White Knight Errant

by Andrew Joshua Talon

Here, Jaune Arc gave up a lot more to become a Hunter. A lot of time, a lot of trust, and a lot of blood. What happens when his past catches up with him? The next update will be posted on October 11th!

24. Best Week Ever 5

White Knight Errant

A RWBY fanfic by Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: This is a fan based work of prose. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and WB Animation. Please support the official release.

---

Roman Torchwick took a deep breath as he stood behind the hastily raised curtains for the stage. The shitty DJ running some musical tracks was winding down his 'performance'. The freaking gray striped cat Faunus was such a damn ham with his reflective sunglasses and glow in the dark, backwards-turned baseball cap. It took three thrown rocks at his back for the idiot to get the picture.

Roman rolled his eyes as the DJ finally turned down the music.

Amateurs, he mentally scoffed.

"And now," the DJ announced, "You guys wanna see the head of the White Fang himself?!"

There were a fair number of cheers and yells, though Roman also saw a lot of nervous looking Faunus in the crowd. Huh. Maybe today's kids weren't all stupid.

"Well, too bad! He ain't here tonight!" The DJ went on, "But the next best thing is a great friend of the White Fang's! The infamous Gentleman Thief… ROMAN TORCHWICK!"

Two White Fang flunkies pulled the curtains open, and Roman strode in with his trademark cocky smirk and cane spinning around his fingers. He slammed the cane down and let loose his smolder at the audience.

He managed to get some loud applause and whistles. He grabbed the microphone out of the DJ's hand, and winked.

"Hello Vale! We know what we're here for!" He declared. The crowd cheered, and Roman nodded.

"Now, you might think it's weird for a human to work with Faunus," he said, "But in the end, we're all under the bootheel of someone else, aren't we?"

Much cheering and agreements filled the air. Roman nodded in an understanding way.

"The system just takes, and takes, and takes, and only the well connected get the biggest shares!"

"YEAH! FUCK THE SYSTEM!" A red haired cow Faunus girl bellowed, as her Sloth friend held her back. Roman blinked. Wait, weren't those…?

Roman smirked a little.

Well, that means the Kid and his harem are here, he thought.

"Well, why not take back from the system, huh?!" Roman shouted, to appreciative cries. "Why take the shit end of the stick? Why not punch the guy offering the shit stick in the face?!"

More happy cheers and cries answered him, even louder than before.

I should have been a politician, Roman thought to himself.

"So!" Roman held out his hand, and waited. He waited some more, before he glared back over his shoulder. A White Fang flunky came out, looking sheepish, as she handed him a large Atlasian rifle. He took it, and shook his head.

Freaking amateurs…!

"Join the White Fang, and take back from the system! Punch the system in the face!" He activated the rifle, enjoying the loud hum of the weapon. He took aim at a disco ball hastily hung from the ceiling, and fired.

TSEW!

A Fire Dust round, accelerated by the Atlasian rifle's Lightning Dust powered system, blew through the disco ball and vaporized it into a small, bright cloud of plasma. Everyone gasped, then cheered loudly. Roman grinned, and tossed the rifle out into the crowd. One deer Faunus caught it, and waved it around eagerly… Before he hit himself in the antlers.

The rifle went off, blowing a hole through the ceiling above Roman. Some old paint and dust fell onto him, covering his bowler hat in debris. Roman sucked in a deep breath as the crowd continued to cheer. Other White Fang members began handing out weapons.

These idiots are going to blow themselves up, Roman mentally sighed. Oh well, not my problem-

The front doors to the old factory burst open, knocking back several White Fang guards. Striding in like goddesses of war, Pyrrha Nikos and Ruby Rose entered, their eyes blazing.

"ROMAN!" Ruby shouted angrily. Roman sighed.

"Aw, the system's even got little kids to do its dirty work for them!" He called out. "And sports stars!"

Pyrrha pointed her spear at Roman, eyes narrowed.

"Please disperse peacefully, and there won't be any trouble," Pyrrha called out. "And hand over Iridescent!"

Roman shrugged.

"Would love to, but-GACK!"

The sloth Faunus was behind him, and held a dagger/submachine gun up to his throat. The cow faunus and a monkey faunus landed on the stage as well, weapons out. Roman grinned, even as the blade pressed against his throat.

"I think you'll want to do what she says," the quiet boy with pink eyes stated calmly.

"YEAH! Unless you want to lose your kneecaps!" The orange haired girl declared, hefting up her hammer menacingly.

"Tempting," Roman said, "But I think I'll decline. SLICK! ALBAIN!"

In a split second, Roman was out from the pink eyed guy's grip, and on the other side of the stage. He adjusted his tie as his back up, the blue pinstripe suit and gas mask wearing associate of Iridescent's, and the red hooded fox faunus White Fang warrior, stepped up in front of him.

"Slick! Take the Invincible Girl," Roman ordered, "Albain! Everyone else!"

"Got it," Slick said, and like a streak of lightning he shot out. Albain nodded, and brandished his dagger.

"As you wish." He unleashed a tornado from his weapon right at the stage! The crowd screamed and ran for it, as the White Fang guards opened fire and the members of the Kid's team dodged the attack.

Roman shook his head and opened up with Melodic Cudgel on Red. She was zipping around like a shot, slicing and bashing through the first group of flunkies to fall upon her.

Outwardly, Roman shouted insults and taunts as he danced about through the panicking crowd and fired on the rapidly dodging Red.

Inwardly…

Goddamnit Kid, you'd better not lose to your psycho-ex, he thought.

---

The guards outside were barely a challenge. Polarity allowed Pyrrha to sense their every movement thanks to the iron in their blood. Even with their guns, Pyrrha was able to dodge around their aim and close the distance to knock them out without breaking a sweat. Ruby had done the same thing with her Semblance, making it much easier.

Dramatically kicking the doors open may not have been the best choice, but it fit the situation. Then Roman had thrown down the gauntlet, and the fight was on.

She had some trouble at the start navigating the large crowd of panicking Faunus. All that iron did make anticipating attacks a bit more difficult, but she wasn't completely dependent on her Semblance, thank you very much. Most of the White Fang combatants were ordinary people with standard reflexes. Their powerful Atlasian weapons were not an issue.

The floor cleared up as most of the civilians managed to get out. Ruby charged for Roman, while a red hooded Fox Faunus man with a Dust enabled dagger fought off Sun, Nora and Ren at the same time.

Which left her opponent. He was tall, lean, and dressed in an impeccable blue pinstripe suit with matching fedora. His face was covered in a black gasmask, with tinted goggles. He bowed to her as he spun a cane around on his hand.

"Pyrrha Nikos. Name's Slick. Big fan," Slick introduced himself.

"I'm sure, but I'm afraid you're in my way," Pyrrha stated firmly. He lunged forward to shield bash him… And Slick blurred right out of the way. She followed up the shield bash with a thrust from Milo, but Slick weaved around that, too!

She continued the attack, focusing on the iron in his blood to try and predict his movements, but every time she thought she had him, he dodged just out of the way.

Slick tossed something metallic into the air. Pyrrha held her shield up, but it went off with a bright flash and a very loud bang!

"NNGH!"

Pyrrha grunted as she reared back, and Slick's cane slammed right into her stomach. Instinctively she twisted away from the blow, and countered with a thrust from Milo. She felt her blade slide right over the top of his shoulder. Pyrrha dropped down and tried to leg sweep Slick, but he hopped right over. Her vision was just about to clear before another series of flashbangs detonated in her face.

"GAH!"

She managed to focus and got her shield up to block Slick's next cane strike, and switched Milo to gun mode. She pulled the trigger, firing multiple suppressing shots from the rifle. Pyrrha blinked her eyes rapidly, and saw Slick blurring around her shots.

He slid around the floor at high speed like an ice skater. He slapped his cane against the floor, and flames burst into life at the tip. He darted right for her, thrusting his fiery cane like a sword. Pyrrha switched Milo to sword mode, parrying and deflecting the furious strikes before she gave ground. He overextended, and she swung around to beat him down…

When he blurred and escaped her trap.

Damnit, Pyrrha thought angrily, as she swung around to face the gangster. She got the impression he was smirking behind his mask.

He may have been saying something, but she couldn't make it out over the ringing in her ears. Didn't matter. He was good enough that anyone else on their teams would have trouble with him.

So her mission was simple: Finish him off, then get to Jaune.

All this bastard was, was an obstacle. And as one of her favorite trainers once said?

Obstacles were for killing.

---

In the docking area, Iridescent's grin widened a bit more. Jaune breathed hard, his teeth gritted hard enough it felt like he might shatter them.

"Well! Nothing to say, darling?" Iridescent asked, almost sweetly. "Not a word for almost a year, and here I find you-?

Jaune bent his knees, and leaped. He swung his blade right for her neck. Iridescent darted back, jumping and practically floating along the top of the central cargo container. Jaune dashed forward, thrusting for her heart!

She dodged at the last second, light as a feather, before she bent the metal underneath her feet and she blocked his swing with her forearm.

What?! How-Her Semblance! Jaune realized, as his blade had cut her sleeves but not her skin.

Jaune pulled back and swung again, aiming for Iridescent's head, but she swung her arms and deflected the hit as her sleeves were sliced to shreds.

Okay, if I can't cut her, then…!

Jaune thrust his shield forward, ramming it against her head with all his might!

Iridescent staggered back, her feet still digging dents into the container. She grinned and charged. Jaune threw his shield up and held his ground.

Big mistake. She bowled him right over, pinning him down onto the top of the cargo container. She wrapped her arms around him, trapping his weapons against his body.

She's so heavy! How is she…? Damnit… DAMNIT…! Jaune seethed, as Iridescent's hot breath washed over his face. She grinned as maniacally as she had the night he'd escaped, and licked her lips.

"Well well… So eager! Just wanted to skip the foreplay, hm?"

"Fuck you, you insane whore," Jaune seethed.

"Mmm, yeah, talk dirty to me," Iridescent giggled. Jaune growled, and his skin glowed. He swung his forehead against hers hard, sending a surge of Aura right against her!

Iridescent yelped, and was blasted back, slamming into the container steel and leaving another imprint.

Jaune was right back up, and thrust for her heart again with a fully Aura charged blade! This time, Iridescent kicked the container and she sailed away through the air like she was made of paper. She grabbed onto the catwalk and swung herself up on top of it, balancing perfectly on the railing with a smirk.

"Your Semblance," Jaune realized, "You can control your density!"

"Ooh, you've gotten a lot sharper!" Iridescent cheered, clapping her hands together in childish glee, "You always did struggle, didn't you dear? Without Gato holding your hand."

She smirked at him.

"Tell me… Do you still see him dying when you close your eyes at night-?"

Jaune lunged, again enhancing his leap with his Aura, as he slashed the catwalk in half right under Iridescent. The dark skinned woman leaped and floated away from the collapsing section, landing on another catwalk section where a group of White Fang goons still kept their weapons trained on him.

"I guess you do," Iridescent cooed. "I understand, darling. It's a sensitive topic. There are better sensitive things," she licked her lips, "To touch on."

The White Fang members opened up with their guns, as Iridescent leaped up again and clambered up into the spider web of rusting iron supports above their heads. Jaune roared and leaped up onto the catwalk, charging through the guards with his shield as a battering ram as he chased after the laughing mad woman.

The White Fang guards kept firing, but Jaune didn't even spare the shots a second thought as he knocked them over the railings or slammed them into the walls. He was pretty sure he didn't kill any of them, judging from their cries and shouts of pain, but it was hard to focus on anything but getting that bitch.

She landed on another catwalk, this one going across the docking area's middle section. Jaune plowed through another squad of White Fang flunkies, tossing one off his back with contemptuous ease, as he sprinted for her.

"Oh, so eager darling!" Iridescent giggled… Before she slammed her foot into the steel grating. The catwalk came apart, and she leaped with lower density to float above him. Jaune dropped like a rock, slamming his shoulder onto the concrete and rolling himself back to his feet. He looked up, just in time to see Iridescent lift up a section of the catwalk with a manic grin.

"Let me return the favor!"

She threw it. Jaune was going to flee… But the fallen White Fang members around him made him plant his feet and hold his shield up. The catwalk hit so hard it felt like his teeth might shake out of his skull, but he tanked it. He tossed it aside, as the fallen White Fang members managed to get to their feet and flee out various exit doors.

"Ooh, you're durable!" Iridescent cooed, "Good to know! Makes things so much interesting~!"

"What the hell do you want, you crazy bitch?!" Jaune demanded. Iridescent grinned, and leaped off the catwalk. She floated over to the top of one of the large cargo containers, and tapped her chin.

"Mmm… I don't get to check in with my beloved?"

"I hate you," Jaune growled, "You mean nothing to me beyond that!"

"Don't they say the true opposite of love isn't hatred, it's apathy?" Iridescent taunted, playfully pushing her breasts together, "Admit it. I get your heart racing. Your blood pumping. When you think of me, all other considerations vanish. You tried so hard to escape me, but…"

She sighed, resting her fingers on either side of her face as she looked upon him with a hungry expression.

"Without me… You'd be that same boring little boy who thought he could become a hero. With me, you're who you truly are."

Iridescent sucked on her finger briefly with a moan, before she smiled.

"A killer."

Jaune took some deep breaths to try and calm himself, but it was only doing so much. He kept his focus on the object of his rage.

"You're the only one dying tonight," Jaune snarled.

He made to charge again, but Iridescent smiled.

"Now now… Don't be so quick to end things now. It was just getting fun!"

"I'm ending this right now," Jaune retorted.

Iridescent sighed and shook her head with what she probably thought was an indulgent smile. It made his blood boil.

"If you insist. It has been a while, hasn't it? I suppose I do need to establish who the real center of your life is. And to do that, I'll have to spoil you~!"

She stood up and spread her arms.

"Free hit."

Jaune stopped, and stared up at the insane woman.

"What?"

"Free hit," Iridescent cooed, "With your most powerful move."

"You're insane," Jaune growled. Iridescent giggled.

"Insane with love for you," she cooed, "I need to prove that I'm still the girl for you! All those whores you've surrounded yourself with-They've led you astray!"

"They haven't-YOU'RE CRAZY!" Jaune seethed. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLANNING?!"

Iridescent giggled again, and spun around.

"Oh Jaune, such passion! It makes me want to spoil you even more~! But really darling, no tricks~! I just want to see your true power, your true passion. Free of those ingrates who took you from me~."

The faces of his team, his friends, flashed before his eyes. Jaune managed to get his rage back under control, and he shook his head.

"I'm not playing with you," Jaune growled. Iridescent sighed.

"Really? You were talking about avenging your dear old cat mentor. I really must thank him-Without him, we wouldn't be together~!"

Jaune's grip on his weapons tightened.

She smirked down at him.

"But in the end… His part is done in all this. I'm what you should be focusing on, dear. I'm alive… And he's dead."

Her smirk grew.

"You got him killed because you weren't strong enough," she cooed.

Jaune's vision went red, as his Aura crackled along his sword.

"Don't worry, darling," Iridescent simpered, as Jaune's blade glowed like it was a filament in a lightbulb, "I know you're strong enough… Gato thought you were."

She grinned.

"So prove it."

He pushed as much Aura into Crocea Mors as he could, and swung the blade. The Golden Lion's Roar exploded, and everything turned white.

---

Blake had thought she was good friends with Ilia back in the White Fang. She'd always been willing to lend an ear, to listen to her and her issues. She'd always offered encouragement to Blake, and always agreed with whatever Blake said. Her body language was always open, demure and disarming. Ilia had been nothing but quiet and reserved, gentle really.

The sheer bitterness and rage in her movements now as she swung her whip furiously was completely alien. Blake dodged, weaved, and avoided the strikes as best she could in the tight, enclosed space. Her whip cut deep gouges in the concrete walls and burned through the piles of paperwork. Blake grimaced in dismay and tried to dash out the door into the hallway.

Yang had punched her way out before her, and was fighting the fox Faunus-One of the Albain twins, Blake believed, though she couldn't tell which one.

Yang tried to close the range, but every time she got close, the Fox Faunus unleashed another blast of wind or ice Dust to drive her back. She switched to her shotguns, but the Fox Faunus threw up Ice chunks to deflect the shots.

The whip cracked near her ears, and Blake narrowly avoided the hit. She looked back at her opponent, the furious Ilia.

"You think we would just forget you?" Ilia snarled. "You think we'd just let you go?!"

"I had to leave!" Blake shouted back, "I'm-I'm trying to fix things-!"

"You abandoned us!" Ilia shouted, and swung her whip into a spiral. Lightning flashed and crackled from the weapon, and Blake fell back with Shadow Clones forming to take the shots. Blake dashed around, but got hit by one of the stray arcs.

"URK!"

She landed in a roll in the wider hallway, and got right back up, firing Gambol Shroud's pistol at Ilia. The chameleon faded from view, her camouflage ability hiding her as she dashed around. Blake tried to follow her by her footsteps, as she always did before, but Yang's fight with the Fox Faunus man and the tight hallway made that impossible. She backflipped just in time to escape the crack of Ilia's whip again.

"Running off and joining these-these damn humans!" Ilia snarled. "We gave you a home! We gave you a family-!"

Blake's emotions were already running wild over this entire situation. Her old dear friend, someone she had been so close to, screaming at her like this and filled with so much hatred…

"Like Tukson was?" Blake shouted back. "You murdered him!"

Ilia wasn't foolish enough to pause her attacks, but her strikes slowed a bit.

"We-He was a traitor-!"

"He never told anyone anything!" Blake snarled. "He just wanted to live in peace?! Did he deserve to die?!"

Ilia hesitated.

"I-!"

"GAH!"

Blake felt Yang slam into her back, and they tumbled to the ground. They got back up quickly, just in time for Yang to block a blast of wind from the tall Fox Faunus.

"Nngh…! Hey KitKat, wanna switch dance partners?" Yang suggested.

Blake nodded.

"Fine by me," she grunted. She dashed for Albain, who glared at her.

"I'll handle this traitor," he stated coldly, swinging his Dagger and summoning up blasts of Ice and Wind Dust. He was used to fighting at range, to keeping his opponents at a distance. For a straightforward fighter like Yang, this was a serious issue.

For Blake? Not as much, as her Shadow Clones dashed about and drew Albain's ice and wind.

"GET BACK HERE!" Ilia screamed. "WE'RE NOT DONE-!"

Yang charged her, and the chameleon Faunus lashed her whip out at Yang. The blonde brawler held out her left arm and let it wrap around it.

"I guess I'll kill your bimbo friend FIRST!" Ilia growled, as she channeled a massive blast of Lightning Dust through her whip.

"UGH! UNNNNGH!" Yang bellowed, throwing her head back.

"She'll learn just what kind of a friend Blake Belladonna is-!" Ilia snarled, before Yang's chin descended. Her hair glowed bright like the sun, and her eyes burned bright red as she smirked.

"Just kidding~," Yang grinned, yanking Ilia forward by her whip. The chameleon Faunus's eyes went wide just before Yang uppercutted her right up into the ceiling with a loud thud!

"GRAH!"

"It's worse than you think," Yang shouted with a wicked grin, pulling her fist back as Ilia fell back down, "She's dating a blond human stud! She's gonna have his half-human babies!"

Blake glanced back momentarily, though she kept dodging around Albain's Wind Dust blasts.

Ilia's jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she fell.

"WHA-?!"

Just as Yang's fist met her face and sent her flying down the hallway through the concrete wall.

Albain, for his part, gaped in shock at this loud revelation.

"L-LADY BLAKE?! You can't possibly-?!"

He thrust his dagger forward to intersect the black cat Faunus who had been dashing for him… Only for it to go right through a Shadow Clone. He scanned around quickly but not quick enough-Blake's Gambol Shroud came down hard on the back of his head. He staggered forward as Blake struck him several times. He swung his dagger back to hit her, unleashing a Wind Dust blast at point blank range.

Blake leaped up over this shot, and emptied her pistol into his face. He fell back, arms up to block the shots. Blake lashed out with Gambol Shroud and yanked his dagger away. He seethed, then felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He looked back.

Yang grinned.

"Hey."

Yang unleashed a barrage of Aura powered punches into Albain, pummeling him back into the wall. Blake finished him off with a double kick right into his face, smashing him into the brickwork. Yang let loose a furious haymaker which sent the fox faunus through to the street outside.

Yang pulled her arm back, and took deep breaths. Blake glared at her.

"Was that necessary?" She asked.

"What? Pummeling him, or telling your ex-girlfriend you're dating a human guy?" Yang quipped.

"The last part," Blake groused, running back to the record room. Her face fell at all the burning paperwork. She frantically sorted through the piles, trying to find anything salvageable.

"Hey," Yang shrugged, "It worked, didn't it?"

Blake turned around, and held up Gambol Shroud. Yang's eyelid twitched as Blake fired.

"ACK!"

Ilia fell back, her camouflage failing as the Dust round hit her right in the forehead. The Chameleon Faunus staggered, tried to get back up, but Yang's Aura powered kick got her right in the side of her head. It sent her slamming into the floor, hard.

"Nice shot," Yang complimented her. Blake sighed, and lowered her weapon.

"I wish I didn't have to take it," she whispered, turning back to the financial documents. Yang bit her lower lip.

"Yeah… Anyway, we should really call everyone else and get out of here-"

Blake's ears twitched. She heard something big, loud, and powerful tearing through the-!

"MOVE!" Blake screamed, carrying what she could, dashing up to Yang, and tackling her to the floor just before a massive blast of golden-white Aura ripped the room apart!

---

The Fox Faunus wielded a Dust Projecting Dagger. He unleashed blasts of Wind and Fire, keeping Nora, Ren, and Sun at a distance. Between them and the White Fang goons firing their rifles on them, it was a complicated tactical situation.

Not the worst Nora had ever been in, but it was going to require a lot more than just blasting or exploding things. Which was very inconvenient!

"YEEHA!" Nora leaped high into the air and unleashed a volley of Dust Grenades. They exploded short of the target, the Fox Faunus unleashing waves of wind to detonate them prematurely. Nora scowled, even as her attack let Renny and Sunny get in close.

They fought the Fox Faunus at close range, but he moved so quickly he was able to deflect and dodge their blows. And now she couldn't blast them without blasting Renny!

And Sunny too, she supposed.

She blushed a bit as she landed on the floor, and a dreamy look came over her face as she watched her dear Renny in action. He was such an incredible fighter, even at this distance! And that kiss…!

"DIE YOU-!"

She backhanded the White Fang operative who tried to jump her from behind, and sighed softly.

Maybe after this fight we can… Can do more kissing? So much kissing…!

The building shook violently, and Ren looked away from the Fox Faunus. His eyes widened.

"NORA GET DOWN-!" He shouted, just before the Fox Faunus struck him hard in the back with his dagger.

"RENNY!" Nora screamed, just as the far wall exploded with golden energy. She charged through the blast, but was knocked back and flung through the air into a wall!

---

Ruby dashed around the trashed dance floor, shifting from superspeed mode only long enough to fire crowd Ice Dust rounds. They exploded into Ice flowers, trapping or tripping up the thugs as Ruby shot by like a rocket. She got her eyes on Pyrrha-She was still fighting that Slick guy!

Ruby slid to a stop nearby the two whirling fighting, and lifted up Crescent Rose. She narrowed her eyes as she loaded a Fire Dust round-

"Can't let you interfere, Red!" Roman called out, firing Fire Dust rounds at Ruby at point blank range. Ruby groaned as she dissolved into petals. She reappeared on a catwalk overlooking the factory floor, and returned fire with Crescent Rose. Roman dodged around her shots, expertly firing his cane right back.

How is it whenever I try to help Pyrrha, he's right there?! Ruby thought angrily.

"You can't win against me, Roman!" Ruby shouted, switching Crescent Rose to scythe mode. She jumped back into superspeed and zipped back down, aiming to attack Roman from the right side! She swung from overhead for Roman's chest, but he was able to slap it away with Melodic Cudgel as he dodged to the right. He tossed up a canister that burst into white light and loud sound!

"GAH!" She cried out, using her Semblance to get some distance. She blinked rapidly through the burning afterimages and the ringing in her ears.

I-I can't see-!

She felt heat, and held up Crescent Rose out of instinct to block. Her sniper scythe took a shot, but another hit her right in the chest and she was blown off her feet.

"AUGH!"

She slammed into a pile of hard metal somethings, and pain filled her back.

She frantically rubbed her teary eyes, but nothing came through!

I can't see… I can't see…!

Her frantic thoughts slowed.

Wait… What if I…?

She managed to push past the pain, and focused her Aura to her eyes. The words in her mother's journal came to her:

"While experimenting, I tried channeling the Aura into my eyes. That's when everything changed. The world became one of a multitude of colors, and dark shapes moving around and through that color. The Grimm were as dark in this world as in the regular one, so it was easy to spot them. Humans and Faunus though were dark shapes with outlines of color, as varied as the rainbow. It is the Aura Sight. It allows us to see the very soul of Remnant. It also showed me how much the Grimm do not belong-For they had no souls to light the world with."

Bright humanoid-shaped outlines, each a different color, filled her field of vision. One whose outline suggested a bowler hat and cane loomed over her, a cane burning with orange light held at her chest. She swung furiously for him, and he jumped back in shock. She got back up, and slowly his smug, stupid face reappeared in the Aura outline as her normal vision returned.

Her hearing slowly got back to normal too. Just enough to make out Roman's banter.

"-something else, can see why the Kid likes you-"

What?! Who?! Ruby thought, but she focused. She charged, then flipped up over Roman and swung Crescent Rose for his back. He jumped away and twisted around, unleashing another Fire Dust round at her. She turned into a cloud of petals and reappeared on his flank, having to dodge around some fire from his White Fang flunkies.

Her vision wasn't back to one hundred percent, but she was able to fire another Ice Dust round and freeze the cluster of goons firing on her. She then zipped right up in front of Roman and swung! He tried to block with his cane, but she knocked Melodic Cudgel right out of his hands. He held them up and smiled nervously at Ruby.

"Er… So, Red, how about we talk this out and-?"

His eyes widened as he stared behind her.

"Oh shit."

Is he serious? Ruby thought with a scoff, He's really trying that-?

KABOOM!

She looked back and gaped as a massive (and familiar) golden-white energy blast erupted through the far wall behind the stage. It raced through the industrial floor and threw everyone off their feet. Roman threw himself out of the way, as Ruby used her Semblance to escape the Golden Lion's Roar. It was so bright in her enhanced vision, it nearly blinded her again!

Yet she didn't worry about that.

Jaune! He must be in trouble! I need to-!

She came out of superspeed right near a barrel of Dust. A barrel that exploded from proximity to the Aura explosion. Ruby was blasted through a window and tumbled onto the hard pavement outside.

Owww…!

She managed to get back up onto her feet, despite how her head was ringing and how messed up her Aura felt.

"Ugh… Geez…" Ruby mumbled, "I thought Aura protected against flashbangs…"

"YOU'RE DEAD, GIRLY!"

Ruby spun around and faced the speaker-A mistake. The flashbang went off in her face and she shut her eyes tightly. Her Aura Sight let her make out five Aura figures in front of her. From their levels, they were normal civilians… But they had Dust guns. Which they held up and fired.

The Dust Rounds exploded around her like tiny stars igniting. She spun Crescent Rose to deflect the shots, and grit her teeth. She was tired, and as much as she used her Semblance, her Aura was now being divided between healing her, her eyes, and letting her fight!

Oh geez…!

Five arrows slammed into them from above, slamming all five White Fang operatives into the pavement. Their Auras vanished, leaving only the dark outlines.

Her stomach seemed to fall into an endless abyss as she stared at them.

Soulless… Black… No souls… No light… No souls…!

Ruby felt sick.

O-Oh Gods…!

Ruby managed to get her eyes open and gaped in horror at the lifeless bodies before her. It was even worse now, seeing the blood oozing onto the pavement, how still they were…

"Wh-What… What…?"

She collapsed onto her knees. A dark figure appeared, with a menacing purple and blue Aura outline. He turned to her and shook his head.

"You need to be more careful, young one," he murmured in a pleasant baritone, "Given your heritage."

Ruby fell forward, feeling sick and overwhelmed. She threw up and felt chilled to her bones.

"Oh no…" Were the last words she heard before everything went black.

Not again…! She thought angrily. Not when my friends are in trouble...! No...!

NO!

---

The backlash of Golden Lion's Roar was always the worst part. It made Jaune's arm burn like he'd been on fire, he was left panting for breath, and even after training with Ren and Pyrrha to improve his Aura control? He still felt drained.

Now though… As he saw the devastation caused by the blast, the collapsing roof, the falling walls, a new feeling about his most powerful attack entered Jaune's mind:

Guilt.

He yanked out his Scroll and hit the mass call button.

"Ruby! Pyrrha! Ren! Yang! Nora! Weiss! Blake! Sun! Anyone?!"

Static was all he got back. He grit his teeth.

Damnit… Damnit…!

The clouds of smoke began to clear, as debris fell from the ceiling. The walls were groaning uncomfortably. Jaune looked back towards the impact point of Golden Lion's Roar, and could see what was left of the containers just peeking out.

He couldn't see anything beyond burned and cracked metal on the red, green, and blue containers. He tightened his grip on Crocea Mors, and took heavy, deep breaths.

Did… Did I kill her?

As much as he had desired this… Jaune felt empty as he looked over the wreckage. He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing-

A luminous glow filled the smoke cloud, shaped like a translucent, convex disk.

Ah, his mental Gato voice returned, A hardlight Dust shield! That's new.

Jaune's eyes widened.

Oh fu-

The containers exploded, and a gigantic mass blasted through the smoke right for him. A huge metallic two-pronged claw reached out and closed around him like a vice. His arms were pinned to his sides as his ribs creaked, and he let out a loud cry.

A massive Atlasian mecha stared at him, a viewscreen on the front. It turned translucent, and Iridescent's face appeared. She was blushing deeply, and licked her lips as she squeezed Jaune's body.

"AUGH!"

"Oh, darling~! You spoil me," Iridescent cooed over the speakers, as she licked her lips, "You really did go all out! If I didn't slip into this, I'd have been utterly destroyed."

"You…!" Jaune growled and struggled against the mechanical grip. Servos and hydraulics whined against his strength, but held him tight.

"Now now, sweetie," Iridescent clucked, shaking her head, "Did you think I'd settle for anything but the best? You've ruined me for everyone else, darling~. That fire to grow stronger, more powerful! Oh, it's simply wonderful!"

Rocket boosters activated on the giant mecha, and it flew through the air. It smashed right through the nearest wall, sending the rest of the docking facility collapsing with a roar as bricks and dust filled the air. They flew towards the overpass highway, and for a brief moment Jaune was terrified she was going to crash into it with its hundreds of innocent commuters-!

At the last moment, she dove underneath it. Nothing but a few abandoned cars and piles of rubbish greeted them.

Iridescent slammed the mecha down hard onto the pavement, and slammed Jaune with her as she skidded to a halt. The asphalt cracked, and Jaune screamed.

"Doing this in public is a bit embarrassing, but that venue was a little too wrecked by your passion, lover~," Iridescent went on with a smirk. She let Jaune go with the claw, and he sucked in a breath-Only for her foot to slam down and dig a crater with his body.

"AUGH!" Jaune yelled, as Iridescent tittered.

"So darling, what does it feel like?" She crooned. "Fighting for your life? Letting your passions run wild? Nothing left but to do or die before you?"

Her grin widened.

"It's what you LIVE FOR!"

Jaune gritted his teeth and glared up at her. He rummaged around his belt. It was a miracle his ever present pouches and their contents hadn't been crushed, but that's not what he was looking for. His fingers touched the hilt of Levigato, and he yanked out his dagger. It glowed as he charged his Aura. He thrust the dagger into the armor, his brute strength letting him start dragging it through the thick armor.

I'm at about fifty percent, but maybe…!

Iridescent fired a burst from the mecha's lighter machine guns. The rounds fell like steel rain onto him, and Jaune grit his teeth against the onslaught.

"Nothing to say, baby?" Iridescent asked mocking, as she ceased fire. "Nothing for the woman who made you who you are today?"

She smirked and dug her heel into Jaune's chest. The pain was unimaginable.

"AARRGH!"

"That's it, let me hear you scream!" Iridescent panted like a bitch in heat.

Jaune looked up, feeling his floating ribs buckle as he tried not to cry out. He tried to grab onto Levigato again, pulse more Aura into it! He got a hold, but Iridescent just opened up with the guns again!

Damnit… Damnit… This is my fault, he thought, All my fault… My friends might be dead… My fault… It's all my own damn fault…!

Black Aura burst to life around the Atlasian mecha, and its armor cracked. The whole vehicle was forced backwards. Jaune yanked his dagger out of the mecha's foot, and forced himself to his feet. He looked up, and his eyes widened as his heart leaped.

"PYRRHA!"

The redheaded Amazon stood on top of an abandoned car, looking a little worse for wear but focused on the Atlasian mech with a fiery determination. Both her hands were outstretched and burning with black Aura energy. Jaune ran towards her, as the Atlasian mecha strained loudly against the force of magnetism holding it captive.

"J-Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped. "Sorry I'm late… I was a bit held up…!"

"YOU!" Iridescent snarled over the speakers, stomping the mecha's feet like an angry child, "YOU WHORE! SLICK!"

A tall man in blue pinstripes, a fedora, and a black gasmask slid up out of nowhere, looking utterly impeccable from his polished shoes to his stylish cane.

"Yes, Lady Iridescent?" He asked calmly, even as Jaune caught his breath and Pyrrha grunted to hold the mecha at bay with her Semblance.

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP THEM FROM INTERFERING!" Iridescent raged.

Slick was unfazed. He glanced at Pyrrha, almost boredly, before he shrugged.

"I apologize, Lady Iridescent," he stated, "But the building collapsed and I lost her in the dust-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Iridescent bellowed. "THIS WAS MY TIME WITH MY JAUNE! NO ONE ELSE'S!"

"HE'S NOT YOURS!" Pyrrha shouted angrily back.

"HE WAS MINE BEFORE YOU SET EYES ON HIM, YOU SKANK!" Iridescent roared. "HE'S MINE! BODY! HEART! SOUL! ONLY I CAN BRING OUT HIS TRUE SELF! A MERCILESS KILLER! WE BELONG TOGETHER!"

Pyrrha stared in shock and horror at the ranting woman… Before her eyes narrowed.

"You," she growled, "You're why he's so hurt. You're why he's…!"

Normally, Jaune would be terrified at seeing Pyrrha so furious. And yet…

She's like this… For me? Jaune thought, his heart skipping a beat.

Pyrrha strained as she brought her hands together-Or at least tried. Iridescent's mecha began to glow brighter as the Amazon pushed more power into it.

"She's fighting me! It's just too much mass to-to control!" Pyrrha gasped. "How's your Aura?"

"I can hit her with one more Golden Lion's Roar," Jaune managed, even as his Aura healed his ribs.

"Do it-!"

Slick blurred, and Jaune barely got his shield up in time to block cane strikes so fast and hard it felt like a machine gun was being unloaded on him!

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha cried. That momentary distraction allowed Iridescent's mecha to move. Its cannons opened up, and Slick, Jaune, and Pyrrha ran in different directions to avoid the fire.

"SLICK! GET OUT OF HERE!" Iridescent bellowed angrily, barely audible over the harsh roar of the cannon fire.

"Lady-!"

"NOW!" Iridescent shouted. Slick sighed, and vanished as quickly as he appeared.

Jaune and Pyrrha ran towards the far part of the underpass, the cannon rounds blasting up asphalt and concrete shrapnel. They held up their shields as the debris struck them from all sides. Pyrrha looked around, saw the apartment buildings and heard the traffic overhead…

"Get in close!" Jaune shouted. "We gotta take her out!"

"On it!" Pyrrha shouted. They split up, running in different directions before turning and charging Iridescent from opposite directions. Iridescent divided her fire, seething over the loudspeakers.

"You can't just-!"

Jaune dove in front of Pyrrha as they got to mid-range. She ducked behind his shield and switched Milo to rifle mode. Bracing her rifle on his shoulder (which he held steady through sheer willpower), she fired several shots on the mecha. She hit what looked like its sensors with pinpoint accuracy, making Iridescent swing its weapons around furiously and without accuracy.

"HOMEWRECKER!" Iridescent seethed. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!"

Missile launchers activated on the back of the huge mecha. Jaune could count about fifty individual cells in the launcher boxes, and he grit his teeth.

Shit, that's a lot of firepower, but maybe we can-

"YOU DAMN WHORE! YOU WANT TO MAKE JAUNE INTO SOME KIND OF HERO, DON'T YOU?!" Iridescent snarled.

"I WANT TO BE A HERO!" Jaune shouted back.

"THIS WHORE LED YOU ASTRAY, DEAR!" Iridescent shouted. "THERE ARE NO HEROES. ONLY PREDATOR… AND PREY. ONLY IDIOTS CARE ABOUT PREY!"

The laser designators for the missiles lit up. Jaune and Pyrrha tracked where they were focused on. Jaune's jaw dropped.

"No! Iridescent, don't-!"

Iridescent fired the missiles, and all fifty of the projectiles burst forth, turned, and screamed right for the apartment complexes!

---

Ruby came to the feeling of Aura flowing into her. She started and jerked awake. She saw a pale visage with a scar over one eye, framed by platinum blonde hair, and felt strong arms holding her up as she sat on rough pavement. She could make out a tanned face framed by blue hair, also looking worried.

"Ruby? Ruby, are you all right?" Weiss asked urgently. "Speak to me!"

"Come on kid, wake up!" Neptune said, as the sounds of sirens began to wail in the distance.

"Ugh… I… What… What happened?" Ruby managed, looking down. She could see Weiss pressing a Healing Dust Emitter to her stomach. It resembled a groomer brush with a strap to hold the oval-shaped business end against the palm. "Wait, you're healing me?"

Weiss flushed, and scowled.

"I do know how to use Healing Dust. It's Dust, I'm an expert at-"

"Why are you here?! What happened?!" Ruby demanded.

"Well, the factory exploded," Neptune deadpanned, "So I think that was a good reason to get out here."

"We found you outside with some Healing Dust and an emitter," Weiss went on, "Do you know why you had those with you? Or by you?"

Ruby's heart pounded in her chest and ears. She looked around. Those bodies were still there, lying amidst all the rubble and refuse kicked up by the collapse of the old factory. Piles of bricks and masonry were everywhere amidst damaged, naked supports and ragged remaining walls.

Her eyes just kept going to the dead bodies of the White Fang goons. Yes… Yes, they had been trying to kill her… But seeing the light go right out of their bodies and leave them like Grimm…

The dead… They're dead…

"Ruby," Weiss murmured, "Ruby… It's all right."

She shifted a bit to block Ruby's view of the bodies, and looked into her eyes.

"It's all right… You're our leader. Now, what do we do?"

Ruby sucked in a deep breath. Her heart rate slowed, just a little.

She knew where she was.

Ruby sprang to her feet, and scanned around. She pushed her Aura into her eyes again. The world darkened, but points of bright light began to appear amidst the rubble of the fallen factory.

Points of bright light that might fade away and go black, too, if she didn't do something right now.

"Come on!" Ruby shouted, charging in. Weiss and Neptune followed, too shocked to really disobey.

"Ruby, we need to wait for the rescue teams-!"

"Weiss! Gravity Dust, right there!" Ruby shouted, pointing at a pile near where the main entrance had been. Weiss was shocked, but slammed the required canister into Myrtenaster and unleashed a Purple shockwave. The bricks rose up, higher, higher…

A massive yellow Aura blast threw the rest away. Out of this rubble emerged Yang and Blake-Blake was clutching a few thick binders of documents in her left arm as she supported Yang with the right.

"YANG! BLAKE!" Ruby cried.

"Ugh, hey sis," Yang managed, as Ruby hugged her tightly. She grunted at the touch, but patted Ruby's head. "We really brought the house down, huh?"

"Please, no," Blake muttered. Yang snickered.

"What? It fell like a ton of bricks!"

"Weiss, heal them!" Ruby ordered. She dashed to another point of light. "Neptune! Get over here! Use your Water Semblance!"

"Wait, hang on-"

"THERE'S NO TIME!" Ruby shouted. "GET OVER HERE!"

Neptune complied as though pulled by a chain sickle. He summoned up water and sent it underneath the rubble. He grit his teeth as the bricks rumbled. He moved his hands upwards, and the bricks and debris began to float.

Neptune grunted, his brow beginning to sweat as he focused.

"Come on, come on…!" He growled.

"HEY!" Ruby shouted. "HEY! WHOEVER'S DOWN THERE, WE'RE HERE! COME UP!"

A massive pink Dust blast went off, scattering Ruby and Neptune with loud cries. Sun Wukong emerged, bloodied and bruised, as he carried Ren and Nora under his arms. He had used Magnhild, and dragged it along.

"SUN!" Blake shouted, and she rushed over to him. Yang and Weiss followed, as Sun panted and gently set both Ren and Nora down on the rubble.

"Ren! Nora!" Ruby gasped. "WEISS!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Weiss insisted, quickly kneeling down. She pressed the Healing Dust Emitter against Nora's bloodied, bruised body first. Ren opened his eyes first, his pink Aura flickering to life.

"Haa… Nora? Where's-?!"

"She's here! She's alive," Ruby insisted, holding him down. He pushed against her, and sat up. He looked down at the unconscious form of his best friend, grimacing deeply. His hand went out and he grasped Nora's hand.

"Nora… Nora, I-URK!"

Nora's fist clenched tightly around his hand, and she sat up fast. Weiss yelped, thrown back.

"I'M ALIVE!" Nora cheered. She then scowled at Sun, who was being held up by Blake. "You touched my hammer!"

"Sorry, had to save our lives," Sun grunted. Nora grumbled, but then brightened and smiled cheerfully.

"I forgive you! Thanks for the kiss!"

"What?!" Ren blurted out, as everyone else stared.

"What kiss?" Yang asked, eyebrows waggling.

"Not with him," Nora scoffed, "With Renny! Our first~!" She beamed and nuzzled him. Ren coughed.. Then coughed up blood.

"Oh right, heal him!" Nora demanded, grabbing Weiss and dragging her over into Ren's lap.

"OOF! Don't treat me like that-!"

"Complain later, heal now!" Nora demanded. She looked around, and, as though seeing them for the first time, smiled and waved her hand.

"Hey Ruby! Hey Blakey! Hey Yang-Yang! Hey…"

She stared at Neptune. Neptune scowled back.

"Neptune?"

"Sure!" Nora said cheerfully. She turned to Ruby.

"Where's Jaune-Jaune and Pyrrha?"

Loud gunfire and explosions filled the air. Ruby's Aura Sight let her see the action, no matter how many ruins were between them and the action.

A giant, luminous mechanical device, burning with luminous Aura, was confronting two smaller Aura signatures. One burned a strange white and black, but it was comfortingly familiar. The other was golden yellow, burning like a bonfire.

And there was a LOT of yelling. Demented yelling.

"Over there!" Ruby shouted, all ready to speed over to the rescue. "We need to-!

Forever Fall again appeared in her mind. She stopped herself, and took a deep breath.

There were many other little lights under the rubble, too. Maybe they were White Fang… But after what she'd seen…

"Weiss! Neptune! Heal everyone else up! Get anyone else out of the rubble!" Ruby shouted, as she saw emergency service vehicles driving up to the scene. "And when we're done-"

"Smashy time!" Nora cheered.

Ruby grinned at her fellow redhead.

"YEAH!"

---

The missiles… Were a bit of an issue. Pyrrha had to channel most of her considerable Aura into her Semblance, and the black energy answered by ensnaring all of the screaming projectiles. She dropped Milo and stretched out her wide open hands, so she could concentrate everything she had into keep the fifty missiles in place above her. Their Dust powered rocket motors were very loud, and after the flashbangs from before she was a little disoriented.

She looked around and spotted Jaune on her right side, charging up his sword. Ahead of them was Iridescent in the mecha, the guns on the giant military robot audibly charging up.

"JAUNE! GET DOWN!" Pyrrha screamed. Jaune looked back at her in shock.

"PYRRHA-!"

Polarity let her know that slugs of hyper dense metal were screaming through the air for her. She could sense them, tell their trajectories through long practice. She was able to shift herself just enough that one shot past, grazing her side. The next hit her stomach, but her weakened Aura just barely managed to absorb the hit, though the pain was immeasurable.

Next hit… No Aura left… The missiles…! Channel it!

Pyrrha tried to move to the side, tried to do anything, even as she moved her Aura away to prevent it breaking.

The shots struck and drove her back. She slammed up against something sharp.

She felt an explosion of pain, and then a horrible numbness. She looked down, and saw a chunk of metal poking out of her stomach as blood oozed out of her torso. She blinked at it, as her knees shook. The missiles still roared overhead, straining to escape her Semblance.

Oh dear… That might be… A problem… She thought as she tried to focus on the missiles and not the chunk of metal piercing through her stomach.

---

A scream tore its way out of Jaune's mouth.

"PYRRHA!"

Gut shots. Gut shots were the worst injuries by far in a hospital. Even with Aura healing, if it wasn't addressed right away, septic shock could still be fatal.

The fact Pyrrha was still on her feet, her arms up, her Aura flaring as she kept the missiles from hitting anything, was nothing short of a miracle. Just like her.

"H-Hit her, Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped, despite the fact her diaphragm had likely been hit, "T-Take her down!"

Jaune looked away at Iridescent. She was smirking in the Paladin mech's cockpit, powering up another barrage. He looked at his sword, burning with power. One more Golden Lions' Roar, and he could finish her.

"COME ON, LOVER!" Iridescent bellowed, "SHE'S OCCUPIED! IT'S JUST YOU, AND ME! OR WILL BE!"

He could kill Iridescent, like he'd almost done in the docking area. She'd be dead and… And Pyrrha…

Minutes. She had minutes. At best. Even with her Aura, disease and illness from the septic shock would kill her. The surest fire way to save her was with the Aura energy burning in his sword. The means to save her… The means to kill Iridescent…

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha gasped out. "TAKE THE SHOT!"

"COME ON!" Iridescent shouted, licking her lips.

It was what he wanted, wasn't it? The perfect opportunity to kill Iridescent. To get his revenge. To get justice for Gato.

Why won't you tell me anything, Gato?! He thought frantically. WHY?!

Because you know what the right answer is, Jaune, a voice spoke in his head, not quite Gato but still intimately familiar. As though spoken into his ear while a strong hand rested on his shoulder.

You always have.

You want to be a hero, right?

The Paladin's rotary cannon spun up again… Pyrrha grit her teeth and glared into the oncoming barrage…

Jaune dropped his sword and ran, diving in front of her with his shield up. Even with Aura enhancement, Crocea Mors took dents from the high velocity slugs as Jaune stood in front of Pyrrha. The redheaded Amazon gaped at him in shock.

"J-Jaune, your shot-!"

"Shut the hell up, Pyrrha!" Jaune growled, "If I don't get to martyr myself then you sure as hell don't either!"

Thanks to long practice, he found the canister of Healing Dust and jammed it into the emitter without looking and with only one hand. Still taking fire and being forced back, Jaune swung his arm back and pressed it against her gaping stomach wound and the metal that pierced her.

"YAAAHH!" Jaune bellowed, channeling all the Aura he could spare through the Healing Dust into Pyrrha. She screamed as well, her aura flaring behind him, black and yet somehow bright.

He somehow heard the metal spike fall from her wound. He managed to glance back: Through the hole in her armor, only smooth skin and awesome abs were visible. Her eyes had rolled into the back of her head.

"Pyrrha?! PYRRHA!"

Her Aura surged, and she flung her hands forward. Puppeteered by her power, the fifty missiles turned around and, while without Dust propulsion, flew right into the gigantic Paladin mecha. Its pilot screamed.

"WHAT-?!"

Jaune was able to see Iridescent's eyes widen almost comically and the glow of its hardlight shield just before they all impacted.

KABOOM!

Jaune felt Pyrrha fall against him. He turned, pulled her all the way down onto the pavement, put himself between her and the mech, and put everything he had left into his shield.

"UGHHH!"

The impact of the shockwave blasted him back, skidding along the pavement. They slammed into an abandoned car, smashing in its door and shattering all the windows. Its alarm went off, which just made Jaune's headache worse. He groaned and opened his eyes.

A pillar of smoke and flame obscured the Paladin. Jaune turned his attention to Pyrrha. Her eyes were shut, and he shook her shoulder.

"Hey! Hey, Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted. "Pyrrha!"

Please, don't be dead, don't be dead…!

He checked her pulse-It was slow, but strong, and some tension left his entire body. He nearly dropped like a boneless fish when she opened her eyes.

"J-Jaune…?" He murmured.

"Hey," Jaune said with a smile. "How… How are you?"

"I'm… I'm okay," Pyrrha said. She smiled softly. "Aura… Aura's low… N-Never felt that before."

"Bet you haven't," Jaune laughed. He looked back over at the smoke and flames… And his heart dropped into his stomach. "Shit."

The Paladin mech slowly stepped through the flames. It was pretty beat up, but still operational. He could still see Iridescent through the smoke clouded cockpit glass. The hardlight shield flickered, then apparently died when a component on top of the Paladin burst into flames.

"Ooh… I suppose I could accept another in our relationship, lover," Iridescent said, "If she's gonna get that rough? Maybe… But you're not done yet."

Jaune took a deep breath. He took a few steps between himself and Pyrrha. He hefted up his shield, and glared down Iridescent.

"No," Jaune stated, "We're done. You're nothing to me, Iridescent. And I'm tired of you hanging over my life."

He flared his Aura, his gaze focused on her. Iridescent laughed mockingly.

"You'll never be rid of me, lover! I'll haunt your steps! I'll always be in your heart!"

"No," Jaune stated coldly, "You won't. Not… Not anymore."

"J-Jaune," Pyrrha tried.

"Stay down," Jaune ordered. He pulled out Levigato, and clenched his fist. He channeled Aura into it, and the little blade began to glow like a small star. He prepared to charge…

A massive blast of Ice Dust erupted, forming a barrier around the Paladin mech. A flurry of rose petals burst in front of it, and Ruby appeared with Crescent Rose aimed right for Iridescent's head.

"YAH!" Ruby shouted, firing multiple anti-material rounds into the mecha. A second later, Yang, burning like a small sun, charged in and punched the Paladin's left arm clean off. Blake and Sun appeared underneath, firing shots at the Paladin's joints and dancing around at high speed. Ren joined in, leaping artfully over the mech to take out the right arm joints. Ruby spun at it, and as a blur, slashed right through and took off the right arm.

"YOU!" Iridescent screamed. "GET AWAY! HE'S MINE! HE'S-!"

Nora dove down like an avenging angel, swinging Magnhild with all her might. She brought it down on the back end of the Paladin mecha, and unleashed the full grenade payload of her hammer.

BABOOM!

Nora flipped backwards, and everyone else managed to get clear as the power generator for the Paladin went up in gigantic blast. He watched Ren grab her out of mid air, and they landed safely. The rest of the teams came together in front of the burning mecha, Weiss and Neptune gracefully landing after jumping off the nearby bridge support structures. Jaune turned back and helped Pyrrha to her feet. She gratefully clung on, and they walked to meet them.

"You guys okay?" Ruby asked anxiously, reaching out to touch Jaune's chest.

"Pyrrha! Are you all right?" Weiss cried.

Pyrrha beamed and nodded.

"I'm fine," she said softly, "Just… Aura exhaustion. Jaune took good care of me."

"I sure hope he did!" Ruby said… Then blushed. "Oh… Ohhhh…"

"N-Not like that!" Pyrrha insisted, blushing a bit.

Yang smirked a little with a raised eyebrow. Weiss looked scandalized. Neptune' jealousy knew no bounds, which made Jaune smirk a bit back. Blake was hiding a smile, as was Ren, and Nora just hugged Jaune and Pyrrha tightly.

"Urk… Yeah…" He looked over at the flaming wreckage. He sighed.

"Yeah… We're done," he muttered.

"Hm?" Pyrrha asked. Jaune shook his head.

"Nothing… It's nothing."

---

On the plus side, they didn't get arrested this time. The police even thanked them for assisting in the search and rescue of many White Fang members and innocent civilians trapped in the rubble.

The downside came when they returned to Beacon.

There was a small waiting room nearby Glynda Goodwitchs' office that the elder students all referred to as 'The Grimm Cage'. It was where you went before and after Professor Goodwitch took time out of her busy schedule to chew you out and tear you to shreds if you had fucked up sufficiently.

For over two hours, each individual member of Teams RWBY, JNPR, and SSSN (those who were present, anyway) was called into her office while everyone else waited. They then returned in a daze, upping the anxiety level of the next person called in.

Ruby and Yang clung to each other. Sun sat in a bewildered, haunted daze. Blake sat next to him, twitching as she resisted the urge to cry. Neptune was only resisting the urge to curl up in a ball and suck his thumb because Weiss was there. Weiss herself was fretting and trembling, even after her chewing out. Ren was stoic as always… Save for the blush as Nora cuddled up to him. Pyrrha was the only other person seemingly not affected, as her soft smile had not left her face since they'd returned.

"I didn't even do anything bad," Neptune mumbled again.

"She always finds something," Ruby shuddered. "Poor, poor Jaune."

Weiss looked over at Blake, who still stared into the distance.

"Blake?" She asked tentatively.

The cat Faunus shook her head.

"She called my parents," she mumbled.

Everyone winced. Sun squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"It'll be okay, I promise," he said.

Blake shuddered again.

Finally, the door opened. Jaune walked out, his face grim, his motions slow. Despite his immense Aura… He looked exhausted in every way a person could imagine. All of his friends and comrades looked at him. Ruby and Yang were deeply concerned, as Pyrrha smiled encouragingly.

"So?" Nora prompted.

Jaune sighed, and looked at his friends tiredly.

"Guys? I… I'm sorry," he said, "This is my fault. I-I nearly got all of you-"

"It's my fault too," Blake insisted, standing up to stand by Jaune's side. "You shouldn't carry that burden all on your own."

Sun pouted a bit at this, but it went unnoticed.

"If you want me to step down as leader-" Jaune began, but Ruby shook her head.

"I don't think anyone wants that."

"No, we don't," Ren stated.

"Absolutely not," Pyrrha declared earnestly.

"It would be boring!" Nora grinned, as she nuzzled Ren. The stoic boy looked very flummoxed all of a sudden.

"Y-Yes… Agreed," Ren said.

"I did almost get all of you killed-" Jaune tried, but Yang's hard gaze stopped his mouth in its tracks.

"We chose to go with you," Yang stated firmly, "And after hearing that bitch yelling? I don't think any of us disagree that she needed to go down."

"After fighting her?" Pyrrha interjected, "I absolutely don't disagree."

Ruby tensed at that. Jaune looked over at her in concern. She slowly shook her head, and trembled again.

"I… I mean… They didn't find her body," she said carefully, "So…"

She trailed off, and a hard silence filled the room. Like the universe was holding its breath.

Jaune looked down at his feet, and then up at his friends.

"So," Jaune said quietly, "I'm not letting it… Get to me. We run across her again… We'll fight her. But otherwise, I…"

He shook his head slowly.

"Never again."

Pyrrha and Ruby both looked relieved. Yang nodded. Blake had a bit of a smile. Weiss relaxed just a little. Nora beamed. Ren nodded as well. Neptune winced.

Sun coughed.

"I mean, hell, maybe I should step down," Sun said, "But we'd need the other members of my team here to vote on it. Neptune?"

"Uh… Yeah, no, I-I'm good," Neptune said quickly.

Jaune managed a little smile at them all. He turned to Blake.

"That said… I think we should let the White Fang go," he said.

Blake winced.

"Professor Goodwitch said the same thing," she said.

"She also said the only reason she wasn't leaving us in jail is that we actually did a good thing. Sort of," Ruby pointed out with a smile. "I-I mean… Mostly…"

She looked back down at her feet, as her sister squeezed her comfortingly.

"The White Fang should be weakened considerably, after we turned over all those records to the police," Weiss said carefully, looking at Blake with concern, "So… It might be good to leave things to the proper authorities. For once."

Blake stared intensely at Weiss for a moment or two, before she slowly nodded.

"So, yeah," Jaune broke, "Since we're confined to the school and our movements will be monitored… Guess we're on break. Again."

He looked over at Pyrrha, and smiled nervously.

"So uh… Pyrrha? About our date… You um… Are you still up for it?"

Pyrrha's soft smile grew, and she nodded slowly.

"Absolutely," she stated.

Ruby pouted a bit. Jaune sighed and walked up to her. He patted her head again.

"And I haven't forgotten ours, either. I promise," he said with a reassuring smile.

Ruby blushed, and smiled back up at him.

"Thank you… That… That means a lot…"

The party broke up after that, everyone heading towards their dorms. Jaune felt something squeeze his shoulder, and he stopped. Pyrrha looked back in concern. He shook his head.

"I'll catch up," he promised. Pyrrha nodded, and walked away slowly. Jaune looked around the hallway.

"So…?"

The air cracked like glass, and Mint/Neo appeared in front of him. She smiled warmly, and waved her hands.

"Fun night?"

"No," Jaune stated coldly, glowering darkly at her. The fury was there, but for the life of him, he was spent. Physically and emotionally. He mustered up the best glare he could and-

Neo pouted cutely. Jaune was unmoved, his glare still strong. Neo sighed, then shrugged.

"Was a lot of fun to watch. Would have been there, but the bitch keeps a tight leash on me." She winked at him. "Would love you to put one on-"

"Please tell me you didn't set me up just for that fight," Jaune managed. "Please, Neo."

Neo stared, then shrugged.

"Not just the fight."

"Fucking knew it," Jaune growled. Neo beamed.

"Though it was incredible. It did need to happen, though. You had to get over her. Over her hold on you."

Neo winked.

"I'm not sharing with the likes of her."

Jaune sighed, that familiar mixture of exasperation and affection filling him when it came to Neo. The thief huffed.

"Don't pout. The White Fang is in disarray and your crazy ex is out of the picture for a while. We're not in a position to take out the bitch yet, but we're one step closer. As much as I hate to wait? Anticipation can make things feel so much better when they happen."

"You are not going to set me up again," Jaune said firmly. Neo leered.

"Will you punish me if I do?"

"I'm serious, Neo. I like you… But you're going to change that if you keep this up."

Neo stared at him for a long, silent moment. She sighed, and nodded. She actually looked remorseful.

"Fine. I have heard healthy relationships are all about give and take. I'll remember that in the future."

"We're not in a-"

"And hey: Nearly blowing that bitch up has me in a forgiving mood."

Jaune's Scroll beeped. He blinked, as Neo nodded. He pulled it out, and opened it up. He got one look at Neo's texts… And blushed bright red.

"I-You-?!"

Neo winked.

"More where that came from, Lover-Boy," the shortstack signed with a gleeful smile. She hopped up to kiss his cheek, then vanished in a crack of glass. Jaune looked up at the ceiling, counting down from ten. He glanced down at his scroll.

Godsdammit...

... and saved the images.

---

On one hand, Roman Torchwick appreciated not meeting with Cinder in person to deliver bad news. Meant that his chances of getting incinerated were a lot lower.

The fact Neo was ostensibly being held as a "hostage" didn't bother him too much. His adopted daughter was pretty deadly, and could escape if she needed to… He hoped.

That said, Cinder's glare had not lost any of its potency. The contempt she leveled at them from the holoscreen in the bare studio apartment safehouse he, the Albain Twins, and Slick had fled to felt like it could burn them away if she focused just a little more.

That psycho Adam Taurus being on the other screen of the call didn't help at all. His subordinates all cringed back, like puppies threatened with a beating.

"So," Cinder stated flatly, "You not only lost your financial records and multiple members… You also lost the mecha we were smuggling?"

"To be fair, your newest recruits did that," Roman said smoothly, leaning back on the threadbare couch that served as the only furniture in the place. Everyone else stood or sat on the bare wooden floor.

Hey, he wasn't made of money.

"And yet you didn't supervise them properly?" Cinder seethed.

"They're the heads of an underground fighting league, I thought they could handle fighting," Roman stated, barely resisting the urge to shrug. Honestly, what had Cinder expected hiring crazy people like that?

"Besides," Roman said, waving his finger, "I did my part. Your White Fang goons were barely more than cannon fodder!"

Ilia winced. She'd been utterly silent since they'd arrived. Before, she'd have been barking orders like she owned the place, but right now, she seemed lost.

Good.

"Ilia," Adam stated, his voice cutting like his sword as it made everyone stand up straighter, "Why did you fail to capture Blake?"

Ilia winced.

"The humans with her… Were very formidable," she said, and the Albain twins nodded in unison. "You have seen the scans for yourself. One of them, Jaune Arc, was able to bring down nearly the entire factory with one Aura Slash technique."

Damn. Roman knew the kid was pretty powerful. That's what had given him hope of coming out of this alive. The fact he'd been the one to unleash that blast?

I think my odds just got a little better, especially now that Crazy McYandere is-

The door slammed open. Roman barely managed to hide his dismay, but his eyebrow still twitched.

Godsdamnit…!

Iridescent walked in, naked save for a green poncho hastily thrown around her shoulders. Slick followed her at a respectful distance, lugging along a cylinder wrapped in a black garbage bag. Iridescent's hair had been burned to stumps on her head, but she remained fairly calm as she stepped in front of the holoscreen.

"My Lady Cinder," Iridescent said, "I apologize for being late."

"How did you survive?!" Roman demanded, hoping he sounded concerned and not bitterly disappointed. Iridescent smiled.

"I managed to increase my density to the level that I smashed through the Paladin, and down into the sewers," she said, with just the tiniest hint of smugness. "Slick found me and brought me here. With our prize."

"What prize?!" Roman demanded. "The Paladin is a wreck! Most of the weapons in the warehouse were destroyed and most of the manpower we had are now in jail!" He pointed at Adam. "His organization's finances are now being gone over by the VPD with a fine toothed comb! Even they might find some incriminating evidence!"

Which was his hope, but he wasn't going to tell them that.

Iridescent nodded to Slick. The gas mask wearing minion opened the garbage bag. He pulled out a large, silvery metallic cylinder with orange markings splashed across it. Dust circuitry glowed softly across its surface. Roman went pale.

Oh no, don't tell me-

"The data core of the Atlasian Paladin," Iridescent said with a smile, "The most advanced processing unit yet developed for the Atlasian Military… And without those pesky cybersecurity protocols installed yet."

Cinder's eyes widened, and then narrowed. She smirked a bit.

"Very good, Iridescent. Very, very good."

"You sacrificed my men and our arms just for that?" Adam Taurus demanded, his voice even but his fury carrying across the transmission just fine, thank you very much!

"With this device," Cinder stated, "We'll be able to do more harm to the Kingdoms than you could with a hundreds times as many armaments and troops. Besides… The Valean Council will see to it that most of your men are released very soon. Our losses are minimal."

"Won't Atlas notice that the data core is missing?" Roman asked, "Change the codes?"

"I made sure to slag the entire chamber," Iridescent said brightly, "As I smashed through it into the sewers. They'll think the data core was destroyed too."

"Still, this is why we have backup plans," Cinder said. She smirked at Adam through the video feed. "Patience, Taurus. This is a war, after all."

She hummed.

"As for the teams from Beacon… They're going to be monitored from now on. I'll handle them myself if necessary."

"Blake Belladonna-" Adam tried, but Cinder scowled.

"Is irrelevant right now. You will have your ex when the time is right, and not before. Understood?"

Adam seethed, as did his henchmen behind Roman. Roman grit his teeth and squeezed his cane nervously.

Is this it? Is this the moment he finally snaps?

"... Very well," Adam stated flatly, "So far though, you've promised much and delivered little, Cinder."

"And your movement hasn't gotten anywhere until you allied with us," Cinder replied coldly, "Do not forget that."

The call mercifully ended. The White Fang goons headed out, shooting some glares Roman's way before they went out the door. Ilia in particular still looked heartbroken.

Eh, whatever. Not his problem… He hoped.

However…

Iridescent sniffled… Then broke into tears.

"WAAAAAAHHHH!"

WHY IS THIS MY PROBLEM? Roman thought angrily. The half naked woman sank down onto the couch, making it creak. Roman scooted off to the side and sighed.

"MY DEAR JAUNE! SEDUCED BY THOSE WHORES! WAAAAAHHHHH!"

Roman looked at Slick for some kind of aid. The gas mask wearing minion stared back with that inscrutable mask. Roman sighed, and patted Iridescent on the shoulder.

"There. There," he said in a toneless voice.

Iridescent sniffled again.

"He's grown so strong… But he didn't accept my love!" She cried.

"You probably just came on too strong," Roman sighed, "Maybe chill out, do your job, let the air clear… And try again later?"

Iridescent wiped her nose, and stared at him.

"You… You think that would work?"

"Oh yeah, definitely," Roman nodded slowly. Iridescent stared at the far wall… And then smiled. It was not a pleasant sight.

"Oh yes! YES! Build the anticipation!" Iridescent sighed. "I should have known my darling wouldn't react well to just leaping back into things! So rough, so hard! I need to be more accepting of his feelings!"

Her pupils dilated and her smile became wide and terrifying.

"Or maybe I should just murder all those whores trying to take him from me-"

"No, nonono!" Roman said. He cringed as Iridescent turned that horrific gaze on him. "I mean… Come on. Boss Lady's trying to keep a low profile, right? You don't want to spoil that."

Iridescent kept up that horrifying stare… Before she gasped, and nodded quickly.

"You're absolutely right, Roman! Plus… I can't let Cinder know about Jaune and our love! She'd try to take him for herself!"

Roman slowly nodded.

"Yeah. Totally."

Seriously, what the hell was wrong with this generation?

---

In RWBY's dormroom, a loud, throaty groan echoed off the walls.

"Ooooohhhhh~!"

"Now Blake," Yang said, "We're not going to chase after the White Fang anymore, right?"

"Nnngh… Ohhh…! Y-Yes…!"

"We're not going to interfere now that we've given the police all that evidence," Weiss added.

"Unnngh… Yessss…!"

"And," Yang finished, "We're not going to wreck any more private property!" She paused. "Not unless we have a really fun party beforehand."

"Nnnngghh-YES~!"

Blake sighed, and looked up at Yang. She was lying on the bed chest down, as Yang worked out the kinks in her legs.

"Good," Yang said with a smile, "Glad we worked that out."

She bounced onto the mattress, nearly knocking Blake right off.

"Now do me!" Yang cheered.

"Whatever would Arc think of you cheating on him?" Weiss asked wryly, even as she blushed. Blake began to massage Yang's legs. Yang smirked up at the Schnee heiress.

"Hmm… You know, I bet he wouldn't mind~," Yang hummed, and let out a throaty moan as Blake rubbed her lower back, "What do you think, Blake~? You wanna tease Jaune like this? Loosen him up~?"

"Since Pyrrha can't?" Blake asked. Yang chuckled smokily.

"Oooh… Maybe we could loosen her up, too."

Blake nodded slowly, and smirked.

"You keep saying you haven't read my books, and yet-"

"Maybe I should," Yang giggled.

Weiss sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I still don't get why all of you are fine with taking turns, dating him-"

"You want one?" Blake asked, as Yang moaned happily under her hands, "I wouldn't mind one too. Then with Sun. Share and share alike."

Weiss turned bright red.

"You literally interrupted my date with Neptune!"

"So we would owe you one with Jaune?" Yang sighed happily, "Mm, lower~!"

"Can do," Blake said, looking a lot more relaxed.

Weiss huffed and shook her head rapidly. She looked over at the window.

"Ruby, please tell me you're not as perverted as everyone else?"

Silence. Ruby kept staring at the door. She frowned.

"Ruby?"

Ruby started, then looked back at them. Her silver eyes were gently glowing.

"Hm?"

"Ruby, are you all right?" Weiss inquired. Yang and Blake also looked over at her in concern.

"Ruby?" Yang asked.

"Oh, um… I'm fine," she said quietly. "Just… Keeping an eye on things." She beamed. "I'm really glad we're all okay. Really."

Blake flushed, and nodded at her.

"Y-Yeah, um… Yeah," she said.

Blake went back to massaging Yang, while Weiss stared for a moment then went back to her reading. Ruby just kept staring, her eyes glowing, in silence.

---

It was another sleepless night for Headmaster Ozpin. Those weren't too bad, honestly. While his magic was much diminished compared to the old days, he still knew enough to keep himself going far longer than any normal human or even Huntsman, without the deleterious side effects.

Coffee didn't hurt, either.

He looked over the piles of documents on his large desk, blocking his view of the clockwork that encapsulated his office, and let out a sigh.

It didn't make it any less arduous, though. On one hand, he was quite glad that Teams RWBY and JNPR were fighting back against the White Fang. Glynda was much too stuffy about such things.

On the other hand, the City Council, Mayor, and even Valean Council were all demanding to know why his students were being vigilantes. He had hoped the re-establishment of the Valean Defense Forces might keep the media attention off these incidents, but alas, it wasn't enough.

Captain Silverhand will be displeased at losing the spotlight, Ozpin thought to himself wryly.

The elevator door chimed, and the doors opened. Ozpin looked up.

"Glynda, I'm not-"

He stopped. He stared.

A tall dark skinned man in a dark blue and gold striped suit strode up, as smooth and graceful as a tiger. His black hair was slicked back, though still spiky in back. He wore earrings of silver, and his eyes still burned that bright red they always had.

He still retained some of the arrogance he'd born as a young, headstrong exiled prince, but much of it was replaced with serenity.

His team had seen to that, long ago.

He stopped right in front of the desk. He smiled in a friendly way, yet his teeth still shone like daggers.

"Hello Headmaster."

"Arjun Sarkara," Ozpin breathed, "It… Has been a while. What brings you here?"

Arjun shrugged slightly.

"I'd heard my godson Jaune had become a Hunter-in-Training. I wanted to see him for myself."

The Headmaster's eyes widened.

"But," Ozpin muttered, "If you know, then…"

---

Somewhere in North Sanus

Isabel was woken up out of her sleep by a loud, annoying ringtone. She grumbled as she sat up out of her dark bunk, the moonlight shining through the slatted windows of the Bullhead.

Qrow groaned, and reached for her.

"It's cold," he grunted, his fingers brushing over her bare body.

"Let me answer this and I'll get back," Isabel sighed, pulling her robe on. She patted him on his shoulder, as he sat back with a grunt. She slid her feet into her slippers, and padded out to where her Scroll was screaming.

She took a moment to alter her brain chemistry, and perked herself right up. She picked up the Scroll and opened it up.

"Isabel Arc," she greeted, far more politely and warmly than anyone else at 3 in the morning could be expected to.

A beautiful but severe redheaded woman in her middle age appeared, wearing stylish glasses that did nothing to hide her angry glare.

Oh now what is this? Isabel thought to herself.

"Doctor Arc," the woman stated, "I am Athena Nikos. You did some health therapy with my daughter, Pyrrha?"

Isabel blinked slowly, and then nodded. Right, she'd done some work for the Mistral Regional Fighting League. She'd helped a young but brilliant young fighter recover from her fights with some new therapies. As she recalled, Athena had been just outside the examination room every time, and she'd been with her daughter in the gymnasium as Isabel helped Pyrrha go further.

She'd been impressed with Pyrrha's sheer will and determination, but Athena? She always came off as too cold for her tastes. Even when she complimented Pyrrha, it had always felt clinical. The poor girl's smiles were too plastic.

It wasn't enough to make Isabel take drastic action, mind you. It did, however, make her dislike Athena Nikos on a very deep level. But, Isabel Arc was good at hiding her feelings. Her Semblance made that easy.

"Of course," she said lightly, "Is there something wrong with her?"

"Yes," Athena said stiffly, "And it has to do with your son, Jaune."

Isabel blinked.

"I'm… Sorry? What do you mean?"

"First," Athena hissed, "He steals her rightful place as leader of her team. Then, he manages to seduce her into-into rejecting me and cutting all ties!"

Isabel's eyes widened.

"I-What? That's not possible!"

"Is your son Jaune Arc?"

"Well, yes-"

"Is he not attending Beacon Academy?"

"He's there, he's working as a medical assistant-!" Isabel protested, but Athena held up a picture. A picture of Jaune in the old Great War Arc armor he'd taken from the living room, but heavily upgraded. He wore a green cloak, and was holding up his sword and shield with a grim expression.

"He's registered as a student at Beacon! He's been attending classes!" Athena barked. "I don't understand what you're doing here but he's a Hunter-in-Training, just like my daughter! And he turned her into his slave-!"

Isabel, as she had many times before when it came to a client yelling at her, turned her out. She stared intently at the picture of Jaune. The upgrades to his armor and weapons stood out, but that didn't draw the lion's share of her attention.

It was his eyes.

His eyes… Those eyes…

No… He's…

She knew that look. Oh, she knew that look all too well.

"-She refused to do any more promotional videos! She's getting herself emancipated! All because your son has-has taken her away from me-!"

"Huh? Oh…" Isabel shook her head. "I see… I'll have some words with my son, Mrs. Nikos."

"Words?!" Athena demanded, "You had better have more than words with your son! I haven't found a legal remedy yet but I'll find it and if you don't-!"

Isabel turned off the Scroll. She took a very, very deep breath, and shut her eyes. She focused very, very hard on her Semblance to keep herself from losing her temper.

It took a lot of Aura, but she managed it. She very slowly turned to Qrow, eyes narrowed. The shapeshifting hunter coughed guiltily.

"Um," he tried, "Isabel, I-"

"Qrow," she stated in a dead tone that promised nothing but pain, cracking her knuckles menacingly, "I'm going to give you one chance to explain yourself-"

"Ozpin's orders," he immediately said. "He wanted Jaune at the Academy."

Isabel's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed again.

"Where's your loyalty to your master?" She asked.

"On infosec? You'll get nothing out of me because neither of you will trust me ever again," Qrow stated, then shrugged.

"But when it comes to Jaune? He won't break me in half," Qrow stated firmly.

Isabel glared death at him for a few moments, before slowly nodding.

"Good point."

"That is the only thing I ever lied about," Qrow said quietly, his eyes locked onto hers without any fear.

Isabel closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath.

"... I know," she said. "But you'll excuse me if I ask you to sleep somewhere else tonight."

Qrow nodded slowly back.

"I get it," he said.

Her Scroll beeped again. She turned and picked it up.

"I swear, if it's that bitch again," she growled as she opened it up… She blinked.

Qrow frowned, even as he dressed.

"Isabel?"

"When the stars align," Isabel sighed. She held the Scroll up to him. "One of Merlot's secret sites was in Vale. Right outside the old VDC base. I think we should investigate it. Right now."

Qrow slowly nodded.

"Sounds good to me," he said.

Isabel couldn't help the sadistic smile that came over her face. It was not something she did anymore. She had always had a bit of a sadistic streak, she'd known this and accepted it long ago. Nick had found it hot, as long as she kept it in check.

Well… Nick wasn't here anymore.

"And I think we'll pay a visit to my son… And the Headmaster," she stated.

Qrow shivered, then politely bowed out. That hurt.

Well… She'd deal with that later.

After she checked on her son… And made Ozpin beg for death.

---

Omake: Radian Homelife

---

"So, Jaune. What's your home like?"

It was a random question Ruby asked during a lazy study session. The rest of their teams were scattered about the common room, working on homework or reading books. Jaune looked over at her from his textbook.

"Hm? Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm curious!" Ruby said cheerfully, hopping over to sit next to him on the other side of the couch. "I mean, I've never been to Radian. You always visited us."

Jaune hummed.

"Well, not much to tell. Most of Radian is still pretty rural," he said, "Farms, dairies."

"But you do have a manor, right?" Yang asked.

"Ooh! A manor!" Nora perked up. "So if we visit you, we'll be at a mansion? Servants and butlers? Should we get maid outfits?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Jaune said, waving a hand, "It's just ancestral lands. We did have a manor but that's been abandoned for ages, fire damage did it in. I grew up in a big farmhouse."

He sighed with a small, warm smile.

"Rolling green hills as far as the eye could see. Wheat and corn growing tall. Horses and cows and pigs and chickens... Everything. Fields of wild flowers and vegetables. Vineyards and some breweries. Little streams crisscrossing everything... It was all very beautiful."

"I take it you had to get up at 5 AM to milk the cows and so on?" Weiss asked dryly. Jaune nodded.

"Yup. We had some hired helpers. Oh, and Mrs. Gaffer. She and her husband took over running a lot of the farm after my father died, and my mom went off to the hospital. We all helped out as much as we could, keep it going of course. I think Lilac and her husband might take up residence in it."

"Sounds wonderful," Ruby sighed, leaning against Jaune. He snorted.

"Well, as long as you don't have to deal with the pigs. They are mean things, stinky and cruel. I was happy to turn those jerks into bacon."

"Ooh! I love bacon on my pancakes!" Nora cheered.

"I've never been to a farm," Pyrrha sighed, now sitting on Jaune's other side, "I can picture it in my mind. Wide open fields, full of life. Birds singing, cattle lowing..." She blushed.

"Jaune working the fields with his shirt off~..."

"Getting splashed with water, running in rivulets down his bare pecs~," Yang chimed in with a naughty grin.

"Pfft," Weiss snorted, "I don't see the appeal. Some brutish thug working the fields, getting food, chopping firewood, tilling the Earth, getting... Dirty and filtthy and putting in a hard day's work like a real man..."

"Careful Weissy, you're drooling," Yang teased.

"I AM NOT!" Weiss huffed, bright red.

"Okay, down, down, don't make me get the hose!" Jaune laughed, half-jokingly. "Not again."

"Don't you like to make us wet?" Ruby asked innocently.

Jaune choked hard. Nora patted him on the back and giggled.

"Ruby!" Yang growled.

"What?" Ruby asked, still innocently. "Isn't that something Pyrrha says Jaune makes her? Isn't that a good thing?"

"PYRRHA!" Yang snarled, eyes going red. Pyrrha grinned demonically back.

"You act like Jaune making me wet is a bad thing... Wanna make something out of it?!"

"Maybe I do?!"

BONK!

"OWWWW!"

"Enough of that," Jaune sighed.

---

Author's Note: Hey guys. Just so you know, I'm finally starting my new job next week. So updates to this story will take longer. Next one will be on May 24th. But please review and spread this story around! The email upgrades aren't working on and since I write this for free, I live for feedback!