown Jaune and herself sky high during her rescue.
It's fine now, though. She had lost the bombshell of a top, the article rolled into a ball in Jaune's hand and supplemented by Fire Dust taken from half of Yang's remaining ammo.
He stood alone a little ways down the tunnel, with Yang and May bunched up to present a less attractive target for the Deathmauler. Going by its behavior, the Grimm should love a chance to murder the one who destroyed its eye, especially when that person was isolated. Too bad for it, Jaune's legs have recuperated to the point that he could risk another dash.
Throw the bomb in its mouth, escape back to my team, and let May shoot the bomb. Easy.
If that couldn't take it down or drive it away, nothing they do would.
Now, where is it?
*Splash, splosh*
To his right, between Jaune and his party, the Deathmauler hauled itself out of the sludge. Its head was set at an angle, the remaining eye focused on the Huntsman. Bloody ichor streaming from its maw, the Grimm growled in hate.
That monster didn't just go for isolated target. It would actively cut off the prey.
Oh, dammit all.
Added step: Make it turn around.
The long tail lashed in a wide sweep, then curled behind the beast. Jaune prepared the makeshift explosive. When it try for a leaping bite, he'd have his opportunity.
He didn't have the opportunity.
Launching off its tail, the Grimm soared through the air. Unlike before, it tucked its head, intent on crushing Jaune through blunt impact.
The thing has learned that opening its mouth never ended well.
Added step: Make it scream. And survive the next few seconds.
Over or under, that was the question. He didn't have to worry about being bitten out of the air, not with its jaws firmly shut. Preferring to not be crushed under a few tons of Grimm, Jaune bent his knees, and put a touch of Aura in his legs. As he pushed off the ground, he spied a small, forgotten detail and adjusted his aim.
Leaping upward, Jaune waited for the head to pass him by, before reaching out with a hand to grab his knife. The beast's momentum yanked him along with its charge, slamming his body against the spiny back.
Hissing through his teeth, Jaune pressed a finger over the switch on his knife. A bolt of electricity ran down the blade, and met flesh. The shock caused the Grimm to botch the landing, and it scraped a trail on the walkway.
"GROoAaGH"
Step completed: It's screaming.
Scream some more, scream some more!
…*cough*
Next, to deliver the payload. And to take the other eye while he's at it.
Placing one foot on a long shoulder spike, he climbed past the neck. The other foot hooked on the hilt of his knife, and he tucked the hoodie under an arm.
Unsteady, but workable. Aaaaand- Punch!
Dark blood soaked his arm, the fist driven deep in the eye socket. Disgusting as it was, he kept a tight grip as the Grimm thrashed about. From there, he hauled his way onto the snout and shoved the hoodie down its throat.
Step comp- The massive jaws snapped shut.
"Gaaaaah-!"
S-strong! Aura flared to keep the teeth from breaking skin, but the sheer biting force set his nerves on fire. The Grimm swung him back and forth by the arm, nearly wrenching it out of the socket.
Then, the monster stopped short, and began to tilt. The Grimm was rolling for the water, taking him with it.
Fuuuuu-
"Got you, Jaune!"
Hair glowing gold, eyes as crimson as the Grimm's once were, Yang Xiao-Long slid into view.
Cocking back a fist, her Semblance at the ready, the girl swung with her whole body to send a punch rocketing for Grimm's side.
Bone plates shattered under the force of the blow. Lifted off its legs, the Grimm crashed against the concrete wall.
"May's repositioning. Just hang in there."
Said girl was making her way around the battle, rifle in hand. Skidding to a kneeling position, she sight down her scope.
"Ready. Get the mouth open, and get clear!"
But, how?
Yang was busy whaling on the creature, emptying her ammo into its gut to keep the thing on land. He was pinned down, himself, with the knife out of reach.
They needed a gap. Jaune saw one way.
"Between my arm and its teeth. Can you aim for that? My Aura can take bullets."
The high-caliber shot would hurt, but he had experienced much the same in combat classes and the warehouse incident. Enough Aura, and a Huntsman was functionally bulletproof. The Huntsman's body would still have some give, though, and a glancing bullet can drive a path along the skin.
There, opening made.
"Wha-, the bomb will blow your arm off!"
Maybe, maybe not. The important thing was that she didn't call it an impossible shot.
Letting this oversized lizard escape was simply unacceptable.
"I'm tougher than that. Take the shot, Beanie Girl."
I'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'll be fine.
He sang the mantra on repeat, pumping as much Aura as he could to his arm.
Perhaps, she believed him. Perhaps, she was as tired of this Oumdamned Grimm as he was. Either way, she aimed as he directed.
"Are all Valeans mad like you!?"
Aiming for the line between the Deathmauler's tooth and Jaune's trapped limb, she pulled the trigger.
BANG.
He hardly felt the bullet. Not so, for the explosion.
-o-
Twitching and smoking, Jaune rested on the ground, enjoying the cold feel of the floor. May sat next to him, ostensibly to attend his wounds, but really just apologizing over and over. Aura did good work to both prevent most of the damage and heal the rest.
*thump* *whack* *punch*
As expected, the explosion was mostly fire. The Grimm's closed mouth mitigated the blast, but turned the inside to an oven. Aura kept the burns skin-deep. It wasn't much of a comfort.
He thought the ice would be a welcome relief. The drastic change in temperature intensified the pain, instead.
The jolts of electricity was the worst of the lot, moving from his arms to the rest of his body.
*smack* *thump*
Good thing May wasn't Weiss. The amount of Dust she carried in her hoodie lacked the quantity needed to really go boom.
He turned his head, grimacing again upon seeing the Grimm's dissipating corpse. Its head, lacking Aura, had been cooked alive. There was a soft crackling noise from a fire still burning in its mouth. A chunk of ice protruded through a cheek.
Good riddance. The brawler kicking the dead Grimm thought so, too.
*slam* *crunch*
"Having fun, Yang?"
"You know it. Can I borrow your knife?"
"Go ahead."
*stab* *stab* *stab*
"Bastard. Ruining. My. Hair." She left the knife sticking out of the Grimm's neck, and walked over to Jaune. "C'mon, you two. We're taking a selfie to really rub it in."
Now that was fine idea.
The party clambered on the Deathmauler's back, Jaune grabbing his long knife on the way. Propped up between Yang and May, he rested the blade on a shoulder. His feet sprawled out, and he leaned back to lounge on the Grimm.
Y'know, just to give the impression that he didn't even break a sweat on this glorified gecko.
At the far end of the tunnel, he spied Ozpin, Port, and an older team rounding the bend. They readied their weapons upon spotting the Grimm. Then, they saw the three students posing on top of it, and dropped their jaws.
Jaune smirked as the scroll flashed.
*snap*
Yeah, this will be one hell of a story to tell the twins.
Author's Notes: These chapter lengths are a bit out of control. Oh well, write to the story, not the word count. It's more fun this way.
Originally, this would have been Jaune, Melanie, and Miltia in the Vale Sewers as a more humorous Halloween chapter, but there just wasn't a good rationale for why they're there besides some random side-quest NPC asking them, nor was there a reason for why there's a monster in the sewer beyond the classic myth of a Sewer Gator. So, this happened.
It turned out to be a good time to introduce his Semblance, Deus ex Machi-ahem, Aura Amplification. Dying teammate, feelings of uselessness, a desire to defy this unfair fate. Close enough to canon!
Right now, it's being used to amplify himself rather than others, because this Jaune likes to attack attack attack…and he never thought about healing others…and there might be some crossed wires due to how the Malachites taught him about Aura…and he might not even realize it's a Semblance, and thinks of it as just 'More Aura™'.
Three fires metaphor for Aura = the three Heat Gauges of Yakuza 0.
Different games have different names for it, but Jaune unlocked special move 'Jump Forward Fast'.
I had two models for this Jaune's Yakuza persona, one more realistic(-ish) in abilities and one with elements that needed Aura to imitate. But Finally, I can do Fantasy things with Jaune's fighting style. Sort of. He's a baby learning to walk at this point.
May Zedong was never meant to get another appearance until maybe a tournament fight in the far off future, but she was the natural pick for the adventuring party after last chapter.
There's a much better idea I will do for Halloween.
