The summer home was quiet in the late hours of the night. After being patched in to the call with Astrid, everyone had been left too exhausted to really discuss what they had heard in any great detail. Few words were exchanged between the group before each of them had retreated to their separate bedrooms, or in Neopolitan's case, the couch. Despite the clean divisions between them all, none of them were really getting much sleep. Blake seemed to be the most comfortable at rest, her bare back pressed up against Sun's chest as she drifted in and out of fitful napping in their shared bed. Sun himself spent most of the night staring at the back of the girl's head and occasionally adjusting his positioning. There was too much on his mind for him to even close his eyes… and then frantic knocking came to the bedroom door to spur him fully awake.
Blake slipped out of Sun's grasp immediately and slid off the bed, swiping Gambol Shroud off the nightstand and adopting a combat stance immediately. Sun sat up in bed, letting the sheets keep him covered as he stared at the door for a moment, and then at Blake. Despite her state of total undress, the huntress seemed immediately ready for a fight until a familiar voice came through the door.
"Sun? There's a… a situation."
"That's Jaune," Sun said quietly, scooting back up against the headboard. "Throw me my boxers? And, uh… maybe put something on?"
Blake took a moment to finally exhale, her stance loosening as she quite literally dropped her weapon down to the carpet. The faunus ran a hand through her hair, scratching at her scalp through the few inches that remained on top as she collected her boyfriend's underwear, her scroll, and her nightie from a nearby ottoman.
"At this point, I almost feel like it doesn't even matter if we're clothed."
"What are you, Neptune? Not that I'm complaining you want to air out…"
"Uh-huh. Catch," Blake called as she tossed the boxers over the bed.
Sun snatched the flying undergarments out of the air and got out from under the covers to pull them on. He kept his eyes on Blake's backside all the while until it was partially covered by the translucent dress. One thing, at least, wasn't causing him any additional stress.
"Coming!" Sun called as he began to stride toward the door with a yawn. "I really hope this isn't something we have to handle right now."
"You and I both know it will be," Blake cautioned as she pulled on a pair of panties to fully cover herself before joining him. "Not like we're getting much sleep anyway."
"You're not wrong," Sun acknowledged as he unlocked the door and pulled it open. "What's… you look awful."
Jaune stood on the other side of the door in a pair of green boxers patterned with cartoon rabbit heads upon them… and that was just about the only color on his person. The boy's face was ghost white and he seemed to be looking through Sun rather than at him for a moment before his eyes finally snapped to those of the faunus. He took a hard swallow before speaking, and when he did, his voice sounded panicked.
"I just… I-I just got a call from Saphron. She's alive."
Sun blinked twice, trying to work through who Jaune was talking about through his exhausted haze. Blake tilted her head and looked to him for clarification, only for Sun to offer her a blank stare.
"…Saphron?"
"I…" Sun started, only to look back over at Jaune with wide eyes. "Oh, shit! Your sister! The one in Argus! I completely forgot… she's been over there this whole time…"
"Yeah," Jaune said quickly, not looking reassured at all. "She and the rest of the family have been holed up in a stock room at a grocery store for a few days now with some other civilians, and they just tried to venture outside and got signal. Apparently there's still a lot of grimm in the city, but… the majority have retreated. We might have a shot at taking it back after all."
"…are you seriously giving us good news right now?" Blake asked. "Never thought I'd see the day…"
"…I don't know if he is," Sun said hesitantly. "Blake, Saphron's got a wife and baby. That means… Jaune, you're going, aren't you? To make sure they're safe and get out of there."
Jaune finally looked away to stare down at the bedroom carpet. It took him a moment to ready himself before meeting Sun's eyes once again and hardening his voice.
"I'm… not."
"…you're not," Blake repeated. "You're sticking with us?"
"I am," Jaune confirmed. "Because I have to. I need to be here, with both of you, and the others, and make sure the Sword of Destruction stays safe. And… and I need you both to tell me that's the right move."
"Jaune…" Sun began, deflating a bit. "I mean, that's… we do need you. Your Semblance is crazy powerful, you've gotten a lot better at fighting, you're helping to keep Yang's head in the game… but are you going to be alright staying with the group? Can you really put this out of your mind? I don't think we have time to stop into Argus…"
"We don't, and I'm not asking for us to," Jaune clarified with a sigh. "We have a mission. Maybe the most important one on Remnant right now, and I… I feel like I have to put that first. Saphron wasn't happy about it… and neither was Yang. Given the whole thing with Ruby, I get it, but… I'm really hoping that Corsac can help calm her down. She's furious with me and wants to make a detour."
Sun jumped slightly as he felt a cold hand touch his bare shoulder.
"I'll handle Yang," Blake said as she caught Sun's eyes. "She's been having a rough day as it is. I'll also call Mom and make sure she knows to find Saphron. Jaune, send me a description of her and her location. Photos if you can. We'll make sure she gets out safely."
"Thanks, Blake," Jaune offered as she slipped past him in the doorway. "I really don't deserve you two…"
"Bullshit," Sun said quietly. "We all take care of each other, and this is you taking care of the rest of us by staying. We'll do everything we can to check in on Saphron and her family. I think you're making the right call. If we didn't have people headed to Argus, that'd be one thing, but…"
"Yeah," Jaune agreed before Sun could really finish. He crossed his arms over his chest and shivered a bit as he looked off to the side. "Thanks, Sun. You really are the leader we need."
"I didn't even really do anything…" the faunus considered, his tail nearly tying itself into a knot behind himself.
"You're here when I need you, and that's enough," Jaune reassured. "I've been trying not to think about Saphron this entire time, with everything else going on. I figured… I kinda just thought I'd have to deal with her… her not making it later, after all of this was over. Pretending the attack on Argus wasn't happening, or it was something I wouldn't have to think about was one of the things keeping me stable. Hearing Saph again just now, though… now it's real. I'm… I'm worried. I trust the other groups to get there and save her, but… what if they don't?"
"They will," Sun tried as he moved a step closer, unsure as to what he was actually doing. "Kali's great. Ilia's gonna try to get there, too. Between those two and their backup, they'll clean out the city, especially if Salem's forces really are pulling back. Don't second-guess yourself now. We've gotta stay strong, Jaune. All of us have personal stuff at stake. It's not just 'fate of the world', it's the fate of our worlds, too. By going to Vacuo, you're upping Saphron's chances of survival by a lot more than leaving us to go without you. Look at it that way."
"…I guess," Jaune replied, though he didn't sound entirely convinced. "Yeah, it's just… hard. Especially with Yang trying to convince me that I have to go and fight for my family. It's hard to argue against that."
Sun hesitated before taking one more step to put himself directly in front of Jaune. He watched as his friend raised a brow, and before either of them could stop it, the faunus reached out and pulled Jaune into a tight hug. The physical contact was intensely awkward, but Sun felt like he needed to do it… and after a few seconds, Jaune unfolded his arms and returned the gesture while leaning into Sun.
"…I get it," Sun acknowledged. "And you're right. But… family doesn't just mean blood, you know. Sure, that's important, too, but I've been figuring out throughout this entire crazy journey that family is what you make it, and I consider you a part of mine. That means Blake is part of yours, too, and her family will take care Saphron. Trust her. Trust me. We'll get it done, even if we can't be there in Argus directly. I promise."
"Don't make promises," Jaune warned, though he didn't sound particularly upset by the notion as he broke out of the hug. His face had some color again and his cheeks were a soft pink for reasons he didn't want to think about. "Just knowing that you're all going to try is enough. It has to be."
"It will be," Sun offered with a firm nod. "We've got this."
"I believe you," Jaune admitted as he scratched his head. "I don't even know why, but I do. Can I… stay here? I really don't think going back upstairs would be a good idea right now…"
Sun shifted his stance a bit, feeling rather awkward… but he knew what he had to do.
"Yeah, of course," Sun said as he began to make his way back to sit on the bed. "Not like I was really getting any sleep anyway. Let's just talk for a bit."
"That would be helpful," Jaune agreed as he followed the faunus and sat down on the mattress. "You really see me as family…?"
"After everything we've gone through together? Yeah," Sun replied, leaning back to lie on the bed and look up at the ceiling. "And if you can't trust family, who can you trust?"
"Two months?" Salem hissed. The witch's expression was twisted into one of rage as she stared across the chamber at her daughter. There was a pause in which the only noise inside of the makeshift room was what sounded like a heartbeat coming from the organic walls pulsating around the pair. Astrid stared at Salem, unblinking. That only served to make the woman angrier. "What were you thinking? I won't abide by these ridiculous games of yours. We move on Beacon at sunrise."
"To what end?" Astrid challenged. "To comb through the rubble and try to find the Vault? Even if you were successful, we have nothing. None of the Relics, a Maiden and a half, and a string of failures guided by your hand. You gave me control. You told me to take charge of the efforts in Sanus, and I did so. I bought you time enough to create it, and once it's complete, we can steamroll Remnant in its entirety. Stop your incessant whining and get to work while I handle the politicking and stalling on the surface."
Salem let out a hiss of displeasure. Neither she nor her daughter had moved an inch since the argument had begun. The heartbeat continued to thrum all around them, almost like a countdown clock. Salem wasn't sure how many more beats could ring out before she snapped.
"…you really believe it to be that easy?" Salem seethed. "There is a reason I haven't begun its construction. I will be completely unavailable for the duration, and the enemy is gaining ground. If they figure out what's going on before I'm finished…"
"And every second you delay, they will gain more ground and have a higher likelihood of coming to investigate," Astrid countered. "Once you're done, we'll finally be able to rest. By the time they see it, it will be too late to stop it. You know that I'm right. This is the one option still unexplored across how many cycles, and while we may lose ground during the preparation… this is our one shot to end this, permanently, without needing the Relics first. You've been so focused on collecting those stupid baubles that you've been sidestepping the obvious solution. Begin dismantling the grimm and get to work. I'm tired of the excuses, the delays, and the half-measures. I'll chip away at the resistance in the meantime and begin taking players off the board. Trust me."
Salem continued to stare for a moment. Over time, the heartbeat slowed, and then suddenly, stopped. The walls around them ceased their movements, and Salem spoke with a heavy sense of finality.
"Do not fail me, Astrid," Salem warned. "Or even a half-measure discovered too early is something you will be unable to escape. This is your one and only chance. You'll know when I'm ready."
"I know," Astrid acknowledged as she turned her back on her mother and began to stride toward the entrance to the chamber. "So begins the end."
Author's Note:
We're just about ready to head to Vacuo…
-RD