Greetings, folks! Bet you weren't expecting this, right? I'm going to go ahead and insert my sincere apology for near abandoning this story as well as my others before I get to my announcement. Life rarely goes the way you think it will, and mine is no different. Rest assured, I have not forgotten it and I will finish for the three of you still around.
In other news, I posted a bulletin (who tf does that?) on my FF homepage. To save you a click, I stated I will finish my three current projects, as well as one more year of the "9 Days of Lancaster" event in 2025, but once those are completed, I am effectively retiring from fanfiction writing. I go into further detail if you'd like the full editorial, but this is the brief overview.
Okay! Enough A/N, but it has been a long time since a proper update. I just wanted to keep everyone up to date if anyone actually cared! Haha! Please enjoy the next chapter in this sequel installment.
· GodRealm
Italicized – Inner Thoughts
Bold - Text Messages
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Chapter 3: Post hoc
~An Unknown Amount of Time Later That Evening~
Jaune crashed against another tree as he tried to catch his breath. He didn't know how long he'd been running into the forest next to their resort, but at this point, he knew he had covered a significant amount of ground even for a trained Huntsman. In fact, he could barely hear the screams of the women back at that hotel at this point.
How did it come to this?! He cursed internally.
As if his luck wasn't bad enough, his ankle caught an upraised root from another tree, causing him to tumble to the ground, past the thicket of bushes and into the clearing. He groaned in pain after rolling to his back, attempting to catch his breath and regain some stamina.
"I-I think we're safe here."
The blonde looked over to see his group of "friends" also in the same clearing. They were on the far side, also trying to catch their breath. Ren was noticeably sprawled out on the ground, huffing intensely, meanwhile the two members of Team SSSN were leaning against a nearby tree. Neptune coughed slightly as he endeavored to try and recover. Sun, not to Jaune's surprise, was already appearing to be back to normal. His endurance and stamina were greater than all three of them, evident enough by his ripped abs, something Jaune was admittedly jealous of at times. Genetics were a real bitch sometimes.
Slowly, the blonde helped himself up from the ground as the others paid him no mind. He brushed the dirt from his clothes, something that proved more difficult than he had anticipated. Just another annoyance, unfortunately. Meanwhile, Ren had found the strength to sit up and push himself against a nearby rock.
The group had found themselves literally in the middle of nowhere. They didn't know how far they'd run. All they knew is they ran in one direction from the hotel and somehow despite the rough terrain and darkness, had once again regrouped. The only problem now was, what comes next? Neptune pondered this thought as he looked up at the starry sky. It reminded him of Vacuo, back at his original home before he had moved to Vale with his team following their transfer. It was peaceful in the moment as he listened to the cricket's chirping. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. Unfortunately, it was the last breath he took before he felt an uncomfortable tightening around his esophagus.
His eyes shot open as he found it to be Jaune's cold and dirty hands gripping his windpipe tightly. The blue-haired boy writhed and gasped while he attempted to un-clinch the other boy's digits.
"You did this!" Jaune blurted out as the other two boys behind him tried to make him relent. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"
Neptune attempted to reply, but found himself only making inaudible, raspy noises as he began to change colors and flail himself from side to side.
"I should take you to the nearest pond and drown you!"
Ren and Sun began tugging on Jaune's shoulders, hoping to break his grip as he continued to seethe at the presumptive ringleader of this charade.
"Jaune, please—he needs to breathe!" Ren cried.
"You just couldn't help yourself, huh?!" The blonde ignored. "You had to cause a scene and get us in trouble?!"
"Jaune, buddy, I think he's going to pass out if you d—"
"I didn't even get to stick one foot in that hot springs before you managed to piss off all the women! If I wind up covered in milk again, I swear on everything you love, I'll—"
"Jaune!"
"What?!" He finally snapped.
Ren pointed Back at Neptune, causing Jaune to focus on the boy's face. He could see the light leaving his eyes as the gurgling in his throat began to slow. The blonde's eye twitched as he tried to re-compose himself as best he could. Steadily, he loosened his now-pale fingers, eventually releasing the grip in general as Neptune crashed to the grounding, gasping desperately.
Sun sighed as he watched his partner cough loudly, gripping his own throat at this point. Ren wrapped his arms around Jaune after he dropped the boy, making sure to restrain him as best he could lest he risk his leader losing his sanity again.
"Wh-" Neptune tried, still clenching his own airway. "What the hell, man?!"
Jaune closed his eyes as he pictured himself not committing murder in the middle of these deep woods. This whole ordeal was a nightmare he would have never predicted. What was supposed to be a proper vacation amongst a group of friends has turned into a sequel of one of the most panic-inducing nights of his life. He should be soaking and helping his muscles release the tension built up over so many years. Instead, he was hiding in the woods from Team RWBY and Nora once more.
Rather than indulge Neptune in his raving and distress-filled dialogue, Jaune felt himself once again faltering to the ground beneath him as Ren continued to hold him. Once he was resting comfortably on the ground, Ren released his own hold on him and backed away. Jaune stared at the ground, deeply entranced in his thoughts. Sure, they were safe for now, but that would come undone. This group stalked them through all of beacon and then the city of Vale. Who's to say they couldn't find them in the forest? It was like the beginning of a horror movie.
"I just wanted to relax…" He spoke to himself as Neptune continued to verbally berate the boy.
Ren felt a tinge of guilt as he grimaced at his friend's words. As much as he wanted to tell him right now what had happened and why, there would be time for that later. Right now, someone had to corral this group.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his scroll. After turning on the screen and searching for signal, he found the reception to be poor. He clicked his tongue in his mouth as he cursed his luck. This whole night was going to shit, but he couldn't despair now. There was too much on the line. He just needed to get to an area with better signal, and then they could re-focus. The only problem was, where would that be?
"-and I bruise like a banana, Jaune! Not that you care!" Neptune yelled, finally finishing his tirade of insults.
"Bro, you need settle down. You're crying."
"I am not crying, Sun!"
"You totally are."
"Guys, we really need to get moving." Ren finally interjected.
Sun and Neptune looked over at him as Jaune continued to stare a hole into the ground before him, the whole conversation lost on him.
"And where are we going to go?" Neptune questioned.
Ren sighed in annoyance. "I-I don't know. We just can't stay here. The longer we wait around, the sooner they may catch up to us."
"May?" Sun chuckled before sitting down. "No, they're definitely going to be on our asses. Did you se the look in yang's eyes? She is piiiiiiiiissed."
"You are not helping." Ren commented.
"Haha, sorry."
"Well, I'm glad you find this funny, at least." Neptune responded. "How's about do something useful?"
"That's exactly what I am doing." Sun closed his eyes and began to focus inward. With a clap of his hands, he began meditating seemingly as Ren and Neptune watched on. Soon, he began to glow, activating his semblance as four clones of himself began to emerge from him and disperse into four separate directions. He maintained his stillness as the two boys watched the clones disappear into the night.
Neptune smirked as he understood what his leader was up to. While things were not looking good, Sun had the perfect semblance to cover some ground and not get them lost for days in these woods.
He looked back at Jaune, who was still unmoved. While he was still mildly annoyed at the boy's near attempt on his life, he could understand the frustration he was dealing with. He audibly sighed as he helped himself up from the ground with a grunt and moved in front of the blonde. He stood there for a moment, before offering an outstretched hand and dangled it in front of his face.
Jaune's gaze broke from the ground as his eyes traveled upwards to meet Neptune's face, his own gaze looking away in a sense of pride and hesitation. Jaune considered the peace offering, and despite his animosity, he knew that regardless he was tied to them for the crime committed. What they needed now, was some sense of unity so they could figure this ordeal out, and so, he accepted the boy's gesture.
Neptune gripped Jaune's hand tightly, and lifted him to his feet again, before separating. His eyes coasted towards Ren. The black-haired boy met his gaze, as he noticed Neptune signaling with his head towards jaune. Ren understood the message but opted to shake his head. Neptune deadpanned at Ren's recusal of his offer, but acknowledged it nonetheless, before looking back towards Jaune.
"I'm sorry, Jaune." Neptune spoke, causing the blonde to peer at him in shock. "I didn't intend for this."
Jaune couldn't believe what the blue-haired boy was saying. On one hand, how did he not see this coming when this is almost identical to what happened last time? On the other, was Neptune actually apologizing? This trip was becoming too much.
Jaune sighed after a moment, collecting his thoughts. "It's fine." He spoke, before walking ahead of the group. "let's just—"
VRRT. VRRT. VRRT.
The boy froze in place hearing the noise as Ren and Neptune also recognized it. The blonde began to quake in place as he reached into his pocket and retrieved his scroll. He didn't have to look to know exactly who it was as he turned the screen on. That's when he saw it. Five missed calls. Four text messages.
Between running and his bout of despair, he must have been too caught up in the moment to even contemplate that she would try to reach him. He gulped as he peered back at the other two boys. They understood just was much as he did what this was going to be about as he began to read to himself.
I'm not mad. We can fix this if you turn around.
Why aren't you answering my calls?
Jaune, you know I hate being ignored. :D
Call. Me. Now.
Silently, Jaune dropped his arm to the wayside with his scroll once he was done reading. He knew he had to reply in some way sooner or later, but that didn't stop him from uttering a single word complaint.
"Fuck."
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Back at the Hotel
"RWHDGHHDGGD!"
"You shut up!" Yang yelled as he she slammed the closet door in her room shut with a now bound and gagged Pyrrha stuffed inside. She then promptly tied the handles together and placed every table, bureau, and parcel of furniture she could find in front of it.
The blonde huffed in pure annoyance as she left towards the exit of her room. "You were too much trouble."
As she opened the door to the hallway, she met Weiss there, who was seemingly about to knock on the door as best she could guess.
"Hey, Yang." The girl started. "How you doing?"
"How do you think?" She answered, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I'd appreciate some help next time from all of you."
"Yeah, sorry about that. I was on damage control, literally."
Without prompting, Yang and Weiss began walking down the hallway outside of their respective rooms towards the lobby area. They were to meet Nora and Ruby there while Blake was on another errand.
Weiss visualized the path of destruction as they began their walk. Everything from knocked over paintings, plants, and what appeared to be… Scratch marks? Yes, scratch marks littering the walls down the long corridor.
This is going to cost me a fortune. Why did I put the reservations under my name? She thought to herself.
"So much for getting my deposit back…"
"What's up?" Yang questioned the Schnee heiress.
"Nothing." She answered. "Just contemplating life choices."
The two approached the steps and began to descend in silence before they reached the first-floor landing and made their way to the atrium where they initially entered the building. It wasn't long before they saw Nora and Ruby speaking with some of the other would-be-vacationers. They could only imagine the conversations they were having as the pair approached them.
As if knowingly, both Ruby and Nora turned when they were close. Both girls had an embarrassed scowl adorned their face as Weiss couldn't help but smirk slightly. It wasn't often that Ruby and Nora of all people were the ones stuck trying to explain a mess of a situation. The idea of these two trying to be politically correct was a sight for sore eyes, and ears for that matter.
"How's it going?" She asked, trying to hide her grin.
"Awful." Ruby admitted. "No one was hurt, but man did we get an earful of complaints."
"Well, that's no surprise. Did you offer them any kind of recourse?"
Nora laughed aloud for a moment, causing the other three to look her way. They could easily see the intensity in her contorted face as she rubbed her hands together, as if knowing full-well what she intended.
"Oh yes." She finally answered. "I offered them the boy's kneecaps on a silver platter."
Yang grinned at the comment while Ruby and Weiss gave and audible sigh. Last time something of this nature occurred, Nora was left to her own devices, but now she might be another factor they'll have to keep in check. Who knows what kind of wildcard she will be?
Ruby pulled her scroll from her pocket, looking to see if he had decided to reply to her yet. Nothing. She couldn't say she was surprised, though that made her eye twitch slightly. Leaving her on read? Seriously? Who did he think he was? She even went out of her way try and sound like she was being reasonable with this whole event despite his actions. He hadn't answered her yet, and boy did he have a lot to answer for.
Her grip tightened around the scroll as she pictured what was coming his way. This betrayal would not go unpunished. Revenge would be hers, and it would be delicious if she had anything to say about it. The only thing she needed now was Crescent Rose. Now where was Bl—
"Bad news, girls."
Between Nora's now maniacal laughter, something Yanga had been on the verge of joining in on, Weiss being annoyed, and Ruby's inkling of a revenge ploy, none of them had noticed Blake entering the room. While that wasn't alarming, what was alarming was her noticeably empty hands and her own annoyed appearance.
"Hey, Blake. What happened?" Weiss inquired.
"Nothing. Except the fact that the staff at the Inn won't relinquish our weapons to us."
"WHAT?!" The group yelled in perfect unison.
Blake covered her ears as she predicted how this would go.
"They stated after what happened, the only way they would agree to let us stay was if we agreed to keep our weapons locked up for the duration pending any Grimm sightings."
"They can't do that!"
Again—ears covered.
"Apparently, they can. Remember those waivers we all signed? We acknowledged and affirmed whatever was in the fine print there. Damn bureaucrats." She finished with an aggravated huff. The idea of not being able to choke Sun out with Gambol Shroud to her own content leaving her rather displeased.
Ruby felt as though her soul had been ripped from her body as she had already been struggling with her emotions picturing her partner and closest friend locked away in some cold storage while she was supposed to be living her best life on vacation. Even worse, now because of the boys' antics, she was not even allowed access to it? Oh, okay then.
"I'm going to go check the vending machine for milk." She stated, walking off on her own as the others looked on.
"Now isn't the time for a snack, Rubes." Yang replied.
"It isn't for me." She stated, not stopping her stride before disappearing into the hallway.
No one spoke a word as their de-facto leader muttered a rather puzzling statement. Maybe she just needed a moment to re-collect her thoughts. Regardless, this wasn't the most pressing issue at the time.
"So, what do we do now?" Weiss questioned as she took a seat on one of the couches and crossed her arms and legs.
"We break—"
"Nora, if you say we break their legs, kneecaps, or other appendages, so help me."
"—their will…"
Weiss narrowed her eyes at the girl was obviously just rambling at this point. All she wanted to do was soak and get some sleep. Why did this night have to be like this? What the hell else could possibly go wrong?
As if on cue with her thoughts, a loud bang could be heard upstairs. All the girls present turned towards the noise as yet another bang rattled the floor. They paused for a moment, thinking it to be a possible Grimm attack, the perfect excuse to get their weapons back, but that's when Yang took off up the stairs, heading directly in the direction.
The remaining three girls looked at each other momentarily, before making their way towards the noise with Yang. Whatever was going on, she may need back up.
It only took a few moments to catch up with her, finding Yang standing outside her bedroom. The sound of breaking glass halting all of them before she could open the door. Violently, Yang ripped the door open and revealed a once luxurious appearing hotel room, now ravished with broken houseware and shredded cushions.
"No…" Yang muttered.
All three advanced inside, peering to the left to notice the now-destroyed closet door, laying on the ground snapped in two. The real shock was how the closet was now empty. Empty except for the rope that once bound the other girl that had accompanied them on the vacation.
Weiss noticed a trail of scattered pillows, mattresses and even clothing that led to the far side of the room. She was the last to notice, compared to the others, the shattered window on the other side of one of the beds. Her eyes then traveled to Yang, who was staring out said window, looking out into the dark, shrouded forest under the moonlit sky.
"You drunk bitch…" She spoke lowly, but loud enough for the others to hear.
"My god damn deposit…" Weiss joined.
This was war.
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Back in the forest, Neptune felt a shiver travel down his spine. He wasn't one for believing in karma or superstition, but there was this strange feeling that he couldn't shake as he sat there beside Jaune and Ren. Whatever it was, he pictured it to be somewhat how jaune was always feeling; extremely anxious. He needed a vacate— Oh, wait.
"Ah hah!" Sun exclaimed, as he finally sat up, all the clones returning simultaneously to his body. The sudden noise caught the three of them off-guard, watching as the tan boy stood up from his meditation coma.
"Have you found where we need to go?" Ren inquired.
"Yep, and it is that way!" He yelled, pointing directly into a random direction for a few moments. "Wait, no it's that way." He yelled once, more changing the direction again.
"We are so doomed." Jaune added.
Sun opted to ignore his fellow blonde and began walking off in the latest direction he had pointed in, followed by Neptune who merely shrugged at the other two members of JNPR. Ren then sat up and offered Jaune an outstretched hand, one he accepted before both boys began walking off behind the other two.
Jaune looked back in the direction of the hotel, thinking hard on the decision he had made to follow behind his group. He clenched his fist as he looked back towards the other three boys. Whatever the future held, he'd find out with them. Was he stupid? Yes. Was this probably the worst decision? Most definitely. But damn it, he was loyal.
The only thing shaking his confidence was the multiple pictures of milk Ruby had been sending him over the last few minutes while they waited for Sun. He cringed and almost felt the need to cry, but he was going to do what any man in his shoes would do. Run as far away as possible! He would not relent to a sticky fate.
"No." He spoke to himself. "This time will be different."
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Welcome back to the madness. What happened you say? I guess you'll have to stay tuned and find out exactly.
· GodRealm