The trio cautiously ventured deeper into the Forest of Death, its dark, tangled branches creating a canopy that blotted out the sunlight. The air was thick and humid, and the eerie silence was broken only by the occasional distant rustle or cry of an unseen creature.
"I don't like this," Weiss muttered, gripping her rapier tightly. "This forest smells like moldy gym socks and despair."
Yang smirked. "Relax, Ice Queen. What's the worst that could happen? A squirrel jumps out and asks for a duel?"
Blake, walking ahead, ignored their banter and kept her ears tuned to the sounds around them. Every crack of a branch or flutter of wings set her nerves on edge. Something wasn't right here.
As they pushed forward, the wildlife turned stranger. A bird with a serpent's tail hissed at them from a tree. A massive frog, easily the size of a car, croaked deeply, its glowing yellow eyes following their every move. Yang's cocky grin faltered as they passed a colony of spiders with translucent bodies, their glowing green innards pulsating like tiny lanterns.
"This place is like Mother Nature's nightmare scrapbook," Yang muttered, her fists clenched.
Weiss shuddered, stepping carefully over a gnarled root. "I told you this was a bad idea. Next time, let's just leave the rescuing to professionals."
"Next time?" Blake raised an eyebrow. "You're already planning a sequel to this disaster?"
Before Weiss could retort, a low rumble echoed through the trees. The ground vibrated beneath their feet, and Blake instinctively motioned for the group to stop. The rumbling grew louder, closer.
"What is that?" Yang whispered, her voice unusually cautious.
A massive anaconda, easily forty feet long, slithered out from the undergrowth, its iridescent scales glinting ominously even in the dim light. Its unblinking eyes locked onto the trio, and for a moment, no one dared to move.
"Don't make any sudden—" Blake began, but Weiss, in a panic, stumbled backward, her heel catching on a root. She let out a shriek as the anaconda lunged with lightning speed, swallowing her whole in one horrifying gulp.
Yang's jaw dropped. "Oh, hell no! Spit her out, you oversized garden hose!"
The snake reared up, its body bulging where Weiss was trapped inside. It hissed menacingly, its forked tongue flickering.
Yang cracked her knuckles, her eyes blazing with fury. "You asked for it, scaly." She charged forward, landing a thunderous punch on the snake's side. The anaconda recoiled but refused to relinquish its meal.
Blake drew her weapon, circling the creature. "Yang, don't kill it! Weiss is still in there!"
"Oh, believe me, I'm not killing it," Yang growled, delivering a series of rapid punches to the snake's abdomen. "I'm gonna make it wish it'd stayed in the snake equivalent of college."
The snake writhed and thrashed, its enormous tail swinging wildly. Blake narrowly avoided getting hit as she slashed at its sides, careful not to harm Weiss. Finally, Yang landed a devastating uppercut that sent the snake reeling.
With a sickening gurgle, the anaconda heaved, and Weiss was unceremoniously vomited onto the forest floor, covered in slime and looking thoroughly traumatized.
Weiss coughed and sputtered, wiping goo from her face. "I-I hate this forest. I hate snakes. I hate all of you."
Yang grinned, helping her up. "Aww, don't be like that. You were the star of the show! I mean, who else can say they got eaten and lived to tell the tale?"
Weiss glared at her, trembling with rage. "I am never leaving Atlas again."
Blake shook her head, sighing. "We still have a long way to go. Can you two try not to cause another incident?"
As the trio trudged on, Weiss muttered under her breath, "If Jaune Arc isn't here, I'm personally throwing both of you to the next monster we see."
The group pressed on, but the Forest of Death seemed intent on living up to its name. As they rounded a dense thicket, the ground beneath their feet crunched, a sound eerily amplified in the oppressive silence. Blake suddenly froze, her hand shooting up to halt the others.
"What now?" Yang groaned, her nerves fraying after the anaconda incident.
Blake didn't answer. Her sharp eyes were locked on a shadow between the trees. Slowly, the shape became clearer—a tiger. No, not just any tiger. This beast was massive, its shoulders higher than Yang's head. Its glowing green eyes glinted with predatory intent, and its elongated fangs jutted out like ivory swords.
"Uh, guys?" Weiss whispered, still shaky and coated in an unpleasant mixture of slime and fear. "Tell me that thing's a vegetarian."
The tiger growled low, a sound so deep it felt like the forest itself was rumbling. Its head tilted, studying them as if deciding which one would make the best appetizer.
"I think we should—" Blake started, but then the tiger's roar shattered the air, loud enough to send birds screeching out of the canopy.
"RUN!" Yang bellowed, already taking off in the opposite direction.
Blake bolted after her, Weiss scrambling to keep up. "I knew it! I knew coming here was a death sentence!" Weiss yelled, clutching her rapier like it was a teddy bear.
The tiger leapt forward, and from the shadows emerged its pack—three more equally massive, saber-toothed monstrosities. The ground thundered beneath their paws as they gave chase, their growls harmonizing into a spine-chilling chorus.
"Is this forest sponsored by nightmares or something?!" Yang shouted, weaving through the trees.
Blake, trying to stay ahead, yelled back, "Focus on running! And whatever you do, don't trip!"
Behind them, Weiss was not having a good time. "Don't trip? Don't trip?! Easy for you to say! You're not covered in snake bile!" Her foot caught on a root, and she nearly went down, barely catching herself in time.
The lead tiger lunged, its claws raking through the air just inches from Weiss's back. "Oh, Dust, oh, Dust, oh, Dust!" she screamed, tears forming in her eyes as she sprinted harder than she ever had in her life.
Yang skidded to a halt and turned around. "That's it! I'm done running!" Her fists ignited, flames licking up her gauntlets. "Come here, kitty-kitty!"
Blake grabbed her arm. "Are you insane? You can't take on four of them!"
"I can at least slow them down! Keep going!" Yang yelled, shaking Blake off.
Before Blake could argue, the lead tiger lunged at Yang. She ducked under its swipe and delivered an explosive uppercut to its jaw. The beast roared in pain, stumbling back, but its pack was already closing in.
Blake groaned. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
Weiss, gasping for air, finally caught up and wheezed, "Please… for the love of sanity… stop fighting jungle death machines!"
Yang grinned. "What? You think I can't handle a few big cats?" She punched another tiger square in the nose, but it barely flinched, swiping its massive paw at her and sending her flying into a tree.
"Yang!" Blake shouted, running to pull her up.
"I'm fine!" Yang groaned, though she was clearly winded. "Okay, maybe they're a little tougher than I thought."
Weiss, meanwhile, had climbed onto a low branch, trying to avoid the fray. "This is ridiculous! Why did I agree to come with you lunatics?!"
"Would you stop yelling and help?!" Blake snapped, slashing at a tiger that had turned its attention to her.
Another tiger crouched, its muscles coiling as it prepared to pounce on Weiss. Her eyes widened. "Nope! Nope! NOPE!" She tried to climb higher but slipped, tumbling back onto the ground.
The tiger lunged, jaws wide, and Weiss screamed as it snapped her up mid-fall.
"Weiss!" Blake and Yang yelled in unison.
Yang cracked her neck, her eyes turning red with rage. "That's it. No one eats my teammates." She charged the tiger, landing a fiery punch square on its ribs. "Spit her out, you overgrown rug!"
The tiger growled but seemed unfazed until Blake joined in, her sharp weapon slashing at its side. With a reluctant groan, the tiger vomited Weiss onto the forest floor. Again.
Weiss lay there, dazed and covered in saliva. "I… hate… everything."
Blake dragged her to her feet as Yang kept the tigers at bay with fiery punches and insults. "Next time, Weiss, maybe stay behind me!" Blake snapped.
Weiss coughed and glared. "Oh, sure. Let's all stand behind Blake, the human tiger bait."
Yang grinned as she retreated toward them. "Hey, I'm not bait. I'm dessert."
Blake rolled her eyes. "Less jokes, more running!"
The girls sprinted again, leaving the battered but not defeated tigers behind. As the growls faded into the distance, Weiss huffed, "If we survive this, I'm filing a restraining order against Jaune Arc. This is his fault. Somehow."
Yang laughed. "Yeah, well, let's just hope we find him before anything worse finds us."
They walk and walk ...until it's nearly dusk. The forest's eerie ambiance deepened with the sinking sun. Shadows stretched across the twisted trees, and the air grew heavy with moisture. The girls trudged along, sweat-soaked and visibly exhausted.
Yang plopped onto a mossy rock, wiping her brow dramatically. "Okay, I'm calling it. Time of death: my will to live, about five minutes ago."
Blake leaned against a tree, her ears twitching as she surveyed their surroundings. "We can't stop here. We don't know what else is out there."
Weiss flopped onto the ground with a groan. "I don't care if the entire cast of Grimm is waiting to perform a musical number. My legs refuse to function."
Yang smirked at Weiss. "You didn't have legs in a tiger's stomach, but now suddenly they're picky?"
Weiss shot her a venomous glare. "If you want me to function, Yang, kindly fetch me a spa, a five-star meal, and a time machine to undo this insanity."
Blake rolled her eyes. "I'll grab a carriage and a pumpkin too while we're at it."
A rustling in the bushes snapped them all back to alertness. Yang stood up, fists at the ready. "Please tell me that's just a squirrel or something cute."
A guttural growl echoed in response.
Blake groaned. "Why did you have to say something?"
Weiss climbed to her feet, rapier drawn. "If it's another monster, I swear I'm going to stab someone. Possibly you, Yang."
"Hey!" Yang said, her gauntlets glowing faintly. "I'm trying to lighten the mood!"
The growling grew louder, and glowing eyes began to emerge from the darkness.
"Let me guess," Weiss said flatly, stepping closer to the others, "bigger, scarier tigers?"
Blake narrowed her eyes at the encroaching figures. "Worse."
A massive, wolf-like creature stepped into view, its fur bristling with spikes and its claws leaving deep gouges in the dirt. Behind it, more pairs of glowing eyes appeared, their owners just as imposing.
Yang sighed. "Y'know, I'm starting to think Jaune's got the right idea. Running off into nowhere is starting to sound like a pretty solid plan."
The girls finally reached a colossal tree, its roots twisting like ancient serpents. Climbing up its knotted bark, they found a shaky moment of reprieve.
"See?" Weiss panted, leaning against a branch. "Safe! No Grimm, no tigers, no—"
A low, ominous buzzing cut her off. Yang looked up, her eyes narrowing. "Uh…what's that?"
Blake's ears twitched. "Sounds like—"
Before she could finish, a giant bee, the size of a small car, zipped out of nowhere and jabbed its stinger into Weiss's arm.
"OW!" Weiss screamed, flailing and nearly falling off the tree. "Why me?! Why always me?!"
Yang swatted at the bee but was immediately stung on her shoulder. "Agh! This thing's relentless!"
Blake tried to shoo it away with a branch, but it only seemed to enrage the creature further. The bee buzzed furiously, darting between them and landing more painful stings.
"Run!" Blake yelled, leaping down from the tree and hitting the ground in a roll.
Weiss and Yang didn't need telling twice. They scrambled down, their limbs flailing as they hit the ground running. The buzzing grew louder as more giant bees joined the chase.
"Why are there so many?!" Weiss shrieked, swatting at her hair as a bee grazed her head.
Weiss growled, clutching her arm. "Forget Jaune! Forget Ruby! Forget everything! I'm moving to Atlas, and I'm never leaving again!"
Blake didn't answer, too busy sprinting ahead, her tail puffed out in sheer terror. The trio tore through the undergrowth, ducking branches and vaulting over roots, the swarm hot on their heels.
"Next time," Weiss gasped between breaths, "we follow a map!"
"Next time," Blake snapped, "we don't come into a death forest without an army!"
"Next time," Yang shouted, "we make Jaune come to us!"
The buzzing finally began to fade as they burst out of the dense thickets into a clearing. Collapsing onto the ground, they panted heavily, swatting at their bee-bitten limbs.
"Never," Weiss wheezed, glaring at the sky, "ever… again."
The trio finally reached the heart of the forest, where flickering orange light broke through the gloom. Crouching behind a bush, they peered into a clearing filled with Faunus villagers gathered around a roaring bonfire. Blake's sharp eyes instantly focused on something lying near the flames—a figure with short, familiar hair.
Ruby.
Yang's breath hitched. Her fists clenched. "Are they—" she choked out, her voice trembling with rage. "They're eating her alive?!"
Without waiting for confirmation, Yang erupted from the bushes like an avenging meteor. "You monsters!" she roared, smashing into the nearest Faunus with a force that sent him flying into the bonfire.
The peaceful gathering dissolved into chaos as Yang tore through them with unbridled fury. She didn't just hit them—she demolished them. A deer Faunus tried to reason with her, but she grabbed his antlers and suplexed him into the dirt. Another—a raccoon Faunus—attempted to run, but Yang grabbed his tail, swung him around like a sack of potatoes, and hurled him into a tree. The cracking sounds of bones echoed in the clearing.
"What kind of sick cult are you running here?!" Yang yelled, her golden hair blazing as she punted an armadillo Faunus so hard he rolled into the underbrush like a bowling ball.
Before she could reach Ruby, a lithe figure darted from the shadows—a Grasshopper Faunus with spring-loaded legs. "Boss said no outsiders," he muttered before delivering a well-aimed kick to the back of Yang's head. Her vision blurred, and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Behind the bushes, Blake and Weiss froze in horror.
"What do we do?" Weiss whispered, her voice trembling. "They're… taking her away."
Blake didn't answer, her amber eyes wide as the Faunus dragged Yang's limp body toward the center of the camp. "Let the boss do his thing," one of them muttered ominously.
Weiss's imagination spiraled. "Oh no," she gasped, clutching Blake's arm. "Is he going to have his way with her? He did grope her chest in public—"
"Don't say it!" Blake hissed, though her own mind wasn't faring much better.
Meanwhile, near the fire, Ruby sat cross-legged, oblivious to the chaos. A pair of fox-eared children cheered beside her as she scored another point in a makeshift ball game. "That's three for me!" Ruby announced with a victorious grin.
The winged Faunus girl beside her waved off the commotion in the distance. "It's nothing," she said, ushering Ruby back into the game. "Come on, the boys are catching up!"
Unaware of the escalating disaster, Ruby shrugged and refocused, determined not to let the boys win.
—X~X—
Jaune Arc had been enjoying his evening—or at least trying to—when Mantis stomped into his chambers. The grilled fish on his plate was perfectly charred, and for once, he thought he might get to eat in peace. Of course, peace was apparently too much to ask for these days.
"Boss," Mantis announced, dragging a blonde girl like she was a sack of potatoes. "Found this troublemaker in the forest."
Jaune didn't even need to look twice. His face instantly darkened as recognition struck him. "Oh no," he groaned. "Not her."
The girl's hair was as golden as the sun and messier than a bird's nest during a hurricane. Even unconscious, she looked like she was mid-argument.
Mantis shrugged. "She was yelling about you, some Ruby kid, and something about not letting you 'defile her.' Sounded personal, so we brought her here."
Before Jaune could respond, the blonde stirred, groaning as her fiery eyes blinked open. "Ugh, where—?" Then her gaze locked on Jaune, and her entire body tensed. "YOU!" she roared, her voice echoing like a battle cry.
"Oh no, no, no," Jaune muttered, raising a hand as if to ward off the inevitable.
Too late.
Yang launched herself off the floor like a missile, fists blazing with her signature golden glow. "Where's Ruby, you bastard?! What have you done to her?!"
"Can we not do this right now?" Jaune pleaded, ducking behind his chair as her fist splintered it into firewood. "Seriously, lady, do you just go around breaking people's furniture for fun?"
"Where. Is. My. Sister?!" she snarled, tossing the remains of the chair aside like it was nothing. "You think you can kidnap Ruby Rose, brainwash her, and turn her into your minion? Think again, creep!"
"Minion?" Jaune blinked. "Why would I—? No, you know what? Forget it." He raised his hands, summoning wooden barriers between him and the furious blonde.
Yang's fists smashed through the first wall. "You kidnapped her to—what? Make her your evil bride? Take over Remnant? I knew you were scum, Arc, but this? You can have my body, but you'll NEVER have my heart!"
"Your body—what the hell are you even TALKING about?!" Jaune barked, dodging another punch as the second wall crumbled. "And for the record, I didn't kidnap anyone!"
"LIAR!" Yang lunged again, narrowly missing his head. "I'm gonna bash your stupid smug face in and save my sister!"
Jaune, thoroughly done, clapped his hands together. Wooden tendrils erupted from the floor, snaking around Yang's arms and legs. She thrashed like a fish caught in a net, but the bindings held firm.
"Let me go, you coward!" she shrieked, her voice carrying enough volume to wake the dead. "I'll never stop fighting! Ruby, I'm coming for you!"
"Yeah, sure, after you calm down for, oh, I don't know, five seconds?" Jaune huffed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Mantis, take her to the holding room before she destroys the rest of my place."
Mantis snorted, hauling the still-screaming Yang over his shoulder like a particularly angry sack of flour. "You got it, boss."
"Put me down, you overgrown cricket!" Yang shouted, kicking wildly. "When I get out of this, I'm gonna—!"
Her threats faded as Mantis carried her out. Jaune slumped into what was left of his chair and muttered, "I should've stayed in Ansel…"
—X~X—
Yang, still bound, was unceremoniously dumped into a small, dimly lit wooden room. She glared daggers at Mantis as he closed the door behind her. "This isn't over!" she yelled, struggling against her restraints. "You hear me?!"
A voice from the corner made her freeze. "Oh, good. Another prisoner. Welcome to the club."
Yang whipped her head around. A woman with wild hair sat tied to a chair, her head tilted in a way that screamed "too much caffeine." A black cat lounged lazily beside her.
"Who the hell are you?" Yang demanded.
"I'm Lisa Lavender!" the woman declared dramatically, her chains rattling as she tried to strike a heroic pose. "Famed journalist and truth-seeker extraordinaire! And you've stumbled into the greatest scoop of my life."
Yang blinked. "Uh, what?"
Lisa leaned forward, her eyes gleaming. "Jaune Arc. The Demon King of the Forest. Feared by all. And soon to be exposed to the world, thanks to moi." She gestured at herself with her chin, looking far too smug for someone tied up.
"Demon King?" Yang repeated, her voice dripping with disbelief. "He's just a scrawny idiot with delusions of grandeur."
"That's what he wants you to think," Lisa said conspiratorially. "But trust me, he's got dark, sinister plans. Why else would he have captured me? I'm a threat to his reign!"
Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. And I'm a faunus."
The cat meowed loudly, as if disagreeing with everything in the room.
"Winston agrees with me," Lisa said, nodding sagely. "He knows the truth."
Yang sighed, slumping against the wall. "Great. I'm stuck with a lunatic."
Lisa grinned. "Cheer up! Jaune Arc's reign of terror won't last forever. Once he's done with you, he'll come for me. It's only a matter of time…"
Yang's eyes widened as the weight of the situation hit her. "Wait—what do you mean 'done with me'?!"
Lisa leaned closer, chains clinking ominously. "You know what he's gonna do to you, right?"
Yang scowled, already regretting asking. "Do I even wanna know?"
Lisa's grin widened. "Oh, you definitely want to know. Jaune Arc, Demon King of the Forest, isn't just some low-level kidnapper. No, no, no. He's gonna cook you. Like, literally. Chop you up, season you—maybe with rosemary, if he's feeling fancy—and feed you to his faunus army."
Yang's face twisted in disbelief. "You're insane."
The journalist only nodded sagely. "That's what they all say—until it happens. Do you know what happened to that caped girl and her bunny faunus friend? The ones from Beacon?"
Yang's breath caught. "Ruby and Velvet?"
Lisa's voice dropped to a dramatic whisper. "Brainwashed. Completely. They're probably working for him now. Mindless little puppets in his evil plot."
Yang clenched her fists, her knuckles white. "No way. Ruby would never—"
"Oh, wouldn't she?" Lisa interrupted, shaking her head. "You don't know the power this guy wields. He's not just some scrawny dude; he's a monster."
Yang let out a frustrated growl. "This is ridiculous! My friends—Blake and Weiss—they'll come for me. They're probably on their way right now."
Lisa tilted her head, looking skeptical. "This Blake girl and the ice princess? Sure, they'll try, but this is Jaune Arc's domain. You really think they can make it through the Forest of Death alive?"
"Damn right they can," Yang snapped. "Blake's the sneakiest person I know, and Weiss is tougher than she looks. They'll rescue me in no time."
Lisa studied her for a moment before shrugging. "Okay, let's say they do. What's your plan? Just sit here twiddling your thumbs until they burst through the door?"
Yang huffed, frustration boiling over. "We need a plan. Got any bright ideas, Miss 'I Know Everything'?"
Lisa smirked. "Oh, I thought you'd never ask."
—X~X—
Hidden deep within the forest, Blake crouched under a massive fern, her golden eyes scanning the distant glow of Jaune Arc's village. Beside her, Weiss, still covered in dirt and scratches, crossed her arms tightly.
"This is ridiculous," Weiss muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why aren't we storming in already?"
Blake shot her a sharp look. "Because we'll die. Jaune Arc is unpredictable. He's dangerous. He's—"
"Insane," Weiss finished, scowling. "I know, I know. But we're wasting time."
Blake sighed. "I called Fū and Han. They're bringing... equipment."
Weiss raised an eyebrow. "What equipment?"
"You'll see."
The cryptic answer only added to Weiss's frustration, but before she could press further, her stomach growled loudly, echoing embarrassingly through the quiet forest.
Blake froze, smirking despite herself. "Nice. Subtle."
Weiss glared. "Oh, like you're not starving."
Almost on cue, Blake's stomach joined the protest. She winced. "Fine. We need food. Let's split up and look for something edible."
"Like what? Crickets? Worms?" Weiss shuddered. "Ew."
Blake rolled her eyes. "It's not gourmet dining, princess. Just look."
They ventured cautiously through the underbrush, their shoes squelching in the damp soil. Weiss bent down near a patch of moss, poking at a suspiciously wriggling pile of insects with her rapier.
"Ugh, no way. I'd rather die."
"Then you'll starve," Blake muttered, brushing leaves aside to inspect a cluster of moss.
The forest seemed alive in the suffocating darkness, the air heavy with the chorus of chirping insects and rustling leaves. Blake and Weiss crept through the dense underbrush, flashlights in hand, their beams slicing through the pitch black. The ground was uneven, roots snaking out like traps waiting to trip them. Every crackle of twigs beneath their boots sent their nerves spiraling.
Blake's ears twitched, her voice low. "Do you hear that?"
"Don't," Weiss hissed, shoving her flashlight beam around nervously. "Don't do the whole 'do you hear that' thing. It's just—just animals, right?"
Blake didn't answer, her golden eyes scanning the forest. "Yang and Ruby are out there, probably suffering because we're wasting time hunting for food."
Weiss swallowed, her grip on her rapier tightening. "What do you think he's… doing to them?"
Blake's jaw clenched. She didn't want to imagine. But the images forced their way in—Jaune Arc, a nobody, transformed into something unrecognizable. Dangerous. Maybe even monstrous. His twisted plans for Ruby and Yang could be—
She shook her head. "We'll find them," she said, more to herself than Weiss. "And whatever he's planning, we'll stop it."
Weiss grimaced. "He's an animal, Blake. A cunning, depraved animal. If he's… having his way with them or—" her voice faltered. "Or worse, feeding them to those people, we have to act fast."
Blake nodded silently, though a pit of unease sat heavy in her stomach.
After a tense hour of searching, they stumbled across a small clearing. Weiss spotted it first—a patch of yellow mushrooms glowing faintly in the moonlight, their tops plump and inviting.
Blake crouched down, inspecting them. "Mushrooms," she muttered, her voice tinged with suspicion. "But yellow?"
"Colorful usually means danger, doesn't it?" Weiss asked, keeping her distance.
Blake straightened, picking a few cautiously. "We're starving. Do you see anything better out here?"
Weiss looked around helplessly, the answer painfully obvious. "Fine. But you're cooking them."
"No, you are," Blake handed Weiss the mushrooms and pointed toward a fallen tree nearby. "Gather some wood for a fire. I'll see if there's any water nearby."
Weiss frowned but obeyed, setting her flashlight down to gather sticks. Before long, she had a small bonfire going, its orange glow dancing off the surrounding trees. She eyed the mushrooms warily as she roasted them over the flames, the smell surprisingly pleasant.
As the food cooked, Weiss muttered to herself, her nerves fraying. "Ruby, Yang… hang on. Just hang on. We'll get to you, you unworthy teammates." Her voice softened. "We have to."
Minutes passed, and Blake hadn't returned. The mushrooms sizzled enticingly, their edges crisping to golden perfection. Weiss bit her lip, her stomach growling.
"She said not to eat them until she got back," Weiss murmured, staring longingly at the mushrooms. But hunger gnawed at her resolve. "What's the worst that could happen?"
She picked up a piece, blowing on it before taking a cautious bite. Her eyes widened. "Oh… oh, these are amazing."
One bite turned into another, then another, until she'd devoured every last piece. She sighed contentedly, leaning back against the tree trunk just as Blake emerged from the shadows, holding a handful of wild… weird-looking berries.
Blake stopped dead, her eyes darting from the empty pan to Weiss's satisfied expression. "Weiss… did you just eat all of them?"
Weiss avoided her gaze, feigning nonchalance. "Maybe."
Blake's expression darkened. "Unbelievable. I told you to wait."
"Well, you were taking too long!" Weiss snapped. "And I'm still alive, so they weren't poisonous."
"Lucky you," Blake muttered, tossing a berry at Weiss's head. "No mushrooms for me, then. Guess you don't get any fruit."
Weiss gasped indignantly as Blake sat down and began munching on the berries. "You can't just—"
"Serves you right," Blake interrupted, smirking as she ignored Weiss's protests.
The fire crackled between them, the warmth a rare comfort in the oppressive forest. But their thoughts remained heavy, circling back to the same grim question: What was Jaune Arc doing to their friends?
All they could do now was wait. And hope Fū and Han arrived before it was too late.
—X~X—
The plan was flawless… in theory. Lisa paced the tiny room like an unhinged cat waiting for dinner, occasionally glancing at the door where her precious camera dangled tauntingly. Yang sprawled on the floor, her limbs splayed out in a dramatic death pose. Even Winston, the ever-judgmental tabby, was watching her with narrowed eyes that practically screamed, Amateur.
The door creaked open, and in stepped a faunus with wild hair and a swishing tail that looked like it had a personality of its own. She carried a tray of food and hesitated at the sight of Yang's "corpse."
"Oh, Yang, you—"
That was all she got out before Yang exploded to life like a coiled spring. "Surprise, sucker!" she roared, chopping the faunus in the neck with enough force to knock her out cold.
The girl hit the floor with a thud, the tray clattering beside her.
Lisa's jaw dropped, her face a mix of shock and amazement. "You did it! Holy crap, that actually worked!"
Yang smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Yeah, no big deal. Quick thinking's my thing."
Winston meowed in what could only be described as skeptical agreement.
Wasting no time, Yang grabbed some rope from the corner and started tying the unconscious faunus to a chair. Her knots were alarmingly well-executed.
Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Wait, how do you know how to—"
"Don't. Ask."
Lisa shrugged and rubbed her sore wrists, clearly more interested in freedom than in Yang's suspicious knot-tying skills. "Alright, let's move. Grab Winston. We'll get Ruby and then boom, outta here!"
Yang kicked the door open, dragging Lisa along while Winston followed with a flick of his tail. She slammed the door shut behind them and wedged a wooden plank under the handle for good measure.
"That'll hold her," Yang said confidently.
Inside the room, the faunus groaned, blinking her eyes open. "Yang…?" she mumbled, confusion clouding her voice. As her vision cleared, Weiss Schnee's pale face came into focus in the dim light. Her disguise—a pathetic attempt at faunus cosplay with a tail that looked suspiciously glued on—was now utterly useless.
"Oh no… Oh no, no, no…" Weiss's voice was barely a whisper as reality dawned on her. She'd come to rescue Yang but somehow ended up tied to a chair with a sore neck.
Meanwhile, outside, Lisa whispered, "Didn't that faunus seem… off to you?"
Yang shrugged. "What do you mean?"
"Dunno. Seemed kind of… familiar? Like on TV?"
Yang waved her off. "You're imagining things."
Back in the room, Weiss was having a full-blown mental breakdown. "This is not happening. This is NOT happening," she muttered, her voice rising with each word.
Her mushroom-induced delusions weren't helping. As she wriggled in the chair, she suddenly giggled. "Wait! I'm a spy. Meow."
Winston's distant meow echoed eerily, as if mocking her plight.
Weiss grinned, the mushrooms amplifying her delusional confidence. "They'll never see me coming…" she muttered, a manic gleam in her eyes. Then, spotting the food Yang had left behind, she lunged as far as her restraints allowed and started stuffing her face.
Lisa, who'd finally gotten far enough away with Yang, paused. "Wait a second. Did we just… leave that faunus completely unguarded?"
Yang stopped in her tracks, a rare moment of hesitation crossing her face. "Uh… maybe?"
Winston meowed as if to say, You two are the worst rescuers ever.
—X~X—
The heavy wooden door to the holding cabin creaked open, and in stepped Jaune, accompanied by Oogway, whose slow, deliberate pace somehow added to the comedic absurdity of the moment. Jaune's face was a blend of exhaustion and irritation, like a man who's had just about enough nonsense for one day. He'd come to interrogate the "troublemakers" locked up here—the blonde berserker who'd rampaged through his village and an equally annoying news reporter.
But what greeted him made him stop dead in his tracks.
A girl in a terrible cat-faunus disguise, complete with a lopsided paper tail and mismatched fur ears, sat cross-legged on the floor. She was humming to herself, swaying like someone who'd just had a little too much "forest brew." The paper tail flopped uselessly behind her.
Jaune blinked. "Who… in Oum's name… are you?"
The girl perked up at the sound of his voice, her wide eyes lighting up like she'd just been called on by her favourite teacher. "Weiss! Meow!" she said, adding a poorly executed cat-like gesture with her hands. "Hey, handsome!"
Jaune stared at her, deadpan. "Weiss…?"
Weiss wiggled her fake ears. "Meow."
Oogway's hand slapped his forehead with an audible thud. "Weiss, as in Weiss Schnee? No. Can't be. She'd be too smart to dress like this."
Weiss tilted her head in exaggerated confusion. "Schnee? No, no, I'm just Weiss. Meow." She batted her lashes in a way that was more terrifying than charming.
Oogway leaned over slightly and whispered in Jaune's ear. "She seems… deeply confused."
"She seems insane," Jaune muttered. "And I thought the blonde one was the crazy one."
Weiss stood up—or rather, stumbled to her feet—nearly tripping over the "tail" she'd hastily tied to her waist. "Oh, my demon king!" she said, pressing both hands to her cheeks in mock adoration. "You've… captured my heart!"
"I didn't even try," Jaune replied flatly. "I didn't even want to."
Before he could continue his interrogation, his scroll buzzed. He sighed heavily, pulling it out of his pocket. "What now?"
The familiar voice of Mantis crackled through the speaker. "Boss, we've got a situation."
"Of course, we do. What is it this time?"
"It's… a woman."
"For the sake of…" Jaune groaned. Another one?!
"That Mr. Schee guy's kid."
Jaune frowned. "Who?"
"You know, Mr Schee. The guy who runs that faunus-exploiting company."
Jaune's face twisted in irritation. "You mean Mr. Sick."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. She's here."
Jaune groaned. "Oum help me. What, does their family think I'm running a village Airbnb? I hate the Sick family."
"Do I put her in the usual spot?" Mantis asked.
"Put her in the… Wait. Hold on." Jaune turned back to the strange girl in front of him, who was now swaying side to side, humming something that sounded suspiciously like a nursery rhyme. "Weiss," he said, his tone sharp, "what are you doing here?"
She snapped to attention—or tried to. It was more like a drunk cat pretending to be a soldier. "I'm here for you, my demon king!" she declared dramatically, throwing her arms wide.
Jaune's expression didn't change. "Oogway," he said, pointing at her, "what is wrong with her?"
The old tortoise shook his head. "Confused, perhaps. Or a lack of common sense. Or maybe she understands your greatness."
Jaune's scroll buzzed again. "Boss," Mantis interrupted, "you still there?"
"Yes, Mantis," Jaune snapped. "I'm still here. Just… deal with the Sick for now. I'll be there shortly."
He hung up and turned back to Weiss, who was now crouching on all fours, pawing at his boots like a cat begging for attention. "Please, my king, don't leave me! Meow!"
Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Fine. You're coming with me. But if you do anything embarrassing in front of Winter, I'm tying you to a tree and leaving you for the squirrels."
Weiss gasped, clasping her hands dramatically. "You'd abandon your loyal kitty? Meow?!"
"Yes," Jaune replied without hesitation. "Now get up."
As Jaune dragged Weiss out of the prison, Oogway gave a soft chuckle. "You seem to attract peculiar ones, sir."
Jaune shot him a look. "How true. First that Reporter m, then that crazy girl, now this. I can't wait to meet Winter and see how she plans to ruin my day."
—X~X—
Author Note:
Hope you loved it.
What do you want next before we spice up things more?
Next Chapter
Winter in The Sands.
A Crown Near a Shade.
The Child of Prophecy.
The War Begins.
Do drop your thoughts in the review section. They inspire me to write faster, better and larger and with more depth.
Till next time.
~Phoenix.