Location: Southern Agricultural District, Vale
Time 3:30 AM
Jaune tried.
He really did try to resist.
But he could only gasp in surprise before he felt Neo's tongue slip past his teeth.
She plundered his mouth even as he tried to pull back but before he knew it, light exploded in his mind.
Her Semblance. Neo was using her Semblance.
How?
He did not know.
All he knew then was that he was kissing her back.
He was kissing her.
The human was kissing Blake.
That was the only thought on Adam's mind as he slinked past the ruins of Vale when Cinder and one of her cronies found him.
Talk about bad luck.
"Adam." She glared but Adam had no energy to confront her about anything so he only grunts as he remembers the scene from earlier.
The human was kissing Blake! And…she was kissing back.
His anger evaporated at that and he felt the emptiness in his chest even as Cinder grabbed his collar.
"What happened?" Cinder asked, pushing him against an abandoned building to hide from any prying eyes.
Adam however only sighed before shaking his head.
"They found us at Mountain Glenn. Forced us to depart but chased after the train before wrecking the controls."
"Who? Who chased you?" Cinder growled angrily yet he felt nothing even when one of her eyes blazed with fire.
The temperature might have risen around him but Adam's heart only felt the cold sting of rejection as he shrugged in apathy. "A couple of Huntresses. I'm pretty sure I killed one of them before another woman appeared out of a red portal."
"A portal?" Cinder repeated, looking back at her crony incredulously who only shrugs confusedly.
"The Huntresses were probably Team RWBY. The portal however? I have no idea." The grey-haired man answered as Adam sighed.
Cinder narrowed her eyes at that however before slamming him back against a wall. That finally got a reaction from him other than a shrug or a sigh. He glared at her amber eyes and held her wrist despite the heat coming off of her.
"Where's Roman?" She hissed and Adam winced as his collar smoked.
He only gritted his teeth however as he looked her straight in the eyes.
"Captured. A couple of humans came in as reinforcements. One of them was Pyrrha Nikos." He threw out, completely leaving out that he was the reason Roman got captured.
Besides, from a certain point of view, he did not lie.
Cinder let go of his collar at that and her eyes widened as she stepped back.
"Pyrrha Nikos? Was there a blonde man with her?"
Adam couldn't help but growl at the reminder of the man as Cinder took note of his reaction.
"I'll take that as a yes. Where are they now?"
"Probably being overrun by Grimm. I saw Roman get injured and if they didn't leave him behind then they would be bogged down." He scowled and he saw Cinder looked at her crony who sighed resignedly.
"Fine, fine. We're off to save them, I guess."
"As if you have a choice." Cinder said before turning back towards Adam who was gritting his teeth. "In the meantime, you need to escape."
"What the fuck do you think I am doing?!" He growled but she only hummed at him thoughtfully.
"I have Emerald doing something for me just north of here. Link up with her and she'll sneak you past the defenses. Who knows, you might even get a chance to help your brethren."
Adam froze at that before her words sank in. "What do you mean help my brethren?"
This time, the coldness inside of him was not because of loneliness or rejection. It was because of fear. It pained Adam to admit but in his attempt to confront Blake for the first time since she left him, he almost completely forgot about his comrades. LT even died for him and here he was wallowing at Blake's rejection and relationship with another man.
Well, no more. Blake herself has made it clear that their relationship was over and had no chance of reconciliation ever again. Now? Now Adam Taurus will completely devote himself to the White Fang. And if that meant working with the human in front of him to help them then he would stomach it.
Cinder Fall smirked at the tinge of desperation in his voice and Adam couldn't help but growl at the smugness radiating off of her.
"Well, Adam, what do you think would happen when the people of Vale discover that this attack was caused by the White Fang."
"But we didn't." He automatically shot back before his lone eye widened as the pieces started to fall together.
Cinder Fall didn't help with her chuckling softly as she softened her hold on his collar. "Oh but you did Adam, you did. After all, the train belonged to you. Who would believe that it was the Huntresses who wrecked the controls and this wasn't a deliberate attack? I'm sure Atlas already has reports of their forces engaging with yours."
"The survivors." He whispered in horror as Cinder's smile grew colder.
"Yes, Adam. The survivors." She nodded patronizingly at him and he could only glare as a growl left his mouth.
"Where are they?"
Fury mounted in his heart as Cinder carelessly shrugged.
"I have no idea but I did see a lot of Faunus slip past the defensive lines north of here. Imagine what the humans would do to them when they find out?"
He was throwing her arm off and already marching before he even knew what he was doing.
"Make sure not to get caught!" Cinder laughed cruelly behind him but he didn't care.
He was a man on a mission. This time, not for Blake but for his people.
Location: Southern Agricultural District, Vale
Time 3:32 AM
Pyrrha Nikos was a woman on a mission.
Grimm died as she pinned a Beowolf's head to the ground with her spear and her shield crushed the throat of another.
Jaune might have lured most of the Grimm away from them but stragglers still occasionally wandered into them on their way to the defensive line.
They were easy pickings for her of course but Pyrrha didn't want to take chances with both Weiss and Blake Auraless behind her. One mistake could cost them their lives, especially when they had some extra baggage with them.
"Ow! Can't you girls be a little bit gentler?!" Roman Torchwick shouted from behind her as Blake jostled one of his hands over her shoulders.
"You're a criminal. You'll live." Blake scowled
"What? Just because I'm on the other side of the law you have the right to treat me as less than human? Like an animal?" Roman grinned smugly Blake as Pyrrha frowned at him.
They stayed silent however as Weiss took Roman's other arm over her shoulders.
"Do we really have to do this?" Weiss huffed as the two girls struggled to follow Pyrrha with Roman in between them.
"Sorry, princess, but your boyfriend seemed a bit sweet on me to have you carry me out of this hellhole." Roman smirked, earning another scowl but this time from Weiss.
"It is heiress, not princess, and besides Jaune told us to do this because helping others in need is the right thing to do."
"And in this case, you are the others in need." Blake added, needling Roman Torchwick's pride which made the criminal scowl.
"Well if we don't get going then we all are going to be others in need."
Weiss rolled her eyes at that before nodding at Pyrrha. "As if, we have Pyrrha on our side."
Pyrrha smiled at the intended compliment but Roman Torchwick pointed out another thought that made them all freeze then and there.
"Yeah, but your boyfriend doesn't. He probably only has Neo with him." Roman smirked.
All the girls glared at him for that even as they continued to step forward.
"Neo...what does she want with Jaune?" Pyrrha asked but she had a sinking feeling she already knew the answer.
Roman Torchwick's following answer only confirmed it.
"Probably what all of you girls want with him." Roman snorted before waggling his eyebrows as he glanced at all of them. "His dick."
Yup, she knew it. She knew it would have to be that of all things. Pyrrha could still remember how Neo pleasured Jaune with her mouth and she was sure the other woman could as well. She's not proud of admitting it but Pyrrha herself took inspiration from Neo on how to give Jaune a blowjob. After all, they had limited time but Neo was still able to pull Jaune through the finish line.
"WHAT?!" Weiss screeched, making Roman reel back as Pyrrha sighed resignedly. "HOW DARE YOU BE SO UNCOUTH YOU-!"
"Woah, easy there, princess. You don't have to be so loud." Roman interrupted with a wince and even Pyrrha had to admit Weiss' screech grated on her ears..
"It is heiress." Weiss growled but Roman only rolled his eyes at her.
"I literally do not care but whether its his dick or not, the guy must have something you ladies want, why do you think Neo was willing to leap in to help him?"
"I don't know, maybe it's thanks for us helping you?" Blake glared but Roman only laughed mockingly at her for that.
"Not our style. She knew you were going to take care of me the moment you got me out of there whether she leapt in to help him or not. Her going back there was just for herself and not for me."
"Are you telling me that she likes Jaune so much that she is willing to risk her life to help him?" Weiss glared, her teeth grinding against each other as she looked at Roman.
"Oh she likes something alright but here's my question for you. If your Aura wasn't broken right and you were able to go back, would you have gone back there yourself to help your boyfriend yourself?" Roman smiled and Weiss' answer automatically came out of her mouth as Pyrrha nodded her own.
"Of course but that's us! We care for Jaune! Why should Neo do so?!" Weiss shrieked indignantly with a blush dusting her face but Roman only scowled irritably at her.
"I just told you. His dick. She's gotten a taste of it and she wants more. She can't have that if your boyfriend is dead, can she?"
"W-What?! How?! When?!" Weiss gawked dumbly while Pyrrha stiffened as she felt Blake look intensely at her.
Eventually, Weiss's eyes flicked towards her friends to see their reactions only for her to notice the look Blake was giving Pyrrha. She gasped in realization, her feet freezing in place as she looked at Pyrrha.
"Y-You knew?!"
Pyrrha sighed, her back still towards them, but before she could even open her mouth, Roman Torchwick answered for her.
"Oh she didn't just know, she watched it happen!" Roman laughed as a scowl crept up her face even as she looked around them for threats vigilantly.
"Pyrrha!" Weiss gasped scandalously with a bright flush on her face.
Whether from anger, shyness, or something else, Pyrrha did not know and she could only shake her head at that.
"Yes, Weiss, I knew." She admitted but before Weiss could even open her mouth, Pyrrha was already stopping and turning towards her. "But you need to understand that it wasn't so simple as just letting Neo do something inappropriate with Jaune."
Weiss' mouth opened and closed at that, the incredulousness of Pyrrha's words getting to her and making her look at her one remaining teammate for some help.
Blake sighed, looking away from her as she nodded. "It's true. She told me about it before you joined us."
Weiss gaped, shaking her head before looking at Pyrrha incredulously. "So what? Neo's suddenly just one of us?"
"No! Of course not!" Pyrrha denied vehemently, her eyes narrowing as she turned her gaze to Roman who looked satisfied at the chaos ensuing in front of him. "There were extenuating circumstances at the time!"
"What circumstances?! When would Neo even have the time to do anything with Jaune?! And while we're at it, what exactly did she do?!" Weiss asked, shaking her head with wide eyes.
Pyrrha groaned at all the questions but she had no choice but to answer them truthfully. Weiss deserved that much for being part of their exclusive group.
"Do you remember when Jaune and I snuck inside a White Fang meeting?" Pyrrha asked as Weiss tilted her head at her with a frown.
"The one when Roman rampaged across Vale with a Paladin?"
"I remember that! Those were some good times, I tell you!" Roman piped in happily, getting scowls from all the girls there as they shouted at him.
"""SHUT UP, ROMAN!"""
Pyrrha sighed as the criminal only whistled shakily with a smile on his face.
"Right, where was I?"
"You and Jaune snuck into a White Fang meeting." Weiss confirmed, making Pyrrha nod hesitantly at her.
"Yes, well..." Her words trailed off as Pyrrha tried to think of the best way to relay this to Weiss but her friend's impatient face told her the best way to do it would be to just be direct about.
And so that is what she did.
"Neo recognized us and sucked Jaune's dick off!" She blabbered as red dusted her cheeks while Weiss' jaw dropped.
"W-What?"
"HAHAHA! You should have seen the look on your-ow!" Roman's laugh cut across the street but he is immediately interrupted when Weiss drives an elbow into his side.
"Shut up!" Weiss scowled before turning to Pyrrha with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean Neo sucked him off? Why?!"
Pyrrha shuffled uncomfortable before a harsh sigh left her mouth. "I actually have no idea. I can only assume it was the price to pay for her silence at the time. After all, it allowed us to gather information about the White Fang...courtesy of Roman Torchwick." She said the last part slowly, her eyes curiously drifting towards the criminal who scowled at Weiss for elbowing his side.
"You knew we were there." Pyrrha whispered, gathering the thief's attention as both Blake and Weiss slowly turned towards him themselves. "You knew we were there and yet you gave us information. Why?"
Roman raised an eyebrow at that, waving a hand to his injured leg. "You might not have noticed but me and the Fang aren't exactly besties."
"Then why help them? Why steal Dust and Atlas weapons for them?" Blake asked, her brows furrowing as she latched onto Pyrrha's words.
Roman scoffed, rolling his eyes at them before opening his mouth. "Why? Why do criminals like me work with others? Business of course!"
Weiss however shook her head at that as she frowned at him. "No, if it was just business then you would have done it on the side. I researched you when we were looking for you and the White Fang, you know? You're a thief. You steal lien, jewelry, and other valuable materials but the moment you started working with the White Fang, you devoted your time to exclusively steal Dust and weapons for them. Why?"
Roman's expression suddenly closed off. His casual demeanor sliding off of his face as he stared at Weiss.
"Maybe they paid me well, maybe I suddenly empathized with their plight, why do you care?"
"Because it makes no sense. This attack makes no sense for both you and the White Fang." Weiss shook her head but Roman immediately fired back with an answer that leaves Pyrrha shaking.
"Hey, you're the ones who attacked us and it was your dead friend who broke the controls."
"Dead friend?" Pyrrha gasped, her eyes widening as she saw both of Blake and Weiss' stricken looks.
Roman snorted before glaring at her. "Yeah, the one with the long blonde hair and wants-oops-wanted to punch things."
Horror filled her heart then as Roman's words sank in.
"Yang? Yang is dead? What about Ruby? Where is she?"
She thought the two sisters might have just been separated from their teammates but Roman's words and her friends' reactions painted a much more terrifying possibility.
Yang and possibly Ruby, both dead.
Gods.
Tears pricked into her eyes as both Blake and Weiss refused to look at her.
"I-It can't be." Pyrrha stuttered even as Blake shook her head.
"No, we didn't find their bodies."
Her breath gets choked up on her throat at that as Roman snorted loudly.
"Come on, kitty-cat, you saw your ex cut blondies throat."
Pyrrha's hands clenched tightly around her spear at that even as Blake gritted her teeth.
"I did but that doesn't matter right now. Yang's a fighter and until I see her d-dead body in front of me, I refuse to believe it."
"The same goes for Ruby. A woman appeared through a portal. She could have easily taken the both of them through another." Weiss growled even as Pyrrha's breath rushed out of her.
A woman? A portal? Why would a random woman suddenly help their friends? She had so many questions but just the chance of Yang and Ruby being safe was enough to help her relax slightly.
"Blake is right." She whispered, staring at Roman with hard eyes as she pointed her spear at him. "This doesn't matter right now. What matters is stopping something like this from ever happening again."
"What? Going to kill me?" Roman Torchwick raised an eyebrow and Pyrrha will give him this, he was brave in the face of bodily harm but bodily harm wasn't her plan for today.
"No, but you'll tell us everything you know." She demanded, her champion's mind piecing what looked like isolated pieces of information together into something larger. "Weiss was right that this attack makes no sense for you and the White Fang."
Roman raised an eyebrow at that. "I already told you. We didn't initiate this attack."
This time, it was Pyrrha's turn to snort at him.
Unladylike, she knows, but this wasn't the time to worry about her image. This was the time to find out facts.
"Initiated or not, but the fact of the matter is you and the White Fang had a train pointed at Vale. Why? Just why would a thief who steals things want to attack Vale? What fight does the White Fang have with Vale when they used to only publicly attack the SDC? And more importantly, why would you work together to do it?" She asked, questions rushing from her lips as her mind tried to unravel this particular tangle of circumstances.
The pieces were always there. They just didn't have the time and energy to think on it when they decided to hand the information about the White Fang to Headmaster Ozpin.
Now that they were in the middle of things and with Roman in front of them, Pyrrha had enough to piece together some things.
It was clear however, that Roman wasn't going to be forthcoming with answers as he only tsked at her. His silence, however, was an answer in itself.
"You and the White Fang haven't made your hostility with each other a secret." She added, nodding at his injured leg before continuing. "So why would you tolerate each other to enact a plan that is not aligned to either of your goals? Who would do such a thing?"
Her words pierced through Roman's excuses as she saw both Blake and Weiss nod together with wide eyes.
"You don't. At least no one sane would." Weiss muttered, prompting Blake to add her own thoughts.
"Which means you would either be crazy or unwilling."
"And I don't think you are crazy, Roman." Pyrrha nodded, raising an eyebrow at Roman before looking at her two friends.
"Which means you are unwilling and someone is forcing you." Weiss pointed out.
"And they want to destroy Vale." And Blake finished.
Weary smiles crept up at Blake and Weiss' faces at that. It wasn't much in the grand scheme of things but it was confirmation of something bigger and they were right in the middle of it. While alarming to say the least, knowing about it now would be helpful in knowing how to stop it. That begs the question however, who would have enough power to force Roman Torchwick and the White Fang to work together? Who would be willing to destroy Vale? For what purpose?
Pyrrha was in the middle of such thoughts when she heard steps coming from behind her. She turned around rapidly, ready to engage the Grimm once again but what greeted her however was Cinder Fall's surprised face.
Location: Southern Agricultural District, Vale
Time 3:35 AM
Cinder smirked as she received Roman Torchwick from Jaune's lover before passing him off to Mercury.
"Thanks." Blake Belladonna sighed warily as Cinder looked at her cat ears.
Faunus, huh. Cinder took note but she kept her smile plastered on her face as she tilted her head minutely at her.
"It is no problem. I'm sure Mercury would be happy to carry your load."
She shot Mercury a look however and she was happy to note that he only nodded minutely before grumbling loudly to himself. One of his hands fished out a harddrive from his pockets just as Cinder moved forward to block his actions from view.
"Pyrrha Nikos, we meet again." She called out, stretching a hand towards the frowning woman.
As expected, the champion stared completely at her, taking her attention away from both Mercury and Roman.
Ahhh...how she loved it when a good plan slowly comes together.
Sending Emerald to stoke the flames against the Faunus was a stroke of genius to whip people up into a frenzy. It was just supposed to be a way to cause chaos in the short term while making fear and paranoia taint Vale in the long term but sending Adam towards her would ensure the White Fang would grow and in turn, Cinder's forces would grow.
Taking custody of Roman however, ensured she would have a say where all her lackeys ended up. And while it was a foregone conclusion that Roman was going to be arrested in their plans, this wasn't the particular event where it was to happen. Still, it would serve as well. Watts' virus was getting up there to Atlas' battleships one way or another.
And that way was Roman.
He grumbled roughly as Mercury shoved him to sell the act but Cinder kept her eyes on the women in front of her.
Something was wrong.
"Where's Jaune?" She asked, getting complicated looks from both Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee while Pyrrha Nikos breathed harshly at her direction
"He stayed behind to lure out the Grimm."
Cinder froze at that. Jaune Arc, her one ticket to power, was out there luring the Grimm?!
Before she even knew what she was doing, she was already running past Pyrrha Nikos and heading towards the direction they came from.
"Cinder, wait!"
She heard a voice call out behind her but she only kept going aa she left everyone there gobsmacked. Unbeknownst to her however, she left Pyrrha Nikos with a dilemna. Either follow her and leave her friends behind or stay with them and see them through safety before running back with reinforcements.
It only took a heartbeat for the champion to decide as she suddenly let out a scream of frustration and rage. Her fists tightened around her weapons as her feet stomped the ground around her. Eventually however, her anger left her and Pyrrha Nikos only led the now frightened group northward, leaving Cinder Fall alone to come across a sight she did not expect.
It took a few mimutes of running but Cinder Fall's jaw dropped as she saw multiple Neopolitans running, twisting, and flipping through the air to kill the Grimm around her.
The moment she paused however, almost a dozen multi-colored eyes turned towards her. Cruel smirks shot towards her directiom but Cinder only growled as her left eye flared ablaze.
Location: Southern Agricultural District, Vale
Time: 3:40 AM
It was probably only a few minutes but to Jaune, kissing Neo while both of their Semblances were active might as well have been a lifetime.
His Semblance amplified hers so much that she was able to make Jaune feel like light was passing through him.
Try as he might to resist, his mind felt scattered as Neo assaulted his senses.
The world felt like a kaleidoscope of colors as Neo insistently locked lips with his.
He was lost the moment she molded her body against his.
Hues of pink and brown dominated his vision as he felt Neo's soft hands hold his head.
He felt like putty in her hands as her wet, warm tongue melted against his. Soon, all he could do was return her kiss as the world shrank to just the two of them.
There was one point there that he was sure he even forgot his own name but what he could never forget was the feeling of a soft body against his, amplified by his Semblance and Neo's.
His arms rounded against the woman in front of him to pull her closer. It didn't take long after that before he was moaning with her. Soft sounds permeated the world as Jaune felt the heat encompass his body.
At the end of it all, he had to be stopped by someone pulling on him.
Jaune blinked as the kaleidoscopic light around him dimmed slowly. His mind felt fuzzy as he separated from Neo. It felt like sleeping on a cloud as his eyes tried to focus themselves
Neo's pouting face stared at him but before Jaune could even say anything he is suddenly pulled around to look at familiar amber eyes.
Jaune was peripherally aware of what was happening of course.
He was being kissed and then a beautiful girl with amber eyes pulled him before turning him towards her.
Suffice to say, it was damn familiar. Perhaps it was that familiarity that pushes Jaune to smile brightly at the woman in front of him.
His hand was just about to climb up her face and he was just about to lean forward to kiss her when he felt the last thing he expected at that moment.
Slap!
A palm slapped him straight at the side of his face as Cinder Fall glared at him with a blush on her face.
Cinder will admit it.
Her heart skipped a beat when he smiled at her brightly.
Things only got worse when he tried to lean down to kiss her.
Her hand flew automatically to his face before indignation even had the time to pool in her guts.
What? Did he think she would fall for him and let him kiss her just because he smiled at her?
She would be damned if she would be treated like one of those weak floozies who swooned at every gesture. No, whatever action between them that is to happen should have her as the one in power.
Succumbing now would be opposite to that.
For now, as cute as he was, Cinder satisfied herself by chastising the would be casanova.
"What the hell are you doing?!" She yelled angrily as Jaune tearily blinked out the stinging sensation in his face.
His hand gingerly climbed and he winced as he made contact with his sensitive.
"Ow! What was that for?!" He asked with wide eyes.
What?! What was that for?! Did he really not know?!
Cinder sputtered furiously, red creeping up her neck as she waved at him then at her and finally at Neo behind him.
No words were needed as Jaune immediately snapped towards Neo's direction.
The thief had the gall to wink at Cinder before smiling cheekily at Jaune, putting a finger to her cheeks as she swiped her tongue over her lips.
Cinder's blood boiled at that. This fucking hussy! Jaune was Cinder's quarry! Not Neo's! Part of her longed to burn the pipsqueak into ash like she did her clones but she could not do so.
Not only was Neo integral to her plan but Cinder couldn't risk exposing her powers to Jaune at this stage just yet.
All she could do was tear the two apart.
"You're cheating." She narrowed her eyes at Jaune and predictably, he blushed guiltily as he turned to Neo.
"I'm sorry, Neo, but I'm taken."
Neo pouted at that and Cinder frowned as she saw the petite woman raise a hand to form symbols with her fingers.
Sign language. She was using sign language and Jaube could understand it too judging by the flustered he was suddenly sporting.
"I-that's complicated!"
Never has Cinder cursed her inability to understand sign language more than now. It was a flaw she would have to fix later because not only did it prove to be useful in passing secret messages like Neo was doing to Jaune now but she would at least be able to understand what has Jaune so suddenly panicked.
"W-What do you mean you want to join?! Of course you can't join! We have something special!"
Cinder raised an eyebrow at those words. Neo wanted to join something Jaune was a part of?
Now that was concerning.
Luckily for Cinder, she had just the hook to keep Neo in her grasp.
"I met with your friends. My team is escorting them to safety and they should be delivering Roman Torchwick to Atlas as we speak." She cut in, gathering both of their attention and making Neo froze at her words.
All trace of mirth melted away from the criminal's face as she turned towards Cinder coldly. Cinder only smirked before dropping it as Jaune snapped towards her with wide eyes.
"They are safe?" He asked and Cinder could only nod at him.
"Yes. I went ahead to check on you but it seems like you didn't need it." She raised an eyebrow, turning towards Neo who was now glaring at her. "Unless, of course, you need help bringing in this criminal?"
Jaune's eyes widened, turning towards Neo who now looked at him with hurt in her eyes.
He gawked, his jaw dropping up and down as indecision filled his heart.
The decision was taken out of his hands however when Neo suddenly shattered into colorful glass. She disappered in a burst of kaleidoscopic light that left Jaune reeling as Cinder narrowed her eyes at the theatrics.
Unless Neo had been hiding some tricks up her sleeves, she couldn't do that without expending some more effort which, considering the situation they were in, was just plain foolish. What she also certainly couldn't do however was manifesting clones under her will that could move and fight other people.
They were easy for her to deal with of course, more of a nuisance really but Cinder was different. She had the powers of a Maiden. If she didn't then she could see herself struggling to take on multiple Neo's.
Sure they break with one strong hit but it would also only take for Cinder to be hit once before suddenly finding herself under a barrage of their attacks.
No, if Neo could do that from the start then she and Roman would have fought harder against Cinder when she pressed them to her service. The fact that she didn't meant that she received some power and right now, Cinder could only think of one possible source.
Jaune Arc.
She narrowed her eyes as he frowned at Neo's last location.
"You're cheating." She stated again and Jaune snapped towards as he reeled back in surprise.
"N-No, I'm not!" He sputtered but Cinder only raised an eyebrow at his pale face.
"Did you know I had to fight through some of her clones just to get to the both of you?"
Jaune's eyes blew wide open at that. "She made you fight her clones?"
"Why wouldn't she?" Cinder shrugged, faking nonchalance and then confusion as she tilted her head. "Though her being able to disappear like she just did lets me know that it isn't as simple as that. First she makes clones and now she can teleport? No Semblance should be like that unless of course, someone amplified her."
Cinder watched as Jaune began to blush embarrassedly. The ruse to paint herself ignorant of Neo's abilities was necessary. Jaune could never know she was involved with the criminal before now and so her words were designed to let Jaune think he was the one who knew more about Neo than Cinder did.
"I...uhm...that might have been my fault." Jaune admitted bashfully as Cinder smiled wryly at him.
"I figured. I still remember how your Semblance felt when you tried it on me the night of the dance."
Jaune flushed red at that as he couldn't help but rub the back of his head while he looked shyly at her.
"O-Oh."
Cinder couldn't help it, she blushed lightly as well. The reminder of that particular feeling had her feeling tingly and hot as the Maiden powers reacted to her thoughts.
"Y-Yes, oh. Do you mind hitting me with it again?" She asked, shyness beginning to tint her voice before she crushed it and opted for casual professionalism.
"I...ugh...I don't think that's a good idea. Do you remember what happened last time?" Jaune asked with wide eyes and Cinder could only look away into the distance as his blue eyes peered into her soul.
"Yes, of course, I remember!" She bit out, heat pooling in her cheeks as she remembered that with but a touch, he made her cum.
Not that he actually knew it of course but it was still embarrassing for Cinder. For all he knew, she was just unprepared and passed out from the rush last time. Still, if Cinder was to have more power then she would have to get used to the feeling of his Semblance entering her body.
"Of course, I remember, but unless you want the Grimm to overwhelm us then you would have to hit me with it again."
Already, she could hear a roar from the distance. A quick glance at the source showed another pack of Beowolves with some Boarbatusks with them.
Neo might have wreacked havoc among the horde but they were still coming. Not as many of them were as before and there was still some distance between them but Cinder could hardly show her true powers to Jaune here. She just didn't have a good hook on him yet to be confident that he wouldn't spill about what he sees if she were to do so.
Still, it was as good a reason as any to urge him to use his Semblance on her again.
Jaune looked at her unsurely and the Grimm rushing towards them. "Are you sure?"
"Don't worry, I'm more prepared than last time. I can take it." Cinder nodded glancing at him for a moment before turning her body towards the incoming threat.
They were small fries for Cinder of course but she had to sell the act that it was going to be harder than it should be. She raised her fists and took a deep breath.
No Maiden powers to burn out the Grimm. No Dust usage from her clothes. And no glass swords from her Semblance as well.
All she had were her fists and her Aura.
Until of course, Jaune laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you ready?" He asked and Cinder couldn't help but smirk at him.
"What? Do you need a kiss to activate it like with Neo?"
Jaune blushed as a chuckle left Cinder's mouth.
There, that's how it should be. With him unbalanced and Cinder having the power between-
Snap!
Unlike last time when Jaune only poured a trickle towards her, this time, he was not holding back. It was like a dam broke and with it, sanity.
"You! I've been waiting for you!" A manic voice called out deep inside her mind as she felt the string attaching her to the other Maiden tense.
She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, both to hide the telltale sign of the Maiden's power manifesting and to focus on the other Maiden.
Damn it! So focused was she on Jaune's reaction that she was caught unprepared by the mental assualt she was suddenly experiencing right now.
The screeching form of a crazed Amber Autumn appeared in her mind as she launched herself through the string between them.
She felt hooks dig inside her brain as the Maiden tried to claw Cinder out of her own body.
"Do you know how long I have been waiting for this?!"
The voice sounded feral as Cinder felt a tug from the string between them.
Cinder gasped as the Maiden's power seemed to jump out of her skin. Steam formed around her as heat seemed to leap out from her body.
Already, bright flashes of flame flickered in between her eyelid as electricity coursed through her veins. Cinder didn't even have time to appreciate the pleasure of having magic bloom inside her because if she wasn't careful, then was going to get her soul ripped out of her! Pain lashed across her body as she felt as if every single part of her was being skinned.
Crazy bitch!
It seems that in a bout of madness, the other Maiden decided to go all in and drag the power away from Cinder!
The joke was on her though. Not only was Cinder more powerful, she also wasn't injured.
She growled as she engaged the Maiden in a spiritual tug of war. The imaginary string between them lit aflame as Cinder started to pull back.
She heard the other Maiden gasp in pain from the connection between them but her concentration almost slipped when she felt someone shake her body.
"Cinder! Are you okay?!" Jaune yelled out even as Cinder kept her eyes closed while she got her soul slowly ripped out of her.
In an effort to keep control, Cinder raised a fist and let the Maiden's power light it on fire.
Let Jaune think it as her Semblance enhanced by his but it served two purposes. Not only did it silence Jaune but it also acted as a focal point for the Maiden powers in her possession.
Instad of getting her Aura and soul ripped out of her, Cinder screamed and let the power flow through her as she knelt on one knee and punched the ground.
It exploded like a flashbang and Cinder directed the blast in front of them to combat the Grimm. Cracks traveled along the pavement and the ground shook as she felt the mental hooks in her brain disintegrate on impact.
The blowback from the explosion was not only felt in the real world as Cinder felt the power reel back and launch Amber back through the string and away from her before the pathway between them became dormant again.
Fuck!
Cinder gritted her teeth. It was a draw but she did not leave that fight unscathed. Even now her head pounded painfully as she felt like her mind just got raked by a beast.
She managed to blink through the pain and when she finally managed to open her eyes, smoke and dust traveled upward as the road in front of them caved downwards.
Jaune gawked at the damage as Cinder breathed heavily. Her body still glowing with power as she tried to get her bearings.
Still, try as she might, Cinder could not get her legs to work properly. Here she was, brimming with power and she couldn't even wield it as she felt the effects of Amber's surprise attack.
Worse still was the growls she was hearing from around them...and below them. It seems in her haste to keep the power in her possession, she blew up the road and opened it up to the sewer system below it.
The sewer system that was connected to the the old underground railway system the Grimm had access to courtesy of the White Fang.
She heard the slither among the rubbles before she saw it.
A King Taijitu slid up to its full height right in front of them. The top of its two heads, one black and the other white, probably reached about a dozen meters above them and Cinder glared as its eyes dared to stare at her.
Having Salem's blessing in the form of an insect Grimm buried under her skin should have allowed her partial influence against the Grimm but try as she might to ward it away, the two heads stared at their direction.
She gritted her teeth, her knees shaking as she tried to stand up but before she could even reach her full height however, her breath left her as a shining figure rushed in front of her.
"Don't worry, Cinder. I'll take it from here." Jaune Arc smiled brightly back at her as he glowed in the darkness.
Alright, she'll admit it, her heart skipped a bit as she looked on at his armored back.
She gawked as she watched him run forward, the King Taijitu snapping its two heads forward to meet him.
Jaune leapt shield first and Cinder expected him to cut the heads then and there with how confident he sounded but before she knew it, he was being swallowed by the black head.
The world paused as Cinder blinked. She was pretty sure the two heads of the King Taijitu blinked as well.
All that talk of her not worrying and here he was getting swallowed in one bite with his light being snuffed out?!
What the fuck?!
Cinder didn't have time to process the incredulous situation however when the head that swallowed him started choking.
Before she knew it, Jaune Arc pierced through its neck screaming and covered in black, oily guts even as his Semblance shone through him.
The black head fell powerlessly down with a hiss before it started to disintegrate. The white head tried to turn around to assault Jaune but Cinder's eyes widened as she saw Jaune raise his sword with both hands.
He glowed like the sun and with one slash of his sword, cut the remaining head in two straight down the middle. Its scales proving powerless as momentum carried the remains of its body past Jaune's sides.
Cinder gawked with wide eyes as he looked at her. She never thought he had this much power on him.
To face a Grimm that size with brute force? Not many would have the confidence to come out of it unscathed but Jaune Arc only smiled at her before waving a hand.
"Don't worry, Cinder! I'll lure the Grimm away from you! Pyrrha and the others should be coming back soon with reinforcements!"
And with those words, Jaune Arc glowed like the sun. Running and climbing through the streets of Vale towards the city's southern wall.
And miraculously? The Grimm were actually following him.
Cinder watched as Beowolves stalking from the rooftops suddenly turned towards him. Boarbatusks swerved midrun to follow him. Deathstalkers and King Taijitus crawled and slithered out from wholes in Vale's broken ground to chase after him. Squawks and screeches from above told her Mevermores and other sorts of flying Grimm were not far behind.
The point was, all manners of Grimm were attracted to this one single person and Cinder was left there unmolested.
Her heart thundered rapidly both from the amount of power still coursing through her and the image of one smiling man branded in her mind.
Her blonde knight.
Location: Southern Wall, Vale.
Time: 4:00 AM
Glynda Goodwitch was tiredly trying to patch up the Southern Wall again when she saw something that caught her eye.
It has been almost thirty minutes since they arrived and yet they were none the closer to fixing the breach. It was not for the lack of trying however but Glynda's Semblance, Telekinesis, could only do a patch up job on the wall.
Try as she might, she could only put the pieces back together. She wasn't actually gluing them back together.
All it would take then was for a particularly determined Ursa to jostle it and take it all down out of position.
Yet what else could she do? She at least was slowing them down while the children around her tried to create a safe zone.
It might be tiring and was basically a battle of attrition but she had full confidence that their efforts here will help reduce the number of Grimm their Atlesian comrades needed to eliminate before coming in to help them.
By then, their combined efforts should be able to push Grimm out of the city and make things safe enough that additional defenses could be constructed to stem the tide while construction teams worked to repair the wall.
Until then however, it was going to be a slow going and brutal slugfest as her students fought to keep the Grimm from passing through.
They were losing it however as more often than not, her and her students had to fall back just to avoid casualties.
She was just behind the new defensive line trying to carry debris to form into an improvised wall against the Grimm when she saw it.
A glowing figured raced through from inside the city and eyes immediately snapped towards it even as they poured lead on the Grimm trying to rush them.
Jaws dropped however when on closer inspection as it passed by her revealed itself to be a man.
"Who is that?" She asked with wide eyes, her eyes tracking the man's stride as it leapt over the defenders and into the Grimm.
Glynda gawked as the line surged back. Cheers roared out from her students however and a bright white explosion decimated the first wave and before she knew it, a figure was cutting itself an inspiring form atop the debris.
His back was towards them but everyone there could see the tattered remains of armor half-clinging to the warrior's form. He held a glowing sword with one hand and a shield on the other and as he raised his glowing sword, a voice was cutting through the din.
"IT'S FEARLESS LEADER!" Nora Valkyrie shouted enthusiastically from the front lines, raising her warhammer with one hand and whooping it above her head. "Come on, Renny! Let's follow our glorious leader! For Jaune-Jaune!"
Before Glynda knew it, more people were taking in the warcry as they were galvanized by the inspiring sight.
"""FOR JAUNE-JAUNE!"""
She gawked with wide eyes as the defenders of Vale surged forward, following the figure of Jaune Arc as he leapt over the debris to push back the Grimm back towards the wall.
She was just about to follow when she felt a hand grab onto her shoulder tightly. Her hand was already halfway there to slap the offending arm off when a voice snapped her out of it.
"Lisa Lavender, here with Professor Glynda Goodwitch of Beacon." Lisa called out as Glynda blinked with wide eyes, following Lisa's gaze however, she saw a small woman wave at her as a Scroll was pointed in their direction. "Professor Goodwitch, what can you tell us about Jaune Arc?"
Location: Ansel, Kingdom of Vale.
Time: 8:30 AM
"Mom?! Jaune's on tv!"
Plates crashed as multiple pairs eyes suddenly turned towards the tv.
Want to support me, vote on polls, get early access, look at some fanarts?
You can find my P place in the link below.
pa tr eon.c o m (slash) MrLightbringer0
Just delete the spaces in between and use / for the slash.