The Grimm Story of Jack Marston's Redemption
Chapter. 12
The sound of gunfire at the front gate erupted like an unholy storm, a ceaseless roar melding with the guttural snarls of the encroaching Grimm. Jack's gaze remained locked on the writhing mass of grotesque creatures, his heart pounding like the drum of war. With a steady hand, he dropped the loading lever of his buffalo rifle, slid a fresh cartridge into its maw, and snapped it shut. He shouldered his weapon, not bothering to pick a particular target; instead, he fired into the swirling chaos, each shot little more than a drop in bucket.
Feverish with purpose, Nora reloaded her grenade launcher, each movement electric. She hurled explosive rounds into the churning horde, the grenades arching through the air with a deadly grace before erupting in violent blossoms of fire and shrapnel, tearing the abominations apart and momentarily crafting brief sanctuaries of silence amid the chaos. Then, the ground trembled, a sinister warning, as a blinding white light engulfed the front gate. An unnatural chill swept through the air, snuffing out the cacophony of gunfire. Jack watched, transfixed, as shimmering particles began to cascade from the heavens.
"Snowflakes?" he muttered, disbelief tinged with wonder.
"Weiss must have used a Dust crystal with her semblance," Ruby replied, her voice steady amidst the unfolding madness. They peered past the gate to witness several Grimm ensnared in solid sheets of ice. Some were stunned, and their ferocity curdled.
Suddenly, a flash of flame erupted against the barricade, a primal scream clawing its way through the air. "You monsters!" it bellowed, immediately followed by the visceral sound of a shotgun's fury.
"And that would be Yang," Ruby remarked with a deadpan expression.
With Yang's explosion igniting the battlefield anew, the symphony of gunfire resumed, as the frozen and bewildered Grimm met their swift demise. "Well, whatever they're doing seems to be working," Jack said, a grim satisfaction tugging at his lips as he watched the tide of monsters recede.
But just as the adrenaline began to settle, tranquility shattered under the weight of piercing screams. Jack sprinted to the edge of the parapet, his breath catching as he witnessed the chaos below: civilians fleeing in terror, shadows of Grimm in relentless pursuit.
"How the hell did the Grimm get in the walls!?" Jack's disbelief morphed swiftly into a boil of rage. His voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
Beside him, Ruby squeezed the trigger of her rifle with grim determination, the report echoing like thunder as a Beowolf crumpled to the ground, its black ichor pooling on cobblestone. "It doesn't matter! We need to protect these people first!" Her weapon spun in an arc as she shifted her stance, the barrel angled at the roof. Jack barely registered her intent before she thrust her feet onto the blade of her scythe and launched herself into the air, a dark silhouette against the shattered moon.
Nora, grinning with reckless glee, transformed her weapon with a metallic clatter into a war hammer. She pressed its face against the roof, her balance precarious on the handle, then pulled the trigger. The explosion ripped through the air, a dull whump that sent her skyward, laughing like a banshee. "Nora Smash!" she thundered, her body twisting midair to meet an unfortunate Beowolf with a bone-crushing descent of metal and fury.
"Shocked and yet not surprised," Jack muttered darkly, making his way down the fire escape. He reached the ground and strode toward Ruby, unslinging his shotgun with practiced ease. "Ya know the Mayor's gonna send Ozpin the repair bill for that roof, right?"
Ruby's laugh was bright yet tinged with guilt. "Emergency circumstances," she shrugged, her gaze steely. "Let's finish off the Grimm that made it through, then figure out what happened at the rear gate." Jack and Nora nodded a savage glint in their eyes. "Jack, go right. I'll take the left. We'll flush the Grimm to the main road for Nora to blast them to pieces."
Nora's smile widened, bordering on manic. "It's hammer time!" she bellowed, hefting her war hammer high.
Jack shot Nora a sideways glance, part amusement, part disbelief. "Works for me." He raised his hand and let out a sharp whistle that sliced through the eerie stillness of the town, followed by a piercing whinny and the rhythmic pounding of galloping hooves against cobblestones, reverberating like thunder.
Ruby turned, one eyebrow arched in suspicion, "You're calling Fitz, aren't you worried about him? What if he—".
"Well I can't run as fast as you can, now can I?" Jack interjected, a smirk ghosting across his lips as his horse came alongside him. "Besides, it ain't his first fight. He'll be fine." He slid a boot into the stirrup, swinging into the saddle with the fluid grace of a gunslinger stepping into hell. Jack lightly spurred his horse and set off in his assigned direction, introducing a few Grimm to buckshot along the way.
A few streets over Jack heard the low, guttural growls of the Grimm, a sinister echo in the alleyways, punctuated by the sharp cracks of gunfire. He urged Fitz onward, the hooves scrambling across cobblestones. As they turned the corner, a picture emerged—darkly absurd.
Sherbert June, the racist shopkeeper, ran like a cat on fire, pursued by a pair of Beowolfs. He would stumble, spin, and unleash a volley from his rifle, each shot a futile prayer before Jack could reach him, a Beowulf lunged, its fangs sinking into flesh with a sickening crunch. Sherbert's scream ripped through the air, mingling with the sounds of chaos, as his rifle slipped from trembling hands, clattering onto the pavement.
"Noooo! You can't eat me! I'm Sherbert Juneeee!" The desperate wail echoed as the pack pounced, a frenzied storm of claws and teeth set upon his soon-to-be cadaver. Jack raised his shotgun but Jack's heart danced a dark tune, a predatory smirk curling his lips. Jack shoved the shotgun into a scabbard on his horse's side and watched the savage theater unfolding before him, allowing his more savage instincts to take hold.
The Grimm fed, a feast of carcass and chaos marked by savage delight. Jack steered Fitz to the curb, careful not to disturb the grisly banquet. He dismounted, and knelt, fingers reaching for the abandoned rifle that lay like a promise on the stones. It gleamed under the harsh light—an elegant beast.
The receiver's polished steel bore intricate engravings, a testament to craftsmanship, while the black polymer stock whispered of modernity. Lightweight yet brimming with potential, Jack traced the barrel with his gaze; .45-70 was proudly stamped on its side. Pulling a cartridge from his bandolier, he slid it into the loading gate, the satisfying click echoing his intent.
"Hey, ugly!" he called malevolence dripping from his voice. The foremost Beowulf paused, bloody jaws agape, eyes glimmering with dark hunger. Jack raised the rifle, steadying his breath as he pulled the trigger—the shot rang out, a final note in a macabre symphony, the beast collapsing without a sound, save the soft thud of its demise.
He levered the action racking in a new round, snapped the muzzle of the gun to the other Grimm, and fired. This one met a swift end in a spray of gore, ichor, and the shopkeeper's blood mingling on the ground. Jack savored the moment, a twisted satisfaction curling in his gut. "A fine weapon, amigo. Better suited to me than to you," he mused, casting a glance at Sherbert's lifeless form.
His eyes drifted toward the abandoned shop, its door ajar, the register unattended. "In for a penny, in for a pound," he muttered, stepping inside. But a vile taste sparked across his tongue. Here he was thinking of filling his pocket while the only freinds he had in this world were fighting to protect people. Outside, the roars of Grimm rumbled, gunfire crackled, and bursts of Dust grenades shattered the night. Guilt wrapped around him like a shroud, shame weighing heavy on his shoulders. He shook off the sensation, his resolve hardening. "This ain't the time," he muttered, turning his back on the shop. With a sharp whistle, he summoned Fitz. The horse trotted over, and Jack swiftly mounted.
"Come on, boy," he urged as they galloped through the darkened streets, Fitz's hooves pounding against the cobblestone. The few flickering streetlights seemed like futile contests against the encroaching darkness, but Jack pressed on. He spotted Ruby and Nora up ahead, already making their way to the back gate. He spurred Fitz on, catching up to them.
Ruby heard the galloping hooves "Jack! Are you okay? We heard gunshots and uh...Where did you get that rifle?" Ruby asked.
"Previous owner didn't need it anymore," Jack said as he slung the aforementioned rifle over his shoulder and stepped down from his horse and hitching him to a nearby post. Jack gave Fitz a pat on the neck "If any Grimm gets past us you high-tail it you hear me?". The horse ducked its head and snorted as if it understood.
"Let's go," Ruby said the three began to jog toward the back gate, their footsteps echoed off the buildings, the streets void of life and swallowed by darkness. The few streetlights that flickered along the path seemed like futile contests against the overwhelming dark. Jack, Ruby, and Nora pressed forward, tension mounting with each step.
When they reached the back gate, all three skidded to a halt, frozen in place by the horrific sight.
Five SDC guards lay dead in a pool of congealing blood, their weapons scattered uselessly around them. The back gate was… opening.
"What the—?" Nora started, but Jack cut her off with a sharp, "Hey, hey! What in the hell are you doing?" He shouted toward the guard station, eyes narrowing at the figure standing awkwardly in the control room.
Jack's fists clenched, his jaw tightening as he stalked up to the door. With an aura-infused kick, he sent the door flying off its hinges, crashing to the floor. He stormed inside, ready to give the operator a piece of his mind. But whatever words he had died on his tongue as the figure turned to face him.
The lone SDC guard moved in jerky, unnatural motions. His face was unnaturally pale, porcelain-like, and webbed with black veins. His eyes were open but glazed over, staring at nothing. Jack took an involuntary step back, and beside him, Ruby audibly gasped.
"What the hell happened to you?" Jack asked, his voice low and wary.
Nora stepped forward, her expression twisted in confusion. "He looks like he's… possessed or something."
Silence. A heavy, suffocating silence. "Maybe we should try to get you to a doctor," Ruby suggested meekly.
Without warning, the DUST rifle in the 'taken' guard's hands snapped up and fired a volley of rounds. Jack barely had time to react before he was engulfed in a flurry of rose petals, Ruby pulling him out of harm's way with her semblance. The deafening bark of her rifle met his ears, and in an instant, they were on the scaffolding that made up the settlement's walls. Ruby collapsed beside him, leaning heavily on Crescent Rose, panting. A thin bead of sweat glistened on her forehead, reflecting the pale moonlight. Her silver eyes were wide and uncertain.
This is the first time I've seen her scared, Jack thought grimly.
"What are we gonna do? What happened to that guy? Why does he look like that? And why did he attack us?" Ruby asked, her voice shaking.
"I don't know," Jack muttered, pushing himself to his feet.
Before they could discuss their next move, a low, rumbling growl echoed through the air, followed by the unmistakable sound of roaring Grimm. The dark shapes of Beowolves and other creatures surged toward the now open gate.
"Oh, great. The Grimm are coming through the gate. Of course," Nora said, her voice a mix of frustration and determination as she spun Magnhild into position.
"Shit," Jack muttered under his breath, steeling himself for the fight ahead.
The Grimm flooded through the gate like a tidal wave.
Jack whipped his rifle around and began firing at the charging Grimm. Nora joined in by shifting her hammer to its grenade launcher form firing into the surging horde of Grimm.
Ruby gave Crescent Rose a twirl before sinking the tip of its blade into the ground to stabilize on the wall and began firing at the Grimm. Soon, Ruby's magazine ran dry. Realizing they were going to be overrun, the townspeople would soon be at risk.
She quickly pulled out her scroll, her voice strained as she called Jaune over the noise. "Jaune! We need backup now! The Grimm—they're coming through the back gate!"
As she spoke, a black crow swooped low, brushing just inches over Jack's head as it flew toward the oncoming flood of Grimm. Jack caught sight of it, watching with narrowed eyes before reloading his rifle, determination etched across his face.
Elsewhere, Jaune lowered his scroll, the urgency of her words still ringing in his ears. "The back gate's open—the Grimm are getting in," he told the others, his tone urgent. "Ruby, Jack, and Nora need our help!"
Yang's expression shifted, her arms slackening as her lilac eyes filled with alarm. "Ruby…" she murmured, before turning and taking off at a sprint down the vacant streets, heading straight for the back gate.
"Yang wait!' Jaune said with an outstretched hand, but realized the futility of the action when Blake and Weiss followed behind their teammate. Jaune sighed before turning to the town watch and SDC guards, "You all hold this down. Call us if you need us. Pyrrha, Ren follow me" Before taking off after team RWBY.
Jaune and the rest of his team followed the Remnants of Team RWBY. Jaune's sides ached and his lungs burned. Soon the Mayor's office came into view further down the street, and they saw it. Dozens maybe even a hundred bobbing pairs of red eyes as the Grimm horde surged into town. Townspeople who were brave or stupid enough to venture from their homes and shelters screamed frantically trying to get back to safety. Most made it, some did not.
Jaune's eyes widened as he took in the desperate scene. "Go, go, go!" he shouted to his teammates. The remainder of Team RWBY needed no further encouragement.
Weiss spun the cylinder of her rapier as she ran, conjuring a glyph just ahead of her and leaping high into the air. The Schnee heiress landed and drove her blade into the ground, activating the ice Dust. A thick sheet of ice surged down the street, consuming the ground beneath the Grimm.
The creatures of Grimm skidded uncontrollably, claws and hooves flailing on the slick surface, only to find themselves crashing into the waiting fists of Yang.
"Get out of the way!" she roared, her eyes flaring red as her hair ignited into a fiery blaze. The first unlucky Beowolf reached her, and Yang's gauntlet exploded with buckshot at point-blank range, nearly erasing the creature in one blast.
Blake seized the moment, darting forward and skillfully flinging Gambol Shroud's ribbon across the street to catch on a telephone pole. Using it as a makeshift clothesline, she trapped several Grimm, who were promptly finished off by Pyrrha and Jaune as they moved in sync.
Nearby, Ren struck with precision, his StormFlower pistols sweeping through the remaining Grimm. He moved fluidly, each strike deliberate as he felled one creature after another, maintaining control of the chaos around them.
As the group fought, Jaune noticed the Grimm shifting their tactic, several of them cutting down a side street in an attempt to flank. "They're trying to get behind us! Come on, Pyrrha!" he shouted, taking off to intercept. Pyrrha shifted her weapon to its rifle form, sprinting after her partner as the sound of Grimm crashing into buildings and cars grew louder.
Turning the corner, they saw the Grimm already dead, their bodies fading into nothing as a black crow flew overhead toward the mayor's office.
Said crow landed on the window sill of a small private office at the Mayor's compound where inside Sterling Ivorycrest the regional manager of the SDC was wearing a hole in the floor with constant pacing.
"Brothers damn it! Where is that damnable man" he fumed. "I paid him to use his semblance to draw the Grimm and leave so some of our detractors could be convinced to leave and the SDC could swoop in and be the town's saviors, not this."
The crow on the window sill fluttered its wings and took off.
Inside the main lobby of the Mayor's office, the Mayor was trying to maintain some semblance of positivity to the townspeople who had taken shelter in her office. A knock at the front door broke everyone from their musings.
The Mayor's secretary walked over to the door and looked through a peephole. "Their civilians ma'am, and there's a huntsman with them".
"One of the students?" The Mayor asked.
"No, it's a full-blown huntsman, I think it's Qrow Brawen," she said hesitantly.
Mayor Goldleaf sighed through deeply her nose but was unwilling to refuse the help. "Let them in," She said.
The mayor's secretary and a few townsfolk hastily undid the barricades barring the door. As they flung it open, townspeople rushed in, seeking the safety of the building. Amidst the crowd, Qrow leaned against the wall with a smug look, sipping from his flask.
"Autumn, when are we going out for that drink?" he asked, flashing a grin as he stowed his flask.
"Oh, Qrow, never in a million years," Mayor Goldleaf replied with a pointed glare. "Why are you here, Qrow?"
"Oz sent me to check on the kids, make sure they're not in over their heads," he explained, his grin shifting into something sharper. "And to look into… something of special interest." With that, Qrow stalked across the lobby toward a small door in the corner.
"Careful. The SDC manager is using that office and demanded not to be disturbed," Mayor Goldleaf warned, her tone steely.
"Good," Qrow murmured as he reached the door. Just then, a scroll that wasn't his began ringing in his pocket.
Inside the office, shuffling sounds grew louder until the door swung open, revealing the pale-faced Ivorycrest, who froze at the sight of Qrow holding a certain scroll.
"I–I can explain," the SDC manager stammered, his voice faltering.
"Oh ho, you will. To Ozpin and Vale's council," Qrow replied, cracking his knuckles as he tightened his fist.
Meanwhile, at the back gate, the Grimm tide had finally begun to thin, but a cluster still pushed towards the town center.
"We've gotta shut the gate before any more Grimm shows up," Ruby said urgently, looking to the others.
Before they could act, an unearthly noise split the air. The roar was nothing like the Grimm they'd faced before—a chilling, guttural sound that began as a deep rumble, like an earthquake. It climbed into a deafening, bone-rattling screech, vibrating the air around them and freezing them in place.
"RRRrrrRRAAAAHH-OOOOWWWWWLLL!"
It was more than just a roar—it was a promise of death, a beast announcing its hunt.
Jack froze in his tracks. His eyes widened slightly, and for the first time, a trace of fear crossed his face. Without saying a word, he slung his rifle over his shoulder and grabbed his shotgun, shoving Burn Dust buckshot into it with shaking hands.
"Uh—what was that?" Ruby asked, a nervous edge creeping into her voice.
Jack's jaw clenched as he finished loading his shotgun. "If it's what I think it is… we're about to have a very bad time."
From their position atop the wall, a door creaked open. One of the remaining civilians, who hadn't made it to the mayor's office, poked their head out, looking around, confused and frightened. They hesitated, stepping further out into the open, unaware of the danger beyond the gate.
"Get back inside, you damn fool!" Jack shouted, his voice thick with urgency. But it was too late.
From the shadows beyond the open gate, a massive shape slunk forward, low to the ground, silent as death. Jack's stomach dropped. It was what he feared—a Grimm mountain lion, but unlike anything he'd seen before. This creature was as big as a horse, its sleek black fur rippling over muscle, jagged bone-like armor lining its back and head. Its glowing red eyes locked onto the civilian with a predatory focus.
Before the man could react, the Grimm cougar moved in a blur of deadly speed. In an instant, it crossed the distance and pounced, tackling the civilian to the ground with a sickening thud. The man barely had time to scream before the creature dragged him into the shadows, disappearing into the darkness below.
Jack clenched his jaw, gripping his shotgun tightly. He wanted to move, to do something, but the speed of the attack had left him frozen, helpless to prevent the tragedy. His heart pounded, and his mouth went dry. "Damn it…" he muttered, frustration and guilt thick in his voice.
Ruby's eyes widened in horror as she watched the man vanish into the shadows below. She took a shaky step forward along the wall, her hand tightening around Crescent Rose's handle. "No… we were too late…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her silver eyes shimmered with anguish, reflecting the sense of failure settling over her.
Nora, meanwhile, let out a growl of frustration. She spun Magnhild into position, its weapon crackling with energy. "That's not happening again!" she declared, her voice filled with defiant anger. Her usual cheerfulness was gone, replaced by a hardened resolve. Without waiting for a plan or a signal, she ran toward the edge of the wall, leaping off with a fierce battle cry.
"Nora, wait!" Ruby called, but her teammate was already airborne, hammer raised high, ready to strike as she descended from the wall toward the shadows below. Ruby cursed under her breath and quickly followed. With a sharp hiss, Crescent Rose shifted into its scythe form, and Ruby vaulted over the side of the wall, using her semblance to propel herself after Nora.
Jack watched in disbelief, his eyes flashing with frustration. "Damn it, are you two crazy?!" he shouted, glancing down at the shadows where the Grimm had vanished. There was no time to argue. Gritting his teeth, he slung his shotgun over his shoulder and sprinted to a nearby ladder. Pushing his aur to his hands and feet he slid down the ladder to the ground.
As Jack sprinted across the cracked pavement, the air was thick with gunpowder and dread, each shot from the guard shack, the report reverberating like a death knell in his chest. "Son of a bitch!" he shouted, the words tearing from his throat, as he threw himself into the shadowed embrace of an alley. The stale scent of oil and sweat clung to the air.
"Where did you go!?" Nora's voice, a frantic beacon in the chaos, echoed from a street beyond his own, and Jack's heart pounded in his ears. He tried to focus, to find his footing in the frenzy, but the thud of approaching footsteps paired with the scraping of sharpened claws set his instincts ablaze. The Grimm mountain lion careened into view, its eyes a hollow void, teeth glistening like shards of ice destined for blood.
The creature struck with a ferocity that drove Jack's pulse to a staccato race; it seized him with claws like serrated knives and instantly shattered his aura. "AHHH!" Jack's scream was borne of raw, undiluted agony as he skidded across the gritty ground, the weight of the beast pinning him and crushing him into the ground. Gritting his teeth, he summoned the remnants of his strength, elbow crashing against the beast's skull.
Spurred boots connected with the creature's underbelly, desperation urging him to reach for the blade secured at his side. The Grimm's growl morphed into a bestial roar, teeth sinking deeper into his shoulder, a burning agony radiating through him. "GAAAHH!" A shout that pierced the chaos as he finally grasped his hunting knife, plunging it with savage intent into the creature's ribs.
Jack recoiled as the beast howled in protest, his shoulder finally freed from its vice-like grip. Heart pounding like the thunderous hooves of a runaway horse, he rolled to reposition himself, knife poised for another strike, but the crescendo of their mutual demise hung in the air. In that fateful moment, as he prepared to clash with the creature, the world around him ignited in a whirlwind of rose petals.
As the petals descended. There stood Ruby, a harbinger of hope, her massive red blade of Crescent Rose piercing the fading form of the Grimm. Ruby looked at Jack lying on the ground, at the slowly growing bloodstains on Jack's clothes.
"Jack!" Ruby gasped, before running over to Jack's side. She kneeled beside him and frantically dug through a pouch on her side. Ruby took out some bandages and pushed them into Jack's wounds causing him to wince.
Jack gritted his teeth as Ruby applied pressure to the wound. The pain was sharp and intense, but familiar—he'd felt worse before. His breaths came in ragged gasps, chest heaving as he tried to push the pain aside. The coppery scent of blood mixed with the lingering smell of gunpowder and sweat.
"Damn… that thing tore into me good," Jack muttered through clenched teeth, trying to sit up, but feeling his muscles protest. His vision swam, but he managed to hold steady, his hand fumbling for his satchel.
Ruby's eyes widened as she continued to work. "Stay still, Jack. You're hurt bad!" she insisted, her voice soft but urgent. She tore off another strip of bandage, trying to stem the bleeding from his shoulder and side.
"Just… need a second," Jack rasped, finally pulling out a small, dark bottle from his satchel. The label was worn, but Ruby caught sight of the word "Ginseng" scrawled across it. Jack unscrewed the cap with a shaky hand and downed the elixir in one quick gulp. The bitter liquid burned down his throat, but the familiar warmth of the healing tonic started to work its way through his veins almost immediately.
Ruby frowned, confused. "What… what was that?"
Jack leaned back with a grim smile, the pain easing slightly. "Back home… we use these for wounds. Takes the edge off." He winced as the elixir did its work, numbing the worst of his injuries. "Ain't as good as what you lot have, but it'll keep me standin'."
Ruby looked at him for a moment, then her eyes softened with understanding. She placed her hands over his wounds, focusing her Aura. "Let me help."
A soft, dim glow flickered from her palms, and while Jack didn't feel any miraculous healing, the bleeding slowed, and the sharpest edges of his pain dulled just enough. It wasn't much, but it was something. His muscles, still taut with pain, relaxed slightly.
Jack blinked, the relief minor but noticeable. "That's… better," he muttered, still gritting his teeth. "Didn't know we could use Aura that way."
Ruby gave him a small, determined smile. "It's not much, but I can at least stop the bleeding."
Jack nodded. "Appreciate it, Ruby."
Nora's voice broke the quiet. "Ruby! Jack! You guys okay?!" She came barreling down the street, hammer in hand, her face a mix of worry and adrenaline.
Ruby turned to face her, still keeping one hand on Jack. "We're okay! He's hurt, but I stopped the worst of the bleeding."
Nora reached them, her eyes wide as she took in the scene—the blood, the fading remnants of the Grimm, and the faint glow of Ruby's Aura. "Whoa... that thing did a number on you, huh?"
Jack chuckled weakly, slipping the empty tonic bottle back into his satchel. "Yeah, well… I ain't about to let a giant cat be the end of me." A memory washed over Jack, even though he was racked with pain every breath.
Both Nora and Ruby were taken aback by the outburst of laughter. "Hey, what's so funny, Buster?" Nora asked regaining a small smile.
Jack caught his breath for a second before answering. "A long time ago my father was attacked by wolves and according to one of my uncles, he was 'The first bastard to get half his brain eaten by a wolf and come back smarter. So with any luck maybe my grades in Oobleck's class will improve." Jack chuckled through the pain.
Ruby blinked, momentarily thrown off by Jack's joke, but a small smile crept onto her face. Despite the situation, she let out a soft laugh. "Well, if that's how it works, maybe you'll be Oobleck's favorite student in no time!"
Nora, always one to appreciate a good laugh, giggled, leaning on her hammer. "Guess that means we need to find some wolves for the rest of us, huh?" She grinned widely, clearly trying to lighten the mood further.
Jack chuckled weakly, the pain still evident but dulled by the moment of levity. "I'll pass on a second round."
Ruby shook her head, still smiling, but her tone was soft. "You're tough, Jack. Just… let's try to avoid any more giant cats, okay?"
As Jack leaned back, still catching his breath, Ruby's Aura working to stop the bleeding and ease the pain, a cold, eerie presence crept into the atmosphere. The unnatural stillness was broken by a low, guttural sound—a rasping growl that made the hair on Jack's neck stand on end. Ruby's eyes shot toward the rear of the town, where the gate stood slightly ajar, swaying ominously.
"We never closed it," Ruby muttered, panic slipping into her voice. Her gaze shifted to a shadowy figure lingering just inside the gate—a man in the uniform of the Schnee Dust Company.
But something was wrong. The man's movements were stiff, and jerky, like a puppet pulled by invisible strings. His eyes, now pitch black, glowed faintly under the moonlight, and his skin had taken on a sickly pallor, veins crawling red like bloodlines across bone-white skin.
Ruby's face drained of color. "No way…" she breathed, barely above a whisper.
"What?" Jack asked, shifting to stand despite the lingering pain.
Ruby hesitated. "I think I know what it is. It's… a Chill."
Jack stared at her, confused. "A what?"
"They're from old fairy tales," Ruby explained, gripping Crescent Rose tighter. "Possession-type Grimm. They take over people's bodies. But… they're supposed to be just stories."
Jack's face hardened as he gazed at the possessed guard. "Well, that story just walked right outta the pages."
The figure, still standing at the gate, tilted its head unnervingly, as if listening to something only it could hear. Slowly, it began to walk toward them, its movements unnaturally deliberate, the red veins beneath its skin pulsating like a living nightmare.
To make matters worse the sound of combat had begun to rage from the center of town: gunfire, the roars of Grimm, and the screams of townspeople.
"Is there a way to treat Grimm possession?" Nora asked.
Ruby swallowed hard "I don't know".
Jack's expression darkened "I don't think there is one, but what I do know is we need to close that gate and help out the others," Jack said as he strained to get to his feet. Jack winced and held his side as he leaned his back against a building and picked up his guns and hat.
Nora glanced at him "But that would mean we have to kill...oh".
Ruby's grip on Crescent Rose tightened as she bit her bottom lip. She knew as a huntress killing people was a possibility, she'd just desperately hoped to avoid it. Ruby blew out a breath "Okay,...Well I'm the leader so I should...".
Jack cut her off "No. I'll do it. Better me than you." he said.
"But...But you're hurt. Besides I'm the leader I can't just dump this on you" She stammered.
Jack looked at Ruby, his face grim, but there was a softness in his tone as he spoke. "Ruby, listen… Jaune and the others need you more than I do right now. They're in the thick of it, fighting off the Grimm. You go help 'em, save those people. I'll close that gate, "
Ruby's eyes widened, her grip on Crescent Rose tightening. "But what about—"
"I'll handle this," Jack interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. "You don't need to see what's gonna happen here." He glanced toward the possessed guard, the red veins pulsing grotesquely beneath pale skin. "This… this ain't somethin' you should have to carry."
Nora stepped forward, hammer in hand. "We're not leaving you, Jack. You're hurt—"
"I've been worse off. Trust me," Jack said, offering a small but tight-lipped smile. "You're both huntresses. Protectin' the people—that's your job. Mine… mine's dealin' with things that need dealin' with. And this"—he motioned to the possessed guard, whose movements had grown more erratic—"needs dealin' with."
Ruby hesitated, biting her lip. She didn't want to abandon him, but the sound of gunfire and Grimm roars from the town pulled at her sense of duty.
Jack saw the conflict in her eyes and leaned in, his voice low. "You're a good leader, Ruby. Go lead your team. I'll catch up when it's done. I promise."
Ruby's eyes glistened, but she nodded, trusting him. She glanced at Nora, who gave her a reluctant nod, before turning her gaze back to Jack.
"Stay safe," Ruby whispered, before taking a breath and turning toward the chaos in the center of town, Crescent Rose at the ready Nora following close behind.
Jack watched them go, his jaw tightening. He didn't want Ruby anywhere near what was about to happen. She still had some innocence left. Best to keep it that way.
Jack sighed as Ruby and Nora sped towards the center of town. His face hardened to mask as stepped out of the alley and into the street catching the Grimm-possessed man's attention.
"Martha"
The name was all the Grimm-possessed man could say. His wife, daughter, sweetheart. Jack didn't know and it didn't matter anymore. The man Martha loved, whoever she was, was gone.
Jack leveled his rifle at the puppet's head as it staggered toward him continuously muttering the name "Martha".
"Sorry about this amigo, truly I am" With that said Jack squeezed the trigger. The big 45-70 screamed from the barrel and did what it does best, punch big holes. The man's head ruptured like a pumpkin and he slumped to the ground awkwardly like a puppet cut from its string.
Thanks to recoil a fresh jolt of pain surged through Jack's body, and the wound on his shoulder started bleeding again. "Son of a bitch" He muttered through clenched teeth.
Jack used his rifle as a crutch to hobble over to the guard shack, as he went exhaustion crashed over him like a wave. He briefly remembered Professor Goodwitch telling him that the first time his aura broke he'd be extremely tired, he figured considering his injuries and blood loss the effect extrapolated. He limped to the gate control panel and mashed it with his fist, to his relief the metal gate began to close.
Hobbling back to the doorway leaning against the door frame Jack whistled for his horse. His loyal steed galloped up to him snorting and flicking his ears. Jack could no longer hear any gunfire or Grimm coming from the center of town and hoping for the best drug himself into his saddle.
"Come on boy, take me to Ruby and the others " he he said in his ear his exhaustion worsening by the second. Jack had started seeing double. "I didn't think I lost that much blood," he said aloud to himself as he began to wonder if he'd remain conscious long enough t to get back to the others.
Soon, Jack caught sight of the Mayor's office. There were several people outside. He could make out his friends and teammates and the mayor. Beside them was a man Jack didn't recognize with spikey black hair and red eyes. He wore a red cape similar to Ruby's. On the ground next to him sat the manager of the SDC, he had a bloody nose and looked to be handcuffed.
As he drew closer, Ruby noticed him approaching and called, "Jack are you okay?".
Jack did not hear her. He had lost his fight with blood loss and exhaustion. He fell from his saddle onto the cobblestone street. He didn't hear Ruby and his teammates yelling for him or as they ran to him.
The defense of Amarillo was finally over.
Author's Note: well that was fun and with the slightly darker subject matter just in time for Halloween. Now some of you may be wondering why I added a non-canon Grimm with the "Grimm mountain lion/cougar" for two reasons. One when I first started writing this story I wanted it to be like 'reading' a Red Dead Game, and when I play Red Dead mountain lions are the bane of my existence. Secondly, I completely forgot that Saybr Grimm existed and was too lazy to rewrite it. Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed the chapter if so let me know in the reviews.
Have a better one.