The days dragged on, the tension mounting as the conflict in Menagerie reached a dangerous stalemate. For an entire week, the air grew heavier, each moment stretching into eternity as Grimm stalked the perimeter, testing the defenses of the makeshift stronghold at Kahakai. Yet the settlement remained standing, guarded fiercely by Team JNPR, RWBY, and the Faunus resistance of the Menagerie Liberation Front..
Without their disguises, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora stood exposed as humans among the Faunus. For a brief moment, it stirred unease. The distrust between their species was an old wound, but Jaune's leadership and unyielding resolve alongside Blake's words somewhat bridged the divide. The Faunus warriors saw more than humans in them; they saw comrades fighting tooth and nail to protect what little ground they had.
Jaune's Semblance was also pivotal in holding the line as well. His ability to amplify his aura had turned the defenders into walls of steel. Every Grimm that dared breach the perimeter was swiftly cut down. The air reeked of death, but not a single creature had crossed their defense. For seven long days and nights, they stood unbroken.
Yet the enemy was always watching.
Far beyond the walls, hidden in the shadows of the jungle, the Hounds prowled. These were no ordinary Grimm. Their bodies were twisted mockeries of men, spines jagged with shards of crystalline Dust, their eyes burning searing red. Monstrous claws with movements that were unnervingly human.
Autumn always moved through them like a specter of death. Astride Juniper, the golden jackalope, she tore through the Hounds with brutal efficiency. No elegance, no restraint — just raw, ruthless destruction. Grimm and Hounds alike fell before her merciless blows, her silver eyes flashing like a flash in the dark.
Team RWBY could do little more than follow in her wake, the carnage she left behind both awe-inspiring and chilling to them who weren't even Huntsmen.
Yet not every Grimm could be hunted in the open.
Hidden behind a crumbling wall of stone and tangled vines, Jaune crouched low, his breath slow and steady. Pyrrha knelt beside him, her grip on Milo tightening. Across the clearing, a lone Hound prowled. It sniffed the air, its crystalline spikes gleaming dully in the muted light.
Jaune's left hand rose in a silent gesture.
Pyrrha understood immediately.
She coiled, power surging through her legs, and launched herself forward like a missile. Milo, in spear form, pierced the Hound's chest before it even registered the attack.
The Hound shrieked, its malformed claws swiping wildly. Pyrrha twisted the spear free, pivoting just as Jaune lunged from the shadows. His aura flared, Crocea Mors carving through the air in a deadly arc. The Hound's left arm severed in an instant, spilling onto the ground.
The Hound howled, staggered, but not defeated.
Pyrrha's shield was already in motion. Fueled by Jaune's aura boost and her own Semblance, it became a bludgeoning force. It struck the Hound's snarling face, ricocheting off its head and spinning back into Pyrrha's waiting hand.
Recovering with terrifying speed, the creature lunged.
Jaune ducked low, slipping under its swing, his stance grounded. Pyrrha transformed Milo with a smooth flick of her wrist, the spear collapsing into a rifle. She pulled the trigger, Dust rounds slamming into the creature's knees, shattering bone and forcing it to kneel.
Crocea Mors glinted.
Jaune's shield was still strapped to his side as he gripped the sword in both hands. With a brutal downward slam, he drove the edge into the Hound's stomach, forcing it flat against the dirt.
The Hound writhed, screeching, trying to claw its way back up.
Pyrrha moved in a blur.
Milo shifted back into a sword as she raised it high. Aura surged, cascading down the blade as she brought it down in a clean, merciless stroke. The Hound's head rolled to the ground.
Silence.
Pyrrha exhaled, her chest rising and falling with controlled breaths. Jaune wiped his blade clean on the Hound's tattered remains, his face hard.
"That's one less Hound to deal with," Pyrrha murmured.
Jaune nodded grimly. "But they're getting smarter. Moving alone."
Pyrrha's green eyes narrowed. "They're testing us. Should we mark the body and let the others handle it?"
"Yeah, we should."
A rustling in the trees made them both turn, weapons raised. But it was only Ren and Nora returning from their scouting. Ren's face was dark, troubled.
"We found another patrol," he reported quietly. "But it wasn't Grimm."
Jaune's brow furrowed. "White Fang?"
"No. Machines."
Nora, unusually serious, leaned on Magnhild. "Androids. Like the ones Weiss spotted."
Pyrrha tightened her grip on Milo. "They're coordinating."
Jaune's jaw clenched. "Then we're running out of time."
They regrouped back at the settlement. Blake was already speaking with Sienna, her voice low but urgent. The defensive line had held, but the cracks were forming. The enemy wasn't throwing themselves mindlessly at their defenses anymore. They were adapting.
Autumn sat casually on a large rock at the edge of the fortified settlement, her crimson cloak trailing in the breeze. Sundered Rose rested across her lap, the black and gold axe gleaming faintly in the fading light. She tilted her head slightly, her silver eyes reflecting the glow of the sky.
Jaune approached quietly, his armor making a sound as he approached. Crocea Mors was strapped to his waist, the weight of it familiar, grounding. He stood beside Autumn, staring into the treeline where the Grimm lingered, but did not advance.
"They've stopped sending the Hounds," Autumn said suddenly, breaking the silence. Her voice was calm but carried a sharp edge, like a blade hidden in silk.
Jaune glanced at her, brows furrowed. "Yeah. I noticed."
Autumn smirked, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Guess I killed enough of them to make them think twice." She gave a small, satisfied chuckle, almost playful. "Heh, must be quaking in their boots right now. Shame they won't keep throwing themselves into the meat grinder."
Her words hung in the air, half-joke, half-threat. Yet beneath that smirk, Jaune saw a dangerous edge honed by years of survival.
Jaune nodded, though his expression remained thoughtful. "I was honestly overwhelmed by all of this," he admitted quietly. His eyes scanned the horizon, tracing the dark silhouettes of Grimm lurking beyond reach. "Fighting a war like this… it's not what I expected."
Autumn didn't answer right away. She leaned back, resting Sundered Rose against her shoulder. Her smirk faded, replaced by something softer. Older.
"Even after so many years since I left Remnant…" she began, voice quieter now, "this place is still a mess."
Her silver eyes darkened as she watched the Grimm in the distance.
"It's almost tragic," she murmured, "that kiddos like you have to fight here. You should be in school, studying quietly, training to become Huntsmen — not leading battles. Seeing this kind of violence that the world have to offer."
Jaune's expression tightened. "Maybe you're right," he said slowly. "But that sounds a lot like you want us coddled. Like spoiled children."
For a moment, the air was still. Then Autumn threw her head back and laughed with a deep, genuine sound that echoed off the walls of the ruined settlement.
"Oh, you've got a mouth on you!" she teased, shaking her head. "No, I'm not saying that. Not exactly."
Her laughter faded, replaced by a distant look in her eyes. Sadness crept into her voice.
"It's not a time where you can just… be children," Autumn said softly. "Spending time with your friends… enjoying life… falling in love."
She wasn't wrong. Jaune felt it in his bones that the burden of choices was too heavy for someone their age. For all their training, they were still young. Too young for this.
"I wonder if I am included in that?"
"Well, your training was long. But your mind's not so different from you were a teenager. You're both lucky and unlucky, Jaune."
"I don't understand," Jaune said.
"We'll, let's just blame Rusty. He made it sure you had enough training and in the end you turned out… like a Jaune Arc."
"I don't get it."
Autumn stood slowly, rising to her full height. The wind caught her cloak, making it billow behind her like a crimson banner. She rested Sundered Rose on her shoulder, her stance relaxed but powerful. The setting sun framed her figure in golden light, casting a long shadow across the ground.
Her silver eyes locked onto Jaune, serious and unyielding.
"Tell me something, Jaune Arc. Now that a week has passed and there's still not a single word from them," she said, her tone sharper now, "do you honestly believe that you children can win a war?"