Six Years Later
Vernal reached behind her and brought out her crescent blades, switching them into from carry to active mode. "Ready?" she asked, smirking.
Across from her, Jaune stood tall and met her gaze, "Let's-"
Not letting him finish, Vernal lunged at him with a quick slice towards his chest. Jaune bit his tongue and quickly started backpedaling. Vernal was relentless and kept pace with him as he retreated, maintaining the distance between them as she attacked. Eventually, Jaune missed a step and her blade dug into his shoulder and bounced off his aura, scoring her the first blow.
From up high on a thick tree branch Raven watched the fight with crossed arms.
Jaune grit his teeth and met another attack head on instead of continuing to back away. Pale aura flared again as a vicious stab connected with his chest, but Jaune powered through and landed a punch straight at Vernal's face. He quickly reached down with his left hand and gripped the sheathe at his waist and pulled it forward as he drew with his sword in one fluid motion with his right. Rearing from the punch, Vernal barely managed to bring her weapons up in time to block and stumbled back from the force of his sword.
Having lost her momentum, Vernal backed off and trained her guns on Jaune as he sheathed his sword again, daring him to approach. At an unheard signal, Jaune kicked off into a sprint. Yellow beams fired off from Vernal's weapons, but he kept pace and drew his sword to cut through the volley. When he was in range Vernal threw and bounced her weapon off the ground towards Jaune, but he deflected it high and above.
A shadow blocked out the light above and he looked up to see Vernal had leapt off the ground to catch her weapon in mid air. She brought her up her arms and Jaune trained his weapon above him ready to block her plunging attack. His eyes widened however as she landed in a crouch in front of him instead, her earlier maneuver having been a bluff. Jaune wasn't prepared to block as she crossed and uncrossed her arms, cutting two X shaped patterns into his unprotected chest.
Jaune grit his teeth and glared down on her as he gripped his sword with both hands and swung down. Vernal easily sidestepped and carved another chunk of his aura as she jumped back to make sure she stayed out of range. It was then her turn to be surprised as Jaune followed her set in a familiar stance, one leg in front of the other and his right hand gripping the sheathed sword on his waist.
Transitioning into his pose with practiced ease, Jaune had kicked off the ground towards her poised and ready to strike. Vernal crossed her blades in front of her, sharpened edges pointed to the ground and sky, to block another slash. Jaune had other plans though and stepped forward with his back a leg into a sudden shoulder check. The flat side of Vernal's weapons crashed into her face and dazed her, forcing her back a step.
Through the stars in her vision Vernal saw Jaune fall into his stance again and a pale yellow film enveloped his arms as his blue eyes shone brighter. She braced as he drew his sword and was sent skidding back as it impacted her guard, wincing as blue gray aura crackled around her arms. Jaune didn't let up yet and continued to bare down on her with fierce heavy blows all the while drawing and sheathing after a combination just as he was taught.
The glow from before might have dissipated after the first hit, but the ball was entirely in Jaune's court now. Each strike she blocked rattled the bones in her arms and fatigue was building in her muscles. Finally, a savage upward slash tore her defenses open and Vernal's eyes widened as the tip of Jaune's sword was pointed directly at her chest. Opting for a different attack, his arms and eyes began to glow again and Jaune reversed the grip on his sword and rammed the hilt into her cheek.
Vernal landed hard on her back and aura flared up around her body in response to the trauma. She snapped her head up and saw that Jaune was only a couple feet away. Thinking fast, she brought up her weapons and switched functions on the fly as her blonde attacker closed the distance. At once a solid yellow beam erupted from her guns and Jaune's eyes widened as he brought up his sword to defend.
The beam briefly pummeled the edge of his sword before he was overwhelmed and was caught on the shoulder, spinning him around. A second beam hit his chest and Jaune was sent airborne as it lifted him off his feet and knocked him to the ground, sword and sheath on either side.
"Enough!" Raven declared loudly. She dropped from her perch in the trees and slowly began walking towards them.
Vernal spared her a glance before shifting her weapons into carry mode and dusting herself off. She recovered first and made her way to a groaning Jaune still laid out, "You did pretty good. The hits you landed were solid and still hurt even though I blocked them. Two or three direct attacks and I might have been done for." She smirked, "Might."
Jaune took her hand and staggered to his feet, ignoring her words, "Did you have to blast me twice!? Ugh, aura or not it's not exactly a good feeling." He bent over and picked up his weapon, securing it to his waist as he clutched his chest.
She shrugged, "Your aura's still intact, right? Quit whining, I knew you could take it."
Jaune scoffed, "What happened to 'a friendly spar?' Weren't you gonna conserve dust, what happened to that!?."
"Shut up already! We're getting more tonight anyways, I just thought I might as well make sure these guns were shooting straight." Vernal watched, amused as he glared back. Her arms and wrists still tingled from all the blocking she did. Had he made solid contact with his sword the match might have ended differently.
Him and Vernal turned to face Raven as she finally closed the gap, Jaune wanted to keep arguing but was silenced as Vernal punched him. "What do you think, Raven?" Vernal called out. "He's gotten-"
"He was pathetic." Raven sneered. Vernal's smirk quickly melted away. "What good is a sword wielding it like that? The way you were swinging it around I think a club might suit you better!"
Jaune's hand fell away from his chest and he looked down at his feet.
"Vernal should not have been quick even to block your first strike. Why did she?" Raven pressed.
"I'm getting faster, I just need to keep practicing." he offered."
"Useless. Aura is good for a great many things, in your case especially. If you're not going to utilize it to the fullest then it's wasted on you!" Vernal stepped to the side and watched awkwardly as Raven stared up at Jaune, the difference in height not dissuading her in the slightest.
"You need to be faster and strike harder. Your footwork is a mess and your technique is embarrassing. If you're going to use your semblance then it's to seize victory. Spar or not you fight to win and above all you never drop your weapon!" Raven stared hard into Jaune's eyes who remained stone faced and silent. "Clean yourself up and prepare for tonight.
Raven spun on her heel and headed towards her tent. Vernal made to follow but turned and looked like she was about to say something before she thought better of it and walked off. Jaune clenched his fists and marched off.
:X:
Jaune weaved in and around the other bandits as they set off making preparation for the raid. It was once again time to pack up and move camp and the upcoming raid would help make sure they were properly supplied for the trip back north. It was just past noon and the attack would start in a few short hours. They'd take what they could from the settlement, then spend the next two days resting and double checking supplies before finally setting off.
He pushed aside the flaps to his tent and began to take off his combat gear. He wore dark blue armoured gauntlets over fingerless gloves. A black robe like some in the tribe wore and light gray pants with boots. The belt that held his short sleeve black robe shut was about to come off when he felt a breeze tickle the back of his neck. Jaune snapped around and drew his sword in a flash, holding the point at eye level to the intruder. The extremely short intruder.
Rouge pink's hair had gotten longer but was no less curly than it ever was. Bangs rested on her forehead while the rest of her hair was tied back in a tail and cascaded down her back. Over a pair of shorts she wore a light gray robe that reached just below her knees and was cut off at the shoulders. She wore billowing sleeves that exposed a bit skin just above her biceps and boots that reached her shins. Her robe was held shut with a pink sash.
Pink eyes curve upwards in amusement, "You've gotten really good at that!" Rouge put her hand on the blade and tugged lightly on it until Jaune grinned and let it go. She gripped the sword by the handle and struck the pose she always saw him and Raven do.
Jaune crossed his arms and watched with mirth in his eyes. "Widen your stance a bit and crouch slightly."
Rouge did as she was told and once she'd gotten comfortable she yelled as she slashed the open air front of her and froze. She stayed in place for a few seconds for dramatic effect before she straightened up, "Well? Well!?" she asked, eyebrows raised.
"Awful," he grinned.
She pouted, "What!? That was totally how you do it! I copied the good footwork, the perfect edge alignment, the mean glare, the flared nostrils, and the way you press your lips together! It was perfect, take it back right now!"
Jaune flushed, "I-I don't do that stuff!"
"Hm?" Rouge tilted her head to the side causing her bangs to fall to one side and cover an eyebrow, "You don't believe me? You've gotten really good. It's super cool to see. Honest!"
Jaune felt his ears heat up, "That's not what I- ahh, forget it."
"Okay! So again, spot on right?" Glee radiated off her in waves.
He put his hand under chin and looked up, "Hmmm. Nope." His eyes widened when she reversed her grip on his sword and tossed it at him, "H-hey!" He fumbled with it for a second before he got a firm grip on the handle. "Don't just throw sharp objects around!" He glared without any real heat behind it.
"My bad." she said, guilt nowhere in sight. Jaune held his glare for a few seconds before he deflated he sheathed his sword before taking it off his belt and placing it on his cot. The sheath was metal and he liked to wear it on his belt when he wasn't holding it in battle.
The sword itself was single edged and curved, the blade was made of silver metal forged using whatever process smiths used to make their weapons unnaturally durable. The grip was rectangular and long enough for one hand to hold it comfortably, but with enough room still to two hand it for more power.
If compared side by side with a certain other sword it wouldn't be too hard to guess what it was modeled after. The most marked differences being the lack of a guard and length, it being slightly less than half the size of Raven's sword while sheathed.
Jaune's impromptu combat lesson brought his mind back to Raven's harsh words after the spar earlier. A frown settled on his face and it was only after a particularly hard pinch from Rouge did he remember where he was.
"You okay? I mean I know you're not, but I want to hear you say it anyway." Rouge peered up at him a small smile playing on her lips, but her concern came through loud and clear.
Jaune undid his belt and shrugged off his robe, leaving him in a sleeveless dark blue shirt and his pants. "It's nothing. Raven had some notes on my spar earlier that's all.
"Raven, hm?"
He paused, "Huh?"
"Nothing. It's just past noon and we've got plenty of time before the raid," Rouge pulled him over to where the pillows on the floor lay, "so let's talk." Reaching behind she pulled out a thermos and unscrewed it to reveal it teaming with amber liquid and letting off steam. "Tea?"
A smile spread across Jaune's face, "Where were you keeping that?"
"Just sit down!"
Jaune sighed and pulled out a small wooden table he kept in his tent along with two wooden cups and placed and sat down beside Rouge. After she poured the contents he took a sip his eyes widened.
"What do you think?"
"It's...terrible," he said as he coughed and cleared his throat. "Where'd you get this?"
"What!? No way!" Rouge hurriedly took a sip of her downing half the contents of her cup despite the steam still wafting off it. "Mathung!" she cried as she coughed and spluttered.
"Heh." The corners of Jaune's mouth curved upward slightly while he stifled a laugh.
"Think that's funny do ya?" Rouge glared before she eventually burst into laughter with Jaune following suit. "You're right though. Man, this was so not worth it."
Jaune frowned, "Making tea?"
"Hm?" Rouge screwed the lid back onto the thermos before putting it side off the side and off the table.
"What did you mean 'It wasn't worth it.' What did you do?" Jaune narrowed his eyes and he turned to look at Rouge but she avoided his gaze.
"U-uh well…" When he saw he grip her left forearm with her right hand Jaune he wasn't going to like what she had to say next. "I might have taken the leaves for the tea...from Raven's tent."
"You WHAT!?" Jaune tried to stand up but ended up bashing his legs on the table where the cups still rested, but Rouge hands quickly darted out and lifted them before their contents went everywhere. "What were you thinking! What if someone saw you? What if Raven caught you? What if-"
Rouge reached out and squeezed his shoulder, "Hey! Hey! Breathe for a second." When Jaune finally calmed down enough Rouge explained, "Look everyone's running around prepping for the raid. No one's gonna care or notice what I do or where I go as long I'm careful and out of the way. Raven and Vernal where with you all morning remember?"
Jaune shook his head, "Still though. There's no reason for it; we could have picked up some tea on one of the raids. What were you thinking!"
Rouge sighed, "I won't say I wasn't nervous about it, but then again it's not just some tea. It's Raven's tea from Raven's tent. Besides, it was only a few leaves, it's not like she'll notice" A wide grin spread across her face, "I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking screw Raven."
He thought her words over in his head and it was true the camp was a whirlwind of activity and Vernal and Raven were with him. "It was totally not called for, but nothing bad came out of it in the end so I guess it could have been worse. Don't do this again though."
Rouge leaned bumped her shoulder to Jaune's "All's forgiven then?"
"Absolutely not!" Jaune put his hands on her shoulders, "Seriously."
She tried to win him over with a smile, but Jaune's face was stone."...Okay." She relented.
"Then we're good."
"Great!" Rouge smiled brightly and Jaune sighed. "Still though, the leaves smelled pretty good, too bad they make such shit tea. I couldn't wait so I used my powers to boil the water quickly in case someone came around with questions. I can't believe Raven drinks this stuff." She reached into one of her sleeves and pulled out a cloth wrapped around a small clump of dried tea leaves and offered it Jaune. "Here.
Jaune glanced at her before he leaned over and took in the earthy scent of the leaves. They were fragrant and smelled wonderful. "Huh, you're right."
A couple miles away in the coastal village the tribe set their sights on a black mass poured in from the sea and soon the air was filled with the sound of screams.
:X:
Several hours later the tribe was ready to set off for the village. A small group would be left behind to defend the camp while a larger force went off to ransack the town. The bandits would attack at sunset as per Raven's orders, but soon things were derailed.
A commotion broke out at the gate and Jaune emerged from his tent dressed in his combat gear. When he arrived he saw the bulk of the tribe there gathered with Rouge already waiting for him. Her outfit remained largely unchanged with the addition of leather greaves and bracers and a leather belt adorned with pouches just below her sash. Strapped across her back was a metal rod with a handle in the center and one end leading to a long thick blade with metal protrusions sticking out on either side.
"Hey," Jaune said as he walked up, "What's going on? Why's everyone bunched up?"
Rouge greeted him with a brief smile, "The scout party Raven sent to scope out the town came back decimated. The only survivor came through the gates a few minutes ago demanding to see Raven." Jaune pushed through the crowd with Rouge in tow to see a single vaguely familiar bandit with torn and bloody clothes on the ground before Raven and Vernal.
"Explain yourself, Blanche." commanded Raven.
Blanche hung his head and clutched his side. You could see bandages peeking through a large gash in his clothes. "Grimm. Small Grimm came pouring out of the surrounding woods and attacked the village, driving the people towards the water. Something came out of the sea and slaughtered them." Rouge clutched Jaune's arm.
"You alone survived out of the two others I sent with you? How?"
"..." The crowd of bandits quietly began muttering among themselves. She had already guessed just how he managed to escape.
"You ran didn't you, coward?" Raven crossed her arms and glared hatefully at the man before her.
"Y-yes." he took a deep breath before continuing. "The attack came so suddenly and we were caught off guard too. One slashed me but I managed to get away and bandage myself up as best I could. The other's are gone."
"And now you come crawling back here expecting me to lick your wounds."
"No!" The scout's outburst silenced the crowd's chatter. "I know I don't have long and I know there's nothing for me here after doing what I did, but I can't die here. Those freaks killed my friends! I refuse to die on my knees like an animal. I need to see what they did to them and afterwards I'll kill as many as I can and die on my feet like a man. You're the only one who can give me that."
Raven said nothing and looked down on him with a blank expression. Beside her, disgust came through loud and clear on Vernal's face, "Raven-" she began to say but was silenced with a single gesture.
No one said anything and all you could hear were the birds and the wounded man's ragged breathing. Blanche leaned forward and touched the tips of his fingers to Raven's shoe, "Please."
Raven uncrossed her arms and leaned down to drag Blanche up by his ruined clothes. "Very well," she said simply. "The rest of you quit your gawking and prepare to leave! It's sooner than we planned but the Grimm don't care about provisions, so the sooner we leave and exterminate them the sooner we can take what's ours and rest. Move!" Jaune and Rouge gave each other a look and nodded before splitting off.
An hour later the tribe broke through the treeline to see a village in ruins. There was still some time before sunset as the massive star still hung high above the ocean. Small fires had broken out from the Grimm attack but the flames were scattered and there would be plenty left behind for the tribe.
Raven surveyed the ruined village from just outside the treeline before turning to address her hoard of bandits. "There it is, made all the easier for us thanks to the Grimm. Search and destroy! Clear them out and once you're done, take what we need!" she shouted. Behind her the marauders roared their approval before they charged into the center of town. Brandishing various weapons and attracting the Grimm.
"My friends," Blanche called out. "I need to find their bodies! I need you to get to them." He grabbed onto Raven's arm to keep from falling over.
"I haven't forgotten," answered Raven as she wrenched her arms out of his grip. "Jaune, Vernal, Rouge. Take the village while I see to his final moments."
Jaune and Rouge nodded before they broke off and went West as Vernal jerked her head to a small group of cutthroats that stayed behind and took off East. .
After they were gone Raven turned to Blanche, "Lead the way then, Blanche. I'll grant you your dying wish."
Blanche nodded solemnly, "Thank you. It's this way. Towards the cliff above the sea."
:X:
"It's just Grimm this time," Jaune said. "Let's get this over with quickly so we can head back and chow down yeah?"
Rouge nodded silently. Gradually, their pace slowed as they entered the village proper. Soon enough, they came to a stop in front a house with it's door caved in. Some others had their roofs collapsed and other still were smouldering wrecks. "The people here are all gone." Her voice was quiet.
Jaune nodded. "Yeah. Thankfully the Grimm made this all the more simple."
"You're relieved about all this?" Rouge rounded on Jaune, eyes accusing.
He sighed, "Aren't you? This settlement was going to end up like this one way or the other the moment Raven set her sights on it. This way is easier for us." Rouge hated that she agreed with him, but she couldn't fault him for speaking what also on her mind. Even if pointless, arguing the issue made her feel at least somewhat better about what they had to do. Even if served no one but herself. This time was different though. For some reason, she couldn't find it in her to continue and they marched on in silence.
Well into the village a few wayward Beowolves' ears perked up at the sound of conflict where the tribe first charged in. Sniffing the air, they began to growl as Jaune and Rouge made their appearance. Silently, Rouge planted her feet while Jaune strode forward, hand on hilt. One of the Beowolves tensed before it broke from its pack and charge forward. It raised one of it's claws and lashed out at Jaune who avoided the straightforward attack easily and maneuvered to the creature's right flank. The Grimm's second claw went for Jaune again and this time he ducked underneath it and drew his sword. With two precise cuts he lobbed off the offending arm before turning the blade and cleaving its head off.
A different Beowolf set its sights on Rouge and snarled before jumping at her. She took one look and jumped back as it stomped the ground where she was standing moments before. She reached behind her and pulled out her weapon, Verreaux. Triggering a switch, the back end lengthened while the bladed end jutted out further. Near the handle in the center, three strips colored red, green, and blue glowed and led to small that channel trailed up the length of the weapon to reveal a small opening near the blade just after the wings. The way the weapon was designed one might have mistaken it for a sword with an extremely long handle
Rouge quickly readied Verreaux and stabbed at the Beowolf's shoulder. She tore the point free and creature roared before it pounced again but Rouge darted to side and slashed its leg. The Grimm stumbled before seizing up as the tip was embedded in it's ribcage and collapsed, slowly beginning to evaporate. The ground shook behind her and Rouge turned to find another Beowolf had joined the fray.
She quickly backpedaled from its gaping maw and activated a different mechanism in Verreaux's shaft. Faint red wisps sprayed out from the opening and the dust ignited. The spear's uncommonly short reach easily allowed her to maneuver her weapon between them and slashed upwards, commanding a pillar of fire to erupt from beneath the Beowolf. A different switch followed by a sudden shift in temperature expelled blue dust that quickly formed itself into a jagged icicle above them that impaled the Grimm as she swung her weapon down. The beast hunched over, the spike keeping it upright while as it began to vanish.
To Rouge's surprise she turned to find another creature of Grimm was lying in wait as it attacked from behind. It lunged, but suddenly a wave of pale yellow energy slashed it straight down the middle before collapsed into black smoke."Give me a hand will ya!" Jaune yelled. Rouge whirled around and saw that he was facing off against three more Beowolves. Rouge flourished her weapon and stabbed it into the ground. The earth rumbled briefly before vines sprouted and entangled two of the Beowolves with the third leaping high in the air. The two ensnared creatures were pulled to the ground and constricted with enough force to break their limbs before they began to sublimate.
The final Beowolf landed with a crash forcing Jaune to jump back. This one was was different it had more bone plating and was larger furthermore, it wasn't mindlessly rushing in like the rest. Jaune ducked under its claw as it lunged and slashed at it but to his surprise the creature swung its other arm in response and blocked the strike with it bone armor. His blade bounced off uselessly leaving only a scratch and throwing Jaune off his rhythm. The Beowolf lunged and grabbed Jaune by the shoulders and pulled him towards its jaws before it suddenly reeled as ice shard embedded themselves in its shoulder. He turned and saw a pink blur slam into the Grimm's side.
Rouge had charged the creature and thrown her whole weight behind the spear to run it through but the creature had shifted at the last second. Instead of stabbing it clear through its chest from the side as she intended she ended up merely grazing it as it stepped back causing her to fall forward but releasing Jaune as well. Its previous target forgotten, the Beowolf turned and opened its jaws wide to tear into Rouge from her place on the ground.
Jaune felt the hairs on his neck stand up as energy surged throughout his body from his toes to the tips of his fingers. His eyes glowed a deep cobalt as he willed his body to move faster. Jaune drew his sword and slashed as a pale yellow shell enveloped his sword. The attack cut clean through muscle and bone and the Grimm fell to the ground dead. A deep gash carved through it's shoulder and upper chest exposed its red, seemingly empty, insides before it vanished.
Rouge's breathed a sigh of relief and picked herself off the ground. "Wow, you really have been practicing." She disengaged Verreaux and returned it to its place on her back.
Jaune scanned his surroundings before he sheathed his sword and relaxed his posture. "I'm glad it's paying off. You alright?"
"A few bumps, but my aura barely took any damage. Are you okay though?"
Waving her off, Jaune turned and motioned for her to follow deeper into town, "It's not a big deal. Big reserves 'member? It sounds like the tribe's attracting the bulk of them to the center so let's keep looking around in the meantime and get rid of any more stragglers."
Rouge nodded, "Let's." They walked in silence, the sound of the battle raging on keeping them tense. After a time Rouge spoke again, "It's beautiful," she said, awestruck. In front of them stood a mural of the town at night with shattered moon reflecting off the sea all drawn from a higher vantage.
"The artist must have stood over there at some point," Jaune pointed West to a cliff that overlooked the town and led to a sheer drop into the ocean. "That's probably where Mom and Blanche went, it's a pretty vantage point to be honest. The scouting party was most likely camped there."
"..."
"Rouge?"
"Yeah." She continued to stare at the mural, almost as if seeing through it.
"What's wrong?" Jaune stepped closer and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Are you feeling alright?"
"The the people here didn't deserve this."
"Rouge-" Whatever Jaune had to say next was lost as the wall the mural was painted on exploded throwing Jaune and Rouge back. From the other side two glowing red eyes and a hulking furry mass littered with bone emerged from the other side. The Grimm roared and shook the ground with every step. Jaune rolled back and fell into his stance, eyes watering and coughing up dust. "Rouge back me- Rouge!?"
He frantically looked every direction he could, but Rouge had vanished. As panic began to set in the Grimm attacked.
:X:
Raven walked silently just a step behind Blanche as he led the way to where his group was attacked. "How much longer?" she asked.
Blanche was interrupted by a series of coughs wracking his body, "N-not much longer, Ma'am. We decided to camp out near the cliff. Get a view of the town's layout, see who comes in and out."
"Smart," Raven stopped dead in her tracks, "but I was referring to how much longer you were going to keep up this charade."
"Ma'am?" Blanche hunched over and gripped his side.
"Don't act the fool now, you're caught. For a man on his last legs you kept up surprisingly well on the trip here. Not to mention despite being covered in blood your bandages are surprisingly clean, and not even asking for painkillers to ease your suffering?" Raven rested her right hand on Omen's hilt. "Don't take me for a fool."
Blanche stared at her wide eyed before straightening up, "You're smarter than you look."
"That means nothing coming from a worm like you. Why did you kill the others? Talk!" A faint clicking noise filled the air as Raven gripped Omen's sheath and the rotating chamber inside came to life before settling on a color.
"There's one other thing I lied about, Ma'am. The place I was leading you? We're already here. NOW!" Blanche dove through a set of bushes as a sharp hiss filled the air. Raven's eyes darted to the sides and she sucked in a breath as an explosion tore through the forest.
"Did we get her!?" Blanche asked from a dugout just through the bushes. To either side were his two other party members, both thought to be dead.
"Be quiet a second will you? Argh, those bombs must have ruptured my ear drums." A thin trail of blood slowly ran down his neck. "Did you have to go so heavy on the dust?"
Blanche rolled his eyes and turned to his other companion, "You. Get up there and check."
"What!?" he hissed. "Why me? What if she's up there waiting for us?"
"She would have skewered us already, idiot. Fine. I'll do all the work. You clowns make yourselves useful and watch my back." Blanche leaned forward and turned, grabbing the top of the dugout and pulling himself up through the bushes to peek out. The forest floor was blackened and the trees and plant life scorched, there was nothing left of her.
"Ha! We got the bitch! Get up here guys!"
The bushes rustled once more and his two other party members each scrambled through the bushes, "Shouldn't there be something left over? Blood? Hair? This doesn't seem right."
"Ugh, quit your yapping! It's fine. She only had a second to react, there's no way she got out of there. You two search further out from the blast zone while I call it in." Blanche gestured to bushes where they split off and reached into his torn shirt and pulled out a scroll. "Hey. It's me. Yeah we got it done. Easy shit just like I said. The boys are collecting proof as I'm sure you can imagine. You better have the money waiting for us."
The call ended and Blanche looked up as just one of his cohorts came back. "Where's the other one?"
"The hell should I know? Didn't say nothin' when I called out to him. Maybe he found something or maybe he really did lose his hearin'. Anyway, you sure this was a good idea? What if those guys back out on us and we get nothing?"
"Don't worry. We've got just the right life experience our new boss is looking for. Just look at those three other goons we met in that town two weeks back. They're working on Raven's brats while we were doing this. Salem needs us."
His next words were interrupted as a bird call rang out from the trees. Blanche looked up and saw a bird with jet black feathers and red eyes staring back at him. "Filthy bird. Shut up!" He yelled at it, but the bird tilted it's head and cried again as it flew overhead. A single black feather falling in between two the turncoats. "Gods, I hate crows."
"That wasn't a crow…"
"Yeah? So what? Get back out there and find the other idiot. I need to get out of these clothes, they reek."
"That was a raven..."
"So what!?" Blanche and his companion both turned to look at the feather as it slowly settled on the ground beneath. The sound of beating wings caused Blanche to look up and freeze.
Fierce red eyes glared back at him. Another flash of red and his partner fell to the ground with a dull thud. Blanche stumbled back and fell, "How did you-wait! You need me! There are three others! know where they're going to be and where they're camped out!" He pleaded and crawled backwards, never blinking for fear of never opening his eyes again.
"I don't need anything from you," Raven spat out, a trail of red flowing from her left ear where her hair parted slightly.
"W-wait, wait, WAIT!" His pleading ceased moments later.
Raven sheathed her sword and looked back in the direction of the village. Salem knew where she was and she had three other agents out there hunting. She placed a hand on her sword and drew it again, but held it at her side, hesitating. She stared off into the forest for a few seconds before swiftly slashing the air beside her and creating a crimson portal. Sheathing her sword, she stepped through.
:X:
Jaune's series of troubles had no end. Soon after killing the second Alpha Beowolf he quickly set off looking for Rouge when a good portion of the forest suddenly went up in flames. The fighting in the center of the village was still going strong, but the amount of Grimm wandering the village still was oddly high and he'd be forced to slow down and fight. He'd searched the area immediately around him but the buildings were empty with no sign of Rouge. The search was dragging on with no zero leads and on top of that there was now someone standing in his way. She wore a white jumpsuit with boots and various brown leather straps going across her chest, thighs and ankles. The suit she wore ended in brown gloves where she had studded brass bracers attached to her forearms.
Her most prominent characteristic was her height. She could easily tower over Jaune would it not for her hunched over posture. Accompanying her height was her long inky black hair and pale complexion.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Jaune shouted, silence was the only answered he received. Dust kicked up behind her as she made a mad dash for him with hands outstretched, he could see several openings on the tips of fingers and one big one on her palm. Her long thin frame belied her speed and unnatural strength. In a flash, she closed the gap between them and Jaune was on the defensive.
Her hand latched onto his bicep with a bone crushing grip, but Jaune struck out and rammed his fist into her nose. The girl flinched but she held strong. It was only when Jaune drew his sword and threatened to impale her did she back off. "Are you a huntress? Are you here for the tribe?" Again, no answer. A purple mist had started diffusing from Jaune' shoulder where she touched him, but faded soon after she retreated.
The girl attacked again but Jaune was ready this time. Sword in hand he met her half way and began slashing at her. The fear of his weapon seemed to have been temporary because now she didn't seem too focused on dodging or blocking with her bracers. The material of her suit was thick and resistant to cutting and none of his strikes slowed her one bit. He needed and edge and Jaune knew just what this situation called for.
His eyes began to shine and his aura materialized around him and his sword. This seemed to set the girl off and the next time he went for a slash she barreled straight through and tackled him to the ground. Her hands were like vices gripping his wrists and he flailed under her as he gasped and coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. He'd finally cut the suit, but now he was at her mercy. The left side of his vision was blotted out as she leaned over and bit his neck.
"What the hell!?" He broke his concentration on the shell enveloping his sword and instead strengthened the protective shield around him but still couldn't shake her loose. The mist came back and wafted off wherever she touched him. The glow faded from his body against his will and he could feel the pressure on his neck much more clearly. Confusion welled up in him and slowly the grip on his sword began to loosen as her hold on him grew more forceful. "I won't...let...go!"
The sudden crack of thunder jarred them both and the girl's grip loosened ever so slightly. Just then a yellow beam impacted his opponent from the side, ripping a scream from her throat. A figure knocked her off of Jaune and he looked up to see Raven standing over him and facing the enemy. Without a word she rushed the girl and traced over where Jaune had ripped her suit with her own sword before turning and kicking her back. The girl fell into a roll some distance away and sat back, watching. The rip he had made was now a full blown gash going from her shoulder towards he chest.
Vernal came into view and dragged Jaune to his feet, "What do you think you're doing with the enemy and what's all this purple crap coming off you?" She had some light bruising on her face and her clothes were filthy.
Jaune rose shakily to his feet and leaned on Vernal despite her protests, "She was attacking me! This purple stuff might be her semblance. I feel weak and I couldn't defend against it even with my aura. What happened to you?"
Vernal grimaced, "We were attacked by some jerk a bit after we split off. Sometime after I heard an explosion and Raven came a few minutes after and helped me finish him off." She shoved Jaune's arm off her shoulder, "You're lucky Raven found you when she did."
A smile split Jaune's face, "Thanks for the save...Big-"
"Don't you-"
"Focus!" shouted Raven. "Where is Rouge?" Raven never took her eyes off the girl for a moment. Her hands rested on Omen's hilt and sheath, ready to draw at the slightest provocation.
The mirth left Jaune immediately, "I don't know. We were ambushed by a Grimm and when I killed it I couldn't find her anywhere. This girl attacked me while I was searching. Who is she?"
Raven drew her sword and sent a burning arc into the ground, stopping the girl's sudden advance. "It doesn't matter. I need to find Rouge. You and Vernal take care of her in the meantime."
"Right." Vernal nodded and turned to face their opponent fully.
"W-wait what!?" Jaune protested. "Stay and help us, it'll be quicker that way!"
"How long has Rouge been gone?" Raven shot back. "I'm the quickest out of all of us, I have the best chance of finding her. You two against her will be enough."
Vernal smacked the back of his head and pulled out her weapons, "Stop arguing. The fire's gonna burn out any second."
"You'll be fine, Jaune," Raven said. "You got caught unawares before, but now you know better. You'll win."
Jaune's eyes widened, for a moment and his mouth moved without making a sound. Raven kept her back facing them and made to move away before Jaune called out again, "Promise me you'll get her back safe."
"..."
"Promise!"
Raven took a deep breath and dropped her shoulders as she exhaled, "Fine." Then she disappeared around the corner of a wrecked building and she was gone.
Jaune and Vernal turned to the girl who seemed content now that Raven had gone. Deep purple aura encased her person.
"What!?" Vernal cried. "Her aura wasn't even up?"
"I...I didn't even notice." Jaune stammered, "How tough is she?"
"Idiot," Vernal scolded, "You should be more observant. Get ready. Here she comes..."
:X:
The last thing Rouge remembered was talking to Jaune, the wall in front of them exploding, and the rush of wind in her ears. She tried to rub the drowsiness but found she couldn't move her arms or legs. Panicking, she blinked rapidly and scanned her surroundings. Her arms, hands, and legs were tied with thick ropes and she was propped up against a tree. A breeze carrying the smell of the ocean swept through her hair.
A voice rang out from behind her, "Awake are you?" The figure moved from into her field of view and crouched in front of her. "It was incredibly easy convincing those scouts of yours to give you up, you know. Doesn't seem like Raven is one to inspire loyalty in the people she leads, huh?"
He was somewhere in thirties and dressed somewhat smartly in a leather vest over a white collar shirt and a red tie done up in a messy knot. Finally, he had short brown hair swept up and to the side. Rouge could hear the faint sound of rattling chains whenever he moved, Verreaux hung off his shoulder. Looking around, she could see she was just outside the woods with the ocean spreading out before her, the scene in the mural came to mind.
"Who are you?" Rouge strained against the ropes, but they showed no signs of giving. "What did you do with Jaune?"
"The blonde? Who knows?" The man shrugged and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Name's Eton, by the way."
"What did you do with him!?" Rouge thrashed against her bindings and tried to lunge at Eton, but the ropes on her legs were tight. She rolled onto her side facing away from him and continued to struggle. "You better not have hurt him!"
Eton whistled, "Wow...quite the show you're putting on. Did the kid mean that much to you? Listen up, as soon my companions show up we're gonna get you acquainted with someone very eager to meet you. The name Salem ring any bells?"
Rouge froze, "The traitors told you about us...and you know about her too…"
Taking a drag, Eton glanced at her as she curled into herself on the ground, "So it does sound familiar. I'm not one to accept jobs without meeting the client or getting a sense of the risk, but the money was too good to pass up. Tell me, what does this Salem want with a little girl like you? Ma, didn't approve of your man back there? You a runaway?"
"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, huh?" Rouge still kept her back to him.
"On the contrary, I was hurting for cash so I got myself a job, and let me tell you I got perilous need for it."
Rouge suddenly rolled to face Eton and swung her leg around, kicking him in the back of the knee and tearing Verreaux away from him. Switching her weapon to active mode, she swung the blade at his neck but Eton leaned forward and ducked under the sharpened metal. Rouge activated her ice dust and willed a wave of ice to shoot up between them. The ropes holding her down had been incinerated.
"Woah there, girl!" Eton shot up and backpedaled away from the ice that threatened to skewer his ankles. "You're not totally helpless then!" He reached behind himself and pulled out a long thin coil of chain. "Why don't you simmer down?" He gripped the chain and swung the other end at her, but Rouge quickly backed away. The last few links of the chain weren't made of ordinary metal.
The end of the chain was a foot or two off from reaching her when a sigil materialized in the middle of the chain right before the last link. The end of the chain broke apart and the burnt orange metal began to glow and exploded outward from the sigil, blowing Rouge off her feet and into a tree. Falling to her knees, she stabbed Verreaux into the ground for support as she dragged herself into a standing position. There wasn't much left of her aura after that.
"Sorry, girl. If you're gonna make things difficult then I won't mind getting rough myself. I'm under orders to bring you alive at all costs, you're coming with me either whole or in pieces." The chain rattled as Eton began approaching Rouge.
The wind picked up and the trees began to sway back and forth. Eton watched curiously as storm clouds gathered overhead darkening the sky completely if not for the sun hovering over the sea. "What's all this now? Is weather manipulation your semblance or something?" Eton looked at Rouge again and raised an eyebrow as she lifted her head and saw pink flames spewing from her eyes.
"I was being foolish before," she said. "I was your target all along, that's why you kidnapped me the way you did, you didn't even bother with Jaune. You should know that in the tribe there are four who are stronger than the rest and that I was the weakest one. Jaune is fine and whatever trap you set for Raven and Vernal is sure to have failed. You should have pressed the traitors for better information."
Eton pulled back his chain and let the end rest at his feet, "You better believe I did. My job was to go after you. The job of my other two associates was to take care of the short haired girl and your friend so they wouldn't get in my way."
"I'm not worried." Rouge took a deep breath and tore Verreaux from the ground and slashed the air sending a wave of fire at Eton. In response the mercenary swung his chain vertically and parted the blaze down the middle. On the other side he saw Rouge with her arms outstretched and brought them together. The fire followed her command and coalesced into two burning comets before crashing into Eton.
He jumped out of the inferno, green aura flashing. He reached into a bag attached to his belt and threw out a cluster of objects at Rouge. A large sigil formed in midair and when the objects passed through them their velocity abruptly increased. Remembering what happened last time she saw that symbol, Rouge dove out of the way. She snapped her head around to see the tree behind ripped apart as three holes were bored into it's thick trunk.
"You like that?" Eton called out, "My semblance, Railgun, allows me to accelerate any object that passes through those symbols in the air to super high speeds. Honestly, I went a little overboard there so I'm glad you had enough sense to dodge." The mercenary reached into the bag again and pulled out a small metal object the size of a marble, "See? Just an everyday ball bearing."
Eton chuckled as he tossed the ball bearing up and down in his palm, "Even a pebble would do some serious damage. These just look better. Who needs an actual gun, am I right?" To accent his point, he grasped the metal ball in his hand before tossing it casually over his shoulder. At the ball's apex a sigil formed and the bearing passed through sending the projectile in the opposite direction.
Rouge's eyes widened and she screamed as the ball impacted her shoulder and shattered her aura. The largest sigil she had seen by far formed in front of Eton and suddenly he was there next her, "Gotcha." He swung his chain and caught Rouge as it wrapped around her arm. "Don't move."
Blood poured from Rouge's wounded shoulder, it was all she could do to hold on to Verreaux.
"Face it, girl, you're caught. One wrong move and your arm is gone. My aura will protect me from any damage I may take." The clouds overhead swirled, but Eton was too focused on Rouge to notice. It came to a head when red lightning fell from the sky and struck Eton. His aura barely hanging on and he was left in a daze. Rouge channeled her powers and let loose a strong gust of wind that blew him off his feet.
The mercenary tumbled against the ground and shakily stood on his feet. "You bitch! I'm done messing around!" A silhouette dash out from the tree's and Raven suddenly appeared. She slashed Omen, now sporting a blue blade, and sent a wave of energy at Eton, freezing his arm and much of his upper torso solid. "The others!?" he barked, caught completely off guard.
"Dead," Raven replied. "And after you tell me everything you know you'll join them." Raven sheathed Omen and fell into the stance Rouge had seen thousands of times before both from her and Jaune. However Raven had made the fatal mistake not freezing his entire body as much of his left arm and side was untouched. The side where he kept his projectiles.
"MOVE!" Rouge shrieked and commanded more wind to blow Raven aside. Just then Eton threw out another cluster of ball bearings towards a sigil. The deadly spheres were blown off course, but some still made contact. The trees behind Rogue were torn apart and she felt warmth spread out from her stomach. Peering down she could see her robe darkening. Quickly, she tugged on the pink sash and undid it with her one good arm to keep it from getting stained. In the confusion, Eton broke free from the ice and stared down his two opponents.
Raven looked up in shock as Eton reached for his ammo pouch. Another gust of wind forced him to his knees, but he dug his hand into the ground. "Wind dust won't save you!" he roared. He whipped his head around to see Rouge somehow still upright and pointing her weapon at him with green dust flowing from the end. As he made to stand up he felt something cold sting his bare flesh. He looked down and stared in horror as ice encased his hand, the same cold wrapped around one of his legs, rooting him in place and keeping him hunched over.
"You're wrong," Rouge uttered. "That was magic. What's in my spear isn't wind dust either." Rouge turned Verreaux and stabbed the ground. Eton felt a low rumbling come from beneath him and looked down to see a green sprout break free from the Earth underneath him. His eyes widened as the shaking grew more violent and the cracks widened as the sprout shot upwards.
:X:
Raven picked herself off the ground and turned away from the scene to see Rouge collapse. Slowly, she walked up the dying girl. The minutes passed by as the sun finally hid behind the ocean. The clouds had yet to disperse and any words spoken were lost on the wind.
:X:
Jaune ran through the dark forest, stumbling over roots and fallen branches. The freak storm was centered over the cliff. That's where Rouge was. He had no rhyme or reason behind the feeling. He just knew. It rubbed him the wrong way to leave Vernal behind given she was exhausted, but she insisted she could take care of herself. Besides, the tribe was bound to be done right about now.
The clouds dissipated and for some reason that worried him. He dashed around a pile of wood that used to be a tree and broke through the brush in his way. He froze at the scene before him. Raven was there, she looked startled to see him. Her sword was drawn and Rouge was…
Jaune walked forward stiffly as if his body had a mind of its own. He fell to his knees in front of Rouge whose clothes were ripped and stained. Verreaux was stuck in the ground just out of her reach. The sash he'd made for her threatened to slip through her fingers and blow away.
"Jaune," he heard a voice say. "We're leaving." It sounded muffled and faraway. "We're done with this place. We're going back to camp."
The words didn't make sense to him. What's back at camp? Rouge was right there after all. "No," he heard a different voice say.
Slowly, he gripped the sash and tied it loosely around his waist. He stood and shuffled over to the discarded weapon. Verreaux. It was the name of a species of owl. They read about it together in a book once when they were learning to read. Apparently, its cry was unlike other owls, but they never heard one before. The random tidbits invaded his mind one after the other against his will, seemingly pushed into his head each time he felt the wind rush through his hair. His cheeks felt cold.
"Jaune," Raven said again as he slowly grasped the shaft of Rouge's weapon. "For the last-'' Her eyes widened as Jaune spun around and slashed at her with reckless abandon. She jumped back and stared in shock. Jaune mirrored her look and he peered down at the blade in his hand before he deactivated it and secured it to his belt.
Slowly, deliberately, he put his right foot in front of the other and leaned forwards slightly, left hand gripping the sheath, right hand gripping the hilt. He kicked off and made a beeline to Raven. The bandit leader drew her sword and parried. Every time she tried to speak, Jaune doubled down on his offense and kept her on the backfoot. After going back and forth a few times Raven deflected his sword to the side. Pivoting, she spun and kicked him in the chest before sheathing her sword.
"Stop! How dare you raise your sword against me!" Raven sneered.
Jaune skidded back from the blow, "SHUT UP!" he spat. In the low light conditions on top of the cliff his blue eyes seemed to glow. Aura encased his entire body and electricity danced across his body. Raven was taken aback at him so going so far as to use his semblance: Amplify. Her words to him after the spar he and Vernal had rang in her mind and it made her blood boil.
Jaune kept his eyes fixated on her but held his ground.
"What's wrong?" Raven called out. "You've made your bed so if you're going to cut me just cut me!"
"Rouge was the one who named my sword, do you remember? I didn't get it at first, but right after I got this sword Rouge convinced me to sneak away and explore a nearby village while you were gone. It wasn't the first time. We got back right as you walked out of a portal in front of Vernal's tent. Somehow we got away with it and Rouge told me the reason behind the name."
Raven kept quiet and gripped Omen while Jaune went through his explanation. She could vaguely remember coming back to camp and being surprised at finding Jaune and Rouge awake and outside so early in the morning.
"My sword's name is Auger after a kind of priest from an ancient civilization that would interpret the will of the Gods based on the behavior of the birds. Rouge said if we wanted to keep having adventures and breaking the rules we'd have to sit back and watch."
"So you're just going to sit back and let me make the first move?" Raven tensed and Omen's chamber began to click and rotate. "I thought I taught you to take every chance to prevail over the enemy you could!" She kicked off the ground and began attacking. Fierce heavy blows rained down on Jaune who dodge or deflected every attack as it came, but he was rapidly losing ground. The cliff's edge was steadily approaching. Raven had never fought him seriously before and the gap in their strength was painfully clear. This would be over quickly.
Jaune saw his chance after Raven went to sheathe her sword after a combination attack, one she'd taught him. He dodged the last strike and sheathed his sword and drew it as hard and as fast as he could. Raven's eyes widened and she pulled out a green blade to block. The green metal shattered and Jaune turned the blade and swung in an arc at her chest. For a moment, it seemed like he really had managed to land an attack. Raven proved faster still and she ducked underneath his sword leaving him wide open. She rammed the empty hilt into his gut before stepping back.
The blow glanced off his aura, but shattered all the same. He'd been fighting all day and had finally run out of steam. He fell to knees and clawed at the soil with his fingers, he'd been pushed back to the edge of the cliff. "I HATE YOU!" he screamed. The fight left him and tears ran freely down his face. Dark clouds gathered overhead.
Raven stood a few away and put away her weapon.
"You promised! I hate you…" Jaune declared again, weakly. As Raven approached he put the last of his energy in a wild desperate attack. Gripping Auger and its sheath he struck. Jaune and Raven looked equally shocked that the attack managed to connect. Nevertheless, the sword bounced off her aura and Jaune's was left speechless.
Red flames burned around Raven's eyes and thunder rattled his very bones. Lightning struck the ground between them and the cliff broke apart, sending him plummeting into the raging sea. All he could picture as the waves raced to meet him were Raven's burning red eyes.
:X:
Jaune could feel himself gently rock side to side and his eyes fluttered open to see a metal ceiling overhead. Looking down at himself he could see bandages wrapped around his chest and arms and his head pulsed with a dull consistent ache. He climbed unsteadily to his feet and stumbled across rows of other cots all lined up like bookcases three spots high, the floor was cold underfoot. Eventually he found a large metal door and found the strength to push it open.
Jaune tried to walk out, but tripped over his own feet and fell into a metal hallway. The noise made the pouding in his head more intense and black spots danced across his vision. He pulled himself into a sitting position and hung his head, turning to the side he heard footsteps and a silhouette leaned over him as he lost consciousness.
:X:
Several weeks later
Jaune climbed out of the bullhead and looked around at the bustling crowds that made up the travel hub of Vale. The city was massive and everywhere he looked people tripped over themselves to get where they needed to go, heedless of those around them even so late in the evening. The dark blue armored gauntlets and fingerless gloves in their place on his arms and hands like usual. His clothes had been mended and he wore Auger and Verreaux on his hip. Rouge's pink sash was fastened to his waist.
He'd been rescued by a passing cargo ship on its way to Vale from elsewhere in Remnant. They'd been passing by Mistral where the Grimm had attacked the village and took a detour to investigate the smouldering wreck. They fished him out of the sea, battered and with more water than in air his lungs, but alive. They took him to Vale and gave him whatever money the crew could spare so he could make it to the City of Vale.
Jaune wandered the countryside slaying Grimm and reaping whatever rewards the sparsely populated villages had to offer before moving on. Finally, he managed to bribe a pilot delivering relief supplies to a dying settlement for a flight to proper civilization.
He wandered for what seemed like hours around the city, taking in the sights and smells. It was overwhelming at first and the constant noise from cars and crowds strutting around quickly got annoying. The only place he was interested in getting to was Beacon. Only a huntsman could hope to stand against another huntsman and from what he heard Beacon was just the place he was looking for.
Vernal let it slip that Beacon was where Raven trained once. Rouge dead, clashing swords, a flash of light, and then nothing. The muddied images swirled in Jaune's head and a dark cloud settled over his thoughts. The moon was high in the sky at this point and Jaune was too lost in thought to hear the sounds of yelling as he walked by a store. He was pulled back to the waking world by the sound of shattering glass from behind.
Jaune turned, hand settling on Auger, as a girl clad in red and black clothing landed in a crouched position. A large mechanical scythe with a similar color palette unfolded on her shoulder and easily towered over its wielder. A feet few behind her a man dressed in a black suit with red sunglasses groaned on the ground. The girl sported black hair fading into red tips and silver eyes. Said eyes widened as she noticed him standing just a couple feet away.
"Ohmygosh!" she yelled before shrinking into herself. "I should have checked for other people before I sent that guy through the window!" Her small frame and timid mannerisms clashed fiercely with the lethal weapon still on her shoulder. "Are you-" she was cut off as several men wearing similar black suits and red ties came pouring out from the shop all sporting weapons.
"Stay behind me. I'll protect you," Like a switch being flipped her demeanor changed.
Jaune walked up next to her and turned to face the crowd, falling into his stance he met one of the goons head on. He drew his sword and swiftly defeated his opponent before moving on to the next.
"Huh!?" The girl couldn't say much more as the gangsters charged.
The two fought side by side briefly as the goons quickly fell one after another. The girl zipped around in and around gunfire always a step ahead of them before knocking them out. Jaune wasn't quite as fast, but his attacks were fierce and none could defend against them for long. His last opponent fell with a groan and he looked up to see the girl use some kind of concussive shot to propel herself into the air. She used another shot to send a goon flying at what he assumed was their boss and used the recoil to maneuver herself and land next to him.
"You're pretty good!" she exclaimed. "My name's Ruby! Are you a student like me!? Do you go to Beacon!? Does your sword transform into a gun!?" The girl was on full auto and wouldn't let Jaune get a word in edgewise. She sobered up again as the gang leader sporting a hat and cane spoke.
"Just what I need!" the man dressed in white said. "Two snot nosed brats out after curfew making a mess of my night. Name's Roman Torchwick, kiddies. Don't you know who I am, clearly not. Listen Red, Blondie, I'd love to catch you up with current events but…" As he spoke he pointed his cane at them where the end opened up to reveal a crosshair and barrel. Without warning, a red flare like projectile shot out.
Jaune dashed forward before Ruby could stop him, "Wait!" she yelled. Jaune didn't skip a beat as he drew Auger and cut the projectile in half, sending both pieces flying into the ground at either side.
"WOAH!" Both Ruby and Torchwick yelled in unison though for very different reasons.
"You're a real pain, kid," Torchwick said, exasperated.
Jaune decided he heard enough and rushed him. They traded blows, the man wielding his cane like a sword. Torchwick evaded a slice aim at his head before he gripped his cane by the other end. He deftly reached behind Jaune and hooked his back leg before wrenching it towards him and forcing Jaune onto his back.
"Sorry, kid." Torchwick stepped back and aimed his cane at his younger opponent before firing.
"NO!" Ruby screamed and shut her eyes as Jaune was enveloped in smoke. Tears welled up before the sound of coughing reached her ears. The redhead quickly dashed into the smoke, trailing rose petals as she went. The tail wind from her sudden acceleration cleared away the smoke and she sighed in relief to find Jaune alive.
"He's getting away!" he coughed, clothes covered in dust. "Get after him!" Jaune stood and pointed at Torchwick's retreating form as the man climbed up onto a rooftop from a ladder. He sheathed sword and tried to take off.
"But you're hurt!" she protested. The girl grasped his arm and swiftly recoiled as a mild shock ran through her hand.
Jaune whirled around to face her, blue eyes glowing, "Back. Off." he glared at her before turning and made towards the rooftops. Ruby swallowed and glanced at her hand before she took off after him.
She met up with him on the rooftop, "Wait, you should really see a doctor!" Ruby snapped to attention as the roar of a bullhead's engine filled the air and wind was whipped up into her face. She saw Roman board it before he turned to face them, a red crystal gleaming in his hand.
"End of the line!" he shouted before he threw the dust crystal and fired at it as it landed near their feet. Ruby froze.
"DAMN IT!" Jaune yelled. He brought up his semblance and threw his arms around Ruby, shielding her with his back. The explosion came, but all he felt was confusion as he didn't feel a thing. "What's…" he turned to see a blonde woman brandishing a riding crop and with a hand outstretched, conjuring some kind of barrier in the air.
The woman adjusted her glasses and pelted the bullhead with purple projectiles and weather altering dust techniques. It all reached a climax when a different woman on the bullhead emerged and fired back with her own fire based dust attacks. It came to an end as the blonde woman was forced to save Jaune and Rouge from an explosion and the bullhead retreated.
"You're..." Ruby trailed off, picking herself off the ground from when the blonde woman used her semblance to throw them out of harm's way.
"A huntress." Jaune finished. The woman turned to face them.
"Can I have your autograph!?" Ruby shouted.
:X:
That's it! Sorry for the long wait this time. Life stuff took up all of my free time. This is without a doubt the longest thing I've ever willingly written in my life, I hope you enjoyed it!
One thing I forgot to address earlier was the change to how the maiden powers transferred. I'm just taking out the rule of the successor having to be a 'young woman.' I really don't think this omission matters too much at all to be honest. I'd have to write a completely different story if I adhered to it otherwise.
Some stuff on Jaune and Rouge's gear for those who care:
I spent quite a bit of time mulling over Jaune's weapon and name. I always wanted him to take after Raven and his weapon and outfit were made to reflect that. His black 'robe' is the ones you see the members of the Branwen tribe wearing in the background in the episode where Yang meets Raven and demands she make a portal to Qrow.
In my mind, Jaune's black fingerless gloves and blue gauntlets are just blue versions of the ones Raven wears. I wanted Jaune to fight similarly to Raven but his style isn't completely the same seeing as his sword doesn't change blades like Omen. It definitely won't be a 1 to 1 kind of thing. Auger for his weapon name was kind of a shot in the dark and I was super happy how it worked out in the end.
I had no idea what to call his weapon at first, but I knew I wanted to stick with the theme of birds and 'signs' like Raven's 'Omen' and Qrow's 'Harbinger.' The only thing that came to mind was Auger because at the time I thought an auger was someone who slaughtered animals and took meaning from their guts. This was because of Rick Riordan's character Octavian from the Percy Jackson series I read as a kid.
Turns out an Auger is actually someone in Roman times who interpreted the will of the Gods based on the flight patterns and behavior of a bird or birds. It was kind of perfect in my mind so I made it official. I feel like definitely could have done a better job with the name reveal, but oh well.
Rouge's outfit is taken from the character Sayo in one of my favorite mangas: Akame ga Kill just gray, so not much to say there. The name for Rouge's swordspear was also something that worked out perfectly in my favor. Again I wanted the bird theme to be present and I think owls are pretty darn cool. So, I began searching for an equally cool sounding owl species name. That's kind of a tall order. In the end I picked Verreaux because of how things lined up juuuuust right.
Verreaux's Eagle Owls are owls with a really deep chirp oddly enough, but also mainly possess gray feathers with easily distinguishable, and get this, PINK eyelids!" If you remember Rouge's outfit is gray along with her having pink hair, eyes, and sash. The crazy part to me is I chose the colors BEFORE I learned about Verreaux's Eagle Owls. When I read up on them I thought to myself, "Well. Shit. The weapon name can longer be anything else. It's a match made in heaven!" Why a swordspear you ask? I honestly don't know. It just seemed cool to me is all.
Finally, Verreaux is French and is pronounced Vair-Oh. Kinda. Accents and everything, you know?
Stick around for the next chapter!
A/N: Revised on 06/12/24