The long awaited day had finally arrived. It was the first day of the Vytal Tournament. And yet...
It was somehow the least important thing on Jaune's mind.
In the grand scheme of things, what was a monumentally important festival and combat tournament for the four kingdoms of Remnant meant absolutely nothing to Jaune. It meant nothing to his friends. All that mattered to them was the underlying plots and schemes which would determine the fate of not only Beacon Academy, but perhaps even Vale itself. Unbeknownst to most, a shadow war was currently being waged by Jaune and his allies against Salem and hers. Luckily for him, the other side wasn't even aware of his intentions to foil their plans.
However, all of that was in jeopardy because of the current condition of his team. Over the past couple of days things had gone from relatively stable to teetering on the brink of collapse. First there had been Yang, the incident with her mother, and her learning of Jaune's true human nature. To say she hadn't taken it well would be an understatement. She'd stormed out of their dorm room on that day and hadn't come back. Where she had gone, he couldn't say. She hadn't been answering her scroll, and he could only hope that she was still on school grounds. If a potentially unstable hybrid was on the loose in Vale, it could result in not only the deaths of countless innocents, but it also risked exposing the existence of the human-Grimm hybrids to the public and authorities.
Now on top of that there was a new problem. One which was less severe, but no less concerning. Especially to the one whom it affected the most.
"I simply don't understand," Weiss said as she continued to pace back and forth in Team AWRY's room.
She, along with Jaune and Ruby, had gathered there in preparation for their first match of the tournament. Yang was still missing, and Jaune wasn't sure if they would be disqualified if their fourth wasn't present. It might all be a moot point anyway if their team was too dysfunctional to even perform properly. Right now Weiss' emotional state was not balanced, and it was showing.
"Where is she?" Weiss continued. "Where has my sister gone? It has been two days and not only has she not stopped by to see me, but she has not even called or text messaged me."
Jaune could understand Weiss' concern. Since their reunion Weiss and Winter had grown as close as one would expect long lost sisters to. Winter had taken a deep and personal interest in Weiss' well-being, and was fiercely protective of her even to her teammates, much to Weiss' chagrin at times. She didn't much appreciate when Winter threatened Jaune, and he found it oddly comforting that she valued her relationship with her mate just as much as the one with her own flesh and blood.
He didn't know the answer, but Jaune still attempted to provide some sort of answer and comfort to his friend and lover. "Maybe she has important business?" he guessed. "I mean, she's an Atlesian Specialist, right? I don't know exactly what comes with the territory, but she probably gets called to do a lot of important stuff."
His explanation made Weiss halt from her nervous pacing, but didn't quash her concerns entirely. "Yes, my sister is a very talented and important woman," she agreed. Her tone was filled with the pride of someone who felt deep admiration for her older sibling. "But she is my sister! She is my blood! If she needed to leave on such urgent business she surely would have informed me because we are sisters. She would not simply leave with no explanation or goodbye."
As much as Jaune wanted to believe his own explanation was true, he couldn't help but agree with Weiss' protests. Someone as protective and caring as Winter was for her little sister would most assuredly inform her that she was leaving. Even if it was some sort of secretive black ops mission which required zero contact, Winter would have done something to inform Weiss that she would be leaving and out of contact for the foreseeable future. No, there was something strange going on here, but what exactly it was he couldn't say. None of them could. It was that uncertainty which made everything much, much worse.
Still, he didn't want to leave that sort of impression on Weiss' very impressionable mind. He had to do his best to calm her down, even if what he was saying wasn't what he actually believed.
"Maybe she had a very special mission only she could take care of," he suggested. "Like a... hush-hush secret mission."
Jaune saw how Weiss' fingers were flexing nervously, opening and closing down by her waist as she resumed walking around the locker room. She clearly wasn't going to be on top of her game for the upcoming four versus four matchup in the tournament, and he hoped that this wouldn't result in her losing control. The possibility of Weiss transforming in front of not only a live audience of thousands, but on TV in front of millions, was a grim one indeed. He intended no pun there either.
"She is my sister!" Weiss repeated more heatedly this time. "Hush-hush secret mission or not, she would have told me! I have only just found her once more and she has already left?" Her voice trembled as she pressed on. "Did I do something wrong? Did I do something to drive her away and abandon me?"
Her latest question prompted Jaune to step in more forcefully. He placed a hand on her shoulder and spun her to a halt, turning her to look up into his eyes.
"No," he said firmly, despite not knowing the truth himself. "She hasn't abandoned you. I don't know where she is, but she'd never abandon you. I'm sure there's a good explanation for everything."
It was a rare thing when a know-nothing-know-it-all like Weiss showed self doubt. Jaune knew her insecurities must have been serious if she was allowing herself to appear this vulnerable.
He held Weiss' gaze, hoping that he would be able to convince her more than he was able to convince himself. He had to fake it. At least enough so that she would believe it. So that she would believe in Winter.
A glimmer of hope filled Weiss' beautiful blue eyes, and for the briefest of moments a tiny smile curled her lips upward as she nodded in agreement or acceptance.
Maybe being the Alpha of their pack had more perks than simply being their mate. It certainly came with more responsibility. It was his duty to ensure that none of the girls' true natures were discovered here in Vale. It was his duty to ensure that they were able to stay calm, keep cool, and continue playing the roles of Rosalyn, Wren, and Yara.
"Perhaps," she finally relented. Her pale blue eyes peered up at him, wet from being on the verge of tears, and deeply vulnerable when she asked her next question. "Jaune, you will never abandon me, right?"
Something about the way Weiss spoke those words hurt him deeply inside, and his first instinct was to pull her against him and wrap her in a tight embrace. Jaune squeezed Weiss fiercely, burying his face into her long white hair as he responded.
"Never," he promised. She, Ruby, Blake, and Yang all meant the world to him. They were all in this together. They were a pack, and he was their Alpha. "I'll never leave you or anyone else."
He held Weiss close for long seconds before gently pushing her away. It wasn't to reject her, but rather to emphasize his words. To let his steely gaze speak louder than his words when he peered into her eyes. He turned to Ruby next, who up until now had been left out in the cold, and urged her to get in.
She did so willingly and eagerly, and Jaune's long arms wrapped around both girls' backs as he squeezed them both with just as much fervor and love as the first time. So close that he could feel their rapid heartbeats against his chest as he held them tightly against him. Blake and Yang weren't here, so they alone would simply have to do.
Well, maybe Blake was there, but knowing her she would be watching from the shadows, awaiting her turn to get Jaune alone. Despite her accepting the other girls, she was never too keen on sharing like Weiss and Ruby were. She was a selfish young woman in that regard, but a patient one as well.
"I love you both so much," he whispered between their two heads, his own resting atop both of theirs.
"Ugh, and the first thing I see when I come back is this gross crap."
Maybe he was wrong on both accounts.
The sound of a familiar voice broke up the hug, and all three members of Team AWRY turned to see their errant fourth member standing in the doorway. So wrapped up in his own little world had Jaune been that he hadn't even heard the door open.
For the first time in a couple of days, Yang had shown her face.
"Yang!" Jaune smiled with relief, moving a few steps toward her. However, a single outstretched hand forced him to stop in his tracks.
"No, we're not hugging this one out," the blonde girl said flatly.
Jaune collected himself before nodding in agreement. "Okay, that's fine. Where have you been? Are you alright?"
She snorted a single soft laugh, one not born out of humor. "What, worried about me?" she asked with blatant disregard for his very real concern. "I don't need your concern, human."
Yang uttered the word as if it was an insult. Like being human was some curse word to be uttered under her breath. Jaune was no faunus and he had never been subjected to any sort of discrimination, but he wondered if that was what it felt like to be on the receiving end of such racist remarks.
"Okay, but where have you been this whole time? It's been two days."
Two days without supervision. Two days she'd been at risk of exposing herself and the rest of their team. And yet... nothing had happened. There had been no incidents on campus. No reports of trouble. Certainly no authorities coming to knock at their door to detain them.
Despite her fiery personality and volatile temper, Yang was still the most put-together of the hybrids. She'd ventured to the human kingdoms before. Her looted shotgun was her proof, and trophy, of that feat. If any of them was able to survive on her own undetected, it was Yang. Jaune supposed he should be thankful that she was the one who'd blown up as she had at the revelation of his human nature.
"I was staying with friends," she stated matter-of-factly.
A comment which earned another scoff of laughter, this time courtesy of Weiss. Jaune turned to see a look of incredulity on her face. Well, it was better than the anxiety she'd been feeling before, right?
"Friends," Weiss repeated. "You don't have friends who aren't us."
The words alone were meant to be, and should have been an insult to Yang. However, rather than being upset over them, the blonde girl merely smirked and moved further into the room, opening up a dresser drawer and rummaging around in it for her belongings.
"Unlike you, I actually know how to act like a normal human being," she said without bothering to look back at Weiss. "I don't lose control and make a public scene like some hybrids."
Weiss' face soured immediately, and Jaune didn't think it was because the incident which had occurred at the dance had anything to do with her sister. No, it was a simple insult against Weiss' own skill and self-control.
She gritted her teeth and took a step forward, but Jaune stopped her in her tracks when he placed a hand on her shoulder. Should she have moved any further he had been ready to wrap his arms around her in order to hold her back.
"You remember Sun, right?" Yang continued. "For a faunus he's a pretty cool guy. Strong too. Of course, Blake knows all about just how strong he is." She paused, tilting her head upward to the ceiling, but Jaune could tell her eyes weren't focused on anything in particular. "Don't you?"
The hiss which responded to Yang's question sounded as if it came from everywhere, yet nowhere, all at once.
Well, at least that confirmed Blake's presence in the room... somewhere.
Jaune was happy that Yang had made a friend here at school, and he knew from his own experiences with Sun that he was as genuine and caring a guy as they came. Still, it didn't sit right with him that Yang had just up and abandoned them like she had. Like Weiss feared that Winter had.
"You could have called," he said. "Or something to let us know you were okay. Did you even think about Ruby during all of this?"
Yang turned, her lilac eyes hard as she glared at the young man who had gone from the strong, Leviathan Grimm Alpha hybrid to... a weak, pathetic human in her eyes.
"I did," she stated coldly. "I would never abandon her. I'm not like someone else."
Jaune glanced at Ruby next, whose head was looking downward, unable to meet anyone's gaze. Now that he thought about it, Ruby had seemed surprisingly calm during this whole ordeal. Unlike Weiss who was freaking out over her sister's disappearance, Ruby did not seem to worry at all over Yang's own. At least not outwardly.
"Ruby?" Jaune asked, forcing her eyes upward to meet his own.
The youngest girl wrapped her arms around her torso, and her silver eyes returned to what must have been a very interesting floor. "Um... well..."
"I've been in touch with her the whole time," Yang said, voicing the explanation in Ruby's place. "Don't blame her. I asked her not to tell you where I was."
Well, that explained all of that. On one hand Jaune was relieved that Yang had taken Ruby's well-being into consideration. To ensure that she remained mentally and emotionally stable during this secretive mission of theirs.
On the other hand he hated being left in the dark. He was their leader, and he needed to know about these sort of things. What if he had acted without knowing this information and made things worse?
"You should have told me," he said to Yang.
Yang slammed the dresser drawer shut before turning back to him. "Yeah, real rich coming from you, human. You should have told me too."
That was a point that Jaune was hard-pressed to argue. He could make excuses all day about why he hadn't told Yang about his humanity, but considering that the other three girls all knew and accepted it, would it really hold any weight?
Weiss on the other hand was never one to hold back. However, her scorn was directed at Ruby rather than Yang.
"Ruby, Jaune is our mate and our Alpha," she chastised. "You should not keep secrets from your mate."
Yang took a stomping step toward her teammate. "You leave her out of this," she snarled.
Things were quickly spiraling out of control, and Jaune did what he had to do both as the leader of the team and as Weiss' lover. He stepped in between her and Yang, holding out both arms to keep them at bay.
"That's enough," he said. He turned to Weiss. "I'll handle this, okay?"
The girl nodded without a word. For all her haughtiness and bluster, she was surprisingly malleable and docile when Jaune decided that he needed to be in control of a situation.
His attention turned to Yang next. "Yeah, you're right. I have no right to blame you for not telling me when I kept a secret from you too. But let's not fight, okay? We need to all be on the same page for today. The tournament's beginning and we can't be fighting each other when we have other team's to fight."
Yang flashed a predatory grin. "Why do you think I came back?" she asked, holding up the shotgun she'd retrieved from the dresser. "I'm ready for this stupid little tournament. As if I'd pass up this chance to beat a bunch of miserable humans to a pulp with zero consequences. Maybe I'll get lucky and break some bones while I vent all my anger."
Red flags. Yang was very clearly still angry. Whether it was about the situation with her mother, with him, or both, he couldn't say. All he knew for certain was that he would need to keep a very close eye on the girl, and keep her on a very short leash.
That is, if he was even capable of keeping her on a leash. Unlike Ruby and Weiss, she was not his mate. Unlike Blake, she did not adore him as her darling. Yang was and had always been the loosest canon and the wild card of their team.
"Oh yes, how very human of you," Weiss stated sardonically. "I'm sure your bloodlust and desire for carnage will fit in perfectly with these soft and squishy humans who are here to observe our matches." She blinked before looking up at Jaune with a sheepish expression. "Except you, of course. You are neither soft nor squishy, Jaune."
He couldn't help but smile down at the girl. "Thanks?"
"Well clearly you've never met my mother," Yang retorted.
"I have not," Weiss agreed.
Jaune wasn't about to let go of the fact that Yang had expressed her desire to seriously injure their opponents. "Yang, don't lose control today," he warned her. "You can fight, but please don't seriously injure anyone. Or, brothers forbid, kill them."
Yang scoffed and turned to move toward the door. "I won't hurt anyone too badly," she conceded. A few steps later she reached the door, which she opened. "I still have someone here I care about. I would never put her in danger."
Without waiting for a response she stepped out and closed the door behind her. Left in her wake were the three, and as it turned out, four people who had to deal with the fallout of this new information.
"Well, that happened," he breathed with a sigh.
So much to unpack. So much to discuss. Yang's issues. Weiss' issues. And as it turned out, Ruby had been keeping something from him as well. That had to be addressed as well. As he'd told Yang, they all had to be on the same page.
"Ruby," he said, turning to the girl whom he'd first befriended, the girl he'd first fallen for, all those months ago back at Salem's Grimm Academy.
Her downward gaze couldn't meet his, and she hugged herself tightly as he approached her. "Are you mad, Jaune?"
His arms moved quickly, but not in an attack. Rather, he wrapped Ruby up tightly in another embrace, this time with her and her alone.
"Never," he whispered as he buried his head in her short red-black hair. "I could never be mad at you, Ruby. I love you."
His hug was quickly returned by her, and Ruby squeezed him so tightly that for a moment Jaune thought he was going to burst. He actually had to activate his Aura in order to keep his lover from doing harm to his body.
"I'm sorry," she whispered into his chest. "Yang asked... I didn't know what to do..."
There was nothing she needed to do, for he held no grudge nor resentment towards Ruby for keeping this from him. Brothers knew he'd kept secrets for his sisters as well back when he was younger. The bonds between siblings were some of the strongest in the world.
"It's okay," he reassured her. "It's okay. She's your sister." He thought about the words Weiss had used earlier when discussing Winter. He wondered if it might have more of an effect on a hybrid. "She's your blood."
Ruby hummed contentedly into his chest.
After long and blissful seconds Jaune finally broke the embrace, and he stared down into Ruby's glistening mirrored eyes. She wore an expression somewhere between joy and sorrow. Happy to have been in her lover and mate's arms, yet sad that she had betrayed his trust. Even if he had told her that it was okay.
"So, we have a couple hours before our match," he told her. "You feel ready for this?"
She nodded, and as she did so, Jaune heard her stomach rumble.
Surprised silver eyes glanced down at it briefly before turning back up to him. "Um, I guess I'm hungry..." she admitted bashfully.
Jaune smiled. It wouldn't do to go into battle hungry. As they said, an army marched on its stomach, and as huntsmen and huntresses they would be no different.
"Of course you are," he said, his grin deepening. "Because you're my little Cookie Monster. Let's go get a nice big meal before our match."
Before Ruby could respond, he felt an all too familiar blunt force impact against his arm. But before Weiss could headbutt him again, Jaune wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close too.
"And you're my Snow Angel," he added, knowing instantly that Weiss had gotten jealous of him using Ruby's pet name and not hers.
She harrumphed triumphantly, and together the three turned to follow Yang out of the room to where they could find some delicious food.
"And you're my darling," the unseen voice of Blake said from whichever hiding place she'd found, or created, in their dorm room.
The words stopped them in their tracks, and Jaune, much like Yang had earlier, turned his head upward to address the shadowy girl wherever she currently lurked. He couldn't place his eyes on her, which wasn't unusual. Blake's home was in the shadows. It always had been.
"And you're my darling too, Blake," he said, completing the unusual love quartet he'd managed to cultivate at Grimm Academy.
Ethereal, hissing laughter sounded, endearing and utterly terrifying at the same time. Chills ran down Jaune's spine as the trio stepped out of the room.
Despite the issues which they all currently faced, it made Jaune happy to know that they were still united as a team. They were going to get through this. They had to. And who knows? Maybe cracking a few skulls was exactly what Yang would need to vent her overwhelming anger and get her in the mood to actually sit down and talk with him.
Winter Schnee was accustomed to the cramped, sterile rooms of an Atlesian Battlecruiser. The stark white and dull gunmetal surfaces were like a second home to her. A simple cup of coffee was like a luxury in the bare and spartan quarters of the powerful military vessel. However, the current predicament she found herself in took all of that to its horrible, grim extreme.
She had no idea how long she had been captive for at this point. Without windows to view the rising and setting of the sun, and without even a simple clock to tell the time, time itself held no meaning to the Specialist. Regular contact with the outside world was limited, and so far the only interaction with others had been receiving her three meals a day. General Ironwood hadn't been lying when he'd told her that she would be spending a few days in solitary confinement. Then again, she'd never known her superior to not follow through with his word. However, even such disciplinary measures had brought Winter no closer to breaking. She could spend the rest of her life in this horrid custody and she would still never betray her sister's trust.
Weiss... Winter wondered what must have been going through her sister's mind right now. Having only just reunited a few weeks earlier, the sudden disappearance of the Specialist from her sister's life must have been jarring to the deeply vulnerable girl. She hoped that Weiss was coping okay. She hoped that she wouldn't do something reckless. She hoped that Weiss' support system would be there for her in order to guide her through this unforeseen and dire straits.
A ghost of a smile curled Winter's lips upward. Her support system. Her strange little relationship with Jaune and Ruby. For the first time Winter was actually happy that they had made such an arrangement. Despite the fact that the circumstances were far from what Winter would call ideal, the fact that she had people around her who cared deeply for her put her mind at ease, even if only a little bit. They loved her, and she loved them. Jaune and Ruby would not let anything happen to her. As much as Winter didn't want to imagine the details, they were, as Weiss had so crudely put it, mates. Mates who would look after her until Winter was able to regain her freedom.
All that she had to do now was wait it out. Given her position and importance to the General, she was certain that he would break before she did. She was one of his most trusted officers, and for all intents and purposes it seemed as if he was grooming her for a larger purpose sometime in the far future. What it was exactly, Winter couldn't say, but it was something which only she could be capable of, no doubt. Huntresses of her caliber didn't just fall from trees, and despite having an entire academy under his thumb, no one could come close to matching the qualities which she possessed.
Was it arrogant of her to think so highly of herself? Yes. However, was it also true? Without a doubt. Schnees were a breed of the highest stock, and each and every one of them was destined to rise to the top in whichever field they found themselves in.
With that being said, however, the higher you were, the longer the way down to the bottom was. That was where Winter currently found herself. Despite being so high up in the sky aboard the Atlesian military vessel, she was at the lowest point she'd been in since Weiss first disappeared all those years ago.
The faint sound of the door's access pad being worked outside stirred Winter from her thoughts, and for a brief moment she wondered if it was time for her next meal. When the door slid open, however, she found the two soldiers not with food, but rather with a pair of gravity bolas and a rifle aimed squarely at her chest.
"Stand up," the one with the gun ordered sternly. "And place your arms out straight with your wrists together."
Overpowering these two soldiers would be child's play for Winter. Even unarmed, with her Aura she would be able to take a hit from the rifle should he manage to be quick enough to get a shot off at her. And unless she ran afoul with someone like Clover or General Ironwood himself, she would be able to escape the ship, return to Vale, and reunite with her sister.
However, that would only cement her status as a traitor in the General's eyes, and Winter was no traitor. She was innocent of these charges. She only wished to guarantee her sister's safety. Unfortunately she could not tell her commander any of this. She could not allow him the chance to discover Weiss' true nature. She could not have any official connection with Wren Slate which might cause others to scrutinize her more closely.
A time would come to make her escape, but it was not now. Not before she learned more about the current situation. Not before getting a chance to speak with General Ironwood. If there would be no reasoning with him, however, then he would give her no choice. She would turn traitor and go through everyone aboard this ship in order to get back to Weiss.
For now, Winter obeyed without hesitation or complaint, and held her arms out in order for them to be cuffed by the gravity bolas.
The second soldier applied them around her wrists, and when they were activated the gravity dust inside them snapped her wrists together where even someone with the strength of a huntress was unable to move them apart an inch. Now bound, but truthfully far from helpless, Winter waited for what was to come next. Was she being transferred somewhere else? Maybe even back home to Atlas? Or perhaps...
The answer came when the tall, looming form of General Ironwood stepped into view. Towering over the two soldiers, the man held his hands behind his back as he peered down on his subordinate-turned-prisoner.
"Wait outside," he ordered the two men, who nodded and stepped back through the doors without a word.
The door closed behind them, and Winter stood face to face with the man she admired as a father figure. The one who'd taken a special interest in her abilities and battle prowess ever since she was a seventeen year old student at his academy. The man who, in his eyes, was staring down a woman who had betrayed not only his kingdom, but his trust.
"Take a seat," he told her.
Despite the fact that she was no longer officially a part of the Atlesian chain of command, Winter did as she was ordered. Taking a couple steps backwards, Winter sat down on the only seat in the room. Her bed.
Ironwood remained standing. Even if there had been a chair in the room, he would have preferred to stand in order to project a commanding, intimidating presence.
However, Winter would not be intimidated. She would be respectful to the man both due to his character and her own loyalty, but not even General Ironwood himself would make Winter afraid. Not when there was so much at stake.
If it was supposed to be an interrogation, it didn't start like one. Ironwood sighed softly, his gaze falling to the floor as he spoke. "How are you, Winter?"
She glanced around, as if she might find the answer somewhere in this room. After a few moments she merely shrugged as she peered up at the man. "I'm fine. My back is a little bit sore. I would attribute that to spending too much time lying down as opposed to the hardness of the bed, however."
Ironwood hummed and nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry to hear that. However we don't exactly have a prison yard aboard the ship where you can stretch your legs. Not that I would have allowed it in the first place."
Winter breathed a humorless laugh. Of course, because he had planned on using isolation in order to make her submit. Well too bad for him it wouldn't work. She was no closer to defeat now than she had been when first taken into custody.
"I trust the food is to your liking," he continued. The idle chit chat wasn't what Winter had expected from the man. "It's the same as everyone else on board eats. Myself included."
Winter had noticed that. She wasn't sure if those in Atlesian prisons got their own separate, inferior food compared to what those in the military got. Naturally if they did, such meals would not be available on a military ship in a foreign kingdom.
"The finest cuisine," she agreed, though they both knew that was so far from the truth that anyone would call it a bald faced lie.
It earned a genuine laugh from Ironwood. For all of his talk when he'd first arrested her, he didn't seem all that angry now. Was this his own version of good cop, bad cop? Was he trying to earn her trust? Did he think that if he acted kindly towards her after a few days of isolation that she would view him as someone who could rescue her?
Whatever the case, it was clear from his next words that the time for smalltalk was over. Business was about to pick up.
He looked down at her, his blue eyes meeting her own. "I don't believe you would ever betray me, Winter," he stated, sounding supremely confident in his words. "At least not willingly."
The second part of that statement undermined the first part a bit, but Winter was grateful to hear the admission nonetheless. "Thank you, sir. I would not."
He nodded, either in understanding or agreement. "That's why I believe you must have been blackmailed or coerced into what you did. If that's the case I don't blame you. I don't hold you at fault. And I certainly don't hold a grudge. All I want, all I've ever wanted, is the truth."
General Ironwood would never receive the truth from her lips.
"The truth about what, sir?"
A sigh slipped from his lips. "Everything. I've spent the past couple of days looking over events which have taken place since your arrival here in Vale. One curious thing has happened, however. Where has Qrow Branwen gone?"
He was with his sister, right? At least that's what he'd told Winter before he'd left the city. Was he still there? She didn't know. Apparently it had been two days now, and she was entirely out of the loop. Still, she wasn't about to give up his location either. Not when they were in on this together. Not when he could still make a difference out there when she could not do so in here.
"I don't know," she answered.
He nodded once more. "I was afraid you would say that. Then let's move onto a question you should know the answer to. Who was the man in your ship?"
Tyrian Callows. Winter had learned much about him following his death at the hands of Jaune and the hybrid named Blake. A serial killer capable of killing even huntsmen. A man who'd been presumed dead long before his actual demise. Most importantly, one of Salem's agents.
"I assume you already know. You've had a couple of days to run his fingerprints and DNA."
"Yes, but I would like to hear it from you."
Winter hummed. "Very well. Tyrian Callows. A wanted serial killer who I have brought to justice. Is that not what I as a huntress am supposed to do?"
It was a bluff, playing into the idea that she had been the one to kill Tyrian. After all, how could the General fault her for making the world a safer place by removing that monster from it?
Ironwood's hard gaze didn't flinch when he responded to her question. "That would indeed be fulfilling your duty, if it was the truth. However, you and I both know it isn't. After combing through city surveillance footage with facial recognition software, it paints a very different picture. One which involves a young man and woman fleeing the alley some time before you show up with another woman."
Well, so much for that plan.
"While the blonde girl is curiously lacking in any information, the boy we've identified as Jaune Arc, one of the transfer students here. Another is Blake Belladonna, who is not enrolled in any academy, nor is she participating in the Vytal Tournament. Curious for the daughter of Menagerie's chieftain to be running around with him at a time like this, running from the scene of a murder. One which unfortunately we didn't actually see, due to the camera's limited view of only the main streets."
The girl named Blake was actually Blake Belladonna? As deep as Winter was in this mess, and as insane as everything was, things seemed to only keep getting crazier the further things went.
Ironwood took a couple of steps forward, now staring down to where Winter sat. His intense gaze didn't offer an inch of respite, but Winter's own eyes did not falter, nor did she waver.
"Why are you lying to me about this? What are you hiding?"
"Nothing." Everything.
He took a deep breath through his nose before slowly exhaling. "You're hiding your sister," he answered for her. "Despite the fact that we don't have a facial recognition match on her, I know a Schnee when I see one. What are Weiss Schnee, Jaune Arc, Blake Belladonna, and those other two girls planning? Why were they involved in the death of a man who was supposed to have died in an airship crash years ago?"
For the first time since he'd entered her room, Winter felt her heartbeat beginning to increase. She felt her body beginning to react. Fight or flight. She may have currently had her hands cuffed together, but that was nothing she couldn't break free of with the help of her Semblance. She could summon a beast, something small perhaps. Use it to keep Ironwood at bay while she battered down the door and made her escape...
She closed her eyes. No. Not now. This was not the ideal time. Success was not guaranteed, especially not with Ironwood here with her. She could not let her emotions get the better of her. She merely had to play the role she always had. She was Winter Schnee. She was the Ice Queen. She would not be rattled here and now by this man. Not when her sister's life was on the line.
"My sister is dead, sir," she stated sternly. "Do not invoke her name and memory in such a manner."
It was not a request. It had been phrased as a warning. One which a mourning sister such as herself would issue to one who dared to use the name of her sibling against her.
"Still playing that game, I see. It will do you no good. We've already foiled one of the plots in order to undermine the safety of this kingdom during the Vytal Festival, and before long we will learn the whole truth and stop whatever it is your people are planning."
This was new information to Winter, and it definitely piqued her interest. As such, she had to convey her curiosity in a way which would make the man eager to tell her all about how her plans had been foiled by him and Vale's authorities.
"Oh really?" she asked harshly "And what plot would that be?"
A proud smile formed on his lips, and it seemed his already broad chest puffed out a bit more. "The CCT, of course. We've discovered the virus which was implanted there and have taken care of it. It is no longer a threat to our security."
A virus? Winter didn't know what the end goal of such a thing would be, but she was grateful that it had been discovered and dealt with. Despite the fact that the General thought they were on opposite sides, she wanted nothing more than for Salem's plans for Vale to fail.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but congratulations," she offered earnestly.
Earnestness which he must have still thought was sarcastic, for he did not seem appreciative of her response.
"I'm sure you don't." Ironwood reached into his pocket and pulled his scroll out. Opening it up, Winter saw his lips twitch before he began tapping on its screen. "Tell me, would you like to see her?"
Winter's head tilted curiously. "See who?"
"Your sister."
It took every ounce of Winter's strength not to leap up. Certainly that didn't mean that she was about this ship as well, right? As he'd said when arresting her, he had no jurisdiction in this city. He simply couldn't go around arresting citizens and students of other kingdoms.
While she remained seated, her fingers did curl up as they dug into the fabric covering her thighs. "This punishment is cruel and unusual, sir," she snapped, still trying to convince the man that Weiss Schnee had died long ago.
Ironwood ignored the routine, and instead continued to work his scroll. "I thought that perhaps you might want to see her in action. In only a few minutes Team AWRY's four versus four matchup will begin. Would you like to watch your sister compete, Winter?"
She didn't know what kind of mindgame this was, but Winter would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in seeing Weiss again, even if only on a small screen. At the very least this meant that she was not in his custody. Her sister, unlike her, was still a free woman.
Still, Winter would not admit to her lie. Instead she would continue playing the role of both a mourning sister and a prisoner. "My sister is dead," she repeated. "However if you are offering me the first glimpse of entertainment I've had since my arrest, I will gladly take you up on it."
The General hummed noncommittally, and held the scroll up so that it faced her. "I don't know why you feel you can't trust me, Winter. However maybe if you see her like this, maybe you'll decide you can open up to me. Just like you always have before."
On it Winter saw an overview of Amity Arena, where four familiar teenagers stood ready to face another team from another kingdom.
Winter closed her eyes and silently wished Weiss luck in the battle which was about to commence.
Jaune had spent so much of the past few months in the shadows. First at Salem's academy, wherever it existed in some unnamed part of Remnant, and then here at Beacon Academy where he lurked in the background trying his best not to be discovered for who he was and where he came from.
To be standing in an arena of thousands in attendance, and millions watching at home, felt utterly alien to him.
Team AWRY stood in the middle of Amity Arena, and their first opponents had already been chosen. Standing opposite them were four young women from Shade Academy known as Team NDGO. He'd quickly learned that their names were Nebula, Dew, Gwen, and Octavia.
He eyed each of them carefully, scrutinizing them for what weapons and abilities each might possess. One held a crossbow at her side. Another had a staff of unknown abilities. The third an oversized dagger. The fourth... he couldn't say, but who knew what secrets might be concealed in her oversized, armored combat dress?
His focus was broken when he felt a poke against his left arm, and turned to see Weiss standing closer to him than before. "Weiss?"
Her narrowed eyes bored into him for a moment before she turned her attention to their foes. "You needn't look so intently at them," she growled. "This collection of Vacuan vixens does not deserve a place by your side. I do not approve of adding these harlots to our harem."
So Weiss, as usual, had the wrong idea. Jaune hadn't been eyeing them because he was attracted to them. Not that he was about to say that they were unattractive, anything but. However, he had more than his hands full with Weiss, Ruby, and Blake. He had no interest in adding any more people to their pack, or harem, as Weiss had put it.
Wait, where had Weiss even learned that word from?
Before he could inquire about that, however, he heard the disgusted scoff from the purple-haired girl named Nebula across from them. "As if we'd ever even want to hook up with you."
Jaune did not take offense to her retort, but clearly Weiss did. She wrapped her arms around Jaune's own, pressing herself closely against him.
"It is entirely your loss," she sneered. "You only wish that you could have relations with an Alpha such as Jaune and steal him away to make him the unofficial fifth member of your team."
As if to emphasize the point, Ruby latched onto his right arm, and situations which were usually reserved for private settings were on display for all to see.
Dew was the one to speak next, tilting her head curiously at the display before them. "I mean, she's not wrong about him being an alpha male. Maybe there's more to this guy if he got all three of his teammates to hop on his dick."
Jaune really hoped that the cameras weren't picking up on this conversation...
"Um, how about no?" he heard Yang protest, taking a step forward. "Say what you will about those two, but I've never touched the guy like that."
"Not for lack of wanting nor trying," Weiss pointed out. "I seem to recall you wanting very much to mate with Jaune, just for the fun of it."
"Shut up!" Yang snarled.
Weiss wasn't wrong though. Prior to Yang learning that Jaune was human, she had wanted to hop into bed with him. Not to be a part of their pack or to have a romantic relationship, but just for the physical satisfaction. Honestly, Jaune was glad he'd resisted her advances. If they had been intimate, he guessed that Yang would have felt an even deeper sense of betrayal upon learning of his true, human nature.
"Wow, looks like we found the tsundere of the group," Dew laughed.
Weiss leveled a finger at the girl. "False! It is obvious to anyone that I am the tsundere of our group. Observe." Weiss released her hold on Jaune and took a step away from him before folding her arms across her chest and turning her head away from him. "It is not like I want you to kiss me or anything, Jaune."
Jaune stared, dumbfounded at Weiss' antics mere moments before they were scheduled to fight. Not for the first time he was not only at a complete loss for words, but how to react, period.
Weiss' shoulders stiffened, and a second later she whipped her head around to look at him once more. "I said kiss me!" she demanded.
"Weiss, we're live on a CCT broadcast right now." He blinked. "Oh gods, we're live on a CCT broadcast right now..."
"Irregardless!"
"How about..." he started, struggling to think of a way out of this awkward mess. "I'll kiss you if we win?" It never hurt to help motivate Weiss to do her best just a bit more.
The hybrid girl stood up prouder and straighter, as tall as her five-foot-nothing frame could. "You mean when we win. Then your lips shall be all mine."
He wondered if his parents were watching right now. He wondered if his father would be proud of him at this very moment. It was all too awkward to even think about, and so he forced such thoughts out of his mind to address a far more innocent question.
"How do you even know what a tsundere is?"
Weiss smirked knowingly, wearing her typical smug expression on her face. "I have learned all about the numerous types of deres from the plethora of new reading material I have been exposed to since coming to Vale. Mistrali comic books are particularly enjoyable, especially when they are uncensored."
Jaune's palm met his face. Here he'd been hoping to talk about something a little more innocent, but instead he got Weiss to discuss her... questionable reading preferences on international TV.
"For example, Rosalyn is a Deredere." She brought a finger up to her lip, tapping it in thought. "Or perhaps more of a Dandere? At times it's difficult to place a person entirely in a single category. Blake on the other hand would be a Sadodere. Yara I would have to say falls under the Hiyakasudere category, although lately she may be developing some Yandere tendencies, which may become worrying. Fear not though, I shall protect you."
"The fuck are you talking about?" Yang snapped.
Jaune's own thoughts were put into words. He could only imagine what everyone else who was watching was thinking right now.
"Wow, what a bunch of freaks," Dew said. "Let's just hurry up and beat these pervs."
At least there was one girl on Jaune's team who had her head in the game, and Yang took a step forward, extending her right, gauntleted hand out toward the other girl in challenge. "You and me," she declared, throwing down the proverbial gauntlet.
The fellow blonde girl grinned, pointing her staff back at Yang. "Gladly, tsun-tsun."
Yang growled, but her focus soon turned to the arena itself, which lit up with the activity of light-projected pictures moving like pictures on a slot machine.
Jaune glanced all around them to see those same illuminated pictures moving so quickly that he couldn't even tell what each one was. At least not until they stopped.
On one half of the arena, light blue pictures with the silhouette of waves and a palm tree showed. On the other, a deep, verdant green with a cluster of trees.
The arena itself began to warp and shift into these new biomes. On one side a forest appeared from the floor. On the other a beach, complete with water and a sunken, wooden ship.
This would be their battleground. All that was left now was to fight on it.
The battle had begun. The eight fighters had broken off from their original starting positions, and in seconds a series of four singles matches had developed.
Yang had her eyes entirely focused on Dew. That snarky bitch of a girl who dared to suggest that she was romantically entangled with Jaune.
Dew was hers, and hers alone. What a wonderful gift this was. The opportunity to beat the crap out of such a deserving human.
However, much to her surprise, Yang's chosen opponent didn't come at her immediately. Rather, she made a mad dash left, toward the sandy beach portion of the arena. No matter. If she thought she could outrun an experienced hunter like Yang, then she was sadly mistaken.
Dew stopped running, and turned around to face Yang with a sneer on her face. "Dumb bitch. Got you right where I want you now."
Yang didn't care what kind of trap the human thought she'd lured her into. She'd grown up facing the unknown. She'd been raised in an environment where death lurked around every corner. It had been kill or be killed. Eat or be eaten. Some inferior mirrored version of herself would be no threat to her.
Dew pointed her staff down to the sand and began to slowly wave it back and forth. To Yang's surprise, small tornadoes began forming in the sand. As if they'd been somehow conjured by her foe's weapon, or perhaps her Semblance.
No matter. A little bit of a light breeze would do her no harm. Yang charged headfirst into the spinning cyclones, and just as she'd suspected, they posed no threat to her body. She was strong and sturdy enough to withstand the sandy storms. However...
Her eyes were not.
With gritted teeth Yang closed her eyes, temporarily blinded and irritated by the clouds of sand which the tornadoes brought with her. Raising her right arm to shield her face brought brief respite, but it was short-lived when she felt the hard impact of the staff which was mercilessly brought down on her skull.
Yang saw stars, and her senses were knocked from her as she stumbled back. Instinct took over instead, and her prized trophy shotgun came up and she fired off a shot. It didn't hit its target, but the threat of the projectile weapon was enough to force Dew back. It was enough to allow a seasoned fighter like Yang to collect herself and rub the sand from her eyes.
What she saw was the annoyingly smug face of the girl who'd just drawn first blood in their matchup. It made a girl who was already teetering on the brink of rage ready to fall into it completely.
"You know, maybe I was wrong about you being the tsundere of the group," Dew sneered. "Maybe you're just the dumb meathead."
Yang laughed darkly. "And look at you," she retorted. "Blonde hair and purple eyes? You're just an uglier me. A cheap knockoff whose head I'm gonna knock off your nasty little body."
Dew laughed right back at her. "Not if you keep running headfirst into sandstorms like the idiot you are." She pointed her staff at the ground once more, and new tornadoes began appearing in front of her before they started coming Yang's way. "Care to try again?"
If that was all her opponent could bring to the table then this fight was already over. Dew had played her trump card and it had failed to knock Yang out of the fight. She'd taken a powerful blow to the skull, sure, but that was nothing compared to what she'd gone through before.
It was nothing compared to the beating her mother had given her only days earlier.
"Gladly," Yang snarled before pushing off her heels and straight for Dew once more.
The sand attack was the only dangerous part of Dew's ability. A lesser human might have been picked up and blown away by such a storm, but not Yang. She was strong. She was a Grimm hybrid. That came with its own set of perks.
Yang closed her eyes as she dove headfirst into the storm, and although she couldn't see her opponent, she could still sense her. Emotions were like a flickering flame in the darkness to Yang, and she was drawn to them like a vicious, beautiful moth.
Pride. Hate. Envy. They all radiated from Dew as she stood there thinking that Yang would be blinded by her attack once more. Or, that if she did indeed have her eyes closed, that she wouldn't be able to see her. Reality couldn't be further from the truth. Yang "saw" exactly where she stood, and she propelled herself into the air ready to bring her yellow and black armored right fist right down onto her face.
Fear. Panic. New emotions surged through Dew's body as she realized she was mere moments away from being hit by an attack she thought was impossible. She quickly shifted to her left, and had Yang not been gifted with the ability to sense emotions like all Grimm, her attack would have missed. However, Yang was a hunter, and Dew was her prey. Once she locked onto her target there was no escape.
In midair Yang fired off another blast from her shotgun. Not at Dew, but off to the left of herself. The recoil forced Yang's body right, and was now in line for Dew's newfound position. By now it was too late for the human girl to try and dodge her. The hunter had finally caught up with her prey.
Yang's gauntleted right fist smashed into Dew's face, sending the girl crashing backwards into the sand. Any and all tornadoes around them quickly dissipated, and Yang finally opened her eyes to see the other girl scrambling to her feet.
There would be no respite. Yang leapt at her once again, sending another first flying into body. Dew doubled over in pain before Yang grabbed her left fist with her right and brought a hammering blow down onto her back. Dew hit the sand face first, and Yang sent a vicious kick into her ribs.
She knew she couldn't overdo it, but by the gods did this feel good. To feel so superior over another living being. To show her dominance over a weak, pathetic human. Yang reveled in it. And considering that no alarm or buzzer had gone off indicating that Dew was out of Aura, she would be allowed to continue. For now.
Yang rolled Dew over onto her back and stood over her. The other girl attempted to raise her staff in utterly useless defiance, but Yang kicked it out of her hand before stomping down on her fingers. Dew cried out in pain as Yang ground her heel against her bare flesh.
"So, human," Yang snarled darkly, kneeling down onto Dew's chest, putting all of her weight onto her sternum. Dew screamed, her eyes clenched tightly as Yang leaned in to speak softly to her. "Care to try again?"
Yang lessened the pressure on Dew's chest just enough for her to be able to respond. She wanted to hear what kind of pathetic retort the girl would offer her now that she was helpless on her back. She wanted to see where all of her pride had gone.
Dew opened her eyes, and in between her desperate, panting breaths, could offer only a handful of gasped words. "Faunus... trash..."
Faunus? Oh, the girl had it all wrong. Yang hadn't called Dew a human because she was a different species like the faunus. No, she'd called her human because she was of an inherently inferior species.
Not at all offended by the intended insult, Yang brought her left hand up, where her double-barreled silver shotgun still had a few shells left in it. She pressed it up against Dew's forehead, and the other girls' purple eyes went wide with terror.
Sweet, delicious terror. Yang didn't even need to be a hybrid in order to sense the Vacuan girl's fear of her impending demise.
"Wrong answer," Yang grinned.
"No... wait..."
Yang's left index finger rubbed the trigger, but just before she was able to fire, a loud alarm began to sound in the arena.
"Dew Gayl has been eliminated!"
Yang closed her eyes and reined in her bloodlust.
"Bang," she whispered, rather than discharging her weapon.
Removing the shotgun from Dew's skull, she stood up, triumphant and dominant over the human who'd dared to challenge her.
"Lucky you," she smiled. "I wonder if your teammates will be as lucky."
Leaving the piece of trash where it laid, Yang looked around to see which fight was closest. Weiss was busy battling Gwen in the same biome as her, splashing around in the shallow waters as the two elegant girls moved with similar speed and grace.
Jaune had meanwhile chosen Nebula as his opponent, and the two clashed swords deep in the forest on the other side of the arena.
That left Ruby and Octavia, and in an instant her mind was made up. Her priority would be her blood. Aiding Ruby and making sure that she was able to get through this fight unscathed was the most important thing on her mind now. Not that she doubted Ruby's ability to take on a single measly human, but Yang's instincts told her to protect her kin.
Rushing off to join the fight, Yang left a beaten and terrified girl in her wake to collect herself and scurry off the battlefield.
So Nebula was the leader. It only seemed fitting that she be his opponent.
At least... she would be if he could find her.
The forest which had sprouted from out of the floor of Amity Arena was surprisingly dense. It was as if Jaune was a child again, out camping with his family in the Anima wilderness. The deeper he delved into the forest in search of his opponent, the darker things got. He wondered if the arena cameras would even be able to pick up on any fighting which occurred here.
With his sword out and his shield up, Jaune kept his Aura active as well as he slowly moved through the forest. His head was on a swivel as he scanned the area, but so far there was no sight of her. Still, he couldn't help but feel as though he was being watched. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight, as if his Aura itself was telling him that danger was imminent.
A flash shot across his mind, and Jaune whirled around to his right, his shield brought up in the blink of an eye. Just in a time as a crossbow bolt clanged off of it, deflected by the solid steel of his family's heirloom heater shield.
Then he saw her. Up in the trees, running along one of the long, thick branches, Nebula ran. Leaping from one branch to another, her purple and gray clothing soon faded away, lost in the thick foliage of the trees. At least now though he had a lead. He moved to follow her and kept his eyes on the branches above him.
To his surprise he felt no fear. Perhaps it was because for the past several months he'd dealt with a far more terrifying creature which lurked in the shadows. One which could become one with the shadows. One which somehow was able to conceal herself inside of a couch...
He was certain that Nebula could see him now despite the fact that he could not see her. As such, he felt no need to try to conceal himself. He felt no need to stay quiet.
"You're good at hiding," he said aloud, directed at no one that he could see. He knew he heard her, however. "But I've seen better."
Tiny leaves and branches crunched underneath his boots as he cautiously strode through the arena's trees. He was ready to deflect another crossbow bolt at a moment's notice. He would prefer, however, to draw his foe out into the open for an honest fight.
"You have to know that won't work, right?" he called out. "You don't even have the ammo to get my Aura into the red. Trust me, I've got a lot of it."
It was no bluff, even if Nebula might have thought it was. With the combination of his shield, armor, and Aura, there was no way a few crossbow bolts would be more than a few annoying mosquito bites to him.
Jaune halted as he heard the rustling of leaves above him. There was no breeze in the arena. As high as it was in the atmosphere, the hard light dust roof covering it would allow no outside weather to affect matchups. And if the leaves above him were shaking, that could only mean...
He whirled around just in time to see Nebula leaping at him from above, and Jaune raised his shield just in time for her crossbow-turned-sword to clang off of it. With a grunt of effort he shoved her back off of it, and Nebula went flying back where she gracefully landed on her feet.
She snorted a dismissive laugh, holding her sword in both hands, pointed at him in her combat stance. "Not bad. You move well for a big guy."
Jaune wasn't in the mood for idle chatter, and he definitely felt no camaraderie for the girls of Team NDGO. "And you make too much noise to sneak around. Like I said, I've seen much better."
Nebula's eyes narrowed. "You haven't seen anything yet!"
She charged at him, sword in both hands as she brought it down on him. Jaune blocked the strike once more, and this time lashed out with a swing of his own. Nebula evaded the counter, ducking and spinning under it while at the same time delivering a swift kick to Jaune's left leg. He grunted at the impact, but otherwise showed no ill effects from the blow.
Nebula danced backwards, getting out of striking distance after her attack had failed to bring him low. She held her sword out in a single hand now, extended toward him to keep him at a distance should he have decided to launch an assault of his own.
"Big guy," she repeated, looking at the leg she'd struck before peering back into his eyes. "But that's fine. I'll just have to whittle you down a little before chopping you down just like any of these other trees."
She came at him again, sword in a double-handed grip once more as she swung at him with swift, precision strikes. She was quick, no doubt, but Jaune was a tank who was able to absorb all of her blows. The sounds of metal on metal rang out as blade clashed against shield, and Jaune's own attacks were parried by Nebula. She was definitely skilled, all right, and it was apparent to Jaune that he wouldn't be able to match her speed. No, if he wanted to land a hit on her he would have to use his own strengths to his advantage.
The primary one being, he had a lot of Aura.
After one particularly hard blow on his shield, he dropped it. He feigned injury in his left arm. He allowed Nebula to create an opening which she could exploit. The girl, with her adrenaline running high and her combat instincts at the forefront of her mind, went for it without hesitation.
Her sword came down across Jaune's chest and white Aura rippled across his body. It was a harsh blow, one which might have felled a person with a shallower Aura pool than himself. Jaune, however, still had plenty left in the tank. And now he had a free hand with which to grab onto the girl who was too close to him for her own good.
His hand lashed out, catching Nebula by the arm and locking her into place. Her yellow eyes went wide when she realized she couldn't pull away. Too close inside his guard to effectively strike her with his sword, Jaune instead punched her in the face with his sword hand, earning a crunch and a cry of pain from the girl. She fell away from him with all of her weight, and it was just enough to cause Jaune to lose his grip on her as she fell to the ground.
Holding Crocea Mors in two hands he raised it above his head before swiftly bringing it down, but Nebula was still in this fight. She rolled out of the way just in time for Jaune's blade to dig into the grass and dirt below, and as he pulled it free Nebula made a dash back for the trees and leapt up into them once more.
With his opponent now realizing the futility of trying to fight Jaune on the ground, she'd retreated back into the trees where she probably hoped to use her ranged weapon once more. Jaune picked his shield up again, ready to block more crossbow bolts which came his way.
He feared that he might have missed his opportunity to finish her off quickly. Now she would be aware of just how strong he was, and would likely not risk clashing with him on equal footing. He was simply too strong and too tough for her. She would want to play her game. She was the only one of the two with a ranged weapon, and she would use it until she could use it no more.
The first in the new series of shots was easily blocked by Jaune's shield, and Jaune saw Nebula up in the trees reloading with remarkable speed. She ran along the branch, not even stopping as she fired a second shot with remarkable accuracy for someone on the move. Another clang off of Jaune's shield. He wondered how many more shots she had left. He wondered what her plan even was when even she could see how utterly ineffective these shots were against someone with a shield. Was she hoping to hold out long enough for her teammates to arrive to help her? Maybe. However, Jaune didn't fear them. He was more than certain his own teammates would be able to hand hers with ease.
At this point Nebula wasn't even trying to hide herself anymore. Had she been rattled from the blow she'd taken to the face? Did she feel the creeping noose of desperation tightening around her neck? Whatever the case the fight had devolved into Jaune simply blocking shot after shot from Nebula's crossbow as she stalked among the branches above him. Perhaps looking and waiting for an opening to come down on him once more with her sword. Or perhaps doing the only thing she could to keep him out of arm's reach.
At least, that was, until she tripped...
Nebula's feet came out from under her, and for the first time since he'd landed his single clean hit on her, she fell unceremoniously to the ground where she landed with a hard thud. She was slow to pick herself up off the ground, but by then it was too late.
Jaune rushed at her, leading with his shield, which slammed into Nebula with the force of a truck. She grunted, knocked off her feet once more, laying on her back as Jaune stood over her.
This time his strike landed true, and purple Aura flashed across Nebula's body as her vulnerable form was knocked out of the fight with a single, hard blow.
"Nebula Violette has been eliminated!"
Jaune exhaled heavily as he heard the announcement. Earlier he'd heard that Dew was also eliminated, while none of his teammates' names were called. That was very good, but he knew he couldn't take it easy just because the match had turned into a four on two.
As he looked around, Jaune still couldn't help but feel as though he was being watched. Was another member of Team NDGO up in the trees? If so, why hadn't they helped their teammate?
Jaune looked up and around, seeing nothing. No sign of any other person up in the trees...
Until he saw them...
A pair of glowing red orbs, and a deep, Cheshire grin stood out in the darkness of the forest canopy overhead.
Jaune had indeed seen better creatures able to lurk in the shadows, and clearly this one had taken offense to Nebula trying to play the role of his stalker.
"Thanks, Blake..." he whispered so that no potential cameras might be able to pick up the words.
Her feline ears on the other hand heard him loud and clear.
And he heard the hissing laughter from the darkness above him as he set out to help the rest of his team finish off what remained of Team NDGO.
Author's Note: Better late than never, right? This story is very much still alive, and I'm very much still interested in writing! The problem, you see, is that most of my free time which I devote to creative fun is spent either memeing on r/FNKI, or building and painting Warhammer models. I've started my first Horus Heresy army, and with Warhammer Fantasy coming back with the Old World, I've got three armies to get out of storage and do some work on.
Rest assured, I do have a plan moving forward. It's not an issue of writer's block or being out of ideas. It's just finding the desire to write instead of painting, for example.
Thank you to everyone who's still interested in this story. I'll try to do better!
And of course as always, thanks for reading.