Pyrrha opened her eyes to find herself in a net.

Her eyes widened as she felt her chest, instantly relieved when she didn't feel the hole she thought would be there, only a small scar. After all, getting stabbed through the chest wasn't usually something someone walked away from. It must've missed my heart, and my aura healed the wound…that was too close.

She looked up, eyes widening as she saw the figure who'd attacked her standing over a campfire. They looked as hideous as they did earlier, same split-jaw and multiple red eyes. Albeit now their left arm was covered in charred flesh. Just next to them was her spear.

She held out a hand, focusing as she tried to draw it closer. Though, all she succeeded in doing was knocking it over.

Bah, it's no use. I'm too exhausted even to try and use my semblance…there's nothing I can do.

For the first time in a long time, Pyrrha felt helpless. Well and truly helpless. Her mind raced with countless images of her friends finding her dead body, roasting over the fire. If the creature wanted, it could kill her without hesitation.

Yet…it wasn't.

"What do you want with me?"

The creature turned as if surprised to see her awake. It walked over, lowering itself slightly before pointing at her with a burnt finger. "Esa."

"Esa? Wait, that's Mistralean…bait? I'm bait?"

The creature didn't seem to understand her, simply walking away and setting up what looked like a tripwire. Her eyes widened as she realized what it meant.

It was setting traps.

Traps for her friends.

Who would, without question, come looking for her.

Please, be careful everyone.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled.

"Pyrrhaaaaaaaa!" That was Nora.

"Pyrrha! Pyrrha! Come out come out wherever you are!" And there was Yang.

The group had walked a good ten minutes trying to find her, but so far had had no luck. No tracks, no broken branches, nothing. Nothing but the howling whistle of the wind through the branches, and the occasional beowolf. Thankfully nothing like what they'd seen earlier, but still a bad sign.

Jaune sighed, turning back to the others. "Okay, this is getting us nowhere. There are no tracks, we've not figured out where Pyrrha is, and shouting her name will only draw whatever that thing was that took her."

He pointed to Weiss and Velvet. "Weiss, Velvet, take Ruby back to Oobleck and make sure nothing attacks him—we've been gone too long as is. Everyone else, we're splitting up."

Yang frowned. "That sounds like a horrible idea."

Jaune shook his head, holding up a finger. "Not necessarily. Whatever this grimm is, it uses traps, other grimm, and attacks one-on-one. Which means, it isn't physically much of a threat. So long as we stay in groups of two, we should be safe. Blake, you're with me. Yang, you go with Coco, and Nora, you go with Ren. We'll each take a different direction, then meet back with Weiss and Velvet. Understand?"

The group nodded, Yang handing Ruby, who she'd been carrying the whole time, over to Velvet. They then split off into their groups, each headed a different direction: Jaune and Blake heading north, Coco and Yang heading east, Ren and Nora heading south—the group having initially come from the west.

Jaune and Blake walked forward about a minute before Blake dashed forward, holding an arm in front of Jaune. "Stop! Trap, just ahead."

"How can you—"

"Look, down here."

Blake crouched, Jaune doing the same as she gestured to a small, nearly invisible trip-wire just above the forest floor. She reached forward with Gambol Shroud, slicing it. Then, from the tree line, a large log descended and smashed against another tree. Upon closer inspection, the duo noticed the log had several spikes hammered into the sides.

Jaune whistled. "Woah, this is a…very deadly trap. Glad you saw it."

Blake nodded, cutting the log down before stepping over it. "Let me take the lead for now. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, our enemy could be anywhere."

"Right."

The two walked in silence for a bit before Blake spoke up. "What kind of grimm sets traps, anyway? Most of them don't even have opposable thumbs."

Jaune shrugged as he pushed a branch out of the way. "Could only be a few: Apathy have thumbs—but they travel in packs and they don't set traps. There are kurosa grimm, but they're pretty rare outside of Mistral…I guess it could be a predator."

"Predator? Aren't those just X-Ray and Vav villains?"

Jaune's brow raised. "You read X-Ray and Vav? I thought you only read sappy romance novels."

Blake's cheeks flushed pink as she looked away. "I have a…varied taste in literature."

Jaune chuckled. "Yeah? You mean like that copy of 'Ninjas of Love' hidden under your bed?"

Blake spun on her heel, aiming Gambol Shroud at him. "How could you possibly know about that!? No one knows except…Ruby."

Jaune gently pushed her blade down from his throat with one finger. "Hey, it's okay, I'm not judging. We've all got our dirty little secrets. I mean, I used to have a crush on my babysitter."

Her brow furrowed. "Your babysitter? Really?"

"Look, I was eight and she was drop-dead gorgeous, okay?"

Blake rolled her eyes, a faint smile on her face. "What did an eight-year-old you define as 'drop dead gorgeous', may I ask?"

Jaune reached into his pocket. "Funny you should ask, I've actually got a picture of her saved on my scroll. Take a look."

Blake walked over, watching as Jaune produced a picture of a tall, Mistralean woman. Long, dark hair cascaded down her shoulders and framed her head almost like a halo. She was clad in a strapless, black dress with a green necklace, decent-sized breasts, and rather wide hips.

"I dunno about 'gorgeous', but she is pretty."

Jaune chuckled, stuffing his scroll away. "Yeah, well, when your sisters chase off every other girl, you take what you can get. My little sister Marion always said she'd marry me if I didn't find a girl. I took it as a threat."

Blake chuckled, turning back ahead. "Can't say I've ever had experiences like that. I'm an only child."

"Did it get boring growing up?"

Blake frowned, recalling growing up in the White Fang. The protests, the sit-ins, and eventually the rioting, fighting, and killing. "No, not really."

Jaune frowned, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Sore subject, huh?"

"Yeah…a bit."

Blake yelped as Jaune pulled her into a hug, lifting her onto her tip-toes. "Ugh, Jaune? Why are you…?"

Jaune loosened his grip. "Sorry, just something my dad taught me. 'If someone feels bad, a hug can help'. I know you're not the most affectionate type, but, I figured if anyone needed a hug, it was probably you."

Blake relaxed a bit, leaning into his shoulder. "I'm fine…but thank you for caring."

"Hey, what're friends for?"

He let go after a moment, the two continuing forward, passing by a few more traps before eventually pausing at the most disturbing sight either had ever seen.

A totem.

Specifically, a totem made of human body parts.

It was a large bag filled to the brim with human skulls, a single severed, pale leg skewered into the bottom of a stick. Jaune covered his mouth as Blake approached, looking over the effigy. "This is either a warning or a sign we're getting closer."

"Or something it needs to look at when it wants to throw up. Bleh."

The two walked further, only to pause as several bright flashes lit them up. Ahead of them were three cameras, each shoved into the mouth of a rotting human head—each of a different complexion. Blake walked over, forcing herself not to vomit as she grabbed one of them.

She started looking through the pictures, finding several beowolf, several humans, and one she found much more interesting. "Jaune, look at this one."

Jaune walked over, eyes widening as he saw a picture of a tall, black creature with a burnt left arm and wearing a mask. Behind it was Pyrrha, clearly unconscious and trapped inside of a net. "We're definitely heading the right way."

The two kept walking until they at last reached a large encampment, with more body parts strung up on sticks and a large fire in the center. Across from that fire—

"Pyrrha!"

Jaune dashed forward, caution thrown to the wind as he saw his partner inside a net. She looked up, eyes widening as she held out her hand. "Don't get too close!"

Blake threw Gambol Shroud, wrapping its ribbon around Jaune and yanking him back toward her. "What is it, Pyrrha?"

"That thing! It's laying traps everywhere! There are spikes all around me!"

Jaune got on all fours, brushing aside the leaves beneath Pyrrha to reveal there were dozens of sharp spikes, attached to a wooden lattice just beneath. "Woah, glad you said something. I was two seconds from stepping on those."

Blake grabbed the spiked lattice, tossing it into the fire before cutting Pyrrha's net open. Said girl tumbled out, trying to get to her feet only to collapse. "Sorry…I'm still exhausted from having my chest ripped open."

Jaune frowned, only to freeze as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He had the inexplicable sense that someone was watching him. He drew his shield without thinking, ducking down to block Pyrrha.

Fwip!

Clang!

An arrow bounced off Jaune's shield, his eyes flicking to the woods to try and find the predator. He raised his sword, keeping his shield in front of Pyrrha as Blake began scanning the treeline with her weapon's pistol form. "Do you see it?"

"No, not so much as movement."

Thinking quickly, Blake loaded fire dust rounds into Gambol Shroud, firing into the tree line.

Jaune looked at her like she was crazy. "What're you trying to do, light the whole forest on fire?"

"I'm smoking it out."

Blake ducked as an arrow flew over her head, and Jaune noticed the distortions in the smoke from the fire. He held his grip tight, watching as the predator made its way around the side. Don't let it know you see it yet, Jaune. Just wait…patience…

The predator uncloaked right next to Blake, who turned in shock.

Jaune dashed forward, shield raised.

CLANG!

He pushed back his shield with all his might, causing the creature to stumble before swinging high with his sword.

CLANG!

It held its blade, a small chip made in it by his sword. Its other arm extended a blade, slamming it toward his abdomen, only for it to skid off his armor and aura alike. It growled at him before leaping back.

BANG!

Blake didn't let it, throwing Gambol Shroud and wrapping its ribbon around the creature's torso.

Jaune swung high, slamming into its shoulder and severing its burnt arm.

In response, the creature grabbed it, swinging the detached arm's blade at Jaune.

He pulled up his shield, only for the creature to drop the arm mid-stab and stab at his abdomen instead, slamming through his aura and into his hip. Jaune grit his teeth, fighting back a scream as he felt liquid dripping down his side, searing fire burning up his side as he sucked air through his teeth.

He grabbed the blade, slicing down toward the creature's elbow with his blade.

It roared in agony as it staggered back, now armless.

Blake dashed forward, punching its mask off its face before grabbing Gambol Shroud and aiming:

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three shots to the back of the head, and the creature fell forward, collapsing into smoke.

Jaune ripped the blade from his hip, his aura rapidly healing the injury as he looked at Blake. "Nice work."

"Thanks, now let's get the Hell out of this jungle."