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Thank you for joining me by the fire.
Chapter 55 It Grows Darkest
In the ravaged, burnt husk of a town long since abandoned by men, upon one of the highest remaining structures, the clash of weapons rung over the scorched streets below.
One, an outsider, a foreigner, lost and wandering, beset by dreams and terror, fought with all he had, his impressive arsenal brought to bear and just as quickly forsaken as it fell short. His attire was torn and bloodied, tiny holes scattered across his person, leaving a constellation of bloody penetrations that painted skin and cloth red.
His appearance was savagery; teeth bared like those of a rabid hound, his blood-covered locks whipping about his head as he dashed to and fro the lengths of red-tainted gold whipped about by the wild winds atop a tower where he fought.
His equipment was already being consumed. A Blood Vial was discarded to the side, and Molotovs had left scorched patches of stone where his foe had managed to avoid them. His Saw Cleaver had been blasted from his hand as he was forced to use it to shield his face from gunfire.
Not to mention, he had lost his hat again.
The other… a man at the end of his journey, forsaken and damned, seeking that which he himself
denies. His attire was torn and ragged, painted grey by a coating of ash in a ceremony as profane as it was consecrated.
A killer of forsaken vows renounced in blood and fire.
Age wore his flesh as he did his clothes, frayed and scarred, and ash seemed to have left his complexion muddled. His hair, that which was visible from beneath his hat, was wispy, and the colour grey, though whether that was from the ash as well was impossible to tell.
His expression was far more subdued, lacking his opponent's ferocity. Despite the wrinkles and the fact that his face was, in truth, partially concealed by the bandages that wrapped around the right side of his face and hid one of his eyes…
There was anger, spite… hate.
The two clashed a weapon of serrated teeth against a polished blade set in a brace of mechanised perfection. Savagery won out as the blond swung his arms out, broke the ashen-garbed man's guard, and sent him back.
Any pursuit was blocked by yet another hail of explosive gunfire as the man garbed in ash kept his foe at bay with a blast of Quicksilver.
The blond was sent tumbling back, rolling limply, blood smearing across stone as they slid to a stop near the edge of the roof.
A beat.
The man draped in ash looked down and found his garb smeared red, his blood spilling from a torn gash that rent open the barest layer of his hip. He looked back to the blond, and already his younger foe was rising; a syringe jabbed into his kneeling thigh as he forced himself to stand.
Through what was no doubt a ludicrous amount of pain, the blond stood, even as liquid metal and tainted blood pooled from the numerous perforations that decorated his mauled form.
"… The makings of a true Hunter… indeed…" the man wrapped in ash declared as he brushed a hand over his hip, marring his glove in blood.
The blond spat out a viscous glob of blood and spit, their expression twisting into something venomous.
"… Then there is truly no need to hold back," he declared in response to the hateful glare.
The blond still held their tongue, the bloodied Hunter instead directing their eye to the ashen-garbed man's left hand.
That was all the warning there was before the blond exploded into motion, a fierce blur as his arm snatched from his belt a firearm of his own, the pistol drawn and raised in a breath.
But a Hunter was a Hunter.
They pulled their triggers simultaneously, both dashing across stones spared the worst of the taint that afflicted the rest of the town. Quicksilver, imbued with Bood and launched amidst blooming fire, tore through the air.
The Blond rolled as his leg was caught by the cone of shrapnel, his firearm discarded as the barrel still smoked.
The ashen Hunter stumbled his bicep, taking the brunt of the damage as the single bullet sheered through his arm.
The pain… the pain was a focus point.
Any true Hunter would be uninhibited by such.
"Come! The Beast's will feast tonight! Courtesy of Djura!"
The Blond did not disappoint.
"Be silent!" he barked as he drew a second firearm and fired in the same motion. Djura was staggered as two Quicksilver rounds slammed into his gut and buried themselves deep into his lower abdomen.
The blond Hunter was back on his feet before Djura could aim his Hunter Blunderbuss again, his wounded leg hardly slowing him as his Saw Spear slammed against the ashen Hunter's hastily raised guard. His weapon was shoved painfully into his chest as his back cracked against the side of his mounted Gattling Gun.
Djura grunted, not in pain but exertion as the blond proved to be the stronger Hunter. The serrated teeth of his weapon moved ever closer to his throat as he snarled, breaths passing his teeth in a furious hiss.
But their eyes did not meet.
The blond's eyes were locked solely on Djura's firearm, his Hunter Blunderbuss, with immense intensity.
Djura knew not why, but he cared not. He shoved his elbow back and switched off the lock that held his mounted gun in place. The device spun, and Djura shoved in tandem with it, breaking their contest of strength and sending the blond stumbling past.
Djura paid back his younger foe with a bone-deep score to his ribs as he stumbled past, his blunderbuss raising in tandem with his attack.
The blond released a snarl of raw fury and spun on his heel, his weapon transforming with the motion and batting the barrel of the gun aside. Djura's shot slammed uselessly into the stones, and the older Hunter was struck across his jaw as the blond's fist crashed into his face.
Jaune revelled in the feel of his foe's lip splitting.
The Gunman, this Djura, was pushing him to the limit.
Djura matched him in speed and was strong enough that Jaune could not simply power through his guard without resistance. Jaune could not deny the Hunter's skill even though he became increasingly enraged by it.
But his opponent's attributes were insignificant compared to the confounding oddity of Djura's use of his Blunderbuss.
At first, Jaune thought his foe was wielding a custom firearm, much like Gascoigne had, but he could see no alterations or modifications to the gun. It appeared much the same as his own Hunter Blunderbuss. The only significant difference Jaune could perceive was that Djura's was silver grey.
Ash coated the weapon as much as the man.
But therein lay the issue.
Djura was not reloading his gun.
Jaune had thrown his firearms aside after firing them once, knowing that a fight against a Hunter would be far too fast-paced for reloading. He had intended to force Djura into the same issue, even before he had confirmation that the Gunman he despised was a Hunter. But despite his efforts, Djura had not once slid a Quicksilver bullet into his gun; the Blunderbuss seemed to be conjuring bullets out of the air.
Jaune found it maddening.
Jaune had spent most of his bloody duel with the other Hunter examining his Blunderbuss with scrutiny, looking for any hint as to how it was performing such a feat.
His clue had come when he managed to pin the Gunman against his infernal Gattling gun; now, he just needed confirmation.
Jaune stabbed forward with his Saw Spear, the hooked tip of his weapon streaking forward to pierce up into his foe's chest.
His weapon indeed tasted blood, but only a drop.
Djura caught his weapon in a desperate vice-like grip, halting the weapon in its track, but not before it managed to pierce his person. Djura's right arm shook as he held back Jaune's attack, his bulky arm blade proving useful for utility as Djura could be armed and still retain the use of his hand.
But Jaune didn't care about that.
As soon as Jaune had lunged forward, Djura had brought up his blunderbuss, no doubt intending to fire it point blank to devastating effect, but Jaune was ready. He snatched the weapon up in his grip and forced Djura's arm up and away from his person.
But this was not the end of his goals.
Jaune turned his head and saw the length of Djura's arm, looking for a mechanism or funnel he believed would be there and explaining his opponent's penchant for not needing to reload.
Instead, he saw a stream.
A stream of metal, Quicksilver, flowed up Djura's arm in open defiance of gravity. It coiled up past his wrist and onto the surface of his blunderbuss, where it snaked its way into the firearm's interior.
Jaune squinted his gaze in confusion, pulling his head away at the oddity. This revealed the red hidden in the metallic silver flow.
"…Blood Alchemy?" Jaune breathed as the dots came together.
In an instant, all the resistance halting his Saw Spear disappeared, and Jaune's weapon was plunged into Djura's gut, the serrated teeth biting through his light armour and into his flesh. Meat and blood sloshed as the brutal weapon parted through his anatomy and lanced his insides.
Jaune was too distracted to react in time.
By the time he was moving, he could already hear the roar of a mechanism firing and the whirring of internal machines as Djura's weapon slammed into the side of his jaw.
There was a crack like a gunshot, a splitting pain, and Jaune was flying.
He hit the floor and rolled, his weapon left behind in the guts of his opponent as he bounced along the floor, leaving a bloody trail in his wake. He impacted the lopsided brick stack at the roof's edge, the dilapidated wall's remains falling to the Beast-infested streets below.
Jaune's head shot up as he clawed at the floor, pulling himself away from the ledge.
His breaths came out as bubbly, wet, hacking coughs as blood spewed from his mouth.
Or what was left of it…
Jaune screamed; the noise came out as a gurgling mess, and a fresh slew of blood painted the roof as he clutched at the area where his jaw had been before. Scrambling, he slammed back onto the roof floor, tore free a handful of Blood Viles, and jammed them into his chest desperately.
His whole body went rigid as the Old Blood surged into his person, but Jaune continued to gurgle and spit as he groaned in pain like a wounded animal. With speed too rapid to be natural, the flesh around his neck, where his jaw had once connected, began to bleed less and less.
The pain, however, lingered. Jaune, still gurgling, stopped his writhing long enough to tear the syringes from his chest as he slammed the empty vessels onto the roof, shattering them in a puddle of his blood.
He got to his knees, heaving out another breath, spraying blood onto the ground, a hand coming up to cover the mauled section of his face. Eventually, he clutched at his throat, stemming the blood as his fingers dug into the meat of his throat around the section of his exposed airway.
Through the pain, the lack of air, the horror of feeling a piece of his face missing… Jaune saw Djura.
His arm blade was smoking, and the blade part was still extended outward, with the air around it fluctuating due to the heat. He was slowly and carefully pulling Jaune's Saw Spear from his gut, but the weapon's serrated teeth made the task arduous.
Blood and flesh were coming out with each tooth, and Jaune could see the pain on Djura's face through the haze of red that was his vision.
He also saw the exact moment Djura's one uncovered eye looked up and saw Jaune's brutalised form staring at him.
It was as if a flag dropped.
Jaune launched forward, his hands pushing him forward as much as his feet as he began to barrel toward Djura, a howl of rage leaving his throat in a mangled, gurgling manner.
Djura wasted no more time and tore the Saw Spear from his gut with a savage roar of pain as an entire wave of blood and what appeared to be a portion of his insides came with it. He brought his blunderbuss up, the weapon loaded by the Blood Alchemy he utilised.
Jaune was ready.
His berserk charge was wild, scrambling and rapid, so when he dropped low, his hands hitting the floor as if he were nothing more than a stumbling Beast, Djura thought nothing of it. When the barrel of the blunderbuss pointed at his low, hunched form, Jaune struck.
He leapt forward, the cone of Quicksilver exploding out below him as Jaune's body soared over the gunfire straight towards his target.
Djura tried to block but was not quick enough.
Jaune crashed into the older Huntsman, his head slamming into Djura's face and crushing the cyclopean Huntsman's nose in a brutal order. Jaune's left hand sailed down and clawed at Djura's neck, trying to find purchase. His right elbow dropped onto Djura's shoulder with enough force that Djura's knee threatened to buckle.
Djura staggered back, and Jaune's knees hit the ground, but neither Huntsman relented as Djura swung with his arm blade, and Jaune pulled yet another weapon from his person.
The elongated blade of Djura's arm blade slammed into Jaune's Threaded Cane, the weapon in its untransformed state providing a solid barrier to shield his person. Jaune pushed up from kneeling, and his cane halted Djura's blow as it wedged itself between the weapon's blade and Djura's wrist.
With his first attack blocked, Djura swung his left arm around, trying to position the barrel of his Blunderbuss flush against Jaune's head, but the blond was ready for such a move. Jaune snatched a throwing knife free of his coat and, without hesitation, jammed the razor-sharp blade into Djura's left wrist.
Djura's breath came out in a pained hiss as he tried to jerk his arm away, but Jaune did not relent. Using the throwing knife as a handle, he leveraged himself up and crashed his forehead into Djura's nose a second time.
"Damn, cur!" Djura cursed as blood spurted from his crooked nose, only to be lost in the deluge already covering him courtesy of Jaune's spilling maw.
Jaune only seemed energised by his foe's anger as he twisted the throwing knife and jerked the blade about in Djura's wrist with vicious intent. Djura's blunderbuss hit the ground with a clatter as his severed tendons left him unable to grasp his weapon for a moment longer.
Djura retaliated, his leg launching up and slamming into Jaune's groin, causing the blond to let out a particularly pained groan as his jawless head was thrown back in sheer agony.
He was losing blood, his head swam, and thoughts were hard to put into any semblance of order. To make things worse, the wave of nausea that followed such a brutal strike to his groin robbed him of yet more balance.
His body wanted to curl up to protect his lower half as the ache caused his guts to clench.
But he couldn't relent, couldn't afford to pause.
So, instead, Jaune hit back.
Jaune pushed up with all his strength, his shoulder crashing into Djura's chest as he ignored the twisting of his stomach with sheer willpower. Djura had no hope of holding him back, and the ashen Hunter was shoved back into his mounted gun.
But Jaune didn't stop.
Djura's spine bounced off his weapon, only for Jaune to slam him back into the massive mechanised firearm. Jaune, having pinned the Hunter in place, shoved down on his cane until the butt of it bounced off the ground.
It transformed, its solid form becoming wiry and flexible, freeing Djura's arm blade to attack.
With his weapon no longer there to hinder him, the older Hunter swung upward with his arm blade, hoping to impale Jaune in his ribs. His weapon scrapped along the leather that covered Jaune's chest but drew no blood as Jaune leaned away.
Djura didn't have time to dodge as the handle of Jaune's Threaded Cane slammed into his cheek and split the flesh. Djura staggered, but his Gattling gun was there to support his weight, allowing him to lash out with a retaliatory swipe, but he hit only air.
Another blow bounced his head to the opposite side as Jaune's right hand cracked into his uncovered eye.
This time, there was no retaliatory swing.
Djura heard the loud metal clang and looked to his right arm with dread as he found it bound to his Gattling Gun by Jaune's Threaded Cane.
That was all he had time to see before Jaune was on him.
Jaune was a red and black blur to Djura as he descended on him, throwing blow after blow with his fists. He wailed on the Hunter, each punch thrown with inhuman strength, and only Djura's own unnaturalness preserved him.
Djura tried to block, but Jaune was uncaring and seemed more than happy to send his fist crashing into Djura's still-impaled left arm.
Jaune's blows were imprecise, uncoordinated, wild, unending and furious, and Jaune's wet howling from his jawless mouth made for a nightmarish sight.
Djura was beaten until his legs refused to hold him aloft any more, and he collapsed to a knee as he continued to try and shield his head ineffectually from the storm of pugilistic wrath.
Jaune was absorbed in his wild flurry of blows and uncaring for his footing. When Djura managed to move away, Jaune was caught out and sent stumbling forward. Jaune crashed onto the floor but rolled and was back on his feet in the same motion, whipping around to see Djura's beaten form struggling to free himself.
Both Hunter's locked eyes.
An understanding was met.
Both wanted the other dead.
Jaune tore the last of his Blood Vials free of his person and jammed the syringes into both of his legs, hoping to stave off the massive blood loss for just a little longer.
Djura's arm blade retracted back into the bulky mechanism on his arm before exploding outward with incredible force, freeing his arm and leaving Jaune's Threaded Cane broken.
Jaune threw the spent vials away.
Djura unclipped a Molotov from beneath his coat.
Jaune charged, frenzied and murderous, each stride bringing him closer and closer to the ash-coated Hunter.
Djura hurled his Molotov.
Coated in a layer of his still-warm blood, his breaths coming out in gasping, wet retches, Jaune's pace did not waver at the sight of the flaming projectile; only his bloodshot eyes narrowed in acknowledgment of it.
His arm blurred, and Jaune snatched the incendiary from the air and, in a single motion, launched the bottle towards its surprised sender.
Djura could do little as the flaming bottle was hurled back towards him. His raised arms saved his eyes and face as the fire rushed over his outstretched limbs. He threw his burning arms out and met Jaune's opening blow, the blond having pulled forth yet another weapon.
A Hunter Axe, one of the oldest trick weapons of the Hunters Workshop.
The broad, round head of the weapon crashed down on Djura's crossed arms, and the older Hunter was once more put on the back foot. His wounds were beginning to weigh on him more and more, and now he was paying for them.
Jaune swung with his whole body, each blow slamming down atop Djura with such magnitude that the Hunter could not muster the strength to counter.
Djura again found his back pressed against the mounted Gattling Gun.
But Djura was not one to repeat his mistakes.
Throwing himself to the side, Djura felt his cape get shorn off as he avoided his opponent's axe and positioned himself to the rear of the gun platform. With a grunt that came out as more of a growl, he pulled back on the gun, swinging the large weapon around atop its mount.
The heavy barrel of the weapon swung about in a blur, an improvised club aimed right at Jaune's bloodied gut.
Djura was pulling himself back to his feet when he turned his gaze towards Jaune.
He never saw the blow coming, courtesy of his cyclopean state.
His desperate attempt had fallen short. Jaune remembered how the old man had escaped using the mounted gun before. This time, he was ready for it, slamming his booted foot into the barrel and kicking it back towards the kneeling old man. Djura's own surprise attack was returned with even greater force, and the ashen Hunter was sent sprawling, the bandages around the right side of his face rapidly reddening.
Dazed from the blow, the sound of the impact reverberating in his head, Djura fought through his rattled state, rolling onto his back.
He did so not a second too late before he was once more pinned beneath his seemingly rabid assailant, the blond hissing façade pressing down on him. Djura had managed to catch the axe blow, but already his arms were pressed into his chest, and the circular head of the weapon was scraping on his throat.
Jaune's brutalised countenance was spraying Djura with blood with each laboured breath. Djura, in turn, was squinting up at him as he struggled to keep Jaune's weapon from sinking into his neck.
It was a stalemate but one that could not last…
The shift came suddenly, a brief instant, a pause in the oppressive weight of the axe. Djura lashed out, desperate and wild, drawing on strength that was bleeding from him quicker than he was comfortable with. The spear-like head of his weapon swung up, and the axe was swiped away.
Too late, Djura realised that Jaune was no longer holding onto the weapon.
Too late did he see his foe's hands fill with yet another weapon he had somehow concealed on his person.
Too late did he try to retaliate, to strike back, to kill before he himself would fall prey.
Jaune had only just sacrificed his axe when his hands were already pulling yet another weapon from his person. He had kept this one on his back, beneath his coat, as a last resort, and now was the time to use it.
With a tug and the sound of tearing fabric, Jaune tore free his last firearm and slammed the much heavier gun into the vulnerable joint below Djura's arm blade. The weapon barrel dug into the joint's soft divet, Jaune making sure it was lined up before he pulled the trigger.
The Hunter Blunderbuss was the largest firearm Jaune had in his arsenal. His own was nearly identical to Djura's. Like Djura's, it fired out a cone of Quicksilver in a lethal spray that was exceptionally difficult to dodge if you were in range of its blast.
However, the weapon's lethality was far more condensed at closer ranges.
When Jaune pulled the trigger, the potent payload within exploded outward, colliding with Djura's joint and splattering the section of his anatomy over the smoke-tainted stones.
His arm blade and the limb it was attached to hit the ground with a thump that rang of finality as Djura let slip a breathless, choked, stuttering cry of pain as he clutched at his profusely bleeding stump.
Jaune silenced the airy noise by slamming the butt of his Blunderbuss onto Djura's ribs.
There was a wet crunch, and Djura could only watch as a lethargic geyser of his blood bubbled out of the chest wound he had taken earlier from Jaune's Saw Spear.
His view was soon cut off when Jaune swung his gun again, catching him on the ear and rocking his whole world.
His head was spinning when the next hit landed atop his clavicle, the bone breaking with a wet snap.
Djura brought up his left arm feebly to protect himself, but Jaune swatted the limb aside with a venomous hiss spilling from his torn throat.
The assault continued, with each blow thundering into Djura's form. The last blow landed on Djura's hip and sent a sharp, jolting pain down to the tip of his toes that seemed to linger in the absence of any follow-up hits.
Djura heard the gun clatter to the floor somewhere above his head. Jaune disappeared from his sight, the old hunter pulling his bleeding stump to the hole in his chest, doing what he could to cradle both injuries. His body had not endured such punishment since the nights when he still dreamt.
But he dreamed no longer, so he fought to rise, desperate to get back to his feet, pulling on endurance cultivated over many years.
His attempt amounted to nothing as Jaune had returned. Not until he felt the blond swing his leg into his side, sending him back to the floor, did Djura become aware of this.
Djura didn't even have time to cough before Jaune attacked.
There was a squelch of bloody meat being torn and then the sound of metal cleaving rock.
Then, a scream.
Djura screamed until he was sure his throat was bleeding as he beheld the sight of a Saw Spear impaled through his gut. Djura could feel the weapon in his abdomen, feel it pass through him, feel it tear his insides and dig past him into the stones he lay upon.
Jaune had nailed him to the floor.
Djura's scream tapered off until it was nothing more than ragged breaths.
Jaune's wet heaving was equally audible, the younger of the two seeming to have lost the wrathful energy he had been drawing on up until now.
As the fighting ended, the roof was left starkly quiet, and all that was audible was the two Hunters' breathing.
The quiet didn't last.
Jaune moved away from his impaled foe, marching with purpose.
He returned with Djura's Blunderbuss gripped in his hands.
Djura watched on, his single eye seeing two of the blonds who had thrashed him bloody, loading the Blunderbuss with shaky hands.
The Blood was running out.
Djura blinked, a faulty attempt to force some steadiness into his vision; his ears were filled with a dull drone-like ringing, and his nose and mouth were filled with a dreadful metallic tang. He parted his lips, his jaw aching from the minuscule movement, a cough forcing its way up his throat.
A flash of blue.
The blond's eyes dart to his own, a flash of awareness, recognition…, and caution.
Djura saw a chance… a moment of clarity in a haze of bloodlust.
"…N-No…"
Blue eyes ringed in red flicked to him once more, alert and filled with things Djura's failing vision couldn't hope to decipher. But the acknowledgment spurned him on all the same, and so he forced himself to continue.
"N-Not Beast… N-not hunt—" Each word was laborious. His jaw fought against him, and his breaths carried a deluge of suffocating blood. A coughing fit made him feel like his injuries were freshly applied, but he pushed through.
"Not! N-not hunting Beasts!" Djura barked desperately, trying to get the words out as quickly as possible.
Jaune's hands stopped, going still as he halted in his efforts to load Djura's weapon.
"It… It's you—" Djura forced his left maimed arm up to point in the only way he could. You… you're the Beast."
Djura spat his declaration, his blood falling over his chin pitifully.
Jawless though he might be, Jaune's displeasure was still violently apparent, his eyes harshening as his brow furrowed, his crooked nose flaring.
The Quicksilver round found its way inside the gun with much steadier hands. A booted foot stomped down on Djura's accusing limb forcing it to the stones as a barrel was aimed at his forehead.
But Djura wasn't deterred.
"Think!" Djura grunted. "T-think… what y-you're doing…"
Jaune's response was a hissing rasp, possibly a breath, perhaps an attempt at speaking… Djura had no way to know.
"Madness."
Jaune jabbed the barrel into Djura's forehead, pinning it as he stared hatefully down at the cyclopean Hunter, his wrath stoked anew.
Djura didn't break eye contact as he spoke, "Utter Madness…"
Jaune had heard enough.
He pulled the trigger.
A final, damming crack rang out over the abandoned township.
…
And the Hunt went on.
YVYVYVYVY
"Don't let up! We need to get as far away from them as possible!" Salmon shouted out as he looked back towards Bastion's walls. Specifically, he was trying to glimpse the ruined entrance through which they had escaped.
"Where-"
"Doesn't matter! Just away from the Fang," Salmon cut Tara off, his voice urgent as his eyes darted toward the two blondes on the truck's roof.
"Mum! Dirt path! On the right!" Ayame pointed out, roughly banging the roof to the right of where her mother's head was.
"I see it!" Tara said as she swerved their beaten transport off the road leading out of Bastion. The sound of tyres on the smooth road immediately became replaced with the rough grind of gravel and packed dirt.
Jade struggled to see anything as she raced into the dark wilderness outside the city, her own eyes unable to see in the dark. She looked to Salmon and saw the bearded Faunus with his head on a swivel, his whole body tense as he kept looking for danger.
Jade saw Ayame was solely focused on the road ahead and so didn't pay her any mind, instead looking to her younger sibling. Sky was looking back towards Bastion, the city, and the chaos within, visible even from outside its walls as the glow of lights and fire illuminated the sky above.
Jade noticed streaks of light occasionally, which she realised were likely the result of the city's defences firing at one of the numerous aerial Grimm. But Jade soon realised that Sky was looking higher, and her head turned more upward.
"… He's fine, sis," Jade comforted Sky.
"I know," Sky responded in a flash, "I'm just keeping an eye out for him." Sky shifted, looking at her sister with Arc blue eyes, "He said he'd be back."
Jade swallowed as her mouth suddenly felt dry in the face of her younger sister's absolute confidence about the matter. Jade hoped her thoughts weren't showing on her face as she was suddenly confronted with the fact that she was far more worried than Sky.
"Hey, is the smoke from the hood getting worse?" the firefighter in the passenger seat asked. Jade looked toward the front of the vehicle, eager for the distraction from her younger sister, only to remember that she couldn't see as well in the dark.
"Yeah… we need a destination, Salmon!" Tara announced.
"Me? I'm not the one who lives around here, dammit!" Salmon complained, his gruff voice laced with frustration.
"There is something over there," Sky observed, pointing a hand into the black of the night. She had glanced over her shoulder and drawn confused glances from everyone else on the roof.
"I thought you guys were human," Ayame questioned, her voice almost lost in the rushing wind.
"We are-"
"Light pollution, the kids right. We are driving toward something…" Salmon nodded, looking above the treeline. It only took Jade a little while longer for her eyes to spot what the bear Faunus was looking at: the faint bloom of illumination that disrupted the pitch black.
"… What the heck do you build this close to a city settlement?" Jade asked, looking at Ayame.
"I- ah, I don't know?" Ayame gave a lopsided shrug.
"Are we sure you actually live here?" Sky shouted over her shoulder again, looking back at Bastion.
"Of course, I live here! Do you know everything about wherever the hell you guys are from?" Ayame snapped.
Sky turned around, "We know the general layout of things, yes."
"Airfield! It's that damn SDC Airfield!" Tara shouted in realisation from the driver's seat. All the passengers on the roof pressed themselves down again to hear the discussion in the cabin. "We had guests show up to the hotel in armoured transports on occasion, Atlesians and SDC mostly, and I always thought it was weird for those types not to have limos and stuff."
"I know the place," the firefighter said, "The fire chief had to go and do a big walk-about safety inspection for some optics and stuff."
Jade forced her thoughts away from her brother and focused on the matter at hand: "What's the place like?"
"Big, it's meant to serve as a military airfield for Atlas's warships and stuff as a sign of 'cooperation' between the kingdoms?" The firefighter explained, her voice gaining a pained edge as their truck shuddered and jolted her broken limb. "Dammit… Chief said it's got massive walls, turrets, and even city-sized cannons."
"Definitely Atlesian," Jade nodded.
"More like definitely SDC," Salmon interjected.
Jade didn't argue the man's point, "Doesn't matter, big walls and bigger guns sound really fucking good right about now. If shit goes south enough, they likely have Bullheads we can use to evacuate… not to mention I don't really think we have a better choice."
There were immediate declarations of agreement from nearly everyone except for Salmon, who shook his head, "There is just one problem with all that. Atlesians are real fucking cagey about their military bases, and considering our group… diversity, odds are we aren't just gonna be waved in."
Ayame seemed affronted by this, "They can't just leave us out here to die!"
"Their SDC… they can do a lot of foul shit," Salmon spat.
"Not this time they can't… or at least we can hope they can't," Jade denied, crawling to the front of the truck. "When we arrive, let me do the talking… and pray that a Valean Huntsman is inside."
"Why?"
Jade turned to Ayame with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "Cause an old man is overly fond of brats."
There was no further conversation as Salmon had come to accept that the blondes were, in their own way, very much like their brother. Watching a girl that barely came up to your ribs stab a soulless monster to death with a knife could do that.
With the engine rumbling worryingly, the Fire Truck, or more accurately, what was left of it, passed through the brief stretch of woodland to come to the walls of the Atlesian Airbase.
The compound's walls were more than four stories tall, made of thick stone segments between thick metallic beams. A lip at its top made scaling it even more complicated, and above that, the structure was crowned with an assortment of lights and very imposing guns.
The main gate, or at least the gate that the road led them to, was more metal than stone and appeared to be all its own structure. The walls and corners were adorned by massive stationary cannons, just like those found in the more prominent settlements across Remnant.
Cannons of such size were usually the best indicators of a substantial population or a critical resource in the area.
Or a prime example of Atlesian discretionary spending.
They were designed with the sole objective of turning even the largest of Grimm into the past tense. The constant sound of booming thunder that the group had heard since the Breach first spawned was said cannons being used to devastating effect on anything outside the city's bounds that was deemed a big enough priority.
The fact that a mere airbase had them was little more than a political flex of military might and an undue expense considering how close the airbase was to a major city settlement.
But at this moment, everyone presently conscious on the fire truck could not deny that the very sight of them was more than a little comforting.
They were only clear of the trees for a handful of seconds before a powerful spotlight engulfed them, clearly declaring for anything with eyes where they were in the dark. They began to slow so much that Jade didn't need to shout when she addressed Tara.
"Don't stop, get us closer to the wall."
Tara didn't respond, but Jade knew she heard as they continued to come closer to the walls despite the tension draped over them all. Even bereft of a Faunus's vision to see in the dark, Jade could make out the sight of shadows moving atop the walls.
"Kid…" Salmon mumble.
Jade kept her eyes forward, "No sudden moves now; keep it calm."
They were past the midpoint between the airfield and the tree line, putting them closer to the base's entrance than any cover the treeline could provide.
At this exact moment, the turrets on the walls turned to face their vehicle.
Ayame let out a whimper, flattening herself to the roof, and Salmon's whole body went so rigid that, for a moment, it was as if he were a statue. Jade shifted, feeling more than a little nervous at so many guns barring down on her.
This feeling only worsened when one of the massive cannons also turned to threaten them.
Sky shifted so that her side pressed against Jade. She gave her sister a shaky smile, communicating her silent encouragement. Jade bit down on the inside of her cheek at the sight of her younger sister.
The sister whose life she had put in mortal peril.
She tore her eyes away from Sky's Arc blue ones as the sight of them made her want to throw up and cry. She could still see those same eyes ringed in bloody red as Jaune soared past them to slam into the White Fang caravan.
Ever since they had left the city, her mind had been screaming at her, and as much as she was doing her best to focus on what was happening… she couldn't stop the guilt. A part of her, small and insignificant, was continuously chanting in her head, 'He's fine' over and over as if the mantra could make it so.
A much more prominent part was spewing forth the vicious truth that if she had kept her nose clean, listened to her brother, and done as he said, they would likely be in an evacuation tent or bunker waiting out the incursion.
But she didn't, and they weren't… and Jaune was gone.
"Halt! Cease your approach and disable your vehicle!" A voice demanded over a loudspeaker.
Jade growled but crawled forward, looking Tara in the eye as she spoke, "Slow down, but do not stop yet."
"Are you out of your mind!" Tara snapped through gritted teeth, her foot letting up on the accelerator.
Jade pointed with her chin, "Are you confident you can make that dash if a Grimm shows up? That they can?" she asked, referring to the many wounded and unmoving bodies in the back of the truck's cabin.
Tara's face became horrified, and she looked as if she wanted to throw up, but she continued to let their vehicle roll forward.
The truck continued forward, each second seeming damning as time moved on, the tension in the air growing by the instant. Jade kept her eyes on the top of the base's walls, her mind conjuring up the stray thought that if Jaune were here, he probably would be thinking about how best to scale them.
"Stop your vehicle, or we will be forced to use deadly force!" The same voice boomed, and this time, Jade took a moment to inspect their position in relation to the treeline and the gate.
"You can stop now. Any closer, and they might actually shoot," Jade announced, choosing not to mention that they would have to fire a warning shot before they could open fire on them properly.
Tara did indeed stop, slamming her foot down on the break and bringing the truck to a very sudden and abrupt stop. Jade had been ready for such, but Sky had wound up falling forward and banging her head on Jade's shoulder.
The firefighter and someone else in the cabin also let out pained groans.
"Are you sure we are close enough? That's still quite a distance…" Tara commented from the driver's seat.
Jade just hopped off the truck and had to steady herself immediately. She caught herself on the driver's side door as her legs threatened to give out under her for a moment. Her legs were shaking, and she struggled to stand up straight.
Her inability did nothing to calm the storm of self-loathing that was presently raging in her head, and Jade was left spewing a stream of curses as she pulled herself up. "Fucking stupid little girl, can't even fucking stand upright, you're pathetic…"
"You good sis?" Sky asked in concern.
"Legs are being difficult," Jade answered quickly, pounding a fist against her thigh, "work you fucking-"
"Do you want me to come with you?" Sky asked, already looking half-ready to climb off the truck's roof.
Jade just shook her head, "Stay here and keep the others calm."
"Will do, remember what dad said," Sky reminded her sister.
" 'They're not in charge,'" Jade quoted their father.
Sky nodded happily.
"… Be right back," Jade smiled at her sister, her expression leaden as she stopped leaning on the fire truck and began to walk forward on still shaky legs.
Her steps were initially slight and hesitant as she moved ahead of the truck with both arms held wideout. Her every step was visible as a spotlight followed her, forcing Jade to avert her eyes and keep her head down.
'Keep going… Jaune's not here to save you now, stupid girl,' Jade thought venomously as her steps gained more confidence.
She continued this approach, head down, arms out, a continuous stream of scolding in her head-
Bang*
Jade froze, her joints locked, and her feet felt as if they were glued to the ground. Her head turned to look at the section of grass and soil that had erupted out of the ground from where the warning shot had landed.
"Do not approach! Remain where you are!"
Jade took a shaky breath and tried not to think about the many guns that were no doubt pointed right at her person. She took another as she did her best to remember what her parents had taught her about handling foreign outposts.
"My name is Jade Arc!" Jade bellowed at the top of her lungs, her throat protesting the action immediately. "I am a Valean citizen, and I am seeking shelter!"
Silence reigned in the wake of her proclamation, and Jade used it to clear her throat, coughing to the side as she felt how raw her airway felt. She supposed after a night of screaming, shouting and smoke inhalation, it was to be expected.
'Gods, I'd kill for some water,' Jade thought piteously.
"This base is an Atlesian station and, as such, falls under the command of-"
Jade resisted the urge to spit as the voice blathered on about pointless shit she couldn't give even half a damn about. Once more, she found herself wishing for her brother, if only so he could glare at whichever idiot was speaking.
'Or hug me and tell me I'm not to blame,' Jade thought, her loathing rearing its ugly head once more.
She shook it off and realised that the voice was still talking.
She, a child, was standing out in the open without any real means to defend herself other than a fancy knife, and these idiots were citing protocols at her.
'Jaune's not here, so stop fucking around!'
Jade inhaled, filling her chest and then screamed furiously, "Would you shut the fuck up!"
Silence, blissful and perfect for what she needed.
Another breath staggered with a cough as she started to suffer the reality of her rather raw throat, but she couldn't stop now. If the Atlesians wouldn't help, she would need to pray her gut wasn't leading her wrong and seek help a little closer to home.
"There was an old man who lived between two hills and wandered lands upon which those hills contained…"
Silence still, no response, no indication that her words had elicited any response.
Jade swallowed her doubt and continued to holler at the wall, "One day, a child found themselves lost in the woods between the hills and couldn't find their way home…"
The silence made Jade feel stupid and like a kid, a stupid little girl. 'A stupid little girl who got her brother killed.'
"The child stumbled through the woods until they stumbled upon a pair of wolves, mighty and proud, and though they spotted the child, the wolves did not attack…"
Jade's voice had gotten softer. She lied to herself, saying it was the strain of shouting, but she knew that, in reality, she was beginning to doubt herself and feel hopelessly out of her depth.
Thud*
Jade stumbled back, startled, as something, no someone, was now standing in front of her. They were about a head taller than Jade and had something long and slender draped over their shoulders that their arms rested atop of. Jade couldn't make out further details, though. The spotlight centred on her was casting anything not caught in its radiance in a curtain of the dark.
"The wolves lead the kid to the old man who offered them aid. The kid asked the old man 'why are you helping me'…"
Jade struggled not to break down as the person in front of her spoke, their voice a smooth alto as they said the following line in the secret code. Tears threatened to spring to her eyes, but she beat them back, knowing she needed to continue. Despite no longer needing to shout, she stumbled over her words all the same.
"T-the old man answered with a smile, 'I have a soft spot for brats; they make me feel nostalgic,'…" Jade continued, unable to keep the pure relief out of her voice as she spoke.
The person stepped into the spotlight, and Jade looked at the woman, who was clearly a Huntress. The Huntress had coppery red hair that buzzed extremely short and dark green eyes set in a round face. Her skin was fair, and at least around her face, it was clear of any scars or blemishes save a noticeable kink in her nose.
Time was beginning to make itself known on her features as the contours of her face were starting to age, an achievement that was not as common amongst Huntsman. Resting on her shoulders was a genuinely massive rifle that Jade had no doubt would likely be utterly unusable in her own hands. The Huntress had her very muscular arms slung over the long rifle, her bare limbs exposed, allowing Jade to spot a tattoo on her left bicep.
An eagle grasping an axe surrounded by a Valean laurel crown.
The mark of Vales Outriders.
Outriders are a legacy name from the time of nobility. Still, in modern times, they refer to a selection of Hunters chosen by the Hunter Commander to serve as both Hunters and Ambassadors, ensuring cooperation from Huntsmen across the kingdoms. They were a point of contact for sponsored Huntsman who undertook contracts or missions that led them outside Vale's borders.
Jade knew the mark well, as her mother had once had to work alongside the Outriders, but she found herself confused by its presence on a Huntress still well within Vale's borders.
"You're an Outrider…" Jade commented, still not making any sudden movements.
The redhead stopped, a brow quirking up, "You are well informed."
"My mother was a Headhunter," Jade answered honestly.
The woman's posture didn't so much as shift, "You announced yourself as Jade Arc; that would make you Hestia's daughter, right?"
"Hellebore, Hellebore Arc," Jade corrected, catching onto what the Huntress was doing.
"Right, that means your father is Clark?"
"Cloud."
"He uses a hammer-"
"Big fuck off sword," Jade interrupts, "It's called Hallowed Hrunting."
"… Where do you live?" The Huntress asks, her posture, at last, relaxing.
"Reach, though some of my siblings have moved away from home," Jade answered with a sense of finality.
"Right, you are who you say you are, Brat," the Huntress proclaimed, "Good job remembering the old man's code."
Jade let out a breath that felt as if it completely emptied her lungs, the shake in her legs making a return as she felt such a profound sense of relief. "It's not nearly as impressive if you knew how often my parents made us kids recite it when we were little… and when the keywords change."
"Brats get into trouble; it's as simple as that," the Huntress shrugged, "I'm Linda Blue; I've got you, kid." The Huntress finished with a nod and a small smile, a slight but firm display of reassurance that was all the more effective as it made Jade recall another.
Jade licked her lips and tried to swallow but found her throat rebelling. Instead, she had to fight down a dry, scratchy cough. She tried to speak but found her chest tightening and words simply beyond her.
Linda saw this and shifted. Her massive rifle, taller than Jade was standing, was planted on the ground, and the huntress used her free hand to grasp Jade's shoulder gently. "It's alright, kid, don't force yourself; you're safe now."
Jade's breath came out shaky and broken, a wave of emotion she barely reigned in.
"Just keep calm, we'll take it a step at a time… first, what's the situation with the… fire truck?" The Huntress finished, her eyes narrowing as if in confusion at the less-than-sturdy vehicle.
"We have… I don't actually know how many… more than five, my sister is with them-"
"Another Brat," Linda commented, her smile seeming to grow.
Jade smiled, "Yeah, the others are… some people we ran into along the way… we had more … but things happened."
"I see… any injuries, your sister good?"
"Sky seems fine, bumps and bruises, the others… vary," Jade answered grimly, her thoughts turning to the wounded in the truck's cabin.
"Could be worse," Linda commented, "Right, well, here is what we are going to do; from this point forward, you and your sister are officially my responsibility. I'll take care of you, but you have to meet me halfway, which means doing what I say and not causing problems."
"Understood," Jade replied seriously.
"Good… as for the others, the least I can do is get them in the airbase, but that's about as far as I'm willing to push things," the Huntress declared, her voice stern as she met Jade's eyes.
Jade cringed, knowing that the woman was doing something she truthfully had no obligation to do and the tone of her voice prodded at an already open wound. "W-will they let us?"
Linda turned to look over their shoulder, and her stern expression cracked as she let out an amused snort, "They will; they are not really in a position not to."
"Right, so…"
Linda gestured with a nod, "Head back and get your sister; tell the group to pull forward slowly."
Jade nodded with earnest enthusiasm and turned around to hurry back to her sister and the others, stumbling as he struggled to control her legs. She practically slammed into the damaged vehicle, the noise loud enough that it caused Tara to flinch.
"We're safe!" Jade exclaimed, her excitement and relief causing her to shout.
The effect was instantaneous. Tara let out some amalgamation of a sigh and a sob as she slumped in her seat. The firefighter next to her immediately let out a whoop, only to hiss as she jostled her injured limb. Ayame was crying, but there were no pained retching sobs to accompany it this time. Salmon, for his part, didn't react so much; instead, he deflated, his whole body relaxing, and his head thudded against the roof of the fire truck.
Sky's reaction was the most interesting, the younger blonde wasting no time jumping off the vehicle and rushing her sister. Jade didn't have time to react before she found herself squished between Sky and the side of the truck.
No words were exchanged between the siblings, only their shared embrace that conveyed a slew of emotions.
Only when they broke apart did Sky speak, "Nearly home."
Jade nodded, her sister's words ringing true, "Nearly, though this night feels as if it will never fucking end."
Sky could only nod as it had indeed been a long, eventful night.
Jade leaned back towards the driver's side window, "The Huntress who is going to let us in said to start pulling forward slowly."
Tara nodded, but her attempts were met with the sound of metal grating on metal and a shuddering groan of dying machinery. Tara turned to look at Jade and gave a broken laugh, "Honestly, it could have been a hell of a lot worse."
Jade could not argue that point. "Well, I'll just tell-"
"Don't bother; I bet the Milkys up top heard that death rattle," Linda announced, having made her way over. "I take it this is the other Brat?"
Jade nodded even as Sky pulled away to look at the source of the new voice, her eyes blinking a few times at the harshness of the spotlight. Only a few seconds passed before Sky addressed the woman with a nod, "Thank you for helping us."
"No worries, Brat," Linda answered softly, "Let's get you guys inside so I can have some peace of mind. Climb on up again, and I'll drag you guys in."
Sky nodded, but before she moved to climb back onto the vehicle, she turned about to face Bastion, an action that the Huntress did not miss.
"Sky, come on," Jade whispered, wrapping an arm around her younger sibling to guide her.
"You don't need to worry, kid; you're safe now," Linda said to offer comfort, thinking that the younger girl was still bothered by the mayhem occurring in Bastion.
Sky smiled tiredly, "I know; I just want to keep an eye out."
"Fair enough, can't be too cautious, I guess," Linda shrugged.
Jade felt her throat clog up.
"That's not what she means," Ayame whispered.
"Hm?"
Ayame seemed startled that her words had been heard but quickly recovered, "I-I mean, she's… Sky is not looking out for danger she…"
"I'm watching for our big brother, Jaune," Sky answered without hesitation.
Linda's expression didn't change, but Jade couldn't miss the way the Huntress's eyes darted to the damaged truck and then back to them. "… I see…"
Jade's thoughts didn't miss an opportunity to berate and remind her of the guilt she bared, 'Stupid girl, she knew instantly.'
"W-we got separated when we were escaping the city!" Jade explained, her voice coming out panicked and loud.
Salmon spoke in a calmer tone, "He was with us right up until the end; he ended up giving us the chance to get out of the city… Told me to take care of his sisters."
"… Did he have Aura?" Linda asked, the question carrying a damning sense of finality.
Salmon shook his head, but as he did, his face scrunched, "You'd think he did, though; the kid was damn strong and fought side by side with another Huntress we ran into."
Linda seemed unsure of what to make of such a report but gave a half nod, "I will tell the Milkys to keep an eye out all the same then."
Jade tried to say something but found her chest too tight to produce little more than a pitiful gasp.
"Thank you," Sky said gratefully.
Sky was ushered back onto the roof of the vehicle as Linda quickly conversed with the pair inside the truck cabin while also giving a cursory glance at those in the back seat. Jade didn't think the Huntress's face could be any sterner, but clearly, the condition of those in the vehicle was dire judging by the thining of the woman's lips.
Linda wasted no more time, the butt of her long rifle sliding under the front of the truck where she let the weapon hook onto the chassis. With only a slight exertion, the Huntress began to drag the still-smoking vehicle forward, her pace steady as they moved. Still feeling awful, Jade chose to try and walk off the wrongness she felt, keeping pace with Linda.
"… You know Brats tend to fair the best in situations like these. They tend to be better informed and better trained, things that keep you alive when dealing with Grimm." Linda spoke, her words designed to comfort without confrontation.
All Jade heard was how badly she had failed in yet another regard.
YVYVYVYVY
Tami closed the front door behind her with a soft kick as she cried out, "It's me!"
"Tami!" twin voices cried out as they rushed into the entry hall, and suddenly, Tami found her legs being accosted by the second youngest of the Arc brood.
"Hey, girls!" Tami cheered, forcing down the day's exhaustion for a moment to match the little girl's enthusiasm.
"Hi!" the two chirp together, clutching to her pant legs, pinning Tami in place as she would rather not risk moving with her arms full of groceries and her work bag.
"C'mon guys, let me get in the door, please," Tami instructed, getting the two to relinquish the hold.
"Oi, you two, stop accosting Aunty Tami," an older voice scolded from the loungeroom doorway. Tami looked up to see none other than the eldest of the Arc children, Scarlett, standing firm with her youngest sibling held in her arms. "Both of you get back to your show, or I am taking the TV," Scarlett threatened.
Both twins gasped, and one barked, "Hey, it's our turn!"
"Dad says you have to share!" The other followed up.
Despite both protesting, neither twin hesitated for even a second before dashing back towards the loungeroom to guard the TV from their older sister. Scarlett practically stepped over them and moved towards the grateful Faunus.
"You're a gem, Scar," Tami complimented as she put down her bags and sighed heavily.
"I'm aware," Scarlett teased, offering up her baby sister. "Look, Violet, it's Tami; say hi."
"Hi, hi!" Violet Amethyst Arc greeted in the loud, excitable way that young children finding their voice do. Tami couldn't keep the smile from her face as she beheld the sight of the youngest of the Arc girls, her happiness contagious.
"Hello, sweetie! Did you have a fun day with your sissy?" Tami asked, grabbing little Violet's hands with her fingers and thumbs.
"Mmm," Violet nodded happily, "Sissy took me shopping."
Tami looked at Scarlett, who was quite pleased with herself, "Just because she had an absolute boatload of hand-me-downs doesn't mean my baby sister shouldn't have some things that are just hers."
Tami snorted, "She is a baby Arc; she will outgrow them in no time."
"Doesn't matter," Scarlett shrugged, kissing little Violet on the head. Violet could only giggle at the surprise affection, the child's happiness bleeding into the two older women.
Tami and Scarlett, accompanied by the baby Arc, would make their way to the kitchen, where they would continue to converse about the shopping trip while Tami prepared to make dinner. Scarlett did, in fact, not shower her youngest sibling in a torrent of new attire, but it was not for lack of funds or desire.
"But then sissy said we go home, so we sneaked all the clothes and ran home," Violet finished retelling her story exuberantly.
"Sneaked?" Tami uttered in question.
"Yeah, we tucked them away," Scarlett answered, "Normally, I wouldn't because it's a bother for the workers, but with all the fuss, I figured we might have a chance to grab them when things are back to normal."
"I wanna watch TV," Violett announced suddenly, wiggling back in her seat, having finished talking to her auntie Tami. Neither of the older women sought to stop the youngest Arc child as she dashed off to join the twins in the lounge room.
Her absence was felt immediately by both Tami and Scarlett, as without the youngest Arc to serve as a barrier, there was a proverbial elephant that needed addressing.
But both were old hands at this particular song and dance.
"So, how much trouble will Mum and Dad be in?" Scarlett asked seriously from the kitchen table.
"None," Tami answered in a matter-of-fact tone, not even pausing as she continued stirring the Bolognese. "Your father went straight to the top; as far as things are concerned, their actions are fully approved and wholly official."
Scarlett let out a low, drawn-out whistle, "Fuck, so Dad went and bothered old man Rust?"
"Well, actually, Franky called him, and your parents arrived just in time to hear that the old man had already authorised everything, saying, 'Don't just stand there looking dumb, Arc, you'll give me PTSD, go get your brats,' then he hung up while complaining about the Valean Council."
Scarlett let out an amused snort, "Yeah, that tracks."
The sound of Tami's cooking and the muffled noise of whatever show the younger Arc kids were watching filled the silence as the two struggled to continue. Their silence was tip-toeing forward, closer to the inevitable.
Tami put down her spatula and turned off the stove.
Sliding silently into a seat opposite Scarlett, the Faunus put her hands out flat on the table and met the eyes of the oldest Arc child, "… I'm sorry you wound up having to babysit again."
Scarlett leaned back in her chair and gave Tami an appreciative nod, "It's fine; honestly, I am more than aware of the realities of being the oldest Arc kid."
Tami frowned, "Yeah, but that was supposed to be the past; you've got your own life to live, Scar, and it's not fair that they got dumped on you then, and it's still much the same now."
"Tami…" Scarlett spoke fondly, "I kinda knew what I was getting into when I came home at the same time Jaune ran off with Sky and Jade."
Tami nodded, "Yeah, but… there are still your parents and me; it wasn't meant to fall on you."
Scarlett's smile became a mischievous grin at this, "Tami, you guys let Jaune go away without supervision… this was always going to happen."
It was Tami's turn to snort as the truth of Scarlett's words rang dreadfully true, "Yeah… Hella's going to ground his ass."
"That seems mean," Scarlett observed.
Tami shook her head, "I mean, is it, though."
"Jaune doesn't mean to get in trouble… most of the time," Scarlett defended her younger brother.
Both women chuckled about how absurdly true it was that Jaune always managed to get caught up in something whenever he went off without 'supervision'.
"Urgh…" Tami slumped into her chair, throwing an arm over her face as she groaned. "Did you call Saphron?"
"Yeah, she and Terra both want updates as soon as we know something," Scarlett recalled.
"You should probably also contact your boss 'cause transport is gonna be hectic for a while, oh, and Matt, of course," Tami exclaimed.
"Don't need to; Mr Brown called me and told me I am to stay here for a while since he is now trapped out east. Matt's been messaging me almost the whole evening; I've got him keeping me posted on any new developments," Scarlett explained, waving her phone triumphantly.
"Oh, that's good then… damn, it's going to be a long night," Tami groaned as she moved to get out of her seat.
"…"
"They're gonna be fine," Scarlett stated plainly.
Tami flinched; it seemed their song and dance was over.
"… It's pretty serious, Scar," Tami muttered, keeping her voice low so the younger kids wouldn't hear.
Scarlett stood up and walked around the table; she didn't hesitate before kneeling and embracing the Faunus, who was as much her family as any of her relatives. "Tami, this is Jaune we're talking about; he would fight the world to keep his family safe."
"I know that, but Jaune doesn't have Aura Scar and the reports… Scar, every Huntsman in the country is mobilising. Shit, we've got the other kingdoms sending aid as well," Tami hissed, watching her volume as she kept one eye on the kitchen doorway.
"Tami… it's Jaune," Scarlett reinforced, rubbing the Faunus's back. "He survived an Elder Grimm! You watch; Jaune probably grabbed the girls and hightailed it to the nearest evacuation point without seeing a Grimm."
Tami said nothing, but slowly, hesitantly, she nodded.
"You're right. I just… Jaune can handle himself, but with the girls with him…"
Scarlett shook her head, "No, with the girls with him, his only goal is going to be getting them to safety. I know it sucks, but you wait; we'll get a call, either tonight or in the morning, that Mum and Dad have them and they're coming home, simple as that."
"… Simple as that," Tami echoed.
"Yep, now, I need to run to the bathroom, but I'll grab the girls on the way back and serve up; you take a walk to calm down… oh, and feed Ramus," Scarlett instructed, already leaving the kitchen.
Tami rolled her eyes at Scarlett's blatant avoidance of feeding Ramus.
"Lazy ass," Tami sniffed with a smile, feeling a little bit better after hearing just how confident Scarlett was.
Tami left the kitchen and began walking towards Jaune's smokehouse; the hand-built shed placed out of the way so as not to obstruct the very well-used backyard. All the while, she looked around the yard for the particularly large deer that had become another peculiar Arc household member.
"Ramus!" Tami hollered, "Dinner time, big guy!"
Silence, no sound of crunching grass or breaking branches as the strange, carnivorous deer trotted over to get his fill, just the ambience of the evening.
It was odd, and Tami found the silence scratching at her already frayed calm. 'Actually… he normally lingers at the kitchen window when I cook,' Tami thought with a frown. "Ramus? If you are sneaking up on me, I swear you will be skipping dinner!"
Tami spun around again, but still, there was no sight of the sizeable antlered animal.
"Ramus?"
The bad feeling worsened.
Tami began to head back to the house, but her walk became harried and rapid, her hands clenching and unclenching. She opened the kitchen door more forcefully than intended, drawing surprised looks from the gathered Arc girls sitting down to eat dinner.
Scarlett was the first to speak, her expression confused, "Tami wha-"
Tami cut her off with a raised hand and steadied herself before speaking, "Ramus is gone."
"What?" Scarlett's eyes widened as she failed to hide a panic akin to Tami's own.
"Well, that's okay, right? Ramus wanders off all the time," Lapis pointed out.
"This won't be the first time he missed dinner," Lazuli added.
But Scarlett and Tami knew better.
While it was true that Ramus wandered off frequently, the Aura-wielding animal never did so when it was supposed to guard the younger Arcs. Tami and Scarlett had known the deer longer and knew that Ramus took his job as a guardian very seriously.
The last time Jaune left, Ramus remained at his post for a whole month without wandering off. It had been much the same this time, with Ramus not leaving the backyard since Jaune's departure.
Ramus had proven to be an exceptionally intelligent and talented guard animal and had never shirked his duty.
Until now.
"… Y-yeah, right… he probably went for a walk to the lake," Tami supplied, nodding at the twins.
"Right, so we better eat before he comes back, or he might try to still our dinner, huh," Scarlett teased, acting as if everything was fine.
But everything was not fine.
Tami took her spot at the table, and as the group settled into eat, Tami once more met Scarlett's eyes and saw her fears reflected.
Tami had been babysitting the Arcs since she was a teenager; she had known Scarlett the longest after her parents and arguably had spent the same if not more, time with the girl. They had always been close, and it was this that let Tami know that Scarlett was worried, just as she always was when her parents were on a mission.
But Tami also knew that this time, it was different.
Scarlett had grown to have faith in her parents, and to a lesser extent, she had a similar faith in Jaune—a faith that they could endure and survive and, most importantly, come home.
That faith, that comfort, was not there for Jade and Sky.
So despite neither exchanging further words on the matter, they took comfort in the presence of the other as the tension continued to weigh on them. The anxious energy of the night was a wet blanket that made it difficult for either woman to relax as the oddity and uncertainty lingered.
So they sat and ate, acting the part of the calm and the caring as they both internally worried.
Worried for Cloud and Hella.
Worried for Jade and Sky.
But now… now they worried for Jaune.
Because despite the inherent oddness of an intelligent, Aura-wielding, carnivorous deer that was deceptively gentle and at the same time ferocious enough to pick a fight with an Elder Grimm… Ramus was very much a creature of habit.
And his absence at a time when the household was devoid of all Aura wielders, and Jaune was indeed the most unusual thing abound.
So they worried.
Worried because Ramus had left his post… and there was only one thing, one person, that could make Ramus act unusually.
His name was Jaune Adamant Arc.
A.N.
Like this the stage is set, the players to their marks.
Are you ready?
If you want to read ahead or just offer me some further support you can find me over on that PAT-RE-ON site as AceReaper. If you want to and have some cash to burn, please feel free to come join the burgeoning cult I apparently have incited.
We will be sure to save you a spot by the fire.
As always,
Until next time.