The Grimm Lands

by Batpuddingman

Jaune Arc lost his home to an invasion of monsters. Finding himself thrown to the furthest reaches of Remnant he swears revenge. Armed with an old family relic and unfinished training he sets his sights on Beacon. He would achieve his ambition. And he'll kill every Grimm to do it.

15. The Monsters We Create

The Grimm Lands Chapter 15

Hunting Grounds Part 3: The Monsters We Create

Seven Years Ago

Jaune didn't wake to the first rock or the second. It was only when the third fist-sized rock cracked him across the side of his head that he yelped in pain and rolled out of his cot. He crashed to the floor with a loud cry, something soft firmly pressed itself over his mouth a figure loomed over him pressing him back against the ground. He thrashed wildly to get the intruder off.

"Shut it you idiot, do you want to wake the whole camp?" It was a girl's voice, Jaune tried to push them off yet again but found himself pinned between the attacker and the cold hard ground. As the fogginess of sleep left and the throbbing headache began, he looked up into the pretty eyes of Lucia Scipio. As he calmed himself, she slowly released him.

"I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't budge. I thought you Hunters were supposed to be alert and ready at a moment's notice. Looks like daddy's getting ripped off." The girl chided as she stood up. She dusted her clothes free from the dirt. She wasn't wearing one of her fancy dresses Jaune often saw when she was trailing her father around their camp. Instead, she wore more casual clothes, jeans, and boots with a heavy jacket much more suited to the colder weather settling in around Mantle. Jaune hadn't spoken to the girl since their initial meeting a few weeks ago and now here she was assaulting him in the middle of the night in his and August's tent.

August wasn't there tonight. He had taken over Jaunes guard duty. Jaune had protested but the older man refused to listen, saying the boy was growing and needed his rest. At this rate, Jaune felt he would never make his place in the camp. He trusted August without a doubt, but sometimes the man smothered him just a bit too much. Jaune wanted to prove he was ready to handle himself, that he could fight but August seemed ready to dismiss him at every turn, always saying he wasn't ready yet.

Jaune reached up and touched the stinging wound on his head, blood dripped down the side of his face and he recoiled as the wound stung. It was far from the worst injury he had ever had but it still ached and throbbed uncontrollably.

"You people sure have weird ideas of how to wake someone up." He commented dryly.

Lucia stepped close and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. She pressed it gently to Jaunes head and he almost recoiled at the contact. "Stop moving around so much, it'll make it worse. You're so boneheaded I was sure it would bounce right off. Seems like I overestimated you."

He winced as she pulled away and took bandages from the pouch around her waist. With gentle care she rinsed and bandaged his head, scolding him if he moved too much. "I can't tell if you're a good person or a bad one." He said as she checked her handiwork.

"I don't see why I can't be both. You are an idiot for certain, can't even overcome a gentle and graceful lady such as myself."

"You ambushed me in my sleep!" He complained. But Lucia simply shook her head in disappointment.

"A test of your skills. You want to be a big, strong fighter someday, right? And yet the damsel had to wake you up before your quest." She sighed loudly; a look of mock disdain plastered on her face.

"You're more like the big monster than the damsel." He yelped as she smacked him across his wounded head. "What do you even want anyways?"

Her sly grin spread across her lips. "I want to see the stars. And I want a guide to help me get there."

"Can't you just ask one of your guards? I'm sure they'd be willing to take you right? Besides, you can see them from here after all. This sounds like a massive pain." Jaune said.

"Those stupid Huntsmen are under Daddy's orders to keep me away from here, they won't let me do anything without his permission and there's no way he'd let me wander out at night for something like this. There's a spot just outside of camp, up on a hill. I saw it when we came down. I bet the view is amazing." It was the most honest he had heard her be. Her eyes were excited, and her cheeks flushed in excitement.

"Not happening. Going outside of camp means Grimm and there's no way the two of us can handle something like that." He countered calmly. The whole idea sounded absurd, but he could tell Lucia wasn't willing to let it go that easily.

"We won't go that far, and besides I thought you were going to be a big fighter someday. Don't tell me a few Grimm is enough to scare you." She said, poking him in the chest. Jaune bit his lip as the memories flooded back. Those terrifying moments as his home burned, his ribs cracked and shattered as he was slammed into a wall by a Grimm. Those awful red eyes and wide hungry grin, the smoke and screams blending into a symphony of death.

His body tensed and he shook ever so slightly. "I will beat them someday. But we should follow the rules and stay here. I'm not leaving."

Lucia stood still and eyed him with clear disbelief. In an instant, the playfulness in her voice was gone. Jaune could swear he saw a look of complete loneliness flash across her face, but it was quickly replaced by a level-headed coldness. "Fine then, do what you want. I'm going."

With that, she stormed out of his tent, and he was left all alone, he could hear the light prattle of rain hit against the roof of the tent and the light flicker of the candle he had forgotten to put out illuminated the long shadows all around him. Jaune huffed and plopped himself back on his cot. 'I'm not going. If she wants to be an idiot, then let her.' His foot tapped restlessly against the ground. 'I'm not playing along with her stupid games.' He remembered his sisters' terrified gazes as the house caught aflame and the beams came crashing down. "Damn it."

He grabbed Crocea Mors before he bolted out of the tent.

The spot overlooked the camp. It was higher up in the mountainous terrain that surrounded Mistral. The city itself blazed in the distance like a torch fending off the blackness that threatened to overwhelm it. The stars above illuminated the night sky as Remnants shattered moon loomed over it all.

It had been a hard climb after Jaune had caught up to Lucia. They had to duck and crawl through the muddy ground to avoid the guards on duty that night. It wasn't that difficult to avoid detection, after all, everyone was far more cautious of what was trying to get in than what was coming out.

Lucia stood at the edge of a rock that jutted out from the mountainside. She grinned happily, her eyes bright and wide, as if she was trying to take it in all at once. Even Jaune was stunned by the scenery before him. It wasn't the first time he had seen something like this, but it was still as impressive now as it had been all the other times before. He sat back behind the girl, the rain lightly pelting him as he rested against a set of rocks. He was still worried about something finding them even though they had seen nothing out of the ordinary so far.

"It's beautiful." The girl stated breathlessly.

Jaune snorted. "Yeah, it is, but isn't this a bit too low-class? I mean, you didn't have to come all the way out here for something like this right? I'm sure Mistral and Atlas are full of better views." He was a bit surprised when she shook her head.

"Atlas is a big stuffy city. It may be floating high in the air but with all the buildings and smoke you could never see the night sky so clearly. Mistral is like a big flaming ball of lights at night so you can't see anything from inside the city. Besides, Daddy would never let me go out so far on my own. I saw the chance and I took it."

"I didn't think..." Jaune felt he was at a loss.

"No, you didn't." She responded curtly, but the smile on her lips was far from cruel. "Did you know that Mistral has a bit of a reputation? Back during the Great War, it was attacked many times, by both man and Grimm but it never once fell into enemy hands. Even the Faunus revolutions that took place after the war weren't enough to snuff out the Kingdom. It's been called the 'City that never fell.' Seeing it from here I think I understand a bit more why the Lamp is its symbol."

"Weren't you born and raised in Mistral?" Jaune asked. She sounded much like he did when he first happened upon the city, excited and curious.

"Sure, I was born there, but I was raised in a lot of places. Daddy's company has only recently started to really take off again and ever since Momma went away, he's taken me everywhere with him. I guess in a weird way you could say I'm more Remnant than I am Mistraltan. I think you know a bit of what I'm talking about huh?"

She sat down, feet dangling over the edge and Jaune moved to sit next to her. "A little, I guess. Sometimes it's hard to think of home, I remember bits and pieces but all the good times I know I had with my family are blurry. When the fire started, I couldn't tell left from right. Before I knew it everything was gone, and I was here with a bunch of strangers. August has been great, really, I just wish I could be better. It feels like I'm slowing him down and I want to get stronger, to protect them."

"Hmm…Them or yourself?" Jaune looked at her in absolute confusion. "When Momma died Daddy, well he changed, and ever since I've been trying my best to be as good a girl as I can. I go to all those parties, I smile, laugh, and perform, but he still has that faraway look. At some point, I think I stopped trying to please him and just tried to avoid becoming a burden instead."

"A burden huh?" Jaune went silent. He thought back to all the times he had caused August grief, he thought of Caspar and his heavy fists and hard words. "I think I get that."

"I thought you might." She scooted just a little closer, and Jaune didn't feel the urge to move away. They sat there in comfortable silence, the soft patter of rain slowly falling around them. Despite the cold and the rain, the city blazed bright, probably tens of thousands going about their lives in peace and security. Yet here Jaune stood at the edge of it all, an outsider trying to look in. At one point that might have been him and his family living in the bright warm streets of safety, but that time had now long since passed.

"Hey, Lucia?" The girl hummed in response. "What's your dream?"

"Dream? I'm not sure what you mean. I want to be big enough to take over Daddy's business. I want to be able to show him I can take care of myself." The girl paused in thought. "I don't know if that's really my dream though, maybe just a goal?"

Jaune said nothing as he watched the lights flicker in the distance. "I think I want to be…well, I kinda always thought…I hope I can become a hero."

He was a bit upset when Lucia broke into a fit of laughter, but she waved him off. "So straightforward and blunt. What does that even mean?"

"I just don't want to lose anything again. I want to protect those I care about. Caspar calls me a curse and bad luck. No one else really seems to want me around except August. And even though I couldn't save my family that time, I still want to be able to stop the bad things from happening to everyone here. Is that selfish of me?"

"I think all dreams and wishes are a bit selfish," Lucia said. "Though I guess there's nothing wrong with that."

Something shifted behind them. There was scraping of something hard against the rocks. Jaune leaped to his feet in an instant. He stared into the thick darkness around them, his breath rattled and heart hammering. In the blackness, blue eyes met red and he stepped back ever so slightly. His wet boot slipped against the slick rock under his foot, and he nearly stumbled off the cliffside. He righted himself as Lucia scrambled to her feet next to him.

He had been careless. He had let his guard down and put both of them in danger. He could only see one Grimm, the slow methodical movements of the hunter only made Jaune even more nervous. He knew the Grimm could smell his fear, but he still placed himself in front of Lucia and gripped Crocea Mors tightly. The beast made a small lunge forward and Lucia stumbled back in fear. Her foot went over the edge and her body turned sideways as she tumbled over the side of the cliff.

Without thinking Jaune jumped right after her, falling through the air he reached desperately for her hand as the Grimm lunged after him. Its wide jaw snapped shut missing him by inches. Jaune grabbed Lucia's outstretched arm and pulled her against himself. The initial impact against the rocky mountainside drove the air from Jaunes lungs but he held firm to the girl in his arms. They rolled, scraped, and tumbled their way down the slick cliffside. Jaune tried desperately to brace the impact for Lucia. The ragged rocks cut and tore into him. As they hit the ground they flung apart. Jaune was washed through with pain that surged through him like an electric charge. Upon impact, something snapped loudly and Jaune face planted in the mud. He tried to rise to his feet but couldn't muster the strength. His left arm hung lamely at his side and his ankle had twisted at an unnatural angle. The sudden numbness and cold air dampened the pain, but he felt it slowly building.

His breathing was harsh and uneven, and he suspected at least a few ribs had fractured during the fall. He lay uselessly in the mud, his body unwilling to respond. Something was shaking him. He tried to gaze up, but the blood soaked into his eye, making everything distorted and hazy. His head hurt and he knew the wound had reopened.

"Jaune!" Suddenly he was alert and awake. The pain caused him to cry out as his body pushed up. In a heartbeat, he was on his feet. A strangled cry worked through his lips as he struggled to stay upright. His blood rushed to his head and nearly toppled him back into the slick mud. Lucia gasped and stepped away from him looking alight with fright as if she had just seen a ghost. "I thought you died."

"Not yet." Jaune slurred. Did he have a concussion? His legs quivered under his weight, nearly giving out. He very well might have if Lucia hadn't caught him at the last moment. His body sagged against her smaller frame.

"So much for my shining knight." The girl groaned. Jaune said something in response, but it came out jumbled and incoherent. The mud dragged him down, making it impossible for him to find his footing. He couldn't quite place where they were. Had they fallen down the cliff? He didn't remember anything after the Grimm appeared.

Grimm? Was there still a Grimm? He looked around slowly, turning his body when his neck screamed in pain at the movement. He didn't see anything, did it disappear?

"Stop moving!" Lucia demanded. The girl was struggling to hold him up. He could see a streak of blood running down her face she didn't seem to notice. He tried to help but could barely keep his own eyes open. His foot was burning now, each step sending a fresh wave of agony through him. Lucia tried to ease him down against the jagged rocks of the cliffside but slipped and both came crashing down. Jaune strangled his cry of pain back down his throat as Lucia frantically apologized. He didn't think the girl could ever look anything but poised and collected, even during their conversation just a few minutes earlier, had it been minutes? She had still been completely in control of herself.

Now she was panicky, unsure of what she should do. Jaune wanted to tell her it was fine but when he reached out to try and comfort her his broken arm surged in fiery pain again. He dropped it uselessly to his side and simply tried his best to keep his eyes open. His body felt hot but he still shivered at the cold breeze that blew past. He didn't think he was bleeding anywhere except his head, but it was impossible to tell. He watched as Lucia frantically tore through her pouch looking for something.

Why was she so panicked? His vision swam in and out of focus as he watched her press something to his head. It was strange but he couldn't really feel the pressure he knew should be there. He had been hurt before, but almost every time he had been able to feel the pain. This was something different. It was like parts of him were burning in agony, his foot and arm pulsing in pain with each heartbeat, but the rest of him felt cold and detached almost as if he wasn't really there.

"Focus on me," Lucia said. Her voice was distant even though he could almost see her clearly in front of him. "Just stay awake, ok? Help is coming."

'Help? Help from what?' He looked up, noticing the sheer steepness of the cliff he was leaning against. Had he fallen from up there? 'Weird, I don't remember that.'

His eyes drooped slightly, and his head buckled under its own weight. He felt tired, the kind of bone dead tiredness that comes when someone had nothing left in them. Lucia dug her fingers into his broken arm, twisting with enough force to elicit a strangled cry from him.

"Don't you dare fall asleep." She demanded. "Just focus on me, ok? It's going to be alright."

She didn't sound convinced. Jaune tried to say something but the sudden urge to vomit made him reconsider. He breathed as evenly as he could, fighting the impulse. He closed his eyes and tried to keep himself from fainting. He heard Lucia gasp but couldn't find the strength to open his eyes.

Something growled nearby, which was strange as there were no dogs in the camp. 'Oh, I forgot I fell.'

The distinctive sound of gunshots echoed like a cannon. Even in his current state, he would never mistake that sound. But who was firing at this time of night? There was no training scheduled for the evening.

'Oh, I fell.' His head was really starting to hurt. He opened his bleary eyes in confusion. Lucia was standing, her back to him. He could barely make out the dark shape of a handgun in her hands. 'When did she get that?' The muzzle flashed a bright spark of light against the total blackness of the night. What was she shooting at?

Jaune slumped to the side trying to catch a look around her. All he saw was absolute blackness. He squinted, his bloody and blurry vision could just barely make out two red dots in the darkness. A Grimm? When had that gotten there?

Lucia kept shooting, the sound of gunshots was deafening, like a sudden scream piercing the cold empty air. Jaune couldn't focus, he barely understood what was happening. What he did know was that Lucia was in danger and that realization alone forced him to his feet. He gripped the slick stones behind him, the ragged earth digging and slicing into his palms.

"Run!" He yelled. His voice was shaky and hoarse, he barely recognized it himself. Lucia chanced a glare back at him. Her dark hair was matted to her face with blood and dirt.

"I'm not leaving you!" She spoke. He wanted to scream, yell at her to run and save herself, not to worry about him but nothing came out. Instead, he looked on in despair as the Grimm took advantage of her distraction and lunged for her.

It wasn't a particularly large Beowulf; it had little armor and was smaller than the ones Jaune had seen before, but it was still large enough to smash the girl into the ground with its paw and lunge for her neck. Lucia shoved her arm in between the Grimm and herself, the creature of darkness tearing into her. She screamed. The sound caused Jaunes heart to seize. It was a mutilated ugly sound. Her fear and pain mixed into each other as if fighting for control. The blood poured down her arm and tears down her face. The Grimm yanked and pulled at her, sinking its teeth down further.

Jaune looked on in shock, his body rigid and his mind stuck in fear. It was happening again; he was losing someone he cared about. Even now, after everything he had been through, he was still too weak to protect anyone. Nothing had changed. He was still that scared little boy trying so desperately to play the hero. Lucia's scream was shrill and stabbed into his battered body like a heated knife slicing straight through his soul.

His sisters screamed. He remembered that clearly. They screamed and screamed as the house burned. His mother had tried to comfort them, saying their father would come to the rescue. A hero would show up. But no one ever came, then and now. It was just him watching as someone was torn apart in front of him.

Lucia looked at him and Jaune could see the terror in her eyes. The same kind of terror that had been in his sisters, the same kind that had been in his father's. He remembered that his mother had that same look before the rafter gave way and crushed her, that look of terror forever engraved on her pale limp face.

'Run', his father had told him. He stumbled forward, his body giving way under him. He landed on something hard. His fingers felt the cold slick pommel of Crocea Mors, it had stayed on him this entire time and he just hadn't realized it. The Grimm shook its head and forth, yanking and pulling Lucia's arm. Its other paw held her down and the girl cried in agony.

No one was coming. It was only him. Only he could do it. Something broke inside of Jaune, his body wracked in pain, his vision blurry and red. Against all odds, he stood. The cool steel of Crocea Mors felt familiar; he drew it from its scabbard, the polished steel shone in the darkness, it sang out in a moment of clarity and Jaune felt something surge around him. No, it surged through him. All of the pain, all of the uneasiness flooded out of him. His body glowed dimly in the darkness, but he might as well have been a burning star.

He stepped forward, it didn't hurt. His foot was still broken but the pain had disappeared. He took another step and then another. Before he realized he was charging the beast. He slammed into it, shoving with a strength he didn't know he had. He pushed the Grimm and tore it away from Lucia's small shivering body. The creature of Darkness stared him down, its eyes were deep crimson pools of hate, but Jaune refused to back down.

It lunged for him, just like the ones before. Back then, in the ruined city he had called home, he had been a scared boy just playing on his own ambitions, pretending for a moment to be something he wasn't. Here, now he was more. If only just a fraction if only just a step, he was better than he was. The blade sliced through the Grimm's neck. It howled in pain, but Jaune stepped forward, and with all his strength he sliced through it. Its body burst into nothingness, it was just like cutting logs with August.

The impact jolted through his arms, but he stayed true and the tip of his blade smashed into the ground. He had killed it. A grin broke across his face, he had won. He had defeated a Grimm. The light prattle of rain chilled his body but the glory of the moment, the high of a victory washed away everything else.

Just as quickly as it had flooded in, the strength flooded out. His body suddenly felt weak and tired. He dropped Crocea Mors into the dirt. His mind reeled and he suddenly became confused. He knew Lucia was in front of him, he could see her prone unmoving body. He tried to stagger over to her, but the pain of his leg and arm came crashing back full force and he suddenly felt his body keel over. He was unconscious before he ever hit the ground.

He didn't remember being rescued. When he woke up afterward, he had been lying in the medical tent, his leg and arm in casts, an IV fed him morphine. His head had been cleaned and rebandaged though he still was still having trouble with the details of their fall. He remembered the Grimm, actually, it was the first thing he remembered. He had woken up in a panic, flailing wildly and fighting against the medics that were trying to treat him. Crabbe was forced to sedate him and he came around sometime later. It was evening if the glow of the dimming sun was any indication. The Huntsman standing guard at the entrance to the tent had informed him it had been three full days since the accident. When he asked about Lucia, he only received a solemn look. The fear had settled back in immediately. Had he not saved her, was he too slow to act? Had his moment of weakness killed her?

The thoughts plagued him incessantly. When he slept, he dreamed of that awful moment when the Grimm had torn into her, he tried to reach out in his dream to save her but just as he grasped her flailing hand the Grimm tore her throat out. Jaune couldn't bear the thought of something like that, so he stopped taking the sleep medication the doctors were giving him. He had a small hole he would dig into the dirt below his cot to hide away the pills. It was roughly a week before he had been cleared to get up and move.

He forced himself to think of anything else. He had been denied visitors and without August there to help reassure him he was stuck running through his own mind. During that time, he had tried to replicate the glowing that he had done before but with no luck. No matter what he did; how hard he tried to focus or concentrate, the feeling of strength he experienced wouldn't come back. He hadn't asked about it, afraid that something like that would just make the adults around camp eye him with even more suspicion. He kept it to himself and eventually he almost even convinced himself it was just pure imagination. It must have been adrenaline coursing through him. That was easier to believe than the idea that he had some special ability, that he could glow in the dark. Those kinds of thoughts were childish. Yet if it really was his imagination, why had his leg already healed?

It still hurt to walk, a dull pain surged up his ankle and thigh with every step which forced him to limp. It was better than nothing he supposed, and at least he didn't need crutches. Another week and he should be back to normal, the medics said. His hand was almost completely healed as well. It only really hurt if he clenched it too tightly, but he could go about his day-to-day with little concern. Even the head wound had healed. The medics confirmed there was evidence of a concussion, but Aura had healed that for him. Jaune hadn't the slightest clue what that meant but as long as he could get back to training sometime soon, he was happy.

After that long, boring week under constant supervision and guard, he limped his way back into the open air of the camp. It's how he found himself now sprawled on the hard ground as Kel Scipio kicked in his ribs.

Jaune coughed as the larger man drove the heel of his luxury dress shoes into Jaunes' side. He squirmed in agony, but the man had no mercy for him. A heel to the side of his head almost rendered him unconscious. He could hear someone screaming, it sounded like Lucia. He tried to look up, his arms covering his head as best they could. The man took the opportunity to smash the toe of his shoe into the corner of Jaunes eye. His vision flooded red again and he tried in vain to roll away from the beating. He crawled away before someone planted their boot onto his back and pushed him down. He lay pinned underneath them as Kel straightened his immaculate suit and strutted over. Jaune craned his neck at an odd angle and saw one of the hired Huntsman standing above him, the man's cold dark eyes showing no hint of sympathy.

Kel crouched down and took a fistful of Jaunes hair in his large hand, he pulled up his head and smashed him face first into the ground. His broken nose gushed with blood and his vision swam.

"Do you understand why I am doing this boy?" The last word left his mouth with a puckered disdain. Jaune said nothing and the man slapped him. "Answer me."

He never raised his voice. Never yelled and never let his emotions betray him. Kel Serpico beat him with a calm and rational poise that suited a man of his stature. Jaune would have preferred one of Caspar's beatings. With Caspar you could be angry at him, with Kel it was a systematic beating that made Jaune hate himself.

He took another punch to the face before someone finally intervened. Lucia Scipio, arm bandaged tightly and cradled in a sling around her chest stepped between her father and Jaune. She pushed the Huntsman away who relented under fear of her father's retaliation more than the girl's strength. Jaune could see the tears pouring down her face, eyes red in anger and fear.

"Enough daddy!" She said, her voice rough. She must have been crying for a while. " Please just stop. Please."

"Now sweetheart, listen," Kel said. His voice was warm and kind, the contrast from just moments ago made Jaune shiver. "This isn't a place for you. Why don't you wait on the ship and I'll be along shortly. This boy put you in danger and I almost lost you. A mistake I assure you I will not make again."

Lucia shook her head. "It was my idea to go out. I dragged him along and he saved me. Please just let him go."

Kels eyes showed his disbelief. He looked at his daughter for a moment before his cold fury landed on Jaune once more. He spoke softly to his daughter. "And why would you deliberately go into harm's way? Why would you risk your life?"

Lucia looked confused for a second, her usually sharp eyes were searching around for an excuse. "I just...I just wanted a friend."

Her calm and poised demeanor was shattered. The haughty, clever persona she had worn with such grace and confidence had been completely torn down, leaving just a scared little girl in its place. Her shoulders shook and she held back as best she could the terror and uncertainty Jaune knew she must be feeling. Kel reached for his daughter, taking her in his arms. He held her with such gentleness Jaune almost confused her for a glass doll.

He coughed up and spit up the blood pooling in his mouth before clearing his throat. "Hey, Lucia." It hurt to talk. The girl turned to look down at him, her eyes brimming with unanswered questions. "Glad you're safe."

The girl's confusion lasted for a second. Then her quivering lips meted into a beaming grin, the corner of her eyes tinged red and the tears still falling. She nodded in agreement.

Her father's fury returned like a sudden tempest blowing through his body. He was about to say something before August came bursting through the small crowd that had formed. His large frame made it easy to push others out of the way. His eyes landed on the Huntsman hovering just beside Jaune and with an evil in his eyes Jaune had never seen he let out a low growl.

"What do you people think you're doing?" He was upon the Huntsman in a moment but before the man could draw his weapon and before August could reach out to throttle him, the tip of a cane came between them, nearly smashing August in the nose.

"I think we have all had such an eventful evening. I would be remiss if we did not leave some excitement for tomorrow." Jack's voice was calm and pleasant as ever. It seemed to diffuse the tension in the air almost immediately. He stepped between August and the Huntsman. His silver eyes took in the situation, a glare was all it took for the Huntsman to relent and sulk away. August was by Jaunes' side for a moment, but before he could help him up Jack stepped closer. He spoke just loud enough for Jaune to hear. "Get up. You can't show that kind of weakness here, you'll never rise above it if you don't."

Jaune didn't quite understand what he meant but he pushed himself up with considerable effort. With shaky legs, he rose from the ground. He brushed away August's attempts to steady him. His legs almost gave out but he stood, nonetheless. He must have looked awful, August stared at him with a mixture of respect and horror. His nose was still bleeding freely, a touch confirmed it was definitely bent at a weird angle. He could barely see out of his left eye either. Yet there he stood, and Jack's nod of approval gave him all the reassurance he needed.

"When I sought out your band of misfits, I was expecting a certain amount of decorum and professionalism. Instead, I find one of your camp bastards trying to ingratiate itself with my beloved daughter." The venom in the man's voice was clear and sharp, dripping from every word despite his ever-calm demeanor.

"I suppose we're both disappointed then. While I may not know all of the details, I can assure you none in my camp would ever dream of taking advantage of your precious daughter. Yet you level accusations and take to beating a child in the open, with spectators no less. I honestly expected more from your esteemed family's prestige. Or is this how Mistraltan Elites conduct themselves?" Jack's words were level, and crisp. Jaune found himself hanging on every word and even gently nodding along. "I propose we both take a step back. Me and mine will deal with our own, and in return, you do the same. Is that not a deal?"

"Don't try and use your cheap semblance on me you upstart, backwater failure of a Huntsman. This agreement only lasts for as long as it takes for your men to follow through on our deal." Kel spat out. "Until then I will maintain my personal guard and ensure that you don't try to cheat me of what we properly agreed upon. I want that boy strung up and punished, I will accept nothing less."

"I believe I made it clear that I would deal with my own." Jack's voice raised ever slightly and as if in a trance the men around him, all of the camp it seemed was suddenly on edge. The few guards surrounding Kel took notice and reached for their weapons.

Jack took a deep breath, calming himself before continuing. I suppose we shouldn't press this further. We wouldn't want to waste all of the planning and money we've put into our little operation here. In another week we'll be a little richer and you will have your Dust mine and a fresh plot of land to start a small town."

Jack's casual tone seemed to lessen the high tension and the men dropped their guards, the Huntsmen were less quick to do so but eventually relented once Kel gave his nod of confirmation.

"Very well." Kel spoke evenly through the anger that was very much still hidden behind each word. "I suppose one week isn't too high a cost, granted you can keep your filthy dogs in check. If that boy or any of your other filth covered, self-indulgent pigs come near my daughter again I will personally oversee a Mistral military intervention against bandit camps around the city."

The man looked at Jaune once more. He stared at him for a long moment as if burning the memory of Jaunes' broken face into his memory before turning away.

Kel took his daughter by the arm and pulled her away back towards the airship they had arrived on weeks ago. They had left the camp a few times since they had arrived, staying gone for days at a time but always coming back Now Jaune wasn't quite so sure he would see Lucia again. The girl looked at him, casting a fleeting look back as her father pulled her away. He remembered her terrified screams, the blood pouring down her arm. He shuddered at the memory. He gave her a reassuring grin that probably looked unpleasant with his crooked nose and bloodied face, but it seemed to calm the girl and she gave one final grateful smile before disappearing inside the ship.

August patted him harshly on his back. "Don't think for a moment you're getting off the hook for what you did. You could have been killed; you both could've been."

Jaune did not lower his head like he normally would have. There was no shame in him, he regretted nothing. He had finally done it, after all, he finally defeated a Grimm. Sure, it was small and probably young, but he had finally gotten just a little bit stronger. His body felt lighter, and the pain dimmed as he thought about it. He had beaten the Grimm and saved his friend, consequences be damned. His body glowed; it was easier to see with the setting sun. He looked at his glowing hands, the pain from his body was receding quickly. The blood had stopped pouring from his nose and his vision became just a little clearer. He turned to August in slight fear, the older man looking down at him with shock. "Am I broken?" Jaune asked.

He didn't know what to make of it. He felt better, stronger, but it seemed so unnatural like he was some kind of freak. Jack spoke up next to him before August could muster the words. "Well, it seems our little want to be hero has taken the next step. Tell me, did you unlock your Aura just now or was it during your impromptu outing with your little friend?"

"Aura?" Jaune asked. Jack simply nodded.

"Yes, the manifestation of your soul given form. A protection of kinds, quite useful for a Huntsman or little children playing heroics." He commented dryly.

"Jack!" August snapped and the other man conceded with a knowing look before taking his leave. August rubbed his face for a moment before kneeling down to meet Jaunes' eyes.

"Listen, you're not broken. Far from it." August ruffled his hair gently. "This just means you have a bit more responsibility is all. Not everyone can unlock their Aura, not everyone has the ability to manifest themselves like this. It's something that makes you different from countless others, hell I only got my Aura when I was well into adulthood, and Caspar ain't even got his. So, no you're not broken. You're a great kid. And I'm proud of you for protecting yourself and the girl. Don't ever doubt yourself, because one day I know you're going to be great."

Jaune hugged him. What else was he supposed to do? All of the fear from the past few days, all of the uncertainty and rage from what felt like an eternity ago all poured from him and he clung tightly to the man in front of him. For the first time in forever, despite the pain he was in, and despite the beatings, he had a home.

Jaune

Just a few months ago Jaune would have felt nothing about leaving on his own. It would have been a natural course of action for himself. It was simply faster for him to carry out the mission alone; he would be quicker, more efficient, safer.

He trailed after the Sulfur Fish closely, the small creature trying its best to flee. He had cut off half of its appendages, the Grimm was part limping and part scurrying through the forest. Jaune kept pace making sure it never left his sight.

The Grimm was frightened and panicked, as such it would lead him right to the colony; and as a result, whoever it was that was importing Grimm this deep into Saunus. This was a good thing; it would be an in and out mission with little risk and he could finally put to rest one of the mysteries that had been plaguing him since he arrived at Beacon.

So why did he feel so guilty?

He had left the team; he knew that was part of it. He had waited until morning, stayed up all night to make sure there were no surprise Grimm attacks, and had set off the beacon as soon as he left. They would be fine, better yet they would be out of harm's way. Pyrrha would be furious, she would probably yell at him. But at least she would still be alive to do so. This whole mission was so much bigger than just a class assignment. He would be helping prevent something that could cause an unfathomable amount of tragedy, but the thought did little to quell the guilt. He shoved the feelings down. This was the right call, if he left it to the Huntsmen; to the school, then nothing would come of it. It had to be him.

He followed the Grimm through the forest, taking extra care to scare it away from bushes and shrubs. The creature's mutilated body made it easy to keep pace but this whole operation would be a waste if he was careless enough to let it escape at the last minute.

The Emerald Forest was dense, sprouting from the outskirts of Vale to well beyond the high peaks of Mountain Glenn. It was old and as a result very easy to get lost in if one wasn't careful. It should also be infested with Grimm. Jaune knew he should have seen at least one by now. He had been on guard the night prior, yet not a single creature stumbled into the camp's perimeter, that wasn't normal. He and his team had been battered with waves of Grimm during Initiation, and at that time they had been relatively close to Beacon. They had been dropped further out for this assignment, further from help, and further from safety. The lack of Grimm had been bugging him since the day prior, it was why he had suddenly shifted plans at the last minute.

Should he have brought up concerns with his team? Sure, he could concede that much, but his intentions had been purely practical. It was easier to just move forward rather than indulge in a lengthy debate over their next move.

The Grimm suddenly stopped. A screech tore from its small, battered body like a high-pitched wailing, shill and deafening. Jaune took three large steps and punted its tiny frame against a tree trunk, the impact cut the Grimms' cry short. He towered over the Grimm before slamming his boot down. Hard enough to crush it underfoot, but not enough to kill it. The Grimm cried pitifully and tried in vain to scuttle free.

Jaune sighed, he had been careless. If the Sulfur Fish got too close to the swarm it would try to alert its fellow Grimm about potential dangers. The Grimm tried to scream again but with just a little pressure from his boot, its warning turned to a lower pitched screech of pain.

He was tempted to kill it there and now, if it was crying out for its colony then he had to be close. He heard voices just beyond the tree line and he hesitated for a moment.

"Did you hear that?" A man asked.

"It's just Grimm," A girl's voice this time. "Don't start pissing yourself rookie, what else do you think would be in these woods?"

"That ain't sound like any Grimm," The man responded indignantly. "Like a dying animal. Besides I thought we cleared out the Grimm in this area.

"Probably dead now," The girl responded. They were closer now. Jaune pressed himself against the large body of the tree. "Do you have any idea how old this forest is? There's no way we got all of them."

"How much longer is this stupid patrol?" The man asked.

"You've done nothing but bitch since we got out here. Just shut up and do your job." The girl said angrily.

"I don't like the woods, are we sure the Huntsmen don't know about us?" He asked.

"If they did, you'd already be dead. Now shut up, or would you rather deal with Adam?" The girl asked and their conversation suddenly died. Jaune felt his heart quicken, anxious that they had suddenly found his trail, the Grimm whined lowly under his foot.

"You're a real bitch," The man finally responded.

"Fuck off." The voices were further now and Jaune relaxed if just slightly. He was close to something. For the first time since Initiation, he was on the trail of something big. He would be damned if he let it slip away now. The Grimm tried to stab at his foot with its fiery tail, but it couldn't break through his Aura, and he looked down at the dying monster.

"Guess I should thank you," He took a small pleasure as he smashed his foot down onto the Sulfur Fish. It screeched pitifully as it was crushed. As the creature shivered in the throes of death its body glowed a bright green light and an explosion blew out from its mutilated body in a fiery ball of green fire that blew Jaune off his feet and backward through the forest. A powerful boom echoed all around and nearly deafened him for a moment. He skidded back several feet, his ears ringing. He sat there for a moment dazed, his foot was smoking but thankfully still intact, and the underfoot of his boot was smoldering but his Aura had taken most of the immediate damage. He snapped back into focus and bolted from the newly created crater that the Grimm had caused in the aftermath of its explosive death. He dove behind another tree just moments before the voices returned.

He pressed low against the ground, breathing held tight. The Grimm from Initiation hadn't exploded when he had killed it. It wasn't like Grimm couldn't explode or use fire in some way, but a Sulfur Fish wasn't one of them.

Had it been the mutation? Was this some type of modification? If that was the case, then what did it mean?

"I told you something was out here!" The man's voice spoke up." Yeah, no shit, looks like one of the Grimm escaped." The girl replied. They were close, probably near the crater. Jaune didn't want to risk being seen to verify.

"Something had to have killed it. Shit, the Huntsmen are onto us." The man sounded panicked.

"Will you shut up?" Asked the girl. "If Beacon were on to us then we'd all be dead or in chains by now. First, we return to base and let the higher-ups know about this. Don't go causing a panic, you hear?"

Jaune didn't hear the man respond, but he must have given some kind of confirmation. Their steps came closer for a moment before they retreated. Jaune stayed in his spot, pressed low to the ground for a while longer, making sure that he was absolutely safe before making his move. If he was caught now, then he'd lose his chance to gather information. He waited, long enough for his legs to fall asleep, long enough for his back to ache in protest from his awkward position. He waited until he couldn't any longer. Pushing himself up slowly he eyed the area. The crater where he had killed the Grimm remained untouched, the spreading flames from the explosion had long since gone out leaving only charred trees and grass in their wake. He hadn't noticed before how big the explosion had been. It had destroyed and charred the ground around the epicenter. The crater was deep, at least a few feet deep. If a Grimm as small as Sulfur Fish had caused so much damage, then what could a larger mutation do? If the Beringel had exploded when he killed it, the resulting explosion would have certainly killed him as well.

Jaune double-checked his equipment before he left. It was hard to know which way the voices had gone but if they had set up a perimeter then he was bound to be close. He kept to the trees, never straying too far into the open, lest he reveal himself to an unseen enemy. It had been a long while since he had to sneak into an enemy compound. Even then it was almost always bandit camps. There had been an Atlas military camp once, but he had backup at that time. Now, he was entirely alone. One mistake and he would be dead never heard from again. The guilt from abandoning his team spiked up once more, but it was easier to push down once he caught sight of his target from a break in the tree line.

Jaune had done some research about potential nesting areas for Grimm around the Emerald Forest. During the Great War, Atlas had set up military bases when they laid siege to Vale, they were basic structures oriented towards quick deployment of troops and vehicles more than anything. Since the end of the Great War, they had been abandoned and disarmed under peace negotiations. But the structures still stayed; archaic and rotting, perfect nesting ground for Grimm. They weren't supposed to be refurbished and manned by White Fang grunts.

Jaune had very little experience with the White Fang. He knew of them, had a basic idea of what they were trying to do but past that he couldn't care less. He watched from the shadows as a group of men and women, all uniform in the Grimm masks they wore, bustled around the open area.

Small trucks and clusters of people moved around the area with striking efficiency. Crates and metal shipments littered around, he could see a few guards and with guns and swords. He crouched low, hiding behind a shrub as he took note of the guards bustling around the makeshift campsite.

It reminded Jaune of his time as a boy, the loosely put up tents and the seeming disorder of the personnel, telling that they hadn't been there for long, a few days maybe?

Jaune knew there were other bases similar to this one littered throughout the Emerald Forest. He could see cages lined near the entrance, small Grimm ranging from Boarbatusks to some Ursas, he even saw a Griffon pecking through the gaps in its cage, trying to attack the guards just out of reach.

There were maybe dozens of Grimm of all different sizes and varieties, but none of them had the distinctive green hue of a mutation. Did that mean they were fresh arrivals? Jaune couldn't be sure. He scanned the area, looking for a potential path to the base itself. The rather dull, unremarkable building stood plainly in the center of everything. Its gray, rusted surface had been weathered by time and maybe even Grimm attacks if the cracks and craters in the side of the building were any indication. Jaune had a good idea that the short building was likely hiding deep tunnels underground, if something really was mutating Grimm it would be somewhere underground. He was deciding whether to try for another position to get a better view before something sharp pressed into the small of his back, pushing thinly against his Aura, like a pin being pushed into a glove.

"Lose the sword and get up slowly." It was a girl's voice, it seemed strangely familiar. Jaune did as she wanted, making a show of dragging Crocea Mors; sheathe and all from his belt and placing it down gently to his side. He turned his head ever so slightly to try and gain a look at his attacker but there was nothing there, just empty air. The sharp point pressing into his back made it clear he wasn't imagining things though. A Grimm wouldn't be this thorough in an illusion, so was it Camouflage maybe? Whatever it was tugged at his firearm and pulled it from the holster. Jaune nearly lost his composure before whatever weapon pushed farther against his aura, nearly whittling through into his flesh. Jaune knew he could have pushed back but there were too many unknowns.

"Don't move," The voice commanded. "Are you a Huntsman? Military?"

"Just a weary traveler, I hear Forever Fall is stunning this time of year?" Something hard cracked against his head. His Aura took the brunt of it, but his vision swam for a moment and he stumbled slightly forward.

"Don't bullshit me." The voice said and suddenly Jaune felt the pieces click into place. It was the guard from earlier, if she was here then her partner might not be far behind. "Are you here alone?"

Jaune was tempted to lie, but in moments like these Jack would stress that truth was far more effective at gaining information. "It's just me. I was separated from my team and happened to stumble on your little settlement."

Jaune felt the point of her weapon quiver ever so slightly. She was uncertain, and he could use that. He turned to face her, though he couldn't be sure where to look. There was no one in front of him, simply empty air. His eyes settled straight ahead, calm and relaxed as the girl panicked and shoved the tip of her weapon painfully against his sternum, his Aura pushed back instinctively against the danger.

"Don't move!" She demanded. Jaune ignored her, his eyes scanning the area. There were no signs of anyone else. Did she try to capture him on her own? If she raised an alarm this close to base then there was a very real chance someone would hear them. The point of her invisible weapon pressed against him and Jaune made a quick decision.

"You're aiming too high." He commented.

"What?"

"You're pushing against my sternum." The girl was distracted, probably untrained and inexperienced. It was easy to grab the tip of her weapon with his gauntleted hand. He dragged the point over his heart. "Right about here, between the second and third rib. No bone to get in the way. Or you could aim for the neck."

She tried to pull back, but Jaune barely felt her tugging against his grip. She kicked him straight in the stomach, but his aura and reinforced armor dulled the impact. She was cursing at him, however, Jaune was already focused on the next step of his plan. He didn't want to hurt her, but he needed access to that Atlas base.

"Bit of professional advice." He started. "Don't hesitate. Make the choice before you start."

He felt a rush of electric charge tear up his arm, crackling and dancing against his aura and armor in streaks of bright yellow. He tugged the weapon forward, pulling the girl with it, and slammed his foot forward, driving it into her. His aura and hers met in a bright spark of energy. He was larger though and his aura far denser. He heard her choke on air and released the weapon. Her form flickered in the light, the camouflage fading. She crashed onto the ground holding her stomach and coughing violently. She was about his age, maybe younger. With brown hair and dull gray eyes, the girl was lean with tan skin. Under different circumstances, Jaune might have been more sympathetic. He took two large heavy steps and brought his foot down on her vulnerable head. The impact knocked her unconscious.

He collected Crocea Mors and his firearm, securing them back in place before taking the girl over his shoulder. He grabbed her fallen weapon as well, it looked like a long oddly shaped rapier with a focused sharp point made more for thrusting than slicing and cutting. He set her down further in the woods, laying her weapon down next to her. He wasn't interested in hurting anyone today, but it would be a real issue if she was to raise an alarm. He hadn't brought any rope to subdue her so he would have to work quickly.

He pulled off the Grimm mask hanging from her waist. It was bony white with deep red lines carved into the frame with two horns protruding from the forehead. He had seen bandits wearing them, a cheap scare tactic when they would raid settlements in the night to intimidate villagers and farmers. Jaune had never cared for those kinds of masks, the Grimm were far more than just gimmicks and stories to scare unsuspecting people. The mask fit tightly against his face.

The mask alone wasn't enough of a disguise, his armor stuck out and would make him a target on sight. He moved through the forest, light on his feet. He hoped the girl had simply been reckless and left her partner behind. His hope was rewarded when he caught sight of a white uniform standing out against the green backdrop of the trees. He didn't bother with stealth. He called out loudly to the man, or really boy judging by his size, and he called back. He seemed unaware for a split second that Jaune wasn't one of his own. That split second was all that Jaune needed to close the distance. The kid barely put up a struggle as Jaune slapped his gun away and slammed an arm around his neck. He held him tight, the smaller boy bucking and clawing at his arms, his body grew desperate, and his struggles were weaker and weaker. Jaune was careful not to kill him, once the boy was unconscious, he worked quickly to remove the white jacket, he left the pants. The uniform stretched under Jaunes larger frame, and the armor wasn't doing much to help with the tight fit, but the disguise would work for the time being.

Jaune returned to his position and shrugged off his pack. He rustled through it for a moment. His mind was piecing together his plan as he went. He would only get one chance to make it work though so he had to make the most of it. Luckily, he had been preparing something special in free time.

Dust was volatile, unstable fragments of energy pulled from the depths of Remnant itself. Chemically different from gunpowder, it channeled elemental properties into a physical form. Apply pressure or heat and it would react violently, an explosion that would be channeled into a certain direction. The origins of Dust were unknown, a few thought it to be some lingering residue from a time long since passed, however, it was the fundamental building block that allowed humanity to rise up against the Grimm in the Dark Times. Back when mankind was nothing more than hunter gatherers living in fear of Creatures of darkness.

Jaune knew only the basics of Dust, mostly just how to fight with it. People like the Schnee's would be far more knowledgeable about its deeper intricacies. Jaune didn't need the complex stuff. After all it wasn't really all that difficult to make an explosive when one had access to Dust. It was reckless to fight with an active explosive though and Jaune had seen a few men go up in flames when their crude Dust bombs went off after taking a hit from a Grimm. They barely had the chance to scream before they and everyone near burned.

It was safer to funnel Dust into a contained space, small amounts like in a bullet casing or a special weapons function. Not enough to kill in case of a malfunction but still enough to maximize damage against any enemy.

Jaune pulled the special lead container from his pack, a homemade mixture of gunpowder and fire dust. He had developed this new idea after the disaster of a fight team JNPR had with the Deathstalker. If he had been able to kill it in the cave things wouldn't have gotten so far out of hand. The box had a small timer on top of its smooth surface. He would only need a few minutes to get into position. He dialed the clock and set it down near the Sulfur Fish crater from earlier. It would be close enough to cause a distraction but still far enough away that the girl and her partner wouldn't be caught in the blast. He started the timer and bustled farther to the forest, he circled around the clearing making sure to hide within the safety of long shadows and thick trees. He steadied himself at a point where he had a direct line of sight with the base, almost a full semi-circle from where he had set the explosive.

He waited. His body raced with adrenaline and his mind filled with thoughts and expectations of what came next. Despite his mounting tension his breathing was even and calm, small puffs of air blowing out into the frigid air in a slow deliberate rhythm.

The explosion wasn't necessarily big. It was larger than the Sulfur Fish's but not nearly large enough to be of major concern to the forest. The deafening boom however turned all attention towards it. He hadn't rigged enough Dust and gunpowder to create something catastrophic, after all it was intended to be used in an enclosed area. The flames tore into the open clearing, engulfing the few trees in its way. The bright orange flames flickered in a burst of power, scorching the air in their way before retreating back into the recesses of the trees.

It attracted the attention of most of the camp. He saw multiple white figures suddenly leap into action. Some went to cover the exposed Grimm still trapped in their cages, others went to investigate the noise. With a burst of courage, Jaune stalked from his hiding spot and into the open area. He made sure to jog, to match his pace with the others around him. If he sprinted full force, he would draw attention and he needed his cover to last just a little longer.

He shuffled easily enough to the confused clusters of the White Fang. He made his way through them, he never lingered and was constantly on the move. He had heard rumors a Faunus could sniff out other Faunus. He wasn't sure if that was some stupid stereotype or an actual fact but he wasn't willing to risk it.

He shoved his way past them all and made his way to the front entrance of their base. It was a rusted and battered metal door. The entire facility up close looked like it was rotting. In front of the single door were two guards. They were distracted when Jaune walked up, no doubt concerned with the current fire raging not far behind him. They glanced at him, if Jaune was out of place they said nothing. The Grimm mask was digging uncomfortably into his face, but he was glad to have it, It hid his nervousness.

There was a scanner on the door, its more modern look was a stark contrast to the rest of the doors frame. 'Biometrics?' Jaune thought.

The first guard stopped him just a few feet shy of the door. Jaune was aware of the rifle in his hands. He glanced a look back, no one was paying them any mind. That meant he had an opening however slim. The guard said something to him, he was young and slim. Jaune was taller by just a few inches and as he stepped closer, he jabbed his fist into the man's open throat. The guard coughed and buckled, his mind reeling in panic from the sudden lack of air. The second guard, a woman, immediately leveled her own rifle at Jaune, but he was already in motion. He swatted the barrel of the gun away before she could fire. He kicked her knee and as she buckled he drew Crocea Mors just enough to slam its hilt into her exposed head. She dropped fast and hard. The first guard was stumbling away from them. Jaune took a few long strides and kicked behind the man's knee. He ripped the mask off of the guards' face and slammed it into the scanner mounted next to the door. The system beeped and the door creaked open.

Jaune shoved the unconscious grunt inside the base and dragged the female guard in behind him, slamming the controls with his fist just hard enough to coax the door into closing. The hallway was empty, only the damp stank air of mold kept him company. He slumped the two guards against the wall inside the first open room he found, with any luck he would be long gone before they came back around. He straightened the Grimm mask against his face once more and popped the hood on his stolen jacket before setting off down the long hallway.

He had known the building was old and decrepit, but compared to the inside the exterior might have well been a work of modern engineering. Metal panels were missing all across the hallway and walls and the ceiling was bent and crooked in several places. The base sloped from the entrance, winding its way further underground. Old school records he had shuffled through highlighted potential routes to underground rail systems used during the Great War to funnel Dust and Weapons to the Atlas military laying siege to the Kingdom of Vale. Jaune had little doubt he would find something similar only this time it would be White Fang grunts and Grimm.

'But why?' Jaune wondered. 'Why would the White Fang be smuggling in Grimm from across Remnant? Better question is how are they mutating them?' If the Grimm could explode, then he could see the merit in using them as strategic terrorist attacks. It wouldn't cost any Faunus lives and it would spread fear like wildfire throughout the city. Still, it begged the question of how?

Grimm could be captured, they could be contained, but as far as Jaune knew they had never been domesticated or studied biologically. Behaviors and patterns were easy enough to track and chart but cutting open a Grimm was damn near impossible. He had tried it himself to little avail. They would struggle and burst into nothing once you dug in deep enough, and any physical samples disappeared once they were separated from the main body. Yet somehow the White Fang had not only captured and transported Grimm from every corner of Remnant, but they had also biologically engineered mutations? That didn't add up.

He rounded a corner and nearly bumped into a passing pair of White Fang. He apologized and quickly hurried off. For the moment his disguise was working. He had gotten lucky, they were still operating on a skeleton crew and most of their force had been outside, unloading and moving crates and shipments of Grimm and supplies. That left the inside sparse and lightly manned. His luck wouldn't hold forever. The longer he took, the likelier someone would find the unconscious guards.

The long metal corridor took an unexpected dip, and he nearly lost his footing. The hallway split into branching paths; the dim flickering lights above offered little help in figuring which way to go. He was thankful he had been so thorough in his research. He set off down the right path, if he was right then it would take him straight to the main war room and if he was lucky the ones in charge of this whole operation.

The room had been remodeled, gone were the monitors and maps showing routes and access to the streets of Vale. Long torn down were the blueprints of invasion routes and supply lines. Instead sat in cages the mutated enemies of all mankind. Grimm stacked inside cages littered the room. The entire space had been converted to a staging area. Jaune had never seen so many Grimm. The walls were lined with captive Grimm from every corner of Remnant. Griffons pounded against their prison cells, their fiery breath blowing back against them as the steel bars reflected it.

He saw Ursas and Beowolves, Centinels and Sphinxs'. There were more Grimm in this one room alone than most people would see in a lifetime. Most were trapped in cages; others were inside of large green tubes erected throughout the room. He had never expected something this grand when he had set out. He wasn't looking at some small-time terrorist plot to cause panic and fear throughout Vale, he was witnessing the preparations for a full-scale Grimm invasion. His heart nearly seized when he caught sight of the large tube right in the center of the room. It reached from the top of the ceiling and descended past the floor, deeper into the main facility. He had never seen a Creep so massive. Its head alone took up the entire tube, its green eyes alert and dangerous, Jaune could practically feel the rage emanating off of it. If that thing got loose, if it reached the city, there was no telling what kind of damage it could do.

There were others in the room, at least a dozen or so White Fang grunts busying themselves around the cages and tubes. Jaune swiped a nearby clipboard someone had left unattended by a metal crate. He flipped through the pages as he maneuvered closer to the caged Grimm. Blending in was key until he had some understanding of what exactly he had walked into. The pages were filled with ship manifests under different headings. From all around Remnant, these shipments had been pouring in. Atlas, Mistral, Vacuo, there were even exports from Menagerie. There were records of cargo being taken into Vale's very own ports on the record as Dust Shipments.

Jaune had heard from Ruby how she had stopped a Dust robbery just before the school year started, it was how she had been accepted into Beacon despite being a few years younger. Did the recent uptake in Dust robberies have something to do with all of this? He rubbed his head wearily. Here he was at the epicenter of all of his questions and worries, yet all he got in return was more questions than answers. His musings were broken suddenly when a Centinel tried to swipe at him through the bars of its cage. Its glowing green body coiled around itself after Jaune stepped away to avoid its attack and it hissed in rage.

"Don't go getting yourself killed." A deep gruff voice spoke up behind Jaune. He turned to face the man. He was large, at least a head taller than Jaune himself and broader chested too. He wore the same white jacket of every other White Fang member except his had the sleeves cut off. He wore bracers on his arms and the heavy chainsaw hung casually on his hip. The mask covering his face was slitted around the eyes and covered nearly everything so that Jane couldn't see any part of his face. There was a man next to him, shorter than Jaune and lankier. His wild grey hair stuck up at random ends. His robotic red eye leered uncomfortably at Jaune. He was an older man, with a cleanly trimmed beard and mustache that was combed to a fine point on his chin. He spoke with a calm, almost completely dispassionate voice.

"If the boy wants to devote himself to the further existence of my children, then let him." The man said. Children? He had said children, right? The thought made Jaunes skin crawl. Was he the one responsible for the mutations? The Beringel? The Sulfur Fish? Jaune could feel his anger mounting and he was aware of the Creeps deep hollowed stare piercing through him. Jaune was tempted to respond but he bit his tongue. He couldn't risk exposing himself, not this deep into enemy territory. He would have to wait, to bide his time until an opportunity to act emerged. The White Fang member watched him closely, Jaune couldn't see his eyes but there was no mistaking the glare that prickled against Aura, like the buzzing of a fly that hovered so close that it was hard to ignore.

"A backpack?" He commented dryly. "Are you one of the new recruits from this morning? What are you doing down here? And armed to the teeth too."

Jaune cursed at himself. He had been so preoccupied with simply getting in that he neglected to try and place his pack somewhere else; he was also heavily aware now of the weapon at his side and Crocea Mors hanging from his hip. The jacket he had stolen hid most of his armor but his gauntlets stuck out sorely around his wrists and hands.

"Explosion sir!" Jaune lied as quickly as he could. "The situation upstairs caused a panic, and I was told to come down and see if I could help with the Grimm transport. I didn't know if we were being attacked so I grabbed what I could."

"That right?" The man didn't seem convinced. Jaune fought the urge to reach for his sword. If this turned south how many would he have to fight through?

"Enough of this." The old man intervened. "We haven't the time. You boy, help with the preparations. It's clear this facility is already compromised." He turned to face the White Fang member. "I want all records destroyed and my precious children brought down below. It seems we'll have to move our timeline up a bit. I expect your employer to accommodate accordingly."

The White Fang member grunted. "Sure thing. We'll kill whatever Grimm we can't move, that fine with you?"

The man waved his hand. "It's unfortunate, but it's better than them falling into the hands of Ozpin. Do what you must. I will be evacuating; I hope to see all my children healthy and well when we meet again."

"I'm not making any promises to an old geezer with a foot in the grave." The Grunt responded. "Don't shrivel up and die before you hold up your end of the deal."

The man scoffed before making his way to a large computer on the far end of the room. Jaune felt a heavy hand shove him forward. The grunt loomed over him. "Get to fucking work."

Jaune made his way back to the cages and busied himself with moving them. He grouped together with other workers and with great effort began loading the Grimm crates and cages onto pallets so heavy machines could come in and transport them. He had gotten himself fully involved inside their operations but now he had to figure a way out. More than that he needed access to the main computer that the old man was frantically typing away at. Jaune needed the data saved on its hard drive. As he stared down the old man from across the way Jaune was aware of the White Fang member from earlier doing the same to him.

Nora

Nora had never seen Pyrrha so angry before. The champion fighter was usually so calm and reserved with an easy smile and an eagerness to please. Now, as they trekked through the unforgiving terrain of the Emerald Forest the girl had become reserved, and the near constant smile had been replaced with a hard stare and sunken eyes.

It wasn't like Nora didn't feel the same way, it's just she hadn't really been surprised when Jaune left. As callous as it made her feel she had expected the boy to ditch them the moment he caught sight of her captured Grimm. His eyes had shone dangerously, and he got that same distant look in his eyes that always came out when he discussed Grimm. He had stayed the night at the very least, keeping guard the whole time. As soon as the morning came, when he was sure there was no threat, he had set off and taken the Grimm with him. He probably thought the beacon would alert the school before the rest of them had a chance to go after him. He had underestimated their stubbornness and Nora would make sure to give him a good bonk to the head for it later. When the school did finally make it to their campsite all they would find was an abandoned mess of sleeping bags and a smoldering campfire. They had grabbed what they could and taken off.

Pyrrha looked straight ahead as they ran. The girl was lost in her own little world. Ren had set off ahead of them. He always was the most skilled when it came to tracking. It was a large part of how he and Nora had survived as kids after Kuroyuri had been wiped out by the Nuckalavee. If Ren could find his trail, then there was little doubt that they would find Jaune.

At least that had been the expectation when they set off. At some point the trail had gone cold and despite Ren's best efforts they couldn't find any trace of Jaune or the Grimm. Pyrrha had debated the merits of returning to their camp and just alerting the school officials of what they knew so far. Nora was inclined to agree, that was until something boomed and echoed in the distance. An explosion? It hadn't been very large but the sound had traveled like a dull roar around them. They didn't even have to speak before Ren scaled up the largest tree he could find.

"I can see smoke trailing from the North. Looks like a small fire." He called down from above. Nora looked to Pyrrha. The girl had been in a constant state of worry since this whole mission began but now, she seemed almost passive. The anger and hurt in her eyes was clear, it made Nora pang with sympathy but before she could reach out to try and console, Pyrrha sighed.

"Then that's where we go." She said, "How far."

"A mile or so," Ren said. He dropped gracefully to the ground. His eyes flickered to Nora's and she understood. He was worried. Of course, he was. This whole training exercise had run completely off the rails. They should be running to the extraction point right now glowing with pride of a job well done. She should be preparing for a batch of Ren's legendary victory pancakes and a nice hot shower. Instead, they were running headfirst into the unknown, away from help and away from safety. Pyrrha wasn't acting herself, and Nora was worried the redhead was placing all of the blame onto her own shoulders.

"Then that's where he'll be." Pyrrha's fierce green eyes looked at them. "Let's go get our idiot teammate back."

Both she and Ren nodded. Just like that they were off again sprinting headfirst into peril. Nora knew she wasn't the most cautious of people, had a propensity for jumping into danger headfirst, but she always put her friends before anything else. It was why even though her stomach dropped, and the looming dread pressed down on her she moved forward. She would bring her friend back no matter what. Then she would make sure to give him a good smack on the head for making them worry like this.

Jaune

Jaune had been running through scenarios in his head for potential escape routes when the alarm sounded. A wailing siren screamed through the base as an alert message rambled over the surprisingly working speakers. He was hauling a mutated Boarbatusk onto a pallet when it started. To their credit the White Fang didn't panic. A less well-trained group would have broken under the sudden implication of an attack but they all carried on with their assigned duties.

The brute of a man Jaune had met earlier had barely broken a sweat as he calmly reassigned roles and barked orders. Jaune had been careful to avoid attracting any more attention. It was easy to slip away in the bustling movement of men and gear. From a distance, he could see that the old man was still furiously typing away at the main computer.

Files and data were scattered on the computer's screen. Jaune could barely make any of it out from where he stood. An image expanded on the corner of the screen and Jaune's heart froze. He could see Nora's unmistakable orange hair plastered clearly on the screen. It was security footage, live-fed to the monitor.

'Did they follow me?" Do they know I'm here?'

He shook the thoughts free. Worrying wouldn't do him any good. He had a mission to complete. If Nora was there then that meant the rest of the team couldn't be far behind. The quicker he finished what he had to do, then the quicker he could get them out of there.

Jaune stuck to the shadows unwilling to risk his one chance. There was too much at risk to let this man slip away. So, he waited; waited until the evacuation orders came over the blaring speakers, waited until the White Fang began to shuttle out of the room, waited until the old geezer downloaded whatever information he needed and pocketed the data drive.

Jaune moved quickly and stepped behind him, he pressed the barrel of his gun against the small of the man's back.

"I want the data," Jaune said. The man to his credit didn't even look fazed. He glanced at Jaune, the metallic red of his eye glowing.

"Huntsman? No, far too young. Are you a student? What business would you have in a place like this?" The man asked. Jaune pushed the barrel further.

"Data, now." Jaune glanced around the area. No one was looking their way for the moment, the few men that remained busied themselves with carting off the last few batches of Grimm. Jaune hated to see so many of them wheeled off, likely to cause untold damage, but for the moment there was something more important he needed to do.

"Have you the slightest idea what you're doing boy? What you're standing against?" The man continued. "This is the future of mankind right here in the palms of our hands."

"Have you lost your mind? You're talking about Grimm, creatures of darkness and destruction. There is no future for us as long as they exist."

"You Huntsmen are all the bloody same. Have you ever considered the potential of these creatures you seek to destroy? Think for just a moment, try and imagine. Tell me, how do Grimm live?

Jaune was confused by the question. "They survive off of negative emotion."

"Yes of course. They have an advanced form of hunting where they rely on the basis of scent and detection to hunt their prey in every climate, every environment. It's similar to how you Huntsmen and the like use Aura to sense danger. That's not what I'm asking. What nutritional value does emotion have? How can creatures of such size and power subsist off of nothing? They don't need to eat as I'm sure you know, and they have no interest in hunting outside of humans. So, what feeds them? How can they persist for centuries while almost every other living creature on this planet dies in only a handful of years?"

"Is that what's on that drive?" Jaune asked as the man pulled the device from his pocket. Jaune grabbed it and secured it in his pocket. He had what he needed and now it was time for an escape.

"Why do they have children?" The question stopped Jaune dead in his tracks. "They don't breed, they lack the genitalia and sex for such an evolution, so where do the smaller, younger Grimm come from? The answer is simple, they come from us. All my research is in pursuit of creating an alternative source for the Grimm, an infinite supply of energy. With it we can create an army of labor, a civilization backed by inexhaustible workers and finally put this pointless struggle of back and forth survival to rest."

Jaune was speechless. Grimm came from humans? That was absurd, Grimm were the antithesis of humans, the great threat that brought civilization to the brink of ruin. He was about to press further when the whirring swing of a chainsaw forced him to duck. He pushed away from the man and stumbled against the main computer. The bigger White Fang member from before stood there, blade in hand. The awkward piece of machinery was a bastard cross between a fully functioning chainsaw and the handle of a sword.

"I knew you'd show yourself if I waited it out." His deep voice rumbled. He turned to the old man. "We're done here. Evacuate, the building's already set to blow. I'll handle it from here."

The graying, lanky scientist turned to Jaune one final time. "If you make it, I expect a full report on my work. I can see it, you know? That spark of passion for these monsters, you have it the same as me. I can feel it. And just like me it will consume you boy. Merlot. Beacon should still have records of my past research hidden in their libraries. Don't disappoint after coming all this way."

With that Merlot fled. Jaune took a step to follow but the large man stood before him, unmoving. The chainsaw revved and Jaune knew it would be a fight.

Ilia

This was all her fault. She had been arrogant and greedy, and now a Huntsman was onto them. She had known someone was following them since that first explosion. She had sensed someone else's Aura bristling somewhere in the forest and had retreated to try and lure them out. She had expected to get the drop and apprehend the intruder before bringing them to face Adam. Instead, she had been beaten down and left in the woods to be turned into prey for the Grimm. She was lucky the Huntsman had been stupid enough to leave her weapon. As she sprinted back towards the woods, she tried to ignore the dull pain throbbing behind her eyes. She remembered being kicked and nothing else after. She felt like total crap but there were more pressing issues after all.

Her teammate lagged behind; the young recruit had just arrived days ago. He had never seen any combat as far as Ilia was aware and his constant complaining had been grating, but at least he was alive. The Huntsman had been thorough and stolen the youngbloods jacket. That meant he intended to infiltrate their base right? It would explain why her mask was gone. She had gone into a near panic when she had awoken to find it missing.

As she ran, she noticed something was wrong. The air was thick with smoke and her vision grew hazier; her face grew hot. Was there a fire? This close to base? The panic set in again. 'No, don't tell me that we've been caught.'

If Beacon was on to them and had already set fire to their base then everything was in jeopardy, not just their mission but all of their lives as well. It really would have been all her fault. She ran forward blindly into the thick smoke, her lung burning and hacking as dived further in. She tripped and stumbled over tree roots and plants but kept moving forward, nonetheless. The fire was raging. It consumed everything in its path leaving a trail of burnt carnage in its wake. Ilia's foot caught on something hard, and she pitched forward. Her face slammed into something solid and warm.

"Woah there. Careful, it's dangerous to run through the woods." It was a feminine voice. Ilia looked up through teary smoke-filled eyes into the face of a girl roughly her age with bright orange hair. Ilia didn't recognize the girl; she wasn't from the White Fang. The two stared at each other. A heartbeat passed, and then another. The girl's mouth hung open and her bright turquoise eyes blinked slowly. The girl took a step back and then another before sliding behind a tree. She poked her head out and when she caught Ilia's blank stare, she immediately jumped back behind it. "Ren!" The girl called out in a whisper that bordered on a shout. "I think she saw me!"

Ilia was stunned. She didn't know what to do or what to think. Were these the official Huntsmen sent to eradicate their base? It couldn't be. Her confusion lasted only a second longer as her Aura flared in warning. She jumped back just in time to avoid the hail of gunfire raining down from above. A flash of green dropped from the tree line obscured by the smoke. It touched down softly on the ground before leaping straight for her. She barely managed to raise up her own weapon, Lighting Lash, before the rough impact of metal on metal jolted through her arm. She nearly lost her grip as a kick met her stomach. She sputtered but kept on her feet.

"Sorry." The orange haired girl shouted as a massive warhammer unfolding in her hands. "But we really need to be going. So can we pretend this didn't happen or do we gotta break a leg or two?"

Ilia coughed the phlegm in her throat made it hard to speak but she managed to find her voice. "I won't let you. I don't care if you're Huntsman, I'm not letting you get any closer to my people."

She had been here before. The sense of deja vu was like nausea settling in her stomach. It had been just like this during the protest with fire and smoke, there were no screams but if these bastards were to make it to the base, then they were sure to follow. She wouldn't let history repeat itself, she would fight back this time just like Adam had told her to. The green figure had disappeared in the haze, but Ilia wouldn't be deterred this time. She was done being afraid. She charged headfirst at the girl. Hammer girl hoisted her weapon high and prepared to swing. As the hammer came crashing down above her, Ilia activated her camouflage and disappeared, blending into the surroundings, she sidestepped the attack. The Hammer thundered down and shook the earth with all the force of a small earthquake. Just how much strength did this girl have?

Ilia rolled away and took advantage of the girl's confusion by stepping in close, unseen with her ability she thrust Lightning Lash into the girls open side. Hammer girls Aura sparked against the impact and Ilia couldn't pierce through into flesh, but that was fine, after all Lightning Lash was more than just a sharp point. Ilia pulled the trigger and lighting raced through her weapon arcing in bright yellow currents of pure energy. The girl shrieked and Ilia felt a lance of pity work through her. She didn't particularly like causing pain, but she had to stop these intruders before more came. The lightning danced across Hammer Girls body piercing through her Aura and straight into her body. Ilia pressed on and held her attack, any moment now the girl would drop unconscious. Only she didn't. Hammer Girl wasn't faltering. Rather she seemed to be cackling, enjoying it even.

Unnerved Ilia jumped back as electricity crackled across the girl's body, she swayed, eyes almost blissfully unaware, stuck in trance like high. She laughed again with a wide grin. Ilia was ready to lunge forward again and try a second attack before the girl raised her hammer high above her head.

Ilia flashed forward. She wouldn't let the hammer girl get the chance. She thrust her weapon forward stabbing for right between the second and third ribs just as that bastard from before had lectured her. She was shocked when her weapon simply bounced off the girl's aura, electricity sizzled in the air. Ilia could do nothing but take a step back in fear as hammer girl's eyes somehow found her own, they were alight with electric blue and her infuriating grin turned manic. The Hammer came crashing down.

The impact tore apart the earth like an explosion. Debris flung in every direction as fire and smoke simply disappeared under the pressure of the hit. Electricity channeled up Ilia's form and she screamed, her camouflage rippled and faded as her rigid body skidded across the dirt. The shockwave that blew out from the impact seemed to swallow her whole and she tumbled head over feet. Her mouth and nose clogged with dirt, clothes were pricked with static. When she opened her eyes all she could see was bright flashing colors that zoomed in and out of focus. It took a long moment to catch herself.

As Ilia rose unsteadily to her feet someone was already waiting for her. The green figure from before had returned in the shape of a young man. His black hair waved lightly in the small breeze that came through.

"I'm sorry." He said and in that moment Ilia was sure she was going to die. It was a strangely unconcerning thought. It was just like stating a fact, with no real meaning or reason to it.

As the boy came forward gunfire rang out above them. Ilia broke from her daze like suddenly snap awake from a dream. Her partner had come back. He fired off his rifle, his aim was terrible, but it was enough to force the green boy back. Ilia took the chance to flee, her heavy legs hindered as she climbed out of the crater and before finally collapsing onto her side. The smoke had come back, thick and unpleasant it clogged her airways as she hacked and coughed. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear a loud whining sound pierced through the returning roar of the flames. 'Is that HQ?'

The alarm had been sounded and that meant reinforcements. Maybe she hadn't failed after all. She refused the hand her partner offered. With a new set determination, she looked around her. It was hard to see through the smog, but the girl and her accomplice were gone, but that didn't matter. For the first time since she got to this damned continent, Ilia felt she had a purpose. She had to find them, and stop them before they hurt any of her people. It was time for the White Fang to finally bite back.

Jaune

"So, what's your play here Hunter?" The grunt asked. "There's no way out for you and me. No backup, no help."

"Are you really willing to die here?" Jaune asked. When the man shrugged Jaune let out a scoff. "What gave me away? You didn't trust me the moment I got in."

"That mask isn't yours; I want it back." He said and Jaune was more than willing to take off the sweat slicked costume and toss it over.

"The girl." That got the man's attention. "She's alright. Just knocked her out."

"Doesn't change anything here." The man responded and it was Jaune's turn to shrug.

"Figured. Just thought you'd want to know." The single exit door was sealed, and the caged Grimm were growing restless, from the mounting tension between the two men or from the constant blaring of the alarm he couldn't be sure. Jaune slipped the flash drive into his pocket. If nothing else that alone had to make it out of here. "Are you really willing to burn it all down? Seems like an awful waste."

The man stepped closer and Jaune retreated. "It's better than the alternative. You Huntsman aren't taking anything from us this time around."

"But why Grimm? I can maybe understand wanting to hurt Beacon by why bring in the Grimm to do it? Think of the collateral alone."

"Not my business."

"It's all of our business! If these things get free it won't just be the Humans, they come after. They'll kill everything, Faunus included. They'll come after every living thing they can find. They'll eat women and children. They'll rip us apart in our homes and our beds. No one will be safe." Jaune took another step back and bumped into a cage. The Grimm inside banged at the lock. "Are you seriously telling me none of that bothers you in the least?"

"What I think doesn't factor into this." The man hoisted his weapon, tossing it haphazardly onto his shoulder. "It's all pointless in the end. If it's Grimm or humans, the Faunus will still end up being eaten. I'd rather one of you kill the other first, least then I don't have to look two ways in a fight. This is our war."

"So that's it then?" Jaune asked.

"That's it, Hunter." The man responded.

"Jaune."

"Don't care." He paused. "Geshen."

Geshen revved his blade, the metal chain whirred loudly as he lowered it casually to his side. Jaune drew his sword, took a quick step forward and pivoted. He smashed apart the lock behind him and the unmutated Boarbatusk shattered through its chains. It rammed forward, Jaune sidestepped the creature and it charged towards Geshen. The man dropped his weapon, caught the Grimm by its two boney tusks and flipped it over his head before slamming it into the ground. The Grimm squealed and then stilled as a knife burrowed into its neck with a wet sound. As it faded into nothing Geshen righted himself, brandishing the knife at Jaune.

"I expected more than tricks Hunter." He spoke.

Jaune lowered his center of gravity and ran full force at the man. He blocked the knife Geshen threw at him with his blade before he tried a straight thrust, but the larger man just slapped it away with his gauntlets. Jaune kicked Geshen's leg, and when the big man stepped back Jaune expanded his sheath and slammed the shield into him.

Geshen simply took the hit. He barely moved as Jaune shoved with his full weight. Geshen's head smashed into his and a kick sent him skidding back.

With a casual ease Geshen stepped back over to his weapon. He gripped the handle of and with almost no effort hoisted the monstrous machine back onto his shoulder. The moment gave Jaune time to think and to plan. The man was simply physically superior to him in every way, he might even be faster. Jaune knew he would lose in a head on fight. He would have to smarter.

He charged forward again and swung the blade down. Geshen intercepted and the two metal blades struck each other. Sparks rained across Jaunes' vision as the chainsaw grinded against Crocea Mors. He stomped his foot into Goshen's and thrust his shield upward in an uppercut. The attack missed by a breath and Jaune was forced back with another kick.

He had to roll to the side as the chainsaw came down. He ducked and weaved out the way of the blade. No matter how much distance Jaune tried to create Geshen just pressed in closer. Jaune rolled over the top of a cage holding a mutated Beowulf. The chainsaw tore through the metal and cleaved the defenseless Grimm. It seemed to pucker and swell as it was ripped in half before erupting in a bright burst of green flames. Geshen raised his blade to cover his face, he retreated away from the fire as Jaune stepped into them. Tearing off the White Fang jacket the cloth caught aflame and Jaune thrust it at the man's head. Geshen swatted it away with panic and was met with a shield straight to the head. Geshen took a wide swing that hit Jaune across the jaw.

Staggering back, a kick drove the air from his lungs. Jaune keeled over gasping as a large heavy hand gripped him by the back of the head. A knee drove into his chin. His vision flashed as he felt his feet leave the ground and he was tossed haphazardly across the room. He tumbled and rolled into a stack of cages. The Grimm inside all nipped and clawed towards him, driven into a frenzy by his pain and frustration. Jaune was losing. He had to find a weakness, something to exploit.

How much longer until the base was destroyed? Where was team JNPR? Were they still alive? There were too many unknowns and Jaune's focus lapsed; the flat side of Geshen's blade smashed Crocea Mors from his grip and the following swing collided against Jaune's shield. Sparks flew as the terrible screeching of metal on metal rang out. The Grimm behind Jaune recoiled in pain at the sound and the force of the blow forced him to his knees. Jaune pressed with all of his strength against the larger man's attack. His arms felt numb, his Aura cried in protest but there was nowhere to run.

Was this it? Jaune never figured he would die in a place like this. He always assumed it would be a Grimm. But here he was just a step too weak to defeat the enemy in front of him. The research he stole felt heavy in his pocket, a literal goldmine of data and research that could save thousands and it would die with him.

Would his team make it alright? They were strong but outnumbered. They had followed him into this mess, it seemed almost unfair for him to be the first to go. The Grimm screeched behind him, and he chanced a glance back.

The ugly green eyes of a Beowulf stared back at him. Its low stance and snarling canines weren't exactly a comforting sight. Jaune's arms buckled under the strain of Geshen's chainsaw. His shield wouldn't hold much longer. The Beowulf growled behind him.

"Is this all you got Hunter?" Geshen asked. Are Grimm all you can handle?"

Jaune gritted his teeth under the strain. "Grimm are much more trouble than you. They don't talk so damn much either!"

"What a fucking disappointment." Geshen suddenly retreated. His chainsaw pulled back and Jaune sagged at the sudden relief. Geshen kicked the shield upwards, exposing Jaune's whole body. The chainsaw revved and came swinging back down. All Jaune could do was stare with wide disbelieving eyes as death came for him. In that moment Jaune didn't think, didn't even process what he was doing. He unslung the shotgun with his free sword hand and without looking raised the barrel behind himself; straight at the mutated Grimms wide, shocked eyes. The bullet tore from the chamber and the following burst of green flames engulfed both men.

Jaunes Aura flickered but held as the explosion sent him careening forward. He crashed face first into the ground, his armor singed from the heat. Geshen recoiled, staggering back from the intense flames that clung to his jacket. He screamed as the inferno trailed over his body. His large hands flailed desperately at his clothing, ripping it to shreds to stop the spread.

Jaune understood. He reached for his fallen blade. He gripped it tight. "You showed me your war. Let me show you mine."

Crocea Mors sliced through the cage locks. One after another Jaune shattered the bindings holding back the Grimm. The creatures of darkness leaped forward; hungry and rabid. Jaune pierced an Ursa that swiped at him. The Grimm shuddered and exploded, sending Jaune slamming against the wall. The explosion itself took out several smaller Grimm, starting a chain reaction that dyed the room in green fire. Geshen disappeared in the haze of flames and smoke. The Grimm that Jaune didn't free were caught in the explosive crossfire, screaming and dying in their cages. It was like artillery pounding down throughout the room. Each new Grimm that died would in turn kill its brethren. A never-ending series of chain reactions that forced Jaune to take cover behind a metal shipping crate. The room shook as he cowered behind his makeshift shelter. It was an inferno of death, and for a moment he was in that hell hole of a town, the yellow eyed Grimm staring him down. Just a small child desperately holding himself together.

The flashback lasted only moments and suddenly Jaune was back in the present. The dull echo of fire was the only sound he could make out. He peered from behind the crate. Thick smoke clogged the air and made it impossible to see anything in front of his eyes. He stepped cautiously, spreading his Aura outward to pick up any threats hiding just beyond. Something scuttled at his feet, and he stomped down on a mutated Sulfur Fish. The Grimm squealed in protest as Jaunes boot pressed against it.

Jaune barely sensed the danger before the Chainsaw swung past his face. He ducked low as it made a return swing. He pulled a knife from his waist, stabbing the Grimm. it hung limply off of the knife as Jaune jumped back to avoid another swing of the Chainsaw.

Geshen stepped from the smog, his broad chest singed with burns the mask still clung firmly to his face. He came at Jaune like a man possessed. With brutal strength he tore apart the room as he gave chase. Jaune ducked and weaved, over and around cages and containers. The larger man simply cut through all of it. There was no room to breathe, no time for a counterattack. It took every ounce of focus to avoid the swings coming at him. Each hit, each attack was certain death.

The impaled Grimm struck at his hand, the fiery barbs trying to pierce his gauntlet. It was still alive if just barely. It was something Jaune could use. As Geshen came down with his weapon Jaune stepped forward with his shield. It was a momentary clash once more of metal on metal and both men's Aura crashed into each other. Jaune twisted his shield to the side just as Pyrrha had taught him and the Chainsaw came sliding harmlessly to his side. With his other hand to thrust up the knife into the underside Gessen's jaw. The tip of the knife met resistance against the man's Aura, but Jaune pushed through and it struck shallowly into flesh. The knife's tip stuck awkwardly into the inside of the man's mouth, blood pooling down the edges of his mask. With a final roar Jaune swung his shield upwards again, uppercutting the hilt of the blade and sending it smashing against bone. The knife dug upwards into Gessen's mouth and killed the Grimm.

The burst of flames erupted, engulfing around Goshen's head. He screamed desperately as Jaune stepped forward and with all his strength smashed his shield into the man's head. His large body flew back and landed heavily onto the broken floor.

Exhaustion overtook Jaune and he coughed violently, the smoke in the air and his lungs finally taking its toll. His vision swayed as he hacked. His body felt heavy. He mustered enough strength to climb to his feet once more. He had won the fight but unless he saved the data it would all be for nothing. He leaned against the wall. He couldn't see but with any luck he could follow along the wall until he came to the door.

It was impossible to tell how long he had been going. It could have been minutes or seconds, but he eventually felt the groove of the metal door. A little further and he could feel the control pad. With a slam of his fist the door shuttered open, and a breeze swept through. He could almost taste the fresh air flooding into the room before a fist cracked him in the nose and a boot burrowed into his stomach. He crumpled to the floor before Geshen lifted him by the collar. The Grimm mask had burned hot, and parts of it clung to his charred face. A rancid smell overpowered the smoke and Jaune recoiled. He could see one of the man's dark sunken eyes staring straight through him. The left side of his face looked like it had fused with the mask, and it was hard to tell where the plastic started and the flesh ended. The melted knife was stuck in his jaw, the twisted burnt metal had blackened and wisps of smoke trailed off if it.

Geshen held him there as his large meaty hands wrapped around Jaunes neck. The pressure choked him. Jaune failed to break free and hit at the man's larger hands with what little strength he had.

In a desperate bit Jaune struck his knee upwards and drove the blackened blade further up into the man's skull. Geshen dropped him and Jaune desperately gulped in air before a boot hit him in the head and pushed him back. Jaune looked up with bleary, smoke filled eyes as Geshen, bleeding and burnt, looked at him with hate in his one good eye.

"End of the line Hunter." With that Geshen stepped through the door and smashed the controls on the other side as it slid shut, trapping Jaune inside.

Nora

It was hard to say when things had gotten really bad. It may have been when the small fire had caught a tailwind and began engulfing the surrounding area. Or it might have been when she had run into a girl who had almost immediately tried to kill her.

Oh, no wait. It was definitely when her supercharged semblance cratered the ground, sounded an alarm, and sent a small army of White Fang after them all. Yeah, that was probably it.

Nora ducked under a wide hit from someone's battle axe before taking a swing with her hammer and slamming at least three White Fang grunts backward. It didn't do much good. Every time she or Ren managed to take a few down more would just come pouring out of the smoke. They had lost Pyrrha in the madness and confusion of the fight. It filled Nora with a sense of dread not being able to see everyone, but she had faith that Pyrrha would be just fine.

Magnhild, her hammer, lobbed Dust based explosives through the air. The incendiaries tore through the smoke on impact, filling it with Nora's signature pink clouds. She wasn't trying to hurt anyone, but it was getting harder and harder to avoid accidentally maiming people. The smoke was everywhere along with new enemies. Her hammer swung wide and pounded a few new grunts. She knew she couldn't keep going forever, but with everyone scattered and the haze so thick, regrouping didn't seem like an option.

She caught sight of Ren, his familiar Aura tugged warmly against her own. He was firing at an unseen target. Before Nora could make her way to him another pair of grunts charged at her. It was easy to beat them, in fact, most of the fighters were woefully unprepared to be facing her. It almost made her feel a little guilty for taking them out. Then she remembered they were trying to kill her, and her friends, and the guilt went away.

The invisible girl flickered in front of Nora's vision and tried another thrust. Nora blocked it with her hammer and with a solid jump kick placed the girl on her back. With a swing around her weapon, Nora slammed her feet into the ground and hoisted Magnhild above her head. The girl looked up with fright which made Nora's heart stutter and nearly stop. With a grunt, she halted herself mid-swing and offered and instead bent down and flicked the girl in the head.

"Boop," Nora said softly. She snickered at the girl's complete confusion.

"What?" The girl asked.

"Just cause we're fighting doesn't mean we gotta be enemies," Nora said. The girl scurried back away from Nora. Before she could say anything else the sound of gunfire that had been almost omnipresent since the chaos began died. Nora's Aura screamed a warning and something tore through the smoke. A pure blend of destructive red energy sliced through the flames and smog. It dyed Nora's vision red, and she barely managed to dive to the ground as it grazed overhead. It destroyed everything in its path behind her. Trees, rocks, everything was torn apart by its sheer power and force.

The girl Nora had tried talking to looked back with amazement and something akin to fear. From the deep, heated patches of red flames engulfing the forest stepped forth a tall lean shadow. He walked slowly, like a predator stalking toward its prey. His short red hair stood out in the smoke and the deep red markings of his mask gave no hint of any emotion. He was a silent looming shadow and Nora could feel a chill run through her. In an instant, she knew this wasn't someone she could beat. She took an involuntary step back as he pressed forward.

The girl hurried to her feet and retreated. It was hard to say if it was to stand clear of the fighting or out of fear for the man coming closer. Nora thought of running as well. Maybe she could double back and try to rejoin her team. Machine gunfire erupted overhead, and Ren came bursting from the tree line. The masked man barely moved as he unscathed his blade and casually blocked the bullets, his movements were sharp and focused. Ren landed in a crouch and shot forward hoping to engage in close quarters with the blades on his weapons. The masked man batted his attacks away and in a dominant show of speed gripped Ren around the neck.

Nora was charging before she realized it. She jumped high and wound up a large wing with her hammer. The masked man simply tossed Ren into her path and forced Nora to abandon her attack. Ren slammed into her, and they crashed in a heap on the ground. The man barely broke stride as he approached. His red tinted blade hung loosely in his grip. Magnhild transformed in her hands, and she fired her grenades at him. The resulting concentrated explosion was large, and the resulting boom forced Nora to cover her ears. Ren wasn't far behind, he rattled off his guns in a storm of bullets, when his clips ran dry, and he was forced to reload the man cut through the pink smoke and Nora barely had time to raise her weapon to block him. The force of the impact shattered the ground under Nora's feet, and she was stunned that she was losing a contest of strength.

The man raised his boot and slammed it into Nora's face. She stumbled and was forced to jump back to avoid the following swing of his sword. Ren tried another vain charge. The man simply swept Ren from his feet and stomped at his neck.

Nora nearly screamed as Ren projected his Aura outward, pushing back against the man's attack. The masked man seemed unbothered as he changed his sword grip and raised the blade up, preparing to strike down at Ren. Nora was numbly aware that she was running, her weapon had been abandoned. She ran but didn't seem to be moving. Time was slowing as she saw the man plunge his weapon down. Was she screaming?

Her world nearly ended before the dull echo of metal on metal rang through the clearing. The familiar blazing red hair of Mistral's champion trailed behind the bright green eyes of Pyrrha Nikos. Pyrrha had blocked the attack and for the first time, the man looked shocked.

"Well." His low voice rumbled out. "Who'd think I'd be able to kill Mistral's shooting star today?"

Pyrrha was angry. Angrier than Nora had ever seen. Her green eyes were tight with focus and her body rigid in rage. "Just what do you think you're doing to my friends?"

Jaune

His fists dented the door but no matter how much he hit it the metal wouldn't give in. The smoke had clogged his lungs again and he was hacking in bursts. There didn't seem to be any escape. Jaune was tempted to slump over and simply wait for the end. But that thing deep inside forced him to keep going. He had to get the data out of here if nothing else. His team was outside probably fighting a desperate battle, he had to make sure they got away.

He knew all of that but there was still no way out. He scoured the lab, checking every wall and every crevice. He hit and shoved at every corner to no avail. He had found a broken tube that housed the Grimm from earlier, it was probably long dead by now, caught in the explosions. The tube traveled straight down through the floor level and deeper into the facility. The moment he placed his hand in the green fluid the metal around his gauntlet started to melt. He had hurriedly unstrapped the armor as the acid fluid burned through it. As he stared down at his ruined gauntlet he came to a harsh truth. He had run out of options, and he was desperately running out of time. He was going to die here.

He stumbled forward blindly. The smog had become all-consuming and he could no longer see anything at all. His Aura had protected him from the time being against the worst of the smoke but as soon as it finally ran out, he would die in a handful of minutes.

His foot kicked something hard, and it skittered away from him. He reached down, feeling through the smoke. His hand gripped the familiar pommel of Crocea Mors. He picked up the ancient blade and researched it. It wouldn't do him any good here, but if this really was the end he'd rather die with it than without.

He walked aimlessly; trying to focus, to plan. If he simply gave up then it really would be over. His team, his mission, and all of the sacrifices till this point would die with him. He refused to let that happen even as despair and fear clawed at his heart. He was racked with a harsh series of coughs, his head felt light, and he pitched forward. He fell against something cold and solid. It took his eyes a moment to adjust.

Deep blue met emerald green. The Grimm stared back at him, its eyes brimming with rage. Jaune barely blinked as he looked at the Creep. The monster was massive, its head filled the entirety of the large tube as its body descended downwards, burrowed deep within the facility. The glass had cracked in several spots, probably from the explosion. Even still the creature was trapped inside its prison.

"At least I won't die alone." Jaune said to no one. It was a small victory that the Grimm would go with him. Though its death would probably level the building and everything inside would be destroyed. A Grimm of that size would cause untold amounts of damage if allowed to detonate.

"Wait…" Jaune said. The pieces were falling into place. He drew his sword and stared down at the shining metal in his hands. He looked back to the mutated monster before him. An idea formed. A stupid, crazy, absolutely insane idea. Despite the pain he grinned.

Pyrrha

Pyrrha sidestepped the downward swing and parried the thrust. She ducked under the kick, careful to maintain her distance.

"Is this all you've got?" The man was quick and Pyrrha was forced back to avoid an overhead attack. The sadistic grin plastered on his face made her stomach twist in disgust. "The bright burning symbol of Mistral and this is all she can muster? What a joke. Imagine my surprise when I find my men, my brother's being forced back by Huntsmen, burning alive in a fire you all started, and at the head of it all is you."

Pyrrha rolled with the kick that caught her in the stomach. She let the momentum carry her body, feet finding their footing on the grass she sprung from a crouch with her javelin. The attack glanced off of the man's mask and he stumbled back. Pyrrha threw her shield, and it ricocheted off of his chest. Leaping up, she caught it midair before striking it down with her steel boots. The blow smashed into the top of his head, and he staggered away. Pausing for a slow steady breath, Pyrrha drew into a defensive stance and waited.

The man shook his head, hand pulling away with splotches of red on his black gloves. "Now that's more like it. This is what I expect from Mistral's prodigy."

She had been pushed back through the forest. She chanced a look around only to find herself surrounded by White Fang. At least a dozen armed guards circled her and the man. Their weapons were raised and ready to fire. Was this the intent? All of the man's attacks so far had been wide, heavy. They had forced Pyrrha into a constant retreat that had separated her from Ren and Nora. She glanced behind her and saw a rustic old facility looming like an old shadow in the distance. Had this been the cause of all of the grief until now?

The man ordered the guards to hold their fire and with reluctance they obeyed. The weight of her situation settled heavily in her stomach. He wanted this to be a one on one, probably to the death.

"I saw one of your fights." The man said. He was making it a show, he wanted to drag this out. "Back in Mistral it was always a big event. The airships would project images of your fights high up in the skies, and the crowds would gather, all cheering and celebrating. I'd never seen anything like it. I wonder what those crowds would say now. The Superstar of Mistral on a warpath through White Fang territory. Oh, I can already see the headlines now, what a hero you'll be."

He was goading her. Taunting her into making a mistake. It wasn't necessarily an original tactic, but she hated that it was working. She had been frustrated since she had started off on this suicide mission that morning. Her anger and frustration had only mounted the further she went. She had trusted Jaune, given him as much leeway as she could and the first time, she made a decision he didn't agree with, he left. She knew he had felt strongly about the Grimm, but perhaps she had underestimated his obsession. Now she was face to face with a terrorist group that had nearly killed her teammates. It also didn't help that the man in front of her was strong.

She jumped backward to avoid his swing. Her back nearly collided with a White Fang grunt who shoved her forward with their rifle. The stumble cost her, and she had been forced to block the next swing with her shield.

"What's wrong?" He demanded, "This isn't the fight I was expecting. Can't do it unless your adoring fans are chanting for you?"

He raised his boot up for a front kick, Pyrrha smashed her leg forward into his other shin and as he toppled over her shield struck upwards at his chin. He came down hard on the ground. In a grand flourish she spun back up to her feet, her javelin struck downwards, and the man parried. He flung dirt into her eyes, and she was forced backwards.

"Can you hear it, Invincible Girl? The fire? The screaming?" She could. It was all around her. She rubbed at her eyes; the world was bleary for a moment. "You did this. You did all of this. While you were celebrating staged fights in arenas we were forced to pick up after. Scrounging for second best, scavenging for food and shelter in the shadows of giants like you. While you were rising to the top, we were barely holding our heads above the water."

"That isn't my fault." Pyrrha found her voice. "I can't change the circumstances of my birth; I can't choose to be born into a life with just a little more privilege than someone else."

"But what did you ever do with your privilege? Who did you ever help besides yourself?" He asked. Pyrrha blocked his next strike. He parried her kick with his blade.

"You don't know me! You haven't the slightest idea of who I am." The series of attacks She unleashed were parried or blocked by his sword. The grin was still plastered on his face, and it enraged her further. She was slipping, she knew it. She had to calm down and refocus, but the fear and anger were pounding in her veins. "I'm sorry you've been dealt a bad hand, that you've been forced to grow up with a life you didn't want. But I won't let you get away with hurting others simply for the sake of your own vendetta."

"You hear that boys?" The man asked as he battered down against her shield. Pyrrha tried to activate her semblance, she reached for the familiar tug of metal but found nothing to latch onto. 'Is the blade made of dust?' His hilt however gave way under the force of her magnetic pull and it sparked against the broad side of her shield. She jumped and landed on her upper back, her arms pushed her forward and she kicked with both feet into his chest. The man floundered back.

"The glorious warrior of Mistral is going to stop us. She's come all this way to save us from ourselves. We can just call it all off, pack it up."

The laughter of the grunts grated on her nerves. The man spoke up. "That's a nice expression. All that anger and frustration really makes you look like one of us. Tell me, have you ever starved? Ever wondered where you were going to sleep? Wondered if your friends would still be there the next day? Alive?"

"What exactly is it that you want from me?" Pyrrha was trembling. She was sick of hearing him talk. Her eyes narrowed in pure fury. How long had it been since she had been this worked up? She was playing into his hands, she knew it but it didn't change how she felt. Her fists clenched painfully, and the anger burned deep inside her.

"I want you to understand. I want you all to finally have a taste of the pain of the war you started. The war we've had to suffer through as the world simply looked away. I want you to experience the pain of losing those precious things as you sink further into the depths of hate and sorrow, and when you look for salvation all you'll find is grief. I'll tear it apart, this perfect world that continues to exist with the subjugation of the Faunus. And to do that I'll gladly bloody my hands with the blood of Mistral's biggest star." He spoke.

Pyrrha was charging headfirst before she realized. She let out a roar and went for the man with every intention of putting him down. With a white-hot rage, she ducked low, raised her shield, and readied her weapon in preparation to stab him through. The man planted his feet and sheathed his blade.

The only reason Pyrrha lived was her years of combat training screaming out in a moment of crystal clarity. The world dyed a bloody red, it was as if all time simply stopped. The pure destructive energy flashed from his scabbard and tore through the air toward her. Pyrrha reached out with her Semblance and had at the last minute pulled with all her strength. His hilt shot up and the attack barely missed her by a breath as she ran towards him.

Their weapons clashed. The shock of missing his mark staggered him and Pyrrha pushed into his guard. He dropped to his knee under the impact of her charge and Pyrrha used it as a step, slamming her knee brace into his chin. She fell back in a perfect flip before dashing forward. Her shield battered away his sword and her javelin struck high across his head, then low against his stomach. She refused to relent, to give even a moment to breathe. She kept her assault constant and battered the man, tearing into him with unbridled fury.

It was her undoing then when in her fervor she overextended the attack, and the man took the momentary opening to drive his knee into her side. He grabbed her hair and struck her cleanly across the face. The pommel of his blade smashed her chin and as Pyrrha reeled he kicked her squarely in the stomach. She hit the ground hard and coughed. When she tried to get up something suddenly pressed against her. One of the White Fang slammed the butt of his rifle into her head. Aura dampened the blow, but her mouth filled with dirt and pain bloomed from her head.

They crowded around her holding her down and kicking away her weapons. She struggled in vain, the weight of so many was impossible to escape. The man stepped forward slowly. His blade hung loosely at his side as he came closer.

"The thing about gutter rats like us is," The tip of his blade pressed against her Aura, cutting through it until the hot red metal caressed her bare cheek. "We stick together, we survive in groups preying on whatever we can find, and sometimes if we're patient a big meal will wander carelessly in. When that happens, can you really blame the rats for what happens?"

"So, you're comparing yourself to animals?" Pyrrha kept the flutter of fear from her voice.

"We are what we're made of." He raised the blade up, the blood red surface hung over her like an executioner's blade preparing to drop. "You weren't the one I wanted, but I guess this is good enough."

The blade dropped down as Nora tore into the clearing. A trail of destruction followed her with each step, each swing of her hammer. She smashed through a group of grunts that stood in her way. Nora Valkyrie was on the warpath, and no one would stop her.

The man's blade pierced clean through Pyrrha's shoulder, and the surge of agony was coupled with the burst of fire Dust that ignited from the sword. Pyrrha screamed and squirmed under her captors. She looked up at the man, but he was focused only on Nora.

"Hold her," He commanded. "We'll send a clear message to both Beacon and Mistral."

He walked away. Pyrrha pushed with all of her strength. She reached out with her Semblance, trying desperately to pull the man away from her friends but the pain and fear clouded her senses and dulled her focus. She could do nothing but grasp desperately for hope that wasn't there as the masked man stalked toward Nora. Pyrrha was only able to watch as he patiently waited from the outskirts of Nora's rampage, biding his time for an opening.

Ren emerged from the tree lines to her left, engaged with another White Fang. A girl with a long whip-like weapon. Pyrrha was aware of everything. The weight of the people holding her down, the lingering scent of charred flesh from her back. A trickle of blood ran down her face. Her Aura stretched and pulled as she fought against the weight of the grief and anger boiling over inside.

Nora turned and locked eyes with her. That cheerful grin and those bright eyes didn't see the shadow that cut through the smoke behind. The man came from behind Nora, his blade high. It was hard to say what happened next. Pyrrha screamed and her Aura surged outward. All of her frustration, of her fear, and uncertainty pooled together deep inside and with a final desperate surge of her semblance, it all came bursting out of her in a powerful magnetic push. It tore apart the ground around her, flinging White Fang and dirt far away. Her feet were suddenly under her and she was charging. She willed her weapons back to her hands and let loose a ferocious roar as she came for the man. She only made it a few long steps in before the facility behind her exploded.

Debris and fire blew apart the old metal building, sending chunks raining down onto the battlefield around them. Pyrrha was forced to duck and cover as the large metal doors of the base crashed into the ground next to her. She looked on in amazement as from the smoky remnants a thunderous scream deafened her. A Grimm smashed into the clearing, its green eyes alight with rage. Its spiky tail flickered out behind it. She saw it cleave a White Fang grunt clean in half as they tried to flee. The monster was massive. Pyrrha had fought Creeps before but this one was at least triple the size of any she had even heard of before. Its bony, armored head rammed into the ground with a show of agitation. It swung itself back and forth as if trying to shake free from some invisible restraint.

Pyrrha's confusion gave way to understanding as she looked at the Grimms head. The heavy bone armor had been cracked around the center of the forehead and flailing from the hilt of his sword embedded deep into the Grimm, Jaune Arc hung on for dear life.

Another time it would have been comical, but seeing Jaune now only gave an outlet for all of Pyrrha's' bottled up emotions like a lightning rod funneling a bolt of electricity.

She could barely hear over the Grimm as he yelled out.

"Nora!" The girl in question sprinted past. Pyrrha could only look on in dumbfounded shock. She turned to see the masked man with a similar expression before he reeled back in panic. He yelled for his men to run, to evacuate. Pyrrha couldn't understand why. Jaune spoke up again. "Kill it!"

Nora needed no further explanation; she propelled herself upwards high in the sky with a round of explosives. Her weapon unfurled into its hammer form once again. The slick metallic surface caught the glint of the sun as she descended. Like a warrior from legend, Nora screamed a battle cry as she swung her hammer downwards. The face of her Magnhild connected with the pommel of Crocea Mors, striking into the Creeps faceplate and straight through its skull.

Pyrrha woke in the ash-filled ruins of the White Fang. Her body was rigid and cold as she tried to rub the haze from her eyes. Her Aura was gone, shattered into nothingness, she could see the last wisps of it trail off of her skin. It was hard to see anything, the sky had been completely blacked out by the all-consuming smoke. It was hard enough to put one foot in front of the other. She nearly stumbled over a piece of shrapnel sticking from the ground when a familiar face caught her.

"When your Aura ran out, I thought we lost you," Ren said. Pyrrha simply shook her head, soot raining down around her.

"I'm fine. The others?" She asked.

"They're alright. We lost you in the aftermath, but Jaune managed to get Nora out of the blast zone before the Grimm died." Ren said and for the first time since this whole nightmare started, Pyrrha let out a sigh of relief though it was overpowered by the pain in her shoulder moments later. Ren noticed her grimace. "Are you injured?"

She saw his hand pull away, slick with blood but she gave a wide grin, much like Nora would. "A little banged up but I think I'll manage."

Ren looked wholly unconvinced but let the subject drop as they walked. The sounds of the aftermath were hauntingly clear now. She couldn't see the full extent of the damage, but she could hear the screaming. It was an awful mixture of crying and desperation that echoed in her ears. She could hear Grimm as well, whether from the base or new ones drawn to the panic and confusion she couldn't be sure. She was certain however that the crushing hug that Nora caught her in would finally be the thing to kill her. The girl's almost comical physical strength drove out the air in her lungs and Nora's form smashed against her own.

"Oh, I was so worried when you rushed ahead to fight. We couldn't find you and then all of a sudden, I see you surrounded by a whole bunch of bad guys. Next thing I know you're doing some cool thing with your semblance and then-" Pyrrha clamped a hand over Nora's mouth. She pulled back slowly and gave a small pat on the shorter girl's head.

"I'm ok Nora. You saved my life. Thank you." Pyrrha had never seen Nora sag before so she was taken by surprise when the girl burrowed into her once more, far more gently this time. Pyrrha returned the hug with a smile.

It was a wonderful moment of peace until he stepped forward. Covered in dark bruises and blood staining the right side of his face Jaune Arc looked a mess.

That same ugly feeling came rushing right back through her body. Despite his ragged appearance Pyrrha wanted to lash out, to smack some reason into his stubborn, unthinking skull.

"I'm sorry." He said and for some reason, the words made her angrier. She bit back a retort, the words turning acrid in her mouth. She looked around at the destruction, the smoke, fire, and blood. An apology didn't seem enough, not for all of this. Her anger boiled over and as she stepped up to him Nora took the chance to slap him squarely across the face. The impact stunned Pyrrha more than it did Jaune.

"There," Nora said. "Now we're all square. Right?" She turned to Pyrrha who could only nod awkwardly. Nora puffed out her chest and blew a deep breath. "We're gonna talk about this back in the dorm. But until then we're all here. Safe and sound."

Jaune looked away in shame and Pyrrha felt the tension ease out of her if only slightly. "Yeah, we are."

She couldn't bear to look Jaune in the eyes at the moment. But the reassuring bump of Nora's shoulder gave her a hopeful moment that they would overcome this. "Team JNPR. Let's go home."

They all gave their confirmation. The tension was still there, unspoken words and feelings but they would overcome it together. Pyrrha wouldn't hesitate this time, no she would face her problems head on this time.

It was careless to have such a moment of weakness in the middle of a battlefield. Without her Aura, Pyrrha never saw the red tinted burst of energy slice through the smoke. She felt Nora push her to the side as the attack tore through the girl's pink Aura. Blood splattered across Pyrrha's face as Nora's chest was torn open. The bright, energetic, overly chaotic girl dropped to the ground in a heap of pooling blood. Ren was the first to her side, yelling something incoherent. Jaune was already trying to stem the bleeding and all Pyrrha could do was look on in horror.

There, enveloped in the fire she could see his outline. The man who had tried to kill her stood unmoving. The flames licked at his frame and his jacket had been torn apart by the explosion. His masked face stared straight through her. She blinked only once, and he was gone.

Pyrrha dropped to Nora's side and cradled the girl's head in her hands. Her face had drained and become a clammy, sickly pale. The bright turquoise of her eyes was dimming. Jaune was doing what he could, and Ren was saying something but Pyrrha couldn't hear. The world faded away as she held her broken friend in her arms.

---

A.N: I'm not explaining and I'm not apologizing.

This chapter would not exist without Comissar Arty, so please make sure to give them some appreciation because they are without a doubt the real hero here.

Lastly, we are moving to a tentative two-chapter-a-month release schedule. I think it will work best with my time management and still be able to produce enough content for you guys.

Bad'Ideas'And': I may have some bad news for you friend. I don't think that ship will sail in this story.

Kabuto S. Inferno: I may have said this before but the story has constantly changed and evolved as I've written it. For example, it was supposed to be Ren in that circumstance at the end but as I wrote and as Nora forced her way into the story this just felt like the best course. The characters just keep growing and changing faster than I can adapt. Jack was an entirely different character when this started, and Lucia was initially a one-off concept just to create a pretext for Jaunes attitude toward Weiss. Now they are so much more important and the story itself has changed around them.

I have been excited about this particular chapter for a while because it changes everything. The real impacts and movements of the story can start because the setup is there. this is a major moment for Pyrrha and it completely shatters the JNPR dynamic. Not to mention the results of this will have ramifications with RWBY as well. this is the big catalyst that will set everything in motion and I'm really excited to hear your thoughts!

Rangda: Hey! I managed to make it before six month mark. I am quite honestly as surprised as you are. As for Jaune, I hope this chapter cleared up some of his reasonings. Sometimes it's hard to really nail down where he is in the narrative because I have ideas of how I want him to be. Regardless thank you for the review!